Almost all of us at some stage of our lives have toyed with the idea of trying to lose weight – a new diet or an exercise routine. Unfortunately many of us have had to suffer periods of frustration – the scales refuse to budge lower and that stubborn bit of fat doesn’t want to go away. And if we do manage to lose weight it has an annoying tendency to come back.
Understanding your body is the first step towards any healthy change we want to make. First of all years of evolution has programmed our body to survive and store fat for those lean periods that we may face. That’s why most diets don’t work because after a while our body adapts to the diet and slows down the metabolic rate in response.
Secondly respect that each of us our different and have a different metabolic rate. Just because your friend or partner enjoys a daily croissant or regular pizza doesn’t mean you should go for it too. Respect your body and listen to it.
If you want to lose weight and keep it that way, here are five golden rules to follow for a healthier and fitter you
Rule number 1: Always remember calories in – calories out. If your calories in are higher you’ll gain weight no matter how much exercise you do. Just because you’ve worked out in the gym doesn’t give you an excuse to go for that extra helping of chocolate fudge cake.
Rule number 2: Cut all processed food and sugar – or at least reduce it as much as you can. Going back to the evolution theory our body has not yet adapted to the massive changes in diet over the last 50 years or so. So if you think a food item was not on your grandmothers kitchen list – think twice before eating it.
Rule number 3: Increase the resting metabolic rate so that your body becomes more efficient in burning calories. Weight training is an effective way to tone the muscles and increase your resting metabolic rate. Focus on the larger muscle groups like legs, gluten and shoulders as they burn calories faster.
Rule number 4: Confuse the body. Do not let it adapt. If you have a set exercise routine don’t follow it for more than 4-6 weeks as the body would adapt to it and you would stop seeing the changes.
Rule number 5: De-stress and sleep. When we’re stressed out body craves for feel good foods which are mostly rich in sugar. Stress also reduces the metabolic rate of the body. Cut down the stress level by focussing on positive things and enjoying the little things in life. Try meditation or develop a hobby. Life is beautiful so enjoy it !!
