To be straight up…

I don’t really get into reality shows. However my hairdresser is a reality show fan freak!

After her going on at me that I should watch the Biggest Loser because this season apparently rocked I figured I’d book it into my schedule.

Boy was I pissed when I saw the following…

I have a real issue with encouraging folk to focus on the scales.

I saw a guy who has obviously lost a substantial amount of weight, increased his fitness level through the roof – both of which are huge and admirable achievements – apparently he / they train several times per day – anyway he had put on a couple of kilos in the “weigh in”.  The poor guy was absolutely guttered!

This man who has been slugging his guts out for weeks looked like has was ready to break down and cry. Making some comment about “the scales never lie” (I’m gathering that’s a quote they use on the show?) and that he couldn’t understand after everything he had done how he had gained weight. The other contestants were just as gob-smacked expecting him to have lost a considerable amount due to his strict commitment to his training and eating plan.

I felt like reaching into the tv and giving him a hug and then telling him that relying on scales is a pile of B.S.!

Did anyone…

Take his measurements (with a tape measure) – seeing if his midsection / waist, his chest, thighs or upper arms had reduced? Did anyone do skin folds on him (measure his body fat percentage) to see if his body fat had reduced? Did they take into account his lean muscle he may have gained?

Nope! It was the scales and the overall percentage of body weight lost.

Look, I understand this show is about losing the most amount of weight, trying to inspire overweight folk to lose weight and of course it’s a competition and a reality show – but seeing these poor people shattered feeling like they’ve failed (despite their wonderful and enormous accomplishments) due to something the “scales” tell them… is appalling and disheartening.

When I was working as a personal fitness trainer I had so many clients come to me that were addicted to the scales. It was hard work trying to get them to realise that it’s not all about scales – far from it.

My advice, kick your scales to the curb.

Only use them only once in a while as a guide – eg… in calculations for lean body mass. There are so many more precise and effective ways to monitor your progress than just relying on your actual weight and the scales.

Focus on increasing your fitness, improving your health, increasing lean muscle and reducing body fat.

If you’re looking and feeling lean, fit, healthy, fitting into your goal clothes the way you want and kicking ass with your training…  then screw the scales!

The scales don’t make, justify or determine your results – you, your hard work and efforts do!

Happy Training!  And I’m going back to NOT watching reality shows.

Kind regards
Mandy Gibbons

PS. Feel free to have your say below… no doubt we’ll get some interesting feedback.

Whether it be  ‘yo-yo-dieting’ – One week trying this – and then 2 weeks, trying another weight-loss fad…

Or

Giving the ‘workout lifestyle’ a solid, whole-hearted try – but just not able to get the body-fat to come off – then giving up and quitting out of frustration…

I’m sure most folk know at least a handful of women who struggle… feeling like they’re smacking their head against a brick wall when it comes to achieving the goals that feel so close and within their reach one moment and then hopeless the next.

Well – truth be told – the typical ‘exercise and clean-diet’ approach isn’t for every type of woman – especially the busy woman who has many responsibilities to tend to every day… But even though this approach isn’t for her – She still wants to be slim, firm and sexy – and there’s no reason why she shouldn’t be able to reach that fair and reasonable goal…

If you know someone like this – Maybe one of your friends or family members… Then please take a look at this site and listen to the freebie online audio CD that highlights some eye-opening research from several top universities, which was also publicized by TIME magazine in 2009…

Here’s the link =>
http://www.virtualfitnesstrainer.com/fatlossforbusywomen

Let’s face it, today’s women and men’s lifestyles are getting more hectic. A busy gals fat-loss results and goals shouldn’t have to be thrown out the window due to the hectic nature of a tight schedule and daily responsibilities.

And again…
http://www.virtualfitnesstrainer.com/fatlossforbusywomen
Be sure to listen before that webpage is removed.

