Larry
|
This is a great question: most people who want to lose weight really want to lose fat. Burning fat does not automatically mean weight loss. You may be replacing fat with muscle at a rate that may keep your weight the same, while your measurements shrink.
Fat is removed somewhat evenly throughout the body. There is no way to target belly fat, no matter what someone may claim.
Stay out of starvation mode.
Your body can be set up to burn fat more easily by controlling your diet. It's all about tricking your body into thinking there's more food available, so your metabolism stays up. Switching to smaller meals closer together will help maintain your blood sugar.
As a general rule, you should never lose more than one to two pounds per week. Each day your body needs 10 calories per pound. Since a pound of fat is equivalent to 3,500 calories, this equals a calorie deficit of 3,500-7,000 a week, or 500-1,000 per day. However, you may actually be burning more fat than this if muscle growth is making up for this deficit.
Exercise to burn fat.
Many people, especially those selling exercise equipment, make this far too complicated. You need to do cardio. All cardio burns fat, regardless of the type, or whether it's low or high impact.
Can you run? Run.
If you can't run, can you still walk or ride a bike? Do that instead.
Do you not have access to indoor equipment, but can't go outside either? Try aerobics.
Do you have joint problems? Swim or join a water aerobics class.
How much cardio should you do? This depends on your general level of health. Serious trainers may do one to two hours a day, but any additional effort you make will have an effect on your waistline. Limit yourself to three days a week to give your muscles time to recuperate, especially early on.
Posted 5458 day ago
|