Category : Article
Posted in Article on April 19, 2012
One of the most often quoted misconceptions when it comes to dieting is that you somehow need special foods to go about doing this. The food companies have taken this idea and blown it out to epic proportions, one only needs to go to any grocery store in the country to see aisles and aisles of specialty “diet products” which all claim to help the eater lose weight faster as compared to those who are eating regular food.
The truth of the matter is that this is about as far from the truth as you can get. If you’re looking to be healthy but don’t have the money to shell out for all of these high priced diet foods, you’re not incapable of losing weight. The fact of the matter is that if you choose to live healthy it’s a lifestyle, not a diet. Eating diet foods may help people lose weight, but unless those people choose to camp out in the diet aisle for the rest of their lives, the moment they start eating “normal food” again the weight will come back on and they will be stuck in an endless yo-yo procession.
The real secret to losing weight is to make reasonable changes in your lifestyle that you can maintain for a long period of time. If you can’t afford specialty “diet foods” or simply have no interest in consuming them regularly for the rest of your life, you’d do well to avoid them. Where you’d eat diet foods, instead start eating fresh fruits and vegetables, and try to stay far away from processed foods of any kind.
Not only are diet foods expensive, in many ways they may be more detrimental to your health than you realize. More and more nutritionists are speaking out against dietary additives like artificial sweeteners, saying that at the end of the day they are both bad for your body and relatively ineffective when it comes to losing weight. A better strategy is to slowly wean yourself away from sweet foods in general, rather than simply getting addicted to artificial means of sweetening products. In addition, there have been some studies that suggest that eating artificial sweeteners could be harmful to your health. These studies have not as yet been substantiated, but the fact that their harmful capabilities are in question should discourage most consumers from eating them.
Essentially, even those who are not on a budget should avoid diet foods. Instead, learn how to enjoy real foods, and you can save both money and inches on your waistline!
Posted in Article on April 13, 2012
When it comes to working out most people envision gyms and having to use all types of exercise equipment. This is absolutely not true! It is possible to get a great workout in just by performing some simple but effective moves. All of which require nothing more than the use of an exercise mat.
Circuit training is very popular and is the perfect way to get a full body workout in over a short time period. Doing quick sets of different movements allows you to exercise all your different muscles groups.
When starting any exercise you want to spend the first five minutes warming up. This can be done by doing some arm circles, some jumping jacks and a few knee bends. Once you have this completed you can start on your circuit training routine.
The ideal circuit training routine will focus on one exercise for the abdominal area, one for the lower body, one upper body movement that pushes and one for the upper body that requires you to pull. Each set of movements should ideally be repeated ten times in each circuit. The number of circuits that you complete will depend upon your physical condition. At first you may only be able to perform one circuit. That’s fine just work up to adding in another one when you can.
Sample Routine
First 5 or 10 minutes spent walking, doing arm circles and jumping jacks
Push Ups or Chair Dips x 10
Squats, Lunges or Walking x 10
Sit Ups or Leg Raises x 10
Inverted Rows or Pull Ups x 10
If you require a break in between circuits you can continue walking in place until you catch your breath and then start another circuit.
Perform a cool down that includes walking to allow your heart rate to come back to normal. Then perform some leg and arm stretches along with deep breathing exercises.
During your circuit training routine take the time to sip on water to prevent your body from becoming dehydrated. If you feel shaky afterwards this is a sign that your body requires some food so snack on something like a banana or other piece of fruit.
To make your routine fun you can aim to start at 10 reps of each exercise per circuit then on the next circuit decrease the number to 8, the next to 6 and so on until you reach 0. Doing this really makes the time go faster and allows you to perform more reps than you thought possible.
Posted in Article on April 10, 2012
Do you want to know the quickest way to lose belly fat? You can actually get a firm stomach in just 2 weeks if you follow my program. There are no pills, potions or shakes to buy. In fact, the one thing you will need can be bought for $30 at your local sporting goods store. So, I’m not going to try to sell you anything in this article on the quickest way to lose belly fat.
Central to the routine is a $30 piece of exercise equipment called the stability ball. This is a 18 to 26 inch plastic ball that you use for a variety of exercises. Researchers at Sacramento State University found that people who worked out with the ball had twice the muscle fibers compared to people who actively did crunches. You can calculate then that using a stability ball is the quickest way to lose belly fat.
