1. When Will I Start Losing Weight?
Short answer: You'll lose weight when you lose weight. If you've reduced your calories (by about 500 calories a day with diet AND exercise) and are consistent with your program, you will lose weight, but everyone loses body fat at a different rate depending on their gender, weight, age, fitness level and hereditary factors. To get past the frustration:
- Focus on what you can control: A healthy diet and consistent exercise.
- Forget about what you can't control: genetics, age, gender and body type.
- Throw away that scale. It won't tell you how much body fat you're losing. Take your measurements or get your body fat tested instead.
- Focus on the results you're getting NOW - Aren't you feeling better? Walking faster or longer? Getting stronger? Sleeping better? More energetic? That's progress!
2. Why Can't I Get Rid of the My Belly and Thighs?
Many people find that, even when they lose body fat, some areas never seem to slim down (i.e., the belly, hips and thighs). If you've been doing a zillion crunches on your quest for six-pack abs, remember:
- Spot training doesn't work. You can't do crunches to reduce your belly fat or leg lifts to reduce cellulite around the thighs.
- To slim down, you have to lose body fat. Cardio, weight training and diet are three crucial components to losing fat.
- Even losing body fat doesn't guarantee perfection. Your body decides where and when it loses fat, not you. Let your body do it's thing...you can't control your genetics.
- Focus on what you can control: Your diet and exercise program. Appreciate the results you DO get and learn to love your body, even the parts that jiggle sometimes.
3. I've Stopped Losing Weight...What Am I Doing Wrong?
Plateaus happen to everyone. When you do the same exercise over and over, your body adapts to it and your workout becomes less effective. If you've reached a plateau try these ideas:
- Increase your exercise intensity. Speed up your usual workout or add sprints or hills to boost your calorie-burnage.
- Try something new. Confuse your body by doing something you've never done--ride a bike or go for a swim to keep your muscles from becoming too accustomed to one exercise.
- Lift weights. If you're not weight training, you're missing some serious calorie-burning.
- Add another day of exercise. Even an extra 15-20 minutes a week can help you burn more calories.
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