Secrets of Effective Weight Loss

The battle of the bulge has become a serious health problem in most of the developed world. Not only do we struggle with how we look as we try to fit in our clothes, but we increase our risk of illnesses like diabetes and high blood pressure when we are overweight. We all know what we need to do. We need to eat less and exercise more. But is there more to it than that? What are some secrets of effective weight loss?

It's true that eating less and exercising more will help people lose weight. The problem lies in knowing how much less to eat, how much more to exercise, and how in the world to stay motivated while doing it. If you restrict your eating too much, you can actually keep your body from releasing the fat, even if you're exercising. This happens because your metabolism starts acting like you're starving. To keep your metabolism moving, you need a healthy number of calories every day, such as at least 1200 for women and 1500 for men.

Your metabolism, the rate at which you burn calories, has a lot to do with whether or not you lose weight. You've seen people who can eat anything and never gain an ounce. This is because they have a fast, efficient metabolic system. Fortunately, it is possible for people who've never been able to lose to just happen to find the magic key for kick-starting their own sluggish metabolism into a fat burning power house.

What are some ways to increase your metabolism? Eating enough is one factor, especially if the food you eat includes lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, and lean protein foods. Eating too many refined carbohydrate foods, such as white bread or store bought cookies, can sabotage your efforts to speed up your metabolism.

Exercise is also essential to effective weight loss. There are four basic types of exercise, all of which contribute their own part to the overall health picture. Aerobic exercise, sometimes called "cardio," is the main type that burns fat. It's called cardio because it requires your heart rate to increase, and is good exercise to strengthen your cardiovascular system. Appropriate cardio exercise is maintained at an intensity level where you can talk, but not sing. If you are working out too hard to talk, you should slow down a bit.

The other types of exercise are weight training, stretching, and toning. To avoid injury, you should always do some stretching exercise after doing cardio sessions. Toning exercises are great for strengthening and streamlining those problem areas, like abs or thighs. Weight training is excellent for facilitating weight loss, because it causes the body to have a higher percentage of muscle tissue. Muscle burns calories at a much greater rate than fat does, so increasing your muscle mass helps your metabolism even when you are at rest.

Finally, drinking two quarts of water a day helps you lose weight more effectively, too. Make sure you spread this water out over the day. Some of it can be in the form of herb tea.

Speaking of herb tea, most pills and potions designed for weight loss are minimally effective at best. There is some scientific evidence that adding green tea to the diet can help people lose weight. If you'll notice, virtually every diet pill comes with a diet to follow. The diets are all strangely similar - they all look like what you know you should be eating! So don't expect miracles from weight loss supplements.

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