Daily energy expenditure consists of 3 components:
1. Resting metabolic rate (energy required for basic living) total of 60-70%
2. Diet induced Thermogenesis (energy required to breakdown food) 10% of total
3. Energy cost of physical activity 20-30% of the total.

1. Question:

If we create a caloric deficit of “X” amount – we will lose “Y” amount of fat? (i.e. the calorie deficit = fat loss, a 3500 calorie deficit = 1 pound)

True or False?

False!

In a study of meal frequency, it has been show that a group eating 6 meals per day lost more fat than a group eating 2 meals a day, despite the calories being equal. The study showed that adults who were accustomed to eating 4 meals per day switched to 3 meals a day actually gained body fat and weight despite the calories remaining the same.

2. Question:

A calorie is a calorie. With the same meal frequency, as long as we adjust the “calories in v. the calories out” we will see the same fat loss; that is proteins, carbohydrates and fat (macronutrients) do not really matter.

True or False?

False!

At the same calorie intake a low carbohydrate diet resulted in significantly greater fat loss than a low fat diet.

Summary:

Low carbohydrate, high protein diets favourably affect mass and composition independent of energy intake

So what Should We Be Doing?

• Increase meal frequency.
• Eat meals at regular times.
• Lower carbohydrate intake/increase protein.
• Moderately reduce calories.

3. Question:

The addition of aerobic (jogging/gentle running) exercise to a caloric deficit (through diet) will increase calories burned and therefore increase fat lost.

True or False?

False!

In a 6 month study of 2 groups: 1 on diet only and 1 on diet plus aerobic exercise (50 minutes 5 days per week) There was No additional effect of aerobic exercise on body composition that is to say, adding aerobic exercise had no effect over dieting alone.

4. Question:

If diet (total caloric and macronutrient intake) is a constant, then the more calories you burn during training, the more fat you will lose.

True or False?

False!

A group was divided into 2 smaller groups:

• Group 1 exercised for 15 weeks doing 20 minutes of interval training per session 3 times per week.
• Group 2 did 15 weeks of 40 minutes steady state aerobic (jogging) exercise per session 3 times per week.
• Both groups burned the same calories over the 15 weeks and ate the same diet.
• The steady state group actually gained on average 1lb of fat.
• The interval training group lost 5.5lb of fat and increased lean mass.
• The interval group also increased aerobic capacity more than the steady state group.

So NOW What Should We Be Doing?

• Increase meal frequency.
• Reduced carbohydrate diet.
• Interval training – this should only become part of your training programme once you have developed a foundation of steady state running.
• Resistance training – introduce a controlled well planned weight training programme.

Related posts:

1. The Key to Weight Loss For Runners
2. Weight Loss Strategies For Runners Part 2
3. Nutrition Tips

How is Your Metabolism?

Research now shows that, on average, people experience a 2-4% decline in their resting metabolic rate with each passing decade after the age of 25. Add to this metabolic decline a 5lb loss of muscle mass with every decade and getting older is a depressing proposition.

Indeed, for most people these declines are all but definite.

When it comes to metabolism and muscle preserving strategies, intense exercise is the king. With it, you get to keep that muscle mass and fuel that metabolism. Without it, you get to politely smile while you wave bye-bye to your youth, muscle strength, lean mass, and metabolic rate.

Now, the big question is this; what qualifies as “intense exercise.” Well, certainly resistance training (strength training) is one of the biggies. However, there are a host of other types. Here are a few:

• Interval Running, Climbing, Cycling, and Rowing.
• Resistance Circuits.
• Body Weight Circuits.
• Rope Jumping (Skipping)
• Running Hills.
• Burpees, Jumping Jacks, and Other Plyometrics.
• Medicine Ball Tosses and Rotations.
• Kettlebell Exercises.

Basically, any physically demanding task that:

1. Incorporates many muscle groups
2. Is done near your maximum heart rate qualifies. So feel free to invent your own form of intense exercise.

Now, when you do an intense bout of exercise, you overload your muscles. This overload helps stimulate protein turnover, protein building, and gains in lean mass (or at least lean mass preservation).

