The Weight is Just Not Coming Off?

[LearningLove]

Ok, so about a month ago I went to my annual physical and had all my blood work done. Everything came up fine but my doctor indicated my blood sugar level while not being at a critical level was trending toward it. He also indicated, under the old standard my blood sugar level would be fine but recent revisions have put my blood sugar level at a concerning level. The only number I remember and I don't know if any of you know if this means anything related to blood sugar is the number 6.

 

Ultimately, he indicated he wanted me to lose 7% of my weight, which in my case is about 15 pounds--I weigh about 210. My next appointment with him will be in September.

 

Well, I'm in my early thirties. From my teens to mid-twenties I worked out consistently and was pretty athletic. I did a moderate triathlon at one point. However, around my mid-twenties I hit some bumps in the rode and had to stop working out to focus on other things.

 

The day after my doctor's appointment I enrolled in a gym and I have been running and lifting weights ever since--about six times a week.

 

The good news is I still have a lot of my strength after all these years--I attribute this to the fact that everything I did before was done naturally without supplements such as Creotine. My body definitely is looking more muscular. My running form is not horrible, but again it is not the best either.

 

Here is my current routine:

 

1. Start with a mile run on the treadmill. Begin at speed 6 and every .2 distance increase the speed by .5. So 6, 6.5, 7,7.5, 8, 8.5.

 

2. Do three weight lifting exercises. One major part and two related isolating muscles. Generally Bench, and two triceps and the like.

 

Here is my question:

 

1. How can I improve my routine to lose weight?

 

2. Even if I do not lose weight if my BMI improves will that also have the effect of improving blood sugar level?

 

In all sincerity I would prefer to be my weight and muscular than lose 15 pounds if that would also help my blood sugar level.

 

Thanks to anyone who replies.

[ShatteredReality]

The way your body looks will be largely governed by your working out...however, what you eat is going to be what determines your weight as well as your blood sugar. You may want to take a look at what you are eating and see if there are things that you can change there. I do not count calories - waste of my time. I probably should look at fat content of foods...but I really don't care about that either. Instead I find, limiting the simple sugars is huge for me. My body sees simple sugars as an excuse to expand at the drop of a hat - no matter my workout habits and water intake. After kids and once in your 30's these are the changes our bodies make to show us who is really boss. If you want to control your blood sugar levels you MUST look at what you're eating. There are some foods that inherintly lower your blood sugar...and there are some that spike it - obviously those would be the ones to avoid. I have a long line of diabetics in my family, so it's something I pay attention to - unfortunately now it's something you will need to look at as well. Sorry. Here is a rip from a link I have looked to in the past

 

Lower Blood Sugar by Eating Low Glycemic Foods

 

The glycemic index (GI) is a numerical system of measuring how fast a carbohydrate triggers a rise in circulating blood sugar-the higher the number, the greater the blood sugar response. A low GI food will cause a small rise, while a high GI food will trigger a dramatic spike. Below is just a small list of foods to give you an idea of low, medium and high GI. Stick to low and medium to keep your blood sugar down.

 

Less Than 50

• Artichoke <15
  
• Asparagus <15
  
• Avocado < 15
  
• Broccoli <15
  
• Cauliflower <15
  
• Celery <15
  
• Cucumber <15
  
• Eggplant <15
  
• Green beans <15
  
• Lettuce, all varieties <15
  
• Low-fat yogurt, artificially sweetened <15
  
• Peanuts <15
  
• Peppers, all varieties <15
  
• Snow peas <15
  
• Spinach <15
  

50 to 70

• Canned kidney beans 52
  
• Kiwifruit 52
  
• Orange juice, not from concentrate 52
  
• Banana 53
  
• Sweet potato 54
  
• Brown Rice 55
  
• Linguine 55
  
• Popcorn 55
  
• Sweet corn 55
  
• Muesli 56
  

Above 70

• Bagel 72
  
• Corn chips 72
  
• Watermelon 72
  
• Honey 73
  
• Mashed potatoes 73
  
• Bread stuffing mix 74
  
• Cheerios 74
  
• Cream of Wheat, instant 74
  
• Graham crackers 74
  
• Doughnuts 75
  
• French fries 76
  
• Frozen waffles 76
  
• Pretzels 81
  
• Rice cakes 82
  

[tman666]

Keep in mind that muscle is more dense than fat. Since you're just getting back into the gym after a state of being "detrained" for a long period of time, the gains you're making now are most likely the fastest they're ever going to be.

