Archive for March, 2012

How to Really Lose the Weight

Many athletes and people participating in fitness wish to lose weight either for health or performance reasons or in order to make a competitive weight category. However, if you lose weight too fast there can be major, and serious, health consequences which can easily result in poorer performance. 95% of people on a diet fail to keep the weight off within a five year period.

There are two main weight loss methods which will an an adverse effect on your performance, these are dehydration and crash dieting. There is very little evidence to prove that a lower body fat/weight will improve your performance. The best way to improve performance is via good nutrition and strenuous training. In fact losing weight quickly can diminish your aerobic capacity. Athletes who have lost 2-3 % body weight through dehydration can have a 5% decrease in their aerobic capacity. Where as those who lose weight via strict dieting can lose up to 10% aerobic capacity.

To lose body fat you must expend more energy than you take up in your food and drink, this is called achieving a negative energy balance.

To lose more fat than muscle ensure you incorporate some weight training and cardiovascular training into your exercise routine.

High intensity cardiovascular exercise are the best kind for fat loss. This will burn more calories more effectively during exercise and, by speeding up your metabolism, will help to keep burning the calories after exercise has finished.. The most important piece of information is the number of calories burned per unit of time. The more calories you expend the greater the amount of fat that will be broken down. For example, walking for 60 minutes will burn approximately 270kcal of which 160kcal (60% calories) comes from fat. Running for 60 minutes will burn 680kcal of which 270kcal (40% calories) comes from fat. Therefore, the running will lead to greater fat loss over the same amount of time.

If you are serious about weight loss and keeping that weight off yet you are failing to lose any weight, or get to a certain weight and are unable to lose more, it is likely that you are not being totally honest with yourself. Be sure to keep a detailed and honest food diary detailing all food and drink consumed throughout each day. Other reasons could be: portion sizes of your food, weekend splurging, daytime starving, evening nibbles, eating too many low fat foods and setting unrealistic weight goals. If a food is low fat (1/2 the fat) this doesn’t mean that you can have double the portion!

How to Lose Baby Weight Fast Without Starving Yourself

Every new mom wants to know how to lose baby weight fast. After carrying a little one for 9 months, most women are more than ready to give up their maternity clothes and go back to wearing something beautiful and sexy. Unfortunately, losing baby weight often means a strict diet that is blah and boring. Well, I’m here to tell you how to lose baby weight fast without starving yourself on a strict diet. A few diet tips can add up to big weight loss.

How to Lose Baby Weight Fast – The Secret is More Fiber (A Lot More)

Baby Weight Loss Tip #1: Eat a serving of Fiber One cereal for breakfast

The average American eats less than 10 grams of fiber each day. That’s nowhere near enough. If you want to lose weight fast, you need to eat at least 40 or more grams of fiber every day.

Why Fiber One cereal? A single serving has 9-14 grams of fiber depending on the flavor you choose. That’s a great way to fill up in the morning.

Baby Weight Loss Tip #2: Eat 3 servings of beans each day

Beans pack a great combination punch for weight loss. They contain both fiber and lean protein. Pick your favorite kind of beans and eat up! Add a 1/2 cup of beans to 3 of your meals. That adds 18-25 grams of fiber to your diet.

Baby Weight Loss Tip #3: Eat almonds and apples between meals

Almonds contain 6 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber per serving and healthy fats to speed up your metabolism. Apples are full of a natural fiber called pectin that is good for digestion. Eat one almond for every 10 pounds plus one apple 3 times a day for a snack.

These three simple changes have will add 40-50 grams of fiber to your diet, allowing you to make better choices for your other meals. With this much fiber, there’s no way you will feel you are starving.

How to Start Losing Pregnancy Weight

It seems so unfair that some women, shortly after giving birth, have absolutely no problem losing pregnancy weight and easily return to a svelte, trim figure.

However many others are stuck with excess pounds and appear to have great difficulty in getting rid of them. It seems like a most daunting task whilst caring for the needs of the new baby to also be trying to shed some surplus weight.

It might take some time to get back to your pre-pregnancy weight, but with a plan and some effort, you can do it!

What can be done to assist these women to lose pregnancy weight?

One basic thing is to breastfeed your baby. Although some women avoid it for medical, personal or convenience reasons, it has major benefits for both baby and you.

Doctors have calculated that by breast feeding, a women uses up 500 extra calories per day. This explains why breast feeding moms often lose the extra weight accumulated while pregnant, faster than those who bottle feed. The baby also benefits substantially by getting the totally natural food source giving it protection from all kinds of baby health problems.

