Saturday, January 17, 2009

Why do you sometimes gain weight when starting a new exercise program?




















Probably the most common question I get when I release a new exercise program is, "Help! I'm gaining weight! Am I doing something wrong?" This is a common phenomenon with any new exercise program, Turbo Kick, Turbo Jam, Hip Hop Hustle, you name it! It's especially common (and temporary) with intense strength training programs like ChaLEAN Extreme or Tony Horton's P90X.

The motivation to start a new exercise program is almost always to lose weight loss. However, what most personal trainers know and most at-home exercisers do not, is that a new exercise program often can cause an immediate (and temporary) increase on the scale. (Notice I didn't say weight gain! I'll explain.) This common increase in the scale is also the reason why perhaps millions of people start and then quickly quit their resolution to get fit.


The temporary weight gain explained:

When someone starts a new exercise program, they often experience muscle soreness. The more intense and "unfamiliar" the program, the more intense the muscle soreness. This soreness is most prevalent 24 to 48 hours after each workout. In the first few weeks of a new program, soreness is the body trying to
"protect and defend" the effected or targeted tissue. Exercise physiologists refer to this as delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS.

This type of soreness is thought to be caused by tissue breakdown or microscopic tears in muscle tissue. When this happens the body protects the tissue. The muscle becomes inflamed and slightly swollen with fluid retention. This temporary retention of fluid can result in a 3- to 4-pound weight gain within a few weeks of a new program. Keep in mind that muscle soreness is not necessarily a reflection of how hard you worked. In fact, some people feel no signs of muscle soreness, yet will experience the muscle protection mechanisms of water retention and slight swelling.

Most people are motivated enough to put up with this temporary muscle soreness. Yet, many, especially those who really need immediate weight loss to keep them motivated in those first couple of weeks become discouraged and quit!

When I worked with a group of 70 test participants during the development stages of ChaLEAN Extreme, this happened. Who was the most upset and discouraged? You guessed it... the women! I'm happy to report with absolutely every single woman (and man) in our group, the weight increase was temporary and never lasted more than 2 weeks before they started to see a major drop in the scale. However, these people had the advantage of working with someone who was able to explain to them why this was happening and assure them the weight would come off if they stuck to the nutrition plan and stayed true to the program.

For those of you who are following the ChaLEAN Extreme phase plan, keep in mind that when you start each phase, your body will be "in shock" again. Don't be surprised or discouraged if you experience a temporary gain on the scale the first week of each phase.

My own personal example of this is running 10K's. I don't do it very often, maybe 1 or 2x a year. Even though I run on a regular basis, when you run a race you push much harder. It's natural for me to be "insanely" sore the next day. Its also very common for me to see the scale jump 4 pounds the next day from forcing fluids post race and the resulting DOMS. Even though I know the cause of it, it's still a bummer. We're all human and hard work should mean "results". Hard work equals results, but our bodies are amazing machines and they know how to protect us from hurting our selves. Soreness forces you to give those muscles a break :) Ultimately you will lose the weight and you will change your metabolism in the process.

The key is understanding that this is a normal and temporary and stick with the program!!

When to be concerned:

If you experience a significant weight gain (exceeding 5 pounds) which does not begin to decrease rapidly after the second week, guess what it is??? I'll give you one hint... you put it in your mouth and chew it. You know it! You're food (or calorie laden beverages). Newsflash friends.. exercise doesn't make you gain weight. Consuming more food than you burn makes you gain weight!

So if after two weeks you are not losing weight, have gained weight that's not coming off, it's time to take a close and honest look at your food intake. It's time to find out what you're burning in calories each day. Have your RMR or BMR tested. This can be done for less than $50 and the information is invaluable. It takes out the guess work. Google "hydrostatic body fat testing _______ " and insert the name of the big city you're closest too. Companies that do HBFT also do BMR testing. Knowledge is king.

