CLUB NEWS
Losing weight: your first steps :April 20th |
Posted by Administrator (admin) on Jun 04 2009 |
How do I lose weight?
When weight loss is one of the reasons a client has come to see me, the
warning bells sound. This is the time to explore the reasons behind the
reasons. So before I even discuss the "what and how" of losing weight I
need to know not only what your purpose is for losing weight but also
what you mean by losing weight. And just as important, the cause of your
being overweight and whether you\'re willing to change certain influential
behaviours. To decipher the complexity of the thought or thoughts
behind the question "how do I lose weight?", I ask a serious of exploratory
questions. I invite you to consider how you would answer the following:
• What will you gain from losing weight?
• What is your purpose for losing weight?
• What is important to you about losing weight?
• How do you know you are overweight?
• Who or what are you using as your measure to judge yourself as
overweight?
• Do you want to lose weight for someone else or for yourself?
• What is your evidence for believing you are losing weight? (As
simple as this question sounds, there are many different answers: is
it the reading on the scale, the fit of your clothes, how you look in
the mirror, or what other people notice and comment on?)
• What is the cause of your current situation - behaviours/beliefs?
• What is it about your current situation that is preventing you from
losing weight?
• What are the blocks to change?
• What have you done in the past that has not worked?
• Is this something that you want to maintain indefinitely or achieve
only for a short duration?
• What are the benefits of your weight-gaining behaviours you would
like to keep?
• Is there anything to prevent you carrying through on your weight
loss objectives? Tailoring your own program
Once the above questions have been answered, I can proceed to help
you burn body fat based on a knowledge of how much fat you want to
lose or what would be an appropriate fat loss and a timeframe to do it in
that fits into your current lifestyle. I would take body composition
measurements to assess how much body fat and how much lean tissue
you have. This allows the quantity of fat loss to be estimated and the
possible rate of fat loss per week/month that can be achieved through
increased activity. Of great importance is differentiating weight loss and
fat loss and explaining the benefits of maintaining lean tissue [muscle] as
this is the mechanism that burns off the excess fat during activity.
A program of activity would then be formulated. This would take into
consideration the person\'s outcomes, daily work schedules, and preferred
activities. We would discuss the levels of ambient activity [day to day
movement/ incidental movement that occurs at work, home, leisure] the
person can incorporate/increase and the formal sessions of exercise [set
sessions of activity such as gymnasium, brisk walks, sports] that would be
achievable.
Staying motivated
It takes approximately 2 to 6 weeks for new behavioural patterns to
become habitual. This is the period when much encouragement and
support from others is needed as well as some rigor and discipline by the
person wanting to burn fat. What I find is if there is a burning desire to
change, then action takes place and phenomenal results will occur. If
the required fat-burning activities are presented as fun, enjoyable and
achievable, they lose the appearance of being a chore and become
instead something to look forward to. I always frame that this is a journey
and sometimes we can get waylaid along the way and not be able to
stick to the exercise regime set. Illness, family matters, work and social
commitments that must be fulfilled can upset the patterns set. Except
and expect these things to occur, go through them and get back on
track.
The next step is to get moving. "What\'s the first achievable activity I can
do today that will make a difference?" This is a question I suggest people
write in their diary, day planner or place as a notice on the fridge to help
them install the new behaviors they need to succeed.
Activity begets activity. The more active you become, the more energy
you perceive you have, the more energy the more activity you want to
do.
For some the benefits of increased activity soon go beyond weight loss.
They discover other benefits for them. A change in self-image, personal
wellbeing, energy levels, the positive response from others around them,
the handling of stress loads and work demands, being able to enjoy activities with family and friends. My suggestion is to focus on increasing
activity levels and the fun you can have with it and fat loss is a
by-product of the process.
The best activities for burning fat
The best exercises for fat loss are those that maintain a heart rate at 60%
to 70% of maximum for an extended time period (greater than 10
minutes). This is known as cardio activity.
Your heart rate range is calculated thus:
220 - age = approximate maximum heart rate
Example: 220 - 35 = 185 60% to 70% of 185Ž 111 to 130 beats per minute
Types of activities:
• Fast walking
• Jogging/running
• Cycling
• Swimming
• Rowing
• Skipping
Sporting activities:
• Tennis
• Football
• Soccer
• Hockey
• Volleyball
• Touch football
Recreational activities:
• Roller blading
• Exercise to music classes - aerobics, tae bo,boxercise, step classes,
pump
• Walking the dog
• Playing with children