Should I Diet or Exercise to lose Weight?

A large number of people embark on a journey of weight loss every year with the possibility of millions of solutions….. There is everything from chocolate meal replacement shakes to vibrating machines and 1001 different ab sculptors.

This begs the question, what is the best solution for weight loss? Is it the no carbohydrates diet, a lemon detox program or running a thousand kilometres every week?

The answer is a combination of regular exercise and a balanced diet. Certain dietary supplement companies and large gym chains would say otherwise. However, the proof is in the results.

I know I may have destroyed your dreams of achieving great weight loss through the consumption of a magic pill or 5 minutes with the ABTASTIC 3000. The good news is that no extreme measures need be taken. Weight loss will be achieved through a consistent and sustainable exercise program and balanced diet.

Most people want results yesterday. We are impatient when it comes to our health and want to undo years of unhealthy habits in days. This is why quick result diets are a multi-billion dollar business. The bad news is that this weight loss is primarily water. When you crash diet you significantly slow your resting metabolism. As well as this, you are also at a higher risk of suffering a heart attack. In fact, initial success in weight loss relates poorly to long-term success.

You can lose weight through exercise or diet alone. However, your results will be enhanced when you combine both. The combination of exercise and diet will specifically produce:

• Less intense feelings of hunger and psychologic stress than with following a diet alone.
• An increase in the overall size of your energy deficit
• Greater body fat loss as you will preserve lean muscle mass
• A blunt in the drop in resting metabolism that is associated with weight loss
• Improvements in mood
• Increased insulin sensitivity
• Greater flexibility

Now we have established that this is the best solution for weight loss we have another pertinent question. What does a sustainable exercise program and balanced diet look like? Thousands of books have been written on these subjects but here is the succinct answer; the best type of exercise for fat burning is a combination of resistance and cardiovascular training that includes high intensity intervals. High intensity workouts increase your oxygen consumption for a longer period of time after exercise and this increases the total amount of calories expended.

When it comes to diet remember this simple little saying; eat like a queen for breakfast, a princess for lunch and a pauper for dinner. This will keep you in good stead. Your metabolism is at its best in the morning so it makes sense to consume a large majority of your daily calories by 1 pm. Stick to low glycemic index (GI) foods and avoid refined sugars wherever possible! Have fruit and nuts as snacks, include plenty of vegetables and salad with your meals and choose wholesome carbohydrates such as multigrain bread and brown rice. It is also important to eat plenty of protein; red meat, chicken, fish and eggs and are just a few great options.

This is a very short overview of how best to lose weight. If you would like a more comprehensive review of your dietary and exercise needs then contact us on 1300 177 119.

New Year Resolutions

Happy New Year and welcome to 2010! What does this year have in store for you? For some people it may be the start of a new job, others may have a wedding to attend and others may want that fresh start they’ve been looking for in 2010. Whatever this year holds for you, the best way to arrive there is by setting yourself some New Year’s resolutions.

If you’re anything like the rest of us, New Year’s resolutions seem so reasonable and practical on New Years Eve, during the first weeks of the year the even seem to grow closer; but at some stage during January or February they have disappeared out of our sights. They’re probably stacked up on the shelf next to those half-achieved resolutions from 2009 and 2008 because year in, year out; we keep on insisting that we will get them done- once and for all this year. To me, this screams a sense of urgency- screams that we need to get onto it this year, or it will start to get the better of us!

So, how are we going to make sure 2010 is any different? Those resolutions need to jump back off the shelf and stay where you can keep a close eye on them for the rest of the year!

Firstly, grab a pen and write down your main goals for this year. If they have anything to do with your health and wellbeing, make your goals SMART- Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic and within a Timeframe. For example, a client with some extra weight around her waist in 2009 was advised she had 10kg to lose for the benefit of her health and wellbeing. Together we sat down, and set her a specific exercise and eating plan for her overall goal of 5kg weight loss by June 30^th, and a further 5kg lost by December 31^st. To say that she was over the moon when she arrived at this very specific and realistic goal by New Years Eve would be an understatement! She looked and felt like a million dollars!

Once those goals are written down, tell someone about them. Tell your partner, your personal trainer, your boss or tell me. Whoever it is, make sure they hear you loud and clear because once you mutter those words aloud, they can hold you accountable to those goals.

The next step; what steps do you need to take to achieve these goals? If they are related to your health, you will likely need an eating plan; an exercise plan and you will definitely need to tell someone in the gym about your goals. Finally, set yourself a reward for reaching that goal. Reward your hard work with anything from that new pair of skinny jeans you’ve had your eye on to a relaxing bubble bath.

This year at Coastal Bodies, the trainers and I will combine exercise and dietary plans to enable you to achieve your goals! With that, I look forward to seeing you in the gym!