Selena Deleon – THE WORKOUT VERY OFTEN, people exercise vigorously with the intention of losing pounds, but when it comes to the diet they miss the picture. Exercise is not the answer to weight loss, it acts as the catalyst to a process which is primarily the result of careful restriction to one's caloric intake.
Physical activity speeds up the calorie-burning process, also known as your metabolism, but your diet is the real key to shedding pounds. Practically speaking, just dieting alone causes the weight to drop off, only very slowly. If you add exercise into the mix, you can speed up your weight loss efforts twofold. For most of us, following a sensible diet means making five basic changes:
We should eat less fat.
We should eat less sugar.
We should eat more fibre.
We should eat more fruits
and vegetables.
We should avoid hunger by filling up with good food.
Some believe that when you are exercising you need to maintain a high caloric intake, so that you can sustain the energy needed to workout. This is not necessarily so, as long as you are meeting the basal metabolic requirements of the body.
On average, a 70kg male needs to consume around 1,680 calories per day to maintain his basal metabolic rate, while the 58 kg female needs about 1,392 calories per day. Although this is a very general indication, it helps to show the estimated minimum energy requirement per day. The maximum caloric requirement of the body will depend on the amount of physical activity done in a day.
The difference between the maximum caloric requirement and the amount of calories eaten, is the caloric deficit. This is what your body will take from its fat stores to make up the difference, and will amount to pounds lost. For an average-sized male, he should try and stick to about 2,000 calories per day and perform some form of physical activity to facilitate the caloric deficit.
For the woman, a healthy average would be an intake of 1,500-1,600 calories daily coupled with exercise, for healthy weight loss. Of course you can consume 1,500 calories by eating a few Kit Kats and feeling deprived
for the rest of the day, or you
can have three full meals and two small snacks, feel satisfied and still stay within your caloric limits.
When starting a new exercise programme, most of us feel like our appetites increase, but be careful not to confuse your thirst with hunger. Nine times out of 10, your body is craving more water to help to keep itself hydrated, and the water stops the cravings and the impression of feeling hungry, so don't give in.
Water boosts your metabolism and helps to keep it up as long as you drink it regularly throughout the day. Drink 10-12 glasses of water daily. Make water available to yourself at all times even if it involves carrying a bottle of water around with you. Remember that caffeine-based beverages, like coffee, tea and colas, act as diuretics and cause you to lose fluids - alcohol has an even greater effect. So make your drink, water.
Exercising aerobically four to five days per week boosts the metabolism. If you add light resistance or weights to your regime, it makes your heart work even harder and sculpts your body, conditioning the muscles which fight cellulite.
Be flexible: balance what you eat and the physical activity you do over several days. No need to worry about just one meal or one day. Be sensible:
enjoy all foods, just don't overdo it. Be realistic: make small changes over time in what you eat and the level of activity you do. After all, small steps work better than giant leaps.
Selena DeLeon is a certified professional trainer.
