Posted by Virginia H. | Posted in Articles | Posted on 01-05-2010-05-2008
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We don’t know who coined the phrase “Numbers don’t lie,” but we’ll bet they never counted one or a few 100 calories. And if you’ve ever tried using math to manage the digits on your bathroom scale, you know that most diet equations don’t add up. We wondered whether any of the roughly 338,000 Google hits for “weight loss formula” can actually help you look good in that black latex cat suit this Halloween. Here’s the lowdown on three basics:
Daily Caloric Requirement (DCR)
Translation The math is pretty simple: Eat 500 fewer calories a day than your body requires and you’ll drop a pound a week. But most online calculators (and even the pen-and-paper variety) are only 82 percent accurate (even less so if you’re obese, sick, or an ethnic minority), according to the American Dietetic Association. And, says Mary Hartley, a registered nutritionist for about.com, the results can be flawed because the equation isn’t tailored to the individual and because many people misjudge their fitness level. Plus, if you lose 10 pounds or more, you’ll have to do the math again.
Salvation Let sites like caloriecount.about.com, mayoclinic.com, or mypyramid.gov do the work for you. All factor in activity level and are backed by health pros.
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)
Translation While DCR calculates calorie input (how much you need to eat), the Resting Metabolic Rate tabulates calorie output (how much you burn doing absolutely nothing). Unfortunately, the ADA says the accuracy of these formulas is 45 to 80 percent (and again, they’re less accurate if you’re obese).
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Virginia H. | Posted in Articles, Eating habits and diet | Posted on 23-04-2010-05-2008
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When you’re dieting, a growling tummy is like a wedding toast: The longer it lasts, the more dangerous it gets. But your hormones, not your gut, are really to blame for most binges. Ghrelin, which makes you hungry, and leptin, your primary appetite suppressor, are eternally battling it out. Preventing these hormones from going haywire is the key to reining in calories without always feeling ravenous. So dig in we’re giving you 50 ways to fill up and conquer the growling beast that is your stomach.
1. Pack a packet Instant oatmeal beats out All Bran and Muesli for fullness factor. We love Quaker’s Weight Control Maple and Brown Sugar it tastes heavenly and has more fiber, protein, and whole grains than the regular variety.
2. Find berry treasure Raspberries are one of the most fiber-filled fruits, packing 8 grams into a cupful a whopping 32 percent of your RDA. Add some to your cereal or yogurt.
3. Can the juice Whole fruit has a higher fiber content and makes you feel fuller than fruit juices, even those with pulp.
4. Make a dinner date A study found that women eat less than usual on dates (men tend to eat a lot more).
5. But don’t eat by candlelight Dim light can trigger binge eating. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Virginia H. | Posted in Articles, Eating habits and diet | Posted on 16-04-2010-05-2008
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Your cube mate advises against eating after 8 p.m., a girl from your yoga class swears by the grapefruit diet, and your best friend warns that mixing carbs and protein can pack on the pounds. Sure, you’ve been hearing diet tips like these from well-meaning people for years, but is there any truth to them? To set the record straight on the most oft-repeated advice, we consulted a team of nutrition experts. They revealed which strategies you should forget and which live up to their get-slim promise.
Q. Will chewing low-cal foods like sugar-free gum and celery help me burn calories?
A. It might, but hardly enough to trigger weight loss. Gum and certain veggies are often called “negative-calorie” foods because they supposedly take more energy for your body to chew or digest than they contain.
The negative-calorie myth was put to the test when researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, asked people to chew sugarless gum at a rate of 100 bites per minute. After calculating the energy expended (about 11 calories per hour), they concluded that a person who chomped on a piece every waking hour of the day for a month would lose less than a pound. As for celery? All that crunching does burn energy, but it amounts to less than the 6-calorie stalk contains. The bottom line: If you really want to shed pounds, give your jaw a rest and start moving your body.
Q. Can coffee really rev up my metabolism?
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Virginia H. | Posted in Articles, Supplements | Posted on 14-04-2010-05-2008
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It may sound too good to be true, but you can trick yourself into eating less. Drop pounds effortlessly with these five stay-slim strategies.
