FitWatch » fat loss

Quick Fat Loss Tip: Prepare Food Ahead of Time

Suzanne — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 09:08:06 +0000

One way to save time during the week (and to stick to plan) is to prepare food ahead of time. I spent part of Sunday afternoon preparing (from left to right, top row to bottom): Spinach Chick Pea Curry, basmatic rice, cucumbers/carrots/hummus, pre-cut cheese pieces (30g) for snack, clementine/pineapple fruit salad (banana will be cut at eating time), 2 bowls filled with my scrambled egg fixings*, 1 bowl with 2 servings of cereal (Kashi, All Bran, soy pieces).

* Scrambled egg fixings: diced low fat cheese, chopped spinach, chopped zucchini and chopped mushrooms. See my recipe: Suzanne’s Low Calorie / High Protein Easy Scrambled Eggs

What can YOU do to save yourself some time this week — and stick to plan?

How to Create A 12 Week Weight Loss Countdown Calendar to Burn That Fat

Suzanne — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:18:43 +0000

One great way to keep yourself on track when it comes to weight loss is to create a countdown calendar.

Counting down, instead of counting forward, will give you a greater sense of urgency — and the daily reminder will push you into sticking to plan. It may take a bit of time to do, but it’s definitely worth it in the long run. I’ll guide you through it step-by-step to make it as easy as possible.

Once you’re finished creating your countdown calendar, you’re going to have a solid plan to help you reach your weight loss goals!

Which Calendar to Use?

I strongly recommend using an electronic/digital calender. Sure, you can use a paper calendar, but if you make a mistake, you’ve got to start over again. Not only is it easier to fix any mistakes with a digital calendar, but you can set alarms or even re-use the calendar for your next weight loss goal.

Examples of digital calendars: the calendar feature on Outlook 2007, Google Calendar, Lightning for Thunderbird, Yahoo Calendar or Windows Calendar. Use whichever calendar you’re most comfortable with.

Most digital calendars allow you to create separate calendars. I strongly recommend creating a new calendar, called, for example, Weight Loss or 12 Week Countdown Calendar. This will keep it separate from any of your other calendars, and you can easily delete it or import it, if need be.

So, let’s get started… The screenshots down below are from Google Mail. Your own calendar will be a bit different, but the basic idea is the same for virtually all calendars.

Step 1 – Settle on Your Start Date

Figure out what day you’re doing to start your weight loss plan. A lot of people like to start on a Monday, because you can use the Sunday before to get yourself prepared. Another popular start date is, of course, January 1st.

So, let’s use January 1st, as an example — but you can make your start date any day of the year.

Step 2 – Set a Daily Recurring Event on Your Calendar

In your calendar, create an event that starts on January 1st (or whatever your start date is).
Give this recurring event a title, such as: 84 Days to Goal. You can vary this, but try to keep the “84 Days” as the first part of your title. (Since we’re creating a 12 week calendar, we’re using 84 days. For an 8 week calendar, use 56 days.)
Make it a daily recurring event for 84 days. Most calendars will let you type in a number of events/appointments. (If it doesn’t, see my note down below.)
Set a daily reminder (optional).
Set anything you else you want to do with this event. Make it exactly as you want it because in the next step, we will be changing the title for each event — and, in some digital calendars this will create single events instead of recurring events.
Save the event.

View Screenshot

(NOTE: If your calendar doesn’t allow you to specify a number of events, use this calculator to figure out your end date. IMPORTANT: When you use that calculator, the date it gives will be your ZERO DAY (more on that in Step 5). So, whatever date that calculator gives you, subtract one day to get your “1 Day to Goal” date.

After you save your daily recurring event, you should see 84 identical events on your calendar. If you’re using January 1st as your start date, your last recurring event would be March 25th.

View Screenshot

Step 3 – Change the Title of Each Event

Note: Read through this whole step before actually starting it!

You’re now going to change the title of each event (except for the first one!) to countdown from day 84. So, for the event on January 2nd, change the 84 in your title to “83″. For example, if my original title was “84 Days to Goal,” the event for January 2nd is now titled “83 Days to Goal”.