But what about the cardiovascular system?

Well, with all those muscles doing so much work, the cardiovascular system MUST respond by pumping blood faster and delivering a lot of oxygen to your working muscles. So you definitely get a cardiovascular benefit from doing intense exercise.

In addition, your metabolic rate also benefits from the increased oxygen consumption. You see, the more muscle you have and the more exercise you do, the more oxygen your body will need. As oxygen generates 5kcal per litre consumed, a high oxygen demand means that your body is burning a ton of calories.

After The Intense Exercise.

Now, it should be clear that DURING exercise, your oxygen demands are high. That’s why you’re breathing so heavy. You’re getting rid of the carbon dioxide your cells are producing at a high rate and you’re taking in additional litre of oxygen.

However, the real key to intense exercise is what happens AFTER your exercise session.

If your exercise is intense enough, your oxygen demand remains elevated for well after the exercise session. With low intensity cardio work (jogging or steady state running), you only benefit from a few minutes of additional oxygen demand (and metabolic activity). However, with high intensity activity, the oxygen demand can remain high for anywhere from 6 hours to 48 hours, depending on the intensity and duration of the exercise session.

And remember, a bigger oxygen demand means more calories burned. So it’s only your high intensity activity that boosts your metabolism 24-7.
In a Nutshell:

• Your muscles are your “fat burners”
• Intense activity causes your muscles to burn calories.
• Intense activity causes this “burn” to continue after the exercise has finished.
• You MUST include one or more of the following in your running training programme:

1. Hill work.
2. Weight Training.
3. Intervals.

Related posts:

1. Principles of Training: Simple Physiology
2. Heart Rate Monitor Training
3. Training Intensity

1. Start the Day with Some Form of Exercise

Exercise first thing in the morning is a certain way of kick starting your metabolism levels. A morning jog or brisk walk is an ideal way to start the day

2. Eat Breakfast

Skipping breakfast will  slow down your metabolism. In fact, doing so hinders your energy levels and decreases performance and mental agility for the rest of the day. In addition, proper hydration is vital for reviving the metabolism and maintaining good performance.

3. Add On More Muscles

The more muscles you have, the higher your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) will be – this does NOT mean that you have to become a body builder! Therefore, if you’re a long-time cardio junkie, try to add at least 2 strength workout routines per week.

For more information on the types of strength workouts just read these articles.

4. Eat Small and Frequent Meals

Do not starve yourself as a way of losing weight – this merely depresses your metabolism. And the way this mechanism gets triggered is by skipping meals. If you find yourself doing so as a means to speed up the weight loss process, do not do it!

Instead, the ideal eating pattern for maximum weight loss and performance is to eat 4-5 small meals, every 4 hours. Aim for a mixture of the good carbohydrates such as vegetables and some fruits, and make sure that you get sufficient protein to help prepare damaged muscles (this always occurs after any type of training)

Related posts:

1. Top 10 Tips for Weight Loss
2. Weight Loss Strategies For Runners Part 2
3. Weight Loss Strategies For Runners Part 1

1. Our first fitness tip is that it’s important to exercise regularly. While that’s been sound advice for years, unfortunately very few people are following it. Only 45 percent of adults are getting the recommended minimum: 30 minutes a day, at least four days a week. Considering that aerobic capability starts to diminish after missing only two weeks of workouts, it’s clear that consistent exercise is the key to success.

2. Another fantastic exercise tip is that, to achieve significant weight loss, it is imperative to participate in both cardiovascular (aerobic) and resistance (strength) training. What’s the difference? Aerobic exercise burns fat so you’ll lose weight today, while resistance training maintains and tones muscle so you’ll keep that fat off tomorrow. To be truly fit for life, you need both types of exercise at least four times each week.

3. Change the intensity of your workout. One way to do this is to turn up the resistance on the strength machines. Another way is to wear wrist or ankle weights while you exercise. Even small adjustments to your workout will make a difference. Changing the intensity not only keeps exercise more interesting for you, but it also challenges your body to blast through any conditioning plateaus you may be stuck on.

