In general, increasing your physical activity will help you burn calories and keep your metabolism up. However, if you want to maximize your efforts so that you’re burning fat and calories as much as possible, you can take a few simple steps. First, incorporate cardiovascular exercise into your routine at least 3 times a week. Try to make your sessions last at least 30 minutes, because it can take up to 20 minutes before your body starts burning fat (versus carbohydrate) for energy. If you can’t fit in a 30-minute session, the next best goal would be to aim for at least three 10-minute sessions.

Another step you can take is to incorporate weight-bearing exercises (i.e. hand weights, squats, lunges, etc.). Maintaining and building muscle will help you burn more calories, even at rest. A good goal would be to include two 30-minute, weight-bearing exercise sessions twice a week.

Other simple steps to take include standing instead of sitting, whenever possible. Also, getting ample sleep is important to maintaining your energy levels for daily activity. Finally, look for support to help you stay motivated and on track with your goals.

Try applying these steps to your exercise efforts. It can maximize your fat and calorie burning potential, so you can see improved weight loss results!

Wanting a “new body” is often a motivating factor in wanting to lose weight. However, body image can be a complicated issue. Looking good and feeling good can certainly go hand in hand. However, being overly critical about your physical features can set you up for failure. You may find yourself trying to confirm your negative self-criticism; instead of focusing on positive aspects of improving your body. Therefore, it is important that you make a realistic assessment of physical features, and of nonphysical attributes as well.

When assessing yourself, look at every physical feature (i.e. your hair, eyes, fingers, smile, etc.). Ask yourself which features are attractive, and which are not. You may benefit from consulting a good friend because you can exaggerate what you do not like. Some experts even suggest having a friend outline your body by laying on piece of paper on the floor, and tracing it. Experts feel that some people view their proportions differently on paper than in a mirror.

Try to take note of what your standards are. Are you comparing yourself to images of 20 or 30 year olds? Are you comparing yourself to your age group? If you’re not, you may need to work on accepting that your body image will change as you age. This can help you adjust your goals to more realistic standards.

Note your positive physical features and your negative in two lists. Next, think about your non-physical attributes. These could be personality traits such as honesty, kindness, and integrity. You should find that your positive features outweigh your negative ones. Try to keep that fact in mind whenever you start thinking negatively.

The negative attitude that accompanies harsh, self-criticism; typically ends up being counterproductive. If you find yourself being too self-critical, try working on changing your body image to a positive one. A positive image can have a strong, positive effect on your weight loss results.