We all want to look our best, especially for
swimsuit season during the summer months. But we also want results fast
and through the easiest way possible. The following tips and suggestions
are designed to support an overall healthy lifestyle and a realistic
weight loss plan so you maintain a healthy weight for the rest of your
life.
Count your calories
On average, women
require 2,000-2,100 calories per day to maintain their weight and men
require 2,700-2,900. The solution to safely lose weight is to consume
500 calories less per day than you need to maintain your weight. Doing
this, you can lose 1 pound per week since 1 pound of fat is equal to
3,500 calories.
Eat three small meals with one or
two high protein snacks spread throughout the day. You’ll maintain your
energy levels without feeling starved. A more severe calorie reduction
will lead to muscle breakdown, slowed metabolism, fatigue and quitting
your diet early.
When it comes to maintaining your healthy weight
over the long-term, most diets fail because any weight lost is
typically followed by an equal or greater weight gain. This is because
when you restrict calories, your body releases chemicals that trigger
your appetite to increase. You can fight this for awhile, but usually it
overpowers even the most determined dieter.
Tip: Eat 500 calories less per day than you would eat to maintain your weight and you can lose 1 pound per week.
Exercise to boost metabolism To
lose weight faster—up to 2 pounds per week—combine the reduction in
caloric intake with an increase in caloric expenditure through exercise.
By adding one hour of moderate to intense physical activity into your
daily regimen, you can burn 500 calories or more a day for an additional
3,500 calories less per week.
You can easily double
or triple your metabolic rate while you exercise by doing a simple
cardio workout or lifting weights. Doing weight-bearing exercises not
only increases your lean muscle mass, but increases your resting
metabolism as well, since your body burns more calories to maintain a
pound of muscle than a pound of fat.
If you work out in the
morning, you receive added benefits, including increased energy
throughout the day and increased metabolism (calorie burning) during
waking hours. In addition, research shows that people who train earlier
in the day tend to stick with their exercise program. Those who wait to
work out later in the day can miss them due to daily distractions.
Tip: Add at least 30 minutes of morning exercise to your daily regimen to burn more fat.
Time your meals to burn fat
Meal
composition and timing can play a big role in your ability to burn body
fat. Getting lean in a hurry is not only based on what you eat, but
also when you eat it.
If you do your cardio in the
morning, do it immediately upon waking without eating. You burn the same
amount of calories in the morning as in the evening for the same amount
of work. However, research indicates that the percentage of fat
calories burned during morning exercise, on an empty stomach, is
greater.
To maximize the benefits of cardio later in
the day, you should time your meals and minimize simple carbohydrate
consumption. Do cardio 2-3 hours after your pre-workout meal. Your
pre-workout meal should consist of protein with some low glycemic carbs
to minimize insulin spikes and to maximize fat burning.
After
your workout, if you delay eating any food for at least an hour, you
keep your body in the fat burning mode. Then eat a relatively low
glycemic meal.
Tip: To maximize fat burning, avoid eating for 2 hours before your workout and 1 hour after.
Eat protein to lose weight
When
it comes to shedding pounds, the amount of calories matters, but so do
the type of calories. While calorie impact has been controversial,
several recent studies point to protein’s convincing benefits on weight
loss. In one study, protein was increased from 15% to 30% of calories
and fat reduced from 35% to 20% (carbs remained constant at 50%). The
increase in protein was clearly associated with reduced appetite and
fewer calories consumed, which ultimately led to significant weight
loss.
In another study of dieters who lost 5-10% of
their body weight, the weight regain was less in the high protein group
compared to the normal protein group. The high protein group only gained
back 2 pounds of the weight that was previously lost compared to 7
pounds for the normal group. Not only was weight regain less in the high
protein group, they also gained only muscle and not fat.
Protein
also keeps your metabolism revved up. Several studies have shown
protein to generate more heat than carbs and fat. This means calorie for
calorie, more energy from protein is given off as heat and less is
available for storage as fat.
On restricted calorie
diets, rapid weight loss is usually a sign of muscle and water loss, not
fat loss. When your body is starved, it will naturally burn other
sources of energy, including muscle. Eating protein provides the amino
acids your body needs to prevent the breakdown of your own muscle. Make
sure you get 0.5-1 gram of protein daily per pound of ideal body weight.
Excellent
protein sources include skinless chicken breasts, egg whites, nonfat
dairy such as cottage cheese, lowfat fish such as tuna and a variety of
protein powders such as whey, casein or soy. Mixing a serving of whey
protein concentrate into water provides about 25 grams of protein, yet
only 4 grams of carbs. The best part is, it only costs about 50 cents,
making it more cost-effective than traditional protein foods.
Tip: Choose fast-digesting whey protein to burn more calories; use slow-digesting casein to help keep you feeling full longer.
MRPs make eating simpler Meal
replacements include protein shakes, powders or bars that replace a
normal meal. They are easy to use, require little if any preparation and
most importantly, provide structure to the daily eating plan. Using
meal replacements to assist in weight management has been examined in
several studies. In one study conducted over a 5-year period, overweight
subjects who consumed a meal replacement shake lost about 10 pounds
compared to others who gained 15 over the same time period, resulting in
a 25-pound difference in weight between them. The value of meal
replacements is the structure of having a prepared meal, which can
provide the needed motivation to reduce calories and enhance weight
loss.
