From Weight Loss to Real Fitness: Reflections at the Crossroads

I’ve been traveling, meeting the new grandson, attending my 40^th high school class reunion, and taking care of some things that I can’t attend to during the school year. Now I’m back and my blog will change its focus from weight loss to weight maintenance and bodybuilding. I will still concentrate on, and share, my low fat, and low sodium recipes.

Who I am and How I Got Here

I am a 57 year old male and the chair of the computer department at a small rural community college in Arkansas. I live on 60 acres in the heart of the Ouachita Mountains in southwest Arkansas with my wife Sandy, two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Sheets and Jackson, and several cats. When I stepped on the scales at the fitness center January 3, 2007, I was shocked to find that I weighed 10 pounds more than when I had previously thought I was really fat, 210.25 pounds. More importantly, my blood pressure was 181/118 and this was the lowest of three measurements by three different people. I have never been a dieter but this time I set as my goal to see whether I could lower my blood pressure through diet, weight loss, and exercise.

Initially my target weight was 155 because that would have put me at the pre-1998 Body Mass Index (BMI) normal level and, as I work out regularly, I felt the current BMI was inappropriate to measure of my progress. I have since shifted to using body fat as measured by skin-fold testing to set my goals. On that basis, my first goal was 159 pounds and I am now shooting for an 18% body fat percentage which, by the way, may be accompanied by an actual increase in weight but a drop in body fat (muscle weights more than fat). On May 18 my body fat was 22.4% (I weighed 166 pounds), and on June 19 at a weight of 160.3 pounds, my body fat was 20.9%. My weight reached 155 pounds in early July. My blood pressure is now low normal without medication as well.

My Weight Loss Program

I have never trusted fad diets and felt that as I needed a combination of low calorie, low sodium, and low fat to meet my health goals, I would have to come up with my own program. I consulted the Mayo Clinic weight calculators and they recommended 1400 calories per day for me for weight loss. I decided to try to keep my daily sodium intake under 1500 mg and the percentage of daily calories from fat under 20%. In order to keep track of all this, I devised my own spreadsheet using Excel. I used, and continue to use, the USDA nutrient database. I have since discovered that there are a number of good web sites where you can register for free and keep track of these nutrients online. This program fit my head-on style and allowed me to take complete control over my diet and my health.

Now that I have reached my goal, I have increased my calorie limit from 1400 to 1800. I am actively increasing my daily protein intake from an average of about 70 grams per day, to a body builder’s 160 grams per day.

Exercise Program

I enjoy walking, gardening, and yard work but because of the focused nature of my program, I followed a more structured regimen at the Ouachita Rehabilitation and Fitness Center, working out 3-5 days per week. My workout consisted of a 10 minute warm-up on the treadmill followed by two circuits of strength (weight) training and ending back on the treadmill for 20 minutes followed by a 5 minute cool down. I spent a total of 35 minutes on the treadmill and alternated days of strength training focusing on upper body one day and lower body the next. This workout took about an hour and ten minutes.

After being referred to as “small” twice in one week, I decided that I needed to add some significant muscle. I hadn’t been called small since public school days. The real benefit of muscle is that it is more metabolically active than fat and takes more calories to maintain. With the advice of my exercise physiologist, I have changed my strength training from “strength-endurance” to strength. While the cardio (treadmill) portion stays the same, the strength portion involves three sequential sets of decreasing repetitions (12, 10, and 8) and increasing weight at each machine, while allowing recovery time between rep sets. My workout now takes over an hour and a half. When school starts next month, I will probably have to make some modifications.

The most insidious obstacle I face is my own head and my body image. I continue to struggle with the person in the mirror. Until recently I saw myself as still fat and large, and have had to overcome the cognitive dissonance created by my perception and the perceptions of the outside world. I have been called “small” and “the incredible shrinking man” by acquaintances. I wear size 34 belts and slacks rather than the size 40s I wore for decades, and my shirt size has gone from extra large to medium. If I don’t get in synch with this new reality, my subconscious has the power “solve” the dissonance problem by sabotaging my weight loss. Body building is one way that I can still be substantial while at the same time healthy. Stay tuned.

Supplements

To get my protein consumption up to one gram per pound of body weight, I am spacing chocolate whey protein shakes (23 g protein per scoop) mixed with water, as needed throughout the day. This will feed muscle growth. I have also added 5 g of creatine split between pre and post workout along with amino acids (taurine, arginine, and a few others) and dextrose. The creatine helps increase endurance, muscle fiber size, and decrease recovery time. After a workout, the sugar is needed to replace the glycogen stores in the muscle and the spike in insulin helps transport the nutrients (creatine and glucose) to the muscle fibers. I have a significant protein meal after working out as well, and I haven’t noticed any negative effects on my blood sugar from this diet.

