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How to Lose Your Baby Weight Safely

October 20, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment

No matter how much pregnancy weight you lose initially (many moms find the pounds melt off from breastfeeding and other post-delivery hormonal shifts that boost metabolism), eventually you hit that “why aren’t my clothes getting any looser” plateau. This can be an extremely emotional time for a new mother.  There are some different methods to try if you haven’t lost any baby weight at all, or if you just need to tackle those couple pounds that you gained during pregnancy.

Breast feeding your baby uses up lots of extra calories and is supposed to help you shed pregnancy weight fast. However, there are some women who have problems shedding excess baby weight – even while breastfeeding. And of course there are also women who may have been overweight when they became pregnant and are ready to get into optimum shape. In order to lose weight safely while breastfeeding your baby, you need to take certain precautions so that you don’t decrease your milk supply or endanger your own health and well being. Wait at least until your baby is two months old, this will ensure that you have built up a healthy milk supply while getting into a routine.

Cutting calories can help you shed the weight, however you need a constant supply of water and nutrients to maintain your milk. Cutting too many calories to quickly will not be healthy for you or the baby. A fine balance of calorie out calorie in will need to be the formula to loose weight.

Breastfeeding may not be for everyone. There are other ways of losing that baby weight. Diet and exercise are the proven method to slim down after you body has put on a few pounds. With a new baby at home you may find it difficult to leave to exercise, but who says you have too. A couple of key things to keep in mind when eating. Time can be your worst enemy after you have had a baby. Your babies schedule can leave you exhausted early on, and if you are trying to nap when baby naps, your schedule has gone out the window to. This can be damaging for weight loss since your body needs plently of rest, but also the proper nutrition.

Snacking may become a bad habit you have fallen into, and especially at the wrong times. Every person’s body needs fuel but not at late night . Also what are you snacking on? Convenience food may help you save a couple steps, but it isn’t doing you any good in your waistline. Have fresh fruit and veggies on hand for snacking purposes and get into the routine of eating three small meals a day with two snacks. Plenty of water in between. Snack and eat when baby eats. This will get you in the right mind set.  Once that’s establish take the time at babies next nap to prepare dinner and put it in the fridge to get a head start.

Incorporating a walk a day will give the baby some fresh air and you the thirty minutes of exercise a day that will melt the pounds. Don’t get to caught up in instant gratification. Enjoy the time that your baby is growing, and while your doing these few simple things the pounds will melt away.

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Weight Loss Recipes – Veggie Guacamole

October 12, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment

When it comes to finding snacks that are low in calories and good for you, it seems to be a very difficult find. There are massive amounts of food out there that are not good for you, and seems to be difficult to find the ones that are good for you. Now instead of dealing with the battle, why not make some delicious weight loss recipes like our Veggie Guacamole. This is a recipe that is quite delicious and good for you, making it a great snack you’ll want to eat all the time.

Ingredients:veggie guacamole

  • 2 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 large tomato, seeded and diced
  • 1 cup canned black beans, drained
  • 1 cup cooked corn (canned, fresh or frozen)
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon green onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon jalapeno peppers, chopped (optional)

Directions:

  1. Mash avocados in a bowl
  2. Add lemon juice and salt, then mix in the remaining ingredients

Nutrition Facts:
Serving Size: 1/4 cup (70 g)
Servings Per Recipe: 14

Amount per serving

  • Calories 77
  • Calories from fat 41
  • Total Fat 5 g
  • Saturated Fat 1 g
  • Cholesterol 0 mg
  • Sodium 34 mg
  • Total Carbohydrates 8 g
  • Dietary Fiber 3 g
  • Sugars 0 g
  • Protein 2 g
  • Vitamin A 6%
  • Vitamin C 10%
  • Calcium 0%
  • Iron 4%

For those looking for more weight loss recipes come back often! We are going to continuously bring you more and more weight loss recipes to help you with your dieting adventure.

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Can You Use Supplements for Fast Weight Loss?

October 11, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment

Have you ever had an occasion  to be concerned with easy and fast weight loss? Most people can imagine a time when they’ve been concerned with their weight and have wanted a quick fix.The temptation to use over-the-counter weight-loss pills to lose weight fast is strong. Are these products safe and effective?Whatever the reason for wanting fast weight loss, turning to supplements has long been a temptation for many.  Can they really help you to shed pounds quickly  and safely?

