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Dieters Slim May Be A Little Misleading

Though it is what they want to do Slimming should not be so hard yet there are literally thousands if not millions that could do with shedding a few pounds of unwanted fat. This is personal to me as I have gained and lost many pounds over the years with the help of diets, tonics, programs and even the dreaded exercises.

What does a dieter need to slim?

The most important thing I found I needed to lose weight was a mental picture of what I wanted to look like. This I constantly kept in my mind all the time. It was never exact just really a thought I would think like; " I am trim or I am light or even I look great and thin". Then I had to choose a diet. The truth is there are many many diets that would help anyone slim out there. We all know just by being slimmer it has a great anti aging effect on us. You just need to investigate them to see if they fit into your life and plans and will actually work for you specifically.

What types of diets have worked for you. Please share diets that managed to get you slim so others might find them and benefit.

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Starting A Walking Program

By Kay Blanchard

Those who walk for at least 30 minutes or more four to five days a week can witness a variety of health benefits. Walking is good for the body and the mind. It is a pleasurable way to improve ones health and it is easy on the bones and joints.

Start your program slowly as your need to allow your body to adjust at a gradual pace. Keep yourself well hydrated as you walk and pay close attention to your posture. To start a walking program you need to find the motivation to get off the couch and then you need to dress in comfortable clothes and put on a pair of walking shoes.

Walking shoes are not the exact same as running shoes as they have less cushioning. Here we look at the important factors to consider when buying a pair of walking shoes. If you walk often then you need a proper pair of walking shoes.

Always try both shoes on at once and shop in the late afternoon. These are only a few of the tips we offer in getting the best fit possible for your walking shoes. Shoes should not have to be broken into to fit comfortably.

Increasing the speed you walk is one way to go, as is walking uphill. Carrying some type of weights in both hands will also help you to burn more calories. You can burn plenty of calories when you walk if you do certain things.

Taking 10,000 a day can give your level of health a tremendous boast. Unfortunately most people only take 3,000 steps daily. Here we provide suggestions for how to increase your step quota.

How successful a walking routine is often has to do with motivation. Everyone can feel less than motivated from time to time. Here we give some helpful suggestions as to how you can keep motivation in your walking equation.

How fast a person walks has to do with a number of factors, one of which is their gender. Here we explore the difference between the walking speed of a woman and that of a man. We then suggest how anyone can increase their walking pace.

The most important thing about a walking program is that you begin. Walking will make you feel better and fell better about the new healthy you

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Friday, January 30, 2009

Lemonade, water... Master Cleanse Recipe?

By Linda Riley

Basically the master cleanse is a diet which requires you to drink mostly a lemonade cocktail for the duration of the master cleanse program. As the recipe for the master cleanse diet is a very simple and easy one to formulate. All that you need to do is to consume at least 60 ounces of lemonade per day but limited to 120 ounces. You also need to consume a lot of water while following the master cleanse. The reason is because the master cleanse acts as a laxative which removes wastes and toxin from your body. This will actually cause you to be dehydrated. To avoid dehydration, you should drink an equivalent of your weight in water. This means for example if you weight 150 pounds, you should consume 150 ounces of water.

For a single or a glass of the master cleanse, the recipe require that you have 10 ounces of filtered water, two table spoon of maple syrup, two tablespoon of lemon juice and 1/10 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. If you wish to make a daily servings of 60 ounces at one go then you will need 60 ounces of filtered water, 12 tablespoon of maple syrup, 12 tablespoon of lemon juice and teaspoon of cayenne pepper. But remember when you are preparing the master cleanse, you must use freshly squeezed lemon juice. This is because canned or processed juice already has lost much of its benefits.

When preparing for master cleanse lemonade, there are some important things to note. Firstly, use organic grade B maple syrup and do not use sugar filled syrup. Don't underestimate Cayenne pepper as they break down mucus and promote a better blood flow. Furthermore, Cayenne pepper is rich in vitamins B and C. If you want to add more flavor to your lemonade, use decaffeinated tea as caffeine ones tend to constrict blood vessels. During the master cleanse, we actually wishes to promote a good flow of the blood so that the waste and toxin can be easily removed from the body.

You can also use Hoodia to help you to control your hunger pangs but remember to follow the recommended dosage when you are mixing the hoodia with your lemonade. You can also add a natural laxative to the master cleanse if you are bored drinking lemonade all day long. Besides helping you to control your hunger pangs too, like the psyllium husk, it will also assist in removing hardened feces from the body.

As mentioned earlier, natural laxative can be used as an alternative for lemonade. Some of these natural laxative are herbal laxative tea, psyllium husk and sea salts. There are some of the best natural laxatives around to flushed out the toxins without the use of enemas. Use the above mentioned laxative twice daily and combining it with the master cleanse, you will get the maximum effectiveness. Just be sure to drink lots of water to prevent dehydration.

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Thursday, January 29, 2009

5 Tips for Effective Muscle Stretching

By Torri Tompson

If you want to use a treadmill to help burn calories and lose weight then it is really important that you stretch your muscles before you start exercising. Stretching helps to prevent injuries which could reduce your performance and the effectiveness of your workout.

It is best to fully stretch both before and after you begin walking on your treadmill. By stretching before your exercise you will help to warm your muscles allowing yourself extra flexibility, and by stretching afterwards you will help to prevent your muscles stiffening up.

Here are some stretching tips to help you prevent injury to your muscles:

1. Don't stretch until it hurts. Some people push their muscles to the point of pain, thinking that it provides a better stretch. Instead, stretch to a position that is comfortable for your body and hold it for about 20 seconds.

2. When stretching you should always breathe - some people believe that holding their breathe will help, but this is not the case. By actually doing some deep breathing exercises you will be able to give your muscles a much more thorough stretch.

3. Warm up your muscles before you stretch. Some people believe that stretching is the warm-up. But you should walk or jog for a few minutes to get the blood flowing and then begin to stretch.

4. After your workout, you can stretch after you take a warm bath or shower. The hot water will help relax your muscles, and the after workout stretch will feel good.

5. Never bounce while you are stretching. You may have seen athletes on TV do this, but it is very dangerous because instead of stopping injuries you could actually cause yourself serious harm.

A lot of people assume that a treadmill will only exercise the leg muscles when in fact it delivers a full body workout. While it is important to stretch your calf muscles, quadriceps, and hamstrings it is also extremely important to stretch muscles in other areas as well such as the shoulders, neck, back and abs.

Don't just bend over and hang, trying to touch your toes. Add some additional stretches, such as the splits, lunges, and calf stretches where you stand on the edge of a step or curb and drop your heels to the point right before it becomes uncomfortable.

When stretching you should always make sure your movements and slow and deliberate - it actually helps to keep some tension in the muscles to get the most out of your stretch. And remember, you should never stretch to the point where it becomes painful.

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Look Hotter With Lower Stomach Exercises

By Brian Stratmore

While is a global disease to concentrate on just crunches, people have to be aware that they only work the upper ab area. It is equally important to work on your lower stomach to be able to look fitter.

If you want to see the results of your lower stomach exercises, you need to do one thing: lower your fat percentage levels thanks to a healthy diet and a cardio program you enjoy. Forget about this point, and you'll keep your stomach muscles hidden under a cover of fat.

There is nothing such as spot toning. This means you can't just lose weight on an area. This is a myth you have to erase off your head today.

The percentage of fat you store on the lower stomach is determined by your genes. There are people who tend to store more fat in this area that others, that have fat well distributed in all parts of the body.

Okay, let's get to the easy exercises for the lower stomach:

Reversed Crunches

A reverse crunch is an exercise that targets the lower muscles in your stomach. This exercise must be performed correctly and I recommend doing it on an exercise mat as it helps relieving stress in the lower back.

Lie on the floor and elevate your legs until they are perpendicular to the floor, bend a little your knees and cross your legs at the ankles.

Rest your arms on the floor on your sides.

Keep your shoulders relaxed, rest your head on the floor nicely while keeping the back straight at all times. Now lift your hips off the ground and push them towards the ceiling.

Hold, hold, hold now slowly bring yourself to the initial position.

