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When is enough, enough? When Looking Good becomes an Obsession

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Too small, too big, too fat, too skinny – so what is just right?  Can we ever be truly satisfied with how we look?

Dissatisfaction with how we look is not unusual in this day and age. With advertising and media pushing appearance at us from all sides, it is quite normal for many of us to think we don’t quite fit the mold of perfection. Appearance can play a big part in life for most people, but never in history have we witnessed so many issues and potentially harmful trends arising out of striving for that perfect body.

It isn’t difficult to recognize that we live in a culture obsessed with “the perfect body.” In fact, this obsession is showing up at younger and younger ages:

  • 42% of 1st-3rd grade girls report wanting to be thinner.
  • In a recent study of 4th graders: almost half the girls “wished they were thinner.”
  • 81% of 10 year olds are afraid of being fat.
  • 8th and 9th grade girls have reported that the ideal female is 5 feet 7 inches tall, and weighs between 100 and 110 pounds. It is interesting to note that at this height and weight, most women would be considered clinically anorexic.
  • On any given day, approximately 25% of American men and 45% of American women are on a diet.
  • 40-60% of high school girls are dieting on any given day and over half of eighth grade girls report dieting during the past year.

The diet industry is a $40 billion dollar industry in the United States and growing every day. What is interesting is if diets worked so well, why would we need to keep throwing money away trying new ones? In fact, 95% of all dieters will regain their lost weight, and more, within 1-5 years. This is not a result of failed will power, but damaged metabolisms by trying to force their bodies to attain unrealisitc goals, and probably, unhealthy sizes.

Many people worry about their appearance, especially in their teens and twenties, when physical attractiveness, changing bodies, and social pressures come together to make appearance seem more important than ever. Who wouldn’t want perfectly clear lustrous skin, a beautiful head of richly colored hair, and the perfect physique? The answer for most people is sure, why not? But for some people, normal appearance concerns cross over into preoccupation or even obsession with their appearance. In more severe cases, these concerns seriously interfere with school work and relationships, and can cause significant distress. This relatively common but underrecognized disorder is known as body dysmorphic disorder, or BDD. Because BDD can cause so much suffering and disruption of normal functioning, it’s important to know about it. BDD, which usually begins during adolescence, can cause depression, social isolation, academic impairment, and, in more severe cases, unnecessary cosmetic surgery, psychiatric hospitalization, and even suicide attempts.

When we think of compulsive dieting, and what we might think of as a typical person with body dysmorphic disorder, anorexia and bulemia probably come to mind.  Never would we imagine that the bodybuilder or exercise fanatic, with “perfectly” toned and defined muscles would have an issue with body image.  Yet, for some bodybuilders, their body image is far from perfect. No matter how large they become, they may see themselves as small. What seems to others nothing more than exaggerated physical vanity may be a manifestation of distorted body image, or dysmorphia.  According to several ongoing studies of bodybuilders, it is speculated that as many as 10 percent of bodybuilders or as many as 500,000 to 1 million individuals may suffer from what is being termed muscle dysmorphia or “bigorexia”.

The physical risks of this type of BDD  or muscle dysmorphia are perhaps less life threatening than anorexia or bulemia, but are still quite serious as they are related primarily to substance abuse and secondarily to diet.  Muscle dysmorphia is a disorder defined mainly by obsessive thoughts about body size and shape, compulsive behavior regarding exercise and use of a variety of supplements and steroids in an attempt to bulk up and get lean. Anabolic steroids are the most commonly abused drug by those with the disorder and pose a host of physical and psychiatric risks. Chronic use may increase susceptibility to cardiovascular disease and other medical problems. Other drugs, including stimulants, pituitary, adrenal, and thyroid hormones, laxatives and diuretics may also be used and can pose dangers if used over an extended period of time.  Other health problems may also show up in the form of overtraining or continuing to exercise with injuries, often using analgesics to mask the pain.

