So many of us are guilty of trying fad diets and ridiculously intense workout sessions to try and lose weight before a holiday or trying to fit back in to our favourite outfit that has become slightly too tight. But how many of us put all the effort in for a few weeks and then go back to our old habits?
Weight loss is more likely to be more effective when at least 150 minutes of exercise is done a week and with just 45 minutes of exercise helping to eliminate 500 calories off your daily diet, it doesn’t take long to start seeing the effects. Combined with a healthy, balanced diet this can equate to an easy few pounds lost every week if done daily.69% of us fail to achieve weight loss because we don’t combine the exercise with a good diet. These go hand in hand and are both essential to leading a healthier lifestyle- even if you’re exercising every day, you won’t see much improvement if you’re still going home to a takeaway every night!
Although a healthy diet is an integral part of weight loss, does it mean you have to restrict yourself to cabbage soup and no carbs every day?
The answer is simple. Absolutely not. It’s about balance. No, you can’t have your favourite Chinese every night, but if you cut yourself down to such a restrictive diet, your body will start craving the nutrients it needs and ultimately you will do yourself more harm than good. And yes, cutting out your daily chocolate bar at lunch time will help get rid of a few calories, but don’t cut out everything deemed unhealthy. You still need some treats every once in a while and even introducing a cheat meal in your schedule will help you to not lose the will to continue with your training plan. You can have free reign on your meals as long as you aim for the following balance:
- Fruit and veg (33%)
- Rice potatoes and other starchy foods (33%)
- Milk and dairy (15%)
- Meat, fish and protein (12%)
- Foods and drinks high in fat or sugar (7%)
So instead of spending hundreds of pounds on a new juicer to whizz up copious amounts of kale, instead invest the money on a good fitness programme and a good recipe book! Sticking to a realistic training plan is key if you want a healthier life. What’s the point in sticking to a crazy routine for a few weeks just to see all the weight you lost, go straight back on once you’ve finished? Do you want to get fit quickly or get healthy permanently? Following activeNewham’s A2S 6 week programme, you can train the right way and build your stamina to continue long after the schedule is over. For a discounted price of just £40, you can get a 6 week membership and a plan to help start your journey to a healthier you. From stretching, through to stability and finishing on improving your stamina, it’s setting the path for a better lifestyle. You even get a free t-shirt too- how can you resist that?!
You've only got until the end of September to sign up and it's the perfect time to head down to East Ham Leisure Centre's new Women Only Gym which opens 2nd October! Get down there or to your local fitness centre, don your A2S tshirt and upload it to your favourite social media site to be in with a chance of winning a year's membership! What are you waiting for, head over to the activeNewham website and sign up today!
