Jonathan Earnhart US100278

"How to Lose Weight in a Healthy Satisfactory Way"

A research paper
By: Jonathan Earnhart
For: Nations University
Course: ENG 2 English Composition
Module 3 The Research Paper

Jonathan Earnhart US100278

I. Introduction - The phenomenon of weight loss concepts has many Americans making poor
choices. The optimum choice for fat loss and a healthy body is a combination of resistance
training combined with aerobic training and a proper diet. There are no short cuts for a
healthy body; a healthy body comes from a healthy lifestyle as defined in this research
summary.
II. Body - A comparison of popular weight loss concepts:
Resistance training, resistance training verses cardiorespiratory training, dieting.
A. Resistance training.
1. Fat burned to restore muscle energy.
2. More muscle mass equals more constant energy use.
3. Extra benefits.
B. Resistance training verses cardiorespiratory training.
1. Cardiorespiratory training with no resistance training.
2. Resistance training with no cardiorespiratory training.
3. Resistance training with cardiorespiratory training.
C. Dieting.
1. Ill effects of dieting
2. Properly diet.
III. Conclusion.
A. Why resistance training, cardiorespiratory training, and diet work together to create a
healthy body.

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b. Concluding statement.

With America in the midst of an epidemic of obesity, the subject of weight

loss has never been more important. Unfortunately, many myths concerning weight
loss still predominate in the minds of most Americans, who tend to look for short
cuts and easy ways around the hard work and dedication it takes to burn off weight
and keep it off. Weight loss for most people is seen as a cosmetic improvement.
What is important is not so much "weight loss" but "fat loss," combined with a gain
in lean muscle tissue. Through the proper combination of aerobic and resistance
exercise, a change is brought about which not only burns off excess fat, but in
addition makes the body a much more efficient caloric machine. A weight loss
program that concentrates strictly on aerobic training, without the utilization of
resistance training (weight lifting), will result in lean tissue loss; thus, making the
body less efficient at burning calories. Resistance training, on the other hand, forces
the body to build and maintain lean tissue; thus, making it an integral part of any
long term program for keeping excess fat from accumulating. Since long term
results are desirable, what is needed is a proper combination of weight training to
build and maintain muscle, aerobic exercise to burn fat, and a healthy diet which
takes into account the individual's specific needs. All three components are
essential for fat loss but it is resistance training that is often overlooked for fat loss.

Jonathan Earnhart US100278

Knowledge of the body's metabolic pathways for using and storing energy is
essential to understanding how resistance training works to burn fat. During aerobic
exercise, fat is the body's preferred fuel. However, during resistance training,
glycogen (glucose stored within the muscle) is the primary source of energy. It is the
replenishment of these glycogen stores during post exercise recovery that utilizes
fat in the form of fatty acids and glycerol in order to replete the energy stores in the
muscle. "On proper diet, adipose [fatty] tissues are drawn from to provide fatty
acids and glycerol in order to replete exhausted muscle stores" (NFPT, 17). While
fat is not actually burned during resistance training, the body's metabolism will be
increased for up to 24 hours; "... due to EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen
consumption), caloric expenditure will be increased for 8 to 24 hours after your
workout. That's a full day of fat burning" (Muscle & Fitness, 63). The first benefit of a
resistance program is fat loss through the conversion of fat stores into glycogen to
be stored in the muscle for use in further workouts at a later time. These workouts
will in turn build more muscle, making the body even more efficient at burning fat.

Jonathan Earnhart US100278

The question then arises: How does increasing muscle mass make the body a
more efficient machine of energy consumption. To answer that we must understand
that fat is the body's best source of long term energy storage, bones provide
structure, and muscles are the "engines" of the body. Muscles require energy to
contract and function, while fat just sits there waiting to be utilized for energy.
Therefore, by increasing lean muscle tissue, while losing excess fat, the overall body
composition is changed in a way which is not only cosmetic but also beneficial for
the maintenance of fat weight. A body with more muscle burns more calories than
one with less muscle, even at rest. "For each pound of muscle mass, you will burn
an additional 50 calories per day" (Rose). "The larger the muscle (machine), the
greater the amount of energy that must be released from fat cells during rest and
during all other type of activity as well... The value then of maintaining or even
increasing your lean muscle tissue through resistance training for fat loss is
obvious" (NFPT, 7). Many women are not aware of the value of lean muscle, and are
in fact afraid of bulking up and looking masculine. Since women do not produce
enough testosterone to build large amounts of muscles, this fear is unwarranted.
The benefits of muscle mass do not end with the burning of fat, for there are other
benefits as well.

