Diet or Exercise, Conflicting Messages?

The latest research on weight loss shows what most people already knew…it’s a combo of diet and exercise.  According to a University study, scientists found that weight loss study participants all lost an average of 22 pounds through diet, exercise or both.  But they did find one big difference.

Those who included exercise in their weight loss programs were able to specifically target belly fat.  In fact, the diet plus exercise group shrank their abdominal fat cells twice as much as those who only dieted.  Abdominal fat cells have different amounts of metabolic enzymes than other parts of your body, causing them to be more responsive to exercise.

Healthy Dieting

I have been working out with a personal trainer for the past 8 months. I started off 1 day per week and increased it to 2. While my actual weight is not changing I do notice that my clothes are fitting me better. I try to avoid my scale at all costs. I even put it into my garage so I would not be tempted to jump on. The mark I use now is not a numeral but the way I look and feel in my own skin and in my clothing. WHile exercise is important one watching their weight cannot avoid the “diet”. That four letter word that we all hate.

A healthy diet is an important part of any fitness plan. To help you in your weight loss and goals for fitness I came across this handy chart to help aid you in determining how and what you should be eating.

 

A healthy nutritional balanced diet is also key to losing weight.  Following a clear chart for dieting showing the amount of simple carbs to complex carbs and everything in between can keep you on track for losing weight.  There are six primary categories food is assigned too:  Complex Carbohydrates (starches and fiber), High Quality Protein, Non Starch Vegetables, Simple Carbohydrates, Milk/Soy, Fats and Water.

 

We all hate diets, but following this chart seems to be a great way to improving weight loss and becoming a thinner, healthier you!

Walking Tips

When you decide to start walking you can always use some tips to keep you motivated. Walking is a great way to get your heart pumping and lose some weight. If you do it correctly and at your own pace you can grow to love walking. After a while you will find yourself looking forward to your daily walks.

First thing you want to do is make sure you have a pair of sneakers that are comfortable to your feet. Don’t pay attention to price. Just get a pair of sturdy sneakers that are comfortable on your feet that you like wearing. For me, a new pair of shoes inspires me to work out.

Comfortable clothing is another thing to consider. You don’t want to keep tugging at a shirt or straightening out some pants while you should be enjoying your walk or jog. Wear clothing is is comfortable and pleasing to you. There is no need to try and “dress it up” when you are trying to exercise. Comfort is your main concern.

When you are walking you want to get a stride or a rhythm. At first, you may feel a little awkward but it will work itself out the longer you walk. Just stick with it and don’t worry what other people are thinking. You should be doing this for you and you alone.

A great tip is to get you some tunes to listen to. There are so many MP3 players out on the market now. You can get one for just about any price range and this will become your new best friend. A trick I like to do to make me look forward and lose myself in the run or walk is to load up audio books onto my MP3 player. I almost have to be dragged in, I am so wrapped up in the story.

One final tip, always keep plenty of water with you. You don’t want to be caught out without water to drink. Walking can be an enjoyable activity if you do it correctly and learn a few tricks/tips to make it worth it.

Workout By Popping a Pill

Sounds unbelievable but right now it is becoming a reality. Like some futuristic sci-fi show, researches are working on a pill, make that 2 pills, that will give you the effects of having spent hours in the gym. Currently the pills have only been tested on mice but they give some pretty impressive results. Results impressive enough to have me thinking in a very short while, they will be tested on some pretty eager humans.

The 1st pill, Aicar, helped mice burn calories, have less fat and 44% more endurance on a treadmill. All this after only a month using the pill. Aicar mimics exercising, it makes your cells believe they’ve burned energy and they in turn produce more. Even sedentary mice saw great benefits of the burning of calories and less body fat. The 2nd pill, GW1516, increased the mice’s endurance 75% when partnered with exercise. Those are quite some effective results.

Diet pills with meager results have been flying off the shelves, these two pills are sure to have even better sales. After all, who wouldn’t want to pop a pill and look trimmer and more fit. These would become just like taking your daily vitamins…take your daily workout pill!

