Tips to lose your weight successfully

Losing weight is a very delicate work. There are many people who are not really satisfied with their current figure, but most of them are not even sure where to start so they usually think to stay with their current weight. We look at models and famous actors on television and wonder if we could never be that thin and fine. But that being thin may not always be healthy for you. You can never be sure of a regime that has worked very well for someone you know personally, would work wonders on your body too. There is no magic pill or diet that would make you look thinner than someone else. Moreover, you have no idea what they were facing while following that diet unless of course you ask them.

Being healthy means having a weight that suits you and is good for your body. The best way to find out if your weight is healthy or not is to consult a dietitian. A dietitian can compare set more realistic. If you feel you need to lose weight, then you can try a few simple things. Always keep in mind that your body is not a machine. Your work and bodily functions on a certain amount of food until you decide to lose weight. So it is not urgent to reduce your diet all at once. Try increasing the overall amount of physical activity you do. 

Different types of sports, aerobics, walking, running, cycling and swimming to improve your fitness level.Weight management is a matter of patience and long-term success. People who lose weight very quickly through exercise or extreme regimes of collision usually win all the weight back as they have not changed their eating habits permanently. Remember, your body likes slow changes in the conditions and regular exercise and food. You would be surprised to learn about calories as sodas and soft drinks have. Reduce box on a soda or soft drink can actually save 150 calories each day. It would be great to increase your activity around the house. You have no idea how every move you made your body helps to burn calories. You burn calories while dust, brushing and cleaning, dishes and even making love to your partner.

Usually, people eat when they are bored, stressed or lonely. Try to pay as much attention as you can all eat and stop when you feel that you are full. Many people generally feel that because of their office work and the environment, they do not get much time to exercise. It is an answer that you think you can save, but honestly you just go wrong. You can get up from your seat for the passage of a file to your boss instead of asking someone else to do it for you. Reduce tea and coffee with more sugar too you order 3-4 times a day.Instead of sitting in front of your television screen during commercial breaks, get up for some time to walk and do other work. You can also use the bike or treadmill by keeping where your TV is. Then you can exercise and watch TV simultaneously. This way you exercise more without thinking of the time. Also, never eat in front of your TV. In this way, the brain gets distracted by the entertainment on television and you continue to eat unless the show draws to a close.

Always remember that weight loss is not a miracle that can change your life. But yes, it would certainly make you feel better inside and besides it's just healthy. Make small changes in your daily diet and feel the difference. There is no tomorrow when it comes to reducing your diet.
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Tips on How to Cope With Hair Loss

Hair loss is a common problem among many men and women, leaving them stunned and at a total loss of what to do. It can cause serious damage to self esteem and confidence, but knowing more about the problem and its causes should help. The following article is for those who suffer from hair loss, in an attempt to give them a greater understanding of the situation and what they can do about it.

Why am I losing my hair?

Doctors call alopecia hair loss, and assign it to many different causes. Androgenetic alopecia affects both men and women and as the name suggests, is genetic. There baldness, which causes progressive hair loss and telogen effluvium, where it comes from and largely dramatic. Losing your hair is usually in early genetic, but can be caused by certain medications or even underlying medical conditions and stress. Discuss your problem with a physician to rule out various possibilities, especially if your hair loss is sudden and massive, and to be able to determine the best course of action.

Can I stop my hair fall?

If your hair loss is due to stress, a change in lifestyle can help, but often genetics and hormones regulated by the thyroid gland require that hair loss is not easy to stop. If certain drugs are to blame, such as chemo, anti-depressants, or prescriptions for heart problems or high blood pressure, you may have no choice but to continue with treatment and seek ways to cope with thinning hair and baldness. Less common is a condition called traction hair loss, in which pulling the hair back into tight styles led him to fall, and with that comes an obvious remedy. To determine possible treatments, you must simply determine the specific cause for your individual hair loss.

Can I get my hair grow back?

Various treatments for hair loss are available, such as Rogaine, which is a scalp treatment that can help stop the loss and hair growth after about 12 weeks of use or Propecia, a prescription orally also shown to positively influence the problem in some cases, but also offers potential side effects. Individual results may vary, it is often better not get your hopes too high, before discovering whether a product will work for you. Clinical approach and always ask your doctor before making any medication.

How can I find my best look now?

Many men choose to shave their heads completely when they are threatened by loss of hair. This can give them a dramatic, often look attractive which is easy to adjust. Others employ the use of strands of hair to try to maintain their "normal" and look for women, when the hair replacement therapy has failed, the solution is generally a wig or armor. Individual preference plays a large role in determining the best approach to the reflection mirror and hair loss.

How much does it cost to replace my hair?

Hair transplants generally cost around $ 5 or $ 6 each and the total number needed depends on your hair loss in general. For most people, results exceed the costs incurred, which can leave very vulnerable to costly gimmicks and endless, empty promises. Again, talk with your doctor prior to any commitment is often your best bet.

What about false hair?

Wigs and hair can be very natural looking and offer many of those who are struggling with hair loss a viable solution. Men and women find this option allows them to present to the world in search as their most ancient and most happy with the way they look. Costs and accessories and wind and water can present new challenges that are frustrating and ultimately overcome, for the pleasure of having hair again.
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Making Some Simple Changes Will Help You Lose Weight

When it comes to weight loss, there is a good majority of us who struggle to try and just about every type of diet out there in the hope that we find that miracle pill that will make us instantly lose those unwanted pounds. Yet you know as well as I that your extra weight does not happen overnight and losing it will not happen overnight.

When it comes to weight loss, I was one of the biggest idiots out there. I expected this miracle pill to make me lose weight, unfortunately, nothing like that exists. However, I found that by making some simple changes in my life, I am finally losing weight and enjoying it also. I was like millions of other people there and have tried just about all methods of diet pills to lose weight, Slim Fast, and yes even the cabbage soup diet. Only to be disappointed, frustrated and above all HUNGRY!