View Screenshot

Your calendar will most likely ask you if you want to change all events or just this one instance. Select just this one instance in the series of events.

View Screenshot

It might seem like a pain to do, but roll up your sleeves and take a few minutes to do this step — you’ll be glad you did! It won’t take long and you’ll have the beginnings of a great 12 week countdown calendar.

BUT WAIT!!!

IMPORTANT TIP: I strongly suggest that you change the title on one event every week, so that you know you haven’t accidentally skipped a day. Imagine getting to the last day only to discover you’ve mislabeled everything!

So, let’s say your start date is on a Monday. That very first Monday is 84 Days to Goal. The following Monday will be Day 77. So, before changing all the titles, change each one event each week.

View Screenshot

Use this chart to change one event each week.
84 Days (leave that one alone)
77 Days
70 Days
63 Days
56 Days
49 Days
42 Days
35 Days
28 Days
21 Days
14 Days
7 Days

Change the title of each event until your events countdown from “84 Days to Goal” until “1 Day to Goal”.

View Screenshot

Step 4 – Set Your “Prepare Yourself” Event

By now, you should have the skeleton of your 12 Week Countdown Calendar. Now, let’s make this even more useful to you!

Create a one-time event for one day before your start date. For example, if your start date is January 1st, create the “Prepare Yourself” event on December 31st. Call it whatever you want, but make sure it’s something motivating! In the description of this event, write down everything you’re going to do to prepare yourself for your weight loss start date. If you’re setting goals, you may want to weighin and measurement yourself in the morning. (More on that in Step 6.)

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I strongly recommend tracking your body fat percentage, too.

On the preparation day, you’ll want to know what weight loss plan you’re following and an idea of what exercises you’ll be doing. Clean out your pantry, dust off the exercise machine, pull out your workout clothes — whatever it is you need to do to get yourself started on the right foot.

See: How to Set a Weight Loss Goal, How To Choose a Weight Loss Plan

Step 5 – Add in your DAY ZERO Event

DAY ZERO is your final weigh-in and measurement day. It is the day after your 84 days. For example, if we started on January 1st and ended on March 25th, March 26th is our DAY ZERO. You would have completed a full 12 weeks of your weight loss plan and would then take your final weigh-in and measurements the next day.

Create a one-time event your calendar the day after your end date. You can call it DAY ZERO or whatever you want. But make it big and bold and exciting!

View Screenshot

Step 6 – Weekly Weighin & Measurements

To track your progress, you need to weighin and take your measurements. I like doing this once a week. You may want to do it every two weeks. I don’t recommend daily weighins & measurements for regular weight loss because your weight can fluctuate greatly during the week.

Create a weekly recurring appointment called, for example, “Weighin & Measurements.” Set an alarm to remind you to weighin.

Tip: Weigh and measure yourself in the same way, at the same time, and under the same circumstances each week. I do it first thing in the morning before eating, before exercising. (Do not take your measurements after exercising!) If you’ll be weighing yourself on your Preparation Day, you can either add in an extra weighin/measurement reminder on your Preparation Day or move your first weighin event to your Preparation Day. (But don’t change the other weighin events!)

View Screenshot

So, that’s how to create a basic 12 Week Weight Loss Countdown Calendar. If you want to really get into, there are a few more things you can add:

Add in your workouts — for example, I usually do weight training on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and cardio on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Plan out your exercise schedule a week at a time.

Add in more preparation events – Create a weekly recurring event to prepare yourself for the following week. For example, if your start date is January 1st, your next preparation day would be January 7th (and then the 14th, etc.). On this day, you would chop up vegetables, prepare meals or meal plans, plan your exercise schedule, etc. It’s also a good time to reflect on what’s working for you and what’s not.

Phew! I hope I’ve explained things well enough. It might seem a bit daunting, but I’m telling you, creating a weight loss countdown calender will really get you motivated to lose that weight! Be sure to plan a big reward for DAY ZERO. You can even give yourself weekly and monthly rewards. But plan something motivating for DAY ZERO.