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In addition to fat reduction, the performance of resistance training will result

in numerous other benefits. The most obvious of these are enhanced strength and
flexibility of muscles, tendons, and ligaments. These results will reduce the
likelihood of injuries from both daily activities and sport induced stress. Because the
heart is a muscle, resistance training forces it to adapt by getting thicker and
stronger. "In resistance exercise, the cardiac tissue (or heart muscle) will most likely
adapt by increasing in size and strength" (NFPT, 29). A larger and stronger heart will
in turn result in an increased Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) which means the body will
burn more calories, even at rest. The body further adapts to resistance training by
increasing bone mineral content, as well as density; thereby, reducing the risk of a
bone fractures. "Increased bone density reduces the risk of bone-related injuries
due to osteoporosis, a degenerative loss of bone tissue typically seen in postmenopausal women" (Radin). Such benefits also apply to the elderly as well
because "working your muscles can also inhibit the effects of sarcopenia, the age
related loss of muscle mass, strength and function" (Litchfield). The benefits of
resistance exercises do not stop there; "We encourage those with an inherited
cholesterol over [-] production problem, to perform resistance exercise, as exercise
has a positive effect on cholesterol levels. HDLs [High Density Lipoprotein] attract
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and eliminate the excess bad LDL and VLDL [Low and Very Low Density Lipoprotein]
cholesterol from the blood stream" (NFPT, 35). This cannot be achieved by dieting
alone since it is hereditary. Based upon the above examples, it is clear that
resistance training should be not only an integral part of weight loss but also of a
healthy lifestyle. With this information about resistance training in hand, aerobic
and resistance training should not be compared but combined.

Many people mistakenly assume that the best way to lose fat is to simply
burn it off in one form of aerobic exercise or another while leaving resistance
training to the body builders. Women especially feel that by simply riding a bicycle,
jogging, dance classes, like three times a week they are doing all that is needed to
lose fat and keep it off. While it is true that aerobic exercise burns fat, "It is
important to note that the lost advantages in not performing resistance [training]
while exclusively doing cardio [aerobic] are an increased risk of injury, weak
muscles, lost lean weight, probable long-range fat accumulation, and poor muscle
tone" (NFPT, 57). Performing aerobics while on restricted calorie intake also forces
the body to burn lean tissue as well as fat, resulting in poor muscle tone and long
term reduction in metabolic rate. To give an example, a person on a strict diet, who
performs only aerobic exercises without resistance training, might lose fifty pounds;
however, out of the fifty pounds fifteen pounds might be from muscle tissue. That
loss of muscle tissue could result in the body burning seven hundred and fifty
calories less every day because "for every additional pound of muscle you gain,
your body burns 50 extra calories a day of the week" (Litchfield). It is evident that
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something besides dieting and aerobics is necessary to affect fat loss and maintain
results for the long term. Resistance training is the missing ingredient.

While resistance training does have many benefits, particularly in assisting

long-term fat loss, it should not be used in isolation if fat loss is to be maximized.
During proper resistance training, the primary fuel used is glycogen (blood sugar
stored within the muscle). It is only after resistance training, during the recovery
phase, that fat is used to replete glycogen stores. On the other hand, fat is the
primary source of fuel during aerobics. The word "aerobic" means "with oxygen".
Because fat can only be metabolized with oxygen, it is only during aerobic exercise
that fat is directly used as a fuel source. "Fat combustion almost totally powers light
exercise at 25% of aerobic capacity... Fat oxidation gradually increases as [aerobic]
exercise extends to an hour or more and glycogen depletes" (McArdle, 161).
Additionally, "regular aerobic exercise profoundly improves ability to oxidize longchain fatty acids, particularly from triglycerol stored within the active muscle, during

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mild to moderate intensity [aerobic] exercise" (Mcardle, 163). Therefore, Aerobic
exercise should be utilized for its effects on short term fat loss, as well as for its
well-known benefits on cardiorespiratory health. Yet this should only be in addition
to a resistance training program in order to maintain fat loss through its positive
impact on basal metabolic rate.

The synergistic effects of combining aerobic with anaerobic (resistance)

training clearly makes such an approach desirable if results are to be not only safe
and fairly fast, but also maintainable over the long term. Fat Loss from aerobic
training will be almost immediately perceptible (within 30 days), while increased
muscle mass (which takes longer to develop) will assist in long term fat burning and
improve cosmetic appearance. While some weight may be gained, this weight will
be lean muscle and contribute to an overall increase in metabolic rate for the
reasons discussed earlier. "This occurs because there is an increase of fluids and
energy stored as glycogen in the muscle tissue (which is comparably more dense)
and a decrease of energy stored as triglycerides in fat tissue (which is comparably
less dense)" (NFPT, 18). Again, as stated above, the overarching goal in becoming
physically fit is not "weight loss", but rather "fat loss." Many people simply do not

Jonathan Earnhart US100278

have the time necessary for a program which would include an hour of aerobics in
addition to an hour of resistance training. For those with time constraints, a program
of circuit training is therefore recommended, whereby a person completes one or
more "circuits" of prescribed weight training stations at a fast pace to achieve a
high heart rate in order to obtain both an aerobic training effect as well as the
benefit of resistance training. These effects will only be optimal if a proper diet is
implemented.

