Free Weight Loss Information
Posts tagged Body Fat
Fat distribution plays a role in weight loss success in patients at risk of diabetes
Aug 25th
Fat distribution plays a role in weight loss success in patients at risk of diabetes
( Radiological Society of North America ) Why is it that some people lose weight and body fat when they exercise and eat less and others don’t? German researchers say MRI and magnetic resonance spectroscopy can provide the answer — and help predict who will benefit from lifestyle changes.
Read more on EurekAlert!
Does Milk and Weight Loss Go Together?
Apr 2nd
Copyright (c) 2008 Phyllis Ekleberry
Do milk and weight loss go together? We have all seen the commercial where someone is drinking a glass of milk and then says ‘”It does a body good”. After that statement, the commercial goes on to say that by including milk in your every day weight loss program promotes better weight loss particularly around the waist line.
Milk and Weight Loss in the News
The Natural News had this to say about milk and weight loss, ‘”There is no evidence that dairy consumption helps people lose weight, according to a study conducted by researchers published in the journal Nutrition Review.”
Researchers Reviews On Milk and Weight Loss
The researchers reviewed the results of 49 different clinical trials that examined the connection between either dairy or calcium supplement consumption and the changes that occur when you do consume dairy products or take calcium supplements. The results were over-whelming. Out of the studies the following was recorded:
- 41 studies showed no weight
- 5 showed a correlation with weight loss
- 2 showed an actual weight gain
- 1 study found no impact on weight but a decrease in the accumulation of body fat.
This is verifiable testing that shows milk and weight loss do not necessarily go hand in hand. When you partake of dairy products, researchers have found out that you also consume more whole grains, fruits and vegetables. With these great choices, you will lose weight faster and easier. All of these things have complex carbohydrates instead of the over-processed carbohydrates that are found in white breads and bleached white grains and white rice. It also shows that women who have a higher dairy consumption or calcium intake are much less likely to drink or smoke. Those same women are also more likely to exercise and take vitamin supplements.
The Direction of a Good Weight Loss Program
This research goes a long way to point you in the direction of a good solid weight loss program instead of just picking what you think will work and hope for the best–like milk and weight loss . Instead of listening to the dairy industry, which has a vested interest in touting the supposed weight-loss benefits of milk and weight loss, you need to choose a weight loss plan that encompasses good eating habits along with exercise.
Many health experts advise that rather than expecting a single product to function as a miracle food, those wishing to lose weight should instead focus on a balanced, healthy diet with consistency.
You and Your Weight Loss Program
So what should your weight loss program possess? You should choose a weight loss program that fits your lifestyle and combines a good variety of foods. If you choose a weight loss program that has limited menu choices, then you will quickly tire of those choices and ultimately lose the battle. Generally speaking, if you can retrain your brain to eat healthy meals, stop the munching all day and eat when you are hungry instead of eating when you are bored, stressed, depressed, lonely or sad, then you will succeed!
Steps of Healthy Weight Loss Program
Following these simple steps to your weight loss program will catapult your weight loss into the double digits!
1.) Find a program that fits your lifestyle.
If you are not fond of cooking, a diet plan that requires you to cook will not work! Don’t choose a weight loss program or diet plan that requires you to eat something you can’t stand or do something you are not willing to do, this is self defeating.
Hint: this does not excuse you from exercise or improving your eating habits because without these two elements in your weight loss program, you are not going to get where you want to be very fast.
2.) Decide the “why” – you have to have a motivating reason why you want to lose weight. If your reason is not motivating enough to stop food in mid air – find another one! There will be times that your reason why will be the only thing that motivates you to exercise, eat less and eat healthy – Get a good one!
3.) Make sure you are healthy enough to go on the program you have chosen!
Please take the time to check with your doctor before you go on a weight loss program to see if there are any under lying problems that could limit your success.
