Are you trying to lose fat? If you are, then you already know that it's not the easiest thing you've ever tried to do. Losing weight is a relatively simple affair. But to be successful at fat loss you have to combine at least three different things: proper nutrition, cardio exercise and weight training. Why weight training? Because the secret to subtracting fat is adding lean muscle to your frame.

Why is muscle essential for losing fat? Because more muscle increases your metabolism. It doesn't matter if you're exercising or watching TV. Muscle uses more energy than fat. So if you increase the amount of muscle on your body, you automatically accelerate the fat burning process. Plus, adding muscle mass tends to make you healthier overall.

What about nutrition? Does getting rid of fat mean committing to a difficult diet? Actually, diets should be fun and easy. They should be fun because they are bringing you closer to your goal. They should be easy so you can stick with them. There's no reason to try impossible diets that are restrictive or based on junk science. The best diet for dropping fat is to increase fiber, increase protein and lower the glycemic index.

What's the best exercise for losing fat? First of all, getting any exercise at all will help. What you need to accomplish is creating a calorie deficit without putting the brakes on your metabolism. If you just stop eating, you may trigger a starvation response. Your body will compensate by storing fat more efficiently. This is precisely what you don't want. Exercise, on the other hand, will tell your body that you need to build muscle. It will also encourage the storage of carbohydrate energy in glycogen for easy access, instead of putting it in fat stores.

If you're serious about fat loss, you must learn how to keep your metabolism up, especially if you're eating less. Increasing your metabolism and keeping it going even when you aren't exercising are the real secrets to losing fat.