Weight Loss | Health Articles | Principles of Effective Weight Loss

If you keep on gaining weight after dieting, stop! Don't even think about trying another diet, because it will most likely produce the same results you have already seen. Stop wasting your time, money and effort for nothing. Please have a look at the facts presented in this article and make your own decision.

Let's have a look at a few weight loss principles.

1. Increasing Your Metabolism

In order to produce Sustained, Permanent and Long-Term Weight Loss, it's imperative that you boost your metabolism. And the most effective way to raise your metabolism is to have a greater proportion of functional muscle on your body.

The only way to build this lean muscle so you can raise your metabolism is through "Strength Training". There's no other method that works wonders on the Metabolism like Strength Training. After a Strength Training session your body will undergo a significant increase or "Spike" in Metabolism, which will allow you to burn much more fat then you were able to before.

2. It's All About Lean Muscle

"The amount of fat the body can burn is directly related to the more lean muscle your body can hold."

If your muscle system can sustain more energy and use this energy significantly when performing strength training, then it will be able to burn off the calories you eat and the excess fat on your body. In other words, if your muscles become stronger and can hold more energy then you should be able to release this energy more efficiently to increase your metabolism, and to burn off excess calories that you have eaten.

Once we can build more lean muscle through our own strength, then our bodies will become more efficient at burning fat. It's also the amount of lean muscle on your body that makes you LOOK GOOD. Once you burn off the excess fat from your body, the lean muscle underneath your skin will be exposed making you look healthy, energetic, and well toned.

3. Fast Walking Burns Fat

All you need to do now is incorporate "Fast Walking" into your weight loss program to hasten the burning of excess fat. Not only is fast walking better and much easier on the hips, but it also produces a greater percentage of fat loss as opposed to jogging or running.

Here are some of the benefits of Fast Walking.

Easy to Perform
Most Conventional
All Natural Body Movement
Doesn't Cause Injuries
Can Be Done Anywhere
The Best Minimal Effort Exercise for Fat Loss

I can't stress enough how Fast Walking is necessary in every weight loss program.

Programming Strategies

If you want any weight loss program to work you have to perform "Strength Training". It's absolutely imperative during the course of a lifetime not only for weight loss goals but also
for general health and well being.

For years we have been told to diet the excess fat from our bodies and throw in some fast walking to hasten the process. The trouble with this is that the low calorie restricted diet
would throw the body into starvation mode, with the body holding onto the fat and using precious lean muscle tissue for energy.

This would "Lower Your Metabolism" causing greater muscle loss and once the diet was broken the original fat returned, you would have greater chance of gaining even more fat.

A Vicious Cycle

Eventually, your body would become used to the diet and then you will reach a point where nothing was happening. So what do you do now? Try weight loss supplements, creams, massage, toning tables, drugs? You should know by now that these don't work. There is a better way, it's simply... Strength Training.

Many studies are showing that Strength Training is a superior method for weight loss. (Ladies, you won't bulk up by using weights, you don't have the testosterone to get big and muscular, so don't worry).

If you don't incorporate Strength Training into your weight loss program then look forward to "disappointing results".

The days of strength training three to five days a weeks in the gym, an hour at a time are long gone. That just doesn't work. One short strength-training workout a week done at home or in the gym will melt away more fat than you would have ever thought possible.

Fats, Figures and Cardio Work

We've already found out that by increasing the functional muscle on your body, you increase your resting metabolic rate. Due to the HIGHER metabolic rate you can now eat MORE calories, which means that you won't need to starve anymore to lose weight. In a sense, fewer calories have to be cut back from our daily intake of food and successful dieting (provided that you eat the right foods) will become more likely.

As far as Fats are concerned, they're burned from the body when cells oxidize to release energy in the form of exercise. When exercise is done slowly to moderately for 20 to 30 minutes, then the majority of energy is TAKEN from the fat stores.

It's important to understand that the loss of fat comes from fat cells ALL OVER the body, NOT just from one or more specific areas. Therefore, fat reduction of a certain area is not
generally possible.

Mix up your cardio activities in the gym. Use the treadmill, bike, climber or any other training gear available to you. The best exercise for the purpose of fat loss is fast walking
either indoors on the treadmill or outdoors. Walk until you are mildly puffing and hold that rate for the allotted time.

If your cardio activities leave you panting or breathless ~ You are going too hard. Your energy will be then coming from your carbohydrate reserves and not from your fat stores.

Weight loss is not the big complicated mystery that some people or magazines and books will have you believe. It's really very simple and it can be all done in as little as ten weeks by following easy to follow, non-disruptive principles.

Nutrition For Weight Loss

The way to lose body fat and maintain muscle is to have a food program for life. Quality food and more energy output are the basics you'll need to go for. Bulk foods that fill you up and don't fill you out, foods that are low in fat and sugar which aren't refined should be the ideal.

Small frequent meals should be consumed during the day each containing a little protein to maintain muscle and energy levels. Foods with vital vitamin and mineral supplements should also be taken on a daily basis.

How can you determine how many calories you require

A quick and easy method to find out how many calories you require per day for weight loss and maintenance is to calculate a calorie value with a multiplier as set out below.

Weight loss = Multiply your bodyweight in pounds with 12 calories (12 x lb).

Maintenance = Multiply your bodyweight in pounds with 15 calories (15 x lb).

By decreasing the amount of calories you eat per day to the weight loss amount, you should start losing weight. Don't go any lower and check the mirror regularly to judge your progress.

If you don't have an accurate idea of how many calories your consuming a day, how will you know whether you're overeating or not?

Another word about diets... They'll send the body into starvation mode; a survival mechanism from long ago when humans faced periods of famine. Cutting your calories back to too low a level will cause the body to lower its metabolic rate, which reduces its ability to burn fat.

At the same time, hunger signals increase and we quickly start to crave high-energy foods loaded with fats and sugar. The same foods we are trying to do without.

Here are some great eating tips for you to consider:

Reduce both obvious and hidden fats.

Record food intake to identify problem areas.

Be aware of times when you over eat.

Avoid severe food restriction.

Monitor body fat levels, not weight.

Aim for moderate fat loss (one pound per week)