Back in July I wrote a Blog on Child Obesity and whether it should be considered Child Abuse? To my surprise it was well received, even from parents of overweight children. I say to my surprise because I laid out what I feel is the real issue with Child Obesity: Parents. Now as September has rolled in with Childhood Obesity Awareness Month a fitness chain (Anytime Fitness) has launched a campaign called C.O.A.K. (Coalition Of Angry Kids) to try and point the finger at the real issue: Parents. The premise of the marketing campaign is to show that kids want to be healthier, but are subject to their parent's lazy and unhealthy lifestyles. It features overweight children expressing their frustrations at getting the sole blame for their health and weight. All the while they are stuck in the drive-thru lane because Mom and Dad didn't wanted to cook dinner.
Here is a link to the video.
http://wn.com/Meet_The_Coalition_of_Angry_Kids_COAK
I think that this is an excellent campaign. I think finally shifting some of the focus off of the children and putting it on the parents will help not only the children, but motivate and pressure parents to adopt a healthier more active lifestyle. Not only that, but I'm hoping it will encourage parents to be more involved with their children. The T.V., PS3 and XBOX 360 are not babysitters. I'm not accusing parents of absenteeism as much as lack of participation. My son and I go to skate parks all the time. Almost every time we're there I see mom's and dad's alike just sitting off to the side with their phones or magazines while their child desperately tries to get their attention or get them to "play" too. Now before you go on with "I'm not getting on a skateboard and killing myself." Keep in mind that sometimes just getting up and moving helps. My Dad and I often just run up and down the ramps on foot with my son. It's not just the skate parks that I see this trend, but at the real parks too. Parents just sit off to the side on benches and wait for their child or children to be finished playing.
Far too often now parents are minimizing how much they have to do in about everything. I mean lets face it, sitting at a desk all day then picking the kids up and heading home to do a few things around the house, then top it off by going out for dinner isn't exactly an active lifestyle. The biggest issues kids are facing aren't the outside factors (fast food/advertisements/school lunches) it's the internal factors (pop tart breakfasts, or no breakfast/drive-thru dinner or take out.) that are keeping kids from having and learning healthy choices. Maybe instead of letting your child pick out a sugary cereal you could take them into the produce aisle and let them pick out a vegetable or fruit to try. Cooking with your children is an excellent way to not only keep you from going out to eat, but to interact and teach your child a healthy habit. I have a standing agreement with my son that for every new food he tries I will take him to the Dollar Tree store and he can pick out a $1 toy for it.
Maybe instead of September being Child Obesity Awareness Month it should be Family Activity Month? In all honesty shouldn't every month be an activity month? My challenge to you if you're a parent is to grab your kids and find something active to do on at least 3 different occasions this month (and Halloween doesn't count). I also would encourage you to have at least 5 "family" cooking meals. Whether this is dinner, breakfast on the weekends, or lunch on Sunday. Try and get out and run around and play. Be a kid for a little while. You might just realize how much you've missed the physical exertion.
So that's it puppets. I know this isn't my typical blog, but I'm just getting back to lining up subjects for your entertainment. The next time you see that pudgy kid at McDonalds instead of shaking your head at him, maybe look at the parents. Actually scratch that. You shouldn't be in Mcdonalds anyways. As always Dance!
Mr. J
Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Child Obesity or Child Abuse?
*I understand this will be a sensitive subject and will most likely upset a portion of my readers. That being said, the time to start looking at this area has long since past and something has to change. All I ask of you as a fellow parent is that you read the whole thing before allowing your natural defensive nature to over ride what is being said*
Recently I was at home relaxing one night when I get a text from my cousin.
"Guess what my sis got to eat."
I'm not going to lie, my first reaction was to roll my eyes then exhale as I worried about what I was going to read. It was worse then I expected.
"A Big Mac Value Meal!"
It was then I thought I might explode!
