Can You Lose Weight Through Bodybuilding?

There has been a lot of speculation and a lot of questions asked by a lot of professionals, dieters, and weight loss advocates on the topic of if you can lose weight through bodybuilding. It is a good question that we should look at because there are a lot of people taking part in bodybuilding. Weightlifting is a topic that coincides with bodybuilding so we will combine the two. The difference is that bodybuilding is normally competitive with other people and competitions. Weightlifting is an activity that Joe at the gym can take part in. Let's take a look at if bodybuilding can help you lose weight or if you should do bodybuilding for weight loss.

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1. Building Muscle
One problem with building muscle while you are losing weight is that the muscle will make the fat on top of it look for pronounced. In other words, you build the muscle and grow the fat. Yes, you can build an intense amount of weight off of getting rid of fat, but in the end muscle weighs more than fat. If you are going to plan on doing bodybuilding for a LONG term then you could lose weight on doing it. If you are going to do it short term, you may find yourself gaining more weight than you wanted to without losing the fat.

2. Range of Motion
If you are adding muscle that will make your fat more pronounced it may become hard to move, even though you ARE building muscle. The muscle it still covered in layers of fat that will hinder your movement. How do you figure out how much fat you have? One way is to flex your whole upper body, including your abs, and push up on your toes, then let yourself fall on your heals. If you do this in front of a mirror you can see which parts jiggle. For me, I have nothing jiggle on the top half of my abs, but the bottom half I have a bit that jiggles. It is sickening and discouraging to see if you are going for weight loss, but can be encouraging to see as you can see where you need to work out to lose the weight.

3. Leanness and Results
If you stick to working out and working out hard in your bodybuilding you can expect to be lean and lose weight. I have seen thousands of stories where people go on bodybuilding programs only to have a lean and yoked up body afterward. The problem is that weight loss this way takes a LOT longer. If you have the patience to wait for that beach body you have always wanted, then bodybuilding is for you.

Many of the professionals, professional trainers, etc., say that you can't lose weight because they are thinking about the discipline that the average person has. The average person may not have enough discipline to do bodybuilding. It takes a strong will and the will of a strong person to do bodybuilding. It takes quite a while to see the results as they are long term investments. Yes, you can definitely lose weight and transform your body into a beach body you can be proud of.

~Obesity Overload

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Facts the Weight Loss Industry Fails to Tell You, Part 3

It has been a pleasure in getting the opportunity to educate you guys about what the weight loss industry doesn't want you to know. Like I said in the first part of our series, I am here to give you guys the facts that you need to make your weight loss more dynamical and to gain an immense amount of credibility. I want the reader to look at my blog and say, "I trust this person to know what he is talking about and that I will share this with my friends." I hate being lied to myself and I know that you guys don't like it either. I won't beg you guys to share these blogs posts, but would appreciate it. What is it about the weight loss industry that makes them think it's alright to lie to us? We will delve off into the third fact that the weight loss industry doesn't tell us.

FACT #3: THE FAT AND CALORIE COUNT ON LABELS ARE WAY OFF

This is a very surprising fact. I mean, it was surprising to me when I heard it. There has been studies which suggest that calories on some of the snacking and chow foods that seem low calorie are, in actuality, 8-10% higher than what the package says. When you go to a restaurant the menus are lying to you! The restaurant menus were shown to be 18% of the calories lower than what they should have been. That means that if you eat a 100 calorie snack, you could be eating 110-118 calories instead. While this doesn't amount to much, it will still add up later on because these calories are unaccounted for. Diets and diet programs run on the fact that they count calories. This is thrown out of the window when you have 18% unaccounted for.

Fat is another topic to talk about. In accordance with the calories, we keep track of fat. If the fat content is 10-18% higher than it should be, we instantly crash through the roof when it comes to fat and caloric content in a day. Fat is a little bit more crucial when it comes to keep track of it because 10-18% could be quite considerable. While it might not be enough for someone to really lose sleep over, it is still a fact that you really can't believe everything you read. Just because the label says one thing doesn't mean that it is gospel. So, what happens to these miscalculated calories and fat? They pack on your belly, legs, arms, face, and body as fat.   

I would suggest that you guys do you research on how many calories are really in what you are eating. Don't trust the labels! The labels were created by humans and humans are not error free. Get a second opinion online or get a book of calories. Just in case you missed them, we have the different parts to the other facts that the weight loss industry won't tell you below that we have already went over. Talk to your nutritionist about whether you should reconsider how many calories and how much fat you are eating. You might be surprised at what you find!

