Exercise. We've all got to do it. But let me tell you, it's never been the easiest thing for me to commit to. Any excuse will do.
Dancing! Now that I LOVE. I can dance for hours. When I was trying to lose the last half of the baby weight after my second child, I'd go to the gym, hop on the elliptical with my headphones, crank up my tunes and pretend I was at a club. (Aaah! The good ol' days!)
Problem was I didn't lose a single pound. I just never pushed myself beyond my comfort zone. I didn't know how to. But there's nothing more depressing than going to the gym under duress and getting no results. So, one day, I gathered up my courage and approached one of the personal trainers at my gym.
My goal was to lose almost 6.5kg by my 40th birthday. I had three months. This is what I did:
- Weight training 3x a week. I'd always wanted to know what to do with the machines & loose weights at the gym. My trainer put together a programme that incorporated weights and to this day, continues to push me harder every week. Weights are great not just for losing weight but making you feel like a strong, modern version of Wonder Woman. And you know what else? They're great for increasing bone density and preventing osteoporosis. All you peri-menopause ladies need to watch out for this because estrogen is potent bone builder, so without this hormone, your bones could be at risk.
- Some additional form of exercise an additional 1-2x a week. Running, tennis, hiking, yoga and pilates -- anything that's going to get you out the door. But, if you're on a low glycemic diet, hitting the gym 4x a week and basically feel like you're doing everything right but not losing any weight. It may be that your cortisol levels are totally out of whack and causing hormonal chaos. In this case, try adopting a form of exercise that is going to activate your parasympathic nervous system (that's the system that is in charge of regeneration, digestion and relaxation). Something like yoga or pilates would be ideal for you to bring you out of "fight or flight mode" and bring those stress hormones down.
Whatever you do - CONSISTENCY IS KEY. If you're looking for weight loss, set yourself a target date, put your big boy / big girl pants on & commit to an exercise routine that's going to get your sweat on at least 4-5x per week. And personally - my experience is that incorporating weights in to that routine is key.
Strong is the new skinny!
Easier said than done. But hey - if I could do it (and I'm THE LAZIEST NUTRITIONIST on the planet) -- YOU CAN DO IT TOO.
Thrive Nutrition Practice launches Spring 2016.