So, you have made the decision to lose weight. Congratulations, you are on your way to a healthier, fitter and more emotionally balanced life.
But making the decision isn't the hard part, the real work lies ahead. After all, the weight is not going to be lost, it takes long-term dedication and perseverance.
A personal trainer can help you stay focused and on track, but hiring one is expensive. More and more, people are turning to fitness bands instead. They can monitor your workouts, monitor your calories, and measure your body's cardiovascular performance.
In this article, I am going to share six tips that will help you lose weight with an exercise band. The pounds will drop in no time!
When you're starting your plan, you need to have a firm idea of your current levels. Without a base number to work from, it will be difficult to plan your schedule or monitor your improvements. Wear your band 24/7 for a week and get a clear understanding of how much exercise you get on an average day.
A band like Fitbit Charge or Jawbone UP Mover Fitbit Flex vs. Jawbone UP:A Comparative Review Fitbit Flex vs. Jawbone UP:A Comparative Review In today's world, nothing escapes the fact that we're moving in a direction where obsessively quantifying and recording things is kind of the norm. We use Foursquare to check in places, we annoyingly take... Read More You need more data from this early period, specifically, you'll also need to track your calorie intake.
Some bands have a companion app that allows you to log your food, but the best app available is possibly MyFitnessPal. It will integrate with most of the leading fitness bands and adjust your calorie intake goals accordingly.
According to a 2013 article in the magazine. Obesity Reviews , Strict self-monitoring has been scientifically proven to aid weight loss:
Once you've figured out your current fitness levels, you need to increase the amount of data you actively monitor How to get your best workout with fitness sensors How to get your best workout with fitness sensors There are plenty of devices and apps to help you Exercise and stay healthy. Here are some of the latest innovations in the area of fitness sensors. Read more . This new data will help you set effective and realistic goals.
Start by tracking the number of calories you burn during a workout. Notice how the number increases over time and how long it takes to record a fixed number.
Again, most of the leading fitness band manufacturers will provide an app to track how your intensity changes over time. These numbers are a great motivational tool:you'll start to see some progress in a matter of days, even if the scales still don't show a change.
Heart disease is responsible for 610,000 deaths in the United States and 31 percent of deaths worldwide each year. It's comfortably the biggest global killer..
Your heart rate is perfectly correlated to the number of calories you burn. The faster you get over, the faster you'll lose weight. It sounds perfect. But if it beats faster, you'll also tire faster. Worse yet, if you're out of shape, it can be dangerous to have a very high heart rate for a long period of time.
The solution is to keep your heart rate lower. You will be able to train safely for longer and therefore burn the most calories..
Unfortunately, many bands only estimate your heart rate based on your activity, height, weight, age, and gender. If you already have one of these bands, you will need a separate heart rate monitor. If you're in the market for a new band The 7 Best Fitness Trackers The 7 Best Fitness Trackers If you're an active person, activity trackers provide incredibly valuable data for recording, improving, and understanding your fitness. But among the available devices, finding the right activity tracker can be difficult. Read More Both have a built-in optical heart rate monitor.
Mio FUSE Heart Rate, Activity + Sleep Tracker Mio FUSE Heart Rate, Activity + Sleep Tracker Buy Now on Amazon $49.99
Why It's Important To Track Your Sleep 10 Android Apps To Track And Improve Your Sleep 10 Android Sleep Tracker Apps To Track And Improve Your Sleep? These apps will surely help you sleep better at night. Read more ? You're trying to lose weight, not lie in bed.!
Always getting a good night's sleep is very important to your ability to lose weight effectively:
Most fitness bands come with sleep trackers. They'll show you how much restful sleep you're getting each night and give you a chance to make up for your routine.
It may seem like fitness bands can do everything, but one thing they can't do is control your weight (seriously, don't stop, it'll break!).
If your goal is to lose weight, the final piece of the puzzle is to invest in a good scale. Don't buy the cheapest one you can find at Walmart as they can be extremely inaccurate. If you're serious about your show, you're better off buying a Wi-Fi connected set that will sync with your band's app.
A warning:the weight can be misleading. Some professional rugby players and American football players weigh over 280 pounds and would be “morbidly obese” on the BMI scale, but are among the fittest and healthiest athletes on the planet. Make sure the scales you buy can track your body composition and gross weight.
Fitbit Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale, Black Fitbit Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale, Black Buy Now On Amazon $269.99
It's Easier to Stay Motivated When You Work With Others Shed the Pounds:Subscribe to These 4 Weight Loss Subreddits Shed the Pounds:Subscribe to These 4 Weight Loss Subreddits Have you made the decision to lose a little weight? Reddit is a great resource for this, with plenty of subreddits for those wanting to reach a healthier weight. Read more . A 2014 report from MyFitnessPal stated that people who participated in the social aspects of the app lost twice as much weight as those who didn't.
Leading activity trackers have similar features. Many of them have apps or control panels that can be accessed directly from your wrist. They include features like leaderboard rankings, chat boards, and game ideas. 4 Video Games That Will Help You Lose Weight. 4 Video Games That Will Help You Lose Weight. Very often people who are not gamers have this idea that the people who choose to spend their time playing video games are lazy. Sure, we like to sit with a driver in our... Read More
I've shown you six tips to help you find the right path, but there are plenty of other ways you can maximize the potential of your fitness band and make it work for you.
Can you help your fellow readers? What keeps you motivated? What data do you record? Which bands are best for certain goals and activities?
Leave your suggestions in the comments below. I'm looking forward to reading your post.
