I have talked about being TOFI (thin outside, fat inside) before, but it is back in the news more than ever right now.
New research has found that people who maintain their weight through diet rather than exercise are likely to have major deposits of internal fat, even if they are otherwise slim.
They eat too many fatty, sugary foods — and exercise too little to work it off — but they are not eating enough to actually be fat. Scientists believe we naturally accumulate fat around the belly first, but at some point, the body may start storing it elsewhere.
There is an increased risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes with anyone who has increased fat, no matter where it is. This means that normal-weight persons who are sedentary and unfit are at much higher risk for death than obese persons who are active and fit.
MRI's seem to be the only real way to tell if you're TOFI right now, so in order to keep your internal fat deposits at bay then a combination of diet and exercise is the way to go. If you just want to look thin, then maybe all you need to do is diet, but if you want to actually be healthy, then exercise has to be added as well.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Glycemic load/ glycemic index
Glycemic index is a way of measuring the impact a given amount of carbohydrate has on your blood sugar, something you definitely want to know. But to do a fair comparison, they have to use a fixed amount. In the case of the glycemic index, it's a standard 50 grams of carbohydrate.
Problem is, very few carbohydrate foods in real life are 50-gram portions.
See, if you go to a store to buy spices and there's a spice that's $500 a pound, that sure sounds like a lot of money. But if you're only buying a half-teaspoon of the stuff, it's pretty irrelevant. You want to know what you're going to pay at the register, not necessarily what you'd pay if you bought a pound.
Similarly, you really don't care what the impact of 50 grams is on your blood sugar; you care what the impact of the amount you're actually eating is.
Glycemic load is a more sophisticated formula that takes into account the actual grams of carbs you're eating -- the portion size. The glycemic index of carrots is high, leading a lot of people to think you should never eat carrots, which is a dumb conclusion. Fact is, the average carrot has 3 grams of carbs. You'd have to eat like a giant rabbit to have a significant impact on your blood sugar.
The glycemic load of a carrot, on the other hand, is only 3, making it an extremely low-glycemic food -- unless you're drinking pure carrot juice or eating 13 carrots at a sitting.
Pasta, on the other hand, has a moderate glycemic index, but is almost never eaten in 50-gram portions. Factor in the portion size at a typical Olive Garden and your blood sugar will be on the roof, and stay there for a week. Not surprisingly, the glycemic load of pasta is very high.
The technical formula for glycemic load is GI (glycemic index), multiplied by the number of grams of carbohydrates in the portion, then divided by 100. Low glycemic load is between 1 and 10, medium is between 10 and 20, and anything over 20 is very high.
That said, remember that both glycemic index and glycemic load only refer to the food eaten alone. Add some fat or protein and the total impact goes down. And plenty of high-glycemic foods are good for you (say, carrot juice) while plenty of low-glycemic foods (fried donut holes) are not.
So take glycemic load into account, but don't be a slave to it. It's just one measurement to consider when planning a diet.
Incidentally, athletes in training actually can benefit from high-glycemic foods, especially when they're training twice a day. Mrs. Smith with Metabolic Syndrome... not so much!
Problem is, very few carbohydrate foods in real life are 50-gram portions.
See, if you go to a store to buy spices and there's a spice that's $500 a pound, that sure sounds like a lot of money. But if you're only buying a half-teaspoon of the stuff, it's pretty irrelevant. You want to know what you're going to pay at the register, not necessarily what you'd pay if you bought a pound.
Similarly, you really don't care what the impact of 50 grams is on your blood sugar; you care what the impact of the amount you're actually eating is.
Glycemic load is a more sophisticated formula that takes into account the actual grams of carbs you're eating -- the portion size. The glycemic index of carrots is high, leading a lot of people to think you should never eat carrots, which is a dumb conclusion. Fact is, the average carrot has 3 grams of carbs. You'd have to eat like a giant rabbit to have a significant impact on your blood sugar.
