| Top 10 Fitness Mistakes | | | | for weight loss because it slows down the |
| | | | metabolism. When the body is not fed |
| | | | consistently, it flips into starvation mode |
| | | | developed through evolution and hangs onto |
| Most fitness goals include weight loss, or | | | | fat content for survival. |
| the reduction of fat content, in one way or | | | | |
| another. Whether we want to lose a couple | | | | Research supports that the production of |
| pounds, change a clothing size, or gain | | | | thyroid hormones can be negatively affected |
| muscle mass, loss and control of our fat | | | | by repeated bouts of dieting and calorie |
| content is usually part of the plan. | | | | restriction. Five or six smaller meals spaced |
| | | | evenly from 2.5 to 3 hours make it easier for |
| Just as it is necessary to know what steps to | | | | the body to digest throughout the day and |
| take to meet your individual fitness goals, | | | | increase metabolism over the long term. It |
| it is just as important to know what not to | | | | may sound counterintuitive, but in order to |
| do. Avoid the following top ten mistakes that | | | | burn fat you need to eat. Instead of reducing |
| are sure to ruin your fitness efforts: | | | | the amount of meals, care should be taken in |
| | | | controlling portion sizes. |
| 1. Fail to Plan. | | | | |
| | | | 7. Underestimating alcohol consumption. |
| It's been said over and over: "If you fail to | | | | |
| plan, you plan to fail." Working out without | | | | Just as portion sizes need to be controlled, |
| a pre-determined workout regime is similar to | | | | alcohol consumption must be limited, if not |
| going on a trip without directions; most | | | | eliminated. Not only does alcohol have |
| likely you'll end up getting lost. Don't make | | | | calories; it is actually metabolized more |
| this common mistake. Enlist the aid of a | | | | like fat than carbohydrates. Unlike fat or |
| qualified personal trainer to design a proper | | | | carbohydrates, alcohol has no nutritional |
| resistance training and aerobic program. | | | | value whatsoever. Drinking a glass of wine or |
| Purchase one of the many guides to fitness | | | | having that martini may feel good but adds no |
| programming and educate yourself on the | | | | benefit whatsoever to weight loss and muscle |
| basics. | | | | growth. The empty calories of those "liquid |
| | | | lunches" just add up too quick. |
| 2. Compare yourself to others. | | | | |
| | | | 8. Relying on fast food. |
| Go into any gym and you're sure to see | | | | |
| grunting exercisers muscling their way | | | | In the New York Times Bestseller Fast Food |
| through workouts. Meanwhile, the group | | | | Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American |
| fitness studio is filled with twirling, | | | | Meal, Eric Schlosser gives a convincing |
| panting, leaping students who look more like | | | | interpretation of how the rise of the |
| they're auditioning for a music video than | | | | multi-billion dollar fast food industry |
| participating in an aerobics class. Don't | | | | correlates with what we now see to be |
| even think about trying to emulate them. At | | | | epidemic obesity in the U.S. Instead of |
| the very least you'll get discouraged that | | | | spending time planning and preparing meals, |
| you can't keep up; at the worst you'll get | | | | it is far easier to grab the burger/fry/shake |
| hurt. | | | | combo or a deluxe pizza on the way home from |
| | | | work. |
| Keep your expectations realistic. A beginning | | | | |
| expecting to bench 300 pounds in the first | | | | The problem with regularly eating out is that |
| month is doomed to failure. Better to | | | | despite how careful we may think we are, we |
| increase strength incrementally over time. | | | | truly don't know the makeup of most of the |
| Likewise, presuming that you'll lose 100 | | | | food that is being served to us. Even with |
| pounds of bodyfat on a new diet in three | | | | fast food stores attempting to offer |
| months will never happen. Set realistic goals | | | | "healthier" choices, preparation of |
| that will keep you motivated and concentrate | | | | mass-produced meals relies on use of less |
| on yourself, not others, throughout the | | | | than optimum ingredients and typically laden |
| process. | | | | in fat. The only way we can be sure of |
