How do you know if you are losing fat vs. muscle? I just finished watching Jose Rodriguez (I think this is his name. I have his book but don't know where it is) talk about his 3 hr diet. I really liked the 3 hr. diet but ultimately decided on the band. At any rate it made me ask myself, how do people 'know'?

Thanks

Lisa

Acuna, Mexico

12/12/05

225/210/135

Your BMI, there are scales that tell you how much fat your body is made up of.

That's the problem with BMI, it's still based around height/weight, hence a body builder with very little fat, could be classed as obese.

(sadly, it's not the same reason I'm classed as obese)

The only way I can tell is getting weighed in at my doctors office. He's got one of those special scales that tells you everything except the the winning lottery numbers.

Check this out !!!

I want some muscle! No wonder those body builders look so much nicer than I do. I am printing this image and hanging on the refrigerator door.

Lisa

Muscle mass weighs more then Fat! The trick is to keep your muscle mass,while lossing weight or even building as you go!

But your going to have to do some kind of carideo program, with light weights. ( YOU CAN TONE UP WILL LOSSING )strenghting your muscles.

The key is a balanced diet, proper nutrition and EXERCISE!

also helps to know what calories you can loss at. JOHNQ

If you don't have access to those wonderful scales that can tell you everything (except the lottery numbers).

This site has a calculator for body fat.

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/

It provides the math of the formula so you could even make your own calculator in Excel (I did).

This site also has BMI and BMR calculators. I personally don't find BMI or BMR usefull but they are there, if you want 'em.

The book mentioned is The 3-Hour Diet: How Low-Carb Diets Make You Fat and Timing Makes You Thin - by Jorge Cruise, weight loss & fitness guru.

Here is the 5-page transcript of a Web-MD interview from this past May.

http://www.webmd.com/content/chat_transcripts/1/108026.htm

He is against low-carb diets, focusing on being in "ketosis", a metabolic state when your body is burning fat. No "bandster for life" diet is zero carbs -- everyone is eating vegetables, fruit, milk or milk products.

The only time a bandster would encounter this state of ketosis is when you have a surgeon who orders you to stay on purely No-Calorie liquids the last week or two BEFORE surgery or the first week or two AFTER surgery. This will obviously lead to some rapid weight loss -- but also muscle lost. I have heard of people complaining of the horrible bad breath and smelly urine. It is a state that is unhealthy, to be breaking down muscle to survive -- it is a state of starvation.

This is why bandsters are counseled to maintain 60-80 grams of Protein a day. When you are taking in that much protein, there is no net protein loss. Actually, ANY kind of dieting where you are losing weight will cause you to lose protein UNLESS you are getting in enough protein. Lettuce and celery stick diets are NOT healthy.

But all that said, this is a very interesting interview - and his views tie so directly into banded life where BROWSING (nibbling all day) IS NOT ALLOWED. He is quite knowledgeable about metabolism, and I encouage you to check out his interview.

For those of you who are AOL members, turn up your speakers and check him out -- for he is one of AOL lifestyle coaches!

Theresa