When you buy your ball, it will come with an instruction manual filled with a variety of exercises. Usually there are diagrams that help illustrate what you are to do. That’s why I’m only going to outline a couple of them here.
The first is called the Ball Curl. You’ll sit on the ball with your hands behind your head. Roll your torso down until your butt is just off the ball and your middle and lower back are on the ball.
The second is called the Pike and it’s one of the more complicated maneuvers you can do with the stability ball. Your should lie on top of the ball and your legs should be together with the ball under your thighs. Keeping your legs straight, contract your abs and lift your hips up toward ceiling, rolling ball to shins. Hold for 1 second, and then lower.
While the ball is central to this plan, it is not the only component. The quickest way to lose belly fat also involves doing 50 minutes of cardio at least three times a week. You want to warm up for three minutes and then alternate between three minutes of regular paced exercise and two minutes pushing yourself as hard as you can. Cool down for two minutes at the end. You can do any kind of heart healthy exercise including walking, running, cycling, or using a cardio machine at the gym.
Finally, you have to reduce your calories. You want to eat 500 fewer calories than you would in order to maintain your weight. A 30 year old man who is 5’10 and weighs 180 pounds needs about 2700 calories to maintain his weight. He should eat only 2200 calories while on this program.
That’s it. In just two weeks of following this program, you will have found the quickest way to lose belly fat. You should have lost an inch from your waist, and lost 5 pounds.
You’ll never wonder again what is the quickest way to lose belly fat.
The things that you can do for your health, exercise, reduce size and just plain feel great are much simpler than you might think. Getting out on the road and going for a brisk walk doesn’t take a great amount of your time. You will gain some health benefits and an increase in your confidence as you lose weight and reduce your dress size.
So what can you do for your health? Exercise, reduce size, and eat a well balanced diet are the beginnings to living a long and healthy life. Not only will you look and feel better, but the benefit to your confidence is one that will carry you through even the most difficult times of your routine. Watching the numbers on the scale move down and your clothes starting to fit better and looser, you will begin to enjoy your new lifestyle and love what it is doing for your health.
One of the most critical decisions that you will ever make is the decision to improve your health. Exercise, reduce size and focusing on the health benefits of your new lifestyle will give you the longer and happier life that you always wanted. You will begin to see an improvement in your energy almost immediately from your decision to include exercise and a well balanced diet in your life.
Many of the diseases that plague a number of people such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and many others can be successfully controlled with a few lifestyle changes that will have you feeling better in an amazingly short period of time. Just start off small with a simple walk and watch how quickly your body responds positively to that little bit of exercise.
When it is time to improve your health, exercise, reduce size and eliminate chronic illnesses, you should consider the type of exercise that you most enjoy doing. This is the way that many people have found to keep exercise a consistent practice in their daily life. For instance, if you love dancing, use it to your advantage and dance for exercise.
Making these changes in your life is a sure way to help you look and feel younger for a much longer period of time than any cosmetic surgery can provide. Exercise can improve your health, skin, muscle tone and appearance. Take some time to explore all of the benefits of including exercise in your life every day for more benefits than you ever thought possible.
For your health, reduce size and gain your confidence along with your well balanced lifestyle. You will be amazed at what a few lifestyle changes can do for your life. When your clothes start to feel better and you gain your confidence once again, the improvement to your life will be limitless. Confidence is key in many areas of your life and just living a healthy life with diet and exercise has the power to give all of that to you. Find an exercise that you enjoy and participate every day.
As much as you may have heard that eating healthy and exercising go together many people just don?t put the two together. This is really a shame as the benefits you get from improving both aspects of your life improve tenfold when combined.
If all you change in your life is to take up walking or cycling you will still get some benefits, but not as many. Think about it this way. If you start walking thirty minutes a day but still continue to eat the same foods and drink tons of pop or beer, do you think you will lose weight or feel better. You may to some extent but you could feel so much better if you change what you eat as well.
It really isn?t that difficult to change what you eat. You don?t have to totally revamp your diet, just make some small changes.
