4 Essential Eating Rules For Fat Loss

How you eat on a fat loss diet is very different from how you eat on a weight loss diet. If you are only concerned about losing weight on the scales your focus is on the restriction of calories and the weight loss you will experience is some fat and also muscle tissue and water. But if you are looking to lose excess body fat the way you eat is quite different. In a nutshell, weight loss is focused on the reduction of calories while fat loss is focused on metabolic hormones and the balance of them to assist with fat burning.

On a fat loss eating plan you will always be eating more food than you think you should. However the foods you eat are nutritionally dense, have plenty of fiber and protein but are sparse in calories.

Here are the key rules for increasing fat loss:

Rule 1: Eating enough food
For fat loss it is important to reduce calories only a hundred or two below your base level. This may mean you will be eating around 1600-1800 for women and 2200-2400 for men. If fat is not being lost, drop it a hundred calories at a time till fat burning kicks in.

Eating enough is essential to prevent the 'starvation mode' from being activated which will stop fat loss dead in its tracks. As you won't know where this is caution is needed to stay under the body's radar system sensitive to food shortages for all of the time humans have lived on earth.

Rule 2: Eat 4-6 small meals per day
The idea here is to increase the quantity of food eaten but not to increase the calories. When your body knows there is plenty of food around it will be more likely to give up its fat stores. But if you eat the wrong types of foods and too much of them you will set your body in fat storing mode rather than fat burning mode.

When you eat your small meals you can increase the volume of the food you eat with protein rich, high fiber and water content foods that will increase your metabolism and encourage fat loss. These small meals will also quieten hunger hormones that can derail even the most serious fat loss plan

Rule 3: Each small meal must contain lean protein
Quality lean protein has many beneficial fat burning effects. Firstly, I helps the release of the fat burning hormone glucagon which directly opposes the action of insulin (fat storing hormone) and helps burn fat. Protein is also slow to digest and break down and requires the body to work hard to do it also increasing metabolism. When you increase the metabolic rate you increase heat which increases fuel (calorie) burning.

Protein rich meals are also important for a fat loss plan because it is very satisfying and helps us stay full for longer. Blood sugar levels are also maintained to avoid drops in energy and to avoid triggering intense food cravings.

When combined with proper strength training exercise extra protein also helps build, tone and maintain muscle tissue which is the driver of the metabolism. The surest way to create food cravings, feel deprived and risk binge eating is to skimp on protein.

Rule 4: Avoid processed foods that increase hunger
The chemicals and additives in prepared, processed foods (the ones that come in packets, boxes, tins and frozen) send your metabolic hormones 'out of whack'. Delicate appetite regulation hormones are overridden and you don't know if you are really hungry or are just experiencing their mischief. They increase hunger because of their effect on insulin and stress hormones (fat storing hormones).

Fat loss happens in the kitchen
The only way to avoid these so called non-nutrient foods that get and keep you fat is to get yourself back into the kitchen cooking natural whole foods from scratch. Yes, you will have to plan and prepare ahead but once you get used to doing this it is no harder than eating 'anything, anytime' and the results will delight you as the fat loss magic happens.

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Moving Your Body Is Easier Than You Think

For many of us, our parents and grandparents got much more physical activity than we get today. They shoveled snow, raked leaves, chopped wood, scrubbed floors, hand-washed garments, hand-mowed lawns, washed and waxed cars and walked miles per day. And for our earliest of ancestors, physical activity was a natural way of life. Roaming and working the land, gathering food and water, cutting firewood and securing shelter brought with it plenty of physical exertion. Our bodies are meant for movement.

Granted, it's difficult to make physical activity a natural way of life today. Our jobs often require long car commutes and sitting at desks most of the day. But we can easily add more regular physical activity to our daily lives. And the good news is that our bodies are adaptive and even if we haven't been exercising for quite some time, our body systems will improve quickly once we get moving. We don't have to use high-tech equipment or join noisy crowded gyms. And exercising doesn't need to be hard, difficult, super sweaty or challenging.

Sure, physical activity increases your metabolic rate and helps you burn more calories. But did you know that it also regulates your appetite and lowers hormone levels like insulin and excess estrogen? And the benefits of exercise extend far beyond weight management. Regular physical activity can increase your energy, regulate your mood, relieve stress, help reduce the risk for several health conditions and diseases and improve the overall quality of your life.

So how much exercise do we need? The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that adults age 18-65 include two different types of activity in their exercise routine: cardio or aerobic activities and muscle strengthening activities. Adults over age 65 are encouraged to include flexibility exercises such as stretching. I personally recommend that everyone include some stretching in their routine.

For Cardio activities, you'll need to do a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity like brisk walking at least five days of the week. Or, you could do a minimum of 20 minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity like jogging, running or cycling, three days per week. And you don't have to do it all at once! You can exercise two times per day for 15 minutes or three times per day for 10 minutes. Anyone can create this kind of time in their schedule.

Two days per week, include strength training activities such as weight lifting in your routine. The goal would be to complete 6-8 strength building exercises with 8-12 repetitions per exercise. You can accomplish this at home with a small array of weights or exercise bands, a bench and/or an exercise ball. If you are just beginning this type of exercise, you will probably need to get some instruction. A series of private sessions with a personal trainer or an ongoing class with an instructor should give you the basics.

Don't forget to include some stretching everyday you exercise if possible or at least every other day. Stretching increases flexibility of joints and muscles and helps prevent injuries. And taking three to five minutes at the beginning and end of any activity to properly warm up and cool down is essential. If you're just beginning an exercise program, check with your healthcare provider to make sure you are healthy enough to begin exercising.

