A few more weight loss secrets

We've talked about how to estimate how many calories you should aim to eat if you're trying to lose weight.  See my post on August 22nd if you  missed it.

Now, let's talk about how to use those calories. My suggestion:  spread them out through your waking hours.  This is beneficial for several reasons:

-You get to eat often :-)

-You don't get hungry

-Your metabolism stays a little elevated above resting level because you're digesting the food

-Your blood sugar stays stable so you feel better (as long as you make wise food choices)

Here's a sample breakdown of what a 1,700 calorie meal plan might be broken up:

Breakfast:  300 calories

Snack:  200 calories

Lunch:  500 calories

Snack:  150 calories

Dinner:  400 calories

Snack:  150 calories

Using the numbers you get in your own calculation, divide them up between 3 meals and 2-3  snacks.  Then plan what you'll eat and shop for it!

Notice I allotted  more calories to lunch? You could also transfer the higher calorie meal to breakfast, too. I'd like to see you eating more earlier in the day, and dialing the calories back a little toward the end of the day.  This won't work for everyone, but it's worth a shot if you can work your lifestyle around it.

When you're planning what you'll eat, try to get some lean protein, a fibrous veggie and good fats (from olive or walnut oil, nuts or seeds) at each meal or snack.

Now on to homework for folks at my Almaden and Campbell boot camps....

It's interval time again.  Choose your exercise (running, walking, swimming, or a cardio machine at your gym) and do the following:

3-5 minute warm up (at a level "5" on our perceived exertion scale of 1-10)

30 seconds HARD (at a level "8" or "9" on our scale)

30 seconds recovery (level "5" or "6" on our scale)

Continue for 12-20 minutes depending on your fitness level.  Newbies to camp, please don't over do it!

Cool down and stretch.

Committed to your success,

Becky

The Secret to Accelerated Fat Loss

Well, it's actually not a total secret if you're in one of my lifeSport Fitness boot camps. We do this all the time in our camps.

Another study has shown once again that high intensity interval training is THE method to incinerate calories, increase fat loss and improve your fitness.  The coolest part?  You do interval training workouts for less time than traditional, steady state exercise.  Very cool for those with busy lives!

Results from a  recent study by Professor Steve Boutcher from the University of New South Wales showed that women who alternated between bike sprints and moderate/slow pedaling for 20 minutes lost more weight than women who cycled for 40 minutes at a steady pace.  The high intensity group also improved their aerobic fitness faster and reduced their insulin sensitivity (great news for Type 2 diabetics!).

So, for this week's homework, we'll be doing the exact training protocol of Dr. Boutcher and his test subjects.  You don't need a stationary bike, though.  You can walk, jog, run, swim or hop on a cardio machine at your health club.  Grab your mp3 player, load in some fast music and let's get crankin'!

Warm up:  3-5 minutes

All out exercise:  8 seconds (yup, just 8 seconds!)

Recovery pace:  12 seconds

--Do as many rounds as you can, or up to 20 minutes--

Cool down 3-5 minutes

Stretch!

A note to newer exercisers:  Aim for just 5 minutes of intervals, and don't go "all out", just go faster.  For the remainder of your twenty minutes, work at a moderately paced effort.  It's important not to overdo it with high intensity exercise if you're a new exerciser.  Start with just a few intervals and build up.

We've had a week off of bootcamp.  How are your workouts coming along?  What are you doing for workouts?  Share your stuff here and motivate your fellow campers to get moving!

Committed to your success,

Becky