Think Fat Loss, Not Weight Loss

Weight loss is one of the hottest topics ever. Everyone seems to be trying to lose weight nowadays. Most diet programs are about weight loss and body weight is often used as an indicator of fitness progress. But, this is an incorrect approach.

Your ultimate goal should always be to lose fat and reducing excess body fat is what you should be concerned about. Weight loss and Fat loss is NOT the same thing! Many people confuse the two terms, often believing that they mean the same, when in fact weight loss and fat loss are very different from one another. This article will help you understand how weight loss is different than fat loss and how fat loss is far superior to weight loss in almost all ways.

Weight loss is not just fat loss

What Is Weight Loss?

(Weight Loss = Muscle Loss + Fat Loss + Water Loss)

Weight loss is attempting to lower your total body weight. It simply refers to a lower number on a scale.

Your body weight is composed of all the parts of your body such as muscles, fat, bones, water, organs, tissues, blood, water etc. When you lose weight, you lose a little bit of... fat, muscle and water.

You lose fat but very little and along with the fat you lose muscle and some amount of water. The higher you reduce your calorie intake, the faster you drop weight and the more muscle mass you lose.

Do know your muscle matters? Loss of muscle affects your health and your overall appearance.

Being fit means more than just fat loss

When you lose weight too quickly, your body cannot maintain its muscle. Because muscle requires more calories to sustain itself, your body begins to metabolize it so that it can reserve the incoming calories for its survival. It protects it fat stores as a defense mechanism to ensure your survival in case of future famine and instead use lean tissue or muscle to provide it with calories it needs to keep its vital organs such as your brain, heart, kidneys and liver functioning. If you reach a point where you have very little fat or muscle, your body will metabolize your organs to keep your brain functioning leading to heart attack, stroke and liver and kidney failure.

As the body loses more muscle mass, the body's overall metabolic rate decreases. The metabolic rate is the rate at which the body burns calories and is partly determined by the amount of muscle you have.

So the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate; the less muscle you have, the lower your metabolic rate and fewer calories you burn. This explains why it is crucial to protect your metabolic rate and not have muscle loss.

Loss of muscle also leads to loss of tone underneath the skin leaving you soft and unshapely with no form or contour. If you lose weight too rapidly, your skin won't have time to adjust either. Also muscle is what gives you strength and loss of it means a weak body.

With weight loss you shrink in size and become a smaller version of yourself with a fragile frame with saggy skin.

Weight loss works in the short run to make you smaller but is temporary, almost everyone rebounds and regains the weight. This forces you to find another diet. And then another one, and another one - because eventually they'll all fail.

What Is Fat Loss?

(Fat Loss = Loss Of Stored Body Fat)

Fat loss is attempting to lower your total body fat - i.e. the percentage of your total body weight that is made up of fat.

The right approach for fat loss is to exercise smartly and

Eat the right food to have the right body

eat intelligently in a way that maintains muscle and focuses on fat loss exclusively.

The muscle you have is not there forever. If you don't feed it and don't use it - you lose it. A proper plan with right combination of resistance and cardiovascular training with adequate progression and a right nutrition plan to support it can help you achieve this. Exercise only boosts the burning process but doesn't just melt the fat away on its own - if you do not create a deficit and feed the body too much - it won't touch the stored fuel reserves. On the hand if you drastically cut your calories and do not feed your muscle properly or don't exercise and use your muscle, you will lose it. Fat loss is about finding that right balance.

With fat loss you maintain the muscle and keep the metabolic rate running high. You also develop stronger connective tissue, tighter skin and stronger bones and joints. With fat loss you transform your body.

Fat loss is a lifestyle approach where you give your body what it needs without depriving and shocking it with threat of starvation. You get to see slow but permanent steady progress.

It may sound odd, but it's possible to get thinner without actually seeing a change in your weight. This happens when you lose body fat while gaining muscle. Your weight stays the same, even as you lose inches.

Lets see how this happens.

