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April 29, 2009
 In “The Only Math You Need to Know,” I talked about creating a daily calorie deficit. Specifically, in order to lose 1 pound per week you need to create a deficit of 500 calories each day. Exercise is really the most powerful tool to do this. Working out expends energy and, in order to expend that energy, your body needs to burn calories (usually sugar and fat). Could you lose weight simply by cutting 500 calories from your diet without working out? Sure. If you’re creating a deficit, you’ll lose weight – no matter how it’s done.
Changing Your Body
But weight loss is not about getting down to a certain clothing size or a number on the scale (although that’s often what goals are structured around unfortunately). It’s really about restructuring your body – about building a system that not only works more efficiently, but processes food and burns calories in a way that keeps you from gaining the weight back. Sure, you can lose weight through diet alone, but I guarantee you that weight will come back just as quickly as you lost it. And often you end up worse off than you were before you started losing weight. This is a vicious cycle that many people get caught up in – often termed “yo-yo dieting”.
The addition of exercise does more than increase your calorie deficit. Exercise is the mechanism by which you can change your body.
Here’s how it works: There are three main components of exercise – strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular work. Flexibility should always be a part of your exercise program, but for the purpose of this discussion I’m going to assume you include some stretching after your workouts and leave it at that. Strength training and cardiovascular exercise are the two components I’ll focus on for weight loss.
The Cardio Component
Cardiovascular exercise is aerobic activity (think running, walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, skiing, hiking, etc). People usually engage in these types of activities to burn calories and because they enjoy them. But cardiovascular exercise can improve your health on so many other levels beyond weight loss.
Here are just a few of those benefits:
- Reduced blood pressure.
- Reduced total cholesterol.
- Reduced body fat.
- Reduced depression symptoms.
- Reduced resting heart rate.
- Reduced incidence of some cancers.
- Increased HDL cholesterol (the “good” kind).
- Increased heart function.
- Increased oxygen consumption & blood flow to active muscles.
- Increased utilization of fat.
- Prevention of type-II diabetes.
For weight loss, I would suggest 45-60 minutes of cardiovascular exercise 3-4 days per week. Any activity that is sustained for this period of time and keeps your heart rate up around 65-80% of your maximum heart rate will help you burn calories and reap the benefits listed above.*
The Strength Component
I’ve written before about strength training (“4 Reasons Why You Should Be Strength Training”) and its significant benefits, both for weight loss and for restructuring your body. Here’s a clip from that article:
Your muscles are what carry out many of the metabolic reactions that burn sugar and fat stores for energy. Want to lose weight? Increase the percentage of lean muscle mass you have on your body, and you’ll be burning more calories per day – even while you’re sleeping!
Increasing your muscle mass is accomplished with strength training. By adding weight training and toning exercises to your routine, you’ll be burning calories while you build muscle. And the more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn each day – which really means that as you lose weight and change your body, it will get progressively harder for you to gain that weight back! That is the key right there, and it’s the reason why so many people can’t successfully maintain their weight. They haven’t fundamentally changed their body.
Putting It All Together
For weight loss, I would suggest 30-60 minutes of total body strength training 2-3 non-consecutive days per week. Combined with your cardio work, your exercise schedule would look something like this:
Monday 50 minutes Cardio
Tuesday 40 minutes Strength Training
Wednesday 50 minutes Cardio
Thursday 40 minutes Strength Training
Friday 50 minutes Cardio
Saturday 60 minutes Cardio
Sunday Rest
It’s important to allow yourself at least one day off each week, to let your body recover from the stress of exercise. Strength training, especially, requires a recovery period, which is why I say schedule your weight training on non-consecutive days. After these training sessions, your muscles need time to synthesize proteins and build strength back up, which typically takes about 48 hours.
