JaxTrainer - Jacksonville Certified Advanced Personal Fitness Trainer
Private Fitness Training, Pilates Instructor, Rossiter, Diet and Nutrition Coach in Jacksonville FL,
Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Ponte Vedra, Sawgrass and the Beaches Area.
Phone Daniel Weisner @ (904) 422-6218
Private Studio for One-on-One Personal Fitness Training. Serving the Jacksonville Beaches Area.
The following links may provide you with useful information on Fitness, Health and Weight Loss:
I have retained a few good articles on Fitness, Exercise, Health and Diet for you here.
Some articles will open in a new tab or window, and some are external links I found useful.
One of the most overlooked side effects of antidepressant medications known as SSRIs is the possibility of weight gain. Some of these medications are so troublesome that even cutting calories may still cause weight gain. Consult your doctor if you have trouble gaining weight or losing weight as this may be a side effect of your medications. It is a real phenomenon and many may benefit from adjustments in their medications, but you will not know unless you consult your physician. Never stop taking antidepressant medications without the approval of your physician.
I have seen cases where clients have been on drugs known as Risperidone and have gained as much as 20 pounds over the course of six months. Dropping their calorie intake to lower than 1000 calories a day still resulted in weight gain. This is a metabolic syndrome and is quite a study. The good news is that your metabolism goes back to normal after the medications are adjusted or dropped.
The point of this article is to make sure you read the side effects of any medications you may be prescribed. Consult your physician if you experience any of these side effects.
Sleep Deprivation and Fat Loss.
A new study looked at the amount of sleep dieters got and found interesting results. It seems the more sleep that you get the more likely it is for you to lose fat weight. This is due to the amount of hormones generated. The more sleep the dieter received the less they craved carbohydrates and other calorie rich foods. The extra sleep accounted for a loss of appetite and satiety.
"Probably the most critical finding in this study showed that even with two weeks' sleep deprivation, that you start to already see changes in two of the most fundamental hormones regulating appetite and satiation, or feeling full and therefore decreasing appetite. And those hormones are called ghrelin and leptin." (NPR)
There's no question, sleep deprivation can sabotage your waistline and your health. (WebMD)
References:
NPR. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130ttp://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130432596
WebMD. http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/lack-of-sleep-weight-gain
Understanding the Placebo Effect...
The idea of the placebo in modern times originated with H. K. Beecher. He evaluated 15 clinical trials concerned with different
diseases and found that 35% of 1,082 patients were satisfactorily relieved by a placebo alone ("The Powerful Placebo," 1955).
Other studies have since calculated the placebo effect as being even greater than Beecher claimed. For example, studies have
shown that placebos are effective in 50 or 60 percent of subjects with certain conditions, e.g., "pain, depression, some heart
ailments, gastric ulcers and other stomach complaints."* And, as effective as the new psychotropic drugs seem to be in the
treatment of various brain disorders, some researchers maintain that there is not adequate evidence from studies to prove
that the new drugs are more effective than placebos.
Men vs. Women - Muscle, Strength, Exercise and Results - Training Women and Men - What are the differences?
By Wayne L. Westcott, Ph.D.
Male and female muscle tissue is
essentially identical, and responds in a similar manner to strength
training. Although females typically have less muscle than males, the
muscle adapts to progressive resistance exercise in the same way. Most
men and women respond to sensible strength training by developing
stronger and slightly larger muscles. Considering that both sexes lose
over 6 pounds of muscle per decade of adult life if they do not
strength train, this is a very desirable effect of regular strength
exercise.
I attended Vestal High School in upstate New York during the late 1960s. At that time we had some of the best high school athletic teams in New York State. There were no interscholastic athletic programs for girls, however. While I had some excellent sports experiences, my wife had no opportunities for athletic competition. It was simply assumed that high school girls did not have the physical or emotional capacity to participate in competitive sports.
Although girls were required to attend physical education classes, they had the impression that vigorous exercise and competitive sports participation were male activities. The boys did physical conditioning programs in preparation for sports competition, but the girls never had this experience. They were considered the weaker sex, and they had little opportunity to change this perception.
Today, we know that the most important physical activity for women in their 40s and above is sensible strength training. Progressive resistance exercise is clearly the best means for maintaining muscle mass and bone density during the midlife years, and is especially significant for post-menopausal women.
Unfortunately, many women in this age range are convinced that they are indeed the weaker sex, that they do not have the physical ability to develop more strength, and that strength training may actually be detrimental to their musculoskeletal system. These assumptions are categorically untrue, and need to be corrected.
In fact, women are not the weaker sex. They have the physical ability to develop their strength, and strength training is highly-beneficial to their musculoskeletal system. Women need to recognize that they lose over 6 pounds of muscle tissue in every decade of adult life (Evans and Rosenberg 1991). Yet our research shows that women can replace over 3 pounds of muscle after only eight weeks of regular strength exercise (Westcott 1993). Because our muscle mass is closely related to our metabolic rate, maintaining muscular fitness helps maintain desirable body weight.
A few years ago we conducted a research study to compare the muscular strength of average adult males and average adult females (Westcott 1991). We collected data on more than 900 men and women, in one of the largest comparative studies of the sexes. The average age of the men was 43 years and the average age of the women was 42 years. The average body weight of the men was 191 pounds and the average body weight of the women was 143 pounds.
Each of the study participants performed 10 leg extensions with the heaviest weight load possible. This strength assessment for the front thigh (quadriceps) muscles was conducted on a Nautilus Leg Extension machine equipped with a special computer to ensure proper exercise technique with respect to movement speed as well as full movement range.
The results revealed that the male subjects were about 50 percent stronger than the female subjects. That is, the average 10-repetition leg extension for males was 119 pounds, whereas the average 10-repetition leg extension for females was 79 pounds.
This is not a fair comparison of muscle strength, however, because the males weighed almost 50 pounds more than the females on average. To better understand the strength abilities of men and women, we divided the weight they lifted by their body weight. When adjusted for weight differences, the average male completed 10 leg extensions with 62 percent of his body weight and the average female completed 10 leg extensions with 55 percent of her body weight.
While this body weight comparison certainly narrows the strength gap between the sexes, it is still not a completely accurate assessment. This is due to the fact that women have a higher percentage of fat than men.
To better examine pound-for-pound muscle strength between men and women, it is necessary to divide the weight lifted by the subjects’ lean (muscle) weight. When we made this calculation we found that the average male and the average female could both perform 10 leg extensions with about 75 percent of their lean weight.
Follow-up studies have demonstrated that women respond to strength exercise in the same rate as men (Westcott 1991). Women therefore not the weaker sex. They are the smaller sex, but on a muscle-for-muscle basis, women are just as strong as men.
Consider the results of a comparative study with an average adult male and an average adult female who followed similar strength training programs using the bench press exercise (Westcott 1995). Both the male subject (who weighed 160 pounds) and the female subject (who weighed 95 pounds) increased their bench press strength by about 18 percent in a five-week training period. Once again, on a pound-for-pound basis with respect to both their body weight and their starting loads, there were no differences between the male and female responses to the strength exercise.
Another example of women’s strength response to a basic strength-training program involved six previously untrained females (Westcott 1985). The subjects in this study were assessed for muscle strength (10-repetition maximum weight load) in five Nautilus exercises (leg extension, leg curl, super pullover, biceps curl, triceps extension) at the beginning, midpoint, and end of the two-month training period. The women increased their overall muscle strength by 76 percent during the first month, and by another 13 percent during the second month. This resulted in a 100 percent improvement in overall muscle strength after the eight-week exercise session (from 140 pounds total workout weight to 280 pounds total workout weight). This is an incredible rate of strength gain, and clearly indicates that females can greatly improve their muscle performance. Although about 80 percent of the strength development may be associated with motor learning factors (better use of existing muscle tissue), the other 20 percent is related to physiological factors (addition of new muscle tissue).
That women can increase their muscle tissue is well documented in hundreds of female subjects who typically add 3 pounds of muscle after two months of basic strength training (Westcott 1995). In a study with 313 subjects, most of whom were women, the average muscle gain was 3 pounds and the average fat loss was 8 pounds, as a result of 20 minutes of strength exercise and 20 minutes of endurance exercise, practiced three days per week.
In, summary, male and female muscle tissue is essentially identical, and responds in a similar manner to strength training. Although females typically have less muscle than males, the muscle adapts to progressive resistance exercise in the same way. Most men and women respond to sensible strength training by developing stronger and slightly larger muscles. Considering that both sexes lose over 6 pounds of muscle per decade of adult life if they do not strength train, this is a very desirable effect of regular strength exercise.
I recommend that all women, especially those over age 40, perform regular strength exercise. Just be sure to check with our physician and consult with a certified fitness professional before beginning your strength-training program.
Wayne L. Westcott, Ph.D., is fitness and research director at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts, and a strength training consultant to several professional organizations. He is the author of the college textbook Strength Fitness, as well as several other fitness and exercise books.
Secrets of Lean People
By Stephen Gullo, PhD
Institute for Health and Weight Sciences
Do you know people who never gain an ounce and yet don't seem to have to watch what they eat? Good genes play a role-if your parents were lean, more than likely you will be, too. But in helping thousands of patients slim down, Stephen Gullo, PhD, author of The Thin Commandments Diet, has found that though most of us assume lean people never give their weight a second thought, they actually rely on a number of strategies to keep the pounds from accumulating. Here, the secrets of lean people, which can help anyone who is trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight...
Lean people don't skip meals. They don't allow themselves to get so hungry that they become compulsive eaters rather than selective eaters. lean people have structured eating habits. They eat three meals and one to two healthful snacks a day to keep blood sugar stable and prevent the body from secreting large amounts of insulin, the hunger hormone. Stable blood sugar levels also help the body metabolize calories efficiently and prevent cravings for sweets.
Lean people eat the right breakfast. The National Weight Control Registry, which monitors people who have lost weight and successfully kept it off, found that 78% of those who have maintained their weight loss eat breakfast every day. But the wrong breakfast isn't helpful. A breakfast high in simple carbohydrates, such as a sugary cereal, stimulates appetite. That's because blood sugar is low in the morning. If you eat a sugary breakfast, blood sugar levels rise and then crash rapidly, making you hungry. A breakfast that contains protein and fiber-such as oatmeal and skim milk or low-fat yogurt with fresh fruit-is better. It satisfies your appetite, keeps blood sugar levels on an even keel and helps you feel full longer.
Lean people act quickly. If they gain a few pounds, they immediately cut back on portion sizes and exercise more. I tell my patients that a mark of a winner at weight control is to own only one size of clothing. When lean people think their clothing is getting too tight, they don't buy larger clothes. They change the habits that are creating the problem. It's far easier to lose three or four pounds than it is to lose 20.
Lean people weigh themselves regularly. Most people who have lost weight and kept it off weigh themselves at least once a week. A gain of even two to three pounds motivates them to shift into a more restricted eating plan for a few days. I weigh myself on Monday, right after the weekend, when my eating habits tend to be more liberal, and again on Friday. If I don't like what I see on Monday, I make changes in my diet. I eat lighter meals, such as broiled fish and chicken, egg white omelets and steamed vegetables without oil or butter, and I don't eat sweets. I weigh myself again on Wednesday to see if my weight is coming down.
Lean people don't deprive themselves. They devise creative strategies to limit consumption of high-calorie foods. They don't stock the house with them. When they do buy them, they select individual portions or serve them only when they have company or on weekends. A patient of mine only buys her children cookies containing peanuts because she doesn't like peanuts. Other people eat desserts only in restaurants.
Lean people get enough sleep. Being sleep-deprived stimulates the appetite, especially carbohydrate cravings. Researchers at the University of Chicago studied young men who got only four hours of sleep per night for two nights. The researchers measured levels of the hormone leptin. An increase in leptin signals the brain that no more food is needed.. .a decrease triggers hunger. The sleep-deprived men had an 18% decrease in leptin. The researchers also found that levels of ghrelin, a hormone that causes hunger, increased by 28%. The sleep-deprived men were not only hungrier, they also craved carbohydrates, such as sweets, and salty foods, such as chips. They may have wanted sweets because of lower blood sugar levels. The salt cravings may have been because sleep-deprivation lowers blood pressure. Salty foods raise blood pressure and may have temporarily made the young men feel more energetic.
Lean people move a lot. Studies show that people who lose weight and keep it off exercise regularly. They may not work out in a gym or have a structured program, but they walk a lot, garden or take the stairs instead of the elevator. The National Weight Control Registry found that people who keep off weight burn about 11,830 calories per week through physical activity-the equivalent of walking more than 20 miles. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have reported that lean people expend about 350 more calories per day, on average, than sedentary obese people-and not just through exercise, such as walking. They fidget, tap their toes and so on.
Lean people exercise portion control. They know which foods they can eat in generous amounts, such as lean protein, fruits and vegetables. If they overeat, thev do it at a special restaurant or on a holiday. There's nothing wrong with overeating on Thanksgiving, but there is something destructive about consuming a pint of ice cream every night. Lean people also consider how food is prepared. They know that a healthy, low-calorie filet of sole, for example, is neither healthy nor low-calorie if it's fried in oil or sauteed in butter.
Lean people don't use food to deal with emotion. Many of my patients don't really enjoy the foods that are making them heavy. They use food to cope with anger, depression and stress. People who stay trim over a lifetime don't use food as therapy. They also don't eat because of boredom or out of habit, such as when they go to the movies or they're watching TV. Instead, they have other ways to deal with their emotions. They may go for a walk, take a bath, play a computer game or browse in a store. Mental diversion turns off the food switch. If they associate watching television with food, they chew on a stick of gum or eat cut-up vegetables. Or they allow themselves a sensible portion of a low-cal snack, such as a small bag of low-fat popcorn.
Stephen Gullo, PhD, is a health psychologist and president of the Center for Healthful Living at the Institute for Health and Weight Sciences, New York City. He is former chairman of the National Obesity and Weight Control Education Program of the American Institute for Life-Threatening Illness at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center and author of The Thin Commandments Diet (Rodale)
BMI Calculator - Am I Overweight?
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measurement of the relative percentages of fat
and muscle mass in the human body, in which weight is divided by height
and the result used as an index of obesity. BMI is not a direct measure
of body fat, but is the most widely investigated and most useful
indicator, to date, of health risk associated with underweight and
overweight. The following BMI calculator is adapted from the World
Health Organization report 2000: "Obesity: Preventing and Managing the
Global Epidemic".
Exceptions to a high BMI score include competitive athletes and body builders,
whose BMI is high due to increased muscle mass, and women who are
pregnant or lactating. The BMI is also not intended for use in
measuring individuals under the age of 18 or over the age of 65
BMI Result
Category
Under 18.5
(Underweight)
This result is considered underweight.
18.6 to 24.9
(Healthy Weight)
This is within the healthy weight range. You are at a much lower risk for other health
problems.
25 to 29.9
(Overweight)
Within this range
or higher is considered overweight. Overweight is associated with
increased health problems.
Above 30
(Obese)
At
or above this range is considered obese. Obesity is associated with a
high risk for health problems. A BMI above 40 is considered severely
obese, and is associated with a very high risk of health problems
associated with excess weight.
From "A Search for Serenity" Presnall
"No one can learn to be at home in his own heaven until he has learned to be at home in his own hell.”
Indeed! The full appreciation of inner serenity is achieved only by those who have been forced to face their own weaknesses, their own limitations and the possibility of their own inner failures. The bed rock of enduring serenity is found at the point where one realizes his own limitations - that point where one finds it necessary to choose between life and death; between the will to live without ego and surrender to hopelessness, or die. He must then decide whether to continue along the road to ego-centric self-sufficiency - and die; or whether he will make an effort to achieve self-understanding - and live.
We know that life deals more rigorously with some than others. There are a few fortunate people who will go through life without ever facing any crisis severe enough to make necessary such a radical choice. Because life has dealt with them rather gently, they will perhaps imagine they are stronger than those who have been pushed to the border-zone of sanity. Until a major crisis upsets the applecart of their lives, such people usually feel superior to those whose collapse has led them to the deep despair. They think, "It can't happen to me." They are usually unaware that they display many symptoms of immaturity. They do not clearly see the difference between conduct, which is adult and conduct which is childish. On the other hand, to those of us who have groped our way to the light out of the shadowy terror of our exaggerated fears, these distinctions between the mature, childish, and immature are excessively clear. We can perceive them in ourselves and we recognize them in our acquaintances.
We also know how some people meet life with zest while others seem to live in a state of chronic dissatisfaction. Two people, confronted with identical problems, often react in entirely different ways. One will make the best of the immediate situation. He will find some seeds for enjoyment in the most difficult circumstance. The other individual may lapse into a state of misery. Those who are perpetually miserable, unhappy and bored with life do not need to remain that way. There may be little they can do at the moment to change their circumstances, but there is a great deal which they could do about their own reactions and their will to accept the present moment and Be. We have heard, "Misery is optional." Misery is an illusion, inside one's mind, and not our natural state. It is part of one's own illusory feelings. We can all change the way we feel about things or people or circumstances by recognizing the feelings as unreal, not reality, an illusion.
Diary of a Personal Trainer
By Daniel Weisner CPT, CAPT, LMT
In
the life of a successful trainer everyday is "game day". As a successful Certified Advanced Personal Trainer I have to be prepared to bring high energy to each and every one of my clients, every time, every session. Every day I have to get the proper rest, nutrition and be fully ready to work at the best of my ability. Sometimes I get four to five hours of back to back clients. I exercise with my clients so I need to have the energy to sustain me until I get a break. No late night excursions in my life. In fact I end my day about eight o'clock PM everyday. That's when I hit the hay. I usually wake up around 4:10 AM, ease into the morning with some coffee and about 5:00 AM I'm off to swim a mile at the pool. The swim is more of a stretch than an exercise to me. Then I have some breakfast and prepare my studio or load up my vehicle with my gear for my morning sessions. I move thousands of pounds of barbells, dumbbells, bars, plates and stuff everyday. Just setting up my clients for their session is a workout for me so I MUST be in top shape - everyday.
I used to work from a studio located in Atlantic Beach, FL. It was a perfect size and I had some pretty good, effective machines and equipment there. In the rear was a large nice room that I turned into a therapy room for my massage and bodywork. It was a great experience for my clients and me. Some of my days were free from any appointments and some of them were booked for ten hours. I work one-on-one, that means only one client at a time was in my studio. I still work one-on-one which is the best way to train clients. No distractions for my clients. The second best way to train clients was to train two clients at a time. I usually required that they be somewhat matched in terms of strength and ability. This reduced the extra work for me. Clients who trained with me in pairs really got a great deal. Each got a full workout and the price was far below what each would have to spend separately. Anyway, the studio rent always went up, as did the utility bills, insurance bills, permits, blah, blah, blah so after my lease came up, I decided not to renew. Instead I have set up a smaller private personal training studio with almost all the same things I had in my leased facility. I also offer "In Your Home Training" options.
I get a lot of calls from people who are interested in my personal training. Most of these calls just want to know how much it costs. They lose interest when they find out that I'm not $49 a-month-gym-membership-thingy. They just do not know that personal training is a professional occupation - and not cheap! Check around first, then call me. I like to keep my fees competitive. Many trainers are just out of college with little or no experience. Young and relatively new at the game of life they don't know what it feels like to see oneself as old and out of shape. I, on the other hand, am middle age with a lot of life experiences. I'm 5' 10", weigh about 162 lbs. and have about 12% body fat. That's pretty good considering that most men my age have in excess of 25% body fat. I've worked with body builders who had huge chests and arms. They looked like the guys you see in the magazines and on TV. Most of the time I find these guys can bench-press a ton, after all that's the exercise they practice most of the time. These guys have worked only the muscles that make them look good but they lack functional strength. Many bodybuilders just don't have real strength. I remember wrestling. The opponent who had large muscles and looked like a weight lifter were surprisingly weak. I could beat them even when they weighed 20 pounds more than I weighed.
I like training my clients with a full body workout. Arms, chest, back, abs and legs. Some guys only want to get bigger in the arms and chest. After about 3 months they are glad we worked the legs too. You can see the difference. Go to you local gym, you will see guys working on their arms and chest but the legs are under developed when compare to their upper body. Big mistake. Ignoring parts of the body can lead to injury because of the imbalance in strength. A full body workout takes about 55-minutes - it is a world class workout, believe me.
Women like to work the thighs and buttocks. Pilates is an excellent way to work the legs, buttocks and abdomen. I offer a 25-minute Pilates training session to clients. It's pretty intense. I will bring mats, balls and other gear to them for these sessions. I do the workout with them. By doing the same workout they can see exactly how it is to be done and that someone CAN actually do the exercises and repetitions. Speaking of Pilates, I recall a prospective client who wanted to train for bodybuilding contests. I suggested to her that we should incorporate Pilates exercises into her routine. She was not very accepting of this suggestion. Her response was "I've tried Pilates before and it was too hard." I thought how could you get into a bodybuilding contest with that attitude? Hard work is what it is all about if you want to win! Yes Pilates is hard at first. You may be able to perform 2 or 3 repetitions at first. The next time you might get in 4 to 5 repetitions. Finally you will be up to 8 reps. It's only hard in the beginning just like many things in life.
