Faster Way To Lose Weight

 If you have to shed some weight sooner than later, cut your high-carbohydrates for several weeks, and the fat will melt away!

Foods that are high in carbohydrates include white flour and its products, sugar and products made with them, white rice, grains, dairy and legumes. Instead, eat protein-filled food like lean meats, poultry, fish, egg whites and soya beans; low-carb vegetables like leafy green salads, green vegetables like ugwu, bitter leaf, water leaf, spinach, afang and ewedu. Also eat vegetables like cabbage, cucumbers, garlic, onions, bell peppers. Add some healthy oils too.

Fat is not the issue here as much as high-glycemic foods which create a surge in insulin when you eat them. This extra insulin is stored as fat, in addition to putting a strain on your body. During this quick weight loss, keep your carbohydrate at 20 grams a day or less (six table spoons of rice, small wrap of wheat or unripe plantain meal —the size of your fist). You can also purchase a carbohydrate or glycemic gram counter.

After 12 weeks of low-carb discipline, begin to add the other foods one or two at a time. Watch the scale or your dresses to be sure you keep losing. Try to keep your calorie count for each day between 1,300 and 1,400. Also eat some protein at each meal. With these two strategies (plus the addition of daily exercise) you will continue to lose weight without lowering your metabolism.

Use these guidelines to figure out how many calories you need :

To maintain weight: multiply your present weight by 12, if you are inactive; 15, if moderately active and 20, if very active

To reduce: subtract 500 calories a day from normal diet to lose 1 pound ( 0.5kg) a week through diet alone. Exercise will increase this loss.

Fun Activities

This is an era of choice. But to aid in your decision-making, ask yourself a few easy questions:

•Do you prefer indoor or outdoor activities?

•Do you have any health problems that prohibit sun exposure? Or a heart condition?

•Is your main objective to firm up muscles, improve health, lose fat or do all three?

• Do you like to exercise alone, with a partner or in a group?

• Does music motivate you? Do trainers and group leaders challenge or intimidate you?

• Do you have lots of time for exercise? Or do you need to do “daily dozen” in a matter of minutes?

Usually aerobics (with oxygen) will mean weight bearing exercises, but bicycling and a brisk walk also count if sustained for at least twenty minutes. There are other activities that get your heart rate up quickly, but they don’t last long enough to be aerobic!

Some pleasant outdoor choices that can be done alone with a partner or in groups include walking, running, jogging, skipping, swimming, bicycling and road walk. These activities get your heart rate up, burn some fat, work your heart, lungs, and circulation, and use approximately 300 calories per half hour of exercise (except for walking, which uses 150 calories per half hour, and running, at 350 calories per half hour).

Which one sounds fun to you?

There are some advantages in choosing one of these workouts. Outdoor activities can give you a new perspective. The simple act of stepping out into the sunshine and fresh air lifts spirits and chases cares away. Don’t exercise in the heat of the day, but you can always wear sunscreen and preferably a face cap when exercising in sunlight.

Indoor exercise choices include aerobic dance, step aerobics, spinning (a new type of stationary cycling), circuit weight training, jumping rope, stationary bike, rowing machine and treadmill. Also floor exercises like sit-ups, leg lifts, stretches, and push-ups (these will require the use of an exercise mat). These exercises can also be done alone, with a partner, or in groups. Some involve little expense.

If you choose to do aerobic dance in the privacy of your home, all you need is an exercise video or some music. Gyms and fitness centres memberships may not be affordable to you but they may be worth the expense to keep you consistent. These workouts challenge your heart, lungs and muscle, also burning fat and calories (between 200-350 per half an hour of exercise).

Indoor exercises have the advantage of being private and weatherproof. And if you have a tendency for boredom, you can watch the news and read a magazine while on a machine.

A schedule that works well, coupled with keeping you committed, is to choose several sports or machines and alternate them.

Credit Sharon Jane, PM News