I guess I should explain. The girl we're talking about is 10 years old and 106lb! I have sat back for years now and bit my tongue on my little cousin and her health. Now don't get me wrong. I know it's not HER fault. She's a child. She has no choices about the food she's given. I'm also sure if you asked her mom about her weight she would tell you she isn't that bad off. This is part of the problem. I read a study published last month on childhood obesity and the parents perceptions of their child's weight.
Here is the link to the article. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37838149/
Here is what was found in the study.
Most parents don't realize if their preschool-age child is overweight or obese, a new study suggests.
The results show 71 percent of participating parents with overweight or obese toddlers misperceived their child's weight, identifying it as either a healthy weight or lighter than healthy weight.
Did you catch that last part? LIGHTER THAN HEALTHY WEIGHT!!!! Compared to what? A baby calf? It went on to say they even had pictures of body types and asked the parents to circle the one closest to their child's.
20 percent of parents with overweight or obese kids actually chose an image that was smaller than the healthy weight image to indicate their own child's size.
That means 1 in 5 parents of obese children feel that their child is smaller than a normal weight child! This ties into my little cousin and her mom's misconceptions. The child is fat because of her PARENTS! It is THEIR fault! Their lack of responsibility, and neglect of their child's well being is the reason she is severely obese for her age. It is also why her health is in serious need of attention.
I'm sure some of you are going "what's big deal, she had a Big Mac Meal?" Let me put it in perspective for you. At 10 years old her DAILY calorie intake should be right around 1600 calories a day. Her Big Mac Meal eaten at almost 10pm at night was 1440 calories (60g of Fat and 95g of sugar!). That would be 90% of her DAILY calories in ONE meal! The study went on to show.
Obese children and adolescents are more likely to become obese as adults. For example, one study found that approximately 80% of children who were overweight at aged 10–15 years were obese adults at age 25 years.The study also found that if overweight begins before 8 years of age, obesity in adulthood is likely to be more severe.
This is very scary for my little cousin since she has been obese/overweight since about 5 years old. And she's not alone in her desperate state. This is a growing concern for our nation. It blows my mind how few athletic and fit kids you can find. I look at these overweight to obese kids and fast forward their lives 10 years and I see the same fat people I see circling the McDonald's drive thru by my club everyday. And herein lies the problem, we've come to accept fat. It's ok to be fat. God forbid we hold ourselves to healthy standards. Don't be pressured to fit the status quo and be thin. Eat that Big Mac meal and pretend only health nut freaks are thin. Blame your genetics, your job, do whatever it takes to convince yourself to take no responsibility for where YOUR health is. That's fine, but when it comes to your children this doesn't fly. They are KIDS. YOU are in charge. They eat what YOU feed them. They're as active as YOU make them.
The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) defines child abuse and neglect as, at minimum:
1)Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation;
2)physical or psychological mistreatment of a child by its parents, guardians, or other adults.
3)the physical or emotional mistreatment of children
Looking at those definitions of child abuse, I have to believe that child obesity is a form of child abuse. The physical harm and health risks that are induced NOT-TO-MENTION the psychological damage imposed on that child warrant attention and possibly counseling and supervision.
Just because you aren't an alcoholic parent smacking your child around doesn't mean that you aren't abusing or neglecting your child. I'm not trying to say parents are maliciously and intentionally abusing their children, but look at the other end of the spectrum. If a child was malnourished, ignorance wouldn't save that parent from being considered negligent. So when you are enabling your child to develop terrible lifestyle habits you're failing to step up and take control of your child's health. By not laying down healthy choices and options for them, how is it really that much different? The biggest difference I can see is only in the perceived immediate harm. Physical abuse is less seen and considered more severe, but obesity is like diabetes, it is damaging and deadly. The reason it isn't thought of in the dangerous nature that it is stems mainly from the fact it's so rampant and widespread. The majority of the population is at minimum overweight, and I'm sure everyone of you know at least 5 people with Type II Diabetes. If your child is going to be diabetic by 15, or by 18 have at least 1-2 heart risk warning signs, how are you not abusing your child or failing as a parent to protect your child and their well being? Isn't that the job of a parent? To make sure that your child is endowed with the best opportunities for a healthy and successful adulthood. Or at least a traumatic free childhood? And yes being fat as a child or teenager is traumatic.
