Basic Fitness
Basics
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Obesity Across America
Now more than ever it is critical that Americans step up and take their health into their own hands. Currently, over one-third of the American population is considered obese based on body mass index (BMI). Obesity is linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, type-2 diabetes, stroke, and certain types of cancer. In 2008, the United States spent an estimated $147 billion dollars in annual medical costs directly related to obesity.
Visit the Center for Disease Control’s website. Towards the bottom of the page you will see a visual representation of obesity rates rising across the United States from 1985-2010. Pay close attention to what you see. Notice the prevalence of obesity in the State of Georgia 2010.
Take a second and brainstorm… What has caused this dramatic change in weight status in the past ~25 years?
Let’s go back a few hundred years to the days of hunting and gathering. Back then it was not possible to walk into a grocery store and select everything needed to feed a family for weeks within a few minutes. You had to perform physical work (and burn calories) to get your food.
Convenience is slowly killing us. People everywhere are sitting more and moving less due to technological advancements. Elevators, escalators, self-propelled lawn mowers, computers, the internet, and video games are just a few factors which contribute to the obesity epidemic. These days, we literally have the world at our fingertips. We can get food, clothes, toys, household goods, automobiles, and even a new house without ever leaving our chair.
The Reality
Emerging research suggests that a single bout of exercise is not enough to counteract the amount of time we spend sitting in a given day on our health. As a nation we need to get up and get moving. We also need to closely examine our dietary intake habits. Again, by engineering our physical work out of our lives, we have created more health problems. It is all too easy to swing into a drive thru and order a day’s worth of calories without ever leaving your car. People everywhere are looking for weight loss solutions. The average person all too often invests their time, energy, and money into the “quick fix,” “magic pill,” or latest exercise fad with “guaranteed results” without ever questioning the validity of this weight loss “solution.” Some people are relatively successful with weight loss in the short term, but what happens several weeks after we close the diet book or stop taking the weight loss supplement? Typically, the weight loss results that are obtained are not sustainable over the long-term. We need to re-focus our energy (and money) from these quick-fix solutions and start investing in our health for the long-term. What long-term weight management really means is managing your daily nutrition and physical activity.
The Equation
Fat does not appear or disappear overnight, and one high-calorie meal is not going to result in a significant change in body composition. However, if you continuously consume more calories than your body utilizes, weight gain is inevitable. It is essential to understand these basic concepts regarding weight:
a. Calories consumed > calories expended = weight gain
b. Calories consumed < calories expended = weight loss
c. Calories consumed = calories expended = weight maintained
As a general rule of thumb for many individuals, gradual weight loss is often more easily managed and is the safest strategy. For weight loss purposes, it is recommended (and safe) to lose 1-2 pounds/week. One pound = 3500 calories. Therefore, to lose 1 pound/week it is recommended to have a 500-calorie deficit per day (7 * 500 = 3500 calories or 1 lb). How you obtain the caloric deficit is an individual preference in terms of reducing energy intake or increasing energy expenditure. However, the more physical activity/exercise contributes to the caloric deficit, the more you will maintain your muscle mass with weight loss.
Muscle is more dense than fat. The goal of any weight loss program is to lose fat mass while maintaining lean or muscle mass. The weight loss process can be very discouraging. Although it is important to monitor your weight, it is as important to notice how your clothes fit and how you feel, including your energy levels.
Recommended Exercise Guidelines
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) is a reputable source for evidence-based information. The latest recommendations for weight loss and physical activity can be found HERE.
The four categories recommended by ACSM are:
1. Cardiorespiratory exercise
2. Resistance exercise
3. Flexibility
4. Neuromotor (or functional) exercise
>Pay close attention to the guidelines for each category as you review them more in-depth HERE.
Reputable Sources
Diet and exercise information is everywhere. It is important to know where to find reputable sources with valid information. The links below are reliable resources that post evidence-based material. Additionally, under free tracking resources you will find three websites where you can enter your current weight, weight goal (lose, gain, or maintain), food consumed, and your exercise/physical activity. Below are sites that are helpful to hold you accountable and give good visual graphs of your progress. Check out each of them!
Physical Activity and Exercise Information:
http://www.navyfitness.org/fitness/noffs
Nutritional Information:
https://www.uhs.uga.edu/nutrition/index.html
http://www.eatright.org
(Copyright ©2013, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. All rights reserved)
http://www.navyfitness.org/_uploads/docs/NOFFS_Nutrition.pdf
Preparing for Long-Term Success
Goal Setting
Many people want to jump right in and try to make drastic lifestyle changes that are unrealistic in the long-term. Taking a few moments to ask yourself some key questions will set you up for long-lasting success. Asking yourself the following questions will help you succeed.
