Discover the Best Way to Lose Weight Permanently

The best way to lose weight permanently isn't through a magical diet or by doing excessive exercise for months. Making a lifestyle change is truly the only way to lose weight and keep it off. Focusing your weight loss efforts only on your diet or on your fitness routine is ineffective, but coordinating the two will get you the best lasting results. There are two components to losing weight permanently: eating clean and exercising.

About Eating Clean

Eating clean is a term that's mentioned a lot these days. Essentially, clean eating is eating natural, unprocessed foods--basically anything that comes from the ground and not from a factory. Fruits, vegetables, lean meats, beans and whole grains are all types of clean foods. Processed goods and snacks, like chips and cookies, are not clean foods. Clean food are the simplest kinds. They're the foods people have been eating for centuries and are the kinds of things you can grow or raise.

Focusing on eating clean foods will automatically make a difference in your health. When you eat foods found naturally, you're getting the proper nutrients your body needs. The best part is that you can typically eat more when you eat clean. A plate full of fruit for dessert is less caloric and fattening than a single slice of cake.

It's recommended that you eat five to six small meals a day, but it isn't mandatory. Simply eating clean will be more than enough to aid in your weight loss efforts. Also, keep in mind that while you should strive to primarily eat clean foods, indulging in a dessert or processed food once or twice a week is perfectly fine. You just have to remember to eat these foods in moderation.

About Exercising

We are what we eat. Truly, changing your diet will have more of an effect on your overall weight and health than any kind of exercise will. At the same time, exercising will speed up your weight loss process and give you added health benefits. You should be doing a combination of eating well and exercising.

As you're getting started with your new lifestyle, try to do some kind of cardiovascular activity for thirty minutes three times a week. Keep in mind that cardiovascular activity alone isn't enough. You need to be doing strength training as well. Most people have the misconception that all they need to be doing to lose weight is to burn calories. In fact, you need to be building muscle not only to shape your body, but also to aid in the calorie burning process. 1 lb. of muscle burns about 25 times more calories than 1 lb. of fat. Begin by doing two days of strength training per week. You can lift free weights or use gym equipment. Try to focus on all major muscle groups in your body. As you build muscle, you'll burn more calories and notice a difference in how your clothes fit.

In a matter of weeks after beginning your clean eating and exercise lifestyle, you'll notice changes in how you look and feel. Just remember that this is a lifestyle change, and take advatange of Fitday's online journal to track your diet and fitness progress. Keep with it and your overall health will improve.

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