Ask Paul, eighth edition

Hi Paul,

I have been watching xweighted here in England and you have inspired me to lose weight once and for all.

My question is, what should I look for in a personal trainer. I think I need help to get me started but the trainers in my area all seem to have different styles and programs to follow and I am not sure what will benefit me the most for weight loss.

June, from Newcastle, England

Hi June,

The first thing you should check is if the trainer is qualified to do a postural assessment on you. They need to be able to identify if any muscular imbalances exist. This must be corrected first before loading your body with a high intensity workload. Also, look for someone that you feel you will respond to. Their personality and ability to get you to train hard is important. Some people want a drill sergeant while others want more of an intellect; you decide what works for you.
Paul

Paul

Hi Paul,

I am 45 and 185lbs, 5’5 barely. I was fit in my 30’s more like 125-130.. now I am at a desk job and have a busy schedule, I am trying to eat right ..so could you suggest a good recipe for a morning protein shakes? or quick and easy healthy stuff. I am so not a breakfast eater (I try) however I know eating in the morning is important to get the metabolism going. Can you help?!! I struggle to escape breakfast at the house, as my partner is a high sugar eater and there are things like lucky charms and eggo’s everywhere at home. I usually eat breakfast in the car or at the office so quick & healthy food is what I need.

Thanks

Traci from Langley

Hi Traci,

Try this for a breakfast smoothie

• Half a banana
• Half cup frozen berries
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 cup pure apple juice

Yum Yum

Paul

Hi Paul,

I am training for a marathon and I’m experiencing a problem with indigestion while running. I don’t have any problem running first thing in the morning but it is an issue when I run in the evening. It’s very uncomfortable and the majority of the times I have to stop my run. Can you shed any light on what might be happening?

Thank you

Robert from Ouispamsis

Hi Robert,

Give my buddy Kevin Masters an email on his website www.aerobicpower.com He specializes in training endurance athletes for race performance. He will be happy to answer your question and better than I could.

Hi Paul

After several months of inactivity, I’ve been doing walk/run routes of 2 to 5 miles for the past couple of weeks. Yesterday I managed 5 miles in 58 minutes – so 5.3 mph.

My fitness is obviously improving but I still can’t maintain any kind of run/jog for more than a few minutes.

Would being able to run 5 miles at a steady 5 mph have any fitness benefit over what I’m doing now?

Thanks!

Millie from UK

PS Love X-Weighted Families. You probably don’t realize the impact it has on adults who were overweight kids. It’s been a little bit painful at times but also very helpful for reminding me of the roots of my grown up battles with weight/food/body issues. (Which I finally seem to be winning.) And what amazing young people you found! I hope you’ll be able to keep supporting them somehow.

Hi Millie,

Running or walking can make you fit. It depends on the intensity level specific to your present level of fitness. Running at 5mph on a flat surface would be the same intensity as walking at 3mph with an 8% elevation. Both would elevate your heart rate to approximately the same level. Don’t feel you have to run to get fit. Walking with speed and high elevation(like stairs ) will also do the job. The key is how hard you make your heart work.

Paul

Hi Paul,

I love your show. It’s not been on for a while here in the UK but it was on tonight. Great! I am 58 years old and am trying to lose weight and get fitter. Could I damage my joints by walking too much. My husband has laughed at me and says no.

Kind Regards

Laura from Manchester

Hi Laura,

Walking is definitely easier on the joints than running. Humans are designed to walk long distances. However if you have a weak core, tight hips, pronated ankle joints walking may cause you joint pain. Get a gait analysis performed at a human performance fitness center. They can tell you if you are distributing forces equally through out your body.

Paul

I HATE exercise but being mid 50,s and not wanting to be 300 lbs I know it is something I must do. my dilemma is this…do I buy a octane elliptical $3000 or a Bodyguard 240 treadmill around $2800 i m going to be totally bored on either so which one will burn the most calories with the least amount of effort…thanks watch Xweighted all the time and you told one guy that ellipticals are useless…

Cindy from 100 Mile House

Hi Cindy,

I don’t recommend buying any piece of home cardio equipment. You will be just wasting your money. Chances of you using it sounds like nil. So if you want a $3000 clothing rack go ahead. Surely there is one activity in this world that gets the heart rate up and the muscles moving that you enjoy. You must find this activity and do it passionately if you want any chance of a healthy weight and fitness level.