We are all different and different diets will do different things to different people. The only true way to finally start losing weight is to make simple changes in your life. I'm not meaning to starve yourself or you have to exercise for hours a day. Just change that will make you see a difference and you start losing weight in a day or two.

A change is to reduce the amount of food you eat today. This is a fairly simple that will help you lose weight fast enough. I made these changes and I am finally losing weight while having fun and eating food I like. Yep, you read that, I still eat all the foods I love. I refuse to use the word "diet", just because I do not feel like I'm dieting. I'm on my way to a healthier, slimmer, better me!

Eat less often another big. If you're hungry, try drinking a glass of water first. This will usually help you and you'll realize that you were not hungry after all. But if you need a snack between meals, choose fruit or vegetables and let the chips alone.

Another simple change is to recover from the couch and move. Any type of movement is better than sitting there. Find a partner and go for a walk. Love to dance, take a class, the possibilities are endless when it comes to moving for fun and to help you lose weight at the same time.

If you find something you enjoy doing, you'll never feel like you're exercising at all. You have a game system? Many of them now have games and different things of them that your heart rate and you get an explosion at the same time.

Losing weight should not be scary. It can easily be done by changing simple things in your life. Do more to help you lose more. Think of it like this, the more you move, the more you lose.

Today begins the rest of your life to become a healthier, thinner, better person. Believe me, if I can finally lose weight, you can too!

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Wow Fast Food Diet

Diet on fast foods sounds pretty difficult. Have you ever being on a diet and gone to a fast food restaurant? You look at the menu and everything on there you suddenly crave. What if you could enter any restaurant, fast food, or greasy spoon and eat sensibly? Wouldn't it be great!

You will find this interesting especially if you enjoy your eating excursions. Like my friend who is not a fast food junkie but has a granddaughter that loves eating out. When he is watching his weight is when the granddaughter tempts him with her wishes to eat something not necessarily healthy. How can he resist?

The truth is fast food is not bad for you if you learn to eat it. The problem with diets is they have strict do's and don'ts. You cannot eat anything fried, with sauces, or with bread. Hard to think of anything besides a salad that is not the most enticing in aspect and flavor without all the dressing.

You can eat out and still enjoy and savor the flavors of your favorite foods. Only thing you have to do is moderate and change your intake.

Ever thought of ordering your meal and immediately boxing half as a take out? How about just eating the nutritional parts of your meal and taking small pieces of bread or fries. You get the flavor of the bread while you eat the hamburger, but you don't eat all the bread. You don't eat all the lettuce that has all the sauce or mayonnaise on it, just a bite. You eat enough to get the flavor and not the large amount of calories.

How about fried stuff? You need a certain amount of fat in your diet. If you have that craving for fried, which we often do, then split your order between fried and roasted. You eat the roasted; you remove some of the fried crust and only eat small bites of the crust.

These points are made by a well-known nutritional authority in a diet plan for fast food eaters, which will soon be released. This well-known author demonstrates that he has a very good understanding of nutrition and the human need for some unhealthy foods.

He appears to have experienced most of what he writes about and practices what he promotes.

Besides being well versed on nutrition he is also a bodybuilder. He has written about exercise plans for the beach body, the belly fat, and exercises for the over 40 crowd.

Which one do you fit in?

Belly fat is hard to get rid of without good guidance. Bodybuilding without good nutrition is just bruising your muscles with very little results. Those of you over forty have to look at the concept of low impact high intensity exercises that build muscle faster. If you really look at yourself you could probably use help in all three areas especially if you are prone to high blood pressure and other cardio vascular diseases.

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The 7 Best Ways To NEVER Lose Weight And Stay Unhealthy For Life!

Want to stay unhealthy and never lose weight for good? GREAT! In this article, I described for you the 7 best ways to never get meaningful results, find the weight you "may be" lost, get side effects, spend lots of money, and be more frustrated than ever! Are you ready to see little or no results from today? Okay, here goes ...1. Go on a fad diet! Who needs a natural diet when you can starve yourself, to completely eliminate carbohydrates and fats, lemonade drink or eat bananas all day, or make another type of food exciting technique against nature ? I mean, it's much better to have digestive problems, loss of energy, a messed up metabolism, and more!2. Only do cardio, muscle building and lean forget! Do not, I repeat, DO NOT touch any equipment, weight lifting or doing anything related to building lean muscle. Anything that does that increases your metabolism and resting metabolism ... that burns lots of calories ... even while you rest. Why would you want that to happen? Listen, to get any results, the best thing to do is spend 60 minutes or more doing nothing but cardio! He is terrified great!3. Just pop some diet pills and be happy! Forget about diet, exercise the mind, and forget to do all other things that so-called "experts" say and do just go pop some diet pills. Who cares if you end up with heart problems and other issues?! Oh, and make sure you order an unknown brand online from an unknown website!4. Skip breakfast! It is perfectly okay if you're hungry and craving carbs later in the day!5. Quench your thirst with chilled soda or juice! Mmm, there's nothing like a tall glass of diabetes and obesity ... with lots of ice! The water is not necessary, since your body already contains a lot of water anyway. It's not like you need to rebuild or something.6. Stay awake as long as possible! You do not need to go to sleep! Plenty of sleep will do is give you plenty of natural energy (why would you need that when you can just drink lots of coffee?), It helps repair and build lean muscle tissue (which is useless, because that of No. 2 above), it can burn up 500 calories (should I say?), and it increases your metabolism (which you most certainly NEVER want that to happen)!7. Take as many breaks as possible in your diet and exercise program! Not only do you avoid going on a natural diet, you also want to make sure that you NEVER stay consistent. All results are consistent guaranteed! And you certainly do not want!OR ...You can go to a natural diet program, focus on building lean muscle instead of making a shit load of cardio, avoid taking diet pills, never skip breakfast, put down the soda and juice and drink plenty of water, going to bed, and remain compatible with a healthy lifestyle. If you do this, then you will get results ... without emptying your bank account, get side effects, get a weight loss yo-yo, and frustrated! What path did you choose to take?Want to know the secrets of weight loss 18 which made me lose up to 6 pounds every week?
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Methods of weight loss

