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Weight Loss Exercise

Does Conjugated Linoleic Acid Work?

Conjugated linoleic acid is a natural substance found in many of our foods that according to many studies can reduce fat and improve muscle mass in the body. Taken as a supplement with no change in eating or exercise habits, it would not make you lose weight but it could help you lose fat. It is often taken by men looking to lose weight and bodybuild at the same time, but it can also be useful for anyone who is overweight and under-exercising, as any increase in muscle will increase the metabolism, burning more calories.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid

Like many natural weight loss products, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) combined with a flexible healthy eating plan can lead to gradual long term weight loss and help you get out of the yoyo dieting cycle where you are constantly losing and gaining the same 10, 20 or 50 pounds. Yoyo dieting is very bad for the health. It is better to remain overweight than to keep on losing and gaining, losing and gaining.

CLA SupplementsMost experts (unless they are trying to sell you something) agree that the diet that works best in the long term is the non-diet, where instead of eating special foods and banning others, you eat slightly smaller quantities of a normal healthy diet. If you are currently living entirely on pizza, fries and chocolate, then okay, some changes may be overdue. But you can still have small portions of all of those foods from time to time. If this is the kind of diet that you want, then CLA can help reinforce your plan by boosting your fat loss. Dr Michael Pariza of University of Wisconsin-Madison, reported to the American Chemical Society that CLA “doesn’t make a big fat cell get little. What it rather does is keep a little fat cell from getting big.”

Many studies have been done on CLA. One study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that people taking CLA lost on average six pounds of body fat more than a group that took a placebo. The researchers discovered that you need around 3.4 grams of CLA per day for it to be effective. CLA is found in food, especially meat and dairy products, but supplementation is necessary for most people to reach that level.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid Studies

Another study at Purdue University, Indiana, found that CLA improved insulin levels in about two-thirds of diabetics, and slightly decreased their blood glucose level and triglyceride levels, suggesting that it may help to maintain normal insulin levels. But see your doctor before taking any supplements if you have diabetes.

There are no magic pills for weight loss but if you are willing to commit to reducing your body fat permanently, CLA may help you. Keep in mind that its main effect is to convert fat to muscle, which by itself will not weigh any less. But your body will look slimmer and feel healthier if you do this, and combined with a good weight control eating plan conjugated linoleic acid can help you move toward your ideal weight too.

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Weight Loss Exercise

How Fast Should You See Results When Trying To Lose Weight?


Losing weight is no walk in the park. You probably already know that it is a difficult process, one that requires willpower, patience, and determination. We all know that we need to weight, but we all want to see results yesterday! The main question people have when they first set out on a weight loss journey is ‘How long is this going to take?â? The answer to that is complicated, to say the least.

How Your Metabolism Plays a Part in Results

Your metabolism is the key determinant in how fast you see results when you try to lose weight. Some people have faster metabolisms than others; men generally have faster metabolisms than women. Similarly, younger people tend to have faster metabolisms than older people, and more muscular people have faster metabolisms than their less muscular counterparts.

Therefore, your individual metabolism is what decides how fast the weight slips off. This is also the reason why you should not compare how fast you lose weight to other people. They may have a faster or slower metabolism than yours, so what works for them may not work for you (yes, that super skinny friend of yours who swallows down meals in large quantities but never gains weight probably has a much faster metabolism than yours).

Is There Nothing You Can Do?

running-beachWell, don’t lose all hope if the pounds seem to be slipping off you at the rate of a snail trying to run 100 yards. There are several things you can do to keep your metabolism running much more efficiently (read: faster).

Firstly, it’s important to avoid diets that restrict your calories too much, as this will slow down your metabolism in the long run. Also, exercise regularly and incorporate strength training into your workouts so that you can increase muscle mass, which will rev up your metabolism as well. Keep your body guessing by constantly mixing up your workouts and mealtimes, so that your metabolic fire will be running at full speed all the time.

So, don’t worry about how fast you can see results. Just focus on your weight loss efforts and see to it that you are dieting and exercising effectively. If you do everything right, you should see some progress over time.

Note that it’s healthy to lose around one or two pounds a week on a proper weight loss program, though you may lose much more initially if you have a lot of weight to lose. Also, if you only have a little bit of weight to lose, it will be much harder to see results, but don’t give up. Keep at it and you’ll see the results you want sooner or later.


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Weight Loss Exercise

How to Keep A Food Journal


Though exercise and weight training are very important factors for increasing your fitness and losing weight, you absolutely cannot outwork a bad diet. Your body needs certain nutrients to thrive, and it needs them in the right quantities to create the physique you want. A food journal can help you to understand exactly what’s going into your body, leaving you better equipped to plan your workouts and calorie goals.

When you write down everything you’re eating each day, you automatically become a lot more mindful about food. It’s easy to snack away on junk all day without really thinking about it, but when it comes time to write down every single thing you’ve eaten you might be shocked! This alone is motivation enough for many people to lose weight.

What To Track In Your Food Journal

Food Journal

How to Track your eating in a Food Journal

If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s important that your food journal shows that you created a calorie deficit for the day – that is, that you ate fewer calories than those you burned off through exercise. If you’re trying to build muscle, on the other hand, you’ll need to eat extra calories. Although you might think you can track this mentally, a journal is far more effective.

If you’re into bodybuilding then you’ll also want to keep track of your macronutrients throughout the day. When working out your bodybuilding aims, you’ll know how many proteins, fats and carbohydrates you should eat each day. A journal will ensure you’re keeping on track. If you’ve made progress, or are suffering from a lack of progress, then you can even look back through your food journal to try and find out why.

So, on a most basic level you should include the name of the food, the size of the portion and the number of calories it contained. You can also include details of protein, carbs and fats, and you can make use of a digital kitchen scale or a smartphone app if you want to note down more detailed stats.

If you’re an emotional eater then you can also use the food journal as a place to note down how you feel when you eat certain foods. This will leave you more connected to your emotions and in a much better position to understand the triggers that cause you to eat more than you should.

Yes, a food journal does take effort. However, if you start a new weight loss or diet goal without keeping track of your progress, the chances are strong that you’ll just give up without really trying.


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