Studies have shown:
Psychosocial Risks
Some consequences of childhood and adolescent obesity are psychosocial. Obese children and adolescents are targets of early and systematic social discrimination. The psychological stress of social stigmatization can cause low self-esteem which, in turn, can hinder academic and social functioning, and persist into adulthood.
How does that not reach the definition of abuse? 3)the physical or emotional mistreatment of children
And if you're one of those parents thinking my kid will just grow out of it when they get to high school and grow taller think again! The study went on to address that issue as well.
"The concept that kids outgrow their weight at some point or another, may have been true maybe 10 or 15 years ago, but more and more we're seeing that once the kid falls into that category, it really tends to be predictive long term," she said. Modern-day tendencies toward less exercise and an overabundance of food might be the culprit behind this shift, she said.
This isn't about assigning blame. It's about realizing the damage that is being done and taking the responsibility to change it. I'm sure you love your children as much as I love my son. It's because I love my son so much that I want the best for him. That means as his parent it's my job to take charge and step up even if that means sacrificing some of my T.V. time, or getting up a little earlier so I can make him breakfast. As parents our lives took a back seat the minute our children were born. We're supposed to teach our children right from wrong, how to manage their money, treat friends and loved ones. So why would teaching them to take care of themselves not be towards the top of life's lessons?
I leave you with this to ponder. What was dinner and play time like when you were a child? I know for me it was go outside and play till I call you to eat, and we had to eat what was cooked for us or go hungry. I don't know what your childhood was like, but I'm sure it was something similar. So puppets hopefully I still have a parent reading base after this, so let's dance to that!
Finally just a little tid bit for you. Upon gathering information for this article I entered my little cousins information into the government food pyramid site, this is the warning that came up with it.
The weight you entered is higher than may be healthy for your age and height. Ask a health care provider about your weight. They may ask about the foods you eat, your level of physical activity, and your family history. They can also determine your rate of growth and check for other health problems.
Recently I was at home relaxing one night when I get a text from my cousin.
"Guess what my sis got to eat."
I'm not going to lie, my first reaction was to roll my eyes then exhale as I worried about what I was going to read. It was worse then I expected.
"A Big Mac Value Meal!"
It was then I thought I might explode!
I guess I should explain. The girl we're talking about is 10 years old and 106lb! I have sat back for years now and bit my tongue on my little cousin and her health. Now don't get me wrong. I know it's not HER fault. She's a child. She has no choices about the food she's given. I'm also sure if you asked her mom about her weight she would tell you she isn't that bad off. This is part of the problem. I read a study published last month on childhood obesity and the parents perceptions of their child's weight.
Here is the link to the article. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37838149/
Here is what was found in the study.
Most parents don't realize if their preschool-age child is overweight or obese, a new study suggests.
The results show 71 percent of participating parents with overweight or obese toddlers misperceived their child's weight, identifying it as either a healthy weight or lighter than healthy weight.
Did you catch that last part? LIGHTER THAN HEALTHY WEIGHT!!!! Compared to what? A baby calf? It went on to say they even had pictures of body types and asked the parents to circle the one closest to their child's.
20 percent of parents with overweight or obese kids actually chose an image that was smaller than the healthy weight image to indicate their own child's size.
That means 1 in 5 parents of obese children feel that their child is smaller than a normal weight child! This ties into my little cousin and her mom's misconceptions. The child is fat because of her PARENTS! It is THEIR fault! Their lack of responsibility, and neglect of their child's well being is the reason she is severely obese for her age. It is also why her health is in serious need of attention.