Adding exercise to your weight loss program will not only help you in reaching your calorie deficit, it will improve your ability to utilize and burn fat and reduce your risk of many diseases. You will be more successful in keeping the weight off – and let’s face it, you’re working hard to lose that weight! Don’t set yourself up to fail by neglecting the most important part of weight loss – exercise.
*If you are just beginning an exercise program, are recovering from an injury or illness or are over 65, start with 20-30 minutes of cardio activity at an intensity of 40-65% maximum heart rate and gradually build up to higher levels.
For more on weight loss strategies: “10 Ways to Make Weight Loss Work for You.”
Resources:
Bryant, Cedric X., and Daniel J. Green, eds. ACE Personal Trainer Manual, 3rd ed. San Diego: American Council on Exercise, 2003.
April 27, 2009
 I know you’re working hard at eating less, choosing the right foods, and fitting in sessions at the gym. You’re on your game and losing weight – until those cravings hit you. You say, “Just one – I deserve it.” Then you eat another, and another. By the time you’re done you’ve eaten the whole bag of whatever it was and will spend the rest of the night feeling guilty. At this point, you’re more likely to continue to eat the wrong things because you’ve convinced yourself that your diet is already “ruined.” I’ve seen clients go through an entire weekend like this… sometimes weeks.
Weight Loss is NOT All or Nothing
So first off, let me dispel that myth once and for all. When you choose to eat something “bad” you haven’t ruined all your efforts! You’ve just eaten a few more calories than you intended to that day. True, sometimes it’s a lot more than you intended, but the number doesn’t matter at that point. What’s done is done. The best thing you can do is get right back on the horse so to speak. Continue eating right and working out – and praise yourself for doing so, rather than all those feelings of guilt and disappointment! We all have cravings for certain foods and we ALL succumb to them sometimes (I happen to LOVE roasted marshmallows and will definitely eat more than my share at a cookout!).
Rising Above the Cravings
Because I know we all have these cravings, and I’ve dealt with my own over the years, I have a few suggestions on how to deal with them. Sure it’s okay to give in to them once in awhile, but if you are craving chocolate every night then you’re going to have to draw a line at some point. You won’t reach your weight loss goals with that kind of regular behavior. So to help you control your cravings, I’ve put together some of the techniques I use to rise above and stay on track.
My Strategies:
If you’re hungry between meals or late at night:
- Drink a diet soda or seltzer water to help fill you up.
- Drink hot herbal tea for comfort (it’s also an appetite suppressant).
If you’re craving something sweet:
- Eat apple slices (or other fruit).
- Make some sugar-free jello.
If you’re craving something salty:
- Try Orville Redenbachers 97% fat-free Kettle Korn (it’s tastier than other low-fat popcorns).
- Steam about 1 cup of frozen edamames (soy beans) and salt them.
If you’re craving chocolate:
- Make some low-sugar hot chocolate.
- Drink mocha-flavored or chocolate raspberry coffee.
- Buy some low-sugar Fudgicles.
What techniques do you use to control your cravings?
For more on weight loss: “10 Ways to Make Weight Loss Work for You.”
For more on meal strategies:
Strategies For Controlling Your Portion Sizes
Switch Lunch With Dinner
Eat More (Often) to Weigh Less
April 24, 2009
Portion control is one thing but you also need to be eating enough throughout the day to keep your blood sugar levels steady and your energy up. This can be accomplished simply by eating several smaller meals throughout the day (as opposed to the standard three big meals).
 I aim for five to six “mini” meals each day. Sometimes this means eating slightly less at breakfast, lunch, and dinner and adding two snacks. Other days this means literally eating six small meals spaced throughout the day. Those choices depend on my schedule but the underlying principle is the same – eat consistently to fuel your body and prevent those mid-day energy slumps.
Regulating Blood Sugar
What do I mean when I talk about keeping blood sugar levels stable? Your blood must always have a certain level of glucose contained within it – the concentration is highly regulated by hormones in your body (like insulin, which regulates how much sugar is taken from the bloodstream and transferred into cells).
