Exercise does NOT always equal Weight Loss

If you believe gyms or advertising equipment manufacturers, then the key to weight loss is exercise. Want to lose those love handles? Just hop on an exercise bike, find a climbing wall, or pop on your running shoes. In fact, some advertisements make it seem like once you're working out, you can eat whatever you want.

But studies are showing that exercise alone does not lead to weight loss. Instead, the body - when faced with increased activity alone - attempts to maintain homeostasis and actually makes you more hungry to compensate for the calories lost.

This is why it is key to pair exercise with a change in diet.

Exercise mood-lift can last 12 hours

People always told me that exercise can be addictive, but having always been a books-and-computer sort of guy, I did not believe it.  But when I got into bicycling last year for weight loss, I found that the old wisdom was correct.  I now find myself longing for exercise after a day or so without it.  Now, new studies show the lifting of mood from just 20 minutes of exercise can last up to 12 hours!  Your bicycle may be the best way to combat depression.  Get riding now!

Posted via email from The Bike Nomad

Fat does not always mean Unhealthy

I am working hard to lose weight and get into better shape, but I found this article on a new study on obesity to be very encouraging. It has found that fat does not necessarily mean unhealthy, and that with regular exercise overweight people can be more healthy than thin people who do not exercise.

Last week a report in The Archives of Internal Medicine compared weight and cardiovascular risk factors among a representative sample of more than 5,400 adults. The data suggest that half of overweight people and one-third of obese people are “metabolically healthy.” That means that despite their excess pounds, many overweight and obese adults have healthy levels of “good” cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose and other risks for heart disease.

At the same time, about one out of four slim people — those who fall into the “healthy” weight range — actually have at least two cardiovascular risk factors typically associated with obesity, the study showed.

This, of course, does not let anyone off the hook. If you are severely overweight because you never get up off the couch, you are still living an unhealthy lifestyle. But it offers hope for those who are trying to lose weight, but never able to get down to the size 0 pushed by madison avenue. Regular exercise alone may make the difference between dying young, and living to see your great-grandchildren.

9 DIfficult Truths about Weight Loss

It is no secret that I am trying to lose weight with a combination of better diet and more exercise (mostly in the form of biking). But any dieter will tell you that losing weight is never PURELY about eating less and exercising more. This article does a good job of summarizing some difficult truths about weight-loss, and some facts that may help you keep of the weight you have lost.

Biking Update - July 5, 2008

Last weekend, after the last post, we headed over to the Trumbull, CT Trail with Nick and Nora with the intent to ride the whole thing. At the very start of the trail, it is a very short steep climb up from Tait Road. I approached the climb and took a very sharp turn - in fact far TOO sharp - and wound up tangling myself up in my own legs and fell to the side. I tried to fight the fall and thus wound up trying to bend my knee sideways. That pretty much ended the trip, so we went to see WALL-E instead.

The sprain or strain was honestly not too bad. I could walk on it immediately afterward, but it hurt quite a bit to bend and the lateral stability was simply not much there. So, my week started off with a day of no exercise and then a slow working back up to a full ride. Perhaps for this reason, or maybe something else I missed, I am pretty much flat this week weight-wise. I am no worse than last weekend, but also no better. It is a little depressing, but everyone who has ever lost a lot of weight has said that it is all about consistency and that slow but steady wins the race. We'll see, but it is my intent to stay with it. The one exception will be tomorrow - my birthday - as I plan to go to a restaurant I enjoy and have whatever I want.

The best news is that at the end of the week - Friday, July 4 - we rode that same Trumbull Trail with Mr. and Mrs. Bowhunter. (Nick and Nora were out of town exploring the Revolutionary City of Boston.) We rode pretty much the whole thing - 9.1 miles - and my knee felt just fine at the end. I am still wearing a knee brace for exercise times. But it is all moving very well now. Here is hoping I will have more good news next weekend.

Bicycling Update - June 28, 2008

I am constantly amazed how every bike ride brings me to something new, even when I am going to the same old place. But it is less fun to see "new things" while revisiting the same old places on the weight graph. This week my weight started out great with the loss of several pounds, and then suddenly jumped up. I believe it was due to taking some allergy meds, as when I stopped taking them my weight went back down quickly. But I pretty much ended off the week where I started it. Which is still down about 5 pounds than before the last post.

The big "milestone" for this week biking-wise was our first trip to Captains Pizza for Guys Night Out as a group. I have been looking forward to this trip for a while, but it is uphill the whole way on a major street (Bridgeport Avenue) so we wanted to wait until I had built myself up cardiovascular-wise. The ride is about a mile, and we made it in only 15 minutes with only one stop to catch my breath. Not bad! And essentially the reason we first decided to buy the bikes.

Our big ride last weekend was almost two hours of riding by the Long Island Sound in Stratford with Mr. and Mrs. Bowhunter. It was a beautiful ride along the water and up along a number of streets in Stratford that I really had no idea existed before. We found a picturesque lighthouse run by the coastguard, saw a motorcycle driving school, and discovered a number of little communities built around the beaches. We'll definitely be back for that ride again.

Stay tuned for more updates, as we exploring biking, scenic Connecticut, and weight loss.

Bicycling Update - June 21, 2008

A couple of weeks back, I posted a picture of myself on a new bike. I proclaimed that I planned to use it to increase fitness and "reduce the visible gut". I am figuring it will be good for me to post my experiences here, both to update our faithful readers and to keep me honest. It is hard to "cheat" on a weight reduction program if you have to admit it to all of your friends.

First, the "program" I am using is not any of the formal systems, other than the one most recommended "Eat less, exercise more." While I have done well with Atkins in the past, right now my life does not lend itself to the complicated work required to ensure I keep carbs out of my diet. So instead, I am trying to reduce portions, reduce overall carbs and sugar, and exercise every day. And I am weighing in every morning, and tracking my weight and meals in an Excel Spreadsheet. That is it.

How am I doing? Well, it is only 2 weeks in, but I have lost a little over 10 lbs. I have been exercising every day. On rainy days, I have been riding on a stationary bike in the attic (I am up to 27 minutes per session). On clear days, I have been riding on the "real" bike with CRChair at local parks (between 30 minutes and 2 hours, depending on the day). I am posting below the graph of my weight so far, with numbers removed to protect the embarrassed.

Please keep up your prayers. Weight loss is never easy, since it requires changing ones long-ingrained habits that got you overweight and out of shape in the first place. I am sure I have some hard times to come. But I am hoping that these small changes will add up to a lifestyle I can maintain in the long-term. Cuz, that is the healthy way to go, and the way people see real success.

I want to also thank Bowhunter for inspiring me to try out biking, and Nick and CRChair for encouraging me to keep it up. It has been much more fun than I expected, and I am still amazed how every time we go out, I see something new and unexpected. Who knew Shelton had a pair of guys training for the Olympic hammer throw? (No, I did not get a picture. I have since picked up a tough, waterproof camera to bring along on the rides. These photos were taken on my iPhone.)

Wii continue to change video gaming

Wii Fit Coming Soon

One of the great advantages of the Nintendo Wii as a game system over the others is that it forces the gamer to be active. No more passively sitting like a lump and twiddling your fingers. Instead, you must swing your arms, twist your body, etc. to control the action on-screen. I can feel myself becoming more flexible and stronger the more I Wii. Nintendo has noted this demographic and has announced Wii Fit a new set of games that will work with a new step pad to measure fitness and encourage better health via different kinds of exercises. Very cool, and perhaps the biggest step forward for the health of Americans in a long time!