Leg Lifts on a Chair

This is one of my favorite exercises to perform at the office. Here's how you can perform it.

Sit on your chair, so that your back is flat against the back of the chair.

Rest your hands on the desk and slowly lift your legs off the ground. Hold the muscle contraction for eight seconds.

Slowly and with muscle control, take your legs back the floor.

Repeat as long as you like, but try not to overdo it though. Gradually increase your repetitions to keep strengthening your lower abs.

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Fitness Ball Use in Pilates

By Julia Channel

Looking for quick results? Using a fitness ball combined with Pilates will achieve just that " and you will have fun as well!

The fitness ball elevates you and works stabilizing muscles like no other exercise.

The fitness ball was first known as the "Pezzi Ball" and afterwards became known as the Swiss ball. The diameter of a fitness ball can be anywhere from 35 cm to 85 cm. It is fabricated from an elastic form of PVC to ensure strength enough to withstand the pressure.

Swiss balls, first designed to be used with babies, later became a physiotherapy tool, and then quickly became popular in the fitness industry. Although they've never originally been part of the Pilates fitness concept, the Pilates fraternity eagerly adopted these fitness balls when people realized their actual potential.

The balancing that is required when using the fitness ball in Pilates is a great way to achieve the thin and trim body that you desire. Since you need to work to maintain your stability, a fitness ball makes your Pilates workout a lot more effective with only a tiny bit more work.

How is this accomplished by the fitness ball? A fitness ball strengthens the small muscles around your spine. They are known as micro stabilisers. This toning strengthens the musculature and helps prevent back injury and pain. Strengthening your back muscles lets you work out longer and achieve better results!

Core muscles all benefit from using a fitness ball. When you exercise your back, you are also exercising your abdomen. Using the fitness ball, you gain strength and tone in these areas incrementally over time.

Using the fitness ball is great fun as well, because it allows you to add some variety to your workout " no more boring, repetitive routines! No more hard floor, either " and you get an added bounce as well!

Looking for more? You can add weights to the equation: just take care that you choose a much lower weight than for a usual routine, because the combination of stabilising and weights intensifies the workout. You will soon be able to lift even greater weights using this method as your overall strength increases.

It is vital that when you are using a fitness ball in Pilates that you keep good form. The ball makes a normal workout that much more intense, so keep this in mind. Allow yourself the freedom to complete a lower level of reps, maintaining perfect form. The stabilizer muscles will gain strength and in next to no time you will find that you are well past your original fitness levels!

For more information on the benefits of using a fitness ball in your workout program, be sure to visit the website.

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Does Treadmill Walking for Weight Loss Really Work?

By Torri Tompson

Losing excess body weight can be much easier and straight forward than you might imagine! One of the easiest ways to lose weight is by walking on a treadmill, which is an excellent method of burning calories. Unfortunately though, many people simply find it difficult to make enough time to exercise.

The typical person will be stuck behind a desk at their office all day, and then when they get home all they want to do is relax and sit in front of the TV. It's understandable because they are so exhausted, however, this type of lifestyle is extremely unhealthy. Thankfully, there is a quick fix which can help improve your health dramatically.

If you don't want to join a gym, you can invest in a treadmill that will easily fit anywhere in your home and provide you with the workout you need to lose weight. There's no difficult equipment to learn how to use either. You just get on and walk!

The majority of us seem to do less and less exercise as we get older. Most people forget how mobile they used to be in their younger days, and it's easy to fall into the habit of not exercising. But each of us knows how to walk, so there's no need to worry about using a home treadmill properly, or wondering how many reps we should do as is the case with other types of equipment.

Once you have invested in your treadmill the only other thing you will need is a little bit of motivation to set yourself on the path to losing weight. For many people losing weight means having to carefully measure food servings and try and work out how many calories they have eaten, and how many they have used up.

Walking on a treadmill means you don't have to think so hard about losing weight. Many studies have shown that even a 10 minute walk every day improves your cardiovascular health.

Of course, the more you walk, the better your health will be. If you can try to hit 2000 steps each day, you'll begin to see results in the weight loss department fairly quickly. Depending on how fast you walk, you will take 2000 steps in a 20-30 minute exercise session.

Walking on a treadmill is a fantastic form of exercise and can give you many more benefits than just losing weight. For instance, walking can help to keep your blood pressure low, can help prevent heart disease, and can even aid in controlling diabetes. It's also a great way of clearing your mind after a stressful day!

If you implement a treadmill walking routine into your exercise program, you might want to invest in a pedometer. Those who monitor their steps each day usually increase their activity and get better results.

If you need to, start your treadmill walking routine slowly, and build up to a longer time, a faster pace, and a higher incline. All of these adjustments will contribute to your overall weight loss and better health.

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Friday, January 23, 2009

A Healthy Attitude To Weight Lose

By Ron C George

It is indeed curious to find numerous people who think that the easiest way for weight loss is starving, and though it might show a little in the early days, but you would never find this kind of radical step being approved by any physician. These weight loss diets will leave the body weak also making the immune system even weaker, thus the radical approach is quite unhealthy. A better and healthier way to lose weight is to consider the calories which are needed by the person and creating a diet to meet these calories but also containing all the nutrients and minerals that the body needs.

Many individuals forget just how essential it is to have a decent nights' sleep for good health and body maintenance, this is just as important as burning off those excess calories found in the areas of fat most of us carry around. Sometimes the womens' periodicals are the real culprit in promoting these fad diet plans, which are not backed by any scientific data or trials and they somehow convince the readers that these are allegedly healthy weight loss plans. Take the example of eating boiled vegetables with chicken, salad and fruits: while this is not bad to begin with, it is to be remembered that a healthy weight loss diet would include several other nutrients which simply boiled vegetables may not contain. The vast majority of people consuming a diet that is made up of these food groups may lose weight and feel a little better but will finally fail in their healthy weight loss as they become incredibly bored by the same food every day.

If you want to make the best out of your healthy weight loss diet plan, you have to limit your calorie intake, do frequent physical exercises, even if this means walking for 30 minutes and always get good rest. It might surprise you but rest has amazing benefits which the medical fraternity is now realizing and this is a common problem with individuals who have weight related issues, who love to overeat during dinner, often forgetting what they have done.

If you are someone who does rise in the night to eat, this will only hurt you and your body as it will be ruining any effort that you have made during the day whilst following a healthy weight loss diet program with exercise, to burn off calories. You will soon see the effects of following a healthy weight loss plan as you will have more energy, your clothes wills start to fall off you, your attitude will change and you will become a lot happier and getting a better nights sleep will only help your immune system to fight off any illnesses.

The way you look and feel about yourself will change as you start to follow a healthy weight loss diet, if you have negative feelings and ideas about yourself then these can be quite dangerous to you. It is serious to note that the body cannot perform magic and slimming down cannot happen like in a dream - most overweight people tend to go through overtly rigorous physical exercises to achieve this impossible ambition.

Swimming or jogging are good mild exercises to start with when you are following a healthy weight loss program which involves regular physical exercise, sometimes those that have a lot of weight to lose can forget this and go overboard. The idea is to start out gently and when your physical levels have increased then you can join a gym. It often requires some time to get fit once more but it can be done simply if you do not try to run before you can walk.

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Thursday, January 22, 2009

Lose Unwanted Belly Fat with the Master Cleanse

By Linda Riley

Losing weight can be dangerous if the individual does it carelessly. Many people lose weight by eating very much less than their normal diet. This could prove a hazard to the health as the body cannot cope with the sudden shortage of food. Also, when people eat less, the amount of essential nutrients required also dips. However, master cleanse diet helps you lose weight but also at the same time provides your body with the essential vitamins and minerals. Hence, master cleanse diet helps you lose weight safely.

Most common way people lose weight is to starve themselves. Though it may be effective for some, what they do not know is that they are depriving their body of essential vitamins. Without vital minerals, your important internal organs like kidney and liver will start to function less efficiently. Eventually, your health will suffer.

