Weight Loss Help and Tips

---

5 Bodyweight exercises that burn fat Posted: 22 Nov 2012 12:57 AM PST Not everybody wants or can spend an hour in the gym everyday training. A lot of people would be happy to know a handful of exercises which they can do at home and still have the fat burning benefits. In this article we have gathered 5 exercises which they use your own body's weight but they can still provide a fat burning and muscle building workout. I don't believe in absolute statements such as 'the very best of exercises' or 'the only exercises'. These exercises are not the only 'best' exercises you can do as there is a plethora of exercises which will deliver good results. You can use these in combination to another workout or pick the ones you like and use them with others you may have in your list. Below are some things to keep in mind regarding exercising. Before you start exercising 1. When you are exercising your body will use calories (energy) to fuel the exercise, no matter what exercise it is. The type of fuel, whether it is fat, sugar or other will depend on the type of exercise, the intensity, the meal consumed before and when and a number of other reasons. 2. In very simple terms, the exercise must place some considerable challenge in your body and muscles in order to 'build muscle'. However, this doesn't mean that you should jump to intermediate level when you never exercised before in your life so you get maximum results. You are more likely to get loads of injuries and suffer. Build gradually. 3. The more muscles/muscle groups you use when performing an exercise the more fat you are likely to burn. 4. The more muscle mass you have the more calories and fat you will burn even when you're resting. 5. It is always recommended that you consult a medical professional and/or a fitness professional before taking on exercise especially if you have pre-existing health complaints and injuries. You can also read: 28 weight loss tips with exercise | Best time of the day to exercise 5 Bodyweight exercises that burn fat The exercises below are placed in an order in which they could be performed as a little circuit workout and alternate the muscle groups they target. However, even if you performed in isolation or at a different order is as good. Just be aware not to overload one group (i.e. front legs) and neglect another (i.e. back of legs or upper body). It is always best to train muscles in balance and throughout the body to avoid muscle imbalances and injuries in the long term. ! It is important to do a 5-10min warm up prior to starting exercising. A warm up session should aim to warm and mobilise the major muscles and joints. Rope skipping You will need a rope to perform the exercise. You can buy 'special' skipping ropes but in my opinion any rope which is suitable for your height is fine. The one I usually use to train is a children's one which I bought from a shop for a couple of dollars. It does have some bright yellow handles but 'hey' it's fit for purpose. However, the length is important, as if it is too short for your height you will be tripping yourself with it. How? To perform the skipping, try to keep your back straight and avoid leaning forward. Keep the elbows tacked in your body and the turning of the rope should come from the wrists. If you have to rotate your elbows to turn the rope then the rope may be too small. If you are a beginner in skipping, best jump two footed as it is easier to do. You can build different variations as you become more confident, such as alternate legs or cross arms etc. How much? Perform for 3 min at the start of your workout to get your muscles and cardiopulmonary systems going, and then for another 5 min at the end. Skipping is more of an aerobic exercise and for maximising the fat you burn it is better if you perform resistance exercises 1st and aerobic exercise at the end. The 3 and 5 min may not seem as much but trust me if you never skipped before (being a child was the last time) you will find that is not as easy. If you are more fit then by all means add min on. Go at you own paste and fitness level. Push ups Push up or press ups as they may also be called, target the muscles on the chest, shoulders, arms, and back. There are a number of variations in performance and when performed on the floor with straight legs then they also work leg tummy and buttocks as stabilisers.   How?  1. Lay prone on the floor with palms flat on the floor placed slightly wider under your shoulders. Keep arms extended but do not lock the elbows. 2. Extended legs and toes tacked in to the floor (raise on to your toes), keep your back straight. 3. Contract your abdominal muscles and buttocks. Keep breathing don't hold your breath. 4. Inhale, bend your elbows and lower your body to the floor. 