Personal Training

Julie Barros


What are the best ab exercises and most effective on your abdominal muscles? If you are trying to get great abs and a flat stomach by doing 100 crunches, then be sure to read on to find out what one study deemed as the best ab exercises.

According to one study conducted by the Biomechanics Lab at San Diego State University, the bicycle maneuver was the top rated abdominal exercise with the traditional ab crunch coming in at the bottom three.

This study used specialized equipment to measure the activity in the abdominal muscles to determine the best ab exercises. There were 30 men and women who participated in this study ranging in age from 20 to 45. Each participant performed 10 to 12 reps of 13 common abdominal exercises. Each exercise was given to the participants randomly and the participants were allowed to practice each exercise.

The study also included some popular abdominal exercise equipment in this study including the ab roller, ab rocker and an exercise ball. Each abdominal exercise was measured for effectiveness in the rectus abdominus muscle and the oblique muscles. The data was gathered and analyzed.

Best Ab Exercises

Topping the list for the most effective in the rectus abdominus was the bicycle maneuver, captain’s chair and coming in third was the exercise ball crunch. The best ab exercises for the oblique muscles were the captain’s chair, bicycle maneuver and the reverse crunch.

Coming in close behind the top 3 for the rectus abdominus were the vertical leg crunch, torso track and the long arm crunch. The number 4 through 6 spots for effectiveness in the oblique muscles were the hover, vertical leg crunch and the exercise ball crunch.

Worst Ab Exercises

The bottom 3 abdominal exercises for both the rectus abdominus and oblique muscles were the Ab Rocker coming in last then the exercise tubing pull and coming in 11th was the traditional crunch.

This study did state that all the abdominal exercises studied showed some effectiveness in the ab muscles, however some were more effective than others.

Getting Flat Abs

Although there are probably 100 abdominal exercises for you to try, in order to flatten your stomach you must also focus on reducing belly fat. The best exercise to lose belly fat is not an abdominal exercise. Rather it is aerobics. That’s right. You must do aerobic or fat burning exercises in order to eliminate and reduce fat. If all you do is abdominal exercises then all you accomplish are rock hard abs hidden under a layer of fat.

Your weekly exercise routines should consist of both aerobics and strength training. By including both in your workout routines you will not only be burning calories and fat but building lean muscle. The more lean muscle you have the more calories you burn.

But of course all this exercising doesn’t give you free reign to eat what ever you want. You still have to incorporate a healthy eating plan to help reduce fat and build muscle.

To really get flat abs and that treasured six pack abs be sure to eat right, do aerobic exercises and focus on the best ab exercises to get the most out of your abdominal exercise routine.

Michael Logan


k Your Brain, Work Your Body

The problem: I lost my car keys. What kind of brain exercise will make my brain work better?

The solution: Brain-boosting software programs are a booming business. And studies show that both computer exercises and old-fashioned mental activities-reading or crafting - can affect memory.

But the best thing you can do for your brain is to move your body.

“If I had to pick between fitness training and brain training, I’d go with fitness,” said Sam Wang, an associate professor of neuroscience and molecular biology at Princeton University. So far, he said, exercise has been shown to have an effect several times larger than computer-brain exercise.

So are we talking about physical activity or physical exercise?

According to Simon Evans, Ph.D. and Paul Burghardt, Ph.D., authors of the best brain exercise book availabe, Brainfit for Life, there is an important difference between physical exercise and activity, and how both impact brain and body fitness.

They report that brain exercise or physical exercise does not need to begin with going to the gym for physical training, but can begin at home with a simple increase physical activity, those normal things we do around the house to maintain it, like a little extra walking each morning, now that it is spring. Push a lawn mower, rather than ride one, that kind of thing, is just the key to keeping the brain at its peak, so that it perceives accurately, and remembers well.

Why is physical activity so important to the brain? The brain needs quite a bit of energy, meaning food, and it does not store a reserve, so it needs blood flowing to it, and activity/exercise does that, gets the blood flowing to the brain, and when the brain has lots of blood flowing to it, it will build lots of arteries and veins which bathe the neurons regularly with nutrients and oxygen and remove waste, ect.

That is where the computer based programs can enter the equation, because when I provide my brain novel challenge, it will build dendrites and synapses to cement new learning.

However, if I do not cement those new connections inside my brain, they will be pared away, so just like regular physical activity/exercise, regular mental activity/exercise is necessary for the brain to “flex its axons and stretch its dendrites.”

I need to do brain activity/exercise because if I do not, the subtle negative changes in my brain’s ability to respond to my life from the lack of those things will soon mount to major problems.

So what computer based brain exercise can I combine with my physical exercise/activity?

By the way, if you want a powerful program that you and your wife can use to exercise at home, without expensive equipment, then do this. Believe me, it is a great, focused way to increase your level of physical activity without expensive workouts, coaches, or clubs. And physical exercise is what keeps us at our best brainwise.

Exercising with your partner can be a great way to deepen your relationship, which contributes to better brain health too.

More Love, Less Fat

This program actually increases your IQ. Twenty minutes per day for 19 days, then practice as needed. No upper limit, according to the res

The solution: Brain-boosting software programs are a booming business. And studies show that both computer exercises and old-fashioned mental activities-reading or crafting - can affect memory.

But the best thing you can do for your brain is to move your body.

“If I had to pick between fitness training and brain training, I’d go with fitness,” said Sam Wang, an associate professor of neuroscience and molecular biology at Princeton University. So far, he said, exercise has been shown to have an effect several times larger than computer-brain exercise.

So are we talking about physical activity or physical exercise?

