Weight Loss

The beginning of November is the perfect time to look forward to the fun and connection with family and friends that the holiday season brings but also a great time to plan to stay healthy and regret free going into 2012.

The world of weight loss is full of mis-information and short term hypes. Take this quiz which appeared in men’s health this month to help to learn the truth about weight loss:

I have been spending the last couple of weeks thinking about the mind set behind successful weight loss. Vintage Fitness is working with a few clients that need to lose extensive amounts of weight for their health and their stories, struggles and successes have inspired and intrigued me. I believe that the first couple of weeks of changing eating and exercise habits to try to lose weight are really difficult and need daily coaching and support. The tools that our clients have found helpful to

A small yet growing body of research suggests that a slower, more thoughtful way of eating could help with weight problems and maybe steer some people away from processed food and unhealthy choices. This alternative approach has been dubbed “mindful eating.” It’s based on the Buddhist concept of mindfulness, which involves being fully aware of what is happening within and around you at the moment. Mindfulness techniques have also been offered as a way to relieve stress and alleviate problems li

Canada is the first country to start a program to ensure that doctors measure waist girth as a routine part of a normal physical. The Toronto Star’s article on April 27, 2011 emphasizes the importance of measuring waist girth and explains to patients the increased risk of diabetes. Check out the article: http://www.healthzone.ca/health/yourhealth/diabetes/article/981445--new-risks-for-diabetes-fat-and-lack-of-exercise

Statistics Canada reports that 23.1% of Canadians are obese and 36.1% are overweight based on Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI can be easily calculated by taking your weight in kilograms and dividing it by your height in metres squared. BMI can inaccurately label atheltes with lots of muscle as overweight but for most of use it is useful measurment. BMI of 30+ means you are obese and 25-29.9 puts you in the overweight category. There are hundreds of diet books, plans, programs and strategies.

Most Canadians attempt to lose weight at some point in their lives. A study in 2001 done by NDP group shows that on average 64% of Canadian woman and 34% of Canadian men are on diets. There is definately an argument about the perception of thiness in our society and the quest for the lean bodies that cover newspapers, magazines and TV. In fact, 75% of female characters on situation comedies would classify as underweight (Greg Fouts, 2002). There is a problem with the pressure that most peopl

The best weight loss tips I have heard in years With two biology degrees, a fitness business and hundreds of clients that ask me about weight loss, I thought that I had heard it all. I am sceptic about the "magic pills" that are often sold to help people lose weight quickly. I started to watch a program on BBC last night called "Ten things you need to know about losing weight" that was fantastic. It reviewed all of the latest scientific research about weight loss, explained why it worked an

January 11, 2010 by vintagefitness

 

Wellness goes beyond weight loss

Happy New Year! This is the year I want you to set meaningful resolutions that you are going to keep. If you looked down at your belly during your toast into the New Year and thought I really need to lose a few pounds- that is a start. The funny thing about resolutions is that I think deep down we know if we plan to at least try to keep them or we set them knowing that they will fade away without too much bother within a few weeks.
This is the first posting of daily blog that will coach you through setting and achieving wellness resolutions. I own a company called Vintage Fitness which specializes in energizing the lives of people over 50 with physical activity. I have seen hundreds of clients set and both achieve and miserably fail to achieve their fitness goals. I know what people do right and how goals can become de-railed before they gain momentum.
The first step is setting the right goal. You need to go beyond how your body looks and think about what your body can do for you. We are going to use the six dimensions of wellness set out by the international council on active aging to create meaningful resolutions that you will be motivated to work hard to keep.

This is day one so let’s keep it simple to start. Your current resolution may read something like this “I want to lose 10 pounds in the next six months”. Today I want you to drill down a bit—why do you want to lose the weight? What could you do 10 pounds lighter that you can’t do now?