Your Progress

So now you are committed to exercising. Just to make sure that you are on the right track, write everything down. A workout log functions not only as an exercise checklist but as a concrete rercord of how far you've come- a way to motivate yourself if you become frustrated. To make it work, keep the focus on what you can do, rather than what you can't. And also keep on mind to not compare yourself to anyone else. Once you start focusing on you, your confidence will grow and ignite a cycle of positive reinforcement that will keep you hooked.

Quick Cardio

Raise your heart and torch calories, no gym required.

Complete 10 reps each of both these moves, rest for 60 seconds, then repeat, minus 1 rep per move (first a circuit of 10, then 9, then 8, and so on) until you get to 5 reps.

1. Burpees
Strand with your feet hip-width apart, arms at your sides,. Squat, lean forward, and place your palms on the floor along the outsides of your feet. Kick your feet back and straighten your arms into a pushup position. Jump back into a squat, then stand. That's a 1 rep.

2. Shuttle Runs
Find some open space (empty parking lot, cruise-ship deck, sandy beach, friend's backyard). Set two markers-tank tops, water bottles, whatever you have with you-about 60 feet apart. Starting at one end, run or jog to the other end. That's 1 rep. Turn and run back; that's the second rep. Make it harder. Shorten the rest to 30 seconds between sets or continue the countdown until you get 1 rep of each.

Healthy Blends

Lay the recommended nine servings of fruits and vegetables out on your kitchen counter, and the prospect of choking them all down in a day seems impossible. Blend them into an ice-cold smoothie, however, and suddenly being healthy becomes doable. Smoothies give you a fantastic nutrional bang for the buck.

These pureed powerhouses can do much more than help you hit your nutrition quotas.

Diet and Fitness Tips

A healthy diet and the right fitness routine are key to looking and feeling healthier. The key to achieving a healthy body is having a plan. When you have a plan for fitness and nutrition, you’re more likely to stick to it.

Here are some strategies your diet and fitness plan can include:

* Eat five meals a day. It’s better to have five or six small meals a day than to skip meals or eat only two or three larger ones.

* Make healthy menu choices. A healthy diet is one that emphasizes fruits and vegetables. To help curb hunger, have some protein at every meal, such as fish, chicken, and lean meats. Include some low- or non-fat dairy products such as fat-free milk or low-fat yogurt two or three times a day. Grill, bake, or broil your foods rather than frying them in fat. If you plan your meals around these healthy foods and leave out choices with empty calories, such as soda and chips, you’ll be better able to maintain a healthy weight.

* Plan menus a week at a time. It’s easier to follow a healthy diet when you have the proper foods to cook with at home. If you’re busy during the week, prepare meals and snacks during the weekend and freeze weekday meals. That way you’ll control your portion sizes and also have healthy, low-calorie foods ready for taking to work or when you’re short on time.

* Schedule aerobic exercise. Beginners should start with at least 20minutes of aerobic exercise — such as walking, jogging, biking, rollerblading, or dancing — three times a week. As you build stamina, you can increase to 30 minutes and work up to 60 minutes.

* Find a friend. Partner with someone who is also motivated to be swimsuit-ready come summer. You will get better results if you exercise with a friend. This not only gives you camaraderie, but can provide some healthy competition.

* Weigh in. Every two weeks, weigh yourself first thing in the morning. Step on the scale after using the bathroom, and weigh yourself without clothes to accurately chart your progress. Watching your weight on the scale go down can be very motivating. However, it’s possible that you’ll lose body fat but not overall weight, so get a tape measure and wrap it around your waist at your belly button to assess your progress.

source: http://www.everydayhealth.com

Be Social

If you go to a gym, get to know a few trainers- even if your relationship is limited to their giving you pointers on form. If you don't love gyms, hook up with a friend with a similar fitness level or searching the message boards of local leagues or clubs to find people who share your definition of fun.

The ability to stick to a workout-and get the body that makes you happy-isn't the sole domain of professional athletes and Type A exercisers. You already have what you need within you: It's just a matter of tweaking your perspective so you can tap into what really gets you going.

