weight loss or fat loss?

hi guys,

we recently completed the 21 day fat loss challenge program, working with a group is always fun.

the positive energy, the enthusiasm, the camaraderie, makes success so easy and the occasional slip ups so easily manageable.

they say success leaves clues, so after the euphoria had settled down, i tried to list the reasons why we managed to pull out some great results together.

when i asked my girls to list them, there was one factor that was quite evident pretty much loud and clear- STRENGTH TRAINING.

that was my gratifications and also my sweet revenge on all those who still believe otherwise,

before i try and explain why strength training is one of the most effective tools in fat loss, let me start with the basics.

the difference between fat loss and weight loss

the difference between weight loss and fat loss is similar to the difference between living and

existing. a difference though subtle yet immense.

only looking for weight loss is something like existing- doesn't involve much of awareness, is of less value( in this case quite dangerous too)

fat loss involves a bit more, it is going a little bit deeper than the obvious, understanding how the intricate human body system works, and devising small little changes to achieve the goal.

that number on the scale

the total weight that flashes on the scale is a cumulative total of body fluids, lean body mass( includes weight of organs, bone minerals, muscles, tendons, ligament and connective tissues) and adipose tissues or fats.

any change is either one will reflect in the scale.

the "m" word

the interesting twist to the tale is the case of muscles or lean body mass . the one thing that keeps the body from gaining fat .

lean body mass ARE ACTIVE TISSUES ,constantly in demand of energy(calories). so a loss of lean body mass would mean loosing the fat burning furnace of the body.

unfortunately that's not a very difficult state to reach, a couple of ill-informed choices, some easy shortcuts and you are there! starvation diet combined with lack of activity, avoiding working on the major muscle groups and you have reached exactly where you shouldn't be!

the scary part is though the scale may still show a change but that change has less to do with fat loss and more to do with ,muscle mass loss!

the "f" word

the basic reason for high levels of body fat is un-used energy (calories )the body didn't know what to do with so stored it as fat.

the only way to do away with it is to BURN IT

the easiest solution to the problem is to raise body's capacity to burn calories

rev up the metabolism. adding an activity( involving big muscle groups like legs, back, etc), eating proteins in small proportions all through the day, keeping the body hydrated are some of the simple(definitely not very easy- nothing worthwhile is) ways to loose the a flab.

another twist to the tale, our body loves to function in a pattern, so if it has been carrying a certain level of fat for long it won't try to loose it all very quickly.

so a new lifestyle is going to be a roller-coaster ride at least 21 days.

that brings me to the concept of muscle memory"- the adaptability of our muscles are usually good, so each time there is a repair( post workout phase) the muscles try an adapt itself to the stimuli too, in other words muscles remember the workout! also means if the stimuli doesn't change every 21 days the muscles don't treat the movement as an effort.

so on one hand we are expecting our bodies to adjust to the new lifestyle choices and on the other we want our muscles not to adjust to our workout patterns.

the balancing of workout with lifestyle choices is what worked for us in our program.

we kept the routine simple- it had to be challenging and as the girls put it -painfully awesome.

after we did strength circuit training-it was cardio time- interval training for about 20 min

the high point of the program however was the post-workout green-tea session, as a trainer that would give me an idea as to how the real lifestyle changes were going...any professional in the field knows the importance of these. we can never ever design a workout that can outdo poor lifestyle choices.

all in all it was a great experience for me too, for no matter what my knowledge says, i am only a success if my clients are getting results from it.

cheers

hail the mom's

motherhood is the biggest change the woman's body goes through. i call it overhauling of the body, physically we change, go through an emotional roller coaster ride and come out a different person( a better one for sure) and the remuneration of going thorough it all is immensely gratifying and totally worth it.

the old life with almost carefree days are forgone without much of a second thought,

we don't mind the long nights and busy days, however sooner or later the one thing we want back is the old(pre-pregnancy) body!

so this weeks post is my take on post-pregnancy fat-loss ( my son turned 2 this nov and i am fitting into most of my old clothes, so i guess i am qualified to have a take on it now! )

the fat-loss will be slow- the body has gradually changed the shape in 9 months so it will come back to the original shape gradually . however the earlier we start better off we are.

exercise increases energy levels- the little one is a blessing, every blessing needs extra care and thus extra work, no matter what the movies show you ,you are actually not going to be sitting on the queen size bed with ladies singing and dancing around you. chances are you would dancing through the day juggling tasks, trying to maintain some kind of a routine....multi-tasking takes a new leap after pregnancy.... exercising gives you the positive energy to deal with the new found pressures.

exercise will also give you a sense of control, the endorphins (also known as the happiness hormones) keeps the post-partum depression at bay, my personal experience says i never quite experienced the halo of motherhood till i felt the sweat on my face.

dieting is never recommended till you are feeding the child, however binging ain't recommended either.once a fitness regime begins a lot of binging automatically stops.

strength training helps to tone up faster.working with the muscle groups also improves postures and bone density, if you have been exercising before the pregnancy then start (after your doc gives a go) with 4 workouts(2 strength and 2 cardio) per week,otherwise start with a mild cardio(30 min) 3 times/week

that brings me to the most important part of this post -

all the advises and techniques that we learn or preach are immaterial if they don't work on our clients, so it is always a pleasure to have people who prove that we are DOING GOOD.

my clients- sumitra and jyoti

both primy mothers who were exercising with us till about 7 months of their pregnancy, who joined us back the moment their doc's gave them a go.

sumitra joined back within 4 months of her delivery and today she is one of my fittest clients( i am sure her group partners will vouch for that) always positive and ever-ready to go for the extra"5" as we call it...she is a treat for any trainer

.jyoti's daughter turned 2 months and she joined back, even i was surprised but then she was determined as her doc had given her the go. pregnancy is a source of joy and not a disease is her motto and we are already seeing results of that attitude.

way to go gals, it has been a real pleasure to have you on board.

thanks again and hoping to see great results together.

cheers