Jul
19
2010
0

4 Practical Weight Loss Tips For Women Over 40

Turning forty is a milestone in every woman’s life. Not quite a matron yet, but certainly not young in the “young woman” sense either. It is at around this age that the beginnings of menopause, a process that takes several years, are noted. The body does not use up calories as efficiently as it used to. In fact, for every decade after age 20, metabolism decreases by 10%. Thus, at age 40, the calories a woman consumes have a bigger tendency to be stored than when she was 20. The good news is that the body’s metabolic rate can be raised regardless of one’s age.

Regular exercise raises the metabolism, thus it is very important for older women to put extra effort in staying fit. Below are some very useful weight loss tips for women over 40.

1. Lift weights.

Don’t limit yourself to fat burning activities such as brisk walking and bicycling. Doing strength training exercises not only firms up the muscles but it also boosts the metabolism. The more muscles you develop, the higher your metabolism because muscles use up calories for maintenance alone. Your toned physique will be very different from other 40 year-olds who have allowed gravity and inactivity to take its toll.

2. Be more careful about what you eat.

You should take a serious look at your diet as well as your eating habits. If you consumed a lot of calories at age 20 and managed to stay thin, you would have to work doubly hard to burn it off at age 40. This doesn’t mean that you should deprive yourself of a treat now and then but at this point in your life, you must be able to practice more self-control.

3. Follow the 10% rule.

As mentioned, a 40-year-old body does not burn calories as efficiently as when it was younger thus you need to increase your physical activity by 10%. What is important is the intensity and not the duration of your workout. If you normally brisk walk for 30 minutes, you can challenge yourself more by jogging instead. Just by increasing the intensity of your workout you will already be applying the 10% without putting in extra time.

4. Pay more attention to changes in your weight.

If you gain weight and you’re over 40, it may be harder for you to lose it. Thus, if you monitor your weight, you can easily do something the moment you notice an increase.

Weight loss principles are generally the same whatever age group you belong. A balanced diet and an exercise regimen appropriate for your needs will enable you to achieve target weight and a higher level of fitness.

Charles Volcolatte is a health and weight loss researcher for http://www.skinnyasap.com/. He writes and researches actively on Weight Loss Program and shares his knowledge at http://www.skinnyasap.com/ where he works as a staff writer.

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Popularity: 22% [?]

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Jul
19
2010
0

Tips For Successful Fasting

Fasting is the act of abstaining from food. It can be a total fast which means not eating anything at all, or a partial fast which can be skipping only the biggest meal of the day or eating only a particular kind of food. This practice is done for different purposes. Some people fast for spiritual reasons believing that giving up on food temporarily will enable them to meditate better; others do it simply to lose weight fast.

When you fast, you also get to cleanse your system, ridding it of accumulated waste matter and toxins. This inevitable results in weight loss as the body expels all these. The weight loss resulting from fasting however, is not permanent. In fact it is possible to gain back even more weight. If you want to make the most of your fasting, follow the tips listed below. The first set will help you do your fast properly while the second set will enable you to maintain your new weight after your fast.

During the fast:

1. Pick a good time—It is hard to fast if you are in a place where the temptation to eat can be overwhelming. It is best to fast when you will be at home most of the time, especially if you happen to be one of those people who get irritable and cranky when hungry.

2. Stay well-hydrated—Always drink lots of water to avoid dehydration. When you are fasting, your body is in a lot of stress because it is not getting the usual fuel it needs from food which is why you easily get dehydrated.

3. Take it easy—When you are in the middle of a fast, it is not the time to overexert yourself. Remember that your body is working hard to cope with the lack of fuel. Reserve strenuous physical activities for when you are done with your fast.

4. Take a supplement while fasting—You cannot just stop putting anything into your system. By taking a supplement, your body will still be provided with the nutrients it needs even if you are not taking in food.

5. Don’t cheat—A fast does not take too long so don’t fool yourself and sabotage your efforts by eating just a little morsel of food. By doing this, you will be disturbing the fasting process.

After the fast:

1. Eat small meals—By eating small portions throughout the day, you can fill your stomach which has now shrunk without overloading it.

2. Eat healthy—Eat food you need and not the food you want. Choose those that are easy to digest.

3. Do not gorge yourself. Do not reward yourself by overindulging on food after completing your fast. Because your stomach has shrunk, filling it up with a lot of food will make you sick.

4. Keep at it—After successfully losing weight from your fast, start eating healthy and working out. If you diligently commit to this new lifestyle, you will be able to maintain your weight loss and be a healthier person.

