The Big FAT Lie

Over two thirds of Americans are over weight, and half of them are considered obese. Most of the remaining third of Americans are concerned about becoming overweight! While we are obsessed with avoiding food that is high in fat, America has the dubious distinction of its population having the highest percentage of overweight people of any nation in the world! England is number two!

One of the most common and harmful misunderstandings is the misinformation (lie) that we are fat because we eat too much fat. Though eating excess fat can contribute, the primary culprit for excess body fat and many degenerative diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes is NOT eating foods high in fat, but eating too much carbohydrates and sugar, and especially in combination with fat, such as French Fries and corn or potato chips. People on a high carbohydrate and low fat diet tend to be more unhealthy, carry more excess body fat and don’t live as long.

Putting the Brakes to Your Metabolism! 

What creates excess body fat, more than anything else, is a high RATIO of the carbohydrates to protein and fat, and especially certain types of carbohydrates that have a high conversion rate to fat. When the percentage of a meal (not just for the day) is higher in sugar or carbohydrates (a long chain of sugar molecules), much more of that food will be converted to fat instead of being burned as energy (calories). The effect of this is putting the brakes on your metabolism, which results in lower energy and greater storage of fat. Obviously, this is NOT what you want!

Plus this sets up a vicious cycle of over eating. Once the carbohydrates are converted to fat, you get a blood sugar drop, which makes you hungry for more carbohydrates. So you eat more to raise your blood sugar, and the whole vicious cycle repeats! Soon, you’ve gained weight, and feel even more like a failure.

According to the Glycemic Research Institute, many of the “fat-free” foods are much more fattening than they were before the fat was removed, because sugar has been added (and often disguised) to compensate for the low fat!

This is because carbohydrates and sugar, and especially certain carbohydrates, stimulate insulin production. Insulin directs your body to convert the food to fat and store it as fat instead of just burning it as energy. To measure this fat conversion and storage effect, foods are rated by what is called the glycemic index. The higher the index, the higher percentage of that food and the other foods eaten with it, will be converted to fat, regardless of the fat content of the food.

So for an example, eating high glycemic foods like baked potato, rice cakes, corn flakes or cooked oatmeal which are low in fat, is more fattening than eating a juicy beef steak or a bowl of ice cream!

High Fat Conversion Foods 

These are some common foods with their glycemic index numbers, that are especially high on this index, and thus stimulate fat storage:
Common sugar (sucrose)—92
Macaroni and cheese—92
Potatoes (mashed—100; French fries—107; baked—121; potato chips—high)
Corn—78; pop corn—79; corn chips—105; corn flakes—119
Pizza—86
White rice—83; brown rice—79
White and wheat bread—101
Cold cereals (most). E. g. Life—94; Grape nuts—96; Cheerios—106; Total—109
Cooked cereals (e. g. Cream of Wheat—100, oatmeal—87 (steel cut is less)
Bananas—77
Most juices and all drink mixes and soft drinks (97)
Desserts (ice cream—87); donuts—108
Fat-free bottled “lite” dressings (due to added corn syrup and maltodextrins).
High fructose corn syrup—89
Maltodextrins—150 (added to many foods, but deceptively not counted as sugar! )

Did you notice that some of these foods are worse than pure sugar? It is wise to eat these foods sparingly. And when you do eat these foods, balance the glycemic index for the whole meal by eating low index foods with them.

Fat Burning Foods 

Here are some of the foods that are rated as having a low glycemic index:
Fructose—32
Trutina Dulcem (a fruit sugar fifteen times sweeter than regular sugar)
“Super sugars” (glyconutrients)
Stevia—though not “approved” by the FDA as a sweetener, it is often used as such
High protein foods (e. g. fish, meat and eggs)
Most vegetables including sweet potatoes and yams
Beans—40
Salads—low
Avocado—low
Stone ground bread and sprouted grain—low
Barley—36
Rye—48
Most pastas—varies; spaghetti—59 (but very low nutritional value)
Berries—low
Cherries—32
Apples—54
Oranges—63
Peaches—60
Pears—53
Dairy products; whole milk—39 (there are other concerns mentioned previously)
Soy milk—43
Seeds and nuts—as low as 21 (peanuts)
Butter (in moderation—far superior to margarine)
Olive oil
Soy beans—25
Celery—very very low

There is one other huge advantage to using low glycemic foods besides weight control: longevity! According a study by T. Par entitled "Insulin Exposure and Aging Theory" in the Journal of Gerontology - 1997; 43: 182-200, high insulin levels, which result from consuming high glycemic foods, promotes accelerated aging. Both calorie restriction and a low glycemic index diet appear to be important for longevity, BUT a diet of low glycemic foods is even more effective than calorie restriction for longevity.

