If there is one thing I have heard over the years from people (especially women) is that they do 40 minutes to an hour of cardio several times a week and can’t understand how they don’t lose weight. Cardio alone might be fine for the young who’s muscles aren’t shrinking yet with age (atrophy), but as we approach child bearing years and mid-life, it just won’t cut it!
I’ve been coaching clients about nutrition and exercise for almost 25 years now. There are 3 things that I have found that keep us from losing weight.
1. We tend to overindulge on simple carbohydrates and don’t get enough protein. Let’s face it…….eating carbohydrates made from flour, sugar, and processed foods raises insulin in the body. Which lends to fat. Eat your carbohydrates from things that are grown in the ground. Preferably as organic as possible. I’m not a big component of wheat or soy and know that they can cause weight gain. We just don’t digest wheat as we get older, and our wheat today is not what it was when I was growing up. So many things such as soy and corn and others are genetically modified. (a whole other topic and blog!) Protein is essential for weight loss. Of course it should be good quality protein. Starting your day with a good protein and fat is so important for body fat loss. It will boost your metabolism for the beginning of the day and keep you satisfied for hours, and balance your blood sugar at the beginning of the day . I love my organic whey protein shakes from New Zealand because of its bio-availability and amino acid profile for building lean tissue and muscle. I have all my clients (young and old use this!) Add a good protein to all of your meals during the day.
2. Not removing toxins at a cellular level will hold onto body fat. Every day we are exposed to an overabundance of herbicides, pesticides, petrochemicals, heavy metals, food additives, synthetic drugs—just to name a few. America is the most obese country in the world. Part of that is what we allow in our environment and foods. It has been proven by science now that our bodies will produce extra body fat and water to encase and protect us from these toxins. Many endocrinology experts have found that an increase in chemicals disrupt the function of our hormone system and lead to weight gain. I believe, and have had tremendous results with nutritional, cellular cleansing at a deep level to help myself and clients lose body fat and feel more energetic.
3. Exercise needs to be muscle building exercise—–things that will increase metabolism. (and no ladies, you will not get big and bulky). Your muscles burn calories at a faster rae than stored body fat. I believe as we get older (30’s on), strength training becomes more and more important to keep weight off and energy up. Five pounds of body fat is about 5x larger than five pounds of muscle. Fat takes up alot of space in the body. We start losing muscle at the rate of 10% each year starting at the age of 30 or younger. This causes our metabolism to slow down. When you have adequate amounts of lean muscle you will burn calories even when resting or watching TV! Not only is it important to maintain lean muscle as we get older, but strength training helps our bones stay strong. You can also have a cardio/strength training workout by doing interval training (moving from one exercise to the next or super setting so your heart rate goes up.) Strength training can help build strength, power and endurance, control weight better, lower body fat, improve appearance and build self-confidence! I’m not saying to skip the cardio, but if you have just been doing long endurance cardio and not losing weight, try adding 3 days of strength training to add lean muscle to your body and see what happens. These 3 factors I have talked about give great results to those having trouble getting those stubborn pounds off!
Healthy Blessings,
Debbie Sherrick/ InsideOut Wellness/Life Coach
