Weight Loss Tips & Tricks

By Marcus Werthen

Losing weight is difficult for most people, but the reality is that losing weight isnt as difficult as we might think. Recent studies have shown that it doesnt matter what diet you follow or even how much exercise you do. The bottom line is what matters is how much you eat, or how many calories you take in.

While many of us jumped on the low carb bandwagon in recent years, or even visited centers and weight loss programs to help us lose weight, what matters is how many calories we eat. These studies have shown that the reason people lose weight on a low carb diet isnt because they eat fewer carbs. Its because a low carb diet naturally decreases the amount of calories eaten as well.

Counting calories seems easy enough, and you might think that you dont need to follow any plan, that you can simply count calories. You can, but many of us might still thrive knowing that we are following particular guidelines set by a diet plan. You can save time if you follow a plan because you dont have to do the menu planning yourself. The final benefit is that following a plan ensures that you get the right nutrients, since menu plans you get from some third party sources are often formulated by dieticians with your health (as well as weight loss) in mind.

But you can certainly create your own diet too, that is based on the nutritional advice you might get from magazines or books. You can consult a dietician, and create your won menu plan based on your individual food preferences. But doing so can create problems if you arent careful about the nutritional content of your meals.

When you reduce your calories, it can be easy to ignore or forget certain nutrients. Because you have fewer calories in which to get your vital nutrients, you have to make every bite count. That is, each meal should contain a good mix of calcium, protein, fiber and other nutrients. Theres less room for sweets, fats and other empty calories because you want to make sure that each calorie counts for something beyond just calories.

Diet experts say that people should count calories, but should also do this formally. That is, studies have shown time and again that people lose more weight when they count calories and record them. Whether that is through an electronic device (a calorie counter, or your iPhone, for instance) or by writing everything down in a notebook, the idea is that recording and counting calories reminds you of what you have eaten and what you can still eat each day. It also makes you accountable for the food you eat.

The new thinking these days is that there are two essential components to successful weight loss " counting calories and writing down what you eat. While these things cant take the place of basic determination, desire and discipline, they can do much toward keeping you on the straight and narrow path toward your weight loss goals. - 17269

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For more queries you might have pertaining to weight loss issues, please see whowantstoloseweight.com. You never know what you may find. Perhaps you may run across a question that you were thinking.

Self-Discipline and Hard Regimen Can Build Muscle Fast

By John Knight

The toughest secret how to build muscle fast is hard regimen and self-discipline. That is the Spartan way! You must good diet and good heath to do this so you have the strength, stamina, endurance and power. You must have a hardcore diet to build natural muscles craved out of your strong and healthy body.

You can be proud to take off your shirt at the beach anytime to show those packs. You look good when you get that lean athlete-looking figure. You also feel the power from within you and when you feel good, you look good. When you look good, you feel young. And when you feel young, you look young. You can always control your physical appearance and those dense functional muscles will make you look awesome.

This is a regimen that also needs mental toughness. If your mind dictates your body that you are too tired to exercise then you really are too tired. Use your mind power to be optimistic. Always have positive thinking. You mind must rule on the positive aspects of your being. But before you go on any rigid exercise make sure you have a good heart condition. Never forget to ask the advice of clinical professionals or physical fitness instructors.

You can build your home-gym and have your private physical fitness within your comfort zone. Using weights is one of the secret to build muscle fast. You need some weight to do these. Choose the weights which do not strain you. If you do these at least for five to seven days every time you wake up in the morning for at least three to five minutes you will see the difference.

You can build your home-gym and have your private physical fitness within your comfort zone. You do not need to over exercise for that can be fatal. Just use the weights that are comfortable for you for they can help build muscle fast. - 17269

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You may have flabby arms and legs or perhaps a big belly. You want to tone down a bit and Build Muscle Fast. There are certain ways to enhance that but you should take importance on your health before doing strenuous activities to achieve this purpose. If you want to know more facts about this, simply visit this site at http://www.burning-fat-fast.net.

Common Fat Burning Foods

By John Knight

Most of these fat burning foods prevent certain types of cancers and diabetes, and aids in weight-loss management. These are very common like tomatoes, apples, white, and some spices like cinnamon. The importance of these foods to our body is tremendous. They offer bone protection and relieves asthma, helps prevent Alzheimer's disease lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Some can reduce the risk of cardiovascular or heart diseases, control blood glucose, slow aging, sharpen brain function and improve vision.

