Did you know that your emotional state may affect your flexibility? If your body is relaxed, it will be more responsive to flexibility training. Listening to music and focusing on your breath can help you relax as you stretch. You may also want to explore yoga or Pilates. In addition to stretching, classes in these disciplines may include relaxation, visualization and other mind-body techniques designed to reduce stress and increase mindfulness.
It's Not Just for Wimps. Forget the idea that stretching is just for elderly, injured or unconditioned people. Many Olympic and professional athletes rely on flexibility training for peak performance.
Do It Consistently. It doesn't help to stretch for a few weeks and then forget about it. Integrate regular stretching into your permanent fitness program. For inspiration, look to cats and dogs - they're dedicated practitioners of regular stretching and you rarely see them getting the kind of joint or muscular injuries that humans get!
To Learn More : CLICK HERE
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
TIPS FOR MAKING YOURSELF FAR MORE FLEXIBLE IN THE NEXT 30 DAYS
When it comes to the Big Three of exercise - cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training - it's pretty clear which one can get overlooked. After all, while we prize cardiovascular and strength training for their role in helping us lose weight, build muscle and get fit, the benefits of flexibility training are less immediately alluring.
However, as the population ages, more of us are learning to appreciate the rewards of stretching. Staying limber can offset age-related stiffness, improve athletic performance, and optimize functional movement in daily life. Research shows that flexibility training can develop and maintain range of motion and may help prevent and treat injury. In fact, the American College of Sports Medicine has added flexibility training to its general exercise recommendations, advising that stretching exercises for the major muscle groups be performed two to three days per week.
To Learn More : CLICK HERE!
However, as the population ages, more of us are learning to appreciate the rewards of stretching. Staying limber can offset age-related stiffness, improve athletic performance, and optimize functional movement in daily life. Research shows that flexibility training can develop and maintain range of motion and may help prevent and treat injury. In fact, the American College of Sports Medicine has added flexibility training to its general exercise recommendations, advising that stretching exercises for the major muscle groups be performed two to three days per week.
To Learn More : CLICK HERE!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
WEIGHT LOSS TIPS: Arm Muscles
This group includes the biceps, triceps and forearm muscles. Biceps are large muscles in the upper arm that contract to bend the elbows. Workouts and weight loss can help define and give shape to biceps. Triceps, the large muscles that travel along the back of the upper arm, work opposite the biceps to straighten out the elbow. weight loss these can help eliminate excess downward “flab” or loose skin that shows when an arm is extended outwards. And forearm muscles, between the wrist and the elbow, help with multiple wrist hand and finger movements. weight loss them is said to help with wrist afflictions and susceptibilities like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
To Learn More : CLICK HERE
To Learn More : CLICK HERE
Friday, November 13, 2009
Tips on eating healthy and choosing wisely on different cuisines..
- Hold or limit guacamole and sour cream. Two tablespoons of guacamole has about 50 calories and four grams of fat (72 percent fat) and two tablespoons of sour cream have 45 calories and five grams of fat (100 percent fat).
- Hold or limit the chips. A typical basket of chips contains 1,040 calories and 43 percent fat.
- Hold the cheese or get it on the side. A one-inch cube of cheese has about 100 calories and eight grams of fat (75-percent fat).
- Skip or limit the chile con queso dip. One cup has about 529 calories and 31 grams of fat (53 percent fat).
- Drink light beer or a wine spritzer instead of a margarita (90-100 calories versus 250 calories for the margarita).
- Split orders and take home half in a doggie bag. Share the praline or sopapilla, if you must indulge.
- Be aware of: tortilla shells, chorizo (Mexican sausage), deep-fried, refried beans, "served over chips, stuffed or covered with cheese or bacon," cheese sauce, queso, guacamole, sour cream, sauces (con queso).
- Go for: flour tortillas (2-3 grams fat), corn tortillas (1 gram fat), soft tacos, marinated, simmered, grilled chicken, shrimp, fish, pinto beans, Mexican rice, black beans, hot peppers, served with salsa, covered with enchilada sauce, salsa verde with tomato, lettuce, onion, mole, tomato.
To Learn More : CLICK HERE!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
What is the Most Popular Weight Loss Drug?
Can you guess what the most popular weight loss drug is in the United States? Do I have any takers? Come on and take a guess.
