The misunderstood psychology of weight loss — how to lose 30 pounds PART 6

Food

First, if you’re focused on losing fat, aim for a deficit of around 500 calories per day or 3,500 per week. There are 3,500 calories in one pound of fat, meaning you’ll lose (at least) 1 pound of weight per week — probably more initially as you lose water weight and flush out other waste.

You need to know your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) as a starting point, which is how many calories you need to consume each day based on your current activity levels. You can calculate that here. Once you know your BMR, subtract 500 calories. That’s your daily calorie target.

The psychological impact of tracking goes a long way to keep you on track. If you screw up at one meal, you can make it up at the next meal by eating fewer calories, etc.

Protein is extremely important because it’s the building block for creating new muscle. Generally, you want to take in 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, per day. If you weigh 200 pounds, you consume 200 grams of protein per day — typically 2-3 protein shakes and 3 meals per day.

To keep sane and stop your metabolism from slowing down, you should also have one day per week where you eat whatever you want. This is called an “off day”. If you’ve been craving chocolate, fries, etc, you eat them on your off day. Keep in mind, however, that you shouldn’t eat 20,000 calories during your off day. Eat what you want, but don’t over do it.

If you feel like eating crap during the week and the craving is really, really bad, keep an “Off Day List” which contains all of the foods you’re craving. The simple act of writing down the food you crave and knowing you’re only 1/2/4 days from being able to eat it will help.

When you have a craving for a food you only eat on your off days, go back and read your “why” statement. Read it 20 times. Then go on Youtube and watch a few “before and after” weight loss (or muscle gain) transformation stories. That should be enough to curb your cravings 95% of the time.

You’ll also want to regularly check your pH levels using pee sticks. You can buy them from any drug store. New research is showing a strong relationship between the acidity in your body and the amount of fat you hold on to, regardless of how much exercise you do and what you eat.

If your pH level is low (5.5 or less on a scale of 0–10), your body is highly acidic and will hold on to fat to protect organs from damage. The lower your pH level, the higher your chance of cell damage and mutation which can lead to cancer if enough acid forms in your system over time.

If your pH level is neutral or slightly higher (6.5 to 8), your body is more alkaline, contains less acid and therefore your body won’t hold onto fat, as there’s no damage to protect your organs from.

What’s the easiest way to get your pH level up so you’re more alkaline than acidic? Drink at least one (ideally two) fresh green juices every day. Buy a Nutribullet and throw in a handful of spinach, a handful of kale, half a cucumber, an Apple, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a cup of water. Blend it up and drink it. Simple.

https://medium.com/personal-growth/the-misunderstood-psychology-of-weight-loss-how-to-lose-30-pounds-in-2016-c26fbd8e16f3

Zumba TurnUP | Shut Up & Dance

Zumba fitness literally wants you to “shut up and dance” in this high-energy, four-minute workout featuring Zumba creator himself, Beto Perez, along with Maritza Bustamante. “The mix of cumbia and reggaeton rhythms means this is one hot choreo,” says the video’s description. Although there are zero verbal instructions given during the routine, the video displays graphics when direction changes are about to occur.

http://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/best-videos-dance-workout#7

The misunderstood psychology of weight loss — how to lose 30 pounds PART 4

Foundation

It’s a lot easier to lose fat first and then gain muscle. Yes you can do both at the same time, but it’s hard. You want to give yourself the best chance of success, so focus first on losing the fat and then building the muscle.

I like to call it your foundation — if you build a great (low body fat) foundation, it’s easier to stack muscle (lean or bulk) on top of it down the track. If you’re overweight right now, you’ll have quite a bit of subcontinous fat covering your muscles anyway, so why not get rid of it first?

In my experience, the best way to lose fat is not to do cardio. Slow cardio (walks, treadmill, bike, etc) burns up fat but also muscle. Cardio is great for your heart, especially HIIT, but isn’t necessary to lose fat.

There’s a bunch of research online about cardio versus lifting weights for losing fat, but I prefer to use diet and weight training (moderate weight, high rep — if you’re female, you won’t put on bulk) to lose fat.

Control your calories via food (a 500 calorie deficit per day based on your BMR) and keep your metabolism burning using weights.

