To say that Americans are preoccupied with losing weight is putting it mildly. Losing weight isn’t hand, but even the most “experienced” losers often do not understand how to do so effectively and safely. The process is simple, but it has been complicated over the years by tabloid headlines-getting diets that proclaim things like “Lose 30 Pounds in One Week!” Whatever losses accrue are mostly water and lean body tissue.
Be real. If it took you ten years to put on 30 pounds, you are not going to get rid of them in a few days or weeks. Even the federal government sees the folly in quick weight-loss scams. In its Dietary Guidelines for Americans, it recommends losing no more than half of a pound to one pound a week until your goal is reached. The slower the weight loss, the more likely the pounds you shed will be fat.
Basically, if you eat more calories than your body needs, you will get fat. You are a slave to your metabolism. Through exercise, you can reverse the order and become master. Aerobic exercise has been hyped as the ideal way to lose weight because it uses more calories per exercise session. The optimal regimen for losing weight and keeping it off involves a combination of aerobic exercise and strength training.
Our professional trainers have long known the way to pare body fat. Aerobic training has always been part of a good weight management routine. True, you will use more calories with 20 minutes of aerobic exercise than 20 minutes of weight training. However, strength training builds muscle that requires more calories to sustain itself, even at rest. The most muscular you become, the quicker you will lose fat (and the less chance you have of putting on more body fat).
The biggest benefit of aerobic exercise is its effect on the cardiovascular system. It builds and strengthens the heart and blood vessels and enhances the body’s oxygen uptake. Thus, a combination of muscle building and aerobic exercise completes the weight management program and overall health picture.
A surprising number of people still think they can spot reduce. You can’t! There is no such thing! You lose fat proportionately from every part of the body regardless of which exercise you do.
Studies indicate that excess midsection fat is particularly hazardous to your health, carrying with it the risk of heart disease and diabetes. If your waist is larger than your hips, it’s time to start a healthier lifestyle.
Cellulite is no different than other types of body fat. The hammer marks are due to the fat cells under the skin divided into compartments by strands of fibrous tissue. Cellulite responds to diet and exercise much the same as fat on other parts of the body.
As for diet, you have to discover what works for you. Nutritious foods, must come first. Limit your temptation foods.
Reduce the quantity of food until you find a satisfactory compromise between the amount of work you do and your body hunger. No mystery here. Get on a weight management program, weight training and aerobics. Just do it. It works.
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