Blast Your Back Fat: Part Two

Two weeks ago I wrote the Blast Your Back Fat blog post and heard back from lots of you. Many of you wanted to know more about the role of exercise in getting rid of your fat. For instance, does spot reducing work? In my original post, I made it clear that in order to drop those love handles, you needed to activate my three M's: Mind (get that stress under control so you don't stress overeat), Mouth (rein in the calories and eat smaller meals of high quality foods more frequently throughout the day), and Muscle (combine intensity intervals of cardio along with weight training, and don't forget cross training). It takes an integrative approach to minimize fat anywhere on your body.

So, do spot reducing exercises work? No, they don't. It's hard not to look at one part of your body that's stubbornly holding onto extra fat, and not to want to hammer on it endlessly. But that doesn't work. Spot reduction is a myth. You can't work a specific muscle group and hope to drop the fat around it. You'll strengthen the muscle, but the exercises will result in removing fat throughout the body. Look around the gym at guys and gals crunching away on ab balls, but they never seem to drop weight there. Well, it's because they're probably going home and overeating. The great news is that underneath their belly fat, their abs are strong. You just can't see them. As the abs go, so goes the back.

Are there any exercises you can do to tone and shape your back muscles so that as you adhere to a better nutritional program and remove fat, you can look more firm and fit? There sure are. Here are a few of my favorites. You can look in my book Body for Life for Women for specifics for many of these, which you can do at home as well as the gym. For instance, I use tubing (inexpensive and you can buy at any sports goods store) for home and travel workouts. Give them a whirl while also remembering to do your cardio no less than 5 x week, trying to burn 400 caloriess (you can accrue over the day), and using intervals of intensity (see my blog post on Vitamin I - Intensity).

1. Seated Rows:
   
   Gym machine: Sitting on the apparatus with back straight and holding a handle from the cable in each hand. Slowly bend forward keeping the back straight and let the weight of the cable pull you forward, and then draw back to a straight back sitting position. It's like using both hands to row a boat.
   
   Home: Or, take your tubing and wrap it around the leg of a table, bed or heavy sturdy object. Sit on the floor far enough away from the leg so that there is plenty of tension on the tubing, and grab one handle in each hand. Again, with a straight back, allow the tension to pull you forward and then pull back to a full upright sitting position. You should feel a stretch throughout your back. 10-12 reps in 3 sets.


2. One-Arm Rows:
   
   Gym: using a workout bench, place one hand on the bench and the other hand is holding a moderately heavy (you should feel fatigue around the 8-10th rep) hand weight, letting the arm hang straight down. Bend forward at your hips, suck in your stomach, while your back and head are parallel to the floor. Now, retracting your shoulder blade, bend your elbow and pull the weight up until you feel your hand touch your body midway between your breast and pelvic bone. Hold, and then slowly lower your arm down. Repeat 10-12 times, then switch sides. Do this for three sets.
   
   Home: If you don't have a bench, you can do all of this simply using a sturdy chair, whereby you put your free hand on the seat of the chair for stability. It helps to have a mirror so that you can watch alignment.


3. Rear Delt Fly:
   
   Home or gym: Sitting on the edge of a chair or bench, grab a lighter weight in each hand and position hand behind each leg. Now, lean forward from the hips with your back flat. Tuck your chin into your chest. Raise your arms to the sides, gradually bending your elbows as they come up. Squeeze your shoulder blades together. Pause at the top of the extension and then slowly lower your arms. In my book I call this the Prone Fly, which can be done lying on your stomach on a bench with arms hanging to each side. Gym: Many gyms have a rear delt machine that's easy to use.


4. Opposite Arm and Leg Rises:
   
   Home or gym:Lie flat on your stomach with your arms extended over your head and your legs straight. Either rest your forehead on the floor or turn your head to one side. Slowly and simultaneously raise your right arm and left leg until it's difficult to keep your pelvis and chest flat on the floor. Lower and repeat with the opposite arm and leg combination. Don't twist or rock your body to make this easier. Stop if you feel pain.