I'm gaining weight, but I'm sure it's muscle:
Possibly, but if you're following ChaLEAN Extreme correctly, you should be losing fat and gaining muscle and the fat loss should be much more substantial than the rate at which you can physically put on muscle. This is even true for they guys. Of the 70 plus people in my test group, every single one of them lost body fat and gained muscle and not one of them gained weight. I believe the average weight loss after 4 months was 28 pounds with many people losing 40 plus pounds. Even the men, who as you can see put on a lot of muscle, were seeing huge drops in the scale. We tested their muscle composition at the beginning and at the end and 100% of the participants maintained or gained muscle while achieving substantial weight loss. That's the key to keeping weight off long term, i.e. muscle. Muscle burns fat. But you've heard me say that before.

Moral of the story:

Be patient young grass hopper. You'll be lean and mean in no time!


Be sure to subscribe to this blog! Follow me on twitter!

http://www.twiter.com/chalenejohnson

and visit my website if you're interested in more videos or to become an instructor
http://www.turbokick.com

Saturday, January 10, 2009

ChaLEAN Extreme Results equal Weight Loss, Fat loss and Metabolism Boost


A picture says a thousand words...


I worked with all of the people in these photos for 90 days. They live in my area, have kids on my kids' sports teams, one is my assistant, some are neighbors, they are people just like you and me...busy and not sure how they woke up and found themselves "overweight" one day.
Some of them weren't even really overweight, just had belly fat and body fat to lose.

These are 100 % untouched. The real deal. Baby scars included. Aren't they beautiful?? And guess what... they STILL look like this! Why? They still do ChaLEAN Extreme. How do I know...I already told you... I see 'em all the time.

Enjoy... then take action. Can you imagine being lean with abs 90 days from now?
































































































































Some people know me as a women's fitness clothing and apparel designer with Turbo Wear, or the owner of Powder Blue Productions. But most people know me as the creator of Turbo Kick, a kickboxing and cardio dance infusion program that I designed for some of the world's largest health clubs over 12 years ago (and still kickin'!) The instructors who certified through Turbo Kick made that workout so popular that those classes lead to the demand for more! In 2005 we brought Turbo Kick to the consumer in the form of Turbo Jam! You may have seen the infomercial :)


I started out as a personal trainer though! My goal was to help people lose weight, feel great and most importantly strike a balance in their life. So, though I'm most well known for my cardio programs, I've long been someone who believed in the benefits of strength training. But see... I hit my late 30's and things seemed to be slowing down. It was driving me crazy. I felt like my own metabolism just wasn't where it should be. I started doing some research. I looked at science. I read the clinicals studies and every report I could get my hand. I ignored what was being toted in popular grocery story health and fitness magazines and wanted to see the science. What came out of that is a program Beachbody has named ChaLEAN Extreme.


It works. These are just some of the photos of the 70 test participants who became the undeniable proof that muscle does burn fat.


I have so much to tell you, but I can't do it all in one post. If I sit at my computer much longer my kids are going to disown me. Soooo..... having said that. I'll be back and fill you in on the ins-and outs of this amazing new way to build muscle and change your metabolism called ChaLEAN Extreme


Want it? Go to www.chaleanextreme.com


Want to see the cutest fitness apparel on the planet? The kind that will have you excited about your next workout?
go to http://www.turbokick.com


Want to become a fitness instructor and get paid to change lives? Same place...


More later :)


(oh and luckily all of these people got ripped or they would kill me for making them take these before photos. Don't put it off... you'll wish you had them 90 days from now. And be sure to wear the same clothes in your after as you do in your before. I think that looks cool!)



Friday, January 09, 2009

ChaLEAN Extreme Results equal Weight Loss, Fat loss and Metabolism Boost


A picture says a thousand words...

I worked with all of the people in these photos for 90 days. They live in my area, have kids on my kid's sports teams, one is my assistant, some are neighbors, they are people just like you and me...busy and not sure how they woke up and found themselves "overweight" one day.
Some of them weren't even really overweight, just had belly fat and body fat to lose.
These are 100 % untouched. The real deal. Baby scars included. Aren't they beautiful?? And guess what... they STILL look like this! Why? They still do ChaLEAN Extreme. How do I know...I already told you... I see 'em all the time.
Enjoy... then take action. Can you imagine being lean with abs 90 days from now?
