Muscle dysmorphia may cause social problems, with going to the gym  as their exclusive social activity.  They may exercise to the exclusion of dating and sex, and may even alter their careers to spend more time at the gym.

For many people who have the disorder, they see their behavior as normal and are comfortable with their symptoms. Although it many seem that BDD and their variants are trivial illnesses, they’re not. People can have their lives totally consumed by this disorder which can cause substantial impairment in social and occupational functioning, as well as increased risk of death or suicide.

The criteria for muscle dysmorphia, as a recently identified variant of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), are as follows.

  • The person has a preoccupation with the idea that his/her body is not sufficiently lean and muscular. Associated behaviors include hours of weight lifting and excessive attention to diet.
  • The preoccupation causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. Individuals often forgo dating and recreational activities, or slack at work to maintain workout and diet schedules. They may also avoid situations where their body is exposed to others or exhibit great anxiety when they are in such situations. They may continue working out, adhering to a strict diet, or using performance-enhancing drugs even when suffering adverse physical and psychological side effects of their regimen.
  • The main focus of their preoccupation and behavior is on being too small or inadequately muscular, as distinguished from fear of fat or other aspects of appearance typical of other forms of BDD.

It is important to remember that BDD is not a rare disorder, only an underrecognized one. Diagnosing BDD can be challenging because sufferers often keep their symptoms secret due to embarrassment and shame. People with BDD often worry that other will consider their concerns superficial and vain, thereby making themselves feel worse for having the symptoms of this disorder. Others may see the BDD sufferer’s concerns as attention getting and will become irritated with them. In addition to being underdiagnosed, BDD can be misdiagnosed by professionals, partially because it is not yet widely recognized and also because BDD sufferers are often reluctant to discuss their symptoms. But BDD of any kind is nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to keep secret – it is a serious yet very treatable disorder.

It’s critical for people today to be educated, empowered, and inspired to create a change in the unattainable standard of beauty and the ideal body in our society. We must work to create a world where self-worth is based upon the qualities of one’s character, the strength of one’s convictions, the impact of a person’s accomplishments, and the power of one’s voice rather than by their weight on a scale or the size of their jeans.

Weighing the Myths of Women and Weight Training

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If you have yet to learn the benefits of weight training, or are still debating whether or not to try it, this information is for you.

Tufts University conducted a study on the benefits of weight training which involved forty postmenopausal women. The control group – half of the volunteers – simply maintained their lifestyle for a year. The others lifted weights twice per week.

At the end of the year, the sedentary women’s bones and muscles had aged. They had lost bone density and strength. And they were even less active than before.

Contrary to that dismal scenario, the bodies of the women who lifted weights were fifteen to twenty years more youthful. They gained bone density and their strength level soared to levels typical of women in their late thirties or early forties. They traded fat for muscle, therefore, looked trimmer and dropped dress sizes.

The women who lifted weights actually got smaller, not larger, once again debunking the myth some women still believe about weight training making them bulky. These women gained nine percent muscle, and lost a corresponding amount of fat. Since muscle is denser than fat, they were smaller, leaner and more toned and no one complained about looking unfeminine.

Aside from the physical changes, the women who lifted weights felt happier, more energetic and had greater self-confidence. These women also became more active as they got stronger. They not only felt younger, they were leading younger lives. Physical changes caused emotional changes, which impacted their lives positively. They regained enjoyment of life they thought they had lost forever. All of that for two workouts per week!

Although research has shown that when women maintain a regular strength training program they will benefit from the long list of health advantages, many women are still held back by the many myths surrounding women and weight training.  It’s time to dispel those myths so women of all ages will begin participating in weight training and can start feeling the life long benefits that come with it.

Myth#1 – I should loose weight before I start weight training.

