Diet vs. Exercise

Somebody asked me recently,  "Which is better for weight loss — cutting calories or increasing exercise?"  My answer was that you need both, but I wasn't sure of the exact ratio....50/50?  60/40?  I did a little research.

Read the expert answers below from some of the articles I found. 

"Answer (Mayo Clinic) from Donald Hensrud, M.D.

Cutting calories through dietary changes seems to promote weight loss more effectively than does exercise and physical activity. But physical activity also is important in weight control.

The key to weight loss is burning more calories than you consume. Because 3,500 calories equals about 1 pound (0.45 kilogram) of fat, you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in to lose 1 pound. So if you cut 500 calories from your diet each day, you'd lose about 1 pound a week (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories).

For most people, it's probably too difficult to eliminate the amount of calories through exercise that you could through dieting. That's why cutting calories through dieting is generally more effective for weight loss. But doing both — cutting calories and exercising — can help give you the weight-loss edge. Exercise can help burn off even more calories than just dieting.

Exercise also is important because it can help you maintain your weight loss. Studies show that people who lose weight and keep it off over the long term get regular physical activity. If you lose weight by crash dieting or by drastically restricting yourself to 400 to 800 calories a day, you're more likely to regain weight quickly, often within six months after you stop dieting. Getting regular exercise also can help prevent excess weight gain in the first place."

"ACE Fitness  FIT Facts

Weight Loss: Diet vs. Exercise

The two major players in the weight-loss battle are diet and exercise. But can the battle be won using only one of these tools? Many people opt for the easier route, which they believe is dieting. But when you consider how poor the statistics are for long-term weight loss through diets, you need to consider a combination of both. Normally, only about 5% of dieters are successful in keeping weight off, and weight cycling is very common. Usually one-third of weight lost is regained within one year and almost all is regained within three to five years.

HOW WEIGHT LOSS WORKS

The mechanism of weight loss is simple. It is encompassed in a concept called energy balance. When you burn more calories than you consume, you lose weight. Therefore, to lose weight you need to burn more calories and/or consume fewer calories. The combination of both of these methods is the best way to lose weight and improve your health.

HOW THE PROS DO IT

Members of the National Weight Control Registry are people who have lost weight and kept it off successfully for a minimum of one year. Of these people, 89% use a combination of diet and exercise, although 10% have had success using diet alone and 1% used exercise alone. However, research shows that the combination of exercise and diet is more effective than diet alone. Furthermore, while diet alone helps you lose weight, it is exercise that improves your physical fitness.

GETTING STARTED

Combining diet and exercise can be tricky when you’re trying to cut calories. It is important to make sure that you eat enough so that you have energy to get through your workout, but not so much that you tilt your energy balance back to the weight-gain side.  While guidelines suggest 1 to 2 pounds of weight loss a week, you should set a goal that is both realistic and manageable for your lifestyle and fitness level. Overly aggressive goals often lead to attrition and failure.

Your diet should consist of low-fat food choices and a modest reduction in the total number of calories. Without overwhelming yourself with odd foods and food labels, try simply reduce your food portions by about 10 to 15%. Try to be consistent across the week, instead of dieting more strictly on certain days of the week.

With exercise and activity, people who successfully maintained weight loss exercised an average of an hour or more per day. Longer-duration exercise is usually needed to lose weight and prevent weight re-gain. However, this may be too much for you to begin with, so start small and gradually progress the duration of your activity by 10% each week. For example, increase the duration of your walks from 20 minutes during week one to 22 minutes the following week.

STAYING MOTIVATED

Changing your diet and exercise habits involves lifestyle modifications, but maintaining these lifestyle changes can be the real challenge. Many people can lose weight, but only a few can maintain that weight loss. Much of this is due to the fact that the lifestyle modifications made to lose weight need to be permanent. It is normal to regain a few pounds after your initial weight loss. The key is to not get discouraged and stay motivated. The smaller the amount of weight that you regain, the easier it is to lose again, permanently. So frequent monitoring of your weight is necessary to catch yourself when you start to regain weight. Keep in mind that the longer you keep weight off, the easier it becomes. For weight loss to be sustainable, it must be a slow process of 1 to 2 pounds of weight loss per week. Stay focused and goal-oriented and know that successful weight loss is possible!"

