Case Study 1 Part 2

Phase 2 of my workout was a modified Phase 2 of South Beach and starting to lift weights. A modified South Beach was because it was very difficult to have available all South Beach foods when my work schedule kept me running and on call 24x7. I started keeping almonds in the car and a case of water in the trunk, especially during fall and winter because it stays cold naturally.

Another noteworthy point here is that it is okay to ask questions at restaurants. Repeat after me..."Can I replace the french fries with broccoli as my side dish?" Try it again, I didn't quite hear you..."Can I get a bottle of water instead of a 64 oz coke?" If you must and only if you must go through a fast food drive-thru, you will need to know this phrase, "Yes, I want just the sandwich, not the meal." If you cut out french fries (well, and mashed potatoes) and sodas and replace them with vegetables and water, you will be well on your way. Okay, real quick, also replace white bread with multigrain and never ever get a dessert menu.

When beginning to lift weights it is always better to have a partner. Sometimes this can be a bit intimidating, but try to get a friend for support and so you can watch out for each other to prevent injury and maximize workouts. Choose this person wisely as the wrong selection can also make it easier to skip out on the gym and hit the bar instead. It is also a good idea to go to a few websites in search of the machines you see in there. Knowing how each one works will help with your awkwardness and increase your confidence that you are doing the right thing. Remember injury will keep you from working out, so be careful.

Keep the weight low at first; don't let the muscle heads get to you. I hate to even have to bring this up, but if you look hard enough you will see people popping pills. All of this leads to an uneasy feeling at the gym - advice, put music to your workout with a walkman and drown out the scenery. Other than that I can't really get into specifics about workout routines except keep at it. Building muscle will help excel your calorie burn and is very empowering as you will feel stronger after a few weeks and start to notice improvement on how much you can do. Just because you could walk/run on a treadmill for an hour doesn't mean you can lift weights for an hour. Pick a routine and stick with it, it is all about the muscle now. You can do some aerobic type exercise on your off days or days you need to take a break.

The only other advice I have here is to do what feels right. I have read so much and you can pretty much find any opinion you are looking for which adds to the confusion and intimidation. Some say work out the whole body each time, some say only arms one day, legs the next, back the next. Some say work 4 days on, 3 days off, some say every other day. Some say alternate upper body and lower body. I say, working out burns calories, burning calories keeps you fit and healthy. If you were looking to build huge biceps you wouldn't have made it this far in the reading anyway.

Link to this article:
<a href="http://fitnessandhealthstore.com/Case Study 1 - Part 2.php" target="_blank">Health and Fitness Tips</a>