Weight loss is a confusing term for many of us. Often, you read about losing weight by exercising and eating well. However, what happens if you’re doing this and you start to gain weight?
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How to measure progress
Being healthy is not always about dropping weight. If you have a lot of weight to lose, it’s likely that you’ll drop it quickly. When you first start working out and dieting, you should lose weight quickly. However, if you only have a small amount to lose, you may find that progress is slow on the scale. This doesn’t mean that you’re failing. You’ve probably heard that muscle weighs more than fat. When you exercise regularly, you’re turning fat into muscle. Building muscle mass will actually increase your body weight. This doesn’t make you unhealthy. It actually means that you’re doing well, and you’re getting in shape.
There are better ways to track your progress than weighing yourself every day. It;s more useful to see how your clothes feel, and to take a good look at yourself in the mirror. What kinds of changes can you see? Does your body look more toned and defined? Have you got fewer wobbly bits? Do your clothes feel loose or baggy? Are you more comfortable with the reflection staring back at you?
Maintaining results
Once you’ve got to the point where you’re happy with your size and you feel good, you need to maintain the results. The aim is no longer to get rid of fat or try and drop weight. Now, you want to focus on staying fit and healthy. The changes you’ve already made will stand you in good stead. Healthy eating and regular exercise are habits you should adopt for life.
Exercising isn’t always fun. But you can try and stay motivated by varying your workouts. Don’t spend all your time in the gym. Go for a swim, play tennis, or go for a jog in the park. Try a spin class or do a circuit training session. Get your friends to exercise with you, and make it fun. Set new targets when you reach old ones.
Try and keep your discipline with your diet. Focus on enjoying a healthy balance of foods, and eating for nutrition purposes, rather than weight loss. Opt for whole grains, take in sufficient levels of protein and hit that 5-a-day goal. Investing in a blender like the Vitamix professional series 750 should make this easy.
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When you’re trying to slim down, it can be easy to concentrate on the numbers on the scale. But sometimes, the figures staring back at you can be misleading. If you’re toning up rather than losing drastic amounts, you may actually gain weight. Don’t panic is this is the case.
Try and judge your progress based on how you look and how your clothes feel. If you reach your goal, and you’re happy and confident, focus on maintenance. Keep going with your exercise regime, and don’t slack on the healthy eating.