"7 Deadly Mistakes When Starting a Weight Loss Program"

"7 Deadly Mistakes When
Starting a Weight Loss Program!"

This is the starting point!

Okay, so you won't actually die from these mistakes, but your fitness and
nutrition goals will most certainly die. The body that you imagine and the
healthier lifestyle won't live from these mistakes.

So, in essence these mistakes are deadly!

Let's get started.

The first of the 7 deadly mistakes that will prevent you from achieving the resultsyou want is,

Too Much, Too Quick!
Many people starting a weight loss program add too much too quick. New to the
workout lifestyle, individuals want to see results not today, but as early as
yesterday.

The consequences of this approach can be even more detrimental than the wayyou are living right now.

For many, the story is all too familiar.

After watching an inspiring movie or seeing a favorite sports hero perform anincredible play, many people decide they’re going to do something with their
couch potato life.

That night they raid the fridge and the cupboard, throwing everything away fromice cream to potato chips.

For the next few days, they run before work and pack in two other gym visitseach day.

By the end of the first week, the new fitness minded person is burnt out from the
gym, so sore they can’t move, and is ready for pizza!

At first glance, this approach might appear something to commend, but it is in
fact very dangerous and can lead to injuries (sometimes severe) and bad
feelings about working out all together.

Additionally, this approach cannot be sustained for a long period of time and willalways lead to burn out.

When making the commitment to change the quality of your life, remember, youdidn’t get to where you are right now overnight.

So, to think that the pounds are going to come off in a week or a month is notbeing realistic.

Most importantly, you want to strive to make healthy living habits a life style not a one month occurrence.

Mark out time each day for an activity.

Whether it’s a walk/ run in the park or weight training at the gym for 45 minutes,every day will build upon what you accomplished yesterday.

If there is a consistent effort sustained for a period of time, you will see results for your dedication and hard work.

And remember, everyone is different and the time frame will vary.

The second of the 7 Deadly Mistakes is Dramatically Lowering Daily Caloric
Intake.When making the commitment to get in shape and lose those unwanted pounds,
we undoubtedly think the logical thing to do is cut back what we eat.

Besides, personal trainers and weight loss centers tell their clients to do it.

Books and videos tell us eat less and you will weigh less.

This method of weight loss is at most a guaranteed way to get fatter and not
accomplish the goal of losing weight and keeping it off.

You may know someone who is or you yourself may be a victim of thismisleading information.

Sally’s story is a perfect example. Sally wanted to lose weight so she signed up
at a local weight loss center.

She went in for her first appointment, and the “ Weight Loss Coach” told her to get
on the scale.

Then, he punched a bunch of numbers into the computer, and told Sally,
"It appears you eat about 2,200 calories per day". He cut her down to 1,200
calories per day and sold her "delicious" meals and shakes.

Sally was excited, and felt the plan was definitely going to work.The man seemed so knowledgeable.

In the first week Sally lost 6 pounds and was thrilled!The next week she lost another 4 pounds!

But, in the third week nothing happened.

The weight loss center told Sally not to get frustrated. "You've just reached aplateau," is what they told her. Then cut her calories back even more.

Instead of 1,200 calories, they cut her to 800 calories per day and sold hersmaller shakes and meals. (But of course, they still cost the same as the others).

Then, something unexpected started to happen inside Sally.

It was as if there was another voice in her trying to come out.

This little voice was soft in the beginning, but, as time went on it got louder.

COOKIES!

CAKE!

PIZZA!

ICE CREAM!

The temptation to splurge overcame her.

She thought, "One cookie can’t hurt, right? I mean, I lost 10 pounds in 2 weeks."
But, the one cookie turned into two and two turned into three, and 10 minutes
later the entire box of cookies was gone.

Unfortunately, Sally didn’t stop there.

She then ordered pizza and finished a carton of ice cream.

Before she knew it, Sally had gained the 10 pounds back and added 8 more!

The negative effect of dramatically cutting calories is obvious.

What should you do to lose weight the healthy way? Read on.

Too Much Emphasis on Cardio is deadly mistake number 3.

Ok, here’s a question for you.

Would you rather burn fat for twenty to thirty minutes while you’re on a cardiomachine or would you like to burn stored fat twenty-four hours a day?

I think I know the answer.

Twenty-four hours a day, right? That’s exactly what the body wants to do.
However, many people starting a fitness program and some "seasoned
workoutaholics" think that burning fat only happens during cardiovascular
exercise .

So, they stay on the treadmill for unhealthy periods of time. The unfortunate
result is that the body begins to use muscle as fuel, stores more fat, and lowers
your metabolism.

The key is to train your body to burn fat all day long. How do you do this?
You need take a more comprehensive approach, one that is not only focused on
cardio.

