As a fitness instructor, I see every December come and go with less and less participants. Last week 2 people held out to join me in a Body Pump class. With only 2 people, it does turn into a sort of informal personal training session but fun and effective none-the-less. We discussed how the new year will issue in a new group of people to the gym for about 2 months taking every class they can in hopes of losing weight gained from the previous year or years. I'm all about a "New" start and Jan. 1 is a good day as any to do that but please start slowly and be smart.
Becoming healthy or losing pounds isn't about a fast race, it's about running a smart race. We overindulge at the holidays because we enjoy family and friends and it's great isn't it? Then we wake on Jan 1st and realize that the holidays are over and we may not feel good about what we see in the mirror and how we feel. The first step is decision. The decision to feel better. The decision to make changes and run a smart race.
I think the first thing to change is diet. Please don't think about all the things you have to eliminate. Instead think about all the new and great tasting foods you will experience. Learn to shop on the outter edges of your market. Most of the aisles inside the store contain processed foods. Get to know the deli, and the fresh fruits and vegetable areas. Again start slowly and eliminate sugars, and processed foods. If you want to further refine your diet, then eliminate dairy and limit red meat and grains. Try to eat at least 9 servings of vegetables and fruit per day and drink 64-128oz of water per day. No need to count calories because you will be eating great food and feeling better.
Cheat: What? Did I just say you should cheat? Yes. Stick to your nutritional diet 6 days and then pick a day each week that you allow yourself to cheat. Maybe it means having a large Tex-Mex meal with a large Margarita. Great. The point is not to deprive yourself every single day. Changing the way you eat and live is not enjoyable or sustainable if you feel deprived every day of your life. Allow yourself some enjoyment especially in the beginning and soon you will find healthy alternatives to fast food, and sitting on the couch.
Concentrate on you diet for a week or two and then think about your workout routine. The common mistake is to do what everyone else is doing. If you are not a morning person, then don't try to get up at 5am and do that Spinning class everyday..because that will last for about a week and within 2 months, you won't be doing anything. Find a time of day that works for you. Determine a schedule that you will stick with and continue for more than a week.
Do a variety of workouts that you enjoy. Anything that keeps your heart rate elevated but not out of breath for 30-60 minutes per day is great. Some people even clean their house at super top speed. If it gets you sweating and using your muscles, then it's a great addition to your workout schedule. Make sure to do a variety of exercises and a variety of workouts. This keeps your muscles engaged in different ways and keeps your attention over long periods of time. Also remember to use different weights and different routines because every 4 weeks or so, your muscle become accustom to the workout. Do a variety of workouts and change up the individual exercises within those workouts.
Cardio vs. Weights?: This is simple. Alternate your cardio and lifting to create a variety. Yes, I like using that descriptive word because we all get into ruts and especially with our workouts. Everyone needs cardio activities and weight lifting exercising. Remember that muscles burn more calories then fat. So the more muscles you have the more calories you'll burn while you're resting. Many women in my classes ask if they will get big bulky muscles if they lift any weights. The answer is NO. Women aren't naturally built to get bulky muscles. Normally women will lose fat and gain beautiful lean muscles from lifting.
This sort of goes back to the variety subject. Besides cardio and weights, please remember to do stretching and yoga (or pilates) as part of your overall workout routine. If you have hours to workout everyday, then you should have no problem in fitting in 5 cardio sessions/3 weight lifting sessions/and as much yoga as possible per week but for some of us trying to fit in an hour 5 or 6 times per week is really pushing it. With family, house, running a company (yes some of us do!)and everything else we need to do, the reality is that we have to schedule in some time for ourselves and it may be only 4-6 hours per week. Remember that whatever you can do everyday to be active and healthy is beneficial.
Try to reach at least 3 cardio sessions per week, 2 weight lifing workouts (at least 24-48 hours in between each) and 1-2 yoga sessions per week. This will give you a great plan. Eat well and drink lots of water and you'll be feeling great in no time. And that race will get easier and easier and before you know it, it'll be Christmas 2009!
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