You Are NOT Too Heavy To Exercise!

If you’ve been overweight for many years, you may think that you can never get in shape - and that thought may have left you feeling discouraged. Maybe you’ve started and stopped exercising and started and stopped diets more times that you care to remember. So the question you may often ask yourself, and one that many of us have asked ourselves: 

“Am I too heavy to exercise?”

And our answer is always:

“Absolutely NOT!”

 A friend of ours recently met a lady on vacation that was desperate to lose weight. She was watching her kids play in the pool and shared how she has been on so many diets that have failed. She had started an exercise program around 100 times over the years and had quit EVERY time.

He could see in her eyes that she had almost completely given up. It made him want to cry for her! But, at the same time, he wanted to scream, “NO! Don’t ever give up! It is never too late!” And, he was RIGHT!

A Simple Way to get Started Exercising

A simple way to start exercising is to start where you are. If you’ve not exercised for a long time, and you’re carrying a lot of weight – fine – that’s where YOU are. No problem! So let’s get started.

As you know, before you start any exercise program, get the okay from your doctor. And once you have your doctor’s clearance, start small. Here are a few tips that can help you get started AND stick with it:

• Exercise for 5 minutes a day (that’s right – 5 minutes), and then 1-2 minutes more every 3 days.
• Begin a resistance program, but instead of heavy weights, use soup cans or books (no need to spend money).
• Get into a routine! Do a little exercise every day. Consistency is the key to the beginning of a new lifestyle. Everyday is NOT forever. Once you feel like you can consider yourself a beginning exerciser, follow the guidelines mentioned in the starter tracks.
• Establish a time and a place. Clear out an area that you can use. If your “best time” of the day is in the morning, that’s a great time to work out. Get into a routine and go with it.
• Finally, don’t try to accomplish all your goals in the 1^st week or even the 1^st month. Concentrate on those small steps and maintaining faithfulness.

The list above can seem overwhelming, so if it is, simply begin your 5 minutes in a chair, by marching in place, or by moving your arms up over your head. Grab the soup cans and start your resistance exercises sitting down. But start! And never, ever give up.

Feel free to comment or private message us. What is your motivation? A refocused motivation can help someone that has given up every time in the past be persistent and succeed! Never, ever, ever give up! 

HOW do I lose weight?!

What can I do?

There are approximately 3500 calories in 1 pound of stored body fat. So, you will need to create a negative caloric expenditure through diet, exercise, or a combination. In other words, you need to burn more calories than you consume. Let’s get very specific.

How to lose one pound per week

So, if you want to lose 1 pound per week, your calorie deficit will need to be 3500 fewer calories that week or 500 calories per day. You can do that with total diet restriction of 500 calories or 250 fewer calories and 250 calories of exercise.

The combination calorie reduction AND exercise is best for sustained weight loss for two reasons:

1. That amount of calorie restriction is hard to maintain.
2. You will not be building the lean muscle mass needed to help keep the weight off.

How to lose two pounds per week

To lose 2 pounds per week, you need to consume 7,000 fewer calories in a week or 1,000 fewer calories per day. Again, this is best accomplished through a combination of a 500 calorie deficit with 500 calories burned in exercise per day.

Another method is taking 15-20% of your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) and reducing your calories by that amount. You can increase this percentage based on your weight loss goals. ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) recommends women never get below 1200 calories per day.

Does muscle weigh more than fat?

This question is asked ALL the time. So let’s be totally obvious: one pound of muscle weighs the same as one pound of fat. However, if you put one pound of muscle next to one pound of fat, the fat will take up twice as much space as the muscle!

Muscle is less dense than fat; that’s why you will look leaner if you are 140 pounds and have 20% total body fat versus being 140 pounds with 40% total body fat.

That is an important reason NOT to focus solely on the scales when you begin an exercise program with strength training. A reduction in body fat with an increase in lean muscle mass will show with inches lost and clothes fitting a little looser. That is exciting!

How Many Calories Do I Need Each Day?

Whether you are new to fitness or have been working out for years, chances are you’ve heard a lot of talk about calories -  burning calories OR counting calories. But how do you know for sure how many calories YOU need? Let's figure out how to answer that question!

