Relax! You’ve just proven that you’re human. You can get right back on track and will likely not even notice your discretion on the scale.

Losing weight and sticking with a program calls for lots of hard work. It is not uncommon for people to slip up from time to time. In fact, some programs even call for allowed slip ups in moderation. Even if yours doesn’t, you don’t need to beat yourself up and think all efforts have been in vain.

Instead of throwing the baby out with the bathwater, consider taking these steps to overcome the setback you have faced:

• Own your error – Admit to yourself that skipping routine exercise or binge eating was not in your best interest. While an occasional blooper is not uncommon, you want to get yourself in the right mindset to avoid making cheating a habit.
• Tell your trainer – If you’re working with a trainer, tell them about the setback. No, your trainer is not going to yell at you or make you drop and give him 20 – at least it’s not likely! Instead, your trainer will probably give you constructive advice for getting back with the program and avoiding temptation in the future.
• Consider the trigger that set you off – Try to figure out what made you do what you did. Perhaps you were craving sweets? Maybe you were just too busy to get down to the gym? It could be that friends dropped by with your favorite take-out food in hand? Whatever the case, try to recognize the trigger so you can avoid it in the future. Do let your trainer know about possible triggers. He or she can help you come up with alternative behaviors that can help you down the road.
• Forgive yourself – Slipping up is perfectly human. The mistake is not really a problem. It’s the steps you take now that matter. Let the error go and resolve to stick with the program and refocus yourself on the goals you have set. One or two setbacks doesn’t mean those goals are not attainable.

As much as most people would like it to be, weight loss is not an overnight adventure. To realize healthy, safe and lasting changes in weight, time is often required. How long the process will last depends a lot on starting weight, goals and personal persistence to stick with a program. Occasional detours are often a part of the road to weight loss. Just make sure to clear your mind and get back on the right path when they happen.

Muscle mass is extremely useful for fat loss for a very good reason. Lean muscles demand more calories per day to maintain. This means they can increase the amount of calories burned by a person. The more muscle mass, the greater the body’s natural consumption of energy. When the right diet and exercise program is put into place, muscle mass can help with fat burning and weight maintenance.

Building muscle and toning up the entire body for a better look and increased calorie burning can be helped along by following these tips:
Work with a trainer to create a good overall program – When you are trying to tone up and lose fat at the same time, you want to use a multifaceted approach to exercise. A program that contains both cardiovascular and strength training exercises is often best. If drawn-out cardio sessions do not appeal, interval training might be in order. On the strength training end, it is especially important to consult fitness professionals at your health club to make sure a safe, targeted approach is taken. Overdoing or proceeding without proper form can be dangerous.

Vary the exercise program – If you tend to get bored easily with exercise programs, let your trainer know this. Seek out alternatives and options that can work your cardio system and your muscle groups. The more variety built into a plan, the more likely it is you will stick with it.
Consume a proper diet – When the goal is to tone up and gain muscle, diet is especially important. Even if fat loss is a part of the plan, starving the body of enough calories and proper nutrition can actually hamper efforts. A portion controlled diet that is well-rounded and includes fruits, vegetables and lean protein can help with muscle building efforts.

Drink plenty of water – Water is essential for hydrating the body – and the muscles. Make sure to keep the body well hydrated while trying to build muscle and lose fat. Avoid sugary drinks with empty calories as they can undermine positive efforts.
Get plenty of sleep – Rest is important for good overall health. Make sure to get at least the minimum seven to eight hours to prime your body for each full day ahead.

Toning up and gaining muscle mass can supercharge the fat loss process. Make sure to consult a fitness professional to create a program that works for you and takes healthy and safety into consideration.

Exercise more. When you walk, run, or lift weights, you increase the energy required of your body, which raises your metabolism then, and for hours afterward.

“It’s not a huge spike, but it makes a difference,” says Gary Miller, PhD, associate professor of health and exercise science at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.Work out with weights. During weight training, muscle tissue is stressed; afterward, it’s repaired — which raises metabolism.

A woman who strength trains three times a week for six months can build enough muscle to burn 10 to 32 extra calories a day, according to Robert Wolfe, PhD, professor of geriatrics at the University of Arkansas.

Practice portion control. This helps ensure you don’t overload your metabolism with a surplus of unusable energy (that is, food).

Use a food scale or measuring cups to identify proper portions. Or use your hand as a guide. A fist equals a serving of fruit, a cupped hand equals a serving of cereal or grains, two cupped handfuls equal a serving of leafy green vegetables and an open palm equals a serving of meat.

