THE NEW SCIENCE OF WEIGHT LOSS...Part I

This is one of the best articles I've read that reinforces the approach to weight loss I encourage (high-intensity circuit or threshold training combined with proper nutrient timing). This focus goes beyond the old paradigm that weight loss or gain is soley dependent on the number of calories in vs. calories out. The latest Nutrition and Exercise Science has been showing more and more that weight gain and weight loss IS ALL ABOUT ALTERING YOUR METABOLISM!


Here is Part I of a III-point series I'd like to share with you. The article, called "The New Science of Weight Loss" is written by Lou Schuler and found in the fook "The New Science of Lifting" by Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove.


Part 1: Energy Balance Is The Key To Weight Control

If you want to understand energy balance in an instant, think of your body as a car that operates 24 hours a day, says Dan Benardot, Ph.D., R.D., a nutrition researcher at Georgia State University in Atlanta. You would never expect your car to get you from one place to the next without systematic refueling, just as you know there's no point in putting more gas in the tank than it's designed to hold. But that's how many of us operate our bodies.

We try to run on empty for hours, then dump in more fuel than we can handle. Benardot's research shows how self-destructive this strategy is.

Let's say you really want to lose fat, and decide to jog first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach. "The easiest way to get energy is to break down muscle mass," Benardot says. Your body can convert specific amino acids--the building blocks of muscle--to glucose, the sugar that powers human activity. "Someone running before eating may actually be breaking down the very tissue he's trying to improve. Sounds counterproductive to me."
Call it the "muscle loss" diet.

The second way is probably more typical of most of us. You can call this one the "fat gain" diet. You wait a long time between meals, and then, when you're ravenously hungry, you wipe out an entire buffet line. This guarantees that you'll get a larger surge of the hormone insulin than you ordinarily would. That means more fat storage. And you can probably combine the "muscle loss" and "fat gain" strategies and turn your body into a perfect muscle-burning, fat-storing machine. Hard exercise slows down appetite in the short term, but as you get used to it, your appetite matches your exertion level. So if you go out and run 10 miles on an empty stomach, then eat enough to fuel a 15-mile run, the net effect is that you've lost muscle on the run and gained fat from the postrun meal.

Energy balance, the focus of Benardot's research, is the answer to both of these dilemmas. The athletes in his studies get the best results when they stay within 300 to 500 calories of perfect energy balance throughout the day.

This means . . .
1. Eat as soon as you wake up in the morning.
2. Make sure you eat something before you exercise, no matter what time of day it is.
Not only does the food prevent your muscle tissue from becoming cardio chow, but it increases the number of calories you burn during and after exercise. A 1992 study at Arnot-Ogden Medical Center in Elmira, New York, shows that exercise following a meal enhances metabolism.
3. Eat soon after exercising, when your body has depleted its energy stores. Act fast, or you'll start burning muscle for energy.
4. Eat a total of five to six small meals a day.

One of Benardot's studies showed that athletes who added three daily snacks to their three squares lost fat and gained muscle, on top of improving in all the other things that are important to athletes, such as power and endurance. Of course, you can't simply add a few hundred calories to your diet and lose weight, but you can redistribute your daily calories so you're eating more often but consuming less at individual meals.

However you do it, it's clear to Benardot that the worst strategy is cutting out tons of calories indiscriminately in hopes of sudden, dramatic weight loss. "If you're more subtle and try to lose a pound a week or 1 pound in 2 weeks, not only can you do it, but you'll be less likely to regain the weight," he says.

NEW WORKOUT IDEA

My friend, Amber recently posted this Japanese Treadmill Madness video on her blog...fun gameshow entertainment or my new workout idea for you all?!?!! This is hilarious!

SHOULD [ burdens ] vs. COULD [ blessings ]

Next time you are overwhelmed with the SHOULDs in life: [ BURDENS ]
I should eat that...
I should go for a walk...
I should get more sleep...

Change your shoulds to COULDs... [ BLESSINGS ]
I could eat that...
I could go for a walk...
I could get more sleep...

Nobody wants to do what they should. The options are out there. You don't HAVE to do anything. We all have choices, each with different consequences. Think of how good you feel when you choose to do something wonderfully strong and healthy for yourself. Too many 'shoulds' just produce guilt...and guilt does nothing for motivation or better health.

Negativity never serves.

Be good to yourself today and allow yourself the option to choose.

(thanks for the words of wisdom, Lee!!)

MEET MICHAEL!

As some of you might know, I had the wonderful opportunity to go to Montego Bay, Jamaica on a service trip last March to help at the Caribbean Christian Center for the Deaf (CCCD). This residential school houses about about 50 deaf students, each dependent on outside sponsorship. This giving of resources allows them to learn to communicate through sign language and even through some verbal speaking, have clothes, food, books, up-to-date education, hobbies that can lead to careers, and medical care to supply items like hearing aids. As a business and group, valeo / personal training (you guys!) have generously donated to my Swim for Shenicia event and helped raise over $2600 for Shenica Norman, an 11-yr old girl from CCCD who has a special place in my heart. I recently got a letter from her and wanted to pass on a huge THANK YOU to each of you for caring enough to provide her with opportunities she would've otherwise never had the chance to have.

