On this site, you wil find excellent strategies for weight loss. Whilst exercise and food choices are essential components of not only weight loss, but healthy living, the reality is that to be successful at weight management, you need to understand the spiritual and social aspects of food, its role in emotions, social interaction. You also need to accept the reality that as an overweight person, you have a role to play in other peoples lives.

 

To put it bluntly the people around you have  an investment in your obesity, It could be that you are the fat friend they go boozing or eating with: the opportunity or excuse to feed themselves ( they can buy you chocolate and nick a bit): perhaps you are the jolly fat person who everyone can unload on. For others, although they may be a bit overweight , they "aren't as fat as you".

One of the truths of our society is that most of us are emotional cripples. We disguise what we mean, we run from emotions  and avoid emotionality in others.  Many people use food as a compensatory strategy: 

Its a big Muddle, which is why you need Andrew Stemler.

I have travelled  extensively to review different weight loss protocols. At the  moment ( in my opinion)  successful schemes are not necessarily based on superior  strategies, food choices, metabolic actions and unique exercises: they are based purely on whether you are prepared to actually lose weight.

 

so, here is the 1st Andrew Stemler weight loss secret I call it

I am willing....

 Here are some thought provoking questions:  Do these statements reflect you, or do you have a big list of things you wont give up, or things you wont do?

 

 I am ready to eat differently even if it unsets those closest to me or causes conflict,

I am ready to throw away clothes that are too big for me

I am ready to give up any friends who do not  support me and who may wish to sabotage my weight management of efforts.

I am ready to  look at my behaviour honestly and answer to myself and other significant people in my life about my problems. 

I am willing to confront myself and others honestly about how sabotage myself or allow my self to be sabotaged. 

I am willing to make my health and the control of my weight my top priority.

I am willing to tell myself the truth

I am willing to change whatever I need to in order to have a healthy weight.


As this page expands, im going to divide strategies into 2 types: Guaranteed to work with a history of success, my clinical experience and sport science back up ( if possible). Ill be very original and have the  heading "guaranteed to work" . My second category will be called "interesting but erratic results" my 3rd will be " So New Im not sure"

Guaranteed To work 

10000 steps a day. Yep, thats 10 thousand steps every day . Go and buy a cheap pedometer, put it on your hip, and record how many steps you take each day. This is your baseline of daily activity. Any gym work or running around is training and is extra . This is the minimum amount of movement you do to keep ticking over.

Frequently I see people work quite hard in the gym for an hour, but are totally sedentary for the rest of the time. The gym session barely compensates for their lack of day today movement.

I aslo see many sports people, who apart from the weekly football match, are to all intents and purposes, sedentary.  So,  put that pedometer on and review your daily count.

Lifestyle Index

Sedentary

Low Active

Somewhat Active

Highly Active

Steps/day*

<5000

5000 - 7500

7500 - 10,000

>10,000
But dont worry! slowly build up your activity level if you find yourself in the sedentary box! Get active at work

for some science, look at

"Effects of a 10,000 steps per day goal in overweight adults" by Schneider et al (Am J Health Promot. 2006 Nov-Dec;21(2):85-9.)

 

Drink Water.

Fitness instructors have always mentioned drinking water, but here is the reason: 1) Many people who  start restricting food often get headaches: thats probably lack of water , but 2) especially if the water is cold, the body has to expend energy dealing with the substance: However  when tested only 30% of the work the body has to do to water is due to raising the temperature of the water. the rest is the fact that it has to pack the water away. There are lots of mini bodily reactions as the body gets the water from your gut, into your blood stream and into the tissues. As water has no calories, that a mini workout every time you drink. The suggestion is to  drink a glass in a sitting: ie get a glass and drink it down in 2 or 3 (4/5) mouthfuls. The current recommendations are about 6 to 7 glasses a day. If its to much to drink in bigger gulps, sipping will do.

The pressor response to water drinking in humans : a sympathetic reflex? Jordan J, et al, 

 Circulation. 2000 Feb 8;101(5):504-9.

 

Do Not Drink calories

Calories slide into your body in liquid form really easily , cut out sugar in coffee, tea etc. fizzy drinks, even those calorie free fizzy drinks send your body the message that a sugar treat is on its way.

 

FISH OIL

 

If you are an overweight mouse who wants to get fatter, cut down on your omega 3's and stuff in some omega 6's instead, and over 3 generations watch your obesity and organ damage escalate.

If you are a  human this now means that Eating Omega 3, and fish oils in particular,  really are good for you. As this article gets technical, here is an executive summary.........

If you combine 4 to 6g's of fish oil a day with exercise, you will loose weight and improve your health

However, it seems that one or the other isn't an option. You have to do both.

