Get back in shape after the holidays
with this sensible fitness program -
One of the best ways to lose weight

Welcome to my page dealing with the best ways to lose weight.

With Xmas holidays and festivities now surely a thing of the past (for now at least), it’s time to take stock of those “New Year’s resolutions.” Bear in mind that although it's always opportune to use the fresh perspective of a New Year, it shouldn't be the only incentive. Consistency leads to a better sense of routine and ultimately higher levels of motivation.

That said, I sincerely hope Health and Fitness is going to rate higher for you and others out there than in past years. If this is you and you’re ready to work on your physical condition, read on and find out more about one of the best ways to lose weight – the sensible approach.

Let’s begin with a little self-analysis

Before we look at tips and advice for getting back into shape, we need to clarify a couple of points, which are: your physical condition before mid-December last year; and whether you work out regularly and/or if you normally try to eat healthily, or otherwise.

I hear you asking “why are these considerations important?”

The answer is simple - this article is about getting back into shape. In essence, while I hope its readership will be broad, the article really addresses more the individuals who do not need to start from scratch. However, please do not feel sidelined. If you haven’t really worked out before in your life, nor paid much attention to your eating and want to do that as part of your New Year’s resolution – fantastic! Of course you are welcome to read this article, but I would also point you to one of the more appropriate pages on this Site which will cater for you (as a first-timer).

Either way, the effects of unhealthy living are usually quite reversible, as long as you don’t leave it too late (take a look at the pages on the importance and benefits of exercise). I would also suggest an interesting article written by me recently entitled “How to lose weight sensibly.”

Last but not least, you are strongly encouraged to consult a licensed medical practitioner or health expert prior to the commencement or change of any physical exercises or nutrition plan, or if you have any doubts about your health condition.

Now that we know where we stand, let’s proceed.

Damage control

So you may have overdone it a little – taking part in consuming lots of good food and drink, and celebrating. Wow! I know I had my share of it. But let me assure you, nobody manages to live through Christmas and New Year without indulging a little. Why would they? There’s nothing abnormal about it and don’t bash yourself because you overdid it and picked up a few unwanted pounds.

If you were already fit and healthy, and familiar with performance nutrition, you will have known what you were in for; you would also have known that with a few post-festive season adjustments, you would “bounce back” in no time to regain your former condition. Is it that simple? Yes, your body is quite flexible and will reflect more what you do “most of the time”, not “some of the time.” (Read more about this on the page ironically entitled “how to diet.”)

Where to start?

Let’s say you were either in fairly good shape or “not too far off the mark” a month ago, but now feel that your clothes are not fitting as comfortably as they were before. Whether you are male or female, the extra weight is normally noticeable in the fit of your pants and/or skirt.

We’re going to assume that your holiday splurge covered the period more-or-less between mid-December up to the end of the first week of January. In other words, approximately 21 days of less-than-healthy living. We’ll also assume this meant an increase of around 3 to 5 pounds in body weight. With this scenario, giving yourself a 1-month timeframe to redress the situation, you should manage more than comfortably to regain your pre-festive season condition.

So with that, let’s take a look at 5 simple tips to beam you back to your former self:

1 – Do it the sensible way, no rash moves or drastic changes

If you are and were previously working out and eating properly, you will return to your previous shape in no time, so no need for extreme measures; on the other hand, if you are a beginner, sudden changes in lifestyle could be harmful to you.

Regardless, the best results do not come from shock-tactics. The human body responds quite positively to gradual changes and those are easier to maintain than, for example, the results from a short-term crash diet. In addition, there are no real exercises to lose weight quickly, although regular cardiovascular exercise workout routines of at least 30 minutes each (sustaining a heartbeat of around 65% of your maximum heart rate) will give you best results.

For the already-fit person, if you do this right and make those small adjustments, that extra weight will melt away almost as quickly as you gained it. As I mentioned earlier, your body reflects your lifestyle. Remember, what you do to it most of the time. Two or so weeks’ unhealthy living won’t ruin your condition if you make that distinction and live cleanly when you should. Keep those unauthorized meals or junk food indulgences to a day-a-week, or for 2 to 3 mealtimes per week.

