Martial Arts Training and Weight Loss

Martial Arts Training and Weight Loss: The Essential Nutrition Tips

written by: Bruce McCorry's Martial Arts

What is the role of nutrition in your life in general and sports life in particular? Very few people know that the safe and healthy key to weight loss and fitness lies in nutrition.

In our everyday lives, there are times when we find that we must lose weight quick and fast. For martial artists, it can be a tournament or a competition. But others too will be there: how often you really wanted to shed weight before a party, a sports meet, a beach day out, or for medical reasons? These nutrition tips will guide you safely to meet your goal.

Step 1: Make Your Goal Clear

Weight loss resolutions are part of our lives, but a goal is not just a resolution. You need to decide how many pounds to lose, and that too in how many days. Appropriate nutrition is a must for safe weight loss. Ads and magazines will advise you to take up fad weight loss gimmicks, pills and diets. But none are healthy - even diets, if they cut down too much on nutrition, it can lead to health problems and damage to your metabolism.

Step 2: Redesign Your Food Chart

Diets tell you to count each calories you eat, but often they forget how important calories are for your metabolism. The way out is not to say a total no to calories, but say no to empty calories and empty stomachs. All that junk food with too much added sugar and fat simply adds on empty calories without providing any nutritional benefits. So the second step is to replace them with nutrient-rich food: fruits, vegetables, lentils and so on. Either small meals in every three hours or three meals a day with in-between snacks is the perfect plan for healthy living.

Step 3: Calculate Optimum Calorie Intake through BMR

The ideal way to lose weight to strike a balance between calorie intake, nutrition, and physical activities...BMR, or basic metabolic rate, will tell you where your golden point lies. BMR goes like this:

Women: 

BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches)- ( 4.7 x age in years )

Men: 

BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches )-( 6.8 x age in year )

Depending upon your physical activities, multiply your BMR with the following figures to obtain your optimum calorie intake.

No Activity – 1.2

Light Activity – 1.375

Moderate Activity – 1.55

Good Activity – 1.725

Heavy Activity – 1.9

It means that if you work out really well, you do not have to cut down on calories too much. Supplement this with a good nutrition chart, and you will be nearer to your dream than ever before.

Step 4: Stick to it and Seek Guidance

If you have a quick weight loss goal this is the safest and healthiest way forward. But at the same time keep in mind that a regular workout in this pattern can do no harm! A perfect and fit body will naturally come to you if you stick to a regular nutrient-rich diet and healthy training. This is the path you have been long looking for if fitness is your long-term goal. And having set your goal, stick to it as much as you can!

Exercise – whether it is martial arts, a kickboxing class, or a traditional gym workout, it is better done when you have a professional instructor to guide you. Even a not-too-heavy martial arts training can really work wonders if you keep it up with the right diet and choose to learn under the right instructors. And never give up, because victory goes to those who are never deterred!

Want to integrate a GREAT fat buster into your Martial Art Training?  try Kickboxing Peabody, www.kickboxingpeabody.com. Home of the original Cardio Kickboxing Program here in Peabody, at Bruce McCorry's.  One class can burn as high as 1000 calories with some of our Martial Arts classes burning as high as 800-1200 calories. Give it a try today!