Lose Fat, Not Muscle

In general, it's easy to watch television programs and fitness magazines and believe what we hear or read because it's from the media or in printed form. "It must be true" is often the general concensus.

Myth: You can acheive greater weight loss with fat burning supplements. On fat burning products/supplements: Many magazines spend tens of thousands on displaying an ad...Many times using editorials as the source for publishing information. Of course, with the money they spend on adverising, they are not going to write anything that would upset it's readers. So in reality, the less published newsletters often tend to be better and more accurate sources for advice on fitness than major magazines, etc.

Truth: Look up information on fitness acheived without use of supplements. They do very little for weight loss and are a waste of money. The only supplements that have any value for someone looking to acheive a fit look are protein powders (not bulking shakes...just protein) and glutein. Both help with re-building muscle after workouts and protein powders can be used as a meal supplement without the worry that it will add bulk. (we will discuss proteins later in this article)

Unfortunately, there is not one "cure-all" for everyone. Nor is there any "one workout/diet" fits all. Everyone's body and chemistry is different. Yet there is one factor that will contribute to weight loss and over all fitness of anyone. Motivation and hard work. Some may have bodies that take longer than others, but even people who can easily get into shape have to maintain it. Any change in lifestyle for the better will help. Most important is the addition of excercise/activity to your daily routine. If you don't have time to hit the gym or take a walk for 45 minutes 3-4 times a week, then make sure to get in at least 20 minutes daily of cardiovascular activity. Also important is having some form of weight training. Muscle helps get rid of fat. The more muscle you have, the easier it will be for your body to improve it's metabolism and rid itself of those layers you are trying to lose. If you don't go to a gym, free weights at home are just fine. There are plenty of excercise programs to look at. Books, online articles, or ask a friend who is a trainer or consultant.

There are also mild changes you can make to your diet/lifestyle that will make a dramatic difference. You will be suprised! Some examples:
Eliminate soda or alcohol from your diet (or both), drink more water each day (half your body weight in oz. - example: you weigh 160, drink 80 oz.), drinking a glass of cold water first thing in the morning can give your metabolism a jump-start. (burns more calories when your body has to heat the water)

There are so many diets/weight loss plans and so much advice and many times they contradict eachother. One rule that never changes, though, is you need to burn more calories than you consume to lose weight. This can be done by increasing the amount of excercise, or by changing your diet if you have less time for exercise. Proteins are one of the best fat-burning foods: it takes your body a lot more energy to burn proteins than in does carbs. That's why Atkins diets work so well at first. Unfortunately, it's not healthy to stay on all-protein diets, because your body needs energy for daily tasks, which is provided by eating carbs. Many who follow this diet long term are dragged out feeling and start to look pale and under nourished. The best diet to have is one full in protein, but includes complex carbs such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains. This, along with some sort of exercise program with get you the results you want. It may take longer than you want, but keep yourself motivated (hang a picture of yourself where you will see it everyday, have a work-out partner, etc.) and you will acheive the results you desire.