Tomatoes: The red pigment in tomatoes is called lycopene, an antioxidant that is good for your eyes. Lycopene is more easily absorbed by the body when tomatoes are heated, either during cooking or processing. One tomato contains vitamins C, A and K, and potassium and fiber. A medium-sized tomato may provide almost half of a persons recommended daily amount of vitamin C.

Apples: They keep your skin from wrinkling and promoting hair growth, apples contain antioxidants that protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer development. They are a great source of antioxidants and nutrients because they are loaded with flavanols. Sprinkling some cinnamon on an apple or pairing it with cheese or peanut butter makes for a tasty and nutritious snack.

White Tea: White is white and not green! White tea is produced from an immature plant bud still covered in fine white hairs, hence white tea. While green tea is produced from leaves that are more mature and dried out. White tea actually has more antioxidants than green tea, even though it comes from the same plant. Because white tea is handled more delicately, it retains more of the antioxidant content than green tea. Adding some honey or natural sugar will boost the sweetness of this delicious drink.

If you have all of these on a daily basis you will feel wonderful. Do not forget spices like cinnamon. They have a hefty amount of health benefits for such a tiny grain. Cinnamon alone can decrease blood sugar levels and lower cholesterol, as well as improve your bowel movements due to its fiber content that makes it one of the fat burning foods. - 17269

About the Author:

In our every day lives, it is suggested that we have a good diet and do regular exercises to stay healthy and fit. But there are few people who have gained extra pounds because of slow metabolism. What you could do is to eat Fat Burning Foods that help you stay fit and away from illnesses. You can gather more information from this site at http://www.burning-fat-fast.net.

Gym Injuries, Tips To Avoid Them

By Ricardo d Argence

Listen, if you want to get big, you have to train big. Entering the gym and simply going through the motions without a sweat just isn't going to get the job done. You have to overload those muscles with heavy weight and high intensity if you want to see real results. This is without a doubt the most effective means of stimulating muscular growth. Muscles grow due to a natural adaptive survival response, and if you don't give them a damn good reason to grow, well, they won't.

If you don't take care of your muscles you will never succed in bodybuilding. And an injury is the last thing you need. In this article, you will find the 5 golden rules to avoid injuries during your training.

1) Always perform a thorough warmup. A proper warmup is the single best thing you can do to minimize your risk of injury. This simple 15-20 minute process will prepare your mind and body for the hard work to come by increasing blood flow into the surrounding connective tissue and by lubricating your joints. I would recommend that you perform 5 minutes of light cardiovascular exercise before each workout followed by 4-5 warmup sets for your first major exercise of the routine.

2) Make sure that you are doing it right. Ask someone if you don't know the right technique for a proper bench press or any other form of workout. Besides, if you're doing the exercise wrong, you'll probably end up stressing your joints making you more vulnerable to injuries. For example, when you are lifting up the dumbbells, you should never lower them with a jerk, since that easily result in tearing of the ligaments.

3) Compete only with yourself. There may be a lot of huge guys in your gym. If you try to compete with them, if you want to train in the same way that them...it's a sure thing that you'll get an injurie. There'll be a time when you'll be able to do that, until that time, the record you have to beat is your own record.

4) Always know when to quit. If you cannot complete another rep of an exercise using proper form, the set is over, plain and simple. Put the weight down and rest up for your next set. If you start using huge amounts of momentum and jerky body motions to crank out a couple of extra reps, you'll be on the sidelines before you know it.

5) Watch out for a probable sign of a forthcoming injury. You must stop if you feel pain after your workout. Take som rest for some couple of days, or the time it takes for the pain to disappear.

More often than not, it will only get worse. If you feel that something definitely isn't right and can sense that you probably shouldn't be training, get the problem checked out by a professional and then take the proper measures to heal. While it may hurt your progress in the short term, the overall long-term effect will be a positive one. - 17269

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Stop wasting your time, effort and cash on B.S. "Miracle Programs" that don't deliver results! Learn the honest truth revealed by a real muscle building expert and at last start noticing the gains you deserve.

Self Hypnosis For Weight Loss- How To Use An Activity You Do Every Day To Shed Excess Pounds Of Your Body.

By Cynthia A Williams

Self Hypnosis for weight loss is very easy to do because we all go in and out of trance states on a daily basis. Examples of when you experience trances include being really absorbed when reading a good book, watching an interesting movie or even finding your way home without really remembering any part of the journey.

The experience of hypnosis is very similar to these trance states that we already experience on a daily basis but the difference is that we now use it in a conscious way to achieve our dream weight.