However if you lose weight too quickly while breastfeeding, it is possible that your milk flow will reduce significantly. It is important to remember that while breastfeeding, you need extra calories to maintain a healthy milk supply – especially in the first few months before the baby goes onto solids.

Women who have gone through pregnancy and given birth have had dramatic changes occur in their bodies. During the pregnancy they have been eating for two and building up reserves of nutrients in preparation for the coming birth. Apart from the baby’s weight there is the weight of surrounding fluids and also the build up of fat and tissue to support the ongoing needs of the mother during pregnancy and when baby is born.

You can also evaluate how much you have been eating while pregnant and see if you can cut back on this after the birth. 

This is the time to avoid junk food and go for healthy meals and snacks. Fruit and some vegetables make excellent snacks and help to give you a sense of being “full”. Drinking plenty of water is also a great way to avoid the hunger sensations and doesn’t put on any weight.

If breastfeeding, you will need to build up your protein (cheese, meat,poultry, fish or 2 large eggs daily), calcium (milk, yoghurt,cheese), zinc (seafood and lean red meat) and vitamin C (fruit every day).

Then we come to exercise: to begin losing pregnancy weight, it is most helpful to start some form of regular exercise. This can be mild and gentle — such as walking every day — or swimming, or some mild resistance exercises at home.

It is recommended that you begin with gentle stretching exercises to get your muscles toned up before beginning more adventurous exercise programs.

The best way to keep up your exercise plan is to have a ‘buddy’ to exercise with. Ideally this will be another new Mom. You will both then keep each other up to the mark – as well as having company and a common aim. The two of you can take your babies out for a brisk walk and they will get an outing and you will get some much needed exercise which will be of great help for losing that pregnancy weight.

Always check with your health provider to determine if there are any problems with exercising.

At the beginning of any weight loss program, it is highly recommended that you take a “before” photo to refer back to as your weight improves. Then take progressive (perhaps monthly) photos to document your progress. This is highly motivational since you will be able to see yourself losing pregnancy weight.

You need to figure out how much exercise you will need to do in order to actually lose some weight. This can be calculated by various software programs.

Important things to remember:

Your body needs time to heal before beginning an exercise routine. Your belly needs some exercise to get back to normal. Set realistic goals. Don’t expect miracles overnight.

The Fastest Way to Lose Baby Weight – What NOT to Do!

I was desperate to find the fastest way to lose baby weight. My daughter’s birthday had come and gone again. I was still wearing the same size clothes. In fact, I was still wearing most of the maternity clothes I wore when I was pregnant because I was too embarrassed to go shopping for more. I didn’t want to buy regular clothes in such a large size. My pre-pregnancy clothes were rotting in the closet. I still hadn’t lost the post baby weight.

At first the baby weight didn’t bother me. I assumed I would lose it by breastfeeding. After all, that’s what everyone tells you, right? NOT! Oh, I lost a a couple of pounds, but not nearly enough to fit back into my pre-pregnancy clothes. I was shocked and disappointed. Eventually I became depressed.

After trying to lose the baby weight on my own, I decided to do something about my post baby weight or resign myself to being permanently overweight. It was just that simple, those were the only two options I had left. My family and friends were getting tired of my bad moods because of my weight. They were starting to avoid spending time with me. I had to do something, so I decided to try some of the popular diet programs.

What a joke! I tried all kinds of weight loss programs and diet groups. I bought books, tapes, and DVDs. I bought exercise gadgets of all kinds. I even went on fad diets like Cabbage Soup and Slim Fast. With each weight loss failure, I became more desperate. I was trying anything and everything whether it was healthy or not. I ended up spending over $1000 on weight loss aids and I was still wearing my maternity clothes!

I made a promise to myself that I was going to find the fastest way to lose baby weight and I was going to get rid of this post baby weight. It was time to get busy and do some serious research on the internet…

I was rapidly losing hope. There were so many weight loss programs available! I was really confused about which ones to spend time researching. Because all of them promised that their way was the fastest way to lose baby weight, I became very cynical of most of them.

Lose Excess Weight

For anyone seriously trying to lose weight, I know it can be a daunting task. If you are unable to be dedicated, follow your plan and invest the time and effort, I can tell you it will not be worth your time to even commence. Losing weight has to be a lifestyle change. It’s not going on a diet eating pre-packaged or frozen food and then losing several pounds then returning to your normal eating habit after you have lost some weight..That certainly will not do it. That is what is called yo yo dieting. It does you no good. There is no quick fix for losing weight, Weight loss can be easy if planned properly.

