Diet and Exercising for Weight Loss
You can find all kinds of information on how to eat in order to lose weight, but few diets emphasize the importance of exercise. Losing weight, keeping it off and just enjoying better overall health all require exercise. Obesity is now being called an epidemic in the health community. In fact, it will soon be the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, even ahead of cigarette smoking.

Obesity leads to type two diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or stroke and even an increased risk of cancer. With all of these health risks, as well as the general improvement in the quality of life that can occur, losing weight is one of the best things that you can do for yourself.

 No matter what we would like to believe, there simply isn't a magic solution to losing weight. The body will shed excess fat when it needs more calories to function through the demands you place on it in a given day than the amount of calories that you feed it. It's that simple.

So, in order to lose weight, you need to decrease the number of calories that you eat as well as increase the amount that you burn. There is a wide range of options to choose from when looking for a weight loss program.

 All of them often spend a lot of time explaining what to eat, in what amounts and even at what times or in what combinations. But few of them emphasize the importance of exercise – not just for losing weight, but for your general health and wellbeing. Exercise is vital when trying to lose weight for several reasons:
  • First, as you start to eat less, your metabolism will slow down somewhat. Exercising helps to elevate your metabolism back to an efficient level.
  • Second, as mentioned, exercise burns more calories so that you can lose weight faster and stay motivated in your efforts.
  • Third, exercise actually releases endorphins, chemicals that keep your mood elevated.
Exercise doesn't have to mean spending hours at the gym or straining through exhausting workouts. In fact, in order for you to stick with it on the long run, exercising should be something that you enjoy. Start by increasing your activity level in an overall way.

Take the stairs when you can. Park further from the mall door when you go shopping. Go for a walk in the park or through a neighborhood you love and bring a dog or a friend along for company. Take dance or martial arts lessons.

 Once you become more active in general, you'll find it easier and more natural to move into regular exercise. Which you'll need to do eventually in order to get regular, noticeable health benefits. You need to raise your heart rate to a fat burning level and keep it there for at least 20 minutes, 3 times or more a week. However, if you don’t want to go to a gym, there are other options. Videos and DVDs are now available in all kinds of exercise types.

That way you can change your routine whenever you want so that you don't get bored with what you're doing. Try a range of aerobics, kickboxing, yoga, or pretty much any activity you want right in the comfort of your own home. If you have physical limitations that would keep you off from exercising, you can still find a way to increase your activity level.

 Water aerobics is a wonderful option for those who have joint problems or limited mobility because it relieves the pressure on your body that your weight provides. But you still get the resistance to challenge your muscles from the water. There are even classes and videos available that let you exercise in a seated position. Whatever kind of exercise you choose, it's important to stay motivated and keep it fun. Try gathering a group together to make it a social event.

Or get a pedometer, a device that tracks how far you walk, and see how many miles you can walk a week. Make a competition amongst your friends or family members and treat the winner with something special (not food related!). Make the experience of exercising something that you look forward to, and it will soon become a regular part of your healthier lifestyle.

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Weight loss tips

Here are some weight loss diet tips that can be followed anywhere, everyday:

1. Make a delicious low fat mayonnaise by combining one teaspoon of Dijon mustard or satay sauce with a low fat yogurt.

2. Do not skip meals. Skipping meals slicks the body into slowing down the metabolism, attempting to conserve calories during a period where limited fats and fuel are available. Remember that eating increases the metabolism.

3. Stuff vegetables like capsicum and zucchini with flavored fillings or minced chicken, white meat or fish. These are healthy and contain low fat.

4. Take pita bread roll ups or wraps with salad fillings.

5. Eight hours after waking up, our metabolism slows down that is why 30 minutes of exercise before dinner will increase the metabolism for about two to three hours.  This produces an increase in burned fat even hours after the work out is over.

6. Add alfalfa or mung beans to salad to get extra iron.

7. Good cooking and healthy eating begins with learning about nutrition and how to prepare healthy recipes.

8. Learn how to make the family favorite recipes and make sure that fats, salt, and sugar are cut out. Substitute non-fat yogurt for cream, stir-fry without oil and use herbs and spices instead of salt to taste.

9. Consult the doctor before beginning an exercise or weight loss program.

10. Slowly eat and chew each bite during meals as this would decrease one's appetite.

11. Complete three small meals and two snacks everyday instead of one or two huge meals.

12. Use chicken stock when stir-frying.  This will cut down on hidden fat.

13. Buy non-toasted muesli instead of the toasted ones.  A plate of toasted muesli contains more fat than a plate of bacon and eggs.

14. As much as possible do not remove the skins of fruits and vegetables since most of the nutrients are concentrated under the skin.

15. Warm water with just a squeeze of lemon juice before breakfast get the metabolism going for the day, this also help preventing constipation and is excellent for the skin.

16. One of the best sources of vegetable protein is from soya beans or tofu. All legumes provide some protein, so include lentils, lima beans etc into casseroles and soups.

17. Look for a weight loss "buddy," club, or support mates. This will motivate you to stay and enjoy your weight loss program.

18. Though it's hard at first, try not eating 3 hours or more before bedtime.

19. Make pasta a fast food choice - preparing a pasta meal or salad will only take 10-12 minutes.

20. Chilli helps to speed up metabolism - even the milder varieties.

21. Try making omelettes without adding the yolks! A dramatic decrease in fat.

22. Substitute baking soda, baking powder, MSG and soya sauce in cooking.

23. Remove fat by dropping ice cubes into the baking tray. Fat will stick to the ice cubes.

24. Drinking hot water instead of cold water in the morning can increase the speed of your metabolism and burn more calories.

25. Eat before you go food shopping and always prepare a shopping list. Only buy food which relates to your weekly menu plan and don't be tempted to buy goodies.

Make sure that the right discipline is still practiced to promote consistency on the diet plan.  This will lead eventually to a healthy life-style and a more fruitful living without the extra fat and extra pounds on the side.

By: brown Michael
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How To Avoid Sugar At Work


Controlling your sugar intake is much easier than trying to control your cravings at work. Here are a few ideas you could use to ignore your cravings at work!