Not all women may want to be a fitness pageant competitor – but all deserve to shed their excess body-fat and to feel slender and sexy. There’s nothing unrealistic about that – and it’s a goal within every woman’s reach with just a few simple adjustments to her daily routine.

Kind regards
Yours in fun, health and fitness
Mandy Gibbons

You are ready to shed those energy draining, body crippling, unattractive extra pounds and you are ready to make it permanent this time. You are on the right track because you’ve taken the most important step toward your goal. That step is the decision to take action and stay committed. The following five proven weight loss strategies will serve as essential elements in your quest to achieve your weight loss goal.

1) You must put yourself into the right mindset. Don’t think of your new efforts at weight loss as trying to do certain things every day. See your self living a new lifestyle, a new lifestyle that naturally includes behavior conducive to positive changes in your health and fitness levels. You transition into this new lifestyle by makng adjustments to your daily habits until these habits are in alignment with the goals you are aiming for.

2) Find an exercise partner. It can be a friend, a co-worker, or a family member. Why is this important? An exercise partner is a tremendous source of support. A partner is crucial on those days when you really don’t feel up to exercising. Unless you are sick, a good partner won’t let you slack and likewise your partner will need you to pull them up when they are not up for the workout. You being needed is an indirect but important type of support. With an exercise partner comes the element of accountability, which subconsciously reinforces your commitment to your quest.

3) Have a baby or get a puppy. These two strategies work in the same manner. I write about this one from first/second hand experience. My wife, Jeri-Jo, gave birth to our daughter, Darah, nine months ago. Today, she weighs less than she weighed before she got pregnant. What is the mechanism here? Jeri-Jo claims, “With Darah to care for, my mind is focused on her and her needs. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not at risk for malnutrition, but I don’t eat out of boredom any more simply because there is always something to do. The day flies by and I don’t have time to snack on foods that cause weight gain.”

The puppy weight loss strategy is very similar to the baby strategy. If you are not playing with it, training it, feeding it, walking it or cleaning up after it you are too tired to overeat. And, before you know it your new puppy is done napping and ready for more activities. Like caring for a baby, your puppy requires a lot of attention and mental energy. This prevents many people from unnecessary snacking that prevents weight loss.

4) If you are not ready for a baby or a puppy then take a up a new hobby. A new hobby will get you out of the house, stimulate your mind and prevent you from eating out of boredom. If your hobby is a fitness related activity, such as mountain biking or hiking, then you are really going to make some progress.

5) Drink more water. I know, you’ve heard this one before. But, can you truthfully say you are doing it? Not many people can. Ponder this. You consist of about 73% water. Your body gives off water all day and all night. You must continuously replenish your water levels in order for your body to function at its highest levels. Many fitness professionals talk about the metabolism slowing down as a result of too little food intake. However, just as important, yet rarely mentioned is water intake and its effect on metabolism. Not getting enough water can cause water retention and a slowing of the metabolism. Both of these can prevent weight loss and cause weight gain.

One little known strategy for boosting water intake is to drink 8 – 12 ounces as soon as you wake up. This helps wake up your metabolism. Another way to boost your water intake is to drink 10 – 12 ounces when you start to feel hungry. Instead of immediately reaching for food, drink the water and see if that calms your hunger until you are ready for your next meal.

Each one of these strategies can help you lose weight. But, by utilizing all of them, you are creating a formula for success. A formula that can be the foundation of your new lifestyle.

Copyright Joe E. Atlas, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Joey Atlas, MS – Exercise Physiology, is considered one of the top personal trainers in the US. Joey is also renowned for his Legs, Hip, Butt and Thighs Makeover DVD package which is currently rocking the internet with it’s amazing results.

Myth: I need to burn 300 calories each workout to lose fat.

Truth: Possibly one of the worst inventions for fat loss was the calorie-counting monitor on treadmills, elliptical machines, and stairmasters. Because of these, millions of men and women now obsess about the number of calories burned per session. You’ve probably even been one of those people, watching it creep up ever so slowly during a slow-cardio session. All the while knowing that you can wipe out a 30-minute, 300-calorie treadmill session with one fell swoop of the Krispy Kreme hand.