After you eat and digest carbohydrates (which are really just sugar molecules linked together), those broken down sugars are absorbed into the bloodstream and the amount of sugar floating around in your blood is increased. When your blood sugar levels are high like this (especially after you eat something that contains a lot of sugar, like cake or even a big bowl of fruit), you could experience a headache. Your heart is constantly pumping blood to your brain for you to function and, as soon as your bloodstream is full of sugar, you’ll end up feeling the effect in the form of a headache because your blood sugar levels are higher than they should be. Eating smaller meals, and combining protein with those carbohydrates, helps ensure that your blood sugar levels don’t rise so high at any one point during the day. Instead, you are providing your body a constant supply of sugar and other nutrients.*
On the other hand, you also want to make sure those blood sugar levels don’t get too low. If you get too busy during the day to stop and eat something (I know we’ve all been there), then your blood glucose levels drop and – no surprise here – you get a headache. Your energy levels also drop significantly and you might have trouble concentrating. Eating small meals or snacks at several points during the day prevents this state of deprivation and helps to regulate both blood sugar and energy levels.
Beyond that, when you “starve” yourself throughout the day you are more apt to eat a lot when you do have time for dinner. Just think about the days when you skip lunch and get home late at night. You end up standing in front of the fridge grabbing everything you can! Definitely not the type of behavior that will help you reach your weight loss goals.
I know it seems strange to think that eating more frequently will help you lose weight, but I speak from experience when I say it works. And more importantly, fueling your body in a steady manner is a healthy behavior that will serve you well for the rest of your life – long after you’ve reached your goal weight. You’ll also find that it improves your energy levels and prevents those after-work binges (or at least most of them…).
Remember – there’s no strict rules here. As long as you keep within your allotted calories for the day, you can split up your meals however works best for you. Some days it works better for me to eat three regular meals (although I eat smaller portions) and add a couple snacks in between the meals. A snack in this case would be maybe half an apple and an ounce of low-fat cheese, or half a protein bar. Eventually you’ll find a system that works with your lifestyle. When I do have the luxury of spreading my meals throughout the day, I aim for six smaller meals. What do I eat? I’ve put together some examples of my “small” meals below for you to work with. Enjoy!
Examples of small meals (200-300 calories each):
1. Salad with veggies and 2-3oz lean meat
2. 2-egg omelet with veggies and an apple
3. 1/3 cup low-fat cottage cheese and ½ cup fruit
4. Low-sugar protein bar (about 200 calories)
5. 2 cups grilled veggies and 2-3oz lean meat
6. ½ can tuna, ½ cup salsa, and ½ cup cubed pineapple
7. 2 eggs, 1 ounce low-fat cheese, and 1 whole grain sandwich thin (breakfast sandwich)
8. 2 tomatoes (chopped), basil, 2 ounces low-fat cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette
9. 1 soy burger and 1 cup low-sodium tomato soup
10. 1 cup oatmeal and ½ scoop protein powder
*This is where insulin comes in to regulate blood glucose levels – when there’s too much sugar in the blood, insulin signals cells to absorb some of the sugar. This continues until blood glucose levels are back to normal.
For more on weight loss: “10 Ways to Make Weight Loss Work for You.”
For more on meal strategies:
Strategies For Controlling Your Portion Sizes
Switch Lunch With Dinner
Techniques For Controlling Your Cravings
April 22, 2009
This is such a simple tip that it is hard to believe how effective it can be! Simply switch your lunch and dinner menus. Lunch choices are often soups, salads, and sandwiches – usually light food with a high concentration of fruits and vegetables. Dinners are usually heavier meals, focused around meat and pasta or potatoes. (This statement is obviously geared towards Americans – I realize that it is common elsewhere to have a large mid-day meal.)
