Weight Loss and Exercise FAQ
Q. About 6-7 years ago I remember my friend's father lost 45 lbs. in about five months by doing a fruit diet, none of that fad crap. He'd take his supplements, but he lived off of oranges and apples. Would this be healthy for me to do?
A. Fruit Diet! Grapefruit Diet! Cabbage Soup Diet! Lemonade Diet! Apple Cider Vinegar Diet! While adding more fruit to your diet is healthy, it can't be your primary source of nutrition. Diet plans have come and gone. Many people have tried many of them. The diet industry is $48 billion dollars/year. Out of the 55 million people who will go on a diet this year, only about 5% will stay committed to a lifestyle change and succeed in losing weight & keeping it off. We've all heard the hype "Eat all you want & lose weight" and "Lose weight while you sleep."
There are 10 things that the diet industry does not want you to know:
1. Ads are deceiving
2. Scientifically proven or doctor endorsed does not mean it works
3. Testimonials are not a good indicator of a product or diet plans success
4. Just because the government allows a product doesn't mean it's safe or works
5. Don't believe everything you hear
6. Herbal or natural doesn't mean safe
7. Fad diets don't work
8. It will cost you to join Curves, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, etc.
9. Don't count on the money back guarantee
10. There is no magic pill
The problem with fad diets is that you are making a sudden & radical change in your eating patterns. They can result in quick weight loss and a rebound in weight when normal eating resumes. When dieting begins again, then it more difficult to lose weight. Fad diets involve some type of elimination plan that you can't stay with. If you can't cut the calories to lose the desired weight for the rest of your life, then you can't maintain the weight loss. It takes a healthy diet & exercise to maintain proper weight. There are a zillion diet books in print. What does that say about the success of the diets? In addition, not every diet works for every person.
You can't solve years of overeating overnight. You have to cut your calories and you have to keep at it. It takes practice to make perfect. Practice healthy eating. Plan a diet that will make you happy and healthy for the long-term--not a quick fix with a fad diets that promises regaining the weight. In general, slow weight loss, including plateaus and stalls, help the body adjust to the change and lessen the chances of triggering counter-reactions. You need a diet plan for the rest of your life in order to keep off weight. You can never go back to eating the way you used to.
Your primary goal should be health. You need to find a lifestyle diet, exercise, and other factors to keep you feeling good and healthy. If you do this, weight loss becomes secondary. Your lifestyle needs to be managed in a way that the changes you make will be permanent for you and the weight will be permanently lost.
Q. I am too skinny and I can't gain weight. Everyone says they are jealous but its not that great. I can eat like a piggy and I stay skinny. I want to gain at least 15-20 lbs and stay w/in my BMI I am about 5'4" and weigh 105. I love being thin, but I am too thin, and I want to be healthy. Any suggestions?
A. Good place to start is with your doctor. You may have underlying disorder, such as a hyperactive thyroid, that may be keeping you too thin. If everything checks out, then more than likely you are simply genetically programmed to be thin. If one or both of your parents or other relative is thin, then there is evidence.
Depending upon which weight chart you look at, you will find variations in recommended weights for you height as much as 40 pounds or more. One must keep in mind the size of the body frame, too. A little-boned person who is programmed to be thin and who is very active will burn off any extra calories consumed. If you feel well and are in good health, then one can assume that all is well.
A consultation with a dietitian about your eating habits and suggestions for weight gain may be helpful. If you have insurance, then a referral by your physician may help get insurance for this.
Weight gain powders and protein drinks offer no advantage over healthy food from the grocery store, and they tend to cost more. Making adjustments in your activity level, as already suggested may help. Becoming a couch potato, may help with weight gain, but may not be good for your over all well-being and health. All things considered, it is difficult for some to gain weight. If it's any consolation, skinny people tend to live longer.
Q. My face gets the weight before any other part of my body for some reason. Are there any exercises or options to losing face fat?
A. Fat in the facial area is hard to remove but can be done without liposuction or plastic surgery. The results are slow but there are no scars. Most people would like the fat to stay in the face as it keeps you younger looking by eliminating wrinkles and crows feet.