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So, what did we learn here?  You can't keep your awesome fit body if you exercise relentlessly but continue to eat like crap every day.  Likewise, you can't HAVE a truly awesome body if you eat perfectly and don't exercise at all.  You could have an average sized body, but with not much shape.  You would have a smaller version of the bigger body you had before.  Strength training a few times per week is essential in your "increasing exercise" arsenal because if you lose weight by changing your diet alone, you WILL lose muscle mass.  Why is that bad?  You will end up burning less calories (because muscle burns more calories) and your metabolism will conk out. Muscle on your body is what helps your metabolism crank up and stay up. 

So, incorporate BOTH good, clean eating AND strength/cardio routines that you enjoy.  Sprinkle in some planned cheats here and there and make sure you have some days of recovery.  

(PS- I dislike the word "diet."  It screams failure to me.  It sounds like something short term.  Watch for an upcoming post on that.)

Journaling

Do you keep a journal?  It can be a great tool for you to use in your fitness journey.  Writing down what you eat, i.e.-a food journal, or writing about your challenges and successes is a validation of what you are doing and how you are feeling.  It's a piece of evidence right in front of your eyes that you ARE making changes or not really making changes.  

Journaling has a downside....it's time consuming.  Just remembering to do it each day is just another thing to add to the list.  We as a society already cram so much into each day's schedule.  If your fitness journey is truly important to you, you just need to pencil in a few extra minutes each day to journal.  It's for your eyes only, so who says it has to be elaborate?  You could jot down a few words or abbreviations.  You could write "good day" or "bad day" and why.

I guess the importance of journaling is that it reflects what is going on in your head.  This is as important as what you are doing to or with your physical body each day.  If you kick it hard at the gym and wonder why you never get results, you could be eating too many calories or drinking things you shouldn't and not even realize it.  You may not notice that you mindlessly eat or clean your kid's plates off after each meal.  These are the things you should write down.

How long should you journal?  I suppose it's different for everyone.  Try it for a month and see how it goes.  Then, read back through it and educate yourself on your habits, your "tough time of day," your mental state and habits during times of stress.  Look back through your journal and see how often you worked out and if you did the exact same thing all month.

The top things to journal about on a daily basis:

- Did you work out?  What did you do and for how long?

- What did you eat and how much?

- How much sleep did you get?

- How much water did you drink?  (It should be half your body weight in ounces!)

- What was your mood today?

- What can you celebrate or what do you need to work on?

Write your way into success.

Work that body! (THE WHOLE BODY!)

Last week, I was at the gym doing my thing.....lifting some weights....while watching one of the staff trainers working with an older gentleman out of the corner of my eye.  It was evident right away that the way he trains is completely different from the way that I train.  To an untrained eye, his program would have looked fine.  I mean, at least he had his client in the free weights for most of it.  I'll get to the specifics about what bothered me in a moment.  When he was done with that gentleman, he had another guy right after- this time a younger guy, seemingly fit by looking at him.  What happened?  That guy got the SAME program as the first client!  What?!  

If you hire a trainer, here are some red flags (in my opinion as a trainer) that I saw that day:

1) The two programs that I saw being trained were identical on two separate clients.  They should be individualized based on your needs and goals.  Ask your trainer if your program is written for your needs only.

2)  All of the exercises that this trainer was assigning to his clients had his clients sitting down.  We sit enough as it is!!!  If you have a healthy, able  body, you should strive to stand up for your exercises, especially weight training unless you are doing chest presses or the sort of thing that requires you to lay down.  There is no reason to go from seated machine to seated machine for the duration of your program.

3)  This trainer had these two male clients working ONLY their upper body!  I thought to myself, "Please let them come back another day and learn some lower body exercises!"  TOO OFTEN, MEN ONLY WORK THEIR UPPER BODIES!  It's ridiculous, really.  What about the rest of your body?  Don't you realize that it's not attractive to have big arms, a big chest, and chicken legs or a flat butt?  If the trainer you hire focuses on training just one half of your body, you need to say something.  Guys, work your WHOLE body.....balance it out. I may need to write a follow up blog post on this topic alone.

