Downsize Dave

Week 25 - Statistics

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 07:21:00 +0000

Vital Statistics for week 25 (7am, Mon 14th Jul 2008)
Weight : 13st 6lbs (188 lbs) (my scales)
BMI : 28.65
Loss in weight : 16.0 lbs
% Reduction of body weight : 7.8

Week 24 - Vital Statistics

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 07:20:00 +0000

Vital Statistics for week 24 (7am, Mon 7th Jul 2008)
Weight : 13st 5.5lbs (187.5 lbs) (my scales)
BMI : 28.5
Loss in weight : 16.5 lbs
% Reduction of body weight : 8.1

Exercising while dieting

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:26:00 +0000

Why is it important to exercise whilst on a weight loss regime?

Well, studies have shown that body composition is different in those who just diet, those who just exercise and those who do both. Those who just diet tend to lose fat-free weight, ie. muscle mass, whilst those who exercise or exercise and diet increase their fat-free weight, losing significantly more body fat. Exercise protects lean tissue, even when dieting.

Protecting lean tissue is as important as losing pounds. Muscle mass determines 80% of the metabolism, so protecting or increasing muscle mass raises your metabolic rate, which in turn burns more calories. Even when your body is just resting, every pound of muscle burns 40-50 calories per day.

On the other hand, a pound of fat burns just 2 calories per day. In fact, if you do not exercise whilst dieting, your body tends to burn lean tissue as much as fat, and you may lose muscle mass, slowing down your metabolism and causing your body to burn fewer calories and store more of them as fat! Women have to work harder to lose weight than men, as their body composition typically has a lower muscle mass and burns an average of 600 fewer calories per day than men's.

Can I exercise more to burn off the calories of the foods I eat, without worrying too much about the foods I consume?

In theory, yes. But you do need to eat a balance of foods and lots of fibre for a healthy body. One study proposes that fibre may help block absorption of the calories provided by fat and protein, and you won't retain as many waste products in your system, so will feel healthier too.

Week 23 - Vital Statistics

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:17:00 +0000

Vital Statistics for week 23 (7am, Mon 30th Jun 2008)
Weight : 13st 6lbs (188 lbs) (my scales)
BMI : 28.65
Loss in weight : 16.0 lbs
% Reduction of body weight : 7.8

Excercise Bikes - Great for Cardiovascular Fitness

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 22:26:00 +0000

Exercise bikes are stationary; don’t go anywhere while you pedal them. They may serve any number of purposes — exercise the heart and improve overall fitness, lose weight, or train for activities and events involving bicycles. Exercise bikes are immensely popular both as home fitness machines and in gyms. Many models of exercise bikes are popular for home use because they occupy minimal space and are not large and bulky.

Cardiovascular Work-Out

Exercise bikes are a very effective and means of attaining cardiovascular fitness, whether at home or at a gym. Regular use of exercise bikes is terrific for getting aerobic workouts and improving the health of your heart.

Losing Weight

Exercise bikes are an excellent way of burning off excess body weight. Furthermore, you can entertain yourself watching a television, videos, or read a book or magazine while using them. Thus, getting a good workout yet losing track of the fact that you’re getting good exercise. One advantage of exercise bikes, especially for anyone who is overweight or has knee problems, is that using them doesn’t overly stress the knees and spares them of excess impact, while a providing a great aerobic workout. If used consistently, exercise bikes can help you increase your metabolism, which helps in weight loss. Remember — health is more important than losing weight. Exercise consistently, but sensibly, and you’ll lose weight naturally without over-stressing yourself psychologically.

Toning Muscles

As well as being great for a cardiovascular workout, exercise bikes are excellent for toning your leg, hip and buttock muscles, and will improve the strength, tone, and flexibility of your hamstring muscles.

Overview of Exercise Bicycles

Exercise gimmicks and newfangled fitness devices come and go, but exercise bicycles have stood the test of time. Exercise bikes have been in use longer than other kinds of home or gym aerobic workout machines including, treadmills, elliptical trainers, rowing machines and skiing machines.

