So, you have decided to finally shed those excess pounds? Good for you!
As I said in the summary, 63,1% of Americans are either overweight or obese. Truly horrifying numbers, wouldn't you agree? I'm glad you're one of the clever ones, who has decided to take action!
The first thing I want to do here is to urge you to take action immediately! Not tomorrow, not next week, but right now! This brings me to my first piece of advice.
1. Don't wait 'til tomorrow to do what you can do right now
A healthy diet plan and exercise regimen, the key tenets of weight loss, are both based on self-discipline. I cannot stress this enough: Do what you do with a sense of urgency! Do not wait, get on it right now!
2. Eat smaller meals more often
To help your body metabolize faster, and digest better, it's best to eat plenty (5-6) small meals a day, instead of three large ones.
3. Begin exchanging "unhealthies" for "healthies"
This step is dead-easy to understand, and one of the easier ones to pull off. Feel like a can of Coke? Have a glass of water. Feel like a snack? Have an apple or an orange. These things will reset your balance, and make your cravings that much easier to cope with. Don't get me wrong, it's not going to be a picnic to get rid of the desire for fatty, sugary foods, but you can help yourself a great deal through this step.
4. Make a decision on how often you are allowed to eat sweets and junk food
I'm not asking you to become super-human here, I want you to lead a full life. To most, this means some degree of sugar and unhealthy fats. This is okay! The key here is to separate the occasions. The best thing is to have, say, one day a week where you're allowed to eat pizza for dinner and popcorn as a snack, while you try to eat healthy the rest of the week.
5. Begin to think along the lines of "earning"
Do you feel a craving for a chocolate bar? Make yourself earn it! Don't make excuses, and don't be too easy on yourself, just earn it! Have you spent an hour at the gym, half an hour on the treadmill, and taken care of the kids all evening? Then you have earned something tasty. Don't get me wrong, I prefer it if you choose an apple or an orange, but sometimes you have to treat yourself to something. And, hey, if you decide to treat yourself to an apple instead of a chocolate bar, you can really pride yourself on having gotten somewhere in your thinking. Most people don't get that far - it's something to aim for!
6. Exercise, exercise and exercise
Don't give me any "But it's so boring!" now! Exercise can be fun and, more importantly, the results are definitely fun! When I started working out, I was so weak, it was pathetic. After a couple of months, I started noticing that I was getting stronger - my arms became more bulging and muscle-y, the heavy grocery bags were suddenly not so heavy anymore, and so forth. This was when I became a gym freak, and decided to start helping others feel like I did!
7. Start off easy
Your body will always require time to adjust to any major difference, which is why I recommend taking it in steps.
To lose one pound of fat, you must burn approximately 3500 calories over and above what you already burn doing daily activities. This would be a daunting amount to lose in a day or two, but if you cut 500 calories a day, you'll be losing four pounds a month. Not too shabby, huh? If you're like I was, and enjoy your fatty foods, you can probably cut a lot more by increasing your exercise levels and exchanging junk food for healthier alternatives.
As far as exercises goes, if you are a beginner, begin with 20-30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise (bicycling, treadmill, jogging, boxercise) three times a week, then you can start adding more and more as you go along. Once your heart is up to speed, consider adding gym workouts for toning and for building muscle. The ultimate goal is 45-60 minutes 4-5 times a week, then you're really getting somewhere!
8. Take action now!
I simply cannot stress this enough, because it's a point that passes most people by. Do it now. Pick out a diet plan right now, and begin structuring it. Tomorrow, go down to the gym and sign up for a membership. At the very least, read through my website, and then take a long walk.
I hope to hear from you again, and I wish you all the best in your endeavors. May you have a healthy day!
Jimmy Kareliussén
My website, a large, FREE health & fitness resource: [http://www.lotusfitness.net]
My diet plan suggestion: [http://lotusfitness.net/thedietsolution.html]
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jimmy_Kareliussen
No comments:
Post a Comment