Feature
The bottom line on getting in shape
A fitness pro's diet and workout dos and don’ts
By Linnea Leaver
You've decided that it's finally time to make eating healthfully and
exercising regularly a priority. Congratulations!
Trouble is, there are so many myths about how to lose weight and get fit -- from
high-protein diets to bizarre food-combination plans -- that it's easy to get
off on the wrong track. To the rescue: fitness guru Denise Austin, the host of
Lifetime's "Fit
& Lite" and "Daily Workout," which air at 7 and 8 am
et/pt, respectively. Austin, who wrote "Jump Start," "Hit the
Spot!" "Denise Austin's Ultimate Pregnancy Book" and "Lose
Those Last 10 Pounds," offers these pro pointers.
Weight-loss dos
Reshape your attitude. "Working on your mind is even more important
than working on your body," says Austin. After all, "true success
depends on what's going on in your head!" So set your mind on a goal -- for
instance, I will only eat chocolate one day a week -- and keep telling yourself
you can do it. Tell friends about your plan so they can encourage you, and be
sure to praise yourself when you make progress. If you slip up or hit a plateau,
as you inevitably will, don't beat yourself up. And remember, if you truly want
to accomplish a goal, whether it's losing five pounds or 50, you can do it.
Learn how to relax. Since stress causes many people to overeat, it's
important to ease your anxieties when you're trying to lose weight. Meditation
is a great way to calm down and relax the mind, as are calorie-burners such as
yoga and walking.
Keep a food diary. "Research confirms that writing down what you eat
is one of the best ways to head off poor food choices and useless
calories," says Austin. That's because it's easy to rationalize the random
handful of M&Ms or extra glob of cream cheese on your bagel, but once you
write these down and actually tally up the calories, you'll get a better sense
of exactly what you're putting into your mouth. And once you're eating more
mindfully, you'll be more likely to make better choices.
Eat up. Contrary to popular belief, not eating will not help you lose
weight. "Starving yourself is counterproductive," explains Austin.
"When you skip meals, your metabolism slows down to conserve energy -- and
stops burning fat." So keep eating, but you may want to rejigger the timing
of your meals and the portion size. Some people find that downing several small
meals a day, instead of three big ones, is a good way to jump-start the
calorie-burning process.
Eat slower. As you eat, put down your utensil or piece of food between
bites. This simple pause will keep you from inhaling what's on your plate and
give you time to get in touch with how full -- or hungry -- you are.
Eat more, earlier. "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen
and dinner like a pauper," advises Austin. This will give your body time to
burn off the maximum number of calories, while maintaining your energy for the
day.
Forget the scale. "It can give an inaccurate reading of the positive
changes occurring in your body," says Austin. "A woman's weight can
fluctuate by four or more pounds over the course of three weeks due to fluid
retention and where she is in her menstrual cycle." So if you're relying on
what the numbers say rather than on how you feel and what your body looks like,
you may end up disappointed, even if you're actually making progress. A better
way to chart your efforts: Before you begin your weight-loss plan, take your
measurements around your upper arms, across your bustline, at your waist and the
fullest point of your hips, and around each thigh (about three-quarters of the
way to the hip socket). Every three weeks, measure yourself again.
Drink up. By now, most people know that downing eight eight-ounce glasses
of water a day is essential to health, but drinking up is even more important
for dieters. For one thing, if your shape-up plan includes exercise, you should
stay well-hydrated. An added benefit: Water helps you feel full faster. So drink
before, during and after workouts, as well as throughout the rest of your day.
Make it a habit, whether that means carrying a water bottle, leaving yourself
reminders or keeping a bottle of water on your desk at work. "As a rule, I
try to drink a glass of water before lunch and dinner, as well as throughout the
meal," says Austin. "Not only does this practice ensure that I get the
water I need, it also takes the edge off those hunger pangs."
Have patience. If dieting was easy, then 54% of Americans would not be
overweight. So don't throw in the towel just because you haven't lost 10 pounds
in two weeks. Give your new diet and exercise regimen time to kick in, set
realistic weight-loss goals (no more than two pounds a week), and savor the
benefits of living a healthier lifestyle -- more energy, deeper sleep and
clearer skin.
Weight-loss donts
Never say "diet." "A 'diet' implies something that you
will go off at some point," says Austin. Instead, aim to make positive,
realistic changes that you can stick with for life.
