For decades, people have been searching for magic weight loss formulas. The only significant change has been to the size of the weight loss industry's bank balance. If a magical weight loss method existed, there would be no overweight people in the world. Exercise and following sensible nutritional guidelines are the only way of burning fat and improving appearance and health, long term.
Understanding how the body's metabolic rate changes is the key to understanding weight control. Metabolic rate is the speed your body produces energy. About 60 to 70 percent of the energy we make each day is used just to keep the body going. While we sleep, the body is busy pumping blood, digesting food, maintaining body temperature and repairing tissue damage. All this activity uses more than half the calories we consume.
The secret to fat burning lies in getting the body to do its work at a greater speed, so you will burn off more calories, even during sleep. Remember the last time you got off the stepper machine at the gym after 30 minutes of puffing and sweating and the digital display flashed up only 105 calories. The chocolate bar you had on the way to the gym was 350 calories!
The good news is that regular aerobic ( with oxygen ) exercise will speed the body's metabolism rate for up to 24 hours afterwards. While you relax after your workout, you continue to burn calories at a faster rate.
Another factor affecting metabolic rate is the composition of your body. The more muscle tissue you have, the higher your metabolic rate, because muscle is more metabolically active than fat. So resistance training is an important component of a weight loss exercise programme.
Regular meals also help boost your metabolic rate. This explains why dieting rarely works. Your body outsmarts you, slowing down the metabolic rate as soon as you decrease your intake of food. This is also why dieters often regain more weight than they lost. Cutting out meals is the wrong approach to weight control.
Guidelines for successful fat burning include:
Follow
a balanced exercise programme including aerobic exercise like power walking
and jogging, which uses body fat as an energy source.Strength training will increase muscle tissue and elevate metabolic rate. Stretching will assist in preventing injuries.
Eat a varied and balanced diet following the healthy food pyramid guidelines.
Eat least - fats, sugars, salt and alcohols.Eat moderately - proteins including meat, eggs and dairy products.
Eat most - carbohydrates including breads, cereals, fruits and vegetables.
Eat regularly. Never miss a meal, especially breakfast.
Eat ordinary foods. There is no need for special, expensive or unusual foods or supplements.
Set realistic goals. Ignore wild diet claims. Expect to lose up to 1kg a week.
It is also important to consider genetics because they are the biggest influence on body shape. No matter what you do, most people will never look like Elle Macpherson. Most people with 'great' bodies are just plain lucky. But by making long-term lifestyle changes aimed at increasing health and fitness, you will enjoy life more.