TIPS FOR HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS IN THE NEW YEAR

By Bill Tokmajian, CSCS/CPT

Over the past few years at the beginning of the New Year, I have sent out some fitness tips to help our members lose weight in a healthy manner. As always, the feedback I receive is always positive so….  Here they are again!

For 2008, I’ve added a few extra tips and will work to ensure more information through out the year in supporting your healthier lifestyle changes. Please enjoy!

• CLEAN OUT THE CUPBOARDS. Now that the holidays are over, get rid of all the junk food and replace it with healthy choices. This will make it much easier to maintain healthy eating habits and reduce the temptation to cheat. Stock up on fruits, veggies, nuts and protein powder so they are readily available.     

• EAT EVERY THREE TO FOUR HOURS. Consume smaller more frequent meals to keep your metabolism elevated and your blood sugar and energy levels stable. This is a more efficient way to utilize the calories that we consume.  

• DRINK PLENTY OF WATER.  Water is a natural appetite suppressant and it also helps the body break down stored fat, which is most important when trying to shed those extra pounds. Try to consume at least TEN 8oz. glasses per day.  By drinking water with meals, it will help satisfy your hunger and enable you to get your daily requirements at the same time. Substitute water for soda, juices and sports drinks.

• AVOID EXCESS SALTS.  Salt may make you retain water, which leaves you with a bloated feeling and keeps excess weight on the body. This can also leave you dehydrated, which may inhibit your system from breaking down fat. (SEE ABOVE) Too much sodium can also lead to hypertension.

• AVOID SUGARS. The body will store excess sugar as FAT!  It will also make your body crave more sugar as it is pulled out of your blood system. It becomes a vicious cycle. The more sugar you eat, the more the body will crave it regardless of how strong your will power is.

• AVOID WHITE FLOUR.  White flour can react like sugar in the body. Try to limit your intake of white bread, white rice and pastas. Stick with whole grains instead. Substitute brown rice, sweet potatoes, beans, oatmeal and lentils as your sources for complex carbohydrates.

• AVOID COMPLEX CARBS AFTER DINNER. Try to get your requirement of complex carbs at the beginning of the day. Try using fresh vegetables and salads as your carb source later in the day. Fresh dark green and yellow vegetables are best and loaded with essential vitamins.

• ADD PROTEIN TO YOUR DIET.  Poultry, fish, egg whites, soy and protein drinks are a great source. Protein is what helps us build muscle. This is important for you because muscle is what increases your metabolism and a higher metabolism burns more calories at rest. For every one pound of muscle you build, you burn approximately 50 extra calories per day.

• AVOID THE SCALE.  We know that if we build a little muscle, we burn extra calories. Therefore, the scale is not an accurate measure of what is happening inside of our bodies. You will know if progress is being made by how well your clothes fit and how good you feel. The scale can lead us with disappointment because it has not changed, but in essence, you may have lost fat and gained muscle. If this is the case, you will lose inches and that is what you want.

• DO RESISTANCE TRAINING.  Try to do at least two days of resistance training per week. Split your body into two parts, upper body and legs. Do each part on separate days. Choose at least one exercise per body part, depending on your fitness level. Resistance training is important because it will help you build muscle and speed up your metabolism so that you can lose fat. This is also the best thing you can do to guard your body against and help prevent osteoporosis.

• DO CARDIOVASCULAR TRAINING.  Try to do at least twice a week. Not only is it good for your heart, but it also helps burn extra calories. It will also help increase your energy levels. Start with 20 minutes at a comfortable pace, then work your way up to an increased time and speed as your fitness level improves.

• CHANGE YOUR ROUTINE ROUTINELY.  To get you back into the gym and to keep you motivated, try changing your work out every 4-6 weeks. This will not only get you excited about going to the gym, but it will also help keep your work outs from getting boring. The biggest problem with doing the same routine all the time is that your results will begin to diminish as your body adapts to the same routine.

I hope you find these tips helpful. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or for more information regarding your personal fitness and nutritional goals. I can be reached at 215-512-9321 or e-mail me at wtokmajian@comcast.net 

Have a Happy and Healthy New Year,

Sincerely,

Bill Tokmajian