Most of us realize that whether we like it or not we have to stick to weight loss workouts if we want to shed those pounds the right way--the way that will keep them off. But one common mistake that first-time dieters, or dieters who are in the first couple of days of their diet, make is to diminish their food intake too much while exercising.
Doing this will not allow you all of the energy you need in order to get through your exercise. You'll tire too quickly to be able to follow through. Perfecting the delicate balance of eating right (the right foods, and not too much or too little) and exercise is what will get you to your goal weight.
Many diets suggest that you cut down (or even eliminate) carbohydrates from your meals. However, you need carbohydrates for energy. Just make sure that you are getting the right kinds of carbohydrates. They should come from foods that are unprocessed and rich in fiber like whole grains, vegetables, fruit, brown rice and potatoes. When you eat the right carbohydrates, you're getting all the necessary fiber and other nutrients that your body needs. You also want to make sure that you are getting enough protein and healthy fat (like olive oil, nuts, seeds and fish oil). You should be eating three moderate meals and two snacks or five small meals a day in order to have the energy needed to work out.
When it comes to working out, you need to first assess your status and determine how in-shape or out-of-shape you are. You'll eventually want to incorporate both aerobics (cardio training) and strength (resistance) training into your weight loss workouts, but if you're just starting out, you need to start with one and start very slowly. In your assessment, also take into account how much time you can dedicate to your workouts and your preferences.
Then, take heed to a few general rules. If your goal is only to lose weight, you can really concentrate on cardio activities. You should also do some strength training to tone and raise your metabolism. But if your goal is also to build up some muscle mass, you will need to focus on the strength training. If you're going to put both aerobics and strength training in the same workout, do the strength training first so that you don't use up all of your energy after the cardio part. You can do five minutes or so of cardio for a warm-up before your strength training. If you don't have any real specific goals except to lose weight and just be healthier, just alternate days of strength training and aerobics training. This ensures that you will get both in and takes away the boredom of doing the same thing all the time. Also try to mix up what you do for aerobic training and what you do for strength training in your weight loss workouts.
There are many things that you can do to lose weight but not all of them are healthy or effective in the long run. Weight loss and workout plans, combined with eating the right kinds and amounts of food, will insure that you lose weight in a healthy way. How to eat right is also customizable to your lifestyle. But the other crucial factor to losing weight is some sort of exercise so that you end up burning off more calories than you take in. What most people usually have the hardest time doing is working out on a regular basis due to lack of time, lack of willpower or lack or money (for a gym or training equipment). But there are ways to bypass these obstacles.
If lack of time is your problem, figure out a way to incorporate a weight loss and workout session into your daily routing. Can you walk or bike your way (or part of your way) to the office? Can you clean your house more vigorously? Can you run up and down the stairs when commercials are on during your favorite TV shows? With a little imagination, you can come up with some ideas that will put a workout into time that is already spoken for. While some may say that you need to work out an hour every day, if that's too much for you, then do what you can every day. If it's ten minutes, fine. But do it.
If lack of willpower is your problem, try to pick something that you don't dread doing. Most of us think of exercise as strenuous weight lifting or miles and miles of jogging. It doesn't have to be that way. Find something that you like doing (or something that you don't mind as much). Walking is a great form of exercise that you can do at any time and all you need is yourself. Brisk walking is the cardio part of the workout that you need and if you want to add the strength part into it, just put on some ankle and wrist weights or carry some light weights to pump as you walk. Again, if an hour a day is too much, fit in what you can. Set an attainable time that you can dedicate each day (or four to six days per week) and stick to it. It's better to do ten minutes every day than to do one hour every once in a while when you can convince yourself to do it.
And if not being able to afford a gym membership or exercise equipment is your excuse, then you've already seen why it shouldn't be. You can do both cardio and strength (resistance) training with nothing but your positive attitude. Cardio training is anything that gets your heart rate up. And certain exercises build up strength and resistance without using resistance cords or weights.
Weight loss and workout basics don't need a lot of time or money - just a little commitment and consistency.
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