Saturday, April 28, 2007

Foods That Burn Fat

by Travis Liu
Actually all foods are good for burning fat because it uses energy to digest them. This is known as the "thermic effect of food" (TEF). Obviously the best food for burning fat would be Whole Foods, and the most thermogenic fat burning food is lean protein from solid food, especially chicken breast, lean red meat, fish, seafood and also egg whites.

When you say "thermogenic," many people instantly think of supplements or exotic herbs, hot spices or foods like cayenne, chili pepper, mustard, cider vinegar, guarana, green tea, etc., which "magically" ramp up your metabolism and burn off body fat.

Actually all foods are good for burning fat because it uses energy to digest them. This is known as the “thermic effect of food” (TEF). Obviously the best food for burning fat would be Whole Foods, and the most thermogenic fat burning food is lean protein from solid food, especially chicken breast, lean red meat, fish, seafood and also egg whites.

Protein powders are great for convenience but are not as thermogenic as real food. Whole foods increase your metabolism due to the thermic effect of whole food.

It is known that lean protein has he highest thermic effect. This is one of the reasons many bodybuilders eat a diet high in protein and achieved the leanest muscular physique.

When you combine the highest thermogenic lean protein foods with the right amount and type of essential fats with plenty of green vegetables and just the right amount of natural starch carbs and whole grain, your body will literally turn into a fat burning machine.

A simple way to put together a highly thermogenic fat burning meal is to select a green vegetable or fibrous vegetable such as asparagus, green beans, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, salad vegetables, etc., and combine that with one of the lean proteins previously mentioned. That is the foundation of your fat burning meal. From there you add in some fruit and also starchy carbs (natural only) like brown rice, oats, or sweet potatoes to the degree your body can tolerate starches.

Pros And Cons Of Natural Weight Loss Pills

by Anthony Voronoff
Natural weight loss pills become more and more popular, but most people buying them are not well informed about what are actually natural slimming pills and what are their weak and strong points. This article will help you to better understand what you can expect from natural weight loss pills.

If you are reading this article, you are probably one of the great many people trying to shed that unwanted weight. With the increasing of overweight population with every year, so grows the number of methods to battle against excess weight. The methods include so called "fad" diets, with their popularity decreasing, specific weight loss programs that are very effective, but demand rigid obedience and dedication, and lastly different weight loss pills.

The major part of people, like you, cannot let themselves abide strict dieting regime or rules of weight loss programs, though it would be reasonable as it gives positive results. We often don't have enough time or lack in willpower in our struggle with overweight.

That's why natural weight loss pills become irreplaceable aid for us, that can really help us to lose weight on initial steps, and make us feel that weight loss success is possible. Basically, if you start losing weight using weight loss pills, you can easily fit in a new life style that leads you towards the body shape you've always been dreaming of...

Before you choose natural weight loss pills, we want to explain their weak and strong points to help you make the right choice.

Weaknesses

Let's first outline the cons of natural weight loss pills:


There is a vast number of natural pills available. Facing such a vast choice makes it difficult to find the really effective and credible pills. Huge number of pills means there may be too many ineffective and fraudulent weight loss pills.
Most of the natural weight loss pills are not approved by official organizations like FDA or MHRA. That means the effectiveness, as well as their possible side effects, will come to light only after those pills have already reached the market.
We can hardly ever find natural pills that were clinically studied to confirm their claims. We have to "clinically test" their action on our bodies.
There are many weight loss pills that contain natural ingredients yet dangerous to your health. Perfect example is ephedra, that intensify fat burning, still having a mix of side effects that can damage your health seriously.
Strengths

Well, many natural pills really have the above mentioned weak points. Still natural weight loss pills become more and more popular, by virtue of great advantages before prescription weight loss drugs:


Natural weight loss pills are available without prescription. They are the best choice if you decided to take weight loss into your own hands and you want to shed those unwanted pounds easier. If your health conditions are not restricted and excess weight doesn't treat your health seriously, the best you can do is to choose effective and credible slimming pills and combine them with healthy nutrition and exercising.
As compared to chemical ingredients of prescription drugs, natural weight loss pills don't have side effects. You can take natural weight loss pills and don't be afraid for your health.
Natural weight loss pills don't lead to tolerance (as prescription drugs do). You can take natural pill a lot longer and their efficacy won't go down.
Some natural weight loss solutions contain the mixes of components that not only make you lose weight, but also support your organism in its weight loss efforts. If you talk to people who take some natural weight loss pills, they report such effects as energy boost and even better mood, due to mixed effect of natural ingredients.
New weight loss solutions

2007 has seen the release of brand new natural weight loss pills that passed numerous clinical studies and are approved by official medical organizations, as compared to majority of existing natural pills. Our official site makes comprehensive reviews of best weight loss pills and if you want to discover our top rated credible solutions, visits us now.

If You Want to Lose Weight, Stop Dieting!

by Sue Roberts

Fad diets don't work, and what's more, they are expensive! Here's how much some popular diets cost to follow for one week.

Lose weight without dieting...how is that possible? It seems like a contradiction, doesn't it?

If you have tried unsuccessfully to lose weight in the past, chances are you tried a special diet. And you probably lost weight. The important question of course being, did you keep it off permanently?

For many the answer is no.

In fact a recent study conducted at UCLA showed that short term dieting (up to about 6 months) can be achieved, but 2/3's of all dieters regain the weight within 4 - 5 years.

The reason that these diets ultimately fail is that the underlying causes of overeating aren't usually addressed. The focus is all on counting calories, restricting fats, cutting out carbs, not eating after 7pm, or other such tactics.

Take a look at the reasons why you overeat...is it what you turn to when under stress? do you refrain from expressing your feelings, stuffing them down with french fries and milkshakes instead?

Examine these questions, too...how do I eat? fast or slow? alone or with others? am I persuaded by advertisements to eat something? if someone offers me something to eat that I don't really want, do I eat it anyway to avoid hurting their feelings?

Dieting is expensive.

In fact, Forbes.com in 2005 reported the following:

"Last year Americans spent an estimated $46 billion on diet products and self-help books....a government review found that two-thirds of U.S. dieters regained all the weight they had lost within a year, and 97% had gained it all back within five years."

Pretty depressing. But there's more!

Ten of the most popular diets were examined to see how much a dieter spent on their weekly food to follow one of these diets. Here's how they compare:

Jenny Craig.............$137.65
NutriSystem..............113.52
Atkins.......................100.52
Weight Watchers........96.64
Zone...........................92.84
Ornish.........................78.74
South Beach................78.61
Slim Fast.....................77.73
Sugar Busters!............69.62
Subway.......................68.60


Pretty amazing, huh?

Granted, dealing with the root issues may take longer, but you'll be much farther ahead (and both your pocketbook and your body will be lighter, too) if you do.

As a certified nutritionist and registered dietitan for over 20 years, Sue is passionate about helping you become your healthiest ever! She provides completely confidential online nutrition counseling, wellness coaching and education services at http://www.YourOnlineNutritionist.com

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

How Not To Lose Weight

by Karl Stadler
Fat comes off and fat goes on. Sometimes we would really like it to stay off for good and get back that figure we had a few years ago, remember.

You are looking down and to your dismay there is nothing to see, the horizon is too high. Well you can still use the mirror but do you really want to?

Don’t feel alone, we all go there at some time or another, some return and some just never do. But that choice is fortunately up to you and unfortunately only you. Losing weight is by a mile the most difficult thing to do.

Fisrt there is the thinking phase, and then it will take a week or two, maybe more before you have a hard talk with yourself and gather enough courage to say, “I can do this, I will be lean and sexy for the summer season”. In your haste to get on with it you run for the fridge, grab a carrot and start chewing.

While chewing your brain sends you small pictures of what else you saw in the fridge, oh yes tonight we are having chicken with a white wine cream sauce. The carrot soon becomes rather tasteless while you hop around the house like a bunny rabbit. Maybe tomorrow will be a good day to start, or maybe Monday when it is a fresh new week.

The weekend goes by and you eat at least one extra portion per meal just to be able to remember what the good days were like before descending into the diet. On Sunday you force yourself into the car, go down to the grocery store to buy the food you will be devouring for the next few weeks.

Carrying your shopping bags to the car they feel so much lighter than usual and the awful thought crosses your mind, will this really last one week or just one hour. This is what the book said so better keep to it.

Monday was reasonable, there was still enough food left in your system from Sunday so all seems to be in order and going well. Tuesday of course you have to walk into kitchen while the bacon and eggs are frying, they just look and smell so much nicer but your target is the fridge, yes the fridge, and strongly you go grab your daily share food.

On Wednesday however it is pizza night, double cheese and pepperoni and all the goodies that makes pizza so bad. But there is tomato in pizza right, so it should be healthy?

While everyone else enjoys their meal you are merrily chewing on your carrot, maybe for sweets you have some tasteless low fat yogurt. You are strong, it has been three days of hunger and you are feeling so much lighter. Gathering up the courage to see how many pounds have already gone you get on the scale. There is no change. “For how long must this go on” you ask yourself and head over straight to the pizza box in the kitchen only to find it empty.

This predicament we all find ourselves in when trying to lose that extra weight that has the uncanny ability to cling to our body on all the places we don’t want them to be in the first place.

The main problem with trying to lose weight is our lifestyle and the environment in which you live. That is also why certain diets will work for certain people and not for others. To decide which form of dieting will work for you take a good look at the people around you and how their eating habits will influence your possible diet. In some cases it will be easy in others not so easy. If you are working and have a family you will be at the short end of the stick, they do not share your passion for the diet.

Other simpler forms if dieting might be the answer for you, where it is still possible to eat normally and have a normal lifestyle while addressing your weight loss problem. Take it slow and do not blast your body into the next dimension, take your time and follow the rules while still living your life.

