Question: I'm looking for new ways to lose weight, tone up, & eat healthier without being bored with what I am eating. I'm a picky eater, so it doesn't help matters much. I would like to tone my abs and arms the most. Are there exercises I should lean towards doing or stay away from? Heavy or light weights? Are there any shakes/pills that help increase weight loss? I don't like going to that method, but I'm just curious as to what is out there :) Thank you for any help you can give me!!
Weight Loss Answer: Great questions! When It comes to weight loss I am old fashioned. I work hard at obtaining my goals through working out hard and consistently & counting calories honestly. This is a challenging process that takes a lot of dedication, but if you really want the results, you will make it work.
When it comes to counting calories: Don't consume less than 1,200 calories/day (women) 1,500 calories/day (men). Your body needs those calories for your daily routine. Experiment yourself to figure out how many calories you can consume that allows you to lose the healthy 1-2 lbs/week. For me it is about 1,300 calories. To make calorie counting easy try: make the same breakfast every morning, have a lean cuisine for lunch or dinner, figure out the calories/serving of your 2 favorite recipes, and make use of searching calories on your favorite restaurant foods like Panera, Subway, etc. This will also help you make healthier food choices!
When it comes to working out hard, focus on getting a good calorie burn through cardio exercises: walking, running, biking, elliptical, etc. Join the 3500 calorie challenge to motivate you to get those calories burned each week.
Together, calorie counting and cardio bring weight loss success. You won't always have to calorie count. I recommend calorie counting while trying to reach your goal, then you can ease up on the counting by being more conscientious of what you're eating, and go back to calorie counting whenever you slip up and need to get back on track. Keep up on the cardio workout on an ongoing basis - its good for your heart!
Toning Arms & Abs Answer: As far as toning your arms and abs, there are no exercises I can specifically suggest since I don't know your specific exercise background. I would say you want to find a biceps, triceps, and shoulder exercise you like to tone your arms. And find a Rectus Abdominus exercise (such as a crunch), a Transverse Abdominus exercise (such as a plank), and an Oblique exercise (such as a standing side crunches) to fully tone your stomach muscles. I have found personally that performing toning exercises 3 days/week brings results faster. I usually lean towards a weight/resistance that fatigues me in 2 sets of 15 repetitions. While these are a few ideas along with what I have found works well for me, you will want to figure out what works best for you.
Shakes and Pills Answer: I have never used a shake to lose weight. I honestly don't know much about these. I am pretty sure they are usually meant to be used as meal replacements, but I would probably find myself having a shake and still wanting food - defeating the whole purpose since I would be consuming more calories than recommended. And based on quickly going to the Slim Fast website, their total weight loss plan is created on consuming about 1,200 calories. This is going to pretty much guarantee weight loss because the calorie intake is low. So whether you want to try a shake or not, it's up to you, just know that the weight loss is due to consuming less calories than you are burning (which is what I am recommending above).
I would stay away from pills. They can be extremely dangerous. I don't believe they are regulated much at all and can have serious side effects. While taking a pill sounds like a great easy way to lose weight, it's not worth the risk.
I hope these answers are helpful. It's great to hear from people who are reading the blog. Feel free to send me more questions via comments or sending me a message!
685 calories burned on the elliptical! 1600 calories to go! What did you accomplish today?
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