Weight Training

 

For those that would like a more vigorous workout plan, weight training is a viable option that can combine building muscle tone and working the cardiovascular system. Weight training tones your muscles and raises your metabolism, which helps your body burn more calories not only when exercising, but also while you sleep. Weight training reverses the natural decline in your metabolism, which begins around age 30; therefore this is something to think about for all those who have reached that age. Working with weights can produce a great deal of energy, and a full workout works almost all of the 650 muscles in your body. Looking toward long-term benefits, weight training strengthens bones, which can reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis. This of course is of very big concern amongst women, since osteoporosis afflicts women much more than men.

Many women worry that weight training will make them muscular and bulky like a mans; yet you must keep in mind that men and women have different muscular structures, therefore weight training will not develop big muscles on women, just toned muscles. Not only is weight training a routine that makes you strong, it is a routine that trains the body to build muscle instead of fat, takes stress off key areas of the body such as the lower back, making you less prone to injury in that area. Since high blood pressure or hypertension is a big concern with those who are obese, it is welcome news that weight training decreases your resting blood pressure. Weight training has also been proven to increase your blood level of HDL cholesterol, which is commonly referred to as good cholesterol. Overall health is definitely improved through weight training.

It is best to start with a plan, which may be joining a gym where you can regularly go to get a full workout, or purchasing a home workout system that uses resistance instead of weights but produces similar results. You must assess what type of person you are, and make the appropriate decision from there. If you like the idea of going out somewhere daily for your workout, welcoming the change of scenery and benefiting from the comradery of others who are also training, then you may want to opt for a gym membership. However, if you know you are the type that enjoys working alone and will not work out unless its in the convenience of your home where you do not have to get dressed and go out, then the home gym system option is for you. Only you can make this assessment of yourself. Many quality home workout systems exist, but of course none work when not used, so be sure that you remain focused and dedicated to your plan.

Whatever exercise plan you choose, it is best to exercise first thing in the morning, every morning. Our bodies were made to be active daily, and when exercise is performed in the morning, people are more successful at exercising consistently. Make your exercise as enjoyable as possible. Consider utilizing music, a book on tape, or watching television during your workout, depending on the type and location of your workout. If you’re a walker for example, you may want to get a good CD player to listen to music or books on tape. If you’re exercising inside, you may want to setup a television set or a stereo so that you can watch or listen while exercising. Whatever you do, make your exercise experience one you look forward to each day.

Balsamic Berry and Basil Fruit Salad

 

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup frozen strawberry daiquiri concentrate, thawed (I use Bacardi)
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 3 Tbsp water
• 2 cups fresh strawberry halves
• 2 cups fresh raspberries
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 6 basil leaves, chiffonade or left whole

Instructions

1. In a bowl, combine the daiquiri mix, balsamic vinegar, and water.
2. In a large bowl, add the berries and basil.
3. Gently fold the dressing in with the berries and basil.
4. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
5. Gently fold again before serving and remove basil leaves if using the whole leaf.

Minute Blueberry Cake

 

• 3 Tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• pinch of salt
• pinch of cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp milk
• a few blueberries
• a few chopped walnuts
• a little ice cream of whipped cream, optional

1. In a small bowl , combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, oil, sugar, and milk.    Pour the mixture into a ramekin or other small microwave safe dish.  Spread evenly to cover the bottom of the dish.
2. Sprinkle with a few blueberries and nuts.  Then microwave for 1 minute.  That’s it.  Enjoy it warm with a little ice cream or whipped cream if you’d like.

Temporary Hair Color

 

1. Wet your hair where you want the color to be.

2. Twist your hair and stroke with a soft pastel (like the chalky kind you create art with.)

3. Let hair dry and run a brush through the hair to remove excess chalk.

4. Style your hair in a way where it will not move a lot. It is best to braid your hair or pin it up in a bun to save your clothes from forming into the color of your hair. (I wore a black top so I could actually wear my hair down.)

Weight Loss, It Maybe More Healthy Than You Think

 

So you want to lose weight because you hate that you look fat and can walk up a flight of stairs without breaking into a major sweat and losing your breath for 5 minutes. You think that weight loss is the ticket to reenergizing your long lost love life. But let me tell you about a few other things that might persuade you to lose that 24 pack for a reason other than vanity.

Let’s start by listing all of the other diseases that can be associated to obesity. Heart disease is probably the major one and shares associations with many of the others in the list. These include hypertension, diabetes, atherosclerosis, congestive heart failure, and sleep apnea. Other things not necessarily related to heart are colon cancer, fatty liver, gynecomastia, irregular menstruation, breast cancer, uterine cancer, depression, joint pain and destruction, and heart burn. With each of these diseases carries with them a host of other complications, many of them that are life threatening or seriously debilitating conditions This is all not to mention the social stigmatism that hinders life in all arenas including personal life and career.

The great thing about weight is that it is not a permanent disability that has to be accepted. On the contrary it is very within the realm of possibility to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. Weight is not the only thing that goes either. With weight loss goes the increased risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, increased risk of cancer, depression, sleep apnea, and on and on. You also gain stamina, productivity, self-esteem, confidence, respect, and on and on.

So the question is why wouldn’t you go out this minute and get your hands on the latest and greatest weight loss information that money has to buy. Or I have an even better way–that is to go to your family physician (who has the best information that money can by at his/her beckon call) and have him come up with a comprehensive to help you safely and effectively lose the weight in a very controlled environment with the best support money can buy. And the best part is that it is not your money that is doing the buying, its your insurance company’s bank roll. They are glad to do it too and this should tell you that this is important. You see insurance companies know that it is in their best interest for you to lose weight and to keep it off–because it keeps you healthier and out of the doctor’s office and the hospital.

