Change your body composition? What's that mean?
If your asking these questions, you're not alone. So many of us have gone on diet after diet, obsessing about how much weight we lost this day or that day, yet we've never even heard the term body composition!
Changing your body composition is the single biggest secret to losing weight and keeping it off!
Your body composition is how much lean muscle you have in your body compared to how much body fat you have. You see, muscle is active, it burns calories even when you're not exercising. Fat, on the other hand, is nothing more than dead weight that you carry around.
Unfortunately, when we go on diets and obsess about losing weight, we often end up losing lean muscle mass rather than body fat. This slows down our metabolism, causes us to gain the weight back, and makes it even harder on us the next time we try to lose weight. That's why so many of us are fatter than we were the first time we decided to go on a diet!
There are two things you can do immediately to change your body composition:
1) Don't focus on cutting calories or "counting points." Instead, focus on more eating healthy foods like baked chicken and fish, beans, lentils, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables.
2) Do some strength building exercises two days a week. Some push-ups, stomach crunches, and body weight squats would be a great start. Once you get going, pick up a couple of exercise bands and watch the instructional video to add some more exercises to your repertoire.
And for goodness sake....stop living and dying by the scale! You want to burn the fat, but you want to build muscle!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
Weight Loss Tip of the Week -- No More Sweet Drinks!
Sugars and sweeteners are some of your worst enemies when it comes to weight loss. Not only do they spike your blood sugar and load you up with empty calories...sweet foods actually hinder your bodies ability to know when you've had enough to eat! You don't believe me?...Take a moment this Halloween and watch your favorite 9 year old tear through a bag of Halloween candy! You think his body is requiring that food for energy?!?
Alright...we all know we shouldn't be eating a bag of Halloween candy in one sitting...that will definitely keep us from losing that extra weight...but when else are we consuming extra, unnecessary sugars and sweeteners?
The #1 culprit is sweet drinks. Let's start with the obvious ones:
1) Soda, or any drink with artificial sweeteners. Stay away from them! You shouldn't be drinking anything that has "high fructose corn syrup" as one of it's top ingredients! Throw away the Mountain Dew and Cranberry Juice Cocktail. Don't think that just because a juice drink has 100% vitamin C that it's good for you. Look at the label! It's all sugar! This even goes for "sports drinks" like Gatorade and Powerade. If you do drink them, water them down...at least 3 parts water to 1 part sports drink!
2) Diet soda. That's right! Diet soda might not have the calories, but most of those artificial sweeteners aren't very good for you. Not only that...like I said those sweeteners interfere with your bodies ability to realize when you're no longer hungry...causing you to over eat.
3) Juice. Don't get me wrong...you're much better off drinking juice than some sugar-loaded "juice drink", but you're still much better of drinking water and eating whole fruits. Fruits have a lot of fiber and other nutrients that get lost in the juice-making process, most of them won't spike your blood sugar, and they'll leave you feeling fuller longer.
By now you're probably fed up...."No soda, no sports drinks, no juice?!? What are you supposed to drink?!?"
Drinking seltzer, water with fruit, and unsweetened tea may not sound exciting, but it's not that bad either! Trust me, after 6 weeks off the "sweet stuff" you won't want to go back and your body will thank you!
Alright...we all know we shouldn't be eating a bag of Halloween candy in one sitting...that will definitely keep us from losing that extra weight...but when else are we consuming extra, unnecessary sugars and sweeteners?
The #1 culprit is sweet drinks. Let's start with the obvious ones:
1) Soda, or any drink with artificial sweeteners. Stay away from them! You shouldn't be drinking anything that has "high fructose corn syrup" as one of it's top ingredients! Throw away the Mountain Dew and Cranberry Juice Cocktail. Don't think that just because a juice drink has 100% vitamin C that it's good for you. Look at the label! It's all sugar! This even goes for "sports drinks" like Gatorade and Powerade. If you do drink them, water them down...at least 3 parts water to 1 part sports drink!
2) Diet soda. That's right! Diet soda might not have the calories, but most of those artificial sweeteners aren't very good for you. Not only that...like I said those sweeteners interfere with your bodies ability to realize when you're no longer hungry...causing you to over eat.
3) Juice. Don't get me wrong...you're much better off drinking juice than some sugar-loaded "juice drink", but you're still much better of drinking water and eating whole fruits. Fruits have a lot of fiber and other nutrients that get lost in the juice-making process, most of them won't spike your blood sugar, and they'll leave you feeling fuller longer.
By now you're probably fed up...."No soda, no sports drinks, no juice?!? What are you supposed to drink?!?"
Drinking seltzer, water with fruit, and unsweetened tea may not sound exciting, but it's not that bad either! Trust me, after 6 weeks off the "sweet stuff" you won't want to go back and your body will thank you!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Weight Loss Tip of the Week -- Have a Salad with Lunch
If you want to lose weight and get healthy, there's nothing better to eat than fresh vegetables, and the eating those vegetables raw is the best way to go! When you cook vegetables they lose a lot of the nutrients that make them so good for you!
