How to Lose Weight: Best Foods & Common Food Myths

Maxine wrote in and said, “While it’s great that you lost 78 pound’s, you have to understand that starving yourself can have serious health threats. You have to understand that a woman’s hormone’s also make it very hard to lose weight in comparison to men.”

I agree with the starving yourself part Maxine, but I don’t starve myself, I just eat between 75% to 80% of the calories my body requires to maintain my optimum weight. Your body only goes into starvation mode if you eat less than 55% of your required calorie intake. In a previous article I covered how to calculate that number, but I’ll do it again here.

Here is a link to my Diet Nutritional Plan, it includes:

• My history of dieting
• The plan that works
• How the plan works
• A 7 day meal plan with recipes

How to Calculate Frame Size

You are going to want to know what size frame you have. Take your arm and project it away from you and then bend your palm towards your body. There are to bones that lay above your elbow, toward your bicep, that will protrude the most. Measure roughly the distance between the tips of those two bones. Using the chart below, you’ll see what type of frame you have.

Men Elbow Measurements to Calculate Frame Size

Men ( Medium Build )	Elbow Measurement
5’2″ – 5’3″	2-1/2″ to 2-7/8″
5’4″ – 5’7″	2-5/8″ to 2-7/8″
5’8″ – 5’11″	2-3/4″ to 3″
6’0″ – 6’3″	2-3/4″ to 3-1/8″

Women Elbow Measurements to Calculate Frame Size

Woman ( Medium Build )	Elbow Measurement
4’10″-4’11″	2-1/4″ to 2-1/2″
5’0″ – 5’3″	2-1/4″ to 2-1/2″
5’4″ – 5’7″	2-3/8″ to 2-5/8″
5/8″ – 5’11″	2-3/8″ to 2-5/8″

If the measurement is shorter than shown in the chart, you have a small frame. If larger, you have a large frame. Now we are going to find your required calories to maintain your current weight.

Required Calorie’s to Maintain Current Weight

Ideal Weight vs. Height	Small Frame	Medium Frame	Large Frame	Required Calories	Required Calories	Minimum Calories
Women
4’ 10”	102-111	109-121	118-131	1260	1420	670
4’ 11”	103-113	111-123	120-134	1280	1450	682.5
5’ 00”	104-115	113-126	122-137	1310	1490	700
5’ 01”	106-118	115-129	125-140	1340	1520	715
5’ 02”	108-121	118-132	128-143	1370	1560	732.5
5’ 03”	111-124	121-135	131-147	1400	1600	750
5’ 04”	114-127	124-138	134-151	1440	1640	770
5’ 05”	117-130	127-141	137-155	1470	1680	787.5
5’ 06”	120-133	130-144	140-159	1510	1720	807.5
5’ 07”	123-136	133-147	143-163	1540	1760	825
5’ 08”	126-139	136-150	146-167	1580	1800	845
5’ 09”	129-142	139-153	149-170	1610	1840	862.5
5’ 10”	132-145	142-156	152-173	1650	1870	880
5’ 11”	135-148	145-159	155-176	1680	1910	897.5
6’ 00”	138-151	148-162	158-179	1710	1950	915

Ideal Weight vs. Height	Small Frame	Medium Frame	Large Frame	Required Calories	Required Calories	Minimum Calories
Men
5’ 02”	128-134	131-141	138-150	1670	1790	865
5’ 03”	130-136	133-143	140-153	1700	1830	882.5
5’ 04”	132-138	135-145	142-156	1730	1860	897.5
5’ 05”	134-140	137-148	144-160	1760	1910	917.5
5’ 06”	136-142	139-151	146-164	1790	1950	935
5’ 07”	138-145	142-154	149-168	1820	1990	952.5
5’ 08”	140-148	145-157	152-172	1850	2030	970
5’ 09”	142-151	148-160	155-176	1880	2070	987.5
5’ 10”	144-154	151-163	158-180	1910	2110	1005
5’ 11”	146-157	154-166	161-184	1940	2150	1022.5
6’ 00”	149-160	157-170	164-188	1980	2190	1042.5
6’ 01”	152-164	160-174	168-192	2010	2230	1060
6’ 02”	155-168	164-178	172-197	2050	2280	1082.5
6’ 03”	158-172	167-182	176-202	2090	2330	1105
6’ 04”	162-176	171-187	181-207	2130	2380	1127.5

These charts are taken from an insurance under writing company. I find them to be very reliable, so now you know exactly how many calorie’s to eat every day. You also know your ideal weight, based off of height and frame size.

Is it Harder for Women to Lose Weight?

I’m constantly sent email’s telling me that it is harder for women to lose weight. You are right, in the short term. Numerous research studies back up these belief’s. Here is what the research found:

• Men see an almost instant metabolism increase from exercise
• A woman’s body goes into starvation mode during the first two week’s (on average) of increased level’s of exercise.
• Women also tend to have less muscle than men, and since muscle burns more calories than any other type of tissue, the more muscle the better.
• Women do burn fat easier, after the first 2 to 3 week’s

That is every way that women and men differ in regards to weight loss! There is no research that states women lose weight slower based off of decreased calorie intake!

My diet also doesn’t require you to exercise in the least.

The Most Important Weight Loss Tips

• Eat food’s low in fat, cholesterol, sodium and calories: 100 Best Food List & The Best Foods Categorized
• You need a free online calorie counter I use My Fitness Pal. Here is an article on monitoring calories.
• You need a replacement rule to support your new eating plan. Mine was if I gave up fat, cholesterol, etc. I could eat as much good food as I wanted. At the start of the diet, I didn’t monitor my calorie intake and I still lost weight!
• Don’t cheat period. If you need motivation read this: How to Become Motivated
• Find food you like, that is also healthy. Here are some of the recipes that keep you thin.
• You don’t need to exercise. Exercise actually slows a woman’s weight loss.