Fact – Why wait when weight training burns fat best. Weight training is the best way to loose weight because it permanently increases your metabolism. It is important to understand that dieting without exercise causes the body to lose muscle, which slows the metabolism. Only the combination of weight training and positive nutritional changes makes it possible to lose fat and keep it off.  As you add muscle, your resting metabolism increases, so you burn more calories all day long. For each pound of muscle you gain, you’ll burn 35 to 50 more calories daily. So, by gaining only three pounds of muscle, you’ll burn an average of 120 more calories per day, or approximately 3,600 more calories per month. That equates to a loss of 10 to 12 pounds in one year!

Myth #2 – Aerobic exercise is better than weight training to burn fat.

Fact – If you really want to lose fat – and keep it off — the best way to do it is with weight training. While it may feel like running on the treadmill for an hour (while you are dripping with sweat) is burning tons of calories, it’s only burning calories while you are exercising and for one to two hours after. Weight training is the most effective way to burn fat because the more muscle you gain, the more fat you burn all the time – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  With more muscle, you are not just burning fat one or two hours when you’re exercising, but every hour of every day, whether you’re exercising, eating, sleeping or sitting at your desk.

Myth #3 – If I weight train I will get bigger and I want to look smaller.

Fact –  Muscle actually takes up less space than fat, so ultimately, by weight training, you will be smaller, firmer and toner; and your clothes will fit better. What about weight? Yes, you may end up weighing the same or even more because muscle weighs more than fat, but remember the true test is how you look and feel – not what the numbers on the scale say.

Myth #4 – Weight training will make me bulky and masculine – I don’t want to loose my femininity.

Fact – No worries – weight training will not turn you into to an Arnold Schwarzenegger look-alike over night. Women don’t become overly muscular – it’s just not possible.
Women don’t naturally produce enough of the hormones it takes to grow massive muscle.
Weight training will, however, give you that toned look you’re striving for – you can’t burn fat off to see muscle tone that doesn’t exist. Crash diets that burn precious muscle tissue only leave you with a temporarily smaller version of your original fat self.  “Skinny fat” is still flabby, but muscle is sexy!  If you want curves and definition, and a tight toned body, weight training is the way to go.

Myth #5 – I’m too old to start weight training.

Fact – It’s NEVER to late to start weight training.  Studies have shown strength improvements and numerous other benefits from weight training are possible at any age, even in subjects well into their 70s and 80s.  In fact, a recent study, published in the
Journal of the American Medical Association, found that post-menopausal women can reduce their body fat, increase muscle mass, build up their bones, and improve their balance by lifting moderately heavy weights on a regular basis. Biologically, the women were about 20 years younger then they were at the start of the yearlong study.

Research has also found that weight training can increase spinal bone mineral density by as much as 13 percent in six months. So weight training is a powerful tool against osteoporosis.  The benefits of weight training are now indisputable, both to prevent the effects of aging in pre-menopausal women and reverse the effects of aging in post-menopausal women.

And if all that isn’t enough to convince you the weight training is the single most effective way to burn fat, increases metabolism, build strength and increase bone density, here are a few other benefits you may want to consider.

  1. You Will Reduce Your Risk of Diabetes. Adult-onset diabetes is a growing problem for women and men. Research indicates that weight training can increase glucose utilization in the body by 23 percent in four months.
  2. You Will Fight Heart Disease. Strength training will improve your cholesterol profile and blood pressure.  And the benefits only increase your regimen also includes cardiovascular exercise, flexibility training and a good nutrition and supplement program.
  3. You Will Be Able to Fight Back Pain and Arthritis. A recent 12-year study showed that strengthening the low-back muscles had an 80 percent success rate in eliminating or alleviating low-back pain. Other studies have indicated that weight training can ease arthritis pain and strengthen joints.
  4. You’ll Be a Stronger Woman Physically and Mentally. Studies have shown that moderate weight training increases a woman’s strength by 30 to 50 percent. Extra strength will make it easier to accomplish daily activities, such as lifting children or groceries. Most strength differences between men and women can be explained by differences in body size and fat mass. Pound for pound, women can develop their strength at the same rate as men.  In addition, a Harvard study found that 10 weeks of strength training reduced symptoms of clinical depression more successfully than traditional counseling did. Women who weight train commonly report feeling more confident and capable as a result of their program.

