JayLoss

Losing 10 Pounds

Posted on 17. Oct, 2011 by Jay.

For some reason I’m finding it very difficult to lose 10 pounds.

I’m currently at 190 pounds, with a goal weight of 180 pounds. My eating has been erratic to say the least, some days are better then others. However I’m working out 3-5 times a week. I can’t seem to get below 190 pounds. It’s been like this for a few weeks now.

I’m not hungry, I think I have just been making bad food decisions. For example I told myself after writing a blog post I could go get some Mexican food, the restaurant I was planning to go to tends to pile on the good stuff, if you know what I mean.

I think a better idea is to just eat some chicken breast with brown rice! I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

That’s the plan.

Jay,

Burn Belly Fat

Posted on 14. Oct, 2011 by Jay.

Doing some quick research, I learn that people REALLY want to get rid of belly fat.

I guess the people who are doing these searches aren’t really fat to begin with. If all you worry about is your belly, the first place body fat likes to be stored then you’re probably not in that bad of shape.

If you just have 10-20 pounds to lose then a simple adjustment to your calorie intake and increase of cardio exercises should bring you down to a healthy body fat percentage in a month or two. A person could easily lose 10-20 pounds in two months, three if you’re wanting to take it slow. You don’t want to lose all that weight in a week or two, if you do that you’re not losing fat, instead you’re losing muscle. A safe amount of weight to lose is around two pounds a week.

So in order to lose that ‘belly fat’ you need to lower your calorie intake by 500 to 1000 calories. If you regullary consume 3000 calories in a day, you’ll want to bring that down to 2000 calories a day. Then just focus on cardio for 30-minutes, 3-5 times a week. Do that for 2-3 months and you’re sure to lose that belly fat.

Tips to Losing Belly Fat

• Stick to high protein foods, this will keep you full and give you energy throughout the day.
• Snack on low calorie foods, my favorite are 100-calorie snack packs.
• Eat 4-5 small meals throughout the day, with breakfast being your biggest meal.
• Don’t eat 3 hours before going to sleep.
• Focus on cardio exercise 3-5 times a week .
• Count calories, eat 500-1000 calories less then you normally would.

Learn how to measure your body fat

Lose Belly Fat?

Posted on 09. Oct, 2011 by Jay.

Who wants to lose belly fat? Checking some keyword stats for JayLoss I notice people are interested in losing body fat, and doing some quick research with that keyword I notice ‘Belly Fat’ is a hot topic.

So what’s the deal? Why are people trying to target their belly? Don’t people realize you can’t target lose body fat? You lose body fat as a whole when dieting and exercising. You can’t will yourself to lose fat in only one part of your body. It doesn’t work that way.

If a  person want’s to lose belly fat, they have to focus on what they’re eating primarily.

You have to go lean, eat only nutritious foods, no late night snacking, cut out all the junk foods.

That said I have noticed the more I work on core exercises, abs and obliques the better my mid-section looks. So it’s not all about what you eat. It’s about 80% of it but it’s not everything. I recommend working your mid-section every time you workout. Not once or twice a week but 4-5 days a week if you can handle it.

Do that and you’ll not only lose body fat, you’ll gain muscle mass and look great. I went from a being pretty flabby in that area to not looking so bad after about 10-months. I still have more work to do but if I can do it, anyone can.

JayLoss

Trying Something New – Super Hoodia 2000

Posted on 19. Sep, 2011 by Jay.

It’s been awhile since my last blog post.

Just to update you guys on how things are going, I’m currently 188 pounds as of this morning. I found Acetyl L-Carnitine to be effective at helping me maintain my weight but not enough to lose weight. I still felt hungry most of the day, just not as much.

Since realizing this I did more research and came upon Hoodia for weight loss. I went to my local vitamin store and picked up Mega Hoodia, sadly I found it to be  ineffective.

I researched more and decided to order Super Hoodia 2000 after reading a lot of positive feedback about it on Amazon.  I’m happy to say it works!

I’m not linking to any Hoodia website or making any money off this blog post. I’m just saying this so maybe you can benefit from my research. Super Hoodia 2000 works by keeping you huger at bay. If you struggle with trying to lose weight, if you’re hungry all day long no matter how much food you’re eating then give Super Hoodia 2000 a try. Again I’m not making any money off this.

I have taken Super Hoodia 2000 for two days and I’ve gone from 190 pounds to 188 pounds as of this morning. It’s not as strong as Adderall I took 6-months ago but that’s probably a good thing. With Adderall I had to force myself to eat enough food throughout the day. With Super Hoodia 2000 I get hungry when I’m supposed to, but my cravings throughout the day are pretty much gone.