With the master cleanse, it is different. The main reason is because it does not encourage malnutrition. Although the master cleanse reduces your calories intake, it doesn't deprive you of the essential nutrients which keeps the internal organs healthy. It actually provides you with a wide variety of vitamins and minerals which normal eating habits does not take account into. Therefore it actually helps the body to become healthier and gives you more energy. Furthermore, the master cleanse doesn't have to be adopted for a long period of time. As with anything which is excessive, following the master cleanse diet for a long period of time will definitely also poses a health risk.

The attractive part of master cleanse is that you just need to follow for a short period of time. More importantly, it is safe and easy to follow. Most weight that you lost is through the toxins and waste material that you remove during the master cleanse. You should faithfully follow it for three to ten days to properly and thoroughly remove the unwanted things in your body. Once that period has been reached you should stop and rest the master cleanse program for around 60 days.

The master cleanse diet can at times be difficult to adopt if you have no self control. Initially it is always tempting to go and break your routine while trying to lose weight. As such it is important for you to always try to follow the entire program if you wish to reap the full benefit of the master cleanse diet. But once you have fallen in to the routine and have experiences the benefits of the master cleanse, you will have no difficulty in following through the whole program.

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Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Lose weight fast with white tea

By Jack Robbins

You will have seldom heard about white tea as compared to the continuous hype about green tea. White tea has just recently come into the spotlight with its almost unbelievable effectiveness in weight loss. This has been due to its increased concentration of antioxidants.

White tea with its increased antioxidant count helps weight loss by maximizing the metabolism rate. This is as a direct results of more antioxidants that the body gets. Higher metabolism levels lead to more calories being burned without performing any exercises.

When you work out with an increased level of metabolism you will notice you lose more weight than before.

White tea tastes really good compared to green and black tea. A better taste will keep you from veering off your planned weight loss diet. There is no better drink to have in a weight loss diet than white tea.

There are a number of flavors you can choose from such as blueberry and ginger white tea. The large variety leaves you spoilt for choice.

White tea addiction, unlike most other addictions is actually good for you. The minute amount of caffeine in it ensures you don't have to worry about the caffeine side effects.

White tea and weight loss are a perfect combination. White tea is the only drink that can help you lose weight without exercising. It also has tons of other benefits such as inhibiting cancer cells, brighter skin, strengthening the immune system and boosting energy.

With all the benefits and weight loss attributes that white tea has, you should put it as a vital part of your diet and health plan.

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Tuesday, January 20, 2009

The 6 Meals A Day Myth

By Caleb Lee

Do you really need to eat 6-8 small meals to keep your metabolism revved up so you burn fat all day and keep a steady stream of nutrients flowing to build lean muscle?

If you've been around the fitness scene for any amount of time, or have read some diet books or articles, you would think the solution to this one is a simple yes " but the reality is

The 6-8 meals a day Advice Is A Cock-and-Bull Story!

The advice is based on studies done around the thermic effect of food (TEF). You see, whenever you eat, your body uses about 10% of those calories (total) to provide energy just to digest the food

When this was discovered, people misconstrued the research by saying the more you eat (frequency) the more calories you'll burn all day but then this was a slip since the math doesn't work out.

* Six pint-sized meals of 300 calories (6-300) = 1800 calories total.

* Every meal you burn 10% of calories = 30 calories burned with each 300 cal meal

* Total cals burned because of TEF = 180

Thus differentiate that to a normal diet of 3 large meals:

* 3 Heavy Meals of 600 calories (3-600) = 1800 calories total.

* Every single meal you burn 10% of calories = 60 calories burned with every 600 cal meal

* Total cals burned because of TEF = 180

So you see, if the calories are equal, it doesn't matter how you cut them up " you're still burning the same amount of calories and changing your metabolism the exact same way no matter how you eat frequently.

Will Eating More Frequently Bring About More Lean Muscle Gain?

The quick answer is not at all. Eating protein continuously in reality triggers your body not to produce it as much. Eating more total calories WILL result in building extra muscle but the meal frequency has not much to do with it.

More crucial for lean muscle gain is the timing of your meals, particularly the post workout meal needs to be excellent to make a big thing that you're getting superior nutrients into your body when it needs them the most.

Will Eating A Smaller Amount of Meals Cause Muscle Loss?

Several guys who lift weights accept as true (and I used to) that not eating 6-8 meals each day will put your body into a catabolic state. Which means since you're not eating lots of food and keeping the levels of amino acids in your blood above average your body will make use of your muscle tissue as fat.

This is not true either nonetheless not as far as you've heard. Because although you just eat one large meal each day, it can take up to 12 hours to digest" gradually releasing amino acids into your bloodstream the whole time.

When Must You Eat 6-8 Meals

So as to achieve a LOT of weight " you need to boost your calorie intake to gain weight and put on muscle, thus if you're an extra-large guy and you have to eat 5,000 calories a day to put on mass it might be easier on your stomach and digestive system to consume 5,000 calories broken up into a set of lesser meals.

If you're using a ton of energy " If you're a high level athlete who burns a ton of energy like Michael Phelps who eats up to 12,000 calories per DAY and eats like an elephant. Also guys in the military in boot camp often eat as much as possible when they get the chance but still end up losing weight

If you have a thing about it - Several people may feel extra full 6-8 eating reduced meals per day grazing for their food consumption. I'm not one of those people but more power to you if you are.

I think knowing this will certainly help you feel better in your quest for better fitness, I know I believed this myth for a LONG time because almost everyone recommends it.

What Do I Do For My Part?

I put into practice occasional fasting. And I HAVE A THING ABOUT it. I vary between a warrior diet style eating schedule (when I'm sustaining my weight) and the lean gains eating style when I'm focusing on increasing muscle mass.

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Simple Steps For Quick Effective Weight Loss

By Spinney Howard

Over 63% of Americans are overweight with a Body Mass Index (BMI) in excess of 25.0. according to 2008 estimates from the National Center for Health Statistics of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. That's a staggering number! With so many men and women carrying excess weight, one can understand the need for quick effective weight loss.

Researchers have proven that obesity has a significant impact on nearly every system in the body, leading to such conditions as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and respiratory complications.

In reality, quick effective weight loss is neither too easy nor too hard. When you understand what is involved, it is very simple. It is possible to get rid of fat by following some weight loss steps outlined in this article.

By any means necessary, stay away from high fructose corn syrup. There are two main reasons why this product should be avoided: Foods rich in high fruitose corn syrup blocks the receptors that tell your brain whether you are full or not. Fruitose will cause you to overeat,spike up your blood sugar levels, and eventually lead to diabetes!

Portion your food so that you can eat smaller meals throughout the day. In order to lose weight, you need to eat six small meals per day, instead of three large ones. You can simply split each of your meals into two, and eat each small meal at the regular interval of 3-4 hours.By eating small meals, your blood sugar won't spike up to abnormal levels. Thus eating small meals will naturally speed up your metabolism.

Start Walking. Moderate exercise has been valued in the treatment of obesity for elevating mood, reducing hunger, and improving the likelihood of a successful outcome. Walking is the choice of most people because it is an activity that is easily incorporated into their daily routine.

Exercise can result in tremendous health and fitness benefits. An increase of fitness can decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes even if weight loss is small at first.

Exercise can result in health and fitness benefits in the obese independent of weight loss. An increase of fitness can decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes even if no weight loss is initially observed.

Quick effective weight loss can be obtained by taking small consistent steps to improve the overall quality of your health. Never give up! Set small, attainable goals and you will see weight loss success! Make it your personal determination to do whatever it takes to regain your health and overcome the health trap that is obesity.

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Monday, January 19, 2009

A Guide To The Best Body Size

By Ferda Shinsky

We've all seen and heard of them. You know, the guys on the beach with fabulous chests and rippling muscles, or the girls who look as if their bikinis were made for them. How do they do it? Or more importantly, can you do it to? Of course you can. In this guide, we'll look at advice on how to achieve the body shape of your dreams. It all comes down to customizing a training program to suit your unique needs.

First, a bit of science. Most research on body shapes cited these days comes from one man, William Sheldon. An American psychologist, he began some research in the 1940s on the bodies of Ivy League students, and reached some startling conclusions. He classified physiques into three types, mesomorph, endorphin and ectomorph. Results-orientated mesomorphs tend to have low body fat and put on muscle easily. Endorphins put on fat easily and are centered around the love of food and company. Endorphins are thinner, and more prone to strong emotions. Please identify your type, and then read on for the one that suits you!

