Find a Weight Loss Program That Works

More than deadlines to meet and clients to satisfy, the pressure to look good is far more intense these days. Women hanker after hourglass figures and men need to be Greek Gods. It is no wonder that every second person on the street is on a weight loss diet. Weight loss diet is the topic of conversation in public places, private parties, on buses and cabs, by the beach and the dinner table.

Before you fall in to any form of weight loss diet, few issues need to be sorted out. Embarking on a diet to lose weight doesn't mean indiscriminate slashing of calories. It is true that you need to cut down on the calories but at the same time, you cannot compromise on your nutritional intake.

Getting rid of unwanted extra pounds is never easy but many of us make is harder than it really is. Skipping meals and radically cutting calories will yield temporary results but you can achieve long term weight loss if you choose a slower approach. Basically, you need to eat to lose weight.

People go to great lengths to diet. Although there is disagreement on how to lose weight most effectively, nearly everyone wants to do it. From the skinny to the hugely obese, the desire to lose weight is one of the biggest common factors for almost all Americans. Yet there are few people who approach it in the correct way. They try fad diets, exercise programs, supposedly effective weight loss pills, and all kinds of other trends. None of them take the simple step of eating to lose weight. If you eat to lose weight, you will, and that is that. Why make it difficult for yourself?

I know you're probably thinking that eating is what added the extra pounds in the first place. However, the kinds of foods along with a lack of exercise are more of a source of trouble than the actual act of eating. When you eat to lose weight you will find that you can take in more food and feel satisfied throughout the day.

There are several commonsense strategies to eat to lose weight. Although designing the perfect diet to lose weight can be a science, eating to lose weight is easy. You do not have to perfectly calculate how many carbohydrates, how much fat, how much fiber, and how much sugar you can have. You simply eat healthily. When you eat to lose weight, you reduce your portion size, eat much fiber is possible, cut down on fatty foods and sweets, and drink plenty of water. Combined with a healthy exercise routine, you will be losing weight in no time. Who wants to count calories when you can make things simple for yourself? All it requires is self-control and some perseverance. Everyone can do that in order to eat to lose weight, can't they?

There are representatives from all the food groups in an ideal weight loss program to ensure that all forms of nutrients enter your body. So there are actually not many don'ts in a weight loss diet. However, you need to maneuver clear of junk, fried and fast foods, chocolates, candies, cakes and aerated drinks.

So how do you eat to lose weight? The first thing you want to do is slow down. You are more likely to overeat if you scarf your meals down too quickly. You have to give your stomach enough time to tell your brain that it is full. I know it sounds silly but it does take time to process this information.

Choose whole foods. When you eat to lose weight, you are best off picking foods that are not processed. The more stuff that is done to the food, the more fattening it is likely to be. Natural foods are best and they take a little longer to eat. Raw veggies and fruits have to be chewed well and this takes more time than ingesting a piece of cheesecake.

You should not only eat to lose weight but drink to drop pounds as well. You have probably heard about the eight glasses of water each day so I won't lecture. Water is life and in your diet to lose weight, water should be the backbone. Water flushes out the toxins from your body and revitalizes you. Deprive your self of water and you will soon find your entire mental as well as physical states in mess. Drinking a nice, hot cup of tea can be as satisfying as a couple of cookies but it won't add the pounds.

It is important to remember that many beverages can work against your weight loss efforts. If you eat to lose weight but drink as if you don't have a care in the world, you probably won't see very good results. Instead of drinking a glass of apple juice, just drink the apple. The sugar content in the juice is really concentrated and it's almost like eating three or four apples.

In order to curb your appetite you might want to consider eating a handful of almonds about 20 minutes before your next meal. This is a great way to eat to lose weight because your brain is being told that you are receiving nutrients. Remember that you need to nourish your body in order to keep the pounds at bay.

Of course, when he first decide to eat to lose weight, it can be a little bit difficult to really make things work. You see, the biggest pitfall of this strategy is that it is so easy to trick yourself. You can convince yourself that this one snack doesn't matter, that one treat is alright, or that your portion is smaller than it is. Deciding to eat to lose weight requires constant vigilance. You have certain luxuries when you use this strategy - you do not have to count calories, measure things out, or stick to a rigorous plan. Instead, you have to always apply your common sense and be honest with yourself. This can be a lot harder than it sounds or else everyone would be doing it. Nevertheless, you really have to try it. Learning to eat to lose weight is the best lifelong strategy for dieting. Otherwise, you'll be in a constant struggle of binge and purge. As soon as you lose weight, you will be tempted to go off your diet again. Then you will gain the weight again and have to start all over.