Maybe this trainer is new to the field.  But you know what?  So am I!  Have I just done more reading on new ways of training?  Maybe that it's that I've trained myself in newer types of programs and am constantly seeking fresh ideas.  Any trainer that you hire should show you some basics first, but be able to come up with some fresh ideas (standing up AND using your whole body).  

Struggles

I met an amazing woman the other day at the Y.  I had seen her there a few times before working with one of the staff trainers.  We happened to both be stretching at the same time today and I took the opportunity to visit with her a bit.  All I had to say was, "I see that you were working with a trainer today....how did you like that?"  We ended up sitting there for the next 15 minutes while she told me about her heroic battle against rare health problems.  

This woman has been through things I can only cringe at.  She used to lift weights before she struggled with the health scares and after going through months of hell last fall, she's back to it!  At a much altered level, mind you, but I was awed at her persistence to live her life the best she could with the hand she has been dealt.  I told her she was an inspiration to all around her and congratulated her for choosing life versus sitting at home giving up when things with her health got tough.  I said to her that she should write a book about her struggles, her efforts, and her comeback.

As we were finishing with our stretching, I asked the woman if she ever gets frustrated when she hears other people complaining about how they don't want to exercise, about lack of motivation, or anything of the sort.  I mean, she wanted to exercise for a long time, but physically COULDN'T.  Those around her could, but didn't want to.  A new perspective, no??  She chuckled a little and said yes, it was frustrating.

It's amazing who you meet when you simply strike up a conversation with the person next to you.  There are amazing people everywhere with interesting stories.  Stories that will humble you and teach you to stop whining when your own problems aren't so bad.  Yes, everyone has struggles, but the next time you don't feel like working out because you're tired or whatever the excuse is, take a minute to put it in perspective and be thankful that you have an able body.  You just need the will to match it.

Make it harder for yourself....

I taught HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) a few nights ago and announced to my class that we were going to progress our moves by making them harder.  There were nervous smiles and audible groans!  I continued on by saying that it's important to make your workout progressively harder in order to improve your strength, stamina, endurance.....and to just keep things fresh.  We want to keep our bodies guessing, right??

I have decided that when I teach something like HIIT, I will keep the same base moves for the month.  We will change the order sometimes, but I want my regulars to see how they can improve from week to week.  Maybe they do 6 burpees in 30 seconds one week and the next week they do 8 or 10 because they are improving!!  I add "goodies" or "improvements" to make it harder, like instead of a traditional burpee (sans pushup), you do a burpee with a pushup or a burpee with a double kick out before you jump up.  Or, rather than just plank jacks the whole interval, do plank jacks with some knee-ups (jack, jack, knee, knee).  Get it?  Always find a way to make your base workouts more challenging.  Then, change it all up after a month and try some new moves and make your work/rest timing harder.

I encouraged my class to at least try one rep of the harder move.  I want them to work at their level with their choices, but at least try one harder move because who knows?  They may surprise themselves at what they can do!!  If they can't do it this week, maybe they can next week.  I was proud of myself for doing all of the harder modifications during class (because, YES, I do everything along with the class), but I was a hurting unit the next day!  I imagine everyone else was sore too.

If there is one thing that you learn from me and from my training philosophy it's this:   Always find a way to make your workout more challenging.  It will keep things fresh, and it will change your body.  Next time you work out, think to yourself, "How can I make it harder?"

It's my business

Well, my business, FIT Personal Training, is now 4 months old!  I'm still getting my feet wet as a small business owner, and a personal trainer, for that matter.  There is so much to learn on both accounts!  In no specific order, I'm going to share my favorite things so far in this FIT adventure...

1) Helping those around me.  Specifically, showing my clients how to build a better workout and giving them the tools to make it a successful life long fitness journey.
2) Learning what works (and doesn't work...  well, that's not as fun, but part of the process)
3) Getting to work out for my job!  It puts a certain pressure on me to have a fit body.  Would people want to hire an out of shape trainer?
4) Meeting new people and hearing their own stories.  As soon as I say that I'm now a personal trainer, people immediately want to tell me what they are or aren't doing or what they'd like to do.
5) Teaching classes (HIIT and Core). I love it!
6) Watching my clients transform and change and seeing how excited they are!  One of my favorite things to hear is, "I haven't worn these clothes or that size in years!!"
7) Being a good healthy role model for those that I care about in my life, like my husband and kids, and the rest of my family and friends.
8) Being my own boss and setting my schedule.  I was scared at first to run my own business, but it's really nice to not have to answer to anyone but myself.

