Plot Your Weight Loss Course
I'm sure you already know that weight loss and improved fitness don't happen overnight. But did you know that there are steps that you can take to improve your chances of weight loss success before you even start your healthier eating and exercise plan?
There are five distinct stages of behavioral change. Knowing what stage you are at now will help you to create a road map which will help you to achieve your future weight loss and improved fitness goals.
Here are the five major phases:
Stage 1 - Pre-contemplation:
This is the point where you don't feel that any change in your lifestyle is necessary. You may be thinking that exercising just takes too much time or that fast food is just too convenient to even consider giving up. Starting a fitness or healthier eating program during this stage would probably result in failure. The best thing you can do during this phase is to reassess your life goals and educate yourself further about health, diseases and risks.
Stage 2 - Contemplation:
During this stage you may start thinking that a change is necessary.
So, you think that maybe cutting back to eating fast food only three times a week is not so bad and you might be able to at least take a walk once in awhile. This is a good time to learn more about the benefits of healthy eating and regular exercise.
Stage 3 - Preparation:
At this point you are getting more serious about taking action. You've penciled in a walk with your friend for next week and are planning to go grocery shopping to cook a home meal. You may want to research exercise equipment, gyms, personal trainers, and healthier eating programs to learn more about what you can do to get in better shape.
Stage 4 - Action:
Here's where you actually take the first step. The first step may be as simple as taking a daily walk, reducing your fast food visits to twice a month or just cutting back on daily soft drinks and unhealthy snacks. Or, you may go as far as hiring a personal trainer or joining a gym. During this stage it is very important to learn coping mechanisms that will help you avoid relapsing into your old ways. One way to avoid exercise dropout is to form new healthy habits that lead to permanent lifestyle changes.
Stage 5 - Maintenance:
This is, of course, the stage that everyone should strive to be in. Being here means that you are exercising regularly and eating healthily most of the time. It is important throughout this stage (which should last the rest of your life) that you include a variety of exercise types or workouts that change relatively frequently. You should also seek and encourage the support of friends and family and include them wherever possible in the healthier aspects of your new life.
What stage are you in right now?
So, now can you identify what stage you are at? You may find that you are in the pre-contemplation stage for nutritional habits but that you are in the preparation stage for exercises. That's okay. It's not critical for you to force both areas into the same stage. You can work on changing your nutritional and exercise habits separately.
The key to success is first identifying your stage and then taking steps to advance to the next level (unless, of course, you are already at the Maintenance stage). Use the suggestions mentioned above in each stage to help you move to the next phase.
It's also important to tune-in to your fears, past struggles and expectations. Making nutritional and exercise changes is not easy and should be approached slowly. Remember to make small changes. Don't try to go from a completely sedentary lifestyle to an hour of daily exercise overnight. Build up slowly starting with even just 10 minutes of exercise every other day.
And lastly, be sure to inform your family and friends of your plans and enlist their support. Support is extremely important for anyone with weight loss and fitness related goals.
Scott Haywood is the editor of Australia's leading weight loss and healthy lifestyle website weightloss.com.au. Weightloss.com.au is a free weight loss resource that has healthy recipes, weight loss product reviews, a weight loss business directory and a very popular weight loss forum.
Why Should Weight Loss For Men Be Any Different Than For Women?
It is quite common to find that women tend to follow weight loss programs and try out various fad diets while men tend to focus more on exercise as a way of losing weight. However, it is important for men to realize that a nutritious and well balanced diet will also help in reducing weight along with an effective exercise regime.
With the onset of middle age, paying attention to ones diet becomes very important for men. As one grows older their calorie needs tend to decrease by around 2 to 4 percent with every passing decade. For an average sized man who measures 5 ft 9 inches and weighs 170 pounds, the appropriate calorie intake is usually around 2500 calories per day when they are in their youth and this intake tends to reduce to around 2200-2350 calories as they grow older.
One reason why the calorie intake reduces as men grow older is because their muscle mass decreases. Higher calories are normally required in order to circulate blood to the muscles, maintain internal body temperature and repair the damaged cells among other functions. However as men grow older, their muscle mass decreases and hence requires fewer calories.