Make a real effort. You know your supply of sweets at work? You need to throw them all out. No more sweets at work. Certain times of the years are also treat heavy such as Halloween or Christmas.

Avoid the desks or parts of the offices that might contain them like the pantry. Don’t go there! Instead, take your lunch and eat it outside at a park.

Tell your friends about it. There are sure to be people at work who have a similar problem to you. Find them and both of you can encourage each other to avoid junk food.

Start packing lunch and snacks to work. Substitute the junk food with whole fruits such as apple, pear and peaches. Bring a salad to work too. Fill your salad with capsicum, cucumber, lettuces, and tomatoes and top it with a little olive oil dressing. If you do need your junk food fix, you could have your choice of unsweetened and unsalted chips.

Don’t skip breakfast. Skipping breakfast will lower your blood sugar and makes you more vulnerable to your sugar cravings. Eat your breakfast before you go work. Fill it with protein or multi grained cereal to start you on your day.

Read the labels. If you’ve got a cafeteria at work, make sure you read the labels first before purchasing. They are often laden with artificial sweeteners and are considered fake food.

If you must, limit yourself to homemade treats only. If someone brought in cookies they have baked, don’t offend them. Say no to all company packed sugar foods.

Lastly, make a conscious decision today to kick your habit. Remember you can make this happen!


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7 handy tips to stopping your sugar cravings


Sugar cravings are difficult to ignore. What is worse is that sugary treats are so easily available everywhere which makes it harder to ignore your craving. If you’re always craving for sugary snacks, you are not alone. Eating lots of simple carbohydrates i.e. sugar may only give your body a short term energy boost but they will always leave hungry and craving for more. So here a few tips to stop your body for craving for more sugar.

1_ Replace it with fruits. Keep fruits around when sugar cravings hit. Fruits are naturally sweet and full of fiber and nutrients.  Bring fruits to your work or and fill up your kitchen with fruits such as apples and pears. Those are easy to eat instead of fruits that require you to peel.

2_ Go for a walk. When you get a sugar craving, get out of the house and go for a walk. If you are at work, take a rest from your work, and walk about for 10 minutes. This will take your mind off the food.

3_ Eat regularly. If you don’t have three square meals a day, you may be craving for sugar because your body is low on sugar. So accompany your fruits with nuts, seed and dried fruits. These are protein and fiber rich food. For your three regular meals, increase your protein intake. Add an egg in the morning for your breakfast.

4_ Remove temptations. Go through your refrigerator and get rid of all the sugary treats. When you go grocery shopping, make a list of the things that you have to buy and stick to the list. After you are done, pay for it immediately instead of lingering around the sweets section.

5_ Read labels. Before you start buying food, be sure to read the label. Start being aware of content of the food that you purchased. Being aware of sugar contents can help you avoid high sugar food.

6_ Improve your diet. Eat more protein and fat. A well balanced meal will do your body good. Have small frequent meals to keep your blood sugar level stable. Take a daily multivitamin. This will help keep blood sugar stable.

7 Lastly, if you really do have to satisfy your sugar cravings, go for quality instead of quantity. Eat a small piece of dark chocolate instead of candy bar. This treat will be more satisfying for you.

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Choosing The Right Diet For You

There are so many different and varied diets floating around today that it can be quite difficult to make a decision regarding which one is right for you when you feel it’s time to lose weight. Some diets emphasize low fat while others insist low calories are the way to go. Still yet, other diet gurus are adamant that in order to meet your weight loss goals you must cut out all forms of carbohydrates.

There are so many different and varied diets floating around today that it can be quite difficult to make a decision regarding which one is right for you when you feel it’s time to lose weight. Some diets emphasize low fat while others insist low calories are the way to go. Still yet, other diet gurus are adamant that in order to meet your weight loss goals you must cut out all forms of carbohydrates. One diet seems to combine factors from at least two other well known diets with claims to produce an optimum fat burning weight loss program. Then there are the various other diets that have circulated around the world for years with numerous success stories such as the cabbage soup diet and the cider vinegar diet. Which diets really work and more importantly; which diet is right for you?

One of the most important factors you must consider when contemplating any diet plan is whether you will learn how to eat healthy and nutritionally sound through the plan. Unfortunately, a number of different diets that boast incredible results do so through nutritionally bankrupt methods. Often referred to as fad diets, these weight loss programs encourage you to indulge in eating habits that can do more harm than good.

Many weight loss programs promise almost instantaneous results and for awhile at least; it seems as though your weight loss dreams may have finally come true through the presence of this type of diet. Then the sad reality sets in. You realize there is no possible way you can stay on this diet for the rest of your life. This is an important factor to consider; because ideally you should be looking for a healthy weight loss and maintenance program not a diet. Although a very low-calorie, high or liquid diet or even a diet that only lasts for a few days may allow you to initially lose some weight, you will inevitably find that your weight loss problems recur when a vengeance at a later point. Instead of looking for a miracle cure, look for a weight loss program that can help you to achieve your goals on a permanent basis.

For those of us who would prefer to avoid exercise like the plague, any weight loss program that promises we can reach our goals without that dreaded E word is a lifesaver. Unfortunately, long term weight loss simply isn’t possible without taking part in a sensible exercise routine. Sad, but true.

When considering engaging in any weight loss program or diet, always ask yourself the following questions 1. Will I learn to take part in a healthy, nutritionally sound eating plan through this diet? 2. Is this a diet I can stick with long term? and 3. Does this diet combine sensible eating with moderate exercise?

When you find a diet or weight loss program that meets all of these conditions, you know that you have found the right diet for you. As with any diet, it’s always a good idea to check with your physician before engaging in any weight loss program.

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Does Alli Really Work For Weight Loss


Does alli work as a weight loss pill? The quick answer seems to be yes, but there is a downside, so read on.