Muscle uses less weight than fat

Fat tissue is very loose and not dense. It occupies a lot of space in your body. Whereas muscle is more dense and takes up less space. When you lose fat, this space is freed and you can notice inch loss. If you are following a consistent strength training program then gain in lean muscle tissue will balance out this loss of fat and weight stays the same. Since muscle takes less space than fat, you lose inches and start to look more toned, lean and shapely.

consistent strength training program then gain in lean muscle tissue will balance out this loss of fat and weight stays the same. Since muscle takes less space than fat, you lose inches and start to look more toned, lean and shapely.

Myth: "Getting fit" means "Losing weight."

Truth: Getting fit means lowering your body fat percentage!

This Article By Written By:
Rashmi V Jolly
Online Fitness Coach & Founder of Body Redesign
Website: http://www.body-redesign.com

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Rashmi_V_Jolly/2240871

The Many Benefits of Coconut Water, Milk and Oil

What are the benefits of coconut water and other products derived from coconut? Not that long ago, unless you lived in the tropics, you probably seldom thought about coconut. Perhaps you had a coconut flavored drink every so often (more likely than not, one containing alcohol!) - but you never considered coconut to be one of the healthiest foods on the planet. Now, however, it seems that every other product that's for sale in a natural foods store has coconut in it!

Yes, we're hearing about the benefits of coconut water, coconut milk and coconut oil all the time. Coconut oil is not only good for cooking, but it's used in all kinds of skin care products. Coconut water is now becoming popular as an alternative sports drink. Coconut milk, meanwhile, is starting to become a leading milk substitute, especially as soy based products are becoming suspect in many ways. So let's take a closer look at this coconut craze and see what benefits can be derived from this wonderful fruit from the tropics!

Coconut Water

Coconut water is cool and delicious

Coconut water is the clear liquid you find when you open a young coconut. It's naturally sweet, yet low in calories and it's fat and cholesterol free. For this reason, it makes an excellent sports drink. It's the ideal compromise between people who find plain water too boring but who don't want to load up on sugar and empty calories that are found in commercial sports drinks.

Coconut Milk

Coconut milk is the thicker, creamier white liquid that's prepared from meat of the coconut. In other words, you can't crack open a coconut and get coconut milk - you only get coconut water this way. Coconut milk has to be made.

Coconut milk is sweeter and richer than coconut water, making it a good substitute for regular milk or soy milk. While coconut milk is considered by many to be very healthy, these claims are sometimes disputed because it's high in saturated fat (the same is true for coconut oil, as we'll shortly see). However, many nutritionists are rethinking the whole "saturated fats are bad" philosophy.

Coconut Oil

Discover the benefits of coconut oil

Coconut oil is enjoying a real renaissance in the health food community, probably even more so than coconut water or milk. Suddenly, we're hearing that this oil, though high in saturated fat, is ideal for cooking as well as for skin care.

It seems that previous research that supposedly proved that coconut oil caused a rise in cholesterol was based on using hydrogenated coconut oil. As many people are now aware, this is a process that produces the "bad fats" or trans fats that are the cause of so many health problems. Trans fats in anything raise the LDL or bad cholesterol to go up. Pure coconut oil, however, has no such effects - just the opposite.

One of the major benefits of coconut oil is that it contains lauric acid, which is a natural enemy of many harmful microorganisms and possibly even cancer cells. Lauric acid helps protect the body against bacteria, fungi and viruses, so it has many healthy qualities.

Coconut Products and Weight Loss

Coconuts can help with weight loss

If you're trying to lose weight, which coconut products should you consume? The short answer is, "all of them!" This doesn't mean, however, that you have to go overboard and drink or eat coconut products from dawn till dusk. Even though coconut milk and oil both contain healthy fats, if you're trying to cut back on calories you obviously don't want to overdo it with any kind of fat.

