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It doesn’t seem like a place that you go to specifically to exercise and get fit should make you feel old, clumsy and chubby, but it happens all the time. It seems like no one else in the whole gym is dealing with the same weight and fitness issues you are. Instead, they all look like poster children for perfect bodies
Well, the reality is that some of them could be - but most of them were once just like you, uncomfortable, embarrassed and reluctant to show their physical flaws to the world.
Chances are, the only “weight” you lose will be from your wallet, as after two or three sessions with all the “perfect bodies” gawking at you, you’ll stop going and just give up. The better approach is a home exercise DVD. Assuming you actually do the exercises, it will work where gym membership fails.
Before you rush out to buy any old exercise DVD, you need to think about your specific goals. Exercise DVDs can range from high-impact, sweat-and-pain producing workouts to slow stretching exercises designed to get your body ready to get into shape - you’ll want to buy one tailored to the type of exercise you need and to your fitness level.
While just buying the DVD won’t get you fit and trim, taking the simple action to acquire it actually can help with motivation. After all, no one really wants to think they threw money away on something they never even tried, right? So, buying an exercise DVD and placing it in plain sight on the coffee table or on a shelf near the television can be the first step toward getting in shape. Every time you see it, you’ll be reminded that you want to lose weight and have more energy - and that achievement of that goal is sitting right there at your fingertips.
Once you have the DVD, you can fit your exercise routine into your own schedule, using it whenever it suits you. The gym may not be open late at night - but maybe that’s your best time to stretch out and slim down. The availability of an at-home workout also allows you to exercise on “nasty weather” days, when the last thing you’d do is to leave home to go to a gym.
Buying an exercise DVD instead of a gym membership makes keeping up with your routine so much easier to do. You can do it whenever you’re motivated, and no one is watching or judging you. At home, you can commit as much or as little time to exercise as you want and determine for yourself what results you get. In a short while, when your clothes are a bit looser and your confidence a bit higher, you can join those other hot bodies at the gym.
Ellen Miller
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/feel-too-old-and-chubby-for-a-gym-lose-weight-and-gain-energy-at-home-with-an-exercise-dvd-83956.html
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Exercise is an essential in life. Most people will certainly nod their heads to this. Exercise is not only perfect for losing weight, it is also good for keeping a reasonable body weight, for giving a boost on the metabolic rate and also for burning those unwanted excess calories. Exercise also revs up the heart and the lungs’ machinery making them more efficient in doing their natural functions.
Aside from these, exercise also works for strengthening the bones and keeps people looking good and feeling good about themselves. Exercise also gives people the stamina to enable them to keep up with the pace of their lifestyles. Unfortunately, not many people chose to do what is good for them. Most people could not decide exactly what to do when waking up in the morning; whether to exercise or to press the snooze button one more time.
The following tips are very helpful in reaching and maintaining the ideal body weight. This is especially great for women since they get through a lot of things going on in their bodies and are more susceptible to osteoporosis. Not to mention that many women are under the pressure of keeping themselves beautiful. It is recommended that one or two of these tips at a time are incorporated to the work out routine.
Worry not that the exercise routine is not enough. It is important to keep the commitments one makes. Ideally, it is advised to exercise three to five times a week for 20-60 minutes. However, this is not exactly the case in the real world. One should not frustrate herself by aiming for the ideal when she knows for herself that it is utterly impossible. If she an manage it two times a week for twenty minutes per session, that will do just great.
It is best to focus on doing what one knows she can do than to reproach herself for having not done enough. She can start from this point and then progress on afterwards. This should make her feel successful for having kept her commitment to herself.
Weight lifting should always come first. Many women always do cardio exercises first before weight lifting. A disadvantage of this is that it is possible to miss a critical component of the routine and spend all of it on cardio training. A women may notice this by not being able to see results even after devoting long hours at the gym. This can be avoided by reversing the order. This will guarantee visible positive outcome.
