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
Obesity and overweight, weight reduction and weight management therapies, miracle... Read More
Why have I allowed myself to get into this shape?... Read More
MYTH: Fad diets work for permanent weight loss.FACT: Fad diets... Read More
Telling yourself you have to "struggle with this weight issue... Read More
The low carb diet craze has become extremely popular amongst... Read More
Wow! You must be on fire by now burning and... Read More
You may have read the old stories about how much... Read More
How's this for a diet: Take in fewer calories than... Read More
If anyone knows anything about fitness, it's that a low... Read More
Are you ready to lose some weight? Perhaps you're surfing... Read More
With so many diets and fads being offered on the... Read More
Rules of day to day no longer apply as you... Read More
Maybe your doctor suggested it. Maybe your favorite outfit doesn't... Read More
The latest trend in the area of weight loss is... Read More
Weight loss programs often have big claims. Understand the "science"... Read More
I just came back from three days in Las Vegas.... Read More
Fasting, when done properly, can be a basic part of... Read More
Now that everything from a tan to pantyhose comes in... Read More
What is "too young" to begin a weight loss program... Read More
If you're trying lose weight, maintain your weight, or sculpt... Read More
Like millions of men and women, I started resolving to... Read More
Weight loss is never easy. Although this is stating the... Read More
Diet tips for losing weight abound. Some are good, some... Read More
Obesity and fast foods - there's little doubt about the... Read More
I am so proud of you and your accomplishments. You're... Read More
From personal experience I have myself like all of you... Read More
You and I know that getting plenty of support from... Read More
*Do you truly believe that not eating or cutting back... Read More
Reducing childhood obesity in the U.S. needs to be a... Read More
Considering the US Center for Disease Control's advice is a... Read More
We have such good weight loss intentions. We emotionally beat... Read More
We are bombarded with advertisements pushing delicious looking, fat filled,... Read More
Do You Sometimes Eat Because You're Afraid You'll "Miss Out"... Read More
Losing weight and keeping it off is much more than... Read More
You don't realize it, but in the next few minutes... Read More
If you want to find a way to lose weight... Read More
You've decided it's time to lose some weight. A lot... Read More
The Atkins Diet Seems To Never Go AwayFad diets come... Read More
Chances are if you've stepped foot in a gym or... Read More
If you have a protruding abdomen, loose skin as a... Read More
Have you heard about it lately? Everywhere you look, women... Read More
Fat Loss Tip #4) Eat More ProteinYes, it's important to... Read More
Cellulite ? a word most women are very familiar with.... Read More
We all have an image of "fit" - lean, even... Read More
People usually quit weightloss and exercise programs for one of... Read More
Diabetes is one of the fastest growing diseases today. One... Read More
To lose weight and keep it off you need an... Read More
You are the GREATEST, aren't you? You are focusing on... Read More
Digestion is a chemical process. Our body combines different types... Read More
"I eat like a bird, why do I gain weight?"... Read More
You may be considering weight loss surgery if you are... Read More
Have you ever stopped to calculate how much time you... Read More
The Dr Atkins Diet has been around for ages, but... Read More
Thankfully, winter does not last forever! In the spring there... Read More
Obesity is quickly becoming the number one health issue confronting... Read More
What is low carb?We've all heard about the Atkins diet... Read More
Fat is fuel. That is basically what it is. A... Read More
This year, we all made some of the typical New... Read More
Do you want to lose weight? Of course you do,... Read More
If I Want to Lose Weight, What Can I Do... Read More
Any dietary plan on the market has some portion of... Read More
It's common to respond to stress by distracting yourself with... Read More
Weight loss is an issue that affects men and women... Read More
"Hey, you have reduced now, compared to the last time... Read More
The percentage of Americans who are overweight and obese is... Read More
In the early weeks after having weight loss surgery almost... Read More
Weight Loss |