I don't take on everyone who contacts me seeking a trainer. All prospects are interviewed so that I can determine whether we can work together or not. It hasn't always been that way. In the beginning of my training career I would take on every client. Now I can be more selective. I can choose those prospective clients who are sincere and clear about what they want. They have to be realistic about what work is necessary. Their motives are explored, past and present health issues, diet and exercise history are reviewed. In some cases I will need a physician's release form signed by their doctor.
Nothing leaves our workout session. Many times I find I am the listener to clients with their personal lives, situations, drama and just "stuff". I never repeat anything I hear when a client unloads. Sometimes it's a bad day at the office, the kids, spouse, neighbor or whatever. I don't really want to get in to personal problems but I can be a helpful listener when needed. I will go in to some of this later just to give you an idea of what I mean. I've trained girls from age 14, boys from age 11, women to age 67 and men to age 71. I've trained ex-drug addicts, alcoholics and athletes. I never discuss anything specific about my clients.
Clients come to me for many reasons. Most of the time clients are very clear about what they want. Sometimes they think they know what they want but I find they really want an easy solution to a life-long problem they believe (For them it is either a reality or another issue.) that they have.
Some clients want to get bigger, stronger, lose weight, gain weight. Some clients know absolutely nothing about exercise and nutrition. Some clients have never exercised at all. Some were excellent athletes but wanted a different routine, something to move them forward. Sometimes I was hired to counsel clients in proper nutrition - only. These people actually hated exercise of any form! I get people who want to lose weight for a wedding or class reunion. They are not concerned with gaining the weight back. Oh well, everybody gets what they want.
I will work with clients who have injuries. My training in medical massage has made me more valuable as a trainer. I've had clients come to me with shoulder injuries, back injuries, arm and leg problems. We start out slow, light exercises and progress slowly as we move to a more advanced intensity. One male client had a shoulder injury and could lift only about 40 lbs. until pain occurred. After nine months he was lifting about 90% of his own body weight. I've worked with several clients who had back pain - slipped or bulging disc. I do not diagnose, so their doctors gave me the specific information that I needed to prescribe an exercise routine. Months later their pain subsided, they were stronger in their core, and they lost some weight too.
You may ask, "What does a trainer do? Will a trainer help me lose weight? Will a trainer make me toned and in shape?" It is you who are responsible for the outcome. You determine whether you lose weight, tone up or not. A trainer is a tool to be used to help you get results. If you follow the trainers advice with 100 percent effort on your part, you will get the results you want ... and more!
I remember training a 36-year-old female client for three weeks. This was all she could afford at the time. She wanted to lose about 20 lbs. and tone up. There was nothing special about her except that she was a little overweight, weak with no muscle tone and was a mother. Her eating habits were mostly junk food and fast food with regular beer intake. With her situation in mind I put together a plan for her to follow. It included workout sessions - 2 times a week with me, and I gave her homework in the way of activity and meal planning. I made it clear that if she were to do exactly what I told her to do she would see the results. Well every time she had an appointment she rode her bicycle up to my studio. (I had this as one of the requirements for her.) She always gave it 110 percent. After the three weeks were up her weight was down by about 9 lbs. and she was looking better. She felt much better and her self-esteem was rising. Two months later she popped in to say hello and I almost did not recognize her. She looked 10 years younger. She made her high school weight again and she looked like a college cheerleader. She still drank her beers, but followed my guidelines for alcohol consumption.
Given the time frame of several months I can say that this is the exception. You see she really wanted it. She wanted it so much that she made it her reality. She followed the plan and it worked. Sometimes it's hard to tell which clients are going to make their goals. I know that for weight loss clients, the first week is the most important. I can say with almost absolute certainty that if a client want to lose weight that they must show it in the first week with me by losing at least two to three pounds - in the first week. If they don't, then it is very unlikely that they can do it at all! These are my observations. There can be exceptions and there have been, but if you are with me for say six months trying to lose weight and have had little or no results, you just are not working the plan. You may not be truthful to yourself or with me about your external activities, food intake and drinking habits. I can tell, I'm not stupid.
Smokers can be trained too! One client would show up for a workout by pulling up in her car smoking a cigarette. She would step out of the car, stand there and take her final drag before dousing the cigarette, hold it in and blow out the remaining smoke from her lungs as she walked across the parking lot. I used to laugh to myself thinking anyone who this would wonder "What's up with that." Laugh! But bad habits can be replaced with new, better ones. That was how I looked at it. At least she was doing something which is better than doing nothing.
I've had to "fire" clients before. This is not really something I like to do, but if it is the best interest of the client and myself I will stop seeing a client. This has happened only a few times. Firing a client usually stems from lateness, non-compliance or activity that interferes with the client being fully prepared for the workout session. I once had a client who would show up for a morning session reeking from wine consumption the night before. The client was up the night before our session until 2:00 AM drinking with friends. Yuck! Do not drink bottles of wine late at night before a morning session. After a while this client learned to not do this and remained in good standing for years. Some clients sap your energy with negativity and they do not adhere to the formulated plan and/or constantly complain - about almost anything and everything. In these cases I've had to discontinue our relationship.
Sometimes the client terminates the relationship. Usually after a session or two, these clients just don't show up. They just disappear and I never hear from them again. This begins with them calling me to cancel the appointment - minutes before they are scheduled to show up. I say to myself "Here it comes, the famous client disappearing act". At the next scheduled session they just don't show up or show up 30-minutes late. I've learned that when this happens it's ended. I don't even try to call to find out what happened to them when they don't show up unless I know them to be committed. I used to call, worry, wonder, not any more. I've had clients come to me and pay for a series of sessions in advance (all trainers get paid in advance), then after the second session they found it was too hard for them. They just quit.
Our energy levels change throughout the day. Usually there is some kind of pattern like high energy in the morning followed by low energy in the afternoon (or visa-versa). Evenings are usually dependent on what we ate and our activities during the day. I like to question my prospects about their energy levels throughout the day. This helps me with their progression.
So how long do people work with a trainer? It can be for a couple of sessions to a couple of years.
I try to teach my clients the "Mind - Body Connection". This is an acute awareness of what we experience when exercising. It is a full awareness of what we feel and what we are doing during a workout. This training actually leads to improved results rather than just going through the motions.
Losing fat is 70% diet and 30% exercise. People can lose fat (and muscle) by diet alone but permanent fat loss requires strength training. Strength training will reduce the muscle loss when dieting on a low calorie plan. See my example of Stephanie on this website.
Diet gets a little tricky. The ideal diet is actually moderation in all foods. Americans really eat too much considering our daily activities. Most of us are inactive. That means we really don't require three full meals and snacks each day. Especially sugar which is the main problem leading to excess fat. Sugar is found in almost everything today. Just look at the food labels. Sugar is considered a simple carbohydrate - which means it supplies energy to our bloodstream very fast, then to be carried to our muscles. If we are not using our muscles (in other words if are not active) they really don't need the extra energy. Guess what ... the excess energy is stored in our fat cells for later use. The accumulation of this energy storage is what makes us fatter. Complex carbohydrates enter our system like a time lapse capsule. This means that we get the energy released slowly reducing the fat storage that we get from simple sugars. French fries, potato chips, and some flour products have been classified as simple carbohydrates. Proteins and Fat on the other hand do not lead to a fast increase in blood sugar levels. (Protein and fat intake is the basis for the Adtkins Diet.)
The main point here is: Do not eat candy bars, sugary sodas, donuts, cakes, crackers, pasta, breads or other empty foods if you want to lose fat! At least cut back on these foods.
Your first step in creating a better diet for yourself is to reduce the intake of fast foods like french fries, potato chips, crackers, candy bars and other stuff found in vending machines. Prepare your lunch at home. Replace snacks with fresh fruits: apples, melons, berries etc.
When you buy melons, don't just put them in the refrigerator. No one will eat them. You must cut them up into chunk size pieces so that when you mindlessly open the refrigerator door you will see the melon chunks first and will automatically eat them. Now you see how nutritious foods made easy to eat increase your chances of a better diet. The food manufacturer's know that ready to eat foods are an easy sale. That's why chips, crackers, candy and cakes are the staple of many Americans.
Clean out your pantry. Remove all the junk. Don't give it away, you might be killing someone else with that junk. Start fresh. Shop the supermarket around the perimeter - which is where all the fresh, healthful foods are. Stay away from the isles running through the center. Choose fresh, lean cuts of meat, fish, eggs, fruits, cheese, vegetables and the like.
Have breakfast cereal for dinner! But make sure that the sugar content is less than 5 grams per serving. Most cereals have too much sugar in them. Buy whole rolled oats or steel-cut oats - they contain no sugar. Buy only breads that have less than 3 grams of sugar per slice and are high in fiber and are made with whole grains. Whole grains should be the first ingredient in breads - if it is not the first ingredient, don't buy it, look for another brand or model.
I've seen men in their fifties lose 60 and 70 pounds of fat over the course of several years using these diet suggestions. Blood pressure decreases to healthy levels. Blood profiles get into the healthy category too. It really does work.
Spot fat reduction: I hear comments like "I only need to work this area of my butt." Or "I need to work on my lower abs." The truth is that you can't pick areas of your body for fat removal. Although you can work the underlying muscles in specific areas it does not lead to spot fat reduction. Fat comes off you LIFO or last in first out. So, if you begin to lose fat it will most likely begin coming off in the areas that you saw it go on last. Doing sit-ups or crunches or using an "AB Machine" will not remove your beer/wine belly.
There is a myth that sit-ups and crunches are excellent forms of exercise. In fact, the worst thing you can do is to force yourself to do sit-ups or abdominal crunches incorrectly. These exercises done wrong can push your head out of alignment and cause tension in the shoulders. There should be no tension in the neck and shoulders during sit-ups and crunches.
Sit-ups and crunches strengthen the rectus abdominus (the muscle that runs from the pelvis to the rib cage), they tend to elongate the transverse abdominus (girdle) muscle, causing the lower abdominals to pouch. In addition, sit-ups and crunches can damage the spine if done without proper form.
To work all the muscles of your abdomen in the most effective way possible, try this safe and easy exercise...
Dead bugs.
Lie on your back with knees bent and head and feet flat on the floor. Tuck in your chin to elongate your neck, then cough to contract your oblique muscles and to pull the rib cage down and in.
Holding your abdominal contraction as tightly as you possibly can, lift your arms high above you toward the ceiling. Extend one arm up over your head and the other arm toward your feet. Then slowly reverse the motion. Alternate arms for a count of 30. Keeping your abdomen contracted and your chin tucked in, extend your arms toward the ceiling and lift both knees toward your chest. Make a gentle bicycling motion with your knees for a count of 30.
Finally, combine the arm and leg movements and do both at once. When one leg moves toward your chest, the arm on that same side should reach over your head. Continue for a count of 60.
Be sure to keep your abdomen contracted and your lower back pressed into the floor throughout the exercise. An arch in your back can cause back strain. The exercises here can be performed in 10 minutes, once a day. A padded exercise mat is all you need to get started.
I like to incorporate compound functional exercises in my client's routine. These exercises use the whole body rather than isolating one muscle group. Combat ready personnel are familiar with these routines. They will kick your butt!!! Don't worry, I will take you only as far as you can go.
"A flexibile spine is a healthy spine." Movement keeps the spine flexible and the discs nourished. People appear old when they have lost flexibility in their spine. You can see this when watching people walk.
Diets - Over the past 5 years I personally have tried everything out there to lose weight. (Including only low glycemic carbs, fat burners, minerals, herbs, vitamins etc.) NOTHING works for me except to cut, almost completely, all starchy carbohydrates out of my diet. This leads to the state of ketosis which is when your body is consuming your own fat-stores as its main source of energy. Very overweight people can lose by just cutting out the fast foods and preparing their meals before hand. Lean cuisine frozen meals - 3-4 a day will also work but for losing those last 10-20 lbs I recommend following the 2-week induction diet from Atkins.
I feel great when my weight is around 160 lbs. So when I find myself approaching 163 lbs. (Usually from eating too much breads, pasta, rice, deserts etc.) I just stop consuming all starchy carbohydrates. Within a week I'm back down to 160.
This work is in progress. Check back as I add the full story.
Daniel CPT, LMT
Permanent Fat Loss - A Real Life Example
You've just gorged yourself over the holidays. Your New Year's resolution is to lose weight. Great! But how you go about your weight-loss willlargely determine whether your resolution leads to a more fit "you" or to more disappointment down the road.
I'm a big proponent of strength training and Pilates, both have many benefits, particularly for middle age and senior citizens. Among them are stopping or even reversing age-related muscles loss, improved posture, improved flexibility, better cardiovascular fitness and increased resistance to injury. Strength training can benefit everyone, particularly those looking to shed holiday pounds. In fact, it is essential for maximum weight loss and to avoid the "yo-yo syndrome," in which fat loss is followed by even greater fat gain.
To understand why this is the case, consider that your look is determined by your bones, muscle and fat. Of these three, only fat and muscle can be influenced by diet or exercise. Your skeletal structure is largely determined by genetics and for the most part cannot be altered.
Most dieters typically cut their caloric intake and engage in some form of aerobic activity to "burn that fat off." While that sounds great, the strategy doesn't work in the long term. Studies show that on a reduced calorie diet, almost as much muscle as fat will be lost. The real solution is to improve your muscle-to fat ratio. This is a permanent solution.
One pound of skeletal muscle requires almost 40 calories a day to maintain. One pound of fat requires only two. Muscle, therefore, is 20 times more metabolically active than fat. There is a difference between fat loss and weight loss. A scale shows only total weight loss, not fat loss. And therein lies the problem for those who rely solely on a scale to gauge their progress.
A Real Life Example:
Stephanie (and yes, men yo-yo, too) is 5-foot-3, 160 pounds and has 35 percent body fat. That translates to 56 lbs of fat. Full of enthusiasm, she starts jogging or walking and cuts out junk food. She has so many salads, she feels like a rabbit. Finally, after four months and by sheer force of will, she reaches her target weight of 135 pounds. She lost the 25 pounds and is proud of herself - and rightly so, since she has made a difficult lifestyle change.
But let's look closely at what Stephanie has really done to herself. Assume Stephanie lost 13 pounds of fat and 12 pounds of muscle. This is a realistic estimate, especially if she was doing lots of aerobic training. Her original body fat percentage was 35 percent. So of her starting weight of 160, 56 pounds was fat. Her lean body mass was 104 pounds. Now, if you subtract the 13 pounds of fat lost from the original 56 pounds, you have 43 pounds of body fat, which Stephanie still carries. Dividing 43 by her current weight of 135 shows that her new body fat percentage is just under 32 percent. Yes, her body fat has dropped ... slightly. But her ratio of muscle to fat has not changed significantly. Stephanie is simply a smaller version of her old self.
While that might satisfy her for now, will those 12 pounds of muscle that she lost come back to haunt her? And this is where dieters set themselves up to yo-yo.
Stephanie has unwittingly reduced her daily metabolic rate by almost 500 calories because of muscle loss. The 12 pounds of muscle loss translates to a reduction in her metabolism of 12 X 40 = 480 calories a day. She struggled during her diet to stick to her reduced caloric intake, but now she'll be forced to eat at those levels if she wants to maintain her new weight. Any higher caloric intake will result in fat weight gain.
If Stephanie is like most people, within a few weeks she'll find this impossible to do, cave in to cravings and begin consuming calories at pre-diet levels. At that point, her metabolism is overwhelmed ... and back come the pounds until she has surpassed her original starting weight of 160 pounds. On top of that, her body fat percentage zooms past the original 35 percent.
Stephanie could have avoided this with an hour of strength training twice each week to reduce the loss of muscle mass and possibly to add muscle mass. By coupling strength training with a reduced caloric intake, you send a strong message to your body. If you strength train as you should, always in proper form. -- and if you give yourself time to recover from your workouts, your body will compensate and improve its metabolic condition. Your body does this to protect itself against further exposure to the stress.
This is the essence of progressive strength training. So let's look at what Stephanie might have accomplished by adding strength training twice a week to her program of aerobic exercise and diet. A realistic estimate, given Stephanie's starting point, would be to lose 22 pounds of fat and lose 3 pounds of muscle. (Muscle is almost always lost as a result of aggressive dieting, but without strength training, muscle loss can be extreme.) That would lower her body fat to 25 percent, and her ratio of muscle-to-fat would have improved greatly. Stephanie now weighs 135 and her fat weight is 34 lbs.
Since one pound of muscle is smaller and denser than one pound of fat, Stephanie would, in fact, be much smaller - she would literally take up less space. She also would have the bonus of underlying muscles that are firm and conditioned - in other words; she would have a more attractive body and better posture. Best of all, Stephanie will be able to increase her food intake a bit without losing these effects because she kept her metabolism high through strength training. As long as she continues to strength train, maintaining muscle, she will avoid the yo-yo syndrome.
Summary:
______________________Total Body Weight______Fat Weight________Body Fat Pct
Original ___________________160_________________56______________35%_____
Diet and Aerobic Only ________135_________________43______________32%_____
Diet and Strength Training_____135_________________34______________25%_____
Which body is more metabolically active?
Which body is more likely to end up overweight again?
I can help you get conditioned. Like Stephanie, I can help prevent you from gaining back even more pounds -"The Yo-Yo Syndrome". Phone Daniel at (904) 422-6218.
Should You Be On This "Longevity" Diet?
Last fall, an article appeared in The New York Times about a prescription that could extend life. The article featured two monkeys that seemed to be aging at different rates. The key to the one aging more gracefully, it stated, was something called calorie restriction (CR). In this case, CR involved feeding one monkey approximately 30 percent fewer calories than what researchers considered normal, but ensuring the diet had plenty of nutrients. According to some scientists, it's the only proven means for extending life in a variety of species.
By Steve Edwards
CR is not a new phenomenon. It's been practiced voluntarily for decades and involuntarily for eons. But lately, aided by some interesting science, it's been gaining steam as a new solution to many of society's ills, including diabetes, heart disease, and, well, dying.
So let's take a look at calorie restriction now that it's hit the best-seller list and why you may, or may not, want to make it part of your life.
1. What is Calorie Restriction?
As the name implies, CR advocates eating fewer calories than normal. But when you look closely at the details you'll see that "calorie restriction" is a bit of a misnomer or, at least, misleading. By definition, CR limits caloric intake, but only to the point that all vitamin, mineral, and other nutrient requirements are still met. Therefore, it's much more like a calculated diet than a random reduction of calories. For this reason, it's also known under many other titles, including the "high/low diet" (high on nutrients/low on calories) and the "longevity diet," perhaps its most accurate title since most of its practitioners seem to be aiming for a longer existence.
Whatever the title, CR's catchphrase is that we eat too many calories and its proponents all agree that it not only increases your life span but helps you live a much healthier lifestyle.
2. What is the difference between CR and anorexia?
People who practice CR tend to be thin—much thinner than society deems healthy. But it should not, in any way, be confused with anorexia. The difference is that CR practitioners don't diet to help or change the way they look. It's all about feeling better. Therefore, there is no weight number as a goal or "look" that is acceptable. If a CR practitioner is losing weight too quickly, they eat more. The goal is simple: to improve the way the body performs. According to April Smith, a CR celebrity blogger, CR and anorexia are completely opposite: "The focus of CR is health. Nobody here is trying to figure out how to eat less and disappear. The constant thought is, 'How can I pack more nutrition into my calories?' and that's not something an anorexic is doing. Anorexia is slow suicide."
3. What is the difference between CR and fasting?
Many CR practitioners fast, but fasting has nothing to do with CR. They are completely opposite, since fasting's aim is to cleanse the body of toxins and CR's goal is to maximize the nutrition of your caloric intake. But that is only by definition. Many fasters actually consume a lot of calories in an attempt to maximize their caloric intake to facilitate a process. In this way the two are quite similar. But fasting is still something that's done only in phases, whereas CR is something you do as a lifestyle.
4. Isn't it just another weight loss diet?
As stated before, weight loss is not a goal of CR; it's a result of committing to the lifestyle. But again, once we get the pure definition out of the way, CR is a weight loss diet. If done correctly, it should be the healthiest weight loss diet you can choose.
But here's the catch. CR practitioners are fastidious to a degree that makes reading The Zone seem like perusing the Sunday funnies. Each gram of food is weighed and calculated as to how its nutrients fit into the overall scheme of one's diet. Because you are undereating, it's vital to get the most out of each morsel of food you ingest. Therefore, while it would certainly be an effective weight loss "diet," it's likely that anyone with the willpower to do it would not have a problem with overeating in the first place.
CR advocates have loftier aims than being thin. They want to live a long time. Some even talk about immortality and, okay, this is pretty kooky, but, in order to create enough urgency to want to weigh every item they put into their mouth for an entire lifetime, it stands to reason they'd want a lot of upside.
Not all of them are this extreme. In The Times article, Dr. David A. Sinclair, a molecular biologist at Harvard, states, "The goal is not just to make people live longer. It's to see eventually that an 80-year-old feels like a 50-year-old does today."