The moral of the story...nothing has more nutritional value than a big, healthy salad! Throw everything in there....green leafy lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, spinach, broccoli, onions, peppers, cucumbers, sprouts...what ever vegetables you can find! Olives and jalapeno peppers are two of my favorites when it comes to adding some flavor. You can also throw in some chicken or some tuna salad and make a meal out of it! What the heck...get crazy and throw some nuts and fruit in there! The more things you put in your salad, the more flavorful it will be and the more you'll enjoy it!
One warning though......Watch out for the salad dressing! Most of them are loaded with fats....and not the fats that are good for you either! Personally, I put olive oil and balsamic vinegar on my salad and it tastes great!
My recommendation....get in the habit of eating a healthy salad every day with lunch....stay away from that disgusting salad dressing, and there's a good chance you'll start feeling better and even lose some weight!
The moral of the story...nothing has more nutritional value than a big, healthy salad! Throw everything in there....green leafy lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, spinach, broccoli, onions, peppers, cucumbers, sprouts...what ever vegetables you can find! Olives and jalapeno peppers are two of my favorites when it comes to adding some flavor. You can also throw in some chicken or some tuna salad and make a meal out of it! What the heck...get crazy and throw some nuts and fruit in there! The more things you put in your salad, the more flavorful it will be and the more you'll enjoy it!
One warning though......Watch out for the salad dressing! Most of them are loaded with fats....and not the fats that are good for you either! Personally, I put olive oil and balsamic vinegar on my salad and it tastes great!
My recommendation....get in the habit of eating a healthy salad every day with lunch....stay away from that disgusting salad dressing, and there's a good chance you'll start feeling better and even lose some weight!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Strength Training for Weight Loss - Improving Overall Balance
Whether you're planning on doing squats, standing shoulder presses, jogging, or just walking around in the winter....if you don't have balance, you have a very good chance of injuring yourself.
For years people thought of balance as something you either had or you didn't. Now a days, we know that you can actually improve your balance significantly by doing certain exercises.
So what exercises should you do?
My favorite exercise for balance is the "single leg squat". It is just like a squat, except you do it on one leg. It is an exercise that requires that you already have very good balance. I will typically only have a client start with this exercise if they are a competitive athlete or if they already exercise regularly. For most clients, we will typically spend 4-8 weeks progressing to the single leg squat. Here are 3 balance exercises we would do in the meantime:
1) Stand on 1 leg and move the other leg to the front, side, and twisting to the back
2) Step up on a step and balance on 1 leg for 3 seconds
3) Do a squat with and exercise ball between your back and the wall this will help to increase your range of motion on you squat.
If you want more details on any of these exercises, just ask!
For years people thought of balance as something you either had or you didn't. Now a days, we know that you can actually improve your balance significantly by doing certain exercises.
So what exercises should you do?
My favorite exercise for balance is the "single leg squat". It is just like a squat, except you do it on one leg. It is an exercise that requires that you already have very good balance. I will typically only have a client start with this exercise if they are a competitive athlete or if they already exercise regularly. For most clients, we will typically spend 4-8 weeks progressing to the single leg squat. Here are 3 balance exercises we would do in the meantime:
1) Stand on 1 leg and move the other leg to the front, side, and twisting to the back
2) Step up on a step and balance on 1 leg for 3 seconds
3) Do a squat with and exercise ball between your back and the wall this will help to increase your range of motion on you squat.
If you want more details on any of these exercises, just ask!
Strength Training for Weight Loss - Improving Core Strength
When most people hear "core strength" they think of those 6-pack abs they're hoping to get. That's not what we're talking about. Our first goal is to strengthen our "inner core" or our "seat belt" muscles. These are the muscles that stabilize our spine and hold our bodies together. Believe it or not, everything we do uses our core. If our core isn't strong, and we try to strength train or lift something heavy, our chances of injury go through the roof!
So how can you strengthen your core?
Easier than you think. When I design a "phase 1" program for a client, almost every exercises is a core exercise...even though we don't do a single sit-up! It's true, here are some examples of exercises that will increase core strength:
1) Instead of doing a bench press lying down, do a cable press standing up. Concentrate on keeping your head, shoulders and hips in line with each other by tightening your core muscles.
2) Instead of doing a seated rowing exercises, do a standing cable row, using the same "core stabilization" technique you used with the cable press.
These are just 2 examples, there are plenty more! If you want more exercises, just ask!
So how can you strengthen your core?
Easier than you think. When I design a "phase 1" program for a client, almost every exercises is a core exercise...even though we don't do a single sit-up! It's true, here are some examples of exercises that will increase core strength:
1) Instead of doing a bench press lying down, do a cable press standing up. Concentrate on keeping your head, shoulders and hips in line with each other by tightening your core muscles.
2) Instead of doing a seated rowing exercises, do a standing cable row, using the same "core stabilization" technique you used with the cable press.
These are just 2 examples, there are plenty more! If you want more exercises, just ask!
