Server: Microsoft-IIS/3.0 Date: Fri, 19 Dec 1997 16:39:42 GMT Content-Type: text/html Accept-Ranges: bytes Last-Modified: Wed, 26 Nov 1997 15:45:17 GMT Content-Length: 13858 Fitness Strategies - Bally Total Fitness

BALLY TOTAL FITNESS
Fitness Strategies

- 20 Little Changes that Really Add Up -
If you incorporate most of these strategies, eat a well-balanced diet, participate in both aerobic and resistance exercise, and consistently utilize the products from the Bally Total Fitness Nutritionals(TM), you can achieve your goals.

  1. Be Patient. In many cases it took years to get where you are today. Don't expect to reverse the results in a matter of weeks. Rapid weight loss is usually water and lean muscle mass. That is the kind of weight that comes right back and causes you to become discouraged with your program.

  2. Gradually reduce your caloric intake. If you dramatically drop your caloric intake from 2500 to 1500 per day, your body thinks you are starving and slows down your metabolism. This defeats the purpose of your caloric reduction. Decrease your caloric intake in intervals of 10% and your metabolism will not be shocked into slowing down. So in the above example, reduce your intake by 250 to a new level of 2500-250=2250. Stay with this level for a few weeks and then reduce by another 10% or 225 calories.

  3. Reduce your fat consumption to between 20% and 30% of your total calories. Try to maintain a balance of approximately 60% of calories from carbohydrates, 20% from proteins, and 20% from fats.

  4. Increase your physical activity -- exercise! We knew you were wondering when we would sneak that one in there. To increase your number of calories burned, you need to increase your activity. At least one half hour, three to four times weekly, will help you burn away those inches. Walking, jogging, swimming, biking, stair climbing, and roller blading are all examples of aerobic exercise.

  5. The Magic of Resistance Training. In all the attention devoted to aerobic exercise, resistance training has faded into the background. It shouldn't. If you want to burn more calories, you need to increase your lean muscle mass. This is most effectively done through resistance or weight training. Building more lean muscle mass automatically increases your metabolism when you are not exercising. For people who are quite a bit overweight, weight training is particularly effective. You don't subject your knees and back to the strain that an aggressive aerobics program might. After you exercise, your new found muscle continues to metabolize calories at a higher rate than fat tissue.

  6. Get a partner. If you can find a workout partner, you can help each other stick to your routine. Remember, it takes 90 to 120 days to establish a positive lifestyle habit. Rely on each other to get you through the challenging start-up phase.

  7. The 2% milk myth. This milk is still loaded with fat -- about 35% of its calories are from fat. Skim milk, on the other hand, has no fat. In an 8-ounce cup, you save 45 fat calories with skim as opposed to 2% milk.

  8. Read food labels and experiment to find substitutes for your high fat favorites. A nice green salad is very nutritious, but loading it with a sour cream-based, high fat dressing, may defeat the purpose. Try yogurt or cottage cheese blended with your favorite spices.

  9. Start the day off right. Do not skip breakfast. If you do, your metabolism will wind down and your performance will suffer. Try a protein and carbohydrate, nonfat milk and fruit breakfast shake. It is low in fat and has a nice mix that will give you the energy you need until lunch.

  10. Graze. Try to incorporate protein and carbohydrate snacks into your day instead of having huge meals. This will help regulate your blood sugar levels and may prevent you from binging on high fat foods at mealtime.

  11. Park further out in the parking lot. If you are shopping, don't wait 10 minutes to find a spot right next to the store. Find an available space out in the lot and get a quick walk.

  12. Take the stairs. Instead of waiting for the elevator, take the stairs up to your office.

  13. Interval train. This is a technique that adds value to any aerobic workout. If you are just getting started on a walking program, walk at a comfortable speed steadily for 30-plus minutes in the beginning. After about a week, start adding several one-minute stretches of a rapid walk or a slow jog, followed by four minutes at your normal pace. This elevates your heart rate and allows you to train at a higher rate for longer periods. If you have worked your program up to 30 minutes of jogging, add one minute intervals of a nicely paced run. This is not too painful of a way to elevate the heart rate on your regular speed intervals, thus improving your workout's effectiveness.

  14. Eat a piece of fruit on the way out or on the way home to dinner. This is a great way to curb your appetite and reduce your intake of the more fat-filled party foods or dinner fare.

  15. Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day.

  16. Eat slowly. Put your fork down between each bite. Do not pick it up again until you have completed chewing the previous bite. Eating slowly gives your food the opportunity to register and will help you feel full while consuming less food.

  17. Observe the 3/4 plate rule: 3/4 of the food on your plate should be grains, fruit, vegetables, and legumes -- leaving only 1/4 for meat, chicken or fish.

  18. Change your cooking style from frying to baking, steaming, or grilling.

  19. Change that fattening dessert to a sorbet, fruit bar, or low fat frozen yogurt.

  20. Measure your success in inches, not pounds. Your goal should be to have a fit, trim appearance, not to hit a certain weight. If you look at many of the major sports stars who are well-conditioned with sculpted physiques, they go off the charts for their height and build. They possess muscle which weighs more than fat. If you are getting fit, you may not drop pounds because you are losing light-weight fat and building denser muscle. You will look better and your clothes will fit better, but you may not drop pounds. With a higher percentage of lean muscle mass, You can more easily metabolize the effects of that occasional piece of pizza.

Note: Pregnant or lactating women or those with a heart condition or high blood pressure must consult their physician prior to the use of this or any nutritional supplements.


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