For decades, we've been told that the best activity for burning calories and fat is aerobic exercise. Many studies, dating back 3 decades ago, have reported that aerobic exercise is the best way to burn calories and lose fat. As well as offering other benefits, from improving markers of heart-disease risk to coping with mental stress to enhancing cognitive function.
Well, times have changed, and in the past few years with the increasing population of overweight adults and children there has been a mad rush to look at fitness and the impacts it has in our lives. If you're looking to shed fat, the newest weight-loss research will tell you that you need to do more than just jumping on the elliptical or treadmill.
A new study by Jeff Volek, Ph.D., R.D., an exercise and nutrition scientist at the University of Connecticut, is debunking the myth that all exercise is created equal.
Volek's research gives him good reason to doubt the conventional wisdom about the superiority of aerobic exercise for fat loss.
The Study: Volek and his team put overweight people on a reduced-calorie diet and divided them into three groups. One group didn't exercise, another performed aerobic exercise 3 days a week, and a third did both aerobic exercise and weight training 3 days a week.
The results: Each group lost nearly the same amount of weight — about 21 pounds per person in 12 weeks. But the lifters shed 5 more pounds of fat than those who didn't pump iron. The weight they lost was almost pure fat, while the other two groups shed 15 pounds of lard, but also gave up 5-plus pounds of muscle. "Think about that," says Volek. "For the same amount of exercise time, with diets being equal, the participants who lifted lost almost 40 percent more fat."
So, why do you want to build lean body mass (muscle)? The amount of Lean Body mass you have is directly related to your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) or commonly known as your metabolism. Your RMR dictates the amount of calories (energy) your body needs just to maintain life. Therefore, the more lean body mass you have-the more metabolically active tissue you have- the higher your metabolism will be.
This isn't a one-time finding, either. Research on low-calorie dieters who don't lift shows that, on average, 75 percent of their weight loss is from fat and 25 percent of it is muscle. That 25 percent may reduce your scale weight, but it doesn't do a lot for your reflection in the mirror. Having strength and definition is important. However, if you weight-train as you diet, you protect your hard-earned muscle and burn extra fat instead.
The New Science of Calorie Burning
In the past we thought that any form of aerobic activity, such as jogging was far better than any type of anaerobic activity, like resistance training, in burning calories. Women focusing on Low-fat options at the store and only cardio at the gyms may be doing themselves a disservice.
When Christopher Scott, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist at the University of Southern Maine, began using an advanced method to estimate energy expenditure during exercise, his data indicated that weight training burns more calories than originally thought — up to 71 percent more. Based on these findings, it's estimated that performing just one circuit of eight exercises — which takes about 8 minutes — can expend 159 to 231 calories. That's about the same as running at a 6-minute-mile pace for the same duration.
From the beginning, fitness programs should be scientifically based. Starting out, we knew that weight training was necessary to avoid muscle loss, and that it appears to boost your metabolism for hours after you work out; we also knew that according to studies, higher-intensity exercises such as interval training and weight training resulted in greater fat loss than lower-intensity exercise did."
Stay tuned for part 2............
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Does the type of Physical Activity you do matter?
The initial response to this question is “yes”, but that only leads us to the deeper root of the question which is “if the type of physical activity I choose matters, what should I be doing?” The answer to this question is unique for each individual, based upon your current status, current level of fitness, physical activity preferences, goals, and time for exercise. With so many variables, how can you figure out what physical activity is best for you? The following guidelines can help you select physical activities and exercise to help you reach your current and future goals.
Discover physical activities that you enjoy
Children enjoy unstructured play. Why? Because it is fun! This may seem basic, but it is amazing the number of adults who turn to activities they don’t really enjoy because of grand promises of weight loss, “ripped abs”, or increased strength and size. Group Classes are a way to not only keep it fun but also structure accountability. If you don’t enjoy something, you are far less likely to stick with it. Since regular physical activity is critical for reaching exercise-related health and fitness goals, choose something you enjoy.
Set realistic goals
Goal setting is an important step in starting any new behavior. If the goal is too easy, you may quickly become bored. If the goal is too lofty, you are likely to soon feel that it is out of reach. To set goals that you can realistically achieve, use your current activity as a starting point and progress from there. If your longest walk each week is 15 minutes, it is unrealistic for you to complete a half marathon (13.1 miles) three months from now. However, it may be realistic for you to train for and complete a 5k (3.1 miles) in three months. After that, you can work towards a 10k (6.2 miles) several months later and then progress from there towards a half marathon if that is still a goal.
