Notionet

Fitness is the kind of topic that makes me feel like am sipping hot tea on a cold day. And though attaining an ideal figure and getting fit sounds like a great achievement to most people. Am surprised to know not everyone takes the whole idea of a healthy lifestyle positively. Is it that they find physical exercises so hard. Is it that they have tried before and failed? These are the kind of questions that made me create this article which we can also call a simple Fitness program.

It is hard to understand the value of fitness until you experience the whole process. That’s moving from an overweight person who finds it hard to walk a few miles to a perfect figured man/woman who can jog for several kilometers and work for many hours without getting muscle cramps. It is like building a six figures business. Onces you have it, you want to cherish it because it’s one of the best achievements you have made in your life.

 

A little about Fitness and weight loss

First I would like to start by saying that losing weight and being fit are two different things. They are related but they differ in some ways. Why? Because the point of getting fit is being strong enough to carry your own weight, that might include losing weight but its not the main point. It’s one reason why you will hear some trainers claim not to believe in dieting. One, because you need enough energy to work out and two, because the exercises will be enough to help you lose weight.

If someone just wants to lose weight, they might as well choose to skip meals just to speed up the process but it’s not just about losing weight. It also about losing weight in a healthy way. So one thing you will realize about my simple program here is; it’s very gentle to its user. All I wish for you is to lose weight, get healthier, become fit and happier at the end of it all. The last thing I would like to see is a person who is stressed, starved and fatigued. And with that much, let’s get started.

1. Diet

a) Replace 50% of your daily drinks with water.

If you take 4 cups of coffee in a day just take two. Depending on your preference you might choose to take coffee in the morning and later in the evening but in the lest of the day you will be drinking water.

Theory

The sugar in your coffee has a lot of calories. A single 5gms teaspoon has 20 of those. The number of calories in three spoons of sugar is equivalent to calories in one slice of bread. It’s the reason sometimes you might feel like not eating anything after a cup of tea. Water helps you maintain a healthy diet and prevents you from excess calories intake.

 

 

b) Add pepper/chilli and lemon to your diet.

Red pepper and lemon contain vitamin C. This vitamin aids in weight loss by increase in oxidation while burning fat. Its intake alone will not help you lose weight but when you start engaging in tasking activities, the vitamin will surely deliver results.

2. Physical Exercises

Do physical exercises twice but not more than thrice a week.

Start engaging in some physical exercises like walking, jogging, swimming and skip rope.

 

 

Recommendations

If you have been exercising daily, it’s good for you to change your program. In the case of walking and jogging I would not recommend you to walk for more than a kilometer. Also, don’t do your exercises too early in the morning or when its too hot. Choose a smooth road and comfortable shoes too.

In case of swimming, don’t over do it. It might cause muscle cramps. Which is dangerous mostly if you are alone in the swimming pool. To avoid drowning out of muscle cramps it’s better to have a trainer around to guide you. If not, just choose the number of repetitions you can handle. I would recommend 10.

 

Theory

You need energy to engage in physical activities. To provide this energy, your body burns fat and In return you get to lose weight. Everytime you engage in vigorous exercises, you damage your muscles fibers. That’s why its necessary to avoid exercising daily to give them time to heal. Also, overworking yourself prompts your body to demand more energy. This can result to craving for food and later the risk of becoming obese when you stop doing the exercises.

As for the time you should do the exercises early mornings are not good because they have been said to contribute to the cause of leg injuries I. e torn achiles. Hot hours of the days are not good either as they can make you feel drained quickly. Any time between 6 to 7 in the morning or evening is not bad.

 

3. Mental exercices

a) Write and play board games three times in a week.

Create three articles about anything each in different days of the week. They don’t have to be long. 5 to ten paragraphs can do. Makes sure it’s coming from your head (creative writing ) not copy writing. By the time you complete one article you might note a difference in your energy level. You might also feel hungry.

Theory

The brain uses 20% (320 calories) of the total body energy. Its quite a lot but that is the usual day to day consumption. What about when someone is thinking? Science claims that the brain doesn’t burn a lot of calories unless it is being used to learn a new things or taking a new challenge. And even in such cases, the amount of calories used is not enough to make someone slim.

But there are real cases where losing weight can be connected a lot to the brain. I.e Chess players losing several pounds after a several months  contest or a student losing weight after a final exam. Looking at such cases its not just thinking that is involved but also other cognitive activities due to conciousness and caution. Increase in cognitive activities for a prolonged time is scientifally proven to cause weight reduction. Though not clear it might be connected to the fear, anxiety and alertness attached to such activities.

 

 

Creative writing engages your brain making you to think. And because the brain demands a lot of energy, you are able to burn extra calories. Adding other activities like playing chess and engaging in competitive games increases the total brain’s calories intake.

Though there isn’t enough scientific facts to backup this theory, which I must admit, it is clear that playing board games, creative writing and maybe video games can cause weight loss. We just need more answers  to tell why.

Breaking down the routine

1. Diet

a) Add chilli/red pepper to at least four different meals in a week.

b) Reduce intake of other drinks and beverages i.e coffee, tea, bear e.t.c and replace them with water by 50%. If water is too harsh for you, lemode or orange juice can do. (they are rich in vitamin C)

 

2. Physical exercises

Jog, swim or walk 3 to 4 times in a week. Make sure to skip the days for healing purposes.

Walking/jogging distance 1-2 kilometres.
Swimming repetitions, 5 to 10 laps with about 5 minutes rest sessions after every lap.

3. Mental exercises

a) Do creative writing on topics of interest atleast 3 times a week each on a different day. A 5 -10 paragraphs article is enough.

b) Play boards games i.e chess on your free time. As for board games, they can be played daily but at least thrice a week to make them more effective