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| HEALTH & FITNESS |
| Exercise and Weight Loss: How Much Time it Takes to Gain and Lose Muscle Mass By: Meri Raffetto RD, LDN |
We all know by now that exercise is important for weight management and health, but the hard part is staying
consistent. You know those conversations you have in your head where you talk yourself out of exercise until you
forget the last time you did exercise. In the beginning we are motivated and exercise 4-5 days a week for a couple of
weeks and then some minor disasters happen at work or home and we exercise only once that week, and then once
every two weeks, and pretty soon we are not exercising at all. We've all been here more than once, but the down side
to this on again/off again exercise routine is that it will keep you further away from your weight loss goals. If you depend
solely on your diet to lose weight with little or no exercise you will be forced to go to a very low calorie level and it will
become a much longer and less enjoyable process.
According to Ann Etheridge, fitness trainer and owner of Living in Balance, it takes a full 6 weeks to build muscle mass.
For you to begin seeing results you have to be consistent with your exercise for 6 weeks straight. This valuable piece
of information also shows that true fat breakdown and building lean muscle mass doesn't happen overnight. After all,
you likely didn't gain weight quickly each and every week. When you start on a journey of making lifestyle changes to
lose weight (and keep it off) it is a continuous process.
The most startling news is that while it takes 6 weeks to build muscle, it only takes 3 weeks to lose muscle mass. You
can see with all the on again/off again exercise, it will be difficult to obtain the results you are working towards.
Here are 3 steps you can take RIGHT NOW to keep you on track:
1. Commit. One thing we can learn from those who have lost weight and kept it off is that they made exercise a high
priority in their life and committed themselves to a regular routine. Ask yourself, what am I willing to commit to? Start
with something you are truly ready to do consistently. Right this down in a contract with yourself or tell a friend to help
keep you accountable for your commitment.
2. Schedule the exact days and times you will exercise. Keep this appointment with yourself just like you would a doctor
appointment. In other words, unless it is a dire emergency, don't let anything interrupt your scheduled exercise time. If
someone asks you to do something during this time you don't have to tell them you are exercising, just politely tell them
you have an appointment.
3. Don't let setbacks destroy your progress. No one is perfect and we all have days where we miss our exercise. Even
when you miss a day, get right back on track as soon as possible to avoid losing the muscle mass you already built. We
lose muscle mass and limit our weight loss progress when we let our setbacks turn into weeks and months. There's no
need to beat your self up over your setback. Just get back on track. The quicker you get back into your routine the
more progress you'll make.
Don’t forget all the wonderful short term benefits of exercising. You will get a serotonin surge to make you feel fantastic,
improved metabolic rate during and after the exercise helping you to burn more calories, decreased stress, and
improved sleep. Find exercise routines that you enjoy or that you at least don't hate. This will help you to stay
consistent and reap all the wonderful benefits that exercise has to offer.
Owner of Real Living Nutrition Services, Meri Raffetto is a Registered Dietitian and recognized professional in the area
of nutrition and wellness. She specializes in weight management and offers online programs to help people reach their
weight loss and health goals. For more weight loss tips sign up for her free e-newsletter at
www.reallivingnutrition.com
consistent. You know those conversations you have in your head where you talk yourself out of exercise until you
forget the last time you did exercise. In the beginning we are motivated and exercise 4-5 days a week for a couple of
weeks and then some minor disasters happen at work or home and we exercise only once that week, and then once
every two weeks, and pretty soon we are not exercising at all. We've all been here more than once, but the down side
to this on again/off again exercise routine is that it will keep you further away from your weight loss goals. If you depend
solely on your diet to lose weight with little or no exercise you will be forced to go to a very low calorie level and it will
become a much longer and less enjoyable process.
According to Ann Etheridge, fitness trainer and owner of Living in Balance, it takes a full 6 weeks to build muscle mass.
For you to begin seeing results you have to be consistent with your exercise for 6 weeks straight. This valuable piece
of information also shows that true fat breakdown and building lean muscle mass doesn't happen overnight. After all,
you likely didn't gain weight quickly each and every week. When you start on a journey of making lifestyle changes to
lose weight (and keep it off) it is a continuous process.
The most startling news is that while it takes 6 weeks to build muscle, it only takes 3 weeks to lose muscle mass. You
can see with all the on again/off again exercise, it will be difficult to obtain the results you are working towards.
Here are 3 steps you can take RIGHT NOW to keep you on track:
1. Commit. One thing we can learn from those who have lost weight and kept it off is that they made exercise a high
priority in their life and committed themselves to a regular routine. Ask yourself, what am I willing to commit to? Start
with something you are truly ready to do consistently. Right this down in a contract with yourself or tell a friend to help
keep you accountable for your commitment.