Mesomorphs and heavy bones well respond to all types of training. Like, that the V-desirable men, for women or for the hourglass shape to receive the weightlifting and cardio work of a mixed coalition should rule. Walking or swimming twice a week on medium intensity, and then any other in extra time to try weight lifiting. You should notice very fast concrete results. Lat exercises like stretching - those core muscles rippling get off!

On the other hand, endorphins usually need to reduce their own exposure to body fat muscle, and looks forward to the best. They should carry out the 3rd week of aerobic exercise, the right to use only as a secondary form of training. Swimming and cycling's proposal, because these are low-impact, high-calorie burn exercise, there will soon be looking for endorphin his best. Once the body fat has been reduced to about 15% of the woman's mark, 10% of men, endorphin should be given to increasing the weight training

Typically, less body fat Endorphins already, so should avoid too much exercise Aerobic has done. Instead, they should focus on intensive weight program; a weak sessions about 3 to 4. What they like squats and sit multiple muscle groups, - use up a lot of practice compounds used to do. Training with a colleague try, and their technique will be able to check. Or better still, own a personal trainer for treatment.

Whatever you type, the importance of good posture and confidence remember. One reason there is not an Arnold Schwarzenegger slouching ever remember. A great new body shape and you invigoration in the new, positive steps should be a sign of life. Smile. Relax your shoulders and, purposeful pace for a long time. , Take a deep breath and you'll still look great to expand your chest!

My last point is this: a set of realistic and achievable goal. Boys and girls, whether you want the body shape, training requires time and dedication. Rome was not built in one day; and is not spread to the muscles and ideal body image. Total change can take up to 6 months, but the sports science show, you should begin to see the results of the 6 weeks. If this seems to be long, just focus on the fun side of the training, and perhaps find a partner to share your fitness journey.

Body is a training and confidence. They go hand, if your body looks better, and you will feel much better. Through training, your unique body type, you will soon achieve your fitness goals. Keep in mind that diversity is critical to ensure that you do not forget that your goal incentives. If all else fails, relax, take a deep breath and thank you for your gift has been. Only enhance the training of these.

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Do you know what to do when you don't feel like exercising?

By Caleb Lee

One day in the course of your fitness journey you'll feel like skipping over your strength training session.

There could be lots of reasons. You may be pressed for time, you may be unmotivated, you may feel tired or sore from your last session whatever the case, you don't feel like getting off your butt and going to the gym.

It's times like this when you get the opportunity to build your resolve, strength of mind, and "never say die" attitude.

Now is actually is one of those days for me...

My quads are still really aching from the high intensity tabata protocol I did yesterday on my rest day, plus I didn't get sufficient protein to help build up my strength.

And I must of ate something bad last night because I woke up at 4am this morning throwing up...

So at this time I have two options: 1.) disregard my strength training session today or 2.) Perform the session as planned, but adjust as needed.

What am I going to pick?

I'm going to carry out my session as planned and find my feet as needed!

So How Can You Make Progress When You Don't Feel Like It?

When I come in the weight room today, I might notice my warm up sets are feeling extra hard. It could be the weights aren't moving as easily as I wish for.

I'll probably still do my first set at the prescribed poundage, but I may have to back off a little on the next two sets no matter.

Consistency Is Key

The answer is I'm going to get in there and carry out my strength training session just like I had planned. Why? Since I know it'll ultimately be the cause of my good health.

Although I can't perform at maximum it's fine. I'm still getting a TON of other benefits just by working out.

Besides, I'm building the not giving up the habit.

What's more - you'll never continually make steady progress - you will have awesome days, not so awesome days, and downright crappy training days it's all just a part of the game.

The solution is to finish off with what you began and earn the rewards for being consistent.

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Sunday, January 18, 2009

Max Workouts Review " Fitness Program Discovered

By Kelly Becker

Max Workouts Review Feeling hopeless as with your current workout program you are actually not achieving the leaner body you've been wanting for so long? Then most probably, Max Workouts program is for you.

Max Workouts is very distinct. It is a revolutionary fitness program with high-intensity interval training, circuit training, & strength training at hand which can all help in making your body lean or even leaner. Its high intensity interval workouts and circuits are proven to be effective to burn fat and eventually build muscle in the shortest time possible. It is with full body exercises with weights for maximizing your metabolism, fat burning, as well as lean muscle building.

Most likely, with Max Workouts, you will get a different workout experience and finally be free from the tiring lifting of weights, hitting the treadmill, busting your butt at the latest fitness classes, or even cranking it out at your spinning classes. Max Workouts will make your venture to better body simpler.

Effectiveness

Max Workouts is already proven to be really effective. Based from the testimonies of men and women who have tried it, certainly it is really effective.

Mainly, Max Workouts is effective because it has the secrets of the plateau-busting workout program that is scientifically proven to crank up your metabolism and melt away all your unwanted, stubborn fat. It also has the workouts that could help you in maintaining lean muscle, thus allowing you to still burn calories even after all the workouts are done.

Efficiency

No doubt, with Max Workouts you will surely get the body you desire with less sweat. The workouts with Max Workouts are shorter but are really effective. And so with these type of workouts, you'll save yourself some sweat and time and you won't tire yourself that much at the same time.

Comprehensiveness

The main edge of Max Workouts is its being comprehensive. It has the goal, the tips, the workouts and the like. It also has the key to success considering it tackles importance of increase metabolism to losing weight which is often overlooked. Not to mention that it also has the myths that could be sabotaging your workout efforts. These are common mistakes that can be avoided actually but were not usually tackled in most fitness/fat loss programs. In Max Workouts, these are very well discussed and explained. Thus, ensuring you that you will never go wrong with Max Workouts.

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Kick Your Fat Gut To The Curb With These 3 Effective Exercises

By Chaz Michael Michaelson

The Crunch: For this exercise lie down on your back and put your hands to the side of your head. Pull your knees in and slowly raise your head up until you feel a nice strong pull in your stomach muscles. The only tension should be in your abdominal muscles. Now pull in tight using your ab muscles. Try and do this slow and steady for best results. Shoot for 3 sets of 15-20 reps.

You will know that its working well when you feel a slight pull in the abs, and your begin to lose strength. Keep the tension in your muscles limited to the abs for maximum effect. Relax your neck and back.

The Abdominal Plank: This exercise although simple is very effective at strengthening your entire core. All you need to do is start like you're going to do a push-up. Lower yourself to a position where you are resting on your forearms. Hold your back perfectly straight. This is a simple gravity exercise that works the entire core. Do this for as long as you can stand then do it 10 times.

How do you know when it's working: When your stomach is pulled in, your back is straight and you find it difficult to maintain the stance, you are performing this exercise correctly.

Reverse Crunch Exercise - This exercise is a milder version of the crunch and has its purpose. Either for the one requiring an easier start or for the purpose of more sets. The exercise is simply a matter of lying on your back with the legs extended to the sky. You can bend your knees if necessary. Bring your knees toward your abdominals. Once you can't bring them in any closer, tighten your abs and hold. release and repeat. Try 4 sets of 15 to start.

If you are doing everything correctly you will feel it in your lower abdominals. If your gut is a bit on the heavy side then you may need to do some additional cardiovascular exercises to assist in the trimming down process. Even with the fat you can build your abdominals, but they won't show through the fat. It's kind of like being in bed naked. You may be hot but the comforter hides everything.

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Saturday, January 17, 2009

A Lowdown on Massage Products

By Maria Hill

Massage is a definitely stimulating activity. It has health benefits like improving the circulation within your body and making your body warmer. Just as a reminder, it is necessary to use a lube for full-body massages. Massage oils are not just oils used for your massages. There are many fragrances and densities of massage oils available to provide preferential pleasure. Also, most massage oils are non-toxic. Hence, there is no harm if some amount is accidentally ingested also. That means; there could be a nice time with some licking pleasure also.

