Weight loss is defined as loss of body mass. The body mass is contributed by the lean body mass and body fat. The lean body mass is made up of the weight of the organs, the skeletal muscles, the bones and body water. The normal body fat percentage is lesser than 30% in females and lesser than 25 % in males. By weight loss we are targeting the body fat while keeping the lean muscle mass intact.
A weight loss centre does not necessarily mean a gym. For one person it may mean the park, to another it may be the ambience at home that instigates training. For those that think that that there is no other better to workout then, I would recommend hitting the gym for training. We look for a weight loss centre to have a weight loss that is beneficial to the individual. By this we mean, that we want to look good, we want to feel energetic, we want freedom from diseases and many more. If we presume that it is going to the gym that is going to produce healthy weight loss, then we are sadly mistaken.
History tells us that we were designed to be hunter gatherers. Our musculoskeletal system was at its best until the age when we still did our household chores, small as they may be. When we ground rice batter using the olden day millstone we had a toned upper segment. When we lifted the crowbar and showels to do our garden we toned ours lats and arm muscles. When we tucked in our tummys and bent over to mop our floors with a rug, we toned our abs. When we churned butter from curd in the olden days we had a narrow waist and an awesome shape. Well that’s history now.
Contrary to the prevalent norm, more women are looking for weight loss centres. One reason is that women are multitasking. They have a full time job which requires 8-12 hours of sitting. This is an isolated risk factor for obesity. Obesity leading to hormonal imbalances resulting in PCOS which is common now than ever before. Infertility is the money spinner. The common shape of Indian women today is that of an apple not a pear. The commonest problem in women is low back pain. The most common chronic debilitating disease is obesity and its effects. What’s new – more women are reporting with heart attacks and sudden cardiac deaths. Hence the sudden increase in demand for a weight loss centre out of desperation
A weight loss centre is a centre that monitors the biometric values and thereby gives evidence that weight loss is indeed fat loss. The results should reveal that both the cardiovascular system and the skeletal system have been trained. There is no point in having bulging muscles and suffering a heart attack. People with co-morbidities like diabetes and hypertension should be made to form clusters and their exercise prescription should be closely monitored. Women’s training is a different ballgame altogether. Experienced physios who have been training women are a must have.
A gym has machines weights, free weights and cardio equipments like bikes and treadmills. Select a gym where trainers use the persons bodyweight to train. Floor workout is an integral part of training. This should be given priority because in most clients, gym workout for weight loss is going to be short lived. Weight loss for a purpose eg just before marriage, and then piling up the kilos after marriage is going to be very detrimental to health. What can be made a permanent workout plan is combination of brisk walking or jogging and strengthening using self weight, dumbbells and sandbags. Most clients fear that the weight gain after a short lived gym- spree will even surpass the original weight, which is partly true. Hence the training pattern for weight loss should be different from those who come for body building. What should be focussed is weight maintenance after a well achieved weight loss.
The weight loss process is a learning process for the client to know his/her body-knowledge about the basal metabolic rate(BMR). This is the amount of energy per unit time needed by a person to keep the body functioning at rest. It varies from person to person. A sound knowledge of BMR is necessary for planning both the exercise and nutrition prescription for weight loss.