Fitness: It’s the (Not So) Little Things That Count

So here we are, a couple months into 2008. You made that New Years Resolution to get in shape. You’re hitting the gym like a madman and following all the workout advise that you read about in some magazine by some insane personal trainer/physical therapist who thinks he knows what he is talking about; you even bought this crazy kettlebell thing he kept saying is so great. So why isn’t the weight pouring off? Why don’t you still have enough strength to lift yourself off the couch or the energy to even care. What is going on here?

Now, let me preface what I am about to say by stating clearly that I am not a nutritionist or registered dietician; nor do I have any special training in analyzing sleep patterns. But, I am aware of many of the problems out there that people have and I am going to attempt to make you more aware, too.

Fitness is like a love triangle with constant battles between the exercise component, the rest/sleep element, and the nutrition/diet factor. If one is out of balance, none of it will fit together right. I always talk about exercise, so now we are going to focus on the other two.

Sleep/Rest

The National Sleep Foundation reports that while exact sleep requirements differ among people, the general rule of thumb is:

Adults = 8 hours

Teens = 9 hours

Younger = more

You need to realize that working out hard is great, but muscles don’t grow or get stronger when you work out, it is the recovery process where muscles repair themselves from the workout and can become bigger and/or stronger. The National Sleep Foundation further notes other areas that are affected by improper sleep:

• Memory and learning – Sleep seems to organize memories, as well as help you to recover memories. After you learn something new, sleep may solidify the learning in your brain.

• Mood enhancement and social behaviors – The parts of the brain that control emotions, decision-making, and social interactions slow down dramatically during sleep, allowing optimal performance when awake. REM sleep seems especially important for a good mood during the day. Tired people are often cranky and easily frustrated.

• Nervous system – Some sleep experts suggest that neurons used during the day repair themselves during sleep. When we experience sleep deprivation, neurons are unable to perform effectively and the nervous system is impaired.

• Immune system – Without adequate sleep the immune system becomes weak and the body becomes more vulnerable to infection and disease.

• Growth and development – Growth hormones are released during sleep and sleep is vital to proper physical and mental development.

There is more to sleeping properly than just getting in the required number of hours. Proper sleep actually involves 4 stages ranging from light sleep to deep and dreaming stages. A person cycles through these stages throughout their sleep time. To insure that all stages are achieved, and achieved enough, consistency is needed. It is important to generally go to sleep and wake up at roughly the same time each day (straying every now and then won’t kill you). If there are any factors that are limiting your ability to fall asleep at a consistent time, you need to address them. Things like eating too soon before bed, watching TV while falling asleep, and participating in physically or mentally stressful activities too close to bedtime are common disrupters of sleep (although not for everyone). My advice is to keep a sleep log for one month. A sleep log is fairly simple and should include information such as: bedtime, time you actually fell asleep, time you woke up, number of times you awoke during the night, how well you slept, how you felt when you woke up, and how you felt the rest of that day. Try it and see how you feel.

Nutrition/Diet

So, is anyone confused about what the heck they are supposed to eat? With all the diets out there it’s enough to drive a person absolutely crazy. It would be nice to think that all of the diets were created in an attempt to truly improve a person’s life in terms of weight loss, energy, control of diseases like diabetes, etc; but while some of that may be true, a lot of the diets are only improving the bank accounts of the diet “creators.” For most people, it is not hard to know how to eat right; it is doing it that’s the problem. Let’s face facts, many people cannot lose weight via diet because either they just eat too much or what they eat is garbage. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that eating pizza, cheeseburgers and drinking beer daily is not a staple for proper nutrition. Many of the diet programs out there do work and the reason people do not have success is because they do not do them correctly.

All that being said, there are many others who do not overeat, and eat what they think is healthy and still have problems. Before I let you know some details, let me first say again, that if you are using weight loss as the benchmark of proper diet, you must consider whether the other areas are balanced (exercise and rest). Assuming they are, here are some things to consider:

1) Calories: 3500 calories = 1 lb. (an excess 3500 calories = gaining 1 lb., a deficit of 3500 calories = losing 1 lb); 1 gram of protein and/or carbohydrates = 4 calories, 1 gram of fat = 9 calories, 1 gram of alcohol = 7 calories

Sounds simple right? Wrong. It is not just about total calories you eat or do not eat, but how you utilize those calories.