I’ve got lots of articles, tools and calculators on the site. I’ll give you a few links below, but feel free to explore the site.

How to Count Calories to Lose Weight
Calorie Deficit Calculator
FitWatch Fitness Tracker
Calories Per Meal Calculator
Weight Loss Target Date

Why Bother Losing Weight?

admin — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:48:45 +0000

When faced with the decision between delicious foods that aren’t very good for you and healthy foods that don’t taste good, many opt for the foods that taste good. All of the temptations around us can make you wonder whether you should really bother losing weight. It seems like a lot of trouble, but is it really worth it?

The answer is yes. There are a number of ways that losing weight can improve your life:

Improved fitness. As you lose weight, it becomes easier and easier to do physical activities, especially if you are incorporating exercise into your weight loss plan. This means that you can play with your children without getting tired out so quickly or do more activities on your next vacation. You’ll no longer have to worry about huffing and puffing on a hike or being too overweight to have fun at the water park.

Go off of medication. Many diseases are either caused by or made worse by a high BMI. As you lose weight, you may find that the rest of your body becomes healthier as well and you won’t have to take these medicines anymore. Don’t stop taking them on your own, though! Be sure to discuss the possibilities with your doctor.

Live longer. Studies have shown that people that exercise and maintain a healthy weight live longer. Enough said.

More energy. Junk foods can make you lethargic. When you lose weight by changing to a healthy diet and exercising, you’ll find that you have more energy to do the things that you need to do. You’ll also sleep better at night, waking up more refreshed and ready to start the day.

Less pain. Heavier people experience more pain for a variety of reasons–the added strain of carrying around the extra weight and muscle stiffness from inactivity, for example. By moving more and more and getting rid of your extra weight, you’ll feel lighter and experience less pain in your body.

It’s true that losing weight can be a long and hard journey for some people. However, the health benefits simply cannot be discounted. Give it a try and see how you feel!

Must Read
How To Count Calories
7 Diet Changes to Lose Weight
Weight Loss Target Date

9 Ways Exercise Can Make You Feel Better

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:39:54 +0000

Do you find yourself in a mid-afternoon slump at the office? Do you drag yourself home only to collapse onto the sofa and look forward to the day ending so you can get into the bed?

Moving more may be the last thing you think of doing and what you desire the least, but it could be exactly what you need to help you feel alert and less tired when the day comes to a close.

Here are 9 ways exercise can make you feel better:

1.) You would think that exercising after a long day when your energy levels are all but depleted would make you even more tired and mentally exhausted. However, just the opposite is true. When you exercise, your mind feels clearer and you can actually accomplish more.

2.) Try to find someone who says they have no stress and you’ll come up empty-handed. If you’re breathing, you’re going to have stress – it’s just the world we live in. Exercise can take your focus off your stress and even though you’re getting physical, exercise actually relaxes you.

See: Shrink Your Stress and Shrink Your Belly Fat

3.) If your strength is dragging and you feel like you’re living your life a beat behind everyone else, exercise changes your level of energy and revitalizes you when you’re tired.

4.) Make a commitment to exercise with someone else in your life you’ve needed to spend more time with. Not only are you working out, but you can have time to talk and relax with your loved one.

5.) Exercise does better than an apple a day at keeping the doctor away. People who exercise stay healthier longer and can even keep from developing some health conditions. For example, did you know that one of the best ways to help ease arthritis stiffness in the knees is daily exercise?

6.) Help your heart. Regular exercise makes your heart healthier because you’re working it and working your heart can help you avoid serious health risks like heart attacks.

7.) Exercise allows you to add more calories to your diet. Sounds kind of strange, but when you exercise, you can add more calories to your daily intake without affecting your weight loss. Now, this doesn’t mean you get to pig out after exercising. Consider this: a 140lb woman who doesn’t exercise at all needs approximately 1600 calories to maintain her weight, and about 1300 calories a day to create a calorie deficit and lose weight. A 140lb woman who is moderately active (exercise/sports, 3 to 5 days a week) needs approximately 2100 calories a day to maintain her weight, and about 1700 calories a day to lose weight.

