The answer is no, at least according to a Time Magazine article published last week, Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin. In fact, it is their thought that exercise might even make it harder for you to lose that excess weight.
Could this possibly be true?
As someone who has lost 80 pounds and gone from a size 20 to a size 4 by exercising and making moderate changes to her diet, I can confidently state “not very likely.”
Why would Time Magazine makes those claims if they are not accurate? Because study results are always open to interpretation – and because we are talking about that very article right now. Buzz is good for business. That’s why.
Continue reading ‘Will Exercise Help You Get Thin?’
January 1 sported plenty of people out jogging…apparently folks who usually do not jog. They struggled. They ran barely above crawling. They limped. And yet onward they jogged, full of agony. Why? Because their new year’s resolutions told them to.
How long will these joggers keep running? Not long enough. Of the 70% of people who make new year’s resolutions every year a large majority will not keep them. They set unrealistic goals, do not have a proper plan in place, and believe that on an arbitrary date things will “be different.”
THE FRESH START APPROACH
The “fresh start,” or clean slate, concept is what motivates many people to make new year’s resolutions. It also gives them license to “be bad” up until that date, knowing that on the magical day of January 1 they will be transformed into strong-willed exercise machines. Unfortunately, as someone who has seen many a January 1 (or many a Monday) come and go with no miraculous change within myself, I can attest to the fact that there is one big problem with the fresh start approach: The date may be fresh, but you are still…you. With the same life, same issues, same problems you had on December 31. Until you resolve those problems and change your thought patterns, your resolutions will start, stop, and stay unfulfilled.
Continue reading ‘New Year’s Weight Loss Resolutions’
What Do You Really Put in Your Mouth?
(written for suite101.com)
Recording what you actually eat vs. what you think you eat can be a valuable tool in the struggle with weight loss.
It’s a common phrase among people who start writing down what they eat: “No wonder I’m not losing weight.”
They discover they may not be eating enough. They discover they may be eating too much. They discover they are just eating the wrong things.
How do you stack up? Do you know if you are eating the right amounts and types? Knowledge is power, and in this case it’s a simple fix: start keeping a food journal.
It may seem boring and it may feel tedious, but keeping a record of what you eat can make the difference between weight loss failure or success.
(continue reading at suite101.com)
BUT I LIKE IT
When a personal trainer says she is sore, that’s either a good thing or a bad thing.
In this case, it’s a good thing.
I am testing Russian kettlebells. From my article on building a home-based gym, “Kettlebells provide a thorough, whole-body workout that incorporates strength, endurance and flexibility. The kettlebells’ off-centered weight forces you to use more stabilizer muscles with each move, thus involving many muscles simultaneously. Your core stays active and your body’s muscles learn to work smoothly as one unit.”
Uhm. Yes. And my butt and legs, more specifically hamstrings, are very sore.
The kettlebell professionals at Iron Core in San Diego, California, sent me a kettlebell to experiment with. After very casually playing around with it for two weeks I started yesterday on a six week training program to see how effective kettlebells are in shaping my body. Cardiovascularly I am very strong. However, I am discovering that even as a personal trainer and Spinning instructor there are muscles I apparently miss when I hit the weight room or ride.
I will write a complete review for my LA’s the Place fitness column (with a link from here and my plentyofwords site), with thoughts and progress notes, in about six weeks. Until then, I walk like a rodeo rider.
(Written for CitiHealth Publications)
I remember my first Spinning® class vividly. With 50 pounds left to lose, an out of shape body and baggy black sweat pants, I wore my insecurity like a badge. As I hesitantly got onto the Spin bike the instructor walked in – and I froze. Taking one look at his very lean frame, I thought, “Uh oh. I’m in trouble.”
Continue reading ‘Spinning: Up Close and Personal’
Training in water brings fitness to a new level
(Written for CitiHealth Publications)
Nancy and Bob Dubay of Temecula are very fit. The couple strength trains, walks, golfs and performs regular cardiovascular exercise. So when they signed up for private aquatic training last summer both were unsure of what to expect. They were pleasantly surprised
“It’s a good workout,” says Nancy Dubay. “The intervals were hard and got my heart rate up. But I felt refreshed after – full of energy.”
“I was very pleased with how easy it was on my body, while still being challenging,” adds Bob Dubay. “I wanted to try working out in the water because my back was bothering me from other forms of exercise. My heart rate was elevated, my legs and core definitely felt it. And core strength is important for back health.”
Continue reading ‘Aquatic Fitness – Not Your Grandmother’s Water Aerobics Class’