EYES
Sit with eyes closed and relaxed. Keeping your eyes closed look down and then look up as far as possible. Repeat the facial exercise 10 times.
Sit upright with eyes closed and relaxed. Keeping your eyes closed, lift your eyebrows and stretching your eyelids down as far as possible. Keep in this position for 5 counts, relax and repeat 5 times. ,br> Sit upright with eyes relaxed and open. Lift your eyebrows while closing your top eyelids until about halfway closed, then open your eyelid wide open until the white of your eye shows over your iris.
Sit upright looking with eyes open. Look up then down, while keeping your head still. Repeat 10 times. Then look left and right - repeat 10 times.
FOREHEAD
Frown as much as possible and try to bring your eyebrows over your eyes while pulling the eyebrows toward one another. Then lift your eyebrow as far as possible while opening your eyes as far as possible as well. Repeat 5 times.
Lie on a bed with your head hanging over the edge. Lift your eyebrows as high as possible, with your eyes opening very wide. Relax and repeat 10 times.
Sit upright and while bringing your eyebrows down over your eyes, wrinkle your nose as far up as possible while flaring your nostrils. Keep for a count of 10, relax and repeat 5 times.
NECK
Sit upright, tilt your head back looking at the ceiling, lips closed and then start a chewing movement. Repeat chewing motion 20 times.
Sit upright, tilt your head back looking at the ceiling, lips closed and relaxed. Start puckering your lips together in a kiss and stretch the kiss, as if you were trying to kiss the ceiling. Keep your lips puckered for 10 counts, relax, bring your head back to normal and repeat 5 times.
Sit upright, tilt your head back looking at the ceiling, lips closed and relaxed. Open your lips and stick your tongue out as if you were trying to touch your chin with the tips of your tongue. Keep your tongue out in this position for 10 counts, and return your tongue and head to its normal position.
Sit upright, tilt your head back looking at the ceiling, lips closed and relaxed. Move your lower lip over your top lip as far as possible and keep it there for a count of 5. Relax and repeat 5 times.
Sit upright and keep lips together, separate your teeth by dropping your jaw and then push your jaw forward, keep for a count of 10, bring back to starting position and repeat 5 times.
Sit upright, lips closed and teeth together. Smile as broadly as possible, without opening your lips, keep it there for 5 counts and when relaxing starts puckering your lips in a pointed kiss. Keep it there for 5 counts and relax - repeat 10 times.
Sit relaxed with lips hardly opened and curl your lips outwards. While your lips are in the outward position, move your curled top lip towards your nose. Hold in this position for 10 counts and repeat 5 times.
Have a relaxed smile with your lips closed and then suck in your cheeks toward and on to your teeth. Hold this for 10 counts, relax and repeat 10 times. Look in a mirror while doing this exercise. Pout your top lip, turning the corners of your lips upwards and move your cheek muscles towards your eyes. You should at this stage try to get your top lip touching your nose. Keep in this position for 10 counts, relax and repeat 5 times.
Look in a mirror while doing this exercise. Smile a wide as possible - while keeping your lips closed and your mouth corners turned up. Try to make your mouth corners touch your ears. Next wrinkle your nose and see your cheek muscle move upwards and feel these muscles work. Keep for 5 counts, relax and repeat 10 times.
Keep your teeth and lips closed and blow air under your top lip and keep it there for 10 counts, then move the air to your left cheek side, hold for 10, to your lower lip, hold for 10 and then to your right cheek side while holding it for a count of 10. Repeat 5 times.
LIPS
Sit uprights and purse your lips together. Lift your pursed lips towards your nose and keep it there for 5 counts, relax and repeat 5 times.
Pucker your lips slightly and then try with your mouth muscles to bring the corners of your mouth together as close as possible. Keep lips in this position for 5 counts, relax and repeat 5 times.
Sit upright, lips closed and teeth together. Smile as broadly as possible, without opening your lips, keep it there for 5 counts and when relaxing starts puckering your lips in a pointed kiss. Keep it there for 5 counts and relax - repeat 10 times.
