Team
Fit Express
Blog Post
July 18th, 2012
Happy Hump
Day everyone!! It’s week 7 of the Samson’s Dropping Pounds for Hope Challenge!!
Wow the weeks are flying by!!! A very interesting topic was presented to me a
few times this week. It seems a few people, despite having started exercising
much more regularly and intensely than before, have managed to either not lose
any weight, or worse…gain weight! How is this possible? How can one increase
their activity and exercise but gain weight?
First
things first…
Is the
number on the scale going up because you’re gaining fat or muscle? Muscle is
denser than fat and takes up less space in the body. This means that if you are
gaining muscle at a faster rate than you are losing fat, the scale could
actually go up instead of down. The best
way to be sure is to have your body fat tested or take measurements, rather
than just relying on the scale to measure progress. As long as your body fat
percentage is decreasing and/or you are losing inches, keep doing what you’re
doing and don’t worry about the scale!
Okay, so the
scale is going up and you’re not losing inches. UH OH!! There are many factors
that could be preventing you from seeing the results you desire. In honor of
week 7 of our challenge, here are 7 reasons you might not be seeing the results
you want…
7 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight
1.
Eating Too Much.
Exercising
sometimes leads people to eat more than they did before and often times too
much for the following reasons:
·
Exercise
makes you hungry.
·
Many
people “reward” themselves with food for working out.
·
Eating
more than you’re burning. Exercise does not burn near as many calories as
people think it does. You would have to run for almost an hour to burn off the
calories in a Big Mac! Add another 10-15min to burn off a can of Coke! Let’s
not even think about the french fries! So even though exercise is important to
your health and can definitely help burn some extra calories, it’s not a good
idea to exercise in hopes of being able to eat more.
2.
Not
eating enough.
Confusing
right? It happens often though. If you are not eating enough to fuel your newly
active lifestyle, it can actually slow your efforts. When you drop your calorie
intake considerably and add to that increased exercise, your metabolism responds
by slowing down to conserve calories. Thus, rather than losing those unwanted
pounds, your body holds on to them for dear life!
3.
You’re dehydrated.
Staying
hydrated before, during, and after exercising is crucial. Even the slightest
dehydration can cause the body to retain excess water. Aim for no less than 2
liters of water/day and be sure to drink water before, during, and after your
workout.
4.
Not enough sleep.
Not
getting adequate sleep can cause the body to store fat more efficiently. It can
also increase stress levels and lead to late night snacking…extra
calories!
5.
Stress
Many
people turn to food during times of stress because it temporarily relieves the
feelings of stress. In addition to the mindless eating, stress also has a
physiological effect on your weight loss. Stress triggers the production of
cortisol, which causes the body to store more calories as fat and retain water.
6.
Medication
Many
medical prescriptions have side effects that consist of weight gain or water
retention. Ask your doctor if any of your medication could be affecting your
weight loss efforts.
7.
Medical Condition
Certain
medical conditions, most commonly thyroid problems can make weight loss much
more challenging than normal and sometimes even lead to weight gain. Make an
appointment to see your doctor and rule out any possible medical conditions if
you have exhausted all other possibilities.
Jena’s Jump on Nutrition
Orange dreamsicle Protein shake
·
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
·
½ PACKET ORANGE CRYSTAL LIGHT OR ½ CUP
LOW SUGAR ORANGE JUICE
·
½ CUP FROZEN MANGO (OPTIONAL)
·
MIX WITH ICE AND WATER TO DESIRED CONSISTENCY
Lessons
from Lou
For
those of you who don’t know, there have been some twisted ankles on my watch in
the past. I take for granted everyone can do what I can do. Then it occurred to
me, why have I not twisted my ankle in 20 years or so, even though I slip off
the curb some times, or trip over the rug at work? I had a football coach about
30 years ago (yes I am that old) who had all of us do a series of ankle
stretches and strength builders at every practice. I realized I am still doing
them to this day every morning when I get up.
You
start by standing on the outside edge, or blade, of your feet for a count of 20
“Mississippi”. When you get good at it, do one foot at a time instead of both
together. Then you roll them to the inside standing on the arches, raising the
blades of your feet off the floor. Then rock back on your heals, lifting your
toes off the ground, again for 20 “Mississippi”. Next, stand on your toes, like
a calf-raise as part of the series, holding for the same count.
Lastly,
you take one foot, bending your leg, and put the top of your foot on the ground
behind you, and press down slightly, like a lunge. This technique will stretch
your ankles as well as strengthen them over time, and it doesn’t hurt the
calves either! Stick with it and hopefully in the future, the next time you
slip or twist a little, you won’t get that same swollen ankle injury.
Lou’s
Clues
It
has been said, this is not just a diet or an 8-week challenge, but it should be
a lifestyle change. Does it take time? Yes! Does it take commitment? Yes! Does
it take sacrifice? Maybe…depends on if you consider giving up your time on the
couch, or pushing that extra inch of pencil, or putting that greasy, fatty
“fast food” in your mouth a loss. Would you consider more energy, feeling
better, missing fewer days at work, and more time being active, a gain? As an
accountant in my day job, I can tell you that sounds like a profit to me.
How
to make those changes from a real person’s experience:
If
you problem is TV and video games, like mine was, start small. Xbox as a timer
to limit playing time, meant for parents to use on kids; I used it on myself.
Start buying “exercise” games. And set a time limit, like an alarm, for when
you will get up and do something.
If
your problem is eating out, because of convenience or lack of cooking skill
(like me), then start looking for the lighter, healthier choices on the menu.
Learn how to order vegetables steamed and not cooked in butter. As you begin to
change your taste profile preferences, you will find it easier and easier to
pick the healthy things and miss the bad stuff less and less. Go two weeks not
eating sweets or drinking sodas, and then take a bite or a sip of one, and it
will shock you how drastic, overpowering, and dramatic the taste of the sugar
is to you.
If
you problem is time, then trade some things around, or make time at home. (we
would love to see you at Samson’s all the time, but we understand) Get a
kitchen chair with regular legs (don’t get a roll around office chair like I
did the first time), and you can do dips on the seat, lunges into the seat,
step ups, split squats, pushups, box squats, and raised-leg sit ups. Grab a
towel and you can do resistance workouts with yourself, holding the towel in
one hand down, and fighting to pull it up with the other hand for curls. Behind
the back like that, works for tricep extensions. Just do something; it only
takes 21 days of doing something to make it a habit.
Good
luck and welcome to your new life!
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