Weight Lifting Helpful for Obese Kids

Posted on February 24, 2011 by admin

Weightlifting can be helpful for obese kids In-Your-Face Fitness The idea of using strength training to help overweight youth has been slow to catch on. February 14, 2011|By James S. Fell, Special to the Los Angeles Times It goes without saying that children who are obese would benefit from aerobic exercise. However, they're likely to find the idea of going for a jog or spending half an hour on a treadmill about as appealing as watching Congress debate the fine points of tax policy on C-SPAN. Fortunately, there's an alternative form of exercise that plays to the strengths of plus-sized kids: weightlifting. It may sound like an unconventional suggestion, but I'm not the only one making it. There's even some evidence that for this demographic, weightlifting is a more effective gateway to a healthy lifestyle than traditional aerobic exercise. Before I continue, allow me to recap my recent column detailing why it's not only safe but also beneficial for children as young as 7 to start lifting weights with proper supervision. It doesn't stunt growth. It strengthens bones and connective tissue, which reduces the risk of injury when engaging in other physical activities. And it's far safer than playing contact sports like football or ice hockey. Unfortunately, the idea of youth strength training is slow to catch on, so the opportunity to use it to combat childhood obesity is often missed. Unlike aerobic exercise, strength training is inherently appealing because it involves short periods of activity followed by rest periods. It's true that 30 minutes on a treadmill is going to burn more calories than 30 minutes of lifting weights. But most likely an obese kid will hate the former, while he could enjoy — and even excel at — the latter. "Obese kids aren't going to be very good at aerobic activities," Dr. Teri McCambridge, head of the Council of Sport Medicine and Fitness for the American Academy of Pediatrics, told me. "Forcing them to engage in it is hard on their joints and bad for their self-confidence." David Stodden, who studies motor behavior in Texas Tech's Department of Health, Exercise and Sport Sciences, agrees. He laid out the potential consequences of pushing aerobic activity on obese children in a 2008 article in Quest, the journal of the National Assn. for Kinesiology and Physical Education in Higher Education. "There is a negative spiral of disengagement in physical activity with low motor competence," he wrote, "leading to increased weight and obesity." Weight training, on the other hand, often leads to a positive-feedback loop, according to Avery Faigenbaum, a pediatric exercise scientist and professor at the College of New Jersey in Ewing, N.J "These kids are really strong," Faigenbaum told me. "The skinny kids are always impressed with how much the overweight kids can lift." The benefits of this go beyond physical health, he added: "I see these obese kids come into my program, and you can tell they're depressed and have low self-esteem because they always get picked last for teams. But with weightlifting, all of a sudden they get respect and friends and an ego boost because they are good at something that is physical." Faigenbaum also told me research shows that between 80% and 90% of obese youth stick with resistance training, compared with less than half who opt for aerobic training programs. For example, researchers at USC's Department of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy and the Keck School of Medicine and colleagues studied the effectiveness of resistance training for 22 overweight Latino adolescent males and found that all but one of them stuck with the program throughout a 16-week trial — an adherence rate of 95%. During that time, the teens reduced their body fat by almost 7%, increased their insulin sensitivity by 45% and had significant increases in muscle mass and overall body strength, according to a 2006 report in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. While aerobic activity may burn calories faster than resistance training, I firmly believe that when it comes to a healthy lifestyle, motivation rules all. There is no quick fix to being overweight or obese, and you can't sustain something you hate. For obese kids, lifting weights is an exercise they can excel at and enjoy. Kids don't care about cholesterol; they care about having fun. And the sky is the limit after that. If weightlifting can build their self-confidence about fitness, obese children are more likely to tackle more challenging endeavors such as aerobic activities and pursuing a more healthful diet. Faigenbaum has witnessed this phenomenon many times in the weightlifting programs he runs in cooperation with New Jersey school systems. "The most important part is to change their mind about their approach to physical activity," he told me. Unfortunately, availability of weightlifting programs for children is an issue. Elementary and middle school students typically have little access to weight rooms, and even in high schools, the weightlifting portion of phys-ed class is usually limited. Clinical childhood obesity programs also are reluctant to focus on heavier weightlifting that allows for muscle and strength development. Dr. Larry Yin, a pediatrician at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, told me his program recommends lots of walking and advises patients on how to incorporate this into everyday life. But when I asked him about weightlifting, he said, "We only recommend it for older kids who are specifically interested in getting stronger." Even then he suggests limiting children to lighter weights and having them do many repetitions, which is essentially an aerobic workout, not a strength-building one. Yin also conducts motivational interviews and makes dietary recommendations at the family level, and I certainly don't wish to disparage his efforts. Nevertheless, the evidence indicates that the medical community should take a closer look at recommending weightlifting that gradually increases in intensity for obese children as a sport of choice to both improve health and their attitudes toward exercise. Perhaps weightlifting should be what the doctor orders for obese children. Fell is a certified strength and conditioning specialist in Calgary, Canada.

