Losing Body FAT Versus Body WEIGHT: Do You Understand The Difference?

Losing Body FAT Versus Body WEIGHT: Do You Understand The Difference?

So much focus and attention is placed on the idea of “weight loss” and “losing weight” that most typical beginners seem to lose sight of the actual concrete goal of achieving a lean, defined and healthy body…

Here's a hint...

It's NOT a simple matter of "losing weight".

In fact, let’s go ahead and remove the term “weight loss” from our fitness vocabulary altogether.

Why?

It’s because “losing weight” is NOT what you should be concerned with!

If you’re reading this article right now, then chances are that you’re looking to achieve at least one of the following goals…

1) Improve your appearance to feel more confident, attractive and sexy.
2) Enhance your overall health to increase longevity and quality of living.
3) Boost your energy levels and mood to feel better about yourself on a daily basis.

Surely there are other reasons as well... but for the majority of you out there, these are probably your primary concerns.

Am I right?

If so, it is absolutely critical that you understand the following…

Losing body weight on its own will NOT allow you to achieve these goals. Instead, all of your focus must be placed on changing your body composition.

The reason for this is simple…

Your body is made up of various different “types” of weight, all of which contribute differently to your overall appearance and health.

There are very “heavy” individuals who are in excellent health with lean and impressive bodies... and there are very “light” individuals who are in poor health with soft, flabby and out-of-shape bodies.

Your overall body weight is made up of various different components, such as body fat, muscle tissue, water and glycogen. The haphazard approach of simply aiming to “lose weight” is incredibly misguided as it does not take these specific types of body weight into account.

In order to achieve your goal of a lean, energetic and healthy body, your goal is to get rid of the excessive amounts of “bad” body weight while maintaining as much “good” body weight as you can.

To put it simply, the underlying goal of your entire program is as follows…

Burn off body fat while maintaining lean muscle mass.

This is truly the only way to get into the shape you desire and to set yourself up for permanent, positive long-term results.

Stop obsessing about the number on the scale!

Instead, start worrying about gradually dropping your body fat percentage while holding on to your lean muscle mass.

There are three primary reasons why you should focus on this...

First of all... one very important factor that determines your body’s basal metabolic rate (the number of calories you burn at rest) is the amount of lean muscle tissue you have on your body. The more muscle you have, the faster your fat burning metabolism operates.

Secondly... maintaining a reasonable level of muscular development will allow you to achieve the shapely and athletic appearance that the majority of you are probably striving for.

A low body fat percentage may be the ultimate goal, but without a decent amount of muscle mass your body will simply take on a small and smooth form without those “cuts” and “lines” that are considered so desirable.

Finally... those who simply place themselves on “crash diets” and attempt to drop large amounts of body weight over short periods of time are inevitably doomed to fail. Such an approach places the body into a starved state and actually programs you to store more fat over the long run.

The body will react to severe calorie deficits by slowing down the metabolism in an attempt to conserve energy, wasting away lean muscle mass, and increasing the production of hormones that inhibit fat loss.

The end result is an unhealthy, out of shape body that, while being temporarily “lighter” than it was before, has now been programmed to store fat and will inevitably end up returning back to its original weight and more.

The way to avoid all of the negative effects listed above is simple...

Structure your “weight loss” approach in such a way that you aim to gradually reduce your body fat levels while keeping your lean muscle tissue levels in tact.

This is the ONLY realistic way to burn fat, keep it off over the long run, and achieve the kind of lean and athletic appearance that you strive for.

Forget about this obsession with trying to lower the number on the scale as fast as possible, as it is only one small piece of a much larger and more important puzzle.

To equip yourself with the rest of the pieces to that puzzle, go ahead and visit www.SixPackAbSolution.com. You can gain instant download access to my renowned body makeover program, "The Real Deal Six Pack Ab Sculpting System."

By Sean Nalewanyj
Fat Loss Expert & Best-Selling Fitness Author
www.SixPackAbSolution.com

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About The Author

Once an awkward, out-of-shape "social outcast", Sean Nalewanyj is now a renowned fat loss and muscle building expert, best-selling fitness author, and creator of the wildly popular online belly fat loss program: "The Real Deal Six Pack Ab Sculpting System". Learn how to get six pack abs and burn fat quickly, safely and permanently by visiting: www.SixPackAbSolution.com.

