Month: July 2018
Lose up to 10lbs in 10 days! “I lost 25lbs in just 30 days!” Weight loss with a deadline, they are all over the place. The advertisements suggesting weight loss in a time frame are confusing regarding what can realistically be accomplished in a given time frame. For some, they give false hope, and they will have multiple attempts at losing weight. For others, they give up all together.
So what is a good goal to set for healthy weight loss? Well, let’s discuss what weight is and what exactly it is that you really want to lose. You can also talk to LIVE’s online trainers to discuss your personal situation.
Body Mass- the total amount of weight minus fat stores. So lean mass includes muscle, bones, organs and healthy tissue.
Body weight-the total amount of weight of a person. There are 3 main types of weight that you will lose or gain. Muscle, fat, and water.
Muscle weight Muscle weight is the amount of lean body mass that a person carries. It uses a lot of calories to maintain itself. If the calories are not there, the muscle weight will decrease. So the more muscle weight you have, the more calories you need to maintain it. This is why it is important to make resistance training and exercise part of your program to lose weight, and Live’s personal training and diet programs can give you the support and education you need to be successful. People who workout, regardless of wanting to build muscle or lose fat, need to eat more healthy calories than when they were sedentary!
Fat weight – This is the amount of adipose tissue, or fat, that a person carries. Body fat does not need calories to maintain itself. It is stored calories that a person has already ingested and is burned as energy as a result of exercise. We need a certain amount of fat to be healthy. These percentages will vary between men and women but healthy ranges for men will fall between 4% and 15% and for women 10%-20% of total body weight.
Water weight – Water weight accounts for the levels of hydration in our body. This weight can fluctuate 5lbs in a single day based on hydration levels. If you have ever been sick and lost weight very quickly, it was most likely water weight. The contestants on the Biggest Loser TV show, lost up to 20lbs in 1 week, and it was most likely some fat, but a lot of water weight too. The reason NFL football players weigh in and out of each summer practice is because the are being monitored for hydration levels as they can lose 3-5lbs in a single practice session. And finally, this is the weight you will lose and gain rapidly with low carb fad diets.
So how much weight can you lose safely and keep it off? 1lb of fat equals 3500 calories. That is about 2 days worth of food for most of us. To lose weight and keep it off, a calories deficit of about 500 a day is acceptable. This means if you eat 2000 calories a day, you should burn through 2500. So by the end of the week 1-2 lbs of fat loss is considered healthy, achievable and maintainable. Muscle is what we want to gain so we can burn more calories and raise our metabolism. We will all gain muscle differently based on a number of factors including genetics, training regimen and supplementation. A good number to target is about 1-2 lbs a month. The reason for this is because it is difficult to put on muscle and lose body fat at the same time. So you have to have a strict calorie balance so you can gain muscle weight without gaining fat weight too.
There is more than one type of weight you can lose or gain making this a vague topic to quantify. This is why they use the term “weight” on TV and in advertisements when referring to an abundant amount of weight loss quickly. Set realistic goals, and if you are consistently changing your body composition by losing fat and putting on some healthy muscle you will eventually look and feel the way you want to, you will have done it the right way, and will therefore be able to maintain the new you for life!
Copyright (c) 2007 Charles Carter
Fiber is commonly divided into two types,soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and is usually found in fruits, vegetables, wheat, and oats. Insoluble fiber tends to exit the body largely unchanged, and is found in foods like seeds, nuts, and celery. Consumption of both soluble and insoluble fiber is vital to a healthy diet. While you may have heard of the importance of a high fiber diet for colon health, there are many other health benefits.
For people with heart disease or elevated cholesterol, fiber can help reduce cholesterol levels and decrease the risk of possible cardiac events. In fact, a study from The Journal of the American College of Cardiology, noted that women consuming higher fiber diets have a decreased risk of heart attacks, and coronary artery disease, compared to similar women who consume less fiber.
