WHY am I not losing if I am exercising?

Many times there is the assumption for both men and women that when they start to exercise, the pounds will quickly melt away. If not, frustration sets in. The next question is, how is your nutrition? There are so many sabotaging factors to weight loss which include; eating the wrong choices, not eating enough or eating too much for your entire day, portion size is off, when you eat, where you eat and other possible reasons outside the scope of nutrition.

I want to briefly talk about the effect of proper nutrition when it comes to changing the body. I have been discussing food in the past few posts and would like to re-emphasize the importance of making better food choices.

When I ask participants what changes do they notice about themselves as a result of my fitness classes, I will hear that they are stronger and are losing weight and inches, etc. The few that have not had significant changes will lead me to ask how they would characterize their meals and how many times a day are they eating. The standard answer is, “ not so good and I eat once or twice a day.” What, when and even where you eat has an effect on your weight loss plan.

What are your food choices? Is it chicken wings, mashed potatoes and coleslaw after your workout or is it a boneless, skinless chicken breast with steamed vegetables and a baked yam? When refers to how often you are eating your meals. Is it every 3 hours? If the answer is no, think about how you feel when you have gone 5-6 hours without eating. When you eat more frequently, it prevents your blood sugar from spiking, which keeps it on an even level throughout the day. If you wait too long in between meals, you will usually eat more than what you need at that sitting and then go into a "food coma". This is when you feel sluggish and tired. Eating small portions every three hours is a good standard to follow. The location of when you eat can have an affect that you are not aware of it. Do you eat on the go? In the car? Standing up? If the answer is yes, then you need to take at least 20-30 minutes to eat and really take time to taste your food. If you eat quickly, you usually have no idea what you ate and then psychologically you may want more even though your body does not need it. Have a seat at a table and take time to enjoy your food. Try to chew at least 20-30 times with every mouthful until the food is completely liquefied. It will make a difference.

You can exercise vigorously several times a week, which is very important for your health, well-being and stress relief. The fact that you are not losing the weight you want may be from your nutrition habits that can be unlearned over time.

Take a good, hard look at yourself in the mirror and go to that place of uncertainty. Make a decision to change your eating habits one step at a time. It is always good to voluntarily make a decision rather than anyone (a doctor) or a medical issue to make that decision for you later in life.

Cholesterol, Salt and Sugar

When talking to various clients, I will often hear that they are pretty good with their food habits during the week, but when it comes to the weekend, it all goes down hill. I am a proponent that says, if you are eating incredibly clean and healthy 85% of the time, 15% of the time is okay to have a scoop of ice cream, a few chicken wings or a slice of pizza. Summer is around the corner and with that comes Bbq’s, carnivals, weekend festivals or any other outing where the food choices may not be the best. Many of these foods such as pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, french fries, chicken wings and lots of sugary snacks would not be found on the clean eating menu. Instead, these items cater to taste buds looking for something, salty, sweet or full of saturated fat.

This brings me to the topic of cholesterol, salt and sugar and how much your body should be taking in. First, what is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance made in the liver and found in foods, such as animal products and some dairy products. The main problem with cholesterol is when there is too much; it can lead to heart disease. The maximum total amount that you should take in from food on a daily basis is 300 mg or less. Here is gauge; a large boiled egg contains 212 mg of cholesterol. Remove the yolk and you are down to 0 mg. As stated, your body creates cholesterol because it is needed for various functions. Consequently, you do not need much from food. If your cholesterol numbers are found to be high by your doctor, eat whole grain products such as oatmeal to help improve your overall numbers.

Table salt contains about 40% sodium and when you view food labels, sodium is a standard listing. Sodium is an electrolyte, which means your body cells need it to function. Your body does not produce it, but it can generally be found in your diet. Many of the packaged and processed foods contain sodium. The problem with excess sodium is that it can contribute to high blood pressure (also called hypertension), heart disease and stroke. The average amount of sodium consumed in a day for an American can be 4000 mg and the maximum recommended value by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is 2300-2400mg. Here is a gauge; one regular hot dog has 697 mg of sodium. A strong suggestions is to reduce processed, packaged foods as well as pork products.