Facts the Weight Loss Industry Fails to Tell You, Part 1

Facts the Weight Loss Industry Fails to Tell You, Part 2

~Obesity Overload 

 

Facts the Weight Loss Industry Fails to Tell You, Part 2

I had introduced that we are doing a series of blog posts committed to telling you the TRUTH about weight loss and the weight loss industry that the weight loss industry doesn't want you to hear about and know. I want to say that I am an advocate, and would be considered a professional at weight loss and dieting. I don't have a degree in physical education, PHD's, or any extensive certifications or degrees, but I have done years of research and experimentation on my own body. All of what I write about I have done or know about. I want to tell you these truths because they are essential for weight loss and you are being lied to. I hate it when big companies and the big shots lie to people. This is coming from a guy in his 20's and has experienced a LOT. Enjoy fact #2 and being informed the proper way!

FACT #2 YOU CAN LOSE WEIGHT ON JUNK FOOD
There was an article that I read about this subject. I have also done this weight loss diet program before myself. The ETL diet that I have written about is kind of like this with the exception that I urge you to eat foods that are good for you instead of junk. The weight loss industry has everyone, "buffaloed" into believing that you HAVE to eat good foods to lose weight. This is just the sheer truth of the matter.

Why isn't it essential to eat well to lose weight? It has to do with the concept that all you have to do is count your calories, eat a lesser amount of calories than what you burn in a day, and work out. It really is that simple! That's what makes the ETL diet stupid easy. Are you someone that has spent a lot of money on dieting supplements, diet foods, etc. while people tell you that, that is the only way to lose weight? If you are, you have been lied to. Keep in mind that I don't say in any of my blog posts that you HAVE to eat well to lose weight.

I went on a fast food/junk food diet before and I actually lost weight! I ate a certain amount of calories, lets just say 2500 calories. I burnt of more, way more calories in a day than that. I was running, playing basketball (physical basketball), frisbee, lifting weights, and on and on. I then tried protein shakes and put on a HUGE amount of muscle on in a matter of three weeks. I found out that when you eat less calories than you burn, whether they are empty (junk) calories, or whether they were good calories, it didn't matter.

Why would the weight loss industry lie this badly to the consumers and people that need to lose weight? It is because they make a TRUCKLOAD of money for you to buy a small box of granola bars that are great for you that cost pennies on the dollars to make. When you pay $30-60 for weight loss supplements, they are making a huge profit. In addition to warning you that junk and cheap food can be food that you eat for weight loss, I would like to add that you lose MORE weight QUICKER and EASIER when you eat good food. You can buy fruits and vegetables that are raw that you get a produce bag and bag yourself for a good price. Yes you have to bag it yourself, yes you have to pay a little bit more, but in the long run you will realize that it is better.    

I am glad that I have a platform to warn and help you guys of the weight loss industry's trick and about weight loss. I urge you guys to share this post with family and friends. They are being lied to as well! How did you feel when you read this for yourself? They feel the same way. Get out and work out while you eat less calories than you burn and lose that weight. We are right around the corner from spring and summer. Let's lose that weight and get a beach body to be proud of!

~Obesity Overload

Facts the Weight Loss Industry Fails to Tell You, Part 1

There are certain facts that have become apparent to me that the weight loss industry fails to tell you. These facts could change the way we look at weight loss. I would like to spend each part of this series explaining one fact at a time to reveal some of the secrets that the weight loss industry doesn't want you to hear. Why am I wanting to tell you these things? I want to tell you and reveal these things to you because I believe in honesty and want to gain credibility as someone that you, the reader looks up to. I want to take care of you, the person trying to lose weight, because I feel that people need to be informed. I think that I have decided on five parts that we will talk about. Let's get to the exposing side of things!

FACT #1: Huge Side Effects to Low Carb Diets 
The fact of the matter is that there are side effects to any diet, not just low carb, but the effects to low carb dieting can be more fatal than others. As with any diet, you should consult your doctor before you take the action of adopting and starting that diet. The problem with low carb diets like the Atkins is that you may have feelings of fogginess in the brain, light headed, body fog, constipation, dehydration, and death.

The feeling of fogginess in the brain and body is caused by the fact that you have lower amounts of carbs in your body. Your body is run primarily from carbohydrates. When you decrease your intake of carbs, your mind may feel like you stare into space, or like your body is in a constant funk that you can't shake. The feeling of being light headed has to do with the intake of carbs as well because lower carbs means lower blood pressure. Lower blood pressure means that it could go too low and then you are stuck with feeling light headed.