Eat smaller meals more often. Some experts recommend eating smaller meals throughout the day, known as grazing. “Grazing helps normalize blood sugar levels rather than producing three large spikes, which is what happens eating three meals a day,” says Nick Flynn, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas.

Determine the amount of calories you need at Mypyramid.gov. Then keep that number in mind as you transition from eating three ordinary-sized meals to five smaller ones.

Laugh it off. When researchers from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, put people into a “metabolic chamber” (a small room that measures heat output in order to calculate a person’s metabolic rate) and showed them funny videos, the subjects’ metabolic rates rose by 10 to 40 calories. It’s a small increase, but every calorie counts for those seeking weight loss, says lead researcher Maciej Buchowksi, PhD

Copyright Cooking Light Magazine

Oatmeal
Start your day with a steaming bowl of oats, which are full of omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and potassium. This fiber-rich superfood can lower levels of LDL (or bad) cholesterol and help keep arteries clear.

Opt for coarse or steel-cut oats over instant varieties — the coarse and steel-cut contain more fiber — and top your bowl off with a banana for another four grams of fiber.

Salmon
Super-rich in omega-3 fatty acids, salmon can effectively reduce blood pressure and keep clotting at bay. Aim for two servings per week, which may reduce your risk of dying of a heart attack by up to one-third.

“Salmon contains the carotenoid astaxanthin, which is a very powerful antioxidant,” says cardiologist Stephen T. Sinatra, MD, the author of “Lower Your Blood Pressure In Eight Weeks.” But be sure to choose wild salmon over farm-raised fish, which can be packed with insecticides, pesticides, and heavy metals.

Not a fan of salmon? Other oily fish like mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines will give your heart the same boost.

Avocado
Add a bit of avocado to a sandwich or spinach salad to increase the amount of heart-healthy fats in your diet. Packed with monounsaturated fat, avocados can help lower LDL levels while raising the amount of HDL cholesterol in your body. Health.com: What puts you at risk for high cholesterol?

“Avocados are awesome,” says Dr. Sinatra. “They allow for the absorption of other carotenoids — especially beta-carotene and lycopene — which are essential for heart health.”

Olive oil
Full of monounsaturated fats, olive oil lowers bad LDL cholesterol and reduces your risk of developing heart disease.

Results from the Seven Countries Study, which looked at cardiovascular disease incidences across the globe, showed that while men in Crete had a predisposition for high cholesterol levels, relatively few died of heart disease because their diet focused on heart-healthy fats found in olive oil. Look for extra-virgin or virgin varieties — they’re the least processed — and use them instead of butter when cooking. Health.com: Good fats vs. bad fats — what to eat

Nuts
Almonds, walnuts, and macadamia nuts are all full of omega-3 fatty acids and mono- and polyunsaturated fats.

Almonds are rich in omega-3s, plus nuts increase fiber in the diet, says Dr. Sinatra. “And like olive oil, they are a great source of healthy fat.”

Berries
Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries — whatever berry you like best — are full of anti-inflammatories, which reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer.

“Blackberries and blueberries are especially great,” says Sinatra. “But all berries are great for your vascular health.” Health.com: How I survived a heart attack at 43

Legumes
Fill up on fiber with lentils, chickpeas, and black and kidney beans. They’re packed with omega-3 fatty acids, calcium and soluble fiber.

Spinach
Spinach can help keep your ticker in top shape thanks to its stores of lutein, folate, potassium, and fiber.

But upping your servings of any veggies is sure to give your heart a boost. The Physicians’ Health Study examined more than 15,000 men without heart disease for a period of 12 years. Those who ate at least 2½ servings of vegetables each day cut their risk of heart disease by about 25 percent, compared with those who didn’t eat the veggies. Each additional serving reduced risk by another 17 percent.

Flaxseed
Full of fiber and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, a little sprinkling of flaxseed can go a long way for your heart. Top a bowl of oatmeal or whole-grain cereal with a smidgen of ground flaxseed for the ultimate heart-healthy breakfast.

Soy
Soy may lower cholesterol, and since it is low in saturated fat, it’s still a great source of lean protein in a heart-healthy diet.

Look for natural sources of soy, like edamame, tempeh, or organic silken tofu. And soy milk is a great addition to a bowl of oatmeal or whole-grain cereal. But watch the amount of salt in your soy: Some processed varieties like soy dogs can contain added sodium, which boosts blood pressure.

Copyright Health Magazine