What Is the Difference Between Losing Weight & Losing Fat?

When most people say they want to lose weight, they really mean they want to reduce their body fat. If they really wanted to lose weight per se, their goal would be to reduce the weight of their bones, muscles, organs along with body fat … most likely not their real goal - or it should not be! Most of us want to preserve all but the body fat part.

So in reality, you want to reduce the amount of body fat you are carrying, but how much is healthy? If you are male, then you want your body fat to be around 10%; 15% for females.

Why the Scale is Your Worst Enemy

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If you are trying to lose body fat, weighing yourself every day is frustrating at best. Because the scale measures your total weight, it can fluctuate up or down every time you get on the scale.

When you first started to eat fewer calories, you probably showed a significant drop in numbers on the scale. But because carbs bind to water, lowering your carb intake reduced the amount of water in your body, so the real loss was not body fat, but water loss – the water had fewer carbs to attach to. If you start eating more carbs again, your weight will go up proportionately due to water hanging onto the additional carbs.

As a matter-of-fact, you can lose body fat, gain muscle and your number on the scale can remain the same, even though you now look better. Why? Because a pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat therefore your profile is much slimmer even though you weigh the same.

Measuring Body Fat

The only real way to measure body fat loss accurately at home is by measuring your girth in the same places each time with a pair of body fat calipers – the neck, chest, arms, waist and thighs. Your waist measurement should go down, but the rest of your measurements should go up.

Train for Success

The best overall workout strategy is a mix of cardio and strength training. Cardio burns more calories and thus speeds up fat loss, but it alone is not enough; without strength training, you’ll end up losing muscle. Through strength training, you’ll tone the muscle you have and build more. And because more muscle means you’ll burn more calories throughout the day, developing muscle mass is the key to long-term weight management.

Most likely your real goal of “losing weight” is to lose body fat and build muscle. Be sure to check back for our weekly workouts every Thursday to help you accomplish these goals!

The 2 Real Ways to Lose Belly Fat

While many “diet and exercise programs” would lead you to believe you can reduce belly fat by doing sit-ups, the cold hard truth is that you can’t. Reducing fat in just the abdominal area is touted as spot reducing, but the body does not work that way. The only way to lose belly fat is to reduce your overall body fat. In the process, a certain amount of fat lost will come from your abdominal area.

Body fat is your body’s “rainy day account”. During the good times when food is plentiful, we store fat so we have an excess supply to use as energy during the lean times. Unfortunately in many people, the belly is one of the first places fat gets stored.

The Value of Abdominal Exercises

As noted, doing sit-ups does no good as far as losing belly fat, but core and abdominal exercises do have benefits. A strong core means better posture and less potential for back problems. A strength training routine performed a couple times a week will greatly improve your ab strength and define your abs. After all, you want your “six-pack” to shine through once you lose your belly fat, right?

We know that to lose a pound of weight per week, you have to burn more calories than you consume - 3,500 to be exact. We also know there are really only two ways to have a calorie deficit, working out and eating foods lower in calories (or a combination of both which actually works the best).

1. Working Out

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To burn the maximum amount of fat, two things have to happen. One, you have to increase your heart rate by performing a warm-up routine so your muscles are getting the maximum amount of oxygen. Two, you have to exercise your body as hard as possible (while monitoring your target heart rate) by doing intense workouts, preferably of varying length. Short, intense workouts should be alternated with rest periods. This type of "interval cardio" workout will achieve maximum calorie burn, and boost your metabolism for ongoing fat loss. Be sure to vary the type and tempo of exercise that you do as well, to avoid the dreaded "plateau" effect.

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2. Eating Fewer Calories

Not all calories are created equal. Your focus should be on eating food low in processed fats, sugar, and carbohydrates, but high in fiber and quality protein. Such broad choices include fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain products, seafood, beans and grass-fed meats to name a few.  And don’t forget to add in some of the good fats - the poly and monounsaturated fats. These come from olive oil, fatty fish such as tuna and salmon, nuts and avocados. 

By lowering your overall body fat percentage, some of your loss will be belly fat. Keep it up, and you will be well on your way to that coveted "six-pack"!

3 Important Ways That Strength Training Helps Burn Fat

A vast majority of women who exercise regularly do not do it to enhance their flexibility, increase strength, or build muscle. They do it to keep their body fat percentage low. But what exactly is the best and most efficient way for women to lose weight? Is it spending as many hours as possible on the treadmill? Running for miles up a hilly terrain? Or could it be engaging in High Intensity Interval Training during your workouts?

While these 3 methods are effective in their own ways, there’s a secret fat loss weapon that many women are yet to discover - weight training, which also increases strength. Yes, lifting weights is the best way to go if you want to lose weight permanently and in the fastest way possible. But how does it work? Well, here’s a look at how lifting weights leads to significant loss of weight.

It Burns Calories Continuously

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The secret to losing weight is burning more calories than you eat. When the body stays in a calorie-deprived state for long, it starts burning through its own tissue for fuel. Weightlifting helps your body remain at a constant calorie-deprived state by initiating the burning of calories during and long after your workout routine.