Too many people are brainwashed into thinking that if they don’t burn 300-500 calories per session, then they won’t lose fat. After all, that is what you’ve been told time and time again in those fluffy fitness/fashion magazines. The problems with this approach to fat loss are numerous. First off, it’s difficult to say if the calorie counters are even accurate. A story on CBS news showed that cardio machines overestimate calorie burning by up to 20%.

Next, depending on slow cardio for advanced fat loss is relatively useless and at the very least, inefficient. It takes a long time for you to burn a lot of calories and one study showed that men who only used cardio training for weight loss ended up with a reduced resting metabolism. You are basically undoing the calorie burning by depending only on cardio. On the other hand, guys in the same study that used strength training didn’t suffer a reduced metabolic rate.

So what is the solution to burning fat in a faster, more efficient method? The answer is to burn fewer calories in less exercise time, but with a more intense form of exercise.

And the trick to getting better results in this backwards approach? Your body will burn more calories after exercise (when you use intervals) than it does after you do slow cardio and your metabolism will stay high. Some experts refer to this as the afterburn effect. How do you do intervals? Well, you could sprint for 30 seconds and rest for 90 seconds and repeat that for 6 sets – using the bike preferably or treadmill if you are experienced with it.

Within that short time frame the intervals will cause your muscles to go crazy with activity (I call it a metabolic disturbance). This crazy metabolism boost causes lots of calorie burning after exercise to get your body back to normal. The result is you would end up burning more fat and more calories in the post-exercise period as your body tries to get things under control.

Now there is one time where you’d want to count calories, but that is when you are counting up and determining how many calories you eat per day. Again, you can wipe out an entire workout’s work in less than a minute simply by eating garbage. Without some structure and discipline to your nutrition, there is nothing that even my programs can do to help you lose fat.

So exercise nutrition control and interval training. These are the two anti-calorie counting methods that will help you lose fat and get lean.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit “TurbulenceTraining”

Remember that movie with Jim Carey, “Dumb and Dumber?” And remember the sequel to that movie, “Dumb and Dumberer?” Well, the low carb mania that is sweeping the globe today has reached a level beyond dumberer. It’s more like dumberererer (try to say that five times real fast)

There is an epidemic of “low carb stupidity” running rampant among millions of people throughout the world today – and fast food restaurants, food product manufacturers, supplement companies, and weight loss programs are capitalizing on it in a big way!

The low carb diet is not inherently “stupid,” however. It can be quite beneficial within certain parameters and under the right circumstances. The problem is that many practitioners are uninformed, misinformed, or simply lack the common sense and intuitive bodily wisdom to utilize the low carb approach intelligently.

Many low-carbers don’t even know why they are on a low carb diet, they’re just following the followers (Not intelligent!) Doing what everyone else is doing is always one of the surest, straightest routes to arrive at mediocrity! If you want to be a success, your chances are far greater if you look at what the masses are doing and do the exact opposite!

Fortunately, there is such a thing as “low carb intelligence.” Hopefully, by reading my brief rant, you will increase your carb IQ, and soon join the ranks of the extraordinarily fit, lean and healthy “carbo geniuses!”

Low carb stupidity #1

Selecting your beer or liquor carefully to make sure you have the brand with the fewest grams of carbs.

Low carb intelligence

Avoiding alcohol if you’re trying to lose body fat. Drinking only in moderation if you’re trying to maintain your weight and be healthy.

Low carb stupidity #2

Believing any of the following: Low carbs diets are the only way to lose fat, low carb diets are the best way to lose fat, no one should ever eat a high carb diet, high carbs always make you fat, starches and grains make everyone sick and unhealthy.

Low carb intelligence

Adjusting your approach according to your health status, your goals and your body type, not according to generalizations preached by dogmatic diet “gurus.”