Remember to monitor heart rate. It is recommended to exercise at 75-85% of the maximum heart rate. Many people stick with just pumping up only 50% of their maximum heart rate. To ensure that one is working out at the prescribed target heart rate, she should use a heart rate monitor or any exercise equipment with this feature.
Work out for only an hour or less. Doing this will keep one from dreading the gym. Focusing on the exercise and the aim to be accomplished will make each work out session more and more efficient.
Have some sort of fitness social support. Being in a fitness community maybe the important element lacking in your training program. A social support can do amazing wonders and therefore should not be underestimated. It would be helpful to work out in a gym once in while if one customarily does her work outs at home. One can also try classes in activities that have always been interesting such as yoga, pilates or sailing perhaps. One can also join clubs such as a walking club or a running club for instance.
Pep talk yourself. One should not pressure herself too much; rather, it is best to congratulate one’s self and give out words of encouragement in between exercises. One should never forget to say some positive feedback for herself.
Nicholas Tan
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/fitness-health-pointers-for-the-fitness-babes-365536.html
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Learning how to reduce cholesterol can be the difference between living a long and healthy life or suffering from a multitude of life threatening diseases that include coronary artery disease, heart disease, blood clots, and stroke. In fact if you are unfortunate enough to visit the doctor and receive a high cholesterol test result your doctor will tell you much the same thing and will recommend that you begin a diet and exercise program to help get it under control and back to normal.
The most important step when it comes to reducing cholesterol is diet. What you eat and how it is prepared has a big impact on blood cholesterol levels, and the thing that affects it the most is not what you may think. There was a time when a low cholesterol diet meant avoiding any food that had cholesterol in it. This made for a limited diet that many people just didn’t want to follow because all sources of food derived from animals has cholesterol in it.
Medical research now tells us that this isn’t necessarily true. Cholesterol found in food doesn’t easily find its way into the human circulatory system. The biggest factors that raise blood levels are in fact saturated fat and trans fat. By cutting these two forms of fat out of the daily diet we can reduce blood cholesterol significantly.
This is why the way we select and prepare our food is so important. By choosing lean and low fat foods we have won half the battle. But once we get our groceries home and start cooking many times we sabotage our efforts at the grocery store. Cooking, or frying, our foods in vegetable oils and margarine or butter high in saturated and trans fats loads up these low fat foods with more fat. Poultry and fish are two great choices in a low cholesterol diet, that is until we batter them and lower them into a pot of hot oil.
Learning to read labels becomes an important skill in the fight against high cholesterol. Not only are lean cuts of meat a good way to go but when it comes to dairy it is important to make the switch to low fat items. Whole milk needs to be replaced with one-percent or skim milk. Dairy has many nutrients we need so completely cutting it from the diet is not a good idea, but luckily the low fat versions are full of the same vitamins and minerals.
Exercise is another important part of reducing cholesterol. Joining a gym is not necessary, but some form of physical activity is. This can be as simple as going for a thirty minute walk every day or at least every other day. Exercise also has other health benefits that are hard to beat, all of which lead to a healthier you.
Diet and exercise are the first line of defense in the fight against high cholesterol. Because of the lifestyle the majority of people live these days health issues are going to continue to become and increasing problem in the coming years. A few simple changes with diet and exercise could go a long way towards changing this, particularly when we want to reduce cholesterol levels as a way to a more healthy life.
Andrew Bicknell
http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/how-to-reduce-cholesterol-with-diet-and-exercise-742552.html
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported on a new study indicating self-reported diabetes has soared in the past six years. They also state that obesity is the primary reason for this dramatic increase. Groups that have an increased risk are older populations, poorly educated, and minorities. Minorities show a predisposition to developing diabetes, more so than white Caucasians. The initial study was done on a regional basis; the newest study included the entire nation. The results were alarming, and the CDC are concerned there will be increased problems on the horizon.
This trend was investigated and it was determined the cause was not as a result of better detection. The ratio for those diagnosed with diabetes remained within the normal age range. They did not find diabetes in the rise among the younger and healthier population. Scientists believe that fasting glucose tests are more accurate for diabetes diagnosis than oral glucose-tolerance tests. The studies did not demonstrate a higher rate of stroke, heart disease, hypertension, or other chronic diseases. Diabetes alone has emerged as a major health concern. It is the sixth leading cause of death from complications such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and blindness.