One reason why some people do not like massage oils is that they are slippery and that they might leave residues behind on the skin which do not go away with a single shower. Also, they might cause allergies like breakouts on the skin. That is the reason why people with oily skins prefer using massage lotions. Massage lotions are like moisturizers, so they are very good on people who have dry skins. They can provide better skin contact with the partner. Do not use massage lotions when you are using latex objects such as condoms and adult toys. Check the bottle for allowances to work on latex products.

Application of the warming oils is done in the same way as massage oils and lotions. They should be rubbed on the palms and then worked on the body in slow strokes. Slowly, the warming oils should be worked into the skin, and a new supply must be taken from the body. As the name suggests, these oils will heat up the area on the skin on which it is applied. Then can help when using adult toys.

Now that you know about the various massage products available, it is for you to think and see what suits you best. Whenever you are meaning to have a hot night, it is advisable to keep some massage products handy and see if you will need them. Massage products last for several years without changing at all. The only indication that something has gone bad with the oil will be an offensive odor and presence of residue at the bottom in the bottle.

A full body massage is always preferable with massage oils. Try different maneuvers to apply the oil on the back, arms, neck, chest, legs and buttocks of the person. If the person you are massaging has a sensitive skin, it is better to test out a small portion of his or her skin with the massage oil first. One more thing to remember is that massage oils are not meant to be lubricating oils for penetration purposes.

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Friday, January 16, 2009

Can Weight Loss Pills Shed the Fat?

By Deen Dragonovich

With the New Year fast approaching, you can bet losing weight will be at the top of everyone's New Year resolutions list and health foods stores will be well stocked with weight loss pills in anticipation of the after holiday rush. But are people wasting their money on weight loss pills?

Most reputable companies put out decent products that work to some degree, but not to the extent most people think they do. In the early 90's ephedra hit the market with a lot of fanfare. It promised to burn fat like no other compound. And for the most part, it lived up to that promise.

Unfortunately along with its fat burning power, there was a long list of side effects as well. Many could not handle the powerful stimulant affects of this compound and it was blamed for many deaths. Whether or not this was true, the writing was on the wall and ephedra was banned in the United States and is no longer available.

Are there any compounds that work as well as ephedra?

Ephedra was a one of a kind product and may never (save for possibly one) be duplicated for its fat burning power.

Green tea and Hoodia are currently two of the most popular weight loss supplements in stores today. There have been mixed reviews on both, but Green tea has more scientific studies to back its claims. Never the less, they both fall far short of the fat burning power of ephedra.

There is however one promising compound that seems to block fructose from converting to adipose tissue.

What's the big deal about fructose?

Fructose may be the biggest cause of obesity in the United States today. Here's a quote from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition:

"evidence that a marked increase in the use of HFCS, and therefore in total fructose consumption, preceded the obesity epidemic and may be an important contributor to this epidemic in the United States."

Over the last thirty years, there has been a 40% drop in the use of cane sugar and a 300% increase in the use of high fructose corn syrups! If you look at the label of most products on supermarket shelves today, you will likely find high fructose corn syrup as an ingredient.

What is this new compound?

This all natural compound is derived from the roots of Scutellaria baicalensis and Heartwood of Acacia. There more common names are Chineses skullcap and "Black catechu".

What does this compound do?

This natural compound works by substantially decreasing two key obesity markers in the blood stream. These two obesity markers are expressed in high levels in the chronically obese. These compounds have been shown to significantly decrease both of these obesity markers by inhibiting fat conversion from fructose pathways and down-regulating fat accumulation and up-regulating fat breakdown.

A double blind clinical study was conducted by scientists at JSS Medical Research, Inc., in Montreal, Canada. Participants were between the ages of 40 and 75. This age group normally has the most difficult time losing weight. None of the subjects were given any physical activity or dietary advice.

The results were quite impressive. Subjects taking the natural compound lost an average of 7 percent of their bodyweight, while those not taking the natural compound did not lose any weight at all.

Their results would likely have been much better if they combined an exercise program along with a sensible diet.

Although these compounds show a lot of promise (especially if you are addicted to sweets) and may very well hold the key to the obesity epidemic, it should not replace a healthy diet and sensible exercise program.

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Wednesday, January 14, 2009

The dietary benefits of Green Tea

By Betty Osterfield

Many people are now turning to inexpensive and natural green tea weight loss plans to help them in their weight control efforts. It is simple too. Green tea can be drunk like any other tea, usually without milk or sweeteners, or if you do not like the taste you can purchase green tea extract.

You can reduce body weight by stimulating the body's thermogenesis process drinking greet tea. This thermogenesis process helps to increase the expenditure of energy. It also helps to oxidize fat in the body. Many of the compounds found in the plants have this effect. You can get the same effects of diet pills such as ephidrine, but without all the dangerous side affects.

A lot of people who are overweight have or are at risk of developing hypertension and other cardiovascular problems, so the fact that green tea does not put pressure on the heart makes it a good choice. Ephidrine is not usually recommended if you are in this group but green tea is considered a safe option. It means that you can gradually increase your exercise levels without increasing your risk of heart problems.

The easiest and most efficient way to lose weight is by consuming less calories, by eating less and by expending more energy, by exercising or moving more. Green tea works by revving up our metabolism which creates an increase output by aproximately 5%. Scientists believe that catechin found in green tea is the causitive factor in increasing the energy output.

The powerful antioxidants contained in green tea have found to be very beneficial to your health. This includes improving the immune system, by stengthening it, it allows your body to protect itself against disease processes.

It is recommended that people who use green tea should remove other forms of caffeine from their diet such as tea and coffee. I caffiene is a concern be forwarned that decaffeinated green tea does not have the same benefits as regular green tea, because the processes for removing the caffiene destroys the healthful benefits of the plant.

At the same time you will need to exercise control in what you eat. If you eat more to compensate for the calories that are burnt by the tea, you will not lose any weight. Keeping to the same calorific intake that you have now and taking green tea should result in gradual weight loss and better energy levels over a few weeks. You can of course increase the speed of this by reducing calorie consumption and/or increasing exercise.

Green tea is a simple, easy and inexpensive weight control aid that can easily be incorporated into any weight loss program. The choice of tea or extract offers something for everybody. Natural and safe, green tea weight loss should feature in your program if you want to keep the weight off permanently.

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Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Losing Weight: as told by a Real Desperate Housewife

By Dorthy Weatherbush

How do they do it? You know those suburban housewives who have the kids in tow who look better than you managed to look in your early twenties. Their hair is perfect, their clothes are impeccable, and perhaps the most enviable detail their figures are flawless. These ladies have the same stresses that you have, but they have managed to find a way to keep their bodies in top-notch shape. The good news is that you are about to find out the secrets to how these real life housewives keep themselves in glamorous Hollywood starlet form. We have been able to sit down with Mrs. Lajoie, a real life desperate housewife.

As we were beginning to get started with the interview, I could not help but notice how amazingly gorgeous Mrs. Lajoie was. She was not wearing the stereotypical mommy attire, but wore a pair of fitted jeans and a trendy black blazer. Her body showed no sign of having had three children, even though her youngest was just a toddler. My first question to Mrs. Lajoie was how do you do it?

"I am always on the move, constantly on the go," she answered. She explained that she walks everyday, and tries to find inclines whenever possible. "One of my favorite things to do is walk the sidewalks in my neighborhood with the stroller. Not only do I get the benefit of added weight to my workout, but I also get to spend some time with the kids. All that exercise really jump starts my fat burning abilities." With all the walking, Mrs. Lajoie says that her legs are always in top notch conditioned, which is helpful when chasing behind her three kids.