The glycemic load of a carrot, on the other hand, is only 3, making it an extremely low-glycemic food -- unless you're drinking pure carrot juice or eating 13 carrots at a sitting.
Pasta, on the other hand, has a moderate glycemic index, but is almost never eaten in 50-gram portions. Factor in the portion size at a typical Olive Garden and your blood sugar will be on the roof, and stay there for a week. Not surprisingly, the glycemic load of pasta is very high.
The technical formula for glycemic load is GI (glycemic index), multiplied by the number of grams of carbohydrates in the portion, then divided by 100. Low glycemic load is between 1 and 10, medium is between 10 and 20, and anything over 20 is very high.
That said, remember that both glycemic index and glycemic load only refer to the food eaten alone. Add some fat or protein and the total impact goes down. And plenty of high-glycemic foods are good for you (say, carrot juice) while plenty of low-glycemic foods (fried donut holes) are not.
So take glycemic load into account, but don't be a slave to it. It's just one measurement to consider when planning a diet.
Incidentally, athletes in training actually can benefit from high-glycemic foods, especially when they're training twice a day. Mrs. Smith with Metabolic Syndrome... not so much!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Indoor Rowing getting big
The indoor rowing classes are getting fairly popular here at Springfield Health and Fitness Center. We had to turn someone away last week!!
In response to that , beginning on Sept. 15th there will be an additional class each Monday, Wed. and Friday evening. Classes will be at 6 and 7 pm. Be sure to call and reserve an Erg to save your spot. 937-325-9770.
Beginning in Oct. there will be a Saturday, 9am class if there is any interest!!
In response to that , beginning on Sept. 15th there will be an additional class each Monday, Wed. and Friday evening. Classes will be at 6 and 7 pm. Be sure to call and reserve an Erg to save your spot. 937-325-9770.
Beginning in Oct. there will be a Saturday, 9am class if there is any interest!!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Exercise 14 hours a week and still gain body fat
How To Gain Body Fat While Exercising 14 Hours A Weekby John Berardi, PhD, CSCS
Exercise Without DietA few weeks back I shared with you an article called "When Exercise Doesn't Work." And in this article, I reviewed some fascinating new research demonstrating that, without a dietary intervention, exercise doesn't have much of an impact on body composition. Even to the tune of 6 hours per week...Even when it's high intensity exercise.......participants following an exercise plan, without being cognizant of their nutritional intake, only tend to lose an extra pound of fat vs. those folks who do nothing for the same 12-16 weeks.Disheartening, I know. But oh so true.Especially when supported by this new information I'm going to share with you today.More Support For the "No Diet Hypothesis"Just yesterday, I received an interesting email from Dr Gary Homann, a faculty member at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, MO.(Some of you may recall that we collaborated with Dr Homann a few years back and came up with some interesting insights, spotlighted here: Long Haul Training)Gary, intrigued by my last article, shared with me the results from a very telling study he completed back in 2003. Here's what he found.2 Hours a Day and They Still Got Fatter!In Dr Homann's study, 56 girls between the ages of 14 and 17 - all of whom were in a program run by the South Dakota Department of Corrections - volunteered to get involved in a 4-6 month wellness program.The idea was to have the girls exercise for about 14 hours per week (2 hours per day consisting of various activities such as hiking, running, circuit training, step aerobics and basketball) while following the USDA Food Guide, as it appeared in 2003.At the beginning of the study and again at the end, a host of measures were recorded, including:
A step test and timed mile for cardiovascular fitnessHeight, weight, body mass index (BMI), skinfolds (for % body fat), waist and hips circumference for body compositionShuttle run for agilityStanding jump, sit-ups and bench press test for muscular strength and enduranceAnd sit-and-reach and straddle tests for flexibilitySo, what happened?Well, as expected, cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and endurance, agility, and flexibility all improved. That's great!What's not so great is that body composition measures worsened. Instead of losing body weight and fat, these girls, on average, gained 6lbs, increased their waist circumference by 1/2 and inch, increased their hip circumference by 3/4 of an inch, and increased their body fat by over 1/2 a percentage point. Now, I don't know about you. But this isn't exactly what I'd expect to happen if I went on a 14 hour per week exercise binge!
