Some other great information on this thing called "fitness"

Hey fellow maturefitness readers, we are honored to have an outstanding fitness guru and motivational speaker join our editorial staff. In the future Michael Giudicissi will be offering tidbits to this site, plus you can contact his web site directly for more detailed information. Listed below are some interesting and useful tidbits on this thing called fitness, I really like the answer to Question # 2:


Question 1 - Is being on a diet the same as being fit?

Giudicissi - NO! In fact, I'm of the mindset that people shouldn't "diet" as that term is pretty restrictive and generally leads to failure. I'm much more inclined to help people learn better ways of eating rather than putting on a plan with specific foods. Take me for instance. I travel quite a bit for business and if I was on a diet, I'd have a difficult time finding the foods that fit my "plan" when I am forced to eat out. Instead, I know what "good" choices are and what "bad" choices are. If I'm making more good choices than bad ones I'm doing well! Also, fitness is a physiological condition of your body.......and has only part to do with your eating habits. I know many people (especially in triathlon) that are considered overweight but are VERY fit. On the other hand, I see lots of people walking around with thin bodies that are far from fit and far from healthy. As Greer has written, eat well (and often), get some exercise and do things that feed your body and mind......that's the secret to long lasting fitness.


Question 2 - Isn't gaining weight inevitable when people age?

Giudicissi - Nope....not even close. What DOES happen as you age is that your body naturally loses muscle mass....about a pound a year...and that is generally replaced by fat if our weight is consistent. The key to remaining strong and vital is to reverse that trend with weight bearing exercises and resistance training. There is no need to join a gym to workout with weights if you don't want to (but go for it if you do!), you can use regular items around the house like soup or juice cans, gallons of water or buy some inexpensive resistance bands. If you're working your muscles against some resistance you ARE weight training and building your muscles.

Question 3 - It's easy for you...you've always been in shape...right?

Giudicissi - Well, you're going to get a different answer from Greer....but for me the answer is no. I was always active as a kid and young adult....but after I got married I started to slow down. I went from the kid who loved to play to the adult that loved to lay (on the couch that is). I woke up one day in April of 1998 and looked at my 240 pound self in the mirror and decided I needed to do something about it. I began running and making small changes to my diet and got some good results. I continued (to this day) making small changes and now I'm about 180 pounds, fit enough to do Ironman Triathlons (rather slowly of course) and at 44 years old, I'm in the best overall health of my life. When I started...I literally couldn't run to the end of the block...and now....I can do things that most people only dream about. I have no special physical talents or gifts...just stubborn I guess!

Question 4 - I'm overweight....I should lose some weight before I start working out...right?

Giudicissi - I'm not a doctor....so I'm sure there are a few people that might need to medical guidance before starting an exercise program. For the rest of us, we need to use our bodies every day for things they were designed for. If you want to weight because you are intimidated to go to a gym.....I can understand that. As I mentioned above, you don't even need to go to a gym to workout....you can walk, jog, swim, workout at home...etc. If you are healthy enough for moderate exercise...please don't wait another day....get to it! You'll find a lot of people rooting for you......just like I do. When I see someone who doesn't have a "perfect body" working out (and Lord knows, I don't) I'm always thinking...."You Go! You're one of us...and we're all out here doing it rather than sitting home!"

Question 5 - The more I workout the quicker I can lose weight....so I should exercise as much as possible...right?

Giudicissi - No way. You didn't get to your current level of fitness (or lack of it) in a few months...right? Give yourself permission right from the start to only be a tiny bit better tomorrow than today. It might take you months or years to lose the weight you want and get as fit as you'd like.........but who cares? If you are a TINY bit stronger, fitter and more healthy tomorrow than you are today..won't that feel good? Ride that wave of good feelings for years and you've developed a lifestyle rather than simply going on a diet and exercising. I have lost an average of 5-7 pounds per year for about the last 9 years.....and yes, I gain some weight back in the winter, but I lose it (and a bit more) come the Spring time. Take it slow, take it easy...but keep moving.


For more updates from Michael Giudicissi please view his web site at:


www.powerofgoals.com