Okay, so now you know what you should be doing in terms of exercise. So, what's stopping you? As a Psychotherapist and Certified Personal Trainer with 25 years of experience designing exercise programs I've heard all the excuses, including:

"I'm too tired to exercise." If you feel too tired to even start exercising, this may be a sign that your diet is not supporting you and/or your adrenals, thyroid or sex hormones are out of balance. Until these issues are addressed you can start increasing your activity a bit by:

•parking further away
•taking the stairs whenever possible
•increasing activities around the house and
•performing gentle stretching exercises.

"I don't have the time to exercise." If you're convinced that you don't have time to exercise, you'll need to evaluate your priorities. Exercise is a way of taking care of yourself, no different than brushing and flossing. Don't get stuck in the trap of thinking that it doesn't count unless it's a half-hour or more, sweaty and out-of-breath heart-pumping. Moderate intensity activity that raises your heart rate is enough. If your life is super busy with care-taking duties such as kids and parents, you'll have to get creative. A twenty- minute walk early morning and maybe one on your lunch break will do the trick. Pick up some hand weights and do some light strength-building exercises during the commercial breaks of your favorite television program. I do ab exercises and light stretching while watching the news at night.

"I hate exercise;it's uncomfortable and boring." Focus on finding some activity you find enjoyable, like dancing or swimming. Try taking an exercise class, like Zumba dancing and see if you get motivated by the high energy of the class. You'll also be working on building your tolerance level for discomfort. Try replacing negative thoughts about exercise with positive, energizing reframes like "I feel good when I take good care of myself," or "I can do anything for just ten minutes."

"It brings up terrible memories of physical education classes in grade school." Perhaps you're resisting exercise because it reminds you of old, unpleasant memories of being forced to run around the track or chase a tennis ball. And maybe you weren't good at either. Make a list of all the reasons you don't like to exercise and any negative associations from the past. Share these with a friend or therapist. Often, this is enough to get you started. And keep in mind, you're doing it for you now, not the school's curriculum, not to please your father-just for you. And you're worth it.

When you're ready to begin moving your body, make sure to set realistic goals. It's better to do less to start and feel positive about your accomplishment. You can always add more next week. It may be motivating to keep a log of your daily activities and to write down one statement each day you exercise about the benefit you're receiving. For example, you might write down: Walked 30 minutes around the golf course, brisk pace. "Exercise is helping me lower my blood pressure."

Whether you need to lose weight or not, you are meant to move. All your body systems work best when your machine is operating optimally, and that means movement! So, what are you waiting for?

Julie M. Simon, MA, MBA, MFT is a Licensed Psychotherapist and Life Coach with a full-time private practice specializing in the treatment of overeating and associated mood disorders. In addition to her education and twenty years experience as a psychotherapist, she is a Certified Personal Trainer with twenty-five years of experience designing personalized exercise and nutrition programs for various populations. Julie is the creator of The Twelve-Week Emotional Eating Recovery Program, an alternative to dieting that addresses the mind, body and spirit imbalances that underlie overeating. Julie offers individual, couple, family and group psychotherapy as well as classes and seminars. In addition to overeating, Julie offers psychotherapy and coaching for the following issues: relationship challenges, including marriage and couples, career development and transitions, work related stress, self-esteem, childhood dysfunction and trauma, grief and loss, co-dependency, self-care skills, and assertiveness training. Visit her website at http://www.overeatingrecovery.com.

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Best Workout Routine For Everyone

Have you ever wanted to get in a good workout but just couldn't come up with the right workout routine. Sometimes you have all the time in the world to do a workout and other times you have no time but all the desire in the world. It is difficult in this day and age to find the time to get in a workout, but harder yet to get the best workout possible. Do you lift weights or do a cardiovascular workout? Should you do upper body weight lifting or lower body? Yoga? Etc.... I find that a good circuit training routine that gets the heart pumping with a goodmuscle burn will provide you with the best of both worlds.

The first thing to think about for the best workout would be to know your time frame and understand that you have a finite period of time to do the workout. In that time frame you need to focus on your workout and nothing else. Try not to watch TV or read a book during your workout. This will only distract you from focusing on your workout routine. The following workout will only take about 30 minutes to perform but should provide you with a workout that will be very taxing.

To get started do a quick warm up routine to get the blood flowing to the muscles. Then do a good stretching routine to prepare your muscles for the workout, especially your back and hamstrings. Now it is time to workout. I prefer to do the big compound muscle movements first so your other muscles will have to work harder when you single them out for their respective exercise. For example, doing push-ups utilizes not only the chest but also the biceps and triceps. Therefore, once you do push-ups and move onto the bicep and tricep workout your biceps and triceps will have to work harder because they have already done a set and will be tired.

This is the workout that I recommend and in the following order of exercises.

Push-ups

Chin Ups or dumbbell rowes

Dumbbell Lunges

Bicep Curls

Tricep Extensions

Front and Side Shoulder Raises

Calf Raises

All of the exercises are maximum reps and you should start with the first exercise and work your way down the list without a break between sets until the end. Then take a minute or two break and get some water and repeat at least two more times.

After the workout don't forget to drink a protein shake as that will help repair the muscles and allow them to heal so they can adapt and grow. When the muscles grow they burn extra calories so treat them well by feeding them well.

If you do this workout at least three times per week you will understand why this is the best workout routine ever. It is a fast paced routine that will provide a cardiovascular benefit and you will be toning muscles in the process. Happy workouts!!

Dr. Begovich is a physician dedicated to helping everyone achieving their weight loss goals. He is a practicing rehabilitation physician and expert author at Ezine articles and other sites. If you liked this article, then check out others at http://www.healthyweightlossasap.com

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