Dieting Tips – 5 Tips to Lose Weight

Do you really think there is a “secret” recipe when it comes to weight loss? You have tons of weight loss and diet tips that are available with the click of your mouse. Most of this information is really inaccurate and can do more harm than good. That’s even more true when it comes to dieting tips.

I’m not saying that good and helpful information doesn’t exist. If it didn’t I would have had a hard time gathering my thoughts for this article. When it comes to really dropping that body fat and getting ready for your summer exploits at the beach or pool, there are some powerful techniques that bikini and bodybuilding pros use but are hardly talked about. They work. These athletes use these techniques time and time again with great success. I’m going to share five of them with you.

#1 Eat More to Burn More

When you eat less, your body’s metabolism slows down. When you diet it causes a starvation response. This is the period of time when your body is trying to decide what to do with far fewer calories and carbohydrates. One way to keep your metabolic rate up and your body burning fat is to feed it fast-digesting carbohydrates. Quick carbs such as those in oat meal, sweet potato and Cream of Rice essentially trick your body out of starvation mode as your body starts to believe that your diet is over. As a result your calorie burning hormones return back to normal levels and you continue to burn fat.

As you return back to your diet, you do so with a better metabolism, one in which hormones that support fat burning are firing on all cylinders.

#2 Supplement With Fat Burners

In order to burn more calories while eating less calories you need to provide your body with metabolic support. Using fat burners to boost your metabolism will keep you burning calories even when overall calories are reduced. There are many proven ephedrine-free fat burners that work very well including Green Tea, Green Coffee Bean Extract, and Alpha-Yohimbine.

When you exercise, norepinephrine levels generally increase, but as you get deeper into your diet and lose weight, your body starts to make adjustments and it gets difficult to lose weight. When your weight loss starts to plateau it’s time to add a fat burner.

A good fat loss supplement works by increasing norepinephrine levels which trigger the breakdown of body fat. Adding a fat burner will help you keep your metabolic furnace burning. Supplements that increase norepinephrine include caffeine, niacin and supplements derived from capsicum or ginger.

#3 Cardio Sucks!

Let’s cut the crap. Nobody enjoys cardio, but it HAS to be done. When I talk to clients I tell them to find something that they enjoy. Whether it’s walking on the treadmill, riding the recumbent bike, the elliptical, or even walking the dog the key is to find something you enjoy. It makes the time go by so much faster. Personally, I will hop on the elliptical, bust out my iPad and fire up a movie. Before I know it, my 30, 45, or 60 minutes of cardio is done.

When doing cardio, no matter what kind of cardio you choose, you want to keep your heart rate in that “weight loss zone” of about 60-70% of your maximum heart rate.

#4 Pass the Salt Please

When you are on a low-carb diet for an extended period of time there are many things can influence whether you will maintain or lose muscle while getting leaner. One of those things is how much water your muscles are storing. Higher levels of water in your muscles allow you to maintain your mass.

If you start to notice or feel like you are losing muscle mass, you are probably noticing the effect of decreased glycogen levels. When glycogen levels decrease, the water levels inside your muscles also decreases, leaving you looking flat. The easiest way to keep water in your muscles is by adding a little more salt to your diet.

Adding salt allows the glucose from carbs, amino acids and creatine to be transported into your muscles.
According to Chris Aceto, “all three drag water with them, influencing fluid receptors in muscles that encourage muscle retention. Holding onto muscle, which unlike fat stores is a calorie-burning powerhouse, helps keep your metabolic rate elevated.” [1]

#5 Drink Your Water

Drinking water is easy to do and it is pretty cheap too. But our days get busy. The busier I get the harder it is to remind myself to drink water. Drinking the right amount of water ensures that your body runs on all cylinders.

How much H2O do you really need? Well, if you are active, or trying to lose weight then you should forget about 6-8 glasses a day. You should try to drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water per day, MINIMUM.

Researchers in Germany report that water consumption increases the rate at which people burn calories. The researchers estimate that over the course of a year, a person who increases his water consumption by 1.5 liters a day would burn an extra 17,400 calories, for a weight loss of approximately five pounds. [2]

References

[1] – http://www.procardnutrition.com/

[2] – Boschmann, M. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, December 2003; vol. 88: pp. 6015-6019. Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD,spokeswoman, American Dietetic Association; director, sports nutrition, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Daniel Moser, PhD, exercise physiologist, Elite Health and Wellness, Philadelphia.