See: Calorie Deficit Calculator

8.) Exercise is a great self image tool. When you can wear the clothes you want to wear, it improves your sense of mental well being.

9.) Exercise brings other benefits than just watching the pounds drop and your body get into better shape. When you exercise, it can be a ‘time out’ where you can get away from any pressures going on in your life. Studies have shown that taking time for ourselves gives us a clearer perspective and helps us deal with the things life throws at us. Don’t look at exercising as a way to lose weight. Look at it as an indulgence you deserve.

There’s really no excuse to leave exercise out of your weight loss program. It can do so much more for you then just help you lose weight!

See: Workout Planner

Must Read
6 Tips to Avoid Aches and Injuries for Baby Boomers
10 Ways to Exercise While Watching Television
Couch to 5K Exercise Plan

Fat Loss Challenge – Week 3 Weigh-in and Measurements

Suzanne — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:55:08 +0000

Not a bad week, all things considered. Most people would be very happy with a gain in lean body mass. And I am happy about it, believe me! But I need to keep an eye on the fat gain. Granted, a gain of .1lbs is tinyl — it’s the pattern it could represent that’s the problem. If bad eating habits are creeping in, I need to nip it in the bud. Bad eating habits tend to grow — along with your waistline! That’s why a feedback loop is so important.

My exercise habits are spot on; nothing to worry about there. But I haven’t been tracking my food, and no matter how busy I think I am, I’m going to have to buckle down and do it. And now that I think about it, it’ll be a great way to test the new features of the tracker. The one I’m most excited about is the ability to put your food into meal categories. And since I’m a huge fan of eating smaller meals more frequently, it’s interesting to see how many calories I eat per meal. Check out my calories per meal calculator, in the meantime.)

Starting Measurements
Date: Monday, October 12th, 2009
Weight: 138lbs
Thighs: 22 1/2″
Hips: 37 3/4″
Waist: 29 3/4″″
Body Fat %: 18.80% (6.66mm)*
Lean Body Mass: 112.1lbs (I want to see this go up or stay the same)
Fat Weight: 25.9lbs (I want to see this go down)

Week 1 Measurements (difference from previous week in parentheses)
Date: Monday, October 19th, 2009
Weight: 136.6lbs (-1.4lbs)
Thighs: 22 1/2″ (same)
Hips: 37 1/2″ (-1/4″)
Waist: 29 1/2″ (-1/4″)
Body Fat %: 18.27% (6mm)* (-.52%, -.7mm)
Lean Body Mass: 111.6lbs (-.4lbs)
Fat Weight: 25lbs (-.9lbs)

Week 2 Measurements (difference from previous week in parentheses)
Date: Monday, October 26th, 2009
Weight: 136.2lbs (-.4lbs)
Thighs: 22 1/4″ (-1/4″)
Hips: 37 1/2″ (same)
Waist: 29 1/2″ (same)
Body Fat %: 17.75% (5.3mm)* (-.53%, -.6mm)
Lean Body Mass: 112lbs (.4lbs)
Fat Weight: 24.2lbs (-.8lbs)

Week 3 Measurements (difference from previous week in parentheses)
Date: Monday, November 2nd, 2009
Weight: 137lbs (+.8lbs)
Thighs: 22 1/4″ (same)
Hips: 37 1/2″ (same)
Waist: 29 1/2″ (same)
Body Fat %: 17.75% (5.6mm)* (same%, +.3mm) (the bf% is the same because the chart changes at increments of .5)
Lean Body Mass: 112.7lbs (+.7lbs)
Fat Weight: 24.3lbs (+.1lbs)

Difference From Start to End of Week 3
Weight: -1lbs
Thighs: -1/4″
Hips: -1/4″
Waist: -1/4″
Body Fat %: -1.05% (-1.0mm)*
Lean Body Mass: +.6lbs
Fat Weight: -1.6lbs

* I’m using the Accu-Measure calipers. You can use my body fat percentage calculator if you don’t have calipers.)

