FAT LOSS:
The Truth on Fat Loss and how to Achieve it!
Fat Loss in General
This morning I conducted a search engine "search" on the word fat loss. "Fat Loss" and "Fat Loss Supplements", being the most popular keywords, came up with a combined 1800 links, in one search engine. I went to the next search engine I ran a word count on "fat loss" rather than a link count. The results came up as 46106! WOW! Why is it that fat loss / losing body fat related information and products are so much in demand, yet obesity and being overweight are on the up and up, and are actually at the highest rate ever. With the health and fitness industry booming it seems absurd that this is occurring. Doesn't it?
Temptation and Obstacles Effecting Your Attempts at Fat Loss
The fact is that losing body fat or fat loss is not easy. We are tempted every day with fast fatty and sugary foods with super deals of quick easy meals involving drive through access and home delivery. These fast food meals are "fast" and often "affordable" with meal deals for a family of four sometimes costing under $10 - $12. Who wouldn't pass this up! Before you know it, it's the end of the day, the family is hungry, dinner time is drawing nigh and your beat. I can fully understand why people choose this option when our lifestyles are so hectic.
The Alcohol "Social and Relaxation" Temptation
An odd heading for this paragraph, I know, but I needed to draw your attention to the fact that alcohol will not help your fat loss efforts. I know we hear the saying so often that "doctors say that it's healthy to have one or two wines per day", however this is in regards to the properties of red wine assisting in the prevention of clogged arteries - not a fat loss miracle! If red wine is necessary for medicinal purposes and
prescribed by a doctor then obviously your health comes first. However the topic here is fat loss........................
My views are "everything in moderation". BUT I DO KNOW THAT if you want to make a genuine effort to lose body fat that a couple of alcoholic drinks per day could easily effect your fat loss attempts. So unless
yours is the case above then I would seriously think about "cutting back".
Since I began as a trainer years ago I have found that it is usually junk food or alcohol that prevents my clients from losing body fat. Just going without those few EXTRA drinks after work or consuming less alcohol at social gatherings will make a considerable difference to how much body fat you lose.
Quit Fooling Yourself
Do not fool yourself by thinking that if you just fat burn or exercise for one extra session per week you can rid yourself of all those extra calories and fat from alcohol and food. Unfortunately our bodies aren't that easily fixed.
Why Most People Don't Succeed at Losing Body Fat
Other than the temptations mentioned above people tend not to succeed at fat loss because they are either not committed, not well informed on fat loss or they are committed for the wrong reasons. In other words you either aren't abiding by the rules, or have been mislead by some other belief or you are trying to lose body fat because you are trying to keep other people happy by doing so rather than yourself.
Making Sure You are Trying to Lose Body Fat to Please YOU, Not Everyone Else.
Think about why it is you want to lose body fat. Make sure you really want to put in 100% effort.. You want to feel great about making this decision not obliged to do it. Losing body fat can help increase your self-esteem as well as boosting your health so giving it your best shot with a positive frame of mind is always the "way to go".
Things that You Should Do Before You Get Started!
First you may want to make notes on what time of the day, when and where that you will most probably find it the most difficult to stick to this program. If, say for instance, "calling in at the drive thru for fast food on the way home from work or picking the children up" is where you find that you are most likely to go wrong then be prepared for it by making the appropriate changes. eg Having a meal which is already partly prepared in the fridge so that it will only take an extra 10 - 15 minutes to cook. Being
organised with food preparation is very very important. It is exhausting coming home after a long day and
realising you have to then organise something for dinner (amongst other things) You can bet the children would jump for joy if you offered them Mac's - so you do - at least there is no washing up the dishes after dinner either...Sound familiar?
Re-orgnanising Your Lifestyle - Don't Make it Difficult on Yourself!
Re-orgnanising your lifestyle may be quite a challenge for most people and families. But if you want to succeed at fat loss I am sure you want to be able to do it without tearing your hair out. Your goal is to re-arrange and plan your day so that you, your family and your new lifestyle can run smoothly. Such as planning your low-fat meals and recipes in a diary. Planning your grocery shop with a shopping list to prevent you from buying unnecessary junk food is also a great idea. Pre-preparing meals, making appointments for your exercise time slot etc all needs to be written into your appointment book or diary. You can tick each appointment off as the day progresses. When planning your shopping list remember, that unless you have the time, don't go getting all creative with lowfat banquets etc for lunches and dinner. Choose simple to prepare ingredients and meals.
