There are only two components to losing weight: Diet and exercise
Some key facts before I begin my rant:
BMI=Body Mass Index (a somewhat reliable indicator of your body composition)
3500 kcal (nutritional calories) = 1lb of fat
BMR = Basal Metabolic Rate (the amount of Calories your body burns at rest)
Diet
The common phrase heard in the bodybuilding community is "Abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym".
This holds true because you have to think of your body mathematically. Once you calculate your metabolic rate and fitness level, remember that to lose one pound of fat, you need to burn 3500 Calories. The best way is 1lb per week, at a caloric deficit of 500 Calories per day.
Example: Your metabolism is 2500 Calories. You consume 2000 Calories a day, you'll be losing a pound per week without stepping a foot in the gym.
Your metabolism is 2500 Calories, you burn 500 Calories in the gym, but eat 3000 Calories. You maintain your weight.
Tricks to keep your metabolism high:
- Big breakfast and 5 smaller meals thoughout the day
- Drink 4-8 ice cold glasses of water a day (at 8 glasses a day, you'll burn 70 Calories simply using energy to heat the water to body temperature!)
- HIIT (more on that later)
Keep some snacks with you during the day such as nuts, fruit, granola bars, protein bars, etc to help fight cravings and to keep your metabolism chugging.
The biggest
key is to *avoid* diets but create your own
diet. This means not falling for fad diets, but adapting your lifestyle into a tasty, healthy one. Make heart healthy meals that are also tasty and you won't be tempted to cheat as much.
Exercise
There are aerobic and anaerobic exercises.
Aerobic works the cardiovascular system and will improve your metabolism as well. HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is the best form of cardio because it raises your metabolism far beyond your time at the gym. An example of HIIT is sprinting for a lap around a track, then lightly jogging for a lap; rinse, repeat. The reason why HIIT is better than slow, longer endurance sessions is that your body adapts to the endurance training and will conserve energy. HIIT throws your body out of rhythm b/c your heart rate spikes then slows down several times.
Anaerobic exercises (weight-training) will keep your muscles healthy and will also increase your metabolism. Dieting and excessive cardio will destroy your muscles (in fact, crash diets only burn muscle mass, not fat!). There are many varying exercises you can do but don't be weary of "getting huge" as many women avoid weight-training b/c of this. Don't fall into that trap. Weight-training is crucial to a healthy body and healthy living. If you want more on some creative and fun exercises, let me know.