Click here for more information
Total Body Warmup

A Great Way To Spice Up Your Workouts -- Interval Training

There’s been a lot of buzz recently about interval training. So , you may be wondering what it really is and, more importantly, why you should incorporate it in your fitness workouts. Well, if you want a workout that can help propel you to the next fitness level, burn more calories, increase your speed, improve your power and more, then it’s time to learn more about this effective technique.
A simple definition of interval training is: short, high-intensity exercise periods alternated with periods of rest. These higher and lower intensity periods are repeated several times to form a complete workout. Here’s a basic example: walk for 5 minutes at 3. 5 MPH, walk for 1 minute at 4. 2 MPH and then repeat this sequence several times.
Most people spend their workout time only performing continuous training exercises. These are exercises where the intensity level is basically constant throughout. An example of this is walking at 3. 5 MPH, at 0% incline for 30 minutes.
Continuous training is very effective and should not be eliminated from your weekly workouts. However , it’s recommended that you include both interval training and continuous training sessions as part of your fitness regimen.
Why should you include interval training? As previously mentioned, there are many benefits to this type of training and execution is relatively simple. interval training can help you improve cardiovascular fitness, increase speed, improve overall aerobic power, burn more calories, break-through a plateau, increase workout duration, reach new exercise levels, expand your workout options and increase your workout threshold – just to name a few.
Plus, this training method has useful applications for beginners, intermediate exercisers and even conditioned athletes. There are two basic types of interval training. For the majority of exercisers (novices and intermediate) Fitness interval training methods are recommended. Athletes can choose a more advanced technique known as Performance interval training.
The Fitness training method utilizes periodic increases in intensity. Typically the higher-intensity levels range from 2-5 minutes in duration and are followed by lower-intensity periods that also range from 2-5 minutes. And, a critical element in Fitness interval training is determining the appropriate level for the higher-intensity periods. This level should not exceed the anaerobic threshold (which is usually reached below 85% heart rate reserve).
On the flip side, the Performance training technique involves periods of near maximal or even maximal intensity (e. g. >85% heart rate reserve – even reaching 100%). The higher-intensity levels can range from 2-15 minutes in duration and are followed by lower-intensity periods that also can range from 2-15 minutes in duration.
Don’t let the two types of training and their ranges confuse you. Incorporating interval training methods into your exercise routine is actually quite easy. Since the majority of exercisers fall into either the beginner or intermediate category, we’ll focus on getting started with those techniques.
To begin, choose the type of exercise: walking, jogging, swimming, biking, etc . Next determine your lower-intensity level. This is usually somewhere between 50-65% target heart rate. This will be your baseline, lower-level intensity. Then simply increase the intensity-level up to where you feel like you are working hard to very hard, but avoid reaching a level over 85% target heart rate. If monitoring your heart is not feasible, instead use the RPE scale where 1 is basically at rest and 10 is working extremely hard. For example , if you find that when you are exercising at a comfortable level you rank a 5, then bump up to a 7 for the higher-intensity intervals.
You may choose to systematically raise and lower your intensity (e. g. 2 minutes lower intensity followed by 1 minute higher intensity and repeat) or you can alternate more randomly by raising and lowering the level at your discretion. To increase your intensity, you may choose to change the speed, incline, or some other variable.
interval training can be especially helpful in situations where you are trying a new form of exercise. For example , this can be very beneficial when first learning to jog. If you attempt to jog continuously without building up to it, you will probably fatigue quickly and even give up. However , if you begin with intervals of walking interspersed with jogging periods, the workout will be much more enjoyable and effective. Also, you will be more likely to stick with the program and achieve the end result – continuous jogging.
Now that you know the benefits of interval training and the basic techniques for it, why not give it a try for yourself. Not only will it provide health benefits and improved fitness levels but it is also a great way to avoid workout boredom. Plus, with interval training workouts often are more enjoyable, go by quicker, and improvement results come faster. So why not try spicing up a stale, run-of-the-mill workout with Interval options? You may even find yourself excelling in an activity you were skeptical of even trying.

Craig Ballantyne Explains Fat Loss Interval Training

Interval Training for Fat Loss Not Aerobic Training

Announcing interval training for fat loss

 Forget long steady state aerobic training if you want to lose fat.
Why?

1. Its boring! Who really wants to spend half an hour or more running, cycling, rowing, etc .

 2. Your body will adapt to it! As you get fitter, it becomes harder to burn the same amount of calories as when you started exercising because your body adapts and becomes more efficient. So what do you do to burn the same amount of calories as you used to? Well if you continue with aerobic training the answer is either go for longer or do the same time quicker neither of which are particularly enjoyable.

 3. The fat burning zone or heart rate training doesn't work. Yes, you burn a higher percentage of fat at a sub-maximal intensity but the overall calories burnt are less than a higher intensity workout. (See the post below for more on Fat burning zone and heart rate training for fat).

 4. Sprinters have less fat than marathon runner.

 5. Yes, you burn calories whilst doing aerobic training however it may be detrimental to your muscle growth. As I've said many times before, the more toned you are the more calories you burn whilst sitting at home. Aerobic training is largely catabolic (breaking down), which can consequently reduce the development of muscle growth. Less muscle = lower calorie expenditure = lower fat loss.

  The answer? interval training

  Interval training is not aerobic exercise! Before I tell you what interval training is let me tell you what aerobic training is. Aerobic training (with oxygen) is exercise at a low or moderate intensity that can be maintained for a relatively large amount of time as long as oxygen is available for the muscles.

 Ok, so now let me tell you about interval training. This form of training is known as anaerobic training (little or no oxygen available). The key benefits of this training method are that it not only burns calories whilst you are doing it, it also burns more calories when you have finished as it revs up your metabolism for up to several hours afterwards, therefore helping you burn more calories through the day.

 So what exactly do I do when interval training?

 First off, choose an activity, running, rowing, etc . However , I recommend you do not do the same exercise every time. Remember your body will adapt! Try changing the machine or the activity every 2 sessions to avoid this.

 Once you have warmed up (5 mins) increase the intensity for 1 minute. This should be full out effort or as close to as possible (not recommended for those with heart problems). Think of a scale between 1-10, 10 being the most difficult, 9-10 is where you should be at this point. Once you have completed that slow down to a comfortable (5-6 out of 10) that you can maintain for 2 minutes. This is one bout, you should repeat this between 3-6 times depending on your level of fitness followed by 3 minute cool down. The total work out should be between 17-26 mins depending on how many bouts you do carry out.

 Remember, always check with your doctor before starting any exercise program. Now, go ahead, give it a go. You'll be pleasantly surprised by the results. Give me some feedback either way, thanks.

