----- Original Message -----
From: James Rogers <jamesr@best.com>
> When I was in Basic Training (Army), it was common for obese individuals
> to lose 40 pounds in 8 weeks and you couldn't help but to gain lean
> muscle mass. I went in at 150-lbs and came out at 135-lbs despite gaining
> some lean mass, and I wasn't obese by any means. My body fat was easily
> <10% by the time I left.
>
> All it took was heavy exercise every day and a regulated diet (Army food,
> while mediocre in flavor and texture, *is* designed to be quite healthy).
> The results are a lot more lasting too, because it tends to encourage
> habitual behavior modification. The point being that it is a lifestyle
> change, not a "something I do for two hours on four days a week", which is
> why yuppie DIs are probably a waste of money.
After diabetics, whose body no longer produce insulin, the people who lose
weight the easiest are teenage men. Exercise does not work nearly as well in
women who don't have much testosterone, and as a consequence, have difficulty
putting on muscle mass. Also, I believe the army feeds its people properly,
instead of following the low fat/low calorie fad.
On the other hand, the situation is different for older people. Testosterone
levels decline, thyroid levels decline, and insulin resistance has set in.
Losing weight becomes much more difficult. It is a very serious problem.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Jul 27 2000 - 14:06:50 MDT