While top athletes will usually employ exercise bikes in their workout programs, exercise bikes have been shown to be an excellent means of improving your fitness if you are just starting out. Of course, just to be on the safe side, it is always advisable to consult with a your doc before embarking on a fitness program using exercise bikes.

Week 22 - more good news

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 06:22:00 +0000

Vital Statistics for week 22 (7am, Mon 23rd Jun 2008)
Weight : 13st 5.5lbs (187.5 lbs) (my scales)
BMI : 28.5
Loss in weight : 16.5 lbs
% Reduction of body weight : 8.1

It's quite surprising this week to have lost another 1.5 lbs, but it seems as though this i've drunk less beer than previously and maybe i've been a bit more disciplined in what i've eaten, including getting back to the Dorset breakfast muesli i've been having. This seems to work for me (don't know why really, probably it's just the fact that it kick starts the metabolism a bit more).

Let's hope this keeps going after my long plateau which I was getting quite frustrated with.

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Fruit can make you fat.

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 22:49:00 +0000

What is fructose?

Fructose is a monosaccharide (simple sugar), which the body can use for energy. Because it does not cause blood sugar rise tremendously (has a low glycemic index), it was once thought that fructose was a good substitute for sucrose (table sugar). However, the American Diabetes Association and nutritional experts have changed their minds about this.

Is fructose bad for me?

A small amount of fructose, such as what can be found in most vegetables and fruits, is not a bad thing. In fact, there is evidence that a little bit may help your body process glucose properly. However, consuming too much fructose at once seems to overwhelm the body's capacity to process it. The diets of our ancestors contained only very small amounts of fructose. These days, estimates are that about 10% of the modern diet comes from fructose.

What happens if I consume too much fructose?

Most of the carbohydrates we eat are made up of chains of glucose. When glucose enters the bloodstream, the body releases insulin to help regulate it. Fructose, on the other hand, is processed in the liver. To greatly simplify the situation: When too much fructose enters the liver, the liver can't process it all fast enough for the body to use as sugar. Instead, it starts making fats from the fructose and sending them off into the bloodstream as triglycerides.

Why is this bad?

This is potentially bad for at least three reasons:

* High blood triglycerides are a risk factor for heart disease.
* Fructose ends up circumventing the normal appetite signaling system, so appetite-regulating hormones aren't triggered--and you're left feeling unsatisfied. This is probably at least part of the reason why excess fructose consumption is associated with weight gain.
* There is growing evidence that excess fructose consumption may facilitate insulin resistance, and eventually type 2 diabetes.

What are the major sources of fructose?

Fruits and vegetables have relatively small, "normal" amounts of fructose that most bodies can handle quite well. The problem comes with added sugars in the modern diet, the volume of which has grown rapidly in recent decades. The blame has often been pinned to high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which is made up of 55% fructose and 45% glucose. However, sucrose is half fructose and half glucose. So, HFCS actually doesn't have that much more fructose than "regular" sugar, gram for gram.

High fructose corn syrup has become incredibly inexpensive and abundant, partially due to corn subsidies in the United States. So, really, the problem is more that it has become so cheap that it has crept its way into a great number of the foods we eat every day.

Is corn syrup fructose different than fructose found in other foods?

No, all fructose works the same in the body, whether it comes from corn syrup, cane sugar, beet sugar, strawberries, onions, or tomatoes. Only the amounts are different. For example, a cup of chopped tomatoes has 2.5 grams of fructose, a can of regular (non-diet) soda supplies 23 grams, and a super-size soda has about 62 grams.

Which foods have high fructose corn syrup and other sugars?

Today, almost all packaged foods have sugar added in some form, which almost always includes a lot of fructose. Honey has about the same fructose/glucose ratio as high fructose corn syrup. Fruit juice concentrates, sometimes used as "healthy sweeteners," usually have quite a lot of fructose (never mind that the processing of these concentrates strips away most of their nutritional value). Look at the ingredients on packaged food labels and you will probably see sources of fructose. See my article, Sugar's Many Disguises, to learn what to look for.