7 Killer Ways To Maximize Your Fat Burning In The Gym

Hey, we all want to shed some pounds and get back to the body that we had when we were younger and didn’t appreciate it but it takes discipline, planning, and dedication to make that happen. All too often people shed 10 or 15 pounds and then seem to stop losing weight. There is definitely a reason this happens and it should not be seen as failure or an excuse to give up on your weight loss goals. Here are 7 absolutely killer ways to maximize your fat burning routine and help ensure success with your weight loss goals.

1) Anaerobic exercise
If you think you can just run laps or pedal that fat away, think again. Muscle tissue is what burns the most calories in our bodies and you need to life weights in order to create bigger muscles that will burn more calories. Now although aerobic exercises such as cycling or swimming are also necessary, the fact remains that building bigger muscles is the best way to lose weight and keep it off. This is because you are creating a more efficient calorie burning machine by lifting weights which will ensure you succeeed with your weight loss goals.

2) Warm-up and Cool Down
Warming up before exercising and taking the time to cool down afterwards with some light exercises are not generally seen as essential to a fat burning program. However , the reason why a lot of people tend to give up on their weight loss goals is because they failed to see the progress they hoped for when they began. An injury, even one that only lasts for a few days, can set your weight loss goals back by weeks and lead to a loss of stimulation. You need to plan an extra twenty minutes into your weight lifting routine for these two essential activities or you risk injury and derailing your weight loss plan.

3) Diet, Diet, Diet
This should not be a killer way to maximize your weight loss goals but it is. The reason for this is because people tend to think of losing weight in two ways: diet, or exercise. Hey, these two go hand in hand and you are never going to maximize your fat burning routine in the gym unless you take care of your body outside of the gym. Stop thinking of meals in terms of three: instead, think 5 meals with smaller portions. The FDA recently developed a new food pyramid with this very idea in mind and you should check it out before starting your fat burning program because it can save you a lot of time and energy if you get the diet part figured out before even stepping into the gym.

4) Plan Workouts
The body is the most complex machine on the planet and you can’t just hope to step into a gym and jump on a machine or some weights and think that you are going to see the results you want without knowing how they affect your body. The ideal exercise routine is done only 3 or 4 times per week and only for 30-45 minutes at a time. You cannot work your body more than this because it will actually cause your muscles to break down which means you will be burning fewer calories, and therefore, not maximizing your fat burning routine in the gym. If you have any doubts about what kind of routine is ideal for your goals, don’t be afraid to consult a physical trainer to help you set up a program that is best suited for you.

5) Nutritional Supplements
If you really want to maximize your fat burning routine in the gym, then you need to consider using nutritional supplements. Now I am not talking about those crazy supplements that promise to burn fat for you while you sit and watch tv! I am talking about essential fatty acids, amino acids, whey protein…. things that will truly maximize your workouts that you can’t always expect to get in the foods you eat every day. Again, consult a physical trainer if you want to know which supplements are best for your weight loss goals.

6) Set Weekly Goals
I know that this just seems terribly obvious but the truth is that most people are not thrilled with the idea of working out so it is easy for them to skip a session or indulge in some pizza and think that they will make up for it next time. Listen, next time never comes and when you stop seeing the scales go down, the motivation just seems to stop. By setting weekly goals, you can track your progress and make it that much more likely that you will adhere to the goals when you see things are not going as expected.

7) No More Late Night Snacks
This one may not seem to make sense, but I assure you that it will help maximize your fat burning exercises. The reason is your metabolism. When you eat right before you go to bed, it throws your body off and you probably notice that you awaken and don’t feel hungry. Then, you skip breakfast entirely or only snack on a bagel or something on you way into work.
The result: the body goes into conservation mode. This means that it slows down your metabolism and that means you are burning less calories throughout the day. Plus, it increases the likelihood of snacking and basically just sets the scene for a bad cycle. Eating five smaller portioned meals per day also has to do with your metabolism as it has been found that metabolism remains highest when there is a consistent supply of food in the body. You might not believe that late night snacking affects the way your body burns fat when working out, but it does.

Now some of the things listed above are obvious while some just seem silly. And yet, taken together and consistently adhered to, these 7 little ideas will maximize your fat burning in the gym and get you to that body you can see in your mind but not the mirror far quicker than if you just go about things in a disorganized and inconsistent manner.


Free Belly Fat Burning Tips

Discipline….It is ALL GOOD

Motivation of the Day: “You've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction.”

Discipline & Determination are keys to success

That word…remember when we were kids and it was “oh no” in trouble…what will be my discipline this time. I look deeper into that word and how I live my life with discipline. It is discipline that has molded me into the woman that I am today. Today it is such a POSITIVE word and a big part of my success in looking the way I do, and having the drive to pursue my goals. Without discipline, I think my life would be completely different…..I could not imagine not having the discipline to work out, eat the way I do, and take care of myself overall. Let me share my examples of discipline…my workout appointment with myself and keeping it…NO MATTER WHAT, preparing my meals ahead of time so they are ready and with NO EXCUSES, sticking to my Stay Healthy life, remaining true to my philosophies in the face of social activities & foods, & follow through with promises to family & friends. YES….DISCIPLINE takes on a whole new level of WOW…this is a GOOD thing for me. Many times, this is a GO alone process and it should be for everyone, as I do not depend on things to happen for me…I MAKE THEM HAPPEN. This is all about the discipline to do it. Like this morning….a little hitch in the program, but I quickly restructured my day and although my workout time got pushed to a little later this morning, my goal will still take place and completing my other tasks as well…just in a different order. I am not one of those that will say…OH…it did not happen the way I planned (and yes this can be a disappointment), and throw in the towel and forget it. OH NO…It is the DISCIPLINED GIFT that I will apply and see the potential in the opportunity presented, push forward with planned tasks and still get that workout in. I am a woman of Discipline and this provides success for my Stay Healthy Life;)


My Workout of The Day: Watch the Video !!!