What Are They?

Typically when it comes to fast weight loss, there are two types of weight loss supplements – those that raise metabolism and those which suppress the appetite. Both of these may contribute to fast weight loss, but is it healthy? Your metabolism of course is the rate at which you burn calories; a faster metabolism means that you’re burning calories more even when you’re at rest contributing to regular weight loss. When you exercise your body has demands put upon it and it works after your activity is over to meet those demands. In other words, it continues to work even after you stop exercising to help repair muscles and feed itself.

Raising the metabolism can work for fast weight loss and some supplements do just that. To what degree is unknown. Green tea and chromium are thought to help raise metabolism, although cannot be proven that they are completely safe. There are many supplements on the market  but how can companies sell potentially unsafe products? Dietary supplements and weight-loss aids aren’t subject to the same rigorous standards as are prescription drugs. Thus, they can be sold with limited proof of effectiveness or safety. Once a product is on the market, however, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) monitors its safety and can take action to ban or recall dangerous products. Protein is also used to help build muscle and in turn this can help with fast weight loss.

Appetite suppressants are available in abundance and over the counter. The issue here is the unknown effect appetite suppressants can have on your body. Even though there are some that are “recognized”, this truly only means they are marketed more than the others. Herbal weight loss supplements offer the “natural way” to loose weight, when the combination of ingredients can leave you dehydrated.

Of course not all supplements that promise fast weight loss are safe and effective. Some just contain caffeine and other stimulants and these do nothing but raise the heart rate and increase blood pressure. These are very dangerous and damaging and can lead to long-term problems. Excess amounts of caffeine can leave you irritable, unable to sleep and extremely anxious.   If you’re considering trying weight-loss pills, be sure to talk with your doctor, especially if you have health problems or take prescription drugs. Why? For one thing, your doctor can provide support and advice on losing weight, and can monitor your progress.

There is no “magic bullet” quick fix to weight loss. No  products will miraculously solve your weight problems. Keep in mind that even if you take a weight-loss pill, you still have to eat fewer calories than your body uses in order to lose weight.  Even if these products help you lose weight initially, you will probably have to keep taking them to keep the weight off, which may not be practical or safe.

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Natural Weight Loss Foods

September 22, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment

Losing weight is harder than it should be. There is conflicting theories everywhere: take this vitamin, don’t take that vitamin; do this, don’t do that. The good news is that you don’t have to take any supplements or drugs to lose weight; you don’t have to starve yourself.

Natural weight loss foods are foods that speed up your fat-burning process.  These fat-burning foods, also known as thermogenic foods, naturally speed up your metabolism. Here are 10 foods that will naturally help you lose weight.

1.       Foods containing Vitamin C. Vitamin C converts fat into liquid so our body flushes it out. So drink up that orange juice! Acidic fruits contain vitamin C; add these to your daily menu.

2.       Foods with Pectin. Pectin is a fiber; it helps you feel fuller longer so that you don’t eat as much. Foods that contain pectin include apples, bananas, berries, carrots and sweet potatoes.

3.       Calcium. Research has proven that a high calcium diet from low-fat dairy products helps burn fat quicker. In studies done on mice, calcium supplements resulted in a loss of 42% of body fat, while those on a medium-level of calcium in their diets lost 60% of their body fat, and those on a high calcium diet lost 69% of their body fat.

4.       High Protein Foods. Protein is important in weight loss because they help control your appetite. Be sure to eat enough protein in your diet, but don’t add extra; an overabundance of protein can be just as harmful as not getting enough.

5.       Oatmeal. Eating a nice bowl of oatmeal in the morning is a great way to get fiber in your diet and kick start your metabolism. Military studies have suggested that eating oatmeal can raise your metabolism as much as 10%.

6.       Whole Grains. Complex carbohydrates and fiber both help pump up your metabolism by keeping insulin levels low. High insulin levels tells your body to store more of the food as fat; whole grains are beneficial because they prevent insulin spikes, thus preventing our bodies from storing the food as fat.

7.       Jalepenos. Believe it or not, jalapenos help raise your metabolism. They contain a chemical that raises your heartbeat and your metabolism at the same time.

