Lose fat forever, is that even possible? Yes it is if you follow my tops 5 tips below on the best ways to lose fat forever. I’m sure most of you out there feel there are too many dang mixed messages regarding the best way to burn fat and lose weight and, I’m here to tell you that you are indeed correct. There are so many mixed messages out there for a reason, it is a complicated subject due to the fact that we are all different and response to various stressors uniquely not to mention the science of nutrition, weight loss and exercise is relatively new in the grand scheme of things. We are all basically guinea pigs. Getting in tune with your body and what it needs is very important to discovering what foods work for you, how much exercise a week you should do, how much sleep you’ll need and, the down time you may need. Even though, there really isn’t an easy answer I will tell you a few tips to figuring it out and my top 5 best ways to lose fat forever.
Keep in mind that every BODY is DIFFERENT, I might repeat that message a lot because too often people compare themselves to others around them and comparing only leads to unhappiness about yourself, you can only be the best you can be.
Just because your friend lost weight by running daily and eating a specific type of restrictive diet doesn’t mean that will work for you. The success that your friend or family member had may or may not be the same for you. Don’t get discouraged by this though just try something different, something that suits your personality, interests and needs.
Also, keep in mind that whatever you did to gain the weight you’ll want to do the opposite to achieve the weight loss you crave. It’s like going to buy a house, you wouldn’t just buy the one your friend liked but would instead investigate different houses to see which one fits YOU! Now with that said I will give you some tips to start you on the road to your success in losing the weight you want to lose forever and not just for the short term because after all it is a lifestyle.
1. Again…IT IS A LIFESTYLE CHANGE
Creating daily healthy eating habits and a healthier overall lifestyle is going to help you achieve your weight loss goals not, just dieting for a wedding or special occasion. You cannot think that you are only losing weight for the short term by crash dieting. Crash dieting will not only create an unhealthy guilt and food shaming effect on your psyche but, a yo-yoing that will actually wreak havoc on your metabolism thereby making it much harder to lose weight the next time around because it is inevitable that you will gain the weight back in this manner. Crash diets don’t work for the long term and can’t be maintained. A lifestyle change is needed, thinking about weight loss as a process and being patient with the process is very important even it takes you a year to lose the extra weight be patient with the process. The healthy habits will become ingrained in your daily routine and you won’t need to think about losing weight ever again if you do it right the first time.
2. WATCH YOUR PORTION SIZES
If you are a female of 135 pounds 5’6 and think that eating two salads with tons of salad dressing for lunch is ok because it’s ‘healthy’ then you are WRONG! Salad can be unhealthy depending on what type of salad it is, what type of dressing and what portion size you eat. Not to mention some ‘roughage’ can be very hard on your digestion and actually create a pouch because of it. Keep in mind that not all vegetables are created equal. It’s important to connect with your body and be aware of the signals it gives such as when you are full, stop eating when you feel that, “I’m getting full feeling” and that’s the portion size you will most likely feel comfortable at, get in touch with your body – connect. If something you eat makes you feel bad then don’t eat it again including salad if that’s the case. Or try about 4oz of meat or seafood and half a plate of vegetables which should be sufficient. If you’re still unsure just send me a picture of your lunch and I’ll be happy to help. 🙂
3. GET MOVING
Find something you love to do! If you always loved to swim or dance then start doing it. Or perhaps you love to do kickboxing, go and find a class that fits you and do that. If you have the time working out 3-4 times a week is ideal depending on your level of fitness. If you hate running or walking on the treadmill don’t do it just because your friend said she/he lost weight that way because it may not be right for you. Find a personal trainer to help put you on the right program if possible but be sure to ask him/her questions like what type of certification does he/she have and experience before you hire anyone, check out my blog about the what to ask when hiring a personal trainer by clicking the link above.
4. REST & RELAXATION
One of the most important things for your body is rest and relaxation. Most people don’t realize this but you actually repair when you sleep so it’s a good idea to try to get to bed by 10pm if possible and no later than 11 for that much needed repair. You are breaking down your body all day, when you workout and stress over work or family issues. Your body cannot always be in that type of catabolic, ‘I have get this or that done’ state all the time. It is not good for you and you will not be healthy or reach your goals if you continue to stress, not sleep and have no down time. It is important to have periods of relaxation time. Find something that helps you to tune out, meditate, read a book, write in a journal, watch a movie, draw, paint, take your pet out for a walk or whatever works for you. Try different things until you find that one that fits. Remember that your body does it’s reparative work when you sleep, during the sleep cycle you repair physically and psychologically…from 10pm-2am is physical repair and psychological is from 2-6am with the cycle of sun and hormonal system. Again, during the day is when you are breaking it down so don’t discount how important it is to get good quality of sleep.
5. GAIN MUSCLE BY LIFTING WEIGHTS
The more muscle you have the more calories you will burn at rest. Your body will look better and your body will become more sculpted to how you envision. Muscle doesn’t technically burn fat however, it does burn calories and increases your metabolism. Just keep in mind that you still have to eat moderately and a balanced diet to lose fat because it’s not as much weight as you might think. I hear people say all the time how it’s okay to go out and eat a huge meal because they worked out that day but that’s not true, you aren’t burning that much. Most people overestimate this by as much as 500-600 calories.
5. STRETCH
Stretching after a workout is equally important, don’t forget to do it. It will help with post-workout muscle soreness.
More to come later on this topic.