MCM008:  Kudos

Kudos For Low Carb: Excuses, Excuses; Stop Avoiding The Many Benefits of Exercise

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Excuses, Excuses; Stop Avoiding The Many Benefits of Exercise (Related)

Many people dread exercise and have a personal list of excuses to avoid it. And we all believe our excuses are valid. We easily fool ourselves. But guess what? As the band ‘Air Supply’ sang it, “You can’t fool me, I’ve been loving you too long…”

Here’s a few answers to excuses:

“I’m too busy,” or “I have no time.” If you watch an hour, or even a half hour of television a day you have time to workout. Do it while you watch your favorite show. Or TiVo the show for later and push PLAY on your favorite exercise DVD.

“I’m injured,” or “I hurt.” Unless you hurt every inch of your body you can still workout. Broken or bruised hip, knee or ankle? Do an upper body workout. Strained shoulder, elbow or wrist? Use your legs. Ride a bike, stepper or treadmill. Also many injuries don’t rule out swimming or pool aerobics. Ask your doctor. And if your issue is not an injury but arthritis or tendonitis your doctor will likely advise you that exercise is beneficial.

“I can’t afford to workout. Gym membership, exercise equipment and exercise tapes cost too much.” I’ve written about this before. Hogwash! If you have a radio, stereo, or MTV and floor space you can work out. Dance to the music or march in place. Do calisthenics and isometrics (and you don’t need to buy a book to learn these, just Google it). Your body doesn’t care if you work out on $5000 Nautilus machines or $150 Power 90X DVDS or dance around your living room to free radio. It responds regardless. Your mind may beg to differ and your ego (or Id) may cry out for new fitness gadgets (mine does!) but your body is smarter than your mind. Give it the movement it craves and it will deliver with improved health, weight loss, more energy and much more.

“I don’t burn that many calories with exercise. Why not just eat less?” Calories burned versus the effort you put out may seem like very little pay off. The true benefits of exercise aren’t necessarily weight loss related. Weight training and aerobics are necessary for maintaining your vitality, energy, longevity, and “functional fitness” especially as you age. The choices you make now, in your twenties, thirties, forties, fifties and onward, will directly impact your capacity in your later years. Do you want to be stuck in a rocker or wheelchair? Or do you want to be an active and independent senior who can play with your grandchildren, do your own shopping and chores, and perhaps go golfing, skiing, or even jogging?

And don’t forget the most overlooked pay off of regular vigorous exercise; pain relief, endorphin release, and a sexy body. Not to mention more than one study indicates fit people have better sex lives, less depression, better choices in mates, and even a higher earning capacity.

In The News

These two articles were side by side at Google News. So who are you going to believe?

Who was paid to slant their study? Who had an agenda?

Submitted by Jeffrey Workman on May 11, 2007 - 5:56pm. Diet and Fitness | Health | Weight Loss

(Best Syndication) Researchers in London say that people who maintain their weight via diet rather than exercise may have major fat deposits near their internal organs. It is possible to be skinny but fat at the same time, according to the Imperial College researchers.

The fat that accumulates around the organs (visceral fat) can be more dangerous than extraneous fat around the body (subcutaneous periphery fat). "Being thin doesn't automatically mean you're not fat," said Dr. Jimmy Bell, a professor at the Imperial College, London. . "The whole concept of being fat needs to be redefined," said Bell.

Bell and his team took MRI scans of scanned nearly 800 people to create "fat maps" showing where people store fat. They found that people who maintain their weight via exercise have less internal body fat around the organs.

Cutting Calories, Not Exercise, Best Way to Lose Weight

Study Finds Calorie-Cutting is Best Long-Term Solution

May 12, 2007

Exercise is healthy, but it’s not an effective way to lose weight.

New research done at the University of Alabama at Birmingham suggests that for those who have been successful at losing weight, reducing calories is an effective way to keep weight off, especially when it is difficult to find time to exercise.

In findings published in the May issue of Obesity, the researchers report that 80 percent of study participants maintained their weight loss during two years of follow up, and most did it primarily by sticking to a low calorie, low energy density diet.

“Our results show that individuals who successfully maintain body weight after completing the University’s EatRight Weight Management System consume fewer calories and have a lower energy density dietary pattern than those who do not maintain body weight,” said Jamy Ard, M.D., assistant professor of nutrition sciences and medical director of EatRight Weight Management Services.

“This calorie control led to successful weight maintenance despite the fact that these individuals did not meet recommended exercise levels.”

Ard and colleagues followed 89 former EatRight participants for two years. The 80 percent who had successfully maintained their weight loss consumed fewer calories than those who gained weight, and tended to eat a diet consisting of low energy density foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

A low energy density diet means an individual can eat more yet take in fewer calories than with high energy density foods.

“While the importance of physical activity is well established, our study demonstrates that adopting a lower calorie, low energy density dietary pattern may reduce the amount of physical activity that is truly necessary for weight maintenance,” said Tiffany Cox, M.P.H., program coordinator for the EatRight follow-up study.

“This could have a positive long term effect on weight maintenance by giving individuals a more easily attainable physical activity goal, which they may be more likely to pursue.”

Ard says research indicates that failing to reach an exercise goal can cause a decrease in self-efficacy and self-satisfaction, eventually causing individuals to cease exercising altogether.

“It’s clear that exercise combined with a low energy density diet is the best approach for weight loss and overall good health,” said Ard. “But many people report finding time to exercise is a major obstacle. It’s encouraging to report that weight loss can be maintained primarily through a low calorie diet.”

EatRight, created at UAB more than 30 years ago, is based on the concept of time-calorie displacement, which encourages a substantial intake of foods that have fewer calories by volume such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, while limiting consumption of foods that are calorie-dense such as meats, cheeses, sugars and fats.

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