There is no magic wand to get the weight off you have to work at it consistently and eventually it will become a part of your daily routine. If you are willing to do what is required you will be surprised at yourself and you could even surprise everyone around you at the beautiful, confident person you can become. Weight loss can change your entire perspective on life. You will become a different person who is willing to take on any other challenges that comes your way. You would be surprised how one change in your life can cause you to become a person who is ready to take on a whole different outlook on your entire life, whether it be financial, educational or emotional.

Before you begin your weight loss program check with your doctor to make sure you are fit enough to embark on this new lifestyle you will be taking on.

Firstly you will need to know your Body Mass Index (BMI), this can be very helpful in determining how much weight you need to lose based on your height.

Secondly, try incorporating a healthy, clean eating habit, eat as much fruits and vegetable per day that will make you comfortable and each week you can add additional fruits and or vegetable until your body starts to enjoy eating this type of food. Do not force yourself to eat too much initially, this will turn you off and make you not want to eat it.

Try to cut back on the fast food as much as possible, have less soda gradually until eventually you do not have the desire for this type of food. Fast food and soda does not provide you with necessary nutrients that your body needs. Also try to control your portion size, yes, this is very important when trying to lose weight.

Incorporate some exercise into your weight loss regime. You can start of with simply walking a block or two initially, then gradually add a little more each week until yo have gotten to a point where you are able to walk say, 3 miles per day for 3 or 4 days per week. Eventually you can take it to the next level. If you have a baby you can put the baby in the stroller and push along while walking. This can be very convenient for anyone with a young child who does not have child care support all the time.

The above is a very simple technique that can be used by anyone wanting to lose weight in an inexpensive manner and very doable. This is how I lost some weight after many many frustrating attempts. I decided to sit down and make a note of all the steps I had taken that eventually worked for me however the key is consistency. Good luck on your weight loss journey.

Administrative Assistant with many years experience in the corporate world. An aspiring Affiliate Marketer as well as several years of research in the health and fitness arena. If you need help with your weight loss visit: [http://www.loseexcessfat.tk]

Lose Your Weight Quickly – Be Motivated

We don’t really want to face it, but the fact is that these days almost everyone is either over weight or well on their way to getting there. Theoretically just knowing that being overweight brings with it so many health risks should get people to go back to a healthy size, but what’s often needed to succeed is structure and some other kind of incentive.

Perhaps this attracted your interest, and you like to know quick and good weight loss methods. This might be difficult, but with enough determination and motivation, it’s possible. If you want to lose weight quickly, you need to have good strategies in place.

As we all know you need to follow a good diet and exercise regularly. To increase your metabolism and lose more weight, starting a cardio and weight training regimen is a good place to begin. Weight training is an effective way to lose weight as you can burn fat and build muscle at the same time.

Choose the best diet that can help you for weight loss, as you reduce your intake of calories. Some of the rules to follow include avoiding junk food, and drinking lots of water. A balanced diet also requires a lot of fruit and vegetables.

There’s certainly something to be said about the success of weight loss programs when it comes to quickly shedding some pounds, but the problem is that it’s hard for people to stick to them. Being motivated is a factor in losing weight quickly. If you stick to a plan and reward yourself every time you follow the rules this will help to motivate you.

Lose Baby Weight Fast – Weight Loss Tips For Busy Moms

I am a Mom with two toddlers and I personally know how difficult it is to lose baby weight fast. As Moms, we face several obstacles to losing weight that were not present before pregnancy. Once we acknowledge these obstacles and start tackling them we can achieve fast weight loss to reach our goals.

1) Time: Time is precious. This makes meal-planning, calorie counting, exercising, etc. much more difficult.

2) Food: Our eating increased for 9 months prior to birth. This habit must be broken to lose baby weight fast.

3) Snacking: Toddlers eat several times a day. We are constantly in the kitchen preparing, serving and cleaning up food. Bad habits of snacking with the kids and munching their leftovers can develop.

4) Sleep: Studies show that good sleep aids in weight loss. Sleep is often reduced while caring for young children.

5) Stress: Bringing children into our lives is a true blessing but the adjustment can be stressful. Studies show that stress hormones have negative influences on losing weight.

Real weight loss simply comes from eating less and moving more. Lowering stress and improving sleep is beneficial to losing baby weight but are outside of the scope of this article since the causes and solutions can be quite extensive. Let’s look at time/exercise with a few words about diet.