Lifting gives you a great burn during exercise where a routine as simple and short as a circuit of eight moves can burn 160 to over 200 calories. Additionally, studies show that a well-designed weightlifting routine can elevate your metabolism by up to 39 hours after the workout. This is because after a weightlifting routine, muscles need energy to repair their fibers, which they get by burning calories. The heavier the weights you lift, the higher and longer your metabolism rate gets elevated.

It Triggers More Fat Loss

Most long-form cardio activity only burns calories during workouts, which means you do not get to burn fat when not exercising. With weightlifting, however, you burn a great deal of calories during and after your workouts. This translates to more fat burned between sets as well as during the workout itself.

It Increases Muscle

It’s no secret that weight lifting results in a direct increase in muscle mass. This is why many women steer clear from this form of training due to fear of developing a man-like muscular physique. What most women do not know, however, is that the more muscle you have to contract, the more calories you burn.

So, if you have a large percentage of muscle mass in your body, you end up burning more calories when you engage in any form of physical activity (be it lifting dumbbells, doing squats, or even the simple act of walking) than someone with low muscle percentage.

Whether you have struggled with weight loss for a while or simply want to tone up fast, strength training can help. Just make sure to avoid overdoing it and include a proper diet and aerobic training in the mix. This way, you’ll avoid injury and enjoy more profound and lasting results.

[Video] 4-Minute Fat-Burning Tabata Workout

Think you can't burn fat in 4 minutes? Think again!  With intense, challenging, Tabata training, you can train your body to burn fat all day - even after your (4-minute) workout is done.

In case you're not familiar with Tabata, it is an extra-intense form of high-intensity interval training in which each exercise is always done for 20 seconds at maximum intensity, with 10 seconds of rest in between each interval of exertion.

As with other forms of high-intensity interval training, it can include a wide variety of exercises, including burpees, push ups, jumping jacks, lunges, squats, and more. It may or may not include weights of some kind, but is often done like the one below, as a pure bodyweight workout.

You need absolutely no equipment for this workout, and it can be done anywhere, so let's get our workout done in 4 minutes!

Get More Great Tabata Workouts:

     

[Video] 15-Minute Fat-Burning Home Workout

Ready to burn off some of that extra fat? Throw this fast-paced bodyweight workout into your routine, and you'll burn fat fast, while getting a great full-body workout.

This workout requires no equipment, so you can do it anywhere, and it only takes 15 minutes, including a warmup and cool-down; now you have no excuse not to work out!

You don't have to join a gym this year to get fit. Just check back here every week for a new, fast, effective workout that will keep you in shape without spending hours exercising - and they're all FREE!  Bookmark your favorites for future reference, and rotate in a new one every week for added challenge and it will never get stale!

Now let's work out and burn some fat!

[Video] 30-Minute Fat Burning Cardio Workout

This intense fat-burning cardio routine will get you moving right away from minute 1, all the way through this awesome 30-minute workout. The energetic music will keep the beat going for you, while the the quick, no-nonsense instruction and countdown at the bottom of the video will make sure you know what you're supposed to be doing and when.

The workout consists of a 6-minute warmup, an 18-minute series of fun cardio moves to blast fat and burn calories while toning your entire body (with a 1-minute water break in the middle), and 5 minutes to stretch and cool down. Beginner modifications of each exercise are demonstrated by the girl on the far left.

This is a body-weight workout, so no equipment is required, although it is recommended that you wear good athletic shoes for this workout.

Now grab some water, and let's work out!

[Video] Crazy Intense 10-Minute Fat Blasting Workout

We let you off the hook yesterday, since we figured you'd be busy cooking and enjoying time with family and friends, but we're not letting you off the hook when it comes to staying fit through the holidays! You probably ingested at least a few extra calories yesterday, so today we're back with a super intense fat burning workout that WILL make you sweat and burn off some of those rolls and pie you ate!

This home fat burning workout is perfect for those who have always wondered how to burn fat fast but were stuck in the mindset of thinking that traditional steady state cardio was the answer. In fact, because of the involvement of multiple muscle groups that this workout provides over plain treadmill walking or running, you can expect to burn more calories per minute than you would otherwise. In fact, if you do this one a few times over the next few weeks, you'll have a great head start on keeping off the holiday pounds! Give it your best for these 10 minutes and you’ll see that your energy expenditure and caloric burn can be significant.

This high intensity home fat burning workout can be performed with absolutely no equipment and in very little space, so even if you're staying with family this holiday, you can still squeeze in a workout - no excuses!

Now, let's kick some fat butt!  :-)

Please Note: This is a high-intensity workout! You should consult with your doctor or personal trainer before attempting this workout, especially if you are at a low fitness level. Always listen to your body, and pay attention to proper form when performing each exercise to avoid injury.

The 9 Best Fat Burning Exercises for Women

If you're a busy woman who may be a mother, have a career and who still needs time left over for your partner, it’s not always easy to find time to exercise. It you're looking for fat burning exercises to fit that busy life, the best ones involve aerobic activity that gets the heart pumping quickly. Even a short 15-minute interval cardio workout can really help boost your metabolism and burn fat fast.