How Does The Negative Calorie Diet Work?

by Sue Brubaker
The Negative Calorie Diet works on the principle that certain foods create negative calorie effects allowing you to lose weight. The theory is extremely exciting, but exactly how does it work? This article will illustrate the way the body processes food and speeds up metabolism with The Negative Calorie Diet.

The Negative Calorie Diet works on the principle that certain foods create negative calorie effects allowing you to lose weight. The theory is extremely exciting, but exactly how does it work? This article will illustrate the way the body processes food and speeds up metabolism with The Negative Calorie Diet.

The human digestive system is a complex series of organs and glands that processes food. In order to use the food we eat, your body has to break the food down into smaller molecules that it can process. Your digestive system works extremely hard to break down and process everything you consume!

THE PROCESS: 1. Food is partially broken down by the action of chewing and by the chemical action of salivary enzymes.

2. Your esophagus moves everything down to your stomach which usually takes from a few minutes, to a half hour.

3. For about 4 hours, your stomach combines the food with acid and sends everything down to your small intestine.

4. For the next 4 hours, your small intestine receives very strong alkaline or digestive juices from your gallbladder and pancreas.

5. These digestive juices mix with the now liquefied food and your body starts to absorb it.

6. It may take up to 12 hours for the next process to move the remainder of any food and fluids down to your large intestine where they are absorbed into your body.

7. Any residue that is left over is eventually eliminated.

When consuming a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, the entire process burns more calories than the actual calorie content of the food itself. This results in your body burning the remaining stored fat as its new source of energy resulting in weight loss!

AN EXAMPLE: A simple example is that of a piece of rich dessert containing 400 calories. The dessert may only require 100 calories to be digested by your body, but results in an increase of 300 calories to be added to your fat storage.

On the other hand, an apple containing 65 calories may require the same 100 calories to digest, but results in a decrease of 35 calories from your storage of body fat!

ABOUT METABOLISM: The calorie deficit is very dependent on the speed of your metabolism. Advocates of The Negative Calorie Diet encourage you to eat frequent, smaller, healthy meals. In doing so, you are actually increasing the speed of your metabolism.

You cannot burn fat and lose weight by starving and skipping meals. When you starve yourself, your body tries to hold on to as much fat as possible, just as animals prepare for hibernation. This causes you to gain weight. You must speed up your metabolism instead!

THE CONCLUSION: The Negative Calorie Diet forces your body to work harder during digestion thus turning your body into a fat burning machine!

Using Smart Portion Sizing to Cut Calories

by Wayne Mcgregor
Cutting calories by reducing portion size of all meals in order to lose weight effectively. There are ways to cut calories from portions to help continue losing weight over time.

By now, it probably comes as no surprise that many, if not most people in North America and the UK eat way too much. A plate of food at a restaurant is on average 4 to 6 times larger than a recommended portion size. At the market, labels tell us about the calories contained in one serving, but even an “individually sized” bottle or package often has three or four servings in it.


We are also generally accustomed to finishing whatever is put in front of us at the table. This is defined as “completion compulsion” by researchers, and it causes us to see food as units that need to be ingested in full in order for us to feel full.


In fact, studies have shown that people given a small plate of food will feel just as satisfied after a meal compared to people given larger plates of food. Unfortunately, we are psychologically hung up on equating meal satisfaction with eating all the food placed in front of us.


And so we are in the grips of an obesity epidemic. However, the solution lies not in trying to live off grapefruits and cabbage soup, but in eating smaller portions of the foods we enjoy. In this way, we can significantly decrease our daily caloric intake without depriving ourselves of the things that add so much color and flavor to life.


Knowing Portions
The average portion size is much smaller than most people think. Portions are usually averaged out to contain between 90 and 160 calories. Foods that are calorie-dense come in very small portion sizes. For example, one half (40 grams) of a small slice of cheesecake contains 130 calories. On the other hand, 40 grams of a food like lettuce or spinach barely contains 10 calories and fills a salad bowl.


The above examples make a good point that can generally be applied to what we eat, which is that calorie-dense foods tend to be unhealthy. This means that the calories you take from these foods are coming from bad fats and simple carbohydrates. On the other hand, naturally low calorie foods tend to be more nutritious, and much less fatty.


The key to cutting calories then is to know the calorie content of the foods you are eating, and to eat small portion sizes of calorie-dense foods, and moderate portion sizes of lower calorie foods.


Reducing Portion Sizes
There are a few relatively simple ways in which portion sizes can be painlessly decreased in order to cut calories.


To begin, always start a meal with a large salad or bowl of broth-based soup. Filling up on low calorie foods will help you avoid binging on the fats and carbs to follow.


Using small plates will help to regulate portions. Serve great big bowls of salad, and small plates of meat and potatoes. You can also try serving food in the kitchen, instead of at the table, so that there are not a lot of extras lying around to help yourself to seconds from.


Better yet, you can avoid the problem of second helpings altogether by not making too much food. We all have that little voice in our heads telling us that we’re not making enough: “add another cup of dried pasta,” it whispers, “and don’t be so stingy with that creamy sauce.”


Just remind yourself that no one is going to keel over if they don’t have seconds and leftovers for weeks. In fact, although you might get some complaints at first, everybody will be better off without leftovers to snack on all night.


Of course, even if you have your home life locked down, there are still all those meals out at restaurants and friends’ homes. At restaurants, a good policy is to eat half of whatever is on your plate, and take the other half home. In this way, you make one meal into two. The calorie savings are huge!


It can be difficult to eat moderately as a guest at someone’s house where overeating is often considered the polite thing to do. A good strategy is to try everything in very small amounts. This way, you show your appreciation for your host’s efforts without gorging yourself.


Portion Sizing to Lose Weight
To shed a pound, we need to burn 3500 calories. This means that if you can cut 500 excess calories out of your diet every day, you can safely lose one pound each week. For example, have one egg instead of two at breakfast; have one tablespoon of dressing instead of three or four on your salad at lunch, and have one cup of pasta instead of two for dinner. There’s 500 calories gone just like that thanks to reducing portion sizes.


Smaller portions allow us to enjoy a greater variety of foods more often throughout the day and throughout our lives. If we consume fewer calories now, we can continue to enjoy delicious foods in the years to come. But if we pig out, our health will continue to go downhill, and someday we’ll find ourselves in a hospital bed eating nothing but grapefruits and cabbage soup whether we like it or not.


Wayne Mcgregor has a degree in nutrition and dietetics and tons of experience helping people to get fit and burn off excess body fat. His website provides many free articles on how to lose weight effectively. For more articles on calorie control to lose weight

Sunday, April 22, 2007

How To Structure Your Weight Loss Program For Success

by Pauline Masale
If you are serious about getting into shape, then you will need to develop and follow a well-balanced weight loss program. Here are some tips on how to come up with a program that will work well with your current state of health, and help you to incrementally work toward your goals.

If you are serious about getting into shape, then you will need to develop and follow a well-balanced weight loss program. Here are some tips on how to come up with a program that will work well with your current state of health, and help you to incrementally work toward your goals.

Perhaps the best place to start is with your family physician. Before you begin any type of diet or exercise regimen, it is a good idea to have an accurate understanding of where your body happens to be right now. Your doctor can provide you with a thorough checkup, which will help you understand what types of exercises you should include in your program. You will also find valuable information on the state of your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and other factors that will be very important in planning out the types of foods you should eat as part of your program.

In fact, you may find that your doctor already has a program that will be just right for your fitness level. It is not unusual for a doctor to have several plans handy that will incorporate lifestyle changes, diet plans, and a list of suggested exercise options that are in the best interests of his or her patient. Doctor approved plans have the advantage of giving you someone to be accountable to as well. You will no doubt need to let the doctor know how well you are doing with the plan, and also need to go back and be checked every so often as part of the weight loss program criteria.

If you prefer to go out on your own, you will find quite a few recommendations for diet plans on the market. You may choose one of those, but make it a point to look for one that recommends some balance in the way you eat, rather than some quick fix diet that promises that, if you stay on it, you will lose twenty pounds in one week. Quick weight loss is not good for your body, especially your heart. Look for a diet plan that incorporates the basics of good nutrition and does not indicate you can expect more than three or four pounds of weight loss in a week. Slow and easy is a much better weight loss program, which will include reasonable consumption of food and a moderate and workable exercise schedule.

When it comes to the exercise portion, you may want to begin slowly if you are out of the habit of regular exercise. Try starting out with a thirty-minute walk daily. In time you can pick up the pace and work in some free weights and perhaps some stretching exercises. As you begin to look forward to the types of exercise you are dealing with, then broaden to include more aggressive modes of exercise. As time goes on, you will find that not only are you losing weight as part of your weight loss program, but your mental state is progressively more positive as well.

How To Avoid Weight Loss Supplement Scams

by Pauline Masale
With so many scams hitting us via media ads and spam email every day, it should come as no surprise that there are plenty of weight loss scams on the market today. Here are some tips to help you separate what is real from fiction when it comes to claims that a product will help you lose weight.

With so many scams hitting us via media ads and spam email every day, it should come as no surprise that there are plenty of weight loss scams on the market today. Here are some tips to help you separate what is real from fiction when it comes to claims that a product will help you lose weight.

The first thing to keep in mind is that if it sounds too good to be true, chances are that it is exactly that. There is no such thing as a miracle weight loss treatment. You will not be able to pop a couple of pills and wake up in the morning with an overnight weight loss. Claims of instant or significant weight loss in a very short time is an obvious sign of a product that is making some mighty big leaps in order to make a spectacular statement. Don't pay attention to the parade of curvy females and six pack abs on the men that are presented along with the claims. There is much more here than meets the eye. Pass on any of these types of products and move on to something that is more realistic.

Another approach that is often taken is to get the endorsement of a physician of some sort for the product. Before you take the endorsement at face value, ask yourself a question. If this product is so good, then why does it not have the support of any national medical association? You would think that if there were anything to the claims that at least one organization would step up to the plate and put their seal of approval on the use of this particular weight loss supplement. The recommendation of one doctor that you have never heard from before is not enough. Look for products that present some tangible evidence rather than a single questionable endorsement.

