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Rich Weil, MEd, CDE

Joined: 02/03/2010

Expert Profile:

Rich is an exercise physiologist and certified diabetes educator. He is director of the New York Obesity Research Center Weight Loss Program at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City.
www.nyweightloss.org/
www.facebook.com/NewYorkORCWeightLossProgram

Rich is the author of dozens of articles on exercise and health and has written or contributed to the exercise chapters of several books, including Time-Life's The Gym Workout. He has appeared on many TV and radio shows, including CBS's This Morning, The Phil Donahue Show, CBS news radio, and PBS television, and has contributed to many newspaper and magazine articles, including those in The New York Daily News, The New York Post, O, the OprahMagazine, Cosmopolitan, and Women's Day.

Rich has consulted with the National PTA organization to address the problem of obesity in youth, and he has done research on body composition as well as investigating the effects of exercise on prevention of type 2 diabetes in teenagers. He speaks nationally about exercise, obesity, diabetes, and health to health professionals and the general public.

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Reply: Excercises for 12" loop resistance bands?

Here you go Jeannie. Let me know how it goes! ...

Posted by Rich Weil, MEd, CDE

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Excercises for 12" loop resistance bands? Here you go Jeannie. Let me know how it goes! ...

Reply: Looking for a new strength training workout

Have you considered having a look at some of the muscle magazines? They always...

Posted by Rich Weil, MEd, CDE

9 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Looking for a new strength training workout Have you considered having a look at some of the muscle magazines? They always...

Reply: Feeling fatigued and sleepy after exercise.

You're welcome. I look forward to hearing back from you. Rich

Posted by Rich Weil, MEd, CDE

3 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Feeling fatigued and sleepy after exercise. You're welcome. I look forward to hearing back from you. Rich

Reply: Advice Needed

Congratulations on your weight loss. How much your skin will tighten depends on...

Posted by Rich Weil, MEd, CDE

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Advice Needed Congratulations on your weight loss. How much your skin will tighten depends on...

Reply: Exercise

And although you want exercises for home, of course water classes and swimming...

Posted by Rich Weil, MEd, CDE

5 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Exercise And although you want exercises for home, of course water classes and swimming...

Reply: Exercise

Hi Littletree, First I suggest straight leg raises to strengthen the muscles...

Posted by Rich Weil, MEd, CDE

5 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Exercise Hi Littletree, First I suggest straight leg raises to strengthen the muscles...

Reply: Red/Puffy Face from Exercise

Hi Jennifer, A red face is common during a workout, particularly in people who...

Posted by Rich Weil, MEd, CDE

4 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Red/Puffy Face from Exercise Hi Jennifer, A red face is common during a workout, particularly in people who...

Reply: Leg cramps after excercise

Hi Jamm Nocturnal cramping (and daytime cramping) is common but the precise...

Posted by Rich Weil, MEd, CDE

Hi Jamm

Nocturnal cramping (and daytime cramping) is common but the precise cause is not always easy to determine. It can be due to medications, nutritional deficiencies, poor circulation, dehydration, and other factors. Your doctor can help rule out medical issues (and ask your doctor about quinine as treatment as this can sometimes help nocturnal cramping).

Here are some excellent WebMD resources.

http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/tc/nighttime-leg-cramps-topic-overview
http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/muscle-spasms-cramps-charley-horse
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/muscle-cramps-directory
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/heat-cramps

And here are exercise and hydration guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Athletic Trainers' Association are the following:

1. Pre-Hydration: Drink 17 to 20 fl oz of water or a sports drink 2 to 3 hours before exercise to enable fluid absorption and allow urine output to return toward normal levels. 7 to 10 ounces of water or a sports drink 10 to 20 minutes before exercise.

2. During exercise fluid replacement should approximate sweat and urine losses and at least maintain hydration at less than 2% body weight reduction. This generally requires 7 to 10 ounces every 10 to 20 minutes during exercise. More than 2% loss of body weight will affect performance, particularly endurance performance.

3. CHO concentrations greater than 8% increase the rate of CHO delivery to the body but compromise the rate of fluid emptying from the stomach and absorbed from the intestine. Fruit juices, CHO gels, sodas, and some sports drinks have CHO concentrations greater than 8% and are not recommended during an exercise session as the sole beverage. Excessive CHO can cause gas, upset stomach, and diarrhea. Carbohydrate consumption at a rate of app 30-60 grams per hour has been shown to maintain blood glucose levels and sustain exercise performance

4. Post-exercise hydration should aim to correct any fluid loss accumulated during exercise. Rehydration should contain water to restore hydration status, carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores, and electrolytes to speed rehydration. A liter of water weighs app 2.25 pounds. You should weigh yourself nude before and after exercise to determine how much fluid you lose so you know how much to replace.

5. Include CHOs in the rehydration beverage during exercise if the session lasts longer than 45 to 50 minutes or is intense. Drinking 1 liter of a 6% CHO drink per hour of exercise will be adequate.

6. Inclusion of sodium in fluid-replacement beverages or salted snacks should be considered to help stimulate thirst and retain fluids under the following conditions:
a. inadequate access to meals or meals not eaten;
b. physical activity exceeding 4 hours in duration;
c. during the initial days of hot weather.

