Wednesday, 31 October 2012

Burn More Fat With These 10 Simple Steps

Find Out How Many Calories You Need To Consume To Maintain Your Current Weight
The first thing you need to do is find out how many calories you need to eat. We are all different and will need to eat a different number of calories to maintain our current weight. The easiest way to do this is to go to your favorite search engine and type in "maintenance calories". This will bring up all sorts of calculators you can use to find out the exact number of calories you need to eat.
Decrease Your Caloric Intake By 10%
Once you know how much you need to maintain your current weight you will need to decrease that amount in order to lose weight. You should start off by reducing your calories by 10%. Never drastically cut the amount of calories you are eating. This will only lead to muscle loss and water loss. You won't burn more fat or lose any real weight that way.
Eat Every 3 Hours
I know you hear this all the time but it is extremely important. To keep your metabolism running as fast as possible it is very important that you eat every 3 or 4 hours. Your meals should be small. For example, for one meal you could have a piece of chicken and a cup of broccoli. Since you are eating more often you don't need to pile the food on like you normally would. If you do this right you won't ever get hungry.
No More Simple Carbs
You want to focus on whole grains and high fiber foods. Only consume simple carbs right after a workout.
Exercise 4 Times A Week
If you can exercise more then go for it. You want to do at least 30 minutes of intense cardio everyday. This will help you burn more fat and ultimately lose more weight.
Make Small Changes Everyday
When it comes to burning fat you want to make small changes everyday. Don't try to do everything at once. Instead of soda start drinking more water one week. The next week you can start eating leaner meats such as chicken and fish. The next week you can cut back on drinking alcohol. Don't overwhelm yourself with trying to do everything at once. Make small changes everyday and they will eventually pay off.
Drink Plenty Of Water
I am sure you hear this all the time so I won't really expand on it. Water promotes weight loss and it keeps your hydrated so make sure you get plenty of it everyday.
Try Low Carb
I am not a big fan of all the fad diets out there but low carb might just work for you. You should eat complex carbs only. I suggest only doing this for a short while and then get back to eating a regular healthy diet.
Keep A Food Journal
By writing down everything you eat you will be able to see where you need to cut back. Sometimes people don't realize just how much they eat. Keeping a journal will help you watch what you eat.
Use Supplements
The key with supplements is to understand that they are just supplements. That means you have to have your diet and exercise right to get the best results from supplements. If your diet and exercise are on point supplements can give you that extra boost you need to help you lose fat faster.



Achieve Your Weight Loss Goals With a Bariatric Physician

You want to lose weight, look better, and feel healthier, but you are not sure exactly how to begin. You know you need to exercise and eat a healthy diet but you still have many questions: Exactly what is an appropriate diet? What is an appropriate daily calorie intake for me? Should I take a weight loss supplement and if so what should I take? What are the best exercises to help me achieve my weight loss goals? What is a safe weight loss rate? What else should I be doing to maximize my weight losing program and reach my goals?

A Bariatric physician can help you answer these questions and put you on a path to success.
A Board Certified Bariatric Physician is specifically trained in weight loss treatment and management and in the treatment and management of related medical conditions in overweight and obese patients. Bariatric physicians know that a successful weight losing program with sustainable results relies not only on proper diet and exercise but also must take into account an individual's age, metabolism, genetics, medical conditions, lifestyle factors, and more. A program that does not address all of these factors for an individual will often have limited or unsustainable results. That is why weight loss attempts are often frustrating roller coaster rides for so many people; yet, it doesn't have to be that way. Consulting a Bariatric physician can help you determine the approaches you should take to weight losing and weight management. With professional medical help you can finally achieve your individual weight losing goals and keep the weight off for good.
A weight loss program with a Bariatric physician will often begin with a private consultation and a review of your medical history including any conditions or concerns such as diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol. A trusted Bariatric physician will provide a weight loss program that is both safe for patients with these conditions as well as helps to control any further complications that can result from these medical conditions. Initial testing such as body composition analysis (BCA) and metabolism analysis (MA) may be provided by your physician. These tests will help your physician determine how much of your body weight is fat mass and your individual calorie expenditure, respectively. These measurements are important for developing a safe rate of weight loss that is individualized to you as well as to ensure that you are losing fat mass and not lean muscle mass. Rapid weight losing can result in the loss of too much lean muscle mass along with fat mass, which is undesirable. As part of your individualized weight losing program your physician will monitor your weight loss and your body composition to ensure that you are safely reaching your weight management goals. Nutritional counseling, dietary supplements, exercise plans, and recommendations for lifestyle modifications will also be an important part of your Bariatric weight loss and weight management program. For optimal success, be sure to follow your physician's instructions and always keep an open line of communication.