2) Metabolism: The number of calories used by your body during various activities, including rest.

Example: 2000 calorie per day diet – 500 calories burned during exercise = 1500 calories left to use for the rest of daily activities. If 2000 calories are required for daily activities, then there is a deficit of 500 calories. Therefore, in 7 days one pound of body weight will be lost (500 x 7 = 3500); however, if only 1000 calories are required for daily activities, then there is an excess 500 calories. Therefore you would gain 1 lb. in 7 days. This is metabolism – the higher the metabolism, the more calories burned. Factors that affect metabolism include: body size/weight (heavier = more calories used, although this mostly refers to calories used during activity vs. rest), body composition (greater lean body mass/muscle = higher metabolism), age (metabolism decreases with age), sex (sorry ladies, men burn more calories), drugs (don’t do drugs!), heredity, hormones, stress/anxiety, and temperature (good news for Michiganders – more calories are used in colder temperatures). To calculate your metabolic rate, use these formulas:

Women = 655 + (4.36 x W) + (4.32 x H) – (4.7 x A)

Men = 66 + (6.22 x W) + (12.7 x H) – (6.8 x A)

* W = weight (lbs.) H = height (inches) A = age (years)

3) Food quality: These days everything is about being quick and convenient – welcome to fast food. Not only do we have to deal with fast food, but in an attempt for certain industries to make money, things like preservatives, chemicals, and basic “fake food” are rampant. It is very difficult to look at an ingredient label and see less than a dozen ingredients, half of which you need a degree in biochemistry or nutrition to even know what it is. Last, just because the calorie count may be low (such as with carbohydrates), your body only uses so much before it gets stored as excess, generally as fat.

So with all this information, now which diet should you choose? Realize that weight loss will not happen overnight, and even with proper diet, the loss may not always be consistent.You may even experience some weight gain at certain points, especially if you are exercising.

The best thing I can tell people is to start keeping a food log. Record everything you put in your mouth, how much of it, and what time you did it. Be as specific as possible. For example: turkey sandwich with whole wheat bread (2 slices), 5 slices of lean turkey, lettuce, tomato, mustard at 11:15 a.m.; 16 ounces of water at 1:33 p.m.; 3 jellybeans at 10:42 p.m.

Doing this may make some things more obvious. I had a client who thought she was eating healthy, and then via her food log, discovered she was eating Oreos every hour! It was only one or two at a time, but it adds up. Eventually what you want to see is about six small meals per day, spaced fairly equally. No eating right before bed. Try to balance carbs and protein – most people are excessive with their carbs (most of your snacks/munchies – the things you throw a handful of in your mouth without thinking are either carbs or fat) and the body only uses so much at a time. Eat a lot of vegetables and a decent amount of fruit. Try to have real food.

These are very basic rules for a difficult task. Unlike exercise, which only takes about an hour, you have to think about what you eat the whole time you are awake (which should only be 16 hours – see above). Two excellent resources for nutritional information are: The Metabolism Advantage by John Berardi, and The Anti-Estrogenic Diet by Ori Hofmekler (for both men and women).

Rest and nutrition are two areas that are all too often neglected, and just as important (if not more so) than anything else. Put some time into focusing on these areas if you truly are looking for improved fitness and life quality.

For more information regarding rest/sleep, and nutrition/diet; as well as to download sleep and food logs – contact Bob at bob@functional-strength-training.com, or visit his website at www.functional-strength-training.com.

Emery King: A Man Dedicated to Healthy Living

For nineteen years on Channel 4 WDIV, we all watched him as he gave us the evening news with a sense of honesty, integrity and humor. Now, Emery King, 59, is the Communications Director for the Detroit Medical Centers, a post that he assumed two and a half years ago. The electric energy of working for a medical facility as comprehensive as the DMC is on par to working in the lightening bolt pace of a newsroom. For Emery, he has found his element once again.

