Tina:

In my opinion obsessively counting calories is boring, unnecessary and the first step in developing of major eating disorder.

I can honestly say that of the hundreds of pounds I've helped people lose I've never counted a single calorie.

The key to getting in shape lies in teaching you're body how to burn fat more efficiently not restricting it of proper nutrition.

What most people don't understand is there are no magic exercises, miracle foods or special supplements that will whip you're body into shape in a couple of short weeks.

Instead it's a combination of scientifically proven rules and guidelines that work together to keep you burning fat like a woodstove on a cold winter night.

Here are a few of the most important techniques I use to accomplish this goal.

Eat several small meals a day. I once mentioned in a previous article that Japanese Sumo wrestlers- the world's fattest athletes- figured out long ago how to gain extreme amounts of weight in short periods of time. All they had to do was eat 2 very large meals a day convincing their bodies that food was in short supply and their metabolism slowed to a snails pace.

To boost you're metabolism resist the urge to gorge yourself with infrequent large meals and strap the food bag on 5-6 times a day and you'll get the opposite results as the infamous sumo wrestlers. You're metabolism will increase and you're body will burn fat at a much faster rate.

Include weight training in you're fitness program. It's a scientific fact that weight training will raise you're metabolism more than cardio. T the average weight lifter burns 30-50 more calories a day even on days they don't go to the gym. It doesn't take a mathematician to figure out that weight training makes good sense if burning fat is you're ultimate goal.

Drink plenty of water. Failure to drink enough water can cause a host of problems including low energy levels, decreased performance, injury and strength loss. Dehydration can also cause you to retain more fluid in order to compensate causing you to feel bloated. More importantly water is a key ingredient in fat loss and without drinking enough you'll never reach your fat burning potential.

Pick the most effective cardio. To get in shape you will need to include some type of cardiovascular training, why not chose the ones that burn the most calories. Any activity that forces you're whole body to work at the same time is optimal because it will obviously burn more calories. My favorites are the elliptical, arch trainer, treadmill, row machine, jump rope and jogging outdoors.

Substitute good carbs for bad ones. All carbohydrates are not equal. In fact some promote weight gain by spiking insulin levels. Substitute whole milk, white rice, white bread and sugary drinks with skim milk, brown rice, 100% whole wheat bread and water.

Do cardio after weight training. Studies have proven that doing cardio directly after weight training burns significantly more fat than doing cardio before you weight train.

In my opinion the quickest way to sabotage you're fitness plan is to become a dreaded calorie counter. Instead learn to incorporate rules and guidelines that are scientifically proven to help you burn more fat.

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