You can use all of the products in moderation and gain the benefits. This is true for everyone, whether you want to lose weight, gain weight or maintain your current weight. You can drink coconut water as a sports drink, or just when you want a refreshing cold drink. Don't drink it in place of regular water, though. Pure H20 should still be your primary beverage of choice!

Coconut milk is probably the best milk substitute if you're vegan or lactose intolerant. Even if you do eat dairy, there's no reason not to add coconut milk to your diet. You can find many healthy recipes that use coconut milk, or you can just drink it as a refreshing beverage that's a bit more substantial than coconut water.

Coconut oil is ideal for cooking. This is one big edge it has over the other super healthy oil - olive oil. I'd never suggest giving up olive oil, as this is not only delicious but it's one of the healthiest "good fat" foods you can consume. However, olive oil is not good for cooking, as it loses its benefits and actually becomes toxic. So, if you want a simple formula, consume olive oil raw and coconut oil for cooking (though coconut oil is also fine uncooked).

Coconut oil also has many other benefits, and it can be used as a moisturizer and even in your hair. You can find many products on the market that contain coconut oil, but very often it's safer to just use it straight up. Many products, even those sold in health food stores and online from health and nutrition companies contain all kinds of suspect ingredients.

Do your research - the Dr. Mercola website has a lot of good information on the dangers of many supposedly healthy and natural skin care products, shampoos and so forth. With plain coconut oil, you don't have any such worries! You can't really use pure coconut oil as a shampoo, but you can use it in your hair as a conditioner and then wash it out with a gentle and preferably organic shampoo.

In conclusion, more benefits of coconut-derived products are being discovered all the time. Of course, the native peoples of regions where coconuts grow - many tropical regions from Africa to the South Pacific- have long known how healthy, as well as delicious this fruit is. Now, however, modern civilization is finally catching up. So, coconut water, coconut milk, coconut oil - and just plain coconuts of course- are all foods you can eat with pleasure and without guilt!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Maire_Brody/205861

How to Increase Your Metabolism to Stay Fit

Metabolism Basics

Weight loss is a major area of concern for modern consumers. Many of them would like to know how to drop their weight as quickly as possible for weddings, photo shoots, self-esteem and the like. Metabolism is one of the keys to rapid weight loss. Metabolism has to do with the speed at which the body burns fat. Some people have fast metabolic systems that seem to burn fat continuously no matter what they eat. Other people seem to have sadly stagnant metabolic rates. You may be wondering how to increase your metabolism. The following are a few tips that are designed to help you if you are:

Drink Cold Water

Water is essential

Drinking ice-cold water is one of the easiest and most popular ways of learning how to increase your metabolism. Ice-cold water provides a lovely jolt to the metabolic system. The activity burns about eight more calories per hour than drinking room-temperature water does. Drinking cold water first thing in the morning can get the system going rather quickly. The best thing about the water method is that it is not expensive at all.

Eat Frequent Meals

Another tip for learning how to increase your metabolism is to eat between five and six small meals every day instead of eating three huge meals. The first bit of food that you eat in the morning kick-starts your metabolism. Giving the body a boost every four hours or so keeps it burning. Drinking the recommended number of water glasses per day can help keep the metabolism going, as well. Medical experts recommend that every person drink at least eight glasses of water per day. You can also aid the boosting process by eating foods that will work with the metabolism. Nuts, vegetables and fruits are always good.

Confuse the System

Sometimes it is good to trick the body a little bit so that it can get a kick to the system. The consumer can keep the metabolism on its toes by changing the diet. For example, the person may eat fruits and vegetables for six straight days and then eat a huge helping of ice cream on the seventh day. The change will boost the metabolism.

Exercise as Much as Possible

Exercise is also a key to success

Finally, exercise always gives a boost to the metabolism. You can get exercise a number of ways. One way to get exercise is to take a brisk walk first thing in the morning. Another way that you can get exercise is by riding an old-fashioned bicycle. Just an hour of walking or bike riding can burn hundreds of calories. Stair-stepping is another way that you can get some daily exercise. Stair-stepping works the thighs, buttocks and the bottom of the legs. All previously mentioned activities are great cardiovascular activities.

