Showing posts with label Weight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Weight. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

The Anti Stress Low Calorie Weight Flushing Diet Plan

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This menu is great for you to feel light all throughout the day while losing weight. You will lose a whole lot of weight while doing this diet plan. Also this diet plan will keep your energy levels high and stress level low. It has all the right nutrients which your body requires. Most diet plans make you feel irritable and hard to follow since you want to cope up with work pressures to try this
diet plan.

For breakfast have a slice of whole wheat bread this will give you the energy you require.

You can add a glass of orange juice with this. Breakfast is essential for you to lose weight also to give you the energy your fast paced day requires. In winters you can have boiled egg with your whole wheat slice. Mid morning snack could be a glass of fresh fruit or vegetable juice. This will give you the energy while giving your body the minerals it requires. For lunch you should have a large bowl of salad with roasted vegetables or a baked potato.

You can add vegetable soup to the menu or a bean soup. Make sure you have a glass or two of water for lunch time. You add the lemon flavor to your salad or your soup. For mid afternoon snack you can have a cup of green tea since it is full of antioxidants and make you feel relaxed. If you do not want to have that you can have fresh nuts such as brazils, almonds, or walnuts. These will give you the power and energy to deal with all the day's work. For dinner you can have fish or a huge salad bowl filled with all the green vegetables.

Fish and chicken are ideal for dinner time meals. You can also sprinkle some ground sesame seeds or croutons to change the taste. You can also try a home made soup or a home cooked pasta.

This article is written by Lara Lee, a prominent writer and editor for occin.com. Lara specializes in weight loss studies and reviews [http://www.occin.com] For more information on a variety of popular weight loss plans, check out these weight loss reviews [http://www.occin.com]
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lara_Lee
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Monday, February 4, 2013

5 Ways to Lose Weight Naturally

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You badly want the dress that you saw in your favorite shop, but it is too small for you. The best way out of this problem is weight loss. I have good news for you. It is not as difficult as you think. You can slim down quickly with the right kind of program.
They say there is no gain without pain, so you must make a few sacrifices to achieve the right weight. If you want to lose weight, you must be ready to change your lifestyle - you should start to eat healthy and exercise.
Here are some of the methods which you can use to lose weight
naturally.

1. Regular eating - There is a misconception that skipping meals will lead to weight loss. This actually leads your body to build up fat, as the body needs energy to function effectively. When you skip meals, you starve yourself and the next time you will eat, your body will store the fat, so that it will be able to utilize it when you will starve yourself again. Skipping meals slows down the metabolism of the body thus causes the building up of the extra fats.

2. Regular exercise - The body needs a bit of physical activity to burn up the fats that may have accumulated over the time. You can go to the gym to exercise and burn calories. If you are too busy and can't devote some time to visit the gym, you can ditch your car occasionally. Walk two blocks to your office or to the supermarket, instead of taking the car. This will help you to move a little more. Moreover, you will save a few bucks on gas as well. You can also decide to use the stairs in your office instead of always taking the elevator. Your body will surely appreciate this treatment.

3. Sleep - Your body needs a little time to recuperate and this will not happen when you bury your head in office work at the middle of the night or stay up late partying. Give your body approximately 8 hours to recover from the stress suffered during the day.

4. Eat healthy - Eat foods that are low in calories. This is one of the most effective ways to lose weight naturally. Foods such as fruits and vegetables are low in calories and they will help you in fighting against diseases and infections, so you will become healthier. If you are on a mission to lose weight you have to avoid taking junk food as it will add excess pounds to your body.

5. Eat smaller portions - You might take in the right types of food, but still do it wrong. For successful weight loss you must also reduce the amount of food that you take in. To eat smaller portions you can use a smaller plate. This will help you to reduce your total calorie intake and make weight loss easier and quicker.

In conclusion, discipline is the key to successful weight loss. When you make the decision to change your lifestyle, you must discipline yourself to follow the new rules strictly. That way, you will not have problems with your weight ever again.

Timea Fejer loves to help people to start and also finish a successful weight loss program.
For more of my advices visit my website: http://www.loseweight4ever.net/lose-weight-naturally-and-fast
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Timea_Fejer
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Ideal Body Weight - Simple Yet Effective Secrets to Reach It and to Keep It

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Overweight is a common health condition. Many people have been trying to reach their ideal body weights over and over again. Many manage to lose weight successfully, but they also gain it back very quickly. Very often, the story ends with even higher overweight than before the diet.
I have always practiced sports a lot, but still, many years ago, I was obese. That was the main reason for my other health problems... I suffered many joint injuries, I was depressed, I had problems with
my skin, my hair...

All my problems escalated to the point when I realized I have to do something about it. I started my weight loss diet, nothing fancy but very efficient. I just eat less, I changed my eating habits and routine, and I started to practice sports even harder. It was a successful long-run project, in one year period I lost my overweight 20 kg and I kept my ideal body weight ever since.

Here are my secrets, which can help you reach and maintain your ideal body size, too:

Calculate Ideal Body Weight

Calculating ideal body weight is not complicated. It is more a question whether such weight is a healthy body weight for you. Weight and body height are closely related, but they are not the only factor that counts. As a goal, set a proper body weight, do not exaggerate. After you reach it, depends on your feeling, you can always re-set it.

Determination

I'm absolutely sure that this is the key factor of every successful weight loss diet. You have to make a firm decision that you will lose body weight, and then you have to stick to it no matter what. Weight loss diet is a long-term project; it's like every other addiction treatment and without strong determination and hard work you simply cannot be successful.

Control and Observe Your Progress Constantly

Control your progress daily, every lost kg is a great inspiration. You must know that in the beginning you will lose weight pretty fast. After that, there's a problematic stage when you are dieting, but you're not losing any weight. Your determination must help you to get over that crisis and in a short time your weight scale will again show the result you are working for.

Do Not Finish Your Weight Loss Diet Too Soon

When you reach your correct body weight, your weight loss diet is not over yet. Some important changes lead you to your goal. The bad news is that your body is not adapted to them yet, the whole system is not automatic yet. It took me one year to reach my ideal body weight, and it took me additional two years that my body adapted to the changes.

Regular Exercise

Regular exercise should be a part of everybody's healthy lifestyle. Since we are very different, there's no rule which body weight exercises you should practice, for how long and how often. It does not matter, which body weight workouts you choose; important is that you are active, that you find your body weight exercise routines. That will not only help you maintain your lean body weight, it will help you prevent and ease many other health problems, too.

Healthy Diet

These basics work for me perfectly, they should work for you too:
- Drink at least two liters of water daily.

- You can eat everything, but you should reduce the amounts of fat, carbohydrates, and sugar rich foods.

- Avoid quick unhealthy snacks and fast food.

- Take five smaller daily servings, if possible every day at the same time and never eat until you are full.

- Never miss breakfast and never eat so late to go to bed on a full stomach.

- Even when you are on holidays try to stick to your routine as much as possible. Whenever you travel, wherever you stay, do not try to taste and eat everything you see.

- Healthy organic grown fruits and vegetables must be the most important part of everybody's healthy diet; they should be a part of every daily serving.

Juices and Smoothies

Many years ago, I discovered all natural healthy juices and a little bit later also beautiful homemade smoothies. What an amazing tasty way to get necessary vitamins, minerals, and enzymes into everybody's diet.

I recognized juicing and making smoothies already after I had reached my ideal body weight. If I had known them before, my weight loss diet would have been much easier, tastier, and faster.

If you're fighting with overweight or not, you really should try them. You will notice amazing results already in a short time. You have nothing to lose and so much to gain.

My name is Tatjana and I live in a small, but amazingly beautiful country Slovenia. Together with my friend, I started to build a website, where we share our knowledge about a healthy life style with others. We are certain that our ideas and experiences can help many people towards a healthier and so also happier life for them, too.

Visit http://www.natural-juicing-remedies.com and get helpful information about juicing, making smoothies, free recipes for your healthy diet and much more.
Click on a link http://www.natural-juicing-remedies.com/healthy-juicing-recipes.html where we bring you efficient juicer recipes for healing many health problems, including obesity.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tatjana_Drmota

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Friday, February 1, 2013

Count Your Calories - Lose Weight When You Figure Out How Many Calories To Eat a Day

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Food is a big part of a lot of everyone's life. We have to figure out what we are eating for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. It is even more difficult when you are preparing meals for a whole family. Ain't that right moms?! Sometimes you even have to plan ahead for meals a few days in advance. Since we pay so much attention to food we should know how many calories to eat a day. My advice to anyone trying to lose weight is count your calories.
As important as food is in our everyday lives, we should not let it rule over us. In the western world there is a huge problem with obesity. We
as a whole eat too much fast food, sugar, and processed foods. The trend of obesity can be reversed if people simply know how many calories to eat a day.

