1. Avoid dramatic dietary changes. Before you make any changes to your diet ask yourself if you can realistically maintain the change for a period of years rather than just a few months. If you lose weight fast you are usually going to gain it b
ack fast, and that is when the dreaded yo-yo epidemic starts. To be successful in the long term, it is essential to make changes that you can live with. For instance, reduce your food portions, or limit your fat intake. You can also get good results by eliminating “nibbling” between meals and preparing healthy snacks.
2. Do not place too much emphasis on the scale. A body-fat measurement will tell you how much of your bodyweight is fat compared to muscle. This is important because muscle weighs more than fat; so trusting the reading on your scale could be misleading.
3. Do not do two hours of cardio per day! Cardiovascular exercise is great because it helps to burn off extra calories and also helps to strengthen the heart; however, excessive amounts can cause you to burn out. A balanced cardiovascular program can be achieved by performing 20-45 minutes of cardio 3-5 times each week.
4. Do not rely on meal replacement supplements. There are many great supplements out there; however, they are best used to replace the occasional meal if you get too busy, or to help supplement an already balanced diet. Planning your meals ahead of time can help to reduce your reliance on supplements. It is also important to focus on eating less refined foods because many vitamins and minerals are stripped during processing.
5. Do not leave out the strengthening component. To achieve the best results it is important to perform a balanced strengthening routing three times each week. After the age of thirty we lose approximately a half a pound of muscle per year. Muscle is the body’s most efficient calorie burner. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn while at rest!
Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer. For further information call 604-420-7800 or go to www.karpfitness.com.