Alli is the over-the-counter name for orlistat which is also available in prescription form as Xenical. If you are going to ask for it you may like to know that it is pronounced like ally, not alley. It is essentially a fat blocker. It works by preventing the body from absorbing the fat from the foods that we eat, and it is the one freely available drug that has FDA backing for its claims to aid weight loss. You might think you could eat all the fatty foods you liked and then take alli to negate the effect but sadly that is not true. It should always be used in conjunction with a low fat diet plan under the supervision of a doctor.

The amount of weight loss achieved with alli is variable. In one study involving one-year clinical trials, between 35.5% and 54.8% of subjects attained a 5% or greater decrease in body mass, although we do not know how much of this mass was fat. Between 16.4% and 24.8% of the subjects achieved a 10% or more decrease in body mass. In combination with a calorie controlled diet, the effects could be expected to be greater. It was also shown to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The participants regained an average of one third of the weight that they had lost after stopping alli, but this is typical of most dieters.

The main disadvantage of alli is the side effects which center around digestive and bowel problems. The higher the fat content in the diet, the greater these side effects are likely to be, as the undigested fat is expelled from the body. Flatulence, loose stools and bowel incontinence can result, especially in the early stages before the body is accustomed to the drug. The manufacturer's website warns, "You may feel an urgent need to go to the bathroom. Until you have a sense of any treatment effects, it's probably a smart idea to wear dark pants, and bring a change of clothes with you to work." You really need to want to lose weight to take alli!

However, these side effects are reduced if you stick to the recommended low fat diet and as the manufacturers hint, the potentially embarrassing side effects can even be helpful in encouraging you to keep to your diet. Always remember that alli does not claim to work without consistent efforts toward weight loss from you. What they do claim is that it can improve your weight loss by up to 50%. That would mean a person who lost 10 pounds without taking alli would lose 15 pounds taking it. It boosts your weight loss and rewards your efforts with better results than you could get by yourself. Note though that individual results will vary and are not guaranteed.

Sadly, there is no magic diet pill that will melt away your excess pounds while you sleep, but alli is a pill that has documented results. If you are determined to lose weight and have been struggling with diets without much effect, it may be a good time to discuss it with your doctor and find out does alli work for you.

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Effective Ways To Lose Weight Fast

Want to lose weight fast? It's easy to say goodbye to 10 pounds of unwanted fat with these easy diet tips. Just pay attention to what you eat and be sure to have good tasting, fresh and healthy food including snacks, fill up on vegetables and keep your taste buds happy with fruit.

No need to make sacrifices! Just follow these simple guidelines to lose your first 10 pounds, last 10 pounds or give your weight loss program a boost when it seems to have stuttered to a halt. This is a balanced and flexible plan that you can use for as long as you want.

1. Keep a note of everything that you eat and drink. You do not need to estimate calories. Just write down what it was that you had and the approximate quantity. You will find that being more aware of what you are eating helps you to plan healthy meals and snacks.

2. Halve your intake of all pure or added fats. This means using half as much butter or spread on your bread, toast, muffins and potatoes; half the usual amount of mayonnaise or sauce on your salad; and half the oil in the frypan every time.

3. Limit treats containing sugar to three times per week. This includes chocolate, ice cream, desserts, cake, pastries, cookies, etc.

4. Include a lower fat source of protein at most meals: chicken, fish, beans, cottage cheese, or low fat yogurt. Have eggs, nuts and red meat occasionally but not every day.

5. Plan at least one lunch and dinner every week without meat or cheese. Build those meals around whole grains, vegetables and beans to increase fiber and reduce fat.

6. Reduce the fat content in your milk products. If you are currently drinking whole milk, reduce to 2% fat. From 2% reduce to 1%. Choose lower fat cheese and yogurt. When you buy yogurt, also check that it does not contain sugar.

7. Have at least two servings of fruit every day. This can be for dessert or snacks. Choose fruit that is in season.

8. Drink water instead of sodas, juices, milky drinks or alcohol. Avoid diet soda - the sweet taste only encourages you to crave sugar. Hot water with a slice of lemon can be very refreshing in the morning.

9. Include at least two servings of vegetables at lunch and dinner. If you are getting hungry, have more.

10. Eat slowly. The body is slow to register when you are full and it is easy to eat too much if you are racing through your meals.

11. Grated carrot makes a great snack. You will find that a grated carrot is much more filling than a whole carrot. Strange but true.

12. Use whole grains wherever possible. The fiber will give you a fuller feeling and also help your digestion.

13. Choose food that you can chew. Again, this will increase your fiber intake, and the act of chewing will make you feel more satisfied, too. This means eating fruit instead of drinking juice. If you have soup, make sure it is chunky.

14. Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time. Plan your shopping, too - make a list of what you need and stick to it. If you just grab something when you are feeling hungry, you will probably choose high calorie food.

15. Always switch off the TV when you eat. That includes snacks as well as meals. Studies have proved that we eat larger portions in front of the TV, probably because we are much less aware of what we are eating. When you eat, only eat if you want to lose weight fast.

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Dieting Tips For Weight Loss

Keep a food diary, have diet food prepared and delivered to you, use smaller plates, eat healthy snacks and drink plenty of water to help with weight loss.

Keep A Diary Of What You Eat

I think you will be very surprised if before you start your diet you keep a journal of what you eat and at what times. Do this for about a week. Then study your journal and see where you can cut back and find out at what times are you eating that could cause problems. If you find you are having a snack at 10 pm at night. Try bringing the time time in. You never what to eat to soon before you go to bed.

Buy Diet Food Prepared

What can make dieting hard to stick to is the preparation? Having the diet food available to you also means having to go shopping then come home and prepare your healthy meal. Now a days it seems everyone is so rushed with no time to spare. Would it not be easier to have your diet meal already prepared for you? There are a few diet nutrition food programs that will actually ship the food right to your door. Talk about convenience. I know of a few diets that deliver food, Atkins At Home, Diet To Your Door, Diet To Go, eDiets - Fresh Cuisine, Jenny Direct, Nutrisystem, Sunfare and Zone Chefs.

Smaller Plates To Help Lose Weight

Use smaller plates to help you lose weight. This will give you smaller portions but may fool the eyes. Never feel you have to finish everything on your plate. This does not mean you have to throw food out. You can store diet food for later. If you feel full, stop.