The same goes for weight loss, where some ads make grandiose claims like “lose 30 pounds in 30 days.” These ads promise a timeframe that is unrealistic for the amount of weight loss promised. When setting a goal to lose weight, keep in mind that the maximum rate for sustained weight loss has been found to be no more than 1 to 2 pounds of fat per week. The reality shows promote much more weightloss, however these numbers consist of water weight. Not just fat. They are not losing 20 pounds of fat per week!
Once you have set realistic goals, you can use them to help you determine the types of activities you will need to participate in to reach your goals.
Some activity is better than none
The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults should participate in weekly aerobic activity totaling 150 minutes at moderate-intensity, 75 minutes at vigorous-intensity, or an equivalent combination of the two, and that adults should do muscle-strengthening activities of moderate- to high-intensity on 2 or more days per week (US Department of Health & Human Services). Exercise can be accumulated in bouts of 10 minutes at a time or in longer bouts, and exercise totals that exceed these recommendations result in greater improvements in health and fitness. This gives us guidelines for how much activity we should aim for, but the most important takeaway message from these guidelines is that “some physical activity is better than none, and adults who participate in any amount of physical activity gain some health benefits.” So, don’t jump immediately into 150 minutes of physical activity. Instead, focus on what you can do now and progress by increasing exercise time, exercise frequency, and eventually increasing exercise intensity.
Aim for a well-rounded program
A well-rounded program should include activities that help improve your cardiovascular health and fitness (cardiorespiratory exercise), and your posture, movement, and muscular fitness (flexibility and resistance training). The specific activities performed in each area will depend on an individual’s current fitness and goals. Cardiorespiratory exercise for someone who is just starting out should focus on moderate-intensity exercise where the individual is working just below the point where talking during exercise becomes a little bit challenging, while a regular exerciser looking to increase fitness or train for an event would perform higher-intensity intervals to push his or her system. Focus on flexibility through dynamic movements during the warm-up, and stretching during the cool down.
Getting started
Always see your physician for a medical examination before you begin. Once you know you are cleared for exercise, select activities that you enjoy and set an initial goal to be active on three or more days per week. When selecting physical activities keep this rule in mind – the most effective exercise program for you is the one that you will actually do on a regular basis.
Yours in Health & Wellness
-tammie
Discover physical activities that you enjoy
Children enjoy unstructured play. Why? Because it is fun! This may seem basic, but it is amazing the number of adults who turn to activities they don’t really enjoy because of grand promises of weight loss, “ripped abs”, or increased strength and size. Group Classes are a way to not only keep it fun but also structure accountability. If you don’t enjoy something, you are far less likely to stick with it. Since regular physical activity is critical for reaching exercise-related health and fitness goals, choose something you enjoy.
Set realistic goals
Goal setting is an important step in starting any new behavior. If the goal is too easy, you may quickly become bored. If the goal is too lofty, you are likely to soon feel that it is out of reach. To set goals that you can realistically achieve, use your current activity as a starting point and progress from there. If your longest walk each week is 15 minutes, it is unrealistic for you to complete a half marathon (13.1 miles) three months from now. However, it may be realistic for you to train for and complete a 5k (3.1 miles) in three months. After that, you can work towards a 10k (6.2 miles) several months later and then progress from there towards a half marathon if that is still a goal.
The same goes for weight loss, where some ads make grandiose claims like “lose 30 pounds in 30 days.” These ads promise a timeframe that is unrealistic for the amount of weight loss promised. When setting a goal to lose weight, keep in mind that the maximum rate for sustained weight loss has been found to be no more than 1 to 2 pounds of fat per week. The reality shows promote much more weightloss, however these numbers consist of water weight. Not just fat. They are not losing 20 pounds of fat per week!
Once you have set realistic goals, you can use them to help you determine the types of activities you will need to participate in to reach your goals.
Some activity is better than none
The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults should participate in weekly aerobic activity totaling 150 minutes at moderate-intensity, 75 minutes at vigorous-intensity, or an equivalent combination of the two, and that adults should do muscle-strengthening activities of moderate- to high-intensity on 2 or more days per week (US Department of Health & Human Services). Exercise can be accumulated in bouts of 10 minutes at a time or in longer bouts, and exercise totals that exceed these recommendations result in greater improvements in health and fitness. This gives us guidelines for how much activity we should aim for, but the most important takeaway message from these guidelines is that “some physical activity is better than none, and adults who participate in any amount of physical activity gain some health benefits.” So, don’t jump immediately into 150 minutes of physical activity. Instead, focus on what you can do now and progress by increasing exercise time, exercise frequency, and eventually increasing exercise intensity.