According to Simon Evans, Ph.D. and Paul Burghardt, Ph.D., authors of Brainfit for Life, there is an important difference between physical exercise and activity, and how both impact brain and body fitness.

They report that brain exercise or physical exercise does not need to begin with going to the gym for physical training, but can begin at home with a simple increase physical activity, those normal things we do around the house to maintain it, like a little extra walking each morning, now that it is spring. Push a lawn mower, rather than ride one, that kind of thing, is just the key to keeping the brain at its peak, so that it perceives accurately, and remembers well.

Why is physical activity so important to the brain? The brain needs quite a bit of energy, meaning food, and it does not store a reserve, so it needs blood flowing to it, and activity/exercise does that, gets the blood flowing to the brain, and when the brain has lots of blood flowing to it, it will build lots of arteries and veins which bathe the neurons regularly with nutrients and oxygen and remove waste, ect.

That is where the computer based programs can enter the equation, because when I provide my brain novel challenge, it will build dendrites and synapses to cement new learning.

However, if I do not cement those new connections inside my brain, they will be pared away, so just like regular physical activity/exercise, regular mental activity/exercise is necessary for the brain to “flex its axons and stretch its dendrites.”

I need to do brain activity/exercise because if I do not, the subtle negative changes in my brain’s ability to respond to my life from the lack of those things will soon mount to major problems. (You may never find those keys).

So what computer based brain exercise can I combine with my physical exercise/activity?

Any program involving the dual n back task will amplify your physical workout.

There is evidence that the dual n back task actually increases your IQ.

Wonder if there is a way to do the dual n back while I am walking?

Nilakshi Handique


The hugely popular exercise bike evolved from the traditional bicycle which was invented centuries ago. Bicycles were not merely a means of transport but also offered ample scope for physical fitness. Their resourcefulness has been carried through generations and their basic principle finds relevance in the present day exercise cycle.

An exercise bike is today one of the most affordable forms of fitness equipments. The easy construction of exercise bikes have made it less expensive than other gym equipments like treadmills, ab-rollers or elliptical exercisers.



Exercise cycle for distinct body type:

Exercise cycle is distinctively used by people with specific body types. The human body type based on the build can be categorized as hourglass, pear, apple and ruler shaped. The apple and pear shaped personalities require most of the exercising.

‘Pear’ personalities have a heavier hip therefore an upright exercise cycle is ideal. They need to work on the heavy thighs and limbs. On the other hand, ‘apple’ personalities are at a higher risk of heart diseases due to the accumulation of fat in the chest region. An exercise cycle which is upright or recumbent and equipped with higher resistance is apt. The higher resistance ensures more mechanical energy spent, thereby ensuring that cardiovascular workout is optimum. Specific exercise bikes have the handle and pedal attached to one another which enables vigorous exercising of the upper and lower body part.

Exercise bike in therapy:

In addition to catering to a particular type of physical appearance, the exercise bikes are also known to have therapeutic value. Exercise cycle has been used in physiotherapy as they do not have an adverse impact on the body and are safer. The low-impact motion, involved while operating an exercise bike, puts less stress on joints and does not involve sporadic motions seen in other gym equipments. This ensures toning of muscles without adversely affecting the joints.

Disorders like Spinal Stenosis can be treated, with regular workouts on an upright bike rather than the recumbent exercise cycle. For patients suffering from Osteoarthritis, the stationary exercise cycle is the best choice, as it keeps the joints flexed and the muscles strengthened.

Exercise bike for weight loss:

If weight loss is on your mind, rest assured that stationary bikes are the ideal choice. Stationary bikes have innumerable advantages and few of them are as follows:

•    Ideal for excessively overweight people

•    Convenient home gym equipment

•    Different level settings enable vigorous training to develop fitness.

•    Stationary exercise bike is foldable; thereby enabling easy handling.

What’s more, in addition to assisting in weight loss and body toning; the exercise bike is meant to provide support to the back. Regular use of the exercise bike strengthens the leg, thigh muscles and the hamstrings in the back of the thigh. The health benefits of using an exercise bike to keep fit are therefore very significant.

You may ideally buy an exercise cycle best suited for you or hit the nearest gym. Various online marts cater to different fitness equipments and this is by far, the easiest means to shop. If going for a morning jog or walk appears to be a herculean task; then opt for the simple yet resourceful choice- the exercise bike. Get hold of one and kick start your exercise regime.

Bill Nad


?s The Purpose of Leading Exercise Ball? Before looking at the motives of using a leading exercise ball, we need to understand as to what exactly are exercise balls and why are they even used in the first place? Exercise balls are also known by several alternative names such as Swiss balls or fitness balls, the latter term being more prevalent. There are several exercises in yoga, Pilates or other general workout in which the body needs to stay balanced while performing the exercise. It is under these conditions that an exercise or fitness ball is used. Virtually all exercise balls have an outer coating of soft elastic PVC which is completely harmless to the human touch and hence is ideal for contact exercises. The basic principle behind using exercise balls is to increase the effort required for exercising which will eventually help in building more muscles. There are several ways in which exercise balls are used such as by adding balance challenges during exercising or by engaging the scarcely used muscles to provide balance to the entire body which will correspondingly help in strengthening of such muscles. The leading exercise ball is a special kind of exercise ball which was invented jointly by some Swiss medical therapists. Initially, the only purpose of leading exercise ball was to provide support during various exercises and the reason as to why such a need was felt is because a rigid surface, when used for support, can induce unnecessary strain on the contact muscles. It is here that the leading exercise ball provides the solution by replacing a rigid surface with a soft, compressible surface thereby lessening the amount of muscle strain considerably. All the major muscles of the body can be strengthened by working out with the leading exercise ball. Since these balls maintain their strength even while undergoing pressure, they are quite popular even among those engaging in yoga or aerobics. Such balls are also used by several athletes who are engaged in heavy duty workout training. It’s important to note here that leading exercise balls do require some time to get used to in an optimum manner. It is not recommended that you go all out using a leading exercise ball with each and every exercise that you do, while just starting out. In fact, you should limit yourself in using a leading exercise ball with a maximum of two exercises while starting out. Of course, if you have been working out for quite some time, say two months, then you can surely use a leading exercise ball with any exercise which you have mastered during your time in the gym. Again, let me add here that a leading exercise ball should be used with caution and not by throwing caution to the wind. As mentioned earlier, leading exercise ball was originally invented to cure medical conditions but this is no longer the case. Several exercises which are done with a standing position can include a leading exercise ball to simultaneously improve the back muscles as well. Similarly for those exercises which are done in a sitting position, addition of leading exercise ball can dramatically improve the abdominal muscles.