4. Although there’s lots of good advice out there regarding when you should exercise, the best health tip you’ll ever find on this topic is simply to exercise when it’s best for you. Don’t get confused by claims that morning workouts are better for weight loss, or that evening exercise burns more calories. Instead, get your workout in whenever you can. Follow this fitness tip, and chances are good you’ll end up exercising more, period.

5. To get the maximum benefit from your weight loss exercise, get a friend to workout with. This is a good safety tip and an excellent workout tip too. Arrange to meet a friend at the gym, at a specific time, and on a specific day. Write it down in your planner / diary. Treat it like a regular business appointment and you’ll be less likely to find some excuse to skip out. When you know that a friend is waiting for you there, you’re much more likely to get yourself down to the health club.

6. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes. Instead of trying to look great while you exercise, focus instead on exercising to look great. If you haven’t already, consider joining a women’s only health club where you can feel comfortable and really focus on weight loss results .

7. Check your heart rate every ten minutes to make sure you’re staying within your target heart rate zone. Not only will this help you burn more fat by maintaining your exercise intensity, but it will also keep you safe by preventing you from exceeding your maximum recommended heart rate. For even more accurate measurement, consider purchasing a heart rate monitor.

8. To guarantee a great workout, remember your diet tips and nutrition advice. To maintain muscle and get the most benefit from exercise, your body needs quality fuel and adequate hydration. Without the proper nutritional balance, the quality of your workouts will suffer and your body will not respond appropriately.

9. Remember to breathe deeply during exercise sessions. Taking full, deep breaths will deliver more oxygen to your muscles and make them more efficient.

10. Our final exercise tip is to stay away from the gimmicks of the day and instead focus on the benefits of exercise. When you start relying on gimmicks and ‘magic potions’ to help you lose weight, you’ll put less emphasis on the only proven method to achieve life long results: consistent exercise.

Take these fitness tips for weight loss exercise to heart, and you’ll soon find that you’re getting more out of each workout. Results will come faster, and the pounds will disappear.

Related posts:

1. Weight Loss – 4 Tips to Boost Your Metabolism
2. The Key to Weight Loss For Runners
3. Weight Loss Strategies For Runners Part 1

We may not know how food is prepared and cooked in restaurants and takeaways but we do know that a lot of food choices on offer are likely to be higher in fat and calories and are larger portion sizes than if you were eating at home. Remember you are the paying customer so if unsure about a particular food choice i.e. how it’s cooked or what comes with it then ask. You can request changes so if you want your salmon served without a creamy hollandaise sauce poured over then say so, the same as you can request your salad to come without dressing.

It’s a good idea to not arrive for your meal feeling absolutely ravenous and that you could eat everything in site. So if this is the case, maybe have a piece of fruit beforehand and keep those hunger pangs at bay.

Portion sizes are considerably larger when eating out so consider sharing with a friend or ask for a smaller portion, many menus now have the choice of ‘light bites’ or smaller versions of the meal.

What to choose if having Italian:

• If having a starter choose something light such as olives or tomato salad, or breadsticks. A salad can be a good starter but hold the dressing.
• Garlic bread is often high in saturated fat and calories so maybe try some bruschetta, which is ciabatta topped with chopped fresh tomatoes and herbs.
• If going for pizza, choose thin crust over deep pan and choose toppings either with plenty of vegetables, fish, prawns or ham over one laden with cheese, pepperoni or ‘meat feat’ style.
• If going for pasta, choose a dish with a tomato-based sauce rather than cream based which tend to be laden with fat.
• Choose salad without an oil based or creamy dressing and opt for balsamic vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice.
• Remember to ask for any accompanying sauce for meat or fish on the side so you can control how you eat and choose potatoes and vegetables unbuttered.
• Avoid the extra sprinkling of Parmesan on your pizza or pasta!
• If having a dessert choose a sorbet or fresh fruit,

What to choose if having Indian:

• Choose drier dishes such as tandoori or tikka as they are cooked without extra fat.
• Avoid creamy curries such as korma, passanda, masala and dhansak. Better choices are jalfrezi, madras, dupiaza and rogan josh. Try and leave some of the sauce that way you won’t be getting all the fat.
• Try and avoid deep fried extras such as samosas, bhajis and pakora. You can ask for poppadoms to be grilled or microwaved rather than deep-fried.
• Maybe give the meat-based dishes a miss and opt for one made of dhal (lentils) or a vegetable based curry for a change.
• Choose plain boiled rice as opposed to pilau, biryani or fried rice.
• Choose a chapatti over naan bread, paratha or puris.
• If having dessert choose fresh fruit or standard ice cream. Indian ice cream (Kulfi) is usually high in fat.

