At the one month mark, our 50-50-50 Challenge Team is on track with new exercise and eating plans with some wonderful success stories already in the making.  That's not to say it has all been smooth sailing!  It's important to expect challenges - they're simply a part of ant goal or change with new habits and new skills.  

The benefit here, however, is that we've been able to connect with our team to answer questions, offer options and provide encouragement so we wanted to share some of the most common ones we've been receiving.

So if you're starting up on your own or working with us on this 50-50-50 Challenge, here are 4 Rules for Successful Weight Loss to help you make the most of your time, energy and efforts.  

#1 - Cardio OR calorie restriction

Think cardio training the best option for losing weight?  The not-so-simple answer - it depends.  According to the American College of Sports Medicine, modest weight loss (less than 5% of starting body weight) can be accomplished with 150-250 min or 2.5-4 hrs of exercise.  If the target loss is greater than 5%, however, it requires more than 250-300 minutes or 4-5 hrs of exercise a week.

So if you don't have - or want - to spend that kind of time on cardio, calorie restriction is the better strategy.  

The story doesn't end there either. If you are choosing calorie restriction, don't think you can double your results by doing cardio as well.  When you're on a calorie-restricted diet, glycogen stores are low which triggers muscle breakdown so you can end up burning your best fuel source!  The better option is to focus exercise time on strength conditioning to build up more muscle mass which will help raise your resting metabolic rate - the rate at which you burn calories 24 hrs a day.

#2 - Change…a little bit goes a long way!

We do always encourage people to add variety with workouts but a little bit does really go a long way.

One reason for change is to avoid boredom but the other is to avoid plateaus resulting from “SAID” - specific adaptations to imposed demands.  Once your body adapts to an exercise, it become less challenging and you end up burning fewer calories.  You could end up doing a lot of work and not getting much for your efforts!

So yes, change is necessary but it doesn't need be dramatic.  If you're doing a regular routine, think about tweaks or progressions with your program every 4-6 weeks with time, intensity or type of training.   This could be increases with the amount of weight, the intensity on the elliptical, changing equipment used or simply the sequence of your exercises.

#3 - No food is off limits

A lot of weight loss programs force you to eliminate certain foods or food groups. Not only can this lead to deficiencies in some key nutrients but it can also make the program mentally tough to follow.

From holidays with family, to nights out on the town with friends, to celebrations like weddings and graduations; food is more than just fuel for our body, it is tied into the fabric of our being and memories.  Smell and taste are the senses that elicit the strongest memories and when you are forced to restrict certain foods, you run the risk of diminishing some precious memories.

We want to ensure THIS program for our 50-50-50 Challenge Team and everyone else joining us on this journey is successful AND can be carried on for a lifetime!  The eating plan (note, it's not called a diet) on our ExerSciz Program <http://www.exersciz.com> doesn't ask you to give anything up entirely!  

Instead, we're focusing on control and limiting the frequency and the amount of sweets and treats.  When we're brutally with ourselves, the one or two cookies we may eat in week aren't the calorie culprits, it's likely the accumulation of daily indulgences and excesses that are adding up - the cookies, plus second helpings; the chocolate and late-night snacking; the holiday feasts plus ditching your exercise routine.

It's also depends on your personality.  If you're not a person who can stop at one cookie, a few almonds or have chips in the house…keep them out of reach, out of site or out of the house entirely.  Although changing your relationship with those foods is ideal, that will take time.  Avoidance can be used initially and worked in as part of your overall strategy.  

#4 - Include a consolidation phase

Have you ever started making amazing progress and then been thrown off by a vacation, a business trip, special event or just a change in routine?  You fall off the wagon, beat yourself up and then end up saying “well, I've blown it now!”  Sound familiar?  You're in good company as this often spins out of control and makes it tougher to get back on track.  

Here's a great option you can build into your plan to workout WITH your weight loss program - a consolidation phase!  A consolidation is an intentional time you plan to increase the amount you are eating and maintain your weight for a few weeks so that your metabolism can adjust to the new weight and allow your body to prepare itself for another period of weight loss.

Plan your consolidation phases for the times when your regular routine is interrupted.  You can then allow yourself to eat a bit more without feeling guilty.  These phases also make the transition to long term weight maintenance easier

It's not too late to join us!

Do you need some motivation and help to lose weight, get toned or increase health and energy?  It doesn't have to be 50 lbs and we've set up access and an amazing discount for our Canada AM viewers.  For anyone wishing to join alongside our challenge, we've set up access to the online training site at an amazing discount and YOU can start ANY time.

If you have any questions on how and where to get started with your workouts, contact Libby at www.libbynorris.com.  We love your feedback, questions and suggestions for segments.