You can try any or all of the previously mentioned activities to quickly boost your metabolic rate. They are inexpensive and highly successful methods that should cause a significant difference in the speed at which you burn fat.

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Fat Loss Friday - Foods That Speed Up Metabolism

Eat For Heat: Foods That Rev Up Your Metabolism

Stoke Your Furnace

Metabolism makes up all the processes that fuel our bodies. The constant need for energy for all the things that make us alive is demanding, and the more active we are, or the more mass we have, the more energy is necessary to keep us running. Eating in general creates a thermic effect, that is, since it requires energy to breakdown and extract nutrition from food, food itself increases our metabolism. That's great, but there are certain foods that speed up metabolism even more than others. Focusing on including these in your diet can really boost your metabolism over the long term, increasing fat loss and improving health in general.

1 - Spice Up Your Life!

Spicy foods like jalapeno and habanero peppers and spices like cayenne can get the heart rate up and the body heat activated, requiring sweat to cool us down. This small spike in metabolic rate is actually used by hot countries to help keep them cool. As counter-intuitive as this might sound, by causing a little bit of sweat from food, you're constantly in a state of cooling as it evaporates from your skin, keeping your metabolic furnace stoked and your body cool.

2 - Protein Punch!

Protein is king for metabolism boosting

As stated above, all food requires energy to break down, but protein in particular requires a bit above and beyond. About 25% of the total energy provided by protein is required to break the food down and absorb the nutrients. That means a 100 calorie portion of meat will require about 25 calories to process it, leading to a net intake of 75 calories. Not only does this off-set some of the ingested calories, but it also increases your metabolic rate for a while after eating as it takes your body longer to break down protein than it does for carbs or fat. As far as foods that speed up metabolism are concerned, protein is king!

3 - Ice, Ice Baby

Cold drinks in general that have no calories, but particularly water, have a great effect at slightly boosting metabolism. The energy your body needs to return your temperature to normal after ingesting cold drinks makes your metabolism spike, even if only for a short while. Starting your day with a big glass of ice water is a great way to wake up and get your metabolic furnace firing on all cylinders.

4 - Coco-nuts About Coconut Oil!

Coconut oil is almost entirely made of medium-chain triglycerides. This type of fat is immediately useful to the body and a perfect addition to foods that speed up metabolism, providing a quick boost of energy that is harder for your body to store than other types of calories. Pure MCT oil is another source of these medium-chain triglycerides, and an even more potent one than coconut oil. Saute food in it, use it instead of butter, or if you're brave, try blending 1 or 2 tbsp in your coffee with heavy cream for a fatty, frothy coffee that boosts your metabolism to new heights!

5 - Coffee and Green Tea

Coffee is great for boosting metabolism

For most people, a quick pick-me-up is a nice cup of coffee in the morning or afternoon. Tea is a staple the world over, and both are great sources of caffeine, which greatly boosts mood, metabolism, and fat-burning rate, as well as concentration and focus. There's also evidence that daily coffee intake protects the liver and helps prevent diabetes, so grab yourself another cup (just maybe skip the sugar and flavored creamer!)


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Fat Loss Friday - How to Speed up Your Metabolism - Learn How You Can Speed Up Your Metabolism

Did you know?

Your metabolism is the machine inside you that keeps on working away to keep the weight off and burn fat.

Increase your metabolism at any age

The sad part is most people in their 30's and up struggle with their metabolic rate. This being a leading factor to why you have weight problems. But let's be honest, everyone out there who have the problem of everything you eat turning into excess fat or water weight is upsetting. A fast metabolism means more calories burned. You can speed up your metabolism so it works harder for you. It's very easy to regulate it and keep it at a medium to high rate to drop those unwanted pounds of fat.