5. How restrictive are the calories?
Things start to get a little fuzzy when addressing this question. CR practitioners eat—and they eat a fair amount. It's not a starvation plan at all. According to most reference sources, CRers average around 2,000 calories per day across the board. Considering that a survey of Americans showed we claim to eat about this amount per day, it would hardly seem significant. That's until you discover that our society produces around 3,900 calories of food per day per person, meaning that people lie in surveys or, at least, have very little idea about how many calories that they actually eat.
So when it's claimed that you're eating 30 percent fewer calories than normal, what is normal? Even subtracting from governmental standards for calories, it's tricky because those standards are ballpark, at best.
The Caloric Restriction Society uses set point weight as a gauge, stating their desired range is 10 to 25 percent below this figure. But, since your set point isn't a true figure and hence, impossible to accurately estimate. Ultimately you're going to estimate how much to eat based on feeling—which, incidentally, doesn't seem too different than what the Beachbody diet guidelines tell you to do.
6. Is it nothing but marketing hype?
There is clearly some hype surrounding this phenomenon, but it's mainly in its name and how it tends to be spun for the masses. Since we can't even come to a conclusion on how many calories we should be eating, one must wonder where the caloric restriction aspect comes from. When nearly 40 percent of our society's population is clinically obese, it's not hard to see that some form of caloric restriction is in order.
The CR lifestyle, however, is clearly not hype. It could be more accurately described as "clean, light eating," but since that sounds rather bland, and somewhat complicated, it's not the name that creates the most impact.
7. Will it make you live longer?
This is highly debated. There is research that shows an increase in the average life span in primates, mice, rats, spiders, and some insects, but we must also consider some factors of this research.
First of all, what is "average?" Statistically, this includes people who die from many causes not affected by diet. Then we must consider lifestyle, the individuals in the studies, and what the animals in the "average" group were allowed to eat. Consider that two individuals living in a cage may not be the best test for longevity because "life" and "health" involve many factors beyond what you're fed, including mental health. A bored animal, including a human, is more likely to overeat than one that is allowed to engage in whatever activities it desires.
Regardless, it's also easy to see how a strict diet of nutrient-rich foods, restrictive or not, would increase the health of its subjects, all things being equal. I don't think we need a study to prove this. Again, just look at the patrons of a McDonald's, Denny's, or just about any truck-stop diner to see if you really think science is needed to validate that the average person's health would improve if they ate a more nutrient-rich and calorie-restrictive diet.
8. Raise your hand if you don't agree.
With corporations making billions, you can find a "credible" source to refute virtually anything. All you need to do is find a company that could lose money from the said issue and, voilà, that company will provide an expert (panel, think tank, etc.) who will refute the findings. Since a lot of people make money selling calories, it stands to reason that something called calorie restriction might ruffle some boardroom feathers. As this issue gains more popularity, expect some contradictory scientific data to begin showing up.
The Times article did present another, perhaps more rational, type of dissenter. Dr. Jay Phelan, an evolutionary biologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, sees benefits from the diet but not increased life span. But his biggest complaint was one of realism. He doesn't expect to see it hit the mainstream of the American consciousness for a reason that's purely anecdotal:
"Have you ever tried to go without food for a day? I did it once, because I was curious about what the mice in my lab experienced, and I couldn't even function at the end of the day."
9. What about the other health aspects?
More interesting than longevity seems to be the day-to-day health of most CR practitioners. They tend to look younger, have more energy, get sick a lot less, and, in general, have a better outlook on life than the "average" person. But this stands to reason, since they're living a fastidious lifestyle based entirely around their health. A more interesting subject for research would be to compare this group with other healthy groups, such as marathoners and triathletes, and even some non-athletic groups, like political activists (mental health should not be underestimated) to see how they stack up.
Let's face it, proving it's a healthier alternative to an "average" lifestyle doesn't take much. Let's see, on one side we have a group that calculates what it eats by a food's nutrient value and whose entire lifestyle revolves around trying to live as long and as healthily as possible. In the other corner, we have a group that eats nearly twice as much food as it claims; doesn't exercise; creates billionaires in the soda, fast food, and convenience store corporations; and spends 90 percent of its free time watching other people's lives on television. To use the Fat vs. Sugar analogy, this would be a first-round knockout in the first 10 seconds.
10. How quickly do you lose weight?
This is not a lose-weight-quickly scheme. While you will almost assuredly lose weight regularly, CR advocates not exceeding much over a pound per week and adding calories if you do. Since your caloric calculation is based on health, you slowly find a point where you stabilize your physical and mental well-being, and that's how much you eat.
As stated earlier, this isn't an ultra-restrictive plan; it's a lifestyle. Many quick-fix diets advocate far fewer calories for a short amount of time. These diets can also be a part of CR, but since CR is about lifestyle, it requires more thorough analysis of what you eat on a daily basis.
11. How thin is healthy?
Another debated topic. One thing is for sure, CR will make you thin and, from a cursory look through the various Web sites on the Net, pretty darn healthy. It's probably not the look we're used to. The men don't resemble The Rock and the women, while thin, seem to be missing the emaciated runway model hollowness. It's an interesting look; more Mother Theresa than Kate Moss. I'm not sure it will become popular.
For example, longevity icon Mike Linksvayer is 6 feet tall, 135 pounds. This isn't going to impress the ladies waiting in line to see The Thunder from Down Under. That is, at least, until they hear that his vital signs are perfect and he has the sex drive of a much younger man, according to his girlfriend April Smith.
From an anecdotal analysis, these people seem extremely healthy. Yet science seems cautious, throwing around words like "may," "could," and "possibly." This may have to do with the threat of creating a world of anorexics, those who will not put the effort into making sure they get enough nutrients or, perhaps, it's just that we haven't been able to study this demographic for long enough. Regardless of the warnings about being too thin, there's nothing in the group who call themselves CRers that evokes anything other than health. It's their entire MO for living. Some might even say painstakingly so. But it does seem to work.
12. What if I play sports?
Here is where we really get to the nitty-gritty over lifestyle. None of these people seem particularly athletic. Healthy, yes, and Linksvayer is a runner who is training for a marathon, but you won't find a lot of CRers at the World Ironman Championships.
This, perhaps, is a reflection of passions more than anything else. CR is a lifestyle. It takes time, study, and a lot of care in your day-to-day existence. It would be difficult to adhere to it and be a jack of all trades. Athletes, even weekend warriors, tend to be obsessive to a degree as well. Undereating and strange dietary practices are also a part of their existence. But competitive athletes require a different nutritional paradigm that includes calorie-dense foods. It's hard to complete an Ironman, or even train for one, on calorie restriction when you spend days burning more calories than it's humanly possible to consume.
But that may be where the difference ends because both of these user groups are about the same thing: maximizing their bodies' performance. They are choosing different paths to the same end; to test what, until now, has been the stated limit to human existence.
The CR set are our nutritional test pilots and mainly we'll be happy to let them break their own sound barriers, as well as crash and burn. Most of us are content to take things easier. We want to eat ice cream, go to restaurants, watch TV, and not weigh everything we eat. And we're willing to sacrifice a few years in order to live this way. Our answers probably lie somewhere in between, where we get more exercise, eat better food, and settle for improving our day-to-day existence. In the end, Dr. Phelan probably has it right. We'll watch from afar and marvel as we allow the "crazies" to push the envelope, and then settle for a seat on the first flight to Hawaii.
Sources:
"One For The Ages: A Prescription That May Extend Life." Michael Mason. The New York Times, October 31, 2006; April Smith's blog, www.mprize.org/blogs
Negative Calorie Foods.
Can a food actually have not only low calories, but even negative calories? Before you say impossible ... read the following article.
No food is actually "negative calorie" food. But the overall effect of certain foods in our body is that of "negative calories". Negative
calorie foods are foods, which use more calories to digest than the calories the foods actually contain!
Calories from these foods are much harder for the body to breakdown and
process. In other words the body has to work harder in order to extract
calories from these foods. This gives these foods a tremendous natural
fat-burning advantage, and are also known as fat burning foods.
A piece of dessert consisting of 400 calories may require only 150
calories to be digested by our body, resulting in a net gain of 250
calories which is added to our body fat!
According to this theory, for example,
if you eat 100 calories of a food that requires 150 calories to digest,
then you've burnt an additional 50 calories simply by eating that food.
Typically, a 25 calorie piece of broccoli (100 gram) requires 80
calories to digest, resulting in a net loss of 55 calories! Thus, the more you eat, the more you lose weight!!!
There are a wide variety of these negative calorie fat-burners in existence. In
fact, there are a large number of foods that combine low calories,
delicious taste, and excellent negative calorie properties. For
reducing weight and to fight obesity, you should not starve anymore.
You can eat a lot of negative calorie foods to lose that extra fat and
to become slim naturally. Some of these natural foods are asparagus,
apple, beet, berries, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery,
chili, cucumber, garlic, lettuce, grapefruit, lemon, mango,
onion, orange, papaya, pineapple, spinach, turnip,
zucchini, etc. The complete list of negative calorie foods
contains about 100 foods.
Below is a list of these negative calorie foods. You will be surprised how your
metabolism and figure will improve.
What are Negative Calorie Foods?
Is this possible? Can a food actually have not only low calories, but
even negative calories? And, if it is possible what effect would
ingesting negative calories really have? Could you literally eat your
way to fat loss...the more you eat the more you lose? And, on the down
side, would the ingestion of negative calories potentially offset
your positive calorie energy reserves, canceling out the
effectiveness of your training? Because, as we all know we need
calories for exercise performance, and for recovering from exercise
(anabolism).
When this subject was first brought to our attention, we immediately
dismissed it as not only ludicrous, but impossible as well. We have
since done some homework, and determined that in a twisted sort of way,
there may actually be some truth to this innovative perspective on the
composition of some foods. We already know what youre thinking, If
there's really anything to this negative calorie; food concept, could
I get a list of these foods, eating them exclusively and lose weight at
a more dramatic rate than through the use of any other fat loss product
or exercise program out there?" Well, I'm not going to burst your
bubble in this instance or even shoot down the concept, because in a
sense... it just may work!
All right, we give up, there really is no such thing as negative
calorie food. That is to say, not until these particular foods have
been ingested. What happens after that however, may come dangerously
close to what could ultimately be interpreted as truly a fat loss
response on the part of resulting internal metabolic processes.
Before we get ahead of ourselves, consider this. All foods have a
caloric (calories), nutrient (carbohydrate, fat, protein), and vitamin
mineral (enzyme producing) content. For the purpose of this
article, we will concern ourselves with the calorie enzyme
producing components of foods. While it is true, enzymes are not found
in foods, it has been simplified by researchers, that vitamins can be
considered biochemicals found in foods that, among their many other
functions, stimulate living tissues to produce enzymes that ideally are
sufficient to breakdown that particular food;s caloric nutrients.
Therefore, for our purposes the relative result of vitamin ingestion is
the production of enzymes.
As a side note, this lay definition of vitamins paves the way for a
more clear understanding of empty calories (junk food) as well. Foods
falling into this empty calorie category would be foods with too
little enzyme producing vitamin mineral content, while containing
a surplus of calories. The ingestion of empty calorie foods requires
the body to produce its own enzymes (usually in the lining of the
intestinal tract) to be able to convert these empty calories into
usable energy. Obviously, these enzyme producing functions in the body
should be reserved for the performance of other internal, and more
vital metabolic reactions.
It is a given these days, that it is difficult to find foods that
contain a sufficient amount of vitamins minerals to alone break
down their own host caloric nutrients (purely natural food). This
situation can be attributed to nutrient robbing pesticide application,
processing, the use of preservatives, and various commonly used poor
cooking practices.
Surprisingly, in the case of the negative calorie foods in question not
only do they contain sufficient vitamins minerals to break down
the host calories there is actually a surplus of these enzyme producing
biochemicals. This simply means that once ingested these negative
calorie foods provide for enzyme production in quantities sufficient
to break down not only its own host calories, but possibly additional
calories present in digestion as well. Is this discovery truly a
tremendous breakthrough? Not really. Unless of course research is
performed confirming that these surplus enzymes produced in digestion
are in some way transported into the bloodstream. As likely as this
enzyme transport would seem, until now there has been no real evidence
to support this conclusion.
Reference #1:
According to a recent study performed by Dr. Dean Ornish, M.D., of the
University of California, at San Francisco, a vegetarian diet
consisting mostly of fruits and vegetables, was adhered to by research
subjects as an experimental study on the reversal of heart disease. As
a result each of the research subjects (all suffering from heart
disease), lost an average of 20 pounds without cutting calories or
limiting serving sizes. In light of the fact that these subjects were
40 years and older (with relatively slowed metabolisms) and the
research performed involved no prescribed exercise program, this
constitutes a dramatic weight loss that could only be attributed to the
consumption of various fruits and vegetables (negative calorie foods).
Reference #2:
In an article in the January, 1994 Issue of Self Magazine, contributed
by Dr. Neal Barnard M.D., author of Food For Life (Harmony Books), he
basically supports the concept of negative calorie foods (keep in
mind there were no research studies referenced in this article to
support his claims).
Let's speculate for a moment, shall we? With the above information in
mind, while obviously not conclusive, let us assume the transport of
these surplus digestive enzymes into the blood is a given and pick it
up from there. The fact is, enzymes are responsible for the
acceleration of ALL chemical reactions in the body. The acceleration of
chemical reactions in the body then equates to a faster metabolism
(this effect is implied by the earlier referenced studies performed by
Dr. Dean Ornish, M.D.). If CONCLUSIVE this discovery would truly be a
tremendous breakthrough. The greater value then, in identifying and
ingesting these negative calorie foods is not in their ability to break
down other existing calories in digestion at all. The true potential
benefits lie in the increased enzymes produced being absorbed through
the mucosa in the small intestine thus entering into the bloodstream
where they can positively effect the rate of metabolism.
In building upon the above conjectures, to optimize this metabolic
acceleration, these researched identified negative calorie foods
should preferably be ingested in the absence of additional enzyme
robbing empty calories (junk food). This would insure that an optimum
amount of enzymes are produced for absorption into the bloodstream and
not wasted during digestive processes on assimilating calories from
foods with poor vitamin and nutrient content.
While it takes about a month to follow the steps suggested below, you'd have determined what foods might be responsible for your symptoms. Once you've eliminated these from your diet you may be able to maintain your symptom-free status forever."
The Elimination Diet
1. Begin by making a real effort to eliminate all of the following foods from your diet for at least seven and preferably 10 days.
Dairy products, including cheese
Egg and egg-containing products
Gluten-containing products, such as wheat and wheat-containing products (including pasta), and barley, oat or rye grains
Corn and corn-containing products
Citrus fruits
Some quick substitution ideas for this period might include:
For dairy: Use soy milk and soy cheese; rice milk, rice-based ice cream.
For gluten or corn: Try rice, buckwheat, spelt, millet, potatoes or sweet potatoes.
2. After seven days, reconsider your symptoms. If they are completely unchanged, there is probably no food sensitivity component to your problem. Most people with food sensitivities, however, feel nonspecifically "better" after undertaking this program. This may mean not only the elimination of your predominant symptom, but also improved energy, better mental clarity, reduction of joint or muscle aches and improved digestion, including less gas and bloating.
3. The next step is to return one food group to your diet every three days. Be sure to keep a symptom diary. In it you can not only track your primary symptom but also record anything else you notice.
4. At the end of your three-week "return" period, you should have a good idea of the dietary culprit (or culprits).
Once you've determined your key food sensitivity(ies), visit the WholeHealthMD Healing Kitchen for recipes specially created to meet your new nutritional needs.
Ayurveda, The Balanced Approach: Proper Digestion is the Key to Weight Management
The difference between the Balanced Approach program and other, more "conventional," approaches to weight management is the incorporation of the Ayurvedic theory of the six tastes and the six qualities of food. Of course, you must still know how to balance proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in relation to your metabolic profile and activity level, and you need to understand the effects that food sensitivities, cultural diversity, and genetics can have on your overall health. But for me and I hope for you - the "fun" part comes when you begin to understand how Ayurveda and most traditional ethnic cultures use herbs and spices to maximize digestion, enhance flavor, and balance emotions. And once you have learned that, you should no longer fall prey to the one universal pitfall encountered by virtually everyone trying to lose or control weight - failure to comply with the program. In the fitness world, I constantly hear complaints from trainers about how difficult it is to get their clients to stick to their high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets.
The fact is that people can get only so much grilled chicken or canned tuna before they rebel and binge on chocolate, processed salty chips or cookies because they are craving the sweet or salty taste. Craving sweet in Ayurveda is not a crime and should not translate into 80 pounds of white processed sugar or binging on tasteless "diet" cookies!
The Six Tastes
There are six distinct tastes - sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. From an Ayurvedic perspective, it is important to include all six of these tastes in every meal in proper amounts to stimulate, balance, and satisfy your particular constitutional type or imbalance. It's easy once you understand it. Most of the cuisines that we think of as "ethnic" or "European" - Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, Italian - do combine all these tastes in virtually every meal. A typical Asian meal would be a perfect example of this. It will normally include some protein, usually fish or tofu; some rice, which is sweet; ginger and wasabi, which are pungent; sauteed vegetables (bitter) cooked with sesame oil, a good, monounsaturated fat; soy sauce, which is salty; and green tea, a strong antioxidant that is both bitter and astringent; and a fruit, such as an orange (both sweet and sour), for dessert. Whenever I begin to describe to my clients the difference between this kind of typical Asian meal and the average American "diet" meal, I can see their eyes light up in anticipation. The Asian meal is clean, light, satisfying, healthy, and stimulating to the taste buds and digestion; turkey breast and a plain salad gets old really quickly.
There are six tastes described in Ayurveda, and each taste affects the doshas in a specific manner. The term taste not only applies to the perception of taste buds located on the tongue, but to the final reaction of food in the acid medium of the stomach. These tastes are sweet, sour, salty, astringent, bitter and pungent. Vata dosha is balanced by sweet, sour, and salty. Pitta dosha is balanced by bitter, astringent and sweet, and Kapha dosha is balanced by pungent, bitter, and astringent.
The following list shows the tastes of some common foods and how they affect the various constitutional types. In traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda all foods, herbs, and spices have a quality, a taste, and an effect on the body and the mind.
The Six Tastes and How They Affect the Body Types
Sweet: sugar; honey; milk; butter; cream; rice; breads; wheat; barley; ricotta cheese; tofu (soy); almonds; sesame seeds; meats; avocado; sweet fruits; the sweeter vegetables such as fennel, carrots, hccts, winter squashes, yants, and cucumbers; spices such as fennel seed, cinnamon, cardanioni, poppy seed, anise, dill, tarragon, fenugreek, and nutmeg. Sweet tastes are calming, moistening, and soothing. They are also anabolic, meaning that they help to add tissue, and, in excess, they will increase body weight.
Sour: yogurt and sour cream; lemons and other citrus fruits; fermented cheeses such as blue cheese; vinegar; pickles, tomatoes, plums, raspberries, strawberries, and unripe fruits. Sour tastes stimulate the appetite and digestion, increase metabolism, and help to dispel gas. They are also anabolic, meaning that they help to add tissue and, in excess, will increase body weight.
Salty: olives; soy sauce; tamari (soy sauce without wheat); kelp and other seaweeds; some salsas and fresh chutney; foods to which salt is added, such as chips or peanuts; sea salt, orsa salt, and celtic sea salt. Salty tastes are warming, calming, and drying. In small quantities they help to stimulate appetite and digestion, but too much can cause water retention; because they are also anabolic, they can increase tissue and body weight if eaten in excess. Celtic sea salt and orsa salt contain all the trace minerals from the ocean and do not promote water retention or raise blood pressure the way processed table salt can.
Pungent: wasabi (Japanese horseradish); chilies; peppers; garlic; mustard; radishes; onion; herbs and spices such as ginger, cayenne, cloves, rosemary, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, coriander, thyme, sage, and turmeric. Pungent tastes are those we think of as spicy. They increase metabolism, circulation, and digestion and are also drying. Because they are are catabolic, meaning that they help to burn fat, they can be helpfu in lowering body fat, but too much can easily overheat a fiery Pita.
Bitter: dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, collard greens, mustard greens; turntcrii; eggplant; rhubarb; sesame; licorice; chocolate; beer; ionic water; coffee; tea; green tea. Bitter tastes are dry and cooling, small amounts help to stimulate digestion, and because they are catabolic, they can aid in reducing body fat.
Astringent: lentils; most beans; pomegranate; green apples; pears; cabbage; chard; spinach; rhubarb; green grapes; orange and lemon peels; herbs and spices such as thyme, nutmeg, sage, rosemary, cinnamon, coriander, caraway, bay leaf, basil, tarragon, and turmeric; aloe vera. Astringent tastes are drawing, drying, cooling, and catabolic, which means they aid in the reduction of body fat.
