How to Tone Muscle and Lose Weight!

OK so it's pretty much a well-known fact that obesity is now a widespread disease: The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention report that nearly three out of every four men are either overweight or obese, and 50% of men don't engage in vigorous physical activity. <br /> <br />Unfortunately, as if the consequences of these statistics weren't bad enough, what's worse is that children can be affected by them. A recent study published by the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behaviour reports that children are easily influenced by their fathers food choices; mainly referring to how often they eat fast and processed foods, which can then in turn cause potential weight problems in the children. <br /> <br />The following fitness and diet tips can help motivate you to stay active and to fuel your body with the right diet plan. <br /> <br />Fitness routines - Keep them Varied for Motivation <br /> <br />Many fitness experts and medical professionals, such as Arnold Lee MD, physician at One Medical Group in San Francisco believe that varying exercise activities helps motivation stay strong. "There are numerous benefits to mixing up your workout routine". He states. "It's the key to stimulating different muscle groups and preventing boredom." <br /> <br />Your body can easily get used to same physical activities if done repetitively enough. Alternating activities and exercise routines keeps the body guessing with the result being that more calories have to be burned as it has to adapt. <br /> <br />Don't go it Alone <br /> <br />Getting a fitness partner is a great way of keeping you motivated to stick with your diet plan and exercise routine. Your exercise buddy can help you stay focused as well as supporting and motivating you while exercising, as well as providing an element of competition - especially if you are of similar abilities... <br /> <br />Always Read Nutrition Labels <br /> <br />Whole, natural and where appropriate, raw foods should always be chosen over processed or pre-packaged ones, but if you are going to have a commercially pre-made or processed meal or food product, always read the label. <br /> <br />It's important to do so to avoid sabotaging your healthy eating plan -as not only do processed foods contain unhealthy ingredients much of the time, (trans fats, preservatives) but they also contain numerous servings in one package - sometimes three to four - so it's very easy to overeat. <br /> <br />Cooking - Keep it Clean and Lean <br /> <br />When preparing meals at home, bake, grill, steam or lightly sauté. These cleaner (using less trans fats) cooking methods are healthier than breading and deep-frying. The use of healthy fats such as olive or coconut oil rather than butter will help keep the cholesterol levels down. Another great tip is to be creative with spices and herbs - they will help to keep meals more interesting and appetizing. <br /> <br />Eating - Keep It Vibrant and Exciting <br /> <br />The last thing you want is for your healthy eating plan to go astray because of diet boredom. Just like you'd try different ways to cook and prepare meals, try eating different foods and using unusual ingredients. <br /> <br />To add to your lean protein and low-fat dairy options, there are loads of different exotic fruits, vegetables and other products available in supermarkets and food stores these days, and more than enough cookbooks and recipes online to give you new ideas to try. <br /> <br />Limiting yourself to a similar range of foods, even if they are healthy, is not only a risk for diet dullness, but may also restrict your body from getting certain essential vitamins and minerals. <br /> <br />Size Matters <br /> <br />While on the subject of food, eat healthy and eat well, but watch the portion sizes. It's very easy to dish up large portion sizes - especially if that's what you were used to. Some good tips are to get smaller plates and to eat more slowly, chewing your food a lot more than usual - up to 12 times - so you get to feel full without eating as much food. <br /> <br />You can weigh the portions out and count calories according to the diet you are following, but a good rule of thumb is to eat a portion of protein no larger than the palm of your hand - and some simple carbs (veg and salad) of the same amount. <br /> <br />Strength Training is A Must <br /> <br />Including strength (resistance) training into your fitness programme is a great way to add variety to exercising as well as building calorie-burning muscle. There are many other benefits too: <br /> <br />Increased body metabolism <br /> <br />Improved bone strength and density <br /> <br />Body toning <br /> <br />Increased lean body mass <br /> <br />Better balance and co-ordination <br /> <br />Strength training core muscles improves your balance for better overall athletic performance, and reduces the risk of injuries and common aches like backache. You don't need to use weights to do strength training - you can use bodyweight exercises, exercise bands - or even exercise in water.