The secret to real weight loss is real changes

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By Marjie Gilliam, Contributing Writer 5:46 PM Monday, June 22, 2009

Myth: It’s best to avoid carbohydrates because they cause weight gain.

Reality: Eating more calories than you expend causes weight gain. As a nation, we are simply eating too much food, from all sources, for the amount of physical activity we engage in.

Let’s look at the facts. Despite all the fad dieting methods, fat burning supplements, weight loss clinics and “revolutionary” exercise gadgets promising quick and easy results, we continue to struggle with excess pounds and inches. We can choose to look outward for the elusive quick fix, or we can take an honest look at our exercise and eating patterns and begin making real changes.

Key steps

• Take control of when, where and how much activity you are willing to engage in to achieve your goal, and write this down in a personal journal. Hold yourself accountable for following through each day. If you catch yourself coming up with excuses, write these down as they come up and use them as a way to learn more about yourself and why your efforts may have failed in the past.

• If you are unaccustomed to being active, start with a low or no impact activity such as swimming, walking or biking for 20 to 30 minutes each day. Once you’ve adapted to this, increase your calorie burning potential by adding minutes or increasing speed of movement.

• Develop a brand new attitude about your body, and feed it as if you understand its value. Everybody deserves high quality nutritious food, not regular doses of processed junk food and empty calorie snacks. The function of food is to help us survive, rebuild and replenish our bodies each day, and to supply us with the energy needed to accomplish physical tasks. The energy it takes to keep your body alive in its current state accounts for approximately 60 percent to 70 percent of the calories you burn each day, and another roughly 10 percent for digestion. Beyond this, what you consume must be burned off with physical activity in order to avoid body fat increase.

• Rather than fearing carbohydrates, learn which ones help with weight loss. The leanest people on earth consume high carb whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lentils and legumes on a regular basis. These foods are necessary for proper functioning of the mind and body, contain fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that protein and fats are unable to provide, and are low in calories.

• Practice portion and serving size control at each meal, and take a look at the extra calories that you may be adding to otherwise healthy options such as pasta, potatoes and breads.

• Don’t overlook calories consumed from beverages throughout the day. Alcohol, soft drinks and flavored coffee are American favorites and are often overlooked or underestimated as contributing to weight gain.

Myth: When it comes to your workouts, no pain equals no gain.

Reality: Pain equals no gain. So, how can you tell if the soreness you experience after a workout is appropriate? “Muscle burn” that is felt during exercise is normal and is not the same as pain, which is a sudden, sharp feeling that is an indicator of possible injury. Muscle burn usually subsides once the activity is discontinued and is the result of lactic acid, which builds up when there is not enough oxygen available to the working muscles.

The full effect of your workout may not be felt for 24 to 48 hours after physical activity. This is called “delayed onset muscle soreness” and is normal as long as it subsides and does not interfere with future workouts. Exercise, when performed appropriately and combined with proper periods of rest and recovery, improves strength and endurance. However, when workouts are excessive in terms of duration, frequency or intensity, or carried out with improper form, over-training occurs.

Over-training syndrome, a major cause of exercise-related problems, creates needless excess wear and tear on tendons, ligaments, muscle and bones in the body, ultimately making it weaker instead of stronger. This typically occurs when the individual tries to push through pain, or exercise sessions are so intense the body’s otherwise natural ability to recover is compromised. Repeated physical stress that builds over weeks or months can result in weakness, muscle imbalances, chronically achy joints, stress fractures, shin splints, and muscle tears/pulls, among other problems.

Marjie Gilliam is an International Sports Sciences Master certified personal trainer and fitness consultant. Write to her in care of the Dayton Daily News, or e-mail to marjie@ohtrainer.com. Her Web site is www.ohtrainer.com.

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