Fitness Together Georgia » Weight Loss And Fitness Myths

Weight loss Myth: Burn More Fat at a Lower heart Rate

Kelly Huggins — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:25:11 +0000

You may have been told that doing cardiovascular exercise at a lower heart rate is better in order to burn more fat (look at the graphics on the treadmill and your will see “cardio zone” and “fat zone”). Though there is a degree of truth to this, it is really another myth that needs to be busted.

Somewhere, someone might have read an article or a journal stating that the ratio of fat that you burn while doing cardiovascular activity is higher at a lower heart rate. As you begin to increase the intensity by means of speed, resistance, or incline, your fat burning ratio will decline. While this is all true, this information can be severely misinterpreted.

At all times of the day the energy of which your body using is primarily aerobic (primarily fat). All this means is that you will utilize more fat energy as compared to carbohydrate energy (aka- glycogen that is converted to glucose). When you increase your aerobic output, you will begin to change the ratio at which you utilize fat and carbohydrate energy. No matter what, when you increase aerobic activity, you will increase your carbohydrate (glucose) usage. This is done by what is known as aerobic glycolosis (you don’t have to remember that).

There is a high correlation between your heart rate and increasing “carbohydrate burning”. So, when you read this you may think, “okay, if I want to burn more fat, I need to keep my heart rate down”. However, and this is a big however, notice that nothing is mentioned about the quantity of fat calories that is used at a lower intensity as compared to a higher intensity. All that is mentioned was the ratio.

When you increase your heart rate while doing cardiovascular training, you will use more fat than you would a lower intensity. Ratios don’t matter. It’s quantity of fat you’re after and it just so happens that your training will also be more qualitative. Even if you were to think, “well I don’t want to burn more carbs, I want to burn more fat”. Well, don’t worry; you’ll still be burning more fat than carbs at a higher heart rate, so as long as you’re not breaking what is known as anaerobic threshold (which you can’t sustain for long periods of time anyway).

So, when you go to do cardio, get a sweat going and do something more than a “mall paced walk”. Of course, this all depends on your current health and fitness level. At some time though, you’ve got to push it. Ideally, you want to eventually do cardio sessions where your heart rate reaches approximately 85% of target heart rate for 20 minutes or longer. One of the ways to do this is through interval training.

Written by Kelly Huggins
Exercise Science, B.S.
FTNorthBuckhead.com
Read more of Kelly’s Weight loss and fitness myths at the Mythbuster Examiner.com

AUTISM AWARENESS DAY, White Water, Sat. 8/21, $25/person

Kelly Huggins — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 12:32:05 +0000

AUTISM AWARENESS DAY, White Water, Sat. 8/21, $25/person

Autism Awareness Day Flyer 2010

Purchase your discounted tickets for your family and friends today! Visit www.sixflags.com/whitewater.

Enter the code wwautism in the promo code box in the top right corner of the page.

All tickets must be purchased in advance. Tickets will not be sold on event day.

Local Event: Common Weight Loss and Fitness Mythts

Kelly Huggins — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:02:59 +0000

It’s not often that you would find a fitness coach that endorses a fast food restaurant. However, when it comes to Evos, you can make an exception.

This is the reason why Evos and Fitness Together are partnering up to educate the public on making wiser, healthier choices as it relates to your health and fitness.

To kick off this partnership, health and fitness expert, Kelly Huggins is coming to Evos to discuss 5 of the Most Common Weight Loss and Fitness Myths! Event is FREE with purchase of Sandwich, Salad, or Wrap. FREE Air Fries and Drink with purchase. You must RSVP. You may bring a friend or significant other. RSVP at kellyhuggins@fitnesstogether.com.

What will you learn:

Why diets actually cause you to get fatter.
What type of exercise is best for fat loss.
How many times a week you should exercise.
and much, much more!

Date: September 21st, 2010

Time: 6:30pm-8pm

Location: EVOS Midtown, 855 Peachtree Street Northeast #2, Atlanta, GA 30308
(404) 347-3588

Only available for up to 30 participants.

