Health, Weightloss and Diet Information

One of the big obstacles to keeping up with a solid fitness routine for many people is work. Having to work extra hours often means cutting out the time at the gym, the evening walk or whatever exercise you try to work in on a regular basis.

Sometimes you do just have to accept that a fitness routine isn’t going to work for the moment. However, most of the time you can find a way to work fitness into your lifestyle.

Are you still taking lunch breaks? If not, get back into the habit! Failing to eat lunch will make you less productive, and if you get a sandwich or something you can eat as you walk, you can get a bit of exercise time right then. It may not be your usual routine, but it will help reenergize you so that you can work effectively again, as well as helping you to maintain a level of fitness.

You should also take a look at what that busy schedule is doing to your eating habits. It probably makes you eat out more, and eat fewer healthy foods.

If you make the effort you can avoid that pitfall. Keep trying to bring lunch to work rather than hitting the fast food joints or quick restaurants. Learn to use a crockpot so you don’t have to worry about being too tired to cook dinner in the evenings. Try making extras when you do cook so that you can have homemade meals sitting in the freezer, ready for those evenings where the energy to cook just isn’t there.

Some people find that hiring a housekeeper can help as well. It allows you to stop thinking about cleaning the house, so you can exercise with one less thing to get done.

However, another solution would be to do the housework rather energetically. Put a little extra motion into the cleaning. It will probably be more fun and burn more calories.

Cutting back at work is often not a possible solution. But if you have the flexibility you can step out for a walk or a short run to a nearby gym and then return to work. This won’t be possible at all jobs, but if it will work for you, why not give it a try? A good workout can really energize you.

There’s really little need to let life get in the way of a fit lifestyle. Most especially you don’t need to let it get in the way for very long. When those times come that you just can’t fit a good workout in, make sure to get back into the habit as soon as possible. Read the rest of this entry »

The decision to get fit is a great goal to set for yourself, but it can be hard knowing where to start. A Fitness Trainer can assist you by discussing what you want to accomplish from your efforts. Some people want to lose weight, some what to tone their body, and others want to build their muscles. There are specific exercise programs that a Fitness Trainer can recommend to help you in the area you choose to work on. They can also show you the correct way to do each of the exercises so that you get the maximum benefit from your workout.

It’s much easier to find the right fitness trainer than you think. If you belong to a fitness center or gym, ask about a personal Fitness Trainer program. For those of you who want to work out on your own or who don’t have a gym in your area, you will have to search a little bit harder for a Fitness Trainer. Ask your doctor, friends, and family members if they can recommend anyone to you. The internet is a great place to locate any in your area as well as give you some basic information on what a Fitness Trainer can do for you.

Fitness trainers are going to vary in their methods. You will want to talk openly with a Fitness Trainer regarding their philosophy, training, and consulting methods. You will also want to discuss their educational background and certification as a Fitness Trainer. Of course, the cost of their service is going to be an important factor to discuss as well.

Ask them why they became a Fitness Trainer. Ask for references who you can contact regarding their experiences with the Fitness Trainer. Since you are going to be exercising in your free time, you are going to have to discuss a schedule that works well for both of you. Make sure you share your fitness fears with the personal trainer and see how they react. They should also be made aware of your fitness level and any health concerns that are going to need to be considered while getting fit.

After talking, you should feel comfortable with the Fitness Trainer. If you don’t feel like you are compatible then keep looking. You need the time and money you spend with a Fitness Trainer to be well spent, not stressful. Trust your instincts when it comes to being around this particular individual. It is a good idea to talk with at least three potential Fitness Trainers before you make a final decision based on what each has to offer you.

Getting fit is easier when you have the expertise of a Fitness Trainer behind you. They are great for motivating you as well as giving you personal attention to meet your fitness goals. Make sure the Fitness Trainer you choose to work with has your best interests in mind as you work together to devise a challenging yet rewarding fitness program that are going to give you the results you having been hoping for. Read the rest of this entry »

The standard prescription for improving cardiovascular fitness is submaximal aerobic exercise. The concept that long duration cardio is best for your heart continues despite research indicating shorter, more intense exercise sessions may be more effective. Weight training, which is a high intensity activity, is the new kid on the heart healthy block.

