commonwealth

Doesnt have to be squash or basketball or marathon. Can be brisk walking, jogging, skipping ropes, anything to raise the heart rate.

DeadVim

Anything ...

moneypenny20

How do you know you've reached a plateau? I'm dumb on this stuff, never been on a diet or attempted to lose weight so I'm interested. Surely this 'plateau' could just be your body telling you that for you you're at the best weight possible? What you think you want to be and what your body thinks you should be could be different couldn't they?

DeadVim

There is a thing called 'set point theory' that says exactly that. The body wants to maintain homeostatis so is always working to counter any attempt to change things be it fat stores or whatever.

The problem is that hormones like leptin can tell the body one thing "We don't have any fat" while the physical situation is different.

You can be 'plateaued' at a state that isn't healthy because the hormones and metabolism are out of step. Or you've gone too far with the energy deficit (undereating and/or overexercising) and buggered your metabolic rate.

The first step has to be to address the engine problems before sorting the fuel out (and how often you are going to fill the tank). Low carbing can helo with such things if you have a condition like insulin resistance which means you don't process carbs well, especially the refined stuff.

I am making much better progress since my low carb phase as my hunger seems more natural now rather than a "I must have something to eat now" compulsion.

Common ways of addressing a stall include increasing consumption up to maintenance levels for a bit and eating foods which will stoke the metabolism, like lean protein.

TiddlyPom

If it's a myth, no-one would ever starve to death, which is your base line for weight loss really, in the most extreme case.
People believe that 'not eating enough' causes the body to stop losing weight because it goes into 'starvation mode', but they have no real clue what they're talking about. Thermogenesis is far more complicated than just not losing weight through not eating enough. Sure there's a reduction in basal metabolic rate but for someone who's restricting their food for two days or indeed through most diets, there's not a high enough restriction in calorific intake to even trigger any sort of 'starvation' mode.

TiddlyPom

Ever done a leptin reset, Vim?

DeadVim

I read a book on it, does that count?

That Jack Kruse was yattering on about it in-between going mental about cold therapy something or other.

I haven't felt the need to, I don't have the classic symptoms (craving carbs, etc) since I did the low carb thing a while back.

I can go many hours without real hunger these days and generally this is how I function during the working week, very little breakfast if at all and a huge pig out in the evening. And that includes a fair amount of walking to skip a few train stops to extend my commute home. No problem with energy at all.

No carbs after 6pm? Nuts to that, another myth. My dinner is plentiful and late.

Maybe it will all go in cycles and I'll be back to eggs and bacon in the morning but for now this is how my body likes it.

I make sure that the weekends are higher intake though just to keep my metabolism spinning.

As usual it's "whatever works for you" when it comes to this stuff. I do like the nutritional field though, very interesting if packed with wildly conflicting advice.

TiddlyPom

Jack is a little bit nuts but if you can get around the charismatic preaching, he's pretty good. The cold therapy you can do by lowering your shower temp for a few mins each day... not sitting in an ice bath like he does.

Totally it's what works for you... and yeah, I ignore the carb thing... I cycle... between higher fat paleo and leaner paleo styles... sometimes the wildly conflicting advice does my head in but I'm still thinking about doing some sort of qualification in it... just not sure yet which direction to take.

commonwealth

Anything that doesnt involve stupid things.

Alfresco

Well, then I do plenty of that.

commonwealth

sex is a good exercise as well

Alfresco

Hmmmm... Indeed.

Alfresco

I'm intrigued now!

So what does everyone (you) eat every day...what, when and how much? AND how much exercise?

commonwealth

I exercise at least 1hr 4-5x a week (walking running pushups etc). Plus i've conditioned my stomatch to accept only small amounts of food at a time. It's true your stomach capacity gradually adapts over time to the amount of food you eat. When I overeat I feel sick and wanna throw up.

commonwealth

I spread out my intake of food so I have small snacks in between meals, mainly nuts and seeds.