Low carb stupidity #3

Going on the Atkins diet (or any other very low carb/ketogenic diet) with absolutely no idea why you’re doing it or how the diet works (going on it because “everybody” is doing it and because you see it advertised everywhere.)

Low carb intelligence

Studying the physiology and biochemistry of the low carb diet and completely understanding all the pros and cons. Then making an informed decision whether to restrict carbs based on your own personal goals, needs and heath status.

Low carb stupidity #4

Thinking that very low carb (ketogenic) dieting is a maintainable “lifestyle.”

Low carb intelligence

Understanding that reasonable (moderate) restriction of carbs can be a helpful short term strategy for fat loss, a good way to reach a peak, a legitimate method to control appetite, and an effective way for some people to control insulin. But also understanding that a balanced diet of natural foods is probably the most suitable of all the diets for health, lifelong maintenance and weight control.

Low carb stupidity #5

Believing calories don’t count if you just cut out your carbs (or not counting calories because it’s “too much work.”)

Low carb intelligence

Knowing that fat loss always did and always will boil down to calories in vs. calories out. Taking the time and effort to crunch your numbers (at least once), typing up your menu on a spreadsheet, keeping a diary, and/or using nutrition tracking software.

Low carb stupidity #6

Staying on a low carb diet that has stopped working (or never worked in the first place).

Low carb intelligence

Adjusting your diet according to your results; understanding that a common definition of insanity (and/or stupidity) is to continue to do the same things over and over again, while expecting a different result.

Low carb stupidity#7

Believing that you don’t need exercise because all you need to do is cut carbs.

Low carb intelligence

Knowing that dieting is the worst way to lose fat and that exercise is the best way to lose fat (Burn The Fat, don’t starve the fat).

Low carb stupidity #8

Using the argument; “There’s no such thing as an essential carbohydrate” as justification for low carb dieting.

Low carb intelligence

Realizing that textbook definitions of “essential” can be taken out of context to promote a fad diet and that just because there’s technically no “essential” carbohydrates (as there are essential amino acids and fatty acids) doesn’t mean carbohydrates aren’t “essential” in other respects.

Low carb stupidity #9

Using the argument, “You have to eat fat to lose fat” as justification for a high fat, low carb diet, without explaining it or putting it in context (exactly how much fat and what kind of fat?)

Low carb intelligence

Understanding the importance of essential and omega three fats (the good fats), but not taking any single nutritional principle to an extreme (such as, “If a little fat is good for you then a lot is even better.”)

Low carb stupidity #10

Saying, “All carbs are bad” or “All carbs are fattening.”

Low carb intelligence

Avoiding generalizations, and instead, having multiple distinctions about carbohydrates (and other foods) so you can make better choices. For example:

Low GI vs. high GI carbs
Simple vs. complex carbs
Starchy vs. fibrous carbs
Natural vs. refined carbs
High calorie density vs. low calorie density carbs

Low carb stupidity #11

Not clarifying your definition of low carbs.

Low carb intelligence

Realizing that there are “very low” carb diets, “low” carb diets, and “moderate” carb diets and that you cant lump them all together. (Some people consider The Zone Diet, at 40% of calories from carbs, a low carb diet, others consider 40% carbs quite high).

Low carb stupidity #12

Believing that carrots are fattening because they’re high on the glycemic index and because a popular fad diet book says so.

Low carb intelligence

Have we lost all vestiges of common sense? With an average carrot clocking in at 31 calories and 7.3 grams of carbs, do you really think that this orange-colored, nutrient-dense, low-calorie, all-natural, straight-out-of-the-ground root vegetable is going to make you fat? (if so, you are in “carbohydrate kindergarten.”)

Low carb stupidity. Lucky #13

Eating lots of processed and packaged low carb foods (including those protein “candy bars”). and thinking you’re “being good” and “following your diet.”