Each of the six tastes is also associated with the five elements:
Sweet - earth and water
Sour - earth and fire
Salty - water and fire
Pungent - fire and air
Bitter - air and ether
Astringent - air and earth
Because of these associations, each taste will also have a particular effect on each of the three body types:
Decrease Vata: sweet, sour, salty
Decrease Pitta: sweet, bitter, astringent
Decrease Kapha: pungent, bitter, astringent
Increase Vata: pungent, bitter, astringent
Increase Pitta: pungent, sour, salty
Increase Kapha: sweet, sour, salty
The above information is adapted from Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners by Amadea Morningstar, and Ayurveda: The Science of SelfHealing by Dr. Vasant Lad.
Aside from their effect on each of the constitutional types, the primary reason the six tastes are so important is really quite simple: Variety and vivid flavors make eating more satisfying and pleasurable. Many Americans seem to have forgotten this, or believe that anything that tastes good has to be "bad." We either choose quantity over quality, or, at the other end of the spectrum, we restrict ourselves to bland, boring foods - such as a never ending diet of grilled chicken and steamed broccoli - in the mistaken notion that this is the only way to lose weight. But, in the end, neither of these ways of eating will accomplish the intended purpose, and that probably accounts, at least in part, for why so many Americans are overweight. I know, because I've been there myself. Every time I decided to "go on a diet," it was the same story: a quarter pound of turkey breast, one slice of whole-wheat bread, and a salad with no dressing. Invariably I'd be "good" from Monday to Friday and then "blow" it over the weekend. And I see the same pattern over and over again in my clients.
No matter how much you eat, if the food isn't full of flavor, and if it doesn't answer your natural cravings for all six tastes, your taste buds won't be satisfied and eventually you'll go looking for what you are missing - usually in the wrong places. A craving for salt will lead you directly to a bag of potato chips. Lusting for sweet? Your hand will go right for the cookie jar. That's why restrictive weight-loss diets never work and why, more often than not, even the most compulsive dieter will "pig out" by going on a binge and overeating. In Ayurveda, nonaddictive cravings are physiologically correct.
In fact, the best way to keep your weight under control and optimize your metabolism is to feed your body a variety of nutritious, tasty fuel. The key to utilizing nutrients efficiently and, at the same time, eliminating toxins is to keep the digestion strong. Taste, according Ayurveda, is directly related to health, digestion, and satisfaction. The six tastes keep the digestive fire burning efficiently; bland, boring foods cause it to die down so that you are not metabolizing effectively. Just think about what happens when you have a cold - your nose is stuffy and you can't taste or smell. Therefore, you lose your appetite. In Ayurveda they would say that your digestive fire has "left its seat"; it is fighting a battle and therefore can't he used to process food at that time. As a result, your appetite decreases and your digestion becomes inefficient. But Ayurveda also believes the reverse is equally true: If your food is not full of vibrant and varied tastes, your appetite and digestion will eventually weaken because your taste buds are not being properly stimulated and toxins will accumulate in your digestive tract. You won’t metabolize nutrients efficiently, and you may lose your health. Good taste, good digestion and good health alwaly go together in Ayruveda.
The Six Qualities and How They Affect the Body Types
Heavy: cheese, yogurt; meat; wheat products; nuts; fish; eggs; honey; soybeans; beets, carrots, cucumbers; bananas, figs, melons, oranges, peaches, pears, plums; garlic, salt; brown rice, buckwheat, oats
Light: popcorn, rice and rice cakes, barley, corn, millet, rye; spinach, celery, lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini; chicken; apples
Oily: dairy products; fats, oils; almonds, cashews, peanuts, sunflower seeds; chicken, eggs; soybeans; coconut; garlic
Dry: barley, corn, millet, rye, rice cakes, buckwheat, popcorn; potatoes; beans; broccoli, celery, spinach; honey; pumpkin seeds
Hot: hot spices, chilies, jalapenos; hot drinks, alcohol, tobacco
Cold: cold drinks, cranberry juice with spring water and lime, ice cream, mint, sorbets
The effects these qualities have on you are:
Decrease Vata: heavy, oily, hot
Decrease Pitta: cold, heavy, oily
Decrease Kapha: light, dry, hot
Increase Vata: light, dry, cold
Increase Pitta: hot, light, dry
Increase Kapha: heavy, oily, cold
Maintaining Emotional Balance With Food Tastes And Qualities
It makes perfect sense, of course, that certain tastes and qualities of food either "increase" or "decrease" particular constitutional types. What we're all seeking is balance and stability. If our genetics and biochemistry are pushing us to one extreme or the other, we need to work against those tendencies to find the middle ground.
The human body is a wonderful, self-regulating machine, and despite the fact that virtually no one is innately a perfect combination of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, under ideal circumstances we would all probably gravitate toward just the kinds of food we need to keep our body and mind in balance. Vatas would seek out heavier, oilier, sweet, or salty but nutritious foods. Pittas would gravitate toward sweet, cool foods to help control their fire. Kaphas would be eating dark green leafy vegetables and spicy curries. If we had a craving for ice cream, chocolate, or French fries, we'd eat a small portion and our craving would be satisfied.
But the truth is that most of us do not live in ideal circumstances. We live in a world full of stress and noise, with too much to do in too little time, in a climate that may not be ideal for our genetic type. Consequently, most of us are out of balance much of the time. When my clients are craving sweets or chips, I tell them to ask themselves the following questions: Am I actually hungry, or am I bored or stressed out? Did I have a decent lunch, including something warm like soup, with some good protein and good fat, and vegetables with spices and flavor? Did I have something sweet to finish the meal, and did I leave the table feeling satisfied? This is how Europeans, in general, eat and probably why most European cultures have less incidence of obesity than we do in America. So if the answer to any of those questions is "No," you haven't been giving your body the fuel it needs and you've probably been consuming too many sweet or starchy carbohydrates which means your blood sugar is swinging all over the place. It's time to eat something warm if this is the case, to soothe and satisfy you, sufficent protein to keep your blood sugar steady, and some good fats and oils to keep you grounded, along with something sweet to calm you down.
If you did have a nice lunch with all the proper nutrients and you’re still craving foods that are salty or sweet, you may be worried, stressed, overwhelmed, or angry about something. If you are in a Vata imbalance - stressed, fearful, or overwhelmed - you will probably find yourself craving sweet, sour, or salty foods or heavy, creamy, oily foods. Your desire for French fries, a mocha latte, or a candy bar would make perfect sense because your body would be trying to calm, nurture, and ground itself.
In fact, the external circumstances governing the lives of modern Americans have put most of us in an almost constant state of Vata or Pitta imbalance. And in our rush to soothe ourselves - to calm our Vata or cool our Pitta - we too often eat "to bury unpleasant emotions" as Dr. Candace Pert, a research professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C., so clearly puts it in her book "Molecules Of Emotion":
By tuning into your emotions as information about your digestive process, you can develop your ability to know what your body needs in the way of nourishment and when.... Ask yourself: Do I feel hungry? Wait for a feeling of hunger to occur before eating.
... A craving for something sweet may be a signal that your brain needs fuel, so bite into a piece of fruit; a desire for a hamburger may be telling you that your body needs more protein, so add more animal and/or soy products to your diet.
I have found that many people seem to crave sweets and carbohydrates virtually all the time, simply because they are not eating enough protein and fat and are waiting too long between meals. Sometimes, when you're trying to be "good," less is not really better. By understanding the six tastes and six qualities of food and how they are related to the qualities of the five elements, you will be able to make an educated decision about which foods, herbs, and spices will bring you back into balance and nurture you without causing you to gain weight or ruining your digestion.
WHEN YOU'RE OUT OF BALANCE
Picture this scenario: It's July in New York City, ninety-five degrees in the shade, and the humidity feels like more than 100 percent. It's three in the afternoon, there's a report you have to get out by five, and the air-conditioning in your office is on the fritz. The phone won't stop ringing, and your boss keeps sticking his head in your door asking when you're going to be finished.
In a situation like this, anyone, no matter what his or her innate constitutional type, would be in a Pitta imbalance. You'd be overheated, aggravated, frustrated, annoyed, and possibly longing for a mocha frappaccino, which is sweet (the milk and sugar), bitter and astringent (the coffee), cold (the ice), and heavy (the "frapp"). This particular set of circumstances would aggravate a Pitta type the most, but Vatas would be completely overwhelmed by it all and craving cookies or candy, and Kaphas would just hang in there and suffer, possibly gaining weight even if they didn't eat anything ...
By remembering the particular tastes and qualities of food that would correct a Pitta imbalance, you could rebalance yourself emotionally and avoid dietary disaster. A cool peppermint tea, Vata or Pitta tea, a cranberry juice with club soda and lime, or a limeade (all calming, cool, sweet, and astringent) might just do the trick.
... Or put yourself in one of these two situations:
1. You've been working on a project for more than a month and the deadline is fast approaching. You've been getting to the office by seven each morning and not leaving until after eight at night. You've flown cross-country twice in the last month. The phone is ringing with questions, the e-mails are pouring in, and you can't keep up with it all. By the time you get home at night you're so wound up you can't fall asleep, and now you're starting to have digestive problems as well. All in all, you're feeling overwhelmed, overtired, and constipated.
2. You and your spouse/mate/partner have just split up, and you are overwhelmed with grief and anxiety. How are you going to pay the bills? What are you going to do with the house? How are the kids going to handle this? How are you ever going to meet someone new at this stage of life? What are the neighbors going to say, and what about your family? You feel alone and depressed, and there is no one around to offer support.
Either of these scenarios would put a tremendous strain on your nervous system - too many things going on, too much to worry about, not enough help and support - and in consequence you would be in a Vata imbalance. In fact, many of the clients who come into my practice are leading lives not unlike the ones just described. They are overworked, overwhelmed, and undernurtured. There's a reason they're craving food with sweet or salty tastes and heavy, oily qualities.
Inspiring Words for Thyroid Patients
From THE THYROID DIET by Mary J. Shomon
Keeping the Faith BELIEVE IT CAN BE DONE!
The following was taken from:
THE THYROID DIET by Mary J. Shomon
For more than a decade, the National Weight Control Registry, a collaboration between the University of Colorado and the University of Pittsburgh, has maintained a database of more than 2,000 people who have successfully lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off. The registry has found that the most popular form of exercise for these weight losers is walking. More than 50% of those in the database did not participate in a formal weight-loss program. Instead. they employed a lot of personal discipline. The average registrant has lost 60 pounds and kept it off 5 years.
Don't buy into the gloom-and-doom statistics about weight loss or about thyroid disease. It's hard to lose weight, but it's not impossible. You can do it, and The Thyroid Diet will help!
Perhaps the best thing is for you to hear the inspirational words of your fellow thyroid patients.
Kelli had to call around to interview doctors to find the right one to help her diagnose her thyroid problem. You were right! It's tough to find the right one. But I found one in my area. And I think she is learning from the information I have shared with her. I was strong in my approach. The blood tests came back clearly indicating that I was hypothyroid. and I asked to be put on Armour, which is working wonders. 1 asked for follow-up blood tests just this last week, after being on the medication for only 6 weeks, and it is working! My joints no longer are painful. and I am starting to lose weight, and my depression is lifting. It's like a miracle.
Until being diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2000, Karenna describes herself as a "size 6 with bundles of energy". I didn't exercise but could run up four flights of stairs without missing a beat After the removal, my weight balloned from 130 to 175 pounds. It took 3 years to take off 20 pounds. Currently I have reduced my earl) intake. I did not do a full-scale low-carb, high-fat diet. I eat protein for breakfast, salad for lunch, and protein with a light salad or fruit for dinner. I steer clear of all sugar, flour, etc. It seems to work for me. I now weigh around 155 pounds. I have more energy and seem to fit proportionately in my clothes better. People notice that I have lost weight and look healthier. It is a constant struggle. My former thyroid doc told me I was depressed, and I should eat a more balanced diet and exercise more. How to exercise when you can hardly lift your head off the pillow is beyond me. My new thyroid doc (love him!) added Cytomel to my Synthroid and understands that losing weight isn't easy. He even tells me I look great the way I am!
Some readers have found their own way to weight loss. For example, Mandy has found that Weight Watchers is helping her. I've lost almost 20 pounds in 9 weeks and it has been a very comfortable process. I only needed to lose about 15 pounds to begin with. It is a very healthy way to lose weight. You can eat anything, so there are no cravings. One simply has to be mindful of healthy choices and proportions.
Susan found the low-glycemic approach helpful. Three years ago I bought The G-Index Diet book by Richard Podell on a recommendation from your Web site. I have been on a low-glycemic-index diet ever since, and it has been a miracle. Nothing else worked since I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism 15 years ago. and having not broken this diet once in 3 years, my earlier failed attempts were obviously not due to a lack of willpower! I lost 60 pounds over the course of 15 months, and while gaining 10 pounds back. I have stabilized at a size 12 as opposed to an 18.
Jane wrote to me recently. She said she had tried different eating plans, and nothing had worked ... until now. I've lost 10-1/2 pounds in about 2 months since starting your diet. I'm also working out (for the past 6 months) and have reduced 20 inches but wasn't dropping real weight. The weight wouldn't come off for anything until I started this diet. It's perfect for my thyroid disorder that started out as Graves' disease. I was very sick until I was finally diagnosed. Eventually I took the radioactive iodine and since '89 l had gained 110 pounds. I am 50 years old now and had been prepared to gain some weight with my age, but that was just too much. Before I couldn't lose more than 8 pounds and always gained it back. Six months ago I was at 240; now I'm 229.5. I know the resistance exercise has helped me in many ways. But the weight loss is definitely from this diet. Believe me I've learned enough about my own body to know what is and isn't going to work.
Ellen, age 36 and the mother of two, works part-time as an exercise instructor and personal trainer. At 5'9", she's a size 5/7 and explains how she has kept her weight in control despite her own thyroid condition: What are my recommendations as a thyroid patient and as a fitness professional? At least three aerobic workouts per week (more if you can) and some activity every day. Two challenging; total-body strength-training workouts per week - nothing boosts your metabolism like additional muscle! Smaller more frequent meals (five or six minimeals per day). Each meal and snack should contain some quality complex carbohydrate, lean protein, and some fat (preferably unsaturated). Be patient! You didn't gain the weight overnight and it isn't going to come off overnight. A maximum loss of 1-2 pounds per week is healthy if you want to have long-term success. Keep a food diary and really analyze it or get some help with making dietary changes. Give yourself one cheat day a week and enjoy a special treat. Try to eat well 80%-90% of the time, and give yourself a break on the other 10%-20%. You'll find that over time you won't get as much enjoyment from cheating.
Linda has found the secret to her success. It seems that if I religiously walk/stretch, watch my diet, take time for myself (I now go to Curves) I have gone from 200 pounds to 180 pounds. My symptoms seem much better as long as I follow my schedule, which I am happy with, although I've come to accept some days my symptoms will come and go but nothing like it used to be! I still read anything I can get my hands on about thyroid and receive Mary Shomon's thyroid newsletter every month to keep up with new research. No matter what am, doctors tell me. I trust in myself and how I feel, and do my own research, then I go to the doctors and tell them I want to try something new!
Phyllis is 60 years old, 5 feet tall. and weighs a comfortable 114 pounds. She exercises five to six times a week. She says that once she got in touch with the emotional reasons that she ate, she was much more conscious about everything. For 2 years, she has maintained her weight on a low-calorie food plan she devised herself that emphasizes lean proteins and vegetables. I feel great at this weight. I have also been told I look great. This motivates me to keep watching what I eat. I am now down to a size 6 and am consistently happy. I might also add I do fine when I go out to eat. Whether lunch or dinner. I maintain by eating a chicken salad. When I go to McDonald's, I select a chicken salad, and I even am able to have an ice-cream cone. This combination is very satisfying, and I look at it as a treat.
Anna lost 37 pounds when she became hyperthyroid but gained it back, plus some, under treatment. They gave me radiation and then I quit smoking and got fat, gaining more than 50 pounds. My doctor said no diet would help me. I have tried all the wrong things. Till I tried your book. I want to thank you for giving me hope, and I feel so good about myself' again. I have lost 19 pounds in 75 days-dropped a few sizes already-and I have to thank you.
Marie went from 185 to 154 pounds and is still dropping more. I used to be a size 1X and I am 5 feet tall. I now weigh 154 and can wear clothes that I couldn't wear before, and everyone including neighbors are asking me why I look so good!
Roberta read about and started following my approach to weight loss for thyroid patients 6 months ago. After reading your diet guide, I was amazed with the information that my doctors did not tell me regarding hypothyroidism. I wanted to let you know that since I started taking your advice that is mentioned in your book, I have lost 35 pounds.
On other diets. Barb would lose 5 pounds, then hit a permanent plateau. On the diet you recommend, I've lost 12 pounds in 3 months. I lost a pound a week for the first 9 pounds, and then have slowed down to a pound every 2 weeks or so. I'm 5'3" and weighed 138 when I started the diet. I plan to follow the outlines of your diet for the rest of my life.
So keep the faith. Keep following my own weight-loss story and stay up on the latest thyroid and weight-loss news at my site: http://www.goodmetabolism.com. I predict that someday soon you'll be sending me your success story! You can write to me at mshonion@thyroid-info.com, or by mail at
Mary Shomon
P.O. Box 0385
Palm Harbor, FL 34682
Sample Diet Plan for the Next Four Days
Day 1
1/2 grapefruit
1 slice whole wheat bread
1 oz. cheese
3 oz. salmon (canned in water)
Unlimited vegetables
5 whole wheat crackers
1 apple
3 oz. baked chicken (skinless)
1 cup cauliflower
1/2 cup beets
Day 2
1/2 banana
2 oz. high fiber cereal
8 oz. skim or 2% milk
4 oz. low fat cottage cheese
Unlimited vegetables
1 slice whole wheat bread
1/2 grapefruit
3 oz. poached or grilled fish fillet
1 cup broccoli
1/2 cup carrots
Day 3
1 apple
1 tbsp. peanut butter
1 slice whole wheat bread
3 oz. water packed tuna
Unlimited vegetables
5 whole wheat crackers
1 oz. cheese
1 apple
3 oz. beef steak or hamburger
1 cup asparagus
1 cup dinner salad
Day 4
1/2 banana
2 oz. high fiber cereal
8 oz. skim or 2% milk
3 oz. water packed tuna
Unlimited vegetables
1/2 tbsp. mayonnaise
2 slice whole wheat bread
1/2 grapefruit
1 apple
3 oz. baked chicken (skinless)
1 cup dinner salad
1 oz. cheese
1/2 cup carrots
THE CORE MINIMUM DAILY FOOD GROUPS / DAILY
PRIMARY PROTEIN SOURCE
DAIRY PROTEIN 4 units minimum one unit equals:
1 c milk **
1 c whole milk yogurt **
1/4 c yogurt, most low; non-fat varieties**
1/4 c cottage cheese
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese - 1 oz cheese
1 oz ricotta cheese
1/4 c dry milk, instant
BEAN / MEAT PROTEINS 4 units minimum one unit equals:
1 oz chicken, turkey, fish, deli meat
2-oz shrimp, scallops, crab, lobster, clams
1/4 c tuna, chicken
1/2 c cooked beans (legumes)
3-oz tofu
2 egg whites - 1 whole egg
2 rounded Tbsp peanut butter
PRIMARY COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATE SOURCES
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 5 units minimum one unit equals:
Medium apple, banana, orange, grapefruit half,
1/4 any melon (8" size),
1 c melon chunks
1/2 c sliced fruit (strawberries, grapes, pineapple, etc.)
1/4 c dried fruit
1/2 c cooked vegetables
1 c raw vegetables
GRAINS (STARCHES) 4 units minimum one unit equals:
1 slice bread
1/2 c cereal Special K
1/2 bagel, 1/2 large pita, 1/2 hamburger bun,
1/2 English muffin
1/2 c cooked cereal
1/2 c rice
1/2 c pasta
1 small roll, biscuit, or muffin
5 to 6 small crackers
2 rice cakes
1/2 medium baked potato
OTHERS
Use sparingly to round out meals and meet energy requirements:
Fats - oils, butter, margarine, mayonnaise, bacon, olives
Sweets - sugar, honey, jam, syrup, jelly, gum
Low carb (CarbSmart) ice cream
Frozen yogurt
* 6 units minimum of dairy protein for pregnant/breastfeeding women and
teens
**best calcium source
YOUR MINIMUM PLAN IS:
Milk
Beans and Meat
Fruit
Grain
Others
***IF YOU ARE EATING THE MINIMUM OR LESS, YOU ARE STILL RESTRICTING.
YOUR PLAN SHOULD BE ABOVE THE MINIMUM.
Five No-Fail Strategies for Permanent Weight Loss
By Stephen Gullo PhD.
What has surprised me most as a weight-loss expert is the discovery that success
at weight control is not about willpower. Indeed, after 25 years and
almost 15,000 clients, I have learned that those who succeed at weight
control do not have greater willpower than those who fail. They just
have better strategies. Here, I share with you the five best
strategies...
1. Banish trigger foods. Many nutritionists say there are no "bad" foods, but this isn't true in the real world. People with weight problems almost always have one or more "trigger" foods that sabotage their diets. Example: Cookies. Some people can't eat just a few-instead, they finish the entire box. People who are predisposed to indulge in certain foods experience neurological changes when they eat them -changes in their brain chemistry that trigger food cravings and overpower the body's natural appetite-control mechanism. The more of these foods they eat, the more their bodies demand them. Determine your trigger foods-candy, ice cream, potato chips, etc.-and don't keep them in the house.
