- The Authors
Jeff Thiboutot
Matt Schoeneberger
Last week we put out a call for questions. This week, we’ve been answering them. Here are two more…
Question 1:
Ok, question – Where can I find a table that tells me (according to height and weight), how many calories I should have each day? If I wanted to lose 10 pounds in 2 months, how many calories will I need to cut out to attain this goal?
In Chapter 8 – Doing S.P.E.E.D. we provide step-by-step instructions to help you figure out your caloric needs, for weight maintenance and for weight loss. The formula we use requires your height, weight and age.
We’ve also developed this page to make calorie calculations easier for you:
http://www.speedweightlossbook.com/doingspeed/0106/zr2kxy3/cminst.html
Good luck!
Question 2:
If you’re someone who has a lot of weight to lose, about 65 lbs, what is the best way of going about it and what would be some suggestions?
This isn’t an easy question to answer on a blog. It’s a huge question. So huge that Jeff and I wrote 8 chapters worth of information on it. My first recommendation is this; if you have 65 lbs. to lose, spend $20 and get our book. If you don’t feel it’s worth $20 after you read it, we’ll refund your money.
If you don’t think you’ll like our book, a new diet book just came out this week, written by some of the researches we’ve referenced in S.P.E.E.D. It’s called New Atkins for a New You. Check it out.
If you can’t part with a single dollar (we understand times are tough), here are my no-cost recommendations:
Eat less. It’s that simple. Reduce your calories, eat whole foods and weight loss will happen.
Move more. Yup, exercise. Nothing earth-shattering.
Set goals. If you don’t have goals, you’ll never achieve them.
Oh, and one more. Read this blog. The entire blog. Every entry since we started over a year ago. It’s free 
Well, that’s it. See you next time!
-Matt
Filed under: weight loss — Tags: weight loss — Matt Schoeneberger M.S. @ 8:53 am
Matt answers another subscriber’s question from last week’s call for questions. This is a great question that, unfortunately, is not easy to answer without more specific information. This is why we offer the S.P.E.E.D. Weight Loss Club, so you can get more personalized attention from Jeff and Matt for only $29.97/month. We think that’s a great deal!
Filed under: aging, weight loss — Tags: over 40, weight loss — Matt Schoeneberger M.S. @ 11:37 am
How Do I Break A Weight Loss Plateau?
Weight loss plateaus – they’re not some mystical beast. Breaking them is a matter of re-evaluating your plan and editing it to fit your current needs.
Filed under: diet, weight loss — Tags: plateau, weight loss — Matt Schoeneberger M.S. @ 2:23 pm
HCG and Weight Loss – An Update
The written update will be published soon, full of references and that good science-y stuff!
Filed under: weight loss — Tags: HCG, weight loss — Matt Schoeneberger M.S. @ 11:50 am
Weight Loss Workout With One Dumbbell
As you know, a good weight loss workout is based around muscle maintenance. With just one dumbbell (DB), you can perform a few simple, but effective movements that will recruit just about every muscle you need to work.
Here are the exercises:
One-arm DB Row
One-arm DB Over-head Press
One-arm DB Lunge (hold DB in opposite hand of lunging leg)
Perform a few sets of each exercise, maybe throw in some planks for ab bracing (although you get a lot of ab work with any over-head movement done correctly), and you’re done. Just make sure you challenge yourself – intensity is key for muscle maintenance.
Post questions in the comments and I’ll get back to you asap.
-Matt
New Review of S.P.E.E.D. – The Only Weight Loss Book Worth Reading!
Why do you want to read S.P.E.E.D?
The authors, Jeff Thiboutot and Matt Schoenberger offer valuable information in a clean, precise and easy to read format – Just the facts. Want more? They provide that too! This is precisely what makes S.P.E.E.D. different from most other weight loss books on the market today. If you want to learn where the information comes from, the authors offer a reference section after each chapter so that you, the reader can verify the actual research science that supports the information.
The authors understand that the obstacles to weight loss are not simply calories. After reading this book you’ll have a clearer understanding of what may be getting in the way of your weight loss along with a variety of solutions for your lifestyle. You’ll learn about many common weight loss myths that many people have come to believe as truths. For those who may already have the facts there is still much to be gleaned from S.P.E.E.D. Thiboutot & Schoenberger recognize that simply having the correct knowledge will not shed the pounds and provide a psychology chapter to help motivate the reader to turn the logic into action. The chapter begins with a wonderful quote from the Dhammapada that illustrates their point; : “However many words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do if you do not act upon them?” Act now – get this book.
Laurie Cagnassola
Director, Nutrition & Metabolism Society
Filed under: Product Review — Tags: weight loss — Matt Schoeneberger M.S. @ 10:52 am
Here’s a simple meal idea I like.
ground beef
guac/salsa
spinach
butter
sea salt/pepper
Brown ground beef in a pan with butter. Mix in guacamole or salsa and serve in a big bowl with a generous amount of spinach.
Here are screen shots of the macronutrient and calorie content when the meal is entered on Fitday.com (click to see bigger versions):
It’s very tasty and very low-carb. The Fitday count is 7.3 g of fiber out of that 8.2 total carbs which puts the net total at about 1 g.
If this is your only meal for the day, or one of two, you could adjust the quantities to up the overall calorie content.