As part of this month’s celebration of men’s health, we thought we would sit down with this famed former newscaster and learn about what makes Emery, who turns sixty later this month, move and think like he was thirty years younger.

Being mindful of his health has always been in the forefront of Emery’s mind and actions. Getting in shape has never been a problem for him. It is maintaining the weight that he worked so hard to achieve that challenges him.

“I’m not one of those people who is blessed with a fast metabolism. I’m a naturally big guy and as I’ve become older, it becomes much harder to take off those extra pounds that are so easy to put on,” says Emery.

When he was younger, he was an avid runner but a few sprained ankles and the wear and tear of pounding the pavement day after day took its toll on him.

“I loved the solitude of running but I never liked the process of it,” says Emery who now takes full advantage of The Brasza Center, the state-of-the-art fitness center the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan maintains for its patients and DMC employees.

In order to combat the tendency for the pounds to creep on, Emery works out a minimum of three times a week and sometimes with the extra guidance and motivation of his personal trainer, Pam Haretski. Variety is key for this media man who mixes it up by doing a variety of cardiovascular exercises with strength training.

“On the weekends, I get in a lot of walking even in the colder temperatures. During the summer, I’ll add swimming and even yard work to my weekend routine in order to keep things interesting,” says Emery.

His health challenges and goals are just the same for men his age. In order to make sense of all the wellness information we receive, The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has put together a list of the six most important things men of all age can do to be healthy. Here’s a look at what they are:

• Get the recommended screening tests. Consult your doctor to find out what tests apply to you and how often you should be screened.

• Be tobacco free. If you do smoke, talk to your doctor about quitting.

• Be physically active. Try to get in 30 minutes or more of moderate physical activity most days of the week.

• Eat a healthy diet. Think color and fresh by emphasizing vegetables, fruit, whole grains and lean protein.

• Stay at a healthy weight. Make sure that your intake balances out with your energy expenditure.

• Take preventive medicines if you need them.

Emery can put a check mark next to virtually every one of these recommendations. But he does admit to one Achilles heal when it comes to his diet:

“My one bad habit is ice cream. Even in the cold weather in the winter doesn’t stop me from eating it,” he says.

When he is in his zone, he prefers to not have any of the creamy stuff around. Even though Emery’s personal trainer has been lecturing him on the value of moderation and how a healthy diet should not eliminate any one kind of food, he still prefers having ice cream chilling in the grocery store frozen section rather than in his icebox.

He also tries to keep red meat and refined carbohydrates down to a minimum and instead up’s his intake of fish and vegetables. Being on the go during the day, he avoids the temptation to get the quick fast-food meal on the run and instead opts for Caesar or Greek salads and takes advantage of the DMC cafeteria for healthy selections when he is in the office. With breakfast as his favorite meal, he skips the pastry section of Starbucks and instead skillets up his own egg white omelets.

For all the men out there who aspire to have the energy and discipline that Emery does, he has his own thoughts of advice for all Detroit men who are looking to stay on top of their health goals.

He recommends finding work that is meaningful, getting enough sleep and taking some time away to free your mind. Turning off the computer, cell phone and blackberry and having time to yourself to meditate or simply sit quietly is a vital component of any healthy lifestyle, he says.

Additionally, he suggests casting fear aside and schedule a physical examination. “Arming yourself with knowledge and action can put truth to Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s adage of ‘the only thing to fear is fear itself,’” says Emery.

Working for one of Michigan’s largest medical facilities has also rubbed off on him in some very important ways.

“With the technology and medical advancements that I see all around me, I become more and more fascinated by the human body, its capacity to heal itself and what we can do to prevent illness,” says Emery.

He takes this intrigue and applies to his own life by keeping up with his regular physical examinations including seeing a urologist twice a year since prostate cancer has such a high incidence among Black men. As he has gotten older, he has become more concerned about his health and takes the necessary preventive steps to ensure that he is doing all he can to live a long and healthy life. And, if his personal trainer has any say in his lifestyle choices, a dish of ice cream every now and then is an okay part of this healthy living plan.

