Friday, December 28, 2007

Stomach Stretch Marks

Stretch marks are a normal part of puberty for most girls and guys. Stretch marks are a major problem nowadays. 90% of pregnant women have this problem, 70% of the teenagers and 40% of sportspersons have to face stretch marks. Stretch marks are fine lines on the body that occur from tissue under your skin tearing from rapid growth or over-stretching. Stretch marks often appear on the breast and abdomen during pregnancy. The reason is partly hormonal. During pregnancy, hormones have the job of softening the collagen ligaments of the pelvis, so that the tissues can stretch easily during childbirth. People who are obese often have stretch marks. Bodybuilders are prone to getting stretch marks because of the rapid body changes that bodybuilding can produce.

Stretch marks occur in certain areas of the body where skin is subjected to continuous and progressive stretching. Stretch marks on stomach can make too uncomfortable to put on a bikini on the seashore. They are incurred as an outcome of extreme weight loss and gain, frequently because of pregnancy. Stretch marks develop because of pregnancy can make purple or reddish ugly marks around the breasts and hips but are mostly likely to affect the stomach. Stomach stretch marks are incurred as a result of extreme weight gain and loss, often due to pregnancy. Pregnancy stretch marks can leave ugly, reddish purple marks all over your hips and breasts, but are particularly likely to affect your belly. Stretch marks are caused when the skin is pushed beyond its ability to stretch, resulting in tiny tears.

When these tears heal, they are replaced with scar tissue. These rippled and discolored scars are what we call striae, or stretch marks. Stretch marks on stomach develop while the bodies need the necessary quantities of elastin and collagen. Rub a qualitative cream that includes triggers of collagen and elastin so as to avoid stretch marks. Stretch marks are developed while the skin is pressed away from its capability to stretch, outcoming in small tears. These tiny tears are changed with scar tissue. These discolored and rippled scars are known as stretch marks or striae. As scar tissue includes less color as compared to normal skin, they keep on paler than remaining skin while tan. In many cases, stretch marks can be removed naturally application of stretch marks cream.


Juliet Cohen writes articles for plastic surgery and skin care blog. She also writes articles on beauty tips.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

8 Questions To Ask Before Hiring A Personal Trainer?

Personal training is becoming more and more popular as people struggle with their waistlines and general health. But with thousands upon thousands of personal trainers popping up all over the place how do you know which ones are the real deals and which ones are in it just to cash in on this highly lucrative market. Don't spend all your hard earned money before you ask the following 8 simple questions:

1. Experience

Find out what previous experience your trainer has. Do they mostly train body builders? Have they trained people of your age before? Certain trainers will stick to certain types of clients, are you one of those clients? Find out how long your personal trainer has been working in the industry and doing what.

2. Qualifications

Ask where they obtained their qualification? Can you verify it on the association's website? Common qualifications are REPS in the UK and ACE in the USA. If you are not sure then ask for details so you can call or verify the information before commencing.

3. References

Can the personal trainer offer you any references? It is always reassuring to call up previous or current clients and ask questions about the personal trainer, the results, and the training programme. References on websites are one thing but talking in person is another.

4. The Package

Now you know about the credibility of the personal trainer, you can start asking about the packages they can offer you. If you are training for weight loss and they do not offer you any nutritional advice then be very weary. It is almost impossible to lose weight without first addressing your eating habits regardless of the amount of exercise you perform.

5. Results

Get down to the bare bones of why you want a personal trainer in the first place, results. Find out what results you can expect. Be very weary of personal trainers that promise you the earth just to get you to sign up. All good personal trainers should offer you a full money back guarantee should they fail to deliver the results you agree upon. If they don't, then ask for one and see how many change their minds about the results they promised.

6. Assessments

Ask about what assessments you will receive before the training begins. Blood pressure, body circumference measurements, BMI, lung capacity are all standard assessments these days. What are more important are the postural assessments, biomechanical movement pattern assessments, Range of movement tests. If you are not being tested to this degree then the personal trainer is literally guessing and using a one size fits all programme. The more testing that takes place the more specific for YOU the programme will be.

7. Training

Find out what an average training session will consist of. All personal trainers have their particular favourite methods of training. Don't get dragged into something you don't want to do. If they want you to sprint up hills and do some boxing but that is not your idea of fun then tell them so. There are many ways to achieve the same results. If they can't offer you something you enjoy then look elsewhere otherwise you'll get fed up and de-motivated very quickly.

