Fighting Fads With Facts
Low Carb? Low Fat? Super Slow Training? Interval Training? Information Overload? Still looking for the “secrets” to weight loss? In an interview with Oprah, she asked actor Toby McGuyer about how he lost weight for his role in Seabiscuit, then bulked up for his role in Spider Man II. “Two secrets”, he answered: “Diet and Exercise”. Toby continued, “more calories for bulking up, fewer calories for slimming down; more intense weight lifting for bulking up.” In other words, back to basics. Yet every supermarket check-out line and a glut of info-mercials sell “quick, miracle weight-loss cures”, “secrets of the stars”, and products advertised with a “money back guarantee”. The latest craze is the number of so-called “low-carb” products. The bottom line is, as long as advertisers and the media focus on extremes, consumers miss out on the reality of balance and moderation.
First of all, there is no one plan that is ideal for everyone – neither a food plan nor an exercise plan that comes as “one size fits all”. The reason is individual biochemistry. Athletes need more carbohydrates than sedentary folks, for example. Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred fuel source. Without sufficient carbs, muscle is broken down, water is released, and the number on the scale diminishes. Glycogen, stored energy from carbs, held in the muscle and liver, becomes depleted on a low-carb diet. This is disasterous for athletes who will “hit the wall”. However, ingest too many carbs, more than the body can store as glycogen, and the body will convert them to fat and store them. Where? Wherever your body has the highest number of fat-storing enzymes – which is genetically determined! What happens if you over-eat protein or fats? The same thing – stored as fat in the body’s fat cells.
But what about all the talk about “insulin spikes” and “the glycemic index”? Not all carbs are created equal. Some are nutrient dense and high in fiber – less impact on blood sugar levels. Others are simple, refined, low-nutrient, low-fiber and more likely to dysregulate blood sugar. However, it is important to remember that the glycemic index of the whole meal, not just one element in the meal, is what counts. (The old “balance and moderation”).
Bottom line: a nutrient-rich diet of complex carbs, healthy fats (e.g. walnuts, olive oil, flax), and lean protein with adequate calories for your age, gender, and lifestyle. The more active you are, and the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn.
As for exercise, there is no one program suitable for everyone. Age, health, medical and orthopedic issues as well as personal goals should determine exercise program design. And doing the same program design over an extended period of time will lead to a plateau in both weight loss and fitness goals. To prevent this, use the FITT principles of exercise:
Frequency
Intensity
Time
Type
Vary each of these over time to avoid boredom as well as plateaus in weight loss and fitness. For example, if you’ve been working out 3 times a week, up it to 4 times. Not an option? Increase the intensity of your workout, i.e. workout harder (do this gradually to avoid injury!); have orthopedic or medical issues that restrict the intensity of your workout? Workout longer i.e. more time per workout, or shorter, more frequent ones. Finally, change the type of workout. If you’re used to doing the treadmill, try the elliptical or rowing machine. Used to step classes? Try dance, Pilates, or Yoga for a change. Variety and cross training will keep your metabolism up and help prevent the over-use injuries that come with repeating the same movement patterns over and over.
If weight loss is a primary goal, use the knowledge gleaned from the National Weight Registry which studied the habits of people who had lost 35 or more pounds and kept it off for five years or more. Those successful in both losing and maintaining the lost weight did the following four things:
1. EXERCISE. While diet plays a more crucial role in weight loss initially, keeping it off depends upon consistent exercise. Those in the National Registry burned an average of 2800 calories per week exercising. That’s at least an hour a day for most folks.
2. KEEP A FOOD DIARY. Even after reaching their goal weight, the successful maintainers continued to keep a daily log of food intake, paying particular attention to portion control. This kept them accountable.
3. DEVELOP ALTERNATIVE COPING SKILLS. Using food to soothe anxiety, combat boredom, to distract from worry, to medicate depression, and even as a sole source of celebration results in disconnecting from hunger and fullness cues that the body gives us. Learning alternatives for dealing with feelings is essential. These may include counseling, meditation, acupuncture, massage, Reiki, and stress management strategies to name a few.
4. SEEK SUPPORT. Developing a healthy lifestyle in the midst of a food-obsessed, body-focused culture is a monumental task! All those who were successful had some form of on-going support of one kind of another: personal trainer, dietician, counselor, exercise buddy, support group.
If you want to harness the “Power of Champions” inside yourself, use the facts, avoid fads, and commit to healthy lifestyle practices that lead to vibrant health and maximize all of life’s possibilities.