Tuesday, 30 October 2012

Do You Hate Weighing Yourself?

The more people I speak to about losing weight the more I hear the same thing "But I hate weighing myself" and time and time again I say the same thing...
"You absolutely MUST weigh yourself on a regular basis"

It doesn't matter what you are trying to achieve in life, checking where you are as you go along the journey is critical. When you evaluate where you are going you can see when you are not on the right path and then correct what you are doing. However, if you just continue down the same path blindly that might be the wrong path and that will not lead you to where you want to go.
So here are the keys to effectively checking your diet and weight loss progress:
• Don't be afraid of the weight you are now - the number one reason I hear for people not wanting to weigh themselves is that they don't want to know how heavy they really are! When not weighing themselves they can kid themselves that they are not as heavy as they actually are! Remember, this isn't the weight you are always going to be if you are committed to losing weight.
• Weigh yourself when you first start your diet - you need to know the starting point so you can keep evaluating. If you have already started your diet and weight loss program weigh yourself now so that you have that starting point.
• Set yourself an overall target - what weight do you want to get to, there's an old saying that goes "if you don't know where you are going, all roads lead to nowhere" - make sure you set yourself a target.
• Weigh yourself as a minimum fortnightly - you need to know if what you are doing is working time after time. It is usual for people to lose weight in the first few weeks of dieting but your body gets used to what you are eating and it slows down. You need to know when this happens so that you can change your strategy, even if it's only slightly, to make a difference.
• Don't be put off - if you happen to put on a little weight don't be put off be motivated to do better. Remember if you are exercising you are going to gain muscle which weighs more than fat! Use a slight weight gain as a motivator.
• Celebrate each weight loss - whether you lose 1lb or 10lbs celebrate it; make weighing yourself a fun thing to do. It doesn't matter if you just pump for fist in the air and shout YES or put some music and dance around a celebration makes weighing yourself fun and gives your unconscious mind a signal that you like doing this so it will want to do it more.
• Don't celebrate with food - When you weigh yourself and lose weight make sure you don't celebrate with food. So many people I coach get devastated when they lose weight one week so decide to 'treat' themselves with something like cake or chocolate and end up putting weight on the following week.
So in conclusion; if you hate weighing yourself you need to move past it as it is absolutely key to dieting and weight loss. You must measure and evaluate on a regular basis to make sure you are on the right path.
To Your Success
Graham


Tuesday, 23 October 2012

Effects of Fasting on Cleansing

Detoxification is a method of purifying the body from toxins. There are several ways to accomplish this. One way to do it is by fasting. This article talks about the different effects of fasting on cleansing the body.
First, one must understand what it means to fast. Strictly speaking, it is when you avoid consuming food and stick to liquids. Doing this improves the cleansing process of the body as it flushes toxins out of the body.
When a person fasts, he is cleansed easier because there is a significant decrease in the amount of chemical intake. This is because most of the food we eat these days are jam-packed with chemicals. These chemicals become toxins when they react with specific enzymes in the body. In essence, lesser food intake means lesser chemical intake.