What Exercise Should I be Performing to Burn Body Fat?
There seems to be a lot of controversy over what to do and what not to do when it comes to "fat burning" exercise. Mostly it depends on your fitness level and if you have any type of injuries, back pain or medical conditions that may affect what you can and can't do. Make sure you check with your doctor first before starting any type of exercise or eating program, so he / she can indicate and provide you with a letter verifying that it is "ok" for you to start exercising and at what level.
Different Types of Exercising for Fat Burning
Treadmills, indoor cycles, cardiovascular machines etc any of these are great for performing fat burning exercise, provided your doctor says it's cool to go ahead with it. If you enjoy being outdoors then walking and cycling are also great. Finding a program that suits your bodies needs and fitness level is important. Make sure you add variety to your fat burning program as you advance adding hills, inclines and speed rather than increasing the time. A reasonable time for fat burning is approx 20 - 30
mins.
You should also know that if you increase the time of your fat burning session, and not the intensity and other variations, you will find that as you advance your program your sessions may become too long. This will only encourage you to think that your exercise is becoming too time consuming and a chore - which will lead you to "throwing in the towel". So keep up the variety to keep it interesting.
The Wrong Program for You: A Common Mistake that Leads to Lack of Fat Loss
Have you ever read a successful fat loss story that you, and everyone else you know, tried only to find that it didn't work that well for you or them? Did you stop to think that maybe the person in the success story had their program specifically designed for their body type, not yours! If you really want to "kick some fat loss butt" you need a program that is designed to suit your body type and fitness level. Don't expect super results from a program that someone else used, remember they may have had a different metabolism, fitness level, body shape and eating program to you, which makes it very difficult for you to reach the same levels of
fat loss as they did.
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The Benefits of Stretching
"I never stretch, I don't have enough time and I can't be bothered lying around all over the floor stretching when I am in a hurry to get home from the gym?" Sound familiar?! I hear it often! And even though it sounds funny when you hear it out aloud, it is often the case for many people when training. I can't tell you enough how important stretching is. As stupid as stretching may look it plays a major part in assisting healthy training results and gains.
Stretches help prevent injuries while training PLUS increase flexibility.
How? By making your muscles more flexible by lengthening them. For example, when you perform a bicep curl you bend your arm and raise your hand towards your shoulder. When you watch this movement you will see the bicep muscle shortening. When you extend your arm back to starting position it would be lengthening your bicep muscle.
Often when muscles have been trained hard, or if they haven't been trained in years (that is lack of exercise in general) they tend to seize up, contract / shorten when you do put them under strain such as moving house, playing an occasional game of football at the park etc. So stretching these muscles helps lengthen them to give your body and limbs a better range of motion or movement.
When was the last time you either trained or did something strenuous to the point where your muscles were sore for days? Remember the sheer pain you went through? That's your muscles contracting. So you need to stretch or lengthen them to help repair them and increase flexibility.
About Increasing Your Flexibility
As you already know we are born with fantastic range of movement when it comes to flexibility. Eg baby sucking it's toes etc. So what happens? Most of us don't bother to keep up with that type of range of movement as we get older, which means we lose our flexibility. When you think about it the average person doesn't exercise that much at all, let alone going out of their way to train for flexibility.
Dancers and Gymnasts undergo large amounts of training and stretching to increase and maintain flexibility, as do athletes. You may have seen sports people at events or games where they have performed a warm up (say a jog for instance) around the oval. They warm their muscles up, then stretch them. This offers them better flexibility while they are playing and prepares their muscles for the game ahead. They will then perform stretches after the game as well.
About Stretching
There are many types of stretches from partner stretches to sports specific stretches. What ever your activity, it is important to make sure you take a small amount of time out, while your muscles are still warm, to stretch. Try not to stretch on cold muscles because you may damage them further if they are already sore and injured. I could go on about the benefits of stretching for pages, so instead of rambling on, I have just given you a general explanation so you gain a better understanding of why it is so important to REMEMBER TO STRETCH!