As you can see, the benefits of weight training far outweigh any myths that might be associated with it.  So hit the weights — and get ready to reap a host of health benefits that you probably never imagined possible with just one small lifestyle change.
See you at the gym!

Beat the Heat with Proper Hydration

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With summer temperatures soaring to the 90 degree mark it’s more important than ever for people participating in outdoor activities to remember that nagging advice ” be sure to drink plenty of fluids”.   Whether you are running a marathon or simply cutting the grass, adequate fluid intake is essential for comfort, performance and safety. Dehydration is a major cause of fatigue, poor performance, decreased coordination, muscle cramping and even worse, the possibility of heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

How much is enough?

Do not rely on thirst alone to determine when and how much to drink.  Thirst is a poor indicator of the amount of fluids you may actually need – by the time you are thirsty, you may already be well on your way to dehydration.  During just one hour of moderate exercise, you can sweat away more than a quart of water.  An easy way to determine your fluid intake needs is to weigh yourself before and after exercise.  Weight changes reflect sweat losses (sorry, that two pounds wasn’t body fat). Each pound that you have lost sweating is equal to two cups or 16 ounces of fluid that you will need to replace accordingly.  So, if you have lost two pounds of sweat during an hour of exercise, you will need to consume two pounds or 32 ounces of fluids during each hour of future exercise.  This will work out to drinking 8 ounces every 15 minutes.  Prehydration is also important in preventing dehydration.  When preparing for strenuous exercise, drink at least 16 to 20 ounces of water two hours before exercise and another 8 ounces 15 to 30 minutes just prior to the activity.

Water or sports drinks?

Just plain water is probably the most appropriate choice for casual exercise and activities that last no more than an hour.  For more intense exercise lasting longer than an hour, such as running, cycling or rollerblading, it may be advantageous to consume a sports drink or diluted fruit juice providing 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour to delay fatigue and fuel muscle contractions.  It is really not necessary to replace losses of sodium, potassium and other electrolytes since it is unlikely you will deplete your body’s stores of these minerals during normal training.

If, however, you do exercise over 5 or 6 hours or in extreme conditions, such as a marathon or triathlon, you will want to use a complex sports drink that contains both carbohydrates and electrolytes.  Athletes who don’t consume electrolytes under these conditions risk overhydration from consuming excessive amounts of electrolyte free water, causing low blood sodium concentration or hyponatremia. A tip to athletes who train with water because it’s cheap and readily available, then decide to use a sports drink for competition – experiment prior to competition. Unfamiliar sports drinks may cause upset stomach, so it’s a good idea to find which one works best for you before the big event.

It is also a good idea to choose carbohydrate rich fluids such as recovery drinks or fruit juices that replace water losses and muscle glycogen to enhance recovery after exercise.
What about beer?

Beer is often a popular postexercise “recovery drink” but the alcohol in beer has a dehydrating effect that causes you to lose valuable fluids at a time when you should be replacing them.  If you intend to drink beer, quench your thirst first with water, eat something so you aren’t drinking on an empty stomach, and then enjoy a beer or two in moderation.

What about caffeine?

Caffeine has ergogenic properties and is often used pre-exercise for that extra energy boost.  Caffeine, however, also has diuretic properties causing your body to excrete fluid instead of retaining, so it’s not the wisest choice when you’re trying to retain proper hydration.

The Fastest Way to Fat Loss – Cardio vs Weight Training

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Summer is here, and if you haven’t yet made that commitment to a fitness program, the thought of shedding a few pounds to look good in those shorts or that bathing suit, may be just the encouragement you need.

So with time of the essence, (immediate gratification being a must, with a trip to the beach just around the corner) what type of program do we embark on.  For most, the seemingly obvious solution would be to cut back on the meals and start doing cardio – and lots of it.

