Weight Loss at Any Age - medicalfitnesspros.com · You'll find there are numerous different types of diets that follow this protocol using different diet names. When a diet has a

Weight Loss at Any Age

Thank you for downloading our Weight Loss at Any Age book. In this book, we

have several short chapters.

Nutrition

Cardiovascular Activity

Strength Training

The Age Factor

Supplements

Goal Setting

The Overload Principle

Spot Reduction

Muscle Soreness

Grocery Shopping and Reading Food Labels

Sleep

We hope you find this guide helpful for you. If you have any questions, please contact us at Medical

Fitness Pros.

Nutrition Which Diet Should I Use?

Several times a year I hear about a new diet book that just came out. I try my best to purchase them and research them just so I can understand it enough to answer questions when someone asks. I can tell just by looking at the basic components if it is going to work or not. Most of the time, the diets in the books do work. Let’s face it, why would anyone take the time to write a book about a diet that didn’t work? It wouldn’t be effective enough to sell books, and soon the author’s name would be history. So which one works?

There’s a little more to the question that what it may seem. For instance, some diets deliver very quick results, but it only works for a short time. While other diets are slower, but seem to be more effective over the long term. While most of us would like to see results yesterday, the reality is that getting results, long-term results, takes time. I guess I still haven’t answered the question yet though, have I?

There have been numerous studies that compared the various diets. The results of those studies show that over a 6 month period of time, almost all of the diets get pretty close to the same results. If you lose the weight rapidly, you will probably start slowing down soon after. Often times, dieters that try this route will gain the weight back more over the coming months, and sometimes even a few extra pounds. If you lose the weight a little slower, you will tend to continue at the same pace as long as you are consistent with your diet. So when you are trying to compare diets, you want something that will not only help you lose weight, but have the ability to stick to it for a long period of time. That makes sense, right? So is there a clear winner?

There really aren't as many differences between diets as you may think there are. There have been numerous studies comparing diets to see which ones are most effective, which ones have the best results (short-term and long-term), and which ones people stayed with the longest. What they found is that most people who ate a lower carbohydrate, meaning 40/30/30 -- 40% carbohydrates, 30% fat, and 30% protein -- seem to have the best results and people stick with them the longest. You'll find there are numerous different types of diets that follow this protocol using different diet names. When a diet has a lower carbohydrate intake than 40/30/30, most people had a hard time following it for the long term. By keeping it within the 40/30/30 plan, you will lose weight without feeling too tired or miserable. The main

thing you're looking for is following a plan that you will feel confident sticking with for the long term, and is practical for both eating at home and eating out at restaurants. The less complicated the program is, the more likely you are to stick with it.

Book Option: I mentioned that there are numerous eating plans that follow the 40/30/30 plan, but which one should you choose? Are there diet plans already out there that mimic this? The popular Zone Diet and even the South Beach Diet follow these formats. (Not the rapid weight loss at the beginning of the South Beach Diet), but the maintenance portion of it. So if I were to recommend an over the counter diet book, I would look for that criteria. Personalized Option: The problem I have with a lot of the books is they are pretty strict. There isn't a whole lot of give to the program and many times the recipes they offer don't sound very appetizing. If this is the case for you, contact us at Medical Fitness Pros. We do offer nutrition programming for our clients to help them lose weight and get in shape. We personalize it based on your caloric necessities and even track your progress over time to ensure you are achieving success. Medical Option: There are times that a book and even our nutrition programs won't be right for you. I will be the first to admit our limitations. Some people will need more than just a basic nutrition program if they want to get results. This is where a registered dietician will come in. They are going to be able to help you overcome a lower metabolism, understand insulin sensitivity related to diabetes, work with thyroid complications, understand your medications, and/or customize the plan to fit your likes/dislikes. If you are dealing with any type of medical condition, it would be wise to consult with your physician and/or a registered dietician to make sure you won't put your health at risk. Not sure who to go to? Contact us and we will be glad to recommend someone for you.

