Thank you, you are awesome!

I got Kobe as well, 22.4. I've always been very lean & will always be on the lean side. I just always find myself wanting to pick up some more muscle. I have a good amount, I'm 6'1 weigh 170 with 5.6% body fat. I have a very intense workout regiment (lifting & cardio) that works for me. I guess I always just find myself asking, "will this extra 3,4, or 5lbs of muscle really be worth it."

Any tips? Me & you can could take Kobe any day!

As always, great stuff.

that's interesting what you said about your girlfriends, and then Rusty's reply to it. I just watched Super Size Me (you know that movie where the guy eats only McDonalds for 31 days) – anyway, the guy in the movie mentioned that in his opinion overweight people should face the same pressure as smokers in the States; like kind of changing the 'social status' of being overweight, so that it'd push more people towards changing their habits. By the way the movie is a little bit corny, but certainly very interesting, in case someone haven't seen it yet, it's worth checking it out.

I used to be worried about getting old, but then I decided that I didn't have to follow the normal path. There is no reason why you can't have fun until the end of your life.

Greg,

The great thing is that most people can control this. Even if it takes more work for some to be lean, it is worth the effort.

David,

I plan on being fit and running around well into my 60's and beyond. As long as you never let yourself slide, it shouldn't be a problem.

Brandon & Norbi,

Seems like the celebrity BMI calculator is limited in how many celebrities it lists.

Joe,

You probably can't go that extreme for that long. Either back off a bit, or limit this aggresive workout and diet plan to 10 days.

Aditya,

That is funny. David Beckham is in much better condition that Keanu Reeves, but they are just measuring weight vs height.

Terry,

People are quick to criticize slim people. So weird that this is acceptable, but mentioning that someone needs to drop a few pounds is looked at as mean and shallow.

suat,

I have seen that study, but the sample size in those studies were quite a bit smaller than the studies I have cited. Obviously, super-skinny isn't healthy either.

mickieb,

It does seem that most of the oldest people alive that I have seen on TV are slim…something to be said for that.

Tamara,

Jennifer Lopez is a good example of a fit, yet feminine looking woman.

Eldi,

What I mean by bulking up, is adding excess fat in the pursuit of gaining muscle. Increasing muscle mass is fine, but the best approach is to do it without adding on a bunch of fat.

hey!,

You make a good point. This isn't just in the European population either. The older generation equates being slim, with being unhealthy. This makes sense to people who lived through the depression and through WW2.

chica,

Good question. I would aim for the visible six pack at the lower waist size for now. My guess is that you will eventually add an inch or two to your waist over time. I am not sure of your age, but as you workout for a while, you will ad a little bit of muscle to your lower back, obliques, and abs…which all ad a little bit of size to the waist line.

Ran,

The BMI makes for a good starting point, but it isn't an absolute…there are a few variables that can sway the number in either direction.

Scott,

I like to use calipers as well. Body fat percentage is a good measure for sure. That being said, I think the ideal size for long term health is close to the normal BMI range and at low body fat. Some bodybuilders have massive BMI number at a low body fat level…unhealthy in my opinion…even if it is mainly muscle.

Jason G,

Great point…I think there is something to be said for not consuming massive amounts of calories. I used to eat many calories during the day and then spend 5-6 days a week doing cardio. The best approach is to not eat those excesss calories in the first place and do 1/3-1/4 of the cardio.

Helder,

Great advice. Like you said…it is best to go slow and save some of these more agressive methods for when people have 4-5 stubborn pounds to lose. Either way…he needs to be careful to not go too agressive for too long of a period of time.

Rafi,

The sample size for this study was much smaller than the studies that I cited. Also…this study didn't seperate non-smokers from smokers and people who had low body weights due to being sick. The first study I cited claimed that when they didn't pull out the smokers and slim people will diseases that the data showed that overweight people did live longer. Once they isolated the study to just look at healthy non-smokers, they found that overweight people had a shorter life expectancy.

Jo,

There is great evidence that supports eating less. I actually have made an effort this past year to reduce my portion sizes. The side benefit is the ability to stay just as lean with less time working out.

Sue G,

Great points…Mark Sisson (MarksDailyApple.com) is around the same age and is in better shape than most 18 year olds. Sounds like you are doing everything right to keep a great BMI.

Done,

Fruit isn't bad for insulin spikes, fruit juice is. You can eat a lot of fruit and stay lean. I don't think you will want to live on fruit, but it can be a major portion of your diet. Type in fruit into the search bar in the upper right hand corner of my site…then click on the post that comes up that says "Incredible Fruit Facts: Why Fruit Should Be a Major Part of Your Diet".

Terry,

People who hate exercise and who are overweight, have a grim future ahead of them. You can't control what people do, but keep suggesting in different ways that it would be in their best interest to slim down.

Shaun,

Adding muscle is fine…I am talking about the practice of adding fat and muscle when I say "bulking up".

David,

The only reason you would want to do one muscle group per workout is if you were doing many sets and reps for that muscle group. This is mainly an approach to gaining mass. Bodybuilders do this, because they are doing high volume of sets and reps and need more rest in between training each muscle group to recover. You don't need as much time in between training each muscle group, because you aren't breaking down the muscle. I would recommend Chest and Back in one workout and Shoulders and Arms in another workout. Maybe just lift 3-4 times per week, since you are doing are getting plenty activity in addition to weight lifting.

sangita,

I would pay attention to the BMI to a certain extent, not the amount of weight gained. People don't need to be extremely defined to be healthy, just no big visible fat bulges and they are probably fine.

Vic,

Yep…just another reason to stay lean your entire life.

Brad,

I haven't seen a study address this. If you feel terrible from fasting, then maybe limit it to just once a week on a day where you don't have to solve complex problems. I find that over time, you will find it easy to fast, but at first it may be a challenge.

Rick,

You sound like you are doing fine. You may want to lighten up a bit to just feel better. I was around a 27 BMI at one point in my life, even though I was at a low body fat percentage. I felt heavy and less athletic. Once you lighten up a bit you feel agile and thing like hiking or walking up flights of stairs feel better.

Great Comments!

Rusty

Thanks for your help.

i do a lot of brain-intensive work throughout the day, solving (or at least trying to solve) challenging math/programming/physics problems. i am concerned that my brain may not be getting the energy needed to focus on such tasks. i was wondering if you know of any research that shows the effects of fasting and brain performance/function. does one burn more calories sitting in my chair vs. sitting in my chair but studying, i mean, like, _really_ thinking? right now i have a mega headache which i assume may be from doing programming/math all day without anything to eat…