Because a Mom’s time is in short supply, exercise is only going to happen if it moves up your priority list. Can you fit 30 minutes in your schedule anywhere?

At work, you may have options during your lunch break. Can you walk around the grounds of your work area? Is there a local YMCA? Is there a walking track nearby? Also, you may want to invite other people to exercise with you since having a partner can be motivating and more enjoyable.

Exercise opportunities for the stay-at-home Mom are based on your children’s age and sleeping schedules. Walking with the kids in the stroller is great if your kids like it and you have the right neighborhood. You can also workout to an exercise DVD during your kids nap.

My favorite place to get exercise is the YMCA. They have child sitters so my kids can play with others while I enjoy a workout followed by a peaceful shower. I always feel great afterwards. The cost for the childcare is included in the monthly dues. So, the more you use it, the more you get for your money! Check out your local YMCA.

The other important element necessary to lose baby weight fast besides moving more is eating less! Many options are available. Different methods work for different people. Some do well with slower weight loss plans while others need quick results to stay motivated. The important thing is to find a diet plan that works with your personality and your circumstances. Following a diet plan helped me break the eating habits I had developed during pregnancy and made me realize how much I was eating while snacking with my kids and eating their leftovers. This had a big impact on helping me lose baby weight fast.

Breastfeeding helped me lose a lot of the initial weight. It was after I stopped breastfeeding that I stopped losing the rest of the baby fat. If you are breastfeeding you may want to hold off on any dieting until you are done breastfeeding.

I wish you the best. You will lose baby weight fast when you become motivated and bring together the right exercise and diet that works for you.

Lose The Weight – Starting Today

So you want to lose weight now? Well, this is all possible and may affect the decision as to what plan of action to follow. The options range from diet pills to physical exercise and the method you choose will have life-altering results. So, choose carefully.

This article focuses on a balanced approach to weight loss and also focuses on a good “lose the weight plan.” Any useful program you embark upon should include a sensible combination of nutrition and physical exercise. So, throw away the diet pills – they simply do not work.

Most weight loss programs tend to be of the yo-yo variety – weight up, weight down and on and on. This may not be a smart approach to losing weight. What is required is a balanced, sustained method, where the weight comes off and stays off. In addition to this, you should not be forever hungry during the process.

Is there such a plan? you ask. Certainly! There are several weight loss programs designed by knowledgeable nutritionists that will get the job done. You can eat great and still lose the weight. This may require that you incorporate some new items on the menu while taking some other items off. However, we are not talking starvation diet here. Get this: Starvation Diets Do Not Work!

Here is the key. The first thing you may want to do, before beginning a weight loss regimen, is to visit your medical professional and a qualified nutritionist. Ask about the benefits of good nutrition and exercise for weight loss. Get a physical examination and your complete blood workup.

A blood workup may reveal vitamin/mineral deficiencies and may be a means for detecting problems in the early stages. Knowing your food allergies and deficiencies are crucial to weight loss success.It is, of course, vitally important to know that all internal organs are functioning at optimal levels. The Complete Blood profile can reveal answers to these questions. Only then would you be ready to embark on a good program to lose weight.

Remember, do not be too hard on yourself, think positively and go for it. Set small, achievable goals and enjoy your progress. This way you are more likely to stick with your regimen and the good results will follow. Pace yourself and relish the rewards as you begin to get the contoured figure you desire.

It is all about great nutrition coupled with sensible physical activity. Your exercise routine may simply be taking a brisk, thirty minute walk three or four times a week or you may be someone who can enjoy the benefits of Yoga. There are yoga poses that are specifically related to weight loss and you may want to look into this. You may be surprised at the results. So, go on and get that figure you deserve.

Check the Blog link for the recommended weight loss program.

Easy Ways to Lose Christmas Weight

Overeating. Almost all of us are guilty of it during the Christmas holidays when we let our guard down and celebrate with friends and relatives. It’s the laid back feeling that lulls us into being a little lax about our eating habits. There is nothing necessarily wrong with this, after all we all need some ‘downtime’ now and again and it’s good to get rid of some stress. But from the point of view of our waistlines Christmas and the fine foods and treats that come with it, is usually not so great for our health. Many people find that they eat and drink way more than they normally would and put on some, if not quite a lot, of weight. Once the break is over they usually find themselves looking around for ways to lose that Christmas weight.

