Start Lifting To Get Firm

The best way to lose weight and build muscle is to start lifting weights for 30 minutes three times a week. You’ll feel stronger in just two weeks and notice a firmer body in only six to eight weeks. You don’t need to start dropping weight or get slim before starting a weight training program.

The more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism will burn calories, which will help you with weight control.  Lifting weights is important because everyone’s metabolism declines about .5 percent each year after age 25, which is one reason it’s so challenging to lose extra pounds when getting older. 

Wescott also says weight training pays off beyond aesthetics. It can prevent osteoporosis, lower risks of adult-onset diabetes, lower blood pressure, help lower back problems and reduce the pain associated with arthritis. It’s best to start a weight training program by meeting with a trainer first. You’ll only need a few lessons to get started, so it should not be too expensive.

Eat Fewer Calories 

Most health professionals agree people simply need to consume less energy than they use every day to slim down. There are many diets that can help you burn fewer calories than you burn. The best way to get slim is to find a diet that works well for you and one that you can live with permanently. 

The DASH diet was originally developed by the National Institutes of Health for hypertension (high blood pressure), but health experts state the diet is easy to follow and works well for almost anyone’s food preferences. It’s low in saturated fat and sodium and consists of mostly vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and beans.

The Mediterranean Diet gets the thumbs-up from health experts because it helps fight metabolic syndrome. According to the MayoClinic, metabolic syndrome is a health condition characterized by suffering from three of the following four ailments:

1. Increased blood pressure
2. High insulin levels
3. Excess fat around the waist
4. High cholesterol

Basically, the nutritional value of food is calculated into points because it’s reported to be easier to track and remember points in servings of food rather than hundreds of calories. Weight Watchers also has a maintenance plan and it’s not necessary to buy pre-packaged food unless you prefer these types of meals.

Eat Fat Burning Foods

Shed pounds and build muscle by eating fat-burning foods. Eating foods like low-fat cheese, low-fat milk and low-fat yogurt can be the best way to get slim, according to a study from the Curtin University of Technology. The findings of the study support increasing dairy intake to three to five servings every day.

Study participants who ate five servings of dairy foods each day over a period of 12 weeks lost more fat, especially around the stomach area than a control group that didn’t increase dairy foods (Dunn).

Other evidence supports eating foods high in healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat that is high in omega-3s like wild salmon, mackerel, sardines, nuts, olive oil, and avocados. Just make sure to keep your total fat intake below 35 percent.

Lose Weight Slowly

Approximately 95 percent of dieters who lose extra pounds will gain them back, and many of those dieters will gain a few more extra pounds than they lost. Nonetheless, these same dieters will go on the very same diet or try a newer diet only to experience the same cycle of losing and then gaining back more additional pounds.

Research shows that shedding one to two pounds a week works better for permanent weight control because by dropping weight at this rate, the body doesn’t react by going into famine mode where its metabolism slows down and stores fat for energy and survival because it believes food is scarce.

The term diet has a negative connotation. In general, people hear the word diet and react negatively to the idea. The word diet also implies something temporary; a diet is something people go on to reach a goal or number on the scale, and once the pounds disappear, the diet ends.

Instead of thinking about the concept of a diet, choose a food program that you believe you can live with for the rest of your life. There are several food programs such as the DASH, Mediterranean, and Weight Watchers programs that can help you lose extra pounds and keep them off.

Exercise Regularly

There are no substitutes for exercise and losing extra pounds. Research shows that people who exercise regularly are more successful at weight management. According to the National Weight Registry, 94 percent of people who have lost weight and have kept it off report increasing physical activity. The most common type of exercise reported is walking.

If you haven’t been that active, start exercising slowly after getting your doctor’s approval. Make specific goals. For example, instead of making a goal to walk every other day, make it more specific.

Make a goal to walk on certain days of the week at specific times. Perhaps you could make it a point to get up 30 minutes early on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and go for a walk or go for a walk during lunch breaks while you’re at work on four specific days during the week.

After you’ve started an exercise program, start increasing the duration and intensity of your workouts. Eventually, you’ll want to work out five to seven days a week for at least 30 to 45 minutes. Exercising regularly will help you feel and look better.