By adding weight training and proper nutrition to the equation, you will boost your
metabolism so that it is continuously working hard.

You will be amazed at how much more you can eat and how much less timeyou’ll spend on the treadmill.

Remember, in order for your body to be a fat burning machine, you need a
healthy balance of all of the following: proper emphasis on nutrition , moderate
aerobic exercise and a concern for muscle.

The forth deadly mistake is
No Carbohydrates
Would you drive your car anywhere without gas in the tank?

Then, why operate your body with limited or no carbohydrates?

The media and many “fad diet” books are big on telling the public,
"Stay away from carbs, they're the enemy!"

That statement is only half true.

Are some foods loaded with carbohydrates that aren’t used by the body?Yes.

But, carbohydrates as a whole are not bad.

Without them, your body will think it’s starving to death . As a result, your body will be under more stress releasing more stress hormones (that can cause you to
add fat), and your body will breakdown muscle tissue to use as fuel.

Remember, less muscle equals lower metabolism.

How do you know how much is enough or too much?

Well, the way I teach clients to eat is have a lean protein, starchy carb, andfibrous carb every three to three and a half hours.

This food combination helps burn more calories during digestion.

It also slows the release of insulin and gives your body the nutrients it needs tonot only build lean muscle tissue, but also use fat as fuel.

Getting On the Scale is one of the most deadly of the 7 deadly mistakes!

What is it with people and scales?

Everywhere we go, businesses place us in their system as a number.

We are just numbers…no name or face identity. We are just a number onsomeone’s computer.

So, why would you get on a scale to be labeled as a number?

The scale doesn’t tell you how many pounds of fat you have or muscle or waterweight for that matter.

So, what is it with the scale?

The best thing you could ever do with your scale is take a sledge hammer andsmash it to pieces!

After you’re done, trust me, you’ll feel better.

In grade school, teachers talk about muscle vs. fat.

Muscle weighs more than fat.

So, it’s safe to say you can weigh more but be a smaller size based on thenumber on the scale.

You can also weigh less and be fatter too!

I have a client that came into the office and signed up for our program.

She “weighed 125 pounds and was wearing a size 12” A tight size 12.

After completing the program, she now weighs 135, but fits in a size 4!

I told her the same thing I’m telling you.

Forget the scale!

We have been conditioned from television, magazines and other media that we
need to look like small beautiful “Barbie doll” type models.

What the media doesn’t show you is the surgery, eating disorders and starvation
diets celebrities undergo to get ready for their television spot.

And ladies and gentlemen, they don’t keep that weight off either!

That’s right, it comes right back after the camera turns off.

Let the mirror help you.

If you feel good about yourself in the mirror then that’s where you ought to be. Ifyou don’t feel good right now looking at yourself, then get moving.

You can do this!

Unrealistic Expectations is number 6 on the list of deadly mistakes!Set realistically attainable goals.

You must have tangible, quantifiable, short-term and long-term goals for yourfitness program so you can gauge your progress.

It’s crucial to have a “baseline” before you begin, so you can measure success.
Your health club or personal trainer can give you a complete fitness analysis thatwill aid you and your trainer in developing a personalized fitness program that
addresses your particular needs.

Don’t be shy – you need this.

Having goals, particularly short-term goals, allows you to track your progress andkeeps you motivated when times are tough and you don’t feel like exercising.

Keeping a journal of your cardio and resistance training workouts, as well astracking what you eat, is truly a fitness success "secret."

Just remember that your goals should be realistic and attainable.

The best way for you to understand what is realistic and attainable for you is to
talk to a fitness professional – not to buy into the “hype” of infomercials, diet and fitness products that blatantly mislead you.

The final deadly mistake is,No Concern for Muscle

The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism.

If you add five pounds of lean muscle tissue, it’s the equivalent of one, one hour
cardio class per week.

So, unless you love being in the gym, why spend more time there thannecessary?

Many people, especially women, have a misconception about lifting weights.

They think that if they lift weights, they’ll get big muscles!

Well, rest assured, unless you are doing testosterone shots or you have highlyabnormal amounts of testosterone levels, you can’t get big bulky muscles.

What you can get is a lean toned look and a metabolism that will allow you morefreedom with your food choices.

When weight training, stick to full body workouts and keep them short.

You don’t have to spend hours in the gym to get the results you desire.

Using full body exercises, you can hit every body part several times per week.

Another problem people run into at the gym is with machines. Full body workoutscan be done at home.

If you don’t have a gym membership or have little or no time to commit to thegym, many exercises can be completed at home.

For under $100 you can have your own mini-gym in your house.

And there you have it, seven mistakes, if avoided, will guarantee you success inyour pursuit of weight loss.

Finish Strong!Nathan J. Nowak