This Study 

Flachs P, Rossmeisl M, Bryhn M, Kopecky J. Cellular and molecular effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on adipose tissue biology and metabolism. Clin Sci (Lond). 2009 Jan;116(1):1-16.

Found that

"LC-PUFAs (long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids) of the n-3 series, namely DHA (docosahexaenoic acid; C(22:6n-3)) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid; C(20:5n-3)), exert numerous beneficial effects, such as improvements in lipid metabolism and prevention of obesity and diabetes, which partially result from the metabolic action of n-3 LC-PUFAs in adipose tissue". 

This study Hanbauer I, Rivero-Covelo I, Maloku E, Baca A, Hu Q, Hibbeln JR, Davis JM. The Decrease of n-3 Fatty Acid Energy Percentage in an Equicaloric Diet Fed to B6C3Fe Mice for Three Generations Elicits Obesity. Cardiovasc Psychiatry Neurol. 2009;2009:867041.

Found that

Reducing omega 3, and increasing omega 6, ruins the day of most mice.

 

Hill A, Buckley J, Murphy K, Howe P. NUTRITIONAL STATUS, DIETARY INTAKE, AND BODY COMPOSITION: Combining fish-oil supplements with regular aerobic exercise improves body composition and cardiovascular disease risk factors Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 2007; 85: 1267 - 1274.

Found that that both Fish Oil  supplementation (6g a day 260 mg DHA and 60 mg  (EPA) in each 1-g capsule) and regular exercise significantly reduced body fat, which indicates the potential benefit of a combined treatment strategy for optimizing body composition.

 

This study 

Mori TA, Bao DQ, Burke V, Puddey IB, Watts GF, Beilin LJ. Dietary fish as a major component of a weight-loss diet: effect on serum lipids, glucose, and insulin metabolism in overweight hypertensive subjects. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 Nov;70(5):817-25.

Found that with a Dose  of 3.65 g n-3 fatty acids) Fasting triacylglycerols fell significantly with fish Oil  consumption (29%) and weight loss (26%). 

So, its Fish oil  ( 4 to 6g) AND exercise. 

FIBRE:

To this day, the only popular diet with "legs on" is the high fibre diet.1 Most nutritionalists suggest 18-30g per day, but if you suffer from constipation, you can afford to go higher than that with no ill-effects. 

Nuts, seeds, vegetables, and fruit ( it is true there is fibre in bread  , but see my article about the uses and abuses of bread) It may be worthwhile considering Oats and Bran and Psyllium husks

 

It probably works  in the area of  food intake control. Inclusion of fiber in the diet promotes satiation and prolongs satiety, aids in long-term compliance to low energy diets, and encourages "healthy" food choices and eating habits.  There is an interesting paper available on the internet  "DIETARY FIBER AND ENERGY REGULATION" by Britt Burton-Freeman

Increase protein intake to 30 (plus) % (of calories consumed)

 

 

 There is  evidence that an increased dietary protein  may support the loss of body fat and  reduce the loss of lean body mass in obese subjects during weight loss from a negative energy balance. As always,  the combination of protein and exercise  seems to be particularly efficient.

it may work because

How protein may assist weight loss

Elevated dietary protein may influence weight loss in a number of ways.

• Satiety. Protein has of a  sustained satiating effect, i.e. it causes one to feel more satisfied with a meal. 

• Resting metabolic rate: The RMR may drop with energy restriction which may compromise weight loss targets.  Increased protein may attenuate declines in RMR during weight loss.

• Thermic effect of food: Metabolism is increased and more metabolic heat is produced after a meal. This TEF (thermic effect of feeding)  amounts to about 10% of the daily energy intake.  ( It produces more heat that carbs and fat, which means that less calories are available than other sources)

 

 

Layman DK, Boileau RA, Erickson DJ et al. A reduced ratio of dietary carbohydrate to protein improves body composition and blood lipid profiles during weight loss in adult women. J Nutr 2003;133:411-7.

Meckling KA, Sherfey R. A randomized trial of a hypocaloric high-protein diet, with and without exercise, on weight loss, fitness, and markers of the Metabolic Syndrome in overweight and obese women. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 2007;32:743-52.

Layman DK, Evans E, Baum JI, Seyler J, Erickson DJ, Boileau RA. Dietary protein and exercise have additive effects on body composition during weight loss in adult women. J Nutr 2005;135:1903-10.

 

MICROACTIVITY.

There is an interesting book called  "Obesity, Your questions answered" by Campbell and Haslam.  On page 110 they discuss micro-activity, and as silly as it sounds, it does make sense.  Basically, can you increase you activity on a trivial basis. Do you stand up when you anser the phone. Do you fidget, if waiting for  a train do you walk up and down the plaform: ditch the remote control ( or but it by the TV so you have to get up). Anything other than sitting down doing nothing.

