There’s a good chance you’ll find yourself in a bathing suit sometime this summer. If you are like most people, that realization will bring a grimace to your face and will motivate you to lose some weight. While I commend your desire to slim down before baring it all, I’m here to warn you of the five myths most people fall for.
Don’t waste your time on these: Myth – Starve the pounds away Attempting to lose weight by starving yourself is not only ineffective, it’s also dangerous. It may seem severe calorie restriction would deliver the quickest weight loss, but your body is complex and by doing so you’ll disrupt your metabolism and slow your results. Tip: Don’t starve yourself – instead eat healthy small meals throughout the day. Myth – Take diet pills to boost your effort It’s so tempting as commercials make compelling claims about the power of diet pills. But don’t fall for it – the ‘magic pill’ has yet to be discovered.
Diet pills are more likely to damage your health and burn your pocketbook than slim you down. Tip: Don’t pop a pill – instead burn calories with exercise. Myth – Do extra crunches to flatten your abdominals We all want our midsection to look toned as we stroll down the beach, but excessive crunches aren’t the answer for tight abs.
In order to achieve a lean look, you’ll have to focus on burning off the layer of fat covering up your abs. Tip: Don’t obsess about crunches – instead focus on fat burning. Myth – Eat packaged diet foods for speedy results It is amazing to see the kinds of food packaged as ‘diet’ or ‘weight loss’ aids. More often, these products are packed with refined sugar and other artificial ingredients your body doesn’t need.
Tip: Don’t eat packaged diet foods – instead stick with nutritious whole foods. Myth – Avoid all carbohydrates in order to slim down Carbohydrates have been given a bad rap, which is unfortunate because you can (and should) eat carbs while losing weight. The key is to stick with whole grains, oatmeal and brown rice while avoiding processed and refined flours and sugars.
Tip: Don’t swear off all carbohydrates – instead stick with wholesome carbs. Now that you know what not to do in order to look great this summer, it’s time to go over your beach-ready game plan. Here’s what you need to know in three simple steps: Step 1: Cut out the junk The best way to do this is to start by purging your kitchen.
Get rid of sugary, processed and fat-filled foods. Once the junk has been cleared out, don’t buy any more of it. Remember your beach-ready abs depend on what you eat so don’t eat junk. Step 2: Focus on whole foods Replace the junk food in your life with plenty of the following: cooked and raw vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, moderate amounts of seeds and nuts, lean meats and low-fat dairy. Clean eating really is that simple.
Step 3: Exercise This is the most obvious step. Exercise on a daily basis, making sure to include resistance training of any sort, some mild to moderate aerobic training and don’t forget to stretch. Exercising daily while following the other two guidelines above will move your fitness and weight into the right direction. Once you start, don’t stop.
You will only continue to receive the benefits regular exercise provides if you are consistent with your exercise program. Enjoy your summer with your brand new you. u David Gilks is the owner of Core Essentials. To contact the Core Essentials team call 250-390-3160 or go to www.core-essentials.net.
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