Tips on Losing Weight & Body Toning

While many people have a strong desire to lose weight, their desire to tone while they lose these unwanted pounds is just as strong. Both can be done simultaneously and can be beneficial to your health and weight loss efforts; as you tone, you build muscle which helps burn fat. For those who are just beginning, you simply need to be pointed in the right direction in order to achieve your goals.

Calculate Your Calories

• Calories are your starting point, and until you determine how many you need to consume in a day for weight loss to occur, you will be stuck in the same excess weight rut you have been in. A variety of factors determine the number of calories you should be consuming, including your gender and activity level.

  According to commercial weight loss guru Anne Collins, women who are inactive should consume between 1,100 to 1,300 calories per day. Active women need to increase their caloric consumption to meet their energy needs, and should consume at least 1,400 to 1,600 calories per day. To lose weight, multiply your current weight by 12, then deduct 500 from your answer; this will yield a weight loss of 1 lb. a week.

  Anne Collins also states that men require more calories than women, even those who are inactive. Sedentary men generally require between 1,600 to 1,800 calories per day, while active men require between 1,800 and 2,000 calories. Men, for you to lose one pound per week, it is necessary to multiply your current weight by 14, then deduct 500 from your answer.

  These numbers are approximate--to receive calculations geared specifically toward you, visit your doctor or nutritionist.

Eat Frequently

• While many people have been programmed to eat three large meals a day, you will notice that eating five or six smaller meals a day is more beneficial to both your weight loss and exercise efforts. Doing this keeps your energy levels high and helps burn more fat. The more frequently you eat, the harder your body has to work to digest the food. This increases your metabolism.

  You should space your meals and snacks two to three hours apart and make nutritious choices. Eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible, along with a protein source at each meal. Whole grain carbohydrates are better for you than refined, or simple, carbs. However, you should try to eat your last portion of carbs no later than 3 or 4 p.m.

Begin Exercising

• Changing your eating habits is a step in the right direction, but it will not result in long-term weight loss or help to tone your body. This is why exercise is so vital.

  If you are just beginning, it is better to begin slow and work yourself up to a pace you feel comfortable with. To burn belly fat, cardio or aerobic exercise such as walking, biking, jogging or swimming are all good options for you. Your ultimate goal should be to do 45 to 60 minutes a day, four to five days per week. However, you need to listen to your body; if you find you can only walk for 30 minutes, it's a start. Work yourself up by adding five or 10 minutes each week. Once you feel comfortable with this form of exercise, you can begin adding toning exercises.

Begin Toning

• Toning your body means working and tightening your muscles. As you remain consistent with your schedule, the areas of your body that used to contain flab may slowly become taught again. However, this depends entirely on your body composition, skin elasticity and number of years you have not exercised.

  For your stomach, exercises such as crunches, pelvic tilts and oblique twists all help create tears in your muscles. As these tears heal, your muscles become stronger and more toned. The same is true for your buttocks and thighs when you perform lunges and squats. As for your arms, you can use light hand weights and perform bicep curls and tricep push-backs.

  Any toning exercises should be performed three days a week on alternating days. It is important to give your muscles a day of rest in between workouts; these are the days when the healing takes place and the tightening begins.