By Anthoney J. Andersen – Steroidal.com
As obesity continues to be an ongoing problem in America, it’s important to educate yourself on the various ways to lose those unwanted pounds, while effectively decreasing body fat percentage.
There are many elements that factor into losing weight – proper diet, nutrition, and exercise, to name a few – but finding the right diet and exercise regimen that benefits your body and lifestyle the most, can be quite a daunting task.
So as you push forward, you will uncover some healthy diet tips and exercises, which will help you achieve your overall weight/fat loss goals more effectively.
TIME TO TAKE ACTION
Having a high body fat percentage sets the stage for complications that come with being overweight or obese, such as developing diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer.
Globally, there are more than one billion overweight adults, at least 300 million of them obese, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Obesity rates have more than doubled in adults and children since the 1970s. While recent estimates have suggested that the overall rates of obesity have plateaued – or even declined – among some groups, obesity is widespread and continues to be a leading public health concern in the U.S.
According to Mayo Clinic, body fat percentages greater than 20 percent for men and 30 percent for women, are considered high. To lower your chances of becoming one of these statistics, it is essential that you become more active, and alter your eating habits.
TAKING THE FIRST STEP
Before your body can tear away the excess fat, it needs to first look at dropping the excess weight.
Just as a car needs the right gasoline to make it run, the body needs a healthy diet to help it develop properly. That means that you should be looking at a diet plan that enables you to maintain a suitable balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat (among other vital nutrients).
According to WebMD, if you burn 500 more calories than you eat every day for a week, you should lose roughly one to two pounds. For example, if you consume 1,050 to 1,200 calories a day, and exercise for one hour a day, you could lose three to five pounds in the first week.
Another way to drop weight is to reduce your sodium (salt) and starches intake.
“When you reduce sodium and cut starches, you reduce fluids and fluid retention, which can result in up to five pounds of fluid loss when you get started,” said Michael Dansinger, MD, of NBC’s ‘The Biggest Loser’ show.
Dansinger recommends eating a diet that minimizes starches, added sugars, and animal fat from meat and dairy foods. For rapid weight loss, you should focus on consuming fruits, veggies, egg whites, soy products, skinless poultry breasts, fish and 95 percent lean meat.
Here are some more helpful tips from Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, author of ‘The Flexitarian Diet’:
- Eat vegetables to help you feel full.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Remove tempting, sugary foods, from your home.
- Keep busy (don’t want to eat just because you’re bored).
- Don’t skip meals.
According to Livestrong.com, keeping a food journal can also help you stay on track.
“Even if you write it down on a napkin and end up throwing it away, the act of writing it down is about being accountable to yourself and is a very effective tool for weight loss,” said Bonnie Taub Dix, MA, RD, author of ‘Read It Before You Eat It.’
DISREGARD THE SCALE
Once you drop the weight, it’s time to shift the focus from the scale, to building muscle and lowering body fat percentage. According to Womenshealth.com, measuring your body fat percentage is a great way to keep track of your progress, and is a great indicator of your fitness level – than weight alone.
This is due to the fact that when you’re working out regularly, your muscle mass goes up, and your fat goes down, but if it’s an even swap, a scale readout won’t reflect that change.
Building extra muscle will not only increase your metabolism – which will help burn off some of the fat – but it will make you look leaner and give you that ‘defined/ripped’ look overall.
To achieve optimal results, once you have found a well-balanced diet plan, it’s best to combine that with a consistent, and well-structured strength training program, two to three times a week.
When exercising, look at lifting heavier weights, with lower reps – this will provoke your body to build lean muscle mass, while burning fat. To burn fat even faster, incorporate one to two days of high intensity cardio into your routine. An example of this is sprinting for 30 seconds, and then walking for 60 seconds. The goal is switching between intense bouts of exercise, and low intensity exercise, which keeps the body guessing.
EAT. MORE. PROTEIN.
Starting off each day with a well-balanced breakfast is one of the best ways to reduce fat and increase weight loss.
“Your body has been starving all night long, and it needs nutrients to rebuild itself,” said International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) professional Mike Matarazzo. “If you just catch something quick on the run – instead of eating a full meal – it negatively impacts your workout and everything else you do during the rest of the day.”
To start your day off right, Matarazzo recommends eating 30-40 grams of protein (egg whites and/or a protein shake), a complex carbohydrate (like oatmeal), and a piece of fruit.
CONCLUSION
When it comes to losing weight or decreasing body fat percentage, there’s a process that should be followed in order to achieve your desired results. If you’re unsure of how to go about starting a diet and exercise program, it’s recommended that you speak to your doctor or a dietician, so you can safely begin to embark on a journey to becoming a better and healthier you.
Commitment is key.