| | | | knowing what we are consuming is to prepare |
| 3. Too little exercise. | | | | food ourselves. Consuming less processed food |
| | | | is not always the easiest thing to do if |
| Contrary to what popular exercise programs | | | | we're used to it, but it is a major lifestyle |
| would have us believe, it is simply not | | | | choice that needs to be changed. Besides, is |
| enough to put in three or four exercise | | | | it just a coincidence that we call it "junk |
| sessions per week and expect major results. | | | | food"? |
| Weight loss and body composition changes are | | | | |
| results of cumulative lifestyle choices, not | | | | 9. Avoiding of weight training. |
| just exercise in the gym. There are 168 hours | | | | |
| in a week; expecting to lose weight by just | | | | An important concern for weight loss is |
| spending 1% of our available time being | | | | increasing the body's metabolism so caloric |
| active is ridiculous. | | | | expenditure is increased throughout the day. |
| | | | As stated above, one way to do this is to |
| This doesn't mean you need to spend your | | | | make sure that the appropriate number of |
| entire day chained to a barbell, but make | | | | meals is consumed. Another way is to increase |
| sure that you are active in some fashion | | | | the percentage of muscle mass. The more |
| every day. In addition to workouts, increase | | | | muscle we carry on our frames, the higher the |
| lower level activity by walking or bike | | | | caloric expenditure required. Weight training |
| riding to work, choose the parking space | | | | is necessary to increase muscle mass. |
| furthest away from the grocery store's door, | | | | |
| or get out and play with your kids. The point | | | | A common belief among beginning fitness |
| is to be active and keep the body in motion | | | | enthusiasts is the need for hours and hours |
| on a regular basis. | | | | of high intensity aerobic exercise for fat |
| | | | loss. The reality is just the opposite. |
| 4. Too much exercise. | | | | Aerobic exercise certainly helps to burn fat, |
| | | | but does relatively little to increase |
| On the other hand, don't become obsessed with | | | | overall metabolic rate in comparison with |
| exercise that it begins to rule your life. | | | | muscular gain due to a consistent resistance |
| Over-training is as detrimental to achieving | | | | training program. A concern for increasing |
| fitness goals as doing nothing at all. | | | | muscle mass is imperative for successful loss |
| | | | of fat content. |
| Common signs of over-training include overuse | | | | |
| injuries, insomnia, fatigue, prolonged | | | | 10. Looking for the "easy way out." |
| recovery from workouts, and general | | | | |
| disinterest in exercise. Rest and recovery | | | | Whether it's winning the lottery or having |
| are vital for achieving gains and preventing | | | | the perfect body, we all want something for |
| burnout. | | | | nothing. One look at late-night infomercials |
| | | | and you can see all the bogus advertisements |
| 5. Never change your workout routine. | | | | that promise weight loss by either popping a |
| | | | pill, drinking a shake, or buying some |
| Nothing is as boring as the same routine over | | | | revolutionary new piece of equipment. Even |
| and over again. Not only will you get bored, | | | | factions of the medical community have jumped |
| your muscles will adapt and quit responding. | | | | on the bandwagon in recent years, promising |
| Change your exercises, the order you do them, | | | | the body of our dreams through a variety of |
| the number of sets and reps, and vary the | | | | surgical procedures. |
| weights. Variety is necessary or progress | | | | |
| will stop. Make every workout different in | | | | The main concept of weight loss, calories in |
| some way. | | | | vs. calories out, is simple but far from |
| | | | easy. Only with dedication, work, and healthy |
| 6. Starving to lose weight. | | | | lifestyle changes are results going to |
| | | | happen. And FORGET the quick fixes. They |
| The usual American diet consists of a quick | | | | don't exist. Cher said it best in a fitness |
| (usually missed) breakfast, lunch on the run | | | | commercial back in the 80's: "If it came in a |
| and then a huge feast for dinner. | | | | bottle, we'd all have a beautiful body. |
| Unfortunately, this is the worst eating plan | | | | |