At this time, Mrs. Lajoie get a phone call from her husband. She smiles once it's over as she hangs up the phone. I can only notice how she glows after years of marriage. "You're acting like a newlywed," I say " does your husband support your need for 'me' time?" She smiles and giggles a bit before responding. "He definitely does. I mean let's be frank. Men are very visual creatures naturally, so he loves that I look great. But it is so much more than just that. He really loves the confidence that I give off when I have been taking care of myself. The self-confidence makes me feel more attractive, which in turn makes me more attractive to him. Don't get it twisted, there are times that we are both busy and it gets really hard to handle the kids, but they are ours and we love them. We both desire to be strong role models for our kids, both in behavior and health. We therefore try to do alot of outdoor physical activity like roller blading, bike riding, playing at the park, and walking." I ask her, "Has it always been like this?" Mrs. Lajoie takes a moment's pause before continuing. This time she speaks more hesitantly. "Well honestly no. For a long time there, I got into a rut that many women face. I put on weight and stopped taking care of myself because I was unhappy with myself, which made my husband unhappy. It got so bad that I thought he was going to leave me. That was when I knew I had to do something to take back my life."

"How do you keep yourself focused with the stress of running a household?" I ask. "Really, yoga has saved my life. It's a great muscle toning activity, but can be so much more than that. It keeps me calm and centered during the week." She admitted that finding time is a real difficulty for a mother, but it must always be kept as a priority. Taking time for yourself not only benefits you, but is also helps your family in the long-run. "I have to have personal time to recharge my internal battery," she says. "When I get that, I find that my patience and my excitement are better, which is the kind of mother and wife that I want to be for my family? Sometimes it feels like I am being selfish, but I have to remember that by taking time for myself, I'm doing something that makes me a better person."

Mrs. Lajoie glances at the clock and catches me noticing. "Oh excuse me," she smiles. "I'm always keeping track of the time to make sure that I am not missing anything. You have to keep a schedule when you are a busy person, and it must include workouts." Mrs. Lajoie has had her fair share of personal trauma, but she has been able to take control of her life, and now lives the life the many women only dream of. "What we women need to remember is that we are important and we have lots to give. We must take care of ourselves, not only for our sake, but so that we might be able to take care of our families.

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Monday, January 12, 2009

The Best Life Diet by Bob Greene - A Review

By Matt Hellstrom

I'd like to offer you a glimpse inside the Bob Greene Best Life diet plan. It seems to me that this might be helpful for you to make a decision to get involved, since that costs money at the very least. Not to mention time and energy. Here are the basics.

Cost. Right around $50 will cover the basic costs including the book with recipes, the journal, and a stay on the program book (also available on CDs). The cost of your food will decrease because fresh food is normally cheaper than processed food. You also have an option of joining Bob Greene diet program for a weekly fee that gives you access to experts and other dieters.

Diet Duration. This of course depends on you. The program is set up for Phase 1 and 2 to go a minimum of 4 weeks each. Phase 2 repeats until you reach your goal. Phase 3 is your new lifestyle.

Fitness. Major role in the diet. You start by taking a test to determine your current level of activity and then slowly and (importantly) safely increase it to reach your ideal metabolism. This is not limited to personal trainer type of exercise but incorporates lifestyle types of activities outside of the gym.

Time. To eat nutritious meals will involve more than opening a box so for those of you who like to cook this will be great. Those who don't, a bit more time (and positive attitude!) is involved. And to keep the weight off daily fitness is vital.

Dining Out. Of course! Bob Greene's diet books help you learn how to make smart decisions at restaurants. He even offers a book that gives you specific suggestions off the menu of several places.

Alcoholic Beverages. First phase not an option. Other two phases is okay within reason.

Forever Dieting? The beauty of Bob Greene's diet plan is that he understands that it is not being lazy that got us where we are. But there a multitude of influences in this world that shape and mold us to become what we are. Some are, good some aren't. In looking at these areas honestly, we can start making a change that will last and is not just a bandaid.

So is the Bob Greene Best Life Diet for you? Only you can determine that. Why? Because only if you believe and commit to it, no matter how good the Best Life diet is, will you be successful.

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Sunday, January 11, 2009

How Cardio Exercise Will Help You to Gain Weight Fast Metabolism

By Ricardo d Argence

Cardio exercise is as necessary for overall health and fitness as anaerobic exercise is. When you do cardio, you get your heart rate going and increase blood circulation throughout your body. It is basically whole body exercise that, ideally, should make you breathe harder than usual, get your heart rate pumping, and help you work up a good sweat.

Cardiovascular exercise gives your heart (the most vital muscle in your body) an excellent workout. When you increase your pulse rate and keep it raised for a period of time, you will increase both your health and your fitness level.

However, one of the most commonly noted and popular benefits of doing cardiovascular exercise is that it burns off excess calories and can help you lose weight. It'll also give you an overall "toning" for your entire body.

With cardiovascular exercise, calorie burning doesn't stop when you bring your excercising to a halt. It is a proven fact that metabolisms retain these high levels of activity for up to 18 hours after working out. And done over a long period of time, because you are toning and making your body more fit overall, it burns calories faster just as a matter of course. A bonus to becoming more muscular and losing fat is that your body will actually continue burning calories while you rest.

There are a lot of benefits of cardiovascular exercises. Another one is that it releases the so-called "feel-good" hormones called endorphins, your body's natural opiates; and they can also help ease depression.

Before you start, make a visit to your doctor and make sure you're okay for vigorous physical activity. If your doctor gives you a clean bill of health, go ahead; but, don't go full steam ahead. Start slowly by walking just 10 minutes at a moderate pace every day, the idea here is to get started and keep going.

You will notice improvement after approximately two weeks as your energy levels rise, your sleep improves and your junk food cravings lessen. Most of all, perhaps, you are going to notice that your mood is a lot more positive. That's great; keep going.

To ensure that you keep your fitness level up you will need to have to increase the challenges you undertake. If you are going to try a cardio program, there are another things you should have in mind. You will get better results as long as you are capable to change your lifestyle. What I mean is you will have to eat right, get enough sleep, drink enough water, etc.

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Saturday, January 10, 2009

Fat Burning Workouts: Shed That Stubborn Weight

By Gina Gardi

Losing weight initially with any exercise program and healthy eating habits at first seems easy. Seeing results right away is great motivation. But if your fat loss starts to slow down and you don't see the visible effects it's hard to continue.

The initial efforts will help you lose weight quickly but then it becomes harder. You hit a plateau and nothing seems to be working. Don't lose faith. You may just need to train differently by adding variety and challenging yourself. There are ways to reach 100% of your fat burning goals and most importantly help keep you there with smart training and a good diet.

Lack of persistence makes it difficult to shed the last few pounds or to reach your final goal. Once you reach a certain weight you may be inclined to stop trying and say your happy with what you've accomplished. And eventually you start to go back to your old habits and give up before your reach your initial goal.

Beware of giving up or slacking off before you reach your final goal, as this will have negative long term effects. Stick to your plans until you have met your initial goal and you'll develop a great habit of following through and you'll also get a positive morale boost.

Most of the time the problem isn't that you don't work hard enough but that you may just be training wrong. Cardio alone is a great way to burn extra calories but not the best way. Strength training with long rests between exercises can be inefficient use of your time and less effective in burning fat.

One of the most common mistakes is performing the same routine for more than 6 weeks. Burning fat requires a combination of both resistance and cardio but also adding variety and increasing intensity.

Following the same routine for more than 6 weeks can also lead you to plateau. Your muscles adapt and work more efficiently therefore require less energy. This burns less calories. This is why it's important to add variety and increase intensity.

If you walk everyday for example at the same pace and for the same amount of time, try increasing your pace for a few minutes or walking for a little longer than usual. Challenge yourself each time by increasing your pace a little or walking for just a little longer each time.

If you perform the same exercises and intensity when strength training, add more weight or try variations of exercises to work the same muscles. Rotate different exercises every 4 to 6 weeks by adding variety and make sure you increase your intensity as they become easier. You'll keep your self challenged and continue to burn fat and keep it off.

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How to Lose Your Belly Fat

By Jose Loni

There are many ways to lose your belly fat, but an easy method to lose your belly fat is to focus on the quality and quantity of what you eat, increasing the exercises that you do and decreasing the amount of stress in your life.

Many of us eat a diet, which are full of sugar, processed foods, fast foods, and high fat food as well as eat in large portions. When the body is faced with all that food and not enough activity to consume that food as fuel, the food turns into fat and is stored in the belly as belly fat.