Erick Christopher


Quick weight loss diet plan? Does it exist? There are weight loss ways whereby you can loss weight fast, A good example is by doing surgery to reduce your body weight but at the same time it is expensive and extremely dangerous. Another weight loss method that is risky is by taking pills in order to lose weight. Pills are amongst the most risky and unhealthy ways to lose weight. Is there any fast weight loss diet plan out there that is healthy? Please keep reading to find out.

A quick weight loss diet plan that is healthy must have the following. It must provide you with a balanced diet and also it must not starve you. Beware weight loss dieters. There are many weight loss companies that will recommend methods to help you lose weight and you can’t cope with.Some of these methods includes starving yourself in order to lose weight or eating low carbs. A good example is eating salads all week in order to lose weight. Just make sure that any weight loss diet plan you get into gives you these 2 things: A balanced diet and No starvation method in order to lose weight.

A fast weight loss diet plan that lets you eat enough food and doesn’t starve you does exist. While many of the online weight loss diet plans do claim that they don’t use starvation methods in order to lose weight, they actually do and you need to make sure you don’t dive into any of them. Some diet plans are hard to follow and to stick to. They can drain your body energy until you give up on them. Examples are low carb diets (helps you lose a few pounds and your body will gain them back in the long run), Low fat diet (low fat diets don’t work) and other low calorie diets. The quick weight loss diet plan that I am about to reveal to you is not a low carb diet or does not use any starvation methods in order to lose weight. You can actually eat enough food while your body burns calories because the diet itself affects metabolism in a way that you will start burning more calories and lose a few pounds fast every week

Fast weight loss diet plan I recommend used a method called Calorie Shifting to keep your metabolism high all the time. Calorie shifting is the alternate the foods/meals you eat in a way that makes your body’s metabolism stay high all the time. The end result is losing body fat fast. You can actually lose weight fast by applying the Calorie shifting method and other healthy dieting techniques like eating multiple times a day to lose body weight fast. Who wouldn’t want to eat enough until they are satisfied and alternate their meals in a way that they can burn more calories fast and lose weight? Anyone and this is one of the reasons this quick weight loss diet plan I am about to recommend is very easy to follow and stick with.

You don’t need to count calories and starve yourself in order to lose weight, You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars in order to lose weight,You don’t have to take weight loss pills in order to lose weight and you don’t have to eat only snacks in order to achieve weight loss. What you need is eating healthy delicious foods that provide you enough balanced diet as a way to lose weight and maintain. Your weight loss should be long term because it will be time and money wasted to lose body weight and gain it back all together.Check out my link below for a quick weight loss diet plan.

Aneel Samuel


In the twenty years from 1979-1991 the hospital costs for children and youth have risen from 35 million in 1979-1981 to 127 million from 1997-1991 (Preventing childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance, 2005, Institute of Medicine).

The number of obese people is ever increasing. Here are some tips that may help people lose weight.

Weight Loss Tip #1 Eat in a small plate, this will allow you control the amount of food you eat.

Weight Loss Tip #2 Eat less, more often. Not only will it increase you metabolism through the day, but it will also help you control your diet. I suggest the following pattern:

8 a.m. BREAKFAST

11 a.m. SNACK

1 p.m. LUNCH

4 p.m. SNACK

6 p.m. DINNER

9 p.m. SNACK

Weight Loss Tip #3 Before you for for seconds always wait for at least 10 minutes you might not actually need them.

Weight Loss Tip #4 Use vegetable oil instead of butter for cook and baking.

Weight Loss Tip #5 Set realistic goals. It’s okay if you plan to lose 2 pounds a week, but the main thing is you will accomplish it. If you accomplish your goals from the beginning you will be motivated to continue till the end.

Weight Loss Tip #6 Eat early and never miss a breakfast. Eating the majority of your daily caloric allotment early gives your body time to work those calories off, so it’s best so it’s best to have a healthy breakfast.

Weight Loss Tip #7 Take time to chew your food. Digestion begins with the mouth, when you chew your food it’s mixed with your saliva which contain digestion enzymes . You can keep your body healthy if you achieve thorough digestion, so chew your food properly and savor the food.

Weight Loss Tip #8 Avoid stress. Stress causes weight gain due to chemical reactions, listen to so calm music and take deep breathes before eating.

Weight Loss Tip #9 Try salad as a main lunch.

Weight Loss Tip #10 Change your lifestyle. Adapt a new healthy lifestyle. Occassional fad diets will lead you only to gain more weight rather than lose weight.