I'm sure some of you are going "what's big deal, she had a Big Mac Meal?" Let me put it in perspective for you. At 10 years old her DAILY calorie intake should be right around 1600 calories a day. Her Big Mac Meal eaten at almost 10pm at night was 1440 calories (60g of Fat and 95g of sugar!). That would be 90% of her DAILY calories in ONE meal! The study went on to show.
Obese children and adolescents are more likely to become obese as adults. For example, one study found that approximately 80% of children who were overweight at aged 10–15 years were obese adults at age 25 years.The study also found that if overweight begins before 8 years of age, obesity in adulthood is likely to be more severe.
This is very scary for my little cousin since she has been obese/overweight since about 5 years old. And she's not alone in her desperate state. This is a growing concern for our nation. It blows my mind how few athletic and fit kids you can find. I look at these overweight to obese kids and fast forward their lives 10 years and I see the same fat people I see circling the McDonald's drive thru by my club everyday. And herein lies the problem, we've come to accept fat. It's ok to be fat. God forbid we hold ourselves to healthy standards. Don't be pressured to fit the status quo and be thin. Eat that Big Mac meal and pretend only health nut freaks are thin. Blame your genetics, your job, do whatever it takes to convince yourself to take no responsibility for where YOUR health is. That's fine, but when it comes to your children this doesn't fly. They are KIDS. YOU are in charge. They eat what YOU feed them. They're as active as YOU make them.
The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) defines child abuse and neglect as, at minimum:
1)Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation;
2)physical or psychological mistreatment of a child by its parents, guardians, or other adults.
3)the physical or emotional mistreatment of children
Looking at those definitions of child abuse, I have to believe that child obesity is a form of child abuse. The physical harm and health risks that are induced NOT-TO-MENTION the psychological damage imposed on that child warrant attention and possibly counseling and supervision.
Just because you aren't an alcoholic parent smacking your child around doesn't mean that you aren't abusing or neglecting your child. I'm not trying to say parents are maliciously and intentionally abusing their children, but look at the other end of the spectrum. If a child was malnourished, ignorance wouldn't save that parent from being considered negligent. So when you are enabling your child to develop terrible lifestyle habits you're failing to step up and take control of your child's health. By not laying down healthy choices and options for them, how is it really that much different? The biggest difference I can see is only in the perceived immediate harm. Physical abuse is less seen and considered more severe, but obesity is like diabetes, it is damaging and deadly. The reason it isn't thought of in the dangerous nature that it is stems mainly from the fact it's so rampant and widespread. The majority of the population is at minimum overweight, and I'm sure everyone of you know at least 5 people with Type II Diabetes. If your child is going to be diabetic by 15, or by 18 have at least 1-2 heart risk warning signs, how are you not abusing your child or failing as a parent to protect your child and their well being? Isn't that the job of a parent? To make sure that your child is endowed with the best opportunities for a healthy and successful adulthood. Or at least a traumatic free childhood? And yes being fat as a child or teenager is traumatic.
Studies have shown:
Psychosocial Risks
Some consequences of childhood and adolescent obesity are psychosocial. Obese children and adolescents are targets of early and systematic social discrimination. The psychological stress of social stigmatization can cause low self-esteem which, in turn, can hinder academic and social functioning, and persist into adulthood.
How does that not reach the definition of abuse? 3)the physical or emotional mistreatment of children
And if you're one of those parents thinking my kid will just grow out of it when they get to high school and grow taller think again! The study went on to address that issue as well.
"The concept that kids outgrow their weight at some point or another, may have been true maybe 10 or 15 years ago, but more and more we're seeing that once the kid falls into that category, it really tends to be predictive long term," she said. Modern-day tendencies toward less exercise and an overabundance of food might be the culprit behind this shift, she said.
