Learn and Easier Way to Permanently Lose Weight – Its Habits not
Diets
Habits not Diets – Read this Excellent Burn the Fat Article
We all know how easy it is to say, “I want to lose 10 pounds” and then nearly starve ourselves and by doing the latest fad diet. But do you know how to lose
the weight and keep it off?
With swimsuit weather right around the corner, 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.
Learn about Complete “Burn
the Fat, Feed the Muscle” System
Changing Habits
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. 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.
Starving Weight Off Actually Decreases the Metabolic Rate
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, yams,
brown rice, oatmeal, beans, legumes, vegetables and fruits. Great sources of protein for muscle development include
egg whites, low fat 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.
Losing Weight Slowly Helps You Keep it Off Permanently
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. It 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.
Getting of the Dieting Roller Coster
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.
“This article was provided courtesy of Tom Venuto and Burn the Fat.” Tom 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 find out how to get rid of that excess weight
for good.
The Complete “Burn
the Fat, Feed the Muscle” System
By Tom Venuto
Weightloss Help – Why Diets Don’t work and What Does!
More HealthyNewAge Articles on Weight Management Resources
Why diets do not work—Your body needs calories for energy. If you’re dieting (low calorie) and exercising,
your body isn’t burning fat, it’s burning muscle! Calories are converted to energy, energy is what burns
fat out of the fat cells or shrinks them. This is called metabolism.
It’s the rate at which the body turns calories into energy. Ever know someone who can eat and eat and still
be thin? Most thin people have a fast metabolism. Their metabolism is “SET” faster. The point at
which your metabolism is set is called a “SET POINT.”
Some people’s bodies actually burn more fat while they are sitting or even sleeping than other peoples bodies
do running. The bad thing is, we inherit a certain set point and even a certain number of fat cells. That’s
why fat runs in families. The good thing is, your set point can be Changed! Read
More.
