I HAVE BEEN SAYING IT ALL ALONG!
If you have been listening to me over the past year and a half, you probably have heard me say, “So much of what I teach in the DHF 13 Week Basic Program is counter-intuitive. What you think you know about exercise and nutrition will not work, especially for the long-haul truck driver.”
I have been saying ….
The reason 83% of drivers are overweight and 57% are obese is because of “hormonal changes”.
It’s not about calories, it’s about spiking your metabolism.
It’s not about calories, it’s about your carbohydrates.
You don’t need to work out for 30 minutes or 60 minutes, all you need is 15 minutes . . . .
I have been saying these things and proving it, too. 63% of Prime drivers who start the DHF program finish it. Completion rates in other corporate wellness programs and weight loss programs run 30% to 50%. Average weight loss in the DHF program is 20.3 lbs. in 13 weeks, or 1.6 lbs. per week. Average weight loss in the general public and other fitness programs is 1.3 lbs. per week. Effective weight management is defined as a loss of 5% of initial body weight. Losing 7% of your body weight reduces your risk for 60 medical disorders and 12 cancers. 78% of drivers in the DHF Program lost 5% or more of their body weight and 49% of those drivers lost 7% or more. Only 60% of Weight Watcher clients lose 5% or more of their initial body weight.
So why are we getting the best results in the weight loss industry?
It’s because I have been applying what others are just starting to understand. Consider:
- Vigorous exercise helps you sleep better. The National Sleep Foundation’s 2013 Sleep In America poll found “a compelling association between exercise and sleep.” Max Hirshkowitz, PhD., who analyzed the results of the poll, said, “The first major finding is that exercise appears to be good for sleep, the second is that vigorous exercisers do even better.” http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/all-news/18522-exercise-the-right-to-sleep
- Vigorous exercise curbs your appetite. According to an article in the NY Daily News and the NY Times, highlighting the latest research published in the International Journal of Obesity by Aaron Sim, high intensity workouts may curb people’s appetite due to changes in hormones that regulate hunger and fullness. http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/eats/high-intensity-workouts-curb-appetites-international-journal-obesity-article-1.1391264
- Exercise increases the stress hormone cortisol. Recent research indicates prolonged stress can be an underlying cause of metabolic syndrome by upsetting the hormonal balance of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA-axis). A dysfunctional HPA-axis causes high cortisol levels to circulate, which results in raising glucose and insulin levels, which in turn cause insulin-mediated effects on adipose (FAT) tissue, ultimately promoting visceral adiposity (TRUCKER’S GUT), insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and hypertension, with direct effects on the bone, causing “low turnover” osteoporosis. HPA-axis dysfunction may explain the reported risk indication of abdominal obesity to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke. What this means is that in addition to burning extra calories, exercise release cortisol which in turns raises your blood sugar level. A stressed-out truck driver who exercises a lot can have chronically elevated cortisol levels which causes the brain to want sweet and fatty food.
- Diets fail because they create stress to the dieter. The psychological stress of trying to stick to a diet simply releases more cortisol into the system, prompting “cravings” that lead to binges, failure, guilt, more stress, and more dieting. http://news.sciencemag.org/biology/2010/11/why-diets-fail
- There is a difference between weight loss thinking and fat loss thinking. Weight loss thinking makes calorie burning the goal. Fat loss thinking is all about hormones. Most people exercise because they believe that burning more calories is the way to lose weight. This is part of the “eat less, exercise more approach.” However, when we exercise more, the natural compensatory reaction of the body is to eat more and when we exercise less, the body responds by burning less. This is due to the action of two hormones, leptin and ghrelin. Leptin is produced in fat cells. The more fat you have, the more leptin you produce. Rising leptin levels shut off hunger and stimulate metabolism. In normal weight people, this works to maintain normal bodyweight – you gain a little fat, your leptin rises signaling your body to stop eating so much. Falling leptin levels induce appetite and slow metabolism. You start losing weight (fat), your falling leptin levels signal your body to start eating more and slow down your metabolic fat-burning. However, when leptin levels are very high for long periods of time (OBESITY), leptin resistance sets in – the body no longer responds to the cue to stimulate metabolism. This means very high leptin levels can cause both increased hunger and slowed metabolism. This is the common perception of fat people – they just eat and eat and eat while their metabolism gets slower and slower. Ghrelin on the other hand, is a hormone made in the stomach and regulates your hunger by the hour. When ghrelin is high we get hungry and crave “unhealthy” foods. When ghrelin is low, hunger decreases. http://metraineracademy.com/exercise-appetite/ Now, here’s the important part:
- Vigorous exercise regulates appetite. All exercise raises cortisol, which by itself, will promote eating more food. However, higher intensity, shorter duration exercise is unique because it also suppresses ghrelin and is balanced by growth hormones. Vigorous exercise also lowers leptin levels. In obese individuals who already have high leptin levels and are leptin resistant, vigorous exercise is a natural way to lower leptin levels back to normal levels.
I have been applying these scientific understands in the DHF program through the 7 Strategies:
Strategy #1: No Matter What, Get 15 Minutes of Exercise Strategy #2: Each Workout Must Be Vigorous Strategy #3: Work Multiple Muscle Groups At The Same Time Strategy #4: Always Eat After Workout Strategy #5: Eat breakfast And Then Eat Something Every Three Hours Strategy #6: Keep Healthy Snacks In The Truck Strategy #7: Log Your Nutrition and FitnessThe bottom line is this: stop counting calories and start reducing your carbohydrates while making sure you do 15 minutes of exercise with at least 4 minutes of vigorous exercise. You will begin to get your hormones back into balance, your metabolism will operate like a furnace, and you will burn fat.
Note: Vigorous activity makes it very difficult for you to talk because you are so out of breath! Lol