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Deciding What Fat Burning Exercise Equipment You Need
If you are not sure which cardiovascular machine you need or want to purchase then take a look at the following article. Hopefully this will assist you in making the right choice for your fat burning needs.
Treadmill
The Treadmill is very versatile and is pretty much top of the list when it comes to cardiovascular equipment. It suits all types of fitness levels and can be used for everything from fat burning, walking programs, running to fitness testing. There are loads of varieties of treadmills but you need to choose one that suits your needs best, otherwise you won't use it and it will only gather dust. (sound familiar?)
1# Best Choice Treadmill
For a good allround treadmill, which will cost a bit extra to hire or purchase, go for the following functions when shopping around. Motorised - don't buy manuals because you probably won't use it after the first week. (If you have high blood pressure or a heart condition manual treadmills may put too much stress on the heart)
For an easy to use treadmill go for functions that are all located on the front console of the treadmill, where the screen is. Speed Function, Incline Function for which you can use for "hills and intervals", Manual, Hills, Interval Programs and a Fitness Test Program if possible too. The Pulse rate Function is optional, although I do recommend it if you are very unfit or have any medical conditions.
If you have got these functions you are "set". These basic functions, which most motorised treadmills have, offer heaps of variation for your workouts and for you to advance with your "cardio" program. If you are of a more advanced level such as an athlete you will need to spend extra $$$ to ensure the treadmill caters for an athletes needs.
You can also get motorised treadmills where you have to get on and off the treadmill to adjust inclines etc and where you need to use a handle to wind up the speed. However I have found that, in general, these manual type functions tend to interrupt the cardiovascular session which usually leads to the treadmill being shoved in the junk room of your house and not being used at all. These treadmills are not suitable for running or jogging either.
Indoor Cycles
Indoor cycles are also fantastic and don't take up much room in the house either. Some of them are more light weight than others too, which is convenient when you need to move the cycle from one room to another. This cardiovascular machine can also be used for fitness testing, fat burning and fitness in general. The best part is you don't need to be an experienced cyclist to use one.
1# Best Choice Cycle
Semi-recumbent cycles are great. The seats are like a normal chair "seat" and you can stretch your legs out further. They aren't as hard to lower yourself onto as the fully recumbent cycle. Requirements: Full function console including programs and heart rate monitor. If you don't mind changing the intensity yourself and would prefer to save yourself some $$$ go for semi-recumbent with an intensity dial.
Indoor Upright Cycle. A stationery exercise bike, similar to a normal bike with a narrow seat. Basic Requirements: Rpms and intensity dial. You can usually purchase or hire these quite cheaply. As the price is normally fairly low it'd be worth your while to find out how much extra it is for an indoor upright cycle with functions and programs - don't forget the pulse rate monitor.
Fully-recumbent cycles are also fantastic but can be difficult to lower yourself onto if you have back problems. They also have a large seat and are normally found at most health clubs or for hire. The fully recumbent are quite a bit more expensive than the semi-recumbent, from what I have experienced anyway. Requirements: Rpms and programs essential as these things cost an arm and a leg, so you want to make sure you get your money's worth. Pulse rate Functions are important. Make sure the programs have hills and intervals. The same rules apply for other cardiovascular equipment. Make sure if you are paying big dollars that you have a full function console that contains all programs plus a heart rate monitor.
Steppers
I don't recommend steppers for beginners, extremely overweight, overweight, low-level fitness or people suffering from lower back pain, heart and or blood pressure conditions. Why?
1 Your heart rate can be raised too high without making much of an effort
2 It can be quite difficult to use when starting out and can be quite off-putting.
3 Most people rock their hips by taking large steps which effects their lower backs and encourages lower back pain.
4 As people tire very quickly on the stepper they tend to either half hang off the equipment from exhaustion or round their backs to the point where they are only causing themselves the risk of injury.
Don't get me wrong - Steppers can be fun, but you need to make sure that correct posture and technique is carried out at all times as well as being at a more advanced fitness level.
