Part 3 of 3
I will be the first to tell you that fitness is a passion of mine. However, utilizing my 1,000-word space in a quasi-serious manner means I have to neglect all the silly goings-on of the world … and, quite frankly, they are beginning to stack up. So let’s bang through the rest of this good advice you may never use. (You know how it goes.)
Little known fact #3: Minor setbacks are normal
The whole point of making casual adjustments to your diet is to avoid inducing cravings and binges. However, minor setbacks are normal as long as they’re not on a regular basis. Incorporating a healthy diet is like any type of conditioning -- practice correctly, re-adjust when incorrect, and practice again. When getting my diet back on track I can’t say I haven’t slipped up a couple times -- it’s especially hard when I’m eating out. When you make a bad selection, acknowledge it and make a note not to do it again. Don’t beat yourself up for it! Doing so reinforces a negative attitude about dieting and about your alleged inability to keep up with it. The truth is that hardly anyone learns a new habit overnight -- it’s a process.
Another good way to stay on track and avoid making large mistakes is to pay attention to portion sizes. Look at the serving size, which is usually on the side or bottom of a product. Most serving sizes are slightly smaller than what people really eat, so even just sticking to that will help you curb calories and stay in moderation when you occasionally splurge on something sweet.
Bad Idea #2: Crash dieting
America thrives on instant gratification, true. I can be quoted on more than one occasion saying, “I want this, and I want it now.” One of the worst times to make this statement, however, is when referring to your weight loss regimen.
Why
First, I should point out “weight loss” is not typically what people want. Your weight is a combination of your lean body mass (or muscle) and body fat. Having muscle helps burn more calories throughout the day, so what people really want is a loss of body fat. Fat weighs much less than muscle so if you’re burning body fat you should really be losing weight at a much slower rate than most people realize. A couple of pounds a week is ideal but much more than that means you are probably losing muscle. Crash diets focus on dropping weight -- not body fat.
What to do about it
Losing muscle is the product of either not eating ENOUGH calories (typical of crash diets) or not watching the quality of food you’re eating. If you’re not eating enough calories, your body will start burning muscle to make up extra energy. As obnoxiously ironic as it is, your body will burn muscle long before it will ever break into the fat reserves. So essentially, starving yourself will store more fat and deplete your muscle -- completely the opposite of what you want to do. Now, if you’re eating enough calories but they’re coming from highly processed and sugary junk foods, your lean body mass just has nothing to support it. Again, your muscle begins to waste away and the content from your food is stored as fat. Another issue with crash dieting is that it only lasts for a minute. Quickly depriving yourself not only of things you regularly eat, but also of a large percentage of calories is a good way to bring on binges. People that crash diet not only gain back the weight they previously had, but more on top of it.
Excuse #3: “But I don’t know how to work out.”
It’s a rather large number of people that are slightly intimidated by working out. Trust me, if you feel this way you are not alone. Additionally, nobody wants to devote time to something that they really don’t know how to do all that well.
The Reality
Whether you are on a budget or simply have more money than you know what to do with -- I suggest meeting with a personal trainer. Trainers are supposed to teach; you should not have to rely on one for the rest of your life. Even if you only try two sessions a week for one month, you will come away from that time period with a wealth of knowledge and probably a whole new outlook on fitness. Exercise is like learning a sport -- you want to know how to do it right, efficiently, and without injury. There’s nothing more discouraging than putting time in day after day and not reaching your goals as quickly as you could. The other great thing about having a trainer is the support! This is someone who expects you to make it to your appointments and will encourage and help you along the way -- all the while ensuring results. Whether you can afford five sessions just to get your feet wet or decide you’d like to have a trainer for a while, here’s what you can expect to be doing:
1) Nutrition
Nutrition really is 80 percent of your results, so expect your personal trainer to monitor this with you.
2) Cardio
Exercising your cardiovascular system is a big part of losing body fat. Treadmills and ellipticals are both examples of cardio machines, although anything that keeps your heart rate up applies. A good method is to stay at the level where “you can talk, but not sing.” Meaning you’re breathing slightly heavy, not excessively.
3) Weight Training
Weight training is not simply for building muscle. The only way that happens is if you’re eating too many calories. If your goal is weight loss and you’ve been slightly decreasing your calories, then training with weights will help you lose body fat and firm up the muscle you already have, giving you a tone, fit look.
Remember: Exercise is like nutrition in that gradual adjustments and consistency are key to having results. Start slow, start right, and remember: It’s a process!
Precocious entrepreneur, workaholic and a rabid perfectionist Crystal Starlight knows a thing or two about getting ahead at a young age. Email her at [email protected]