One very good rule of thumb is to discuss any and all products that purport to aid in the process of weight loss with your family physician. There are several good reasons for this. First of all, if there is any verifiable evidence to the claims made by the product, your doctor will either know about them or know where to check for them. You will get much better information from your doctor than from an email or an infomercial. Second, your doctor knows your current health situation and can recommend vitamins and other supplements that will give you what you need while you make changes in your eating habits and beef up your exercise program. Losing weight is something that needs to be done with an eye to your overall health, and with the right kind of nutrient support. You can get that from your doctor, but not from a faceless company with money for an impressive publicity campaign. Let your doctor have the final word on any weight loss supplement you take, and your chances for success are greatly improved.

Are You a Candidate for Weight Loss Surgery?

by Pauline Masale

Weight loss surgery procedures have improved a great deal over the last three decades. These improvements are particularly welcome, as we have tended to become a heavier society, with more persons being categorized as morbidly obese.

Weight loss surgery procedures have improved a great deal over the last three decades. These improvements are particularly welcome, as we have tended to become a heavier society, with more persons being categorized as morbidly obese. For persons who do come under this extreme situation, the idea of surgery to give them a second chance at a normal life is quite a boon. Still, there are plenty of dangers involved with the procedure. Are you really a good candidate? Here are some questions you should ask yourself.

First, what is your overall physical condition? If you are still mobile and you are not at least a hundred pounds over your ideal weight, most surgeons will not counsel you to have the surgery. Instead, you will be directed to enter a diet and exercise program that will help you shed the extra pounds. Invasive surgery of this nature is reserved for situations where the quality of life has diminished to the point that diet and exercise will not bring about the changes needed to correct the life threatening circumstances.

Second, be honest with yourself about your motivation for having the surgery. Do you see this as more of a cosmetic procedure and life is going to be happy and wonderful once you go for the gastric bypass? If that is your attitude, then think again. You will be committing to forever changing the way you eat and the way you think about food and exercise. Weight loss surgery will help you lose the excess pounds, but it will not give you a new attitude, nor will it mean you never have to exercise again or eat responsibly. Unless you are committed to making some serious and permanent changes in your mindset, then there is no point to having the surgery.

Next, have you consulted with a physician and understand the risks that are involved with this procedure? As with any invasive operation, you have risks during and after the surgery has been performed. While some people are up and around in no time, others may require months of recuperation before they are able to resume normal activities. Think long and hard about the possible problems you will have to deal with after the surgery before you make a decision to have anything done.

A great deal of your chances of complete success has to do with your overall health as well as your general attitude. Your motivation for having the surgery is very important, and your ability to commit to the type of lifestyle that will help your body get the nutrients it needs. A commitment to a regular regimen of exercise will be imperative if you want to be happy and healthy. Last, understanding the risks that are involved and being prepared to face those risks must be a part of your approach. If you can determine to incorporate all these elements into your plans, and your doctor believes you to physically be a good candidate for weight loss surgery, then you have a very good chance of reclaiming and living a happy life.

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Food That Burn Fat Is Not A New Miracle Food

by Gert Hough
Is this a newly discovered miracle food? No it's just that certain foods contain certain elements which are scientifically proven to boost the body's ability to burn away body fat.

Is this a newly discovered miracle food? No it's just that certain foods contain certain elements which are scientifically proven to boost the body's ability to burn away body fat. For instance it's a know fact that a higher fiber diet increases the metabolism and by including more fiber rich foods in your diet you will inadvertently be consuming food that burn fat. The only problem is that if you read somewhere of a new discovery making your body burn fat faster, you cannot start to focus on that alone as it would be an unbalanced diet. That in it self can pose more dangers to your health than you can think of. You could contract an illness that outweighs being overweight by far.

Due to the high levels of air pollution, water pollution, work related stress levels, fast foods and the addition of micro elements which effects on the human DNA on the long run are unknown, people will tend to get sicker every year and the role that the balanced diet will only get bigger. The solution to burn more fat would then lie in eating a balanced diet which includes certain foods that burn fat.

Even major fast food outlets all over the world have recently come under the spotlight. Suddenly they started to change their menus and advertisements to suggest a healthier lifestyle. If they were not forced by negative publicity, thousands of people's fast food eating habits would not have been affected at all.

Have you seen an overweight person eating a fast food in public? And drinking a soda? Sure. The nature of it all suggests that our lifestyles should change. And change is not likely due the fact that the people with the money wish it to remain the same. Fast food is a big business. Money talks and every person have to eat. The change should come from establishing a public awareness and teaching children from a young age the value of adding certain foods to their diets.

Unfortunately governments all over the world are also in part infected with the money driven fast food epidemic and schools are giving children food that is high in fats and sugar and low in fiber.

Parents are partly to blame as well. Years of education, and in the case of millions of parents - years of experience suggests they know too well what happens when your diet is out of balance. Yet their children sometimes look more obese than the parents. And the reason should not be looked behind door number thirty four, you can plainly see what they eat is the cause of their excessive existence. Just look around when you get to a fast food restaurant or take away. They are easy to spot.

Obese people usually go on crash diets which usually last a day! In stead of going on a diet they should start to eat more! They just have to start by eating extra portions before, with or after every meal. Not extra portions of the main course but by adding food that burn fat to the menu in any order, they would not feel that they are depriving their bodies, feel neglected, reject the idea of a diet and go for the fridge. This way they will potentially start to lose weight.

Importance of Sleep For Fat Loss

by Jimmy Smith
Sleep is a funny thing, we know we need it but we always ignore it. It’s kind of like a bad high school relationship. The phrase" I need more sleep" is commonly heard day after day right before everyone rubs their blurry eyes.

Sleep is a funny thing, we know we need it but we always ignore it. It’s kind of like a bad high school relationship. The phrase" I need more sleep" is commonly heard day after day right before everyone rubs their blurry eyes. What's the first thing reaction that someone has when you say, "I'm sick", and they typically reply with “You need more sleep". Now it seems that mainstream American is finally accepting that a lack of sleep makes and keeps you fat.

All you need to do is sleep more right? Would you think I was crazy if I told you that it isn't a matter of sleep? Yep, it has absolutely zero to do with how comfortable you are sleeping or how many hours or what you ate or drank. Our quality of sleep is directly related to the stress levels of our body. Train hard for a few days in a row? High stress. Do endless amount of aerobic work? High stress. Eat endless carbs? High Stress. Let's not even begin to talk about relationship and work stresses.

Ok so I bet you are wondering, how does a lack of sleep make me fat? Decreased sleep increases our insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is a condition that turns on fat storing genes and doesn’t allow us to properly shuttle amino acids and carbs into our muscle. Not only do we miss out on all the great effects of post workout carbohydrates but we also increase our central trunk fat.

When I consult with people I give them a simple quiz that gives me a gauge for how I can go to treat them to improve their sleep quality.
Answer YES if this applies to you more than one night a week
1.Do you have trouble falling asleep at night?
2.Do you have difficulty waking up in the morning?
3.Do you sleep less than 8-9 hours a night?
4.Do you wake up once or more during the night?
5.Do you sleep in a room with any light or noise?
6.Do you wake up feeling tired?
7.Do you wake up only with an alarm?
8.Do you go to bed later than 11 pm?
9.Do you get up earlier than 6 am?
10.Do you use medication (OTC or RX) for sleep?

If you answered yes to 2 or more of these questions than you will need to address your issues through both nutritional and supplementing methods. Sleep is where it all happens, get it fixed and get growing again.

Lose Weight, Trim Inches And Lengthen Muscles With Yoga And Pilates

by Kelly Dailey
If you have been working out at the gym and you can't seem to lose that last ten pounds; it's time to add a new activity. How can yoga and pilates change your body to become longer and leaner? When you've been doing the same activity for a while it's time to change things up.

Have you been going to the gym running on the treadmill and lifting weights and now your body just seems to stay the same. Maybe that last 10 lbs just won’t come off. So you’ve been building muscle and conditioning your heart. Awesome! However, you would like to change the appearance of your body to show more muscle definition and rather than bulk up the muscle, create additional strength by lengthening your muscles. Now it’s time to change things up so you can take your fitness to the next level. That is trim off inches by changing your exercise routine.

So here we go…let’s surprise your body into the next level of fitness.

Practicing yoga and pilates are each a way to lengthen muscle and strengthen the core. Also, because of the mind body connection you will increase your focus and endurance. Both yoga and pilates give many benefits to both mind and body. After just a few classes you will see the difference in the length of your muscles. Your muscles will be long and leaner. You will achieve an increase in strength.

Yoga and pilates also will sensitize your appetite. Eat only a light snack of 250-300 calories 2 hours before class; and fully hydrate 1 hour before class. You want your stomach to be fairly empty so that you are able to breathe properly and maximize the core muscles. In other words you don’t want food or water to get in the way. Also, if possible wait about a ½ hour before eating after class so that your body can spend all of its energy recovering to maximize muscle building. Then go ahead and eat a light meal with carbs, protein and fruit/vegetables.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Women and Weight Gain

by Waller Jamison
For many women, weight gain is a problem throughout life, but there are many strategies which can be used to address the situation. Here are some tips to get you started...

Magazines supply us with endless accounts of women and weight gain and every month sees a new diet in the bestseller lists, but why do so many women struggle with weight gain?

There are many reasons for this and these can vary during a woman's lifetime. Comfort eating is common during periods of stress which can happen at any age, from teenage angst at being unable to find a boyfriend, through the hectic lifestyle of motherhood and then empty nest syndrome, menopause and old age.

What are the triggers which are specific to women at these different stages of their lives?

Teenage girls are dealing with a lot of changes, not only in the shape of their bodies but also in their position in life, as they finish school, start university or work, start dating, drinking alcohol and learn to drive. As more children lead sedentary lives, more girls are overweight when they reach puberty and the typical teenage diet does not encourage healthy eating and weight loss. Adolescence is a turbulent time and coping with new and often difficult emotions, many young girls will eat for comfort. This can be due to many things, including bullying at school, pressure to do well academically or feeling they don't fit in.

