Weight Loss Tips For Burning More Calories
Weight Loss Tips for Burning More Calories
How fast you can lose weight depends on several factors, including your metabolic rate. You’ve probably seen people who eat all day long without getting fat. Some are very skinny despite eating huge amounts of food. There are also people who barely eat anything all day long, but still gain weight. The ones in the first category have a fast metabolism. Those from the second group have a slow metabolism. This complex process affects the way your body uses, stores, and burns energy.
As you age, your metabolism slows down.
Boost metabolism to lose weight
This process is also influenced by lifestyle factors such as your diet, smoking habits, and overall fitness.
Active people have a higher metabolic rate than those with a sedentary lifestyle.
Most dieters complain about having a slow metabolism. This is particularly true for those who skip meals and follow strict diets. The explanation is quite simple.
When you’re starving yourself or skipping meals, your body enters into starvation mode. As a result, your metabolism decreases. This means that you’ll burn fewer calories throughout the day.
The good news is that there are several ways to boost your metabolic rate.
Eat more protein.
Beef a source of protein
This essential nutrient speeds up your metabolism, strengthens your bones, and helps build lean muscle. A protein-rich meal will keep you feeling full longer than one rich in carbs.
Strength Training
Instead of doing cardio for hours, you should start lifting weights. Stick to a regular workout routine. Aim for at least three exercise sessions per week.
Eat Less More Often
Another easy way to burn more calories is to eat smaller, more frequent meals.
This helps control your hunger and prevents a crash in your energy level.
Have three main meals and two snacks. Don’t go for more than three or four hours without food.
Remember – when you don’t eat, your body enters into starvation mode.
Stay Hydrated
Regardless of how busy you are, grab a quick snack between meals. This could be a protein bar, some low fat cottage cheese, yogurt, canned tuna, or nuts. Protein shakes are a great alternative to regular snacks, so you should include them in your diet.
A final important point is the importance of staying well hydrated.
Staying hydrated will keep cells functioning properly so that your metabolism
can work at optimal performance to burn calories to help you lose weight.
4 Excellent Reasons To Get Fit
4 Excellent Reasons To Get Fit
People have a hundred and one reasons why they don’t start working on get fitter today – most of which are not valid, including not having enough time, a common excuse.
Everyone can find the time to exercise and eat right. It is just the motivation to get moving has to be greater than the excuses not to.
If the not enough time issue is holding you back just start out with some form of exercise and tell yourself you will do it for 5 minutes. That 5 minutes will progress to 10 minutes, 30 minutes and so on as you begin to feel and see the benefits of your exercise plan.
Your long term goal should be to exercise for 30-45 minutes at least three times per week including some cardio getting your heart rate up to 70 percent of maximum predicted.
Your maximum predicted heart rate is calculated by subtracting your age from 220, then multiplying by 0.70
So for someone 50 years of age, the maximum predicted heart rate would be 220-50= 170 x 0.70= 119
A typical scenario is a visit to the doctor reveals some health related issue that triggers something in your brain to get your act together and start doing what it takes to get fit and live a longer healthier life.
You will also experience the following benefits from your get fit program:
Lose weight
To lose one pound of weight in a week, you have to burn 3,500 more calories than you eat in that week. Most people get in trouble with their weight because they are eating far too many calories for the number of calories they burn.
Excess calories are stored as fat.
If you break that 3,500 calories per week down into a daily amount – 500 calories – it is more manageable. Eat 250 fewer calories per day and burn off 250 more calories by doing some exercise. Skip the latte in the morning or the can of pop loaded with sugar and you probably reduced your calorie count by at least 250.
Walk at 3.5 mph for an hour and you burn 298 calories. There is your 500 + calorie deficit with just those two small changes.
Following the above diet and fitness plan will help you lose a pound a week, but you will also have more energy, get toned and boost your self esteem.
Strengthen your bones
As you age, you start to lose bone density at the rate of 10% by age 50 and if sedentary, another 10% each 10 years thereafter. By including some weight training into your exercise program, you can help slow bone loss as you grow older. Weight bearing activities help in the remodeling of bone. Consider having your vitamin D level checked and taking supplemental vitamin D and calcium.