Snacks Ready To Eat

Have healthy snacks ready to eat. Instead of grabbing for the chips have carrot slices ready to grab. You will still get that sensation of crunchy with a more healthy nutritious choice.

Water, Water, Water

If you do some research regarding dieting one thing you will hear over and over is to drink plenty of water. Not only will water help to fill you up so you do not eat to much, but it is also great for your appearance. Water is the best beauty treatment. It flushes out the impurities and gives you great looking skin.

Drinking water can also improve muscle tone. Muscles having all the water they need contract easier. Drinking water can give you a more effective workout when you exercise.

You should drink at least 8 8 oz glasses of water a day and more if you are more than 25 pounds over weight. For every 25 lbs I would drink another 8 oz glass of water.

Keep water by you. Use a straw if that will help you drink more.

Good luck and stick with it. Take it day by day. I also recommend only weighing your self once a week. As always before you start any diet or exercise program check with your doctor first.

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Diet and Fitness - Winning Tactics For Weight Loss

Tell me, does this describe you? 'I tried a zillion diets in fits and starts and was never successful.' Just going on a diet will not give you a complete healthy persona. I finally paid attention to what everybody was saying, but I was too lazy to do.

I added exercise and fitness to the equation. We also need to stay fit as well as diet to lose weight. Our true wealth is our health. Isn't it worth your time bring it into peak condition and maintain it? Diet fitness is all about an accurate mix of diet and an appropriate fitness program.

This basically includes three levels of consideration:

1. Balance-A balanced diet must contain carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamin, mineral salts and fiber in well proportionate quantity.  Carbohydrates are the source of energy so these play an important role in balanced diet. Intentional inclusion of all foods from fruits to vegetables and meats to grains.

2. Moderation- portion control, small quantity at regular intervals. I had to laugh when I heard the results of a 5-year study costing millions of dollars the government ran to find out why the population of the US is getting heavier. The results…they determined we eat larger quantities! 'Super Size it!'

3. Variation - wide variety in foods,means higher chances of complete nutrition. And variety in your workout routine means a greter chance of sustaining it.

It is a well-known fact that poor diet leads to diseases, like obesity, even cancer and heart disease. The link between diet and physical fitness has well been established and recognized as a science in itself. It's the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.  How do you balance diet and fitness? What changes in your diet and fitness regimes will prove to be the most beneficial ones?

These questions may have been on your mind for a long time but you didn't know where to start. I let the paralysis of analysis prevent me from getting started for a long time. I wanted the 'perfect' fitness plan. My advice? Just get started anywhere, but get started. There are the solutions at your doorstep. First and foremost, you need to ensure that the diet you are on, supplies you enough strength and energy to carry out the fitness training which means:

The basic fitness diet should:

1. Have a wide variety of foods-- wholegrain breads and cereals for vitamins and minerals, leafy green vegetables for iron fueling, fruit for adequate fiber, lean meat and Fish (lowers cholesterol and helps prevent cancer) and low fat dairy products.

2. Enable you to have optimal weight and energy to carry out daily activities with ease.

3. Enhance quick and complete recovery during exercise.

4. Supply enough fluids to have maximum hydration.

5. Provide both short and long term benefits and ease of maintenance.

When the above criterion is satisfied, you can confirm that you are on a diet that is not starving you or running you the risk of malnutrition and weakness. Fitness programs can include not only basic gymnasium but modern techniques like dancing, aerobics and yoga for variety and fun. If it is enjoyable it will be easier to maintain.

Make no mistake about it, fitness regimes help you speed up the process of loosing weight along with the diet. That is the key, the magic diet accelerator. So eat healthy, exercise and be wise!

By: brown Michael
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Weight Loss Success

Even though there is so much information available about weight loss, the same diet mistakes are being made over and over every day. We are not talking here about little slipups where you ate a slice of pie that was not on the plan, but big mistakes that lead to failure to lose the weight that you want to lose. Understanding these errors can help you develop the attitude that will lead to permanent weight loss for you.

1. The All Or Nothing Attitude

All or nothing dieters will often pick out a complicated diet that is almost impossible for them to maintain. Before beginning, they will search the kitchen for anything that does not fit the plan and throw it in the garbage. They are planning to be the perfect dieter, and so they will be -for one day, three days, seven days or even a couple of weeks. Then, inevitably, something happens that means they cannot keep to the diet one time. Immediately, the whole thing is ruined in their eyes and the diet is over. They go to the store and buy all the things that went into the garbage last week and proceed to gain back all the weight that they lost, as fast as possible.

If you are this kind of dieter, you need to ask yourself some tough questions. Do you really want to lose weight permanently, or just lose a few pounds so that you can enjoy putting them back on again? The way forward is to make small changes to what you eat so that you have a slow but steady weight loss.

2. The Attitude of Sacrifice

Another common mistake is to view your diet as a period of sacrifice. You do not allow yourself the foods that you enjoy most while you are on your way to your target weight. You may have a great diet plan and be very successful in losing weight, but what happens when you reach your goal? You have not learnt to eat 'bad foods' in moderation so as soon as you start, you are likely to go out of control. It is better to include a little of everything in your diet and learn to enjoy it in small quantities. Yes, even chocolate!

3. Goal Failure

Setting achievable goals is vital in any weight loss plan. Goals should be clear, realistic and set out in writing. While you probably do have an ideal weight in your mind, unless you are only very slightly overweight, it is probably too distant to be useful. A more useful goal would be to lose two pounds per week for the first five weeks and then one pound per week after that. Some weeks you will lose more and some less, some weeks you may even gain, but if you track your progress on a graph, you will see that ups and downs are natural and do not stop you progressing steadily toward your major goal.

If you have been making these mistakes, do not worry. The most important point in dieting, as in so many other things, is to move on. Learn from your failures as well as your success and do not use a mistake as an excuse for giving up. The only way to achieve your goal permanently is to make a commitment to become a healthier person. Remember that eating normally includes eating more some days and less others. Learn to enjoy food in moderation and you have every chance of avoiding these bad diet mistakes.

