Slow weight loss is most effective
Dr Tom Mulholland is an Emergency Department Doctor and GP with over 25 years’ experience in New Zealand. He’s currently a man on a mission, tackling health missions around the world.
Five years ago, I decided to lose some weight. I joined Les Mills gym, got a personal trainer, cut out sugar (as much as humanly possible) and ate a lot of porridge. I sweated, hurt, grunted and groaned on a regular basis. Once the hurting stopped I felt great: more energy, more wardrobe selections and a sharper mind. I lost 20kg. Unfortunately, over the past five years I have found them again.
I got a new hospital job and was working ridiculous hours. I stopped going to the gym. Millimetre by millimetre, my waist expanded; gram by gram, my weight crept back to my set point. Here’s a theory that has some evidence to back it – that your body fights to maintain certain fat levels and a set weight point. So, if you start a vigorous exercise programme or a crazy restrictive diet your metabolism slows down significantly as it awaits the famine and tries to store more fat.
The National Institute of Health in the US studied 14 of The Biggest LoserTV series contestants and found that six years later all but one had regained most of the weight and body fat. However, their metabolisms had slowed significantly. So, it took more energy to burn the same number of calories.
The problem is, when you gain weight it takes more effort to move. Your mind plays more tricks on you and the excuses factory goes into overtime. You are too tired to exercise, you have so much work to do, you deserve that chocolate bar. So, I have decided to try and trick my mind and my set weight.
I have a gym buddy and have organised a snowboarding and surfing trip I want to get fit for. After just a week of cycling to the hospital and going to the gym I feel stronger. My kids took me surfing and I was riding my shortboard and catching waves. It felt good. It’s easier to exercise with people and have a goal you want to be fit for. Losing weight is a side effect of getting fit. I am aiming to lose weight more slowly so I can trick my body into changing its set point. I am changing the type of food I eat to change my gut flora (for example, I eat more raw veges. I am changing the environment that I am in by not buying calorie-rich foods and ordering desserts at restaurants. I am changing my mindset and not making as many excuses as to why I can’t exercise.
Being physically active brings many benefits to mind and body. It may hurt sometimes as your personal trainer pushes you further. If you can’t afford a personal trainer then why not stop smoking or drinking alcohol and use the money you save to pay for it. Even if you get a personal trainer for a few sessions to give you a programme it’s worth the investment, or get it online. It doesn’t take long to get fit again and once you exercise, you are less likely to smash that chocolate brownie as you remember the effort put in to lose those calories.
Every journey starts with one step, so start your fitness programme and feel the benefits of moving.