Things you should consider

There are many sayings about fast and slow metabolism. Truth is you don't have as much control over your metabolism as you think but you can control how many calories you burn through your level of physical activity. The more active you are, the more calories you burn. There are three very effective ways to lose weight and burning calories to speed up your metabolism. Aerobic activity is the best way to burn calories. The goal should be 150 minutes a week of walking cycling and swimming. You can reach this goal by doing 30 minutes five days a week and breaking down your activity sessions in 10 minute sessions. To speed that metabolism up drastically you likely need to do more than that a week and make changes to your diet.

Any age is a good age to start weight training

Strength training is another excellent workout to help you speed up your metabolism. Muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissues so increasing your muscle mass will help you lose weight. Aim to do two or more days a week that work all major muscle groups like lifting weights and high intensity rounds of exercise like cross fit workouts.

Try This...

We all know working out is great for your our health and it is the most beneficial for your metabolic rate but it isn't the entire picture. What you eat and how you eat it eat plays a big role in all of this. First thing you want to do is drink two glasses of ice water as soon as you wake up. The water will wake your body out of sleep mode and into awake mode. The cold water will start to shunt the water from the internal organs to the peripheral muscles. This gets your blood pumping and flowing, which boosts your metabolism one to two percent.

Eating certain foods at certain times of the day, waking up early and eating your breakfast is key but also eating your dinner before six and nothing after that except water throughout the evening. A food group in particular that helps speed up your metabolic rate is spicy foods. Hot peppers have been linked to reducing obesity and related disorders because they increase energy expenditure and fat oxidation by increasing the metabolism. Another excellent natural

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Fat Loss Friday - Vitamins to aid in weight loss

Weight loss is a sensitive issue especially in this ‘beauty-glorified’ world we live in today. However, people often associate weight loss with exercise or with loss weight pills, but do you know that vitamins can help you loss those extra kilos too?

When you think about weight loss, you will tend to consider only about an exercise program to burn your fats away or the tasteless and raw foods that you plan to eat. You might also have considered buying the diet drug that you saw at the pharmacy. However, did it ever come across your mind that vitamins might help in weight loss?

Our body requires vitamins and it can be easily obtained from the foods we eat or dietary supplements. Vitamins are very important and there is absolutely no way a person can sustain his life without the presence of necessary vitamins.

Choose the right vitamins

Believe it or not, there are vitamins that aids in weight loss. They are mainly vitamin B2, B3, B5, B6, vitamin B complex and vitamin C. These B vitamins help to convert carbs into glucose, after which they are burned to produce energy for the body. With this in mind, you are encouraged to consume foods, which consist of these highly beneficial vitamins. Each of these vitamins has different functions.

Just to name a few:

Vitamin B2 or also known as Riboflavin is highly required for increased metabolism. You are encouraged to consume more hard cheese, milk and almonds for a healthy intake of Vitamin B2. Next is the B3 vitamin. This vitamin is necessary for normal thyroid hormone production. Leafy green vegetables and eggs are a good source of this vitamin.

Natural sources of vitamins

You can also choose to include wheat bran, meat and salmon. Vitamin B5 is necessary for the production of energy. Good sources of B5 include liver, poultry, nuts and whole grain bread.

It is best that you consult the doctor or your dietitian if you are unsure as to what to include in you meal to ensure sufficient intake of these weight loss vitamins.

Other than natural vitamins that can be found in the food we eat, you can choose to have an extra dose of vitamin through the needles. Vitamin B12 injections are a usual sight at weight loss clinics. The B12 works by boosting your metabolism. As such, this would cause you to digest food faster and burn more calories just by sitting there! With more calories burnt, you will store lesser calories as fat.

At the same time, B12 is energy giving and hence it gives you an energy boost. Most people do not exercise because they are just plain tired after a long day at work. So, with the extra energy, you will feel more energetic and you can afford to exercise more!

You can also choose to take vitamin pills, but remember, vitamin pills are not energy pills! They do not carry any energetic value so remember not to substitute the necessary intake of carbs, fats or carbohydrates with just vitamin pills!

