No matter what diet you choose there are things you can do to help shed those pounds faster. Follow these 4 easy steps and turn your body into a calorie burning blast furnace.
1. Drink plenty of water. The normal recommendation is at least 64 ounces of purified water daily. But this really depends on you.
Next to oxygen, water is your most important nutrient. Your body is about 60% water. You must stay hydrated.
Water is used by almost all body systems to:
* transports oxygen and nutrients to organs and cells.
* carry away metabolic waste and detoxify the body.
* keep your skin healthy and younger looking.
And it's calorie free and helps suppress your appetite.
What kind of water should you drink. Bottled water is expensive and may not be any better than tap water. Use a water filter if you don't like the taste of your water.
According to experts at mayoclinic.com, you need to replenish the water you use daily to stay healthy. A good rule of thumb is 8 - 8 oz glasses of water daily.
2. Increase your protein intake. But not the fat. Lean protein satisfies hunger and increases thermogenesis (burn more calories and warm your body).
Frank Hu, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard University School of Public Health in Boston, agrees.
Per Dr. Hu, high protein diets:
* increase fat burning in the body
* create the sense of feeling 'full' after a meal
* decrease caloric intake by the body
* lead to weight loss
Dr. Hu recommends getting proteins from these sources:
* fish, lower in fat (than meat) and high in health giving omega-3 fatty acids.
* poultry, remove the skin to lower saturated fat
* beans, high in fiber and higher in protein than any other vegetable source
* nuts, healthy fats and high in protein
3. Get your carbohydrates from raw fresh fruits and vegetables, and sprouted whole grains.
Anyone really serious about losing weight must get almost all their carbohydrates from fresh fruits and vegetables. They add color, flavor and variety to your diet.
Very high in fiber and water, they help you feel full without consuming large amounts of calories. And they are full of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and phyto-nutrients.
4. Daily exercise. We all know we should. Very few of us get any at all.
Losing weight will cause you to lose fat and muscle. Muscle loss will lower your basic metabolic rate. That is the rate at which you burn calories even at rest.
You must exercise to keep as much muscle on your frame as possible. More muscle means you burn more calories and shed more fat.
There are 2 types of exercise. Aerobic and anaerobic. And you need to do both.
Aerobic exercise gets your heart going. Activities like walking and running increase your heart rate and cause you to burn extra calories even long after you are done working out.
Anaerobic exercise strengthens and builds muscle. Anaerobic activities include short sprints and weight training.
It helps to your keep the muscle you already have, makes you stronger. And look and feel better. And remember, more muscle means faster fat loss.
I challenge you to follow this advise faithfully. This will work with any type of diet. It will work for anyone, whether you are a seasoned athlete or committed couch potato.
And most important, it WILL work for you!