Obesity, a widespread and debilitating disease affecting more than 66 percent of the adult population, is associated with a variety of chronic diseases such as hypertension, dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes. With two-thirds of our country suffering from being overweight and obese, the question remains, how do we treat and combat this deadly disease.
The primary focus on fighting obesity is by benchmarking. Pinpoint where you are by getting a pre-exercise assessment done of your current caloric consumption, body composition, blood testing for lipids, LDL, HDL, Blood Pressure, Resting Heart Rate and more. After going over the assessment results, decide what action to take to reduce your health risks. Since health improvement is a life altering event, you will want to make it a permanent lifestyle change. When we begin to focus on your new life schedule, it will be important to keep in mind 3 things.
- Your Time is Valuable : Scheduling will be a crucial part of making this change as you will need to intertwine a healthier lifestyle with your work-life and family-life.
- Lifestyle Change has to be voluntary: No One Else can make you commit to this change, they can only cheer you along. In the end, the reasoning for any life change has to be yours.
- Youre not in this alone: Know that 2/3 adults in the US are battling with being overweight or obese. Family and friends too will be going through this change with you. Ask them to be supportive and to encourage when necessary.
Take it personal! As we just discussed, while you are not alone, YOU are the only one who can make the changes needed to improve your weight, health and wellness. Assess your current fitness. Take control of your schedule. Take control of your caloric intake. Take responsibility for your actions. Decide your own goals. Record and Reassess your fitness levels often and check your progress. Make this YOUR program by doing activities that you enjoy.
Be Reasonable! Your goals and plans to achieve those goals have to be suited to your level of fitness and ability. Set up a schedule with your long term goals as well as short term goals. In crease nutrition intake and fitness complexity in reasonable and moderate increments. Do not do activities that your body cannot physically do. Challenge yourself and have fun but be realistic.
Educate yourself about the benefits and risks of activity and inactivity. Make sure your information is current, valid and coming from an authority on the subject. You will find a comprehensive list of links to the authorities of health and wellness on the right hand sidebar of this website. Choose a qualified fitness professional who has taken the time to learn the correct information and not just from a weekend seminar.
American College Of Sports Medicine Position Stand:
- Weight management is an urgent public health issue, with more than 66 percent of U.S. adults either overweight or obese. Health improvements in chronic disease risk factors can be realized with as little as a 2- to 3-percent reduction in excess body weight.
Greater amounts of physical activity are likely to be needed to achieve weight loss and prevent weight regain in adults. The panel recognized the amounts in these categories: - Prevent weight gain — 150-250 minutes/week of moderate-intensity physical activity is associated with prevention of weight gain. More than 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity physical activity is associated with modest weight loss.
- Weight loss — 150-250 minutes/week of moderate-intensity physical activity provides only modest weight loss. Greater amounts (ie. >250) provide clinically significant weight loss.
- For weight maintenance after weight loss — There is some evidence that >250 minutes/week of moderate-intensity physical activity will prevent weight re-gain.
Energy/diet restriction combined with physical activity will increase weight loss as compared to diet alone.
ACSM recommends that adults participate in at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity physical activity to prevent significant weight gain and reduce associated chronic disease risk factors. For most adults, this amount of physical activity can be easily achieved in 30 minutes/day, five days a week. Overweight and obese individuals will most likely experience greater weight reduction and prevent weight regain with 250+ minutes/week of moderate-intensity physical activity. ACSM also recommends strength training as part of this health and fitness regimen, in order to increase fat-free mass and further reduce health risks.
Most importantly, GET ACTIVE!
If you would like more information on how to setup your weight loss, health and fitness program, contact Carolina Gold Fitness to set up an appointment today!