Sugar and sweets can taste so good and are a comfort at times, BUT there has to be a limit. Natural sugar found in fruits, vegetables and milk can be enough for some individuals but others feel there is a need for their favorite chocolate bar or honey bun. For someone trying to lose weight, reducing and/or eliminating added or processed sugar from your diet is the optimal plan. If you look at the ingredients of some of your foods, there is a form of sugar in many foods. It can be called high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, or any other type of sweetener or syrups. You may find it in cereals, soft drinks, breads and condiments. According to the American Heart Association, a sedentary woman needs only 3 teaspoons of added sugar in a day whereas an active healthy man could consume up to 18 teaspoons in a day. Everyone else falls in between. Here is a gauge; a 12-ounce can of regular soda contains 8 teaspoons of sugar. One teaspoon of sugar equals 4.2 grams. When looking at a food label, sugar is always labeled in grams. So the sedentary woman should only take in a maximum of 13 grams of sugar in a day. Again, elimination of sugar is the best route because in the end too much sugar contributes to weight gain.

Your food labels have cholesterol, sodium and sugar as standard listings. Use them wisely when buying your foods and tracking your food intake on the journey of being a healthier you! When it comes to those weekend outings, I suggest to eat something healthy and filling before you get there, so you are not inclined to indulge too deeply!

How Much Do I Need?

In my last post, I discussed how you should eat to lose and I know the concept may be a bit confusing. The important point is to make better choices for your calories. Calories that are nutrient dense and healthier are the goal. It is also important to exercise and increase your lean muscle tissue through strength training to help change your body composition.
2000 calories to one person can be a completely different picture to another. For an example of how this picture is painted differently, I used one of the many online food and exercise trackers to input various foods to find the calorie value for two different people.
The first person consumes 2024 total calories and consists of:
Breakfast - 1 McDonalds Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit: 440 calories
Lunch - 2 Taco Bell Chicken Gordita Baja: 640 calories
Snacks - 2 Apples: 144 calories
Dinner - 2 slices of Pizza Hut Stuffed Crust Pork Pizza: 800 calories

The second person consumes 2033 calories and consists of:
Breakfast – 1 cup cooked oatmeal, 1 grapefruit, Yoplait yogurt: 358 calories
Snack – 1 whole wheat English muffin, 2 T almond butter, ½ T honey, 1 banana: 441 calories
Lunch –2 slices whole wheat bread, 4 slices of low-salt deli turkey breast, 1 tsp brown mustard, 1 cup of carrots, ½ cup lentils: 433 calories
Snack- 8oz soymilk, soy protein powder, and 1-cup strawberries: 272 calories
Dinner – 4 oz Atlantic wild salmon, 1 cup of brown rice, 2 cups of chopped spinach: 433 calories
Snack – 1 pear: 96 calories

The food choices are on an even scale when it comes to calories, but can you see how BETTER choices equates to MORE food? The second person has more nutrient dense, healthier options. The first person has less food, but more fat, cholesterol and sodium than one would need in a day. When you eat more quality choices that nourish your body and have good sources of fiber, fat, protein and carbohydrates, you will see better results in body composition change. It is important to eat 5-6 meals throughout the day and to balance your meals so that you are not eating too much at one time. One final note is to eat more of your calories in the first half of your day and reduce the calories of your snacks later in the day.

This brings me to how much of the nutrients your body actually needs. As stated in the last post, carbohydrates are the most important nutrient for energy. When you reduce this nutrient, you will start to feel sluggish. The body needs between 45% to 65% of total calories from carbohydrates. The better choices are brown or wild rice, whole grain pasta, sweet potatoes as well as fruits and vegetables. This number is a wide range based on the activity level of an individual. Fiber is part of the carbohydrate family and is essential for maintaining the health of the gastrointestinal tract. The body needs at least 25 grams and the natural fiber is in your fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and beans.

