WEIGHT LOSS TIPS

 

 

 

5 WAYS TO HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT

 

Oh dear, you went on holiday, Christmas came along, best friends hen do and wedding, weekend break.  It’s all conspiring against us in the war against putting on weight. 

 

Despite the fact that research has shown that the typical Christmas weight gain tips the scales at only 1lb, for some it’s a demotivating factor, while for others it’s all the trigger they need to pitch in on their new year’s resolution to get serious about sensible eating.  So, let’s look at a few tips to maybe help us to wise up and slim down. 

 

LOW FAT

Low fat yogurt it appears helps with weight loss as those who ate it, according to a study in the International Journal of Obesity (2005), lost significantly more weight and body fat when measured against others.  Indicators also seem to point to dairy products limiting overall weight gain even going so far as to suggest that those who choose dairy can consume more calories overall while keeping weight off than those who don’t. 

 

EXERCISE

For the last couple of years the buzz has all been around science getting excited about High Intensity Interval Training (HiiT).  This is a period of very high frenetic activity, be it on a static bike, treadmill or free style star jumps, for bursts of say 30 or 40 second, interspersed with a 20 second rest and then these intervals are repeated for an overall duration of 10 or 20 minutes.  The intervals don’t have to be the same type of exercise, you can alternate between equipment or running on the spot as long as you are working at maximum cardio capacity across the 30 seconds. 

 

Researchers became aware that as a result of this style of training very high levels of energy continue to be burned up by the body afterwards, for surprisingly periods.  This is known as the ‘afterburn’ effect and it has become widely believed to be a very beneficial tool to assist in weight loss.   You don’t need an organised class to perform this style of workout, you can test it out yourself at home just by running on the spot and timing yourself with the stopwatch on your phone.  There are DVDs available though, which have a counter so you can concentrate on working your hardest without being distracted.  Lock and load**

 

WEIGHT LIFTING

Hopefully you enjoy a trip to the gym, if so that’s good news as weight training or working on resistance machines significantly increases the amount of lean body weight, or muscle mass.  An increase in muscle mass is almost certain to have the knock on effect of revving up the metabolism as muscle is the most metabolically active element of the body.  A faster metabolism will increase your overall daily calorie usage. 

 

FIBRE

We hear a lot about fibre – so we know that it’s good to have plenty in our diet but eating foods high in fibre actually give the stomach the feeling of being fuller.  In fact a study in ‘Nutrition Reviews’ (2009) shows that those who consume fibre rich food in their meal eat less food at that meal, in fact less overall across the whole day.  Try it out. 

 

GREEN TEA

Another metabolic booster is green tea due to the catechins it contains.  There are several studies which support the theory that the properties in green tea have a significant impact not only on weight loss but also weight maintenance.  Or in other words, helps to get it off and keep it off.

 

**WARNING – if you are new to exercise or unfit, it is not recommended that you launch straight in with anaerobic or high intensity routines.  If at all unsure of the safety in respect of your physical ability always seek professional or medical advice before beginning on this style of programme.

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Get the Facts

Facts that Fit 

 FIT FACTS

CONSULT A DOCTOR BEFORE BEGINNING ANY EXERCISE PROGRAMME.  THE INSTRUCTIONS AND ADVICE IN THIS ARTICLE ARE IN NO WAY INTENDED TO BE A SUBSTITUE FOR PROFESSIONAL OR MEDICAL ADVICE. 

 

NOT ALL EXERCISES ARE SUITABLE FOR EVERYONE AND ANY EXERCISE PROGRAMME COULD OR MAY RESULT IN INJURY.  ANY USER PARTICIPATING IN EXERCISE AS A RESULT OF THIS ARTICLE ASSUMES THE RISK OF INJURY RESULTING FROM PERFORMING SUCH EXERCISE(S).  FIT FACTS DISCLAIM ANY LIABILITY OR LOSS IN CONNECTION WITH ADVICE OR EXERCISE(S) ARISING.