How I Lost 173 Pounds in 15 Months

Yes! As unbelievable as it may seem, back in September of 2005, I used to weigh 320 pounds. Fanatic of desserts and sugar, in all its forms, I used to eat them constantly. I used to be hungry in the morning, afternoon and evening which would push me to gorge myself with sweets. For breakfast, I would eat toasts with a fruit and coffee. For lunch, I would usually take a frozen lean dish or a salad with a fruit. For supper, my only real meal, I would have meat, vegetables, rice, pasta or potatoes. The rest of the time, I would snack on sugar, sugar and more sugar... and I always felt hungry.

In September of 2005, I started a diet program where I needed to calculate everything I ate. I was not able to stick to the rules and despite my efforts I barely lost half a pound or 1 pound a week. I was desperate and... I always felt hungry. One day, I met Mr. Stephane Ferreira who mentioned about his concept, a principle that left me skeptical.

Nonetheless, all changed when I started applying the concept. That is when I learned about the correlation between the energetic density of a certain food and the satiety that it produces. Obese that I was, I would have never imagined that I had to eat more in order to lose weight. With Stephane advice, I became aware that I was not eating enough to calm my appetite and because I always felt hungry, I would constantly snack on "junk food" and sweets, instead of eating healthy. The idea of losing weight, while eating until feeling full, was the most delightful idea. No other diet had approached this notion of satiety. In the contrary, they would sell the idea that, in order to lose weight, one must suffer from hunger. Most diets would claim that obesity is caused by excessive food consumption and that hunger is the punishment! You overate; you now have to shrink your stomach.

I started to follow the concept in April of 2006. In my case, the most difficult part was to believe in this theory and to eat more in order to lose weight. I did it, and even if my meals were more copious and more frequent, I started to lose weight. Since I started applying the concept, I lost 173 pounds in 15 months! This extraordinary diet allows me to eat until I feel full even though I have to keep an eye on my diet. As far as my weight, I am always able to reach my goals. I would have never imagined that one day there would be a diet that could give me such a satisfaction. To me, it is not a diet anymore but a lifestyle that I would follow for the rest of my life.

Follow my example and give yourself a second chance! If you are interest to see other testimonials like me click here: Weight loss

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephane_Ferreira

Healthy Eating Menu

A HEALTHY EATING MENU THAT PROMOTES WEIGHT LOSS AND WEIGHT CONTROL
"Diet!" Alas, the word that sickens your stomach! "Diet", "Healthy" et al are such big turn offs! Who wants to follow a diet and be restricted from having just the thing that they love the most? Having to eat on time, having to eat just what you do not like. Tasteless, flavourless. It makes you want to throw things across the hall in frustration; especially the bowl that contains the food you so hate.

But do you realize? Following this diet could actually help you decrease the extra calories courtesy which, you have flab in all the wrong places? Do you know that a balanced diet could help you shed the extra calories and shape your body to perfection? Yes, it is hard work. But hey, what comes easy? Nothing! A little hard work is all that you have to do.

What's the first thing that you notice when you look at yourself in the mirror? Your pot belly? Your puffed up cheeks? Your double chin? Does it pain to look at yourself and your-out-of-shape body? Well, here's a way to get rid of it all! It's time you got what you deserved! A right physique! And our way does not include having to give up on your favourite food stuffs. Yes, no kidding! No more having to feel the squirm of your stomach when you pass your favourite eatery and resisting it. No pangs of guilt, fear and depression because of your increasing weight.

Whatever you like; spice, sweet, ice-cream, chocolate, there's always the low cal version of it. Designed just for those who have a tough time resisting them resulting in hazards to health. If you like your tea and coffee sweet but you have to drink it bland, there's the no cal version of sugar too. Same goes with those with a sweet tooth. Sweetness remains but no calories! Ain't that just what you want?

But this does not mean you can eat and eat. It is of no help if you do not follow a strict diet. A healthy balanced menu that promotes weight loss and weight control is a must. No eating anything and everything and anywhere you like. There has to be some control. Just what you eat is not enough. Eating on time and following a healthy diet menu is just as important. Start off your day with a fruit or a glass of fresh fruit juice.

If you are having milk, make sure it is fat free. For lunch you could have toast with low cal butter or say, peanut butter or just bread. Otherwise, you could have spinach and salad, an egg, mushrooms, vegetables, etc. For dinner, some chicken, a fruit and low fat yogurt would be perfect. Toss in a few vegetables too if they are to your liking. Keep it light. Keep it healthy.

Weight loss guaranteed!

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tom_P._Dowling

Free Exercise and Diet Plan

Here is a great free exercise and diet plan that will help you to lose weight at home the fast and easy way. The most fast effective way to lose weight is by making sure to consider both your diet plan and exercise program. If you follow this simple exercise and diet plan routine day by day, you will be on track to burn fat fast, and get in shape and healthy.

Daily Exercise and Diet Plan - 

Include a diet supplement daily such as Acai Berry weight loss pills to help speed up your fat burning.

Monday (Legs Day)
 
- 20 minute Jog or Walk
- 3 x 20 Leg Thigh Squats
- 3 x 20 Calf Raises

Monday Diet
 
Chicken with vegetables, fruit, cereal. Plus include Acai Diet supplement.

Tuesday (Stomach Abs Waist Day)
 
- 3 x 20 Full Sit Ups
- 2 x 30 Mini Fast Crunches
- 3 x 2 Minute Leg Hold Raises

Tuesday Diet
 
Beef on rice with vegetables, cereal, milk. Plus diet supplement.

Wednesday (Chest and Triceps Day)
 
- 3 x 20 Full Push Ups
- 3 x 10 Chest Curls
- 3 x 10 Triceps Pull Downs

Wednesday Diet
 
Fish and Steamed Vegetables, fruit, salad. Plus diet supplement.

Thursday (Biceps Back and Shoulders Day)
 
- 3 x 10 Lateral Pull Downs
- 3 x 10 Chin Ups
- 5 x 10 Bicep Curls

Thursday Diet
 
Chicken with Vegetables and Rice, Fruit and Salad. Plus diet supplement.

Friday (Rest Day)
 
You have done a full body work out in 4 days, so time to rest and let your body repair.

Friday Diet
 
Don`t forget your Acai Berry weight loss diet supplement. No Meat, No Carbohydrates, No Fats, keep it simple with fruit, cereal, vegetables, and maybe fish if your really hungry.

Weekend Exercise and Diet
 
Choose one day of the weekend to go for a walk, jog, play soccer, get outdoors, bike riding, swimming, what ever outdoor activity you enjoy. And then the other day, such as Sunday is your rest day. Weekend eating plan can be more relaxed too, as long as your keeping up the good work during the week.

Order Free Acai Berry Weight Loss Supplement from Acai Berry Products [http://www.acaiberryweightlossproducts.com]

Watch Free Exercise Videos Online at Free Exercise Videos

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Kaz

Do You Need To Lose 10 Pounds?

More and more people are becoming obese, and are dealing with serious weight problems, but there are many people who are reasonably healthy, who would like to lose 10 pounds. These pounds were probably gained slowly, after a few holiday meals, and with a less active lifestyle, the weight stayed.

Losing those 10 pounds will not be that hard if you do some of the following tips.

Find a time when you are basically satisfied with your life, and are motivated to lose the weight. If you try losing weight when you might be distracted by other disappointing things in your life, the tendency is to give up.

Gaining weight usually happens when you eat too much of the wrong foods. The best solution is not to go on some fad, crash diet, but to just change your eating habits to balance your diet. Starving is not the answer, but cutting back on your fat calories, and eating more fruits and vegetables will not only make you feel better, but will also cause the weight loss that you want.

Eat out less, and try new things to get a bigger variety of foods. So much of junk food eating is a matter of habits. Change the way you do things. If you snack while watching TV, find something to do other than watching TV. Become more active, go for walks, or ride a bike.

When you get started, you need to keep track of your progress, write down exactly what foods you are eating, and how much. That way you will know how many calories you are burning. To burn more calories, add in some exercise, like doing more walking.

When you realize that losing weight is not as hard as keeping the weight off, then maybe you will realize that you need a long range goal of having a healthier way of eating for the rest of your life. How many people do a good job of losing weight, but then go right back to doing what caused them to gain weight in the first place?

What kind of accomplishment is that? You might as well not waste the effort to start with.

It is always easier to make a lifestyle change with the help and support of others. Who wants to be the only one in the group who wants to eat differently? Have a realistic plan, and stick with it for the long run.
Quick weight loss usually only means quick weight gain when you stop your program. A long term goal works for better success.

Anyone can lose weight if that is what they really want to do.

Are you interested in living a healthier lifestyle? Our Natural Health Site [http://ournaturalhealthsite.com] is here to provide helpful information for anyone wanting a better life. It is never too late to be interested in your health: [http://ournaturalhealthsite.com]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rick_Carpenter

Natural Dieting Tips

People that are obese or even moderately overweight are always looking for the magic pill of weight loss. People overweight will try almost anything before they will diet. Dieting is not hard but it is not easy and if you can find something easy that works you are going to try it. Unfortunately if these products worked as good as they say it will the world would be much slimmer than it is.

