Is there a quick way to get fit and lose weight?

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Q: I am so confused by all the diet pills, miracle weight loss adverts and all the pieces of home gym equipment on the market which promise so much…is there really a quick fix to getting fit and losing fat?

Sandra, Norwich

 

James says: Hello Sandra, thanks for the question.

    ‘James, help me get rid my ‘bingo wings’ or ‘chip shop arms’. (The saggy bits underneath the upper arm), I’ve heard it all. I could practically write a book on all the names I have heard people call the triceps, and how women hate them soo much.

    ‘Get the fat off me- I’m going on holiday in two weeks’. My response? 'Do you know a good plastic surgeon? And have you got a good limit on your credit card!?

    The trouble is people want the quick fix as you mention. A good majority of people at some stage in their life will attempt to get fit and shed those unwanted pounds.   

    Unfortunately, the majority fall by the wayside after a couple of weeks, and the annoying thing is, they were probably heading in the right direction, and would have almost certainly made an improvement in their health if they had been realistic and patient.

    So many of us will hit the latest ‘fat busting diet’. ’Oh, this one is different. It really does work.’ You do surprise me. Let’s consider something for a second; if diets actually worked, would there be over 5000 different books on diets? Of course there wouldn’t: there would be just one, and that would be it.

    Enjoying a healthy lifestyle and reaping the rewards of being fit are ever more coming into the forefront of people’s minds.

    Over the last 20 years as a society, we have been eating fewer calories. Good you might think, but at the same time, we have become lazy-spending fewer calories, as technology has taken over. I was buying a MP3 player the other day, which hangs round your neck. The sales assistant tried to sell me a remote control to go with it! Is this how lazy people are becoming? Say no more.

    Every single time a person exercises more than usual, they burn calories and fat.

    Avoid being impatient and remind yourself that the results will slowly come. Remember that there are no shortcuts to losing weight in a healthy and reasonable way. Start with realistic, achievable goals. Don't expect to become "thin" overnight. Steady weight loss is healthier than a quick fix or remaining overweight. The healthiest way to lose weight is neither crash diets and fad diets nor sudden bursts of exercise. The body likes slow changes in terms of food and exercise. For example, someone who has not exercised for years should not rush into running three miles every day. Exercise needs to be increased slowly.
    People who eat a lot will experience problems if they suddenly start starving themselves. Introduce changes gradually.
    You should try to lose no more than a couple of pounds per week. While this can be frustrating, slow and steady weight loss is the only way to avoid "yo-yo dieting," where you lose a great deal of weight, only to regain it within a few months or years. There are no miracles in weight loss; go for steady progress toward a healthier life.

    A healthy lifestyle is just as important as the exercise you do. Your body is a machine-would you expect to run your car if you didn’t put any fuel in it?

    Reward yourself when you start to make progress. Rome wasn't built in a day, neither was your weight put on in a day. Modify your routines as suggested and think of your fitness journey as a life-long project, not ‘temporary-fix’.

    It might take weeks before the results will show, but they will steadily appear.

    Be patient and persevere and you will get there Sandra, like so many others.

 

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