Week 21 - at last a loss!

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:01:00 +0000

Vital Statistics for week 22 (7am, Mon 16th June 2008)
Weight : 13st 7lbs (189.0 lbs) (my scales)
BMI : 28.7
Loss in weight : 15 lbs
% Reduction of body weight : 7.4

At last i'm going back in the right direction. I'm way behind schedule now though. 1lb per week was looking good until I hit this plateau. This is week 22 and i've lost a total of 15lbs. Is this still good? I don't know, I suppose if I look at it positively, I haven't put the weight back on that i've lost, so success there. Never mind, i'll keep soldiering on. No doubt my birthday will find a way to scupper my plans this week. Cream cakes and biscuits are usually plentiful, and we'll be out for a meal too.

Sweetcorn - what use is it to anyone?

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 12:46:00 +0000

Permit me to vent my frustration about this. I seem to be allergic to it, because if I have anything with sweetcorn in it, it gives me the skitters for days. It doesn't have to be much at all really.

On Friday night we got in quite late and the kids decided to order a couple of pizzas, one vegetarian (containing the sinister yellow stuff) and a chicken one. The vegetarian pizza looked tastier, so I had a couple of pieces of that, but hells bells, what a dodgy effect it had next day! The sweetcorn was hiding under it's protective camouflage of cheese, stealthily stalking it's prey (me).

Three days later the bubbling stopped and I was able to venture out of the building.

Anyone else have this problem with sweetcorn?

Fat Burning Exercises That Work!

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 22:20:00 +0000

Effective fat burning exercises don t have to be complicated and difficult. The fat burning exercises below prove that you are able to satisfy your need for simple exercises to burn off large amounts of fat.

Walk Away from Flab

Studies have shown that participating in low impact activities such as walking, burn more calories from fat than intense, fast paced exercise. This comes as welcome news to those who want to lose weight and burn fat while putting minimal stress on their joints. Additionally, walking is an exercise that won t cost a thing!

You should begin walking for 10 to 20 minute at a time.

Go at a speed that you can maintain comfortably, and try to pick up the pace a little each day. Don t try to do too much at once.

You should be able to talk normally if you are walking at an appropriate pace for your fitness level. It may be necessary to slow down for a little time until you find that you are more fit to do the exercise. You can beef up your walking regimen by using light hand held weights. This will cause you to burn more calories and fat and build more muscle.

Dance Away Fat

Dance is quickly increasing in popularity due to it s ability to burn fat and trim waistlines. The wonderful thing abut dancing is that when you are having fun, it is easy to forget that you are exercising.

A 150 pound person can burn from 103 to 189 calories by ballroom dancing for only 30 minutes. That same person could also burn 200 calories doing ballet or aerobic dancing for a half hour.

It is known that dancing enables you to burn calories, but dance also burns fat since it incorporates slow and fast movements thereby switching on the aerobic and the anaerobic systems of the body.

Fast paced dancing starts the anaerobic system, using energy stored in the muscles. Then the dance step which is slower will start the aerobic system, which begins changing the body’s stored carbohydrates into energy. Your body begins the fat burning and calorie burning process, and also starts to build muscle. This in turn, begins to burn fat also.

Jogging for Less Jiggle

Another wonderful fat burning exercise is Jogging. If a 150 pound person jogs for a half hour, he can burn 238 calories. But why not make jogging more effective by using the previously discussed aerobic / anaerobic system? Begin by walking at a medium speed for two minutes. Then start jogging for two minutes. Finally, you can walk and jog, back and forth, for another thirty minutes. Alternating between slow exercises and fast exercises turns on and off the aerobic and anaerobic systems, enabling your workout to be more effective in burning fat.

Muscling in on Fat

As previously stated, muscle helps to burn fat. Muscles boosts the metabolism, which in turn burns more calories. Weightlifting is the best way to build muscle.

