Weight Loss 101

Weight-Loss:101

With weight-loss knowing is half the battle. If you are doing the wrong types of exercise, taking the wrong supplements, or eating the wrong foods, then you may be off course and not know it. With this being said you should know your goal, know how to get there, and know your obstacles.

Step 1: What is your goal?

For most people in this challenge, the goal is weight-loss. You may personally need to lose 10, 50, or even 100lbs. Either way, the prescription is the same; calories in vs. calories out. If your body burns more calories in a day then it takes in, you will lose weight. If you take in more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. This may sound simple, but I’m sure you all know that it must be more complex than that. Well, it is. The reason being is the body likes fat. Extra fat means survival in tough times. The body can pull out all the stops to prevent you from losing weight and it all depends on genetics, current health, how you have trained your body to act, and motivational factors.

Step 2: How do you get there?

Nutrition and metabolism

The first and most important factor affecting the rate of your weight-loss is nutrition. As I mentioned above, the calories in vs. calories out will dictate if you lose weight or not. You MUST find out how many calories it takes to maintain and how many you need to lose weight. Here is a link to help you find out http://www.fitwatch.com/qkcalc/weight-loss-calculator.php.

A good bit of information to know is that 1lb of fat equals 3500 calories. This means that if you need to lose 10 lbs; that is 35,000 calories above your maintenance that you have to burn. This may seem insurmountable to some; especially to those with larger weight-loss goals, but that is why a lifestyle change is the most effective way to achieve your goals. By making a commitment to a healthy and physical life ,the burned calories add up without obsessing over what you are doing.

Now that I have given you a few numbers to work with, you may already be applying the math to your own personal goals. What you need to understand before you finish your final equations is that the body uses fuzzy math. Yes, calories in vs. calories out, but your body is ready to fight back. The body does not, and will not, always burn calories equally. For some, the body does not want to release fat so it will slow down metabolic processes at the first sign of “a diet”. This means that while you are not dieting you may burn 100 calories per hour. But, the same activities while dieting may burn only 90 calories. Your body may even try to trick you into not sticking with it by making you feel sick, tired, or emotional. For others, they may breeze through weight-loss like they born to be thin.

In addition to the tricks your body will play, you should know that not all calories are created equal. Calories that are broken down into simple sugars are absorbed faster and do not have an equal opportunity to be burned. When calories are not burned they are stored as fat. Everytime. By eating more complex carbohydrates (when you eat carbs) such as brown rice, oatmeal, and most vegetables you are maximizing your window of opportunity. Eating proteins and fats with your simple and complex carbohydrates prolongs the window further. Do keep an eye on and limit fats because they add up fast. When eating fats ,try to choose the healthier fats from peanuts, fish oils, ect. I have personally found a lot of success with an intake of 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein, and 30% fat. However, people may have certain preferences or conditions that require them to eat in different ratios.  

Aerobics and weight training

Second to nutrition is the exercise program that you follow. One can lose weight with diet alone, but research has shown that diet and exercise combined result in faster and more long-term results. Cardio training is an essential part of a weight-loss exercise program. Examples of these types of exercise include walking, jogging, eliptical trainer, cycling, aerobics classes, ect. In order for aerobic exercise to deliver the results you are looking for, you must do it for longer than 30 min at a time. The reason being is that your muscle tissue stores “quick sugar” called glycogen. In the beginning of any exercise your body uses the sugar located in your blood (glucose) and then the glycogen. Once these are starting to deplete your body will consider pulling stored fat out to be used. The more accustomed to aerobic exercise you become, the more efficient this process will become also.

While aerobic training is essential, it makes no material positive long-term change in your base metabolism. Cardiovascular/aerobic training for the most part, chips away at calories and fat only while performing the exercise. Weight-training on the other hand, activates and increases current muscle tissue. This equates into a much longer term metabolic boost. Once you get close to your target weight you will either have to continue doing all the cardio you have been doing or rely on your new metabolism derived from weights. This doesn't mean that you will never have to do cardio again, it means that you can decrease it and free up some precious personal time.

Step 3 What are your obstacles?

I don’t care who you are; everyone has obstacles in regards to reaching their goals. Some have more than others. The key to overcoming obstacles is to be prepared. Know what your obstacles are before they happen and have a plan.

Here are some common obstacles that I have seen.

