16 Essential Weight Loss, Health And Fitness Strategies “How To Get Maximum Weight Loss & Fitness Results In Minimum Time”

1. In the beginning, your fitness plan should not be overly aggressive. One of the biggest problems most people encounter when starting a fitness program is rapidly depleted motivation after only a few weeks due to an overly ambitious fitness plan. Be sure to be mentally focused on your goals but don’t try to accomplish all of them at once. Set up short-term, intermediate-term, and longer-term objectives for progressive improvements and continual results. As you become acclimated to the lifestyle “shift” you will build momentum and maintain progress. But beware: if you try to do too much too fast, you may end up quitting altogether. If you’ve tried and failed doing it alone, then I suggest you get a training partner or personal trainer who will help you sustain your motivation.

2. If your goal is fat-loss, then your cardiovascular exercise should be aimed at progressively higher intensity. Let’s face it. You’ve got to work hard for results; however, you must do so intelligently. Keep your cardio workouts brief but intense! I suggest you follow the tried-and-true high intensity interval cardio workout. This means alternating sprint-type cardio work with moderate cardio work. For example, if you’re on a cycling machine, you will pedal HARD for 30 seconds, then pedal moderately for 1 minute, then pedal HARD again for another 30 seconds, etc. This type of interval training will ensure that your heart rate remains elevated and your metabolism revved up! The goal is to try and outdo your cardio performance (distance and/or calories burned) with each subsequent workout. That way you’ll greatly boost your metabolic rate and burn a TON more calories INDEPENDENT of the cardio session. More calories burned = more fat lost! Keep it intense and keep it brief (20 minutes).

3. Don’t waste your time working small muscles with isolated movements. If you don’t enjoy doing resistance training or are pressed for time, concentrate on working the largest muscle groups with compound resistance movements. When I see overweight people doing concentration curls or leg extensions, I wonder why. It’s generally just a lack of understanding of how their bodies work. Most people want to lose fat and tone and firm their bodies. The way to do that is to use resistance (weights or machines) to train the large muscle groups. For example, the best exercises for legs are the barbell squat (your personal trainer will show you the proper form and then monitor you during the exercise) and leg press. The best chest exercises are bench press and weighted dips, and the best back exercises are the dead-lift and chin-ups. All of these are compound movements, which means they incorporate multiple muscle groups. Believe me, once you focus on progressive overload (adding more weight) so that you remain within 6 reps per set, using compound movements, you will experience maximum results in minimum time!

4. Always, always, always keep your training sessions BRIEF. Your weight training workouts should be brief. Commit to training intensely for up to 9 sets per body part and executing 6 reps per set. Yes, that’s right. Only 9 sets PER muscle group trained. Remember that when you are training with intensity in the gym, you are actually stimulating muscle growth by breaking the muscle down! You build the muscle by eating sufficient amounts of high quality protein and resting after your training session. The longer you go (i.e. more than 9 sets or 6 reps per muscle group and set respectively), the more you’ll actually fatigue the muscle and this will likely halt your progress. Your workouts should be intense, brief, and progressively improving.

5. Never, ever do a traditional sit-up. Unless you are super athlete with an incredibly well-developed midsection, sit-ups can lead to a strained lower back and possibly lumbar injuries. But it gets worse. Rather than hitting your abdominal section, sit-ups can shift exercise tension to your hip flexors – which defeats the purpose. There is so much misinformation about how to strengthen tone and firm the midsection, it’s almost frightening. It is very difficult to learn proper abdominal exercise technique by reading about it or watching it demonstrated on a video. You need to do it with supervision and get feedback about your form from a knowledgeable source. And keep in mind that you use your abdominal muscles in almost every single movement you make. Strengthening your abdominal region is the single most effective way to prevent, or recover from, low back pain. Just like any other muscle, you’ve got to train your abs with resistance and then rest and recover from that workout. I train my abdominals once per week with resistance and have gotten incredible results. Say goodbye to those countless and unnecessary sit-ups!

