How to Lose Weight Without a Low Calorie Diet

In a previous hub I mentioned that a low calorie diet can sabotage your efforts to shed fat. In this hub, I want to give you a few ideas that you can do to effectively lose fat without going on a low calorie diet or starvation diet. You will see better results and have a better mindset when trying to burn fat. The goal will be to speed up your metabolism so that you become a more effective fat burning machine.

Muscle is your fat burning friend.  You need to at least maintain the muscle that you already have and preferably you need to add muscle to your frame. Now some females reading this may say that you don't want bulging muscles.  That is good because you are not going to be able to get them.  If it were that easy I would have bulging muscles.  Building muscle doesn't mean you are going to look like a bodybuilder.  You need steroids for that look.  Muscle is essential because the more you have the more energy your body consumes.  To say it another way the more muscle that you have the more calories you will burn. 

In order to accomplish this you need to be using some form of resistance training.  That means entering a weight room or at minimum doing a number of body weight exercises such as push ups, pull ups, squats, dips, handstand push ups and the like.  Make sure that you include resistance training into your workout schedule.  If all you have done in the past is get on a treadmill or elliptical machine then you need to alter your time spend in the gym.

I would not recommend cutting any more than 500 calories per day from your normal diet.  As mentioned in the hub referenced above any more than this could sabotage your efforts.  Keep the calorie deficits small and try to create more of a deficit through an increased activity level rather than through a decreased food intake.  Spend more time in the gym.  Exercise more days each week.  Exercise for longer than 15 minutes at a time.  However, keep in mind that if you are used to eating 3 candy bars each day and drinking 4 cans of pop each day then
you can cut that out right away and it may provide you with a sizeable calorie deficit.  If your calorie deficit is coming from junk food then by all means cut away.  However, make sure that you are getting adequate nutrients into your body to enable it to function properly and so that it doesn't feel as if it is being starved.  You should never take your calorie intake below you minimum calorie requirements.

Diets by their very definition refer to a period of time where you alter your eating habits to try to obtain a desired weight loss or fat loss.  However, diets indicate that at some point in time in the future that you will no longer eat the same way.  This is the main reason behind what is called "Yo yo dieting."  People go on a diet and lose weight.  Then they go off the diet and gain weight.  This process is repeated over and over again.  Their weight goes up and down like a yo yo. 

What you need to do is develop a habit.  Develop a habit of eating correctly and sensibly and you will never have to diet.  It might be an adjustment at first but they say that if you do anything for about 30 days or so that you will develop a habit.  So give yourself 30 days to develop a good habit of proper eating.  Cut out the junk food and sugary drinks.  Eat quality proteins and veggies.  Cut down on your carbohydrate intake.  Eat healthy and you won't have to ever diet again.

One of the biggest barriers that people have when trying to lose weight is that they set goals that are unreachable.  The see some ridiculous TV commercial and they think that they can lose 30 pounds in a month.  I hate to burst your bubble but for most of your that will never happen.  Instead of looking for unrealistic weight loss set yourself a goal of attempting to lose 1 or 2 pounds per week.  And don't step on the scale each and every day.  Even while losing weight, your body weight will fluctuate.  Only weight yourself once or twice each week.  Set up a weigh in day and stick to it but stay away from the scale on other days. 

Eat balanced meals at least three times per day.  Don't skip any meals.  Don't skip breakfast.  I know that is the meal that many think they can do without.  Skipping meals may cause your body to adjust for the lack of fuel and slow down your metabolism.  We definitely don't want that to occur.  If anything, eat more frequently.  You will just have to eat smaller meals each time.