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Blast Your Back Fat

Back fat, muffin top, love handles, fat roll or spare tire - call it what you want, but it all adds up to that rather not-so-lovely vision of extra rolls of fat popping up all over your back, from your bra line to your belt line. It's the kind of fat that makes you rethink buying a skimpy top where the whole world can revel in your rolls. Have a look in the mirror at your back while wearing a form fitting blouse or sweater. There's that back fat poking out along your bra strap lines. And how about the rolls at your armpits, and the back fat shelf line above your waist? Not a pretty picture. And, as opposed to the menopot which is seen primarily after age 40 (see my blog post "Minimize Your Menopot"), back fat can occur at any age in men and women, but is worse after the age of 40. So where does it come from?

Back fat is an accumulation of excess fat that occurs due to one or any combination of factors including:

1. Being overweight or obese at any age (over eating and lack of physical activity);


2. Genetics in which even some slender people tend to distribute more of their fat to the back area;


3. Ethnicity plays a roll (pun intended) in which some groups tend to pack on back fat more than others;


4. Lack of weight training to bring down body fat and increase muscle tone;


5. Being over the age of 40 in which the decline of sex hormones affects distribution of fat throughout the body.

So what can you do about Back Fat? Plenty. Here are the "Rules of the Roll" to blast your back fat:

1. Make an Action Plan. Sit down and write out your goals. Take measurements throughout your body so you know where you're starting. Take pictures for the visual impact. Create realistic goals and expectations (dropping ½-2 pounds per week is the normal range). The heavier you are to start, the more excess fat you'll be removing. Write down your commitment to change. Journal your progress. Develop a support system to help guide you - like our wonderful weight management board on WebMD.


2. Be patient. Back fat is often one of those stubborn places that sometimes takes longer to reduce. Be persistent.


3. Get real. If you're over the age of 40, you may not be able to completely eliminate all of your back fat, but, like the menopot, your mission is to minimize back fat.


4. Hide it while you remove it. Let's not invite trouble in the form of super tight spandex tops. While you're shedding pounds and getting more fit, try to wear looser, comfortable clothes and toss the muffin topping skinny jeans. There are also great elasticized undergarments that help smooth out the rolls.


5. You must do both weight training and cardio to blast back fat. Don't think you can do this with cardio alone. You'll drop some weight, but you need to reshape and redistribute fat and only a combination of weight training and cardio will do that. Lift 2-3 x week and concentrate on building strength and perhaps boosting your muscle mass a bit. Check out my MUSCLE section in Body for Life for Women for easy ways to do this at home gym-free. Check out the WebMD fitness sites for creative ways to strengthen and tone.


6. Eat a back fat blasting diet. Physical activity is key, and equally so is what you put in your mouth. There is no one food or beverage that will magically remove Back Fat. Instead it's all about eating a variety of healthy foods every day. Quality: whole foods and lean proteins build the foundation for removing Back Fat. Quantity: watch your portion size. Almost everyone out there is eating too much relative to their age and gender. If you eat too much, you wear it. Read the USDA label and know what a serving size looks like. Frequency: eat every 3-4 hours from breakfast through dinner. Stop eating 2 hours before going to bed. Try to eat your dinner no later than 8-8:30 PM, and keep it lean (veggies, lean protein). Wake up in the morning feeling truly hungry. Check out my MOUTH section in Body for Life for Women for healthy, easy nutrition options. Scroll onto WebMD's wonderful nutrition sites for endless suggestions and recipes.


7. Get creative and cross train. No one specific exercise is the ultimate back fat cure. You need to draw from a variety of back strengthening and toning modalities. Mix and change it up every 6 weeks to keep it fresh and challenging. Have some fun and get adventuresome. Take up belly dancing, hip hop or twirl around a ballroom. Ballet is a terrific way to pinpoint back flexibility and strength. Don't forget martial arts, yoga and Pilates. Each uniquely singles out the back for a fat blaster workout.


8. Enjoy a win - win. The stronger the back the stronger the abs, and vice versa. You're working the core of the body and what you do for one, helps the other.

Back fat is a fact of life. Don't waste another moment fretting about it. Take action. And remember, here at WebMD, we've got your back!

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This Is Not A Diet

Whenever I read the postings on my weight management board, inevitably there's one from someone who has had an awakening and is desperately seeking help to reverse obesity. Here's one I received recently from offby40:

"I HAVE JUST SIGNED UP FOR THIS IN HOPES OF FINDING SUPPORT IN STARTING A NEW DIET. I HAVE TRIED MANY DIETS BUT I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH COMPLETING THE DIETS. NOW I AM GOING TO FOCUS ON CALORIE INTAKE AND EXERCISE. I AM 300 LBS AND ABOUT 5FT9 AND MY BMI IS REGISTERING AT SEVERELY OBESE. IS THERE ANYONE THAT CAN GIVE ME SOME POINTERS ON HOW TO GET STARTED, AND HOW TO KEEP IT GOING. I REALLY NEED HELP."