It's that time of year again. Spring which means those jackets are coming off and the dreaded bathing suit season is just around the corner.
You can feel the panic in the air. Across the nation, women are taking extra spin classes, skipping desserts and privately flogging themselves up for gaining a few pounds over winter.
With the move towards lighter spring clothing, t-shirts and shorts, it's only natural that many of us are looking for the best diet plan to shed pounds fast.
The mainstream media knows this. That's why there's a new diet on every cover right now. That's why there's a fresh crop of celebrities touting their miracle diet on TV or the shopping channel.
That's why you feel a bit more pressured than usual. You can't help it - it's all around you. Between the day-time talk shows, the newest book releases and the magazine covers touting the latest diet plan, the insinuation is there: You're a failure.
You're a failure if you don't easily slim down to a size 0 with our diet. You're a failure if losing weight for spring isn't the whiz-bang-easy-good-time we're telling you it is.
Just try our diet. You did and it didn't work? Well, it's certainly not our fault. There must be something wrong with you. Just buy next month's magazine and try that diet. Maybe if you're a good girl, you'll get it right this time.
Ok, maybe I've been buying magazines for too long. But you know what I mean - this subtle pressure about this time of year that says "Losing weight should be a cinch - it's easy!"
But there's something that these magazines aren't telling you about the latest and greatest best diet. There's actually something they're leaving out. And it's this something that is probably sabotaging your weight loss in a number of ways.
What is it?
It's simply this: They don't tell you that losing weight is a challenge. Yup, that's right - it takes effort.
But if you believe the hype that it should be easy - and then it's not easy for you - you'll get discouraged, break the diet and beat yourself up. And then you're stuck in the same cycle over and over of trying the latest best diet, failing, trying a new diet, failing etc. etc.
So what's the truth?
Losing weight is not easy. It is a lifestyle change. And it takes work.
So you need to be prepared to do everything you can to give yourself the edge. And consider any way you can that will make things easier while you lose weight.
That's one of the reasons I use a diet food delivery service to shed pounds every spring. It gives me that edge - that extra push I need to stick with it. I've used a couple of different services to lose weight over the years and they were the most enjoyable "diets" I've ever tried.
Why? Because the meals were done for me - and they tasted good (not like my cooking at all). So even though losing weight was a bit of a challenge, having the meals done for me took a lot of stress off.
I didn't have to shop or prepare the food myself. I didn't have to slave for hours in the kitchen - only to be disappointed by food that tasted only so-so. All I had to do was choose my entree for that night, heat it up and enjoy. Sometimes there was even dessert.
So if you've struggled in the past with losing weight, this is one option to consider. There are other ways to make things easier and take the stress off too - like carving out some time alone to pamper yourself every day. Get a massage or do something special for yourself.
Another way to make losing weight easier is to find a diet that lets you eat food you enjoy. So if you are a chocoholic, choose a diet that lets you have chocolate (ok, maybe not every day, but...).
If you need your glass of wine at night, there are diets that will allow this too. When you enjoy the food you're eating, you're more likely to stick with the diet and lose the weight you want.
Again, you want to make it as easy on yourself as possible.
Regardless of what you decide to do, or which diet you decide to try - just know that it's supposed to be a bit challenging at times.
It's not as simple as the magazines (or movie stars) say it is. If it was, then we'd all be size 0 gazelles lazing by the pool sipping margaritas.
So go easy on yourself, give yourself time and remember - it does get easier. And the results will be worth it!

Vienna Miller writes for Diet Food Delivery Reviews - offering the latest tips and reviews on diet food delivery services.
For the top 3 diet meal delivery services rated by price, food quality and fast weight loss results visit Best Diet Meal Delivery

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Fitness Equipment - The Benefits of a Home Trampoline

If you're convinced exercising is a chore, try using a mini-trampoline to help you stay in shape. It's a lot of fun and extremely healthy at the same time.
The trampoline has jumped a long way from its original. Apparently it started 1934 as an astronaut training tool. Today you will find it in a lot of homes, inside or outside, and it even has a place in the Olympic Games.
So what are the Benefits of a Home Trampoline?
There are quite a number of general and specific health benefits that you get from working out with a home trampoline. The major ones are

• Trampolining offers you a good cardiovascular workout, as the bouncing action quickens your pulse and works several muscle groups at once. Your heart and respiratory system work harder, even if you are only bouncing on a mini-trampoline.
• It is a low impact exercise that can help to improve your bone density
• Hoping on the trampoline will enhance your motor skills, improve your balance and coordination
• This exercise is also a worthy alternative to strength training and can help to reduce neck strain and injuries if this is an area you stress a lot, like for pilots
• Mini-trampolining can help to aid healing Stroke victims and elderly and fall-prone people. Research found these groups particularly get the benefit of mini-trampolining as it improves posture and gait, aides balance and helps to increase joint-position awareness in the ankle
• It improves your flexibility and enhances your muscle response time
• Trampoline jumping increases your coordination, rhythm and stamina
• You will burn off mega calories
• Trampoline training adds a youthful, fun factor to the workout. It is a great way to beat indoor workout boredom

When you start off using a home trampoline for your home exercise just I recommend you follow these basic tips

• starting slowly,
• paying attention to any aches and pains and
• jumping on an empty stomach to avoid nausea or vomiting.

A few words of caution at the end, just to make sure you really enjoy your home trampoline:

• Make sure you take the time to learn how to bounce safely and comfortably
• thoroughly investigate any mini-trampoline you are considering buying. If it looks like it could fold or collapse, avoid it.
• Check with your insurance company if they need to be informed about your new hobby. Your home might not be covered if you have a trampoline or you might be excluded from claiming for any injuries caused by the trampoline.
• Injuries can happen. Neck and head injuries are a threat, either with risky moves or falling off the trampoline altogether. If there are young children in your home, it is advisable to keep the mini-trampoline locked away

I hope you have a great time and enjoy all the benefits of a home trampoline.

