How to Lose Weight - The Basics of Weight Loss

 

At it's most basic, losing weight is about burning more calories than you eat. That seems simple enough, but if were really that simple, none of us would have a weight problem. Too often we take drastic measures to see results -- diets, pills or those weird fitness gadgets on infomercials that promise instant success. Maybe you lose weight but what happens when you go off that diet or stop that crazy workout program? You gain it all back and more. The real secret to weight loss is to make small, lasting changes. The key is to forget about instant results and settle in for the long run.

Rules of Weight Loss

To lose one pound of fat, you must burn approximately 3500 calories over and above what you already burn doing daily activities. That sounds like a lot of calories and you certainly wouldn't want to try to burn 3500 calories in one day. However, by taking it step-by-step, you can determine just what you need to do each day to burn or cut out those extra calories. Below is a step by step process for getting started.

1. Calculate your BMR (basal metabolic rate). Your BMR is the amount of calories your body needs to maintain basic bodily functions like breathing and digestion. This is the minimum number of calories you need to eat each day. Keep in mind that no calculator will be 100% accurate, so you may need to adjust these numbers as you learn more about your own metabolism.
2. Calculate your activity level. For a week or so, keep an activity journal and use a calorie calculator to figure out how many calories you burn while sitting, standing, exercising, lifting weights, etc. throughout the day. Another, easier option is to wear a heart rate monitor that calculates calories burned. After a week, add your totals for each day and average them out to get a general idea of how many calories you burn each day.
3. Keep track of how many calories you eat. For at least a week, enter and track your calories online (e.g., with Calorie Count) or use a food journal to write down what you eat and drink each day. Be as accurate as possible, measuring when you need to or looking up nutritional information for restaurants, if you eat out. After a week, add your totals for each day and average them out to get a general idea of how many calories you eat each day.
4. Add it up. Take your BMR number and add your activity calories. Then subtract your food calories from that total. If you're eating more than your BMR + your activity calories, you're at risk for gaining weight.

Example:

Mary's BMR is 1400 calories and she burns 900 calories with regular exercise, walking around and doing household chores. To maintain her weight, she should be eating 2300 calories (1400 + 900= 2300). However, after keeping a food journal, Mary finds that she's eating 2550 calories every day. By eating 250 more calories than her body needs, Mary will gain about a pound every 2-3 weeks.

This example shows how easy it is to gain weight without even knowing it. However, it's also easy to lose weight, even if the process itself can be slow. You can start by making small changes in your diet and activity levels and immediately start burning more calories than you're eating. If you can find a way to burn an extra 200 to 500 calories most days of the week with both exercise and diet, you're on the right track. Try these ideas:

Instead of...	Do this...
An afternoon Coke	Drink a glass of water. (calories saved: 97)
An Egg McMuffin	Eat a small whole wheat bagel +1 Tbsp of peanut butter (calories saved: 185)
Using your break eat sweets	Walk up and down a flight of stairs for 10 minutes (calories burned: 100)
Hitting the snooze button	Get up 10 minutes early and go for a brisk walk (calories burned: 100)
Watching TV after work	Do 10 minutes of yoga (calories burned: 50)

Total Calories Saved: 532 (based on a 140-pound person)

How Much Exercise Do I Need?

Exercise is an important weight loss tool, but how much you need varies from person to person. The guidelines recommend at least 250 minutes per week, which comes out to about 50 minutes, 5 days a week. If you're a beginner, start small, for example with 3 days of cardio for 15-30 minutes, gradually adding time each week to give your body time to adapt. Learn more about getting in shape and getting started with exercise.

http://exercise.about.com/cs/weightloss/a/howtoloseweight.htm

Exercise Intensity: How Hard Should I Exercise to Lose Fat or Weight?

Are you confused about how hard you have to exercise to lose weight? The truth is that low intensity exercise, moderate intensity exercise and high intensity exercise all play an important role in a well-designed weight loss or fat loss programme. What matters is how you combine all three to create effective workouts.

If you are going to put in the time to exercise, you want to make sure you reap the maximum rewards. Learn the benefits of each exercise intensity and then learn to combine them to build a workout program that is safe, enjoyable and effective.

What is Low Intensity Exercise?

Some of your daily physical activity could be categorized as low intensity exercise. If you take your dog for a walk, go bike riding with the kids, or stroll to the grocery store to pick up dinner these things might be considered low intensity exercise.

Low intensity exercise increases your heart rate but not to the point that you have to breathe heavily. On a perceived exertion scale of 1-10, low intensity exercise would rank between 4-6. Your heart rate during this type of activity would fall between 40-60% of your maximum heart rate. You should feel comfortable enough that you can continue the activity for a long period of time.

