Exercise places great demands on the body. To maintain blood circulation and muscular expansions and contractions, the body continuously burns calories for energy. When the number of calories burned outpaces the number of calories consumed, weight loss occurs. Furthermore, the body prepares for the next workout by making muscles stronger and more resilient. This process can go faster with the right steps toward a better diet, workout plan and success.
Step 1
Drink water instead of soft drinks and other empty-calorie beverages. Although you may need the occasional sports drink to replace the electrolytes lost to sweat during exercise, water can prevent you from consuming more than 300 extra calories a day. In addition to curbing hunger and reducing water retention by clearing out excess sodium in the kidneys, water eases constipation and hydrates the body, providing the molecules needed for everyday functioning. If you crave a flavored drink, then try a diet or low-sugar beverage that contains fewer than 35 calories per serving.
Step 2
Eat low-fat, high-protein meals in place of fatty red meats and other foods saturated in fat. Because you will be working out more often to build muscle, you will need the amino acids from foods containing protein to help repair damaged muscle tissue. However, you do not need the extra fat that can clog your arteries with plaque. This is why red meat should be substituted with ground turkey, skinless chicken breast, fish or egg whites. Each of these alternatives is high in protein and other nutrients without the excess saturated fat and calories. For example, research at the Mayo Clinic finds that most fish, like herring and salmon, contain omega-3 fatty acids known to possibly reduce blood pressure, lower "bad" cholesterol and boost immune functioning. In other words, the substitutions will not only increase weight loss, they will benefit your heart and health as well.
Step 3
Increase aerobic activity, which is any exercise that uses the large leg and arm muscles in combination with the heart and lungs in great intensity. Even moderate amounts of physical activity for 30 to 60 minutes, according to the Mayo Clinic, boosts metabolic rates to burn slightly more calories than usual. For example, you could go for a mile-walk around the park, climb stairs whenever possible or hike a mountain.
To see more significant results, however, intense cardiovascular exercise is required. For instance, interval training--going between high-speed and low-speed cardio--enhances stamina and calorie burns, leading to weight loss and greater lean muscle development in the legs.
Step 4
Engage in strength-training three to four times a week. Regardless of age, strength training helps to preserve and increase lean muscle mass. In addition, it can strengthen bones, help the body burn calories more efficiently and provide a better night's sleep, according to physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, Edward Laskowski, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic. Rotate among different muscle groups--arms, legs, abs, back, shoulders--to allow enough time for each group to recover. Repeated exercise on the same muscle can decrease lean muscle mass over time, so allow enough rest for full recovery and growth. Also, compound exercises--exercises that use two or more muscles at once--speed the muscle growth process, and of course, the more intense the workouts, the more calories burned and the quicker you will see weight loss results.
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