What It Takes to Lose a Pound

What It Takes to Lose a Pound

A pound of body fat equates to approximately 3500 calories. So if you have a calorie deficit of 500 calories (meaning that you burn 500 calories more than you eat each day) you would lose approximately one pound per week:

500 x 7 = 3,500

It's easy to see that a calorie deficit of 1000 calories would mean that you'd lose approximately two pounds per week. And that's a good number to remember, because two pounds a week is commonly accepted as the maximum rate of weight loss that is healthy. Losing weight too quickly has other disadvantages, too

--not exactly all fat
--everyone is different
--based on health and fitness level too

10 Quick Ways To Lose Weight

When it comes to weight loss and methods that can help you lose weight it is not always that hard to save calories and get rid of the excess pounds. There are a number of things you can do in your daily life, part of your routine that can really make a difference. In this short post we outline 10 quick and easy ways to lose weight. The tips and tricks explained here are not meant to replace your weight loss plans or programs; they can be used as an additional source which can help you understand better how to lose weight quickly.

1. Keep meats that are high in fat (burgers, fried food, junk food) outside your diet. They have nothing to offer to your body and health (other than calories and fat) and there are many better replacements both in terms of calories and healthiness.

2. Did you notice that people who eat spicy food do not have weight problems? This is true and the main reason behind this is that spicy food can accelerate your metabolism and help you burn more calories. So spicy up your food to make it tastier and boost your metabolism at the same time.

3. Salads are delicious, healthy and calorie friendly. Why not try having a salad for lunch instead of a heavy and calorie loaded meal? Salads give you a lot of energy at minimum cost. It goes without saying that you should avoid saucy salad dressings.

4. There is no valid excuse that can keep you away from walking or running for 30 minutes per day. This activity will clean your mind, give you more energy and help you lose weight. If the weather is bad then go to the gym or use the treadmill at home. If you don’t have one, then buy one. Do not expect that you will lose weight magically. You need to take actions and make the effort.

5. The last meal of the day is dinner. You should take your dinner at least 3 hours before bedtime and after that you should not eat anything. Do not make the mistake that many people do. Many people eat their dinner and until they go to bed they eat snacks and sweets (a bite of this and that), capable to blow up their weight loss efforts. A nice way to remind your self that you should not eat anything is to brush your teeth right after dinner.

6. When you need to drink something then this should be fresh water. There are no perfect substitutes of water despite what you want to believe. Better drink fewer juices and no soft drinks and fight your thirst with 6-8 glasses of water per day.

7. Weight lifting can help you lose weight fast. Do not be afraid of strength training and body building. The harder and more effort you put into exercise the more weight you will lose. Weight lifting can help you build muscles utilizing the fat reserves for energy.

8. If you do not have to go to a restaurant (because you are invited for dinner) then try to eat at home. Eating at home is better because you have more control on the size of the food portions and the ingredients used for cooking. Food cooked in restaurants is not really healthy and the more you can avoid it the better.

9. If you really have to eat out then prefer to order your own portion from the menu instead of taking buffet. Buffets are full of temptations and most probably you will not be able to resist and at the end you will feel bad. Also try eating only half of the food portion to make sure that you will not consume more calories than you really need.

10. Last but not least, if you are serious about losing weight quickly then keep a food diary. In the diary you can record everything you eat and drink and also calculate the amount of calories. Watch your diary and make sure that you do not eat more calories (keep your diet around 2000-24000 calories daily) than what you need and also used it as a tool to help you set your weight loss goals.

Foods That Burn Fat

In addition to exercise, to reach your fitness goals and burn fat, you will want to add some fat burning foods to your diet to help trim your waistline and burn fat away. Foods that are high in protein and fiber are the best kinds of food to eat if you want to burn fat around your middle.

It takes more energy to digest protein than it does to digest fat, So the more protein you eat, the more calories your body burns and thus the more fat you burn. Don't go overboard and think that a double cheeseburger will help you get trim and burn fat. It may be high in protein, but loaded with fat and empty carbs.

