Some clarifications on my last "how to shed 3kg" blog post

In my last posting I demonstrated how to exercise to get rid of another 3kg of bodyfat within just 3 weeks. This led to a few concerned email replies, asking me if everyone had to exercise 2 hours a day to lose weight.

The answer is: No, you don't!

The instructions on how to lose 3kg in 3 weeks were targeted to the competitors of the 10-week weight loss challenge, who are at this moment battling it out for the winning prize, a holiday to a European destination. These people are competing, and I am continuously asked by them what they can do to speed up their weight loss. Well, the instructions in the last email are the answer.The extensive workload of exercising daily for 1.5-2hours was meant only for a short period of around 3 weeks (their last 3 weeks), and is certainly not a guideline for a long term weight-loss strategy.

It is not necessary to work out 2 hours daily to get in shape. I'm perfectly aware that most people don't have the time to dedicate 2 hours daily to exercise. Not even I as a fitness professional have that much available time.

The message I wanted to convey in the last email was:

1. You cannot rely on your diet alone to lose weight, but exercise is a crucial component
2. Dieting alone causes loss of muscle tissue, which slows down your metabolism, which will make you reach a sticking point after a few weeks.
3. When dieting only to lose weight you are far more likely to regain the weight you lost initially
4. Dieting alone does not get you in shape. It just makes you a smaller version of what you were before.
5. A weight-training component is critical for successful long-term weight-loss
6. It takes 7000kcal to burn off 1 kg of bodyfat. An hour of walking burns around 400kcal, your diet creates a caloric deficit of 400-500kcal. With these figures you can calculate roughly how long it takes to burn off 1 kg of fat.
7. The Americal College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association recommend as a minimum exercise guideline:

Do moderately intense cardio 30 minutes a day, five days a week Or
Do vigorously intense cardio 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week And
Do eight to 10 strength-training exercises, eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise twice a week.

Richard Geres
www.GeresConsulting.com