The next nutrient needed in the body is fats or lipids. This is the second source of energy and the body needs between 20% and 35% of total calories in a day. The sources are olive oil, nuts, seeds, fatty fishes (salmon and tuna), and avocado.
Protein should not be thought of as a source of energy. It takes a long process for your body to produce energy from protein, so stick with the carbs and good fats. The body needs between 15% and 20% of total calories and one of its many roles is to build blocks for your muscles. Great sources of protein are beans, legumes, yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, fish, and skinless/boneless poultry. Oh and if you eat really well and make great choices 80-90% of the time, it's okay to have a few Hershey's Kisses every now and then. Just watch your portion!
The online trackers are a great way to see how the foods you eat are broken down into the various nutrients. I named a few in the post dated January 31, 2010 entitled, Track Your Progress. In an upcoming post, I will discuss cholesterol, sodium and sugar.

You Gotta Eat to Lose

I know, I know. You hear it, but you just can’t seem to wrap your mind around the fact that in order to lose inches/weight and improve your body composition, you have to eat. Really??!! Let me explain this as simply as possible.

Most people think deprivation. If I cut calories, usually something like 500 calories a day = 3500 calories in a week, which will allow you to lose 1 pound. While that may be true, it may be short term depending a variety of factors. Factors such as physical activity, the types of foods one eats as part of their regular diet and body fat percentage. These factors vary for each person.

Some people may look at a magazine and determine for themselves that they should be eating between 1600-1800 calories to lose weight. Just check to make sure there is a disclaimer (in fine print) that says this advice should vary by individual. What happens is a 150-pound woman and a 180-pound woman will pick up the same magazine, see the main highlights and miss the fine print (if there is fine print). So do you think a 150-pound woman and 180-pound woman should be consuming the same amount of calories?? The answer is No.

The reason is that food intake has to be customized to be effective. When one is starting to make changes to their meal choices, eliminating processed foods and snacks high in sugar and saturated fats is a great way to start. There should always be a plan and roadmap for substitutions or better options.

Based on various factors, each person has a specific amount of calories they should be consuming to lose inches/weight and keep it off. It starts with knowing how many calories your body needs at the base level of functioning life. This would be the case if you were to sit on the couch each day, not move and need enough energy, (calories) for you to breathe and for your brain, heart and all other major organs to function. This is your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). For women, multiply your weight by 11 and men multiply their weight by 12 to get this BMR. The 150-pound woman needs a base level of 1650 calories and the 180-pound woman needs 1980. Remember the magazine article that states you should eat 1600-1800 calories per day?

Let’s move on. There are 3 more custom factors that will affect the total recommended calories needed in a day. They are physical activity, the thermal effect of food and body fat percentage. For example, if the 150-pound woman is active vs. sedentary, eats more nutrient dense carbohydrate foods than high fat foods and has a low body fat percentage, her daily recommendation can be up around 2600 calories. Yes, 2600 calories. If you are very active, you need food to burn to keep your metabolism up. Your metabolism is the chemical process in the body that destroys tissue and releases energy, thereby generating heat. The faster your metabolism, the more calories you burn. Carbohydrates provide less calories per gram of food than fat, therefore, one would need more calories if their daily intake was more carbs than fat. Finally, if someone has a low body fat percentage, their body has more lean muscle and (again) needs more calories to burn to keep the metabolism going.

Can you see how the 150-pound woman can need 2600 calories instead of 1600? 1600 calories would put her in a starvation mode. In starvation mode, the body will look for another form of fuel or energy and start to break down precious muscle tissue to create the fuel it needs. You do NOT want that to happen. I blogged about this issue and the importance of having lean muscle tissue in Dieting Truths, an entry dated July 1, 2008. Please refer back.

When you don’t eat enough calories in your day, that is one reason the body will not change composition and the other is not eating the right type of calories. Carbohydrates are your main source of energy and the more whole grain and nutrient dense the better. So think of sweet potatoes, brown rice, fruits and vegetables. Good fats (olive oil, avocado, and fat from salmon or tuna) are your second source of energy and protein is very last. Protein is last because it takes a lot for your body to process it for energy. In sum, stick with healthy carbohydrates, good fats and lean protein and eat them to lose. In an upcoming post, I will discuss how much of each nutrient you actually need.

