Three Simple Tips to Burning More Fat

There really isn’t any secret to burning fat. It all comes down to two things: diet and exercise. But obviously there are hundreds of variations on these two things, and in order to maximize your fat-burning results, you have to do them the right way.

Here are 3 tips to get you on the right track:

1) Don’t Diet

Image courtesy of KEKO64 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

At least not in the traditional sense. When you restrict your calorie intake too much, your body senses you are going into starvation mode, so it responds by slowing down your metabolic rate in an effort to make the most of the food it is getting - which is the opposite of what you want.

Instead, eat more.

“What, I’m trying to lose weight and you are telling me to eat more?”

Yes, but you have do it right by eating healthy types and amounts of food. To keep your metabolism operating at peak efficiency, and to burn as many calories you can, eat six small meals, or three larger meals with a snack each in the morning and afternoon per day, consisting of fresh fruits and vegetables, protein, lean meats and just a few whole grains. This “diet” has a lot of bulk and will keep you full, but is not loaded with unhealthy processed fats, sugar and calories. 

2) Eat Breakfast

You’ve heard this before and it is still true – don’t skip breakfast. After sleeping all night, your metabolism is at its resting metabolism rate (RMR). It is working just hard enough to keep your body going. Unless you jump start it by giving it food to process within an hour of getting up, it will wake up slowly. The result is you could be missing out on several hours of increased fat-burning time. People who skip breakfast are 4 ½ times more likely to be obese.

Want more proof? People who got 22 percent or more of their calories at breakfast gained on average 1.7 pounds over four years. Those that got only 11 percent or less of their calories at breakfast gained 3 pounds – almost twice as much - during the same amount of time.

3) Get Up and Move!

This the other half of the fat-burning duo – exercise. And there are a couple of parts to it. The first part is the effects of extended sitting.

Researchers at Missouri University found that after sitting for 4 hours of more, your body reduces the amount of the enzyme responsible for burning fat and cholesterol. However, just standing up and moving about kicks it back in to high gear. If you have sit-down job, make sure you get up and move at least 5 minutes each hour.

The second part is the type of exercise you do and why it is important to your weight loss efforts. Cardio burns fat and the most calories, but usually just during the time you exercise; once you stop exercising, the calorie burn stops. In fact, if you do too much long-session cardio, your body can actually start to conserve fat and burn muscle instead!

However, strength training digs deeper and depletes the muscles of glycogen. So not only are you burning calories while exercising, but also afterward as your metabolism replenishes the energy source glycogen for your muscles.

Plus strength training builds muscle so you’ll also have a higher RMR and burn more calories while at rest. Of course the ultimate fat-burning program is a mixture of both cardio (preferably in short intervals) and strength training.

Stay tuned over the next couple of weeks, as we share some fun and easy ways to burn more fat while exercising.

Lifetime Fitness: Building a Healthier You

Many people end up abandoning perfectly good fitness programs and weight-loss regimens before they even lace up their sneakers.

Why? Because in a world filled with fast food, instant messaging, and the internet at your fingertips practically 24 hours per day, anything without a quick payoff goes against the grain of the typical American instant gratification ethic. While it would be nice to actually drop inches in just a few days like what most miracle fitness ads proclaim, managing weight and losing weight through physical fitness is a slow and steady process that takes time and commitment.

Physical Fitness (Photo credit: Justin Liew)

Setting weight management goals for yourself can be a good motivator. Gradual weight loss, for those people who wish to shed off some extra pounds, is usually the safest.

That is why health and fitness experts have come up with the idea of lifetime fitness in order to teach people set realistic goals. These lifetime fitness programs generate dietary regimens that cut your normal calorie consumption by 500 to 1,000 calories per day (usually gradually, and depending on your current weight and fitness goals) - or emphasize burning the same amount with exercise.

Lifetime fitness teaches you how to maintain a physically fit body and at the same time enjoy yourself and live a happy, contented life. It gives you the chance to strike a balance between the two (exercise and diet), and make exercise, be it team sports, cycling, or walking, something you will truly enjoy.

