Posts Tagged ‘Diet Programs’
Chosing the Right Weight Loss and Exercise Program
February 12th, 2010
Forget about programs that promise you quick weight loss in short periods of time. Often these can be unhealthy or place unreasonable demands on your time. You’ll be asked to exercise too frequently and spend countless hours in the kitchen preparing meals.
Or, worse, you’ll run across programs that seem promising, yet only result in short term weight loss. Often water weight and muscles weight. Careful with these programs as they can actually harm your metabolism and make losing weight even harder.
What to look for in a weight loss and exercise program:
Calories count. People who claim you can eat whatever you want on their diet program are selling promises not weight loss. No matter what some “experts” say, calories do count and the most successful programs will get you burning more calories than you consume. Running in circles or rubbing your tummy after you eat are not realistic strategies to lose weight…Believe it or not, I have seen a program that recommends these crazy ideas.
By now, most people know that fruits and vegetables are important to their diet. I am sure this is not a surprise to many people, but if you’re looking to lose weight, these are important foods. Other good additions to your diet are low fat protein and healthy fats.
Sane, results-oriented diet programs will recommend a good balance of healthy carbs, fats, and proteins. Not only will this keep you healthy, but the right balance will help regulate important hormones and keep you feeling full for several hours after you eat. Long term weight loss cannot be achieved by some lemon drink concoction or prolonged fasting.
Resistance training is an important element to a good program. To really see great progress, it’s best to burn calories all day long, not just during the actual period of exercise. There is a great deal of evidence which show that resistance training, when done correctly, can have a great impact on your metabolism.
I’ve seen plenty of people who get outstanding results exercising 3 to 4 times per week, some even less than that. You don’t have to dedicate yourself to hours in the gym everyday. If you workout hard, you can get a lot more out of your time there and spend more time at home.
A beginner would need a much different program from someone who is more advanced. A proper weight loss and exercise program needs to account for everyone’s unique starting point and most use an appropriate work and rest plan to achieve each individuals goals.
Choosing the right weight loss and exercise program doesn’t have to seem confusing. Just remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. You lose weight with exercise and a healthy diet. Not some magic combination of foods.
By: Wayne Lance
About the Author:
Posted in Weight Loss Plans | 
Tags: Diet Programs, Fats And Proteins, Losing Weight | 
Comments Closed
Which of these people is more likely to succeed in their weight loss goal short term or long term?
February 10th, 2009
Person A has a weight loss goal of at least forty pounds to drop him into the 140-150 pound range. On Monday, he wants to start on a structured diet program (weight watchers, etc). He will not eat treats, and he will only drink diet soda and water. He has lost weight on these diet programs before without exercise, so he is not stressing over fitness at this point.
Person B wants to loose somewhere between 40 and 60 pounds in order to weigh closer to 120 pounds. She is aiming towards the 60 pound or greater point, but she is not trying to weigh much less than 120 pounds. She has tried going on diets, but finds the structured diets are hard to stick to. On Monday, she is going to stop drinking sodas and Slurpees and keep her mug filled with water at all times. The following Monday, she will start playing her Wii Sports and wearing her pedometer. The Monday after she will start increasing her vegetable intake. Each week, she will add something new. The week after the vegetables, she may start to keep track of steps on her pedometer, or add mild jogging into her walks.
Who is most likely to succeed?
Person A: A male with a smaller weight loss goal who has successfully lost weight before. Has only goal to loose weight.
Person B: A female with a larger weight loss goal who is making very small changes instead of going at weight loss full-force. Has never successfully lost a large amount of weight. Goals include dropping clothing sizes, running one full mile (can barely run now), and touching toes when bent over.
Who is most likely to be successful? Who will loose the weight first? Who will keep it off longer? When both reach their goals, who will most likely be healthier and in better shape?
What are the positives and negatives to their plans?