8 Rules You Should Break to Lose Weight! by Sherry L. Granader
Did
you know that we spend over $107 million everyday on
weight loss products and weight loss plans? Women, especially,
diet before weddings, reunions, bathing suit season
— the list goes on. We DIET because we feel that is
the best way to get slim.
You can probably drop a few pounds on any plan but most
people gain it back and often end up heavier. A lot
of this weight loss wisdom turns out NOT to be so smart
after all. Here are 8 rules you should BREAK when it
comes to weight loss:
1)
THE
BEST WORKOUT FOR LOSING WEIGHT IS AEROBICS OR CARDIOVASCULAR. FACT: Cardio is great for burning calories but
it does not preserve or build muscle. If you cut your
calories and do only aerobic classes, you will actually
lose muscle tissue and slow down your metabolic rate.
Every pound of muscle you have burns 15-20 calories a
day. It may not sound like much but if you lose a pound
of muscle you could gain 2 pounds of fat in ONE year.
STRATEGY: You can gain 1-3 pounds of muscle in
3 months if you lift weights at least 2-5 times a week.
Use weights heavy enough so it is difficult to do the
last 3 repetitions. I like to do 3-4 sets of 15 repetitions
for each exercise and break it down to 2 muscle groups
per workout out session. Add some cardio after you lift
weights to see great results. You need the glycogen in
the muscle to lift the weight and once that is used up,
the body turns to fat for energy.
2)
IT
IS SIMPLE — CUT YOUR CALORIES AND YOU WILL LOSE THE WEIGHT.
FACT: This concept always drives me crazy as a
nutritionist because very often when sitting down with
a client I would actually ADD a meal or two to their day.
If you are not getting enough calories for the day, especially
protein, your body will break down muscle to get more.
Muscle helps your body burn calories. When you eat too
few calories, your body produces less of a hormone called
LEPTIN, which may help regulate appetite. Research is
showing that women who cut their calories too low caused
LEPTIN to diminish by an average of 54% and their hunger
DOUBLED! The downturn of LEPTIN production occurs within
48 hours of starting a low-calorie regimen which may explain
why so many diets started on Monday are history by Friday. STRATEGY: Complete meals of protein, good fats
and fibrous carbohydrates every 3-4 hours will keep your
energy level up and support muscle.
3)
CUT
THE CARBS AND THE WEIGHT WILL FALL OFF. FACT: A study done at the University of Pennsylvania
found that even though the low-carb dieters lost MORE
weight in the beginning, there is no difference in weight
loss after one year with other conventional weight loss
plans. Cutting carbs is too restrictive and it usually
causes fatigue and when you are tired, you tend to overeat
the wrong foods. Remember, it is the PROCESSED CARBOHYDRATES
that get us in trouble. There is nothing wrong with whole
fruits and vegetables. STRATEGY: Eating healthy does not mean NO CARBS!
Eating plenty of high-fiber carbs like fresh vegetables
and whole grains are still low in fat and calories and
will keep you full.
4)
KEEP
YOUR DAILY FAT INTAKE TO UNDER 20% — FAT MAKES YOU FAT! FACT: There are some people who keep track of their
fat grams better than their money in their checkbook.
Fat makes food taste better and if you are more satisfied
with a meal, you will more likely stick with a good eating
plan. Many of the fat-free foods on the market today are
loaded with sugar which are converted to glucose in the
body and stored as fat — period! Two low-fat cookies can
contain more calories than 2 Oreos — low-fat cookies are
less satisfying and you may end up eating more of them
in the long run. Many people are lacking GOOD FATS like
olive oil or canola oil or good fats from nuts. STRATEGY: Take a look at your day of meals and
see if you might be lacking good fats — a handful of nuts
tossed in a salad at dinner are full of unsaturated fats
and magnesium which help you to calm down and get a better
night's sleep.
5)
YOU
CAN EAT AS MUCH AS YOU WANT OF SOUP, SALAD, FRUITS, POPCORN
SINCE THEY ARE NATURALLY LOW-FAT AND LOW-CALORIE: FACT: Portion control does matter and when you
give people the green light to eat as much of these foods
as they want, they tend to eat too many calories for the
day and never feel satisfied. They end up lacking protein
which supports muscle. STRATEGY: Again, complete meals every 3-4 hours
with good quality protein (chicken, tuna, fish, egg whites,
legumes, turkey, soy, etc.) and fibrous carbohydrates
( anything in the produce aisle) will help keep your weight
in check with regular exercise.
6)
THERE
IS NO SUCH THING AS A BAD FOOD FACT: I used to say this all the time, but I find
some people need to understand there are some pretty bad
foods on the market today - most of which are in the center
aisles of the grocery stores. Take a look at complete
meal in a box including the chicken - that is a little
scary! Let's face it - an orange is still better than
a candy bar. There are trigger foods like breads and cookies
than set you up to crave more of the same foods all day.
STRATEGY: Stock your pantry and refrigerator with
healthy carbs like whole grain breads, pasta made from
rice, veggies for snacking, low-fat dairy products, etc.
7)
WALKING
FOR 30 MINUTES 3 DAYS A WEEK IS ALL YOU NEED TO DO TO
LOSE WEIGHT. FACT: The American Heart Association recommends
this for cardiovascular health, however, it is not enough
to really lose some weight. Remember, you must incorporate
weight training too — so a good idea is to get in ONE
HOUR of physical activity everyday. STRATEGY: You could lift weights for 30 minutes
and then walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes. The weight
lifting part could include 2 muscle groups for 15 minutes
each followed by the cardio workout — walking or doing
aerobics.
8)
YOU
ARE NOT ALLOWED TO EAT AFTER DINNER — OR DINNER SHOULD
BE NO LATER THAN 6:00 P.M. FACT: Who eats dinner at 6 p.m.? Most people do
not even get home until 6 p.m. The research is showing
it is not when you eat — it is WHAT and HOW MUCH food
that really counts. If you give yourself a cut-off time
you may actually eat more at dinner because you know you
are not supposed to eat anything else later. STRATEGY: Try and eat your main meal during the
day and enjoy a lighter dinner. If that is not possible,
then have enough dinner to feel satisfied and then have
a snack later on. Good choices include "Yogurt, Oats
and Raisins" or yogurt with a high-fiber cereal or
a dish of sorbet or frozen yogurt.
Remember,
a hearty, healthy meal can satisfy you and rev up your
metabolism. Small, tiny portions can slow it down. Stupid
diets can be bad for your body and make you heavier
in the long run. You must eat whole foods, good quality
protein, do weight bearing exercise and cardio-vascular
workout to lose weight and keep it off. The reward is
feeling better during the day with more energy and sleeping
better at night. How wonderful is that!?
Sherry
Granader is the spokesperson for NewBust
and Cal-Max and serves on the Board of Directors
for www.empower-life.com headquartered in Houston,
Texas, Barbizon School of Modeling in Florida and
Camp Mak-a-Dream in Montana.
Sherry
is a national speaker, author, writer, TV and Radio
Host - for more information, contact Sherry at SGFIT@aol.com
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