Never eat right before bedtime. "When we are in a truly deep and
restful sleep, our body functions slow down," says Austin, which means we
don't burn fuel as efficiently. Ideally, allow three hours between your last
meal and the time you go to bed.
Lay off alcohol. "Studies have proven that as little as four ounces
of wine can slow your body's ability to metabolize food and burn fat," says
Austin. Alcohol also tends to make you feel hungrier and less motivated to stick
to your healthy new eating goals. Finally, since alcohol can be a depressant, it
can leave you feeling hopeless about your efforts to lose weight -- and more
likely to binge.
Don't think of dieting as an all-or-nothing effort. If you don't allow
yourself room for slipups -- not to mention the occasional treat -- you'll be
less likely to stick with your diet over time. So while it's important to limit
your intake of fatty, high-calorie foods, let yourself have at least a few of
your favorite foods during the week. "If you deprive yourself, you will be
more likely to binge later," notes Austin.
Don't go too low." Extremely low-calorie diets may help you drop
weight fast, but you'll be losing mostly water and muscle tissue," explains
Austin.
Don't depend on just limiting your food intake. Healthful eating is key
to losing weight, but so is exercise; the latter burns calories and boosts your
metabolism. So if you really want to lose weight, find a cardiovascular activity
that you enjoy, such as walking, running, biking or swimming, and work up to
doing it for 30 minutes, several times a week.
Fitness dos
Get psyched. "Imagine yourself without those extra pounds -- and
with a tighter tummy and more muscle tone in all the places you want it
most," says Austin. Post positive reminders (phrases such as "You can
do it!" or "You deserve to feel good!") on your refrigerator,
your calendar and your desk at work. Remember that every minute you exercise
brings you that much closer to your goal.
Get the go-ahead from your doc. If you're starting a new workout regimen,
check with your doctor to see if you need to take any precautions, especially if
you're trying to take off post baby pounds. Women who have had vaginal
deliveries should wait two to four weeks before exercising; those who've had a
C-section need to wait six weeks before building up to full-fledged physical
activity -- anything other than walking, Austin explains.
Make a workout date -- and keep it. Exercising at the same time each day
makes it easier to get into a routine. If you can manage it, plan to work up a
sweat first thing in the morning. Says Austin, "The sooner we all get it
over with, the less chance there is that we'll find an excuse not to do
it!"
Start gradually. Listen to your body and build on your regimen slowly. If
you start off at too tough a level, you risk injury -- the most common reason
why novices stop exercising. "Beginners should start with 20 minutes of
activity three times a week, and build up to 30 minutes by the third week,"
according to Austin.
Tailor your workout to your tastes. Do exercise you want to do (as
opposed to what you think you should do) and you'll be likelier to stick
with it, rain or shine. Shaking up your routine once in a while will also make
it less likely that you'll fall off the workout wagon. Take advantage of your
local video store's selection of workout tapes or, even easier, tune in to
Denise Austin's programs, "Fit
& Lite" and "Daily Workout," each weekday morning on
Lifetime between 7 and 8 am et/pt.
Warm up. Before you exercise, you need to warm up your muscles so that
you don't shock your system and end up pulling something. Walk or march in place
for two to three minutes before you get down to business, then cool off the same
way for three to five minutes.
Fitness don'ts
Don't do the same thing, day in and day out. Repetition gets boring fast.
So shake up your routine by varying your activities, which is known as
cross-training. You'll not only prevent burnout; you'll get the added benefit of
working different muscle groups for a toned-all-over look. Austin likes to vary
her four weekly aerobic workouts with a half-hour walk with her pals. "It's
a perfect way to spend time with my friends and burn fat!" On weekends, she
plays tennis with her husband, cycles or pushes her kids in a stroller to get a
good aerobic walk.
Don't forget to pump. Worried that lifting weights will add bulk to your
frame? In fact, pumping iron regularly has the opposite effect. "When you
add muscle through weight training, your body burns calories at a faster
rate," explains Austin. For best results, aim to weight-train twice a week,
starting with light weights and a low number of repetitions; then gradually
increase them as you get stronger.
Don't expect exercise to do it all. Exercise may help you burn calories,
but if you eat a ton of greasy, fatty foods, you're just working against
yourself. If you really want to lose weight, you need to move your body and eat
healthfully. That means increasing your intake of vegetables, fruits and complex
carbohydrates and decreasing your consumption of red meat, fat, junk food and
sugar.
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