Far too often I read about the number and figures and what you have to do and how hard you have to work to reach you weight loss goal. At Claudefit Personal training terms like beast mode and no pain no gain aren’t used as I believe they offer no help with motivating you with your weight loss goals.
With most things fitness and health related there are more factors involved than purely the basics. For example, Most of the time the science is correct. Calories in vs. calories out, take into account you basal metabolic rate and you’re done. Simple, wish it was. The fact is for some weigh loss it is hard. If it was easy this multi-million dollar industry would not survive.
If you are one of the individual who has been neglecting your health and packed on the kilos, well it’s up to you to decide that you want to change. so before you go on a highly motivated and emotional charged clean eating and running marathons campaign .Or where you will take you calories form say 4000 per day to 1200 as the weekend newspapers supplement told you.
Hang on, there are a few other matter to be aware of before we go down that path of calorie counting in your way to a full on exercise program. Why? Well if you go ahead unprepared you will most likely burn out within 2-3 weeks and come back even heavier than when you started.
It’s just a matter of taking it back a few steps and working on the other factors that affect your goals in weight or fat loss. “I just want to fit into my clothes and look good” I hear you.
Part of the solution
You read it right. part of the solution, the rest is the well spruiked stuff like eat well , sleep well, burn calories , exercise more and take this supplement approach which in theory should work.
What about if you current behaviours are not up to scratch and are in such a state that they will prevent you in benefiting from your weight loss goal without you even been aware. Let’s look into some lifestyle factors that some of you starting off on your weight loss journey need to know.
What’s Your Lifestyle Like?
Your lifestyle obviously determines how you are going to feel, how you are going to look and if you participate in any sport, how you are going to perform. I’m really taking it to the basic and establishing the base minimum you are currently doing.
If you are wondering why reflecting on your lifestyle is important. It’s your choices that decide how healthy you are and whether you’re on the road to weight loss. It’s these same habits that most likely got you in to trouble in the first place.
So let’s hit it with a list of what I know is not part of an active lifestyle.
- Sitting at a desk all day, in a car, or the dreaded ones in this day and age, sitting in front of a TV or in front of a computer (like I am now!)
- Regularly Eating out at restaurants and making choices that will raise you calorie consumption ( of all that yummy food)
- Drinking alcohol. And I mean really drinking alcohol, not just one a week here.
- Eating fast food or junk foods, otherwise known as crap.
- Regularly staying up late not getting enough sleep. Burning the candle at both ends.
These habits are all contributors to a lifestyle that is contributing to weigh gain. All is not lost. Here are some points to bring yourself up to in order to start reversing the weight gain and set you path to a healthy and fitter you.
What about this list, how much time do you spend on.
- Being active in general (taking the stairs, walking instead of driving, gardening, cleaning or just moving.
- Doing cardio exercise of any type. I don’t care, walk, run, cross trainer, treadmill push a car!
- Strength training of any type for all muscle groups with challenging weights. Not just the light one because you are “taking it easy today”
- Preparing your own meals and healthy snacks. Incorporating fruits, veggies and whole grains into you nutrition.
- Learning how to read reading food labels. We are fortunate in Australia that this information is a requirement by food manufactures and can learn in minimum time.
- Keeping an eye out on your calories. In the beginning I teach my client to count calories and educate them on what to look for. Later with experience it’s just a matter of been aware.
- Sleeping. Do you actually get enough sleep? Generally anything between 7-9 hours would be acceptable. Not like a teenager and sleep in till noon!
- Dealing with stress in a healthy way like going for a run or taking up a spots activity.
If you spend more time “living” in the first list and not so much in the second, it’s time to evaluate your priorities and decide what you really want for yourself.
These changes are not easy for some but need to be actioned in order to make the changes you want.
At Claudefit I’m well awe of these factors due to the years of experience in working closely with my Personal training clients.
Take action now and make those changes for a healthier and more productive lifestyle.