The path to perfect figure is waylaid with temptations in the form of fad diets, single food diets, protein and liquid diets. Each one claims to be a fast weight loss diet. There are no shortcuts to losing weight and their tall claims should be taken with a pinch of salt. The perfect weight loss diets aims to keep you healthy while endowing you with a flattering figure. And learning self-control now is the best solution!

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Things You Must Avoid To Lose Weight Faster

Trying to lose weight is to struggle in itself. If we inadvertently take in the wrong things, those things could slow down or jeopardize our efforts to lose weight. Let us look at what things you must avoid to help you lose weight faster.

We are bombarded with desires and advertisements that want us to abandon our weight-loss efforts even though it is not in our best interest.

Those promotional efforts that bombard us are usually also trying to sell us the very things that we need to avoid.

The first thing to avoid when trying to lose weight is alcohol. Alcohol is bad for you in more than one way when you're trying to lose weight.

Alcohol is known for diminishing your inhibitions and undermining your willpower. When you have alcohol in your system, you are far more likely to give in and eat the foods that will cause you to gain weight as opposed to lose weight.

In addition to that, certain types of alcohol also contain carbs that are very difficult for your body to convert into energy. These carbs are usually converted straight into fat cells.

The next thing you need to avoid is additional sugar in your diet.

If you add sugar to your diet this additional sugar reduces the sensitivity of your cells to insulin. When that happens the sugar goes to your liver where it is converted into fat, instead of heading to your muscles where it is converted into energy.

Depending on how serious you are about your weight-loss, you also need to avoid fatty foods and oily foods.

These foods jeopardize your weight-loss efforts by giving your body too much fat. Your body does need some fat for functioning at its optimal level.

You do not need to refrain from eating anything that contains fat. You just need to keep it to the moderate and low side.

If you avoid these things your weight-loss effort might still not be easy but it will be a little easier.

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Developing Weight Loss Motivation

Motivation plays a very significant role in the successful completion of any uphill task that we take up in our life. It acts as the booster to help us carry on when the going gets really tough. Motivation levels keep on fluctuating as it may seem to be skyrocketing one day or going below the grave on the other. Weight loss is considered to be one such job where if you lack motivation then you are certain to fail. The motivation level often changes with our feelings. For instance, if you wake up in the morning feeling really down then it is sure that you are going to give your workouts a miss, but if you feel great after waking up then two extra sets of push seems to be a joyride. This is the difference that the motivation level can make! Hence, it is very important that one creates a system through which the weight loss motivation can be maintained. Developing weight loss motivation will give a complete new twist to the way you approach your workout sessions or the foods that you eat.

The motivation levels are already at a high when you decide that you are going to lose weight by following a particular exercise or diet plan. As the days pass the motivation levels keep going down and finally when it completely gets eliminated, you come back to your old unhealthy lifestyle. In order to maintain the level of motivation you can try out the following development procedure tips:

a)      Accept what you are:  

Accepting what you are is the most important thing in developing a high weight loss motivation level. People often tend to make the mistake of following the looks that are presented in the visual and print media. Make one thing clear to yourself: It is not possible to get a Brad Pitt like body overnight. You have to work hared for the same and the whole process would be time consuming. So you must have the patience for dealing with these types of feelings. You need to hit yourself with the reality that it is not possible to look as handsome as Johnny Depp or as beautiful as Kierra Knightly, but you definitely can look like a fit "You". Tell yourself that you have to get the best out of your body; you need to look slimmer and feel good. This is the reason why you have been working so hard. "Love thyself" is the mantra to up the ante against your ugly looking body fat.

b)     Gather all the positives: 

 This is the second phase for developing weight loss motivation. Here you need to focus on your positives and look at the brighter side of the weight loss program. Find out all your good points and even better if you can note down the same. This will do a world of good to your self esteem and you are going to enjoy your body and looks like never before.    

Your motivation is a mental state and this can be enhanced with effort.

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5 Tips to Find Your Sport

When it comes to sports, the options are endless. From tennis and golf to running and cycling, there's something for almost everyone. But, how do you choose a sport that fits your personality? To help you figure this out, we asked a series of fitness and lifestyle experts. Here's what they told us.