I use hypnosis on a daily basis to achieve my goals, see things in a more positive light, and relate better with people. The good thing about hypnosis is that you can use it for just about any aspect of your life that you would like to improve upon.

Self-hypnosis for weight loss has numerous benefits. Firstly it makes losing weight easy and effortless. The reason is because it goes right to the root of the issue, your subconscious mind. It changes the negative programming that has held you back into a more positive one where losing weight becomes easy and enjoyable.

It also helps you develop good long term eating and exercise habits, and let go of all bad habits and false beliefs. So apart from helping you lose weight you will begin to establish new beliefs and habits that will stand you in the stead of time and never to back to the days of yo-yo dieting.

Also using self hypnosis will help you develop a new self-image. One with improved self-esteem and self-confidence. In my experience, I have to say the greatest benefit that I have received from using hypnosis is the feeling of being in control. In control of my life, my weight and my eating habits.

I also find that I look forward to my listening sessions because it helps me relax. With just one session I become more relaxed and therefore get a better night's sleep. But I also get positive mental programming at the same time. Nothing could be easier.

We have looked at how self hypnosis for weight loss is easy to engage in and the benefits we can receive from using is it consistently. There are many so called Hypnosis experts out there, can you tell who is real or not? - 17269

About the Author:

If you would like to discover the particular Self Hypnosis For Weight Loss cd that I used to lose 5 pounds in one week simply by giving up sugar easily (finally!) and using a smaller plate for my meals (as instructed by the hypnosis cd) then visit http://www.squidoo.com/enjoying-weight-loss for the full details.

Mighty Memory - Martin Mak Mighty Memory Review

By Chris Jensen

The human brain is a fascinating organ, being the master control center of the body. It stores information that has been perceived by the senses. Human beings have the most highly developed brain of all. Thus, the human brain may be referred to as the "mighty biological computer". Among the many functions of the brain is storing and retrieving memories. But how does the "mighty biological computer" have a "Mighty Memory"?

Memory is not something we are born with. Instead, it is something that can be learned and trained. No matter how bad you think your memory is, you can find ways by which it can be improved.

The Mighty Memory System by Martin Mak provides effective tools for improving memory and learning. The package includes a main manual and an mp3 Alpha state recording. Alpha state brainwaves frequency ranges from 8 to 14 cycles per second. They stimulate intuition, imagination, and higher awareness; calm your mind and body while maintaining mental alertness; and improve mental processes such as concentration, clarity of thinking, decision-making, and memory. The package also includes freebies like the Guide to Mind Control, Speed Reading Monster, Study Secrets, and more.

The system trains the left and right sides of the brain and teaches techniques that help improve memorization. Moreover, it uses all your senses together with your brain to help store and retrieve information quickly and effortlessly. Whatever you read, see, hear, feel, or touch is recorded in your mind.

If you study hard but seem to retain only a bit of information or if you frequently experience information overload, if you forget things easily or if you constantly misplace your things, and if you can't learn quick enough or if you think that your memory is getting worse by the day, try the Mighty Memory System. Remember, there is no poor memory; there is only an untrained memory. - 17269

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This author considers Ways To Improve Memory and How To Improve Memory to be pretty extraordinary.

Discover Goji Berry Benefits For Improved Health

By Maddie Tregonning

Goji berry benefits are derived from a wide variety of antioxidants and nutrients and the much sought after subtropical fruit is also known by names such as the wolfberry, among a few others.

Found growing in naturally warm, subtropical regions within both China and Mongolia as well as in Tibet's Himalayas, Goji berries look like small, red raisins but contain perhaps the most nutrients of any single fruit on Earth.

Usually found dried, they have a distinct and slightly tangy taste and are members of the Solonaceae or nightshade family. As they are rather fragile fruits, so the berries must be carefully harvested by hand.

The benefits that have garnered the most attention derive from the fruit's complex chains of sugars known as polysaccharides, which are said to support the immune system. And, the polysaccharides found within Goji berries are also known to be an excellent source of probiotic fiber. Probiotic fibers are the fermented portions of soluble fibers that have been processed in the intestines into what are called short-chain fatty acids, or SCFAs. These acids then provide nutrients to the probiotics within the intestinal tract, helping the body with functions such as digestion and the absorption of vital nutrients.

Also considered to be a tonic that keeps the body's vital organs and energy sources in tune, Goji berries continue to offer plentiful health benefits years after their discovery.