If a person chooses to fast by strictly sticking to juice, he is also cleansed faster. Fruit and vegetable juices are great for detoxifying because they are digested quickly. Due to this, the toxins that plague a person are easily flushed out because they go with the juice when it leaves the body. This can be in the form of urine or sweat.
Additionally, juice fasting also helps clean the colon. This is good because the colon is where stool is kept. When the colon is cleansed, the individual removes stool from the body effectively and with ease.
Another effect of fasting is that it reduces the amount of fat in the body. As we all know, there is good and bad fat. Nevertheless, lesser overall fat means there is also lesser bad fat. Fat is not good if you want to cleanse your body. This is because toxins usually stay in the fat inside our body. If we get rid of them, the toxins will have nowhere to stay and will simply exit the body.
Also, the body cleanses better when there is less fat lingering around. Fat also hogs up resources because it is hard to remove from the body. That is why aiding the body in removing fat has an indirect effect on cleansing.
Another one of the effects of fasting on cleansing is a more efficient system inside the body. When a person fasts, the digestive system is not that busy. This means that the body can spend its resources like oxygen and nutrients to clean the body instead.
Yet another effect is improved circulation of the blood. Since the body is getting lesser food than expected, the body works harder to distribute nutrients to the different systems. This will keep our heart rate up which, in effect, allows more blood to be produced. This is essential in distributing oxygen to the various parts of the body. The immune system benefits from it tremendously because it relies on this to keep active.
The different effects of fasting on cleansing make it the best way to detoxify oneself. One should always place his health above all priorities. It is important to detoxify regularly as there is no telling what chemicals we come in contact with daily.


Foods That Help You Lose Weight

It has been proven by nutrition experts that what someone eats will reflect on their weight loss or gain. A lot of calories which never get burned and more than the necessary quantity of carbohydrates in a person's diet will definitely contribute to weight gain. However, there are foods which will contribute to your weight loss and have been known to be healthy at the same time.

Fruits: - Most fruits contain vitamins, antioxidants, fiber and minerals. Fruits are not only delicious but they are satisfying and will enable you to lose weight and reduce the risk of contracting body ailments such as heart disease which is a product of weight gain. The beauty of fruits is that you can eat as many as you like without worrying about weight gain. Those strawberries, oranges, apples, bananas and others can really go a long way in ensuring that you sate your hunger pangs and reduce some weight. You might also try fruit that has low carbohydrate content such as berries if you intend to get some carbohydrates as well. However it is advisable to keep carbohydrate consumption on the low because it is a major contributor to weight gain.
Vegetables: - Vegetables are ideal in ensuring the smooth flow of food along the colon and at the same time keep it clean. Vegetables have the highest fiber content and you need not to worry that you will be bored eating spinach every day because the diverse variety of vegetables will ensure that you eat something different every day. Some of the vegetables known for their rich fiber content are cauliflower, broccoli, celery, Zucchini and many others. Cook the vegetables in a different way every time or to make vegetable salad and eat them raw which is even better because of the increased nutritional value.
High Protein Foods: - Even the most staunch dieters need protein to maintain a balanced diet. Avoid eating beef if you intend to lose weight as much as you want to get protein. If you have to, then take it in moderation. Foods that are a rich source of high quality and low fat protein are Chicken or turkey which has been skinned, fish, eggs, beans and other legumes. Consuming these together with fruits and vegetables will ensure that you eat right and maintain weight. Nuts are also great for protein if you feel fish, poultry and eggs are just too much. You can still go high on the protein by consuming nuts together with your fruits and vegetables.
Low fat and whole grains: - Low-fat milk and other low fat dairy products have been known to be rich sources of the much needed calcium for solid and strong bones. Whole-grains such as whole pastas, whole wheat breads, whole-grain cereals, barley, oats and many others have been known to contain Vitamins B, E and fiber. They are great if you are keen on losing some weight and staying healthy. Going for processed versions of these whole-grain foods will not only have little nutritional value but will simply contribute to weight gain.
Eating the right diet will ensure that you lose that irksome weight you are carrying around, however it works more effectively if combined with some appropriate exercises. Some exercising will definitely accelerate the weight loss process and ensure a healthier you.


Healthy Snacks For Weight Loss

Discovering the top healthy snacks for weight loss can help you overcome one of the biggest hurdles in anyone who wants to keep their body healthy and trim. There are so many tempting, but unhealthy (and fattening) snacks that can undo all your hard work.
Snacking is part of nearly everyone's day. Our digestion is better adapted to small, frequent meals than large, infrequent ones. When this is done right, it can form one of the most important parts of your diet.
Large, infrequent meals put an enormous strain on your digestive system. The complexities of the different foods intermingling, the sheer volume of the food eaten contribute to a lack of health, a heavy feeling and unwanted pounds.