8. Support

Do they offer you a support system? If you only see your personal trainer once a week and need help with some exercises or nutrition can you contact them? All good personal trainers will leave some line of communication open for their clients. If they don't then they don't care enough about YOU and should be dismissed.


Greg is a health and fitness professional based in Hampstead, North London. He achieves fantastic results for his clients by using his indepth knowledge and the most up to date techniques. http://www.gbpersonaltraining.com

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Monday, December 24, 2007

The New Age Of Fitness Is Here! Workout Pass

Searching For The Ultimate Athletes Workout Routine

It's amazing to me, but in today's health conscience society, in a health industry full of specialists, why is physical fitness training still back in the stone age? Why is it so hard to find workout programs designed for each individual sport? If you have a bad back you don't go to a general M.D., you go see an orthopedic doctor. If you have an impacted wisdom tooth you don't go to a general dentist, you see an oral surgeon. If you suddenly develop double vision you don't go to your local eye glass store, you see an ophthalmologist. So, when I want to improve my golf game and I want a workout routine that is specific to the sport of golf, why can't I find any? The Internet is completely inundated with general workout plans and body building workouts, but finding an excellent workout plan that you can trust for each of the different sports is more than difficult, it's almost impossible!

Workout Plans For Different Sports

I understand that professional and college sports teams have workout routines designed for their athletes, but I'm talking about the aspiring athlete. Where does he find a workout plan specific to the sport he is interested in. Where are baseball player workouts? Where are football player workouts? Where are hockey player workouts or basketball player workouts? Workouts for these and other different athletic sports are not general fitness or bodybuilding workouts. Although they may incorporate general and bodybuilding workouts. Workouts for these sports reflect the rigorous and physically demanding aspects of each specific sport. Workouts need to be tailored to fit each sport differently because not all sports require the same muscle groups to be strengthened the same. Workouts should be divided into types depending on their tasks in that way workouts can properly focus on speed, technique, strength and endurance.

List Of Workout Plans For Your Favorite Sport

Basketball Players Workouts - You will need an overpowering combination of strength, agility, quickness, conditioning and power. Your workout routines need to get you jumping higher, cutting faster and overpowering your opponents. If you’re not at top condition, you will get out played by your opponent.

Golden Glove Boxing Workouts - If you want to join the ranks of the top-ranked boxers in the world, you are going to need a serious training program. Your workout routines need to build blinding speed, explosive punching power and endless endurance. You'll need a lethal combination of devastating hand speed, bone-crushing power, blinding foot speed and endless stamina. Hand speed, strength training, quickness and endurance workouts are what is needed.

Baseball Player Workouts - Your baseball specific workout routines will have you hitting harder, running faster and swinging quicker. Just having good baseball skills is no longer enough. Today's baseball players are getting bigger and stronger - and you need a solid strength and conditioning program just to keep up! If you want to compete at the next level, you need the total workout package: strength, power, speed, and coordination.

Ice Hockey Player Workouts - Your workout routines should consist of off-ice strength and conditioning programs just for hockey players. That means a workout plan consisting of strength training, plyo-metrics plus speed and agility drills. As a result you will get benefits of lightning speed and bone crushing strength to name a few.

Soccer Players Workouts - Your workout routines need a combination of lightning quick agility, incredible leg strength, blinding speed, massive power and never ending endurance. Serious soccer players who want to take their game to the next level need to workout on strength training, plyo-metrics and lightning fast foot speed.

Tennis Players Workouts - Tennis is a game of strength, speed, agility and power. Your workout routines should produce a unique combination of super endurance, explosive serving power, crushing ground strokes, blinding quickness, and finesse. Serious tennis players who want to become champions should workout on their strength training along with quickness, power and agility workouts.

This is only a partial list of the different workout plans for athletes.

When General Workout Routines Aren't Enough

I consider myself to be physically fit with part of my general workout routine consists of a great deal of walking. When I went bike riding with my grandson the other day it completely changed my mind of what my total fitness was. About ten minutes into our ride my leg muscles began to burn fiercely and it wasn't much longer until I had to stop and rest. Although part of my general workouts consisted of a lot of walking which worked some of my leg muscles, it didn't workout the muscle groups that were needed for bike riding. I guess Lance Armstrong's Tour De France record is safe for now. If I were an amateur cyclist interested in turning pro, where would I find a good cycling workout plan?