Beginners should start with a very light weight barbell. Five pounds is usually a good weight to begin with. The weight is tested by performing ten lifts of the dumbell. If you are able to do 10 repetitions easily, then try lifting a heavier weight. If you tire out before you hit 10, you re going to need a lighter weight. Try switching between one of the fat reducing exercise shown above with a weightlifting exercise every other day.

Choose a fat burning exercise that meets your needs, and the pounds will drop off you like they never have before.

Week 20 Stats - same as last week!

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:57:00 +0000

Vital Statistics for week 20 (7am, Mon 9th June 2008)
Weight : 13st 8lbs (190 lbs) (my scales)
BMI : 28.9
Loss in weight : 14 lbs
% Reduction of body weight : 6.8

I'm getting really bored now. This is the umpteenth week without any movement. I'm not gaining any, but i'm not losing any either. Maybe I should just talk like they do in the Premier League and say that i'm 'consolidating my position'. Not really anything to get upset about because it proves that i'm not bowing to inflationary pressures (unlike the rest of the economy), but a little pound or two of loss would be nice. Next week i'm going back to basics - less bread and more homemade meals with fruit and veg.

Week 19 Stats - post holiday weigh in

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 06:58:00 +0000

Vital Statistics for week 19 (7am, Mon 2nd June 2008)
Weight : 13st 8lbs (190 lbs) (my scales)
BMI : 28.9
Loss in weight : 14 lbs
% Reduction of body weight : 6.8

Another slight increase. I'll blame it on the holiday. Back to work this week, so should see some differences. I've stocked up on fruit, so this should help.

Week 18 - My head is affecting my diet

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Mon, 26 May 2008 22:06:00 +0000

My head, or should I say Minehead, is affecting my diet this week, because that's where we are at the moment and I've slipped into that holiday mode, where all nice things are actively considered and usually eaten.

I shouldn't really go into too many details for fear of sending myself into a downward spiral of depression, but Cream Teas have been high on the list and bar meals and cider have also featured prominently. On the plus side, we've done a lot of walking (to get to the pub), so it could be worse.

Tomorrow might not be too bad as we're off to Longleat, so minimal opportunity to eat crap, but I think I can safely say that the whole thing is a write-off this week.

Week 17 stats

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Mon, 19 May 2008 07:13:00 +0000

Vital Statistics for week 17 (7am, Mon 19th May 2008)
Weight : 13st 6lbs (188 lbs) (my scales)
BMI : 28.6
Loss in weight : 16 lbs
% Reduction of body weight : 7.8

Week 16 vital stats

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Mon, 12 May 2008 06:35:00 +0000

Vital Statistics for week 16 (7am, Mon 12th May 2008)
Weight : 13st 5.5lbs (187.5 lbs) (my scales)
BMI : 28.5
Loss in weight : 16.5 lbs
% Reduction of body weight : 8.1
% Body Fat : 26

Just a slight gain this week after fish and chips, Ice cream and fudge joined the party during a trip to Whitby at the weekend. Not too much damage really. Having my Sunday Dinner at tea time wouldn't have helped either, along with several beers at the last footie match of the season on Saturday. I'll try to keep things a little bit more disciplined this week.

Week 15 results

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Mon, 05 May 2008 07:44:00 +0000

Vital Statistics for week 15 (7am, Mon 5th May 2008)
Weight : 13st 5lbs (187.0 lbs) (my scales)
BMI : 28.4
Loss in weight : 17 lbs
% Reduction of body weight : 8.3

The 5th May was my original target date for 1 stone of weight loss, and i'm pleased to say the target has been met, with 17 pounds recorded so far. This is averaging out at slightly over 1 lb per week, which i'd targetted as realistic.

After a couple of weeks of no real losses, this week has proved to be a good one. I got the feeling that in the last few weeks i'd been retaining quite a bit and this seems to be a problem for me at the moment (input but little output, if you know what I mean). The downward trend is the most important thing, and there's still a good one. The most I've put on in any week has been a pound and there have been several static weeks, but no retrograde disappointments to speak of and that's why i'm not too concerned.

