We all want to lose a few pounds and get back the body we had when we were younger and didn't enjoy, but it takes discipline, planning and dedication to get there. Too often people lose 10 or 15 pounds and then seem to stop losing weight. There is definitely a reason why this is happening and it should not be seen as failure or an excuse to give up on your weight loss goals. Here are 7 absolutely killer ways to maximize your fat burning routine.
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burn fat, burn fat, fat loss
We all want to lose a few pounds and get back the body we had when we were younger and didn't enjoy, but it takes discipline, planning and dedication to achieve it. Too often people lose 10 or 15 pounds and then seem to stop losing weight. There is definitely a reason why this is happening and it should not be seen as failure or an excuse to give up on your weight loss goals. Here are 7 absolutely killer ways to maximize your fat burning routine and ensure success with your weight loss goals.
1) Anaerobic exercise
If you think you just need to run laps or cycle to burn fat, think again. Muscle tissue is what burns the most calories in our body and you need to lift weights in order to create bigger muscles that will burn more calories. Although aerobic exercises like cycling or swimming are also necessary, the fact remains that building bigger muscles is the best way to lose weight and keep it off. That's because by lifting weights, you create a more efficient calorie-burning machine, which will help you achieve your weight loss goals.
2) Warm-up and cool-down
Warming up before exercising and taking time to cool down afterwards with light exercise are generally not considered essential in a fat burning program. However, the reason many people tend to give up on their weight loss goals is because they haven't seen the progress they initially hoped for. An injury, even if it only lasts a few days, can set back your weight loss goals by weeks and lead to a loss of stimulation. You need to schedule an extra twenty minutes into your weightlifting routine for these two essential activities, otherwise you risk injuring yourself and derailing your weight loss plan.
3) Diet, diet, diet
This shouldn't be a way to maximize your weight loss goals, but it is. The reason is that people tend to think of weight loss in one of two ways: diet or exercise. These two go hand in hand and you will never be able to maximize your fat burning routine in the gym if you don't take care of your body outside of the gym. Stop thinking of meals in terms of three: instead, think of 5 meals with smaller portions. The FDA recently came up with a new food pyramid with this idea in mind and you should consult it before starting your fat burning program because it can save you a lot of time and energy if you take care of the part diet before even setting foot in the gym.
4) Plan your workouts
The body is the most complex machine on the planet and you can't just hope to walk into a gym, jump on a machine or weights and think you'll get the results you want without knowing how they affect your body. The ideal exercise program should only be done 3 or 4 times per week and for 30 to 45 minutes at a time. You can't work your body more than this because it will cause your muscles to break down, meaning you'll burn fewer calories and not maximize your fat burning program in the gym. If you have doubts about the ideal type of program for your goals, do not hesitate to consult a fitness trainer who will help you set up the program that suits you best.
5) Nutritional supplements
If you really want to optimize your fat burning program at the gym, you need to consider using dietary supplements. I'm not talking about those wacky supplements that promise to burn fat for you while you sit around watching TV! I'm talking about essential fatty acids, amino acids, whey protein, things that will really optimize your workouts and that you can't always expect to find in the foods you eat every day. Again, consult a fitness trainer if you want to know which supplements are best for your weight loss goals.
6) Set weekly goals
I know this seems terribly obvious, but the truth is that most people aren't thrilled about the idea of exercising. So it's easy for them to skip a session or indulge in pizza thinking they'll make up for it next time. But the next time never comes and when you no longer see the scale going down, the motivation seems to stop. By setting weekly goals, you can track your progress and you're more likely to stick to your goals when you see things aren't going as planned.
7) No more late night snacks
This measure may seem crazy, but I assure you that it will help you optimize your fat burning exercises. The reason is your metabolism. When you eat right before bed, your body goes into disarray and you probably notice that you wake up and aren't hungry. So you skip breakfast or just snack on a bagel or something else on the way to work.
Result: the body goes into conservation mode. This means it slows down your metabolism and you burn fewer calories throughout the day. Plus, it increases the likelihood of snacking, which only sets the stage for a bad cycle. Eating five small meals a day also relates to your metabolism, as it has been found that metabolism remains highest when the body has a regular supply of food. You may not believe that late night snacking affects the way your body burns fat when you work out, but it does.
Some of the things listed above are obvious, while others just seem stupid. And yet, taken together and applied consistently, these 7 little ideas will maximize fat burning in the gym and get you to that body you can see in your mind but not in the mirror, much faster than if you go about it in a disorganized and inconsistent way.