More than 65 percent of U.S. adults are overweight, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. If you're in the majority you may already be anticipating the challenges of managing your weight during the holiday season. Factors such as stress, hunger, activity level and the number of holiday parties attended contribute to holiday weight gain, however, recent research suggests activity level and hunger have the greatest influence over weight gain. Contrary to popular belief, Americans probably only gain about a pound during the winter holiday season-but this extra weight accumulates through the years and may be a major contributor to obesity later in life.
The good news is that you don’t have to wait until New Year’s to make a change. Here are a few tips to help you stay healthy and fit over the holiday season.
Stay Active. “Get out and play an hour a day”. Just because you live in upstate New York doesn’t mean you have to hibernate all winter. You can keep off the winter layer by enjoying a variety of outdoor activities with your family and friends. Visit www.albany.com/parks for places to have fun and get fit in upstate New York.
For example: A 150 pound person can burn 500 calories by:
a. Snowshoeing for 60 minutes
b. Ice skating for 60 minutes
c. Cross country skiing 60 minutes
d. Sleigh riding for 60 minutes
Try Interval Training. Too busy to work out? Think again! Recent research has shown intermittent bouts of high-intensity activity, followed by a brief recovery period has long-term fat burning effects. Try cycling or running intensely for 20 seconds, then recover for 10 seconds. Repeat 8 – 16 times and you will be amazed how 4-8 minutes can help keep your from stacking on the holiday pounds.
Avoid Overeating. Here are few tips to prevent you from overindulging at holiday gatherings. Before going to holiday party or family gathering try eating a handful of nuts (almonds, walnuts) 20 minutes before a large meal. The healthy fats (Omega -6) found in nuts, signal the satiety hormones (Leptin) in your brain and prevent from reaching for another slice of grandma’s pie. If you’re feeling hungry, try drinking a glass of water. Your brain may be telling you you’re actually thirsty. Also, fill your plate with fruits and veggies, and lean protein. Also, go for some high-fiber foods. Foods high in fiber slow down digestion and will keep you feeling fuller longer.
For a list of whole-grain foods, visit http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org/
Skip the Sweets at Work. Holiday season usually means someone in the office is bringing in cookies or candies. This year, skip the bowl of sweets and go for some healthier options. Avoid the temptation by keeping emergency foods at your desk. Try drinking a cup of V8 Juice or eating fruit and veggies to fight the urge. Also, foods like guacamole and nuts contain unsaturated fats (healthy fats) that will help satisfy your cravings.
If you have any other suggestions on how to “Stay Healthy and Fit Through the Holidays”, please feel free to share your thoughts here.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Calculating your Caloric Needs
The Harris Benedict Equation is a formula that uses your BMR and then applies an activity factor to determine your total daily energy expenditure (calories). The only factor omitted by the Harris Benedict Equation is lean body mass. Remember, leaner bodies need more calories than less leaner ones. Therefore, this equation will be very accurate in all but the very muscular (will under-estimate calorie needs) and the very fat (will over-estimate calorie needs).
Metric BMR Formula
Women: BMR = 655 + ( 9.6 x weight in kilos ) + ( 1.8 x height in cm ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )
Men: BMR = 66 + ( 13.7 x weight in kilos ) + ( 5 x height in cm ) - ( 6.8 x age in years )
To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:
Sedentary (little or no exercise) : TDEE = BMR x 1.2
Lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : TDEE = BMR x 1.375
Moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : TDEE = BMR x 1.55
Very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : TDE = BMR x 1.725
Extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : TDEE= BMR x 1.9
Very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : TDE = BMR x 1.725
Extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : TDEE= BMR x 1.9
Alternate Method
Katch-McArdle formula (BMR based on lean body weight)If you have had your body composition tested and you know your lean body mass, then you can get the most accurate BMR estimate of all. This formula from Katch & McArdle takes into account lean mass and therefore is more accurate than a formula based on total body weight. The Harris Benedict equation has separate formulas for men and women because men generally have a higher LBM and this is factored into the men's formula. Since the Katch-McArdle formula accounts for LBM, this single formula applies equally to both men and women.