Our Get Fit Challenge Winner Shares Her Success

Several months ago we offered the chance for our readers to tell us why they wanted to get in shape. We received many submissions from people across Southeast Michigan. Some had never exercised and wanted to get started, others had once been fit but over the years had let themselves “slip.” Even more were concerned about their health and their abilities to enjoy the every day things in life.

The person we would select would have the opportunity to workout at Bally Total Fitness for three months with a personal trainer.

We selected 28-year old Elizabeth Schmaltz whose story reflected her battles with diets, working out and losing unwanted pounds. Elizabeth was like many people who struggle with obesity, she knew she needed to lose weight, but didn’t know how to go about it. Even though she had a gym membership, she was too intimidated by the equipment to get an effective workout.

As our winner, Elizabeth has spent the last three months working out at the Bally Total Fitness in Troy with certified personal trainer Brian Gambino. Brian put Elizabeth on a workout plan and gave her nutrition guidance, beginning with a food diary to monitor what she was eating. A disciplined workout combining cardio and weight training and Elizabeth was on her way.

We are happy to report that Elizabeth has lost 25 pounds since she started.

So, how does she feel now?

“I feel great, fantastic, to the point where people are starting to notice. I had a co-worker who said, ‘Oh, I can see your collarbones,’” Elizabeth candidly shares with us.

Great attributes to Elizabeth all through this process have been her humor, optimism and motivation. She has never pretended that her weight hasn’t been a struggle, yet she is comfortable with who she is. Her primary goal was to be a thinner, healthier, Elizabeth.

Although getting started was difficult, she is now a natural around Bally Total Fitness.

“I’m pretty familiar with all of the machines in the weight area and I’m increasing my own intensity in cardio,” says Elizabeth. “I’m doing some jogging and that is going really well. I really like it, it’s a challenge; but it’s a good one.”

She has also been able to change her outlook on her past eating habits. By keeping a food diary, she was able to monitor what she was eating, how much, and how many calories she was consuming.

“It was tough doing the food diary. I was trying to justify eating a muffin in the morning every day, I’d say; ‘It’s okay to eat a 400 calorie muffin.’ But now to look back, I ask myself, ‘Why was I doing that?’ It was awful to do at first, but there was no way I was going to write down 12 potato chips,” says Elizabeth. She has since changed that attitude and consistently logs in what she eats throughout every day.

Elizabeth is very positive about her experience and her success at losing weight. “I think I thank you every time I talk to you, but this has been enlightening and has been such a good experience. I’m so glad I took the opportunity to do it,” she says.

She also recommends that others in her situation take the opportunity to get into a gym, and even hire a personal trainer.

“I would say it is a worthy investment even if you do it for two or three sessions, just get an idea on what to do, and what machines to use. There is a ton of information online that is helpful. But, you really just have to try and find a way to stick with it,” she suggests.

Elizabeth credits her personal trainer, Brian Gambino, of Bally Total Fitness for getting her on the right track. “Working out with Brian was fantastic! He increases the intensity of what we do every week and there were a lot of exercises I was doing and I wondered what I was doing to myself? But once I got used to it, I just figured out that this (workout) was how it was going to be and I embraced what was given to me,” says Elizabeth.

She adds that working out with Brian was “fun” and that he continually supported and motivated her throughout their time together.

Elizabeth is well on her way to improving her health as she continues to work out on her own. She still gets to the gym 5-6 times each week, despite working a full-time job and earning her second bachelor’s degree in business at Oakland University.

She has not quite set a final weight loss goal for herself, but is taking things “one day at a time.”

“As a person who has never been thin, I have no idea of what anything less than 200 lbs. looks like, so once I get there, I will decide how far I want to go,” says Elizabeth.

Somehow, I think whatever goals she sets, she will reach.

Editor’s note: Be sure to watch for our January issue when we wrap up this series with Elizabeth’s personal trainer, Brian Gambino, share her workout with you, as well as excerpts from her food diary.