Workouts Need To Be Tailored To Fit Each Level Of Athlete

Once you find an excellent workout plan for your sport that you feel you can trust, you then have to hope that the workout routines are good for all levels of fitness whether you are at a basic, intermediate or advanced level. No matter what physical shape you are in or what bodily conditions you are working with, your workout plan needs to have exercise routines tailored for you. What good is your workout plan if all it has are workout routines designed for advanced level athletes. It shouldn't matter if the only exercise you get is running to the fridge before the game starts, or if you've been training for years, you want a workout program for each level of fitness. Hopefully, the workout programs are designed for athletes by coaches that know about something about making high quality workouts for different levels of expertise. Lets face it, if you can't perform the workout routines then you aren't going to do them. The people who see the best results from their workouts are often the people who enjoy their workouts the most. Probably the best way to get results is by joining a workout website with a members' forum which provides a great area for social networking, where you can meet other athletes and sports trainers, exchange tips and find training buddies to workout with.

Beware The Workout Plan That Does Everything

In conclusion, be very careful of the workout plan that claims they will make all athletes better at every sport. It can't happen! As I've already shown you, every different sport requires strength, speed, agility and endurance from different muscle groups. Therefore, no single workout plan is going to allow you to excel at every sport. I have reviewed literally hundreds of websites in search of the best one to meet the criteria that I previously mentioned in this article. You know how many I found? "46" That's right! 46 fantastic workout programs for athletes. 46 superb websites that are all part of a network called "WORKOUT PASS". Workout Pass Network is the "Baby" of Professional Fitness Expert Ryan Lee who was fed-up with the lack of specialized workout sites among other problems and wanted to give you something more. So he brought together the world's elite fitness experts to create the Workout Pass Network of sites. A network of 46 workout sites and growing weekly.

The Future Of Specialized Fitness Workout Plans Is Here!

Each site is devoted to a different sport or part of the body or piece of fitness equipment. That is "46 Workout Plans" with over "10,000 Workout Routines" designed by some of the worlds foremost experts in the field of fitness and personal training. Just pick the workout routine you want and it pops right up. You can either view it online or print it out in print ready format. All of the workout routines are broken down into weekly scheduled exercises which include how many sets of exercises for each workout and how much rest between exercises you should take. Plus, each workout routine shows you animated exercises making sure you are using the correct form. I can't stress it to you enough just how important it is for you to use the correct form while working out. For each workout routine you get a complete description of each exercise. Now for the best part. For just a small membership fee you not only become a member of the site you joined but, you become a member of each and every workout program in the Workout Pass Network plus all the new workout programs that are added to the network in the future. Your membership includes free access to the exclusive members-only forums which are visited daily by the world's best fitness experts and coaches who are standing by ready to answer all your fitness and workout questions. Whether you have a specific training question for our experts, are looking for a workout partner, or just want to meet kindred spirits, I have no doubt that you will feel right at home.

As always, before you engage in any sport or workout routine you should check with your doctor to make sure it is safe for you.

Visit The Workout Pass Network

Friday, December 21, 2007

The Glycemic Index Diet Plan And Its Benefits For Weight Loss

If you have diabetes or you need to lose weight the Glycemic Index Diet Plan might be just the solution you’re looking for. This diet is based on a diet plan that was developed in the 1980’s as a way for diabetics to better control their blood glucose levels and subsequently manager their diabetes.

It was discovered that the diet plan had a wonderful side effect; efficient weight loss. Since that time the Low GI Diet, as it is often referred to, has become quite popular with non-diabetics as well. Individuals who use the diet claim they are able to lose weight as well as retain more muscle. Many people report the diet helps them to shave off weight in critical areas as well, including the stomach.

Under the Glycemic Index Diet Plan, foods are divided into three categories based on how they rank on the glycemic index. The glycemic index ranks foods according to how quickly the body is able to digest them. Foods that are processed more quickly by the body rank higher on the Index. Foods that take longer to be digested by the body rank lower on the scale.

