THE BEST TIME TO PERFORM AN NEW HABIT

One thing people ask me is when is the best time to perform a new habit?
What time is best to exercise, or when should I do my breathing and meditation practice? The simple answer to this is that the best time to do a new habit, is the time you can do it. If the only time you can fit in the exercise is, realistically, 9pm at night, I would rather you did it then than not at all or only intermittently.

Once you get started, you will get momentum and you will form a habit. Your body will crave the exercise. Once you have the habit, then you can play about with the timing.

CHOOSE THE NEXT HABIT

When you have completed 21 successful days it’s time to move on to the next habit. Pick one more habit to try. Only one though. Continue reading “18. Choose the Next Habit”

Nutrition and Protein

The fourth pillar in fat loss is nutrition. It sounds obvious but it does need repeating. You are made of what you eat and drink. Continue reading “20. Nutrition and Protein”

CARBOHYDRATES

Carbohydrates are one of the three main ways of getting energy into the body, with fats and protein. These carbohydrates can be sugars or starch. The simplest sugar is glucose which, when it reacts with oxygen in the cell, releases energy. The body will ultimately break down all carbohydrates into glucose. This energy is the life force that keeps us alive and we need it constantly. Thankfully nature has provided us with a way of having a constant supply of it – by storing it as fat. That is so it is ready for those times when you need it. When you eat a meal rich in sugar there is a spike in the levels of blood sugar. This can be dangerous, so the body produces Insulin in the pancreas, then converts the glucose into glycogen. It then turns it into fats. When blood sugar drops too low, this glycogen is converted by glucagon (also from the pancreas) back into glucose.
This is the crux of all weight control: if you can control this glucose-glycogen-glucose cycle you can stop weight gain and promote healthy fat metabolism.

Sugars

Sugars are the simplest Carbohydrates– there are many different sugars, which are different combinations of the basic sugar glucose. Sucrose (table sugar), maltose (malt sugar)and lactose (milk sugar) being the most simple. The problem with simple sugars is that they break down to glucose very quickly. There is more than the body needs in too short a space of time. As we saw before too much blood sugar is dangerous. So it’s stored for later use i.e. as fat. Fructose, from fruit, is more complex and so is harder to break down into its constituent glucose parts. This ironically is good because it means it is broken down to glucose slowly. This slow release means that there is less of a spike and so less is stored as fat. That’s why it’s healthier to get your sugar fix from fruit rather than sweets.

Starch

Starches are even more complex types of carbohydrates, such as those found in potatoes and grain products. They are even slower to break down as so, again, slower to convert into fats.
Please do note though that not only are carbohydrates are great source of energy, they also act as appetite controllers.

Micro Nutrients

We’ve already discussed Carbohydrates, fats and protein, but the body needs things, which we call micro nutrients. Continue reading “23. Micro Nutrients”

CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE

Cardiovascular Exercise is any exercise that raises your heart rate to around 50-60% of its maximum. If you do this for 20 minutes it will exercise the heart. The heart, like any muscle, requires exercise to strengthen it. Always seek medical advice before starting a new exercise regime, especially if you haven’t done any for a while. A fit and healthy heart is an efficient pump for getting oxygen and nutrients to where they are needed and then removing the by-products quickly and efficiently. To work out what your maximum heart rate is, use the formula below then refer to the table to work out what your target should be.

Maximum heart rate = 220 beats per minute bpm minus your age in years. For example for a 40 year old the max heart rate would be 220-40=180 beats per minute.
Referring to the table below a 40 year old would need to get the heart beating to: 180/100 x 50 = 90 bpm to get to fat burning with a maximum 180/100 x 70 = 120 bpm
Therefore our 40 your old needs to get his heart rate to 90 to 120 beats per minute.

Below are some examples of target heart rates for each type of cardio-vascular exercise and its benefits.

Light Exercise: Healthy heart and maintain structural fitness – 50% – 60%
Weight Loss: Burn fat and calories – 60% – 70%
Aerobic Base: Increase stamina and endurance – 70% – 80%
Conditioning: Fitness conditioning, muscle building and athletic training – 80% – 90%
Elite Athlete: Athletic training and endurance – 90% – 100%

Cardiovascular exercise will also give you an immediate calorie burn if you get the pace right. You want to aim to get into the fat burning zone (aerobic) rather than burning sugars (anaerobic). Often if CV exercise is too vigorous it will have the opposite desired effect.

The first step in starting your new exercise regime is to choose the right one for you. Are there any forms of exercise you enjoyed as a child or is there something you stopped doing due to all those commitments that build up. You might as well find something you love doing so it becomes a habit quickly. I can think of nothing worse than the misery caused by forcing yourself to do something you detest.

Types of Cardiovascular Exercises

There are many cardiovascular exercises you can do to help lose weight. Here are a few simple ones.

Walking

Probably one of the most effective forms of exercise. Over one hundred calories burned per mile at a brisk pace. Always remember the 20-minute rule; After 20 minutes of continuous mild exercise like walking the body will start to burn off fat stores. If it’s been a while since you have done any exercise, always build up slowly at first. Let your body be your guide – if it hurts, it’s your body’s way of telling you to stop.

Running

Once you start getting fitter with the walking, your pace will build up and so will your distances. You might wish to fit some jogging into the middle part of your walk. Always remember that you want to keep your heart rate around 70% and no more than 80%.

Lifestyle

As you get fitter and fitter, start to look at your lifestyle and what changes you could make to increase your exercise. Remember it doesn’t need to be an exercise session. Oh and some of them are better for the environment.

Walk to the shops instead of driving.If you have to drive to the shop, always park the furthest point away from where you need to get to.
Take the stairs, not the lift – this is a terrific form of exercise.
Could you stand up in the office more?
Walk the kids to school – they will love it. Honestly.