At Jimmy's request, I started this thread to address the topic of fat loss. There seems to be some interest on the board about this topic. So I'll get it going with a little bit about me, my goals, and my motivations, but it would be great if this thread could be devoted to the topic of fat loss and healthy diet, generally rather than a log of our personal fat loss journeys. In the interest of full disclosure, I'll let you know that I stand 5'11" tall and, today, weigh 180 pounds. That puts my BMI at 25.1 and qualifies me as overweight. My waist-to-hips ratio (as described by Maffetone) is .937 (37/39.5), which implies that I am carrying excess belly fat (something I can independently confirm looking in the mirror each morning). I feel that my running performance will improve if I'm more trim (though I did set a half marathon P.R. back in October, 1:31:13), but I also want to improve my day-to-day running experience, general health, and quality of life. I feel that reducing the fat I carry on my frame (and keeping it off) will help me with those goals. My initial, specific goal is to reach a BMI of 22.6 (for me, 162 pounds) by my 39th birthday at the end of May. One significant hurdle I expect to face, however, is the perception of my wife and family. My wife thinks that at less than 170 pounds I start to look "too thin," though I do feel much better when I am lighter than that. (Don't worry, I don't ask for this kind of candor from everyone. I understand that weight's a very personal matter and wouldn't expect anyone to offer up that kind of information.) Importantly, I don't want to lose lean body mass, nor slow down my metabolism, nor try any unorthodox diet plans. What I am looking for is healthy, safe, effective, and permanent fat loss, and I am willing to take my time getting there as long as I continue to make progress. What this means to me is cutting back on empty, junk calories (beer, sweets, processed foods, etc.) and increasing my consumption of low calorie nutrient-dense foods (fresh fruits and vegetables) all while staying within the bounds of a healthy, balanced diet. So let it rip - If you advocate an Ornish (or Atkins) diet, speak up and say why. Likewise if you think someone else has it right, or if you're just sick of the whole fat loss thing or think it's a load of bunk. I definitely hope that the medical professionals here on the board will chime in with their thoughts. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a plate of chili cheese fries waiting for me... (kidding!)

Thanks for the reply. I agree that BMI's not the best metric for body fat, but I don't have easy access to a reliable body fat measuring system. So, for now, I'm using my weight, BMI, waist measurement, and waist-to-hips ratio as a proxy for body fat. Can anyone recommend a good home scale that reliably monitors body composition? I've heard good things about Tanita models but would welcome other recommendations. Maintaining muscle mass is an important priority for me. It's the fat that's gotta go.

Ah...a topic that is near and dear to my heart. While I don't think BMI is anywhere near the end-all, be-all of weight loss, if you see a spare tire in the mirror (or junk in the trunk for us gals) it is certainly a good jumping off point. It would be hard for me to guess what your ideal weight would be based on looks or even numbers. So, if you think 162 is realistic, then go for it. You will know if it isn't working because you will plateau probably closer to that 170ish number. I agree with your idea of simply cleaning up your diet. However, you may be more successful if you keep some of that in, such as having a beer on Friday or a sweet on Sunday, or whatever. When I was on the quest to lose weight, it was helpful for me to start by understanding calories. I needed to know that ideal number for me to take in simply to exist, and then to finally start losing. I don't think there is any need to get obessive in this regard, but knowing that number is so helpful. Then, if you kind of get to know your food, you will figure out quickly if you are overdoing it. Also, of course, the scale won't move as you hope! For about 3 weeks, I tracked my food intake and exercise at FitDay.com. I kept track of my percentages of Fat, Protein, and Carbohydrates that I was taking in. It clearly showed that I was taking in too little protein, and way too much fat. So, from there, I was able to adjust my protein intake, reduce my overall fat, and move the scale. I know this sounds a little nutty, but honestly, we are busy people. I was in the habit of just grabbing food and stuffing. I had no idea that my breakfast was a cookie, my lunch was chips, and my dinner was bread and butter and jam (and plenty of other food in between). I was just too darn busy. So, keeping track helped me see what normal balanced eating felt like. I dropped 20 lbs in about 3 months or so (maybe a little more). Actually, that's why I started running! That was a little over 3 years ago. Running was truly the missing link between getting to a healthy weight and staying there. Since then, I've had a baby, gaining the lowest number of #'s that I've ever gained while pregnant and I have 4 kids. I dropped the weight earlier, and now am at my pre-4 kid weight. I do believe that higher protein, lower carbs, and reasonable good fat is important. Doing low HR, I actually have a hard time keeping weight ON. It's so weird. I'm at the same weight I was before training for the marathon, but I look like I've had liposuction. I've used up the fat stores finally. I'm all for fats though. I think good fats are good for the body and overall diet. Fiber is also very necessary especially as you increase protein. My last tip is simply make sure you are eating enough. You can do this by figuring out how many calories you need as a man, who weighs 180, and runs X amount of miles per week. I don't know how it works for men, but women sometimes go a little overboard thinking less is more. We are athletes now. We have to put fuel in the tank. We have to put enough in it at regular intervals to keep us going. The body will hold onto fat if you aren't eating enough and asking your body to do too much. Also, that number isn't exact. Keeping your body guessing will also make it work. You don't sound like you plan on being strict, but my post may have given the impression that I was or think you should be. It's more of a "knowledge is power" post. If you need to eat 1900 calories per day to lose weight based on your calculations, staying in a "range" vs. strict 1900 might work better. I've rambled on a bit here, feel free to ask me to clarify anything. I'm frequently posting with a kid hanging off me, so I never know if I've left out an important piece of data until someone points it out to me.