Benefits of low intensity exercise. The value of this kind of low-key activity is that you can do a lot of it. Low intensity workouts improve range of motion in your joints, lower your stress level, increase your total daily calorie expenditure and provide recovery from harder workouts that you may have scheduled during the week.

What is Moderate Intensity Exercise? 

Experts often recommend moderate exercise for improved health and weight loss or fat loss. Essentially, what does that really mean? Moderate intensity might be one workload for a fit person and something totally different for someone who is new to exercise. How do you know if your workout falls into the moderate category?

When you are participating in moderate intensity exercise, you should feel like you are working, but not working so hard that you need to quit in the next few minutes. You are breathing deeply but not gasping for breath. On a perceived exertion scale of 1-10, you should feel like you are working at a level of 6-7.

So how much moderate intensity activity is necessary? The American College of Sports Medicine offers guidelines for the amount of moderate intensity activity required to meet specific goals.

• To see modest weight loss or fat loss, exercise at a moderate intensity between 150 and 250 minutes per week.
• To see clinically significant weight loss or fat loss, you need to participate in moderate exercise for more than 250 minutes per week.
• If you are combining diet and exercise to lose weight or fat, engage in moderate intensity exercise between 150 and 250 minutes per week.
• To prevent weight gain after you've lost weight, engage in at least 250 minutes per week.

Benefits of Moderate Intensity Exercise. The benefit of moderate activity is that it allows you to maintain your calorie burning session for a longer period of time. Moderate exercise improves cardio-respiratory endurance, reduces stress, improves heart health and boosts your metabolism. Because the intensity level of a moderate workout is tolerable, you are able to do more of these workouts during the week without risking injury or burn out.

What is High Intensity Exercise?

High intensity workouts are the sessions that you can only maintain for a short period of time. Because the work is so hard, high intensity exercise requires substantial recovery, both within the exercise session and in the days following the workout.

When you are participating in high intensity exercise you are breathing very deeply and on the verge of gasping for breath. You don't feel that you can maintain the activity for more than a few minutes. On a perceived exertion scale, you feel like you are working at a level of 8-9.

This is because high intensity exercises can only be maintained for a short period of time, they are often programmed into interval style workouts. A popular form of interval training is called High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT. To program a HIIT workout, you combine bursts of intense exercise that last 30 seconds to several minutes with short recovery periods that last 30 seconds or more.

Benefits of High Intensity Exercise. If you exercise to lose weight or fat, high intensity workouts will do the trick. Experts have found that people who participate in high intensity interval workouts are more successful at losing weight and burning fat. High intensity exercise is also the most efficient. An intense workout will burn mega calories in a very short amount of time.

However, there are drawbacks to high intensity exercise. Only healthy exercisers should participate in HIIT workouts. These extreme sessions put you at higher risk for injury and burnout. High intensity exercise also requires low intensity recovery time in the days following the session. This is where careful exercise programming comes into play.

Combine High, Low and Moderate Intensity Exercise to Lose Fat or Weight

If you are healthy enough for physical activity at every intensity level, plan 1-2 high intensity workouts during the week. These short workouts will help you burn maximum calories in minimum time. You'll also build muscle and boost your metabolism during these sessions.

On the days following your hard workouts, give your body a rest by participating in low intensity exercise. The increased range of motion during these easy days will help your sore muscles recover more quickly and you will still increase your calorie burn for the day without taxing your body too much and risking burn out or injury.

Fill in the rest of your workout week with moderate intensity sessions. Challenge yourself by making these sessions longer. The calorie burning benefits from these moderate workouts come from the duration of the session, no necessarily from the intensity.

Lastly, remember that if you exercise to lose weight or fat, you need to watch your diet as well. Make sure you eat plenty of lean protein, simple and complex carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables and healthy fat to fuel your workouts. Count calories, measure your exercise intensity and record the data in a weight loss journal to track your progress.

http://weightloss.about.com/od/exercis1/a/Exercise-Intensity-How-Hard-Should-I-Exercise-To-Lose-Weight.htm

Exercise for Weight Loss: 7 Steps to Success

1. Be sure you are healthy enough for exercise. It is generally a good idea to visit your doctor to be sure that you are healthy enough for vigorous exercise. Even if there are barriers that prevent you from participating in some popular forms of exercise, your physician may be able to suggest modifications that can be made so that you can begin a workout plan.
   You may also want to connect with other experts at the beginning of your plan. If you have physical limitations or previous injuries, a physical therapist may be able to help. Or a visit with a personal trainer may be worth the investment, as well. A good trainer will assess your level of fitness, help you set goals and design a weight-loss workout routine for you to follow...
2. Don't feel pressured to buy tools or gimmicks. The most common question asked by new exercisers is: what is the best exercise for weight loss? The answer is simple. The best weight-loss exercise is the one that you do. It is not necessary to buy a set of DVDs or an expensive new piece of equipment to lose weight.
   At the beginning of a new exercise plan, focus on building a fitness habit. Once regular exercise is part of your daily schedule you can make adjustments to the type and intensity of your workout. But in the beginning, consistency is the key to success. So choose activities that you enjoy doing.
   
