Which Weight Loss Program Do I Choose?

It's a question I get a lot.  Personally, I like the exercise/eat better thing, hence my involvement with the YMCA Healthy Living Center and Mercy Weight Loss and Nutrition Center.  But I also know that everyone has their personal demons, food preferences and health issues, so I say choose what works for you - but choose wisely.





Rather than telling you what to choose, I want to point out a few things to avoid:

An Empty Promise:  "You will lose weight overnight", "Be 20 pounds slimmer in 30 days", "Eat nothing but ice cream and lose weight", "Two grapefruits and a sensible dinner strips away fat", etc.  We've all done it, I have.  We are so desperate to be slimmer, healthier, be able to breathe, we want to believe the lies.  Gimmicks don't work.

The Truth:  ALL weight loss = calories out are greater than calories in. So, yes, if you are cutting your food intake dramatically (which all of the above require) you will initially lose weight.  But you will also gain it back because none of those fads teach you what you really need to know - how to eat sensibly for the rest of your life, not just for the four weeks you suffer through endless grapefruit.

The Magic Pill:  "Pop this pill and drop 50 pounds in 3 months", "This pill will give you energy without being jittery", "Lose weight and eat all you want", etc.  The manufacturers change, the promise stays the same - "Our researchers have found a secret that has been kept from the world..."  And for that first time when you hear the commercial, walk past the supplement store or see the magazine ad, you entertain this idea.  Especially in America where we want everything yesterday.

The Truth:  (And you already know it.)  There is NO "Magic Pill".  If there was, no low-grade pharmaceutical company in Southern California would have discovered it, nor would it be some 'secret'.  If there was really a pill out there that could help you lose weight, without eating right and exercising, without ruining your health - WE would know.  That's right the obese amongst us would be forming lines.  Heck, those who need to drop 20 pounds would be in line!  The demand for the pill would make Viagra look like aspirin.

A Machine That Does the Work FOR You:  "You barely move and your abs tighten", "Just hold the weights and they work your muscles", "Stand in one place and the machine will shake the weight off", etc.  Sadly I am not making those up.  The ads bewitch you with men and women that rock six-pack abs, they draw you in with stories from 'real people who have had real results' using this machine.  They may even bring in a 'doctor' who will share how your body reacts to this moving and shaking and how that will slim away that belly fat.

The Truth:  If a machine works, it is unlikely it will be introduced on an infomercial by a B-level movie actor.  More likely you will discover it on a visit to the gym.  That's where real fitness experts have tried the machines, looked at research and talked to other facilities that have it.  The result is - they only invest in equipment that will really make an impact on the size of your butt.  Before the equipment ever makes the cut, they know whether people will stick with it - the best sign of a good investment and ultimately gyms are a business.

DVDs and Books:  Everyone seems to be an 'expert' on weight loss.  They lost weight with a guru and want to share.  They have a reality show and everyone likes their muscles.  They once looked at a package of Oreos and were able to resist.  They must all have the answer.

The Truth:  This one is a split decision, there are good and bad DVDs and books.  There are also good and bad reasons to use them.  A DVD created by a real trainer, rather than a super model, can be a great ice breaker for people shy about going to the gym because of weight.  It's a chance to get sure on your feet before you workout in front of people.  With books, again, actual experts are the key - Dr. Oz, good; your favorite sitcom star, nope.  I am a big believer in educating yourself every day about healthier choices and lifestyle tweaks you can make.  Good books and magazines are great tools for that empowerment.

What should you choose?  I won't choose for you.  I will tell you the ultimate keys to your success - have your head in the game, pick the right team and don't give up.  I'll cover those three as the week proceeds.

Yours in Health,
Kate

Equipping Your Home Gym

As promised, I had my personal trainer, Gwyn, from the the YMCA Healthy Living Center create a list of options to start your workouts at home.  Sometimes it's easier to start at home, no one, except the cat, is there to see you.  Yet, even when you are a seasoned gym rat, you may find occasions where getting out of the house is hard - read: a foot of snow is packed in your driveway.

So, this is the list.  I have gone and found picture examples for you - I can say 'medicine ball', but you may not have a clue what I mean without a visual aid. :)

• A ball - sometimes called a stability ball, exercise ball, etc.  It is great for a number of things including core work.  Some people even use them at work instead of a chair to help their core and posture.

Okay, I could have found a
picture of just a ball, but hey.

• Mat - It can be a yoga mat or an exercise mat.  The yoga mat is thinner or you could get one of the new thicker yoga mats.  These are used to cushion a number of your floor moves.

Thick Yoga Mat

• Hand weights - Grab a pair of weights that are on the upper end of your lifting limit to start.  For example, if 10 pounds is a challenge, but doesn't break your arm, this is a good choice.  You can start here and if you become committed you can increase the number of weights you have at home or get one of the multi-weight sets.
• If the weights seem heavy- keep your sets to fewer reps until you are stronger.  If you outgrow the weights, increase reps to wear the muscle out - you won't get as much bulk, but will still build muscle.

