The two key weight-loss strategies are well-known: Eat the right amount of calories for your bodily needs and activity level and exercise regularly. Despite this knowledge, 68 percent of Americans remain overweight or obese. It's indicative of the fact that weight-loss plans often fail, leaving dieters far short of their ideal weight and more frustrated. A few lesser-known weight-loss strategies can give you an edge and increase your chances of success.
Use Proper Technique
Not using the proper form during your workouts reduces the efficiency of your workout, thereby preventing you from burning as many calories as you could be, according to "Fit Not Fat at 40 Plus." Poor technique also increase your risk of an injury, which will disrupt your fitness routine and prevent you from doing exercises to lose weight. If you're exercising at home, place a long hanging or stand-up mirror in your workout space to ensure you're using the right form during each activity. At the gym, whenever possible, choose equipment machines that are placed in front of mirrors.
Exercise in the Morning
The debate about whether exercising in the morning or later in the day is more beneficial for weight loss and fitness rages on. It's also a moot point if you're simply not a morning person or too beat in the afternoons to work out. However, if possible, try to exercise first thing in the morning. According to Jorge Cruise, author of "8 Minutes in the Morning to Lean Hips and Thin Thighs," morning workouts are more beneficial because they boost metabolism when it's lowest. Also, testosterone levels are highest in the morning; your body needs testosterone to build muscles, which also revs up your metabolism and helps your body to burn calories at a more efficient pace.
Do Supersets When Strength Training
To tap into that calorie-burning benefit of strength training even more, do supersets. This weight-training approach refers to doing two sets of exercises back to back, rather than taking a break in between sets, which is the more traditional approach. According to Tom Venuto, supersets are a more efficient and effective fat-loss training method as you'll build more muscle in a shorter period. During a superset, you can do two sets of exercises targeting the same muscle group, or for two different muscle groups.
Drink Warm Water
Water promotes weight loss in several ways. For instance, it helps to quench thirst, which can be mistaken for hunger. Water is also essential for fat metabolism and reduces the amount of water your body retains, according to Bruce Krahn, author of "The Fat-Fighter Diet." Taken half hour or an hour before consuming a meal, water helps you to feel fuller so you're less likely to overeat. A study published in the "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism," indicates that warming water from 22 degrees Celsius to 37 degrees Celsius --- or about 72 degrees Fahrenheit to about 99 degrees Fahrenheit --- increases fat metabolism. It also increases resting metabolic rate, which also helps you to lose weight faster.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Obesity and Overweight -- Faststats
- "Fit Not Fat at 40 Plus"; Editors of Prevention Health Books for Women; 2002
- "8 Minutes in the Morning to Lean Hips and Thin Thighs"; Jorge Cruise; 2004
- "The Fat-Fighter Diet"; Bruce Krahn; 2007
- Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism: Water-Induced Thermogenesis
Member Comments