3 Tips for a Fit, Healthy Lifestyle

Survey a hundred people and most of them will tell you their goal for exercising is to lose weight. And while that is an admirable goal, it actually shouldn’t be the primary one. A goal from exercising that would serve them better overall (and one where they will lose weight in the process) should be living a healthy lifestyle!

Getting to a healthy lifestyle has three components to it: strength training, cardio and diet.

Strength Training

Strength training is not about burning calories immediately, but over the long term. Strength training builds muscle and inherently the more muscle one has, the more calories burned just at rest. Three pounds of additional muscle burns an additional 120 calories per day. But the calorie burn is only part of the results. Because of the additional muscle (we are not talking much additional mass, but more of a firming and toning) you will look leaner and with that leaner look, you will feel better about yourself.

Cardio Training

(Image courtesy of nenetus at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.)

Cardio training is where you get the most amount of calories burned. There are a number of cardio exercises that burn a respectable number of calories from a 30-minute workout. From a low of walking at 180 calories to a high of step aerobics at 400 calories, cycling, swimming, racquetball, rock climbing, skiing, running, elliptical trainer and rowing all fall somewhere in-between.

Diet

You have probably heard the old adage “You can out-exercise a bad diet.” It is true and this is why diet has to be part of a healthy lifestyle. Regardless of how much you exercise, if you eat unhealthy, you won’t lose weight.

A healthy diet should be low in unhealthy fats (e.g. processed vegetable oils), sugar and salt, yet have some healthy fat as the body needs some fat to be healthy. A good diet consists mainly of fresh vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds, whole grains, grass-fed meats and wild fish. Many vegetables are negative in nature meaning it takes more calories to process them than they have in them in the first place.

Most of us know to lose a pound of weight per week, we have to burn 3,500 more calories than we take in. That breaks down into 500 calories per day. By adding muscle through strength training, burning calories through cardio and watching what we eat, a 500-calories-per-day reduction is easy to achieve.

Living a healthy lifestyle reduces the risk for many of the unhealthy lifestyle-related diseases including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and a shortened life span. With a combination of strength and cardio training and a healthy diet, losing weight will come naturally and doesn’t have to be your single focus.

Three Simple Tips to Burning More Fat

There really isn’t any secret to burning fat. It all comes down to two things: diet and exercise. But obviously there are hundreds of variations on these two things, and in order to maximize your fat-burning results, you have to do them the right way.

Here are 3 tips to get you on the right track:

1) Don’t Diet

Image courtesy of KEKO64 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

At least not in the traditional sense. When you restrict your calorie intake too much, your body senses you are going into starvation mode, so it responds by slowing down your metabolic rate in an effort to make the most of the food it is getting - which is the opposite of what you want.

Instead, eat more.

“What, I’m trying to lose weight and you are telling me to eat more?”

Yes, but you have do it right by eating healthy types and amounts of food. To keep your metabolism operating at peak efficiency, and to burn as many calories you can, eat six small meals, or three larger meals with a snack each in the morning and afternoon per day, consisting of fresh fruits and vegetables, protein, lean meats and just a few whole grains. This “diet” has a lot of bulk and will keep you full, but is not loaded with unhealthy processed fats, sugar and calories. 

2) Eat Breakfast

You’ve heard this before and it is still true – don’t skip breakfast. After sleeping all night, your metabolism is at its resting metabolism rate (RMR). It is working just hard enough to keep your body going. Unless you jump start it by giving it food to process within an hour of getting up, it will wake up slowly. The result is you could be missing out on several hours of increased fat-burning time. People who skip breakfast are 4 ½ times more likely to be obese.

Want more proof? People who got 22 percent or more of their calories at breakfast gained on average 1.7 pounds over four years. Those that got only 11 percent or less of their calories at breakfast gained 3 pounds – almost twice as much - during the same amount of time.

3) Get Up and Move!

This the other half of the fat-burning duo – exercise. And there are a couple of parts to it. The first part is the effects of extended sitting.

Researchers at Missouri University found that after sitting for 4 hours of more, your body reduces the amount of the enzyme responsible for burning fat and cholesterol. However, just standing up and moving about kicks it back in to high gear. If you have sit-down job, make sure you get up and move at least 5 minutes each hour.

The second part is the type of exercise you do and why it is important to your weight loss efforts. Cardio burns fat and the most calories, but usually just during the time you exercise; once you stop exercising, the calorie burn stops. In fact, if you do too much long-session cardio, your body can actually start to conserve fat and burn muscle instead!

However, strength training digs deeper and depletes the muscles of glycogen. So not only are you burning calories while exercising, but also afterward as your metabolism replenishes the energy source glycogen for your muscles.

Plus strength training builds muscle so you’ll also have a higher RMR and burn more calories while at rest. Of course the ultimate fat-burning program is a mixture of both cardio (preferably in short intervals) and strength training.

Stay tuned over the next couple of weeks, as we share some fun and easy ways to burn more fat while exercising.

Making Nutritional Programs a Part of Your Weight-Loss Plan

So you have decided to make a concerted effort to lose some excess weight, and you realize that in order to be successful, you need to develop a weight-loss plan.

This plan will involve 2 primary components:

1. An increase in physical activity
2. A nutritional program that promotes weight loss

weight loss tracker (Photo credit: The Shed1)

The first point is important, because increased physical activity will promote muscle growth that, in turn, increases metabolism and burns more calories.  A personal trainer would be very helpful in creating a plan that works for you.

The second point is also crucial, because any weight-loss plan must include healthy eating, not just simply less eating.  Although people wanting to lose weight would love to lose it all very quickly, when it comes to weight loss, slow and steady wins the race.

