The Secret to Weightloss


by Mirdza Hayden - Date: 2006-12-28 - Word Count: 264 Share This!

Perhaps you think that in order to lose weight you need to cut your calories way down. However, when we cut our calories below our Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR), which is the rate at which our bodies burn calories when we are resting, we do ourselves more harm than good.

Our bodies need calories to sustain the vital functions of our body like breathing, heart rate, waste removal, and cell repair and growth, even when we are resting. When we cut our calories way below our RMR, our body shifts into starvation mode, making our metabolic rate very slow. So, even though we are eating less, it's hard to lose weight because our bodies are fighting to keep the energy it has stored in body fat.

Lyssie Lakatos, R.D., and Tammy Lakatos Shames, R.D., authors of Fire of your Metabolism: 9 proven principles for burning fat and losing weight forever, offer these tips to boost our RMR:

1. Do 30 minutes or more of aerobic activity at least four to five times a week. Try brisk walking, biking, or dancing to burn calories and get your hard pumping.

2. Strength-train three times a week to increase your lean muscle and the rate at which your body burns calories (see the weight-training section in my Health4U site).

3. Don't wait more than five hours before you eat another meal (except at night). Skipping meals can slow your metabolism and deprive you of the energy you need.

4. Eat breakfast to wake up your metabolism after a night's sleep. Having breakfast gives you energy and helps prevent overeating at your next meal.


Related Tags: weightloss, calories, metabolism, muscle, bodyfat

Mirdza
Helping people lead healthier lives
http://www.Watkinsmom.com

*For more on avocados and other great foods to eat, read the book "Superfoods Healthstyle", by Steven G. Pratt, M.D. and Kathy Matthews.

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