The Idiots Guide To Losing Weight


Weight loss is an exhausted topic, search for it in google and you will see what I mean. Every website is claiming a miracle pill or scientifically formulated shake will result in permanent and fast weight loss. Well people I have some bad news for you - they are lying.

There is some good news though, Losing weight is not as hard as people say it is. Go ahead and read that last sentence again, it is probably the most honest thing that you will read about weight loss on the Internet. The fact is, these people are trying to make a profit, and they use fancy marketing methods to get you to fork out hundreds, heck maybe even thousands of dollars for stuff that will probably not even work.

So what does work you ask? Well, follow the below steps and you will lose weight.

Devise a diet

Starvation does not work, sorry, your body is smart enough to realize it is not getting enough food so it will start burning muscle and you will end up "skinny fat" - not a good look!

Work out your daily calorie requirements. You can find a good calculator here. Now, subtract 300-400 calories from your daily calorie requirments. This is how much you will be eating each day.

6 Meals a Day

Now that you know how many calories you should be consuming, you need to split your daily calories into 6 meals. So if you eat 1,800 calories a day, you want to consume 300 calories in 6 meals every day. Why 6 meals? Eating every 3 to 4 hours helps to keep your metabolism stimulated.

Key diet points

  • The calories you consume in each meal should come from 40% Protein, 40% Carbohydrates and 20% fat.
  • Protein sources: lean beef, turkey, chicken, tuna, fish, eggs, low fat milk.
  • Carbohydrate sources: oats, sweet potato, brown rice, pasta (wholewheat), beans, lentils, potatoes, bagels, wholemeal & brown breads.
  • Fat Sources: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Flax Oil, Salmon, Tuna, eggs, avocados, nuts, natural peanut butter, fish oil
  • Drink Water: Drink a lot of water, 2-3 Liters.
  • Limit carbohydrates after 4pm

Exercise

If you are trying to lose weight, chances are by now you have come to terms with the fact that you are going to need to visit the gym. Exercising to lose weight involves two methods - cardiovascular exercise and weight lifting. Ladies, no need to worry, you will not end up looking like a man, you lack the testosterone to put on any significant amount of muscle - plus your body will be in a calorie deficit, meaning there will not be enough calories to put on large amounts of muscle.

Weight Training
Weight training is great for losing weight (and looking good!) for two reasons. You burn a significant amount of calories lifting weights (300-500), and, an increase in muscle mass means boosts your metabolism.

Lift weights 3 times a week, you can do a full body routine each day, or split the three days into separate body parts (such as: chest/triceps, back/biceps, legs/shoulders). There are some great workouts listed here.

Cardio
For losing weight, cardio is most effective at either a very low intensity or very high intensity. For low intensity, a 30-60 minute walk at a moderate pace is great. If you can - do it every day, if not - aim for 3 walks a week.

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is more demanding, however typically sessions are limited to around 15 minutes. Basically, you sprint as fast as you can for 30 seconds, and walk or jog for 30 seconds - and then repeat. It is taxing, but very beneficial for both weight loss and cardiovascular health. Wikipedia has some more information on HIIT.

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