First, I congratulate her for taking herself on to begin the journey to achieve health and wellness. Second, I want to set the record straight for everyone. Throughout this posting, the theme seemed to be "diet"- starting one, failed diets. This is not a diet! Instead, I suggest you say "I'm going to clean up my lifestyle, get healthy and become more mentally and physically fit." This is about healthy living, and developing better lifestyle habits. When you do, you'll find it so much easier to shed excess body fat, feel energized and increase your sense of self esteem. You want to be fit to live your life to the fullest. That's why I called my most recent book Fit to Live.

I'll bet many of you are in the same place as the person who posted this on the board. OK, here's how you start out. First, remember that WebMD has so many wonderful resources throughout our lifestyle channel to help with calorie counting, fitness tips and recipe suggestions. Next, if you're going to change lifestyle habits, that means everything from mental and nutritional behaviors, to financial (is health a priority in your spending), physical activity and environmental (clutter, lack of organization, getting outdoors) components. No need to feel overwhelmed. In my book, I address the key pillars of lifestyle: Mind, Mouth, Muscle, Money and Macrocosm (the environment).

Always start with low hanging fruit- the simplest, smallest steps you can take to get the ball rolling. Before beginning any program, please consult your physician and medical team. Know what your baseline health status is and if there are any restrictions on your program. Here are tips and tools to get started:

MIND: Get a clear vision of why you want to change your lifestyle. It has to be powerful enough to get you through challenging times when you're tempted to revert to old habits. Being fit enough to play with your kids or grandkids? Healthy and attractive enough to get out there and find a partner in life or new friends? Becoming a runner, biker, hiker and hanging out with like-minded folks? Want to prevent or reverse medical conditions that plague you? Anything goes here. Sit down and really think this out. Come up with a mantra to remind you why you need to stay on track- "Sick and tired versus Fit and Fab." Say to yourself "I choose fit and fab." This is a conscious, mindful, deliberate choice. Finally, create realistic expectations. Progress, not perfection, will get you there.

MOUTH: Quality, quantity and frequency are key. Whole foods, lean proteins, and whole grains become the staple of your nutrition. Read the USDA labels on all foods to know what a true serving size is. When in doubt at restaurants, eat ½ of what's in front of you. Eat smaller meals and snacks every 3-4 hours beginning with breakfast and ending with dinner. Remember to include protein and fiber throughout the day, as that combo will curb carb cravings as well as increase your sense of fullness. Try to finish dinner no later than 8:00 - 8:30 PM and leave 2 hours without eating before you sleep.

MUSCLE: Get up and move more throughout the day. Buy a pedometer and crank out 10,000 steps (roughly 4 miles) per day walking. Work up to this goal. Be creative about finding ways to move more. At 300 pounds, you need to protect your knees so avoid any jumping, running, squats or lunges.

MONEY: Invest in a great pair of sneakers with plenty of cushion. Get socks that do the same. If you're a gym type, scope out a good deal on a membership where you can cross train on different cardio equipment (ellipticals are knee friendly and burn calories efficiently) and where you can learn to begin safe and guided weight training, stretching and core work.

MACROCOSM: Look around at your living and working spaces. Does it look like a bomb went off? How can you develop a new healthier lifestyle when you're buried under miles of piles? You need to clean up your environment and get organized. You can't take a walk if you can't find your sneakers and you can't pay for that jazzersize class if you can't locate your checkbook. Be patient, and schedule an hour here and there over time to get this done. Also, get outdoors more. Walking, biking, and hiking in nature are such wonderful, healing experiences. Do it alone, with a friend or in a group. Just do it.

Whip out a journal and keep track of your daily progress. You don't have to write the great American novel. Just monitor what counts- your baseline lifestyle elements, challenges and triumphs. You'll need your starting status: medical issues (what you want to change like blood pressure, blood sugar, any medical conditions); make a note of overall weight, body fat percentage, BMI and waist size (across the belly button); and, clothing size including jeans, pants, dress, belt.