To start off you can make the following changes:
Switch sugary drinks for water
Light beer for regular beer
Muffins for donuts
Fruit instead of cookies
By doing just one of the above changes you could easily lose 10 pounds in your first month. If you can?t quit one of these habits cold turkey then just cut back each day. It takes about three weeks to form a new habit so it won?t take you too long before you will automatically grab water instead of a can of pop.
When you eat correctly and this includes eating more fruits and vegetables along with lean meats you are fuelling your body. This one aspect allows your body to perform an exercise better. For example if you are walking or cycling you will find that you can cycle or walk further when you eat in a healthy manner.
Consuming too much fat or sugar makes you feel lazy and lethargic. In turn this makes you not want to get out and exercise so your motivation will be lacking.
Try to listen to your body and see how you feel just by drinking 8 glasses of water each day for one week. Believe me you will notice a huge improvement in your energy level. Plus you will also notice that you will be sleeping much better. Sleep is another huge factor in making your workout more effective.
Just try to remember that whatever you put into your mouth will have some type of impact on your body, good or bad. By being aware of changes in your mood and energy level you will see what foods help energize you, and you will know which foods to avoid. So now you have all the tools you need to get the most of your exercise routine.
Posted in Article on March 30, 2012
As a resource to help weight loss, printable weight loss charts are up there with the best of them. Anyone looking for as much help as they can to lose weight could do themselves a huge favor by using a simple weight loss chart.
This is because charts have been a basic tool used by anyone who is trying to achieve a goal. A chart that is updated regularly will show a snap shot of the users progress and will motivate and inspire. It will also show if the user is off track and needs to reassess their program to get back on track. Using a chart to help lose weight is no different to using a chart to achieve any other goal. Furthermore, finding printable weight loss charts online is not difficult since there are many sites that offer free charts that can be printed off and used.
Once you have your chart, make a note of your measurements and weight so that you know exactly where you started. Then make a note of how much weight you expect to lose per week. It is vital that when filling in your weight loss chart that you be realistic. Nothing will demoralize a dieter faster than not seeing the prescribed results. If you are aiming for three pounds weight loss per week, then that is what you should put down, putting down a figure higher than what can realistic be achieved means you’re setting yourself up for failure.
What is also great about printable weight loss charts is that achievements and goals can be very easily plotted and seen. If you hit a goal sooner than you hoped for then you know for a fact that your efforts are paying fruit. If you can see that there is no way that you will hit a particular weight when you are estimated to, then you can change and reassess your weight loss plans. And this really is the beauty of these charts. They can alert you to any necessary changes that you might need to make quickly and keep your morale high.
What these printable weight loss charts also do, is act as a great way for you to bring in the people around you who care about you. If you’re brave enough to pin one up in a public place where others can see it, they too can cheer you on towards success.
Above all use the chart as a way for you to document your progress and to keep a record of what you did and when you did it. That way you can look back and feel proud at where you started and where you have ended up!
Posted in Article on March 29, 2012
The 3 Day Chemical Breakdown Diet has been called by many other names such as the 3 day heart diet, the Mayo Clinic Diet, and the Cleveland Clinic Diet. Don’t be fooled by any of these names because it is simply a very low calorie fad diet. There’s no magical chemical breakdown in the 3 day chemical breakdown diet.
That said, the 3 day chemical breakdown diet is useful for losing about 5 pounds in a very short amount of time. It is a modified fast that allows you to have about 750 calories a day. Of course, this isn’t sustainable over time, but if you are looking to lose a small amount of weight in a very short period, it can be a godsend.
On most sites promoting the diet, you will find warnings that you must follow the stated rules because the foods work in concert to break down fat. There is absolutely no scientific evidence for this. Instead, as I mentioned before, this diet works because it has very low calories. Any 750 calorie diet will do the same.
Still, the 3 day chemical breakdown diet provides a nutritious balance of foods for the 750 calories that you do get. If you are going to try to go on a modified fast, you can do worse than the 3 day chemical breakdown diet.
