You will always regain weight if your focus is from the “outside in.” That is, you are too concerned about how your body looks rather than how your body feels. When you make health your number one priority, you will win the weight loss war.
But, you still have to do the hard work, change bad habits, and win many battles along the way. It should not matter to you how long this will take. With health as your priority, you will get it done. And in the process, you will transform your body for life.
Dr. Duke Johnson, the author of “The Optimal Health Revolution,” and top researcher at Nutrilite, defines optimal health:
"Optimal Health is the best health you are capable of, given your past and your genetic heritage."
After reading this book, I discovered that optimal health is about trying to eat the right foods, take health-boosting supplements (such as fish oil), exercising regularly, getting adequate rest, and practicing healthy lifestyle habits.
A new study reveals that weight loss and weight maintenance are two different animals. Anyone can starve themselves and lose15 quick pounds, and businesses get rich selling these horrible programs to the public.
“No one announces to a dieter, you're moving into the weight-maintenance stage. You'll have to do things differently,” said lead author Christopher Sciamanna, M.D. His group investigated whether two distinct sets of behaviors and thought patterns were involved in weight loss and its maintenance.
According to the study, some of the practices associated with successful weight loss were only: participation in a weight loss program, eating healthy snacks, limiting sugar intake, participating in enjoyable exercise, not skipping meals, or seeking information about health, nutrition and fitness.
And, the study identified practices associated with successful weight loss maintenance which were: consistent exercise routines, consumption of plenty of low-fat protein sources, reward systems in place for compliance with meal plans, and keeping focused on the health implications of weight control.
Here are my recommendations for attaining and keeping your body lean and healthy:
1. Focus on fat loss and health. Thanks to the steady barrage of weight loss infomercials, people buy into the deception. These companies keep getting richer and people keep gaining weight!
When you begin your fitness program, focus on burning body fat and losing inches. You will then see your body lean out as you build muscle mass. Your body also shrinks because muscle takes up less space than fat. Your metabolism will speed up and you will begin to lose weight and it will stay off (if you continue your program).
2. Eat enough food! Many people eat too little. This could be the result of using a severe calorie restriction diet. Or, the calorie restriction could be self-imposed. Either way, severe calorie restriction will give you the opposite result you are seeking.
Too many 1,000-calorie days will cause your body to shift to survival mode because it thinks you are starving. Your body’s metabolism slows down and stores fat to survive. You will also encounter other health problems.
The solution is to accurately calculate your daily calorie needs based on your metabolic rate, activity level and goals.
3. Build enough muscle mass. You won’t get bulky! As a woman, you would have to lift very heavy weights for a long time to get bulky. Start strength training regularly.
Don’t go overboard on cardio exercise. Too many long, slow cardio sessions (like 60 minutes) will waste away your precious muscle mass. Interval cardio sessions work better to burn fat. And, they are much shorter. Twenty minute sessions will get the job done.
According to a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, short bursts of intense activity burns more calories and up to 36% more fat. Circuit weight training (including bodyweight exercises) will also qualify as this type of intense exercise.
Make the needed adjustments to your exercise and nutrition program to lose weight and transform your body. Realize that the work-in-progress never stops!
Sources:
Dr. Duke Johnson, Author of Optimal Health Revolution
http://selfcarestrategies.net/?page_id=14
Medical News Today – Study led by Christopher Sciamanna, M.D.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/230404.php
Science Daily – Article published in Journal of Applied Physiology
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070627140103.htm
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES, CPT is a Certified Personal Trainer and former NCAA Division I athlete. Mark is the owner of My Fitness Hut, Her Fitness Hut, Sports Fitness Hut and My Nutrition Hut. Mark’s Fat Blaster Athletic Training System has been proven to give his clients the fit, sculpted and athletic-type bodies they want. Visit Mark’s main site:
Your Fitness University http://yourfitnessuniversity.com
Edited by Shannon Koehle