8.       One spicy meal a day. Studies have shown that eating at least one spicy meal per day can raise your metabolism for up to 3 hours after a meal. So add some cayenne pepper dishes to your meal for an extra kick!

9.       Green tea. Green tea speeds up the brain and nervous system, allowing your body to burn fat quicker. Mixing caffeine with 90 mg of green tea can help you burn an extra 80 calories per day. This can be a great addition to the calories you’re burning through regular exercise.

10.   Caffeine. Yes, your daily cup of coffee can help you burn more calories. Caffeine speeds up your heart rate, which helps speed your metabolism. Obviously, you want to stay away from the sugary flavored coffees and cappuccinos, and go light on the sweeteners. Add some skim milk to a cup of coffee and jump start your calorie burning!

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Diets for Quick Weight Loss

September 17, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment

Diets for quick weight loss is all the rage; and there are many opinions on how to obtain it. Unfortunately, many people buy into the fad diets that claim “18 pounds in 18 hours” or something just as ludicrous. Too many people abandon common sense in their desperation to learn how to lose weight fast. As with anything else in life, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. You can recognize a fad diet by looking at the foods it requires you to eat; if it requires an unhealthy, unbalanced menu, it will do more damage to your health than it’s worth.

Different Diet Options for Quick Weight Loss

The cabbage soup diet is an example of an unhealthy diet. That’s why it lasts only 7 days and you can only do it once a month. Many people have successfully lost weight on this diet, but those same people say that the weight loss isn’t permanent. The cabbage soup, which is the main staple of this diet, is quite bland.

The Atkins Diet is another example of a fad diet. It requires you to eat less than 20 grams of carbohydrates each day. Carbohydrates provide you with energy; while they have received a bad rep, they are required for our bodies to function. Complex carbohydrates are needed by our bodies and are found in natural foods. Simple carbohydrates, found in processed foods, are more likely to turn into fat.

The Bread & Butter Diet limits your calories to 850 per day; the danger with going this low on calorie intake is that your body will go into starvation mode. Starvation mode refers to the body’s natural inclination towards self-preservation; it stores foods instead of burning them off, lowering its metabolism rate.

Excessive limitations on foods that fad diets require are more likely to leave you feeling hungry all the time, in turn leading to binge eating, frustration, and ultimately failure. A better choice is to replace junk foods with healthy foods, eat smaller portions, and eat more often.

Best Diets for Quick Weight Loss

It’s important to follow a healthy weight loss diet, no matter what diet you choose. Eat small portions of healthy foods 4-6 times throughout the day. Avoid fad diets such as the ones listed above. If a diet requires you to leave necessary nutrients off the menu, you should stay away from that particular diet.

The best diets for quick weight loss will offer healthy weight loss foods, without requiring you to starve your body of vital nutrients. They will also advise you of the best exercises to help you lose weight. Exercise is a very important aspect of any weight loss campaign; any diet program offering advice to the contrary is a danger to your health.

Meal replacement diets such as Medifast or Nutrisystem are great choices for quick weight loss. They take the guess work out of planning a low calorie diet, allowing you to focus on planning your work outs. Both Medifast and Nutrisystem offer healthy meals and snacks that provide you with low calorie meals and all the nutrients your body needs. There is of course differences between these two diets, so make sure to take the time to review the options both have to get involved with a diet program that best suits you.

Speak With Your Doctor

Instead of just jumping into diets for quick weight loss ensure that you speak with your doctor about your options before settling with a decision. Dieting can be dangerous if not taken on properly, so get all the medical advice and understanding before you decide on any diet program.

One highly recommended diet by many doctors and physicians is the Medifast Diet Program. This diet has been developed by doctors to help people with their wants to lose weight. Every year this diet program goes through extensive analysis and testing to ensure that it meets all the necessary dietary requirements so that your body gets exactly what it needs everyday, so talk to your doctor about the Medifast Diet and see if it is a program that can help you lose weight and look great now!

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Tips for Quick Weight Loss

August 15, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment

Effective Rapid Weight Loss Tips

Being overweight affects a person in many ways: overall quality of life, self-esteem, depression, health risks, and physical capabilities. To lose weight fast and effectively, three aspects of life need to be changed: what you eat, how often you eat, and activity level.