One thing that does puzzle me is the BMI calculator i'm using. How can the figure be the same as last week? I think something is wrong there, so i've changed it to another calculator and gone back to recalculate the last six week's BMI readings. Most of them were too low! Another failure for the NHS (it was their calculator).

Weight Loss Statistics for Week 14

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:56:00 +0000

Vital Statistics for week 14 (7am, Tue 29th Apr 2008)
Weight : 13st 7lbs (189.0 lbs) (my scales)
BMI : 28.7
Loss in weight : 15 lbs
% Reduction of body weight : 7.4

This week's readings are a day late because the batteries ran flat on my scales yesterday and I couldn't get a weighement. The disappointing thing is that my weight has remained the same from last week. I say disappointing - at least the weight hasn't increased any and i'm still in a downward trend. I know it sometimes happens like this, so not to worry.

I've been buying my lunchtime sandwich from a new shop at the top of my road this week. I get a brown bread bun, no butter with a filling. I've tried Coronation Chicken and Tuna so far, both with salad, and they're absolutely delicious. I need to watch the portion size though, because even the Medium is quite large, but the sarnies are the envy of the canteen, with several of my colleagues asking where I got them from!

Vital Statistics for week 13

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:08:00 +0000

Vital Statistics for week 13 (7am, Mon 21st Apr 2008)
Weight : 13st 7lbs (189.0 lbs) (my scales)
BMI : 28.7
Loss in weight : 15 lbs
% Reduction of body weight : 7.4

I've put half a pound on (marginal), up to 189 lbs again. Scales were flashing between it and 188.5 lbs, but it settled on the higher reading. I ate more bread than i'm comfortable with last week, so i'll be cutting down on that this week.

Week 12 - 3 months of loss

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 05:57:00 +0000

Vital Statistics for week 12 (7am, Mon 14th Apr 2008)
Weight : 13st 6.5lbs (188.5 lbs) (my scales)
BMI : 28.7
Loss in weight : 15.5 lbs
% Reduction of body weight : 7.6

% Body fat : 25

This reading marks the 3 month milestone. After virtually flat-lining over the last few weeks, I now seem to be losing again and that's excellent news. The body fat reading is really pleasing, showing a fall of 3% since I started. Ironically, i've eaten like a pig this weekend, with a night out on Saturday with 4 pints of lager and some chips (a few), then yesterday morning we called at McDonalds for coffee and a Sausage Egg McMuffin, before having Sunday lunch, then ham and cottage cheese sarnies for tea! Bizarre for sure.

The next targets are : 184 lbs (20 lbs loss overall) and 182 lbs (= 13 st).

Week 11 - back on track with weightloss

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 06:11:00 +0000

Vital Statistics for week 11 (7am, Mon 7th Apr 2008)
Weight : 13st 8lbs (190 lbs) (my scales)
BMI : 28.9
Loss in weight : 14 lbs
% Reduction of body weight : 6.9

Got the show back on the road this week after last week's hiccup. Lost the pound I put on, so it's back to a straight 1 stone loss. The greatest problem I've had is with being 'bunged up'. I'm eating plenty of fibre, but maybe my fluid intake isn't high enough for what i'm eating? Nothing i've done so far has changed this in the past week; in actual fact it's been like that for about the last fortnight, so has anyone any good solutions?

Maybe the reason that i'd put on weight was exactly because nothing has changed. The body, it's metabolism and chemical reactions become used to a certain input level of food. They like the steady state, and will try to make it the norm by adjusting the metabolic rate to suit. If the body is used to getting a lot lower input of fuel, it will adopt a kind of starvation mentality, where proportionally more food is stored as fat to prepare for the perceived lean times ahead. I think this is what is starting to happen. So, I need to break out of patterns that i've built up in the first 10 weeks and see if it helps. By breaking out of patterns I don't mean starting to eat in the old way again, but rather by mixing meal times up, having cereal at tea time, having fruit for breakfast and drinking tea instead of coffee. Maybe scrapping the 3 rigid meal times altogether and grazing all day on low GI, slow release foods.

