Green Tea, Coffee

How they work: Caffeine helps speed up your heart rate. The faster your heart beats, the more calories you burn. EGCG works in a similar way, but instead of revving up your heart, it causes your brain and nervous system to run more quickly-again helping you burn more calories.

In studies, researchers found that a combination of caffeine and a 90-mg dose of EGCG taken three times a day can help you burn an extra 80 calories a day. And that’s just when your body’s at rest. A study conducted by the Canadian government found that soldiers who consumed caffeine in the 12 hours prior to a physical-fitness test not only were able to work out longer before becoming exhausted, but also consumed more oxygen while working out. The body’s oxygen requirements are directly related to the speed of-guess what-your metabolism, so the more oxygen you use, the more calories you burn during your workout.

Lean Beef, Pork, Chicken, Turkey

How it works: It takes more energy for your body to digest the protein in meat than it does for it to digest carbohydrates or fat, according to Doug Kalman, R.D., director of nutrition at Miami Research Associates, a nationally recognized pharmaceutical-research facility. “That means that the more protein you eat, the harder your body has to work to digest it, and the more calories you’ll burn in the process,” he says. more…

There is more to weight training than just lifting the weights.  Some people lift on a consistent basis but still don’t see the results that they want to achieve.  Some look worse than when they started.  One reason could be that the person lifting weights is not in the zone.  The Zone Tone method shows you how to get maximum results from your weight training.

Learning proper form when lifting weights is important.  For one thing, lack of form can cause injury.  Swinging the weights is not safe or correct.  Lifting heavy weights to build larger muscles is a common misconception.  Weights that are too heavy can also injure you.

Proper technique is also important when lifting weights.  Using weight machines when you are just starting out doesn’t encourage proper technique.  The machine does most of the work for you which doesn’t teach you form.  Free weights give you the opportunity to learn how the exercises are done. more…