A weight-reduced body behaves differently from a similar size body that has not dieted .
Questioning history
Start by asking some searching questions , and go right back to childhood . Did you know that girls are more likely than boys to quit sport in their teenage years ? And what seems like too long ago for your client to mention , or for you to ask , is a really important question : Did you exercise as a child , and if so , when did you stop and why ? Getting to the bottom of this is a tricky task . Most may not even know the answers themselves at first , but for many , study and socialising are the two reasons for letting physical activity fall by the wayside .
And so begins the Fat Trap . At first they may not have noticed the scales changing , but without doubt , the fat levels will have been climbing . The clothes may have fit for a while , but the visceral fat was developing . Add on some more years , and one or more babies , and it ’ s no surprise that weight loss becomes a goal that can be harder and harder to achieve . Here ’ s the key fact : she is unfit . Her focus has been on weight loss and fat loss , when it must instead be on how to improve her fitness .
The vicious regain cycle
There is evidence to show that if your client has successfully lost weight at some point and then put it back on , her body may be in a biologically altered state that favours her regaining weight .
Imagine a client approaches you who has lost 10kg but is struggling to lose more . Or she has lost 10kg and put 4kg back on . It ’ s quite likely that her still plump body is acting as if she is starving . For example , ghrelin , the gastric hormone often dubbed ‘ the hunger hormone ’ is quite likely to be at higher levels than before weight loss began . Other hormones that suppress hunger , including peptide YY , can also be abnormally low . Low levels of leptin , the hormone that suppresses hunger and increases metabolism , can also be low in these clients . It ’ s not a very good breeding ground for fat loss , is it ?
For years , the general rule of ‘ eat less and move more ’ for weight loss has been advocated . While this is an overly simple way to look at it and obviously doesn ’ t work for some clients ( due to factors such as genetics ), it is applicable to some individuals . To lose weight and keep it off , some people must consume fewer calories and exercise far more than some other people .
We don ’ t want to deflate clients , especially busy mums who have made space in their hectic lives to train with us , but we do need to be responsible in our explanation of how they are going to lose weight and how hard it may be for them . They need to understand that if they are stuck in a Fat Trap , they are battling a biological system that is working against their objectives . They need to know that a weightreduced body behaves differently from a similar size body that has not dieted .
Muscle biopsies taken before , during and after weight loss have shown that once a person drops weight , their muscle fibres undergo a transformation , making them more like highly efficient ‘ slow twitch ’ muscle fibres . This means that after the client loses weight , the muscles burn 20 to 25 per cent fewer calories during everyday activity and moderate aerobic exercise than those of a person who is naturally at the same weight . So , if your ‘ dieting ’ client thinks she is burning 200 calories during a brisk 30-minute walk , it ’ s unfortunately more likely that the calorie burn is around 150 to 160 calories .
The fact is , weight loss can cause a lot of upheaval in a client ’ s quest to lose more weight or to lose the weight again and again .
On top of all this , if your client has previously lost weight , their brain will have a greater emotional response to food . Couple this with a body that ’ s already burning fewer calories and you have a perfect storm for weight regain . Unfortunately this may persist for years . Although it ’ s not impossible for mums to achieve and maintain fat loss , you are not doing your mum clients any favours by failing to let them know how hard the process will be .
The 30-second article
• Many mothers will find themselves stuck in a vicious cycle of fat loss and regain
• Weight fluctuation often starts in females in their teenage years when they are more likely than their male peers to cease regular physical activity
• People who have lost weight previously and then regained it are more likely to find it harder to lose weight again because of hormonal changes , and changes to muscle fibres that become less efficient at burning calories
• The focus placed on fat loss by many women , and especially mothers , detracts from the real issue of their physical fitness .
Thinking fit , not fat
It ’ s worth remembering that there is no scientific evidence to say that two people at the same weight will have the same health , and that it is possible to be classified as overweight while still being metabolically healthy . The obsession with the scales , particularly among mums , has interfered with the mindset that will truly help many people transform their wellbeing . The mindset should be about improving fitness , not just losing weight .
The Fat Trap of motherhood is a touchy subject , and not all mum clients will want to hear about it . But by addressing the biological hurdles she will face , and by encouraging her to switch her focus to improving her fitness , you will be on track to get both her mind and her body out of the Fat Trap .
Rosemary Marchese is a physiotherapist , nutrition coach and fitness industry advisor with 20 years ’ experience . She is the author of The Essential Guide to Fitness and The Fit Busy Mum : Seven habits for success . For lifestyle tips visit rosemarymarchese . com . au or thefitbusymum . com . au
54 | NETWORK AUTUMN 2017