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It doesn’t matter what you want, the transformation programme must include these points. These are some and easy ideas, but extremely important for long term health too.
I am amazed how all the millions of transformation programme avoid this. If you are targeting a great body, you need to think why you are naturally not there. If your diet or lifestyle has not been that bad, why are you there at first place.
Remember you have high chances of having something wrong. You need to sort out the problem before you dive. Starting from diet, exercise and lifestyle modifications, your basic pathology has a pivotal role.
Let me give few examples, you need to be careful about some exercises if you have arthritis or spondylosis. Read my post on exercise in arthritis.
Also having history of pancreatitis or gallstones won’t allow you to go for ketosis.
If you are obese, high uric acid level, pre-diabetic or metabolic syndrome, you have to be careful about sucrose, fruits etc. at the beginning.
You have to do lots of tweaks and adjustments to your exercise regimen if you have hypertension or heart conduction problem. Diet also changes in such cases.
These are just a few wild ideas. There are millions of such conditions and pathologies out there. You can fish blindly. Know your body, know where your body is going wrong.
If your doctor prescribes medications, go for it. If you can’t change the basic problem, if you are not gonna do this. There may be a stage after few weeks when you may have to wean off or change your medications. Don’t self adjust or change them. Proper follow up to the same physician is almost a must. Let him decide and act.
Your doctor is your best bet for this. Do all the investigations required and check with your doc. Take suggestions and medications (if needed). Go to your diet and exercise consultant for the next round after knowing all about your body.
This is one of the leading causes of failure. A good dietician will give you a well formulated personalised diet. This is important. You can’t rely on any sample diet, you need something specific to your case.
Remember the few practical points. Just calorie adjustment is not enough. The macro ratio is also decided by your dietician with micronutrients and fibers too.
Even glycemic index (G.I.) and quality of carbs can vary for two foods having same carbs amount. Remember 50 calories from carb in case of steel cut oats and same from sugar may be same in numbers. But their effects on your body is entirely different. That much sugar can send insulin through the root and can cause a host of problems in even few days. Read my post on are sugars bad for your health?
Forget different foods. Even same food can differ too. For example a carrot has low G. I. when eaten raw. But it increases to very high level when boiled. Even fruits juice differ a lot from fruit. Fruits came with a lot of fibers and more micronutrients. It is absorbed much slower than juices, can keep you full for long. G. I. load also varies a lot.
Even fat and protein varies in quality and effectively too. For example, 2 tbspn of margarine and same amount of butter or pure ghee has completely different effects. Margarine contains trans fat which is harmful to your body.
Even proteins from different sources may be of complete or incomplete amino acid profiles. Egg protein is a much better source of amino acids than soybeans. Thus all macros are neither equal nor identical.
You may want to change the food or eat it differently. In that case, either contact your diet consultant or be sure by studying or learning. If you do it blindly, you have high chance of hitting dieting failure.
This is the basic of all exercises. People say that they exercise daily but not getting results. Type, intensity, duration and the proper way of working out must be monitored. A good personal trainer can take care of this.
Remember 30 minutes of walking on a treadmill and the same duration of a HIIT (high intensity interval training) will have different effect. Forget calorie burn, a lesser duration of HIIT can have a much better impact on your fat loss programme.
Similarly training heavy for 6 to 8 reps max may be different from light weights for 20 reps. In the second case the volume or calorie burnt may be higher. But going heavy releases lots of testosterone and growth hormones. Strength gain is also better in going heavy. But again 8 to 12 reps are optimal for muscle growth.
Similarly, training bigger groups of muscles as well as compound exercises are great options. For overall fat loss or good physique you have to train bigger muscles and involve multiple joints. Again, if you worry about aesthetics or want to improve a body part, isolation exercises can help.
Again don’t deadlift or even do sit and reach stretching when you have a low back pain. Don’t squat heavy if you feel anything funny in the knees. There are millions of bodies with millions of exercise capacities and requirements.
Bodybuilders, cross trainers, powerlifters, fitness freaks and fat loss guys work out in the same gym. They use the same machines, dumbbells and barbells. But their way of doing them are absolutely different.
Hence, do not compare exercises with only calorie loss calculations. Do your full body assessment by a good fitness and personal trainer. Exercise must be done strictly under his or her advice and monitoring. Remember, success of an exercise regimen is to persist for very long (for lifetime, if possible) and do it correctly with least injuries.
Easier said than done! Yeah I know that. Adults can’t get off stress so easily. Starting from workplace, relationship, peer pressure, health problems, body image, money… stress is everywhere.
But nothing comes so easy. You need to know ways to relax yourself. Stress secretes cortisol hormone as well as causes lots of chemical changes in the body. This retains water, makes you retain fat, undermines your weight loss journey and even decreases effects of workouts.
For example, sleep is an amazing way to relax and distress. Sleeping less than 5 hours a day raises cortisol and damages your exercise potential. You can’t lift heavy being sleep deprived for few days. Even weight loss programme come to a halt in sleep deprived states.
Exercise can itself distress. Still in case of psychological problems, you have to take expert opinion. Psychological problems are extremely common now a days. These can be taken care of by counseling and medications.
You can’t expect someone depressed follow a diet and exercise regimen perfectly. Neither you can expect quick fat loss or muscular gain from such a person. Even the medications interferes with fat loss goals.
Yoga, meditation, deep breathing, counseling, watching television or even ogling at opposite sex (yeah, it’s true I am not joking) are some good techniques to get off stress. A life coach can come handy. Learn and practice how to relax. Or all those diets, exercises and treatments may go in vain.
This is the toughest part. Most people make the actual mistake here. We love to have six packs in a couple of months or build huge muscles in few months. Crash diets, steroids, weight loss pills, extreme diet and exercise can burn you out in future.
We always advocate to stay healthy and fit for life. For that a disciplined life, health awareness, motivation and frequent health monitoring is required. Diet is not something like “fill it, shut it and forget it” (courtesy, Hero Honda ad). You need to change diet with time.
I am not telling you to follow strict regimens. But keep the basics right for life:
Do not overeat or eat lots of sugars, sweet drinks and sweets.
Avoid bad fats like trans fat or too much saturated fat and excess simple carbs.
Continue exercise for life, both weight training and cardio.
Check your health and investigate frequently and follow up with your doctor.
Keep your mind stress free and energetic.
Motivate yourself. Flock together with like minded people online and offline.
Once you achieve your target and move away from diet or exercise (only diet is even worse), you slowly get back to your old self. Don’t lose something which you have achieved after such a tough time.
It may not be possible for everyone to follow all the above criteria. But try your best never give up. As we always say, you have only one life and one body to live in. Don’t destroy it at any cost. Try to give what can be the best for yourself.
Remember, your best bet FOR ANY TRANSFORMATION TARGET could be a holistic health consultant. He/she will be able to take care of all your needs. The coordination will be perfect too, as same person can deal with the whole process.
(By the way, it is not easy to find one who can serve all 3 purposes as doctor and certified fitness and diet consultant. It is not easy for a person to do all these.)
Until you find such a mentorship, find the best consultation for your medical, diet and exercise needs. Try to be serious and particular about the advices. Follow up regularly, learn and study more and remember, it should be a commitment for life.
Tell yourself what Sallu has told already in the movie ‘Wanted’ :
“Ek baar jo maine commitment kar di, toh phir main khudki bhi nahi sunta”.
All the best in your transformation journey…
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