Highly regarded as China's national treasure, the Goji berry is finally getting much needed attention in the West. Containing an impressive concentration of iron, the berries are also important to the circulatory system.

Grown predominantly in China and Tibet, particularly in the northwestern hills and mountains where the soil is said to be some of the purest on earth, Goji berries grow on an evergreen bush known as the Lycium plant that features vines reaching as high as 15 feet. Truly a remarkable food, these berries taste both sweet and sour and are commonly used in Chinese cooking for soups, in dishes containing rice, and also in teas. They are also often sold fresh throughout their native regions in Asia.

Richly steeped in Ancient Chinese medicine, the berries are indeed coveted because of their high number of antioxidants, but many aren't aware that they're also rather low in fat and calories but yet quite rich with both vitamins C and A (beta carotene).

Some people even regard the many Goji berry benefits as magical, probably because the fruit is widely regarded by many people to be the healthiest food you could ever eat.

Recently classified as a "health food" thanks to recent research that's proven their high concentration of nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants, Goji berries have been touted as a super fruit and demand is expected to reach an astonishing billion dollars in sales by the year 2011.

And because Goji berries are such small, fragile fruits, they must be slowly and carefully harvested by hand, and what's even more time consuming is that all of the berries must be processed into juice form within the first 24 to 48 hours following harvesting, in order to retain their many nutrients. - 17269

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It is true that Goji berry benefits have been known for many hundreds of years. Discover now the nutritional secrets that it retains. Visit Maddie Tregonning's informative website on Goji berries for the full story.

Increasing Your Muscle Gain with the Best Bodybuilding Supplements

By Ricardo d Argence

If you want to be a good bodybuilder, then you should know that there is a lot more packaged with it than just weight lifting and showing off your strength by bending metal or bench pressing dump trucks. There also needs to be a diet that is filled with proteins and carbohydrates.

Protein is quite critical as far as muscle tissue goes. Proteins are in charge of fixing damage to muscles, which can come in quite handy. Muscle damage is actually incurred when you lift weights, and proteins will repair them. As they are repaired they grow larger so you will want to make sure that you get adequate proteins. Eggs, red meat, and milk are great sources of protein that you need to look into.

Complex carbohydrates are very important, and they are critical for maintaining stamina. These carbs provide an energy that lasts for a long time. They also manage to keep your blood sugar stable while you exercise. Foods that provide complex carbs are brown rice, fresh fruits, and even sweet potatoes. Those aren't all the types of food though, so keep an eye out for other food examples that provide complex carbs.

Interestingly enough, you need fats as well. Though many people have probably told you to stay away from fats, they are actually extremely important. The required fats are monounsaturated, and they help to boost the immune system.

Make sure that you are getting all of the nutrition that you can from the food that you eat. Try eating six small means per day rather than the three big ones. You will find that your stamina remains at decent levels when you do this.

While you are bodybuilding, you will probably run into the issue of not getting the nutrients you need just by eating the foods from your diet. This is where dietary supplements come in.

Omega three fatty acids exist to make sure that you body is not entirely resistant to insulin. If your body is resistant to it, then you will find that staying alive is a bit hard. These will also help you grow and develop.

Creatine has been proven to heighten the mass of a body builder.

You will also find that protein helps a lot though you will also find that it's not the easiest nutrient to get enough of. Make sure that you take it as a supplement because it helps repair damaged muscle while you sleep.

Weight Gainers. If you are considered underweight you may need to take high caloric supplements in order to put on weight. The extra calories will feed muscle growth while boosting your endurance.

Many things go into making your body all that it can be, proper diet and exercise with the right supplements and adequate rest will maximize your routine and help you build muscle. The key to any workout whether it is for muscle stamina or weight loss is centered on good health.

Always eat healthy and take the right supplements so that you can have the best body building experience possible. - 17269

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Are you sick and tired of being weak and underweight? Let us take you by the hand with the best bodybuilding tips to gain on pound after pound of ripped, firm muscle weight in the shortest period of time possible.

Tips for Smart Stretching

By Dr. Jason Fowler

1. Why stretch? Stretching lengthens muscles and improves flexibility. Also, stretching the big leg muscles - the hamstrings, calves, and quads - simultaneously loosens and lengthens the muscles of your lower back. So, when you stretch, you are helping your back!

2. When to stretch? Recent exercise physiology studies show that static stretching is best done after exercise. Pre-exercise "dynamic warm-ups", such as torso twists, arm circles, and light jogging, prepare the body for work. Importantly, for those of us with back issues, it's still a good idea to do the familiar static stretches even before the dynamic warm-up!

