"I need to lose some weight" and "I wish I could slim down a little bit" are two things that I hear all to often in the gym. I myself have said these things but do others really now what they are asking for. Striving to be a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), I have looked into what this really entails, and most of it comes down to nutrition.
When most people say they want to "lose some weight" they think, "I'll just eat less". Just eating less is not the key. Cutting calories will help and you will lose weight but you are not going to lose just the weight you want to. You could lose some muscle mass in the process.
The other part of "losing weight" is "slimming down". Many times I have been asked, "what ab exercises can I do to get rid of this stomach"? Well the answer is really none. In order to shed those excess pounds around your mid-section, which undoubtedly most of us have, you need to try and do exercises that get the heart rate up and boost your metabolism.
What it all really comes down to is a proper diet and a good totaly body workout plan. If your not eating healthy or properly no matter what your goals are they are going to be very difficult to achieve and well concentrating on a certain body part isn't necessarily a bad thing, working that one part solely is and can cause a domino effect of injuries, aches and pains.
If you have any questions on nutrition I suggest visiting www.mypyramid.gov it is a great site that is free and easy to use. With just a little bit of research on the internet you can always find workouts you are looking for as well.
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I think understanding that what you eat makes such a difference is extremely important. I compete in pageants and some of the girls go on 2 week diets/gym fests right before to get ready for the swimwear competition. However, they dont understand that not eating is only making them look more unhealthy on stage.
ReplyDeleteI hear that comment constantly along with "I can't (insert anything). As a fitness instructor I'm constantly getting asked how do i get rid of this? usually has to do with the midsection or the flabby part under the arm aka triceps. There really is no simple answer so ive taken to this response: fitness is an equation you can't have fitness without a part of it. Diet, nutrition, and exercise. But not just cardio, weight training has a lot to do with it too. I wish i could make people grasp that concept when i see them frustrated by my answer. without a healthy diet then all the workouts in the world aren't going to get you the results you want.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. Far too many students, especially in the past weeks before Spring Break, were hitting the gym in a last mintue rush to shed pounds before their trips. However, most of them don't realize that running everyday for two weeks is most likely not going to get them where they want to be. Nutrition is a HUGE part of it, and I think it's important that more people become educated about that.
ReplyDeleteI agree and see it all the time, the gums are always packed with people before summer vacations and right after the new year trying to start their resolutions. Exercising for a few weeks will never produce long tem results, you must make it part of your routine and daily life. Exercising is only half of what it takes to be fit and healthy, the other part being a proper diet.
ReplyDeleteLoosing weight is something that I have struggled with all my life and it is not easy. We all know what to do eat healthy and be more active but not many of us are willing to put the time and effort into it. People need to learn that there are no quick fixes when it comes to this. Many have the wrong information about how to achive weight loss, your blog can help them get the right information.
ReplyDeleteIts true that alot of people think that by not eating you will loose weight. Although you may loose some weight this is deffinatly not the way to be successful. By not eating the right way you are more likely to put on more weight in the long run because you might have the tendency to eat more in one seating. By dieting and eating the right foods your body responds better and you will actually feel better about yourself. Also by starving yourself you are also putting your body at risk for other health issues. You also mentioned loosing muscle mass while not eating which is not a healthy habit to get into. Loosing muscle mass will only make you feel weaker and more fatigued. Great blog entry!
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