The DKos Health and Wellness group meets up every Sunday at 8AM ET to discuss aspects of health and wellness that impact our lives. It doesn’t matter if you’re just curious about how to live a healthier lifestyle, or an old gym rat. Wellness is something that a lot of us in the group are passionate about, and the intent of this group is to provide a forum for some serious discussion of how (and why) every one of us makes our physical and mental health a higher priority in our lives. If you'd like to follow our group, just go to the group page and click "follow". If you'd like to join the group and get involved, just ask.
One of the most frustrating things about a rigorous exercise routine is one might not lose weight from all the effort put into it. Has anyone ever heard somebody say, “when you exercise you are gaining muscle and it weighs more than fat”. Muscle is more dense than fat, so one looks smaller and leaner, both still weigh the same. Five pounds is five pounds.
Earlier this year, a friend of mine joined a diet/ workout program to get in shape for the beach. A couple of years ago, she left a job in retail where she moved around quite a bit, in exchange for an office job. She put on 20 pounds in 2 years without eating any more than she used to do. She had been a Weight Watchers coach many years ago, so she was aware of the importance of portions and avoiding high caloric foods, still the weight crept right back on her. The scale and lack of exercise depressed her and after the holidays she joined a weight loss and exercise program to lose weight and be fit.
After 3 weeks and no weight loss despite high intensity interval training, cardio workouts and a low-carb diet, she complained to her trainer. The trainer told her to go by how her clothes felt and stick with the program. She knew her clothes fit better and could feel the difference in her strength and mood, so she stuck with it. On week four, she lost three pounds and the by week six, she was down six pounds plus was now able to fit into a smaller size. If you look at the 5 pound blob at the top of the page, that is what she lost plus more.
When we hear people say they can take 5 pounds off in a day or two, they aren’t talking about fat or muscle. They are most likely talking about water weight. Healthy weight loss is a slow, tedious process. Doctors like to recommend a healthy weight loss of one or two pounds a month, maybe a little more, which means it is forever and a day to lose 10 or 20 pounds. However, in order to get noticeable results within a month, start exercising and do it as part of your routine at least three times a week. Get a watch and get the 10,000 steps in a day- keep moving. Change your eating habits to more vegetables, fruits, less grains and fats. A good exercise routine will improve cardiovascular health, bone density, blood sugar levels and mental health. It will also improve one’s strength and balance.
It took me several decades to figure out that being fit and happy are better than just dieting and deprivation. How I learned this was from my doctor when I went in for a visit and noticed she had lost a lot of weight. She looked lean and healthy. She told me she had a personal trainer three times a week and sticks with a diet of low carbs. She lost 12 pounds and took off 18 inches. What this really translated to is she went from a pant size 12 to a size 6 (sometimes even a 4). She said she had fat all over the place ( back, legs, arms, breasts, belly, hips, rear end, saddle bags, etc) and toned up and got 18” off of her body . It took her a year to do it. She looks and feels much better.
A good workout at the gym is great and healthy, but you need to burn 3500 calories just to lose one pound, so that would mean being at the gym most of the day. A combination of diet and exercise over a period of time will get you to your goal. Make sure to write down measurements not just pounds. It is gratifying to see the smaller numbers on the tape measure when the scale isn’t moving lower. Don’t set unrealistic goals on yourself. It isn’t healthy to try and be something that is impossible to attain. Enjoy life and get moving.