Arianne Missimer, personal trainer and owner of Core Fitness, last month uttered these words for the first time in her life: “You have to eat more.” The grateful recipient of this advice was Paul Roberts, who had just entered the second month of the Fitness Challenge sponsored by Core and Out & About. Roberts will be following Missimer’s dictates throughout the year in his quest to lose weight, lower his blood pressure, and generally improve his health through exercise and diet. In their initial meeting at Core—on Miller Road in Wilmington—Missimer determined that Roberts was consuming about 3,400 calories a day. She wanted him to be closer to 3,000. But after starting the Challenge on Dec. 7, Roberts somehow dropped his daily consumption to about 2,200 calories a day. “Because he was eating small, frequent meals, he was satisfied,” says Missimer, a registered dietician and certified strength and conditioning specialist. “The concern, however, is if he loses too much too fast, he will sacrifice his lean muscle. That’s what we’re trying to gain, while reducing body fat.” And her client did lose weight—at a much faster clip than she had anticipated. Her weight-loss goal for Roberts was 4 lbs. by the end of January. As of Jan. 11, the 6’4” Barclays Bank employee had already dropped 10 of his 286 lbs. Much of that is water weight. “Initially, you’re expected to drop water weight with any weight-loss plan,” Missimer says. “After that, the rate will slow down. I want to ensure that ongoing, he is not losing more than 2 lbs. per week. We’re also monitoring his blood pressure closely, which is still very high [156/98], and adjusting his workouts accordingly.” Her sample meal plan for Roberts looks like this: BREAKFAST: Two packets of oatmeal, one cup 1 percent milk, banana or raisins SNACK: One cup cottage cheese, pineapple LUNCH: Grilled salmon salad, whole grain roll AFTERNOON SNACK (3:30 - 4 p.m.): Granola bar, Triscuits, 1 oz. low-fat cheese DINNER (around 7 p.m.): 6 oz. grilled chicken, one cup broccoli, salad (romaine, iceberg mix), two tablespoons vinaigrette LATE P.M. SNACK: Small bowl of cereal or yogurt The 43-year-old Roberts is spending two hours a week under Missimer’s supervision doing exercises involving balancing on stability and BOSU (both sides utilized) balls, and walking sideways with a Theraband exercise band around his ankles. “We’re focusing on building his foundation,” she says. “He’s doing a lot of corrective exercises to improve his posture and alignment, as well as improve his functional-movement patterns. Another focus in the first month is core stabilization. He has to learn how to properly stabilize his spine before he can strengthen his core muscles. Lastly, we’re working to improve his neuromuscular coordination, balance, and proprioception—knowing where your body is in space.” Roberts also goes into Core once a week to do cardiovascular work on his own. “I haven’t had headaches, which I used to get pretty frequently,” the Bear resident says. “Also, my back hasn’t hurt like it used to when I tried exercising.” “And,” he adds, “my pants are a little looser.” |