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.

               

Muscle burns more calories ... but how many more?

As I mentioned in my last posting, I'm about to start Chalean Extreme (CLX), a much more weight-intensitve program than I've been doing. After doing a bunch of high intensity interval training and a summer of T25, it's time to build up some muscle.

One of the catch phrases of this program is "Muscle Burns Fat". I have no doubt that this is true at some level, but will it be enough to make a real difference in my metabolic rate? In my case it's pretty unlikely... have a look at these articles:

LA Times article by James S. Fell - Put down that Haagen-Dazs

LiveStrong article - Is it a myth that muscle burns more calories than fat?

Back in August 2013, I wrote a post on "Counting Calories - Where to Start?" It talks about how to calculate your basal metabolic rate - the amount of calories your body needs to maintain itself, without accounting for any additional exercise. My BMR is currently around 1,400 calories. I don't plan to lose weight during this round - I'd like to swap about 3-4 pounds of muscle for an equal amount of fat, and drop my body fat percentage by a couple of points. Unfortunately, I don't think that means I'll be able to add many calories to my daily intake.

Current research shows 1 pound of muscle burns 7-10 calories a day, while 1 pound of fat burns about 2-3 calories. As the LiveStrong article notes, if I gain 4 pounds of muscle, I'll only increase my BMR by around 15-20 calories. I'm sure I'll enjoy those 3 grapes immensely.

Now, if someone has a lot of weight to lose, dropping the fat and adding muscle will eventually make a huge difference in that person's metabolism. And there are plenty of reasons to incorporate strength training into a workout plan beyond an increased metabolism - it can dramatically improve physical appearance, decrease the likelihood of injury, lower the risk of osteoporosis, and improve your immune system.

But I need to remember - strength training is not a pass to start eating anything I want. And in fact, I'm concerned that my new program won't give me enough cardio work. So at the end of the day, it's up to me to make sure my fitness program is balanced and well-designed to help me achieve my goals.