Weight training can favorably modify several risk factors for heart disease including lipids and cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose metabolism and body fat. It does so by decreasing blood pressure and heart rate while lifting.

Even though the reductions in blood pressure are small they can still reduce your chance for heart disease and stroke. Individuals who regularly participate in a moderate resistance training program usually experience about a 2% decrease in resting systolic blood pressure (the pressure when the heart is beating) and a 4% decrease in diastolic blood pressure (the pressure when the heart is resting between beats).

You don’t have to lift like a super hero to improve your heart health. The American Heart Association Advisory calls for a single set of 8-15 repetitions, using 8-10 exercises, 2-3 times per week. The blood pressure decreases are similar whether doing conventional lifting or circuit training.

Weight training leads to reductions in body fat and increases in lean muscle mass. Excess body fat is a strong risk factor for heart disease. An increase in muscle mass leads to an increase in metabolic rate which aids in fat loss.

Resistance training also creates a force on the muscle which pulls on the bone. This stimulus increases bone density, reducing the chance of developing osteoporosis.

Weight training is safe for healthy adults and low risk cardiac patients. Individuals with high blood pressure, angina, valvular disease, irregular heartbeats or other moderate to serious cardiovascular disease should not do traditional resistance training.

Now that you know you don’t have to spend an hour on your favorite cardio machine every day add some variety. Newer exercise prescriptions recommend a combination of aerobic and resistance training to improve cardiovascular conditioning. Adding weight training to your exercise program creates strong bones, strong muscles and a healthy heart. Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve all heard the simple diet formula that you can lose weight by understanding your metabolism.

“Take in fewer calories than you use and you’ll lose weight.” “Take in more and you’ll gain it.”

It’s a simplified view of a very complex subject, your metabolism. I’d like to take a moment and help you understand what your metabolism really is, and how it works.

Metabolism exists out of 3 major components:

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

BMR is the energy expended when you are lying at complete rest, in the morning, after sleep. Think of it as being pretty close to just sitting there and watching television.

You’re probably thinking that BMR has to be a small piece of the puzzle, but it’s not. BMR is by far the largest piece of the metabolic pie, accounting for 60 to 70 percent of total calories expended each day.

How is that possible? While you’re sitting there, just a few of the many metabolic jobs occurring under the BMR umbrella are lung function, immune response, blood circulation, and tissue repair.

Three-quarters of variability in BMR is predicted by lean body mass. This includes bones and organs, which we can’t change, and muscles, which we can. But as we get older, the challenge to build or even just maintain our current muscle mass becomes more difficult.

Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)

A second major component of your metabolism is one that most people have never heard of: TEF, the caloric “handling cost” of digesting, using, and storing food energy. Depending on your genes and dietary preferences, TEF can range from 10 to 15 percent of total daily metabolism. The next time you swallow a 1,000-calorie meal, in other words, you can console yourself with the fact that your body is actually netting only 850 to 900.

It takes a lot of metabolic work to convert raw food into forms of energy our bodies can actually use. In a simplified overview, the process begins when the digestive system breaks down nourishment into its constituent building blocks. Complex carbohydrates are reduced to simple sugars, fats to fatty acids, and proteins to amino acids.

Physical Activity

Your metabolism’s third major component, and it’s most variable, is physical activity. This includes planned exercise, as well as the voluntary and unconscious movements we perform in the course of our day. Generally speaking, activity of any sort makes up 15 to 30 percent of your metabolism.

There are, of course, exceptions. Manual laborers, as well as people that exercise frequently, can see their percentages skyrocket. Take Lance Armstrong and his fellow Tour de France riders, who have been shown to burn as many as 9,000 calories per day throughout the 3-week race. If you do the math that means they can burn almost 189,000 calories in that timeframe.

So now that you understand what your metabolism is, how can you work with it?

You can start by exercising, specifically weight lifting. Adding muscle to your body will raise your BMR.