I have to decide where I want to be a year from now professionally and personally.  Anyone reading this could help me spread the FIT word by sharing this blog or becoming a FIT Facebook friend.  Sidebar:  On my FIT Facebook page, I put (almost) daily motivation/inspiration blurbs and workouts that you can do in your own home!  (www.facebook.com/FIT.KS)

Thanks for reading and being a part of FIT!  Get FIT. Be FIT. Stay FIT!

I wish I could change the world....one life at a time

Great blog posts are born out of everyday conversations or at least good questions that come my way.  Today, it was a conversation with a friend of mine as I was leaving the gym.  We were talking about how we wish that everyone could feel the "addiction" of fitness and how once you get to the point of wanting and needing fitness everyday, it isn't such a struggle.  You make the time to move your body no matter what because it changes your life for the better.  You don't need extra motivation because you enjoy what you are doing, how good it makes you feel, and the results you achieve in the long run.

Sometimes, it takes people a long time to get to the point of really enjoying fitness.  I think one day it just clicks and you think to yourself, "Wow, this is great!  I really love __________."  (insert your favorite workout activity)  You may have been through a lot of things that you didn't like, but you "find the light" and the rest is history.  I've read studies that say a new habit takes 6 months to form.....a habit that you stay with for the long term.  We're talking about the healthy habit of exercising, naturally, here.  

Then, the conversation with my friend turned to how we more specifically wanted to help our own friends and family to love exercise and get them to eat healthier.  Almost like bottling up the "feel good" and letting our loved ones have a taste.  I remarked to him that we can't change people, only model good behavior, invite them along, and encourage them.  I've talked on my blog before about how motivation comes from within.  You can give advice until there is no more to give and the people you care about will not change anything or try anything new unless they are ready to.  THEY have to make that decision.  THEY have to want it. 

It's a bit disappointing because I see people that I care about with health struggles that can be reversed or prevented.  I see friends struggle with being stuck in a fitness or nutrition rut that could be fixed by changing a few simple things that would lead to some real results.  I wish I could change it for them.....I wish I could make it easier.

I can't.  What I can do is patiently wait for someone to be genuinely ready to improve their health and be there to offer solutions.  I can encourage, listen, and invite people to come join me in a class that I teach or to do a workout with me.  I can show my personal training clients a new way to train and get them excited about their results.  I can make people feel good about themselves.

I can blog about real life issues so that we can all think about it and make our own changes.

Apple or Pear?

Most of us have heard these body type comparisons....either you are an "apple" body or a "pear" body.  (I've actually learned of a third one- a chili pepper or banana body is where you are straight and narrow all over)  "Apples" gain weight on the top half of their bodies, in the belly region.  "Pears" gain weight on the hips, thighs, and butt.  Just because your mom or dad are a certain body type doesn't mean that you'll be the same.  Your family could be a big fruit bowl of all body types!  

It's important to educate yourself about what body type you are and how that may affect your health.  I recently read an article about these body types and how each type may need to eat a bit differently to lose the extra pounds and have shared it here:

(Parts of) Fitness Magazine article: "Eat Right for Your Body Type"

The Apple

Apples carry fat around their middle but generally have a slim lower body. If you're an apple, you'll find it easier to drop pounds than a pear does because "abdominal fat breaks down more quickly than fat stored in the butt and thigh area," says Kathie Swift, RD, nutrition director for the UltraWellness Center in Lenox, Massachusetts. Researchers aren't sure why, but they think it might have to do with the fact that abdominal fat is mobile: It likes to enter the bloodstream and circulate around your organs, affecting their ability to function properly.

Belly fat comes with some big health threats, including an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and breast cancer. That's because visceral (aka toxic) fat -- the kind stored around your middle that surrounds your kidneys, pancreas, and liver -- causes blood-sugar levels to spike while at the same time creating insulin resistance and inflammation. In other words, your body has an excess amount of sugar floating around, and it's no longer able to process it all.  This combo is what can lead to chronic diseases as well as weight gain, all of which makes it crucial to trim your waistline. The good news?  You can cut your risk of disease in half by shedding just two inches from your waist.