Just as there are many myths concerning exercise and weight loss so too are
there many misguided notions as to the role of dieting in weight loss. In fact, dieting
is one of the most ill-understood and misused tools in the entire health and weight
loss field. Dieting alone, without exercise or a long-term lifestyle change, is a
surefire way to exacerbate the problem of obesity. The body responds to what is
known as the SAID principle, which is short for "Specific Adaption to Imposed
Demands."
The body adapts to the "demand" of semi-starvation (dieting) by holding on to its
fat reserves, since fat is the body's best source of long-term energy storage. Instead

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of burning fat for fuel, during diet the body will instead burn much needed muscle,
which will then leave the body at the end of the dieting process with less muscle.
When the person returns to normal eating habits again, fat will be easier to gain and
harder to lose because the body's metabolism will be slower due to less calorie
burning muscle mass. The result over time, after one or more cycles of "yo-yo"
dieting, is a body in even poorer shape than before the dieting began. In fact,
"overly fat persons often eat the same or less than thinner people" (McArdle, 471).
A very low calorie "dietary prescription usually last 3 months, but only as a "last
resort" before under taking more extreme medical approaches that include surgery.
Dieting with a VLCD [Very Low Calorie Diet] requires close supervision, usually in a
hospital setting" (McArdle, 468). For these reasons dieting should not be used as the
sole tool in fat loss.

A more realistic approach to fat loss is to run a caloric deficit of no more than
500 calories a day under what is needed, when taking into account each individuals
needs based upon their activity level and body composition. Of course "reducing
diets should contain the essential micro and macro nutrients with emphasis on
reducing cholesterol, saturated fats, and trans fatty acids" (McArdle, 468). A simple
way to calculate resting energy requirements, which is what the body needs to
maintain itself each day, is to measure lean body weight and multiply the result by
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11. The answer will approximate the total number of calories needed per day at rest
(BMR). Without exercise, Caloric restriction will provide only short term results. What
is needed is long term patterns and induce the individual to substitute unhealthy
eating behaviors with healthy ones; furthermore, since a program of regular
exercise increases energy expenditure, a person just starting to lose weight may be
surprised to learn he/she must eat more calories than before. By learning to make
healthier choices, it becomes evident to the person that eating more will result in
faster fat loss then eating less. Eating more to weigh less, though counter-intuitive,
is scientifically proven and applies to both men and women. In addition, by eating
smaller more frequent meals throughout the day, BMR is increased to a significant
degree.

The basic premise behind this program is that aerobic exercise will burn off
fat; resistance exercise will build or maintain lean muscle tissue to provide a faster
metabolism and more aesthetically pleasing figure, while a proper diet will provide
sufficient calories to sustain function and fuel the workout. The body will adapt to

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resistance training while on a diet by holding on to muscle for survival and burning
fat more readily. Adequate energy intake during such training ensures that no
catabolism of the protein available for muscle growth occurs from an energy deficit"
(McArdle, 482). Diet will be geared to increasing the lean tissue while burning fat. "A
prudent recommendation increases daily protein intake to about 1.6g per kg of body
mass during the resistance training period" (McArdle, 482). Since excess fat gain
often parallels reduced activity rather than increased caloric intake, many dieters
would be better off increasing activity rather than reducing calories. The greatest
flexibility for achieving fat loss is therefore achieved with moderate food restriction
combined with a program incorporating aerobics and resistance training, as well as
an overall lifestyle change which looks to long term health instead of short term
cosmetic changes.

When resistance and aerobic training are combined and added to a proper
diet, the result is the desirable loss of fat and an overall healthier body. Resistance

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training is needed for the building of lean tissue, which during the building and use
of this lean tissue fat will be burned. When combined with aerobics the speed of fat
loss will be increased safely and with longevity. However, without a proper diet the
fat loss may not be optimal. Since each of these is essential, it is important that all
the components are understood and implemented. Often, a person will pick one or
two of the three components necessary for a healthy body then get frustrated when
the result are not what they desired. Education of each component will ensure a
faulty workout program will not be implemented.

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Works Cited

Litchfield, John. "The Benefits of Weight Training."

URL: http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/exercise/weight_training/benefits.htm
Date written: Unknown
Date of resource: August, 2010

McArdle, William D.; Katch, Frank L,; Katch, Victor L. "Sports and Exercise Nutrition,"
3rd Edition.
Lippin Williams & Wilkins, a Wolter Kluwers business.
Date of edition: 2009.
Date of resource August, 2010

National Federation of Personal Trainers. Personal Fitness Trainer Manual, 5th edition
Date of edition: 2008
Date of resource: August, 2010

Radin, David. "Resistance Training and Weight Loss"

URL: http://www.collegesportsscholarships.com/obesity-resistance-training.htm
Date written: Unknown
Date of resource: August, 2010

Rose, Tracy. "Burn Fat With Resistance Training."

URL: http://weight-lossmethods.suite101.com/article.cfm/burn_fat_with_resistance_training
Date written: May 19, 2007
Date of resource: August, 2010
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Smith, John. "Muscle & Fitness" magazine
Date printed: June, 2010
Date of resource: June, 2010

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