Then focus on your diet. Every time you eat something ask yourself “How hard does my body have to work to digest this?” Think 1 carrot vs. 1 breadstick.

Finally, move around. Instead of taking the elevator one flight down, take the stairs. Instead of circling the parking lot for twenty minutes looking for a close spot, park in the back and walk the extra distance. Your goal is to try and burn as many calories as you can everyday.

Other things to consider.

1) Don’t MISS meals

Your body responds by slowing your metabolism in order to hold on to existing energy stores. What’s more, if the food shortage continues, you’ll begin burning fat and muscle tissue, which will further lower your metabolic rate.

Instead of eating less, eat better and exercise more.

2) Just Say No

It’s one of the ironies of antidepressants: They can boost a person’s spirits while depressing his metabolism. This can also be the case with many other medications. So if you’re taking something and gaining weight, ask your doctor about a possible switch.

Just please don’t blame the prescription for making you eat the double-cheeseburger and larger fries.

3) Quitting Smoking.

Smoking is horrible for every part of you except your metabolism, which it tends to increase. This is probably a good result from a bad habit. The likely reason: Your body is forced to expend extra energy trying to detoxify itself from the chemicals. Unfortunately, this is a big part of why people gain weight after quitting. To help offset the metabolic dip, exercise and chew a combination of Nicorette and Jolt gums. Research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who chewed nicotine gum (2 milligrams) spiked with 100 mg caffeine experienced a 10 percent increase in metabolism. Read the rest of this entry »

Each day millions of people asking this question. Omega-3 EFA`S, (essential fatty acids) are DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) essential acids that at one time where known as Vitamin F.

It was discovered that the omega-3s, among their many other health benefits, are powerful anti-inflammatory agents.

Omega-3 oils are the lubricating fluids of your joints, the balancing fluids of your heart, skin and pancreas, the force for the battle against cancers and the fluid to keep the brain tuned.

Omega-3 oils must come from a diet because the body cannot manufacture them.

Omega-3 vegetable sources do exist (Flaxseed, walnuts and rapeseed for example) but the body is invariably unable to convert the omega-3 linolenic acid they supply into the useful DHA and EPA forms. They are less likely to produce real benefits.

The only available sources of Omega-3 DHA and EPA that reduce the levels of potent chemicals are fish oil supplements and oily fish.

But for these healthy truths to happen to your body the Omega-3 oils must reach the parts of your body where they are needed most.

The healing Omega-3 Oils must reach the “LACTEALS”- the lymph vessels that will help carry the life saving oils to your joints, heart, brain and other important parts of your body.

How do you do this?

There is only one way to send Omega-3 oils to the parts of the body where they will be of their peak benefit.

Tom O’Connor, an expert on Omega-3, shares a wealth of information on his website http://www.1st-Omega-3.Com Read the rest of this entry »

So you’ve decided to lose weight the easy way – with a diet food delivery service. Diet delivery is fast becoming one of the most popular ways to lose weight. It’s easy, affordable and convenient. But there are so many services to choose from – which one is best for you?

This article will help you know what to look for when choosing your diet food delivery program so you can choose the best one for your lifestyle.

Key Factors When Choosing A Diet Delivery Service:

- Price

Prices range from $9 to $39.99 a day depending on what level of service and type of program you want.

Higher priced plans are usually gourmet meals, freshly prepared (not frozen) or highly specialized in some way (for example, diabetic-friendly).

Prices also vary based on whether or not you want a full plan (breakfast, lunch and dinner) or just lunch and dinner; and how many days of delivery you want (for example 5 or 7 days). Some meal delivery services quote you price per week or price per month.

Ways To Save – You can often get discounts by ordering by the month versus ordering by the week. Also, you can often get at least one free meal and up to an entire week of meals depending on which diet delivery program you choose.

- Type of Diet Meals

Many services are based on a popular program like the Zone or the Jorge Cruise’s 3 Hour Diet at Home. Others are based on broad meal types like low-carb or diabetic friendly.

Some services will let you choose among different plans like low carb, low calorie, vegetarian or diabetic friendly.

Regardless of diet type, most programs are really based on low calorie, portion controlled meals designed to help you lose approximately 2-3 pounds per week.