Before jumping into a sporting activity, consider your physical goals and limitations. Karkoska recommends taking an honest look at what your body is prepared to do. “Do you want something that will make you sweat or would you be happy with minimal movement? Can your joints take a high-impact sport that involves running or should it be something lower impact like swimming or cycling?” asks Karkoska. Consulting with a physician should always be a priority before starting this or any sports or exercise regimen, particularly if you have any pre-existing health conditions.

Many sports offer instant gratification while others unfold over a longer period of time. Consider your preferences with rewards when choosing a sport. “Many people are more strongly motivated by small, short-term goals,” said Simpson. Walking and running allow you to run a 5k or longer whenever you wish with immediate success. Tennis, rowing and handball also allow you to feel an immediate rush of competition. Simpson noted that sports like soccer, baseball and basketball offer more long term awards since the success is felt at the end of the season.

Karkoska recommends taking a stab at a sport you enjoy watching during the Olympics. “Maybe you will never be a gymnast, but perhaps taking up something like yoga would help you improve your inner gymnast,” she said. “Joining the local master’s swimming team would satisfy your inner Michael Phelps.”

“People should look at what they enjoy in regular life to help them find their sport,” said Carrie Karkoska, certified health and wellness coach at Auburn Wellbeing. Do you like to be indoors or outdoors? Do you prefer to be hot or cold? Do you enjoy the experience, or is it all about getting the win? Would you rather be active individually or as part of a team? Assessing your mental and physical needs will help you narrow down the choices to get fit and stay active.

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How to Lose 20 Pounds in 2 Weeks

How to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks ?

 

A lot of people want to lose weight fast for an event such as a wedding, a reunion or a party. If you find yourself wishing that you were 20 pounds slimmer but don't have a lot of time in which to pull it off, read this article without skipping a single word because I shall review 2 ways in which you can lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks.How to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks - (lose twenty pounds)

If you want to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks you can do it in 2 ways: (lose twenty pounds)

How to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks -1-. Go on a juice based detox diet. This kind of diet cleanses your body of toxins and undigested food while providing you with carbs and sugars. Although this diet isn't suitable for a long duration, as a "crash" diet meant to help you lose a lot of weight in a short period of time, is it possible to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks,it can be extremely effective.How to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks - (lose twenty pounds)

How to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks -2-. It you like working out and can spare the time, you can lose 20 pounds by doing a lot of cardiovascular activity over two weeks. I suggest doing 1 hour aerobic workout for 5 days on each of the 2 weeks. You can jog, power walk, cycle, swim or whatever you like. It you want to play basketball, tennis or take some aerobic classes, that's fine too.How to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks - (lose twenty pounds)

Don't do massive workouts and go on a juice diet simultaneously.is it possible to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks, If your chose to burn off 20 pounds by exercising you'll need your strength. Reduce the amount of carbs that you consume but eat a lot of vegetables, fruit and protein. Make sure that all your fats are healthy ones like olive oil and canola oil.How to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks

Losing 20 Lbs in 2 weeks isn't the easiest thing in the world but if you believe in yourself and are willing to put in a little effort, I'm positive the you can do it.How to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks

I hope you enjoyed this article about How to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks .

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4 Must Steps to Build Muscle For Beginners

For any Gym goers new to the gym and fitness, who want to learn the secrets to getting bigger and stronger keep reading. This is based around the FOUR MAJOR aspects of bodybuilding and weight training; Strength Training, Nutrition, Supplementation and Rest.

Training

If you want to get big, you need to train big!!! Train 3 - 5 times per week and keep your sessions short, 45 minutes should be plenty for new gym goers. Train two muscle groups per week or every 5 days... do not combine 2 large muscle groups on the same day. Your big muscle groups are chest, back and legs.

Do big (called compound) exercises such as bench press, shoulder press, rows, squats, and deadlifts first in your workouts.

For volume and intensity, the more volume, the less intensity and vice versa. For reps and sets, aim to fail between 8-115 reps and if you are training intensely do only 5-8 sets per body part (more sets for the bigger muscles, less for the smaller ones).

By keeping your rest below 2 minutes your heart rate should stay in anabolic training zone which burns the maximum amount of body fat.

Nutrition

To gain mass you need to EAT!! Ideally every 2 hours if possible split in to 6 meals a day. A ratio of 50% Carbohydrates and 50% Protein and Fat is the best place to start. Evaluate how you feel and adjust accordingly, some prefer more Protein when weight training.

