Exercising for Weight Loss - The Golden Rules

One of the greatest scourges of urban society in the 21st century is the desire for instant gratification. After just one day of going on a weight-loss program, we get onto a weighing scale and start judging whether the programme works or not. Not surprisingly, many weight loss programs strive to show you results the next day or even the next hour, ignoring the long term consequences to your health. They are merely trying to give you what you want.

Most people begin an exercise program designed for weight loss with the intention of sticking with it. Unfortunately, statistics show that the majority give up after a month or six weeks, having decided that the program does not work for them.

There are usually two reasons behind this decision. Individuals claiming, "they don't have the time" are often hiding the real reason, that their expectations were not met. When there is a conflict between the results you expect from exercise, and what you actually get, it is easy to predict what happens next. In my years of dealing with clients I have had the pleasure of coming across some brilliant excuses for not exercising. “My trainer ran away with my wife” and “My astrologer told me I had started at an inauspicious time” come readily to mind.

( Ref: http://www.snappreviewcentre.com/)

Most experienced exercise scientists agree that the best weight loss results are achieved by a combination of appropriate diet, aerobic exercise and resistance training, but there is a time tested aspect of weight loss that most of us never learn or are never told by our trainers or doctors.

The ancient texts on Qigong place a large emphasis on the “Three Treasures”, namely posture, breathing and awareness. This is a pre-requisite for any program which enhances health, including weight loss and weight gain. Similarly in Yoga, we have the first two steps of authentic yoga practice, which are called “yama” and “niyama”. Loosely translated, they mean observances and restraints. Needless to say, the prime mover for these exercise routines is not the body, but the mind. The development of this key quality of Mindfulness brings us to Golden Rule 1.

Golden Rule 1 : Permanent normalisation of weight is directly related to gain in awareness.

The first thing is to become aware of posture, breath, thoughts and lifestyle choices we make daily. Work on building a habit of holding yourself tall and breathing deep but without straining. Do this for a few minutes every time you remember, during the day. This awareness can be enhanced through gentle, slow, mindful yoga or tai chi.

You will find that with increased awareness, blood oxygenation levels go up, depression and toxin levels receed, metabolic rate rises, blood pressure and other chronic conditions stabilise. To top it all, aches and pains are less, stress levels are better and it is easier to handle changes in dietary and other habits. Sleep improves and the body starts becoming more energy efficient. All these are critical to start the weight loss process stress-free.

The second thing to be aware of is the fact that your weight loss goals may be unrealistic. Many people starting an exercise program are told they can expect to lose around two pounds of fat each week. Some people do. But a lot of people don’t. All traditional medicine systems treat each individual differently for chronic disorders(obesity is one of them), rather than follow statistical data and thumb rules. I would recommend a similar approach, rather than running after the latest fad diet or celebrity workout.

Let us try to list what our objectives are for losing weight. For most people they may be

1. Looking good
2. Feeling better and younger
3. Having more energy
4. A better sex life
5. Freedom from chronic diseases and disability

So what’s wrong with losing weight fast?

Rapid weight loss usually involves different types of losses which most people are unaware about. You can end up losing not only fat, but also body fluids, muscle, minerals, vitamins, bone density. If this happens, you will not achieve any of the objectives above.

A healthy programme would obviously be one where you lose mostly fat, replenish fluids, vitamins and minerals, and build muscle and bone density. The problem is that gain in muscle mass and bone density makes the weight loss seem less spectacular on the weighing scale. The body mass composition, however, does change. This means you may see positive changes in shape and strength, but less than expected change in weight, say over a 6 week period. This simple logic brings us to the next golden rule.

Golden Rule 2 : Long term sustainability is better than short term results.

Sustainability is important for many reasons. You must lose fat slow enough to regain health. Your body is “structured” with its current percentage of fat. It may take anything between 6 months to a year before it stabilises at a new, healthier fat percentage. Till then the fat will keep pushing to come back. It is the body’s way of preserving itself. Pushing hard from day one to get rid of fat either through crash diets, intensive exercise or both will only build resistance in mind and body. When exhaustion, frustration or low motivation sets in, many end up gaining back the lost weight and more, in a very short time. So start exercising only as much as you can comfortably manage when you are at your busiest! Even 10 minutes is good for a start provided it is mindful. Never allow exercise to add to your stress! If we exercise with too many unrealistic expectations, exercise becomes a stressor rather than a stress buster. Compared to the widely marketed “quick-fix lifestyle”, psychotherapists recommend a different approach, which I will put down as golden rule 3.

Golden Rule 3: Avoid the “All or Nothing” mindset.

“All or nothing” means either we lose 2 lbs as promised per week or else the program is a flop. It means if we wake up 15 minutes late for a morning workout, we curse and go back to sleep. It means if I eat some extra dessert because I got carried away, then I give up for good on the diet I am trying to follow.

This mindset is a way of punishing ourselves for the slip-ups we commit. Every time we follow this mindset, the compliance with any program is short-lived, because it triggers frustration, anger, disappointment and hence stress. When the body finds itself under stress and depleted of energy, its first instinct is to accumulate fat as an extra energy source.

