As amazing as the holiday season can be with all of the family gatherings, mouth-watering treats and endless festivities, there can be downsides to this jolly time, such as the average American weight gain of 7-12 pounds! This often leads to many people having a fitness or weight loss/management resolution at the start of a new year. Here is the skinny on how to reach your goals for the New Year!
- BEWARE: Crash Dieting
Unwanted body fat is a lingering burden that tends to often haunt people, especially after the holidays. In a perfect world, our bodies would be able to lose large amounts of fat during short periods of time or be “immune” to weight gain altogether. Unfortunately, our bodies are designed to work in such a way. One of the keys to long term weight loss and management is patience. Being disciplined and committing to healthy eating habits and fitness regularly will lead to actual fat rather than water loss. Crash dieting often peels off “water” weight rather than body fat weight. Patience comes into play when you incorporate this into your lifestyle both consistently and habitually.
- Set Realistic-Aim for Attainable Goals!
Weight loss is not easy, by any means. It takes investment and a great deal of hard work. As with anything in life, there are obstacles and always the possibility of falling short. It is this fear of failure or the failure to reach personal goals that often causes people to quit their weight management/loss regimen. Do not throw in the towel without a fight though!! Set realistic goals to better prevent any disappointment. For example, you could set weekly goals of losing 1-2 pounds each week. These step-by-step, attainable goals will set you up to better achieve success and give you that extra confidence boost.
- I’ll Order an Eating and Exercising Combo, please!
For effective weight loss, eating and exercising is not a one-or-the-other ordeal. It is all or nothing! Research has shown that regular exercise alone primarily prevents weight gain and helps maintain a stable weight plateau. However, it is the combination of healthy eating habits (such as lean meats, vegetables, fruits with minimal salts and sweets) and regular exercise that leads to real fat and weight loss. Aim for a 500-calorie deficit by monitoring food intake as well as exercising everyday in order to shed 1-2 pounds per week.
- Water Should be Your Best Friend!
Often times, women do not drink enough water because they want to avoid feeling “bloated” or looking “puffy.” In reality, this only hinders their weight management efforts. Studies show that water is essential and key to regulating our body’s metabolic rate aka our body’s fat burning mechanisms! Drinking the suggested eight glasses of water each day will help you to have a more effective workout as well as flush out your system of bloating toxins. In the end, this will actually lead to de-bloating. Sounds like a win-win to me, so start chugging!
- Limit the Booze!
There is nothing wrong with having a nice glass of wine with dinner or as your day winds down. However, if you really want to lose body fat and keep it off, it is critical that you limit your alcohol intake! Realistically, it is fine to have a night out or enjoy happy hour every now and then, but not on a regular basis. Alcohol is digested as a sugar, which is ultimately converted to and stored as fat in problem areas. Next time you are holding a bottle of your favorite wine, picture a cake or stack of Oreos- both ultimately get stored in your midsection!
- Pump Iron!
Sadly, because of the stereotypes and misunderstandings about strength training, women often opt for the treadmill or elliptical over the weight room when they hit the gym. Break this habit! Weights are your friends! Yes, cardio will help fry overall fat, but weight-lifting is also clutch, as it targets problem areas, in addition to increasing lean muscle mass. This extra muscle activates your body’s metabolic processes to burn body fat, which is what you really want to lose!
So here is the road map to succeeding with your weight loss resolution for a New Year and New You!