3. Grab a few friends for company and accountability. One of the best predictors of success in a weight-loss exercise plan is social support. If your friends make exercise more enjoyable, you are more likely to continue the habit. Friends will also help to hold you accountable.
   If your immediate circle of friends is not interested in participating in your new weight-loss workout, then look a little further. Would some co-workers like to join you for an aerobics class after the office? Perhaps you have neighbors that would be willing to put the kids in strollers and walk or run through the neighborhood.
   
4. Get equipped with exercise clothing. Invest in a good pair of shoes and breathable workout clothing. For your first purchase, you may want to avoid the big box retailers and go to a sport-specific store. Neighborhood walking and running stores are great resources. Often these smaller owner-operated stores have staff that are actively involved in the sport and can make specific recommendations for fit and wear.
   Once you make the initial purchase, make new workout shoes or clothing an incentive for continued success. Set short-term goals and reward yourself with a new outfit that will make you feel more comfortable and confident during future workouts.
   
5. Write out a plan. It's easy to decide that you want to exercise. Getting it done is the hard part. There will always be another task, job or priority that can get in the way of your workout. To be sure that your workout remains a top priority, get out a calendar and schedule each activity in advance. Once you have the plan in writing, post it in a highly visible spot. Let it serve as a constant reminder. Set out workout clothing and pack a gym bag the night before your workout.
   
6. Vary your workouts. Exercise for weight loss should include aerobic activity, which raises your heart rate, strength training that builds muscle, and flexibility training to increase range of motion in the joints and decrease stress. When you schedule your weight-loss workouts, try to vary the activity that you do every day. For example, you may want to jog on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays grab the bike and head to a park for some push-ups, lunges, and sit-ups. Stretch and balance in yoga on Sunday.
   
7. Use active recovery days. Try to do something every day. That's right, no days off! Remember that when you schedule your workouts you will vary the type of activities you assign to each day. If you know you are going to do a longer or harder workout one day, schedule an easy workout, an active recovery, for the day after.
   
   
   Active recovery workouts get your blood pumping but are not vigorous. Easy lap swimming, a gentle yoga class, and a long walk with a friend could all be recovery day workouts.
   
   
   http://weightloss.about.com/
   
   

How to Lose Fat Fast

You can lose fat fast and forever without waking up at 5am to run on an empty stomach, without exercising 6x/week, without feeling hungry all the time or cutting your favorite foods forever and without expensive supplements.
You only need 3 things to lose fat: strength training, healthy nutrition & cardio. This post will give you a simple, efficient fat loss plan; so you can get your body fat to dream numbers while still have a life & eat normally.

You'll get best results doing a free weight routine of compound exercises like Squats & Deadlifts. It only takes 3x45mins/week.


Get Stronger. Strength training increases cardiovascular fitness, strengthens joints &   bones, builds  muscle and improves fat loss.  

Maintain Muscle. More strength is more muscle. Strength training builds muscle and prevents muscle loss so you don't get skinny + fat.

Burn Fat. Strength training prevents your metabolic rate from going down when dieting. This means more fat loss.

Stick to Diet. Exercising positively influences your eating habits. You'll stick to your diet better if you do strength training, losing more fat.

Eat Healthy. Eat whole unprocessed food, 90% of the time. Whole foods come as close as possible to their natural state: without added sugars, fats, sauces, ... Buy raw foods and cook them yourself.

• Protein. Necessary to build & maintain muscle so you don't get skinny + fat. Protein also satiates and has the highest thermic effect. Eat a whole protein source with each meal: beef, poultry, fish, dairy, whey etc
• Veggies & Fruits. Fill your stomach, but usually low in calorie. Also high in fiber, water, vitamins & minerals. Eat veggies & fruits with each meal: spinach, broccoli, kale, asparagus, apples, oranges, etc.
• Healthy Fats. Fat doesn't make you fat, bad nutrition & lack of exercise do. Healthy fats help fat loss: they satiate and slow down digestion. Eat healthy fats with each meal: fish oil, olive oil, mixed nuts.
• Water. Thirst can make you think you're hungry. Avoid soda, alcohol and fruit juice. Drink 2 cups water with each meal and sip water during your workout. Green tea and water with squeezed lemon are OK too.

Eat Grains Post Workout Only. Grains like pasta or rice are very caloric dense: 100g blank pasta has over 350kcal while 100g broccoli has only 35kcal. Limit your intake of grains to post workout only to automatically reduce your caloric intake.

