100
Weight Loss Tips
Helpful advice to get you started
There
was also a time when the thought of losing weight didn't even occur in our
society, people ate what mom cooked for dinner and they went to work. The difference in that society and today's
society is that work was not behind a computer screen, but on their feet in the
fields or on a warehouse floor. People
worked physically because that was the only way to work, in fact, that's why it
was called work! It was often during this
time that people could eat anything they wanted because they were burning much
more calories than what they consumed.
But,
like all good things, that too has passed and the technology of today's world
has left us in one condition – an overweight one. Our life styles have changed so drastically
and our comforts have increased tenfold.
As they say, every rose has its thorn and for our society our desire to
have comfortable lives and to work less has begun to show around the waistline.
The
bad thing about all of this is the more weight you gain, the more dangerous it
becomes. Extra weight spells illness,
whether it is in the form of diabetes or a heart condition, it's bound to show
up if you don't do something about it.
You have to be proactive in weight gain and you have to work it off until
it gets to a point where you no longer have control. It's not necessarily about being toned and
sculpted, but at a weight that is not life threatening. You can work on the abs later, right now you
just need to shed some extra body fat. As society realizes what is happening
and that we are overweight as a whole, people are trying to play catch up and
work from behind. They are trying to
lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle.
This
eBook is your guide to losing that first ten pounds that we all struggle
with. It's amazing what little changes
in your life can add up to you losing ten pounds and they all revolve around
eating right and getting your body moving.
SECTION
1
First
and foremost, people don't realize that what they drink is the first step in
losing that first 10 pounds. In fact,
most people don't know that when they feel hungry, they may actually be
dehydrated and they are really thirsty, not hungry. Water is remarkable as well. Over 66% of your body weight is nothing but
water. This is also why water plays an
important role in weight control. So tip #1 is:
Drink
plenty of water. It is recommended that
you drink 8 glasses per day, but that may take you some time to work up
to. Your body needs a whole lot of
water. Water doesn't just flush all the
toxins out of your body, but it makes you feel better and healthier. When you drink a lot of water you just begin
to feel fit and this is the motivation you need to lose weight.
The
best thing about water is you can drink as much as you want because it has no
calories at all. When you're drinking a
lot of water, you eat less as well because you won't feel as though you are
starving to death. Remember, if you feel
hungry, try drinking a glass of water first and you'll realize you were
probably just dehydrated and not hungry at all.
The
whole 8 glasses a day rule is really something you should strive for. The best way to do this and to measure your
water intake is to buy a jug from the drug store or grocery store that is
designed to hold exactly 8 glasses of water.
These are great weight loss tools because you can fill them up, freeze
them and as it melts throughout the day you have fresh and cold water. Or, if you don't mind your water room
temperature you can drink it that way as well.
All that matters is that you're getting in the water your body needs.
Tip #2: Start off your day with a
fresh, clean glass of water. As soon as
you get up in the morning, drink one down.
This will help your body to get going because it won't be fighting
through dehydration. Also, after you
drink a glass of water you won't need to eat such a large breakfast. A glass of water wakes up all the digestive
juices in your body and gets it well lubricated. You can always have your morning coffee or
tea, but be sure to have a glass of water afterwards. Caffeine dehydrates you and you want to ward
off dehydration.
Tip #3: Drink a glass of water
before you sit down to eat. Water will
naturally make you feel fuller so you don't have to eat as much food.
Tip #4: Have a glass of water while
you eat as well. Take a drink after each
bite and you will feel full more quickly so you can leave the table feeling
satisfied without feeling bloated.
Drinking water while you eat will also help your food to settle more
quickly, which also helps you to feel full faster.
Tip #5: Do your best to stay away
from soda. All sodas are sweetened with
lots of sugar. The more you can cut out
of your diet the better. Also, diet soda
is still soda. It may not have as much
sugar, but it has other chemicals and components that are not good for your
body either. If you drink a soda,
counteract it with a glass of water.
Remember, caffeine dehydrates you as well. Decaffeinated sodas still have caffeine in
small amounts as well and just as much sugar, so they are not much healthier
either.
Tip #6: Fruit juice isn't as
healthy as most people think either.