So how can you figure out how many calories to eat a day? The daily recommended calorie intake differs from different people and from men and women. You need to consider your age, height, and weight to figure out how many to eat a day.

Here are some simple tips to help get you started.

1) Determine Your BMR - What is BMR? BMR is your basal metabolic rate or the number of calories your body burns without any effort.

The formula for women is 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years) = BMR.

The formula for men is 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years) = BMR.

2) Figure Out Your Activity Levels - Everyone falls into 1 of 5 categories when it comes to activity: either sedentary, lightly active, moderately active, very active, or extra active. The numbers should go as follows sedentary- 1.2, lightly active - 1.375, moderately active - 1.55, very active - 1.725, and extra active - 1.9.
Be honest with this one, if you workout every blue moon you can't say you are extra active.

3) Use the Harris Benedict Formula - Multiply the number you come up with in #1 by #2. The number will determine how many calories you should eat to maintain your current weight. So if you want to lose weight eat less than what number you come up with and exercise more.

Women should never eat under 1200 calories a day and men should never eat under 1500 calories a day.

Using the Harris Benedict Formula will easily help you to figure out how many calories to eat a day. Learn how to count your calories and losing weight will come a lot easier than it has in the past.

And now I'd like to invite you to grab your Free Instant Access to the 7 day eCourse Love Your Body Love Your Life when you visit http://fitnessandnutritionsolutions.com/loveyourbody
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Beavers


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How To Get Motivated To Lose Weight Like A Movie Star Does For A Role! (5 Easy Steps)

Have you ever looked at a movie and wondered how the heck did a particular actor/actress lose so much weight and/or gained muscle... and can keep on doing this off and on for lots of movie roles? If so, then in this article I'm going to share with you some powerful tips on how to get motivated to lose weight... just like a movie star!
You see, the reasons why YOU may get motivated to improve your body are more than likely going to be different
than that of a movie star. The primary reasons a movie star has no problem with transforming their bodies so quickly... and can keep on doing this time after time is because:

A.) They get paid A LOT of money to do so.
 
B.) Their career depends on it.

C.) They have some very expensive personal trainers and dietitians helping them along the way.

More than likely, NONE of those things will apply to you and me.

But that's okay.


You still can get the essence of a movie star's motivation without needing to get paid a ton of money to do so, or having your job based around looking lean and sexy, or having to spend thousands of dollars on top of the line trainers and dietitians.

What you can do to greatly skyrocket your motivation level to stick with healthy eating and exercising so that you can lose weight and improve your body is:

1. Understand that every action you take is a building block to your new body... 

Pay attention to 4 words of the above sentence (every, action, building, block). Why? Well, that's because when you look at dieting and exercising this way, it will seem a whole lot easier to stick to. For example, eating a salad is a building block, doing a 15 minute body-weight exercise routine is a building block, drinking a glass of water is a building block, etc.

The more blocks you stack on top of each other, the more your awesome new body will take shape!

Looking at diet and exercise as a whole seems overwhelming... and that could cause you to lose motivation VERY quickly.

2. Understand that every slip you make removes ONE of those building blocks I just talked about above... 

AND DO NOT LOOK AT THIS NEGATIVELY!

The key here to remember is that if you slip (i.e. you had a piece of chocolate cake), you simply just removed ONE block. Most people think that just by slipping once, that they just knocked down all their blocks and they have completely failed!

3. Come up with 2 primary goals... and then FOCUS on daily goals... 

There are 2 goals anyone looking to improve their bodies should have. Those goals are a main goal and a motivating goal.

A main goal would be something like you wanting to lose weight to prevent obesity related diseases, you wanting to live longer, etc.

A motivating goal is something that is exciting and will keep you pushing towards reaching that body you have always wanted. A goal like this could be to lose X amount of pounds before a special event coming up, to look amazing at the beach, to increase your self-esteem, etc.

Now that you have your 2 primary goals figured out, put them somewhere as a reminder (computer screen, on your fridge, etc.). What you are going to do now is you want to keep those goals in mind, but you don't want to FOCUS on those goals.

Focusing on your primary goals will eventually cause you to lose motivation... and that's because you are going to end up focusing on your overall goal too much (which could be needing to lose 25 pounds of body fat and add on muscle in order to get that beach body you want)... and this will become overwhelming.

What you want to do instead is you want to focus on achieving DAILY goals. For example, your goals for today could be to get in at least 30 minutes of fitness, drink at least 2 liters of water, and avoid any type of food with sugar in it.

This is similar to those building blocks I talked about above. Once you focus more on accomplishing DAILY goals, this whole weight loss thing will seem a whole lot easier and fun... trust me. All you have to do is keep stacking successful days on top of each other... and before you know it, you'll start seeing amazing results!

4. Willpower is ALWAYS hungry due to the world we live in... 

What do I mean by that? Well, have you ever had a ton of motivation and willpower to start a diet and exercise program... only to lose this willpower within a week or two? You know why this happened? It's due to the world we live in! Fast food restaurants EVERYWHERE, co-workers bringing in tempting foods, parties and events with delicious foods all over, and more!

The key to success with maintaining willpower is that you have to consistently "feed" your willpower. To do this, you need to keep reminding yourself of your 2 primary goals mentioned above, and you need to surround yourself with as much health motivation as possible (health magazines, watching motivational YouTube videos everyday, seeing before and after photos, etc.).

That being said, the greatest tool for increasing your willpower is R.E.S.U.L.T.S! Once you start feeling healthier, looking better, fitting your clothes better, etc., that piece of chocolate cake won't look so tempting after all!

5. The "Tomorrow Diet" doesn't exist... 

I used to be a believer of starting a diet and exercise plan on a specific day (such as the beginning of the week or some special day). I later realized that all this does is weakens your willpower and motivational levels. When you are ready to commit to losing weight, find a good reputable diet program that you feel will be best for you... and START!

It doesn't matter if you ate like crap all day and you are reading this article at 6 P.M., make a wise decision RIGHT NOW... and take action RIGHT NOW. Tell yourself that you do not need a special day to begin, you are willing to make a change at ANYTIME. That is actually one of the best ways to increase your willpower!

So, if you want get motivated to lose weight like a movie star does for a role, you may not be able to get those things that motivate movie stars (lots of money, improved career, and expensive assistance), but if you put those 5 tips above in place, I assure you, you could actually look better than a movie star before you know it!

>> Click Here for the top 5 diet programs I highly recommend that are 100% all natural, highly effective, and have been proven time and time again to produce amazing results. I personally used the 2nd ranked program and wound up losing 52 pounds in 8 weeks!
Click www.HealthyBodyPrograms.com to learn more.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Avy_Barnes

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Thursday, January 31, 2013

How Many Calories Should I Burn To Lose 1 Pound Of Weight?

By
What you first need to realize is that there is a considerable difference between simply "losing weight" and "losing fat". Most people use the two terms interchangeably, though what they are really going for (or at least what they should be going for) is the latter.
The reason you want to lose fat in particular, and not just weight in general, is because fat is the only type of tissue that, generally speaking, your body can do without. On the other hand, you don't want to lose any of your muscle mass for example - this will make you weaker, could cause back pain, lead to saggy breasts in women
due to weaker pectoral muscles, and so on. What I'm trying to tell you here is that you should focus all of your efforts specifically on losing fat only, while avoiding losing other types of tissues.

With this intro behind us, let me tell you how many calories you need to burn to lose 1 pound of fat.

Exactly 3,500 calories.

Keep in mind, however, that you should never be losing more than 2 pounds of fat per week. The body is simply not physically capable of burning fat at a quicker rate than that, so if you are going faster than this then you are quite likely losing a lot of muscle in the process. An exception applies if you are highly overweight or even obese - in that case, your body is capable of burning 3, 4, 5 or even 6 pounds of pure fat per week.

Please remember though that this will only apply to people with severe weight issues. So if you are just looking to lose those 5-10 pounds of extra fat on you, you should not exceed a rate of 2 pounds per week.

Considering all of the above, the best way to lose one pound of fat is to create a daily calorie deficit (either through exercising, or reducing the amount of food you consume) of 500 calories. If you burn 500 calories a day, this amounts to exactly 3500 calories per week (500 x 7). If you were to stick to this type of deficit, you would see a steady, unwavering fat loss rate of 1 lb/week.

