Okay,
we've all heard it before, "this year I'm going to lose weight, I'm
really going to do it". This seems to be the mantra for thousands or
even millions of people every year. Although this is true for many,
others are still contemplating a "realistic resolution". Part of the confusion lies within the whole conglomerate of diet books.
Just the other day while inside a book store, the front entrance was
packed with all the latest and greatest diet books including how to
"Master Your Metabolism", "Think Thin", "You on a Diet", "Flat Belly
Diet for Men", The "I" Diet", and "Eat Your Way to Happiness". Sure, we
all want to be happy with our physical attributes, but how "realistic"
will you be. The top 3 resolutions will probably include the following:
1.) Lose Weight/Lose body fat
2.) Modify, change lifestyle.
3.) Gain Lean Muscle Mass
One of the most, if not the MOST difficult challenges for all of us
is consistency and adhering to a realistic program. So, before you go
embark on your "lifetime change", here are some tips to help you stay
focused with your resolution.
Record
This is a great way to start. Record all daily entries like meals,
food quantity (proteins, complex and healthy carbohydrates, and healthy
fats, fruits, and vegetables. These are all important components to for
you to achieve. Brainstorm all of your goals onto a piece of paper and
then rewrite each one as a built -in- contract. Put your document
somewhere that will keep you reminded of the promise you have made to
yourself.
Set a definite date. Create Short-term, Mid-term, and Long-term Goals
One of the major pitfalls is that the majority of individuals ONLY
set the "long -term" goal. While this is great in one respect, we often
get sidetracked because the goal is either unrealistic in too short a
time, or the goal is so far away, people begin to give up because there
is nothing within their grasp to reach within the short or mid- term
framework. Therefore, mark your calendar for a certain date for each
goal that you want to achieve. For example, by March you want to lose
15 or 20lbs. Setting a definite date is a great way to make sure you
stick with your plan!
Change starts with one step
Make small changes every week and they will accumulate over time.
Here are some examples of some changes you could incorporate into your
goals:
1). Substitute water, green tea or black tea for sodas.
2). Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
3). Eliminate fried foods and instead bake or broil
4). Eat more fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats
5). When grocery shopping, remember the healthiest foods are around
the perimeter of the store. Learn to read labels on food. You can
always go online to find healthier recipes.
Intense Exercise
Yes, you heard right! I said "intense". Folks, you have to get above
and beyond the 15 lb dumbbells and low intensity, slow cardio. The most
challenging workouts are not supposed to be easy. If they were,
everybody would do it, and we would all be "ripped". For most of you,
total body workouts that include big movements such as deadlifts,
squats, overhead press, bench press, lat pull-downs, pull-ups and
combinations of body weight, and medicine ball work. Incorporate
interval training or swimming as part of your conditioning. Oh and
please, for the sake of humanity, go FULL RANGE OF MOTION and use good
technique when engaging various exercises.
Remember, sometimes the scale does lie. Even though your scale may
read that you have gained 2 pounds over the last 3 weeks, this could
very easily be 3 pounds of lean tissue. Lean muscle is an extremely
metabolic tissue and the master furnace. So even if you are just
sitting around, you are expending calories.
What are you waiting for? Start now and kick off the real fat loss
season. Keep focused and train hard. You will always be ahead of
everyone else.