The need for sponsors continues, and each month, I'd like to highlight a few children who are still in need of support.
This little guy is Michael Bailey - he is six years old and loves to ride his tricycle, draw and color. His favorite color is blue and his favorite toy is Nintendo. Michael is in 1st grade and is learning sign language very well. A simple donation of $25 dollars/month will help CCCD provide him with medical care, education, food and just an overall better quality of life. If any of you are interested in sponsoring Michael (each child needs at least 10 sponsors to be considered fully sponsored), please contact Laura White at info@cccdjamaica.net and she will let you know the steps to take to make it happen. Your monthly donation can literally be life-changing for Michael!!

UPDATED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY GUIDELINES

If you're someone who likes specific numbers and descriptions in answer to 'how much exercise should I be getting?' then this post is for you. While each person is different, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and American Heart Association (AHA) have recently released guidelines for physical activity frequency, intensity and type (think FIT!). These recommendations have been updated from the previous guidelines that came out in 1995. Here are some noteable points:

1. All healthy adults ages 18 to 65 years need moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity for at least 30 minutes on five days each week or vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity for at least 20 minutes on three days each week....and more is better.

*AEROBIC EXERCISE = "with oxygen" meaning your cells require O2 as fuel for energy production. This type of exercise makes the heart, lungs and blood vessels healthier and stronger. It is essential for body fat loss and disease management and prevention.

[ Some Ideas for Aerobic Exercise ]

Anything that gets the heart rate elevated and major muscles moving!

Walking, Jogging, Running, Dancing, Swimming, Hiking, Stair or Hill Climbing, Rollerblading, Bicycling, Ellipticals, Circuit-Style Training, Sport Games, etc.

*MODERATE INTENSITY = 50% - 60% of your max effort or Heart Rate Reserve (see your specific HRR Sheet given to you at your assessments).

*VIGOROUS INTENSITY= 60% - 85% of your max effort or Heart Rate Reserve (see your specific HRR Sheet given to you at your assessments).

2. Adults will benefit from performing activities that maintain or increase muscular strength and endurance for at least two days each week. It is recommended that 8-10 exercises using the major muscle groups be performed on two non-consecutive days. To maximize strength development, a resistance (weight) should be used for 8-12 repetitions of each exercise resulting in willful fatigue.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON WHY CARDIOVASCULAR CONDITIONING AND STRENGTH TRAINING ARE SO ESSENTIAL TO YOUR DAILY LIVING....

5-COLORS-A-DAY CHALLENGE!

DID YOU KNOW...Over 70% of disease is preventable through good nutrition?

Head over to your local Farmer's Market or produce aisle and you will find August is a season full of rich, vibrant and nutrient-packed fruits and vegetables. Eating fruits and vegetables help promote:

* Healthy Hearts

* Better Memory Function

* Vision Health

* Strong Teeth and Bones

* Healthy Weight Levels

* A Reduced Risk of Cancer and Other Chronic Disease

What's even more interesting, is that the COLOR of the fruit or vegetable represents different vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals (plant chemicals that have protective or disease preventative properties) in that food...and the darker the color, the better. Your goal should be at least 5 to 9 fruits and vegetables every day - and the more variety of color ensures a variety of health-enhancing nutrients.

THE CHALLENGE

Want to boost the vibrancy of your food intake? Join me in the 5-Colors-A-Day Challenge to eat 5 DIFFERENT COLORS, 5 DAYS OF THE WEEK FOR 5 WEEKS. Email me (jessica@valeotraining.com) with your interest and I will send you a color-coded spreadsheet with examples of fruits and vegetables that fall into each color category.

This could be the initiation of a lifestyle change you need in your life. Get the entire family involved! We live in a time when "children are more harmed by poor diet than by exposure to alcohol, drugs and tobacco combined" (David Katz, M.D.) Post the spreadsheet on your fridge and have fun tracking each person's intake. This challenge will change the way you grocery shop, the way you prepare foods, the way you choose what to eat and, ultimately, your overall health.

Anyone who reads this blog and completes the 5-colors-a-day for at least 5 days-of-the-week for 5 consecutive weeks will be entered in a drawing to win a FREE 1 HOUR MASSAGE by a fabulous local massage therapist. CONTACT ME TODAY and start adding a little more color to your life!

Blue/Purple
A lower risk of some cancers
Urinary tract health
Memory function
Healthy aging

Green
A lower risk of some cancers
Vision health
Strong bones and teeth

White
A healthy heart
Cholesterol levels that are already healthy
A lower risk of some cancers

Yellow/Orange
A healthy heart
Vision health
A healthy immune system
A lower risk of some cancers

Red
A healthy heart
Memory function
A lower risk of some cancers
Urinary tract health

THIRTY to TWO.

I recently became re-certified in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and AED (automated external defibrillator) and was reminded of the importance for everyone to know these important signs and steps to SAVE A LIFE! A notable change in the steps includes a much-easier-to-remember THIRTY CHEST COMPRESSIONS followed by TWO BREATHS, whether for an adult, child or infant.

Would you know what to do in an emergency? Click HERE to learn - you never know when you will need to use these techniques, so refreshing your memory regularly is important. Take action today and sign up for a class at your local American Red Cross - it's easy - and this investment in time and knowledge could literally make a life of difference.