For most people, such a long binge is a once a year thing and it can be relatively easily dealt with if they mainly return to their usual ways of eating but add in just a bit of willpower. Once it’s all over a large number of people say to themselves that their New Year’s resolution will be that they must ‘lose Christmas weight’ but not many are actually successful and manage to achieve this as quickly and as easily as they could.

The problem most of these dieters have is that they went into their diet regime with nothing more than a dim and distant idea that they ‘wanted to lose some weight’. In other words they didn’t set out with the firm plan of action they could have had if they’d formulated a weight loss program. When this vague approach is taken it can be much harder to lose any holiday weight and they may remain at that weight until the following year when they are liable to just add to it.

If you are serious about losing Christmas weight and opt to follow a weight loss program then how will this help you? Of course you should always consult a medical practitioner before starting any diet but a well-drafted plan should include the following elements:

Safely change your calorie intake. This can be done by changing what you are eating at least back to your normal diet and then onto more of the right types of foods to achieve actual weight loss. The good news is that because any overeating has usually been for those special occasions then it can be easier to readjust once you return to normal life.

Eat more fruit and nuts. Many people will buy more of these over the Christmas period anyway and it is a good idea to make this a year-round tradition and not just one for the holidays. They are a really good alternative to an unhealthy snack and nuts in particular will give you healthy amounts of those ‘good’ fats. But still, eat them in moderation.

Increased exercise. If you can manage to do about thirty minutes of relatively vigorous walking each day then that is a great start. Doing this quickly adds up and over the course of 7 days you’ll have used up to 1500 extra calories, plus you’ll feel pretty pleased with yourself for getting out and seeing the world up close.

Substitute sodas and fruit juices. Most people know that many carbonated soft drinks contain high levels of sugar, with some brands having up to 40% of our daily recommended intake in just one can! However, many aren’t aware that fruit juices also contain a lot of sugar. They are usually natural sugars but they are sugars nonetheless and are easily converted into fat. Both of these should be replaced by up to 8 medium-sized glasses of simple, plain water per day.

There are many more ways to address the issue of extra weight gained over the holidays but the main ingredient in all of them is persistence and for more than a couple of weeks. In order to lose Christmas weight and keep it off it’s important not to get sidetracked and make sure you stick to a good plan. If you don’t want to create one yourself there are many great plans available online that will not only guide you through your strategy but will also provide you with meal plans and extra hints and tips to keep you on the straight and narrow.

Lose Your Weight – 7 Goals to Reach

Nowadays that present condition that is mostly encountered by so many is weight gain. That is why there are plenty of that in search for the means in order to achieve weight loss. Are you one of those who are looking for the ways to lose weight? Well, if yes it is better for you to have a goal in order for you to be determined on making the necessary thing in order to achieve the weigh that you desire. It is definitely true that there is no magic pill or portion that you can put in your body that will push you to the limit of having psyched up to lose weight. But, there are some mind shifting techniques that you can put into place to aid you move in the way that you wanted. Here are the 7 things that you can do in order to reach you goal to gain weight loss.

Set your goals – it is very important that you figure out what you truly need to attain. Whether your objective is small or large depends on the kind of person who you really are. Know your problem areas – you need to know what made you gain weight. Once you are now evening snacks, well, you can journal for a week the food that you eat and analyze your patterns of behavior. It is very important that you note what you have eaten and when and also every bit of exercise you get. Have a plan and note it down – do not force to let your memory keep track of everything you supposed to do. Bur rather, have a plan to reach your goal to have weight loss, and then write it down in the piece of paper and follow them. Your plan must be based in your personal problem areas, not on what is the recent fad diets says will work. Make it fun – you should erase on your mind the idea of lose of weight and keeping it off has to mean a life of deprivation. It is very important to keep an open and try what ever comes your way. On having a healthy living it is vital to do things that are fun and eat foods that are enjoyable. Experiment – you need to experiment new healthier ways to cook ordinary foods. Along with this, you also need to experiment with news foods and cuisines. Go with the things that work for you and remove what does not work for you – not all the means to have weight loss is effective to you. So, once you do some methods and you find out that it is not effective to you, then you need to do another approach. Have new goals – once you reach your goal in steps, it does not mean that you need to stop, rather you need to do another goal. Through this it will help you to be motivated regarding your lifestyle and give you something to look forward to.

These are the things that you need to do in order to reach you goal to have a weight loss. Once you have goal to lose weight you will definitely be determined to achieve the thing. But just remember that the entire thing that you need to is for yourself and not for others.