Additional features:

Fitness Together North Buckhead

Consumer Reports unleashes the “Dirty Dozen” of supplements

Kelly Huggins — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 12:51:41 +0000

Consumer Reports unleashes the “Dirty Dozen” of supplements. The article lacks some details, but just know this… The supplements mentioned have never been proven to decrease body fat in human beings. Most studies that have been done on them (I’ve read them) are usually anecdotal and very small scale studies. Some of them have been shown to decrease body fat in things such as cock roaches and pigs, of which were usually side effects (weight loss being the side effect) to what the purpose of the study was to begin with.

Here is the article from ABC News

Fitness Myth: It’s too late to get in shape!

Kelly Huggins — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:56:54 +0000

Why should older adults lift weights? There is nothing great about growing older. However, there are those out there who handle it better than others. Of course, those who engage in a regular fitness program are among those who age the best. Just ask Jack Lalanne.

Understandably, you may not want to become a health nut like Jack Lalanne (I say that affectionately), but you can definitely improve your quality of life. Let’s look at a few things that happen as you age that are impacted by resistance (weight) training:

Sarcopenia (loss of muscle): Starting at age 25 (somewhere around the end of puberty), you begin to lose muscle at the rate of .5% per year up to age 60. After 60, you can lose muscle at the rate of 1% per year. This is relevant not only from the standpoint of losing muscle tone, but a loss of strength, flexibility, and a lower metabolism.

Rest of Article

CNN Interview and Kelly Huggins, Weight loss and fitness myths

Kelly Huggins — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:26:04 +0000

Fit Fallacy- Carbs are bad for you

Kelly Huggins — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:22:35 +0000

Let’s get real about it; this fallacy was started by the most popular diet of all time, the Atkins Diet. Constantly, I hear people mention that they try to avoid carbohydrates. Though it seems that the marketplace is getting wiser, at the same time, this fallacy seems raise its ugly head.

First of all, let me begin by saying that you need carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are your primary source of energy. Without carbohydrates, your body will begin to do some crazy things in order for you to get your energy requirements. Here’s a closer look at carbs:

Carbs are fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts. Would you argue that fruits and vegetables are bad for you? How about whole grains like oatmeal, and nuts like almonds? These are whole foods that have fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and antioxidants. They are good for you! You should at least eat fruit 2 times per day and vegetables 3 times per a day (the more the better). You should eat whole grains at least 3 times per day.

Avoid Processed Carbohydrates. The problem with carbohydrates is what we do to them. They are stripped of their fiber, stripped of their nutrients, we add food color, sugar, sometimes fat, sodium, and all kinds of crazy stuff and put them in a box, bottle, plastic wrapper, etc. In other words, we turn them in to junk food. As a result of processing, the glycemic index also goes up.

What is the Glycemic Index? The glycemic index is basically a value system based on a scale of 0-100. Carbs that are high GI break down much faster than those that are low GI. Thus, eating high GI carbs (close to 100) like a bag of pretzels (and most junk food) can raise blood sugar faster (aka “the sugar spike”), which in turn can cause a sudden rush of insulin overcompensation (an “insulin rush”). As a result, your blood sugar then dips. This is when you begin to feel groggy and crappy, thus leading you to pick up your favorite high GI snack to make you feel normal.

Carbohydrates power your brain and your muscle. You need carbs to fuel the brain. It’s the only source of fuel the brain uses. The only exception is a byproduct of fat called ketone bodies (this is the premise behind Atkins through a process called ketosis). Your body only uses ketone bodies as a last resort and is inefficient. It’s kind of like trying to use alcohol to fuel your car instead of gasoline. It works, but it’s really hard on the engine. Ketone bodies are hard on the brain.

Carbohydrates are Protein Sparing. Without ingesting carbs, your body will breakdown muscle protein if you do not get enough carbs. Why? You need glucose to fuel the muscle and other tissues. With exception to the brain, muscle is the most metabolically active tissue in the body. When you lose muscle, you decrease your metabolism. In other words, you hold on to body fat better. (Other things begin to transpire, such as hormonal shifts also occur. These shifts also decrease your metabolism.)

