Weight Loss Can Lead To Friend Loss

The Detroit Free Press reports that the lifestyle change necessary to embark on a fitness or weight loss regimen can be alienating for those closest to you. One woman garnered the ire of her granddaughter when her fitness regimen meant that she stopped having time to drive her to school and the girl was forced to walk the 2.5 miles herself. Another lamented losing a friendship that involved a lot of cooking and eating. Another recalled sensing that her coworkers were jealous of her newfound health and fitness after she changed her lifestyle.

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Meeting a weight loss or fitness goal, especially a significant one, often shifts the dynamics of your interpersonal relationships. Friends say you're different, and that they have to get used to the new you. Your wife is suddenly more affectionate, and you wonder why you waited a decade to drop that beer belly.

A dramatic change in lifestyle will likely impact one's interpersonal relationships; anyone who has attempted to dedicate themselves to anything that takes a large time commitment is going to have to give up something- work, friends, or sleep. When I decided to start training for a marathon last summer, I found myself having to turn down dozens of invitations to parties, and eventually people stopped asking me to hang out on Friday nights.

That being said, spending time around someone who has devoted all of their spare time to losing weight can be intolerable, especially if all they want to talk about is how their pants are totally too big on them now and how awesome their butt looks. In some ways, weight loss can lead to an uptick in self-worth that can lead to some insufferable self-absorption and borderline vanity. If someone's working on a fitness goal- say they're training for a triathlon- they may become similarly absorbed in their goals. I'm only a few weeks in to my push to the October marathon, and I'm already finding myself unable to find anything else to talk about besides running-

"How are you today, Erin?"
"Just fine, except I have a five mile interval workout later, and I'm hoping to run four X:XX mile splits with a 400 meter break between them. I'm nervous because my shin's been bothering me and the last thing I need are shin splints. I started doing these foot exercises again to strengthen this tendon that can cause shin pain if it's too weak, but I'm not sure if it's working. Also I think my left second toenail is going to fall off. I can't get a pedicure for the rest of summer. Ha ha!"
(other person walks away.)

See? Annoying.

I'm fully in support of people taking care of themselves and following their doctor's advice when it comes to what's best for their health, but significant lifestyle changes will obviously cause significant changes in what you have to talk about with other people.

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The Detroit Free Press article suggests readers sit down and talk to loved ones about impending lifestyle changes and how they might effect the relationship, but I think the solution's much simpler than a long, drawn out conversation. Are you going to have less free time? Schedule a date to watch a movie or TV show or talk on the phone once a week. Do you spend time around your friends in cooking/eating situations? Cook/eat healthy food! Are people jealous of your weight loss? Fuck 'em. Who would want to be friends with someone that mentally small that they can't be happy for a healthy lifestyle change?

How about you? Have any of you experienced a change in friendship as a result of you or a friend changing their lifestyle to include more exercise?

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10 Benefits of Personal Training

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With summer right around the corner I begin thinking shorts, tank tops, sun dresses and bathing suits!  These thoughts are often enough to get someone stepping back into the gym.  But, how many times have you set new fitness goals for yourself only to lose interest in a couple of weeks?  We all need a little help sometimes.  As a trainer, I sometimes struggle through the same flux of motivation and feelings of unfulfilled fruitless efforts as the average gym goer.  And it is for this reason that I capitalize on the tremendous benefits of working with a personal trainer.  Personal trainers are not just for stars and athletes.  Every single person can benefit from working with a trainer.  Personal training is truly an investment in one’s own health and well-being. Let’s take a look at the reasons why all people, including myself, achieve more working with a personal trainer.

ACCOUNTABILITY & MOTIVATION- Trainers are experts at holding you accountable. You have a set, paid appointment. Your trainer will be there waiting for you with a smile on his/her face each and every time you show up. They help you to not only develop your own personalized goals but to also develop a realistic and achievable plan to attain these goals. Trainers have the ability to believe in you even when you are feeling at your lowest and don’t believe in yourself. “CAN’T” is not in a trainer’s vocabulary.

