Review of Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition

Did you watch Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition last night (7/25/11)?  I was so very impressed with the woman.  She ran a 1/2 marathon which is not easy.  Especially for someone so overweight.  Given her personal problems, I was even more impressed.

I have to say, I was disappointed in Chris, the trainer.  I understand that ABC wants to make good, exciting T.V. but there comes a time when enough is enough.  Chris motivated the woman by offering her the car of her dreams if she hit her goal.  She made the goal and earned a 2010 Camaro.  First off, I would be ecstatic.  Don't get me wrong.  But let's look at it a little closer.

• The woman was in financial hardship due to the medical bills.  
• She has a daughter that requires some extra care.  
• The family had only 1 car which the husband used to go to and from work, leaving the mother and daughter "stranded" at home.  

I get all that.  A second car does come in handy.  Our family has one.  But was a 2010 Camaro the best gift?  Again....great for T.V. but not the best for the woman in my opinion.  A 2010 Camaro is going to be lousy on gas, ridiculous to insure, and not very family friendly.  Have you ever tried to put a car seat and then a small child into that car seat in the back of a Camaro/Firebird?  I have...that's why I no longer have one (I miss you '89 firebird...).  They just don't work!  I think she would have been much better awarded with a family sedan or even a mini-van. 

With that said, I was glad that Chris acknowledged her personal problems in his summary.  I was also impressed to see that she became a personal trainer after her experience.  I will often speak about looking for experience when searching for a trainer.  Her personal experience could certainly benefit others and be a source of inspiration to them.

How to Make Running More Fun

Getting bored with the same old running route?  That's a problem a lot of runners have from time to time.  Most runners, myself included, have a couple of courses that we like to run.  We like them because there are landmarks (that mailbox is 1 mile to go...),  it feels safe, or perhaps its just plain easy.  But let's face it...it can get really boring after awhile. Keep in mind...boring is not motivating.

So how can you break the boredom and stay motivated?  Get off your self-imposed treadmill and go exploring!

You probably have set amount of time that you run on any given day.  Maybe it's an hour.  Maybe it's 30 minutes. The point is, rather than run the same old route, go out and just run for 30 minutes.  Explore some side streets.  Cross the main drag and go off exploring the other side of the neighborhood.  Hop on a trail you haven't explored before.

Sometimes I set my watch to count down and repeat.  I set it for 15 minutes.  I just run in a direction, and when the watch beeps at 15 minutes, I turn around and head home the same way to see if I can get back quicker.  Other times, I just wander my neighborhood.  I go down side streets I've never been down.  Once, I found a great trail that heads off along a creek I wasn't even aware of.  The point is...running this way makes it fun again rather than a chore as it can often feel like.

So next time you're feeling bored with the same old running route, just pull a Columbus and head off in a direction and get lost.  You'll be amazed at what you'll discover!

Working Out While on a Cruise

I recently got back from a 7 day cruise to the Western Caribbean.  It was awesome!  The problem I had, as anyone would, was all the food and constant events, shows, shore excursions, etc... So how do you keep in shape while on a cruise?  Two things will help: Make sure you don't eat too much and get in some exercise.

First off, the average cruiser gains 7 to 14 pounds on a 7 day cruise.  This is according to the Norwegian Cruise Lines' fitness trainer.  Why?  Because there is food everywhere!  You are essentially eating out for 3 meals a day (or 4 or 5...) for 7 straight days!  Imagine if you went to IHOP for breakfasts, Chili's for lunch and Olive Garden for dinner every day for 7 days...you would certainly gain weight, right?

I found that I ate much more at the buffet, then at the actual sit down dinners.  The portions in the sit down restaurants were a good size.  Not too big and not too small.   This is much better than going to the buffet where you are sure to eat more than you should.

Secondly, each ship has a workout room and sports deck.  The hours of the gym are pretty good and you can easily get a workout in on sea days.  Port days are a little harder, but then again, you can choose to do a more active shore excursion than a bus tour.  Also, little things like taking the stairs rather than the crowded elevators can give you a great leg and butt workout.  Just doing push ups and squats will hit a large number of muscles.  You could also do Burpees, which combine push ups with jump squats...a very effective exercise that will really kick your butt.

If you work out all the time, I suspect you won't have a problem staying motivated on the ship.  If you struggle with fitting in a workout while at home, you certainly don't have an excuse on the cruise ship.  Get up early and workout first thing and you don't have to worry about it again until the next day!

Trail Running in Vibram KSOs

I've had my Vibram KSOs for sometime now, but I've only been wearing them for my runs up to 3.2 miles. I've also only been wearing them on the road.  I had yet to try them out for trail running.  All my research said to give them awhile before hitting the trails since trail running is so different than road running.  Well today, I decided it was time.  I strapped on the Vibram Five Finger KSOs and headed to Bent Creek and ran the Lake Loop which is about 1.72 miles.

WOW!  I loved them!  Honestly, there were a few small rocks that hurt like hell - one even left a small bruise on my foot - but it was amazing at how my body and running style adjusted so quickly.  I've always had a  pretty good stride length and running on trails I always felt like I was bounding over rocks, stumps, puddles etc... Not the case in the Vibrams.  On the first twinge of pain, my stride immediately shortened and my turnover rate increased.  I lost no time by shortening my stride, and in fact, I believe I actually ran faster than I would have in my regular running shoes.

I could feel every rock and stump I stepped on, but in a good way.  I could feel the sensation when going through muddy areas.  I swear at one point, I could feel myself slip in the mud before I actually slipped...like "spidey sense".  My reaction to adjust and catch my balance was seemingly super!

