The MotleyHealth Weight Loss Plan: Stage 3 – Intensive Diet and Exercise

workout anywhere, even the beach Stage 3 of our weight loss plan involves intensifying both exercise and diet. By exercise, we simply mean that it is time to up the work rate a little. The basic rule of any exercise session is that at the end you should be sweaty, and at times during the exercise you should be both out of breath. If you are either losing your breath of sweating, then you are not working hard enough.

Healthy Weight Loss Rule 1: Be Independent of Other People

Being independent is also essential for a weight loss program. It is important to be independent from other people, independent from fitness equipment and gimmicks, and independent from diet rules. Although having a gym partner can help motivate you, they can also hold you back. If you gym partner is not in the mood for the gym, this does not mean that you can have a night off too. This leads to the slippery slope of failure! Ensure that you are happy running alone, going to the gym alone, or going to you local aerobics / martial arts club alone. If you do not rely on others, they cannot let you down!

Healthy Weight Loss Rule 2: Be Independent of Fitness Equipment

People often complain that they go to their local gym, and it is so busy that they could not get to use the equipment that they wanted, when they wanted, so skipped a workout. It is important to remember that gyms can get very busy, especially just after Christmas, in the New Year, and that you may not be able to use the machines that you want. At times like this, it is vital to have a back up plan. This is wear bodyweight exercises come into their own.

Although bodyweight exercises and circuit training is a great option for those that cannot afford a gym, and have no equipment at home, there is no reason why you cannot do bodyweight exercises in the gym. There are no rules that say push ups, sit-ups, star jumps, squats and burpies are only allowed in the aerobics class. If you go to the gym and the machines are all busy, then find some space and do some circuit training exercises. Go through a few circuits of push-ups, sit-ups, squats, star jumps and burpies, then stretch, and you will have already done a good workout, while others are waiting.

If you are not a member of a gym, and have no classes in your area, then home workouts are going to be your main fitness activity. So learn a few different routines, design a few for yourself, and stick to the plans. Keep a training diary and never skip a training session.

Healthy Weight Loss Rule 3: Intensive Workouts

Remember – always exercise intense enough to become both sweaty and out of breath during exercise. High intensity interval training is the key to weight loss. Building more quality intensive routines into your week is far more important than training twice a day and running yourself into the ground. Government guidelines say that to maintain a healthy weight we should exercise 5 times per week, to the point that our heart rate is raised significantly. However, three good quality sessions will also do this well. Building more weight bearing exercise (resistance training) into your weekly schedule is a must. Whether it be bodyweight exercises or using resistance machines / free weights, you should aim to do some weight training each week.

Healthy Weight Loss Rule 4: Eat A Well Balanced Diet

For diet, intensity is all about getting the most out of every meal. Each meal should be well balanced to ensure that you receive adequate proteins, fats and carbs, and also a good range of nutrients and vitamins is essential. Eating bland meals, with high calorific value but low on nutrients, will make it harder to lose weight. Maintaining a good diet is essential to ensure that you rebuild and repair muscle after exercise, and to ensure that your cardiovascular system is in good working order.

Intense exercise with poor diet can lead to over training, and weakened immune system. Generally healthy food is good enough to refuel and rebuild your body. Taking supplements is recommended when you are working out very intensively, either just a multivitamin, or if you are doing a lot of weight training, then a protein supplement also.

Always ensure that you fuel your body an hour before an intensive exercise session, with a healthy balanced meal of carbs and proteins. Then within half an hour of finishing your workout, eat again, this time with a higher protein meal / drink. Research has shown that taking a protein drink within 30 minutes of exercise increases muscle growth and rate of repair. If you leave it much longer, you will not gain the same benefits, and risk just storing the energy as fat.

Healthy Weight Loss Rule 5: Eat More Superfoods

Certain food groups are better equipped to help you build a stronger body than others. These foods contain higher than average amounts of nutrients, vitamins and minerals, and often some specific foods have properties that are unique to them in their way of boosting our immune systems and generally improving diet.

Berries: Dark berries are best, such as blue berries, strawberries and boysenberries. These berries contain huge quantities of antioxidants that help to protect the body from the damaging effects of free radicals.

Salmon: Salmon is a fantastic fish. It is a good source of protein, contains vitamins A and D, plus important minerals such as selenium and zinc. Salmon is also an oily fish, meaning that it is high in omega-fats, which are essential for keeping a healthy heart and cardiovascular system. They are also good for brain function.

Leafy green vegetables: Possibly the most underated superfood, and often ignored by westerners. Vegetables such as broccoli (recently reported to reduce diabetes damage and strengthen lungs) and spinach are packed with vitamins, and are also a great source of fibre.

Oranges: Oranges are not only a good source of vitamin C, but also contain a soluble fibre called pectin which helps to lower cholesteral levels.

Pineapples: Pineapples are also packed with vitamin C, which supports a healthy immune system, and also provide a good source of potassium which helps to maintain healthy cell, nerve and muscle function.

Healthy Weight Loss Rule 6: Reduce Stress and Compliment Yourself

Leaning to deal with your emotions, and improving your self esteem, can actually help you to lose weight. Being stressed or angry causes a chemical response in the body, whereby the stress hormone cortisol is released. Cortisol has been shown to contribute to weight gain. Also, low self esteem often results in people giving up too early, or even convincing themselves that they have not succeeded, when in fact they have. Learn to love yourself as you are, to better improve yourself!

Healthy Weight Loss Rule 7: Focus on Your Achievements

By focusing on achievements rather than failures, you will stay focussed. Changing your mindset is not easy, but it is possible. It is part of becoming a stronger person, both mentally and physically. Everyone has bad days, but in life so long as the good days outweigh the bad days, then improvements can be made. Stay focussed, keep working hard, and be proud of yourself.

Read all four stages:

Four Stages To Healthy Weight Loss – Stage 1 – Preparation

Four Stages To Healthy Weight Loss – Stage 2 – Action!

Four Stages To Healthy Weight Loss – Stage 3 – Intensive Diet and Exercise

Four Stages To Healthy Weight Loss – Stage 4 – Maintain Your Weight

Tweet This Tweet Me!