Constipation comes into play when you begin to exclude beans, whole grains, legumes, and other foods that contain fiber. Fiber is what pushes your food and stomach matter through your intestines to eventually get rid of it. When you get rid of that, you have blockages in the intestines, or constipation.

Diuretics are common with low carb diets. You may jump for joy when you see that you lost weight when you first weighed yourself while being on the diet. Don't get too excited because it just means that you peed out that weight, not that you burned it off. When you purge the stomach and intestines through diuretics and the like, you lose a lot of weight because water carries more weight than fat does. You get rid of that water and in turn lose weight. It is just the wrong kind of weight.

Death is a side effect that can be caused by any weight loss program or diet. The things to watch out for in low carb diets is dehydration and consuming too low of carbs for your body to function. Dehydration was something huge that I dealt with. I was dieting a while back and I wasn't drinking enough fluids. I was losing weight like crazy, but my blood pressure was DANGEROUSLY low. It was because I was dehydrated. One way to check to see if you are dehydrated is to hold your arm out with the under side up, press your thumb on the underside of your arm firmly, and let go of your thumb after a moment. If your skin color comes back immediately or within a second, then you are hydrated. If it takes a while to come back, then you're dehydrated.

Please take this first fact that the weight loss industry won't tell you to heart. I ask that you share this blog post with your friends that may be in danger of these side effects. Keep going on the weight loss and join us for another fact later on!

~Obesity Overload

Obesity Overload V-log 1

 

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Why Should You Fight Obesity?

The question posed in the title is one that a lot of people ask. An even bigger question would be, "What is obesity?" An even bigger question than even that one would be, "Am I obese?" My question to you is, "Are you obese? Do you realize the severity of obesity? Do you want to change your situation?" If you have asked yourself any of these questions, then this blog post is for you! I know that I have asked these questions of myself.

Several years ago, about five or six in fact, I began to ask myself these questions as my doctor was concerned for my health. I was about 20 or 21 when I figured out that I had high blood pressure. Being a 20 year old guy, this isn't what I wanted to hear! I didn't want to hear the risks of having obesity and about how obesity was KILLING me inside my body. My heart doctor sent me to get an ultrasound of my heart and my kidneys, and to check my legs to see if there was any places my blood was getting stuck or caught. He wanted to make sure that my circulation was good. Being a VERY athletic person, I shrugged the ultrasound off like it was nothing. I did it simply to put my parents' mind at ease.

The fact was that I was a young man that ate terribly, drank the soda, ate the candy, did whatever I wanted to, and did everything that was bad for my diet. I was obese! My heart doctor put me on the Mediterranean Diet and told me to stop eating meat. I was a carnivore! Sometimes we are called to give things up in order to get through to our brains that something is wrong. Obesity is NOT good and WILL kill you if you don't resolve it immediately, if not sooner! Not to worry, we will talk about the risks of obesity, why you should fight it, and how to fight it. Let's begin!

~1. What is Obesity?
Obesity is simply characterized as being grossly overweight or having huge amounts of fat. When I heard these characteristics come out of my doctor's mouth I thought, "How rude!" Obesity is also characterized as having 20% more weight on your body than what is normal. This is calculated through BMI or Body Mass Index. (Check your's here!)

There are many, many ways or reasons that you are obese. These include, not getting enough sleep, eating too many calories, eating high fructose corn syrup, and even having the obesity gene. Obesity is genetic, but we can learn to beat obesity. If your mother, father, grandmother, or grandfather was obese or overweight, you more than likely have the obesity gene. If you burned 100 calories a day more than what you consume, through walking, it would take you 35 days to burn 1 pound of fat. If you did it every day for the whole year you would burn 36,500 calories which equates to a little under 10.5 pounds of body fat. That is just by WALKING to burn 100 calories. 3,500 calories is 1 pound.

My point being that if you sit on your butt and drink 1 can of soda in a day, that soda goes into fat that goes right to your butt or another unfortunately fatty area. Obesity is caused by eating more calories than what you burn off in a day. If you are an office worker that rarely moves, you are in big trouble. If you are a computer major like me, than we are in trouble as well. I will tell you that I am still obese and have been for most of my life and it is a battle, but we CAN beat obesity if we stick with it!

~2. Risks of Obesity
Now that we have looked at what obesity is, let's take a peek at some of the risks of obesity. Here is a somewhat limited and not by any means, exhaustive list of the risks of obesity. The risks are: gallstones, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, triglycerides, stroke, sleep apnea, and coronary heart disease. This is NOT an exhaustive list. These are a FEW of the hundreds of health risks that are involved with obesity and being overweight.  