A couple of the more common weight loss tips are drinking large quantities of water and having five to six meals a day rather than the three we are used to. These tips along with a few more will help you lose weight naturally without gimmicks. These tips use your body's natural processes which most people over time have forgotten or never used to help you eat properly and lose weight.

A simple way to eat less and enjoy the food you eat is to chew your food for 30 seconds per mouthful. Yes slowing down the intake and chewing the food more will allow you to enjoy the food and help your stomach digest the food. The slowing down of eating allows the food to be mixed better and allow for better digestion and enjoyment of food. By slowing down your chewing you will enjoy what you are eating and eat less.

Initially you may need to time yourself until you get into the habit of eating slowly and adjust to the longer time to eat. When you eat have a glass of water with you and drink between chewing and savor the food you are eating. The stomach does not know the difference between water and food. The need to rush through eating will only stimulate the hunger center as your body does not realize the volume you have eaten just that you have not been eating for any length of time.

You have heard the saying your eyes are bigger than your stomach? This usually happens not because of the amount you eat but how fast you are trying to eat the food. Your eyes get the juices flowing and start to crank up your sense of smell and the stomach juices. Now you wolf down the food and all your stomach knows is that there should be more food for the amount of acid being produced so it signals the brain to increase the hunger pangs. By chewing your food slowly the stomach will secrete the correct amount of acid for the amount of food you are eating,

The dieting process can be enhanced also by eating fiber rich foods. These foods will help you feel full and the feeling will last longer, keeping you from overeating. Fiber rich foods will also help the digestion process work more efficiently. Fiber is a unique substance and is great for digestion. Most fiber is from plant and cannot be digested by your body. As it helps your body digests foods, fat molecules will attach themselves to the fiber and continue through the body to be sent out with the other waste products. The fiber will also help clean up the intestines and take out many harmful deposits that would otherwise lie in the intestines. Foods such as bran, beans, potatoes, figs, strawberries, apples, nuts, chickpeas, and brown rice are all very high in fiber.

These two tips along with a good diet that fits your lifestyle and exercise will go a long way towards your final goal of a healthy and enjoyable life. Take the steps necessary to lose the excess fat and enjoy your life and with the healthier diet you will be able to have those unhealthy desserts on occasion and it will not affect you but you need to choose the correct diet and get yourself in shape.

Download my free Report Understanding Diets and Your Body and for a short time get a Free Bonus report on your Abs, get both here: Choosingabetterdiet.com [http://choosingabetterdiet.com].

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Bito

Exercise Mistakes You Could Be Making

So many people start an exercise program and become frustrated when they do not see noticeable improvements in their body. They may have even been training for years and may have seen some progress at the start but that has long since stopped. There are some workout mistakes that will hinder progress so let us take a look at them.

Mistake number one - Choosing to do 'cardio' activity instead of strength training. People can gravitate to low intensity, long duration exercise because it is 'easy' or they think that they will become 'bulky' when their muscle tissue becomes more toned.

The reality is that 'cardio' type activity will never give you the lean, strong, toned body you would love to own. Strength training is the best exercise for weight loss and also for maintaining your body weight for the long haul.

'Cardio' activity can never boost metabolism to help you burn more calories round the clock, only toned muscle tissue can do this. Your muscle is what drives your fat burning machinery - your metabolism and just a few extra pounds of lean muscle which most people can achieve within six months or so will have you burning an extra 1000 or more calories each week. This is where you get weight loss from.

Mistake number two - Using too light a resistance. To tone up you need to give your body a challenge beyond its present capacity. Make sure the last few repetitions in each set are a little difficult to finish. It not, the weight is too light and you need to increase it.

Mistake number three - Not having a proper program. Often people go to the gym with little idea of what they are going to be doing that day. They end up doing a bit of this and a bit of that...and they are not focused on what they really need to be doing. Like a ship setting sail but not having a destination.

Best results are had when a training log is kept so you know what you did last time and you can try and better it this time. You are not just aimlessly going through the motions and you will keep more focused and in the end get better results.

Mistake number four - Expecting to see immediate results. It takes time to make changes to your body. The first month you are really only becoming familiar with the exercises, 2-3 months you will start seeing significant changes and 4-6 months and beyond the changes will be noticeable. The more consistent you are with your training the faster the results will be.

Do not be afraid to ask for help from an experienced trainer as they can fast track your learning curve as well as your results. Even a few paid sessions can push you further along and save you years of learning time and get you quicker results.

Do you want to discover the secret to rejuvenating your body, regaining lost vitality and improving the quality of your life? Download my free ebook "I've Found the Fountain of Youth - Let Me Show You Too!" http://www.over50looking30.com

Carolyn Hansen is a certified fitness expert and fitness center owner who in her nearly 30 years of fitness and bodybuilding competition experience she has helped thousands of people start their journey towards losing weight, becoming strong, fit and youthful at any age.

Sign up for her free newsletter on Weight Loss Tips http://FitnessWeightloss.com and get her free report "Discover 'Secrets' That Most People Will Never Know About To Really Lose Weight".

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carolyn_Hansen

A Healthy Diet Should Include High Protein Foods

Anyone who is looking to get in better shape needs to find a diet that is going to work for them, and all diets need to be rich in certain nutrients that everyone needs to have in order to be healthy and strong. There are three macronutrients that are important for our survival, protein, carbohydrates, and fats, and we all need to have certain amounts of these macronutrients in our diets. A typical diet for maintaining good health, as recommended by the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association, and many other health organizations, should include 35% protein, 15% fats, and 50% carbohydrates.

A lot of people are using diets with high protein foods in their weight loss battle. The protein helps to build and maintain strong muscles, and it is a natural source of energy, great for people who need additional energy for working out. Body builders also use diets that include lots of high protein foods. No matter who you are, it is important to get enough protein in your diet, without getting too much. Speaking with a nutritionist will help you figure out what you need to have in your diet, and you can plan a diet that will work for whatever your particular needs are.

High Protein Foods for Building Muscles

If you are interested in weight training to get in shape and want to build bigger, stronger muscles, you may want to consider switching to a diet that is loaded with high protein foods. When you are trying to build your muscles, you need to make sure that you are getting the right nutrients in your diet, and it is especially important to have plenty of protein. There are all kinds of high protein foods that are recommended for diets that are used by many body builders, and these foods are not only great for building muscles, but also just for your overall good health.

Many people who are into body building want to gain weight, in the form of muscles, very quickly, while losing any excess body fat. It is not a good idea to eat foods that are high in protein but also high in saturated fat, which can lead to high cholesterol levels and other health problems. The protein foods in these diets should be complete proteins, meaning that they contain all of the essential and non-essential amino acids that our bodies need, whether we are trying to build muscle or just want to maintain good health. Some of the best high protein foods for body builders that do not have high fat contents include eggs, low or non-fat dairy products, fish, poultry, lean red meat, soy, and other beans.

- Eggs - One of the best, if not the best, source of dietary protein is the egg. Here is a food that is a complete protein and is low in fat and carbohydrates. To ensure that you are not getting too much cholesterol, you may want to avoid the yolks and just eat the egg whites, which are still loaded with protein.

- Low or Non-Fat Dairy - Dairy products are loaded with protein and because they are animal proteins, they are complete proteins. Everyone should include some source of dairy in their diets, but it is important to make sure that the dairy products consumed are low or non-fat, which is much better for you.

- Fish - Just about every kind of fish is loaded with protein, so you can enjoy a variety of meals, including baked salmon, haddock, tuna, and more. The fish that is has the highest protein content are sardines, trout, and salmon. Not only is fish an excellent source of protein, it is also full of omega 3 fatty acids. For many people, fish is much easier to digest than other high protein foods, such as beef.

- Poultry - If you are looking for food that is high in protein but low in fat, poultry is the choice for you. Poultry is lean meat and the best and healthiest part for you is the white meat, or the breast. Not only is poultry good for you, it is often much less expensive than fish and red meat and it is relatively easy to prepare many different delicious meals.

- Lean Red Meat - If you want to have a great source of protein, but a meal that is not high in fat and calories, you can have it when you eat lean red meat. A small, seven ounce serving of lean beef steak will provide you with almost all of the protein you need for an entire day, and it is diet friendly, even for weight loss diets.

- Soy - Soy is the only plant based protein that is a complete protein and it is a very healthy choice for everyone. It is a popular source of protein for vegetarians and because it is so versatile, there are many delicious meals that can be made using soy.

- Other Beans - Just about every type of bean is loaded with protein and most are excellent for all types of diets, from those for body builders to diets for people who are trying to lose weight to diets for people who are just looking to maintain their good health. Kidney beans are an excellent choice, and just one cup contains 14 grams of protein, nearly half of the daily recommended amount.

