Isn’t Weight Loss the Opposite of Weight Gain?

The only way to gain weight is to EAT BIG!

If you go to the diet book section of your local book store you’ll find dozens of books with their specific theory on how to lose weight. You’ll find explanation about blood type, parasites, ‘toxins’ (this one drives me nuts…well they all do, but especially this one), glycemic index, hormones, broken metabolism, and all kinds of genetic issues and bad food choices.

So here is an experiment you can do to prove to yourself that weight gain and weight loss is simply calories in vs calories out, and all of this other stuff is meaningless.

If I want you to gain 5 pounds over the next 10 days how would you do it?

Would you?

1) Carefully read through the blood type diet book and eat any of the three blood type diets that weren’t outlined for your type?

2) Read through the book about toxins and parasites and try to get as many parasite infections as possible and fill your body with ‘toxins’ (which by they way they never explain what the eff a toxin is)

3) Try to eat in a specific pattern that wasn’t ‘favorable’ for your fat burning hormones?

4) Try to actually ‘damage’ your metabolism so you were stuck in a mode of storing fat (I can’t even imagine what this would be or how it would be possible)

ORRRRR

5) Would you just eat as much food as possible every day until you gained the requisite 5lbs?

If you answered anything besides 5 please leave this blog and never return, because it’s clear you’ve lost your mind and long since lost your grip on reality.

John

Posted by johnbarban in fitness, Weight Loss
Tags: gaining weight, losing weight, weight gain, Weight Loss |16 Comments

16 Responses to “Isn’t Weight Loss the Opposite of Weight Gain?”

  1. Jordan D. Says:
    August 12th, 2010 at 11:56 am

    Lots of milkshakes. :-)

  2. volwalker Says:
    August 12th, 2010 at 12:46 pm

    Simple question: If i need to eat 2000 (BMR) cal a day to lose weight, with ESE, do i still need to consume 2000 after the fast for that day or much less? I am afraid that I am not understanding what i need to do after the fast. Can someone clear this up for me. Thanks!

  3. volwalker Says:
    August 12th, 2010 at 12:50 pm

    By the way, does anybody know a “legit” website where i can calculate my BMR or another way i can get this calculation? Thanks!

  4. volwalker Says:
    August 12th, 2010 at 1:44 pm

    I just found out that my BMR is 2300 calories. How do I incorporate Eat Stop Eat with my BMR?

  5. johnbarban Says:
    August 12th, 2010 at 2:26 pm

    VW,

    How tall are you?

    The point of ESE is to eat at BMR each day and then cut a few meals out with ESE. This means the two days that the fast starts and ends on will end up being about 1000 calories each day for you.

    JB

  6. usernametooshortnowitstoolon Says:
    August 12th, 2010 at 3:05 pm

    “If you answered anything besides 5 please leave this blog and never return, because it’s clear you’ve lost your mind and long since lost your grip on reality.”

    I seriously can’t stop laughing!

    Also, are we allowed to say bad words on your site, JB? What the eff? lol

  7. volwalker Says:
    August 12th, 2010 at 3:12 pm

    i AM 5’10″ and thanks for your answer. I understand now.

  8. usernametooshortnowitstoolon Says:
    August 12th, 2010 at 3:26 pm

    volwalker, most online calculators overestimate your BMR/RMR.

    I’m not even sure if it’s possible to accurately calculate your BMR/RMR without a laboratory setting, but for losing weight, you don’t need to be exact. As long as you are in the ballpark range, you will lose fat.

    Based on the ESE material I have, at 5’10″, Brad Pilon recommends eating no more than 2410 calories on your eating days and fasting twice a week. That will get you in that ballpark range.

    If JB or someone knows of a more accurate way to estimate our BMR/RMR, I would love to hear about as it would make eating at closer to maintenance less of a guessing game.

  9. clementinho Says:
    August 13th, 2010 at 10:51 am

    I would also like some guidelines about BMR calculations, please. I’ve just shot for bodyweight x 8-12 to lose weight and X 15 for maintenance. Rough numbers, though. At 170cm and a weight of about 128Ibs I eat about 1200kcal a day and follow leangains IF. ESE is added in if I feel that I’m losing control over my food obsession or if I eat Macs for the day.

  10. volwalker Says:
    August 13th, 2010 at 1:43 pm

    This question is for everybody:

    Do most people plan their fasts around “the splurges” or are do you plan them on normal days (typically during the week)?

    I find that if i plan two fasts on normal days (during the week) then i accidently get caught on the weekend with a splurge and feel the need to put in a third fast just to make up the difference. Thanks!

  11. MomOfTwo Says:
    August 13th, 2010 at 2:38 pm

    Hi folks – I decided to chime in on the last comment by VW. I have been actively practicing an ESE lifestyle since March and I find the most success I have is routine. I tend to couple my fasting days with the same routine as each week before… I fast on T/Th and every other Sat based on my kids school schedule, my work out schedule and my p/t job schedule. It helps me plan weekly meals, activities and it helps me mentally prepare for the fasting day(s) knowing that I won’t be participating in any of the meals that day even though I am the main “chef” in our home. I also tend to fast when my children are not home so that I don’t have to opt out of too many family meals as this is family time in our home when we are together. So to somewhat answer VW’s query – planning fasting based on splurges isn’t necessary – try planning fasting just like you plan your weekly grocery shop or weekly gym days, etc. its just something you slot into your week.

  12. volwalker Says:
    August 13th, 2010 at 2:58 pm

    I must be missing something. I thought that with ESE you did not have to keep up with calories. It seems to me that you can’t have one without the other. That is the reason i chose ESE, so i would not have to count calories.

    John, from what I have read you do use ESE “AND” count calories. In all truth, do I have to do both? If so than what’s the point of using ESE when I can just count calories? Can someone explain this to me?

  13. johnbarban Says:
    August 13th, 2010 at 3:13 pm

    VW,

    On ESE if you simply do your fasts and don’t overcompensate with a big meal before or after then you shouldn’t necessarily have to pay attention to calories. BUT if you find that you’re eating more on your ‘eat’ days then you do need to be a aware of calories.

    In general many Eat Stop Eaters don’t have to pay much attention to calories because they don’t over compensate. BUT if you think you’re prone to over compensating then you’ll need to pay attention to calories.

    When it’s all said and done it’s still a calorie balance, ESE is just one way to cut down on calories.

    JB

  14. volwalker Says:
    August 13th, 2010 at 3:34 pm

    I guess the sure-fire way to make ESE work is to never compensate AND never stuff youself at anyone meal.

  15. mrlanda Says:
    August 14th, 2010 at 1:03 pm

    VW and momoftwo, you should fast whenever is comfortable for you. You should work your diet around your life not your life around your diet. If you like eating with your family and friends, then simply fast on the days they will around. When I go outwith my friends, there’s all kinds of foods and drinks, so I simply fast someday before, keep my calorie low( eat very little) some other day and fast the day after all the non-stop-eatting-madness. That way I still have a great time and lose weight!!

  16. Norwegianette Says:
    August 18th, 2010 at 8:34 am

    Between the picture and the closing comment this is the best blog post so far. Kudos.

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