For weight loss or maintenance, it is important to know if you are taking in too little or too much energy (calories) relative to your body’s needs. You need a certain number of calories each day to live – even if you never get out of bed. This is called your basal metabolic rate (BMR).

BMR is the energy your body requires for brain function, sleeping, breathing, etc. This continual work accounts for about 60-70% of the calories we use to maintain our body at rest.

The equation below is based on the Harris Benedict Equation, although the one  included below allows you to use pounds instead of kilograms and inches instead of centimeters. They are practically identical in results – your personal BMR could only be a 40 calorie difference from the Harris Benedict Equation.

Finding your BMR will require a calculator – and is really pretty fun to do!

Calories needed: base calculation

BMR=655 + (4.35 x weight in lbs.) + (4.7 x height in inches) – (4.7 x age)

Example: 48 year old woman, 155 lbs, and 64 inches
BMR= 655 + (4.35 x 155) + (4.7x 64) – (4.7 x 48)
655 + (674.25) + (300.8) – (225.6)
1630 – 226
BMR = 1404 calories each day to meet her needs at rest

Lean body mass (muscle) is not accounted for with this equation. So, know that leaner bodies will have an under-estimated total BMR and obese bodies will have an over-estimated total BMR.

How many TOTAL calories do I need each day?

Once you have calculated your BMR, the calories your body needs at rest, you will need to factor in your activity level to find your total needs for the day. This is called your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE).

Check out the formulas below and plug in your numbers.  A great goal for us is to have you in either the “Very Active” or “Extra Active” category!

 

• Sedentary (little or no exercise): BMR x 1.2

 

• Lightly Active (light exercise or no exercise): BMR x 1.375

 

• Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week): BMR x 1.55

 

• Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/week): BMR x 1.725

• Extra Active (very hard exercise/sports or 2x training): BMR x 1.9

If you have any questions about figuring your numbers or working up to a more active lifestyle, please talk to us! We are here to help you!

Shake It Up or Chew It Up? Tips: Protein Shakes vs Whole Foods

Should I drink a protein shake after exercise?

Whey protein shakes are a great source of protein, but whole foods are great too.

After exercise, it is actually more important to refuel with carbohydrates, but combining protein with that is even better. There should be a 2:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein after exercise because:

• Carbohydrates stored in the muscle are called glycogen and fat. Glycogen is what the body uses during exercise as its energy source. So, it needs to be replenished for proper recovery.
• Protein kicks in when the glycogen is depleted. This happens when the activity is continuous, lasting more than an hour OR if carbohydrates have been restricted from your diet.

After  exercise, you could eat a couple handfuls of pistachios, which have 8 grams of carbohydrates and 6 grams of protein per serving.  Combine this with a piece of fruit, which increases my carbohydrate intake.

Another option would be an apple with a tablespoon of natural peanut butter. Whole food options also fit into your lifestyle change, instead of a shake, which can feel like a diet – because you get to chew!

What is a good protein shake choice?

Protein shakes can be either whey or soy based. Choose WHEY! Whey is a great source of protein, because it has a very high biological value in absorption, retention, and actual use in the body. Be careful in choosing your whey protein shake to look for amount of calories per serving, artificial sugar, and flavoring.

But again, the egg (straight from God), has the best ratio of amino acids on the biological value of protein!

Eating soy foods such as edamame or tofu is a great and safe addition to your diet. But high concentrations of soy protein, such as a soy protein shake, is NOT recommended for women over 40. There is an increased risk of uterine hyperplasia and even cancer. Be careful not to add too much to your diet.   

So, what will you choose? Healthy dietary choices are just as important as the exercise we add to our lifestyle.  Need more tips? Ask us for more healthy diet tips.  We are here to help! 

LUNGES! Are they hurting your knees? Keep reading!

How do I do lunges without hurting my knees?

To start learning the proper form, you may want to hold onto something to keep yourself safe.

Start with your feet a slightly wider than your natural width apart, one foot in front of the other with both toes pointing forward. The back toe will have a strong tendency to turn out because that is your body’s natural response to help balance yourself. But, keep it forward.

You will keep your back tall and abs tight, and bend both knees. The back knee will get about 1-2 inches from the floor when your front leg is parallel with the floor. Getting the front leg parallel to the floor is something to work toward with a lunge, so it may not be appropriate for you if you are just beginning.

