7 Guidelines to Help You Lose Weight, Build Muscle and Live Better
Weight loss is one of the main reasons people begin an exercise program. It is the most popular resolution fitness goal and a real concern as excess fat can create cardiovascular disease, joint problems and overall makes life harder. In this post I will go over 7 guidelines to help you lose weight and live better. Let’s begin:
1. Eat more vegetables, they contain tons of nutrients are low in calories and as an added bonus you will make your grandma proud. Every vegetable is good, eat a great variety of them and you will be filling up your body’s nutrition requirements with less calories. More nutrients and less calories… doesn’t that sound like a winning combination?
2. Eat enough fiber. While a diet rich in vegetables will ensure that you consume enough fiber you can also use fiber supplementation. Fiber cleanses your digestive system by binding to fat cells and eliminating them out of your system. I personally supplement with a couple of teaspoons of flaxseed a day.
3. Cut artificial sugars such as High Fructose Corn Syrup from your diet. HFCS’s structure more likely resembles glucose (table sugar) than fructose (simple sugar in fruits). Consuming too much glucose and too many artificial sugars can be a real problem and it can lead not only to weight gain but also to metabolic diseases such Type II diabetes. Also your body has a hard time breaking down these artificial sugars so they are more likely to get store as fat deposits.
4. Eat more protein. Lean protein that is. I do not fully agree with the Atkins Diet (bacon and sausage are not good for you) but consuming a protein rich diet versus a carbohydrate rich diet helps build lean muscle mass and help decrease cravings. Some of my favorite sources are: fish, beans, soy, milk and eggs.
5. Eat good more fruits, the good sugar. Carbohydrates power your life, they are the most efficient form of biofuel available for human consumption. Just because some sugars are bad it does not mean that they all are. Vegetables, fruits and whole grains are good sources of sugar fuel. Do not be afraid of pineapples and berries, they will help you stay lean by giving you energy and providing vitamins, enzymes, minerals and antioxidants that will keep your body running on a higher gear.
6. Exercise, move, play. The human body is an organic machine and it needs movement in order to function properly. Physical activity produces benefits beyond fat loss and lean muscle building, it also helps regulate brain chemistry so we think clearer and have better hold of our emotions. Exercise does not need to be boring or monotonous, there are so many choices. Just remember that a smart fitness program works on developing strength, conditioning, mobility and flexibility. The first two will help you lose weight and build muscle, the last two will help you improve posture and move more efficiently. Have fun, live to play and play to live.
7. Get enough sleep. Sleep is crucial for optimal metabolic function. If you eat well, exercise properly but do not get the right amount and quality of sleep your body will not function as well as it can. This will likely mean that your metabolism will not run in optimal condition so you won’t burn as much fat or build as much muscle.
The key to a lean and healthy body are a nutritious diet, regular physical activity and quality of rest. Work on improving those three factors, they all play an essential role in helping engineer your ideal body. One that looks good but most importantly one that works great.
Luis
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This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 18th, 2012 at 7:47 pm and is filed under Types of Biofuels. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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