Cardiovascular Training

There are many different types of cardiovascular activity available, and I often get asked, “What is the best type of cardiovascular activity to do?” I would say the most important aspect of choosing a cardiovascular activity for yourself is finding an activity you would enjoy. There are things such as swimming, running, biking, cycling, sports, and a variety of other things that are available. But, if you don't enjoy the activity, you are not going to stick with it. When you find the activity you enjoy, you are more likely to do it on days you may not feel like it. It’s that type of consistency that will produce results. So, in choosing a cardiovascular activity make sure you choose one that will be the most enjoyable for you.

Heart rate training has been discussed as a very important way to work out, and there is definitely some truth to the fact that being aware of your heart rate as you work out, will help you get results. The problem that we're finding though is that people that stay within the proper heart rate or within their “aerobic zone” tend to get fewer results than those who also use their anaerobic zone. Aerobic activity means with oxygen and anaerobic activity means without oxygen. When you stay in the lower heart rate, it means it is easy enough for you to exercise and talk without much effort. And while it is important for you to exercise, you don’t benefit as much when the activity is easy. Many people will step on a treadmill, bike, or elliptical machine and push the “Fat Burn” button. They think that this activity will help them burn the most fat. Staying in a lower heart rate will help you burn a higher percentage of fat during the activity, but it will not help you burn as much fat as a higher heart rate. Let me explain. When you are training at a lower heart rate, 60% of the calories you burn might be fat. If you are burning 20 calories per minute that equals 12 fat calories per minute. When you workout at a higher heart rate, that rate might drop to 30%. At a higher heart rate you might be burning 50 calories per minute, in which 15 fat calories per minute will be burned plus additional calories as well. I don’t expect you to run at full speed for an hour though. It just won’t happen. Even if you could, it wouldn’t be good for you. So what should you do?

Interval Training

When you pick the exercise you want to do, make it an interval based training workout. The wonderful thing about interval training is that you can do it with any type of activity, and it always works. Interval training is doing short bouts of intense activity, followed up by a predetermined amount of moderate activity. Doing this pattern creates an up and down movement of your heart rate throughout the entire

workout, allowing you to push your body for short moments and work on heart rate recovery the rest. Most people think of anaerobic activity as a bad thing because you burn more sugar during the intense movements, but the truth is, anaerobic activities will actually help you speed up your weight loss results. Choosing to do activities that are only within your fat burning zone, or aerobic activity, will not benefit you as much as an activity that will be more anaerobic in nature. There have been numerous studies on this, and it has been confirmed over and over again in different research studies. If you want to get results with your cardiovascular activity, interval training is the most effective way to achieve it. If you would like to learn a little more about interval training, take a look at a blog post I made about how to structure your interval training program.

Strength Training

Strength Training Strength training is often overlooked by most people when they

begin a weight loss plan. When we think about losing weight, eating properly and

cardiovascular activity usually are the first things to come to mind. However,

strength training can play a crucial role in you achieving and maintaining your weight

loss results.

How will it help me? Metabolism - The most important thing strength training can do is boost your

metabolism. Having a higher metabolism will help you increase the number of

calories you burn per day, therefore increasing the amount of fat you can lose over

the course of a week or a month. As your muscle size increases, so does your

metabolism.

Burn Calories – We rarely think about strength training as burning calories, but it

actually can have a huge impact on the number of calories burned. If you wear a

heart rate monitor when you work out, you might already know this. But there is

something unique about

strength training that you might not know. For hours after your strength training

program, your body burns more calories that it would after a typical cardiovascular

program. As the body repairs the micro-tears in your muscles after a workout, your

body is burning calories.

Muscle Tone – Let’s face it, we all want to look better. You know the "lines" you see

in people legs or at their shoulders? Nothing makes us feel more confident than to

see our body changing and looking more firm when we look in the mirror. As you

see more muscle definition start showing through, you will be more motivated and

determined to keep sticking with your weight loss program.

