Learning to eat healthier, workout and lose weight is easy; it's the discipline that is difficult. A combination of diet and exercise is the most effective way to lose weight. Focusing on good nutrition Monday through Friday is a great way to transition to a healthy lifestyle without giving up some of the foods you love. You can learn to start eating healthier, working out and losing weight immediately.
Step 1
Eat "clean" foods that fuel your workouts without promoting body fat storage. For example, choose lean proteins, such as chicken, turkey, fish and whey protein. Eat low-glycemic carbs, like oatmeal, sweet potatoes, brown rice and whole grains, rather than their more refined counterparts. Get some healthy fats from olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds and natural peanut butter, rather than saturated and processed trans fatty acids.
Step 2
Divide your daily nutrition into five or six smaller meals to fuel your body all day long and elevate your metabolic rate. Eating in this manner keeps your blood sugar balanced, suppresses hunger and slowly feeds your body all the nutrients it needs over the course of your day. Try getting three main meals, with two or three healthy snacks in between them.
Step 3
Drink eight 12 to 16 oz. glasses of water every day. Water acts as a natural thermogenic (fat burner) and aids in nearly every bodily function, from cleansing and cooling the body to energy production and fat burning. Have a full glass upon waking, one with each meal and as much as possible while working out.
Step 4
Do resistance training exercise three to five days per week. Weight training is not just for bodybuilders, and it is not likely to make you bulky unless you are eating specifically for that goal. These workouts do build muscle, which is metabolically active, meaning you can burn more calories at rest. Start by doing full body workouts three days per week.
Step 5
Add cardiovascular exercise to your program. Do 30 to 60 minutes immediately after your resistance training to target body fat directly. Add as many days or sessions of cardio as you want, but always try to take one day off from all formal training. Examples of cardio are walking, jogging, biking, swimming or using the machines at the gym.
Step 6
Eat cheat meals now and then. The point is not to deprive yourself of the foods you love in the name of losing weight. One day or one meal per week, eat whatever you want. Your personal metabolism will dictate the extent to which you can take liberties with these cheat meals. This dieting technique actually enables your body to keep burning fat at a high rate from week to week.
References
- "Combat the Fat;" Jeff Anderson; 2008
- "The Abs Diet;" David Zinczenko; 2004
- "The Fat Burning Bible;" Mackie Shilstone; 2005
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