Dealing with weight loss plateaus

In a health and fitness journey, there is one certainty. At one point or another, progress will slow and a weight loss plateau may occur. You may be doing all the right things, but the weight has simply stopped coming off. Perhaps the number on the scale is ebbing and flowing. This can last for days, weeks, or even months in a weight loss plateau.

Do a self-evaluation. Evaluate the quality and quantity of your food. Did you stop eating well? Start doing your food logs again. Are you stressed? A cortisol response with stress could be causing your body to store fat. If you’re having trouble being objective, you may consider bringing in a coach for ideas on how to improve.

Don’t overlook the importance of progression and patience. Over time, you will see great progression. At first, you may see drastic improvements—big losses of body fat and advances in strength. But over time, your body will level out in this plateau. You may come out of a plateau, only to end up in another plateau yet again. This is normal. Your body is trying to find balance.

Make sure you’re looking at several different measurements, not just the number on the scale. Check out this free infographic, 7 Health and Fitness Measures That Matter, to consider some other measurements. If you’re not seeing progress in one area, chances are you will see progress in other areas.

The key is to focus on health first. Stay on the plan. Don’t panic and don’t quit. Continue to work on what is showing results, keep progressing, and tweak the plan as you go. Have the patience to stay the course and you will overcome this temporary weight loss plateau.

Music used for the podcast Intro and Outro: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

The scoop on ketosis with Jimmy Moore

Today we have an energetic discussion with Jimmy Moore, author of Keto Clarity. This is the second part of my earlier interview (Episode 18) with Jimmy.   In this episode, we will focus on the concept of nutritional ketosis as an important tool for fat loss.

Jimmy Moore is best known for his “Livin’ LaVida Low-Carb” blog and podcast.   In 2004, at 32 years of age and 410 pounds, Jimmy made the decision to take off the weight that was literally killing him. The time had come for a radical lifestyle change.   A year later, he had lost 180 pounds and shrunk his waistline by 20 inches. This phenomenal weight loss enabled him to come off prescription drugs for high cholesterol, high blood pressure and respiratory problems. This dramatic change sparked his dedication to helping others find the information they need to make the kind of lifestyle changes he has made.

Jimmy discussed ketosis as the process for letting your body become a fat burning machine rather than a sugar burning machine.   When you eat a lot of carbohydrates, your body is a sugar burner. In ketosis, you shift the body from a sugar burner over to a fat burner.   Choosing high quality sources of carbohydrates, such as non-starchy vegetables and green, leafy vegetables and some berries is part of the process. It is a balancing act, though, as too much protein will also inhibit the body’s ability to get into a ketogenic state.

Along with his blog and podcasts, Jimmy Moore is also the author of The Ketogenic Cookbook, Keto Clarity and Cholesterol Clarity. Learn more about ketosis, Jimmy Moore and his work at www.livinlavidalowcarb.com.

Understanding cholesterol with Jimmy Moore

Can fasting be a healthy solution for weight loss | Jimmy Moore

Music: Ben Sound Royalty Free Music

Meet my clients John and Tammy

In this episode of the 40+ Fitness podcast, we meet two Forever Fitness clients, John and Tammy to talk about committing to health and fitness.

Tammy and Allan discuss the nature of a commitment to health and fitness, relating to the same emotional and life-long commitment you make to your spouse (John and Tammy were recently married). However, the health and fitness commitment is not something that you should not do for your spouse, or anyone else. It is an expression of true self-love. A commitment to health and fitness is personal.

Allan believes that making a verbal commitment to oneself is important. Allan suggests Tammy and John write his or her vows read them and feel them from the heart.

Tammy was very uncomfortable saying she wanted to look better. Allan points out that when you take care of yourself and your body is healthy inside and out, you already look better. One can’t look better unless he or she is healthy. Tammy finally clearly and confidently says she does want to be healthy and proud.

John goes next. He is inspired to push hard for reaching his health and fitness goals. He is ready to make this commitment loudly and clearly. John wants to have a long healthy life, which is why he agreed to work with Allan.

If you want more information about working with Allan, go to Forever Fitness.

John and Tammy commit to health and fitness

Music: Ben Sound Royalty Free Music

How alcohol affects health and fitness

In this science episode, we discuss alcohol. It’s a topic that comes quite often when I deal with my clients. They ask whether they can consume alcohol in their health and fitness journey. The answer, that isn't really an answer for this question is “it depends.”

A March 2013 study found that the chronic alcohol consumption reduces testosterone and increases cholesterol, both of which are not good for muscle growth and muscle retention. Therefore, chronic use of alcohol is not recommended. Moderate alcohol consumption may be okay. But you need to understand what is moderate. Just to give you a number, something less than 7 drinks a week should be okay.

There are other studies that may help you set your strategy. A March 2015 study on “Alcohol, Obesity and Loss of Strength” found alcohol use reduces our strength. Another 2015 study on “the lifestyle factors in associated with successful weight-loss” found that losing weight is co-related with a healthier lifestyle which includes drinking less alcohol.

After seeing results like this, it may seem like it is best to quit drinking entirely. But that may not be practical. So, the goal should be to build healthy habits that we can keep over time. Gradual changes of habits are more sustainable, which will lead to a healthier lifestyle.

