Okay, it's that time of year again. Too much pumpkin pie, cookies, chocolates, eggnog, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes (insert your favorite indulgence here) has probably left you feeling a couple pounds heavier and guilty. You may feel like drastic measures need to be taken to lose the weight; severe calorie restriction, diet pills, nothing but grapefruits, or whatever the latest trend is. But if you want to lose weight and keep it off, this is definitely not the way to go. Fad and starvation diets just screw up your metabolism and cause you to regain the weight and then some. But fear not! There are things you can do to lose the weight. If you follow my Top 10 Tips you'll undo the holiday damage in no time.
ROBIN'S TOP 10 WEIGHT LOSS TIPS:
1.) Move Every Day (And really move it 3-5x per week)
You don't need to be a slave to the gym to make the scale budge. But you do need to do some moderately intense cardio and resistance training (only an hour total) 3 times per week to increase lean body mass and decrease fat. You can lose weight with diet alone, but the "weight" loss isn't only fat loss, it's muscle loss too. You need to do resistance training to build muscle and increase your metabolism. Exercise days off doesn't mean you turn into a couch potato either. Going for walks, cleaning the house, shopping with friends, taking the stairs, is all about moving your butt, so the more the better.
2.) CALL IN REINFORCEMENTS
Having a healthy lifestyle is so much easier if you surround yourself with a support network. Turn to friends with common health goals, join weight loss support forums, make exercise dates with your partner or best friend. And if motivation is your enemy, look for a certified personal trainer who can drag you out of bed!
3.) EAT GREEN, NOT WHITE
When in doubt, remembering these color do's and don'ts will help you out. Fill up your plate with green foods such as lettuces, spinaches, cucumbers, avocados, peppers, bok choy, asparagus, brussel sprouts, and brocolli, just to name a few. Greens are chock full of vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber which keep you full.
On the other hand, white foods usually consist of bleached flour that has been stripped of fiber and nutrients. These foods (such as bread, pasta, bagels, waffles, cereal) spike insulin levels and make you hungrier and hold on to fat. The worst white offender is sugar--avoid at all costs.
4.) PROTEIN POWER
If you want to keep hunger at bay and make your metabolism burn like a well-oiled machine, then protein is your best friend. You should eat protein at every meal and snack. Great protein sources include eggs, Greek yogurt, nuts, chicken breast, lean cuts of beef, turkey, and fish. Aim for 6oz for meals and 2-4oz for snacks.
5.) DON'T EAT FOOD WITH A LONG SHELF LIFE
If you buy something that can last a long time (without being frozen) than it's junk. To preserve foods, manufactures put in all sorts of crap that slows down your metabolism. Nitrates, partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, msg, sodium, the list goes on and on. Try to eat only fresh, unprocessed foods. And no fast food! To keep things from spoiling, buy smaller amounts and use your freezer.
6.) EAT ONLY REAL FOOD
Along the same lines of processed foods, packaged "health" foods such as protein bars and shakes are usually just candy bars in disguise. Most of the bars contain a ton of sugar or artificial sweetners. An apple and a cheese stick will fill you up and be less calories than a bar. Plus it's a lot cheaper.
7.) PLAN AHEAD
Most people fail at their diets because they have nothing healthy to eat when hunger strikes. Therefore, they reach for whatever is quick and easy. (See number 5) To succeed you must have a plan. Take a few hours one day a week to wash and precut veggies so they're easy to grab. Sautee a batch of boneless chicken to keep in the fridge, so you can slice up some to toss on a salad. If you're doing errands, pack a a handful of nuts, a piece of fruit and yogurt in a thermal bag in case you get hungry.
8.) WATER, WATER...AND MORE WATER
Drinking 8 glasses a day is the bare minimum. For every caffeinated beverage you drink you need to drink that much in water to replace fluid loss. Exercise also increases your water needs. If you're body doesn't have enough water, your liver can not metabolize fat properly and thus your weight loss efforts are thwarted. If that's not enough reason to guzzle water I don't know what is!
9.) STAY AWAY FROM STIMULANTS
1 or 2 cups of coffee a day is fine. But if you're pounding coffee all day or other caffeine drinks like tea, Diet Coke, or (God forbid) Red Bull you're doing your body harm. Over stimulating your body over time reeks havoc on your adrenal glands which in turn causes cortisol production. And we all know that cortisol causes fat storage, especially around the tummy.
10.) DON'T TRY TO BE MICHAEL PHELPS
If you think working out for hours a day is the way to lose weight, you could be headed for trouble. Most of us are not built like athletes. In fact, a lot of athletes aren't built like athletes, and they fall victim to overtraining. When you don't give yourself proper rest days you run the risk of not only serious injury but of your body holding on to fat for self preservation. You end up putting in more and more effort, but you see less and less results. You may never feel fully rested and your hunger may be unstoppable. Your body starts producing more cortisol which means more fat. So don't feel guilty about taking two days off a week. It's actually completely necessary for muscle growth and fat loss.
