Tips for losing weight

[Yrrek]

Example: I've heard that caffeine allows your body to lose weight more easily (this is the lay-man explanation, in case you didn't notice :P), so a cup of strong coffee an hour before working out is recommended. Then I heard that caffeine has the opposite effect. (I read these things in Norwegian articles, so I can't really show you who said what, but both sides of the debate are well-respected and both seem to know what they're talking about.)

Personally, I do not like caffeinated drinks. From what I have read, and according to my doctor, caffeine isn't bad, but it isn't good, either. Fun fact: Apples are more efficient at waking your body up and giving you energy than caffeine! =)

Another example is water. Some say drink much, some say drink very little, and some say the ideal is to drink water in moderate amounts.

The more water you drink the better. Most people are dehydrated, and mistake thirst for hunger, which is why America, for example, has some stupidly high percentage of overweight people. It is almost impossible to drink too much water. You want to drink a lot of water because: 1) It cleans out your body 2) When you sweat you are dehydrating yourself, and if you are working out you will most likely be sweating 3) Water tastes good.

How often should one exercise a week? My doctor told me 3 hours a week, which amounts to 2-3 work-outs, but my friends and I are planning to work out 4-5 times a week. Is that overkill? I've heard you should have a day of rest between each work-out. Is this also recommended, or just utter nonsense?

Ideally I would like to exercise an hour each day. For building strength, do your core lifts one day (bench press, incline press, and squats), and your supplemental lifts the next day alternating each day. Supplemental lifts including, but not limited to: bicep curls, tricep extensions, leg curls/extensions, shoulder press etc. Each day 30+ minutes of cardio, such as jogging, stair climber (I love the stair climber!), aerobics, jump rope and many others.

To burn fat, do more cardio and use less weight while lifting, but do more repetitions.

Obviously, now that I've started working out, I want to do it as efficiently as possible, without hurting myself or ruining my motivation. Do you have any experience on this topic? Do you have any helpful hints or tips for a someone who's just starting out? I take vitamins every day. Are there any other supplements I can/should take to lose weight faster? I'm not interested in anything illegal or dangerous (steroids or the like), but are protein shakes helpful at all? I'm not stupid, I won't be eating any "healthy chocolate bars" which promise immediate weight loss, but I've heard from several people it helps to be rich on protein when you work out, and that chicken and tuna should play a large role in my diet. Seeing as tuna tastes like crap, I'll have to stick with chicken.

As to what you should eat, consult your doctor for the most accurate diet for your body and needs. It is true that protein factors into building muscle, but you do not really need to take extra protein pills or shakes unless you plan on becoming a professional body builder. Just eat regular food, with plenty of fruits and vegetables and a LOT of water. Ideally you should eat 5 times each day. Small portions each time, but concentrating on fruits and vegetables. Also it is better not to eat or exercise within two hours of going to sleep.

Hope this helps! =)