And the Winner is… Elizabeth Schmaltz

Recently, we announced our “Get Fit Challenge” in conjunction with Bally Total Fitness. Many of you, our readers, submitted very compelling stories telling us why you wanted to get fit. Though it was a difficult decision, we narrowed down our choice to one winner: Elizabeth Schmaltz.

As the winner of our first annual Get Fit Challenge, Elizabeth will receive a twelve-week membership to Bally Total Fitness. She will have a program designed to meet her individual fitness goals. With the assistance of a personal trainer, she will learn how to workout safely and efficiently and will reap the benefits of a healthy eating and exercise routine.

Congratulations to Elizabeth! We wish her the best of luck as she embarks on her new journey toward personal fitness. Here is her entry:

I am hoping it isn’t too late to enter the contest! My name is Elizabeth Schmaltz, and I am a 27 (soon-to-be 28) year old single female, who is anxious and excited to lose weight. At 280lbs, I have a lot of weight to lose, but I try my best not to think of the cumulative number. Thinking of losing 140lbs all at once can be a little overwhelming, to say the least.

Like everyone else, I feel like I have tried every diet (healthy and o therwise) and every exercise regime known to man, but haven’t been able to stick with any thing. Partly because I have a tendency to become horrifically bored very easily and partly because I just haven’t found something I enjoy doing enough to commit to it. I can be found once or twice a week in a Pilates class with people half my size and twice as athletic, flipping my bum over my hea d in what some yoga gurus call “the candlestick pose.”

I would like to state for the record that my version of this exercise in no way resembles an actual candlestick! Mine looks more like the candle itself, after it has almost completely melted and is sort of drooping to the side, etc. Needless to say, it just isn’t that pretty. On the other hand, it does give me a small sense of satisfaction to know that I am keeping up with everyone else in the class, regardless of how I look doing it.

Other than Pilates, I am somewhat clueless when it comes to the gym. I can generally be found wandering aimlessly through the cardio section of the gym, hopping from machine to machine because I don’t know how long to do anything. I can usually be found on a treadmill or an elliptical trainer, but that is where my gym excursions usually end. I am too scared to wander over to the weight lifting section of the gym. I feel as though I should know what I am doing in order to be there. Seems like everyone there knows what to do, except me. Every once in a while, I will get up the courage to walk over there, only to suddenly discover just how uncomfortable I really am. I then fly through a couple of sets on the few machines I do know how to use, and will head out as quickly as I came in. It is unfortunate to feel as though you are excluded from a whole section of the gym because of being intimidated. I have read a lot of information about the importance of weight training, but because I am too nervous/scared/intimidated to try or ask, I am really missing out on some exercises that could be really beneficial. That was my main reason and/or motivation for entering the contest. I want to feel confident walking over to the weight lifting section, and I think with some direction and training, it could be done.

I guess what I really hope to get out of being in shape is self-confidence. I want to feel comfortable in my own skin, and to be noticed. I am looking to feel as though I have the potential to turn heads! As someone who has never been in shape or thin, I want to know what it feels like. To see if it really is as good as I have made it out to be in my head. I want to get into shape because I am curious. I want to see if life would be different, or if I would somehow be different. I want to stand up proudly to say that I did it, that I was able to lose 140lbs! To be able to say that would be one of the proudest moments I could think of. In my mind, it would be amazing, and I would be a better person for having done it. I want to be someone that others can look up to and know that they aren’t alone in the battle to lose weight.

I hope you will consider me for this challenge because I would truly love to participate in it. I would love the opportunity to work out with someone who knows what they are doing and can show me how. I want to know what exercises would work best for me, and how to do them properly. Most of all, I want to be able to flex my bicep muscles into what some may call the “gun show” pose, and not have my eye poked out by flying arm flab! The whole point of striking that pose is to look cool, and when your eye is suddenly poked out by flying flesh, the coolness factor drops significantly, and the potential for eye surgery and a pirate patch increases by a factor of ten.

– Elizabeth Schmaltz

Health & Leisure Magazine will be following Elizabeth over the next three months, monitoring her progress as she begins her journey toward personal fitness and bringing her story to our readers. So be sure to watch for the “Get Fit Challenge” update in our next issue!