Receiving a diabetes diagnosis does not automatically cause people to make a better effort to get in shape. In fact, the opposite is true; the generation suffering from diabetes is also the most obese. In our current culture and society, it is simple to sit in front of the television and snack, eat too much during mealtimes, and purchase fast-food that is high in fats. An adult merely needs to lose between five and seven percent of their body fat to reduce their diabetes and heart disease risk. A 200-pound person would require only ten lost pounds to see benefits. An increase in exercise level, striving towards 30 minutes a day of moderate activity will have good results.
A moderate lifestyle change will not only help reduce the risk of diabetes development but also will benefit your health in countless other ways. Exercise also has positive benefits for heart problems, circulation problems, osteoporosis, as well as many other health concerns. Moderate walking and mild stretching routines are a good way to initiate a healthy exercise regimen. It is important to consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise program. Your doctor will be able to guide you as you are starting out and give you helpful ways to begin. Studies have indicated that even slow walking, instead of the recommended brisk walk will offer many benefits. Gentle exercises for strength or yoga routines are good ways to start a new exercise program. It is also beneficial to try parking your car farther from the store in the parking lot when you go shopping. This adds a few extra steps to your daily routine and, if you do it consistently, the steps will add up. You may even want to begin marching in place during television commercials. One woman who began doing this has reported improved feeling of well-being and more incentive to eat healthy and to get more exercise.
Healthy eating, more exercise, and improved body care will help decrease your diabetes risk.
Charles Anderson
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/obesity-has-caused-soaring-numbers-of-diabetics-98020.html
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We are all aware that there are things we can do to increase our level of positive feelings–even if we are dealing with anxiety or depression. At any given moment, you can choose to do something that results in you feeling slightly better than you did just a few moments ago. So what keeps us from doing these things?
Here’s the real problem: we’re all looking for way to change our lives, not the next five minutes. So, changing your state of mind for the next 5, 10 or 15 minutes seems too trivial. It doesn’t seem like anything worth bothering with. But what we forget is, life is a numbers game. That’s right, it’s all about the percentages!
Consider this question: how would your life be different if you could feel 1% better every single day? 1% might not seem like much, but let me tell you, feeling better works like compound interest in a bank account. It increases exponentially over time. So even feeling slightly better, multiplied by every day of your life is a huge change. Let me say that again. Feeling even slightly better every day, compounded by every single day of your life, produces a huge boost in your overall sense of well-being and happiness.
Now, if you get the feeling that I’m trying to tell you that little things matter a lot, you’re absolutely right! I know you’ve probably heard these comments many times before and they may just seem like cheesy platitudes, however, nothing could be further from the truth. Even cheesy cliches can be profound sometimes, and this is a perfect example of that.
In fact, the exercise we’re going to do today is an even better example of this. It’s called the 30 second emotional shift, and here’s how it works:
We’re not going to try to change your life. We’re not even going to try to change the way you feel today. Instead, we’re going to focus with laserlike precision on a very tiny shift, only 30 seconds. Again, if this seems too trivial to bother with, let me assure you that even a 30 second shift in your emotions can and will have far-reaching results, and using this exercise daily can produce an exponential increase in your base level of happiness.
Now, I will be the first to admit that this is the simplest exercise in the world. Don’t be put off by that. Keep an open mind and you will find that even this ridiculously simple exercise can greatly improve how you feel today and every day. All right, let’s get started:
Have you ever seen someone with a huge ridiculous smile on their face? I’m talking about the big fake cheesy, Miss congeniality type smile. Believe it or not, we are going to emulate this behavior. It is not important that you feel like smiling, in fact, were not even going to aim for that. No, we’re simply going to fake it. That’s right, were going to put on a big humongous fake smile, and not because we’re idiots, or because we actually feel this way. We’re going to do it as an exercise, we’re going to use this -fake it till you make it- behavior as a tool.