Other Equipment
As you may have already seen in the shops and on the net the options for cardiovascular exercise equipment seems to be never ending. If you really get stuck you can ask your doctor what he/she recommends for now and you can go ahead and hire, rather than purchasing equipment until you have made up your mind. Basically the above is a brief overview of just a few of the many types of equipment available for use.
WHAT DO I DO IF MY BIKE, TREADMILL OR CARDIOVASCULAR EQUIPMENT DOESN'T HAVE PROGRAMS?
You can still perform your cardiovascular programs, you just need to improvise. Hills: Slowly increase the intensity as if you were walking or riding etc up a hill, so it will gradually get harder and harder. Stop at a higher intensity then gradually decrease the intensity. Repeat this sequence. Incline functions are perfect for this as they give the impression of walking or riding up a hill. Intervals: Dramatically swapping and altering inclines and speed. You can increase the speed, then slow it down while at the same time decreasing and increasing the inclines. You can create your own variety of combinations. Manual: This is a steady pace which is not altered in any way, with the intensity staying the same throughout the program. I often call this "flats" as you aren't increasing the incline.
Things You will Need to Keep in Mind
Make sure you tell the sales consultant if you have any injuries or medical conditions that may affect what type of equipment you require eg Such as knee or joint injuries or high blood pressure, lower back pain etc. You should ask your doctor too if he / she recommends any specific equipment if you require rehabilitation. Always make sure, whether you have any medical concerns or not, that you check with your doctor before starting any type of exercise program.
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How to Beat Late Night Snacking!
Do you find that eating the right foods and exercising just falls into place for you during the day, but as soon as the clock strikes 9.30pm you are raiding the cupboards for your late night "munchies" fix?
For most folks this time of the night is when you finally get the opportunity to put your feet up and relax - you are relieved to be able to just have some "time out" from the stresses at work, home, family and study. However enjoyable this time-out may be it can have it's downfalls.
So how do you know when your late night snacking is becoming out of control?......
When you have got to the point where you can't sit down and watch tv without having food, of any kind, to help you enjoy your favorite tv show? But don't worry because if this sounds like you then you are not alone.
I can tell you now, though, that if you are battling with your efforts to get into shape that continual late night snacking will absolutely trash your chances of reaching your training goals.
So if you're keen to beat this habit then read through the following steps to help you nip late night snacking in the bud!
1. If you include weight training in your health and fitness program then have a protein shake, rather than pulling out a bag of crisps. Believe me, once you have swallowed a glass full of this you won't feel like eating a thing. On top of this you will be helping your muscles repair while you are sleeping, thus increasing your muscle tone, and improving your metabolism.
2. Eat more food during the day! Often when you late night snack you feel too sick in the morning to eat breakfast because you are still feeling full. Remember you should be aiming at around 5-6 smaller meals per day. By eating regularly throughout the day you won't be so eager to tear the pantry doors off after everyone has gone to bed.
3. Is there something else you could be doing while watching tv. Make a list of things that need completing that you could be doing at the same time to take your mind off eating. I train while I am watching tv, and so do quite a few other people that I know, not just because we are short for time, but to help prevent late night snacking.
4. Do you really need to be watching tv? If you know that doing this is the only thing that is blocking your way of reaching your health and fitness goals why keep doing it every night. Find a hobby, take up an activity of some kind. Keep the tv watching to a minimum.
5. Don't buy junk food. As you know chips, dips and confectionery don't just "appear" magically in your food cupboard. The only reason you are snacking on junk is because you made the choice to purchase the junk food and put it in your pantry. If it's not there you won't eat it will you?
6. If you occasionally want a snack why not eat low fat snacks instead. Just remember though that even if the snacks are low fat - they may be loaded full of salt!
7. Make the effort to break the cycle! It's up to you to take action and the make the decision to do something about your late night snack habits. Remember habits can be broken and replaced with new habits. And to create a healthy habit you just need to stick to, and repeat, your new plan until it becomes "routine'. Once you see the difference it makes to your health and fitness results, not only will this help motivate you to continue, but you'll be kicking yourself that you hadn't done this earlier.