The USDA Food Pyramid circa 2003(note: the pyramid has since been updated...thank god!)Exercise + The Food PyramidAs you'd imagine, I'm kinda disappointed to learn that it's actually possible to gain body fat when exercising 2 hours per day, every single day. You're probably disappointed too.However, what's even more disappointing is the fact that it's possible while actually following a nutrition plan!Remember, participants in this study were following the recommendations of the USDA - you know, that famous food pyramid that everyone talks about. The one that dietitians across the land recommend that we follow. The one recommending 6-11 servings of breads, cereals, and pastas each day.
(Now, it is true that the USDA has since changed their recommendations - for the better. But can you blame me if I'm a little gun shy on backing their new recommendations? Especially after the checkered history of the last food pyramid?)QuestionsNow, you might have some questions about the study design...as I did when first reading it.
After all, maybe the girls didn't follow the USDA plan to a "T"...Or maybe they were going thru puberty at the time of the study and that explains the fat gain...Or maybe being put in a detention center isn't exactly condusive to fat loss in the first place.Well, after speaking with Dr Homann, I'm pretty confident that these factors can't really explain away the fact that these girls exercised for 2 hours every single day, while following the USDA's guidelines, and got fatter.
For starters, the girls were living in a detention center and they were provided all their meals. So there wasn't much room to cheat.Further, the girls were starting out quite over fat. Indeed, their average body fat was just over 30% to begin with. So they did have fat to lose. And their fat gain can't be explained by simply "getting older" or "puberty".Let's Bottom Line ThisI could probably go on and on here...but I'll spare you that. Instead, I'd like to simply say the following. The data are pouring in. And they paint a pretty clear picture. If you want to look better, feel better, and perform at the top of your game, you definitely have to exercise...(although 14 hours a week probably isn't necessary). But, even more importantly, you've got to look after your nutrition - specifically what you eat, how much you eat, and when you eat it.Indeed, without the right nutritional intake, you simply can't expect inspiring, noticeable results. Heck, in some cases, you might even expect to get worse!So don't leave your nutrition up to chance.
Exercise Without DietA few weeks back I shared with you an article called "When Exercise Doesn't Work." And in this article, I reviewed some fascinating new research demonstrating that, without a dietary intervention, exercise doesn't have much of an impact on body composition. Even to the tune of 6 hours per week...Even when it's high intensity exercise.......participants following an exercise plan, without being cognizant of their nutritional intake, only tend to lose an extra pound of fat vs. those folks who do nothing for the same 12-16 weeks.Disheartening, I know. But oh so true.Especially when supported by this new information I'm going to share with you today.More Support For the "No Diet Hypothesis"Just yesterday, I received an interesting email from Dr Gary Homann, a faculty member at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, MO.(Some of you may recall that we collaborated with Dr Homann a few years back and came up with some interesting insights, spotlighted here: Long Haul Training)Gary, intrigued by my last article, shared with me the results from a very telling study he completed back in 2003. Here's what he found.2 Hours a Day and They Still Got Fatter!In Dr Homann's study, 56 girls between the ages of 14 and 17 - all of whom were in a program run by the South Dakota Department of Corrections - volunteered to get involved in a 4-6 month wellness program.The idea was to have the girls exercise for about 14 hours per week (2 hours per day consisting of various activities such as hiking, running, circuit training, step aerobics and basketball) while following the USDA Food Guide, as it appeared in 2003.At the beginning of the study and again at the end, a host of measures were recorded, including:
A step test and timed mile for cardiovascular fitnessHeight, weight, body mass index (BMI), skinfolds (for % body fat), waist and hips circumference for body compositionShuttle run for agilityStanding jump, sit-ups and bench press test for muscular strength and enduranceAnd sit-and-reach and straddle tests for flexibilitySo, what happened?Well, as expected, cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and endurance, agility, and flexibility all improved. That's great!What's not so great is that body composition measures worsened. Instead of losing body weight and fat, these girls, on average, gained 6lbs, increased their waist circumference by 1/2 and inch, increased their hip circumference by 3/4 of an inch, and increased their body fat by over 1/2 a percentage point. Now, I don't know about you. But this isn't exactly what I'd expect to happen if I went on a 14 hour per week exercise binge!