Finally, don't forget to create a support system. This could be your mother, best friend, a mentor, or your dog. It includes keeping up with us on the WebMD weight management board for online support, as well as any helpful books or DVD's that resonate with you. You're assembling your "A" team to help you through thick and thin (ahem!).

OK, there's your foundation. Now hop to it and don't call this a diet!

Rules for Reinventing Your Body After Forty

On October 5th, I was the health and fitness keynoter for More magazine's annual "Reinvention Convention" in New York City. Five hundred women showed up to explore how to reinvent their lives once they crossed that 40 year old milestone. From new careers, financial challenges, to broken relationships and physical shape shifting, women came to the conference to get help understand it all and to regroup. In my packed session, women were anxious and enthusiastic, eagerly jotting down every tip, tool and technique I could offer. I decided to make this easy by creating a simple acronym- AFTER FORTY - to help women remember 10 important tips to help them optimize their bodies after the age of forty.

A: Adapt and adjust to life's constant daily stresses and challenges. Charles Darwin said that it isn't the smartest or strongest who survive, but those who can adapt. Throughout my book Body for Life for Women, I emphasize the fact that women need to practice how to become mentally flexible and rise up to the occasion when life throws you curve balls. After the age of forty, your mind and body begin to change significantly. Women often feel helpless, hopeless and defeated when weight packs on and you forget where you put your keys. Don't go there. Regroup and optimize your mental and physical well-being and you'll navigate these changing waters well.

F: Fight for the right to take care of yourself. No one is going to show up and schedule time in your day for self care. Only you can do that. Be assertive and get used to saying "I'm sorry, but I am busy at that time" when people try to erode the special moments you've set aside to have a healthy meal, to take that walk or to soak in the tub. This is one of the most important appointments you'll make for yourself each day.

T: Try lean protein to increase a sense of fullness and satiety, to rein in appetite, to curb carb cravings, and to maintain muscles. Women tend to under eat this wonderful macronutrient. Lean poultry, skim or low fat dairy, or vegetarian options will all help to quell hunger, rein in runaway appetites and keep your muscles in top form.

E: Exercise regularly, do it with intensity and make sure to cross train. Too many women are doing the same old cardio and weight lifting and are mystified as to why they stopped seeing real positive changes in their bodies. Come on ladies, get a fitness professional to mix it up in both your cardio and lifting for you so you can use more muscles and shake them out of complacency. As well, you need to ramp it up with intervals of intensity to keep your muscles challenged. Most importantly, this will help you release more fat fuel efficiently so that you can shed that extra fat. Try integrating some yoga, Pilates and even martial arts. How about dancing? Get outdoors and challenge yourself with fun and enjoyment. Just get up and move more throughout the day. This is what it takes to keep your over forty body alive and powerful.

R: Redefine normal. You aren't 20 or 30 anymore. Your body is undergoing significant changes, from fading eyesight to widening waistline. Stop looking backwards and obsessing about what doesn't work anymore. Instead, wake up every day and celebrate what does work. Hey, you're still here and you'll make do with whatever anatomical parts you can use to propel you through each day. This is integral to adapting and adjusting.

F: Fat, not weight, needs to be monitored. Buy a body fat scale and aim to get your body fat in the range of 20-28%, with a good average being 25%. If you're postmenopausal and over the age of 60, body fat ranges can increase to 32% due to aging related loss of muscle (especially true after the seventh decade of life).

O: Organize and plan your self care routines. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Sit down and make a plan. Whether it's stress management classes, gym memberships or shopping for healthier options, You need a strategy that meets your needs. If you want to drop body fat and increase muscle strength and mass, get together the team that you need to make this happen. WebMD's got your back with endless information about how to get the ball rolling. Check out my weight management board to share your experiences and ask questions with other like minded folks.

R: Rein in evening eating. After the age of forty, you don't need the same number of calories as you did when you were younger and more physically active and metabolically hotter. Most women don't realize that they are over eating throughout the day. But, the evening is a real problem. So many women kick back and consider this their time to reward and relax. Unfortunately, this includes plowing through sweets and grazing until bedtime. If you want to remove that excess belly fat, you need to eat smarter. Eat every 3-4 hours throughout the day through dinner, try to finish dinner (veggies and lean protein) no later than 8-8:30 PM, and try not to have anything to eat for 2 hours prior to retiring. You'll wake up hungry and feeling lighter, and ready to break that fast: breakfast.