1. FOOL YOUR APPETITE
“The amount of food on a plate – whether it’s one helping or four – is what most people consider a ‘normal’ serving,” says Jim Painter, Ph.D., R.D., a food psychologist at Eastern Illinois University. His recommendation: Downsize your dishes. “If you have a visual cue that tells you to stop before you get stuffed, you’ll eat less but feel just as satisfied.”
2. SAY NO TO CRIME
You may want to record the latest episode of CSI or 24 so you can watch it after you finish dinner. “TV shows that feature murders or medical emergencies tend to remind us of our own mortality,” says Dirk Smeesters, Ph.D., an associate professor of marketing at Erasmus University in the Netherlands. “On a subconscious level, this can make some people feel a little depressed or upset – which can then trigger them to eat more food than they normally would.”
3. GIVE YOUR FORK A REST
Chowing down like it’s an extreme sport can seriously up your calorie count, according to a new study Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Virginia H. | Posted in Articles, General tips | Posted on 07-04-2010-05-2008
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Learn why your body weight fluctuates so much and what exactly is causing the weight gain
Feel like your weight seesaws more than your 4-year-old niece on a sunny day at the playground? Relax. Even if you’re doing everything perfectly, there are lots of reasons why the number on the scale could be up by a pound or two. According to Melina Jampolis, M.D., author of The No-Time-to-Lose Diet, these are some of the usual suspects.
You were thirsty! Downing 16 ounces of any fluid can cause an immediate “gain” of 1 pound.
You’re backed up. Constipation can tilt the scale by as much as 2 pounds if it’s been more than a couple of days since your bowels did their thing.
You’re going on vacation. To Thailand. The changes in air pressure can make you retain water on flights longer than 4 hours, which can show up as an extra 1 to 3 pounds on the scale.
You ate the Chicken Kung Pao. Have a salty dinner and you could wake up 2 to 3 pounds heavier your body retains water to dilute all that sodium.
Aunt Flo’s on her way. Hormone fluctuations in the 3 days leading up to your period can make you retain up to 5 pounds of water.
(Article from http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/balance-weight)
Posted by Virginia H. | Posted in General tips | Posted on 05-04-2010-05-2008
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Getting enough sleep is very important. Without even realizing it, we tend to eat more when we are tired; it is a way to “perk” ourselves up. While eating something high in carbs will give you a burst of energy, it will soon fade away. Feeling well-rested may help keep that “afternoon slump” at bay (and you away from the fridge).
To be an efficient fat-burning machine, your body requires at least eight hours of
sleep a night. If you think that you’re doing yourself a favor by sleeping less, you’re mistaken. Give your body time to rest itself, both mentally and physically. Sleep is very, very important (if only for mental alertness for the following day).
Sleep just right. Don’t sleep too long or too short because according to a study done by researchers at Laval University in Quebec, people who slept too long (over 8 hours) & people who slept too short (under 6 hours) were more likely to gain weight than people who slept the normal 7-to-8 hours.
Also when you don’t get enough sleep the levels of
leptin in your body are lowered. Leptin is a blood protein that suppresses your appetite. With your levels of
leptin being lowered due to sleep depravation your appetite is tend to grow.
This is one of the easiest and most pleasant recommendations of how to loose weight fast and effectively at home.
Posted by Virginia H. | Posted in Physical activity | Posted on 25-03-2010-05-2008
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Someone who increases the level of physical activity above usual, but maintains the same diet and calorie intake, will almost certainly lose weight. No matter if you hate gyms – even light exercise, such as a short 20 minute walk or visiting a dancing class, will be beneficial if done most days of the week. If you are on a light diet or taking Green Tea or other supplement increasing physical activities is even more efficient and you will lose weight even faster.
Interesting fact: Every single time you exercise more than usual, you burn calories and fat.
There are lots of different ways to increase the amount of physical activity you do. Team sports and games, aerobics or martial art classes, running, walking, swimming and cycling will all improve your fitness levels.