Aim for a well-rounded program
A well-rounded program should include activities that help improve your cardiovascular health and fitness (cardiorespiratory exercise), and your posture, movement, and muscular fitness (flexibility and resistance training). The specific activities performed in each area will depend on an individual’s current fitness and goals. Cardiorespiratory exercise for someone who is just starting out should focus on moderate-intensity exercise where the individual is working just below the point where talking during exercise becomes a little bit challenging, while a regular exerciser looking to increase fitness or train for an event would perform higher-intensity intervals to push his or her system. Focus on flexibility through dynamic movements during the warm-up, and stretching during the cool down.
Getting started
Always see your physician for a medical examination before you begin. Once you know you are cleared for exercise, select activities that you enjoy and set an initial goal to be active on three or more days per week. When selecting physical activities keep this rule in mind – the most effective exercise program for you is the one that you will actually do on a regular basis.
Yours in Health & Wellness
-tammie
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Your 4th of July BBQ
Last July 4, Joey Chestnut earned his third consecutive victory in Coney Island’s Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest—the gustatory champ downed 68 hot dogs in 10 minutes. That jaw-dropping stat is made scarier still when you realize that Chestnut consumed over 20,000 calories in that time. That’s a whole day’s worth of calories ... per minute.
Now, your own Independence Day festivities may not rival Chestnut’s, but these days you could easily consume a full day of calories in one sitting—and that’s before you reach for seconds. When grills go wild, so do waistlines. But after the past weekend and a couple conversations with clients about BBQ and the options I felt that y’all might need a few ideas…..
I know it doesn’t seem like it but there is a healthier option for your next BBQ, and save yourself over 800 calories (or more) at each meal.
Best and Worst Summer BBQ Meat
Eat This!
Pork Tenderloin (6 oz)
328 calories
11.5 g fat (4 g saturated)
95 mg sodium
Not That!
Cheeseburger (5 oz)
630 Calories
41 g fat (15 g saturated)
735 mg sodium
Pork tenderloin is one of the most underrated cuts in the meat case. It's not just lean, but loaded with thiamin, a B vitamin that converts sugar into energy. Compare that to the cheeseburger, which has nearly double the calories and four times the amount of fat.
Then again, maybe only a burger will do for you. If so, switch to grass-fed beef. You’ll get a leaner chuck with a higher concentration of omega-3s.
Best and Worst Summer BBQ Side
Eat This!
Coleslaw (1/2 c)
150 calories
8 g fat (1 g saturated)
350 mg sodium
Not That!
Potato Salad (1/2 c)
310 calories
15 g fat (3 g saturated)
430 mg sodium
Potato salad is one of those foods that sounds healthier than it is. After all, potatoes ... good. Salad ... good. Here's the problem: Mayonnaise ... bad. Very bad. Of course, coleslaw is a vehicle for mayo as well, so it comes down to which vehicle is better for the environment that is your body. Coleslaw wins here by a nose; it has fewer calories and less fat, sodium, and carbs.
That said, if you have your heart set on potato salad, prepare it like the Germans do—that is, with a mustard base instead of mayo. This will cut close to 100 calories from each serving. (For other free health, fitness and nutrition secrets that will improve your life right this second, follow us on facebook.
Best and Worst Summer BBQ Snack
Eat This!
Tortilla Chips and Guacamole (about 10 chips)
160 calories
11 g fat (3 g saturated)
280 mg sodium
Not That!
Corn on the Cob with Butter
200 calories
7 g fat (4 g saturated)
190 mg sodium
It’s an American birthright to eat corn, but truthfully, it offers little nutritionally compared to a powerhouse like avocado. So stick with the chips. Choose a whole-grain chip like those made by Garden of Eatin’ and you’ll get a boost of fiber to go along with guacamole’s good monounsaturated fats. But remember even though avocados are packed with vitamins they are packed with calories, try salsa instead and make it even better!
Still want corn? Fine, but make it healthier by cutting back on the butter and sprinkling it with chili powder and lime juice. And remember: Cutting calories isn’t always a matter of watching what you eat. Watch what you drink, and you can trim over 400 calories from your daily diet, without actually altering your food consumption at all.