4.) Choose a diet that makes sense. One that is healthy and has plenty of options If you are contemplating taking weight loss supplements – either in the form of a weight loss pill or weight loss patch.- Please take the time to check them out. Some companies have tested their products in a double blind test – look at the test results before using their products. Don’t trust the companies that have not gone through this process. The good ones have tested their products to insure their safety as well as their results.
5.Above all – carry through. You must continue along the weight loss path to succeed.
This is the hardest things to do – to carry through with your plans. How many times have you decided to do something and then dropped it like a hot potato because it did not work fast enough or it was not fun enough. Buckle down – just do it. It has to be done for your health’s sake so just do it!
6.) Enlist a support person, group or friend. With the right support you can move mountains!
7.Give yourself some praise. You are taking one of life’s hardest journeys – the weight loss journey. Losing weight just takes some time and committed dedication. You are worth it – you are worth every calorie you don’t put in your mouth – you are worth every moment you exercise. After all, if you do not take care of yourself – who is?
One of the top weight loss sites is owned by Phyllis. There, you will see more articles and reviews of the most popular natural weight loss programs. Look at Phyllis’ blog for more weight loss motivation, great recipes and diet tips!
Top 10 Natural Weight Loss Tips
Apr 2nd
Dieters love weight loss tips. They are great reminders and tiny shoves to keep us on our way to reach our weight loss goals.
These 10 natural tips will help you get on the losing end of your weight loss and work for teens to seniors. So no matter what your age, these tips to get losing today.
Weight Loss Tips #1
Want It!
This may seem a bit redundant, but to really be successful at weight loss you have to want it. To really want it you have to go above just saying you want it, you have to commit to weight loss. The best way to commit to losing weight is to build a goal and jot it down.
A goal does not have to be in terminology of losing weight. Instead you could write your goal as measurements or body fat % lost or even clothing size. Make your goal reachable and quantifiable. Write it in terms that you can relate to and review often. For instance your goal can be ?I want to drop 2 dress sizes by the end of the year? or ?I want to lose 5% body fat in 4 months? or ?I want to weigh 135 pounds by this New Year’s Eve?.
Plan smaller goals that you can use along the way to ensure you are on schedule to achieve your final goal. Track your goals and your improvement by using weight loss tools such as a calorie chart, exercise chart or weight loss chart. Search for or develop a weight loss journal. Journalizing is a great way to track your foods, water, workouts and feelings for the day and a wonderful method for you to stay committed to your weight loss.
Weight Loss Tip #2
Stop Bad Habits
Learned habits can be hard to let loose. Let’s face it, some things we do are because we have always done them that way. This is the time to change. Get rid of the idea that you have to eat it all. If you are in the ?baby boomer? age then you know what I am talking about. We were led to believe to finish our plates and could not leave the kitchen until they were clean.
Well that was then this is now. Instead of scarfing it down stop when you are full. Take smaller portion sizes and if you are still hungry go back for seconds but make it a smaller piece. When eating away from home order from the kid’s menu for smaller sizes or ask for a ?baggie? and keep the rest for another time.
Weight Loss Tip #3
Keep it in the Kitchen
This is one habit worth talking about as its own tip. Many people have a bad habit of chowing down on the move or squatting in front of the television set when eating. Experts say people who eat in front of the T.V. tend to eat bigger servings. This is primarily because of being focused on the boob tube and not focused on what you are consuming.
So take your meal out of|away from} the family room and into the kitchen. Take advantage of this time to not only eat better and wiser but to find out how the kids are doing in school. By using your eating time as a nice family time you are also slowing down your eating. This will allow your stomach time to tell your brain that you are full and will likely consume fewer calories.
Weight Loss Tip #4
Throw Out Temptation
If it is out of the question to stay away from tempting foods, then just remove these from harms way. The old saying ?out of sight, out of mind? may just do the trick for you. Go through your cabinets and fridge and throw it out. Replace the too sweet or too fatty foods with the right foods. Sugar free jell-o is a wonderful way to get your sweet tooth satisfied without piling on the calories. Instead of potato chips get low fat popcorn.
