Today's society is about speed. We no longer have to wait for the oven to warm our food because we have microwaves ready to do the work in less time. Breaking news events don't travel by telegraph across the great oceans; they are transmitted instantly with live video over the Internet or bounced from the array of satellites that float in constant, geosynchronous orbit. It comes as no surprise that supplement sales are on the rise as we continue to seek out quick, convenient ways to lose fat ? fast!
Losing fat is not difficult. I have been coaching clients to break through plateaus and send their fat cells running for cover for years now. So why does this continue to be an elusive goal for so many people, who "struggle" just to lose a few inches?
We can address this by creating a practical guide to lose fat. Is this a special diet that will have the pounds melting off? No. Is it a secret workout program that causes you to burn fat while you sleep? Nope, not that, either ? your body already does it. So what on earth can we share?
There is a secret, over 2,000 years old, that was leaked to the general public by the father of medicine, Hippocrates. Somewhere along the way, it was lost again. Let's bring it back to light. It goes like this:
"If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health."
Sound almost too good to be true, doesn't it?
The problem is that in our efforts to find something ? fast ? we tend to resort to equations and formulas that should magically spit out the right number of calories, or eliminate entire food groups like sugars or carbohydrates in our quest to make our fat cells cry (what some people call "sweat.") The triathlete will benefit by reducing fat and increasing muscle. It's not so much your weight that may slow you down, it's the percentage of that weight that comes from fat! So how do you target the love handles and saddle bags without losing your guns or wheels, as biceps and thigh muscles are affectionately termed in the bodybuilding world?
1. Move more, eat more.
Whoa ? wait a second! We all understand the idea behind moving more. That means burning more calories. But eat more? You thought it was eat less, didn't you?
The truth is that you must eat more ? more intelligently. You must eat more nutrient-dense foods. In turn, you will consume fewer calories. Less calories does not mean less nutrition, when done correctly.
Even engineered foods (shakes, bars, and sports drinks) contain little nutritional value for the calories that go with them. There is nothing that beats nature's own packaging ? fruit, vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats, and so on. If you want to remain satisfied and full, try consuming over 50% of your calories from fresh fruit and vegetables. Your calories automatically go down, while your intake of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients goes up. The idea is to consume foods as close to their natural state as possible. This means you'll do most of your shopping on the outer edge, or perimeter, of the grocery store, where the meats, eggs, and fresh produce exists, rather in the middle, where everything comes in boxes, bags, and cans.
Want some nutrition-packed snacks? Try dates or figs with raw cashews. Roasting nuts may damage some of the healthy fats. You'll notice that roasted or cooked nuts are addictive, while raw nuts are not. Can't take the blandness? Buy roasted, lightly salted and raw nuts, then mix the two together for a compromise. Afraid of the fats? Don't be. These come loaded with fiber, protein, and carbohydrates, along with a healthy dose of fatty acids. My personal favorite is celery sticks with all-natural peanut butter.
2. Make Your Muscles Resist!
As your calories decrease, there is a chance you may lose muscle mass. Avoid this by making your muscles resist. Your muscles don't know the difference between gravity or any other form of resistance. The way to keep them active and toned is to engage in weight bearing activity. While the majority of your training will be focused on endurance, don't neglect the power of strength training. Strength training will improve your bone density, build lean muscle mass or preserve it while you are trimming the fat, and provide explosive power when you need that kick during your competition. It also helps maintain joint integrity and strength, which is necessary to combat the repeat-use syndrome many runners develop in their ankles, knees, and hips.
Because your goal is not to stand on stage in a bodybuilding competition, but instead an endurance goal, keep your workouts to two or three short, intense training sessions ? 20 or 30 minutes each ? every week. Get in, give it 100%, and then recover and focus on the rest of your training. Stretch thoroughly ? check out our stretching guide at:
http://www.naturalphysiques.com/cms/index.php?itemid=159
There is an added benefit as well ? resistance training burns calories for hours after you are finished, and studies show the combination of resistance training and aerobics burns more fat than aerobics alone.
3. Slow and Steady
Want a recipe for disaster? Try doing too much, too soon. Most people grasp this concept with training, so why do they fall short when it comes to nutrition? Think "better," not "perfect" when changing your nutrition habits. You want to crash? Go on a diet. You want to change? Transform your lifestyle. Small changes over time tend to last longer than quick-fixes like fad diets or magic bullet pills and supplements.