Should I avoid it?

Are there times that it would be better if you didn’t participate in strength training?

What if you are really overweight and you don’t want to get any bigger? If you

already have fat on your body, will muscle just close in and trap the fat? What if you

don’t want to turn all of your body fat into muscle, but really just want to burn it off?

Strength training should be avoided if you have a particular injury that limits your

ability to move a joint. If you have undergone surgery recently, are involved in a

physical therapy program, or are experiencing pain during your workout, it might be

better for you to avoid working out a particular joint. I’m not saying you totally avoid

working out, but just avoid doing movements that bother your joints. If you have a

shoulder that is hurt, it won’t prevent you from engaging in a strength training

program for your lower body. If you have knee pain, you can still lift weights with

your upper body. Don’t let your joint pain prevent you from exercising another body

part. If you have an open wound or other situation that causes your doctor to

prohibit you from exercising, obviously, I would follow their advice.

Can it help me lose weight? Strength training can definitely help you lose weight for a variety of reasons. For

one, studies have shown that people who do a combination of strength training,

cardiovascular activity, and follow a

nutrition program have a much higher likelihood of sticking with their program that

doing just one or two of the components. So if you are thinking about easing into

the program by just working on one or

two components at a time, it won’t work as well as you think.

If I am already overweight, should I avoid a strength training program until I lose

more weight?

Don’t be afraid to incorporate weights if you are already overweight. If you are

following a cardiovascular program and nutrition plan, you

will lose weight much faster than you will build muscle. You can

lose 2 pounds of body fat a week, but you can only gain half a pound of muscle a

week. You will lose body fat much faster than you will gain new muscle tissue.

What if I already have body fat, won’t muscle mass trap the fat?

Honestly, even if it did, I still believe it will burn off as you continue to get in better

shape. We have body fat all throughout our body, under the skin, and even in

between the organs. As we get in better shape, the body fat burns off everywhere.

Can I turn the fat I have into muscle?

Fat and muscle are two completely different things. It would be like having your skin

turn into blood. It just doesn’t happen that way. Your fat can’t turn into muscle and

your muscle can’t turn into fat. One can increase and the other can decrease, but it

won’t change into the other substance.

The Age Factor

As we age, we often discover it’s not as easy to lose fat as it once was. Our metabolism drops and we just can’t find a way to lose our belly fat. What can we do to change that? Is it all downhill from here on?

Metabolism

How much of an effect does your age have on your metabolism? Is it really just the fact that as we age, we have a lower metabolism? If our metabolism drops, can we ever increase it again? Well, I have good news and bad news. Yes, our metabolism can drop, but we can also raise it back up. When we think about our metabolism falling, we tend to blame it on age. The truth is there are a number of factors that contribute to our metabolism falling though.

· Diet – Our diets tend to change over time. We may find that we don’t eat as often or as healthy as we once did. Considering the importance of our nutrition, is it any wonder that if we eat differently we gain weight?

· Moving – Have you watched children outside playing? They never stop. It’s almost like they have endless energy. Now if you could move that fast and that much, do you think it will help you lose weight? Most of us aren’t as active as we use to be. If we were, it would have a significant impact on our weight. So you should definitely increase your activity level if you aren’t as active as you were a few years ago.

· Muscle Mass – We tend to lose muscle mass as we age. As we talked about before, increasing your muscle mass will improve your metabolism again. And don’t tell me you are too old. There have been studies of women in their 90’s increasing their muscle mass after a few short weeks of strength training.

· Hormonal Changes – Yes, our hormones do change and it does have a significant impact on our metabolism. If you are having hormonal changes, unfortunately I don’t have a magic solution for you. But I bet if you address the previous 3 things I mentioned, this will begin to change for the better as well.

