Losing Body Fat -The Essential Steps to Getting Rid of Those Unwanted Pounds

Losing weight and reducing body fat is an easy process in theory. In fact, in theory it can be summed up in one sentence:

Calories in minus calories out equals an increase or decrease in body weight.

Of course, you have to figure out how many calories you should be taking in to lose weight, and where you stand on the exercise frequency and intensity scale; but with accurate calorie calculators available on the web, this is a quick process.

Then you will need to figure out how many calories are in the food you eat each day, what the optimum exercise routine is for losing fat, and it wouldn't hurt to see a professional to have accurate body fat analysis done. Whew, maybe it isn't so simple after all.

Although it can seem complicated, getting a lean and muscular body is as more a product of perseverance and hard work than anything else. So let's break down some essential steps to a lean body.

Before we do, keep this in mind: First, losing fat, or reducing body fat percentage, is an all over body process. Abdominal fat cannot be 'targeted' unless you're a surgeon.

Second, the weight didn't get there overnight, and it won't disappear overnight. So persevere for a long time. Quick fixes are fun, as long as you also stick to a lifelong plan of exercise and healthy eating habits.

Essential Steps:

1. Exercise

This is the most essential step, and of course the obvious one. Yes, you know you need to exercise, but maybe you can't stand being in the gym. Maybe you love it but live too far from one to make regular trips practical. But all exercise counts towards your weight loss, and the priority is regular activity; that's regular, not regimented.

Remember when you were a kid? With few exceptions, we would run, bike, jump and play until we were exhausted as children. We didn't have a strict schedule or list of exercises we needed to execute, we just did as much as we could, and we did it every day we could.

As we get older, not only do our bodies make it harder to be this active, but our lifestyles usually do too. While you can't stop aging, your efforts can help you retain or regain as much of your youth as possible. So exercise everyday, try regular combinations of the following:

-Walk/jog/run: These activities are basic to human movement, and the intensity can be increased to build muscle, increase short term endurance (anaerobic) and increase speed. At the least, they make you feel great, burn calories and improve cardiovascular health when done 3-5 times a week. Tip: Always do this in a place where the environment appeals to you, whether this is the mall or a snow-covered peak.

-Bicycling: This activity can take the form of cycling on a road bike a la Tour de France, mountain biking, bmx biking or even laid back recumbent cycling. Having a bike handy is a great way to get out and enjoy the world and it's great exercise.

-Do Gymnastics: Gymnastics encompass everything from floor-based strength and endurance building calisthenics, to supporting the whole body on rings or parallel bars. This is a great activity to build strength, muscle,  muscular endurance and flexibility. 

-Play Sports: Playing sports on a regular basis is fun and a great workout. If you train outside of the sport, it is also a great place to showcase your training. Be sure to combine this with regular warm-ups, stretching and joint mobility exercises.

These are just a few idea, but anything will work if done consistently. Gardening, martial arts and water-based activities like surfing or paddleboarding could easily be substituted. Find something you like to do and do it frequently.

Diet

Along with exercise, what you eat either sabotages or assists in your fat loss efforts. The word diet tends to infer that this is something temporary, but for permanent weight loss, an eating lifestyle change may be necessary. Here are some tips from the experts regarding nutrition:

-Cut out all enriched pasta, bread, pastries, and refined sugars. Replace them with whole grain breads, pasta, etc. and...

-Reduce the overall amount of carbohydrates consumed from these foods and replace them with vegetables (first choice) and fruits (second.)

-Eat lean meats or replace them with alternative protein sources like soy products.

-Drink plenty of water, and make this your beverage of choice.