Tips To Help You Lose Excess Fat
By: Anthony Ellis
Believe it or not, losing a little or a lot of fat involves
pretty much the same concept - consistent dieting coupled with
cardiovascular exercise and weight training. This is how the professionals
do it, and it works. If you are overweight, you may be hesitant
to start a weight training program, but the benefits far outweigh
any reservations you may have.
Weight training enhances your fat loss by increasing your muscle
mass and more muscle means more calories burned (faster metabolism).
It also it gives your skin a more tone, tight appearance, lowers
your blood pressure, strengthens your bones, improves your agility,
increases your flexibility, strengthens your immune system and
gives you more energy and a brighter outlook on life. If you have
a high level of body fat, or you have never been able to successfully
lose fat, you should consider trying a complete, well-rounded
program that not only focuses on dieting, but also includes adequate
cardiovascular activity and weight training.
If you are already very muscular, and you just want lose a
little body fat, then a fat loss program that includes regular
cardiovascular activity and weight training is perfect for you.
The best way to get ripped and maintain as much muscle as you
can is to diet slowly.
The truth is, when you are on a low calorie diet, your body
prefers to use muscle tissue for fuel rather than excess body
fat. So, the slower you lose weight, the more likely you are losing
fat and not muscle. Ideally, you should aim to lose no more than
1lb - 1.5 lbs per week that's it. If you are obese, then you should
try to lose no more than 1% of your bodyweight per week. Any more
than that and you are sacrificing muscle.
Women do tend to lose fat at a slower rate than men, but don't
let this discourage you. Women simply store fat more efficiently
than men because it is needed during and after pregnancy. As your
body fat levels drop, you will notice that the fat loss comes
off in reverse of how it was put on. So, the most recent fat gains
will come off first, while the old fat that has been there for
a while will take the longest to lose.
The most difficult fat to lose usually centers around the waist,
belly and lower back areas for men, and the upper thigh and buttocks,
area for women. The fat in these areas are the most difficult
to totally get rid of. This type of fat is difficult to lose because
the low blood flow in these areas hinders the fat mobilization.
So, if the fat can't be moved into the bloodstream to be used
as fuel, those love handles will never go away.
That's why thermogenic supplements help to improve fat loss
- they increase circulation into these hard to reach areas and
mobilize the stubborn fat.
Remember that you cannot spot reduce!
What I mean by this is that you can't pick and choose the areas
that you would like to lose the fat and do exercises that work
those areas expecting the fat to just magically disappear in those
areas. Your body does not work that way. The only way to decrease
the amount of fat in certain key areas is by lowering your total
body fat levels.
As you lose fat, it will come off all over your body, not just
in specific areas. If you follow a complete diet and weight training
program for at least 12 weeks, you will begin to see dramatic
changes occurring with your body, and I'm not just talking about
the obvious physical changes, I'm also talking about the psychological
and physiological changes.
You can expect lower body fat (of course), increased muscle
mass, increased metabolism, increased sense of well-being, more
energy, lower bad cholesterol level, increased good cholesterol
level, decreased risk of heart disease, deeper more restful sleep
and most important, increased self-confidence.
To be successful, your fat loss program should include the
following:
* A calorie restrictive diet, which requires you to eat no
less than 12x and no more than 15x your LEAN bodyweight in calories.
* Regular cardiovascular activity for at least 30-45 minutes
3-4 times per week. Some recommend a moderate pace while other
recommend a vigorous pace -- it doesn't really matter as long
as you are exercising.
* Weight training.
* Supplementing your diet with vitamins, minerals and amino
acids. Vitamin C, L-glutamine, and a good multi vitamin are the
bare essentials.
* Adequate dietary fat, including high amounts of Essential
Fatty Acids (Omega-6 and Omega-3).
* Regularly monitor your progress. If you don't track your
progress you won't know if your diet program is working! Looking
in the mirror or just relying on the scale is NOT adequate. Here's
a great composition tracking software that I highly recommend
http://www.comptracker.com
It will let you know exactly if what you are doing is working.
* Finally, make sure that the program you decide on is compatible
with your lifestyle and schedule.
You can have the greatest program in the world, but if you
cannot implement it then it is worthless. There are thousands
of fat loss diets and workouts that will work, but the hard part
is finding one that works for you and the specifics of your diet
and schedule restraints.
About the Author: Fitness Consultant Anthony Ellis has helped
thousands of individuals lose fat and build more muscle. To read
more about his fat loss recommendations please check out his site
at http://www.fatlosstips.com
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