Lose Fat but be Careful to Keep the Muscle

Many people go on diets to lose weight, then after they lose a little, they hit a plateau and stop losing...sound familiar?

The reason for this is because on calorie restricted diets the body burns fat cells and muscle cells.Since muscle fuels our metabolism, once we lose some of our muscle mass, our metabolism slows down. When it does, we stop losing weight.Ugh!

It is important to find something PROVEN to work time and time again to keep ourselves healthy.Shaklee's Cinch Inch Loss Program is terrific. I have used it every time I need to drop inches.The reason it works so well every time, is simply this...The science behind it. Shaklee fuels Olympic athletes.They have helped elite athletes earn over 80 medals in the Olympic games. When an athlete trains it is important to keep muscle mass. When Shaklee's Sports Nutrition Line was created,it was done so to help the athletes retain muscle mass.
Later, when the Cinch weight-loss program was being developed (by doctors, scientists and nutritionists) they had an idea to see if the same ingredients that retained muscle in elite athletes could help dieters hold on to muscle while burning fat only. It did! In clinical studies every participant that used the Cinch program lost weight, but held on to 100% of their muscle mass! 


Here is a great video clip that explains how it works. http://images.shaklee.com/video/show.php?video=Healthy-Weight


They also have a great forum of on-line support with meal plans, recipes and buddy systems for those that a partner who is going through it at the same time

Add Cinch to some common sense rules to fat loss and you will be a healthier, slimmer, fat burning machine. 

The 5 Rules of Fat Loss

1. Don't eat so much

In other words, if you're eating a typical diet, you're probably eating a bit too much food to lose fat. That's right, the food you eat that isn't used by your body for energy and re-building gets stored as fat. Simple stuff, but it's often overlooked. That's because most of us have no idea how much food we really eat.

We all need to become aware of how much food we are eating. Seems like a small step, but it makes a big difference.

Here's a simple way to do that: Grab a notebook and write down everything you eat for the next three days. After those three days you'll have a rough idea of how much food you normally eat.

Then all you have to do is replace your any simple carbs (things that are white or processed) with complex carbs. Choose breads with five grams of fiber instead of those with just one or two.  


Fill your plate with large amounts of energy promoting, oxygen rich veggies as your star attraction. Trim back portions of meat and Voila. Same amount of food, instant calorie-reduction, no stress.

2. Eat healthy food

Depending on who you ask, "healthy" food can mean different things. But there is one universal truth: More nutrients with fewer calories is a recipe for success.

In general, the best foods are lean meats, vegetables, high-quality fats, and maybe a small amount of starches, depending on your carbohydrate tolerance. The best part about these foods? They're also fairly low in calories compared to processed stuff.

But what's all that look like on a plate? Just check out this graphic:


A simpler way to eat.

Meals directly after a workout:

What about plant-based eaters? We've got them covered too

A plant based approach to eating.

3. Move more often

We've seen some remarkable fat-loss progress in clients who simply moved more often.

Taking the stairs, going for a morning bike ride, or walking to lunch instead of driving may seem like small steps, but they make a big impact on how your body feels and how many calories you burn.

Of course, this isn't all you need to become a cover model, but it does kick-start the fat loss process. It also supports rules number four and five.

4. Do strength training a few times per week

To look and feel better and speed up the rate of fat loss, you need to do muscle-preserving exercises like weight-training or bodyweight workouts. They don't need to be too intense, and they certainly don't have to take a long time.

The best thing you can do is start slowly and visit the gym two or three times per week. Perform a small circuit of full-body exercises like squats, lunges, rows, and presses. It all takes about 45 minutes.

5. Do intervals (aka "Cardio")

If strength training was your muscle-preserving exercise, intervals are your calorie-burning activity. Doing short bursts of work followed by longer periods of recovery helps your body burn a tremendous amount of calories.

To start, all you have to do is get on an exercise bike, treadmill, or other cardio equipment and try the following:

30 second burst of fast pedaling or running
60 second recovery of slow pedaling or jogging

That's one round. Go back and forth between the "intense burst" and "recovery" and repeat that for a total of six rounds.

Or go walking for 40 minutes after a meal.

It's all about your daily practices.

Your behavior. Your habits. What you do every day. The decisions you make -- both consciously and unconsciously. But how do you change a habit?

Here are a few healthy habits to get into to aid weight  loss:.

Take fish oil and a multivitamin. Use Shaklee's Cinch Weight Loss Shakles with Leutein. Leutein has been clinically shown to help the body hold on  to lean muscle while losing only fat.

Eat slowly. Work out at least three days per week. Stop eating at 80% full. Eat fewer carbs. Eat veggies and protein with every meal. Cinch protein snack bars help provide heart healthy protein while sustaining blood sugars.  Practice de-stressing by deep breathing or yoga stretches.

All you need to do is take the first step and we can help you with the rest. 

Visit: www.cinchplan.com/healthysteps for info and meal plans