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Negative Calorie Programming
by Michael Stefano

Ever wonder how some people manage to go through life without too much concern over what they eat? And somehow, they never gain an ounce. Meanwhile, you count calories, sacrifice, but wind up on the same sinking ship to obesity. Are you somehow different from the lucky, lanky few, and is there anything you can do to become one of them?

JUST DO THE MATH
Once all is said and done, weight loss and/or weight gain (collectively known as weight management) are controlled by one simple ratio, calories in versus calories out. For every 3500 calories consumed above calories burned, add one pound. If your daily caloric expenditure is greater than or equal to your daily intake, you'll never gain an ounce.

There are plenty of diet programs out there, such as eDiets and Weight Watchers, to help reduce caloric intake. My personal preference is the simple, yet effective Food Guide Pyramid approach. The pyramid is easy to learn, ensures a well balanced diet, and is extremely user-friendly, as it is easy to adapt to any lifestyle.

But what about raising caloric expenditure? When a moderate caloric restriction is combined with exercise, the process of weight loss goes into overdrive. No longer are you relying on deprivation alone to lose weight. You can become one of those lucky individuals that, in the past, you've looked at in disbelief.

BURN MORE CALORIES 3 WAYS
Increased activity leads to a bigger calorie burn in three ways. Calories are burned in direct proportion to any specific activity. For example, jogging uses up over 800 calories an hour, while mowing the lawn burns about 400.

Secondly, in the twenty-fours hours following vigorous exercise, scientists estimate that your body will cycle into a nutritional deficit, leading to a 25 percent greater caloric burn.

Lastly, and maybe most importantly, you will permanently raise your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) with the right type and frequency of exercise.

RMR is the amount of calories your body requires at rest, and is responsible for at least 70 percent of overall calories burned (even in very active people). Just a small increase in lean body mass (muscle) will have a dramatic impact on your RMR - forever!

That's right, every minute, of every hour, of every day, your body will burn more calories, even while you sleep. All of my DesignONLINE programs tend to have a huge impact on RMR, and when combined with moderate changes in daily eating patterns, you'll experience permanent, long lasting weight loss.



Captain Mike's DesignONLINE Custom Program includes many of the tools you'll need to get started, including a 3-phase fitness plan, weight management guidlines, workout journal, food diary, healthy recipes and more. For more information on Mike's program, please click here.