Well, these are my tips. If you simply follow them you can kiss the sweatpants goodbye and look forward to that summer bikini!
ROBIN'S TOP 10 WEIGHT LOSS TIPS:
1.) Move Every Day (And really move it 3-5x per week)
You don't need to be a slave to the gym to make the scale budge. But you do need to do some moderately intense cardio and resistance training (only an hour total) 3 times per week to increase lean body mass and decrease fat. You can lose weight with diet alone, but the "weight" loss isn't only fat loss, it's muscle loss too. You need to do resistance training to build muscle and increase your metabolism. Exercise days off doesn't mean you turn into a couch potato either. Going for walks, cleaning the house, shopping with friends, taking the stairs, is all about moving your butt, so the more the better.
2.) CALL IN REINFORCEMENTS
Having a healthy lifestyle is so much easier if you surround yourself with a support network. Turn to friends with common health goals, join weight loss support forums, make exercise dates with your partner or best friend. And if motivation is your enemy, look for a certified personal trainer who can drag you out of bed!
3.) EAT GREEN, NOT WHITE
When in doubt, remembering these color do's and don'ts will help you out. Fill up your plate with green foods such as lettuces, spinaches, cucumbers, avocados, peppers, bok choy, asparagus, brussel sprouts, and brocolli, just to name a few. Greens are chock full of vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber which keep you full.
On the other hand, white foods usually consist of bleached flour that has been stripped of fiber and nutrients. These foods (such as bread, pasta, bagels, waffles, cereal) spike insulin levels and make you hungrier and hold on to fat. The worst white offender is sugar--avoid at all costs.
4.) PROTEIN POWER
If you want to keep hunger at bay and make your metabolism burn like a well-oiled machine, then protein is your best friend. You should eat protein at every meal and snack. Great protein sources include eggs, Greek yogurt, nuts, chicken breast, lean cuts of beef, turkey, and fish. Aim for 6oz for meals and 2-4oz for snacks.
5.) DON'T EAT FOOD WITH A LONG SHELF LIFE
If you buy something that can last a long time (without being frozen) than it's junk. To preserve foods, manufactures put in all sorts of crap that slows down your metabolism. Nitrates, partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, msg, sodium, the list goes on and on. Try to eat only fresh, unprocessed foods. And no fast food! To keep things from spoiling, buy smaller amounts and use your freezer.
6.) EAT ONLY REAL FOOD
Along the same lines of processed foods, packaged "health" foods such as protein bars and shakes are usually just candy bars in disguise. Most of the bars contain a ton of sugar or artificial sweetners. An apple and a cheese stick will fill you up and be less calories than a bar. Plus it's a lot cheaper.
7.) PLAN AHEAD
Most people fail at their diets because they have nothing healthy to eat when hunger strikes. Therefore, they reach for whatever is quick and easy. (See number 5) To succeed you must have a plan. Take a few hours one day a week to wash and precut veggies so they're easy to grab. Sautee a batch of boneless chicken to keep in the fridge, so you can slice up some to toss on a salad. If you're doing errands, pack a a handful of nuts, a piece of fruit and yogurt in a thermal bag in case you get hungry.
8.) WATER, WATER...AND MORE WATER
Drinking 8 glasses a day is the bare minimum. For every caffeinated beverage you drink you need to drink that much in water to replace fluid loss. Exercise also increases your water needs. If you're body doesn't have enough water, your liver can not metabolize fat properly and thus your weight loss efforts are thwarted. If that's not enough reason to guzzle water I don't know what is!
9.) STAY AWAY FROM STIMULANTS
1 or 2 cups of coffee a day is fine. But if you're pounding coffee all day or other caffeine drinks like tea, Diet Coke, or (God forbid) Red Bull you're doing your body harm. Over stimulating your body over time reeks havoc on your adrenal glands which in turn causes cortisol production. And we all know that cortisol causes fat storage, especially around the tummy.
10.) DON'T TRY TO BE MICHAEL PHELPS
If you think working out for hours a day is the way to lose weight, you could be headed for trouble. Most of us are not built like athletes. In fact, a lot of athletes aren't built like athletes, and they fall victim to overtraining. When you don't give yourself proper rest days you run the risk of not only serious injury but of your body holding on to fat for self preservation. You end up putting in more and more effort, but you see less and less results. You may never feel fully rested and your hunger may be unstoppable. Your body starts producing more cortisol which means more fat. So don't feel guilty about taking two days off a week. It's actually completely necessary for muscle growth and fat loss.
Well, these are my tips. If you simply follow them you can kiss the sweatpants goodbye and look forward to that summer bikini!