sorry for the metrics , I have no idea of what Your units mean at all. Me, 1.74 m , currently around 65 kg, BMI showing around 20. 8 months ago I manage to drop down to 58 kg but decided it was premature, my body was not clean enough to sustain such a low weight, so I decided to fatten up back to continue with detoxing and later to return to tegh weight under 60 kg, I fattened up quickly to 68 kg, that was possibly too much the 10kg gain, now I am about 65kg I do not drink anything alcoholic, nio sweet or sport drinks, no chemicals, no milks, do coffe etc. Just green tea, ocassionaly herbal tea and water. Nutrition is based on vegs, raw and cooked in water. I am now complete vegetarian and near vegan (will never give up honey). I will later explain my view on conection between bodyfat and body toxicity and the use of detox in fat loss

As I said in the other post, my motivation for losing some weight is to run better and just make running a more enjoyable experience. Running down hills, I sometimes feel like a runaway freight train I only have 8 pounds to lose, but that would make a big difference. It is 8 less pounds to carry up hills and 8 less pounds that I need to control going down hills. 8 pounds is what a gallon of milk weighs. It would be nice to not have to take that extra gallon of milk with me on all my runs. The other motivating factor for me is just to improve my times. I read somewhere that for each excess pound of weight we lose, we can gain about 2 second per mile. This seems like a really easy way to gain about 15 seconds per mile for me. The key is that it needs to be excess weight. I know that mine is excess because I just have to look at my belly. I also know it because I was 8 pounds lighter at one time, about 10 years ago, and I felt great. Surprisingly, the running alone is not going to do it. I have to tell myself that it is a lot easier to not eat that piece of cake than to have to run the equivalent of about 40 minutes to offset it's calories. "Run long, run daily, drink little and don't eat like a pig" does sum it all up for me.

Stacy - Thanks for the post. That was great. Motivating and realistic. I've tried the "Daily Plate" web site, and may reactivate my log there. Sometimes though when I count calories I find myself competing with myself to hit a number that's probably too low. I think I know where the "bad stuff" in my diet is (beer, sweets, pizza) so I think I can start making some progress if I can replace the unhealthy food choices with less calorically dense foods. I'm still going to have the occasional beer or slice of 'za, but it's going to need to be more of a treat than a regular event in my life. Congrats on your weight loss. It's inspiring.

Thanks for the link. Simple and free. My favorite. Seems like whether it's completely accurate isn't as important as whether the % the equation yields continues to drop. So it'll be a good way to monitor my progress. For the record, I now clock in at 21.6% fat (71 inches, 16.5 neck, 38 abdomen).

So, on this day November 21st, 2008, my starting point for this "Get The F Out!" phase will be: weight: 172 lbs. (78.18 kilos) waist: 39" % body fat: 26.6% Goal: 10-11% body fat. No weight goal. --Jimmy P.S. If I'm still the same come April, someone please humiliate me.