Six Steps to a Positive Body Image

A positive body image is one that we should all strive for.  This is when you know yourself and who you are.  You have a very true perception of your size, shape, and weight.  You see yourself as you are in the present.  You accept yourself, even though you may be overweight.  You believe in yourself and love yourself while still striving for something better.  When you have a positive body image, no time is spent obsessing about food, weight, calories, exercise, etc.  You are proud of who you are and feel comfortable in your own body.

Many people that suffer from binge eating disorder do not have positive body images.  Instead, they have very distorted images of how they see themselves.  Here are six ways to create a positive body image for yourself.

1.  Create a list of people that you admire.  Write down why you admire each person.  As you are writing the characteristics you like, take notice of what you are writing down.
For example, let’s say that you have a high regard for Oprah.  Your list might include her generosity towards people, her willingness to support what she believes in, and her strong character that went for success no matter what background she came from.  You do not admire Oprah because of her looks; you admire her for the difference that she has made in the world.    For her contribution to society.  How she has touched and changed so many lives.

2.  Remember a time in your life when you felt great about yourself.
Travel back in your life to a time when you were happy with your body.  Maybe this was high school or college.  Whatever the time, just close your eyes and remember how you felt.  Let these good feelings radiate within you.

3.  Write down what you like about yourself now.
Take out a piece of paper and write down everything that you like about yourself: your legs, your eyebrows, your smile, your hair, etc.  The key here is to focus on the likes of yourself instead of the many dislikes.  Start appreciating what you do like about yourself.  This will make you feel better overall.

4.  Notice how you carry yourself when you walk.
Do you walk with your head down looking at the ground?  Do you slump your shoulders?  Perk up!  Start walking and making eye contact with people.  Hold your head up high.  Walk with your shoulders held back.

5.  Start exercising.
If you haven’t exercised in a while, start off slow.  Go for a walk outside on a nice day.  If you are used to exercising, keep it up and change up your routine so that you don’t get bored.  When you exercise you begin to feel good about yourself, even if it is for 15 minutes.  Start off slow and work your way up.

6.  Hang out with positive people.
Take a look at the people closest to you.  Are they positive or negative people?  Chances are if they are negative this attitude will reflect on you and your attitude.  Try to limit your time with any negativity as this will only make you feel bad about yourself.  You will focus on the things that you do not like about yourself.
Start feeling good about yourself and learn to accept yourself.  Little by little you will notice changes that have occurred.  Learn to be on your side instead of always being against yourself.  Put your shoulders back and quit thinking about what you’re not.  Love the person you are and the person that you are becoming.

Calorie counting done the right way?

You and I know that losing fat and staying in great shape is a difficult task because it is so hard to stay motivated and it is so tempting to cheat, especially when you can hide the cheating. We dieters have all been in a starving situation when dieting and our mind reasons very quickly why that extra piece of pie is not going to hurt us. We take it, forget about it and then wonder next day why we didn’t lose weight.

For most of us dieting is a constant battle between emotion and reason and when hungry, reason is out of the window and emotion just wins. We do not see the immediate effects of our behavior and therefore our brain is fooled into thinking that everything is all right. On the other hand, let’s say you would get very sick when eating more than you need, overeating would stop very quickly.

Getting sick after a little bit of overeating does normally not happen therefore we need to find a different way to show the consequences of our behavior. We need to show this in a factual manner, an immediate visual display of the results of our cheating. It is not punishment right away, but over time our brain will be conditioned such that taking an extra piece of pie will give negative weight loss results. Then we will start to understand why we don’t lose weight and can pinpoint the causes.

What should this visual display look like?  First I like charts, they are very easy to understand and can show trends and correlations between variables. In this chart I would like to see over a period of time, the average calories that I take in per day compared with the average calories that I burn per day. If the chart shows that the intake calories are lower than the burned calories, I will lose weight and vice versa I will gain weight. Correlate that with a chart that shows your weight or BMI (Body Mass Index) over time and I have the tool that helps me regulate my food consumption versus my daily activities.

If I add my hunger levels before and after the meals, I can fine tune my meal plans and daily activities. In this way I can sustain my dieting for a long time and preferably it will become my way of life. I have minimized the hunger pain and increase the pleasure of losing weight and feeling more attractive.

There is abundance of free online food calorie calculators. These calorie counters just display nutrition facts and are not going to help you lose weight. Nor is a simple calorie calculator that tries to calculate your calories burned solely based on your weight and average activity level. These are simple little gimmicks that are a waste of your time.

Only when you seriously can track and correlate your calorie intake and calories burned over time, depending on your age, weight, gender, height and individual activity intensity levels can you precisely measure your calorie balance. Seeing visually that your weight loss program works is a big motivator to stay on track. Also you can see immediately when you are off track and you can adjust your situation accordingly.

Acquiring great health is a complex task. Interrelating factors like diet, nutritional facts, meal plans, calorie balance, body reading measurements, supplement and medicine intake, exercise routines, daily activity intensity and costs will make it very difficult for you to see the forest for the trees.
Well designed software that keeps track of all of the above factors and can correlate them will make it very easy to manage your health, fitness, weight loss, muscle mass gain or any goal you have set.