Thursday, 26 January 2012

How to lose weight the healthy way

The healthiest way to lose weight is neither crash diets nor bursts of exercise. The body likes slow changes in terms of food and exercise.

For example, someone who hasn't exercised for years shouldn't rush into running miles a day or pounding the treadmill. Not only will the struggle to do so leave you feeling disheartened and demotivated, you're also far more likely to injure yourself and set your fitness levels back further.

The same goes for people who suddenly start starving themselves. Diets that severely restrict calories or the types of food 'allowed' can lead you to be deficient in the nutrients and vitamins that your body needs.

So, if you need to lose weight, what should you do?

Energy needs and weight loss
Your body uses food for energy. It stores any excess energy as fat. This means if you eat more food than your body needs for daily activities and cell maintenance, you'll gain weight.

To lose weight, you need to get your body to use up these stores of fat. The most effective way to do this is to:

reduce the amount of calories you eat
increase your levels of activity.
This is why experts talk about weight loss in terms of diet and exercise.

Introduce changes gradually
Small changes can make a big difference. One extra biscuit a week can lead you to gain 5lb a year – cut that biscuit out of your diet and you'll lose the same amount.

You're also more likely to stick to, say, swapping full-fat milk for semi-skimmed or making time for breakfast each morning than a diet that sets rules for all foods.

You should think of weight loss in terms of permanently changing your eating habits. While weight-loss goals are usually set in term of weeks, the end game is to sustain these changes over months and years, ie lifestyle change for life.

Increase your activity levels
Someone who increases the amount they exercise, but maintains the same diet and calorie intake, will almost certainly lose weight.

No matter if you hate gyms – even light exercise, such as a short 20 minute walk, will be beneficial if done most days of the week.

Every single time you exercise more than usual, you burn calories and fat.

There are lots of ways to increase the amount of activity you do. Team sports, racket sports, aerobics classes, running, walking, swimming and cycling will all improve your fitness levels.

Find something you enjoy that's easy for you to do in terms of location and cost. You're then more likely to build it into your routine and continue to exercise, despite inevitably missing the odd session through holidays, family commitments, etc.

Get out and about at the weekend. Leave your car on the drive and walk to the shops. Try to incorporate longer walks into outings to the park, coast or countryside and take a picnic, so you're in control of what you are going to eat that day.

Every extra step you take helps. Always use the stairs instead of the lift, or get off the bus a stop before the usual one and walk the rest of the way.

Use commercial breaks between TV-programmes to stand up and do exercise, or consider using an exercise bicycle in the living room while watching your favourite programme.

Be patient and persevere
It might take a week or two before you notice any changes, but they will steadily appear. After the first month you'll be able to see the results and measure them in terms of looser fitting clothes.

Keeping your motivation up is one of the most difficult aspects of dieting. There will be days when healthy eating goes out the window, and there will be weeks where you may not lose any weight – or put a little back on.

This is normal for everyone – dieters or not – so don't let it undo your plans for a slimmer you. You're not doing anything 'wrong', but you may need to look at your plan. Do you need to increase your activity levels? Make a few more changes to your diet? Put more effort into sticking to your current plan?

The other side of this is to make sure you celebrate your goals. While there's joy enough in stepping on the scales and seeing them dip lower, be sure to mark long-term progress with a reward – such as new clothes or time off from domestic chores.

Celebrating is also a way to involve your nearest and dearest – it's up to you whether you want their encouragement in the form of gentle reminders not to eat certain foods. But support from other people can get you through the bumpy patches

Thursday, 19 January 2012

28 weight loss tips with exercise

The best weight loss tips is following a diet plan without costing your health, without feeling hungry and most importantly without getting the extra weight back once you stop the diet. The way to do this is to increase the pace of your metabolism. And the best way to succeed is to increase your physical activity with exercise, to get into the habit of daily physical exercise. This article is just about that. It outlines 28 weight loss tips with exercise that you can use to achieve your weight loss goals with the help of physical exercise.