In their 20s and 30s, many young women put on excess weight during pregnancy, especially if they have several children. With the stress of coping with babies and toddlers, they find it hard to cook and then sit down to eat properly. So they end up eating the kids' leftovers as well as their own convenience and often high fat meals. Running around after the kids may keep young mothers on the move, but with the close proximity of food, this isn't enough to compensate. And by the time the children are ready to fly the nest, mothers are often long out of the habit of taking exercise.

And of course, this is when menopause hits, bringing with it a tendency to put on weight. If she hasn't taken enough exercise as a younger woman, it's possible that this will make finding a suitable exercise routine more difficult as old approaches. So, faced with so many situations in which weight gain is likely, what is a woman to do?

Whatever her age, the best first step any woman can take is to educate herself about healthy eating and apply the principles. And the second step is to increase the amount of exercise she takes. These two steps should be enough if she is only slightly overweight. However, if seriously overweight or obese, she should seek medical advice.

Overweight can also be helped by techniques such as EFT and NLP, which address the emotional causes of overeating.

Irrespective of the size of the problem, there are plenty of different approaches to tackling weight gain and women can find a way that suits them, whatever their age and lifestyle. Women and weight gain do not necessarily have to go together.

Powerful & Proven Ways to Lose Belly Fat

by Jamie Clark
Interested in losing belly fat? Learn a few of the best, most-proven methods for burning fat and losing weight fast. Includes tips on effective exercise, diet, and motivation.

Do you feel self-conscious about the size of your belly? Want to do something about it? Instead of trying some "miracle" fat burning pill or gimmicky fitness gadget, try sticking to the basics. The following tips are proven to help you slim down, tone up, and lose stubborn belly fat. Make them part of your daily routine and you'll start looking and felling better fast!

Exercise the "Right Way" Several Times Per Week

Despite what you may have been lead to believe by late-night infomercials, you are definitely not going to get a lean midsection simply by exercising your ab muscles every day. Performing thousands of crunches and situps will certainly strengthen your abdominal muscles but it's not going to put a significant dent in your body fat levels. There's simply no way to "spot reduce," as any fitness expert will tell you.

The best way to lose belly fat is to perform a combination of aerobic and anaerobic exercise at least 3 or 4 times per week. An example of a great workout for fat loss is performing 10 minutes of light jogging as a warmup followed by 20 minutes of moderate-intensity strength training (compound exercises like pushups, pullups, and squats are best), then 10 minutes of higher-intensity aerobic exercise such as running, bike riding, or swimming.

Another highly effective fat loss technique that combines both aerobic and anaerobic exercise is interval training. In its simplest form interval training is just performing short bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by "recovery" periods of low-intensity exercise. For example you might jog for a minute, sprint for 30 seconds, jog for a minute, sprint for 30 seconds, jog, sprint, jog, etc. Performing as few as 7 minutes of interval training has been shown to greatly increase fat burning throughout the day!

Keep in mind that interval training (or any form of high-intensity exercise) is not for beginners. You should always start off slow with any type of exercise program and try to make small improvement in your fitness levels each week. Obviously, talk with your doctor before beginning any new exercise program, especially if you have existing health problems.

Eat Simply and Don't Get Hungry

When it comes to losing belly fat, your diet is just as important as your exercise routine... actually even more so! The first rule of eating to lose weight is to not allow yourself to get hungry. Starving yourself by eating too few calories is not an effective weight loss method, short-term or long-term. Being hungry just leads to low energy levels, a sluggish metabolism, and eating too much of the wrong foods at the wrong times. For best results eat a small meal or snack every 3 or 4 hours during the day.

The most effective foods for fat loss are "simple" foods that work with your body instead of against it. Simple foods are the foods humans ate over millions of years of evolution and they include things like lean meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. If you must have grain foods (e.g. breads, pastas, and cereals) always, always choose 100% whole-grain versions. Of course you must avoid all refined sugars and flours.

In terms of beverages, stick to water and sugar-free teas. If you're addicted to soda at least choose the diet versions. An even better choice is sparkling water with a small amount of pure fruit juice mixed in or even just the juice of half a fresh lime. Green tea is a great drink for weight loss as well as overall health. If you like your teas sweet, try the natural sweeteners stevia and xylitol in place of sugar or synthetic sugar substitutes.

One meal a week, eat anything you want. This is often referred to as a "cheat" meal and it's a great way to reward yourself for eating healthy foods all week long. It's also an effective way to keep food cravings at bay and help you stay on your diet, which of course is the most important thing in the end.

Stay Motivated

Anyone can get excited and motivated to lose weight for a few days. But it's much more difficult to stay motivated and energized over the course of weeks and months, especially when your belly fat isn't melting away as fast as you hoped it would. Just about everyone hits the "wall" within the first 2 or 3 weeks of beginning an intense weight loss program.

The key is to find ways to motivate yourself and to use them every day. It's just a matter of figuring out what really gets you excited and motivated to continue working out and eating well. Try writing a goal statement and reading it out loud twice daily. Post photos of people with fit, sexy bodies around your house and look at them often. Get a "workout buddy" or join a gym so that you can get motivated by being around other people who have made their bodies and health a priority.

Finally, keep in mind that losing belly fat will do a lot more than just make you look better with your shirt off. It could also help you live a lot longer! Recent research has shown that abdominal fat is probably the most dangerous fat because it appears to increase inflammation in the body. Increased inflammation levels are associated with heart disease, diabetes, and several types of cancer. The deep "visceral" fat that surrounds your organs appears to be the biggest culprit and the only way to lose it is by exercising regularly and eating simply!

Super Foods for Weight Loss Part 1

by Waller Jamison

Super foods for weight loss are being discussed everywhere. But what exactly are they and how can they help you lose weight?

Many foods are being claimed as super foods for weight loss, due to the positive effect that they have on our health and their ability to help us shed the pounds. Not all of the foods which have these so-called powers are exotic or expensive, although some are new to us in the West.

Fruits and vegetables have long been recognized as having the ability to assist weight loss, mainly due to their high fiber content which means they help us to feel full. Leafy green vegetables are also full of nutrients, both vitamins and minerals and so should form a major part of you diet, both when losing weight and when maintaining it. They are also the most accessible super foods for weight loss, in terms of availability and price.

Protein is another super-food and it is the food group which will keep your blood sugar levels even for longest, which means you won't get hungry as quickly. Protein also offers staying power, and can boost your metabolism slightly in the process. You have to be careful which proteins you eat, and in what quantity, because like everything, if you eat more than you actually need, you'll end up putting on weight, instead of losing it. So be sure to eat lean meat and poultry without skin. And be careful with cheese as certain types have a very high fat content. It is also possible to find protein from plant sources, which have the advantage of a much lower fat content. You can find protein in soya beans and other soya products, such as tofu, and also in lentils, seeds and nuts. Beans have the added advantage of being full of fiber and so will also help you feel full.

Most of us are used to drinking green tea if we go to a Chinese restaurant, but scientists now believe that there are chemicals in green tea which stimulate the body to burn calories.

Salads, particularly if they contain lots of green vegetables are very low in calories and can fill you up. Just be careful when it comes to dressing - you can use lemon juice or balsamic vinegar as a substitute which will spice up the taste without piling on the calories. Low fat yogurt is a useful source of protein which can help keep hunger at bay if you feel peckish between meals. Make sure you eat the sugar free type, preferably organic with active cultures, which are very good for the health of your digestive system. Omega 3 fatty acids are also important for a healthy heart and are another element in your diet which help keep blood sugar levels even and so aid weight loss. They are found in fish such as salmon, sardines, herrings and mackerel. So be sure to ad these super foods to you diet. Although super foods for weight loss are extremely beneficial additions to your diet, you must remember that they won't work magic and have to be eaten as part of a sensible weight loss program.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

9 Essential Tips To Lose Weight Fast

by Richard Gwent
Are you looking for ways to lose weight fast? Weight loss is not easy but these nine tips can help you on your way to losing weight fast.

Losing weight quickly is not easy and most of the time the solution is only temporary. You no doubt need to find ways to lose weight fast. If you don’t control your diet and other habits, chances are that you will put on weight in a matter of days. In this article we are going to discuss some ways to lose weight fast and how to maintain it at that level.

1. Method one provides us with ways to lose weight fast. You must eat more vegetables and fruits. Don’t eat foods that contain too much fat, especially sweets and junk food. If you don’t like to exercise, try going for a walk about an hour after eating a meal. Make it a habit to do an activity each day that requires extreme energy input. Unless you eat healthily, no matter what other ways to lose weight fast you try, they will fail.

2. Tip two provides us with yet more ways to lose weight fast! Eat diet foods, but don’t forget the effectiveness of a balanced diet. Drinking green tea after every meal is a natural way of losing weight without much effort. If you don’t like the taste of it you can also use green tea nutritional supplements as ways to lose weight fast.

3. Tip three is yet another great couple of ways to lose weight fast. Don’t drink soda and other carbonated soft drinks.

4. If a friend or family member is also trying to find ways to lose weight fast, make your time table together. It can be easier for two people to find ways to lose weight fast together.

5. Muscle building is also a way of burning fat. Muscles are smaller and therefore do not show up like fat does. You can keep a pair of dumb-bells in your room and try to lift them for a few minutes each day to develop biceps. This activity will also increase the metabolism rate and release energy instantly. Dumbbells are one of the great ways to lose weight fast.

6. Avoid fried meat and grilled food. Instead, include vegetables soup and salads in your diet. Again changing your diet is one of the best ways to lose weight fast.

7. Don’t eat too much at once. Make a time table of eating 5 or 6 meals a day. While eating, make a mental note of how much you have eaten instead of talking to someone or watching TV. Change your diet and you will find new ways to lose weight fast!

