Losing Weight: How to Take it Off and Keep it Off

A Simple Guide to Releasing that Extra Weight.

Like many others, you want to get healthier and lose weight, right?

You’ve probably realized by now that there is no magic bullet to losing weight (except for the ones that make awesome smoothies). There is no overnight success (sorry to burst your bubble). But good news: The guide to releasing that extra weight is simple.

You need to burn more calories than you consume. It’s basic math: Calories in vs calories out.

Some find this easy to do once they set their minds to it, others not so much.

Here’s the trick: The more active you are, the easier it gets. Even moderate activity increases the number of calories you burn every day. If you are very sedentary, it is still possible to lose weight with a strict eating plan, but it’s much easier and better for your overall health to include some regular exercise.

Carrying extra weight around not only affects your appearance and self-esteem, it can also be a contributing factor to a variety of diseases and a shortened lifespan. For example, chronic health conditions like heart disease and diabetes are more common among overweight people than people within a normal weight range. Many people with chronic conditions find their health improves greatly once they reduce their weight and in some cases, they don’t need as much or maybe any medication.

There are two main ways to reduce your weight: you can eat more healthily and you can exercise regularly.

Eating Healthily

Eating more than we should is a major contributing factor for being overweight. Extra fat cells are created when our bodies store those extra calories we consume each day. The number of calories our bodies require vary depending on our age, sex, height and level of regular exercise.

There are calorie calculators out there that tell you how many calories you need to maintain your current weight. But the best and easiest way I’ve seen is through apps that chart your goals, weight, calories and exercise all in one. Some are free, too! Check out these cool food diary apps for 2016.

How to lose weight: Try eating 500 calories a day less, don’t stress yourself out if you aren’t perfect every day. Do your best each day and start fresh the next day. Remember, this isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon.

Some people find that a food diary is helpful, to keep track of what you eat each day. You’ll be amazed at how much food we “forget” we eat that adds up to a lot of extra calories. You can use a small notebook from the dollar store or your smartphone.

Best Workout for Weight Loss

Being more active is one of the Best Workout for Weight Loss and keep it off. Exercise is the only thing that will burn excess calories and unwanted fat while building muscles.

The extra bonus is that your heart gets healthier, too. In fact, all the muscles you build, increase your metabolism so your body burns fat more effectively. Even after you exercise.

You don’t have to do exercises you hate, there are lots of ways for you to get out and move more. I must admit that I occasionally have my clients at T-Squared Vancouver Personal Training do a few exercises they aren’t fond of. But it’s for their own good. 🙂

Whether you book a session with me or not, it’s important to just get started! Try doing a couple of these for just 30 minutes a day. Within 3 weeks, you will start to feel the positive effects — especially if you’re eating whole, healthy foods, too!

Exercises to do anywhere, anytime:

• Walking
• Dancing
• Skipping
• Swimming
• Jogging

If this gets boring, download some exercise videos and sweat in the privacy of your home.

Remember to start slow. Don’t overdo it to the point joint paint of faintness. That isn’t fun and you will only slow you down in the long run!

And give yourself a cheat day every once in a while. Because if you deprive yourself too much, chances are you will quit.

My training process with clients

When a client who hasn’t been active begins at T-Squared, we start with exercises that challenge them a little bit at a time.

Then we slowly build on this until they can do things they never thought they could. Like climb 24 flights of stairs. Or simply play ball with their kids.

Always keep in mind: It probably took you a long time to gain the weight, so give yourself time to “release” it. Yes, I say release, as we don’t want it to come back!

Slow and steady will win this race. Aim for a maximum of 2 lbs a week; 1 or 1/2 is plenty!

Please do not fall for diet pills and gimmicks that you see on TV or the web. These do not work and can be very harmful to your health. Talk to your doctor if you’re concerned about how to get started and if it is safe for you. If you visit a dietitian, please ensure they are properly trained and accredited.

Be patient and persevere. You will become a healthier, slimmer you, for as long as you keep up the good work.