A Fond Farewell To Fat
by WesWe are continually reminded on a daily basis, how unhealthy it is for us to be fat and out of shape. Everywhere we turn, we are constantly bombarded by magazine articles and TV infomercials, touting some newfangled apparatus as the next best thing since sliced bread, to help us "sculpt" and "tone" our bodies.
Then there are the magic pills:
There`s fat trappers
carb blockers
energy stackers
water shedders
appetite killers
etc. etc.
You name it, and it`s out there......................if it`s not out there yet, just wait a while, they`re working on it.
The trouble with all this nonsense is, that it`s just that..............NONSENSE !!!
There are no shortcuts, and you really don`t need all the gimmicks out there to get into the best shape of your life. The only good part about the ads, is that they make us more aware that we are getting out of shape.
Hopefully, enough so, that we might resolve to do something about it, if they`ll just stop with the ridiculous ads already !!!!
A Sensible Approach To Getting Lean !!
Proper Mindset:
The most important step in losing weight and getting a lean fit body is to make a commitment to yourself to do so. Don`t think of it as drudgery, and don`t use the dreaded word diet, think of it as simply making a lifestyle change.
Make a firm resolve to lose weight and get into the best physical condition of your life !!
Sit down and write out exactly what your weight loss goals are, and vow to yourself that you will reach or exceed those goals, no matter what the sacrifices involved.
Read your goals daily, and recommit to them when enthusiasm wanes to help yourself stay focused.
Another invaluable tool that you have at your disposal, is to keep a training and nutrition journal. This way, you can monitor your improvements, and correct past mistakes.
At first this might seem to you, to be a burden, instead of an asset, but if you are serious about losing weight/fat, I urge you to write out both your diet and workouts, as you will find over time, that it is well worth the bit of extra effort it takes to do so.
A good book on calories, and the macronutrients, or a similar website devoted to such, will teach you what is in your food, and how to keep track of your nutritional intake.
Proper Training:
The second thing on the fat loss agenda is to get physical . There are three steps in the training protocol to losing fat.
They are, strength training, combined with cardiovascular workouts, and a strict healthy diet.
Strength training will increase lean muscle tissue, while the cardio training will help speed up fat loss, as well as build up your heart, lungs, and endurance, the diet which is the hardest to perfect will keep you lean and devoid of excess fat.
For each pound of muscle you add to your frame, you will burn 50 - 75 extra calories a day just to maintain that pound of muscle.
On the flip side, if you add a pound of fat to your body, only 2 calories are used per day to maintain it.
Therefore, it becomes a no-brainer to add some weight training into your fitness/fat loss regimen.
I recommend training the entire body over four days using the following split routine. I would also recommend doing your favorite form of cardio 4-6 times a week, depending on your current fitness level, and the amount of excess bodyfat that you are carrying.
The more bodyfat, the more activity, as it all boils down to a calories in vs. calories out scenario, and the more calories expended, all the better in most people`s cases.
Weight Training Routine:
This is not a routine for a competitive bodybuilder or power athlete, but is aimed at the individual who is trying to improve their fitness level by firming up, losing fat, and building firm hard muscle tissue!!
First off I think the overweight person should do some type of physical exercise on a daily basis.
Of course one should start out easy and progress as their fitness level improves.
Working out on a daily basis and resting one or two days for recuperation, ensures that you burn calories consistently, and everyday............ and creating a calorie deficit is how you essentially lose weight .
Training Routine
Day-1:
Chest, Abs, Cardio:
Bench Press or Dumbbell Bench Press-3x12,
Incline Press on Smith Machine-3x10
Flyes-3x10-15
Crunches-3x25
Lying Leg Raise-3x12-20
Cardio (walking on inclined treadmill for 30 minutes)
Day-2:
Legs:
Squats-3x12
Leg Press-3x15-20
Leg Extensions-3x10-15
Lying Leg Curls-5x10-15
Calf Raise-5x12-20
Day-3:
Back, Traps, Abs, Cardio:
Lat Pulldowns-3x10-15
Barbell Rowing-3x10-12
Cable Rows-3x10-15
Dumbbell Shrugs-4x12-20
1/4 Sit-ups on incline-3x12-20
Vertical Leg Raise on apparatus-3x10-15
Elliptical Machine-20-30 minutes
Day-4:
Shoulders, Cardio:
Seated Press on Smith Machine-3x10-12
Lateral Raise-3x10-15
Bent-Over Laterals-3x10-15
Alternate Dumbbell Press (standing)-1set to failure
HIIT cardio on Eliptical-20 minutes
Day-5:
Biceps, Triceps, Abs, Cardio:
Barbell Curls-3x8-12
Seated Alternate Curls-3x6-10
Seated French Press-4x8-12
Pressdowns-3x10-20
Kickbacks-2x15
Crunches-3x20-30
Roman-Chair Situps-3x12-15
Inclined Treadmill-30-45 minutes walking
Day-6:
Cardio:
interval cardio on Eliptical, Machine-20 minutes
Day-7:
REST
Proper Diet:
1.- Base your meals around foods that are high in protein and low in fat.
2.- Eat 6 small high protein meals, approximately every 3-4 hours.
3.- Eat "clean" complex carbohydrates, from natural unprocessed sources.
4.- Limit or avoid fruits, dairy products, bread, and of course all processed junk food .
5.- Avoid sugar, excessive sodium/salt, fatty foods, butter, margarine, mayonnaise, and other empty calorie foods that contribute nothing to your diet in the way of nutrients.
6.- Drink a gallon of water a day, every day, as a minimum amount, more if possible.
7.- Be consistent, and stick to your diet. If you mess up, just keep trying until you get it right.
8.- Eat your fiber in the form of vegetables. Most veggies are calorie negligible and can fill you up without adding excessive calories to your diet.
9.- If you must eat snacks choose them from healthy sources such as sugar-free Jell-O, rice cakes, sugar -free jelly, air -popped popcorn, protein shakes ,yogurt. etc. etc.
10.- Record everything you eat in a journal as this will help you stay on track and avoid mistakes. It will also allow you to track and alter things according to your progress or lack of progress.
Food Choices:
Below is a list of food choices that you should use while dieting for best results!
Proteins:
Lean Beef
Eggs/Egg Whites
Fish
Skinless Chicken Breasts
Turkey Breasts
Lean Ground Turkey
Tuna Fish in water
Carbohydrates:
Brown and white rice
Yams
Sweet Potatoes
Oatmeal
Baked Potatoes
Salads and vegetables
Fats:
Olive Oil
Avocados
Natural Peanut Butter
EFA`s
You might want to supplement your diet with a healthy fat source, but I think people get more than enough trace fats just from the foods they eat, even while on a strict diet.....but good fats are essential to the body.
The choice is yours.
Dieting Aids:
Here`s a list of things that can help make the dieting easier on you!
1.-Bake ,broil, boil, or steam foods.
2.-Use a zero calorie cooking spray.
3.-Use an imitation butter spray such as "I Can`t Believe It`s Not Butter.
4.-Use condiments and spices to liven up bland foods, but watch excessive sodium.
5.-when using fat-free items watch out for excessive sugars added to foods.
6.To curb hunger pangs, drink water, or brush your teeth a few times. It helps!!!
There you have it, what I think constitutes a good plan of attack in the battle against the bulge.
Make a commitment to improving your health and changing your lifestyle today and don`t look back!
Thanks for reading ,and good luck!! ____________________________________________________________________________