2. Concentrate on a negative image. Associating a particular food with a negative visual image makes that food less appealing and easier to resist. Example: Suppose your personal food trap is chocolate cake. Before you go to a dinner party, a restaurant, etc., repeat a negative message to yourself 10 times- "Chocolate is just brown fat" or "I don't want to wear chocolate cake on my stomach."
Also helpful: Put a mouthwash breath strip in your mouth after your main course. The strong taste temporarily overwhelms the senses of smell and taste, suppressing appetite.
3. Keep your stomach satisfied. Blood sugar levels fall if you go more than a few hours without eating. Low blood sugar causes food cravings. Also, eating such trigger foods as sweets on an empty stomach makes them taste particularly delicious and stimulates the brain's craving center. A British study showed that people given chocolate on an empty stomach for 14 days started craving it-even those who hadn't been chocolate lovers to begin with. Eat small meals or healthful snacks at least every few hours. Examples: A handful of nuts, a bowl of whole-grain cereal, a small container of yogurt or a few slices of low-fat cheese.
Bonus: Protein has a thermogenic effect-about 30% of the calories are burned during digestion rather than stored as fat.
4. Learn "calorienomics." Your body has a calorie budget. If you exceed that budget, you will gain weight. You can maximize your calorie budget by eating foods that provide a lot of satisfaction for relatively few calories. Example: A half-pound serving of mussels has about 250 calories, compared with 400 calories in a large bagel. A serving of flounder has one-third to one-quarter the number of calories as a comparable serving of sirloin steak.
5. Get enough calcium. A University of Tennessee study found that dieters who got adequate calcium-1,200 mg to 1,600 mg from dairy foods - lost 11 % of total body weight over six months. The studys researchers concluded that dieters who eat high-calcium foods can lose up to 70% more weight than dieters who don't get adequate calcium. When you don't get enough calcium in your diet, a hormone called calcitrol is released. Calcitrol makes fat cells fatter, so you gain more weight. Calcium supplements don't work as well as dairy foods when it comes to weight loss. Dairy products contain a number of compounds that exert a much stronger effect on fat cells than supplements do. Yogurt is an excellent calcium-rich food-one cup of plain or vanilla yogurt has 490 mg of calcium. Other good sources of calcium include milk (390 mg per cup) and cottage cheese (150 mg per cup).
Tips for Losing Weight
Use these 2 tips to reveal that six-pack, fit
into that dress for an upcoming event like a wedding or reunion, or to
impress that special someone. Whatever your fitness goal is these 2
tips above will surely help you reach them.
1. Start Exercising first thing in the morning.
As soon as you wake up in the morning workout for
at least 30min to an hour. Studies show that working out in the morning
has been shown to burn up to 3x as more fat as opposed to working out
at any other time during the day. Here is
Why: During the day your body's main source of energy
is the carbohydrates that you get from eating your meals. As you sleep
at night for 6+ hours your body uses up all those carbohydrates as
energy for various bodily functions that go on even while you sleep.
When you wake up in the morning your body doesn't have any
carbohydrates as energy to use and it will look to burn body fat
instead for energy. For you to take advantage of this
morning fat
burning opportunity you have to exercise first thing in the morning.
Don't eat breakfast untill after the workout because if you do you'll just give your body some
carbohydrates as a source of energy instead of the body fat that you
want to burn for energy. Another great thing about
working out first
thing in the morning is that your metabolism gets revved up after your
morning workout. Morning workouts keep your metabolism elevated
throughout the day. An elevated metabolism throughout the day only
means that you'll burn more calories and lose more weight. If you
workout at night you may still burn fat while you workout but as soon
as you go to sleep your metabolism will slow down and you'll miss out
on all the extra fat that you can burn during the day if you had
exercised in the morning. When you sleep your metabolic rate is always
at its slowest.
Other reasons why its good to exercise first
thing in the morning is that you get the workout out of the way, and
working out in the morning will also reduce your level of stress
throughout the day.
Advanced Tip:
Want to burn even more fat? Add
another workout to your daily routine 4-6 hours after your morning
workout. Keep your already high metabolism higher by adding a 2nd
workout during the day. If you're seriously thinking about adding a 2nd
workout to your daily routine then try to do your cardio workouts in
the morning. Mostly fat calories are burned doing cardio at a moderate
intensities. Make your 2nd workout of the day a workout with weights.
Mostly carbohydrate is burned doing weight-training workouts. The
muscle that you build from weight training will also help you burn fat.
1lb of Muscle burns 50 calories a day or 1lb of fat every 70 days. Not
only will you be burning more calories, you'll look better whatever
your weight is.
2. Eat Breakfast
Another way to keep your metabolism revved up all
day long is to eat breakfast. After you workout in the morning as
discussed earlier, just have breakfast and you'll give your body the
perfect 1-2 combination to jump start your metabolism.
Eating breakfast in the morning is what gets
your metabolism started. Don't skip breakfast and wait until
mid-morning or afternoon to eat, your metabolism will run slower
causing you to not burn any extra fat.
Think about this way-Your metabolism is a
fireplace that'll burn fat all day long for you if you operate it
correctly. When you eat breakfast you are basically throwing a log onto
that fireplace to get it started burning fat.Eating
breakfast will help stop those cravings
you may have later on in the day and along with working out in the
morning, eating breakfast will also keep you energized throughout the
day and lower stress levels.
Advanced Tip:
Instead of eating only 2 more
meals during the day like lunch and; dinner, try to eat 4-5 more small
mini-meals spaced 2-3 hours apart during the day. Remember the
fireplace? By eating these mini-meals you'll be throwing just the right
amount of "wood" on the fireplace to keep your metabolism burning
calories throughout the day. Don't shut down your metabolism by eating
big lunches or dinners, keep that metabolism of yours burning fat all
day long.
Morning Checklist:
Workout for at least 30min after waking up in the morning.
Eat a healthy breakfast.
You will burn fat and lose more weight during the day.
"Calcium is the most important mineral, not only for your bones, but also for your heart, nerves and muscles."
"Calcium is the most important mineral, not only for your bones, but also for your heart, nerves and muscles," says Ruth Frechman, R.D., spokesperson for the California Dietetic Association. Low calcium consumption is a leading cause of osteoporosis, a condition that leads to weak, brittle bones. Studies suggest that a calcium-rich diet may help reduce the risk of some types of colon cancer. And the mineral may even have some weight-loss benefit: In a recent study, scientists found that mice on high-calcium diets burned more fat. While the theory has yet to be tested on humans, some companies are already hyping calcium as a weight-loss tool. Yet, despite these positive nutrition benefits, confusion about calcium among the public abounds.
A survey conducted in 2003 by the American Dietetic Association found that 89 percent of women believed calcium was important to their health, yet 40 percent were confused over how to calculate their daily intake. The median intake is 625 mg per day, but the National Academy of Science recommends daily calcium intakes of 1,000-1,200 mg per day for adult men and women, an increase from the 1989 recommendation that advised taking 800-1,200 mg per day.
For years there have been rumors claiming that calcium causes kidney stones, and some people believe that mature adults don't need calcium. But the evidence easily dispels these myths. Research shows that people need calcium throughout their lives, and that calcium might actually reduce the risk of kidney stones.
Furthermore, post-menopausal women who are dieting and getting the standard recommendation of 1,200 mg of calcium per day actually absorb almost 20 percent less of the mineral, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Women who consume 2,000 mg absorb sufficient amounts of calcium.
New spins on calcium continue. For example, coral calcium supplement, which hit the market with claims that it is derived from remnants of living coral and, as such, has myriad healing properties. These claims were quickly dispelled when it was revealed that since law protects coral reefs, coral calcium is essentially ground limestone (calcium carbonate with some magnesium and trace minerals) with no presence of living organisms.
Many people turn their backs on a good source of calcium, dairy products, because of lactose intolerance, a genetically determined decline in lactase. the enzyme that breaks down lactose, which cause gastrointestinal distress when lactose-rich foods are consumed. Yet a recent study indicated that people who can't digest lactose but who got 1,200 mg per day of calcium from dairy foods did not experience any negative symptoms. Lactose intolerants may be able to tolerate milk with a meal or snack, or dairy products (such as cheese, ice cream and yogurt), when they also take lactase tablets/preparations.
Dairy foods, consumed daily, provide most adult calcium needs, along with protein, vitamin D and phosphorus, which together help the body absorb and deposit calcium in bones. Other calcium-rich foods include deep green, leafy vegetables and fish with bones. In addition, many processed foods, such as orange juice and breakfast cereals, are fortified with calcium.
Supplements bridge the gap between the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of calcium and intake from food sources. The calcium found in foods and supplements is a compound form, which, during digestion, dissolves, leaving just the elemental calcium to be absorbed into the blood. Differences abound over what compound is best, but the amounts of elemental calcium in the most common forms found in supplements are:
We all know that nutrition plays an important role in health, but not all of us know what to eat. Eating a diet that provides the daily-recommended nutrients takes planning and effort, especially if you're a vegetarian. Be assured, however, that meatless diets can meet all of your nutritional needs.
The focus of all diets, including vegetarian diets, should be on complex carbohydrates. A complex carbohydrate is one that takes the body hours to digest and break down into simple sugars. This long breakdown process keeps blood sugar stable, providing sustained energy. Complex carbohydrates include whole grains and their products (pasta and bread), beans and lentils, and starchy vegetables (potatoes, squash and yams), and high-fiber vegetables and fruit (an apple with its skin on, for example).
Simple carbohydrates, on the other hand, are quickly broken down by the digestive system and turned into sugar, providing an initial burst of energy that soon dissipates, resulting in fatigue and mood swings. Simple carbohydrates include processed foods that contain flour, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice and refined sugar.
In addition to complex carbohydrates, a balanced diet should include mono and polyunsaturated fats and protein.
Some nutrients, such as protein, calcium, iron, essential fatty acids and vitamin B12, are more prevalent in animal products (meat, dairy and eggs) than in vegetables, fruits and grains. If you choose not to eat animal meat (vegetarian) or any animal products (vegan), you must find other food sources or take dietary supplements to ensure you are getting all the nutrients you need.
At least 50 percent of each meal should comprise complex carbohydrates. Select items from the following categories to provide nutritional balance:
Protein: beans and lentils; tofu, tempeh or soy-protein isolate; eggs; dairy products; nuts and seeds; Brewer's yeast; and protein-rich grains, such as amaranth and quinoa.
Calcium: fortified soy, almond, oat or rice milk; cow's milk and milk products; fortified orange juice; dark-green leafy vegetables; sea vegetables; calcium precipitated tofu (check the label); almonds; lime-processed tortillas with calcium salts; amaranth; dried figs; blackstrap molasses; and carob.
Iron: beans and lentils; whole grains, including amaranth; nuts; tahini (sesame paste); dark-green leafy vegetables; hijiki (a sea vegetable); wheat grass; prune juice; eggs; blackstrap molasses; and Brewer's yeast.
Zinc: nuts and seeds (pumpkin and sunflower seeds); beans; wheat germ; whole-grain millet, quinoa and amaranth; wild rice; collard greens; yogurt, milk and cheese (especially cheddar); ginger; avocado; and Brewer's yeast.
Vitamin B12: cow's milk and milk products; fortified rice and soymilk; Brewer's yeast; eggs; wheat grass; fortified soy products*; tempeh*; and spirulina*.
*soy forms of vitamin B12 may not be as well absorbed.
Vitamin D: sunlight; fortified soy and rice milk; fortified cow's milk; eggs; and sunflower sprouts.
Balance your diet with foods from these categories, and also pay attention to color, variety and taste. Try new foods and experiment with flavor combinations using herbs and spices to make your dishes pop. With proper planning and some creativity, a vegetarian diet can be highly nutritious and delicious, too.
Surprising Reasons Why We Overeat
Brian Wansink, PhD
Professor of marketing and nutritional science, and director of the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. He is author of Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think (Bantam). www.mindlesseating.org
0ur minds, not our stomachs, control our eating habits--but our minds don't always do a good job of making food decisions. Most people put on weight because their minds don't accurately keep track of how much they have eaten, not because they lack the willpower to put down their forks.
Surprisingly, when our minds tell us which foods we enjoy, it's often for reasons that have little to do with how they taste. Example: Approximately one-third of World War II veterans who served in the South Pacific love Chinese food 50 years later. A similar percentage hate it. It turns out that almost all the veterans who love Chinese food did not experience frequent heavy combat when in Asia, but those who hate it did.
Brian Wansink, PhD, a noted food psychologist, has done extensive research on how our minds trick us into unhealthy eating habits. Here are some of the ways ... If it looks like a small meal, it feels like a small meal. Our eyes, not our stomachs, tell us when we're full. In a study conducted by our research team, when we replaced eight-inch dinner plates with 12-inch plates, diners consumed 20% to 35% more because their portions looked smaller on the larger plates. After the meal, they were certain that they hadn't eaten any more than usual. Use smaller plates, bowls and spoons if you want to eat less. Drink from tall, thin glasses-not short, fat ones-so you will think you are drinking more. When possible, serve food over a bed of lettuce so that the plate looks full.
We feel full when there's visual evidence that we have had a lot to eat. In one study, we gave chicken wings to graduate students while they watched the Super Bowl. When we left the bones in front of the students, they ate an average of four wings apiece. When we cleared the bones away frequently-removing the visual evidence of earlier consumption-each student ate an average of six wings. After the game, students in both groups estimated that they had only four wings each. When you're eating - particularly when you're snacking leave out candy wrappers, peanut shells and other evidence of snacking so that your eyes can warn you about how much you have eaten.
When there's no distance to the food, there's no thinking before eating. Office workers consumed an average of nine Hershey's Kisses per day when we put bowls of the chocolate candies on their desks. Their consumption dropped by more than 50% when these bowls were positioned just six feet away. Six feet is only two steps, but even a short distance forces us to think twice before we eat. At home, fill individual plates at the stove, and leave the left overs on the stove or a sideboard. The more hassle it is to eat, the less we eat. You will have fewer additional helpings if you must stand up to get them. A bowl of salad or vegetables can be brought to the dinner table because second helpings of these foods won't add many calories. With snack foods, pour a serving into a bowl rather than eating straight from the bag. Then if you want more, you have to go to the kitchen to get it.
"Comfort foods" cause overconsumption. Comfort foods improve our moods. These foods pick us up when we're feeling stressed or unhappy and serve as rewards when we're feeling good.
Women's comfort foods tend to be unhealthy dessert or snack items, while men's comfort foods are more likely to be hot meals. Why the difference? Men tend to associate home-cooked meals with someone taking care of them, because men's meals often are prepared by their wives. Women associate home-cooked meals with the chore of cooking, so they prefer prepared snack foods and desserts. We get nearly as much emotional benefit from a small serving of a comfort food as from a large one-for example, a single scoop of ice cream instead of a pint. Also, we get nearly as much emotional benefit from our second- or third-favorite comfort food as from our absolute favorite. If your top comfort food is chocolate ice cream but tomato soup is a close second, keep plenty of microwavable tomato soup in the house so that lowcalorie comfort is just seconds away.
We underestimate beverage calories. When people are asked to gauge the calories in a drink, they typically undershoot by 30% or more. Beverages don't seem to be filling, so we don't assume that they have as many calories as they actually do. As a rule of thumb, estimate that you're consuming 10 calories per ounce for "thin" beverages, such as juice, soda and milk ...and 20 calories per ounce for "thick" beverages, such as smoothies and meal-replacement shakes. That adds up quickly when you're drinking a 32-ounce soda-to an estimated 320 calories. Interestingly, if you load that drink with ice, you'll actually burn off a few of those calories. Since your body has to use energy to heat up an iced beverage, you actually burn about one calorie for every ice-cold ounce you drink. If you drink the recommended eight eightounce glasses of water a day and if you fill those 64 ounces with ice, you'll burn about 70 extra calories a day, the equivalent of about seven pounds a year.
Exercise might make you fatter. You have forced yourself to jog three miles every day for months-yet you weigh just as much as when you started. What are you doing wrong? Most exercisers overestimate the calories their exercise burns and reward themselves with high-calorie foods after their workouts because they think they've earned it. They don't realize that the six Oreo cookies they treat themselves to as a reward have more calories (around 320) than the number of calories they burned while running three miles (around 300).
What to do: If you need a reward, opt for nonfood treats, perhaps a halfhour doing something you enjoy, such as reading a good book or watching a favorite TV show.
Birth order might affect your eating habits. Oldest children and only children tend to save their favorite foods for last. Give them a chocolate chip cookie, and it might become a special treat for after dinner.
Youngest children and middle children of large families are more likely to polish off favorite foods as soon as they receive them-probably to ensure that older siblings won't snatch the food away. These birth-order eating patterns tend to continue into adulthood. For adults who are the youngest or middle children, the result can be unnecessary pounds. Favorite foods tend to be unhealthy foods, and people who eat unhealthy foods as soon as they get them may be inclined to eat larger quantities in the long run. Don't bring favorite snacks into the house in large quantities, especially if you are a youngest or middle child. You might polish off a box in a single sitting.
JUMPING ROPE - The ultimate workout
By Gray Cook
Collateral benefits complement the musculoskeletal system, improve posture, and simulate the reactions and speed of any chosen sport. Jumping rope fits the bill perfectly. Many have dismissed jumping rope as too simple to be considered a viable exercise option, probably due to today's flashy fitness and conditioning equipment market.
I know that even if I make an extremely strong case for jumping rope, many of you will skip over (pardon the pun) this piece and wait for a more glamorous plyometrics routine or, even worse, move directly into speed and agility work, thinking that jumping rope is a waste of time. People who never learned to jump rope or have a tough time with the technique are embarrassed because of their poor form and constant mistakes while jumping. This is precisely what makes jumping rope great.
Jumping rope is barely possible with poor form or poor technique. Everyone will make consistent mistakes and be interrupted by a rope that catches on a foot. The rope is the coach. Jumping rope is what I call a self-limiting exercise. Participants are limited in their ability to perform the exercise by lack of technique. In other words, truly poor technique will prevent the participant from performing the exercise, so bad movement patterns cannot be reinforced. This is the most important reason for jumping rope. It is possible to perform sprints, shuttles, and agility work with poor form as long as times are adequate. Other forms of popular endurance work such as jogging, cycling, and rowing can also allow poor form without supervision and coaching. Poor form can be reinforced without the athlete ever realizing it.
Jumping rope allows many athletes to self-train effectively, whereas self-training or training with a partner using running or sprints sometimes has too many uncontrollable variables. The jump rope is extremely portable and allows for position variations. Running, wind sprints, cycling, and rowing can provide a workout, burn calories, and improve stamina, but possibly by sacrificing technique, hurting reaction times, and altering ready position. Jumping rope, on the other hand, reinforces three basic movement patterns -- the squat, hurdle step, and lunge -- while providing a workout, burning calories, and improving stamina.
Variations can be performed to work on left-right differences. This is not possible in running or sprinting because both sides must work equally to propel the body forward. It is easy to focus on a weak side while skipping rope.
The three basic movement patterns used in a weight-training program will be used in a jump rope program:
1. Squat stance: Both feet placed side by side or slightly apart
2. Hurdle step stance: Single-leg stance in a stride position with one leg
held at 90 degrees at both the hip and knee
3. Lunge stance: Also called the scissors stance; one foot in front and one foot behind, narrowing the base of support
These three key foot positions are used in most field and court sports. Regardless of skill level in any field or court sport, I recommend jumping rope as an excellent training tool that is both efficient and effective for reinforcing good movement patterns. Jumping rope will also help to develop great speed and agility and a power foundation for sports performance.
For swimmers and cyclists and other athletes who may feel jumping rope is not sport specific or functional, I still recommend rope work because it is an excellent way to cross-train. Athletes in sports such as ice hockey, cross-country running, Olympic-style weight lifting, and alpine skiing also benefit from the quick footwork involved in jumping rope. The stamina displayed by elite boxers and wrestlers has long stood as a testament to the effectiveness of jumping rope.
Distance runners, dancers, martial artists, and athletes in paddle sports may feel that jumping rope is not the best choice for improving stamina, but I disagree. Although jumping rope may not seem sport specific, it is extremely posture specific. It improves the ability to maintain a long spine and actually has far less impact than sprinting or jogging. I encourage endurance athletes who are not involved in field or court sports to study the literature and continue to explore the added benefits of interval training to complement sport-specific training.
Gray Cook is a practicing physical therapist. He has created the Functional Movement Screen, one of the pillars of the Reebok Core Training System, which he developed in 2000. He is author of the book titled Athletic Body in Balance. You can reach him through the web site www.functionalmovement.com
Federal Trade Commission Reaches “New Year’s” Resolutions with Four Major Weight-Control Pill Marketers
FTC Recovers $25 Million to Settle Allegations of Deceptive Marketing for Xenadrine EFX, CortiSlim, TrimSpa, and One-A-Day WeightSmart
The FTC has filed complaints in four separate cases alleging that weight-loss and weight-control claims were not supported by competent and reliable scientific evidence. Marketers of the four products –Xenadrine EFX, CortiSlim, TrimSpa, and One-A-Day WeightSmart – have settled with the FTC, surrendered cash and other assets worth at least $25 million, and agreed to limit their future advertising claims.
