Psledge312's letter

Psledge312 wrote:

You seem to be really in tune with knowing right foods versus wrong foods. I am trying to trim about 80 lbs off of what has become of my body post college, marriage and kids. Life and such has taken its toll and I am looking to get back to the size and shape I was in when I was younger. I am 39. Is it too late? What can you recommend for helping to drop this weight and get back into shape?

P

Psledge312,

I am going to call you Percy, mainly because Psledge seems like a shortening of Percy Sledge, the singer responsible for the song "When a Man Loves a Woman."

Percy, I feel a majority of weight loss comes from changing what you eat. Spinach, grapefruit, apples, oat bran bread, lettuce, oatmeal (not COVERED in sugar), pears,
yogurt, edamame, broccoli, brown rice, and lean meats..these are all things to focus on eating. Stay away from breads with white flour (or high fructose corn syrup..it's in some breads..just check), soda, kids cereals, candy, cake, cookies, and most fruit juices like Minute Maid and Hi-C.

The good foods I listed are filled with complex carbohydrates which take longer to break down and provide our bodies with a steady supply of energy and have less of a chance of being converted into fat. The bad ones I listed above are just the opposite.

The workout I'd recommend is one with lots of cardio. 15-30 minutes per workout at least of intensive cardio such as running (you may do an elliptical to start, but try to keep it to two weeks), jumping rope, swimming laps, aerobics, or kettle bell workouts. If you are also choosing to work in weight training to the mix, I'd suggest starting with a low weight with high repetitions. The key to choosing a good weight is using the weight and estimating if you can do 15-20 repetitions then rest for about 60 seconds, then do two more sets of repetitions.

You may be sore after your first couple workouts. Eat a banana after each workout, try a protein shake if you like, and always make sure to stretch. Good luck Percy.

Sean