Here’s the meal plan on the diet:
Day 1:
Breakfast
1/2 Grapefruit or Juice
1 Slice of Toast
1 tbsp. Peanut Butter
Black Coffee or Tea
Lunch
1/2 cup Tuna
1 Slice Toast
Black Coffee or Tea
Dinner
2 Slices (3 oz.) of any Meat
1 cup String Beans
1 cup Carrots or Beets
1 small Apple
1 cup Vanilla Ice Cream
Day 2
Breakfast
1 hard-boiled Egg
1 Slice of Toast
1/2 Banana
Black Coffee or Tea
Lunch
1 cup Cottage Cheese
or: 1/2 cup Tuna
5 Saltine Crackers
Dinner
2 Wieners
1 cup Cabbage or Broccoli
1/2 cup Carrots
?? or Turnip Greens
1/2 Banana
1 cup Vanilla Ice Cream
Day 3 on the 3 day Chemical Diet looks like this:
Breakfast:
1 hard-boiled Egg
1 Slice Toast
Black Coffee or Tea
Lunch:
1 Slice Cheddar Cheese
5 Saltine Crackers
1 small Apple
Black Coffee or Tea
Dinner:
1 cup Tuna
1 cup Carrots or Beets
1 cup Green Beans
?? or Cauliflower
1 cup Cantaloupe
?? or 1 small Apple
1 cup Vanilla Ice Cream
Do you have a big date Saturday night? Go on the 3 day chemical diet on Tuesday and watch the results. You’ll finally be able to fit into your skinny jeans. Want to knock them dead at your 10 year high school reunion? You’ll make them wish they had voted you prom queen when you go on the 3 day chemical diet.
But, as a lifestyle solution, the program is simply too limited in calories to be sustainable. Women need a minimum of 1200 calories a day over the long haul just to function.
You’ll be hungry on the 3 day chemical diet. And, that is manageable for three days. But long term, you should try a more balanced diet plan.
Posted in Article on March 28, 2012
Are you considering going on the 3 day diet? Reviews are hard to come by, but I’m going to give you my honest opinion of the program. The 3 day diet is a very low calorie diet that claims you will lose anywhere between 3 and 10 pounds (depending on the writer) in just 3 days. Here’s my 3 day diet reviews.
First of all, I’m going to start my 3 day diet review’s with the good points.
The diet is very low in calories. Some versions of the diet include ? a grapefruit at every meal which means the diet has 900 calories. Others feature it at just one meal which takes the diet down to 750 calories. Obviously, these calorie levels are not sustainable, but remember this is just a 3 day diet. You can fast for that long, so having some food to keep you going won’t harm you.
The second positive thing I’m going to mention in my 3 day diet reviews is that there is no fancy cooking required to sustain this diet. If you can boil an egg and cook veggies in the microwave, you can go on this diet. The foods required are basic: cottage cheese, saltine crackers, carrots, apples, etc.
The third thing that is nice about this diet is that the food you are asked to eat in no way harms you. You’ll be eating fruits, vegetables, lean meats, etc. In many ways, you are better off with this program than you would be eating a couple of meals at a fast food joint. There’s no “trick” to the 3 day diet, it’s just very low in calories.
But there are some downsides to the diet. For instance, you may only lose a couple of pounds for all of your starving, not the 10 pounds some proponents claim.
Also, I would be remiss in not mentioning that extended use of this diet program would surely lead to anorexia. The name of the diet is “The 3 Day Diet” for a reason it should only be used for three days.
Another thing worth mentioning in this 3 day diet reviews is that you are probably going to be hungry on this program. The meals are quite small. Breakfast and lunch are about 200 calories a piece and dinner is about 350 calories. If you are used to 2000 to 3000 calorie diets (what most Americans eat), you are going to be famished. If you can suck it up and say “it’s only 3 days” you’ll survive. But, if you are not mentally prepared for the hunger challenges on the 3 day diet, you are likely to give in to your urge to eat more.
In short, the 3 day diet does work. You will probably lose between 3 to 6 pounds. The 10 pound claims are from very large people who try it. Most of the pounds lost will be from water weight. You can’t go on the diet on an extended basis.
My 3 day diet reviews overall picture is that if you want to lose weight for a specific purpose in the very near future (a wedding next weekend, an upcoming high school reunion), it’s worth doing. As an extended diet plan, it won’t work.