Weight Loss Tip #11 Tell your friends and family that you want to lose weight. It’s good to know that people around you are rooting for you and gives you a boost.

Weight Loss Tip #12 Focus elsewhere while exercise. When you workout make sure you have your iPOD or are listening to music. Divert your focus elsewhere. If you focus on your own body while working out, it will make the work out really boring.

Weight Loss Tip #13 If you want to really lose weight do it properly and join a good weight loss program. Here you can find the top weight loss programs.

Weight Loss Tip #14 Keep record of how much weight you lose, take pictures or keep a diary, to motivate yourself lose weight further.

Weight Loss Tip #15 Eat slowly. It tales time for the brain to send signals of fullness, so it may take some time before you know you’re full. It helps you control your diet and lose weight.

Weight Loss Tip #16 Concentrate on more burning calories than you consume, rather than low carb and low fat diets, to lose weight.

Weight Loss Tip #17 Cut out all the negativity. People will try to discourage you when you’re trying to lose weight, not necessarily because they don’t want you to succeed, but you need to succeed in the goals you set until you are satisfied.

Weight Loss Tip #18 It’s okay to compare yourself to others and use that positively, however, don’t do everything exactly the same way. Everyone is different and do the workouts that suit your body and keep your own goal in mind.

Weight Loss Tip #19 Women are naturally supposed to lose weight slower the men… ladies don’t feel that I’m prejudiced, but the matter of the fact is that biologically as women are the birthing sex therefore they have more fat on their bodies and lose wieght slower then men. Therefore, ladies separate your weight loss goals from that of men.

Weight Loss Tip #20 Avoid weight loss pills. Period. Why? Because it is dangerous both physically and psychologically. So if want to lose weight do it naturally.

Weight Loss Tip #21 Don’t go for weight loss surgeries either, because these too can have fatal side effects on the body.

Weight Loss Tip #22 Vitamins are good. Even though vitamin pills are good for you, never ever, use them without consulting a professional.

Weight Loss Tip #23 Have dessert! Don’t cut off dessert, your body needs fat. Being healthy means that your body gets all the nutrients it needs, so have dessert, but control at the same time.

Weight Loss Tip #24 Walk a lot. Try walking distances, if you want to go somewhere, try leaving the car home and walk, it makes a difference and helps in the process of weight loss.

Weight Loss Tip #25 There is no way to force weight to come off your stomach (or any other worrisome spots). The good news is cardio exercise is great for peeling off the pounds all over, whether your trouble spot is your tummy or your thighs!

Weight Loss Tip #26 Go for a walk after a meal. It helps in complete digestion.

Weight Loss Tip #27 Think before you eat. Am I really hungry?

Weight Loss Tip #28 Sugar is not good for your body. The more refined it is, the more damage it will do your body.

Weight Loss Tip #29 Don’t have white bread, research proves that people who eat white bread are more likely to have bigger bellies. Instead try having whole grain white bread, it will help you in your weight loss plans.

Weight Loss Tip #30 Pasta ain’t going to do you any favors if you want to lose weight either. Refined pasta prevents your body from weight loss. Instead of pasta you could try barilla, which is a good substitute which are high in fiber and protein.

Weight Loss Tip #31 Try having a burger with just lettuce, tomato and onion.

Weight Loss Tip #32 Drink LOTS of water. Some people think, not drinking water will help them lose weight. They could be further from the truth. If you don’t drink water, whatever little water you do drink the body will store that and you will gain weight.

Drink more of water and you’ll lose excess weight and your system will cleaner.

Weight Loss Tip #33 If you go out one night with friends and break your healthy diet. Don’t grieve the next morning and start eating junk again. Get right back on track the next day. One night ain’t going to make all the difference.

Weight Loss Tip #34 Keep a balanced diet. I suggest the following diet during the day:

Almonds (and other nuts)

Beans (and other legumes)

Spinach (and other green vegetables)

Dairy

Instant oatmeal

Eggs

Turkey (and other lean meats)

Peanut butter

Olive oil

Whole grains (breads and cereals)

Extra-protein powder (whey)

Raspberries (and other berries)

Weight Loss Tip #35 Sleep your weight away! Sleeping will help you burn fat, I suggest at least 8 hours a day. It will help you in you weight loss process.

Weight Loss Tip #36 Workout in patterns. I don’t think many people can workout for 2 hours straight everyday. I would suggest that you would workout in sets every four or five days max a week.

Weight Loss Tip #35 Don’t overdo yourself working out. Start off doing as much as you can, then slowly increase the work out.

If you can do only 10 reps of an exercise, do only 10 and then slowly increase. You can’t lose weight overnight.

Weight Loss Tip #36 Having more of fiber at breakfast will make you feel fuller through the day.

Weight Loss Tip #37 When your feeling down talk to a close friend rather than turning to food. It will cause weight gain.

Weight Loss Tip #38 When you reach a even a small goal reward yourself and stay motivated.

Weight Loss Tip #39 If you know walking around in the kitchen is going to make you want to eat, then try avoiding staying in the kitchen or any other place where may feel like eating unnecessarily.

Weight Loss Tip #40 Having an organized refrigerator or kitchen will help you make better decisions as to what eat.

Weight Loss Tip #41 Try making better decisions to breaking bad older habits.

Weight Loss Tip #42 Just because you’re getting something to eat for free doesn’t mean you have to eat it. It ain’t going to cost your wallet, but it’s going to cost your waist, so be careful .

Weight Loss Tip #43 Don’t wear oversized clothes cause they make you look heavier.