DEVELOP A ROUTINE- Sure, it’s easy to get to the gym and hop on the elliptical, but then what? Trainers are educated on the most effective ways to help you get to your fitness goals. They will work with you to develop a routine that makes since and is realistic for you. If you haven’t worked out in months and are just returning to the gym, a trainer will not expect you to begin a fitness regimen consisting of 60 minute routines 5 days a week. A trainer will help you to figure out what makes since in your life that will maximize your time in the gym but not overwhelm you. They will work with you to develop an exercise routine that takes you on the path to achieving your personal goals. All along the way holding you accountable and providing motivation!

FRESH NEW PERSPECTIVES & IDEAS ON HEALTH, NUTRITION, AND FITNESS- There is an overwhelming amount of fitness, nutrition, and health information available. It is impossible for the average person to have time to sift through this information for what is most valid, accurate and up to date. It is the job of the trainer to stay on top of health trends and continue their education in order to provide you with the safest and most accurate information in the industry. Is that new fad diet really effective? Will I really get a bikini body by doing that popular workout? Is it true what I read in this 

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fitness magazine? These are just some of the questions trainers deal with on a daily basis. Trainers are able to use their education, knowledge and experience to provide you with tips and tricks to help you develop a healthier lifestyle. We are constantly sharing recipes and ways to contend with obstacles in your nutrition such as “candy in the office”, or how to manage menu’s when dining out with friends. Often trainers are the first to say, “Hey, you’ve been complaining about this for a little bit. Maybe you should go see a doctor, massage therapist, nutritionist, etc.” We see you on a regular basis and are able to recognize if something is different or just not right and are happy to point it out and refer you to the appropriate expert. We care about your health and well-being! And we will hold you accountable to taking care of yourself nutritionally, physically, and with your overall health!

SOLID, CONSISTENT, NON-JUDGMENTAL SUPPORT- Not everyone has your best interest in mind. Your trainer, though, only cares about you and your success. Your trainer will be there. Each hour you spend with your trainer is an hour to focus on you and only you! They will provide consistent feedback to help you better yourself and achieve your goals. Most importantly, the trainer is able to do this without making you feel inadequate or judged. We have all gone into the gym and worried about what we look like doing an exercise or compared ourselves to someone else. Trainers don’t judge or derogate. They help you to see all of your successes, big and small, even when you can’t see them yourself. Through this support, trainers will hold you accountable and motivate you, despite your feelings about yourself!

PROPER TECHNIQUE & FORM- Watching all the you tube videos in the world and reading all the fitness magazines, does not substitute having a person by your side providing you immediate feedback on form and technique. It is very easy to hurt yourself in the gym. Trainers pay attention, cue both your mind and your body and help you achieve your goals more quickly by making sure you are doing each exercise correctly. They can help you develop better running form, improve your posture, and increase your strength by teaching you to recruit the proper muscles and making a mind body connection. With each exercise trainers will hold you accountable to proper form and technique preventing injury!

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INJURY PREVENTION and/or INJURY REHAB- Often people shy away from equipment in the gym because they are afraid of hurting themselves. Likewise, one may stop attending the gym due to an injury. Trainers will teach you how to use equipment properly so that you do not injure yourself. Trainers will also work with you to prevent injuries in everyday life by helping you increase your balance, flexibility, and core strength. They are able to focus on specific exercises that will benefit you based on your activities of daily living. And in the chance that you have suffered an injury, trainers are able to work with you to safely exercise, keep your range of motion, and get your strength back. Just recently, I broke my leg. My trainer did not let me stop working out. After communicating with my physical therapist, we were able to develop a plan for me to keep up my upper body strength and begin rehab on my leg. A personal trainer will not let you use an injury as an excuse to not workout!!

SPORTS SPECIFIC TRAINING- Are you an athlete? Even a recreational athlete can get better at their sport. Trainers have studied body patterns and movements. They know the best exercises to help you develop strength, endurance, speed, and agility for your sport. A trainer will know if you have been keeping up your routine through your performance and will hold you accountable to the sports specific exercises in your program!

MAXIMIZE WORKOUT/MINIMIZE TIME- You will burn more calories in less time when working with a trainer. A trainer develops a program that is efficient and allows you to get the most in, in the shortest amount of time. Time does not need to be lost at the gym. If you are finding it hard to find time to workout, not only will a trainer help you to get the most out of your work out, but they will teach you how you can do that on your own. Each week trainers will follow up to see if you achieved our workout goals for the week, holding you accountable to exercise on your own time and make tweaks to the program to help you be successful!