Just remember that there are always two ways to create that calorie deficit. You can either burn the 500 calories a day through exercise by, for example, running at moderate speed for 45-60 minutes a day. Or you could simply reduce the amount of calories you eat by 500 a day. It's up to you to decide which approach is more convenient for you. Just be aware that the result will be the same regardless of which of the two approaches you choose - a loss of 1 pound of fat per week.

About the author: Mark Nazzal specializes in 1 on 1 online weight loss and fitness coaching. You can contact him for help with your specific dieting or exercising issue through his website, where a large number of helpful articles are also available: Help Me Lose Weight
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_J._Nazzal

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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

10 Strategies for Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain: Proven Tips for Resisting Holiday Excess

By
 I know a fitness instructor who every December purchased five pounds of beef suet from the butcher and displayed it at her exercise classes. "Is this what you want on your butt December 31?" she would ask.
What a wake-up call! You better believe we exercised harder and paid attention to the flow of holiday calories.
As she helped us demonstrate, we really did not have to gain five-to-seven pounds of ugly fat during the holiday season even though lots of other people would!
You don't have to do it either!
If you make a plan, pay attention, and develop some strategies, you can easily enter 2011 no larger than you are today. Here's how:
1. Check Your Expectations. Remember, it's just another day.
Don't let your cherished memories create unrealistic expectations for tomorrow. The past probably wasn't as great--or as awful--as you remember.

Live in the present. Don't expect yourself to be perfect. Expect that your family and friends will still know how to push your buttons. Prepare yourself for a less than perfect time with annoying family members. It's all OK.

2. Stay grown up. Don't let your cousin who tormented you as a child turn you back into an eight year-old.

You're a grown woman. Release old fears and grudges and stay in the present. If your family if truly toxic, keep your car keys in your pocket as a reminder that you can leave anytime. You don't have to eat for protection.

3. Arm yourself. If you can't avoid people who make your self-esteem shrink, arm yourself with a top-ten list of what makes you the greatest YOU! Slip the list in your pocket and use it to bolster your spirits if Aunt Minnie starts picking at you again. Are you brilliant? Hysterically funny? Wryly clever? Incredibly loving and supportive? Intensely loyal? Be yourself...everyone else is taken!

4. Grin and bear it. Take little kids, add sugar and holiday excitement, and one is bound to crash and burn. Please be patient, bring plenty of entertainments, get them outside to run at every opportunity, and remember...they're the kids these holidays are supposed to be for!

5. Meet Your Family Like an Anthropologist. Don't let them get under your skin. Step back and observe this unusual new culture you have found. Note the strange initiation rites, the peculiar traditions that bind the tribe, and the bizarre customs they have developed.

6. Wear Your Favorite Clothes, Makeup and Hairstyle. Knowing that you look your best will help you emerge from behind the buffet table. Take up a position across the room and nibble on grapes while conversing with others.

7. Learn Something New About Everyone There. Set yourself the assignment of drawing other people out of their shells. You'll find the evening flies by when you have a focus, and forgetting to obsess about yourself can help free you from the nervousness that leads to overeating.

8. Say "No, Thank You." Accept the love people offer, but pass on the rich foods. Practice saying, "It looks fabulous, but no, thank you." "What a wonderful dish, but no, thank you." "Oh, you'll have to give me the recipe, but no thank you." "Oh, I so admire your cooking, I wish I could but No, thank you." Repeat as needed.
 
9. Say "No, Thank You" Again. Use this all-purpose response to escape the things you'd rather not to do.

Wouldn't you like to visit Aunt Sarah (who has never said one nice thing to you in 40 years)? No, thank you.

Wouldn't you like to take care of the kids while the rest of us go shopping? No, thank you. Take the kids shopping with you? Go to dinner with your old boyfriend's family? No. No, thank you.

10. Have a Plan and Picture Your Success. Before you head out to the next holiday event, sit quietly. Write your goals and plan in your journal. Visualize how wonderful you'll feel as you leave the event, comfortably fed but not overfull, remembering the fun new things you've learned about the people there, grateful for your blessings, and delighted with all the material you've collected for your new book on bizarre family traditions.

Carry this plan with you as a magic shield against overeating.

Now, that doesn't sound so hard, does it? You can have a wonderful holiday season without sabotaging your health and your body. Ready, set, go enjoy yourself!

Nancy D. O'Reilly, PsyD, a clinical psychologist and founder of WomenSpeak.com, has worked with women in a strategic, problem-solving fashion for more than 25 years. She is the author of the self-help book, " Timeless Women Speak "

She is passionate about educating and offering women a place to share the experience of growing older in a positive and rewarding atmosphere. During more than 10 years of research she has asked more than 1,200 women of all ages the hard questions about growing older in a youth-driven society. Women find comfort knowing that they are not the only ones who worry about getting older and who wonder if their value as a person will be compromised.

Dr. Nancy interviews an interesting woman author each week for a podcast on her website. She was nominated for Missouri's First Lady Award in 2008 and recognized as one of Springfield, Missouri's Most Influential Women of 2007. She speaks frequently on women and aging, biofeedback, depression, migraine, mental health, constructive confrontation, workplace violence, and stress management. She gives radio and TV interviews, has published professional articles, and has presented her research at a national conference of the American Psychological Association.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nancy_D._O'Reilly,_Psy._D.

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Weight Gain and Menopause - Simple 3 Step System For Losing Menopause Weight

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Weight Gain & Menopause
Simple 3 Step System For Losing Menopause Weight and Keeping It Off
When women experience menopause, they usually gain weight along the mid-section, down to the hips and thighs, giving them an apple-shaped body. And as much as they try to keep in shape by cutting down on calories and exercising regularly, nothing seemed to work. Menopause involves a lot of hormonal changes and imbalances and this triggers weight gain. Add to that the considerably slowing down of
metabolism as you age, losing weight during and after menopause might prove to be a really big deal. Read on to learn more about menopause, losing weight and how you can apply it to your daily life.

Depression only gets worse if you see that you are just adding pounds to the scale and entering into what some call the menopause years. Menopause weight gain can make some women feel like they are becoming a new person. Losing weight is one of those things that you need to work hard for and learning the basics of weight gain and loss will be your first step. You need to know what triggers weight gain and you could probably counter it so that you will, instead, lose. It is well-known that hormones are the causes of the increased mid-section so you need to know them better.

The female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, are very tricky substances that they have to be present in the body at a certain proportion. When the ovary shuts down its production of estrogen, a decrease in the hormone leads to a body creating more fat cells because that will become its new source - more fat cells, will lead to less calories burned on a daily basis. This is why woman put on so much extra body fat during peri-menopause. The progesterone level decreases as well (during menopause) and in turn, estrogen dominance occurs leading to water retention and bloating. Both scenarios are not pleasant if you are trying to shed the pounds.

As you get older, your metabolism becomes slower, and this means if you take in fatty food or if you eat too much, you are more likely to store the excess calories as fat and not burn then off as energy. Another problem you might experience with aging is insulin resistance where your body finds it difficult to regulate your blood sugar levels. High blood sugar triggers the insulin to store the excess calories in the fat cells and keep it there until it is of use while low blood sugar shuts insulin production and lets the fats out and be used as energy source. You can regulate your blood sugar simply by taking in less refined grains and sugar.

How a woman deals with putting menopause weight on is going to be different depending on a number of factors including emotional, and physical. The number a woman will see on the scale can be easily manipulated; however, keeping the weight you want (and what is best for you) might seem challenging. Since the weight gain is caused by hormones, you can bring them back to normal levels if you avoid the things that make them abnormal. Avoid stress and unhealthy food. Follow a healthy routine you love doing and in no time, you will be amazed to see how much you've changed, not just in the weight department, but also in your overall appearance and perspective.

Here's a simple 3 step system that will help you lose menopause weight, decrease body fat, and stabilize your decreasing metabolism.

Step 1: Increase your water consumption by 16 fl. oz per day. Make sure you are drinking at least 64 fl. oz each and every day.

Step 2: Get physically active for a minimum of 15 minutes per day every day. This could be something as simple as taking a brisk water.

Step 3: No Alcohol or Caffeine for 30 Days- This is the step I usually get some kick back from my coaching clients, but It's the one that will make the biggest different in decrease a woman's menopause weight gain. Alcohol is a major cause of abdominal fat and increased menopause weight gain.

