Focus on Fitness, Not Fat Loss

Even though the most prevalent measure of weight loss discussed today is what appears on your scale, these numbers don’t really tell you whether you are fit or fat. What counts is your body composition. For example, a man's body fat percentage should be no more than 14. A woman’s body fat percentage should be no more than 20 to 22%. More than that and she is considered "overfat," even though she may not be overweight by the strict numbers on the scale.

You do need a certain amount of fat in order to pad the internal organs and to insulate the body. You also need a certain amount of fat simply to carry out certain biological functions and to create certain hormones. However, excess fat is much more a problem in today's society than insufficient fat. Excess fat leads to many common diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, gallbladder problems, and coronary artery disease. A growing number of people are considered morbidly obese by today’s standard, largely because our sedentary lifestyles actually encourage obesity and the diseases that come with it.

So how do we resolve this problem? First of all, even though we are often encouraged to "focus on the numbers," we need to direct our focus to overall fitness, not numbers on a scale. When most people begin a fitness program, they have in mind a certain number of pounds to be lost – whether it’s five, ten or more. If we turn our attention to improving overall fitness and gaining the benefits that come with it, we are far more likely to actually lose weight and make real strides in improving our health.

We need to think about the body as a machine. With regards to dietary concerns, think of the body as a "heat exchange" engine that works on the principles of energy physics. To lose weight, you need to make your caloric output greater than your caloric input, or make the two equal to maintain your weight. Also, think of exercise as the regular maintenance your “machine” needs to keep working. Just as you perform maintenance work on your car to prevent it from breaking down, make sure you keep your body running smoothly with regular workouts.

Consider the following types of exercise as regular maintenance work that your body needs to stay healthy:

Endurance exercise

Endurance exercise refers to aerobic exercise that you can maintain for a period of time - typically from thirty minutes to one hour – and includes such things as jogging, cycling or using the elliptical trainer at the gym. This type of exercise helps condition your blood vessels, heart and lungs and induces relaxation. Remember to do a proper warm up and cool down when engaging in this type of exercise.

Strengthening exercise

Strengthening exercise refers to weight-bearing activities that serve to strengthen the muscles. Activities such as weight lifting, yoga and pilates all help build your muscles, improve your posture and reduce the risk of osteoporosis. These exercises are important, but don’t overdo it. Stick with 1-2 sessions per week to get the maximum benefit.

Flexibility exercise

Finally, do stretching exercises to improve both joint mobility and flexibility, and to relieve pains and aches. Stretch your muscles gently before an after endurance exercises to help prevent injury during vigorous exercise. Improving your flexibility will decrease muscle soreness after exercise and help improve your body’s balance.

While doing these types of exercises, focus on your body’s response, not just on your weight loss. Is it getting easier for you to perform endurance workouts? Are your muscles stronger and able to lift heavier weights than when you started? Focus first on building up your fitness levels and the positive impact this has on your body - you’ll likely find weight loss to be a pleasant side effect of this process!

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