I know it's not as simple as I say or the magazines would lead you to believe. Weight loss and staying in shape is not easy and for some it can be a downright a chore. It's up there with cleaning your room, doing laundry, or going to that social function when you'd rather be home watching re-runs of Welcome Back Kotter!
Well that's all well and good but the bottom line is how do you lose weight and, most importantly, keep it off?
Believe it or not, there are people who have figured out the secret and have been successful! Getting in shape is not impossible, so I'm going to share with you my formula for staying fit while--at times--eating the foods that your not supposed to eat.
1. Plan out your meals ahead of time. When I go bed the night before I set up my breakfast so that I get all the morning calories I need to get my mind functioning. These meals usually include: CARBOHYDRATES. For example, a bowl of Cheerios, 3/4 cup whole milk, or 2 slices of whole wheat bread with 1 pat of butter and 1 teaspoon of marmalade. Lunch is always vegetable, protein ( most things with 2 to 4 legs and sometimes a fin) and grain (mostly rice). Dinner is the same as lunch.
2. Drink plenty of AGUA! Water is the best fluid for you. The other stuff is O.K.; we need variety right? But water is king. I mean queen. Well you know what I mean. It's the primo juice. OK, it's not juice, but juice the body loves. It has all the natural mineral salts that help replenish calcium, sodium, potassium. Better than Gatorade!
3. Get familiar with portions. A lot of people say their portions are their palm or fist size and they ask me why they may not be losing weight. If you are not accurately measuring out what a serving size is you maybe consuming double the necessary portions throughout the day. Of course you're going to have trouble losing weight! You can't honestly guesstimate portions. You have to make it a visual experience. What do I mean? Only by truly measuring out your food and visualizing what a portion size is for particular food can you begin to get a hold on losing weight. Your other option is not eating. That works for a short time. I'd say 10 days and then you're dead. Not an ideal weight loss plan. Measure your food out.
4. Exercise in the morning. People who exercise in the morning have been to found to lose weight. Does that mean you can't lose weight any other time? No. However, when we wake up we are turning off serotonin and ramping up our adrenaline. Therefore we have a tendency to facilitate more fat burning in the morning. Also the effects of working out early help increase your metabolism; your ability to burn stored energy jumps up 20%. This can last for an additional 2-4 hours post-workout. (This goes out to L.M. T, TH @ 8-9)
5. Stay Consistent! I can say the above till I'm blue in the face. That would be an interesting shade! Seriously, I can say steps 1-5 all I want but if you're not consistent then you're not even going to come close to reaching your fitness goals. Every other day for weights. Daily for cardio. Recognize when you're tired and rest appropriately. Remember that we lose weight by resting (i.e sleeping). Rest is good.
I hope the above tidbits help shine a light on your fitness journey.
Here is a simple meal to stay lean and fit!
Pesto salad with chicken, tomatoes and mozzarella
*courtesy of Self Magazine*
Ingredients:
Olive oil cooking spray
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6oz each)
2 cups packed fresh basil
2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
1 tbsp pine nuts, toasted 10 minutes in a cast iron skillet in a 350 degree oven
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cups lettuce (such as frisee)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup cubed part-skim mozzarella
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Season chicken with salt and pepper, place on sheet and bake until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Cut into 1/2 inch slices.
Pesto: Pulse basil, Parmesan, pine nuts and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. With motor on, slowly add broth and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss lettuce with lemon juice; coat chicken, tomatoes, and mozzarella with pesto. Divide among 4 plates.
Nutrition: 319 calories per serving. 12.7g fat (2.9g saturated), 6.1 g carbs, 2.3g fiber, 44.5 g protein.
Got ? blog me.
Dr. Abu
The Fitness Doctor
NEXT LEVEL
No comments:
Post a Comment