8. Check your weight regularly and monitor your progress. If you have set a goal to lose a certain amount of weight in a week, then see that you are able to achieve it. You need to be determined to lose weight, if you see that you have lost weight it will motivate you and provide yet another ways to lose weight fast.

9. If you are addicted to chocolates or cookies, don’t stop eating them at once. Instead, try to cut down on their intake gradually. Diet is responsible for your weight, cut it out gradually as another group of ways to lose weight fast.

Hopefully the tips above will help you find ways to lose weight fast. Once you’ve found one of the many ways to lose weight fast make sure you stick with it and maintain your weight.

Everybody is different, and so what works as ways to lose weight fast for one person may not ways to lose weight fast for another. If you experience any discomfort when using any of the ways to lose weight fast then see your doctor.

Water, Your Metabolism, and Weight Loss

by Donovan Baldwin
It's a fairly well known fact that most Americans don't drink enough water. Did you know that in addition to improving your health, water can actually help you lose weight?

Anybody who reads my articles on health and weight loss knows that my number one recommendation is to get more exercise and try to eat healthy.

Most people have long known that eating healthy includes drinking enough water. Most people also understand and would probably agree that they probably don't drink enough water.

What most people don't know is that drinking enough water, staying hydrated, can be an important part of a weight loss program in several ways.

First of all, water helps with almost all the activities of the body at a cellular level including the distribution of nutrients and elimination of waste. Even if we simply accept that if we are healthier we are more likely to do things relative to weight loss, increasing our water consumption is already one step in our favor.

Another factor is that when thirsty, our bodies can send signals that are misinterpreted as hunger. Many a midnight refrigerator raider is actually in need of a glass of water when they eat what's left of the apple pie. Not only are they consuming extra calories and depriving their bodies of the water necessary for health, but they are perpetuating a condition of chronic dehydration.

In fact, it has been estimated that up to 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated and dehydration can SLOW DOWN METABOLISM!

If you add these small items to the facts that remaining properly hydrated can improve mental acuity, lubricate joints, thus easing back and joint pain, and is believed to decrease the risk of certain cancers, you can see why drinking enough water is important.

However, how much IS enough?

Obviously, the actual amount may vary from individual to individual, and you may already be getting a fair share of the total amount you need. Also, such things as activity, climate, and altitude may effect your individual need, Here are a few guidelines:

1. Divide your body weight by two and drink that many ounces per day.

2. When you exercise, or if you live in an arid area, try to get an extra amount each day. Add a pint for dry climates, and eight ounces for each 20 minutes of exercise.

3. Coffee, tea, and sodas actually are diuretics and will contribute to dehydration. If you must drink them, drink an equal amount of water.

4. Do not try to substitute juices for water. While there is nothing basically wrong with juice, and it is in fact normally a healthy drink, it also contains calories. Water doesn't.

5. Unless you are engaged in really intense exercise, stick with water. Sports drinks also contain calories and unless you are a professional athlete or are training for a marathon you will probably not need to replace the electrolytes by means of a calorie and carbohydrate loaded drink. Water will do just fine.

As good and important as water is, as necessary to health as it is, as much as it can help with your weight loss program, it is still only a helper in that aspect. The key ingredients needed to lose weight and increase your metabolic rate will still be exercise and eating healthy.

Lose 5 Pounds in 10 Days

by Craig Ballantyne

For fast fat loss, you need advanced diet, nutrition, and exercise tips. The only way you will lose inches fast is with advanced weight loss tips.

For fast fat loss, you need advanced diet, nutrition, and exercise tips. The only way you will lose inches fast is with advanced weight loss tips.

I'm working with a client on one of those advanced transformations...you know, the one where the client takes it right down to the full-on 6-pack and figure model physique.

So we've been working on our plan to lose that last 5 pounds of fat in the last 10 days of the transformation.

Here are the guidelines we've come up with.

NOTE: He's only going to follow these guidelines for 10-14 days. So if you choose to use this plan, don't follow it for more than 2 weeks. That's the maximum time for this advanced plan. After that, ease up on the restrictions a bit - and enjoy your advanced fat loss physique you've attained.

Advanced Nutrition Tips

1) Start your day immediately with 2 cups of water, 3 fish oil caps, and a 20g protein shake. This is before any exercise. Eat your regular breakfast, making sure to avoid all processed carbohydrates.

2) Eat 1 cup of broccoli along with your lunch and dinner. This will help control appetite, keep you full, and control your blood sugar and fat loss.

3) Eat only protein, almonds, and raw vegetables between meals.

4) Don't eat a lot (greater than 40g) of carbohydrates at any meal. Get almost all of your carbohydrate intake from fruits and vegetables, rather than grains.

5) Don't eat carbohydrates after 7pm.

6) Don't go to bed full. Eat only a small protein snack in the evening to keep hunger at bay and to provide the body with protein before sleep.

7) Drink 6 cups of green tea per day (3 in AM, 3 after lunch)

Advanced Exercise Tips

1) Switch from regular, boring, less effective cardio to more effective fat loss intervals.

2) Add in some bodyweight circuits (10-20 minutes per day) done in the morning or evening (if you do your regular workout in the AM, do your bodyweight circuits after dinner; otherwise, do the bw circuits first thing in the AM, and then do your regular workout at lunch or later in the afternoon or evening)

3) Add one set to the first superset you do in each workout. Supersets get your strength workouts done faster.

Use these strict tips for no more than 2 weeks before returning to normal exercise guidelines and carbohydrate intake.

Train hard but safe, and you can lose inches and lose fat fast with these advanced weight loss tips.

You have permission to publish this article in your web sites, ezines or electronic publication, as long as the piece is used in its entirety including the resource box, all hyperlinks (HTML clickable) and references and copyright info.

Monday, April 16, 2007

How to Lose Unwanted Weight

by Tan Chin Kee

Did you know that 50% of men will die from heart disease? It's sad to say, but true. It is important that we watch what we eat. Not only if we are a body builder, but even if we aren't one. All of us should be concerned about our diet and our health.

Did you know that 50% of men will die from heart disease? It's sad to say, but true. It is important that we watch what we eat. Not only if we are a body builder, but even if we aren't one. All of us should be concerned about our diet and our health.

Firstly, take a look at your diet. Are you relying heavily on soda, chips, and fast food to make it through the day? Are you eating enough fruits and vegetables? Be noted that hamburgers, fries and soda is a tasty and satisfying combination, however it is also a deadly proposition to your health. If you want to stay fit and health, you must quit eating high-powered food that provides too much energy.

Eating some fast foods like hamburgers and chips will give our bodies much more energy than it normally use. This energy is not thrown away; but converted to fat and put into storage. Therefore, we should cut down on this type of food and turn to the humbler fruits and vegetables to keep hunger in check without putting our health at risk.

Exercising can help to use up energy already stored in our bodies. Taking brisk walks after meals is good, exercising half an hour everyday is better; going to a gym for an hour or so five days a week is perfect. There's no need to starve or exhaust yourself. Diet and exercising can be fun with a bit of thinking and a positive attitude.

A healthy lifestyle is not about denying ourselves from the foods and activities we like, it is about allowing us to enjoy a better quality of life.

12 Weeks To Lose Unwanted Belly Fat And Inches For This Summer

by Heather Picken
Read about the fat loss challenge that women are doing online to lose stubborn belly fat and inches. They share their journey with you as where they were and completed their first week of the 12 week challenge.

I love online fat loss challenges because I believe they can help get you motivated, especially when there is a deadline and you are surrounded by other's that share the same desire.

Here are some women that are enrolled in a 12-Week Fat Loss Challenge and how they felt about their 1st week completed.

Wendy:

55 years young

I've always been interested in health and fitness and felt like I was eating healthy and exercising well. When I started working with Heather (taking her boot camp classes - she really gives you a great workout and working with her on my nutrition), I learned that I wasn't working my body efficiently. I've never had anyone work with me to focus on changing the role that your mind plays as it relates to fat loss. My goal is to have a lean body as well. I have family members in MD that are on the same program and they are all losing weight. I'm talking about 90 lbs but it has taken them a year to do it. We just all need to be patient but we can do it too! Good luck to everyone.

Here is her recap of her first week accomplished: What I did good this week: I fixed Easter dinner and only ate healthy foods. We went out with friends and I remained on my program. No alcohol! Social drinking can be a problem but I remained focus and think before I have a social drink.

My challenges this past week was that I didn't work out hard enough since I was in Myrtle Beach part of the time. I'm back home and on track. I will continue to take Heather's boot camp where I get the best workouts.

When I fixed Easter dinner, I really wasn't tempted to eat the cheesecake or the twice baked potatoes that I fixed.

What I will do different this week is increase my workouts. I will maintain my healthy eating and focusing on putting only good fuel in my body.

Fat Loss Goals:

30 Days

My body is now fit.

I am a size 8

My challenges are when we go out for the evening. We have some things coming up and I will only put good fuel in my body. We have a trip planned at the end of April that will be a challenge for me because I know there will be lots of eating and drinking. We are going to Palm Springs, CA with about 24 members of the Harbor Club but I will stay focused on my eating plan. I will exercise while I am on vacation.

60 Days

To think more positive about my body. I continue to do my affirmations and listen to the CDs to stay focused.

90 Days

My body is now fit. I have lost body fat, continue to do my affirmations, eating healthy, and get some sort of daily exercise. Continue to enter my foods into FitDay and monitor my calories, fat, carbs and protein. I continue to have protein with every meal that I eat.

Denni

39 years old (young)

I'm 39 years old, married with 3 wonderful children. Grew up primarily in Goose Creek, attended college at CofC, been working in an environmental lab since my last semester of college. While I was in college, I started caring about my health after I put on the freshmen 10 lbs. I took some fitness classes (running, racquetball) and worked out sporadically at the FIRM. Moved to N. Charleston, joined a fitness center, didn't really worry about the nutrition part of being healthy. Slowly put weight on over the years. Got married, had children. With each pregnancy, kept a few more pounds.