- How Many Meals Per Day

In general most diet food delivery services offer you breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some however will only offer lunch and dinner.

Others will offer snacks as an added cost whereas other will offer snacks included. Be sure to factor this into your price comparisons depending on what you want.

- Fresh Vs. Frozen

Some plans offer you fresh food; some offer you frozen food and some offer you both. Frozen meals, in general, are more affordable than fresh.

To many people, frozen vs fresh really doesn’t make a difference. However some people want fresh food made with no preservatives. These services tend to charge a bit more because of the extra work involved.

- Number of Days

While most diet food delivery programs offer a 7 day plan, others also give you the option of a 5 day plan (so you can take the weekend off).

This is a great convenience for those who want their meals delivered to their office during the week. In general you’ll be paying less per week on a 5 day plan, however price per day on these plans is pretty much the same as a 7 day plan.

- Menu Variety

Although it’s hard to get bored with these plans, there are some services that offer better menu variety than others.

For example, one service might offer a 4 week rotating menu. This means the menu changes every 4 weeks.

Other services may let you choose your menu from a larger selection of food allowing you to ensure you’re getting food you love.

Also, if you find you don’t like what’s on the menu, many programs will let you substitute a different meal for a small charge.

- Support

This may not be a feature that you need, however some people do like extra support while losing weight. You might get access to weight loss tools like chat rooms, e-mail support, message boards, dietitian advice, free articles etc.

If weight loss support is important to you, make sure you check out the options before you choose your diet food delivery service.

- Commitment

Some plans do require you to sign a contract for a certain length of time. The most popular time commitment is 1 month which really isn’t asking a lot. After a month you’ll know for sure if the program is right for you.

If a service asks you for a longer commitment than that, be cautious. Some services don’t require you to order 1 month at a time however you’ll probably get a discount if you do.

Conclusion:

Now you know the main features to consider when choosing a diet food delivery service. When you consider these features in light of your preferences and lifestyle, it shouldn’t be hard to decide on the best plan for you! Read the rest of this entry »

The desire to shed a few unwanted pounds is top of mind for many of us. However, weight loss is just plain hard. The thought of starting a diet is often accompanied by anticipation of hunger and strenuous exercise. This is all often overshadowed by a fear of failure. While the natural way to lose weight for the long-term requires commitment, the results are well worth the effort. The good news is that so many others have successfully dropped the extra pounds, and you can too. While this won’t necessarily happen over night, you can make lasting changes. Aside from the very real health benefits of maintaining a reasonable weight, consider your quality of life. Whether rational or not, our physique often contributes to how we feel about ourselves. We all want to feel more energetic, have more confidence around the pool in a swimsuit, and enjoy intimate moments carefree.

Many already know that cutting back caloric intake, eating more natural foods, drinking plenty of water, and starting a basic exercise program are essential to success. However, part of the reason some become discouraged by a lack of initial progress is because real weight loss takes time. This brings us to the role of green tea extract in getting over these initial obstacles.

Asian cultures have enjoyed the benefits of green tea as a beverage for thousands of years. However, only recently have the benefits of green tea as a natural fat burner for weight loss been realized. Green Tea Extract contains a class of flavonoids called catechins. The prevalent catechin is EGCG or epigallocate-chin gallate. This substance, which makes up a significant portion of a green tea leaf, negates the effect of an enzyme that slows down the body’s ability to burn fat. When we eat more than we use, the extra is stored as unwanted fat. Boosting the body’s natural thermogenic process seems to decrease this body fat by improving our ability to utilize these calories. Another effect of increasing the body’s metabolism is that we naturally feel less hungry. Green tea also contains caffeine, which has been shown to enhance metabolism, increases energy, and improve overall mood. This can go a long way toward helping to maintain the motivation essential to sticking with a weight loss program.

In addition to its effectiveness as a natural fat burner for weight loss, green tea is a powerful anti-carcinogenic that can help prevent prostate, lung, and breast cancer. Initially, this was supported by the fact that those in China and Japan have lower occurrences of some cancers. Now, proper studies reveal that EGCG plays an important role in ending the life of these cancer cells. Study participants who drank 8-10 cups of tea per day had a demonstrably lower rate of these cancers than those who only drank 2-3 cups per day.

