Posts Tagged ‘u’

What to Expect from Weekly Personal Training Sessions

Friday, July 17th, 2009
by Amy Nutt

The first few weeks of a weekly exercise program is very exciting, but then many people find they are not accomplishing their goals as fast as they had hoped. Soon afterwards, the enthusiasm drops, results fade, and the confidence in acquire the goals and maintaining the end results diminishes.

The average person lasts for approximately six months before losing interest and dropping their routine. Fortunately, there are common factors and patterns to this decline in interest, so once you spot them, you can do something to keep yourself on track and motivated.

Make sure you are realistic about your goals and the time that will be needed to be committed to in order to maintain your routine. Allowing 3 workouts a week at a maximum of 60 minutes each is reasonable and be sure to factor in travel time (if working out at a gym) and shower time so that you are not finding yourself cutting corners due to running late. Get yourself into a routine /schedule when it comes to the days you workout. If a routine is set and adhered to, it will become more of an automatic action and will fit in as a regular part of your life.

There will be times you will not feel you have the energy to do your workout. Instead of skipping it, restructure that days routine by doing the exercises, but at a lower intensity or for only half the time. It may help to adjust your mealtimes as well; some find that if they are hungry or have just eaten they have too many distractions to want to exercise.

Finding an exercise buddy will help you stay motivated as well. You will offer support to each other and help the other stay on track on those days that you would rather just stay at home.

Expecting some physical discomfort is normal and common for most who workout weekly especially for the first weeks of your program. Your body is working to improve its strength and endurance so it needs time to adjust. Be sure that it is only discomfort and not actual pain. Pain tells you to stop what you are doing because something is wrong. If you are uncomfortable every time you workout try working a warm up and cool down session. A series of slow stretches and regulated breathing will help.

As your body feels as if it is leveling out and adapting to the level of effort made during the workout, increase the activity level by approximately 10% to help improve your fitness level and add variety to the routine. This will help to evade boredom.

If weight loss, as opposed to toning up, or building strength is you main goal, then being realistic is a key factor of your routine. Initially weight loss will be rapid, from not only increased activity, but from general changes in metabolism caused by changes in diet and water loss. Within a month most people level out in weight loss, and instead of achieving 5 to 8 pounds of loss in a week, they will lose 1 to 5 pounds. On average only 1 to 5 pounds a month will be accomplished after that. This occurs because the body has become use to the changes in other related habits, and also because muscle is now taking the place of some of the fat that has burned off. Muscle of course weighs more than fat and so the number of pounds being dropped will be lessened. Taking measurements may become a more effective means to calculate the success of your results from the workout if this aspect is important to you.

Ultimately, all of us are different and get various results from exercising weekly. It all depends on your current level of fitness, physical condition, receiving personal training, type of physical activity, and the time a person devotes to their workout routine. The important thing to remember is that realistic goals need to be set and if they cannot be met, then, instead of giving up, or throwing in the towel, simply revisit your workout routine and make revisions to help keep you active and motivated.

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Fat Burning Diet

Saturday, July 11th, 2009
by Laurence N. Girard

If you are looking for a fat burning diet then you have come to the right place. This guide will take a look at the best fat burning diet out there. The best fat burning diets are the ones that include vigorous exercise on a daily basis.

The only way that you can really burn fat is to exercise. Exercising may seem like a difficult task on a daily basis, but it is truly the best way to lose weight fast and burn fat. The main question on your mind is probably how many calories you should eat on a daily basis.

A fat burning diet actually doesn’t require you to cut calories. If you know your metabolic rate you should eat the same number of calories on a daily basis. The way that you are going to lose weight is through intense exercise on a daily basis. While on your fat burning diet you are going to need to avoid certain types of foods and gravitate towards other types of foods. While on a fat burning diet you are going to want to limit the amount of saturated fat that you take in. The worst type of fat is saturated fat, but it is important to understand the difference between saturated fat and unsaturated fat.

When you are on a fat burning diet you should stay away from saturated fat and lean towards unsaturated fat for your fat intake. Saturated fat is fat that is solid at room temperature.