That's my simple 3 step system to losing menopause weight and keeping it off. Menopause doesn't have to be such a difficult transition for a woman if she enters this phase of her life knowing what to expect, and having a clear plan to deal with the challenges you are going to face. I hope this article help get that learning process going in the right direction.

Menopause Fat Loss Expert, Personal Trainer, Nutrition Expert

Since early 1999, Kris has been teaching women around the world how to use simple effective strategies to lose fat, tone and shape their bodies and feel amazing in their own skin. Kris is the Author of "The Menopause Cookbook" sold through Amazon Books. He also is the creator of the highly visited blog http://www.mymenopausefix.com
Kris has been coined "The Menopause Savior" because of his unique and profound understanding of the women's body and how it works.

"Kris sees the female Body like no other male."
AnnaMaria D. (48) NYC
If you would like to receive my 7 Day Menopause Diet Guide pick a FREE COPY at http://www.7daymenopausediet.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kris_T_Smith

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Monday, January 28, 2013

How and What to Eat Before/After Weight Training Workouts


This particularly holds true if you are trying to sculpt your body through weight training routines. While a wholesome and well balanced diet is crucial, you will need to ensure that you are giving your body the specific food types that are needed to build muscle tissue. So, here is a look at what you ought to be eating before and after weight training workouts.
 Inside This Article I will Reveal you:
1. What is a good pre weight training food?
2. Pre-workout snacks
3. What is good post exercise food?
4. Post-workout meals
5. What should you drink post-workout? and
6. How much protein should you take when weight training?

1. What is a good pre weight training food?

Working out on a full tummy can lead to gastric distress; however, it is also essential that you give your body the right type and amount of fuel to prepare it for a grueling session. Regardless of how efficacious your exercise regimen is, it will prove futile if your body is starved of vital nutrients.

So, eat a heavy meal of 600 to 800 calories 3 to 4 hours before weight training. This will ensure that you get the proper nutrition and the food is digested before you start working out. As you get closer to your workout time, choose smaller snacks, opting for a liquid meal an hour before the session that will give the body all the glucose that it needs. You can consume a small snack of 400 to 500 calories about 2 to 3 hours before weight training.

Remember to avoid food items that cause gas build up in the digestive tract such as beans and broccoli. Your meals should comprise of a wholesome amount of carbs, protein and very little fat. Replenishing your body with the right amount of fluids is also essential; consume no less than 17 to 20 ounces of fluids 3 to 4 hours before weight training and follow it with another 7 to 10 ounces a few minutes before the workout to get the body prepared for the taxing session.

2. Pre-workout snacks
  • A whole grain toast with a spoon of peanut
  • butter
  • Fruit juices
  • Cereal with low fat milk
  • Minestrone soup
  • Yoghurt with fruits
  • Salad with light/low fat dressing
  • Chicken breast with whole wheat bread
  • Fruits
  • Grilled chicken with pasta (whole wheat)
  • Steamed vegetables
You can also combine these snacks to create a complete meal that includes chicken breast with pasta, a salad for starter and fruits for dessert.
3. What is good post exercise food?

The type of food that you eat right after weight training will have a huge impact on how well and fast you build muscles. Nutrition is important to help your body recover from the strenuous exercise regimen and regain the lost nutrients.

As a matter of fact, the first sixty minutes after the workout session are the body's golden hour, when the glycogen stored in the cells is used up and the enzymes responsible for the conversion of glucose to glycogen are highly active.

So, any sugar consumption is diverted directly to the muscle tissue to replenish the lost glycogen. A post workout meal also performs the vital function of replacing the lost fluids and rehydrating the body. You should give your body a diet rich in fluids, potassium and other minerals and vitamins along with carbs and protein for quick recovery.

Food items such as brown rice, whole grain breads, popcorn, potatoes, fruits etc are rich in carbohydrates and help to replete the glycogen stores. Ideally, you should consume at least 50-100 gm. of carbs post workout.

You should also include lean proteins found in chicken and turkey breast and tuna in your meals; these help in muscle rebuilding. Bananas, raisins and potatoes are a rich source of potassium, so they help to replace the mineral lost during workout. You should also include lots of fluids in the post workout diet to rehydrate the body. Try to consume 20 ounces of water for every pound of body weight after an exercise routine.

4. Post-workout meals
  • Sandwiches made from two slices of whole
  • wheat bread with a lean protein in between and any type of veggies are easy
  • to make, taste great and will give your body all the nutrition it needs.
  • Baked chicken breast with rice or pasta
  • A bagel with peanut butter
  • Potato steamed or baked with a topping of low fat cheese and some fruit.
5. What should you drink post-workout?

A lot of people have trouble eating a big meal after an intense weight training routine. If you are one of them, you should consider using a post-workout recovery drink. These preparations help to replace the lost fluids and the glycogen store in the body.

While there are several products available in the market that can simply be mixed with water to make a wholesome post workout drink, you could also whip up a delicious recovery drink at home with regular ingredients found in your refrigerator. Simply use 1 scoop of whey protein in any flavor of your liking, ¾ cup low fat milk and one banana; blend it all together to make a refreshing smoothie.

6. Is sugar good after weight training workout?

Liquid carbs and even sugar that eventually gets turned into glycogen are essential nutrients in the post-workout period. After an intensive routine, your body will have used a lot of the stored glycogen which will need to be replenished quickly to keep you going.

When you drink liquid carbs with a high glycemic index, you give the muscles all the nutrition they need when they are in a state to soak up the carbs fast. The glycemic carbs also spike up the insulin level in the body.

This will ensure that the carbohydrates are directly sent to the muscle cells.

7. How much protein should you take when weight training?

This is a very common question coming from people interested in muscle building. While protein is crucial for the repair and rebuilding of muscle tissue, overloading on protein will not help as it will simply be flushed out of the system.

Most people with average weight do not need more than 70 gm. of protein each day. If you are into muscle building, you can increase the daily recommended dose to 140 gm. but it would be best to not exceed that amount. Although excess protein will not harm healthy people, it will prove detrimental for individuals who suffer from renal problems and also those who are overweight or diabetic.
How insulin affects weight training?

Insulin is an important storage hormone that redirects the various nutrients to their right places; for instance, insulin is responsible for storing the glucose from the food into the liver and the muscle cells while the amino acids are used for muscle tissue repair and build up. Diabetics develop a condition known as insulin resistance in which the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or the hormone fails to store glucose in the cells; this is one of the primary reasons why diabetes may lead to weight gain and vice versa.

A post and pre work out diet and recovery drinks which are rich in protein and glycemic carbs illicit a very strong response from insulin which results in a powerful anabolic muscle building period. It is normal for body builders to manipulate the amount of insulin in the body through proper diet, exercise and even supplementation.

Regardless of your fitness goals, nutrition is vital and unless you eat properly, you will not be able to build muscle or even lose weight. It is particularly important for people struggling with obesity to understand that starving yourself will not lead to weight loss, instead the metabolic rate will slow down in response making it more difficult to lose weight.

If you are not sure about the food items that you should eat before and after weight training regimens, get in touch with a nutritionist for proper guidance. While weight training is hard, it can yield stupendous results when combined with appropriate dietary practices.

Abdul Matynne is the author of the ebook, "The Ten Commandments of Weight Training", a guide with Muscle Building Nutrition and Workout Plans.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abdul_Matynne

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Ways For You To Lose Weight Successfully

How You Can Lose Weight
Every year, millions of people try their hardest to lose extra pounds, but finally, disappointed, admit defeat.

Have you tried numerous weight loss programs, maybe lost some pounds but gained all of them back again, leaving yourself completely discouraged and very frustrated? Wouldn't you rather be able to lose weight and declare victory in what, for you, may have been a decades-long
battle? Then you need a weight loss plan!

Before we give you some directions on how to lose weight successfully, let's discuss how you got overweight.

The fundamental reason we're overweight is that we abuse food. Besides eating for nutrition and energy, many of us consume food when we're involved in emotional situations such as boredom, depression, anxiety, excitement, etc. Food, as a means to alleviate these situations, is an addiction. We must learn the ways to break our food addiction, which is possibly the hardest thing to do. But how do we do this?

Many human beings are addicted to food and we can't just stop eating! We can take away the drugs, smoking, alcohol, etc. but being addicted to food is totally different. We need food in order to survive! The problem enters the picture when we eat for reasons other than when the body tells us that it's hungry. And, overindulgence, especially when we're already well-nourished, leads to excess fat being stored in our bodies, hence we become overweight.

