Losing weight is easy and everyone knows that. It’s a simple mathematical formula, about burning more calories than you eat. That seems simple enough, but if were really that easy, no one would have a weight problem. Successful weight loss comes through adequate preparation, planning and execution.
The weight loss industry is a billion dollar business and they are in the business of promoting and selling their weight loss products. Unfortunately they are not in the business of helping the public actually lose weight and keep it off. Simply put, if customers actually lost weight then there would be no weight loss industry.
To lose one pound of fat, you must burn approximately 3500 calories. It sounds like a lot but if one goes back to the basics they will see it’s simply about moving our bodies a little more. “Essentially, we know of no way to burn more calories or up our metabolism than to move more,” says Barry M. Popkin, PhD, director of the Interdisciplinary Obesity Program at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
So here are the things that have helped me lose the extra flab time and time again.
1. Exercise / Walking / Incline training
Make a daily commitment to exercise. Before the invention of planes, trains and automobiles we relied on our bodies. These days many people drive to a gym just to take a walk. Walking should be the most important part of your weight loss program. Walking up steps or a hill will burn nearly as many calories as running. Walking in your neighborhood not only helps your body but it helps your mind so many ways. Exercise, coupled with the right diet, can benefit you in many ways.
2. Make Healthy Food Choices
People who achieve weight loss success are usually quite aware about healthy foods. Dietary modifications should involve understanding healthy food choices, being aware of bodily signals for hunger and learning to pass up the unnecessary calories. Everyone knows the basic rules of keeping away from sugar, soda, candy and breads. Instead consume a diet filled with grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, healthy meats and oils.
3. Do Strength Training to Build Muscle
The most effective way to increase metabolism and burn more calories is by doing aerobic exercise along with strength training. Muscle tissue burns more calories, even when you’re at rest, than body fat. Ten pounds of muscle will burn 50 calories while a body is at rest, while ten pounds of fat will only burn 20 calories for a resting body. The largest muscles (and therefore the largest calorie burners) are in the abdomen, arms, chest, and thighs.
4. No Alcohol
Once alcohol is in your system, your body makes metabolizing it a priority. The reason for this is because unlike protein, carbohydrates, and fat, there is nowhere for alcohol to be stored in the body so it has to be metabolized first. During this process alcohol blocks the body from burning the essential carbs it needs. Any fats in the body are immediately stored because the system is backed up. As a result alcohol gives the body aggressive diarrhea because it’s depriving your body of essential minerals and water.
Again losing weight is extremely easy. Simply recognize that weight loss is a lifestyle change and commit to the effort. If you do so, you can expect a clear boost in energy within a few short weeks of working out. One can also experience increased self-confidence, better moods, reduced mental stress, smoother digestion, increased cardiovascular endurance, strength, flexibility, reduction in cholesterol and higher enthusiasm.
Here’s a handy list for daily weight loss.
Drink a large glass of water before eating. Use smaller plates and bowls for all meals. Eat all meals and snacks slowly. Chew gum and skip the dessert. Take the stairs, starting with a single flight and gradually increase. Walk, whenever possible. Look both ways, “Save the Planet and Save Yourself.”