Strength training will make your body look better and
give you greater energy.
A very real and significant concern when losing weight is
how you'll look. You could end up with sags and bags, or you
could end up lean and buff. If your body shrinks in size as
you lose weight without the skin area also "shrinking," you
could end up with loose skin hanging around your upper arms,
waist, stomach, and other areas. By the time you attain your
ideal size, the only solution for tightening up your skin is
plastic surgery.
Avoid weight-loss sagging
You can avoid sagging skin by starting strength training now
and continue throughout your weight-loss program and beyond
as you maintain your new size. That way, your skin will
shrink along with the rest of you. By the time you attain
your ideal size, new people you meet will have no idea that
you were ever overweight. Why? Because your skin will fit
your body. Do this with strength training.
Stamina, energy, and strength training
Muscle gives you a performance advantage. It gives you
stamina and endurance--not just for exercise, but for all of
your activities. More muscle gives you the ability to keep
going when the going gets tough. You'll have more energy to
do the activities you love, more energy to keep up with your
children, and more ability to stay on your glycemic index
weight-loss program.
You want quick results in losing weight, and you can achieve
them with strength training. After only three months of two
hour-long strength-training sessions a week, your body will
become smaller. Your waist will be smaller, as will your
upper arms, and your stomach will be flatter.
You only need to do two sessions of strength training a
week. If you feel really ambitious, you can do three, but
don't do any more than that. Strength training causes small
tears in the fibers of your muscles. This is good, because
as they repair on your "off" days the muscles become
stronger and tighter. If you do strength training every day,
your muscles won't have time to rebuild between sessions.
Strength training approaches
Free weights. Very popular, easy to use, widely available.
Start with 2- to 3-pound weights and add weight as your body
adapts to the weight.
Stretch tubing. A stretchy thin tube with handles on each
end. Resembles a jump rope. You can purchase in several
levels of resistance.
Flex band. A long, wide, stretchy band used for resistance
training.
Ankle and wrist weights. Strap them on for resistance as you
do strengthening exercises.
Body bar. A long, weighted bar used for resistance
training. May or may not have additional removable weights
on either end.
Fitball. A big inflated ball on which to do exercises. Seems
innocent enough, but provides really challenging
strength-training exercise.
Magic circle. A circular handheld ring, about 15 inches in
diameter with handles across from each other. By compressing
the circle with legs, arms, and other body parts, you can
get quite a workout.
Pilates classes and equipment. An exercise method that
creates long, lean, and strong muscles, plus very strong abs
and terrific posture.
Exercise machines. Set the resistance of the machines to
match your strength levels.
Power-pump classes. Lift weights while you keep pace with
the music.
Source:
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Glycemic Index
Weight Loss. To order,
click here.