Fat loss does not have to be difficult or a struggle for
you. I know that sometimes this does not seem to be the
case. If you have ever tried and not succeeded to lose
enough fat to get to your goal weight you are certainly not
alone. This article will help to identify just a few of
the mistakes that you can easily correct, so be sure to
read the whole thing and pay attention!
There is so much information out there that it is time to
set the record straight about 5 of the most common mistakes
that so many people make when trying to achieve effective
and long lasting fat loss.
Mistake #1: Not keeping a food log
Permanent fat loss without keeping an accurate food log is
next to impossible. If you were trying to save money,
wouldn't you want to keep a record of where you were
spending the most?
The same concept applies to keeping a food log. It is
absolutely amazing how much we sometimes underestimate how
much food we eat. Fat loss occurs when we consume less
calories then we currently do. It really all comes down to
that!
By having a record of what foods you are eating and what
time you are eating them you are laying a roadmap that you
can consistently tweak and adjust until you reach your goal!
If you are trying to lose fat and are not currently keeping
a food log, go buy one online or get a notebook you can use
as soon as possible. But beware, you may have to spend
extra money on new clothes very soon if you do.
Mistake #2: Focusing too much on slow cardio
Did you know that slow cardio can be one of the worst ways
to achieve long lasting fat loss? This may seem very
counterintuitive but bear with me.
Slow cardio can be effective for burning calories and can
work well in the short term. It is in fact very good for
your cardiovascular system and for preventive measures.
But for fat loss, the same does not hold true.
What happens is that when you do the same cardio workout
(30-60 minutes) at a slow pace, your body adapts very
quickly. If you go too slowly, you will not burn
significant calories or even break a sweat. You see, once
your body adapts, it becomes more efficient at doing the
same workout. Once this happens, you burn fewer calories
with each repeated workout.
If you went outside to run a mile right now, it might feel
pretty difficult. But if you ran a mile 5 times a week for
2 months, it would get a lot easier. What happens is the
same workout becomes less and less of a challenge the more
you do it. Therefore, you burn fewer calories because you
are not as challenged as you were at first. For fat loss,
this is one of the worst ruts to fall into.
Trying to lose fat with doing the same cardio workout over
and over is sure to lead to a plateau and almost all your
results will come to a screeching halt.
The solution is to use a different method of cardio called
interval training. It is faster, more effective, and burns
lots more fat calories than slow cardio.
Mistake #3: Avoiding strength training
Fat loss that is permanent largely depends on your body
composition and your diet. One of the best ways to do this
is to increase muscle mass!
Having more muscle is a great way to lose more fat simply
because lean muscle mass burns a lot of calories while you
are at rest. It has been said that every pound of
additional muscle burns approximately 60 more calories per
day.
If you gained just 3 pounds of lean muscle mass, that would
come out to an extra 1260 calories per week! Combine this
with reducing your daily calories by 300 and you are losing
approximately 1 pound per week!
Many people think that strength training will not help
their fat loss efforts because of the myth that is makes
you "big and bulky." This belief is a huge mistake!
Unless you are eating and training specifically for huge
muscles you will have nothing to worry about. If you are
training for fat loss you are training to make your body
smaller. It simply cannot respond by getting bigger.
Conclusion
These are just a few of the biggest fat loss mistakes that
so many people make. That being said, fat loss does not
have to be a struggle. You just need to take in less
calories and burn more. Making the right food choices and
exercising the right way will help you lose fat faster and
easier than ever before!
----------------------------------------------------
Want to learn some more awesome tips? Hello, my name is
Tom Gifford and I am a personal trainer who has studied fat
loss extensively. Stop by my website at
http://www.TheGreatCardioMyth.com and check out the first
two chapters of my brand new book for free! You will find
some great tips you can start using right away. I look
forward to seeing you there!