My legs felt fresh the whole run and whatever pain I would get here and there from sharper rocks, was gone within a step or two.  I actually felt so fresh close to the end of my run that I jumped up on a large rock in the middle of the trail like I was a kid again to avoid some sharp rocks on either side.  I  effortlessly jumped up onto the rock and back town the other side in a fluid motion.

Going up hills, I have a tendency to go up a little flat footed unless I'm running hard.  In the Vibrams, I instinctively went up on the balls of my feet which made going up the hill so much easier. 

All in all, I actually felt very primal as I ran over rocks, stumps and through mud and puddles.  The sensation of my feet contouring to stumps and larger rocks was so cool!

I think I'm quickly becoming a barefoot/minimalist running convert.  I haven't decided yet, but I'm leaning to running the Asheville Citizen-Times Half-Marathon in my Vibrams in September.  I'll let you know what happens.

Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition on ABC

For those of you that know me, you know I'm not a big fan of NBC's Biggest Loser because the contestants are made to feel bad that they didn't lose enough weight.  Any weight loss should be celebrated.  Anyway, I was very excited to watch a new show on ABC called Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition.  While I enjoyed this show a bit better, it still had the same flaws in my opinion.

If you listen close, you'll realize that the woman didn't lose all her weight in a year by working out 3 days per week, 20 minutes per day which is about what the average person can do.  She was working out 5 to 6 days per week (not unrealistic or even hard to do mind you...) and working out up to 6 hours per day.  Honestly - Who has 6 hours per day to work out?  We have work.  We have families.  We have kids that need cared for.  Also - ABC gave her a home gym...not just an exercise bike, but a whole gym!  I know I can't afford that.  Can you?  While the story makes for good TV, I'm afraid these shows are setting unrealistic expectations.  It is easy to gain weight but hard as hell to lose it.  I know - Honesty hurts but I've been there!

Set realistic expectations - 80 lbs in 90 days is not realistic in my opinion (unless of course you can afford to hire a personal trainer to move in with you, and the 6 hours per day to train...)  That's over 6.5 lbs per week.  Pick up any fitness book and they all say the same thing - any more than 1-2 lbs per week, and you are probably losing more than fat - you are losing muscle & water...  When all was said and done, I believe she lost an average of 3+ lbs per week...That's not too bad at all.

Realize however, that she lost the weight so fast, she had to have the surgery to cut off the excess skin.  By losing the weight more slowly, she wouldn't have had as much of a problem with the "hanging skin".  I don't know how much that surgery costs, but it's probably not cheap.

If you need to lose weight, and want to do it safely, call me.  I'd love to help.

What is a BOSU Ball?

Have you been in a gym or a store and seen those big blue half-balls?  You may have wondered what the heck those are for.  A BOSU Ball is a pretty cool workout tool.  On it's base, it is a more stable version of a exercise ball.  You can sit on it and do various exercises.  You can even stand on it while doing various exercises to incorporate a wide range of what's called "stabilizer" muscles.

Flip the BOSU Ball over and now you have a balance board in which you can stand on for balance training, or again, do various exercises and incorporate those stabilizer muscles.

It's a great way to increase the challenge of your existing workout, introduce balance training and get a great workout.  They are not cheap like an exercise ball.  They run a little over a $100 depending on where you get them.

Road Runner Sports has them as pictured below.  If you'd like one, you can visit the Road Runner's site by clicking on the ball below. Join RR's VIP program and get it for less than $100. By clicking on the ball below to make your purchase, you'll also be helping to support this site.

Biggest Loser Review by a Certified Personal Trainer

NBC's Biggest Loser sounds like a great idea.  Take some obese individuals, help them lose weight, inspire others...Great concept.  To be honest, I never watched the show until recently and I have to say I'm concerned with the message it is sending and how the whole program is viewed by the general population.

First of all, the contestants work out for 5 to 6 hours per day - Yes, 5 to 6 HOURS.  That's insane!  Pro athletes...sure...but obese individuals with no exercise experience going from zero to 6 hours per day....I'm shocked there aren't dozens of injuries.  Also - I'm not sure the show makes it clear how long the workouts actually are.  The average person - even a stay at home parent - doesn't have 6 hours to spend working out.  It's just unrealisitc.

Secondly, the obsession with weight loss rather than body changes or "body composition".  Read any book, take any certification course and you'll learn that 1-2 lbs per week is a healthy amount of weight loss.  Any more than this and you are likely losing water or muscle or both.  Losing 20 lbs from one week to the next just isn't healthy and it's not a good example for viewers at home.  Again, just unrealistic in what viewers at home can expect to achieve.

I watched last night, and a woman had lost 2 lbs since the last weight in.  The perfect amount to lose.  She seemed so sad that it was only 2 lbs.  This was understandable as people tend to place higher expectations on themselves.  What really ticked me off, was how disappointed the trainers were.  These are the people that are supposed to know this stuff and be supportive no matter what!  One guy lost several pounds since the last weigh in and the trainer - I think it was Jillian, seemed devastated and acted like the guy wasn't trying.

All in all - I have to say I'm a big fan of fitness, but not NBC's The Biggest Loser.

Weight loss is going to take awhile.  People don't gain 20, 30 or even a 100 lbs overnight so there is ZERO reason to think it's going to come off that fast.  1-2 lbs per week is a good, safe, achievable goal.  Exercise 5 days a week - 2 days of strength training and 3 days of cardio is a  great way to start and get results.  For more info on losing weight safely - contact me and I'll be happy to give you a free workout.