I’ve read all sorts of articles saying that the most sensible way to lose weight is to lose 1-2 pounds per week. This translates into making only minor adjustments to how and what you eat. That’s important because just the thought of “dieting” makes me hungry and depressed. The second part of the advice is to maintain or increase weight/resistance training so that you don’t lose muscle while you’re losing weight; you should try to reduce body fat only.
My idea is to cut down on calories but not so much that my body thinks it is starving and I end up as a yo-yo dieter. Over the past few weeks, we’ve been eating more fruits and vegetables and reducing the number of snacks. We’ve also been hiking, playing tennis and swimming. My husband’s lost over 20 pounds! I haven’t done as well although I am ahead of my 1 pound a week goal. Happily, I am also down one dress size.
Under the Tools and Calculator tab, is a section called How much should you weigh? The link brings you to the Fat2FitRadio.com site. They have a goal body weight calculator that uses your body fat percentage and your lean body mass to gauge how much you should weigh.
The Fat2FitRadio.com site has a Calories and Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) Calculator. This calculator establishes the baseline number of calories you should eat on a daily basis AND the number of calories that you should start eating today and for the rest of your life (http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/). It is astonishing how many much calories they suggest you eat versus almost everyone else (including Sparkpeople.com).
BMR is the minimum number of calories your body needs to consume so that it works correctly; you also need calories/energy so that your body can perform basic activities.
Here are some basic weight exercises you can do while watching TV:
- Biceps – alternating bicep curl. A bicep curl is the standard bicep workout done with hand weights. Doing an alternated curl means you switch back and forth between your arms so that you get an even workout.
- Stand with your feet apart and flat on the ground. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and let each hand hang down at your side with your palms facing in towards each other.
- Raise your right dumbbell so that it reaches shoulder height by curling your forearm up towards your chest. The underside of your forearm should face up towards the sky.
- While lowering the right dumbbell, begin to lift the left one up in the same manner. Avoid jerking your body backwards to help you lift the dumbbells. If you are doing this, your dumbbells are too heavy.
- Biceps – hammer grab.
- Grab a dumbbell in each of your hands so that your palms face in towards your body. Hold your arms down by your sides.
- Curl your arms and lift the dumbbells so that the tops of the dumbbells comes toward your shoulders. The inner side of your forearm should be facing side.
- Triceps – two-arm tricep extension. This workout only uses one dumbbell. You can do this while standing or sitting.
- Grasp one dumbbell with both of your hands and hold it behind your head. Your arms should be bent into right angles with your forearms running along the sides of your head so that the dumbbell is in the back of your head.
- Extend your elbows and lift your forearms so that they are pointed vertically above your head with the dumbbell. Hold that position for a moment and then lower them back to the right angle position behind your head.
- Triceps – triceps kickback. Place your left knee and left hand on to the flat surface of either the bed or bench. Your right leg should be straight against the side of the bed or bench.
- Hold a dumbbell with your right hand. Your upper arm should be running parallel to your body and your palm should be facing your body.
- Extend your elbow so that the dumbbell lifts up towards your back. Hold the dumbbell up for a moment and then release it back down.
- Switch so that your right knee and right hand are on the bed and extend your left tricep.
- Shoulders – palms-in shoulder press.
- Stand up, holding dumbbells in both hands. Hold the dumbbells at shoulder level. Your palms should be facing each other.
- Extend your elbows until the come close to locking. The dumbbells should get raised straight into the air–hold them in this position for a moment.
- Slowly lower your arms so that the dumbbells are back at shoulder level.
- Shoulders – lateral raise. You can also do these while sitting but instead of holding the dumbbells in front of you, hold them down by your sides.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand and hold your hands in front of your hips. Your palms should be facing each other.
- Lift your arms out to your sides until they are almost parallel with the ground. Hold them in this position for a moment and then release them back down to your hips.
- Back – wide row exercise. For this exercise, keep in mind that you should breathe out when lifting the dumbbells up, and breathe in when releasing them back into resting position.
- Get into a squatting position by flexing your hips and knees. Hold one dumbbell in each hand so that your palms are facing your body. The dumbbells should start just below your knees.
- Lift the dumbbells straight up so that your arms form right angles. You should not alter how your knees and hips are bent.
- Hold the dumbbells up for a moment and then let them slowly drop back down into resting position.