What You CAN Do - Part I

Body shaping, weight loss and weight management isn't easy... but you knew that, right? All too often we hear about diets, fads and programs that are designed to make us lose a lot of weight in a short period of time. 9 times out of 10, they don't work! You can't help but feel hopeless... "How could I not have lost 20 pounds in 4 weeks?? Everyone else in this book has!!" You then decide that you are destined to be this way forever... it doesn't matter what you do, nothing changes anyways. You don't have the time, the willpower, the money - whatever it is that you feel is holding you back (besides yourself of course, it's never actually your fault).

It's time to realize that yes, weight loss and body shaping isn't easy BUT it isn't rocket science either. Over the next five days, I'm going to reaffirm the top 10 things you need to do to make changes in your health, fitness and of course, your body shape!

Let's get started!

1. Move (and it's probably more than you think)

Alright, I know everyone is looking for the bare minimum you need to do to see results, but let's be honest; you need to move to see results. So how much do you need to dedicate to cardiovascular activity? 200-300 minutes a week. That works out to five, 40 to 60 minute cardiovascular (heart pumping, pore opening) workouts every week! I already know what you're thinking... I don't have that much time, are you crazy?! That's the truth though...and there are 10,080 minutes in every week to get those workouts in. That means that just under 3% of your time each and every week needs to be dedicated to cardiovascular workouts. When I put it that way, it really doesn't seem so bad does it?

What about intensity? How hard should these workouts be? The research shows us that a combination of activities and intensities are actually best. Most of those workouts should be at a moderate intensity (able to easily recite a nursery rhyme/or hold a conversation during activity), some of these workouts should be slightly harder (able to recite a nursery rhyme but with difficulty) and some should be considered hard (unable to recite a nursery rhyme). They can't all be too hard or you will never recover and they can't all be too easy or you won't see the results you were hoping for.  To ensure you are working in the right zone, ensure that your Personal Trainer has prescribed heart rate zones for you to monitor.

And strength training? Absolutely necessary! You should complete 2 to 3 full body resistance training programs every week and lift enough weight that you fatigue the muscles used. In other words, you need to make sure you train each body part twice per week and that you are unable to complete many more reps than your chosen rep range. Your body needs to be pushed in order to compensate and come back stronger than before. These workouts also need to be done on non-consecutive days in order to give your muscles the rest and recovery they need to grow and change.

Even though this may seem like a lot, remember every single one of us has the same 10,080 minutes every week. Prioritize your health, fitness and weight loss goals to see results. You can make it happen!

2. Sleep

Now that you are moving more, I also want you to sleep more! You should aim to get 8 hours of sleep each and every night. Why? Not getting enough sleep can actually lead to weight gain! Not getting enough sleep can make you feel irritable, depressed, angry and cranky - think about what most people do when they are emotional. That's right, we often turn to food (and usually it's not all that healthy). On top of this, research has shown that when we haven't had enough sleep, our cortisol levels increase. Cortisol increases your appetite (and may make you feel hungry when you're not) and can lead to increased weight gain in the abdominal region (the most dangerous region for your health).

The other downside of not sleeping enough? The less you sleep, the less you may actually move! So in order to be truly successful at moving more, you need to sleep more. Great news for those of you looking to hit snooze on the alarm clock just one more time!

There's no reason to wait until you have all 10 tips to get started. Make these two changes immediately and add the other points as we go.

Comments or Questions, we would love to hear them!

In Health,
Jessica & Tristan