Juice actually has a lot of sugar in it as well. If you are craving a glass of juice, drink
fresh fruit juice instead of juice that has artificial flavors and
coloring. It is even better if you can
make your own fruit juice. Just be sure not to add too much sugar which adds to
the calories. Instead of drink fruit juice, eat more fruit. Fruit provides your body with much needed
fiber as well as vitamins.
Tip #7: Go easy on the tea and
coffee. They are pretty much harmless if
you don't add a lot of cream and sugar to them.
It is the cream and sugar that becomes fattening. Think of it this way, when you have a cup of
coffee or tea with cream and two cubes of sugar, you are essentially eating a
piece of chocolate cake every time. Now
think of how many pieces of cake you are eating when you have a Venti Starbucks
Latte – yikes.
Tip #8: If you must have your tea
and coffee, try to drink it black. Black
tea or coffee actually has health benefits to it as long as you counteract the
caffeine in your body with a nice big glass of water. Caffeine is also not good for you because it
affects functions in your body, like your metabolism.
Another
type of tea that you can drink freely is green tea. Green tea has been used as a medicine in
China for over 4,000 years. It aids the
digestive system and can help ease an overly full stomach and it has been
linked to a reduction in cancer risk.
Tip #9: If you can say no to
alcohol, then that is best. Alcohol
beverages are not exactly good for you, although a glass of red wine does have
heart benefits, most are just fattening.
Beer is especially fattening.
Cocktails are fattening depending on what they are made of. For instance, whiskey and Coke. The whiskey may not be fattening, but the
Coke definitely is. Plus, after a few
drinks most people get the munchies and when you're feeling a little inebriated
and hungry you won't be able to make rational decisions regarding your diet and it's usually late at night, just
before you pass out from a night of drinking, that you overeat. The overall combination is just not a good
one.
Tip #10: If you must have alcohol,
try dry wine. Dry wine is better than
your sweet wines, because sweet wines have more sugar! Dry wines have sugar, but most of it has been
fermented away into alcohol and from a weight gaining perspective, dry is
better.
Tip #11: Another word on coffee, that
is not necessarily bad, but more interesting than anything. Some people have reported that when they
drank black coffee before exercising, they lost more weight. There's no scientific proof to back this, but
nutritionists believe it may be caused by the body being forced to depend on
fat for fuel. Hey, it's worth trying if
you can stand black coffee. Just
remember to drink plenty of water during your exercise!
Tip #12: Avoid drinking excessive
amounts of coffee, as it desensitizes your body to the natural fat burning
effects that caffeine has. One or two
cups (if the day's really slow to get started) max.
Okay,
when most people think about losing weight and eating, they think about
dieting. Well, unfortunately, all of the
fad diets out there tend to cause people to gain weight. Why?
Because they starve them to death and the person eventually breaks down and
eats everything in sight because they are so darn hungry. They also deprive them of the foods that they
love. This is not a way to lose weight,
nor is it a way to live. You only cause yourself stress, which actually causes
you to gain weight!
So,
in eating right there a few tips that you can follow each and every day and
they're not going to deprive you of the foods that you love, but treat those
foods as luxury items so you enjoy them that much more.
Tip #13: Eat fresh fruit and
vegetables that have high water content.
These are foods like tomatoes, watermelons, cantaloupe, kiwi, grapes –
you get the idea. All of those fresh and
flavorful juicy fruits and veggies are good for you. These items contain about 90 to 95% water, so
you can eat a lot of these and they will fill you up without adding on the
pounds.
Tip #14: Eat fresh fruit instead of
processed fruit. Anything that is
processed as more sugar. Processed and
canned fruits also do not have as much fiber as fresh fruits.
Tip #15: Increase your fiber intake
as much as you can. This usually means
eating more fruits and veggies.
Tip #16: Veggies are your friends
when it comes to shedding pounds. There
are tons of options here and you may even want to try some you haven't had in
the past. The leafy green varieties are
the best and you always want to work in a salad when you can. Salads are packed with nutrients as long as
you don't pour too much dressing on and load them with too much cheese. The leafy greens also have a lot of natural water.
Tip #17: Be intelligent about what
you eat. Don't eat just to eat. Animals eat on instinct; people eat when they
know their body really needs it. Don't
be an impulse eater.
Tip #18: Watch everything you consume
from the food itself to what you top it with.
