Why Doesn't My Weight Go Down ?

[robblok]

On the contrary, I'm hugely grateful for the input you and others have provided here, it's a whole new learning curve for me.

Thanks for the remark, and i just try to help. Tropo and me have some different views sometimes. But this is normal. I am still learning too and just keep exercising that body its great for you. Keeps it in working order for much longer.

[glbv]

Might have read tropo wrong but if i didn't i agree, someone who is 20%bf can easily be healthier than someone whos 10 or 15%. Most professionals aren't what you would consider healthy and there are reason many have to stop due to health reasons mid life.

I personally like to cut/bulk cause i like the challenge and anyone who is fit almost commands respect from people.

Id be interested in how you came to the fact that your insulin resistant though. Ive heard many people say they are and never have heard how they come to this reasoning.

[chiang mai]

Might have read tropo wrong but if i didn't i agree, someone who is 20%bf can easily be healthier than someone whos 10 or 15%. Most professionals aren't what you would consider healthy and there are reason many have to stop due to health reasons mid life.

I personally like to cut/bulk cause i like the challenge and anyone who is fit almost commands respect from people.

Id be interested in how you came to the fact that your insulin resistant though. Ive heard many people say they are and never have heard how they come to this reasoning.

A simple blood test confirms, in my case my fasting blood sugar reading was 95, where 100 or 120, depending on the scale used, means pre-diabetic.

[tropo]

Might have read tropo wrong but if i didn't i agree, someone who is 20%bf can easily be healthier than someone whos 10 or 15%. Most professionals aren't what you would consider healthy and there are reason many have to stop due to health reasons mid life.

I personally like to cut/bulk cause i like the challenge and anyone who is fit almost commands respect from people.

Id be interested in how you came to the fact that your insulin resistant though. Ive heard many people say they are and never have heard how they come to this reasoning.

A simple blood test confirms, in my case my fasting blood sugar reading was 95, where 100 or 120, depending on the scale used, means pre-diabetic.

Yes, a blood test confirms it. My first lab blood test came in at 255 mg/dl back in 2005. That's a bit more than just insulin resistance - that's a sign of the whole system breaking down. My insulin resistance would probably have started many years, or even decades before that test. These days I wake up just under 100 most days and I test myself frequently. Knowing your FBS numbers is only part of the story. You need to know how you respond to different types of food. You really should get a meter and test frequently before and after meals.

glbv, you read me right. As long as a person is within the healthy zone (roughly between 10 and 20%) and it's stable and there's no distended abdomen (possibly indicating insulin resistance) I can't see why any number would be healthier than another. Certainly I could be enjoying food more in the upper end of the range.

[tropo]

(I'd just like to add something to post #124 above that deserves mentioning)

We've been talking a lot about FBS (fasting blood sugar) levels. It's important to understand that impaired fasting blood sugar levels are not as good an indicator of insulin resistance as direct response to food. It is quite possible for someone to have elevated FBS yet have good post postprandial (after meal) numbers. It is also possible to have normal or near-normal FBS but highly elevated postprandial numbers.

The reason for this is that FBS is not a direct indicator of insulin resistance. High FBS numbers are usually the result of the "dawn phenomenon". This is when the liver dumps sugar into the blood early morning in response to low sugar levels during sleep.

It is crucial for anyone truly interested in their health to purchase a glucometer and test themselves. I should have purchased one 20 years ago. Impaired sugar metabolism doesn't happen overnight and by testing oneself you can discover a negative trend long before it becomes a problem.

Add to that a blood pressure meter and you have 2 of the best tools to evaluate your health at home. Around 5000 baht at Fascino should get you both.

I was speaking to a guy at the gym yesterday who said he has low blood pressure - yet he didn't even know his numbers when I asked him. I find it incredible that people with blood pressure and blood sugar problems don't test themselves at home. It is not rocket science.

Edited May 4, 2012 by tropo

[Tolley]

It is important to remember that just because you are fit or even obtain a low body fat percentage doesnt mean that you are healthy.

There are numerous accounts of fit people having all sorts of medical issues and problems.

Conversely you can be unfit and healthy also.

It is a truism that you need to look after mind, body, and soul to obtain good health.

Having said that exercise can to a certain extent offset poor nutrition and poor behaviour patterns.

[chiang mai]

(I'd just like to add something to post #124 above that deserves mentioning)

We've been talking a lot about FBS (fasting blood sugar) levels. It's important to understand that impaired fasting blood sugar levels are not as good an indicator of insulin resistance as direct response to food. It is quite possible for someone to have elevated FBS yet have good post postprandial (after meal) numbers. It is also possible to have normal or near-normal FBS but highly elevated postprandial numbers.

