Yeah, we've all heard about how to achieve fast weight loss. "Exercise for as little as 8 minutes a day and lose 20 pounds in 4 weeks!". Claims like this have been around for many years. You buy this junky gizmo and get incredible results for only $19.95! Or, you buy this $2000 piece of cardio equipment and the weight will melt off! Let's be real here. Do you really think losing weight is this easy? If it were, everyone would be in great shape and the obesity epidemic would be nill. Sure, some of this stuff will work, but results will be limited.

The real question with popular home gym equipment is how well are they built. They certainly aren't as durable as the commercial equipment at your local gym. What a lot of these companies bank on is the fact that you'll use it for 8 weeks or less and then turn it into a coat hanger.

Sorry, I got a little off topic. Back to the nitty gritty. Fast weight loss does not come by a small level of commitment, taking a pill, or using only a specific piece of equipment. It's a factor of lots of hard work, discipline, a correct nutrition strategy, and possibly some form of supplementation.

There, I said it. No, I'm not going to tell you it's easy and will come with little time and effort. This seems to be the "American Way" with everything we do in life. Unfortunately, very few results will come by following any fast weight loss strategy. I've mentioned the following before, but feel they may need to be reviewed once more.

Fat Loss Program Needs

1. Weight Training - This is probably the most important area of concern besides nutrition. If you understand anything about the human body, you'll know that efficiency is of utmost importance. This is the "survival mechanism" and applies heavily to weight loss efforts.

For example, let's say you've started on a restricted calorie diet. This tells the body to use it's energy stores (fat) and minimize energy usage (muscle). Without weight training, the body will degrade muscle tissue because of it's high energy cost. In turn, this will slow the metabolism down and cause results to eventually plateau. Lost muscle mass, GASP!

2. Nutrition - Definitely, the most important aspect of a fat loss program. If you consume too much food, it's gonna take a whole lot of exercise to lose weight. I'm talking a 24/7 affair with small improvements made. So, it makes sense to reduce/control caloric intake.

This can be accomplished through popular nutrition strategies such as Adkins, The Zone, South Beach, Low Fat High Carb, etc. Understand, however, that fast weight loss will not and should not take place. The goal should be around 1-4 pounds per week depending upon body composition and body weight. Any more than that and chances are you're losing muscle and plenty of body water.

My personal belief is that quality of food needs to be addressed first. This means minimizing processed foods and returning to more natural sources. Following this, I've found that the overweight population doesn't do well with carbohydrates. This is especially true as the day wears on. Nutritionist's call this "nutrient timing".

The body is better able to utilize carbohydrates early on in the day when testosterone levels are highest. As the day progresses, levels diminish and carbohydrates are more easily stored as fat. In individuals with higher body fat, this window is even smaller. UGH!

3. ESD - This is also a very important area that needs to be addressed. For fat loss, energy must be consumed through activity. Unfortunately, in this technological age, this cannot be accomplished through ADL's or Activities of Daily Living. We work jobs where sitting dominates and automobiles provide any and all transportation. Many also rely on steady-state cardiovascular methods while I tend to believe that relying on higher intensity activities, such as sprinting and intervals, will produce faster results.

4. Supplementation - Supplements tend to be relied upon too heavily when embarking on such a goal. They are just what the name states, a supplement to your diet program. In other words, having a crappy diet with tons of supplements will get you nowhere!

Some supplements I recommend and have been found by research to help with the effort include: fish oil, post workout shakes, a multivitamin, and possibly a stimulant of some kind.

I hope you don't get drawn in by the fast weight loss gimmicks and realize it's going to take time and energy to get where you want to be. Go join a gym and get to work!

Paul Yost is the Owner/Operator of Paramount Fitness Training, a fitness company based in Houston, TX. He also works as a Strength and Conditioning Coach in professional baseball. Find more about his services and information at: http://www.personaltrainersinhoustontexas.com

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