WEIGHT LOSS
"Does any body have a towel?"... my good friend here just hit a water buffalo."
What an awesome grey day when you go all the way!
Dennis "Rogaine Works Wonders" Chavis after a five mile
trail hike/run in
Mandeville Canyon, Brentwood.
The frustration of not losing fat (& regaining lost weight) is
usually due to an
overly aggressive diet in combination with
boring and/or ineffective training programs.
(first secret - drink water)
Finding
foods and exercises
that are
healthy and enjoyable
is
the only way
to
permanently
adapt to them.
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Stuntman Terry Jackson has been cycling on and off-road since
the early 80's. Here we are ridng a 22 mile loop
just north of West LA.
Once someone has made a permanent change in their lifestyle
they can
continue to slowly tighten the braces of self-discipline.
I really love quotes.
Dr. Lucy Langer with her daughter Hannah and friend hike
Paseo Miramar just north of Santa Monica.
CONCEPT VS APPLICATION
Not losing fat is typically easy to
"explain"
(ever watch late night infomercials?).
The 'concept'
of eat right and exercise
is very simple...
kind of like golf,
"just hit the ball in the hole":
Or,
juggle five bowling pins...
just don't drop them,
right?
The 'application' of the
weight loss concept
is definitely one of the
most challenging personal endeavors in the world.
(2nd secret - drink water)
Eating is obviously a necessary part of life.
Being social and having fun is also a necessary ingredient in
maintaining a healthy, well balanced spirit. Abstaining completely
from the
things you
enjoy is only a prescription for self-torment.
And unfortunately,
a
great way to regain lost weight in the long run.
FAT LOSS REGIMEN
(weight is the wrong word)
This regimen is a challenging combination of proper nutrition with
aerobic and anaerobic exercises.
(3rd secret - drink water)
Proper nutrition for your activity level is a balancing
act of food quality, quantity, and timing.
(the 4th secret - drinking water).
This all takes practice to never truly perfect. A permanent alteration in
patterns of emotional value and desire is going to take time.
The
number one
'mistake'
I have observed over the years
is
an exaggerated sense
of
developing
perfect self-discipline
and
immediate results.
I really love proverbs.
Changing physically means adapting to a new way of thinking and
prioritizing new values. The
body will adapt
to the lifestyle it lives.
(5th secret - drink water)
PLAN TO ENJOY
Planning to enjoy
a planned event
is a great way
to
lose weight
(in the long run). For a
majority of people,
having fun
and
losing weight are inversely proportional.
This was a good friend of mine... until I posted his picture here.
I really like beer too. Unfortunately, liquid calories are easily assimilated by the body.
Luckily for my waistline I am a two (maybe 3) light-beer-lightweight.
It's OK to drink a few at a wedding as long as they are only a few times a year.
I am still recovering from this reception.
When many people decide
to
'start'
a
rigorous
diet and exercise program,
they do both
at
the
same time...
they
stop eating
and
start exercising...
at
the
same
time.
Please,
if you would really like to have a miserable exercise
experience followed by unconsciousness...
just wrap your face in duct tape and ride a stationary bike
as fast as you can. Just kidding -
don't do this -
thank you!
Never "start a diet" and never stop exercising
(with a few exceptions of course).
Find foods that are enjoyably healthy.
Note:
If you do not enjoy
the foods you are eating,
you will probably...
not like them.
(secret #6 - drink water)
I heard
a rumor that Einstein first came up with the idea for the
theory of relativity
while riding a bicycle.
I do not know if it's true,
I guess it depends on your
relatives. I am not sure if Albert had
outdoor cardio in mind when he said the above?? But, I am sure
it's a universal truth for all things
great and
hopefully getting
healthier. I really love quotes.
Find a motivating exercise program!
'Play'
consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.
~
Mark Twain
I really love quotes.
If you do not like running
try
Power Hiking!
(thought I was going to be redundant, didn't ya?)
(yeah, well drink water - secret #7)
Great hiking, biking, and running trails are just north of Santa Monica.
To Judge it from a distance adds quite a Clause to city living.
Backbone Trail out of Will Rogers State Park.
Setting realistic goals is the key
to
successfully reaching realistic goals.
I know this is cliche' but it is also very true (just like drinking water).
Consistency is the most challenging goal for everyone.
Remember
the
magic order
of
healthy active living:
1. EAT
-do eat & drink water all the time.
DO NOT EXERCISE ON AN EMPTY STOMACH.
A little aerobic exercise before breakfast is ok, but serious athletes
always have something before (it does not need to be a large meal)
and after a hard training session. Several small, healthy meals throughout
the day will actually stimulate your metabolism. Not eating after a
certain time of the day will only cause hunger and energy depletion in
the morning... qualify your quantity.
2. SLEEP
-try to be rested before you exercise.
Sleeping is highly underrated in this country.
Inadequate rest greatly reduces exercise benefits and will de-motivate
anyone in the long run. If you are truly fatigued-- go home, eat
(do not skip a meal just because you did not work out), go to bed, have breakfast
and work out (twice if you can) the next day. This is a much better prescription
than pushing through a sleep deprived workout.
3. EXERCISE
-aiming for approximately the same time of the day ~
every day if you can.