Exercise raises the metabolic rate and as a result we burn more fat. The metabolism stays at higher levels even 6 hours after exercise, because the body works by improving the muscle tissue and cleaning the body from the products of combustion during exercise. This additional energy burns calories.

If you increase your physical activity by walking, running, exercising, doing a sport, and spend 400-600 more calories a day, you will lose additional 1-2 pounds or more in a month, all due to the exercise.

A vital tip for the success of the exercise program is to choose an activity you like, to believe in the value of exercise for weight loss, and make this a daily habit and your new way of life.

The general idea behind weight loss and exercise is the following: the more calories I burn and the less I consume, the more weight I will loose. Indeed this is true, but if your goal is to burn the extra fat, then you should look at some other things as well. First of all, it is a fact that with exercise you can achieve weight loss, the size of which depends on the type of exercise, duration and your body weight. The calories burned can range from 200-400 calories per hour.

This rate does not necessarily mean that the body burns from the fat reserves in order to find the energy needed for the exercise. For example, an intense short duration exercise, such as when you run or ride a bicycle with quick speed for 15-20 minutes, can burn 200-300 calories, but it is calories that come from the combustion of carbohydrate reserves and not fat! Only a moderate intensity exercise for a long duration can «burn» more fat. And of course when this physical activity is at regular intervals (3 times a week is enough and the benefits are a lot). So walk fast or do jogging for a long time, dance!, Do a sport you like, follow aerobic fitness programs etc and «Burn» fat. If your goal is not only weight loss, learn that physical activity has many benefits for health in general because it helps to regulate blood pressure, control blood sugar and helps to raise the «good »HDL cholesterol.

Below you can find 28 weight loss tips with exercise. The list is by no means complete but it covers several important areas in the weight loss process. It emphasizes the importance of exercise – and how to do it properly, and the role of proper diet and behavior.



Weight loss Tips #1. Benefits of Walking for weight loss
Exercise with walking is gentle but very effective, provided of course that you are walking vigorously and without any stop as long as you choose.

Benefits of walking

1. “Burn” calories, improves the rate of metabolism.
2. Helps strengthen the body, reduce local subcutaneous fat, helps to restore the loose body areas, as a result of the weight loss.
3. Helps to strengthen the bones (something especially important for women).
4. Reduces symptoms of varicose veins, helps the circulatory system.
5. Reduces blood pressure and pulse when you are relaxed
6. Help overcoming headaches.
7. Helps you be calmer with less stress, “intensity”, “nerves” that often cause greed, need for food.

After a good walk you would feel better, more relaxed, less stressed, and less “need” for food.

Walking can help weight loss

Walking can help you loose weight and not only that, it makes you feel less hungry and keeps the blood flow away from the digestive system. You can assume that you will burn up to 500 calories in an hour (depending on your step), which corresponds to a modest meal.

The main rules for enabling weight loss through walking are:

Start with small distances the first 5-6 days, walk a total of 15-20 minutes, but make a promise to your self to walk daily.

Gradually expand the distance, walking 10 more minutes every day, having the intension to walk for at least an hour.

Follow the same pattern with speed. The first day’s start with a slow but steady pace and as the days pass increases your pace.

Dressed comfortably, put soft shoes, with no or minimal heel.

Walking without tension, without tightening the body. Walk comfortably, not hunchbacked, do not pin your eyes on the ground. Walking vigorously, without stopping at every corner or shop you will meet. Do not hold anything in your hands.

When you first start walking you may feel stiff, sore. This is natural, because your muscles work. But if you have difficulties in breathing, or have tachycardia, moderate your step, or stop to rest, resume walking, but at a slower pace and less time.

You can walk anywhere, any time you want. Inside the streets filled with traffic, or somewhere quietly, with or without company. Choose what suits you more. Choose a destination every time you walk. Walk from home to a friend’s house, or to go to the market.

The best is to do your walking with no stops, so you will have better results. If this is very difficult for your, split it into two parts.

The ideal is to get to walk 5-6 kilometers in an hour.

Weight loss Tips #2. You can exercise anywhere, anytime
Do not avoid movement. The more you move the more weight you will loose.