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Heart Rate Monitoring - What You Didn't Know About Your Heart

Why you need to know your heart rate during exercise?
Basically, if you know how many times per minute your heart is beating, you will have a good idea of how hard you are working during your workout. If you exercise too hard and your heart rate is too high, you will quickly wear yourself out. On the other hand, if you don't put in enough effort and your heart rate is too low, you will not see the benefits of your exercise routine. So the important thing is to find somewhere in between these two extremes. It is important to know that you are exercising hard enough to benefit from your effort, but not too hard that you quickly tire out.
So what heart rate should you work at?
In order to see the best results from your exercise routine, experts believe you should be aiming to have a heart rate of between 65% and 85% of your maximum. This range is also called your optimum training zone. Sounds complicated, but it is easy to calculate.
First, you need to calculate your maximum heart rate. To do this simply take your age away from 220. So, if you are aged 35, your MHR will be 220 - 35 = 185.
To work out your optimum training zone, you need to perform a couple more calculations - one to work out 65% of your MHR and the other to find 85% of your MHR.
In the above example of our 35 year old, the calculations are:
185 x 85% = 157
185 x 65% = 120
So, this 35 year old should aim to train with a heart rate of between 120 and 157 beats per minute. If their rate was higher that 157, their body would not be able to get enough oxygen quickly enough to cope with the effort and they would easily get exhausted. If they trained with a rate of less than 120, they would not be working very hard and would see little benefit from their exercise routine.
How to measure heart rate
The cheapest way to measure your heart rate is to measure it yourself using your fingers. Either place two fingers at the side of your neck just below the jawbone or place two fingers about two centimetres below your wrist joint. Count the pulses for 15 seconds and multiply that number by four to get your beats per minute. Although this is the cheapest way of measuring heart rate, it is without doubt the most inconvenient as it is not always easy to take these measurements during a good workout.
Nowadays, a lot of gym equipment comes with sensors which measure your heart. These can give you a reasonable indication of your heart rate but the measurements are the most inaccurate.
The best and easiest way to get a reliable heart rate measurement is to use a sports watch. These usually consist of two parts - a watch to wear on your wrist and a strap that is worn around the chest and which detects your heart rate before transmitting data to your sports watch. Like with so many things, it is true that you get what you pay for. In our experience, anything under around 40 will be basic and less accurate than more expensive alternatives.
The fat burning zone
The fat burning zone is an area of lower intensity training where your body will get energy from fat rather than carbohydrate. This zone is usually between 50% and 70% of your maximum heart rate. So for our 35 year old mentioned above with a MHR of 185, the fat burning zone would be between 93 and 129 beats per minute. However, exercise at this level will burn off less calories than working at a higher intensity so if you want to lose weight, you'll be better off working at the higher intensity in your optimum training zone.
Other relevant factors
Measuring heart rate whilst resting can be useful for measuring the effects of your workout routine. Normal resting heart rate can be between 60 and 100 beats per minute. A low HR does not mean you are fit, just as a higher resting rate is not a sign of unfitness. The best time to measure resting rate is first thing in the morning before getting out of bed. Measure your resting rate before starting a new workout programme and then check it every week to see if it decreases over time. As your heart muscle get stronger, it should become more efficient at pumping blood around the body and should therefore need to beat less times per minute. So, over time, if your workout is having benefits, your resting HR should decrease.
A better measure of how your workout routine is working is to look at your recovery HR. This is measured one minute after ending your workout. Begin by measuring your resting HR as described in the paragraph above and then one minute after your workout, take a reading. The difference between these two numbers is the important thing to note. As your fitness level increases, the difference between these two numbers should also decrease.
Heart rate can be affected by many things such as age, illness, alcohol, smoking, medication and diet. The best ways to lower your HR are to avoid smoking, alcohol, stress and bad diet. Monitoring your HR during workout will enable you to see the improvements you are making and can also be a great motivator.

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What You Need To Know About Cross Trainers

Cross trainer is a term that is used to refer to either a stationary exercise machine which replicates various types of exercises such as stair climbing, walking, or running without causing a lot of pressure to the joints or a particular sports shoe. Cross training, also known as circuit training refers to the training of athletes. Cross training in sports and fitness refers to exercises which focus on various parts of the body. With other types of exercises focusing only on a specific part of the body to work certain muscle groups, this type of training aims actually to focus on most if not all of the muscle groups.
Cross trainers in the form of shoes, are specially designed to give comfort and flexibility to your feet while you push your body to the limit. A lot of people are choosing to run more and more each day. These shoes are the perfect choice if you want to train for a marathon or you just want to run long distances or races. If you choose this sport you have to be in great shape and push your body to the limit.
They are similar to sneakers as far as functionality is concerned, but cost more because their name suggests you will be a better athlete if you wear them. Then again, maybe if you tried out a pair, they might let you run that much faster because of their flexibility. Buying these shoes for the cross training sport is a must.
The cross-trainer machine is often confused with a treadmill. However, the fact of the matter is that they are very different in the sense that you will be doing more of a stepping action as if you are riding a bicycle in a standing position. They are designed to give your legs a full work out and get them in shape fast.
You can use this machine at the gym or if you are really into your fitness could get your own home one. This will make exercise more fun and easier to fit into your daily routine. As the machine is one of the quietest you can get, especially compared to a treadmill, you could exercise on it in front of the TV if you wanted. Just as long as you are not obscuring the view of others as I am sure they would not be too pleased. As long as you do a bit of exercise on one of these at least once a week you will see a great difference in your level of fitness.