Time

You may think that the time obstacle is only if you are adding an exercise program to you life. This is a common derailing misconception. Choosing to become a more conscious eater requires reading labels, preparing foods, and often eliminating quick fast foods and unhealthy snacks. (There are good fast food choices; but they are often not chosen by the non-conscious eater.) Although you may not need to weigh and measure food for the rest of your life it is often very beneficial to gain awareness of portion control in the beginning. All these things are not as convenient as old habits are do require a time input. Set yourself up for success by understanding the small amount of time invested could result in a huge return. As you get further along in the process, the time requirements will decrease.
Additionally, a new exercise program does require time. In fact, by truly adopting a new healthier lifestyle, it can mean a new time commitment for life. My hopes for you is that you do not look at it as time wasted, but as a fun new hobby that adds to the quality of your life. It doesn’t have to be a chore. Make it fun and get the whole family involved.  

Knowledge

Choosing to make a real commitment to a weight-loss program can be an extremely personal decision. If you are going to make the emotional investment i suggest being intellectually involved in the process. You should know what your goal is and your plan of attack. You should also take the time to know why each component is important. Being uninformed is often an excuse for failing. Don’t give yourself reasons to fail. The more you know; the more power you have.

Eating

Overeating or eating the wrong foods usually stems from either an emotional connection to food, a physiological response to food, or a lack of planning. Usually people are aware to some extent if they are an emotional eater, however they do not always spot when they are emotionally eating. Do you eat because you are bored, lonely, anxious, or because it is tradition? You will probably become more aware of your eating habits once you actually commit to a structured eating plan.

What is a structured eating plan? The first key part to a structured eating plan is knowing and sticking to your recommended caloric intake in regards to your goal. Next, you must decide if you are going to eat your calories in particular ratios; i.e. 40% carb, 30% protein, 30% fat. Afterwards you should take a look at your daily lifestyle and plan the timing of your meals. It is best for fat-loss to split your meals into several small meals throughout the day. I usually recommend 5-6 small meals. You should set yourself up for success by planning accordingly. If you know that you will be in traffic during one of your meal times then you better plan on making that meal an energy bar or something you will have with you. I would also recommend always having something preplanned on hand incase something comes up. However, if you make a mistake and have a slip up, you must be strong enough to stop. You must remind yourself why this is important and get yourself back on track. Everyone will have a bad day, not everyone regroups and picks themselves back up to try again.

Physiological responses to food can include medical conditions like diabetes or triggering your appetite. If it is a medical condition, you should speak to you doctor and work together to find a solution. Triggering your appetite, on the other hand, is more within your control. The way that carbohydrates are processed within your body can stimulate your appetite. Alternatively, proteins and fats can help satiate the appetite. Also, be aware of and possibly avoid comfort foods like ice cream, chocolate, chips, ect. These foods may make you feel happy (artificially) and you have a hard time stopping at just one portion.

Motivation

So you are 10, 50, or 100 lbs overweight. Great; you will have phenomenal before and after pictures. Do not let your past dictate your future. You really are in control the second you believe you are. This does not mean that you will ever become that size two unrealistic expectation inside your head. All it means, is that you truly have the potential to be the best you, that you can be.
You may feel like you are too heavy to turn things around, that it will be too hard, or it will be embarrassing. You may even feel that weight loss is within your ability but are scared of the pain when it returns. You can not let these self-defeating thoughts cloud your judgement. What would you want your son/daughter to do if they were in the same position. You would not want them to give up because you know they are amazing. Well, you are amazing too. You deserve success in all you dream. Do not ever give up.

If you struggle with the changes needed to adapt to your new lifestyle, try to spot areas of reinforcement and areas of derailment. For example, areas of reinforcement are things that make you feel good about your plan. Having a workout buddy, trying new exercises, and joining a cooking class are all ways that may make you feel good about your plans. At the same time, weighing yourself everyday, hanging out with negative people, or choosing to eat at a buffett may make you feel helpless and thus want to give up. Surround yourself with positives as much as possible; especially in the beginning. Once, you have built up the good habits and lifestyle change you might be more resistant to the derailers.

I feel that quite a few obstacles can be overcome by understanding and accepting the process. Everyone wants results yesterday, and not everyone can have that. Your body in conjunction with the stimulus you place on your body will determine how fast you lose weight and how long you keep it off. Good luck in the journey and don’t forget to enjoy it.