Every body is different, and every metabolism is different, and the amount of time you need to do a particular exericse before you start killing fat varies from one person to the next. The general figure that I’ve heard for cycling is thirty minutes before you start burning your body fat. Also, of course, it depends on how recently your last meal was and how much you ate.
It’s off topic, but I can let that one just fly by. You do, in fact, need carbohydrates, which provide quickly digested calories, as opposed to protiens and lipids, which require slower, more complex processes to break down and utilize.
The problem in modern society isn’t that we eat carbs, but that the bulk of what we consume are carbs that are not utilized as they would be if you were moving around. It doesn’t help that a lot of the carbs we consume are highly refined and are therefore more quickly absorbed, tricking the pancreas and liver into trying to stabilize the quick burst of sugar and generally playing havoc with the endocrine system. (It is likely that this, moreso than bovine growth hormones and the like, are responsible for the premature sexual development seen in pre- and early adolescents today.) It also doesn’t help that much of the carbs we eat are accompanied by needless fats, salt, and preservatives and emulsifiers that have no nutritional value.
Starving your body of carbs to reduce weight is like swallowing a tapeworm; you digest less calories than you actually consume. It’s not the worst thing you can do (in moderation) but there are healthier ways to lose weight and control your diet.
IMHO, of course.
Stranger
May I respectfully enquire why you need to lose weight this fast, Ink a dink a dink?
On a relatively flat terrain, no traffic or stop lights to deal with, a 27 mile ride on an average road bike (no nobby tires) should take about an hour to an hour and quarter. A little over two hours is a Sunday coast.
As to the OP, the very simple formula that people like to overcomplicate with “this is not healthy” and “that is not safe” is simply this:
Weight loss/gain = Calories in - Calories out
To lose weight you’ve got to burn more than you take in.
People often panic the minute someone suggests missing a meal or two. Yeah, you’ll be hungry. Yeah, it sucks feeling hungry. But unless you’re truly malnurishing yourself… and you’re not if you’re consistantly overweight… then there there is very little risk to your health by skipping a damn meal or two.
Up your caloric expense by increasing aerbic activity and intensity by increasing time/distance. Running is good. Eliptical trainers are also good when set to a higher resistance level. Cycling is also good but generally takes more time unless you can climb a hill for an hour or two.
I’d still do some intense abdominal work because it will help you feel tight and toned around the middle. Push ups, chin ups, dips are good. They’ll help strengthen your core as well. Don’t bother doing weights this week.
You don’t have to do it all at once… but if you can, do it first thing in the morning.
Drink a diet meal repalcement shake for breakfast and lunch. Have a salad (vinegar, lemon, olive oil dressing) and grilled chicken breast/lean steak/lean pork chop (6oz) for dinner. Cut out fruit this week because they contain sugar. Natural sugar and good fiber and nutrients but you said you want maximum weight loss quickly. I’m pretty sure you won’t get scurvy within seven days.
Will the pounds come back once you get off this regimen and increase your food intake? Yeah. But you may also learn that you can be satisfied with less food and that your body is very adaptable and resilient.
Give it a shot. Or you can listen to all the doomsday prophesies that will have you believe that you’ll become bullemic if you so much as consider skipping breakfast.
Losing weight requires a change in eating habits and lifestyle. Losing weight permanently requires a lifetime change.
Ink a dink a dink,
I understand that this is important to you, but the scheduled time by which you’d like to lose the weight is very short indeed. If you’re wanting to go ahead with this plan, the best and healthiest thing to do is talk with a qualified medical professional who can give advice based on knowledge of your current state of health. Soliciting message board advice on a goal like this can prove dangerous.
You’re more than welcome to start another thread discussing why you’d like to lose the weight, but if you do, please don’t ask for advice on how to do it by your given time-frame.
- SkipMagic