“You won’t find weight loss in a bottle of pills that claims it has the latest scientific breakthrough or miracle ingredient,” said FTC Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras. “Paying for fad science is a good way to lose cash, not pounds.”
Xenadrine EFX
Two marketers of Xenadrine EFX will pay at least $8 million and as much as $12.8 million to settle FTC allegations that Xenadrine EFX’s weight-loss claims were false and unsubstantiated. The funds will be used for consumer redress. In a bankruptcy case not involving the Commission, the defendants have also agreed to pay at least an additional $22.75 million to settle claims brought by creditors and consumers, including personal injury claims for an earlier ephedra-based product.
Xenadrine EFX, which contains, among other ingredients, green tea extract (EGCG), caffeine, and bitter orange (Citrus aurantium), was advertised heavily in print and on television, including in such publications as People, TV Guide, Cosmopolitan, and Men’s Fitness. Xenadrine EFX advertising also appeared in Spanish-language publications.
The FTC’s complaint alleged that the defendants made false or unsubstantiated claims for Xenadrine EFX, including that it was clinically proven to cause rapid and substantial weight loss and clinically proven to be more effective than leading ephedrine-based diet products. According
to the complaint, Robert Chinery commissioned several studies of Xenadrine EFX, none of which showed substantial weight loss. The complaint alleged that in one of these studies, subjects taking Xenadrine EFX lost an average of only 1.5 pounds over the 10-week study, while a control group taking a placebo lost an average of 2.5 pounds over the same period.
The complaint also alleged that Xenadrine EFX advertisements falsely represented that persons appearing in the ads achieved the reported weight loss solely by using Xenadrine EFX. According to the FTC complaint, consumer endorsers lost weight by engaging in rigorous diet and/or exercise programs. In addition, the endorsers were paid from $1,000 to $20,000 in connection with their testimonials; according to the complaint, Xenadrine EFX advertisements failed to disclose those payments.
The stipulated federal court order with Robert Chinery, Jr. and RTC Research & Development, LLC (“RTC”) prohibits certain claims regarding Xenadrine EFX and prohibits all claims regarding the health benefits, performance, efficacy, safety, or side effects of any weight-loss product, dietary supplement, food, drug, or device, unless the representation is true, not misleading, and substantiated by competent and reliable scientific evidence. The settlement also prohibits misrepresentations about any test or study. In addition, the order prohibits misrepresentations of the actual experience of any user or endorser and requires clear and prominent disclosure of any relationship that would materially affect the weight or credibility given to a user testimonial or endorsement. Finally, Robert Chinery and RTC cannot use their settlement with the Commission as a basis for seeking a cash refund of Xenadrine EFX-related income taxes that they previously reported as paid.
CortiSlim and CortiStress
The seven marketers of CortiSlim and CortiStress will surrender, in total, assets worth at least $12 million to settle FTC charges that they made false and unsubstantiated claims that their products can cause weight loss and reduce the risk of, or prevent, serious health conditions. In the final three settlement agreements announced today, the FTC will recover $8.4 million in cash, along with proceeds from the sale of a residence acquired with CortiSlim profits. The settlements also require the two individual defendants to liquidate tax shelters and transfer to the Commission any funds that remain after paying taxes and penalties. In two earlier settlement agreements, the defendants turned over $1.5 million in cash, a boat, a truck, a real estate interest, and proceeds from a tax shelter. The funds recovered from the seven defendants will be used for consumer redress.
The advertising campaign for CortiSlim ran nationwide, including ads on broadcast and cable television, radio, print media, and the Internet. The FTC’s complaint alleged that advertising claims about CortiSlim’s ability to cause rapid, substantial, and permanent weight loss in all users were false or unsubstantiated, as were claims about CortiStress’s ability to reduce the risk of osteoporosis, obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. The FTC also alleged that CortiSlim and CortiStress infomercials were deceptively formatted to appear as talk shows rather than advertisements.
The final settlements announced today are with Stephen F. Cheng and his company, Window Rock Enterprises, Inc., and with Gregory S. Cynaumon and his company, Infinity Advertising, Inc. All of the settlements bar misrepresentations of any tests or studies and prohibit claims about the performance, effects on weight, or other health benefits of any dietary supplement, food, drug, cosmetic, or device unless the claims are true, not misleading, and substantiated by competent and reliable scientific evidence. The stipulated orders prohibit the use of deceptively formatted television and radio advertisements. In addition, the defendants cannot use their settlement with the Commission as a basis for seeking a cash refund of income taxes that they reported as paid.
TrimSpa
The marketers of TrimSpa will pay $1.5 million to settle FTC allegations that their weight-loss claims were unsubstantiated. According to the FTC’s complaint, the marketers had inadequate scientific evidence to support their advertising claims that TrimSpa causes rapid and substantial weight loss and that one of its ingredients, Hoodia gordonii, enables users to lose substantial amounts of weight by suppressing appetite.
Many ads for “TrimSpa Completely Ephedra Free Formula X32” featured testimonials. Celebrity Anna Nicole Smith claimed to have lost 69 pounds in eight months by using TrimSpa.
Other advertising claims included “Your high speed dream body diet pill” and “It makes losing 30, 50, even 70 pounds (or however many pounds you need to lose) painless.”
TrimSpa ads appeared on television, in magazines, on radio, and in local newspapers. TrimSpa was also promoted on a Web site, at some NASCAR events, and other live events.
The FTC consent agreement requires TrimSpa’s marketers – Goen Technologies Corp., Nutramerica Corp., TrimSpa, Inc., and Alexander Szynalski, also known as Alexander Goen – to pay $1.5 million. The agreement also prohibits the marketers from making any claims about the health benefits, performance, efficacy, safety, or side effects of TrimSpa, Hoodia gordonii, or any dietary supplement, food, drug, or health-related service or program, unless the claims are true, not misleading, and substantiated by competent and reliable scientific evidence.
One-A-Day WeightSmart
The Bayer Corporation will pay a $3.2 million civil penalty to settle FTC allegations that advertisements for One-A-Day WeightSmart multivitamins violated an earlier Commission order requiring all health claims for One-A-Day brand vitamins to be supported by competent and reliable scientific evidence.
Bayer ran a national advertising campaign for One-A-Day WeightSmart, which contains EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), a green tea extract. Bayer also advertised on television, radio, and the Internet, and in newspapers and magazines, such as RedBook, Family Circle, and TV Guide.
Advertising claims included statements such as:
“Just in! Most women over 30 can gain 10 pounds a decade, due in part to slowing metabolism.… So eat right, exercise, and take One-A-Day WeightSmart. The complete multi-vitamin with EGCG to enhance metabolism.”
“One-A-Day WeightSmart. The first and only complete multivitamin with an ingredient to enhance your metabolism. EGCG, a natural green tea extract, to help you while you manage your weight.”
The complaint alleges that Bayer Corporation marketed One-A-Day WeightSmart with unsubstantiated claims that it
* increases metabolism;
* enhances metabolism through its EGCG content;
* helps prevent some of the weight gain associated with a decline in metabolism in users over age 30; and
* helps users control their weight by enhancing their metabolism.
The FTC alleges that these unsubstantiated claims violate a 1991 Commission order against Bayer’s predecessor, Miles Inc., that require all claims about the benefits of One-A-Day brand products to be substantiated by competent and reliable scientific evidence.
In addition to the $3.2 million civil penalty, Bayer is prohibited from violating the FTC order and from making unsubstantiated representations regarding the benefits, performance, efficacy, safety, or side effects of any dietary supplement, multivitamin, or weight-control product.
The FTC acknowledges the National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus for its referrals of some of these cases.
The Commission vote to accept the Bayer settlement was 5-0. At the Commission’s request, the Department of Justice filed the complaint and proposed consent decree on January 3, 2007, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
The Commission vote to accept the TrimSpa consent agreement, subject to public comment, was 4-0, with Commissioner Rosch recused. The FTC will publish an announcement regarding the agreement in the Federal Register. The agreement will be subject to public comment for 30 days, beginning today and ending February 5, 2007. Comments should be addressed to the FTC, Office of the Secretary, Room H-135, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580. The FTC requests that any comment filed in paper form be sent by courier or overnight service, if possible, because U.S. postal mail in the Washington area and at the Commission is subject to delay due to heightened security precautions.
The Commission votes to authorize staff to file the CortiSlim stipulated final orders were both 5-0. The stipulated final orders for permanent injunction were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on October 3, 2006 for Stephen Cheng and Window Rock Enterprises, Inc. and on January 3, 2007 for Gregory Cynaumon and Infinity Advertising, Inc.
The Commission vote to authorize staff to file the Xenadrine EFX stipulated final order was 5-0. The stipulated final order for permanent injunction was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey on December 26, 2006.
NOTE: The proposed consent decree and the stipulated final orders are for settlement purposes only and do not constitute admissions by the settling defendants of law violations. They are subject to court approval and have the force of law when signed by the judge. Likewise, the administrative consent agreement is for settlement purposes only and does not constitute an admission of a law violation. When the Commission issues a consent agreement on a final basis, it carries the force of law with respect to future actions. Each violation of such an order may result in a civil penalty of $11,000.
Copies of the documents for these cases are available from the FTC’s Web site at http://www.ftc.gov and also from the FTC’s Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish (bilingual counselors are available to take complaints), or to get free information on any of 150 consumer topics, call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357), or use the complaint form at http://www.ftc.gov. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to thousands of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad
Videos - Workout Routines using Body Weight and Core Strength
Build Back Strength
The Pedestal Workout Routine
Mammoth Workout Routine
Toe-Up Split Squat / Lunge
Hip Extensions on the Swiss Ball
Why Strength Train
By Wayne L. Westcott, Ph.D.
There are 12 physiological reasons to perform regular strength exercise. On a more basic level, it is important to understand that proper strength training may help us to look better, feel better, and function better. Remember that our skeletal muscles serve as the engine, chassis, and shock absorbers of our bodies. Consequently strength training is an effective means of increasing our physical capacity, improving our athletic performance, reducing our injury risk, and improving our self-confidence.
Strength Training Benefits:
1. Avoid Muscle Loss
Adults who do not strength train lose between 5 and 7 pounds of muscle for every decade (Forbes 1976, Evans and Rosenberg 1992). Although endurance exercise improves our cardiovascular fitness, it does not prevent the loss of muscle tissue. Only strength exercise maintains our muscle mass and strength throughout our mid-life years.
2. Avoid Metabolic Rate Reduction
Because muscle is very active tissue, muscle loss is accompanied by a reduction in our resting metabolism. Information from Keyes et al. (1973) and Evans and Rosenberg (1992) indicates that the average adult experiences a 2 to 5 percent reduction in metabolic rate every decade of life. Because regular strength exercise prevents muscle loss, it also prevents the accompanying decrease in resting metabolic rate.
3. Increase Muscle Mass
Because most adults do not perform strength exercise, they do not first replace the muscle tissue that has been lost through inactivity. Fortunately, research (Westcott 1995) shows that a standard strength training program can increase muscle mass by about 3 pounds over an eight-week training period. This is the typical training response for men and women who do not do 25 minutes of strength exercise, three days per week.
4. Increase Metabolic Rate
Research reveals that adding 3 pounds of muscle increases our resting metabolic rate by 7 percent and our daily calorie requirements by only 15 percent (Campbell et al. 1994). At rest, a pound of muscle requires 35 calories per day for tissue maintenance, and during exercise muscle through sensible strength exercise use more calories all day long, thereby reducing the likelihood of fat accumulation.
5. Reduce Body Fat
Campbell and his co-workers (1994) found that strength exercise produced 4 pounds of fat loss after three months of training, even though the subjects were eating 15 percent more calories per day. That is, a basic strength program resulted in 3 pounds more muscle, 4 pounds less fat, and 370 more calories per day food intake.
6. Increase Bone Mineral Density
The effects of progressive resistance exercise are similar for muscle tissue and bone tissue. The same training stimulus that increases muscle myoproteins also increases bone osteoproteins and mineral content. Menkes (1993) had demonstrated significant increases in the bone mineral density of the upper femur after four months of strength exercise.
7. Improve Glucose Metabolism
Hurley (1994) has reported a 23 percent increase in glucose uptake after four months of strength training. Because poor glucose metabolism is associated with adult onset diabetes, improved glucose metabolism is an important benefit of regular strength exercise.
8. Increase Gastrointestinal Transit Time
A study by Koffler (1992) showed a 56 percent increase in gastrointestinal transit time (transit time is faster) after three months of strength training. This is significant due to the fact that delayed gastrointestinal transit time is related to a higher rise of colon cancer.
9. Reduce Resting Blood Pressure
Strength training alone has been shown to reduce resting blood pressure significantly (Harris and Holly 1987). Our study (Westcott 1995) has revealed that combining strength training and aerobic exercise is an even more effective means of improving blood pressure readings. After two months of combined exercise, our program participants dropped their systolic blood pressure by 5 mm Hg and their dystolic blood pressure by 3 mm Hg.
10. Improve Blood Lipid Levels
Although the effect of strength training on blood lipid levels needs further research at least two studies (Stone et al. 1982, Hurley et al. 1988) have revealed improved blood lipid profiles after several weeks of strength exercise. It is important to note that improvements in blood lipid levels are similar for both endurance and strength exercise (Hurley 1994).
11. Reduce Low Back Pain
Years of research on strength training and back pain conducted at the University of Florida Medical School have shown that strong low-back muscles are less likely to be injured than weaker low-back muscles. A recent study by Risch (1993) found that low-back patients had significantly less back pain after 10 weeks of specific (full-range) strength exercise for the lumbar spine lumbar spine muscles. Because 80 percent of Americans experience low-back problems, it is advisable for all adults to strengthen their lower-back muscles properly.
12. Reduce Arthritic Pain
According to a recent edition of the Tufts University Diet and Nutrition Letter (1994). sensible strength training eases the pain of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. This is good news, because most men and women who suffer from arthritis pain need strength exercise to develop stronger muscles, bones, and connective tissue.
Most people know that they are gaining fat, but few realize that they are losing muscle. What's more, they don't understand that muscle loss
is a major factor in fat gain. If they did, they wouldn't place such a strong emphasis on dieting. With one out of every two adults presently
following a low-calorie diet plan, there needs to be a major teaching effort from health and fitness professionals to remedy
this situation. Although dieting can reduce fat, it can not replace muscle to solve the primary body composition problem. In fact, low-calorie diets actually
result in muscle loss, which accounts for approximately 25 percent of the total weight lost.
Fortunately, more overweight adults are complementing
their diet plan
with aerobic activity (usually walking), which burns additional
calories and enhances cardiovascular fitness. While this combined
program of diet and endurance exercise attenuates muscle loss, it does
not add muscle or increase resting metabolic rate.
The missing component, of course, is strength
training, which replaces
muscle tissue and recharges resting metabolism. Studies show that 25
minutes of standard strength training, two or three days a week, can
increase previously inactive adults’ muscle mass by about 3 pounds in
two to three months of training. What’s more, research reveals that 3
pounds of new muscle tissue increases resting metabolism by 6 to 8
percent, which represents an additional 100 to 120 calories per day.
According to the Centers for Disease Control,
approximately 90 percent
of American adults are so sedentary that they could almost be
reclassified as statues. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that
obesity has increased by almost 70 percent in the past 10 years (from
12 percent to 20 percent). Nearly 60 percent of all adults in the US
are overweight, and the percentage of obese children has doubled since
the 1980s. In addition to higher risk for heart disease and various
types of cancer, obesity raises the risk of diabetes 10 times for men
and 20 times for women.
Unfortunately, being overweight is merely the tip of the iceberg when
it comes to body composition concerns. Sedentary adults typically add
10 pounds of bodyweight every decade during their midlife years. Plus,
this unfavorable weight change results from a 5-pound loss of muscle
and a 15- pound gain in fat. In other words, what appears to be a
10-poound weight problem is actually a 20-pound body composition
problem. In addition to adversely affecting personal appearance and
physical performance, the reduction in muscle tissue is largely
responsible for metabolic slow-down. The 5-pounds-per-decade muscle
loss is closely associated with a 5-percent-per-decade decrease in
resting metabolic rate. Even people who don’t increase their food
intake experience creeping obesity, because calories previously used to
maintain more muscle tissue are now placed in fat-storage areas of the
body.
Health Benefits of Strength Training
Strength training is the best means for attaining and maintaining a
desirable body composition, as well as for developing a high level of
musculoskeletal fitness. However, there are many other health-related
reasons for performing regular resistance exercise. Consider the
following medical benefits associated with sensible strength training.
Reduced risk of osteoporosis. The effects of progressive resistance
exercise are similar for muscle tissue and bone tissue. The same
training stimulus that increases myoprotein is muscle increases
collagen proteins in bone. Researchers have reported significant bone
mineral density development in older men and women who participated in
standard strength-training programs.
Reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. One of the fastest growing health
problems in the United States is diabetes, which presently affects 15
million American adults. Type 2 diabetes begins with a deficient
glucose metabolism, which hinders the transfer of glucose from the
blood to the muscles. Researchers at the University of Maryland found
that four months of regular strength training increased glucose uptake
by almost 25 percent in the pre-diabetic study subjects. Their improved
glucose metabolism improved the participants potential for avoiding
type 2 diabetes.
Reduced risk of colon cancer. Another University of Maryland study
examined the effects of strength exercise on the transit time for food
to pass through the gastrointestinal system. After just three months,
the resistance-trained subjects showed a 56 percent faster transit
speed. This is a significant finding, because faster gastrointestinal
transit time is associated with lower risk for colon cancer.
Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is the
leading cause of death in the United States, and two primary
predisposing factors are high blood pressure and high blood
cholesterol. Contrary to popular misconception, properly performed
strength exercise leads to lower resting blood pressure. In a study
with almost 800 subjects, resting blood pressure was reduced about 4mm
Hg systolic and 3 mm Hg diastolic after just two months of combined
strength and endurance exercise.
Likewise, researchers have found favorable effects on blood lipid
profiles after several weeks of strength training. In fact, comparative
studies have shown as much improvement in blood lipid profiles
resulting from strength training as from endurance exercise.
Reduced risk of low-back pain. About 80 percent of all Americans will
experience low-back pain during their lifetime. Fifteen years of
research conducted at the University of Florida Medical School has
indicated that the largest percentage of low-back problems are related
to weak low-back muscles. Their studies have feature full-range
strength exercises for the lumbar spine muscles, and the majority of
their subjects have been pain-free or significantly improved after an
average of 10 weeks of training.
Reduced risk of depression. A recent study conducted at Harvard
University placed clinically depressed seniors into one of two
treatment groups. One group received educational counseling, while the
other group performed three strength-training sessions a week with no
other intervention. The older adults who performed strength exercise
experienced significantly better results, with more than 80 percent no
longer meeting the criteria for depression after only 10 weeks of
training.
Wouldn't you like your body to look and function better, without all the work that most fitness programs require? Body Rolling, an exercise program that you do with a ball, will tone, strengthen, and realign your body in a way that's not only easy but enjoyable and extraordinarily effective. This cutting-edge fitness practice-which isn't just for fitness buffs-will make you leaner, longer, and stronger; you'll achieve a terrific shape that you can't get from other workouts. Body Rolling will also prevent and fix all sorts of body problems. It's a workout, a massage, and a chiropractic session all in one!
What makes Body Rolling special is that you achieve phenomenal results in your very first session. Immediately, your whole body feels transformed: you're breathing more deeply; you're standing differently on your legs; your joints are looser. When you look in the mirror, you see clear, obvious changes: you're taller; your posture is better; you look sleeker, longer, and more shaped. And you suddenly feel an amazing sense of ease and well-being throughout your body.
From the start, Body Rolling goes to work on precisely those parts of your physique that are key to your particular self-image and sense of well-being. Laura, for example, had always felt bottomheavy. She tried the treadmill, running, and stretching, but nothing succeeded in toning and slimming her heavy hips and thighs. So in her first Body Rolling class, she did the routines for the legs, rolling the ball down the front, back, inside, and outside of both thighs. When she finished and stood up, she exclaimed, "Oh, my god-my legs feel longer! I'm standing differently. I feel taller, and I'm even walking more easily. It's hard to believe this, but I also feel thinner! I can hardly believe I got this many changes from one session of just rolling on a ball!"
When Laura actually looked in the mirror, she saw that not only was she standing taller, but her legs were visibly thinner, toned, and more shaped. After spending so many weeks in the gym working intensely to slim her thighs, she couldn't understand how something as simple as Body Rolling could create such big changes so fast-but she was thrilled.