Supplements

It amazes me how popular supplements are. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the attraction. Take a pill and get faster results. “You mean I just have to swallow this little pill, and I can lose weight faster and easier?” That’s what they advertise. And I have to tell you, some of those things really work. They can curb your appetite, speed up your metabolism, and give you more energy. What’s not to love?

What are you taking?

Well, some of them are more effective than others. Sometimes the weight loss products do a great job of helping someone lose weight, and other times, there are no results. One of the biggest problems with the supplement industry is that it’s not regulated by the FDA. So you can make a product, put it in a bottle, and sell it as a fat loss substance. No one analyzes it to see if what you put on the label is actually in the pills people are taking. Is it really worth the risk? But there are some companies that have been around for a long time. They probably have in the bottle what they say they have. The accuracy isn’t always perfect, but this isn’t a prescription you are dealing with. If it’s off just a little bit, you probably won’t even notice the difference.

Consistency

Have you used a product over and over again for a few years? Have you noticed how the bottle seems to change every year or two? Sometimes it’s obvious and other times, the only thing that changes is the nutritional label. There’s a reason for this. While the FDA doesn’t regulate the supplement industry, they do occasssionally ban certain supplements from the market. Supplement companies are always looking for some way to get an edge on other supplement companies. They have used ephedra, only to have it later banned. They have used bitter orange, which was banned later as well. So companies will comply with the ban and get a new product with a new secret ingredient out as quick as possible. If you are ingesting something, you should really make sure it’s something that is going to be healthy for you.

Before and After Photos

If you have ever looked at a health and fitness magazine, you have seen someone’s before and after photos. It’s great inspiration and they get results so fast! Unfortunately there is another side to the before and after photos you see.

Have you ever looked at the after photos real closely? Some of the results show people that look like they’ve been working out their entire life. Sometimes, that’s exactly what happened. Look at their before photo once again. They may be overweight in the photo, but do they appear to have some muscle already built under the body fat? 95% of the time supplement companies have people who are already fitness enthusiast, take pictures when they are in their worst shape. Why are they in such awful shape? It’s usually one of three reasons:

· They are paid to gain weight. If you someone has an easy time managing their weight, it’s easy money to gain and lose weight.

· They are in “off season” shape. Bodybuilders, figure competitors, and fitness competitors often have an on season and off season conditioning program. They lose weight when they are competing for half of the year, and then gain weight for the other half of the year. The weight gain season is when they add muscle to their body.

· The photos are manipulated. This happens more than you realize. In fact, take a look at this video on one of my blog posts. It is primarily talking about bodybuilding supplements in the video, but you will understand how supplements are made and how “Before and After” photos are manipulated. Pretty sad isn't it?

Why Supplements Work

There is something I haven’t mentioned yet. Supplements often do work, but not for the reason you might think. Normally when someone goes out to buy a fat loss supplement, they are pretty serious about losing weight. They have made a decision to make a change and they have a goal in mind. So they spend money on the latest weight loss pill. After paying money for a supplement, they decide they are going to get everything out of it they can. They won’t take the supplement and sit on the couch; that would be a waste of money. So they begin eating better and exercising more. The results in the end show they lost weight while they were taking the supplement. How much was the supplement and how much was due to exercising and eating healthier is the question? Spending money will cause you to adapt a healthier lifestyle, therefore resulting in weight loss. That’s good news though, right?

The Downside

The downside of the weight loss while on the supplement is, mentally, you will always remember that you were taking the pill when you lost weight. So often times it becomes harder to lose weight without the supplement, simply because you mentally believe you need it to lose weight. This creates a dependence on the supplement and keeps you from believing in yourself.

Setting Goals

A majority of people start a program full of enthusiasm and excitement, but find themselves losing hope because they have no goal to work towards. Setting realistic goals should be ones first priority to in creating a health and fitness program. Fitness goals can range from pounds lost, strength increases, cardio endurance, inches lost, body fat decreases, and/or just becoming healthier.

