The 80/10/10 Guide to Weight Loss

People often ask me what is the best workout for weight loss.  They are surprised when I tell them it isn't really about exercise, it is about diet.  Weight loss is 80% diet, 10% exercise and 10% genetic.

Genetics will determine some of how your body responds.  Lucky folks lose more quickly than the masses.  Men, with their increased muscle mass, take off weight much more easily than most women.  However, these are factors out of your control so focus on the two you can control - diet and exercise.

I know from personal experience that weight loss is mostly dependent on my diet.  This concept has been reinforced over the last three weeks as I've followed a detox cleanse eating plan.  I've lost 5+ pounds and actually been working out less!  For 21 days I've done yoga, light cardio and haven't even wear my heartrate monitor...and guess what?  Those pesky few pounds I've been struggling with are gone because I eliminated crappy carbs and kept my caloric intake steady.  All diet.

If you look at the numbers, it makes sense that diet is more important.  A typical gym session will only burn 500-600 calories (and that is if the person is really pushing themselves).  I know I can wolf down 600 calories in about ten minutes with a plate of brie, french bread, chocolate and a bottle of wine.  No matter how hard we try, or how badly we want to, we cannot "burn off" our caloric indulgences.

Now, I'm not saying don't exercise.  Quite the opposite.  Exercise should be a foundation and should be done routinely as part of a wellness regiment.   I do cardio and resistance training most days of the week, but I don't factor the caloric burn into my daily targets -- exercise is assumed and is a non-issue.   I workout because it makes me feel good and strong...not because it is burning a measly 300 calories.  When exercise becomes more important is during the maintenance phase.  Once the weight is off and dietary restrictions ease up slightly, exercise is crucial to keeping it off.

As the pressure to get summer bathing suit ready approaches, remember to focus your effort on what makes the greatest impact -- diet.  Don't worry about whether you burned 300 or 500 calories in your spin class...focus on what you will eat AFTER your spin class.

Stay Active and Stay Young

"We do not stop exercising because we grow old; we grow old because we stop exercising." - Dr. Kenneth Cooper

Part of my motivation to exercise comes from wanting to put off the inevitable, delaying the eventual inability to do physical activities that I currently take for granted. I remember my Grandmother taking forever (for-e-ver!) to get out of her Buick.  She couldn't ride bikes and by 80, she couldn't climb stairs. I refuse to be that woman. Or at least I refuse to go down without a fight. 

One thing I try to remember is that it is so much easier to maintain fitness than to build it back up from scratch.  Stay active and stay young.

Rowing Past The Competition

Even after years of lifting, my upper body is still pretty scrawny.  My hubby calls me T-Rex because of my disproportionately developed legs compared to my relatively small arms.  So, I love any workout that utilizes my arms and back.  Enter, the rowing machine.  

The other day, I was rowing at a decent pace, but not really pushing myself.  Until...another rower hopped on the machine next to me.  She was about my age, fit and blond.  I immediately started rowing faster and harder.  I watched how fast she was rowing and could tell she was also watching me.  I had originally intended to row for ten minutes, but stayed for fifteen.     

As women, we aren't always encouraged to be competitive, but in sports all bets are off.  I ride harder in my Spinning classes when my girlfriends are riding too.  When other women are lifting nearby, I push out a few extra reps.  I want to be the best, the strongest, the fittest...for me and my own personal satisfaction.   

Morale of the story:  If you are having trouble getting motivated, try working out with someone else...especially someone who pushes you past your comfort zone.