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10 STEPS: EATING TO REDUCE BODY FAT!....PAIN FREE!
1. Don't drive yourself nuts running away from cravings
I am not saying pig out on junk every time the thought pops into your head but on those occasions where you just can't function because you are dreaming of that Mars Bar you so desperately need then by all means buy one, eat it and get the craving out the way so you can get on with life.
2. Work with your hunger pains
Many folk seem to think they are gaining results from suffering away listening to their tummies rumbling, feeling sick and dizzy from not eating, convincing themselves that they must be losing tonnes of body fat. WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!
By causing your body to starve you are actually encouraging your body to store the food you consume as well as slowing down your metabolism.
Take note of the time you are hungry and plan your meals so you have something on hand. Remember if you're training regularly you should be eating up to 5-6 nutritious meals per day.
3. Do you have phobia towards fat?
Do you avoid meat, eggs, dairy products and any thing else that might have fat? If you do then you're going to have to smarten up because it will cause you more grief and could deter those much wanted fat loss results.
Lean Red meat and poultry, fish, egg whites and low fat dairy products play a major role assisting with providing your body with the "goods" it needs to build strong healthy muscles.
As for junk food well there is nothing wrong with having a day off your healthy eating plan once per week, in fact it can help boost your metabolism by shocking it!
4. Using veggies and salad to your advantage
Rather than filling up on rice, pasta, potato and bread for all your meals take advantage of the great recipes and the variety that veggies and salad offer. Not only do they fill you up but they don't rely on as much flavoring to make
them taste good. PLUS they don't have any where near as many calories.
Your evening meal is a perfect example of how this can help you reduce body fat.
Due to our lack of activity in the evenings, consuming less calories is a better fat loss option than consuming heavy rice and pasta dishes, especially when all you are going
to be doing is sitting and sleeping.
5. Drink lots of water!
To keep you hydrated and feeling refreshed.
6. Have fun with your protein intake.
If you battle with consuming enough protein then find a protein shake, bar or meal replacement that you find convenient and the enjoy the taste of. If you get bored with your protein shakes or bars just change the flavors and even brands. Hey - you may as well take advantage of the massive range of exciting new protein options available.
You also have the option of mixing vanilla protein shakes with yogurt and other low fat dairy products to help make them more enticing. There are loads of protein shake recipes on the net so head to google.com and do a search on them. You will be surprised just how many you find - especially if you like chocolate protein shakes!
7. Battling with Calories reduction? Mix it up for some variety!
Why not cycle your calorie intake? As most of you know reducing your calories by 10 - 15 % can help break that plateau .... but then what do you do when your body gets used to that?
Well you mix up your calorie intake by reducing it by 10% for one week, then 0% for the next, 5% the following week and 15% the week after. Keep your body guessing while also stimulating your metabolism.
8. Keep your portion sizes simple
If you use "gram portions" with your meals and find that your eating program falls by the wayside because you don't have time to weigh your food etc then use "portions sizes or comparisons" to quickly calculate the size of your meals.
A deck of cards is a great way to gauge a portion size. Find something on hand that is close to the size of the amount of food you require for your portions so you can have it handy and compare it. It's faster and helps the reduce the hassle of preparing meals.
9. Add variety to your meals
Not long ago I wrote an article on "spicing up". your food. Why not introduce new Indian, Italian, Mexican and Asian dishes into your eating program to help keep those taste buds happy.
10. FRIENDS AND FOOD
You may think that this is old fashioned - but it works and it's fun.
Why not have a "bring and share" food bash. Have everyone bring over their favorite low fat casserole / dish / salad / whatever. Socialize more with your food and make it fun. You will be surprised at just how many wonderful low fat cooking ideas can arise from an bring & share
dinner.
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TONING YOUR TROUBLE SPOTS: "The Do's and Don'ts"
Do YOU have a body part that makes you insane because you can't seem to shape it, tone it or reduce it!
Has it got to the point where it ruins your summer or affects everything from the clothes you wear to reducing your self esteem!
Then here's some "do's and don't" on how to ensure your trouble spots don't get the better of you!