First begin by focusing on one goal that you want to work at. Then make sure it is a realistic one. For instance, I can’t say my goal is to lose 20 pounds in two weeks because that is nearly impossible and very unhealthy. Instead I form a more realistic goal like lose 20 pounds in 4 months.

Make short term goals and long term goals. Losing 20 pounds in 4 months would be considered a long term goal but losing 1.5 pounds per week in average would be a short term goal.

Measure goals at predetermined times. If your weigh in is every other week than don’t be tempted to step on the scale everyday to check if you have lost any weight. This can be very discouraging and might set you back from reaching your goals.

Having a personal trainer can take the weight off your shoulders and he/she can help you create program that gives you specific strategies to reaching all of your health and fitness goals.

The Overload Principle

The overload principle is something everyone who is beginning a workout regimen should know so they can continue to progress towards their fitness goals. The overload principle states that a greater than normal stress or load on the body is required for training adaptation to take place. The body will adapt to this stimulus. Once the body has adapted then a different stimulus is required to continue the change. In order for a muscle (including the heart) to increase strength, it must be gradually stressed by working against a load greater than it is used to (http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/glossary/g/Overload_def.htm). This is important because many people who begin to workout will find a workout routine or group exercise class that they like or feel gives them a good workout. This is fine for the first few weeks but the body will start to adapt to this routine and the results you saw when you began will stop all together.

There are three ways that you can change your workouts and form a new stimulus for your body so that you will continue to progress in your workouts frequency, intensity, time.

· Frequency- this is how often you train or the number of times per week you decide to workout.

· Intensity- this is how hard you train. Intensity can be increased by adding sets, reps, weight, or decreasing the rest interval.

· Time- this is how long your workout goes for. Instead of sticking to the 30 min spinning class take to 60 min class or increase your running time to 30 min instead of 20 min.

Grasping a better understanding of how the body works is vital to any fitness enthusiast and knowing which ways the body needs to be safely pushed, will continually advance you to achieving your desired fitness goals.

Spot Reduction

“ATTENTION! ATTENTION! Did you know that if you do 30 crunches every night for 4 weeks than you will not only have a flatter stomach but the 6 pack you have always dreamed of?” If you think this is true then keep on dreaming. The theory of spot reduction says that you can lose weight in a specific area if you train that muscle group. A majority of people think that this idea is true. That’s why the most used equipment in the gym is the bench press for guys, inner and outer leg machine for ladies and the abdominal machine for both sexes. This idea is not true because fat is not restricted to a group of muscles.

Genetics and gender also play a role in spot reduction. You probably have notice by looking at your family tree that you may have the same problem areas as your relatives. Some families will have a harder time losing weight around their mid-sections and others might not ever struggle with their weight. There are also pre-exposing weight loss issues due to gender. Males typically carry more weight around their mid-sections, and women find it hard to shed the pounds off their legs and thighs.

Don’t find yourself stressed out because you have done what seems like a million wall squats and you still can’t trim off the excess fat around your thighs. Instead focus on a weight loss program that incorporates cardiovascular training, a good, balanced nutrition program, and a solid weight training routine.

Muscle Soreness

“OUCH!!!” I know you know the feeling of dreading walking up a short flight of stairs or squatting down to pick up the daily newspaper after you’ve done an intense leg work out the previous day. Chances are, you won’t be rushing out of bed to hit the gym when you are hurting this bad. Why is that your muscles become sore after you workout? And is it a good or bad thing when they do start to ache?

Medical professionals call this delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and the reason your muscles get sore is due to small tears it the muscle fibers caused by strenuous physical activity. As the muscle contracts it creates microscopic tears and the soreness comes from the body’s natural recovery process. More specifically, there is an increase or white blood cells, prostaglandins (anti-inflammatory cells), at the site of the muscle fiber tears to begin repairing the muscle. The discomfort of DOMS progresses over 24 to 48 hours. This is not to be confused with lactic acid which is a factor in sore muscles but is usually released out of the system in a span of 3 to 24 hours.

