| I've worked with hundreds of people who were | | | | |
| interested in losing weight. Overthe years | | | | |
| I've noticed four areas that I believe are | | | | |
| particular hindrancesto weight loss. If your | | | | "I knew that exercise needed to be apriority |
| goal is to be successful at losing weight and | | | | and so I changed several thingsin my daily |
| keeping it off, avoid the "big 4" no-nos. | | | | schedule to make that happen.I started with |
| | | | very little but I was veryconsistent. I |
| | | | worked up to 45 minutes ofaerobic exercise in |
| | | | the morning and 30 to45 minutes in the |
| #1 Big No-No: Not exercising on a daily | | | | evening. On Saturdays,I take a less intense, |
| basis. Daily exercise sends your metabolism | | | | but longer walkthroughout my area of town |
| through the roof! I have seen VERY FEW | | | | enjoying allthe sights. I'm up to 8 to 10 |
| peoplewho are not very regular exercisers, | | | | miles onmy Saturday walk. I also weight |
| loseweight AND keep it off. | | | | trainthree days a week. Please don't get |
| | | | theimpression that this was easy. I |
| | | | wentthrough MANY difficult struggles butit |
| | | | definitely got easier as I progressed." |
| Losing weight and maintaining that losscan be | | | | |
| very difficult. However, both canbe made | | | | |
| considerably easier with regularexercise, | | | | |
| preferably in the morning. | | | | "I'm now 12 pounds from my goal weight. |
| | | | Greg,I can't begin to explain how my life |
| | | | haschanged. Everything is different. Eventhe |
| | | | way people talk to me. It's almostlike people |
| If you're interested in losing fat, | | | | didn't even see the personunder all that fat. |
| you'reobjective is to create a daily | | | | Probably best of allis that I have energy to |
| caloricdeficit. For example, If you're | | | | function now.I'm not constantly tired like I |
| consuming1700 calories per day, and expending | | | | used tobe." |
| 2000calories per day, your caloric deficit | | | | |
| is300 calories. Losing a pound of fat | | | | |
| requiresa deficit of 3500 calories. So, to | | | | |
| lose two pounds per week would require a | | | | "Obviously, my perception of exercise |
| dailydeficit of 1000 calories. | | | | haschanged now. I enjoy it and look forwardto |
| | | | it. I'm planning on doing a halfmarathon |
| | | | (13.1 miles) walk in the fall.Thanks again |
| | | | for your words of encouragement." |
| So, if you'd like to increase your daily | | | | |
| caloric deficit, you have two options; 1. To | | | | |
| decrease your caloric intake by eatingfewer | | | | |
| calories, or..2. To increase your caloric | | | | ElizabethLexington, Kentucky |
| expenditure via more activity / | | | | |
| exercise.However, you cannot decrease your | | | | |
| dailycaloric intake much lower than 1200 to | | | | |
| 1500 or so without potentially creating | | | | Wow! This lady is unstoppable. Notice thatshe |
| health and metabolism problems. | | | | first realized the true benefits ofexercise |
| | | | and then decided to do *whatever*she had to |
| | | | for exercise to become aconsistent part of |
| | | | her life. |
| In fact, many people's metabolism (basal | | | | |
| metabolic rate) is so slow from years of | | | | |
| inactivity and dieting, that they are only | | | | |
| burning fewer than 1500 calories per | | | | Exercise radically changes how your |
| day.Without exercise, they would have | | | | bodyhandles fat! when you're sedentary, |
| todecrease their daily caloric intake | | | | allthe physiological signals tell your bodyto |
| tounhealthy levels to lose weight. And, | | | | hang on to the fat and dump the metabolism |
| acaloric intake that's too low only | | | | boosting muscle. When you'reexercising on a |
| createsmore metabolism problems and a vicious | | | | daily basis, all thephysiological signals |
| cycle of more weight gain. | | | | tell your body todump the fat and increase |
| | | | the metabolismboosting muscle. Which signals |
| | | | do you want? |
| | | | |
| So, the only remaining factor in the deficit | | | | |
| equation is caloric expenditure through | | | | |
| increased activity / exercise. | | | | #3 Big No-No: Not taking the time to planand |
| | | | prepare your eating. Healthy eating forweight |
| | | | loss won't just happen, you have tospend time |
| | | | on it. |
| The good news is that you can | | | | |
| substantiallyincrease your caloric | | | | |
| expenditure. Forexample, if you're currently | | | | |
| walking for 30 minutes two days per week, | | | | Not being prepared is a major factor |
| over a period of several weeks you can | | | | thatleads to overeating and unhealthy |
| increase your walkingto 60 minutes per day, | | | | eating.Take time to plan your shopping and |
| six to seven daysper week and begin weight | | | | eatingfor the week. Take time to prepare |
| training for 30minutes three days per week. | | | | yourlunch to take to work, and your meal |
| | | | forthe evening, etc. Plan for healthy |
| | | | snacksto have at home, in your car, at work, |
| | | | etc.Our weight loss programs specifically |
| So, in this example, you would increase your | | | | discuss how to set up an effective |
| monthly exercise minutes from about 240 to | | | | snackingsystem. |
| 1530. Plus, in addition to the calories | | | | |
| thatyou're expending during exercise, you | | | | |
| wouldalso substantially increase the number | | | | |
| ofcalories you're burning 24 hours-a-day, | | | | 4. Not including intervals in your |
| yes,you'll even burn more calories while | | | | aerobicexercise. Intervals are brief periods |
| you'resleeping because you've fired-up your | | | | (about one minute) of more intense exercise |
| basalmetabolic rate. You can't beat that, can | | | | mixed into yourregular aerobic exercise |
| you? | | | | sessions. Forexample, if you're walking, you |
| | | | would do aone minute interval of faster |
| | | | walking onceevery five minutes throughout |
| | | | your exercisesession. |
| Here's another VERY important reasonto | | | | |
| exercise while you're restrictingcalories and | | | | |