Now before we get even get started, I’d like to address the naysayers out there. You may be thinking, come on, if I felt like smiling, I wouldn’t be depressed! But you see, the point of this exercise is, it doesn’t matter if you feel like smiling or not. In fact, it doesn’t matter how you feel, because this exercise is not based on feelings. It’s based on behavior. We’re simply going to engage in a certain behavior for a very short period of time. We’re just going through the motions, that’s all. But have a little faith, you will soon see why this is a valuable tool to increase your quality of life.
To get started, you need access to a clock or watch with a second hand. A stopwatch would be perfect, but use, what ever you’ve got. If you don’t have a watch available, just can count on your fingers. Just remember to keep track of the time as you go. We’ll begin by putting on a huge fake smile for 10 seconds. Only 10, do not be tempted to reach too far too soon. Your goal during this 10 second exercise is to achieve the biggest, cheesiest, fake-ist smile you can possibly muster. The idea is to go way over the top, smile so hard your facial muscles ache! Keep in mind that the more you put into this exercise, the more you will get out of it, so don’t be afraid to really push yourself. Get into it! The results will be well worth it.
Of course, you want to do this exercise when you are completely alone, because let’s face it, you’re going to look a bit ridiculous. Don’t worry one bit about that. Just stay focused on what is important, which is doing the exercise and giving it your all. So, whenever you’re ready. Let’s begin with a 10 second session. Ready? Go!
Don’t forget, really show those teeth. Smile like a cheesy toothpaste commercial on steroids! And get your eyes involved in this. Dilate your eyes, make them large and sparkly. Remember, what you’re going for here is to make the cheesiest, biggest fake smile you’ve ever seen. For extra motivation, do this exercise in front of a mirror. That’s also good for a laugh.
So how did you do? Did you achieve that huge, fake, ridiculous smile? I’ll bet you did. It’s actually not that hard to do, especially for only 10 seconds. If for any reason you don’t feel you achieved the huge fake smile for the entire 10 seconds, relax for a bit and then give it another try in a few minutes. Remember, you only need to hold this for 10 seconds. That’s it. Once you have achieved that 10 seconds, we’re going to bump it up a notch. This time try the same exercise for 20 seconds. Ready? Let’s begin.
This time really push yourself. Open up your entire face, eyes wide, teeth showing, simply radiating cheesy happiness for 20 short seconds.
Okay, great, how did you do? If you didn’t quite achieve the huge cheesy smile for the entire 20 seconds, that’s no big deal, just relax for a few minutes and then try it again. Once you manage to hold this cheesy grin for 20 seconds, we’re going to bump it up yet again. Same exercise, but this time were going for 30 seconds. That’s all, just 30 seconds. You can do that. Of course you can, anyone can hold a cheesy grin for 30 seconds and having already practiced on smaller intervals of time, this will be a piece of cake. Ready to go? OK. Get that cheesy smile on and start watching the clock!
Now after you’ve attained your 30 seconds of cheesy smiling, you can just relax. Let your face go anyway it wants. Smile, frown, whatever you want to do, it’s all good. Now, take a moment, just relaxing, and let’s evaluate how you feel right now. Would you say that you feel slightly more up, more positive, happier than you did before the exercise began? If you’re like most people, you will notice a small but definite shift in your base level of happiness after doing this exercise.
I personally began by using this exercise twice a day for 30 seconds at a time. After a few days, I progressed to doing the exercise three or four times a day, for up to one minute at a time. At this point, I’d definitely noticed that I felt differently, I felt better and my base level of happiness was on the rise. After several weeks, I got really good at this. And even tried holding the cheesy smile for 4-5 minutes at a time. I thought my face was going to freeze that way! But let me tell you, I felt great for the rest of the day, and it’s results that count, so don’t be afraid to try. When you begin to notice the changes in your base level of happiness, you’ll be excited and motivated to do this exercise more often. And that’s when you really start to notice results.
