How to beat the middle-age spread. Is a key factor missing from your weight-control strategy?

Gloria Polkis, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, shares a story that may sound strikingly familiar to many of us. In her early 20s, at 5 feet 6 inches tall, she weighed a little more than 110 pounds. Five years later she was 60 pounds heavier, and her lifelong struggle to lose weight had begun. For the next two decades Gloria tried virtually every popular weight-loss plan on the market.

"During that time period I lost a total of more than 100 pounds," she recalls. "Losing weight was never a problem. Keeping it off was another matter. It seems that no matter how hard I tried, sooner or later I always gained the weight back." Gloria was not alone in her struggle to lose weight and keep it off.

Despite the so-called fitness revolution American men and women are getting fatter. It is estimated that 56 million adults are at least 20 percent above their ideal body weight. More of us appear to be losing the battle against middle-age spread, that gradual change in body shape where everything seems to slide downward and comfortably settle around our hips and thighs. If you are one of the many who have experienced a slow, steady thickening of your midsection, don't be too hard on yourself. It's not always a sign of overeating or lack of discipline.

It is ironic that our body, in its distorted way of thinking, is actually doing us a favor by storing fat. Fat is a highly concentrated energy source that can be used to fuel the body when food is scarce. We conserve fat for those hard times that, for most of us, never come. One pound of fat is equivalent to roughly 3,500 calories of stored energy. The accumulation of these extra calories can occur over a period of weeks, months, even years. It is an additive process with a flexible time frame. As a consequence, seemingly insignificant increases in body fat occurring on a consistent basis can result in major physiological changes. This slow but steady weight gain is often referred to as "creeping obesity."

To complicate matters even further, at the same time we are slowly gaining fat most of us are also slowly losing muscle. What does this have to do with the middle-age spread? More than most people realize! Muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue, so it requires many more calories, even at rest. As you begin to lose muscle, even though your activity levels may remain about the same you will burn fewer calories for any given period of time. This may not make much of a difference over a few days a few weeks or even a few months, but over the long haul it can have a dramatic effect on your weight as well as your overall body composition.

Despite this somewhat gloomy forecast, the fact remains that you can beat the middle-age spread. Gloria Polkis is living testament to that fact. Today, after years of searching, she has finally discovered the formula for success. "I've learned to eat sensibly and to be more active, and I've also realized the importance of strengthening and toning my muscles."

Fitness experts agree with Gloria that all three elements are essential for maintaining a healthy weight, and that strength training appears to be the key factor that makes the program work. Ironically, it's also the ingredient most often left out of the weight-loss recipe.

Developing Your Program

The only proven way to lose body fat is to burn up more calories than you consume. In short, energy out must exceed energy in! When you create a deficit of approximately 3,500 calories, whether it be over days, weeks, or months, you will lose one pound of fat. You can manipulate the energy equation in your favor by doing one or more of the following

1. Reduce the number of calories consumed daily (diet).

2. Increase the number of calories burned daily through increased activity.

3. Increase the number of calories burned daily through increased metabolism.

Dieting is undoubtedly the most popular weight-loss method. It is also the least likely to succeed. Statistics show that 95 percent of people who attempt to lose weight by dieting (unsupplemented by exercise) regain the lost weight, usually within a year or two. Besides, who wants to (or can) stay on a strict diet for an extended period of time? We usually stick to our plan for a while, suffer a lack of willpower, revert back to our old eating habits, and regain the lost weight. Diets just don't work over the long haul.

Increased activity is a better choice. Regular aerobic exercise such as walking, running, biking, and stair climbing will burn extra calories and promote fat loss, but sometimes even that isn't enough.

It is the third factor--increased metabolism--that may ultimately be the most important factor affecting long-term success or failure. How do you increase your metabolism? Add muscle! Increase your muscle mass, and you will automatically burn dozens of extra calories each day, just by being alive. This can result in significant fat loss over time, and also helps to keep the weight off once you've lost it.

Why Strength Training?

Although you will burn more calories during an aerobic workout than you will during a session of strength training, the energy-burning benefits of the aerobic workout end shortly after the exercise stops. In contrast, the effects of strength training last long after you have showered and left the gym. Adding muscle to your frame fuels the fire for long-term energy burning by revving up your metabolic furnace. Even a slight increase in metabolism can have dramatic effects over the long haul since the calorie burning is multiplied by 60 minutes an hour, 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

And the benefits go much further than mere fat loss. Regular strength training stimulates bone growth, which helps to offset the effects of osteoporosis as we get older, a particular concern for women. Toned muscles also improve our balance and body control and change the shape of our body, providing a more youthful appearance.

It is important to differentiate between weight lifting and strength training. Competitive weight lifting focuses on developing strength for maximal lifts (how much weight you can lift one time). Strength training puts greater emphasis on toning and overall muscular development. You don't have to spend inordinate hours in the gym to see results. Choose a variety of exercises that work the major muscle groups, including the abdominals, thighs, chest and back, shoulders, triceps and biceps. If you aren't comfortable in the health club scene, you can work out just as effectively in the comfort of your own home. Your muscles won't know the difference between the resistance generated from an expensive weight machine, hand-held dumbbells, or your own body weight. Old standards such as push-ups, pull-ups, and sit-ups are still good choices. The key to achieving positive results is consistent effort, proper form, and training on a regular basis.

Keep in mind that the old adage "no pain, no gain" doesn't hold true! You don't have to push your body to its absolute limits to realize benefits. Start slowly and set realistic goals. Stick to your program, and you will be surprised at the results. You'll improve your strength and vitality, increase metabolism, burn extra calories, and slowly reshape your body. Gloria Polkis has done it. As of this writing Gloria has lost more than 60 pounds and kept the weight off for the past two years. She's reduced from a size 24 1/2 to a size 12 and is still going down. Best of all, she feels better and looks healthier.

"Although it doesn't sound like much, I can walk steps again and cross my legs when sitting,' she says. "I feel better all the time." Gloria is well on her way to beating the middle-age spread. You can do it too.

NOTE: Always consult your physician before beginning an exercise program.

Joseph Luxbacher holds a Ph.D. in health, physical, and recreation education. He has authored 10 books and numerous articles on health-and-fitness-related topics, He writes and lectures extensively in the field of exercise, nutrition, and weight control.