Fat Loss - 3 Major Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes
- Date: 2007-12-01 - Word Count: 781
Share This!
Fat loss does not have to be difficult or a struggle for you. I know that sometimes this does not seem to be the case. If you have ever tried and not succeeded to lose enough fat to get to your goal weight you are certainly not alone. This article will help to identify just a few of the mistakes that you can easily correct, so be sure to read the whole thing and pay attention!
There is so much information out there that it is time to set the record straight about 5 of the most common mistakes that so many people make when trying to achieve effective and long lasting fat loss.
Mistake #1: Not keeping a food log
Permanent fat loss without keeping an accurate food log is next to impossible. If you were trying to save money, wouldn't you want to keep a record of where you were spending the most?
The same concept applies to keeping a food log. It is absolutely amazing how much we sometimes underestimate how much food we eat. Fat loss occurs when we consume less calories then we currently do. It really all comes down to that!
By having a record of what foods you are eating and what time you are eating them you are laying a roadmap that you can consistently tweak and adjust until you reach your goal!
If you are trying to lose fat and are not currently keeping a food log, go buy one online or get a notebook you can use as soon as possible. But beware, you may have to spend extra money on new clothes very soon if you do.
Mistake #2: Focusing too much on slow cardio
Did you know that slow cardio can be one of the worst ways to achieve long lasting fat loss? This may seem very counterintuitive but bear with me.
Slow cardio can be effective for burning calories and can work well in the short term. It is in fact very good for your cardiovascular system and for preventive measures. But for fat loss, the same does not hold true.
What happens is that when you do the same cardio workout (30-60 minutes) at a slow pace, your body adapts very quickly. If you go too slowly, you will not burn significant calories or even break a sweat. You see, once your body adapts, it becomes more efficient at doing the same workout. Once this happens, you burn fewer calories with each repeated workout.
If you went outside to run a mile right now, it might feel pretty difficult. But if you ran a mile 5 times a week for 2 months, it would get a lot easier. What happens is the same workout becomes less and less of a challenge the more you do it. Therefore, you burn fewer calories because you are not as challenged as you were at first. For fat loss, this is one of the worst ruts to fall into.
Trying to lose fat with doing the same cardio workout over and over is sure to lead to a plateau and almost all your results will come to a screeching halt.
The solution is to use a different method of cardio called interval training. It is faster, more effective, and burns lots more fat calories than slow cardio.
Mistake #3: Avoiding strength training
Fat loss that is permanent largely depends on your body composition and your diet. One of the best ways to do this is to increase muscle mass!
Having more muscle is a great way to lose more fat simply because lean muscle mass burns a lot of calories while you are at rest. It has been said that every pound of additional muscle burns approximately 60 more calories per day.
If you gained just 3 pounds of lean muscle mass, that would come out to an extra 1260 calories per week! Combine this with reducing your daily calories by 300 and you are losing approximately 1 pound per week!
Many people think that strength training will not help their fat loss efforts because of the myth that is makes you "big and bulky." This belief is a huge mistake! Unless you are eating and training specifically for huge muscles you will have nothing to worry about. If you are training for fat loss you are training to make your body smaller. It simply cannot respond by getting bigger.
Conclusion
These are just a few of the biggest fat loss mistakes that so many people make. That being said, fat loss does not have to be a struggle. You just need to take in less calories and burn more. Making the right food choices and exercising the right way will help you lose fat faster and easier than ever before!
There is so much information out there that it is time to set the record straight about 5 of the most common mistakes that so many people make when trying to achieve effective and long lasting fat loss.
Mistake #1: Not keeping a food log
Permanent fat loss without keeping an accurate food log is next to impossible. If you were trying to save money, wouldn't you want to keep a record of where you were spending the most?
The same concept applies to keeping a food log. It is absolutely amazing how much we sometimes underestimate how much food we eat. Fat loss occurs when we consume less calories then we currently do. It really all comes down to that!
By having a record of what foods you are eating and what time you are eating them you are laying a roadmap that you can consistently tweak and adjust until you reach your goal!
If you are trying to lose fat and are not currently keeping a food log, go buy one online or get a notebook you can use as soon as possible. But beware, you may have to spend extra money on new clothes very soon if you do.
Mistake #2: Focusing too much on slow cardio
Did you know that slow cardio can be one of the worst ways to achieve long lasting fat loss? This may seem very counterintuitive but bear with me.
Slow cardio can be effective for burning calories and can work well in the short term. It is in fact very good for your cardiovascular system and for preventive measures. But for fat loss, the same does not hold true.