Another important reason is because of the lowering of the natural metabolic rate. This rate determines the base or natural rate at which the body burns calories for all its functions even when a person is asleep. On an average this rate accounts to burning around 70 calories per hour for most men. The hormonal and other natural changes that occur with age tend to reduce this natural metabolic rate.
As one grows older, there is glandular reduction that results in the biological process known as aging. For example with age, the thyroid and adrenal glands among others tend to become less effective in their functions.
It is for these reasons that men should be careful not to consume excessive calories in their middle age. The excess calories get stored in Adipose Tissue and result in body fat. For most this body fat is considered highly unappealing and even increases the risk of developing health problems.
When it comes to the topic of Body Mass Index (BMI) those with a BMI above 30 should be concerned about their weight because it borders on obesity. A BMI of 40 or a waist circumference over 40 inches is considered obese for an average male.
Men should be careful about what they eat as they grow older. Reducing ones daily calorie intake by just 50-100 calories a day for every decade past 29 will be beneficial in the long run and reduce the risk of developing body fat or growing obese.
Alternatively, one can also burn around 50 to 100 calories a day just by walking an extra mile daily. This will help to maintain optimal health and prevent weight gain.
Thus, the key to keeping fit and healthy is to stay active and reduce calories.
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Your Body Shape and What it Means for Weight Loss
Your body shape and what it means for weight loss
The areas where you store your body fat show the influence of the subtle hormonal balance within the body. This fact can be used to predict which foods will more likely cause weight gain and diminish your health.
Fat storage patterns
Different people store their body fat in different areas. It may be that you store your fat on your stomach only, just below your waist or maybe all over your body, your hands,face included. Take a look at yourself, then have a look at the next few people you see and notice the different ways they store their fat.
In general there are four major fat storage patterns in women and three in men. This is caused by the dominance of the endocrine glands within the body; Thyroid, adrenal, pituitary or ovaries (women only). Each person has one gland that is more dominant than the others. This gland influences the main areas where you store fat
The broad patterns of fat storage are unique, see if you can spot someone who holds their fat mostly on the stomach and hips only, others who store it all over their body, some just below the waist only and finally people who store it on their back, chest stomach and hips. These patterns relate to the dominance of the thyroid, pituitary, ovaries and adrenals respectively.
Research has also found that certain foods stimulate these glands, for example caffeine, fruit, chocolate amongst others stimulates the thyroid gland. Over time you learn that the foods that stimulate your dominant gland will produce a temporary uplift in energy. The result is you learn to crave these foods when you are low on energy to give you a pick up . Over time relying on your dominating gland can wear it out resulting in a drop in metabolic rate and subsequent fat accumulation. The idea is to minimize these foods and replace them with a non dominant gland stimulating substitute. This will allow the gland a rest and allow it to recharge over time and thus let the body lose fat.
The cause of your cravings
The need for you to rely on the foods that stimulate your dominant gland arises because you are giving inadequate nutrients in the right amount for your body. The result is inefficient energy production and the desire to fall back on your favorite foods that will give you an uplift
This explains why when many people cut out cakes, sugars, starches and caffeine (Thyroid type foods, a common dominance in white western people) they never stick to it. As many people replace these foods with other food sources that are not appropriate for their metabolic type. The result is the body sends out signals for more energy, this gives the food craving for.you guessed it!..... the cakes, sugars, starches or caffeine they cut out. This opens up a game of will power which will inevitably be won by the food.
Know your type before cutting out these foods.
The simple solution to avoid the above cycle is to discover your metabolic type first, then fine tune the meal ratios before minimizing these glandular foods. The process of eating in accordance with your metabolic type will almost serve to completely reduce the food craving.
Persistent food cravings with an emotional basis can of course be treated with emotional freedom technique (EFT). In combination, this will relieve the biochemical and behavioral need for certain foods and thus produce the desired weight loss.
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Ben WIlson BSc (Hons) CSCS NSCA-CPT CMTA Dip
One2one nutrition
Rugby fitness training.com
Thirteen Easy Steps To Healthy Weight Loss
- Calories are far more important then fats when it comes to affecting your weight, as long as you're eating healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats instead of saturated and trans fat. A good rule to follow is to keep the amount of saturated fat you eat per day is less than 20 grams.
- The human metabolism is to slow to be eating three big meals a day. In a perfect world six small meals a day is much healthier. Eating six meals a day will keep your metabolism active and also help keep your insulin levels stable.