 

There's a good chance that you're losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time, which could translate to you not losing weight, or possibly even gaining weight.

 

However, do not be afraid of this. Body recomposition (losing fat, gaining muscle) should help improve your blood profile. Keep in mind that your BMI is only calculated with your height and your weight. It does not take into account your body composition. For example, my BMI is 29.2, which puts me close to obesity according that scale. I'm not obese, or even overfat.

 

You can lose weight on any solidly put together program if your diet is in check.

 

I would recommend Bill Starr's 5x5 as a solid, linear progression style lifting program. Another solid program would be Tsatsouline's Russian Bear. The basics work for a reason. Keep it simple and intense, and stick to it. If you're lifting with enough intensity and volume, you won't need to spend more than 3-4 hours in the gym per week.

 

Also, I would ditch the running (or at least limit it to a couple of times per week) and take up doing daily, fasted brisk walks. Doing them fasted will help your body mobilize stored fat better.

Edited April 18, 2011 by tman666

[silvermane187]

You didn't mention the most important part of losing/gaining weight. Diet. You need to more healthy and smaller portions so your body is burning it's fat reserves as you work out.

[LearningLove]

Keep in mind that your BMI is only calculated with your height and your weight. It does not take into account your body composition. For example, my BMI is 29.2, which puts me close to obesity according that scale. I'm not obese, or even overfat.

 

Thanks everyone for all the replies. Tman I will definitely take all your suggestions in mind going forward with my work-out plan. However, I wanted to address the BMI calculation.

 

When you wrote how BMI was calculated, I was taken aback. I thought you must be wrong, but I looked it up and in fact you are very much correct. The calculation of BMI is strange--Height divided by Weight then square the results. That calculation is strange.

 

There are only two reasons to square a number.

 

The first is if there is a possibility the number can be negative, giving a mis-measurement or an un-measurable response. However, neither height nor weight can possibly be negative--there is no such thing as a negative height or weight.

 

The second reason is if during statistical use you find the actual number is not providing any helpful information, squaring the number re-maps the numbers so that they may emphasize differences and provide useful information.

 

The second case is more than likely why BMI is squared in calculation. However, anyone who studies statistics extensively knows this practice is really looked down upon in practice.

 

When I was training in high school and college, my coaches would measure our body fat by using a measuring tool that squeezed our stomach section to determine how much fat was hanging.

 

Also when I was going through officer training in the military, the military calculated body fat by some sort of ratio of our neck width versus our waste.

 

I thought both of those methods were methods for measuring BMI. Apparently, they are not.

 

Are you familiar with either of the two methods?

[tman666]

You are correct in saying that BMI is used for statistical purposes. The ranges given on the BMI scale are compared to how you compare to "most" people of your height, essentially.

 

Bodyfat percentage is an entirely different ballgame. It should be noted that there are few ways to accurately determine bodyfat percentage.

 

Skinfold Calipers (the device that pinches your fat on your abdomen, scapulae, back of the arm, etc.) can be used to take average measurements that are compared to charts, which are again statistically derived. Also, taking the measurement itself can be done incorrectly or inconsistently, which leads to a large error factor.

 

The "height and circumference" method that you described calculates bodyfat with a calculation from BMI, which as we already know, doesn't necessarily indicate much. It's also considered an inaccurate method.

 

The most accurate method, to my knowledge, is hydrostatic testing. However, it can be expensive.

 

Practically speaking, you don't need to nail down an exact number of your bodyfat percentage. It's a mental exercise that, at the end of the day, won't mean anything. It's just a number. Use of a mirror, keeping track of calorie intake (at least for a little while until you establish goal-oriented eating habits), and hard training will help you get the results you want.

 

Defined abs start to become visible on men at around 10 percent bodyfat or so. Taking periodic photographs, unflexed, in same-pose fashion, to track your progress can help you make direct comparisons, barring water weight fluctuations.