2. Schedule the exact days and times you will exercise. Keep this appointment with yourself just like you would a doctor
appointment. In other words, unless it is a dire emergency, don't let anything interrupt your scheduled exercise time. If
someone asks you to do something during this time you don't have to tell them you are exercising, just politely tell them
you have an appointment.
3. Don't let setbacks destroy your progress. No one is perfect and we all have days where we miss our exercise. Even
when you miss a day, get right back on track as soon as possible to avoid losing the muscle mass you already built. We
lose muscle mass and limit our weight loss progress when we let our setbacks turn into weeks and months. There's no
need to beat your self up over your setback. Just get back on track. The quicker you get back into your routine the
more progress you'll make.
Don’t forget all the wonderful short term benefits of exercising. You will get a serotonin surge to make you feel fantastic,
improved metabolic rate during and after the exercise helping you to burn more calories, decreased stress, and
improved sleep. Find exercise routines that you enjoy or that you at least don't hate. This will help you to stay
consistent and reap all the wonderful benefits that exercise has to offer.
Owner of Real Living Nutrition Services, Meri Raffetto is a Registered Dietitian and recognized professional in the area
of nutrition and wellness. She specializes in weight management and offers online programs to help people reach their
weight loss and health goals. For more weight loss tips sign up for her free e-newsletter at
www.reallivingnutrition.com
Most people understand the importance of dietary fiber in their diet. Much has been said about its importance in heart
health, diabetes, cancer prevention, and even weight control.
What is less well understood is how different types of fiber effect the body. Some provide fecal bulk, some are absorbed
more quickly into the blood stream than others, and thus raise blood sugar levels more quickly, and yet others provide
benefits to the heart.
Thus, despite the apparent simplicity, fiber is a complex topic. And whilst all types of fiber are important, if you are
looking at preventing or managing specific conditions, its not enough to just look at the total dietary fiber as written on
food packaging.
Dietary fiber is broadly classified into soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber is fermented in the colon, and plays a
role in slowing the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream. It also encourages the growth of the 'friendly' bacteria
that help break down bile, and are involved in the creation of B vitamins like folic acid, niacin, and pyridoxine.
Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, acts a bit like an intestinal broom. It provides bulk to the stools, and makes sure they
pass through easily and quickly. This is the type of fiber that keeps you 'regular', not insoluble fiber.
Insoluble fiber does provide a feeling of fullness, however. This makes it great for weight loss and controlling hunger. It
also keeps blood sugar levels more stable, although research into the rate at which carbohydrates enter the
bloodstream have found there to be some significant differences within the foods that make up the fiber group. Dietary
fiber can thus be rated by its Glycemic Index, which effectively ranks fiber foods with each other on a relative scale.
The idea is to try and include more low gylcemic index foods. Foods with a high glycemic index cause blood sugar levels
to spike, providing too much energy to the blood in the form of carbohydrates, which in turn sets off the body's sugar
controlling hormone - insulin. You thus get a 'high' followed by a sudden drop. This in turn leads the body to want more
carbohydrates to balance itself again, leading to cravings and overeating, as well as tiredness and moodiness.
Low glycemic index foods include lentils, chickpeas, baked beans, fruit loaf, salmon sushi, barley, milk, low fat custard,
soy milk, yogurt (not diet yogurt), apples, strawberries, grapes, spaghetti, peas, carrots, fructose, strawberry jam, and
chocolate milk.
Moderate glycemic index foods include pea soup, rye bread, porridge, muesli, ice cream, bananas, pineapple, kiwi fruit,
new potatoes, beetroot, white sugar, honey, and mars bars.
High glycemic index foods include broad beans, bagels, white bread, brown rice, watermelon, udon noodles, desiree,
pontiac and sebago potatoes, and glucose.
We need both soluble and insoluble fiber, however. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found
that in a group of 6000 French men and women, those with the highest levels of soluble and insoluble fiber in their diet
had a lower risk of being overweight, a lower risk of having blood pressure problems, cholesterol problems, and they
had better levels of triacylglycerols and homocysteine. The last two are measured of heart health.
Fiber from cereals was linked to lower body fat, lower blood pressure, and lower levels of homocysteine. Those with a
higher intake of vegetables, also a source of fiber, had lower blood pressure and lower homocysteine levels. Fiber from
fresh fruit was associated with a lower waist to hip ratio (good news for dieters!), and lower blood pressure. And fiber
from dried fruit, nuts, and seeds (like sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds) was also linked to a lower
waist to hip ratio, lower body fat, and a better fasting glucose concentration. Fasting glucose relates to having a steady
level of glucose between meals. If it dips too low, we crave things, often sweets.
