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Hi Wayne

I recently started a weight loss program two weeks ago with LA weight loss centers. Along with it I exercise everyday, morning and evening. I have been doing Denise Austin's Fat Burning Blast VHS in the morning after breakfast along with Winsor Pilates 20 minute workout DVD for body sculpting. Then at about 5:00 PM, an hour before I eat dinner, I do Denise Austin's Fat Burning Blast and Circuit Training (with weights) which is 3 minutes of hard core aerobics following 1 minute of toning with the weights, repeating this about 5 times. After that, I do the Winsor Pilates 20 minute workout again. I already lost 7 1/2 lbs. Do you think I'm exercising a little too much? Do you think I'm exercising correctly to burn the fat I want to burn especially my midsection since my body type is endomorph and I have never exercised this much my entire life?   M H US

Answer:

You've lost 7.5 pounds in 2 weeks which is more than the recommended amount of 2 per week(4 pounds in 2 weeks). It does suggest that it may not all be fat lost, however everyone will lose some muscle and water as well as fat no matter how they lose it. The trick is to lose as much fat as possible and maintain as much lean weight as possible. This is done easier with a gradual reduction, hence the "2 pounds per week guide"..

You may well have lost more fat due to all the activity your doing but then I can't really say without tests - however I'm pleased your working out and doing what all overweight people should be doing - becoming more active! well done! 

What can I do to tone up my flabby arms?

I am 37 and I work out regularly!

As we age, our skin loses elasticity and becomes less able to support the natural layer of fat underneath it. This causes the fat to drop, giving the appearance of jowls in the face, and flabby underarms. While you can't do anything to dramatically alter the elasticity of the skin, you can train to get your arms as lean as possible, which would decrease the amount of hanging fat, and tone the muscle underneath the fat layers. Maybe doing lots of low-medium intensity cardiovascular exercise of 30-60 minutes, three times a week might help to burn away the fat from under the arms. Also, cutting out refined or high glycemic index carbohydrates and saturated fats. Train the triceps muscle by doing dumbbell exercises like tricep extensions for sets of ten repetitions.

Is whole grain bread less fattening than white bread?

No not really, they both contain about the same calories. Whole grain bread contains more fibre so eating it more often can help us consume less calories because it helps fill the stomach quicker. The result is we end up eating less total bread.

Another important point, eating foods high in fibre helps speed up the movement through the digestive tract, there is less time for fatty acids to be absorbed before it is eliminated resulting in less calories absorbed.

I'm finding it hard to give up sweet things for snacks. I would like to know how to go about ignoring my craving for sweet and fattening snacks like chocolate, biscuits, etc?

Does fat have more energy than any other food?

Yes, fat contains 9 calories per gram. That's more than twice as much energy compared to protein at 4 calories per gram and carbohydrates at 3.75 calories per gram. The reason for reducing total fat intake is to help lower total energy consumption. What many people don't realise is that alcohol also contains a high energy content. One gram of alcohol contains as much as 7 calories. Counting calories is important for losing weight, it may be a good idea to invest in a calorie counting chart or calculator.

Are our Genes making us overweight?

Its very possible that our genetic predisposition will have some influence on body weight. There are some genetic complications that may help contribute to difficulty in losing weight such as hormone imbalance, certain enzyme deficiencies or problems with the cell energy pathways. These are just a few however, it has been estimated that genetic disorders account for less than 5% in obese people and many people just exercise to little and eat too much.

I've heard that a viral infection is making people obese

There has been some research in other countries which has shown that lots of very obese people have had a certain virus at some stage in their lives. The theory is that this virus can make fat cells store more fat by changing certain genes however, this research is controversial and therefore more studies are required before we can draw any conclusion.

Are women fatter than men?

Women do tend to have more weight problems than men but that may be because women tend to have a naturally higher body fat percentage. Men usually have more lean body weight which results in a higher metabolic rate.

In saying "we are what we eat" does this mean our weight can be affected by the type of food we eat even if the energy content is the same?

Its possible. Some research with animals has suggested that a diet high in carbohydrates can cause a weight change if the source of carbohydrate is different. For example, a diet high in simple sugars (chocolate, sweets and biscuits) is more likely to cause a slight weight gain than a diet high in complex carbohydrates (rice, potatoes or pasta) even if the amount of energy consumed is the same.

My friend told me to start bodybuilding as the more muscle I gain the higher my metabolism would be. He said I would burn more fat and could still eat loads of food?

It has been estimated that one pound of muscle burns 25-50 calories per day and each pound of stored fat only burns 2-3 calories per day. So yes your metabolic rate will increase however, building large muscles takes lots of hard work and dedication and I would not recommend intense training sessions to any inactive individual. To burn off excess fat you should be doing some form of low-intensity high duration aerobic exercise, after the weight has come down and fitness levels improved then bodybuilding may be okay!

Are there any effects of microwaving food?

Microwave cooking of food is not harmful, based on current research. In fact, microwaves preserve more of the vitamins and minerals in food because the food's exposure to heat and water is shorter than with conventional cooking methods.
 

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