Lose weight and maintain your weight loss with a few techniques to modify your eating and exercise habits. Implement these strategies into your weekly routine to increase your success in living a healthy lifestyle for the rest of your life. Get your exercise sessions done early in the morning before your daily chores, reducing the chances of missing your workouts.
Eat Lean Protein
The digestion of protein enhances the breakdown of your stored body fat. The more protein you eat, the more glucagon your pancreas produces. Glucagon promotes the use of your fat to fuel your daily activities, including exercise. Follow a high-protein diet so 30 percent of your daily calories come from protein, 30 percent come from healthy fats and no more than 40 percent come from carbohydrates.
Drink Protein Shakes
Drink a protein shake before and immediately after your workouts. A combination of protein and carbs from whey and casein protein powder, milk and fruit or fruit juice enhances muscle recovery and muscle growth. Use one scoop of whey protein powder, 1/2 cup of water and half an apple for your pre-workout shake. Blend a scoop of casein powder, one scoop of protein powder, 1 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of water and 1 cup of fruit for your post-workout shake.
Cook in Cast Iron
Cooking your foods in a cast iron skillet increases the amount of iron absorbed, improving your iron levels. Iron helps improve the amount of oxygen you absorb in your lungs and deliver to your working muscles. This increases your ability to exercise for a longer duration and at a higher intensity, burning plenty of calories. Add orange or lemon juice to your cooking to further enhance the amount of iron you absorb.
Do High-Intensity Interval Training
High-intensity interval training burns plenty of calories throughout the day, after your workout. This type of training increases the concentration of enzymes in your body responsible for breaking down stored body fat. Add one to two sprint and walk sessions to your training during the week. Sprint "all out" for 30 seconds then walk for 90 seconds for a total of 20 minutes.
Do Strength Training
Complete two weight training sessions during the week using moderately heavy weights to build muscle mass. If you increase your amount of lean muscle tissue, you increase your resting metabolic rate, according to a 2009 article by Wayne Wescott, Ph.D., published by the American College of Sports Medicine. This increases the number of calories you burn throughout the day.
References
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; Low-Carbohydrate Diets Promote a More Favorable Body Composition Than Low-Fat Diets; Jeff Volek, Ph.D., RD, et al; Feb. 2010
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; Protein for Sports -- New Data and New Recommendations; Tim Ziegenfuss, Ph.D., et al; Feb. 2010
- "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal"; Iron Deficiency in Physically Active Adults; Pamela Hinton, Ph. D.; Sept. /Oct. 2006
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; High-Intensity Interval Training; Brad Schoenfeld and Jay Dawes; Dec. 2009
- "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal"; Strength Training Guidelines: Roll in Body Composition and Health Enhancement; Wayne Wescott, Ph. D.; Jul./Aug. 2009
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