Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 (Tek) 9/26/83; site shark.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!we13!ihnp4!zehntel!hplabs!tektronix!orca!shark!hutch From: hutch@shark.UUCP (Stephen Hutchison) Newsgroups: net.med Subject: Re: weight loss Message-ID: <707@shark.UUCP> Date: Wed, 18-Apr-84 04:02:15 EST Article-I.D.: shark.707 Posted: Wed Apr 18 04:02:15 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 20-Apr-84 01:09:19 EST References: <212@lzmi.UUCP> Organization: Tektronix, Wilsonville OR Lines: 37 Hmm. A few comments are in order, having lost (and kept off) over 75 lbs of uncomfortable fat. The fast-loss diets such as Cambridge and the various "we cook your meals, you eat them and only them" do work but are VERY expensive with respect to the prices of real food. They are great for losing fat. Unfortunately unless you are also exercising aerobically or with weights, to keep the muscle tissue growing, you are losing THE SAME AMOUNT OF LEAN BODY MASS AS FAT! What does this mean? Well, when you burn fat, the fat cells just empty out. When you burn muscle and lean mass, the cells are consumed. The fat cells are still there, and they begin to demand to be filled. They can apparently be convinced to remain empty by exercise. No, most fat people are NOT fat because they "just eat too much" and in fact, they usually eat as much as 1000 calories a day LESS than an active, exercising thin person. Fat cells use no energy. Lean tissue uses energy. Fat people usually get fat by dieting. They strip off lots of weight (equal amounts of fat and lean mass) following which the fat cells are refilled, even by what would often seem to be good eating habits. So their bodyfat ration has changed for the worse. Add to this the fact that when they DON'T change eating habits, and go back to the normal human pattern of binge, fast, fast, then they are eating more calories than their bodies need and they grow NEW FAT CELLS. The only answer to this is to exercise. Maybe in a few more years we will find out how it is that Bears manage to only burn fat, not lean tissue, when they sleep through the winter, and we can all sleep off the pounds, but right now exercise is it. Hutch