Charles Volcolatte is a health and weight loss researcher for http://www.skinnyasap.com/. He writes and researches actively on Weight Loss Program and shares his knowledge at http://www.skinnyasap.com/ where he works as a staff writer.

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Popularity: 19% [?]

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Jul
19
2010
0

Blasting Those Unrealistic Holiday Weight Loss Tips

Holiday season is something all of us look forward. Of course aside from the great bonding time we spend we family and friends, there’s the overabundance of food which everyone is expected to enjoy. For dieters, this can be a real problem. It’s also the time when a lot of go through the proverbial struggle between the willingness of the spirit and the weakness of the flesh. Don’t worry because you are not alone. More than 50% of the American population is overweight.

A recent government study yielded positive news however. It shows that Americans only increased in weight by a single pound over the holidays. The study found that the participants’ weight gain was influenced by two main factors over the holidays: The degree of their hunger and their level of activity. The finding then was that those who reported to being less active or more hungry during the holidays had the most weight gain.

What this tells us then is that by simply focusing on these two things and dealing with them, you would not have to gain weight. After all, considering the circumstances, not adding to the weight that’s already there is victory in itself.

To this Dr. Samuel Klein, Director of the Center for Human Nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis, MO echoes the platitude, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of weight gain.” He goes on further by saying, “Preventing the increase in weight is a lot easier and better than actually gaining weight and then trying to get it off again.”

In other words: Eat less, exercise more. Of course this is better said than done.

What people don’t realize is that most of time, people actually overestimate how much weight they have gained over the holidays. The truth is that fewer than 10% gain 5 pounds or more.

The sad part is that the small amount of weight gained is never lost. Although one extra pound is not big at all, because it’s usually not shed off, it still contributes to overall weight gain. The one pound gained here and there adds up and in time results in obesity.

We have all read so many of those “Avoid Holiday Weight Gain Tips” type of advice. The problem is that the reality of day-to-day holiday stress and situations are not taken into consideration. Let us have a look at these tips and the corresponding reality checks up close.

Weight Loss Tip 1: Just do what you normally do by sticking to your normal schedule and routine. Stay active.

Holiday Reality Check: There are so many things to do during the holiday months of November and December. Skipping gym workouts and other fitness activities is necessary if one is to get these done. Cleaning and decorating the house, food shopping and cooking, all these require a lot of time and effort so it’s really impractical and unrealistic to stick to one’s normal routine.

The Good News: You can use the time you spend walking in the mall and doing your other errands as your chance to exercise. If you think about it, you will not be idle anyway. Climbing up and down the ladder as you decorate, bending, twisting, lifting things, puttering around in the kitchen, all these burn calories too. There’s really no reason to feel guilty that you couldn’t make it to the gym.

Weight Loss Tip 2: Wear clothes that are slightly smaller than your actual size. It will become tighter as you eat thus making you feel full faster preventing you from overeating.

Holiday Reality Check: Following this advice means being ready to experience some kind of discomfort. However, the underlying reason behind this tip is much better than the idea of wearing lose clothes to make room for all food you anticipate to eat during the holidays. It might work but then again it might also cause some buttons to fall off or make you have to unzip your fly if you are not able to keep yourself from overindulging.

We leave the decision on this up to you.

Weight Loss Tip 3: Eat small portions. Load up on salad and vegetables but take only very small amounts of everything else.

Holiday Reality Check: Eating bite-size portions will not take away the feeling of being deprived. In fact, it might even increase your craving for foods you are supposed to avoid even more.

Do this instead: Eat half the serving size that you normally take. Having a little piece will only stimulate your tastebuds and intensify your desire evenmore. What makes things complicated is that there would probably be more than one type of pie being served. Why not try actual sampling instead? Cut off a slice of pie that is a little smaller than regular size. Compared to a few small bites, this is a “whole slice”. Eat it then wait for 20 minutes before you sample the next pie. You may end up eating smaller than usual slices of all the pies being served but that is still much better than having “whole slices” of everything. You will satisfy both your hunger and craving without overloading on the calories. Also, you wouldn’t feel resentful and deprived.

The usual holiday weight loss tips are really meant to help but because they tend to overlook certain factors, they are not very applicable. However, they can be modified and a happy compromise can be worked out.

Holidays are meant to be celebrated and enjoyed and leaving out the pleasure of eating would take away so much of what the season is all about. If you’re on a weight loss diet, it’s not the time to panic. Eat but eat smart. Keep these modified tips in mind and you’ll be surprised to know that the holidays can be just as enjoyable even if you consume less the calories than you normally do.