What happens is that when you do the same cardio workout (30-60 minutes) at a slow pace, your body adapts very quickly. If you go too slowly, you will not burn significant calories or even break a sweat. You see, once your body adapts, it becomes more efficient at doing the same workout. Once this happens, you burn fewer calories with each repeated workout.
If you went outside to run a mile right now, it might feel pretty difficult. But if you ran a mile 5 times a week for 2 months, it would get a lot easier. What happens is the same workout becomes less and less of a challenge the more you do it. Therefore, you burn fewer calories because you are not as challenged as you were at first. For fat loss, this is one of the worst ruts to fall into.
Trying to lose fat with doing the same cardio workout over and over is sure to lead to a plateau and almost all your results will come to a screeching halt.
The solution is to use a different method of cardio called interval training. It is faster, more effective, and burns lots more fat calories than slow cardio.
Mistake #3: Avoiding strength training
Fat loss that is permanent largely depends on your body composition and your diet. One of the best ways to do this is to increase muscle mass!
Having more muscle is a great way to lose more fat simply because lean muscle mass burns a lot of calories while you are at rest. It has been said that every pound of additional muscle burns approximately 60 more calories per day.
If you gained just 3 pounds of lean muscle mass, that would come out to an extra 1260 calories per week! Combine this with reducing your daily calories by 300 and you are losing approximately 1 pound per week!
Many people think that strength training will not help their fat loss efforts because of the myth that is makes you "big and bulky." This belief is a huge mistake! Unless you are eating and training specifically for huge muscles you will have nothing to worry about. If you are training for fat loss you are training to make your body smaller. It simply cannot respond by getting bigger.
Conclusion
These are just a few of the biggest fat loss mistakes that so many people make. That being said, fat loss does not have to be a struggle. You just need to take in less calories and burn more. Making the right food choices and exercising the right way will help you lose fat faster and easier than ever before!
Related Tags: fat loss, fat loss diet, fat loss workout, fat loss exercise, body fat loss, fat weight loss
Want to learn some more awesome tips? Hello, my name is Tom Gifford and I am a personal trainer who has studied fat loss extensively. Stop by my website at Fat Loss and check out the first two chapters of my brand new book for free! You will find some great tips you can start using right away. I look forward to seeing you there! Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- Dental Insurance For Individual Can Be Of Help At Time
Dental problem may cost one a lot of money and pain. But, practicing a reasonable care could decreas - Personal Trainer For Perfect Health
There is a general misconception that need for a fitness trainer comes for novice or from those who - Varicose Veins - Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
The majority of people after thirty notice the changes that appear with the maturing. In this case t - Scenar Therapy - Self-treatment Or Healing Partnership
Do you want to learn about a device which will help you to ease your pain? If you get this kind of a - Scenar - 5 "no, Nos" Of Scenar
Are you fed up with the pain in your body? Various parts of our body seem to ache due to different r - Scenar Device - 5 Tips On Travelling With Your Scenar (skenar) Device
You might be aware of scenar which has become quite popular these days. This is actually the acronym - Scenar Therapy - How To Treat Your Pet With Scenar
There are many alternative methods of treatment that are being invented these days. Lots of people a - Your Options For The Treatment For Appendicitis
Appendicitis is considered to be a surgical illness. Due to its severe character, the treatment for - How To Choose The Right Copd Medication
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD does not have any cure. But with the help of medicines - Septic Arthritis: Infectious Agents Penetrate Joints' Spaces
Another major type of arthritis is septic arthritis, which is also known in various terms like: pyog
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Drugs - the Last Alternative for Adhd in Kids
Anyone over the age of thirty who has grown up with ADHD understands that there was not much help av - Foods To Eat To Gain Weight
Malnutrition has the same degree of problem as obesity. There are people who are too skinny, they fi - Understanding Postpartum Clothing
The same way most pregnant women dream of the day when they will begin showing for wearing maternity - Kegel Exercising for Bladder Control and Enhanced Sexual Pleasure
Kegel exercises strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor, thereby improving the urethra and/or rec - The Use Of Weight Loss Herbs
Nothing has garnered more attention in today's world than the success or failures of weight loss pro - A Simple Acid Relux Cure
Many people today are afflicted with heartburn. If they eat food that is too spicy, they get heartbu - Five Effective Household Back Pain Treatments
Back pain treatment comes in lots of forms, from exercise to pain mediction. Standard and most wides - Herbal Remedies - Can They Cure What Ails You?
You've probably heard about herbal remedies before and how they can treat a variety of health proble - Natural Relief for Tinnitus - What are your Choices
Natural Relief For Tinnitus - Alternative Options Did you know that there are an estimated 50 t - Birthing Around the World
Since ancestral times, different cultures showed off different customs and beliefs around the miracl