Week 10 - My first reversal (+1 lb)

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 06:01:00 +0000

Vital Statistics for week 10 (7am, Mon 31st Mar 2008)
Weight : 13st 9lbs (191 lbs) (my scales)
BMI : 29.0
Loss in weight : 13 lbs
% Reduction of body weight : 6.4

Ah, Easter weekend has finally caught up with me! I'm sure last week's result must have been lower than it should have been, maybe slight dehydration involved, so I'm not surprised this is the case this week. It's only 6 days since the last weigh in as well, so I can be fairly sure it's just a blip. As i'm well ahead of schedule i'll take this on the chin and just keep doing the right things and i'm sure by next week things will improve again.

Week 9 - Lost a stone with ESP!

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 06:57:00 +0000

Vital Statistics for week 9 (7am, Tue 25th Mar 2008)
Weight : 13st 8lbs (190 lbs) (my scales)
BMI : 28.9
Loss in weight : 14 lbs
% Reduction of body weight : 6.9

Unbelievable! I didn't think this was going to happen this weekend. It's a day late, and it's the day after Easter weekend, but still it's a 1.5 lb loss. My target of 14lbs loss was due on 5th May, so i'm more than 1 month ahead of schedule and that's brilliant.

My key to success is undoubtedly ESP. No, not the ESP championed by Uri Geller and his mates, but rather 'Eat Smaller Portions'. I'm eating about 50% of what I was, and what I eat in that 50% is a lot healthier. This makes things a lot easier to handle, and the weight loss seems natural and easy.

What should my target heart rate be for exercise?

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:11:00 +0000

A target heart rate is the percentage of your maximum heart rate at which you should exercise to burn calories most efficiently. The maximum heart rate depends on your age and is worked out as follows :

maximum heart rate = 220 - your age.

So for me personally, my maximum heart rate is 200 - 47 = 173 bpm.

Most people choose a target of between 55-75% of their maximum heart rate for exercising, to maintain the highest rate at which they can sustain exercise for a desired period to optimise their workout. Again, using myself as an example :

55% of 173 = 95 bmp
75% of 173 = 130 bpm

So, my ideal range for my workout is to keep my heart rate between 95 and 130 bpm. In practice, much exercise gear now has sensors to continuously monitor your heart rate. The York cycle I am using allows a continuous measurement and a fitness test afterwards.

If you have a personal or family history of heart disease though, you will want to set your maximum heart rate at 55% to reduce unnecessary strain on your heart. Please consult your doctor before embarking on such an exercise programme.

What is a resting heart rate?

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:54:00 +0000

A resting heart rate is just that, your heart rate when you are at rest, ie doing nothing. It is best to measure your resting heart rate when you wake up naturally in the morning (an alarm clock will raise your heart rate, so should be avoided if you're trying to work this out) and before rising (even standing up increases your heart rate). The average resting heart rate is 72 bpm (beats per minute).

Some people use a resting heart rate as a measure of their fitness - the lower the rate, the more fit the individual is. A more accurate way of doing it however is to measure how quick your heart rate slows down after exertion.

1. Exercise as hard as you can for 10 minutes, then immediately measure your heart rate.
2. Wait 60 seconds, then measure your heart rate again.
3. Subtract the second measurement from the first.

If your heart rate slows down less than 30 bpm, you are in poor shape.
If it slows down between 30 and 50 bpm, you are in average to good shape.
If it slows down more than 50 bpm, you are very fit.

Vital Statistics for week 8

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 06:59:00 +0000

Vital Statistics for week 8 (7am, Mon 17th Mar 2008)
Weight : 13st 9.5lbs (191.5 lbs) (my scales)
BMI : 29.12
Loss in weight : 12.5 lbs
% Reduction of body weight : 6.1
% Body Fat : 26

The two month stage has been reached and this week's drop is 1.5lbs. A lot more interesting is the body fat reading, which I do every month. I'm down another 1% to 26% which is very good. I think the continued loss of fat is due to the bike work.

Note : the week 9 results will be 1 day late as I won't be home on Monday morning to weigh in.