It has been too long...

It has been a long time since I have blogged! I am so sorry! I will post after my day at the Health and Wellness Expo tomorrow!

Time Magazine's August Cover Says Exercise Does Not Lead to Fat Loss.

Time Magazine has stirred up a lot of conflict on the topic of weight loss and exercise since its August 9th article. There have been plenty of other blog posts and discussions on talk shows about the reality of the coupling of exercise and weight loss. As an exercise and healthy eating advocate I have my opinions of this topic.

John Clouds, the author of the Time article, suggests that exercise increases appetite, which in turn increases caloric intake and therefore creates a wash of weight fluctuation. He also claims that sitting on the couch burns 40 calories alone, while running for a half hour burns about 250 cals. which then has to be replenished with caloric intake to satisfy the hunger pangs created by physical activity.

These accusations are hindering the majority of the article's readers, more than likely causing them to take a sigh of relief that they no longer have to drag themselves to a gym once a week, or at least think about working out when all they have to do is, well, sit on the couch.

Pounds will not come off by sitting on the couch, for one thing. Another question that this raises is will the people who swear off exercise be eating the right foods and in the correct amounts to lose weight, or even more importantly feel satisfied?

Knowing that your daily caloric intake should not exceed a certain number, depending on your BMI, age, lifestyle, and goal of weight loss, people might begin to feel deprived from the foods they used to enjoy. This feeling of deprivation can, and often does, lead people to binge on high calorie foods in hopes of filling a craving. This craving is masked as indulgent food, but what the body is actually seeking is endorphins, the feel good hormone that is secreted during pleasurable activity, such as exercise.

Unlike the ongoing and almost addictive affects of exercise, indulging in forbidden foods will give you a sense of happiness (usually the sugar high if eating sweet foods) followed by a crash and sense of guilt. If you are not working out the only way to get back on track with your weight loss diet would be to deprive yourself, creating the same cycle.

Diet is well over 50% of a weight loss plan. If you were to go on a 25 mile bike ride, or go to an hour long group fitness class and then rush to the nearest Burger King for a Whopper, then you would be ruining your entire workout. In order to lose weight you must burn more calories than consumed. This is the law of thermogentics, and wouldn't you say that is pretty simple?

The healthy and beneficial foods needed to support an active life can be eaten in larger volumes (such as veggies) and the quantities of proteins, carbs, and fats will also increase with higher activity. You must eat all these foods in order to support your metabolism and the regeneration of your muscle fibers.

So this sounds like the more you workout the more you have to eat, right? Well, this is greatly based on the amount of time you are spending during a given daily workout. If you are working out for less than 60 minutes a day then your caloric intake does not have to increase dramatically because of this. Workout for more than 60 minutes and be prepared to amp up your calories in order to prevent exhaustion and bonking during your workout.

After a workout you have a 30 minute window to ingest at least 20 grams of protein for muscle recuperation. Also, to keep your metabolism at its peak you must eat more than 3 large meals a day. This will be the hugest part of weight loss. If you can eat 5-6 small meals consisting of a protein and a complex carbohydrate (such as fruits and whole grains) you will never feel hungry or deprived and your body will absorb the nutrients as it is intended instead of storing it as fat reserves.

If your goal is to lose weight don't just sit there on the couch. Go to the gym and figure out a healthy and maintainable diet regimen that you can stick with for life. If you are going to hirer a personal trainer tell him or her that your goal is weight loss and they will tailor a workout program specifically for your goal and lifestyle. That's what we are here for! Otherwise, we would only train athletes and weight lifters.

Bottom line, exercise will not only promote weight loss, but it will promote a healthy lifestyle. If you put time and effort into a workout you are less likely to ruin your day with a bucket of fried chicken. Being conscious of what you do and put into your body will stay with you for life.

Eat right and keep your body healthy with exercise! Every aspect of your life will be positively affected! I promise!

How Your BMI Can Be Misleading

To calculate an individual's BMI, or Body Mass Index, all you simply have to do is divide your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared (kg/m^2). Or if this is too much trouble then simply google BMI calculator.

An individual's BMI does not take into account their fat percentage, lean muscle mass, OR hip to waist ratio. Both of these obesity measurements are extremely important when analyzing an individual's health. But obtaining the BMI is easy, quick and can be done, for example, over the phone instead of waiting to be face to face with an individual.

Next time you renew your medical insurance see if you are being penalized because of your BMI. If you are and you believe it is an amount worthy of protesting see if you can send in a physical to lower your premium.

If your BMI is indeed in need of a review begin by making changes to your diet and activity level. Even those who may appear to have a decent weight can have high percentages of fat rather than muscle. So make a trip to your healthcare provider for your physical and then make an appointment with a personal trainer, or gym employee to determine not only your BMI, but your % of body fat, lean muscle mass, and bone density. This will be a good starting point to access what needs to change in order for you to feel your best. And hey, perhaps you will be rewarded by your insurance company!