Your 3 most important meals of the day are breakfast, after you workout, and before bed. Ensure these are very clean meals and contain protein. Don't be afraid to have a cheat meal once per week - a healthy digestive system can eliminate it without too much hassle.

Rest

Avoid over-training, This means don't spend hours in the gym and avoid long cardiovascular sessions. We're looking for an anabolic response for muscle growth so short sprints at high intensity are definitely the way to go.

Make sure to use your days off as rest days, and get at least 8 hours of sleep per night. Your muscles grow when you sleep, not when you're training in the gym!

Supplementation

Supplements work best when your first three aspects must be consistently on track. If your diet, training, and rest are not correct, supplements will be no good. Cheap and easy to find supplements use are:

Multivitamins- Take in the morning. Generally speaking you get what you pay for but be sure to compare labels for high levels of each common Vitamin and Mineral.

Whey Protein can basically be taken at any time of the day to help your Protein intake, but the most effective time is immediately after workouts and before bed.

Creatine is one of the world's largest selling supplements. As a beginner trainer it's generally not required because you'll be adding strength purely from a neurala adaption and hence, not needed. Some athletes find it helps with recovery so there's a positive for new trainers, but generally no needed until you've been lifting weights for at least 6 months. Bloating is a common side effect as creatine can often lead to water retention.

For beginning trainers, the advice is keep it simple!! Too many personal trainers want to play around with fancy gadgets and they're favourite exercise. The fact is, for beginner muscle builders you want to keep it simple and consistent so your body has time to adapt and grow!

So there it is, train eat big, train big, sleep big and soon you too will be big results come with time and patience.

Happy training...:)

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Lose Weight Without Changing Your Lifestyle

I have seen several advertisements lately for various products that guarantee that you can lose weight without changing your lifestyle. The testimonials say things like "It was so easy and I didn't have to change a thing!" Can we take a step back and just think about that for a second? Because as a personal trainer I find that very disturbing.

So you grow up, start your career, and have a family. You have a lot going on, which probably means that you have spent several years not eating well and have been less active than you should be. Now you find yourself with a few extra pounds feeling sluggish and down about yourself, with perhaps some health issues. Sound about right? You are not the only one. It happens to a lot of us.

Now you have decided that it is time to shed the weight. So you go for one of these easy, quick-fix products. One of two things is going to happen.

One possible outcome is that you do lose some weight, but then what? Are you going to use these products forever? Probably not. So it is highly likely that you will put the weight back on. After all, you have not changed your lifestyle, which we have agreed is probably how you got there in the first place, right?

The more likely outcome is that you do not lose weight, so you have wasted a bunch of money and now you feel even worse. So you either give up or you move on to the next quick fix.

So I submit this to you for your consideration. CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE! Being healthy and fit is a lifelong commitment, but it does not matter when you start. Think of it as a "rest of your life" commitment. Getting healthy requires just as much effort as everything else in your life. Presumably you did not graduate high school and get a job as a CEO of a Fortune 500 company the next day. Getting married and having kids takes work. It is time to take ownership of your health. Earn it.

Now I do not advocate going "cold turkey". Making drastic and abrupt changes will likely result in failure just as much as the quick-fixes. Make incremental changes. Go for a 20-minute walk. If you have a donut every day with your morning coffee, two days a week swap it out with a banana. I think you will find that taking baby steps to make permanent changes will be far more effective and rewarding than the drive-through method that companies promote just to make a buck off of you.

Can these "miracle" products help you lose weight quickly without changing your lifestyle? It is possible I suppose, in isolated cases, but that does not mean that you should use them. Asbestos is a great insulator and look where that got us.

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Can You Really Lose Weight While Sleeping?

What if you could close your eyes, nod off to dreamland and wake up the next morning feeling refreshed, awake and slimmer. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Well science is telling us that it may not be too far from the truth with the latest research linking sleep with weight so in this article I'll show you how you can lose weight while sleeping.

Let's first look at the research behind this. While you sleep your body goes into repair mode. Your muscles and tissues are rebuilt, tissue is repaired if needed and you basically are renewing yourself. But two hormones are also increased while you sleep namely leptin and ghrelin.

Leptin and Ghrelin are strongly linked to appetite. Leptin sends the signal to your brain that you are full, and ghrelin tells your brain to eat again. While you sleep, leptin is increased so you don't feel hungry - that's why you can go so long without food at night. But come morning, ghrelin kicks in again and you start feeling hungry.