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12 Sinful Foods To Avoid While Dieting

If you're dieting, either to get ready for a competition or just to shed a few pounds, then you need to know about these 12 common foods that are actually slowing down your progress. Although most of these are nutritious, they are not your best bets for ripping your midsection or shedding the maximal amount of body fat.

Pasta: While virtually a fat-free food, the 40 grams of carbs per cup can easily push your daily carb intake to a level that can prevent you from leaning out or losing weight. Try mixing a half cup of fiber rich vegetables with a half cup of whole grain pasta which helps keep the carb levels lower and allows you to feel fuller with the extra fiber that whole grains and vegetables provide.

White Rice: White rice is extremely refined and is rated as a high glycemic carbohydrate which fairly rapidly breaks down into glucose. High glycemic carbs stimulate the appetite, thus making you more hungry. Switch to brown or basmati rice which is a low glycemic carb and as with pasta, mix with high fiber vegetables to cut back on calories and fill you up more.

Bagels: A single small bagel yields approximately 40 grams of carbs and a large one can yield up to 75 grams. Though bagels are low in fat, their high carb content is something to consider when you are trying to limit carbs. For alternatives, try rye bread and oatmeal bread which are both the lowest glycemic breads, which means they stay with you longer and don't leave you feeling hungry.

Rice Cakes: While rice cakes are low in calories, they are very high on the glycemic index and do not fill you up or leave you feeling satisfied. They are like any other snack food and it can be hard to stop at just a few and it is very easy to eat the whole bag. Exercising restraint in the volume of food you eat is vital in losing weight. It is best to stay away from these empty calorie snacks and instead eat a snack that is in high fiber and low in calories that will leave you feeling full and satisfied.

Cream of Wheat: Cream of wheat is fast digesting high glycemic carb and shoots in and out the stomach without triggering a feeling of fullness or satiety. Oats, oatmeal, oat bran and cream of rye cereal are much slower digesting alternatives that quell the appetite and provide more sustained energy due to their significantly higher fiber content.

Cold Cereal: Most cold cereals are terrible weight loss foods as they are easy to overeat and provide absolutely no appetite support. Even the high fiber, no sugar cold cereals can pack a lot of carbs per bowl. If you can stick to eating a controlled portion, you'll do better with the high fiber hot cereal such as oatmeal, oat bran, and cream of rye.

Fruit juice: Unlike whole fruit, juices are devoid of fiber and take up little space in the stomach, which leaves you more hungry rather than satisfied. Fiber rich foods help keep the appetite under control, so opt for whole fruit instead of fruit juice. You'll be less hungry while you benefit from a greater fiber, vitamin and mineral content.

Dried Fruit: While you can benefit from an ample amount of whole fruits providing important vitamins, minerals and fiber, dried fruit is simply to dense in carbs and sugar to aid in weight loss or leaning out. At about 65 grams carbs per half cup, dried fruit is very high in calories and can easily be overeaten. Stick to low carb whole fruits such as peaches, plums, strawberries, and cantaloupe.

Ground Turkey: Turkey breast is extremely low in fat and calories, but on the other hand, ground turkey meat is usually a mix of darker meat and turkey skin which boosts the fat content upward of 14 grams per 6 oz serving. Ask the butcher to ground up turkey breast meat for you instead of buying it off the meat shelf.

Ground Beef: Stay away from the ground beef you find in the grocery store because it's much higher in fat than grinding your own select cuts. A single serving can yield as much as 26 grams of fat! Ask your butcher to grind up eye of round, round or flank steak as these are the cuts that are lowest in fat.

Deli Turkey Slices: Though low in fat, many deli-style breasts are filled with sugar and salt. Read labels, check ingredients and look for sliced turkey devoid of added sugar and low in sodium. As a rule of thumb, less expensive sliced turkey yields more sugar and salt than the pricey versions.

Alcohol: Alcohol is a sugar and has no nutritional value. It should be avoided at all costs when you are dieting. If you must consume, a small amount ( a small glass) of red wine daily is okay, but you must remember that it is calories and needs to be included in your daily calorie allowance.

Eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals will keep your appetite under control and leave you feeling full and satisfied while consuming less calories. Stop sabotaging your weight loss diet and hard work in the gym and eliminate all unnecessary foods that only provide empty calories and no nutritional content. As your body becomes accustomed to a high fiber diet, you will no longer crave the high glycemic carbs and you will begin to lose weight by following a sensible weight loss exercise program and diet.