Realizing we have bad food habits is the first step to making required changes. We then need to lower the number of calories we eat and to consume the right type of food. Then we'll have a much better chance to lose weight. Obviously then, controlling the size of food portions we eat and why we eat, are therefore major factors in our ability to lose weight.

Your biggest hurdle when you want to lose weight is how to do so and where do you start. If you want to lose ten pounds or ninety, below is a weight loss plan for you to follow,but no cheating now!

1. Establish, on paper, why is it that you want to lose weight? Is it because you receive taunts from office colleagues and others? Do you still get turned down for dates? Do you want a figure like your favorite celebrity? Do you need to lose weight for health reasons? Whatever your reasons, write them all down on a sheet of paper.

2. Next, decide how much weight you want to lose and over what timeframe you will lose it. Make realistic goals such as 1-2 pounds a week for six months. An unrealistic goal such as 60 pounds in 30 days will only leave you disappointed. Start slowly; you'll see how easy it is to shed those obstinate pounds! Remember, losing 2 pounds per week means you will have lost about 50 pounds when the 6 months is over!

Now that's an accomplishment you'll be proud to boast about to your friends! So be patient with yourself and try to incorporate these changes slowly into your life! Setting small, achievable goals for yourself allows you to feel more confident to continue with your plan as you reach each goal. This may be the biggest secret of successful weight loss.

For best results, buy some handy stickers and write down your daily weight loss goals on the stickers, then stick them in your kitchen and on your refrigerator (the places where you'll be most tempted to eat foods that are bad for weight loss).

3. Determine how you'll lose the weight, i.e. cut-out snacks or replace the fat-inducing junk food snacks with fruits, veggies, whole grain breads, yogurt, etc., eat less fat-filled foods for your main meals, start an exercise program such as hiking, jogging, dancing, Pilates, etc. Be sure to choose exercises that are something you'll enjoy doing. This will keep you motivated to continue your weight loss program.

You may even decide to join a specific diet program, online or locally, plans that limit protein, sugars, carbohydrates, or starches are available plus many more. Be sure to get as informed as possible about these programs so you'll know the pluses and minuses about each plan.

4. Visit a doctor or a dietician and tell them about your long-term weight loss goal. They'll be able to offer you various tips and information on the healthiest ways for you to achieve your goal in the desired time.

5. Ensure you'll have the dollars needed for your weight loss program. Choosing a diet program online or locally might have a cost to participate. More fresh fruits and vegetables and other healthy foods might cost a little more than you previously budgeted for food. Joining a gym or other exercise program will also cost you money, so be sure to consider these expense items. If you do lose weight, you'll never regret the extra money you spent.

GENERAL WEIGHT LOSS TIPS FOR YOU

Weight loss won't happen overnight, but it will happen if you approach it slowly and don't expect to lose 5 pounds every day. Soon, if you stick to your plan, your scale will start reporting good news to you
1. Replace bad habits with the healthy food habits. If you previously ate chocolate- chip cookies when you were angry, the next time you're angry, eat a stalk of celery stalk or a green pepper.

2. Get rid of food temptations. First, don't stock your home with fatty, sugary, unhealthy foods that you'd turn to for food "comfort". When you are tempted to snack, do something else that will turn you away from thinking of food, such as: go for a hike, do some exercises, give a friend a call, drink a bottle of cold water, anything that will distance you from your food thoughts.

3. Make changes to your routines. Walk instead of drive, especially if the distance is within a mile or two.

Take stairs instead of elevators. Mow the lawn instead of paying to have it done for you. Wash your car yourself instead of at the automatic car wash. Do anything and everything you can to increase your physical activity (and burn calories).

4. Don't skip breakfast. Breakfast is an important part of your weight loss program. Research has proven there's a direct link between breakfast and losing weight successfully. Breakfast allows your body to feel nourished, so there's less chance you'll overindulge during the day. Of course, you must have a healthy breakfast, including selections of orange juice, fruits, cereal, whole grain toast, etc.

5. Include fiber in your diet. This is an important substance that helps you lose weight. Why? It takes longer to chew, so you'll feel satisfied sooner; it makes you feel full for a longer time, and it interferes with the absorption of fat. Wow, now that's a great food substance! What foods contain fiber? Strawberries, pineapples, vegetables, corn, peas, nuts, cereal, beans, whole wheat breads and many more foods have fiber. Check on the Internet to learn all of the foods you like that contain fiber, buy some and eat heartily!
6. Monitor your Progress Weekly. First, don't weigh yourself daily, just a certain day each week since the daily up and down of weight is affected by many things, including water retention. Just one weigh-in a week will tell you if you've made your weekly goal.

You may also choose to closely keep track of the foods you eat each day in a daily "food diary." This may sound like too much work to do, but if your weekly goal is not made, you'll be able to pinpoint where you ate too much fatty food, overstuffed yourself, or just gave in to temptation. Then you can make adjustments in the following week.

7. Stick With Your Plan. Whatever you do, don't get discouraged if you occasionally miss a weekly goal. It happens to everyone trying to lose weight. Just tell yourself that "next week I'll do better", and then do it. Just remember, YOU CAN LOSE WEIGHT!

Other people successfully lost weight and kept it off! You Can Too!!

R. Pellegrino
FREE EBOOK: "20 SECRETS TO DIETING SUCCESS"
http://www.trying-to-lose-weight.com/Diet_Success_Secrets.html
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_P_Pellegrino



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Sunday, January 27, 2013

Law of Attraction - How to Attract Your Ideal Weight

By
Are you someone who struggles to lose weight, loses weight only to regain it, or has lost most of the weight you want to lose but can't seem to lose those last few pounds? If you answered "yes" to any of the above, I have some very interesting and pleasing news for you.

Your weight is influenced far more by how you think and what you believe than by what, when and how much you eat, drink and exercise.

Now I know some of you will object to that statement, because you have seen with your own eyes what happens when you eat too much and don't exercise. But have you also noticed that there are those who eat more than you and exercise less, who also manage to maintain their ideal weight effortlessly?

The reason for this inconsistency is summed up in the following quote by Abraham.
"What you do is miniscule in comparison with what you choose to think, because your vibration is so much more powerful and so much more important." ~ Abraham-Hicks
If you talk to "effortlessly slim" people you will find that they don't think about their weight much, if at all. You might think that they don't think about their weight because they don't have a problem, but in fact the opposite is true.
As you think, you vibrate. As you vibrate, you attract. ~ Abraham Hicks
What this means for you is that if you are thinking and therefore feeling fat, fat is what you will attract.
So how do you stop feeling fat?

1. You get off the subject of weight altogether.

2. You never think of the subject of weight again, or you change the way you think about weight.
Here are some 5 quick tips for getting off the subject of weight.

1. Stop exercising to lose weight or burn calories and vow to exercise for pleasure only. You will be surprised to find that when you no longer feel that your "should" exercise it becomes enjoyable.

2. Stop counting calories.

3. Stop comparing your body to others. Every time you notice body shape, size, weight you are focusing on what you don't want. Stop it!

4. Look for opportunities to increase the self-esteem of others.

5. Make lists of all the things that are working in your life, or have worked in the past, and spend more time doing these things.

To learn more about changing the way you think about your weight and creating your Ideal Body using Law of Attraction visit
http://www.mylawofattractiontips.com/ideal-body-system/
You can find more Law of Attraction Tips at my blog
http://www.mylawofattractiontips.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Katriona_McCarthy


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Saturday, January 26, 2013

How You Should Do Cardio to Lose the Most Weight

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Empty Stomach versus Full Stomach
There have been research studies that show both the pros and cons of exercising on an empty stomach and if it really matters. In my opinion, doing cardio on an empty stomach versus eating a light snack about an hour before is controversial.
The theory is, if you work out on an empty stomach, you will burn more fat calories because you will not have any food in your system to burn through, therefore achieving lower body fat.

If your goal is to only worry about tapping into your fat stores then this may be an option for you.
My argument is, if you are exercising on an empty stomach, are you going to have enough energy to have an intense workout, which in my opinion is more important for long term fat/weight loss.

If you are going for endurance, you most definitely do not want to do cardio on an empty stomach as it will reduce your aerobic capacity.

A clear cut answer from me would be to eat a light snack an hour before, so you can have more energy during your cardio workout but not have too much food to burn to get to your fat stores.

Cardio in the Morning Versus Late at Night

Many fitness professionals recommend that cardio be done early in the morning because of the fasting that has been done after eight hours of sleep.

Once again I think this is questionable, and it is all about personal preference. Doing cardio in the morning for some people allows them to have more energy throughout the day and facilitates a clearer mind.