And as much as this may sound unpleasant (at least to most of us), it’s bound to burn up that extra fat, leaving us lean and toned, ready to show of those abs, right?  Wrong!  The good news is that these myths about weight loss are just that – while you do need to cut calories and increase activity to loose weight, there is a better, healthier, and more efficient way to do it.

First of all, embarking on some crazy fad diet that severely restricts calories may initially produce results, but in the long run will actually slow down your metabolism. Eating more frequent meals throughout the day will actually boost your metabolism.  The key is better food choices, balanced meals and portion control.

What about exercise – what kind and how much?  While it may feel like running on the treadmill for an hour (while you are dripping with sweat) is burning tons of calories, it’s only burning calories while you are exercising and for one to two hours after.  If you really want to lose fat – and keep it off — the best way to do it is with weight training.  Weight training is the single most effective way to permanently increase your metabolism.  The more muscle you have, the more fat you burn all the time – 24hours a day, 7 days a week — not just one or two hours when you’re exercising, but every hour of every day, whether you’re exercising, eating, sleeping or sitting at your desk.  Pound for pound, muscle burns 25 times more calories than fat. One pound of muscle can burn 30 to 50 calories in a day, or 350 to 500 calories a week.  One pound of fat only burns two a day or 14 in a week.  So, if you build just five pounds of muscle, that’s equivalent to burning 26 pounds of fat in a year.

The evidence is right in front of you in the gym.  Notice the number of overweight people who do hours of cardio on the treadmill, in aerobics classes, or on the bike – or worse, all of the above.  The same people, on the same program for months, maybe even years, with no noticeable results.  Then, compare them to the physiques in the weight room.  Ask some of those people who look the most fit how much time they really spend in the gym – it’s much less than you think.  The results produced by weight training are much more effective.  And if your own research isn’t convincing enough to back up these claims, consider a Tufts University study that showed strength and resistance training can increase metabolism by seven percent, and promote significant changes in body composition.  Scientists calculated the higher metabolic rate meant that resistance trained subjects burned an average of an extra 354 calories per day.  The final result was that weight training produces an increase in lean body mass and a decrease in body fat by a permanent increase in metabolic rate.

What about the scale?  Throw it out!  Yes you may end up weighing the same or even more because muscle weighs more than fat, but remember, muscle takes up less space than fat.  So, ultimately, you will be small, firmer and toner; and your clothes will fit better.  That’s the true test. How you look and how you feel – not what the numbers on the scale say.  And women, no, you become overly muscular.  It’s just not possible – women don’t naturally produce enough of the hormones it takes to grow massive muscle.  Weight training will, however, give you that tone look you’re striving for – you can’t burn fat off to see muscle tone that doesn’t exist.  In addition, weight training is important to help prevent osteoporosis by building and maintaining bone density.

Timing is everything.  If your primary goal for cardio, in addition to cardio vascular health, is to burn fat, the most effective time to do it is when glycogen stores are low, therefore, early morning on an empty stomach would be an optimum time since glycogen stores have been depleted throughout the night while you slept.

If morning isn’t an option, and you’ll be doing cardio in the same workout session as weight training, it’s better to do cardiovascular activity immediately following weight training because glycogen levels have also been depleted at this time.  Not only will your cardiovascular exercise be more effective at fat burning, but your weight training session will be more effective and intense since you won’t have burned up all your ATP on cardio.

The key to successful weight loss is balance – in both diet and exercise.  Weight training will help increase lean body composition and boost your metabolism, even while at rest.  While cardiovascular activity will help muscles utilize oxygen more efficiently and promote overall good cardiovascular health.  Remember though, too much cardio can actually burn valuable muscle tissue and losing muscle slows down your metabolism  — which is obviously counter productive to your whole weight loss goal.  And again, remember balance — allow your body time to recover from all exercise. Muscle tissue needs recovery time to repair and grow.  So, don’t be afraid to take a couple of days off with no exercise and you will actually see better results.