T: Take time to just "be". Try to stop "doing" and take time for "being". Find a quiet place to read, close your eyes, listen to music, take a walk, say a prayer, or do some yoga stretches. Your mind needs these mental recesses. You have to practice mental aerobics to stop the deluge of thoughts - the incessant "to do's" that inhabit our feminine brains. Visualize a stop sign. Then, move into a peaceful place. This is a precious gift you give yourself.

Y: You deserve joy, happiness and fulfillment. Go ahead and feel entitled to be all of these things and more. Live, love and laugh every day. Embrace every waking moment with exuberance. Feel powerful. Choose to do this for yourself. Your reward is having the mind and body you deserve, to help you realize your dreams.

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Genetics May Load the Obesity Gun, but Environment Pulls the Trigger

Ever wonder how powerful genetics are when it comes to your chance of becoming obese? Take a moment and look at your own family tree. Going back as far as you can, think about the people in your family who might have been obese. You're obese if you have a Body Mass Index (your weight relative to your height) of 30 or more. BMI is closely correlated with body fat, with the following two exceptions: 1) a true very muscular athlete where body fat is overestimated; and, 2) the elderly where body fat is underestimated due to their loss of muscle. Check out the WebMD BMI calculator to see what your BMI is.

Many people can see some clear patterns of obesity in the family. Does it appear obesity is your genetic destiny? As it turns out, the answer is more hopeful than you might have originally thought. There is indeed a well known obesity gene, the FTO gene that is associated with increased intake of food, especially fat. It's been thought that people who carry the gene just don't feel as full and satisfied after eating normal portions of fat. There seems to be a fat-satiety disconnect. If you carry double copies of this obesity gene (one from each of your parents) your risk of becoming obese is 2.5 times higher than someone who doesn't. 17 percent of the general population has double obesity genes, and another 40 percent have a single copy. Don't despair. Your genetics will only activate if you give them a comfortable environment to do so - like eating a high fat diet and being sedentary. That's the perfect recipe for the obesity genes to emerge and wreak havoc with your body as well as your life.

New research has shown that a low fat diet can keep the obesity gene under control. Physical activity seals the deal. So, the deal breaker here is not your genetic legacy, but what you eat. The researchers compiled comprehensive data on the eating habits of people who do have the double gene copies. Only when the men and women were eating a high fat diet did you see the expected obesity. How much fat is acceptable? It's higher than you think. The actual number was 41% fat in the diet. Obesity was less common in those who ate less than that. It's recommended that you try to keep your fat intake in the range of 20-30% for optimal nutrition.

Whether you carry this gene or not, all of you - from over-eaters of fat to sugaraholics - need to pay attention to what you're eating. This medical study provides an important and a very positive and hopeful lesson. You don't have to be a prisoner of your own genes. Create a lifestyle of healthy eating and activity, and you'll keep harmful genes at bay. I've always said that genetics may load the gun, but environment pulls the trigger. Take a moment and study your own living and working places. What can you do right now to clean up and reorganize these spaces so that everything - from the food you keep in your fridge and cabinets to your walking or running shoes you keep by the front door - is all there to support your healthy lifestyle and keep you out of harm's way? Get rid of the junk food and choose the produce section of your grocery store over the pastry aisle. Hang out with like-minded people as well. Doing all of this will guarantee you'll be pulling that lifestyle trigger your way.

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The Post Workout Burn

I'll bet most of you have heard about the "post workout burn". These are calories you keep on burning even though you're done with the workout. I got to thinking about it again when I got this email from "afdw" on my weight management message board:

"Firstly, if you work out does it increase your metabolism for the upcoming hours? Then since sleep slows down metabolism, will it ruin your metabolism increase? Because now I wonder if I should workout in the morning or at 9pm. I normally workout at 9pm-9.30pm then I sleep at around 11-12. I am curious if this will slow down my metabolism and will I not get the optimal results I should have if I sleep a few hours after my workout. If i do workout in the morning, will it benefit me more? Please give me advice."

Alright, we'll start with the timing issue. What time is best to work out and how do you schedule that relative to your sleep? My easy answer for the workout time is any time that works for you.

First, at the very least, try to stay as active as possible throughout your day by increasing your activities of daily living. Every calorie you burn counts and also stokes your metabolic fire.

