Bite Rite Reader Question: weight loss

I am at about 1,500 calories a day......have 30 pounds to lose......doing Insanity....and I know I am retaining water.....drinking at least 64 ounces a day......I read that it might be b/c I am eating too little and therefore the body is hanging on to whatever........my clothes are looser and all of that but the scale is staying the same.......I have a moderate sodium intake......just wondering if you have any thoughts?

Now, I have never personally done Insanity, but I am well aware of it. I have done P90X and I know that Insanity is more cardio-based. Without knowing other important factors like age, height, weight, etc. it's hard to say if this is an appropriate amount of calories. My first thought, no. The problem with just doing intense cardio while you are cutting calories, trying to lose weight is that you are likely exercising above your anaerobic threshold (AT) this is your sugar burning zone (dipping straight into your glycogen stores). You aren't really burning fat. If you are doing a lot of cardio you are likely very hungry too, so possibly you are eating more than you think. Unless of course you are tracking every little thing that goes into your mouth.

I learned this best when I worked at Life Time Fitness. They have an amazing chart explaining all the details. Every one's AT is different. You have to train your body to burn more fat. Check out the chart {here}.

I do not believe that you are retaining water because you are drinking a lot. Rather, the ratio of macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, fat) is an important factor to consider. When we eat and digest foods it requires calories (the thermic effect of food). Compared to fat and carbohydrate, protein has a higher thermic effect. This means that it takes more calories to burn and digest protein than other foods. Additionally, protein will keep you feeling fuller longer. So, it is important to consume protein at each meal. Consuming about 40% carbohydrate is considered low but may help you jump start weight loss.

Lastly, resistance training (weights) is extremely important to losing weight. Contrary to some, there has been no consistent or specific research stating that certain foods or the timing of eating raises your metabolism. The only thing that can raise your metabolism is muscle mass. It is also important for maintaining bone mass, something that can be lost during intense and persistent cardio training.

I think most people focus on exercise when they want to lose weight. It is important, but the truth is your diet is even more important. I agree with Tosca Reno when it comes to the way your body looks...diet - 80%, exercise - 10%, genes - 10%.

You also never want to consume calories below your resting metabolic rate, which is the amount of calories your body needs just to beat your heart, breath...basically be alive. If you do eat below this number you body can go into starvation mode and therefore impair weight loss.

I would recommend doing insanity just 3 times per week and weights 2-3 times per week. Eat every 3-4 hour combining starches with protein paying attention to hunger. After writing down what you eat. I would recommend following a plan. Perhaps more strict in the beginning to jump start weight loss, followed by an individual plan.