by Russ Yeager from Fitness Together, 07/01/07

Bathing suit season is officially here and everyone is looking for the answer to toning up and looking great. While there are no “magic pills” that will give you the perfect body, you can make great progress towards the physique you want by following some simple tips.

Follow these 10 “laws” of fat loss and you are guaranteed a leaner physique. Think about it; not too many things in life are guaranteed. Often times we have to put a lot of work into something without knowing whether our effort will pay off in the end. This is just part of life, but with fat loss we know we will be successful as long as we have a solid plan in place and as long as we stick to that plan. The sticking to it is usually the part we have the most trouble with. You may even already be familiar with some of these laws. If that is the case then now it is just a matter of bringing it all together and DOING IT!

1) Create a Calorie Deficit - You must create a slight calorie deficit in order to lose body fat. The off of your nutrition plan and consume too many calories.

2) Smaller Meals - You must feed your body smaller meals every 2-3 hours throughout the day. Eating this way compared to the normal 3 meals a day increases your metabolic rate significantly. It also prevents you from ever getting too hungry, which is when you are most likely to go off of your nutrition plan and consume too many calories.

3) Protein, Carbs and “Good” Fat - Every one of your small meals throughout the day should contain a source of high quality protein, fibrous carbohydrates (think green veggies!), and “good” fat. High quality meal replacements are a great way to supplement several of your meals during the day.

4) Water, Water, Water - Drink enough water every single day. Having adequate water enables your body to function properly, including its ability to burn fat. Water also flushes toxins and impurities from the body.

5) Exercise! - Always incorporate weight training and cardiovascular exercise into your fat loss nutrition plan.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this series coming in the next Peachtree Corners edition of BeanPool.

Russ Yeager is the owner and operator of Fitness Together – Norcross, a one-on-one personal training studio that focuses on personalized attention and results. For more information on Fitness Together personalized fitness programs call (770) 409-0553 or visit www.ftnorcross.com.