The idea is to base your diet on foods that rank in the low to medium range by eating foods that rank high on the Index sparingly. Some of the low foods which are allowable on the Glycemic Index Diet Plan include broccoli, tomatoes, cauliflower and other fruits as well as whole grains. Legumes are also allowable. Some foods rank in the middle range, including bananas and apricots.

When dieters first start the eating plan they are in what is known as Phase One. Under this phase, dieters are encouraged to eat only foods which are low on the glycemic index in order to lose weight. These foods are low in calories and high in fiber which makes it easier to lose weight. Dieters should plan to be on the first phase of the diet for about three to six months depending on how much weight they want to lose. After that time period, the individual may then advance to the second phase, which is the weight loss maintenance phase. In this phase, you may eat low as well as medium foods according to the glycemic index. It is important to understand that exercise is an important component in both phases of the diet plan in order for it to work effectively.

The Glycemic Index Diet Plan by itself is not a complete solution for weight loss. You must be dedicated to participating in an active and healthy lifestyle. It should also be understood that this is not a diet in the true sense of the word but rather a change in lifestyle. If you abort the diet plan after losing weight and return to eating large amounts of highly processed and refined foods it is quite likely that you will regain weight, particularly if you are not exercising on a regular basis.

One of the major advantages of this diet plan is that it is not as restrictive as many other diet plans. For example, you can have some carbs on this diet as long as they are good carbs and they rank low on the glycemic index. In addition, it is perfectly okay for you to eat out. Once you have become familiar with which foods rank low on the index you can then usually find something on any menu which is acceptable according to the Low Glycemic Index Diet plan.

Vegetarians frequently find that many low carb diets do not work well for them because they place a strong emphasis on meat. With the Low Glycemic Index Diet plan there is no such problem because proteins from vegetables can replace meat.

With time and dedication the Low Glycemic Index Diet plan has proven to be quite effective at managing diabetes, promoting weight loss and encouraging a healthy lifestyle.

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Wesley Atkins is the owner of The Low GIi Diet Breakthrough website at: Glycemic Index Diet Plan - In his nutrition program you too can discover how to lose 19 pounds of fat every 21 days with the Low GI Diet.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Why Refined Carbohydrates Are So Damaging To Weight Loss Plans

While a common weight loss recommendation is to reduce carbohydrate intake (primarily foods like breads, cereals, pastas, and sweets), for many people it is unclear why this is so important. In fact, even some doctors and scientists insist that weight loss is a simple matter of burning more calories than one consumes and it doesn't matter what kind of foods those calories come from. This may seem logical at first, but with a greater understanding of how the body processes carbohydrates, it becomes readily apparent that certain kinds of calories are much easier to burn than others and consuming large amounts of carbohydrates, even in the context of a relatively low-calorie diet, most definitely predisposes the body to storing fat.

At the heart of the matter is the hormone insulin. The function of insulin is to stimulate the cells to take up sugar from the bloodstream (when blood sugar is high, as it typically is shortly after eating) and store it for reserve energy.

This extra blood sugar is first stored as a compound called glycogen in the muscles and liver. Glycogen can be quickly converted back to blood sugar when needed for energy to fuel sudden bursts of activity. The available storage space for glycogen is pretty limited, and when insulin has caused the glycogen storage to be filled up, the remaining excess blood sugar is stored as fat.

There is considerably more storage space in the body for fat than there is for glycogen. There are billions of fat cells in the body, each of which can enlarge to over 100 times it's original size to accomodate extra fat storage. As an aside, this is why it is possible to get fat again after liposuction - even if you remove many of the body's fat cells, those that remain can enlarge considerably to store fat.

Insulin is extremely powerful in its fat storage effects. In fact, not only does it stimulate fat storage, high levels of insulin block the effects of the body's fat burning mechanisms. This is where the importance of limiting carbohydrate consumption comes into play.

High carbohydrate intake (and it really doesn't need to be very high) stimulates the release of large quantities of insulin. This high production of insulin effectively prevents the body from burning fat - for 24 to 48 hours! In fact, a single meal containing 20 to 25 grams of refined carbohydrates (about the amount in a slice of sandwich bread) can completely block your ability to burn fat for 1 to 2 days - regardless of what you eat and how much or how hard you may exercise during that time.

