Weight Loss Gimmicks: How to Get Lean Naturally

We can’t turn on the T.V or open a newspaper with out seeing the latest Hollywood celebrity offer up the best products for fast losing weight. These scams are born out of greed by drug companies, and marketed to the public by huge, advertising companies- each trying to separate you from your money. If you search hard enough, you will find that the secret to losing weight doesn’t come from some super rich movie star, it comes from within. You have the power to lose weight, and get lean naturally. Wake up. You are the one you have been waiting for!

The fact of the matter is losing weight and having a lean body is all about setting expectations and following through with goals. As a person who has been over weight, and miserable, I can tell you with sincerity that all the weight loss pills and supplements in the world won’t help if you don’t have the drive to change your lifestyle. For some, my words may be a little blunt; however my desire with this piece isn’t to sell you a dream; but rather to help you focus on getting into shape. 

Setting Realistic Expectations

For a moment, forget all the bull and hype you have heard about fast weight loss tricks. Erase the thoughts of celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, and Christie Alley, who shamelessly peddled methods for shedding pounds that did not work. You too could look fantastic if you had millions of dollars. Simply stroll over to a mirror and ask yourself, “Do I like what I see”? It’s okay to cry, become depressed and even angry. You will need these emotions to harness the energy and willpower to transform your body. Grab your cell phone or trusted friend and take a picture of yourself in all of your flabby glory. Keep that picture in your wallet, or on your fridge as a daily reminder of what you don’t want to be.

The first step to getting into shape is to set realistic expectations. Planning to go to the gym for 2 hours a day and eating nothing grapefruit might seem like a great idea, but can you really keep up that pace over the long haul? My advice is to plan an exercise and diet regimen which can fit into your daily schedule. It’s important that each and every day, you schedule something I like to call “me time”. Your “me time” is a time of the day where you close the world out, and focus on improving your body. You might even schedule two “me times” in your day. For example, on your lunch break, while your co-workers are loading up on Mc Donald’s and junk food, you gear up and go for a walk.

Pack a gym bag each day, and stuff your sweats and gym shoes inside. If you work in a high rise building, and going outside isn’t an option, try taking the elevator to the bottom and walking up a few flights of stairs. Little by little you will be able to build up your endurance, and quicken your metabolic rate. In my opinion, your lunch time activity is crucial to having a lean body. Additionally, you mustn’t let phone calls, appointments or fellow co-workers interrupt your special time of day.

Spend One Hour a Day in the Gym

Incorporating an hour of your day at the gym is just as important as the time you spend on yourself during lunch break.  In my own experience, it’s best to go straight to the gym directly after work. This eliminates the possibility of getting comfortable on the couch, and blowing off your work out for another day. Make it a priority to re-arrange your schedule in so that you are in the gym immediately after work.  Don’t make excuses, just do it! The combination of cardio during your lunch break, followed by weight training is a powerful punch to your metabolism, and will go a long way in helping you slim down, and keeping the weight off for good. 

Work Out Routine

Because everyone has their own pace, it wouldn’t be prudent for me to tell you what type of work out routine you should undertake. I will suggest you implement resistive weight training (lifting weights) at least 4 times per week. I would also highly suggest working on one body part per day only. If you only have an hour a day to spend in the gym, it’s far better to concentrate on training one muscle group, rather than rushing to get to everything. Over time, you can tailor your work outs to focus on body parts that need the most improvement. I would also advise to sticking to high reps during the first ten weeks. Remember, your priority is to slim down, not build muscle mass. High rep work outs will increase your heart rate, as well as tone up your muscles fibers. This method will help you build a mean, lean, muscle machine.  Reps of 12 to 20 for each set should do the trick. Use weights you can comfortably lift, and concentrate on form. It will do your body no good to do arm curls if you’re swinging the dumbbells all over the place because they are too heavy. Slow, concentrated, controlled movements will work just fine. Alternate your stomach routines into every other work out. You might want wash board abs, but you have to remember that your stomach muscles need to recoup, just like all of your other body parts.

Proper Diet

There are literally thousands of crazy and sometimes dangerous diets out there. One thing is for sure about the human body, if you don’t burn more calories than you consume, it gets stored as fat. I’ll leave it up to you to pick the latest diet fad, but here are a few essentials I recommend for getting lean.

Stay away from foods which are high in sugar, salt, and saturated fat. An example would be your average cup of coffee. Don’t load it up with cream and sugar. Although it will give you short term energy, the sugar and extra calories will be placed into fat deposits through out your body. When you eat out at restaurants, say no to foods with butter, cheese, and sodium. It’s better to have a salad with sprinkled lemon juice than it is to pour on the calories with ranch dressing. Eat foods which are high in fiber, such as fruits and oats. These types of food will clean out your system and provide you with complex carbohydrates for your fitness activities. It’s also a good idea to eat small meals through out the day. In your former life, it might have been okay to eat a big meal once a day, but chances are your body could not digest all the calories. If you are on a 1000 calorie a day diet, split those meals up so they equal 250 calories for each meal. This method will super charge your metabolism and train it to digest food on a consistent basis. After a few weeks, you will notice the pounds start to melt away. Another advantage to this type of eating program is that your not going long hours of being hungry because your meals are spread out every few hours. Since you will be eating clean and healthy from here on out, give yourself a break sometimes by eating whatever you want, once a week for one meal. Don’t worry; your new body will be able to handle the treat. Finally, consume as much water as possible. Water will benefit your weight loss goals by helping you feel good, and keeping your digestive track running smoothly. Besides, you will need the extra water to replace the all the sweat from your lunch time cardio activity and your work outs.

Start preparing mentally now for the changes you will make. For me, it always helped to write a schedule on paper, where I could plan out each week’s fitness goals. Writing things down is an attainable way to stay focused and stick with it. At first, your muscles will hurt and ache because it’s been stagnant for so long. Don’t give up! After a few weeks, your body will naturally crave those lunch time walks, as well as your time in the gym. Take baby steps at first, and then go for the glory. You can lose weight, get in shape, and be leaner, if you will yourself to do it.   It’s time to get excited about expanding your horizons, and reaching your goals

Please make sure you talk with a professional medical provider prior to engaging in strenuous activities.