Make sure you never bend the front leg so much the knee comes out over the toes. Now, press back up to your starting position, concentrating slightly more on the front leg to get you up. If you press up too hard with the back leg, you are working more of that leg’s calf muscle instead of your front leg’s hamstrings, quadriceps, and glutes.

3 of the biggest mistakes with lunges

3 of the biggest mistakes I see people make while performing lunges are:

• Taking too small of a step forward to start the lunge. This small step almost ensures that the knee will bend first and end up over your toes. Take a wider step and begin bending the hip slightly before your knee.
• Turning the back hip and foot out for stability. Keep both hips and feet forward.
• Bending the chest forward over the front leg. That adds stress to the knee.

Don’t forget to:

• Keep the chest back to help you work your core.
• Keep your abs tight. This will provide you with stability.
• Check yourself in the mirror to see if you’re doing your lunges safely and effectively.   
  

Now, take these skills and practice, practice, practice! Check our schedule and join us for a class soon!

Praise for Personal Training: One Customer's "Aha" Moment

We received such a wonderful note from a customer who wanted to thank us for helping her during personal training sessions; this customer was completely OK with letting us share her feedback with you, and we are so glad!   Her view of the training sessions may help put into perspective the benefits of working along side a professional who is there to help you reach a goal, better yourself, and feel your best.  We hope this may reach someone who is "on the fence" about trying personal training or had not thought of the benefits! We appreciate our customers so very, very much - and their feedback!!!!!!  Here are her words in a specific note to a trainer at Giverny:

First of all I want to express how very much I appreciate and respect your gifts as a personal trainer.  I know that you have an understanding of the fear and uncertainties that a new client probably brings along when they sign-up to take the steps to get back "in shape".   My experience, while one of the hardest things I've ever done, was one of the most gratifying and empowering.   I know I worked hard, but somehow through your focus and attention to my strengths and weaknesses, you pulled the best out of me.  That is a skill set that you should be proud of - it was and is the motivation and encouragement that makes me have hope and determination to "stay the course", no matter my few detours along the way.

 

I think I mentioned how I came to realize that more than hitting some magical weight or trying to achieve some unrealistic magazine version of what a good body looks like, my "aha" moment has been recognizing that I just want to be strong.   I realize that, even at 49, after so many years of never caring about my intake of calories and non-existent exercies routine, I could and was recovering my strength and athleticism.   The weight loss has become a bonus and secondary to my desire to continue to feel the energy, strength and positive vibe that comes along with a new healthy lifestyle.

 

I continue to work on re-wiring my brain to prioritize the discipline sticking with exercise in my schedule.  Life is always going to be busy, but I only have this one body, right?!  :-)

We love the "aha" moment!   Again, we are so thankful to our customers for sharing feedback.  It helps shape us into the trainers/instructors/leaders that we need and want to be! 

More Than Just a Customer....

What comes to mind when we think of the people we see throughout the week at Giverny? Certainly, we are proud of and thankful for our talented instructors and personal trainers, and we enjoy seeing these people so much! But, one of the reasons we all LOVE our job so much at Giverny is due to THE CUSTOMERS!  Those who walk through our front door are more than just customers to us.  In fact, we have a hard time even using that word to describe them.  Once you attend classes for a while, you will see what we mean.  We genuinely melt into a family here. We care about you when you are sick or absent from class. We pray for you and think of your well-being.  We have witnessed circles of prayer after class before. We laugh together, cry together, defend each other, and tease each other.  We are a family that ALWAYS welcomes in someone new. It is impossible to say how many times we have seen a current customer welcome a new customer and begin to do whatever they can to make them feel comfortable and at home.  We strive to make this our difference; we enjoy people and hope they enjoy us, too.  We will never go out of the way to make you the center of attention if you aren't interested in extra attention, of course, (we know some of you prefer to slip in and slip out again, which is just fine!) but if you need a friend, an accountability partner, encouragement, hope, fellowship, or if you just enjoy a smiling face next to you in class, you WILL find this within our walls, we guarantee it.  We are so proud of all of you that fill our classes each day! Thank you for being the wonderful people you are!