Who wants to reach their goal extremely slow and easy?  Most people will take the “easy” part but forget this whole idea of slow.  I imagine, if I could show you a way to lose 20 lbs over the next 7 days, I’d probably be very wealthy.  It’s the holy grail of weight that everyone is looking for: a fast weight loss diet.

It’s probably a lot smarter to look at percent body fat rather than weight, when you’re setting your goals.  If you’re on a quick weight loss diet plan and you don’t accompany it with some sort of fitness program, it’s not going to be quick.  But, the factor which seems to confuse people is the whole idea of gaining muscle while losing fat.  If you’re doing it right, your size and percent fat will drop rapidly, but your actual weight may not.

A pound of muscle is a lot more dense than a pound of fat.  That means, if you lose one pound of fat and replace it with one pound of muscle, you’re going to be smaller.  It’s a matter of human physiology that can’t really be argued.

Knowing all this is one thing, but figuring out the quickest weight to reach your goals is another.  Bottom line, you need to burn more calories than you’re consuming.  It’s like a mantra for me.  I just won’t let people be fooled any more by these wild weight loss claims.  Burn more, consume less.  It’s really that simple.

So, what’s the best way to burn more?  Engage in some sort of cardio exercise to not only burn off calories as you’re doing it, but also kick-start your metabolism which will help you through the rest of the day. But, don’t stop with the cardio alone.  If you don’t add in some sort of resistance training or weight training, you’re going to not gain muscle.  Building muscle will help raise your metabolic rate which helps you burn more calories all day long, even while you’re resting.

So, piece this all together and you know you have to consume less calories with a healthy diet.  Burn more calories with some aggressive cardio exercises and then add some muscle with some sort of resistance training.

This isn’t the stuff you’re going to see promised on late night TV but it is something you can count on actually working.  If having a fabulous body was fast and easy, we’d all have one.  It takes time, dedication and hard work.  Anything worth having, does.

We will look at the top cardio machines for weight loss. They are superior to the others because of their effectiveness and ease of use. When you exercise for weight loss, make sure that you pick one of those for cardio and that you also do weight training. The weight training will help you burn calories even in your sleep. Let’s look at those cardio machines now:

Top cardio machines for weight loss

• 1. Elliptical cross trainer – The eliptical cross trainer saves you time while being super effective thanks to its cross trainer arms that enable the machine to exercise your upper and lower body at the same time. It is also very low impact so it won’t cause too much pressure to the joints. For that reasons is sit my number one favorite cardio machine.
• 2. Treadmill – The treadmill is suited for all fitness levels as you can walk, jog, run and sprint on it. It burns a lot of calories especially if you up the incline.
• 3. Exercise bike – The exercise bike is one of the only cardio machines where you can sit on your behind and burn calories. And if our increase the level, it will give you a nice burn on your thighs – making it a very effective cardio machine.
• 4. Ski- machines – A ski machine is a lot of fun because it stimulates the exact movement of skiing. The ski machines usually have downhill and cross country functionalities
• 5. Stair climbers – Stair climbers is excellent for burning off calories while firming up your behind. And if you increase the level of the stepper machine, you will get a nice burn.

No matter which machine (or two) you choose, you will get a very effective and fun cardio workout that will help you to lose weight. The method that helps you burn the most calories is with interval training. Increase the pace and the level minute for minute until you reach an intense effort. From there on, go and decrease the pace and the level and repeat.

An increasing number of diet advertisements use claims of extreme weight loss to attract new customers or members. There is such a thing as losing weight too fast. You should never be in a hurry to lose a lot of extra pounds fast. If you are losing weight very quickly it is quite possible you are not losing the kind of weight that you really want to get rid of. Here I will tell you why it’s better to take your time and lose weight a little at a time as well as the effects of extreme weight loss.

When weight is dropped very quickly the ratio of body fat compared to other tissues being metabolized becomes lower. It is possible to lose up to 20 pounds of body weight per week. The down side to that, however, is that most of the weight being lost is water. Also, during times when weight is being lost quickly muscle tissue is also used for some of the fuel. The average ratio for body fat being lost compared to protein is one pound of muscle for every three pounds of fat. Losing weight too quickly may make the ratio of muscle tissue being lost even higher.

The amount of body fat that can be lost safely is about 3 – 4 pounds per week (if obesity is a factor), or 1 – 1.5 pounds per week (for the average 140lb woman). The loss of water may result in even more pounds being lost, however, and the water weight you lose is the most likely to come back. Losing weight very quickly also will not give the skin time to adjust and may result in the skin looking looser. Gall stones may also become a factor. Another unfortunate thing about rapid weight loss is that the weight is usually gained back on after the goal is reached because new, healthier habits have not been incorporated.

The Health and Fitness Connection suggests that you view extreme and rapid weight loss methods with caution, always seek medical advice in these cases and monitor your progress constantly.