If you eat saturated fat it will increase your body’s percentage of body fat. Unsaturated fat is fat that is liquid at room temperature. This type of fat will leave your body after going through the digestive system which is why it is great for a fat burning diet.

The most important part of a fat burning diet is getting your heart rate up as high as possible on a daily basis. You need to jog at a very fast pace to burn fat because you need the muscles to access their reserve stores of fat in the body.

If you do not jog at an extremely fast rate you will burn calories, but you will not necessarily burn fat that is sitting around your body in unsightly places. Exercising can be difficult, but it is really the only way to lose weight. Just remember, exercising on a daily basis is the key to a successful fat burning diet.

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Burn Belly Fat Fast: 3 Tips To Burn Fat Fast

Saturday, July 11th, 2009
by Tanapon Laohaniwatworn

Trying to burn belly fat fast is not a tough thing to do, though it can seem that way if you are trying to go about it the wrong way. This articles will show you some simple ways you can start to burn belly fat without jumping on the next crazy diet bandwagon or using an infomercial gimmick that promises easy results in just “6 minutes per day”.

How to Burn Belly Fat Fast

Tip #1 – Avoid “quick fix” diets that promise overnight result

There are a lot of different “quick fixes”, but what you really want to avoid is using a “crash diet.” A crash diet essentially means that you try to starve yourself by purposely eating as little as possible in hopes it will help you burn fat. For example, many people try to eat only one meal a day and try to maintain this as a lifestyle. A crash diet will only cause you more grief then results. It will put your body into starvation mode and crash your metabolism. You may lose some belly fat but in the long run your metabolism will slow down and you will lose muscle mass. This makes it even harder to burn belly fat.

Don’t use a crash diet. Try to eat 5-6 smaller meals in a day. This will keep you full, and will prevent spikes in your blood sugar. Eating high quality protein (such as chicken, turkey, fish, tuna, etc) will help you lose your belly fat as these foods take a lot of energy to digest.

Vitamin rich foods packed with minerals and high nutritional value such as fruits and vegetables will help you lose your belly fat because they are not very calorie dense. This means you can eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and not consume as many calories as you would eating processed food.

This helps you burn belly fat and do it fast because you are essentially eating more food but consuming fewer calories.

Tip #2 – Really push yourself when you workout!

If you do intense workouts as opposed to workouts where you never really push yourself, then you will be on the right track to burn belly fat fast. Pushing yourself hard when you workout gets your metabolism going and it will keep it elevated so you keep burning calories long after you are finished working out.

The trick is to push your self hard for short periods of time. Not for a long, extended workout.

Try the following exercises and read the instructions below. You will feel a huge difference between the intensity of this vs. your old workouts.

12 body weight squats

15 dumbbell swings

12 pushups

Do this series of exercises and do as many rounds as you can in 10 minutes. You will feel how intense this workout is if you do this!

Tip 3 – Instead of doing long, slow cardio, try doing intervals

Interval training will help you burn belly fat fast because it will help boost your metabolism for hours after you are done working out. High intensity interval training switches back and forth from high and low intensities, so you are still pushing your self out of your comfort zone for short, quick bursts.

Since you alternate between these intensities in a very meticulous way, you will find yourself working much harder than before. 20 minutes of interval training often feels like 60 minutes of normal, same speed cardio!

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Fat Burning Exercises For Women

Saturday, July 11th, 2009
by Josh Tuliano

Exercise is important for anyone at any age especially for women. Fat burning exercises for women do not have to be complicated or confusing. This article will take a look at 5 effective workouts for women that burn fat and are easy and can be done almost anywhere.

1.Jog, Run, Sprint

Alternating your workout speed will burn the most calories without taking too much time. For an effective workout that will burn the most calories try alternating intensities such as sprinting for 30 seconds, jogging for 2 minutes later, and then running for 1 minute, and switching off between the three for about 2-3 miles.

If you are just starting out exercising it is good to push your body but only go to the limits you know you can go to, so you do not face any injury. I do not recommend walking as it will not burn fat nearly as fast as a harder workout

2. Don’t Forget Strength Training

Strength training along with the first workout mentioned here will boost the woman’s metabolism for greater fat burning capacity. Strength training is an individual workout that needs to be customized to the individual so you do not overstress your body. Try a 20 minutes of strength training along with 30 minutes of cardio for maximum fat burning efficiency.