The following weight loss tips will help you meet your weight loss goals.

Rapid Weight Loss Tip #1

Weight loss requires both a healthy weight loss diet AND exercise. Incorporate at least fifteen minutes a day like quick walking, running, swimming, or dancing.

Rapid Weight Loss Tip #2

Set realistic goals; avoid simply saying “I want to lose 50 lbs by Christmas”. Milestones give you small successes, limiting the chances of failure.

Rapid Weight Loss Tip #3

Listen to your body’s cues; when exercising, push yourself to the point of soreness NOT pain. Building muscles helps boost your metabolism because muscle burns calories faster than fat.

Rapid Weight Loss Tip #4

Eat foods with fiber; fiber makes you feel fuller quicker, taking longer to digest.

Rapid Weight Loss Tip #5

Opt for grilled meats instead of fried foods. Frying foods adds a lot of fat that is detrimental to weight loss.

Rapid Weight Loss Tip #6

Drinking at least six to eight glasses of water a day keeps the body hydrated. Weight loss depends on how well the body handles waste elimination; water plays a huge part in our bodies waste processes, so it’s vital to drink enough water.

Rapid Weight Loss Tip #7

Eat a low calorie diet. One gram of fat contains double the calories of a single gram of protein or carbohydrate, so choose foods low in fat but high in protein and carbs.

Rapid Weight Loss Tip #8

Exercise daily for at least 30 minutes. Stick to the schedule, and don’t skip any days!

If you do not exercise, you put the whole burden of weight loss on the diet. If you become more active, you can eat more of the foods you like and still lose weight. The secret is to find an exercise that you enjoy doing. If you do not like the treadmill, try swimming, ballet, cycling or tennis, which burn more calories than walking.

Are you looking for further weight loss help or a healthy weight loss diet? Then make sure to take the time to get all the health questions you have answered right here at Rachael West Designs. We offer a variety of weight loss tips and information to help you improve your health for many years to come.

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Weight Loss Exercise – How to Create A Home Gym

August 11, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment

Weight Loss Exercise

If you decide that exercise out at home gym makes the most sense, the first consideration will be the location when it comes time to design your home gym. You may choose the basement. But if it is dark and damp, this is not an inspiring environment.

Another consideration is an extra bedroom or part of a family room or den. You want an inviting location that is well ventilated and provides sufficient light. For those that like to keep up with the latest news or the soaps, a room with a television would be appropriate. If your home gym design is inviting, you will be more likely to use it more often. If lack of space is a consideration, there is fitness exercise equipment like folding treadmill or compact home gyms that minimize required space.

Weight Loss Exercise

In determining what type of weight loss exercise equipment to purchase, you need to define your goals and consider the type of exercise machines that can help you reach those goals. Numerous homes are littered with unused exercise equipment that substitutes for clothes hangers. Too often people buy infomercial equipment that is that latest fad. They discover that the exercise bores them, and that the equipment is poorly built and does not deliver on the promises. We would recommend that if you have the space you get an elliptical machine.  They are not only fun but very efficient.  You will find yourself doing consist workout’s while watching your morning tv, or reading your favorite magazine.  I have often found myself going a full hour during one session and realize I have burned several hundred calories.  Mixing this and my Medifast Diet I have lost a lot of weight .

Healthy bodies can embrace an easy fitness routine from the comfort of their own homes and communities. Small home gyms could potentially just be an open space. Even using body weight as an exercise tool can be incredibly efficient. Weight loss exercises such as lunges, squats, or sit ups do not need much more than a clean floor or an exercise mat.

10 Tips for Weight Loss Exercise

Weight Loss Exercise Tip – Dietary control and exercise.

It’s true what they say – all you need to do is watch what you eat, and expend more energy than you consume. It’s really that simple. You can quit reading this list now, you now know everything you need to know and didn’t need to fork over $500 for the privilege of me telling you the secret of losing weight. You don’t need to read a 4,000 page book, you don’t have to buy a tape series, you don’t need to stay up late at night to watch infomercials to understand this basic premise. It’s 100% true.

Weight Loss Exercise Tip – Change your lifestyle.