Charles Volcolatte is a health and weight loss researcher for http://www.skinnyasap.com/. He writes and researches actively on Weight Loss Program and shares his knowledge at http://www.skinnyasap.com/ where he works as a staff writer.

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Jul
19
2010
0

3 Simple Steps To Quick Weight Loss

It’s nothing new. People who have tried to lose weight trying every other weight loss program and diet plan but failing over and over again eventually reach the point where they are simply ready to throw in the towel. They begin to be resigned to the fact that they would have to face the rest of their lives lugging around all that fat and the health risks that go with it. But then some are able to turn things around the moment they learn about how to achieve quality weight loss. Aside from the radical change in physique, they also start to have clearer skin, brighter smiles, higher self-esteem and improved overall health.

There are three simple steps to quick weight loss the healthy way:

1. Drink lots of water. If you consume less than two liters or eight glasses of water daily, then you need to increase it. Your body uses water to cleanse and detoxify your internal organs to make them function more efficiently. Water likewise helps you digest your food faster and keeps you from overeating by filling up your stomach and not leaving any more room for food.

2. Eat more frequently throughout the day but in smaller quantities. This keeps your metabolism firing on all cylinders thereby enabling your body to break down food and convert it into energy more efficiently. Eating in large quantities creates a feeling of sluggishness. When the body is functioning in this less than ideal condition, only a portion of the meal consumed is processed while the rest is turned into stored fat and waste.

3. Exercise regularly. You need to have a workout regimen or a form of physical activity that you will engage in on a regular basis. This will not only help you lose weight but it will also help you boost your cardiovascular health. Exercise increases the body’s metabolism thereby making it burn calories more efficiently. Aerobic activity is the most effective way of building up the metabolism. Having developed muscles also makes the body use up calories more efficiently.

Crash diets may yield immediate results but they are not the way to go. Without a permanent change in eating habits and food choices, weight loss achieved through crash dieting will sooner or later be regained. Going through the process repeatedly will cause you to become a yo-yo dieter. It is the worst thing that can happen to someone who is trying to get rid of excess fat because it leads to further weight loss as it causes the body’s metabolism to progressively slow down.

Charles Volcolatte is a health and weight loss researcher for http://www.skinnyasap.com/. He writes and researches actively on Weight Loss Program and shares his knowledge at http://www.skinnyasap.com/ where he works as a staff writer.

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Popularity: 7% [?]

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Jul
16
2010
0

What Fad Diets Leave Out In The Weight Loss Equation

Most people go on weight loss diets to lose weight and only a few consider starting on an exercise program. It is easy to understand why. Fad diets and other similar diets are almost always supported by claims that desperate overweight people want to believe and that is the promise of instant weight loss. On the other hand, exercise means hard work, boredom and sacrificing one’s time to work out a sweat instead of doing something less torturous.

The problem with these trendy diets is that although some of them work, the weight loss is not permanent. The moment the dieter switches back to his or her regular eating habits, the weight starts accumulating again.

Being excessively fat is a huge problem in America. In fact, obesity is now an epidemic. Because of this, many people have become more conscious about finding ways to lose weight. Unfortunately not all of them choose the right approach. Many fall for the hype that advertisers create to sell fad diets and lose weight for a while then gain it all back ending up fatter than when they started. Such diets only eliminate water weight which is really not true weight loss. A quality weight loss diet is one which speeds up the metabolism by eating the right foods. There are certain foods that cause the body to burn calories as they are being digested. Such foods include fruits, vegetables, and whole grains which are rich in fiber. Aside from this fiber supports digestive health and encourages regular elimination. When the digestive system is working efficiently, the body’s metabolism is stays active.

Permanent weight loss is all about boosting the body’s metabolism. Eating the right food helps but it can also be done by using natural products and through regular moderate exercise. However, not everyone is willing to engage in physical activity just to increase their metabolism. For such individuals, a good option is to take supplements that boost the stamina. When they start to feel energized, then they are ready to enjoy exercise or any physical activity that can help increase their metabolism.

Aside from what has been discussed above, there is yet another way to boost the metabolism. One reason why people feel tired, lazy and sluggish all the time is because they are suffering from constipation as a result of waste and toxins that have accumulated in their colons. A colon lined with fecal matter and poisons makes one highly susceptible to diseases thus it is important to flush out all these unwanted matter through the use of a colon cleanser. As thisnatural detoxifier does its work by clearing out the colon, weight loss is the logical result.

Charles Volcolatte is a health and weight loss researcher for http://www.skinnyasap.com/. He writes and researches actively on Weight Loss Program and shares his knowledge at http://www.skinnyasap.com/ where he works as a staff writer.

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Popularity: 12% [?]

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