Back/Leg/Triceps focus repeated each Set 4 times


Set 1 – demo on video
Neg Pull ups 5 reps x 4 sets
Jump rope interval: 100 reps
Set 2
Low rows 35lbs @ 25 reps
Modified burpees @ 30 reps
Set 3
Leg Extensions 25lbs @ 25 reps
Hamstring curls 25lbs @ 25 reps
Lung Back Kick Fronts 25 reps
Set 4
Modified French Press 10lbs on bar @ 25 reps
Triceps Push Downs – 10lbs on cable @ 20 reps
Jump rope interval – 50 reps


My Nutrition for the Day:
Coffee….one cup please

We had these too!!! Love the Brussells

1- Powered up Steel Cut Oats (My favorite)    
2 – Post Workout Shake
3 – Left over spaghetti squash with lean turkey pasta sauce
4 – Sweet potato with 2 protein balls
5 – Grilled Shrimp & Chicken with Steamed Green Beans/Broccoli
6 –Protein Pudding


CHECK OUT THE FOOD BELOW: SPAGHETTI SQUASH COOKED IN MY CROCKPOT (3 HRS), LEAN TURKEY PASTA SAUCE, AND OUR LEAN PROTEIN SOURCE DINNER…GRILLED SHRIMP & CHICKEN!!!

Fabulous Grilled Shrimp & Chicken Breast!!! Under 30 minutes

Crock Spaghetti Squash...EASY!

Lean Turkey Pasta Sauce for Squash...YUM

IF YOU ENJOYED THE CONTENT, LIKE IT, AND LET ME KNOW BY POSTING A COMMENT!  STAY HEALTHY!

How Body Type Can Affect Your Body Building Success

By Kyle Peters

Bodybuilding can be a difficult sport at the best of times
but one way to improve your chances of success is to know
your body type. Knowing this will tell you how you are going
to respond to the weight training and exercise program and
allow any modifications necessary to increase your success.
Often it can be just a simple process of looking in a mirror
and studying your features to determine your type.

If you are tall and skinny then this would often mean you
would be classified in the group known as endomorphs. These
are classically hard gainers and if you fall into this group
and have already started a training program you will know
that no matter what you do, it is difficult to put on any
weight or muscle.

The major advantage of being in this group is that although
you may find it difficult to put on muscle it will also be
difficult to put on fat. What this means to you is that when
you do put on muscle mass it will be without a gain in fat
tissue which will leave you looking very ripped. In fact you
would not have to put on as much muscle to look bigger and
toned as you will have superb definition.

The next group are typically shorter, squat, heavier and are
naturally more muscular. These are commonly known as the
mesomorphs. Often they will claim to be able to put on
muscle just by looking at a set of weights!

For those with a mesomorphic physique then usually a less
intense workout program is required. The biggest hurdle to
face though is the issue of fat gain. As well as muscle,
these types can also easily put on fat. It is vital to
increase the proportion of protein intake in the daily
calories to try and overcome this.

The ideal amount of daily intake of protein for endomorphs
is around 2g per kilogram of body weight. It is also
important to increase general calorie intake to stimulate an
anabolic state.

Excellent gains can be achieved by both body types but those
with ectomorphic bodies will have to work harder in the gym
to stimulate muscle growth and will also have to increase
calorie intake. With mesomorphs it is important to be
careful about increasing fat levels and often, many will
find they end up cycling between bulking up and losing fat.

Kyle writes reviews on (http://www.rippedabsreview.com) how
to get ripped fast and does fitness articles such as the
(http://www.rippedabsreview.com/vince-delmonte-review.html)
Vince Delmonte review.

10 Real World Diet Tips That You Can Use

Are you tired of diet tips handed out by someone with apparently unlimited income and time? For some of us, it may just not be practical to spend half of our Sunday preparing carefully portioned meals for the rest of the week, or financially feasible to buy all our meals prepackaged in just the right portions. And there are those of us who cringe at the thought of weighing food to achieve 'optimal portion sizes'. Here are ten real life diet tips for the rest of us.

1. Eating out? Restaurant portions tend to be enormous, and if it's on the plate, we tend to eat it. If it's possible, order from the kid’s menu, where portions are more reasonably sized.

2. Keep healthy snacks around and easily accessible. A bowl of fruit on the kitchen table, a container of celery or carrot sticks in the refrigerator, or a couple of pop-open cans of fruit salad in your desk at work will help you grab for something healthy when those first hunger pains begin. In other words, you'll be more likely to grab something low-calorie and good for you if it's easy to eat.

3. Substitute frozen vegetables for canned. Canned veggies tend to be high in sodium, which you don't need, and low in real nutrition, which you do. Buy economy size bags with zip closures to make it easy to pour out a single serving for a meal.

4. Buy a vegetable steamer. Steaming is one of the healthiest ways to cook vegetables. The food retains nearly all of its natural nutrients instead of leaching it out into the cooking water. Even better, it makes your veggies taste great - which means you'll be more likely to eat them instead of filling up on fatty foods that pack on weight.

5. Never eat standing up. One of the easiest ways to sabotage your diet is to 'eat without thinking'. Treat eating with the respect that it deserves. Fix yourself a plate. Sit down and eat properly. You'll be less likely to just pop food into your mouth without paying attention.

6. Spread your meals out. When you eat three meals a day, your body tends to store whatever it doesn't need right that moment. By adopting a 'grazing' habit, you'll keep your metabolism working throughout the day. Have a small breakfast, a piece of fruit with crackers or toast at mid-morning, a light lunch and an 'after school snack' mid-afternoon. Just remember that you're breaking up the same amount of food into smaller meals, not ADDING more food into your daily diet.

7. Grab a fruit juice or flavored water instead of soda. Soda is nothing but empty calories. No nutrients, lots of sugar. Instead, grab a bottle of 100% fruit juice, or water flavored with a spritz of fruit.

