Pointers:
Before you start it must first be established whether a change in your diet will lead to a decrease in total caloric intake while increasing nutritional density. It is not enough to change your diet: you have to eat healthier. If you deprive your body of adequate nutrients for an extended period of time, you will risk starving your system of essential vitamins and minerals, which in turn may lead to serious health problems.
* You have to choose a sport you enjoy, which brings us to the topic of motivation. If you particapate in sports only as means to an end, (i.e. "to lose weight"), then you will be more likely to give up if you don't see any immediate and measurable results. If, however, you like the sports you're doing, and actually look forward to every training session, then you are much more likely to persevere.
* Keep a diary that documents your weekly sports activities to get an overview of how much you are actually doing, and to be able to see your new body 'taking shape'. Don't just write down that you were in the gym for 90 minutes!
* Track your actual activities, including type, intensity, and duration. For example: 30 minutes bicycle at 145THRZ (Training Heart Rate Zone), 4x30 reps of abdominal crunches, etc. This is how you can determine how much of this "90 minutes in the gym" was actually proactively used!
* Make a conscious effort to put more 'movement' into your daily life. Don't take the life - take the stairs, ride a bicycle instead of driving a car and so on. This advice might seem simplistic, but it can really make a difference.
* You have to choose a sport you enjoy, which brings us to the topic of motivation. If you particapate in sports only as means to an end, (i.e. "to lose weight"), then you will be more likely to give up if you don't see any immediate and measurable results. If, however, you like the sports you're doing, and actually look forward to every training session, then you are much more likely to persevere.
* Keep a diary that documents your weekly sports activities to get an overview of how much you are actually doing, and to be able to see your new body 'taking shape'. Don't just write down that you were in the gym for 90 minutes!
* Track your actual activities, including type, intensity, and duration. For example: 30 minutes bicycle at 145THRZ (Training Heart Rate Zone), 4x30 reps of abdominal crunches, etc. This is how you can determine how much of this "90 minutes in the gym" was actually proactively used!
* Make a conscious effort to put more 'movement' into your daily life. Don't take the life - take the stairs, ride a bicycle instead of driving a car and so on. This advice might seem simplistic, but it can really make a difference.
The Calories-per-Week Calculator and information about sports-oriented Nutrition can also be great help.
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MARCH 23