Garnishments and condiments can sabotage a healthy meal because they are
typically high in fat.
Tip #19: Get a handle on the sweet
tooth. This doesn't mean you can't have
your sweets; just don't eat them as a meal.
Always remember that these sweets end up adding to an area that you don't
want them to add to. Don't deprive yourself either though, because then you'll
eat twice as many as you should.
Tip #20: Set meal times and stick to
them. Try to have your meals at specific
times and eat them at that time. An
eating pattern will help you to control what you eat and when you eat it. Also, it really is better to have 5 small
meals a day rather than just one or two huge meals. Just eating once a day makes your body feel
as though it is starving, which packs on fat instead of using it as fuel. Also,
don't wait until your starving to eat.
This only makes you overeat until you're stuffed.
Tip #21: Eat only when you are
hungry. Be sure to drink a glass of
water first to determine if you really are hungry or if you are really
thirsty. Many people have the tendency
to eat when they see food. It doesn't
mean they are hungry; they just want to eat it.
Don't eat anything you're offered unless you really are hungry. If you feel you must eat it out of being
polite, just nibble, don't have a meal.
Tip #22: Try not to snack between
meals, but if you must have a snack make sure it is a healthy one. If you travel a lot try to find healthy
snacks and not junk food.
Tip #23: Veggies make great
snacks. They can get you through the
hunger pangs if you are having them.
Carrots are great because they satisfy hunger and they are packed with
nutrients.
Tip #24: Counting calories is a good
idea for those must have food items. If
it is a packaged food item, then it will have the calories on the
packaging. Be sure to pay attention to
serving sizes in terms of calories as well.
An Otis Spunkmeyer muffin is intended to be two servings, so you have to
double the calories listed. This is
where food producers get tricky and you can't fall in their trap.
Tip #25: Work off the extra calories
by the end of the week. If you feel you
have splurged too much this week, be sure to get to the gym or go walking a
little longer to work off those extra calories you have consumed.
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Tip #26: Stay away from all things fried. If it is breaded, it is better that it is
baked. Fried foods are immersed in fat
and oil. Even after the excess has oil
has been drained away, there is still oil absorbed into the food item
itself.
Tip #27: Don't skip meals. You should have, at the very least, three
meals a day, but preferably five small meals. This will keep you from getting
hungry during the day and overeating out of starvation.
Tip #28: Just like fruits, fresh
vegetables are better than those that are canned. It is even better if you can eat your veggies
raw. When you cook them, you cook away
the nutrients. If you must cook them,
try to boil them to the point that there is still some crispness to them. Also, don't soak them in butter. If you can buy organic and pesticide free
veggies, that is even better.
Tip #29: Don't eat more than one egg
per day. It is best if you can reduce
your egg intake to three a week.
Tip #30: Chocolates should be treated
as luxury items. Buy the good stuff and
only eat them every once in awhile. If
you really savor each morsel, you'll experience that much more joy in eating
them and they will taste even better.
Tip #31: Eat foods from all of the
food groups each day. This is a great
way to ensure you are getting all the nutrients your body needs and it helps to
ward off any diet deficiencies. Also,
don't eat the same foods all the time.
Experiment so that you don't get bored with same old diet.
Tip #32: Try to eat breakfast within
an hour of waking up. This is the best
way to give your body the jump start it needs.
Don't wait until you are really hungry.
Breakfast is important, but you don't need to stuff yourself. The idea is that you're breaking the fast
from not easting all night.
Tip #33: Your diet should include all
aspects of the food groups including carbohydrates. In fact, your diet needs to be about 50-55%
carbs. Carbs are a great source of
energy. Those diets that prohibit carbohydrates
are actually harming you and only making you crave them that much more. Your diet should cause you to be deficient in
anything.
Tip #34: Proteins should make up only
25-30% of your diet. Far too much
emphasis is put on meat as the main part of your meal. In actuality, it should be considered more of
a side dish rather than the main course.
Tip #35: Fats should make up 15-20%
of your meal. This is really all the fat
your body needs. A lot of this is going
to be in your diet in the form of cream, sugar and the like.
Tip #36: Eat more white meat than red
meat. White meat includes chicken, fish
and some other fowl. Red meat includes
beef and pork.