 

SLEEP.

 

Harvard came to our rescue and really established that a lack of sleep makes you put on weight

"Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite." 

Shoot for 8 hours a day .

 

SEX

Regular nice sex 

An orgasm can take up to 200 calories. More for a really good faked one 


Weightwatchers:

Im not a fan, but its been going a long time, and if you need support, it has a good support structure. It recently revamped  

 

  

Interesting but erratic results 

 

Thermal Loading

 I love this : the idea that if you are colder your body works harder to keep warm, so turn the temperature down on your central heating, take cooler showers, get used to wearing less clothing .

Ive have seen 2 guys love this, and 3 women get so depressed they reached for the cake tin as they were miserable and cold.

 My good Ray Cronise , does  a lot of work in this area, so you may want to check his blog out at thermogenix.

 

Tap water is contaminated:

This is  a persistent internet rumour that suggests you are overweight because there is too much estrogen in your water . Im yet to track any evidence down. I think we all know our water must have stuff in it. I suppose, if you can afford to drink bottled water, its probably less of  a risk.', but my gut instinct is this is really on the margins.

Types of water: Reverse osmosis infrared water 


Citation: Nkondjock A (2011) Reverse Osmosis Infrared Filtered Water Consumption Induces Weight Loss. J Obes Weig los Ther 1:102. doi:10.4172/ jowt.1000102

 

Apparently,  if you use reverse osmosis infrared filtered water you will loose more weight. The problem with the study is that they didnt compare diet plus exercise plus ROIFW, with diet exercise and normal water, but with just diet and exercise. As we know  water effects weight loss, im not sure this report proves this is better than just normal water

 

FASTING ( By my Good friend Phillip Rolling)

- Alternate Day Fasting as recommended by Eat Stop Eat. 24 hours without food but properly hydrating.

- 16 hour fasting/ 8 hour feasting window recommended over on Lean Gains.com

- 20 hour fasting/4 hour feasting window recommended by "The Warrior Diet"

Clients and I have also tested and applied Alternate Day Fasts, 16 hour fasting/8 hours feeding  and came up with the "Sleep over Food" rule.

 Basic fasting guidelines:

- Fasting means "no food", not "nothing". Have plenty of water during your day. Coffee and tea are fine but don't be a wuss and lace it with sugar, cream and god knows what. Man up and drink it straight. *COUGH Andrew COUGH* :P

- Stay busy. As Kate mentioned, nothing sucks worse than being at home with a fridge full of food and nothing to do but think about it. The way the Western world experiences hunger is like a paper cut. Its sting is disproportionate to its physical impact. If you have something to keep you busy, you'll forget about it.

- Be smart. If you've never fasted before, don't think that it's a good idea to skip breakfast before a big presentation at work. Also keep in mind, in fasting as in Crossfit, don't make the mistake of thinking that "more" = "better".

- Get off the sugar. Seriously. If you need a cookie every 3 hours to maintain blood sugar lest you kill someone, fasting 12 hours is going to feel like quitting smoking. Fasting gets much easier when your insulin isn't all over the place. Go low carb for two weeks before you start fasting and you'll make the transition easier.

Off to the protocols

Alternate day fasts:

Applicability: High

Sustainability: High

Difficulty: Low

What is it? Once a week, go 24 hours without food. You stop eating at 2pm one day, and you start eating again at 2pm the next day.

Reflections: There's an adjustment period. For me, the problem wasn't so much hunger, it was realizing how much external cues had an impact on me. I wasn't hunger per say, but I was so used to eating at set times that at first it felt uncomfortable. It got easier and easier to do when I tried it over a few weeks. On the plus side, it's easy to try, gives you all the benefits of fasting without the guess-work. This makes it a great starting point for beginners. It's also useful for more advanced crossfitters who may have over indulged in slightly too much cake on a cheat day and need to recover from insulin that's all over the place.

 Lean Gains:

Applicability: Low to Medium

Sustainability: Low to Medium

Difficulty: Medium

What is it? Split every day into a 16 hour fasting window and a 8 hour feeding window, structured around when you workout.

Reflections: This fasting protocol was popularized by LeanGains.com and produces some impressive results. If your life has a firm routine, it's easy to apply. Too much variation in routine and it becomes problematic because of the importance of workout and meal timing in relation to total food intake and fasting window. If you can apply it, it works well for fat loss, and the supplementation recommendations help workout performance once you get used to it. It's important to note that while the protocol does work when applied to crossfitters, for best results, you have to follow a strength routine on specific days.