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Burn More Calories in Less Time

If you want to achieve your goals of fat loss then must pick up the intensity of your workouts.  Here's a great way to do so.

When I work with my clients, one of the key elements that I incorporate into all of our workouts is INTENSITY.  In my view, intensity is the most critical aspect of any exercise regime and can mean the difference between someone who reaches their goals and someone who doesn’t.  Increasing your workout’s intensity will stimulate your body to burn more calories and induce a greater cardiovascular response.  It will also allow you to have a more time efficient workout.

If you are looking to burn fat and become more toned, then increasing your exercise intensity is critical.  Many people have the misconception that if you workout at a higher intensity you will no longer be burning fat since you will be in your “cardio zone”.  Whereas, if you keep your intensity low for a longer duration you will burn more fat since you will be in your “fat burning zone”.  Let me clarify this for you once and for all.  By training at a low intensity (<70% max) it is true that you use fat as your predominant source of fuel.  While exercising at a higher intensity (>75% max) your main fuel source is carbohydrate but you will ultimately burn more calories.   And since 1 pound of fat is equivalent to 3500 calories, the ultimate goal is to burn as many calories as possible to create a negative energy balance!

One of the best ways to achieve this intensity is through the use of full-body compound circuit training (strength training) in conjunction with interval training (on the cardio equipment).  The benefit of full body compound training is that since it utilizes more muscle in any given movement you burn more calories.  The intensity of the workout also means that each exercise becomes more challenging as your heart rate is sustained at a much higher level.

Here are a couple of benefits to following an exercise program combining circuit training and interval training:

1.    Intervals and circuits vastly reduce boredom.  Traditional steady state cardio training and/or weight lifting can become quite boring.  Interval training and circuit training offer more variety and excitement to your workouts.

2.    Interval training increases post-exercise energy expenditure (calories burned following exercise) more than steady-state exercise, which means that more fat is burned. After intense exercise, the body needs extra calories as it works to repair muscles, replace energy stores (i.e. carbohydrate) and restore the body to its normal state (e.g. reduce heart rate). As this can take many hours, you will keep on burning more calories long after the workout is over. In fact, research shows that metabolic rate is higher for several hours following interval training compared to steady state exercise.


3.    Interval training burns more calories.  As an example, 30 minutes on an Elliptical machine using a steady state program will burn roughly 292 calories, whereas 30 minutes of intervals will burn approximately 584 calories!


Here is a sample workout that will leave you huffing and puffing: 

Warm-up
bike, treadmill, elliptical, rower                5-10 min

Circuit (45 seconds for each exercise, with 15 seconds rest between exercises)                                        5-7 min           
Lunge walks with lateral raises
Plank (on stability ball)
Squats with medicine ball shoulder press
Push-ups
Side Bridges
Reverse Pull-ups
Burpies

Interval Training (cardio equipment)
20 sec @ 100% : 40 sec @ 70% x 5         5 min

Repeat Circuit and Interval 3 times

Total Workout Time:              45 – 60 min

If you would like to experience what an intense workout feels like then please inquire about the revolutionary Fitter U MP3 personal training program!  For a fraction of the cost of regular one-on-one training, this proven MP3 program will ensure you get to your fitness goals in less time!

Written by Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, CK.  Do not reprint without permission.  © 2006 Total Wellness Consulting.

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Beating Food Cravings

Do you often find yourself giving in to cravings and completely wrecking your efforts to lose weight or maintain your healthy eating habits? Before you uncontrollably grab for those doughnuts or chips, read this article and learn how you can easily overcome those cravings by using a few simple strategies.

Everyone, regardless of how disciplined they are with their diet, will from time to time fall victim to cravings for one food item or another. For people trying to lose weight, these cravings are even more of a challenge to deal with than for someone simply maintaining their weight. Regardless of whether or not you are trying to lose weight however, cravings can be the one thing that makes you break your normal dietary habits and overdo the calories you usually try to do without.

Most people know that getting some kind of exercise and eating healthy, low-fat foods is the key to maintaining good health, but with the hectic and hurried schedules so many people have these days, sometimes eating right and getting exercise can be easier said than done. The best way to insure against dietary disaster when you do get those cravings throughout the day is to plan ahead and use a little strategy.

For one thing, try to plan 5 to 6 small meals with one to be eaten around every 3 hours of the day and make it a point not to miss any of them. It takes an average of 2 ½ hours for the human body to digest a meal, so by the time you start to feel a craving coming on, it’s almost time for your next meal anyway.

Make it a point to drink plenty of water. Quite often, feelings of hunger between meals are really your body trying to signal thirst. By keeping a bottle of water with you all day and making it a point to take constant “sips” throughout the day, you will keep hydrated, feel better, and eliminate one common cause for cravings to happen.

When you are at home, always try to keep some fresh fruit on hand. If you are hit with a craving, fruit is a better choice than cake or chips. Also, make a fat-free dip and cut up some fresh veggies like carrots and celery and keep them in the fridge. This will give you another quick and healthy snack that you can just grab and eat during a craving.

Never go to a party, a meeting, or any event where there will be food available on an empty stomach. This will set you right up to over eat when you get there. Always eat a small meal or at least eat a good, healthy snack before you go as this will help to stop cravings from hitting you while there.

If there are certain snack foods that you really enjoy, don’t try to completely cut them out. You will only overindulge in them when you can’t control the urge to have them later. Plan these snacks into your day, and just make them snacks that you have once in a while and in moderate amounts when you do.

Remember that just because certain food items are fat-free does not mean they are calorie free. When turning to fat free snacks, be careful of how many calories they contain and adjust your portions accordingly. It is very easy to assume fat-free is “safe” and go way overboard on them.

The next time you are hit with cravings, remember these little guidelines and you will be able to deal with them without ruining your efforts to maintain healthy eating habits.

By: brown Michael
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A Journey to Begin Losing Pounds

Usually we all seek to lose weight as fast and easy as possible, and in top of that we want results right away. And if we don’t get them, we just quit and move along.