Lifetime fitness embodies the concept that making a long-term healthy lifestyle change is essential to keeping the pounds off once they are gone.

Here are some more facts about lifetime fitness:

1. Lifetime fitness programs offer you comprehensive and wide-ranging fitness and health support and guidance.

These fitness programs provide you with helpful methods of maintaining health, build up and encourage your competence, and take care of your family’s physical fitness as well.

Cover of Lifetime Fitness (4th Edition)

2. Because the goal of lifetime fitness is to provide you with long-term achievements as far as physical fitness is concerned, these programs utilize numerous types of fitness equipment that will tone and manage your health and different muscle groups throughout your body.

3. Lifetime fitness programs and centers also often provide nutritional products such as food supplements that will aid in the formation of good blood cells and tissues thereby helping your body obtain optimal health.

Lifetime fitness centers and programs may also provide you with up-to-date fitness magazines that offer substantial information about fitness and health, and inspirational stories as well. These articles will give you insight on how to bring balance and live a life that is healthy and fit.

Indeed, staying fit and healthy can be a long and winding road and there are instances when you may find your enthusiasm fading occasionally. Nevertheless, with the comprehensive programs provided by lifetime fitness plans, you can stay on the right track to a healthier you.

Making Use of Moderate Exercise to Get Fit

Have you ever felt tired and stressed out from work and then you get home and see your three children running towards you asking you to play basketball with them? But you refuse, and tell them you can't today because you're too tired - even though you feel bad about it.

Instead of disappointing your children, why not say, "yes" after all? You will be surprised by the amount of energy you will have after just 30-minutes of activity.

Walking the Dog. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Did you know that by exercising at a moderate pace for only 30 minutes, you will feel a lot better mentally? It has been proven that even 30 minutes of moderate exercise improves the appetite and sharpens your style in problem solving. Not only that, you may also find it easier to sleep at night.

Regular exercise also promotes self-discipline and has a positive impact how you perceive yourself and your life. Exercise helps in lifting your spirits and relieving depression.  And of course it strengthens your body and improves the function of all of your physical systems.

If you're just starting to exercise and your fitness level is low, you can start out with only 15 minutes for 3-4 days a week. You can increase the time you spend exercising once your body starts to adjust. But remember DON'T ever force your body! Listen to your body, be sure to warm up gradually, and stretch afterwards, and if something hurts then stop.

Here are some moderate exercises you can do and enjoy while improving your fitness level:

1. Go walking. Make use of your surroundings. In most areas walking is quite possible, and if it's not in your neighborhood, try a change of scenery and to go a local park. You can walk your dog, or with your partner or child. Encourage your family to do the walking exercise daily and you will find yourself burning calories while enjoying the surroundings and getting sunlight and fresh air that is also good for your body.

Cardiac yoga sample exercise (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2. Discover the wonders of Yoga. Yoga is one effective exercise that energizes not only your body but also your soul. Start out by learning a few of the basic yoga positions that are not too complicated but proven effective. A five-minute yoga exercise can perk you up and recharge your body and mind with energy. You relax and at the same time you stretch and strengthen!

3. Get engaged in sports. Play basketball, football, baseball, tennis or badminton. Many doctors have recommended sports as an effective way to stay fit and healthy. Sports can also be done in moderation. Just have fun, and you don't have to take it too seriously. Shooting basketball with a friend would be a great example of having fun while getting great exercise.

4. Join an exercise program at work. If you do not have an exercises program at work, then why not start one? You can talk to your boss about it and start with your colleagues. It can be a social time to get to know the people you work with better, and also encourage you to continue with your physical activity.

5. Take advantage of household chores. Gardening, raking leaves, lawn mowing, doing the laundry, vacuuming and car washing are effective moderate exercises you can do around the house. Make use of these chores to sweat and burn calories. Instead of using machines and gadgets to perform some of these chores, why not do it with your hands and lose some fat at the same time?

Making moderate exercise a part of your daily routine can burn a surprising number of calories, and start getting you fit before you know it. Just doing 30 minutes every day of these moderate exercises can burn anywhere from 150 calories up to 1,000 calories a day!