So you want to lose weight?

There is so much information on how to lose weight. Headlines from magazines, stories in the news all bombard us with magic pills at promises of effortless results. Most of it is junk. Some of it is just confusing. Follow this list to drop unwanted pounds and inches. Start from the top and work down. Missing one of the steps can slow or stop progress.

Stop eating junk

I know it tastes good, but this is an easy way to start. Dessert, fancy coffees, alcohol… whatever junk that you can drop, removing those calories (often sugar loaded) will drop a few pounds.

Want to drop a few more?

Add daily exercise. Whatever you enjoy and will do regularly without too much protest. Burn some calories, improve energy and mood. It will also keep you away from the fridge.

Not at your goal yet?

Cut calories. For most people, take goal weight and multiply by 10 (i.e. 140lbs * 10 = 1400cal) dropping below 10 calories per pound of goal weight isn’t sustainable. It can slow down your metabolism, and often leads to bingeing.

Next

Add 2-3 days of total body resistance training every week. This will support muscle (which burns more energy) helping you move better and tighten-up.

Want more?

Limit starchy carbs to a 1-2 hour window around harder workouts. The rest of the day, focus on quality proteins and veggies.

If you have time

Add interval based conditioning. This can be as simple as run a block, walk a block or a conditioning circuit in a gym.

Magic Pill

Let me know if you find one.

This is not a complete program, but it will work for most people most of the time. Often people do well at a few of the points, and awful with one or two. This situation can be frustrating. The person might just focus on the changes that have been made, ignore the limiting factors that still exist, then claim that what they are doing just doesn’t work or that they just can’t lose weight. Remove the limiting factors to remove the weight.

Please come see us at Cascade Peak Performance in Springfield if you need help with these or anything else regarding your fitness goals.