Fitness Philosopher

Exercise Is Not The Solution to Long-Term Fat Loss.

Christopher's Commentary:

Based on the literature (much of which I wish I'd been exposed to long ago), there's never been conclusive evidence that exercise (whether it's moderate or high-intensity) is responsible for long-term weight loss.  Want proof?  Consider all the people you've known, heard of or read about that transformed their body -- and maintained that transformation -- through exercise alone.

Exercise (read: strength training and/or cardiovascular training) does not exist for the function of fat loss.

You want to develop body awareness, strength, power, endurance. . . overall performance capacity?  You find training to be enjoyable?  Exercise is a great choice to get the job done.

You want to burn body fat?  It comes down to genetics, stress management, quality sleep and quality nutrition.

A good exercise program can enhance the effects of a healthy lifestyle, but it is only one variable in the equation for fat loss and health.  Exercise because you love it.  Exercise to improve performance.  But don't rely on exercise for long-term fat loss because that's just not it's primary purpose.

The Myth of Moderate Exercise
By LAURA BLUE

(July 28, 2008) -- Obesity experts agree that daily exercise is essential for good health, but whether it can successfully lead to long-term weight loss is a question of much debate. What has become increasingly clear, however, is that the conventionally accepted advice — 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity most days of the week — is probably insufficient to spur any real change in a person's body weight.  A study published July 28 in the Archives of Internal Medicine adds to the burgeoning scientific consensus: when it comes to exercise for weight loss, more is better. It suggests that obese people would have to exercise at least an hour at a time to see any significant difference in their weight.  (More. . .)

One Big Misconception of "Low Carb". . .

. . . seems to be that low carb is synonymous with no carb -- that carbs are completely axed from the daily menu when you follow this nutrition plan.

Simply put, this isn't the case.

In fact, instead of calling this diet low carb, maybe it should be referred to as "low starch" and/or "low sugar" to remove some of the confusion.

Low carb suggests that we regularly choose carbohydrate sources that are low in starch and sugar.  While this surely reduces our daily cumulative intake of starch and sugar, it doesn't necessarily equate to reduced consumption of foods considered to be "sources of carbohydrate."

How?  Because not all carbs are created equal.

Many of us think "carbs" and picture foods like bread, pasta, quinoa, baked potato, wheat flour and rice. . . foods that taste good, are full of energy and loaded with starch and sugar.

But carbs also consist of foods like spinach, lettuce, zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms, avocado, cantaloupe, raspberries, strawberries. . .foods full of vitamins and minerals, full of fiber and low in starch and sugar.

Low carb is about quantity - quantity of starch and sugar that we eat - but it's more about quality.  It's about choosing carbs that provide significant nutrient density without overlaoding us with sugar and provoking chronic secretion of insulin.  Look to eat quality carbohydrates (in terms of starch and sugar content) and there will be plenty of quantity to indulge in.

 

Going Against the Grain.

Whether this was written by George Carlin or not, I love the message.

Paradox of Our Time
By George Carlin?

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.

We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less.

We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships.

These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. . .
______________________________________

May we all live fulfilling lives because we sidestep these trends. . .

Picture Perfect Weight

Consider this scenario. . .

You dedicate 12 weeks to improving your nutrition habits, managing your stress and training hard . . . and the results are in:

• The hypertension and high cholesterol you had?  Gone.
• Your energy levels are consistently through the roof.
• You sleep better.
• You look refreshed, awake, younger.
• You can see a tangible improvement in your physique and the clothes that once tightly clung to you are falling off.
• Your friends and family can't take their eyes off you and are amazed at the transformation you've made.
• You never imagined that you could sustain a healthy lifestyle for 12 weeks, let alone achieve it. . .  and then have a desire to maintain it.
• You are living life to the fullest and filled with happiness.
• You LOVE the way you look.

Can you picture this?  Do you have this image burned into your mind?

Now, you step on the scale in front of you for the big weigh in.  You look down with anticipation and discover. . . that you weigh 2 pounds more than when you started.

Does that change anything?

Too Much Weight on Weight Loss?

Christopher's Commentary:

We can't seem to shake this obsession over calories in vs calories out and scale weight, can we?

In terms of energy, a calorie is a calorie - whether that calorie comes from fat or carb (or protein).  It does not matter what the source is if we're only discussing food in the context of energy.

In regards to "what you weigh," that number tells you next to nothing outside of, well, what you weigh.  There are more important variables to consider -- body composition, cardiovascular health and overall metabolic function -- and they are determined more by the quality of the food you eat, not the quantity. (Thankfully, this article does point this "quality factor" out.)

So, neither the fat nor carb calories showed an advantage over the other in terms of weight loss?  No big deal.  Be wary of headlines like this that sensationalize the link between calories - whether they come from fat or carbs - and scale weight.  It's akin to judging a book by it's cover. . . and one of the reasons why Eugene and I, in our book Unlock Your Strength, suggest that you throw your scale out the window. . .