Now, that last point is sometimes confusing to people because many people eat relatively high amounts of carbohydrate and still manage to lose weight - at least in the short-term. Notice that I said that high carbohydrate intake causes high insulin production that blocks FAT burning. You can still lose water weight through various methods (if you happen to be eating a low protein and low fat diet, you will typically lose a lot of water weight), and you can still burn calories, but what you burn will be glycogen and lean body tissue (protein from your muscles) and not fat. As you may be aware, lean body tissue (muscle) is highly metabolically active, and if you burn that tissue, ultimately your metabolism will slow down, making it harder and harder to lose weight.

Because of the effects of insulin, minimizing carbohydrate intake is strongly recommended for sustainable fat burning and the most efficient and lasting natural weight loss. This is not to say that everyone will benefit from being on a high protein diet such as Atkins. Excessive protein intake can create its own problems that can ultimately interfere with ongoing weight loss due to detrimental effects on the liver. Instead, the best diet program in most intances involves eating plenty of fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits, nuts, seeds, and moderate quantities of protein from lean meats, fish, eggs, and dairy. The carbohydrates you do consume are best obtained in high-fiber forms from vegetables, fruits, seeds, and nuts, rather than from refined grains.

A few diet plans will recommend a low carbohydrate intake, yet suggest allowing yourself a "reward" of some high-carbohydrate food like a cookie or other sweet as often as once per week. I disagree with this recommendation as it can sabotage your natural weight loss program on two levels. First, as we've been discussing, the carbs will trigger a high insulin release which will shut off your ability to burn fat for up to two days. So, at once per week, you could lose as much as 8 days per month of potential fat burning - decreasing the effectiveness of your diet by as much as 25%! The other problem is that eating carbs tends to set you up for carb cravings. At the very least, such cravings will test your will-power, and they could cause you to cheat on your diet repeatedly. This could ultimately doom your diet to total failure. My advice is to save your carbohydrate consumption for special occasions only - which should be limited to once per month or less.

Hopefully you now have a better understanding of why high carbohydrate consumption is so damaging to a natural weight loss plan. If you commit to a healthy diet and avoid the carbs for 2 to 3 weeks, you will likely find that you don't really miss them after that period of time and so avoiding them becomes much easier. With a little extra effort early on, you'll find that eating a healthy diet becomes natural to you and you'll be able to reach your long-term weight goals.

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Dr. George Best has been in private practice as a holistic healthcare provider in San Antonio, Texas since 1992. For more information, to obtain a free natural weight loss guide, and/or to access his E-Book, "Training Your Brain For Weight Loss", please visit his website on diet and exercise motivation.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

The Permanent Diet - Why Fitness Is A Lifestyle

Have you ever tried to diet your way to a better body? I have a slight hunch that you have, and I'm willing to bet that at some point you terminated that diet. Any mention of the word "diet" will leave most people with awful memories: restrictive, boring, and painful sound accurate.

Why I ask? Why? Simply put, a diet is not a solution, it's a marketing gimmick. They're all temporary and short sighted, setting you up for failure.

If you think about it, in order for someone to gain weight, you have to live a lifestyle that caters to gaining weight - whether that be from excessive eating or lack of physical activity. The weight doesn't just jump onto you overnight. It may take years of poor habits to get to your current level.

If it took you 10 years to accumulate the excess weight, it's not going to come off in 1 month or even 6 months in some crash diet. There lies the answer, if it took a certain lifestyle to gain weight, it's going to take a different lifestyle to take it off. It's a change in lifestyle, not a quick fix diet. Being in shape should be the result of how you live every day.

If you fix the habits or actions that have caused the weight gain, you can cause the weight to come off automatically. Cleaning up some daily habits will often do the trick. For example if you drink 1 can of soda every day with your lunch - exchange that for water. Just that one simple change added up over 1 year will result in a 16 pound difference. Add 30 minutes of physical activity 3-4 times a week and there's at least another 12 pounds each year.

Maybe it's the glazed donut at work 3 times a week - 12 months later there's another 11 pounds. These are simple conscious actions that you take throughout each day to make a difference in the long term. A great habit is to just drink water all day long - not only will you get the benefit of hydration you'll also skip the extra calories from soda, fruit juices and coffee mocha delights.