Use the stairs and not the elevator

When you go shopping or on any job, do not take your car.

Use the bus. This will make you walk to the bus stop, when you go and when you return.

A good idea is to walk one or two stops and then take the bus, and then get off one or two stops before your final destination

Weight loss Tips #3. Use more compound exercises
Choose compound exercises when exercising with weights, such as projections and squat with variations, pressure drills, exercises involving the entire body, dumbbells or pulleys to stimulate the heart and respiratory activity to burn more calories and release more hormones that help burn fat and enable better body development.

Use less isolated exercises and machines. Make your heart to pump and lungs to work during training with weights. If you breathe heavily and impulses of the heart are increased, then your body releases hormones that help weight loss and fat burn and also stimulate your metabolism.

Weight loss Tips #4. Increase the density of exercise
Many people have heard about exercise intensity, but few know about density, which simply means to perform more work in less time. To achieve that, you can increase the density of the exercise by decreasing the rest interval between the sets when exercising with weights. To speed up weight loss, reduce the rest intervals to less than 60 seconds, 45 seconds and end at around 20-30 seconds between sets. Experiment with cyclical training, which you will perform three, four or more exercises in a row without rest. Use more “super sets” (biceps, followed by triceps, followed by chest with back). Do abdominal and calves between exercises instead of relaxing. Take your pulse and breath during the strength training.

Weight loss Tips #5. Experiment with morning cardiovascular exercises
Do aerobic exercise early in the morning with an empty stomach (note: time is not critical, but will give you add extra advantage). If you are interested in maintaining a fat free body, you should eat a light protein meal (egg whites for example) or take a protein drink 20-30 minutes before the aerobic exercise.

Weight loss Tips #6. Enrich your exercise program
Is the training you have been doing boring? Change the type of exercise, the program or the intensity. Try 20-30 minutes training with high intensity, alternating with 30-45 minutes of normal intensity. You can apply this to cycling or walking outside. Make kickboxing, then mountain biking in replacing the aerobic exercises. The combinations are endless. Do not limit yourself.

Weight loss Tips #7. Sprint
Replace 1 or 2 aerobic training sessions with sprint. Run a level road or a hill or even on the track if you have access, instead of the traditional aerobic exercise. Beware that before you try this form of exercise you need to be in good shape and have the approval of a doctor.

Weight loss Tips #8. Eat light at night.
Make your program so that the last meal of the day is 3 hours before sleep. If you eat something at night, keep the calories low; choose something light with more protein and carbohydrates rich in fiber with little fat.

Weight loss Tips #9. Reduce carbohydrates gradually during the day
Do not eat starch carbohydrates after 3pm.

Weight loss Tips #10. Reduce the consumption of carbohydrates
Keep carbohydrates low, approximately 25-30% of your total calories for 3 days (increase protein and good fats for compensation). At the 4th day consume high amount of carbohydrates.

Weight loss Tips #11. Try to remove whole grain products from your diet
Some people have sensitivity to gluten contained in whole grain products, causing inflation by making weight loss difficult. Remove some starch foods from your diet and increase fat free protein and vegetables then you may as well increase the weight loss.

Weight loss Tips #12. Experiment by removing milk from your diet
Some people have lactose intolerance or are allergic to milk and not know it. Try to remove them from your daily diet and see the effect on your weight loss attempts.

Weight loss Tips #13. Take into account the glycemic Index(GI)
The glycemic Index is not the primary factor in the program for weigh loss. The first criterion to choose carbohydrates is whether the carbohydrate is natural or not. However if you know you have intolerance to carbohydrates, then the glycemic Index is more important. For starch foods prefer sweet potatoes, brown or Basmati rice (not white or instant rice), beans, lentils, peas or barley.

Weight loss Tips #14. Eat more low fat fruits
Some people completely cut fruit in a strict weigh loss diet. This may be good for short periods, but the fruits and vegetables have high nutritional value and should not be removed in most cases. Eat fruit, but calculate the calories they contain and try to prefer fruits low in calories such as apples, grapefruit (some fruits like bananas have 120 calories, while an apple has 80 and the orange on average about 60 calories). Avoid fruits with a lot of calories such as grapes. Avoid juice entirely because they are rich in calories and it is preferable to eat whole fruits to take and fiber.

