Losing weight

[zx123]

Hi,
please could somebody advice me the subject of weight loss for men?

In the last couple of months I have lost a lot of weight. I am a man in my 30's and I used to weigh about 11 and a half stone but the last time I weighed I was just under ten stone.

About two months ago I noticed that my weight had gone down to about 10 stone twelve, and since that time my weight has gone down to ten stone five and then ten stone two and yesterday when I weighed I was nine stone twelve.

I have been to see the doctor and the two doctors who I saw didn't seem to be concerned about the amount of weight that I had lost.

Can anybody who knows about weight tell me if this is something I should be concerned about?, And how do I go about putting the weight that I have lost back on? The doctor said I could see a dietician but that there was a waiting list.

Thanks for any advice.

[countrygirl]

My first thought is have you had a thyroid test as weight loss can happen in an overactive thyroid but you would have other symptoms like eating alot, fast heartbeat, shaky etc. Again as you have seen 2 Drs I assume they would have considered this and maybe done blood tests? Its fairly rare in men so often isn't thought about.

Have you increased your exercise or changed your diet to cause this?

Any symptoms other than the weight loss??

[zx123]

Thanks for the reply,
I wasn't worried about this to begin with but as it's gone on I'm becoming more concerned. My doctor did say something about me having a problem with my thyroid, but when I asked the second doctor she said it wasn't enough to be losing weight. I have experienced a big change in lifestyle and eating habits over the last year since I have been attending a university course and living in student accommodation. I used to eat quite a lot , but I haven't been eating so much this last year. As for other symptoms, at the beginning of the year I was experiencing bloating and excessive wind but this seems to have settled down now. I am really trying to think of ways of putting on weight now, over the last week I was trying to eat more but I'm still losing weight.

[Fishmanpa]

Hi Zx,

You said it yourself that your eating habits have changed. Simply put, if you don't take enough calories to maintain your weight, you lose weight. It could be a thyroid thing but as you said, the doctors don't feel that's the case nor are they concerned.

In my experience (I was a PT for a while in my late 30's/40's), the best way to gain "good" weight is by proper nutrition and weight training. You don't have to go crazy over it. Three days a week, alternating body parts.

For example: Monday - Quads, hams, calves and biceps.
Wednesday - Chest, back, shoulders, triceps
Friday - Quads, hams, calves, biceps etc. etc.

Pyramid the lifting. For example: Chest - 12 reps 135lbs, 10 reps 145lbs, 8 reps 155lbs, 6 reps 165lbs and then 12 reps back to 135lbs. Use what ever weight you can complete and feel total burnout by the last few reps and it's totally Ok not to be able to finish. You want to really work the muscle to exhaustion.

The beauty of the workout is you can be in and out of the gym in an hour. The key is intensity. No more than a minute or two between sets.

From a nutritional standpoint, eating 4-6 times a day, small meals (fist size portions) of a good quality protein and a low glycemic carb is ideal. In order to grow lean mass you have to eat!

For example: Meal #1: a protein smoothie (almond milk, a serving of whey protein, fruit and you can add additional supplements like L-Glutamine and BCAA aminos).

Meal #2 - a can of tuna and some wheat crackers
Meal #3 - A chicken breast and a sweet potato...maybe a serving of vegetables.

You see where I'm going with this? This is a pretty common body building and workout regime but with less time involved and easier on the budget concerning food.

One more thing... have a "Free Day" one day a week. This is the day you can eat whatever you want. Be really strict for 6 days and on the 7th, if you want ice cream for breakfast, go for it! Pizza for lunch? sure!... whatever you've craved during the week...

Muscle is denser than fat and the more muscle you build the more weight you gain and it's good weight. Also, the more muscle you have the better your body's metabolism will be. You'll look and feel a heck of a lot better too!

I'm 56 and have been through some serious physical issues but I still lift a couple times a week. It's not as easy as it used to be but I'm all the better for it.

Positive thoughts

[zx123]

Thanks for the advice,
there are some really good ideas there.
I've never been the working out type, but you never know.
I'm definitely thinking about my diet and how I can be more healthy.
I have been thinking about trying some protein smoothies to put on weight,

[Fishmanpa]

Keep in mind that calories alone will just add body fat if you're not exercising. You want to add lean muscle mass.

Good luck and positive thoughts

[christinaperri]

Your body uses food for energy. It stores any excess energy as fat. This means if you eat more food than your body needs for daily activities and cell maintenance, you'll gain weight. For weight loss you have to reduce the amount of calories you eat or increase your levels of activity.


Thanks,
Christinaperri