Burning Belly Fat: What Works Best?

Of all the complaints I hear women and men make about their bodies, the most common complaint is "I just need to get rid of this belly fat..."  No one wants a "gut" and it seems fat on this part of the body is simply tough to melt away!  So what works best?

As Corey Dee Williams, a trainer friend of mine says, "Abs are made in the kitchen."  There is truth in this statement.  No matter how much exercise you do, or how many calories you burn, if you take in more calories than you burn, you are not going to see results.  You may have strong abs, but if they are under a layer of fat, no one will ever know!

In regards to exercise, a recent Duke University research study found that aerobic exercise is much more effective than weight training alone for burning off visceral fat - not "muffin top fat" - but the more dangerous fat that lives within the abdomen in and around organs. 

Researchers compared two groups - those who did the equivalent of 12 miles of jogging per week at 80 percent maximum heart rate with those who did three sets of eight to 12 repetitions of weight training three times per week.

The results?  Cardio exercise burned visceral fat and improved risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, such as insulin resistance, liver enzymes and triglyceride levels. Resistance training alone didn't deliver these perks; however, those who did both saw similar results to the aerobic group.

If you want to burn the belly fat, get your heart rate up and get moving!  Use these tips to reach your goals:

1. Calculate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220.  Multiply by 0.8 to determine 80% of your maximum heart rate.
2. Purchase a heart rate monitor and aim to reach 80% of your maximum heart rate while jogging or running 12 miles per week.
3. You can add weight training two to three times per week for other benefits, but the cardio element is vital!
4. To speed up results, cut calories by 200-300 per day using these tips:
1. Get rid of liquid calories in sodas, juices, sports drinks, alcohol and sweet tea.
2. Reduce snacks to no more than 100 calories each.  Limit snacks to two per day.
3. At meal times, use a 9-inch plate and fill 1/2 of your plate with vegetables.
4. Eliminate fried foods.
5. If you snack at night, set a cut off time for eating three hours before bedtime. 

Do you have tips that have helped you lose belly fat?  Share them with me!

Fat vs. Muscle: Does it Matter?

Next week marks my one year anniversary as a camper at Step It Up.  Thanks to our coach Ryan and the support of many friends along the way, I am stronger, my clothes fit better, I have more energy and I actually enjoy running.   I was not overweight when I started but have managed to lose over 3 % body fat along with a few inches; however, I have not lost ONE pound of total body weight.    I understand that I have built muscle and lost fat, which is why the scale has not shifted, but I now personally understand the frustration that sets in with clients when the scale doesn’t move despite months of effort.

So, you may be wondering… if you don’t lose weight, but build muscle mass and lose fat, does it make a difference in your overall health?

Absolutely.

Having excess body fat is linked to many diseases, including diabetes, cancer and heart disease.  You can be overweight according to BMI charts and healthy due to a high percentage of muscle mass;  however, I can promise you that 99% us do not fall into this category.  (Think extreme athletes, Olympians, etc.)

You can also be thin and “overfat.”  At my first body fat testing, I was at the high end of normal.  It was hard to believe since I didn’t fall into an overweight category on a height –weight chart; however, it was a wakeup call that the change I was making was a good decision.

If you are new to boot camp this month, or a vet who isn’t happy with your results, consider body fat testing.  This Monday we will offer FREE testing via a simple test on a Tanita Body Composition Analyzer using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis at the Smyrna First Baptist Church location.  You will receive a printout with your results and our dietitian (me) will go over what the results mean before you leave camp.

I would encourage EVERYONE to do this test whether you are new to camp or not, then plan to re-test in 2-3 months to monitor your progress.  If you are new, you may not see changes in your weight (especially for women building muscle) but this test will allow you to see BEYOND the scale!

Below are some guidelines for what to do this weekend to insure the most accurate test results:

• Have an empty bladder - urinate within 30 minutes prior to testing
• Drink plenty of water all weekend to be well hydrated
• No exercise 12 hours prior to test
• No alcohol within 48 hours of test
• No food after midnight

See you Monday!

Sports Drinks: Help or Hype?

During week 1 of July's session last week, a camper asked me if she should be drinking Smartwater for electrolytes and hydration during camp rather than regular water.  It's Atlanta, the middle of July and it's hot and humid.  So is Smartwater a smart choice? What about sports drinks?

First of all, hydration is key.  Theoretically, for each pound of water weight lost during a workout, you need to replace that with 16 oz of water. Now, I would love to know just how many people actually weigh themselves pre and post workout. I don't. So let's talk about more practical advice.

Good old tap water will work well.  As I've said before, generally speaking, you should drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces in total fluids each day.  So if you weigh 150lb, you need about 75 ounces per day.  When temperatures climb, you likely will need more.

A very simple way to see if you are drinking enough fluid is to monitor your urine color and quantity. If it's dark and has a strong odor, you need to drink more. If your urine is light in color and odor, you are likely doing well.  Use a urine color chart as a guide. In addition, fatigue and/or muscle weakness can also be signs that you may be dehydrated. 

