Tips For Anyone Looking to Lose Weight

Many people try to go about losing weight without really finding out the right way to lose pounds, and eventually end up in worse shape than they began. Everyone should be educated on how to lose weight the right way in order to do it safely and effectively. Before the pro tips though, there are 2 things you should always keep in mind.

Some people think that skipping meals will help them lose weight. When you skip meals, you don’t lose weight, but lose muscle mass instead. This only encourages the body to store more fats as opposed to losing fats. The more muscle your body has, the better metabolism rate you have to burn off fat. Don’t think skipping meals will make you thin. It won’t.

Some people try exercising more which is good for you, but not enough. There are people who workout every day, jog everyday, ride a bike everyday and don’t lose weight. If you are still eating a lot of calories, you are not going to burn fats that are stored, but burn the calories only you are taking in.

Now that the basics are covered, here are some great tips to capitalize on this foundation!

Drinking Water
Our bodies really do need lots and lots of water. Water gets rid of toxins that are in our bodies, and the more water our bodies have, the fitter and healthier you’re going to feel. Water has zero calories, so you can drink 12 or 15 glasses a day and you have consumed no calories. When you get out of bed, drink a full glass of water. It will lubricate your body and gets rid of all your digestive juices.

Sweet Drinks
Sodas and fizzy drinks are all loaded with sugar. The more sugar you ingest, the more calories you ingest. It’s much better for your body to stay away from sodas and sweet drinks altogether. If you have to have a soda, make sure it’s a diet soda, and try to limit diet soda to once or twice a week, because it's hardly as good for you as water.

Water Foods
Always try to include in your meals foods that are rich in water like apples and tomatoes. These types of food contain about 90 to 95 percent water which is great for your body and won’t make you gain weight.

Fresh Fruits
Instead of drinking fruit juices, eat fresh fruits. Juices are filled with sugar, but fruits only contain natural sugar which is not bad for your body. Fruits are also high in fiber, which is great for the body. Don't forget that fruits are also loaded with vitamins and good nutrients too!

Mixing Up Calories
If you eat the same thing day after day and you restrict the amount of calories you eat every day, you are making it hard for your body to burn fat. Your body will become accustomed to the routine you are in and stop burning fat. You want to vary your calories at least one day during the week. Try to add up to 25 percent of your calories one day and you will spike your metabolism to burn more fat.

Try some of the above diet tips and see what happens. Losing weight isn’t something that is going to happen overnight, it takes a lifestyle change. This is a very inexpensive way to get that weight off.

Dana Wallace writes about fitness, personal finance & finding the cheapest travel insurance.

The Best Foods to Prepare for a Big Workout

When people workout, whatever their goals are, they should also be eating well. Now of course, what your goals are would determine what kind of foods you should eat post workout. For someone looking to pack on a lot of muscle, it will differ entirely from someone who is looking to get lean. A lot of people assume that if they are working out that they can eat what they want, this is not fully true. Of course when working out, it is easier to keep off weight. But a lot of people who fail at their plan to lose weight or gain muscle, fail because of their eating. Here are the four of the best foods to eat after a big workout.

Bananas
This is a great pre or post meal snack, that requires no putting together. The important thing in bananas is the potassium, which helps after a hard workout. This is especially true for people who lift weights. Potassium levels drop quickly during an intense workout, so having a banana before or after can help avoid this problem. This will help aid in muscle recovery, allowing you to workout sooner. A banana only contains about 100 calories, so if you are counting calories this is a great option.

Oatmeal
Oats contain a lot of fiber, this causes the carbohydrates to be released into your bloodstream slowly. When you have energy released into your blood stream slowly and constantly during your workout, you will retain maximum energy. Contained in Oatmeal is also Vitamin B which gives you energy and helps you turn the carbohydrates into energy. Avoid instant or packs of oatmeal, they may have sugar added.

Almonds
They are packed full of monounsaturated fats, which give you energy. Do not be afraid that they contain fat, monounsaturated fats are healthy. A handful of almonds right before entering the gym for a workout should help. You can throw the almonds into yogurt for taste, and yogurt also adds to the healthiness of the snack.

Protein Shake
A protein shake is essential to anyone trying to add muscle. There are of course hundreds of protein shakes out there to choose from. What you want is one that comes from a quality protein source, whey protein is usually a good source. Many protein shakes are ready out of the bottle, but the cheaper source is to buy powder and mix it. People mix it with juice, milk, or sometimes just water. Another way to the benefits of protein is to throw it into a fruit smoothy. When looking at a protein powder, watch out for ones that have high sugar content, or even worse high fructose syrup.

When going to the gym or engaging in any workout regimen, do not neglect your diet. Having the proper nutrition will help with gains of muscle or loss of fat. Not only that, if you do not have a good diet, you will lose energy which makes workouts much more difficult. When you are trying to add bulk, counting calories may not be needed. Ideally if you are trying to lose or gain, you will eat a well balanced and healthy diet with no need to count calories. Once your diet is perfected, your workout gains will improve quickly.

Alex Tyler writes about nutrition, health & quotes for life insurance.

New Ways to Work Those Abs

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Just about everyone wants nice abs, but very few people actually have abs. Unless of course you are an athlete, in great shape, or very young, you probably do not have abs. To get abs, you first have to understand what they are. Abs are muscles visible in the lower stomach, that everyone has. The trick to show them is to make the ab muscles stronger, and having a low enough amount of fat to let them show. Here are four new ways to work those abs, so you too can show them off.

Bicycle Crunches
This is a good cardiovascular exercise that if done right, will leave you sweating and work your abs. This would be done by laying face up on a mat or the ground, with your hands supporting your head by being behind them. Then you would bring your knees to your chest while lifting the shoulder blades off the floor. Remember not to pull on your neck. You would then rotate to the left, bringing the right elbow over to the left knee while straightening the other leg. Then do this on the other side of your knee. This should really leave a burn, if you can do 3 sets of 10, it will certainly help. Difficult at first, but once mastered, this will do wonders.

Ball Crunch
You need an exercise ball for this one, the large ones you see at the gym. This is a simple one that forces you to really work your abs. Lie on the ball with your lower back, it should be supported by the ball. Cross your arms over your chest, they should be out of the way for this workout. Lift your torso off the ball and remember to keep the ball stable. Using a ball is a great way as it really forces you to stabilize everything with your core, start out with 3 sets of 10.

Captain's Chair Raise
This has to be done at a gym, you will often see this machine in the corner of the gym. Many exercises can be done on it, though many are done incorrectly. But this can be a simple way to build abs, and balance. Start by standing on the chair and gripping the handles to stabilize your body. While doing this, put your back to the pad while raising the legs and knees toward your chest, while contracting your abs. Do this 3 sets of 10. Once mastered a great ab and cardiovascular workout.

Push Ups
Many people think that a push up only uses the upper body, this is not true. Many people know how to do a basic push up, either unassisted or on the knees. To do a push up, position your hands face down on the floor. Your hands should be shoulder width apart. Once positioned you should raise yourself fully, then lower yourself fully. This may be hard to do at first, but it gets easier. A great core workout as you really have to use your abs to stabilize yourself.

When trying to get abs, you should realize a few things. The most important thing is that you need a low body fat percentage to have your abs show. If you are overweight, or larger, it may be difficult even with a lot of workouts. So when trying to get abs, remember to have a good all around workout plan. One of the most important things is to eat a good diet to lower your body fat. If you eat well, exercise, and target your abs, they should show quickly.

Orien Middleton writes about fitness, personal finance & his journey starting a flower delivery service.

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