Sit relaxed with lips hardly opened and curl your lips outwards. While your lips are in the outward position, move your curled top lip towards your nose. Hold in this position for 10 counts and repeat 5 times.
CHEEKS
Have a relaxed smile with your lips closed and then suck in your cheeks toward and on to your teeth. Hold this for 10 counts, relax and repeat 10 times.
Look in a mirror while doing this exercise. Pout your top lip, turning the corners of your lips upwards and move your cheek muscles towards your eyes. You should at this stage try to get your top lip touching your nose. Keep in this position for 10 counts, relax and repeat 5 times.
Look in a mirror while doing this exercise. Smile a wide as possible - while keeping your lips closed and your mouth corners turned up. Try to make your mouth corners touch your ears. Next, wrinkle your nose and see your cheek muscle move upwards and feel these muscles work. Keep for 5 counts, relax and repeat 10 times.
Keep your teeth and lips closed and blow air under your top lip and keep it there for 10 counts, then move the air to your left cheek side, hold for 10, to your lower lip, hold for 10 and then to your right cheek side while holding it for a count of 10. Repeat 5 times.
Q. I am 6'5" and 270 lbs. I have been walking a minimum of 3.3 miles a day 5 or 6 days a week. Would my gut shrink at all from that? A. Do you swing your arms and take exaggerated steps? This is the only way that you will get any benefits other than the cardio while walking.
Our bodies get use to routines. Just because I chase a child around the house doesn't mean that I am increasing my health benefits, but only maintaining my health at that point.
Speeding up your walk will benefit the cardio, but adding movements such as arm swing and extended strides will work other muscles that aren't normally worked during a normal walk.
Keeping on the road to managing food intake and keeping active can bring your weight down slowly, so that you are less prone to rebound after a sudden loss of weight.
Some diet plans are rewarding by producing large losses early on. But you did not gain the weight quickly. It is impractical to expect to lose it quickly. The only successful diet plan is one that takes off the weight and keeps it off. I suspect there are many who have lost a lot of weight, only to regain it in short order.
Managing food intake and exercising are keys to changing your lifestyle to one that encourages maintaining the new weight and fitness.
Q. I could be walking in a t-shirt when it is 30 degrees out. After 5 minutes, my back starts turning into a river of sweat. Does this mean my heart rate is up at this point?
A. Good question and it's easy to determine.
Check your heart rate prior to the walking. Several methods to do so and I am not including any here because there are several.
Suffice it to say, checking the heart rate prior to exercise may be a good idea. Doing so can establish a base mark (baseline) from which to work from, as well as a goal to obtain.
Walking 5 minutes in any temp does not accomplish much as noted prior. However, noting the increase in heart rate may provide some insight as to any progress made, if heart rate is one of the objectives.
Raising the heart rate for a set a period during workouts and or exercise sessions, is one of the goals often suggested by those in the health and fitness industry.
As it pertains to your question, 5 minutes in 30 degrees needs to be determined. Check the heart rate when you reach that "River Of Sweat".
Q. I am 6'2' tall and weight 208 lbs. Most of my fat is around the waist. I want to lose the fat and gain muscle but I've heard that it is harder for an Ectomorph body type to build muscle. Is it possible for me to build much muscle? A. Anyone can lose fat and gain muscle, but obviously some people are going to have more difficulty than others. To gain muscle, you must overload your muscles in such a way that your body modifies them (makes them bigger and stronger) when it repairs the damage. In the first couple months of lifting weights, you will usually not see any increase in the size of muscles because the body is learning to use them more efficiently during this time. After a couple months, you can expect to start seeing some changes in the mirror.