Best and Worst Summer BBQ Salad
Eat This!
Fruit Salad (1/2 c)
55 calories
0 g fat
5 mg sodium
13 g sugars
Not That!
Iceberg Salad with Ranch
175 calories
11 g fat (2 g saturated)
240 mg sodium
Besides mayonnaise, ranch is responsible for turning more healthy foods unhealthy than any other condiment. Instead of munching on the greens, dice up some melons, kiwi, and pineapple and then toss in a few grapes for good measure. This salad’s naturally sweet and loaded with fiber and antioxidants.
I hope this helps you enjoy your summer hanging with friends and family as well as helping you enjoy your soon to be shrinking waistline! Happy Summer Everyone!
Just a reminder that we will be open next Monday the 5th of July!
-tammie
Now, your own Independence Day festivities may not rival Chestnut’s, but these days you could easily consume a full day of calories in one sitting—and that’s before you reach for seconds. When grills go wild, so do waistlines. But after the past weekend and a couple conversations with clients about BBQ and the options I felt that y’all might need a few ideas…..
I know it doesn’t seem like it but there is a healthier option for your next BBQ, and save yourself over 800 calories (or more) at each meal.
Best and Worst Summer BBQ Meat
Eat This!
Pork Tenderloin (6 oz)
328 calories
11.5 g fat (4 g saturated)
95 mg sodium
Not That!
Cheeseburger (5 oz)
630 Calories
41 g fat (15 g saturated)
735 mg sodium
Pork tenderloin is one of the most underrated cuts in the meat case. It's not just lean, but loaded with thiamin, a B vitamin that converts sugar into energy. Compare that to the cheeseburger, which has nearly double the calories and four times the amount of fat.
Then again, maybe only a burger will do for you. If so, switch to grass-fed beef. You’ll get a leaner chuck with a higher concentration of omega-3s.
Best and Worst Summer BBQ Side
Eat This!
Coleslaw (1/2 c)
150 calories
8 g fat (1 g saturated)
350 mg sodium
Not That!
Potato Salad (1/2 c)
310 calories
15 g fat (3 g saturated)
430 mg sodium
Potato salad is one of those foods that sounds healthier than it is. After all, potatoes ... good. Salad ... good. Here's the problem: Mayonnaise ... bad. Very bad. Of course, coleslaw is a vehicle for mayo as well, so it comes down to which vehicle is better for the environment that is your body. Coleslaw wins here by a nose; it has fewer calories and less fat, sodium, and carbs.
That said, if you have your heart set on potato salad, prepare it like the Germans do—that is, with a mustard base instead of mayo. This will cut close to 100 calories from each serving. (For other free health, fitness and nutrition secrets that will improve your life right this second, follow us on facebook.
Best and Worst Summer BBQ Snack
Eat This!
Tortilla Chips and Guacamole (about 10 chips)
160 calories
11 g fat (3 g saturated)
280 mg sodium
Not That!
Corn on the Cob with Butter
200 calories
7 g fat (4 g saturated)
190 mg sodium
It’s an American birthright to eat corn, but truthfully, it offers little nutritionally compared to a powerhouse like avocado. So stick with the chips. Choose a whole-grain chip like those made by Garden of Eatin’ and you’ll get a boost of fiber to go along with guacamole’s good monounsaturated fats. But remember even though avocados are packed with vitamins they are packed with calories, try salsa instead and make it even better!
Still want corn? Fine, but make it healthier by cutting back on the butter and sprinkling it with chili powder and lime juice. And remember: Cutting calories isn’t always a matter of watching what you eat. Watch what you drink, and you can trim over 400 calories from your daily diet, without actually altering your food consumption at all.
Best and Worst Summer BBQ Salad
Eat This!
Fruit Salad (1/2 c)
55 calories
0 g fat
5 mg sodium
13 g sugars
Not That!
Iceberg Salad with Ranch
175 calories
11 g fat (2 g saturated)
240 mg sodium
Besides mayonnaise, ranch is responsible for turning more healthy foods unhealthy than any other condiment. Instead of munching on the greens, dice up some melons, kiwi, and pineapple and then toss in a few grapes for good measure. This salad’s naturally sweet and loaded with fiber and antioxidants.
I hope this helps you enjoy your summer hanging with friends and family as well as helping you enjoy your soon to be shrinking waistline! Happy Summer Everyone!
Just a reminder that we will be open next Monday the 5th of July!
-tammie
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