8. Drink water. Even the FDA recommends at least 8 full 8 ounce glasses of water a day to keep your body working right. When you're dieting, you should drink even more. It's not just that full feeling - water helps your body digest foods properly and cleans out your system.

9. Can't afford a gym membership? Make a pact with friends to exercise together. Make a date at least three times a week to play volleyball, take a walk or spend half an hour doing something active.

10. Skip the potato chips. Fatty snacks fried in hydrogenated oil like potato chips contribute fat and calories and not much else. Instead, grab a handful of dried fruit or a cup of yogurt for the same amount of calories and a lot more nutritional benefits.

How To Lose Weight Without Starving

By Travis Van Slooten

This isn't some kind of smoking mirrors gimmick or the
latest spin from a money-making junk mail expert. It really
is possible for you to drop excess pounds without the need
to follow a restricted diet.

It doesn't mean however that you also have the liberty to
indulge in whatever food you want. So let's get down to
business and talk about how you can get the pounds off
without having to starve yourself.

Even if you are trying to lose some weight, you still need
to eat. Rather than starve yourself what you need to do is
to learn to recognize the signals that your body gives out
when it's actually hungry. The skill of getting your eating
habits under control is where the magic of weight loss
really lies.

There are three different categories that individuals can
fall into when it comes to eating patterns. Which one do you
fit into? Identify it and you'll find your weight issues are
much easier to understand.

You eat when:

You're hungry?

If you are, then good for you. However, you should also be
able to recognize the signs of satisfaction that your body
sends. Knowing when to eat and then when to stop is key to
developing healthy eating habits and subsequently, weight
loss. Even if you don't have any limit to the type of foods
you eat, as long as you just take in enough food that the
body can burn, there's no reason why you should keep on
packing the pounds. Add a few minutes of exercise into your
daily routine and watch the pounds go away.

You think you want to eat

This type of eater is one who is more likely to gain weight
than losing it. For those hoping or needing to achieve
weight loss, eating just for the enjoyment of it or whenever
there is good food to be had should be a big no-no. The
desire to eat may always be there and can be triggered
easily by different factors including stress, inactivity,
loneliness, the sight of delicious food, and other
activities. And because the body did not signal that it
needed the food, your unused intake will only be converted
to excess body fat.

Your diet tells you to?

Some individuals are on the perennial diet. And while one
may be able to maintain the ideal weight using that
strategy, being constantly on a diet doesn't make for a
healthy lifestyle. Individuals who fall under this category
may constantly feel deprived. And even if he is eating the
right foods, there is little enjoyment to it. What's worse
is that he may feel the need to stay away from social
gatherings with family and friends to avoid the temptation
of foods that are "forbidden." Weight loss shouldn't come at
such expense.

Which group do you mainly fall into? If you're in group 1,
then you're doing great. If you're in group 2 or 3, then you
must consider what you can do to change your eating habits.
Start to listen to your body and know what a hunger pang
feels like. That's the signal that's time to eat. If you can
master this, and the ability to stop eating when you know
your body is satisfied, then you will discover the true
magic of weight loss!

If you still find it difficult to keep the hunger pangs and
food cravings under control, discover how
(http://hoodiaandweightloss.com/) hoodia diet pills can help
you lose weight! Find the best-rated hoodia available and
know the truth about what concerns you may have on
(http://hoodiaandweightloss.com/information-on-hoodia/hoodia-side-effects/)
hoodia gordonii side effects.

Want To Get Rid Of Your Belly Fat? 3 Effective Solutions

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 article 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".

Tip 1 - Avoid "quick fix" diets that promise overnight
results.

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 than 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 push ups

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!

Tanapon Laohaniwatworn will give you the gut honest truth
about weight loss and the best and worst ways to go about
shedding those extra pounds. If you are anxious about
burning of those dreaded pounds learn about the extreme
benefits and side effects of
(http://www.bukisa.com/articles/88833_clenbuterol-weight-loss)
Clenbuterol Weight Loss.

Ab Machines - Do They Actually Work?

By Tom Leverson

One of the frequent questions I often get asked is, do the
ab cruncher exercise machines you often see on television
actually work? Yes and no is the answer to that question. I
know this is not particularly useful but let me explain.

These machines exercise the different layers of ab muscles.
The idea is that these machines will stimulate the abs muscles
to enlarge. However, they will not necessarily give you a set
of rippling, muscular, lean abs. The reason being is that to
get a set of ripped abs you will need to get rid of that layer
of fat tissue that overlays the abs.

Ab crunchers will not normally remove the fat focally over
the abs. Performing hundreds or thousands of sit ups will
not get rid of this layer of fat tissue for the exact same
reason. The only way to do this is by lowering calorie
intake and burning excess calories, therefore reducing fat
content all over the body.

Adding an aerobic exercise regime to your exercise program
is the most effective way to burn off these calories. Also,
exercises that use the big muscles of the body such as the
quadriceps are great at burning calories.

The quadriceps are the big thigh muscles located at the
upper part of the legs. A good exercise to stimulate the
quads is squats. Due to the fact that they produce so much
heat and burn a large amount of calories means they are
great to help weight loss. They also stimulate the body's
natural growth hormone production therefore encouraging
muscle growth which is good for building those abdominal
muscles.

The most common aerobic exercises are rowing, running,
swimming and cycling. For burning fat it is best to do these
exercises over a long period of time.

Used on their own these machines won't get you a set of
visible rippling abs. You have to do fat busting exercises
as well. Great ab development can be had in as soon as
twelve weeks if you apply this advice consistently.

Tom writes articles about the
(http://vincedelmontereview.com) Vince Delmonte fitness
program which you can read about in his
(http://vincedelmontereview.com/vince-delmonte-review) Vince
Delmonte review.