How about switching to skim milk instead of 2%, while that may not be for everyone, it's just an idea of how simple taking away a few calories here and there can be. Take 1 year, and week by week, improve upon your current habits with nutrition or physical activity. By the end of the year you will have seen significant results, all from those very slight changes. Losing weight doesn't have to be restrictive or obsessive in any sense of the word. It all comes back to what your lifestyle is like, that's what will ultimately determine what your weight will be. You've probably heard of someone getting liposuction or another form of weight reduction surgery. Often times they just gain every bit of the weight back, they got their quick fix, but in the end their lifestyle just puts the weight back on.

Lottery winners get their "get rich quick" scheme, but in the end, many of them are just as poor as they were before they had won their money. They're original lifestyle catered to that style of living. Although they got a lucky break with the winnings, their habits of spending, attitudes toward money and no savings ultimately put them right back at where they started.

So if you are looking for that "get thin quick" scheme, I urge you to reconsider your perception on how you view weight loss. Weight loss is a process and not a one time event - as I'm sure you would like to maintain your ideal body weight once you reach it. The word diet alone implies that you will at some point quit the behavior and quite possibly gain all the weight back. This continues in a cyclical fashion, just like a yo-yo, going up and down and up and down. Weight loss is more than just a temporary fix, it's a lifestyle change. Be like a rock, when a rock is dropped it just drops, and stays down.

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Zach Hunt is the owner and head Spokane fitness coach of Physzique, a high-end personal fitness coaching service in Spokane, WA. He helps his clients to quickly and permanently drop unwanted fat and transform their body with a proven system that takes less than 3 hours of exercise each week. Go now to Spokane Personal Training for immediately usable health and fitness tips.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Four Fantastic Foods that can Boost Metabolism

There are a number of ways you can help keep your metabolism ticking over. Regular exercise, properly planned meals and an improved diet are all essential elements which can work together to keep your metabolism high. However, there are certain groups of food which many believe to have metabolism boosting properties. Eating these foods alone will not super charge your metabolism. However, implementing them as part of an overall metabolism boosting plan can really improve its effectiveness. In this article I describe these foods and how they can help keep your metabolism high.

1) SUPER FOODS:- These are foods which are believed to aid weight loss, boost your metabolic rate, reduce cholesterol levels, lower the risk of heart disease and improve your mood. Super foods include; beans, blueberries, celery, grapefruit, oranges, pumpkin, salmon, tomatoes, walnut and yoghurt.

2) SPICY FOODS:- Spicy foods are believed to increase your metabolic rate temporarily by raising your body's temperature which raises your heart rate and leads to an increased number of calories being burned. They are also believed to have thermogenic properties which stimulate the body's fat burning process. When it comes to spicy foods there are a number of options available to you including; buffalo wings, indian food, mexican food, peppers and thai food.

When eating spicy foods it is particularly important to make sure that you do not over indulge. Firstly, you should not over indulge because the fat burning effects of spicy foods are both limited and temporarily. Secondly, excessive consumption can produce a number of unwanted side effects such as stomach ulcers, acid reflux (which can lead to heartburn), irritation to the digestive tract and even damage to your tastebuds.

3) PUMPKIN SEEDS:- Pumpkin seeds are a particularly healthy snack food. They are low in calories, high in fiber and rich in protein. The high fiber content makes it more difficult for the body to process pumpkin seeds, meaning that more calories are burned in the digestion process.

Apart from their metabolism boosting properties pumpkin seeds are high in zinc which is known to boost the immune system and maintain prostate health in men during later life. They are also believed to benefit the digestive system.

4) WATER:- OK I know water is not technically a food but drinking water and staying hydrated is essential if you want to keep your metabolism working at an effective rate. If you do not stay properly hydrated then your body goes into water retention mode and stops concentrating on certain bodily functions including the burning of calories and fat. Therefore, consuming adequate levels of water will help keep your metabolic rate high.

Increasing your metabolic rate is a complex process which depends on a number of factors. As I have already mentioned eating these foods alone will not instantly boost your metabolism. Over indulgence can also be damaging for your body and your metabolic rate. However, by incorporating the above foods into your diet in a moderated and controlled way, you can take your first steps towards an improved metabolism.

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The Free Fitness Tips Blog provides you with fantastic, free advice on all aspects of fitness. To find out more about boosting your metabolism head over to the Free Fitness Tips blog

Monday, December 10, 2007

Why There Is No Such Thing As A Quick Fix Weight Loss Solution

by: Mike Warner

We are blessed in today’s society that whatever we want, we can pretty much get it straight away. When I mean straight away, I mean now.