BMR (men and women) = 370 + (21.6 X lean mass in kg)
To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:
Sedentary (little or no exercise): TDEE = BMR x 1.2
Lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week): = BMR x 1.375
Moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) TDEE = BMR x 1.55
Very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week): TDEE = BMR x 1.725
Extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training): TDEE = BMR x 1.9
Calorie Needs to Lose Weight
There are approximately 3500 calories in a pound of stored body fat. So, if you create a 3500-calorie deficit through diet, exercise or a combination of both, you will lose one pound of body weight. (On average 75% of this is fat, 25% lean tissue). If you create a 7000 calorie deficit you will lose two pounds and so on. The calorie deficit can be achieved either by calorie-restriction alone, or by a combination of fewer calories in (diet) and more calories out (exercise). This combination of diet and exercise is best for lasting weight loss. Indeed, sustained weight loss is difficult or impossible without increased regular exercise.
There are approximately 3500 calories in a pound of stored body fat. So, if you create a 3500-calorie deficit through diet, exercise or a combination of both, you will lose one pound of body weight. (On average 75% of this is fat, 25% lean tissue). If you create a 7000 calorie deficit you will lose two pounds and so on. The calorie deficit can be achieved either by calorie-restriction alone, or by a combination of fewer calories in (diet) and more calories out (exercise). This combination of diet and exercise is best for lasting weight loss. Indeed, sustained weight loss is difficult or impossible without increased regular exercise.
If you want to lose fat, a useful guideline for lowering your calorie intake is to reduce your calories by at least 500, but not more than 1000 below your maintenance level. For people with only a small amount of weight to lose, 1000 calories will be too much of a deficit. As a guide to minimum calorie intake, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that calorie levels never drop below 1200 calories per day for women or 1800 calories per day for men. Even these calorie levels are quite low.
An alternative way of calculating a safe minimum calorie-intake level is by reference to your body weight or current body weight. Reducing calories by 15-20% below your daily calorie maintenance needs is a useful start. You may increase this depending on your weight loss goals.
Source: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/
Coffee Can Help you BURN FAT!
A study in the journal Metabolism found that the caffeine in two cups of coffee may cause a 145-pound woman to expend up to 50 extra calories over the next four hours. "Caffeine stimulates your nervous system, signaling the body to release a small amount of energy from its fat stores," says lead researcher Paul Arciero, Ph.D., an associate professor of exercise science at Skidmore College. "But stirring in milk, cream, or sugar can cause your insulin levels to rise, which diminishes that metabolic effect."
Don't try to accelerate the weight-loss process by sipping black coffee all day, though. Arciero recommends not exceeding three cups in a day, as too much caffeine can cause anxiety, nausea, and headaches.
Don't try to accelerate the weight-loss process by sipping black coffee all day, though. Arciero recommends not exceeding three cups in a day, as too much caffeine can cause anxiety, nausea, and headaches.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Fat Burning Zone, Fact or Fiction?
Learn why the fat burning zone is a misnomer and what exercisers should be focused on instead.
San Diego – October 13, 2009 – Perhaps the most popular exercise myth is that there is a specific range of heart rates in which your clients must exercise to burn fat. Many people mistakenly believe they should not exercise above a certain heart rate, as if it were bad to run or bike with intensity. Target heart rate has become a buzz phrase. Even many cardio machines in gyms display a “fat-burning zone” on their panels, encouraging people to exercise in a specific heart rate range. But do you really have to exercise in a specific heart rate zone to lose fat? And what happens if you venture out of that zone?
The research, presented in the October issue of IDEA Fitness Journal, sheds facts on the following:
Since more fat is used at low exercise intensities, people often assume that low-intensity exercise is best for burning fat, an idea that has given birth to the “fat-burning zone.”
However, while only a small amount of fat is used when exercising just below the lactate threshold, the rate of caloric expenditure and the total number of calories expended are much greater than they are when exercising at a lower intensity, so the total amount of fat burned is also greater.
San Diego – October 13, 2009 – Perhaps the most popular exercise myth is that there is a specific range of heart rates in which your clients must exercise to burn fat. Many people mistakenly believe they should not exercise above a certain heart rate, as if it were bad to run or bike with intensity. Target heart rate has become a buzz phrase. Even many cardio machines in gyms display a “fat-burning zone” on their panels, encouraging people to exercise in a specific heart rate range. But do you really have to exercise in a specific heart rate zone to lose fat? And what happens if you venture out of that zone?