I was quite frightened by the fact that I may have had some of these because I really didn't feel all that well at the time all of my ultrasounds were going on. I encourage you to heed this small list and to take your obesity seriously. It is only scary if you have no discipline to change yourself and your ways when you know that you are in trouble.

~3. How Do You Fight Obesity?
The risks mentioned above are extremely serious and you are at risk for these diseases and conditions. How are we going to fight obesity? We are going to fight fire with FIRE!

The first way to fight obesity is to get off of your butt and get to exercising. I didn't want to do it either, but I knew I had to! Get up and walk for 30 minutes to start, then the next week do an hour, and then after that jog for 30 minutes...etc. Pick up a new sport to burn the calories. Basketball is good for burning large amounts of calories. Ultimate Frisbee is also good if you can get your friends to be involved or can get some people to throw the disc with you.

The second is to journal what you eat. Journal everything you eat or drink, calorie wise, and cut back the calories. If you are a guy, you should be eating no more than 2,500 calories if you are losing weight, and if you are a gal, you should be eating no more than 1,500 calories if you are trying to lose weight. Women have it harder than men because women do not burn calories as easy as men do. Make those calories count!

The third way to fight obesity is to cut out the junk! Cut out the potato chips, pizza, soda, candy, ice cream, donuts, sugar, and whatever else you have in your diet that is exceedingly high in calories. Drink water instead of soda or something else that is high in sugar. Eat wheat bread instead of white. White bread is enriched with yeast and other enrichment ingredients that make you fat. If you like celery, eat it by the ton. Eating celery keeps you full while virtually having no calories to mention.

Now that we have looked at obesity, the risks, and how to fight it, I STRONGLY urge you to take action against obesity! Get off of that couch, throw the TV remote away, and GET GOING! You may be in danger of stroke, or diabetes and tomorrow might be too little too late. Fight obesity with me as I am with you every step of the way. This is why we fight obesity!

~Obesity Overload       

How Do I Work Out When I'm Hurt?

There are some of us that work out really hard, we are going, burning some good calories, and then we get hurt. How are we supposed to work out when we are hurt? I have recently hurt my shoulder (three or four weeks ago now) and have been rehabbing it back to health. I was doing 100 push-ups and 100 kettle-bell swings in 1 workout before I got hurt. I was really getting results and was slimming good. Then I got hurt while I was playing Ultimate Frisbee. I fell on my head and neck after someone had pushed me. What was I going to do to rehab and recuperate my shoulder? I soon realized that living life and functioning was going to be more difficult than I thought.

1. Start Small, But Start!
I started back after giving my shoulder a week off of any activity with 5 push-ups and 5 kettle-bell swings. I have been working my way up as the weeks have gone by. I am proud to say that after STARTING back again that I am up to 70 push-ups and about 100 kettle-bell swings in 1 workout. I have been going for 4 weeks!

2. Use Your Body Part
I would suggest that you used your body part that is injured. This doesn't mean that you go and run a marathon on a hurt leg. It means that you use it enough to not let it get stiff. I threw thousands of Frisbee's on my retreat that lasted four days and it loosened up my shoulder to strengthen it again. In order for muscles to heal you have to keep breaking them down to grow them back up. Use your body part.

3. Keep the Rest of Your Body Strong
Just because one part of your body is hurt doesn't mean that you have to stop working out the entire body. If your leg is hurt, then work out your upper body and arms. If your arm is hurt, then workout your lower body. Keeping the rest of your body strong will help your weak body part to acclimate quicker and better.

4. Stay Mentally Strong
Keeping your mind mentally strong will help you to overcome your injury however small or big it is. Your mental state is what helps your physical state to operate at peak performance. If your mind isn't in it, then your body won't be either.

5. Rest
Resting is part of the rehab. When you are hurting you can only workout or play so much. Keep it to a low and get some rest while you are hurt. You have to give your body enough time to energize and rehab itself. Take a break and give it some rest. If you want to work out you can still work out, but give yourself an extra day to rest. It will feel uncomfortable when you work out when you are hurt, but you have to work out to an extent.

6. GO OUT AND GET SOME!
Woohoo! That's right! You heard me! The final step after you have rehabbed enough it to GO OUT AND GET SOME! Don't stand idly by and watch the world go around. Go!

I hope that you guys put these practical tips to use as I have personally tried them and have used them for all of my rehabbing  that I've done. (Which is a lot as I get hurt often!;) Best of luck to you guys and your weight loss. Keep working out and shedding that weight off!

~Obesity Overload