Weight loss Tips #15. Eat vegetables and fiber
Eat as many green and rich in fiber vegetables and salads. They have many benefits of offer to your health and diet.

Weight loss Tips #16. Do not «drink» calories
No milk, no juice, no calories in liquid form. Drink lots of water and green tea.

Weight loss Tips #17. Do not eat protein bars or nutritional bars
Some «nutritional bars» are made entirely from food ingredients, and they are preferable than others, but all the protein bars are processed food. When it comes to weight loss you need to be strict in your diet, so get rid of the bars.

Weight loss Tips #18. Make a break for 3 days
If you are feeling stressed and if you are on a weight loss diet and exercise without breaks for more than 3 to 4 months, relax for a while. Stop everything and relax. Leave the nervous and endocrine system to rest and prepare for the next stage. Eat less during these days because your requirements for calories are lower, otherwise you can take more weight. After this break start the exercise again, fully relaxing and more stubborn.

Weight loss Tips #19. Re-thing about your weight loss goals
Be specific and clear on what exactly you want. Not vague generalities such as «I want to loose weight». Write your goals on a piece of paper have it always with you. Twice a day, morning and evening, have a look at them and mentally envisioned yourself with the body you want to have. Feel how you would feel (emotionally) if you had already succeeded. Remember, if you have a negative image for you, you will not be able to loose weight and you will end up sabotage yourself.

Weight loss Tips #20. Drink more and more water
Water is vital for the proper functioning of the body. It is the most important element in our organism. You need to try and drink at least 4 liters of water a day.

Weight loss Tips #21. Increase the frequency of exercise
If you are exercising less than 6 times a week, 30-45 minutes of aerobic exercise, then gradually increase the duration and frequency to 6 days, 30-45 minutes (if you already started to loose weight by doing 4 days a week from 30 minutes, then do not increase the frequency of the exercise). If you already do daily aerobics, increase the intensity and watch your diet.

Weight loss Tips #22. Increase the intensity of exercise
Remember that you can increase the intensity of the exercise and burn more calories at the same time. Challenge yourself by noticing how many calories you can burn at the same time. Keep a personal record. Try to exercise with a partner so as to help and inspire each other. Make aerobic exercises more efficient, not only the training with weights. Look for new limits. Remember, your body can adapt to your needs.

Weight loss Tips #23. Cut the alcohol
Do not drink any alcohol. Not even a beer or even a glass of red wine. Not even in controlled amounts. Even if this sounds impossible, it is a matter of principle and self-discipline as the program becomes progressively tighter.

Weight loss Tips #24. Cut the junk food
If you have weight loss results on a weekly basis, then you can reward your self with a «free lunch» once or twice a week. But if you do not have results you should be stricter. The meals you have must be composed of clean food, as this is enough to increase your metabolic rate, but do not eat junk food because it will be harder to loose fat and weight. Leave the results to determine how strict your diet should be.

Weight loss Tips #25. Make an overview of how you live your life
Look and analyze other areas of your life besides exercise and diet. Sleep, anxiety, recovery, alcohol, smoking, chemical products. You have anxiety and you cannot recover properly? Improve the quality and quantity of your sleep, reduce stress and look carefully if you are exercising too much and as a result you do not let your self to fully recover from your training. Smoke? If so, consider that you may take some weight when you decide to stop, but you must get rid of this unhealthy habit! Put your life in order and do it now. Analyze your diet more carefully. Block or reduce foods with added colors, flavors or preservatives. Cut alcohol and processed foods of any kind. Look for what is not natural and remove it from your diet. You can consume organic products. Keep your diet as clean as possible.