Doing cardio in the evening can, for some people like myself, actually have more benefits. The nutrients that you have eaten and the water you have drunk throughout the day are in your system to be used. I personally have more energy in the evening and find that I push myself harder at night.

I am a believer that everyone has a different peak workout time and that one should figure out that time and use it to their advantage.

In my opinion it does not matter when you do cardio in the day as long as you get it done effectively.

The Speed of Your Workouts and Weight Loss

It has been taught for years that the slower your cardio exercise the better it is because it burns more calories from fat.

You must define what your goal is and what you want for the long term first before you come to any conclusions on your training style. I think that you can lose weight doing either slow, less intense exercise or fast, high intensity workouts.

One thing that I would encourage you to look at is how you want your body to look. Compare the look of athletes from different sports such as marathon running and track sprinters. You will notice the difference in how their bodies are shaped.

There is no one superior way to the other and so it is just about what your goals are and what you want to look like.

If you are going for a long lean and not as much muscle on your body look, then do long duration workouts like cardio. If you are looking for a more muscular and defined frame, then do the higher intensity and faster workouts.

My Advice for You

Try the methods that I presented to you above, test them on yourself and see how you feel, how your body changes and reacts, and the overall results that you get.

If you are getting closer to the results that you are looking for, then stick with that program and train using those techniques.

I am not a believer in there being only one way to train. I just believe there is a systematic approach you can take to fitness and then it is up to you to test those approaches to see what works best for you.

We all have different bodies so we need to find out the best ways to train ourselves.
Please feel free to contact me at greg@fiture.co. You're also welcome to visit my website at http://www.fiture.co. I welcome questions and comments. I look forward to hearing from you.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gregory_F_Marshall

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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Want To Lose Weight Without Stress? Try These Effective Weight Loss Tips

By
There is a lot of information out there on the best ways to slim down. As a result, many people are confused about what they should do. The article below shares practical advice for losing weight and keeping it off. While these are of course only a few suggestions, they should prove a good starting point.
Once you've eaten your
breakfast, try only drinking water throughout the day. It's very healthy to drink water since it contains no sugar, fat, calories or artificial additives. It helps purify your body of unwanted chemicals and elements. Once breakfast is over, sticking to water only until your next meal will go a long way in helping you to lose weight.

Do not skip your meals. Make sure to consume three regular sized meals or five small meals each day. You can work in a snack here and there, but keep it small so that you still have room for your regular meals. This helps produce harmony to your body for top functionality.

A good way to stay motivated is to find a friend to pair up with during your weight loss journey. You can provide each other with encouragement and motivation when one of you gets lazy, and contact each other for support when tempted by the lure of unhealthy foods. Another person can also evaluate what went wrong if you fail, and possibly suggest an alternative strategy. You and your partners should also celebrate your progress.

Try using a pedometer to calculate how many steps you are taking each day when trying to shed some pounds. You should be taking at least 10,000 steps each day. If you are aware of how many steps you are taking you will be able to try to do more. Depending on your weight, walking 10,000 steps can burn anywhere from 250 to 600 calories, so every step you take gets you closer to reaching your target weight.

Keep a good variety throughout your dieting. This is an excellent way to help lose weight. Eating the same meals on a continual basis becomes monotonous and may cause you to lose your taste for them, thereby making it more difficult to maintain your weight loss regimen. Eat foods from all the food groups. Don't deprive yourself; just eat your favorite foods in moderation.

Maintain an exercise routine. Go out and join the neighborhood gym if you can afford to. There are lots of alternatives like jogging, Tai Chi or walking. If you have health issues, make sure that you consult a doctor before beginning a workout regimen. You can perform many different exercises at home during the day to stay healthy.

Make substitutions to change what you are eating. Examine your favorite high-calorie recipes and see what you can do so that they are healthier. Substitute the butter you use with vegetable oil spread. Rather than sour cream, use fat-free yogurt. Altering your foods can provide a fresh alternative and new addition to your meals.

Avoid food before going to bed. Stop eating at least 2 hours before your regular bedtime. If you must eat something, choose vegetables and water. There will be moments when you are unable to live by the 2 hour rule, however, do everything you can to keep those to a minimum. You are more likely to store fat when your body is not active.

Try using your leftovers from dinner to pack yourself a nice lunch. When you're making dinner, cook extra for the following day's lunch. You can create many different meals by making sandwiches with your leftovers. Leftovers are an easy solution to a healthy lunch.

Have a concrete plan in place to manage your stress. Stress is a major cause of obesity, as stress leads directly to emotional eating. Learn to cope with stress in healthy ways. Emotional eating is only a temporary coping mechanism, and it's important to replace it with activities that don't affect your health.

Thanks to the multitude of weight loss related tips that exist, weight loss can be confusing. Do not pick a complicated weight loss program, at first. Start with simple, healthy changes to your diet.

For more information on how you can shed those pounds without stress, visit http://rapidfatlossproduct.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patrick_Ebi_Embale


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Unhealthy Ways To Lose Weight

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There are many ways to lose weight and some drastic methods can actually be hazardous to your mental and physical well-being. Here are some of the unhealthy ways to lose weight.

Zero-Calorie Diet
Our body needs calories to use as fuel for the day. We cannot survive without them. A zero calorie diet is harmful for the body as it plays tricks to our system in losing weight. Yet the truth is that consuming zero calorie products provides you with no energy and no nutrients for the body but just artificial sweeteners. This is a very unhealthy way to lose weight.

Skipping Meals

Skipping meals is extremely ineffective in losing weight. When you skip meals, your body is deprived of nutrients and calories needed throughout the day. Your metabolism increases after eating, thus skipping meals slows down your metabolism resulting to gaining more weight especially when you resume your normal eating habits. Skipping consistent meals leads your body to become undernourished, and can lower your immune system.

Drugs and pills

You see them in most magazines. The quick fix magic pills that will help you lose weight and give you ripped abs! In real life there is no quick fix, it takes consistent work with your nutrition and regular exercise to see those kind of results. While weight loss may be effective using these pills the effect is not long term and can also cause serious complications to the body. Prolonged use of weight loss drugs and pills in the long run can damage your heart and brain.

Purging

Purging your food is very risky to your health. By purging, you will lose calories from the food you eat. Purging can lead to many problems such as ulcers and ruptures of your stomach and esophagus as well as leading to malnutrition. If this is how you "diet" seek the help of a professional straight away - you are damaging your body.

Laxatives

Laxatives have been used to prevent absorption foods eaten to help flush out the calories. Improper use of laxatives can cause long term issues. Endless use of laxatives will deteriorate your digestive system and can cause abdomen related problems. Laxative abuse can lead to dehydration and hemorrhoids and in the long run may leads to intestinal paralysis, kidney failure, irritable bowel syndrome and even pancreatitis.

Weight-loss is not intended to be a quick process it takes a commitment to change aspects of your life however. Avoid the unhealthy ways to lose weight outlined above and instead concentrate on proper nourishment,exercise, rest and a healthy well-being.

Next to learn more about gaining better health and fitness, or how to get rid of mommy tummy click here to receive our free ebook How to Boost Your Metabolism for healthy weight loss.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sacha_C_Whitehead

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How to Rapidly Lose Weight Now

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Sometimes you need to shed pounds in a hurry, and while it isn't medically advisable, it can be done in a way which isn't harmful. The article below describes a variety of tips which can help you shed the pounds quickly without any adverse side effects.

The first step is to make changes in your diet which will stick with you for the rest of your life. Switch from white pasta and flour to whole wheat, for example. Reduce your carbohydrate and fat intake and replace it with vegetables, fruit and non-glutinous fiber. Skip the soda and coffee and stick to herbal teas and water. These simple changes can have a huge impact on your ongoing weight, not just your current weight loss.

Next, get moving! The more you exercise, be it taking the stairs instead of the elevator or truly working out, the more weight you'll lose. Enjoy sports, go to the gym, take a swim or play a dance game on your video game console. Whatever gets you up and about will help you lose weight rapidly.

Write down why you're trying to lose weight and your goals. You can revisit this list to add new items or just to keep your motivation strong while you work towards your goals. This is a great way to keep yourself mentally in the game while physically you may be straining with the changes you're making.

Is there something standing between you and your ideal weight? Maybe it's the stress from work, or a spouse who loves to eat fast food. Figure out how to remove these triggers or roadblocks from your life in a way which keeps you happy while also ensuring future health. Consider asking family members to join you in your new healthy lifestyle, or find stress relief through activities such as yoga or meditation. There are many options available to you!

