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Wednesday 26 January 2011

How to Structure Your Weight Loss Program

If you are serious about getting into shape, then you will need to develop and follow a well-balanced weight loss program. Here are some tips on how to come up with a program that will work well with your current state of health, and help you to incrementally work toward your goals.

Perhaps the best place to start is with your family physician. Before you begin any type of diet or exercise regimen, it is a good idea to have an accurate understanding of where your body happens to be right now. Your doctor can provide you with a thorough checkup, which will help you understand what types of exercises you should include in your program. You will also find valuable information on the state of your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and other factors that will be very important in planning out the types of foods you should eat as part of your program.

In fact, you may find that your doctor already has a program that will be just right for your fitness level. It is not unusual for a doctor to have several plans handy that will incorporate lifestyle changes, diet plans, and a list of suggested exercise options that are in the best interests of his or her patient. Doctor approved plans have the advantage of giving you someone to be accountable to as well. You will no doubt need to let the doctor know how well you are doing with the plan, and also need to go back and be checked every so often as part of the weight loss program criteria.

If you prefer to go out on your own, you will find quite a few recommendations for diet plans on the market. You may choose one of those, but make it a point to look for one that recommends some balance in the way you eat, rather than some quick fix diet that promises that, if you stay on it, you will lose twenty pounds in one week. Quick weight loss is not good for your body, especially your heart. Look for a diet plan that incorporates the basics of good nutrition and does not indicate you can expect more than three or four pounds of weight loss in a week. Slow and easy is a much better weight loss program, which will include reasonable consumption of food and a moderate and workable exercise schedule.

When it comes to the exercise portion, you may want to begin slowly if you are out of the habit of regular exercise. Try starting out with a thirty-minute walk daily. In time you can pick up the pace and work in some free weights and perhaps some stretching exercises. As you begin to look forward to the types of exercise you are dealing with, then broaden to include more aggressive modes of exercise. As time goes on, you will find that not only are you losing weight as part of your weight loss program, but your mental state is progressively more positive as well.

There is really no need for anyone to enrol in to any weight loss program or even consider a special diet plan. The keys to losing weight fast are discipline and the will to achieve the desired body weight. This involves no unnatural way of losing weight and in fact, very natural. It will not require you to do very heavy work out and you would not have to starve yourself.

Many would resort to skipping meals and let themselves starve. This is a very wrong way of doing it. Starving yourself will only cause your metabolism to work slower. When you starve yourself, you will lose muscle mass. So your body will start storing up fat, in stead. Remember that muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue. So don’t ever starve yourself because it will just slow your metabolic rate.

The food you eat greatly influences your program. If you want to know how to lose weight eating right there are many diets to choose from. You are wiser to eat smaller meals several times a day instead of three large ones daily. This burns off more calories. It also controls your food intake better as you do not feel the need to overfill so you do not get hungry before your next meal. Stay away from vending machines. They tend to serve higher calorie junk foods. Though there are now some that are aimed specifically at healthy meals and even dispense salads. Meals that are high in fiber and low in fat are especially good for dieters; eat lots of salads.


Include lots of fibers in your diet. Both soluble and insoluble fibers help control blood sugar level, lower blood lipids and manage weight. Make sure that you get more fiber in your diet. The suggested average fiber intake is 25 to 35 grams a day. Some of the healthy fibers you should include in your diet are broccoli, potatoes (include the skin), apples, beans, brown rice and strawberries.

Protein should also be a part of your diet as this helps to keep you full for a longer span of time. It also prevents sugar cravings and it maintains muscle mass, which is a very vital part in burning fat.

In take of carbohydrate should be carefully moderated, as well. Keep in mind that consuming too much carbohydrate causes weight gain. Regulate calorie, fat and protein in take too if you intend to maintain weight loss. But, there is no need to completely eliminate them from your diet. Just eat them in moderation.

Lastly, make sure to drink plenty of water. Water suppresses appetite. Drinking one or two glasses of water before each meal prevents you from eating more than you should. The recommended water intake per day is 8 to 12 glasses. However, depends on your weight and daily activities, you might need more than the said amount.

If you do not like water so much, there are other alternatives such as green tea. You can add green tea in your diet. According to a study, drinking 5 cups of green tea a day helps in burning 80 calories per day.

Exercise is an essential part of any weight lose program. Put together a good exercise program that will firm those muscles. You need not make it too long, but make sure it is a workout and not so brief you do not even break a sweat. On top of that add in a few extras during your day. Park at the back of the parking lot when going shopping, the extra walking is good for you. The same goes for stairs. If you can choose between the elevator and stairs, choose stairs. A couple of flights up or down will not hurt. As well, walk up or down the escalator. Every extra bit of exercise you can do will help you reach your goal.

Another dieter’s trick is to diet with someone. This does not mean that you should put your partner or kids on a diet just because you are. What it does mean is if your partner, friend or co-worker has been talking about losing weight see if they seriously want to. If so, you can eat meals together, exercise together, and jointly attend classes on weight loss and working out. You can even join a gym together. Sometimes having someone else doing it makes it easier. This also gives you someone to exchange ideas with on how to lose weight.

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