Here are some great exercises to try:

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at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

1. Running – Even though not everyone can practice running safely (check with your doctor first), running is still one of the best ways to burn a lot of calories fast. Try sprinting fast for twenty seconds, then jogging at a slower pace for a minute and repeat. Wear a sports bra and supportive fitness clothing especially made for women for added safety.

2. Fast Walking – A safer method of burning calories fast is walking quickly. There is a lot less impact, but you won’t be able to cover as much ground. However, the safety can’t be beat as you won’t cause any damage to your joints or internal organs with fast walking. You can also do this in intervals like you can with running, to help boost your metabolism.

3. Swimming – If you need a super low impact form of exercise that can burn a lot of fat, try swimming. But, you can’t just do any kind of swimming. Shoot for moves that cause you to use all of your body, your arms and your legs such as the butterfly stroke and the breast stroke, so that you can burn the most calories and fat with each movement.

4. Aerobics – You know the good old-fashioned dance aerobics that your momma used to do? It is popular for a reason: it works. It’s also fun to do and you can burn an enormous amount of calories in a short period of time if you make large, exaggerated movements.

5. Dance – Almost any sort of dancing is a great calorie burner. If you wonder why you were skinny “back in the day,” it is probably partly due to going out dancing on the weekend. Dancing is also a lot of fun to do! You want to do dances that cause you to breathe hard and sweat. Don’t be shy either; you don’t even need a partner. You just need good music and a little space in your living room!

6. Spinning – This is a type of bike riding where the bike doesn’t actually move, and you have a leader running you through the paces in super-fast intervals with fast intervals. This is for advanced exercise veterans and not for the infirm, as it is usually quite challenging.

7. Jumping Jacks – The exercise you did in PE during elementary school is actually an excellent fat burner. You need to make big movements and move quickly to get the full effect. Try doing three sets of 100 reps to get your day moving.

8. Jump Rope – This is an excellent way to burn fat for anyone - and it's really fun too! You can move very quickly and try different types of moves from jumping, to skipping, to one leg or two. Shoot for three sets of 100 reps.

9. Rebounding – Made popular by astronauts, this form of exercising which requires that the exerciser jump up and down on a small trampoline has great benefits outside of fat burning. It works every muscle in the body and burns an enormous amount of calories - twice as much as running in some cases, without the stress on the body. It's also a ton of fun, and will make you feel like a kid again!

Besides these exercises, ensure that you drink enough water, eat less fat, and watch your caloric intake. However, don’t cut your calories too much to avoid the starvation effect that causes your body to shut down its fat burning efforts.

[Video] Fat-Burning Home Interval Cardio Workout

Rev up your metabolism and burn fat fast with this 25-minute interval cardio workout. This bodyweight workout requires no equipment, so you can do it anywhere, anytime!

The workout does include a short warmup, and is done in 45-second intervals. Low-impact versions of each exercise are included in case you have joint problems, but do the full version if you are able.

Now let's get moving and burn some fat!

Use Your Own Body Weight To Achieve Real Fitness This Year

For some, getting in shape feels like it's the equivalent to climbing Mount McKinley in Alaska - a tiring, arduous task that not many people can accomplish. You might think that it's an impossible task because you're basing your thoughts on what hasn't worked in the past.

It's true that there are plenty of exercise methods that promise too much for your efforts, but actually deliver little in return. That's why so many people get upset and frustrated with working out.

There's no use in continuing to try something that's not working. The good news is that it's not you that was in the wrong. It was the method. The truth is that there are plenty of methods that simply don't work because they're not created with the average person in mind.

Bodyweight training, however, is different. It's the kind of method that anyone can use and it doesn't matter if you've settled into a sedentary lifestyle or if you're someone who already faithfully works out.

This method will still help give you the muscles you want, improve your shape and add long-term health benefits. You can do a variety of exercises that are intended for use with bodyweight training.

Some of these only require the use of your body because your body provides all of the resistance that you'll ever need. But what some people do to rev it up a notch is they add things such as ankle or wrist cuffs that are weighted.

These items offer an additional layer of resistance. So the user burns fat faster and it makes the body work harder. What some people fail to take into consideration, though, is that bodyweight training isn't a bandage.

You can't simply add it to your life to cover up habits that are going to derail you. For example, some people think that all they have to do is take part in exercises like bodyweight training and that will make up for oversized portions and unhealthy food choices.

But it doesn't. You can't out-run bad habits with added exercise. You need to have a method in place that not only burns calories but also builds lean muscle, and that includes better food choices.

For example, in the Bodyweight Burn program, you'll learn how to set up an effective routine that will cause you to lose weight, have energy and build muscle using bodyweight training.

You won't have to give up carbs or buy weird sounding foods. You can eat a normal diet, but you'll learn how to combine the foods you enjoy so that they work for your body instead of against it.

You'll learn how to keep off rebound weight. You'll also learn how to use cardio to burn fat. The program offers you step-by-step instructions on bodyweight training routines so that you can lose fat and gain muscle. You'll also learn what to eat and how to use your current program to get the fat loss results you want.

You can Check Out Bodyweight Burn Here....