The exercise is based upon is the psychological concept of behavioralism. How it works isn’t really important; what matters most is that it does work! And as you know, living a successful life is mostly based on one simple principle: doing more of what works, and less of what doesn’t work.
Sometimes, the simple ideas really are the best.
Jon Mercer
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/controlling-anxiety-and-depression-134121.html
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All of us need to follow an exercise program in order to remain healthy. Below, you’ll find several good reasons why you should start exercising now.
1. Contributes to fat loss
It is well proven from scientific research all over the world that physical exercise contributes to weight loss. If you burn more calories than you consume through nutrition, you’ll lose weight. When you exercise, you burn more calories than when you don’t. It’s really simple - the more you exercise, the more weight or fat you’ll lose.
2. Prevent disease
The chances of developing several various diseases have been proven to decrease when exercising. These diseases include heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and the stroke. Around 4 out of 5 deaths caused by heart disease and cancer are linked to factors that include stress and lack of exercise. We all know that diabetes increases the chance for heart attacks and strokes. What this shows, is that many of the risk factors and diseases caused by not exercising are working in conjunction to damage your health.
3. Improving disease
Many severe and minor diseases can be improved or even healed through regular exercise. These even include the diseases listed above. By following a regular plan, you can also decrease HDL cholesterol levels, decrease triglyceride levels, and decrease your blood pressure as well. Exercising on a regular basis will also reduce the risk of prostate cancer for men, breast and uterine cancer for women, and much more, all of this is scientifically proven.
4. Enhance your state of mind
Everyone knows from the many scientific studies that regular exercising will lead to an increased release of endorphins in the body. These chemicals will fight depression and make you feel happy. The body releases these endorphins only 12 minutes into the workout. There is another chemical known as serotonin that is increased during and after a workout. The increased levels of serotonin in the central nervous system are associated with feelings of well being and decreased mental depression. The chemical can also help you sleep better at night.
5. Enhance your wellness
When you are in great shape and fit, you’ll have more energy and you’ll notice that your overall mood improves. You will experience that you can stretch beyond your own limits and that you can do more than you thought possible.
6. Persistence
Exercising regularly will give you more energy, which can help you be more productive at home and at work. Exercising can help give your new goals a sense of purpose and give you something to focus on and aim for. This can help you increase your persistence and prevent you from going off track while you aim for your goal.
7. Social capabilities
A workout on a regular basis will boost your self esteem. This can help you look better and you’ll be more comfortable as well. Exercise will also help you to become more active and meet new people, which will prevent you from feeling isolated and unsupported. Exercise will also increase your interests in sex, and can help you to improve your marriage or your partner relationship.
After knowing all of these tips and reasons to exercise, you shouldn’t hesitate to start exercising. You can exercise at home or go out and join a gym. There are several different ways that you can exercise; all you have to do is select a few that you like. Take a little bit of time every day and start exercising - you’ll feel better than ever before and your body will thank you!
James Minnie
http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/reasons-to-exercise-740978.html
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An important and sometimes neglected step in stomach exercise routines is isolating particular muscles within the abdominal group. One such set of muscles which needs isolation in order to be exercised properly are the muscles in the lower stomach. There are a number of stomach exercises which isolate and work these muscles. As with any workout routine, be sure to consult a professional before beginning and always warm up properly to avoid injury.
Crunchless Crunch
This first exercise is fairly simple but can also be fairly difficult. Essentially, it involves trying to pull the belly button in towards the spine. This can be tricky, as it involves using muscles which you may not be used to activating. To start, either lie or on your stomach or kneel. You might want to try both ways and see which helps you feel the exercise better. Relax your body as much as possible, then try to use only the lower abdominals to move your belly button toward your spine. Hold for ten seconds. If holding for ten seconds feels easy, hold for a longer period. The goal is to hold the contraction until you either cannot feel it, or you feel other muscles working harder than the transverse abdominus. When you feel this, let the contraction out.
