Apr 14, 2007 4 min read

Weight loss/gain Hey, Coach! About two years ago I started an exercise program, and I lost about 30 pounds without dieting, but I hit a plateau.

Then, I began to eat healthier and lost another 30 pounds, but then I hit another plateau.

I began to alter my exercise and diet programs to get results, and I began to work out with a friend who had me doing 30-40 minutes on the treadmill, and then 30-40 minutes on the elliptical. Then, we would strength- train, using very light weights.

Somehow, I gained 7 pounds in a week and haven’t been able to lose it. Why do you think I gained 7 pounds in a week when I was working out so hard?

Signed….Baffled

Dear Baffled: First, congratulations for losing 53 pounds. That’s a great accomplishment. More importantly, congrats for taking charge of your life and for trying to become healthier.

As you may already know, muscle weighs more than fat, but the Coach would agree that gaining 7 pounds in a week does seem odd. With that said, sometimes there’s no reasonable explanation why certain things happen the way they do.

Perhaps a good suggestion is to not put too much emphasis on the week that you gained weight. Perhaps the focus should be on doing the proper things that make a difference.

To add to your communication, the Department of Health strongly recommends intense (cardio) activity for 60 minutes on most days of the week. Please note that this recommendation has doubled from two years ago, when it was 30 minutes, 3 days a week.

With that said, to all of our readers, please know that 30 minutes several times a week is better than nothing, so do what you can, when you can.

Make good health a priority in your life. Baffled, you also allude to eating healthier. While some/many of us may use the excuse that we don’t have any time to work out, none of us can use the excuse that we don’t have time to eat.

We obviously do, but many of us choose to eat in an unhealthy manner.

So, along with a solid cardio program and healthy eating, you did well by adding strength-training as another piece of the puzzle. Adding a little muscle and decreasing some fat will increase your metabolism and burn more calories throughout each minute of the day and night.

With warmer weather on the way, it’s a great time for all of us to get involved in outside activates than can greatly benefit our health.

Everyone should work closely with his/her primary-care physician to help set up a plan that works for them.

Again, Baffled, you have done a great job, and you are encouraged to keep pushing forward in a positive direction. Please remember that fitness and wellness should be a lifetime commitment.

Don Imus

In case anyone wanted the Coach’s opinion, he believes that Imus was way out of line for referring to women on the Rutgers’ basketball team as “nappy, headed hos,” plus other things. This should teach us all to think before we speak. His firing will be talked about for weeks to come, and the Coach believes he should make a major donation to the Rutgers’ Athletic Department for women’s sports, or to the general scholarship fund to benefit minority students.

Coach’s Comments: Life may not be easy for any of us. We must have perseverance and confidence in ourselves when we hit tough times. We must rise up to another level when the chips are down. Anything less, and we should be disappointed in ourselves. Thanks for making the Coach a part of your day.

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You can contact the Coach at askthecoach@yahoo.com.