What to choose if having Chinese:

• Many starters are deep fried or battered i.e. sesame prawn toast, dim sum or spring rolls. So if having a starter choose a satay dish or a soup such as Won Ton.
• For main meals look at the stir fried options as opposed to deep fried, sweet and sour dishes are usually battered and so not a good choice.
• Also choose options that are steamed i.e. fish, vegetables and rice.
• Satay and chow mein dishes whilst not as good choices in terms of calories as steamed or stir-fried they are preferable to deep-fried or battered choices.
• Choose plain boiled rice or noodles and avoid special fried rice varieties.
• If having dessert choose fruit.

What to choose if having Thai:

• Opt for stir fried or steamed dishes with chicken, fish or vegetables.
• Coconut milk can be found in Thai curries, which is high in saturated fat so if choosing one of these dishes try and avoid eating all of the sauce.
• Choose plain steamed rice or noodles.

 What to choose at the Fish & Chip Shop:

We are all aware that fish and chips is a high fat meal but you can make choices to make it healthier.

• Choose mushy peas or baked beans as an accompaniment.
• Try not to eat all the batter on the fish, as this is where a lot of the fat is.
• Instead of sausages or meat pies choose chicken and remove the skin.
• Choose a smaller portion i.e. in a tray or share.

What to choose at the Burger Bar:

Many establishments will provide you with nutritional information on their products so this will help you make an informed choice.

• Choose plain grilled chicken or fish burgers without cheese or a small hamburger as opposed to standard beef burgers with cheese, quarter pounders or whoppers.
• Fries are very high in fat, the thinner the cut of chips the higher the fat content.
• Opt for a salad but leave off any dressing or fried croutons.
• Avoid milkshakes and choose water, fruit juice or diet drinks.
• Some burger bars now offer fruit so choose this rather than donuts or other high calorie dessert.

What to choose if having Mexican:

• Good choices are grilled seafood or chicken dishes such as fajitas or bean burritos served with salad (watch out for any dressing though)
• Choose tomato based salsas, sauces or dips and avoid sour cream and limit the guacamole, tortilla chips and refried beans, as these are high in fat and calories.
• Avoid potato wedges or nachos covered in cheese or sour cream.

What to choose at the sandwich bar:

• Choose wholegrain/seeded bread varieties.
• Choose lean meat filling (i.e. beef, chicken, ham, turkey), fish or lower fat cheeses such as edam or mozzarella.
• Include salad.
• Say no to mayo or salad cream; choose mustard, pickle or salsa for example.
• If sandwich filling is moist say no to butter or margarine.
• When buying ready made sandwiches look at the labelling, sandwiches that are low in fat have 3g of fat or less per 100g, ones high in fat have 20g or more per 100g.
• Salt is another factor to consider, as ready-made sandwiches can often be high in salt, 1.5g of salt per 100g is a lot.

What to choose at a buffet:

It can be easy to overindulge at buffet when the table contains tempting snacks such as sausage rolls, quiches and deep fried mushrooms to name but a few. So again make sure you are not ravenous and maybe have a light snack beforehand.

• Choose sandwiches on wholegrain bread with lean meat and fish fillings.
• There is often crudités and dips to take advantage of, just don’t overdo it on the creamy dips.
• Chicken drumsticks without the skin can be a good choice.
• There is usually fresh fruit available such as melon, strawberries and oranges so fill up on these.