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Increasing Your Fitness Level

Beginning an exercise plan can be tough. This is especially true if you have never really exercised before and fitness is a new part of your life. Many people are trading in their sedentary lifestyle for an active, fit life. Are you struggling to increase your fitness level? Listed below are a few tips that will increase your fitness level and get you in shape in no time. Get off the sofa, get moving and give your health a kick in the right direction!
· Have a routine
Sporadic exercise is better than no exercise at all but to increase your fitness level you will need a routine. Establish when you will workout and how much time you will dedicate to it each day. Keep this routine and you will quickly see that it is easier to get in that much needed exercise. Exercising at least 3 times a week will put you on the right path to getting fit.
· Incorporate exercise equipment
Fitness equipment can make incorporating exercise into your life much easier. Instead of investing in a gym membership, invest in exercise equipment that you can use at home such as treadmill, cross trainer or vibration plate. Exercise machines have built in workouts that target specific areas of your body. Using equipment is a great way to increase your fitness level in the comfort of your home. A cross trainer will be great for those who can only withstand a low impact workout. Treadmills are great for those who enjoy getting a work out in through walking or running or a combination of both.
· Get exercise even when you aren't really trying too
To increase your fitness level, you can find unconventional ways to add activity to your daily life such as walking to work, jogging to the post office to get your mail, or parking at the back of the parking lot when you go for groceries. The key to increasing your fitness level is to find more ways to get your heart rate up during the day. Don't be lazy. Laziness will not get you any close to your overall fitness goal.
If you are new to a fitness program, increasing your levels may not be as hard as it seem. While it may be difficult getting started, the more you exercise, the better your fitness level will become. Push yourself to do more each day and before you know it exercising will be an easy part of your life.

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The Most Overlooked Secret to Weightlifting Success: Stretching

 

As time passes, your muscles become stiff and the flexibility of your joints is reduced. It is necessary to stretch your muscles every day before you start your weightlifting exercises. Stretching is an important exercise for people of all ages. The biggest benefits that stretching offer you is, an increases in your range of motion, and protection from injury.
Stretching comes naturally to each and every one of us. You stretch after sitting in a particular position for a long time. Stretching has lots of beneficial properties.

• It improves the blood circulation and flexibility of your muscles.
• People who stretch regularly will have less musculoskeletal complaints.
• Post workout stretching ensures speedy recovery of muscles and decreases lactic acid accumulation.
• Stretching also has beneficial action over tendons and joints.
• Stretching before a workout schedule will tune your body and mind for the strenuous task ahead.
• It has a relaxing effect, and is a good stress buster.
• It improves the balance and coordination of various body parts.
• It is a good prophylactic measure against chronic conditions like lower back pain and joint pain.

Stretching is an exercise that can be done anywhere and at any time. People who do weight lifting need to include pre-and post workout stretching in their schedule. Compared to a normal individual it is easier for a weight lifting trainee to injure himself if he skips his daily stretching routine.

• Stretch before you perform any vigorous activity or weight lifting.
• Stretching should be performed slowly.
• Each and every major muscle group should be included in your stretching routine.
• Stretching should be done daily for at least 15 min.
• Use static hold, PNF techniques like contract-relax, hold-relax to perform stretching.

It has been proved scientifically that, stretching in between weight lifting sets accelerates muscle growth and reduces the chance of sprains and injury. Stretching should be done for a group of muscles immediately after weight training them. Stretching substantially cuts down on the muscle recovery time. New researches have proved that stretching between sets appears to have beneficial effect on muscle contraction. This indirectly increases the power of that particular muscle group. Stretching also helps in lactic acid absorption, hence reducing muscle fatigue.
Below, you can see a sample stretching routine which will help you in understanding the basics of stretching.

• Neck- stand straight, rotate your head in a circular motion for 12 times and then repeat it in the opposite direction.
• Ankles and knees-flex, extend and rotate them in both directions.
• Hips- rotate your hips in a circular motion in both directions.
• Upper body-stand straight locking your hands in front of your body, Bend forward so that your chest touches your knees.
• Shoulders- flex your elbows and touch your shoulders with your fingers. Now rotate your shoulders in a clockwise and anticlockwise direction.
• Legs- stand straight, placing your feet at shoulder width. Squat down till your thighs are parallel to the floor, hold the position for a few seconds and stand up again.
• Hamstrings- stand straight, placing your feet at shoulder width. Pushing your body up, stand on your toe base, hold the position for a few seconds and return back.

Stretching is an exercise routine that is inevitably included in all professional weight lifting programs. It is followed by a beginner as well as an advanced bodybuilder.
Until the next article, "Be Your Best"
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Protein and Fat Loss

Working out is not all about putting on slabs of new muscle. It usually involves trying to lose some excess fat along the way as well. What's the point of all your hard work if you end up with nothing to show for it, right?
You probably already know that protein is crucial to building muscle. But did you know that it helps you burn fat as well? Now you have one more reason to like it.
Here's how it works:
No more insulin spikes
Taken alone, carbohydrates, specifically high-glycemic sugars, can cause insulin spikes. Getting some form of protein source to go along with your meals effectively keeps this from happening.
Cool. But what does it mean?
Well, a spike has two parts: a rapid increase and a rapid decrease. The first part is not so bad since it gives you a short energy boost. The problem lies in the second part. The rapid drop of insulin levels causes you to feel not only tired, but hungry-usually for other high-sugar foods-as well. SO make sure that you consume protein with most, if not all, of your meals.
No time to prepare protein-rich meals? Try instant sources like liquid egg whites instead. They're protein-rich and all-natural like regular egg whites but they come in a more convenient form.
Increased metabolism
Protein helps you build more muscle. Muscle is more expensive (in terms of calorie requirement) for your body to keep than fat. This means that the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn even when you're not doing anything.
The amount of extra calories burned may not be much according to some experts, but the little things add up. Besides, more muscle means you can work out harder and make your body a much more efficient fat-burning machine anyway so it's a win-win situation.
Decreased muscle breakdown
Your body prefers to use carbohydrates as its primary energy source because it's more readily available and easier to burn. However, the harder and longer you work at the gym, the bigger the risk that you'll run out of carbohydrates. When this happens, your body is forced to tap into your calorie stores, i.e., fat and muscle.
In the absence of readily available amino acids that come from dietary protein, your body feeds on your muscle instead. Less muscle, of course, results in a decreased metabolic rate and, over time, may also negatively impact your strength. So, the next time you hit the gym, bring a steady supply of ready-to-drink protein with you.
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Build Bigger Biceps and Show Off Those Arms

