Have you ever rushed out to buy the latest fad-diet pill, or tried one of those new gadgets they advertise day after day on the television or magazines? The ones that seem to magically dissolve fat in specific "problem" areas or claim to give you six pack abs in as little as 10 minutes per day. A lot of people have.
Unfortunately most things you read about or see on the late night commercials are really gimmicks. The truth is; reducing body-fat and losing weight is hard work. So, why make an effort? Because we want to look good, we want to feel good and when all of those come together, we know we are keeping our bodies well tuned and will be more confident about ourselves. We know we have to keep healthy inside and out. We want to keep our cholestrol and blood pressure down, our heart strong and fight off any diseases. We all want to age gracefully and there is no better way than through keeping active.
The key to effectively losing weight is a balance between exercise, eating right, getting proper rest and supplementing with the correct vitamins. All it takes is a minimum of 30 minutes of cardio per day. But sometimes it isn't enough if you really want to shred down a few sizes. Depending on your activity of choice, whether running, swimming, cycling, jumping rope, aerobics classes, walking or playing sports, you may need to push the envelope a bit. All in all work up to about 45 minutes to an hour a day. Aim for 3-5 days out of the week to perform this. I say 3-5 days a week because I don't know if you have 5 pounds to lose, or if you have 50 pounds to lose. So, depending on how much you're looking to get down to, figure it out. Three times a week is good starting point though. Personally I would recommend doing your activity in the morning prior to breakfast. The bonus of this is that you actually do burn a bit more body-fat as your body has been fasting for a period of time and can now readily utilise its fat stores. Another good reason is that you are more likely to stick to your routine when you do so in the morning time. Most people work until late, have to go home to their family, get dinner ready and then they have time for themselves. By that time the feet are propped on the couch and the remote is in one hand, and another excuse comes rolling off the tongue. However if you can't and must do it in the evening it is still going to help you reach your goal. Always remember: cardio + proper diet = better than just doing one of the two.
Onto the dreaded D word. DIET. We all cringe when we hear that. Rice cakes and never eating much come to mind. Have no fear, the D word is hip these days. It just means a healthy diet for a healthy body and soul. The key to a successful diet is balance. Eat 3 main meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and 1-2 small snacks between meals.
First off - THE BAD FATS MUST GO! Stay away from "bad" fat! Throw out those candies, chips and cookies. No more fast food, nothing fried. No more of these saturated fats and nasty artery clogging trans fats. SORRY but there is no way around it. Now don't try to go on eating no fat, our bodies need it to survive but the only places you should be getting your daily fat intake from are lean meats, chicken etc, as well as the foods that contain the "healthy" types of fat, which can be found in just about every type of fish (tuna, salmon, fish oil supplements), nuts, olive oil and flaxseed oil.
Lower the simple (bad) carbs! Which I like to call the white, processed, non-nutritional foods. The carbs that are high on the glycemic index because they cause a spike in your blood sugar levels as they are absorbed so rapidly (hence, no fibre). Foods like sugar, white bread, white rice, pasta, potatoes. Stick to high protein/good carb/low fat foods like tuna fish (and other seafood), chicken breast, turkey, lots of whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
Drink water! Get rid of the overloaded high-fructose soda, get rid of the bloating beer, and get rid of the sports drinks that contains more calories than a meal. Drink around a half gallon a day, more if you can. Spread it out throughout the day, just like your 5 meals. Water will give you energy and speed your weight loss. Isn't that what we want?
Another factor is strength-training. YES! Weightlifting isn't just great for muscles, it's great for losing weight. Muscles burn calories. Try to do so 3 times out of the week, not only will you tone up you'll also be strengthening your bones, improving posture through muscle conditioning, have fewer injuries as muscles are stronger, boost your metabolism, improve balance, prevent obesity, quality of life is enhanced when you are strong, prevents ailments associated with aging.
Now for the most important key to effectively losing weight... Sleep! The easiest, yet most over looked step. Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night. Lack of sleep leads to over-eating and a host of other problems.
So, you didn't have to buy the ab-rocket, or read pages of "Get your dream body in 10 minutes" or even purchase the "Eat what you want and still lose weight" magic pill. All it takes is motivation to get your going. A body that's taken care of is sexy, it's never too late to get back in shape. Get inspired today.
For those that are still looking for a bit more, here are some things you can take to get started to getting a lean mean fat-burning body:
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Green Tea Extract - Excellent for boosting metabolism and as a powerful antioxidant.
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Multi-Vitamin/Multi-Mineral - Research shows that persons taking a multi-vitamin were more likely to maintain a healthy weight.
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CLA - Derived from Safflower Oil, a double-blind placebo study proves CLA can reduce body-fat even after not changing their regular routine.
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Fish Oils - Another study shows it helps with stomach fat and is excellent for the skin, joints, heart, cholestrol, blood pressure, and brain (need I say more?).
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L-Carnitine - Helps transport fatty acids to be used as energy.
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Protein Powder - Whether soy, milk, egg or whey, protein powders help you maintain your weight, is good for the immune system and will help with lean muscle mass.
So Come on Cayman, Get Active!
Helki Weber is a Nutrition / Health Consultant at Cayman's GNC.
Comments (4)
RE: can't eat fish or seafood, most fruits
Well first of all I'm sure you read the comment posted by "C'est Moi" They have touched on all areas for a fail-proof weight loss and had some wonderful tips (like keeping a food journal.) As mentioned, there are lots of options out there even if you are allergic to Seafood, and most fruits. Explore the possibilities of Tofu, Tempeh, Products made from Brown Rice. Include ALOT of greens in your diet and use the colours, reds, oranges, greens, yellows etc. Include Turkey, Chicken and 100% whole grains. Make sure you bake, grill or steam your foods. If you must pan-fry, use healthy oils like Extra Virgin Coconut Oil or Olive Oil and use enough to lightly coat the pan.
Cardio is the key here also. You didn't mention how much walking, jogging, swimming, aerobics (etc) you are doing and for how long and how frequent. Though diet is 80% of the overall success, you should aim to do something everyday even for 30 minutes (all it takes is some brisk walking) if you can't, then a minimum of 3x per week for 30-45 minutes (or more )
would be good. Hope this helps. Let me know if I can help you with anything else.
Helki~
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Allergic to fish or seafood, you've still got options! :)
GOOD LUCK SHERRI!
KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK HELKI (and I do not know Helki personally but I am a fan of her great articles).
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