This isn't about assigning blame. It's about realizing the damage that is being done and taking the responsibility to change it. I'm sure you love your children as much as I love my son. It's because I love my son so much that I want the best for him. That means as his parent it's my job to take charge and step up even if that means sacrificing some of my T.V. time, or getting up a little earlier so I can make him breakfast. As parents our lives took a back seat the minute our children were born. We're supposed to teach our children right from wrong, how to manage their money, treat friends and loved ones. So why would teaching them to take care of themselves not be towards the top of life's lessons?
I leave you with this to ponder. What was dinner and play time like when you were a child? I know for me it was go outside and play till I call you to eat, and we had to eat what was cooked for us or go hungry. I don't know what your childhood was like, but I'm sure it was something similar. So puppets hopefully I still have a parent reading base after this, so let's dance to that!
Finally just a little tid bit for you. Upon gathering information for this article I entered my little cousins information into the government food pyramid site, this is the warning that came up with it.
The weight you entered is higher than may be healthy for your age and height. Ask a health care provider about your weight. They may ask about the foods you eat, your level of physical activity, and your family history. They can also determine your rate of growth and check for other health problems.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Laying Down The Gauntlet: Your chance to rise up.
*Disclaimer* This blog will be riddled with and full of testosterone and pure alpha mentality. There will be harsh language and a kick you in your pants get a move on theme! Enjoy, embrace, and do something after reading it!
I realized while writing the goal setting series that it would drive home the point and motivate people to act now on their goals if they had a challenge to push them. I have spent many nights thinking of what great, ultimate challenge I could put forth for you all. I've decided that I can't want it for you. It will be up to you to read this and take action.
I, along with several of my friends had a realization two weeks ago. It was after we had competed in the Warrior Dash (www.warriordash.com) in Joliet, IL. I remembered something that I had forgotten about myself. I love the feeling of pure physical exertion and being challenged! Now don't get me wrong. I know I love competing, I just forgot how great it felt to do it! I wasn't the only one. There were a few of us that had been sitting in a holding pattern the last several months. None of us really had any specific goals outside of completing this race. We had signed up for it in February and basically all went into it with a "hey, let's just finish it and worry about next year" attitude. Boy, let me tell you how off base we were!
The feeling of conquering this course and finishing it alive and strong was incredible! Fire, mud, barbed wire, hills from hell 500 people in our heat alone! What an experience! And even though it was an individual thing, having a group of 7 do it really drove a sense of being a team into us. It lit a fire into almost every one of us since we've gotten back. People in our group are signing up to do fitness shows, 5k trail runs, making goals to see their bodies completely reshaped. We are all laying out new goals and possess a focus that has been missing from us for months! All because of a race that gave us a small glimpse deep down about ourselves when we're being physically and mentally tested. The gratification of looking around seeing everyone covered from head to toe (literally) in mud, looking worn out and beat down, all the while grinning ear to ear was euphoric. This is a race where you finish they give you a viking helmet, a free beer and you can get a huge turkey leg to eat with your mud covered hands! It was then I realized this is life! Not punching a time clock at the factory or going through the monotony of grocery shopping, or washing your laundry. It was a primal throwback to our childhood where you went playing in the woods and climbed things and came home scrapped and cut up. It was like a cold water wake up! I remember watching Fight Club and Brad Pitt's character is looking at the group as it's been growing and tells them what he sees.
Tyler Durden: Man, I see in fight club the strongest and smartest men who've ever lived. I see all this potential, and I see squandering. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War's a spiritual war... our Great Depression is our lives. We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off.
It's SO TRUE! What are we doing with our lives that means anything! If you were to die tomorrow (I know it's a morbid thought but stay with me) how would you feel about your life? What would you wish you'd have done? This is it right now your chance to earn your moment of Zen, the "you're effing right I did all that!" moment.
Tyler Durden: You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your fucking khakis.
Who are you? Better yet who do you want to be? Are you over mediocrity yet? This could be the start of the rest of your life if you have the balls to do it. Ladies I'm not just talking to the men. No Y chromosome needed here to dig deep and live. If you've wanted to mountain climb in Colorado, or swim with sharks in California, or hell just once tell that person who keeps walking all over you to take a flying leap off a cliff, you're not their doormat anymore! Then start planning to do it. Write it down. Price it on a website, set your budget for it, get in their face and stand up! No one is holding you back but you.
