Beginner’s Guide to Losing Weight

Weight loss is very difficult for many people, myself included. It involves abandoning the way you eat and spend your time to enter a process that is completely unfamiliar and seemingly painful. Many times you have to eliminate the trip to Hooters with your buddies or that delicious slice of cake you’ve become accustomed to having before bed. After a few days of suffering through your new workout and diet routines you decide that you’re happier with your old habits.

Trust me, you’re not the only one. The problem lies in diving into the whole process cold turkey. When you’re completely uneducated about what you’re doing then you’re more likely to get hurt, feel tired from undernourishment, or not lose any weight because of a poor diet.

I’m not saying that you should prevent yourself from starting a workout plan because you don’t know much. You’d never start that way! What you can do is ease into it bit by bit. Your body is probably so out of shape that moderate exercise and a small change in diet will be more than enough to burn the fat while you start researching more. I’ll highlight my recommendations.

Diet

Right now you probably have no idea how many calories you consume and how many grams of protein or carbohydrates your foods have. Don’t worry about it. You’ll pick it up slowly. In the mean time you can start by spreading your meals into 5-6 servings per day. It can be hard if you work and are used to eating three solid meals. The problem with doing so involves you pigging out during those meals because you’re so hungry when it’s time to eat. Instead, keep having your three main meals (albeit a bit smaller and hopefully healthier) and start having a few high protein snacks in between. The snacks can consist of a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter, a handful of nuts, a turkey sandwich, or a protein shake. I chose those because they’re easy to prepare and give you essential oils, protein, and carbohydrates.

Next, your main meals should be built from the “triforce” of nutrition that are emphasized in books such as Body-for-Life. This is what you should stick to:

• Protein: You need to have a lean protein serving about the size of your fist (grilled/baked chicken, lean cuts of beef, turkey, tofu, eggs whites, or fish). Make sure you are cooking your protein in a healthy way. Fried chicken doesn’t count!
• Carbohydrate: This one is tough for people. Like me, many suffer from carb addiction. What you have to do is throw out all your baked treats as well as all that pantry stuff that is easy to think about when you’re watching “I Love [Insert annoying reality star]” on VH1. After that’s done you should stock up with healthy carbs such as brown rice, beans, sweet potatoes, whole grain pasta, and whole grain breads. Pick whichever one you’re in the mood for and have a palm sized portion (i.e. half a cup of rice). Make sure nothing is drenched in butter or alfredo sauce and you’ll be building amazing eating habits for the rest of your life.
• Veggies: I have to admit I love vegetables, but I know I’m in the minority. I have met my fair share of individuals plagued with veg-phobia and symphathize with them. What you should do is find the few veggies you might actually enjoy and stick with them. Otherwise constantly look for healthy recipes that might sound appetizing. I’ll write an article on different vegetable meals later on. In the mean time make sure to stick with the leafy greens and other low calorie greens. This means eating lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, zucchini, green beans, onions, or whatever else might fill you up for the low calorie price. Personally I love tossing broccoli, zucchini, and onions in a wok and have them stir-fried. Delicious and healthy! Don’t think of vegetables as a necessary evil but more as a filler that will keep you from the krispy cremes at work.

Have a protein, carbohydrate, and veggie on your plate 5-6 times a day if you can. When not possible, try for 3 times a day with the snacks I listed above. If you have a “I-need-to-have-something-sweet-now-or-I’ll-fight-someone” moment you’re welcome to a tablespoon of peanut or almond butter, but try not to overdo it. Sugar-free jello and pudding can also do the trick.

Workout

This one varies from person to person. I recommend going to bodybuilding.com and checking out their excellent training section for what best fits you. If you’re completely brand new to working out, I suggest not going out and sprinting immediately. Your joints might not be up to the task in your current condition. Instead, head to the bicycle, elliptical, or pool. They’ll make sure that you’re not punishing your hardly used body parts with your own bodyweight. If you do decide that you want to head first to the track remember to stretch carefully and not over-do it. Injury is one of the main reasons people quit their exercise and diet.

In terms of weight training, stick to lower weight/higher repetition while you’re starting (i.e. don’t use a lot of weight when you can only do three bicep curls). If you can, get a trainer at the gym for a few sessions so you learn how to cater to your specific needs. You’ll also learn how to use the equipment the correct way. Finally, make sure to stick to proper form (i.e. don’t try to impress the attractive individual next to you by pulling out the 100 pound dumbbells). It will prevent injury and allow you to truly gain muscle or lose fat.

If you can’t afford a trainer, ask a friend who goes regularly to the gym to educate you. If you can work out with them constantly you’ll probably get pushed harder to reach your goals. If all else fails, research, research, research. The internet is filled with ways to start training now. Furthermore, the library has tons of books on exercise that have pictures of the right way to do your lifts.

Work hard. Stay motivated. Reach your goals.