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Most people know that they are gaining body fat when they start noticing their waistline increasing, but what they do not realize is that they are losing muscle tissue at the same time. Much less, they do not understand that the loss of muscle tissue is largely responsible for the gain of excess fat, because of the reduction in resting metabolic rate (the rate the body burns fuel). Even if you do not gain body weight over the next decade, you are likely to experience a 12-pound change in body composition (6 pounds less muscle and 6 pounds more fat) unless you are doing enough muscle building and maintaining exercise to stop it. What about dieting?
Cutting calories is clearly the fastest way to reduce body weight; however, that weight loss is usually short-lived. According to studies, essentially almost everyone who loses weight though dieting regains all the weight within one year and they usually gain some extra as well. This is why people continue to embark on yo-yo diets and their frustration increases as they fight a losing battle with the bulge. The reason that diets don't work is their adverse and even harmful effect on metabolism (the body's engine). When fewer calories are consumed, the body automatically reduces the metabolic rate as a means of self-preservation. An ancient mechanism the body calls upon to protect itself against starvation. It does not know there is a fridge full of food in the next room as you are only trying to fit into your skinny jeans. Fortunately we now have ways to achieve the loss of excess body fat without triggering this 'survival response'. We focus on boosting the metabolism so it burns more fuel every minute of the day and night. This slowly but surely burns the fat around the waistline for fuel, eliminating it forever. Fat loss is achieved when we have a healthy metabolism. This has to be built back up through increasing our lean muscle tissue as this is what drives the metabolism. And the only way to do this is with strength training exercise. This is the only activity that will do this, forget long, slow cardio type activities as they do not strengthen the muscles of the body sufficiently enough to increase the metabolism. We now are concerned with what happens after an exercise session rather than during it as we were back in the 1980's. Back then doing hours of cardio activity was considered the way to lose body fat. But we now know this is ineffective and can even cause more body fat to be formed because of the stress hormone cortisol which is released during endurance activity. Although many people know how to perform strength training exercises not so many people know how to exercise at the correct level of intensity. If this is not done then results will be minimal, if at all. If you are serious about losing body fat seek the help of a fitness professional and be shown how to get it right so you get the best and fastest results. You will be amazed how quickly you will achieve your goal of a strong, lean healthy body once you stop dieting and instead focus on boosting your fat burning machinery.
Do you want to discover the secret to rejuvenating your body and improving the quality of your life? Download my free ebook "I've Found the Fountain of Youth- Let Me Show You Too!" here: Fountain of Youth For Free Fitness Report here Fitness Weight Loss Carolyn Hansen is a certified fitness expert and fitness center owner who coaches clients to look and feel younger.
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