An Equation to Remember in November

Brrrrr, it's getting cold out there! This is the time to bundle up, stay indoors, and yes, unfortunately most of us put on a few extra pounds. Taking the subway, cabs and cars has us walking less as the temperature drops to unbearable lows. Delivery is a lot more convenient than grocery shopping and menus tend to feature warm and fattening delectables to keep us satiated and coming back for more. Offices are loaded with holiday goodies and holiday boozing will become more frequent. So how does this all affect your waistline? Obviously, it is affecting it in a LARGE way. But, it doesn't have to if you can remember this one simple equation:

It takes 3500 calories to burn 1 pound of fat. Or, it takes 3500 calories of extra food to gain 1 pound of fat. It sounds like a lot but if you divide 3500 by 7 days of the week it equals 500 calories per day.

So, if you can simply avoid 250 calories a day of junk and burn 250 calories a day through exercise you should be able to maintain your weight or even LOSE weight during the holidays! Wouldn't that be amazing!

For motivation and a personalized program schedule a health consultation with Jennifer before the holidays begin. Get a headstart!

Weight Loss Tip #5: Start a Journal

This is a really valuable tool to start using. What it does is get you back into reality. When I do initial consultations with clients it is so common for people to tell me all of the healthy habits they have and conveniently forget the other ones. Like, "oh yeah, I drink about 6 diet Cokes a day." or "I forgot, I eat a handful of chocolate covered nuts after every meal."

Writing everything down that passes your lips throughout the day (well maybe not everything), will get you conscious around certain habits, behaviors, that may have been causing your body to slowly pack on pounds.

Do this for at least one week.

Weight Loss Tip #4: Designing your Exercise Program

Ok. Again, designing any diet or fitness program should be customized to the individual. However, some general guidelines to consider when creating your fitness plan are:

Make sure that you are covering all 3 parts of fitness. Cardiovascular, Strength Training and Flexibility. Most people leave at least one of these out and sometimes two. For example, if you only run, you are missing out on the flexibility and strength aspects. If you only do yoga, while I'm sure you are very mellow, you are missing out on your cardio, and perhaps some strength training.

You can split up these components and divide them into your week. For example: yoga on Monday, Elliptical on Tuesday and Thursday and weights on Friday.

Or find an activity that incorporates all three into one, like martial arts. Yes, I am a HUGE proponent of martial arts because of this fact. It is the most balanced workout, in my humble opinion.

For more info on martial arts you can check out my school called World Martial Arts Center. www.happykicks.com The link is above.

Weight Loss Tip #3: Have a plan

Ok, now that you know where you are and where you want to be you need a plan to get you there. Exercise, diet and lifestyle changes must all be included in your plan. So to help you get started:

Are you currently exercising and if so how much? I think it's hard to give a general suggestion considering everyone is in a different place in their health journey. But a couple of guidelines to keep in mind are:

1. If you are currently not exercising then start now. It is an absolute must. Aim for at least 2 to 3 days to start with so it doesn't seem overwhelming to a beginner.

2. If you currently exercise 2 to 3 times a week, then you can increase it to 4 to 5 times per week. Varying your exercise routines. Which I will talk more about later.

3. Start with at least 30 minutes of exercise per session and increase to 45 and eventually 60 minutes.

Weight Loss Tip #2: Have a goal

I know this sounds simple but there are so many people who have come to me that want to lose weight. When I ask them what their goal weight is they have a hard time coming up with a solid number.

"Oh, it's just a number, I don't really care." - Yeah right.
"Well, somewhere between 120 and 130?". - That's a range not a number.
"hmmmm, I don't want to say a number because if I don't reach it I will be disappointed." - Scared to commit.

No more excuses. Get a number and write it down. Paste it on your bathroom mirror, refrigerator and your kitchen cabinets. Marry your number.

What's your number?