Is it OK to hit the bar right after going to the gym for drinks?

If you're hitting the bar immediately after going to the gym, I don't recommend it. After you exercise, you must replace lost carbohydrate and protein before you subject your body to the effects of alcohol. The exact amount needed depends on your gender, age, weight, activity level, etc, so consult a good nutritionist. If you recover adequately it should be fine to drink in moderation.

Natural Goodness -- Granola Bars

Jumpstart your health and nutrition routine with granola bars, made of whole grain oats, fruits, and nuts, and oven-baked with a touch of honey. Granola bars are healthy snack before or after a work-out, a run, or doing your yoga. It's a great partner in your quest for long-term fitness and good health.

Ways To Inject Fun In Your Fitness Routine

1) Play Gym RAT. Holding a four-pound medicine ball, lie on the floor, arms stretched behind your head and knees bent. Keeping your arms straight, curl up and toss the ball to a aprtner in the same position 10 feet away. She catches the ball, lowers herself to the floor, curls back up, and tosses it back to you. The first to miss gets an R- and the first to get RAT buys the post-workout smoothie.

2) Head-to-Head High Fives.Get into the top of a pushup position. have your gym buddy get in the same position facing you. Together, lift your right arms and give each other a high five. Alternate arms as many times as you can. Cheer each other on to do a few more reps each week.

3)Bet the burn.Get on a treadmill or a stationary bike next to a friend. Throw your towels over the display screens. Decide together how long you'll run or ride, then guess how many calories the other will burn during that time. Reveal your displays at the end; the person who comes closest rules.

What Does Your Hormones Says

Hormones control everything from puberty to pregnancy, so it's no surprise they have a hand in enrgy too. In the brain, two opposite but complementary sets of hormones affect energy and mood: epinephrine, which, along with dopamine and neuroepinephrine, makes you alert, increases your libido and generally kicks you into a high gear; and serotonin, the chemical that controls your mood swings. When all are in balance, your energy level is steady.

Eating too many carbs stimulates the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter than can make you feel sluggish and drowsy.

Make sure your lunch contains protein. If you add protein into the mix, you tend to be more focused and it helps you make it throigh the afternoon. Grab a sanck with proteinin it about 30 minutes before you usually crash- crackers with cheese or graham crackers with peanut butter. The extra dose of protein will help offset the impending lull.

Sports Buff than A Gym Rat

You can still get the benefits of a gym workout by picking your own sport, provided that you do it consistently too.

Factors To Consider When Choosing A Sport:

1. Is that particular sport appropriate for your physical condition?

2. Can you sustain the activity through its fun factor, level of challenge, and accessibility?

Sports that will give you a balanced and all-around workout are swimming, cycling, running and even rock or wall climbing. Swimming can improve your overall endurance. Wall or rock climbing can really cahllenge your "pull muscles" which are the back, shoulders and biceps and of course, your core and lower body. Running can really work your lower body muscles especially your hamstrings(back thighs), buttocks and calves. Outdoor cysling also does the same but focuses more on your quadriceps muscles (front thighs) plus the use of your upper body muscles to stabilize yourself on the bike. You can also combine different sports in your weekly routine like following a basic or mini-triathlon (swim, bike,and run) program.

Put A Freeze on Weight Gain

Nothing ruins a diet more than splurging on burgers.

Okay, don't blame yourself! Your brain has been sabotaged by fat. The effect is limited to a saturated fatty acid, palmitiv acid, which is found in beef and dairy products. When we eat, leptin and insulin tell us when we are full and when we should stop eating. But when palmitic acid gets into the brain, it causes the mind to tell the cells to ignore "stop eating" signals from the weight-regulating hormones.

Lets Go Healthy Living

A healthy lifestyle means a lot of things and that includes prevention of cancer as well.

Again, here are some tips in order to promote healthy living and risk of developing cancer in the future:

* Limit or avoid fried foods.
* Choose whole grains over refined-flour products.
* Cut down on sweets.
* Avoid meats high in fat.
* Eat a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
* Limit consumption of alcoholic beverages to no more than one drink a day if you’re a woman or two if you’re a man.
* Quit smoking.
* Exercise regularly to maintain a healthy weight.

