Kenneth Gardner
Dear Mr. Gardner,
I AM a male, 34 years old, 6' 1" in height, weighing about 238 lb. My biggest problem is that I carry a very high tummy which looks very unpleasant. Is there any exercise that I can do to reduce my tummy
and tighten up the abs?
- Thomas
Dear Thomas,
Thanks for your letter. The information about your height and weight is very informative. At six feet one inch tall with a weight of 238 pounds you fall in the category of the mildly obese in the best case scenario. It has taken you some time to develop this problem; similarly, it is going to take you some time to resolve it.
There are four major factors that we focus on in addressing obesity. You are well aware of exercise but we also need to focus on your diet, modify your habits and the social support that is available to you.
It is important to reduce the number of calories that you consume each day. You will need to reduce the amount of food you eat each day and substitute others. However, you still need to eat a balanced diet of 58 per cent of your calories coming from complex carbohydrates, 12 per cent protein and 30 per cent from fats. The diet should be built around root tubers, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, lean meats, low intake of dairy products and sugar.
EXERCISE AFTER EATING
You need to eat your heavier meals during the day such as breakfast and lunch and lighter meals for supper. Elevate your resting metabolic rate by doing some physical activity after your meals. This will add some caloric deficits by elevating the thermic effect of the food that you have eaten. Exercise is an important part of weight reduction. However, the primary factor of concern is how to complement what you eat with exercise.
Eat at a scheduled time, that is, try to avoid eating between your regular meals, substitute something for the snacks such as music or exercise where possible. Store food out of sight, avoid serving yourself, and use smaller dishes and utensils. Solicit the help of your family and friends to monitor your eating by keeping track of the time, place and the amount that you eat.
It is important that you reward yourself for the progress and improvements that you make. This is necessary to motivate you to keep working at the changes that you have made and maintaining them. Familiarise yourself with what you eat, such as their nutritional value, and try to identify those foods that you need to avoid and make small changes that you can continue. Avoid setting unreasonable goals and note the progress that you make regardless of how small they may seem. You also need to realise that your mind has the power to decide what your reaction should be, think positively about your effort and progress.
START WALKING
As a result of the excess weight that you are now carrying, you need to improve your overall fitness by beginning with a moderate exercise programme and keep a formal record of your progress. Walking is always a good activity with which to start since you can walk at a pace that is more comfortable for your level of fitness and increase the pace as you improve gradually. Your abdominal muscles will benefit from activities or exercises where you lie on your back with your knees bent and you move your trunk in all the different planes that you possibly can.
You can also use your legs while you are in a lying position to mobilise the muscles of your abdomen so as to stimulate and strengthen them. Exercises such as modified sit ups, trunk curls, abdominal twisters and abdominal crunches will help.
Start by doing some of these exercise, at least three times each week and increase both the number of days and the length of time you exercise as the routine gets easier.
Kenneth Gardner is an exercise physiologist at the G. C. Foster College of Physical Education; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.
