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Weightloss: 10 common mistakes
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There are ten mistakes that are the most common among those trying to lose weight. Most of them are the result of misconceptions that we've all heard as gospel truth at one time or another. Let's take a look at them and why they are mistakes to avoid.
- Severly restricting caloric intake - Starvation diets, or diets that severely limit calorie intake or eliminate entire food groups don't. work. It will slow the metabolism because of our built in emergency starvation mode. The body slows itself to conserve energy when food is scarce. Muscle mass may be used for fuel which slows the metabolism even more. Besides, any weight lost will quickly be gained back when a more normal eating pattern resumes. Most individuals simply cannot maintain such a restrictive eating plan over the long haul.
- Ignore the need to maintain their level of lean body mass - In addition to severely restricted calories, a common tendency among individuals that exercise is to focus entirely on aerobic exercise. In the process, lean muscle mass is lost and is replaced by fat when they inevitably regain whatever weight they lost. To add insult to injury, the metabolic rate has in turn slowed meaning the body will need fewer calories to maintain its current weight.
- Having a narrow perspective of the problem at hand - Many people view losing weight as simply a matter of cutting back on what they eat. It's really and issue of balancing energy in with energy out. Recent research is showing that what type of calorie is important as well. To lose weight and keep it off, you need to increase your level of physical activity and eat moderately.
- Trying to lose weight too quickly - Research Shows that a weight reduction program that involves losing weight at a rate of 1 lb. a week for women and 2 lbs. a week for men has the best chance for success. It is also important to combine this with an effort to make lasting lifestyle changes.
- Believing that spot reduction is possible - Spot reduction is a complete myth. No exercise will eliminate fat from one specific bodypart nor will a simple reduction in calories eliminate fat from that targeted spot. I wish it would, believe me, but it just doesn't work that way. There's a Murphy's law I have about fat loss: Fat will leave from the places you least care about first and the places you want to target last! Actually, it is genetically predetermined but that Murphy's law of mine seems to be the case alot of times!
Next time I'll discuss the last 5 most common mistakes.
*Information gathered from an article by James A. Peterson, Ph.D.,FACSM that was reprinted in the ACSM's Health and Fitness Journal, volume 12/no.6. For more on the American College of Sports Medicine's Health and Fitness Journal visit www.acsm-healthfitness.org.
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- Donuts - almost 500 cals and 30 g fat!
- Marshmallow Fluff - chemical fluff or white poison
- Colas and Sodas - 7 to 9 teaspoons of sugar, chemicals
- Bacon,Deli Meat, Processed Meat - high fat, nitrites,perservatives
- Sugar Loaded Breakfast Cereals - sugar, sugar, sugar + trans fats
- Fruit Juices and Fake Fruit Drinks - high sugar content, preservatives, food coloring
- Junk Food - chips,fried snacks, microwave popcorn are high in fat and preservatives and sodium
- Candy - calorie dense, sugar loaded, health destroying time bombs!
- French Fries - unhealthy fats and trans fats with a side order of free radicals
- Twinkies - If they don't decompose in a dump, what happens to them in your body?
- Giant Sets - 3 or more exercises linked togther and performed in sequence. One set is one time through the giant set.
- Super Sets - 2 exercises linked together that works antagonist or opposing muscle groups like chest and back, quadraceps and hamstrings or biceps and
- Drop Sets - Starting an exercise at one weight, going to failure, and without resting, dropping the weight and continuing on to failure. Continue thi
- Pyramid - Raising the weight with each set or lowering the weight with each set.
- Slo-mos - Doing each repetition very slowly, like 10 seconds up and 10 seconds down.
- Negatives - Using a spotter, the eccentric or muscle lengthening phase of the repetition is emphasized. The spotter assists with the concentric or mus
- Get 6 to 8 hours of sleep nightly
- Combine lean protein with complex carbohydrate at every meal
- Drink green tea daily
- Keep healthy snacks handy
- Get 25 grams of fiber daily
