An Hour of Cardio a Day Will Keep Those Love Handles Away

Not everyone out there is trying to lose weight, but probably 9 out of 10 of us are trying to lose a few extra pounds, especially since we just got done with the winter holidays. So, how do people start off their new year resolutions?? By committing themselves to two hours a day in the gym...one hour doing cardio and one hour walking around trying to figure out what machines they should use that day. However, what happens after the first two weeks? We start finding excuses to  keep us from going to the gym and that one year contract we signed goes to waste. It's a nasty cycle and unfortunately many of us have fallen into it...so how can we fix this? I have a few tips that may just help you get to those new year goals:

1. "An Hour of Cardio a Day Will Keep Those Love Handles Away"
-False. There is no need to do an hour of cardio a day and let's be honest, most of us cannot commit ourselves to that sort of schedule anyway. So, how much cardio should we do? Doing an hour a day will most likely leave you hungry, worn out, and burnt out because it's not something that everyone can do. The average person can do about 5-6 miles a day in an hour...does that sound like something you're ready to do? Probably not. To start weight loss we only require a good twenty minutes of cardio. Twenty minutes allows most bodies to burn through the simple sugars which leaves us burning fat for the remainder of our workout. However, don't think you can just get on a treadmill, walk it off, and call it good. No, I am talking about an intense twenty minutes. BUT! It's only twenty minutes. You don't have to run at 9 mph or ride the bike like Lance Armstrong, but you do need to push yourself. You should burn an average of about 200-250 calories during these twenty minute cardio workouts...but the beautiful thing about these work outs is that once you're done...you're done! These 20 minutes won't make you as hungry as you would be if you had done an hour and it will be easier to say no when your friends tempt you with that big, fatty piece of pizza. Commit yourself to twenty minutes a day...just think...that's shorter than your favorite TV show :)

2. "I Have to Eat Minimal Calories To Lose Weight"
-False. If anyone knows anything about nutrition, they will not tell you that you have to starve yourself to lose weight. There may be a cut in calories and you may have to give up some of the things you like, this is all true, but starving yourself is not the answer. I don't know how many times I've come across people who are eating 500 calories a day and running their socks off just to lose a few pounds. Guess what guys? It doesn't have to be that difficult. I can tell you that I have literally been on a 2,000 calorie diet, doing twenty minute cardio sessions followed by a good resistant training workout, and still losing 2-3 lbs a week. How did I do it? It's all about the types of food you take in. I am sure that a lot of you already know what you should be doing, but I'll name a few things just to reassure some of you.
-Whole grains. Not just bread. There are many types of food that come from grains...bread, pasta, cereal, granola bars, tortillas, etc. Taking in whole grains allows our blood levels to even out and stabilize which allows us to sustain energy...it even increases alertness and mental function. White flour tends to spike our blood sugar which does give us a period of time which many people refer to as a "high", but soon after, your blood sugar levels will crash and you will feel as if you have no energy. Steady blood sugars also help keep our serotonin levels in check which in turn makes us feel more happy.
-Fruits and Vegetables. Of course! Your grandma told you, your mom still tells you, and you know better.Get those low calorie, wonderful tasting, pieces of food back into your diet. Stop and think...when was the last time you had a piece of fruit? Some raw vegetables? If you're not sure...then you probably should rethink this portion of your diet. Citrus fruits, such as grapefruits and oranges are a great way to cure a sugar craving and they are very low in calories. Bananas are great for post work snacks (within an hour) and apples have low glycemic indexes. (If you don't know what that is...I'll explain it another day) Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and sweet potatoes are all good examples of vegetables high in fiber...eat them raw if you can...they provide great vitamins which are important for our diets.
-Sugar. Yep, it's what almost everyone loves...and when people tell us to get rid of it what do we do? Replace it with sugar free products which are really no better for us than the ones with sugar. Try to stay clear of high fructose corn syrup, aspartame (That's a whole different blog too), and any other artificial sweeteners...many of these products contain chemicals which in turn give us mood swings, fatigue, headaches, and even...yep you guessed it...weight gain. Now who wants to gain weight while trying to lose it? Not me. Try to stick to products that don't include these sweeteners...or better yet...go organic :)

3. "I Don't Want to Lift Weights Because I Get Too Bulky"
-False. If you are lifting weights and you are gaining size then you aren't on a plan for weight loss. I lifted weights everyday while doing my twenty minutes of cardio and what happened to me? I went from a size 8 to a size 4. That's right. I went down in size while still doing my bicep curls and squats. Weights are nothing to be afraid of, in fact, they should be your best friends. What weighs more a pound of muscle or a pound of fat? If you said a pound of muscle...you're wrong. A pound is a pound, the only difference is that a pound of fat looks like this: (------) and a pound of muscle looks like this: (-). Lifting weights will tone and sculpt your body to look better than ever and if you think you're gonna get into those pair of pants you bought months ago (because they were going to be your motivation to work out) then you're wrong. Getting fit takes effort from all aspects...and that means you need to put effort into lifting weights too.

4. "I Can't Get to my New Years Resolution Because I Can't Work Out Everyday"
-False. Again. You don't have to work out every single day to get results. Although I usually recommend to people that they at least try to get in twenty minutes of exercise a day (even if it's taking a walk) it's not necessary to do so. You can expect to see results by doing exercise the following ways:
3 days a week: You will probably lose a few lbs or change your figure in some way at the beginning, but soon after will most likely just begin to maintain. However, if you're only looking to lose five lbs then you could probably get to your goal and stay there by doing three days of exercise a week.
4 days a week: You will see changes quickly at first and then you can expect to continue seeing changes, only they will come much slower...but they will come!
5 days a week: You will see changes and you will continue to see steady changes in your body probably until you have reached your goal.
6 days a week: You will get in shape very quickly, however you may put yourself in danger of burning out.
7 days a week: Unless you're just taking a 20 minute walk or a light jog on the 7th day to get out there and do something, I don't suggest it. Your body needs at least one day to recuperate. You will see great results by giving your body the time it needs to MAKE those changes.

5. "I've Never Had The Body I Want And I Just Don't Think It's Possible"
FALSE. FALSE. FALSE. It may take time, it may take determination, and it make take a lifestyle change but...
YOU ONLY FAIL WHEN YOU STOP TRYING TO SUCCEED.

Good luck! Until next time!! -Natalie