5 Essential Habits For Successful Weight Loss

October 27, 2009 by Cliff Pape
Filed under Lose Weight

It is a good start to understand the science of things. You don’t need a bachelor’s degree to be able to make sense of calories and its good to be aware of what your working against. Each person will require a certain amount of calories to maintain body functions, such as breathing and digestion. So what is the right amount of calories for you? Follow these simple steps to measure the amount of calories you should be consuming throughout a typical day:

The first thing that you need to do is determine your basal metabolic rate or your BMR. This will tell you how many calories you would burn if you stayed in bed all day. It’s a good way to determine how many calories you need to intake. You can calculate your BMR by doing a Google search and using one of the online calculators that comes up in the search.

Determine your activity level. You can easily purchase a heart rate monitor from a number of different stores including Academy. Put one on and wear it all day long to help give you an accurate account of how many calories you have burned.

Maintain a daily diary of everything you eat and every activity you participate in. Make sure to count the calories in the foods and drinks that you have so that you can keep track of what is going in and out of your body.

Take your BMR number and add your activity calories. Subtract your food calories. If you’re eating more calories than you are burning, you’ll gain weight and if you’re burning more calories than you eat, you will lose weight.

Your choice of what you eat plays a huge role in losing weight. It’s not just counting calories, but choosing a generally healthier diet will do you no end of good. Changing bad habits such as that weekly pizza fest, into healthier alternatives, will not only reduce your fat intake, but provide good nutrients required for physical exercise. Choosing leaner cuts of meats and eating a healthy breakfast, such as cereals, fruit and yogurt are things you should consider if your serious about losing weight.

The second most important part of weight loss is exercise and you need to keep track of the kinds of activities that you are involved in. You must participate in at least 30 minutes of good exercise everyday beginning with cardiovascular activity. You can choose to do swimming, aerobics, running, walking, biking, or jogging. Just remember to push yourself and keep your heart rate up. If you want to lose weight faster, try doing a circuit with weights. This will not only keep your heart rate up but will also build muscle.

Everybody knows that exercise can be a difficult and daunting task and nobody wants to do it alone. If you are unsure about your workout routine, need some advice, counsel, or just some additional motivation, consider getting a personal trainer. They do not come free but can help you to make the most of your workouts and give you the biggest bang for your workout time.

The final thing to remember is your self-confidence and motivation. Without this, you can forget about losing weight. To believe in yourself and stick to your goals is the only way to achieve weight loss. Without this vital incentive, you will soon fall into the trap of skipping that gym class or helping yourself to a second plateful. Stay true to yourself and your efforts will pay off!

Cliff Pape is a Houston Personal Trainer who has trained and coached hundreds of Houstonians in their weight loss journey. He recommends that in addition to a good exercise program, everyone be involved in eating a healthy diet like the one prescribed in the Medifast program. Doing both will keep you healthy and strong and in shape!