Is Your New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Plan Effective?

The first week of January, fitness clubs across the country are packed with new members eager to lose weight and get into the best shape of their lives. However, come February the majority of these new faces will be no where to be found. How can this be when they were to excited and determined just one month earlier?

The answer is: They did not see the results they expected and gave up on their weight loss goals.

The Average Joe (or Jane) joins a Fitness Club in January. They only buy a membership and do not hire the help and expertise of a Fitness Coach. So Day 1 comes of their new fit lifestyle, they go straight to the gym after work ready workout. They aren't really sure what to do and the free weights look awfully intimidating, so they decide to hit the treadmill. But upon entering the cardio room they find all the treadmills full and a sign up sheet to use them. So they sign themselves up, but have wait 30 minutes! After finally getting their turn they have "exercised" (term used very loosely) for 30 minutes and burned 300 calories. They repeat this pattern over and over increasing their time every couple days until they reach an hour and 600  calories. Now they decide "Hey, if I just keep this up five days a week for the next month. I'll be slim and trim!" However, next month comes and guess what? They have lost 10 pounds, but what they see in the mirror is anything but "Slim and Trim". They are just a smaller version of the same fat person they were in January. How could this be they exercised so hard burned 3000 calories a week, but nothing gained. They still look fat. Frustrated and feeling like a failure they decide to give up and stop going to the gym.

So what happened? They burned 3000 calories per week (12,000 for the month), lost 10 pounds, but still looked and felt fat.

Answer: They did not use a plan that was effective for fat loss. Cardio will NEVER give you the body you desire. You may lose weight, but it is water and muscle weight. A loss of muscle will decrease your bodies metabolism. Thus, cardio will actually decrease your bodies metabolism and decrease the amount of calories burned each day. On top of that research has shown that regular runners who ran the same amount everyday year after year actually gained weight!  

So what is the answer to effective fat loss? Free weights and nutrition. With free weights you will add muscle to your body and more muscle means a higher metabolism. A higher metabolism will result in more calories burned everyday and more fat loss. Now, a word of caution do not expect to see any scale weight lost in the first month, but you will lose inches and clothes sizes. This is because while you are burning the fat you are also adding muscle. Thus, transforming your body!

But, just remember all of this is useless without proper and adequate nutrition.

In conclusion: Free weights and nutrition will give you that body that turns heads and you won't be able to stop looking at in the mirror at the hot new you! Cardio will never result in this.

Live Fit,

Josh