If You're Trying To Lose Body Fat

 If You're Trying To Lose Body Fat:

Do not skip meals.

People who are trying to achieve fat loss often eat less or worse, not eat at all. This is a common misconception and many people think that starving themselves will help them reach their goal faster. The truth is, skipping meals will only make losing body fat harder. Your body is geared towards staying alive and will, if forced through starvation, slow the metabolism & break down muscle tissue to ensure survival. Your body will store the fat instead of losing it! You will lose hard earned muscle! More fat, less muscle, I don't know about you, but I don't like the sound of that.

Do stay hydrated

Everyone, not only those who are trying to lose body fat, knows that the body needs sufficient water. Aside from flushing out toxins and cleaning the different systems of the body, water also makes you feel full. I recommend "front loading" your water intake. Start the day with a glass, and drink as needed throughout the day. Don't try to catch up at day's end or you'll just end up losing sleep.

Do get plenty of fiber.

Fiber is important to the body. Fat loss programs should include a generous intake of both soluble and insoluble fiber. This helps regulates blood sugar levels. Fiber also helps you feel "full" longer.

Do include plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Fresh fruits & vegetables should be eaten daily.

DO EXERCISE!

When it comes to fat loss, if my experience has taught me anything, it's that most "experts" over value repetitive aerobic type exercise and grossly underestimate the importance of strength training.

In the short term, your diet will have the greatest impact on your fat loss. However, proper strength training will make it easier to both lose and keep off the fat lbs. Just as important, it will assure discriminate weight loss.

Dieting by itself will bring about weight loss. Unfortunately this loss will be a combination of fat & muscle. Besides being far less attractive, you'll also end up with a slower metabolism and will be forced to eat less or burn more calories in order to maintain your results. Simply stated, a well designed strength training program will (with very little time utilization) help you to at least maintain your muscle & metabolism as you lose fat. I strive for & fully expect my clients to gain muscle during this fat loss phase.

There is nothing wrong with burning additional calories through recreational or planned activities. Just keep in mind that it is far more efficient to simply not eat them in the first place, and excessive "aerobics" can bring about a host of other problems including a loss of hard earned muscle.

For more information, you can contact me at pthit@aol.com. I'm available for phone consultations and personal training (Lake County Illinois).

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