Necessary but not Sufficient

Last time I let you in on the Key Ingredient to Weight Loss.  Remember what it was?  No, not the flu bug, although that can be effective on some occasions.  Consistency.  Just showing up is more than half the battle.  Those that show up for their workouts; those that are mindful of their food choices and portion sizes; those that keep a good mental outlook and those that nourish their spiritual self are more successful at keeping their weight under control and living a healthier life.

Consistency is the most important element of overall success.  There are a myriad of smaller elements that come together to finish the battle (so to speak).  If showing up is winning more than half the battle then what is the other battle and how do you win it?

Good question.  The other battle is making sure you are doing something worthwhile when you show up.  Showing up is enough in the beginning.  Just doing something other than sitting all day is a great start.  However, it is necessary but not sufficient.  (I haven't heard that phrase since my high school sophomore Physics class.  I'm so pleased that I can finally use something I learned in high school!)

I see a lot of people who show up at the club every day to workout.  That's good, don't get me wrong.  It is important to establish a habit and a routine.  However, they have gotten into their routines and don't vary what they do.   

They do the same exercises with the same weights in the same order on the same day.  They also do the same cardio routines at the same settings for the same time on the same day.  There might be small variances from those routines, but generally that's the way most people workout.

After a few cycles through that type of workout, their body has reached the maximum amount of fitness it can reach.  It will do no more and in fact...it will start doing less!  You see, as the body becomes more fit, it can simply do more.  If you don't make it do more, it won't.  There is no encouragement to become fitter.

Since we are all on the decline curve, the more we do, the more we extend our decline curve.  However if you stop making progress on your curve it catches up to you and before you know it, you are, at best, on the decline you would be if you were on the Passive Lifestyle curve.  (See below)

You have to keep pushing your body to do more in order to keep yourself ahead of the curve.  We talked about this curve earlier this year, so you will remember how important slow steady progress is in meeting your fitness goals.

You have to continually challenge yourself to do just a little more than you did last time.  I'm not talking about huge improvements, just small consistent improvement.  You are not going to make improvements on every workout, but every workout should prepare you to do better in some way the next time.

Let me define what doing better means: doing better simply means doing something just a little better than you did it last time.  You may have cut your time by five seconds; added 2.5 lbs more weight; added a second or third set of exercises; noticing that you did something better the second time than you did the first.

If you haven't mastered consistency yet, please master that before you move on to improvement.  I see people who aren't consistent trying to improve and they get frustrated because it just doesn't work that way. 

The Key Ingredient for Weight Loss

I see a lot of people working on their health and fitness on a daily basis, and if you work out regularly at a health club or gym, you probably have too.  Some people will make noticeable progress while others always seem to stay the same.  What's up with that?

That is probably the number one question I get asked.  "I've been doing this for 5 weeks now and I haven't lost a pound!"  My favorite is the person who has been doing it for a while, lost some weight and then plateaus.  They literally get stuck for weeks, even months, at the same weight.

The body is a wonderfully created mechanism.  Though frequently studied, it remains a mystery in so many ways.  Before I continue, let me be clear that I'm not a doctor (although I play one at work sometimes) and I have no formal medical training other than taking some classes in biology, physiology and chemistry.  I've always had a fascination with the human body from a very young age and I can't get enough of it.  What I'm about to say should in no way be construed as advice based on scientific evidence.  It is based solely on my own research, observation and anecdotal evidence.  My comments also don't take into consideration accidents or some diseases (beyond our control).

First, let's look at what has happened over the course of your life.  Well, let's not spend that much time, but suffice to say that you probably haven't been so kind to your body as you should have been.  Getting married, starting jobs and moving up the ladder, having and raising kids...it all takes a toll on the body.  When we were young, we were active, had lots of muscle and didn't spend all day sitting around.

As we moved through life, we got slower, weaker and fatter.  Most people say that's the natural aging process.  I really don't agree with that.  It's what happens during the course of an 80 year life, but most people start showing signs of "aging" way before they should.  There is really no reason that someone in their 50's and 60's can't be as active and fit as they were in their 30's and 40's.

Somewhere along the way we just stopped keeping up the maintenance on our bodies.  As life became more complex, we had much more to maintain and take care of and that usually meant we  neglected ourselves.  It's a shame, but I've seen it way too often and there is really no one to blame except the person looking back at you in the mirror.

