While you may not have the same genetic and metabolic gifts that the world's greatest athletes and models have, very few people have metabolic conditions that would prevent them from having a healthy body fat level. Some people can stay lean without any effort, while others have to work at it, but very few of us are doomed to fatness by our metabolisms.
That said, your baseline metabolism does tend to slow as you get older. This results in reduced energy and calorie needs, making it harder to keep active and keep the belly fat off. Our sedentary lifestyles contribute to this mess too.
You were almost surely more active when you were young than you are now. That means you almost surely burned more calories through activity each day when you were young than you do now. Combine a slowing baseline metabolism with less activity and you've got a formula for a big gut. To get rid of that gut, you need to rev up your metabolism and give it a reason to burn up some of that fat.
Cardio workouts are the most common way people try to rev up their metabolism. And they work to some extent, burning additional calories and using up fat as long as you stay on that machine or keep pounding the pavement. But step off the machine or stop striding along at speed and your metabolism quickly slows down again. You could try to keep your metabolism high by doing cardio longer, but at some point you either need to get on with the rest of your life, develop a repetitive stress injury, or bore yourself to tears. Fortunately, there's a better way.
In recent years, many researchers have concluded that cardio workouts are not the best way to rev up your metabolism. Studies show that high-intensity, highly-variable exercise works better and faster for strengthening your body, protecting your heart, and revving up your metabolism. These kinds of exercises more realistically simulate the kind of activities our bodies were designed for.
Our ancestors didn't jog for hours. No mammals do that. Instead, our ancestors lives were filled with short bursts of strenuous activity (like catching dinner) mixed with periods of rest. Their heart rates went way up then way down. Our bodies are made for that kind of activity and respond well to it.
These kinds of activities have an additional advantage when it comes to boosting your metabolism. When you engage in high-intensity activities like sprinting or lifting heavy weights, your metabolism speeds up. Your muscles also get damaged a bit. This is healthy and normal and not a problem as long as your body gets rest between intense periods.
Because your muscles get damaged by high-intensity workouts, your body needs to do repairs when you are resting. That requires energy, which boosts your metabolism. Studies have shown that your metabolic rate will be higher for as much as a day or two after a hard workout. Doing these kinds of workouts helps you burn the fat right off your belly, even when you aren't in the gym or at the track.
Many of the newer workout programs include this kind of exercise, usually called high-intensity interval training, or HIIT. If you're serious about burning fat, I strongly suggest that you look for a program that includes this kind of training in addition to, or in place of, traditional cardio workouts.
Exercise And Fat Loss
Exercise and fat loss may not be as easy as some advertisements claim it to be; oftentimes, you don't reap the fruits of your labor until much time and effort has been exerted. However, by knowing and applying a few simple exercise and fat loss principles, you will not only lose stubborn fat effectively, but you'll be able to keep it off successfully as well.
Exercise Any Chance You Get
Keep moving. Make yourself busy with errands. Walk or ride a bike instead of driving to the store. If you do take the car, park as far away from the entrance as possible and walk the rest of the way there. Do the same at work. Shun the elevator and make a beeline for the stairs. Take a walk around your office building for fifteen minutes during lunch. At home, perform household chores - from the dishes to the laundry. Not only are you getting a nifty workout, you're getting things done, too. Remember, as long as you're on the move, you're burning calories.
Muscle burns fat and calories all day long, even when you stay put and do absolutely nothing. Therefore, build more muscle! Do weights or strength training as this boosts metabolism, so that you're still losing the fat long after you've cooled down. You may notice at first that your body seems to be doing anything but lose weight, but that only means you're gaining muscle tissue, which will then help you lose fat and drop the pounds eventually.
When doing aerobic or cardiovascular exercises, the best time for this would be first thing in the morning, when your body does not have any carbohydrates to burn. To get the energy needed for your workout, your body will burn fat instead. Make sure you drink lots of water beforehand, though, to prevent dehydration.
One great motivation for having a proper exercise and fat loss program, as well as building muscle tissue, is the food you get to eat. If you've got plenty of muscles, then you can afford to eat a little more; and you don't have to worry about your body hoarding all the calories as the muscle will just burn them right up anyway. That's not to say, however, that you're free to gorge on all the chips and sweets you can eat to your heart's desire (and demise). Neither should you deprive yourself of the occasional treat. Moderation is key. Remember, proper diet and nutrition go hand in hand with exercise.
Lose the Lard by Eating Right
Eat frequently but not heavily. Eating five or six small meals throughout the day is ideal than eating three bigger meals. Do not plunge yourself headlong into this, leaving no room to get accustomed to it. Take time to adjust, until you are comfortable with fewer portions at every meal. This strategy also helps the body absorb nutrients more efficiently as it has fewer amounts to work on each time. Keep in mind to consume the most food at breakfast, and the least at dinner, as you have a whole day ahead of you to burn those calories you acquired in the morning.
Never allow yourself to get hungry as this slows metabolism considerably. When that happens, your body is not able to burn as much fat as you would like. Instead, it will only get 'greedy' and will want to hold on to whatever you feed it when you do decide to eat, thus, making it more difficult to shed the extra fat.
Do not load up on carbohydrates, as this will keep your body too preoccupied to concentrate on the fat. Eat protein-rich foods like fish, poultry, eggs, beans, milk, and tofu, because protein takes longer to digest and requires the most energy in doing so. Thus, the act of digesting is, in itself, a calorie buster. Fiber foods such as wheat bread will make you fuller faster and, like water, is also very effective in flushing out toxins from the body.
Following a proper exercise and fat loss program really aren't that complicated after all. And don't worry about the smallest of actions not making the slightest bit of difference. They do. The numbers may be negligible, but they all add up eventually-and quite sizably, too.
Both Bill Mann & Michael Lee are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Bill Mann has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fitness, Fitness and Family. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a great tool for burning fat, even for people who think their metabolism prevents it. To find great fat loss programs that incorporate HIIT, go to. Bill Mann's top article generates over 49500 views. to your Favourites.
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