Lose Weight Fast - 3 Crucial Things You Should Know

By Chloe Bishop

Most people nowadays are looking for fast and easy ways to
lose weight. We long to have lean, toned and attractive
physique and yet we are not willing to work for it.

This overwhelming demand for easy ways to lose weight fast
is exactly what's fueling the scams that many diet and
weight loss companies are perpetuating.

Do these sound familiar:

"Simply peel and stick to burn fat and lose weight!" (ad
selling diet patches)

"This product will change your body in 4 minutes a day!"

"Forget about long, difficult exercises! We have a range of
treatments and surgeries to make you lose weight..."

"Take this pill, go to bed... wake up skinny! It's magic!"

If you really think about it - can you honestly believe
their promises are true?

Out of desperation, many people actually buy into these
fantasies of a quick, easy, and miraculous physical
transformation.

Sure they are just doing their jobs - but don't you think
you deserve to make a well-informed and educated purchasing
decision?

They say when it sounds too good to be true, then it
probably is. So before you fall for any of the hype again,
remember these 3 things being kept from you by most
marketers of quick fix weight loss solutions:

1. "Weight loss" is not necessarily beneficial.

Most (if not all) body wraps, slimming teas, and toning
creams work mainly by eliminating water from your body.

Losing water changes nothing about how much body fat you
have. Remember that your body is 75% water. It's sick that
their strategy for making you lose weight is by dehydrating
you.

But you gotta hand it to them - dehydration IS an easy way
to lose weight fast! Clever, indeed.

Losing weight by dehydrating yourself is obviously
ineffective, and the weight loss effect hardly lasts.
Buying these miracle cures is just like patching up a hole
on your shirt - it may patch up the hole, but it doesn't
make you look good nor solve the problem.

2. Starving yourself actually makes you fatter!

Another "easy ways to lose weight fast" solutions are pills
and potions designed to make you lose appetite. An extremely
low-calorie diet can work in the short term, but over a
prolonged period of time, our body's starvation response
mechanism kicks in, ultimately causing our bodies to hoard
fat.

When you starve yourself, you may lose weight at the start
due to the big calorie deficit, but eventually your body
thinks it's starving to death so it switches to survival
mode. When this happens, it burns off your muscles for fuel,
conserves energy by decreasing your metabolism and - horror
of horrors - keeps your body fat.

Is that what you really want?

3. Many quick fix solutions don't work for the long-term.

Of course, when you DO lose weight through bogus means and
by using ineffective products, in order to keep losing
weight you're made to think you have to keep consuming their
products. And that's exactly what marketers and vendors are
training you to do: to keep buying their stuff!

Considering this reason alone, you may want to ask yourself
if it's really worth it.

Conclusion

The problem with weight loss is that losing weight could
mean just losing water or muscle. So instead of having
weight loss as your goal, aim for fat loss instead.

An truly effective fat loss program includes the right
combination of personalized nutrition, exercise and mental
training.

Using natural methods, you may need to pay a higher price
with your sweat and resilience to see results, but the
benefits are worth it.

The truth is that there are no magical and miraculous
solutions that can instantly give us the body we want. If
there are, then why is obesity a continuously growing
problem?

Recommendation

Many people fail to lose fat effectively because they don't
know what to do or how to do it. I say that the best way to
to find out what works for you is by educating yourself
using reliable sources and applying the principles you've
learned.

The best resource I've found about fat-burning and muscle
building is Tom Venuto's Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle
program.

I myself have used Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle, and while
the results had been remarkable (I reached my target of 15%
body fat within 84 days), what really worked for me was the
whole process of how I succeeded. When I read Burn the Fat,
I finally 'got' it, and from then on I was unstoppable. I
had everything I needed to make it work: the motivation, the
knowledge, and a proven way to find my very own fat loss
formula.

You can learn more about Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle
program at (http://www.burnfatgainmuscle.info) Burn Fat Gain
Muscle website here.

7 Tips On How To Easily Lose Weight And Get Fit

You might end up thinking, "That could not probably make enough of a difference.And I'd feel silly doing it." First, the longest journey starts with a single step. And second, would you rather feel stupid being fat and unfit or doing something about it? I thought so. Here are 7 tips to change your life.

Diet Tip 1 : Move. Twiddle your thumbs. Squeeze one of those little exercise balls while you watch television to burn energy and tone your arms at the same time. Take that more distant parking spot. Even if you have physical restrictions, you can tailor a program to your requirements. Move whatever you can, whenever and wherever you can. And just think - laughing is good exercise. It’s like jogging on the inside.

Diet Tip 2 : Portions and Proportions. Concentrate on portion sizes according to the eating plan you select. Use a smaller size plate – don’t supersize it! Use some of the simple guidelines like “3 oz. of protein is about the size of your palm or a deck of playing cards” or “one serving of rice is the size of a tennis ball”.

Diet Tip 3 : Substitute low calorie Density Foods for High. Select foods with low cal density foods that have less calories relative to their weight. If you decrease the energy density of your diet, caloric intake will decline, says Barbara Rolls, professor of nutritive sciences at Pennsylvania State School and co-writer together with Robert Barnett of The Volumetrics Eating Plan. Foods like fruit and vegetables and salad greens and broth. The magic ingredient these foods possess is water! Water has zero calories, so the more volume represented by water, the less room there is for calories. Water also creates a feeling of fullness, helping one to eat less.

Diet Tip 4 : Be conscious of What You Eat. Keep a food diary and be honest, because no one but you is going to see it. Don't forget the spoon that you licked while putting away the left-overs or the sampling ( s ) you had while changing the seasoning. It will help you determine your eating habits. Keep it long enough and patterns begin to appear.

Diet Tip 5 : Eat More Slowly. This allows your body the several minutes it takes to signal your brain that it is full.

Diet Tip six : Try New herbs and spices in the place of Butter and Salt. When food tastes different or more flavorsome, we have a tendency to savor it more and eat slower.

