BY MONIQUE BARTLETT
When choosing a way to lose weight you often lean towards a method that is unrealistic. Whether it’s not eating enough calories, doing too much exercise or trying every fad there is out there. Your body gets stressed out and you get tired out. While you may experience weight loss initially, a good deal of this weight loss is water weight and sometimes muscle atrophy.
You need muscle mass in order to lose weight as it helps you to burn more calories. The problem is also, once you stop your fad diet or exercise program you usually end up fatter than you started and more unhappy with yourself because you feel as if you are a failure. Not only is this bad for your physical health but it’s also bad for your mental health.
If you rely on cardio exercise as your only method of exercise for fat burning you will burn fat but you will also be more prone to injury from muscle loss, muscle over use and imbalances. You would need to perform cardio too often and too long in order to get long term results. The problem is, most of us buy cardio equipment and never use it. It becomes the new coat rack or dust pile.
It really only takes 15-30 minutes, two to three times per week in order to lose weight safely and effectively. It ultimately comes down to you making a lifestyle change and not hoping for a quick fix. Learning new techniques and forming new strategies and behaviours that are realistic and easy enough for you to implement and follow for the rest of your life is key. By following these few steps you will set yourself up for success and will be less likely to end up back where you started.
Your goal should be to improve your physical appearance and your overall level of fitness and health. By doing this you will increase your energy level and overall strength and endurance, making everyday activities easier for you to do. This will also help to reduce common risk factors such as stroke, heart attack, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and many other common diseases.
So set yourself realistic expectations and form new habits that you can easily follow that will change your life for the better. Remember, you don’t need to go too fast and do too much to get results that you will be happy with. Start slow and steady until you build up your strength and endurance. This will give you more energy and make you happier with what you see when you look in the mirror.
