In most cases you really don't need to purchase any huge, so-called weight loss secret in order to lose weight. They key is really just to watch what you eat. It takes 3,500 calories to gain a pound of weight. You therefore need to reduce the number of calories you eat by 3500 in order to lose a pound of weight. Reduce your intake by 500 calories a day and you will lose a pound in a week. This is simple in theory, but not always so simple in practice.
However, many people have lost a great deal of weight by practicing just such a plan. Some people reduce their calorie intake a bit more aggressively to lose the weight even quicker. Other people reduce their calorie intake a bit less to lose just a couple of pounds a month. And even others add an exercise program to their diet to lose weight even quicker. Any way you cut it - the 3,500 calories that is, will count towards your ultimately weight loss and you will reach your goal.
Sometimes a person will lose quite a few pounds and nobody notices. This can be rather discouraging. Often, the reason no one notices is because although you've lost weight, your body looks very much the same from the outside. You may have less body fat, but since your body is not toned, it is overall not noticeable to others. Your clothes will fit better but no one really sees that.
It is a good idea to tone your muscles while you lose weight. If exercise is something you haven't done in a while, start slowly and pace yourself. You cannot help but reach your goal. Once you find the right combination of diet and exercise you as well as others will begin seeing the results.
One way to start toning your muscles is to walk - just walk. Noting complicated or tricky - one foot in front of the other. Start by walking about thirty minutes three days a week. Then, as you begin to gain endurance, increase the distance or time. Walking will tone your muscles and help you lose even more weight.
You can tone specific parts of your body too! Light weights can tone your arms. Leg exercises like squats and lunges tone your legs, thighs and butt. Crunches work your abdominal muscles. Begin with ten repetitions of each and remember to start slow.
It's also important to know that when you are working on toning your muscles while you loose weight, you should alternate the days that you work on certain muscle groups. For example, do abdominal and arm exercises one day, and the next day do leg and butt exercises. This allows each muscle group to rest and repair for a day, which further aides in building muscle.
By Robert Kaufman
