Yesterday we talked about the discouragement that most people feel when they decide to start exercising to loose unwanted pounds and it doesn’t seem to work. Today we’re going to find out why.

First, let’s start with some facts:

• 1 pound (lb) of human fat contains 3500 calories.
• 30 minutes of moderate to intense aerobic exercise burns between 200 and 400 calories.
• 12-ounce can of Pepsi or other soda contains 150 calories.
• In-N-Out Double-Double contains 690 calories.
• McDonald’s regular size fries contain 210 calories.

Now let’s do some math:

Q1: John is 10 lbs overweight. John begins a new exercise program that will include 30 minutes of aerobic exercise per day. How many days will it take for John to lose 10 lbs through just the aerobic exercise alone?

A1: At 10 lbs, John has accumulated 35,000 calories (10 lbs x 3500 calories per pound) worth of fat that he will need to burn off . Exercising 30 minutes a day, it will take John 117 days to burn of the calories contained in 10 lbs of fact. This assumes of course that John does not add any additional fat pounds during this nearly 4-month period.

Q2. Jane is 8 lbs overweight. She plans to start an exercise program that consists of 15 minutes of aerobic exercise per day. How many days will it take Jane to lose 8 pounds through exercise alone?

A2: At 8lbs, Jan has accumulated 28000 (8 lbs x 3500 calories/pound) calories of fat. If she exercises only 15 minutes a day, it will take her 187 days to lose 8 lbs. This assumes of course that Jan does not add any additional fat pounds during this nearly 4-month period.

You get the picture. Exercise is a critical part of weight management, and it has benefits beyond the scale. However, exercise alone will never be enough for sustained weight loss.

Stay tuned for Part 3!

Warmest Regards,

Coach Paul
www.lifechangingcoaching.com

“And if your home is just another place where you’re a stranger, and far away is just somewhere you’ve never been. I hope that you’ll remember, I am your friend.” – Rich Mullins

Life-Changing Coaching by Paul Edward is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivative Works 3.0 License.

The number one reason that most people start a new exercise program is to lose weight. They’ve either become tired of making excuses for the fat they’ve been slowly gaining around their bellies, thighs, or arms or their doctors have told them that they need to shed some pounds for health reasons. Whatever the case, they head off to their favorite clothing stores, buy new work out clothes, and then head off to a local gym to purchase a membership.

This is great! They start out a little inconsistently at first, but soon they are working out 3 to 5 times a week. They sweat, they push themselves, and they get into an active routine. They feel better about themselves as they seem to have more energy and be less irritated and stressed out. But when they look at themselves in their mirrors, it doesn’t look like any of that hard work has paid off. The fat is still there and when they step on their scales, their weight hasn’t gone down.

Now they get discouraged. Slowly they start to reduce the number of days that they go to the gym. Eventually they stop going altogether. A few weeks after starting out so strong, they are back to the sedentary lifestyles that they had wanted to leave behind.

Does this story sound familiar? Perhaps it’s your story. If so, you are not alone. Thousands of people across America repeat this same cycle of going from sedentary to active back to sedentary again. Why do they give up? It’s simple really. The reason that most of us start new exercise programs is to lose weight. When we don’t lose any weight, we figure that exercise is just a big waste of time, effort, and money. So we quit.

It’s no surprise then, that this phenomenon of working out without experiencing any weight loss has fueled the myth that exercise doesn’t have any value for people who are looking to lose weight.

In Part 2, we’ll take a look at why this myth is not true as we explore the missing ingredient for real weight loss.

Warmest Regards,

Coach Paul
www.lifechangingcoaching.com

“And if your home is just another place where you’re a stranger, and far away is just somewhere you’ve never been. I hope that you’ll remember, I am your friend.” – Rich Mullins

Life-Changing Coaching by Paul Edward is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivative Works 3.0 License.

Welcome to the first post in our series devoted to improving your physical health. We will be using information provided to us by the Exercise IS Medicine campaign. If you haven’t done so already, I highly recommend that you visit the Exercise IS Medicine website for useful information and valuable resources.

In today’s post, we are going to be discussing: STARTING AN EXERCISE PROGRAM

Starting an exercise program can sound like a daunting task, but just remember that your main goal is to boost your health by meeting the basic physical activity recommendations: 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity at least five days per week, or vigorous-intensity activity at least three days per week, and strength training at least twice per week.

YOU SHOULD BE SURE TO CHECK WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE STARTING ANY NEW EXERCISE PROGRAM, EVEN IF YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE.

Here are a few guidelines for healthy adults under age 65 with no apparent chronic disease or condition:

• STEP 1 – Set aside time each day to exercise. Getting started can often be the most difficult part of any exercise routine. Scheduling exercise into your day and making it a priority will increase the chance of being successful.
• STEP 2 – Choose cardiovascular activities you enjoy, such as swimming, biking, or playing basketball with friends to get your daily physical activity. If you need a variety of activities to stay motivated, combine a few that appeal to you. Physical activity can be accumulated through a variety of activities, not just running. Walking is a great way to do moderate-intensity physical activity. Moderate-intensity physical activity means working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat, yet still being able to carry on a conversation.
• STEP 3 – Start with 10 to 15 minutes of cardiovascular exercise daily. Each week, add five minutes to your exercise routine until you reach 30 minutes of moderate-intensity for a minimum of five days per week. Alternately, you may do 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise three days per week. The 30-minute recommendation is for the average healthy adult to maintain health and reduce the risk for chronic disease. It should be noted that to lose weight or maintain weight loss, 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity may be necessary.
• STEP 4 – Incorporate strength training into your routine. Do eight to 10 strength-training exercises, eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise twice a week. This can be accomplished by using dumbbells, resistance bands or your own body weight. If you are unsure how to perform the exercises correctly, seek the advice of an exercise professional.

Here are a few guidelines for adults over age 65 (or adults 50-64 with chronic conditions, such as arthritis)*:

• STEP 1 – Begin by following the four steps listed above. Both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity is critical for healthy aging.
• STEP 2 – If you are at risk of falling, perform balance exercises. If you are unsure how to perform the exercises correctly, seek the advice of an exercise professional.
• STEP 3 – Have a physical activity plan. Older adults or adults with chronic conditions should develop an activity plan with a health professional to manage risks and take therapeutic needs into account. This will maximize the benefits of physical activity and ensure your safety.

*If your physician has not cleared you for independent physical activity, you should exercise only under the supervision of a certified professional.

Now that you’ve read the guidelines, are you ready to get started? I hope so! Once you are ready to begin, I invite you to download a My Commitment to Exercise! worksheet by clicking here. Research shows that the best way to turn good intentions into great results is to be specific about what you plan on doing and to put your plan into words. The My Commitment to Exercise! worksheet will help you do that.

Download it, fill it out, initial it, and sign it and then get started. I’d love it if you faxed me a copy of your signed commitment. That way I can congratulate you for taking that important first step and also support you when the going gets tough and old habits and patterns rear their ugly heads.

I also encourage you to share this information with your friends and invite them to join you in your commitment to exercise. Surrounding yourself with social support will make it easier for all of you to achieve your goals.

I look forward to hearing from you as you start this journey.

Warmest Regards,

Coach Paul
www.lifechangingcoaching.com

“And if your home is just another place where you’re a stranger, and far away is just somewhere you’ve never been. I hope that you’ll remember, I am your friend.” – Rich Mullins

Life-Changing Coaching by Paul Edward is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivative Works 3.0 License. .