Take Home Pointers:

• Choose dishes that are grilled, steamed, boiled, poached and stir fried not deep-fried or battered.
• Choose sauces that are tomato based as opposed to cream or cheese based.
• Choose dry curries such as tikka and tandoori.
• Have vegetables and salads served plain, i.e. unbuttered or without dressing or ask for it to be served on the side so you can add what you want.
• Choose plain steamed / boiled rice or noodles.
• Choose boiled, baked potatoes without butter rather than chips, fries or dauphinois or sauté potatoes.

Importantly enjoy your meal and if you know that you will overindulge on occasion just eat less at other meals to make allowances for this.

Related posts:

1. Reduce the Amount of Fat in Your Diet
2. Guideline to Healthy Eating
3. Eating Disorder

For those who find it difficult to lose weight there seems to be a common underlying thread. While I am not suggesting there is only ever one miracle answer there does appear to be a common theme or pattern of underlying behaviour that if changed, is likely to lead to weight control.
 
If you are suffering from any of the following this may also be the cause of weight gain/inability to lose weight and should be treated in conjunction with your health professional:

• Hypothyroidism
• Food or alcohol addiction
• Insulin resistance (Metabolic Syndrome/Syndrome X)
• Diabetes
• Heart conditions

Firstly, let’s look at the reason people want to lose weight:

• Aesthetics – we think we look better
• Fitness – we feel better physically and mentally
• Self esteem – we are more positive about and our level of influence over our bodies (this can become negative control in some people)
• Increased performance – distance, times, frequency and recovery all improve
• Professional – competition or professional athletes need to maintain a certain weight

It doesn’t however matter what the reasons are of your desire for weight maintenance or loss. As long as it is not an unhealthy obsession, or you have been advised otherwise by your health professional, the patterns of behaviour can be broken.

What are the patterns you wonder? They are repetition! We all get bored doing the same thing over and over, and need new challenges, but did we ever stop to think that our bodies may also get ‘bored’ and static? If we attempt to continue with the same patterns of training and diet our bodies think that is the normal state and while weight loss may occur initially it will not continue. I call this the ‘fat thermostat’. The body is lulled into a sense of security with your cells thinking that it is in the normal state, even if you are only consuming 1200 calories per day! This is contrary to popular belief that calories in equals calories out. What a myth that is!! Of course, if you over-eat habitually you will put on weight but even when this happens most people get to a regulated state and stay there. The body is trying to find its level of homeostasis and the ‘fat thermostat’ is lazy, seeking a point of equilibrium. As soon as it gets there it thinks ‘great I like it here and this is where I will stay!’.

How do we change this? Confuse the body! Instead of eating the same foods and same amount of calories each day, mix it up to keep your body guessing.

1. Alter your macro-nutrient intake: alternate between high protein: low carbohydrate and low protein: high carbohydrate, change the levels or percentage of fat intake, one day eat high fibre, the next a little lower. Always ensure over the week the amounts are not in excess of requirements or too low.
2. Change the frequency of eating. One day eat only 3 meals per day, the next add some healthy snacks between meals.
3. Change your portion sizes: eat a large lunch: small dinner one day, a small lunch: large dinner the next.
4. Alter your meals: do not eat the same breakfast, lunch or dinner every day.

Changing your eating habits will alter your metabolic rate and encourage the ‘fat thermostat’ to recognise additional fat and burn it off.

Further points on weight loss:

• Supplements: are you taking the right ones for you? Do you need more B vitamins than your friend who is taking the same multivitamin and mineral product?

• Green tea: is thermogenic creating heat to burn fat.

• Plan your meals for the week. It only takes 10 minutes.

• Maintain focus yet alter your training regime also.

• Set goals and stick to them. Change them every 6 weeks to shake things up.

• Don’t mistake thirst for hunger. When you are thirsty you are already dehydrated. Try having a drink before you eat an additional meal or snack.

Try these tips and let us know here at Running 4 Women how you get on!

Emma Wight-Boycott
MSc Nutr (2009), PGDip Nutr, PGcACNEM, Dip. Sc Nutr

Related posts:

1. Weight Loss Strategies For Runners Part 2
2. Weight Loss Strategies For Runners Part 1
3. The Truths and Falsehoods About Fat Loss