Alternating Toe Touch
You will need to lie on a flat surface for this stomach exercise. The floor works best, using a mat or towel to cushion the spine. Lie on the floor and put your feet up in the air. Extend your right arm and use your lower abdominals to lift your shoulders off the floor. Touch your left toes with your right hand, then lower yourself back down. Switch hands and repeat. Keep your knees straight throughout and maintain a space between your chin and chest.
Sit-Up Hold
While you are still on the floor, try this stomach exercise. Bend your knees so your feet are flat on the floor and position your hands behind your head. Keep your elbows back so you cannot see them– do not put them alongside your head. Use your lower abdominals to lift your shoulders off the floor. Hold for ten seconds. You may increase the number of seconds you hold as it gets easier. Be sure to lift with your abdominals and not with your arms or neck.
Lower Back Flatten
This stomach exercise is a good natural progression from the sit-up hold, as it starts from the same basic position: lying down, knees bent, feet flat. You may have noticed when you did the previous exercise that there is a natural space between your lower back and the floor, created by the curve of your spine. In this exercise, you want to use your lower abdominals to push your lower back toward the floor and eliminate this space. Try to focus on pushing with only your lower abdominals and not your legs. Your pelvis will rotate slightly, which is fine so long as the lower abdominals are doing the work. Once you have got your back flat to the floor, hold the contraction for ten seconds. Again, you should continue to build on this time as your stomach muscles gain strength and endurance.
Nicholas Tan
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/stomach-exercises-lower-stomach-exercises-685710.html
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Obesity experts agree that daily exercise is essential for good health, but whether it can successfully lead to long-term weight loss is a question of much debate. What has become increasingly clear, however, is that the conventionally accepted advice — 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity most days of the week — is probably insufficient to spur any real change in a person’s body weight. A study published July 28 in the Archives of Internal Medicine adds to the burgeoning scientific consensus: when it comes to exercise for weight loss, more is better. It suggests that obese people would have to exercise at least an hour at a time to see any significant difference in their weight.
The study, led by John Jakicic at the Physical Activity and Weight Management Research Center at the University of Pittsburgh, followed nearly 200 overweight or obese women ages 21 to 45 through a two-year weight-loss program. The women were given free treadmills to use at home, regular group meetings and telephone pep talks to help keep them on track. Participants were also asked to restrict their food intake to between 1,200 and 1,500 calories per day, and were randomized to one of four physical activity intervention groups based on energy expenditure (either 1,000 calories or 2,000 calories burned per week) and exercise intensity (high vs. moderate). By the end of the 24-month intervention, the women who managed to lose at least 10% of their starting body weight (which was, on average, about 193 lbs.) — and keep it off — were exercising twice as long as health authorities typically recommend and expending more than twice as many calories through exercise as women who had no change in body weight. The biggest weight losers were active a full 68 minutes a day, five days a week (about 55 minutes a day more than they had been before the trial began), burning an extra 1,848 calories a week.
Jakicic and his colleagues originally designed their study to measure whether weight loss could really be achieved and maintained through moderate-intensity exercise, akin to “walking when you’re late for a meeting,” he says, or whether it was preferable to engage in shorter bursts of more vigorous-intensity activity, “like, when you’re late for the bus, chasing it down.” The problem was that not enough of the women stuck with their assigned exercise categories for the researchers to gather enough meaningful data. Within a few months, most of the participants had resorted to exercising as much as they chose to. That left researchers with a slightly different data set than they had planned for, but they were still able to associate women’s reported physical activity with their weight loss. Indeed, exercise was more strongly associated with weight loss than any other factor, including diet. Overall, the more the women exercised, the more weight they lost.
More than half of the study participants managed to lose at least 10% of their body weight within the first six months. At the half-year mark, however, most of those women relapsed and started gaining the weight back — a discouragingly common phenomenon. “The major outcome of this paper is the maintenance issue,” Jakicic says. Once a patient hits her target weight, he says, it’s imperative that she stick with her exercise and diet regimen to maintain her new weight.
