| The most fundamental basis for changing one's
lifestyle includes a balance between exercise and nutrition. It is quite
normal for the body weight to actually increase in the beginning of any
weight loss program. However, weight gain does not necessarily equal an
increase in body fat. Often, the imbalance in body fluids and changes in
muscle tone represent how the body is adapting to the training. Not surprisingly,
the first visit to the scales can be a hair-raising shock. Conceivably,
two people with the same fat to muscle ratio can end up with two different
readings on the scales. The role of physical activity in accelerating weight
loss lies in the increased rate of metabolism which, combined with a low-calorie
diet, leads to a reduction in body fat. Unfortunately, the amount of extra
calories burned with certain activities is often overrated. This means
that a single full course meal can be enough to counteract all the benefits
of a week-long exercise regimen.
Obviously, the 'secret formula' to reasonable
weight loss lies not only in your diet, but also in a series of lifestyle
changes involving nutrition and exercise. Pills and potions to reduce your
appetite, nutritionally unbalanced diets and other weight loss tips found
in magazines seldom lead to any permanent weight loss. So if you are serious
about losing those 'love handles' once and for all, then you need to take
action immediately to change your entire lifestyle.
Try these helpful hints for burning those
calories:
-
Try to do at least 30 minutes of low impact,
moderate exercise (walking, etc) at least three times per week. Start off
easy, and gradually increase over time.
-
The BEST exercise for losing weight is WALKING.
Plain and simple walking. You should walk briskly, but not to the point
where you are short of breath. You should be able to carry on a conversation.
Whatever exercise you do to lose weight,
be sure it is aerobic. This means that you do not run short of breath.
When you run short of breath and have to breath deeply (anerobic exercise),
your body will burn sugar and not as much fat.
-
Keep track of your measurements (inches) as well
as pounds. Write them down every week. Inches will come off even though
weight is not coming off, or coming off slowly. This is due to muscle build
up in your body. Muscle is heavier than fat.
-
Wherever you work, walk along the longest route
posible to get from wherever you are - to wherever you're going. (But don't
be late!)
-
Keep your exercise bikes or equipment in plain
sight. This acts as a constant reminder of the effort you have invested,
so you don't eat the wrong foods and waste those efforts.
-
Always warm up with strecthing, etc. before exercising.
This will make your body burn more fat when you actually do start exercising,
and will help prevent accidental muscle damage.
-
PLAY with your kids! It is hard enough for us
to find time to be with them with all the pressures of life. Play some
kind of game requiring physical movement. They will love you for it, and
you will benefit in more ways than you can imagine.
-
Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
-
When parking your car at a store, park it as
far away from the store as possible. This will also reduce dents in your
car doors from careless people.
ABS- If you sit a lot at your job or at home,
you probably have a flabby stomach. In order to tighten your abdonimal
muscles / stomach, you should: stand or sit with a tall posture, and hold
your stomach in as much as possible. The best exercise you can do during
the day to tighten your abs is: When you exhale, pull your stomach in,
pushing the air out. Pull your stomach in tightly and a little quickly,
then let it out naturally while you breath air back in the lungs. Pulling
the stomach in tightly acts to push the air out of your lungs as you build
your ab muscles.
Eat less and you won't have to exercise as
much!
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