1 Know Your Heart Rate
Did you know that exercising too hard during a cardio workout can actually burn muscle tissue away and have little effect on losing fat? Well, it can, and does! In order to fit beautifully in your wedding dress every cardio you do must be monitored carefully. You see, the heart must pump at a specified intensity, approximately 60-75% of maximum heart rate for any given individual in order for fat storage in the body to be used during the activity. Wearing a high quality heart rate monitor is a convenient alternative to manually track how fast the heart is beating when running, swimming, biking, etc. This comfortable device comes with an adjustable strap that fits under any sports bra and a watch to screen the activity of the heart. Other examples of cardiovascular activity include: incline walking, hiking, jogging, and using an elliptical machine. Don’t waste another second on the treadmill oblivious to how hard you’re really working! Identify portions With the big day only months away you more than likely have already started to watch what you eat. In order to know exactly how many servings of a food you are truly consuming, it is best to measure all of the food you eat each day for three days. If your nutrition program calls for a ‘3 oz. chicken breast’ for lunch, the only objective way to consume that each day is to measure it before cooking. Likewise, if one serving of oatmeal is ‘1/2 cup uncooked’, then physically measure it out to train yourself about what that looks like. Now, you may be thinking “What a hassle!”, but don’t worry, the more you weigh food out the better you will get at identifying correct portions, which will
eventually to save you time preparing meals in the long run!
3 Measure Your Body Fat Regularly
The only way to look the best you have ever looked on your wedding day, is to first you know your weight, and more importantly, body composition. And once your body fat is measured, a goal is much simpler to identify and achieve. An effortless way to measure your body fat at home is with a digital scale that tracks both total weight and body composition. Here are a few tips for accurate readings: - Weigh yourself first thing in the morning with minimal clothes on. - Abstain from alcohol and caffeine for 24 hours prior to weighing in, as these substances can provide a false reading due to their dehydrating effects. - Use only one scale, preferably one at home, and use it one time per week to avoid error. - Do not perform any exercise or eat any heavy meals before weighing in, as this will throw off readings. - Most scales require the user to be barefoot in order to accurately test body fat, so make sure to read the manufacturer of the scale’s brochure carefully.
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Best Regards, Lauren Benyola
E-mail me with any questions. I would love to hear from you. Lauren@ActionFigureWoman.com