Weight Loss Tip #44 Try high fiber appetizers, it helps you prevent overeating and helps control diet.

Weight Loss Tip #45 Another reason not to skip breakfast is, because after eight hours of sleep, our bodies have consumed no food and in order to increase your metabolism and burn them calories, you need to have breakfast.

Weight Loss Tip #46 Talk to yourself positively, say ” I can lose weight!”. Motivate yourself. It will help 100%.

Weight Loss Tip #47 Instead of putting mayo in your sandwich try putting mustard, ketchup, horseradish, salsa or pickle relish in your sandwiches.

Weight Loss Tip #48 While baking and pouring milk use the powdered kind instead. It will help you put off calories and lose weight.

Weight Loss Tip #49 Make each meal a well balanced meal.

Weight Loss Tip #50 Make on day of the week vegetable day, not only will you decrease your fat intake and increase fiber intake, but you might also realize that you actually like vegetables.

Weight Loss Tip #51 Try to be more active in your everyday life. Try to walk unto people’s desks at work rather than e-mailing them.

Weight Loss Tip #52 Don’t avoid nuts as a snack, because they have fat, they also have protein and other nutrients. I suggest a pack of nuts, instead a pack of chips any day.

Weight Loss Tip #53 Sugar-free doesn’t mean calorie-free.

Weight Loss Tip #54 Instead of having a soda at the restaurant have normal water, it will save you around 1000 calories per meal.

Weight Loss Tip #55 Skipping meals will help you take off a few pounds at first, but after a while your body will start banking calories and after a while your body won’t lose any weight at all.

Weight Loss Tip #56 Always pack a snack with you to work, you don’t when you might feel hungry at the office. Rather than eating junk from outside, keep a healthy snack with you.

Weight Loss Tip #57 Whenever you don’t feel like working out, think about how good it feels after the work out, the feel of accomplishment and the energy flowing through your body.

Weight Loss Tip #58 Putting on your exercise clothes when you don’t feel like it helps motivate you and puts you in the mood for a workout.

Weight Loss Tip #59 If you’re feeling down before a working out, have a soda or coffee, caffeine will speed up your metabolism for a while.

Weight Loss Tip #60 If you walk a lot talk things up a notch, try walking faster, jogging or even adding ankle weights.

Weight Loss Tip #61 There comes a time when diet and exercise stops helping lose weight, in that case increase physical activity. Not only will that add muscle, but also help in fat burning.

Weight Loss Tip #62 Let there be at least a three hour gap between your sleep and workout.

Weight Loss Tip #63 Make sure the exercises your doing are not only popular, but you enjoy doing them as well. Here is a weight loss program with good cardio exercises, people seem to really enjoy doing them.

Weight Loss Tip #64 You can take some sort of strength training, provided the doctor gives the OK. Being stronger will help you lose weight sooner.

Weight Loss Tip #65 Sit-ups, push-ups and pull-ups are part of strength training. I usually like to do modified versions, like doing push-ups on my finger tips.

Weight Loss Tip #66 Aerobic exercise is recommended to be done five days a week, however strength training needs to be done only two or three times a week.

Weight Loss Tip #67 Take a day of rest between strength exercise because your muscles need rest.

Weight Loss Tip #68 Keep your goal realistic, but don’t keep the timeframe of the goal so far off that you may lose focus. For example you may plan to lose weight by the end of two years, after one year you may get tired and stop trying.

Weight Loss Tip #69 Make small changes to your daily routine and become more active. Small changes overtime will make a big difference in the future.

Weight Loss Tip #70 Checking your BMI (Body Mass Index) can help determine how close you are to reaching your goals.

Weight Loss Tip #71 Don’t make a drastic cut in your calorie intake. People make the mistake of doing so, however, it will only cause your weight to stall.

Weight Loss Tip #72 Research has shown that snacking on peanut butter is an effective way to control hunger without leading to weight gain.

Weight Loss Tip #73 You should ask yourself these questions as you begin: Why do you want to lose weight? Are you truly committed?

Weight Loss Tip #74 If you want to lose weight your BAWH must change:

Behavior

Activity

What you eat

How you eat

Weight Loss Tip #75 No matter which way you look at it, 3,500 calories is one pound lost. Whether you take in 500 fewer or burn 500 more calories a day, by the end of the week you’ll be one pound lighter!

Weight Loss Tip #76 Your weight will fluctuate from day to day. Resist the urge to weigh yourself on a daily basis, as doing so will discourage you. Weigh in the same time and day once a week.

Weight Loss Tip #77 Building muscle through strength training brings many benefits, including: increased endurance; flexibility; reduced risk for injury; increased energy; and boosted metabolism.

adityasnv


 

  10 Strategies for permanent weight loss 1.   Exercise is essential for weight loss

It’s nothing new, but exercise is probably the most important predictor of whether you will succeed at long term weight loss and weight loss maintenance. In order for exercise to be helpful in weight loss, you should strive for a minimum of five 30 minute sessions per week. The good news is that recent research has shown that three 10 minute sessions in a day are as good as one 30 minute session. This helps many in combating the old "no time for exercise" excuse. Be certain to find something you enjoy. You’ll be more apt to stick with it. Try walking with a friend, joining an intramural sports league, participating in outings with a group like The Sierra Club, or trying some classes at your local gym. Once you give exercise a chance, you will begin to enjoy its positive benefits on your psyche as well; you will literally become "hooked."

