There are various diets available to choose from, and each serves a purpose and has worked for many women. Two of these include:
• Some people use the more common approach of 5-6 meals a day with low GI carbohydrates and lean, low-fat portions of protein and vegetables. With this plan it is imperative to be in charge of your portion
control. Another easy mistake to make is going a bit overboard on the snacking between meals. Remember, too much of a good thing is also bad.
• Others prefer the low-carb, high-fat approach, which has the potential to deliver equally impressive results. The key with this diet is sticking to the plan. Having “just a few extra” carbohydrates or “some sugar” here and there nullfies the insulin-controlling effects of the diet. At the recent Discovery Vitality Summit Prof. Tim Noakes was very strong about this point. This diet has not been tested long-term though, and the verdict is out on the long-term health benefits. Just remember that fat, while it may make you feel fuller for longer, is very high in calories. At the end of the day, reducing calories over an extended period of time results in weight loss.
2. WEIGHT TRAINING
By now most of our readers should be over their fear of lifting weights. Lifting weights does not make you
big and butch just like that. If it were that easy every man who lifted weights would look like that, and men have far more testosterone. Lifting weights has a few benefits for women:
• Lifting weights builds lean muscle. Lean muscle is your friend and not your enemy. Muscle is metabolically active tissue, meaning it uses calories just to exist. This means that the more muscle you have the more fat you burn. In addition to the fat-burning effects of a raised metabolism, muscle is what shapes the body and makes the sought-after tight curves of the bum and thighs.
• Weight training is hard work and doing it burns a lot of calories. In addition, there is a phenomenon known as Epoc (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption), which is better known as the ‘afterburn’ effect. It takes energy (calories burnt) to bring your body back to a state of rest – a whole host of metabolic actions need to take place. Once you have finished the workout you continue to burn calories for up to 48-72 hours after the session, depending on how intense the session was.
3. METABOLIC CONDITIONING
If you have ever done boot camp, some CrossFit classes or high-intensity classes in your gym then chances are you have experienced this type of training. Basically you are doing resistance exercise (either weights or bodyweight) for timed circuits in rapid succession with little rest. So, for example, a metabolic conditioning circuit could look like this: burpees, TRX rows, kettlebell swings and push-ups; each exercise done for 45 seconds with a brief 15-second break while moving to the next station and then doing the next exercise. After all four exercises are completed there is a longer rest, such as 90 seconds, before it all starts again. This is done four or more times. The benefits of metabolic conditioning include the same benefits of weight training, plus the added benefit of the energy expenditure associated with cardiovascular exercise. These sessions are short and brutal for working up a sweat and adding some lean muscle tissue. muscle tissue.
4. CHOOSE WHOLE FOODS
Stay away from processed foods. We have all heard it before and it is the number one cause of the obesity problem in westernised societies. These foods are packed with preservatives, salt, trans fats and sugar. It really is not worth it. Whether it’s fast food or processed meals in the supermarket – why undo all your hard work? Eat whole, and as far as possible, single-ingredient foods. Fresh meats (such as beef, chicken, fish), fresh vegetables and fruit, legumes and seeds, and carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes and butternut are best. Rice is also fine. Basically, you want to eat food that is as close to how it looks when it was harvested.legumes and seeds, and carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes and butternut are best. Rice is also fine. Basically, you want to eat food that is as close to how it looks when it was harvested.
5. SET GOALS
How do you know which direction to walk in when you have no idea where you are going? Set both short-term and long-term goals. This way you are able to have small milestones as well as big ones to aim for. Most importantly, set S-M-A-R-T goals.Specific: Your goals must be specific to your needs and desires.Measurable: Set your goals so that you can measure them with health assessments, body composition measurements, scale-weight measurements, photographs, fitness levels and strength.Attainable (action-oriented): Make educated goals. Do your research and speak to a professional. Create a goal or goals that are attainable.
Realistic: The goals you set for yourself should be realistically attainable in terms of magnitude, and your available time and resources.
Time-bound: Set a deadline. There is no better way to defeat procrastination than by having a deadline that is set in stone.
6. BE ACTIVE
Losing body fat means that you need to burn more calories, and specifocally burning these calories at a very low intensity will mean that you tap into your fat stores. So, how do you do this? You can wake up very early every day and do an hour of low-intensity cardio like a fitness model. If you have the lifestyle and time to do this, then fantastic. However, many of us don’t, but that’s no reason to despair. Take the steps at work, park at the end of the parking lot, walk the dogs, take the kids to the park and basically try too be as active as possible. After all, every little bit counts. At the end of the day, besides the benefit of burning a few extra calories, this kind of habit will add fitness and vitality to your life that money just can’t buy.
No comments:
Post a Comment