If you’re calling this a “diet,” then you’re going to gain all the weight back (and more) within a few months of losing it. Diets do not work. Diets are temporary. When you change your dietary lifestyle, however, you’re changing your habits – and you’re putting yourself on track for long-term / continued success and weight maintenance. Don’t ever tell anybody you’re on a diet – ever. I’m speaking from experience, here – a reformed low-carber. Worked out well for a while, but ultimately failed because my entire lifestyle didn’t change (permanently).

Weight Loss Exercise Tip – Join an online support group.

It’s essential that you not feel alone, and reaching out to friends (new or old) is typically a smart move.  You have to know that others are out there for moral support – they know things that you couldn’t possibly know, and they’ve probably been “in your shoes” at some point in the past (or present). Share stories, laughter, tears, successes, and failures – share them. There are thousands of communities out there, so keep looking until you find the one that fits you.

Weight Loss Exercise Tip – Take before and after photos.

I know it sucks to see yourself OVERWEIGHT. However, there’s no easier way to illustrate your progress. The “after” photos are far more fun to capture and share, admittedly. Find yourself on Flickr! It’s good to see yourself how others see you. Do you like how you look? In many ways, Flickr helped me lose weight.

Weight Loss Exercise Tip – Hire a substitute teacher.

Don’t reach for the brands you know and love immediately – or without thinking first. Eggs are “good” for you, but consider using egg substitutes instead (in fact, many restaurants will let you order lower calorie foods). There are countless “lower” alternatives for you to try. If something different doesn’t taste good, by all means – find a better substitute, or eat less of the original. In some cases, the substitute may be worse for you than the regular version of the product. The good news is, healthier choices are silently replacing their “normal” counterparts – and they taste just as nice.

Weight Loss Exercise Tip – Start reading labels.

If you don’t know what you’re putting in your mouth, you’re flying blind. Don’t assume, either – triple-check the ingredients list and serving sizes. You must rely on yourself for this; nobody else is going to be able to lose the weight or do the math for you. It’s not that complicated a task, but it will require effort. If nothing else, just pay attention to the calorie count.

Weight Loss Exercise Tip – What’s so funny about bovines?

If you like cheese, you must buy the Laughing Cow brand, and keep several of the suckers in stock at all times. The individually-wrapped wedges make for excellent snacks, and are wonderful when melted over just about anything edible. I’d be careful about straight-up American cheese, though – it’s oil, but not necessarily as good for you as (say) a slice of cheddar would be. I have yet to find something as calorie-light and filling as Laughing Cow.

Weight Loss Exercise Tip – Tell your family.

You’re not going to lose the weight alone, even if you ARE alone in losing the weight. If you’ve got a family at home, talk to them about it – initially, not incessantly. Let them know what you’re going to do, and that you want (and need) their support. If you don’t let them know, you’re running the risk of them inadvertently sabotaging your efforts. You want them to help you get to your goal(s). You want them to share in your happiness when you’ve made it past a certain mark. Who knows? Maybe some of your new habits will rub off on them and they’ll become healthier people, too?

Weight Loss Exercise Tip – Go public .

You don’t want to admit that you have screwed up, but admitting the problem in public was the first step on the path to eventual success. I was now accountable for my actions, and all my friends knew what I was doing. There was no turning back, otherwise I’d be risk damaging my integrity. I didn’t want to disappoint the people who read me on a regular (or semi-regular) basis. Plus, it’s an easy way to find out which of your friends have gone through the process before – and glean tips from their own experiences. Then, other friends might become inspired to do the same thing you’re doing once they see that you’ve taken the first step.

Weight Loss Exercise Tip – Identify your exercise.

No exercise was created equal. You might like running, so run. You might like jogging, so jog. You might like stationary bikes, so bike stationarily. Find the one that works best for you – that isn’t too much of a chore for you to do regularly throughout the week. Don’t pick a routine that you don’t like – or you won’t want to do it, and you certainly won’t stick with it for long. I also wouldn’t recommend buying into that whole “no pain, no gain” mantra. I’ve lost weight without hurting myself, and you probably can, too.

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Finding Weight Loss Help

June 25, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment

With summer coming and visions of summer clothes everywhere, how to find weight loss help is a problem many have to face. As a matter of fact, finding weight loss help is easier than you may think. The only real problem is how to find weight loss help that is right for you.

