Does Counting Calories to Lose Weight Really Work?

by Weight Loss - November 14, 2011

Counting Calories to Lose Weight

If you’re wanting to slim down, counting calories to lose weight can be very effective. It can help you lose weight as well as help you be much more aware of everything you eat. If you were to track your daily caloric intake against your suggested caloric intake levels, you would probably be surprised.

Tips For Counting Calories To Lose Weight

Measure your portions. Some food labeling can be a bit tricky. You’ll see on a bagel, for instance, that some count a portion as half a bagel. Don’t just look at the calorie number. Look at the serving size, too.

Don’t forget condiments. If you track a roast beef dinner, don’t forget the gravy and the butter. If you’re having a sandwich and you put mayo on it, make sure you measure the mayo and remember to look at the serving size as well.

Count your beverages, too. A can of carbonated soft drink beverage contains 150 or more calories.

Know what your target calorie intake should be. Not all people need the same amount. Consult a calorie counting calculator that will tell you how many calories you need. Men need more than women. Sedentary people have different requirements from active people.

Make your calories count. A large number of calories could come from a small snack that doesn’t fill you up. Therefore a low number of calories could come from high satiety and nutritious healthy snacks that will help you feel full longer and result in less fat stored, etc.

Many calorie counters will also help you track nutrition, which is smart. This can help you track calories from fat, calories from carbs, % of protein.

Counting calories to lose weight can also be done to track exercise for calories expended. Some calorie counters will also let you use exercise as a deficit to help you reach a specific goal. This can be ideal for maintenance once you’ve reached your weight loss goals. So, you could see that your ice cream sundae might mean and extra walk around the block, for example.

3500 calories are in a pound, if you reduce your calories by 3500 calories a week, you’ll lose a pound. If you burn 3500 calories, you can lose a pound via exercise. Remember that good calories are better for you than bad but that you can lose weight by managing your caloric intake. By watching what you eat and by being mindful of the quantity you consume, you’ll be well on your way to meeting your weight loss goals.

In Conclusion, Counting Calories to Lose Weight does work.

Loose Skin After Weight Loss – How to Deal With It

by Weight Loss - November 11, 2011

Loose Skin After Weight Loss – How to Deal With it.

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Worried that rapid weight loss will result in loose skin? After losing weight some people do suffer from a reminder of their heavier days with loose skin in various areas of their body. In many cases, this is due to extreme rapid weight loss diets, or methods such as gastric bypass.

When you lose weight fast via a crash diet, you’ll often lose muscle and very often this increases the chance of loose skin after weight loss. A component of reducing the chance of loose skin after weight loss is to work at retaining lean muscle as you lose weight.

Preventing Loose Skin After Weight Loss

Loose Skin After Weight Loss - How to Deal With It To help prevent excessive loose skin after weight loss, healthy weight loss via solid diet and exercise will be a big help in minimizing the potential for excessive loose skin being left over. Integrating the right food, good exercise and adequate hydration into your weight loss plan are all important.

Exercise is a key factor as it helps your body tone and shape as you lose weight. Instead of just trying to lose weight, work hard to lose fat and build muscle at the same time. Think of it as a journey, rather than a race.

Dealing with Excessive Loose Skin After Weight Loss

What should you do if you’ve lost weight and find yourself with excessive loose skin?

Exercise can be very helpful, particularly resistance training and strength training exercises. It can take time and effort to see a difference, though.

Surgery is also an option. Many find surgery to be the best option but it’s not feasible for everybody due to the high cost. For others who would like to avoid surgery and then having to recover.

Try weight training and healthy eating to try to battle the extra skin. Results will vary, depending on the individual, but you could get rid of most or even all of it on your own.

Just like not every woman will have stretch marks after pregnancy, not everyone will have loose skin after weight loss.

We’re all different. Healthy living and careful weight loss methods can result in your having the body you want.

Even if you have some degree of loose skin after weight loss, you can be proud that you have reached your goal.

Different Types of Yoga and How to Make Them

by Weight Loss - November 10, 2011

Types of Yoga

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If you are thinking about gaining clarity and tranquility amid a fairly noisy world? Then taking up yoga is the answer.

Not only it is great for the health of your body but also your mind.

It definitely improves health, muscle tone, and provides relaxation, too. It also is a great stress buster.

