Losing Weight And Keeping It Off

By Russ Howe


If we had to write down the most frequently asked question our Fitness Instructors receive in the gym on a daily basis it would undoubtedly be folks asking how to lose weight quickly and keep it off forever. There are many myths surrounding this, so today we show you the facts on how to do it.

Face it, we all know at least one person who has been sucked in by the big claims of glossy magazines or supplement companies offering instant results. Maybe you have, too. People often get stuck in this vicious cycle, spending years looking for that expensive quick fix which doesn't exist. The truth is they could have achieved all of their desired goals within three to six months without spending a penny if they had just got out of that mentality and researched the following facts.

There is a way around it, however. No matter what your current situation, weight loss is not impossible.

The trick to a long term diet is within it's foundation. The following rules will help you set these foundations:

1) Calorie Deficits. What does that mean? Eating less than you do now, basically. The concept is only successful when you cut down gradually though. Don't make the common mistake of suddenly chopping your daily food in half and causing yourself to feel as it you are starving. This actually makes it almost impossible to lose weight as your body begins to store fat, not knowing what is happening to it.

2) If you eat more protein you will burn more fat. That may sound strange, given that protein is normally associated with bodybuilders and building big muscles, but it is completely true. As you drop your carbs and fat intake you will begin burning muscle and keeping fat. You don't want this to happen. Increase your protein intake and you'll end this effect, forcing your body to retain lean muscle and lose fat instead.

3) Protein has far less effect on the body's fat storage systems than both carbohydrates and fat. So when you fancy a snack it makes sense to first look at the available protein sources such as chicken or fish. This is also why protein shakes are increasingly popular.

4) Our favorite weight loss technique is tried, tested and endorsed by just about every personal trainer worth his salt. The next time you head off to work simply pack your bag with a few small containers alongside your lunch. These containers are snack boxes and should be only large enough to pack in a light meal of about fifty calories. This isn't enough to impact your overall diet, whereas it is enough to help you avoid the craving for the quick carbs and bad fats of the vending machine. There are fantastic long term weight loss results to be had here.

5) Taking a day off from your diet is a great way to prolong results. You read that correctly! Have you ever done a weight loss plan where you felt like you were punishing yourself, living on 'rabbit food' and avoiding everything you like? If so, where did it lead you? If you are like most people it led you directly to falling off the wagon and reaching 'I'll start over next month' territory.

You are free to have a day off every single week. In fact we advise you to even if you don't want to, because it helps. Your moral goes up, it gives you a target if you are having a tough week at work or feel down, and you can also use it as a kind of reward for your hard work without worrying about eating bad calories. This helps you far more than it hinders you.

While we all like the idea of losing weight instantly we all know it's silly and, deep down, we also know that gradual weight loss is the way to go if you are looking to actually keep it off once it's gone, as opposed to piling it all back on and more like so many do. The five points above will help you a lot. Apply them starting tomorrow and you will be blown away by the results.




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