So, an individual needs to determine what is going to work for him or her. One perfect way to deal with alcohol is treating it like sugar. Sugar is one of the things that create fat in our body. Alcohol works almost exactly the same way.

Links for further reading:

Nutrition and Metabolism Article

Springer Article 

T and F Online

Now you are better informed of how you should deal with alcohol in your health and fitness journey.

The fountain of life – water

Music used for the podcast Intro and Outro: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

Understanding cholesterol with Jimmy Moore

Let’s talk cholesterol!   Jimmy Moore, author of Cholesterol Clarity, is our special guest today.   Ever wonder what all those cholesterol numbers actually mean?   We’ll talk with Jimmy Moore all about his thinking on cholesterol.

Jimmy Moore is best known for his “Livin’ LaVida Low-Carb” blog and podcast.   In 2004, at 32 years of age and 410 pounds, Jimmy made the decision to take off the weight that was literally killing him. The time had come for a radical lifestyle change.   A year later, he lost 180 pounds and shrunk his waistline by 20 inches. This phenomenal weight loss enabled him to come off prescription drugs for high cholesterol, high blood pressure and respiratory problems. His dramatic change sparked his dedication to helping others find the information they need to make the kind of lifestyle changes he has made.

Our bodies make cholesterol and it is an essential element in our body. How does our nutrition affect cholesterol? What do all of the numbers on the lipids panel mean for our health?   Jimmy discusses the elements of the lipids panel test, inflammation, and other tests that should be discussed and explored with your physician.

Along with his blog and podcasts, Jimmy Moore is also the author of The Ketogenic Cookbook, Keto Clarity and Cholesterol Clarity. Learn more about Jimmy Moore and his work at www.livinlavidalowcarb.com.

The scoop on ketosis with Jimmy Moore

Can fasting be a healthy solution for weight loss | Jimmy Moore

Music used for the podcast Intro and Outro: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

Todd loses over 300lbs

Todd is a 46-year-old married, father of two from Illinois. He also has an inspiring story to share. Now in the fifth year of his weight loss journey, Todd was able to lose over 300 pounds.

Todd’s wake up call began in September 2011 when he found himself in the hospital. At that time, he weighed in at 589 pounds. The doctors told him if he didn’t do something about his health, he’d only have about five years to live. He looked at his daughters from his hospital bed and thought about how he would not be around for them. He knew he needed to make a change.

But it would be difficult for Todd. Because of his physical limitations, he was unable to exercise. After doing some research and finding that at least 80% of weight loss was due to adopting an appropriate diet, he knew what he needed to do. He adjusted his diet and was able to lose 323 pounds.

Todd had a few tips for those who want to make a change:

Don't give up

There will be good and bad days. Some may even start questioning themselves. Is all of this worth it? Know that it is worth it. The good days will last longer than the bad days.

Lower your carbs

Cut back on your carb intake. Eat 4 to 5 smaller meals with snacks. Eat lean proteins, raw vegetables, and drink plenty of water. This will also help with getting your body into ketosis faster.

Todd has had an amazing journey in losing over 300 pounds. Want to connect with Todd directly? You can find him on My Fitness Pal as stogie40 or via his profile on www.realbodiesrealresults.com. Be sure to comment on transformation page. Don’t forget to check out the six-month program at which will give you access to a registered dietician, food plans, recipes, and much more.

Patterns of success in weight loss

Music used for the podcast Intro and Outro: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

Obesity and exercise

In this science episode, we explore studies on exercise and obesity. Does exercise help reduce obesity? Some interesting studies seek to answer that question.

A 2003 article of Journal of the American Medical Association by Drs. Frank Hu and colleagues examined the relationship between women’s BMI and their physical activity. An important term here is “Body-Mass Index”, briefly BMI which measures the relationship between a person’s weight and height. The ideal BMI for a person is between 18 and 25. So, anyone with over 25 BMI is considered overweight and below 18 considered underweight. The study took 6 years to examine 50277 women aged between 46 and 71. What the study found was really very interesting. Individuals two were sitting two additional hours a day had 23% more obesity. So, less daily movement is one of the major reasons for increase in obesity. So, someone who watches TV for two hours is more prone to obesity than another person who chooses to walk around and constantly on the move. The study report says two hours of daily walking or around the house saw obesity decrease by 9 percent and one hour of brisk walking saw 24 percent obesity decrease.

Another study also in 2003 published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition by Drs. Koh-Banerjee and colleagues examined 16,587 men aged 40 to 75 years who they described as healthy. The study took nice long years to complete and it was about weight and waist size. The study found that just 4 hours of weekly increase of physical activity resulted in a reduction of their waist circumference by about 1.9 millimeters. On the other hand, the men who increase their TV watching by 20 hours a week had waist size increase of about 3.0 millimeters. One of the key finding of the study was the group that exercised daily had way to less obesity than the group that did not.There are many more studies that indicate the level of activity is an important factor that determine your fitness and obesity. Consider how your activity level can be affecting your weight loss or weight gain. Obesity is at an epidemic level and it is time to change that. The change starts with you.

There are many more studies that indicate the level of activity is an important factor that determine your fitness and obesity. Consider how your activity level can be affecting your weight loss or weight gain. Obesity is at an epidemic level and it is time to change that. The change starts with you.

Weight training for fat loss

Music used for the podcast Intro and Outro: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music