Second, do your deliberate workout at a time of day when you know you will have the least chance of being interrupted. If you're a mother, you work around the kids' schedules. And since most people work, it's about being creative and flexible with the nuances of work schedules as well. Hopefully your workout times coincide with your natural biorhythm - some of you are larks (early risers) and others are owls (late to bed). Also, about 50% of people can sleep perfectly fine after an evening bout of exercise. You won't know if you're one of those until you've experimented, so give it a whirl.

Finally, as you try to integrate physical activity into your busy schedule, it's so important to remember those two words I keep repeating: adapt and adjust. If Plan A doesn't work, get going on Plan B. Keep workin' it until you get a baseline schedule of exercise that works for you. Those who do, look, feel and live like it.

Now, onto the issue of the post workout burn. The calories that you expend after you finish up your exercise are known as the "after-burn". Exercise scientists call it EPOC, or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. After you've worked out, especially if you did an intense workout, your body spends time getting your oxygen, body temperature and blood circulation back to its normal state. Muscles are repairing themselves and restocking their glucose fuel. You may notice your heart and respiratory rate are elevated for a while, and your nervous system remains somewhat activated as adrenalin and cortisol (stress hormone) levels slowly settle down to pre-exercise levels.

This adjustment period can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 48 hours. A rule of thumb is that during this period, your body will continue to burn between 10-15 calories for every 100 calories you burned during your workout. The more intense the workout, the more calories you burn. For instance, in studies comparing low and high intensity workouts in which the same number of calories was burned (500 calories), the high intensity EPOC burned 45 vs 24 calories for the low intensity exercise following each workout. Long, low intense exercise (1.5-2 hours) also raises EPOC to optimal levels. Think of hiking or walking.

New science has shown that if you're looking for a maximal EPOC, don't forget to do both weight lifting as well as cardio. Colorado State researchers compared moderately intense weight lifting and aerobic exercise (cardio) to see if there was a difference in EPOC. It took the weight lifters 100 minutes of lifting versus 60 minutes of cycling to achieve the same 600 calories of exercise expended during exercise. The strength training produced an extra 24 calories of after-burn (total EPOC 51 calories) compared to the same level of intense aerobic exercise, cycling (total EPOC 27 calories). Let's do a little math. The EPOC from cardio done 5 x week would equate to an extra 7000 calories per year above and beyond the calories already spent during the exercise sessions. The EPOC from weight lifting 2 x week would be equal to 5000 calories of extra calorie burn per year. Combining the two, that's a grand total of 12, 000 calories or (dividing by 3,500 calories/pound) almost 3.5 pounds of fat removed as a benefit of the after-burn. Not bad for after-burn!

The bottom line is it doesn't matter when you work out, but what counts is the intensity. If you haven't yet tried intervals of intensity, gradually increase speed and resistance under the supervision of an expert. Ask a fitness professional at your gym or community center for direction, and check out WebMD's fitness resources to get started safely. Start racking up those bonus calories today!

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Exercise Does Help You Shed Your Weight

I couldn't believe my eyes. I'd just gotten my current issue of Time magazine and after reading the cover, my jaw dropped - actually clanked on the floor. The cover story read "The Myth of Exercise: Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin". The cover photo portrayed a young woman running on a treadmill and dangling in front of her was the real reason she was sweating - her mental fantasy of a cup cake. Trying to be objective, I methodically read the article. It's written by a good writer who typically doesn't work with this kind of subject matter. His premise was that exercise, especially intense activity, increases your appetite and you end up eating more and actually gaining weight. Further, he noted that people want a food reward - their favorite treat - after every workout session. He also shared his own struggle - he's not obese - with that male gut issue. But there's a cynical, biased edge to his writing, as though to say "Why should I work out if my gut's not disappearing?" I've got a news flash for Mr. Cloud. An over 40-year-old man has decreasing male sex hormones that directly contribute to more fat distributed to his belly. He's not as metabolically efficient at burning fat. Relative to his age, he's eating too much, thus the gut.

Who said that the main reason we work out is so we can chow down on pastries? I asked my good friend and gym mate Newsweek's Eleanor Clift what she thought of this and she posted on her blog:

"...exercise has kept my blood pressure down near astronaut levels, and the endorphins released during exercise help keep me sane...I happen to believe that exercise is the closest thing we've got to a fountain of youth."