As an antioxidant, green tea extract has properties that prevent the oxidation of harmful cholesterols. When too much LDL-cholesterol is oxidized, the eventual result is the blockage of arteries with plaque. In this role, green tea is particularly useful in the prevention of and recovery from heart disease.

Every body is different, and even though many others have used this supplement with success, your results may be different. That said, take care in choosing weight loss supplements and only try one at a time – while allowing sufficient time to see results. That way, you’ll be able to determine whether a natural fat burner or appetite suppressant is working for you. While supplements are effective, they cannot replace a healthy diet and regular exercise. It is now up to you. Take back control, and enjoy all the benefits of a new, active lifestyle. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m going to give you some tips on how to get sexy legs. If you’d like to improve the looks of your legs, whether you just need to tone them up or trim them down, these tips should be very helpful to you.

1) Walk more. This may sound simplistic to some, but walking is very good exercise for your legs. Try to take a 30-40 minute walk every day.

2) Take the stairs instead of the elevator. The stairs are usually a little bit faster and great exercise for your legs as well as your glutes.

3) Do some squats every day. Squats are one of the best exercises for your lower body and should be part of everyone’s fitness plan. I’m not talking about heavy barbell squats, just bodyweight squats. If you don’t have any leg injuries, anyone should be able to do them. Try starting at 50 reps (you might be surprised how hard it is to do 50) and work your way up to 100 or more.

4) Toe raises. These are great for toning and building up your calf muscles. Try doing these with your toes on a step so you can get a good stretch. Can you get 50 reps?

5) Sprints. Try running 25 or 50 yard sprints. This is great for fat burning and is great for conditioning your legs. For an extreme workout try uphill sprints!

6) Jump rope. Another great overall exercise especially if your interested in overall weight loss, but this one is great for toning the legs. Try to time yourself and increase your time a little bit each day.

7) This article wouldn’t be complete without a tip on diet and nutrition. The best tip I know is to stick to fresh whole foods and avoid eating processed foods. Also avoid eating to many starches such as white bread, rice, and potatoes. If you stick to fresh meat, vegetables, and fruit you’re probably on the right track. I try to make it a rule of mine to eat 3 apples a day, it’s a nutritious snack and it keeps me from snacking on other things.

I hope you found these tips on how to get sexy legs useful. If you can follow these tips on a daily basis you will be well on your way to your fitness goals! Read the rest of this entry »

Weight loss really does begin in your head. Every successful athlete understands that his thinking process is either working for him or against him. The same holds true with weight loss. If your internal dialogue is negative, your results will eventually manifest the same result! You can’t degrade yourself to a healthy new you! You must change your thinking to work for you, to build your resolve, and to maintain that all important motivational factor.

Writing is an exercise that will help your mind change its thinking! It allows you to process the negative emotions and helps to instill the positive changes. Start with these simple exercises:

1. The Negative Emotions Daily Dump: Many success coaches advocate writing out your negative thinking on a daily basis. Simply spend approximately 15 minutes writing out all the frustrations, bad feelings, and discouragement. This helps you to process these bad feelings out of your system so that you can make room for positive affirmations. Do not reread the entries and do not keep them. Write it out, and then throw it out.
We call this the Negative Emotions Daily Dump.
2. Affirm Your Goals: Prepare a list of affirmations that will help your subconscious work with your conscious brain to make those all important behavioral changes. Then write your affirmations at least twice a day. Write them once after you have written your Negative Emotions Daily Dump. Don’t do the Negative Dump without filling it with the positive affirmations. You should always end with this. Write the second set of affirmations either right before you go to bed or first thing in the morning. Read your affirmations several times a day.
3. Understand your Motivations: In order to stay motivated you must understand your real reasons for losing weight. In other words, understand why YOU want to lose weight. Not why your spouse or friends want you to lose weight but why losing the weight is important to you. Do you really want more energy? Do you just love skinny clothes? Do you want to participate in an activity that would be easier if you were slim and healthy? Write these motivations out in detail so that you can solidify them in your head and they can continue to motivate you through the entire weight loss journey.
4. Accountability: Keep a food diary. Keeping a food diary has been proven time and time again to increase your weight loss success by as much as 50%! A food log is your accountability factor. It keeps you honest with yourself.
5. Visualize: Visualize yourself enjoying the portions of your weight loss program that you are currently struggling to do. For instance if you hate the cardio portion of your day, start seeing yourself loving it. See it as “”your time”. It can be your time to read while you’re on the stationary bike. Or your time to watch all those movies you feel guilty watching any other time. Once you begin to visualize positive feelings about a certain activity the easier that activity will become.
6. The Pat-On-The-Back: Keep a written log of your weight loss success. By writing down your weight loss on a weekly basis you are validating your efforts and giving yourself a pat-on-the-back. This will go a long way to keeping you on track.