Don't be defined by your job title, who your friends think you are, who YOU think you are, your role as a mother or father, husband or wife. Step up to the plate and take a giant swing at the fence! Are you sick of your rut, your stand still life enough to say "to hell with what everyone thinks?" Who cares if someone thinks skydiving is crazy and risky? That your investment into a race or show that would set you apart from the hindu cows that will never have the guts to do it, is a waste of money? Who cares! Bottom line comes down to this: you're born alone you sure as hell die alone, what are you going to have done in between?
The first and greatest victory is to conquer yourself; to be conquered by yourself is of all things most shameful and vile. ~Plato
Your homework puppets is to evaluate your goals and your life and figure out what the hell is going to come from your new found fire and energy! What have you done today to set yourself apart from the herd?
Well, I'm off to rent fight club and kill a bear with my bare hands! As always dance around a big bonfire with your friends!
Mr J
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Estimated Time of Arrival: Step 3 in the goal setting process
"Rome wasn't built in a day," and your new body won't be either. Most people I speak with when setting goals have one common flaw. They lack an understanding of time and its role in reaching your goals. So part 3 is going to help you set a time line to unveiling that BEST BODY EVER!
There are only two rules to this section. 1) You must have completed the homework assignments in Parts 1 & 2 in order to proceed. If you haven't take a little bit of time and finished them go back and finish before moving on. It'll totally be worth it, otherwise this step won't work. 2) No discouragement is allowed PERIOD. This means if you realize that it might be 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, or even 5 years to reach your final goal you have to stay the course and stay focused on the prize! It may seem overwhelming when looking at the whole process. I will teach you how to focus on short term goals along the way to keep you on track to your ultimate goal.
Most people don't have unrealistic goals, more like unrealistic time lines. To be honest it's not really their fault. With shows like the Biggest Loser, magazines and their 30lbs in 30 days, or any quick weight loss program out there advertising an unhealthy weight loss. It's hard to know or have the education to realize what is not only realistic but what is also healthy. Healthy weight loss is about 1-2lbs a week. In some extreme or morbidly obese situations 3-5lbs is allowable (for a short period of time.)Now that is not what some of you want to hear. Especially when you see these HUGE weight losses of 100lbs in as little as four months on shows like the Biggest Loser. I can see how 2lbs a week would seem painstaking, but you're not looking at the big picture here. You don't have 4 hours a day to exercise. You also don't have someone watching what you eat. No TV cameras documenting your triumphs and pitfalls. Still if you stop and think about it 2lbs a week would be 104lbs in a year. How big a difference would that make in your life if you have that much to lose? It would be a totally new life! Every client I have ever trained that lost 100lbs or more and kept it off did it right. Once we set the goal and got a realistic time line they went to work and chipped away steadily till they got there.
What I mean by doing it right was they worked on what was their issues. They fixed problems. I often ask people if they would rather treat the symptom or the problem? They usually have no idea what I'm talking about. What they don't realize is the reason they have failed (or produced undesirable results) in the past was because they were treating the symptoms. When you go to the doctor would you like him to treat your cough or your bronchitis? Same thing goes in weight loss. Those fad diets, pills, and gimmicky crap all prey on your desire for a quick, easy fix. The same way that cough suppressant will curb your coughing, but not heal the infection. Being overweight is a symptom. The problem isn't the weight as much as it is the inability to eat correctly and workout.
So now that we're going to focus on our problems and not our symptoms let's talk realistic time. I wish I had a hard and fast rule for you on what you can expect, but honestly, everyone is different. Factor in that not everyone reading this is wanting to lose weight, and that makes it a bit more difficult to narrow down a formula. So I'm going to split it into two separate groups with a "generic" rule of thumb for each.