Diet Tip 7: Add Variety. Along the same lines, The American Dietetic Association recommends increasing variety. Often adding a single new food to your diet can end boredom and increase nutrition.

Do you have any tips you feel should be added to the above that you have successfully applied to change your health?

10 Ways To Increase Your Potassium Intake

By Daniel Jackson

Many people wonder why potassium is so important. The fact
is that your body would suffer terribly if you were to ever
have a deficiency. The first to suffer would be your heart,
it simply cannot function without it. A lack of potassium
would damage your cellular process and make you feel really
weak. Try not to ever get to the point of a potassium
shortage.

With the importance of potassium out of the way, lets get
down to how best to increase your intake.

1. Nuts and seeds have very high concentration of potassium
so eat as much nuts as you can, that should give you a good
dose to last you for the day.

2. If eating nuts is an issue then your next best bet would
be to eat a bowl of cereal which is high in potassium such
as bran flakes. While it might not seem palatable it does
work.

3. Eat some muesli and you won't have to eat the nuts or
seeds and you can definitely avoid the bran flakes.

4. Between breakfast and/or lunch, have a handful of dried
fruits. They are very high in potassium.

5. You can also mix dried fruits into a food of your choice
such as a salad where something sweet wont be noticed too
much.

6. Do you like raisins? If you do that's great news as they
are very high in potassium content and could be another
source.

7. Do you like baked potatoes? Then you're in luck, they are
very high in potassium content and a single baked potato
will go a long way in terms of your daily intake. This does
not mean that you should be mixing it with anything else like
sour cream or cheese etc. Just the baked potato.

8. This might taste a bit unusual but the Cuban delicacy of
boiled plantains is a great source of potassium.

9. Whole wheat pasta and tomatoes are another great source
of potassium.

10. If you like sardines then that's yet another option.

Feeling motivated to increase your potassium intake?
Considering that twenty percent of Americans have
acute potassium deficiency and we all know where that can
lead to. Make the change today and get healthy.

Find out more about
(http://fatlossschool.com/blog/potassium-rich-foods/) Foods
High in Potassium at the (http://fatlossschool.com/blog/)
Fat Loss School.

Fast Weight Loss is Bad Weight Loss

By Morgan Vernelli

You've seen the advertisements and you've heard the miracle
claims:

Lose twenty pounds in one week!

Drop four dress sizes in fourteen days!

Lose fat and build muscle without doing any exercise!

Most fat diets and diet supplements make the same outrageous
claim: You'll lose weight fast. And in today's society of
quick-fixes, most of us are willing to jump at a chance to
get rid of our flab in a mere 48 hours - especially if it
doesn't require any work! In fact, most of us wish we had
lost the weight yesterday!

But most health experts agree that fast weight loss is bad
weight loss. Instead, they recommend that people lose weight
at about a rate of 1 to 2 pounds per week. And though this
may not seem like a speedy rate of weight loss especially
when compared to some of the outrageous claims made by diet
companies, a 2-pound-per-week loss of fat would mean you'd be
24 pounds lighter in just twelve weeks!

Sure, it would be great to lose those 24 pounds in just one
week. But it's not a good idea. Here's why:

It's impossible to sustain that rate for the long haul.
No matter why you're losing weight so quickly whether it's
diet, exercise or a supplement it's impossible to sustain
that kind of major weight loss rate for the long haul.
Eventually, you'll only lose a few pounds a week. And your
weight loss may even stall or plateau. For many folks,
especially people who have achieved big successes initially,
this can cause a rebound of returning to old habits.

The weight won't stay off anyway. Studies have found that
people who lose weight quickly almost always gain it back
again. There are exceptions, of course. But in general,
losing weight fast is a pretty good indicator that you'll
one day be wearing those pounds again. On the other hand,
folks who have managed to successfully lose weight and keep
it off are likely to have lost the pounds gradually over
time.

It's bad for your health. Dramatic and fast weight changes
like losing lots of weight very quickly stresses your body,
your heart and your immune system. And, since you're likely
to put that weight back on again, you could start a cycle of
yo-yo dieting that will negatively affect your overall
health. Losing weight slowly, however, allows your body to
adjust to the changes gradually, which lessens the stress it
endures when you're dieting and following an exercise
program.

It may be tempting to try a fad diet or extreme exercise
program in order to lose weight quickly. But the healthiest
method which is also likely to be more successful in the
long haul is to take off the pounds gradually and slowly.

Morgan Vernelli will give you the gut honest truth about
weight loss and the best and worst ways to go about shedding
those extra pounds. If you are anxious about losing those
dreaded pounds learn about the extreme benefits and side
effects of
(http://www.bukisa.com/articles/88833_clenbuterol-weight-loss)
Clenbuterol Weight Loss.

Weight Loss - A Few Success Tips

By Marilyn Roberts

Not every diet or exercise plan will suit everyone. So you
need to find the one that works for you. You will likely
have to try different diets and programs before you find the
one that pays off for you.

The downfall for a lot of dieters is when their high weight
loss expectations are not met and they give up. Choose a
realistic goal and separate it into easily reachable
increments. As an example: if you want to lose 20 pounds,
then set up a schedule of losing one pound a week for 5
months. This isn't fast weight loss but a pound a week is
pretty easy to do so you have less chance of being
disappointed and giving up.

Some people like to exercise when they are dieting and this
certainly helps. Even if you do not like to exercise, you
could at least try walking.

If you don't want to go outside you can buy walking tapes
where you just walk in place in front of your TV screen.
Even 15 minutes of walking every day can make a significant
difference in your weight loss efforts.

If you know that you are going to be eating out on a certain
date and you know you will not be sticking to your diet,
plan for it. One easy way to do this is to have an all fruit
day on the day before you eat out or on the day after you
eat out.

