How-to Slim Down and Shape Up
Healthy Secrets for Losing Weight and Toning Muscles
Want to lose weight and tone muscles? There are important facts you should know. Eating some fat, keeping a food journal, keeping energy levels high, eating carbohydrates, and staying active are key to your success.
Some Fat is Good
Never cut out fat from a diet completely. The body needs some fat, or it will go into starvation mode. If the body thinks it is starving, it will hold onto its fat for survival. The body needs fifteen percent of its diet from fat, so do not be afraid to eat a favorite food once or twice a week. For more information on how to eat junk food and still lose weight, read "How to Eat Junk Food and Still Lose Weight: Eating Favorite Snacks on a Diet the Healthy Way."
Keep a Food Journal
In order to understand what it takes for your body to operate on a daily basis, for three days write down everything eaten. At the end of three days, count up the calories, and then divide that number by three. The result is the magic number for daily caloric need to maintain a person's current weight.
In order to lose weight, subtract calories from that magic number. A healthy and realistic weekly weight-loss goal is one pound. One pound of fat consists of 3500 calories. That number divided by seven (for seven days in a week) is 500. Subtract 500 calories from that magic number for weight-loss maintenance, and the weight will start to come off the body. However, do not eat fewer than 1200 calories a day. Eating too few calories can cause health risks.
Keep Energy Levels High
To keep energy levels high, a person needs to get the proper servings from the four food groups. The recommended daily allowance for an adult is two servings of meat or high protein, two servings of dairy, four servings of fruits or vegetables, and four servings of cereal and grains. One serving of meat is equal to four ounces. A serving size of vegetables, fruits, cereal and grains is one cup.
In order to keep energy levels up, eat a minimum of four small meals each day, consisting of the recommended daily allowances for each food group. If a person's metabolism is slow, increase meals to five or six times a day. Just remember that these are small meals.
Low-carb Diets Do Not Work
Sixty Percent of a person's diet must consist of carbohydrates. Zero-carb and even low-carb diets do not work because all they do is cause water loss, not actual weight loss. When the body loses too much water, it thinks it is starving. The result is muscle loss. When enough carbohydrates are consumed, the body is fueled properly, causing a person to feel energized, clear-headed, and able to endure a workout. Rice, pasta, potatoes, fruits, and vegetables are the best sources of carbohrdrates. Eating high-fiber and whole grain foods is even better.
Increase Activity
Of course, exercise is always key in any weight-loss plan. Incorporating exercise into a person's day does not have to be difficult or time-consuming. Even thirty minutes of light exercise will burn about 300 calories. Add simple tasks into the daily routine, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or walking down the hall to talk to someone in the office rather than calling or e-mailing. Even gardening and housework burn calories.
Further Reading
For more information on weight-loss, read "How to Lose Body Fat and Tone Muscles: The Healthy Plan for Weight Loss and Building Muscle."
Weight Loss and Muscle Toning can be Easy.
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