What most people don't realize is that a better goal is not to focus on weight loss but on fat loss... who cares how much you weigh. If we're honest what we are really after is seeing our body composition line up the way we want it to. That has nothing to do with weight loss and everything to do with fat loss. You can weigh 100 pounds but have poor body composition. I'd rather weigh 150 and have my body composition lining up nicely than I would weigh 95 and be what the fitness industry calls "skinny fat".
Developing a rocking body composition results from doing the hard work to get strong and condition our muscular and cardio vascular system through weight training and high intensity interval training. But it's not exercise alone... we also work hard to focus on our diet!!!! Diet is priority number one! You cannot out train a bad diet! Focus on these two things consistently and you will get results! Just don't give up too fast... It takes time. It took years of sedentary lifestyle habits to get out of shape. Think about how many years you have been sedentary and maybe eating mindlessly. You have to be patient as your body begins to respond to your new habits and begins to repair and rebuild itself. Decide it's just part of your new lifestyle, include it everyday the way you include breathing and sleeping and keep learning about it for the rest of your life... Don't get stressed out or disappointed because you aren't seeing instant results. It takes time and is soooo worth it. Fill your mind with everything good you know is happening when you exercise and eat clean. It will give you so much life knowing you are empowering your body through good habits.
So if Fat Loss is the goal how do I do that you ask??? Let me count the ways... don't get overwhelmed with this list and begin trying everything tomorrow... just start to add a few ideas at a time. Keep adding new ideas when you feel ready... pretty soon you'll be on your way to a healthier fat burning lifestyle!
1. When you workout... WORK HARD! It's best to give yourself a limited amount of time and push yourself like crazy in that amount of time... Try 30 minutes and make your body work hard!!! At the end of every set you should feel wiped!!! If not, use heavier weights or increase your range of motion!!!
2. Avoid isolation single joint lifts... Do exercises that involve more than one joint movement. Replace bicep curls with bicep curls and squats... or bicep curls and overhead press. Make you body do more work.
3. Change the tempo of your reps... don't always do single counts... try 4 counts up to one count down or 2 counts up to 2 counts down.
4. Use short rest periods... It cracks me up when people do a set and then rest for 5 minutes talking to friends or reading a newspaper when they workout... Really? That's not working hard!!! If friends distract you from working hard, work out alone.
5. Try to create an anabolic response which will increase your growth hormone. Choose exercises that really spike your heart rate and create a burn in larger muscle groups. Jump Squats!!! Any jumping exercise or plyometric move will torch the fat!
6. When you strength train use HEAVY LOADS! You won't bulk up ladies, but you will burn fat and continue to create a stronger body which is what you need to build a balanced beautiful body composition!
7. Do higher intensity sprint intervals for conditioning. Try six ALL OUT 30 second running sprints with 1 minute rest between sets. Ditch slow-go cardio!
8. Be active in everyday life... move more! Take stairs, park far away, do yard work, brisk walks after dinner!
9. Eliminate ALL, I'm talking ALL processed foods! PLEASE! THEY ARE SOOOOOO HORRIBLE!
10. Eliminate all trans-fats! A MUST! Margarine, shortening.
11. Don't avoid fat though-- smart fat that is! Research shows that people with 30-50% coming from smart fats have lower body fat! (omega 3 fats that come from fish, olive oil, grape seed oil, coconut oil).
12. Take fish oil to boost your omega 3 fats and to ensure your omega 3 to omega 6 fat intake is balanced.
13. Eat a diet with high quality protein organic meats. Eating a diet with 15-20% of diet coming from protein raises resting metabolic rate (amount of calories your body burns at rest).
14. Eliminate wheat and grains in favor of veggies! (try gluten/wheat free bread and pasta).
15. DRINK WATER! 3 liters a day for detox... flush out your system. Avoid alcohol, juice, soda, and sport drinks.
16. Eat an antioxidant rich diet to prevent inflammation which leads to fat gain. (kale, broccoli, cauliflower, berries, cherries)
17. Eliminate high glycemic carbohydrates. (never eat pastries, cake, processed carbs... oh so bad!). Eat low glycemic veggies... peppers, eggplant, garlic, onions, mushrooms, spaghetti squash, water chestnuts.
16. Take probiotic to improve gut health. (low fat yogurt)
17. Make sure magnesium level is 500mg/day.
18. Zinc!
19. B vitamins... especially with a high protein diet. (helps with detox).
20. Green tea also helps detox body and elevate fat burning.
21. Drink caffeine before your workout to increase fat burning and work capacity. It gives you more energy to work hard!
22. Take time to find outlets for stress... when we are stressed the body releases cortisol which is known to cause the body to store fat. Take amino acid taurine to help lower this stress hormone.
23. Eliminate sugar.
24. Get enough sleep. Early to bed and early to rise has been shown to improve body composition.
25. Know you have complete control over what you put in your mouth and decide to take control.
Pick 3 things you can start doing today and keep adding things every week as you feel ready. If you want help designing a workout program please contact me... I would LOVE to help you get a jump start! Or check out my beachbody website for some great resources for workout programs and supplements!
www.beachbodycoach.com/donnakwagner
I think I'll go have some green tea, yogurt and blueberries for my evening snack then go for a brisk walk! Wish you were here with me! Have a healthy day!
Donna