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Is Gluten Making us Fat?

Posted on February 7, 2011 by admin

from Men’s Health:
Turkey and tomato on wheat. Whole-grain pasta. Healthy, right? Maybe. But more and more people believe these foods are parts of a potentially disastrous trap. They claim that sluggishness and weight gain can be blamed on an insidious substance hiding in wheat and many other common grains: gluten.

Avoiding gluten has become big business. Sales of gluten-free products grew about 30 percent a year from 2006 to 2010, and will hit $3.9 billion by next year, according to the market research company Packaged Facts. Supermarket shelves are filled with gluten-free breads, soups, and cake mixes—even gluten-free ketchup and soy sauce. According to market research firm Mintel, 10 percent of new foods launched in 2010 featured a “gluten-free” claim, up from only 2 percent 5 years earlier.

NFL quarterback Drew Brees won a Super Bowl while on a gluten-free diet. Cyclist Tom Danielson, a record-breaking member of the Garmin-Transitions team, says his training and racing have improved since he and his teammates went gluten-free over a year ago.

Have most common whole grains been acting as insidious nutritional double agents all these years? Or are they essential components of a healthy diet? Let’s separate the wheat from the chaff.

What is gluten, anyway? How does it affect the body?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, as well as in many common food additives. It’s what gives dough its elasticity and baked goods their satisfying chewiness. But for people with celiac disease—a type of autoimmune disorder—eating foods that contain gluten can lead to a cascade of nasty reactions, including damage to the small intestine, poor nutrient absorption, diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, anemia, and fatigue. Celiac disease is surprisingly common, affecting about one in every 133 people, according to an often-cited 2003 study from the University of Maryland center for celiac research. There is no cure for celiac disease and no drugs that can treat it; you can only manage the condition, by sticking to a gluten-free diet for the rest of your life.

Even if you don’t have celiac disease, gluten may still be bad for you, says Lara Field, M.S., R.D., a dietitian at the University of Chicago’s celiac disease center. A rising percentage of people in the United States consider themselves “gluten-sensitive.” “These people may have a food intolerance or experience many celiac-type symptoms after consuming foods that contain gluten,” says Field. Some may have a form of wheat allergy. If you think you may have symptoms of a gluten intolerance, ask your doctor about scheduling a blood test to find out for sure.

Should I avoid eating gluten even if I don’t have problems with it?

Gluten is also shunned by another group: People who simply think gluten encourages weight gain and who claim to feel more energetic when they don’t consume it. They say humans didn’t evolve the ability to digest certain domesticated grains containing gluten, and that avoiding gluten leads to more energy, better absorption of nutrients, and loss of excess weight.

Allen Lim, Ph.D., a former exercise physiologist for Garmin-Transitions, believes that going gluten-free has helped his team perform at a higher level. So does Danielson, who, like any competitive cyclist, burns—and eats—an immense number of calories and pays close attention to what seems to work. “After I started the diet, I had better results. I didn’t feel as fatigued, and my recovery period was quicker,” says Danielson, who puts in 6-plus hours during a typical training session.

But this is anecdotal evidence; mainstream research still hasn’t substantiated the claims of those who believe gluten is bad for everyone. “There is no strong scientific evidence to support the assertion that avoiding gluten leads to benefits for the general population,” says Tricia Thompson, M.S., R.D., author of The Gluten-Free Nutrition Guide and the website glutenfreedietitian.com.

Still, cutting out gluten can lead to weight loss—but not for the reason gluten-free advocates think. A strict gluten-free diet forces you to stay away from some refined carbohydrates that can lead to weight gain, Field explains. And that, she says, is where the weight-loss secret lies.

Gluten is found in many of the familiar weight-gain culprits: pizza, beer, burgers, pancakes. “Gluten itself probably isn’t the reason you’ve packed on pounds,” says Field.

“Eating too many refined carbohydrates is what expands your waistline.” Commit to staying gluten-free and your food choices can become a snapshot of healthy eating—fruits, vegetables, brown rice, seeds and nuts, along with meat, fish, eggs, and milk products.

