Here we are, already two weeks into the New Year. You know I have to ask...how is that fitness resolution coming along?
If the pounds haven't budged yet, don't panic. I have some words of wisdom for you to live by this year - words that will aide in getting you to your fitness goal.
Shoot for dropping a pound a week.
Now, this may not seem like that much, but if you did this consistently for the rest of the year it would result in 50 lbs lost. This may be extreme for you, but the good news is that once you achieve your idea body, maintenance is a breeze. How great would it be to begin 2008 with a brand new body?
This all sound well and good, but how do you go about the business of shedding that pound each week? I am here to tell you that it doesn't have to be allusive, mysterious or frustrating. In fact, with a little calculation, you can consistently drop one pound a week until you reach your goal.
All it takes are small changes in your daily lifestyle. Let's break the process down...
How to shed a pound a week: Burn 3500 cal. more than normal.
It's that simple! No fancy pills or powders necessary, just a progression of calories exerted without an increase in calories consumed. Try the following three steps:
1. Record your normal weekly exercise - look at everything from walking to participating in sports to exercising in the gym. This is your starting point. You need to burn an additional 3500 calories on top of your normal weekly exercise.
If you don't currently exercise, then this step is really easy for you, a simple blank page will do.
2. Record your normal weekly food intake - this may be hard to do honestly, but remember that you are only cheating yourself by not recording everything. Calculate the total number of calories that you eat in an average day.
In your quest for dropping inches you shouldn't exceed your normal daily caloric intake - you should, rather, work at slowly decreasing that number.
Remember, we are going for a 3500 calorie deficit each week - this can be done by a combination of increased calorie exertion (exercise) as well as a decrease in calories consumed (eating less).
3. Chart the difference - now that you know your starting point for both calorie exertion and calorie intake it is time to turn the tables in your favor. Take every opportunity to exert more calories by increasing your physical activity, and to decrease your calorie consumption by eating fewer calories and by making healthier selections.
Record your progress in a notebook and refer back to it often. You will be surprised how encouraging it is to see the positive changes that you are taking in your life written down on paper.
If you burn up 500 calories a day you will drop a pound in a week.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Nordine's Mindful Tip
How many times have you made resolutions that lasted just about the same amount of time it takes to read this sentence? Don't feel bad. Out of 10 people, eight won't keep their resolutions for more than a month.
Whether it's working out regularly, "releasing weight" (my dear friend John Assaraf likes these words as opposed to "losing weight", I will tell you why in another issue) or changing your diet, they are most often directed at making us feel better about ourselves.
Mindful Tip
Why are these goals likely to fail? Much of the problem is with your mind-set and a lack of planning, as well as getting the wrong information. Being aware of what the obstacles will be and how to avoid them is crucial in setting goals and actually achieving them.
Mindful Wisdom
Accept who you are and what your current life situation is. When you reject your situation it tends to stick to you like glue. What you resist persists; I am sure you've heard this before.
Mindful Action
Make a conscious choice and go for it. When challenges arise we tend to revert back to our old condition. That's a normal mind event. Go over the threshold and climb back up, you will only be closer to your dreams. Changing a habit is just a matter of finding another one; a more positive one that will give you a benefit, even if it is a delayed benefit such as exercising. Immediate benefit such as feeling good by, say, smoking a cigarette, is deadly and you know it. Besides, it takes 10-15 minutes for a smoke break -try to add it up in weeks and years, you will soon find out that it's an absurd waste of time, money and life as opposed to more time to play, more money to spend and more oxygen to breathe.
Whether it's working out regularly, "releasing weight" (my dear friend John Assaraf likes these words as opposed to "losing weight", I will tell you why in another issue) or changing your diet, they are most often directed at making us feel better about ourselves.
Mindful Tip
Why are these goals likely to fail? Much of the problem is with your mind-set and a lack of planning, as well as getting the wrong information. Being aware of what the obstacles will be and how to avoid them is crucial in setting goals and actually achieving them.
Mindful Wisdom
Accept who you are and what your current life situation is. When you reject your situation it tends to stick to you like glue. What you resist persists; I am sure you've heard this before.
Mindful Action
Make a conscious choice and go for it. When challenges arise we tend to revert back to our old condition. That's a normal mind event. Go over the threshold and climb back up, you will only be closer to your dreams. Changing a habit is just a matter of finding another one; a more positive one that will give you a benefit, even if it is a delayed benefit such as exercising. Immediate benefit such as feeling good by, say, smoking a cigarette, is deadly and you know it. Besides, it takes 10-15 minutes for a smoke break -try to add it up in weeks and years, you will soon find out that it's an absurd waste of time, money and life as opposed to more time to play, more money to spend and more oxygen to breathe.
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Holiday Binge
The average American eats, on average, about 60,000 calories during the entire festivities of the year (Thanksgiving, Hanukah, Christmas, New Years', etc). That's a total of 30 days, as the festivities always start early. All those extra calories translate into a total gain of over 17 pounds of fat (1lb of fat = 3500 calories). It takes from 8 to 16 weeks to lose the weight. So why not be a little more aware?
Mindful Wisdom
When the next holiday approaches, make yourself a promise to indulge in a mindful fashion. Respect your hard work: don't destroy what you've achieved the rest of the year. If you have to go full-blown into the celebrations, do it the day of the celebration, not an entire week before.
Mindful Action
Eat mindfully by chewing each bite 20 to 30 times. Drink a glass of water prior to each meal, eat the protein portion first, pause for a few minutes, eat the carbs (leave the sweets for the end of the meal), pause, then if you still have room get to the dessert. I doubt you'll have any room left. A meal should last 30 to 45 minutes. In France, where I come from, we take about an hour to eat a full course meal. Do you see a lot of overweight people in France?
To control Holiday Binge and preserve your hard work: click on the title of this article.
Mindful Wisdom
When the next holiday approaches, make yourself a promise to indulge in a mindful fashion. Respect your hard work: don't destroy what you've achieved the rest of the year. If you have to go full-blown into the celebrations, do it the day of the celebration, not an entire week before.
Mindful Action
Eat mindfully by chewing each bite 20 to 30 times. Drink a glass of water prior to each meal, eat the protein portion first, pause for a few minutes, eat the carbs (leave the sweets for the end of the meal), pause, then if you still have room get to the dessert. I doubt you'll have any room left. A meal should last 30 to 45 minutes. In France, where I come from, we take about an hour to eat a full course meal. Do you see a lot of overweight people in France?
To control Holiday Binge and preserve your hard work: click on the title of this article.
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