So after all the years of little or no maintenance we find ourselves looking back on our slow descent and wonder how we get out.  Most of us will turn to exercise and start making better food choices.  Some will go straight for the pills, while others will head to the plastic surgeon.  Of course I recommend the first option.

What I believe we don't fully understand and appreciate is the resiliency of the human body.  This is what allows us to "abuse" it and it just keeps working...until one day it doesn't.  That can be several years to several decades.  It takes time for the body to break down.   That is a very key concept to understand because it impacts the recovery process. 

It is fortunate that the body can take decades to decline.  It is also very unfortunate that it can take just as long to properly recover.  That's the hard part for most people to understand.  They are grateful for the slow decline, but have no patience for the just as slow improvement.

So that brings us to the key ingredient for weight loss and performance improvement:  consistency.  It is exactly why we need consistency because it does take a long time to reverse the years of decline.  Oh sure, you can do some radical things that will result in the weight loss or performance you seek, but when you stop doing those things, it is most common for you to revert right back to where you were.  Again, I've seen it so many times...if the changes you are making aren't permanent, when you stop doing them, your body continues it's decline.

It's not a pretty picture but the earlier you start, the less time it takes to reverse.  As I've said numerous times before: maintenance is easier than reconstruction.   If you haven't started on an exercise program, start.  If you are currently exercising, don't stop. 

Next topic:  Faster, higher and heavier.

You can't exercise enough

A lot of people tell me they exercise because they like to eat.  While commendable, that's not advisable.  If you happen to be younger (let's say under 35), you can probably get away with that for a time because your body is still in growth and burning calorie mode (for the most part).

But that's not true of everyone under 35 and is not necessarily true if you are over 35.  You see, as you age your muscle starts to leave you.  Muscle is expensive to maintain and your body would rather get rid of it (to a point) than have to maintain it.  Maintenance is hard work and requires the body to do things the mind doesn't always want to do.

Don't get me wrong...the muscle doesn't have to leave, but if there's not reason for it to stay around, your body will jettison the muscle like spoiled milk.  If the muscle has a reason to stick around (i.e. working out, doing manual labor, etc.) it will and does require additional nutrients and calories.  But here's the kicker: it doesn't require THAT much more! 

How much more your body require depends in large part how much muscle it has to maintain and how much additional activity you are doing.  The more muscle you have the more calories you burn (even just sitting around).  The more activity you do, the more calories you burn.  Depending on the activity, you may continue burning calories several hours after the activity has ended.

So how many more calories does working out allow you to burn?  Do you know how many calories you burn during your workout?  If not, figure it out.  That will tell you what your approximate calorie expenditure is in addition to your normal every day activities.  Based on my experience at the club most people burn between 500-800 calories during a typical workout.  Some more, some less.

That's usually after an hour long workout.  So if you don't do anything more than your normal activities for the rest of the day, you might (wrongly) assume you could eat an additional 500-800 calories without gaining weight.  That's a nice idea, but I don't believe that holds true for most people. 

If that were the case, you'd see more people not gaining weight since they are exercising.  That couldn't be further from the truth.  There are several reasons why this the case:

1. You consume way more than the 500-800 calories you burned.
2. You really aren't burning the amount of calories you think you are during exercise.
3. Your body isn't as efficient using the calories you ingested and still wants to store the energy.
4. It takes one hour to burn 500-800 calories and five minutes to consume 500-800 calories.

There are sub-reasons to each of these and I could go into a lot more detail to explain each one of these...and if you are interested leave me a comment and I'll respond to you.  Suffice to say for now you probably fall into one of the above reasons.  Most of you fall into reason #4...and you can't exercise enough to get the extra calories out of your system; there's not enough time in the day!

The best way to approach this is to keep everything in moderation.  Don't lull yourself into believing that you can eat what you want because you exercise.  Only people with finely tuned bodies can get away with eating what they want...but it even catches up with them if they try to do it too long.  Keep your eating levels constant even though you are exercising.  You'll do better in the long run.

Oral Fitness

"Oh I've been meaning to come see you!"  "I'm coming to see you next week."  "Once I get back in shape I'm going to come join your club!"  "I need you to be my personal trainer!"

If I had a dollar for every time I heard comments like these, well, I probably wouldn't be writing this blog right now.  No, I'd be diving for lobsters in the inlet on the east side of my island, and then going for a run around the volcanic rock spewed by the now silent and dormant volcano.   Yes, I would have bought my island retreat and retreated.