The research, presented in the October issue of IDEA Fitness Journal, sheds facts on the following:
Since more fat is used at low exercise intensities, people often assume that low-intensity exercise is best for burning fat, an idea that has given birth to the “fat-burning zone.”
However, while only a small amount of fat is used when exercising just below the lactate threshold, the rate of caloric expenditure and the total number of calories expended are much greater than they are when exercising at a lower intensity, so the total amount of fat burned is also greater.
What matters is the rate of energy expenditure, rather than simply the percentage of energy expenditure derived from fat.
In short, this means that the highest rate of fat use during exercise occurs when you are working at a hard aerobic intensity that typically corresponds to the lactate threshold.
“Since people use only carbohydrates when exercising at a high intensity, does that mean that if they run fast or take a high-intensity indoor cycling class, they won’t get rid of that flabby belly? Of course not!” says Dr. Jason Karp, author of the article. “Despite what most think, people don’t use fat during exercise to lose fat from their waistlines. Have you ever seen a fat sprinter? Sprinters primarily train anaerobically, never using fat during their workouts. Yet they’re still very lean. Carbohydrates are actually the muscles’ preferred fuel during exercise.” For fat burning and weight loss, what matters most is the difference between the number of calories you expend and the number of calories you consume. Fat and weight loss is really all about burning lots of calories and cutting back on the number of calories consumed. For the purpose of losing weight, it matters little whether the calories burned during exercise come from fat or carbohydrates. How people become better fat-burning machines is by enhancing the metabolic profile of their muscles.
For those who want to burn fat and lose weight, high-intensity exercise will burn more calories both during and after their workouts and will also increase the muscles’ ability to use fat. People need to stop worrying about staying in their fat-burning zone—because there’s no such thing! Its good old-fashioned math: caloric output needs to exceed their caloric intake!
You can access the full “Exercise Rx” article on the fat burning zone in the IDEA Online Library: http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/the-fat-burning-zone
Source: IDEA FITNESS JOURNAL, Oct. 09 (p.23)
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Detailed Explaination of Angela's Results
Angela's Body Weight @ Week one = 174lb. At the end of 12 weeks she reduced her body weight to 153.5, for a total fat loss of 20.5 pounds. That's an average weight loss of 1.7 pounds per week.
Individuals looking to lose weight should aim for a goal of 1-2 pounds of fat loss per week, any more may result in lean tissue mass loss (muscle) and possibly lead to slower metabolic rate and fat storage.
Angela's Body Mass-Index (BMI) decreased from 34.1 (Grade I obesity) to 31, on the cusp of overweight, but still over 30, however, she is moving towards a healthier BMI. Body Mass-Index is commonly used to measure obesity, however it doesn't take into account an individuals lean body mass. BMI tends to overestimate people who are more muscular, and underestimates the elderly, or individuals experiencing a loss of lean muscle mass.
Possibly the most important factor to consider when gauging the success of a weight loss program is waist circumference. Angela's waist measurement at week one was 32.75" at the end of 12 weeks, she reduced her waist circumference by 5 inches (27.75) putting her in a healthier range for waist circumference. High waist circumference (over 35" for women ) has been linked to metabolic diseases such as heart disease, certain cancers, and diabetes because of their proximity to the heart and other vital organs.
Aside from losing 20.5 of fat, Angela also became more physically fit. She increased her localized muscular endurance in the modified push up test from 8 to 60. Her static muscular endurance in the core assessment increased from a 47 second plank hold to 2:00 minutes. One remarkable statistic was the increase in Angela's cardiovascular and aerobic fitness. At baseline during the 12-minute VO2 Max test Angela was only able to advance .75 miles in 12-minutes, resulting in a value of 21 ml/kg/min of oxygen consumed. Her baseline result, compared to the norms, was below the chart for a sedentary women of her age and categorized as very poor. At the end of 12 weeks, Angela increased her aerobic and cardiovascular endurance in the 12-minute run/walk to 1.05 miles in 12-min and consumed 34 ml/kg/min of oxygen, resulting in a good score for her age and fitness level.
