Tuesday, April 29, 2014

What's up with these wraps???


           All over the Internet, people are selling body wraps that you can use at home. How can you miss them? These products promise a miraculous reduction in body fat, with inches melting off thighs, belly and arms. There are a number of theories provided to explain how this process works, from simple water loss to somehow depleting excess fat in your adipose cells.
               
           I don’t want to talk about whether these things “work”.  I have no idea, because I’ve never tried a body wrap. I figure it’s like any other cosmetic type of treatment you can get at a spa – like having a facial. It’s relaxing, your skin feels nice afterwards, and it’s a generally pleasant experience. So a body wrap might be a nice thing to try right before a big event – maybe you’d temporarily lose an inch or two, so you could zip up that dress more easily? Why not…

But here’s my issue– too many people seem to be marketing body wraps as some magical weight loss solution.  I’ve seen these extraordinary before and after pictures – people who’ve lost 100+ pounds using wraps – but I have no doubt that diet and exercise played the biggest role in the results being attributed to the wraps.

It’s a huge mistake to focus to heavily on the cosmetic aspects of excess weight, without addressing the underlying health, fitness and nutrition issues. Let’s assume for a moment that these wraps can give you sleek, awesome thighs – those thighs won’t get you through a 5 mile run if you haven’t been training. Your belly may look flatter – but your core muscles won’t be any stronger. And even if your arms are less jiggly, you won’t be able to lift your kids above your head, and get that nice ripped look that comes from strength training.
             Don’t get me wrong – I love the fact that I’ve lost weight. I love shopping and trying on clothes I couldn’t have possibly worn last year.  But achieving some mythical perfect body (which isn’t happening at 43) is not what drives me to get up almost every day and work out. I do this because I want to have strong legs, strong arms and a strong back. I want to be flexible, so I can move around without pulling a muscle. I don’t want to go back to having the stiff back that I had when my core muscles were weak. I want to be able to jump high, run and do a headstand if I feel like it (yoga, anyone?). No wrap is going to give me that.
                Most important, in 30 years, I want to be able to travel, hike with my grandkids, ride a bicycle – to the best of my ability. I want to remain active for as long as possible, and I don’t want to leave anything on the table. There are no sure bets in life, but leading an active, healthy lifestyle NOW is the best bet for staying active and healthy over the long term.
                So if the idea of body wrapping appeals to you, give it a try. I’ll keep having my occasional facials, because they’re relaxing and fun. But don’t use them as a substitute for hard, sweaty workouts and healthy eating. Because there are no shortcuts to physical fitness and wellbeing. Push your limits, fuel your body – then enjoy that wrap or trip to the spa as a well-earned reward.
               

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

I got into shape.. So what's next??




For the past year, I’ve been determined to get myself into shape. Back in 2005, I was doing OK, because I was running a lot. I even managed to finish a couple of marathons. But in retrospect, even though I could run 26.2 miles, my overall fitness wasn’t that great. I ignored my core, didn’t do any strength training at all, and couldn’t be bothered to do a push-up. Even though my endurance was pretty good, I had loads of room for improvement.
                 
Then I got complaisant. I started running less and less, until I was hardly running at all. Gradually, any muscle I’d built up had reverted to flab. By the time I turned 42, I had a nice little muffin top. I figured that once you reach 40, these kinds of changes are inevitable. Right?
               
Last year, I decided to put that theory to the test…could a 42 year old woman actually lose the flab, rebuild all that lost muscle and uncover her abs?  I started doing home video workouts and – within months – I’d shed the extra weight. I wound up weighing 10 pounds less than I did when I finished high school. By adding strength training, I achieved definition in my arms, my shoulders… and yes, even my core. Today, I feel strong, fit and I know that, if I keep up my daily fitness routine, I'm likely to stay active for decades to come. Which is great...
                 
But now that I'm in shape, what do I want to DO? That’s the next question.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my home workouts. The 30-45 minutes I spend working out most days offers a tremendous payoff, in terms of conditioning and strength.



A few weeks ago, in my online group, another member realized that for a long time, he’d been eating right and exercising to lose weight. Now, he’s realized that the excess weight is gone – and he can embrace running… or hiking … or cycling… simply for the joy of doing it. Now, workouts are designed to sculpt the body, make little adjustments, maintain endurance – but that huge, long-term weight loss goal has been achieved. This involves a huge shift in mindset, and it’s one that I’m still coming to terms with myself. Now, I think I need another goal.

A few weeks ago, I had my first tennis lesson – ever. I’ve always wanted to learn to play, but have never taken the time. Believe me, I was awful. But I had fun, I know a lot of people who play, and it’s something I can learn. I've been toying with the idea of pulling my running shoes out of the closet again... maybe another 10K is in my future... or maybe a half-marathon?

I’ve always wanted to climb a mountain – not Everest or anything, but something challenging...

Will that be in my future? Who knows… but at least I know that it's possible. Stay tuned!

Friday, April 4, 2014

Don't Diet. Just Eat Well.



A few days ago, I talked about why exercising simply to lose weight is not enough. Exercise is something that needs to be incorporated into your life – it’s not something you should stop once you hit some random number on the scale. 

The same rule applies to nutrition. 

I used to diet when I wanted to lose weight. By that, I mean I would severely cut back what I was eating, feel hungry and miserable. Then, after losing a few pounds, I would go back to eating the way I did before the diet. Remarkably, I never kept the pounds off. 

Fortunately, this changed for me once I started working out. At first, my motivation wasn’t in the right place. When I first got started, I picked the hardest workout program I could find because I wanted to lose weight without changing my nutrition habits. Fortunately, I realized that at the very least, I needed control portion sizes - so that’s where I started.

By making that one simple change, I started to lose weight. I figured out about how many calories I should be eating, and adjusted my portions accordingly. Soon, I realized that the healthier my food choices were, the more food I could eat (thus avoiding hunger). I started to incorporate a wider range of vegetables and lean meats into our diets. I started buying quinoa and kale, and chose organic foods whenever possible.  I started drinking Shakeology – a high-nutrient shake – almost every afternoon because I learned that it kept me from snacking. Gradually over time, I made changes that improved my nutrition, I achieved my target weight, and I built muscle that makes me feel like I can take on the world.

And I didn’t diet.

Instead, I made changes that will last. My grocery cart looks very different than it did just one year ago. But I don’t feel deprived in the slightest. And, if we’re out at a restaurant or enjoying a special occasion, I feel free to indulge from time to time, because my fitness and nutrition fundamentals are sound.

That’s the goal, isn’t it? To develop good nutritional habits that you can live with over the long haul.