Keep in mind that if you are utilizing the assistance of a personal fitness trainer or weight loss professional that they may use techniques to help you face your self-defeating habits. This might feel harsh and negative, however it isn’t. Honesty is necessary to motivate change and this is different than running yourself down! Sometimes we have to hear the hard words to make the hard changes. Keep in mind that these professionals are seeking your ultimate success. Your success is their success. Let’s face it, the weight gain started with you and to change that behavior you may have to deal with some uncomfortable feelings. A good trainer will help you feel cared about while still insisting that you deal with your bad habits. It’s a good thing to be pushed past your comfort zone to becoming a better you!

Writing is the new “exercise” that can make all the rest of your weight loss efforts including good nutrition, exercise, and resistance training work for you because you will be working with these principles instead of against them. You will start seeing these weight loss techniques as a positive and permanent part of your life, instead of a temporary device. That will result in faster results that last forever!

Dr. Fit, Sidney E. Reeves, CFT is a nationally recognized personal fitness trainer. Dr. Fit has been helping overweight America understand and change their self-defeating habits while learning the important elements of good nutrition, exercise and positive change. He has launched a website to compliment his daily fitness show at http://www.WritingForWeightloss.com where members receive all the tools to lose weight permanently. Join Dr. Fit as your fitness trainer today at WritingForWeightLoss.com. Read the rest of this entry »

A group of U.S. researchers said on Friday that both dieting and exercising can equally help reduce weight.

Dr. Eric Ravussin of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, part of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, said the study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, was done under controlled conditions to demonstrate what can actually take place in our body while dieting and exercising.

“It’s all about the calories, Ravussin said. “So long as the energy deficit is the same, body weight, fat weight, and abdominal fat will all decrease in the same way.”

The researchers have been testing volunteers for another purpose, that is, to see if people live longer if they reduce calorie intake. The test was effective on animals, from worms to dogs. Study on monkeys and human takes longer time. However, his team found out that cutting 25 percent of calories might contribute to longer life.

“We found that 2 of the biomarkers of aging were improved – core temperature was 0.4 to 0.5 degrees C less,” he said. “Insulin, which has been shown to be a biomarker of aging, was reduced,” Ravussin said.

All of their findings were published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association

There were 24 participants in the study, 12 of which ate a calorie restricted diet up to 25 percent than normal, while 12 also dieted by reducing calorie intake by 12.5 percent and exercised five times a week for six months in order to lose another 12.5 percent calories.. Another set of 10 volunteers were tested for control purposes.

The results of both groups were the same as everyone lost 10 percent of their body weight, 24 percent of their fat mass, and 27 percent of their abdominal visceral fat. Visceral fat “is the most dangerous of type of fat” as it causes heart disease and diabetes.

The study contradicts the idea muscle building exercises help people lose weight. “If anything, highly trained people are highly efficient, so they burn fewer calories at rest,” Ravussin said.

“There is a concept that if you exercise, you are going to lose less of your muscle,” he said. However, his research team did not find any evidence to prove it.

Nevertheless, Ravussin believes that a diet and exercise program is still best for the human body. Read the rest of this entry »