Some people know me as a women's fitness clothing and apparel designer with Turbo Wear, or the owner of Powder Blue Productions. But most people know me as the creator of Turbo Kick, a kickboxing and cardio dance infusion program that I designed for some of the world's largest health clubs over 12 years ago (and still kickin'!) The instructors who certified through Turbo Kick made that workout so popular that those classes lead to the demand for more! In 2005 we brought Turbo Kick to the consumer in the form of Turbo Jam! You may have seen the infomercial :)

I started out as a personal trainer though! My goal was to help people lose weight, feel great and most importantly strike a balance in their life. So, though I'm most well known for my cardio programs, I've long been someone who believed in the benefits of strength training. But see... I hit my late 30's and things seemed to be slowing down. It was driving me crazy. I felt like my own metabolism just wasn't where it should be. I started doing some research. I looked at science. I read the clinical studies and every report I could get my hand. I ignored what was being toted in popular grocery story health and fitness magazines and wanted to see the science. What came out of that is a program Beachbody has named ChaLEAN Extreme.

It works. These are just some of the photos of the 70 test participants who became the undeniable proof that muscle does burn fat.

I have so much to tell you, but I can't do it all in one post. If I sit at my computer much longer my kids are going to disown me. Soooo..... having said that. I'll be back and fill you in on the ins-and outs of this amazing new way to build muscle and change your metabolism called ChaLEAN Extreme

Want it? Go to www.chaleanextreme.com

Want to see the cutest fitness apparel on the planet? The kind that will have you excited about your next workout?
go to http://www.turbokick.com

Want to become a fitness instructor and get paid to change lives? Same place...

More later :)

(oh and luckily all of these people got ripped or they would kill me for making them take these before photos. Don't put it off... you'll wish you had them 90 days from now. And be sure to wear the same clothes in your after as you do in your before. I think that looks cool!)

Monday, January 05, 2009

I'm Dieting but I Can't Lose Weight Fast

Carey is a classic example of a life long dieter and cardio junky who despite a great work ethic, needed a new plan! 


















Carey told me before she started ChaLEAN Extreme that her whole life had been spent dieting and a slave to her cardio. She said people always looked surprised when she told them how much she was working out. 

Millions of people, and especially women suffer from the consequences of years of trying to restrict calories. 

It's perhaps the reason I'm most excited to have people follow this plan (Oprah... are you listening???) 

Perhaps the most common complaint I hear from women is "I'm cutting my calories, but I can't live like this and I'm not losing weight like I used to!" 

For years people have been told it's simple a numbers game. Burn more than you consume and you'll lose weight. We also often hear this magic number of "1200" calories. But these two notions, though fairly accurate, only tell part of the picture and this picture is drastically different if you are a life time dieter! 

Though true, what's flawed in these simple statements (which I too have used to oversimplify a complex machine) is that the body can and does quickly adapt to a diet of excessive deprivation (well below your caloric requirements) and will slow your Basal Metabolic Reate (BMR).  In essence, when you dip below your BMR in calories consumed for an extended period of time, you trigger your body to activate "starvation mode". The body, being a well equipped machine finds a way of burning fewer calories than are available. Smart, huh? Frustrating yes! Have you ever watched one of those programs on National Geo TV and wondered how individuals are able to survive on one cup of rice per day, yet do physically demanding work from sun up to sun down and not look like death? I suspect that their metabolisms have simply adjusted. (I'd love to see some research on that subject) 

In 2008 I was able to do some research of my own. I worked with 70 test group participants who sought to lose body fat and achieve weight loss. The test was part of my research for ChaLEAN Extreme. In that testing we measured the BMR of each participant, as well as hydrostatic body fat testing of their body composition. Of course all tests were supervised by a physician and we used the gold standard in all areas of testing. 