Paul

Hi Paul,

Would like to know if it is ok to workout when your muscles are aching from the previous days workout?

Also having some motivation issues due to my husband bringing junk food home, I’ve never seen so much junk food in the house. He seems to do it when I declare I’m dieting, although he does call me names and thinks I need to lose weight but then tries to sabotage my efforts. Do you have any advice as I’m sure you must have come across this before, its driving me nuts!

Marcia from England

Hi Marcia,

Yes it is okay to workout when your muscles are sore. Just don’t do the same activity that caused the soreness. Focus on different movement patterns.
It is vital for your success that your husband is on the same path as you are. It is very rare that one person who is trying to lose weight and eat healthy to do it while the other person eats junk food in front of them every day. If he is calling you names, thinks you need to lose weight and then eats crap right in front of you. I would seriously consider kicking his ass to the curb and move on.

Paul

Hi Paul,

I am a mother of 2 small boys. I am currently working at a job that requires me to work shift work. When I have to work a night shift (6:30pm – 6:30am) would you recommend not eating after a certain time or just eat when I would usually eat on a day shift. When would you suggest getting a workout in?

Thanks,

Shelda from Hinton

Hi Shelda,

It does not matter what time of day you are awake. I always recommend for people to eat six small meals in three-hour blocks. Just shift your meals to accommodate your schedule. It is a myth that you should not eat before bed. What matters is the quantity and quality of food you eat over the course of the entire week/month and year.

Paul

Hi Paul,

Fibromyalgia doesn’t exist?? It’s a mental thing??

My boyfriend told me about your show. He was amazed with the results that you achieve with the participants. So today when I saw it coming on I thought…”What the heck, I’ll check it out”

I am currently at 120 lbs, not overweight but I have been a max 165…This after being diagnosed with Fibro and depressed. I was training for a marathon, being a type A personality and go-getter I never slowed down. It took 3 years to get my diagnosis. They thought MS and a myriad of other diseases. There is little research and money for this syndrome. Why? ‘Cause so many people think like you…they believe we are all lazy and it’s an excuse that’s it’s all in our heads…yeah, I want to be in pain, yeah, I wanted to lose a job I loved, yeah, I wanted my then 11 year old to give up her childhood and have to look forward to coming home every day to a sick mother whom she couldn’t hug for years because of the pain I was in!! Yeah, that sounds like a cop out. I really wanted that in my life. There are many of us out there fighting this disease and to fight your attitude is not another thing they needed added. It’s extremely insulting to have you tell us “it’s a mental thing” Thanks. Once again another public figure makes a dent in any serious attention that could be brought to our cause. They used to believe that the earth was flat too and science proved that wrong and science is proving that Fibro is real! Try doing some research, you may be surprised, but for now you have lost any respect I may have had for anything you say!

Very sad that someone could be that “dumb” about health issues!

mefmaction.net

fm-cfs.ca/home.html

In the second link there are videos of many different people who suffer from Fibro, including Doctors. My daughter and I were part of this video series.

I hope you educate yourself on this…as Janette said, “It’s not an excuse but it is a reality.” Just as in any other disability.

Wendy from Ottawa

Hi Wendy,

My response on that episode was specific to Janette. Its not that I don’t believe people have pain. It’s just how they deal with it that bothers me. In Janette’s case she was 100lbs overweight. She ate high sugary processed foods. She was very stressed and depressed longing for companionship. I told her that her condition did not exist and that it was in her head because she had already admitted defeat to a diagnosis some doctor gave her so that he could give her medication for depression and inflammation. All one can do is deal with the underlying issues. Surprisingly once Janette lost 50+ pounds, ate healthier and found a boyfriend much of her joint and body pain went away. Deny the so called disease, lead a healthy life, eat clean, move your joints as you can and learn to deal with stress in a positive way. People with Fibro are in more control than they think. They decide what they eat, how much they move and how to deal with life issues. Sometimes it is easier to just take medication and give up.

Paul