No Failing

Some of my clients are facing new weight loss challenges and the dreaded plateau, but you can actually be on a successful weight loss track, and because you don’t KNOW what a successful track looks like, it may feel like you are failing.

Once you believe that you have screwed up, it is easy to say “screw it” and really screw up. I am good at that! If only you knew how well you were doing! While success does depend on your specific goals, starting point, body type and exercise routine, there are a few things that are consistent across the board. Here are some things to consider:

1. Weight loss does NOT come in the form of losing two pounds every week until you reach your goal, no matter how well you’ve stuck to your food and exercise plan.

When you gain weight, you don’t gain two pounds every single week in a measured fashion. You’re not going to lose it in a measured fashion no matter how well you stick to your plan. You might lose two pounds one week. You might even lose three pounds in a week. Then, you might lose one pound the next week.

Some weeks you might lose zero, and there are weeks you even gain. These weeks are the most frustrating, and we all have these kinds of weeks where we feel like we’re doing everything right and the scale doesn’t give us what we want.

Keep track of the weekly weigh-ins but take a look at the month and see the overall trend. You might have gained a 1/2 pound one of the weeks but take note if you lost 4 pounds overall for the month. If the month is trending downwards, you are in the right place.

2. Nobody is perfect 100% of the time.

Just because you went out drinking and ate all the bread, stuffed yourself with fried food and had two desserts, and then woke up and had eggs Benedict the next day does not mean you have failed.

Everyone does this.

We all make a commitment and we all slip up. I ate an entire chocolate cake the other day. You fell. So what? Learn what will work for you to get back on track. You can fall and still be on a successful weight loss track by simply making the decision to get back there.

Real life weight loss is like a marathon, some miles are effortless, some are excruciating and the only way you really fail is if you quit.

Weights

A friend of mine recently asked me what type of workout I
do. I change my workouts often, but currently I take a spinning class three
times a week, I do a leg work out two times a week, and I split my upper body
into two days. But one thing remains consistent no matter what kind of mix and
match exercise routine I am doing. I try to stay off of the machines, and here
is why:

 1.Machines control your range of motion.

Sounds like a good
thing, right? Not really. Machines often eliminate a lot of work on your part.
This is great for beginners, but once you’re past the rookie stage, it is much
more effective to be in control of your movement and range of motion.

 2.Many machines put you in a seated position.

Whenever possible, a
standing position is better. Standing while working with weights, pulleys, or
bands loads your skeleton (good for bone health), requires you to engage your
core muscles, and challenges your balance. It’s like a three for one.

 3.Many machines may isolate only one muscle
group.

Our muscles rarely
work in isolation. Although there’s nothing wrong with supplementing a good
workout with exercises that isolate a muscle group. But exercises likes squats,
lunges, and assisted pull-ups involve several joints which develops more muscle
mass (muscle burns calories all day long), improves core strength, and shortens
workout time.

 

Of course there will always be circumstances where a machine
will come in handy, and some days you may want the assistance of a machine or
look forward to sitting down through parts of your workout, but if you have a
choice between a machine and free weights or body weight exercises, try to go
with the weights.

http://www.fitchicktricks.com