Try going your first two weeks with no unhealthy snacks at all. You will be surprised at how your yearnings will fade by going without for a few weeks. Have a bag of carrots or celery near by. These veggies help gratify the need to crunch on something and are low in calories.
Weight Loss Tip #5
Get Support
Weight loss is a monstrous challenge for many of us, so go it on your own. Look for a weight loss support group online or on-site or start your own support group. All of the really successful weight loss companies offer a groups or one on one support.
But if you are planning to go without a weight loss plan then create your own support plan by including friends, family members, coworkers and neighbors. Your group can be as big or as small as you need. Let everyone know you are embarking on a weight loss journey and ask for their support and encouragement.
Weight Loss Tip #6
Track Your Weight Loss
In order to make sure you are on the right road to reaching your goals you need to record your progress. By recording how you are doing you can make modifications as needed to ensure you keep losing weight and reach your goals.
Keep track of the foods you eat and how many calories you have in a day. Track your exercise routines and how many calories you burned during exercise. This will help ensure you create a calorie deficit for losing weight. Measure or weigh yourself once a week and record your weight. Review your progress and weigh against your goal. If you see your progress headed in the wrong direction, make adjustments to your foods and/or workout routines.
Weight Loss Tip #7
Add Variety
You need a variety of foods to keep your meals interesting and fun. Don’t burn yourself out by eating the same things day in and day out. Eat from all the food groups by including whole grains, protein, dairy, fats and veggies and fruits.
Try eating 5 to 6 mini meals every day to help your metabolism stay energized. Eat protein with each meal by including lean cuts of meat and fish and beans and eggs in your diet plan. Aim for 5 ? 9 servings a day of vegetables and fruits. Make your choices colorful by having dark green leafy veggies, red or orange peppers, etc. Vary your fruit selection as well consuming citrus fruits and non-citrus fruits.
Your dairy products should be fat free and low fat choices. Make your bread and pasta selections whole grains. The complex carbohydrates and high fiber in whole grain breads and cereals help to speed up your metabolism. Additionally you want to consume some the good fats in your food selection. This is because your body needs some vital fatty acids from the foods you eat as it cannot make these fats itself. Just read the labels and choose foods that have the healthy fats and try to eliminate or reduce trans fats.
Weight Loss Tip #8
Watch What You Drink
Several people do not track or think about the amount of calories in their beverages. A regular flavored cola has more than 100 calories and 10 teaspoons of sugars. Fruit drinks are also high in sugar and calories. Switch to diet drinks and drink more green tea and water.
Watch the alcohol consumption as well. A lot of alcoholic drinks are high in calories and alcohol tends to turn to fat and sugar in your body. You should try to eliminate or reduce your alcohol intake while trying to lose weight. However, if you have a special occasion, beer and wine are lower calorie drinks.
Weight Loss Tip #9
Satisfy the Sweet Tooth
As you continue on your weight loss journey there will be times when you need a sweet treat. If you let your cravings go unchecked for too long then there is a good chance it will overcome you and lead to “binge eating”. So go ahead and treat yourself to that tempting snack once in awhile.
Moderation is the key here. It’s okay to sneak a snack and not feel bad. Just make sure it doesn’t become a common thing but is just every now and then change from your diet. One of the main reasons people stop strict diets is their constant cravings eventually gets the better of them. So go ahead and give in and make your snack small but enough to calm your sweet tooth. Then get right back on track with your weight loss journey.
Weight Loss Tip #10
Get Active
There are a lot of people who are exercise fanatics and then there are those people who flinch at the very word exercise. However, if you want to lose weight, and here’s the important part, keep it off then you need to include exercise to your weight loss plan.
By exercising you are burning excess fat and calories. You are also increasing lean muscle mass. The more lean muscles you have the higher your basal metabolic rate (BMR). The higher your metabolism the more calories and fat you burn in a given day.
