Fat Secret

[BKP]

*Excellent* Pete... congrats on all the progress!
I know the trick is in setting goals...

I agree with Shasta, though, to balance the caloric intake reduction with exercise -- it's important to keep the metabolism up, which otherwise eventually slows down to compensate for the reduced calories...

Keep up the great work --

[BVickery]

One thing one needs to remember about ones metabolism is that you can actually lose weight with an increase of food. The important key is this: limit or eliminate junk food, and talk with a doctor/nutritionist about it.

Some important disclaimers: At the time I was under the very watchful eye of an actual Doctor (Ph. D etc) who specialized in Nutrition and weight loss. I met with her assistant EVERY week to go over what I ate, weight loss etc. So before anyone says something about the rapid weight loss, it was under a Doctor's strict and watchful eyes.

During the initial meeting with the Doc we did discuss my unique problem (30 yrs old and a severely malformed hip joint and arthritis ravaging a lot of the joints, esp. the one that is being replaced). We discussed the options and came up with a diet plan that I had to follow. I was to eat 16oz of protein a day, unlimited fruits and veggies and SEVERE restrictions on carbs (a serving or two of bread a day, no rice, no speghetti etc). Thanked her and quickly went home, bought the scale and waited a week for the first follow up.

First follow up I lost 14 lbs the first week. I only ate the 16oz of protein a day with tons of veggies. Prior to the surgery I would average almost 5 lbs/week weight loss (again, all under careful eye of a doctor). I did have weeks were I gained a few pounds back or lost 1-2 lbs, but overall I shed 60lbs in a little over 3 months time.

When I talked to her I asked why I was shedding so much weight and eating almost like a horse. She smiled and said its one aspect a lot of people don't realize about a body's metabolism and human physiology. The Human Body is close to being the perfect, if not perfect, creature for storing energy (fat). That by limiting yourself to X calories and # of meals your not training your body to maximize the food you eat. Also, the very act of metabolizing food burns calories naturally (and thus, more weight lost). The best example she came up with was car MPG. She said you look at a vehicle that has to constantly start/stop your MPG is lower than a car that doesn't have to stop as much (Highway). The same basic principal works with the human body.

In essence, by eating lots of very small meals I kept my body constantly digesting food (metabolism) almost 24hrs a day. That eating an apple for a snack is 95 calories, but your body could end up using over 95 calories to properly digest it.

I've dropped 40lbs in the past 3 months or so because I went back to eating a lot healthier (I have a piece of meat and a load of veggies for a meal) and then eat fruits for snacks. I walk a lot more (physical exercise is now a lot less painful with the new hip), living on the 3rd floor w/ no elevator and having to bring out 2 dogs 3x day helps too.

Another important thing that I brought out of those meetings was the concept of 'guilt'. When a person is on a diet and they break it, they feel guilty and then go and splurge. The most important thing to do is realize you will break your diet every so often. The best advice the doc's gave me was don't feel guilty on it. If you went out and had a large dinner at a BBQ place with friends, don't beat yourself up over it. Just shrug it off and say "I screwed up" and get back onto your diet the very next day. During my rapid weight loss I went out to a BBQ place, Italian restraints with my parents, ate stadium food etc. A lot of the times I ate smart, but a few times I was stupid. The biggest thing they told me was NOT to feel guilty that I broke my diet plan.

NetDoc, and others, keep up the great work! Please don't take my post to say what your doing is wrong, just want to pass along information about how the human body works in regards to metabolism and weight loss. I'm a firm believer that the more information one has the better it is.

I will also leave with this gem that I got from the doctor. Weight loss is not a temporary thing for most, to have it be successful long term it requires a lifestyle change. That most of us will need to learn new eating habits or we can very well start back at square one in the future.

[Jim Lapenta]

Way to go Pete. Good luck.

[metaldector]

I bet your knees and legs will soon stop hurting. Good luck.

[Monroe]

Dear NetDoc ,
I am really inspired from your post that you have lost your weight to a great extent by food . I also have fat problem . Do you think i would follow it will also work for me . Your suggestion would be highly appreciable .

[kallis]

Well i am grateful to all of you for sharing valuable information about fat secret and i also congratulate on successive stories about fat secrets .

[jar546]

Hey Pete, how about an update? Have not seen you since BTS in March. I wish I did not have to cancel my Key Largo trip for the end of this week due to the potential weather.

[drbill]

So far, I have lost 32 pounds using Fat Secret. Yesterday I went to the DWADD event at Santa Catalina Island in California. For the first time ever I wore a 7 mil suit. In order to sink I had to put on 34 pounds of weight. WOW!!! What I have lost in the last four months is AMAZING!

Gulp, I had 36# of lead on my belt that day.

Back in the late 70s I hit 240 lbs and decided it was time to diet. I counted calories and limited myself to 900 per day except once a month when I allowed myself to pig out (often getting sick doing it). I coupled that with LOTS of exercise (swim 1 mile, stationary bike for 30 min, weights for 30 min. Lost 70 lbs in 4 1/2 months. Decided I was too thin and gained about 25 back.

Of course I only get a time slice view of you Pete. Don't waste away before next year's DWADD!

[D_B]

Thats wonderful!