DIETING - CRITICAL
FACTORS
Dieting is not
easy and it is not much fun, unless you make it so!
Most of us at some stage in our lives need to diet for some
reason or other. Maybe just
for a more healthier lifestyle, but more often than not to shed those
extra pounds that have crept on over a festive season etc.
The most successful diets, and by this I mean those that help you loose
weight, and maintain this weight loss, follow a very basic structure.
With these diets you are able to make a lifestyle change which as
time goes by you find is easy to live with.
In fact you will wonder why you haven’t been doing it all your
life. This diet will leave
you feeling so much healthier, and looking so much better!
The four
principles in a successful diet are:
1)
Eat a Proper Diet
2) Do some Aerobic Exercise
3) Perform some type of Weight Training
4) Get enough Rest
Sounds, simple,
and it is. Let us take the
first one. Eat a proper
diet! This is where you must
ascertain just exactly what it is that you eat during the week that is
keeping these extra pounds on. The
best way is to make a note of everything you do eat over the course of
the week on a daily basis. You
will be very surprised. For
some, all you will need to do is to eliminate junk food from your diet,
for others it will mean a complete dietary overhaul.
What diet works best for most people is a balance between
protein, carbohydrates, and fats. For
example 40% protein, 30% carb and 30% fat.
See how this works for you, and then fine tune, for example
increase protein by 5%, and decrease fat by 5%. Remember to
only eat until you feel full, and not past that point.
Aerobic exercise is important
for 3 main reasons. It is
very good for your metabolism, for your heart, and it burns extra
calories. This should be
performed about 3 or 4 times per week, and can be as simple as sitting
on a stationary bike. If you
find this boring then read a magazine or a book, and see how time will
fly.
Weight training
is very important because it builds muscle and alters your body
composition. 2 times per
week is enough. Remember
that every pound of muscle you gain will burn calories by just existing.
Finally, your
body needs rest in order for it to repair itself and get stronger.
Rest is a very important component of your diet.
You must get at least 7 to 8 hours sleep per night.
It will do wonders for your progress and fat loss.
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