The Kelsey Report

Why Dieting To Lose Fat Is Not Enough For Women

If you want to lose fat, the battle begins in the kitchen.

But the war is won by training.

Post-menopausal women who use dieting to lose weight not only lose fat but also muscle and a year later, having gained some weight, the weight gain is mostly fat. ((Beavers, K. M., M. F. Lyles, et al. “Is lost lean mass from intentional weight loss recovered during weight regain in postmenopausal women?” Am J Clin Nutr 94(3): 767-74))

You look “better”. You look leaner. But it’s deceiving. Your body has replaced muscle with fat. Unproductive weight.

So what will help?

Not just exercising or “being active”. That won’t be enough if what you want is optimal health.

You have to train.

What’s the difference?

Being active means that you do things like walk, take the stairs instead of the elevator, work in your garden, mow the lawn, take a leisurely bike ride.

Exercise is different. It’s  a “form of physical activity of sufficient length and difficulty to produce sustained perspiration, elevated heart rate and respiration rate”. So, exercise can be anything like walking briskly, running, cycling, weight machines, a whole variety of things that make you sweat and feel tired when you’re done.

So why wouldn’t “exercise” help ward off losing muscle?

Because it’s not strategic. There’s no plan. You just do stuff. Sure, it helps you some and it’s better than being sedentary but if you’re goal is to lose fat and retain or build muscle, then training is your answer.

Training is ” a form of exercise with the discipline and instruction, drill, practice, etc., designed to impart proficiency or efficiency; training is a planned and purpose-driven form of exercise.”

The question is, “Do you know how to create a training regimen to melt fat while building muscle?” If so, great. If not, then you’ll need some help.

How to Create a New Level of Strength

  • Baseline. It helps if you know how strong your to start with.
  • You’ll need to set aside about 30 minutes at least two days per week as a starting point. As you get stronger, you’ll add another day but the time required is roughly the same.
  • You’ll need 4-5 drills that challenge your upper and lower body, are spine and joint friendly and are easily adjusted to your ability. Some examples include:
    • Push up – on knees
    • Plank – on knees if needed
    • Squat – body weight force
    • Pull down – a light resistance band.
    • Standing press or punch – a light resistance band.
  • Perform 12-15 repetitions of each drill. For drills that you have to hold a position, like the plank, shoot for 30 seconds.
  • Perform 2 sets if you’re just getting started.
  • Do the exercises 2 days per week with at least two days of rest or “active” rest in between (active rest includes things like walking, easy cycling, swimming).

At some point, you’ll want to change the exercises because your body will become accustomed to the movements and loads.

What kind of strength training are you doing? How often?

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DD Kelsey says

Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts. Great stuff!

Ashleigh says

Since starting fusion, I feel like my core strength and muscle tone have definitely improved. And I like the feeling of getting a lot done without a lot of wasted time. Another thing I like is that it’s challenging but not make-yourself-throw-up hard.

Lauriekertz says

Fusion is great for goal-setting. (Next month my goal is to perform seven different elements.) I think having a goal is what keeps me on the right track, and having safe goals keeps me injury-free and doing the things I love, like rowing.

Jimtigerpt says

Come to think a out it, the past 6 or 7 months since beginning Fusion, I feel pretty darn good. The elements keep me motivated and I enjoy tweaking or edging them to challenge my body in different ways. Not only has it helped to manage my weight, but my body composition has changed and now I am on autopilot. I think my fitness levels have improved as it is much easier to get through 5 rounds of drills in much less time than before; thus the tweaking begins. The drills I have personally used has had a huge impact on what I do with my PT patients. If anything, I am much more aware of the components of life; core endurance, strength, balance/flexibiity, power, and stamina and how much these are lacking with most people.

Cspringer says

Loved this article! In addition to the benefits of fat loss and muscle gain, I also find that the intensity of Fusion makes me feel great…less stressed and more energetic. And for me, no neck pain when sitting at the computer. LOVE it.

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