In today’s society of weight loss reality television and glamour models with toothpick legs and flat stomachs on every magazine cover, people have become more obsessed with weight loss, instead of weight control. The first step in gaining the edge on weight control is to stop the fad diets and get into the grove of eating healthy and working out as a “lifestyle.” Begin with the great attitude that you did not “arrive” at where you are over night; therefore, you cannot “change” it all over night. Commit yourself to a program for at least three months in order to get long term results and ultimately make this new change, a lifestyle change. Haley M., who came to work with us, did just that. She started with a great attitude, which translated to her results, and gave her the life lessons to do it on her own. She is highlighted in our ad this month.

Weight loss without exercising: You must exercise in order to lose body fat and of course watch what you eat. If one just restricts their eating but does not change their habits, they will not gain control of their weight.

Fasting: Avoid this. Cleansing of the body can be done without fasting. Fasting slows down your metabolism causing you to gain weight back more rapidly.

Improper food plans: A good healthy eating plan will incorporate the proper amounts of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. A plan that totally restricts your carbohydrates and depletes your energy is not good for you long term. You might have a marked drop in weight over the short term, but not have a sustainable “lifestyle” you can maintain.

Does not check body fat: A program that only determines progress by your weight on a scale, leaves out the important body composition results of fat percentages, body mass indexing and circumferences. Realistic and healthy weight loss is generally one to two pounds per week. A good plan will focus on fat loss, and limit lean tissue loss. Remember lean tissue requires calories to survive. The more lean tissue you have, the more calories you can burn, as lean tissue is “active.”

The significant problem for most people today is the lack of self-motivation to exercise. For some reason, out growing our blue jeans is not enough of an incentive to get moving. Unfortunately, many people are forced to get into an exercise routine because the doctor just hit them with your 45, overweight, and have high cholesterol- the three primary risk factors for heart disease. If you are a person who has a hard time getting motivated to workout, you find it boring or intimidating, or perhaps you have reached a plateau feeling as if you are spinning your wheels “on the bike” but getting no results – You are a prime candidate for a personal trainer.

Incorporating a “buddy system” through a personal trainer will accelerate your results, teach you new skills, help you stick to it, and improve not only your overall fitness, but your over all outlook on life. Be patient and put your mind to it. A good fitness plan that incorporates balanced nutrition, with challenging but fun workouts will get you weight control and the “look” that you want, while helping you live a healthier longer life.