Ways to Lose Weight

Cardiovascular exercise is a great way to shed unwanted pounds or stay in shape. But cardiovascular exercise alone isn't the best way to get rid of unwanted body fat. Contrary to popular belief, fat loss isn't about how many calories you burn while exercising or how many calories you deprive yourself of in order to be successful at the "burn more than you earn" method. Fat loss is about how your body burns calories after your one-hour workout is long over. Think about it. If all it took to lose weight is one hour of cardio per day, America wouldn't be the fattest country in the world. There are people all over the country that work out one-two hours per day, every day, and they still have problems losing weight. So what's the secret to fat loss? Muscle. What most people don't realize is that, muscle burns fat. In fact, muscle burns three times the amount of calories than fat burns. Weight training burns fat long after exercise is over. The metabolism remains elevated for 16 hours following resistance training. The more you earn, the more you burn. It's that simple. Did you know that a person with muscle mass burns more calories doing the same tasks as someone without muscle mass?

Did you also know that muscle weighs more than fat? An individual that may be out of shape and flabby can actually weigh less than someone that's toned and in great shape. You can't measure your success by the scale -- it's all about body fat.

Studies suggest that after the age of thirty, the best thing you can do for your body is to get pumped. Fat gain and muscle loss are natural in your 30s, so unless you lift weights every few days, the body naturally loses almost a pound of muscle a year and replaces it with nearly a pound of fat. The harder you weight train the easier it will be to prevent the fat gain and muscle loss that comes with age. For example, if a 120 pound woman gains 4 pounds of lean muscle and drops 4 pounds of fat, she increases her caloric requirements by as much as 20% and can lose a pound of fat in as little as under a month -- with no additional exercise.

One of the most important things to remember is this - weight training is a life long matter. You have to continue to weight train in order to build and keep muscle mass.

Here are a few facts to consider:

Muscle is a metabolically active tissue, much more so than fat. This means that muscle burns calories even when you are doing nothing.

Having more muscle means you can eat more (that doesn't mean pig out) and still lose fat.

The best way to gain muscle is through resistance training, e.g. weightlifting. This can be done 2 or 3 times per week for good results.

Aerobic exercise, such as jogging, may result in some muscle gain, but it is minimal when compared to resistance training.

Muscle is what gives your body shape. You can lose pounds and pounds body fat, but if you don't have any muscle to show then you won't have any real shape to show.