3. Push Up’s and Bicycle Crunches

Push up’s and bicycle crunches are an amazing free way to burn fat right from your own home! Once your body gets to a slimmer figure the abs you will obtain through these exercises will act as a natural girdle to keep your figure.

Strengthening your mid body muscles helps fat burning while doing other exercises since your body has more muscle to feed while working out. The more muscles a women has the more calories even at rest they will burn.

4. Get On Your Bicycle!

Cycling either at the gym or down the road is a great way to burn fat while switching up exercises. Take the bike to the beach or just around the block for a change of scenery to help encourage a longer workout. Try to bike for at least 30 minutes at a moderate intensity, again switching intensities up.

5. Rowing

Rowing is a great all around exercise; it mixes cardio with strength training for a maximum fat burning workout. If rowing machines are not your thing you can always buy a kayak which works many of the same muscles with a lesser intensity, but it is also more fun. Remember make your workouts fun or else you will not stick with them.

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10 Quick Ways To Lose Fat

Saturday, July 11th, 2009
by Adam Tijerina

It is fairly hard to look for someone who wishes to be fat, but you’ll find a big deal of people who simply wish to get a slim and toned body. You don’t need to worry however in losing extra pounds since there are proven ways that you can do in order to get rid of the stress of carrying bulges of fats everyday. Here are the top 10 quick ways to lose fat:

1. Drink Ice Cold Water – You might be asking what the connection of drinking cold water and losing weight? Actually, cold water can boost the ability of the body to burn fat faster. So stop spending your money on useless fat-weight gainers such as soda, coffee, juices, etc since the magical formula to go with is simply something that you can obtain almost everywhere-water!

2. Eat Less – For an obvious reason, you eat less in order to gain less calories. At first, try to consider the total amount of calories that you would enter in your body then try to start cutting few calories each week. If you lose weight, continue to eat the same amount but if you don’t then its better to cut another 500 calories. There are websites online that would help you assess the total calories consumed by your body. Don’t try to go for 2000 calories diet immediately, take your time.

3. Burn Calories – As part of not eating a lot, you also need to burn more calories hence its about time to start moving your butt off that slouching position that you would always maintain. Be active. By doing exercising, you will not simply lose fat but you will feel and look healthier too! There are wide range of sports that you can go for, pick one that you will enjoy.

4. Kill your Cravings – Indulge yourself to a lot of protein such as jerky, nuts, fish and chicken. Try to also consume raw vegetables and water can further kill your cravings so stock them up on your fridge. The time when you start eating raw vegetables, you will surely stop the ugly cravings for junk foods so better do it fast!

5. Consume the same type of food Each Day – You have to realize the fact that the more variety you put into your diet then the less you are going to stick to it. What you have to do is to consume the same food each day. Furthermore, doing this will teach your body to learn the fact that food serves as a fuel; and not really pleasure. Choose several healthy as well as balanced meals that you like. Make it a point to eat them every day. Once you get bored, its time to change the meal plan.

6. Do Something Great Each Morning – You can wake up and sweat for about 30 minutes each morning. Although some hate the idea of exercising but with continuity, it will turn out into a habit.

7. Walk for 10 Minutes After Eating – Doing this will allow you to increase the quantity of calories that you burn. If you eat 3 meals each day then you can take benefit of 30 minutes walking per day. (3 meals x 10 minutes walks)

8. Eat Healthy – Stop munching on that junk food! Furthermore, consider the fact that your body stores carb in a form of fat the moment when you eat too much of it so lower your carb and increase your fat intake so it will force your body to use fat as energy.

9. Do Cardio Exercises – Doing this will allow your body to lose fat even faster and it will allow you to eat less. However, its important to moderate intensity. Keep in mind that your goal is to lose fat and not to exhaust yourself to death. You must be able to breathe heavier when you rest but not to the point that you are gasping.