I loved this quote because it stresses that activity is a mind and body experience. Heck, so many of my patients over the years have said to me that they began doing more activity to drop weight, but actually continued it because it was so good for their heads - calmed them down, reduced their anxiety and depression, and helped them to cope with the stresses of life so much better. There's also the pride in performing better, from sports to activities of daily living. Doing more activity and watching what you eat does allows you to be able to metabolize that occasional treat without weight gain. I don't know anyone who workouts out so they can plow through a box of doughnuts afterward. There are people out there who fool themselves into thinking exercise will somehow cancel out indiscretions like that, but after jumping on the scale a few times post over eating, reality sets in.

And what about that roaring increase in appetite sending us all racing to a post workout Crispy Crème binge? Read the research. A recent study from University of Pittsburgh found that overweight and obese women didn't need any more calories when exercising regularly than when they were sedentary. So let's set the record straight. Of course you're going to have a greater appetite if you engage in intense exercise. So, you just make sure to keep healthy foods (especially fruits and veggies) around and be mindful of your calories. The basic energy balance equation says that to maintain your current overall weight, you need to take in the same amount of fuel (food) and you burn each day. Ideally, to drop weight you reduce the total number of calories you take in, and you increase the calories your burn.

So, I put it out there on my weight management message board to see what all of you thought about the exercise-weight loss connection. Here are your voices:

"I wondered what research was used for such headlines. I am 60 years old and have never lost weight with a calorie restrictive diet. I cannot starve myself enough. Yet when I added aerobic exercise my entire body improved and I lost 5 dress sizes. I begin in May of 2002 and didn't really notice much the first two months as muscle does weigh more than fat; but by the time school began in the Fall I needed an entirely new wardrobe. From August to November that year I lost one size per month before reaching a plateau. It is not until I hit a bit of depression six years later and stopped exercising that I needed to buy larger sized clothing. I begin my exercise program with a stationary bike and 20 minutes. Eventually I worked up to 70 minutes a day on the elliptical. I ate a healthy diet at that time using WebMD's food intake program (before it got all of the bells and whistles) - I was never hungry or deprived of my favorite foods. With "diets" having such a rebound issue of regaining the lost weight plus 5 to 10 pounds, I just can't believe that diet alone is the key. Exercise improves multiple body functions keeping your metabolism up much better than the loss of muscle associated with weight-loss alone." 1949Rose

"Weight loss is a simple equation: you either decrease the calories you take in by diet modification, increase the calories you burn by exercise, or DO BOTH! Personally, I have had great success with the third option (down over 93 pounds
in 2-1/2 years)." Dukeof Earle

"There is probably some truth that you can lose weight without exercise, I lost several pounds without exercise when I first started. The problem I have is that this article will further convince people that they don't need exercise which I firmly believe to be false! I have no doubt I could have lost a decent amount of weight without exercise but I also know that I could not have dropped the 90 pounds I have lost and kept off without exercise! Exercise is responsible for firming up my muscles, it is responsible for giving my body the shape it had lost but even more than that, exercise has given me more self-confidence then I ever had before - enough so that I trained for a ran a 25k race. My body does require more fuel because I exercise 7 days a week (no not everyone needs to exercise that much but I enjoy my workouts) but the food I eat is healthy and I count my calories so I am not in the position to gain weight. I guess the bottom line for me is exercise is not only good for the body but the mind and soul as well." Redwingfan

Finally, I'm going to put on my hat as the American College of Sports Medicine's spokesperson for their global Exercise IS Medicine campaign. Here are the facts.

• Physical activity is one of the most important behavioral factors in weight maintenance and improving long-term weight loss outcomes. In fact, participation in an exercise program has proven to be the very best predictor of maintaining weight that was lost.
• Exercise and physical activity have been proven to help prevent chronic conditions such as heart disease, osteoporosis, anxiety, depression, obesity and diabetes.
• Studies show that when students are more active (through physical education, classroom activity, play, etc.) they improve test scores and attendance and experience fewer discipline problems and sick days.
• Simple activities like walking, accumulated in 10-minute bouts, can have significant benefits.

So, get on out there and live in balance. Pay attention to your eating and your moving. They're both life giving vital signs.

Related Topics:

• The Incredible Benefits of Regular Exercise
• Weight Loss & Fitness with Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, FACP
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