Many of the women who come into the Vibra-Train studio where I work mornings list weightloss as one of their goals.

For some it’s the first question they ask me, “Will I lose weight?” I explain, yes, but I think what they really want to lose is fat.  It’s very important to explain that they might not actually lose weight in the first few weeks of their vibration training sessions.  I tell them they will lose some fat and gain some muscle so weighing themself is not an accurate measure of what’s happening.  It is even possible that by working-out hard they might even gain a little weight at first which can be a bit off-putting unless they understand what is really happening.

Lloyd Shaw, owner of Vibra-Train, tells customers to look in the mirror without clothes on, first thing in the morning.  Morning is important as any swelling, fluid retention and hormonal issues will have settled overnight.  Then in three weeks time (about 10 – 12 vibration training sessions) they should look in the mirror again and they will see some shape change.  I think they don’t even need to look again to know they’ve lost fat as they tell me their jeans have become loose or their belt has had to be tightened.  Women also tend to lose size from their bust which is a very good excuse for a fun shopping afternoon with girlfriends.

Some customers get concerned that the scales are still saying they weigh exactly the same as when they started or so little loss as to be inconsequential but when they do look into the mirror again they see how their body has toned up.  They notice the areas fat has gone from, often their belly and their buttocks.  Sometimes they notice increased muscle definition but most women aren’t really interested in this.

A few customers have said they’ve changed their diet and cut out “bad” foods and they attribute their changed shape to this but it can’t be true when they haven’t lost weight?  Eating healthier foods or changing one’s diet is important but it’s my opinion that it’s better to leave diet alone and increase exercise for at least the first two weeks of any weightloss/fatloss program.  Exercise increases metabolism (the rate of calorie burn) and that’s enough.  In fact severely reducing calorie intake is counterproductive as the body reacts to this starvation by holding onto fat and even by storing more fat around the internal organs.

After a few weeks of exercise weightloss usually begins.  This is the time to look at diet.  One visit to a qualified dietician can be helpful or simply following a balanced eating plan.  I don’t personally like restrictive diets so I avoid discussion about them, instead telling customers to eat protein after exercise.  This helps with healing and muscle repair and of course if one has eaten protein they are less likely to crave sweet foods and carbohydrate treats.

I’ve seen some good changes in customers who have come in seeking weightloss and toning.  It’s a prvilege to be a small part in their success.