Weight Loss Group.
Alright, you've tackled the biggest obstacle so far; ACCEPTANCE. You have looked in the mirror sized up where you are. Decided what you want to be (rough draft phase),and have accepted the responsibility to change! Now, what's realistic? Well, generally when sitting down with a client that has 40-100+ lbs to lose I chart about a 12-14 month time line. I calculate a very conservative 3-6lbs a month with about 1% body fat loss. Keep in mind this is VERY conservative! You should be dropping 1-2lbs a week if staying consistent with everything. Now get an estimate of how much you want to lose and where you want to be. Then figure off the 1-2lbs a week formula and get how many weeks it would take to accomplish your goal. Got it? Good. Now hold on to that number for when I get to Step 4: short term goals. It'll make that final number less intimidating, and keep you motivated with accomplishments along the way!
Muscle and Lean Out Group.
You guys are a bit harder to get narrowed down. If you are looking to lean out or add muscle chances are you already workout fairly regular and most likely are in a moderate to advanced state of fit. That means that most of you will have 30lbs or less to lose. As I'm sure you know the closer to your goal you get the slower and harder things progress. There is a reason they say the last 10lbs are the hardest. This is were buckling down and staying very, very consistent is crucial. If you are at the point where six packs and bikinis are the goal then it gets to be a little tougher on setting a time line. Example of what I mean is if you're a guy and you're seeing a 4 pack you're probably less then 12% body fat. Men get full 6 pack abs at 10% body fat. Now, that 2% doesn't seem like it's a big difference, but as you have less to lose it gets harder to take off. Things get tighter from this point diet wise, training wise, and the time to get where you want is focused too. What that means is things might come off slower and you might only loose fractions of body fat and pounds a week. This might lengthen your time line to your goal. There becomes a very small amount of room for error on your part. A realistic time line for someone in this state of fitness is about 45-90 days. In that 90 day time period it's possible to lose up to 6% body fat and 12-24lbs. That can be a MASSIVE transformation! So figure out where you are to where you want to be and calculate based off those figures and that time line. Hold on to that for Step 4.
In summary, Step 3 is about lining up realistic time lines to get to our BEST BODY. Only 2 steps left and then it's time to launch your awesome new plan! Hopefully, you're getting a bit excited, antsy, and I'm sure a little scared. Those feelings are all normal and exactly how you should be feeling! You're about to create a totally new you! That is an exciting time for you! Stay tuned for Step 4 it will be posted Saturday. Your homework from now till then is to put your best body, your goals, along with the time line you calculated down on paper. Yes, it's time to put this in WRITING so it starts to become real. Till Saturday puppets, DANCE!
Mr. J
There are only two rules to this section. 1) You must have completed the homework assignments in Parts 1 & 2 in order to proceed. If you haven't take a little bit of time and finished them go back and finish before moving on. It'll totally be worth it, otherwise this step won't work. 2) No discouragement is allowed PERIOD. This means if you realize that it might be 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, or even 5 years to reach your final goal you have to stay the course and stay focused on the prize! It may seem overwhelming when looking at the whole process. I will teach you how to focus on short term goals along the way to keep you on track to your ultimate goal.
Most people don't have unrealistic goals, more like unrealistic time lines. To be honest it's not really their fault. With shows like the Biggest Loser, magazines and their 30lbs in 30 days, or any quick weight loss program out there advertising an unhealthy weight loss. It's hard to know or have the education to realize what is not only realistic but what is also healthy. Healthy weight loss is about 1-2lbs a week. In some extreme or morbidly obese situations 3-5lbs is allowable (for a short period of time.)Now that is not what some of you want to hear. Especially when you see these HUGE weight losses of 100lbs in as little as four months on shows like the Biggest Loser. I can see how 2lbs a week would seem painstaking, but you're not looking at the big picture here. You don't have 4 hours a day to exercise. You also don't have someone watching what you eat. No TV cameras documenting your triumphs and pitfalls. Still if you stop and think about it 2lbs a week would be 104lbs in a year. How big a difference would that make in your life if you have that much to lose? It would be a totally new life! Every client I have ever trained that lost 100lbs or more and kept it off did it right. Once we set the goal and got a realistic time line they went to work and chipped away steadily till they got there.