I am a size 8 (currently in size 14 clothing). My goal is to be healthy, lean and strong by eating the right foods and exercising regularly.

Set your goals:
Nutrition: I am eating protein with each meal. I am recording intake on www.fitday.com
Mental: I am a size 8 and I feel great.
Exercise: I am exercising at least four days each week.
Write affirmations:
I eat for my size 8 body everyday.
I train for my size 8 body regularly.
I use affirmations everyday.

What I accomplished this week:
I am back at the gym on a regular basis. I am recording intake on www.fitday.com.
Challenges:
Making time to focus on the mental part. Eating on Easter.
Changes for next week:
Better plan food. Make time for mental component of this healthier lifestyle.

Laura:
I am Laura. I am a 54 year old business woman,and grandmother. I quit smoking about 10 years ago, and I guess I substituted food for the smoking. I have just never gotten it under control again. I get on the wagon for a while, and do well, and when I fall off, and start eating unhealthy, I have a time trying to get myself back on track. I have diabetes now, and I know what I need to do to be healthy.

This disease is controllable, and nutrition and movement are the key. I could teach volumes, but I am really having a tough time following a healthy plan. I am, by nature a strong willed, determined woman, so when I am good, I am great, but when I am bad, well, I never do anything half way. I love healthy foods, and salads, but my weakness is starch, and sugar. ( sugar is a drug)

My goals are to be lean, strong, and healthy. The healthy part is so much more important than anything else. I want to " sit on the back porch, covered with grandchildren, and yell NO, and Stop that!!" I am looking forward to the strength we will have as a team, and hope we can all help each other.

Tina:
When I moved to SC 2 years ago, I was in the best shape of my life, lean and in a size 4! I slowly started to gain the weight back when I did not join a gym and started picking on the boy's fries, etc. The last 10-15 lbs came on fast when I was trying to clear my system from my thyroid medicine to start a new one.

My goal is to be lean, strong, healthy sexy and confident.

Sarah:

Well, to summarize in short story form, I've always been interested in fitness, exercise and healthy eating, but I have strong 'binge' tendencies when it comes to french fries, sweets & simple carbs.

I've always exercised regularly since graduating from college with a few bouts with minimal exercise, but exercise makes me feel SO good & full of energy. Of course, I didn't have issues with weight until after having my children. But I got the weight down to a size 8/10 (8 is my norm).

I love to eat so I have to exercise to keep the weight from creeping on. When I say I binge, I mean I'll eat healthy for a week and then eat bad one day and not just limit myself to 2 cookies etc...I will get in that mindset of 'well, I've already blown it for today so I'm going to eat anything I want and how much I want - even though I may not be hungry'...it's more of a mental game of emotional eating...then a few days later I'll get back on track. I have yoyo'd with my weight for several years within 10-15 lbs. I was at the weight I wanted to be at until last Nov when I started eating bad and letting the lbs come on.

I have gained close to 15 lbs since Nov and I want it OFF and to be back in my size 8 pants! Since I work full time and have 2 children (8 & 12 yr olds) , I don't have time to go to a gym so I work out at home...I have a treadmill,weights and a slew of workout videos (taebo, core secrets, turbo jam, hip hop abs and the firm) that I alternate with. I'm very interested in healthy eating and learning the proper balance between cardio and weight training.

I'm excited about my plan and learning about the role our mind plays, how we can 'train' our metabolism by eating the right balance of protein, carbs & fat.

I'm ready to get my discipline on track and to eat healthy for life with keeping moderation in mind at all times (when the sweets are around!) I figured a good old competition/challenge would be good for me as well!

Nancy:

It was a pretty good week. What I think I did right this week was watch my diet. I ate much smaller meals and more frequently. Their were a few times I could of eaten more, but managed to stay on track and never let myself get overly hungry.

My challenges came to pushing myself harder at the gym. I got there, but a few days I felt like I could of put more into my workouts. I will push myself harder this week.

I haven't gotten on the scale, but my clothes seem to fit a little looser already. I feel very motivated!

Brooke:
I realize muscle weighs more than fat.

This Week Review:

Good: I was more conscious in my eating trying to eat consistently through day and get some pro in with meals (but not eating enough still) . I have been doing daily mind setting,affirmations, and goals.

Challenge: being on the road and finding a way to eat in car since I don't like to stop. Also, eating more protein when not much appeals to me.

Goals: to keep eating consciously, but try not eat late at night. get more pro in my diet. keep weening sweet tooth. stay on track with mind setting (I am size 6).

Fast Weight Loss

by Waller Jamison

Everyone wants to achieve fast weight loss, but after a while quick weight loss diets can have the opposite effect. What is the solution?

Most dieters would love to achieve fast weight loss, but quick weight loss diets are not the best way to go. It is recommended that a loss of 1- 2 pounds per week is ideal for most dieters, except the very obese, who are likely to lose more in the early stages of dieting. However, the speed at which you lose weight is not the most important factor to be considered – your ability to lose weight steadily and to maintain that loss is what counts.

Eating a sensible, balanced diet will prove more effective in the long run and so you should discuss this with your doctor or dietician. It is also important not to weigh yourself too frequently. Many people become discouraged when they weigh themselves every day and see that their weight is fluctuating. This can be depressing and can cause you to give up too soon, or to binge and put back on any weight you might have lost. So what started out as fast weight loss quickly turns to fast weight gain.

Although losing weight is a serious business, especially if you are very overweight and at risk of related health problems, it is important not to take it too seriously. If you can relax a little and focus on other things you will avoid becoming obsessed with your diet and therefore less likely to fall off the wagon.

Make sure you are getting enough to eat – starving yourself is not only unproductive in terms of weight loss, but being hungry will make you miserable and unable to concentrate on other things.

The next step is to find something which really interests you. This is a good opportunity to take up a hobby or study a subject you’ve always wanted to learn. Finding something which you are passionate about, other than food, will occupy your mind, make you feel good and stop you thinking about your weight.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

The Real Secret to Long Term Weight Loss

by Marc David

When you think 'diet' you are actively engaging in short term thinking. When you start to think of it as something you go on and then off again, that's the wrong direction.

In one of the world's largest diet studies, it appears that diets actually damage your health. The results and the problems diets can cause should give you reason to keep reading.

According to Miller Jones, a professor of nutrition and food science at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota...

4th graders are aware of the word diet, especially the girls.

Recently a massive worldwide study concluded that diets don't work long term for the majority of people on them and it might even put your life at risk.

This type of yo-yo behavior is linked to many health problems. Because of the strain on the body of repeated weight loss and weight gain, the researchers found that the dieters would have been better off not dieting at all.

Research has shown the repeated rapid weight gain and loss associated with dieting can double the risk of death from heart disease, including heart attacks, and the risk of premature death in general.

For starters...

When you think 'diet' you are actively engaging in short term thinking. When you start to think of it as something you go on and then off again, that's the wrong direction.

Some of the BEST resources on nutrition are not diets. They are eating plans. They are the basics of eating correctly for the rest of your life. Eating for everyday living is something you can be taught. There's nothing short term about them.

"The benefits of dieting are simply too small and the potential harms of dieting are too large for it to be recommended as a safe and effective treatment for obesity." -Dr Traci Mann

A quick test is to simply look at any given plan and immediately ask yourself...

Can I eat this way for the rest of my life and not fall prey to hunger cravings or temptations?

Frankly...

If you are overweight, then thinking in the short term is exactly why you could be doomed to fail! As you bounce from one plan to the next, you become more and more frustrated.

FACT: Many diets that use a severe calorie restriction just makes it harder to lose the weight the next time.

FACT: Some studies show that repeated weight loss and regain actually increase the changes you'll gain even more weight the next time.

FACT: It shouldn't come as a shock that people who exercise report the most long term weight loss.

Now with all this in mind...

No matter what eating plan you choose or what your goals, just drop the word 'diet' from your vocabulary and pick a plan you can stick with for life. That encourages slow weight loss or weight gain. That doesn't "demonize" foods but helps you pick and choose from healthy alternatives and explains the reasons why.

If you are always changing your eating habits for special events or every 8 weeks, you might be dieting. Before you start your next diet, that's the time to step back and ask yourself if you know all you can about proper, healthy nutrition. Learning how to eat correctly is something you can stick with for life and avoid the common frustrations.

Weight Loss Surgery - Is It For You?

by Kelvin Ho Wee Min

Weight loss surgery, also known as bariatric surgery in medical terminology, refers to a group of gastrointestinal surgical procedures carried out on patients suffering from chronic morbid obesity (i.e., at least 100 lbs overweight, or a body mass index, BMI, of 40 or greater, for more than 5 years). It is used to facilitate weight loss and avoid the risk to life-threatening diseases associated with morbid obesity, such as type II diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, degenerative arthritis, etc.

Weight loss surgery is normally resorted to as a last measure when an all other conventional weight loss methods, such as diet control, exercise and weight loss medications, have failed in treating the person for morbid obesity. It may be pointed out that weight loss surgery is distinct from liposuction in that the latter is more of a cosmetic procedure rather than a medical procedure.

What does weight loss surgery involve?

According to The American Society for Bariatric Surgery, there are basically two approaches to weight loss surgery:

1. Restrictive procedures, which help reduce the capacity for food intake in a single meal but do not interfere with the normal absorption (digestion) of food.


2.Malabsorptive procedures, which help reduce absorption of calories from food by altering the process of digestion.

Restrictive procedures are mainly of two types:

1.Lap band surgery, which involves placing laproscopically a silicone gastric band around the top of the stomach in order to create a very small stomach pouch. As a result, the person starts feeling full with just a small portion of food. Food will then slowly empty from the smaller pouch into the lower part of the stomach and into the rest of the digestive tract.
2.Gastric bypass surgery, which involves stapling of the smaller, upper part of the stomach to separate it from the rest of the stomach and rerouting the small intestine to connect it to the smaller stomach pouch.