If you are just starting out, then start slow by going for a brisk walk 20 minutes 3 times a week. Also add some strength training 2 or 3 times a week. As you get used to this workout routine then improve your speed and duration. Increase the resistance during your strength training as well. It doesn’t matter what you start with just so long as you start to get active.
Here are even more weight loss tips to help you lose weight today.
Quick weight loss exercise
Feb 19th
If you have a desire to trim down and feel healthier, you can achieve this without expensive programs, diet pills or gym memberships. Aside from a good diet modification that would involve the reduction of caloric foods, you can perform several quick weight loss exercises to enhance your regimen of losing weight.
Most middle aged people are sedentary which has a direct impact not only on the weight but also on cardiac and circulatory health too. Being tied to our jobs, usually does not permit much time for the needed exercise that will help us reduce our weight, however, there are many activities that can help burn calories and result in a reduction of body fat. Some quick weight loss exercise moves when included in a daily program will help you achieve your goals of staying trim and in shape.
What lots of people fail to do is get ready for the quick weight loss exercise program. Ensure you are getting enough sleep each night. The physical activity will not function to your benefit if you are too tired to stick to the quick weight loss exercise plan. Go to bed early enough, so that the body is prepared to allow intense training.
Start a journal of the quick weight loss exercise routine indicate the amount of time for every exercise and the specific efficiency. Every week, review your journal and attempt to increase the amount of time you spend on each quick weight loss exercise. For example, while during a first week you’ll jog for ten minutes every day, the next week move up to fifteen minutes.
Good quick weight loss exercises include brisk walks (make sure to swing your arms as you walk, it helps burn extra calories), jumping jacks and running in place. If there is space enough, outdoor activities such as handball or basketball are also excellent quick weight loss exercise solutions that will get burn more fat at an increased heart rate. If you are embarrassed to work out in public, you can run up the stairs in your house several times, this is an excellent cardio-exercise that will quickly burn calories.
In addition to your quick weight loss exercise program, diet modifications are a must. Usually after a strenuous workout, you may feel a craving to eat right away to replenish the burnt calories. This is the time when you should not fill-up on high calorie carbohydrates; rather it is more effective to your diet if you crunch on some vegetables or fruits instead.
Beginning Your New Exercise Routine
Oct 31st
Starting a brand-new series of exercise routines can be ambitious and requires that you take a few precautions, especially if you are out of shape and haven’t exercised for a while.
Before you begin to get back in shape, you should get clearance from their physician. This is done primarily for two reasons. One, you don’t want to push yourself beyond what your body can safely do. For example, if you have high blood pressure, strenuous exercise may push your blood pressure into the danger zone where you are at risk for having a heart attack or stroke. So find out what your health issues are before you begin.
The second reason to see your physician is that it’s nice to have a physical baseline to compare yourself against after a couple of months on your new exercise program.. After two or three months of your new program, is your blood pressure down? Has your weight decreased? Has your percentage of body fat decreased? If your results are good, it can give you additional incentive to keep going with your exercise program. If the results are poor, you know that your exercise program is not working and needs to be modified.
When you’ve made the decision to begin exercising again, many people leap into the activity feet first. But to get in shape after a long period of being sedentary and not exercising at all, you need to take it slow in the beginning. Weekend warriors are famous for getting injured because they think they can do more than their bodies are actually capable of.
So beginners should pace themselves in the beginning. If an exercise calls for thirty minutes of activity, and you start to get tired after 5 minutes, that’s a clear sign to slow down and alter your routine until you can gradually work yourself up to thirty minutes. The key is to let your body be your guide. If you learn to listen to your body, there’s much less chance of you overexerting yourself.
It doesn’t matter if you exercise only infrequently or if you do it everyday, but it’s essential to do warm up exercises before starting your main exercise program. Warm up exercises help to loosen and stretch the muscles and joints. They also increase circulation in your body slowly so your blood pressure and heart rate don’t have a sudden build up or spike. Warm ups mainly help to prevent injuries to your muscles, such as muscle pulls or strains. Warming up doesn’t mean that you will completely eliminate the chance of injury. It simply lessens the chance that it will happen.
