Better weight management

Our body has a set point for weight. This is the predetermined weight that our body fights to maintain.

Your height-weight chart may say that 58 kg is right for you, but you may find yourself stuck at 63 kg. The set point is different for different people and is as individual as the colour of your eyes. So, don't make your weight a parameter for judging your health, instead see how your clothes fit better as you keep exercising and how you don't huff and puff up the stairs anymore.

Zig-zag your calories

If you have been following the unchanged moderate-to-low calorie diet principle for a long time, there are chances that your weight will stay jammed at the same point. This is mainly because you have been exercising almost the same amount daily and eating the same number of calories. So, there is nothing to give your metabolic rate a boost to bring about a change in your weight. What you need to do is "surprise" your body by increasing your calorie intake at any one meal and then go back to your earlier calorie intake immediately. This sudden change will give a boost to your metabolism and show a quick change in terms of your weight.

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Thyroid check

This is an important "to-do" thing before you enrol at the gym. All it requires is a simple blood test to ascertain if you have an under-active thyroid [hypothyroidism]. One of the early signs of hypothyroidism is sudden weight gain and stubborn weight loss. If you have been exercising for more than two months with no change in your weight at all, get your blood tests done and visit an endocrinologist [a doctor who specialises in treating disorders of the endocrine, or our hormonal, system] to avoid complications. Once you start medication, if required, and follow a controlled diet and regular exercise programme, you will start losing weight gradually.

Change your workout

Most gymmers don't even realise when they get stuck in a routine. Our muscles adapt to workouts over a period of 4-6 weeks. Hence, it is important to keep changing your workout from time to time. This can mean a change in the number of repetitions, or the number of sets, or even the type of exercise. This change will boost your metabolism and you will find your body shape change for the better too.

Write a diary

Have you ever met a dieter who thinks s/he overeats! Most of the time we think, "Oh, eating this just once won't affect my weight," and "just once" ends up happening everyday! Maintaining a food diary will help you track exactly where you are going wrong. At the same time, it will also help you note what you do right and what really helps you lose weight. You can also make an exercise log or note down in the calendar exactly how many times you exercise in a month. This will motivate you to gym more effectively and get the results you want.

Remember - losing weight is just a good side-effect of exercising and eating right. If you can look and feel younger, have glowing skin and good health, there is no reason why you should feel de-motivated.

The best thing to do is develop a healthy outlook to your weight. This will keep your gym activity going, leading to eventual weight loss.