I’m going to take Super Hoodia until I reach 180 or so pounds and maintain with Acetyl L-Carnitine.

That’s the plan!

I’m just happy I found this before I gained too much weight back.

The good thing about gaining weight is I have been working out harder and I’m sure I gained more muscle during this time. I’m hoping once I ‘cut’ back down to 180 pounds, the results will be increased muscle mass.

Jay,
Current Weight: 188 lbs.

Weight Loss with Appetite Suppressant Amino Acids

Posted on 24. Aug, 2011 by Jay.

Since writing about some recent struggles in maintaining my weight, I’ve had some success with a couple amino acids I recently discovered. In my quest to research and find the right amino acids for me I met someone at the vitamin store I was visiting and he wasn’t happy that I wanted some help in suppressing my appetite. Instead he decided to lecture me about eating right and exercising, not knowing that I’ve previously lost 150+ pounds. Luckily after a few nods and smiling he decided to show me to the amino acids I was interested in.

This first one is Acetyl L-Carnitine (500mg).

Acetyl L-Carnitine is a modified amino acid that supports cellular energy production by assisting in the transport of fat into the mitochondria where it is oxidized and converted into ATP (chemical energy for the cell). Acetyl L-Carnitine is in a highly bioavailable form of L-Carnitine antioxidant effect, helps to maintain healthy cellular energy metabolism and supports brain function.

I find Acetyl L-Carnitine gives my energy, clarity and helps suppress my appetite pretty well. I tried L-Carnitine in liquid form and I found it didn’t work well for me. It would suppress my appetite for about 1 hour but after that I was really hungry. With Acetyl L-Carnitine I don’t have the side-effects of liquid L-Carnitine and it seems to work all day long. And it’s not a strong suppressant, you still feel hungry when you’re supposed it. It just seems to keep away those random moments of extreme hunger I described in  my last post.

Second is N-Acetyl Tyrosine (350 mg). 

N-acetyl L-tyrosine aids in the synthesis of the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and dopamine. It is converted into key physiological compounds including epinephrine, levodopa, Coenzyme Q10, melanin and various thyroid hormones. Tyrosine is used to heighten mental alertness, increase feelings of well-being and offset physical and mental fatigue, particularly during heavy exercise. Tyrosine has an antioxidant effect, helping to protect cell membranes from the damage caused by free radical molecules.

I take N-acetyl L-Tyrosine primarily for mental energy, focus, and clarity. However I found shortly after taking N-acetyl L-Tyrosine it seemed to help with appetite control as well. I went from 191 pounds a few days ago to 189 pounds today. I’m not as hungry during the day, I can focus on other things and not on food all day long even though I practically work in my kitchen.

Please note L-Tyrosine without N-Acetyl did not effect appetite at all, in fact it may have caused food binges for me. After I stopped taking regular L-Tyrosine those binges have stopped. Also N-acetyl L-Tyrosine is not suitable for those taking MAO inhibitors. It has an enhancing effect which can be dangerous. More information on L-Tyrosine

So Acetyl L-Carnitine (500mg) and N-Acetyl Tyrosine seem to work great for me. If you’re having trouble with food cravings I highly recommend both these supplements. I hope with continued use I’ll get back to 180 pounds in 2-3 weeks. On a side note the weight you do lose is gradual. You do still feel hungry when you’re supposed to, it just makes you less hungry, especially the Acetyl L-Carnitine.  And let’s face it, you can have all the will power in the world but when extreme hunger takes over any help you can get is welcomed.

Jay,
Current Weight: 189 lbs.

The Unrelenting Craving for More

Posted on 21. Aug, 2011 by Jay.

Imagine having a strong craving for your favorite food in the world, maybe it’s chocolate ice cream, a big bag of Doritos or even pizza. This is no regular craving that you can put off either. Imagine the strongest craving for food you’ve ever had in your lifetime and then multiple that by five! You can’t say no to the craving, your life revolves around trying to satisfy this deep hunger at all costs.

Now imagine caving into this hunger and stuffing your face to no end. You eat until your gut is hurting with pain. A craving so powerful that you forget about your goals and continue eating because no matter how much you eat, you hunger for more.

Has anyone else felt this way before? 

I had an advantage with my weight loss from around 200 pounds to my goal weight of 170 pounds. I was on Adderall (an ADHD drug), and one of the side effects of Adderall is that it’s a strong appetite suppressant.

Coming off that drug a month ago I lost that advantage and the hunger I described above took hold of me for a period of time. I was able to eat whatever I wanted before because Adderall kept me in check not allowing me to go overboard. However off the drug I feel it’s A LOT harder to stay disciplined and to say I’m full.

