If you have a large amount of body fat, it is not going to matter how much you work out at the gym to get great looking abs, because the extra fat will simply keep you from being able to show them off.
For your fantastic looking abs to show, you will first need to lose the excess weight, and here are seven key steps that can help you begin to lose body fat.
Eating 5 to 6 Small Meals A Day Is Important
When you are trying to burn fat, eating only three meals a day simply will not cut it. Your main goal is to keep your metabolism working and burning as much fat as it possibly can. When you only eat three meals per day, it has time to slow down, and this totally defeats your purpose.
Not only will your metabolism burn fat, but also it is hard at work draining energy and nutritional content that the meals you eat supply.
To aid your metabolism into working for you, the key is to keep it going, and this is achieved by eating 5 or 6 smaller meals a day. When you eat something small in between your regular meals, this will allow your metabolism to continue working in burning that excess fat off.
Another advantage is that you will not feel those hunger pains as often, in between meals. This in itself will cause you to want less food during your regular meals, so you will naturally eat less.
Protein bars that are high in protein and low in carbs are an excellent snack choice for in between meals. The brand Pure Protein bars is recommended.
Drink that water!
There are many benefits that we receive when we drink plenty of water. Water is important at any time, but especially when you are trying to lose weight and dieting. Our bodies are made up of 70% water, and it is important to we continually stay well hydrated.
When we consume food, water helps our bodies to utilize the nutrients, by helping to transport them to our body’s cells, as well as determining how the cells will use the nutrients. This is very essential when it comes to losing weight.
To maintain a healthy body, water is also very important in the process of eliminating wastes and flushing out all other toxins. Your complexion is also something that will benefit greatly from water.
When your ultimate goal is to put on muscle mass, water is also important for the elasticity of your skin. Drinking the right amounts of water can help you avoid stretch marks that can appear on skin that does not have adequate elasticity.
Water will also help to cushion your joints, which can be very important when you are trying to lose extra weight, because you will partially lose some of the fat cushion in your joints, and this is important for avoiding injury.
Remove The Bedtime Eating Habit
When you are sleeping, your metabolism slows down and does not burn off food as it does during the day. So, eating within three hours of your bedtime can mean your body will simply be storing the food you just consumed as fat
Cardio Exercise Is Very Important
The best diets in the world will not be able to benefit you to their fullest, if you do not incorporate cardiovascular exercise into your plan.
To achieve the best results, you should plan to do your cardio exercises right after you get up, spending about 20 minutes in the mornings before breakfast on your exercises, and at least 4 times each week.
Ultimately you will want to reach 45-minute cardio sessions, so you may try increasing your workout time by 5 minutes until you are able to do this. By doing these exercises early, you are able to take advantage of the fact that the glycogen stores are low at this time, and it allows your body to burn the fat faster.
A key fact to remember while doing cardio is you will want to be able to reach a heart rate level of 65% of what your maximum heart rate is. This can be figured by subtracting your age from 220, and then multiply it by 0.65.
You will want to maintain this heart rate level during your entire workout session. The importance of raising your heart rate is this is the perfect fat burning zone. Stopping once in a while just long enough to check your heart rate will ensure that you are maintaining the right level.
High Protein Is A Must!
Your entire goal of being able to keep your metabolism burning off fat effectively, without losing much muscle, is dependent upon your efforts of taking in high amounts of protein.
Carbohydrates, being your body’s main energy source is burned off first, then your fat will begin being used as fuel. To keep your body from using the muscle you have worked hard to achieve, you will want to make sure to take in high amounts of protein. In doing so, you will succeed in keeping your metabolism going.
Lower Your Carbohydrate Intake
We have already established that your body will burn carbs before it gets to the fat to burn. So one key step in losing weight is to cut down on your carbohydrate intake. It can be helpful to consume your daily amount of carbs with your breakfast meal, ensuring that you eat a combination of both protein and carbs.
Daily Multi-Vitamin
When you diet, this will generally mean a change in your eating habits. Because of this, it is important to take a daily multi-vitamin to ensure that your body is still receiving its essential amount of vitamins and minerals that are so important to staying as healthy as possible.
A Few Helpful Hints To Consider
- Since it takes around 15 minutes after you eat for your body to know it is full, just by waiting 15 minutes before you decide you want a second serving can help tremendously in preventing issues with over eating.
- As long as the foods you are eating are not overly high in carbs, do not hesitate in eating plenty of vegetables and fruits with your meals.
- 8 hours of sleep every night will provide you with an adequate amount of energy for the following day, and this is very important when you plan to restrict your carbohydrates intake.
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