Fitness Articles

Weight Management Success, Part 1
By Larry Pahl, L.M.T.

Obtaining optimum health is not possible without understanding, embracing and making proper weight management techniques part of your everyday life.

Obesity is a serious health issue with people of all ages in our country today. Cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure and chromic pain syndromes are all linked to the overweight condition known as obesity.

Most experts agree that obesity exists when a person is 30 or more pounds over their ideal weight. From an emotional and physical well-being standpoint, I don't believe in "playing" to the scale. If you are happy with what you see when you look in the mirror and you are disease-free and pain-free, you are on the right track. 

Rule #1-Don't use the scale as a barometer for your so-called success or failure. You may, at first, look better, but weigh more. This is because muscle weighs more than fat and being properly hydrated can increase your weight slightly.

Physiological fact #1 that is pertinent with regard to weight management is this: We are all predisposed to weight gain as we age. This is because at about age 20, we begin to lose muscle mass at a rate of 1% per year in the absence of regular strength training. This has the effect of decreasing the metabolism. 

There is no other element more important in effective weight management than metabolism. Metabolism refers to the rate or effectiveness by which we burn calories at rest. The higher your muscle percentage the higher your metabolism. The higher your metabolism, the greater your ability becomes to burn calories at rest. 

This point is best illustrated by physiological fact #2--One pound of muscle burns 350 more calories per week than one pound of fat. Converting fat into muscle thru cardiovascular exercise and strength training is the greatest factor in the equation of successful, effective, long-term weight-loss management. It is your ticket of overcoming the nutritional mistakes that we all inevitably will make from time to time. 

Rule #2-Start to move more at every opportunity! Reprogram 
your thinking with respect to parking. Seek out the worst
parking spot you can find. It's a lot less stressful and it gets you moving more. The walking you do is cumulative. It doesn't have to be done all at once. 

If you don't have time for one 60 minute workout each day, break it down into smaller increments to accommodate your 
schedule. Take 3 or 4 flights of stairs and then get on the elevator. The more you move, the more energy you will have. And when you crash at the end of the day, the better your 
possibilities are of getting a good, restful nights sleep, which will give you more energy the next day, which will enable you to move more. I will discuss exercise in detail later. 

We're beginning to describe the benefits of making better choices. Do I watch t.v. or go for a brisk 30 minute walk? Do I take the escalator or walk the steps? Better choices lead to better lifestyles--lifestyles which are sustainable for the rest of your life. 

Rule #3- Your weight-loss management program has to be sustainable. If it is too hard or too tortuous or too limiting in terms of reasonable choices, you will become discouraged, quit and blame genetics or fate for your condition. 

The reason that diets (exclusive of exercise) don't work long-term is due to physiological fact #3--When you lose thru calorie-reduction diets, 60-70% of that weight is fat and 30-40% is muscle. Remember physiological fact #2?

One pound of muscle burns 350 more calories per week than
one pound of fat. This means that calorie-restrictive diets
cause you to lower your metabolism by reducing muscle mass.

Lower muscle mass means you are burning less calories at rest. This means that if you lost 20 pounds thru calorie
restriction, you probably lost 6-7 pounds of muscle, which means your energy level has been reduced, which means you
are moving less, which means you are losing even more muscle 
because you're too tired to exercise! Most diets set you up to fail! 

Rule #4- Eat for energy and nutrients. Eat better by making better nutritional choices. Carbohyrates and sugar should be viewed as fuel--fuel that must be burned thru exercise during the course of the day. Excess sugar and carbohydrates turn to fat! 

Make a list of what constitutes good and bad choices and keep it in you purse or wallet. Remember, the nutritional part of your weight-loss program is a life-long program, not a 30, 60 or 90 day program of hunger and torture. Eat small portions and  snack when hungry. When you eat out, order a take-home
package so you plan not to eat the usual over-size portion of food that restaurants typically serve.

Another thought regarding nutrition is this, don't get obsessive with counting calories, fat grams, sugar grams etc. Don't drive yourself and everyone around you crazy. Remember that it's not about being perfect. It's about progress. Become more aware about what constitutes good and bad choices and know that because you are focused on turning fat into muscle thru exercise that you don't have to be perfect because your increased muscle mass will neutralize your nutritional mistakes.

If you have a chronic pain condition, (arthritis or fibromyalgia) particularly an auto-immune disorder, I highly recommend the book "Eating for Your Blood Type" by Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo.

Physiological fact #4--Hunger sensations are received
simultaneously with thirst sensations. In his book "Your Bodies Many Cries for Water", Dr. B. Balmanghelidj describes this phenomenon whereby a partially dehydrated state can cause us to overeat. 

Rule #5--Make water your main, dominant drink as you strive to avoid drinks with caffeine, soda and alcohol as well as fruit juices. 

With water as your dominant drink it's very possible you might reduce your caloric intake by 500 or more per day. Combine this with daily exercise and better food choices and you are well on your way to losing 1-2 pounds of fat per week until you approach your 'ideal weight'. Your ideal weight is what Mother Nature thinks you should weigh. Everyone has their own unique sequence of DNA. Your goal is to feel good, to be healthy, happy and energetic--not to look like Cindy Crawford.

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Larry Pahl, L.M.T. and founder of Body-In-Balance Massage Therapy, specializes in weight management coaching, treatment of soft-tissue injuries and chronic pain relief.  Contact him at: 740-701-6519

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