Before I would have to force myself to eat, I kept a log to make sure I ate every few hours. Now things are flipped the other way around. I keeping a log to make sure I don’t eat too many calories in a day same as before I started taking Adderall.

I’ve experienced both worlds in being constantly hungry and never hungry. It was fun being that person who wasn’t hungry every hour of the day. I learned to cope with it very well and when I did feel like having a high calorie snack I could eat without feeling bad about it. Now I feel like that craving for that favorite snack is happening all day long.

I’m a little concerned in the short run but I know in the long run I will be back to structured and healthy eating  habit. Going back on Adderall is not an option either. I have replaced Adderall with amino acids and vitamins and mentally I feel better then ever.

In the short run I’ve gained a little weight, I’m currently 191 pounds and slowly inching higher unfortunately. I feel I may reach 200 lbs before taking charge once again and settling at 180 pounds.

The good news is I’m working out more these days, I’m actually in my garage working out and writing this at the same time.

Hopefully I can get my food cravings in check sooner rather then later.

Food Cravings & What they Mean

Do you crave foods sometimes? What do you do to get passed it? I find if I focus on eating high protein foods, I get plenty of exercise and if I stay away from sweets I can do okay. The moment I get near sweets (chocolate), my mind craves more.

Jay,
Current Weight: 191 lbs.

And I’m Feeling Goood.. Aminos & Vitamins

Posted on 30. Jul, 2011 by Jay.

A comfy chair, the perfect temperature and the morning sun rising in the background. I’m feeling good!

The Four Things Any Fit Guy Should Take

1. Plenty of Vitamin D. 5-10k IU per day. Cholecalceferol. You want Vitamin D3, it aids in the absorption of calcium. It improves mood, helps prevent cancer. It’s a great immune booster, antioxidant and it increases attention.

2. Tons of Fish Oil (6-10 grams per day, pharmaceutical grade)

3. Vitamin C (Three grames a day minimum). It’s the anti-stress vitamin. It’s a powerful antioxidant, it helps you absorb amino acids.

4. Magnesium. Most americans are magnesium deficient. You’ll find magnesium in nuts, Americans don’t eat nuts. It helps you produce energy, not die from heart attacks, improves mood. Eat your magnesium! Avoid magnesium that you can’t absort, thats magnesium oxide. You can’t obsorb it. You want Magnesium Citrate. Get a capsule not a tablet. Capsules dissolve Tablets do not. Eat it everyday! It also helps with weight loss, increased concentration and it helps relax you.

I take all the above as well as zinc sulfate (for general health), L-Tyrosine (focus, energy, mood), L-Phenylalanine (focus, memory and energy) DMG (muscle stamina, mental function), Chromium Picolinate (Energy, Curbs Carbs Craving) and L-Tryptophan (promotes sleep and calm).

And guess what? I feel good!

Jay,
Current Weight: 183 lbs.
Body-Fat: 13%

What/How much should I eat in order to lose weight?

Posted on 27. Jul, 2011 by Jay.

• I want to Lose Weight
• I want to be Thinner
• I want to Lose these Love Handles
• I want to Burn off Extra Fat
• I want to Tone UP

Answer: Do you want to lose WEIGHT? Or do you want to love FAT?

In order to lose fat: You must count your calories, and consume foods that your body needs. No more fats, sweets, oils, and unnecessary starches. Huge helpings of pasta, rice and white-bread sandwiches are out.

Eat whole wheat bread and pasta, oatmeal, fresh fruits and vegetables, lowfat/fat free dairies, and lean meats such as chicken/turkey breast, fish, etc. One classic stable is the garden vegetable/chicken breast salad. Satisfying, healthy (garden greens are extremely nutritious), and cheap.

You should aim to eat five or six smaller meals a day. This keeps the body in a state of constant metabolism. It takes energy to digest food. Eating three big square meals a day lets your body settle into a routine, digesting one big lump and then remaining dormant for hours until the next meal.

Also? Never eat or drink anything with High Fructose Corn Syrup again. Ever again. Every time you drink a soda (HFCS), you create an insulin spike in the body. Long story short, this leads to the creation and retention of BODY FAT. So yeah, quit * doing that.

• Determain your Target Caloric Intake
• Count the calories in your food

The Unknown Amino Acid Deficiency

Posted on 17. Jul, 2011 by Jay.

I learned something this week. I learned that I’m deficient in certain amino acids needed to produce dopamine.

