A valid shape-up program has two components: diet and exercise. Let'stackle diet first, starting with the biggest no-no: crash dieting.
Besides requiring an extremely low daily calorie count, crash dietsoften have an unhealthy focus on one type of food, for example, thegrapefruit diet. A drastic cut in your daily calories also will resultin a loss of muscle, as well as fat. A typical 20-pound weight loss canmean the loss of up to 5 pounds of muscle.
What's the downside, you ask? Well, muscle burns more calories thanfat, even at rest, so a loss of muscle equals a slow-down of yourmetabolism. This slow-down means that it is that much easier to regainthe weight you lost, and regain it all as fat.
Finally, research indicates that yo-yo dieters are at greater risk forheart disease. Not only does it allow their body fat percentage tocreep up, placing more stress on the heart, but their HDL cholesterollevels are lower. Remember this is the "good" cholesterol.
Increase your odds of success with the following diet tips:
- Drink lots of water. The more waterin, the less you retain. A glass of water can also make you feel full.
- Get enough fiber. Twenty grams a dayis recommended and can be found in whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
- Eat breakfast, then follow with several smallmeals throughout the day. The idea is to spread your caloriesout so that you never get extremely hungry and overeat.
- Watch your portion sizes. Know howmany calories you really need, and review the recommended servingsizes. You may be surprised to find that the typical bagel is reallyworth three servings of bread and grains.
- Avoid alcohol. These are emptycalories that can quickly add pounds.
- Combine your aerobic and strength-trainingworkouts. Many health clubs and fitness programs offercircuit-training classes that switch off between cardio and resistanceexercises.
- Focus on the big muscle groups, in your legs,butt and torso to burn more calories.
- Workout more intensely for a shorter period oftime.
