Eat Less and Exercise More: Is this the Wrong Advice for Losing Weight?

I'm about to share with you the most important weight loss strategy that will literally make or break your success. This is the #1 one fat loss tip I could ever give you.

If you don't get this right, you can kiss your fat loss results goodbye. This is the one absolute requirement for weight loss, and it's something you've probably heard of before. However, there's one critical distinction about this familiar advice that you might not have considered - and this one thing makes all the difference in the world…

Let me quote Melvin Williams, PhD, professor emeritus of exercise science at Old Dominion University and author of the textbook Nutrition for Health, Fitness and Sport (McGraw Hill):

"Human energy systems are governed by the same laws of physics that rule all energy transformations. No substantial evidence is available to disprove the caloric theory. It is still the physical basis for bodyweight control."

There are a variety of diet programs and weight loss "gurus" who claim that calories don't count. They insist that if you eat certain foods or avoid certain foods, that's all you have to do to lose weight. Dozens, maybe hundreds of such diets exist, with certain "magic foods" put up on a pedestal or certain "evil fat-storing foods" banished into the forbidden foods zone.

Other weight loss "experts" invoke the insulin/carbohydrate hypothesis which claims that carbs drive insulin which drives body fat. That's akin to saying "Carbs are the reason for the obesity crisis today, not excess calories."

They are all mistaken.

Of course, there IS more to nutrition than calories in vs calories out. Food quality and nutrition content matters for good health. In addition, your food choices can affect your energy intake. We could even point the finger at an excess of refined starches and grains, sugar and soft drinks (carbs!) as major contributing factors to the surplus calories that lead to obesity.

However, that brings us back to excess calories as the pivotal point in the chain of causation, not carbs. A caloric deficit is a required condition for weight loss - even if you opt for the low carb approach - and that's where your focus should go - on the deficit.

Now, here's that critical distinction…

You've heard it said, "exercise more and eat less" a million times. However, saying "focus on the calorie deficit" is NOT the same thing. If you don't understand the difference, you could end up spinning your wheels for years.

You could exercise more, but if you compensate by eating more, you cancel your deficit.

You could eat less, but if you compensate by moving less, again you cancel your deficit.

This type of compensation can happen unconsciously, which leads to confusion about why you're not losing weight or why you're gaining. That often leads you to make excuses or blame the wrong thing… anything but the calories.

Therefore, "focus on the calorie deficit" more accurately states the most important key to weight loss than "exercise more and eat less." Make sure you understand this distinction and then follow this advice.

Last but not least, keep in mind that there are a lot of ways to establish a deficit and many of those ways are really dumb. Eating nothing but grapefruits, cabbage, twinkies… but in a deficit?… Dumb! But guess what? There are grapefruit diets, cabbage diets and yes, even Twinkie diets - and they're all popular.

The bottom line is that a calorie deficit is required for fat loss, but once your deficit is established, the composition of your hypo-caloric diet DOES matter. That's why any good fat loss program starts with "calories in vs calories out" but doesn't stop there - you also need to look at protein, essential fats, macronutrients, micronutrients, food quality and how the diet you choose fits into your lifestyle.

Don't let the simplicity of this idea fool you. This is the #1 key to your successful weight loss now and in the future: Focus on the deficit!

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Tom Venuto is a natural (steroid-free) bodybuilder, fat loss expert and author of the best seller, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle: Fat Burning Secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Get a FREE fat loss mini-course and learn how to get rid of stubborn fat naturally by visiting http://www.BurnTheFat.com

12 Diet Facts and 12 Diet Tips for Losing Weight Quickly

Would you like to lose weight fast?

Following these diet tips are a good first step on the way to saying goodbye to 10 pounds of unwanted fat. Just pay attention to what you eat and be sure to have good tasting, fresh and healthy food including snacks, fill up on vegetables and keep your taste buds happy with fruit. Just follow these weight loss diet tips that you can use daily, with ease. Help to create your bodies' own fat burning furnace. Be sure to practice a healthy lifestyle and introduce consistency into your diet & fitness program to lose weight quickly and to make the fat loss permanent. No need to make sacrifices! Just follow these simple guidelines and diet tips.