VO2Max is a measurement of oxygen consumption at maximal exertion, the more oxygen consumed, the more energy one can produce at a higher level of intensity during a workout session. A higher VO2MAX indicates a higher level of aerobic and cardiovascular fitness.
In conclusion, not only did Angela achieve weight loss success, but she is now living a healthier and active lifestyle.
For more information about how Synergy Fitness and Nutrition, LLC can help you lose weight and get fit, please contact us 518.727.7081 or info@gotosynergyfitness.com.
Thank you.
Individuals looking to lose weight should aim for a goal of 1-2 pounds of fat loss per week, any more may result in lean tissue mass loss (muscle) and possibly lead to slower metabolic rate and fat storage.
Angela's Body Mass-Index (BMI) decreased from 34.1 (Grade I obesity) to 31, on the cusp of overweight, but still over 30, however, she is moving towards a healthier BMI. Body Mass-Index is commonly used to measure obesity, however it doesn't take into account an individuals lean body mass. BMI tends to overestimate people who are more muscular, and underestimates the elderly, or individuals experiencing a loss of lean muscle mass.
Possibly the most important factor to consider when gauging the success of a weight loss program is waist circumference. Angela's waist measurement at week one was 32.75" at the end of 12 weeks, she reduced her waist circumference by 5 inches (27.75) putting her in a healthier range for waist circumference. High waist circumference (over 35" for women ) has been linked to metabolic diseases such as heart disease, certain cancers, and diabetes because of their proximity to the heart and other vital organs.
Aside from losing 20.5 of fat, Angela also became more physically fit. She increased her localized muscular endurance in the modified push up test from 8 to 60. Her static muscular endurance in the core assessment increased from a 47 second plank hold to 2:00 minutes. One remarkable statistic was the increase in Angela's cardiovascular and aerobic fitness. At baseline during the 12-minute VO2 Max test Angela was only able to advance .75 miles in 12-minutes, resulting in a value of 21 ml/kg/min of oxygen consumed. Her baseline result, compared to the norms, was below the chart for a sedentary women of her age and categorized as very poor. At the end of 12 weeks, Angela increased her aerobic and cardiovascular endurance in the 12-minute run/walk to 1.05 miles in 12-min and consumed 34 ml/kg/min of oxygen, resulting in a good score for her age and fitness level.
VO2Max is a measurement of oxygen consumption at maximal exertion, the more oxygen consumed, the more energy one can produce at a higher level of intensity during a workout session. A higher VO2MAX indicates a higher level of aerobic and cardiovascular fitness.
In conclusion, not only did Angela achieve weight loss success, but she is now living a healthier and active lifestyle.
For more information about how Synergy Fitness and Nutrition, LLC can help you lose weight and get fit, please contact us 518.727.7081 or info@gotosynergyfitness.com.
Thank you.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Mission Accomplished! Week One Complete
Good Morning Boot Campers!
We've successfully completed one full week of boot camp. Great job! For the recruits who missed today's session (Dan, Naomi, Binia, Kristen, and Erin), here is a brief overview of the class. Today's focus was speed, plyometrics, and partner training. After a brisk jog to the Riverfront walkway, we continued our warm up with 100 jumping jacks, then up the stairs for the indian runs. At "Home Base" we did a series of 30 second activities that emphasized quick footwork combined with multi-directional movements to build speed and agility. The jump rope between activities allowed us to maintain an elevated heart and prepare for a smooth transition between exercises. Next, we did partner suicides at the lamp posts, one person holds plank, the other ran sprints. This series helps to develop core strength (planks) and speed while burning fat and calories from interval training. The partner band work targeted the lower body and upper back, hips/glutes, and chest while keeping the exercise aerobic. Ok, now for the partner leg press, maybe not your personal favorite, but this exercise is very effective. Everyone finished strong with the sprint/push up series and the abs/hamstrings super set.
I really appreciate the encouragement you are showing for your fellow recruits. As stated in the last email, this type of consistent, positive support will ensure everyone has an enjoyable boot camp experience. Thank you.
Have a great weekend and I will see you Tuesday morning,
Bryan
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