AsiaLIFE

Most of us don’t get fat overnight, so expecting to lose it safely and super-fast is likely to backfire. A quick all-or-nothing approach appeals to our lazy side. For two to four weeks you can probably dive into an extreme diet or drop everything to spend hours in a gym and see results, maybe even dramatic ones.

But this approach is not without consequences. Doing too much too soon can lead to a number of things – mental burnout, injury, the loss of muscle mass and water, disruption of your body’s homeostatic balance and food cravings. You can even become less active. At some point you’ll need to return to your normal lifestyle, you’ll get busy and find it tough to keep up the regimen.

Instead, choose a more realistic plan than compliments your existing schedule and habits – something you can keep up over time. This is especially the case if you have a roller coaster history of gaining and losing fitness and pounds. Change your expectations. Rather than see weight drop off fast, accept a slower loss. Focus on something other than the scale. Observe how much fitter and firmer you are getting. Aim to eat more fruit and vegetables every day for a week. Exercise regularly at a pace you can keep up and fits your normal schedule. Make mini-goals and notice your improvements. Celebrate your accomplishments.

These are the keys to a programme that may not have the fastest results, but will go much further to you keeping your weight off for the longer haul

Sam Moffett is the Manager of the Clark Hatch Fitness Centre, Hotel InterContinental, Phnom Penh.