As an example, if you currently drink soda, don't go cold turkey and jump straight to water. Most will find themselves chomping at the bit for something cold and fizzy! Instead, make a gradual transition. First, switch to diet soft drinks. After you are used to the change, try sparkling mineral water with a lemon or lime. Finally, transition to water. Make small changes, get used to them, and you will be well on your way to trim, fit body.
Conclusion
If you are like most people, you did not suddenly gain fat overnight. It was a gradual transition. So why should you expect losing the weight to be any faster? Take it slow. A pound of weight per week is a good rule of thumb for permanent fat loss. Anything faster may be too restrictive and could be lean mass (even muscle) instead of simply fat weight. Perhaps the most useful tool for losing fat isn't a nutrition guide or workout program after all ? it is a trait. Patience is by far the most powerful tool to lose fat and keep it off.
Jeremy Likness is an International Health Coach and motivational speaker. After losing 65 pounds of fat, he discovered his true vision to coach thousands around the world to better health. A Certified Fitness Trainer and Specialist in Performance Nutrition, Jeremy is the author of the internationally-selling e-Book, http://www.naturalphysiques.com/cms/index.php?itemid=159 and the companion http://www.naturalphysiques.com/cms/index.php?itemid=159. Jeremy has been published in major online publications including Tom Venuto's Fitness Renaissance and Bodybuilding.com. Jeremy's approach is unique because he focuses on fitness from the inside out. Visit Jeremy online at http://www.naturalphysiques.com/cms/index.php?itemid=159.
ohare limo service Grand Rapids ..Losing weight and keeping it off is much more than... Read More
Individuals who are interested in bariatric surgery need to be... Read More
"I'd love to lose weight, but I don't have the... Read More
Steady gains made in improvement in life expectancy may be... Read More
Lean turkeyLean ground beefChicken breastFish, halibut, orange roughy,More fish, shark,... Read More
Now that the temptations of the Holiday season have passed... Read More
How's the practicing going? Are you spending time each day... Read More
Fat burners have become very popular in today's society, especially... Read More
Remember there's more to you than meets the eye. You've... Read More
Lets face it, most of us live pretty busy lives... Read More
In our never ending search for the illusive "Fountain of... Read More
When it all comes down to losing or gaining weight,... Read More
All Diets Work: No Diets WorkHave you lost weight in... Read More
Here are 7 simple habits that can help anyone enjoy... Read More
Have you been surfing the web trying to find a... Read More
There are all kinds of fad diets and quick fixes... Read More
America is in a health care crisis. More than 60... Read More
When we gain more weight than is good for us,... Read More
A number of popular diets are focused on carbohydrates. Some... Read More
A metabolism drug like ephedrine, has shown many people how... Read More
If you've been pursuing a lighter, healthier version of yourself,... Read More
Fat Loss Tip #2) Drink More WaterI know, I know,... Read More
Unfortunately, obesity is reaching epidemic proportions, with over 60% of... Read More
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE NUMBERS!The health clubs are always racking... Read More
? Can you give me an exercise that will get... Read More
executive chauffeured services Barrington Hills ..It comes as a surprise to many consumers that the... Read More
In 1994, I had a RNY surgery. At 350 lbs... Read More
Burn fat while you sleep! Eat whatever you want and... Read More
In our never ending search for the illusive "Fountain of... Read More
Several months ago I was in desperate need of weight... Read More
Obesity is a disease that is not caused by a... Read More
1. Carrying around excess body fat will decrease your energy... Read More
The goal of many athletes and exercisers is to "get... Read More
Lose The Weight For Good With The Seven Phases of... Read More
Who'd have thought healthy eating could be so controversial? Lunching... Read More
Your health is affected not only by how much body... Read More
For many years, the experts, including our government have been... Read More
The purpose of this article is not to scrutinize, vilify,... Read More
Make sure you check out the meaning of many common... Read More
Losing Weight quickly and easily has become one of the... Read More
How's the practicing going? Are you spending time each day... Read More
Fifteen years ago the doctor's suggested that we eat pasta... Read More
Gaining up to 20 pounds over four years can significantly... Read More
I'm sick of all the fad diets I see people... Read More
As we look around at the current generation of children,... Read More
Rules of day to day no longer apply as you... Read More
You've decided it's time to lose some weight. A lot... Read More
Eating the right foods and exercising regularly have been the... Read More
Yoga is wonderful for nurturing a state of mental and... Read More
When most people think of low carb diets they automatically... Read More
Weight Loss |