Losing Weight, Keeping it Off

9/17/2006

Losing Weight, Keeping it Off

From a position stand by the American College of Sports Medicine
ACSM recommends that the public follow these general guidelines for losing weight and keeping it off: Consult with a trained healthcare professional, consider losing weight if BMI is 25 or above, reduce caloric and fat intake, exercise 2.5 - 4.5 hours a week, and use dietary supplements/weight loss drugs only under physician supervision.

-An "energy deficit" of 500-1000 calories a day is recommended
-An effective weight-loss program must include increased energy expenditure in addition to reduced dietary intake.
-Significant health benefits can be realized with a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week; there may be advantages to increasing to 200-300 minutes per week
-Even modest reduction of 5-10% produce significant health benefits
-If energy needs exceed energy intake, weight loss will occur
-Very low calorie diets (VLCDs), used in conjunction with dietary supplements and requiring medical supervision, may increase the magnitude and rate of weight loss but probably will not improve long-term weight loss

Weight Loss Tip: The only way to lose weight is to have a calorie deficit.

Change your diet to take in less calories than your burn. increase exercise and lean muscle mass to burn more calories than you take in. Or, try a combination of these techniques.

Many supplements that claim to "raise your metabolism" are simply stimulants that raise your heart rate --- you may as well drink 6 cups of coffee, which you probably would not be willing to do. And supplements are not FDA approved. Guarana, for example, contains very high concentrations of caffeine and has not been evaluated by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or purity.

Nutrition Recommendations for Athletes

"Protein recommendations for [male] endurance athletes are 1.2 g/kg body weight per day, whereas those for [male] resistance and strength trained athletes may be as high as 1.6 to 1.7 g/kg body weight per day...Little information is available regarding requirements of endurance athletes who are women [and] data on female strength athletes are not available. These recommended protein intakes can generally be met through diet alone, without the use of protein or amino acid supplements, if energy intake is adequate to maintain body weight." *"Data are not presently available...to suggest that athletes need a diet significantly different from that recommended in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans...(55% to 58% of energy from carbohydrates, 12 to 15% of energy from protein and 25 to 30% of energy from fat)." * "Before exercise, a meal or snack should provide sufficient fluid to maintain hydration, be relatively low in fat and fiber...be relatively high in carbohydrate...be moderate in protein and be composed of foods familiar and well tolerated..." * "...Athletes should consume a mixed meal providing carbohydrates, protein and fat soon after a strenuous competition or training session." Source: Nutrition and Athletic Performance, Joint Position Statement by American College of Sports Medicine, American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada

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Cary Raffle Certified Personal Trainer - NYC

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9/17/2006

Losing Weight, Keeping it Off

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