| trying to lose weight. you tendto lose muscle | | | | |
| tissue from any muscle thatyou're not using | | | | Here's how it will look.. you'll start |
| while you're restrictingcalories. You've | | | | withyour normal three to five minute warm-up |
| heard it - use it or lose it.And, there are | | | | andthen five minutes into your workout you |
| three main consequences to losing muscle;1. | | | | doyour first interval, one minute of |
| Your metabolism (basal metabolic | | | | fasterwalking (or perhaps jogging). At the |
| rate)decreases causing you to burn *fewer* | | | | end ofthat minute you should be "winded" and |
| calories24 hours-a-day and causing the | | | | readyto slow down. You'll slow down to your |
| maintenanceof your weight loss to be very | | | | normalexercising speed for the next four |
| difficult.2. Your muscles get flabby and | | | | minutesand then your fifth minute is another |
| mushy.3. Your are weaker and become | | | | oneminute interval. This pattern continues |
| fatiguedmore easily. | | | | throughout your exercise session. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| #2 Big No-No: Not deciding to make a | | | | You'll derive several benefits from |
| drasticchange. I've seen this over and over | | | | intervals.. |
| againwith hundreds of people. Unless | | | | |
| someonedecides that they are ready to get | | | | |
| reallyserious about losing weight and ready | | | | |
| tomake drastic changes, their chances of | | | | 1. Intervals can help you to get past aweight |
| losingweight and keeping it off are not good. | | | | loss plateau. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| Research continues to indicate thatAmericans | | | | 2. Intervals increase your aerobic |
| are becoming more sedentary..and fatter every | | | | fitnesslevel by "pushing the envelope". While |
| year. This move towardinactivity and an | | | | doingyour interval you cross the |
| increase in body fatis even more pronounced | | | | anaerobicthreshold into anaerobic metabolism, |
| in children, whodon't get out and play | | | | forcingyour body to become conditioned to |
| anymore. Instead,they sit in front of a TV or | | | | more intense exercise. |
| computer(perhaps like their parents) for many | | | | |
| of their waking hours. | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | 3. Your increased level of fitness means |
| | | | thata given level of exercise will feel |
| We know that there is a very direct,inverse | | | | easierand that you will be able to exercise |
| relationship between a person'slevel of | | | | at a higher intensity which "burns" more |
| activity and the percentage oftheir weight | | | | calories. |
| that is fat. less activityequals more fat, | | | | |
| and more activity equalslees fat. | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | 4. Your increased level of fitness also |
| | | | meansthat you will be less fatigued from |
| I received an email message recentlythat I'd | | | | dailyactivities and you'll have more "energy" |
| like to share with you. It's aweight loss and | | | | throughout the day. |
| fitness success storythat makes you want to | | | | |
| start exercisingwhile you're reading it. | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | 5. Intervals increase your basal |
| | | | metabolicrate (BMR), causing you to burn more |
| It's from a 48 year-old lady, Elizabeth,who | | | | calories24 hours-a-day. |
| lives in Lexington, Kentucky. Sheis living | | | | |
| proof that less activityequals more fat, and | | | | |
| more activity equals less fat. Here's her | | | | |
| letter: | | | | 6. Intervals cause you to "burn" more |
| | | | caloriesduring your exercise session and for |
| | | | several hours afterwards. |
| | | | |
| "Greg, I'm writing to thank you for | | | | |
| yourinspiring articles and to tell you | | | | |
| aboutmy journey (a rough one) to fitness. | | | | 7. Intervals will tone the involved musclesto |
| Iwas at a healthy weight in my earlytwenties | | | | a greater degree than your regular aerobic |
| and had my first child at age26. I remained | | | | exercise would. |
| about 30 pounds overweightafter she was | | | | |
| born." | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | 8. Intervals can make your exercise |
| | | | lessmonotonous and help the time pass |
| "I managed to gain 15 more pounds duringthe | | | | morequickly. |
| next four years, mostly because of several | | | | |
| diets I tried. After the birthof my second | | | | |
| child at age 31, I was 60pounds overweight | | | | |
| and very frustrated.Over the next 15 years I | | | | 9. Intervals will energize you! |
| tried numerousdiets (even eating just rice) | | | | |
| that ultimate led to me being 120 | | | | |
| poundsoverweight." | | | | |
| | | | If you'd like to put a little excitement |
| | | | intoyour exercise, and you're looking for |
| | | | better results, give intervals a try. |
| "I started reading your articles two yearsago | | | | |
| and it finally began to sink in. Ifinally | | | | |
| realized that exercise wasn'tjust about the | | | | |
| calories I was burningduring exercise. I | | | | Avoid these four "no-nos" and your weight |
| finally realizedthat I would never lose the | | | | lossefforts are much more likely to be |
| weight andkeep it off without some real | | | | successful. |
| exercisein my life." | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | copyright 2004 by Greg Landry, M.S. |
| "I reached a point in my life where myweight | | | | |
| was ruining my life. I got to thepoint where | | | | |
| everything was a struggle,none of my fat | | | | |
| clothes fit, I didn'twant to see anyone | | | | Author and exercise physiologist, Greg |
| because of the way Ilooked, and even walking | | | | Landry, offers free weight loss and fitness |
| made mebreathless. I decided that I would | | | | success stories and targeted, highly |
| eithermake a drastic change at that point orI | | | | affective weight loss programs for women, |
| would give up. I chose to make a | | | | men, type 2 diabetics, and people with slow |
| drasticchange." | | | | metabolisms and hypothyroidism.. |