Lap band surgery is a relatively simple and less risky procedure compared to gastric bypass surgery. It requires just 1 to 3 days of hospital stay as opposed to 5 to 8 days in the latter case. Moreover, there is no malabsorption of vitamins and minerals after lap band surgery, which is not always the case with gastric bypass surgery. However, the expected weight loss over a period of 18 months is lesser (50 to 60% of the excess weight) compared to gastric bypass surgery (70 to75%). Both the procedures are reversible, but lap band surgery is much more easily reversible.

There is a third type of restrictive procedure too, called sleeve gastrectomy, that is less commonly used. In this the surgeon removes approximately 60% of the stomach laparoscopically so that the stomach takes the shape of a tube or "sleeve".

Malabsorptive procedures are rarely used these days due to the problems of malnutrition and nutritional deficiencies caused by them.

Any risks?

In addition to general risks associated with any kind of major surgery, weight loss surgery can pose its own complications. Discomforting symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, weakness, hernia, gallstones and nutritional deficiencies can crop up after weight loss surgery.

Is it for you?

Though the ultimate answer to the question whether you qualify as a candidate for weight loss surgery or not rests entirely with your bariatric surgeon, here are some pointers that can help you in your decision-making process. If you have been more than 100 lbs overweight for more than 5 years, if your body has failed to respond to the conventional weight loss methods, and if you are not suffering from any major disorder that makes surgery difficult, you can seriously consider weight loss surgery as a feasible option. Consult your doctor for detailed information in order to weigh the risks against benefits of weight loss surgery.

Finally, remember that even if you keep realistic goals in mind, the real success of weight loss surgery is strongly dependent on your making long-term changes in your diet and lifestyle.

Count 2000 Calories and Stop Fighting Your Body

by Waheed Elqalatawy

Before arbitrarily treating your body, look at the scientific basic rules for weight-loss. Avoid starvation panic in your system...

If you do not count-2000-calories/day, you fight your body's normal mechanism to regulate its weight and keep it within a certain range.

When introducing 3500, 4000 or 5000 calories every day, or cutting calories down to 1500, 1200 or 1000 calories per day, you disrupt the normal mechanism that should work within an allowed limit.

How the weight keeping mechanism works:

There are many "set points" of different measures of the body that either genetically coded (like body temperature), or dictated by the surrounding environment (like stress). These set points are present in a part of our brain called Hypothalamus. One of the major functions of the hypothalamus is to regulate secretion of endocrine hormones directly into the blood. Hormones and nerves form the 2 regulatory mechanisms of the body.

The hypothalamus also sets a point for body weight based on the level of the input and output of calories it is used to. It seeks to keep the body weight constant, even if this point is over what it should be ( like in obese children). This is achieved through storing calories or burning calories, i.e. it either directs the body to utilize external glucose, or to build glucose from other internal resources.

How do you disrupt the "set point" of your weight:

Normally, if you are over 30 and keeping on the same level of calorie intake you are used to, the hormonal balance at this age favors storing a bit more calories in the form of fat.

If you are over 30 and introduce more calories than your basal metabolism needs (2900 in males and 2200 in females), with less physical activity the extra calories are stored as fats, cumulatively, a new set point is created at which response to insulin (that helps burn glucose) is no more the same way as before, a case known as insulin insensitivity.

As overweight is a big phenomenon, so it should create a marketing opportunity with different products, among these products are the diet plans, and to offer a new advantage many diet plans have created a buzz about the period of time through which you lose weight, the shorter the time the better is the product.

We see 1500 calories, 1200 calories, and even 1000 calories/day diet plans. Extremely low-calorie diets may help you shed pounds quickly, but they will lead to failure in the long run. We are genetically protected against starvation! During food storage, our bodies slow down our metabolism and burns less energy so we can stay alive.

When we drastically cut back our food intake, the brain thinks the body is starving and in an effort to preserve life it slows down the metabolism. Soon the pounds stop coming off in the plateau stage, As a result we grow hungry and uncomfortable and then eat more and return back to a worse situation.

All you need to change your metabolic rate is to change the nutritional composition of the foods you eat. If you are overweight, all you need is to cut down on total calories to be 2000-calories/day, a little below your basal metabolic rate to urge the body to burn some fats.

Avoid starvation panic in your system, just keep your calorie intake to be within 2000-calories by eating nutrient-rich plant foods, this will convince your brain that your body is getting all the nutrients it needs.

Plant foods move slowly in your gut making you feel full longer, and they are rich in vitamins,minerals,trace elements and anti-oxidants. you earn an extra bonus in the form of negative calorie effect.

The base line is that when you want to lose weight, you do not have to make your body obeys the conventional wisdom laws, rather try to understand your natural body laws and obey them. Cut on your total calorie intake to 2000-calories/day and avoid starvation panic in your system, your body did not get extra weight over 1,2... or even 30 nights, so why would you make it lose them over 2 or 3 weeks?!

You like eating? Deceive your body and increase number of meals or snacks, and fill your stomach with full, nutritive, healthy foods within 2000-calories, and stop fighting your body.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

The 300 Movie Workout - New Weight Loss Workout Options

by Craig Ballantyne

You might have heard of the 300 workout from the 300 movie promotions. In the 300 workout, the actors trained hardcore, using kettlebells, weights, bodyweight, tires, and more. Here are some modified versions of the 300 movie workout.

Today I did the 300 movie workout. You might have heard of the 300 workout from the 300 movie promotions. The actors trained hardcore, using kettlebells, weights, bodyweight, tires, and more.

Last week I did the 300 movie workout. Here's the workout...all exercises are done without rest. Just go, go, go.

Pullups - 25
Deadlifts with 135lbs - 50
Pushups - 50
24-inch Box jumps - 50
Floor wipers - 50
1-arm 36lbs Kettlebell Clean n Press - 50 reps
Pullups - 25

Obviously this is an advanced workout...you shouldn't do it unless you are as fit as a college athlete.

NOTE: All of these exercises are done with as little rest as possible. For example, when I did the workout, I did 16 pullups, rested 10 seconds and then did another 4 pullups, then had a 10 second rest, and then did 3 pullups, rested, and then finally finished 2 more pullups for a total of 25. Then I moved on to the next exercise and struggled on!

However, the workout can easily be modified for other fitness levels. Appropriate exercises should be subbed in, and you should drop down to 100 total reps - or as .: recommends - 4-6 exercises of 15-25 reps each.

Just remember - you shouldn't train like this everyday. It's just a once every couple of months fitness challenge. Plus, it is another way to get variety into your training and boost your metabolism. And challenge your mental focus.

Let's take a look at a couple of sample workouts.

For example, you might do a 150-repetition workout - this is great for a man with moderate fitness and I've tweaked the exercises to be better for golf mobility (i.e. working on the upper back and shoulder strength and mobility and hip mobility):

15 inverted bodyweight rows
25 bodyweight squats
15 pushups
50 jumping jacks
20 mountain climbers
10 close grip pushups
15 bodyweight rows

An intermediate woman could do a 100 rep workout:

5 inverted bodyweight rows
15 bodyweight squats
5 pushups
50 jumping jacks
10 mountain climbers
10 lunges
5 bodyweight rows

To round out 300 reps, simply add 100-150 jump rope skips.

And finally, I'll leave you with an advanced "200" workout for really fit men.

20 Inverted bodyweight rows
25 dumbbell squats
10 T-pushups per side
20 Stability balll leg curls
20 Stability ball jackknifes
15 dumbbell rows per side
15 stickups

Finish with 150 rope skips for 300 total reps

And remember, don't do this workout every day. Just do it once every 3 months.

For a long-term structured training plan, stick with strength, interval, and bodyweight workouts.

You have permission to publish this article in your web sites, ezines or electronic publication, as long as the piece is used in its entirety including the resource box, all hyperlinks (HTML clickable) and references and copyright info.

Weight Loss Program - Here's The A Practical Diet Plan For Weight Loss Success

by Vanessa Jones

Americans lose millions of pounds a year - only to gain most of it back within a year. You've probably heard over and over again that the real secret to losing weight permanently is to make permanent changes in your eating habits and lifestyle. Throughout decades of high protein, low protein, Air Force diets, Atkins, Scarsdale diets, cabbage diets, eat-all-you-want-and-still-lose-weight diets that is the one piece of advice that has remained strong. No matter what the latest diet craze, over and over throughout the years, the one "diet" that effected a long-term, permanent weight loss was the 'eat a well-balanced, portion-controlled diet and exercise regularly'.

Why are fad diets so popular? Fads are the latest fashion and every body is generally talking about it. So we all want to do it too.

Fad diets feed our need to be actively doing something. Weighing, measuring, counting - whether its calories, exchanges or carbs - all give us the feeling of gaining control over our bodies and our weight. In the long run, though, all the measuring and obsession with what, how much and when we eat becomes overwhelming. When we stop living by strictly controlled guidelines set out by other people -the latest diet guru - the weight comes back.

There is a practical way to lose weight that doesn't involve some impractical combinations of foods to set up an ideal balance of foods that burn more than they give, or that promise to 'turn your body into a fat-burning machine'. It is to simply eat a healthy balance of all types of foods in portions that are reasonable for your body, while at the same time raising your activity level to burn more calories than you take in. Below are some practical guidelines to help you adjust your diet and lifestyle to help you lose that weight - and keep it off permanently.

Attitude is Important : Adjust your attitude. You are not going on a diet - you are eating what your body needs. To maintain your weight loss, you'll need to maintain your new eating habits for the rest of your life - and that's a far easier prospect if your diet plan is one that makes sense and is easy to maintain.

Balanced Diet: Think square when you plan your meals. Like a square has four corners, so should your meals. At every meal, include a protein, a healthy fat, a grain/legume and a fruit/vegetable.

Plan Your Meal Schedule : Eat three squares and at least two snacks every day. Your snacks should be in the grain/legume or fruit/vegetable corner.