Vary the intensities, routines, and lengths of your workouts in relation
to your daily energy, ability, and schedule. Exercise programs are to be
guidelines not gospel. You and your energy levels are human; some days
will be easier than others. Try not to exhaust yourself the day before the
big presentation at work… though a little exercise is
great for energy boosting.
GET OUTSIDE
There is a very common frustration that arises over time from
eating properly (see Nutrition) and exercising aerobically yet failing
to get rid
of unwanted pounds. Ninety-nine times
out of a hundred, the majority
of
the frustrated are performing their cardiovascular exercise
on indoor stationary equipment.
The time spent on any piece of stationary equipment is
not as beneficial as exercising outside.
Running on an indoor track, walking stairs in a building,
speed skating, etc. is the same idea as being outside.
Another 60 degree sunny January day hike in Malibu.
One must actually transport the body from point A to point B
in order to truly 'get fit'.
This does not mean that stationary exercise is a waste of time. It is exercise,
it does create results
and it is a great way to burn a few calories. It most useful
during bad weather or when you
are restricted on time and/or you are doing a
'recovery workout'. However, there is little challenge
to these human hamster wheels
because there is no external motivation to push harder.
Spin classes are great, they are a small exception to this rule
and I do recommend them.
“I truly believe Stairmasters are developmentally
antagonistic to real, long-term motivation.”
- Jeff Archibald
(yeah, I actually said this first... ok, maybe second, third??)
Not meaning to sound cocky, but if you only do indoor cardio
and you consider yourself fit (spin class junkies beware)
let me take you outside for some real cardiovascular exercise.
You can NOT achieve true strength
(lose fat and gain muscle)
while looking at a clock, or a TV, or a magazine.
Trust me on this.
Strengthening the Heart
Strengthening the
cardiovascular system is the means to
increasing the volume
of oxygen delivered to the entire body. The benefits of increasing one's
oxygen uptake (VO2-max) are unlimited.
Every aspect of health and athleticism is based on the
strength of your heart and lungs.
This is in correlation with the quantity and quality of red blood cells that deliver oxygen
to every single cell in your body. From mental clarity to finite muscular control to all of the
gross motor movements, oxygen is the main ingredient of life itself. This does not mean one
should go "all out" every time during a cardiovascular routine. Varying the training
intensities (& drinking water) is the key to success for every level of
athlete in every endeavor and sport.
OVER-TRAINING
Pushing to exhaustion (aerobically) every time would be over-training the heart and the
rest of the body. Fatiguing the heart muscle will decrease results, increase the body's
over-all fatigue, kill motivation, and cause countless other health problems in the
long run. The heart is a muscle and aerobic exercise does cause stress. Stress in proper
amounts is a necessary ingredient for stimulating the heart to
become stronger and healthier.
Muscles do not become stronger while exercising, just the opposite occurs.
Exercise stimulates the muscles to strengthen. It is during periods of rest, especially
during deep sleep (REAL ATHLETES NEED A LOT OF SLEEP), that the body repairs
itself and becomes stronger. Muscles are smart and you can teach them to prepare
for the next work-out through proper techniques and intensities. Please remember
that intense weightlifting also strains the heart in a healthy way and that this additional
strain needs to be taken into consideration when cross-training on a consistent basis.
I have had many a weary work-out because I did not let my heart rest enough
between the bike and the weight room.
CROSS-TRAINING
Initially,
aerobic exercise
without resistance training
is great for quick,
short-term
weight (fat and some muscle) loss. However,
over time
(this time can vary greatly depending
on age, gender, genetics, and prior health)
the body will lose strength and
metabolic rate
without
anaerobic stimulation.
Incorporatingm a strength training regimen with challenging aerobic
activity will yield a significantly lower body fat percentage
(not just gross weight) than aerobic exercise alone.
Of course, if you ride or run competitively you will more than likely be a lot thinner
than the average athlete. But you should probably know that the pros are weight training
in the off-season. This combining of weights and cardio is one of the many variations of
cross-training. Cross-training not only increases the base metabolism, but stronger
muscles (stronger does not mean larger or more powerful) will easily outperform and
burn more calories per hour than weaker muscles. And trust me,
you will see the difference in a bathing suit.
NUTRITION
The currently popular, 'moderately high' protein- low carbohydrate diet is ok if you are
inactive most of the day: Just make sure to keep eating your vegetables and limit your
saturated fat and cholesterol. A majority of people are relatively inactive (southern CA is not
the norm) and should not consume too many carbohydrates. But please, do not try to
train for a marathon by eating just chicken (see Nutrition).
Intelligent exercisers and regularly active athletes get 60 to 70 percent
of their daily calories
from complex carbohydrates as
well as some whole fruit sugars.
A little sugar, especially in it's natural forms from fruits and honey,
is great for endurance exercise (I must admit my addiction to Animal Crackers).
If there is an interruption in your exercise schedule, please only
reduce your carbohydrate intake...
do not eliminate them.
Beware
of
ketosis
(look it up).
Please see Testimonials.
Please
see
Motivation
and
Nutrition*
*Advice on losing weight and menu breakdowns for every athlete,
beginner to pro, young and young at heart.
Jeff Archibald
ACE Certified Trainer
310 890 6783
24 hour phone messages
jeff@boldfitness.com
Did I mention water?