When you think about where most people come undone, it’s normally not in the gym. It’s relatively easy to workout 3–4 times per week for most people. It’s the food temptation that’s the hardest. I’ll talk more about that below.

To build your foundation, you first want to get your BMI (Body Mass Index) into the normal range, at around 20. You can calculate yours here. Once you’ve done that, you’ve got a foundation on which you can start to build some good, lean muscle quite quickly.

https://medium.com/personal-growth/the-misunderstood-psychology-of-weight-loss-how-to-lose-30-pounds-in-2016-c26fbd8e16f3

Zumba Dance Workout

Multiple routines make up this 24-minute Zumba workout by Daniel Hayhurst. Hayhurst’s dance combinations get your heart rate revved up from the very first beat without a lot of talking or interruptions. In 2014, Hayhurst launched Danny’s Workout, a YouTube channel dedicated to teaching free Latin dance and aerobic classes. “The channel will continue with the Latin aerobics, featuring those classic Latin American styles such as the salsa, samba, reggaeton, merengue, and many, many more,” he explains in his debut video about the channel’s contents.

http://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/best-videos-dance-workout#5

Body Toning Afro Beat Workout: Burn to the Beat- Keaira LaShae

Body Toning Afro Beat Workout: Burn to the Beat with Keaira LaShae is a booty-shaking, total body cardio workout that employs African Dance-inspired exercise moves to burn fat, sculpt muscle and kick-start weight loss potential for the ultimate full body-toning experience from head to toe. Prepare to sweat and you shake your body to the percussive rhythm with Fitness and Music Star, Keaira LaShae as she coaches you through this intense, result-driven workout from the all new “Burn to the Beat” Fitness Series, exclusively on BeFiT! Activate your core and reveal a slim and sexy dancer’s physique as you shake, twist, and stomp to the beat of some of today’s hottest workout music. You will have a blast as you shape curves in all of the right places toning the arms, chest, shoulders, butt, abs, back, thighs, legs, and obliques with unique body-sculpting moves like pull punches, side punches, in/out taps, afro pull pumps, pull down twists, bow and arrows, hip rolls, afro birdies, TLC African marches, gallops, warrior blocks, diagonal birdies that will transform your body to the beat and have you moving like a pro! Maximize results as you ramp-up the intensity each time through with one of the best in the business right from your own living room with this fierce exercise routine that you can take with your anywhere. This routine is great for all fitness levels and requires only a towel and a bottle of water to complete. Join the party to lift, firm, and shape a sexy dancer’s body. From start to finish, it has never been this fun to get into shape. Tune in to BeFit every weekday for new workouts that you can take with you anywhere.

Latin Dance Workout for Your Living Room

This workout is sure to burn calories and put a smile on your face. Equinox instructor Nicole Steen guides you through an upbeat, 30-minute class for PopSugar Fitness. “When it comes to working out, the goal is to just keep moving, so don’t worry if the choreography doesn’t make sense. The more self-conscious you are, the less you move, so let go and focus on the fun,” says Steen.
http://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/best-videos-dance-workout#2

Want dancer abs? Try this 6-minute workout from DanceBody’s Katia Pryce

“The thing about dance is the second you get moving you’re getting your cardio in. You’re sculpting. You’re getting your endorphins up. You’re feeling confident. You’re feeling like you’re really, really moving your body,” says DanceBody’s Katia Pryce in this Well+Good video.

What makes this ab routine different from other videos? There are no crunches! In fact, in only six minutes, you’ll dance and move your way to a stronger core completely from a standing position.

http://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/best-videos-dance-workout#8

Dance Cardio Workout - 40 Minutes Dance cardio To Burn Fat - Total Body Workout

Fat Burning Dance Workout | Beginner Cardio for Weight Loss, Hip Hop Fun at Home Exercise Routine

In just under nine minutes, Joy Scola takes you through a beginner hip-hop workout to tone your body and burn fat. Don’t let the word “beginner” fool you. There’s just enough time to work up a sweat in this routine. Not sure if you can do hip-hop? Don’t worry! “Anyone can dance. It’s not about looking a certain way or doing certain moves,” Scola says. “It’s just about having fun and knowing that if you’re moving your body, you are improving your health, reducing stress, and burning off unwanted fat.”

http://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/best-videos-dance-workout#8

How to Keep Weight Off Forever?

