Health Blog Spot

Hollywood Celebrity “Speed Weight Loss” Secrets

Posted by Rob on Jan 7, 2013

Most people make weight loss a lot more complicated than it really is.

At the very foundation, losing weight is as simple as burning off more
calories than you consume. But none of us want to hear that, do we?

So, let’s discuss some of the quickest ways to lose some pounds so you
can be ready for that new event, date, the beach, or whatever it is you’re
trying to prepare for.

Rise and Rev

It’s common knowledge that the best way to lose weight – even if you
don’t change your diet at all – is to start moving (exercising) more.

But, most of us hate to exercise. And, the longer we have to exercise,
the more we hate it.

There’s an easier way.

You can workout for just 10 minutes per day, and see better results
than most people who exercise for 30 minutes to an hour.

The secret is to do it first thing in the morning – before you eat or
drink anything! (Water is allowed, and recommended. About 8 ounces to
start. But nothing else.)

The reason that this works well is… working out before eating anything
will use up your glycogen reserves, i.e. “stored energy” that your body
has been saving in your body from the previous night’s meal.

So, instead of piling on more energy (read: calories) by having breakfast,
you can use up what’s already stored in your body – before you have breakfast.
That way, more of your breakfast calories will get used up as energy during
the rest of your morning – instead of being stored up as more energy…
which eventually turn into fat weight.

As soon as you get up in the morning, drink about 8 ounces of water.
Warm water is preferred.

Next, visit the restroom/bathroom/toilet and take care of business.

After that…warm up for a minute or two by moving around, followed
by some light stretching, etc.

Then, for the next 10 minutes, start moving your body more vigorously,
to get your heart rate up. The trick is to keep moving continuously, without
ever completely stopping, for the entire 10 minutes (unless your heart
rate becomes excessively high.)

A great way to accomplish this is to do a few different exercises instead
of just one.

So, instead of jogging or running for the entire 10 minutes, do 3 or
more different exercises, one after the other, until your 10 minutes is
up.

For example, you could start with some push-ups, then switch immediately
to squats, then some jumping jacks. If your 10 minutes isn’t up yet, start
over, i.e. do another set of pushups, then squats, then jumping jacks.
Keep cycling through this process until your 10 minutes are up – without
stopping or slowing down too much.)

(If you need to take a break in between exercises, walk around for a
minute. Do not stop completely. Keep some part of your body moving throughout
the entire 10 minutes so that your heart rate stays up.)

After your 10 minutes is up, take some small sips of water…then take
a couple of minutes to cool down and do some light stretching.

You’ll be amazed at what 10 minutes of exercise per day will do for
you – within just a few weeks… IF you do it before breakfast, as explained
above.

Carbs or Protein?

If you don’t already know, your body needs carbohydrates, protein, and
yes, even fat in order to function optimally – provided they are from
the right sources.

The problem, especially in the Western culture, is that most of us tend
to have an abundance of all of those 3 nutrients.

So, carbs is not the enemy. Nor is protein or fat. The enemy is over-consumption.

And no, the “fix” is not to eliminate any of those nutrients from your
diet completely. As mentioned earlier, you need to consume all three to
be healthy.

So…if you’re having a hard time cutting back on the amount of your
overall calories consumed, you can see some dramatic results just be minimizing
your consumption of these:

• sugar, sugary products like candy bars, sodas, most coffee-shop drinks,
  and even many fruit juices. (It’s much healther to just eat the fruit
  instead of buying it in juice form.) If you do nothing else except minmize
  your sugar intake, you’ll see some dramatic results.

• simple carbohydrates. These include white bread, pastries, cakes,
  cookies – and most products made from white flour. Many of these also
  contain large amounts of sugar. So, you’ll be doing twice as much good
  by getting rid of these, or at least minimizing their consumption.

Eliminating, or minimizing your consumption of sugar, sugary products,
and most products created using white flour (which ends up turning into
sugar very quickly) is one of the quickest ways to start shedding pounds.

Try it out for 30 days and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results.

Note: If you really feel the need to replace the above calories with
something else, go for more fresh fruits and vegetables, and/or even some
lean protein like whole beans, fish or eggs.

