Beginning exercisers who are focusing on shedding excess pounds will find it necessary to heighten their degree of intensity while working out, lengthen their workout time by a few minutes each session, or increase their tri-weekly workouts by a day or two in order to burn up a greater number of calories at a faster rate.
Consequently, taking and keeping the weight off will not be an easy task. Along with monitoring your caloric and fat-gram intake, which also assists in weight loss, you're going to have to exercise regularly and vigorously. There's no other way. Don't let anyone try to fool you by telling you that there is an easier and more effective way. The truth is that a lot of exercise time and effort are needed to burn up enough calories to affect body weight materially and permanently. So you are going to have to stick with it; you are going to have to think of yourself being in it for the long haul.
Ordinarily, an exerciser's weight changes little during the early weeks of working out. Primarily, this is because lean muscle mass (muscle and bone tissue) increases at about the same rate that body fat (adipose tissue) decreases. Also, muscle is denser and heavier than fat and requires a higher degree of energy to maintain than the fat it is replacing. Therefore, despite the fact that you're burning calories by raising your metabolism through your workouts, this doesn't automatically mean you'll lose weight. In reality, you will probably discover that you've put on a few pounds as a result of your physical training.
Knowing this then, you need not throw your hands up in despair over what the scale says. Although it may show no appreciable weight loss, you should bear in mind that your physique is steadily and positively changing: getting firmer, shapelier and stronger.
Furthermore, at this stage of your journey to becoming a healthier and thinner you, the fact that you're losing inches off your waist and hips, your clothes size is shrinking, your self-esteem is on the rise, and you have added pep to your step are much better indicators of the favorable changes that are taking place inside and outside your body than the scale.
Thus, it's a good thing to set goals for yourself to help motivate you, as well as to give yourself direction and purpose. You should definitely be determined about attaining your goals. However, being determined does not mean being overzealous. You want to keep your goals sensible and not try to accomplish them your first few workout sessions. Take it one step at a time.
Setting your goals too high and attempting to make them happen too quickly can be just as bad as not having any goals and exercising halfheartedly during workout sessions, both of which can lead to disillusionment over your slow progress and the eventual discontinuance of your exercise program.
For exercising to remain enjoyable, something you'll look forward to doing over a lifetime, you should set realistic goals for yourself; you shouldn't overdo it; and, you should choose only those aerobic and strength-building exercises that appeal to you.
Remember, too, that all this exercising you're doing is not only useful for burning calories and firming up your body but also acts as preventive medicine against poor health in your later years. Current statistics show a much lower incidence of mental and physical impairment in older persons who have kept themselves fit throughout their lives than in those who didn't.
Today, as it was yesterday and will be tomorrow, the principles of a sound mind in a sound body constitute the basis of excellence in living. A sound body is vital to the best possible performance of the brain, to controlling the onrush of harmful diseases such as atherosclerosis and diabetes, which are appearing at an earlier age in adults, stroke or heart attack, for an extended life span, as well as a more productive existence for senior citizens.
In essence, remaining physically active and properly caring for your health by eating right and periodically seeing your doctor for a checkup are the keys to staying in shape, staying alive and living longer.