If you don't get enough sleep then these hormones don't get a chance to do their job effectively and you'll find that the next day you'll be craving more food and never really feel full.

A study in Chicago studied the effects of weight loss and sleep further by measuring the levels of leptin and ghrelin in 12 healthy men. They subjected the men to 2 days of sleep deprivation and monitored their hormone levels. Sure enough appetite was significantly impacted with all men noticing an increase in cravings for high carbohydrate, calorie dense foods.

Once they went back to their normal sleeping patters, their appetites returned to normal.

So how does this study help you with your weight loss goals?

Obviously it means putting more sleep hours into your day if you can do it, or at least catching up on the weekends. You should be aiming for at least 8 hours a day. You may find that getting an extra hour or two of sleep will help stop cravings for sugary snacks and therefore you'll lose more weight in the process.

So if you really can lose weight while sleeping then what have you got to lose? Sounds good to me - I'm off for a nap.

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Music and Motivation

Music is a great way to stay motivated and accountable to your workouts. It is one of the easiest forms of exercise motivation.  Here are 5 reasons why you should crank up the tunes.

1)    Getting up in the am is a struggle, especially with your annoying alarm clock blaring. Change that to a happy go lucky song that makes you want to dance and you are on your way to waking up excited. Gone are the days of snoozing.

2)    Feeling sad and blue?  Studies have shown that people who listen to music have reduced depression and feelings of pain. Don’t worry, be happy!

3)    When you are feeling tired and unmotivated to exercise, create a special playlist with songs that immediately pick you up. This playlist should only be played once every 2 weeks, that way all songs have a special meaning that makes you want to crush your fitness goals!

4)    Cardio Junkie? Playing upbeat music can actually make you go faster. Select songs with BPM (Beats Per Minute) around 130 to 150 BPM. The faster the song the faster you go! Check out a great app on Itunes called “Tempo Magic Pro” This app allows you to adjust any song to go faster or slower.

5)    Not a music lover? No worries. Try audiobooks and podcasts. You can get motivated and inspired just as much as music through spoken words.

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4 Quick and Simple Fitness and Exercise Tips!

To enhance your overall health and well-being you must obtain your maximum fitness level. And to help or assist you to in archiving these amazing results here's four quick and simple fitness tips for you to follow.

Stretching:

This is the first and most vital step in any fitness or workout routine, forgetting to do these simple warm up exercises can cause great bodily damage.

Never let a lack of time prevent you from stretching before and after your routine. Also don't let age trick you into thinking that because you're young and energetic that you'll be alright.

Believe me; it WILL catch up with you later in life. So it's very wise to listen to your body and do what it's asking of you.

Adding Cross Training into Your Regime:

One of the workout routines we conducted while I served in the military, was a high intensity workout called, 'Gorilla Drills' and I hated them! You talk about a workout... Whew, I'm starting to sweat just thinking about it.

However, it was a drill which consisted of several exercises that we did for a set time limit and then we would rotate to the next exercise station. This would continue for 15 minutes intervals with a 2 minute break in between before starting another session.

After 30 minutes of this vigorous workout you looked forward to a well deserved cool down session. Well, that's what cross training is, you simply make a plan of several different exercises you've like to conduct. Set a time interval for each set and then start your routine.

Cross training is beneficial in two ways:

• You'll be working all your muscles at once which significantly reduce injuries!

• It helps you to stay motivated and focus on your overall success!

So, the next time you plan your workout routine try implementing cross training.

Don't be Afraid to Explore Outside Your Comfort Zone:

You have a solid workout routine in place but after about 3 months of the same thing week after week it starts to get boring... Sounds familiar?

Likewise, if you were to merge cross training, swimming, yoga or whatever exercise you enjoy into your routine, then you don't have to worry about getting bored because you'll always have something fresh and new to do every week.

Stepping outside the box, as they say, will keep you motivated and excited to continue striving to meet your fitness goals.

Seasonal Planning for Your Workout Routine:

Depending on your geographical location, the weather can be your Worst Enemy!

Rainy days might make you feel lazy and unmotivated while snowy days can keep you away from the gym and very humid days may make you feel tired, sweaty and disgusting thereby resulting in a decline in your routine.

And finally, when you're planning your workout routine remember to include programs for inside and outside so that you'll be covered when the time comes. Having a flexible fitness plan that covers the good and bad days will significantly increase your performance and enhance your physique.

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