Cardio for Weight Loss: How to Eat, Part: I

If you’re looking to shed your extra pounds for good, then a cardio training regime is the way to go. Cardio training programs such as running, cycling, and swimming are very effective at burning fat and helping you slim down.

Not only that, cardio training on a regular basis will boost your fitness level, enhance your mood, build your stamina and muscle mass, and enhance your overall well being.

To get to the maximum out of your weight loss cardio program, you need to properly address your nutrition needs. Proper diet is critical for long-term results.

Hereis an eating guideline that can help you get to your desired body weight while still enjoying and getting the most out of your cardio sessions:

Don’t shock your system:

Many fitness enthusiasts embark on the weight loss journey with a sense of overexcitement. As a result, many choose to skip meals and rev up the cardio hoping to accelerate the weight loss process. This is a big mistake and one that usually leads to a myriad of health troubles.

Shocking your system this way forces your body to enter into starvation mode by holding onto fat and slowing your metabolism levels. Thus your body willburn fewer calories per minute than before. This usually leads to weight loss plateaus (or even weight gain), extreme fatigue, and lossofenthusiasmto continue your workout plan.

Therefore, make sure to keep up your metabolism throughout the day. You can do this by eating five to six small meals, every three to four hours. Don’t go for more than 4 hours without a meal.

By doing this, you’ll keep the starvation response at bay and will have the needed energy to exercise and perform at your best. Aim to eat a healthy mix of complex carbs, lean protein, and healthy fats.

Also, plan your meals around your workouts; eat 2-3 hours before a workout and immediately afterwards to replenish your body and speed up recovery so you’ll be ready for your next workout.

How to Exercise in The Morning

People who exercise first thing in the morning are more likely to be consistent with their workout regiments over the long haul—no matter how busy or hectic their lives maybe. 

Working out in the early morning can also be invigorating because running trails or gyms are usually less crowded at this time. You can get your entire workout in without being constant distractions or interruptions.

Here are a few tips to get you up and moving in the morning:

-          Go to bed early so you can wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Getting ample sleep is key to performance and training enjoyment. Aim to get at least eight hours of high quality and uninterrupted sleep.

-          Get your training gear and apparel ready for the workout the nightbefore. If you are not well prepared in the morningyou will struggle to find the motivation you need to get you up and going. 

-          Know what exercise you plan on doing so when the alarm goes off, you’ll be ready to go.Choose a workout class the night before or plan on running outside. Either way, clarity helps you ward off confusion and training limbos, thus setting the stage for better athletic performance.

How to Squeeze Workouts intoYour Daily Life

Working out on a daily basis is no easy feat. Most of us are pressed for time. As a result, learning how to fit a workout in regardless of how hectic your life is can be of the utmost importance if you’re looking to get fit for the long haul. 

Allowing momentum to dictate yourworkout schedule is a sure way to suffer from soreness, athletic performance and weight loss plateaus, thus further setbacks and disappointments with your training and fitness levels.

As a result, here are two guidelines to help you squeeze a workout in even if you’re pressed for time.

Make a plan

The first step toward making exercise a natural part of your everyday life is a good plan. Good plans lead to good execution. Lack of a plan can spell disaster on your vision—whether to lose weight or to get your next job promotion. Therefore, make sure to take the time to create your training plan. 

Make your goals achievable. Keep your workout plan simple and make sure it contains a variety of workouts and training approaches so you can beat the boredom factor and steer clear of injury. This will ensure that you keep on improving your endurance and fitness levels.

Build the habit

As long as exercise is not a habit in your life, you won’t achieve progress. One of the best ways to build a habit is to opt for a realistic training program and stick with it for at least four consecutive weeks. 

To ensure you stick to your workout plan, make sure to opt for shorter training sessions. No need for a time-consuming workout at this point. If you prefer long workouts, save them for the weekends or when you’ve got some extra time on your hands. Just don’t put pressure on yourself to constantly have long workouts. 

For the time being, your focus should be on making exercise consistent. After a while, aim to gradually increase the training length and intensity.

Good Eating Habits - How to Eat for Weight Loss

Eating the right way is the key to permanent weight loss. In fact, how you eat matters more than what you eat. Still, changing eating habits can prove difficult. Trying to make a 180 degree change in the way you eat overnight isn't realistic or smart.

 Instead, the way to go is to make small steps and make minor adjustments to your eating habits over time. Trying to do it all at once, usually leads to cheating or giving up on your new eating resolution.

As a result, cultivation good eating habits-one at a time-is the surest way to eating healthier.
According to Tony Schwartz, the author of The Power of Full Engagement, it takes about 4 weeks for an activity to turn into a habit. You just have to do it consistently and with no interruption for at least 4 weeks.

Therefore, here are the 5 habits you need to cultivate if you want to eat the right way so you can lose weight more easily and effectively.

Good Habits #1 Eat Slowly; Chew Your Food Well 

The first change you need to make to eat bit by bit and chew your food well, savoring every bite. If you invest enough time in chewing your food well, you'll actually end up eating less, while feeling full and well satiated. It takes approximately 20 minutes for the signal of fullness to travel from your stomach to the brain, hence eating rapidly will lure you to consume more than what you need.

Good Habits #2 Eat Moderate Portions

When learning how to eat properly for weight loss, serving size matters. At home, you can eat smaller portions by using smaller plates instead of larger ones. Most people have an unconscious drive to finish the food on their plate, regardless of how they felt or the size of the meal. Hence, you can use the same visual cue to propel your body to behave otherwise and be satisfied with smaller portion size.

Good Habits #3: Eat Regular Meals

Most weight loss enthusiasts are meal skippers. Skipping meals can merely lead to out of control hunger, often resulting in overeating and piling on the pounds. Nonetheless, the biggest no-no in any weight loss resolution is starvation. Skipping meals and eating less than your body needs will put your body in the starvation mode. During this dodgy mode, your body will be storing calories as fat to survive through those long periods of starvation. Therefore, make sure to eat your regular meals -especially breakfast.

Good Habits #4 Eat Breakfast 

Skipping breakfast is the biggest mistake most dieters make. Breakfast is like other meals, skipping it only lead to starvation mode and piling on more stubborn fat. In fact, breakfast has an important and vital role in keeping your life healthy. A healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism and help you feel more energetic and alive for the rest of the day.

Good Habits: Progress, Not Perfection

This one may sound distinct to eating well. Nonetheless, it's the golden key to making any change while keeping your sanity intact. Small and incremental changes while allowing a small margin for error is the way to go. Conversely, seeking perfection is a loser's game.

Making mistakes and tripping once in a while is a necessary step toward making any change. Don't despair when you realize you've strayed from your goals. Instead, you should become more aware of the progression you've already made, and be grateful for that. As they say in Alcoholic Anonymous: Seek progress, not perfection.

This article was published first by Juris Kupris at

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