After class, Jackie listened to Laura describe these astonishing results while absently zipping up her skirt. Suddenly she stopped and stared at her waistline. "Oh, wow-my skirt is big on me! Can you believe it? How did this happen in a single class?" For Jackie the key Body Rolling routines were the ones for the back and front of her torso. These routines stretched out all her abdominal muscles and the long muscles running up her back-which meant that, like Laura, she was now taller. As those muscles elongated, they grew narrower, hence her smaller waist.
Laura and Jackie aren't unusual. Everyone feels major changes after their first Body Rolling session. Suddenly they're standing more upright, with their shoulders dropped back and down, and their neck longer and moving more easily. They find they no longer have to work at standing straight or trying to hold their abdomen in or preventing their shoulders from rounding forward. This is because all the Body Rolling routines build core strength, which is what you need to stand up tall.
Body Rolling realigns your body, bringing all the parts back to where they're supposed to be. You start feeling "right" in your body. Some people even remark that they never dreamed they could feel so peaceful and comfortable in their bodies, so much calmer and more relaxed. And they realize that whatever has happened goes beyond just working their muscles, for standing taller makes them feel better about themselves overall. The powerful awareness that your body has just gone through a major transformative change is one of the great gifts of Body Rolling.
Another stand-out benefit is that just by doing the basic routines in this book, you'll be able to prevent common discomforts such as tension, tightness, and pain. And if you already have a problem that's bothering you, Body Rolling will start to relieve it. This also means that you can avoid the stiffness, loss of mobility, and other problems that most people accept as natural when they get older. With Body Rolling you never have to grow stiff and weak; you can live out your later years with remarkable strength and vitality.
Gains in Golf can be determined by strength and fitness.
Golfers can reduce injury potential by practicing proper swing mechanics under the watchful eye of a golf professional and by performing appropriate conditioning exercises.
Common Myths: Golf Fitness Training / Golf Exercises
“I will bulk-up and lose flexibility if I push weights.”
Strength training (lifting weights), if done correctly, will improve your flexibility and matchplay endurance. Inactivity (not exercising or strength training) is the real culprit for loss of flexibility/mobility and overall performance with age.
“I’ll lose feel in my swing and short game if I start training.”
Weak and inflexible muscles cannot perform repetitively over time or throughout a round of golf. Fatigue sets in and the mechanics and “feel” are lost. To have “feel” it takes a high level of muscular conditioning, specific to your golf game.
“I’m too old and weak to start now.”
Research with older adults point to remarkable improvements in both lean muscle mass, strength and endurance. This can only help your game (and your health) as you age. In fact, the older you are, the more you have to gain through starting a sensible and personalized exercise plan.
Athletic Movements
Golf is primarily a skill-based activity that requires a high degree of eye-hand coordination. Putting is a low-effort skill movement that requires concentration and control, but is largely unrelated to one’s physical fitness. Driving, on the other hand, is a high-effort power movement that can be performed more safely and forcefully with proper physical conditioning. Because the golf swing is one of the most complex and unnatural actions in sports, it is difficult to design specific developmental exercises. However, excellent results have been attained by strengthening and stretching all the major muscle groups.
Injury Areas
The explosive action of the golf swing places significant stress on the shoulder joints and produces high torque on the low-back structures. Consequently, golfers experience a high injury rate in these areas, as well as the hips, elbows and wrists.
Golfers can reduce injury potential by practicing proper swing mechanics under the watchful eye of a golf professional and by performing appropriate conditioning exercises.
Intensity and Progression
Because most golfers are relatively inactive, they should begin training at a modest level of intensity and gradually progress to more challenging workouts. Golf has a very long playing season that is best accommodated by a slow, steady program of physical conditioning.
Consider the three-by-three approach, adjusting the program every three months of the training season. Keep the total time for each strength workout to about 25 minutes, but progressively increase the training intensity by performing more exercises, use heavier weight loads and take less recovery time between exercises.
First Three Months (preseason): Perform 12 repetitions of eight exercises, at approximately 70 percent of the maximum resistance, with two minutes of rest between exercises.
Second Three Months (early season): Perform 10 repetitions of 10 exercises, at approximately 75 percent of maximum resistance, with 90 seconds of rest between exercises.
Third Three Months (late season): Perform eight repetitions of 12 exercises, at approximately 80 percent of maximum resistance, with one minutes of rest between exercises.
Frequency
Research indicates that two strength sessions per week are about 85 percent as productive as three strength sessions. Golfers should find time for three strength workouts per week during the off-season winter months of January, February and March. However, two strength sessions per week should be sufficient throughout the playing season. Two 35-minute workouts a week (25 minutes of strength training and 10 minutes of stretching exercises) should be manageable for most golf enthusiasts, especially those who desire lower scores and fewer injuries.
Conditioning Goal
The conditioning goal for golfers is a strong and flexible musculoskeletal system that maximizes swinging power and minimizes injury risk. Due to the complex and comprehensive nature of the golf swing, strength training all the major muscle groups is advisable. Research shows that improved muscle strength and joint flexibility can increase golfers’ swinging speed and thereby enhance their driving power.
The leg muscles (quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteals) are responsible for power production and initiate the golf swing. The midsection muscles (erector spinae, abdominals and obliques) transfer force from the legs to the torso and accelerate the golf swing. The torso muscles (pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi and deltoids) produce the actual swinging action and play a critical role in club head speed. The arm muscles (triceps, biceps and forearm flexors and extensors) are responsible for club control and largely determine club head accuracy.
Stretching exercises should be performed for all the major muscle groups and joint actions. These include the muscles of the legs, midsection and torso/shoulder area.
Sample Strength Program
The following machines can be used to increase overall muscle strength and enhance golf driving power: leg press, chest cross-over, pull-over, lateral raise, biceps curl, triceps extension, low back and abdominal curl.
Add these machine exercises during the second three months: neck extension and flexion, and forearm supination and pronation.
In the third three months, add the leg extension and leg curl.
A similar program may be developed using free weights and the following exercises: squat, bench press, bent row, lateral raise, standing curl, standing extension, back extension and trunk curl.
In the second three months, add forearm exercises; and in the third three months, add a shrug.
Sample Cardiovascular Program
Cardiovascular endurance plays a very minor role in golf performance. Nonetheless, the health benefits of cardiovascular exercise make a good case for some aerobic activity on the part of the golfers. Three 30-minute sessions per week of walking, cycling, stair climbing or other endurance exercise is recommended throughout the year.
Sample Flexibility Exercises
These basic flexibility exercises address the muscle-joint actions most relevant to golfers.
Stretches (hamstrings): Sit on the floor with the right leg extended and the left leg bent so the left foot touches the right thigh. Reach the right hand forward and grasp the right foot, ankle or shin as comfort permits. Hold this stretched position for 30 seconds. Switch leg positions and repeat the stretch on the other side, holding for 30 seconds.
Letter T Stretches (lower back): Lie on the floor with the arms straight out to the sides in a T position. Lift the right leg straight up and cross it over the body so the right foot almost touches the the left hand. Hold the stretched position for 30 seconds, and return the leg to the starting position. Repeat with the opposite leg, holding for 30 seconds.
Letter C Stretches (upper back and shoulders): Stand tall with the feet wider than the shoulders. Place the arms overhead and clasp hands loosely. Pull the left arm and bend the torso toward the right, stretching the left shoulder and upper back. Hold this stretched position for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side, and hold for 30 seconds.
Skills and Drills
Performing a weighted golf club swing or trying to duplicate the golf swing with cable exercises may be more harmful than helpful because of the added resistance with ballistic movement. The best practice drill for improving this highly skilled movement is done at the driving range under the direction of a qualified golf professional.
Stretching for Strength
"My recommendation is to schedule two Rossiter sessions with me over the course of 7-days. You will be amazed at you stretching progress."
According to studies, greater strength gains are made when stretching is systematically worked into a resistance training program.
By Wayne L. Westcott, Ph.D. and Rita La Rose Loud, B.S.
Many of you who are involved in strength training programs are looking for new ways to maximize your strength gains. Studies conducted at South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Mass., reveal an easy way for you to do that, and suggest an unexpected benefit for those who are engaging in stretching exercises.
The May 1999 issue of Fitness Management reported about two programs at South Shore YMCA that showed the effects of combined stretching and strength training on joint flexibility (strength, stretch and stamina, pp.44-45). Not surprisingly, the results showed that participants who performed both stretching and strength exercise improved their joint flexibility more than those who performed strength training only.
South Shore YMCA has now collected a considerable amount of data looking at the other side of the coin. These studies examine the effects of combined stretching and strength training on muscle strength. Thus far, three separate studies with 155 subjects indicate a beneficial effect from stretching exercise on strength development.
General Conditions
All of the studies were conducted in South Shore's research room, with six participants and two instructors per class. Participants were beginning exercisers with an average age of 51 years. Subjects performed one set of 12 strength exercise, eight to 12 repetitions each, two or three days per week, for 10 weeks. The strength exercises include the leg extension, leg curl, tricep extension, back extension, abdominal curl, tricep extension, back extension, abdominal curl, neck flexion and neck extension. Stretches were performed in either a distributed manner (one static stretch following each strength exercise) or a consolidated manner (six static stretches in sequence). All of the subjects were assessed for hamstring strength by the 10 repetition maximum leg curl test during the second and 10th week of each study.
Specific Studies
In the first study, 15 previously untrained participants performed the 12 strength exercise without stretching. A similar group of 19 previously untrained participants performed the same strength training program, but followed each strength exercise with a 20 second static stretch for the muscles just worked. The subjects who only performed strength exercises increased their hamstring strength by 16.6 pounds, while the subjects who performed both strength training and stretching increased their hamstring strength by 20.5 pounds.
In the second study, 21 beginning exercisers performed the 12 strength exercises without stretching. A similar group of 21 beginning exercises performed the same strength training program, but followed each strength exercise with a 20 second static stretch for the muscle just worked. The participants who only performed strength exercises improved their hamstring strength by 16.3 pounds, and the subjects who performed both strength training and stretching exercises improved their hamstring strength by 18.6 pounds.
In the third study, 32 previously sedentary subjects performed the 12 strength exercises followed by a 20 second static stretch for the muscles just worked (distributed stretching). A similar group of 47 previously sedentary subjects performed the same strength-training program, but performed a consolidated sequence of six 20 second static stretching exercises during each workout. The subjects who did strength training and distributed stretching gained 19.6 pounds in hamstring strength, and the subjects who did strength training and consolidated stretching gained 19.8 pounds in hamstring strength.
Combined Results
Based on the findings from the first and second studies, the participants who performed both strength training and stretching attained almost 19 percent more hamstring strength than the participants who performed strength training only. Results from the third study showed the subjects who did distributed stretching and the subjects who did consolidated stretching achieved almost identical increases in hamstring strength.
Therefore, the data was combined for the 36 exercisers who performed strength training plus stretching (distributed and consolidated). The subjects who did not stretch experienced an average strength gain of 16.4 pounds, whereas the subjects who did stretch experienced an average strength gain of 19.6 pounds. Although not a statistically significant difference, the almost 20 percent greater strength gains experienced by the participants who performed both strength and stretching exercise seems to favor this training protocol. It is possible that stretching in conjunction with resistance training may make muscles more responsive to strength-building stimuli.
From a practical perspective, combined strength and stretching exercises may produce more improvements in joint flexibility and muscle strength than strength training alone. When performed in a distributed manner between strength exercises, stretching does not increase the total workout time, and when performed in a consolidated manner during the training session, it adds less than five minutes to the workout duration. For these reasons, it may be worthwhile to try a combined strength and stretching program with beginning exercise classes and selected clients.
Strength-Training Misconceptions
Wayne L. Westcott, PHD, CSCS
Since Dr. Kenneth Cooper published his first Aerobics book in 1968, there has been a strong emphasis on physical fitness in the United States. We've experienced the running revolution of the 1970s, the aerobic dance movement of the '80s, and the strength-training boom of the '90s. Today, most people are aware that exercise is good for their health and is an effective means of preventive medicine.
It is therefore hard to understand why so few people regularly participate in an exercise program. According to the United States Public Health Service Centers for Disease Control, less than 10 percent of all Americans perform enough physical activity to attain any measurable fitness benefits. Most of those who do exercise consistently are walkers and joggers, leaving less than 5 percent of the general public who do strength training.
Strength-Training Misconceptions
There are numerous reasons why people avoid strength training - almost all of them myths. Some don't do it because they have heard that it may increase their blood pressure. Fortunately, this is not true. Although every adult should have his or her doctor's approval before starting a strength program, research reveals that properly performed strength exercise is similar to aerobic activity in terms of blood pressure response. That is, systolic pressure increases about 35 to 50 percent during exercise and returns quickly to resting levels after the session. More important, studies show that several weeks of strength training result in significant reductions in resting blood pressure. In a study I conducted and completed this year, 785 men and women who participated in a two-month program of strength and endurance exercise experienced an average 4 mm Hg decrease in systolic blood pressure and a 3 mm Hg decrease in diastolic blood pressure. Sensible strength training, by itself or in combination with endurance exercise, has beneficial effects on resting blood pressure.
Fear of increasing body weight is another reason many adults avoid strength exercise. They mistakenly believe that weight training is synonymous with weight gain. It is true that strength training adds muscle, but this is actually the best way to lose fat. In fact, strength exercise has a threefold impact on fat reduction. First, it increases calorie use during each training session. Second, it increases calorie use for several hours following exercise due to the afterburn effect. Third, it increases calorie use all day by adding new muscle tissue. This is because every pound of new muscle uses about 35 calories each day just for tissue maintenance.
Of course, there are a variety of health-related reasons to do strength exercise. These include increased bone density, improved glucose metabolism, faster gastrointestinal transit, better blood lipid levels, reduced low back pain, and less arthritic discomfort.
Perhaps the most prevalent misunderstanding about strength training, particularly for those who would like to do it, is the time requirement. Many adults simply do not have time to do the multiple-set workouts they have been told are necessary for strength development. Fortunately, time-efficient, single-set training can be just as productive as time-consuming multiple-set training when performed properly.
Basic and Brief Strength Exercise
During the past five years we have made careful pre-and post-training assessments of the 1,132 participants in our basic exercise program. These classes meet two or three days a week, one hour per session, with 25 minutes of strength exercise (11 Nautilus machines) and 25 minutes of aerobic activity (treadmill walking or stationary cycling).
The basic exercise program is two months long, which seems to be an ideal introductory period for previously sedentary adults. Over 90 percent of the participants rate their exercise class as highly satisfying, and about 80 percent join the YMCA after completing the program. In other words, the eight-week training period is sufficient to turn many inactive women and men into regular exercisers.
One reason for the positive lifestyle change is the excellent results attained by the program participants. As shown in Table 1, the 383 men lost 6.4 pounds of fat weight and gained 3.7 pounds of lean (muscle) weight for a 10-pound improvement in body composition, and the749 women lost 3.4 pounds of fat weight and gained 1.7 pounds of lean weight for a 5-pound improvement in body composition. At the same time, the men reduced their average resting blood pressure by 4.5 mm Hg, and the women reduced their average resting blood pressure by 3.1 mm Hg.
Another finding is that the younger (ages 21-40), middle (41-60), and older (61-80) adults all attained similar improvements in body composition and resting blood pressure. Just as important, those who began the program in the poorest shape (with the highest percentage of body fat) experienced the most fat loss and lean (muscle) gain. That is, the adults who had the greatest fitness needs made the greatest improvements.
A practical reason for the success of the basic exercise program is the time-efficient training requirements. The participants did only 25 minutes of strength exercise and 25 minutes of aerobic activity each training session. Even more helpful for many time-pressured adults, only two workouts a week were necessary for excellent results. As shown in Figure 1, the two-day and three-day exercisers made similar improvements in body composition and resting blood pressure after eight weeks of training.
In addition to an effective and efficient training program, most beginning exercisers appreciate small classes and attentive instructors. We conduct all of our classes in a separate exercise area, with six members and two instructors per class. This closely supervised setting facilitates the training process and produces an 85 percent compliance rate among program participants.
We have found that most adults can make time for a well-designed exercise program that takes a sensible and systematic approach to strength training. When the proper exercise principles are applied, excellent results can be achieved in just two 25-minute strength workouts per week.
The Strength-Training Program Training Frequency
The standard recommendation of three nonconsecutive days per week is sound, and should be followed whenever possible. However, in a large training study I completed this year, the 416 subjects who strength-trained twice a week achieved almost 90 percent as much strength and muscle gain as the 716 subjects who did strength workouts three days a week. For people who have a hard time getting to the gym three times a week, it is good to know that two strength workouts per week produce nearly as much training benefit.
The excellent results attained by the 1,132 research program participants required only 25 minutes of strength exercise, two or three days per week. The recommended strength-training protocol, based on the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines, is as follows:
Training Sets
Two separate studies have found that one-set training and three-set training are equally effective for increasing upper-and lower-body strength. If training time is limited, it is good to know that single-set strength exercise is just as productive as multiple-set workouts.
Training Resistance
The exercise resistance should be high enough to produce a high rate of strength development and low enough to pose a low risk of injury. Empirical evidence clearly indicates that using 75 percent of maximum resistance meets both of these training criteria.
Training Repetitions
Research indicates that most people can complete eight to 12 controlled repetitions with 75 percent of their maximum resistance. Generally speaking, if you cannot perform at least eight repetitions the resistance may be too heavy, and if you can complete more than 12 repetitions the resistance may be too light. Working within the eight to 12 repetition range is recommended for safe and effective muscle development.
Training Progression
Every strength-training program needs a protocol for progressing to heavier workloads. While it is important to increase the exercise resistance periodically, it is equally important to do so gradually. A safe and productive progression is known as the 12 by 5 rule. That is, whenever you can complete 12 repetitions of an exercise in good form, you increase the resistance by 5 percent or less. The 12 by 5 procedure adds small but frequent weightload increments to progressively stress the muscular system.
Training Speed
Unfortunately, there is little consensus on the best training speed for strength development. Our research indicates, however, that slow movement may be preferred over fast movement, because a slow speed produces less momentum and more muscle tension. At six seconds each, eight to 12 repetitions require about 50 to 70 seconds of continuous muscle effort, which provides an excellent anaerobic stimulus for muscle building. We have obtained consistently good results training with six-second repetitions, taking two seconds for the harder lifting movement and four seconds for the easier lowering movements.
Training Range
Full-range muscle strength is best developed through full-range exercise movements. In other words, the training effect is greatest within the exercised portion of the joint movement range. Full-range strength reduces injury risk and increases performance potential. Try to perform each repetition through a full range of movement, but never to a position of discomfort.
Wayne L. Westcott, Ph.D., is fitness director at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts, and strength training consultant for IDEA, the American Council on Exercise, the International Fitness Institute, and the YMCA of the USA. Dr. Westcott is the author of the college textbook Strength Fitness, and the professional textbook Be Strong.
Sprinting as an Exercise Program
Finally! The mainstream Fitness Media is beginning to write on the very
significant benefits of Sprinting as an exercise program. This is long,
long, past due. Sprinting is an outstanding exercise regimen and can
have a far greater impact on your fitness development than jogging.
When you jog you are 90% (or more) in the aerobic energy system and
utilizing Type I (slow-twitch/aerobic) muscle fibers. When you sprint,
you are forced to use your anaerobic muscle fibers (Type IIA and Type
IIB) and not only in your legs. Sprinting is the original CORE
exercise. Sprinting is the most fundamental of all athletic endeavor,
teaching athletes how to effectively transfer ground forces through the
entire Kinetic Chain in order to efficiently propel the body forward.
For a minimum amount of time you spend sprinting for yourself or your
clients you can replace hours spent in the gym on CORE or Functional
exercises.
Sprinting has been proven to have a tremendous impact on your
cardio-vascular system, a recent study by McMaster University in
Hamilton, Canada, took two groups of moderately active college
students. Group one performed sprints and group two performed
steady-paced training. The students exercised for only two-four minutes
in only six training sessions for two weeks, group one showed a 100%
increase in their ability to maintain intense aerobic exercise compared
to no increase for group two.
This should come as no surprise to anyone. Higher intensity training
for any muscle (don't forget: the heart is a muscle) is going to cause
adaptation. Obviously, all the rules you learned on exercise safety and
program design in the IFPA Personal Trainer Certification Course still
apply: the S.A.I.D. Principle (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands)
the G.P.O. Principle (Gradual Progressive Overload) the F.I.T.T.
Principles (Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type) and all the safety
guidelines you were taught must be closely adhered to, particularly for
older clients. Yes, older clients should sprint as well. Remember from
previous FITBIT Articles, that as you age your anaerobic, Fast-Twitch
Fibers begin to atrophy (what you don't use, you lose!). Sprint
training will enable you to use them.
I can hear you thinking "But many of my clients need to lose fat,
shouldn't I have them do aerobic exercise for fat loss?" Yes and NO, in
the Beginner Training Phase, low intensity aerobic training may be all
your client can tolerate, but once you reach a point where they have
attained an adequate level of conditioning, sprint training will give
them the same elevated metabolism they experience following high
intensity strength training. For several hours post sprinting session,
your client will be burning calories at a much higher rate. Plus there
is at least some preliminary evidence that sprint training causes the
body to release anabolic hormones: testosterone and human growth
hormone with all the positive physiological and anti-aging effects you
are striving for in a workout.