Frequently we become objective (to lose 1 kilo every week) and if in one week it lowers solely half kilo or what is worse, nothing happens, I get frustrated and that can lead me to no longer continue with the plan I set and then I just quit it.

Even there are times the people unconsciously set goals that are too hard to obtain so that I can leave it quickly, nobody (and I include myself) wants to follow a diet!!!

We make it because it is healthy but when we choose what it tastes better.

Does anybody likes lettuce?

If you want to follow your plan you need to set reasonable and reachable goals. A study stated that when people lower 500g per week, those people maintain long term descent.

It is the best objective that we can intend, to lower 500g for week and knowledge that some week won't lose weight. If you want to lower quick we can also help you, of course, but I have to be conscious that in some moment losing weight rate won’t be the one as desired. And I don't want to frustrate myself for that reason, the following week I will achieve the results.

The body is not something that reacts mathematically, the weight it depends on many factors, as the retention of liquids, the intestinal evacuation, the time in which weigh myself, that ingested the previous night, if I ingested pizza or another very salted food I will surely retain liquids, the same as if I began with an intense activity the previous day.

Another cause of failure in a diet is to be very strict with what you have to eat.

If I go to a party and I don't eat anything, or same at home if I am extremely strict it is very difficult to be able to maintain the plan and in the first time that comes out, you will think “I cannot make diet" or "this is not for me", frustrating me once again, abandoning and feeling badly.

These 2 forms of thinking "if I don't lower 1 kilo per week every week I’m not doing anything good at all" or "I can’t make the diet because I ate an ice cream." are forms in that consciously or unconsciously plot us the diet to ourselves.

In fact I don't want to make diet. Let us accept it!

 Nobody wants to make it, but they want to lose weight. Unfortunately these 2 factors are really hard to join them together and make it work|Regrettably the 2 things join are not able to work together}.

Perhaps it is time that you start making choices, and make decisions in order to choose which path you want to go. By just choosing to remain healthy, you will get results.

By: brown Michael
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Tips to Help Lose Weight

When it comes to shedding a few extra pounds it may not be as difficult as you once first thought. However with the huge range of slimming products and pills on the market today many don't know where to start.

This may seem obvious but the best thing you can do is start eating healthy foods. Eating healthy means you have to monitor and watch the foods that you eat. Many people think eating less is the answer but the real solution is to eat the right kind of foods. As an example a portion of chips or fries could easily be replaced by an apple or some other fruit, cutting down on any foods with high calories will certainly help.

If you are unsure exactly what healthy food is you could do a search on the internet, there are hundreds of great sites out there with lots of healthily meals and cooking instructions. Try to find meals you like and then replace it with one of your unhealthy meals. Once you start to look about you will find there is thousands of different meals to try and something for every taste.

As well as eating healthy meals taking regular exercise is also essential help lose weight. Exercise is very important as it helps your body burn off calories. If you haven't done any exercise in a while it is very important to take things slowly at first, you don't want to pull a muscle or damage your body in any way. If you don't at present have an exercise plan or program or don't know where to start it is a good idea to find a free instructional workout video on one of the popular video sites like google or youtube.

When exercising you can use special equipment such as weights and exercise balls but it doesn't have to cost a lot of money, although many people enjoy going to a club you can just as easily exercise at home using the things found in your house such as the stairs to do step ups on.

When it comes to exercising many people are just plain lazy and require some kind of motivation, if you have any friends or a partner see if they are interested in working out with you. Keeping a log or journal is also a good idea; you can even use a online blog. Keeping a track of your progress can help boost your confidence as you see your weight dropping.

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Weight Loss Made Easy

Weight loss is a major problem in U.S. Every day there is a formula or a new method to loose excess weight or to get rid of obesity. There have been scientific interventions in midst of natural ways of loosing weight. Many people in US follow different methods to keep themselves happy.

The health experts recently mentioned the only loosing of weight can be done through natural process. There are people who intake weight loss tablets or medicines, this can create a huge misunderstanding within the system of body and can really carry a lot of negative implications as one starts aging.

The best remedy for the weight loss is through natural process, this was the basic conclusion by the experts. Natural process of weight loss comes with understanding your body and really taking to heart that you need to reduce weight for your own sake and your body’s sake.

Before going to natural way of losing weight or weight loss method, it is best to take consultation from your personal health expert, taking suggestions from him or her for the best way to go around in losing the excess weight.

Some of the methods that many health experts suggest for losing weight is watching the diet, exercising and drinking lot of water. Health experts once came to say that, drinking 2-3 bottles of water daily can reduce obesity in no time, people have not been able to grasp that well, but water really plays a great affect in keeping one fit and healthy.

Obesity is an illness and some times it is psychologically in the head. It is important to remove any negativity from the head about your obesity and move on to having a healthy life style. Most people in U.S are suffering the problems of obesity for the very reason of being obese and not ever being able to come to a normal lifestyle. People need to really take it serious and to heart, that obesity is just a illness in head and once people decide to lose weight by proper implications than it is easy to lose weight in no time.

Losing weight is not difficult, it is an easy method. Losing weight involves, taking care of diet, taking care of intake on calories, drinking to the most 2- 3 bottles of water every day and exercising. These are the best methods to lose weight and gain confidence about your self.

Major observation given in losing the weight is watching the intake on calories every day. People have no balance on what they are eating every day. Many testimonials of obese people who have lost weight have said that, they never maintained their calorie levels daily, they had no control over it and they kept eating till they were tired. But once they started maintaining a diary on the intake of calories they have in a day that changed the whole perspective for them. They also made a point of exercising for one hour in a day, which is said to be more than enough period to lose on extra fats in a day.

By: brown Michael
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Weight Loss Exercise Proven Most Effective

JUST A LITTLE BIT IS BETTER THAN NOTHING; STILL, A WEE BIT MORE IS SO MUCH MORE ADMIRABLE!