Yep, you got it! It’s good old caffeine.
Americans are hooked on the stuff. We use it to wake up when we’re feeling low, we use it as a social device sold in cafés on every street corner in every town, and we even use it as a tool for fast weight loss. It’s a good thing it’s legal! But what is it doing to our bodies? You might be surprised at how much harm could come from a little cup of coffee or a pill claiming it will help you stay alert and lose weight.
Take a look for yourself:
The Daily Grind
When you wake up in the morning what is the first thing you do? For many Americans, the day begins by stumbling into the kitchen and brewing a steaming pot of coffee. It wakes us up and has become part of the very fabric of our lives. Without a morning “fix” of caffeine, many people insist they couldn’t get through the day. But, modern America isn’t the first to deal the drug. It’s been around and influencing humanity for many thousands of years. Today, quite a few people are actually using it to increase their weight loss, believing that it is a surefire way to increase their metabolism.
How Caffeine Works
Most people think caffeine gives them energy. This is a common falsehood. It just fools your brain into believing that your body isn’t tired. What actually happens is this: when you are tired, the brain releases a chemical that causes you to slow down. By ingesting caffeine, the brain believes it no longer needs to release this chemical that helps to slow you down, which means the caffeine will continue to stimulate you. As you build a tolerance to caffeine, you will find that, like any drug, you will crave it more and more.
Addict
As you start to ingest more of the caffeine and build up that tolerance, you will discover that no amount of the drug will keep you awake and alert. Still, you crave the substance, and quitting caffeine is no easy task. The best way to kick the habit is to wean off slowly. Even then, it’s not going to be a picnic. You can expect headaches, muscle pain, and even mood swings. This should be enough to prove to you that it really is a drug, and is certainly not a good choice when it comes to losing weight. The false sense of energy can be very detrimental to your body.
Effects
In the beginning, caffeine will help you to stay alert, and it will seem like you have more energy. You might even notice a bit of weight loss if you combine the caffeine intake with exercise. But the negative effects far outweigh the positive. Nausea, diarrhea, and a racing heartbeat, are only a few of the short-term negative effects. You can also expect some mood swings. In severe cases, you can even cause damage to your internal organs. Death has even resulted in some overdoses of caffeine.
Facts
• It was in 1820 that caffeine was isolated from coffee and “discovered”
• More than ninety percent of people in the United States consume caffeine in some for every single day, from coffee and soft drinks to candy bars and pills
• Americans drink more than half a million cups of coffee everyday – and that number is on the rise
• Children ingest far more caffeine, pound for pound, than most adults
• Caffeine can cause insomnia
• Caffeine does not actually boost your metabolism
To Learn More : CLICK HERE
Yep, you got it! It’s good old caffeine.
Americans are hooked on the stuff. We use it to wake up when we’re feeling low, we use it as a social device sold in cafés on every street corner in every town, and we even use it as a tool for fast weight loss. It’s a good thing it’s legal! But what is it doing to our bodies? You might be surprised at how much harm could come from a little cup of coffee or a pill claiming it will help you stay alert and lose weight.
Take a look for yourself:
The Daily Grind
When you wake up in the morning what is the first thing you do? For many Americans, the day begins by stumbling into the kitchen and brewing a steaming pot of coffee. It wakes us up and has become part of the very fabric of our lives. Without a morning “fix” of caffeine, many people insist they couldn’t get through the day. But, modern America isn’t the first to deal the drug. It’s been around and influencing humanity for many thousands of years. Today, quite a few people are actually using it to increase their weight loss, believing that it is a surefire way to increase their metabolism.
How Caffeine Works
Most people think caffeine gives them energy. This is a common falsehood. It just fools your brain into believing that your body isn’t tired. What actually happens is this: when you are tired, the brain releases a chemical that causes you to slow down. By ingesting caffeine, the brain believes it no longer needs to release this chemical that helps to slow you down, which means the caffeine will continue to stimulate you. As you build a tolerance to caffeine, you will find that, like any drug, you will crave it more and more.
Addict
As you start to ingest more of the caffeine and build up that tolerance, you will discover that no amount of the drug will keep you awake and alert. Still, you crave the substance, and quitting caffeine is no easy task. The best way to kick the habit is to wean off slowly. Even then, it’s not going to be a picnic. You can expect headaches, muscle pain, and even mood swings. This should be enough to prove to you that it really is a drug, and is certainly not a good choice when it comes to losing weight. The false sense of energy can be very detrimental to your body.
