Roll of Fat/Skin Around Middle

by Robert
(Oregon)

Question:

Lost 70 # even though I work out (cardio, weight lifting, running 6 miles a day) hard, it's not going away. Been working on this for 6 years. Don't know what to do about it.

Aaron's Answer:

Well, it sounds as if you're doing a great job exercising! The only other thing we need to control now so that you lose weight is your eating. 6 Years is a long time to work on this and fail, so let's get it done now.

To lose weight you must eat less.

I don't care what cute diet you have. I don't care about nutrient timing, your carb/fat/protein ratio, or how many vegetables you eat. These are all tricks to help you eat less. But at the end of the day, you still need to eat less calories.

Calorie Deficit = Weight Loss

Calorie Surplus = Weight Gain

Look at the foods that you're eating. If you habitually drink energy sinks and sugary stuff, that's probably where a lot of the extra calories are coming from. Also, one reason vegetables are so popular is because you can eat a ton of them and it's almost no calories. A heaping plate of mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, and squash is around just 100 calories - great diet food.


Nobody likes dieting to lose weight. If someone tells you differently, they're lying or trying to sell you something. Probably both. But by dieting intelligently you can make the weight loss a lot easier.

First, count calories. This is a simple, easy way to make sure that you're eating less, while allowing you some flexibility.

With calorie counting you can eat lots of vegetable, and then have a candy bar too - and know you're sticking to your diet. I really like the software DietController, but MyFitnessPal is a great one too (and has a very convenient iPhone app to help you stay on your diet on-the-go).

Second, look at when you eat. I think the 6 meals a day plan is overrated, but definitely useful. Of you could have 2 big meals a day, each 7-8 hours apart, so that you do intermittent fasting (IF) for 16 hours a day. Look at what you habitually do, which works best with your work/life schedule, and just do it!

Come up with something simple and just do it. Most people are great at making elaborate plans, reading books, and getting excited about new ideas.

But to actually make progress, take action. Take dramatic action, even if you plan is not perfect. Since your plan will never be perfect, but taking action right now will start getting you those results you want.

Now, if you need any more help I can write you up a much more personalized diet and exercise plan to get ripped.