Monday, August 8, 2011

Guidelines for "SAFE" Weight Loss

As a personal trainer, my job is to provide safe weight loss guidelines for my clients. I ask my clients to  remember that there are no easy fixes when it comes to a healthy, lean, fit body.

The guidelines I go by are:

*Provide a calorie intake of no lower than 1,600 calories per day.

*Include a reduction in fat intake to < 30% of total energy intake and emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean sources of protein.

*Include foods that are acceptable to you in terms of cultural background, usual habits, taste, cost, and ease in preparation and  easily found at your local grocery store ( real food!).

*Provide a negative calorie balance not to exceed 500-1,000 calories per day, resulting in gradual weight loss while avoiding metabolic distress ( calories in , calories out - burning more calories than you are taking in).

*Include the use of behavior modification to identify and eliminate poor dietary habits (keeping a food journal to see what you are eating every day!).

*Include an exercise program that promotes a daily caloric expenditure of 300 calories or MORE!

*Provide new dietary and physical activity habits that can be continued FOR LIFE to maintain the achieved lower body weight ( cross training, doing something different every day to combat boredom and challenge your body with new exercises).



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