These are just a few of the many delicious dietary sources of protein that can be used by body builders, and anyone who wants to add high protein foods to their diet without adding too much fat, carbohydrates, cholesterol, and calories.

Protein Supplements for High Protein Diets

Many people, not just body builders, use dietary supplements to make sure that they are getting the proper nutrition. Protein supplements are popular, because they are great for muscle recovery following workouts and provide energy to get through the workouts. Protein is necessary for every cell in our bodies and supplements can provide what our diets sometimes cannot.

About Protica Research

Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm specializing in the development of protein-rich, capsulized foods (dense nutrition in compact liquid and food forms). Protica manufactures Profect protein beverage, IsoMetric, Fruitasia and more than 100 other brands in its GMP-certified, 250,000 square foot facility.

You can learn more about Protica at http://www.protica.com.

Copyright - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Duffy

What Are the Best Protein Rich Foods?

The best protein foods are not always the most obvious choices. After all, most people start naming off great slabs of red meat when they are talking about protein, often forgetting that nuts and seeds are high in this valuable nutrient as well as the mushroom, often an overlooked protein source. The right kind of protein should be included in the diet and in the right amounts. Everything that you put into your body should play a role in your good health and well being. You should not eat foods that will not help you to stay healthy and strong. Protein rich foods will boost your immune function, help you to stay fuller for longer and on smaller amounts of food, and will do a number of other things. It is up to you to find out what makes one protein rich food better than others.

How Much Protein Do You Really Need?

Protein needs vary by a number of factors including body size and composition, activity level, age, and health status. The more active you are, the more protein you will need; however, it is a myth that athletes need an extreme amount of protein. The average need for protein is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. To get the right amount of protein for yourself, you can use the following formula: Divide weight in pounds by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms. Take that number and then multiply by 0.8 to get the amount of daily protein that you need. (Source: Neil Osterweil. The Benefits of Protein. Web MD) You will be able to decide the best protein rich foods for your diet by that number.

Your protein needs will increase or decrease by the other factors. For a sedentary person, 0.4 kg of protein per kilogram of body weight is enough, while someone who is very active may need as much as a full gram of protein per kilogram of body weight. Very active is defined as someone who engages in moderate to intense exertion for 30 to 60 minutes per day up to four days of the week. Body builders and other extreme athletes may need as much 1.2 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. They do not get big because of the protein, however, but because of their dedication to their hard work and long hours in the gym. The highest need of protein is during infancy, with newborns needing 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.

While you do need additional protein when you are sick or injured, the need is not extreme. Protein amounts should be not higher than 35% of daily calories, which can lead to problems like kidney stones.

Protein Rich Foods and How They Work in the Body

Protein is broken down during digestion into the amino acids. There are twenty amino acids. The body can make all but nine of these on its own, and the others have to be supplied by food on a daily basis. Protein rich food supplies the essential amino acids that include: leucine, isoleucine, valine, threonine, methionine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, lysine, and histidine. Animal proteins are complete because they supply all of these amino acids; plant based proteins are not complete because they lack one or more of the essential amino acids. Soy protein, however, is an exception to the rule.

The body breaks down these amino acids to use to create other amino acids, hormones, and enzymes that are used to regulate sleep, digestion, and even ovulation. If these amino acids are disrupted, the sleep cycle and other functions of the body will also be disrupted.

Protein Rich Foods and High Protein Diets

In the past, high protein diets advocated unhealthy food choices like full fat cheese, bacon, and ground beef while forbidding healthy and necessary foods like complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. Eating more protein rich foods may be an effective way to lose weight but does not have to be part of the dangerous high protein diets from the past. While it has always been thought that protein deficiency was a near impossibility in modern times, research at the University of Illinois suggests that most North Americans have only borderline protein intake, putting them at risk and just barely covering their nutritional needs. (Source: Amy Carmichael. Expert Encourages High Protein Diet for Weight Loss as the Fad Diet Fades. MedBroadcast.
September 21, 2005)

Instead of focusing only on the protein, the new dietary guideline agrees that there is a need for protein rich foods but that there is also a need for complex carbohydrates and fats. The diet should include healthier versions of protein rich foods, not the high fat, high calorie choices that had been advocated before.

The high protein diet may be a great way to help lose weight; however, it has to be done sensibly and reasonably.

Surprising Protein Rich Foods

There are a number of protein rich foods that people might not realize. Most plant foods do have some protein with the benefit of a vegetarian diet being adequate but not excessive amounts of protein. The typical vegan diet (which is stricter than the average vegetarian diet) has 10 to 12% of its overall calories from protein while the average diet has 14 to 18% of its calories from protein.

Grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and even various mushrooms and others are all surprising protein rich foods.

About Protica Research

Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm specializing in the development of protein-rich, capsulized foods (dense nutrition in compact liquid and food forms). Protica manufactures Profect protein beverage, IsoMetric, Fruitasia and more than 100 other brands in its GMP-certified, 250,000 square foot facility.

You can learn more about Protica at http://www.protica.com

Copyright - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Duffy

3 Simple to Follow Dieting Tips For That Sexy Slim Body

When it comes to the 'Diet' industry, it revolves around a multimillion dollar industry which has 1001 promises put forward. There are various kinds of diet aid out there in the market. From shakes to candy bars to pudding and pills. Each diet supplement claims that it can help you lose those ugly body fats and ultimately lose weight. It is easy to fall into these marketing gimmicks. For a matter of fact, dieting to lose weight can be just as simple as the following 3 simple steps. Read on.

1.) Drink Plenty of Water

The recommended consumption of water is at 4-5 liters a day. You should not stick by this recommendation. You should drink 7-8 liters of water daily. Water is an important way of tricking the body into believing that it is full. There are no other drinks that offer 0 calories unlike the plain water. Even for that matter, fruit juices do contain certain amount of calories. As an added bonus besides getting to lose weight, drinking plenty of water also helps in turning your skin into being more radiant and beautiful

2.) Set Realistic Objectives 

Having reachable objectives is something that only can be done by you alone when working to lose weight. No one else knows your capabilities other that you yourself. Make your goals aggressive but achievable. If you fail to reach your objectives even at the early stages of your diet program, you are very likely to give up. Try finding a 'weight loss partner " as both of you guys will motivate each other towards reaching your objectives hence making the whole program easier.

3.) Eat more

Hold on a minute. Did you read it as 'eat more'? Do not get it wrong. Eat more of healthy foods which are rich in dietary fiber. Fiber helps in digesting the food consumed. Excessive food stored for a long time in the body has higher tendencies to be converted into body fats. Besides that, high fiber foods are also good in a way that it hinders you from binging on high calorie food. High fiber food includes oats, raisins and fruits.

Now Listen To This Carefully!

In order for YOU to lose that excess weight that has been troubling you for the past SO many years, YOU... MUST... START... NOW! I simply cannot stress this enough. But you can't simply pick up a pair of sneakers and just start running... or even worse, STOP EATING! You need to get yourself an organized training schedule. If you wish to receive a FREE exercise training program that has been proven to help countless of OVERWEIGHT VICTIMS transform their physique, checkout http://www.primitivefitness.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Johnny_Adams

4 Reasons Your Diet May Never Get Off The Ground

How is your diet coming? Are you thinner than you were on New Years when you made a resolution to lose weight? The answer is probably no. Even if you did lose weight at first, chances are, you gained it back.

Don't worry, you are not alone. In fact, most people that go on a diet do not succeed. Why is this? Here are four reasons your diet may never get off the ground.

Unrealistic Expectations

Believe it or not, it is very common to have totally unrealistic expectations when it comes to losing weight.

Most people want to lose weight too quickly. The problem with losing weight fast is that it rarely stays off for good but comes piling back on pretty quickly. You shouldn't go for the quick fix but focus on long term results instead. When you try to lose weight fast, you might drop ten pounds in ten days but what good is that if you gain those ten pounds right back? When that happens, your self esteem takes a hit and it takes a toll on your body as well. Rather than wasting your time on yo-yo dieting, you should focus your efforts on changing your lifestyle so your weight loss becomes permanent.

When you try to make too many changes too quickly, it can be a recipe for disaster. If you are like most of us you will start out strong but fizzle out after a couple of weeks. Here is a better way to go about it.
Make up a list of around five habits you need to develop in order to lose weight the right way so you keep it off and stay healthy. Here are some ideas for starters:

Exercise more - aim for a minimum of three times per week.

Eat a healthy breakfast every morning - choose foods like eggs and fruit.

Limit your portions - don't overeat and don't go back for second helpings.

Drink more water - don't drink calories, choose zero calorie drinks instead.

Eat a low carb supper - choose meat, healthy fats, and vegetables.

Avoid alcohol - limit yourself to one drink only.

Choose two of the habits on your list that are worth the time and energy and that will bring positive results.
Spend two to four weeks solely on cultivating those two habits.

Place your other goals and habits on hold during this time.