A lot of times when a person decides that they want to get fit, what they have in mind is to improve a specific part of their body. For instance, they might feel that their hips are too large and only want to lose weight around their hips. But the best exercise plan is one that gives you a full body workout. Ideally you want to work every muscle and joint in your body. And that includes your heart muscle so that your cardiovascular system is improved. And then, once you’ve done this you can concentrate and work on the areas of your body that you are really interested in.
What Kinds Of Digital Bathroom Scales Are There?
Oct 6th
Although there are several kinds of bathroom scales on the market, the majority of them available are digital scales. This has caused many people to switch to using digital scales. Of course there are also many good reasons for switching, including the fact that digital scales have more functions than mechanical scales. Some claim that they would never use those features, but even if that is true it is still nice to have them anyway. That is why it is worth investing in a digital scale, since you never know what features you will need in the future.
So the question that most people ask is what is the difference between the types of digital bathroom scales out there, and the answer is that there are quite a few, but you’re going to find that the higher end scales have a few more features than the lower end scales. By this logic one would say that the scale needs to meet your needs and that should be the determining factor in which one you purchase.
So without further delay, here are a few bathroom scales that you can choose among. Once you read over these descriptions you can determine whether you need a high end one or a low end one. Just remember that the final decision is totally up to you.
The first scale to discuss has an on off feature so you do not have to wait for it to start and it has a vinyl mat. This one is called the Taylor 7330 Digital Lithium Bathroom Scale. This particular scale can read in either pounds or kilograms and has a weight capacity up to 350 pounds. It uses a lithium battery which usually last for about two years and is affordable for most. This type of battery costs about thirty dollars.
Next up is the Taylor 7523 which is a slightly higher model than the last Taylor that we had a look at. It is made of tempered glass and is accurate up to 400 lbs. It also has a blue back light which is great for those times when you just don’t want to turn the bathroom light on. Other features include instant on and a 1.5 inch LCD readout. This one will cost you around fifty dollars. A little more expensive than the last, but it is prettier.
Finally, there is the Summit S6600 bathroom scale. This digital scale comes with an AC adapter, can differentiate between two people that have different weights and is able to provide accurate readings up to 660 pounds. It is very durable and is also water resistant. This scale can be put in a fixed spot or taken along since it is portable. The price of this model runs around $200, but it can be used by a lot of people.
So as you can see there’s not much difference between the low end scales and the middle range scales, but when you get into the high end it’s loaded down with features. You may have also noticed that the higher end models support heavier users, so this is something that you need to consider when purchasing a scale. All in all it’s up to you, just make sure that you choose the right one.
About the Author:
To read some quality writing about tanita scale, head over to this blog with blurbs on body fat monitor scale.
