Fitness Guru Jorge Cruise Offers Advice
May 13, 2002 -- Jorge Cruise Author of 8 Minutes In the Morning has spent the last few weeks training with Good Morning America's military wives. The women, who want to get in shape for the return of their husbands, have found success using Cruise's workout plan and diet modifications. Cruise answered some of our selected e-mail questions in the Q&A below.
Question: All my life I have struggled with weight loss and have tried numerous things but nothing has ever worked. I religiously watch Good Morning America and today's show about these women losing weight really motivated me to do the same. My problem is eating on schedule and knowing what to eat. Please help me find the right solution.
— Reema
Jorge's Answer: For many years, we've been misled with sayings like "no pain, no gain." You can actually lose weight and gain muscle using 8 minutes of strength training in the morning. This kind of exercise will increase your lean muscle tissue, and that will help you burn calories 24 hours a day. Strength training is what helped our military wives lose the weight. Aerobics are great and important for the heart, but strength training is what will help you get results. Get yourself started with some easy exercises. For descriptions, click here.
As far as your eating habits go — you should concentrate most on portion control. There are no bad foods. You don't have to replace pizza and burgers from your life, but you can't have huge portions of these foods. If you want pizza, have a slice and stop there. If you need help with portion control you can find a simple solution in my book, 8 Minutes In the Morning. I provide eating cards which demonstrate what your portions should look like for the day.
Flaxseed oil really helped our Good Morning America military wives lose weight, too. The healthy omega 3 oil helps curb appetite because it satiates the hunger. People who cut fat out of their diet completely are always hungry due to the lack of fat. Flax is not stored in the body as body fat in the way that butter is. It's mostly used by your skin and hair. Also, Reema, remember to eat only when you are hungry.
Question: I have rheumatoid arthritis (my hands and wrists are bad) and I cannot lean on my wrists to do the floor exercises. Are there other exercises I could do? — Diane
Jorge' Answer: You are not alone Diane. I received several questions from people who have rheumatoid arthritis and other medical problems that cause them pain when exercising. I encourage you to see your doctor for advice on how to keep your upper body strong without causing stress to your hands and wrists. It's really important to consult your doctor before you try any new exercise routine when you have existing medical concerns.
Question: What is the best way to know that you are not you are not going to have big muscles? I want to have long lean muscles not bulky muscle!
— Wendy
Jorge's Answer:Great question Wendy, here's the scoop: Women are always scared they are going to get bulky when strength training but that's nothing but a myth. It's physiologically impossible for women to get big and bulky through exercise because they don't make enough testosterone to become really bulky. Men produce up to 30 times more testosterone than women. When you strength train, your muscles won't get bulky, they'll get more firm and sexier!
Question: I am trying to stay fit for my entire lifetime, but I want to ensure that I will fit into my wedding dress in one month. What is the best way to do this without causing much stress? I am 5' 6" and 126 lbs and I exercise 5 days a week.
— Tammy
Jorge's Answer:Strength training will support your bones and keep you healthy and looking firm and fit. Do it daily, for 8 minutes in the morning and supplement with power walking.
Question: I have a tendency to carry my weight mostly in my hips and thighs. I jog two miles when I get the chance and I have lost weight. But my weight loss has been from the waist up. I lost my giggle in my arms and went down a couple of bra sizes and my shoulders are starting to look more defined. Is there some sort of exercise that I can do that will help me with my hips and thighs?
— Leslie
Jorge's Answer: It sounds as if you might need to watch what you are eating more closely. You might be eating more calories than you're burning in a day. Remember to watch your portions and don't turn to food as your friend. If things are not going well, get support from others. I welcome you to join our online community on ABCNEWS.com and on JorgeCruise.com for support. Communicating with others really helped our military wives lose weight.
Question: My daughter is getting married July 13 and I would like to lose about 10-15 pounds before then. I also would like to improve my posture and get rid of my flabby arms. I do Jazzercise two to three nights a week. Any suggestions?
— Felicia
Jorge's Answer: Well, jazzercise is great for the heart and lungs, but you need to supplement your routine with strength training in order to get your body to burn calories all day long.