"OK Dynamic Duo… here’s a real challenge for you! I am in my mid-forties, generally healthy, and gaining probably 10 pounds a year. Not bad, but the years are adding up, and SO ARE THE POUNDS! How do I take the weight off, keep it off, and STILL get to enjoy my Cheeseburgers and Ice Cream. If you come up with an answer, I’ll buy you a Pepperoni Pizza!"

Well, the good news is that there truly is an answer, and a solution, to your weight management dilemma! The bad news is that Trish HATES pepperoni pizza… so let’s make it sausage!

We have all heard that "diets don’t work". Some of us even believe that, and either find out what does work, practice periodic starvation, or just surrender to the prospect of being overweight. What most people don’t understand is exactly WHY they don’t work, and what does. Yep, again fellow food lovers, you’ve come to the right place for the answers!

The secret to effective weight loss and long-term weight management is a matter of understanding the concept of metabolism, and more precisely the "Basil Metabolic Rate" (BMR) that effects the amount of energy that the body uses during period of inactivity, NOT activity.

It is so common to see well-intentioned people run to the gym, and climb on a stationary bike or treadmill, in order to "burn off" those extra calories consumed during the previous day (or at the donut shop on the way to the gym!). Well, the fact is, even though that activity will in fact BURN some excess calories (see the chart on the inset ….), after cessation of the activity the BMR will actually decrease, and stay that way for as long as 24 hours! So, figure it out… ½ hour on the treadmill, expend 300 calories. Decreased BMR for 23½ hours, retain 100 calories. So the net loss is not nearly as significant as you thought.

Now, how about starving ourselves? Well, it’s all about "homeostasis" here… the bodies natural function of surviving through fuel storage and caloric adjustment. Some big words here, but actually quite a simple concept: When the body is deprived of food, it assumes that it needs to conserve. "No dinosaurs to eat today, so let’s slow down the system!", it reasons. So, you have less food, less calories burned, you’re hungry, and grouchy, and end up just being lousy company! And you haven’t gained, or rather LOST, a thing!

Doesn’t it just make you mad that some people can eat and eat and STILL stay thin? It does us! We are not amongst that group. Does that mean that us unfortunate majority that has a low BMR have to spend the rest of our lives either food-deprived or defending our right to be overweight? Absolutely NOT! OK skeptics, sounds like a 5 AM info-mercial promising to turn you into a "fat-burning machine"! Well, hold onto your Twinkies… you CAN BE!

No, we can’t get younger, we don’t want to move to Alaska (though Hawaii sounds pretty inviting), and taking up smoking as a weight reduction tool might be considered "over-kill" (see the chart on the inset….). But there are a number of ways that we can actually control, modify, and increase our personal BMR. What works best, surprisingly, is increasing lean muscle mass. And, generally, this is best accomplished by resistance exercises (weight training). Additionally, the activity itself will generally increase the BMR for up to 72 hours AFTER the exercise session!

Admittedly, these issues are very complex, and people are different, and respond differently to changes and programs. But one thing is for sure: If you’re serious about weight loss, and weight management, "yo-yo" dieting, fad diets (even Atkins!), and frenetic activity is NOT the answer. Consult with your doctor and a professional Nutrition Counselor to formulate a program just right for you. And pump off those pounds!

Next week we’ll learn about muscles, movements, and metabolic magic!

THE BOTTOM LINE:

Starving, fad diets, and even too much exercise can interfere with a healthy weight-loss program. Get information on how to do it right! What you don’t know CAN hurt you!

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