Losing Weight in 2015

(Old Guys Who Get Fat in the Winter, Patrick O'Grady)

Many of you made New Year’s resolutions that involve losing weight and getting back into shape.

You’re not alone — most Americans need to make (and follow through) with that same resolution. Statistics indicate that 69 percent of people over the age of 20 are overweight (BMI of 25-29.9) and within that group 35 percent are considered obese (BMI over 30).

The good news is that — over time — overweight individuals can lose the flab, increase muscle tone and reverse the effects of too much food and not enough exercise.

Simply put, weight loss means burning more calories than you take in and it takes approximately a 3,500 calorie deficient to burn one pound of fat.

Eat less food, cut back on high-calorie drinks such as beer and soft drinks and increase the amount of exercise that you do.

‘Calories burned’ is the sum of exercise calories plus your basal metabolic rate with basal metabolism accounting for approximately 70 percent of all calories burned. You can approximate your base metabolism using a calculator such as the one online at bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator.

Your base metabolism will stay about the same or even decrease somewhat as you age, although you can ramp it up with cardiovascular exercise and strength training that builds muscle.

Increasing the amount of lean muscle is good because it burns more calories than fat, thus increasing your base metabolism.

Lack of exercise intensity is one key area where many people fall short related to burning calories during exercise.

Short slow walks with your dog or those twice-weekly ‘no sweat’ 20 minute workouts in the gym, while still beneficial, will not accomplish what’s needed if you’re trying to lose weight and tone muscles.

Instead, you need to consistently exercise long enough and at a high enough intensity to really make a dent in those fat cells.

Aim for at least 60 minutes of exercise per day, five to six days a week, with a combination of low intensity aerobic exercise (60-65 percent of your maximum heart rate), some high intensity (75 percent of max heart rate or higher) and several days that include strength training.

You can get an estimate of your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220 and then use a heart rate watch to make sure you’re ‘in the zone’ during workouts.

One good way to structure your fat-burning exercise program is to do at least two days per week of higher intensity interval sessions (body pump, spin classes or interval workouts on gym equipment) with one or two days of lower intensity aerobic exercise between each of the high intensity days.

Fast walking or walk/jog is also a great way to get your heart rate up and burn calories. Start with 20-30 minute sessions on a treadmill or on a soft dirt/grass surface (avoid pavement). Warm up with a brisk walk for a few minutes, then alternate one minute of fast walking with one minute of easy jogging. Gradually increase the length and speed of the ‘run’ segments (i.e., two minute run and one minute walk; three minute run, etc.).

You can do the same type of interval workout on an indoor or outdoor bicycle. Warm up with easy riding, then go harder for 1-2 minutes, relax and spin easy for recovery and repeat that cycle for 20-30 minutes.

Add in strength exercises on several of the days and you’ll have a solid program that, when coupled with smart eating habits, will result in a slow erosion of the pounds that you’re wanting to lose.

One additional suggestion is to keep a workout journal. Write down the minutes per day of exercise, note what the workout(s) were, track your daily weight and then calculate your average weight for each week. The data in the journal will keep you honest about what you’re actually doing and it also lets you look back and see what worked based on weight and fitness improvements.

My final tip is to set some goals with a time line. Establishing goals means you’re working toward something instead of just working out. Goals can be something like ‘lose five pounds by May 1’ or ‘complete a 4-mile walk in 70 minutes by June 15.’

Last but not least, be sure to consult with your physician before starting any type of new exercise program.

Remember — the best weight loss formula is to eat less and exercise more.



Upcoming Events
Jan. 10 (rescheduled date): Resolution Run, roadlizards.org/events/ecvfd-resolution-run-2015/

Jan. 7-11: Cyclocross National Championships, usacycling.org/2015/cyclo-cross-nationals

Jan. 17-Feb 21: Trail Running Series, roadlizards.org

April 11: Castell Grind cycling race, castellgrind.com/home.html