Avoiding gluten also means you’re likely to adopt other whole grains and flours that lack gluten, such as buckwheat, quinoa, millet, teff, sorghum, and wild rice (which is not related to white rice). These aren’t necessarily healthier options than gluten-rich wheat, barley, or rye, but consuming a wider range of grains gives you even more nutritional variety in your diet. (See “The New Power Grains,” on the next page.) That’s another good thing.
I need to drop pounds. Is a gluten-free diet worth a shot?

A gluten-free diet can work, but dealing with the diet’s restrictions can be daunting. “You have to commit to a true lifestyle change, and that can be tough,” says Edward Abramson, Ph.D., a professor emeritus at California State University at Chico and the author of Emotional Eating. “Men might be able to follow gluten-free for a short time,” he says, “but without a real medical need, they might have a rough time sticking to it.”

But the notion of a panacea for excess weight remains seductive, and that may be part of the appeal of the gluten-free movement, says Michael R. Lowe, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Drexel University who specializes in nutritional approaches to weight loss. It sounds simple: If I do this one thing, then I will see the results I’m after. “That’s the driving appeal of elimination diets,” Lowe says.

Ironically, the boom in gluten-free products isn’t necessarily helpful to those looking to lose weight. “You can buy gluten-free versions of practically every type of wheat-based food—pizza, pasta, cookies, you name it,” Thompson says. But here’s the catch: Healthy-sounding gluten-free items often contain just as many calories as the originals. People might overindulge in gluten-free options because they seem like “safe” foods, says Field. “People see ‘gluten- free’ and think they can down an entire box of gluten-free cookies with no repercussions.”

So even if you stick to a gluten-free diet, it can actually lead to weight gain. A 2006 study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology followed 188 people with celiac disease (half of whom were overweight or obese) on a gluten-free diet for 2 years and discovered that 81 percent of them gained weight.

If you do give up gluten, use your new eating plan as a lens to reexamine your diet—and your life. Cyclist Danielson says, “I don’t know if it was directly tied to the food, but I found that by having to pay more attention to my daily diet, I became more focused on my cycling.”

Avoiding gluten takes constant monitoring—the same attention to detail you need to excel in your workouts. “I became more dedicated and took a more professional approach to my training when I went gluten-free,” Danielson says. “I couldn’t get lazy and down whole pizzas and bowls of pasta. I had to focus on putting better food in my body, and this made me realize how much my eating habits off the bike affected my performance on it.” Mindful eating is key. After all, “you don’t need to go gluten-free to avoid refined processed carbs,” says Thompson.

The New Power Grains

Even if you don’t need to avoid gluten, it’s a good idea to explore the world of gluten-free grains. All of them are rich in belly-filling fiber, and each offers unique benefits.

Quinoa
Once an energy booster for Inca warriors, this superfood of the Andes provides complete protein, with all nine essential amino acids. It’s also low on the glycemic index, so it won’t spike your blood sugar.

Try It Ancient Harvest Quinoa Shells are made from just two ingredients: quinoa and corn. Toss with chicken sausage for even more protein. quinoa.net

Buckwheat
Buckwheat is rich in rutin, a flavonoid that has potent antioxidant properties. It’s also rich in heart-healthy magnesium.

Try It Arrowhead Mills Maple Buckwheat Flakes have a light, crispy texture. Buckwheat also makes a hearty substitute for rice. arrowheadmills.com

Amaranth
A grain the size of a poppy seed, amaranth has more protein than wheat and twice that of white rice. Initial studies in rodents suggest that amaranth’s high protein content can help lower cholesterol.

Try It Health Valley Amaranth Graham Crackers have only 120 calories per serving. Try them with squares of antioxidant-rich dark chocolate

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Keeping your Resolutions?

Posted on January 26, 2011 by admin

So, it’s been almost a month since you said all the things you were going to do for the New Year vis a vis your health and fitness and nutrition.

So, where you at? Still keeping to it? Or did those resolutions go by the waysaide with last year’s gonna watch less mindless television programming?

You see, it’s a mind set, it’s a pattern, it’s like burshing your teeth. You work out, you eat well, every day! It’s not a resolution, because it’s just something you do, all the time already anyways.

And this time of year is hard, what with illness going around and around, but you just gotta keep doing it, like you gotta brush your teeth twice a day. I know, the pneumonia bug has made its rounds in my household and getting your strength back can be a battle, but you just gotta do it; do something, anything, because doing nothing once you start to feel better won’t help. Remember, very active people get sick less often and have better immunity fighting ability in their cells.

So forget the New Year’s fit resolution and all the other ones that didn’t make it this deep into January either. Just get fit, eat healthy and challenge yourself to go further every day with a strong combination of aerobic work and resistance work.

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Getting back in the groove.