Okay...maybe not an island to retreat to, but I would definitely have the money to buy an island.  I've tried to figure out what makes people feel the need to tell me that they need to come see me when they really don't have any intention to come in.  Maybe it makes them feel better that they are at least making the effort to tell me they are thinking about it.  It used to bother me that they didn't follow up.  You can lead a horse to water....

If you happen to be one of those people that has told me or someone else something like that in the past...stop it.  It's very unbecoming and doesn't do anything for your credibility.  Own up to the fact that you aren't going to become a gym rat...today.  Relieve yourself of the pressure you are putting on yourself to do something you really don't want to do.  It's okay.  You aren't going to hurt my feelings one bit.

I can't help you decide whether this is the day you exercise or not.  It's totally up to you.  I can't make you exercise.  Only you can decide that you will exercise and when you're ready you will do it.  All I can do is provide a place and the knowledge to help you.

So for now if you see me out somewhere don't feel the need to tell me that you are planning to come see me or that you need personal training or that you want to join the club.  Either do it or keep silent and talk about the weather.  I'm not into oral fitness. 

Summer Vacation

Seems like I just got the Christmas decorations put away...how can it be summer already?  I guess when you're having fun, time really does fly by!

Summer is upon us and time for those coveted and well-deserved few weeks that we take time to be with our families to decompress and make memories.  Vacations are a somewhat new thing for me.  I didn't grow up taking summer vacations so it wasn't something that I naturally fell into when I had my own family.

Fortunately I figured out that they are great and something we should all do from time to time, if only to keep our sanity!  I learned the value of taking my family do different places for the experience and growth that it brings.  It's neat when you can say you've been to those places that others are talking about.  I think it makes you a more interesting person.

But I didn't start this blog to extol the virtues of vacations.  Most of you already know.  What I wanted to talk about is the destructive force of a vacation on a workout routine.  I'm guessing that most of you know exactly what I'm talking about.

I've seen more workout habits changed (some permanently) by vacations.  I'm all for taking a physical as well as mental break when on vacation.  Some people go on vacation and think they need to exercise while they are gone.  Not totally necessary but good for them for keeping up the habit.

Wait a minute...did I just say it's not necessary to exercise while on vacation?  Yes, I believe I did.  See, I'm not such the hardcore guy that most of you that know me think I am.  I believe vacations are a good time for some total rest, both physically and mentally.  Your body and mind go a hundred miles an hour on most days of the week.  We can usually find some time to refresh on the weekends, but lately it seems that the weekends are just as busy (if not more) than the week is.

It's important for our bodies and our minds to get rest.  They need to recover more than just a day or two.  Getting several good, restful nights sleep can do wonders for the body and soul.  You come back feeling refreshed and relaxed.

That's were most people find themselves in an interesting place.  They have become too relaxed and enjoyed the time off.   However, like your job, you have to return to your workout habit once again.  Some of us get so side-tracked by all the things that have piled up while we were gone that we feel we don't have time to exercise until all the piles are eliminated.  That can take a few days or even a few weeks.

Once you have been out of your routine for more than a week, each day drives a wedge further between you and your exercise habit.  Then when you do come back (usually after a few weeks off), it feels like you are starting all over again.  Hey, don't shoot the messenger...I'm just reporting what I hear you saying to me.  We've all been there and know it can be somewhat challenging to step foot back into your health club, but trust me on this, the sooner you return, the better you will do, the better you will feel and the sooner you'll be reminded why you workout in the first place. 

So my best advice is this: Go on vacation. Have a great time. Get rested and relaxed.  Come home, unpack and get to the fitness center the next work day.  If you don't work outside the home, go to the fitness center when your spouse goes to work.

Believe me, following this advice will get you back into your routine quicker than anything else.  It will also be less painful!  Trust me.

Have a great summer and get a vacation booked if you haven't already.

I keep doing the same thing...

This is one of my favorite things to talk about.  I'm continually amazed how many people talk to me about what they want to achieve and what they are doing to achieve it.  They ask my opinion, I tell them...and they keep doing the same thing, but maybe vary it a tiny little bit.

Hmm...did it work before?  Well, in the beginning they say, but after a while they plateaued.  So they did it longer, harder, faster and that worked for a while and then...the plateau emerged.  So figuring something is better than nothing, they continue doing the same thing and getting the same result...zip, zilch, nada.