One woman in particular had me worried from the start. She hadn't exercised in over 20 years and told me she had be starving herself and making terrible food choices for years resulting in more and more weight gain. For her stature she was at least 60 pounds overweight. A part of me doubted her when she told me she was "barely eating a thing." I thought.."Yeah right!" That is until I saw the data from her BMR testing. Her BMR was 700 calories a day! What?? No wonder she was putting on weight no matter what she did. We'll call her "Cherrie" to protect her privacy. 

I thought it was most ironic to see those who were the largest in the test group also had the slowest metabolism. I had to wonder..."what came first? The slow metabolism or the weight." I know know the answer! 

So on day 1, Cherrie was burning only 700 calories a day, starvation by most standards. Her body fat was over 35%! She admittedly hated exercise and explained that most days she tried to avoid eating anything until dinner. She explained she had a habit of picking and snacking to get her through, but always felt hungry and deprived. At dinner she would often over eat, but still tried to restrict her calories. She said she woke up every day feeling exhausted, run down, defeated and depressed. She looked 10 years older than her true age. Despite her attempts to cut calories, her body had learned to accommodate by burning fewer and fewer, making weight gain a certain probability. 

Ironically, in our youth, when we have a considerable amount of muscle, our bodies are new an unfamiliar with the rapid weight loss game. Weight loss and weight maintenance are easy! The cycle begins when people try to "diet" their weight off, as opposed to proper nutrition and changing their body composition (i.e. add exercise and muscle).  One of the most frustrated groups of individuals are those over 30, 40 and 50 who see that year after year weight loss becomes more difficult. It's not the age...its the body composition that makes dieting difficult. 

In doing my research for ChaLEAN Extreme I looked at as many published reports on muscle, body fat, low carb diets, prolonged use of calorie restrictive diets, low cal diets, and the role body composition plays on weight loss and weight gain. What I really wanted to understand is why if consuming fewer calories is supposed to help people lose weight, some people actually begin to see a weight gain after a period of time and some actually find themselves obese! 

There's loads of research on the subject if one is willing to look beyond the glossy magazines which print misnomers and half-truths. Perhaps the most convincing of the clinicals studies I read was that reported a marked drop in the metabolism of "restrictive calorie dieters (even in obese women). "The decrease in TSH and free T3 actually blunt energy expenditure in response to long term calorie restriction, thereby frustrating weight loss attempts of obese individuals." 

So even though at face value it should seem that if you are consuming less than you are burning, you should be losing weight, the bottom line is this.... If your not providing enough fuel to your body to nearly support your BMR, your BMR will slow accordingly. 

So... how do we increase our BMR??? 

Listen up long term dieters... YOU MUST EAT ENOUGH CALORIES TO SUPPORT YOUR BMR! And it's time to get over it... YOU HAVE TO EXERCISE IF YOU ARE GOING TO CHANGE YOUR BODY COMPOSITION. 

It's the only hope you have. Its the truth! And guess what... its really not that bad. Every night I have a battle with my 8 year old daughter to take a shower. "I don't want to! I'm not dirty! I took one last night. I hate getting into the water. I'm cold. I'm tired. I have homework. I'll do it tomorrow."    She dreads the thought. But ya know what... when she gets out of the shower, every single night, without fail she always says she feels better. 

Get over it people! You are going to have to lift weights! Just 3x a week! And guess what... You're going to feel better! A lot better! 

So back to "Cherrie"...What happened after 90 days of eating every 2.5 hours and lifting 3x a week? What happened after we started giving her body the fuel it needed and changing her composition.  Well, at first, Cherrie hated it. I would say she hated me for the first two weeks. She even gained a few pounds those first few weeks, but she trusted me and stuck with it! After the 2nd week it was obvious she was losing weight. But weight loss alone wasn't my goal for her. I wanted to change her BMR

At the end of 3 months we went back to the doctor and tested her again. She had lost over 40 pounds and not one ounce of that was muscle. In fact, in the process of losing fat, she actually gained muscle! We reduced her body fat by over 50%! Huge! We increased her BMR to nearly 1400! That's amazing! Even the doctors were astonished. Most rewarding for me was the day she reported she was now off her  blood pressure medication, the depression had lifted and her boys had their old mom back! 

