Micheal Ryan of RnR Fitness in Tralee gives top tips on how to lose weight…
We’ve all said to ourselves at one point or another in our lives; “I would like to lose some weight” or some other similar vague statement of that description.
It may be for a wedding coming up in the future, family occasion, party season etc. Whatever the reasons, the vast majority of us have had quiet times of reflection, thinking and considering embarking on a journey of healthy weight loss and management.
With little or know idea on how to reach such a goal and maintain it, it is often the case you slip back into old habits and reverse and unravel all your hard work.
Below I will outline some weight loss and weight management tips, which I feel will help you reach your own weight management goals.
Continued below…
Avoid processed foods
Many processed foods contain the sugar substitute *high-fructose corn syrup* or (HFCS).
This alters your insulin levels, meaning you will begin to store excess calories as fat rather than burn it off as energy. HFCS is found in all fizzy drinks, sweets and some canned foods.
Avoid dieting
Dieting can actually lead to weight gain. Why? By dramatically cutting large amounts from your daily food intake, inevitably leads at some point or another to you losing interest in the diet due to lack of energy and motivation.
This invariably leads to binge eating at some point or time thereafter, thus leading to the possibility of weight gain. It is far easier to alter or change your eating habits over time, rather than trying a whole new way of eating straight away.
Try over the period of a few weeks, weed out the bad foods and replace them, one at a time with more desirable healthier alternatives.
For example, try removing sugar from your tea or breakfast cereal. It may take a week or two, but slowly reduce the amount you use each time, and before long your desire for it will decrease to a point where you no longer feel the need to use it.
Get adequate sleep
Adequate sleep increases melatonin production which is a body’s natural antioxidant and prevents the accumulation of stomach fat and increases leptin sensitivity helping healthy weight management. Getting a goods night’s sleep is vital in any weight management programme.
Avoid TV dinners
You’re more likely to eat 228 more calories when eating in front of the television when compared to eating at the dinner table according to the University of Massachusetts.
Your mind is more concentrated on what your watching rather than allowing your mind help register when you are full. Eat at the dinner table and watch TV afterwards. It’s a simple trade off for healthy weight management.
Keep resting during exercise to the necessary minimum
During exercise your heart rate becomes elevated. A heart rate where you are working efficiently and at optimum capacity is known as your “training zone”.
By reducing rest periods during exercise your anaerobic and aerobic systems are forced to work harder with little time to recover.
These factors combined, help you burn more calories and fat during exercise. Only rest for as long as it takes to recover enough so you can continue training as hard as possible.
• Michael Ryan is part of RnR Fitness: Qualified and Certified Personal, Trainers, Fitness Instructors and Sports Nutrition Consultants. See their Facebook page here
