Get Ready for Summer: Shed Those Winter Pounds

The holidays are over, the snow finally has melted and surely there are more than a few people in Cranberry Township cringing right now at the thought of the impending bathing-suit season.

While you won't be able to hide under winter layers for much longer, stepping out in a bikini or a pair of shorts this summer doesn’t have to be a traumatic experience. Patch has teamed up with Cranberry's Snap Fitness manager and personal trainer Dale Springer to help you devise a battle plan for victory over the winter bulge.

Get to Stepping!

First things first, sporadic, here-and-there workouts won't produce results. Getting into a regular workout routine is key.

“Nobody wants to hear it, but it’s the only way you are going to see results,” Springer said. “You have got to do cardio.”

With that said, Springer has no-nonsense approach to weight loss.

“It's hard and it hurts, but the difference between people who lose weight and the people who don’t is the amount of effort they put into their routine,” he said.

Springer's recommendation is to do anything that gets your heart rate up. Walking, jogging, and running all are excellent means to get your body moving.

 Because finding the time to hit the gym five days a week can seem next to impossible for those with a job, kids, and commitments, sometimes this takes is a little creativity.

Instead of spending time on the elliptical machine or stair climber, Springer suggests running around with the kids at the park, taking an aerobics boot camp class or just dancing around your house -- as long you do it more than once a week.

“You have to make a commitment to your goal; at least four days a week, 40 minutes at a time” he said.

Ideally, he said, people who wants to lose weight must exercise at 50 to 70 percent of their maximum heart rate.

For those who have not lost weight -- or those who have hit a plateau and are no longer losing weight with the same workout plan -- Springer said it's time to go to the next level.

“Not everyone can run for 40 minutes, but you have to be willing to push yourself," he said. "If you are not seeing results with your current routine, take it up a notch. Try a different method, or increase the intensity of your current one. You should be tired when you're done.”

You are what you eat

How much weight you lose isn’t solely dependent on how much you exercise.

“You could come to the gym seven days a week, but if you are eating a cheeseburger and fries after you leave, you will never see a difference,” Springer said.

Maintaining a healthy diet doesn’t mean adhering to a list of bland foods and restrictions. Springer recommends staying away from “fad diets” like the low-carb Atkins plan or the Cookie Diet. He said the food limitations these diets require actually can hinder weight loss.

"I am adamantly against low-carb diets," he said. "Carbohydrates give us energy. Those other diets require you to stick to such strict guidelines you are missing out on other essential nutrients your body needs.”

Springer suggested keeping it simple -- just follow the food pyramid.

“Eat a lot of vegetables and fruits. Eat the recommended amount of lean meats and good carbs. Restrict fat and sugar intake," he said. "I guarantee you will lose weight.”

Don’t be a pill

While it's frustrating not to see results after a few weeks, Springer said losing weight does not happen overnight.

Just be patient and stick with your plan, Springer said. He added that those who are looking for the rapid-weight loss seen every week on such shows as "The Biggest Loser" may be disappointed with their initial results.

“People who are obese will lose a substantial amount of weight when they first begin a weight-loss regimen," he said. "The simple fact is, they have more weight to lose. If you are just trying to drop that extra 10 pounds from Christmas, it might take a little longer.”

Losing two pounds a week is considered healthy and successful, according to Springer.

“You really shouldn’t aim any higher than that,” he said.

For those with thoughts of taking their weight loss efforts to the extreme and purchasing a dietary supplement, Springer had one word -- don’t.

“They don’t work,” he said. "I have worked in supplement stores and those pills are mostly really expensive caffeine. You need nothing to lose weight beyond motivation and discipline."