People with large middles also tend to have higher levels of cortisol, the body's key stress hormone. Too much cortisol slows your metabolism and also breaks down muscle, making you hard-wired to store fat.  Something that helps to lower cortisol?  Getting enough sleep.

The Apple Diet

This plan is a little higher in healthy fats and lower in carbs than the pear's. Heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, found in nuts, avocados, and olive oil, has been shown to decrease inflammation, which has been linked to disease, while increasing your body's ability to burn fat. Carbohydrates, even the whole-grain kind, raise insulin levels in the body. Apples are already prone to having high blood sugar -- which can be a precursor to diabetes and heart disease -- so they need to watch their carb intake.  Look for fiber-rich, complex carbs, like beans, fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Fiber slows the digestion of sugar and lowers insulin and cholesterol levels. Avoid refined carbs like white bread, pasta and rice that are low in fat and spike blood sugar, which can increase stress and make you hungrier

The Pear

Pears have larger lower bodies and smaller upper bodies -- storing fat on the hips, thighs, and butt. The biggest challenge for this body type? Losing weight. When we drop pounds, our body burns through the fat around our middle -- the kind linked to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer -- first. Which is great, except that pears don't have a lot of belly flab to begin with. Instead, they've got fat on their lower half, which refuses to budge.

Some researchers believe that stubborn butt and thigh fat (known as passive fat, or subcutaneous fat) is so hard to shed because it was meant to stay put, giving women a ready supply of fuel during childbirth and breastfeeding. Another possible explanation: Cellulite, which generally affects hips and thighs, creates a net of fibrous tissue that makes it difficult for the blood supply to reach fat stores. If blood can't get in, the fat can't be broken down and carried out.

When it comes to their health, however, pears luck out. Passive fat may actually help reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes, some scientists say. In fact, fat stored around the hips and butt was recently found to reduce insulin resistance and increase "good" HDL cholesterol. 

The Pear Diet

The best way for pears to lose inches is to watch their fat intake (saturated and trans fats). It's easy for your body to store the fat that you've eaten, but it takes a lot more energy to store carbs and protein.  Because of this, you're more likely to burn those calories off.  A diet rich in complex carbohydrates, such as whole-grain cereals, lentils and beans; lean protein, such as chicken or fish; and fruits and veggies will help melt off excess pounds.  To get on track with a low-fat diet, begin by cutting down on saturated fats, including animal sources such as high-fat dairy and red meats. Eliminate hidden saturated fats such as hydrogenated oils found in processed foods.

Alas, I am a pear.  I can personally testify to the fact that the fat on a pear's butt, thighs, and hips is stubborn, but if you work at it long enough, it WILL come off!  Don't give up!   For ANY body type, you need to combine different modalities of exercise with dietary changes to lose the fat.  Combine strength training with cardio a few days a week and change it up frequently so you don't get bored.  Experiment with interval training versus steady-state cardio to keep your body guessing.  

You make me proud!

My younger brother and his wife let me train them last fall as "guinea pig" clients when I was just getting started with my business.  They were looking for something fresh to put in their fitness arsenal and were also looking for a bit of accountability.  We worked together for a few months and they have really taken off with it on their own!  They are a successful team that gets results together.  When one doesn't feel like working out on a particular day, the other is the cheerleader that says, "Let's do it!"

Well, I saw them today at a family birthday party.  As soon as I saw them, I commented, "Are those new jeans?" to my sister-in-law.  "Yes!"  she beamed. "Skinny jeans!"  My brother came in the room to show off his new jeans as well.   I think they are hooked.  All they needed was a fresh look at fitness and they completely ran with it.  Sure, I coached them a little, but they are the ones putting in the time and effort to completely change their bodies and their lives.

Other comments they've shared:
"I can't believe how much more energy we have!"
"I never could have done these things a few months ago!"
"I never thought about working out this way..."  (adding in strength training)
"I don't get bored anymore because I know that I have a new program at the end of a month."

It's been fun to watch them get results.  They've both gotten into clothes that they haven't worn in years and the inches are melting away.  I'm a proud sister and a proud coach and want to publicly thank them for being good sports when I asked them to do hard things.  You both are success stories and I hope you JUST KEEP GOING!  Congratulations!  You inspire everyone around you!

New Year Pep Talk (Video Coach #2)