Best Way Of Losing Weight
Dr. Beth Ley’s Top Weight Loss and Fat Burning Tips
I am often asked how I stay in shape… and it takes work. And yes, I think it is more challanging after age 40… and I’m not that far from 50, so I have been working at it a long time now! Here are some of my tips… aside from eating REAL whole foods, as much as possible.
1. BE ACTIVE – You don’t NEED to join a gym or purchase expensive exercise equipment. Run, walk, bike ride, shovel snow, rake leaves, lift some dumbells, do pushups, jump rope, Just do something everyday! You’ll actually continue to burn fat after your done! People who exercise for at least four hours a week melt more calories than non-exercisers, even when they’re not actually exercising. Fit people have more fat-burning metabolites in their blood than couch potatoes do…. which means you can burn more calories all day long!
2. LIFT SOME WEIGHT … as heavy as you can…. but slowly. More muscle is required to life more weight… which equals mega metabolism boost. Strength training can help you trim major fat, research reveals — and doing super-slow
(versus normal speed) reps increases strength by 50 percent. NOTE: I like do do this in front of the TV… so I am not just sitting there doing nothing. (-: AND: Using dumbbells activates more muscle fibers than using machines.
3. KEEP IT UP! Listening to up-tempo songs actually makes you run faster/walk/move and harder than listening to slower-paced music.
4. GET PLENTY OF PROTEIN. Eating protein-packed meals helps you burn more post-meal fat than if you eat lower-protein meals.
5. GREEN TEA OR COFFEE? YES, PLEASE. Five 5-ounce cups of green tea a day boosts metabo- lism. Two cups of coffee will also do the trick.
6. EGGS ARE GREAT TO LOSE WEIGHT! Eating two eggs for breakfast help you trim more weight and body fat than if you ate the same amount of calories on a bagel, even a whole grain one.
7. FORGET THE STARVATION DIETS! Stay above 1,200 calories… “The average person’s body goes into starvation mode at fewer than 1,200 calories a day,” “That’s stress, and stress creates more belly fat.”
8. CUT CALORIES GRADUALLY. If you diet, don’t trim more than 250 calories a day. Cutting calories too quickly slows your metabolism down.
9. MY SECRET WEIGHT LOSS FOOD LIST: Almonds, cherries, plain yogurt (preferably Greek, becauseit has double the protein), grapefruit, whole grains (flax), salmon and spicy foods (cayenne pepper, etc.) have all been shown to torch fat.
10. GET THE DAY STARTED RIGHT. Eating a low-glycemic-index breakfast (such as plain yogurt, eggs, nuts or grapefruit) will help you burn more fat during a subsequent workout than eating a high-glycemic- index meal (like waffles, pancakes or ready-to-eat cereal).
11. GRAZE. Going without eating for long periods increases body-fat percentages compared to those who eat small amounts more often. This helps maintain stable blood sugars.
12. DINE LIKE A GREEK. Eating a diet rich in monounsaturated fat (think olive oil, avocados) can help trim both weight and fat.
13. DO NOT OVER EAT. Your body can only handle so much food at a time, so stick to 600 calories or less per meal to maximize fat-burning. Look at the size of your clenched fist. This is approximately the size of your stomach when not stretched out. Never eat more than what will fit in this space in one sitting or you will stretch your stomach and lesson your ability to “feel full” when you should stop eating.
14. SKIP THE JUICE. Reaching for an apple instead of apple juice is not only better calorie-wise, and hold a better score on the glycemic index, but it’ll also do a better job of boosting your metabolism.
15. FISH OIL (OMEGA-3). Although there are many helpful supplements (cinnamon, coleus forskohlii, cayenne pepper, etc.) a high quality fish oil is a must! 6 grams per day.
16. SLEEP!!!! Not getting enough sleep (8 hours) at night increases blood glucose, insulin levels, and raises levels of the stress hormone cortisol (which can drive you to eat more and increase belly fat.) Getting REM sleep at night also is important for Leptin and other hormones important for a healthy weight.
17. FINALLY. Click Here for my most recommended program to bring it all together!
Beth M. Ley, Ph.D., author and nutritionist has written 40+ health-related books. Dr. Beth does nutrition and wellness counseling, and speaks on nutrition, health and divine healing locally and nationwide. She is also the host of “Recipes For Life with Dr. Beth” seen on local cable TV throughout MN and nationwide through Sky Angel (Channel 126) and Direct TV (Channel 378) on Tuesdays, 2:30 pm Eastern.