2 – An Eating Plan and the best way to lose weight

If you’re acquainted with my work, you’ll know that I don’t use the “D-word.” If not, let me briefly explain - the Sensible Health-Related Fitness principles promote long-term Health and Fitness through practical, flexible and sustainable methods, which afford the average everyday person an excellent physical condition. That means no diet or dieting principles but rather a long-term lifestyle. This is one of the best ways to lose weight but also to maintain a certain weight.

As mentioned above, if you are already attuned to your body, and follow a fitness plan supported by healthy eating, you will know that to shed a few pounds requires a little adjustment over a short period, followed by resuming your normal healthy lifestyle.

The easiest and most effective way to drop these few pounds, is to eat exactly as before (prior to the festive period that is), but to slightly reduce the portion-sizes for a month. Keep the number of meals at 5 or 6, evenly spaced throughout your waking hours. Meals should never be skipped. A constant intake of nutrition is vital for your metabolic function and fat-burning potential (you will have seen that this is covered quite extensively on the “how to diet” page).

For best results, I would recommend a plan which is based on healthy low fat meals consisting of good quality carbs, proteins and healthy fats, at a ratio of 3-2-1 respectively. Healthy fats (or essential fatty acids) form part of any healthy eating plan, and should never be omitted. We are talking about the Omega 3, 6 and 9 essential fatty acids found in nuts, seeds, vegetable oils and fish. However, the quantities should be reduced for the period of this 1-month program.

3 - Cardiovascular Workouts for burning body fat

There’s not much else to say here except that cardio or aerobic exercise is cardinal to weight loss. You should shoot for 3 to 4 sessions per week of about 30 to 45 minutes each using the lower end of your aerobic training heart-rate (THR), where you maximize the fat-burning potential of these workouts read more about this here and how to calculate your THR here).

4 – Resistance Workouts to boost your metabolism

Opt for slightly lower weights and a higher rep-range than you are normally accustomed to.

Aim for compound as opposed to isolation exercises (see the suggested list below). This way, you will be mobilizing the major muscle groups and optimize calorie consumption during your workouts. Ideally, you will do 3 to 4 sets of exercise per body part of 12 to 15 reps each, based on a two-way split routine. This means doing three workouts per week, alternating between upper body and lower body on successive workout days.

Performing higher than normal number of reps and you will find that you are running out of breath more quickly than you usually do when lifting weights; you will be limited more by shortness of breath and “muscle-burn”, rather than strength. This is because you are employing the aerobic advantage into the workouts, due to the higher rep-range. This is also among one of the best ways to lose weight.

Since the goal during the 4-week period is to burn calories and maintain lean mass, focus on smooth but deliberate execution of all repetitions.

Below is a suggested list of exercises for this 1-month shape-up program. The aim is to do 1 exercise type per body part for 2 to 3 sets; and to do 3 resistance training sessions per week - for example, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Start week 1 doing upper body, lower body then upper body. In week 2, start with the lower body first, and so on ( see the page on resistance workouts for more detailed information).

Upper body workout

• Push up or bench press;
• Standing shoulder dumbbell press or barbell military press;
• Standing dumbbell or barbell biceps curl
• Standing triceps push down or overhead dumbbell press
• Cable lat pull downs or cable chin up

Lower body workout

• Deadlift or straight-leg deadlift
• Squat or lunges
• Hamstring leg-curl
• Calf-raise
• Crunch or weighted leg-raise
• Dumbbell side-bends

5 - Motivation to lose weight - a measure of discipline and go to it!

There’s really not much else to the program aside from what was covered in the first 4 tips.

Do not feel overwhelmed, but at the same time remember, nothing good comes without effort and some sacrifice. Be patient but dedicated, and you will get there doing it day-by-day if you focus on the goal at hand. Employ the necessary discipline to eat correctly for the month ahead and do your workout routines. Remember the word routine. It’s going to be easier to see this short but demanding fitness program through if you keep the momentum going.

Remember, if you were already overweight prior to your holiday splurge but have decided to shape up, I invite you to browse this Site’s resources and consider one of the other fitness programs. You will naturally need more than a month to get into respectable shape, but realizing your goal won’t be too far off.

A final thought

Do not forget that you are human. If you err or digress, don’t sweat it! Deal with the mistake or oversight and get on with the program. Don’t procrastinate a minute longer than absolutely required.

Remember, you’re not alone I am here to support you in your endeavours – subscribe via the RSS icon or send me a message through the contact me page if you have any or concerns or queries.

Wishing you much success!

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