Drink all the water you can. Not only does it cleanse the body of toxins which cause it to be bloated and start it hoarding fat, but it also keeps you hydrated and helps you heal from your exercise. When your stomach is full of water, it's less likely to ask for food, too.

Try to get a truly hard cardio workout in every single day. Studies say that 90 minutes of real exercise every day is the key to losing weight rapidly, and this means you have to take this advice seriously. Whether it be playing soccer or doing the treadmill, engage in all sorts of different activities that get your body moving and your breathing heavy. If you avoid exercise, you're sure to keep the weight on and feel unhealthy, too.

All of these easy to follow tips are now at your fingertips, so it is your duty to start implementing them in your daily life. Take advantage of all the information and support found online and you'll be quick to lose weight while also being able to keep it off for good. Work hard, play hard and have fun while shedding the pounds!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anak_Betawi

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Smoking and Weight

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I am writing this article in response to a couple of online articles which talked about weight gain and quitting smoking.
 The issue of smoking and weight control is not as simple as you might think. There are two myths we need to deal with here: first, the idea that smoking helps control weight,
either as an appetite suppressant or as an agent to boost the metabolism and second, that quitting smoking leads to weight gain.

Many smokers claim that the cigarette works as an appetite suppressant but this is really a subtle illusion. Physical withdrawal from nicotine, which starts as soon as the smoker puts out a cigarette, feels very similar to hunger - a slight emptiness in the pit of your stomach. So when the smoker lights up and the 'hunger pang' disappears the smoker gives the cigarette the credit for suppressing their appetite when in fact all it has done is to remove a nicotine pang which feels similar to a hunger pang. Think about it; do you think that non-smokers get 'hungry' twenty times a day? Of course not. So why would smokers?

At a physiological level what is happening is this: when a smoker lights up, the poisons contained in tobacco smoke make the body feel that it's under attack. This prompts the adrenal gland to release adrenaline - the fight or flight chemical which in turn prompts the release of stored glucose into the blood (because your body thinks it will need the extra energy to run or to fight). As the blood sugar increases the smoker's body is tricked into thinking it has eaten because the symptom of hunger (the hunger pang which is actually a nicotine pang) has been removed.

However, this is very short-lived. After a few minutes the body realizes that it is not really under attack and the pancreas produces insulin to mop up the excess blood sugar. This leaves many smokers feeling tired and lethargic. In fact this explains the so-called 'wired and tired' phenomenon experienced by many smokers. The adrenalin released when your body thinks it is being attacked makes you feel jumpy and edgy but the oxygen deprivation and plummeting blood sugar caused by smoking makes you feel lethargic.

When the smoker puts out the cigarette, they immediately go into physical withdrawal again, and within 30-45 minutes they usually begin to feel 'hungry' again, and so the cycle keeps repeating.

So that explains the illusion of the cigarette as an appetite suppressant, but what about the metabolism? It is true that smoking elevates the metabolism, but it does it only by a small amount and in the most dangerous way imaginable - by clogging up your blood and creating a thick layer of plaque around the lining of your veins, arteries and capillaries. The impact of this is to increase the smoker's blood pressure and heart rate, which is basically a recipe for a heart attack.

The impact of this higher metabolic rate has been calculated to be around 100 calories a day - the equivalent of a slice of bread. So if you want to retain the same body weight you were as a smoker you will need to reduce your calorific intake by around 100 calories.

Let's face it, it's not as if smokers have this fabulous fat-burning capacity just because they smoke. If that were true, you would never see an overweight smoker, and there are plenty of those around - I was one for years, until I quit and was able to take control of my eating, drinking and exercise, which leads me to my next point - that quitting smoking leads to weight gain.

When I was a smoker I was approximately 60lbs overweight (so much for smoking keeping us thin). The reasons for this were obvious: I couldn't taste food very well and found myself eating foods high in sugar, salt and fat (basically junk food). I also drank too much. I had two young girls and I would never smoke in front of them so I used to go to the village pub every night and drink 5 or 6 beers, just so I could smoke. And, as you can imagine smoking 40-60 a day, exercise wasn't particularly high on my agenda. When I quit smoking I started exercising because for the first time in my adult life I had energy. I stopped drinking vast quantities of beer (which saved me nearly 900 calories a day) and started eating good food. I lost 35lbs in the first four months after quitting. The weight fell off me.

When you hear stories of people putting large amounts of weight on when they quit smoking they are invariably substituting food for cigarettes. They feel that by quitting smoking they are depriving themselves of a pleasure or crutch. This sense of deprivation leads to feeling a void, and many people try to fill this void with food. The truth is that smoking was the problem here. Cigarettes were the void. By becoming a non-smoker you fill the void and are complete.

Think about it: the metrics of weight control do not change when you become a non-smoker. The metrics of weight control are identical for smokers and non-smokers. Weight depends on what you eat, how much of it, your exercise regime and your genes.

Basically, if you consume more calories than you expend, you'll put weight on. It is said by nutritionists that to put on 1lb of weight, you need to consume approximately 4,000 calories more than you expend.

Let's say that you are worried about putting, say, 20lbs on over a couple of months. This would amount to an 80,000 calorie 'surplus' or 1,333 calories a day. You tell me: would it be possible to consume 1,333 calories a day more than you are currently consuming, every single day for 60 days without knowing about it? No way. You would have to be aware of this increase in consumption. Like I said, people who put large amounts of weight on when they quit are invariably using willpower. They still want to smoke, but they won't allow themselves to do so. This makes them feel deprived and miserable and they try to console themselves by eating a box of chocolates.

This is why it is so important to see quitting not as a loss, but as a gain. If you see it as a loss, you will want to substitute - probably with food. However if you see quitting as a gain, that you are taking your life back and that this is a wonderful thing, then there is no sense of a void and no temptation to substitute.

It is true that smokers on average tend to weigh around 500g less than non-smokers, but this in itself is not a meaningful statistic because when you look at seriously underweight people (many of whom suffer from eating and/or anxiety disorders) we see that most of them smoke. When we factor this into the situation we find that 'normal' smokers and 'normal' non-smokers weigh the same.

Given that obesity is such a problem these days, surely if nicotine worked to control weight doctors would recommend the patch or nicotine gum for weight loss?

Just as smoking doesn't make you thin, quitting doesn't make you fat.

Damian O'Hara quit smoking in 2000 at an Allen Carr's Easyway seminar. Today he is the President of Allen Carr North America who offer quit smoking seminars, webcasts and books... http://www.TheEasywayToStopSmoking.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Damian_O'Hara

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Saturday, January 19, 2013

Top Three Weight Training Exercises For Women

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Weight Training Exercises For Women should be done using free weights or body weight methods rather than relying on machines that only provide a limited range of motions. Therefore, you are exposing your joints to more movements.

I will explain three exercises for women to include in their
routines, and that way you won't limit your joints to limited movements.

Perform Lunges Instead Of Using Leg-Extension Machines

I would pick lunges over leg-extension machines any time of the day, and I challenge you to test it out and see for yourself. Lunges are effective in building the thigh muscles all around and give nice movements to your hips and knee joints.

You also work on coordination and balance since you are not sitting (in the case of the leg-extension machine, but you are exercising one leg at a time with the various forms of lunges.

Frog Leaps Instead Of Using The Hamstring-Curls Machine

This is a powerful exercise for your legs, and it will give your hamstrings a good muscle stimulus. Again, the "frog leap" exercise requires balance; therefore, I recommend you to start with a slow pace and gradually increase it to the maximum.

One more bonus that is wonderful to have for many fitness trainees is that you will burn more calories than using the Hamstring Curls Machine.

This leg exercise is basic and simple to follow, but it is not easy to do because it is a physically demanding type of movement. However, the rewards are worth trying; so I encourage you to practice until you become good at it.

Instructions: You will be basically standing wider than a hip-width apart and your feet pointing straight forward. Bend the knees to almost half-way down; then spring your whole body forward mimicking the frog leap. When you land on your feet, make sure you bend the knees to absorb the impact as smoothly as possible. Repeat for the desired repetitions. But usually for this explosive movement exercise doing 5 to 10 leaps/repetitions is sufficient.

Body Weight Squats Instead Of Using The Leg-Press Machine

Performing body weight squats is a challenge for so many individuals due to not getting used to it because of sitting on chairs for longer period of times. Many individuals in underdeveloped countries and remote villages that live a primitive type of lifestyle and have no chairs can actually do full squats and chat with others for an hour or two with no issue whatsoever.