6. Set realistically attainable goals. You must have tangible, quantifiable, short-term and long-term goals for your fitness 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 (don’t be shy – you need this) that will aid you or your trainer in developing a personalized fitness program, which addresses your particular needs. Having goals, particularly short-term goals, allows you to track your progress and keep 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 as tracking 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.

7. Set exercise appointments with yourself. Use your daytimer to set appointments for exercise – and then stick to them. You wouldn’t miss a business meeting or client appointment, would you? So don’t miss your exercise appointment with yourself. Nothing is more important than your health. Nothing. Everything else will crumble around you if your health goes south. So make your exercise appointments a priority. If you find it difficult to keep these appointments, then consider hiring a personal trainer who will hold you to your commitment. When you have money invested, and someone waiting for you to show up – you are much more likely to actually show up!

8. Remember the benefits of exercise. Remember that feeling of euphoria you experienced after a particularly good workout? You experienced that feeling because the most powerful “feel good” drug in the world – endorphins – are coursing through your veins. If there is a panacea, it’s exercise. Nothing feels better than the post-work-out high you experience after exercising. Revel in that feeling. Let it wash over you and truly experience it. Etch that feeling in your brain. It will fuel your motivation on those inevitable days when you just don’t feel like exercising. Being physically fit affects every single aspect of your life: you sleep better, eat better, love better, overcome stress better, work better, communicate better, and live better!

9. Exercise correctly. So much time is wasted doing, at best, unproductive exercise, or at worst, dangerous exercise. Refer to experts who can guide you regarding exercise execution. It’s important that you get educated on how to exercise correctly. If that means hiring a personal trainer to help you out at first, then by all means go ahead and hire a competent one. Understand though, that personal training does not have to be an ongoing process. You can hire a personal trainer for whatever length of time you need to learn the ropes. It could be five sessions, or it could be fifteen sessions. It’s completely up to you. But statistics prove that those who understand how to exercise correctly, get better, faster results. And that’s what you want, right? Results!

10. Enjoy yourself. The most difficult thing is actually getting into your running shoes or going to the gym. But once you begin your workout, relax and enjoy the process. Don’t fight it. Make exercise your personal time. When you are exercising you can focus completely on yourself. Yes, exercising can and should be somewhat rigorous (depending on your level of fitness), but it is just that investment which makes it supremely rewarding. As with anything, if you are in the moment, you can fully appreciate the experience and truly enjoy the process.

11. Don’t be clueless about carbohydrates. I’m not advocating following some fad diet and eliminating any nutrients (like carbs!) from your nutrition plan. But I am advocating minimizing your intake of refined, processed, sugary carbohydrates (food and drink) as your main sources of energy. Most of us are fairly sedentary throughout the day and therefore do not need the high levels of carbohydrates to sustain our energy. Additionally, sugary carbohydrates are addictive. The more donuts you eat, the more you want. The bulk of your carbohydrates should come from vegetables and unrefined, whole-grains. And those with high fiber content will fill you up nicely. By the way, numerous studies have conclusively proven that the quarter of the population eating the most vegetables gets half the cancer of the quarter eating the least! In my ONA Fitness Program, I encourage you to CONTROL
carbohydrates. Learn how to support your energy requirements by consuming high-quality carbs at the optimal times (low sugar carbs during the day to sustain energy levels, high-sugar carbs immediately after working out to maximize anabolic – muscle building, glycogen-replenishing - processes, etc.)

12. Deep-fried food has no nutritional value – none! Almost every food, whether it’s steak, chocolate or red wine, has some nutrients to contribute. But one thing is absolute: fried foods are garbage. Potato chips, French fries, onion rings, breaded chicken strips and all the rest of the deep-fried junk are pregnant with saturated fat (and even worse, trans fat) and calories, and they contain almost zero nutritional value. If you’re trying to lose weight and/or reduce fat, simply eliminate fried foods completely from your diet. Yikes! That stuff is scary.

