There’s no time like the present to start losing weight. Fat loss takes time and effort. But if you’re like most people, you want to see results sooner rather than later. Short term results motivate you to achieve long term goals. Get a head start on your goals with some safe, yet fast acting weight loss solutions.
Stay Hydrated
If you’re not drinking enough water each day, you’re probably carrying around some excess water under your skin. When you become dehydrated, hormonal changes take place causing your body to hold water under the skin. This water retention adds body weight and makes you look bloated. The American Council on Exercise recommends women drink 91 ozs. Men should aim for 125 ozs. (almost a gallon). Staying hydrated will signal your body to excrete excess fluid, making you lighter and leaner looking in only a few days.
Reduce Simple Carbohydrates
When you eat carbohydrates, your body breaks them down into glucose, and uses the glucose for fuel. How fast this process occurs has an impact on your ability to gain and lose weight. When carbohydrates are broken down quickly, your body uses what it needs, and stores the rest as fat. Simple carbohydrates such as sugar, white flour and fruit juices quickly raise blood glucose levels, triggering fat gain. Avoid them in favor of whole grain products, brown rice, oats and whole fruit. These complex carbohydrates digest slowly keeping your energy up and encouraging fat burning.
Circuit Training
Resistance training is a powerful fat-fighter, according to the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Muscle burns calories, raising your metabolism and keeping you leaner. The only downside to traditional resistance training is that you don’t use all that many calories while you actually do it. Circuit training is a way to increase fat burning to get the best of both worlds. Circuit training calls for you to move from one exercise to the next with little or no rest. Because your heart rate stays elevated, you burn lots of calories while you build precious muscle. For more information on how to design a circuit training program, go to the American Council on Exercise.
References
- The American Council on Exercise: Healthy Hydration
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning - 3rd Edition"; National Strength and Conditioning Association; 2008
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