When it comes to weight loss efforts:
Do you define success based on what the scale says?
Do you perform traditional gym routines using machines?
Do you obsess about the calories you consume?
If you answered YES to ANY of the above questions, despite good intentions, you could be undermining your weight loss success!
Here are the Top 8 Do's & Don'ts for successful Weight Loss:
- DON'T TRUST THE SCALE...DO MEASURE PROGRESS BY HOW YOUR CLOTHES FIT! The scale is NOT the best indicator of FAT loss! Lean muscle is smaller and weighs more than fat. By losing fat and toning up, you become smaller in size (as evidenced by how your clothes fit). However, the scale may stay the same or even increase!
- DON'T SKIP MEALS...DO EAT 3 MEALS & 2 SNACKS EVERYDAY! Skipping meals eliminates calories in the short run, but sets you up for failure in the long run! You're more likely to overeat at your next meal and more importantly your body reverts to basic primal instincts. Your body can't differentiate between intentional lack of calories and scarcity of food! In fact, Sumo wrestlers who strive to be big and fat eat only twice a day because it slows metabolism and increases levels of fat storing hormones. To keep your metabolism in high gear, feed your body throughout the day!
- DON'T WASTE TIME AT THE GYM...DO MULTI-TASK! Traditional gym routines are very time consuming with a limited focus on specific muscle groups without the benefit of simultaneous cardio and core training. It's very wise to Multi Task with HYBRID exercises. Hybrid exercise combines Weight Resistance, Core Exercise and Cardio in one movement so you do 3x the exercise in 1/3 the time!
- DON'T WORK...DO FUN! Traditional gym workouts by design are hard and meant to feel like work. By choosing FUN workouts you increase the likelihood of making these lifestyle changes permanent.
- DON'T BE QUIET...DO MAKE NOISE (LOTS OF IT)! Tell people and recruit others to join you in setting personal goals for improved health! By verbalizing goals you hold yourself more accountable for your actions. It also allows others to celebrate your progress and encourage you along the way!
- DON'T MEMORIZE...DO CONFUSE! Your same old routine may be memorized, but it doesn't maximize your efforts. Choose workout that continually challenge your body in many different ways, so you see continued results day after day.
- DON'T SLOUCH...DO MAINTAIN GOOD POSTURE! Bad posture burns fewer calories than good posture! Good posture requires more muscles to be activated, which in turn burns more calories! Added benefit, you look 10 pounds lighter when you stand up straight!
- DON'T DIET...DO BURN CALORIES! There's more to weight loss than just calories consumed! It's a simple mathematical fact that the only way to achieve weight loss is by burning more calories than you consume, HOWEVER, not all calories are created equal! Healthy fats (like those found in salmon) actually help your body get rid of bad fats! It's more empowering to focus on increasing your metabolism to burn more calories rather than focusing on constricting the number of calories consumed! Hybrid exercises take your heart rate up and down in a short period of time (interval training) providing an "after-burn" effect so you continue to burn additional calories several hours after you complete your workout!
Article published courtesy of Ruth Crosier.
Date: Fri, Sep 10th, 2010
Category: Family Medicine
Keywords: weight loss