Changes

As I have reached my goal, I will no longer be posting my daily recaps. I do have some great recipes coming up including the best diet blue cheese dressing ever.

Hitting Turbulence As I Approach My Weight Loss Goal

Despite the fact that I haven’t gone over my 1400 calorie daily limit and I have increased my working outs from 3-4 to 4-5 days per week, my weight has been bouncing. On June 1, I weighed 162.75, 3.75 pounds from my 159 pound target. Three days later I was down to 161.5, and two days after that, back to 162.75. I traveled last week to a workshop, but while I was on the road, I ate well (grilled salmon, steamed vegetables, boneless skinless chicken breast, fresh fruit instead of cheesecake, egg white omelet). I asked for no oil, and no salt, and I am pretty sure the calorie count was accurate. I even spent an extra 31 minutes on the treadmill at the Hilton. They had individual flat screen televisions in front of each treadmill so I got a little carried away watching the early morning news.

Possible Explanations

I may have taken in more sodium than my 1500 mg daily maximum and I could have temporarily gained some water weight. I may be adding more muscle because of my workouts. It may also be that as I approach my target, unknown forces conspire to impede my forward progress. Whatever the explanation, I am only two pounds from my target weight (pending verification by skinfold testing) and should be there at the end of another week.

Here are my recaps for the last few days. I am leaving out the estimates from the travel days.

Daily Dietary Recap-6/11/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1361.06	68.66 g	230.34 g	906.92 mg	15.70 g	10.04%

Daily Dietary Recap-6/10/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1179.93	65.65 g	175.35 g	1024.51 mg	14.14 g	10.79%

Daily Dietary Recap-6/9/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1254.9	70.98 g	195.85 g	1194.3 mg	14.8 g	10.61%

Daily Dietary Recap-6/8/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1314	69.83 g	238.49 g	1059 mg	16.42 g	11.25%

Seven More Sample Menus for a 1400 Calorie Diet

Seven More Sample Menus for a 1400 Calorie Diet

About two months, and 14 pounds ago, I published a week’s worth of sample menus for my 1400 calorie, low-sodium, and low-fat diet. I am now 3.35 pounds away from my goal, 159 pounds. When I reach it, I will have lost a total of 51.25 pounds since I started this project January 3, 2007. My blood pressure is consistently low normal without medication and I have made working out at the fitness center a normal part of my life. My sample menus are not carefully prepared and balanced by a dietitian; they are literally what I ate on a given day to meet the requirements of my less than 1400 calorie, less than 20 % of calories from fat, less than 1500 mg of sodium, diet.

Since then, aside from the main page, the page with my sample menus has become the most popular on my blog. I wondered how my diet had changed, I’ve come up with a number of new recipes, and thought some might find an update of more sample menus useful. My low sodium chili, Joel’s chili 3, remains a staple in my weekly menus but I don’t need to serve it over brown rice or pasta as much as I did at first. Eating 4-7 times per day was something I did right, right from the beginning. I have learned that it keeps my metabolism up. Chocolate or strawberry low fat frozen yogurt has become something I eat regularly and something I look forward to as a reward for making smart choices during the day.

A lot of dieters talk about reaching a plateau where they keep doing the same things but their weight loss stops. I have never had that happen on my diet and I attribute that to my 3-4 day a week habit at the fitness center, and the fact that I eat throughout the day.

I am not a trained nutritionist, and my only criteria for selecting these foods for my own diet are those of calorie, sodium, and reduced fat. My personal goals in addition those previously-mentioned are: 78-158 g protein, 30-38 g fiber, and less than 300 mg cholesterol. Your recommended diet may be very different. I only offer these menus to share what I have eaten on given days while staying loyal to my diet.

Monday

Breakfast: ¼ pound extra lean ground beef (96/4) in ½ whole wheat pita with 1 t. mustard (left over from the night before, I was in a hurry)

Snack: 10 white seedless grapes

Lunch: 1 cup Joel’s chili 3,

Snack: 25 white seedless grapes

Dinner: 4 fish tacos, including 4 oz. wild salmon, 4 small corn tortillas heated in dry skillet, 1 thin slice of Swiss cheese (mozzarella or non-fat cheddar is better), lemon juice, and green taco sauce; 2/3 C steamed corn, 9 Brussels sprouts, and a garden salad with 2 C mixed greens, 1/3 C grape tomatoes, and 3 T Joel’s salad dressing .