How are you doing? Do you track your weigh-ins and measurements? Do you track your body fat?

If you want to stay up-to-date on what I’m doing, you can follow me a few ways:

Bookmark: Go to this blog’s main page and then bookmark that page.
RSS Feed: Get the RSS Feed
By e-mail: Subscribe to Suzanne’s Weight Loss Journey by Email
Facebook: Become a fan of FitWatch on Facebook

Too Busy to Exercise? Time to Squeeze in Physical Activity!

admin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:26:10 +0000

It’s hard to find someone who has plenty of time to squeeze in a career, family interaction, and attention to good health or weight loss. Even stay at home moms are swamped with the schedules of their family — not to mention the duties of running a household. If you feel there’s no time to fit in a bit of exercise, you’re wrong. Even the most hectic schedule can afford a few minutes a day, and I’ll show you how!

Figure out what your down time is. Although you may want to sit on the couch and veg out for awhile, it’s the perfect opportunity to sneak in a little mindless exercise. Walk on the treadmill or do crunches while tuning into your favorite show.

See: 10 Ways to Exercise While Watching TV

Take the stairs wherever you go – whether it’s at the office or in the shopping mall. Escalators and elevators do nothing to help you lose weight.

Park far away from the door. Whenever you go grocery shopping, park far off in the lot. The extra steps you gain will help stave off weight gain.

If you clean house or do chores, make it fun and fit! Turn up the radio and dance while you’re dusting. Get into the groove while you’re vacuuming or sweeping the floors and you’ll burn fat while you fight the grime. You can also dance while you’re in the kitchen making dinner, or do toe touches, step ups, or other exercises.

Make fitness a family event. If you don’t want to sacrifice your time spent with your spouse and children, just bring them onboard to go for a walk with you in the neighborhood. You’ll have ample time to chat about everyone’s day and feel close for an hour or so.

See: Exercising as a Family and 7 Fun Cardio Exercises for Kids

Don’t use work as an excuse. There are plenty of ways to get fit at work. Walk during lunch or whenever you have the opportunity instead of sending an email to a coworker for example. Stretch at your desk or invest in a bicycle pedal that conveniently gets placed under your desk to give your legs the movement they need.

Move when you’re talking. If you’re one of those people whose phone is glued to their ears, don’t waste all that time – use the handheld and get moving while you catch up with an old friend!

The key is to start small and work toward building more exercise into your day. Even as little as 6 minutes a day can improve your health and help you burn off the calories that you ingest during a day. No more excuses – exercise fits in wherever you allow it!

Must Read
4 Smart Ways to Fit Exercise Into Your Hectic Day
Back to Basics – Easy Exercise Routines
7 Ways to Stay Balanced in Troubled Times

Fat Loss Challenge – Week 2 Weigh-in and Measurements

Suzanne — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:03:00 +0000

I’m sitting here, early Monday morning, a little flabbergasted. When I woke up this morning and realized it was a weigh-in day, I started composing my blog post in my head while I was still in bed trying to wake up. Meaning, before I even weighed-in! Even though I did well food-wise last week, I knew the results would be off because we had friends over for supper on Saturday night. And, well, you know how that goes, right? Wine, appetizer, wine, meat and vegetables, dessert, another small slice of dessert, coffee. I was motivated to eat well and exercise hard on Sunday, believe me. (Cardio Coach 7 was brutal…but in a good way… heh heh.)

I know how my body usually reacts to a week-end like that, but it surprised me this morning. I do believe my body is turning into a fat-burning machine. It finally “gets” what I want it do!

Here are my starting measurements, plus last week’s and this morning’s weigh-in:

Starting Measurements
Date: Monday, October 12th, 2009
Weight: 138lbs
Thighs: 22 1/2″
Hips: 37 3/4″
Waist: 29 3/4″″
Body Fat %: 18.80% (6.66mm)*
Lean Body Mass: 112.1lbs (I want to see this go up or stay the same)
Fat Weight: 25.9lbs (I want to see this go down)

Difference From Start to End of Week 2
Weight: -1.8lbs
Thighs: -1/4″
Hips: -1/4″
Waist: -1/4″
Body Fat %: -1.05% (-1.33mm)*
Lean Body Mass: -.1lbs (I’d rather see this number go up,but I’ll take only a .1lb loss!)
Fat Weight: -1.7lbs

* I’m using the Accu-Measure calipers. You can use my body fat percentage calculator if you don’t have calipers.)