Posted in Article on March 26, 2012
The dumbbell tricep extension is going to help build strength in your upper body. It will help in balancing the strength between your two arms.
The one arm dumbbell tricep extension will work one arm at a time. Choice a dumbbell that has the proper weight on it for you, then find a bench with back support. Sit on the bench with your back flat against the support. Place one leg on each side of the bench with your feet flat on the ground.
Once your back is flush and your feet are flat lift the dumbbell in the air. Then move your arm up in the air until it is straight up and down. Turn your wrist so it is pointed toward the wall in front of you. Your pinkie will be on top of the dumbbell towards the ceiling. Relax your other hand going straight down your side. You are now in the starting position for the dumbbell tricep extension.
While inhaling, lower the dumbbell behind your head only using the forearm. Bend your elbow as you lower the weight behind your head. As you are lowering the weight start turning your wrist so it is facing your head. Your elbow will be pointing at the wall across from you while your pinkie will be on top of the dumbbell towards the ceiling. Tighten your tricep for a second then start exhaling. While flexing your tricep pull the weight up and come back to the starting position. Complete the required repetitions then put the dumbbell in your other hand and repeat the steps.
The lying dumbbell tricep extension will build upper body strength also. You will need two dumbbells with weights on them that you can handle with ease. With the weights in hand sit on the bench and place your feet flat on the floor. Carefully lay back on the bench so your back is flat.
Slowly raise the dumbbells in the air until your arms are straight and in a 90 degree angle. The palms of your hands should be facing each other. This is going to be your starting position.
While inhaling, start lowering the dumbbells down to your ears. Bend your arms at your elbows and keep your upper arm straight. When the dumbbells have almost touched your ears then start exhaling. While exhaling bring the weights back up to the starting position. Make sure to complete the required amount of repetitions.
If you have any problems with your elbows then you might not want to proceed with this exercise. Since you are only using your forearms and triceps the exercise could put some unnecessary pressure on your elbows. Whenever you work with dumbbells you do not want more weight then you can handle with ease. If your weights are too heavy then you will not be able to control them. By not controlling the weights properly you could hurt your elbows rather badly. Do not over exceed your limits when you are working with the dumbbells.
Posted in Article on March 21, 2012
Diets are a craze that never seems to slow down. There has always been one new diet after another with the promises of losing weight quickly with the newly formulated plan. Some work and some do not. There are pills, drinks, and meals to lose weight. Women have always been concerned about their diet and even more are obsessed with the weight loss aspect of the diet. Many want a fast solution to their weight issues.
The fact remains that for any diet to work a person needs to change how they approach food. By this it is meant, how is food consumed? How is food prepared? For a diet to really work, a person needs to change how they cook their food, how they eat their food, and how they use their food. Many people have unhealthy eating habits so they have gained weight. They need to change their eating habits to lose weight and to keep it off.
Learning to change the eating habits is only half of the dieting system. The other half is implementing exercise. Yet this article is about the right diet of foods for extended weight loss. So keep in mind this is only the first half of the weight loss solution.
There are foods that need to be removed from the diet in order to lose weight and to maintain a healthy weight. The food that fried should be avoided as much as possible, the added fats in the food are stored in the body and turned to fat when you do not burn the additives.
Eating foods high in protein such as whey, lean beef, chicken, tuna, turkey, salmon, and eggs help with weight loss when added to the diet. The fatty acids in the fish are beneficial for a healthy diet including stronger bones, teeth, nails, and hair.
Remove dairy products that are high in fat content. Try to replace the fattening foods with a low fat dairy product to limit the consumption of the fat in the dairy products. This also includes limiting the intake of the high fat snacks, which add pounds and inches.
Add essential fatty acids foods that include nuts, seeds, and flax oil to your diet. They are great sources of the essential fatty acids that are needed by the body to function properly. Eat the nuts and seeds as a snack instead of the chips or other unhealthy snacks.
Add water to your diet. You should consume at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. The water helps to hydrate the body and to flush out harmful toxins. Water will also help to make you feel fuller and eat less too.
Add a good quality multi-vitamin to your daily diet. The vitamins will help your body with the essential nutrients your normal diet does not contain.
Changing your eating habits to a healthier diet will help you lose weight and maintain the desired weight you want to have.