10. Stay Motivated – The problem with people is the fact that they lose the interest in losing weight hence they end up failing with their goal. That said, its highly important to seat goals and keep a tract record of everything. However, the weighing scale is not always your best friend, instead try to see how you are doing by doing a blood test so you can see the health improvement or by taking pictures of yourself every 4 weeks. You can also make use of the weigh scale at least once a week so you would know how you are doing.

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Learning What Foods Will Help Burn Fat

Saturday, July 11th, 2009
by Lynn Reynolds

If you’re eating the typical North American diet, you are probably consuming too much fat. You should not be getting more than 30% of your calories from fat. If you want to lose weight, you’ll probably need to cut the amount of fat in your diet. Do not, however, make the mistake of cutting all of the fat in your diet. Some foods will help you burn fat. Let’s examine what foods will give you the fat you need in your diet and why no-fat diets fail.

The number one reason that extreme no-fat and low fat diets fail is that people mistake low fat with healthy. Just because a snack is low in fat doesn’t mean that it is good for you.

Processed foods contain empty calories and sugars that will cause you to gain weight. Focus on eating whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and grains. These foods will give your body the nutrition it needs without the high levels of sugar and salt found in crackers and cookies.

If you are cutting down severely on fats and calories, you’re body will react by going into starvation mode. Instead of burning the fat, your body’s metabolism will slow down and it will work to store the fat that it has available. The only way you can lose fat is to feed the body what it needs.

You’ve heard before that not all fats are equal. Saturated fat can lead to heart disease and should be largely avoided. Meat and cheese is full of the fats that you don’t want in your diet. So cut down on your intake of these foods and focus on the foods that provide the essential fatty acids.

One food that is great to incorporate into your diet is the avocado. The fat in the avocado is made up primarily of mono-unsaturated fats. In addition to the healthy fats of the avocado, you are getting other nutritional benefits such as vitamins A, B, and E. Avocado’s will give your body the energy it needs during your muscle building routines. And they’re great for your immune system, skin, and hair.

Flax is another great food. Flax seed oil contains both Omega 3 and Omega 6. There are several ways you can add flax seed oil to your diet. You can also buy flax seed oil from health food stores and some grocery stores, but make sure it is kept refrigerated and keep a close eye on the expiration date. You can drink it straight or add it to smoothies if you don’t like the taste.

Ground flax seeds are another way to add this food to your diet. Whichever way you choose, be sure to not heat the flax as that destroys its beneficial properties. If you want the benefits of flax seed oil without the hassle you can purchase flax seed oil pills.

A third food that can help you burn fat by adding fat to your diet is walnuts. Walnuts contain the healthy fats and are a good source of protein. Adding a handful of walnuts to your breakfast in the morning will ensure that you have the energy you need for your day. Keep walnuts in your desk at work to provide a healthy snack.

Replacing the saturated fat with these three foods will help you lose weight and be healthy. Although you can have them daily, be sure you are not relying too much on these foods and focus on a well balanced diet.

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The Truth Behind The South Beach Diet

Thursday, July 2nd, 2009
by Roxanne Ranelli

We all remember the hype associated with the Atkins diet and actually saw proven results from co-workers, friends, and family. Many of us have also gone through the stages of choosing a fat-free diet which actually made us believe it was “OK” to eat more because of the low gram count of fat. As “dieters” we often search for ways to lose weight without hard work and exercise. In most cases, we can lose a few pounds on several different diets, but, as soon as we see the success start to happen, we decide that it’s time to treat ourself to some fried, greasy food. On some of the basic diets, relapse will lead to quick gainage of those pounds you once lost.

Although I usually am a leader, I couldn’t help myself by following the people on the South Beach Diet. Just like many of you, I wanted to lose some extra pounds with minimal effort. I planned on exercising (so I say), but wanted a quick jump start before I began my physical journeys. Many people classify this diet as a low carb diet. After researching this, myself, it is actually a no-carb diet for the first two weeks. I think the whole trick to this diet is actually revolved around cutting sugars from your diet. The good news, for all you “sweet” junkies, is that you can use sugar substitutes such as splenda.