2.   Weight loss and weight training

We chose to list this separately from the "exercise" category because of the significant weight loss benefits attached to weight training in and of itself. The basic equation is this: the more muscle tissue you have, the more calories you will burn. This is why world class weight lifters must eat thousands of calories a day to maintain their weight. Muscle is active tissue, fat is not. Thus, muscle "burns" a significant number of calories each day for its own maintenance. In her book Strong Women Stay Slim, Miriam Nelson, a Tufts University researcher, showed that a group of women who followed a weight loss diet and did weight training exercises lost 44% more fat than those who only followed the diet. While aerobic activity can help burn calories, muscle’s where it’s at when it comes to giving your metabolism a significant daily boost even at rest.

3.   Keep a diary for triggers that hinder weight loss

Keeping a food diary can be a huge asset in successful weight loss. Devote some time each day to record what you have eaten and how much, your hunger level prior to eating, and any feelings or emotions present at the time. A food diary can provide a large amount of self-awareness. It can identify emotions and behaviors that trigger overeating, foster greater awareness of portion sizes, and help you discover your personal food triggers. Study any patterns that emerge from your food diary and identify where you may be able to make more healthful changes. A food diary provides an added benefit of keeping you focused on and committed to your goals. Start keeping a food diary today by printing our food diary.

4.   Stay focused on being healthy, not on becoming thin

Many people become more successful at long term weight loss when their motivation changes from wanting to be thinner to wanting to be healthier. Change your mind set to think about selecting foods that will help your body’s health rather than worrying about foods that will affect your body’s weight. The Food Pyramid offers a basic outline of the types and amounts of food you should eat each day to give your body the nutrients it needs for optimal health.

5.   Find out why you overeat

All too often overeating is triggered by stress, boredom, loneliness, anger, depression and other emotions. Learning to deal with emotions without food is a significant skill that will greatly serve long term weight control. The Solution, a book and national program developed by Laurel Mellin, RD, helps participants to identify their eating triggers and respond to them without food. A research study showed that the participants in this program demonstrated a better rate of long term weight loss maintenance than those who simply diet and/or exercise and don’t address behavioral and emotional issues. Chronic over-eaters and "emotional eaters" can be significantly helped by learning new behavioral skills such as those Mellin presents. You can also seek help with behavioral and emotional eating issues from a licensed counselor or psychologist in your area.

6.   Weight loss support: join a weight management group

A big key in long term weight control comes from receiving encouragement and support from others. You can check to see if groups such as Jenny Craig offer programs and resources in your areas. You may also wish to check with your local hospital to see if their registered dietitian conducts group weight loss programs.

7.   Weight loss and portion control

With the advent of "super-size" meals and increasingly huge portions at restaurants, our concept of normal serving sizes is a distant memory. Be mindful of the amounts of food you consume at a sitting. When necessary, divide your food in half and ask for a take home bag. It is all too easy to be a "plate cleaner" even when served enormous portions. Learn to pay attention to your hunger level and stop eating when you feel comfortably full, not stuffed.

8: Lose weight slowly with small changes

Try to remember that "losing 15 pounds in two weeks" is nothing to celebrate. It is important to realize that the more quickly weight is lost, the more likely the loss is coming from water and muscle, not fat. Since muscle tissue is critical in keeping our metabolism elevated, losing it actually leads to a decrease in the amount of calories we can each day without gaining weight. Fat loss is best achieved when weight is lost slowly. Strive for a weight loss of no more than 1-2 pounds per week. One pound of weight is equivalent to 3500 calories. By making small changes like eliminating 250 calories a day from food and expending 250 calories a day from exercise, you can lose one pound (of mostly fat) per week. You can calculate how much time you need to exercise to burn 250 calories by clicking here. You can calculate your caloric needs by clicking here, and then subtract 250 from that number.

9.   Eating slowly can lead to weight loss

Did you ever notice that thin people take an awfully long time to eat their food? Eating slowly is one method that can help take off pounds. That’s because from the time you begin eating it takes the brain 20 minutes to start signaling feelings of fullness. Fast eaters often eat beyond their true level of fullness before the 20 minute signal has had a chance to set in. The amount of calories consumed before you begin to feel full can vary significantly depending on how quickly you eat. So slow down, take smaller bites and enjoy and savor every tasty morsel.

10.   Weight loss through eating less fat - but do it wisely

We’ve known for some time that limiting high fat foods in the diet can be helpful with weight loss. That’s because fats pack in 9 calories per gram compared to only 4 calories per gram from proteins or carbohydrates. To many, the message to limit fats implied an endorsement to eat unlimited amounts of fat-free products. Just to clarify, fat-free foods have calories too. In some cases fat-free foods have as many calories as their fat laden counterparts. If you eat more calories than your body uses, you will gain weight. Eating less fat will help you to lose weight. Eating less fat and replacing it with excessive amounts of fat-free products will not.

 

Phyllis Ekleberry


Copyright (c) 2008 Phyllis Ekleberry

Do milk and weight loss go together? We have all seen the commercial where someone is drinking a glass of milk and then says ‘”It does a body good”. After that statement, the commercial goes on to say that by including milk in your every day weight loss program promotes better weight loss particularly around the waist line.

Milk and Weight Loss in the News

The Natural News had this to say about milk and weight loss, ‘”There is no evidence that dairy consumption helps people lose weight, according to a study conducted by researchers published in the journal Nutrition Review.”

Researchers Reviews On Milk and Weight Loss

The researchers reviewed the results of 49 different clinical trials that examined the connection between either dairy or calcium supplement consumption and the changes that occur when you do consume dairy products or take calcium supplements. The results were over-whelming. Out of the studies the following was recorded:

- 41 studies showed no weight

- 5 showed a correlation with weight loss

- 2 showed an actual weight gain

- 1 study found no impact on weight but a decrease in the accumulation of body fat.

