Hi Can you believe that it's November already!?
Winter is setting in, and the wet coast is, well, wet!
At this time of year, it's sometimes hard to get out for your walk or run because of the weather or darkness. This is a good time to start going to your local community gym, or use aerobic fitness videos to get your exercise in. Personally, I like to go outside for my cardio, and fortunately, I can go out during the day...and I don't mind getting wet! Try and do a minimum of three cardio workouts a week, especially if you are trying to loose weight. Also, remember to do at least one resistance (weight) workout per week to maintain or build good muscle tone.
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Why Strength Training? Muscles are more metabolically active than fat, therefore, when muscle increases, so does your metabolic rate. Did you know that one pound of muscle burns 30-50 calories a day, and that one pound of fat burns only 2? So, if you gain 10 pounds of muscle, then you can increase your daily calory burning by 300-500 calories per day! All that before you do anything physical!
So, if you're burning 500 calories per day, then you can loose one pound of fat per week! Think of a one pound can of Crisco gone from your body! On the other hand, an extra 10 pounds of fat will only burn 10 calories a day. |
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Fit Tip In order to loose one pound of fat, you will have to burn 3500 calories...so, that means doing cardio a minimum of three times a week, doing a resistance program at least one or two times per week, and most importantly, taking care to eat a healthy diet.
Remember to watch your portion sizes. The following are healthy portion size guides for a variety of foods:
* Protein: one serving is no larger than your palm, or 3 oz
* Starchy side dishes: the size of a tennis ball
* Medium piece of fruit: tennis-ball size
* One ounce of cheese: 4 standard dice
* Dark leafy greens, raw: 1 cup
* Beans and legumes, cooked: 1/2 cup
* Whole grains: 1 slice whole-wheat bread, 1/2 cup cooked grains, cereal or pasta
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