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What to Consider when Buying a Bathroom Scale

Anytime you decide to go on a diet the bathroom scale becomes your best friend. You visit it often during the day to check for any changes or discrepancies in what you think you should be weighing. When deciding on what type will work best for you here are a few tips:

• Clean Concise numbers – The scale you choose should have numbers you can easily read.
• Accuracy – One of the most important things to keep in mind is accuracy of the scale. You want a scale that will give you the most accurate read out possible.
• Bonus Features – if you want any extras keep that in mind when looking for scale. Digital Voice, Body fat measure, Glass, Compact design; these are all extra features that may interest you
• Do your research – Use the internet to find out the reviews of different scales that you are interested in. You can also ask a fitness expert which one would be best for you.
• Weight Range – Always make sure that your starting weight is listed on the scale.

A bathroom scale is a needed part of your diet routine if you are looking to really keep track of your losses. Don’t just opt for the cheapest, get the one that fits your needs.

Belly Dancing

One of the things I’ve always wanted to try out was Belly Dancing, but somehow I never had the time. This art of dance has always intrigued me because it looked almost exotic and very graceful and feminine. In addition, I heard that it could also benefit the body and health in more ways than one. Here are just some of the supposed benefits of Belly Dancing that I’ve gathered:

1. It can improve posture and build the back muscles evenly. This is something I (and perhaps many people) especially need because I tend to hunch at times.

2. It tones the overall body. When we are in static positions most of the day, especially when we have a lot of work, we don’t use our muscles as much as they need to be used. Hence, they can become flabby or weak. Belly dancing is a lovely form of exercise that can tone our muscles in our enjoyable way.

3. It can reduce stress! To many people, belly dancing is a great stress reliever and one exercise that allows them to let go and be free of the negative thoughts for the whole session.

4. It can aid weight loss. More than anything, belly dancing is an exercise that burns the extra calories we have eaten within the day. No wonder more and more gyms are offering belly dancing classes.

What do you know about belly dancing? 🙂

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The amazing Bender Ball

For a while now, I have thought that I wished there was something that would let me go back farther when I did my crunches. I also needed something that would help lift my bottom when I did leg lifts. I usually would use my hands, believe it or not, and it was very awkward. I just saw a commercial on the Bender Ball and I knew that is exactly what I wanted.

Usually, fitness infomercials make me think “yeah, right”. Or the equipment is way too hard or too much of a hassle for me to even start a routine with it. But this little ball is sure to be a great product to incorporate into your exercises. I really am impressed at how it works all your core muscles. It makes sense once you actually see it. It’s not just another gimmick trying to get your money, you see how this will improve you.

The bender ball also comes with a video, which I assume shows you lots of great ways to get the most from your ball. It’s like a mini yoga ball, but with a lot of possibilities. If anyone has tried the bender ball, please let us know what your review of it is. I am ordering one and will do a write-up on my experiences later. Anytime there is a product to make what you are already doing more efficient, you should go for it. You have nothing to lose but weight and you are sure to save some energy and time. For a little over $10.00 I think it’s a great idea and a great buy for the ball and the video. If you don’t need the dvd, you can also just grab a stability ball or small kickball and get your workout on!!! I would like to see just what she has on this little DVD, it looks pretty informative and helpful. 

Easy ways to stay Fit

Staying fit and healthy doesn’t mean you have to spend hours and hours in the gym. Sometimes, working out in the gym can be too boring and monotonous for people and a different tactic of staying fit will work. Some good ways to stay fit and and healthy are to take some dance classes. Dance classes are fun and will make you fit in no time, without you even realizing you are actually working out. Look for these classes in your area:

• Salsa – fun, fun, fun
• Tap
• Jazz
• Ballet
• Tumbling – don’t be shy or think you are too old, you will really see results fast with this
• Latin Dances
• Ballroom
• Funk
• Contemporary
• African Dance –  you are lucky if you can find this locally
• Pole Dance – ladies you will really have fun and get fit with this type

You are never too young to learn a new dance and get a great workout while you are doing it. If you are shy or feel uncomfortable going to the classes, take a friend. Most of the time they will have buddy discounts. You can get into the best shape of your life, anytime in your life. Look younger, feel better, and tighten up. Have fun and get fit by dancing!!!

