The Seven Secrets of Weight Loss

When embarking on a weight loss program people will almost always focus on just one or two of the seven necessary components needed to achieve their goal. In order to maximize ones weight loss results they must combine all seven components. I like to call these components the “Seven Secrets of Weight Loss”

... do to the fact that they are almost never explained in simplistic terms to the average person making them somewhat of a secret. Below you will find a brief description of the seven secrets that will help you achieve maximum weight loss.

Each of the seven secrets represents the seven necessary components needed to achieve maximum weight loss.

1 (Proper Mind Set)

A proper mind set is an essential part of any successful weight loss program. You must first ask yourself why losing this weight is important to you. Write it down so you can read it aloud to yourself every day. Make a commitment to yourself to follow through with what you start. Create a schedule for your meals and workouts. By scheduling something it will become reality. Without a proper mind set, a true commitment to succeed, and plan of action it will be very unlikely that you will reach your goal.

Secret #2 (Caloric Intake)

which is the foundation of all weight loss. Reducing your calories can be achieved by eating smaller portions, increasing the quality of your foods and eating small meals about every three hours to regulate blood sugar. The regulation of blood sugar levels will keep you from getting hungry and making poor food choices.

Protein portion sizes should be about the size of your palm. Carbohydrate portion sizes should be about the size of your clinched fist. Vegetable portions sizes should be about the size of a small handful. Combine a protein with a carbohydrate to make a small meal. Add a serving a vegetables to two of your meals. In addition it is recommended that you have an Omega 3 fatty acid food source with one meal per day. (See food quality for Omega 3 sources)

Secret #3 (Food Quality)

Quality food choices are usually low in calories and loaded with a variety of vitamins, nutrients, anti-oxidants, and fiber which are the building blocks of a healthy lean body. Some quality foods choices include lean proteins (egg whites, chicken/turkey breast, fish, etc.), quality complex carbohydrates (sweet potato, oatmeal, brown rice, bran cereal, etc.), vegetables (broccoli, green beans, asparagus, spinach, etc.) and Omega 3 fatty acid sources (flax seed oil, canola oil, salmon, tuna, walnuts, etc.).

Secret #4 (Water Consumption)

Consume at least 8-12 glasses of water throughout the day or a ½ ounce of water per pound of body weight. Water is the most important nutrient in the human body and has many benefits involving weight loss. Proper hydration will increase the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream which in return will increase the body’s fat burning ability and overall energy output.

Secret #5 (Meal Frequency)

Eat five to six smaller meals spread approximately three hours apart over the course of a day. Your body only has the ability to process so much food at one time. By eating smaller meals every three hours you will never overload your body with fuel (food) yet there will always be fuel (food) to burn do to adequate frequency. Meal frequency will also regulate blood sugar levels which will ease hunger.

Secret #6 (Resistance Training)

Muscle is the primary part of your body that burns calories from fat stores. Resistance training will improve the conditioning of your muscles resulting in an increase in metabolism. Metabolism is often defined as the rate at which your body burns energy (including fat stores) to sustain itself. By improving the condition of your muscles you will burn more calories 24 hours a day, seven days a week and help in the reduction of body fat. It is recommended that some type of resistance training be performed at least 3 times per week focusing on all of the major muscle groups.

Secret #7 (Aerobic Training)

Aerobic training perform at intensity of 65% to 80% (Target Heart Rate Zone) of ones maximum heart rate will use fat stores as a primary source of fuel. Aerobics training is a great way to increase your daily calorie expenditure while using fat stores as a primary source of fuel. Perform aerobic activity 25 to 45 minutes 3 to 6 times per week. Aerobic exercise for fat loss is most effective when performed first thing in the morning before a meal or immediately after resistance training.

Target Heart Rate Zone

220 – Age x .65 = BPM (Beats Per Minute) 65%

220 – Age x .80 = BPM (Beats Per Minute) 80%

(Perform aerobic exercise at a heart rate between 65% and 80%)

In conclusion we must all remember that we are all individuals with different genetics. In some cases results may vary due to hormone imbalances or other medical conditions. The seven secrets of weight loss are the components that will drive you towards your genetic best and vastly improve your overall health.

How To Get Maximum Weight Loss and Fitness Results

This article has some practical tips to get started on a weight loss and fitness program. If followed, you should see some great results!