The reason for this is that FBS is not a direct indicator of insulin resistance. High FBS numbers are usually the result of the "dawn phenomenon". This is when the liver dumps sugar into the blood early morning in response to low sugar levels during sleep.

It is crucial for anyone truly interested in their health to purchase a glucometer and test themselves. I should have purchased one 20 years ago. Impaired sugar metabolism doesn't happen overnight and by testing oneself you can discover a negative trend long before it becomes a problem.

Add to that a blood pressure meter and you have 2 of the best tools to evaluate your health at home. Around 5000 baht at Fascino should get you both.

I was speaking to a guy at the gym yesterday who said he has low blood pressure - yet he didn't even know his numbers when I asked him. I find it incredible that people with blood pressure and blood sugar problems don't test themselves at home. It is not rocket science.

I'm going to go this route, can you recommend a make/model along with an idea where to purchase, you mention Fascino but I'm in CM.

[chiang mai]

(I'd just like to add something to post #124 above that deserves mentioning)

We've been talking a lot about FBS (fasting blood sugar) levels. It's important to understand that impaired fasting blood sugar levels are not as good an indicator of insulin resistance as direct response to food. It is quite possible for someone to have elevated FBS yet have good post postprandial (after meal) numbers. It is also possible to have normal or near-normal FBS but highly elevated postprandial numbers.

The reason for this is that FBS is not a direct indicator of insulin resistance. High FBS numbers are usually the result of the "dawn phenomenon". This is when the liver dumps sugar into the blood early morning in response to low sugar levels during sleep.

It is crucial for anyone truly interested in their health to purchase a glucometer and test themselves. I should have purchased one 20 years ago. Impaired sugar metabolism doesn't happen overnight and by testing oneself you can discover a negative trend long before it becomes a problem.

Add to that a blood pressure meter and you have 2 of the best tools to evaluate your health at home. Around 5000 baht at Fascino should get you both.

I was speaking to a guy at the gym yesterday who said he has low blood pressure - yet he didn't even know his numbers when I asked him. I find it incredible that people with blood pressure and blood sugar problems don't test themselves at home. It is not rocket science.

Double post, sorry!

Edited May 5, 2012 by chiang mai

[robblok]

It is important to remember that just because you are fit or even obtain a low body fat percentage doesnt mean that you are healthy.

There are numerous accounts of fit people having all sorts of medical issues and problems.

Conversely you can be unfit and healthy also.

It is a truism that you need to look after mind, body, and soul to obtain good health.

Having said that exercise can to a certain extent offset poor nutrition and poor behaviour patterns.

I would wager you that there are less fit unhealthy people then there are out of shape unhealthy people. But you are right fit does not mean healthy, i doubt cancer will care if you are in shape or not.

I do believe in a good mind in a good body and if you workout good and have a healthy diet things are definately good. But there are enough things that can happen that can offset it all.

My wife asked me what will i do when i reach my goals.. stop. I told her then its maintenance stopping would be defeat. I am happy im enjoying my training again. I hit a rough patch at the end of my 5 x 5 and now i'm enjoying things again. Even though i have lost strength on the bench press.

Im now toying with the idea to get myself a concept 2 model D for cardio. I also got a bike but this seems like a nice tool too. I forgotten about the adjustable dumbbells as i already have 3 sets of spinlocks and enough weights for them. It just takes a bit more time and effort.

[tropo]

I'm going to go this route, can you recommend a make/model along with an idea where to purchase, you mention Fascino but I'm in CM.

I assumed that Fascino was a Thailand-wide franchise, but it shouldn't matter - I'm sure any big chemist will have what you need.

I personally recommend the "EasyGluco" meter. It has the cheapest testing strips out of all the available meters here. That's the biggest consideration as the cost of strips can really add up if you test frequently. I had a problem with my last meter (Horizon One Touch) in that they stopped supplying the strips here in Thailand. Availability of test strips is most important.

With a 5% Fascino discount the EasyGluco meter cost me just over 1800 baht in January this year. The strips are 770 baht for 50 with the discount. Most other models will set you back 500 baht or more for 25 strips.

I have the Omron 1W1 wrist blood pressure meter and I've very happy with it. It's a breeze taking readings and they correlate very well to the arm band type as I've done a number of direct comparisons at the lab. I bought this about 3 years ago, so they may have some new models. I can't remember how much I paid.

I hope that's of some help to you.