Health Benefits of Fiber
Blood sugar control: Soluble fiber may help to slow your body’s breakdown of carbohydrates and the absorption of sugar, helping with blood sugar control. Heart health: An inverse association has been found between fiber intake and heart attack, and research shows that those eating a high-fiber diet have a 40 percent lower risk of heart disease. Stroke: Researchers have found that for every seven-grams more fiber you consume on a daily basis, your stroke risk is decreased by 7 percent. Weight loss and management: Fiber supplements have been shown to enhance weight loss among obese people, likely because fiber increases feelings of fullness. Skin health: Fiber, particularly psyllium husk, may help move yeast and fungus out of your body, preventing them from being excreted through your skin where they could trigger acne or rashes. Diverticulitis: Dietary fiber (especially insoluble) may reduce your risk of diverticulitis – an inflammation of polyps in your intestine – by 40 percent. Hemorrhoids: A high-fiber diet may lower your risk of hemorrhoids. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): Fiber may provide some relief from IBS. Gallstones and kidney stones: A high-fiber diet may reduce the risk of gallstones and kidney stones, likely because of its ability to help regulate blood sugar.
Aim to get fiber from whole foods, rather than processed foods that claim they have added fiber added. Try adding a few of the following foods and your body will thank you.
Brown rice, oatmeal
Berries
Chia and Flax Seeds
Apples, Pears, Mango
Black Beans, Red Beans, Garbanzo Beans
Edamame
Almonds
An Overview of Three Popular Weight Loss Programs
If you haven’t heard of Weight Watchers, NutriSystem or the Atkins Diet you must be living in a cave somewhere deep in Afghanistan. These three staples of the weight loss industry have clinics, products and websites, all with the purpose of helping people lose weight. The real question is, however, do any of them actually work? Studies and consumer reviews are mixed as to the efficacy of these programs. In fact, studies seem to indicate that no program is better than any other, and that programs in themselves may produce their own set of difficulties for people. Here is a candid overview of these three popular programs.
Weight Watchers Weight Watchers has been around for a very long time. The company first incorporated in 1963. Based on a group support method of encouragement, Weight Watchers tries to encourage its “members” to make lifestyle changes that will help them lose weight. Exercise and healthy portion size are key aspects of this program.
Weight Watchers is also constantly re-inventing its program, moving from calories, to measuring to a point system to track what people eat. Upon seeing the new point system one friend quipped “oh, starve by numbers!” By attempting to change the way people view food, Weight Watchers hopes to create life long changes that will lead to losing weight and keeping it off. Counselors encourage meeting attendance and public confession, which can be very uncomfortable for private people.
Perhaps the best thing about Weight Watchers is that you eat normal food. You don’t have to buy prepackaged meals, eat strange things or avoid any food in particular. The whole idea is to teach the individual to eat responsibly. For those that stick with the program strictly, it can work very well.
NutriSystem Like many of the other pre-packaged systems of weight loss, NutriSystem devises an eating plan based upon information the client provides. As we all know, we are not necessarily as honest as we should be when it comes to eating issues. You get to pick from a selection of eating plans, and then either customize your menus or have NutriSystem send out a premixed selection.
For ease and convenience there is nothing like having a pantry and freezer full of boxes. You heat them up and eat; done. There doesn’t appear to be much flexibility in how your calories get planned though. Even overweight people weigh different amounts, are different heights and eat differently. This is a one size fits most kind of plan. There are also complaints that the food is reminiscent of the old high school cafeteria selections, and that customer service is poor or non-existent. These kind of programs don’t require people to make conscious decisions about their eating habits, and that is a big deficit.
If you want the ease of not having to think about eating, but still knowing that food is available and preplanned, NutriSystem, and other programs like it may work for you.
The system of Naturopathic medicine relies on a keen understanding of a patients condition. This goes beyond simply labeling a diagnosis, but involves understanding how someone is experiencing their state of health.
This is an important first step in understanding how naturopathic weight loss can be accomplished. By understanding the patient and their specific needs, only then can a proper plan be implemented. This is the philosophy of more than just medicine, but of life.