Tip #37: Try to go as vegetarian as
you can. This really is a healthier
lifestyle, even if you can't cut meat out completely. The more fruits and veggies you can eat the
better. The more meat you cut out, the
more fat you can cut out of your diet as well.
However, protein is important, so be certain that your option allows you
to maintain good protein levels.
Tip #38: White bread is good, but
high fiber multigrain breads are much better.
These breads are another way to add more fiber to your diet and they also
have a good protein level.
Tip #39: Pork does not assist in
weight loss in any way. The less pork you eat, the better off you will be when
trying to lose weight. Pork has a high
fat content and includes food items such as bacon, ham and sausage.
Tip #40: Limit your sugar intake as
much as possible. If you must have
sweetener in your coffee and tea, try to find an artificial sweetener that you
don't mind the taste of. However, these
things are not all that healthy either and should be limited as well.
Tip #41: Try grazing five to six
times a day. These are those small meals
we discussed earlier. Some people lose
weight better when they never feel hungry and grazing on healthy food items can
do this for you. Plus, it keeps your
metabolism working, which will burn fat naturally.
Tip #42: Don't worry about cheating,
but don't cheat for a meal. Eat sweets
and your favorite cheat food for the flavor only. If you want dessert after dinner, share one with
the whole family. You'll get the flavor,
but not the pounds.
Tip #43: Watch your fat intake. Each fat gram is 9 calories. If you know your total calories then you can
figure the amount of fat in those items.
Tip #44: Take it easy on the salt and
try to cut what you use in half. Salt is
one of the main causes of obesity.
Here
are a few tips that will help you to lose those first ten pounds by simply
changing how you prepare your food. How
food is cooked has just as much to do with how healthy it is or is not.
Tip #45: Instead of frying in oil or
fat, try baking those items instead.
Baking does not require all the fat and oil that frying requires and
your food is not soaking in those substances while it cooks.
Tip #46: Use non-stick frying pan
spray so you don't use oil. Also, pans
that are non-stick don't require as much, if any oil.
Tip #47: Boil vegetables instead of
cooking them. You can also steam them,
as this is probably the healthiest way to eat foods like cabbages, cauliflower,
broccoli and carrots.
Tip #48: Be leery of no fat and low
fat food items. There are many of these
food items on the market, but they are not exactly healthy. Many of these food items use some sort of
chemical or carbohydrate to sweeten them so that they taste better. However, the body turns these chemicals and
carbohydrates into sugar in the body, which means they are still getting turned
into fat.
Tip #49: Don't fall victim to crash
diets. These are bad for you and do more
harm than good in the long run. The
short term results are typically that you will lose a few pounds, but once you
give them up then everything comes back and your weight is worse the second
time around. You cannot survive on a
crash diet and you eventually get to a point where you have to give it up.
Tip #50: Chew your food at least 8 to
12 times whether it is liquid food, sweets or ice cream. This adds saliva to the food that digests the
sugar. When food isn't eaten properly and is just swallowed, you fill your
stomach with food that isn't ready to be digested and it then does not yield
the health benefits that you need.
Tip #51: When you are cooking with
oil, use a good Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
It is more expensive than vegetable oil, but the health benefits are
much better and it is worth the cost. Olive
oil has been associated with a reduced risk in coronary heart disease and helps
to increase the elasticity of the arterial walls which reduces the chance for
heart attack and stroke.
There
are two things that you must do to lose weight and one of those we have already
covered pretty extensively and that is to eat right and fill your body with
good, clean water. The other thing you
have to do is get your body moving. You
don't have to purchase a gym membership to get exercise. In fact, there are several things you can do
on a daily basis that will help to kick start your body into losing weight and
there are several exercises you can do on your own to lose weight.
Tip #52: When you begin working out,
whether at home or in a gym, don't be discouraged if you don't see results
right away. It takes more than a week to
get your body into shape and to begin making progress. Many people make the mistake of believing
that their exercising isn't working when it just takes a little bit of
time.
If
you push your body too much when you first get started exercising you can end
up with injuries. Your bones, joints and
ligaments are not prepared for the exertion you are putting on them. Don't think that if you really push yourself
hard for a few workouts that you'll lose money, unfortunately the body doesn't
work this way. Slow and steady wins the race when it comes to exercising.