5. Exhale, extend your arms and push your body back up to starting position. Repeat movement. Easier variations include push ups against the wall (if you are really unfit) or the keeping the legs bend (on fours). Harder variations include one arm push ups or the legs placed on a bench or Swiss ball. Aim for what suits your own fitness level. How much? Well it is quite a hard exercise. Aim for 4 to start off, rest for 30sec and perform another 4. If that is too hard then just do 4 and try to build on it or go for one of the easier variations and build on it. If you are fit and can do a couple of sets or more push up by all means judge it and go for it. The plank The plank is a good all over body stability exercise.       How? It is the same with the push up starting position. In the plank you just hold yourself in that position for a few seconds. Contract your abdominal muscles and buttocks. Easier variation includes assuming the plank position with placing your elbows bend under your shoulders and resting your forearms on the floor. Harder variations include placing your legs on a bench or Swiss ball and also alternating from side with one arm to centre to alternate side. How much? Hold your position for 30 sec rest for 30 sec and repeat for another 30 sec. If you are unfit 30 sec will seem like a lifetime. As with all other exercises follow your fitness level and build on that. Rear leg raises Rear leg raises target the muscles at the back of the legs (hamstrings), and buttocks (gluteal). It also works the muscles of the back, chest and tummy as stabilisers. How?  1. Get on an all fours position on the floor. Bend the elbows and under the shoulders and rest the forearms on the floor. 2. Contract your abdominal muscles and buttocks. 3. Raise your right leg keeping your leg straight. Raise the leg no further than hip level. Perform movement slowly and controlled. 4. Lower your leg to the floor and raise again. Repeat movement with the left leg. For a slightly easier variation bend your knee with your heel pointing on the ceiling. Make sure that movement comes from the hip and not the knee when you raise the leg.      How much? Repeat 4 times with each leg. Stick ups The stick up exercise works the upper back, and shoulder muscles and also those muscles located in the shoulder blades (scapula). A good exercise which can offer some relief from upper back stiffness especially if cause from sitting in a desk for a long time. However, do consult a doctor if you have any previous complaints in that area and don't take it for granted that every treatment fits everybody.   How? 1. Standing up, keep the back straight, shoulders back and down. 2. Lift your arms straight above your head. 3. Slide your arms by bending the elbows and tucking the elbows on your side. Keep the forearms looking upwards. When lowering your arm squeeze the shoulder blades together so when your arms have slide down the shoulder blades have gone back into their place. 4. Extend the arms upwards in the same manner and repeat. Perform exercise slowly and controlled. There are variations in which you perform the exercise against the wall or lying on the floor. How many? Perform 8 stick up exercises. It is a simple but quite hard exercise. If 8 is too many, then adapt the number as with every other exercise and build on it.

20 healthy weight loss tips Posted: 21 Nov 2012 03:40 AM PST This article provides you with 20 healthy weight loss tips. When you want to lose weight you need to make sure that you do it the healthy way and in a way that it will not cause any problems to your physical or psychological health. Everybody, very well knows the basic principles for weight loss: less food, more exercise. It may sound easy but the exhaustive pace of everyday life makes it almost impossible to achieve. After a full day in the office, nobody is enthusiastic about the idea of a green salad or boiled chicken for dinner. Not to mention that two-hours running on the treadmill is not a good idea either. The bad news is that you never lost ten pounds in three days-which means that you should be prepared to start a weight loss process that will take time and effort. The good news is that there are some healthy weight loss tips that can help you lose weight without having to fall into hunger or adapt to “drastic” solutions with disappointing results. This article presents 20 tips that will help you get the body you always dreamed off in a fast and healthy way, and it will also help you maintain this weight for a long time. Tip #1. Drink lots of water We often confuse thirst with hunger, leading to load our body with unnecessary calories when what we really need is a glass of cold water. If you prefer, you can add some lemon slices to the jug of water for extra flavour or to drink tea with fruit flavour but no sugar. It is a simple and healthy trick that will help you a lot in your weight loss efforts. Tip #2. Think about what you can add to your diet, not what to remove Set a goal to try and consume the recommended 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. This will ensure that your body takes the necessary fiber, while fighting hunger. You must also not forget the many benefits of vegetables for your health and disease prevention. A