Low carb intelligence

Realizing that natural, unrefined foods are one of the keys to lifelong weight control and that anything man made and refined is NOT an ideal “diet” food – including the highly processed low carb foods that are all the rage this year. (Doesn’t this bandwagon reek of the late 80’s and early 90’s “no fat” craze, when all those “fat free” foods were being passed off as healthy diet food, but were really highly processed and full of pure sugar?)

–End of Stupidities–

Forgive me for the obvious dashes of sarcasm, but sometimes I just can’t help myself and I end up going into “rant mode”. I think the last time this happened was in my newsletter almost a year ago. that was the issue where I wrote about the ad for the candy bar that increases your bench press by 50 pounds? Yeah… I heard those bars are especially effective when you combine them with low carb potato chips (weren’t those low fat potato chips a few years ago??? Oh nevermind… it’s all soooo confusing!)

Copyright: Tom Venuto
Tom Venuto is a certified personal trainer, natural bodybuilder and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle.

Michael Thurmond 6 Week Body Makeover is a weight loss program that has been developed over a fifteen-year period. This weight loss system is presented online and in infomercials. The 6 Week Body Makeover is available online for approximately $100. You can find it on ebay, on the Provida website, as well as other online stores. Do a search and shop around.

Michael Thurmond’s 6 Week Body Makeover is an interesting blueprinting system in which you answer a series of specific questions then are “assigned” a Body Type (A, B, C, etc) based upon your answers. Your eating plan is completely customized based on your body type. You customize a binder with specific information for your body type.

You will be provided with a very specific eating plan to follow balancing proteins, carbohydrates, vegetables, and fruits, again based upon your body type. Foods are grouped accordingly (A, B, C). The “best” foods are your “A” foods. They are the leanest proteins and healthiest veggies and fruits and carbs. Your Food Plan is specific and strict. There are certain foods you have to eat at certain times – breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, mid-afternoon snack, and dinner, evening snack is optional.

A wonderful resource are the forums on the 6 Week Body Makeover website. I think it’s crucial to your success to check out the recipes on the forums. You’ll find that there are numerous meal ideas within the confines of the food choices in your food selections.

You then continue customizing your binder by blueprinting your body and customizing body-sculpting exercises that target the specific areas of need. Aerobic exercise is crucial to the success of your Body Makeover. The body-sculpting exercises are done with exercise bands, the toning exercises in the binder as well as a video that demonstrates how the sculpting exercises are done.

The balance of the right foods, exercise and lots of water (at least 100 ounces a day) is a guarantee for success. The forums on the 6 Week Body Makeover website offer support for: “newbies”, success stories, motivation, problems and challenges, food and eating, travel and eating out, body sculpting, recipe exchange, and the specific body types.

The communities that form on the forums are a wonderful network of people who are going through the same trials and tribulations as you. The recipe exchange is quite possibly the key to keeping you POP (Perfect On Plan). Too often people fall off track because they find the foods boring and restrictive. If they are willing to make that 100 percent commitment then they will see success.

The biggest downfall is that the 6 Week Body Makeover is really a total lifestyle change. There is no turning back to the “old ways” of eating or you are asking for failure and weight gain. One more important fact about Michael Thurmond’s 6 Week Body Makeover eating plan – No Sugars, No Fats, No Caffeine, and No Dairy products.

I’m not sure if the 6 Week Body Makeover is realistic because of how restrictive the plan is for people. Though it’s worth a short since there are thousands of people who have been successful on Michael Thurmond’s 6 Week Body Makever!

Renee B
http://www.associatedcontent.com

Are you sick and tired of being fat and unable to lose weight! Looking for a healthy way to lose weight? There is an answer! Please listen; if you want your weight loss regime to work you will have to perform Strength training and there is just no getting around it.

It is absolutely imperative that during the course of a lifetime not only for your weight loss goals but also for general health and well being that you must use these valuable tool.

For years we have been told to diet the excess fat from our bodies and throw in some fast walking to hasten the process. The trouble with this is that the low calorie restricted diet would throw the body into starvation mode with the body holding onto the fat and using precious lean muscle tissue for energy.

