Pink Prescriptions - March 2017

Weight Loss

RX 1

How does my biological make up effect my weight loss?
Generally men lose weight faster than women because men have a higher percentage of muscle mass. It is muscle that burns calories so men usually have a higher basal metabolic rate, too. Bigger people have more mass and burn more calories at rest. As we age muscle mass tends to decrease in both men and women, especially after menopause, which makes it more difficult to lose weight. To maximize weight loss it is important to make sure hormones are in balance, especially thyroid, and Vitamin D levels are adequate.
In general, people vary as to how many calories are burned at rest. Some “lucky” people can eat everything and never gain a pound, while others are careful with diet and struggle to lose weight. It is difficult to measure this accurately and impossible to modify. Exercise has many benefits, but unfortunately, on its own, it is a poor weight loss tool.
Dr. Jonathon Sack

What’s the mystery of metabolism and how can I get it back?
Your metabolism is the process your body uses to make and burn energy from food. Boosting the metabolism is the holy grail of weight watchers everywhere, but how fast your body burns calories depends on several factors. Some people inherit a speedy metabolism. Men tend to burn more calories than women, even while resting. For most people, metabolism slows steadily after the age of 40. Although you can’t control your age or genetics, there are many quick and easy lifestyle changes you can make to boost your metabolism, help your body run more efficiently and reach your fitness and/or weight loss goals.  Some of these include your eating habits; eat breakfast, eat more often and eat enough! If you take in too few of calories, you can lose muscle mass which can decrease your rate of metabolism. Be sure to drink more water. Water will not only fill you up but some researchers reported drinking cold water can actually raise your metabolic rate.
Jami Feltner, M.D.

How important is strength training for my weight loss plan?
Strength, or resistance, training is a crucial piece of the weight loss puzzle. Increasing muscle mass creates a more efficient body. Strength training comes in many varieties from utilizing large pieces of gym equipment to doing body weight exercises at home. (Think squats and push-ups.) The key to successful strength training is to work hard enough to overload the muscles in order to reap the benefit of losing fat.  Muscle burns more calories than fat so your metabolism gets revved up when you build muscle.  As an added bonus, the metabolism continues to burn calories beyond the workout. The most current research clearly proves that weight loss is best achieved by a combination of healthy eating, aerobic training and resistance training.
Melanie D. Ludwig

How often do I need to work out?
The amount of time one should devote to exercise is entirely dependent on the goal. The more serious the goal is, the more time and effort is required to reach that goal. With that said, the average person, without any medical limitations, should strive for at least 150 minutes of moderate cardiovascular exercise every week. That’s five 30-minute sessions on the treadmill or elliptical per week. If you are up to sweating a little bit more, 75 minutes per week of higher intensity cardio, such as high intensity interval training (HIIT), is adequate. However, I recommend adding in three workouts that incorporate weight training and plyometrics alongside the cardio sessions, to optimize fat loss and the development of lean muscle. Muscle burns more calories at rest and occupies less space than fat, so by increasing your body’s lean muscle, you are creating a leaner, more toned physique.
Terri Reiff & Christel Valentino

 

Dr. Sack editedDr. Jonathon Sack Owner and medical director of both Island Family Medicine and Transformation Medical Weight Loss & MedSpa. Board certified in Family Medicine for 42 years & certified in Bariatric Medicine.  (843) 384-8663



Melanie Ludwig 0317 Pink RxMelanie D. Ludwig, owner of Prestige Fitness, Inc., recently relocated to Hilton Head Island. She has over 30 years experience as a personal trainer and holds numerous national certifications  that you can view at www.prestigefitnesshhi.com. (603) 860-1841

 

Lisette Cifaldi editedLisette Cifaldi is the Owner of Eating Sanity, LLC and Eating Sanity on Location which offers food addiction recovery coaching, education & advocacy as well as healthy vacations in cool destinations. She is a nationally-known corporate and community motivational speaker specializing in promoting group and individual empowerment. (803) 463-1010

 

Powerhouse editedTerri Reiff has been the Managing Partner of Powerhouse Gym since it’s opening in 2010. She is a breast cancer survivor of 20 years and insists that healthy diet and regular exercise helped her overcome her cancer. (843) 706-9700. Christel Valentino is the Assistant Manager of Powerhouse and has been working for Terri for over 3 years. Aside from being Terri’s workout partner, she is a NASM certified personal trainer, fitness nutrition specialist and women’s fitness specialist. (843) 706-9700

 

Feltner Jami MD editedJami Feltner, M.D., Internal Medicine Physician, graduated as Valedictorian from St. James School of Medicine and did her residency at Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, GA. She won the 2013-2014 Internal Medicine Professionalism Award and the 2014-2015 Excellence in Ambulatory Medicine Award. She is board certified in Internal Medicine by the American College of Physicians and the American Medical Association. (843) 686-2450

Kim Edwards editedKim Edwards is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator (RD, CDE) at the Beaufort Memorial LifeFit Wellness Center.  She holds a BS degree in Biology from the University of South Carolina and a BS in Nutrition from Winthrop University.  Her special interests include diabetes education and helping people improve their heath, encouraging them to want to do more. (843) 522-5562

 

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