Americans have many diet and weight loss options to choose from. But these choices don't seem to be making a difference to the ever-expanding American waist line. We continue to get fatter year after year. The problem with most diet programs is that they set you up for failure right from the beginning.
Most diet plans have very limited food options and unrealistic calorie restrictions. When you feel deprived you are more likely to stray from whatever program you are trying to follow. So for long-term success you'll do better on a program that acknowledges that you do actually live in the real world. A nutrition plan that allows you to have "Cheat Days." Here is how Cheat Days work.
Cheat Days are immensely important to your overall success. Let me explain. First of all when I refer to cheat days I'm referring to the nutrition aspect of your program. Whenever you engage in vigorous physical activities (Cardio and Resistance Training) you always want to give yourself on day off each week. So that break from exercise is not considered cheating. You can still be active on your rest day, just avoid your normal structured exercise. It's fine if you want to stretch or do low-level cardio (hike, walk, bike ride).
Cheat days serve two important functions
1. Cheat Days allow you to eat your favorite foods.
This allows you to deal with any emotional or psychological attachments you might have with specific foods. It also allow you to eat really tasty food and satisfy some cravings. Also you avoid any sense of deprivation which typically leads instantly to quitting any healthy eating plan.
2. Cheating will help you to avoid plateaus
Our body is designed for adaptation. And our body adapts quickly, in as little as 4-7 days. So if you eat the same way every day, your body will adapt and will plateau quicker than if you add cheat days to your program. Nothing shakes up your body like consuming high-fat, high-calorie foods after eating healthy for six straight days.
Here are the Rules for cheating (I know Oxymoron)
1. If you are trying to lose weight cheat one day each week
2. If you are at your goal weight cheat two days each week
3. Plan your cheat day to coincide with any social event you have (so your cheat day may vary from week to week)
4. Indulge in your cheat foods only after eating your normal healthy meals.
(Note) you can attempt to cheat all day if you like, but you'll feel really sick (you'll only do this once)
5. Eat your cheat foods outside of your house or workplace (don't have tempting foods available to you on non-cheat days)
John Preston has been a Certified Personal Trainer since 1993. He is the Owner of Fitness Know How Headquarters http://www.fitnessknowhowhq.com and the Author of "Secrets Of A Personal Trainer".
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6484158
Friday, August 19, 2011
Best Fat Burning Foods for Men - Weight Loss Tips
What are the best fat burning foods for men? This guide on weight loss tips will show you exactly what the best foods are to eat when you are trying to burn fat, get in shape, and yet still keep the muscle you currently have. There is one simple answer to this question. Eat healthy foods that are natural and you will be using the best fat burning foods for men. Most people don't know what healthy and natural really points towards o I am going to spend the rest of this guide showing exactly what I mean.
Fruits and Veggies
Everybody knows how good fruits and veggies are for our health. They are a great choice for those interested in weight loss tips. I recommend people to add a salad or some "Greens" into each and every single meal. This is a great choice as it helps keep your blood sugar levels normal, adds fiber and nutrients to your meal, and helps with the digestion of all the other foods you eat.
They go a long way for providing for you the energy and vitality your body needs especially on a calorie cutting diet plan.
Be sure to avoid the sugary fruits like bananas, oranges, grapes, and apples. They're fine to eat, however, don't over eat them as they have lots of sugar. Eat more fruits with low sugar such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, kiwis, etc.
Whole Grain Types of Foods
One great food that is easy to add into your daily foods is whole grains. They have more fiber and nutritional content than usual white bread or flower foods. And they're really easy to add to your diet. Just replace your foods that are made of white flower or breads and use whole grain options instead. This goes with bread, cereals, crackers, flour, noodles, and a wide variety of other types of foods as well.
Protein, Lean Protein
One of the best fat burning foods for men is lean protein. Eating more protein makes us feel fuller faster as well as keeps our body working to digest the item. Since protein has a higher thermal effect on the body, it is a good choice as well.
I recommend only lean protein items such as lean meats, chickens, fish, etc. Another great option is whey protein. It is filled with protein and is a healthy choice since it has no fat usually. Avoid the full meal replacement shakes and go for just protein powder.
Successful weight loss requires three things: dedication, motivation, and the right fat burning tips. Learn more effective tips on How to Lose Weight Fast and how to follow a healthy weight loss program.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6493827
Fruits and Veggies
Everybody knows how good fruits and veggies are for our health. They are a great choice for those interested in weight loss tips. I recommend people to add a salad or some "Greens" into each and every single meal. This is a great choice as it helps keep your blood sugar levels normal, adds fiber and nutrients to your meal, and helps with the digestion of all the other foods you eat.
They go a long way for providing for you the energy and vitality your body needs especially on a calorie cutting diet plan.
Be sure to avoid the sugary fruits like bananas, oranges, grapes, and apples. They're fine to eat, however, don't over eat them as they have lots of sugar. Eat more fruits with low sugar such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, kiwis, etc.
Whole Grain Types of Foods
One great food that is easy to add into your daily foods is whole grains. They have more fiber and nutritional content than usual white bread or flower foods. And they're really easy to add to your diet. Just replace your foods that are made of white flower or breads and use whole grain options instead. This goes with bread, cereals, crackers, flour, noodles, and a wide variety of other types of foods as well.