When those two habits are firmly in place, select two more from your list and start over.

This changes your lifestyle in a gentle and gradual way so that healthier choices become your nature. The results will be slower than diving in head first but the results will be longer lasting. Just think back and consider how well quick fixes have worked for you in the past - they probably didn't and you just gained the weight right back. Give up the notion of quick fixes and focus instead on losing weight for the long term.
Failing To Set Goals

Setting goals will help you more than you might think. There was a study done by Yale back in 1953. They asked the graduating class about their goals for the future. Only 3% of the graduates had firm goals in mind that they had written down. The other 97% did not have goals established and merely wished for good things for the future. After twenty years had passed, Yale followed up on the graduates and they found that the 3% that had the written goals were worth more than the other 97% of their classmates combined!

Failure To Measure

Setting goals is just part of the secret to success. You must also measure your progress. If you don't, you'll never know how close you are to your goal or when you meet it. It only takes a couple of minutes to measure yourself. Do it once a week and write down your results. Weigh yourself and measure your waist and thighs. Compare your results from week to week so you can assess your progress.

Not Having A Plan

You've heard the old saying, "If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail." Well, it is true when it comes to weight loss. You need a well thought out plan you can refer to and fall back on. You'll need to plan out your diet and menu as well as your exercise regimen. A good plan is like a path that leads straight to your goal.

If you need more advice on a healthier way to lose weight and keep it forever, get a Washington, DC workout today. Having the body you want is very possible!

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Vitamins In Your Diet, Vitamin C

We all know that if you want to lose weight the most important thing to watch is your diet and what you eat. But, the vitamins in your diet also play an important part in your health. Everybody has probably looked at one of those tags on any package of food we purchase. They are on all foods except fresh fruits and vegetables and contain information about what's in your food and percentage of the amount you should have daily.

Vitamins in your diet help you to stay healthy in many ways and they also help you to lose weight. There are Vitamins that help you to have healthy eyes, healthy bones, healthy skin and many other benefits. Here are just a few examples of how Vitamins affect your health. Let's start with one that most of you know, Vitamin C. Vitamin C is found in many fruits and Vegetables. A good source of Vitamin C is fruit and vegetables such as citrus fruits, leafy green vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries. I bet most people didn't know that you could get Vitamin C from Broccoli. When I ask people what foods or drinks they think provide vitamin C, the first response is oranges and orange juice.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant. An antioxidant is a nutrient that fights off something called a free radical. Are you still following? What I'm getting to when talking about Vitamin C and all other vitamins is that they are a necessary part of our diet. Vitamins in your diet are as important as oxygen in our atmosphere. Without it we'd just collapse and wither away. Back to Vitamin C, antioxidants and free radicals.

Free Radicals are things that are produced when our body is trying to turn the food we eat into the energy we need in our daily activities. Anyone know what free radicals can do? Not too many good things. They are responsible for how our body behaves as we get older. These free radicals build up in our body over time and cause and are a big reason for cancer, problems with our heart and problems with our joints. In short, free radicals are not good. The good news is that Vitamin C is an antioxidant which helps us to fight off free radicals. I picture it like this; imagine your body is having a snowball battle with the abominable snowman (free radicals). You throw the snowballs (oranges-antioxidants) at the abominable snowman (free radicals) to keep him from getting to you. Your body uses antioxidants to protect itself from free radicals.

Vitamins in your diet contribute to healthy weight loss in many ways. Remember that I said that vitamin C helps your body to turn food into energy. The more you take in of the recommended daily amount of Vitamin C, the more energy you will have. Doesn't that make sense. Think of it this way too. If you don't get sufficient vitamin C in your diet, it's not there to help turn your food into energy and that causes you to gain weight. Do you think maybe having Vitamins in your diet is a good thing. I'm thinking yes.

Vitamins in your diet are an important part of healthy weight loss. Vitamin C is an especially helpful Vitamin. So start your day off with some orange juice or a grapefruit tomorrow morning. It's your body, take care of it.

Jerry Steege

I'm an aspiring writer who is using looking to help people while I continue to improve my writing skills. I love writing and expressing myself on paper, or the computer in this forum. If you would like to learn more about vitamins in your diet, dieting, and healthy weight loss please visit my site [http://losingweightwithjerry.com/vitamins-in-your-diet-the-abcs-of-vitamins] to get get started with your healthier lifestyle today.

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The Perfect Workout

If you are trying to lose weight, you probably already know what a difficult process it can be. There are two main components that are essential to losing weight; dieting and exercise. In order to lose weight, in a healthy manner, you want to ensure that you both diet and exercise healthily. Throughout this article, we will put our focus on the exercising portion of losing weight. Exercising will not only make you feel better but will also help your body burn calories more efficiently and aid you in your process of losing weight. If you are looking to lose weight or stay fit there are three main exercises which you should complete on a regular basis.

Throughout this article we will discuss what these routines involve so that you can do them on your own and be one step closer in losing weight.

Whether you work out at the gym or at home, you will want to ensure that before doing any heavy workouts, you stretch your body. Stretching not only helps to prevent workout injuries but also helps your body feel healthier. The main thing that stretching does is benefit your posture. Having better posture will help your blood flow better, help keep your organs healthy, and help increase your metabolism so that you will be less likely to gain weight.

After stretching, you will want to do some cardiovascular and aerobic training. This is the type of training that involves machines like treadmills and stair steppers. Cardiovascular training is the main component to helping you shed pounds. When your cardiovascular health is good, you will have extra energy, allowing you to burn off any extra calories. The best thing about cardiovascular training is that you can do it anywhere. You do not have to go to a gym to do this type of training. If you want, you can take a run outside, jog on the spot while watching television, or go for a swim. Regardless of how you work your cardiovascular health, make sure you do it gradually. Never push your body to the point of exhaustion. If you do not already exercise regularly, start out small and gradually increase your daily exercise routine as you go.

Finally, you will want to finish your workout with strength training. Strength training may not sound necessary for losing weight but it definitely is. Strength training helps you drop pounds because strong muscles burn more fat than no muscles do.

If you are looking to lose weight, make sure to include stretching, cardiovascular training, and strength training in your routine. Completing all three of these training techniques will help you achieve your weight loss goals in a healthy way. If you are looking for some good routines, hire a personal trainer to help or even consult your family doctor. Both a personal trainer and a doctor should be able to help you achieve your long term weight loss goals.

Kaylie has been an online writer for nearly 2 years now. Not only does this author specialize in travel, finance, and product reviews, you can also check out her latest website on low carb food list [http://lowcarbdiettips.org/low-carb-food-list/] which reviews and lists the best low carb list of food [http://lowcarbdiettips.org/low-carb-food-list/].

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Your First 6 Weeks

Do not be afraid it is not some difficult to understand article. Remember, the purpose of this article is about get healthier, leaner and happier! You need to understand the weight loss basics to make some progress. Not only to know the basics, you have to use that basic knowledge every day.

Why every day? I want your new eating habits to be the way you live. You do not want to lose weight in (for example) 2 months and after to gain some fat again! You need to become leaner and STAY lean!

Something about weight loss goals (six weeks): First of all, you must track your calorie income every day. Also to track how many calories you have burned each day. Have to do it whole six weeks! Why do you have to set some goals? It can be very motivational when you see some progress even if it is small!

That is powerful. For overweight people I would recommend to set a goal of losing a few pounds.

Remember it is a long term game. Always set an easy and realistic goal!

At first set a goal of 2-3 pound loss. Important: Take an action! It is highly important to start with one change a day. For example, take your breakfast from home and do not eat fast food!

Drink plenty of water Each day do more and more changes! Always go step by step! Days are going to pass, and you are going to be in better shape, more leaner and with more self-confidence than ever before!
STOP DREAMING! TAKE AN ACTION!! 

Want to learn more about weight loss?
Try here Losing pounds is EASY!

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Time to Get FIT!

The pressure of how we look and how much we weigh in today's society can be overwhelming. We have become obsessed with the outside package so much so that it's hard to walk past a mirror or store window without casting a glance at our figure and assessing its state of being. Are we too fat? Too thin? Have we developed a pouch in the area that used to be our stomach? Are we hunching? We say things to ourselves like: "That's it, tomorrow I'm starting back at the gym", "Okay, from now on I only eat pizza on Sundays", "No more late night munchies". While I don't think so much emphasis on how our body" looks" is healthy, I do feel that having a fit body inside and out certainly affects our overall well being.

Our self esteem and confidence levels will raise quickly when we start to exercise and pay attention to our diet. The other important key besides looking great is feeling great. With that in mind, take a moment to assess how you feel when you get out of bed in the morning. Do you spring out of bed, excited to take on the day? Or do you sort of hobble across the floor with one eye open making your way to the coffee pot? Are you reaching your arms out wide and stretching to greet the day? Or are you massaging certain chronic aches in your neck or shoulders as you plop down in your favorite morning spot? If you didn't choose the first and third choices, take this as a good indicator that there is no time like the present to start your new fitness program.