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Ten Most Frequently Asked Questions About Weight Loss - Part 9

9. Is it harder to lose weight as I get older?

Most people round out a little as they get older, as a result of a decreased metabolism and less movement. Menopause can cause women to suddenly gain weight, and both men and women find that they can't eat as much as they did a few years back without gaining a few pounds! This makes it hard to lose weight.

Another reason for difficulty in losing weight as you age is your set point and metabolism. The set point of your weight is predetermined, which means that your body stubbornly clings to a certain amount of weight. For instance, some people's set point dictates that they won't gain an ounce no matter what or how much they eat. Other's set points, on the other hand, is set a little higher, causing them to gain pounds when they catch a whiff of French fries and bacon cheeseburgers.

Physiological forces can prevent weight loss. It's possible to be thinner than when you were in your 20s now because once upon a time you weighed less - but it can be a real struggle staying at that lowest weight. Perhaps that's the secret behind set points: it's still possible to lose weight, but just a little more difficult.

Genetics also have a lot to do with stubborn pounds. Your body shape, weight, and size is affected by your genes, making it hard to lose weight. You see examples all around you, every day, of people looking exactly like their parents or grandparents - for better or for worse. You may have your mom's curves and tendency towards the bulge; your half-sisters have their mother's lean silhouette and long, slim limbs.

Watching what you eat, exercising, and keeping informed of health tips and low-fat recipes are still extremely important in losing weight and keeping it off. Remember to strike a balance between accepting and loving your body the way it is, and striving for health and wellness.

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How to Lose Weight Naturally

Do you know how to lose weight? This question has bothered many people and for very long times with nothing tangible coming up. It is very difficult understanding how to cut that extra pound from your body without enduring pain or strainDo you know how to lose weight? This question has bothered many people and for very long times with nothing tangible coming up. It is very difficult understanding how to cut that extra pound from your body without enduring pain or strain. Doing it naturally is the best option and you will always have home remedies for that. The good thing with doing it naturally is that no side effects are experienced and it is not too costly.

Using anti-aging weight loss diet plans can as well be an applicable option for your consideration. The most important thing is for you to make choices that are well intended and effective enough to facilitate natural loss of extra weight.

• Cinnamon tea- this one is very good at managing blood sugar in the body and that has a direct effect on weight loss. If you research widely, you will know that blood sugar affects the pattern in which one gets hungry. When you have your blood sugar imbalanced, chances of getting hungry more often are high and you will thus tend to eat more and gain weight. With cinnamon tea, that will be well taken care of.

• Green tea and ginger- green tea has some key components that have been proven to help in weight loss. They are theanine, catechins and caffeine which will address all your concerns on how to lose weight. When you add ginger to your green tea, it will spur digestion in the stomach and accelerate weight loss.

• Ginseng- this is a perennial plant and will offer you a natural remedy for losing weight without stress. Ginseng helps to speed up metabolism in the body once consumed as well as increase energy, improve mental preparedness and fight off fatigue. When added to the anti-aging weight loss diet, ginseng will be very effective as well making it a two-in-one solution. 

• Chewing gums- very many people chew gums most of the time but are not aware that it helps in losing weight. The simple logic is that chewing gums fool the stomach that it is eating something thus suppressing pangs of hunger. You will have lowered appetite for food and that is a good way to address questions around how to lose weight naturally. 

• Stay hydrated- the more water you have in the body, the higher the rate of losing weight without too much straining. Water will be good anytime for your anti-aging weight loss diet because it will speed up the metabolism rate. Ensure you have taken in enough amounts of water every day for the sake of your weight loss plan.

With that, you do not have to endure the rigorous workouts that consume a lot of your time and energy in losing weight. These natural remedies will clear all concerns you have on how to lose weight right from the comfort of your house. It does not matter whether you are under an anti-aging weight loss diet, it will be a success if you embrace any of these remedies.


By: Vikram kumar

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