• Eat Less Starches. Eat proteins, veggies, fruits & healthy fats with each meal. Carbs from veggies & fruits are OK, this isn't a zero carb fat loss diet. Don't eat starchy carbs except post workout.
• No Workout = No Carbs. If you do strength training 3x per week, you can eat starchy carbs 3x per week post workout. Eat proteins, veggies, fruits & healthy fats with all other meals.
• Eat Whole Carbs Only. Whole carbs promote fat loss and take longer to digest. Avoid white carbs. Eat whole carbs only: brown rice, whole grain pasta, whole grain bread, oats, quinoa, ...

Eat More. Frequent meals prevent hunger by keeping your blood sugar stable. Frequent smaller meals also decrease your stomach size over time, which means you'll feel full sooner. Eat every 3 hours.

• Eat Breakfast. Build the habit of eating breakfast and try one of these breakfast recipies. Cook your food for the day while making breakfast.
• Eat Post Workout. The only meal where you can have carbs to replenish energy stores. Whole meal of protein & carbs or post workout shake.
• Eat Every 3 hours. 6 smaller meals per day instead of 3 large ones. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, pre-bed and 2 snacks.

Add Cardio. Excess cardio burns muscle instead of fat, causing the skinny + fat look. Never do cardio only. Add cardio to speed up the fat loss you get from strength training & healthy nutrition.

• Moderate Intensity. 60-70% of your max heart rate. Breathing heavier than at rest, not gasping. Your goal is fat loss, not exhaustion.
• 3x45mins. Start with 15mins cardio post strength training 3x per week. Build up to 3x45mins per week by adding 1min each workout.
• Elliptical Trainer. Aka the crosstrainer. There are many cardio machines you can choose from, but this one remains my favorite.

Fat Loss Strategies. Now that you know what to do, you need to make it as easy as possible to apply the above fat loss tips. Follow the next 8 strategies, even if they sound counter-intuitive to you.

• Buy Healthy Foods Only. Enough for your whole week so you can stick to your fat loss plan. Don't buy junk food - avoid temptations.
• Prepare Food in Advance. Cook your food for the day on waking up or when you get back from work. This takes about 1 hour.
• Make Double Portions. Speeds up preparation. Prepare 12oz chicken and eat half at lunch and half at dinner.
• Eat The Same Every Day. Removing choice kills cravings and makes you see food for what it is: fuel for your body. Switch it up every 3 weeks.
• Eat at Fixed Times. Don't wait until you're hungry or feel like eating. Eat every 3 hours. Build consistency.
• Take Food with You. Take food to work, to school, to the movies, etc. This ensures you're eating foods that will make you lose fat.
• Eat Before Going Out. Avoid ending up eating junk food because you're hungry. Eat before you leave home and take food with you.
• Eat Junk Food 10% of The Time. You can eat 4 junk meals/week if you eat 6x/day. This actually helps fat loss. Eat out so you can't overdo it.
• Track Progress for Motivation. Pictures, body fat, measurements and strength gains. Aim for 2-3% fat loss/month (use a fat caliper).

Example Fat Loss Diets. To lose fat: proteins, veggies, fruits and healthy fats with each meal. Carbs post workout only. Example fat loss diet:

• Breakfast: eggs with tomato & bell peppers, orange, green tea
• Snack: cottage cheese with apple
• Lunch: chicken, bok choy, tomato, chicory, olive oil
• Snack: mixed nuts
• Post workout: ground round, brown rice, mixed veggies, banana
• Dinner: chicken, spinach, baby carrots, pear
• Pre-bed snack: cottage cheese, berries, ground flax seeds, fish oil

Don't waste your time counting calories: you won't get fat eating unprocessed foods. Just eat your stomach full and prepare your own food so you have total control over the ingredients. Aim for 2-3% fat loss per month.

http://stronglifts.com/

The No Fail, 10 Minutes to “Firm” Workout

Four Weeks to Great Legs

 

The Lean

(for inner thighs)

Return to Skater’s Lunge position, with your right foot back. Bend sideways at the waist, reaching your right arm up and left arm down and back toward your right calf (as shown). Return arms to starting position. Do 10 reps, then switch sides and repeat.

 

Geisha Squat

(for glutes and abs)

A. Standing with feet and knees pressed together and hands in prayer position, push hips back and squat down; don’t let knees go past your toes.

B. Keeping your lower body still and facing forward, squeeze inner thighs together and rotate upper body and head to the right, touching right elbow to right knee. Turn to face forward again (still squatting), then repeat to the left; that’s 1 rep. Do 12 reps. 

Burn it off!
To shave inches and fat off your legs, do at least 30–45 minutes of interval training (walk, run, elliptical, swim, bike, skate) 3–4 times a week, alternating 3 minutes of moderate effort with 2 minutes of intense effort.

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20306983_4,00.html