Squat movements have other physiological benefits besides building strong legs, but this will be talked about in another topic. But I strongly recommend to those doing body weight squats that you gradually practice to perform full squats until your muscles can do this with no discomfort.

Mohamad's expertise is in the health and exercise area, you can visit fitness and wellness for women for more related topics. He also writes about different topics such as home mortgages and loans.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mohamad_Alodah

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Friday, January 18, 2013

17 Reasons Why You Are Not Losing Weight

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1. You think you're eating healthy, but aren't. Does your diet consist of a massive amount of "products"? Low-carb or not, you want to eat real food. Flagons of diet soda, plates of pure fiber in the shape of noodles, and loaves of 1g net carb "bread" do not a Primal eating plan make. You're just feeding an addiction and consuming empty calories
- sound familiar? Disregard the labels and look inside for what you know to be true: this crap isn't food, and you shouldn't be eating it. It's about way more than just low-carb.

2. You're under too much stress. The stress response system is subconscious; it responds to stimuli and nothing else. Emotional stress, physical stress, financial stress, relationship stress - I hesitate to even make these distinctions, because the body does not differentiate between sources of stress. They all cause the body to produce cortisol, the fight-or-flight hormone that catabolizes muscle, worsens insulin resistance, and promotes the storage of fat. For 200,000 years, stress meant a life or death situation. It was intense and infrequent, and the cortisol release was arresting and extreme enough to improve the chances of survival.

Today, our body responds to a stack of paperwork the same way. Traffic jams are like rival war bands. A nagging boss is like a rampaging mastodon, only on a daily basis. Take a step back from your life and take stock of your stress levels - they may be holding you back.

3. You need to watch your carb intake. Carbs are key, as always, especially when you've got weight to lose. Veer closer to the bottom of the curve, taking care to avoid all processed food (hidden sugars). You might also try skipping fruit.

4. You're adding muscle. I always tell people not to get hung up on the scales so much. Those things are useful - don't get me wrong - but they never tell the whole story, like whether or not you're adding lean mass. The PB will spur fat loss, but it also promotes muscle gain and better bone density. If you're feeling good but failing to see any improvements register on the scale's measurements, it's most likely extra muscle and stronger bone from resistance training. You wouldn't know that just from the bathroom scale. If you absolutely need objective records of your progress, get a body fat percentage test (although these might not even tell the whole story) or try measuring your waist.

5. You're not active enough. Are you Moving Frequently at a Slow Pace for three to five hours every week? Remember: the near-daily low-level (between 55-75% max heart rate) movement should be the bedrock of your fitness regimen. It's easy to do (because every bit of movement counts) and it doesn't dip into your glycogen reserves (making it a pure fat burner, not a sugar burner). If you're on the low end of the spectrum, crank it up toward five weekly hours and beyond.

6. You're lapsing into Chronic Cardio. Of course, you can go too far with the low-level movement - you can begin to lapse into Chronic Cardio. When you stay above 75% of your maximum heart rate for extended periods of time, you're burning glycogen. Your body in turn craves even more sugar to replenish the lost stores, so you polish off a heap of carbs, preferably simple and fast-acting. You can continue down this route if you wish - I did, for a couple decades - but you'll gain weight, lose muscle, release more cortisol, and compromise any progress you might have made.

7. You still haven't tried IF. Results vary, but if you've seemingly tried everything else, intermittent fasting can be a great tool to break through a weight loss plateau. Make sure you've fully transitioned onto a Primal eating plan and start small. Skip breakfast and eat a late lunch. If that feels okay, skip breakfast and lunch the next time. Just take it slow and pay attention to your hunger. Eventually, try exercising in a fasted state to maximize the metabolic advantage. If all goes well, your hunger won't necessarily disappear, but it'll change. A successful IF tames hunger, makes it less insistent and demanding.

8. You're eating too much. Low-carb isn't magic. It reins in wild hunger and tames insulin, but calories do still matter - especially once you approach your ideal weight. In fact, those last few pounds often don't respond to the same stuff that worked so well to get you to this point. Eating nut butter by the spoonful and hunks of cheese without regard for caloric content may have gotten you this far, but you've got to tighten things up if things aren't working. And that's the real test, isn't it? There is a metabolic advantage to eating according to the PB, but if the weight isn't coming off, something's up - and calories may need to come down.

9. You haven't overcome bad habits or developed good ones. Be brutally honest with yourself. Do you engage in bad habits? If so, identify them. Make tentative, loose plans to disengage from their clutches, and tell people close to you. Make it public, so you can't back out without losing face. You've also got to develop good ones. Follow roughly similar guidelines as when kicking a bad habit - identification, planning, publication - and you'll be on your way.

10. You haven't purged and Primalized your pantry. Out of sight, out of mind; out of reach, out of mouth. Keep the crappy junk food out of your pantry, if not out of your house altogether. Go down the list and toss the stuff that doesn't apply. As for the rest of your kitchen, check out the fridge interiors and grocery lists of some other Primal folks for inspiration.

11. You've reached a healthy homeostasis. It may be that your body has reached its "ideal" weight - its effective, genetic set point. Reaching this level is generally painless and effortless, but it won't necessarily correspond to your desired level of leanness. Women, especially, tend to achieve healthy homeostasis at higher body fat levels. Breaking through plateaus can be hard enough, but plateaus ordained by the body itself can be nearly impossible. It's probably going to take some serious tinkering with carbs, calories, activity levels, sleep, and stress. If everything else is on point and accounted for, you may be looking at healthy homeostasis. Then, the question becomes: do you want to mess with a good thing?

12. You're low on willpower. Willpower is like a muscle. It must be used or it will atrophy. You've also got to provide fuel for your will - little victories to start out. Go for a walk if you can't muster the will for the gym. Take note that willpower, or lack thereof, might actually be an indicator of your body's needs. If you truly can't muster up the will for the gym, it may be that your body needs to recover. When that's the case, overtraining is a bigger danger than lack of will.

13. You're full of excuses. If you find yourself having mini self-contained internal arguments throughout the day (and you lose), or (even worse) lying to yourself about what you're eating and doing, you're probably also full of excuses. Read this, maybe twice, then follow up with this.

14. You haven't actually gone Primal! We get a good number of new readers on a regular basis, and not all of them take instantly to the Primal concepts. And yet they come back. They read the archives, the comments. Something draws them near, while at the same time keeping them at arm's length. Why is that? What's stopping them? If that describes you, what are you waiting for? Take the plunge. Go Primal for 30 days and see how you like it. I assure you; the many enthusiastic community members are here because it works.

15. You're not getting enough sleep. Chronic levels of sleep deprivation cause the release of cortisol, our old fat-storing friend. The biggest spike in (fat-burning, anabolic) growth hormone plasma levels occurs in deep sleep. And a recent sleep study showed that truncated sleep patterns are linked to weight gain. Get seven to eight hours of sleep a night.

16. You haven't given it enough time. The Primal Blueprint is a fat loss hack, undoubtedly, but it isn't always a shortcut. Some people get instant results from dropping carbs, grains, sugar, and vegetable oils, while others have to take a month to get acclimated and only then does the weight begin to slide off. Either way, though, this is a lifestyle. You're in it for the long run. Approach it with the right mindset and you won't get discouraged.

17. You're eating too much dairy. Some people just react poorly to dairy. We see this time and time again listed in the forums; dairy just seems to cause major stalls in fat loss for a good number of folks. There are a couple speculative reasons for this. One, folks coming from a strict paleo background may not be acclimated to the more relaxed Primal stance on dairy. Reintroducing any food into the diet after a period of restriction can have unintended consequences on body composition. Two, dairy is insulinogenic, which is why it's a popular post-workout refueling tool for athletes. Does a non-strength training PBer need to drink a few glasses of milk every day? Probably (definitely) not.

Bonus Reason: Sprinting is not part of your fitness routine. I've found that many assume that they're getting everything they need from their workouts from plenty of low level aerobic activity and a couple of strength training sessions each week. Sprinting is often overlooked, but it's one of the Primal Blueprint Laws for a reason. Nothing shreds you up faster than sprinting. I'd ease into sprints if you've never done them or are extremely out of shape or overweight. That is, I recommend you have some measure of fitness aptitude before you jump into a routine. But once you're ready do 6-8 all out sprints (with short breaks between) once a week to break a weight loss plateau when all other attempts have failed.

Consult with Tanya via Skype, email, Facetime or phone. http://www.tanyaevans.com
Tanya E. Norris
Founder of
Fitness Management & The Wellness Loft
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tanya_Norris

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