So today (10/26/06) the federal government decided to show that they are right on top of this obesity issue. Mike Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services, announced that his department will “develop comprehensive guidelines, drawn from science, to help Americans fit physical activity into their lives.” I don’t know about you, but I’m having a hard time to keep my feet from dancing. I really thought they outdid themselves and that nothing would be able to top that nifty new Food Pyramid, but I guess I was wrong.

Yes, for those of you who haven’t figured it out, the sarcasm here is intended.

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I’ll start this entry off with a disclaimer: Of course I realize there are a myriad of health benefits associated with consistent aerobic exercise. Lower blood pressure, improved cholesterol, better endurance, yada yada. That is fine, and I’m not taking anything away from that. As the title implies though, this is about trying to achieve fat loss and why long duration aerobic activity is not the best way to achieve THAT goal.

This entry is not intended to be an in-depth science lesson, but the notion that long duration aerobic exercise (endurance training) is not preferred for fat loss goes against what most people mistakenly believe. But, if you think about it logically, it begins to make sense. First, muscle is the tissue in the body where fat is burned for energy. Endurance training does not make your muscles bigger, and in fact it can make them smaller. Thus, less muscle mass will result in fewer calories burned throughout the day.

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Okay, I know picking on fast food joints is easy, but I couldn’t let this one slip by. And, I’m not even actually picking on the fast food joint here, as you’ll see. Have you seen the Burger King ads for those BK Stackers? Basically, they have a bunch of little people (is dwarf politically incorrect now, or not?) construction workers stacking meat and cheese on a bun. The head guy even yells at a worker when he ‘only’ puts one meat patty on a bun. (Okay, I admit the commercials are pretty good and made me chuckle. The head little guy is very humorous.) The premise is basically “We stack meat and cheese. Meat and cheese. No veggies.”

I guess they do set some limits and the most meat and cheese they will let you have is the Quad Stacker. This ridiculous death trap is 4 hamburg patties, 4 slices of processed american cheese, 8 pieces of bacon, some sort of mystery sauce, and a bun. That equals 1000 calories, 68 grams of fat, 30 grams of saturated fat, 3 grams of trans fat, 240 mg of cholesterol, and 1800 mg of sodium. Of course, this is before you toss in the order of fries and wash it down with a coke.

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An example of the type of exercises included in “The Caveman’s Guide to Fitness”, an intense, old-school exercise and fitness program that will burn fat and build muscle like no other program. Created by elite Fitness Coach and Personal Trainer Dave Soucy of Manchester, NH. Check out www.cavemanfitnessguide.com for more.

An example of the type of exercises included in “The Caveman’s Guide to Fitness”, an intense, old-school exercise and fitness program that will burn fat and build muscle like no other program. Created by elite Fitness Coach and Personal Trainer Dave Soucy of Manchester, NH. Check out www.cavemanfitnessguide.com for more.

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