Weight LossThe weight loss process is always the same, no matter how much you want to lose. In the article on bulking, the basal metabolic rate concept is discussed. Just as you need to take in more calories than your BMR in order to add mass, you need to consume fewer calories than your BMR level in order to decrease your weight. You should also be aware of your body type before starting a weight loss program. The three different body types are discussed here. Going on a standard diet will get you nowhere. Diets in which you deprive yourself are not sustainable and do not work in the long run. Losing weight is a gradual process that will not happen overnight. When you lower your daily calories too fast, you will lose some fat but most of your weight loss will be in muscle mass. Your body needs muscle in order to burn calories, however. The more muscle mass you have, the faster your body is able to burn calories and the faster you are able to lose weight. This is why most diets only take you backwards. By losing too much weight too fast, you will have lost a significant amount of muscle and you will not be able to burn any more calories efficiently. You will inevitably need to begin to resume eating proper amounts of food at some point and when this happens, you will gain all of the weight back. To lose weight properly and keep it off, you should strive to drop about 1 pound per week. This is the only way to do it properly, plus it is much healthier than starving yourself. By looking at your BMR, you will be able to determine how many calories you need to consume per day in order to lose weight. Let's say your BMR is at 2,500 calories per day. To begin losing weight, you will need to consume a slightly lower amount of calories. Try dropping your calories by about 200-500 at the start. You will want to create only a slight deficit between your BMR and the actual calories you consume per day. It is important to weigh yourself everyday when attempting to lose weight in order to determine if you are on the right track. Adjust your calorie levels to suit your needs so that you are able to lose 1 pound per week. When your progress starts to stagnate, drop your calories again, but again, only by about 200. At the very most, you should not lose any more than 2 pounds per week as anything higher than this will result in excessive muscle loss. It is imperative that you also ensure that you are eating only clean foods such as the ones mentioned here during your weight loss phase. Eating clean will start you off right by dropping your bodyfat levels right away. Especially in the beginning, it may be difficult to immediately begin losing weight but if your bodyfat levels are dropping from your smart food choices, you are definitely on your way to a leaner, healthier physique. Continuing to follow a weight training program is especially important while you are trying to lose weight. Many people often overlook this aspect of an effective weight loss program. As previously mentioned, muscle assists in burning calories. As you follow your strength training program, your body will continue to burn many calories. In fact, calories are burned even after you finish working out, as your cells are working hard to repair broken down tissues. This is in contrast to cardiovascular training, in which calories are only burnt during the actual activity itself. Strength training will also prevent you from losing muscle during your weight loss program. Of course, you must continue to perform cardiovascular exercise as well in order to lose weight. You should aim to complete about 60-90 minutes of moderately intense cardio 5-6 days per week, depending on your weight loss needs. Depending on how hard you push yourself, you should be able to burn about 1,000 calories in one hour of cardio exercise. Remember: the more cardio you do, the more calories you will burn and the faster you will reach your desired weight. Whether you have 20, 30, or 50 pounds to lose, this is the only system that will allow you to lose the weight safely and keep it off for good. If you have just finished a bulking phase and need to go through a cutting phase in order to shed the extra fat that you have gained, this is the system to follow. There are supplements or other diet programs out there which promise to help you lose massive amounts of fat in a matter of weeks however this is simply not safe or sustainable for your body and will get you nowhere in the long run.
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