Author: Ryan Daniels Lee
Can walking to lose weight really work? If you want to lose weight quickly, the thought of walking to get rid of that extra weight might seem improbable. After all, walking is just walking, right? Isn’t weight loss supposed to be difficult?
The truth is, the effectiveness of walking to lose weight is relative to where you are in terms of your overall health and fitness levels. When your lifestyle is sedentary, consisting of sitting behind your desk at the office and slouching on the couch in front of the TV at home, any form of exercise will cause an improvement in your health and fitness! Continue reading ‘Does Walking to Lose Weight Really Work?’
This sounds just too good to be true. A cure for belly fat! Weight loss of up to 15 pounds in 32 days, without performing a single crunch! Hard to believe? But then, it is always important to keep an open mind…you never know. This is what all the fuss around the Flat Belly Diet is about….
The Flat Belly Diet has been one of the top selling diet books this year. It was written by Liz Vaccariello, editor in chief of Prevention, along with Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, nutrition director at Prevention. The main focus area of this book is well chosen. Who doesn’t want a flat stomach?
The Flat Belly diet is in essence nothing other than a calorie controlled Mediterranean style diet, which has long been known to provide health benefits. So what made it so successful?
Continue reading ‘Flat Belly…and eating chocolates?’
Dr Barry Sears, a biochemist, first popularized the Zone diet in his 1995 book, “The Zone”. While this diet has not been developed specifically for weight loss, it is probably more well-known for its weight loss benefits than for any of the other advantages it promises, all thanks to solid media exposure. The popularity of this diet reached its peak in the late 1990s, slipped a bit, and then made a comeback recently following the endorsements of Hollywood A-listers and models such as Jennifer Aniston, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sandra Bullock and Cindy Crawford.
The Zone diet is often classified as a low-carb diet, but Dr Sears describes it as a moderate carb, moderate fat, and moderate protein diet, and regards it as superior to low-carb diets due to the improved hormonal responses. He goes on to say that the Zone diet can not be regarded as a protein rich diet since you never consume more low-fat protein during any meal than you can fit on the palm of your hand.
Many scientific studies are finding that weight management is a lot more complex than simply balancing calorie intake and calorie usage. The Zone approach suggests that inflammation precedes obesity. If that is true, any obesity problem can only be addressed by resolving the underlying inflammation.
Continue reading ‘An overview of the Zone Diet’
Every once in a while you stumble upon an article in the media that really makes you sit up and smile at the lengths humanity would go to in its quest for beauty. Ashley Pearson wrote an article for The Daily Mail describing the latest fad diet doing the rounds amongst supermodels and Hollywood A-listers.
It is simple – skip dinner and have your doctor hook you up to an IV drip containing multivitamins! That way, the story goes, you get all the nutrients without the calories! These IV drips, also called “banana bags” were originally designed for severely undernourished alcoholic patients, but are now swiftly becoming the latest fashion accessory. Continue reading ‘Have an IV dinner – now that is going bananas’
1. Drink plenty of water. It is very important to drink 8-10 glasses of water every day, whether you are trying to lose weight or not. Water is required by all of the systems in your body to function correctly. If you are dehydrated, your body will try to protect you in all sorts of ways, including retaining as much water as it can. Without water, therefore, your body can also not get rid of the excess fat and toxins while you are trying to lose weight. There are many more reasons for developing a love for water, which we will discuss as a topic all by itself. For know, also keep in mind that your body often confuses hunger with thirst. By making sure that you are properly hydrated, you will be in a better position to control your food portions!
2. Try new types of water. Most people don’t like the idea of drinking 8-10 glasses of plain water each day. Try different types. Maybe you like sparkling waters better. Maybe club soda or even different flavoured waters to add some variety. Just be careful to check the energy contents of the drinks.
3. Be careful of white foods. In general, white foods are best avoided when you want to lose weight. This includes white bread, white rice, white pasta, white sugar and even white fruits. Rather find healthier substitutions that contain whole grains and lots of extra vitamins and minerals. Not only will it look more appetizing, but it will also taste better.
Continue reading ‘General tips on nutrition’
1. Your goal should be to be healthy, not thin. Never get so obsessed with losing weight that it affects your health of your quality of life. Work on a sustainable plan for healthy living and start enjoying your life!
2. Balance your energy requirements and your intake. It is important for you to develop a healthy balance between the numbers of calories / kilojoules (energy) that you consume each day and the energy your body needs to sustain your current lifestyle. The better the balance, the healthier you will be. Increasing exercise and eating smaller portions of healthy food will also help your body to use up the consumed energy more effectively, and convert some of the stored fat into energy. The end result…you lose weight at a faster rate.
3. Keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat. Charts and web-sites often suggest your ideal weight based on height alone, and do not take into account muscle mass. Never risk losing muscle to attain your target weight. When you feel healthy and comfortable with yourself, stop trying to lose and switch to maintenance mode.
Continue reading ‘More general diet and weight loss tips’