Dessert: 1 cup low-fat chocolate frozen yogurt

Snack: 1 small bag 94% fat-free popcorn

Dietary Summary: Calories: 1348.79, Protein: 64.77, Carbohydrates: 216.22 g, Fiber: 35.42 g, Fat: 27.38 g, Percent calories from fat: 18.27%, Saturated fat: 11.17 g, Cholesterol: 166.48 g, Sodium: 1026.42 mg.

Tuesday

Breakfast: 1.5 cup old-fashioned oatmeal with 1 T brown sugar, .5 oz. raisins, 1 T flax seed meal, and 1 t. cinnamon.

Snack: small banana

Lunch: tuna salad, very low sodium tuna, non-fat mayonnaise, onions, pickles relish, in ½ whole wheat pita

Snack: small banana

Dinner: Chicken tenders and tofu in sweet sour stir fry with.25 C pineapple, ¾ C broccoli stir fry, .1 package light firm tofu-baked, 1 T sweet-sour sauce. ½ C brown rice, 2 C grilled summer squash and sweet onions, 1 serving steamed spinach (about 4 C raw).

Dessert: ¾ C low-fat chocolate frozen yogurt

Snack: 1 Ry-Krisp sesame cracker

Dietary Summary: Calories: 1284, Protein: 58.21, Carbohydrates: 230.9 g, Fiber: 34.37 g, Fat: 19.13 g, Percent calories from fat: 12.8%, Saturated fat: 25.62 g, Cholesterol: 122.5 g, Sodium: 589.72 mg.

Wednesday

Breakfast: 4 oz blueberry all-natural yogurt

Snack: small banana

Lunch: 1.5 C Joel’s chili 3

Snack: 4 oz blueberry all-natural yogurt

Dinner: Healthy Choice Lemon Pepper Fish dinner, 9 Brussels sprouts, 3 Ry-Krisp sesame crackers and a garden salad with 2 C mixed greens, 1/3 C grape tomatoes, sweet onion, and 2 T Vidalia onion fat-free dressing.

Dessert: 1 cup low-fat chocolate frozen yogurt

Snack: ½ whole wheat pita with 1 T low-fat mozzarella cheese

Dietary Summary: Calories: 1345.04, Protein: 54.74, Carbohydrates: 260.88 g, Fiber: 40.74 g, Fat: 18.01 g, Percent calories from fat: 12.05%, Saturated fat: 59 g, Cholesterol: 88.13 g, Sodium: 1319.72 mg.

Thursday

Breakfast: Egg white omelet with .5 C Egg Beaters, steamed spinach, sweet onion, 1 T non-fat cheddar cheese, and 3 T red bell pepper.

Snack: None

Lunch: ¾ C Joel’s Chili 3

Snack: 4 oz strawberry all-natural yogurt

Dinner: 1 serving (4 oz. chicken) stuffed chicken breasts, 1 C baked sweet potato, 2/3 C steamed mixed vegetables, and a garden salad with 2 C mixed greens, 1/3 C grape tomatoes, sweet onion, and 2 T Vidalia onion fat-free dressing

Dessert: 1 cup low-fat chocolate frozen yogurt

Snack: none

Dietary Summary: Calories: 1276.85, Protein: 86.88, Carbohydrates: 195.52 g, Fiber: 29.16 g, Fat: 18.62 g, Percent calories from fat: 13.12%, Saturated fat: 74.19 g, Cholesterol: 119.7 g, Sodium: 1168.62 mg.

Friday

Breakfast: Egg white omelet with 1/3 C egg whites, 3 mushrooms-chopped, sweet onion, 1 T non-fat cheddar cheese, and 3 T red bell pepper.

Snack: 4 oz strawberry all-natural yogurt

Lunch: 1/2 whole wheat pita with ¼ pound extra lean ground beef (96/4) and mustard

Snack: 1 medium orange

Dinner: 1.5 cups no-yolks noodles, 1.5 cups chicken cacciatore, and 1 serving steamed spinach (about 4 C raw).

Dessert: 1.5 C low-fat chocolate frozen yogurt

Snack: 1 medium orange

Dietary Summary: Calories: 1371.3, Protein: 75.7, Carbohydrates: 216.45 g, Fiber: 35.43 g, Fat: 20.64 g, Percent calories from fat: 11%, Saturated fat: 6.22 g, Cholesterol: 183.75 g, Sodium: 729.35 mg.