Before making the decision and commitment to get your body fit realize the word "fit" means different things to different people. Consider a professional cyclist, to him or her, fit means a very high level of training, many hours on the road and excellent nutritional habits. A boxer puts in many hours in the ring, jumping rope and dieting before he's considered "fit" enough to fight. A post pregnancy mother may decide that fit for her is simply losing her pregnancy weight. Whatever your definition of fit is, choose it; and decide that NOW is your Time to Get Fit.

Getting Started

Now that you've decided you do want to get fit there are some other things you should do to ensure a successful program.

Determine Your Starting Point

This includes weighing yourself, possibly having your body fat tested and assessing your fitness level. Be honest with yourself about how fit you feel you are in general. Are you out of breath walking a flight of steps? Do you feel weak carrying a bag or two of groceries? Or do you bound up the stairs with energy to spare at the top? Do two bags of groceries feel light to you? These are some basic questions you can ask yourself to help determine your fitness level.

If you belong to a gym, check to see if they offer free body fat testing. The main thing is to know where you are starting from so you can measure your progress. Also, a word of caution, if you have any medical conditions, you must first get your doctors approval before starting a new exercise program. Additionally, take into consideration any old injuries or chronic pains you may have and be careful about which types of exercise you choose given your current condition.

Set A Goal

Whether it is a weight loss goal or simply wanting to be able to climb two flights of stairs without being winded; pick one and write it down. Yes, I did say write it down! There is something magical about seeing your goal in writing which tends to help you work harder to attain it.

Also, be sure you choose a goal achievement date. For example, let's say you have a wedding coming up in two months and you want to lose ten pounds. Using the day of the wedding as your goal achievement date would work beautifully. This would give you two months to pursue your goal passionately. Another key element in goal setting; be passionate about your goal as this will lead to increased momentum towards reaching it.

Now with your goal and goal achievement date in hand here is a list of Do's and Don'ts to help set you on the right track.

Don't bite off more than you can chew. In other words, start off slow at first. Give your body the time and space to adjust to the new program. Also, don't set unrealistic goals. For instance, if you currently have a knee injury and are nursing it back to health don't choose a goal of running a marathon anytime soon.

Do choose a goal that allows you to progress in small steps and allows your end result to be measurable. For example, say you eventually want to take a full 90 minute power yoga class, but haven't stretched in years. Look into taking a beginner's class, and then when you've mastered that move on to the intermediate class and so on. Eventually you will be flow through that 90 minute power yoga class.

Don't choose a workout time that you can't maintain. If you decide to work out at night but constantly find yourself letting the day's work spill over into your workout time, this is not an optimum time for you.
Do pick a time of day to exercise that you know you will be able to consistently maintain. This time will vary depending on your work hours, family responsibilities and the place you choose to work out. No matter what, be honest in your evaluation of this time.

Don't pick a routine that is too complex. If you're new to exercise or coming back after a long break, the last thing you need are exercises that require rocket scientists to do them.

Do choose simple, easy to do movements in the beginning. As you get stronger, fit and more flexible you can challenge yourself with trickier moves. There is a whole range of interesting and fun moves to do once you build the proper foundation. Repetition will be essential in the beginning for mastering certain exercises.

Let's put it all together now. Below are two sample workouts lasting 20-30 minutes including a 10 minute warm-up. Sample A will focus on the upper body and Sample B will focus more on the lower body. Both routines include abdominal exercises. You will need a few dumbbells, 3 and 5 pound ankle weights, your own body weight and a bench or step of some sort to complete each workout. Either workout can be done at home or in a gym.

For each of the sample workouts below, start with a 10 minute warm-up. A suitable choice would be a light jog around the block once or twice, use of a cardio machine (for gym members), walking up a hill or riding a bike, etc. The goal here is to warm up your muscles and get your mind "in the game". Breaking a light sweat is a good indicator you're ready to start the routine. You should try to exercise 2-3 times a week based on your goal and your starting level. Decide now that your health and fitness is a priority and schedule your workouts the same way you schedule the doctor, your employer or any other important event in your life.

Additionally, you should add 1-2 sessions of 30 minutes of cardio exercise each week. The goal with cardiovascular exercise is to get your heart rate up a bit, break a sweat and burn fat. Choose an activity that you can sustain for 30 minutes. It should be rigorous but not so much so that you are completely out of breath. If your goal is more weight loss initially, do an extra session of cardio per week. Note: This plan is for someone new to working out or coming back from a long break. If you are unsure of any of the exercises, do not attempt them on your own. Ask for assistance at your local gym or YMCA or check out books (or websites) on the subject of lifting weights.

SAMPLE A - Upper body

Note: This routine requires the use of dumbbells. For ladies, usually 3 pounds, 5 pounds and 8 pounds will be good to start with. For men, please just use good judgment about what weights are realistic for you. Generally speaking, 10 pounds, 12 pounds,

15 pounds and 20 pounds are good to start with. Complete all the exercises twice. Go at your own pace and do as many of the reps as you can in the beginning. The best way to find the proper weight to use for each exercise is to choose a weight that allows you to complete the suggested number of repetitions without struggling too much. If you can barely finish the set you have chosen a weight that is too heavy, if on the other hand, you can still do more reps then the weight is too light.

Chest Press - 12-15 reps

Take a pair of dumbbells and lay on your back on a flat bench. Bend your knees and place your feet on the bench. Hold the weights on your chest to position yourself. Press the weights up until your arms are almost straight and the weights almost touch over your chest. Slowly lower the weights back down by bending at the elbows and bringing them back to the chest/shoulder area.

Push-ups - do as many repetitions as you can. (Women do the version with your knees on the floor)

Bent Over Row - 12 reps

Take a pair of dumbbells and bend your knees slightly, bend at the waist making an L shape with your body. Keep your back very straight as you bend, don't round the shoulders. Allow the dumbbells to hang down in front of you, palms down. Pull the dumbbells up along side your ribs and pause. Slowly lower to start position.

Biceps curl - 12 reps

Standing position or seated. Take a pair of dumbbells and let them hang by your side palms facing up. Bend your elbow and pull the weights up so they are almost touching your chest. Slowly lower to start position.

Triceps kickback 12-15 reps

Bend your knees and bend at the waist. Not quite as much bend as in the bent over row movement but enough to have gravity to use when doing the movement. Take the dumbbells and bend your elbows with your arms tight to your side, palms facing your sides. Then press the weight behind you, straight back. Squeeze your triceps hard as you do this. Slowly come back to starting position.

Shoulder Raises - 12 reps

Take a pair of dumbbells and stand or sit. Raise your arms out to the sides so that your hands end up parallel with your shoulders. Slowly lower to starting position.

Abdominal Crunches 20 reps

Lie on the floor on your back. Use a towel or a mat for comfort. Bend your knees with feet flat on floor. Place your hands behind your head and curl your upper body forward off the ground. Don't pull on your head when you come up, use your abs to raise you. Slowly lower to starting position.

Reverse Crunches 12-15 reps

Lie on the floor on your back. Bend your knees with your feet flat on the floor. Place your arms down alongside your body. Curl your knees and butt/hips up off the floor as much as you can. Press your arms into the floor to help you in the beginning. As you get stronger, you will not need the help. Slowly lower your butt/hips back to the floor.

SAMPLE B

Focus: Lower body

Note: If you have a pre-existing knee injury, pain in your knees or low back during the exercises below you may need modifications for the exercises or seek a doctor's opinion about the type of exercise that is appropriate for your specific issue. Also, this routine requires the use of 3 pound, 5 pound or 8 pound ankle weights.

Standing Lunges - (bodyweight) 10 lunges each leg

Stand in a well-balanced position, feet about hip-width distance apart. Step forward on your right leg, taking a medium stride. Keep your upper body erect as you lower yourself down by bending your knee on the front leg. You will feel a stretch in your rear and front leg and hip muscles. Be careful not to overstretch the muscles by bending too deeply. The knee of your rear leg may or may not touch the floor dependent on your flexibility. Push off with the heel of the front foot to return to your original position. Do this 10 times on each leg. This exercise should be done with your own bodyweight at first. After several sessions you may want to try holding very light weights providing you can maintain good balance throughout the set.

Squats - (bodyweight) 10-15 reps

Stand with your feet about hips distance apart, toes pointed slightly out. Hands can be crossed in front of your body or by your sides. Bend your knees and lower down as if you are going to sit in a chair. Be sure you can always see your toes as you lower down, keeping your knees behind your toes will ensure this. Once your butt reaches a parallel spot with the floor, stop and slowly come back to starting position. After a few sessions using your bodyweight, you may want to hold light weights to make it more challenging.

Maintaining perfect form is key and always more important than using more weight.

Leg Curls - 10 reps each leg

Attach a 3 or 5 pound ankle weight to each leg and stand facing a wall. Your feet should be about six inches apart. Use the wall for support by placing your palms against it. Bend you right knee and raise your right foot up until parallel to the floor. Slowly lower your foot to the floor. Do this 10 times on each leg.