Building bigger biceps is one of the more popular areas that bodybuilders like to concentrate on.
As with other areas of the body such as the abs, back, chest, and legs the abs have specific bodybuilding exercises to promote building muscle in the biceps.
Arm Exercises
There are three main parts of your arm:
*The biceps (often called "guns" by body builders).
*The triceps (which are on the opposite side of your biceps on your upper arms).
*Forearms and wrists.
Here are some arm exercises that will help you build muscle:
FOR THE TRICEPS:
*Tricep Dips - You will need a bench do this exercise. Stand in front of the bench lower your body and put your hands slightly more than shoulder width apart on the edge of bench behind you. Now straighten out your arms and keep a little bend in your elbows. Now slowly bend your elbows and lower your body down towards the floor until your arms are at about a 90° angle, be sure to keep your back close to the bench. Then slowly press off of your hands and push yourself straight back up to the starting position. Repeat
*Tricep Cable Push Downs - You will need a cable set up to do this exercise. Face the high pulley and grab the cable T-bar attachment with an overhand narrow grip. Extend your arms down and then return until your forearm is close to upper arm. Repeat
* Close Grip Bench Press - Lie down on a bench and grasp barbell from the rack with a shoulder with grip. Lower the weight to your chest with elbows close to body. Push the barbell back up until your arms are straight. Repeat. Note the grip can be slightly narrower than shoulder width but not too close.
FOR THE BICEPS:
*Dumbbell Curl - Grab the dumbbell on a preacher bench. With arm bent and palm facing shoulder, place back of arm down on pad. Lower dumbbell until arm is fully extended. Raise dumbbell until forearm is vertical. Repeat and continue with opposite arm
*Preacher Curl - again sit on the preacher bench, placing back of arms on pad. Grasp the curl bar with shoulder width underhand grip. Raise bar until your forearms are vertical. Lower barbel Angel arms are fully extended out. Repeat.
FOR FOREARMS AND WRISTS
*Farmers Carry - Start with a set of dumbbells placed on each side that are about 2/3 of your dead lift max. Reach down and with your chin up grip the barbells and raise them till you reach a standing position. You will now walk with the dumbbells about 100 feet to complete a rep
*Wrist curl - Sit on a bench and hold the dumbbell underhand grip and rest your forearm on your thigh beyond your knee. Let the dumbbell roll out of your hand down your fingers. Then raise the dumbbell up by gripping and pointing your knuckles up high as you can. Lower and repeat.
These exercises will not only shape your biceps but will also increase the strength of your grip. This will help you with your heavier exercises when you need that added grip.

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Three Muscle Building Techniques

The most important topic when it comes to changing the shape of your body is nutrition. You've probably heard cheesy sayings like "A little on the lips, forever on the hips" and "You are what you eat." Well, that's because it's true. No matter how hard you work out, if you're diet is wrong, you're not going to get the results you want. If you ask any professional bodybuilder or fitness model, they're going to tell you the same thing. So the topic I'm going to discuss here is nutrabolism.
Nutrabolism means optimizing nutrition to increase muscle growth without adding fat. You've probably heard a lot of talk about the importance of protein, and it's true that protein is very important. But it's easy to make sure you're getting enough protein. What people don't talk about enough is carbohydrate intake. So keeping that in mind, here are three of the most advanced muscle building techniques.
1. Carbohydrate Capitalization. What this means is that you need to eat your carbohydrates at the right time of day so they're not wasted. Extra carbohydrates turn into fat, but if you eat the majority of them around your workout, you can use the energy the provide immediately and not have them going to waste the rest of the day. In fact, you should probably consume about 70% of your daily carbohydrates pre and post workout. The other 30% of your carbohydrates are best eaten at breakfast.
2. Somatofy Your Nutrition. This means changing your nutrition based on your body type. You've probably heard that there are three basic body types: ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph. There are actually many more body types that fall between these on the spectrum, and nutritionists are only now beginning to understand how these body types react to nutrients and carbohydrates. But for simplicity's sake, we'll focus on the three main body types.

• The Ectomorph. People with this body type are long, lanky and skinny. They typically have thin bones and have a very hard time putting muscle. If that sounds like you, you'll need to take advantage of high-glycemic carbohydrates not just during your workout window, but throughout the day. Doing this will help you to fill out your clothes and change your body faster.


• The Endomorph. People with this body type tend to be shorter and thicker and put on fat very easily. If this is you, then you need to do the opposite and avoid high-glycemic carbohydrates and instead focus on complex carbohydrates and eat the vast majority of them before and after your workout.


• The Mesomorph. These people tend to be of average height and thickness. If that's you, count yourself lucky because it will be much easier to build a great physique. Your main focus should be on protein and having 70% of your carbs (both simple and complex) around your workout.

3. Change Your Nutrition Based On Your Weight Training Program. This is one of the most common mistakes. Many people follow a meal plan that doesn't take into account the time of day they workout. There are some people who get most of their carbs in the morning and do their workout at night. This type of behavior is going to make muscle growth a slow and frustrating process. It's important to have meals prepared for right before and after you workout, no matter what time of day it is.
Hopefully these three tips will help you out. For now, you should start measuring your results. Take a pen and an index card to the gym so you can keep track of how much weight and how many reps you're able to do on each machine. It's not exact, but over time it will give you an idea of whether your plan is working. And if it's not, make adjustments. Good luck!

