It is a good start to understand the science of things. You don’t need a bachelor’s degree to be able to make sense of calories and its good to be aware of what your working against. Each person will require a certain amount of calories to maintain body functions, such as breathing and digestion. So what is the right amount of calories for you? Follow these simple steps to measure the amount of calories you should be consuming throughout a typical day:
The first thing that you need to do is determine your basal metabolic rate or your BMR. This will tell you how many calories you would burn if you stayed in bed all day. It’s a good way to determine how many calories you need to intake. You can calculate your BMR by doing a Google search and using one of the online calculators that comes up in the search.
Calculate your activity level by wearing a heart rate monitor all day long. You can easily purchase one from a variety of athletic stores including Academy or you can get one from Target. This will let you know how many calories you have burned in a day.
Keep a daily journal of the foods that you eat throughout the day. Remember to write everything down and including the number of calories from each food source.
Take your BMR number and add your activity calories. Subtract your food calories. If you’re eating more calories than you are burning, you’ll gain weight and if you’re burning more calories than you eat, you will lose weight.
Your choice of what you eat plays a huge role in losing weight. It’s not just counting calories, but choosing a generally healthier diet will do you no end of good. Changing bad habits such as that weekly pizza fest, into healthier alternatives, will not only reduce your fat intake, but provide good nutrients required for physical exercise. Choosing leaner cuts of meats and eating a healthy breakfast, such as cereals, fruit and yogurt are things you should consider if your serious about losing weight.
Equally important is the kind of exercise routine that you are involved in. This is the second most important factor to successful weight loss. You need to be doing a minimum of 30 minutes of intense exercise a day. You need to begin with cardiovascular activity which can be a number of things including swimming, running, jogging, briskly walking, biking, and even circuit training. The more you get used to any level of exercise that you do, the more you should up your intensity. Also, don’t be afraid to add strength training to the mix. It makes a bigger difference in the way you look than cardiovascular activity does.
Sometimes, exercise can be a daunting task, especially when you have to face it alone, or you are not sure which exercises will be the most beneficial to your personal goals. You might have ruled out a personal trainer because you think they are too expensive or work exclusively with the famous. Try to get this idea out of your head. Of course, a personal trainer doesn’t come for free, but they are also not so unreachable as you think in terms of availability and cost. They can be a huge help in guiding you towards the right exercises and the motivation they can give is unbeatable!
The final thing to remember is your self-confidence and motivation. Without this, you can forget about losing weight. To believe in yourself and stick to your goals is the only way to achieve weight loss. Without this vital incentive, you will soon fall into the trap of skipping that gym class or helping yourself to a second plateful. Stay true to yourself and your efforts will pay off!
Cliff Pape is a Houston Personal Trainer who has trained and coached hundreds of Houstonians in their weight loss journey. He recommends that in addition to a good exercise program, everyone be involved in eating a healthy diet like the one prescribed in the Medifast program. Doing both will keep you healthy and strong and in shape!
categories: exercise habits,weight loss tips,exercise,diet,health
