How to Train for Your Fitness and Weight Loss Goals

Different goals have different needs

Fat Loss, Health and Fitness, and Sports and Performance goals all place different demands on the body. They range from the amount of sleep required to the number of meals and calories eaten daily to what those are made of (Protein, Carbohydrates and Fats) and how many meals you eat per day. It is slightly different for everybody. If you add in your genetic predisposition for where and how much fat you hold, your given metabolism, food preferences and dislikes plus your attraction or aversion to exercise it can be exhausting and de-motivating to try and figure all of these items out for yourself.

My advice: DO NOT GIVE UP! That is one surefire method to fall short of your fitness goals.

Fat Loss

Weight loss vs. Fat Loss -

First thing is first - you must understand that weight loss and fat loss are two different things. Weight loss is just that - loss of weight. Fat, Water, Lean tissues etc... Fat loss is a very specific type of loss. Fat Loss requires quality food to provide nutrition and the maintenance of calorie burning muscle tissue. What it takes to lose fat vs weight loss are very, very different. Put simply, weight loss is about restriction of calories and Fat Loss is about living a "fitness lifestyle".

Focus on Fat Loss - Fat matters, carbohydrates count but calories are the bottom line! Do not buy into the myth that some foods are fattening and others are not. It is not true. Every food can help make you gain weight and every food can help you keep it off. The amount of ingested has to be less than the total calories burned or you will get bigger eating sunflower seeds and grapefruits. It just does not matter!

What DOES matter is the quality of your food. All foods have calories. Some foods are healthy and some foods are unhealthy. By eating higher quality foods you increase the nutrition obtained from your food and you increase the amount of energy your body must spend (Thermic Effect of Food) to convert it into its usable form.

Health and Fitness

The more consistent and the healthier the choices that you make the better you will feel. I suggest 30-45 minutes of cardiovascular work 3-4 times weekly + 2-3 strength training sessions weekly. In addition, maintaining a diet of consistently balanced foods along with your exercise routine will help you achieve your goal with ease. Your body will thank you for it and your mind will as well. When we choose healthy options we give our body the fuel it needs to keep going strong throughout the day, fight off cellular damage and be mentally sharp.

Sports and Performance

Eat often, eat well and eat balanced! The timing of your pre and post workout meals is crucial to your success. Eating 45-60 minutes pre-workout is essential to providing the energy necessary for optimum performance. A post workout meal consisting of a 4:1 ration of carbohydrate to protein is important for recovery. In addition, optimal rest (6-8 hours of sleep) and the proper training intensity are essential too. Try not to work out more than 3 days consecutively if your intensity level is above a 7.5 on a scale of 1-10.

Result

In my opinion, one of the strongest variables someone can change is to get out of daily result and into process. It is a BIG PICTURE way of looking at your goals and your goal setting. Everything matters but mistakes will be made and they will be corrected. Nothing is impossible and a great plan makes for great successes.

APPLICATION –

What is your goal?

How many meals are you eating each day?

How much water (oz) are you drinking?

Are you taking a Daily Multi-Vitamin?

You must eat and train for your goal.