Supermans - 5-10 reps

Lie face down on a mat or towel with your arms extended out in front of you. Raise your arms and legs up at the same time. Try not to bend your knees as you raise your legs up. If you can, hold in the raised position for a count of one, then slowly lower arms and legs back to the mat.

Abdominals/Side Crunches - 10-15 reps each side

Lie on your back on a mat or towel. Cup your hands behind your head with your elbows out. Bring your knees up off the floor and lay both knees to one side. Keep your shoulders parallel to the floor as you come straight up in an abdominal crunch. Slowly lower your shoulders down to the floor. Do this 10-15 times and switch knees to the opposite side for another 10-15 reps.

Five Sure Fire Ways to Maintain Your New Program

1.Be extremely committed to your goal! No kinda, sorta wanting to get fit. Commit FULLY.

2.Find a training partner or workout buddy. Being accountable to someone else will help keep you on target. Also, the workout time becomes more enjoyable with company.

3.Keep a workout journal. Chart your progress, noting longest cardio session to date, diet entries or just simply keeping track of how your energy feels day to day.

4.Post your goal in several places around your home or in your car. Seeing the goal in black and white on a daily basis makes it almost impossible to not achieve it providing you do the work.

5.Reward yourself once a week. This can be in the form of one treat a week (meaning something not on your new diet) or an afternoon of relaxing with a good book at the beach. Or any other form of reward that pampers yourself for the hard work you've done on the road to getting fit.

Now you just have to put it all together. Decide that there is no time like the present to get fit. Choose your goal, making it a realistic one and commit to it! Start today or at the very latest tomorrow. No more procrastination, let's get fit!!

Rebecca Kordecki, owner of Mobile Fitness & Massage, has enjoyed a very full career as a personal trainer, massage therapist and spokesperson for the past 13 years shaping up some of Hollywood’s finest. Her client roster has included such celebrities as Raquel Welch, Hunter Tylo (“The Bold and The Beautiful”), Scott Wolf (Party of Five), Tom Arnold, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Oliver Stone, Jim Belushi, Erika Eleniak, Elijah Wood and Kevin Bright (Executive Producer of “Friends” and “Joey”). Additionally, she has been a highly sought after massage therapist in Hollywood known for her “strong, yet healing hands”. Rebecca’s company Mobile Fitness & Massage provides a full range of personal training/diet coaching/meal planning/massage therapy services as well as motivational speaking and fitness consulting. Rebecca’s company recently expanded to include bi-coastal service. Beginning in 2006, Rebecca began offering her services in Manhattan and Southampton. To contact Rebecca and learn more about her services visit http://www.rebeccakordecki.com/contact.htm

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The Secret is in Your Mind - Learn the Fitness Mindset with These Five Simple Steps

I met her at a networking group early one morning. Lacy (name changed for privacy reasons) was in her 40s and had a lot going for her. She was intelligent, well spoken, and confident in her ability to run her own Law Firm as an attorney. Lacy was able to enjoy many things in life that others whom believed themselves to "less fortunate" did not think they could enjoy. However, there was one big issue Lacy struggles with. It is an issue that you may recognize in another person, or even in yourself. Body image and fitness.

It was no secret that Lacy was a woman of large bone structure; something genetic that she has absolutely no control over whatsoever. It was also no secret that Lacy tried just about every trick and diet in the book to lose weight and get into shape. In fact, Lacy was bold enough to announce to the entire networking group of over 30 people her ambitions to fit into a sexy lingerie outfit for her husband and feel like a word I better not mention in this article (but I'm sure you have a good imagination).

Being a fitness professional myself, Lacy and myself were bound to be a magical match made in fitness and diet bliss, or one may have thought. After all, my track record is very good, and over the years I have been able to guide many people into discovering how to stay fit, so helping Lacy make this discovery would come naturally right?

Actually not. I worked with Lacy for a couple of months and after that Lacy decided the low carb diet she was insistent on sticking to was not working, and she was going to go off on her own program again. Think this is uncommon? Think again, Lacy was doing what many people do when it comes to health and fitness.
As previously mentioned I have helped many people discover how they can live the fitness lifestyle.

However, there is another side to the story. There have been more people that I have crossed paths with in a professional manor that have not been able to maintain the fitness lifestyle. For years I wondered how and why this happens. What causes a person to invest so much time, thought, and effort into the idea of getting into shape only to succumb to disappointment and end up exactly opposite of where they wanted to be?

I eventually discovered it's all in the mind. Lacy was the way she was because of the way she thought about fitness and nutrition in relation to herself. In her career Lacy obviously demonstrated the characteristics of successful thinking. In her idea of diet and fitness Lacy demonstrated the opposite.

You may be wondering how does one swing the thinking pendulum from fitness failure to fitness success and make it stay to fitness success?

If "one" is willing to change some basic fundamentals in thought the process can be happen with great ease and simplicity. Outlined below are five things you can do to adopt the fitness mindset and easily be as fit as you decide to be;

1. Do NOT set goals for yourself. When you set a goal you create an expectation that is formulated from a desire. Very often people will set a goal that they do not believe in their hearts they can achieve, but it would be nice. There are many small things that must be done in order for a big "goal" to materialize. Additionally, not accomplishing a goal often leads to feelings of disappointment, failure; resentments and the end of the New Year's resolution to be in shape. Instead of definitive goal setting you can:

2. Decide to move the direction of fitness and wellness:

There are many ways to exercise, with none being "the ultimate workout" or supreme to the rest. Selecting an activity that you can decide to enjoy is a key element to lasting exercise success. Make the decision to eat foods than help you feel well, not frenzied. If something is called a die-t you may be better off passing and selecting a different way of eating. It is relatively common knowledge at this point that low carb is not the most effective choice in weight loss. Do you homework about nutrition and:

3. Let go of the habits that are not working, including thinking!

If you have decided to want to change something you are going to have to do something different than what you have been doing to get you to this point. Assess the way you think about yourself. If you think of yourself as not being able to stick to a fitness program, or someone who is constantly struggling to get in shape decide to think different thoughts. You can do this by:

4. Asking yourself a series of questions:

If being in shape is what you want; hold that question in mind and ask yourself what would it take to do that?

By going inside and looking to your own higher consciousness for answers there is no limit as to what you can discover. This process works best when you make the decision to take time for yourself on a daily basis to inquire inward. When you make a regular practice of inquiring inward you will discover many things. To materialize and experience them you must:

5. Take Action!

What you discover by looking inward you can materialize through your actions. Through a series of small actions repeated on a regular basis you can materialize and experience a big change.

You have the ability to make the coming year your personal best starting with the moment or right now. When your right now is good, things that you enjoy can naturally happen without even having to make a whole lot of effort. It all starts in your mind!

Copyright 2005 Paul Bunting

Paul Bunting offers life, fitness, and spiritual coaching / guidance. To learn more or to contact the author visit http://www.paulbunting.net

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Life Fitness Equipment for Every Type of Workout

Life Fitness equipment is among the best in the world. Life Fitness is a global company specializing in superior fitness equipment that is designed to provide you with a complete body workout and give you quality construction that is unsurpassed in the fitness industry. Professional athletes, military personnel, health clubs, and Olympic medalists can all attest to the superb design and effectiveness of Life Fitness equipment.
Life Fitness offers equipment for every type of workout you can possibly imagine. Life Fitness equipment is in the higher price range as fitness equipment goes, but the quality and sleek design are superior to most other brands. If you are searching for fitness equipment for your home or business, Life Fitness can provide you with every imaginable type of exercise equipment and you will receive the most durable, rugged machines in existence today.

Life Fitness manufactures equipment for the casual user at home to serious professional that require vigorous workouts on professional equipment. Life Fitness is a world renowned manufacturer of top quality fitness equipment and you can be assured that in purchasing from Life Fitness you will be receiving the most durable, effective fitness equipment available today.

The Life Fitness company started in 1968 with a modest line of equipment and products. Since that time Life Fitness has grown into a global force in fitness and exercise equipment. The Life Fitness company is dedicated to helping people achieve their fitness goals and providing the public with top quality equipment that is made to last. Life Fitness can be purchased online, through various retailers, and there are great deals available on used Life Fitness equipment.

Ken Austin is the webmaster at [http://www.onlinehomegym.com] and [http://fitness-equipment.mynichesites.com]

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Top 10 Ways to Gauge Your Fitness

It may be difficult to measure your fitness level if you wish to understand how healthy you are, or if you are starting a new workout regimen. Everyone's fitness level is different, and are personally based on factors in a few different categories including aerobic fitness, muscular fitness, flexibility and body composition. Fitness is more than how fast or long you can run, how much weight you can lift or what your body looks like in a bathing suit. If you want to know how healthy and fit your body is, try assessing your fitness level with these tests:

- Resting Heart Rate (RHR)- Your resting heart rate can be a good, simple indication of your overall fitness level. The number of times your heart beats each minute, asses your aerobic fitness capacity. When your body is at rest and relaxed, count the number of heart beats you feel in a 60 second time period. A lower RHR corresponds to a stronger cardiovascular system and higher aerobic fitness level.