Tip #53: Check your weight when you
start exercising, but don't use it as a guide to how much weight you are
losing. Your weight fluctuates
throughout the day. If you check your
weight every day, you may only end up getting discouraged.
Tip #54: The best way to know if
you're losing weight is by the fit of your clothes. If you start to feel as though you're
floating in your clothes then you know you're eating and exercising is doing
you some good. Another way to know if
you're losing weight is if you can begin moving where you usually buckle your
belt, of course tighter is better.
Tip #55: When you periodically check your weight and
the fit of your clothes, reward yourself.
Buy yourself some new running shoes or a new pair of jeans. This will help to keep you motivated as you
pursue your weight loss goals.
Tip #56: Take a day off from
exercising to provide your body with a chance to rest and repair. Your body needs a day off once a week.
Tip #57: Three days of 30 minute
exercise will help you to maintain your weight, but you need at least 4 days of
30 minute exercise to begin to lose weight and 5 days a week is even better.
Tip #58: Collect information on
exercise and easy things you can do from your own home. There is tons of extensive research available
on exercise and you can choose what will assist you the most to meet your
weight loss goals. Browse the Internet
or pick up some books on health and exercise from your local bookstore or
library to learn more and how to burn off the desired number of calories you
are trying to burn each week.
Tip #59: Try to find an exercise
buddy. This should be someone who is as
committed to exercising and losing weight as you are. One of the advantages of finding a committed
partner is that you have someone to keep feeling responsible to them. The knowledge that someone is waiting on you
makes it easier for you to get out of bed and go exercise with them. You wouldn't want to stand up your exercise
buddy would you?
Tip #60: When your body tells you it
has had enough, take a break. When you
have worked out for a considerable amount of time, you will start receiving
signals from your body. This is
particularly important when you are just getting started in your exercise
routine.
Tip #61: If you decide to increase
the length of your workouts, do so gradually.
The same is true for the intensity of your workouts.
Tip #62: Select an exercise routine
that suits your lifestyle. Everybody has
a different lifestyle and a different profession. There is no set time that you should or
should not workout. If you like to
workout late before you go to bed because it is relaxing to you then do
it. If you like to workout early in the
morning because it helps you wake up then that's great too. Some people like to workout on their lunch
break to take a break from the stress of their job or because that is the only
time they have available.
Tip #63: Don't stand around, walk around. If you can walk around then do it. People who are pacers are actually doing
themselves a lot of good because they are constantly moving. Pacing also helps you think.
Tip #64: Don't sit if you can stand. If you can stand comfortably, you will burn
more calories doing so than if you were to sit.
Tip #65: Don't lie down if you can
sit. Same concept as the two above.
Tip #66: The couch and the television are anti-weight
loss. If you are inclined to become a
couch potato, don't sit on it. In fact,
if you have to, put a not so comfortable chair in front of the television so
you won't spend so much time in front of it. The same is true for the computer
if you're a computer junkie. Some people
have a more comfortable chair in front of their computer than they do in front
of their television. (This is, of
course, if you don't work from home and need to work hours at a time in front
of your computer because your chair is very important then.)
Tip #67: If you have a job where you
sit the whole time, stand up and stretch every half hour or so. Most of today's jobs are in front of a
computer and require you to sit. If you
have a job like this make it a point to move every so often.
Tip #68: Walk around while you're on
the telephone. You'll get a good workout
if it is a long conversation.
Tip #69: Use the stairs instead of
the elevator or escalator. These are great
conveniences, but they make us very lazy.
Also, it may be quicker to take the stairs than to wait on an elevator
to open.
Tip #70: Quit smoking. Smoking does not contribute to your weight
exactly, but it does lead to erratic eating behaviors and increases caffeine
dependence.
Tip #71: 10 minutes of cardio a day
is good for most, you can get this by other methods than running.
Tip #72: If you can't run for a
physical reason, then try 15 minutes of brisk walking to keep fit.
Tip #73: You can walk anywhere if you have time. If work or the grocery store is not far away,
consider walking there or riding a bike.
It may take you longer, but you're getting your workout in at the same
time.
Tip #74: Hide the remote control from
yourself. Remote controls are also evil
when it comes to losing weight. If you
didn't have a remote, you may not even turn on the television, which means you
might find more active things to do. Get
up and change the channel if you don't have a remote or go for a walk instead
of watching TV.