Because there are so many different types of yoga, we will describe the best known varieties.

Most common are: Hatha Yoga, Bikram or Hot Yoga, Power Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, Restorative Yoga and a new type: Stand Up Paddle Board Yoga or SUP Yoga.

Here is a brief overview of the above popular types of yoga.

different types of yoga and how to do them

Hatha Yoga

Hatha yoga is the best known type of yoga. It’s a great one for beginners. Yoga positions vary among sitting and standing.

Bikram or Hot Yoga

Bikram, also known as hot yoga, (although not all hot yoga is classified as Bikram yoga as Bikram requires you to have specific certifications).

It involves intense yoga workouts in a very hot yoga studio, designed to help you burn a lot of calories.

If you’re looking at doing yoga for weight loss, this is the one for you!

Power Yoga

Power yoga has been popular since the 90’s, and was helpful in making yoga more mainstream. It focuses on building strength and enhancing flexibility through various classes.

Most people who do power yoga are intermediate in skill level. You can often find power yoga classes for beginners as well.

Prenatal Yoga

Because a healthy body can better endure childbirth and many women find that prenatal yoga helps with stress, flexibility, and muscle tone. Prenatal Yoga has become very popular.

Prenatal yoga classes are designed for the pregnant body and often for a specific stage in your pregnancy.

Restorative Yoga

Restorative yoga poses are particularly relaxing for many and do a lot of focus on meditation.

Popular Yoga Poses

Popular types of yoga poses include: downward dog, salutation, cat flow, and many others.

You can find many resources that will help a beginner as well as take classes for various skill levels and for various types of yoga.

Beginner types of yoga poses include: mountain pose, pyramid pose, child’s pose, bridge, cobra, and others. There are beginner, intermediate, and advanced poses.

Which type of yoga is right for you? There are many others above what’s mentioned here and some people practice more than one type.

Regardless of what types of yoga you think may be best for you, it is great for the body, mind, and soul.

Consequently, as you become more adept with it, movements will become easier and you can tackle the more advanced options.

Health and Nutrition Tips: Becoming Healthier

by Weight Loss - November 9, 2011

Health and Nutrition Tips that Will Change your Life.

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As a dieter, do you look at health and nutrition as a part of your diet plan? If you do, you’ll have a greater chance of success. Many “career” dieters don’t pay enough attention to health and nutrition. If you change your mind set about dieting to one that involves eating the healthiest and most nutritious food you can, then you will finally succeed.

Learn as much as you can about health and nutrition. In addition, learning fundamental dieting and weight loss principles and you will see a difference immediately.

Is Yours a Health and Nutrition Mind Set?

Instead of a dieting journey, why not go on a health and nutrition journey? If you do, the weight loss will come naturally and be easier to achieve. Many dieters make the mistake of counting their success in terms of kgs or inches lost per week. What many neglect to do is to look at what their body actually needs. There are foods that will satisfy and provide you with the right health and nutrition. This way your body change naturally.

Changes could include burning fat instead of storing it, digesting food at a faster pace, and giving you energy. A feeling of overall wellness will replace junk food cravings and feelings of sluggishness.

Meeting the right health and nutrition requirements will help you be a healthier person. It will also help you change those bad eating habits, enable you to better interpret your cravings. If your body isn’t craving nutrition, it is less likely to plague you with cravings.

Something to Think About

People who are thirsty may not realize their body needs a glass of water so they drink calorie and sugar laden sodas or reach for a snack instead.

People who crave crunch often reach for a bag of salty snacks. Your body could satisfy that craving with healthy snacks, like a bowl of raw vegetables and low fat dip or a meal sized salad.

People who listen to their body’s needs often stop craving sweets and often stop overeating because they listen to their body’s cues that it is satisfied after one adequate sized portion.

People who embrace health and nutrition will have fewer instances of needing to stress eat or reward themselves with food.

Once you start to get in tune with your body’s desire for health and nutrition and fill that need with the right food, your outlook on food will change and you’ll find it easier to get to your target weight. Becoming a health and nutrition savvy person can help you naturally transition from a career dieter to someone who eats well and reaps the visible (size-related) and invisible (wellness and longevity) rewards.

