The weight gain experiment

On Friday mornings I kick off the weekend with a 5:45 am class called X-Treme Drills. Great class, great group of early morning people. The format gives me the flexibility to do a lot of different things - strength and cardio - all leaning towards the extreme side.

In light of all my nostalgic reminiscing about myself a year ago (me+ 40 pounds of baby weight to lose), I wanted to see what it would be like to do that class with an extra 20 pounds on me. So, in between cardio stations I had the group use heavy hand weights to do a weight experiment. We did jumping jacks with 10 pound hand weights down at each sides, then ran in place with knees high with hand weights at our sides. Holy moly is that hard. It was 100% easier when we set the hand weights down and essentially did the same drill.

It made me realize how glad I am that I don't have that extra 20 pounds on me. Now granted an extra 20 pounds wouldn't necessarily be concentrated in one area as our hand weights were, but you get the idea.

And what if you had more than 20 pounds to lose - what if what 40 or 50 or 100?

20+ pounds is not too hard to gain BUT certainly hard to lose. It takes time, but the benefits of this type of weight loss far outweigh the effort to lose it!

What can 20+ extra pounds do to you?

1) Much more strain, wear and tear on your knees and ankles - a huge portion of knee and ankle pain can be attributed to carrying extra weight.

2) Extra strain on your heart - This causes the heart and blood vessels to harden or clog, causing the heart, lungs, and other organs to suffer from decreased blood flow.

3) Lessened mojo - Extra weight causes two problems in the bedroom: 1) Women who feel "fat" or "unattractive" have less interest in sex because of poor self image. For women much of their sexual energy is derived from "feeling sexy" 2) Extra weight can equal less energy

4) Sleep apnea - This is where you stop breathing while sleeping, and your body then has to sort of 'kick start' you back into breathing mode. It can an incredibly serious condition, and being obese is a major cause of the condition. Research suggests you are 30 times more likely to develop this condition if you are obese.

5) LESS ENERGY - who wants this? It is harder to carry around weight! This makes everything harder. Do a test, carry a few hand weights around the house as you clean or put on ankle weights. You do get some extra toning during this test, but you will soon realize that less weight equals less strain, less effort and MORE energy.

6) Contributes to Type 2 Diabetes, Stroke, Cancers, Heart Disease, etc. - All of these things can be directly attributed to being overweight or obese. All preventable.

7) Make you buy a whole new wardrobe - new clothes, hooray! But those clothes won't look nearly as good and won't make you feel good. Who wants to celebrate having to buy a BIGGER size?

8) Shorten your life - According to NaturalNews online, "a study conducted in Sweden spanning almost four decades has suggested that overweight persons, and not just those who were obese, may also be subjected to increased risk of premature death. It also suggested that the adverse effects of excess weight on mortality may be as significant as smoking cigarettes."

9) You might be underestimated - If you carry extra weight, your mental and physical capabilities socially and professionally might be underestimated. Unfortunately there is a stigma associated with being the "fat guy" or "fat girl." According to Buzzle.com, the widespread stigmas that overweight people are lazy, unmotivated, or stupid have a profound effect on their ability to lose weight. According to studies by researchers at the Yale University Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity (http://www.yaleruddcenter.org), the stigmatization and bullying of overweight children by their peers may result in higher likelihood of suicidal thoughts and eating disorders. Overweight children as young as three may experience the effects of this stigma from their peers, teachers and even parents.

There is a great article on this stigmatization Buzzle.com

10) Make you feel yucky. Losing weight can give you a boost of confidence and just generally make you feel much better.

All of this is easy for me to say since I am not overweight nor have I ever been. But I do know that anyone can lose weight if they dedicated themselves to exercise and nutrition. Move more, eat less. No they may never be a size 2 (heck neither will I). But they can find a healthy lifestyle. And for some, medical intervention might be necessary - if they have a thyroid issue or other thing that prevents them from losing weight. I've written a post about this previously. Click here

I have a friend that takes my classes that has lost 82 pounds so far (and that is half-way to her goal). She has done it through good old fashioned diet and exercise. She is an inspiration to me as a fitness professional and as a self proclaimed "pro-dieter." I will be sharing her story later this week; she is an inspiring and wonderful woman! Stay tuned!