One example of hand weights.

• Tubing or Bands - Both of these are good options if you want longer muscles.  You can do a number of weights-like moves, but you can do many things that weights can't. 

Bands can often be bought by length
and come in different tensions -
the higher the tension, the harder it is to pull.

Just like bands, tubes have different tensions,
their color will tell you which is which .

• Playground ball - Yes, it's what it sounds like.  Go to the toy section and look for the ball you played four-square with in grade school.  The ball is used for toning and balance.

Not kidding, straight from kick ball to you.
Just don't hit anyone in the back of the head with it.

• Balancing equipment - Bosu Ball, Dyna Disc and Core Board.  You don't need all three, pick the one that seems least threatening. LOL.  All of these are for building core and helping you learn balance.

Bosu ball - basically half a stability ball on a base.

Dyna Disc.

Core board - this is the newest variety,
but you will also see old school wooden ones
that look like a mini teeter totter. 

• Jump rope - you were likely a thinner person as a child, this little item had something to do with that.  Jumping rope fries calories and is great cardio.

Another flashback to your childhood.
Only the ones for grown-ups come in different lengths,
so if you haven't grown an inch since 6th grade, you are covered.

• Medicine ball - This has nothing to do with the pharmacist or those guys who used to toss them into each others guts in those odd videos from the 40's.  Instead this is a modern take that can be used as weights.

Medicine balls come in a number of weight options.

• Step - How many widgets you put under the step determine how high you are stepping.  This can help build quads and glutes.  It can also be great cardio if you do it fast enough.

You can get additional wedges to make them taller - aka-harder.

• Kettle bells - NOT FOR BEGINNERS.  You may remember a couple months back I was briefly sidelined after a class- that was with an instructor.  If you are really interested in trying these, meet up with an instructor at least once.  And no, the videos at the store do not count.  That's because Jillian Michaels can only correct your form if she can see you.

Kettle bell

I realized as I was writing this there may be some terms that I am tossing out like you have a gym membership or have a trainer.  Tomorrow I will put together a glossary covering some key terms you may hear bandied about as you get healthy.

You can find ways to use the above with a simple Google search.  But I like to help when I can, so I am going to ask Gwyn to give an exercise a week for the next few weeks to walk us through each piece of equipment.

By the way, no need to run out and get all of this at once.  It will set you back a few hundred dollars if you do.  Instead ease into it - the mat, hand weights, tubing/bands and a jump rope are a nice starting point.  If you keep at it, you can invest in yourself at a higher level.

Yours in Health,

Kate

  

How Many Calories does my Workout Burn?

First things first - you do not weigh as much as the person next to you.  Which makes an overall answer to this question of calories burned much harder to answer than calories in food.  There are plenty of websites that claim to have an accurate count.  No site is right unless it takes your body weight into consideration.

For example, when you are on a cardio machine at the gym and don't customize the weight setting before you start your trek, you will only have the right calories burned if you are 150 pound person.  Note that I said person.  The machine does not account for sex.  Nor does it account for muscle mass or lack there of - muscle burns a few more calories a day than fat.  People who weigh more, burn more calories by default.  The Mayo Clinic has a fantastic and simple article explaining metabolism and weight loss.

All of that said, you want tools, you got them.  The one I frequently used was on the Lean Cuisine website I gave you yesterday.  It was convenient because I was also keeping track of my calories 'in', so inputing my calories 'out' there made sense.

Here are others:
Mayo Clinic has a short list with general weight categories.
From Livestrong
Health Status
Calorie Control
This one has more activities than I have ever seen.

Like yesterday, everyone needs to pick the one that works for them.  (I don't mean the one that always says you burn more calories. ;)  )  And something I didn't say yesterday, I don't endorse any of these links specifically.  I am simply doing the hunting and linking for you.  I want you to have an easier time getting started or staying motivated than I have.

Hopefully one of these will work for you. Whatever you do, find something you enjoy and can keep at and watch the changes in your body begin.

Tomorrow - The soundtrack to your workout.

Yours in Health,
Kate

Wow, what a winter!

Just like everyone else, I went to bed last night with visions of about an inch of snow greeting me this morning - boy was that wrong!  But kind of funny.  I mean it has been one of those winters where it's always something. 

Luckily today I came prepared with healthy foods, so there is no excuse for being bad.  In fact, yesterday, I stocked up for a few days, so that if this loveliness happened again I was prepared.  So I am ready for whatever the weather throws me this week.

BTW - I have a new exercise ball that is getting blow up tonight and a new yoga mat. (Someone borrowed mine and it never came back.)  So, I am going to try some new moves.

Stay safe,
Kate