If you're “averagely overweight,” that is, not doctor-diagnosed with extreme obesity, or if you just want to feel better by losing or shedding a few pounds, there’s good news for you – from ACCREDITED, reliable, trusted experts who also care about your well-being. [See: ACE; ACSM; AHA; or AHA.]

Truth: Ten minutes of daily exercise is admirable because it’s far better than zero minutes of productive energy expenditure. However, exercise physiology and weight loss science point to 30 minutes per day, at least three times per week, as part of your best body fat improvement scenario.

Why Does 30 Minutes Prove So Beneficial, And What’s The Other Part of An Effective Weight Loss Scenario?

Your body has only three possible energy systems. Two of them are oxygen-INDEPENDENT. Yet, in order to metabolize fat, your body demands that oxygen be present. Long-story-short: brief, especially “quick” exercise bouts look for quick energy sources. These reside in blood and in muscle. It takes more than a few minutes to significantly tap into your fat stores, and especially, to burn enough of it for a long enough time to lose some substantial body weight.

This is almost the exact opposite of muscle tissue, where you can see and feel virtually immediate results. Burning fat requires patience. You simply have to allow yourself TIME to let exercise effects occur.

Reach Your Aerobic Threshold

Generally, exercise begins with a warm-up phase, at least 1-3 minutes. Provided your intensity remains within your target heart rate training zone, (about 120 heart beats per minute – an estimated average for most non health-impaired adults) you’ll spend the next 7-10 minutes reaching your aerobic threshold. Staying near-to, but right below the point where your muscles burn (from a too-highly-intense performance causing lactic acid build-up) will bring you to a virtually perfect “fat-burn.” Yet, THIS very special meeting only occurs at medium-to-low intensities, which takes longer periods of time.

Lipids (a simplified word for “non-water-soluble-fats” within your system) have to move from the outside of a cell, through the cytosol, mix with pyruvate, plus oxygen… then proceed to your “furnace” (mitochondria). This is where you break fat down into your “rewarding and much-wanted” by-products – energy (the work you’ve achieved); H2O (sweat); and carbon dioxide (a lot of continuous “exhaling”).

So, if you quit at the 10-minute mark, you deny yourself approximately an additional 10 calories or more per minute of weight lost, primarily from fat stores. Stopping this process at 10 minutes is much like going all the way to the door of your favorite party but never stepping inside…for the “real” action.

Reasons Why You Should Work Out More Than Ten Minutes

With all of that said, there’s an even more monumentally powerful yet scientific reason why you should work out for more than only ten minutes. In fact, at least 30-minute exercise sessions prove most beneficial for effective weight loss and improved endurance. You’ll get three fundamental benefits from this:

First, you preserve your LEAN body mass (which you need because it burns fat far better than fat can burn itself).

Second, you get to expend MAXIMUM calories (the true key to losing weight – maximizing caloric expenditure, which is a time-consuming venture).

Third, your extended physical activity makes you change the way your body USES food internally or metabolically (for example, getting three-fold increase in calories expended, compared to person remaining sedentary.).

To Summarize, Experts Now Agree

The bottom line is that essentially all experts in diabetic science, obesity control, dietetics & nutrition, exercise science & personal training, and exercise physiology agree that extended, low-to-moderate-intensity physical activity is yet the most significant and flexible factor in energy expenditure for losing weight.

Mix that with practicality, reasonability, and utilize the following tip: Base your safe, effective weight loss goals around the fundamental principle that you need to alter your energy balance in the NEGATIVE direction by expending about 500 calories per day from smartly manipulating both EXERCISE AND DIET. You’ll find that it's barely even possible to accomplish this feat by altering food alone. With exercise, however, you can obtain your weight loss objectives much more comfortably and conveniently, plus safely, too, for results that are long-lasting and health enhancing.

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10 Steps to Fat Loss

1) Calculate how many calories you body needs to consume to maintain your existing weight. This is called you maintenance calories.(Search Google with "calorie needs" and you will find a few different calculators to help you with this)

2) Initially deduct 10%(to a maximum of 500Kcal)off the total maintenance calories. Drastically reducing your calories will result in muscle and water loss - not fat loss.

3) Divide you calories over 5 or 6 meals rather then 2 or 3. You should aim to eat every 3-4 hours.

4) Cut out all simple carbohydrates (except straight after exercise, eat whole grain, high fibre foods.)

5) Exercise at least 3 times a week, doing 30 minutes of cardio to a reasonable level of intensity. This will help to create the calorie deficit and encourage your body to lose fat.

6)Make simple replacements in your diet, Sweetener in place of sugar, diet drinks in place of full sugar drinks, use leaner cuts of meat etc. At first these changes may be difficult but you will get used to them and make vital calorie savings every day.

7) Drink plenty of water - at least 2 litres of water every day - if you are dehydrated you body will be less efficient and will make fat loss more difficult.

8) Try to eat low carb(complex only!), low fat and moderate protein. From my experience the South Beach Diet is excellent.

9) Keep a food diary to monitor how many calories you are consuming - it is very easy to over eat.

10) Supplementing you diet can make fat loss easier. A diet high in protein can help preserve muscle (more muscle means an increase in metabolism). There are also some fat loss supplements available which help boost your metabolism, this is useful as your metabolism may slow during extended periods of dieting.

This article is written from my own experiences. I have lost 20lbs of fat and gained 20lbs of muscle. My body fat is 11%. Please consult a doctor for proper medical advice.

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How to Lose Weight Quick

When you want to lose weight, knowing how to lose weight quick is one of the keys to your success. Whether you decide on a diet that has major changes or to incorporate serious exercise workouts into your daily routines, you want to see the weight come off quickly. Sometimes there’s an event or outfit that you want to wear for a specific date or time and knowing how to lose the weight quick is paramount.

It doesn’t matter if you are starting a diet or exercise plan for the first or 100th time. The point is that you want to know how to lose weight quick so that you can get rid of the unwanted fat and pounds that you’ve gained. The good news is that there are many ways that you can learn how to lose weight quick. The key is to find the right program for your lifestyle, body type and metabolism. Once you find that key, knowing how to lose weight quick is in the bag.