1. For a tasty low fat mayonnaise spread, try mixing one teaspoon of Dijon mustard or Satay sauce with a low fat yoghurt to taste. Diet tip 1: Keep a note of everything that you eat and drink. You do not need to estimate calories. Just write down what it was that you had and the approximate quantity. You will find that being more aware of what you are eating helps you to plan healthy meals and snacks.

2. Don't miss out on meals. Trying to cut calories by excluding a meal actually works against you because your body's metabolism will decelerate to compensate and start to conserve energy. Eating smaller amounts more regularly can increase your metabolism.

Diet Tip 2: Halve your intake of all pure or added fats. This means using half as much butter or spread on your bread, toast, muffins and potatoes; half the usual amount of mayonnaise or sauce on your salad; and half the oil in the frying pan every time.

3. Include a lower fat source of protein at most meals: chicken, fish, beans, cottage cheese, or low fat yogurt. Have eggs, nuts and red meat occasionally but not every day.

Diet Tip 3: Using vegetables such as capsicum and zucchini and stuffing them with flavoured fillings or minced up white meat, chicken, fish etc is a healthy low fat alternative.

4. Plan at least one lunch and dinner every week without meat or cheese. Build those meals around whole grains, vegetables and beans to increase fiber and reduce fat.

Diet Tip 4: Pita bread wraps are great for salad fillings

5. The most beneficial time to exercise is about 8 hours after getting up. A at this time of day, the body's metabolism starts to decelerate. So, take a half-hour of exercise before you have dinner this will increase your metabolism enabling you to burn fat for up to 3 hours after your work out is over.

Diet Tip 5: It is better to exercise than not at all.

6. Include at least two servings of vegetables at lunch and dinner. If you are getting hungry, have more.

Diet Tip 6: You can put extra iron in your diet by adding some alfalfa or mug beans to your regular meals.

7. Grated carrot makes a great snack. You will find that a grated carrot is much more filling than a whole carrot. Take time out to learn about nutrition, what foods are good for you and what foods you should keep away from

Diet Tip 7: Get creative with some healthy recipes.

8. When cooking leave out as much salt and sugar as possible. Look for healthy alternatives, such as using low fat yoghurt instead of cream. Use whole grains wherever possible. The fiber will give you a fuller feeling and also help your digestion.

Diet Tips 8: Replace salt with other herbs and spices to taste.

9. If you are serious about start a weigh loss program consult your doctor before you start. You must assure yourself that there is no medical reason that might stop you actively trying to lose weight.

Diet Tip 9: Metabolic enhancers - such as chilli - they help turn your body into a fat burning furnace

10. Choose food that you can chew. Again this will increase your fiber intake, and the act of chewing will make you feel more satisfied too. This means eating fruit instead of drinking juice. If you have soup, make sure it is chunky.

Diet Tip 10: Eat slower and make sure you chew longer and never rush a meal.

11. Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time. Plan your shopping too - make a list of what you need and stick to it. If you just grab something when you are feeling hungry, you will probably choose high calorie food.

Diet Tip 11: Eat little and often - have healthy snacks - it is better to eat several times instead of only one or two meals a day.

12. Do not eat in front of the TV. Studies have proved that we eat larger portions in front of the TV, probably because we are much less aware of what we are eating.

Diet Tip 12: Don't eat anything if it is less than 3 hours before you go to bed. Get into the habit of eating healthily and lose weight quickly.

These are just some of the things you can do, with ease, to help you get into losing weight quickly. 12 Diet facts and 12 diet Tips to help you discover how to lose pounds. You will feel satisfied and more energetic than in the past without feeling deprived of food. Go Here and discover how to lose weight quickly.

Stephen J Skyvington-Diplock has been active on the web for a number of years. He currently he has a number of websites on the web marketing various products in various niche markets. You can reach him at skydco@tiscali.co.uk.

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