BALLY
TOTAL FITNESS
Fitness Strategies
- 20 Little Changes
that Really Add Up -
If you incorporate
most of these strategies, eat a well-balanced diet,
participate in both aerobic and resistance exercise, and
consistently utilize the products from the Bally
Total Fitness Nutritionals(TM), you can achieve your goals.
Be
Patient. In many cases it took years to get where
you are today. Don't expect to reverse the
results in a matter of weeks. Rapid weight loss
is usually water and lean muscle mass. That is
the kind of weight that comes right back and
causes you to become discouraged with your
program.
Gradually
reduce your caloric intake. If you dramatically
drop your caloric intake from 2500 to 1500 per
day, your body thinks you are starving and slows
down your metabolism. This defeats the purpose of
your caloric reduction. Decrease your caloric
intake in intervals of 10% and your metabolism
will not be shocked into slowing down. So in the
above example, reduce your intake by 250 to a new
level of 2500-250=2250. Stay with this level for
a few weeks and then reduce by another 10% or 225
calories.
Reduce
your fat consumption to between 20% and 30% of
your total calories. Try to maintain a balance of
approximately 60% of calories from carbohydrates,
20% from proteins, and 20% from fats.
Increase
your physical activity -- exercise! We knew you
were wondering when we would sneak that one in
there. To increase your number of calories
burned, you need to increase your activity. At
least one half hour, three to four times weekly,
will help you burn away those inches. Walking,
jogging, swimming, biking, stair climbing, and
roller blading are all examples of aerobic
exercise.
The
Magic of Resistance Training. In all the
attention devoted to aerobic exercise, resistance
training has faded into the background. It
shouldn't. If you want to burn more calories, you
need to increase your lean muscle mass. This is
most effectively done through resistance or
weight training. Building more lean muscle mass
automatically increases your metabolism when you
are not exercising. For people who are quite a
bit overweight, weight training is particularly
effective. You don't subject your knees and back
to the strain that an aggressive aerobics program
might. After you exercise, your new found muscle
continues to metabolize calories at a higher rate
than fat tissue.
Get a
partner. If you can find a workout partner, you
can help each other stick to your routine.
Remember, it takes 90 to 120 days to establish a
positive lifestyle habit. Rely on each other to
get you through the challenging start-up phase.
The
2% milk myth. This milk is still loaded with fat
-- about 35% of its calories are from fat. Skim
milk, on the other hand, has no fat. In an
8-ounce cup, you save 45 fat calories with skim
as opposed to 2% milk.
Read
food labels and experiment to find substitutes
for your high fat favorites. A nice green salad
is very nutritious, but loading it with a sour
cream-based, high fat dressing, may defeat the
purpose. Try yogurt or cottage cheese blended
with your favorite spices.
Start
the day off right. Do not skip breakfast. If you
do, your metabolism will wind down and your
performance will suffer. Try a protein and
carbohydrate, nonfat milk and fruit breakfast
shake. It is low in fat and has a nice mix that
will give you the energy you need until lunch.
Graze.
Try to incorporate protein and carbohydrate
snacks into your day instead of having huge
meals. This will help regulate your blood sugar
levels and may prevent you from binging on high
fat foods at mealtime.
Park
further out in the parking lot. If you are
shopping, don't wait 10 minutes to find a spot
right next to the store. Find an available space
out in the lot and get a quick walk.
Take
the stairs. Instead of waiting for the elevator,
take the stairs up to your office.
Interval
train. This is a technique that adds value to any
aerobic workout. If you are just getting started
on a walking program, walk at a comfortable speed
steadily for 30-plus minutes in the beginning.
After about a week, start adding several
one-minute stretches of a rapid walk or a slow
jog, followed by four minutes at your normal
pace. This elevates your heart rate and allows
you to train at a higher rate for longer periods.
If you have worked your program up to 30 minutes
of jogging, add one minute intervals of a nicely
paced run. This is not too painful of a way to
elevate the heart rate on your regular speed
intervals, thus improving your workout's
effectiveness.
Eat a
piece of fruit on the way out or on the way home
to dinner. This is a great way to curb your
appetite and reduce your intake of the more
fat-filled party foods or dinner fare.
Drink
at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day.
Eat
slowly. Put your fork down between each bite. Do
not pick it up again until you have completed
chewing the previous bite. Eating slowly gives
your food the opportunity to register and will
help you feel full while consuming less food.
Observe
the 3/4 plate rule: 3/4 of the food on your plate
should be grains, fruit, vegetables, and legumes
-- leaving only 1/4 for meat, chicken or fish.
Change
your cooking style from frying to baking,
steaming, or grilling.
Change
that fattening dessert to a sorbet, fruit bar, or
low fat frozen yogurt.
Measure
your success in inches, not pounds. Your goal
should be to have a fit, trim appearance, not to
hit a certain weight. If you look at many of the
major sports stars who are well-conditioned with
sculpted physiques, they go off the charts for
their height and build. They possess muscle which
weighs more than fat. If you are getting fit, you
may not drop pounds because you are losing
light-weight fat and building denser muscle. You
will look better and your clothes will fit
better, but you may not drop pounds. With a
higher percentage of lean muscle mass, You can
more easily metabolize the effects of that
occasional piece of pizza.
Note:
Pregnant or lactating women or those with a heart
condition or high blood pressure must consult
their physician prior to the use of this or any
nutritional supplements. |
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