[tropo]

Im now toying with the idea to get myself a concept 2 model D for cardio. I also got a bike but this seems like a nice tool too. I forgotten about the adjustable dumbbells as i already have 3 sets of spinlocks and enough weights for them. It just takes a bit more time and effort.

I used to own a Concept 2 rowing machine back in the 90's. It think it was model C. It's one of my main cardio machines down at the gym. I've been rowing on one version or another for 20 years. How much will one cost here?

Just for comparative purposes, my limit of calorie burn on the rower is 452 calories per 30 minutes right now (yesterday) and that's really pushing it - 7167 meters. You really have to be careful with your back when you hit it hard - and watch your form. I hardly ever (actually never) see anyone rowing with good form down at the gym. Unlike other cardio machines there's a lot of technique to consider.

[tropo]

It is important to remember that just because you are fit or even obtain a low body fat percentage doesnt mean that you are healthy.

There are numerous accounts of fit people having all sorts of medical issues and problems.

Conversely you can be unfit and healthy also.

It is a truism that you need to look after mind, body, and soul to obtain good health.

Having said that exercise can to a certain extent offset poor nutrition and poor behaviour patterns.

"Healthy" and "health" are such vague concepts and in reality quite meaningless.

We're all ageing and on the way to dying, so no one is "healthy" in a broad sense.

Having said that, within the vague concept, you cannot be unfit and healthy because fitness is a key element of being healthy. If you don't have the ability to perform work, you cannot be healthy.

In a nutshell, fitness is a key component of health, but health is not a key component of fitness. Training hard on a bad diet and drugs (cigarettes, alcohol, recreational and performance enhancing drugs) is actually quite dangerous and probably worse than not training at all.

Edited May 5, 2012 by tropo

[robblok]

Im now toying with the idea to get myself a concept 2 model D for cardio. I also got a bike but this seems like a nice tool too. I forgotten about the adjustable dumbbells as i already have 3 sets of spinlocks and enough weights for them. It just takes a bit more time and effort.

I used to own a Concept 2 rowing machine back in the 90's. It think it was model C. It's one of my main cardio machines down at the gym. I've been rowing on one version or another for 20 years. How much will one cost here?

Just for comparative purposes, my limit of calorie burn on the rower is 452 calories per 30 minutes right now (yesterday) and that's really pushing it - 7167 meters. You really have to be careful with your back when you hit it hard - and watch your form. I hardly ever (actually never) see anyone rowing with good form down at the gym. Unlike other cardio machines there's a lot of technique to consider.

Im importing it straight from the states, i heard others doing the same. I just send out a email. The tax is only 3% (gym exquipment) and 7 % vat. I think the shipping of the concept wont be more pricey then the shipping of the dumbbells (700$) (in the end i decided i got spinlock dumbells so why buy something i already had. I think it will cost all together 1700-2000$. I will know more after the weekend.

I also saw it was all about form. I think i will have to learn that first. The good thing about a rower is that if you pull harder it will increase resistance.

I am also convinced a concept rower will stay in good shape real long and with the crazy prices they are asking for them here keep their value too.

Tropo are you a night owl, i see you post real late at night often

Edited May 5, 2012 by robblok

[poanoi]

I'm not a grass eater by any standard, but 'Jam won sen' is fully eatable and recommendable, along with tuna salad.

Jam won sen = grass with shrimps, glass noodles & chili.

On top of having nuffing innit, the chili also enhances metabolism

[tropo]

Im importing it straight from the states, i heard others doing the same. I just send out a email. The tax is only 3% (gym exquipment) and 7 % vat. I think the shipping of the concept wont be more pricey then the shipping of the dumbbells (700$) (in the end i decided i got spinlock dumbells so why buy something i already had. I think it will cost all together 1700-2000$. I will know more after the weekend.

I also saw it was all about form. I think i will have to learn that first. The good thing about a rower is that if you pull harder it will increase resistance.

I am also convinced a concept rower will stay in good shape real long and with the crazy prices they are asking for them here keep their value too.

Tropo are you a night owl, i see you post real late at night often

(Yeah, I've always been a night owl. I try to go to bed earlier, but then I always slip back into the habit. I used to do a lot of late night security work when I was younger and haven't kicked the habit yet. I used to train at Tony's in Pattaya at 2am or even later)

There's some good tutorials online on how to row on the Concept. Even after so many years using a rower I still work on making my technique more efficient.

I do a 10 - 20 minute (depending on how much energy I have on the day) row to warmup for all weight workouts. It's a breathing exercise (strong rhythmic breathing) so as well as warming up the upper torso, legs, back, hips and knees it helps to force a great deal of oxygen into the body. It always gets me primed for a workout even when I come to the gym feeling lethargic.

