.png)
Our 50's is the perfect time for a new adventure in life, whether it's moving to another city, a lifestyle change, or to lose a few pounds.
Last issue I shared the adventure I am starting on. As I write this issue I am still in a temporary rental home. So much better than the hotel situation being cramped and having to take the dogs out down through the lobby. That may not sound too bad but taking a dog (3 BIG dogs) who’ve never been in a hotel before, through a lobby where people want to pet them or act in such a way to intimidate them and they retaliate – it is not fun. My dogs are very protective of me so when we are in an unfamiliar place, they protect me from strangers. In a hotel everyone is a stranger.
But now we are in a lovely home with a small yard in a nice neighborhood. I have a regular kitchen to cook in. I don’t have all of my tools like my cold pressed juicer, steam pans, as everything is in storage but it is definitely better. I have also not been eating great so it’s time to make changes.
This issue is dedicated to weight loss for a couple of reasons. Being in the hotel and under this bit of stress has put about 5-6 unwanted pounds on me. Ugh! Some of you have expressed your own frustrations with having gained some weight being out of synch with your normal routine the past year from COVID. Yuck - the covid roll.
Summer is right around the corner and we will be pulling out our bathing suits, sun dresses, tee shirts and shorts very soon.
I would first like to normalize our situation – not reprimand our behavior. Perhaps the extra stress has us heading to our wine, that delicious chocolate, or, feeling less disciplined to cook and preferring fast food? Whatever it is I have a proven plan for success without a lot of pain and sacrifice. Are you ready to work with me on this?
The first thing you need to know is that one pound equals 3500 calories. So to lose one pound we need to reduce 3500 calories from our food intake. It can be either directly from food intake or it can be from burning calories – the best is doing both. One-to-two-pound weight loss weekly is the best way to lose – less painful and more permanent.
Proven fact. Fast weight loss is usually guaranteed return weight. Why? Because we don’t really change we just substitute a behavior for a short period. Make sense? I hope so. This is one of the reasons weight loss companies are a billion-dollar business.
Weight loss 101 is really science 101. There is no trick or gimmick – it is science. For example lets say I eat french fries three times a week. That is 400 calories each time I eat them for a total of 1200 calories a week of mostly fat calories that our body doesn’t resource as quickly. Why resource fat when I can use veggies, protein and fruits first. So I store the fat. That’s what my extra 5-6 pounds is right now and it has gotta go!
Lets say I drop down to eating them once a week reducing my caloric intake to 400 from 1200. That is 800 less calories a week. Ok now I stop eating bread everyday and cut back to twice a week. At 100-130 calories per slice and 200+ per sandwich, less 5 days a week I am reducing another 1000 calories each week. Now we are at 1800 less calories per week. Half our goal. Lets go one more step and cut dessert or any type of sweets reducing from 5 days a week to two days a week for 300 calories a pop taking us to 900 calories less a week. The total is 2700 less calories. We are doing good so far - now lets do the rest in burning extra calories. We can add exercise 20 minutes a day, five days a week, with 10 minutes being weight training that burns about 10 calories a minute. Weight training burns more calories throughout the day because we are building muscle which burns more calories just being there and increases our metabolism. So its double the benefit – the 10 minute workout plus a higher metabolism all day. Now for the other 10 minutes. If we burn 80 calories by running 6 minutes then perhaps if we jump rope, or do interval cardio work for the other 10 minutes we are burning another 80 calories for equals about 180 calories five times a week for a total of 900 calories a week. That is 2700 plus 900 for a grand total of 3600 calories = one pound a week. All without giving anything up just cutting some items back that are not really that good for us anyway. Ready?
If you cut back on your internet surfing 20 minutes a day you have time for your exercise program. If your calories are from other than what I mentioned then make substitutions of equal caloric content – maybe cut down on your wine, soda, fruit juices, breaded foods, fast foods… I am sure we can find something. For your workout you can use 5 pound weights doing biceps, triceps, pushups (bent knee pushups or against the kitchen counter) shoulders and lunges or sit and stand from a chair. Your cardio can be jump rope, stationary bike, walk/jog alternating, elliptical, or swimming which works all the major muscles. Besides burning calories you are toning your body, strengthening your lower body for more stability that reduces your risks from falls. Very important. Now if you are more advanced than everything I just shared then do a juicing for 3-4 days with one regular meal of protein and veggies a day to start fresh - followed by the meal plan I am providing in this newsletter. Take your workouts to the next level by increasing your weight reps by 3-5 on each set and take your cardio to the next level by doing intervals after your warm up. Do 1-2 minutes at your level and then 30 second intervals at a slightly higher level. This information is available on the internet if you make the time to look. But its also what I have been doing nearly 40 years as a trainer so I just put it all together for me, and for you if you want to join me. In one month we will both have lost 4-5 pounds, be healthier, feel better about ourselves and generally be a lot stronger inside and out. The alternative for not doing this leaves you in a space some already expressed that you are not happy with. Let the adventure begin! If you need help why not use the complimentary sessions I am providing on Thursdays to kick start your new adventure. Thank you to those who have reached out to me sharing adventures you are embarking on. It is good to know that the energy of change is swirling around others too and we are all continuing to grow and move forward. By the next newsletter I should be in my new home! Then the real adventure will begin for me. How about you? Is there something you are dreaming about doing but can’t take that next step? If not now then when? I would love to hear your dreams for your future. Send me an email to: cpatella@aol.com