I attended an information session while on a cruise. The session was entitled “Eat and lose weight”. It was put on by one of the personal trainers and was really designed so we would sign up for a body composition test and to buy their supplements
Truth and weight loss
The information that was given out today was quite misleading. To someone who doesn’t know a lot about exercise or nutrition or how to lose weight, the personal trainer jumped from topic to topic causing confusion. He appears to be in the high carbohydrate camp but I wasn’t really sure
there is no one size to fit all to lose weight
The speaker was big on us signing up to have a total body analysis done for only $99.00 USD! Then he could tell us which seaweed supplement we could buy. There s no doubt that going on a seaweed diet is not the best way to lose weight but weight you will lose! I was ready to walk out then but my Canadian politeness meant I stayed for the whole presentation.
There is no one size fits all when it comes to weight loss. Neither is there a really tried and true method to lose weight fast. Anyone who stands up and says you have to do a 60% Carbs, 20% Protein and 20% Fats, or any other set plan, should raise red flags. This presenter also stated that we all need 8 grams of protein a day. I almost fell out of my seat. He hinted that if we don’t take the special seaweed pills then our bodies would start eating our muscles for food. E
A PROPER NUTRITIONAL PLAN TO LOSE WEIGHT
proper nutrition comes fIrst
Proper nutrition means getting the correct amount of the macronutrients, carbohydrates, protein, fat and water and the proper amount of micronutrients. Healthy adults need the macro nutrients but as each of us are different, the specific amount will differ. The program I use, Exercise and Nutrition Works, bases the initial nutritional plan on a certain amount of carbs based on a person weight and % body fat. Likewise, the amount of protein is based on a persons lean mass and how active they are. Determining how many calories from carbs or protein is important so their body fat percentage needs to be known.
The important aspect of this nutritional plan is to weekly determine the percentage of body fat, Then it can be decided if the number of carbs or proteins need to be adjusted. When “losing weight: we want to ensure it is fat and not muscle loss. It is also important to determine whether the client (in this case me) is actually following the nutritional plan. I have to admit that I haven’t as I had to go out of town for a couple of days and now I am on a cruise
ANALYZING MY PROFILE
here are the % bodt fat measuRements for September
| Date | Sept 01 | Sept 08 | Sept 15 | Sept 22 | Sept 26 |
| Weight | 227.2 | 226.6 | 226.8 | 224.8 | 224.6 |
| % Body Fat | 20.1 | 19.51 | 18.62 | 18.77 | 18.28 |
| Fat | 46.68 | 44.22 | 44.22 | 42.18 | 41.06 |
| Lean Mass | 181.52 | 182.38 | 184.58 | 182.61 | 183.54 |
In the above chart, my weight has gone down 2.6 lbs. There has been 5.6 lbs of fat lost and a 2.02 lbs gain in lean mass. Everything is moving in the right direction as I am losing weight. Yet if I had followed my nutritional plan properly, I could have seen a larger weight loss.
Changing the nutritional plan guidelines
leam mass up – fat down
For a plan to be working properly, I should see fat decreasing and lean mass staying the same or increasing. If this is the case then the plan doesn’t need to be touched. By not following my nutritional plan at least 90% of the time has slowed my results to a crawl. The recommendation for me is to start following the plan!
lean mass up – Fat up
When I see this then it indicates that the client has not been eating too many calories. If it is because they are not following the meal plan then they need to follow it. Properly following the meal plan indicates it would be adjusted so they would be getting less calories. Remember, our bodies need set number of calories to live and to maintain our lifestyles. Any calories over this amount will be stored as fat!
lean mass down – Fat down
This is the opposite of the previous section. Not enough calories are being consumed. Again the consistency of following the meal plan needs to be looked at. Not only is the client not getting enough calories but the body is starting to use muscle for food. This also causes the bodies metabolism to slow down. Believe or not, the body thinks it is going to starve so it starts storing fat! This is not the way to lose weight.
lean mass down – fat up
After ensuring the nutritional plan is being followed, this situation indicates the person is not getting enough protein. Again, the body is starting to use it’s muscle for food.
THE NEED FOR PROPER FOLLOW UP
In order to lose weight, it is important that a proper nutritional plan is in place. There is usually a need for a lifestyle change and not just a diet. The weekly monitoring of the clients progress is needed so the plan can be tweaked. Then, not only does a person lose weight but are actually losing fat and gaining muscle.