Most people I find, know what they need to do, but don't really want to do it unless provoked by an upcoming event.  Weddings, class reunions and a slinky black dress are usually enough to make the most hardened among us soften into submission.  Okay. I'm ready to listen, they say.   And you know what?  They actually do listen.  By now I have their full attention and they are ready to do what I ask them to do.

Everyone is different and while you can generalize people into categories, there is some fine-tuning needed with every individual.  Our bodies don't always respond the way we want them to and expect them to.  That can be very frustrating and I'm sympathetic to the despondency to which that leads.  But I also know that whatever the mind can conceive, the body can achieve.  I've seen it far too many times when we are pressed into action we will do it or die trying.

Most everyone will give it the "old college try".  That's usually about 4-12 weeks.  The most tenacious will hold out for 6 months before throwing in the towel.  That's a shame because one thing they fail to remember is they did not arrive in this shape in one day, one month or even one year.  It took many years to perfect the condition your body is in and to fine-tune the mechanisms by which it responds.  To think that cleaning up our lifestyle and changing our habits for 4-12 weeks is going to get us where we want to be...well, that is just another definition of insanity.

Your body had become very good at adapting to the way you've been treating it.  It has adjusted very well to the abuse you have dished out over the years.  You know what I'm talking about.  Eating too much, eating too little, smoking, imbibing excessive quantities of alcohol, swimming in the stress pool too often, eating too late, skipping breakfast, sporadic workouts, weekend warrior expeditions, sleeping too much, sleeping too little, eating crap, no regular physical checkups, breathing smog, drinking too little water, emotional carnage, spiritual neglect, OCD, too many medications, too much sun exposure...the list goes on and on.

So if you think cleaning up your act for even six months is going to get you where you want to be, you are sadly mistaken and being mislead by mainstream media and irresponsible marketing.  There is no magic pill, powder or potion.  No mystical product, no cutting-edge medical breakthrough that will get you where you want to be.  Think about that for a moment.  If there was such a product, potion, pill or procedure that would get you where you want to be AND KEEP YOU THERE, we'd all be buying it, taking it and living happily ever after.

The sad truth is THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS.  You cannot short circuit your way back to health, wellness and fitness.  You have to stop doing the same things you have been doing all these years and start doing the things that are really going to make LONG TERM differences in your life.

Take heart.  There are millions of people that have gone before you into this brave new world.  You are not alone and don't have go figure this all out for yourself.  I would expect you to learn along the way as you start slowly making those changes that will put you back on the course to achieving your goals.

It all starts with making the commitment to change what you do, one detrimental habit at a time.  Once you've decided that you can and will do this, you are on your way to success.  The next step is to find someone to help guide you down that path blazed by generations before you.

Welcome to the ramblings of a fitness guy.

I talk to so many people every day I always learn more than I pass along I'm sure.  Half the time I don't remember what I even said and to whom I said it!  Sadly enough, I forget the lesson I learned...until I have another conversation along the same lines and then it all comes back to me.

A guy in my men's group talks about the blogs from his missionary daughter and the enjoyment he derives from reading her exploits.  I really haven't read too many blogs nor have I ever published a blog.  But after some encouragement to start writing more, I decided to give blogging a try.

There are many topics that I could write about.  My passion lies in serving our Lord Jesus Christ and those around me.  One way I do this is through health and fitness.  About 8 years ago a few partners and I opened an all adult health club.  Our mission was, and is, to help adults to become healthier, stronger and more productive in all facets of their lives.  We have succeeded in helping several thousand people become healthier, more educated and more aware of how fitness impacts their life, both daily and in the long run.  Given that we are the arms and legs of Christ, it behooves us to ensure those appendages are fit for service.

I continue to be amazed at the misinformation and confusion caused by media and those trying to cash in on the fitness game (i.e. weight loss).  It is obvious to me that no one has found the magic bullet to  easily make fat go away, muscles stronger, heads clearer and illness eliminated.  The key word there is EASILY!  We have become so accustomed to our fast paced world that we want everything how we want it, when we want it.  Unfortunately our bodies don't do so well in the fast-paced world we have created for ourselves.

In these blogs I will pass along learnings from my real life experience in my health club from real life stories and experiences from my members.  While many answers can be derived from a laboratory setting for most questions in this life, the age-old question of our health and fitness eludes the watchful eye of the researcher.