Just Move

Sometimes the easiest thing to do are the things we need to start doing. Joining gyms and buy workout equipment are great steps when you are really dedicated to losing weight. But when you don’t have the time or you aren’t a “work out” type person, you should start with just moving.

We sit around the house doing nothing, thinking we need to start working out. All you really need to do is start doing things. Getting your body moving does not mean you have to go to a gym or use some fancy equipment. Here are some ideas of what I do:

• Mow the Yard – cutting the grass is a sure way to get some exercise. I use an “old school” push mower that I bought from Lowes, that’s the exact one I use. No electric, no gas, just good ole fashioned sweat and strength. This gives me the most benefit from mowing the grass and getting a great little workout. Add in raking the yard, if you’re up to it.
• Clean the house – don’t just pick up a little here and there. Really clean. Mop the floors, sweep, clean down the baseboards, wash the windows, wipe down the cabinets, and don’t forget the ceiling fans and lights. Clean everything in your home, yourself. Get down and dirty to get fit! If you don’t build up a sweat, you aren’t doing it right. Any stay at home mom will tell you, it isn’t easy keeping the entire house clean by yourself.
• Wash your car – stop paying someone to wash your car or going through those auto ones. Do it yourself. It’s a GREAT workout and in the summer you’ll surely be sweating the day away. Remember to get the tires and do the interior!
• Paint a room – tired of looking at that same color on your walls, paint them. Painting is a good arm workout, if you’ve ever done it you know what I mean!
• Wash and fold clothes – All that bending and reaching will definitely make you feel better and help work those muscles. Fold up the clothes and put them all away.

When you really want to get in shape. Just Move. Don’t skip out on work, when the opportunity arises to do anything that involves physical activity take advantage of it. When you are sitting around the house bored and sleepy, get out the house and do something. You will feel and look better once you start working those muscles.

Swim and Heal

Much has been said about the good things our body can get from swimming, as the seemingly innocent gliding and moving in the water is supposed to be a total body workout. Since the actual benefits of swimming are still a bit vague to me, I looked for more specific answers to why it’s good for us in more ways than one. Check out what I found:

1. It strengthens the heart, lungs and muscles.

Swimming conditions all body types, from the perfectly normal ones to those plagued with alarming conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, or arthritis. In fact, doctors often recommend swimming as an activity to those recovering from a major surgery or heart operation because it is a not too taxing yet effective workout. Regular swimming also builds lung stamina and muscle strength without straining connective tissues like other workout activities could.

2. It’s a great calorie-burner.

Swimming uses all the major muscle groups in the body, which makes it a great weight loss workout and body toner. This is why many swimmers often have toned arms, legs, and tummy, which is one of the major fat problem areas of everyone.

3. It’s the perfect stress reliever.

Swimming is a meditative workout because it deals with not just the body but also the mental state. Exercising while enveloped in warm water induces a calm and relaxing feeling that not only reduces stress, it also help clear one’s mind as it improves delivery of oxygen to all muscles and stimulates blood circulation.

4. It works wonders in pregnant women.

Expectant women are often forbidden to do any moderate to heavy physical activity, but swimming is one of those activities that can actually aid them in their condition. For one, it strengthens the abdominal muscles that are very important when carrying and delivering the baby. Experts say that swimming also reduces the common negative symptoms associated with pregnancy, like high blood pressure and stiffness.

5. It’s a perfect bonding activity.

Now we all know about this one. Swimming is one of the best and healthiest activities we can do to bond and enjoy with our families and friends. The great thing about swimming as a bonding activity is that you can choose to talk and interact with people yet you can also swim off anytime and do your routines and beneficial exercises whenever you want.

Care to share more swimming perks?

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