Summary

Wow, that last number (1.7lbs of fat gone) is great to see! And I thought I was imagining things this week, but it seemed like my thighs were rubbing together a little bit less. Turns out I wasn’t imagining things. (Thighs that don’t rub together — now there’s a goal!!)

I think the cycling of higher calorie days with lower calorie days (still staying within a calorie deficit) are paying off. Couple that with the exercise I do, all the strength I’m gaining, and my body is just revving!

I missed a few workouts last week but I’m back at it this week. That’s the thing, if you miss some workouts or have an off day food-wise, don’t let it spiral out of control. Get back at it the next day. You’re only one meal and one workout away from getting back on track!

How was your week?

If you want to stay up-to-date on what I’m doing, you can follow me a few ways:

Fat Loss Challenge – Week 1 Weigh-in and Measurements

Suzanne — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:46:30 +0000

Had some great results this week! And I reached my body fat goal from my last challenge (where I missed by just a small percentage). One thing about goals and deadlines: I’m reading The Body Fat Solution by Tom Venuto (review coming once I finish the book). In it, he talks about setting your goals in pen and your deadline in pencil. In other words, your goal is fixed but the deadline can be a bit more flexible. Not that you shouldn’t be focused on the deadline, but sometimes we underestimate how long something will take.

Last week was stressful work-wise, but I made myself take long walks during the day to alleviate the stress. I didn’t specifically count calories in the tracker, but I stuck to foods where I know the calorie count. I did go with lower calories for two days and then a “refeed” on the third day. This method seems to be working well! But I did lose some lean body mass — hopefully, not too much of that was muscle.

Workouts were spot on (3 days weight training, plus cardio, plus 1 hike, and 5 X 1.4 mile walks).

Feeling great! Here are my measurements:

Week 1 Measurements (difference in parantheses)
Date: Monday, October 19th, 2009
Weight: 136.6lbs (-1.4lbs)
Thighs: 22 1/2″ (same)
Hips: 37 1/2″ (-1/4″)
Waist: 29 1/2″ (-1/4″)
Body Fat %: 18.27% (6mm)* (-.53%, -.6mm)
Lean Body Mass: 111.6lbs (-.4lbs)
Fat Weight: 25lbs (-.9lbs)

* I’m using the Accu-Measure calipers. You can use my body fat percentage calculator if you don’t have calipers.)

I lost almost 1lb of fat (whoohoo!), but dropped almost half a pound of lean body mass. I’m hoping that’s not all muscle. I’ll keep an eye on my lean body mass weight.

On a related note, if you didn’t see the announcement on Facebook, I’ve decided to go for my ACE (American Council on Exercise) Fitness Trainer Certification next year! After that, I’m going for the Lifestyle and Weight Management Consultant certification.

How are you doing?

If you want to stay up-to-date on what I’m doing, you can follow me a few ways:

How French Women Stay Slim

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:19:42 +0000

French Women Don’t Get Fat

With the popular book “French Women Don’t Get Fat” on bookshelves, many wonder how French women stay slim, especially when our vision of the French diet includes decadent pastries, butter, cream, and other high-fat, high-calorie foods. Despite the rich diet, the percentage of overweight people in France is quite low. How do they do it?

The answer is a combination of many different factors, each of which adds up to a healthy lifestyle. If you were to follow the pattern of the French, you could also enjoy rich foods while staying slim.

They eat slowly. French people tend to take their time when eating a meal. They savor both the food and the company. The typical lunch in France may take two hours, while in America, we spend 15 minutes quickly eating something at our desks while we work. Taking longer to eat your food allows the brain to register that your stomach feels full, which helps prevent overeating.