Technically I’m low in amino acids that produce dopamine and at the same time high for certain exciter amino acids that burn through dopamine at 3x times the normal speed. Meaning I have ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

I’ve known about my ADHD for about a year now, but it was only recently that I learned that it was related to a dopamine deficiency. When that nugget of information hit me (a friend told me) I did a search for ways to increase dopamine levels in the brain and found that stimulants like caffeine, nicotine and perscription stimulants all worked. As well as cocaine, marijuana and other illegal stimulants.

However one of many bad things about stimulants is that they only treat the symptoms. They only make the body use what dopamine it has in reserves rather then produce new dopamine. So that meant at the end of the day I would crash mentally and physically exhausted (I take adderall). Not only that but they’re addicting and they have all sorts of side-effects.

Then I learned about certain amino acids like l-tyrosine and l-phenylalanine (for dopamine deficient people) work to produce dopamine in your brain. They work to bring your amino levels back to normal.

Two days after learning this information, I picked up a bottle of l-tyrosine at my local GNC and that same day I stopped using my stimulant, Adderall. It’s been 4-days now and I’m VERY happy to say I have not felt this good since discovering Adderall 7-8 months ago. I have no more ADHD, my anxiety is gone and I feel like exploring the outside world again.

A simple amino acid imbalance which caused a dopamine deficiency made me self medicate with carbs. Yes, that’s right. If you have a dopamine deficiency, you crave carbs and stimulants like caffeine, sugar and nicotine to give you that feel good feeling and a boost of energy to keep moving forward. That’s how I gained all the weight a few years ago, I was scarfing down carbs in an attempt to boost my dopamine levels. What I was doing was treating the symptoms rather then the cause of my ADHD, anxiety and depression. And of course I only made things worse for myself.

When choosing between eatings tons of carbs or Adderall to fix the problem, I’ll choose Adderall no questions. And it worked for the most part but I wasn’t getting any better due to the mental and physical crashes after around 7pm to 8pm. And my doctor wondered why I didn’t like going out after working hard all day.

Since discovering my amino acid deficiency and treating it the right way, I can say for the first time that I feel normal.

If you’re interested in learning more I recommend reading “The Edge Effect.”

For a quick overview,  read what looks to be cliff notes of the “The Edge Effect” in PDF form.

It could change your life.

Jay,
Current Weight: 182.2 lbs.
Body-Fat: 13%

Maintained For Year! 180-Pounds!

Posted on 04. Jul, 2011 by Jay.

Woah! It’s been almost a year since I reached 180 pounds! It was July, 2010 when I first reached 180, it took me 9 months to go from 268 pounds to 180 pounds, that’s crazy thinking back on it. I was a machine!

Lost 4 Pounds in 5 Days – July, 2010

And previously, a couple years before that my highest recorded weight was 336 pounds! Now I’m about half that weight!

The coolest thing about losing all the weight and maintaining is the fact that I can actually buy clothes from anywhere. I’m not limited in where I can shop or what I can buy anymore. Just the other day I bought some new shorts. I’m shopping in the 34-36 inch range for shorts where mentally I still feel I don’t belong but that’s where I’m at, and it’s great.

Another cool thing about maintaining is I don’t count calories anymore. I sort of got out of the habit after my nieces started to use my notepad as a drawing pad. Anyhow it’s something I don’t have do anymore. I can eat more calories because I’m not trying to lose anymore weight. I do however weigh myself every other day to make sure I’m staying within a certain weight range. I like to stay between 175 pounds to 185 pounds.

The thing I’m trying to get across is the process of losing the weight is the hard part, but once you do it, maintaining is not bad at all. The only people who have trouble maintaining are those who lose the weight by starving themselves. They lost muscle and water weight instead of fat. If you lose weight the right way, then you will naturally know how to maintain.

1. I eat between 2000 to 3000 calories in a day.
2. I drink only water, some 100% juices and protein shakes.
3. I don’t drink soda, coffee, tea, any fake juices, etc.
4. I eat 5-7 times a day, mostly snacking
5. Breakfast is my biggest meal of the day, followed by lunch then dinner
6. At every meal I have a mix of protein and complex carbs
7. I stay away from sweets for the most part but I’m still addicted to salty foods (Fritos)
8. I mostly eat whole foods, I try to stay way from processed foods
9. I cook my own food 85% of the time
10. I sometimes eat fast foods, maybe once a week, however I eat Quiznos subs maybe 2-3 times a week (they’re tasty!)

Basically I’m doing exactly what I did to lose the weight, except now instead of focusing on a restricted calorie intake (1500 calories in a day), I eat between 2000 to 3000 in a day. That’s the only difference.

And I love it!

Jay,
Current Weight: 182 lbs.
Body-Fat: 13%