- PROTEIN!!! Protein supports, builds, and rebuilds muscle. The more muscle you have the faster your metabolism will be. (It takes fifty calories a day just to support one pound of muscle!). Lean meat, fish, and poultry are all very good sources of protein. Also it is important to spread your protein intake evenly throughout your day. By doing this you will enable your body to rebuild muscle all day long.
- Controlling food portions. Low energy-density foods such as vegetables and fruits are less likely to be overeaten. Also they're full of nutrients such as vitamins and minerals which are critical to a healthy metabolism.
- Don't cut any one food group. You should be consuming carbohydrates, protein, and fat at every meal.
- Watch out drinks such as soda and fruit juices. They have tons of calories which can add up quickly. Plus they aren't even that
- WATER!!! And lots of it! Water helps you stay hydrated which will allow for more intense activity. It also helps your body flush metabolic waste.
- Eat your complex grains early in the day and then stick with the water rich carbohydrates such as fruit in the evening. This has to do with the way insulin is secreted into the bloodstream.
- Sleep! 7-8 hours a night, More or less than that can have negative effects on your health.
- Eat your meals slower; well chewed food is easier on your metabolism.
- Eat some fish. Fish such as salmon is rich in Omega-3s, these Fatty Acids are essential. They'll keep your heart healthy, as well as the bad fat out. Fatty fish such as salmon, halibut and shellfish help reduce the size of fat cells which in turn helps out with fat loss.
- Avoid hydrogenated fats (Trans fat), and High Fructose Corn Syrup. They send signals to the brain telling you that you are not full even when you've already eaten. Ever wonder why it's hard to drink 3 big glasses of water, but easy to down a 2 liter bottle of soda. It's the Syrup.
- Exercise.
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How To Lose 5 Pounds In a Week
If you are looking for an answer to the common question of how to lose 5 pounds in a week, you've come to the right place, because I am going to present to you with a week long plan and how this can be done. Make sure you read the whole article through so you don't miss out on any crucial tip or trick.
Your week long plan is made up of 2 integral parts: The fitness part and the nutritional one.
Fitness part
Day 1: Do at least one hour of aerobic activity. You can an evening walk, go swimming, play some sports with your friends, go running, or anything else which gets your heart beat racing. Aerobics burn a lot of calories which is your main objective in your week long efforts.
Day 2: Do one hour of strength exercises. If you have a gym membership now is the time to use it. But even if the only place you workout is at home, you can still do an effective workout. Do some pushups, crunches, squats, or borrow some dumbbells from a friend.
Day 3: One hour of aerobics, the same as day 1.
Day 4: Take some time off from physical activity to allow your muscles to rest.
Day 5: The same as day 1.
Day 6: One hour of strength training. Make sure you work at least 2 muscle groops.
day 7: The same as day 1.
Nutritional part
1. Eat at least 3 different vegetables each day.
2. Eat 2 pieces of fruit each day.
3. Do not eat any fried food, fast food or candy.
4. Drink 8-10 glasses of water each day.
5. Eat 4-5 small meals each day instead of 3 big ones.
6. Reduce the amount of carbs that you eat.
7. Eat at least one portion of protein each day, like fish, meat, eggs or soy.
Follow these guidelines and you will be 5 pounds slimmer after one week.
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John Davenport lost over 30 pounds in his twenties after being overweight most of his life. He writes extensively on diet and fitness issues.
Dieting
Everyone is in competition nowadays to look good and live healthy. So to look good usually they go for dieting with the aim of losing weight as personality with overweight is not pleasing.
People diet for many reasons. Some are at an unhealthy weight and need to pay closer attention to their eating and exercise habits. Some play sports and want to be in top physical condition. Others may think they would look and feel better if they lost a few pounds. Lots of people feel pressured to lose weight and try different types of diets. But if you really need to lose weight, improving your eating habits and exercising will help you more than any diet. Dieting could be a solution if done in a right manner. Unhealthy Dieting, especially extreme food-intake reduction and rapid weight loss, can have the following side effects:
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Prolonged hunger
- Sinus
- Muscle loss
- Blood shot eyes
- Gall bladder diseases
- Acidosis
- Rashes
- Irritability
- Fainting
The best way to diet is to eat a wide variety of enough food to meet your
body needs. Aim to eat more fruits and veggies, cut back on meats high in fat (like burgers and hot dogs), greasy fried foods, and sweets, and drink more water instead of
sugary drinks like sports drinks or sodas. Great Dieting Tips to loose weight safely:
- Eat less. More often.