Think of it this way, when a hurricane or tornado destroys thousands of homes and the town goes into a recovery process to rebuild the homes and building. Builders make sure the houses are built stronger than before so they can endure future strong winds and rain. This is the same with the muscles during its recovery stage. Even though the body doesn’t always get sore after physical activity does not mean the muscles are not growing or not getting stronger. Allow the body to rest at least 24 hours before working the same muscle group again.

Here are some things you can do before or after you involve yourself in physical activity.

Drink plenty of water Do a light cardio warm-up(5 to 10 min) before physical action Stretch before and after Ice and heat (hot pad) Anti-inflammatory medicine Rest

Grocery Shopping and Reading Food Labels

Healthy nutrition begins with the foods being put in one’s body. This all starts at the foods you buy. In order to drop the weight you want you have to know how to purchase foods that can get you there. There are things that the shopper needs to be aware of before stepping into the local market. The first and the biggest tip is to plan ahead. Create a nutritious meal plan to cook for a week and you’re your shopping lists based off the items needed for the meals. Studies show that people who make a grocery lists are less likely to buy items that are not on the list, which in most cases are the worst for you. Along with making a list never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach. This can keep you from impulse shopping or buying foods that your growling stomach wants to eat now instead of the necessities.

Stay away from the “temptation isles”. These are the isles in the super market that are stocked with foods that you find hard saying no to. For some its soda and for others it’s the Double Stuffed Oreo’s in the cookie isle.

What to look for when reading nutrition labels:

· The first thing many people look at is how much calories are in a particular food, depending on the individuals need they need to know that the only way to lose weight is to have less calories coming in than going out.

o Right after looking at the calories see how big the serving size is. This is where most manufactures trick the consumer. For instance, pop tarts show their nutrition facts with over 200 calories and if you are not careful you might miss that the serving size is only for one pastry instead of the two that come in a pouch. That is over 400 calories!

· Look for foods that are under 15% daily value in total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium.

o Saturated fat comes from animal, dairy, and tropical oils. Intake of this fat puts you at risk of coronary artery disease.

o Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats help protect the heart when taken in moderation.

· Foods high in dietary fiber help you feel fuller longer. It also helps cleanse the digestive tract as it passes through the body because of its un-absorbable nature.

o Items with 5 or more grams of fiber are considered high-fiber.

After you have picked up all the items on your shopping list, take a look in the cart. Are a majority of the item in the cart fresh fruits and vegetables? Are there whole grain instead of white starches? Lean meats, poultry, and fish instead of red meat that is high in fat?

Finally, if you haven’t noticed all grocery stores try to sell you junk foods in the checkout lines. Don’t give in, you have made it this far!

Sleep

Recent studies from the 2006 American Thoracic Society International Conference showed that women who slept 5 hours per night were 32% more likely to experience major weight gain (an increase of 33 pounds or more) and 15% more likely to become obese over the course of the 16-year study, compared to those who slept 7 hours a night. The science behind the connection between weight and sleep comes from the production of two hormones, ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin is a hormone that causes your body to increase its appetite, and leptin lets your body know it’s full. When you don’t give the body an adequate amount of sleep leptin levels decrease and ghrelin levels are amplified. This is a double whammy that makes you crave food, especially carbohydrates and when you eat your body has a hard time feeling full. This is where one can add on the pounds. Sleep is not the cure-all to ones weight loss though. Getting more shut-eye what get you back to your glory days but it is a factor in the way you eat. Researchers say that around seven hours is an optimal amount of sleep.

Thank You

Thank you again for going through our free e-book. While we try to provide you as much free

information as possible, obviously everyone has different needs. If you need help with your goals, visit

our website at MedicalFitnessPros.com or call us at 281-500-6055.