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PERSONALIZED PROGRAM- Personal training is just that, PERSONAL! A trainer will develop a program that is specific to you and your goals. If you have an injury, if you want to climb a mountain, if you want lose weight to become pregnant, have lower back pain… The program will be specific to you and only you! A program your trainer takes the time to develop and teach to you. You know they are going to hold you accountable to achieving the goals of that program!

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING- Some of my favorite time during the week is with my clients. You develop a relationship with your trainer like no other. Your relationship is very personal. There are not very many people whom you share your goals so specifically, who in turn will work so diligently to help you achieve them. Often that hour (or two, or three) a week you spend with your trainer, is the only time in your week that is truly devoted to you, your goals, and your successes. I have had sessions in which my client is angry and just wants to workout. There is no talking for the hour. I have had sessions with clients who have recently lost a loved one and their hour with me is their time to escape. I also have sessions with clients where they are so excited to share with me their personal successes and how what we are doing in training is translating into their life outside the gym. Often times intimate details of life are shared in sessions and I am so grateful that people trust me enough to allow me these details. It is these personal relationships and the intimate knowledge of who you are that helps the trainer work specifically with you and to hold you accountable to your goals!

Although this post is titled 10 Benefits of Personal Training I thought it was important to emphasize the eleventh. The one that is reoccurring through each bullet point. The benefit that above all is most important.

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RESULTS- Working with a trainer will allow you to achieve the results that you cannot achieve on your own. Each person’s goals are extremely personal. Whether it be weight loss, injury rehab, or companionship. A trainer is going to develop goals that will lead you down a path to success. As a trainer, I work diligently with each of my clients to help them recognize their results, tangible and intangible, as well as results they never anticipated having. It is these results that not only hold you accountable to me, but they hold me, your trainer, accountable to you!

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What is Weight Watchers? What are the benefits of Weight Watchers?

The Weight Watchers program includes regular meetings, learning sessions, group support, and a very effective points system.

This article is part of a series called What Are The Eight Most Popular Diets Today?.

About Weight Watchers founder, Jean Nidetch

Jean Nidetch was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1923. She says she was an overweight homemaker - her term was 'housewife' - who was very partial to cookies. Nidetch had taken part in several fad diets, one of which was under the sponsorship of the New York City Board of Health.

She managed to lose 20 pounds (9 kilos), but was concerned her 'weak resolve' would mean a return to her previous body weight. Nidetch got in touch with several friends and started a support group.

This support group evolved and soon there were weekly classes - in 1963 Nidetch founded the Weight Watchers Organization.¹

In 1978, the food company H. J. Heinz bought Weight Watchers. Nidetch is still a consultant, and has set up numerous scholarship programs at the University of Nevada and the University of California (Los Angeles).

The thrust of the Weight Watcher's program is on regular meetings, monitoring and encouragement, through self-help group type sessions. The dieter aims for a target weight or BMI (body mass index) of between 20 and 25.

If your body mass index is below 20 you are considered as too thin, if it is over 25 your are overweight, if it is between 20 and 25 you are within the ideal weight range. People can aim for a BMI outside the 20 to 25 parameters as long as they have a doctor's note saying so.

The importance of support networks

Weight Watchers Inc. says that establishing a support network at the start of any weight-loss attempt is crucial for both short and long term success.

A dieter needs constant positive reinforcement. Attempting to lose weight can be a stressful ordeal for many dieters, and a support network can help make the process less daunting.

It could be possible that dieters' levels of cortisol, a hormone our bodies produce in times of mental stress, are higher when they do not join a support network. Research published in the journal Psychiatry² suggests "social support reduces stress-induced cortisol release."

Weight Watchers members will have regular meetings where they will learn about nutrition and exercise, as well as having their weight loss progress monitored.

Weight Watchers will accept any participant as long as they are at least 2.3kg (5lbs) over the minimum weight for their height.

Weight Watchers points system

The points system is considered by many as the easiest tool for a person who aims to lose weight over the long term. Dieters learn how to self monitor on a daily basis - thus making themselves accountable for each day.

A simple way to calculate points is (Calories + (Fat x 4) - (Fiber x 10)) / 50

Portions of foods are assigned points. If a food is high in fiber and/or low in fat it is worth fewer points. The higher the fiber content, or the lower the fat content, the more of that food you can eat each day.³

Dieters can either join a Weight Watchers program online or in person.

