Programmers guide for weight loss
Posted on Dec 15, 2009 by
Paul WhiteThe new year is just around the corner, and this means many people will
go out get drunk, then in the peak of being drunk declare, " I am going
to get in shape". Well that is easier said than done, but of course
every year millions flood the gyms just to fail at their goal, and to
pad the pockets of 24 hour fitness. If you are like me you spend the majority of your day sitting at a
computer, drinking coffee or caffeinated beverages. The only exercise
you get is your fingers typing, or moving / clicking your mouse. Many programmers I have met are either bone skinny. Or are greatly over weight. Granted the nice thing about computer
programming is it doesn't require any kind of physical endurance. Its more of a mental endurance to keep
programming for hours without letting little things distract you. Here are some pointers for
anyone, who wants to get in shape.
Change your lifestyle, not your goals.
If you want to look like a fitness model, you have to train like one. This means you hit the gym every day and have a highly regulated diet of whole foods, and protein. Of course most casual gym rats can't maintain this. They do it for maybe 1 or 2 days then they skip a day to go drinking with their buddies. If you want results there is no skipping days at the gym. You should train every day. When I say train I don't mean you need to go in and kill yourself every day. You just need to go and do a consistent workout every day. The truth is your routine at the gym will go a lot farther than your diet. When you do cardio your metabolism will go up. Even though calories are burned during your activity, more calories are burned after you leave the gym. Hitting the gym is more of a way to keep your metabolism up rather than burn calories.
Stay away from calorie dense foods
This means no fast food. The only fast food I would approve of is subway, but then you need to skip the extra sauces, and stay away from meats that are high in fat.
Weigh yourself in the morning
If you have one of those digital scales that run a current through you to test body fat, make sure you weigh yourself in the morning and before any shower. If I jump out of the shower the scale will tell me I am 9% body fat. But in the morning after taking a piss and before a shower it says 18.9%. Also don't let this figure be a definitive guide to how you are doing, as you may be loosing fat, but gaining muscle. These scales are not 100% accurate, but if you are consistent with the time of day you use them, then can give somewhat decent data for comparing results.
Use Small Goals as stepping stones with cardio
What is important is you are constantly improving. If you are out of shape and can only last 5 minutes on a cardio machine that is ok. But the next time you go to the gym try to make it to 7 minutes. Also if you don't own an MP3 player or have a phone with internet radio, get one. Having a good music mix to keep you focused during your workout is important.
Don't chit chat, and clean up after yourself
Come January the gyms will be flooded with everyone who made a new years resolution to get in shape. These people wonder around aimlessly at the gym. They often try to do what they see others doing, and they try to start up conversations with others as if talking some how equates to fat loss. Don't be one of these people. Get in, Do your workout and get out. Don't leave your weights on a machine when you are done. Unload all the plates and put them back in their proper place. Don't camp out on a machine, leaving your gear all around it, as if you own it. Use the machine and move on. If you leave the machine to get a drink of water, someone else can take it. It doesn't matter if your gear is sitting on it. Remember there are guys who have been going to the gym for years, not just since the 1st of the year. They take their workouts very seriously. Some of them are on roids, and they will snap if some noobie is camping on a machine while on a cell phone.
Fat burners don't burn fat
Fat burners are loaded with caffeine and other chemicals that do nothing but put you in a good mood and get you off your ass. If you are having trouble staying focused at the gym, fat burners can help, but don't depend on them too much. If you sit around watching TV all day, and take fat burners, they will not work.
Go to the gym when you feel most confident
Some people like to workout when the gym is practically empty, others like being there when its packed. If it motivates you to work out around pretty people, I recommend you go to the gym around 5PM. During this time the after work crowd 20-40 year olds, is there, as well as the aerobics classes. This provides plenty of eye candy to keep you motivated. This can also provide the competitive environment that helps athletes push themselves. On the other hand if you want to be alone, or are embarrased to be around others, I recommend you go late at night, after 10 PM, or mid morning. after 9 AM
Set a Schedule for working out
The most common thing I see is people start off in a good schedule, then they get distracted by other activities. The wife wants ( not needs ) them home for something, or their friends want them to hang out. If you are serious about working out you need to set a side a good 2 hours each day for gym time. This should include the time to get to the gym, workout and get home. In my case this gives me 15 minutes to get to the gym, 45 minutes for weights, 45 minutes for cardio, 15 minutes to get home. Make sure your friends and family understand that this time is not flexible to their wants with the exception of emergencies.
Feeling fat or bloated after working out
When you haven't hit the gym for a while, your muscles will shrink a little. They are not really shrinking, but they are removing water from them, as body has no need to store nutrients within the muscle cells since your activity levels have been so low. The result is after you hit the gym for the first time, you may find the day after you feel bloated, or look fatter than you did before. This is because your muscles are bloating up with water to store more nutrients for future workouts. This often demotivates women, and often causes them to not eat or stay away from weights. The bloating will go away after a few days. Be consistent in your workouts and diets. Don't go overboard on your diet. If your new diet results in less energy for workouts, causing you to skip days then you are going too far, and are setting yourself up for failure. Clean up your diet and reduce your calorie intake, but don't starve yourself. You have to feed your muscles if you want to burn fat.
Don't get P90X, just hit the gym
My wife got P90X and at first it was ok, but after a while, I just go sick of Tony. It seems like he sexually harasses his back up
models, both female and male. His program does work, but if you want a change of scenery I would recommend just going to the gym, rather than watching the same DVD every day. I am sure Tony is a great guy and all, but when you watch the same video every time you tend to pick up little annoyances, which were too much for me.
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