Junk-proof your day!

Skipping breakfast leads to cravings for junk food.

British researchers tracked the amount of blood to the reward center- where cravings originate- in volunteers' brains as they viewed images of tempting high-cal foods (pizza, cake, and chocolate) and healthy low-cal foods (vegetables, fish, and salad). When the volunteers ate breakfast before the test, all of their responses were the same, but when they fasted for an average of 16 hours beforehand, seeing the unhealthy foods made their reward centers light up like Vegas slot machines. The findings help explain how starting your day empty hijacks the brain's response to food and may strengthen your cravings for anti-diet grub.

source: Women's Health Magazine

Avoid White Bread, Rice, and Pasta

Do It Right: Eat 170 grams of carbs each day as recommended and make sure at least half come from whole grains. Then measure out a serving of refined carbs, such as a cup of cooked white pasta and dig in guilt-free. If a single cup isn't gonna do it for you, pair your pasta with filling protein, like a meaty red sauce made with lean chicken or beef.

Stay Away From Fast Food

I know I have discussed here several times to stay away from fast food chains for a snack run. But I know that it's not always possible to bring a packed lunch or eat in restaurants that serve home-cooked meals. To minimize the nutritional evils of a grab-and-go meal, just limit your fast food indulgence once a month.

But if you were to order in fast food restaurant, try on ordering a salad, if it's available and ask that the dressing to be served on the side if possible. Don't be
tempted to order value meals but instead chose on their ala carte menu.

Should I Get Slow or Fast?

Qs: I heard that when you are on a treadmill or bike, you should go slow for 12 seconds, and then fast for 8 seconds. Is this true?

*****

Without details on speed, load and number of sets, this program maybe describing an interval training that may aim to improve speed. So yes, it can be true. But it is true and beneficial for everyone? Maybe NOT!

Exercise programs should be designed according to an individual's or group's strength, limitations and goals. It should give specific details on Frequency (how often to exercise), Intensity (how hard to work), Time (how long to sustain the activity) and Type (what kind of activity to do).

Vaguely described programs such as this have a lot of rooms for misunderstanding and incorrect assumptions. What's important is to find out the exact details and goals.

Your Motivation Personality

You Work Out Because....

You want to lose weight- but you really hate going to the gym or hit the road for some brisk walking or jogging.

In order to get that motivation kick, why not invest in some form-fitting workout clothes. Usually if you jusy wear baggy clothes, it hampers your movement and it makes you feel even worse about yourself.

There are so many brands out there that you can choose from. Of course, this all depends on how much you can afford. But at the end, you will feel much better sporting your workout gear and that's what we are eyeing for.

Workout Solo

Want to give exercise your all? Do it solo.

People are more likely to work out harder if they’re alone. It’s easier to push yourself when you don’t have to worry about someone else’s agenda or pace. Although fitness friendships do have proven perks: People work out twice a week as long with a friend. However if you are looking for a hard sweat, go it alone.

Say NO

... to salty snacks and diet soda; another reason to curb your junk food cravings!

According to studies, consumption of salt and diet soda can impair kidney function in women. Higher sodium intake was associated with greater declines in kidney function over the course of 11 years, while consuming two or more servings of diet soda per day was associated with two-fold increase in the odds of more rapid kidney decline.

Looking For A Way To Accelarate Your Fat Loss?

So you want to lose fat. And you want to lose it fast. Well here’s an easy and simple way to accelerate your fat loss. . .

Eat a salad every day for lunch.

I know it’s not rocket science, and you may have even heard it before, but having a salad for lunch everyday has proven effective for myself and some of my clients.

But let’s be clear about this salad…

First make your base a green leafy vegetable. My personal preference is baby leaf spinach. But your “spring mix” variety of lettuce works fine. As does romaine. As does kale if you are so inclined. I recommend you stay away from iceberg lettuce, not because it will hinder weight loss, but because there are so many better choices from a nutrient standpoint.