How much weight loss is reasonable over the course of a month?  

A reasonable weight-loss plan would see you shed one to two pounds per week, or an average of four to eights pounds per month.  Excessive weight loss at the start of extreme dieting programs is usually due to fluid loss, not fat.  Just remember that you did not put on the extra weight in one week, so do not expect it to come off in one week either!

Burn more calories than you eat

Regardless of what path you choose to lose a few pounds, a basic truth exists – if you want to lose weight, the amount of calories you eat must be less than the number of calories you burn.  This is why physical activity is a vital part of any weight-loss plan.  (See our recent blog post on this important topic: http://www.newholisticliving.com/1/post/2013/09/the-weight-loss-secret-that-doesnt-exist-part-1.html)

Every pound of fat equals approximately 3500 calories.  Therefore, a simple rule of thumb is that in order to lose a pound of fat per week, you must consume 3500 less calories than you burn for that week.

How many calories should you eat and drink in a day?

The number of calories you should consume in a day will depend on several factors such as gender, height, age, etc., so consult with your physician to determine what is right for you.

However, once you know what that number is, that is your maximum daily amount.

Therefore, getting the calories from the correct food sources becomes important.

Eat less do more (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here are few tips for doing this:

1. Keep a journal of what you have eaten

This can be tedious but, if done properly, it can monitor whether or not you are achieving your goal.  It can be easy to overeat without even realizing it.  A journal will help to keep you honest with yourself.

2. Make a meal plan

Knowing what you will eat and when you will eat that day, reduces the chances of eating unhealthy, processed foods when you just do not know what to make for dinner.  It is like going shopping without a grocery list – you will probably pick up things you do not need.  The same applies here – without a meal plan, you will eat things you do not need.

3. Eat sensible foods

What does this mean?  You have probably heard the terms, "protein," "high carbs," and "low carbs."  What's what?  Carbs (carbohydrates) have come under attack in recent years.  The truth is that they are a good source of energy, if you consume the correct types of carbs.

Processed foods contain simple carbohydrates with a high glycemic index.  This means that when they are consumed, your blood sugar rises quickly, but then drops quickly as the rush passes.  As your blood sugar drops, hunger ensues again and this is when people overeat.

On the other hand, eating complex carbohydrates with a lower glycemic index such as oatmeal, whole grain bread, and fresh fruit, will give you energy and keep you feeling satisfied for a longer time.

Combining this with other high-protein foods such as nuts and lean meats, will provide you with a nutritious long-lasting energy source.

In summary, when it comes to losing weight and nutrition, take a common-sense approach.  Burn more calories than you take in, feed your body high-quality foods, and you will begin to see the rewards over time.

Check out recent posts on our health blog for more tips on eating well and exercising smart: http://www.newholisticliving.com/blog.html

How to Overcome the Weight-Loss Plateau

Welcome back, and Happy New Year!  I know that for many, exercise and especially weight-loss top the list of New Year's Resolutions. Of course, fitness and health are year-round issues, and exercise should be as well - which is why we are devoted to bringing you fun exercise tips and ideas throughout the year!

Image via WikipediaToday we are discussing how to get over that "plateau" that seems to occur from time to time, jeopardizing your weight loss goals - this can really do a number on your motivation to stick to your exercise plan, so it's important to learn some ways to get through these periods.

Here’s a little bit of geography. A plateau is a flat area of land. It has no peaks or valleys and even small changes in elevation are met with more leveling off flat areas.

Plateaus are used to describe what happens when your weight-loss program seems to hit a brick wall. You are continuing with your program but the scale doesn’t seem to want to budge. It can strike a devastating blow to dieters who once saw great losses with the program they are following.

Don’t lose heart. Plateaus occur in just about everyone’s weight-loss journey at one time or another. But, one key to overcoming them is to be prepared for when they come. Knowing what to do next can save you from throwing in the towel altogether.

Why Plateaus Occur

The body is a machine. You feed it and it uses that fuel to go about its daily processes. When given the right foods, it will burn fat stores for energy. More energy out and less food intake equals a lower body weight for you.

When you first begin an exercise or dieting program, there is a caloric deficit because you are changing something. Either there is a decrease in food intake or you have a greater calorie output through exercise. In response to exercise, the body burns more calories because you are doing something new with it. The muscles are confused and need to catch up. This is good.

Image via WikipediaOver time, however, the body can get used to the routine. If you are exercising, you may notice that you are no longer huffing and puffing when you perform a certain exercise. The body is predicting your routine and getting bored. It only burns the minimum calories needed which means that you are not getting as much of a benefit as you once were.

Jumping Off That Plateau

Now that you know how you came to encounter the plateau, it’s time to jump off of it. Here are some suggestions to do that.

* Change your fitness routine – Physical trainers recommend changing your fitness routine every four to six weeks. You don’t have to change your entire routine, just add to it. If you are doing only cardio workouts, add some weight training to break it up and confuse those muscles into burning more fat. (Interval training is a GREAT way to break through the plateau, as you are constantly changing both activity and intensity.)

* Check your diet – As we get more confident in our eating habits, sometimes we relax them. The portion size may be creeping up or we are eating out more. Use a food diary to see what changes, if any, have occurred that could be adding more calories to your day.

* Supplementation – It may be time to boost your results with some supplements. Check with a nutritionist to see which would be helpful for metabolism or appetite suppression.

Plateaus don’t have to derail your weight-loss program. Learn to recognize them and jump off as soon as you encounter them.