- 1 Mile Run (or brisk walk)- This test indicates the level your cardiovascular fitness is at. Using a flat and measurable route, see how long it takes you to complete 1 mile running, or if you have to, walking quickly. If you don't get winded or dizzy you are in a good fitness position; if you do, you need to work on improving your cardiovascular fitness. Ideally, you should be able to complete one mile in 9 minutes or less.

- Push Ups- Push ups are a great exercise for overall fitness, and can be a good indicator of upper body strength and endurance levels. There are many people that have trouble performing even one proper push-up. This exercise involves the shoulders, chest, triceps, abdominals and some legs, and are a great way to asses your upper body fitness. See how many you can do in row; women should aim for 12 and men should aim for 20.

- Wall Sit- This exercise is used to asses lower body and leg strength and endurance. "Sitting" in an invisible chair with your back up against a wall for as long as possible, is a good way to gauge your lower body fitness, as well as the endurance in your leg muscles. With your knees at a right angle, breathe freely while seeing how long you can hold the position.

- Flexibility- Fitness is also a measure of how flexible your body is. To asses flexibility, sit on the floor with your legs stretched out, and then try to reach and touch your toes. If you can't touch your toes this does not mean you are not fit, many people can't reach this far. However, you definitely need to work on this area of fitness if you can't reach much further than your knees. Flexibility is important to overall health, so work on stretching each day to improve flexibility and fitness.

- Balance- Like flexibility, balance is also an important factor in good fitness. An overall healthy body relies heavily on being well balanced, and the risk or injury and broken bones from falls increases drastically with age. To asses your fitness level in this area, try standing on one foot with your arms at your sides for a period of one minute. If you feel as if you may fall, stand close to a wall, table or chair. Work on improving fitness levels in balance, try practicing exercises that focus on and promote good balance like yoga or Pilates.

- Plank- This is a great exercise to asses your core strength and stability. Your fitness level relies on those deep, stabilizing muscles that are in the trunk of your body. Your core strength and fitness can be assessed by practicing holding the plank position for as long as you can. Proper planks are held with the forearms on the floor, toes curled under, and your back straight and parallel to the floor. Doing this exercise each day will increase core muscles and overall fitness.

- Vertical Jump- As kids, this part of our fitness level was certainly up to par, and used often. However, when you get older it is a much looked over part of overall health that can indicate the power exertion your body possesses as well as the power in your muscle fibers. See how high you can jump with markings on a wall or a 2-foot tall box.

- Waist to Hip Ratio- This fitness test is used to asses body fat distribution. The waist to hip ratio indicates the proportion of fat stored around the waist compared to hip girth. Those who hold more weight in their midsection as belly fat, are more likely to experience health problems like heart disease and diabetes, as well as a lower fitness level. To calculate your waist to hip ratio, measure the circumference of the widest part of your hips, and smallest part of your waist. Then divide the waist measurement by the measurement of your hips. For women, a healthy ratio is less than .8, and for men it's less than .9.

- Burpees- This full body exercise is a good way to indicate your fitness level if you can do even a few in a row. A burpee is an intense workout that challenges your muscular fitness, cardiovascular fitness, endurance and body power. Perform as many as possible in one minute to really test and push your fitness level.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kelly_L_Wade

5 Fitness Tips That You Must Know

Fitness is something which we all wish to have. But nowadays, life is moving at a jet speed and this has given rise to a number of factors that is taking a toll on our health and adversely affecting our fitness. Diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis, thyroid glands malfunctioning etc. are stealthily creeping into our lives, deteriorating life quality and also shortening life span.

Certain bad habits like sedentary lifestyle, junk food habit, lack of physical activity, smoking, drinking etc. have taken us miles away from fitness in the recent times. It is a good thing however that people have started to become aware of the negative impact of these habits and are trying to control them. They are trying to gather fitness tips to stay healthy and happy. This article will provide you with some important fitness tips.
To follow these tips you need not be a fitness freak. Just steer clear of the bad habits and you can automatically abide by the fitness tips.

Here follows the fitness tips:

1. You have to be very specific with your fitness goals. It is not just enough setting a fitness goal. For instance aim at shedding 2 inches off your waistline through your daily work-outs. If you set 2 inches as your specific target, you will know how much exactly you will have to shed and that will give an impetus to your efforts. However make sure that you fix realistic fitness goals for yourself. Unrealistic goals will only shatter your confidence.

2. Adopt a fitness workout plan and chalk out a routine. You can take the help of a personal fitness trainer while doing so. This is one of the most important fitness tips. Your chances of succeeding in your fitness goal increase a tenfold if you follow a structured fitness routine or plan. Nowadays customizable fitness plans are available online too.

3. There is a tendency among fitness freaks to over-train themselves. This is very wrong. If you do so, you may soon lose interest in the workout or may even hurt yourself. The rule is to increase the fitness training timings bit by bit and not all at once. This is another vital fitness tip.

4. Select your own fitness role-models. Read about them and draw adequate inspiration from their journey. If possible put up their photos on the walls of your exercise room. That will be a constant source of mental boost up for you.

5. Nutrition affects your fitness to a great extent. So you need to eat a diet that has the nutritional ability to make you fit. Your diet should be a balanced diet consisting of good fats, natural carbohydrates and lean proteins. Seeds and nuts like sunflower seeds, almonds and walnuts are the main sources of good fats.

Veggies and fruits are the main sources of natural carbohydrates. Red meat, chicken, poultry, fish are the main sources of lean proteins. Nutrition-related fitness tip is one of the most popular fitness tips.

So these are some important fitness tips. Follow these tips to live a hale and hearty life.

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Free Weight Loss Pills - Do They Really Work?

Obesity is the most prevalent problem in the society nowadays. That is why people are looking for the easiest way to lose weight. The life in the metropolitan is too fast and people are living in a world that demands quick solution to their problems. When it comes to weight loss, the easiest way to consume tons of diet pills and the industry of weight loss pills profits a lot! There is a current trend in the market called free weight loss pills. For free, yes! It's for free. Do they really work?

Thus, even if there are a large number of free weight loss diet pills in the market, only some are proven to be sufficient. This article will inform those weight conscious individual to be more objective in availing the free weight loss diet pills. Maintaining health and fitness is not a joke, it is important to change the quality of life to a healthy lifestyle. Being fit means positive changes in life.

Because of the increasing number of people who are dealing with weight problems, many of these pills can be found online. The companies distributing these weight loss pills are claiming to help in losing weight. This company provides hopes for fast and easy weight loss. Some are proven to be effective and has no long term side effects.

These pills are known as blockers. The drugs like orlistat or organic dietary supplements are available online. Free weight loss pills websites gets their email inbox 100% full from people who wants to shed all their unwanted pounds the easiest way and at the same time not spending too much. These people are the ones who wants to lose weight but not certain where to begin. The purpose if these websites is to guide these people with some advises while trying their pills. These websites are not just there to make money. They also want to be the first one to help people who want to lose weight, be their guiding light.

The facts behind these pills is not common knowledge to people who are taking these drugs. It is not because they are not well-informed but because they are escaping the truth. They did not know that the truth can set them free from the fad. The truth can lead them to the true weight loss direction. There are many pills that claim that in taking their pills there will be no diet programs and exercise needed. Moreover, they also claim that their pills will result to permanent weight loss.

The real score is, the claim of these pills, no diet nor is exercise needed is not realistic unless the person will be able to process his or her emotional and psychological issues about losing weight. Everything, long and lasting in any endeavour especially in losing should be gradual. The easier is the weight loss triple is the weight gain. Free weight loss pill will just triple the weight loss.

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fitness program motivation

The main obstacle to staying on track with a fitness program is losing motivation. People are just starting an exercise program can find themselves quickly tired of the same routine. Keeping exercise appealing and maintaining a good fitness perspective is key to long-term success.

If you have to watch the exact same episode of your favorite television show every day for the rest of your life, you would probably be banging your head against the wall by the end of the week. You would change the channel, pick up a book, or do anything you could to avoid something you once enjoyed.

Yet, many people starting on a fitness program feel compelled to follow the same routine, day after day after day, and consequently fall off the exercise wagon.

Most people would want the services of a fitness trainer in order to provide them the different portions of the fitness program in a livelier style.

Fitness trainers are actually experts in analyzing and creating a fitness program that is right for you. They are the ones who will calculate your appropriateness to a certain program with regards to your "fitness level," create the program according to your specific needs, and keep you stimulated and inspired by giving you activities that will not bore you.

But then again, as with other entities included in the fitness world, not all fitness trainers are created equal. They may vary from the different trainings that they have, the health education they have acquired, and the skills that they have learned.