This would “Lower Your Metabolism” causing greater muscle loss and once the diet was broken the original fat would return and you would have greater chance of gaining even more fat creating a

“A Vicious Cycle”

Eventually, your body would become used to the diet and then you will reach a point where nothing was happening. So what do you do now?

Try weight loss supplements, creams, massage, toning tables, and drugs. You should know by now that these dont work. There is a better way and it is

“Strength Training”

Many studies are showing that Strength Training is a far superior method for weight loss. (Ladies, you wont bulk up by using weights, you dont have the testosterone to get big and muscular, so dont worry).

If you are not incorporating strength training into your weight loss program then you can look forward to disappointing results.

The days of strength training three to five days a week in the gym, an hour at a time are long gone. That just doesnt work as a plateau is reached after three to four weeks and nothing you do will get you off it.

All that is required is one short strength-training workout a week done at home or in the gym and this will melt away more fat than you would have thought possible.

Fats, Figures and Cardio Work

Weve already found out that by increasing the functional muscle on your body, you increase your resting metabolic rate. Due to this higher metabolic rate you can now eat more calories, which means that you wont need to starve anymore to lose weight.

In a sense, fewer calories have to be cut back from our daily intake of food and successful dieting (provided that you eat the right foods) will become more likely.

As far as Fats are concerned, theyre burned from the body when cells oxidize to release energy in the form of exercise. When exercise is done slowly to moderately for 20 to 30 minutes, then the majority of energy is taken from the fat stores.

Its important to understand that the loss of fat comes from fat cells all over the body, not just from one or more specific areas. Therefore, fat reduction of a certain area is not generally possible.

The best exercise for the purpose of fat loss is fast walking either indoors on the treadmill or outdoors. Walk until you are mildly puffing and hold that rate for the allotted time.

Remember your original goal to find a healthy way to lose weight. If your cardio activities leave you panting or breathless you are going too hard. Your energy will be then coming from your carbohydrate reserves and not from your fat stores.

Nutrition For Weight Loss

By decreasing the amount of calories you eat per day to the weight loss amount, you should start losing weight. Dont go any lower and check the mirror regularly to judge your progress.

If you dont have an accurate idea of how many calories you are consuming a day, how will you know whether youre overeating or not?

So go ahead and try to eat small frequent meals during the day each containing a little protein to maintain muscle and energy levels. Also try to consume foods with vital vitamin and mineral compositions on a daily basis.

By Gary Matthews

What is necessary for safe weight loss?

A calorie deficit must be created through exercise and a small calorie reduction. This means more energy goes out than comes in. If it were only so simple!

Problem #1

Appetite seems to increase with activity level (therefore cancels out energy expended), this may not always happen.

Problem #2

The body will attempt to conserve weight during times of increased activity and reduced calorie intake (body becomes more efficient with energy).

Problem #3

Scales do not tell how much of the body weight is muscle, fat, OR water.

Problem #4

We all know someone who eats a lot (and eats a lot of “forbidden foods”) BUT does not seem to gain a pound, while others eat very little and still have difficulty in altering their body composition.

Tip #1

You must use weight training to build muscle mass and increase metabolism and you must exercise consistently. The energy expenditure will help develop a negative caloric balance.

Tip #2

Base your success on how you feel, how your clothes fit, and how well you perform in your sport/activity, NOT on how the scale reads.

Tip #3

Do not starve yourself. The body may shut down its metabolism and it becomes extremely efficient in saving/storing energy. Eat nutritious meals spaced evenly throughout the day to maintain the metabolism and provide energy for exercise. Reduce any unnecessary food intake.

Tip #4

Remember you are trying to eat fewer calories then are needed to maintain weight. Aim to reduce the calories by a maximum of 20% (i.e. 200-400 per day), BUT/ never go lower than 1500 total daily calories. Reducing the amount of fat in your diet greatly helps in reaching a calorie deficit (because each gram of fat has 9 calories).

