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2. Get off the treadmill and hit the weightsUnless you train cardio like Lance Armstrong you must do weight resistance exercise if you want effectively lose weight (i.e. bodyfat). The obvious goal of resistance exercise is to gain more lean muscle mass. One pound of lean muscle burns up to 50 calories a day in comparison to one pound of fat which burns around 9 calories a day. If you are able to gain 10lbs of lean muscle mass you will be burning an additional 500 calories a day. At this rate you will lose 4 lbs of bodyfat a month.
Don’t get me wrong about cardio; I think it is also extremely important for your weight loss program. It also has a benefit list about a mile long from decreasing your chances of heart disease to lowering depression. However you must put your weight training program before cardio if you really want to lose body fat.
If you are unfamiliar with weight training exercises it may be a good idea to hire a personal trainer to get you acquainted with the gym. Also try subscribing to magazines such as Men’s Health and Shape which often write beginner programs for people looking to start weight training programs.
If you are woman and are afraid of “bulking up" please repeat after me, “I will not become bulky from weight training". This is perhaps the single biggest misconception that women have about weight training. Too “bulk up" your body requires the presence of anabolic hormones which naturally exists in much higher levels in men. Unless you are a female body builder taking steroids your chances of bulking up are slim to none. Weight training will only leave you with a toner, slimmer much better figured physique. Interesting fact: Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe lifted weights.
3. Mix it upFitness professionals use the fancy term “periodization" for adding variety in workouts. Periodization is a strategy to keep your body from hitting plateaus in training. A suggested cycle would look like this.
- Phase 1: 4-6 weeks of heavy resistance exercise (6-12 reps per set). Please limit cardio to 1-2 days week. Yes I do mean only 1 to 2 days a week of light cardio. Intense cardio can inhibit your weight training efforts to put on more lean muscle mass for the end goal of a higher metabolism.
- Phase 2: 4-6 weeks of moderate weight training/cardio. This phase is when you already built up some muscle. Now is the time to add some cardio on top of your elevated metabolism to reduce fat stores. Your week should have 3 days of cardio workouts and 3 days of resistance exercise.
- Phase 3: 1-3 weeks of mostly cardio and some weight training. You should be doing 5 days of cardio and 2 days of full body weight training.
After this cycle is complete repeat back to Phase 1.
3. Your DietThis is probably the most confusing and misrepresented component of healthy weight loss. I’ve decided to break it down to a few key points-Eat 5-6 small meals a day. Eating the traditional diet of 3 meals a day will inhibit your weight loss goals for several reasons. When you go past 4 hours without a meal your blood sugar levels begin to drop. When you finally do eat your insulin levels spike which encourages your body to store more calories as fat. You are also much more likely to binge which pushes your stomach out further and leaves only more hungry for the next meal-Eat whole grains, fiber and veggies. Okay I know you’ve probably heard that million times. But complex carbs (not sugars), fiber and good fats (peanut butter) are crucial for your weight loss regimen. If you really miss your tasty fatty foods allow yourself one day a week where you can eat whatever you want. If you break this rule you will end up just cheating yourself.
- Drink up! Not only does water help your body recover quicker and keeps your skin looking healthy but it can help you burn more calories too. How? Try drinking ice cold water. It requires more energy from your body to warm up and will help you burn some additional calories.
4. Get to bed!I know sleep is becoming a more of a luxury in modern day America. But not getting a full night of sleep (6-8 hours for adults) can make you fat! Here are a few reasons why:
First is lack of sleep interferes with your body’s natural mechanisms from recovering from a workout. Remember that when you exercise you are only creating an opportunity to get in shape. The final hours of a good night’s sleep is when your body releases growth hormones to rebuild you’re broken down muscle tissue. If you cut out a couple hours of rest you are cheating yourself out of gains from the hard workout earlier. Lack of sleep can also throw off other hormones that regulate your metabolism and fat storage. Studies have shown that sleeping less than 5 hours a night can reduce bloodstream leptin levels by 15% (slowing down metabolism) and increases ghrelin by 15% (increase appetite). Lack of sleep will inevitably make you less motivated to hit the gym because you are already fatigued! You want to be as well rested as possible before any workout. Get some sleep!5. Supplements can helpI’m not telling you to go out and down a bottle of ephedrine every day. Supplements are intended to exactly what their name entails…they supplement your weight loss program. If you are on a weight loss program you should be taking a multivitamin everyday. There are some excellent weight loss supplements that can aid your weight loss efforts. If you can use these supplements responsibly I would recommend the following:
- V/M Multivitamin complete by ISS. This is complete multivitamin supplement that is fortified with antioxidants. The cheapest price I saw was at by Biotest – this non-ephedrine weight loss supplement can help increase your basal metabolism rate. The most reasonable price I saw was at 6 by Nutrex – this supplement works to reduce your appetite. It can be very effective. Check it out at .
