By far the biggest question on everyones minds is: how do I lose weight?  Here are some quick tips that will get you started right away.

Weight Loss Tip #1  - Use Whey Protein…

This is one of those things that is highly misunderstood.  Whey protein is not just something for bodybuilders looking to get “huge” though it most definitely is essential in that process as well.  The truth is, whey protein is your #1 diet weapon that you may not have even known existed.

Whey Protein Benefits:

-Whey Protein is not stored as fat as easily as carbohydrates.
-Whey Protein helps repair muscle.
-Whey Protein helps strengthen your immune system.
-Whey Protein helps shorten recovery time between exercise sessions.
-Whey Protein decreases your hunger between meals.
-Whey Protein helps build new muscle…

Men: did you know if you gain 10 pounds of muscle, you will burn an extra 3500 calories per week?
To burn that many calories doing cardio, you’d have to run for an hour each day of the week!

Women: did you know that you probably will NEVER gain 10 lbs of muscle no matter how much protein you eat?  Furthermore, you will NOT look bulky.  This is my promise to you.  If you lift heavy weights and eat a ton of protein for YEARS you MAY be able to put on a few lbs of muscle.  The long short of it is that women are simply not programmed to add muscle mass, testosterone is the catalyst for muscle mass gain and women have very little.  Not only that but lets say you COULD put on 10 lbs of muscle and dropped 20 lbs of fat.  The worst that is going to happen is that you will look like a fitness model.  Not so bad eh?  The women bodybuilders you have seen are taking anabolic steroids, its really that simple.

Weight Loss Tips for Whey Protein:

Why whey protein is best:
Each type of protein has a specific biological value. The higher the value, the better it works. Whey protein has the highest biological value (bv) of any protein (104). Beef has a bv of (80) and soy protein with a bv of (74). That means whey protein is 23% more effective than beef and 29% more effective than soy protein at helping you body build lean muscle!

The best times to use whey protein are:

-Early morning when you wake up (your body wakes up in “starvation” mode)
-Between meals for a snack.
-1/2 hour prior to weight training or cardio workout.
-Immediately following intense exercise to help repair muscle.

Weight Loss Tip #2 - Eat more often…

The goal here is to boost your metabolism, you need to feed your body frequently. Try to get between 5-6 well balanced meals each day. Shoot for 3-4 small meals with regular food (small portions) and 1-2 protein drinks or meal replacements.  I highly suggest getting yourself a Magic Bullitt blender.  We here at FTT all use it because it makes it SO easy to make meal replacement shakes.

When you supply your body with constant nourishment you are turning on your own internal furnace. Most people make the mistake of eating only two or three big meals during the day and that’s a huge mistake.  This puts your body back and forth between being starved and overstuffed.

Change your dinner menu often. Most people can eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch but get bored with their dinner menu. Mix up your dinner menu and never eat the same meal two nights in a row.

When your body doesn’t get the nutrients and fuel it needs (protein, carbohydrates, fat, water and minerals) at short regular intervals , it goes into self defense mode. And will try to hoard everything fat and carbohydrates for energy, until it gets a fresh supply the next time you eat.

Think of hoarding as your bodies built in self defense mechanism. If you didn’t know where your next meal was coming from, wouldn’t you save some later? I know I would!

When you feed your body what it wants - when it wants it - you are going to be amazed at what starts to happen. Your energy levels will go up, your workouts will be more effective and your body fat will go down - sometimes dramatically.

Weight Loss Tip #3 -  Drink More Water…

I know, I know we have all heard growing up “drink more water” “drink more water” until we are bored to death of hearing it, but its TRUE.  The benefits include:

-Water supresses your appettite
-Water regulates body temperature
-Water helps transport nutrients (what do you think your blood plasma is mostly made up of?)
-Water dissolves vitamins and minerals
-Water helps detoxify the kidneys and liver
-Water will increase your energy levels

Make the smart decision. Drink at least 80 oz. of water every day. Carry a water bottle with you.  Try it for one day and tell me if you don’t feel better….though I probably won’t believe you.  Unless of course you are complaining about trips to the bathroom.

Weight Loss Tip #4 - Do Cardio AND Lift Heavy Weights

“Do cardio and lift weights.”  I know it seems simple…. “exercise” but the truth is that the combination of these two things is so potent it will increase fat loss more than double either alone.  Why is this?  Lifting heavy weights increases your metabolism for a full 24 hours.  Cardio burns calories right now.  Think of it like like a 1-2 punch against fat.  Yes I am talking to you women as well.  I want to reiterate that you will NOT be getting bulky by lifting heavy weights.  We men, who are geared to gain muscle have to lift HARD with VERY HEAVY weights for YEARS to gain just a handfull of muscle.  Men: don’t get discouraged.  If you have only been lifting, then with cardio you will see fat loss that has been avoiding you.  If you have only been doing cardio you will see gains in muscle definition almost immediately.  Its great for everyone.

These are just a few easy tips to get you started.  Stay tuned for more advanced tips in the future with some nitty gritty specifics on everything.