January 11, 2008

Working it off

By Bill Highlander
Editor

Resolving to get fit After the holidays, people often flock to gyms and health clubs (such as Evergreen area businesses Silver Creek Fitness and Physical Therapy, above, or Curves, below) to find a magical exercise that will melt away the excess. Not surprisingly, it usually doesn’t work without proper committment. Below: Todd Jones shows proper technique with a training device.

A good thing about the holidays is all the wonderful food and drink. A bad thing is the number of calories in that food and drink. It is not unusual for a person to pack on a few pounds from Thanksgiving to the New Year.

Likewise, it is not unusual for many people to resolve to get rid of the extra pounds plus any other undesirable fat in the belly, butt or love handles. So they flock to gyms and health clubs to find a magical exercise that will melt away the excess.

The only problem is that it usually doesn’t work. You have to be committed to both good nutrition and exercise to lose weight.

Todd Jones, owner of Silver Creek Fitness and Physical Therapy, says, “Exercising helps fitness, but weight loss depends on eating right.” He believes weight loss is 70 percent nutrition and 30 percent exercise. He adds, “It’s simple math. Calories consumed, and not converted to energy, become fat.”

For example, a fast food hamburger, fries and cola can easily total 1,000 calories or more. It may take an hour on a treadmill to use up 500 calories. Your body stores the excess calories as fat. You might lose more weight through better eating habits than by workouts.

Counting calories count. Dr. Dean Edell of KGO radio has said that you can even lose weight on a diet of only chocolate bars, as long as the number of calories doesn’t exceed the number your body uses for fuel.

The people who belong to Jones‘s facility in the Evergreen Village Square use the equipment to get fit or stay in shape. "There is some increased interest in weight loss after the holidays," Jones says, “But the emphasis is on a relatively small membership so that the equipment and a staff person are always available.”

Weight loss after the holidays is the main topic of discussion at Curves on San Felipe Road. Terry Barmore, owner of the fitness center for women only, says her clients are committed and do take off the pounds. The routine involves thirty minutes of warm-up, cardio exercise, strength training, cool down, stretching and smiling a lot. Barmore says “the fun of getting fit makes the resolution easier to keep.”

The Fitness Center at Silver Creek Valley Country Club offers many activities for its members. A very active tennis group, swimming, fitness classes, mach-ines, weights and professional trainers promote a healthy lifestyle and assist members with weight loss and strength training.

The secret seems to be setting realistic goals. If you get frustrated because the weight is not coming off fast enough, you’ll probably give up, stop exercising and have an extra helping of dessert.

Weight loss is the most common New Year’s resolution, but it’s also the one most broken. Don’t give up. Moderate exercise will make you feel better. Healthy eating will also make you feel better.