Avoiding this mindset means we correct our errors, forgive ourselves and continue forward. It means we may be late by mistake so we exercise for less time today, becoming aware of what caused the error and how we can avoid the trap tomorrow. If we “exercise” kindness and mindfulness to ourselves, it will help us realise golden rule 4.

Golden Rule 4: Progressively develop an exercise plan which depends on only one factor, YOU.

It is now fairly well established that nutrition forms the most critical component of any weight loss programme. In various studies done over the past 3 decades, it was seen that the contribution of nutrition to weight loss was almost 70% with a healthy mix of aerobic and weight training contributing to the rest. However, in the maintenance phase of the body’s healthy weight, the importance of both aerobic and resistance training went up dramatically.

Western medicine tells us that the risk factors for heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, intestinal and prostrate disorders all get enhanced when the extra weight is put on around the midriff, what we call abdominal fat. Abdominal fat is your “very-easy-to-identify” wake up call. It means your body is not coping well with your lifestyle.

Your waistline is your wake-up call (http://www.carllewisfitness.com/)

Instead of stressing your body more by doing 100 crunches a day ( several programs recommend this!) it is necessary to slow down and become mindful of what you eat and what you do to rob your body of exercise and rest eg. taking the elevator every time instead of the stairs or partying / watching late night TV frequently and robbing yourself of sleep.

A simple aerobic activity like brisk walking is a great starting point. Not only does it contribute to weight loss, but it activates the circulation, oxygenation and hormone generation like no other, while being gentle on your joints and strengthening bones and muscles. Low intensity brisk walking is known to metabolise fat better than higher intensity running. Walk quick enough so that your heart rate rises to the following value:

• Number of heartbeats per 10 seconds = (220 – age in years) / 10
  

Try to hold this heart rate for a minimum of 10-12 minutes at a time before you take rest, and then repeat the cycle till you complete 30 minutes.If you feel breathless before this heart rate is reached, walk as quick as you feel comfortable and take frequent breaks. These are approximate guidelines.

Martial art movements are by far the best advanced aerobic workouts to enhance physical and mental performance. Combining this with the sun salutations will take your energy levels and mental poise to a new high. Spend one or two days in a week with one exercise form and then another. Do them with your kids. This will keep alive interest and joy.

Also introduce static postures from yoga ( you can use the same exercises which help sleep as described in the Nov,08 post!) into your routine. Balance asanas are great for toning abdominal muscles, forward bending asanas enhance detoxification and deeper abdominal muscles. If there is back or knee pain, tai chi forms are probably more comfortable initially to release stress and open energy channels.

Forward bending and balance asanas for activating abdominal and core muscles
(Ref: http://www.bodyweightculture.com/)

Once you find that your flexibility, joint stability, posture and breathing has improved, you will already feel lighter. This is a good time to engage in resistance exercises with moderate weights. You can use dumbells which are easily available at any shop. It is advisable to engage a trainer for a while. Ask him or her to teach you correct form and routine rotation. Be sure to start with low weights and high repetitions per set to tone up first, before you go for muscle growth. This will also keep aches and injuries at bay. Supplement with a lot of freehand resistance exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, and half squats, all done slowly. Limit crunches to 20 a day done slowly, without lifting your lower back off the floor and without holding your breath.

Mindfull Exercise for Weight Loss ( http://www.studymatrixart.com/)

Once you lose a few kilos, don’t be afraid to experiment with some sport like tennis or badminton or swimming, because competitive sport keeps your mind sharp and alert. Guard everyday against falling back into our old habits again. Aim for a life where you are independent of your cook, trainer, gym, equipment, city, weather, moods, budgets, preferences and aversions.

Equipment free workout ( Ref: http://www.exercise.about.com,www.nhs.uk/)

Golden Rule 5: The “How” is as important as the “What”.

Our attention is all the time on our weight and “what” we can do. A powerful lesson is to equally focus on “how” we do something. Realise how you eat, react, exercise, evaluate.Try to find a teacher who stresses on the philosophy and science behind the exercise.

Personally, I consider the “how” more crucial than the “what” for a simple reason. People follow thousands of exercise systems all over the world. The joyous, fit, healthy people you meet who are able to maintain themselves well will always teach you a thing or two about “how”, and their advice will be more or less as follows,

“Your obesity is not really around your belly, it is in your mind”.

( Disclaimer: It is advisable to do all the exercises mentioned above under the supervision of an experienced teacher. Consult your doctor before starting any exercise program in case you have a medical condition).

References:

1. Buemann,B., et al.,"Effecst of exercise training on abdominal obesity and related metabolic complications", Sports Medicine, 1996;21;191-212

2. Jahnke,R., "The Healing promise of Qi: Creating extraordinary wellness through qigong and tai chi", Contemporary Books, 2002.

3. Mcguire, MT., et al, "Long term maintenance of weight loss: Do people who lose weight through various weight loss methods use different behaviours to maintain their weight?" International Journal of Obesity, 1998;22;572-577.

4. Iyengar, BKS., "Light on Yoga Sutras of Patanjali", Ramani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute, Pune, India, 2007.