15 Oct 2015 Fat loss 101

by Karl Lenser

The odds are pretty good that you have, at some point in your life, considered or initiated some sort of weight loss plan. Most of us realize that this process of losing weight (fat in particular) involves the management of your caloric intake and expenditure. Experts concur that the calories ingested need to decrease while the calories expended through physical activity need to increase. Easier said than done!

To lose one pound of fat, you need to negate 3,500 calories, and that can be accomplished through a reduction in your normal caloric intake and increasing your activity level/calorie expenditure. In theory, if you negate 500 calories per day and do this seven days in a row, you should lose a pound because 500 x 7 = 3,500.

The “500-A-Day” plan can be broken down into a 2 x 250/day plan. On the food front, try to reduce your calories by 250 per day. Just say no to the 20-ounce soft drink that you typically have or skip the candy bar at lunch. Cutting back on 250 calories worth of unhealthy food and then burning off 250 calories in a day would be a good strategy for losing fat weight.

But what is the BEST exercise to lose fat? Is it best to just focus on cardio activities such as walking, jogging, elliptical machines, Zumba, cycling or swimming? Or do you need to spend more time in the weight room? The correct answer is that you need both cardio exercises and resistance training.

Cardiovascular activities are important as they aid in strengthening your heart and lung capacity and reduce the risk for heart disease, hypertension, some cancers and diabetes. Performed with the proper intensity and duration, these activities can burn a lot of calories, which is critical in losing fat weight. Cardiovascular workouts provide a great deal of health benefits that individuals of all ages and fitness levels can enjoy.

However, they do not provide a significant elevation in your metabolism after the cardio workout is finished. After you get finished with your run, Spin class, Zumba class, etc., your cells stop burning extra energy because your metabolism quickly returns to its pre-workout level. In fact, as one continues to perform these cardio activities over time, muscular-skeletal efficiency increases and caloric expenditure decreases.

One key to fat loss is giving your internal engine (metabolism) a boost so you burn more calories while you are at work, school or home. Resistance training is very helpful in providing you with a post-exercise metabolism boost. Another key point in resistance training is to make sure the intensity is adequate to stimulate the muscle cells.

To understand this concept, think about athletes that are not cardiovascular oriented. When is the last time you noticed a chubby, soft sprinter or hurdler? Or look at gymnasts and their body build. They are generally well-muscled and do not spend much time doing cardio workouts.

Caloric management and fuel inefficiency is essential if you want to lose excessive body fat. Begin to look at your high caloric foods and where you can reduce or eliminate them from your diet. Make a “500-A-Day” Plan for a caloric negation strategy. Combine cardio workouts (for heart health and caloric expenditure) with a solid weight training routine that will provide you with a post-workout metabolic boost that will keep your calorie meter clicking for hours after the workout.

A Conway resident, Karl Lenser is the director of wellness programs at Hendrix College. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse. An accomplished runner, he can be reached at [email protected].