Dieting Lies

• You have to increase your protein levels to lose weight. People who say this are trying to speed up the metabolism by increasing Human Growth Hormone levels. In my opinion this causes way more problems for each it solves. Don’t worry about protein.
• You need to eat healthy fat. Not if you want to lose weight. Fat is hard for our bodies to metabolize. Avoid fat. Believe me you’ll still get enough.
• You have to eat cholesterol. Cholesterol is used by our bodies to create hormones. That’s pretty much it. Don’t worry, you’ll get enough with a healthy diet.
• The average person should eat 2000 calorie’s per day. WRONG!!! I’m 6’3″, with a large frame and I’m supposed to eat 1400 calories. You should eat less or nearly the same.
• Avoid carbs. Again nonsense. Carbohydrate’s are processed second easiest to fruit sugars. I eat  double the FDA recommended amount of carbs every day.
• Don’t eat sugar. Fruit sugar is the easiest thing for our bodies to process. Avoid corn syrup and artificial sweetners instead.
• Don’t weigh yourself. In my opinion, a major motivating factor in any diet is provided by daily weigh ins’. If your eating properly you will consistently lose weight.

Final Tip’s

Jillian Micheal’s (Biggest Loser) was recently interviewed and she stated High-fructose corn syrup is the major cause for obesity in the United States. The reason why is High-fructose corn syrup:

• High in calories and low in nutritional value
• Doesn’t provide you with a feeling of fullness, like sugar
• Is used in food because it’s cheap
• Remove it from your diet to kick start your diet

I would also say the same about MSG. MSG:

• Is used to fool your taste buds into thinking garbage food is good for you
• Causes major health problems
• Increases hunger about 2 hours after you consume it
• Is believed to be responsible for 90% of migraines

Here is an article on MSG, if you want some more information What is MSG?

That’s All Folk’s

If you have any questions or requests leave them in the comment section below. I want to help you more than you can understand. I see people getting bad information everyday from supposed guru’s trying to steal your money.

Pass this information on to your friends and family. Together we can all be healthy and thin.

Here to Serve

Think Tank

6 Responses to “How to Lose Weight: Best Foods & Common Food Myths”

1. Kyle says:

   September 23, 2011 at 7:46 am

   Hey, thanks for all the great info! But, if I’m not mistaken didn’t you have a site up a while back that was all the information on one web page? I just found the format to be much user friendly for myself. Not that this is hard to use and it’s the same info, for me it was just easier… If you still have it up id love to use it as I lost the site address when my cpu crashed… At work were doing the biggest loser, whether I win or not ill be sure to give a donation, there needs to be more free material like this… Thanks for all your hard work!

   Reply
   • admin says:

     September 23, 2011 at 7:59 am

     Hi Kyle

     Yes I think this is the page you were looking for Diet Nutritional Plan

     It has everything all on one page including recipes and a ton of other things. I wish you the best in your diet goals. I’ve kept the weight off for years now. I only added about 10 lbs from my low of 164 lbs, but really 164 was to skinny.

     Reply
2. André says:

   July 19, 2012 at 2:46 pm

   There are so many different opinions about dieting. Some say: cut the carbs, some say cut the fat, some say cut both, some say eat more of this, eat more of that.

   I think the best is not to eat too much and a banana is not unhealthy

   Oh and why using inches instead of meters? I am 1m84 so i have to use a calculator the read the chart.
   You silly americans still not using the metric system

   Reply
   • admin says:

     July 20, 2012 at 6:29 am

     Everyone is different. I lost weight because I was happy to give up high calorie food in exchange for being able to eat large quantities of low calorie food. That worked for me. In college I ate poorly, but one thing that contributed to my weight loss in a positive way was running. You could definitely eat what you want if you burned off the excess calories through exercise. I just don’t have time for that now.

     As per the diet gurus. I hate the Atkins diet because I saw so many people not only gain the weight back, but also develop very unhealthy habits. Now that they have a taste for fats and they have had this fat is good message subconsciously planted in their head, they consume way more fat. I think we can all agree that deep fried food is worse for you than baked or roasted? The only difference is the fat.

     Just an opinion – Derek

     Reply
     • André says:

       July 21, 2012 at 8:09 am

       I have also my doubts about Atkins. I think reducing carbohydrates is a good start because basically they are nothing more then pure energy (sugar).
       For me the hardest thing is the belly. I read that bellyfat is the last of which the body will burn. Bad design I want my belly flat and a sixpack Any tips? I know running a marathon will help.

       Reply
       • admin says:

         July 21, 2012 at 5:41 pm

         I’ll tell you that based on my body type, I doubt I can get a six pack. When I was heavily dieting I lost control at one point and seriously thought I couldn’t stop losing weight. I dropped the whole way down to 159 pounds before I stabilized. For a guy 6′ 3″ with a large frame that is way to skinny. I later put on some weight and I’m now happily at 180 pounds.

         My point though is that even at 159 I still had a belly. Definitely not a six pack anyway. I read that less than 5% of people on Earth the the right type of body to get six pack abs. Now if you devoted your self to constantly working out with the right trainer I’m sure many more people could get there, but I’m very satisfied with how I look and feel now.

         I hope that makes sense

         Reply