Most people go through life on “auto-pilot”. You wake up; drive to work, sit at a desk all day and then drive back home. Occasionally you will stop off at the nearest fast food restaurant for a quick bite to eat, and maybe even pay a visit to the local bar for a night cap.
It’s the same stuff; just a different day… you’re gaining weight month after month, year after year. And there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight.
Your life doesn’t have to be that way….if you follow these simple tips.
“The only thing that holds you back from getting what you want is paying attention to what you don’t want.” – Abraham-Hicks
If your plan is to eliminate those added pounds that fit so nicely around your mid-section while, at the same time, improving your health and fitness, you need to make some changes. NOW!
But, before you can get the kind of body that will make people’s head’s spin, you have to realize some things about fat loss.
ü The human body isn’t capable of getting rid of more than 2 pounds of fat in a week. And even 2 pounds would be an extreme!
ü The human body is capable of losing more than 2 pounds of body weight in a week. But, that can be detrimental to your fat loss plans because you would be losing water or vital muscle tissue.
ü Water loss is only temporary. You just have to eat or drink fluids to regain it.
ü Losing muscle is guaranteed to slow down your metabolism and decrease the number of calories burned.
Once you realize the facts, you have to create a process of losing the weight and keeping it off. I’ve found that there are three weight loss methods (done together), that will get you to where you want to be.
#1 Have a concern for Muscle – putting resistance training into your workout (i.e. lifting weights) will increase muscle mass and improve strength and endurance.
#2 Moderate Aerobic Exercise – cardio vascular exercise will improve your heart and lungs, making your body a more efficient fat burning machine.
#3 Proper Nutrition – stop stuffing your face with processed foods and refined sugars. Try to eat healthier, wholesome foods (fruits, veggies, nuts, whole grains, lean proteins and good fats.)
It must be said that although these three tactics can work by themselves, it’s the blending of all three that produces the best results and turns on your body’s metabolism on all day long.
Here’s an uncomplicated breakdown to effective weight loss that lasts.
Have a concern for MUSCLE: Having a “Concern for Muscle” is doing exercise that provides the maximum amount of benefits to every part of your body. Increasing your body’s lean muscle mass is the quickest way to burn a lot of fat and tone up rapidly.
Since muscle tissue is highly active; burning about 35 calories per day just to maintain itself, losing muscle is not something that you want to do. When you lose muscle, your body’s metabolism slows down and it becomes increasingly harder to eliminate body fat.
If you are a beginner, make sure you consult your physician and arrange a meeting with a certified fitness professional who can instruct you on the proper techniques needed to succeed.
Perform a light to moderate 10 minute warm up to add fluidity to your muscles and joints before ever picking up a weight
Start out with a basic weight training program at least 3 times per week, no more than 60 minutes per session. Your repetition range should be between 15-20 reps with a weight you would consider challenging towards the end of your set.
Involve all the major muscle groups; do not work on individual muscles, especially if you are just starting out.
Prevent your body from adapting by mixing up your workouts on a regular basis (every 6-8 weeks). Change the time between sets, the exercises you perform, the number of sets/reps, and the intensity.
Do not restrict yourself to using only the machines. Exercise bands, stability balls, medicine balls, dumbbells, barbells and even your own body weight will stimulate your body to build lean muscle tissue and start burning off your fat.
Moderate Aerobic Exercise: With technology they way it is these days, everyone seems to think they “need” some special device or machine to stimulate the body’s ability to improve their cardiovascular system. Aerobic training is all around us! Walk to the corner store, skip rope, climb stairs, do jumping jacks, or put on a CD and dance to the music are just a few ways to get your heart pumping, Just realize that anything that can elevate your heart rate can be considered aerobic exercise..
Unfortunately, many people have the mistaken belief that aerobic exercise alone is fat burning. Aerobic simply means “being able to meet the demands for oxygen by stimulating the Cardio-respiratory system.” So, although it is a vital ingredient, it’s only one of the three parts that will heat up the body and help optimize fat burning capabilities.
Perform 30-40 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercises a minimum of 2-3 times per week.
If fat burning is your goal, make sure you have already completed your weight training before starting your cardio.
For beginners, or for people that can’t do moderate-intensity cardio, perform low-intensity cardio (like walking) at least 40-60 minutes a minimum of 4 times per week.
Proper Nutrition: Consuming the proper nutrition is the easiest and most effective way to ensure that your body has everything is needs to lose fat and not lose muscle tissue at the same time.
It’s time to cut out all the junk food and start eating lots of healthy foods – fruits, nuts, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and good fats. You’ll be well on your way to a winning body with this sound approach.
Make an effort to eat 5-6 small, balanced meals a day
Balance your calories by getting about 30% from protein, 30% from fat and 40% from carbohydrates.
Sources of protein include: lean beef, fish, chicken, turkey, eggs, beans, and, if needed, protein powder.
Sources of carbohydrates include: vegetables, fruits, and whole grains (oatmeal, brown rice, whole wheat bread/pasta)
Sources of fat include: olive oil, nuts and low fat cheese.
Eliminate as many processed foods as possible. If it didn’t originally come from the “ground” (meaning it was grown), it’s probably not good for you.
If you need a dictionary to understand what the ingredients mean, it’s probably really not good for you.
Drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated each day.
Get acclimated to eating only until you feel slightly full. “Stuffing” down more food will only cause setbacks.
Do not feel guilty to have a “Cheat Day” once a week. You’re entitled to eat some of the things that might not be in your new weight loss plan once a week. But don’t make it a habit.
I really wish I could give you an easier version of what it takes to lose weight and keep it off. I wish there was a magic pill, potion or lotion that could do the trick. But I don’t, because there is none.
So, it’s time for you to set a weight loss goal and stick to it. Within a few weeks you will start noticing small changes …but it’s only the beginning. Allow nature to run its course. Don’t try to attempt the “quick weight loss” plans that thousands of people yearly fail at. Take control of your life instead of it taking over you!
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