good way to eat more vegetables is to mix them with the food. For example you can have vegetables in your rice or soups, in chicken as salads or in pasta. This is better than eating them on the side. Eating more vegetables is a healthy habit that once you get used to it you will not realise that you are doing it. Tip #3. Eat only when you are hungry Many times, our desire for food is not due to real hunger but due to other several psychological factors. Hunger is the message of our organism to tell us that we need fuel, so if the desire for food is not due to hunger the food will not make us feel better. On the contrary we will feel worse because of the extra unnecessary calories we will consume. It is also a not healthy habit because it does not offer anything and will help you destroy your weight loss efforts. Try to reduce the portions of your meals and increase their frequency. Notice after each meal if you feel bloat or tiredness so as to understand when you feel real hunger and when you eat because of other factors. Tip #4. Avoid after dinner snacks The most dangerous time to destroy your weight loss efforts and diet is after the last meal of the day, when you lie down in front of the TV with a pack of chips or a box of crisps and biscuits. This is the time that you eat out of a habit without really being hungry. If you cannot resist the temptation of a small “sin” after a long day, obtain healthy snacks such as low-calorie cereal bars or ice cream without sugar and fat and allow yourself to have one per day. When you get used to this try to further reduce the calorie load with a cup of tea with no calories. Tip #5. Enjoy your favourite foods To completely avoid your favourite foods will not create the desired results since the feeling of deprivation leads to exaggeration. Think the last time you did not eat a chocolate for a month and the quantity consumed when you decided that you are ‘allowed’ to eat chocolate. Instead of excluding from your weight loss program and diet foods you really enjoy, be sure to buy them in smaller amounts and to eat them less often, once or twice a week. Moreover, the expectation is what makes the satisfaction greatest. Tip #6. Do not be too strict on your weight loss program When you need to exit your diet for a while, walk to the cafe serving the best waffles, or organize a night out with friends. For even better results do not buy sweets or other snacks for home- instead replace them with plenty of fruits and limit these night outs to one per week. Thus, you will not have to worry that you will give up to the temptation while you are at home. Tip #7. Eat several small meals during the day Weight loss is the result of eating fewer calories than those we burn. When, however, we are constantly hungry this is not easy at all. Research shows that people who eat 4-5 meals a day find it easier to control their appetite and weight. Apply this method for your own weight loss program. Try to divide the calories you consume during the day in many small portions. Make sure that you consume as much as possible calories before noon, with the evening meal being the last time you eat in a day. This is not only good for your weight loss efforts but it is also a healthy habit because it gives enough time to your body to function the 'burn' process properly. Tip #8. Spicy food! Add seasoning’s or hot spices in your food, which will enhance the taste and make you feel that you eat more. The meals enhanced by tasty spices will stimulate your taste and create a sense of satisfaction, without actually eating more. When you want something sweet, choose a hot caramel flavour with cinnamon or ginger. It gives you for some time the sweet flavour you need, with fewer calories. Tip #9. Fill the kitchen with healthy and easy meals The easy-made meals or snacks that are prepared quickly solve a lot of your problems (cooking time, preparation time etc) and lead you a step closer to weight loss success. These will prevent you from ordering something from a fast food restaurant or to order pizza, because you can within 5-10 minutes prepare your own healthy meal. Such healthy foods include: Frozen vegetables Ready, purified salads Canned vegetables (tomatoes, beans) Arab pies of bread or wholemeal toast Slices of boiled turkey (for toast) Low-fat cheese Black rice (quick boil) Tip #10. Order kids meal! When eating out, you can order an individual pizza or a small sandwich. In this way you keep the calories low and the quantities consumed controlled. Another trick is to use smaller plates. This helps the portions look larger and if by looking at them you mind is satisfied, then most likely your stomach will also be satisfied. Tip #11. Eat season fruits and vegetables If you do not like certain fruits or vegetables, this is possibly due to the fact that you eat them when they were out of season. This makes them almost tasteless and odourless. In contrast, season fruits and vegetables are more delicious and less likely to disappoint you. They are tasty and