Lifestyle Choices

The first step in fat control is establishing realistic goals.

Too many teens and adults, both men and women, establish unrealistic goals for their physical appearance. Fat weight, and body proportions are all factors that can be changed, but people often set standards for themselves that will be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve. It is important that goals be set for fat and weight control that can be accomplished for both the short term and the long haul. This necessitates developing an understanding of your own body proportions as well as your body fatness. Unrealistic goals may result in eating disorders (see Concept 20), failure to meet goals, or the failure to maintain fat loss over the long haul. The measurement procedures used in Labs 13A and 13B should help you establish realistic goals.

Goals that emphasize the behavior of eating less and exercising more are more effective than those emphasizing a specific outcome such as weight or fat lost (or gained).

Researchers have shown that setting outcome goals, or goals that set a specific amount of weight or fat loss (gain), can be discouraging. Most experts believe that behavioral goals work better than weight or fat loss goals, especially in the short term. If a behavioral goal of eating a reasonable number of calories per day and expending a reasonable number of calories in exercise is met, outcome goals will be achieved.

People who have a large amount of fat to lose may do better setting short-term rather than long-term goals.

Losing 50 pounds (22.7 kilograms) may seem impossible. Losing 2 pounds (1 kilogram) in a week or 10 pounds (4 kilograms) may seem more achievable. Because your weight can fluctuate with the amount of water lost or retained, monitoring weight can also be discouraging. Weight may drop dramatically one day and increase the next. Care must be taken not to worry too much about weight or fat amounts in the early stages of a fat loss (gain) program.

The best way to control body fatness is to establish a healthy life-style.

One way to ascertain whether fat control goals are realistic is to determine if they can be maintained for a lifetime. Diets that require severe calorie restriction or exercise programs that require exceptionally large calorie expenditure can be effective in fat loss over a short period, but are seldom maintained for a lifetime. Studies show that extreme programs for fat and weight control designed to “take it off fast,” result in long-term success rates of less than 5 percent. A healthy life-style includes a healthy diet and regular exercise. For some people it may be necessary to develop a daily habit of eating several hundred calories less than other people or maintaining an exercise schedule that expends more calories than the normal person if desirable body fat levels are to be maintained. These habits of “moderation” can realistically become part of your normal lifestyle.

Record keeping is important to meeting fat control goals and making moderation a part of your normal life-style.

Studies have shown that it is easy to fool yourself when it comes to determining the amount of food you have eaten or the amount of exercise you have done. Once fat control goals have been set, whether for weight loss, maintenance, or gain, it is important to keep records of your behavior. People often underestimate the amount of food they have eaten, particularly the number of calories consumed. They also tend to overestimate the amount of exercise they do. Keeping a diet log and an exercise log can help you monitor your behavior and maintain the life-style necessary to meet your goals. A log can also help you monitor changes in weight and body fatness. But remember, care should be taken to avoid too much emphasis on short-term weight changes. A sample log that can be used for record keeping is included in the Lab Resource Materials.

A basic knowledge of nutrition and exercise can help you in controlling fatness.

Many people are ignorant of the facts about Nods and exercise. Information presented in this book should be helpful in sorting fact from fiction. Concept 20 provides information about nutritional quackery and Concept 24 provides information about exercise quackery, which should be useful in your attempts to control body fatness. Of course, much of this book deals with understanding the facts about fitness and exercise.

SOME FACTS ABOUT EXERCISE AND FAT CONTROL

There are some guidelines for exercise that can be of value in losing or maintaining desirable body fat levels.

Perform regular aerobic exercise. Since aerobic exercise can be maintained for a long period, it allows you to expend large numbers of calories. For this reason, it is the best type of exercise for fat loss and maintenance.

Find a time, a place, and a type of exercise that will permit you to work out regularly. Regularity is the key. Exercise must be regular if it is to be of value. Consult Concept 18 for guidelines for adhering to regular exercise.

Performing strength training can increase muscle mass and result in fat loss without loss in weight. If you follow the guidelines for strength training outlined in Concept 8, you can increase your muscle mass provided calorie intake is constant.

There are some guidelines for exercise that can be of value in gaining weight, including muscle mass.

Performing strength training can aid in weight gain. It is the best form of exercise for people interested in gaining weight. Consult Concept 8 for guidelines and specific strength training exercises. Of course, strength training is most effective in weight gain when accompanied by an increase in calorie intake.

Excessive aerobic exercise may make it difficult for some people to gain weight. While some regular aerobic exercise is necessary for health and cardiovascular fitness, it may be necessary to limit aerobic exercise if weight gain is the goal. Studies have shown that extensive aerobic training can result in reduction in muscle mass gains. When training to gain weight, aerobic exercise of no more than 3,500 calories per week is probably best. For a jogger, this would be approximately four to five miles a day. Aerobic exercise in moderate amounts can help some people relax and, therefore, expend less nervous energy.

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