Women should be taking 1000-1500 milligrams of supplemental calcium per day.
If your bone density test reveals the development of osteopenia (thinning) or osteoporosis your doctor may recommend you take medication to help your bone harden.
Tone up muscles
With toned muscles, not only will you look better, but your balance will be better and you’ll maintain flexibility in your joints. Weight training can help build muscle which will then help you burn more calories even at rest. And if you burn more calories, you’ll have an easier time maintaining your weight.
Stronger muscles will help stabilize your joints and decrease your risk of falling especially as you age.
Reduce your risk for certain diseases
Your risk to develop heart disease, Type II diabetes and some types of cancers, including colon and breast, increases significantly if you are overweight and out of shape.
As your Body Mass Index increases, so does your risk of a heart attack or stroke due to narrowed or blocked arteries.
Narrowing of the arteries in your heart causes the heart to work harder and over time may weaken your heart muscle. The weakening of your heart can lead to congestive heart failure with fluid backing up into your lungs.
If your heart has to work harder to pump blood through narrowed passages, it increases your blood pressure, which will increase your risk of stroke, eye disease and kidney problems.
If you already have Type II diabetes and you are overweight, the effects of diabetes will diminish (or in many cases go away entirely) if you lose weight. At the very least you’ll have to take less medication and possibly get off medication all together.
Start taking action to get fit, today. Putting it off until you feel up to it or motivated may be too late.
Exercise and Health Trends
Exercise and Health Trends
There are certain exercises that always make the top of the list. One of these would of course be walking. It is so easy to start and doesn’t require any special equipment at first. Once you get into walking and decide this is your favorite exercise then investing in a good pair of walking shoes would be a worthwhile investment.
Spinning is an exercise that is becoming more popular each year. It is a great overall exercise that is relatively easy on your joints. Physiotherapists actually recommend that people with a knee injury use a bike on very low resistance to get their knee moving again.
The great thing about spinning is that you can join a class and meet other people. During the class you can increase or decrease your resistance level to match your ability. So you don’t have to worry about falling or lagging behind.
Plus spinning is a wonderful way to burn calories. Depending upon your weight and body size you could burn anywhere from 350 up to 550 calories per hour of spinning class. Remember that after the class your metabolism is still fired up and you will continue to burn additional calories.
Concentrating on Wellness is a fitness trend that is becoming more noticeable. People are becoming more consciousness of their health and are taking steps to become healthier. These types of people may not have a weight or health issue but they understand that their lifestyle affects your body eventually. They accept that they must make changes now in order to lead a healthy life as they mature.
There will always be those trendy exercises that become popular for a while and then phase away. Some of these trends do stay popular for the long term. Check out some current trends such as Kangaroo jump, Aero jump and Belly fit.
Turning traditional exercises into something less stringent and more fun is a new exercise trend. A great example of this is Zumba dance classes. Dancing to the sounds of rhythmic Latin music is motivating and fun. Yet at the same time you are burning tons of calories. There are Zumba classes for seniors, kids and even aqua classes are popping up.
Fitness for kids is another increasing fitness trend. This ties in well with families being concerned about their overall wellness. Schools don’t always offer enough sports and fitness programs. Plus with all the new fangled technology kids are too busy playing with video games and being on the computer. Obesity in children is on the rise and a major concern in North America.
The same applies for seniors. Senior fitness is a growing trend as baby boomers are aging. More gyms and clubs are catering to this new group of fitness goers. Seniors don’t want to lose their zest for life and want to keep mobile and active.
Functional fitness classes are aimed at senior and anyone with a disability. A functional fitness class is aimed at getting a person mobile again. Allowing them to do daily life activities including carrying your groceries home, doing your household chores and being able to play and hold your grandkids.
If you look closely you can see these trends almost follow your life’s pattern. This enforces the thought that exercise and fitness is for life and should be done on a continuous basis.
Workout Routines from Home
Workout Routines from Home
For many people starting a new exercise routine they want to work out from home. This can be due to many reasons. You may not feel comfortable going to a gym yet. You may not have the correct equipment or no clothes to wear. Or you just could have time constraints that keep you at home.