3. Don't rush! Stretching is as important as what you're going to do after you stretch. And, if you rush, you might pull a muscle or worse. Be sure to include 10 to 15 minutes of stretching as part of your exercise time.

4. Stretch gently and slowly. You are not trying to accomplish anything while stretching. In other words, you're not trying to stretch "this much" or "this far". Nice and easy does it. Stretching is a Zen activity. There should be nor "effort".

5. Pay attention! If your mind drifts, you are headed for a pulled muscle.

6. Visualize! See (in your mind) what you're doing. Hold a mental visual image of the muscle group, where it comes from, where it goes. Visualization helps establish a brain-muscle connection, making your muscles much smarter!

7. Stretch your hamstrings first! Lie on your back with one knee bent [start with the left leg bent; you'll be stretching the right hamstring]. The left foot is on the floor and the left knee is bent approximately 90 degrees. Holding behind the right knee, gently bring that knee to your chest. Alternate this chest movement with a movement that begins to straighten the right leg in the air. The eventual goal on straightening is to achieve a 90 degree angle (or close to this) between the leg and your torso.

8. CAUTION! Progress may be quite slow. Remember - you are where you are. Stretching is gentle and slow. Alternate the bending and straightening movements gently, achieving a slightly greater straightening each time. You should work each leg for between three and five minutes.

9. Calf stretches - face a wall and place both hands lightly on the wall. Keeping both feet facing front, bend the front knee and place the foot of the leg to be stretched directly behind you. Your weight is being supported by the front leg. The back knee is pretty straight and the back heel is on or close to the floor. Maintain the stretch for 10 seconds, feeling the stretch in the calf as the back heel reaches toward the floor.

10. Quad stretches - stand on your left leg, placing a hand lightly on a wall to support the upright posture. Grasp just above the right ankle with your right hand and bring that heel close to the right buttock. The quadriceps is stretched by bringing the right thigh in line with the left thigh, just as if you were standing on both legs. The knees should also be close, in a line. You should feel a stretching sensation down the right thigh. Imagine a straight line running from your right hip socket all the way to the floor. Ferreira GN, et al: Gains in flexibility related to measures of muscular performance. Clin J Sport Med 17(4):276-281, 2007. Peeler J, Anderson JE: Effectiveness of static quadriceps stretching in individuals with patellofemoral joint pain. Clin J Sport Med 17(4):234-241, 2007. Behm DG, et al: Effect of acute static stretching on force, balance, reaction time, and movement time. Med Sci Sports Exercise (36(8):1397-1402, 2004. - 17269

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For more information on health and nutrition please contact Dr. FowlerDr Jason Fowler at www.lakestlouisdc.comwww.lakestlouisdc.com

How To Cook On The 6 Week Body Makeover Program

By James Kim

When you open up your meal plan booklet and shuffle through the cards, you will notice that the foods listed are foods that you eat on a daily basis. The difference is that you need to make the food work FOR you, not AGAINST you. This article will show you how to tweak your favorite weight loss meals in order to add flavor while skimping on fat.

This article will show you how to reduce the fat when cooking so that the foods that you already eat will help you lose weight and increase your metabolism. The first step is to eliminate all the oil and fat when cooking your food. Many people try to eat healthy; however, most people add too much oil and fat when cooking, which eliminates all the health benefits of eating healthy food.

You can buy a good non-stick pan so that you can eliminate all the fat from your cooking. Non-stick pans are great because the food virtually slips off the pan once you're done cooking. Also, the clean-up of nonstick pans is easy, which is a great plus when you're cooking for yourself (or for others).

The Michael Thurmond diet consists of eating egg whites for breakfast (you can also eat different proteins for breakfast if you want). Cooking egg whites is a snap when using a nonstick pan. Do not use oil when cooking eggs as you do not want to add empty calories to your meals. This inversely affects your whole meal plan. Make sure that the pan is very hot before adding the eggs, that way the eggs will fry fast and will not stick to the pan.

Vegetable stock is a great way to cook meat and add flavor to your chicken and fish. Make sure to get low sodium or no sodium chicken stock. White wine is also a good cooking agent as the liquid ads flavor to your meal. The alcohol will burn out during the process of cooking and will reduce the amount of calories in the white wine. - 17269

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Read all about the Six Week Body Makeover. You too can start losing weight on the Six Week Body Makeover