Next add plenty of other vegetables. My personal favorites are asparagus, tomatoes, cucumbers, grated carrot, avocado (which is also a great source of healthy fats) and red peppers. But really any raw vegetables of your liking will do. Fruit can also bring a nice taste twist to the mix. I’ll sometimes include a little pineapple, sliced apples, or sliced peaches in my salad.

To complete the salad, we now need to add a protein source. Grilled chicken is what I use most often. But lean pork, lean beef strips, hard boiled eggs, fish, or even prawns also work. You may also want to add some nuts (I like slivered almonds or walnuts) or even some raw sunflower or pumpkin seeds to your salad.

And of course you’ll want some dressing. . .

The only salad dressing I approve of is homemade balsamic vinaigrette. It’s simple to make and tastes great. Just blend 3 parts extra virgin olive oil with 1 part balsamic vinaigrette and spices of your choice. I suggest making a large batch and store at room temperature. I like using homemade balsamic vinaigrette as a marinade for chicken and steak.

Other salad dressings should be avoided in my opinion. Either they are too high in calories or full of chemical junk that you don’t want to put into your body. Stick with the homemade stuff and you always know exactly what the ingredients are.

So there you have it - simple change that will easily accelerate your fat loss!

Give it a try and let me know how you get on.

Healthy Snacks to Serve

If you are tired of eating the same snacks everyday, try these two concoction that you will surely love to bits!




OATMEAL DROPS. Oats are loaded with nutrients, such as fiber, zinc, copper, magnesium vitamin E, selenium, iron, protein, and manganese, while the peanut butter ingredient brings iron and copper, also high amounts of protein, and Vitamins E and B3.These no-bake oatmeal cookies are sheer delights to the senses.




TOFU FRIES. The common misconception is that all fried foods are unhealthy–our favorite French fries for example. But, wait, did you know that you can trick your fried foods with some healthier alternatives? According to many chefs, nutritionists, and dietitians, frying becomes unhealthy when the ingredients and type of oil you used are unhealthy. Some healthy oils we suggest are canola oil, olive oil, and peanut oil, among other. What about the potato? Though potatoes are healthy, you may want to give tofu fries a try as well. Raw tofu boasts of several nutrients, such as iron, protein, calcium, phosphorus, manganese, and magnesium, among other things.

Control Your Cholesterol

It’s always better to control your cholesterol through diet alone than with medications and diet. While this may be an option for people whose cholesterol levels are only slightly elevated, those with significantly high cholesterol levels or a history of vascular disease (like atherosclerosis) may need something extra, like a statin, to lower their cholesterol.

Healthy Living Part I

Eating a big meal late in the day sounds unhealthy, though in fact the science isn’t conclusive. Some research suggests that eating close to bedtime elevates triglyceride levels in the blood, a marker for heart disease that is also implicated in weight gain. Also, the more physically active you are after a meal, the more of the energy in that meal your muscles will burn before your body stores it as fat. But some researchers believe a calorie is a calorie, no matter what time of day it is consumed. Even if this is true, however, front-loading your eating in the early part of the day will probably result in fewer total calories consumed, since people are generally less hungry in the morning. A related adage: “After lunch, sleep awhile; after dinner, walk a mile.”

Why Cardio Alone Doesn’t Cut Fat

Losing weight using cardio and abs exercises is not enough to get rid of pounds in the midsection. Lifting reasonably heavy weights, perhaps, is the most excellent idea to drop weight on that particular area in the body.

Most fitness trainers are promoting cardio exercises in order to burn those excess calories. However, most people didn’t know that it is best to be paired with weight training. The reason for this is whenever you tried losing body fat; the fat will be reduced throughout the body, not just on that particular area that you are working.

Here’s the big picture:

Our bodies need a certain amount of calories all through the day so we could perform and work well and more importantly to maintain muscle. Our muscles are going to normalize our metabolism. Your metabolism is going to be the amount of calories you burn at rest during the day. Currently, this is where muscle comes in. The muscle verifies your metabolism. A pound of muscle can burn anywhere up to 50 calories a day depending on its physical condition or healthiness. The additional muscle you have, the more calories you will burn throughout the day. This is known as your basal metabolic rate, an anticipated amount of calories you burn throughout the day. If you don’t take in enough calories the whole time, your body will have to get the nutrients it needs from somewhere. If you were to choose between eating fat or meat, what would you eat? That is the best example why we need calories too.