Tip: Protein bars, shakes and meal replacements are perfect for breakfast, lunch or when you’re rushed.
Concentrate on good carbs Carbohydrate-rich
foods like potatoes, pasta and white rice are considered high glycemic
foods. Each stimulates your body to release insulin, which turns excess
carbohydrate into fat. Bodybuilders and endurance athletes like to
stimulate insulin release after a workout because insulin helps
replenish their muscles with carbohydrate. But when dieting, you want to
avoid insulin spikes. To stop insulin surges or spikes, avoid simple or
high glycemic carbohydrates. Shoot for 50-100 grams of carbohydrate per
day, depending on your weight. Your goal is to burn all the
carbohydrate from a single meal within a couple of hours. For the first
few days of your diet, eat as few carbohydrate-rich foods as you can.
After your first week, eat only low glycemic carbohydrates like lettuce
or salad greens, grapefruit and apples, which don’t stimulate rapid
insulin production or fat storage.
Tip: Cut back on carbs or eat low glycemic carbs to control insulin.
Eat fat to lose fat
Certain
fats are essential for your body—you can't live without them. Essential
fatty acids, or EFAs, help you feel full longer after meals because
your stomach empties more slowly.
Flax seed oil is an
economical source of EFAs. It’s great to add to protein shakes, salad
dressings or other foods. Because of its mild flavor, many people take
it straight from a spoon! Fish oils are also excellent sources of EFAs
and come in convenient capsule form.
By increasing your EFA intake
and decreasing your non-essential fat consumption, you make it possible
for your body to utilize more stored body fat for energy, getting you
leaner faster.
Tip: Add flax oil to a low carb protein shake to help you feel full longer.
Have a snack or two To
make sure you stay fueled throughout the day, it’s important to eat a
high-protein, low-carb snack between meals. Low carb bars are ones that
don’t affect your blood sugar levels. Some of their carbs come from
sugar alcohols like glycerine or maltitol. Low glycemic impact protein
bars, ready-to-drink shakes and lower calorie protein powders make
perfect snack options to give you that late-morning and mid-afternoon
energy boost.
Tip: Eat only half of your favorite meal replacement or protein bar to re-fuel your body without adding too many extra calories.
The skinny on fat burners
The
secret to healthy dieting is burning fat, not just losing weight.
Thermogenic diet products, also known as “fat burners,” are supplements
used to temporarily increase metabolism and energy. The term
“thermogenic” means “heat-creating” and refers to the general warming
that takes place when metabolism increases. Thermogenic supplements can
be especially useful for those transitioning from a sedentary lifestyle
into a more physically active one. They are best used to provide an
energy boost prior to your exercise session. They also counteract the
body’s natural tendency to slow your metabolism when dieting.
Some
examples of effective fat burners are ones that contain citrus
aurantium (bitter orange), caffeine, green tea (standardized for at
least 270 mg of EGCG per day) and/or yerba mate.
Green tea has
been widely studied for its effect on weight loss, especially for its
ability to increase metabolic rate and oxidize fat. In one study, green
tea extract containing 150 mg of caffeine and 270 mg of EGCG was shown
to increase metabolic rate by 4% over a 24-hour period. This increase in
energy expenditure equates to an additional 65-200 calories burned a
day, which over a period of one month, equals about 0.6-1.7 pounds of
fat loss—just from green tea alone!
Tip: Use a fat burner, preferably one that contains green tea, before workouts and meals.
Take a multi-vitamin It’s
difficult to get all the vitamins and minerals your body needs from
food alone. A well-rounded multi-vitamin supports your fat loss or
muscle building efforts and makes up for deficiencies in your diet when
eating less food.
Tip: Use a multi-vitamin and
mineral formula every day (minimum 3 per day). Take with the largest
meal of the day, preferably with one that includes some fat.
Throw out the scale
Losing
fat is the goal. A reasonable and safe amount of fat loss is 1-2 pounds
a week. Any more than that is probably not just fat loss, but muscle
and water loss. Not only is your body weaker after losing muscle, but
your metabolism slows.
The key to measuring how
successful you’ve been at losing weight is not to worry too much about
your actual weight, but to monitor how your clothes fit.
If you
need to check your progress to keep motivated, use a tape measure to
measure inches lost or a special scale that estimates body fat.
Remember, don’t just count the pounds!
Tip: Gauge your success by your waistline, not the scale.
Plan a cheat day When
your diet becomes so restrictive that you can’t go out to dinner, visit
friends or enjoy a hotdog at a ball game, your chances of staying on
the diet are very slim. Allow yourself one meal a week to eat any way
you choose. Be flexible and reasonable with your diet program. Eating
more calories one day a week may actually help your chances of success
by preventing your metabolism from recalibrating to a lower set point.
Tip: When you splurge, use a carb and fat inhibitor to help minimize the damage a carb or fat-laden meal can do to your diet.
As
with any new program, to ensure success, it’s important to be
consistent in your diet and workout routine. Before you know it, you’ll
see that your efforts are paying off, every time you look in the mirror.