Which Are Worse: Calories from Carbs or Fat?
Time.com Consultations

(July 15, 2008) -- If you're one of millions of Americans trying to lose weight, you probably wish you had a more effective diet than the one you're on now. And if you're wondering whether Dean Ornish's low-fat diet will help you shed pounds better than Dr. Atkins' low-carb menu, the answer is simple: it doesn't matter. Scientists know that on a molecular level, different types of starch and different types of fat have varying effects when they hit the body. But in terms of weight loss, low-fat diets and low-carb diets overall are equally effective (and, most of the time, neither will help you keep the weight off long-term), says Walter Willett, chair of the department of nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health.  (More. . . )

How To Experience Heart Failure Without High Cholesterol.

Read the article below.  It'll do the trick. . .

Christopher's Commentary:

Will the insanity ever end?  Apparently, the memo still hasn't gotten out that healthy fats and cholesterol are not the enemy -- despite countless studies that have pointed this out.  Or that there are plenty of alternatives to giving synthetic drugs to anybody, let alone children.  Anybody around here ever considered processed foods, refined carbohydrates or sugar to be a problem?

At least the American Academy of Pediatrics had the wherewithal to suggest that "the first course of action should be weight loss, more physical activity and nutritional counseling."  Hmmmm.  As long as the nutritional counseling is not "heart healthy" as determined by the ADA or FDA (read: low fat, high carb), these obese kids might have a fighting chance.

Cholesterol Drugs Recommended for Some 8-year-olds
By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer

CHICAGO (July 7, 2008) -- For the first time, an influential doctors group is recommending that some children as young as 8 be given cholesterol-fighting drugs to ward off future heart problems.

It is the strongest guidance ever given on the issue by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which released its new guidelines Monday. The academy also recommends low-fat milk for 1-year-olds and wider cholesterol testing.

Dr. Stephen Daniels, of the academy's nutrition committee, says the new advice is based on mounting evidence showing that damage leading to heart disease, the nation's leading killer, begins early in life.

It also stems from recent research showing that cholesterol-fighting drugs are generally safe for children, Daniels said.  (More. . .)

Supernatural Intelligence.

The physical organism, your body, has its own intelligence, as does the organism of every other life-form.  And that intelligence reacts to what your mind is saying, reacts to your thoughts.  So emotion is the body's reaction to your mind.  The body's intelligence is, of course, an inseparable part of universal intelligence, one of its countless manifestations.  It gives temporary cohesion to the atoms and molecules that make up your physical organism.  It is the organizing principle behind the workings of all the organs of the body, the conversion of oxygen and food into energy, the heartbeat and circulation of the blood, the immune system that protects the body from invaders, the translation of sensory input into nerve impulses that are sent to the brain, decoded there, and reassembled into a coherent inner picture of outer reality.  All these, as well as thousands of other simultaneously occurring functions, are coordinated perfectly by that intelligence. You don't run your body.  The intelligence does.  It also is in charge of the organism's responses to its environment. (emphasis mine)
     -- Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth - Awakening to Your Life's Purpose, p. 132

Eckhart's description of universal intelligence reminds us. . .

• Why we can't out-train consistently lousy nutrition.
• Why negative thoughts can kill your training, whether it's before a session or during a rep.
• Why we have to train intelligently.
• Why awareness is a principle that must be developed and applied. . . and
• Why a foundation of health is critical for reaching (and maintaining) our maximum potential.

The more we understand and respect this concept, the greater the odds that we'll experience the results we're striving for.

Five Misconceptions of Exercise.

Heidi, Health Nut Wannabe Mom and one of my "online training" success stories, recently interviewed me about five common misconceptions of exercise.  To top things off, she shared the interview as a guest post on EZGreatLife.com -- a blog authored by John that focuses on "family, fitness and finances." 

Are you training smart, or have you fallen prey to one of the many misconceptions that exist?  Learn more by reading the article below!

Many thanks to Heidi and John for this opportunity and their support!

Five Misconceptions of Exercise
Heidi Cudnik

(7/1/2008) -- Exercise, exercise, exercise. Sometimes that word makes me want to throw the covers over my head and pretend I never heard it. Now, keep in mind that I am health nut wannabe mom and not health nut you-got-it-down mom so sometimes the whole exercise and nutrition thing can be a bit overwhelming. The great thing is that there are experts out there to help guide the wannabe’s like me until we can actually become the real thing. I decided to go to the best fitness professional that I knew of to get to the bottom of what is really going to make you lose fat and make you healthier in your exercise/training routine. I did a really informative and shocking ( I thought it was shocking because I had for years been doing most of the exercise misconceptions) interview with Christopher Warden , a New York City fitness professional and co-author of the fitness book Unlock Your Strength. This is a terrific list put together by Christopher Warden that I hope will help you as much as it has helped me to get my exercise and training routine to be its most efficient.

Five Misconceptions Of Exercise

1. Steady-state cardiovascular training (“cardio”) is the best way to lose body fat. Going out and running long distances may be great for a couple of things – pure enjoyment and, well, getting better at running long distances – but burning fat is not one of them. Why?  (More. . . )