Xposure Fitness

So you want to diet (or maybe you don’t), but what exactly does that nasty little four letter word mean anyway? Diet can best be defined as the usual food and drink consumed by a human or animal. This means that whether it’s good or bad, we all have a diet.

 

With all the infomercials and fad diets we are subjected to on a daily basis our society has placed a negative stigma on the word diet. The mention of the word might even make you cringe. Even as you read the word now you may have an image of painstakingly restricting calories, cutting carbs, lowering fat intake or maybe even allowing yourself no fat at all. A healthy diet does not have to mean torture or even denying yourself the foods that you enjoy.

 

Certainly you have heard and probably know someone who lost 25 lbs in two months by restricting carbohydrates, going on a liquid diet or some other quick fix diet. Let’s take a look at the person that lost 25 lbs by cutting carbs. The average person can expect to lose about 1-2 lbs of body fat per week without losing lean body mass. Let’s say that the person lost 2 lbs of fat per week which is more the exception than the norm. This translates to 8 lbs of fat loss in 2 months. We still have 17 lbs to account for. The remaining weight was lost from a combination of water reduction and losing muscle. You may be thinking, “well the eight pounds of fat loss is still excellent!” The problem is this method leaves you susceptible to gaining the weight back.

 

The reduction of water weight will be gained back through hydration. The bigger concern is with the muscle loss. One pound of muscle burns approximately 70 calories a day. In this example, if 12lbs of muscle was lost, your body is burning 840 less calories a day! Due to this slowing of metabolism the likelihood of gaining the weight back is very high. Now think back to the friend or coworker you know that lost the weight quickly and chances are the same thing happened to them. A healthy diet begins with common sense and a little education. The best approach is making a lifestyle change. Results won’t come as quickly but they odds of the results lasting are much higher. Making a small change every week and making that change a habit is a great plan. Start simple, for example, one 8oz serving of coke contains 100 empty calories with no nutritional value. If you must have your caffeine, try switching to coffee.

 

Another easy change is to switch to a grilled chicken sandwich instead of a cheeseburger when dining out. This can trim 60 calories and 7 grams of fat. Drinking more water is another simple adjustment. Water has many benefits and should be a constant in every diet. You should consume a minimum of your body weight times 55% in ounces daily (ex. 200lbs X .55 =110 oz).

 

A good read on the topic is Eating for Life by Bill Phillips. When sifting through the media onslaught of diets and options keep in mind the age old adage, any thing that sounds too good to be true probably is. Remember, fitness alone is much harder than Fitness Together.

 

Aaron Henson is owner of Fitness Together at 61st & Yale Avenue, a premiere one on one personal training studio. Call 551.6799 or go to fitnesstogethertulsa.com for more information.

 

 

By Aaron Henson