So, read on and find out what you have to be on the lookout for.

Points to keep in mind when considering a fat loss program: Avoid fad diets like the plaque! They will only make you gain weight in the long run. When considering an eating plan, keep your likes and dislikes in mind. It is also important that you keep your lifestyle in mind. You also have to keep your activity levels in mind. Most important, keep your fitness levels in mind. You have to keep these points in mind when you are looking for a slimming plan or product.

Medifast Get 2 Weeks Free

If you hate the food you have to eat, you will not be able to stick to the diet. Likewise if the diet needs a lot of extra shopping and meal preparation, you must have the time to do it. If you are very busy, you will end up grabbing something to eat and will not be able to stick to your meal plan. On the other hand, if you lead a very active life, you cannot eat too little and you will have to find an eating plan that supplies all your needs. Remember, it is very dangerous to try and exercise if you are not getting enough calories to give you the energy you need!

For how to find weight loss help, your fitness level becomes very important if you are considering a plan that requires you to exercise. If you are very unfit, it will be best to consult your doctor first before you embark on an exercise regime. So, it is clear, how to find weight loss help online is not really the problem, lots of help is the click of a button away. The real problem is finding a diet program that is right for you personally. Finding weight loss help is not a problem. There are many ways to reduce calories without having to actually count them.

Part of finding weight loss help is understanding weight loss.  Your body is controlled by your metabolism and many people don’t understand what that is how how to control it.  Many people ask when looking for help is how can I increase and control my metabolism.  Here are a few simple things you must know when it comes to weight loss.

People who exercise regularly: This is because the more muscular you are, the higher the combustion you body is doing, even when it is at rest.

Men: Since typically men have more muscle mass than women.

Fat people: A fat man, even if it is just fat and not well trained, needs more power to maintain his body than a man less bulky and or thinner.

People that have a genetic tendency to have a faster metabolic rate: That means that it is likely that two people who have the same weight and the same amount of muscle mass have different basic metabolic rate due to their genes.

Young people: Because the basic metabolic rate decreases as the years pass (about 300 calories per decade), mainly because people lose more muscle mass, but also because they tend to exercise less.

Children and adolescents: During the body development the energy needs become greater-and thus the basic metabolic rate is proportionally greater.

Pregnant women: During pregnancy, and later, when the mother is breastfeeding her baby, there are increasing demands for energy. This is because during pregnancy the metabolic needs of the baby are added and during breast-feeding there is the need to produce milk that is rich in calories. Also, women have faster metabolic rate immediately after ovulation, because there is a slight increase of progesterone.

In winter, the basic metabolic rate of all people is higher. Because of the cold the energy needs of our organization is greatly increased.

When Does the Metabolism Increase?

In people suffering from specific diseases that increase metabolism, such as hyperthyroidism.

In people with fever.

In people with stress. It is true that acute stress generally increases the metabolic rate, because of the increased requirements of the body for energy. Instead, when the stress is chronic, it negatively affects the metabolic rate, making it slower due to the chronic hormonal disturbances caused.

For smokers, and those who consume substances such as coffee, tea, etc., which stimulate the sympathetic system and hence contribute to increased metabolic rate.

Exercise: The Best Way to Help Increase Our Metabolic Rate

The easiest and healthy way to make our metabolism faster is fortunately in our hands and not different from physical activity, and this includes both aerobic exercise (walking, jogging, swimming, various sports) and exercises with resistance (weights).

If we exercise we will have double benefits: We will increase our muscle mass (which would increase the basic metabolic rate, even in calm hours) and we will burn more calories during exercise. Also, you should know that there are two types of muscle fiber, the type 1 and type 2 – the type 1 muscle fibers are those that consume more energy (calories). Exercise except that it helps in the overall increase in muscle mass, increases muscle fibers especially type 1, which consume more energy (calories) even if we are calm. A minimum of 3 to 6 hours of exercise per week is the best. Through the day we can allocate the time devoted to exercise as desired, but also we can combine different types of exercise for maximum benefit: 15 walking in the morning, 15 evening and 15 running in the evening, along with exercises with weights.

How We Can Calculate Our Basic Metabolic Rate?

