F.I.T.
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Here are a few guidelines I'd like to follow that I think are reasonable expectations for someone who wants to be "fit."
I'm going to be using the acronym
"Food Intensity Training"
because I think it encompasses the three areas a woman such as myself should focus on if she wants to be "fit."
((Which I do.))
So here goes my approach to being "FIT"
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FOOD (aka "diet" OR "calorie counts")
.When it comes to weightloss when they say that calories (numbers in subtract exercise) are the single most important thing, & they're probably right. And if you can somehow manage to stay satiated on two twinkies and a big mac per day and stay under your calories, yes, you will probably lose weight (if you can keep yourself from binging because you're so hungry from trying to fuel yourself with empty calories). But eating empty calories is not HEALTHY. I try and follow the new pyrmaid guidelines for my height and weight and age (found here http://www.choosemyplate.gov/) It's not called a "pyramid" anymore, they've done their new graphic as a plate so you can see what portion of what foods you are supossed to have at every meal.
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The recommendations suggest half your meal is vegetables & fruits (with 2/3 being veg) and the other half is grain & protein. Dairy is considered an addition to your "plate." The problem I have with the new graphic, while I understand what they are trying to do, I think trying to balance three meals like that would be difficult (especially because it doesn't consider "snacks" and I wouldn't suggest eating empty calories between meals and only good stuff at meals) For example, most people don't get any veggies at breakfast, so I would suggest veggies as a mid-morning snack as an easy substitute.
I personally just follow the recommendations you can get by clicking on "get a personalized plan" which lists how much of each specific category an individual should get based on their stats. For me at 25, 170, 6'2", who gets 30-60 minutes of exercise everyday the usda recommends I eat 9ounces of grain each day (4.5 whole grain), 3.5 cups of vegetables (fresh, cooked, or frozen), 2 cups of fruit (fresh is best), 3 cups of dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese), and 6.5ounces of protein (beans, meats, eggs, nuts). As I'm planning out my day I try and make a mental note that "hey, I need to get a portion of veggies at dinner" or "If I have a banana now, I've met my fruit for the day" If all else fails I think the recommendation of "5 fruits and veggies" is a great start (try and make 2 fruit and 3 veggies). And try and get WHOLE grains as much as possible!
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My family has switched from white rice and grains to whole grain pasta and brown rice (I've also switched to whole grain rolls). At first, my boyfriend didn't like the texture of whole grain pasta, but after a few dinners with it his taste buds have grown accustomed to the taste and he says he doesn't even notice a difference anymore. If you haven't made the switch already, I'd highly recommend it. Calories are about the same in the two versions (hey pasta is high-carb PERIOD) but with whole grain you get lots of protein and fiber, both staples in nutrition, and both are virtually stripped from normal pasta. You WILL get used to the taste quickly. (I recommend cooking them just a little longer than the suggested time, that helps as well)
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I try and eat approximately 300 calories every two hours or so. I have found this helps keep me feeling full all day and helps keep me from mindlessly snacking between meals. Anytime I find myself hungry between meals, it's generally only been a short time since I ate or it is a short time away from when I get to eat again, so I can usually deter myself from eating unnecessary calories.
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I try and only eat within the window of 8am-8pm which feeds my body shortly after I wake-up (without it being so early that I have eaten half my calories for the day by noon) and leaves a few hours for digestion before I go to bed (usually around 11pm). I aim for about 6 meals on non-exercise days and 7 on exercise days which makes my calorie consumption somewhere between 1800-2100 calories each day.
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INTENSITY (aka "cardio exercise" OR "sweat")
.When I first saw the acronym "Fitness Intensity Training" for the word fit I immediately felt it was redundant and a wasted acronym. "Aren't intensity and training the same thing? Don't you only need one?" was the question I (and I'm sure many others as well) asked myself when I first saw it. But delving into even just the surface of research on being "healthy" and/or losing weight one finds that cardio and strength are two completely separate forms of exercise; both necessary for the best and longest-lasting results. And if you're going to do something, why bother doing it halfway? Cardio is how you lose/keep off fat and strength training is how you build muscle. Building muscle helps you look toned (obviously imperative to being "fit" over just being "healthy") and is beneficial to the body, perhaps most importantly by helping you keep a high BMR. To be "healthy" one could skip the iron (although it has many added benefits above and beyond toning) and just focus on getting some sort of exercise and eating healthy, but that would be an entirely different acronym. To be fit you have to have INTENSITY AND TRAINING.
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A base cardio session lasts 40 minutes with a 5 minute cool down and a 15 minute stretch.
Two of the cardio sessions each week will be "intense." An "intense" cardio workout consists of twenty minutes of sustained "cardio" heart rate (81-90 percent of my max) and the other 20 HIIT. I usually burn between 700-800 calories in the entire hour (including cool-down/stretch) on "intense" days.
The other "controlled" cardio day will consist of 40 steady minutes at the "aerobic" or "fat-burn" level of cardio (between 72-80 percent of my MAX)followed by a 5 minute cool-down and a 15 minute stretch. I usually burn between 500-600 calories in the entire hour on "controlled" cardio days.
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TRAINING (aka "pumping iron")
.A base strength session lasts 45 minutes with a 15 minute stretch after. I will be rotating strength circuits every 3 weeks, making for 4 total circuits over the 12 weeks. I usually burn between 500-600 calories on strength days and my HR usually stays between 60-75 percent of my max.