You want to go on a vacation, jump online and you could be on your way this afternoon. If you are hungry, stop by at a fast food chain. If you want to watch your favorite TV show, you can use TIVO or the internet (sometimes) to do so, whenever you want. It’s quite amazing what we can do.

All of this instant gratification though is making it very hard for us to be healthy and lose weight.
Because we are so used to getting whatever we want, when we want it, we’ve been conditioned to believe that we should be able to lose weight at the push of a button, or the taking of a pill, without changing anything we’re doing.

Because we live such abundantly, and are spoilt by how quickly we can get it, we feel it should be the same when it comes to weight loss. We believe there’s got to be a way to easily, and very quickly pop a pill, and enjoy safe weight loss.

Now, if we think logically about this, it does not make any sense. Anyone who knows anything about weight loss will tell you that it comes down to one simple formula:

You have to burn more calories per day than you eat.

If you can manage that, you can’t help but lose weight. The problem is of course in managing it. For you to lose weight, you need to do this for an extended period of time. And of course to do this, you have to modify your lifestyle.

The thing is though, we don’t want to eat less. We don’t want to give up our favorite foods and drinks. And of course, we don’t want to exercise.

The fact that we resist change so much means there has been a multi-million dollar weight loss drug and supplement industry that thrives. Its amazing that what we’re willing to try, just so we don’t have to eat less or exercise more.

Some of the side effects created by some of these drugs are pretty severe, so much so that you wouldn’t wish it on your worst enemy. Ironically, there is enough people in the US that are happy to pay for it, as long as they can just keep their old habits and let the drug do all the work.
Now, am I saying that weight loss drugs and supplements are all useless?

No, not necessarily. What I am saying is that if you are really serious about losing weight and keeping it off, you do need to make some lifestyle changes. And you know what?

It won’t be easy. Anytime you do make some lifestyle choices, there’s going to inertia. You’ll have resistance from yourself to making the change. You just have to keep focused on your end goal.

So, what is smart is to focus on changing your lifestyle, and choosing effect supplements to help you do this, if it is appropriate for you.

How do you know if a supplement is appropriate for you?

All you have to do is figure out what lifestyle choices you’re going to make. Decide what habits you need to form to maintain the body you want. Now think about all the things that might go wrong, when you make those changes.

For example, if you are overweight, you should start by looking at what you are eating. Often people will over-eat and under-drink. What I mean by that is that they will eat, even when they are not hungry, just because its lunch time, or because food makes them comfortable, and they won’t drink water regularly throughout the day (and leave themselves dehydrated).

So in that case, this person should think about how they can have water within touching distance of themselves throughout the day. If you do that, you will naturally sip it. You’ll be amazed how this simple tip controls your appetite.

If comfortable eating is a problem, I would now look at one of the popular weight loss supplements out there, called Hoodia. I would choose Hoodia, because, to date, there are no known side effects that have been reported. This doesn’t mean that it won’t cause side effects, because Hoodia is quite new to the market, but at this stage it seems the best choice. I would though be very careful about where I buy my Hoodia from. The source where you get your Hoodia is the most important factor you have to think about if you plan on using it.

The reason Hoodia would be effective here is because its job is to make you feel full. So if you are already feeling full, you don’t have to worry about comfortable eating. You can now focus on eating a balanced diet, full of good nutrition so that your body gets all the nutrients it needs to help you lose weight.

Again, I would not recommend relying on Hoodia long term. Use it in the short term to get into good dietary habits, then when you do get used to eating healthy foods, wean off it.

That way you keep in total control, without relying on anything. You’re just using it (Hoodia in this case) to make it easier for you to change your lifestyle. The point is, if you want to keep the weight off, you have to take the power off the pill, and put it back into your ability to change your lifestyle. If you do that, you’re more likely to stick to your new habits, and therefore keep the weight off.

About The Author: Mike Warner
If you are interested in how to buy real pure, hoodia and avoid fake sellers, visit: http://www.idealweightresearch.com/hoodia/real-hoodia.html. We also have weight loss information at: http://www.idealweightresearch.com/

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Mothers!! Burn Your Baby Fat & Get Your Body Back

What Is It?

