Fat To Firm In Few Weeks Part 1

Not long before your sister's wedding, you tried on your bridesmaid's dress. It was a size 16 - just as you had ordered. You began to become disappointed thinking there was no way you could get into it. You talked with friends about dieting strategies, and then came up with a regimen you hoped would produce quick results. You've tried limiting yourself to modest meal portions, devoted most of your lunch hour to walking and so on and so forth. As it turned out, you had come up with a basic diet and fitness program similar to what more and more expert are recommending for fast shape-ups.

In the past, anyone who wanted to slim down in few weeks usually went on a crash diet, and the results seldom lasted long. But growing numbers of people are beginning to discover a better way - combining balanced low-fat meals with aerobic activity and even strength training. It's not easy, yet it can be done. So if you want to shape up fast, here are some tips that will surely help you meet your goals.

Think Fat Loss, Not Weight Loss. The primary goal of five-week shape-up is to lose body fat while maintaining muscle, or lean body mass. The problem is that calories are stored in fat, and during a diet, the body protects itself by conserving calories and burning muscle instead. Lost muscle lowers metabolism (the rate at which the body burns calories), making it even more difficult to lose weight.

Here's what the experts say:

"A pound of muscle burns 70 times as many calories as a pound of fat, so in order to achieve weight loss, it is vital to retain and build muscle." --- William Jay Evans, director of a physiological research center. Increasing muscle mass by just three pounds makes your body burn 150 to 300 more calories a day, regardless of your activity level.

"The real key isn't what you weigh but where the weight reduction comes from," Debra Waterhouse, registered dietitian and author. "Pound for pound, muscle is one-seventh the dimension of fat. When you exercise and put on a few pounds of muscle mass, your weight may not change much, but your clothes will fit better, and they'll be in smaller sizes." So, during any five-week shape-up, focus more on the tape measure than on the bathroom scale.

Keep Moving. When you exercise, strike a balance between intensity and duration. For best results, exercise at the highest level of intensity you comfortably can - one that allows you to sustain the activity for 30 minutes. You are better off walking at a moderate pace for 30 minutes than trying to jog and ending up exhausted after ten.

To keep your metabolism higher all day, exercise in the morning. Bolster that with a ten-minute midday walk and perhaps a brief evening stroll or bike ride. Studies show that an exercise-induced metabolic boost can last 24 hours or longer. Get some more ideas that could help you get moving towards your fitness goals.

By: johanG

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