1. A big mistake that most folk make when trying to fix a trouble spot is that they take off to the shops and buy the first butt or abs video etc that they can get their hands on.
Well guess what - this ain't gonna fix it if you aren't creating lean muscle mass all over (you need to train all body parts, not just your butt, thighs or abs etc) and reduce your body fat.
2. How many times have you performed exercises on a trouble spot and it just got bigger?
As well as training all your body parts you also need to realise that if this area is a spot where your fat stores the most, it will probably bulk up fairly quickly if you are performing the wrong exercises for your needs.
There are all kinds of exercises that you can do for each of your body parts. Some will create more muscle mass, and are great for building up muscle, and others are excellent for shaping. Go for shaping exercises when it comes to areas like your thighs and butt.
3. I don't know how many times I have heard myself say this but if you aren't eating correctly to suit your program and body shape then don't expect miraculous results cause you won't get them.
If you're consuming an eating plan that actually increases the bulking up of a trouble spot area rather than helping reduce it then you are going to be very frustrated, along with kicking yourself for wasting time and money on a plan that doesn't suit your needs!
4. If you are wanting to "tone" - then train for toning.
Over the years I have seen women, especially, upping the weights on machines, or with free weights, on areas that are their trouble spots, performing around 8-10 reps at a time, if that, because the weights are so heavy. They then whine that their butts and thighs are getting bigger.
Around 15 reps (and up to 20) per set, using light weights, is the best solution for toning. Using heavy weights and less reps of around 8 is aimed more for building muscle.
You also need to keep this in mind when training for body shaping. For example: If you are A-framed small shoulders and upper body, with your fat storage areas being your thighs and butt) then building up these areas with heavy weights will only make your body appear out of proportion.
5. Are you relying on cardio alone to fix your trouble spots?
Well believe it or not this is often the case. So many people treadmill or bike it for 50 - 60 mins a day waiting for those trouble spots tone up. Instead they lose size and the trouble spots just become floppy.
Resistance / weight training and cardio need to work hand in hand to create a lean and toned appearance. By performing hours of cardio and no weight training your muscle will start to deplete - as your muscle will burn off. This basically defeats the whole purpose of toning because it's actually your muscle that creates the toned effect once the body fat is reduced.
If you want to successfully conquer your trouble spots then get a program that includes a low fat eating plan, cardio and weight workout that are created to suit your body shape and trouble spots. It will get you into shape a whole heap sooner and save you a bucket load of wasted time and cash. The sooner you get stuck into a program
that's correct for you the sooner you will successful
results.
Make the effort this year to start it off with an effective program designed for success rather than beating around the bush for another 12 months.
Go kick some trouble spot training butt!
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The World Is Tuning In to the Ancient Art of Yoga
Whether on Oprah, the cover of Time magazine, or at your local gym, yoga is flowing into the mainstream. More than just a trend, however, it appears that yoga is here to stay. It's not surprising, considering that yoga is over five thousand years old-and a science in and of itself. The main reason why more and more people are buying yoga books and videos and rushing off to yoga studios is because yoga actually works. Yoga not only strengthens and sculpts the body, but it has also been shown to benefit internal organs like the heart, kidneys, and lungs and systems like digestion, circulation, and metabolism. Practitioners are reporting that whether they start doing yoga to look better or to feel better, they are seeing both results.
Another aspect of yoga that puts it a cut above other forms of exercise-and may explain why it has such staying power-is the effect it can have on the mind. Studies show that yoga can greatly reduce levels of stress and anxiety, especially if you meditate afterward. In fact, many practitioners claim to feel "blissed out" after an invigorating yoga session.
Wai Lana, world-renowned yoga teacher and host of the internationally aired TV series says, "By helping your mind and senses detach from the things that agitate them, yoga and meditation can help you achieve a real sense of peace. These days, people usually start doing yoga to get into shape, but they keep doing it because it makes them feel good."
Information provided by
www.wailana.com Wai Lana is the foremost authority on yoga, hosting the world's most-watched show, Wai Lana Yoga, which airs on five continents, including nationally in the U.S. on PBS, cable and satellite.
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