We have to first assume one thing. You are serious about losing weight and keeping it off . You can’t believe how many times I’ve been asked, “How long do I have to keep this up?.” My response is, “How
We have to first assume one thing. You are serious about losing weight and keeping it off .
You can’t believe how many times I’ve been asked, “How long do I have to keep this up?.” My response is, “How long do you want to look and feel good?” It’s kind of like the dentist who tells you to floss your teeth, but only floss the ones you want to keep.
There are many things we do to look good and be healthy. Some examples are that we bathe pretty regularly. This removes bacteria and dirt from our bodies so we look and smell good, and it also removes bacteria and dirt so we don’t end up with skin sores.
Health and looking good are the same reasons we wash our hair and brush our teeth. We want to be looking good and remove bacteria that could cause health problems if left to flourish. Essentially the same reasoning applies to working out and eating properly. It is a lifetime commitment.
So the first issue is the food. Up the amounts of fruit, veggies, fiber, water and lean meat in your diet. Reduce or eliminate the amount of junk food, high fat food and processed food, food with high sugar and salt content, and alcohol from your intake.
The wonderful thing about living on Kauai is that you can feed yourself local grown great fresh fruit and veggies, seafood and local organic meat year round.
You will be healthier, leaner, feel better, look better, sleep better and have way more energy than you ever had in your life. This is fundamental, yet people think it is odd for me to suggest that they actually eat real food rather than the processed junk that fills most of the grocery store shelves. Ask yourself this: Do you think we would have survived as a species fueled on soda and chips with boxed mac and cheese or frozen pizza as our mainstays? Clearly we spent most of our history as a species eating natural whole foods that gave us the ability to outmaneuver or out-think our predators. What’s changed? Certainly not your body’s ability to derive nourishment from optimal sources. We’re just kind of lucky that we can limp along so well on junk for as long as we do
Would you think of putting kerosene or rubbing alcohol in your car for fuel?? Why not if it burns? It’s simply the wrong fuel for optimal performance. Fuel your body at least as well as you would your lawn mower. Get clean energy!
The second part of the equation to get lean and keep there is to move. Lifting weights or doing some type of resistance training will up your metabolism and also create nice lines to your body. You will not only get stronger but look fitter too.
Aerobic exercise will improve your heart and lung capacity and burn more calories from fat than other types of movement. These two types of exercise are crucial to maintaining a lean healthy fit body.
Aerobic exercise can be done every day and should be done at least five times a week. Resistance training can be done as little as twice a week if you bunch up the exercises or as much as six times a week if you split them out into body parts. It’s up to you, depending on how much time you have and how often you want to train.
If you haven’t got a clue about how to start, or if you have been struggling for some time and haven’t seen great results, now is the right time to work with a fitness professional who can steer you in the right direction in terms of proper nutrition and also exercise selection, form and intensity. Work with someone who will help you set realistic goals based on your lifestyle and your goals and needs. Getting in great shape and staying there is possible for everyone, no matter from where they start. It just takes first and foremost the desire, and secondly, a little time. Hope your 2012 is the happiest, healthiest year of your life. Aloha, Jane