With this diet, there are three stages. Believe me when I tell you, stage one can be brutal. If you are a carbohydrate junkie (like me) you may have a tough time making it through the first phase. In a nutshell, you are limited to, basically, low fat cheeses, eggs, water, lean meats, NO SUGAR or CARBS, and certain vegetables. I am not sure to credit the weight loss of 7-10lbs in the first phase to the diet or to the person on the diet who is so sick of eating eggs that they decide not to eat them at all! Honestly, there are only so many things you can do with meat and eggs before you become nauseous at the thought of eating them again. All in all, if you can battle it through the first two weeks, eating wheat bread and pita in the second stage will seem like a luxury.

Many people on this diet want to weigh themselves, daily, because of the rapid weight loss reputation. I urge you not to do so! Sometimes you may not see the weight loss until the third week. In many cases, if people do not see success from the beginning, they tend to relapse. Personally, I did not see the success until the third week. I must admit that I cheated in the first week because I did not see a quick result. Luckily, I jumped back on board and continued my diet. Within two weeks from my relapse, I weighed myself and noticed a five pound weight loss.

As mentioned previously, phase two and three of the diet allow better foods. You are encouraged to add some carbohydrates in the form of wheat and whole grains, and also are allowed portions of low fat and sugar free sweets, including fruits. Do not mistake this for the adkins diet, though. You are allowed some things such as tomato soup and ketchups, which are frowned down upon by the Adkins lovers. By the time you reach phase three, this style of eating becomes part of your lifestyle. Things you normally would not eat become favorites. This diet actually persuades you to enjoy healthy foods through habits and actually makes you eat less than you normally would.

All in all, I love the diet and have had great success with it. I cheated a couple times, but found the will power to continue where I left off. I recently just started phase three and have lost more than 10 lbs after a month’s time. You can read all of the books you want, but the trick to this diet is fairly simple. Cut your sugars and replace them with substitutes, replace your carbohydrates, and give the new foods time to reconstruct the way your body thinks. In order for this diet to be successful, you have to be successful in following the rules. Once you start to see the results, you will continue to diet. Unbelievable, but the South Beach Diet really does work.

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Recovering From Lap Band Surgery

Saturday, June 27th, 2009
by Amy Nutt

For those who have a persistent weight problem that hasn`t been responsive to diet or exercise, lap band surgery is a good option to lose that extra weight quickly. It is, however, an invasive surgery, so some recovery time is to be expected.

How Long Will Your Recovery Take? Everyone wants to know how long they should plan for recovery from this type of surgery. Each person is different, but in general, you can expect to be out of commission for four to eight days.

Some people find that they recover in record time, but others will need a full two weeks to recover. You can use past experience as a guide. Have you required longer recovery times for previous surgeries or hospital stays, such as giving birth? If so, then plan for a longer period of time to be sure that you won`t be forced to go back to work while still feeling off.

The Importance of Time Off Technically, you could probably be back at work the day after surgery, but this is a bad idea for a number of reasons. First of all, even if you feel pretty good, your incision needs to heal. Having surgery of any kind is traumatic for the body, and it is important to recognize this and take it easy for a bit to allow yourself to recuperate.

Another consideration is your energy level. After the procedure, you`ll be limited to clear liquids for at least a couple of days, which is great for your body, but can make you feel pretty weak. Even if you`re not in pain, you will likely find that you are too weak to work or do much during those first few days.

If you do start doing too much too soon, you`ll quickly find out. Pain at the incision site and generally not feeling good are signs that you should probably just sit down and rest. While an exercise routine is very important to the success of the lap band surgery and will help you lose weight faster, you should not start hiking right after the surgery; you`ll need to wait at least a couple of weeks before engaging in any real exercise. Talk to your doctor about a good time to start.

Tips for Faster Recovery If you want your recovery to go as quickly as possible, follow these suggestions: – Stick to the doctor`s rules. Don`t cheat while you`re supposed to be on clear liquids or you could have complications. – Make sure that any issues are checked immediately. While complications are rare, they do happen, but they can be treated immediately. – Don`t drive. This can put strain on your body and for the first few days, at least, so it`s not a good idea. Taking care of yourself is important. After all, you had the surgery to become healthier, so take the extra time to recuperate and make sure you start your new health regimen on the right foot. A couple of weeks off from work won`t make a big difference in the long run, but for your body it will be well worth it!

