Jacksonville Boot Camp Workouts, Fitness, Exercise & Weight Loss Boot Camp Program For Women

Blog - Coach's Corner

WOW! Business Profiled

---

Double Your Weight Loss By Recording What You Eat – (by Rob Lloyd, CCWC)

We fully believe that recording what you eat each and every day is a major factor in reaching your intended fitness goals – whether they be weight loss, maintenance, or simply to get and stay healthier. This article from the August issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine outlines yet another scientific study which clearly shows that by following the simple step of writing down what you eat each day that you can DOUBLE the amount of weight you lose over a given period of time.  WOW! provides clients a simple “hardcopy” food diary and suggested portion sizes, number of meals, etc. and this is a good way to start. WOW! also provides an even more accurate tool on-line with the WOW! on-line food and exercise diary.

Whichever way you decide to record what you eat each day – the bottom line is obvious – if you do, as outlined in the following article, you will reach your weight loss and fitness goals at a significantly faster rate than if you don’t.  The choice is clear and the tools are here…so let’s get recording for success!

Want to lose weight or guard against putting on unwanted pounds? Keeping a daily diary of what you eat can go a long way toward cinching up your waistline — in fact, the discipline can double the weight loss you would’ve had without committing pen to paper, according to a new study.

The average (mean) weight loss of 1,685 overweight or obese people with high blood pressure, high cholesterol or both who regularly recorded their food and drink intake was about 13 pounds, according to findings from Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Health Research. That kind of weight loss can reduce risk factors for heart disease and other serious conditions. More than two thirds of the group lost at least nine pounds over about six months.

“There’s a common misconception that most people can’t lose weight, but that’s not the experience in our study,” coauthor Dr. Victor Stevens said. Many participants “lost enough weight to make a difference in their health.” They were typically 55 years old and weighed an average of 212 pounds when they started, he said. Forty-four percent were African American and 67% were women.

Asked why they wanted to lose weight, many said they wanted to improve their health and mobility, Stevens said. “Often it was because they were having trouble with joints: ankles, knees or back. Even losing 10 or 15 pounds can mean a lot in terms of improving knee pain.”

Participants used booklets to write down and estimate the calories of every item they ate or drank per day. They also recorded the amount of exercise they did. (Some used personal digital assistants or computers to keep track.) Then they met with dieticians and counselors at 20 weekly meetings, where they reviewed their findings and goals. Weekly weigh-ins were part of the deal, as was instruction on how to control portion sizes and move toward healthier food options.

The diaries helped participants become more aware of what they were eating and how much, and many began altering their eating habits as a result.

“It helps you keep focused and accountable, and that’s powerful,” Stevens said. “It’s very hard to maintain weight loss because there are high-calorie food choices everywhere you look… To maintain a reasonable weight in our modern society requires steady attention.” [WOW! Programs Blog (continued)]

---

Smart Goal Setting Is The Secret – (by Rob Lloyd, CCWC)

Reaching your goals (Goal Attainment in psychology parlance), requires that you take the critical first step of clearly clarifying the actual results you’re looking to achieve (as you would before starting any endeavor requiring substantial resource investments of time, energy, money, etc.)

This seems like such an obvious step – and one that is absolutely critical, but ignored by all of us at one time or another in the haste of “just getting started”. How many of us have started new projects with a heavy dose of enthusiasm and a high-level plan, but without that clearly defined end result we’re looking to achieve that would define our realization of goal attainment and success?

Some people call these results “goals”, “dreams”, “goal achievements”, or ”goal outcomes”. We’ll simply call these “Goals” and realize that they are most definitely personal and different for everyone.

For instance, in the area of health and wellness your goal might involve weight loss, reduced cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, slimmer waist lines, more strength or endurance, to stay the same weight but increase muscle while reducing fat, etc.

But, regardless of the particular goal you have in mind, it is critical to make sure you’re setting a “S.M.A.R.T.” goal – or a “goal with teeth” that we can be held accountable for as we strive for our goal. Setting goals is more than making vague statements like “I want to lose weight”, or “I want to have more energy” — these are just fantasies that study after study shows will remain in the “dream” stage instead of the “goal attained” stage. [WOW! Programs Blog (continued)]

---