I will write more deep about physical activities in future posts.
Posted by Virginia H. | Posted in Eating habits and diet, Supplements | Posted on 24-03-2010-05-2008
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For some people getting on a diet is extremely hard. Diet should be your lifestyle, not a temporaly solution. If you lose 10 pounds and then gain 20 after you get off the diet – such diet will only harm your health. In such cases doctors recommend to take Green Tea . It is even better if you combine it with a light diet.
Green Tea: Green tea is a supplement that is used for immune-enhancing effects and fat loss. Did you know that:
- Green Tea increases your metabolism making you burn more fat and it’s a mild appetite suppressant that makes you eat less so… weight loss becomes a natural process with green tea.
- Dr. Nicholas Perricone told Oprah Winfrey she could lose 10 lbs. in 4-6 weeks drinking green tea instead of coffee
- Green Tea causes carbohydrates to be released slowly, preventing rises in blood-insulin levels and this causes your body to burn fat.
- Green Tea prevents you from gaining weight by stopping the movement of sugar into your fat cells. Evidence shows that taking green tea is related to reductions in body fat.
- In a test where 10 men were given Green Tea, caffeine, or a placebo with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The men who took green tea burned more fat than the placebo and caffeine groups.
- Research shows you can burn 35-43% more fat during the day when you take or drink Green Tea.
- The International Journal of Obesity states that Green Tea contains polyphenols which causes your body to produce heat that burns off your body fat.
- Green Tea is one of the most popular herbal supplements recommended by the doctors internationally.
Note: Green Tea can be in tea bags or capsules. We recommend capsules since they have additional weight loss ingredients and are more effective than just tea.
You can order Green Tea online here
Posted by Virginia H. | Posted in Eating habits and diet | Posted on 23-03-2010-05-2008
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Yes, it might sound unrealistic but it is true that water helps losing weight.
Interesting fact: When your body gets not enough water it experiences the same state as during stress and starts sending signals to your brain that are similar to those that are sent when you are hungry.
So as a result when your are actually thirsty, you start eating. Since you have no need for extra energy guess what happens to those extra calories…fat!
Paradox: The less water you drink, the more water your body will safe for future use.
Drink plenty of water evenly through the day, eight or more glasses total. As soon as you wake up try and drink 16 ounces of cold water. Drinking water is one of the most rapid weight loss tips that dieticians suggest to people and leads to 100+ calories extra burned a day.
Interesting fact: Water makes your metabolism burn calories 3% faster.
It may be difficult to drink enough water on a busy day. Be sure you have water handy at all times by keeping a bottle for water with you when you are working, traveling, or exercising. If you get bored with plain water, add a bit of lemon or lime for a touch of flavor. There are some brands of flavored water available, but watch for extra calories
Posted by Virginia H. | Posted in General tips | Posted on 22-03-2010-05-2008
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You should change the way you eat and start cutting those calories in order to start losing that fat and getting closer to the body that you would want to have. Below are some good weight loss recommendations:
- Skipping one or two high-calorie items is a good place to start when cutting calories. For example, you could skip your morning latte or that bowl of ice cream you always have after dinner. Think about what you eat and drink each day and identify items you could cut out. If you think that skipping your indulgence will leave you with a craving, try a low-calorie substitution. Avoid junk-food and all sorts of *bad* snacks which have a lot of calories.
- Stay away from sweetened bottle drinks, especially sodas. All those colas and fizzy drinks are sweetened with sugar and sugar means calories.
- Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Also try to replace fruit juice from a pack with a fresh juice or fresh fruits.
- Downsize your kitchenware. The human mind works in mysterious ways. It turns out that using smaller bowls, plates, and containers can subconsciously influence how much you serve yourself. Even nutrition experts are victims of this phenomenon; when 85 of them were given a random mix of small and large bowls and scoops, those who got larger bowls served themselves 31% more ice cream, and added on another 14.5% if they had bigger scoops!
I will add some more tips and tricks how to decrease the amount of calories you consume later.
