According to the latest statistics from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, nearly 34 percent of Americans over the age of 20 are obese, with nearly 6 percent characterized as "extremely obese." Obviously, effective ways to lose weight are needed in America. Some proven methods include weight training, using dietary supplements, and making dietary changes.
Weight Training
There are many ways to lose fat through weight training. One popular method suitable for those of all ages and experience levels is Circuit Training.
Circuit training is an effective way to lose weight, especially for those who don't want to delve too seriously into weight training. Circuit training involves the use of one weight-lifting exercise for each body part; but rather than doing multiple, consecutive sets for each, you move from one exercise to the next in a pre-defined circuit. The circuit of exercises is then repeated as many times as desired.
As fitness writer Christopher Phelps points out, circuit training can provide an aerobic workout and a full-body weight workout at the same time. He suggests incorporating free weights and exercise machines. Circuit training is also convenient because you can define the length of the workout by varying the number of circuits you complete.
Dietary Supplements
There are also a large number of dietary supplements available that claim to help you lose weight. According to the Nutrition Business Journal, the supplement industry is one worth $23.7 billion.
Some popular weight loss and fat-burning products include Hydroxycut Hardcore, QuickTrim, Nutrex Lipo-6 and VPX Meltdown. These products include ingredients such as caffeine, green tea extract and capsicum, which are purported to increase your metabolic rate and promote calorie burning. If you avoid "miracle" supplements and untested treatments, combining exercise with dietary supplements can aid weight loss. A study from the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports found that green tea supplementation and exercise promoted the burning of fat to fuel exercise. Always consult your physician about weigh-loss aids before using them.
Eat More Fish
Having a proper nutritional plan is an essential part of dieting. Working out won't do you any good if you don't eat well. One tip to accelerate your weight loss efforts is to make fish a priority in your diet. Fish tends to be low in fat and is rich in protein. And research suggests it might be a better source of protein for dieters than even lean meat such as chicken---a study from the journal "Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases" found that higher fish intake led to superior weight loss, even if calories remained the same.
References
- Christopher Phelps: Does Circuit Training Equal Fat Loss?
- Nutrition Business Journal: Dietary Supplement Industry Analysis
- "Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases"; Consumption of cod and weight loss in young overweight and obese adults on an energy reduced diet for 8-weeks; A Ramel, MT Jonsdottir MT and I Thorsdottir; December 2009
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Health E Stats - Overwight, Obesity, and Extreme Obesity Among Adults 2007-2008
- "Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports"; Effect of endurance training supplemented with green tea extract on substrate metabolism during exercise in humans; T Ichinose et al; March 2010
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