Digestion takes up an enormous amount of energy, which is why most people feel sleepy after a big meal. Your body has to focus all its energy on this important task.
By eating large meals, you increase the size of your stomach. This allows you to consume all that food.
When you eat small, frequent snacks, or mini meals as they should be called, you reduce the size of your stomach. You are more easily and quickly satisfied. This means you don't feel sluggish or heavy, you can continue whatever you are doing uninterrupted. And the snack, if it is the right one, has boosted your energy, which is the idea of snacks.
So what are the best healthy snacks for weight loss?
Other requirements that may also need to be considered are that they are easy to create, good to eat, can be transported easily and can be consumed without mess.
It is inappropriate to have a snack which results in sticky fingers, a mess in your bag or pocket or that take hours to prepare.
There is probably only one type of food that fits all those requirements.
Fruit and some vegetables.
Most fruit already comes neatly packaged. In its own skin. Many fruits can be eaten without any mess. Many fruits can be easily transported. Perhaps best of all, fruit needs little or no preparation.
The obvious fruits that fit this bill are apples and bananas. But others include small cucumbers, mandarins, pears, satsumas, persimmons and raw asparagus.
Plums, peaches, nectarines, grapes, tomatoes are still very healthy, and slimming snacks, although their transportation is more limiting, due to their squashability. However, this can be overcome by carrying them in a container.
Carrot and celery sticks can be quickly prepared beforehand and carried in a container.
Dried fruits are easy and light to carry around, but don't overdo these. Pieces of whole coconut need a little preparation, but tick all the other boxes.
Some people find that fruit is not very filling. The answer to this is to eat more. Instead of limiting yourself to one piece, have several. In time, as the size of your stomach shrinks, this may diminish depending on your activity, etc.
Be adventurous. Search the fresh food produce area of your supermarket for ideas.
For more information on healthy snacks for weight loss, check out the link below.

Tuesday, 18 September 2012

HIIT Workouts (High Intensity Interval Training Workouts)

Today I will reveal some more valuable information about HIIT workouts to rid your belly of stubborn fat and reveal a set of sculpted abs.
Firstly, do not confuse HIIT workouts with other types of interval training. High Intensity Interval training is characterized by its short duration and brutal maximal intensity. That's right, 100%. Yes you may reach a number of repetitions in your workout, but how many times can you replicate 100% effort? There simply is no place for holding back when doing HIIT workouts.

Typical interval training may involve varying intensities throughout your workout. For example, a low intensity jog followed by a 100m sprint at 80% followed by 50% jog followed by a 200m sprint at 75%. Interval workouts can include high intensity for a period of time, followed by low intensity exercise for a period of time. Between bouts of high intensity you can use rest interval which could be a really slow walk or coming to a complete stop. Recovery is vital to continue your high-intensity workloads or your intensity will drop and your workout will start to resemble an aerobic session
HIIT workouts, on the other hand, rarely lasts longer than 20 minutes and is typically a low intensity or complete rest phase alternated with a maximal intensity bout. Can you imagine sprinting all out for 20-30 seconds? That is the kind of maximal effort and duration required of you when doing your HIIT session. However, you must pay close attention to detail when considering your recovery.
Your recovery phase has an equally important impact on your HIIT training. The walking or jogging interval phase of the workout, allows your muscles time to recover and the relation between work and recovery has an effect on your HIIT workouts. For example, 30 seconds of (high-intensity) in relation to an interval recovery of 30 seconds is a ratio of 1:1. 15 seconds of (high-intensity) and 45 seconds (recovery), the ratio is 3:1. The longer your interval recovery is in relation to (high intensity) is the more effort you can exert in the next interval. This increased effort will again result in a stronger HGH release and reduces the risk of over-training. Short recovery in relation to your high intensity, ratio 1:1, can result in lactic acid build up, glycogen depletion, overtraining and injuries.
Always take sufficient rest after HIIT workouts, typically 24-48 hours as it is very taxing on the body. You can also try applying the HIIT principle to a rowing machine, cross-trainer or sprinting on a track!