Let me say again and again, calories are essential because this is where the nutrients from your muscle, and makes your muscle lose its mass and dimension. After a while, it will disappear and make the scale go down. Your metabolism can drop as much as 50 calories for every pound of muscle you lose.

To get the right amount of calories and nutrition that you need, a well-prepared meal moreover is the trick to keep your body burning calories or keeping your metabolism moving.

“An effortless method to appreciate this is to think of your body as an old furnace that needs wood for fuel. The wood epitomizes the food. To turn on the furnace, you must put wood in it, right? The wood will burn for a few hours, but in order to remain the furnace never-endingly, you must add more wood. The same technique goes for the body. If there isn’t any food to invigorate or uplift the body, your metabolism becomes sluggish. If you are to eat every two and a half to three hours—four being the most—you will keep your metabolism persistently functioning. Five to six small meals should do the trick.”

Also as a reminder, carbs are good for you, particularly after a workout (with strength training, of course!). Any work out over about 45 minutes can be long enough to totally break up your carb or glycogen storage. Glycogen is what carbs are stored in the body. It is stored in muscles and organs. After an intense cardio session, have you ever noticed that your muscles are flat or you feel thinner? That isn’t just from sweating out fluids. It is also from using your energy storage. This is where the whole low carb diet thing came about.

After a day of reducing carbs, you will absolutely lose one to two pounds, and this is commonly from water. Not only you did lose heaviness, but you also feel thinner. That’s because you’re eating up your muscles of glycogen. Carbs will keep your muscles hydrated, making you feel like your muscles are swollen. So you see, cutting carbs will lessen your performance physically and mentally. Therefore be sure to eat some carbs since it is spend for brain’s performance too.

If people tell you that they are sensitive into eating carbs, don’t believe it, they just eat too many carbs and move too little. I say eat carbs and keep your muscles full. Fat is the problem and not the carbs. When you don’t move, the fat stays, and your muscles will continually inflate and deflate.

I know I’ve said a lot of times that carbs are detrimental especially if you are consuming more that what you are burning. What I want you to know is that everything should be in moderation - too many carbs are bad, but so are too much of anything.

If you are not sure on what to eat, here’s a menu for a starter - start by adding a carb during breakfast and lunch and then two small, healthy snacks in between lunch and dinner. Snacks can be shake or coolers (fruits and veggies are great combination). You can also try adding some nuts in your meal. Remember, some fats are good for you so don’t fret. The body needs fat for certain things, and you shouldn’t withdraw your body of it. As a general rule of thumb, to help portion meals, I recommend having a small amount of protein with each meal with a serving of carbs or a protein and a serving of fat. It will balance out to about the same amount of calories. If you do a fruit or almonds by itself, that is ok to start. It is a step in the right direction.

Do a detox diet

I am supposed to write this article during the lenten season but decided to postpone it and post it now.

I know everybody got busy during the holidays and some of us may not be able to abstain and do some exercise routines. So for this week, why not go on a detox diet? The purpose of detoxing is to clear your system of all harmful substances that could be causing allergies and food intolerance, giving you a clean slate and helping your body better absorb the necessary nutrients from food.

Stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, beans, and lots of herbs, and resolve to cut out caffeine, sugar, salt, and all processed foods. Think of it as your post-Lenten sacrifice—you’ll feel doubly virtuous.

The Right Time

This Lenten season, it is the right time to cut down on food intake particularly on meat. Instead on buying those frozen or processed foods, stock more vegetables and fruits and enjoy eating them fresh or cooked.

We usually think that we can only make a smoothie using fruits. But with a little experimentation, we can make a healthy smoothie or cooler using vegetables like carrots, cucumber and tomato. And I tell you, it is rewarding because of the healthy benefits that you can get.

So try it and make it a habit!