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What is my goal?
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Although this may not seem that important, goal setting is one of the most crucial parts of weight management over the lifespan. It will become the foundation of your physical activity and dietary behaviors to guide your success. Having a goal makes it easier to create a purposeful plan of action.
Remember to set Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely (S.M.A.R.T.) goals from the beginning.
Specific: Be precise and detailed in what you want to accomplish (answer who, what, where, when, and why).
– For example, “I want to lose weight” is not a specific goal. If I were to say, “I’d like to lose 5 pounds in 8 weeks,” that is an example of a very specific goal.
Measureable: You must be able to measure your goal so you know if you have achieved it or not.
– For example, “I’d like to lose 5 pounds in 8 weeks” is a measureable goal. It is easy to identify if you lost 5 pounds in 8 weeks.
Attainable: Is the goal you set something you can attain/achieve in your present state?
– For example, if I just had ACL surgery and cannot exercise for 2 months, it may be more difficult to lose 5 pounds in 8 weeks.
Realistic: Are you willing and able to put in the time and effort it will take to reach this goal? Do you believe you can accomplish the set goal?
– For example, if your goal is to lose 20 lbs before spring break which is only two weeks away, this is not a realistic goal.
Timely: When will this goal be completed by? Having a deadline helps keep you motivated and can enhance your adherence.
– For example, if you are attempting to lose 5 lbs in 8 weeks, you have a deadline that can be placed on your calendar.
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Why do you want to achieve this goal?
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It is important that the goal you set for yourself is meaningful to you. If it is not, or you are striving to achieve it because someone else wants you to, your drive to accomplish the task will not be very powerful. The likelihood you will complete the task and enjoy the weight-loss journey is not very high.
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What type of physical activity/exercise do you enjoy doing? What can you change about your diet?
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These are extremely important questions to ask. If you do not enjoy the mode of exercise you choose, you are not likely to stick to your training routine. This does not mean that you will be in love with every workout you do, but you should at least find it somewhat fun or feel good afterwards.
– For example, let’s say your goal is to improve your cardiovascular health so you do not get winded and become a sweaty mess walking uphill to class. There are numerous activities you could choose to begin conditioning for this goal. Therefore, it is important to choose one you enjoy so you will be motivated to continue training.
Additionally, monitoring and possibly changing your diet slightly is essential to reaching your weight goals (gain, lose, or maintain). It is important to remember that small changes can lead to major improvements in weight management.
– For example, simply switching from sweet tea/carbonated beverages to water or unsweetened iced tea can eliminate thousands of empty calories from your diet (a 24-oz Coke has 252 calories. If you have a 24-oz Coke every day, you consume 1,764 calories/week, 7,056 calories/month, and 84,672 calories a year. Eliminating the 24-oz of daily Coke would be equivalent to ~24 lbs/year). Yes, this is an extreme example, but it is important to critically examine your calorie consumption so you can begin to make healthier choices.
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What forseeable barriers will prevent me from reaching my goal?
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Identifying what could stand in your way/prevent you from reaching your goal will better prepare you to overcome these factors when they prevent themselves.
– For example, if you know you are going to be tired at the end of the day and lacking in motivation, perhaps you should plan to workout first thing in the morning. This way, no matter what the day presents you with, you have obtained your physical activity/exercise goal.
Regarding a dietary choice, if you know you are going out to eat with friends, it may be beneficial to go online and check out the nutritional information of the menu so you can be prepared to make healthier choices when you get to the restaurant.
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What is my plan of action when an unforeseen obstacle gets in my way?
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Life is full of surprises. Not realizing you had an exam this week is a perfect excuse not to exercise right? Wrong! Having a plan of how to deal with unforeseen obstacles is important so you can stay on track with your weight management program.
– For example, what if you get to the gym only to realize you forgot your gym shoes at home? Keeping an extra workout outfit and pair of gym shoes in your trunk would enable you to exercise as planned that day. When it comes to physical activity/exercise it is important to remember something is always better than nothing.
Let’s take a minute to think about (and answer) the five questions:
1. What is my weight management goal?
2. Why do I want to achieve this goal?
3. What type of exercise do I enjoy doing? What can I change about my diet?
4. What foreseeable barriers will prevent me from reaching my goal?
5. What is my plan of action when an unforeseen obstacle gets in my way?
Icons: The Noun Project