13. Never, ever skip breakfast. If you want to maximize your fitness results or fat-loss efforts, you’ve got to eat breakfast. Even if you don’t exercise at all – breakfast remains the most important meal of the day. Your breakfast should contain complete proteins and complex carbohydrates. A great breakfast is oatmeal (not the pre-packaged, pre-sweetened kind) with a banana and a protein drink (whey protein is best). Or try scrambled egg whites with a high-fiber cereal, and washed down with a protein drink and skim milk.

14. Eat fat to lose fat. Healthful fats are necessary to your body for a bunch of reasons: regulating hormonal production, improving immune function, lowering total cholesterol, lubricating joints, and providing the basics for healthy hair, nails and skin. The singular distinction you must be aware of is the difference between healthy “good” fats, and dangerous “bad” fats. Good fats are monounsaturated fats like olive, flax and canola oil, avocados, all natural peanut butter and nuts; and omega-3 fats like salmon and mackerel and soy-based foods. Bad fats are saturated fats and trans fats (killers!). My book Changing Bodies, Transforming Lives – Your Ultimate Guide to FAD-FREE™ Fat Loss can provide you with a simple diet program that will complement your exercise to help you live longer, feel better and boost your immune system. The bottom line is that your body needs good fats – and will revolt if you attempt to abstain from them – and absolutely does not need bad fats.

15. Drink plenty of fresh, clean water. Yes, I know that you’ve heard this over and over again. But there’s a reason for that – it’s the gospel truth! The recommended amount is approximately eight glasses, or 64 ounces, of water every day. When you are exercising, you need to drink even more. Over 75% of your body is water (even bone is more than 20% water). When you don’t drink enough water, and substitute diuretics like coffee, tea and caffeinated sodas, you dehydrate your body, your blood doesn’t flow properly and your digestive system doesn’t operate smoothly (among other problems). Even a small deficit of water can radically affect how your body performs. Here’s a good rule of thumb: if you’re urine is a dark yellow and/or has a strong odor, you’re not drinking enough water. Drink up!

16. Eat regularly throughout the day. Fasting or overly restrictive diets will enable you to lose weight – in the short run. Because the weight you lose is primarily water weight and lean body mass. But in the long run, it has exactly the opposite effect you want. When you restrict your diet, your body instinctively thinks it’s being starved and shifts into a protective mode by storing fat. Having more lean body mass means greater energy expenditure. The less muscle you have, the slower your metabolism becomes, and the less fat you burn. You should be eating nutritionally balanced meals throughout the course of each day, and you should be especially mindful about consuming meals after your workouts. This keeps your metabolic furnace stoked, so you burn more at a faster rate. I know, it’s counter-intuitive, but it’s the truth! There you have it. 16 essential strategies for an effective weight loss and fitness program that will have you looking and feeling better than you have in years – maybe ever!

I realize that starting (or re-starting) a productive and effective health and fitness program is not easy. That’s why I encourage you to get help.

If you’re sick, you go to the doctor. If you’ve got a tax problem, you see an accountant (or an attorney!). Have a toothache? You’re off to the dentist. Leaky pipes result in a call to the plumber. So why is it that so many people attempt to solve their health and fitness problems without consulting an expert? I don’t know exactly, but I encourage you to make the investment in yourself – in your quality of life – by hiring a qualified professional to educate you and help you get started…

…because the hardest part is just getting started and sustaining your motivation until fitness becomes habitual. Once you develop the habit, which can take as little as thirty day, your whole life will change for the better.

Thanks again for visiting my website, http://www.MelOna.com, and please check back often for updates, new articles, photos and blog postings.

Best in health,

Mel Ona, MD, MS, MPH, MA

 Mel Ona, M.D., M.S., M.P.H., M.A. Copyright 2011-2012