Women: B.M. = 655 + (9,6 x W) + (1,8 x H) – (4,7 x A)
Men: B.M. = 66 + (13,7 x W) + (5 x H) – (6,8 x A)

BM = Basic Metabolism, W = Weight in kilos, H = Height in cm, A = Age in years

Useful Help tips to Increase Your Metabolism

Apart from regular exercise, which is the best way to increase your metabolism, you can also:

Consume tea and coffee, which are substances that stimulate the sympathetic system, thus increasing the metabolism. Except from this there are some drugs and certain substances that increase metabolism because they also stimulate the sympathetic system. Many of these substances are illegal in many countries (many belonging to the banned anabolic such as ephedrine and caffeine).

Avoid the chronic stress, as stress affects our metabolism and increases the tendency for abdominal obesity.

Follow a steady daily life routine, eat well, sleep well, because when the body gets ‘de-organized”, the metabolism becomes slower

Eat many small meals (6), because the process of digestion increases metabolism slightly and ultimately we burn more calories.

Prevent the deprivation diets (less than 1,100 calories for women, less than 1,400 for men), since they will lead us to gain more weight and to do our metabolism even slower. This is because the first weight you lose fast in deprivation diets is mainly liquids, then muscle and fat tissue, but later you regain mainly fat. So basically we gain more weight, have less muscle tissue (we lost it in the process of losing weight), and thus a slower metabolic rate, and also have more fat, which also leads to generally lower metabolic rate.

Still looking for some more help or weight loss tips?

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Natural Weight Loss

June 22, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment

Natural weight loss is a challenge that a lot bravely take on for various individual reasons, but for many, it continues to be elusive.

There’s a lot of pressure in the media to be thin. Nearly everything you see on television or magazines is advertised with thin, sexy women. With over 2/3 of our citizens overweight, the market for weight loss is huge. Unfortunately, many people will end up trying all sorts of unhealthy weight loss programs. We have to consider our health while dieting or following a weight loss program.

Essential Parts of Natural Weight Loss

Proper nutrition, reasonable food portions, and regular physical activity are all important components for weight loss. Studies show that certain foods and nutrients may give a feeling of fullness which in turn may lead to lower calorie consumption, or may affect the processes of the body to help eliminate excess weight.

  • Fiber is a substance that is not digestible, so it adds bulk to foods without adding significant calories. Consuming high fiber foods is beneficial for health in general, but also aids weight loss by giving a feeling of fullness without extra calories.
  • Similarly, eating food with high water content also give a feeling of fullness, but water has no calories. Foods that contain a lot of water include most fruits and vegetables, eggs, fish, and soups.
  • A healthy diet for weight loss includes a variety of healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. In most cases, foods high in cholesterol, sugar, saturated fats, animal fat, sodium, and cholesterol, and processed foods, should be limited.

Don’t Fall For Those Quick Weight Loss “Gimmicks”!

There are so many ways to lose weight that won’t affect your health negatively, that it doesn’t make sense to choose the ones that do. Naturally, when a person is excited about losing weight and want to lose it fast, the diets that claim high weight loss in short periods of time are enticing. Many crash diets will actually help you lose weight quickly; but most people gain it back just as quickly and perhaps suffer from health problems as a result.

Our body needs enough calories to use as energy. Excessive calorie limitations rob your body of the energy it needs in order to burn the excess fats in your body. Insufficient energy intake can lead to fatigue, sickness and a weakened immune system. It is always better to eat smaller portions of the “right” foods at least five times a day. This will satiate your hunger and boost your metabolism.

With the new “best diet” seeming to hit the news every week, choosing a diet or weight loss plan can be confusing and frustrating. Fad diets come and go, and even experts seem to disagree about what type of diet is ultimately the best, healthiest, and most effective.

It’s best to consult a professional who has the appropriate background, who can take into account your lifestyle, special needs, and preferences to tailor a weight loss plan that will yield safe and lifelong results.

Exercising for Natural Weight Loss

There’s nothing more effective for weight loss than exercise. Diet alone is not enough; physical activity is what burns the calories. Diet and exercise should always go hand in hand. If you don’t feel like jogging or running because it seems boring to you, try engaging to any dance group like aerobics or hip hop, ballroom or whatever kind of dance you like. Sports like biking, swimming, tennis or badminton are also good options.