If this is the case for you then there are plenty of exercise choices for you. You can easily pick up an exercise DVD and pop this in at home and then exercise when you can.
When choosing an exercise program think about what you are interested in. Do you want to learn yoga, Zumba dance or even belly dancing? Exercise can and should be fun!
If you follow shows like the Biggest Loser then grab one or two of their DVD’s and follow along. You can even combine this with signing up for an online program where you can record your exercise and keep track of your goals.
You don’t even have to go out and purchase anything to start exercising at home. You can design your own fitness routine by combining some cardio with strength or resistance training.
Here’s an example:
Cardio – 20 minutes
Jumping jacks
Jumping rope in the basement or outside
Walking up and down your basement stairs
Dancing to music
Strength training – 2 times a week for about 20 minutes
Sit ups
Push ups against the wall
Wall squats
Leg raises
Lifting light weights – use soup cans or water bottles
You can mix and match the exercises until your find a routine that works for you and are comfortable with. As the exercises become easy add some more or increase your weights. For cardio try to increase the length of time or your intensity level as it becomes easier.
Working out from home has a couple of benefits with the main benefit being that you don’t have to pay for a gym membership. You also don’t have to worry about buying fancy gym clothes either. On the downside you may find that it is harder to make yourself motivated each day and you might get lonely working out alone.
As you can see there are many workout routines that you can do from home. You definitely have no reason not to exercise. Dig down deep inside you and discover why you want to start exercising and write these reasons down. Post them in a place where you can read them every day and use your reasons as a motivator.
Top Trends for Exercise and Health
Top Trends for Exercise and Health
There are certain exercises that always make the top of the list. One of these would of course be walking. It is so easy to start and doesn’t require any special equipment at first. Once you get into walking and decide this is your favorite exercise then investing in a good pair of walking shoes would be a worthwhile investment.
Spinning is an exercise that is becoming more popular each year. It is a great overall exercise that is relatively easy on your joints. Physiotherapists actually recommend that people with a knee injury use a bike on very low resistance to get their knee moving again.
The great thing about spinning is that you can join a class and meet other people. During the class you can increase or decrease your resistance level to match your ability. So you don’t have to worry about falling or lagging behind.
Plus spinning is a wonderful way to burn calories. Depending upon your weight and body size you could burn anywhere from 350 up to 550 calories per hour of spinning class. Remember that after the class your metabolism is still fired up and you will continue to burn additional calories.
Concentrating on Wellness is a fitness trend that is becoming more noticeable. People are becoming more consciousness of their health and are taking steps to become healthier. These types of people may not have a weight or health issue but they understand that their lifestyle affects your body eventually. They accept that they must make changes now in order to lead a healthy life as they mature.
There will always be those trendy exercises that become popular for a while and then phase away. Some of these trends do stay popular for the long term. Check out some current trends such as Kangaroo jump, Aero jump and Belly fit.
Turning traditional exercises into something less stringent and more fun is a new exercise trend. A great example of this is Zumba dance classes. Dancing to the sounds of rhythmic Latin music is motivating and fun. Yet at the same time you are burning tons of calories. There are Zumba classes for seniors, kids and even aqua classes are popping up.
Fitness for kids is another increasing fitness trend. This ties in well with families being concerned about their overall wellness. Schools don’t always offer enough sports and fitness programs. Plus with all the new fangled technology kids are too busy playing with video games and being on the computer. Obesity in children is on the rise and a major concern in North America.
The same applies for seniors. Senior fitness is a growing trend as baby boomers are aging. More gyms and clubs are catering to this new group of fitness goers. Seniors don’t want to lose their zest for life and want to keep mobile and active.
Functional fitness classes are aimed at senior and anyone with a disability. A functional fitness class is aimed at getting a person mobile again. Allowing them to do daily life activities including carrying your groceries home, doing your household chores and being able to play and hold your grandkids.
If you look closely you can see these trends almost follow your life’s pattern. This enforces the thought that exercise and fitness is for life and should be done on a continuous basis.