This is verifiable testing that shows milk and weight loss do not necessarily go hand in hand. When you partake of dairy products, researchers have found out that you also consume more whole grains, fruits and vegetables. With these great choices, you will lose weight faster and easier. All of these things have complex carbohydrates instead of the over-processed carbohydrates that are found in white breads and bleached white grains and white rice. It also shows that women who have a higher dairy consumption or calcium intake are much less likely to drink or smoke. Those same women are also more likely to exercise and take vitamin supplements.

The Direction of a Good Weight Loss Program

This research goes a long way to point you in the direction of a good solid weight loss program instead of just picking what you think will work and hope for the best–like milk and weight loss . Instead of listening to the dairy industry, which has a vested interest in touting the supposed weight-loss benefits of milk and weight loss, you need to choose a weight loss plan that encompasses good eating habits along with exercise.

Many health experts advise that rather than expecting a single product to function as a miracle food, those wishing to lose weight should instead focus on a balanced, healthy diet with consistency.

You and Your Weight Loss Program

So what should your weight loss program possess? You should choose a weight loss program that fits your lifestyle and combines a good variety of foods. If you choose a weight loss program that has limited menu choices, then you will quickly tire of those choices and ultimately lose the battle. Generally speaking, if you can retrain your brain to eat healthy meals, stop the munching all day and eat when you are hungry instead of eating when you are bored, stressed, depressed, lonely or sad, then you will succeed!

Steps of Healthy Weight Loss Program

Following these simple steps to your weight loss program will catapult your weight loss into the double digits!

1.) Find a program that fits your lifestyle.

If you are not fond of cooking, a diet plan that requires you to cook will not work! Don’t choose a weight loss program or diet plan that requires you to eat something you can’t stand or do something you are not willing to do, this is self defeating.

Hint: this does not excuse you from exercise or improving your eating habits because without these two elements in your weight loss program, you are not going to get where you want to be very fast.

2.) Decide the “why” - you have to have a motivating reason why you want to lose weight. If your reason is not motivating enough to stop food in mid air - find another one! There will be times that your reason why will be the only thing that motivates you to exercise, eat less and eat healthy - Get a good one!

3.) Make sure you are healthy enough to go on the program you have chosen!

Please take the time to check with your doctor before you go on a weight loss program to see if there are any under lying problems that could limit your success.

4.) Choose a diet that makes sense. One that is healthy and has plenty of options If you are contemplating taking weight loss supplements - either in the form of a weight loss pill or weight loss patch.- Please take the time to check them out. Some companies have tested their products in a double blind test - look at the test results before using their products. Don’t trust the companies that have not gone through this process. The good ones have tested their products to insure their safety as well as their results.

5.Above all - carry through. You must continue along the weight loss path to succeed.

This is the hardest things to do - to carry through with your plans. How many times have you decided to do something and then dropped it like a hot potato because it did not work fast enough or it was not fun enough. Buckle down - just do it. It has to be done for your health’s sake so just do it!

6.) Enlist a support person, group or friend. With the right support you can move mountains!

7.Give yourself some praise. You are taking one of life’s hardest journeys - the weight loss journey. Losing weight just takes some time and committed dedication. You are worth it - you are worth every calorie you don’t put in your mouth - you are worth every moment you exercise. After all, if you do not take care of yourself - who is?

Jason Zaretzky


Discover The 5 Reasons Why Exercise Machines Are A Waste Of Time

In today’s day and age we live in a technology dependent society. Almost everything we do revolves around some kind of mechanical or electrical device. This includes what just about everyone looks for in a gym. If you’re like most, when you walk into a fitness center, you usually look for the amount of equipment or how many resistance training machines there are on the exercise floor. “Is there a machine for my chest, back legs, arms etc…” This has been the biggest indicator when clarifying a gym’s effectiveness. Well, being that our population’s obesity epidemic is spreading world wide, and fitness levels have dramatically declined in the past twenty five years or so, I think it’s time to re-evaluate and determine what went wrong.

It has been during the past twenty five to thirty years when our obesity problem really started to take off. And due to the fact that our society has always been in search for the ‘quick fix’, exercise really started to take off as well. Since exercise was “in”, and we desire the “magic solution, resistance training machine companies are heavily marketing their equipment. I hate to break it to you, but when it comes to getting healthy and more physically fit, nothing will yield better results than hard work, dedication, and motivation; not gimmicks or machines. Machines actually are an inferior method of exercise.

It’s time to go back to our roots and look like we did hundreds of years ago. When you think about it, humans have always done some form of activity, and we have always been obsessed with strength and physique. So my question to you is did we have machines hundreds of years ago? My next question is as a whole, who looked better as a population, us now or mankind hundreds of years ago?

Now I’m not saying exercise machines are useless, everything has its place, but I can come up with a couple of dozen reasons why exercise machines are not optimally efficient. Instead of boring you anymore than I already have I’ll provide you with my top five.

Here we go:

1.) Exercise machines are NOT an optimal form of exercise for most. Exercise machines are great for isolating specific muscles (i.e. - the standard leg extension machine for the quads), but because exercise machines are anchored to the ground, your stabilizer muscles (muscle that surround your joints and protect them from injury), do NOT get developed. Exercise machines do not allow you to stabilize the weight you are lifting in three dimensions, and since daily activities such as work and athletics do require you to use these important muscles (the stabilizers), exercise machines are an inferior method of exercise

2.) Exercise machines are NOT ideal to improve posture. Over the years in the fitness industry, I have seen an incredible amount of people that have poor posture. This includes forward head, rounded shoulders, flat lower backs, and other misalignment in spinal curvature. This is due to the lack of strength in postural muscles, making it hard to fight gravity, and since gravity is almost impossible to escape, those who can’t fight gravity efficiently will almost always have poor posture. By performing exercise on machines your body does not have to fight gravity, and on most traditional gym equipment your body doesn’t have to stabilize itself. However, by performing exercise in a prone, upright, or supine position, you can engage and load postural muscles to help with fight gravity, resulting in better posture.

