Thanks Again!

Chow!

I also saw someone say that running only burns about 200 calories during 30 minutes and weight lifting burns about 500. I log between 30 and 40 miles a week on the road, and as someone who is constantly researching proper nutrition from reputable sources, I can tell you that you burn approximately 100 calories for every mile you run. So for me that means about 400-500 cals on a run. I also lift weights, a lot (5-6 days a week), and unless you lift hard with very little rest in between sets, you will have a hard time burning the same amount of calories as you would doing cardio. But you can’t lift like that unless you have the cardiovascular stamina… Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote a very complete book on body building, in which a big part is losing body fat, and he suggests combining both cardio and weight training (along with the correct diet to fuel your workouts and muscle rebuilding). He suggests cardio for burning the extra calories and to support the workouts.

As far as the nutrition goes, if you are exercising at a good pace for 30-60 minutes a day your body needs fuel. This is why low carb diets fail after the first few weeks. They are popular because you can drop a lot of weight relatively quickly because carbs hold water, but your body will be run down and you will be exercising in a haze (your brain is fueled by carbs alone). So most exercise nutritionist recommend a 50-25-25 ratio of calories from carbs, protein, and fat respectively. If you exercise more, say about 60-90 minutes a day at an intense level, you need more carbs, about 60 percent, to fuel your workouts. Arnold recommends 40-40-20 for building lean body mass. Notice none of these are low carb. To figure out how much of each you should eat see the bottom of the thread. The source of carbs is also important. They should be gotten from whole grains, fresh fruit (fruit does have a high sugar content, but it has a low glycemic index, it does not react the same as the processed sugars you should avoid) and vegetables, and the fats should be heart-healthy from fish, avacados, and nuts.

Once again, the most important thing is more calories out then in, but having the energy, ability, and health from proper diet and training are essential to staying motivated and able to acheive your goals.

Weight loss goal calculation
(goal in lbs per week * 3500 calories) / (7 days) = calorie deficit needed to acheive goal

For Nutritional Ratios (on 50-25-25)
Calories eaten per day * 0.5=calories from carbs (4 calories per gram)
Calories per day * 0.25 = calories from protein (4 cals per gram)
Calories per day * 0.25 = calories from fat (9 cals per gram)

I have been vegetarian for years and was vegan for a few months but didn’t lose any weight which was strange. I am keen to take up running again, and to improve my diet by eating less refined carbs and watching my portion sizes.

You advise not to try to do too much at once, but I’m keen to start running soon – and to try to eat better. I’ve been doing stomach exercises for 2 weeks now. Is is too soon to introduce some short runs? What do you think?