They enjoy food. French people enjoy food that tastes good and try not to deprive themselves of any one food. Furthermore, they enjoy a variety of foods and will eat several different foods within one meal. When you eat this way, you tend to be more satisfied with the food that you do eat, which helps to prevent indulging in other snacks later in the day.

They eat smaller portions. Even though the French eat foods that are high in calories, the portions are much smaller, leading to an overall low caloric intake. A croissant in France, for example, may be half the size as one in America.

They walk. When a French person needs to go to the store, to work, or to visit a friend, they are more likely to walk or to ride a bicycle. This moderate exercise on a daily basis is enough to keep them slim without resorting to a specific exercise routine.

They wear sexy lingerie. There may be just as many lingerie shops in France as there are bakeries. While this may not hold true for everyone, many French women enjoy wearing sexy lingerie underneath your clothes. This becomes a constant reminder to make the right food choices, so that you still look good in your underwear.

French women follow an eating style that fits with their lifestyle. Ultimately, that’s what’s important to you. If you think that aspects of the French diet will help you to stay slim and healthy, they by all means, work on adding them to your lifestyle.

To learn more about the book, check out the reviews on Amazon.com: French Women Don’t Get Fat

Top 10 Effective Ways to Get the Most from Your Cardio Exercise

Suzanne — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:35:03 +0000

A cardiovascular (cardio) routine is regular exercise that gets your heart pumping. It helps you lose unwanted body fat, gives you a higher energy level and helps you lose weight. But, unfortunately, like all exercise, you actually have to do the exercise to gain the benefit from it.

Exercise doesn’t have to be on your short list of favorite things to do for you to be able to enjoy it and lose weight at the same time. Follow these 10 tips to help motivate you to move your body!

1.) If your cardio exercise involves something you can’t stand doing, then stop it and do the kind of cardio you do like. Studies have shown that if people don’t enjoy an activity, eventually they’ll cease doing it.

2.) Have a strategy in place – a map that you can follow guiding your way through each week. This plan should tell you when to intensify your workout and suggest ways for you get the most from your cardio exercise. Work with yourself, not against. If you’re not a morning person, setting a clock for five AM isn’t going to make it happen for you.

3.) Boredom has killed more cardio plans, more diets and more fitness goals than any other roadblock to better health. Change your routine around so that you don’t fall into the trap of having a dull routine. Use different activities, vary the equipment you use. If you exercise outside, bring the exercise in – and if you exercise inside, take it outside.

4.) Are you doing it right? Not completely sure if you’re gaining top benefits from the machines you use? Don’t be afraid to ask one of the trainers at your gym.

5.) Nothing can end your cardio workout like an injury. Make sure you warm up before each workout. Take the proper steps to keep your body safe. If you’re running out of doors, buy the best shoes for the job, scope out the area before you choose it. Watch for dogs out of a fence and beware of heavy traffic.

6.) Keep a notebook as a way of logging your cardio exercise. Record when you workout, the weight you lose, how much your BMI has dropped and any milestones you cross. Revisiting success creates the drive to keep going.

7.) Aim for your target heart rate. Your maximum heart rate is figured by taking the number 220 less your age. That gives you a ballpark of where your heart should be during your exercise. Your pulse rate times six is where your range is. Or use the FitWatch target heart rate calculator for your estimated target heart rate zones.

8.) Don’t go it alone. If possible, set up your cardio exercise to do it with a friend or colleague. But if you do have a partner and they’re holding you back, you may need to rethink the partnership or head out with them when you need a lighter workout.

9.) To eat or not to eat? Try doing a fasted cardio, early in the morning before eating for a fat-burning boost. On the other hand, if all you do is fasted cardio, try a cardio workout later in the day, eating a light meal about an hour before your workout. See if it gives you more energy to work harder or longer.

10). Don’t stick to the same pace. Plodding along doing cardio isn’t too much fun. Challenge yourself with interval training. After warming up, use different speeds and or different intensities mixed in with cardio at a lower level. If you’ve got an iPod or mp3 player, I highly recommend Cardio Coach Guided Workouts. It’s what I use for interval training.

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