Shopping List Suggestions

One of the questions I commonly get is what to have as food staples in the pantry because there are so many different food items in the supermarket. If you keep it simple, it takes a lot of the guesswork out when you create a solid list to choose from. I have created a list of ideal foods as you change your eating patterns to have more nutrient dense foods that are healthier options.

Your body would function optimally if fed whole grains, vegetables, wild caught fish, legumes and beans, raw nuts and minimal animal flesh. Chicken and turkey should be the skinless breast from steroid and hormone free chicken or turkey. If you eat the cow, look for grass fed beef. In addition, when you reduce or eliminate processed foods and snacks with high fructose corn syrup or any form of sugar listed in the first four ingredients, you will improve your overall health and energy.

Here is an example shopping list:
Whole Grains: Long grain brown or wild rice, oatmeal, quinoa, whole wheat or rye breads, buckwheat.
Beans & Legumes: Lentils, black beans, kidney beans, lima beans, navy beans, etc. (any other from the bean family), black-eyed peas, and edamames (soybeans).
Vegetables: Spinach, broccoli, asparagus, red and yellow peppers, onions, carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, green beans, collards, squash, zucchini, garlic, Brussels sprouts, beets, cauliflower, sweet potatoes or yams. There are so many to choose, but you get the idea because the more the better.
Fruits: Berries, avocados, bananas, apples, melons, mangoes, kiwis, oranges, grapes, pears and plums.
Fish: Salmon, tuna, cod, flounder. (wild caught instead of farm raised)
Nuts & Seeds: Raw almonds and walnuts, natural peanut or almond butter. Pumpkin, sunflower and flaxseeds (all in moderation)
Dairy: Low-fat yogurt, fat-free organic milk, and cage free/steroid free eggs.
Other: Extra virgin olive oil, low sodium vegetable broth, low sodium soups, fresh herbs and no-salt spices. These are your items to cook with. The vegetable broth can be used in place of water to give flavor to your rices or quinoa. The soup is a staple to have as a quick meal for lunch or dinner.

I chose many of these foods for the nutrient dense properties. This means these foods provide the energy-yielding nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat) along with many of the vitamins and minerals your body needs in a healthful and natural way. The foods are low in fat and although your body needs fat, it should be from sources such as salmon, nuts and olive oil that are not saturated or trans fatty.

Recently, I watched a documentary on the evolution of the food industry called, Food, Inc. It was very insightful on how the industry has changed over the years and why. I suggest you rent or buy it as it really changed my perspective on food and I thought I was eating healthy. Many of my choices stem from healthy and clean eating over the years, and this documentary help shape some of my suggestions above. Before I became a fitness professional years ago, I often wondered why the bodies and health of our children has dramatically changed since I was in eighth grade. When I was that age, there were a handful of kids that were overweight and a handful of girls that were more developed in their bodies. Today’s children are not as active and have all sorts of electronic media taking them from being regularly active. That is one problem, but the other problem is the hormones and additives that have been added to the food, which has helped to develop them beyond their years. So now the percentage of children being overweight and obese has skyrocketed. As adults, we have been eating these foods as well. This has led an astounding 2 in 3 adults to be overweight and obese, and consequently has led (and continues to lead) to all sorts of health problems.

If we eat more whole and fresh foods instead of processed, hormone injected foods, we will be better off. The list above is not exhaustive, however, it is many of the foods in the categories we need and something to consider the next time you go food shopping. Organic foods may not be in your budget, but when you can, try to include a few organic fruits and vegetables. The farm markets are a great place to get your fresh fruits and vegetables. Every once in a while, they have a few organic items that are less expensive than your larger food market chains. Shop and eat for better health!

Food: The Most Important Piece of the Puzzle

Food consumption is the hardest piece of the puzzle when trying to change one’s body. Whether your goal is to lose weight or define your muscles, changing what and how you eat is the most important component.

