This month’s man’s digest is brought to you by our very first male guest blogger. Felix Hamel outlines an attainable way to shed unwanted pounds, his journey through an excercise routine and keeping the right mentality to see it through.

By Felix Hamel:

Everyone is always looking for the “miracle cure” whether it is for illnesses, ailments or the ultimate weight loss solution. These days it seems like everywhere you look there are temptations to eat unhealthy foods, yet anyone trying to sell diet plans will swear it is possible to still eat these foods and lose weight. Are these so called “miracle solutions” legitimate? It is unlikely, because every modern diet solution preaches an unsustainable lifestyle based on eating whatever you want in smaller portions or moderate amounts whilst replacing bad habits with healthier ones.

Switching an unhealthy diet with a semi-healthy one will always yield short-term results when it comes to losing weight, and once these principles are understood it is absurdly easy to come up with quick solutions to weight loss as seen in any popular fad diet.

The truth is, as hard as it is to believe, there is no such thing as a one size fits all solution to weight loss. Everyone reacts differently to food, exercise and diet, and once this idea is understood it is much easier to embark on a weight loss journey.

There is one basic principle to losing weight; expanding more calories than are taken in. Whilst this is a very good basis to any weight loss regiment, it is far from the ultimate solution to a skinny frame. Most fad diets will take this idea to an unsustainable extreme by forcing an unachievable eating program, forcing people to aggressively change their eating habits at the drop of a dime. This is why diets often cause weight gain rather than weight loss. Anyone accustomed to eating a certain way will easily lose pounds by drastically altering their eating habits but will eventually regain the weight once they return to old habits. In fact, most people will often return to those habits in a more aggressive way after being deprived.,

This does not mean that there are no solutions to a skinnier self, it is simply a reality check that requires a basic foundation: balance. Balancing diet and exercise on a long-term basis is the only way to lose weight and maintain it.

There are countless ways to begin this journey by gradually making small consistent changes in lifestyle. I personally found that the key to a successful weight loss is method is continuity. Setting up a routine that is realistic and can be carried week in and week out. Adapting an exercise routine to an existing schedule makes it much easier to carry out a long-term weight loss plan than trying to change current habits. I found that going to the gym after work works for me and therefore I make it a point to go to the gym before anything else once my shift is over. By doing this I have established a set routine that does not disrupt my day-to-day activities too drastically.

I have found that a combination of cardiovascular activities and weight lifting has yielded the best results for me. By building muscle mass the body will burn more fat even when at rest and provides another way to exercise for people like myself, who do not play sports on a regular basis or want to spend hours on treadmill everyday.

Read more about Felix’s work out routine and get a glimpse of before and after pictures, tomorrow on Inanutshell.ca