When it comes to weight loss the formula is actually quite simple. To induce any weight loss one must expend more calories than they take in. It is the implementation of this formula that tends to prove quite formidable as an opponent. There are many reasons for difficulty with weight loss, and a good Naturopath will investigate them all. This investigation is essential to determining why the inability to lose weight exists.
The cause may be physical, mental, or emotional. A physical cause is usually due to an underlying condition that slows the metabolic rate; this makes it much more difficult to lose weight. A mental condition can be as simple as a lack of understanding as to healthy eating, but can be infinitely more complex. An emotional factor may take the form of emotional protection through comfort eating.
Once all of these factors have been evaluated, then you can expect to find results that work. The path may not always be an easy one, but it will be supported by your Naturopath. It is our duty to teach you the methods you will need to implement healthy weight loss that is not only effective, but lasting. Many weight loss plans give quick but temporary results as they drive the body to starvation. Starvation causes the body to compensate by lowering the metabolic rate; it is a method of self-preservation.
If you would like to discover an effective and lasting weight loss plan contact a Naturopathic Doctor to find out more. They are trained to work with you to develop a plan that will suit your needs and lifestyle. Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the most important things you can do to maintain your health. Do you really want to retire to the hospital? If not, take some time to explore your weight loss options and get the most out of life, now and in the future.
There are several weight loss workout programs available in the weight loss industry today. So much so, that if you are new to the entire “weight loss” thing then you might feel like a kid in the candy store when it comes to choosing one for your specific needs.
A good weight loss workout program will essentially involve an optimum combination of regular exercise and a healthy diet plan. Exercise is perhaps one of the best hobbies which one can ever develop since it is so essential for the regular upkeep of the entire health. Several diseases will never come within a one mile radius of your body if you just keep pumping iron on a regular basis. This in no way means that you have to go for extremely strenuous exercises for the regular upkeep of your health. There are several combinations of exercises which can be utilized without stressing your physique.
Regular exercise regime reduces the possibility of type 2 diabetes and coronary diseases in addition to lowering your blood pressure and maintaining your body weight. Several studies have concluded that people involved in regular exercise are less prone to stress and are able to handle adversity far better. Even simple home workouts like a treadmill workout can boost our energy levels to magnificent limits and you will feel the difference all day long.
A good weight loss workout program will inevitably cater to your personal needs and weight loss goals. There is no such thing as a “One size fit all” solution when it comes to losing weight in a natural manner. Every individual is different with different health history and hence you must approach the trainer provided by your weight loss workout program. There is no need to hide anything related to your health history, from your trainer. Do tell him about your past weight loss attempts no matter whether you failed or succeeded while pursuing them. In case you failed then do tell him the reason you feel might be the culprit for the same. All this information is invaluable for him so as to give you a clear cut weight loss plan to follow.
Most of the excellent weight loss workout program also gives you an important measurement known as the Body Mass Index or BMI. This index is basically a ratio of your weight (In pounds) to your Height (In Inches). For a healthy person the BMI is between 18 and 25. In case your BMI is between 25 and 30, then you can consider yourself to be overweight. Most people joining a weight loss program for the first time usually fall into this category. In case your body mass index is between 30 and 40 then you are suffering from obesity, which is a medical condition. For an obese person, it will be better to consult a doctor before coming to gym. This is because; a doctor will be in a better position to asses your condition and hence will recommend you appropriate exercises before you think about coming to gym. In case your BMI is over 40 then youre an extreme case of Obesity known as Morbid Obesity. If this is your condition then you are in urgent need of professional help and you must get it at once.
If youre just overweight and are mentally prepared to come to gym then you can also add a few strength training exercises to your schedule. This is particularly helpful for developing fit muscles and leaner body. This kind of workout also increases your metabolism which in turn leads to better digestion of your food even after you have left the gym for long durations. Your trainer from the weight loss workout program will be in a better position to guide you in this regard.