The USDA Food Pyramid circa 2003(note: the pyramid has since been updated...thank god!)Exercise + The Food PyramidAs you'd imagine, I'm kinda disappointed to learn that it's actually possible to gain body fat when exercising 2 hours per day, every single day. You're probably disappointed too.However, what's even more disappointing is the fact that it's possible while actually following a nutrition plan!Remember, participants in this study were following the recommendations of the USDA - you know, that famous food pyramid that everyone talks about. The one that dietitians across the land recommend that we follow. The one recommending 6-11 servings of breads, cereals, and pastas each day.
(Now, it is true that the USDA has since changed their recommendations - for the better. But can you blame me if I'm a little gun shy on backing their new recommendations? Especially after the checkered history of the last food pyramid?)QuestionsNow, you might have some questions about the study design...as I did when first reading it.
After all, maybe the girls didn't follow the USDA plan to a "T"...Or maybe they were going thru puberty at the time of the study and that explains the fat gain...Or maybe being put in a detention center isn't exactly condusive to fat loss in the first place.Well, after speaking with Dr Homann, I'm pretty confident that these factors can't really explain away the fact that these girls exercised for 2 hours every single day, while following the USDA's guidelines, and got fatter.
For starters, the girls were living in a detention center and they were provided all their meals. So there wasn't much room to cheat.Further, the girls were starting out quite over fat. Indeed, their average body fat was just over 30% to begin with. So they did have fat to lose. And their fat gain can't be explained by simply "getting older" or "puberty".Let's Bottom Line ThisI could probably go on and on here...but I'll spare you that. Instead, I'd like to simply say the following. The data are pouring in. And they paint a pretty clear picture. If you want to look better, feel better, and perform at the top of your game, you definitely have to exercise...(although 14 hours a week probably isn't necessary). But, even more importantly, you've got to look after your nutrition - specifically what you eat, how much you eat, and when you eat it.Indeed, without the right nutritional intake, you simply can't expect inspiring, noticeable results. Heck, in some cases, you might even expect to get worse!So don't leave your nutrition up to chance.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Getting ready to compete
I wanted to share with you a diet that a friend of mine who is a figure competitor is using to get ready for a contest. This diet SHOULD preserve her hard fought for muscle while shedding the remaining fat. One trick of the trade is to eat as many green leafy vegetables as possible . Your body will burn more calories trying to digest them and will keep you from getting so hungry you head for the kids corn chips.
Meal 1 1 whole egg, 2 egg whites. 3 oz. canadian bacon, 1/3 cup oatmeal
Meal 2 protein drink
Meal 3 5 oz. any lean meat, 1/2 sweet potato , 1 cup green beans
Meal 4 protein drink
Meal 5 5oz. fish or chicken breast, 1 cup broccoli
Note: free foods that can be eaten in unlimited portions
Sugar free jello-o
Green leafy vegetables
Once a week, free meal to eat what you want ( notice it is meal, not day or the entire weekend)
Meal 1 1 whole egg, 2 egg whites. 3 oz. canadian bacon, 1/3 cup oatmeal
Meal 2 protein drink
Meal 3 5 oz. any lean meat, 1/2 sweet potato , 1 cup green beans
Meal 4 protein drink
Meal 5 5oz. fish or chicken breast, 1 cup broccoli
Note: free foods that can be eaten in unlimited portions
Sugar free jello-o
Green leafy vegetables
Once a week, free meal to eat what you want ( notice it is meal, not day or the entire weekend)
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