Saturday

Breakfast: ½ C GoLean Crunch cereal, 1/3 C skim milk, ¼ C wild blueberries.

Snack: None

Lunch: 1 C lima bean, portobello mushroom, barley soup, 1/8 pound extra lean ground beef (96/4) in ½ whole wheat pita

Snack: ¼ cantaloupe

Dinner: 1 serving baked salmon in dill sauce on steamed spinach, with 4 corn tortillas, and 2/3 C steamed corn.

Dessert: 1 C low-fat chocolate frozen yogurt

Snack: ¼ cantaloupe and 1 small bag 94% fat-free popcorn

Dietary Summary: Calories: 1310.17, Protein: 61.15, Carbohydrates: 238.94 g, Fiber: 49.47 g, Fat: 21.55 g, Percent calories from fat: 14.81%, Saturated fat: 6.5 g, Cholesterol: 102.5 g, Sodium: 906.92 mg.

Sunday

Breakfast: Egg white omelet with 1/3 C egg whites, 3 shiitake mushrooms-chopped, sweet onion, 1 T non-fat cheddar cheese, 3 T red bell pepper, and 1 T mild salsa.

Snack: 4 oz strawberry all-natural yogurt

Lunch: 2 Joel’s healthy enchiladas, 1/3 C Joel’s chili 3,

Snack: 3 oz. baby carrots, ¾ C GoLean Crunch

Dinner: 3 oz. roasted skinless boneless chicken breast in ½ whole wheat pita with secret sauce, 1 C steamed corn.

Dessert: 1 cup low-fat chocolate frozen yogurt

Snack: 1 medium orange, 5 Ritz low sodium crackers

Dietary Summary: Calories: 1349.82, Protein: 74.99, Carbohydrates: 216.57 g, Fiber: 28.6 g, Fat: 20.99 g, Percent calories from fat: 13.83%, Saturated fat: 6.58 g, Cholesterol: 135.8 g, Sodium: 1078.01 mg.

As you can see, I eat a lot for someone on a calorie, fat, and sodium restricted diet. But, I lose weight consistently, I have good energy, and I am seldom hungry.

Here is my recap for the last two days.

Daily Dietary Recap-6/1/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1349.68	90.86 g	228.62 g	957 mg	11.55 g	7.55%

Daily Dietary Recap-5/31/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1389.53	92.68 g	234.55 g	718.14 mg	12.43 g	7.51%

What Every Dieter Should Know about Metabolism: Thermogenic Foods to Boost Your Metabolism

This is Part 4 and the last in the series, What Every Dieter Should Know about Metabolism. Part 1, Metabolism Basics, can be found here, Part 2, The Role of Muscle, can be found here, and Part 3, Eating Strategies for Increasing our Metabolism, can be found here.

Thermogenic Foods

As I mentioned in Part 3, all foods are thermogenic (metabolism enhancing and calorie-burning) so every time we eat, it turns our metabolism up but, there are some foods that are better at it than others. We should keep in mind that there is no magic bullet or “super fat-burning foods”, and that the differences between the metabolic acceleration of some foods pales in comparison to the effect of physical activity. But as an ongoing strategy it may be wise to include these foods in our regular menu. We may especially want to try it if, and when, we hit a weight-loss plateau. Here is a rundown of the major categories of thermogenic foods with examples of each.

Lean Proteins

The lean proteins are at the top of the thermogenic and metabolism-enhancing foods list; they have the highest thermal effect. Good choices are: chicken breast, turkey breast, the leaner game meats, lean red meat, bison, salmon and other types of fish and seafood, and egg whites.

Herbs and Spices

Spicy foods, especially the ones that contain capsaicin, are especially thermogenic and can raise your metabolic rate for up to three hours after eating. Hot peppers including, the more common cayenne peppers, all contain capsaicin. Other thermogenic herbs and spices are: cinnamon, fennel seed, garlic, ginger, ginseng, guarana, horseradish, kola nut, ma huang, mustard seed, parsley, and turmeric.

Vegetables and Fibrous Foods

Radishes, cabbage, celery asparagus, green beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, salad vegetables Whole grains and beans metabolize more slowly (and require more energy to digest) than highly processed foods. Good examples of these are sweet potatoes, oatmeal, whole grains, beans, brown rice, and even potatoes. Oats have been proven to lower cholesterol. Oatmeal has the added benefit of stabilizing blood sugar due to its slow release of glucose into the blood stream, and that gives you energy for a longer time.