Tip #75: Do your own fetching. If you need something from the kitchen, the
TV channel changed, the mail or newspaper from the driveway, walk and get it
yourself. Adding a little walking to
your day will do wonders for you.
Tip #76: Walk along or climb the
escalator with it or just take the stairs.
Tip #77: Walk around during
commercial breaks or do simple exercises like crunches or bending over and
touching your toes. Do anything to get
your body moving more and to keep your blood pumping.
Tip #78: Turn on some music and
dance. Again, the more you get moving
the better you will feel and the more weight you will lose.
Tip #79: If you take public
transportation, get off a block before your stop and walk the remainder of the
way. This is a good way to squeeze in a
walk before and after work or on the way to another destination.
Tip #80: Do pelvic gyrations to get
your midsection in shape. Of course, you
wouldn't do these with anybody around, but they are a good step in getting your
body prepared for more serious stomach crunches. It is also good on the back muscles and keeps
you loose instead of tight.
Tip #81: Suck in your stomach when
you walk. Walk properly, but do your
best to keep that stomach tucked in. You
will soon begin to feel those muscles tightening.
Tip #82: Do breathing exercises to
tone your midsection. It is amazing how
breathing properly and with your entire diaphragm can actually help to tighten
your abdominal muscles. Most people
breathe way too shallow as it is and oxygen is good for the brain.
Tip #83: Experiment with yoga. Yoga is a great way to lose weight and reduce
your stress levels. Yoga teaches you how
to control your muscles and gain more control of your individual muscles
groups.
Tip #84: Lift weights. Strength training burns more fat than people
give it credit. When you work on
building muscle, they begin to burn fat to fuel muscles growth. Do be aware that when you gain muscle, your
scale may not be an accurate tool in determining weight loss because muscle
weighs more than fat.
Tip #85: Massage your partner. You can exert yourself a little bit and at
the same time you will be able to complement them on the weight they have lost
if they have been working out with you.
Tip #86: Take the stairs two at a
time instead of one at a time. This
causes you to have to exert yourself more and increases your heart rate.
Tip #87: Take your dog on a
walk. Chances are that if you're not
getting enough exercise, neither is your pet.
Or, let your dog take you on a walk.
For once in his life, let him lead you where he wants to go and as fast
as he wants to get there. It could be a
good workout for the both of you.
Tip #88: Join a dancing class. This could be ballroom dancing where you learn
dances like the tango, salsa or fox trot.
These dances are fast paced and will get you moving. Even slow ballroom dancing is a lot of
exercise and will definitely tone your legs.
Or, you can take an aerobic dance class. How many dancers do you know
that are overweight?
Tip #89: Lean against the wall so that your face is
close and then use your hands to push your body away. Do this three or four times to stretch.
Tip #90: Swim whenever you can. Swimming is a great way to get your cardio
exercise and it's low to no impact on your joints, which is great for people
who have osteoporosis or joint problems.
Tip #91: Try playing tennis or
basketball. Playing games are a great
way to get into shape. It's also more
fun to workout with someone else in a competitive atmosphere. You will be more driven to push yourself and
you'll burn more calories, just don't overdo it.
Tip #92: Always start your workout
with a warm up of about 5-10 minutes and end with a cool down of 5-10
minutes. Your body needs to reach a
certain heart rate level before it will respond well to the rest of the
workout.
Tip #93: Don't carry your wireless
phone or cell phone with you. If it
rings, go walk for it. There are so many
conveniences in life and we always have everything we need at our fingertips,
but this is obviously bad for the waistline.
Tip #94: If you're standing around,
stretch your legs a bit by standing up on your toes and then gradually drop to
your heals. You can also flex your
buttock muscles as well, but maybe when nobody else is looking.
Tip #95: Before going to bed, undress
and stare at yourself in front of the mirror.
Take note of what areas you need to improve on and what areas are your
best assets. Taking a self-inventory can
keep you motivated in your workout endeavors.
Also, don't forget to complement yourself on any new muscle tone you may
have or other improvements you've made.
Tip #96: Don't slouch in your chair. Try to sit up straight and erect at all
times. Slouching is bad for your back
and gives you a flabby figure. Make it a
point to always sit and stand with good posture.