Fiber has another interesting benefit. In people with type 2 diabetes, it has been found to lower the levels of 'bad'
cholesterol, and increase the levels of 'good' cholesterol. It has already been established that fiber supplements will
lower the levels of bad cholesterol in people, whether they have diabetes or not. But this new study found that fiber
supplements also decreased the reabsorption of cholesterol from meals.
To get this benefit, it is important to time taking the fiber supplement in sync with meals. The study participants took a
fiber supplement drink before mealtimes, and this ensured that the fiber was in the intestines when the meal was being
eaten. The people in the study participated for 90 days and their average age was 59 years old.
Rebecca Prescott presents the vitamin and health site, www.vitaminstohealth.com
health, diabetes, cancer prevention, and even weight control.
What is less well understood is how different types of fiber effect the body. Some provide fecal bulk, some are absorbed
more quickly into the blood stream than others, and thus raise blood sugar levels more quickly, and yet others provide
benefits to the heart.
Thus, despite the apparent simplicity, fiber is a complex topic. And whilst all types of fiber are important, if you are
looking at preventing or managing specific conditions, its not enough to just look at the total dietary fiber as written on
food packaging.
Dietary fiber is broadly classified into soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber is fermented in the colon, and plays a
role in slowing the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream. It also encourages the growth of the 'friendly' bacteria
that help break down bile, and are involved in the creation of B vitamins like folic acid, niacin, and pyridoxine.
Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, acts a bit like an intestinal broom. It provides bulk to the stools, and makes sure they
pass through easily and quickly. This is the type of fiber that keeps you 'regular', not insoluble fiber.
Insoluble fiber does provide a feeling of fullness, however. This makes it great for weight loss and controlling hunger. It
also keeps blood sugar levels more stable, although research into the rate at which carbohydrates enter the
bloodstream have found there to be some significant differences within the foods that make up the fiber group. Dietary
fiber can thus be rated by its Glycemic Index, which effectively ranks fiber foods with each other on a relative scale.
The idea is to try and include more low gylcemic index foods. Foods with a high glycemic index cause blood sugar levels
to spike, providing too much energy to the blood in the form of carbohydrates, which in turn sets off the body's sugar
controlling hormone - insulin. You thus get a 'high' followed by a sudden drop. This in turn leads the body to want more
carbohydrates to balance itself again, leading to cravings and overeating, as well as tiredness and moodiness.
Low glycemic index foods include lentils, chickpeas, baked beans, fruit loaf, salmon sushi, barley, milk, low fat custard,
soy milk, yogurt (not diet yogurt), apples, strawberries, grapes, spaghetti, peas, carrots, fructose, strawberry jam, and
chocolate milk.
Moderate glycemic index foods include pea soup, rye bread, porridge, muesli, ice cream, bananas, pineapple, kiwi fruit,
new potatoes, beetroot, white sugar, honey, and mars bars.
High glycemic index foods include broad beans, bagels, white bread, brown rice, watermelon, udon noodles, desiree,
pontiac and sebago potatoes, and glucose.
We need both soluble and insoluble fiber, however. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found
that in a group of 6000 French men and women, those with the highest levels of soluble and insoluble fiber in their diet
had a lower risk of being overweight, a lower risk of having blood pressure problems, cholesterol problems, and they
had better levels of triacylglycerols and homocysteine. The last two are measured of heart health.
Fiber from cereals was linked to lower body fat, lower blood pressure, and lower levels of homocysteine. Those with a
higher intake of vegetables, also a source of fiber, had lower blood pressure and lower homocysteine levels. Fiber from
fresh fruit was associated with a lower waist to hip ratio (good news for dieters!), and lower blood pressure. And fiber
from dried fruit, nuts, and seeds (like sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds) was also linked to a lower
waist to hip ratio, lower body fat, and a better fasting glucose concentration. Fasting glucose relates to having a steady
level of glucose between meals. If it dips too low, we crave things, often sweets.
Fiber has another interesting benefit. In people with type 2 diabetes, it has been found to lower the levels of 'bad'
cholesterol, and increase the levels of 'good' cholesterol. It has already been established that fiber supplements will
lower the levels of bad cholesterol in people, whether they have diabetes or not. But this new study found that fiber
supplements also decreased the reabsorption of cholesterol from meals.
To get this benefit, it is important to time taking the fiber supplement in sync with meals. The study participants took a
fiber supplement drink before mealtimes, and this ensured that the fiber was in the intestines when the meal was being
eaten. The people in the study participated for 90 days and their average age was 59 years old.
Rebecca Prescott presents the vitamin and health site, www.vitaminstohealth.com
| Dietary Fiber - For Diabetes, Heart and General Health By: Rebecca Prescott |
