How to Lose Weight is one of the first issues many aspiring surfers face. As a Health Coach and Personal Trainer in addition to Surf Coach I know many people have tried and failed to lose weight or sustain their gains.
One of the reasons weight is a difficulty is people don’t understand the true cause of steady weight gain and difficulty in weight loss. The world has made it about calories, but that is only part of the story. The true cause is much more insidious and difficult.
The Basics of Losing Weight
The pandemic has made a noticeable impact on everyone’s exercise levels and body size. The Body Mass Index is a calculator used by the medical and health care field to measure whether a person is normal weight, overweight, obese, or extremely obese. Weight gain is gradual and we often don’t realize how many pounds we are adding each year.
After the pandemic, I found that I had gained at least 15 pounds. I am very active, but I missed the three times a week I was going to the gym and it began to impact my body weight. Once I learned I had gained weight to 202 pounds, I decided I wanted to be 170 pounds, which was 5 pounds lighter than my graduating high school weight.
I have lost 25 pounds in 90 days and am still pursuing the 170 mark. I didn’t have to add a lot of exercise. Normal amounts are best so as not to get our metabolism taking away from other functions. Our metabolism that burns at least 60% of our daily calories functions silently to aid digestion, our brain, our heart and our organs. Exercise becomes more important to keep weight off than to burn it off.
The real culprit in weight gain is insulin and insulin resistance. Herman Pontzer in his research and book Burn, reveals that calories are only the beginning and not the main cause of weight gain. When we eat too much and especially carbohydrates and sugars (the same) our body reaches a point where it can no longer process all the sugar.
We at this point are producing so much insulin in the pancreas to modulate sugar that our cells rebel and stop allowing glucose to enter the cells for fuel. Now the glucose goes directly to fat. So all the excess carbs are going directly to fat. Since all foods stimulate a measure of insulin, it often doesn’t help to cut back. Especially by starvation. Then our metabolism drops to accommodate our lack of consumption.
We don’t want to starve to lose weight. We want to calorie restrict. We want to cut way back on carbohydrates. We want to eliminate all sugar. Drinking lots of water is crucial. Half your body weight in water ounces is a good measure. A 200 pound person should drink 100 oz of water. I drink about a gallon a day.
An intermittent fast window is very helpful. I eat between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.. That creates a 16 hour fast every day. At the beginning it is difficult, but the body soon gets used to it and hunger decreases. I like to lose between a half pound and a pound every day, but the more I lose, the more my metabolism fights back.
I do not starve. I eat good meals. I have a pork chop for breakfast with an egg, broccoli, avocado, some nuts, and a quarter of a grapefruit. For lunch, I just have some chicken breast and cheese. For dinner I have a 5 oz piece of fish, broccoli, avocado, carrots, and maybe apple slices. I also take greens supplements to augment the fruit and veggies I am not eating.
I live a very active life. I teach surf lessons up to five hours during the day. This diet sustains me beautifully. Eating less starts to feel better and better. After you lose that first 10 to 15 pounds, you are really feeling great about yourself and very encouraged to keep going. Now at 176, I am only 6 pounds from my target weight and I should accomplish this 30 pound weight loss in 120 days.
Read a good book to get ready.
Visit Surf Lessons in Oceanside for a Surf Lesson
Return to the Home Page
Learn More
Get the Learn to Surf Guide Course in Kindle, Paperback or Audio
A great 29 page course on the fundamentals of catching waves, doing beginner and advanced pop ups, riding real waves, how to do maneuvers on real waves, which surfboards to ride, and how to progress. Great for lesson preparation, after lesson review, or learning on your own.
Kindle price $2.99 on Amazon. Paperback price $6.95 on Amazon. Audio download price $7.95
Get Fit to Surf
A great guide to strength, flexibility, stamina, and leanness for surfing. Beginner strategies for getting stronger, more flexible, stronger cardiovascular system, and nutrition to lose weight. An improving surfer or one who wants to prepare must meet the whole body physical demands of surfing. Getting stronger improves ones ability to perform better.
Buy on Kindle for $5.99 or the Paperback for $7.99
Every Body Can Surf
To read a great book for getting in shape to surf or getting in better surfing shape, read my new book Overweight People Can Surf, a Health, Fitness, Nutrition, and Surfing Adventure
Description:
Get healthy and fit to surf or set a goal of surfing to improve weight, fitness, nutrition, and health. This guide by a surf instructor/health coach/personal trainer gives the short version of how to lose weight, get strong, build stamina, develop nutrition, and learn to surf. Surfing is a lifestyle enjoyed by millions and so is fitness. Fitness creates opportunities to enjoy life through lots of different kinds of recreation. No need to stand on the sidelines while others are having a great time. Start your program to health with easy steps and progress at your own pace. That is the secret to maintaining a lifestyle. Do it at your pace. This book will start you on the path.
Buy the E book on Amazon for $5.99
Buy the Paperback on Amazon for $7.99
Seniors Get Fit to Surf
Description:
Seniors often ask if it is too late to learn to surf. Age is functional not chronological. If people have been exercising and maintaining body strength, surfing can be accomplished. If people have not been exercising, then getting in shape to surf could be a life changing move. Learn how to develop strength, flexibility, and stamina to learn surfing. If you are in surf shape, you could pursue most any recreation.
Buy the E-book on Amazon for $5.99
Buy the Paperback on Amazon for $7.99