Under these conditions, adding modest amounts of salt (0.3 to 0.7 g/L) can offset salt loss in sweat and minimize medical events associated with electrolyte imbalances (eg, muscle cramps, hyponatremia). Adding a modest amount of salt
(0.3 to 0.7 g/L) to all hydration beverages would be acceptable to stimulate thirst, increase voluntary fluid intake, and decrease the risk of hyponatremia (low sodium levels) and should cause no harm.

Take care,
RichView Thread

Posted byRich Weil, MEd, CDE

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Leg cramps after excercise Hi Jamm Nocturnal cramping (and daytime cramping) is common but the precise...

Reply: Leg cramps after excercise

Hi Jammnbabe, Nocturnal (nighttime) cramping is common but the precise cause...

Posted by Rich Weil, MEd, CDE

Hi Jammnbabe,

Nocturnal (nighttime) cramping is common but the precise cause is not always easy to determine. It can be due to medications, nutritional deficiencies such as electrolytes), dehydration, poor circulation, and other factors. It could just be overuse from your workouts too. I suggest that you speak with your doctor about it to rule out medical reasons (ask your doctor about taking quinine for nocturnal cramping as this is an often overlooked treatment)

WebMD has some excellent resources regarding cramps.

http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/tc/nighttime-leg-cramps-topic-overview

http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/muscle-spasms-cramps-charley-horse

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/muscle-cramps-directory

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/heat-cramps

And here are hydration guidelines.

Hydration guidelines should be individualized for each person. The goal is to prevent excessive weight loss (>2% of body weight). You should weigh yourself before and after exercise to see how much fluid you lose through sweat. One liter of water weighs 2.25 pounds. Depending on the amount of exercise, temperature and humidity, body weight, and other factors, you can lose anywhere from approximately .4 to 1.8 liters per hour.

Pre-exercise hydration (if needed):

1) 0.5 liters per hour for a 180-pound person several hours (3-4 hours) prior to exercise.

2) Consuming beverages with sodium and/or small amounts of salted snacks or sodium-containing foods at meals will help to stimulate thirst and retain the consumed fluids.

During exercise:

1) Suggested starting points for marathon runners is 0.4 to 0.8 liters per hour, but again, it should be individualized based on body weight loss.

2) No more than 10% carbohydrate in the beverage, and 7% has generally been considered close to optimal. Carbohydrate consumption is generally recommended only after one hour of exertion.

3) Electrolyte repletion (sodium and potassium) can help sustain electrolyte balance during exercise. Particularly when

a) there is inadequate access to meals or meals are not eaten;

b) physical activity exceeds 4 hours in duration;

c) during the initial days of hot weather.

Under these conditions, adding modest amounts of salt (0.3 to 0.7 g/L) can offset salt loss
in sweat and minimize medical events associated with electrolyte imbalances (eg, muscle cramps, hyponatremia).

Post-exercise:

1) Drink approximately 0.5 liters of water for every pound of body weight lost.

2) Consuming beverages and snacks with sodium will help expedite rapid and complete
recovery by stimulating thirst and fluid retention

Good luck.
RichView Thread

Posted byRich Weil, MEd, CDE

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Leg cramps after excercise Hi Jammnbabe, Nocturnal (nighttime) cramping is common but the precise cause...

Reply: Pear shape weight loss exercise

Running will help burn fat and shape your legs, but you never know what the...

Posted by Rich Weil, MEd, CDE

Running will help burn fat and shape your legs, but you never know what the result will be until you try. So set up your running for 4-5 times a week and see how it goes. Genetics certainly plays a big role in body shape, so you should wait to see how it goes without too many expectations. As for losing 8kg in one month, that would be more than 4 pounds a week. So to do that you would need to cut out more than 2000 calories a day, every day, for 30 days. When you do the math, and start counting calories, you'll see that it's going to be next to impossible to do this unless you do something exceptionally drastic, and then almost certainly once you stop doing that and start eating regularly again you'll gain weight back. And that would be if you were even consuming more than 2000 calories a day, which I have to bet that you're not doing. And you also need to consider that your BMI is already in the healthy range at 23.7 so it's unrealistic to expect it to go to 20.8 in 30 days, and furthermore, why would you want to do that? There's research to show that you could even decrease your health by having a BMI that low. And even if you could get to that weight, chances are you will have a very difficult time maintaining it. My suggestion is to forget the scale and start focusing on body composition (the amount of muscle and fat on your body) and shaping your physique. You can measure your body fat with a BIA scal from Omron or Tanita, or have them take it at your gym. I also suggest that you take circumference measurements. The standard circumference measurements are arms (flexed and relaxed), chest (after a normal exhale), shoulders (the widest part), waist (the narrowest part below the ribs and above the belly button), abdomen (across the belly button), buttocks (at the maximum extension of the buttocks), gluteal/thigh (high on the thigh at the groove where the buttocks end), mid-thigh (halfway between the crease in the groin and the top of the knee cap), and calf (at the maximum circumference, either with leg hanging freely off a table or with legs 8 inches apart and weight distributed evenly). Keep the tape horizontal during measurements and pull the tape lightly so it indents the skin only slightly.

You can check the WebMD diet Communities for your nutrition questions.

Feel free to post back if you have more questions. Rich

View Thread

Posted byRich Weil, MEd, CDE

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Pear shape weight loss exercise Running will help burn fat and shape your legs, but you never know what the...

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