Protein, Lean Protein
One of the best fat burning foods for men is lean protein. Eating more protein makes us feel fuller faster as well as keeps our body working to digest the item. Since protein has a higher thermal effect on the body, it is a good choice as well.
I recommend only lean protein items such as lean meats, chickens, fish, etc. Another great option is whey protein. It is filled with protein and is a healthy choice since it has no fat usually. Avoid the full meal replacement shakes and go for just protein powder.
Successful weight loss requires three things: dedication, motivation, and the right fat burning tips. Learn more effective tips on How to Lose Weight Fast and how to follow a healthy weight loss program.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6493827
Fast Weight Loss in a Healthy Way
Almost everybody tries to lose weight at some point in their lives. Whether or not they succeed is up to each personal circumstance, but most people are able to drop a few pounds within a couple of weeks. Of course the real challenge is whether or not they can keep off the weight after their initial motivation has died down a little bit. This is one of the biggest problems that people face when trying to achieve fast weight loss goals in any given amount of time. Everybody knows the basics behind fat loss and how to lose weight - it's how each person decides to go about it that ultimately determines success.
There are definitely right ways and wrong ways to go about weight loss, and you really have to be careful about which methods you choose. Starving yourself or skipping meals I give you fast results, but we all know how that ends in the long run. Eventually your body will adjust and your metabolism will slow down. You might you lose weight at first, but eventually you will start to experience tremendous hunger as your body actually thinks it's starving. It will become harder to lose weight using this method as your body starts to burn muscle instead of fat. Eventually after a few weeks you will start eating again thanks to uncontrollable hunger, and chances are you'll gain the weight back.
Rather than going through this constant yo-yo cycle that has plagued so many people, it's far better to cut straight to the heart of the matter and pursue proper weight loss methods. That means doing things in a healthy way even if they are a little bit more challenging. It's going to take a dedicated look at your diet in addition to asking yourself what you're willing to sacrifice in terms of food and exercise. The most basic rule to follow when thinking about losing weight is to do things in the healthiest way possible. That means putting effort into the planning process and organizing yourself when it comes to food and exercise. It definitely takes more effort, but it also results in the type of weight loss that you can maintain in the long-term.
When you look at your diet, it's important to take out the foods that are high in calories and offer little nutritional value. Some of these things will probably be quite noticeable and they come in the form of fast food or unhealthy snacks. Other items might be a bit trickier which is why you have to do research into general nutritional information. It's important to know exactly what you're putting into your body and how it affects your overall metabolism.
Exercise is the Achilles' heel for most people because it's something that they would prefer to skip. The thing that most people forget about exercise is that it can actually be incredibly rewarding. It can make you feel better about yourself and appreciate your body at the same time. The key is to get started in some form or another so that you can get your body moving. As you get fitter and increase your levels of activity, you might actually enjoy exercise as a part of your regular routine. These are the elements to focus on and if you can manage to do it with a common sense approach, you might just surprise yourself at how successful your weight loss efforts can be.
Fast weight loss can be a challenge for anyone and it's important to keep moving forward to achieve your goals. For help and more advice on losing weight in a healthy way, you can read more at rabbitsadvice.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6491936
There are definitely right ways and wrong ways to go about weight loss, and you really have to be careful about which methods you choose. Starving yourself or skipping meals I give you fast results, but we all know how that ends in the long run. Eventually your body will adjust and your metabolism will slow down. You might you lose weight at first, but eventually you will start to experience tremendous hunger as your body actually thinks it's starving. It will become harder to lose weight using this method as your body starts to burn muscle instead of fat. Eventually after a few weeks you will start eating again thanks to uncontrollable hunger, and chances are you'll gain the weight back.
Rather than going through this constant yo-yo cycle that has plagued so many people, it's far better to cut straight to the heart of the matter and pursue proper weight loss methods. That means doing things in a healthy way even if they are a little bit more challenging. It's going to take a dedicated look at your diet in addition to asking yourself what you're willing to sacrifice in terms of food and exercise. The most basic rule to follow when thinking about losing weight is to do things in the healthiest way possible. That means putting effort into the planning process and organizing yourself when it comes to food and exercise. It definitely takes more effort, but it also results in the type of weight loss that you can maintain in the long-term.
When you look at your diet, it's important to take out the foods that are high in calories and offer little nutritional value. Some of these things will probably be quite noticeable and they come in the form of fast food or unhealthy snacks. Other items might be a bit trickier which is why you have to do research into general nutritional information. It's important to know exactly what you're putting into your body and how it affects your overall metabolism.
Exercise is the Achilles' heel for most people because it's something that they would prefer to skip. The thing that most people forget about exercise is that it can actually be incredibly rewarding. It can make you feel better about yourself and appreciate your body at the same time. The key is to get started in some form or another so that you can get your body moving. As you get fitter and increase your levels of activity, you might actually enjoy exercise as a part of your regular routine. These are the elements to focus on and if you can manage to do it with a common sense approach, you might just surprise yourself at how successful your weight loss efforts can be.
Fast weight loss can be a challenge for anyone and it's important to keep moving forward to achieve your goals. For help and more advice on losing weight in a healthy way, you can read more at rabbitsadvice.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6491936
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