Posts by christophertevlin

Some friendly advice: first, buck up; Rome was not built in a day, so do not be so concerned with the pace at which it takes your body to respond. You said you are 17, so keep in mind you are in for the long journey, not just the next few weeks.

You have dropped some serious weight, and your cals are lower than is generally recommended. You are active, so I am reasonably sure you are too low on cals. Now here is the real kicker. Our bodies are adaptable and there are some basic facts that must be understood. To put it simplest, I like to think of my body and it's fat storage as a warehouse of energy with a Drill Sergeant in charge of the operations. We can efficiently use carbs for production of energy. Our bodies store fat against famine and because it is a more potent form of energy, yielding 9 calories per gram in contrast to protein or carb at 4 calories per gram, that Drill Sergeant needs a good reason to use it. If you cut your cals too low, your body will shed muscle to keep from burning so much energy, and will use the protein in those muscles for it's source of fuel. If you consume too many calories, you will store fat, but there are other conditions which influence storage.

So, you must 'setup' the body to use the fat stored in the warehouse. To do that, you have to have sufficient calorie intake so as not to trigger any famine alarms, and then you need to create a dynamic urgency for fuel that exceeds available carb, and a condition which obviates a need to retain and use muscles.  In that situation, the Drill Sergeant will issue an order to begin releasing fat from storage to supplement your fuel. If you can keep this condition of caloric harmony and periodic urgent fuel demands, your body will increase it's natural tendancy to release fat from storage, transforming you into a lean mean fat burning machine. Think of the 'setup' for fuel selection as with an engine that will run on Gasoline, Diesel, or Propane. You have to modify the engine for the type of fuel you want to use. In that same regard, we set the conditions for out body to use certain types of fuel more efficiently also.

What this all means is really very simple and can be broken into a 3 step process. 1 - Eat sufficient amounts of quality food with the right combination of protein, carb and fat for YOUR activities. 2 - Engage in fat burning exercises with emphasis on those times when the metabolism will be slowest or available carbohydrate fuel is lowest to maximize fat usage. 3 - Repeat steps 1 & 2 in moderation over an extended period of time and you will achieve the desired results.

Tim,

What Angie said is key. It's really a decision that you make, and then a process. Your remarks lead me to think you're ready for the decision, so get going. Make yourself a chart using a calendar, and list your starting weight, measurements, with your eating and exercise habits.  I would avoid setting any goals for weight reduction, and would not approach this as a diet. It's more of a lifestyle change. Identify and list things that are not conducive to good eating habits, and target those for elimination. Like the coke. You don't have to do it all at once, but focus on the worst offenders first, and gradually modify your eating habits so they are healthy and fall within the bounds of your target for intake and burn.

Choose your method of exercise carefully, and begin slowly. Your main goal should be to increase your activity level slightly. Walking is a good way to begin. So is swimming but getting in a public pool can be tough when you're self conscious.  Chart your progress, and review every two weeks.  Look at what you've been effective in reducing, your exercise level, and note any changes in weight and measurements.  Again, identify things to change in your eating habits and exercise level, and repeat the process.  Be objective about your progress, as if you were assisting a friend. If you plan to reduce instead of eliminate certain food items, be sure you track your progress so that it's clear how you're doing.  There will be good days, and some bad too, but the averages are important and you should be trending toward success. If you find that you are not, go back to square one and examine your commitment to the decision to change.  Those pictures on the fridge and other places, will help with your resolve.  Good luck.

Chris