Food Is The New Drug

In our society, it’s not the hardcore drugs that most of us are addicted
to. Food is our drug, and food is our therapy.

We eat to feel better about our day, our most recent bad news, and even
to feel better about ourselves.

And, we often reach for the fatty, greasy foods. After all, they provide
the most “comfort.” They quickly change our body chemistry and make us
feel “better.”

Being addicted to food is something that most of us will never admit
too. But it’s time to do a de-tox. (Don’t worry, unlike Lindsey Lohan,
you won’t need to check into a detox clinic or rehab center.)

We can do this ourselves, at home. The secret is juicing.

For an entire week, drink only vegetable and fruit juice. But, do not
buy any juice – unless it is fresh-squeezed without any added sugar or
other junk.

The best way to do this detox is to get a juicer and juice the fruits
and veggies yourself.

You can, and should, take your multivitamins during this juice cleanse.

And, if you feel that you really need to supplement this juice diet
with more protein, have some almond milk – get a brand that has the least
amount of carbohydrates and sugar. About 8 ounces, once or twice pay day
should do it.

Warning: Just like a drug detox, you may experience some withdrawls
during your food detox. This is mainly because of your body’s addiction
to simple carbs, sugar, salt, and saturated fat.

But, don’t give in. This is only for a week. Come on, I know you’re
stronger than most people. So, just do it.

Not only will this week-long juice diet do wonders for your overall
health and immune system, it is also a way to quickly lose some pounds
without depriving your body of the nutrients that it needs.

Important: As always, consult your physician before starting any exercise
or fitness program. 

Which Is better: Cardio Or Strength Training?

Posted by Rob on Sep 25, 2012

Cardio and strength training go hand-in-hand when it comes to weight loss. Read this article for tips on how to mesh them together perfectly.

When you’ve just started exercising, the whole world of working out can certainly seem overwhelming. There are so many different theories about what works and what doesn’t, about what’s healthy and what’s not. If you’re looking to lose weight, then you have to figure out what exercises will help with that, and which won’t. It’s all so confusing, and if you’re not careful, it can discourage you to the point of giving up. We understand what you’re up against, and we want to help you. Losing weight is such a positive change in someone’s life, and whether you have ten or a hundred pounds to lose, we want to help you in your journey.

Types of Weight Loss Exercises

There are two basic types of exercises that will help you lose weight. Many people are aware of cardio, and there is also strength training. You’ll hear proponents of both types proclaim the praises of each, but the truth is that a combination of both will yield the best results. Cardio, or cardiovascular, exercises get your heart rate up to a level that is optimum for fat and calorie-burning. The blood in your body gets pumping as well, giving your muscles more oxygen. When you keep your heart rate in that zone, you’ll burn more fat than with any other activities.

Strength training’s primary focus is building up your muscles. You may be wary of that because you’ve heard that muscle weighs more than fat, and you’re trying to lose weight, after all! However, building up that muscle density increases the number of calories you burn while you’re just sitting around or even sleeping. Combine that effect with the cardio exercises, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for success!

How To Combine Them

Now that you know this information, you may still be at a loss for what to do! What are some good cardio exercises? Here is a sampling, though there are tons of options:

• ï Walking
• ï Dancing
• ï Running
• ï Swimming
• ï Aerobics Classes
• ï Karate

What about strength training activities? Well, the great thing about these exercises is that many of them don’t require weights, though some do. Plus, even adding hand-held, two pound weights to those will increase your results dramatically. You may be surprised at this list, as some of them you are no doubt familiar with:

• Squats and Lunges
• Push ups
• Pull ups
• Weight machine reps
• Bicep curls
• Bench and shoulder presses

The best work out routines, as we’ve mentioned, include both. You may choose to do some activities of both types in one session (squats and lunges paired with a nice brisk walk), or you might prefer to do cardio one day and strength training the next. That decision is personal, and as long as you’re doing both, you’ll be great! Another benefit of using these combinations is that you are less likely to get bored of your routine, and that means you’ll keep at it. It also means that those pounds will keep falling off!