Alright, I must say that I've never had any problems with my weight. I mean, I'm one of those people with high metabolism and I can pig out often and still not pack a pound. Yes, you girls might think that I'm so lucky but trust me, for a guy, it's not that good. It's very hard for me to gain weight (by weight, I mean muscle) For me to just put on a few measly pounds of muscle, I would normally have to eat much, much more than usual. This is one of the things that usually puts me off going to the gym. Shit, I'm going off on a tangent here. Anyway, let's discuss today's tips on losing weight the sensible way. Here we go...
1. Do cardio exercises before your first meal of the day
Let's examine the word 'breakfast'. Literally, it means to break fast, which is true since while you're sleeping, for that duration of 6-8 hours, you don't take in any food or drinks. Now, as soon as you wake up, you're probably really hungry since the energy from yesterday's dinner has already been metabolised by your body. Any cardio exercise, for eg. aerobics and running, during this time will result in optimal fat burning since the body will turn to your fat reserves for energy. In fact, most military forces have morning exercises right after reveille and before breakfast. Any duration from 20-30 minutes of cardio exercise should be sufficient and it has to be done 3-4 times a week. Yes, by the end of the session, you will probably feel like you barely have any energy left to even unclench your butt cheeks to let out that fart but that's a clear sign that your fat reserves are being utilised ie. being burnt. What if I don't have time to do any cardio exercises before breakfast? Well, in that case, a few hours before your cardio workout, refrain from taking in any food and only take in fluids.
2. Watch what you stuff into your mouth!!!
Ok, the first step deals with burning off the excess fat that you have. That step will be nullified if after your cardio workout and for the rest of the day, you only pig out on junk food. If that's the case, then you might as well not take the trouble to do any cardio exercise early in the morning before your breakfast. In all honesty, what's the point? After all, your weight will most likely remain the same since whatever little weight that you've just lost for that day is quickly gained back, within that same day itself. So, please, take care of your nutrition. No, I'm not telling you to be a vegetarian and munch on nothing but salad. Just eat sensibly. Reduce your intake of fried food and food laden with sugar, salt and sauces. Steamed or boiled dishes are often a safe bet. Yes, cheat days are permissible but don't make it a habit. Once in a while, indulge yourself with some well-earned treat like Godiva chocolates or Rocky road ice-cream.
3. Eat small meals, 3-5 times a day
Having heavy meals only strains your stomach and results in you feeling lethargic and sluggish right after those meals while eating small meals helps to keep your body's metabolism high throughout the day, which of course, contributes to fat burning. So, instead of eating 3 big meals a day, have small ones 3-5 times per day. This is one lifestyle change that can be difficult to manage but it's not impossible.
Oh and one last thing, I always hear people bitching that they don't have time to exercise and all that. Ok, let me ask you something. Let's say you have loads of work and deadlines to meet but still, you do eat dinner right? You still pick up your kids from school, don't you? Or even take the time to help out your daughter with her homework, wouldn't you? Why would you do all these things? It's simply because we consider these things to be priorities in our life. And so, if keeping in shape and being healthy is an important priority as it should be, then by all means, make time for it. There are so many avenues where we can fit exercise into our busy routines. We can take the stairs instead of the escalator. Maybe park a bit further away from the office so we can get a bit of briskwalking done. Honestly, I'm not trying to be harsh or anything but it all boils down to our priorities and the things that we value in life. For me, I strive to keep fit not just for myself but also for my future wife and grandkids. (until of course, they hit puberty and start hating everybody...then, maybe I'll reconsider ;)
0 comments:
Post a Comment