Tips For Losing Weight While Pregnant

by Weight Loss - November 8, 2011

Losing Weight While Pregnant

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There are many reasons why some women look at ways of losing weight while pregnant. Not everyone is able to simply enjoy the whole ‘eating for two’ thing. If for whatever reason you need to look at losing weight while pregnant, you’ll want to be very careful about weight loss methods. Read on for some suggestions.

Eat Your Calories

Losing Weight While Pregnant Some people don’t realize how much of their caloric intake comes from beverages. Drinking thick shakes or soda pop won’t be good for your health and some of these beverages aren’t at all good for your baby, either.

Drink 1% or Skim Milk

Don’t mistake the above advice about eating your calories as a reason not to drink milk. Milk is an excellent source of calcium and calcium is essential during pregnancy. But you don’t need the fat in whole milk. Opt for 1% or even skim milk, which will provide you with calcium without as many grams of fat.

Count The Calories

You don’t need to eat for two adult people when you’re pregnant. Some women have so much weight loss after pregnancy because they take the “eating for two” adage quite literally. An extra 300 or so calories beyond the normal optimum calorie intake for your body is adequate. Counting calories to get into the optimal range is a good idea and it’s also a good idea to opt for good calories versus bad.

Beware

The vast majority of diet supplements are not tested for safety for pregnant women. For this reason, it’s probably not wise to use diet aids unless they’re approved by your doctor.

Integrate Light, Doctor Approved Exercise

Some pregnant women can’t exercise for medical reasons. The vast majority of pregnant women however, can get some light exercise during pregnancy. Walking, pregnancy yoga, and other light exercises could not only help you with losing weight while pregnant.They will also help you have an easier time of labor due to your being in better physical condition.

Eat Clean

Losing Weight While Pregnant Cleaner eating will give you and the baby the right level of nutrition without packing on the pounds. Be choosy about what you eat while pregnant.

It’s usually okay to give in to the odd craving (unless you’re on a highly restrictive diet due to blood sugar issues or some other problem). But eating clean for the vast majority of the time will probably result in most of your gain during pregnancy being all baby.

After you’ve given birth and you’re feeling fit and healthy, you might like to check out our tips on losing weight after pregnancy!

In conclusion, Losing Weight While Pregnant should only be done under medical supervision.

What are The Benefits of Pilates

by Weight Loss - November 7, 2011

Benefits of Pilates

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To begin, there are quite a few benefits of Pilates. This conditioning set of exercises, designed by Joseph Pilates, are great for strength and toning.

They work especially well for your abdominal muscles, back and legs.

It also is extremely beneficial for the cardiovascular system, because of how you breathe during the workout.

Woman Practicing Yoga Positions

One of the great benefits of Pilates is that you can do it in about 20 minutes and just about anywhere.

If you’ve got a space of about three to four metres, then you can do Pilates. Pilates can be done with and without equipment.

Optional equipment include resistance bands, blocks, and a Pilates apparatus table.

Beginners and even experts however can benefit from doing Pilates without any equipment.

There are several versions of some of the popular exercises, enabling practitioners to vary their intensity level.

People who do Pilates regularly reach a dramatic increase in their core strength and balance.

Several Pilates exercises focus on core strength specifically and most of the exercises will benefit the mid-section of the body.

Other workout routines give you long and lean muscles — great for legs and arms!

Most important, Pilates improves: breathing, concentration, and control. Focusing on the area you are working on is important and Joseph Pilates firmly believed in the control aspect of the exercise for mind and body connectivity.

With the stomach, focus on that part of your body and control your movements with your belly button sucked in as far as you can. Count to five as you breathe in and five as you breathe out. Breathing out happens to be the hard part.

In fact, concentrate on breathing and it will be easier to exercise. Hence, you will ignore of how tired you feel or how much your muscles burn.

Slow, controlled and focused movements will help you master and maximize all the benefits of Pilates.

A stronger core or powerhouse (as Pilates called it) will benefit your health in many ways, including posture and helping with strengthening of your back.

The benefits of Pilates can be seen after just a few sessions.

Finally, there are many Pilates exercises with varying intensity levels keeping you from growing bored with the routines.

Fasting, Weight Loss and Intermittent Fasting

by Weight Loss - November 3, 2011

Fasting, Weight Loss and Intermittent Fasting

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Fasting, Weight Loss and Intermittent Fasting are popular and sometimes controversial. Many believe that intermittent fasting is a better way to use fasting for weight loss. Read on for some information about this method of fasting as well as general fasting info.