By increasing the number of meals we eat throughout the day to 5-6 times per day and decreasing the size of the meals, we can help our bodies burn body fat especially when we match our food intake with our physical energy activities.

The increased energy expenditure and decreased food intake, will make our bodies utilize the stored fat in our belly and allow us to lose and burn the fat as fuel. As a result, we decrease the fat in our belly region.

Exercise activity such as resistance training, has shown to increase the body's metabolism. When we increase our metabolic activity, our body is better able to utilize excess belly fat and convert it as fuel for the body to use.

Managing our stress is also another factor we need to control because when we have increased stress in our lives, the hormone Cortisol is released, which stores fat in our belly to prepare us for an emergency situation.

Various stress management exercises like meditation, tai chi, deep breathing are just some examples that people can do to decrease their stress levels.

Diet, exercise and lowering our stress levels are simple ways as to how you can lose your belly fat. By committing to change how we eat, exercise, and decreasing the amount of stress in our lives, you will be better able to lose your belly fat.

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Friday, January 9, 2009

Lose Excess Stomach Fat

By Jose Loni

Excess stomach fat is fat that is excessively accumulated in the stomach region. Food that we consume, either gets used up as energy or is converted and stored as fat in our stomach area. This happens when we overeat, lack exercise as well as have high stress in our lives.

When we over eat, we consume excess calories that our bodies cannot consume and utilize as an energy source. The excess food that we don't use is turned into fat and stored in our stomach region.

Monitoring the quality and quantity of our diet can keep our energy and blood sugar levels more stable. By eating 5-6 meals per day and decreasing the size of each meal, we are able to keep our energy stable.

Physical activity is a key factor in reducing excess stomach fat. By exercising more and burning more calories and at the same time decreasing the amount of food we eat, we can allow our bodies to increase its metabolic activity and reduce excess stomach fat.

By increasing our exercise activity and decreasing our food intake, we allow our bodies to utilize the fuel from our diet as well as the excess fat that is stored in the stomach area.

Studies have shown that increased stress causes the release of a hormone called Cortisol, which has been linked to fat storage in the stomach region of the body.

When a stressful situation attacks the body, the body protects itself by preparing and storing away body fat so that it has energy to use at a later time. The area the fat is stored is in the stomach area.

By controlling the quality and quantity of the food we eat, as well as increasing our exercise activity, we can really reduce the excess body fat that is stored in the stomach. Managing our stress helps us to keep our bodies balanced and reduce the hormones that promote the storage of fat in the stomach. Controlling these factors are some simple ways of decreasing excess stomach fat.

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Thursday, January 8, 2009

Some Facts You Should Know About Carbs

By Ricardo d Argence

Whether you are trying to shed those last few pesky pounds or you are looking at making drastic lifestyle change, you'll find that when you are interested in weight loss that the question of carbs comes up quite quickly. There are lot of foods out there that proudly proclaim that they are low in carbs and diets say that they are a specifically low carb diet.

Do you know what carbs are and what information on them would help you in taking a decision? Does cutting them out really cause you lose weight?

Initially, it is important that you are aware of what carbohydrates actually are. Carbohydrates, generally referred to as carbs, are very important in providing energy to the body.

There are two kinds of carbohydrates. The first are sugars, or simple carbohydrates. The second are starches, or complex carbohydrates. The difference between the two is the length of time it takes your body to digest them. Sugars are digested quickly, while starches take longer. Simple carbs are foods such as pizza, chocolate, cake, and other processed food with sugar additives. Healthier foods like apples, grapes, bananas, and raisins are also considered to be simple carbs as well.

Complex carbs are found in breads, cereals, nuts, pasta, and vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, and corn. Starches take more time to digest, the release of energy is slow and it will last longer throughtout your body.

Both simple carbs and complex carbs are necessary for your body to function correctly. You will agree with me that, there are times when you need a short burst of energy, but you also need energy stored to keep you going.

One way to use simple carbs is to have a bit of fruit in the morning to get you started, and to make sure that you keep your energy going by eating well rounded meals that have good complex carbs in them. When you eat too many carbs, you will gain weight because your body is not using the energy, but rather storing it in the form of fat.

Bearing this in mind, diets that claim to help cut your carb intake need careful scrutiny. People's problems with carbohydrates arise when they eat to much of them.

Cutting a whole food group out for yourself like this is typically a poor idea unless there is a problem with your body's ability to cope with them. When you are in a place where you want to lose weight, it is true that carb reduced diets do help to a certain extent, but frequently, they help simply because you are cutting back. As you can see from the facts above, your body does use carbohydrates for good things as well as bad!

What you should do, instead of cutting carbs, is just eat them in moderation and get a lot of exercise. Exercise can go a long way towards getting you the right kind of weight loss that you need, particularly when you are eating well, and it will help you get toned up and looking great. This is an important part of getting the body you want.

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What is Whey Protein

By Jack Turrel

In years past, whey was viewed and used as a waste product and sprayed back onto farmer's crops to add nitrogen back into the soil. Sometime in the early 80's it was discovered that whey was a very high quality protein, unique in its amino acid content and biologically active. It was quickly discovered that whey outperformed the gold standard protein, egg white. In fact, on the biological value scale, which measures how much protein consumed is actually absorbed or retained and used by the body, egg white is 100 and whey is 107, so whey really is the gold standard for high protein quality.

In years past, whey was viewed and used as a waste product and sprayed back onto farmer's crops to add nitrogen back into the soil. Sometime in the early 80's it was discovered that whey was a very high quality protein, unique in its amino acid content and biologically active. It was quickly discovered that whey outperformed the gold standard protein, egg white. In fact, on the biological value scale, which measures how much protein consumed is actually absorbed or retained and used by the body, egg white is 100 and whey is 107, so whey really is the gold standard for high protein quality.

Whey, in its raw liquid form, contains lactose, fat and cholesterol. So before spray drying if somebody consumed whey protein it also meant one would take in a significant amount of lactose and fat. Sometime in the mid-80's two processes were discovered that could concentrate the protein content of the liquid stream, then spray dried to remove the water. One was ion-exchange and the other was micro-filtration. Both these methods consisted of removing the non-protein components so they could be spray dried into a highly concentrated whey protein powder.

Two whey protein powders were named: Whey Protein Concentrate and Whey Protein Isolate. Whey Protein Concentrate has a protein content of about 80% and Whey Protein Isolate has a protein content of 90%. New technology developed in 2005 can now isolate whey protein in excess of 95%.Whey protein is a complete protein, which means it contains all the essential amino acids needed for muscle growth and repair from stressful events, i.e. resistance training, endurance training, life-stressors.

Whey is made up of many protein fractions. The main two are Beta-Lactoglobulin and Alpha-Lactalbumin. These two proteins alone make up 75% of the protein content in whey. Other protein fractions include Glycomacropeptide, Lactoferrin, Bovine Serum Albumin, Immunoglobulins, Lactoperoxidase, Lysozyme, Relaxin, Gamma-globulins, Lactollin and B-Microglobulin. However, new fractions will be discovered with the progression in new protein isolation techniques.

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Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Bob Greene Best Life Diet

By Matt Hellstrom

I am very leery of diet plans, so when I heard about Bob Greene's Best Life diet plan I was skeptical. I wasted no time in checking it out and it seemed, well, wrong. I had always believed that diets were crash courses, and these were the ones I participated in. Start fast and furious wiping out and replacing everything I ate and then very slowly working back towards getting to eat what I wanted. The more I investigated Bob Greene's diet plan the more it starting making abundant sense.

The more I thought through Bob Greene's diet, the more it started making sense. Statistics have shown that people fail in their diets because too much change too fast is a recipe for failure. So it dawned on me that if you start slowly, see success, it will foster a desire to continue to see more success. Plus when you start getting healthy, a bonus is that your attitude follows and it drives you too towards establishing a healthy lifestyle.

Bob Greene's diet philosophy is 'losing weight the right way - so you shed pounds and keep them off - takes time'. Using this thinking, this plan is set up for gradual but significant changes. Starting with simple things like having a good breakfast everyday and getting up and about, you will start seeing the changes you desire immediately. And long term, this adds up to starting and continuing a healthy, happy way of life.

