Basic Dieting Tips To Aid In Weight Loss And Weight Maintenance
November 30, 2009 by secretslimming · Leave a Comment
It’s well known that the key to staying healthy and fit can be found in these two things- eating properly and exercising. Here are some great dieting tips which will help you feel and look better, and lose weight, especially if combined with exercise.
Dieting (eating) properly really isn’t that complicated, but does take some effort. Most of these ideas won’t be new to you, but are good reminders of what to do for an effective diet and weight loss program.
First, though, understand that you must steer clear of pills and diet aids that pump your body full of chemicals and unnatural substances. These can cause problems later on in life if you continue to depend upon them. There are some quality, safe products out there which can help you jump start your weight loss diet, but if you must use them, keep it short-term.
- Limit your daily meals to small meals, six times per day.
I know that is easier said than done, but it keeps your body from ever feeling starved and maintains a properly functioning metabolism. You must look at these as light meals rather than the regular meals you grew up with.
To help keep you from overeating during these meals, place your food portions on a smaller side plate. And to help with the six meals per day, consider carry with you things like energy bars, pieces of healthy fruit, or something like instant cup-o-soup.
- Keep in mind “You are what you eat.”
Eating too much sugar makes you plump, too much bread and pastas make you lethargic and plump, and so on. Sugars found in these things, such as: cakes, chocolates, cookies, ice cream, etc, also make your digestive system sluggish and can affect your immune system negatively.
Eating these types of food, then, aside from poor nutrition, discourages you from exercising, which just makes matters worst. So you must choose foods that are high in nutritional value and actually make your body feel good.
- The good foods are- no secret here,
all the things “mom” and the government said you should eat: fresh fruits and vegetables should be eaten at every meal (or at least 3 times per day); lean meats, such as fish, chicken, and occasional lean cuts of red meat; healthy carbohydrates, which includes grainy breads, brown rice, whole-wheat or wholegrain cereals and some pastas. Not all fats are bad, especially in moderation. Also, remember the 8 glasses of water.
- Lastly, the timing of when you eat is important.
You should be cognizant of your daily schedule and not allow it to affect your diet. Attempt to eat at approximately the same time each day. This keeps your body from beginning to store fats as a survival mechanism. It does that when it’s not sure when it will be eating again.
Also, it’s best if you don’t eat for at least 3 hours before you go to bed each night. Food does not have time to properly digest if you break that rule, and this cause excess fat to build up.
As you can see, these basic dieting tips to help with weight loss and proper body maintenance are not new. They are the things we’ve been told all our lives for a reason- they work!
5 Effective And Simple Exercises To Lose Weight
November 26, 2009 by secretslimming · Leave a Comment
In addition to a proper diet, proper exercise is an extremely important element for anyone wanting to lose weight. In this article, you’re going to read about 5 effective, but simple exercises anyone can do to lose weight.
There are all kinds of ways to do it, considering all the various machines and routines, but we’re going to zero in on exercises that fall into the two main types of exercises- aerobic and anaerobic (strength training).
The primary role of aerobic exercise is to help your body burn fat calories during the exercise routine. Meanwhile, strength training’s contribution to weight loss is to burn a number of calories while you rest, which is known as increasing the speed of your resting metabolic rate (RMR).
Interestingly, the more muscular your body is, the more your RMR actually increases (i.e., burns more calories) because it takes more energy maintaining muscles than it does to maintain fat. So, with that in mind, here are 5 aerobic and strength training exercises that can easily be done almost anywhere, and done with consistency, will certainly assist you in losing weight.
Do each of these 5 exercises in sets, 2 to 3 sets, 10-20 of each per set. However, if you’re just starting a training program, consider beginning with fewer sets and fewer reps per set, and also possibly just 2-3 days/week, except the walking.
Squats
These will build your leg and buttock muscles, which are the largest muscles in the human body. Each day, or at least every other day, stand in front of mirror if possible, place your feet at shoulder/s width and squat down and up. As you begin to build strength, add 2 lb. or 5 lb. dumbbells to your routine, holding them in your hands and your work out. Be sure to loosen up a little first, and if you feel any pain in your knees, stop immediately.