Weight loss Tips #26. Medical advice
Last but not least, if all else fails, see your doctor for a medical check up. Make comprehensive blood tests, hormone tests, endocrine (for thyroid). If there are any problems, follow the instructions and the treatment proposed by the doctor (natural or pharmaceutical). You can get a second opinion if you are not given a physical therapy (the natural way is always the best and healthiest). If everything is normal, then start exercising immediately! The only thing that stops you is you yourself.

Weight loss Tips #27. Set your pace
You may have managed to get half of a mountain path; you can temporarily stop to enjoy the view, preparing for the final climb to the top and continue to find your next goal. Keep in mind that it is normal to have peaks and back on your progress because this is how your body works and adapts.

Weight loss Tips #28. Avoid food that has no nutritional value
Besides the weight loss tips through exercise there are also some tips on how to loose weight by watching your diet and being selective on what food to eat and what not.
There is food that contains a lot of calories, but with very low nutritional value. There are two major categories of nutrients:

Caloric substances: Carbohydrates, protein and fat. These substances contain calories and are necessary for the proper functioning of the body.
Non-caloric substances: This includes vitamins and minerals. There are also the antioxidant substances.

What type of food to avoid:

Fried potatoes, fried chicken (nuggets), crisps and other fried foods: A portion of chips from a fast food can reach up to 600 calories and 30 grams of fat. What does this mean? Many calories and little value.

Sweets, drinks with sugar and other sweet processed foods: A few sweets can contain 100-200 calories, additives and dyes, many calories (from sugar) and some trace elements.

Processed carbohydrates like crackers, biscuits, white rice and white bread: The processed carbohydrates contain some vitamin B complex, but nothing else.

In conclusion, the most important tip is to believe in the value and necessity of exercise for a successful weight loss. The weight loss tips with exercise presented above are just a guideline to help you create your own action plan for weight loss. The most important of all is to be able to change habits and include exercise in your daily schedule. Exercise is one of the most important factors for weight loss, especially for the long-term preservation of it.

Remember that it is not possible to lose weight without a negative energy balance, i.e. you must eat less and to “burn” the extra calories with exercise. It is necessary to make a commitment to your self and to others that you will be persistent in your effort, that you will insist on a daily basis to exercise and to follow your diet

Saturday, 14 January 2012

"Losing Weight? - Go Herbal"

These days, there is a great need for overweight people to lose those excess pounds. Being healthy would not only lead them to have a healthier lifestyle but it will also literally lighten their load, and improve their overall well-being.

There is a long list of dieting options available. There are exercise programs, exercise machines, dietary supplements, dietary food and drinks, diet pills - there are even soaps which claim to help you lose pounds while you bathe.

One other available option to shed off those unwanted pounds is to go herbal.

Herbal weight loss products have been in great demand for people who want to lose weight the natural way. However, when you take herbal supplements to lose weight, you would have to wait for a longer time for the results because of the more subtle effects of medicines which came from plants and natural herbs.

Here are some herbal weight loss options that you might want to consider:

1. Herbal weight loss products

There are a lot of herbal weight loss products available in the market now. You can check out the Internet and you will find a lot of herbal weight loss pills and products.

Be careful, however, as there are some products which claim to be safe and natural because they are herbal, but some actually have side effects because of non-extensive research on the effects of these products.

Here are some ingredients and chemicals which make up some herbal weight loss products that you should watch out for, as they might have harmful effects to your health:

> Senna. This is an herbal laxative. Senna is a main ingredient in weight loss teas, and it works by stimulation the colon. The downside effect of this herb is dehydration. It can also lead to colon problems and can become addictive. Some people, when addicted, are unable to perform bowel movements without it, so watch out.

> Chromium picolinate. This is a synthetic compound found in herbal weight loss products. Chromium is a nutrient which helps regulate blood-sugar level. However, this ingredient, when taken in high doses, may cause damage in the chromosomes. It can also lead to dehydration.

> St. John's wort. This supplement increases the production of a chemical in the brain. If not used properly, it may cause eye and skin sensitivity, mild gastrointestinal distress, fatigue and itching.

Although a lot of herbal products claim to be safe and natural, it is better to scrutinize the ingredients and research about the effects of the product itself before going for these herbal dietary pills.