This lifestyle program for busy moms is a comprehensive guide to what’s arguably the most widespread, challenging and frustrating issue faced by moms today: how to get their pre-baby body back. For almost all mothers the changes their bodies incur during pregnancy coupled with the countless responsibilities that motherhood bring spell trouble for regaining their pre-pregnancy figure.

There is no shortage of fitness, diet and fat loss products on the market today. You can find a veritable library of conflicting arguments almost anywhere you choose to seek information on the subject of fitness for women, whether it’s online, at your local library, through contact with personal trainers, or through the (less reputable but nevertheless very common) ranks of wannabe experts: aka, those frustrating people with no qualifications and no practical experience but are self professed experts because they ready the last issue of Shape magazine.

What Sets This Product Apart?

After months of frustration spent trawling through the mass of conflicting information on fitness and fat loss, it was with a mixture of joy and near-tearful relief that I stumbled across Fit Yummy Mummy!, by Holly Rigsby. As the title suggests, this product is specifically for moms wanting to get fit. Literally all aspects of losing fat and getting fit are covered – and the best part is that it is written specifically for busy moms. The material is presented in a manner both chatty and educational – it’s kind of like having a friendly conversation with a close friend that happens to be a fitness expert (with the added benefit of being able to refresh your understanding of the matter at any given time, simply by scrolling back to the relevant section!)
The tone of the book presents a welcome contrast to the other fitness products so freely available elsewhere on the Net: it’s friendly, understanding of the unique situations moms face, informative, and above all, commonsensical. No unrealistic recommendations, 2 hour workouts, or zero-carb diets here: it doesn’t take long to see that this lady knows what she’s talking about when it comes to mom’s lifestyles (and did I mention she’s a mom too?)

What’s Actually Included?

There’s a quick section on getting started and goal setting along with some morale-boosting advice on how to stay on track throughout the program, and then it’s straight into an action plan to get you started on the path to burning baby fat and getting your body back.

The Supportive Nutrition Plan is next – this is particularly helpful! Every conceivable nutrition issue is covered, from how often you should eat to what you should keep in your pantry. And on top of that, it includes a ‘Create a Menu Planner’ to guide you in creating every meal to support your success.

Next, the Fit Yummy Mummy fat loss workouts are covered, but not without easy to follow explanations of the why’s and the how’s for every part of the workout program. The workout plan even offers four different formats that you can plug into your lifestyle, something not found in any of the cookie cutter fat loss programs on the market. My favorite part of the workout section is that regardless of your exercise (or lack of exercise) background, there is a workout designed specifically for you. And no matter what you fitness level is, none of the workout programs require more than 90 minutes a week.

Finally, there’s a section called the Busy Mom’s Fat Loss Companion crammed with easy to use tools and resources like a goal setting sheet, fitness journal, exercise descriptions and even a ready made grocery list. The author has figured out every excuse and obstacle busy moms have and addressed them all.

Just Because It’s Detailed Doesn’t Mean It’s Confusing

Sound overwhelming? It’s actually very user-friendly. Not only is this e-book packed with sound practical advice and the whole thing is laid out in a very logical and easy-to-understand format, but it comes with a Quick Start Guide to make sure you start acting (and seeing results) fast. The tone of Fit Yummy Mummy light and non-threatening (no scientific terminology here!) and it proceeds in a logical manner from step to step, with plenty of photos and descriptions to ensure that you are doing everything right.

Troubleshooting

In my opinion, one of the best parts: a follow up e-mail coaching series from the author that keeps you on track, gives you daily fitness tips and even healthy recipes. While most moms have the best of intentions, staying on track is tough. This follow up e-mail coaching series is the perfect solution.

The Verdict

Regaining their pre-pregnancy body is a daunting task for most moms, but the author’s personal experience and hands on work with over 250 moms is pretty reassuring; and she certainly knows how to break it down for even the most exercise illiterate. In addition to the main features detailed above, there are plenty of valuable extras included to make getting your pre-baby body back as easy as possible: checklists, do’s and don’ts, printable workout sheets, even ready to follow meal plans!

All in all, two thumbs up from me: when the information on hand is as detailed, easy to absorb, and - above all – reliable as Fit Yummy Mummy, you really can’t go wrong.

Find out more about Fit Yummy Mummy! here