The mistake many make is in assuming that you have to go to the gym for hours everyday to lose weight; that is why so many fall for the gimmicks. Anything that gets your heart rate up qualifies as exercise.

There are very few people who can exercise, but still eat high calorie and high fat foods, and lose weight. Exercising for weight loss is most effective when coupled with a healthy, balanced diet that includes moderate food portions. A daily health routine and developing healthy life-long habits are the best ways to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.

A weekly routine that includes regular exercise is a vital weight management tool. Exercise not only burns calories, it increases heart and cardiovascular health, helps to reduce stress, and leads to an increased feeling of well-being.

Exercise intensity determines the level of fat burning. The intensity of the exercise depends on fitness level: for someone who is sedentary, fast walking uphill may be fairly intense aerobic exercise, but for someone who is already in shape, running or fast cycling may be necessary to get the needed aerobic workout to burn fat.

Intense, prolonged workouts are not necessarily required to reap the benefits of exercise, even moderate exercise, if done regularly, aids weight loss and increases overall health.

Finding the Right Natural Weight Loss Information

Natural weight loss can be confusing and frustrating, due to an abundance of conflicting information and unsubstantiated product claims. A wise approach for natural weight loss is to get trustworthy information from authoritative sources, and consult with knowledgeable health care professionals.

Have any health questions? Get all the answers you need now at Rachael West Designs. We also have diet programs that could assist you with your weight loss needs, don’t miss out on them.

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Weight Loss Myths

June 20, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment

Have you sometimes felt confused about weight loss and nutrition guides that should help you take the right decisions about your health, yet for some reason they don’t? Here are some of the most frequent weight loss theories, and their rebuttals.

Weight Loss Myth 1: If you want to lose weight, a fad diet is the best choice. Not always true. Fad diets usually promise fast weight loss or make you cut down on certain foods. Fad diets may be unhealthy because they prevent your system from getting all its necessary nutrients. The best way to lose weight is to eat healthy and work out, according to researchers.

Weight Loss Myth 2: Lose weight by skipping meals. False. If you do that, you`ll end up eating more snacks. Studies proved that people who don`t eat breakfast are heavier unlike those who eat breakfast regularly.

Weight Loss Myth 3: I can eat anything I want and lose weight at the same time. This is not always true. However, some dieters may actually be able to eat whatever they want and still stay in shape. When you try to lose weight you may eat some of your favorite foods while you pay attention to the amount of your food intake.

Weight Loss Myth 4: Never eat after 8. 00 p. m. or you`ll gain weight. False. The most important is how much you eat and how much you exercise, not when you eat. Don`t eat snacks while watching TV, using the computer, or playing video games. You need to be aware of how much you eat, and when you’re doing something else while eating, you may lose track of how much you’re eating.

Weight Loss Myth 5: Certain foods help you burn fats. Not really true. Certain foods that contain caffeine can enhance your metabolism for a short while. However, those foods do not result in weight loss, or make you burn fats.

Weight Loss Myth 6: Herbal weight loss products are efficient and safe for your health. Not really true. Weight loss products are not necessarily safe just because they are “herbal,” or “natural” . Many herbal products that claim to help you lose weight are not always scientifically tested for safety or efficiency. Certain natural products may cause negative effects along with other drugs or have unwanted effects on people with certain medical conditions.

Weight Loss Myth 7: Nuts should be avoided during a weight loss program. Not always true. Some types of nuts contain saturated fats that may increase the level of cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. Other types of nuts also contain fiber, proteins, and don`t have cholesterol. They can be a part of a good weight loss program while they are consumed in small amounts.

Weight Loss Myth 8: Red meat is not the best choice for weight loss. Not always true. Foods like red meat, fish, chicken, or pork contain saturated fats, cholesterol, but also protein, zinc, and iron. However, lean meat is indicated for a weight loss plan.

Weight Loss Myth 9: Vegetables and fresh fruits are better than frozen products. Not always true. Both frozen and fresh fruits and vegetables are healthy. Fresh fruits can sometimes lose nutrients after light exposure.

Weight Loss Myth 10: Fast foods are always unhealthy.

Have any health questions or would like to get involved in a diet program? Then make your way through Rachael West Designs now and get all the answers you need now.

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