Now I know some of you guys will argue that "I'm addicted to the
endorphin highs I get when I jog" and there is nothing wrong with that
argument. Instead, think of sprinting workouts as part of your "Variety
Training Principles" and sprinting once or twice a week instead of
canceling or replacing your jogging or running program.
One other positive motivational benefit you will find with sprinting is
that the uncontrollable human urge to beat a STOP-WATCH can help your
clients' blast through plateaus and dramatically increase performance.
If you train children, you can see even more motivation and performance.
I cannot tell you how many times, after six hours of grueling physical
activity, in the heat and humidity of the Florida Sun, I have had
children and young adults, from the age of 9-19, beg me if they could
please do one more sprint because they know they could beat their time.
Parents, coaches, trainers and observers would be in utter astonishment
at how these young athletes would practically kill themselves to beat
that STOP-WATCH! And I'm not talking about any one's record, but their
own. The secret to this level of success is helping them improve.
Just like any other exercise technique you teach your client, sprinting
has a technique. It is very unfortunate how few people know proper
exercise technique, but it is doubly true of sprinting. Sprinting is
the most fundamental of all athletic endeavor and very, very few
athletes are taught to sprint correctly.
If you are ready for sprint training I suggest the following program:
WEEK ONE
Warm-up: 10 minutes - Jog (vary intensity from 40-60%/max)
Workout: Sprint (at 80-90%) 4 Reps for 10-15 seconds
Walk at slow jog for 5 minutes between reps
Cool Down: 10 minutes - Jog/walk (low intensity, slowing to walk)
STRETCH
WEEK TWO
Warm-up: 10 minutes - Jog (vary intensity from 50-70%/max)
Workout: Srint (at 85-95%) 5 Reps for 12-15 seconds
Walk at slow jog for 4 minutes between reps.
Cool Down: 10 minutes - Jog (low intensity, slowing to walk)
STRETCH
WEEK THREE
Warm-up: 10 minutes - Jog (vary intensity from 60-80%/max)
Workout: Sprint (at 85-100%) 6 Reps for 12-15 seconds
Walk at slow jog for 4 minutes between reps
Cool Down: 10 minutes - Jog (low intensity, slowing to walk)
STRETCH
WEEK FOUR
Warm-up: 10 minutes - Jog (vary intensity from 60-80%/max)
Workout: Sprint (at 90-100%) 7 Reps for 15 seconds
Walk at slow jog for 4 minutes between reps
Cool Down: 10 minutes - Jog (low intensity, slowing to walk)
STRETCH
After week four, you focus on improving time in the sprints by
optimizing technique. Two to three sessions/week will be all you need
to make great gains. Remember, recovery occurs within 24-48 hours, but
as you learned from numerous sessions at the Fitness By The Bay
Conference last year, taught by Dr. Wayne Westcott, Dave Sandler and
others, adaptation takes longer, usually 72-96 hours after an intense
exercise session. By week five you will be operating at maximum
intensity, which will require 3-4 days rest for full recovery and
adaptation. Plan your training accordingly.
Happy Sprinting!
Deep Breathing for Stress Relief
By Harvard Health Publications / November 8, 2006
Relax your stomach. Breathe in deeply to a count of four and out again slowly. There. Don't you feel calmer?
Most of us are familiar with the term "fight or flight," also known as the stress response. It's what the body does as it prepares to confront or avoid danger. The brain signals hormones that rouse us to action. Breathing quickens to take in more oxygen, the heart beats faster, blood pressure rises, muscles tighten, and senses sharpen. When appropriately invoked, the stress response helps us rise to many challenges. It allows us to avoid an impending accident and help rescue people in a disaster. But trouble starts when this response is constantly provoked by less momentous, day-to-day events, such as money woes, traffic jams, job worries, or relationship problems.
Health problems are one result. A prime example is high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease. The stress response also suppresses the immune system, increasing susceptibility to colds and other illnesses. Moreover, the buildup of stress can contribute to anxiety and depression. Often people try to relieve the pressure by self-medicating with alcohol or drugs, or develop bad habits like smoking or overeating.
We can't avoid all sources of stress in our lives, nor would we want to. But we can develop healthier ways of responding to them. One way is to invoke the relaxation response, through a technique first developed in the 1970s at Harvard Medical School by cardiologist Dr. Herbert Benson. The relaxation response is the opposite of the stress response. It's a state of profound rest that can be elicited in many ways, including meditation, yoga, and progressive muscle relaxation.
In meditation, for example, heartbeat and respiration slow, the body's rate of oxygen consumption drops steeply, and blood lactate levels, which some researchers believe are linked to panic attacks, decline markedly. Blood pressure stabilizes in healthy people and drops in people with hypertension.
Breath focus is a common feature of several techniques that evoke the relaxation response. The first step is learning to breathe deeply.
The benefits of deep breathing
Deep breathing also goes by the names of diaphragmatic breathing, abdominal breathing, belly breathing, and paced respiration, which can be used to help relieve hot flashes. When you breathe deeply, the air coming in through your nose fully fills your lungs, and the lower belly rises. It's an inborn skill that often lies dormant. Reawakening it allows you to tap into one of your body's strongest self-healing mechanisms.
Yet for many of us, deep breathing seems unnatural. There are several reasons for this. For one, body image has a negative impact on respiration in our culture. A flat stomach is considered attractive, so women (and men) tend to hold in their stomach muscles. This interferes with deep breathing and gradually makes shallow "chest breathing" seem normal, which increases tension and anxiety.
Breathing engages the diaphragm, a strong sheet of muscle that divides the chest from the abdomen. As you breathe in, the diaphragm drops down, pulling your lungs with it and pressing against abdominal organs to make room for the lungs to expand as they fill with air. As you breathe out, the diaphragm presses back up against your lungs, helping to expel carbon dioxide.
Shallow breathing limits the diaphragm's range of motion. The lowest part of the lungs - with its many small blood vessels that are crucial to carrying oxygen to cells - doesn't get a full share of oxygenated air. That can make you feel short of breath and anxious.
Deep abdominal breathing encourages full oxygen exchange - that is, the beneficial trade of incoming oxygen for outgoing carbon dioxide. Not surprisingly, it can slow the heartbeat and lower or stabilize blood pressure.
Practicing breath focus
Breath focus helps you concentrate on slow, deep breathing and aids you in disengaging from distracting thoughts and sensations. It's especially helpful if you tend to hold in your stomach.
First steps
Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit or lie down. Start by noting the difference between breathing normally and breathing deeply. First, take a normal breath. Then try a deep breath: Breathe in slowly through your nose, allowing your chest and lower belly to rise as you fill your lungs. Let your abdomen expand fully. Now breathe out slowly through your mouth (or your nose, if that feels more natural). Alternate normal and deep breaths several times while paying attention to how you feel. Shallow breathing often feels tense and constricted, while deep breathing produces relaxation.
Practice deep breathing for several minutes. Put one hand on your stomach just below your navel. Feel the hand rise about an inch each time you inhale and fall back the same amount each time you exhale. Your chest will rise slightly in concert with your abdomen. Remember to relax your belly so that each inhalation expands it fully.
Breath focus in practice
Once you've taken the steps above, you can move on to regular practice of breath focus. As you sit comfortably with your eyes closed, blend deep breathing with helpful imagery and perhaps a focus word or phrase that helps you relax. For example, imagine that the air you breathe in brings peace and calm into your body. As you breathe out, imagine that the air leaving your body carries tension and anxiety away with it. As you inhale, try repeating a phrase to yourself, such as "Breathe in peace and calm." And as you exhale, say: "Breathe out tension and anxiety." To start, 10 minutes of breath focus is a reasonable goal. Gradually increase your session to 20 minutes. --- more »
Ways to elicit the relaxation response Several techniques can help you turn down your response to stress. Breath focus helps with nearly all of them:
Progressive muscle relaxation
Mindfulness meditation
Yoga, tai chi, and Qi Gong
Repetitive prayer
Guided imagery
These and other ways to manage stress are described in Stress Control: Techniques for preventing and easing stress, Herbert Benson, M.D., Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publications, 2006.
Creating a routine
You may want to try several different relaxation techniques (see "Ways to elicit the relaxation response") to see which one works best for you. And if your favorite approach fails to engage you, or you want some variety, you'll have alternatives. You may also find the following tips helpful:
Unless you're using an exercise such as yoga to elicit the relaxation response, choose a special place where you can sit (or lie down) comfortably and quietly. Don't try too hard. That may just cause you to tense up.
Don't be too passive, either. The key to eliciting the relaxation response lies in shifting your focus from stressors to deeper, calmer rhythms - and having a focal point (the steady pace of your breathing) is essential.
Try to practice once or twice a day, always at the same time, in order to enhance the sense of ritual and establish a habit. Many people practice in the morning before breakfast because it can be hard to set aside time later in the day. Evidence suggests that the more often you practice, the better the outcome.
Try to practice at least 10-20 minutes each day.
Selected resources
Mind over Menopause: The Complete Mind/Body Approach to Coping with Menopause, Leslee Kagan, M.S., N.P., Bruce Kessel, M.D., and Herbert Benson, M.D., Free Press, 2004.
Mind Your Heart: A Mind/Body Approach to Stress Management, Exercise, and Nutrition for Heart Health, Aggie Casey, M.S., R.N., and Herbert Benson, M.D., with Ann MacDonald, Free Press, 2004.
Relaxation Response, Herbert Benson, M.D., with Miriam Z. Klipper, Avon Books, 2000.
An excellent book on Breathing and How to Breathe ... New - December, 2006
Keeping Your Bones Strong and Healthy
In a two-year study, exercising women gained 6.2 percent more bone mass while their sedentary counterparts continued to lose bone mass.
One of the maladies that seems to typify the fragility of an elderly person is falling and breaking a hip. We have a news flash for you: More often than you could imagine, first the hip breaks and THEN the person falls.
It is controversial, and requires your own research as to whether you should take calcium as a supplement to your diet. Consult your physician.
Osteoporosis is demineralization of bone that causes it to weaken and makes it unable to withstand even the slightest trauma or to support minimal weight. The pelvis, which serves as the foundation for both the upper and lower body, takes a lot of stress as it stabilizes the body for movement. When the pelvis is weakened and thinned tied from osteoporosis, it may be unable to hold up and may give way in a searing fracture, dropping its owner to the ground. Indeed, osteoporosis is the reason we have the term "little old lady." The "little" comes from the sad fact that many women literally shrink as their hone masses decrease and they suffer from vertebral fractures that diminish their height. This collapse of spine forms the "Dowager's hump" at the base of the neck, when the back can no longer support the weight of the head and the neck drops forward. Abdominal and thoracic organs get repositioned as the spine slowly collapses behind them and the rib cage closes in. Anatomically, very little will work properly past this point. The pain is described as being agonizing and relentless. Men and women, young and old, are susceptible to osteopenia (the precursor) and osteoporosis, but postmenopausal women may be more at risk.
Osteoporosis or osteopenia are easily diagnosed with a bone scan-a safe and painless procedure that gives a person and his or her physician an accurate reading of bone density. The physician may scan the entire body or select a small but representative part of the body, such as the hip or wrist, for a miniscan.
The good news is that osteoporosis is preventable with good healthcare. Once detected, it may be slowed or partially reversed. Physicians recommend that calcium supplements be added to the diet and exercise be made part of life. A study from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has determined that it is important to exercise three times a week for 30 minutes each session, for strength and aerobic conditioning. Exercising women in the study gained 6.2 percent more bone mass in just two years; their sedentary counterparts continued to lose bone mass.
Posture Is More Than Looking Good
Eighty percent of all older adults complain at some point of low back pain. How often have you heard "I've got a bad back"-or said it yourself? The source of low back pain is rarely the lower back. Pain comes from weakened abdominal muscles that no longer allow an older person to support proper carriage. To prove the point to yourself, stand up straight and thrust your lower abdomen out, exaggerating the "paunch" of a weakened midline. Notice that your lower back follows forward and your hips rock forward to form a sort of front-to-back "S"curve. Your waist disappears. Your head thrusts forward. Your internal organs shift. And your breathing becomes shallow. When so many things shift and change, your body enters into a series of compensations to adjust to the new posture. Your back, from the base of your skull to the flair of your pelvis, strains against this forward pull to hold you erect. And something probably your back-is guaranteed to give. A strong abdomen will help keep your body in line.
Another leading cause of "bad backs" is lack of flexibility. One of the sayings in Tai Chi is: "You are as young as your spine is flexible." Keeping your spine supple allows you to move freely and to hold your body in perfect form. You will have a hedge on injury. Your back "gives" when you reach for something or move suddenly.
Flexibility Is Smart
Not only is Active-Isolated Stretching smart for your body, but studies have shown that exercise can increase your mental functioning as well by increasing the blood flow to your brain. Test scores are better than those of nonexercising people and are improved when a person starts to exercise. Additionally, response times are quicker.
Flexibility training is offered by some advanced personal trainers. Also, seek out a good massage therapist who understands body alignment and flexibility stretches. You won't just lay on a table while the therapist does a relaxing massage, you will be actively involved in therapeutic movement while the therapist "pins" and "stretches" you out. Seek out a good Rossiter Stretch Coach and Massage practioner.
Exercise can improve symptoms of depression and anxiety. Even small amounts of exercise help. These realistic tips and goals can help you get started and stick with it.
If you have depression or anxiety, you might find your doctor prescribing a regular dose of exercise in addition to medication or psychotherapy. Exercise isn't a cure for depression or anxiety. But its psychological and physical benefits can improve your symptoms. Meditation, has the added benefit of accelerated relief from depression and anxiety.
"It's not a magic bullet, but increasing physical activity is a positive and active strategy to help manage depression and anxiety," says Kristin Vickers-Douglas, Ph.D., a psychologist at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
When you have depression or anxiety, exercising may be the last thing you think you can do. But you can overcome the inertia. Here's a look at how exercise can ease symptoms of depression and anxiety. Plus, get realistic tips to get started and stick with exercising.
Exercise has long been touted as a way to maintain physical fitness and help prevent high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and other diseases. A growing volume of research shows that exercise also can help improve symptoms of certain mental conditions, such as depression and anxiety. Exercise also may help prevent a relapse after treatment for depression or anxiety.
Research suggests that it may take at least 30 minutes of exercise a day for at least three to five days a week to significantly improve symptoms of depression. However, smaller amounts of activity — as little as 10 to 15 minutes at a time — have been shown to improve mood in the short term. "So, small bouts of exercise may be a great way to get started if it's initially too difficult to do more," Dr. Vickers-Douglas says.
Just how exercise reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety isn't fully understood. Researchers believe that exercise prompts changes in both mind and body.
Some evidence suggests that exercise positively affects the levels of certain mood-enhancing neurotransmitters in the brain. Exercise may also boost feel-good endorphins, release tension in muscles, help you sleep better and reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol. It also increases body temperature, which may have calming effects. All of these changes in your mind and body can improve such symptoms as sadness, anxiety, irritability, stress, fatigue, anger, self-doubt and hopelessness.
If you exercise regularly but depression or anxiety still impairs your daily functioning, seek professional help. Exercise isn't meant to replace medical treatment of depression or anxiety.
The benefits of exercise for depression and anxiety
Exercise has numerous psychological and emotional benefits when you have depression or anxiety. These include:
* Confidence. Engaging in physical activity offers a sense of accomplishment. Meeting goals or challenges, no matter how small, can boost self-confidence at times when you need it most. Exercise also can make you feel better about your appearance and your self-worth.
* Distraction. When you have depression or anxiety, it's easy to dwell on how badly you feel. But dwelling interferes with your ability to problem solve and cope in a healthy way. Dwelling also can make depression more severe and longer lasting. Exercise can provide a good distraction. It shifts the focus away from unpleasant thoughts to something more pleasant, such as your surroundings or the music you enjoy listening to while you exercise.
* Interactions. Depression and anxiety can lead to isolation. That, in turn, can worsen your condition. Exercising can create opportunities to interact with others, even if it's just exchanging a friendly smile or greeting as you walk around your neighborhood.
* Healthy coping. Doing something beneficial to manage depression or anxiety is a positive coping strategy. Trying to feel better by drinking alcohol excessively, dwelling on how badly you feel, or hoping depression and anxiety will go away on their own aren't helpful coping strategies.
Tips to start exercising when you have depression or anxiety
Of course, knowing that something's good for you doesn't make it easier to actually do it. With depression or anxiety, you may have a hard enough time just doing the dishes, showering or going to work. How can you possibly consider getting in some exercise?
Here are some steps that can help you exercise when you have depression or anxiety:
* Get your doctor's support. Some, but not all, mental health professionals have adopted exercise as a part of their treatment suggestions. Talk to your doctor or therapist for guidance and support. Discuss concerns about an exercise program and how it fits into your overall treatment plan.
* Identify what you enjoy doing. Figure out what type of exercise or activities you're most likely to do. And think about when and how you'd be most likely to follow through. For instance, would you be more likely to do some gardening in the evening or go for a jog in the pre-dawn hours? Go for a walk in the woods or play basketball with your children after school?
* Set reasonable goals. Your mission doesn't have to be walking for an hour five days a week. Think about what you may be able to do in reality. Twenty minutes? Ten minutes? Start there and build up. Custom-tailor your plan to your own needs and abilities rather than trying to meet idealistic guidelines that could just add to your pressure.
* Don't think of exercise as a burden. If exercise is just another "should" in your life that you don't think you're living up to, you'll associate it with failure. Rather, look at your exercise schedule the same way you look at your therapy sessions or antidepressant medication — as one of the tools to help you get better.
* Address your barriers. Identify your individual barriers to exercising. If you feel intimidated by others or are self-conscious, for instance, you may want to exercise in the privacy of your own home. If you stick to goals better with a partner, find a friend to work out with. If you don't have extra money to spend on exercise gear, do something that is virtually cost-free — walk. If you think about what's stopping you from exercising, you can probably find an alternative solution.
* Prepare for setbacks and obstacles. Exercise isn't always easy or fun. And it's tempting to blame yourself for that. People with depression are especially likely to feel shame over perceived failures. Don't fall into that trap. Give yourself credit for every step in the right direction, no matter how small. If you skip exercise one day, that doesn't mean you're a failure and may as well quit entirely. Just try again the next day.
Sticking with exercise when you have depression or anxiety
Launching an exercise program is hard. Sticking with it can be even harder. One key is problem solving your way through when it seems like you can't or don't want to exercise.
"What would happen if you went out to your car and it wouldn't start?" Dr. Vickers-Douglas asks. "You'd probably be able to very quickly list several strategies for dealing with that barrier, such as calling an auto service, taking the bus, or calling your spouse or friend for help. You instantly start problem solving."
But most people don't approach exercise that way. What happens if you want to go for a walk but it's raining? Most people decide against the walk and don't even try to explore alternatives. "With exercise, we often hit a barrier and say, 'That's it. I can't do it, forget it,'" Dr. Vickers-Douglas says.
Instead, problem solve your way through the exercise barrier, just as you would other obstacles in your life. Figure out your options — walking in the rain, going to a gym, exercising indoors, for instance.
"Some people have the idea that being physically active is supposed to be easy and natural," Dr. Vickers-Douglas says. "Some think of it as just having enough willpower. But that really oversimplifies it and can make us feel like failures. You can't just rely on willpower. Identify your strengths and skills and apply those to exercise."
Personal Fitness Trainer Jacksonville FL, Pilates Fitness Training Instructor, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Ponte Vedra, Sawgrass, Women's fitness specialist, Health, Diet, exercise, table, chair, Thai massage.
Daniel Weisner - Certified Advanced Personal Trainer
and Licensed Massage Therapist / Jacksonville FL Phone (904) 422-6218
Wouldn't you like your body to look and function better, without all the work that most fitness programs require? Body Rolling, an exercise program that you do with a ball, will tone, strengthen, and realign your body in a way that's not only easy but enjoyable and extraordinarily effective. This cutting-edge fitness practice-which isn't just for fitness buffs-will make you leaner, longer, and stronger; you'll achieve a terrific shape that you can't get from other workouts. Body Rolling will also prevent and fix all sorts of body problems. It's a workout, a massage, and a chiropractic session all in one!
The benefits of deep breathing
Deep breathing also goes by the names of diaphragmatic breathing, abdominal breathing, belly breathing, and paced respiration, which can be used to help relieve hot flashes. When you breathe deeply, the air coming in through your nose fully fills your lungs, and the lower belly rises. It's an inborn skill that often lies dormant. Reawakening it allows you to tap into one of your body's strongest self-healing mechanisms.
Practice deep breathing for several minutes. Put one hand on your stomach just below your navel. Feel the hand rise about an inch each time you inhale and fall back the same amount each time you exhale. Your chest will rise slightly in concert with your abdomen. Remember to relax your belly so that each inhalation expands it fully.
Try to practice once or twice a day, always at the same time, in order to enhance the sense of ritual and establish a habit. Many people practice in the morning before breakfast because it can be hard to set aside time later in the day. Evidence suggests that the more often you practice, the better the outcome.
