When I am consulting with a client we discuss exercise and nutrition. The most frequently asked questions revolve around issues of weight control, and what the easiest and fastest ways are to lose weight. I explain that in order lose weight efficiently and sensibly, the person must take a look at current eating habits (calories in), as well as exercise habits (calories out). We work together to set up realistic goals, and the need for patience is stressed. Excess weight comes on gradually, and it should come off the same way.

Americans are buying more fat-burning supplements, quick fix exercise gadgets, and diet books than ever before, yet they are still losing the battle over weight control. Logic would tell us that we are missing the boat.

We each have a personal responsibility to take good care of our bodies. We also must recognize that it is possible to meet our goals in a safe and healthy way, and live without with the guilt and stress associated with failed diet strategies. If this all sounds too simplistic, then you are starting to get the idea. The real "secret" lies in understanding how your body uses what you eat every day to either gain or lose weight, and how to use the principles of strength training and aerobic exercise to your advantage.

Let's start by discussing metabolism. What is metabolism? In simple terms, metabolism means "to change". The foods that you eat are processed by your body and changed into energy (energy metabolism), or into new tissue (tissue metabolism). The speedier the change, the faster your metabolism. "Basal metabolism" is the minimum amount of energy (calories) required to maintain basic bodily functions, such as heartbeat, breathing, digestion, etc., while you are at rest. Clearly, if your goal is to lose weight, you want to do as many things as possible to increase your metabolism. Here are some of the best ways I know to help you do just that:

1. Ever wonder how those pounds and inches manage to creep up so insidiously? On average, after about the age of 20, your metabolic rate slows down about 1 percent a year. This means that even if you maintain the same level of activity and caloric intake as you did a year ago, you would still gain weight. Because a reduced metabolic rate is inevitable, take steps now to keep your weight under control. The choices are clear: Either slightly decrease the amount of food you eat, or slightly increase physical activity, or both.
2. Speaking of food: Forget everything you ever heard about starvation diets!! Remember, food is fuel, and fuel is energy. Skipping meals or eating too few calories sends a message to your body that you are wasting away. When this happens, your metabolism begins to slow down to conserve calories, fearing you may not eat again. The result is that your body learns how to use fewer calories to get the same amount of energy, and becomes very efficient at storing the conserved calories as fat. Bottom line: Repeated meal skipping is like "training" your metabolism to shut down! Research shows that in as little as two days, eating less than approximately 1200 calories a day or reducing the number of calories by 500 or more daily is enough to slow down your metabolism.
3. STRENGTH TRAIN!!!! If you want to supercharge your calorie burning potential , be absolutely sure to do some form of resistance training several times per week. How does this work? Working out with weights increases your lean muscle mass. Muscle is very active tissue, which means it burns energy (calories) for its own maintenance and repair. The bigger the muscles, the more calories burned! This is the best way I know to fight the natural slowdown in your metabolic rate.
4. Aerobic exercise (walking, jogging, swimming, biking, etc) several days per week is also great for keeping your metabolism in high gear. Our bodies were designed for movement and to be active on a daily basis, so be sure to include at least 30 minutes to an hour, 3 to 5 times per week. Walk at a pace that leaves you moderately out of breath, not huffing and puffing. Go for duration, not speed, if greater fat burning is your goal.

As you can see, there is no "magic" needed to lose weight. There are many more ways to arm yourself against future weight gain, which I will be discussing in next week's column. Meanwhile, try out some of the tips above and enjoy the results!

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