There are millions of weight loss plans and diet trends available to anyone who doesn’t live under a rock. So why do so many people still struggle with their weight and vital statistics? For starters, most people don’t understand how a body works and even less understand how their body works. I’m no expert but I am a student of life so I explore what I don’t understand and devise a way to effectively apply it to my life.
Weight gain happens when you continually take in more calories, especially calories from fat, than your body can use as fuel or send out as waste. Everyone is different. We have different family genetics, physical abilities and limitations, metabolic rates, and lifestyles. So when it comes to diet and exercise, we need to spend some time exploring ourselves in order to derive what will work best for us. There is no one size fits all weight management plan. There are those who can’t do Tai Bo, P90X, or Insanity workouts. There are those who are allergic to honey, cayenne pepper, and/or lemons for crash dieting. There are those who are diabetic or disabled that can do neither. However, each journey begins with the first step – no matter how small that step may be. Here are some tips to help you start.
Diet
· Focus on the timing and distribution of your meals. Eating several small meals evenly distributed throughout your day instead of overindulging 2 – 3 times daily boosts your metabolism. Avoid late night eating, especially unhealthy snacking.
· Keep fluids fresh in your body by hydrating and urinating often. Make water your beverage of choice and drink lots of it. Add a little lemon juice for taste. Avoid sodas and excessive amounts of juice. Alcohol does contain calories. Don’t hold your bladder until the last minute. Go as often as you can or are allowed by your situation.
· Fresh is best. Choose to eat raw fruits and vegetables and consume them as soon as they are cut to preserve their vitamin potency. Eat hot foods and cold raw foods in separate feedings to aid rapid digestion.
· Track what goes in and out. Record everything you eat in a journal even if only for a short period of time. This will keep you mindful of the good and bad things you are eating and easily adjust your diet. Track your bowel movements to ensure that your body is discarding its waste regularly.
Exercise
· Numbers are relative. Don’t worry about how much weight others can lift or how many repetitions they can do. What they can do is relative to their size, experience, and possibly supplements and/or chemicals.
· Focus on execution. Doing 10 optimal weight repetitions through your full range of motion with the correct form is worth twice as many bad reps at twice the weight. Also, injuries can result from incorrect execution.
· Stretching is essential to maintain flexibility and prevent injuries. Stretch before, during, and after exercising. Stretch everyday even if you don’t exercise.
· Education eliminates fear. There are many myth-conceptions about weight lifting and cardiovascular exercise. Attention Women: Lifting weights will not turn you into He-Man. Attention Men: Sit-ups alone will not turn your keg into a six pack. There are many many more but spend some type researching what you want to achieve from exercising and you won’t be scared to go full steam.
These tips are far from everything. With a little focus, effort and discipline, weight management will become more doable.
-- Wood Butler
