Keep hard earned muscle-- lose body fat?

"Without enough carbohydrates to use for energy, your body draws on protein in the muscle for energy. Muscle tissue is lost as a result."

This is why I can't understand the recommendation you frequently see that it is better to workout before breakfast so you will not have much glycogen to burn - wouldn't that cause you to burn muscle rather than fat?

Davida
 
I have always wondered about that too Davida. I personally could never workout before breakfast without completly bonking. It just seems like a really bad idea to try and work with no fuel.
 
I have also wondered about this. In the same book (LEAN BODIES) it also says the following:

"If you do aerobics for 45 to 60 minutes in the morning before your first meal, your body begins burning fatty acids (bodyfat) for energy because there is very little stored carbohydrate (glycogen) in the muscles to supply energy. You become leaner as a result. The carbohydrates you eat throughout the day are used to replenish the muscles with glycogen -- and are not turned into bodyfat. Plus, the 45 to 60-minute aerobic session boosts your metabilosm for the net seven hours. By following these duration/timing guidelines, along with frequent meals, you'll shed bodyfat much faster." Page 25

My understanding, then, is that not having enough carbohydrates as a consistent part of your overall diet program will cause loss of muscle, but doing your workout before a meal is okay as long as you're daily diet always includes enough carbohydrates. That's my take on it.

I always start my day with water, and I do need a little food before I workout, too. I need the energy to have a really good, energetic workout.

I don't mind if it takes a little longer to lose the bodyfat. It's all about the journey, right?:D

Marla G.
 
I definitely prefer to workout after having my morning bowl of cereal. It just seems to give me more energy.
 
Honestly, and maybe this is because working out in the morning for me si NOT an option (I'm a teacher and typically AT work by 7 so I'd have to be up before 5... not happening).... but I think when you workout arguments are as moot as when you eat... eating after 8 before 8 during sunrise when there is a pink elephant in the room... you excersise, you excersise.... you eat you eat... I Don't know that the time of day matters THAT MUCH... maybe slightly... maybe I'll tes the theory this summer, but I just don't see it having that SIGNIFICANT of an impact... now I do believe that you need to consume protein within 90 minutes AFTER lifting weights so your muscles don't eat themselves (that sounds bad.. there is a more scientific name but I can't remember it).:D
 
I have to agree...the timing of all this stuff probably does make a difference, but a slight one at best.
Still, I prefer to workout before I eat...just can't stomach food the minute I get up.
We're all different of course.
Ruth:)
 
I have to chime in here to ask a question. I posted a similar question to this one not too long ago b/c I was building muscle but having trouble losing the fat so that it would show. Lot of people recommended the south beach diet as a great method. After reading these posts I looked into the lean bodies program as well and it seems interesting. What I don't understand is that w/out enough carbohydrates the body will burn muscle first, so how does the south beach diet work to help keep muscle?? It's not as strict as Atkins, but it is, in essence, a lower-carb diet. I'm so confused.x(
 
Smoogy,

I have that God awful question that I always cringe at but this is one time I have to break my own rule and ask just because I want to know something I'm doing is working...

how long before you saw/noticed a difference? I'm not really concerned with seeing something DRASTIC in the 7 weeks like the book says, I just want to see some movement in the right direction, so I know I'm doing the program correctly...

:)
Susan
 
The South Beach Diet (which I am currently hating...er, enjoying:p ) is a great way to lose weight. The main idea seems to be to stop the sugar addiction/insulin reaction thing, which is apparently a signal to the body to hold onto fat.
South Beach is considered healthier than Atkins because after the first two weeks, it is a moderate carb diet as opposed to a low or non carb diet, & also it is moderate to low fat, while Atkins is high fat.
Now I can't tell you how much of my weight loss is fat, but I do know a good bit of it is, because I can tell by the way my body looks. (Been down this road before.) Also, I have upped the cardio I do, and am trying to simply maintain my muscle at this point.
I think SB is supposed to include enough HEALTHY carbs to provide you with energy, as opposed to low carbs. The first two weeks you have absolutely no energy whatsoever, but when you start adding back in the more healthy carbs, the energy starts to pick back up.
Obviously there's a lot I don't know, but you can go to www.southbeachdiet.com & email the doctor...he will answer.
Ruth :)
 
Susan, it's been many years ago so I don't remember specifically but I can tell you it did happen & the results were dramatic. Everyone was amazed including myself was amazed because I was not starving myself. I also have managed to keep my weight off. I'm almost sure it must have been over 3-6 months altogether.

Keep it up. I can promise you if you follow it, you will see the results, barring any thyroid or other metabolic disorder.

Marla
 
Hey Marla!

Thank you for your reply, it was actually perfect. The reason being, you said 3-6 months which is so much easier (believe it or not) then listening to the books 7 week idea... only because if it is only going to take 7 weeks, you think it must be damn dramatic damn fast... but 6 months and I am not looking everyday for some sign of change cause I know it'll be a few months.... make sense?!

Thank you sooooo much for putting my mind at ease!

:)
Susan
 
Hey!

I had to post this because I just asked Marla when I would see a sign...so I just posted this on my other favorite fitness forum and now I had to post here...sorry for the babbling but I'm too excited!!

Sooooo....I just changed to workout on my elliptical machine and do my abs and I looked in the mirror and I saw what seemed to be true curves on the sides of my waist (right below the ribcage). Now I've never had much of a waste (you know true pear/hour glass).... but I've never had CURVES like THAT.... I went running into the kitchen and started screeching at my mom and she looks and goes OH MY GOD!!! Where did THAT come from... and then she goes... wait is that a two-pack??? MY GOD I HAVE A TWO PACK... still some loose skin and I'm no cathe and well my butt is still snacking behind my back because I can't fit into my jeans for NOTHING...... BUT BUT I think the lean bodies thing must be working in a big way because.... MY GOD my abs are kicking in... HA! Maybe its working down... shoulders....abs.... then the butt?? Especially now that my diet is back in order!

Sorry didn't mean to brag but I ahd to share....
 
I have to say, all this talk about "Lean Bodies"....I ordered the book from half.com last week! I can't wait to get it, but it is being shipped via media mail so hopefully before Christmas!!!

I have been following "the Zone" for the past few months and I really like it! I have noticed a big difference in my muscle tone. I'm not getting bulky but more cut. I am a lot more flexible and my workouts go a lot better.

The zone isn't "low anything" diet...except for the bad carbs. Those you use sparingly. The rest is good fats (nuts, olive oil, etc.), good protein (chicken, fish, cheese, yogurt, low fat red meats), and good carbs (fruits and veggies).

It has a ton of other advantages too! My TOM use to come 6-8 times a month but the second I started the zone, it was normal, and only once a month. No zits, sleeping better at night, the list goes on...
 
Wow sounds like the zone is working for you ... may not want to fix what isn't broken! :) It sounds alot like LB but I can't have red meat for the first 7 weeks then I can 1-2 times a week... :)

Thanks Marla for the support oh and by the way --- that furnace thing at night?? I've woken up three nights in a row now feeling warm and then falling back to sleep-- either it is the power of suggestion or my body is falling into rhthym with the program..

OH and speaking of yogart-- my new favorite snack is 1/2 cup of non-fat plain yogart with 1/2 cup of nuked frozen berries and 2 packets of splenda.... yum yum :)
 
I am curious how LB is working for all of you ? I am about to buy the book for hopefully some helpful insight. Does it have you following a certain diet plan ? Are you seeing good results ?
Thanks!

Laura =)
251.5/135.2/141
Here is a link to my before & after photo's
http://www.picturetrail.com/gyggles1
 
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