P90X Review – I love This Workout
Aug 24th
I’ve been using P90x workouts for about 2 months now. I’ve lost a total of 5 pounds, and dropped 8 % body fat. When I started I weighed 275 lbs. For those of you out there that are deficient in math, that means that I currently weigh 270 pounds, still a lot, but I’ve gone from carrying 110 pounds of body fat to only carrying 81 pounds. That’s pretty significant! That also means that my my lean body mass has gone from 165 lbs. of lean muscle to 189 lbs. of 100% lean muscle. Holy smokes! In only 2 months. It’s even better than that. My left knee is almost bone on bone at this point in my life, thanks to a skiing accident when I was a teenager. As I’ve gotten heavier and heavier over the years the pain and swelling in that knee got more and more difficult to put up with. When I first started with the P90X DVD’s I’m ashamed to admit that I couldn’t even do a simple jumping jack because of the sharp pain in that joint. Here I am 2 months later and I can do those jumping jacks without any pain whatsoever. For me, that’s pretty impressive. I have more energy, more strength. My arms are over an inch larger than when I first started the program. Now that’s losing fat and building up lean muscle. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so I’m actually starting to see the weight fall off on the scale in the morning. In actuality, I gained a little over 8 pounds when I first started and I had to work hard at staying focused and not giving up. I didn’t have Jillian, the fitness Nazi screaming at me for cheating or being stupid or whatever, but I could still hear her in my head yelling at me for not dropping the weight fast enough. My goal however, isn’t to drop the weight so fast that I can make a GUCCi purse out of my leftover skin…….ouch, that was kind of disgusting…..sorry. My goal isn’t just to get skinny. I’ll be fit. I want muscle, and I want a lot of it. I’m not in any rush. I want to make sure I do this for the long haul and don’t end up putting the weight back on. This is a lifestyle change for me. I’m doing P90X training at least 5 days a week. I’m riding my recumbent bike for 1/2 to 1 hour a day and next week I will start playing racquetball again. Wish me luck. To answer anyone’s question about whether they should give Tony Horton’s P90X a try, let me just say this…..YES!!!!!!!! It’s an amazing gain muscle and burn fat workout. It’s the most amazing fitness program I’ve experienced. Give it a 90 day money back guaranteed try. So try it and stick with it, if you miss a day, get back on schedule the next day. You’ll be amazed at the change your body will go through. Have a blast sweating your butt off!
HIIT Workout
Aug 23rd
High intensity interval training has become an inherent component in various weight loss and body building programs because of it’s ability to hasten the fat burning process.
In order for the body to lose additional fat in the body, the number of calories burned needs to be more than the number of calories consumed. To make up for the loss, the body then uses the reserved body fat for further.
People usually turn to time consuming, rigorous and tiring cardio workout sessions, such as treadmills and exercise bikes. Apart from the fact that we get bored and give up just after a few such sessions, these can also harm the joints and drain out all the energy at the end of every session.
In order to burn calories, you should go for the high intensity interval training that is highly effective and less-time consuming. Even if not more, almost the same number of calories as in regular cardio workouts is burned in the high intensity interval training.
What is High intensity interval training?
While also alternating between two intensity levels, the high intensity interval training workout combines relaxed, moderate, and fast-paced exercises unlike normal workouts.
With the help of the intermediate moderate-paced sessions, the body finds the time to relax and prepare itself for the upcoming high intensity session. As a result, the body is able work through extended, high intensity session highly unlikely to happen otherwise.
A sample list of exercises you can include in your typical workout sessions:
- Warm up – 5 minutes
- Moderate-paced jogging – 1 minute
- Fast-paced sprint – 20-30 seconds (repeat about 7 – 10 times)
- Relax/Cool down – 5 minutes
There’s no strict rule to limit you to these exercises alone. The exercises can be alternated and interchanged as follows:
- On the spot jogging or marching/skipping (jump rope)
- Cycling (vary the speeds to alternate between fast and moderate intensities)
- Burpees
The heart beat is accelerated during the 15 to 20 minute high intensity sessions. While on the other hand, the following moderate intensity session facilitates the body to relax and get ready for the next intense session.
The body’s metabolism is accelerated during the high intensity sessions, resulting in more fat loss than in normal, 30 to 40 minute cardio workout sessions.
High intensity interval training workouts are much more effective when paired with resistance training (using weights). If the trainings are combined, remember to finish the resistance training before you begin with the high intensity workout.
When resistance training is followed by normal cardio excercises, your body automatically regresses to the anabolic phase deterring weight loss. On the other hand, the combination of the two, high intensity interval training and resistance training will induce further acceleration of the body’s metabolism, that helps repair the body muscles. High intensity interval training should, therefore, be an essential element of all weight loss and body building program due to its undeniable benefits with respect to effectiveness and time.
For even more accelerated and safe results, follow your high intensity interval training with suitable post workout supplements.