Still, the underlying question remains: are diet and exercise a reliable cure for obesity? Modern-day obesity researchers are skeptical — achieving thinness, they say, is not simply a matter of willpower. Research suggests that weight may largely be regulated by biology, which helps determine the body’s “set point,” a weight range of about 10 lbs. to 20 lbs. that the body tries hard to defend. The further you push you weight beyond your set point — either up or down the scale — some researchers say, the more your body struggles to return to it. That might help to explain why none of the women in Jakicic’s study managed to lose much more than 10% of their body weight. After two years on a calorie-restricted diet, keeping up more than an hour of physical activity five days a week on average, most were still clinically overweight (though much less so than before). But what Jakicic and other obesity researchers stress is that a 10% reduction in body weight represents a tremendous boon for overall well-being, lowering blood pressure, improving heart health and reducing the risk of Type 2 diabetes. For the obese, the end goal should not be thinness, but health and self-acceptance, which are more realistic and beneficial objectives. “The women’s health was absolutely improved,” Jakicic says.
Jakicic, in fact, seems heartened by his findings.
Too Learn More stay tuned… Part 2
Natalie Pyles
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/the-myth-of-moderate-exercise-revealed-727172.html
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Every day there are tons of people desperate to lose weight - a fact that many companies are exploiting for the sake of profit. Everyday we see the next sensational weight loss program that practically promise instant results. The problem is that most of them are making losing weight fast harder than it actually is.
If you want to lose weight fast here is the first simple key - burn more calories than you consume on a daily basis! Sounds simple enough doesn’t it? Let’s dig a little deeper into this:
When looking for the best information available on any given subject it makes sense to turn to those who have accomplished what you want to do. The national weight loss registry does exactly that. They are receiving information constantly from their members about what they have done to lose weight and keep it off. To become a member you have to have lost a minimum of 30 pounds and have kept it off for a whole year.
Weight loss for most of the members of the national registry actually far exceeds the minimum requirements. The majority have shed around 70 pounds and kept it off for five years or more. They have done this in varied ways and with the aid of differing products and programs.
One thing you will see from the very beginning is that all these members used some form of exercise to achieve their goals. The method and amount of exercise may change from person to person but the fact remains you must move your body to lose weight. A good rule of thumb is vigorous exercise for a minimum of three days out of every week.
The forms of exercise varied among members but the most used was walking. This was not the only way of course; others used fun sports, weight lifting and cardiovascular machines. It’s interesting to see something as simple as walking be so effective.
Exercise is all about the burn! It doesn’t matter what exercise you do, you just need to get going! Referring back to the above statement more calories burnt than consumed will equal weight loss. Choose a fun activity then get your body moving!
Exercise routines will vary to personal taste, however they should all contain strength, cardio and stretching. The cardio will burn the calories, strength training will increase lean muscle mass and stretching will keep connective tissues soft and pliable.
No one should be the least bit shocked to find that members also reported changes to their diets. You will not sustain any type of weight loss with poor eating habits.
Women on average consumed around 1300 calories per day and men consumed around 1700.
You may be surprised to learn that about 80% of people reported eating breakfast; I guess all the information out there about this being the most important meal is not a fluke!
Eating several small meals everyday is the best advice you can get. It provides a balanced supply of nutrients flowing while stimulating your metabolism. Start with a balanced breakfast every morning.
In addition to these tips, people also reported shrinking their portion sizes, leaving junk food alone and counting their calories everyday.
Not only was sticking to diet and exercise important but members also report that watching their weight carefully influenced their results. The ones who monitored it closely achieved the most success.
This is not to say that they lived on the scale, but most would weigh themselves weekly and kept a record of what they ate and when.
Whether or not to use supplements appears to be a personal choice and not indicative of results. The number who used these to those who did not was somewhat even. Many used diet pills to lose weight faster while many stuck to their diet and exercise regimen alone.
There were also members who tried some of the popular weight loss aids only to put them aside when they did not see much in the way of results. A fact that is not astonishing when you consider all the worthless products available. Others said that some of the proven weight loss supplements they used were quite helpful.
To lose weight you do not have to follow another persons footsteps precisely. Nevertheless, many people want the option of speeding up their weight loss results with diet products.