Another problem I see in people who are discouraged with their results is that they are not pushing their muscles to Momentary Muscle Fatigue (MMF). MMF is the point at which you have exhausted the contractile force of your muscles so that you can no longer move the weight. An example: Let's say you're doing push-ups. You will eventually reach a point where you no longer have the strength to push your body up any more. That is MMF. Other than lightweight warm-up sets, every set of weight lifting needs to be taken to this point in order for your body to see a need to make your muscles bigger and stronger. This is the point at which you can no longer overcome the force of the weight you are using. If you do not push to that point, your body will not see any reason to make your muscles bigger and stronger. I think you can see that there is great potential to harm your body in the weight room. If you have any questions about how to do particular things, I would check with a personal trainer at your gym. Most will get you started for little or no charge.
Q. I've heard that the best time to jog for maximum calorie burning is in the morning before eating breakfast. Is there any truth to this? Also, what is the best way to start jogging? Should I start with a half-mile and then build my way up or what?
A. It is said that jogging first thing in the morning helps burn fat. One thing for sure is that it revs up the metabolism for the day.
To me, the most important attribute of exercising the first thing in the day is that it gets done. Nothing causes delay or postponement, if there is nothing happening before you start. The critical part of any exercise program is closing the front door behind you.
With running, stretching is important. Work up to a distance. Starting out too long a distance can cause incredible pain the next and third day. Sometimes this is enough to keep you from continuing. If you are in no rush for the spring marathon, starting with 1/2 mile and working up from there is a good idea, so that the soreness from the new exercise regimen is bearable. Besides, the shin splints won't be so bad if you start slow.br> Work on distance, the speed will come.
Q. Following a chest pain a month ago and was actually been to the ER in case of a real heart attack I have no history of heart problem, not even in the family so I bought myself a strapless heart rate monitor. My aim is to check my heart rate whenever I want, 24/7. Since I will be wearing the monitor 24 hours a day, I figure it will be more comfortable to be strapless. I found that my heart rate is very unstable, in about 10 minutes, of about 10 checking's, the rate various between 72 and 83. I am 57 now, and according to the general rule of thumb, my average heart rate would be between 82 and 122 bmp. The formula I use is 50% - 70% of 220-57. Is this how a heart is beating? Am I using the right formula?
A. Nothing is perfect, but failing to detect a heart attack is always a bad thing. 30% of all heart attacks have no symptoms. A heart rate that ranges over 10 beats per minute is not significant unless in a controlled environment. It is rare for anyone to wear a heart monitor continuously, unless it is a Holster monitor for testing. No one has a history of anything until it happens. The absence of cardiac problems in your family is beneficial.
Recording heart rates when at rest and during exercise is useful, but not the ultimate in information. Blood pressure at rest and during exercise is another bit of information. At your age, an EKG can provide added insight. Oxygen consumption and respiratory capacity and performance help broaden and focus the overall picture.
You might talk to your cardiologist about a referral to someone who can help design an exercise program for you. He may schedule a cardiac stress test for you. Not any fun, but informative. There are also many health clubs with certified trainers who can design an exercise program to help you monitor your progress. It is good to gain an overall idea of your general fitness. The 220 less age times 50 - 70% has to do with target heart rate during exercise for cardiac strengthening.
Q. Any idea's on how to start a weightlifting program for 12year olds? A. Since a child's body is so dynamic and children vary so much from one to another, I would recommend an appointment with a personal trainer for an evaluation and program development. At twelve years old the pituitary gland is very active and a lifting program can play heck with it's function. At 12 years the skeletal system is not matured and there can be problems there too. CONSULT A PHYSICIAN!
Lifting weights is a good activity and a trainer's involvement from time to time can be invaluable in directing development and preventing bad lifting habits and injuries.
I had been lifting for about 6 months unproductively, until I met with a trainer. We discussed my goals and limitations. From there a program was developed that made sense for me and allowed me to work safely and productively toward my goals.
If you have a Gold's gym or other gym around, there are certified personal trainers available there for consultation, without having to join. Around here, they charge $25 - $30 per half hour. It is money well spent. A consultation every 6 months can provide excellent evaluation and direction in weightlifting for any age or condition. Their knowledge can allow changing the routines from time to time to avoid boredom.
If you want piles and piles of info on weightlifting, go to www.teenbodybuilding.com. That website is great for workouts but only use weight that is recommended for you.