Strength Training for Weight Loss - Correcting Muscle Imbalances
Like I said in my last post, an initial strength training program for weight loss should have 3 goals; correcting muscle imbalances, improving core strength, and improving your overall balance. In this post we'll be talking about how you can correct muscle imbalances. Our next two posts will discuss the other two goals.
If you're like most people, your body is like a shopping cart with one wheel that sticks, continually drifting to the right.
In your body, your muscles are always working together. If one muscle does less work than it should...because it is weaker or not as flexible as it should be....other muscles will compensate for it. This may be good initially, because it "gets the job done", but after a while these muscle imbalances get more severe. Your overactive muscles get stronger and your under active muscles get weaker.
Why is this a problem?
Let me give you an example. You are always using your leg muscles...to lift things, walk up stairs, etc. If your glutes (butt muscles) and hamstrings are under active you will over compensate with you quads (thighs) and your lower back. Over compensation with your quads will put extra stress on your knees, and over compensation with your lower back could lead to back problems.
So what can a strength training program do to correct these imbalances?
Simply put, you need to do exercises that won't allow stronger muscles to compensate for the weaker ones. This can be achieved by doing exercises like the 2-arm cable press, which requires you to use both arms equally; or a single leg squat (with the correct prompting from a trainer) that will allow you to correct some of the imbalances in your leg muscles.
If you're like most people, your body is like a shopping cart with one wheel that sticks, continually drifting to the right.
In your body, your muscles are always working together. If one muscle does less work than it should...because it is weaker or not as flexible as it should be....other muscles will compensate for it. This may be good initially, because it "gets the job done", but after a while these muscle imbalances get more severe. Your overactive muscles get stronger and your under active muscles get weaker.
Why is this a problem?
Let me give you an example. You are always using your leg muscles...to lift things, walk up stairs, etc. If your glutes (butt muscles) and hamstrings are under active you will over compensate with you quads (thighs) and your lower back. Over compensation with your quads will put extra stress on your knees, and over compensation with your lower back could lead to back problems.
So what can a strength training program do to correct these imbalances?
Simply put, you need to do exercises that won't allow stronger muscles to compensate for the weaker ones. This can be achieved by doing exercises like the 2-arm cable press, which requires you to use both arms equally; or a single leg squat (with the correct prompting from a trainer) that will allow you to correct some of the imbalances in your leg muscles.
How to Start Strength Training for Weight Loss
So we've discussed the importance of strength training if you want to really lose weight for the long haul, but where do you start? When you're starting a strength training program it's important that you build a strong foundation. Nothing could be worse than going to the gym, doing the same workout you used to do in high school, only to injure yourself and never exercise again!
First, you should definitely talk to your doctor and ask if there are any types of exercise that you should not be doing. Then, I'd recommend meeting with a certified personal trainer. Most personal trainers will be able to design a strength program specific to your particular needs and goals.
The program that your trainer designs may be less intense than what you may be expecting...don't worry! Long term weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint! Typically, your first 4-8 weeks should focus on 3 main goals:
1) Correcting muscle imbalances.
2) Developing core strength.
3) Improving your balance (so you don't fall over)
If your program does these 3 things, it is a good one, and you are on your way to building that muscle you need to lose that fat and keep it off!
First, you should definitely talk to your doctor and ask if there are any types of exercise that you should not be doing. Then, I'd recommend meeting with a certified personal trainer. Most personal trainers will be able to design a strength program specific to your particular needs and goals.
The program that your trainer designs may be less intense than what you may be expecting...don't worry! Long term weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint! Typically, your first 4-8 weeks should focus on 3 main goals:
1) Correcting muscle imbalances.
2) Developing core strength.
3) Improving your balance (so you don't fall over)
If your program does these 3 things, it is a good one, and you are on your way to building that muscle you need to lose that fat and keep it off!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Weight Lifting and Weight Loss
My clients will sometimes ask, "Why do I have to lift weights if I want to lose weight?"
This is a common question, epsecially since people often associate lifting weights with "getting bigger", while the goal of weight loss is to "get smaller." Just about everyone knows the benefits of burning calories through aerobic exercise, but it sometimes takes clients a little while to warm up to the idea of strength training.
Strength training should be an important part of anyone's weight management program. By strength training (a.k.a. lifting weights) you'll be building muscle. Muscle is "metabolically active", meaning it burns calories even when you're not exercising. By improving your body composition (by losing fat and gaining muscle) you actually speed up your metabolism, turning your body into a more efficeint fat burning machine!
This is a common question, epsecially since people often associate lifting weights with "getting bigger", while the goal of weight loss is to "get smaller." Just about everyone knows the benefits of burning calories through aerobic exercise, but it sometimes takes clients a little while to warm up to the idea of strength training.
Strength training should be an important part of anyone's weight management program. By strength training (a.k.a. lifting weights) you'll be building muscle. Muscle is "metabolically active", meaning it burns calories even when you're not exercising. By improving your body composition (by losing fat and gaining muscle) you actually speed up your metabolism, turning your body into a more efficeint fat burning machine!
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