WEIGHT LOSS
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As Certified Personal Trainer one of the first things that is usually mentioned or brought up by clients who are interested in beginning an exercise program is the subject of "Losing Weight." In today's culture people are motivated to lose weight and change their body composition for a number of reasons.
I can totally understand that clients want to lose weight to look better for aesthetic purposes, however the health benefits that come with maintaining a healthy weight appropriate for your height and body type/frame can't be stressed enough. The benefits of maintaining a healthy body weight will impact many levels of your life in your activities of daily living.
There are generally two types of groups of people who have a desire to lose weight:
1. Those who are normal weight but want to lose body fat for aesthetic reasons
2. Those who are considered overweight or obese and have a body mass index greater than
25 or 30 which places them at risk for adverse health problems.
Whether a person can gain muscle and lose body fat simultaneously (at the same time) will depend primarily on their level of training in terms of frequency, duration, and also intensity.
Previously untrained people can lose both body fat and gain lean body mass as a result of what is referred to as "calorie restriction" and training. It however is unlikely that a trained person who already possess a relatively low percentage of body fat to achieve body mass reduction without losing some lean body mass.
On average to lose 1 to 2 pounds of body weight per week would represent a daily caloric deficit of approximately 500 to 1,000 kcal. Faster rates of weight loss may not be considered healthy or safe and can lead to dehydration and decrease vitamin and minerals in the body. Substantial weight loss by caloric restriction will result in loss of significant amounts of lean body/muscle mass.
The rate of loss of 1 % total body weight per week is a common guideline.
If a person loses on average 1.5 pounds (one & half lbs) per week he or she could lose as much as:
18lbs in 3 months
36lbs in 6 months
72lbs in one year
* As can be seen a steady reasonable pace of weight loss can lead to substantial reduction
in weight.
Weight loss can't be rushed. There is no "magic pill" or "quick fix" solution. You need to gradually and progressively take weight off at a rate that is safe and that will have long lasting results that is maintained with a healthy diet and exercise.
Although a person may restrict total calorie consumption, this does not mean you have to starve or eat too little or less in regards to being able to be satisfied. Foods that are "dense in nutrients" and "low in calories" are the types of foods you should be including in your meals.
Your diet should include foods that have low calorie to volume of food ratio. Examples of foods with this description include broth-based soup, salad greens, vegetables, and fruits. In general foods in this category contain a high proportion of water and fiber. It is these types of foods that people can eat or consume in larger portions without consuming too many or excess calories. Foods in this category are also good for helping to control hunger and are lower in calories.
Your diet should also be nutritionally balanced and should include a variety of foods. Please see Diet/Nutrition. Also the Food Guide Pyramid is a valuable source as well. www.MyPyramid.gov
The general guiding principle for weight loss is to help people achieve a negative energy balance which basically means you are taking in less calories than you are burning on a daily basis. This causes your body to start burning excess stores of fat for energy. A person's Estimated Energy Requirements will vary based on different factors including physical activity level. If you are not physically active and are sedentary then you can't afford to consume as many calories as a physically active individual.
Estimated Energy Requirement - is defined as the dietary intake that is predicted to maintain energy balance in a healthy adult of a defined age, sex, weight, and height, and level of physical activity that is consistent with good health (Nutrition for Health, Fitness, & Sport, Melvin & Williams).
Once you reach your target weight you can help to maintain that body weight by staying within the total allowable calories you can consumer per day defined by your Total Energy Expenditure or Requirements for each day.
Your body is burning calories throughout the day even when you are sitting down doing nothing or sleeping you are always burning calories or using energy for the body's numerous processes. Exercise however increases the rate at which your body will burn calories during that exercise session and also helps to increase the overall efficiency of your metabolism.
A CALORIE is defined as: A measure of heat energy. A small calorie represents the amount of heat needed to raise one gram of water one degree Celsius. A large Calorie (Kilocalorie, KC or C) is 1,000 small calories (Nutrition for Health, Fitness, & Sport, Melvin & Williams).
AEROBIC TRAINING is key in losing or burning off excess body fat. Aerobic Training will assist people with weight loss the following ways:
Improved Metabolic Changes - The energy systems of the body become more efficient at producing energy as a result of aerobic training. The use of substances in the body such as fat and carbohydrates that allows for greater energy production also becomes a more efficient process. You become a better calorie burning machine in simple terms.
Improved glycogen storage in the muscles as a result of aerobic training and there is an increased concentration of available substrates such as glycogen for utilization resulting in a increased and prolonged workout time before you reach exhaustion or fatigue threshold also known as "lactic-acid threshold."
Body Composition - One of the biggest reasons people begin an aerobic training program is because they want to lose excess body weight and fat. The positive adaptations to aerobic exercise is a change in body composition. Often when a reduction in body fat is advised, aerobic exercise is recommended. Currently the recommendation is for sedentary people to get approximately 20 to 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day. This could be a brisk walk. One of the most obvious changes with such a regimen is a reduction in fat mass.
Whether you are trying to lose weight or not, The U.S. Surgeon General has recommended that all people over the age of 2 years should accumulate at least 30 minutes of aerobic endurance-type of physical activity, of at least moderate intensity, on most - preferably all days of the week. The American College of Sports Medicine has stated that aerobic exercise should be done three to five days per week and that training for less than two days per week is generally not a sufficient stimulus for gaining and maintaining the fitness benefits associated with aerobic training. So up to five days per week is suggested for general fitness goals.
The National Institute of Health Consensus Development Panel on Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health agrees with the Surgeon General's report in stating that duration of aerobic endurance training should be at least 30 minutes.
The American Heart Association recommends between 30 to 60 minutes for the purpose of health promotion and cardiovascular disease prevention.
With a combination of eating a balance diet, restricting excess calories, and regular-consistent exercise a person can be expected to lose excess weight and fat. You need to be willing to progressively build yourself up to where you can do as much as 45 to 60 minutes of continuous aerobic activity daily throughout the week in order to be the most efficient at burning calories and excess fat. Individual fitness levels and or other considerations may have an effect on the duration, however some aerobic activity is always better than none. Frequency, duration, and intensity should be progressively modified at a rate that an individual can handle.
There are many factors involved in weight loss. I will continue to add more information on this page. For more information or a question please feel free to contact me through my website.
* If you are an individual who wants some assistance with safely losing weight through exercise and healthy eating habits give me a call or contact me through this website so I can help you with designing an efficient and safe program.