To help, I've listed a few high protein and high fiber foods that will help you to burn fat and get trim.

Eggs
Eggs are super high in protein and can help you burn that unwanted belly fat.

Low Fat Dairy Products
Dairy products help you strengthen your bones, are high in protein, and they can also play an essential role in burning that unwanted body fat.

Beans
Beans are a very good sources of protein, fiber and iron. Some of the best kinds of beans to eat are Navy beans, White beans, Kidney beans,and Lima beans

Lean Cuts of Meat
Turkey and beef are great for building muscle and boosting the immune system, but make sure you eat the leanest cuts possible. Salmon and tuna are also good sources of protein and they both contain omega-3 fatty acids which may sound bad, but are actually healthy fats.

You may have noticed there is a lot of protein here and are saying, "what about the carbs?" Well, carbs are not bad, and your body needs them. You just have to eat the right carbs to burn fat. Stay away from overly processed foods like white bread and the sweets counter. Looks for bread that is whole grain. The same goes for pasta. Eating a whole grain bread or pasta will contain less calories, more fiber, and will provide your body with the complex carbohydrates your body needs, not the preprocessed simple carbs found in most white breads and sugary snacks.

I hope this brief article will help you make smarter decisions regarding what you eat and help you burn fat and reach your fitness goals.

Tips for Exercise Success

Football, skipping, swimming, cycling, jogging, skiing, aerobic dancing, walking or any of dozens of other activities can help you lose weight and keep it off. They all cause you to feel warm, perspire and breathe heavily without being out of breath and without feeling any burning sensation in your muscles. Whether it is a structured exercise program or just part of your daily routine, all exercise adds up to a healthier heart and a leaner you.

Here are some tips for exercise success:

• If you've been sedentary for a long time, are overweight, have a high risk of coronary heart disease or some other chronic health problem, see your doctor for a medical evaluation before beginning a physical activity program.


• Choose activities that are fun, not exhausting. Add variety. Develop a repertoire of several activities that you can enjoy. That way, exercise will never seem boring or routine.


• Wear comfortable, properly fitted footwear and comfortable, loose-fitting clothing appropriate for the weather and the activity.


• Find a convenient time and place to do activities. Try to make it a habit, but be flexible. If you miss an exercise opportunity, work activity into your day another way.


• Use music to keep you entertained.


• Surround yourself with supportive people and decide what kind of support you need.


• Don't overdo it. Do low- to moderate-level activities, especially at first. You can slowly increase the duration and intensity of your activities as you become more fit. Over time, work up to exercising on most days of the week for 30-60 minutes.


• Keep a record of your activities.


• Reward yourself at special milestones. Nothing motivates like success!

Exercise to Lose Weight

The best exercise to lose weight is any exercise that you will do consistently. That being said, the two things that stop people from losing weight with exercise are either boredom or injury. The truth is that weight loss is about creating a calorie deficit, in other words, burning more calories than you take in. So while running at an 8-minute-mile pace might be a great calorie burner, if you're not going to do it, it's not going to help you. Instead, start with something you can do, like walking or working out on an elliptical machine or exercise bike. You will burn more calories with cardio (aerobic) exercise than with strength or resistance training, but when you combine the two, the results can be phenomenal. More muscle mass equates to more calories burned, even when you're at rest.

Of course, exercise is only ½ of the equation. Your diet must also be in line. No amount of cardio can offset a poor diet full of empty calories. To help keep you on track, try some of these helpful tips:

1. Have an exercise buddy or partner to keep each other motivated.
2. Schedule your workouts so you can plan to get them in.
3. Weigh yourself daily to see the results.
4. Don't do too much, too fast so you don’t get injured or burned out.
6. Cook more often.(Portions and calories, are out of control when you eat out).
7. Cut out the empty calories in sweets, soda, and beer.