In regards to electrolyte drinks - Smartwater is water with calcium, magnesium, and potassium.  Although we lose magnesium and calcium through sweat, Smartwater does not contain sodium - the key electrolyte lost through sweat - like sports drinks do.  It would be fine to drink routinely as water; however, it doesn't have sodium that sports drinks can supply.

How much of each electrolyte do we lose (on average) in 2lbs of sweat?*

Sodium               800 mg
Potassium          200 mg
Calcium                20 mg
Magnesium          10 mg

*Source:  Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook, 4th Edition

Why and when should you choose a sports drink?  If you are exercising > one hour, taking 25-60 grams of carbs per hour can increase stamina.  Sports drinks can serve a dual purpose here by providing both carbs AND water.  If you are having issues with cramping, a sports drink will replace electrolytes that may ease cramping. 

If temperatures climb and you are sweating more than usual, you may want to try a sports drink diluted with water to replace some of the electrolyte losses during exercise, even if you are only exercising for one hour. 

Keep in mind that sports drinks can provide 0-100 calories or more per eight ounces. If you are trying to lose weight, use caution with higher calorie varieties.  If you are not used to drinking sports drinks during exercise, add them slowly to see how your gut reacts to the sugar during exercise.

The bottom line? 

Sports drinks that include sodium and potassium may be helpful when exercising greater than one hour and/or in hot temperatures.  If you are focusing on weight loss, prone to nausea and/or exercising less than one hour at a time, choose low cal varieties.

Roadblocks, Curveballs, and Wrenches

This past month, I changed full time jobs.  I had been with my former employer for over nine years.  I knew the organization well, became an expert at my job and if I didn't know something, I knew where to find it.  I was definitely in my comfort zone.  But it was time for a change.

My world changed on June 1st.  I have new coworkers, new information, and new processes.  And it's challenging more than my brain. 

What I didn't expect from this change was how difficult it would be to keep up with my exercise routine.   I had my daily routine down.  And it got interrupted.

Life constantly challenges us.  We get the flu or we struggle with an injury.  We fall in love, and out of love.  We get married.  We have children.  We move.  We change jobs more than once.

But change - whether good or bad - gets to our core.  And from my experience, it creates an internal struggle until we once again find our rhythm.  How we handle this challenge is truly what matters. 

What are the keys to success?  I'm the first to admit I'm no expert on the subject, but I can share some tips I have learned from my own experience with roadblocks:

• Keep your routine as much as possible. This may be one of the most challenging things to do, but this creates some sense of normalcy in your new world.
• Don't give up on your healthy lifestyle. You need stress management now more than ever. Use exercise for that purpose alone.
• Be aware of stress eating and drinking. Food and/or alcohol are often used for comfort. If you are a stress eater or drinker, be aware of your behavior. Avoid buying foods that give you comfort, and turn to friends or family for support instead. Replace drinks at happy hour with a long walk.
• Talk with friends. Instead of opening the refrigerator, dial the phone.
• Consider trying a new form of exercise. If you've been doing boot camp for some time, maybe now is the time to try yoga on an "off" day.
• Get outdoors.   Whether you like to garden, hike, bike, swim or play sports, get outside your home.  The activity may help take your mind off what's bothering you, and this will keep you out of the kitchen too!

How do you manage change?  Share your thoughts!

Countdown to Summer: Fat Fighting Foods

Among my many subscriptions to health and fitness e-newsletters is a subscription to WebMD.  Last week's message included a link to a slide show that caught my attention.

The headline "Fat Fighting Foods" had me at the click of my mouse.  Despite a brain full of knowledge about what it takes to truly burn fat, it's amazing how a tempting headline can still catch my attention.

The slide show encourages high fiber, high protein, and high water food choices to keep you satisfied.  Despite what you may have heard about grapefruit and other foods on the list, none of them will magically burn away fat just by eating them; however, replacing a higher calorie food in your diet every day with one of their recommendations may just cut enough calories to lead to weight [fat] loss afterall!

Try these 6 tips using the "Fat Fighting Foods":

1.  Replace your regular 8 ounce fruit on the bottom style yogurt with a container of 6 ounce Greek yogurt.  My personal fave is Fage but there are many great brands on the market now.  Look for one with no more than 150 calories and 10-15 grams of protein per serving.

2.  Replace white rice or couscous with quinoa.  If you are looking for ideas on ways to cook with quinoa, visit my other blog, Weekly Wellness Digest (scroll down to the March 14th article).

3.  Replace your morning 12 ounce OJ with half of a grapefruit for more fiber and less calories. 

4.  Replace your afternoon sweet treat with sweet fruit instead.  Watermelon, berries, pears, grapes or apples make great fiber-filled choices.