The Thermic Effect of Food. You actually utilize a certain amount of calories in digestion alone. Foods that require more energy require more caloric expenditure. Carbs that are high in fiber are the ones that have the greatest thermic effect. Usually, carbs that are low GI have the greatest thermic effect. Once again, these are real foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts.

So, there you have it. Carbohydrates are good for you. One of the errors of the low carb myth coincides with just about every diet. That is, they do not include exercise as a part of the equation and they are quick weight loss gimmicks. This is flawed and misleading. Instead of going on a diet, get active and change your lifestyle. Quick fixes never work for the long term and usually make your situation worse.

Written by Kelly Huggins
Exercise Science, B.S.
FTNorthBuckhead.com

Gene makes people fat, raises Alzheimer’s risk

Kelly Huggins — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:24:04 +0000

By Julie Steenhuysen – Mon Apr 19, 4:41 pm ET

CHICAGO (Reuters) – A variant of an obesity gene carried by more than a third of the U.S. population also reduces brain volume, raising carriers’ risk of Alzheimer’s disease, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

People with a specific variant of the fat mass and obesity gene, or FTO gene, have brain deficits that could make them more vulnerable to the mind-robbing disease.

Rest of Article

Alcohol… A Party Time Necessity

Kelly Huggins — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 12:51:35 +0000

Alcohol has been around for centuries. We love it so much we write songs about it. Let’s be real about it, if you drink it’s related more to the effects that you feel versus any health benefit that you get. Whether your just trying to get loosened up at a party to have a good time or have a drink after a hard day, you are seeking it’s “psycho-medicinal” impact. Unfortunately, alcohol provides no long term benefits. If anything, alcohol has more long term consequences.

At the time you drink though, you don’t think about the consequences. All you know is that you’re feeling good (until you have too many). Any justification can be thought of to drink. For example, red wine is thought to be “good for you” because it has resveratrol which combats cancer. However, you can get resveratrol in grapes and other foods without alcohol content. Recently, a new study finds that alcohol is a contributor to cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, “the strongest associations between alcohol use and cancer are with mouth, esophageal, laryngeal, pharyngeal, breast, and liver cancers.” Related Article

Now, please, don’t take it that I am telling you to stop drinking altogether. The study relates primarily to daily users. Conversely, drinking on a daily basis is not too far fetched for many. Experts are not too sure as to why alcohol causes cancer. However, there is strong suspicion that it’s the way that alcohol metabolizes. This brings me to another point.

you’re trying to lose body fat (and get fit), drinking alcohol can significantly slow down your ability to reach your goals. By it’s nutritional definition, alcohol is classified as a toxin. Yes, it is a toxin. To affirm that, you can’t forget that alcohol must avoided by women who are pregnant because of the developmental implications of the fetus.

body simply wasn’t meant to break down alcohol. Other than the byproduct acetaldehyde (a type of ethanol), the body converts alcohol into fatty acids. Once these fatty acids are formed, they have to be store somewhere. Other than the liver, these fats are in your bloodstream and stored on your hips, belly, thighs, and all kinds of places you don’t want it to go. There are changes at a hormonal level that also compounds on to the problem (I can tell you a lot more, but I’m sure you get the point).

, anyone I know who drinks, who can’t seem to get that little extra off can be attributed to alcohol. Once you decrease your consumption, the better the results you get in losing fat and getting fit.

I part, please let me be very clear that I am not telling you to stop drinking. What I am saying is that you may want to consider significantly decreasing consumption in order achieve long term health and reach your weight loss goals. Occasionally, you can have a beer or drink a glass of wine. The operative word is “occasionally.”

by
Kelly Huggins
Exercise Science, B.S.
NPTI Instructor

Is a Liquid Diet (Such as “Juicing”) Safe?

Kelly Huggins — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:42:02 +0000

I am not a big proponent of “juicing” or any other type of liquid diet. I especially object to the false or misleading claims that frequently accompany these unproven and potentially dangerous nutrition tactics. Oftentimes juicing regimens are linked with the concept of detoxification, or “flushing the body of toxins.” What’s more, detox diets sometimes advocate additional techniques such as laxatives and enemas to help “cleanse” the intestinal tract… (rest of article)