1. Set realistically attainable goals.
   You must have tangible short-term and long-term goals for your fitness program so that you can gauge your progress and stay motivated. It is crucial to have a baseline before you begin so that you can measure your success. A qualified personal trainer can give you a complete fitness analysis that will aid you in developing a personalized fitness program which addresses your particular needs. Having goals, particularly short-term goals, allows you to track your progress and keeps you motivated when times are tough and you dont feel like exercising. Keeping a journal of your cardio and resistance training workouts, as well as tracking what you eat is truly a fitness success secret. Just remember that your goals should be realistic and attainable. The best way for you to understand what is realistic and attainable for you is to talk to a fitness professional not to buy into the hype of infomercials or diet and fitness products that blatantly mislead.
2. In the beginning your fitness plan should not be overly aggressive.
   One of the biggest problems most people encounter when starting a fitness program is rapidly depleted motivation after only a few weeks due to an overly ambitious fitness plan. Two days per week of 20-minute low-intensity cardiovascular exercise (walking, jogging, biking, swimming); and two days per week of 30-minute light resistance training (using weights or resistance machines) is adequate in the beginning. As you become acclimated to the lifestyle shift you can add more days and get improved results. But beware: if you try to do too much too fast, you may end up quitting altogether. If youve tried and failed doing it alone then I suggest you get a training partner or personal trainer who will help you sustain your motivation and accountability.
3. Eat regularly throughout the day.
   Fasting or overly restrictive diets will enable you to lose weight in the short run. Because the weight you lose is primarily water weight and lean muscle tone. But in the long-run it has exactly the opposite effect you want. When you restrict your diet, your body instinctively thinks its being starved and shifts into a protective mode by storing fat. Your bodys energy expenditures will be fueled by your lean muscles causing your body fat to remain essentially the same while you lose vital fluids and muscle. The less muscle you have, the slower your metabolism becomes, and the less fat you burn. You should be eating three nutritionally balanced meals each day, and you should have at least one or two healthy snacks. Avoid fried and processed foods at all cost talk about dead calories! Heres a good rule of thumb: make sure that you are consistently grazing on health foods about every three hours. This includes at least half a gallon of fresh water every day. This keeps your metabolic furnace firing, so you burn more at a faster rate.
4. Dont waste your time working small muscles with isolated movements.
   If you dont enjoy doing resistance training, or are pressed for time, concentrate on working the largest muscle groups with compound resistance movements. Most people want to lose fat and tone and firm their bodies. The way to do that is to use resistance to train the large muscle groups. Try to incorporate compound movements, which means the exercises you choose incorporate multiple muscle groups, and compound movements are known for quickly increasing your metabolism.
5. Always stretch.
   Stretching improves flexibility, blood flow, muscle recovery, low back pain and a host of other things. Additionally, stretching can prevent injury, make you sleep better and improve your performance in all sports. Always stretch, but be certain not to stretch cold muscles. You should always warm up before stretching. However, it is very important that you know how to stretch to achieve optimal fitness results. Never bounce, or aggressively push and pull a muscle beyond its natural range.
6. Set exercise appointments with yourself.
   Use your day-timer to set appointments for exercise and then stick to them. You wouldnt miss a business meeting or client appointment, would you? So dont miss your exercise appointment with yourself. Nothing is more important than your health. Nothing. Everything else will crumble around you if your health goes south. So make your exercise appointments a priority. If you find it difficult to keep these appointments, then consider hiring a personal trainer who will hold you to your commitment. When you have money invested, and someone waiting for you to show up you are much more likely to actually show up!
7. Remember the benefits of resistance training. Remember that feeling of euphoria you experienced after a particularly good workout? You experienced that feeling because the most powerful feel good drug in the world endorphins are coursing through your veins. If there is a panacea, its exercise. It will fuel your motivation on those inevitable days when you just dont feel like exercising. Additionally, exercising with resistance has tremendous benefits for your metabolism. Further, resistance training is the only way to sculpt, tone, and tighten your muscles on demand. Do you want shapelier legs? Resistance training will give it to you. How about a firm perfectly shaped rear? Resistance training will give it to you. Firm tummy, defined arms and a strong back? Resistance training will give it to you. Being physically fit affects every single aspect of your life: you sleep better, eat better, love better, overcome stress better, work better, communicate better and definitely look better!
8. Never Ever skip breakfast.
   If you want to maximize your fitness results or fat-loss efforts, youve got to eat breakfast. Even if you dont exercise at all breakfast remains the most important meal of the day. Your breakfast should contain complete proteins and complex carbohydrates A great breakfast is oatmeal (not the pre-packaged, pre-sweetened kind) with a little honey and banana and a protein drink. Or try scrambled egg whites with Healthy Choice turkey sausage.