Coming Off The Couch

Today I listened to a podcast by Steve Pavlina.  He has a great blog.


In the podcast he discussed what would happen if a fit person's brain was suddenly transported into a body that was 100lbs overweight.  He made the point that the new brain inside the overweight body would have such an identity connection to life at ideal body weight that the weight loss transformation would come about very quickly.  This was part of a larger metaphor but it got me thinking about the weight loss equation.

A significant part of my professional work is helping previously sedentary people to reach their ideal body weight.

It can be done like this:

1. Move every single day for at least 30 minutes.  At minimum take a 30 minute walk.  After a week or two make every other day an interval day - fast for 20 seconds, easy for 20 seconds, eventually turning it into walk/jog, jog/run at 60 second intervals.

2. Keep a food journal and eat unprocessed foods in ratios like this (start with something very close to this, obviously this shifts up or down depending on build):

Breakfast: 1 cup oatmeal, .5 cup blueberries, cinnamon.

Lunch: 1 palm sized serving of quinoa with 1 palm sized piece of organic chicken and unlimited non-starch* vegetables. .5 tbsp olive oil and seasoning.

Snack: 12 almonds, .5 palm size serving of organic beef jerky, 5 raw crackers.

Dinner: 1 palm sized serving of organic meat, unlimited non-starch vegetables & salad. .5 tbsp olive oil and seasoning. 1 oz organic dark chocolate.
*by non-starch vegetable I am referring to basically anything that is not a potato.

3. Drink enough room temperature water such that your pee is light in color, every 3-4 hours.

4. Incorporate resistance training 3 x wk - make sure each session involves pushing, pulling and lifting. For example push-ups, rows, & squats.  Sequences must be changed every 4-6 weeks to avoid a plateau. This would work:
10 push-ups (knees or toes)
10 rows under a railing (legs straight or bent, shoulders held back and down)
20 body-weight squats (keep knees behind and pointing in same direction as toes at bottom of squat)
Complete three to five rounds resting only to insure proper form.

5. Get a training partner.  Be accountable to each other even on days when you are not meeting to workout.

As always, consult your physician prior to beginning any exercise program and when in doubt consult a trainer for proper form and protocols.