Unlike the well worn starting and stopping diet plan, this one is a journey to a lifestyle change. The diet plan is not about lifetime restrictions but about being sure you can continue to enjoy food. And do so without a constant struggle to stay at a healthy weight.

Bob Greene's diet is three simple to follow phases, each set up to last for about 4 weeks. Phase 1 is preparation for weight loss by implementing steps that rev up your metabolism with eating 3 regular meals and a snack and start exercising. Phase 2 starts by knocking out 6 bad foods and managing your meals based on a Hunger scale. Phase 3 is arriving at a way of life that will be simple to continue - your way. Building up to this Phase gives you the foundation you need for being healthy lifelong.

One downside to Bob Greene's diet is there is no limiting on portions sizes. This is self-regulated and is very important to healthy living. The other side of the coin is you are moving more than ever and once you get moving you will be amazed how much you enjoy it because it produces again those endorphins which give you pleasure. And the calories are a burnin'!

Bottom line - a good life is one that is based on balancing healthy eating and exercising on a regular basis, not on a lifelong diet. Bob Greenes Best Life Diet promotes this lifestyle through honest answers that are the foundation of a healthy, active life which is the Best Life.

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Tuesday, January 6, 2009

3 Ways to Make Belly Fat Disappear

By Clayton Thomas

Losing belly fat can be easy, as long as you implement these healthy techniques! They are not only easy, but they dont require you to make any drastic changes to your lifestyle. And no, its not a new diet or special exercise! Instead they are simply a few changes in the way you do everyday things!

1. Breakfast is the king: Every morning you wake up from a 9 or 10 hour fast! So, obviously, you need to re-fuel to your body by eating, or by breaking the fast, hence the word break-fast!

We all know the rule that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Only most people dont know that not eating a proper breakfast leads to weight gain. Most people eat a small breakfast (some people skip breakfast all together!), a medium sized lunch and a large dinner. Eating this way only increases the odds for weight gain!

In order to lose weight, you need to do things in reverse. This means that breakfast should be the largest meal of the day (and it definitely should not be skipped), and your dinner should be the smallest one! For example, if you have a large dinner, you will most likely go to bed soon after. Your body cant burn all those extra calories while youre asleep, not unless you do a lot of sleepwalking. No, your body will instead store them as fat!

If you make breakfast the most heinous meal of your day, your body will have the entire day to filter those calories, using what it needs and eliminating what it doesnt. This means that weight gain will reduce dramatically!

2. Sugar causes weight gain: Sugar is a major cause of weight gain. The human body can convert sugar into fat deposits really fast. Sugar can give you a speedy burst of energy when you think you need it, but it will also cause cravings, which inevitably lead to weight gain.

Cravings will cause you to eat more sugary foods and continue to put on more weight. Healthier alternatives to sugar are potatoes, rice, natural fruits and vegetables, bread, pasta, etc. Just remember, sugar is bad glucose, healthier alternatives produce good glucose.

3. Water is the elixir of well-being: Drinking plenty of water is mandatory for a healthy body and if you want to lose weight fast! No matter how much water you drink you wont gain weight. You must understand that water is a natural metabolism booster! If you have ever woken up feeling exhausted and, well, unable to fully wake up, it is probably because you are dehydrated.

To put it bluntly, the human body needs water to survive, maintain, and heal. If you don't drink enough water, your body will store any water you do drink instead of flushing it out. This leads to increased weight gain, or water weight, which is not very appeasing when looking in the mirror!

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Monday, January 5, 2009

The Functionality of Eat Stop Eat Concept

By Fez Petrelli

Heard of the new fasting for weight loss approach called Eat Stop Eat? Looking for a more clearer insight as to what it does and how it works? Keep reading further to get a more detailed review on Brad Pilon's flexible eating approach for fat loss.

Intermittent fasting has existed for a long period of time. In fact, fasting has its own special place in many religions as well. How does Eat Stop Eat fit into all this?

Basically, the ESE diet is simply a flexible diet system that breaks all myths about the "eat 6 meals a day every 2 to 3 hours" theory once and for all. The rule to eat 5 to 6 meals a day was usually followed by bodybuilders who apparently had to eat a lot just to maintain their muscle. Since they couldn't manage to eat up all those calories in three sittings, they decided to split it up at 5 to 6 sittings.

The supplement industry exploited this technique by implementing theories that the best way to burn a lot of fat is by constantly feed the muscle every 2 to 3 hours to prevent it from entering Starvation MODE.

Think about it. If you don't feed your body for two 24 hour periods per week, you are saving your body of 3500 to 4000 calories per week. You need to burn 3500 calories to remove 1 pound of fat, and when you follow the ESE approach, you automatically lose one pound of fat every week! This approach by Eat stop eat has got pretty popular especially after the book kills the theory about starvation mode and eat frequently.

To make Eat Stop Eat work in favor of your fat loss goals, all you have to do is follow at least 3 days of high resistance strength training workouts. This stimulates muscle growth and Brad Pilon has proven how diet has no connection with muscle growth.

Yet there is one special advantage to following the Eat Stop Eat diet. You don't have to count calories anymore. You don't have to fear the clock waiting every 3 hours to feed your belly. You don't have to be afraid of carbs anymore! You can eat moderately the way you want and still lose the fat as long as you follow strength training and one 24 hour fasting session every week!

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Power Plates - Examples of The Benefits of Vibration Training

By Andrew Cambridge

Vibration toning on the Body Action Power Plates is a non-strenuous, low impact method of toning that takes only 10 minutes, yet achieves greater results than conventional exerciseing without the effort. Vibration training is the perfect tool for people w

Vibration training on the Body Action Power Plates is a non-strenuous, low impact method of toning that takes only 10 minutes, yet achieves greater results than conventional exerciseing without the effort. Vibration toning is the perfect tool for people who want more from their sessions - from the professional athlete to those with physical limitations.

Power Plates sessions offer the following advantages in 10 minutes without placing high loads on the tendons and joints:

Upper Body Training

Lower Body Toning

Fat improvment

Increased muscle strength

Increased flexibility

Reduced appearance of cellulite

Increased range of motion

Expanded toxin removal

Expanded bone density

Reduced lower back pain

Enhanced pain reduction

The power of vibration training has been harnessed by many major medical, rehabilitation and therapeutic centers across the world. Vibration Technology allows people with debilitating conditions such as osteoporosis, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and stroke victims to yield the benefit of exercise.

vibration training is a simple solution to preventing age-related muscle loss. Not only does it improve muscle strength, but also increases flexibility and range of motion, enhances critical blood flow throughout the body, expedites the recovery and regeneration of damaged tissue and ultimately enhances the general wellness and quality of life for Individuals .

Balance is also improved as vibration confuses the brain into automatically trying to subconsciously control balance. One study testing the chair rising time of the elderly using a control group, a placebo group and a group that did vibration training, showed that the vibration training group had 18% gains in chair raising time.

People with Multiple Sclerosis are often unable to exercise normally because the brain is no longer capable of controlling the muscles properly. However, muscles are activated in an entirely different way while using vibration training because it causes a stretch reflex without conscious effort.

These reflexes are possible because the actual disease affects the nervous system rather than the muscle tissue. vibration trainingwill not cure People with these conditions, but will allow them to activate the muscles, thus greatly enhancing ones quality of life.

Practical experience has shown that these patients get stronger and less dependent on others, and experience less pain. This could be because vibration toning stimulates new neuromuscular pathways, which means there will be more nerve endings to fire more muscle fibbers. People tend to feel better and have more energy to cope with their everyday activities.

Can I lose weight using the Power Plate?

Power Plates will help to improve posture and will increase muscle mass. As muscle mass is increased, the basal metabolic rate is expanded and so more calories are used, even whilst you rest!

Where can the Power Plates be installed?

The Body Action is very compact and is therefore ideal for any home gym, bedroom or lounge - just about anywhere you have an empty square metre!

Andrew Cambridge has been advising busy people on exerciseing for 15 years. He has the passionate belief that not all people have the time or facilities but some modern machinery can and does help. More information about Power Plates can be read at his internet site.

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