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How To Use Dietary Supplements Effectively

Monday, June 8th, 2009
by Julie Poundsign

A good looking body is something that we all want, even if we wont admit it, but for those of us who are overweight or even underweight, it can be a challenge to even get started. Regular gym visits make very slow progress and when its hard to keep doing something that requires effort when you dont even see results.

People that feel they are too thin can have a frustrating time at the gym as everyone there seems to be bigger and you seem to be making no progress at all.

Overweight people have an even more of an ordeal to go through at the gym as it is far more difficult to lose weight than it is to gain weight, but surely there is a way to speed the process along?

Things like dieting supplements and protein shakes are things that we have all heard of, but probably dont know much about. A lot of people question whether they work or not, whether they will have side effects etc. and rightly so. The answer is; if theyre used properly, then they can work wonders for your body, but otherwise, the chances are they will not do much.

For the underweight people who are looking to gain some muscle, carbohydrates and whey protein supplements would be perfect. They will naturally help your muscles grow at a faster rate as long as you keep working out as well!

This will start to make a highly noticeable difference if you are drinking protein shakes as instructed by the particular brand you use. This is because the Whey protein that they usually contain (from experience Whey tends to be more effective than Creatine) can easily be turned into muscle by your body. However it will need an incentive to do so, i.e. regular pumping of the muscles so that they need to be repaired.

Unfortunately there is quite a bit more effort involved if you are overweight. The reason for this is that you cant turn fat cells straight into muscle, you have to burn the fat cells off first, then build muscle in its place. A supplement containing Sida Cordifolia would be ideal for this as it improves your metabolic rate, increasing the energy you used when doing anything, meaning fat cells burn off much quicker.

If you take this step to lose weight followed by the previously mentioned muscle gain steps, then realistically youre probably looking at around 8-10 months before your body starts taking shape, but if throughout this period you are active, with regular workouts and exercise, you could not only shorten that time frame, but you will end up fitter, healthier and generally felling better than you have in a long time.

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Common Failures of Lap Band

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009
by M Vasquez

Lap Band surgery has been hailed as being one of the easiest ways for a person to lose weight, but truth be told there are definitely some problems with the procedure. While these problems are not exactly endemic or typical of lap band surgeries, they are problems that can cause intense problems for the people that have undergone the surgery and for that reason are failures that people should know about before they actually go ahead and have the surgery done. The two most common failure of lap band would have to be migration errors and erosion errors.

The migration error is an error that takes place when the band that is being used actually ends up moving from one part of the stomach to another. The whole point of the lap band surgery is that when the band is inserted into the body, it can then be used to constrict the stomach and in doing so it can then be used by the person with the band to regulate the amount of food that they take in. However, the band is operating in an area of the body that does not have a large amount of friction and for that reason the natural movements of the human body over time can cause the band to move from one part of the stomach to another or even get dislodged from the stomach entirely in severe cases. This not only completely cancels the effectiveness of the band, but it also means that another operation needs to be scheduled in order for the doctor to go in and replace the band or maybe even remove it entirely if that is what the patient now wants.

The erosion error is an error that has similar results, although for a different reason. Rather than moving out of position or falling off where it is supposed to be, a band that experiences an erosion error actually sees part of the material within the band disappear entirely. This happens because of the friction forces such as they are between the stomach and other parts of the body and the band. When the person moves, the band rubs against these different parts. Over the course of time, the creation of that type of force can create holes in the layering of the band, causing parts of the band to erode away. If the error is particularly bad, these parts can then be absorbed by the body and potentially create some feelings of illness as a result. The erosion error is usually more serious than the migration error because of this possibility.

These are the two main common failures of lap band and of course they are not mutually exclusive events. If a person is particularly unlucky they can experience both errors and be in a very bad state. This is why it is important to know about these errors before you actually agree to have lap band surgery done.

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