As your main calorie burning cardio exercise you should proceed with caution. It is very lower back intensive when you're pulling hard and you need to pull hard to get the heart rate into a useful zone. It's nowhere near as easy to get the heart rate up on the rower as it is on most other cardio machines. For example, yesterday, for my recent record calorie burn on the rower my heart rate averaged 125 for the 30 mins and peaked at 151 - burning 452 calories. I then jumped on my favourite calorie burner, the Cybex Arc Trainer, and burned 600 in 30 minutes, with an average heart rate of 151 peaking at 165 - yet the perceived effort was greater on the rower and I was taking it a bit easy on the Cybex because I had done such a hard row.

If you work your lower back hard on the weights (dead lift, squats, cable rows, bent-over rows), you'll find that too much rowing can slow down the recovery or overtrain the lower back to the point where you could be going backwards and even cause injury. If you have a slight injury in the lower back rowing can be very difficult and not recommended. If you've hurt your shoulders or elbows in the gym rowing can be very uncomfortable too. If I've worked my shoulders, chest or upper back really hard (I always do) I get a shoulder (lactic acid) burn when I row. I could slow down the recovery from my weight workouts if I overdo the rowing. You mentioned before that you tweaked your upper back doing dead lifts - that will also seriously affect your rowing. The row is also grip intensive and you may find you need to use gloves if your hands get too sweaty.

This is the reason why I mainly use the Cybex Arc Trainer as my main calorie burner and use the rowing mainly for warmups. Once a week or so I'll do a serious row for 30 mins to change up my cardio a bit. I've never tried doing an hour on it.

Edited May 5, 2012 by tropo

[robblok]

I got a spinning bike too, i just think the rower is a nice addition besides it does not take much space. Unlike you i don't really believe in exercising to burn calories. I am sure it works but its easier to eat less. I mean 452 calories x 5 = 2500 in a week by just eating 350 a day your there too.

I know it should be a combination of both but still i see exercise as for shape and stamina. I do like the extra burning too but cant say its awfully effective. Besides one of those Arc Trainers is outside of my budget.

Working out in a gym has advantages but being half an hour or more away from one seriously impairs my will to workout. Also machines and benches being occupied is not that great. Not to mention i can control the music. I know having my own home gym is better for me, but it has its drawbacks too. I have to make due with less.

[tropo]

I got a spinning bike too, i just think the rower is a nice addition besides it does not take much space. Unlike you i don't really believe in exercising to burn calories. I am sure it works but its easier to eat less. I mean 452 calories x 5 = 2500 in a week by just eating 350 a day your there too.

I know it should be a combination of both but still i see exercise as for shape and stamina. I do like the extra burning too but cant say its awfully effective.

If you're burning a huge number of calories with cardio, surely it will raise your metabolic rate considerably, thereby making it more difficult to put on weight even if you let your diet slip. I just have to think of a younger version of myself at a time when I found it nearly impossible to put ON weight no matter what I put in my mouth. I believe doing a lot of cardio exercise will help me to revisit an earlier decade of my life, but it won't happen overnight. Sure, it's not the easiest way, but I believe long term it is the best way. Stoke the fire! Become an efficient calorie burning machine.

I was watching one of the recent training videos of Jay Cutler, discussing his training going into the 2009 Olympia, which he won. He was doing a full 2 hours of cardio per day in separate sessions (he mentioned 1000 calorie burn per session) along with his normal weight program which was 2 days on, one off - One session when he woke up at 7:30am (stair-master at home) and at 2am at the gym (elliptical). Of course he also controls his diet, but his calorie consumption even on a restricted pre-contest diet is around 6000 calories per day. The cardio is about maximizing his muscle hardness. He likes the elliptical because it uses his upper body.

Just some food for thought while we try to decipher this complex puzzle.

[robblok]

Im now toying with the idea to get myself a concept 2 model D for cardio. I also got a bike but this seems like a nice tool too. I forgotten about the adjustable dumbbells as i already have 3 sets of spinlocks and enough weights for them. It just takes a bit more time and effort.

I used to own a Concept 2 rowing machine back in the 90's. It think it was model C. It's one of my main cardio machines down at the gym. I've been rowing on one version or another for 20 years. How much will one cost here?

Tropo, i just got a quote and they said 1050$ + 300$ shipping to the airport. That is a lot lower as i thought. I wonder if they can ship it to my home. I will get an extra 10% + 7% vat. So an other 250$. Still below my estimate.