 The Warrior Diet

Applicability: Low

Sustainability: Low

Difficulty: High

What is it? The Warrior diet recommends limiting your daily feeding window to 4 hours. The book does suggest that hunger pangs can be off set with small servings of fruit or vegetables during the day, however caloric intake during a fasting period reduces the effects of the fast.  This method was possible as long as food intake during the feeding window was massive. However trying to apply it everyday becomes a problem, I became preoccupied with what time my feeding window fell in my day in relation to my last workout and my next workout. My preoccupation with food also rose considerably, as I became acutely aware anytime anyone was eating near me. While having one very large meal at the end of the day or right after a workout can be very satisfying this isn't a practical protocol for day to day eating.

Considering the level of difficulty when compared to Alternate Day Fasts, I wouldn't recommend this.

The "Sleep over Food" Rule

 The "Sleep over Food" rule isn't a specific fasting protocol, it's the idea that missing sleep is worse for mental/physical performance than missing a meal and prioritizing sleep. The meal you missed gets added to the next day's food intake. I explained it a bit over here. The result is an unstructured fasting program, which works well if you're already comfortable with fasting.

 Thoughts on the protocols

Of the protocols I tested, the Alternate Day Fasts and the Lean Gains method were the best. While I currently don't stick to the lean gains method meticulously, the principles behind it are sound and I tend to follow the suggested meal timing, supplementation pre-workout and macronutrient cycling. I tighten my adherence if I need to shed some fat, but once I drop enough it allows me to stay at low body fat without a substantial amount of effort.

I also use the Alternate Fast Day protocol regularly if I'm not training as heavily as I'd like, or to recover from eating like garbage *COUGH chocolate cake COUGH* to get my insulin levels back on track.

For an excellent review of the most popular protocols with accurate measurements and tips for how to begin fasting, check out this PDF from Precision Nutrition.

 

Hypnosis: Im still crunching through the results, but here are some interesting references. I suppose you need to be "into" stuff like this for it to work.

  Bolocofsky, DN, D. Spinler and L. Coulthard-Morris. Effectiveness of hypnosis as an adjunct to behavioural weight management.  (Jan 1985) Journal of Clinical Psychology. 41(1), 35-41.

 Hitt, Bianca. Weight Loss Through Hypnosis.(2011) Retrieved from Vanderbilt University Psychology Department at: www.vanderbilt.edu/ans/psychology/health_psychology/hypnosis.htm.

Kirsch, L. Hypnotic enhancement of cognitive-behavioral weight loss treatments. Antoerh meta-reanalysis.  Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 64, 517-519.

 

 

 

SO NEW THAT I'M NOT SURE

Coolsculpting by Zeltiq 

 based on the trademarked process called Cryolipolysis, the  idea that cooling of adipose tissue  can induce lipolysis. Cooled cells undergo apoptosis  (controlled cell death)

Some interesting studies are quoted here and consist of a limited review of the following studies:

Selective Cryolysis: A Novel Method of Non-Invasive Fat Removal

Cryolipolysis for Noninvasive Fat Cell Destruction: Initial Results from a Pig Model

A Prospective Clinical Study of Noninvasive Cryolipolysis for Subcutaneous Fat Layer Reduction

Efficacy and Neurological Effects of Noninvasive Cryolipolysis in Humans"

 

So Weird that Im suspicious.

HCG 

I was forwarded a series of blogs that claimed "

human chorionic gonadotropin" releases fat in pregnant women, therefore  if you took some you would loose weight : Buckets of it apparently .   To be honest I'd never heard of the drug before so I had to look it up on wikipedia who said "
 As of December 6, 2011, the FDA has prohibited the sale of "homeopathic" and OTC hCG diet products and declared them fraudulent and illegal"  the support for this is 

 

 HCG Diet Products Are Illegal".

 

 

INTERESTING SCIENTIFIC GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

 

 According to  "Prevalence of Obesity and Trends in the Distribution of Body Mass Index Among US Adults, 1999-2010"  accessed at JAMA

  1. Katherine M. Flegal,et al
 Conclusion In 2009-2010, the prevalence of obesity was 35.5% among adult men and 35.8% among adult women, with no significant change compared with 2003-2008. 

 

 

 


 What should you do now

1) Buy the "Elite Fitness Guide" at our shop £12.99

2)   Book onto our Beginners course

3)  Book a place on the i-course

4)  Email Andrew@crossfitlondonuk.com for a personal training session

If you want to learn how to olympic lift, ring train, deadlift, squat, loose weight, get faster, improve your blood pressure, change your body composition,  learn proper dietary principles, master cool gymnastics moves and earn yourself a fit and healthy future


Current Research: I may park reference lists here that i need to  review at a later date, so I wouldn't necessarily bother reading any further .