16 Jul The Long Haul
Today’s post is the last in this 3-part series on fitness and my interview with Detric Smith of Results Performance Training in Williamsburg, VA. If you missed the first 2, I encourage you to go back and read the posts, “Fit it in” and “ Road Warriors.”
To conclude this series, today we will focus on the ongoing challenge of managing our weight. Weight management is not something that we can do in one day. It requires a lifelong commitment to making the right food choices and prioritizing time in our schedules for physical activity. In order to effectively manage our weight, we have to be in it for the long haul.
1. What is the number 1 challenge that women face with managing their weight when they come to you?
Detric: I find the biggest challenge women face is the mindset going into their fat loss programs. They get so much media exposure that portrays images of the perfect body and women who seem to get it overnight that it creates unrealistic expectations. These women I work with often don’t realize much of this is simply done for marketing purposes and isn’t indicative of real world results. This often then causes them to ‘program hop’, as I like to call it, looking for one quick-fix after another. Instead, they need to be focusing on making permanent changes they can maintain for a lifetime.
There is just so much misinformation out there that women fall prey to it and wind up never sticking with anything long enough to see real progress. Couple this with the constant comparisons they are making with others and it’s a recipe for low self-esteem and lack of believing in themselves.
They need to start working with a trainer who will hold them accountable and view this as an investment they are making that will pay off in every area of their life.
2. There are so many numbers out there used to define whether or not we are in shape. What should we really focus on? What should we target?
Detric: The best number to focus on is your body fat percentage, found using calipers. This should be done by a trained professional such as a trainer however for best accuracy. It’ll give you the breakdown of your weight in terms of muscle and fat, so is so much more helpful than just using the scale weight. I’ve seen many cases where a woman is actually gaining muscle and losing fat, but gets discouraged by looking at the scale and seeing it stay the same or even go up. In reality though, she is making great progress. Likewise, almost all women will have day to day fluctuations due to hydration, foods eaten, as well as hormones, so scale weight tends to be a very inaccurate representation of what’s really going on.
If you can’t get your body fat taken, measurements are also great. They’ll give you a good idea of whether your body is getting smaller, which usually indicates fat loss.
I want to mention that I’m not a fan of bioelectrical impedance scales however for body composition testing as these are heavily swayed by hydration status and are not very accurate. Likewise, BMI often results in a poor indication of health in those who have more muscle mass as it puts them in the overweight category despite the fact they may have a very healthy amount of body fat.
3. Last question – what is the one thing you want us to know about managing our weight?
Detric: I’d say go back to the mindset and really focus on having someone hold you accountable. This is key to results. Execution of your plan happens in the moment so don’t stress over the past or the future. Focus on the now – doing one thing right now that will get you closer to your goals. Your plan has to be set up to focus on building good habits that will persist over the long term.
I would like to thank Detric for sharing all of this great information and addressing these questions. For more fitness tips or to learn more about Detric or Results Performance Training, visit www.resultsperformancetraining.com.
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