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Is Your Weight Loss Program Failing You?

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Published: 29Oct2008
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Are you failing at your program, or is your program failing you? In today's society it is a known fact that we have an obesity problem. The funny thing is that there is huge fitness craze going on as well. There are Health clubs and weight loss centers on almost every street corner and everyone I know currently does some form of exercise with the goal of losing weight. If diet and exercise is the answer to losing weight, and if the majority of the population participates in exercise, than why are we still fat?

Is it because people don't have the discipline to follow a program? Are the people who can't get results from these programs made differently than those who reap the benefits of diet and exercise? Maybe, Maybe Not! Or maybe it's the current weight loss and diet programs that are failing us.

In a recent study 96% of all weight loss programs failed to help even those already fit lose weight and keep it off. The study also showed that 95% of all people who lost weight gained the weight back at an alarming rate.

In the media today you are bombarded with weight loss programs that are filled with BS and big promises to give you the ripped abs you've always wanted, or those trim buns, hips, and thighs never thought imaginable. These programs are backed with brilliant marketing ads and commercials to keep you confused, That's their intention. They change the perception of their product to make you believe it's something it's not.

For example: Go to your local supermarket and grab a bottle of Slim-Fast (a proven weight loss drink). Now walk over to the beverage isle and pick up a Yoo-Hoo. Now compare the food labels of each one. Curious to see what you'll find? I'll tell ya! That can of Slim-Fast that guarantees to be the answer to all your weigh loss needs turns out to be nothing more than a more expensive version of your classic Yoo-hoo. The ingredients are primarily the same.

What about exercise? Another example: Summer time is around the corner and you have to have that beach ready body. You rush over to the store and pick up the latest edition of 'muscle & fiction' magazine. Right there on the cover in big bold red letters it states, "Ripped Abs in 15 days". The media now has your attention and has you thinking that all you have to do is buy this magazine, perform the routine in this article for the next 15 days, and you will have an amazing set of washboard abs. So you begin the routine and after the first 5 days you see a whole inch come off your waist. However, on day 8 only ¼ inch, and by day 15 you find your waist measurement is right back to where you started without any chiseled six pack. Why is this? It was flawed technology. The program guaranteed results with exercise alone. They misled you into believing that all you have to do is the exercise program provided. But they lied. Exercise is only one piece of the puzzle.

Now that we know that it's the flawed technology that has hindered you weight loss goals, let's learn how to start getting real results with your program.

Here are my five no fail strategies that I implement into all of my clients fat loss programs:

1.) In order to achieve the best and fastest results humanly possible, it is essential to incorporate what I call "supportive nutrition". This does not mean going on the latest "fad diet" or going on the classic starvation diet. Supportive nutrition simply means that you have to eat to support your life-style and physical activity demands. Instead of counting calories or trying to stick a restrictive eating plan, try to consume a more balanced nutritional program that allows you to eat the foods that will support your daily energy demands and exercise goals.

Here are a few general guidelines;

Try to consume a meal every 3 - 4 hours

Drink ½ your body weight in ounces of water each day

Try to consume a protein, starchy and or fibrous carbohydrate carbohydrate, and a fat at every meal

Avoid simple sugars

Avoid / minimize saturated fats & Eliminate hydrogenated oils

Eliminate products made from flour (e.g. - bread, pasta, cookies, cakes, bagels etc...)

Take a multi - vitamin on a daily basis

Take 3-6 grams of fish oil/flaxseed oils daily

Try to consume 1-2 servings or more of green tea

2.) Incorporate interval based cardio - I'm gonna stir gas into the fire on this one!

Long steady-state aerobic activity is counter productive for fat loss. Too much steady activity will do more harm than good with regards to fat loss. Let me explain. When you perform steady-state aerobics for extended periods of time you will increase metabolic rate (burn calories), and even burn a higher percentage of calories from fat. These are both good things. However, after you stop that bout of exercise your metabolic rate goes back to the original state, and your percentage of fat calories is only relative to how many total calories you have burned. And in the long term you will actually decrease your resting metabolic rate (amount of calories burned at rest).

For example, let's say you go out and run a mile that takes you 15 minutes. During those 15 minutes your metabolic rate increases and you burn 200 calories, with 35% of those coming from fat. Sounds pretty good doesn't it. But hold on, the next time you run that 15 minute mile you will burn only 150 calories with the same 35% coming from fat. Now you have 2 options, run longer or run faster. Option one will leave you doing endless hours of cardio in order to get the same effect, option 2 will leave you running yourself into the ground, and at some point you will have to incorporate both options. This will lead anyone to dread exercise altogether.

Alternatively, if you perform an anaerobic interval based program, you can reap the same benefits plus more. First, what is anaerobic interval training? Anaerobic interval training is simply performing high intensity exercise (i.e.-sprinting as fast as possible) followed by a lower intensity exercise (i.e.-walking or jogging). Using our same 15 minute example as above, using this type of protocol you will increase your metabolic rate and burn more total calories for the duration of exercise, while using less percentage from fat. So would you rather burn 200 calories with 35 % coming from fat, or would you rather burn 300 calories coming from around 20%-25% coming from fat.

On top of getting more caloric burn in the same amount of time, when you finish anaerobic interval based training your resting metabolic rate will remain elevated for 12-24 hours after your done. This means that you will burn more calories throughout the day at rest resulting in more weight/fat loss.

3.) When trying to lose fat you need to participate in a structured resistance training program. What you need to realize when it comes to fat loss is that the more muscle you have, the more fat calories you burn throughout the day. The only way to add muscle to your body is by weight lifting. That doesn't mean you need to become a professional body builder, but you do have lift weights with the intension of adding some quality dense muscle. Using a machine based program or performing single joint isolation type exercises (i.e.- bicep curls) won't cut it. The easiest way to add muscle and burn fat is by performing multi-joint movements such as squatting, lunging, bending, pushing, pulling and twisting. By using these types of movements you will get more bang for your buck, meaning you will burn more calories, increase strength, and build more muscle than any type of isolation or machine exercise.

4.) Set achievable and measurable goals. Setting an attainable goal will help motivate you as well as allow you to see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You need to set a time specific goal and plan your program around that date. This will help you monitor progress as well as keep you moving in the right direction. I see way too many people that want to lose weight become stagnate because they don't have that deadline. By giving yourself a specific time to lose 'X' amount of weight, will keep you moving forwards without stop.

5.) Seek professional help. It has shown time and time again that people who are most successful at weight loss all shared one thing in common. One-on-one counseling from a professional such as a personal trainer. With the guidance and support of a qualified fitness professional you will ensure proper programming, implementation, and instruction of a results oriented fitness and nutrition program.

Jason Zaretzky is Owner and Program Director of Optimal Performance Training Center, a Sports training facility located in Rockland County NY. He specializes in Athletic performance training for athlete ranging from the pee-wee to the professional. To learn mor about Jason and Optimal Performance visit http://www.rocklandsportstraining.com

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