Posted on January 9, 2011 by admin

I know, I know, it’s hard enough to get back into the 5-6 day-a-week workout groove after those two weeks of rest at holiday time. And, if you’re wise and used the time to really rest your body, I’m sure you felt a little sluggish anyways, but knowing that just as your body starts to settle down into end-of-year mode, you are to to give it a good Thwap! upon your return to your routine after New Years, right?
Oh, but then come the cough I am hearing everywhere; you know the one, you may even have the one and it is accompanied by very nasty congestion, sometimes fever, aches and a general malaise of weakness that keeps you out of the gym for another week to ten days.
For those of you over 40 like me, I don’t know, man, this time has been so hard to get my butt up off of the ground and kicking. I had sluggish return to the gym on Friday and my boxing class this morning was tough like it just shouldn’t be. Sicker then I thought I was? Who knows, but you all have my sympathy when it comes to getting back into the workout groove once a layoff hits 3 weeks for whatever the reason. It’s tough to revert the pattern and body rhythm back to the 5-day-a-week thing. Nut, you gotta do it, no letting the foot off the pedal; the second you feel recovery close, think about getting back into your routine; slowly at first, but don’t procrastinate – just get out there!

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Happy 2011!

Posted on January 3, 2011 by admin

Happy 2011 everyone! Hope you had a great holiday season with friends, family, loved ones and aren't coming back to your workouts a few stones heavier!

That was one of the great things I learned from Julia, one of my two favorite trainers, who now coaches track and field down in San Luis Obispo; In times when you are taken out of your normal fitness routine, find something, anything to do to stay active and work hard on not overdoing senseless calories that haunt you for months/years to come. Remember, it is so much easier to pack on weight then to take it off.

Aerobics warm the body up for resistance work; I jump rope 30-60 minutes before I do my body wight / resistance work and my metabolism is revved up for quite some time after, allowing me to feed my muscles by having small meals/snacks every 2-3 hours. I found that running was too hard on my hips and knees, sometimes taking me days to recover from the delayed onset muscle soreness, but with jumping rope, I get greater aerobic intensity (remember, you either jump rope properly or what happens? the rope stops turning, right. You can only jump rope properly) and rev my engine up for resistance work.

 

Tomorrow, Monday, January 3, 2011, for example, my first formal day back at work after giving my body its bi-annual week of R&R, I will jump rope, do pilates and some resistance work.

Tell me how you plan to improve upon your workouts for the New Year and be entered to win a free workout session with me, value, $100.

Happy New Year everyone!

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Welcome to the new site!

Posted on December 9, 2010 by admin

Scott HunterHi!

Welcome to my first posting and I hope you enjoy my journey with me and choose to come along for the ride. 

It all started that day back in 2005 when I got up one morning, looked at myself in the mirror and got on the scale making that usual just-woke-up rationale in my head that somehow surely my weight would be less today then it was yesterday. But it went up! Again! and at age 44, 5'10" and ballooned up to 209 pounds, I decided that enough was enough and it was time to make some changes.

I started off by going to a nutritionist and altered my eating habits, reducing sugar, processed foods and alcohol consumption.  Immediately, pounds started to come off; just not having 2-3 sodas a day was making a difference (the nutritionist figured out that I was consuming 5LBS. worth of sugar each year from my soda habit alone!) and with pizza and bread and a bottle of red wine to go with my dinner no longer a part of my daily regimen, I was on the road to change.

It was next suggested to me that a little exercise might do me good.  Started off with some walking; discovered what a lovely thing a nice long walk is; very different from sitting on the couch with a bag of chips and the remote control.  Some resistance training and I was on my way to better health then I had ever achieved.

Took up with a few trainers, some who helped, some who didn't; tried a few classes some of which I bothered to go back to while others I didn't. But there were two real top pro personal trainers and a boxing gym that turned me from skinny (I got myself down to 145 LBS., but while my poundage had changed, my fitness was yet to really begin) to a pretty rock solid 158LBS. today (after bouncing back up to 175 LBS and then finally learning the secret, which I will share with you).

So, stay tuned as I tell you about Julia, Abdul and Cappy's and how the three have combined to turn me into something I never thought I could be and something that you, too, can achieve with a little bit of help and the challenge of going even further in your health and fitness regiments.

And see why the passion of being fit was instilled into me, albeit late, and why I have taken up helping others who want to be fit and healthy as an advanced personal trainer and nutritionist.

Stay tuned ….
Scott

Scott Hunter
AFPA Certified Advanced Personal Trainer
Nutrition & Wellness Consultant
Pacific Northwest Fitness
"Challenging You to go Even Further"
www.pacnwfitness.com
info@pacnwfitness.com

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