So you have made a decision to get fit, reduce weight & burn fat. Congratulations you are on the right path. Getting fit & attaining a lean body are great goals to have, achieving them through sustainable method would play a dominant role in your success. Adopting your friend’s fitness program or a trendy diet may appear to be a perfect recipe for success, however what works for one person may not do for others.
Magazines & health websites does not give correct & complete information about fitness & nutrition. It is important to figure out a realistic fitness plan & research for accurate information to achieve your fitness goals. A key to achieving fitness goals is researching about evidence based & proven nutrition & workout plan & doing it the right way. Many trends plans & diet fad would make false promises of making you fit or reducing more than 7 kgs in a month. However such zero promises often leads to disappointment. For achieving your fitness goals, it is essential to get access to the right tools & resources that can help you get results in sustainable way. Essentially you should look at hand-holding to Do-it-Yourself(DIY) model which means that look at models or program that train you right way to build your body metabolism & build habit of eating healthy for a period of engagement not exceeding 4 to 8 months ( depending upon your weight loss goals) & make you self sustained to follow it individually after expiry of your engagement with them.
So what are the basic building blocks for achieving sustainable & positive weight loss results?
- Restricting calories is not a winning proposition
Lot of fitness nerds believe that cutting back on calories /consuming calorie deficient diet is the best way to achieve your weight loss & fat loss goals. Such a strategy or lifestyle change cannot be continued for a longer period of time. As such quick results achieved through such a false strategy would not be sustainable. Reducing calories intake would infact works against you.
When you start consuming less calories, your body starts to metabolize lean tissue & muscle mass instead. Other side effects include fatigue, constipation, upset stomach & increased cholesterol level. When you start consuming less, your body will adapt this & start burning less calories. Since you cannot continue consuming less indefinitely, after a particular point in time you will come back to normal course of diet. However given that your body had started burning less calories, you will actually end up gaining weight. Besides, consuming less calories also results in the body storing fat. In order to lean the right way, it is important to eat right -healthy foods particularly plans offers less calories & more of nutrients. So the best way would be to consume more of such food/include such foods in your daily diet. Having the right proportion of each macro- protein, carb & fat ensure that you can lean without disrupting essential body functions. Appropriate calorie intake improves our metabolism & allow us to burn fat, lose weight & build muscle mass accordingly.
- Adopt Nutrition that works
Nutrition plays a vital role in achieving that lean body. If you do not consume proper foods to support your body growth, you will end up in frustration. Exercise /Workout is beneficial in certain way however to get that winning edge & healthy body, a proper & nutrition rich diet is important. Besides hydration also plays an important role in your fitness success. Ideally, you should adopt 70/30 role. 70% of healthy body comes from diet/nutrition( majorly from plants) & 30% from workout.
- Focus on muscle gain & not weight loss
Getting lean right way ensures that your burn fat as well as gain muscles. You should not restrict essential nutrients required for performing bodily functions. Building muscles is not an easy task & above all require all macros specifically protein. Not restricting consumption of carbohydrates & fats would work in your favor. Carbs are the primary source of energy for our body & healthy fats maintain body metabolism & hormone function. Protein is vital for muscle repair & growth.
- Workout right
Adopting an appropriate workout program is essential for attaining that lean muscular body. Resistance training plays an important role for both building strength as well as increasing muscle size. Besides cardio is equally important for leaning out & defining muscles specifically if you have some weight to lose initially. Combining both will give you a great chance of success. Choosing the right workout program tailor made to your fitness goals is critical success factor in getting that lean & fit body. Embrace this process of learning & challenge your body physically to build that workout momentum.