I suggest switching lunch with dinner because all of your activity occurs during the day. You are running around, exercising, stressing, presenting…whatever your day consists of. By the time you get home at night and finish eating, it’s time to sit and relax. There is substantially less calorie-burning activity between dinner and bedtime then there is earlier in the day. Yet in contrast, we eat our lighter meal during the period where we’re burning the most calories, and our heaviest meal when we’re burning the least. Doesn’t seem to make sense, right?
Additionally, it’s important to look at the ways in which these foods are being used by your body. Fats and carbohydrates are major sources of energy for daily activities, while protein is primarily used to rebuild muscles, enzymes, and other necessary structures in the body. During the day you are more active so there is a need for high-energy food items. While you sleep, your body repairs and recovers from the day – activities that require protein. By switching dinner with lunch you are fueling your body with the right nutrients for the right activities, while at the same time reducing the overabundance of carbohydrates eaten before bed.
For this reason I try to eat grains at breakfast and lunch time (breads, potato, pasta, cereal, etc). Of course, I balance the meal with protein and vegetables too! But my point is that lunch should be the meal with the heavier carbohydrates because your body will have time to utilize them properly during the day. Dinner is best centered around vegetables (like a salad or grilled vegetables) and lean protein. I try to limit the amount of grains I eat at night – which helps maintain my weight and also makes for a lighter meal prior to bed.
Switching dinner with lunch is a simple strategy that is oh-so-effective for controlling weight. Try it and tell me what you think!
For more on weight loss: “10 Ways to Make Weight Loss Work for You.”
For more on meal strategies:
Strategies For Controlling Your Portion Sizes
Eat More (Often) to Weigh Less
Techniques For Controlling Your Cravings
April 20, 2009
Staying hydrated isn’t necessarily a “weight loss” strategy, but it is important for overall health & longevity – especially when you are involved in a consistent exercise regime. And since 50-75% of the body is water, I feel obligated to mention it as one of my 10 best strategies for losing weight.
The average person loses about 2,500ml of water per day – without exercise. This is completely normal and necessary; water aids us in flushing toxins out of our bodies and promotes normal body functions. With heavy exercise, though, this figure can increase to 6 or 7 liters per day of water loss!
For these reasons, it is vital that your fluid losses are replaced constantly during the day. This is usually accomplished through a combination of:
- Beverages (preferably not sugary juices or soda)
- Food (many fruits and vegetables are a surprisingly great source of water)
- Metabolic reactions (these take place at the cellular level; water is a natural byproduct)
It is especially important to hydrate before, during, and after your workouts, as this is where you lose a lot of fluids through perspiration. The Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) recommends consuming eight to ten ounces of water prior to exercise, three to four ounces every 20 minutes during exercise, and about 16 ounces for every pound of weight lost as a result of exercise. Cool water is best because it can be absorbed more quickly from the stomach than warm water can. Remember, if you wait until you feel thirsty you are already slightly dehydrated. So make sure to drink throughout the day!
Did You Know? The reason you sweat when you exercise is to minimize the natural increase in your core temperature. As you exercise, the work being done by your muscles, joints, neurons, etc. creates a large amount of heat energy. The process of sweating expels water from inside your body to your surface area where it evaporates into the air and cools your skin. If you were unable to dissipate that heat energy by the evaporation of sweat, your body would overheat. Drinking water during your workout can also help to minimize the increase in your core temperature.
Exercising in a hot, humid environment can be dangerous for these same reasons. The already saturated air would make evaporation of your sweat extremely difficult, and you wouldn’t be able to cool your escalating core temperature.
For more on weight loss, try “10 Ways to Make Weight Loss Work for You.”
Resources:
Gladwin, Laura A., ed. Fitness Theory & Practice, 4th ed. Sherman Oaks, CA: The Aerobics and Fitness Association of America, 2002.
Powers, Scott K., and Edward T. Howley. Exercise Physiology, 3rd ed. Guilford, CT: Brown & Benchmark Publishers, 1997.
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