I promised "Cherrie" I would put her picture up here, but she's just one example of a person who was able to reverse the slowing process of the BMR.  Every single person in our group increased their BMR substantially. The average body fat loss was nearly 40% , with many participants like Leslie (below) losing more than 50% of their body fat. 



 

















Is it possible to reverse what you thought was a metabolism 
slowing due to your age? 

Yes! 

If you do not have the means to have your BMR tested, the key is finding the balance between where you no longer lose weight, but aren't gaining weight.  Keep in mind that the average woman will fluctuate up and down between 1 to 3 pounds from week to week. Pick a range, not a number!  

When working to increase your metabolism (which is ultimately the goal if you want to eat more and come in a smaller package) remember that muscle is an active tissue. It's requirements are far greater than fat. Fat is this mushy, lumpy, yellowy stuff that requires very little to sustain itself, but takes up a lot of space. Lean muscle tissue on the other hand requires are great deal of calories to sustain. It's firm! It's tight! It's red with blood and healthy tissue that makes life easier and fat burning a breeze! Muscle burns fat!   To do this means taking the time to "get it right" and as unpopular as it may be, to know the amount of calories you're consuming per day, at least in this "getting it right" stage. 

If you're interested in my new program, please buy it from a coach! You can find them by searching "Team Beachbody Coach", by going to http://www.chaleanextreme.com  or from my sister http://www.turbosister.com 


Oh... and don't forget to subscribe to my blog :) 


Chalene 

Thursday, January 01, 2009

My New Years Resolutions

When you proclaim your resolutions publicaly you create a greater level of accountability. Setting a New Years REsolutions is the easy part. Staying accountable is the tough part. So here goes...

I resolve to be a more "present" parent, to do my best to refrain from returning emails, voice mails, and text messages when I'm with them (well...most text messages) If it can't be handled between 8 and 2:30 it can wait. I resolve to read more because I have so much more I want to learn, because becoming a better human is a constant pursuit. I resolve to get the people I love and work with to read more because I genuinely want them to feel the joy of learning and enjoy the advantages that come with being smarter, more informed and more compassionate that only comes with wisdom yet learned. I resolve to compliment strangers on their acts of kindness and to be kind to strangers even when I'm in a rush. 

This year I will strengthen my patience with slow moving retail workers and senior citizen drivers. I resolve to stay out of people's business, provided of course they are not in my circle of 5 super air-tight, certifiable quality friends who make me a better person. This year I will share everything I know about the sure fire ways to achieve success with anyone who will listen because I truly want people to live healthier, happier and fuller lives. I resolve to take greater pride in my birth name and politely correct people this year when they say it wrong. It's not Chay-lene, its not Charlene, it's Chalene. The 'Cha' is pronounced like the "shu" in "Shut the door" and not like "Shay" which rhymes with "they". Chalene. 

I resolve to politely decline all invitations to which my first thought is...."Oh man, I really don't want to do that." This year I will only teach fitness classes that give me joy. I resolve to be a better wife and I have started today by ordering the "Language of Love", to read on my new Kindle (book reading device) and to understand better (after 18 years) our preferred method of giving and receiving love for and from each other. 

I resolve to spend less and give more away. I resolve to give money to people who have fallen on hard time and not just victims of a never ending cycle of stupid, stupid, stupid despite all the good advice they get from friends and people who know better. 

This year I will sleep in once in a while and spend Wednesdays in silence, at my home, devoted to writing. This year I will concentrate on doing one thing at a time and doing it well. Lastly, I resolve to enjoy the ride and ride more often (a snowboard that is!)