Tip #5

Do NOT eat “fat-free” foods in excess. Remember the aim is a calorie deficit! There are no magic OR forbidden foods. Some are better than others BUT very few items need to be fully excluded from a diet. Allow yourself at least the occasional treat.

Tip #6

Choose water as your low-calorie fluid source, unless you need the nutrients that are provided by a glass of milk OR juice.

Be honest #1

Do you really need to lose weight? Losing weight often involves certain sacrifices, so determine if it is really necessary for health or performance and then make full commitment to the goal.

Be honest #2

Can you decrease your food intake without your health suffering? Try to reduce calories with your health in mind by reducing the foods with least nutritional value (i.e. processed foods, sugary drinks, excess sauces, and sugar).

Be honest #3

Are you truly hungry when you eat? Are you just thirsty, bored, stressed?

Be honest #4

Are you active for only 30minutes (your exercise session) and then stuck in a chair for the rest of the day? Consider this before you justify an increase in caloric intake.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit TurbulenceTraining

In order to lose weight, your body must burn more calories than it takes in, but keep in mind that your body needs calories for energy and when you exercise; your body needs even more calories.  Onto the tips on weight loss…

Before I talk about energy, the first thing you must understand is that losing weight and losing fat is not the same thing. Just because you lose weight, does not mean you lose fat, and just because you lose fat, does not mean you lose weight. When people talk about losing weight, what the really want to do is lose the excess fat on their body and obtain an attractive figure.

When you eat, the body uses most of the calories for energy. If you eat more calories than the body uses, it will get stored as fat. If you do not consume enough calories per day you will lose weight, but you will also lose energy. When you do not consume enough energy (calories) for your body, it will start using up your energy stores to make up for the energy deficiency.

Unfortunately, the energy stores used is not your stored fat, but instead its protein and carbohydrates (carbs) that will supply most of the energy (stored fat makes up a very small percentage). Your body will take the protein and carbohydrates from your muscle cells; causing your muscle mass to reduce (say good by to that toned attractive look) which forces your metabolism to decrease (a low metabolism = slow or no fat burning).

When this happens your body requires less energy to maintain its new lower body weight (remember the body weight is lower because you loss muscle), which is why your body conserves energy by slowing down the metabolism. In other words, the body has adapted to the new lower energy (calorie) intake which means that you will no longer continue to lose weight. Keep in mind that the weight you had lost in the first place was mostly water weight and you will eventually gain it back in the form of fat, not muscle (in order to get your muscle mass back to the way it was before, you have to work on rebuilding it).

When carbohydrates and protein that are already in your body are used as the energy source, your body will lose water weight because both carbohydrates and protein hold water in the cells. In essence, you are dehydrating yourself to lose weight. So yes the scale will go down, but approximately 75% (if not more) of it is water instead of fat. And just so you know, exercising while consuming a small calorie intake just makes the situation worse.

This is because when you exercise, you start burning off more energy and the more you workout, the more energy your body needs. I already told you above where the energy comes from, and if you do not give your body the energy it needs, it will just feed on your muscles even quicker now that you are exercising. So eat more food!

In addition to this, when you cut down too much on your calorie intake, your body will start storing calories because it doesnt know when you will eat again. The calories that are stored will be stored as fat. So in other words, when your body is storing energy, its basically storing more fat. To summarize my point: Not eating enough calories results in muscle loss, dehydration, slower fat burning, and your body will always adapt to a lower calorie intake.

Bottom Line:

If you cant maintain that lower calorie intake for the rest of your life, you will gain your weight back when you get tired of starving yourself!

To lose weight properly (burning fat) you must increase your metabolism (weight training) and your need for oxygen (aerobics) while eating enough calories each day (nutritious diet) to give you energy and maintain the protein in your muscles because protein helps build muscles, which indirectly burns fat.

