Loosing Weight

For information purposes only. Exercise and diet at your own risk

Millions of people want to loose weight, but most do not have the correct combination of knowledge and motivation to get anything done about it. Hopefully this article will shed some light on the does and do nots of weight loss.

The main concept to get to grips with is the negative energy balance ‘equation’. It’s called an equation for some reason, but its hardly degree level maths. Simply put, your metabolic rate added to your physical activity needs to use more energy than the calories you consume. So, for example, if you burn 2500 kcal per day, and eat and drink only 2200 kcal, then you will loose weight. EVERYBODY will loose weight. Research has proven this, however some people do take longer to loose weight than others. It doesn’t matter what form of exercise you do to loose weight, and it matters very little what food you consume; as long as your output is more than you input you will loose weight.


Components of Daily Energy Expenditure

– Body Composition—fat free mass is the most important determinant

– Energy balance—hypocaloric diet reduces metabolic rate Thermic Effect of Feeding

– Fat is far less thermogenic than carbohydrate Physical Activity

– Voluntary (walking, running, etc)

– Involuntary (fidgeting)

The consumption side is comprised of the macronutrients – carbohydrates, protein, and fat – and is very simple to understand. Carbohydrates and protein yield four calories of energy per gram while fat yields nine calories of energy per gram. This side of the equation is very absolute and is only affected by the amount of food a person eats.


The Fat Burning Zone

Some out dated theories that may contradict the energy balance equation include – ‘you must work at a low exercise intensity in order to burn fat’. Whilst this is true, research has proven that high intensity exercise is a more effective method of exercise undertaken in order to loose weight. It has also been shown to be a very effective form of controlling blood sugar levels and controlling the symptoms of type II Diabetes (the type everyone seems to be getting nowadays) (Dunstan, 2002).

In fact, high intensity exercise has all sorts of physiological benefits. It promotes greater change in cardio vascular health than exercise within the so called ‘fat burning zone’, and the post exercise hormonal responses mean that there is a significant increase in metabolic rate post exercise. High intensity exercise is also more efficient at strengthening and toning muscles. This does not mean that you have to work like crazy and half kill yourself every time you exercise, it just means that you should ignore the fat burning zone conept, and instead focus on burning a greater amount of calories. Energy Consumed Walking (fat burning zone) Running (higher intensity)
Percent from fat 40% 25%
Calories from fat 52 calories 107 calories
Percent from carbohydrate 60% 75%
Calories from carbohydrate 78 calories 323 calories
Total calories 130 calories 430 calories


Resistance Exercise Has a Negative Effect Upon Weight Loss

The notion that resistance exercise has a negative effect upon those looking to loose weight is also an outdated misconception. Wayne Westcott, Ph.D. conducted a study in which 72 over weight individuals participated in an eight week exercise program. The participants were placed in two groups. The first group performed 30 minutes of endurance exercise on a stationary cycle. The second group performed only 15 minutes of exercise on the stationary cycle plus an additional 15 minutes on weight resistant exercises. At the conclusion of the study, the "endurance only" group lost a total of 3.5 lbs.; 3 lbs. of which was fat and a half pound was muscle loss. On the other hand, the "endurance and weight resistive" group lost 8 lbs. with an actual fat loss of 10 lbs. and an increase of 2 lbs. of lean body weight. the problem with a restricted energy intake is that it promotes the breakdown of muscle tissue (atrophy), which in turn reduces your metabolic rate. Thus is unhealthy if you have limited muscle mass in the first place, and could also increase the risk of osteoporosis. Resistance exercise helps increase bone density, thus reducing the risk, whilst it of course preserves muscle tissue.


I can’t loose weight because my metabolic rate is so low
Research indicates that most people underestimate their calorie intake and overestimate their physical activity. People tend to underestimate their intake by approximately 20 percent. Underreporting can increase as body mass index increases, with overweight and obese subjects underreporting their intake by approximately 40 percent. Most people don’t correctly estimate portion sizes and simple errors commonly result in a 400kcal under representation. Underestimating just a few foods a day easily amounts to a several hundred calorie difference and results in individuals not attaining their weight management goals.


Practical Pointers:

Progression
Progression will probably be one of the biggest challenges, but it is vitally important to your success. If progression is not done properly, the risk of injury is increased. The new stimulus of exercise is very hard on an untrained, overweight body. If you progress too quickly, not only will the chance of injury rise, but you may also feel like you are too out of shape to do the anything and you will become discouraged. Building a base is hugely important, so that you have a foundation to build on in each stage of progression.
Ideally you should wear a heart rate monitor. This is good to know your limits and how you feel at different heart rates. However this may not be an option due to the large girth of the body, a heart rate monitor may not fit, or fit comfortably. Under this cirumstance make a mental note of how you feel throughout a workout, making sure that you have ample breaks. It is important to keep the heart rate up but it is also important that the client feels well throughout the session. With some clients there may not be a huge drive to push themselves and in this case you need to work for shorter bouts with a little bit more intensity (they will work harder knowing they only have to sustain an exercise for 30 seconds to 1 minute) and ample rest in between exercises. Always (as with any client) be aware of fatigue, pay close attention to the clients sweating, skin color, energy levels, and their own enthusiasm about their workouts.
Seem people have to begin with some very basic stuff, but every improvement is significant. Literally don’t try and run before you can walk. Everything including your balance and coordination will be poor if you haven’t exercised for a while. More so if you are obese. Aim for a number of very small goals. To the average person, small achievements like walking for 5 minutes may not be note worthy, but for others, it is comparable to a fit person running an extra mile. Know that every little bit counts.
So no excuses, set yourself some progress goals (rather than outcome goals), such as going to the gym 3 times a week, and cutting down on chocolate. Everyone can loose weight, its just not very easy when people try half heartedly.