LOSE WEIGHT AND GAIN CONFIDENCE

Losing weight is on most people’s ‘To Do’ lists. Why can’t it be easy to do!

A negative body image isn’t the only consequence of being overweight. Obesity can increase a person’s chances of getting heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and arthritis – to name just a few medical problems . Many people are more concerned about fitting into their jeans than they are with fitting in a doctor’s appointment to check their cholesterol – but the reality is that tipping the scales could literally tip the scales when it comes to health . If you’re concerned about your weight, your first port-of-call should be a health care provider.

The journey is not an easy one, and there are two key elements to consider – reducing the calorie intake and doing more exercise . Crash dieting is not a good idea as it generally results in short-term weight loss and plus it can be harmful to your health. Remember that it’s easier for some people to lose weight than others, and that genetics do play a part in weight loss.

For moderate weight loss, an average person could reduce their daily calories by 500 and increase their daily activity to burn around the same amount. The minimum amount of calories that should be eaten a day is around 1 200 (but should be more like 2 000 for the average male), and weekly weight loss should be limited to around a pound a week or 0.5kg.

Reducing calories can be done in many ways including eating less fat and sugar (including fruit juices, sweets, canned drinks, alcohol, cakes and biscuits) and eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and high fibre foods and drinking loads of water.

Sustained weight loss requires a commitment to exercise – which means at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day. Doing stuff around the house is a good way to start – but it’s awfully dull (for example, vaccuming consumes between 150 – 350 calories an hour) By making the activity fun and interesting, you’ll increase your chances of sticking to it and seeing the results. But how much exercise is enough and what’s the best one to do?.

Some of the best cardio exercises for burning up calories include step aerobics, running, cycling, skipping, rowing, spinning and power walking. These exercises burn anything from 180 to 500 calories in 30 minutes. It’s also important to do some strength and resistance training along with the cardio to burn up more calories – plus it’s been proven to an effective strategy in weight loss.

And here’s another form of exercise which isn’t usually associated with weight loss – but it should be – and that’s martial arts. Gym culture doesn’t appeal to everyone and it’s pretty dull exercising alone, and that’s why karate is becoming such a popular activity for fitness as well as weightloss because it’s social, fun, challenging and fulfilling. Martial arts is generally perceived as a self-defence activity – but the reality is that it’s about aerobic fitness, physical strength, fitness and developing muscle tone, as well as developing a whole range of vital social and intellectual skills too, such as integrity, self-respect, discipline and trust.

For the average 145 pounder, 60 minutes of karate is said to burn around 650 calories. Compare that to around 400 used up in an hour of moderate exercise on an elliptical equipment or a rowing machine.

People of all ages can benefit from practicing martial arts, says karate Australia expert, Perth-based 4^th Dan Grant Rollinson, because it offers such a range of benefits from fitness, weightloss, self-defence, stress reduction, motivation and inspiration. ”Shedding kilos and getting fit should be about much more than trying to burn up calories though. Exercise is such a vital part of daily lives – and it’s important to find an activity that is good for the body in terms of fitness, losing or maintaining weight, strength and flexibility – and that’s good for the soul too“.