The Fugue

Sorry, one more post on the topic of fitness and fat loss. I picked up ($4 with
shipping) and reread Total Fitness in 30 Minutes a
Week
by Laurence Morehouse, Ph.D. and Leonard Gross, and it’s as good as I
remembered. For various reasons I didn’t follow through with the plan laid out
in this book last time I read it years back, but the principles I picked up
stuck with me, and influenced my search for my custom and sustainable fitness
program. I had a question that I thought was answered in this book, and so I
picked up a copy and started reading. I’ll give you a synopsis and review, then
I’ll divulge my (finally) finished custom plan.

First, this book is older than I am (1975). Naturally, that means we’ve learned
some things that Dr. Morehouse (a Ph.D. in exercise physiology at UCLA) didn’t
know. On the other hand, most of what he did know back then, especially the
basic foundation on which the program is based, is just as true now as the law
of gravity remains. The book shows its age, but in ways inconsequential to
successfully losing fat and/or gaining fitness. Indeed, it worked for people in
the 50s, 60s, and 70s and there’s no reason why we should be any different now.

And not just any people. Dr. Morehouse worked for NASA on exercise programs for
the astronauts. Thanks to him astronauts on extended missions were able to walk
(if a little shakily) rather than be carried on stretcher when returning to
Earth. Low gravity is worse than sitting in front of a computer when it comes
to atrophying muscle.

If I had to boil this whole book down into one paragraph, this would be it: Eat
balanced meals, exercise with a balance of simple equipment-free strength
training and aerobic exercise 3 times a week for a total of 30 minutes a week,
live a bit more actively (take the stairs, etc.), and take note of and respond
to feedback to stay on track. To get into shape (generic good shape, not
athletic shape), that’s all you need. To lose fat, you chart your course of 1
lb a week on a piece of graph paper. If you’re above the line that day, you eat
a little less (skip that piece of pie or extra helping). If you’re below, you
eat normally.

The book and method are very straightforward. There’s no gimmicks here. It
won’t get you ready to run a race or climb Mount Everest. There’s no confusion
here between being an athlete and just plain getting in shape. The book is a
little wordy, and could be half as long and just as informative. But that may
be because I’d already convinced myself of most of the points he drives home in
this book and didn’t need the persuasive arguments.

This book is very much along the same lines as the Hacker’s Diet I reviewed the
other day, except it emphasizes exercise much more (for its own sake,
primarily, not as a primary means for losing weight). Both use the simple view:
calories in and calories out. Both emphasize the importance of feedback and the
realities of measurement. Both give you a sustainable and easy-to-follow
program (this one is easier than hacker’s diet since you don’t have to count
calories).

So combining these two books and everything I’ve read from the web (everything
from fat-loss zone heart rate cardio training to the bodybuilder mantra “cardio
is useless for fat loss”), I have come up with my own personal plan. Time will
tell if it works.

If I’m going to exercise, it’s going to be swimming. I told myself that many
many times over the years, and I meant every word. So I go swimming 3 days a
week. There’s my cardio. It’s also part of my strength training, when doing
intervals. The other part is on the other 3 days when I do some simple
equipment-free strength training (5-10 minutes). I’m basing my exertion on the
combination of perceived exertion (primarily how hard I’m breathing) and heart
rate. I aim for staying aerobic and jumping the lactate threshhold on the hard
intervals.

I’m convinced you can’t lose weight in a reasonable amount of time without
adjusting your diet, unfortunately. The numbers just don’t add up otherwise.
Every pound of lean mass you add burns some 10-20 kcal a day, and you’re a
lucky bodybuilder if you can add 1-2 pounds a week. That gets you no closer to
burning off that extra pair of twinkies than the hour of jogging. Exercise
alone, in the sense of that thing you do for an hour in the morning, is not
enough to raise your energy usage enough to create a calorie deficit without
adjusting your diet (especially since if you have too much fat you’ve probably
been eating a calorie surplus). No, you have to adjust your diet. That doesn’t
mean you have to starve, it just means you need to be conscious.

Exercise does, however, apparently act as an appetite suppressant, and it will
make you feel better and so you’ll be a hair more willing to walk instead of
ride, stand instead of sit, etc. Water is apparently another appetite
suppressant, and it is important to drink plenty for other reasons especially
when losing fat, so drink plenty. If for no other reason than because it fills
your stomach partially, water can suppress your appetite if you drink it before
a meal. So on my above-line days I’ll be drinking a couple glasses before
meals.

Dr. Morehouse says not to lose more than 1 lb a week. The consensus on the web
is similar, but says 1-2 lb a week. I’m a little too impatient for 1 lb a week,
but probably too lazy for 2 lb a week, so I’m aiming for 1.5 lb a week. I shall
have lost my goal 40 lb by mid April.

To recap, I’m watching feedback (heart rate and weight) to fine-tune my eating
and exercising in order to stay on track for a reasonable goal. No starving.
Only the exercise I like. Reasonable and sustainable. Why don’t you play along
at home?