How to lose weight and keep fit: tips from fitness trainer Harley Pasternak

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Our reader Konstantin Ovchinnikov, specially for Lifehacker, translated an article with useful tips from Harley Pasternak, an experienced fitness trainer who works with celebrities and helps them find the desired shape. If your plans include losing a couple of extra pounds - don't miss it!

Harley Pasternak has coached many celebrities in Hollywood for years. In connection with the presentation of his book "", we asked him for some tips on how to lose weight and stay in shape. Read on to find out how to start getting in shape today.

What things can our site readers do today to start losing weight?

Don't be afraid to make your day a little less efficient. Park a couple of blocks from the store, not near the entrance. Walk your dog while walking around the block, rather than just going out into the yard. Bring purchases into your home in three rounds instead of one. If you need to clear the path to the house of snow, then use a shovel, not a snowblower.

Another thing I love is discussing plans with friends on the way to the cafe. I also use a headset to make calls on the go.

What are the main misconceptions about weight loss?

• "The less I eat, the more I lose." The truth is, it's not just the quantity of food that matters, but also the quality: 1,000 calories a day from sweets is no better than 1,600 calories from fish and vegetables.
• "If three functional workouts a week is good, then six is even better." Unlike aerobic activity, which must be present every day, overtraining in the gym leads to overtraining and injury.

What should people do first when they want to lose weight?

Perform the "Five Pounds" program, which is described in my new book (yeah, who would doubt it:) - Approx. translator).

• Walk at least 10,000 steps a day.
• Sleep at least 7 hours a night.
• Eat five times a day: there should be three main meals and two snacks.
• Do daily functional workouts for 5 minutes.
• Rest from all business for 1 hour a day.

A whole chapter in your book is devoted to the quality of sleep. What do you recommend?

The main advice is to sleep at least 7 hours a day. Research shows that sleep deprivation leads to overeating, makes you want to eat more sweets and exercise less.

Other tips on this topic:

• Listen to your internal clock. Disruption of the circadian rhythm can interfere with proper sleep.
• Reduce ambient noise that interferes with sleep by using earplugs or turning on a white noise source. Switch all your gadgets to silent mode at night.
• Before going to bed, try to use less artificial light (apparently, it means that you need to use bedside lamps, and not general lighting - Approx. Translator). Blue light can interfere with your sleep.
• Stay active all day. Prolonged daytime inactivity can prevent the body from relaxing and resting at night.

Finally, name the most famous bad habits and ways to get rid of them

• Eat your morning coffee bun. Be sure to have breakfast before leaving the house. This will help avoid excessive consumption of sweets.
• Use of elevators and escalators instead of stairs. Walk more stairs.
• Using exercise as an excuse to walk less during the day. Your pedometer should have at least 10,000 steps every day.