Recently someone asked me this question on losing weight:

Mr. Kurz, I am coming off a 7 year break. Back in the day I was very flexible (but lacked your kind of strength). I damaged my meniscus cartilage (push from the outside in) and stopped training.

I have gained a considerable amount of weight, and would like to know if you the material I have will point me in the right direction, or if you had any suggestions on losing weight.

I have Stretching Scientifically, Science of Sports Training (not having read yet but looked through a bit), and 4 of your DVDs, Secrets of Stretching, Power High Kicks with No Warm-Up!, Clinic on Stretching and Kicking, and the Basic Instincts of Self-Defense.

Thank you very much…

Pete

My answer:

I presume that when you say “gained a considerable amount of weight” you mean that you gained fat weight. I make this presumption because you say that you stopped training and then that you want a suggestion “on losing weight.”

Well, I am not interested in the weight-loss business. I eat so to perform up to my standards, both mentally and physically. I don’t eat stuff that would mess up my metabolism and make me store fat instead of using it as fuel (more on it later). Here are some truths on nutrition to guide you:

When you eat the right foods in right proportions you don’t get fat.

A good meal (good foods, right proportions) energizes, a bad meal stupefies.

Gaining fat is done by shutting off metabolic pathways for use of fat as the main energy source. When those pathways are shut off, the fat—both the consumed fat and the fat made from consumed carbs—is stored. This shutting off is done by eating stupefying meals.

If the above are hard to remember here is a simple ditty:

If it is sweet it is s**t. Don’t eat s**t. Unfortunately, not all s**t is sweet.

And yes, the material you have will point you in the right direction. That material is in chapter 4, “Nutrition” of Science of Sports Training.

More reading at
Listen To Your Body!
http://blog.zeroinginonhealth.com/?p=1009

Diet, Nutrition and Health
http://coolinginflammation.blogspot.com/2009/06/diet-nutrition-and-health.html

PaNu
paleolithic nutrition – duplicating the evolutionary metabolic milieu
http://www.paleonu.com/get-started/

Request for help:

One of our authors and my friend, Piotr Drabik, has disappeared in September of 2006 after he landed on the island of Kaua’i, Hawaii, where he was seen on airport security cameras. He arrived there from Edmonton, Alberta (Canada), through Salt Lake City, Utah, and Honolulu, Hawaii. We (his friends at Stadion Publishing) were assisting in the investigation of his disappearance. The investigation was ineffective and eventually the case was dropped by all involved authorities.

If you have seen him on or after September of 2006, or know anything about his whereabouts, please e-mail us at infoATstadionDOTcom.

More about Piotr Drabik and his disappearance is at www.stadion.com/author_drabikp.html