healthy and help weight loss! For example, strawberries, which are naturally sweet, sprinkled with a little cognac, or low-fat yoghurt and accompanied with canned fruits, are one of the best desserts you can enjoy without guilt. Tip #12. Replace the fried potatoes that accompany your meal with grilled vegetables Eating fewer fried potatoes, pasta or bread and more vegetables, will help you a lot in your weight loss efforts. Experts say even that you can save 100-200 calories if you reduce the amount of fat and starch foods to your plate and increase that of vegetables. Tip #13. Find alternative ways to manage stress Sometimes in our life, we are faced with situations that create us a lot of stress. Instead of looking to food for comfort, prepare some inedible healthy tactics to fight stress that work equally well. Experts suggest to read a book, listen to music, write a diary, to practice deep breathing, meditation, or you can browse an album with photos of your loved ones. Tip #14. Exercise a lot and keep fit It may sound weird, but it is wrong to use the exercise as a means of punishment for yourself because you eat a lot, or in order to win the right to eat more. That is why many people say they hate exercise. Instead, focus on how beautiful you feel, how much better sleep you have at night, and how much more energy you have when you exercise. Physical exercise is good for you whether you are trying to lose weight or not. See, therefore, exercise positively and try to make it your second nature. Tip #15. Adopt the standards of the Mediterranean diet It is a fact that the Mediterranean diet is a standard for any form of diet. The purpose is to include the Mediterranean diet in your weight loss program and diet. The ingredients are simple. Use virgin olive oil as often as possible, preferably in salads with fresh vegetables, eat legumes one to two times a week and replace meat with fish, so that you do not consume meat more than once per week. Tip #16. Avoid alcohol Especially during the summer, excessive alcohol consumption should be avoided, as it is causing increased urination and dehydrates the body, not to mention the calorie load that alcohol has. Prefer lots of water and natural juices that will not give you a lot of extra calories and above all they are healthy. Tip #17. Prefer fish and seafood Especially in the summer you should eat light. The main concern is replacing meat with fish. Therefore you should prefer fish instead of meat, which will provide you with the necessary feeling of satisfaction, but with fewer calories and in a healthy way. Avoid, therefore, fried food and prefer fish and seafood. Some ideas for fish meals are: mackerel, mullet, red snapper, bonito, perch, sardines, crops, rock, sea bream, and grouper. Tip #18. Treat constipation problems In their efforts to start a diet, many individuals experience constipation problems, which, apart from the adverse effects on the body, also affect the weight loss process. Two basic steps you must follow to address this problem is: the daily consumption of more fiber, which have the capacity to contribute to the greater mobility of the gut, and the increased consumption of liquids, helping to correct the metabolic function. So you should increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables like oranges, apples, pears, plums, broccoli and greens. Tip #19. Do not exclude from your diet any food group Many of the “active” weight loss diets you will find support the exclusion of certain groups of foods such as carbohydrate-or fat-from your diet. This, according to nutritionists, is a big unhealthy mistake, as the body needs all nutrients-vitamins, minerals, trace elements, fiber, proteins, etc., which recruits from the different levels of the food pyramid. Thus, carbohydrates such as bread and pasta, and meat and olive oil should not be missing from our diet, as they provide our body necessary nutrients and also have several benefits, ranging from disease prevention and the proper functioning of the metabolism, to high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3), helping to reduce cholesterol levels. Tip #20. Eat a good breakfast Some people when they are trying to loose weight they make the mistake of not eating breakfast. Avoiding breakfast is not a good idea at all because your will feel hunger during the day and at the end you will consume more calories during your meals. Not eating breakfast will also help you to eat snacks, in order to fight your hunger and at the end the calories you consume are more. In fact, research shows that people who eat breakfast every morning are more likely to maintain normal weight and they also find it easier to adapt to a healthy weight loss program. To succeed in your weight loss efforts is up to you. This article gave you 20 healthy weight loss tips that can help you lose weight in a fast, healthy and efficient way.

You are subscribed to email updates from Weight Loss Help and Tips To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610