Tip #97: Most people would like to
target their stomachs and get rid of that area all together. Unfortunately, we can't spot reduce. But, one thing you can do is a breathing
exercise to help tighten those stomach muscles.
Breathe
in air as strong as you can and tuck your stomach at the same time as much as
you can. Hold it for a few seconds and
then slowly let it out. Don't let it out
so fast that your belly flops out. This
is not good. Try to breathe like this
whenever you think about it, about 50-60 times a day is ideal. This will help you to lose at least an inch
within 20 days or so.
Tip #98: Use a chart, such as the one below to assist
you in your weight loss endeavors. This
chart shows you how many calories each of these common exercises burn, based on
20 minutes.
Exercise
|
Calories Burned
|
Aerobics
|
200-250
|
Stationary Bicycling
|
250-300
|
Actual Bicycling
|
300-400
|
Running at 5-6 mph
|
300-350
|
Stairclimber
|
200-250
|
Swimming Laps
|
350
|
Brisk Walking
|
150-180
|
Weeding and Cultivating
Your Garden
|
130-200
|
Sex (Yes, sex can be
exercise too)
|
50-60
|
Basketball – shooting
baskets to playing a game
|
130-250
|
Golf – carrying clubs, no
cart
|
166
|
Golf – carrying clubs,
based on 2 hours of play instead of 20 minutes
|
1000
|
Snorkeling
|
150-200
|
Water Skiing
|
180-200
|
Ice Skating – general
|
200-250
|
Cross Country Skiing, 2.5
mph, light effort
|
200-250
|
General Skiing
|
200-250
|
Scuba Diving
|
200-250
|
Whitewater rafting,
kayaking or canoeing
|
150-200
|
Flag or Touch Football
|
250-300
|
Horseback Riding – Trotting
|
200-250
|
Martial Arts
|
300-350
|
Racquetball
|
200-250
|
Volleyball – 6 to 9 person
team
|
90-120
|
Volleyball – Beach
|
25-300
|
Tennis – singles
|
250-300
|
Tai Chi
|
120-180
|
*Your
results will depend on how much you currently weigh as well. If you're looking for an accurate calculation
based on your body weight and details of the exercise you are performing go to
iVillage.com at http://dftools.ivillage.com/healthtools/calc_cb.cfm.
From
this chart you can see that walking is a great way to get exercise. If you're too busy to do any of the other
exercises, a good walk is a good start.
Tip #99: Don't discourage yourself
from exercising and eating right by wearing clothes that don't fit. If you're a medium, wear a medium. Wearing the wrong types of clothes can make
you appear larger than you really are.
This includes workout wear as well.
If you wear clothes that fit now, you get to go shopping later for
smaller clothes and you can sell your slightly worn larger clothes in a
consignment shop or you can take them to Goodwill to be given to someone who
can use them.
Now
that you understand how to get started, here's a little more information on
losing weight and keeping it off and it all begins with what you eat.
Fat
and weight loss is such an important aspect in our life today because we are
fatter now than we have ever been. The
word "weight loss programs" will catch the attention of anybody
listening in on a conversation or watching television. In fact, that's one of the most popular
keywords searched on the Internet today.
The
main reason that we are so overweight is because of our relationship with
food. In our society, we tend to
concentrate on quantity. We simply want
as much as we can get instead of the best food that we can get. Quantity always beats out quality, when it
should be exactly the opposite of that.
Once
you've decided to lose weight, it can be difficult to determine where exactly
you should get started. If you have a
strong resolve to get going and to lose weight, it is possible. You just have to figure out how to say
"no."
Everybody
is different. You're not going to find
another person who has the same metabolism as you or who burns fat the same way
as you. You may weigh exactly the same
as a person next to you, but if you both were to start an exercise and diet
program you both might not have the same results two weeks or even a month
later, even if you did everything the same exact way each day. In saying this, it's important to realize
that not everybody utilizes food in the same way either. What may cause one person to gain a pound may
not do the same to another. The same is
true in losing weight. If you're a
married woman and you and your husband are working out together and let's say
he gives up soda and loses five pounds from stopping his intake of soda and you
don't lose one pound, that shows you that you and your husband are not
necessarily going to see the same results, even if you're eating and exercising
in the exact same way.