Give yourself permission to eat as much fruit as you want,
but don't eat anything else. If it is going to really be a
diet buster meal, you could eat only fruit the day before
and the day after your meal out. This way you won't feel
guilty while you are enjoying your meal out. If you plan it
right you can have your cake and eat it too!

Reward yourself when you have reached a certain goal, such
as your pound a week, but don't go overboard. Just pick
something to eat that normally you cannot have while on a
diet. This will help you keep going. If you give up
everything you like, chances are you will not stay on your
diet. If you can look forward to that little treat, such as
your favorite candy bar, your dieting will be much more
tolerable and easier to maintain.

These were just a few tips to help you stay on your diet and
have weight loss success. You need to individualize your
dieting methods as only you know what is tolerable for you
and what you will actually stick to.

Want A Lean, Ripped Body? Here's How

By Joshua Owen

Who knows how to get a ripped six pack and a muscular body
to go along with it? Do you? Building muscle and burning fat
is a huge mystery to the world. People are unhealthier and
fatter than ever in today's world. Let me tell you how to
fix the problem...

Here's a list of 6 things you must do to get a ripped, lean,
and muscular body:

1) Weightlifting

The purpose of weightlifting is to build muscle and
strength. If you're lifting weights to burn calories, you've
got it all wrong. Lift weights to get stronger and build
muscle. When you do, your body will begin to transform.

2) Nutrition and Diet

You must eat only the best sources of food and the perfect
amounts of those foods in order to build muscle and burn fat
as quickly as possible. The correct combination of foods at
the correct times throughout the day is a MUST.

3) Cardio Exercise

You should be doing aerobic exercise for at least 3 sessions
of 30 minutes each and every week. You life depends on it.
Your body depends on it. Cardiovascular exercise helps burn
body fat and keeps you lean and muscular all year round.

4) Recovery and Rest

You build muscle when you're resting not while you're in the
gym. Proper sleep, decreasing stress, soft tissue massage,
weighted stretching, and some other special techniques will
have you building muscle and burning fat optimally.

You don't want to underestimate what I say concerning rest and
recovery. You don't want all your efforts going to waste,
right?

5) Tracking, Measuring, Adjusting

Your body adapts to anything you do. Most programs only work
for a few weeks. That's it! So, you need a program that
shows you how to make adjustments to what you are doing so
you continue to get results.

You must track and measure your results. When you notice
your results starting to slow, you must make adjustments.
This could be a weight training change, a diet change, or
something else. You've got to know what to change and when
to change it.

6) Planning and Goal Setting

You've got to learn how to make your mind work with you and
never against you. Have you ever thought to yourself, "I'll
never lose this fat," or "I'll never be able to build
muscle"? If you have, you've let your mind take control and
that's one reason you've never reached your goals.

When you learn how to do that, your mind will help you reach
each and every one of your goals. And just wait for the
results! You'll be amazed.

Follow the above 6 steps and watch your dream body become a
reality.

Implement all of the above correctly, and your results will
be so fast that you'll be smiling each and every day. This
stuff really works.

If you want more details on each of the 6 steps I've listed
above, you'll want to see the link below. I've developed a
new muscle building and fat burning system guaranteed to
work faster than anything you've ever seen.

Learn
(http://www.weight-lifting-complete.com/wlc-program.html)
how to build muscle and burn fat with a step-by-step guide.
(http://www.weight-lifting-complete.com) Weight lifting is
just one of the steps you need to take to build a great
body.

How To Maximize Your Weight Loss Results

Most of us want to lose weight and get fit. Starting an
exercise program or joining a gym always seems like a great
first step but if you have ever spent any time at a gym you
will notice that not everybody there makes progress on his
or her fitness goals. It is not being at the gym that helps
you to get fit but it is how hard you work at fitness that
makes the difference.

You are going to have to break a sweat in order to see any
real results from an exercise program. You will need to get
your heart rate into the training zone and make sure that it
stays there for a time. There have been some studies in the
past that have shown that exercising for longer periods of
time at a lower intensity will actually burn more fat than
carbohydrates. However good that sounds unfortunately it
does not translate to fat loss.

Burning fat as you exercise is important but not nearly as
important as just burning calories. For example if you are
doing a cardio workout and you keep your heart rate at the
lower ranges for 60 minutes you may burn 350 calories but if
you do that same 60 minute workout and add in some high
intensity interval training or HIIT, you will burn closer to
750 to 1000 calories. So which one will help you lose the
most weight?

High intensity interval training is extremely effective for
fat loss. The idea is to get your heart rate into the target
heart training zone and then for 30 to 60 second intervals
work really hard and raise your heart rate to the higher
ends of the zone and then let it come back down to the lower
ends and repeat a few times. If you do high intensity
interval training you can even cut your workout time by half
or more and still burn more calories and have more success.

In order to determine your target heart rate training zone,
take your age and subtract it from 220, then take that
number and multiply it by 60% and 80%. This gives you a
target heart-training zone. In order to see the best results
you will need to keep your heart rate in that zone while you
are doing your workout.

Another important aspect to losing weight and maximizing
your fat loss at the gym is to lift weights. The fact is
that in order to burn the most calories by just living
everyday you must have more muscle. Muscle is biologically
active and it helps your body to burn more calories just by
being there. Fat is basically an inactive substance and it
does not help your body burn any calories at all.

Exercise is important but you won't see any results from an
exercise program unless you also have a good diet. Abs are
built in the kitchen, not at the gym. Making sure that you
consume a healthy and nutritious diet is undoubtedly the
most important aspect of any fitness program. You will never
see results unless you follow a healthy diet, no matter how
much you exercise.

If you want to maximize your fat loss the most important
fundamentals should be to incorporate some HIIT into your
cardio routine, start a good weight-training program and
improve your diet. If you do all of these basic things you
will see results quite quickly.