- Do not eat right before going to bed.
- Kick the sugar habit.
- Shop with calories in mind.
- Reduce the amount of breads, chips, crackers, and salty snacks you eat.
- Exercise daily.
- Drink milk, including fat-free or low-fat milk.
- Drink plenty of water (at least four to six 8-ounce glasses a day).
- Eat lean, high-protein foods, like lean meat, chicken, fish, or beans.
- Eat whole grains (like whole-wheat bread or pasta), which provide fiber, B vitamins, and iron.
- Eat breakfast.
- Choose smaller portions at fast-food restaurants.
- Stay away from fad diets you might lose a few pounds temporarily, but if you do not focus on changing your habits, you will probably just gain it back when you go back to your usual way of eating.
- Do not take diet pills.
- Avoid seeing foods as "good" or "bad" or eliminating entire groups of foods, like dairy. If you eliminate entire food groups, you may miss out on important nutrients, like calcium
- If you choose to become a vegetarian, talk to your doctor or dietitian about how to make nutritious vegetarian choices.
Author is running a health information site http://www.peoples-health.com where information on several diseases like allergies, blood disorders, cancer, childrens health, digestive disorder, liver diseases etc. and tips on dieting, nutrition and improving lifestyle has been provided. Find some useful articles on dieting here- http://www.peoples-health.com/diets.htm
7 Tips for Successful Weight Loss
Many people want to lose weight but never succeed for various reasons. If you are serious about losing weight, here are some things you need to know.
Do you know that the key to successful weight loss lies in your muscle? Muscles is calorie hungry. A pound of lean muscle requires at least 35 calories each day to maintain itself while a pound of fat tissue needs only 2-3 calories per day. Hence, if you are able to add more lean muscles mass that will require more calories and will tap into the stores of fats you have in your body, you will be able to lose weight, in the form of fat tissue, permanently.
As a result, to embark on a successful weight loss program, you require 3 main components in your weight loss plan. They are:
- Aerobic Exercises: To burn calories effectively and efficiently
- Strength Training: To build lean muscles
- Healthy Diet: To help cleanse and nourish your body
Incorporate 3 these components into your plan for the best result and here are 7 tips to get started
- Set Your Goal. How much and by when do you plan to achieve the weight you want. Write them down. You may even want to do a mock photo of how you will eventually look like to motivate yourself.
- Make A Plan. No way will just cutting down on what we eat produce any significant weight loss. We need the 3 components mentioned above to work together for maximum impact. So work out an action plan and stick to it. Remember if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
- Put Exercise Sessions Into Your Schedule. Call it Time for Me. Make sure that no one will disturb you during this time.
- Eat And Drink Wisely. Start with more fiber. Fiber is good for the body under any circumstances but when we are trying to lose weight, it is even more important. Fruits and vegetables are low in calories and fat and they keep us from being hungry. Simple substitutions are often the easiest way to cut calories. Drinking a diet soda instead of a regular soda every day will save you 15 or more pounds in a year. Eating a turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato and mustard instead of a roast beef sandwich with mayonnaise just twice a week will save you another 15 pounds. Go through your fridge and pantry and simply throw out all the high calories, high fat snacks and food that are not in your plan. Water is nature's magic elixir. It keeps our organs working with us to lose weight. Eight glasses of water or non-calorie drinks a day is essential.
- Learn as You Lose. The more information you have about food and its relationship to weight, the better off you will be and not just while you are losing weight but after the weight is gone. You want to keep those pounds off!
- Get Support. Enlist Your Family in Your Battle. Nobody can sabotage a diet faster than a spouse or significant other. Get them on your side from the start. Weight loss is hard at best but it does not have to be lonely. Join a Support group if that can help you.
- Chart Your Progress. Keeping a Food Diary will help to get you to keep to the weight you want to have. A progress chart to show you how much weight you have lost will help to motivate you to stay on task.
With these tips and information on hand, they are useless if you do not apply them. So, do not waste any more time. Commit yourself to your goals and plan and you will be on your way to a successful weight loss.
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