This past fall, I enrolled in a ten-week class at the Centre Club in Libertyville called “Move it and Lose it.” Weighing about 232 pounds at the start, I felt it was necessary to lose some weight. The critical question was: Why did I want to lose weight? Or, what was my key motivation for losing weight? First, my doctor regularly encourages me to lose at least 15 pounds, if not more, during our annual visits. He also emphasized dropping some weight would improve my blood results. Second, I regularly attend the Centre Club and want to do more running. My current weight was becoming physically impossible; after a one to two-mile run, my feet, knees, and hips ached for several days. Third, I wanted the ability to climb stairs with ease. When I was 20 or 25, I could regularly take three steps at a time when climbing stairs. There’s no going back, but losing 15 or 20 pounds would allow me to climb two stairs at a time. I later realized that every time I successfully went smoothly and efficiently up the stairs, it reinforced my fitness and health goals.
The title of the course, “Move It and Lose It,” class seemed to suggest that the correct amount of aerobic, anaerobic, stretching, and balance would help bring me to my weight goals. Was it possible that I could lose that weight primarily by the correct exercise daily? Was the class a little misleading, suggesting it mainly revolved around exercise? I learned from the CC and several personal trainers that a commitment to regular and thorough exercise was just part of the puzzle – perhaps only 10 - 20%. These trainers emphasized what you ate and when was the critical piece to the weight loss puzzle. In other words, the personal trainers and staff were transparent about what it would take. This approach reminded me of what my wife would always say about weight loss: you get fit in the gym and lose weight in the kitchen. My one wish for Americans wanting to lose weight was for them to realize the critical piece is diet, diet, exercise, diet, diet, diet, and more exercise. Not modifying someone's diet and working out seven days a week will improve your health, but it will be a very steep climb regarding weight loss.
The course was structured over ten weeks and met on Monday and Thursday evenings, providing a reassuring routine. On Mondays, we’d start with a mini-lecture and attendee participation for the first 30 minutes, followed by another 30 minutes of aerobic exercise on a stair climber, treadmill, or elliptical machine. While on the machines, our instructor would chat with each of us about our successes and challenges. On Thursdays, we regularly did higher-intensity workouts, stretching, and anaerobic activity for one hour. This structured approach kept me on track and reassured me about the learning process. I also learned that the correct type of stretching was critical -- ideally, you should start with dynamic movements before your workout and end with simple stretching or static movements.
The mini-lectures would cover a different topic each week, providing comprehensive information on various aspects of weight loss and health improvement. One week may involve learning about the value of sufficient protein; other topics might include portion control, the value of good sleep, handling stress, or ensuring the participants ate enough vegetables and received enough fiber. These lectures were informative and interactive, allowing participants to share their experiences and learn from each other. Because confidentiality was agreed upon, participants felt comfortable sharing what worked the previous week and what didn’t, creating a supportive and encouraging environment for everyone.
Because of the emphasis on adding protein to most meals, I researched the most common healthy foods that provided the most protein online. This included nutritional yeast, hemp and chia seeds, tempeh, lean chicken, tofu, and salmon. Knowing what foods were high in protein kept me focused on including some of these items in at least two of my meals each day. I must say that gathering the protein amounts of certain foods requires patience and persistence. For each serving size, the unit of measure was not consistent. Sometimes, the measurement was by teaspoon, tablespoon, half of a cup, or in grams. Indeed, math was involved to ensure I had a consistent measuring amount.
During one class on Monday, our instructor said frozen vegetables generally have the same nutritional value as fresh ones. Knowing that I needed to eat more vegetables, I was scoping out our different grocery stores to learn which ones had the right mixture of vegetables – of course, taste was an important aspect, too. These stores include Costco, Trader Joe’s, Mariano’s, Whole Foods and Aldi. At Costco, I found a four-pound container of organic root vegetables, roughly three dollars per pound. This mix was incorporated into my diet. Sometimes, Costco sells a four-pound bag of organic peas; I typically cook part of the container and keep it refrigerated – this can be eaten alone with olive oil and seasoning or added to a green salad. Trader Joe’s has an organic vegetable blend that costs approximately three dollars per pound. Unfortunately, they are often out of this blend as it may be a popular item for those seeking a healthy veggie blend. During my search, I discovered that many shoppers at Trader Joe’s found their frozen broccoli a good nutritious choice and value. Surprisingly, I’ve not found inexpensive vegetable mixes at Mariano’s, but I could spend up to four or five dollars a pound to get organic options. At Aldi, I found the Asian Seasoned Medley; at 23 cents per ounce ($2.80 per 12 ounces), it contains broccoli, carrots, corn, and sugar snap peas. Their other healthy option is the Broccoli Stir Fry, which includes broccoli, carrots, sugar snap peas, and water chestnuts. Both items are frozen, are 12 ounces, and contain no preservatives. Whole Foods sells a pound of mixed Frozen Vegetables, which includes carrots, peas, corn, green beans, and baby lima beans for $2.49. That may be one of the best values available at Whole Foods.
During our class on Monday, we also discussed various heart zones. There are five primary zones, and each zone provides the level of intensity, the fuel source used, and the percent of maximum heart rate. The Standard Method is 220 - 50 (your age), so an average maximum heart rate for a 50-year-old would be 170. However, because everyone is different, a standard calculation may not give you the most accurate reading, so I'd recommend that a person's maximum heart rate be calculated individually. I used my Apple Watch's maximum heart rate, which was more personalized and was calculated based on my current fitness level. Zones 1 and 2 may be recommended if an individual strictly focuses on losing weight. For someone interested in overall fitness and some weight loss, the focus may be on Zones 1 - 3 and occasionally on Zone 4.
There were eight enrollees in the class – three women and five men. When we all initially sat around the lecture table on Monday night, I wondered if anyone would drop out of this course. If so, who would it be? As the class went on, one person appeared to have a scheduling issue, so he was never seen again. Another man, who was quite boastful about how much he worked and claimed he had little time to exercise, would show up intermittently. The person who needed to lose a significant amount of weight made it through the halfway point, but it appeared life got in the way of regular attendance. Despite being encouraged by others, in person and through emails, he was a "no show" for the last three weeks. I commend the three women who stayed the course and appeared committed to weight loss. I was also committed to this program and only missed one lesson over ten weeks, knowing that if I commit to something, I must attend and regularly improve my dietary habits. Now that the class is finished, what I learned in the "Move It and Lost It" class must be carried over to my regular fitness and health routine.
Move It and Lose It
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