Citrus Fruits

All citrus fruits are especially thermogenic because of their bioflavonoids and vitamin C. Both of these are known to boost the metabolism. The soluble fiber in citrus may also block the absorption of fat and also contribute to a feeling of fullness.

Beverages

Green tea: After water, green tea is the champion of thermogenic beverages. It contains the polyphenol antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is also found in both black tea but green tea contains five times as much. EGCG increases thermogenesis and studies have shown that the EGCG found in one cup of Green tea can increase metabolism by from 4-7.5%. The polyphenols in green tea have been demonstrated to promote scientifically significant antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, probiotic, and anti-microbial properties in addition to its thermogenic properties. I have replaced my jug of black tea in the refrigerator with green tea for iced tea and drink large quantities of it throughout the day. It couldn’t hurt.

Coffee: The caffeine in coffee accelerates the metabolism.

Water: Water is undoubtedly a major stimulus to accelerate the metabolism. According to a 2003 article, Water-Induced Thermogenesis, in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, “Drinking 500 ml of water increased metabolic rate by 30%....within 10 min and reached a maximum after 30–40 min. The total thermogenic response was about 100 kJ [that’s about 24 calories]. About 40% of the thermogenic effect originated from warming the water from 22 to 37 C. In men, lipids[fats]mainly fueled the increase in metabolic rate. In contrast, in women carbohydrates were mainly used as the energy source…thus, drinking 2 liters of water per day would augment energy expenditure by approximately 400 kJ [about 96 calories]. Therefore, the thermogenic effect of water should be considered when estimating energy expenditure, particularly during weight loss programs.” Well, this isn’t a lot compared to 30 minutes on the treadmill or bicycle, but as part of an overall program of weight loss, it could be significant.

Apple Cider Vinegar: Many health claims are made for apple cider vinegar, but it does have a positive effect on the metabolism and it makes a delicious vinaigrette dressing. I have started drinking 1 tablespoon of unpasteurized organic apple cider vinegar in 8 ounces of water with 1 teaspoon of honey a couple of times a day and while I can’t make any health claims for it, it can’t hurt.

Other Thermogenic Foods

Whole grains and beans metabolize more slowly (and require more energy to digest) than highly processed foods. Good examples of these are sweet potatoes, oatmeal, whole grains, beans, brown rice, and even potatoes.

Dieters armed with this information and an understanding of how the metabolism works will be in a much better position to manage their weight loss. With all the choices, it should be pretty easy to incorporate some of the highly thermogenic foods with each meal.

Here is my recap from yesterday.

Daily Dietary Recap-5/30/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1347.18	101.36 g	215.84 g	965.4 mg	12.76 g	7.89%

What Every Dieter Should Know about Metabolism: The Role of Muscle

This is part 2 in the series, What Every Dieter Should Know about Metabolism. Part 1, Metabolism Basics, can be found here

Muscle drives the body’s metabolic engine. It is denser and weights more than fat and it requires about 20 more calories per pound to maintain than fat. Fat requires only 30 calories per day to sustain it. When you exercise you are not only burning calories, you are also adding muscle and boosting your metabolism for the rest of the day, even when you sleep. You are actually burning the exercise calories twice, once when you exercise and once again when the muscle you built with exercise turns up your daily caloric requirement. If you don’t add calories to sustain the additional muscle, the muscle alone will cause your body to burn fat.

Muscle and Weight Loss

Yesterday I mentioned that if the energy we consume exceeds the energy we expend, we gain weight; if the energy we consume is less than the energy we expend, we lose weight. The best way to lose weight is therefore to increase our energy expenditure while decreasing our caloric intake. Lean body tissue, muscle, is more metabolically active than fat so one way or another we need to incorporate exercise that builds muscle. This is also one reason that men burn calories more quickly than women. Men have more muscle even at the same height and weight than women. Our weight loss program should include a combination of aerobic (walking, running, hiking, bicycling) activities, and strength training to increase muscle.

Strength Training

While all of today’s fitness centers, spas, and gyms have equipment that can accommodate a variety of disabilities while still allowing for strength training, it is important to rely on the advice of a licensed physical therapist or physician before starting a conditioning or strength training program. I am neither. Lifting some types of weights can be done by anyone at any age. Experts recommend that they be heavy enough so you can only do 8-15 repetitions per set.