The
bottom line is that today's society has to work a lot harder than societies of
the past. Sixty years ago women and men
were thin because they had to work. Manual labor was a requirement or you
wouldn't be able to eat. You had to go
gather eggs from the hen house if you want eggs, you had to go milk the cows
for fresh milk and you had to plow the fields to grow your vegetables. If you wanted beef, well you had to know a
little something about fattening up a calf and getting it butchered. That's the way life was back then and
technology has taken away all of this manual work. So, instead we have to watch what we eat and
we have to go make ourselves exercise.
If we don't we don't have a reason to move half the time.
It
is very important to understand that you weight loss goals are very dependent
on how much you are willing to work at it. It is the one thing in life that you have to
do manual labor to achieve if you want to see results.
Generally,
people do not need to worry about weight loss until their twenties, but with
the fast food lifestyle that we live today this is not necessarily the case
anymore. Many of our children are obese
because they eat too much fast food and processed foods. When you're grocery shopping for yourself and
your family read the ingredients of what you are eating. If you can't pronounce it, don't eat it. Processed foods cause us to have cravings and
cravings cause us to gain weight. This
is particularly important to understand if you are ever going to be effective
at losing weight and keeping it off.
Watching
your diet alone is not going to make you lose weight though. The proper diet has to be paired with the
proper amount of exercise as well. The
solution is an exercise regiment that will give your body the exercise it needs
to burn fat and calories efficiently. If
you don't move, it's like you're in hibernation and your body just packs on the
pounds, particularly around your waistline.
When
you think about life in the past when your sweat was caused by hard work and
the sun, it just makes you feel good all over.
The sun beating down on your shoulders and the strain on your muscles
just makes you feel stronger all over.
There really is nothing better than working out – outside.
But,
most people have moved to the city. The
days of working on the farm are long gone for most, however, there are a few
people who still get to have that glorious feeling of doing work and producing
something that was real and keep the pounds off while they do it. Seriously, if you think about it, how many
farm hands, cowboys and ranchers are fat?
There aren't many. Think about
their lifestyles. They get up, have a
cup of coffee and breakfast, go to work, come in for lunch, go to work, come in
for dinner and then go to bed early enough to get up in the morning and do it
all over again. In the meantime, they
get good sun and fresh air and consume fresh water all day long. It truly is a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, most of us work indoors,
sitting down and still eat three meals a day but have to do it so quickly you
don't even get the opportunity to taste it.
It's
a fact of life that people in the city don't get much exercise, unless you live
in a city where you walk everywhere you go.
This means you have to put your mind to it and work at it. You have to fit fitness into your daily
schedule or you're going to be overweight and sick. That's just the way it is. Exercise is the best way to control obesity,
it is the best way to control stress, hypertension, cardio vascular disease,
and other lifestyle related illnesses.
If you can workout outside, even better.
Your body needs as much fresh air as it can get.
Consistency
is the most important aspect of any exercise program. If you have a goal, then if you consistently
work towards that goal, you'll be able to reach it.
Getting
started is usually easy for people. They
go shopping, get some workout clothes, buy some running shoes and maybe a gym
membership. Then, they go and workout
pretty steadily for a week or two.
But,
as they go, they find it harder to keep up their routine. Their lives become more demanding and they
begin to go to the gym less and less. In
other words, their gym membership goes to waste and they just stop going.
Many
people choose to workout in the evenings, but for some this routine is even
harder to keep going. If you are not
completely exhausted when you get off from work, then this is a good time to
go. But, if you cannot then you may need
to find a way to get there in the morning.
It will help you to get woke up and you'll be able to maintain your
consistency.
There
is a misconception that exercise makes you tired, but that's not necessarily
the case. It may do this to you the
first few times, but as you get fit you will find you have more energy. Couple exercise with adequate sleep, you
shouldn't have any problem getting up in the morning and getting going. Plus, you'll be energized all day long, which
will help you to make it through your workday much easier.
Even
if you don't have a gym membership, chances are that there is a sidewalk
outside your house and some people may even have access to a pool. Get up a half hour earlier, throw on the
sneakers and get to walking, running, jogging or whatever your exercise of
choice is. If you have a four legged
friend, they'll surely enjoy this time with you as well.
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