Most people are unsure about how to begin a fat loss program. They have many questions about food choices, meal composition and exercise.
Getting yourself in good physical condition will require willpower and dedication and the desire to get results. It is not easy to lose body fat. It took a long time to accumulate the fat and it will take just as long to remove it.
Remember that you should aim to lose 1.5 to 2 lbs. per week. Lose any faster and you are probably losing water and muscle. Losing muscle is detrimental to any fat loss program because it is muscle that burns calories. THE MORE MUSCLE YOU HAVE THE MORE CALORIES YOUR BODY REQUIRES!
If you lose fat slowly while learning to adopt a healthy lifestyle, you are more likely to keep the weight off. And, if you ever falter, you'll know exactly how to get back to your goal weight without returning to your old ways.
Here is how to start a good eating program.
1. Increase your water intake. If you are exercising, try to drink at least 100 oz. to 128 oz. per day.
2. Limit yourself to two drinks per week. Alcohol slows your metabolism and decreases your body's ability to burn fat by as much at 40%. Empty calories!
3. Decrease significantly or completely eliminate sugar from your diet. If you are a dessert person, treat yourself once a week to something sweet. This includes soda. If you are a soda drinker, switch to diet and only have two cans per day?Splenda sweetened preferred!
4. Eat 5 small meals per day. This is the most important factor in losing fat. Eating smaller more frequent meals will speed up your metabolism and prevent your body from going into starvation mode. Each meal should be approximately 3 hours apart.
5. Try to eat a serving of vegetables with 3 of your 5 meals. Vegetables are water rich (so is fruit) and have plenty of vitamins and fiber. They are filling and of course they are good for you.
6. Do not eat 3 hours before bedtime. The evening is when you are least active and your metabolism slows in preparation for sleep. You risk storing late-night calories as fat. IF you are absolutely starving at night, have a few pieces of fat free turkey breast to fight the hunger.
7. Do not skip breakfast. This is the meal that will govern your day. Eat a basic breakfast of carbohydrates, protein and fat to set up your metabolism for the day and to provide fuel for your daily activities. Remember, if you don't feed yourself a small wholesome meal in the morning, your body will draw on your muscle tissue as a source of energy, putting you in a slump and in muscle deficit. This means your body will eat your muscle to fuel your activities and your body fat will grow.
8. To lose fat you must put yourself into calorie deficit. This means you will have to eat less than you have been eating. Try to eat 500 calories less per day than you have been eating or reduce your calorie intake by 250 calories and add enough exercise to burn 250 calories. (Example: 35 minutes on a treadmill at 4% incline at 3.5mph.)
9. Lower your starchy carbohydrate intake, increase your protein intake and be careful how much fat you eat. Some fat is necessary. Try not to eat more than 20% of your daily calories from fat. Starchy carbs are potatoes, rice, beans, bread, pasta, oatmeal, etc. Replace these carbohydrates with fibrous carbs, such as green veggies. The best way to slowly lower your carb intake is to stop eating starchy carbs after 3pm so that your last two meals of the day do not contain starchy carbs.
10. Get 8 hours sleep per night. Sleep, rest and relaxation are of prime importance. It's during periods of sound sleep that our bodies recuperate and build muscle tissue. Lack of sleep encourages the production of the hormone Cortisol. High levels of Cortisol have been shown to promote fat storage.
My fat loss and fitness plan "Every Body Loses" will give you the tools you need to begin a healthy weight loss program. The style of eating and exercising outlined in my book is one that you can follow for life without feeling deprived. If you're serious about losing fat and getting fit go to www.aim4nutrition.com and get started TODAY!
Good Luck and Be Well,
Aimee Deak
Personal Trainer & Nutrition Analyst
AIM 4 NUTRITION
http://www.aim4nutrition.com
1. Persistence!Violate this step and you'll never achieve permanent results.... Read More
To lose weight and keep it off you need an... Read More
We have all heard of those new diets, Atkins, low... Read More
Have you ever wondered why some fat people can be... Read More
Losing weight quickly is not advisable as most of the... Read More
Must We Gain Weight Every WinterIt's that time of year... Read More
Axiom Number Two: Hunger ControlTrying to lose weight without understanding... Read More
Choosing a weight loss program may be a daunting task.... Read More
At the University of Illinois, a new research found that... Read More
One of the greatest tricks that I use to stick... Read More
Obesity, especially in children, is a matter of rapidly growing... Read More
I am somebody who has had an ongoing battle with... Read More
What do you think of the hundreds of weight loss... Read More
I remember back in my senior year of high school... Read More
Just the facts on bodybuilding weightloss strategies that work. No... Read More
I wonder how much it is generally known that the... Read More
Weight Loss tipsAll throughout my childhood and teenage years I... Read More
There is never any absolute certainty about what the nutritional... Read More
Weight loss from exercise can be achieved by walking, running,... Read More
Fighting obesity has become one of the most important issues... Read More
In health clubs, they run classes that call themselves "aerobics".... Read More
Who really wants to lose weight? None of us, right?... Read More
Using healthy low carb recipes are an important part of... Read More
There are lots of dieters, trying every sort of plan... Read More
Speculating on the scientifically proven memory unreliability, the memory specialist... Read More
limo O'Hare Glen Ellyn ..Before you try starving yourself or turning to diet drugs... Read More
This is a layman marketer's observations on diets and weight... Read More
I clearly remember how much I loathed having my picture... Read More
You've done everything right this time. You're eating lots of... Read More
Yes, you must be aware of the following 7 points... Read More
There are certain eating habits that can make you gain... Read More
Have you ever worried about something so much it paralyzed... Read More
The holidays are definitely a special time of year. These... Read More
Most men and women that I have trained over the... Read More
Surprisingly, hair loss is one of the reasons female pre-operative... Read More
I was thinking about diets and such and it occurred... Read More
Diners have become more health-conscious the last few years, and... Read More
Exercising too hardThis is probably the most common mistake. As... Read More
If you know someone that has been trying to lose... Read More
If you have recently found yourself fretting over your child's... Read More
To understand how surgical procedures aid the grossly overweight person... Read More
Changing our eating behaviour is one of the critical lifestyle... Read More
Dieting and Exercising ? Results all the time!To be successful... Read More
It is much safer to your long term health to... Read More
Include in your diet things that contain more water like... Read More
The rediscovery of the wealth of the wonder drug Hoodia... Read More
Getting enough of the good fats will help you lose... Read More
To continue the educational series on your health and fitness... Read More
Teenagers with body mass indices between 25 and 30 require... Read More
According to a recent survey by the National Health Institute,... Read More
Weight Loss |