Share some more meal ideas and we’ll post them here, just leave a comment!
Filed under: nutrition, weight loss — Tags: Low-carb, weight loss — Matt Schoeneberger M.S. @ 12:11 pm
Skechers Shape-Ups for Weight Loss?
Skechers’ new stab at a fitness product is a shoe with a large sole, purported to tone muscles (whatever that means), reduce body fat, improve circulation, aerobic conditioning and exercise tolerance, and improve posture while relieving muscle tension and back/joint problems.
WOW!
Skechers provides research on their website to back-up these claims. Let’s take a look.
1. One study shows that leg muscles are used more with Shape-ups than with standard sneakers. From this, they infer that Shape-ups will tone muscles, improve aerobic capacity and reduce bodyfat… haha, ok Skechers, good one.
Wait, you’re serious? Oh, man!
This study had only 10 subjects and the specifics are not provided. I could not find the study published in a peer-reviewed journal, so I contacted the lead researcher who referred me to Skechers. After a few communications back-and-forth, I’ve been unable to connect with Skechers to discuss the research.
2. The second study shows electromyographic analysis of muscle activity at different speeds with Shape-ups and normal shoes. Shape-ups scores higher at every speed.
“Wearing Shape-ups increases muscle activity, which leads to higher energy consumption compared to normal shoes, so exercising for a long time (walking) will burn subcutaneous fat and visceral fat, and effects such as firmer buttocks may be expected. This varies between individuals.”
Higher energy consumption by how much? 50% more? 1000% more? And, what are the raw numbers? Because the calorie burn numbers produced by walking for any sane length of time may turn out to be negligible in a weight loss effort.
Exercising for a long time will burn subcutaneous and visceral fat, eh? Just how long are we walking for here? Nothing burns fat like low-carb, restricted calorie eating. Nothing.
3. The third study is a 6-week trial at a Chiropractors office where some of his patients were given Shape-ups and told to continue exercise and diet as normal. Average weight loss is said to have been 3.25 lbs. and improvements in glutei strength and low back endurance were found.
This can barely be considered research. There is no control whatsoever and since that data are not published anywhere significant, this all basically means nothing.
In one article I read while trying to find the research, it was said that the women who wore Shape-ups in this trial reported improved posture. Well, a real research study has shown that simply telling people you’re investigating effects of a program on their posture improves their posture (2005 Harman)
These shoes are much like the Massai Barefoot Technology shoes that have been tested in better conditions and published in peer-reviewed journals… for physical therapy purposes, NOT for weight loss. (Romkes 2006, New 2007)
The sad part is people are buying into this as the thing that will help them finally achieve the body they’ve always dreamed of, and that couldn’t be further from the truth. Not only are these shoes practically worthless in terms of weight loss, but even worse, they’ll distract people from what they should really be doing to stay on the path to their ideal body. Instead of meticulously tracking their food intake and setting goals, staying active and getting enough sleep, people will mindlessly strap on their Shape-ups and begin their never-ending stroll down the road to nowhere…. and it pisses me off.
But not you. You’re following S.P.E.E.D. You’re reading this blog. You know better. Good for you!
Matt
Filed under: Product Review, Research — Tags: shape-ups, shoes, weight loss — Matt Schoeneberger M.S. @ 12:01 pm
Fitday.com is an incredibly powerful and FREE weight loss tool.
Open to full screen by clicking in the bottom right corner!
Filed under: diet, weight loss — Tags: diet, weight loss — Matt Schoeneberger M.S. @ 11:44 am
The Special K Challenge – Weight loss at what cost?
Well, I took the Special K Challenge.
No I didn’t, but I saw a commercial for it and decided to check it out. For those of you not familiar with it, Kellogs is challenging people to lose weight with Special K and other Kellogs food products. They even give you entire menu ideas (loaded with Kellogs products).
When you start they ask the reason you want to lose weight and give you a few answers to choose from, ask when you want to start, and you’re provided your plan. They don’t ask your age, weight, body composition, weight loss goal, or anything else typically used to calculate a diet plan.
I chose the most basic plan I could and looked at the first day. I investigated the calorie and macronutrient content of the day. Here it is:
970 calories, 133 grams of carbohydrate (48 grams of sugar), 43 grams of protein, 16.5 grams of fat
55% of daily calories come from carbohydrate. As you know, Jeff and I are not supporters of a high carbohydrate intake and this is high. Now, some cultures do maintain good health on high(er) carbohydrate intake levels, but these cultures are not eating processed cereals, and here’s why:
On the Special K diet, 20% of calories come from sugar! On the diet you will also consume such ingredients as high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, soy protein isolate, sugar, maltodextrin, fructose, hydrogenated oils, soybean oil… all ingredients I would recommend you put in your body in very limited quantities, if at all.
Will you lose weight? A resounding “Yes!”
Will you better your health? Not a chance! Remember, weight loss will not necessarily make you a healthier person. There is a complex relationship between weight and health, and more weight is not always dangerous and less weight is not always better. For a better understanding, check out the first chapter of S.P.E.E.D., available free here.
Filed under: diet, nutrition, weight loss — Tags: special k challenge, weight loss — Matt Schoeneberger M.S. @ 11:22 am
