Health e-News from Mohr Results, By: Christopher Mohr
February 2006, Mohr Results Newsletter
AC: Thank you for the interview. Why don't you start by telling us a little bit about your current commitments?
I just finished up my Ph.D. and thought I’d get a little break from the day to day grind of research, writing, etc, and have a chance to “come up for air.” To be honest, though, I seem to have less time now! I just wrapped up our joint project, Human Inferno:99 Days to Lean, which, if I do say so myself, is an awesome 250 awesome day by day manual to help folks shed unwanted pounds (no bias at all). In addition, I co-authored another 250 page manual on packing on lean body mass, called Weapons for Mass Construction.. I also have the day to day commitments with writing; I currently write for a number of men’s and women’s fitness magazines, including Men’s Fitness, Muscle and Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, Fitness, OC FLAIR, and others. I also consult for the Discovery Health Channel where I write some of the medical literature for their online and TV programming. I do a bit of online consulting for folks and I am also working with a handful of supplement companies on some research and formulas for products. In my "spare" time, I teach a graduate level sports nutrition class at the University of Louisville. It keeps me busy, but I love what I do!
AC: Can you tell the readers your educational or previous career background? How did you end up as a nutrition expert?
My undergraduate degree is in nutrition from Penn State University. I then completed a dietetic internship at the University of Delaware to become a registered dietitian, a MS in nutrition from the University of Massachusetts, and a Ph.D. in exercise physiology from the University of Pittsburgh. I think the combination of formal education and, maybe even more importantly, “real world” education including seminars, reading, training myself, and studying extensively in the areas has helped me become a nutrition “expert”.
AC: Who are your typical clients?
I’ve worked with everyone from athletes to soccer moms, senior citizens to children. So it really ranges in terms of my clientele.
AC: What are your thoughts on nutrition for fat loss?
Nutrition is by far the most important component of a fat loss program. Of course exercise is crucial as well, but it very possible to lose fat by changing your diet; it’s a much slower process to do the same solely through exercise. Folks need to focus on real foods; foods that are loaded with nutrients and fiber, which allow them to lose weight quickly and healthfully, rather than those with a laundry list of ingredients loaded with junk.
Diet and training are like two wheels on a bike; you ultimately want both working to accelerate the process and keep your hard earned muscle.
AC: Can you outline a very basic fat loss routine for our readers?
My Ph.D. work focused on the prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity. I like to tell people I spent 10 years in school learning that to lose weight you need to eat less and exercise more. There’s no way to get around the fact that weight loss requires a shift in energy intake and expenditure, so you’re expending more calories than consuming. Obviously where those nutrients are coming from is important, as is the type of exercise you do. You can lose weight and look like a “skinny, fat person” or you can lose weight and actually preserve some muscle mass to help burn additional calories. It’s crucial to learn about optimizing your nutrient intake first; if you’re reducing your calories, you need to make sure the calories you’re eating are providing a ton of nutrients...a lot of “bang for your buck” so to speak. Focus on whole grains (or as I like to say “think fiber, not carbs”), lean proteins, the omega 3’s and other healthy fats, and of course fruits and veggies. It’s important to learn what a portion size is to determine the amount of calories in particular foods; once you learn this and actually eat proper portion sizes, the weight loss part will come along for the ride.
AC: What are the three best tips for fat loss?
1. Monitor your intake with a food and exercise in a journal. It’s impossible to know what’s working if your haphazardly guessing. It's like swinging at a pinata; sometimes you hit and more often than not, you don't.
2. Learn about portion sizes.
3. Eat "real" foods. Stick to those that don't come from a box or a bag, but instead are closest to how they're found in nature (oats, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, chicken, fish, etc).
AC: And the three biggest mistakes?
1. Eating less but focusing on "empty" calories. Yes, you'll lose, but any hard earned muscle you had will go right down the toilet too. You can easily lose weight eating 4 Snicker's bars each day, but you sure as heck won't look or feel very good.
2. Focusing solely on steady state aerobics and avoiding weight training and intervals.
3. Starving yourself to lose.
AC: Do you work any differently with males and females? Particularly in regards to fat loss.
No. The only difference in my opinion would be their specific dietary needs meaning preferences, allergies, and calorie needs. They both need a reduction in calories and need to focus on nutrient dense foods. They both need to train hard, hit the weights, and try to preserve as much muscle mass as possible. They both need some type of interval work to ramp up their fat loss. Females may have some more “stubborn” areas than males, but the training would essentially be the same, as would the basic premises of the diet.
AC: I'm known for not recommending much in the way of steady state aerobics for the general population (I prefer interval work). However - for the competitive bodybuilder - it's a different story. How do YOUR recommendations change when we're talking about "beyond lean".
I too believe wholeheartedly in interval training. The one problem is because it’s so physically demanding, it can lead to over training when combined with hard weight workouts. So, I definitely recommend some steady state activity as well. There's no denying the mounds of research available showing total amount of physical activity enhances weight loss. As an aside, I do want to say that I don’t care when you do this---if you want to exercise on an empty stomach, enjoy. If you want to eat breakfast then exercise, enjoy. The difference in fat oxidation and all that crap that folks talk about is, ummm, crap. If you “burn” 300 calories during a session, you burn 300 calories. Eat immediately after you burn those calories and you just replaced those 300 calories. Eat before the activity and, well, you just burned the 300 calories you consumed. Either way, you’ve maintained energy balance for this example and there ain’t no way around that concept when you’re trying for fat loss. Negative energy balance means you’ll lose weight. Maintaining energy balance means you’ll maintain. Positive energy balance means you’ll gain. Folks who tell me that you can get around the energy balance equation likely also believe that the earth is flat. Of course within those three parameters, you have to focus on quality nutrients, training, etc so the “loss and gain” is primarily from fat and muscle, respectively.
AC: What other tips could you add of your own?
Don’t fall for fads. There are a lot of “experts” spewing their “words of wisdom.” You don’t have to make this too difficult, but it does take some effort, meaning there’s surely no quick fix.
AC: Do you use or recommend any supplements?
I don’t make blanket recommendations to folks; I think it depends on the particular situation or needs. For example, creatine is useful for most, but I’m not going to suggest a 45 year old mom who is looking to improve her diet and make some changes in the gym take creatine. Most folks rely too much on supplements and don’t focus on what is most important--diet and training. I personally take a multivitamin, post-workout supplement, glucosamine/chondroitin, omega-3’s, and a meal replacement powder if I'm tight for time.
AC: What are your goals as a coach?
Help people quickly and safely reach their goals. It’s not always winning a gold medal; sometimes it’s something simple like getting stronger to stand up out of a chair and play with your grandchildren. Seeing this actually happen is amazing and very gratifying.
AC: Ok - you've got 8 weeks to get Mr Smith ready to be a Hollywood action hero. He's about 30lbs over-fat. What do you do?
Look at his overall diet to see his current dietary practices and habits. Figure out his caloric needs for fat loss and work with him to develop a program he can and will follow. He’d be hitting the weights several times a week, focusing on whole body movements (squats, deadlifts, chins, bench press, etc), add some interval work to his routine, along with some steady state aerobic activity and he’d clearly be monitoring his diet---30 lbs in 8 weeks is tough, so he can’t waiver a bit in his efforts.
AC: Anything else you'd like to mention?
Never stop reading. You can learn something from everyone (well, almost everyone). If they at least cause you to think, the authors have done a good job and you’ve picked up something. Avoid the fads and focus on the basic principles, whether it’s nutrition or training, there's no way around them.
