ASK KEITRA

QUESTION: I know how to diet to lose weight fast, but I'm not sure how to exercise in a way to maximize my weight loss. Any suggestions? ~Conversation Starter

ANSWER: Take a look at how you eat and see if there is anything unhealthy that you can live without. In order to do this, buy a journal and write down every single thing you eat (even a piece of gum) for a whole week. At the end of that week grade yourself and make modifications from there. Often, we are eating things that we may think are healthy, but are high in fat, sugar, and sodium. I encourage you to read the labels on foods before purchasing them because marketing makes it easy for the producer to print “healthy” on something just to catch the eye of the consumer.

I would encourage you to NOT diet to lose weight fast because this is only a temporary quick fix, not a lifelong habit.

I also encourage lifting weights. Many women are scared to lift weights because they think they will bulk up and start looking like a man, but this will not happen. Women do not produce enough testosterone to create bulky muscles. Those women that do bulk up are either naturally built that way or they are taking some type of muscle enhancer. Lifting weights helps you burn fat faster and it also creates lean muscle. Start out by doing very light weighs with high repetitions. For example, start out doing 2 sets of 15 bicep curls with 5 pound dumbbells and gradually increase your weight (every 2-4 weeks).

Remember: You MUST burn more calories than you consume to lose weight.