Fasting Benefits

Fasting, Weight Loss and Intermittent Fasting Fasting can help you detoxify your body and give your digestive system a break. It can also help you rid your body of illnesses in the digestive system and in several vital organs. It can help you begin to use fat as energy and can help you lose weight. Toxins stored in that fat will also go.

Many people find the process of fasting difficult at first because we are accustomed to using food as fuel and more often because we use food as comfort. And many experience flu like symptoms as their body releases toxins. You might also experience withdrawal symptoms at first but fasting has been known to help people overcome addiction as well. Your body could benefit as soon as 12 hours after you start fasting and many also report clearer eyes, cleaner-looking complexions, and increased energy.

Fasting Could Have Dangers

Fasting however, can turn to starving if you’re not careful. Some people do juice fasting and some people do water fasting. Hydration is vitally important. Fasting could also cause your metabolism to slow down so that when you do resume regular eating it seems like you are hoarding calories. Many people find that intermittent fasting for weight loss is better.

Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss

Doing an eat, stop, eat type fast could help keep your metabolism running fast as well as help you benefit from fasting without as much deprivation as many other dieting methods result in. Various methods of intermittent fasting exist, depending on your goals. Some do this type of fasting for weight loss and others do it for muscle gain.

Some people fast for 1-2 days a week and stick to water only and others do juice fasting or fruit and vegetable on the fasting days. Others do their fasting days a bit more infrequently. The food you eat on the eating days is important so it’s wise to eat well on those days. Always ensure you get adequate hydration and be careful about overdoing exercise when you don’t have enough calories and you can feel unwell and you could even pass out.

Before embarking on fasting, weight loss and intermittent fasting, learn more about it. Then you can make the decision about trying it at a time that’s convenient. Some people integrate a colon cleanse with products such as Colonax or Omega Soul into a fasting period, which results in a lot of elimination. This may or may not be right for you but one thing is for certain.. fasting has been used as far back as time for many health and spiritual reasons and doing it carefully could have great benefits.

Fasting, Weight Loss and Intermittent Fasting are worth trying when done properly.

Quick, Healthy Recipes for Dinner

by Weight Loss - November 2, 2011

Quick, Healthy Recipes for Dinner

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You need quick, healthy recipes for dinner especially if you’re busy. One of the keys to successful weight loss is dinner. Dinner time is the meal that typically contains the most calories of all your meals and it will set the stage for your appetite for the rest of the evening as well. Satiety and the right nutrition combo at dinner will help you curb your overall calorie intake and decrease snack cravings.

Dinner time can be a hectic time for families. And that’s one of the reasons so many people make the wrong choices. Here are some ideas for quick and healthy recipes for dinner, making your life easier, making your belly full, and helping you lose weight.

Use Your Crockpot

Quick, Healthy Recipes Find healthy recipes for dinner that utilise the crockpot with 8 hour recipes. This can be a great timesaver as you can assemble everything the night before and pop the crockpot or crockpot liner in the fridge. In the morning just pop it on and when you arrive home after a hard day, you can have a healthy meal that’s ready for you and that doesn’t result in a sink full of dirty pots and pans.

Look for low fat and high nutrient content. Soups, stews, and casseroles that can be made in the crockpot can be great.

Make Once – Eat Twice Meals

Make healthy recipes for dinner such as hearty chili with lots of beans and peppers, stews, soups, and sauces that can stretch out over several meals. You can freeze batches for another day and make it easier to eat healthy despite being busy. This is also budget friendly, too.

Healthy Convenience Foods

Not all convenience foods are junk food. Quick healthy recipes for dinner can include things that are easier to prepare. Grocery stores make great healthy recipes for dinner that you can take home and heat and eat. Pre-made salads, pre-chopped vegetables, and lower fat convenience foods can be great time saving options too.

Plan Ahead

The best way to stay to a healthy eating plan is to decide at the start of the week what your next half a dozen healthy recipes for dinner will be. Plan the week out ahead of time so that you won’t be tempted to go off your plan. You can find a number of healthy recipe cookbooks and websites that will send you ideas for healthy recipes for dinner as well.

Tip: Know the nutrient content of your food. Most healthy recipes will list nutrient and calorie content. This will help you with putting together a healthy diet plan effectively, complete with the right portions.

