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Get Your Body Back!

by: Bryan Whatley, B.S., Exercise Physiologist, NSCA-CPT

We all want to look and feel better, but sometimes we aren’t sure where to begin, or we don’t think it’s possible.  Yes, exercise does require time and energy, but it is well worth it!  We all have many excuses for not exercising, and after 5 years of personal training I have probably heard ‘em all.  But, the bottom line is if we are able to make exercise and proper nutrition a priority we will improve our appearance and quality of life. 

The primary aspects to any successful weight loss plan are nutrition, weight training, and cardio.  The most important of these is proper nutritional habits.  All of your hard work and dedication can be sabotaged if you don’t watch what you eat.  We’ve all heard the theory of “the less you eat the more weight you’ll lose”, right?  Not necessarily!  It’s not as simple as calories in versus calories out - you must make sure you are eating the right amount of calories.  An exercising female should never eat less than 1200 calories per day, and an exercising male should never eat less than 1500 calories per day.  Eating too few calories can trigger your body to go into “starvation mode” and will ultimately slow your metabolism and hinder weight loss.

In addition to eating the correct amount of calories it is also important to pay attention to how often you eat and what you eat.  Eating 5 - 6 smaller meals per day will allow you to maintain and perhaps even increase your metabolism as you lose weight.  The correct breakdown of calories is also key.  A healthy weight loss diet should consist of about 50% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 20% fat.  Try to focus on complex carbs like brown rice, wheat, and vegetables.  These foods contain more fiber, which, in addition to its many health benefits, takes longer to digest and makes you feel full for longer.  Stay away from sugar and fructose, which are simple carbohydrates and digest quickly.  Eating sufficient amounts of protein will help maintain your muscle mass.  Look for lean proteins such as fish and poultry, leaner cuts of beef, and eggs.  Fats are required for correct body functioning, but look for healthy monounsaturated fats.

Sound like a lot to think about?  Start with these tips for lifestyle change:  limit fast food, don’t drink your calories, and keep a food log. 

A weight loss program is not complete if it only includes proper nutrition.  Weight training and cardio are also keys to losing weight.  Ultimately, weight loss is all about burning more calories than you are consuming.  Here’s the math:  one pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories.  To lose 2 pounds of fat per week you would need to burn an additional 7,000 calories/week.  This translates into 1,000 calories/day.  If you can cut your caloric intake by 600 calories per day, you would still need to burn 400 to reach that goal.  Since an average person can burn between 300 and 500 calories per hour of exercise, adding one hour of exercise per day would burn the additional calories needed to lose 2 pounds a week.  Simply put:  the calorie burning qualities of exercise alone are enough to propel you towards your weight loss goal.

When it comes to cardio, doing it the right way matters.   A simple way to ensure that your cardio is supporting your goal is to keep track of your heart rate.  To burn the maximum amount of fat calories you should exercise at about 70% of your maximum heart rate.  At this rate your body will be primarily using fat to get energy, and directly burn fat from your body.  A basic calculation to find your predicted max heart rate is: 220 – your age = Max HR.  Once you have this number multiply it by 0.7.  For example, if you are 40 years old your predicted Max HR would be 180 BPM, and your exercising HR should be 126 beats/minute.  Doing cardio at this intensity should be moderately strenuous, not overly challenging.  Although you could have a more vigorous workout, this level is optimal for directly burning fat stores.

Cardio is not the only kind of exercise you need.  Although it burns calories, cardio will not help you gain muscle.  Gaining muscle through strength training is important in weight loss because of muscle’s ability to burn more calories.  One pound of muscle, on average, will burn up to 50 calories more per day than 1 pound of fat.  If you are consistent with a weight training program and are able to gain 10 pounds of muscle, you would burn 500 additional calories a day, which would be 3500 calories a week, which is equivalent to burning 1 pound of fat a week.  It is easy to see how building muscle can make weight loss much easier and quicker.

Although these tips will help you get started on a weight loss plan, you must commit for the long term to really be successful.  Consistency is the most crucial aspect of any plan.  No matter how tired or busy you are it is important to remember your commitment and stick with it on those days when you just don’t want to.  Find a partner who will hold you accountable with your exercise and diet, set aside time specifically for exercise, and put it on your calendar.

It’s also important to stay positive.  A healthy and realistic weight loss goal is to lose between 1 and 3 pounds per week.  Losing weight at this gradual and consistent rate will make it much easier to keep off.  You didn’t gain the weight overnight, and you won’t lose it overnight either.  Set goals for the short term as well as long term, and don’t obsess over the scale.  There are many ways to measure progress.  You may see it in inches lost, the way your clothes are fitting, and decreases in body fat percentage before you see the pounds drop.  Once you reach your goal, maintain your new lifestyle to keep the weight off.