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Build Muscle to Lose Belly Fat

How to lose belly fat is a little more complex than you have been told by the late-night infomercials with all their fad diet, pills and, potions.
A typical cardio workout doesn't build muscle. If you do a typical cardio workout you will actually lose muscle. Did you ever wonder why most marathon runners are incredibly skinny? Well this is the reason why. They run like a bunny on a treadmill all day and don't build muscle.
If you're the typical person you're looking to lose your belly fat and maybe even a little bit of the muscle to look better. And that won't be bad as you'll have a much leaner and better looking body and improved self image.
You need to increase your metabolism by doing the right kind of exercise. This is why building muscle is an important key to losing fat. Because muscle tissue takes lots of calories to maintain every day, this means the more you build muscle the more calories you'll burn everyday and the higher your metabolism will be whether you exercise or not.
The problem with traditional cardio is that it will cause you to lose muscle mass. Long slow cardio leads to a slowdown in your metabolism and that will defeat your efforts to lose belly fat.
The real problem is that it will happen slowly over time and you probably won't even notice it. This slowdown in metabolism will make it virtually impossible for you to lose belly fat which is why most people fail to get a flat stomach and a lean toned body they desire.
But here's the good news not all cardio slows down your metabolism. In fact if you doing the right kind of workout you can actually speed your metabolism up because it helps you build muscle. Now this won't happen overnight but it will assist you in burning a lot of calories and prevent the buildup of fat.
See your metabolism is the key to weight loss. You must have a high resting metabolism to continue to burn fat even while you sleep. But the key to a high metabolism is to have muscle in the first place. So you need to replace fat with muscle so that your metabolism is high enough when you are not doing any exercises your body will be able to metabolize your calories and keep you lean and fit.
Keep in mind that the calories you burn during cardio are not the most important calories that you will be burning. It's the ones that you consume in a resting state to support your muscles that will get you a lean and fit body.
When you live a sedentary life style with a slow metabolism your resting metabolism is so low that it doesn't keep up with the calories you take in and that when you add fat.
I'm also not saying that the calories you consume during cardio aren't important, because you will burn some significant calories but not nearly as much as you will by building muscle. I am not talking about becoming a bulked up body builder type either. You just need to have enough muscle to support a strong metabolism that will burn the calories you take in.
Most people have been told that they just have to burn more calories than they consume, well this is just an over simplification. Because how and when you burn your calories will determine whether you lose belly fat.
There is a workout that can burn a lot of calories during the workout and build muscle so you continue to burn calories to support those muscles.
The main reason people will not do the proper workout is because they don't want the bodybuilder look. It's just too extreme for them, well let me tell you don't have to have the bodybuilder look to have well toned muscles that will keep your metabolism firing on all cylinders whether you're working out or not.

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Interval Training to Build Muscle and Lose Fat

Interval training or High Intensity Training (HIT) Is a way to lose fat and build muscle at the same time.
Many people are concerned that if they pursue a workout program like this they will build too much muscle and look like a body builder, though some will want this look.
By using Interval Training you can build muscle and you will look more shaped and well toned. So even if you gain some weight from building muscle you will improve the look of your body and have more energy from the increase in your metabolism. Increasing your metabolism is the key to lose fat and keep it off.
So get the fear of building muscle out of your mind and instead realize that building muscle is an important key increasing your metabolism and to lose fat even if you do not want to get bulked up like a body builder.
So what kind workouts should you do to lose fat and increase your metabolism?
That's where Interval training or High Intensity Training come in. The best part is that it can be done anywhere and requires no equipment except a towel. This is a dirty little secret the fitness industry doesn't want you to know.
Interval training is doing a set 8 to 10 different exercises for you whole body in 20 or 30 minutes total time. You will do each exercise at the highest intensity possible for 30 seconds and then rest for about 15 seconds and then resume the high intensity part again until you have completed that exercise. You will rest again and the go on to the next exercise.
This will recharge you enough to be able to push hard again in the next intense interval. With this system you will not be continuously counting the minutes that you have to chug along at the same boring pace but moving from a period of intense training looking forward to the next break so that you can rest for the next intense interval. This will make your workout more beneficial to you but it will seem to go by faster for you.
Remember each exercise will take only about two or three minutes at the most to complete and you will rest and go on to the next one until you have completed all of the exercises in the workout program.
This type of exercise is great because it is over fast and will not slow down your metabolism like the grinding pounding cardio of running, or biking will do. You won't look like an emaciated marathon runner either.
The best part is that you are exercising your whole body not just your legs or your upper body like many traditional flat lose weight workouts. This will Burn fat, and build muscle in all the right places.
But remember that no matter how good your workouts are they will do you no good if you do not do them consistently. You must do your workouts at least 3 to 4 times per week to achieve your goals. I know this is much easier said than done. But there are some tricks that can make working out much easier.
You must have a fat loss workout that you can do at home. There will always be times when you cannot go to a gym. Just by eliminating your drive time to the gym you'll be saving a lot of the time so you can work out at home.

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All About the Keto Diet

A lot of the time a person thinks that when it comes to cutting, there is really only one single way to go about doing it. This could not be further from the truth, as there are plenty of ways that a person can go about cutting down some of their body fat to help reveal those chiseled abs. One of the most popular ways that a person can do their cutting phase is through the use of a keto diet, a diet that has been made popular through a lot of the popular "marketed" diets like South Beach and Atkins. Although some would say that these things are made primarily for women, we are going to show you how a keto diet can be an effective way to cut down no matter what.
First things first, a keto diet is short for ketogenic. So what exactly is a ketogenic diet then? The main theme of the ketogenic diet is to completely shut down all intake of carbohydrates, or at least restrict them to an absolute minimum. The idea behind this is that since the body uses carbs as its main source of energy, once it loses that it is going to start looking for new ways to get its energy. Since stored body fat is really nothing more than stored energy under the skin, your body will naturally start to deplete its fat reserves to help get the energy that it is looking for. The beauty of the ketogenic diet lies in the fact that you really don't need to worry too much about adding some cardio exercise to your routine to help your weight loss goals, and you can also enjoy foods that may be seemingly unhealthy, like bacon.
Remember the one thing about the keto diet that you cannot forget is the fact that you should avoid carbs at all costs. This means that any form of wheat product, like cereal, bread or pasta is a big no-no on keto. However, there are some drawbacks to using keto that you should be aware of before starting it. Since you are going to be suddenly cutting off your body's supply of carbs, it is possible that you will begin to have some fairly serious headaches in the first couple of days- this is something that was frequently reported with the Atkins Diet- a diet that used ketogenic properties to help its users. Furthermore, your workout sessions may be a bit difficult at first without carbs to help you get that last rep out, but if you stick with it you will soon be back like nothing ever happened.
So why would anyone choose a Keto diet over a traditional caloric surplus diet with some cardio thrown in? Keto is widely regarded as one of the most effective diets out there for depleting your body fat while maintaining as much muscle mass as possible, as a high-protein diet is usually hand in hand with a keto diet.