3.) Exercise machines are just flat out BORING! I can remember a couple of years ago when I worked at a large health club filled with fancy ground based machines, I would sit and watch people go through their work outs. One day I saw a gentleman working on the chest press machine. It was hilarious. He actually appeared to be falling asleep. I mean yawn after yawn during repetitions. I think if the guy was on a lying leg press he may have actually dozed off.

Now let’s analyze that situation. If he were on a flat bench performing dumbbell chest presses, do you think he would have been in that state of mind? Only if he wanted a nose job by dropping the dumbbells on his face. I have in the past and still do observe exercisers on the free weight floor. What I see is always a look of determination, motivation, and enthusiasm. My point here is that by participating in a free weight, non-machine based program, it not only forces you to concentrate and work harder, but it’s more fun, and the feeling of accomplishment is far superior than just going through the motions on exercise machines.

4.) Exercise machines CANNOT improve balance or stability. As I stated earlier, ground based exercise machines DO NOT require the use of your stabilizer muscles. These muscles not only protect your joints, but they also are responsible for your ability to stabilize and balance. Instead, try to incorporate some non-traditional methods of exercise like the use of a stability ball, or balancing on one leg, or doing some low level plyometrics. These types of exercises are extremely beneficial to increasing balance, stability, and agility. No machine can give you any of these qualities by itself.

5.) You can mimic any exercise machine exercise without the machine and get the same benefits plus a lot more. Every exercise machine that is on the market today has been developed based on movements that the human body does naturally. With that being said, you can perform any exercise machine exercise without the use of an actual exercise machine. The chest press machine is essentially a bench press, the leg press machine is a squatting motion, the rowing machine (you know the one for your back muscles) can be done with free weights, and the list goes on and on. But the catch is that when you do these movements with body weight or free weights you get all the same benefits plus the development of balance, stability, and definitely more calories burned. Let’s not forget that when you perform body weight or free weight based movements, you will always engage you core muscles.

I don’t know about you, but if I have my choice I’m sure you can guess what it is. That’s right good old fashioned body weight, free weight, or other non - machine based movements. Now, it’s important to realize that I’m not saying that exercise machines are useless, but would you rather work out for hours at a time with boring exercise equipment, or would you like to get more bang for your buck by getting more out of one exercise like a squat, some form of a press, a rowing motion, a lunging motion, or even a twisting, or bending motion? Instead of using one to two dozen boring exercise machines all you have to do is have fun while incorporating the six movements I just mentioned and you’ll be well on your way to achieving your fitness goals more efficiently and faster than ever before.

Azhar Ameer Khan


Introduction

Weight loss is recognized as the physical fitness program. During this process, the toxins in your body are discharged. Today, I am going to discuss some distinctive types of weight loss which are as follow:

 Unintentional weight loss

During the unintentional weight loss, the total calories and fats of your body are removed in such a way that causes a chronic disease or injury. Various types of diseases could be occurred due to unintentional weight loss. These are insufficiency of insulin, throbbing metabolism, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, anxiety, depression, and constant fatigue, etc. The unintentional weight loss is common among elderly people who only live at their homes. Such weight loss among aged people could cause an abrupt death. Being an elderly person, you should take care of yourself and try to keep away from all types of harmful influences of unintentional weight loss.

 Intentional weight loss

The intentional weight loss diminishes the total body fats in such a better way that your health conditions become increasingly sufficient. The most productive influence of intended weight loss is that it enhances the health conditions and reduces the symptoms of precarious diseases, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, stroke, osteoarthritis, depression and anxiety, etc. The intentional weight loss is an assured health program. It makes you smart, muscular and dazzling within a short span of time through the aerobics.

Therapeutic weight loss

It is a surgical treatment for weight loss. It is conducted under the supervision and presence of medical surgeons. During the process of therapeutic weight loss, the patient is advised to start physical activity, dieting, and drinking hygienic water. Therapeutic weight loss is usually conducted in order to enhance the physical activity. The methods of diet pills, food supplements and fasting are frequently adopted during the therapeutic weight loss. The pills like Fucus-Vesiculosu are regularly used in order to loose weight. The surgery can be taken place in most chronic cases.. Consequently, the Bariatric Surgery (BS) is often conducted for fastest weight loss. This surgery diminishes the size of your tummy and eradicates the feelings of appetite.

Crash dieting

The crash diet plan is typically adopted by most of obese people. During the crash dieting course you have to be in complete fasting situation at least for 10 hours. The crash dieting plan is not considered as balanced as irregular fasting. 

 Mechanized weight loss

It is a built-up weight loss program.. During this process, the people have an inclination to go into industrial markets. These often include CDs, books, diet pills, lotions, rings, body belts, and other products. These days, the mechanized weight loss plan has been widely used by most of European countries, such as UK, US, Sweden, Norway, Australia, Italy, and France, etc.

Concluding remarks

In a few words, we can say that weight loss has its universal importance. The people adopt various ways in order to loose their weights. These are intended weight loss, unintentional weight loss, crash diet, mechanized weight loss and therapeutic weight loss.