Fat Burning and Losing More Than 2lbs Per Week

  • I've been reading through the threads on this Exercise forum and I have a couple of questions. I read that exercising more than 60 minutes ends up burning muscle instead of fat (I dont want that!) and losing more than 2 pounds a week also means losing muscle. I'm sure most of us have watched the Biggest Loser. I know this is a TV show and I've read that the contestants are strictly supervised by doctors and the medical staff and they are on a "special" diet. However, their weight loss is phenomenal...much more than 2 lbs per week...and they work out much more than 60 minutes a day. At the reveal, some of them have major muscles.....Marty and Wiley (this latest season) had muscles on top of muscles! Why does losing more than 2 lbs a week and excercising more than 60 mins a day work so well for these contestants? I know this is a lifestyle change and my aim should be good health. But, with over 100 lbs to lose, losing only than 1-2 lbs a week will take forever. Why not aim for more?
  • The people on TBL are working out, hard, for many hours each day. That's great, if you have the time and the inclination. Most people don't.
  • those contestants are pushed and pushed. and we never see what else goes on that does not make the TV show. Slow and steady weight loss is the best way and doesn't burn muscle instead of fat.
  • Don't believe everything you read. I have never heard that working out for more than 60 minutes burns muscle instead of fat. I find that kind of ridiculous.

    I do, however believe that people should strive to lose no more than 2 lbs per week. It is recommended because you will be more likely to develop lifelong habits if you lose the weight more slowly. It is much more healthy to lose the weight slowly.

    Now, if you have a lot of weight to lose the pounds will probably come off more quickly at first.

    But do you really have the time/money to work out as much as the contestants on the Biggest Loser did? Do you have the support team they had that kept them from quitting? It was really difficult for them, and a lot of hard work.

    I thinik that setting realistic goals works much better in real life. The Biggest Loser was a reality show, a game. Not real life. IMHO.
  • As of this Monday I will have been doing this (new healthy lifestyle) for 17 weeks, and have lost 70 lbs., which on average comes out to over 4 pounds a week. And I have been exercising, not tons but a lot. Since I started at a such a heavy weight, I believe that's what made my weightloss go so quickly. I'm eating enough, never hungry, and getting in all my nutrients. Am I supposed to add an ice cream sundae or even a few more chicken breasts a week to slow down that number - no way. I'm just not gonna do it. I am quite happy at the rate of my weightloss. Since I was (am) so heavy I burn more calories then a slighter person. Will I have more loose skin because it's coming off quickly, and I know that's going to slow down drastically eventually, I have no way of knowing that and anyone that says I will indeed have more loose skin is just guessing. There is absolutely no way any one can say so for 100% certain.

    My goal was not to lose over 4 pounds a week, although I'll take it, my goal was to change my lifestyle by eating a healthy amount of food with high nutritional value and to become more active. And that's what I've done.

    You need to get this started and see how your body reacts and make adjustments if need be as you go along. Don't worry about how many lbs you lose per week. Just work on eating the right foods and getting more active. Whatever will be will be. Try to not put a time frame on your weightloss. The weight WILL come off, it didn't come on in a couple of months and it surely won't all come off in a couple of months. But do keep in mind you will start seeing benefits and feeling better after 10-15 lbs. And then it'll be another 10-15 lbs. And before you know it..........
  • I don't think that the way contestants lose weight on that show is the best way. Especially for individuals that have large amounts of weight to lose.

    Some of the exercises that they have them do are really hard on the joints of the contestants and these are people who do not have a background with doing major exercise in the past.

    In one of the earlier editions of this show, one of the contestants who came in the top three - I can't remember her name - it may have been Kelly or something like that - she had received some stress injuries to her foot that left her unable to run.

    So I am another one that believes people with large amounts of weight should ease into exercise and lose weight slowly. I think doing it this way also allows the skin to shrink back and not leave an individual with alot of excess skin after weight loss - especially women.
  • IF there is any credence at all to the 60 minute muscle burn theory, it only applies to extremely intense exercise. Most people are not fit enough to exercise at that level that long.

    Exercise as much as your heart desires and you"ll be fine, add in some weight training and you will build lean muscle, not lose it.

    I dont think the biggest loser is a great role model in that there is very little in the way of "what happens next".

    The problem with trying to lose too fast is more along the lines of sustainable loss and not having your metabolism fall. Also if you start out at too low a calorie level, you have no where to go.

    Pick a level that you feel you could stay at THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. If that level is 2 lbs a week, great. If its 3 fine. But dont pick a level that leaves you feeling deprived, tired or hungry (after the first couple weeks - the first week may be rough no matter WHAT you pick)

    Diets fail, lifestyles are sustainable
  • Quote: Diets fail, lifestyles are sustainable

    OK, Ennay, will you stop??! You are the quotations queen! Another classic, but I haven't quite seen it anywhere else before. Were you a writer prior to becoming a ft mommy? I don't have any more room in my siggy for anything else, but love this one too!
  • Thank you to all who responded. Rockinrobin, you're right...I need to just get started and not worry about the speed I lose. My body will let me know. (I do hope the weight comes off a little bit faster, though! )
  • And Girlygirl, it's not going to be the same amount every week. I never for the life of me can understand how or why anyone could possibly predict someone's weightloss for any particular week. It's impossible. We are not carbon copies of one another. We're not robots. We're just not that precise. We're human. And there are many factors involved, not just calories in, calories out.

    I promise you it will come off if you eat healthy and add movement. And I know this is cliche' but I'm telling you if I can shed pounds ANY HUMAN BEING can. You can not even imagine what my lifestyle was like before Sept. 4, 2006 And it most definitely gets easier as you go on. Give it everything you've got those first 2 -3 weeks, just get through it any way, any how. And then it will become, dare I say fun. Yeah I said it, it's an enjoyable thing. I'm actually enjoying it. And you will too.

    P.S. If you need anything, feel free to PM me.