Believe it or not, your primary care physician may be one of the best places to start in your search for how to lose weight quick. Your doctor can refer you to a nutritionist who can take into consideration how much weight you have to lose and what eating program that you can start right away to lose the most weight possible in both a quick and safe manner.

The good thing about consulting with your doctor is that he or she will help you to avoid those unsafe quick weight loss gimmicks. You know the ones that pull water from your body but don’t teach you how to lose the fat or how to keep the weight off that you do lose.

It is important for you to understand that while there are lots of programs that teach you how to lose weight quick without exercise, however the real good ones will tell you include exercise along with your lose weight fast plan. Why is it so important?

When you include exercise in your weight loss goals it will help you to kick your metabolism into a higher gear. This in turn means you will burn fat faster and more regularly.  It also means when you reach your ideal weight goal, you will keep the weight off and have a much healthier body all the way around.

Sometimes the pressure of trying to lose weight quickly can be traumatic. Try to avoid the pressure of short term weight loss ordeals.  You can do this by practicing good eating habits and a healthy lifestyle on a regular basis. Then when those special occasions come around, you’ll be in your best shape for them.

Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t maintain optimum weight at all times because there are ways available that can help you to lose weight quickly when you need to. The most important aspect is that you treat your body with respect.  It’s important for you to understand that you only get one body, which you need to care for as best you can.

Learning how to lose weight quick correctly is a lesson that provides benefits and rewards that can last a lifetime.

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Four Easy Ways to Loose Weight

It seems like everywhere you turn these days, someone is claiming they have the best ways to loose weight.  The only true and proven ways to loose weight are to eat better and participate in a fitness program.  All of those self-help books, diet products, and crazy-looking exercise machines are all a waste of money.  Losing weight can be very inexpensive if done right. 

A simple walk around the park and a basket full of vegetables can be all you need to start on your way to loosing weight and living healthier.  Here are four things you can incorporate into your lifestyle today to see immediate results.

1.  Eat breakfast every day.  This gets your body's digestive system started up and will increase your metabolism throughout the day.  Many people are rushed in the morning and think they can just skip breakfast and catch up with a big lunch.  This is actually the worst thing for people who are trying to loose weight because it causes the body to slow down its metabolism. 

Since dinner is usually around 7 o'clock for most people, this means that the body has to go well over 12 hours with no nourishment at all.  The body switches to "famine" mode to conserve energy and burns less calories while storing more fat.

2.  Eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day.  As mentioned above, this keeps the body from switching to energy conservation mode.  You will also find that you have more consistent energy all day long because your body is constantly getting fuel. 

Of course, these smaller meals should be healthy items, not junk food.  Processed sugars and saturated fat are harder for the body to handle, so you will have a lag in energy level and a drop in metabolism while the body struggles to digest an unhealthy snack.

3.  Slow down while eating.  Not only will you be able to savor the taste of your food, but you will also end up eating less if you take longer to do it.  Eating too quickly circumvents the body's signal that it is full.  You can keep eating before you realize that you do not need any more food. 

Slow down and try to take about 30 seconds per bite of food.  This lets your body catch up and let you know when you have had enough to satisfy your physical needs.  You may even become more mindful of the food you are eating and the nutritional choices you make.  Often we eat certain foods simply out of habit and do not even realize we are making an unhealthy choice.

4.  Plan out your meals for the entire week.  This will make your grocery shopping easier and can keep you motivated to eat healthy even when things get busy later in the week. 

You will already have all the necessary ingredients on hand to cook a delicious and healthy meal, so it will be harder to justify choosing high calorie fast food instead. The best ways to loose weight is to focus on making it convenient and enjoyable to live a healthy lifestyle.

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Eat These Foods to Lose Weight Fast

Looking for a dependable way to loss weight fast?  Stop wasting your time with the latest fad diets and miracle pills.  The only proven method for weight loss is to eat better and exercise more.  You will see better results by gradually making these adjustments as part of an overall healthier lifestyle instead of as a temporary crash diet.  This article will suggest a few nutritious foods you can eat that will also fill you up.

Potatoes are one of the healthiest vegetables out there, but they often get a bad reputation as a fatty food because of their high carb content.  The truth is, carbohydrates are not bad themselves, the problem is when processed carbohydrates make up a large part of a person's daily intake.  Starchy carbohydrates such as the ones in potatoes are actually beneficial to the body and should be a part of your every day diet.  An average sized potato by itself only has around 100 calories, yet will make you feel full if topped with the right low-fat condiments.

The mistake most people make when adding potatoes into their diet is to top them with all sorts of fatty foods.  Butter, sour cream, bacon, and cheese may make for a great loaded baked potato, but they also add a ton of fat and calories to an otherwise healthy meal.  Substitute low-fat cheese, nonfat yogurt, and lowfat margarine to keep that same delicious taste without sacrificing your diet.  Leave the peel on the potato for extra fiber and nutrition.

Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet.  In addition to providing plenty of nutrients and fiber themselves, they are an easy way to prevent yourself from choosing an unhealthy alternative.  Reaching for an apple instead of a bag of chips will remove a lot of calories, fat, and sodium from your daily intake.  To loss weight fast, you should aim to get most of your calories from fruits and vegetables instead of fat and processed carbohydrates.

Whenever possible, eat your fruits and vegetables raw and unpeeled.  In many cases, the peel contains the bulk of the vitamins and minerals.  Be sure to scrub them thoroughly to remove any dirt and pesticide residue.  If you must cook them, try to steam your vegetables instead of boiling or microwaving.  Steaming leaves most of the nutrients in the food, where other cooking methods may not.  Steamed vegetables will retain most of their natural flavor, reducing the need for artificial seasonings and fatty toppings like butter or sour cream.

Try to eat a significant amount of citrus fruit in your diet.  Citric acid is known to assist the digestive system in breaking down fatty food, along with containing your daily requirement of Vitamin C.  Vitamin C is crucial to a healthy immune system and to having enough energy to keep up with your exercise routine.  Apples are another good choice for those looking to loss weight fast because they have a high fiber content and will fill you up quickly.

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