This brings up another good point: When you build muscle your weight will increase because your muscles are made up of mostly water, but your body fat percentage will decrease because building muscles increase your metabolism (in other words, muscles way more than fat, but take up less space than fat). So keep in mind that losing body fat cant be measured by a scale; use a measuring tape and also look at yourself in the mirror, and then you will see the true results. One of the best ways to know if you are losing more body fat than water is by using a body fat analyzer.

Make sure that you focus on fat loss not weight loss. Your goal should be to lose weight by burning fat, not losing water from your muscles. Remember these tips on weight loss when you choose your fat loss program.

By Vernita Sherman

You cut calories and you exercise. You do exactly what the articles say – Your calories out are greater than your calories in. You should be losing fat. But if you aren’t, perhaps you’re still not paying attention to an often forgotten factor of fat loss – your metabolism.

Your metabolism is a measure of how many calories you are burning each day. But did you know that the food, exercise, and lifestyle choices you make every day have a significant impact on your metabolism? For example, if you starve yourself (instead of following a sensible fat-loss eating plan) your metabolism will slow down. If your metabolism slows down, it means your calories out will be less. And that means no more fat loss, and possibly even continued fat gain.

So for every day that you continue to slow your metabolism with unhealthy lifestyle choices, you get further and further away from fat loss. To help, I’ve put together a list of the top 10 ways to maximize your metabolism, so that you’ll burn as many calories as possible each day so that you can finally lose the fat.

1) Don’t starve yourself! Cutting calories too much is one of the worst things you can do to your body. Starving yourself actually causes you to lose much more water weight and muscle than fat. Use fitday.com to find out your daily calorie intake.

2) Eat 6-8 small meals per day with an emphasis on lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables. You have to have a nutrition plan, so spend a couple hours on a day off preparing as much food as you can for the upcoming week.

3) Eat breakfast. You have to make this meal part of your daily metabolism-boosting plan. At the very least, eat a lean protein, drink some Green Tea, and consume a fiber-rich fruit to get your fat loss day started right.

4) Eat healthy fats. Sources of healthy fats included nuts, fish, olive oil, and flax oil. I consume 6 grams of fish oil per day. Replace all processed carbohydrates in your diet with almonds. For example, if you currently eat a small bag of pretzels as a mid-afternoon snack, eat almonds instead (eating the same number of total calories).

5) Eat high quality foods that will help you control your blood sugar levels, insulin levels, and energy levels. Insulin management will help you lose fat and prevent you form gaining fat. I’ll be writing more on how to eat and exercise to control your hormone levels – the #1 neglected factor in fat loss programs.

6) Eat 1.14g of protein per pound of lean body mass. If you don’t know your lean body mass, then simply eat 1g of protein per pound of body weight. But if possible, stick to the lean body mass recommendation, as that eliminates excess fat mass when calculating protein needs.

7) Don’t drink alcohol. Alcohol intake can quickly add hundreds of calories and alcohol prevents fat burning. Alcohol intake can also reduce testosterone levels, a big no-no for men looking to Get Lean.

Drink Green Tea and water. While I don’t believe that either of these will increase your metabolism, I do believe that they help prevent decreases in metabolism. Not too mention, these are your 2 healthiest beverage options.

9) Stick to a consistent sleep schedule. Don’t stay up all night, and if possible, avoid working afternoon and overnight shifts. If you must work shiftwork, stick to the rest of these principles as strongly as possible.

10) Use the Turbulence Training workout principles for the most efficient and effective metabolism boosting workout. This means strength training with moderately heavy weights (that allow you to complete 8 perfect reps per set) and interval training. For exact instructions, get the TT for Fat Loss Special Report.

Craig Ballantyne trains athletes and executives in Toronto, and writes for Men’s Fitness magazine. His trademarked Turbulence Training workouts and his comprehensive workout manuals (including “The Ultimate Bodyweight Workout”) are featured on his website Turbulence Training.