Mistake 1: Not doing
the math
What do healthy finances and a healthy lifestyle have
in common? If you want to avoid trouble, you have to live
within your means. Imagine trying to save money and pay
down debt when you have no idea what your income is or
how much you're spending. Tracking spending habits and
setting up a budget seem like logical first steps, but
they're often something we fail to do when it comes to
diet and exercise.
If you want to lose weight, you have to regularly burn
more than you eat. The problem is that most people don't
have an accurate idea of how many calories they are consuming
versus how much they are expending. A good place to start
is to figure out what your daily calorie intake needs
are based on your weight, gender and age, and then subtract
200. Think of it as your "calorie allowance"
and adjust your meal plans accordingly.
Calculate
Your Daily Energy Requirment
How can you get a better idea of how much you're consuming?
Paying attention to nutrition labels is just the first
step -- portion size is often the culprit. Diet experts
like Judith S. Beck recommend measuring your food so you
can get an accurate idea of what a serving looks like.
That means getting out the measuring cups and buying a
set of digital scales and using them, for every meal.
(At least for a little while -- soon you'll be able to
"eyeball" portion sizes). Learn what a serving
of meat or bread looks like, and how much butter or salad
dressing you should be using. The amounts may surprise
you.
On the fitness side, it's also important to understand
how many calories a workout actually burns. Forget the
numbers on the digital display -- experts warn they're
often not accurate. Online
health tools may help you "ball park" how
much your daily activities really add up to.
Also, make sure to check out how many calories your workout
actually burns off. For example, a brisk, hour-long walk
only burns about 200 calories, not the 400-500 people
often think. If you want to burn off a hamburger or a
rich dessert, you'll need to triple that amount just to
break even.
Another big no-no: Taking a break on weekends. It's okay
to enjoy a treat, but "being good" isn't something
you should just do during the week. Skipping your exercise
sessions and having a dietary free-for-all is going to
undermine all of the progress you made during the week.
Your body doesn't like those ups and downs, and may end
up storing those extra calories instead. In order to work,
any budget has to be consistent.
Calculate
How Many Calories Burned While Walking
Mistake 2: Ignoring what
you drink
It isn't just food we need to worry about. While we're
working, socializing or relaxing we may be sipping away
more calories than we realize -- especially during the
hot summer months when we take in more fluids. If you're
paying close attention to the numbers, everything that
passes through your lips has to figure into the calculations.
For instance, if you drink three cups of coffee with
cream and sugar each day (that's 225 calories), you've
already undone all the calorie-burning benefits gained
from a moderate exercise session. Frozen coffee and tea
drinks can range from a "modest" 150 calories
to a whopping 650 calories and 30 grams of fat.
Fruit juices, though healthier than soda and sugary drinks,
can also pile on the calories. Worse yet, an evening of
alcoholic beverages can net as many 300 - 600 calories
alone.
So what should you drink? Water, and lots of it -- especially
when you're "mindlessly" drinking in front of
the computer or TV.
That's not to say you shouldn't enjoy a liquid treat,
but keep it in moderation. Drink a glass of water before
anything else to quench your thirst, and keep drinking
water alongside your other beverages too. Skip the sports
drinks and vitamin-enhanced waters -- unless you're a
professional athlete you don't need the sugar.
If you want some flavour, try plain herbal teas (hot
or iced). Without sweeteners, they have little or no calories.
A squeeze of lemon or a sprig of mint can also do the
trick. (For more information, see Drinks that pack on
the pounds).
10
Reasons to Stop Drinking Soda
Mistake 3: Focusing
on cardio
Bad news: We start to lose muscle after the age of 30,
and we'll lose roughly one third of our muscle mass between
the ages of 50 and 80 if we fall prey to inactivity. Cardiovascular
exercises are important, but the heart isn't the only
muscle that needs attention.
There are good reasons why health experts recommend we
include strength training and flexibility exercises as
part of a balanced fitness routine. First of all, strong,
flexible muscles will help prevent injury. It's not just
strains and sprains we should aim to avoid but also falls
and fractures. Strength training will help improve balance,
increase flexibility and support the bones, joints and
tendons.
Building muscle is also important for weight loss. Why?
It will rev up your metabolism. More muscle mass means
your body will run more efficiently and burn more calories
(even when you're resting).
And perhaps the best benefit of all: Strength and energy
are great motivators. When you feel better, you'll be
able to do more and you'll want to do more.
More
information on Strength Conditioning
Mistake 4: Getting
sloppy
When it comes to fitness, it's all about form. It's essential
to make sure you're doing an exercise properly to get
the full benefits and to avoid injuries that will set
you back. According to health experts, here are some common
mistakes we make:
- Letting fitness machines do the work. We lean on them,
slouch, and grip the handles instead of moving our arms.
- Not using the right muscles. If you're not following
the right form, chances are you're not working the right
muscles. Abdominal exercises are especially prone to error
as people tend to use their back, neck and head to do
the work instead of their abs. In order to solve this
problem, we need to focus on the exercise and pay attention
to what we're feeling.
- Rushing through exercises. Take your time when working
your muscles to give them a full workout (and to avoid
an injury). Proper form and breathing should never be
rushed, and slow, controlled movements will provide the
full effect.
- Not adjusting the equipment. If you're using weight
lifting equipment, you'll need to set it up properly to
suit your body size and strength. Machines that aren't
adjusted properly won't give you a full range of motion
in your exercises and can place unnecessary stress on
your joints.
- Using old exercises. It's time to learn some new tricks.
A lot of the exercises we learned years ago have been
updated or replaced with more efficient and effective
ones.
How can you avoid the problems? Take a class or arrange
some time with a personal trainer to learn the right moves.
Don't be self-conscious -- the whole point is to have
an expert on hand to correct your posture and movements
while you're still learning.
A watchful eye is especially important if you have health
concerns or previous injuries. Experts recommend talking
to your doctor before embarking on any new exercise program,
and a physiotherapist can also help you get on the right
track.
Mistake 5: Giving into
guilt
You had to eat that generous helping of pie because your
mother-in-law made it from scratch. You had to skip the
gym because you needed to work late or rush home to spend
time with the family. You had to have that second portion
because it would have been rude or awkward to say no,
and you didn't want to be a bad guest.
Emotions can wreck havoc on our plans, and it's hard
to say no to people who are close to us. We're encouraged
to put family and work first rather than our own personal
needs, so exercise isn't often high on our list of priorities.
Furthermore, our society equates food with fun, and being
a good host means feeding your guests well. As a guest,
it's hard to resist the temptation even without interpersonal
dynamics at play.
In her latest book, The Complete Beck Diet for Life,
Beck recommends some ways around these sticky situations.
Communication is key. Let your family know about your
diet and fitness goals so they understand where you're
coming from and support your decisions. If they know your
goals, they're less likely to be offended when you turn
down a tasty tidbit or want to get out for some exercise.
However, some people may not be so understanding. Beck
recommends to prepare some gentle ways of saying no beforehand
if you're headed to a gathering where you know you'll
be accosted by a well-meaning friend or family member.
Be prepared to politely handle some persistence on their
part too.
And sometimes you just have to risk hurting someone's
feelings. However, Beck warns not to worry -- the disappointment
a friend or family member may feel won't last that long.
Instead, people should focus on their long-term goals
rather than someone else's short-term emotions.
Overall, diet and exercise aren't easy -- so why add
to the effort with mistakes that can easily be avoided?
The investment of a little extra time and energy at the
outset will pay off in the long run.
