Planned Attack, Part 2

Yesterday I spent too much time talking about the first branch of our three-pronged attack on fitness. Today I'm going to tackle the other two: Cardio and Strength. Unfortunately, you can't pick just one - these two go together like peanut butter and jelly, but in some ways, they're about as different as peanut butter and jelly.

Cardio: You can think of cardio as working the body from the outside in. Cardio is going to target the outer layer of fat, as well as help increase your metabolism. Personally, I enjoy cardio much more than strength training because I think it can be much more fun. There are countless ways to get cardio in your life. It has even spawned an entire genre for the video game industry. Between the Wii gaming system and the Kinect for Xbox, cardio-infused games are being released it seems nearly every week.While these games are fun, and have the added motivation of competition (both with others and your own best times/scores/etc.), they probably shouldn't be used to replace traditional cardiovascular activities. Swimming, biking, hiking, and participating in a sport or recreational activity (I play on an adult kickball team, my husband plays pickup basketball) are all great activities which will elevate your heart rate and help you burn calories.

Wondering why I left running off the list? I did so intentionally because I like to further divide cardio into Running and Other. They are separate activities and therefore I schedule them differently. Running is one of the best ways to burn fat, and with this in mind, I run 5-6 days a week. Other cardio activities get schedule 3 times a week in addition to running.

Strength: So if cardio is working from the outside in, then strength is working from the inside out. While cardio is working to get rid of the extra fat layer covering the body, strength will help prepare what's underneath. As unpleasant as strength training is, it does have one redeeming quality. In order for muscles to survive, they need energy, and they get that energy from the fat stored in your body. So the stronger your muscles get, the more fat you burn simply to maintain the muscles you're building. That's bonus fat burn!

Once I started focusing on the happier side of strength training, I found it easier to work it in. I schedule it for 3 times a week because it is important to have a day of rest after a strength session. During strenuous activity, the individual tissue fibers of the muscle actually tear and then they rebuild themselves, but they rebuild themselves stronger than they were. That is how we build strength, but that is also why it's important to rest after - to give the muscle time to rebuild. If you're really strange and actually enjoy strength training, then make sure to rotate muscle groups (do upper body one day, abs the next, lower body the third, etc.) to give each group time to heal.

Planned Attack, Part 1

I had looked at all the numbers and was at the starting line, again. Oftentimes in the past, as with many people, I would want to go down one of two paths. At times I have said I will exercise 5 times a day if it means I can still eat whatever I wish; and then at other times I have said I will adhere to a strict diet as long as I never have to exercise ever. Both of these fitness personalities gave me some results in the beginning, but they were limited, didn't last long, and neither are a truly healthy approach to fitness. Instead I have to take a three-pronged approach.

You may be wondering at the three prongs. What else is there besides diet and exercise? Technically, on the path to fitness, there are only the two, but I divide exercise into cardiovascular activity and strength training as they are used to achieve different results. So my three prongs then are Diet, Cardio, and Strength. (If we're going to be nit picky, I suppose we could make a fourth prong for a good night's sleep but as there's not much more to say about that, I left it off.) Let's look at Diet first. 

Diet: This is such a broad topic that I barely even know where to begin. It is one area in which I will be doing a lot of research but for now I'll assume you have a rough idea of what to limit (fat, sugar, sodium, simple carbs, etc.), what to eliminate (trans and saturated fat, cholesterol, etc.) and what to increase (fiber, calcium, etc.). And I'll also assume that you know the basics about calories. If you're not sure how many calories you need each day I encourage you to check out  this site or this one. Keep in mind your caloric intake level will vary greatly depending on your weight, your goals, your activity level, etc. If you're anything like me, you're thinking that that's a lot to keep track of, so for those of you who just heard "blah, blah, blah," I have good news. By following a few basic dietary tips, we don't have to closely monitor much more than our calories. 

Do you remember those food pyramids we all learned about in school? The actual pyramid has changed numerous times, and isn't even a pyramid anymore (it's now a plate - see pic below), but they have always gotten one thing right: In no version will you find a category for processed foods. God, in His wisdom, purposefully gave us the foods that are good for us - He doesn't need our help in making foods to eat. Fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, fresh meats, these are things that are good for us. Fruit is better than fruit juice, whole grains are better than processed grains, fresh meat is better than canned meat. Fresh, in-season fruits and veggies are better than out-of-season or frozen; both are better than canned. As it turns out, the way God made it is the way God intended it and who knows better about what's good for our bodies than the One who created them?

The new Food Plate gives a visual of the proportions that you can't quite see with the pyramid. Here it is:

While this is a good guide, it is not necessary to have all 5 groups at every meal. Oftentimes, my breakfasts are more fruit heavy and my dinners are more veggie heavy. As long as the fruits and veggie sides are the largest proportions, it's ok. For me, this meant I had to stop thinking of my meat dish as the main dish. It is now on the side of my veggies. Also to note: I think this plate is a little generous with the grains. But as long as I'm eating the correct things in the correct amounts, then I only need to worry about the overall caloric intake! The rest will fall into place.

The other important thing to consider about diet is meal size and timing. There is much debate about whether it's better to eat 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day or the traditional 3. What it boils down to at the end of the day is calories in vs.calories out. Meal size and timing really has little to do with how many calories are expended throughout the day - that is controlled almost exclusively by activity level. So then the difference only has an effect on how many calories are consumed throughout the day. This comes down to the individual. I know people who need to eat more frequent but smaller meals so that they feel more full throughout the day to help them with appetite control. (More often than not, I fall into this category.) Other people end up eating more if they're eating more often. You may already know which is better for you or you may need to do trial and error. Just remember the goal at the end of the day is to stay within your own individual calorie limit.

In the days to come, I'll post some rules I've created for myself to help me follow these guidelines.

Stay tuned for Planned Attack, Part 2: Cardio and Strength.