Do you find yourself more confused or lost with all the overloaded information out there on health? Consistently we have new diets coming out on a regular basis, exercise routines promised to get quicker results, and the latest fitness gimmicks on the market. No wonder the average person is even more confused these days! We are more aware about our health now than we were 50 years ago but yet people are gaining weight each year. People, it's back to the basics and I will be discussing key steps that will help you lose fat loss!
First thing, write down a list of your short and long term goals. We need to know what you are aiming for so you can take action to succeed! Visualize yourself how you would like to achieve it or imagine how it would be like to get to that point. That is a motivational boost just thinking about it and some days you may not want to work hard but this can be a reminder for yourself. Next step is to keep a diary and write down a log of what you did, how you felt that day, foods that you ate, how much rest you had for the day or night, and keep track of your exercise program. By categorizing each one into your diary you can evaluate how you felt at that time, the next day, or for the week. You can reflect back if any necessary changes need to be made or improved.
Secondly, do you expect to get in shape by eating those chips, chocolates, dough nuts, and pastries? The reality is that 70% of fat loss is what we put in our mouth. Most people will have a great workout burning anywhere from 400 calories that day and ruining their workout by having a post workout meal or shake that is more than 400 calories. This doesn't make sense unless you are looking to gain weight or get bigger, our topic here is focusing on fat loss. So, we need to go back to the basics and understand that if you consume fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. There is no secret to this and if you follow a nice healthy controlled diet along with a good exercise program you will see results. We are sometimes mislead by the media, products, fitness clubs, and businesses out there engraving information that is more confusing than it should be. We need to incorporate healthy vegetables, good fats such as flaxseed oil or olive oil, and quality essential protein in our diet. Ensure your carbohydrates are foods such as broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, berries, and apples because they are low on the glycemic index. Besides the carbohydrates, we need essential fats and high quality protein sources added to our diet. People need to understand that fat does not make you fatter. What makes you fat is excessive calories, especially the wrong calories. A healthy fat is great for your internal organs, skin, joints, and your hormonal production. What we should be avoiding more is salt, sodium and sugar. By reducing your amount in salt and sodium will help reduce your blood pressure or long term risk for cardiovascular disease. Reducing your sugar levels will get your glucose state in a healthy range to induce fat loss. The only time sugar may benefit you is after a workout so the protein can get to the worked muscles. Also, if you have low fat in your diet it will convert into low testosterone and low progesterone for men and women. Without the adequate amount of fat it will hinder results for you to build muscle. Why? A recommended amount of fat in your diet should be about 30% so that you have adequate amount of testosterone enabling you to build muscle. A key component in getting rid of fat or keeping it off is to build muscle. Since we are on the topic of food, is anybody up for a grilled fish with salad that includes romaine lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, and olive oil as dressing? Well, this is an example how you should be eating on a regular basis so you can achieve those results in your fat loss but also staying healthy. So, how often do you need to eat in a day? Traditionally, fitness trainers will suggest 5-6 meals a day with smaller proportion meals but in my opinion this doesn't work for everyone. Some people get by fine with three excellent meals a day and others may do just as well with 2 excellent meals along with snacks throughout the day. As long as your meals and snacks are healthy then you are doing fine. The important thing to remember is that you are eating what works for you and something that is catered specifically for your long term lifestyle. We all have different lifestyles and schedules so follow a healthy pattern that is only suited for you.
The next part I would like to address is a steady exercise program since the previous section I discussed the importance of building muscle. With building muscle or following an intense strength program, you increase your metabolism. During this process you burn calories and when you stop, you will still continue to burn calories up to 24 hours. Read my other article about Optimal Fat Loss-High Intensity Interval Training and you will have a better understanding. The easiest way or concept on how building muscle functions is similar to me writing this article and people are sending me emails requesting personal consulting or group training after reading this article. I am continuing to still get paid after writing this article because my calories are still being burned. With low intensity cardio, you will only burn calories during that time duration and once you stop the calories will stop as well. So, after I stop my work here I don't get paid. No wonder you see the same people on the treadmill talking on their cell phones and they never progress or see improvement. If that person is capable of holding onto their cellphone and talking at the same time, then they are not really exercising. That is the importance of having a well designed program that includes resistance training and a cardiovascular routine.
Another important aspect is resting. It is crucial to seeing results or the transformation of your body. When you are sleeping this is when you body is making its changes. We need sleep so we can concentrate optimally, perform better, reaction times are steady, prevent memory lapses, mood issues, and behavior problems. Your hormones that will be affected are growth hormone, testosterone, DHEA, and melatonin while you are sleeping. Lack of sleep results in a increased level of cortisol that is released and this makes a person more hungrier. Your body will not metabolize carbohydrates as efficiently due to the increased blood sugar levels resulting in higher insulin levels and fat storage. The suggested amount of sleep is a minimum of eight hours per night for our metabolism to work normally. Sleep is just as important besides having a healthy nutrition and exercise program.
The last part I would like to discuss comes within yourself! No matter how hard the road may seem you have to dig deep to reach your goals. I found things easier when I broke it down into smaller goals rather than the big picture because it can be discouraging at times. Once you accomplish the smaller goals, aim for the next thing on your list. Also, having another person who is on the same path like yourself helps immensely but sometimes you wont have that person around all the time. You have to continue to persevere and keep plugging away until you can see, smell and feel the finish line. Think about it, you can look at things from this perspective and when you accomplish your goals you can appreciate how you got to your long awaited destination!