I experienced this myself when I competed in figure competitions several years ago. I had been working out hard with my exercise plan, but as soon as I cleaned up my diet, boy, did it really show positively in my physique. To this day, I still eat very clean and try to eat every three hours because just I have trained my body; I have trained my eating patterns.

When working with my clients, nutrition is one of the first things I talk about in our initial meeting. How one eats takes time to alter because it is something that you have to do everyday. You may not exercise everyday, but you eat everyday. Prior to someone needing assistance, they have habits that are ingrained in their daily life and brain. This is why it is the hardest part of the puzzle.

This part of the puzzle will not be successful until the individual is ready to change. I wrote about the Stages of Change in the January 4, 2009 entry. It discusses how you go through stages of precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance whenever you make a major change in your life. You first have to feel that you need to make a change and ready yourself to commit. Without it, you will not succeed. However, when you do commit, results happen.

In the past month, I have had several clients notice how when they finally committed to staying on course with a consistent food plan, their bodies responded. They have either started to track their food and activity (see January 31, 2010 entry on Track Your Progress) or started eating the right amount of calories their bodies need or started eating the right combination of fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Clients with both weight loss and body sculpting goals are succeeding.

I also want to discuss how if one wants to see change, they have to stick with the program. I am sometimes made aware of how the body is either not changing or the weight is going in the wrong direction. The truth is that when one is exercising to their maximum potential, you may think you can eat anything. There is a misunderstanding that when you are burning calories in a hard workout, you can have that extra glass of wine or that piece of cake won’t hurt . . but it does. Once you make a commitment, you have to stick with it. When you get to a point of maintenance (in the Stages of Change) where you have reached your goal and you are happy with what you see in the mirror, how you feel in your clothes or what the scale says, then you can stray from time to time. At that point, you deserve it.

Take CONTROL of your PORTIONS

When discussing diet changes with clients and class participants, portion size seems to be one area that puzzles most. When you are more conscious and working toward changing your diet, this is one of the many areas that has to be addressed. Food portion sizes today are far bigger than they were in the past, which means we are taking in far more calories than we realize. If you do not burn the extra calories that you take in, the waistline grows and the number on the scale continuously increases. Understanding healthy and correct portion size is critical to long-term weight management.
Most people may not use measuring cups, spoons and food scales, although, it is the optimal means to know food amounts with preparation and consumption. Once you have been using them for a while and consciously make an effort to be in tune with what is going in your mouth, you will probably be able to put them aside. The amounts will become second nature to you. If you choose not to go that route, the next best method is to use items that are common in everyday life and visualize your portion based on that item.

Here are some examples:
Checkbook = 6 oz of light flesh fish
Deck of cards = 3-4 oz of boneless and skinless chicken breast or lean beef
Compact disk = Size of 1 whole wheat pancake
Computer mouse = 4-5 oz baked sweet potato or yam
Poker chip = 1 Tb. Use for olive oil, light salad dressings and (nut) butter spreads
Golf ball = ¼ cup. Use for raw nuts (ie. almonds and walnuts)
Lightbulb = ½ cup. Use for frozen yogurt, cooked whole grain pasta and rices
Baseball = 1 cup. Use for high fiber cereals and vegetables (the more vegetables, the better)

Some tips:
1. Measure your foods. Either use the relationship size guide OR actual measuring devices.
2. Be mindful of what you are eating. Take your time when you eat, sit and chew slowly.
3. Stop eating when you are full. It usually takes 20 minutes for your brain to register that feeling.
4. Eat more of your calories in the early part of your day especially if that is when you are most active with life, work, and children. Eat lighter in the evening.
5. Eat 5 smaller meals in a day rather than 2-3 large meals.
6. Use your food labels to see nutrition values. What is the serving and how many calories are in it?
7. Check my entry on January 31, 2010 for free web sites that allow you to track your progress. You are able to see for your height, weight and age how many calories you should consume in a day. In addition, it allows you to see how many calories you should consume when you want to lose weight.