Weight loss is not rocket science - in fact most of the information you already know! Eat less, burn more calories and stay on target. The problems come when we try to pull this all together.
Seems like the people who dive in head first come out closer to their goals in the end. A strong effort to lose weight fast in the beginning can keep you focused on your goals. You can have the body you always dreamed of! Just set your goals, develop a plan and go after it. You can do it!
Greg Woodburn
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/want-to-burn-fat-quickly-need-to-burn-belly-fat-you-must-read-this-675512.html
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Despite the diet and lifestyle challenges of being a busy and successful Management Consultant, you can still lose weight fast and permanently. Here is a series of simple tips and techniques I used to lose 50lbs while working as a Management Consultant in 2007.
Surely, I can’t be expected to find time to exercise?
Gentle aerobic exercise is an essential element in the life of anyone serious about weight loss. There are plenty of other benefits too, such as better stress tolerance, improved sleep, enhanced love life and more energy throughout the day. Exercise gets rid of that mentally drained feeling for good.
I keep a folding cycle in the car, together with a high visibility jacket, cycle helmet, gloves and cycle lights. That way, whether at home or not, exercise needs are covered.
The best time to exercise is before breakfast. This energises the body for the day ahead, so set the alarm 30 minutes earlier. This way, you’re getting more out of the day and through exercise, quality of sleep will improve significantly. When you awake at 6.15am, instead of thinking “it’s cold outside” and hitting the snooze button, visualise how great you’re going to look and feel for the rest of the day after getting some gentle exercise.
Find a form of aerobic exercise that works for you and aim to work up a gentle sweat, rather than push yourself hard. Over-exercise can actually cause weight to be held around the middle through the release of cortisol, a stress hormone. Many people make the mistake of exercising hard once a week or so, rather then gently and sensibly, several times a week.
So go on, take my challenge! Set the alarm half an hour earlier for 3 days this week, get into your favourite form of exercise and work up a gentle sweat, then see what an amazing difference it makes to the day and your productivity! If you’ve not exercised for some time, it makes sense to consult the Doctor before starting any new programme of exercise.
How can I handle the challenge of a client lunch and all those nights in hotels?
Try ordering two starters and having one as the main course. The different starters will handle your need for variety and leave that satisfied feeling.
Avoid a full cooked breakfast and try poached eggs on brown toast instead. Go for cereals which have a high fibre content and add low fat or soya milk. The body needs 25g of fibre a day and this step alone would enable most people to lose 10lbs in weight during a year.
Make sure that you drink enough water - a minimum of 2 litres each and every day. It’s water, not other drinks that your body needs at regular intervals. Don’t mistake hunger for thirst; by the time the mouth is dry, your body is already dehydrated. Be sensible though - too much water (over 4 litres a day) and the body has other challenges to deal with. Alcohol and caffeinated drinks are very dehydrating to the body, so for faster weight loss, reduce intake of these.
What about the finger buffet at lunch and all those morning/afternoon snacks?
Go for sandwiches with no mayo and salad items in in your finger buffet diet. Look for, or request some simple salad items (small tomatoes, cucumber pieces and celery are easy to eat with one hand).
Eat a piece of fruit at morning or afternoon breaks, rather than biscuits and cakes. Take your own fruit or some chopped veggies like carrots and celery to work if necessary.
How do I best combat stress?
Acting on the above tips will increase your productivity as a Management Consultant by increasing energy and vitality. Eating a healthy diet is one of the best ways of handling stress at source, before it ever becomes a problem.
Alcohol and caffeine may seem like a short term fix for stress, but they contain toxins and minimising consumption is a far better strategy for effective stress management and rapid weight loss. Reducing consumption of toxins means that the body doesn’t have to work hard at eliminating them and can concentrate on the more important task of metabolising away fat instead.
Despite a busy lifestyle, you CAN do these simple things; so make a start today and make 2009 your best year ever!
Andrew Bridgewater
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/lose-weight-and-grow-your-management-consultancy-business-how-715178.html