I read an interesting study that researched the effectiveness of burning fat stores and calorie expenditure during exercise.
They compared exercising after fasting (ie overnight or at least five hrs since last meal) vs exercising after fuelling (small easily digested fuel source just prior to exercise or regular meal one or two hours prior to exercise).
The results found something surprising.
Men burn more fat and more calories when exercising on an empty stomach with no fuel reserves.
Women burn more fat and more calories when exercising after fuelling.
I tried to find the exact study so I could post the link here but only found some less interesting / less articulate articles referring to the study. The study itself was something I came across on an academic research net when I was studying human biology. It might not be open source.
It was a fascinating study though.
The reasons for the difference were pure speculation, but some of the suggestions were that evolutionarily men are ‘designed’ to be able to hunt and fight for food even / especially when their energy sources are completely depleted.
Women however maybe tend to cling on to some fat reserves for the purposes of breast feeding / child rearing when pregnant. Women also are able to exercise / train harder when they have energy reserves and seem to biologically find it more difficult to tap into fat reserves for emergency energy.
That’s interesting and also makes some sense as womens bodys are different with fat levels etc. I like to cycle on an empty stomach to work (1 hour) but any bigger social rides I will have a healthy breakfast first.
Here’s my latest data; I think I’m a month in now…
First weigh in: 17st 9lbs (247lbs)
Second weigh in: 17st 4lbs (242lbs)
Third weigh in: 16st 12lbs (236lbs)
Fourth weigh in: 16st 9lbs (233lbs)
Today’s weigh in: 16st 6lbs (230lbs)
Another 3lbs lost and that’s a total of 1st 3lbs altogether
I got my new bike on Tuesday and I have rode to work everyday since. It’s 6 miles each way down the canal. The first two days were difficult but now I love it. And if I can keep it up I will save both on my food and my travel
I have come to realise that my savoury cravings come from boredom. I knew that when I was getting my cravings that I wasn’t hungry, but I didn’t know why I was getting them. Now that I spend a chunk of my time cycling each day, I get tired and pretty much fall asleep instantly in the evenings with no cravings. It’s only when I’m lounging around doing nothing that my brains starts yelling “crisps!’ at me.
Overall I’m still enjoying the Huel. Loving the weight loss. I’m now getting to the stage where people are noticing the weight loss (and I know that we all secretly love the compliments even though we shrug it off).
Great progress, really rapid too. Compliments are always great. I forgot to take “before” photos and when I look in the mirror I don’t see any difference from months ago, so when people notice I’ve lost weight it’s mega!
Weighloss IS simple. It’s been completely overcomplicated by industry in an effort to confuse people into buying a product which then makes it simple for them to understand how to lose weight.
I have lost 3.5 stone by keeping consumed calories to a set value and doing regular exercise. Job done. It’s been a lifestyle change for me and one which I have kept.
While weightloss is simple, it’s not necessarily easy. It requires discipline and routine. One will fall off the wagon multiple times along the way but as long as you are taking more steps forward than backward you will get there
Great seeing those lbs melting away isn’t it? I’m having no problems at all maintaining my weight after losing a couple of stone. It really is that straightforward once you put your mind to it.
I shan’t wast time trying to write an excuse. I ordered a pizza this weekend. I ate the lot. It was delicious. I now regret it. However, I want more. But I don’t want to.
It’s happened. Pizza is a cruel mistress. It sounds simple, but I found that just ordering the next size down reduces guilt for me - the calorie difference between a 12" and a 10" (or an XXL and an L) is massive.
@David_J maybe stock up on the ingredients to make your own healthy pizza and keep it for those days when you just really need the carbs and fats (hence the cravings!)
I love pizza and can honestly say that home made is as good as (no better than) ordered in, and it can be really healthy. It’s still calorific, but at least it’s full of whole ingredients and nutrients and is also kinder to your wallet ! (Thinking of the ridiculous cost of ordering a take away pizza is usually enough to help me not do it)
I’m gluten free so I make my own bases, sometimes from huel uu and gluten free flour, then freeze them. But you can buy great quality freshly made pizza bases and freeze them - whichever type is your favourite. Grated cheese can also be frozen.
Tin of tomatoes in the cupboard.
Whatever other toppings you like (for me personally: fresh tomatoes, frozen peppers, frozen grilled vegetables, frozen pineapple chunks).
Dried mixed Italian herbs, frozen garlic and / or fresh coriander seeds or chilli are a must to make it tasty!
It takes literally just a couple of minutes to make it all into a pizza of your perfect combination, 15 minutes in a hot oven even if half the ingredients are still frozen. Faster than a dominoes
Never made one myself but tried gluten free pizzas from supermarkets and not found one I like. I love pizza as well and find it a battle to not get one from my local takeaway I have to keep telling myself it may be gorgeous but I will suffer for it afterwards
@Ian42 have you tried the white rabbit ones? They are tasty. But I like thin and crispy. If you want doughy deep-pan, that’s not really possible without gluten.
I’ve made some using cauliflower flour that were pretty moist and doughy but that was years ago and with the help of a friend and I can’t remember the exact recipe now
I’m having no problems at all maintaining my weight after losing a couple of stone. It really is that straightforward once you put your mind to it.
