Energy Balance Question; Very Low Intensity Exercise

[Ulysses]

I'm thinking of dropping a few pounds, because my testosterone:estradiol ratio is a little lower than I'd like.

So, we talk a lot on this forum about how ultra-low-fat diets can lead to weight loss. We also talk about how restricting calories will cause metabolic derangement and stall weight loss, which, if I understand correctly, is primarily a question of insufficient liver glycogen storage.

What if one were to incorporate huge amounts of very low-intensity activity into their daily routine, say walking 10-15 miles each morning, while holding their caloric intake constant? When I say walking I mean very slow walking, such that the vast majority of the burned energy came out of stored fat. If the calories one took in were zero fat, moderate protein and the remainder carbs, then it seems like there would be more than enough carbohydrate to maintain glycogen stores, which would only be marginally affected by the low intensity activity.

Using a CICO model, let's say you burn 1,200 calories of stored fat by walking. Since you keep eating the stuff you were before, those 1,200 calories are just a net energy burn. So, you lose 2.4 lbs a week.

Let's say that VLF diet is 3,000 cals/day - 10% fat, 10% protein, 80% carbs. This means you have 600 grams of carb a day to keep liver glycogen filled.

It seems from past experience like this could work. I used to go on long backpacking trips with limited (very high carb) food and lose 10-15 pounds, easily, with minimal discomfort, and carrying a much heavier load than our hypothetical flâneur. Granted, I was also a teenager.

 

[fradon]

when i was a door to door sales man i lost weight that way. the trick is to not walk in a hurry...walk like you are enjoying it and not like someone is following you.

after about 45 min to an hour body should kick into fat burning and you may notice this by deep breathing as burning fat requires more oxygen than glucose.

 

[800mRepeats]

Let's see ...
A leisurely walk for me would have me covering 3 miles per hour.

I burn 50 cal per mile when walking (as measured via metabolic testing in a lab).
So that's 150 cal per hour of leisurely walking.

But... we need to subtract basal metabolism, roughly 54 cal per hour.
So that's 96 cal per hour of leisurely walking.

It would take me 3.3 - 5 hours of leisurely walking to cover 10 - 15 miles.
So that's 317 - 480 calories per day in exchange for 3.3 - 5 hours of my time.

Or, I could speed it up to 4 miles per hour, about as fast as I can go and maintain while still walking.
That would be (200-54) = 146 calories per hour of brisk walking.
So that's 365 - 548 calories per day in exchange for 2.5 - 3.75 hours of my time.

YMMV

 

[tomisonbottom]

I'm thinking of dropping a few pounds, because my testosterone:estradiol ratio is a little lower than I'd like.

So, we talk a lot on this forum about how ultra-low-fat diets can lead to weight loss. We also talk about how restricting calories will cause metabolic derangement and stall weight loss, which, if I understand correctly, is primarily a question of insufficient liver glycogen storage.

What if one were to incorporate huge amounts of very low-intensity activity into their daily routine, say walking 10-15 miles each morning, while holding their caloric intake constant? When I say walking I mean very slow walking, such that the vast majority of the burned energy came out of stored fat. If the calories one took in were zero fat, moderate protein and the remainder carbs, then it seems like there would be more than enough carbohydrate to maintain glycogen stores, which would only be marginally affected by the low intensity activity.

Using a CICO model, let's say you burn 1,200 calories of stored fat by walking. Since you keep eating the stuff you were before, those 1,200 calories are just a net energy burn. So, you lose 2.4 lbs a week.

Let's say that VLF diet is 3,000 cals/day - 10% fat, 10% protein, 80% carbs. This means you have 600 grams of carb a day to keep liver glycogen filled.

It seems from past experience like this could work. I used to go on long backpacking trips with limited (very high carb) food and lose 10-15 pounds, easily, with minimal discomfort, and carrying a much heavier load than our hypothetical flâneur. Granted, I was also a teenager.

All sounds good to me.......have you tried it?