Fitness, Personal Training, Health and Weight Loss Blog

Sit Up Straight!

Poor sitting postures are major causes of neck and back pain.

Sitting posture while at your computer should be as follows:

• Adjust your chair so that your hips are 3 inches higher than your knees
• Your back should recline slightly so your back is at a 135 degree angle
• Your back should rest against the back of the chair with a lumbar roll supporting spine
• Your monitor should be 20-28 inches from your eyes
• Feet are flat on floor
• Shoulders relaxed
• Elbows at a 90 degree angle
• Wrists in neutral position and resting on palms or wrist support, not edge of desk

Follow the 50-10 rule. For every 50 minutes you work sitting at your desk, take a 10 minute break. During your break, walk around, stretch out your muscles.

Almost 75% of Americans will be overweight by 2015.

Here are some startling facts if you are overweight:

• 50% more likely to develop heart disease
• 360% more likely to develop diabetes
• 31% more likely to die of any cause
• 120% more likely to develop stomach cancer
• 590% more likely to develop esophageal cancer
• 35% more likely to develop kidney cancer

But for some reason, these numbers don’t scare us enough, maybe these next two will.

Let’s focus on what really motivates us – money and… well, you know:

• 14% less attractive to the opposite sex
• 37% more in expenses for prescription drugs

But there is hope. Exercising even a small amount each day has been shown to:

• Reduce mortality by 14%
• Reduce chance of cancer by 10%
• Reduce chance of cardiovascular disease by 20%
• Reduce risk of getting diabetes by 50%

Think you are “immune” from developing diabetes? The number of people who develop it are staggering:

• 35% of adults ages 20 years or older and 50% of adults ages 65 years or older have pre-diabetes
• 25.6 million, or 11.3% of all people age 20 or older have diabetes
• 10.9 million, or 26.9% of all people age 65 or older have diabetes

Weight loss decreases risk of diabetes. For every kilogram of weight loss, there was a 16% reduction in risk, adjusted for changes in diet and activity.  Increased physical activity was important to help sustain weight loss. Among 495 participants not meeting the weight loss goal at year 1, those who achieved the physical activity goal had 44% lower diabetes incidence.   Diabetes Care  September 2006,  vol. 29,  no. 9,  2102-2107                                               

So, getting in shape in 2012 will allow you be healthier, richer, and more attractive. Where do we start?

From Men’s Health editor David Zinczenko in his book The New Abs Diet.

Weight Loss Program Variables: Caloric Intake and Calories Burned

The two main variables that contribute to weight loss are caloric intake and exercise or calories burned. This illustrates how the different program variables can affect estimated weight loss.  Keep in mind this is theoretical. Actual results may vary.

Client SJ 1/10/12

48 year old female, 5’5 inches, 222 pounds

BMR: 1641 Calories/Day

Calorie needs to maintain her weight are about 2256

1. Calorie intake

1750 calories per day.

2256 calories are needed to maintain her weight minus 500 calories per day deficit= 1750 per day intake = 1 pound loss per week

1256 caloric intake per day.

2256 needed to maintain minus 1000 calorie per day = 1256 per day intake = 2 pound loss

2. Exercise amount = calories burned
200 calories exercise x 7 = 1400 calories per week burned = .4 pound loss per week
600 calories exercise x 7 = 4200 calories per week burned = 1.2 pounds loss per week

SJ has several options to choose from depending on how much weight she want to lose:
1. 1750 calorie intake per day and 20 minutes exercise= 1.4 pound loss per week
2. 1750 calorie intake per day and 60 minutes of cardio =2.2 pound loss per week
3. 1256 calorie intake per day and 20 minutes exercise= 2.4 pound loss per week
4. 1256 calorie intake per day and 60 minutes of cardio = 3.2 pound loss per week

So weight loss can vary depending on caloric intake and caloric expenditure. For someone beginning a program I would recommend option 1 and gradually increase the amount of exercise done. Option 3 would also be a good start although I wouldn’t recommend this low of a caloric intake for more than a week straight. It is important to maintain metabolic rate and too much of a decrease in caloric intake can decrease metabolic rate.

In reality this low 1256 caloric intake is difficult to continue on a daily basis. I find that most people when given this information end up using this information as a general recommdation to eat 1256-1750 calories per day and to exercise 20-60 minutes per day resulting in a 1.4 to 3.2 pound loss per week.

Lynn’s Fitness Progress Report

At 49 years old, Lynn began training with me with a history of little to no exercise
and she was quick to tell me that she didn’t enjoy working out.  Her goals
were to tighten her body, increase her strength and lose inches. 

After 4 months of workouts with me three days a week and a nutrition makeover,
Lynn’s results were amazing.

Lynn lost 5 inches, her body fat went down 4.2%, and her pushup strength increased
600%. It is interesting to note that with all these results her weight actually
increased .8 pound. This illustrates that with the correct nutrition plan and exercise
program that lean mass is maintained or even increased and body fat decreases. 

Lynn now loves to exercise! She works out on a regular basis and continues to
see new and exciting changes in her body.

Lynn says: Best personal trainer ever!

I have never been able to stick to an exercise program but Maria changed that for
me in a big way. When I started with her in May I was extremely unfit. I had tried
other trainers, classes, gyms etc. but I’d always end up hurting myself or
being so sore I couldn’t get out of bed the next morning! She has shown me that
getting and staying fit is absolutely attainable and amazingly fun! I feel better
than I have since my 20′s. Thank you Maria, you have literally changed my life

Stella’s Fitness Progress Report
Stella’s results illustrate the importance of incorporating a well designed strength training program. Notice that Stella “only” lost 3.4 pounds but her efforts resulted in an astounding loss of 9 inches and 1.7% body fat in ten weeks. Her lean muscle mass increased as well as evidenced by her ability to do 14 more pushups than when she started her program.

Had Stella not been working with someone who was tracking her progress she might have felt disappointed with the results she saw on the scale. 3.4 pounds doesn’t seem like much weight to lose for all her dieting and exercise effort. It is important to understand that muscle weighs more than fat and strength training increases valuable muscle.  If you have been working out with weights and watching what you eat, the number on the scale may stay the same or even go up. So the scale may not be a good indicator of success with a program. Body fat loss, inches lost and strength increases are better indicators of success than the scale. Frequent retesting can help maintain motivation.

Update: As of the date I am posting this blog 11-12-11 I am happy to report that Stella has lost an additional 4 pounds and is wearing jeans that she hasn’t worn in over 7 years!

Results in 2.5 months:

Decreased body fat: 1.7%

Decreased weight: 3.4#

Decreased inches:  9 inches

Increased pushup strength 200%