To maximize your weight loss, you can add an exercise program, or extend the length and intensity of your workout. Adding a few minutes to your workout or increasing the resistance (weight) of your weight training program can both increase your calorie-burning, and extend the length of time that your metabolism is cranked up.

Informal Strategies

I’ve noticed that since I started losing weight I have become more active in the classroom. I sit less and move around the lab from student to student more. When I lecture, I am more animated and move around more. These are examples of ways we can increase our caloric expenditure and boost our metabolism. I had a friend who walked when she was talking on the telephone. Stretching and changing position when you have to sit for long periods can relieve stress and energize the muscles so they burn more calories. It may be possible to find other ways to increase our metabolic output such as walking or bicycling for short distances rather than driving all the time. With today’s gasoline prices, that’s a double win.

Tomorrow: Eating Strategies for Increasing our Metabolism

Here is my recap for yesterday.

Daily Dietary Recap-5/28/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1130.12	72.42 g	194.5 g	945.86 mg	10.07 g	7.61%

What Every Dieter Should Know about Metabolism: Metabolism Basics

Metabolism is the rate at which our bodies burn calories in order to maintain our bodies, and perform work. Our metabolic rate affects our Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). Weight loss is a based on a fairly simple formula. If the energy we consume exceeds the energy we expend, we gain weight; if the energy we consume is less than the energy we expend, we lose weight. Therefore as dieters, it is important for us to understand the factors that will increase our metabolic rates. That is what this series of articles is about-increasing our metabolic rate in support of weight loss.

We burn calories every second that we are alive. We burn calories when we are sweating at the gym, eating, or even sleeping. Our metabolic rate describes how quickly we burn those calories. The faster our metabolic rate, the easier it is to lose weight. A faster metabolic rate also means that we can eat more without gaining weight.

Factors that Influence TDEE

Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): This is the body’s rate of energy expenditure just to maintain body functions without introducing any work or exercise.

Thermal Effect of Food (TEF): Chewing, swallowing, digesting, and absorbing nutrients all require energy. Different foods require different amounts of energy. Later on we will be looking at the thermogenic properties of various foods and how we can positively influence our metabolism in support of weight loss.

Daily Physical Activity: Different levels of physical activity, (running, lifting, sitting, talking, etc.) expend different amounts of energy. Increasing our daily physical activity will increase our caloric expenditure.

Body Composition: Body composition is influenced by age, genetics, medication, gender, and even medication. But, the most important factor is the ratio of fat to lean body mass. The more muscle and less fat we have, the higher our TDEE goes. And, that’s a good thing for weight loss dieters.

Aging and Weight Loss

At about the age of 30, our metabolic rate declines by about 1-2% every ten years. If we continue to consume the same number of calories as we did in our youth without increasing our exercise, the result is weight gain and we may grow a paunch and take on the profile of the middle age spread. If we don’t increase our exercise level, our body composition, the percentage of fat to lean, increases in favor of fat. And, fat takes less energy to maintain than lean muscle or bone. Muscle takes about 20 more calories per pound to maintain than fat does.

The Tipping Point

As we lose lean muscle mass in favor of fat, we have less muscle with which to perform work and create more muscle. If we don’t notice what’s happening, we get on the downhill side of the energy equation and it becomes very difficult to expend enough energy to maintain, much less, lose weight. The good news is that when we begin a conditioning program that includes strength training and start to work our way up the energy curve, at some point we reach the tipping point and it begins to work in our favor. With more muscle, we can perform more work which creates more muscle, and more muscle takes more energy to maintain and thus increases our TDEE even when we aren’t working out.

The Answer to Yesterday’s Quiz

Yesterday I described the birthday dinner I cooked for my wife and asked which foods were thermogenic (increasing the TDEE) and which foods were the most thermogenic. The dinner consisted of grilled bison sirloin steak, baked potatoes with non-fat sour cream, Brussels sprouts, green tea, and okra, onions, tomatoes, and Tabasco sauce.

Answer to question 1: All foods are thermogenic, that is, they take energy to chew, swallow, digest, and absorb.

Answer to question 2: The foods in this meal that are considered most thermogenic are: Brussels sprouts, green tea, and Tabasco sauce. Later in this series on metabolism and dieting, I will list the most highly thermogenic foods.

Next: Muscle and Weigh Loss

Here is my recap from yesterday.

Daily Dietary Recap-5/27/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1170.29	71.16 g	173.21 g	965.10 mg	14.08 g	10.83%