Finally, choose a variety of Quick, Healthy Recipes for Dinner and you will keep your family trim and fit.

What is Wellness to You?

by Weight Loss - November 1, 2011

What is Wellness to You?

What is wellness? It means different things for different people but in general terms, it is defined as being in good mental and physical health.

Wellness typically refers to holistic health — a whole health approach.

Furthermore, wellness for many people isn’t about just not being sick. It’s also about being in a state of good overall health while actively working at improving health and longevity.

What is wellness to you might not be the same as what wellness is for others. We’ve all got varied health concerns based on our lifestyles today, on family history and other factors. Beyond being well today, wellness is about what will help you stay that way and ward of degenerative diseases in the future, too.

Therefore if you know your family is at increased risk for Cancer, Heart Disease, and other diseases, there are things you can do to increase your chances of staying healthy. As you explore and embrace the question, what is wellness, you’ll find areas that will appeal to you.

How Do You Embrace Wellness?

Wellness is about what makes you feel well, be well, and preventing illness. It’s most often considered to be a holistic approach to health. Instead of just treating problems as they arise, you work proactively to be healthy throughout your body.

What Is A Wellness Approach You Should Consider?

Consider quitting the things that are harming your health, increasing your physical fitness, reducing stress, and embracing a healthful mindset.

Quit smoking, recreational drugs, and limit alcohol use.

Eat healthy foods that help with hunger, nutrition, and vibrancy. Eat foods that help you feel well as well as boost your overall health. Consider detoxifying your body and working to remove toxins in your environment.

Exercise. A combination of exercises can help you feel wellness. What is a good exercise regimen? One that will burn calories, build strength, and energize you.

Get to an ideal weight range. Don’t focus on the pants size as much as the body mass index. Therefore the body mass index for your height will vary so you have some room and don’t have to be a size 0 but getting within a healthy BMI range will improve your wellness levels significantly.

What wellness is, for many, is maximizing your own potential for feeling good and living a long life. Especially relevant, it involves lifestyle changes, mindset changes, and being as vibrant as you can be. You’ll find many books and countless bits of information about health and wellness that can help you improve and optimize every facet of your life.

Finally, what is wellness is simply defined as a great outlook on physical and mental health.

Strength Training Exercises for Beginners

by Weight Loss - October 31, 2011

Strength Training Exercises for Beginners

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If you want to get fit and lose weight, strength training exercises are a great way to burn fat fast and to help you sculpt your body as you shed inches. The end result will be weight loss that has the pleasant side effect of you looking and feeling both good and strong.

Whether you’re male or female, you should be doing strength training exercises as a part of your weight loss and fitness regimen. There are a variety of strength training exercises you can do. Here are some suggestions for strength training exercises for beginners:

Bicep Curls
Lunges
Resistance Bands
Pilates

Let’s look at some of these popular strength training exercises a bit closer:

Bicep Curls

Do bicep curls with large or small weights, it is a great progressive exercise for beginners. Start small and increase the reps and when you’re comfortable, increase the weight.

Lunges

Lunges are a great way to build strength in your lower body and they can be done just about anywhere.

Resistance Bands

Use resistance bands, they are inexpensive pieces of exercise gear that work well in a variety of strength training exercises. Buy them with varying degrees of resistance, and they take up about the same amount of storage space as a jump rope.

Pilates

Strength Training Exercises for Beginners

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Pilates is an excellent strength training exercise that can focus on your core, on your arms, your legs, and can produce great results for your glutes as well.

Pilates offers a lot of results without extreme intensity. You can also do Pilates strength training exercises with just a short period of time.

Core Strength Secret:

Strength, in your mid-section, will serve you well in just about any exercise you do. Hold and release your abs repeatedly, even when doing nothing at all and you’ll build strength in this area. When doing any strength training exercises be aware of holding your core tight and you’ll increase results.

If you’re not sure where to start in terms of strength training exercises, it’s worthwhile to read books to get some starting ideas, purchase videos, or meet with a personal trainer.

In conclusion strength training, along with cardio workouts and a good diet will help you reach your health, fitness, and overall wellness goals.

Start off by warming up and by taking rests between sets. Over time you can increase your rep numbers as well as weights, if using weights as part of your strength training routine. Always be well hydrated and be careful about strength training exercises you’re unfamiliar with to avoid injury.