2. Organic food.

In Wichita, Kansas, organic food has found its way to more homes and restaurants. Organic food devotees believe that consuming organic goodies help their bodies as well as the environment.

A person who buys organically raised eggs and vegetables claim to be healthier, and they are not spending money on doctors and prescriptions as these keep them healthier and away from the hospital. This could also be an option for weight watchers, as organic food is known to be kinder to your weight than chemically-processed food products.

3. Green Tea.

Studies show that intake of green tea, or green tea extracts burns extra calories. Also, green tea with caffeine can increase fat burning by up to 40% thereby reducing fat.

This is one good option for those who want to lose weight. In a study done, people who took green tea were found to lose 2 to 3 times more weight than those who did not drink green tea.

These results show that green tea is a natural product for the treatment of obesity. Thus, it also makes for a healthier dietary option, not to mention the good effects that it has on the body as compared to caffeine. A cup of tea gives an emmediate energy lift without the side effects of caffeine.

3. Caffeine.

Coffee provides an energy boost to increase fat burning. Caffeine also provides a likelihood to be active, which in turn increases your rate of calorie burn.

4. Immortality Herb

This herb, whose scientific name is Gymnostemna Pentaphyllum, is known to have the following benefits:

> increases healthy blood flow
> reduces artery blocks
> aids healthy blood pressure
> increases the rate of fat burning

5. Apple Cider Vinegar

There are pills and food supplements whose main ingredient is apple cider vinegar. Here are the benefits of taking this herbal option:

> weight loss

Friday, 6 January 2012

Getting the Best Weight Loss Tips

Losing weight has been the dilemma of most people for many years now. Well, we all want to look fit and sexy all the time. Hence, we strive hard just to get the body that we want. However, with the lifestyle and eating habits that we were brought up with, it is almost impossible to stay slim and so easy to gain weight.

What with all the calories that we take in everyday, with all the junk and fast foods that we eat as well as the caffeinated beverages that we drink. And in our desperation to trim down excess fats, we are always seeking for weight loss tips and different means to loss weight.

There are lots of tips available for you when it comes to losing weight. Books and magazines about weight loss as well as other essential things in losing weight are now within your reach. Visit your favorite bookstores and magazine shops and you’ll surely find them.

Do-It-Yourself Weight Loss Tips

As there are a lot of tips on how to trim down excess fats and shed extra pounds that have been published, you can now easily find a set of procedures fitted for you and you lifestyle. However, the best procedures to losing extra pounds are those which you can do even when you’re all by yourself; those which don’t require you to go and consult a clinic or a weight loss expert.

Here are some weight loss tips that you can do yourself;

• Trim down your calories consumption

– we need calories for our day to day activities, but we need to trim down unnecessary percentage of calories. Mostly, you may need to avoid soft drinks and alcoholic drinks. Gourmet coffee also contains too much calories and you may want to reduce consumption of this or totally avoid intake.

• Exercise is still a best way to shed extra pounds

– yes, this is still among the best practices that you can do at home to trim down extra pounds. You can start off by moving more often. Like instead of driving to a nearby supermarket, you can walk. Avoid riding if it is just a walking distance. You can also walk your dog every morning. Cleaning the house also makes your body move more often. You see, you don’t need trainers and equipments just to exercise.

• Feast on 5 small meals everyday

– instead of eating 3 heavy meals, you can eat several small meals throughout the day. This way, you can divide your daily calorie intake without having to undergo fasting or skipping meals.

• Always eat breakfast

– it is not a good idea to skip on breakfast just to lose weight. You will only tend to eat more later in the day.

• Water therapy

– water may not be considered as something which can burn fat, but drinking the right amount of water everyday can help with bodily functions such as proper digestion. It also makes you feel full so you won’t feel like eating and eating.



If you haven’t noticed, the tips above mostly involved self discipline. This is because discipline is the fundamental of all the weight loss procedures out there. You have to know your limitations if you are serious about trimming down those unwanted fats. No weight loss tips are as effective as they promise if you, as the person who wants to lose weight, won’t have even a bit of self discipline.