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A Trainer's Advice for Exercising the Healthy Way for Weight Loss

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If you think you’re losing weight the healthy way by crash diets or inconsistent bursts of exercise, think again. Many people try to lose weight quickly and more often than not, it all comes back within the year.

Colette Cole, MS, a Cooper Fitness Center professional fitness trainer and Female Focus program developer, offers advice when you’re ready to hit the gym for healthy weight loss.

Get a Good Start
Before you start your weight-loss plan, meet with a professional fitness trainer and a dietitian to help you discover your weight-loss goals. Make sure you know your body fat percentage, girth measurements and resting metabolic rate (RMR). These numbers will help you and your professional fitness trainer map out the exercise routine perfect for you.

Make sure you know how many calories you burn while doing nothing (RMR), how many calories you burn throughout the day (depending on your job) and how many calories you will need to burn during exercise. After you know these numbers, start structuring your fitness plan.

Expect Gradual Changes
Losing weight doesn’t happen overnight. Your body needs time to adjust to the changes you’re making—both physical and nutritional. Seeing gradual weight loss means you’re losing body fat as opposed to muscle weight. It’s recommended that the average person lose one to two pounds per week.

Just like any new challenge, start slow and easy with your exercise routine. You should begin to work your way up to optimal exercise for you. Remember, everyone is different, so don’t base your fitness schedule on others’. Try to stick with three days a week for cardiovascular fitness and two to three days a week for strength training. This way your muscles and joints are not overworked.

What Not To Do
When you’re aiming for weight loss, here are some tips for managing your numbers correctly:

  • Refer to your body fat percentage or girth measurements rather than the scale.

  • Don’t stick to the same beat. While it’s important to keep your overall exercise schedule consistent, you don’t have to do the same workouts each time. Try different machines or classes to switch things up.

  • If you are not feeling a challenge, up your intensity level. Your ultimate goal is to reach a high-intensity level of exercise while remaining safe.

  • Proper nutrition and exercise work in tandem. You have to have both to successfully lose weight and stay healthy.

Good luck with your weight loss journey and remember to stay on the healthy path!

For more information about Cooper Fitness Center, click here or call 972.233.4832.