Aside from my role as a Dietitian, I have spent over a decade teaching people how to get fit as a Group Fitness Instructor. I see people attend classes regularly, work hard and sweat bucket loads. Clearly they are gaining strength and fitness, but for some of those diligent exercisers, those pesky last few kilos just won’t budge! If that sounds like you, read on!
Reign it in
All food contains energy, known as calories or kilojoules. If you consume more energy than you burn, your body will either gain or maintain weight. So if you spend a solid hour busting your butt at the gym and then follow it up with a super-sized indulgent meal, you simply won’t see a change on the scales or measuring tape. If you have the mindset of ‘I earned this chocolate bar’ after running on the treadie for an hour, than no matter how hard you train, that weight won’t budge. Reign in the treats and make smart food choices.
Mix it up
If you go to the gym every day after work and do the same thing every day, your body will get clever at conserving energy for that same workout every day. So, think about mixing up the time, intensity and what you are doing. Put the body into a state of shock! Surprise your bod, mix it up and keep it guessing!
Increase incidental activity
Most of us spend our days behind our desk, so our opportunity to burn energy during work hours is limited. All of us can do a few simple things to get moving a little more each day. Here are some Top Tips from my friend, Channel 9 Nutritionist, Dr Joanna McMillan.
Climb
o Take the stair option wherever possible
o If you work in a high rise building, get out of the lift a couple of floors early and walk the rest of the way
o Walk up escalators and moving walkways
Walk
o Invest in a pedometer – a great way to increase and monitor your daily walking. You clip the pedometer to your belt or waistband and it counts your steps through the course of the day.
o Park at the furthest point of a car-park rather than the closest
o Leave the car at home and walk short journeys instead
o Go for a walk in your lunch hour, after work or with the kids/dog/grandparent…no excuses find time to walk everyday!!
Move
o Plan which TV programs you want to watch and limit the time you spend watching TV to two hours or less per day – even reading a book uses more energy than watching TV!
o Spring clean your house
o Take up gardening
o On the weekends plan social activities that involve some movement rather than just food and drink
So, if you are stuck in a rut and not achieving the physique results you want, take a look at how much you are moving and consuming. Once your body is in deficit (i.e. you are burning more energy than you are consuming), that’s when your physique will start to change.
Until next time…
Eat well, be well,
Lisa Donaldson (APD)
www.FEEDinc.net
4 Kennedy St, Kingston