Typical points based on body weight

• Weight 150 lbs - points 18 to 23
• Weight 150 to 174 lbs - points 20 to 25
• Weight 175 to 199 lbs - points 22 to 27
• Weight 200 to 224 lbs - points 24 to 29
• Weight 225 to 249 lbs - points 26 to 31
• Weight 250 to 274 lbs - points 28 to 33
• Weight 275 to 299 lbs - points 29 to 34
• Weight 300 to 324 lbs - points 30 to 35
• Weight 325 to 349 lbs - points 31 to 36
• Weight >350 lbs - points 32 to 37

Maintenance period

When members reach their target weight they enter the maintenance period. For six weeks members gradually increase their food intake until they are neither losing nor putting on weight.

During these six weeks there are regular weigh-ins. If a member manages to stay within 0.91 kilos (2lbs) of his/her target weight during the six-week period, that person is then promoted to "Lifetime Member".

Lifetime Members can attend any Weight Watchers meeting free of charge as long as they weigh in once per month, and do not veer from their target weight by more than 0.91 kilos (2lbs).

Lifetime members who do drift from their weight target range have to pay weekly for meetings, and then recover their Lifetime membership by going through the process all over again.

Benefits of Weight Watchers

Researchers from the UK, Germany and Australia reported findings in The Lancet that patients who were referred by their doctors to Weight Watchers were found to lose about twice as much weight as those on standard weight loss care over a 12-month period.⁴

The authors of the study concluded:

"Referral by a primary health-care professional to a commercial weight loss programme that provides regular weighing, advice about diet and physical activity, motivation, and group support can offer a clinically useful early intervention for weight management in overweight and obese people that can be delivered at large scale."

Another study, published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, found that after a 6-month Weight Watchers group program, overweight or obese adults who attended at least two thirds of the weekly sessions, not only lost weight, but also significantly reduced fasting glucose and insulin levels - important indicators of diabetes risk.⁵

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http://www.whattoexpect.com/forums/weight-loss-after-pregnancy/topic/weight-loss-incentives-rewards.html

4 Ways Your Social Network Can Help You Slim Down

Research shows that everyone in your orbit can have a big influence on how much weight you gain or lose. Ensure that those closest to you tip the scale in your favor by following these simple guidelines.

Your BFF

A study in The New England Journal of Medicine found that your friends may increase your odds of gaining weight by 57 percent. "Women tend to match each other's behavior at the table," says Atlanta nutritionist Marisa Moore, R.D. Let your pal order first—she'll feel pressure to set a good example, and you'll likely follow her lead. And don't invite your whole clique— a recent study in the journal Appetite found that ladies who lunched with four friends averaged 150 calories more per meal than those who dined with three.

Your Dog

Walking your pooch will shrink your paunch. In a study at the University of Missouri-Columbia, volunteers who got 30 minutes of leash time five times a week dropped an average of 14 pounds in a year. On bad-weather days, play indoor games, like chasing your dog up and down the stairs, to help burn up his energy and your lunchtime burrito, suggests Robert Kushner, M.D., coauthor of Fitness Unleashed! A Dog and Owner's Guide to Losing Weight and Gaining Health Together.

Your Guy

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that women who live with a romantic partner increase their risk of becoming obese by 63 percent, and those who marry more than double it. But couples also have an easier time taking weight off: Duke University researchers discovered that people were 50 percent more likely to start exercising if their partner joined them. Get your guy to work up a sweat with you by bike riding, running, or ice skating. And have him help out on the food front by cooking together at home. An FDA report found that eating out more than five times a week (which couples have been known to do) adds about 290 calories on average to your daily diet—that's the equivalent of 30 pounds a year!

Your Coworkers

A study in Eating Behaviors found that when female coworkers teamed up to lose weight, they were more likely to exercise and dropped more pounds early on. Ask your workplace to start an official fitness-incentive program. Studies have shown that they encourage employees to set and meet weekly fitness goals while also increasing productivity. Or kick off your own Biggest Loser-style competition complete with weigh-ins and lunch-hour challenges like power walks, spin classes, or yoga sessions.

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http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/online-weight-loss