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With
swimsuit weather upon us, many of us are once
again faced with the daunting task of shedding
the layers of flab we have accumulated over a
long winter of eating and drinking. Of course
this comes as no surprise because removing our
"winter coats" has become a ritual for
us every spring.
This
year, instead of wondering, "How can I get
rid of this belly in time for the beach,"
why not ask yourself a totally different question:
"How can I lose this excess baggage permanently
so I don't have to keep taking it off every year?"
If
you're having a difficult time keeping fat off
permanently, it's probably because you foster
the entirely wrong attitude towards nutrition
and training. For most of us, our idea of a summer
shape-up program consists of jumping on the latest
diet bandwagon, which we inevitably end up falling
off of when the summer is over because diets are
temporary.
Losing weight is easy; the challenging part is
keeping it off.
Instead
of looking for short-term fixes, we need to focus
on developing better eating and exercise habits
that we can maintain for the long haul. Instead
of going on and off diets, we need to completely
change our approach and make exercise and good
nutrition our way of life. We must change our
habits - one or two at a time. Small changes in
our daily habits, over time, can produce quantum
changes in your body and your health.
The
first habit you must develop is to be aware of
your daily caloric intake and your portion sizes.
Calories do count! Human physiology dictates that
losing fat is a simple matter of consuming fewer
calories than you burn up. Of course, there are
other factors involved besides calories, but rule
number one is: Too much of anything gets stored
as fat - even "healthy" foods.
On
the other hand, it's not necessary to dramatically
cut your calories or "starve" yourself.
In fact, you can actually eat more and still become
leaner by eating small meals more frequently.
Five or six small meals, each eaten approximately
three hours apart, will speed up your metabolic
rate, allow your body to absorb and utilize more
nutrients, stabilize blood sugar and insulin levels,
and increase your energy.
Most
importantly, small frequent meals will decrease
fat storage by controlling your portion size and
never giving your body more calories than it can
use in one sitting.
The trick is to decrease your calories slightly
below your maintenance level but not to cut them
too far.
Women
can usually eat 1400-1800 calories per day and
men 2200-2600 per day and still achieve body fat
loss. Most diets are based on severe calorie restriction,
often dipping well below 1000 calories per day.
This approach may work initially, but it will
never work in the long run.
Many
people believe that they can just skip meals or
"starve the fat off" by hardly eating
anything, but it's not that simple. Your body
is an extremely efficient fat storing machine
during times of famine or deprivation. The direct
and unavoidable consequence of very low calorie
diet is a reduction in lean body mass and a decrease
in metabolic rate.
When
this occurs, your progress will grind to a screeching
halt. Once this dreaded plateau strikes, most
frustrated and discouraged dieters end up falling
off the wagon and gaining all the weight back.
The
next habit is to divide your calories into the
correct portions of protein, carbohydrates and
fats. Each meal should contain approximately 30%
of the calories from lean proteins and 55% from
natural complex carbohydrates. The remaining 15%
will come from fat.
For
high energy levels, your best sources of carbs
include 100% whole grain cereals and breads, potatoes,
yams, brown rice, oatmeal, beans, legumes, vegetables
and fruits. Great sources of protein for muscle
development include egg whites, lowfat dairy products,
chicken, turkey, fish and lean cuts of red meat.
Fats
should be kept to a minimum, but cutting all the
fat out is not necessary. Essential fatty acids
are just as important as amino acids, vitamins
and minerals. Your diet must contain a wide variety
of natural, unrefined foods. The less processed
your food choices are, the better; eating foods
in their natural state the way they came out of
the ground is ideal.
Plan on losing weight slowly.
Everyone
wants fast results, but you can't undo a lifetime
of inactivity and poor nutrition overnight. If
you lose weight at a rate of 1-2 lbs. per week,
you will be more likely to keep it off permanently.
Many diet programs promise rapid weight loss.
High protein, low-carbohydrate diets for example,
can take off pounds very quickly, but much of
the weight loss consists of water and muscle.
Instead of worshipping the almighty scale, measure
your progress in terms of body composition. Use
your bodyfat percentage as the ultimate yardstick
of your success. This will help you distinguish
between fat weight and muscle weight. If does
you no good to lose 5-6 lbs. per week if it is
mostly muscle!
Arguably,
the most important habit of all is exercise. Nutrition
is only half the battle; the other half is working
out. Cardiovascular exercise is the real secret
to burning bodyfat. Aerobic activities such as
bicycling, walking, jogging, stair-climbing, cross
country skiing and rowing are all terrific fat
burners. Shoot for at least thirty minutes, four
to six times per week for optimal results. Weight
training is also essential because the more lean
muscle tissue you have, the higher your resting
metabolic rate will be. In other words, by developing
more muscle, you will be burning more body fat
all day long, even when you're not working out.
It is human nature to look for quick fixes.
However,
when it comes to fat loss, there are no shortcuts.
It is easy to fall for the hottest diet craze,
the newest workout gizmo, the trendiest class
or the latest miracle pill, but the results they
produce are often short-lived at best. If it sounds
too good to be true, it probably is.
Short-term
diets never work! Dieting for a few weeks or months
just to get in shape for summer, only to put the
weight right back on makes absolutely no sense
at all! Get off the diet roller coaster once and
for all by developing habits that you will be
able to maintain for the rest of your life. If
may take a little more discipline, patience and
hard work this way, but it the end it will all
be worth it.
---
Tom
Venuto is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, personal
trainer, gym owner, freelance writer and author
of "Burn
the Fat, Feed The Muscle" (BFFM): Fat
Burning Secrets of the World's Best Bodybuilders
and Fitness Models.
For
more information on how Tom's fat-burning system
can help you lose fat quickly and easily... even
if you've tried everything and the flab doesn't
seem to budge... then click
here NOW and find out how to get rid of that
excess weight for good.
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