What I mean by doing it right was they worked on what was their issues. They fixed problems. I often ask people if they would rather treat the symptom or the problem? They usually have no idea what I'm talking about. What they don't realize is the reason they have failed (or produced undesirable results) in the past was because they were treating the symptoms. When you go to the doctor would you like him to treat your cough or your bronchitis? Same thing goes in weight loss. Those fad diets, pills, and gimmicky crap all prey on your desire for a quick, easy fix. The same way that cough suppressant will curb your coughing, but not heal the infection. Being overweight is a symptom. The problem isn't the weight as much as it is the inability to eat correctly and workout.
So now that we're going to focus on our problems and not our symptoms let's talk realistic time. I wish I had a hard and fast rule for you on what you can expect, but honestly, everyone is different. Factor in that not everyone reading this is wanting to lose weight, and that makes it a bit more difficult to narrow down a formula. So I'm going to split it into two separate groups with a "generic" rule of thumb for each.
Weight Loss Group.
Alright, you've tackled the biggest obstacle so far; ACCEPTANCE. You have looked in the mirror sized up where you are. Decided what you want to be (rough draft phase),and have accepted the responsibility to change! Now, what's realistic? Well, generally when sitting down with a client that has 40-100+ lbs to lose I chart about a 12-14 month time line. I calculate a very conservative 3-6lbs a month with about 1% body fat loss. Keep in mind this is VERY conservative! You should be dropping 1-2lbs a week if staying consistent with everything. Now get an estimate of how much you want to lose and where you want to be. Then figure off the 1-2lbs a week formula and get how many weeks it would take to accomplish your goal. Got it? Good. Now hold on to that number for when I get to Step 4: short term goals. It'll make that final number less intimidating, and keep you motivated with accomplishments along the way!
Muscle and Lean Out Group.
You guys are a bit harder to get narrowed down. If you are looking to lean out or add muscle chances are you already workout fairly regular and most likely are in a moderate to advanced state of fit. That means that most of you will have 30lbs or less to lose. As I'm sure you know the closer to your goal you get the slower and harder things progress. There is a reason they say the last 10lbs are the hardest. This is were buckling down and staying very, very consistent is crucial. If you are at the point where six packs and bikinis are the goal then it gets to be a little tougher on setting a time line. Example of what I mean is if you're a guy and you're seeing a 4 pack you're probably less then 12% body fat. Men get full 6 pack abs at 10% body fat. Now, that 2% doesn't seem like it's a big difference, but as you have less to lose it gets harder to take off. Things get tighter from this point diet wise, training wise, and the time to get where you want is focused too. What that means is things might come off slower and you might only loose fractions of body fat and pounds a week. This might lengthen your time line to your goal. There becomes a very small amount of room for error on your part. A realistic time line for someone in this state of fitness is about 45-90 days. In that 90 day time period it's possible to lose up to 6% body fat and 12-24lbs. That can be a MASSIVE transformation! So figure out where you are to where you want to be and calculate based off those figures and that time line. Hold on to that for Step 4.
In summary, Step 3 is about lining up realistic time lines to get to our BEST BODY. Only 2 steps left and then it's time to launch your awesome new plan! Hopefully, you're getting a bit excited, antsy, and I'm sure a little scared. Those feelings are all normal and exactly how you should be feeling! You're about to create a totally new you! That is an exciting time for you! Stay tuned for Step 4 it will be posted Saturday. Your homework from now till then is to put your best body, your goals, along with the time line you calculated down on paper. Yes, it's time to put this in WRITING so it starts to become real. Till Saturday puppets, DANCE!
Mr. J
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)