Pushups
While doing pushups, you are supporting nearly 70% of your body weight, so these are a form of strength training. These will strengthen your arms and will increase your RMR.
Jumping Jacks
Perhaps you haven’t done any of these since elementary gym class, but this is an excellent aerobic exercise that affects the entire body. These can be noisy, so be considerate of neighbors if you live in any room above the first floor.
High Stepping
This is a great way to not only burn calories, but to also give your heart a good workout. If you have stairs at your place of residence, use them. You can also use stackable step mats (stack from 12 to 15 inches high <38cm>), or a step stool with a wide, solid base. This is also a good exercise for shaping your rear-end and legs.
Don’t overdo it at first. If you can only do one set of each of these four exercises initially, that’s fine.
Fast Walking
Once you’ve finished with the first 4 sets of exercises, finish with fast walking, which is better than regular walking in that it burns fat even quicker (a great aerobic exercise). After first stretching and loosening up, build to a fast speed and try to maintain it for some time. Once you get tired, rotate between a few minutes of fast and then slower walking. 30-60 minutes is ideal once you build to that ability.
Utilizing just these five effective and simple exercises to lose weight, you are combining exercises that build muscle (strength training) and burn fat (aerobic exercises). They may seem a bit old school, but they really work!
A Guide to Losing Fat and Becoming Fit – 7 Tips to Help You Stay Motivated
November 22, 2009 by secretslimming · Leave a Comment
7 Tips to Help You Stay Motivated If You Want To Lose Fat And Tone Your Muscles
If you want to lose fat and tone your muscles, you need to do cardio and strength training. Doing aerobics will help you to lose fat and weight training will help you tone your muscles so that you can look fit and firm. Studies show that you can lose weight more quickly if you do both forms of exercises.
In addition to the obvious weight loss benefits, working out and doing cardio will also increase your metabolism and give you more energy. The first few times you work out, you’ll probably feel awful. For this reason, you shouldn’t overdo anything. You will want to start out slowly, doing no more than thirty minutes of exercise and cardio every day. Increase the intensity level and amount of time once a week.
Even if you have to start out with just walking every day, any amount of exercise is better than none. Your progress level will depend on your current fitness level (or lack of) and lifestyle. You won’t be able to run a marathon overnight, but you’ll get there eventually if you’re motivated and consistent with your workouts!
Here are a few tips to help you stay motivated:
1. Be realistic with your goals. Choose activities that you think you will enjoy, so that you won’t become bored or frustrated. If you do become either, you need to rethink your strategy and choose a new plan.
2. Mix things up a bit. There’s no rule that says you have to do the same exact exercises every single day. You don’t have to walk or jog on the same route every afternoon, or ride your bike at the same park all the time.
3. Every couple of weeks, try on some of your tight clothes to see if there is any noticeable difference. Whether there is or not, you’ll still be motivated to work out more either way! You could also buy a new outfit that’s a size or two smaller than what you normally wear.
4. If you prefer to work out indoors, get yourself a stationary bike and set it in front of the TV. You can watch TV, your favorite films, listen to music, or even play video games. Indeed, many people distract themselves while they’re on the stationary bike by playing video games!
5. Read success stories by other people. Some people keep online journals about their weight loss journey, and they can be very inspiring! Reading about someone of a similar height and build as your own losing a lot of weight will make you feel as if you can achieve the same success.
6. You don’t have to weigh yourself every single day, but doing so once or twice a week will help you see your progress. Don’t worry if it seems as if you’re not losing any weight – remember, you can still lose fat and gain muscle, so the number that shows up on the scale isn’t everything, although it can still be useful.
7. Work out with others. Working out is a lot of fun if you have somebody to do it with! Indeed, if you enjoy doing aerobics, playing sports, and/or lifting weights with others, it won’t really feel as if you’re working out at all!
As you can see, exercising doesn’t have to be difficult at all. It can be at first, but you must be willing to face the challenges if you truly want to whip yourself into shape and get that perfect body that you’ve always wanted!
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