You've hit that magic number; now what? 

You've hit that magic number at last; now what do you do? The goal is to lose the extra weight and never find it again. Unfortunately, only about of third of dieters are successful at maintaining their loss. Seasoned dieters know that keeping it off takes vigilance, and for some folks, that's more difficult than the actual weight loss.

Maintaining weight loss requires continued modification of your lifestyle. If you go back to the habits that caused you to be overweight in the first place, weight gain is inevitable. Permanent weight loss calls for healthy eating and exercise routines, just like the ones you developed while you lost the weight. Many people relax their vigilance too much after they lose weight, then gain it right back. You can relax a little once you've reached your goal -- but only a little.

Practice Makes Perfect

The more you practice something, the easier it becomes. It takes time to etch those healthy habits into a routine. Be patient with yourself, and don't let all your hard work go down the tubes. Know your weaknesses and be prepared. You will be tempted by certain foods and in certain situations, but if you keep your resolve strong, you can overcome temptations. Moderation is a great approach in those tough situations.

One of my favorite strategies for weight maintenance is to assign a day of the week when I let myself indulge -- a little. This day cannot change from week to week; otherwise, you could find yourself with more than one day "off" every week due to circumstances. On that designated day off -- mine is Saturday for obvious reasons -- I give myself permission to indulge in my favorite foods, within reason. A small piece of cheesecake is fine, but not the whole cake! It's basically controlled cheating. Works like a charm for me, and it may work for you, too. Just knowing that I can loosen up on Saturday helps me stay on top of my game all week.

Successful Losers

We can take a page from people who've succeeded at the weight-loss game. The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) tracks people who've lost at least 60 pounds and kept it off for a minimum of five years. Here are some of the things they do:

• Write it down. Journaling your food intake is a powerful tool to keep you on track.
• Eat light and right. Most successful losers follow low-fat diets -- no gimmicks, special diet foods, or magic pills -- because they simply don't work for the long term.
• Exercise daily. Walking is the preferred activity, and these folks build it into their day, making it a must-do just like brushing their teeth. NWCR members engage in about an hour of exercise per day.
• Start the day with breakfast. All the research supports the role of starting your day the healthy way.
• Weigh in regularly. If they gain a few pounds, they immediately make adjustments to get back to their healthy weight.

According to the NWCR's James O. Hill, PhD, the longer people keep the weight off, the easier it becomes to maintain the loss. Successful losers find pleasure in their new lifestyles and it no longer feels like a chore to live a healthy life. It needs to be a way of life, not a diet. And weight maintenance does get easier over time. If you can hit the two-year mark, chances are, you're golden.

Stay the Course

Keep your motivation high and don't let setbacks get you off track: If you fall off the wagon, just brush yourself off and return to your winning ways. If you can learn to think like a thin person and act accordingly, you'll stay thin forever. And the more you practice, the easier it becomes. By the time you get to the maintenance level, chances are you have identified patterns, techniques, and skills that have proved to be helpful in keeping you on track.

Reward yourself. You should be commended for making healthy changes in your diet and exercise routines that not only serve as an inspiration to your friends and family but also have tremendous health benefits

Research has shown that keeping in contact with the people or programs (like WebMD's Weight Loss Clinic) that helped you lose the weight is linked to long-term weight maintenance. It makes sense to stay connected with the people who helped you succeed in the first place. So stick around and let us help you maintain your weight loss!

http://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/features/how-to-keep-weight-off-forever#1

15 Dance-Inspired Squats That’ll Make You Shake Your Booty

If you’re sick of doing endless repetitions of traditional squats, check out this informative YouTube video to challenge your muscles in new ways and spark some exercise creativity. “We asked certified personal trainer and Women’s Health’s Next Fitness Star Selena Watkins to pull together 15 dance-inspired versions of this classic booty toner, and the results are giving us a whole new appreciation for an old-school move,” says the magazine.

http://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/best-videos-dance-workout#8