Before i thought the tarif to be 3% but that was a misunderstanding its 10% and then 7% vat.

Edited May 5, 2012 by robblok

[tropo]

Im now toying with the idea to get myself a concept 2 model D for cardio. I also got a bike but this seems like a nice tool too. I forgotten about the adjustable dumbbells as i already have 3 sets of spinlocks and enough weights for them. It just takes a bit more time and effort.

I used to own a Concept 2 rowing machine back in the 90's. It think it was model C. It's one of my main cardio machines down at the gym. I've been rowing on one version or another for 20 years. How much will one cost here?

Tropo, i just got a quote and they said 1050$ + 300$ shipping to the airport. That is a lot lower as i thought. I wonder if they can ship it to my home. I will get an extra 10% + 7% vat. So an other 250$. Still below my estimate.

Before i thought the tarif to be 3% but that was a misunderstanding its 10% and then 7% vat.

That's a good price. Mine cost about AUD 2,500 nearly 20 years ago. Do you have a link to the site where you will place your order?

[robblok]

Just emailed the headquarter of concept rowers and got an email back. I just confirmed it and wait where i have to send the money. Also i want to know a few more things about shipping but seems a solid deal to me. Only problem seems that i have to pick it up at customs. Good thing the tariff is clear so there should not be too much hassle with the customs guys but you never know in Thailand.

[tropo]

Just emailed the headquarter of concept rowers and got an email back. I just confirmed it and wait where i have to send the money. Also i want to know a few more things about shipping but seems a solid deal to me. Only problem seems that i have to pick it up at customs. Good thing the tariff is clear so there should not be too much hassle with the customs guys but you never know in Thailand.

On the main Concept site there was a global manager which handles Thailand. Did you email this person?

[robblok]

I emailed a guy called terry, i can send the rest by pm if your interested. I have send a return email to them but now i have to wait for answers to my questions. We will see, the deal seems ok and it would be good for me to have a rower. Rowers like that almost don't break down they are made for gym use.

[tropo]

I emailed a guy called terry, i can send the rest by pm if your interested. I have send a return email to them but now i have to wait for answers to my questions. We will see, the deal seems ok and it would be good for me to have a rower. Rowers like that almost don't break down they are made for gym use.

I emailed [email protected]. He was listed as the global manager who handles Thailand. For the prices you mentioned above I would like one too.

The most important thing is to keep the slide very clean. Sweat dropping on the slide builds up gunk from the rollers and if not wiped clean after every row it can cause pitting on the rollers and a rough ride. Also keep the chain lubed. They provide special chain oil to use - and that's about it - it will last your lifetime. The ones I've been using at California Wow still run like new after 4 1/2 years of heavy gym use by people who don't respect the equipment.

Edited May 6, 2012 by tropo

[robblok]

Tropo,

That is the same guy, so you will ge the same prices. This was with the most advanced display of the two. But this price was till BKK, i contacted an other member here on Thaivisa about getting it cleared by customs, i think ill use the agent he refers me too as i am not in the mood for 2 days of forms for 3000 bt. I make more money in 2 days then that so its not worth it.

[tropo]

Tropo,

That is the same guy, so you will ge the same prices. This was with the most advanced display of the two. But this price was till BKK, i contacted an other member here on Thaivisa about getting it cleared by customs, i think ill use the agent he refers me too as i am not in the mood for 2 days of forms for 3000 bt. I make more money in 2 days then that so its not worth it.

Please keep us informed what happens. I'm really tempted to get one too. Despite the negatives I mentioned in a post above, I still believe it is one of the best ways to keep fit and as long as you take precautions, it will help develop a very strong back and shoulders. Perhaps it's better for me to have a fat burner at home, so I can partition my workouts into weights and separate cardio sessions. Right now I'm doing weights and cardio in one long 2 hour session, but it's not ideal - but I just couldn't be bothered going to the gym twice in one day. I tried it, but it's just too much making the trip to the gym twice in one day.

Edited May 6, 2012 by tropo

[robblok]

Tropo,

Ill keep you informed, seems you got it all at the gym. I will split my cardio and weight sessions because i noticed i dont have much power left after a heavy session. Anyway things are going great here exercise wise.

I expect a email back on monday or Tuesday, but im going to do a bit of night fishing tomorrow. So i might be slow, also after i pay it will take a week for them to see the money. I am sure they wont send before that time.

[chiang mai]

I'm tasty in sandwhiches, found in a can and my name rhymes with that used to address the Queen, what am I?

Edited May 8, 2012 by chiang mai