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How to Create Your Own Paleo Meals

Paleo diet is a way of eating started in 1970's by the gastroenterologist Walter L. Voegtlin - with the advocacy of staying away from the foods which causes the diseases of civilization like Diabetes, High Blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, Osteoporosis, and even Cancer. It stays away from consuming artificially prepared, and Post Paleolithic age food like refined sugars, processed and refined oils.
As to whether it can make you slim and healthy - this is still a question not yet answered and proven through years like the other diets. What we now is that it is one way of living that has a primary goal. So if you are interested you might be asking on, how can I create my own Paleo meals? Hard rules that I must not break, and tips to sustain it for a long time? Yes, here are some key points to remember for Paleo diet.
• Vegetables and Fruits are allowed. Ever since the world was created, these foods can be gathered manually, resulting for it to be a valid food for Paleo diet. It acts as the main Carbohydrates and Sugar source of the person who will decide to enter this eating regimen. Also, it introduces tons of fiber that is beneficial to the body- specifically to the digestive system.
• Meat - all-you-can. For hunters or carnivores out there, this diet is right for you. You can eat all the chicken, beef, and pork you want. It serves as a fabulous source of Protein which promotes muscle growth and repair.
• Stay away from refined sugars, dairy products and processed oils - these are post Palaeolithic age foods that just causes obesity.
• Egg is allowed - of course, the famous by-product of chicken, egg is allowed for this. Stock a few in your refrigerator to serve as an easy hunger quencher
• Have a healthy heart and eat fish - since our ancestors, catch fish before, we are also allowed to eat it in this diet.
After knowing the basic rules, now let us discuss on the preparation of your Paleo meals. Technically, you can combine the foods mentioned based on your mood and creativity. There's no limit or a required ratio, so all you need to know is how to prepare each major classification.
For the fish, most will like it to be grilled - so you can preserve the freshness by cooking it right away. You can either simply put salt in it, or use some spices and soy sauce, vinegar, and pepper to create a sizzling fish. Yummy!
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Looking For the Best Diet? What Those Magazines Don't Tell You About Weight Loss!

It's that time of year again. Spring which means those jackets are coming off and the dreaded bathing suit season is just around the corner.
You can feel the panic in the air. Across the nation, women are taking extra spin classes, skipping desserts and privately flogging themselves up for gaining a few pounds over winter.
With the move towards lighter spring clothing, t-shirts and shorts, it's only natural that many of us are looking for the best diet plan to shed pounds fast.
The mainstream media knows this. That's why there's a new diet on every cover right now. That's why there's a fresh crop of celebrities touting their miracle diet on TV or the shopping channel.
That's why you feel a bit more pressured than usual. You can't help it - it's all around you. Between the day-time talk shows, the newest book releases and the magazine covers touting the latest diet plan, the insinuation is there: You're a failure.
You're a failure if you don't easily slim down to a size 0 with our diet. You're a failure if losing weight for spring isn't the whiz-bang-easy-good-time we're telling you it is.
Just try our diet. You did and it didn't work? Well, it's certainly not our fault. There must be something wrong with you. Just buy next month's magazine and try that diet. Maybe if you're a good girl, you'll get it right this time.
Ok, maybe I've been buying magazines for too long. But you know what I mean - this subtle pressure about this time of year that says "Losing weight should be a cinch - it's easy!"
But there's something that these magazines aren't telling you about the latest and greatest best diet. There's actually something they're leaving out. And it's this something that is probably sabotaging your weight loss in a number of ways.
What is it?
It's simply this: They don't tell you that losing weight is a challenge. Yup, that's right - it takes effort.
But if you believe the hype that it should be easy - and then it's not easy for you - you'll get discouraged, break the diet and beat yourself up. And then you're stuck in the same cycle over and over of trying the latest best diet, failing, trying a new diet, failing etc. etc.
So what's the truth?
Losing weight is not easy. It is a lifestyle change. And it takes work.
So you need to be prepared to do everything you can to give yourself the edge. And consider any way you can that will make things easier while you lose weight.
That's one of the reasons I use a diet food delivery service to shed pounds every spring. It gives me that edge - that extra push I need to stick with it. I've used a couple of different services to lose weight over the years and they were the most enjoyable "diets" I've ever tried.
Why? Because the meals were done for me - and they tasted good (not like my cooking at all). So even though losing weight was a bit of a challenge, having the meals done for me took a lot of stress off.
I didn't have to shop or prepare the food myself. I didn't have to slave for hours in the kitchen - only to be disappointed by food that tasted only so-so. All I had to do was choose my entree for that night, heat it up and enjoy. Sometimes there was even dessert.
So if you've struggled in the past with losing weight, this is one option to consider. There are other ways to make things easier and take the stress off too - like carving out some time alone to pamper yourself every day. Get a massage or do something special for yourself.
Another way to make losing weight easier is to find a diet that lets you eat food you enjoy. So if you are a chocoholic, choose a diet that lets you have chocolate (ok, maybe not every day, but...).
If you need your glass of wine at night, there are diets that will allow this too. When you enjoy the food you're eating, you're more likely to stick with the diet and lose the weight you want.
Again, you want to make it as easy on yourself as possible.
Regardless of what you decide to do, or which diet you decide to try - just know that it's supposed to be a bit challenging at times.
It's not as simple as the magazines (or movie stars) say it is. If it was, then we'd all be size 0 gazelles lazing by the pool sipping margaritas.
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