Effects
In the beginning, caffeine will help you to stay alert, and it will seem like you have more energy. You might even notice a bit of weight loss if you combine the caffeine intake with exercise. But the negative effects far outweigh the positive. Nausea, diarrhea, and a racing heartbeat, are only a few of the short-term negative effects. You can also expect some mood swings. In severe cases, you can even cause damage to your internal organs. Death has even resulted in some overdoses of caffeine.
Facts
• It was in 1820 that caffeine was isolated from coffee and “discovered”
• More than ninety percent of people in the United States consume caffeine in some for every single day, from coffee and soft drinks to candy bars and pills
• Americans drink more than half a million cups of coffee everyday – and that number is on the rise
• Children ingest far more caffeine, pound for pound, than most adults
• Caffeine can cause insomnia
• Caffeine does not actually boost your metabolism
To Learn More : CLICK HERE
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
STRETCHING EXERCISES TO BEGIN Cycle 1
Before beginning and ending any weight loss workout session, you need to warm up and cool down the body with stretching exercises. Here are some exercises that you can use. Some stretching rules-of-thumb are:
• Stretch with gentle and slow movements. Jerky motions are not effective and can cause injury.
• When possible, do each stretch on each side of the body. It needs a complete workout.
• Do not stretch injured muscles unless your healthcare provider approved your doing so beforehand.
• Hold each stretch for approximately 30 seconds.
To Learn More : CLICK HERE
Sunday, November 8, 2009
How To Maintain Your Weight Loss Naturally:
Once you have started losing weight, it is crucial to think of how to maintain that weight loss in the days ahead.
It may seem hard to believe, but taking the weight off is the easy part. Maintaining weight loss for good is where the real challenge lies.
People lose lots of weight on diets everyday, but 95% of them gain it back because they have focused only on the weight loss. They follow the diet until they get to a particular number on the scale and then shortly after, they go back to the old lifestyle that made them overweight in the first place. Of course, over time the weight comes right back.
The truth is, almost everyone can lose weight but only 5% keep it off. These are the Weight Loss Registry's figures, not mine. The WLR followed highly successful dieters and came up with seven reasons why people were able to keep the weight off.
Here are the seven reasons the dieters were successful.
1. The dieters accepted failure and kept on trying.
2. The dieters did not deny themselves--they indulged from time to time.
3. They weighed themselves often.
4. They exercised one hour a day.
5. They added little bits of activity into their daily life.
6. They followed a high carb and low fat diet.
7. They ate 5 meals a day.
When I compare my own weight loss success to the list above, I would say I learned how to maintain weight loss due to the following: I do the best I can with what I have available. Sometimes I am not always in a perfect situation with the healthiest choices, but I make do with what is there and I stick to the plan. If I make a not so healthy choice, I don't beat myself up for it.
I eat YUMMY and whole foods. Using the finest ingredients makes the most delicious meals and has helped me stick to Living Well. If I wanted to indulge, I would make it from scratch using the healthiest ingredients possible. To me, indulging does not mean eating junk.
I use a tape measure to keep tabs on my weight and occasionally weigh myself.
I really struggle with exercising regularly and I have NEVER exercised for one hour a day consistently. I will do heavy housework and other activities around the house to get my heart rate up and I try different forms of exercise all the time because I get bored easily.
I think it is vital to get moving every day, somehow, and it doesn't always mean you have to be in an aerobics class or on some sort of machine to get your heart rate up.
I eat organic whole foods and healthy oils. I am not sold on the idea that low fat and high carb is the way to go. High fat is not the answer either, but healthy oils are not the enemy. The rights oils will actually speed up the metabolism.
I eat only 3 meals a day and rarely snack. I do better when I don't snack or graze on food all day. BUT, you may be different. You have to do what works best for you and your unique body.
This is the MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL I think of the health I have now and my future health EVERYDAY. I really want to enjoy my older years and I want to be healthy. I don't want to sit in a rocking chair, talking about all my symptoms and the things that ail me when I am in my golden years.
The Weight Loss Registry tips and my maintenance tips are not the only path for everyone, but instead are some ideas you can use to come up with your own way to keep the weight off once you have lost it.