5.  Replace your loaded baked potato with a baked mashed sweet potato.  If sweet potatoes are not naturally sweet enough for you, try mixing one baked sweet potato, a splash of vanilla extract, splash of skim milk, and 1 teaspoon of brown sugar or honey until smooth.  You get the flavor of sweet potato casserole without all the added calories.

6.  Replace your carb-heavy breakfast with eggs a few times per week.  Recent research has shown eating 30 grams of protein in the first hour post workout aids in muscle repair and may fuel fat burning.  My favorite way to get 30 grams of protein post workout?  An omelet made with 2 eggs, 1/4 cup shredded low-fat cheese, 1/4 cup skim milk, and diced onions, red bell pepper, and zucchini with a slice of high fiber bread topped with 1 Tbsp of natural peanut butter and 1/2 banana.  (This meal is about 500 calories.)

Countdown to Summer: Weight No More

Today kicks off a new session of boot camp.  Have you set any goals?  Lose five pounds?  Fit into your 'skinny jeans'?  Lose two inches off your waist for that upcoming reunion?

No matter what your goals are, eating well is just as important as moving more.  You can work your hardest at boot camp, but at the end of the day, if you've eaten more to compensate for the calories burned, you are not going to achieve the results you want.

Mathematically speaking, it takes a 3500 calorie deficit to lose one pound of body fat.  That means burning extra energy in the form of exercise and /or calorie restriction.  In theory, if you create a 500 calorie deficit each day, you should lose about one pound per week.  Sound simple enough?

Think about what you eat and drink on a daily basis.  Boot camp alone burns about 300-500 calories per session, depending on your age, height, weight and sex.  Now multiply that times five days per week.  You are burning about 1500-2500 calories per week.  With that change alone,  you could lose two pounds of fat over the course of three weeks.

To complicate matters, your body will be building muscle.  This is a very good change; however, because of this fact, you may not see the scale change much unless you truly put effort into eating less and eating healthier.

Where to begin?

• Start by using the food diary on our members only page every day to record every single bite of food and beverage that goes into your mouth.  Yes, alcohol and foods with friends count too.
• Do this every day of camp, including weekends.
• If you want to take it a step further, record the calories of everything you eat.
• After one week, review what you've eaten.  Look for excess calories (i.e. high sugar foods and alcohol).  Is there something you can change?
• If you have no idea where to start, consider a Nutrition Consult to put together an individualized plan based on your lifestyle and goals.

Portion Distortion: The Dietitian Faces Her Own Challenges

This week kicks off the month of May and the countdown to beach season.  How are those New Year's Resolutions coming along?  Are you even still in the game?

My resolution this year was to complete my second half marathon.  I accomplished that goal this past weekend in a personal best of 2:21.  For those of you out there who have finished an endurance event of any type (triathlon, marathon, half-marathon), perhaps you can relate to my experience.

For some reason, training for an endurance event gives me the free pass to eat whatever I like, and more of it than usual, especially the week before the race.  I tell myself I need to carb-load for the race and reward myself for my hard work over the past four mouths of training.  "I deserve this," I think to myself.  Ironically, I have counseled clients for years on finding other rewards for good behavior outside of food.  Perhaps I should take my own advice more often.

The day before my race, my team of girlfriends and I hit Starbucks followed by Cracker Barrel.  I often wonder each time I pass a Cracker Barrel if they placed the rocking chairs out front in an effort for patrons to "rock off" some calories they are about to consume inside.  Hmmm...

For the sake of full disclosure, I ate the following in the first two hours of our road trip. Yes, this meal was followed by four hours of sitting in a car.  Note the approximate (calories).

• 1 banana (100)
• tall skinny vanilla latte (100)
• 3 out of 4 slices of sourdough French toast (225)
• 2 scrambled eggs (160)
• 2 turkey sausage patties (150)
• 24 ounce glass of orange juice  (360)
• 1 Tbsp of butter (100)
• one individual syrup bottle  (200)



My Cracker Barrel Breakfast



Total calorie intake before noon:  1395. 

Total calorie burn during half marathon:  Approximately 1300-1400 calories.

Yes, I managed to eat every calorie I was about to burn 24 hours later in one sitting. 

If this scenario was presented by a client, I may have suggested:

• Drop the OJ.  Use half the syrup.  Order a side of fresh fruit to top the French toast. 
• Limit the French toast to two slices.  Leave off the butter (as it's probably already grilled in butter).

These changes alone would have saved about 600 calories, or about half the meal, and I still would have enjoyed most of the food!  Ahhh, the clarity of hindsight.

Well, since my goal is fitness and weight maintenance, doing this on this one occasion probably caused little harm.   But ... if you are trying to shed some pounds and wonder why all this hard work isn't giving you the results you want, perhaps portion distortion is the problem?

Consider the following tips if your serving sizes are off the charts:

1.  Eat on a smaller plate.  No seconds.

2.  Eat one-third to one-half of your normal portion.  AT... EACH... MEAL.

3.  Find out how many calories are in the foods you eat.  Ignorance is bliss until you miss out on reaching your goals.