- Lean System 7 by iSatori - this is a very potent weight loss product. Best price I saw was at .
- Myoplex Whey Protein by EAS- to gain more lean muscle mass you will need to take more protein during your training. The most ideal place I saw for whey protein was at .
I have experimented (and been ripped off a few times) with several supplement stores. I found GNC was the most accessible but way too expensive. So far the company I have been most pleased with is Rocky Mountain Sports Nutrition. They offer the best selection of bodybuilding supplements and weight loss products. When it came to prices and customer service their business was second to nobody. Check them out at .
Keeping off unwanted pounds is never a walk in the park. There is always something or someone out there that will ruin your weight loss plans for you. Therefore, it is crucial that you find other ways to step-up your existing program for shedding excess weight. Here are a few tips that can give you more thrust on your weight loss plans.
Small Frequent Feeding Is The Key
By limiting your food intake to only three times in a day, you allow your body to starve needlessly between mealtimes. In turn, your body will react as if there is a mini-famine going on, so it will shift into mini-survival mode, meaning it will reduce your metabolic rate to conserve energy.
In contrast, by eating 5-6 small meals in a day, your metabolic rate will be revved up; burning more calories and helping you lose weight. Remember, the trick is to eat small amounts of food without allowing your body to feel starved; so do not overfeed yourself during mealtime.
List Down The Food You Eat
You are what you eat. So by writing down everything that passes through your mouth, you will have a better chance of getting to know yourself. At the end of the day, you will be surprised at what type of foods you eat. As an added enlightenment, your list will allow you to realize how much money and effort ultimately goes down the sewer; this will compel you to spend less on junk or unnecessary food items.
Never Skip Breakfast
Whatever you do, never forget breakfast. Why? Because it will allow you to fire up your metabolism early on in the day. That means you will have longer hours to burn off calories. If you skip breakfast, on the other hand, your body will try to conserve more energy by slowing down metabolism.
You will also find that having breakfast will spare you from hunger pangs later in the day; this will allow you to be more careful or discriminating on your food choices which means you will have a lesser tendency to binge on food.
Walk By The Minutes, Not Distance
Usually, fitness experts suggest that thirty minutes of walking is enough exercise for most people. In reality, spending this amount of time walking is only good if you want to maintain your present weight. If you really want to lose weight, you need to do more than the usual thirty minutes. Adding fifteen minutes more to this exercise regimen, making it forty-five minutes, will allow you to burn more calories; that is an additional 300 calories, which can translate to about thirty pounds in one year.
Use Smaller Plates
This is one of the best ways to trick your appetite. You see, scientists have found out that a person tends to eat more when a bigger quantity of food is served, while lesser food on the table would mean lesser food intake. Using this data, you can cheat your appetite by serving food on smaller plates. This way, your plate will always look as if it is filled to the brim, but the actual amount of food in front of you is less than you imagine.
Take Your Time When You're Eating
It takes time for a train to travel from Station A to Station B. In the same manner, the distance between your brain and your stomach will require several minutes before your whole system will realize that you are already full and that you do not need food anymore. Studies have shown that it takes about 20 minutes before the brain will realize that you are indeed stuffed. By eating slowly, you allow your brain to catch up with your body signals which makes you feel satiated.
Indeed, doing the usual weight loss plans may not work for you. Nonetheless, instead of making excuses, you should let your creative juices flow. Losing weight demands a high level of creativity, so you should never leave your weight loss plans at the mercy of fortuitous events. You can boost your efforts by using products like Zylorin. Click on for more details about this supplement.