Ultimately, I think it is crucial to focus on your health when changing over to a healthy lifestyle. So many people are in a hurry to lose weight. They spend their entire lives putting on the weight, losing the weight temporarily on diets and just want to get rid of it as fast as possible not taking in consideration their state of health. I know you have heard this many times before but if you don't have your health, you don't have much. Being thin will mean nothing to you if you compromise your health along the way.
Even if you are losing weight slowly, good for you! The idea here is to take off the weight and keep it off for good. Even just a couple of pounds a month adds up over the course of a year. And for those that were doing everything they could and continuing to gain weight, just stopping that weight gain is a measure of success.
With these tips, you now know how to maintain weight loss. Give yourself time to adjust to a new and healthy lifestyle and enjoy yourself along the way. A year from now your body will be thanking you for it!
To Learn More : CLICK HERE
It may seem hard to believe, but taking the weight off is the easy part. Maintaining weight loss for good is where the real challenge lies.
People lose lots of weight on diets everyday, but 95% of them gain it back because they have focused only on the weight loss. They follow the diet until they get to a particular number on the scale and then shortly after, they go back to the old lifestyle that made them overweight in the first place. Of course, over time the weight comes right back.
The truth is, almost everyone can lose weight but only 5% keep it off. These are the Weight Loss Registry's figures, not mine. The WLR followed highly successful dieters and came up with seven reasons why people were able to keep the weight off.
Here are the seven reasons the dieters were successful.
1. The dieters accepted failure and kept on trying.
2. The dieters did not deny themselves--they indulged from time to time.
3. They weighed themselves often.
4. They exercised one hour a day.
5. They added little bits of activity into their daily life.
6. They followed a high carb and low fat diet.
7. They ate 5 meals a day.
When I compare my own weight loss success to the list above, I would say I learned how to maintain weight loss due to the following: I do the best I can with what I have available. Sometimes I am not always in a perfect situation with the healthiest choices, but I make do with what is there and I stick to the plan. If I make a not so healthy choice, I don't beat myself up for it.
I eat YUMMY and whole foods. Using the finest ingredients makes the most delicious meals and has helped me stick to Living Well. If I wanted to indulge, I would make it from scratch using the healthiest ingredients possible. To me, indulging does not mean eating junk.
I use a tape measure to keep tabs on my weight and occasionally weigh myself.
I really struggle with exercising regularly and I have NEVER exercised for one hour a day consistently. I will do heavy housework and other activities around the house to get my heart rate up and I try different forms of exercise all the time because I get bored easily.
I think it is vital to get moving every day, somehow, and it doesn't always mean you have to be in an aerobics class or on some sort of machine to get your heart rate up.
I eat organic whole foods and healthy oils. I am not sold on the idea that low fat and high carb is the way to go. High fat is not the answer either, but healthy oils are not the enemy. The rights oils will actually speed up the metabolism.
I eat only 3 meals a day and rarely snack. I do better when I don't snack or graze on food all day. BUT, you may be different. You have to do what works best for you and your unique body.
This is the MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL I think of the health I have now and my future health EVERYDAY. I really want to enjoy my older years and I want to be healthy. I don't want to sit in a rocking chair, talking about all my symptoms and the things that ail me when I am in my golden years.
The Weight Loss Registry tips and my maintenance tips are not the only path for everyone, but instead are some ideas you can use to come up with your own way to keep the weight off once you have lost it.
Ultimately, I think it is crucial to focus on your health when changing over to a healthy lifestyle. So many people are in a hurry to lose weight. They spend their entire lives putting on the weight, losing the weight temporarily on diets and just want to get rid of it as fast as possible not taking in consideration their state of health. I know you have heard this many times before but if you don't have your health, you don't have much. Being thin will mean nothing to you if you compromise your health along the way.
Even if you are losing weight slowly, good for you! The idea here is to take off the weight and keep it off for good. Even just a couple of pounds a month adds up over the course of a year. And for those that were doing everything they could and continuing to gain weight, just stopping that weight gain is a measure of success.
With these tips, you now know how to maintain weight loss. Give yourself time to adjust to a new and healthy lifestyle and enjoy yourself along the way. A year from now your body will be thanking you for it!
To Learn More : CLICK HERE
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