Feed Your Stress Frequently : If you are under stress, eat something every two hours. Your body sends out distress signals when you are putting it under stress. Give it healthy fuel to keep it working right.

Space Your Carbs: Aim for no more than 60 grams of carbohydrate per day at first. Spread the carbohydrates over the course of the day - 15 at each meal and 7 at each snack.

Limited Dairy Products : Limit dairy products to 3 or less daily.

Avoid sugared, colored, fizzy drinks : Completely avoid soft drinks - even the diet ones.

Water the Elixir: Drink 6-10 glasses of water each day.

White Is Out: Eliminate 'white foods' from your diet. Do away with white sugar, white flour and white cereal products.

Add Supplements : Take a nutritional supplement - at least a good multivitamin daily.

Women's Health - Breast Cancer Prevention And Treatments

by Roland Jefferson

This interesting article addresses some of the key issues regarding women's health. A careful reading of this material could make a big difference in how you think about this important subject...

This interesting article addresses some of the key issues regarding women’s health. A careful reading of this material could make a big difference in how you think about this important subject.

Women should routinely visit a Gynecologist or Obstetrician for pelvic scans or for taking a Pap smear. This is especially true if they are 21 years of age or older. The medical community world wide on the issue of women’s health has made more women aware of the rise of cancer as a grave illness that may lead to death and is second only to heart disease in leading causes of death among women.

Important Facts To Consider

Women’s health is directly affected by cancer which is believed to have been diagnosed in excess of a million people in the United States, though it is a widely known fact that the development of cancer can be significantly reduced by practicing a healthier lifestyle, maintaining good nutrition and limiting sun exposure. In addition, cancer screening, a basic understanding of cancer prevention as well as cancer prevention programs would all help to drastically improve women’s health.

It is believed that women who are 65 years of age or older contribute to half of the new breast cancer cases every year and the number for older women having breast cancer is expected to double by the year 2030 as the baby boomers age. Younger women diagnosed with breast cancer often receive better care than their older counterparts, even though women want their doctors to look at the condition not their ages.

I trust that what you've read so far has been informative. The following section should go a long way toward clearing up any uncertainty that may remain.

Internationally, breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer impacting women’s health and is thought to have affected one out of every 11-12 women at some point of their lives in the Western hemisphere, and although important efforts are being made to achieve early detection and provide sufficient treatment, purportedly about 20% of all women diagnosed with breast cancer would die as a result of this disease.

Some common methods of detecting breast cancer is to have screening performed which includes breast self-examination and mammography though only the latter has been proven to reduce mortality from breast cancer. Because of the risk that breast cancer poses to women’s health, modern technologies such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are needed to detect cancers that are not visible through mammography methods.

In addition to cancer, another cause of worry seriously affecting women’s health is diabetes, and to fight this disease the National Public Health Initiative on Diabetes and Women’s health have produced a television video on diabetes and women’s health and this video brings to light the realities facing women which gives hope and encouragement to women as well as their love ones in living with diabetes.

As your knowledge about women’s health continues to grow, you will begin to see how a proper understanding of women’s health is critical in the fight against cancer and other leading diseases affecting women world wide.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

What Delicious Food You Can Eat More To Lose More Weight?

by Alex Edison

We usually give up losing weight methods and tip because we only can eat vegetables and fruits or others. Here's some food that are tasty and delicious but still support you to lose weight.

For most people who want to lose weight, they will eat more vegetables and cut down food they like to eat. You’ll find some foods you actually love which are good to eat more and can support you in losing weight.

You can eat more fruits. When you eat more fruits, you get more fibre and nutrition. Some of these nutrition actually help in turning fat to energy and increase fat burning rate when you exercise. Fibre will let your body spend some energy to push it out your body.

You can eat more pork and beef without fats. Pork and beef contains L-Carnitine. L-carnitine is one of the amino acids that turns fatty acid to energy in cells. It’s not the meat that creates fats in body so just take it and have fun in losing weight.

You can eat potatoes. Potatoes can actually help you to lose weight because there are many minerals in there. But it’ll lose its function when you fry it. So just boiled it for a while and it is ready top be served.

You can drink more soya bean milk. I drink that a lot when I’m losing weight. It contains natural protein that meat doesn’t have. These proteins can regenerate my dead cell so I burn fats faster whatever I do. It taste good and it will decrease you desire to eat more. You don't need to suppress appetite to eat less. Rich protein in soya bean milk can do that already.

These methods are just small part of the knowledge of “Eat more to slim” I gave at my website. You can discover more at Weight Loss Tip and grab knowledge on “Write to slim”, “Eat more to slim” and “Exercise less to slim”.

Weight Loss, Fat Loss, & Getting Fit Over 40

by Craig Ballantyne

No matter what your age, if you are over 40, you can still exercise to lose weight and burn fat. With the fit over 40 weight loss approach, you can develop the mindset needed to help lose fat and get fit at any age. Just look at the incredible inspirational stories.

I recently spoke with coach and fitness professional, Jon Benson, who is living proof of the fit over 40 methods, as a mere seven years ago he was clinically obese and near death. Having lived through obesity, and having beat it, allows Jon to relate to so many others and what they are going through.

Today, Jon is an internationally recognized transformation lifecoach, specializing in mental strategies for the excellence lifestyle, fat-burning nutrition and superior physical fitness.

CB: Jon, for a lot of people at any age, the biggest problem is getting over the inertia of starting. Any tips? And do they differ for someone like yourself that had been in fitness before compared to someone getting fit for the first time?

JB: Craig, I would start by encouraging anyone interested in changing their body, no matter what their age may be, to change their mind first.

What I mean by that is simply this: we excel at what we 'become'.

We dabble at what we 'participate in'.

Most people want to "participate" in fitness. Perhaps join a health club, get a trainer, go on a diet, and so-on. Yet everyone on the planet would answer YES to this question: "Do you want to be fit for the rest of your life?"

Think about it: Can you be 'anything positive' for the rest of your life when you dabble at what you seek? No.

So, to get over the inertia of starting a fitness program, I encourage what I call "Core Linking".

Core Linking is covered in my book, "Fit Over 40". This is where you attach your deepest Core Values to a specific fitness and nutritional goal. Then you "Personalize" these objectives into a what I call a "State of Becoming."

You 'become' your goal. Rather than "achieving" a goal, which for most is followed by an immediate cessation of the lifestyle patterns they used to become successful, I say 'become' your goal.

Become "a body-shaper." Label yourself as a "bodybuilder", "body-shaper", "physical culturist", "athlete", whatever! Create a label that FORCES your goal to be LARGER THAN YOU.

This engages the subconscious mind to a remarkable degree. It challenges you in ways that prevent things like "boredom" or excuses like, "I don't feel like it" from getting in your way.

All of this begins with the power of The Core.

Oh, by the way -- it doesn't matter if you're a newbie or a seasoned bodybuilder, Core Leveraging works to achieve and become whatever you desire.

CB: So Jon, how do you help people stick with the plan? We all know motivation wanes quickly as results slow down. Any tips?

JB: Believe it or not, I really don't believe in motivation. "I believe in inspired, consistent action."

Motivation is short-term. I can motivate just about anyone with a good speech or perhaps an emotionally-charged piece of music. But is this long-term? Hardly.

The truly successful, at anything in life, are self-governed and intrinsically motivated. Actually, they are "inspired" -- and that's the ticket beyond the motivational trap.

Don't get me wrong -- we all need motivation from time to time. But I like to think of it as sugar. It's quick fuel that burns out just as quickly.

Inspired action, which comes when you develop your Core, sticks around for the long haul.

Inspired action makes a guy like Lance Armstrong take on the Tour de France after going through the worst cancer imaginable. Inspired action drives a boxer to continue a fight with a broken jaw. And, inspired action will PULL YOU toward a goal.

The opposite is a feeling of "I have to." This is a "push". We want to be PULLED. It starts with inspired action, not motivation.

CB: And finally, what nutrition and training changes have you noticed at different stages in your life and in the experiences of the success stories in your book? Do the nutrition principles change at all? What about training and recovery?

JB: As you age, your body tends to process carbohydrate more reluctantly.

There are exceptions of course, but for the most part people with any issues with bodyfat to begin with should curtail their intake of carbs.

This may not mean a "low-carb" diet, but they certainly work if you enjoy protein foods as I do.

Cranking up the protein, the water, and various forms of cardio can allow just about anyone at any age to get the fat off and build muscle.

I'm building plenty of muscle at 43 -- more so than I did at 33. The body fat comes off a bit slower, but not much...that is when I consume a higher protein, controlled carb, moderate fat diet with intense and brief weight training sessions.

I am currently experimenting with daily cardio sessions which vary in intensity. Some are longer at 65% MHR, others are 30 minutes at 85%. So far, so good.

Bottom line: If you eat and think properly, as I discuss in Fit Over 40 (the mind is a huge part of all of this), your body can respond like it did when you were 20.

CB: Thanks Jon, that is greatly appreciated. Any final comments for today's interview? I'm sure we'll be talking more in the future.

JB: My system of Caloric Rotation allows for muscle building and the burning of bodyfat to happen at the same time. In order to get the body you want, you want to gain lean muscle. That gives you the curves you seek, plus keeps your bones nice and strong.

You 'also' want to burn off excess bodyfat. Otherwise you'll never see the muscle you are building. Once you do that, you're "toned". In short, you become a fat-burning machine.

So "mentally let yourself do this". Mentally give yourself "permission". That sounds strange, but it's actually part of my System. The mind must be engaged or the body will not follow.

Become Fit Over 40 today!

CB: Thanks Jon. No matter what your age, Jon's mindset changing tips will help you burn fat and gain muscle - and more importantly, build the best body of your life.

You have permission to publish this article in your web sites, ezines or electronic publication, as long as the piece is used in its entirety including the resource box, all hyperlinks (HTML clickable) and references and copyright info.