It is important to consider some factors that will determine if a certain fitness trainer is right for you. Here is how to find the fitness trainer that fits you:

1. The Fitness Trainers Certification. Like any item or product, the quality is sometimes measured and determined through the certification. Before you choose your fitness trainer, it is important to verify if the trainer is duly certified by a highly regarded fitness association.

It is also best to choose a fitness trainer that has a CPR certification or first aid qualifications.

2. The Fitness Trainers Education/Trainings. Be sure to choose a fitness trainer who had acquired an adequate training and education as far as health and physical fitness is concerned.

Even though it is not necessary, fitness trainers who have acquired education connected to physical fitness or any other related field will definitely have an edge over the others.

3. The Fitness Trainer should know how to give the right attention. A good fitness trainer should know how to provide his or her client an undivided attention whenever their session is going on. In this way, the trainer will be able to focus more on the details that need attention and offer immediate considerations.

4. The Fitness Trainer should know how to track development It is best to choose a fitness trainer that knows how to track his or her client's progress as far as fitness is concerned. In this way, the trainer will be able to generate new activities and trainings designated for a particular result of the client.

5. Does your Fitness Trainer have a Good Personality? Since you will be dealing most with your fitness trainer, it is best if you will look for somebody with a compatible personality, somebody whom you can be comfortable with.

The services of a fitness program center and the contributions it can give you while working out on those belly fat, are, indeed, one of the best help that you can get from a professional person who knows what he is doing.

It is best to choose the best fitness trainer who can give you the best fitness program services that you need so that you will never get bored again.

Steven Godlewski is a self-made millionaire and is currently working with Life Force International products. He has an extensive background in nutrition as well as other health related fields. For more health-related articles and a FREE bottle of Liquid Vitamins see their website at: http://www.pillfreevitamins.com SEE video at: [http://www.emii-dcf.org]

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Portable Fitness Equipment

Since I first began personal training in 1985 people have stated basically the same goals: To lose fat and gain muscle, improve athleticism, heal the body,increase movement skills, spend little money and train whenever and wherever they wanted. I am pretty sure you want the same, but there's a problem. Maybe you travel, it's hard to get to the gym, or maybe you don't like the gym and/or you can't afford to build your own machine laden gym at home? So what do you do? Well the answer has been here for over 30 years. The answer to true physical fitness is portable fitness equipment from the Monkey Bar Gym! Portable fitness equipment has evolved from the light resistance bands and ankle weights they use in aerobic classes. Today portable fitness equipment is literally all you need to get into the greatest shape of your life. Whether your goal is basic overall fitness, strength, conditioning OR high level sports performance you can get it all with portable fitness equipment.

How do I know this? It is all I have ever done and all that my dad Bobby Hinds has ever done. My Dad started the beginnings of portable fitness equipment with the beaded jump rope and training program in 1973, which sparked the Jump Rope for Heart program. He followed it up in 1976 with the first ever Portable Gym. Back in the day people thought my dad was crazy...still do , but he was way ahead of his time. He saw a huge need for people to stay in shape while on the road, traveling, working out at home or outside. He knew that not everyone wanted to workout on machines, or had the money, time or drive to workout in a gym or inside for that matter. So, he took it upon himself to change it and the fitness world has never been the same.

Today, portable fitness equipment can do everything you desire in your fitness training: YOU CAN get stronger, leaner, improve athletic performance, heal & prevent injuries, increase movement skills, spend little money and train anywhere you want, anytime you want!!! Portable fitness equipment can also allow you to follow an online training program, almost like having your own personal trainer! Because of all of these tremendous benefits, portable fitness equipment is a common term in the fitness industry. I feel my Dad and his company, Lifeline USA, are a huge reason for portable fitness equipment being such an integral part of the fitness industry today. I have always believed in portable fitness equipment, so much that I opened up my Monkey Bar Gymnasium in 2001. It is the first hard core strength and conditioning training facility in the country that uses ONLY portable fitness equipment!

"Full body anywhere, anytime training is all we do and all we've ever done" says Monkey Bar Gymnasium, Certified Natural Trainer, Jessica Rucker. "We teach movement mastery first and then add resistance via portable fitness equipment. Using Resistance cables, Kettlebells, Jungle Gyms, Med & D-balls, Jump Ropes, Power Push ups, Power Jumpers, Vertical Jumpers and Power Wheels all add more challenge to basic bodyweight movements, thus taking them to the next level. It's clearly the main reason everyone who trains with us either online or at the Monkey Bar Gymnasium is incredibly fit".

So what exactly is portable fitness equipment? Any piece of exercise equipment that you can easily pack and take anywhere in the world and get a tremendous workout. That is why my dad's first Portable Gym's tag line was "a gym in a bag". Portable fitness equipment gives you a great workout, not just an okay one.

IT WORKS!! A workout with really good portable fitness equipment improves your strength (functional muscle), conditioning (leaner body), sports performance, agility, mobility, stability, strength and power. Want proof, At the Monkey Bar Gymnasium we AVERAGE 17 lbs of fat loss and 5.4 lbs of muscle gain over the first 60 days of training...did I mention, only using portable fitness equipment!

More Proof. On a recent road trip, Jessica and I brought along all of our favorite Portable Fitness Equipment, a Power Push Up, Jungle Gym, TNT Cable, Power Wheel, Power Jump Rope and even the new Lifeline Kettlebell. Yes, the Lifeline Kettlebell. This may not be a true piece of portable fitness equipment, but it is a heavier version, it still is portable and definitely is fitness equipment. On our road trip we really put all of the portable fitness equipment to the test.

Could we drive more than 3,000 miles & get great workouts at the same time? The answer was definitely YES!!Every hour we drove, we stopped and did a killer set with each piece of equipment. One hour we did a set of squat presses with the TNT Cable, the next hour a killer set of chins and rows with the Jungle Gym, the next hour 100 doubles jumping rope as fast as possible, the next hour 40 snatches each arm with the Lifeline Kettlebell. Honestly, it was amazing! Each set only took us 3 minutes! When we would get back in the car we felt incredible! We were totally energized and ready to go and looked forward to the next hour and what we would do. By the end of the day, we had without question, gotten a heck of a workout and we were both tired but very satisfied in knowing that we not only can do these workouts anywhere at anytime, but that working out with Portable Fitness Equipment is the best way to attain ultimate fitness.

The World is your Playground" workout anywhere / anytime (AA), indoors or outside!!!

Lets lay out a Backpack of Portable Fitness Equipment for you to workout AA!!

1) Jungle Gym: Pure bodyweight training: chin ups (assisted to kip ups), push ups, dips, rows, flys, assisting pistols /1 leg squats, leg curls, runners, core rollouts and lots more. One piece of equipment that can do full body training for strength & conditioning! Weight about 1.5 lbs, fits in pocket.

2) TNT Cable: Pure resistance training: squats, full extensions, cable cleans, presses, Russian twists, diagonal chops & lifts, resisted running & backpedaling, 1 arm punches, rows and lots more. Weight about 1 lb., fits in large pocket.

3) Power Jump Rope: Pure conditioning training: probably the single best tool for overall full body conditioning. Weight 1.5 lbs, fits in pocket.

We put them all together in the Portable Monkey Bar Gym. It even includes a comprehensive training DVD.

Add more fun to your BackPack with the following:

The Power Push up: Voted Best piece of exercise equipment by Mens Fitness. Can adjust from 20 to 270 lbs of resistance for your push ups. Weight 2.5 lbs., fits in backpack easily.

The Power Jumper: The Best Jump Training device on the market...and it's portable! Get the Jump Training DVD, it's great. You can do all lower body exercises with it too. Athletes average 6-8" improvements over 12 weeks of training. Weight 2.5 lbs, fits in backpack too.

A Note on the Resistance Cables - 3 big points:

1) Non-Fixed ranges of motion - meaning you must react and balance the resistance, this improves motor function and performance greatly.

2) Progressive variable resistance - as cables lengthen they increase in resistance, creating an excellent balance as your leverage becomes greater, it becomes greater!

3) Adjustable resistance - in seconds you can lighten or increase the resistance. This means you can match bodyweight movements with precision resistance, can load or resist up to max loads thus giving covering all levels of strength training from endurance to power.

In general portable fitness equipment is in a league of its own. It's accessible, light weight and convenient but yet can generate max resistance loads if needed or maximum challenge of exercise if needed, it literally can do it all!! With portable fitness equipment you never need to stop your workouts because of business trips or vacations and working out at home with $1,000.00's of dollars of bulky equipment has become a thing of the past. Compare that with a mere $100 or so for all of the above listed portable fitness equipment. You can use portable fitness equipment to perform online training with any of the great sites out there, and achieve incredible results!

If you are interested or have any questions in our portable fitness equipment go to http://www.monkeybargym.com and have fun You can also join our online training, which includes daily workouts, nutrition, goal setting charts, videos of all exercises, all previous workouts, and workout & nutrition journals as well. So now you can train with us, anywhere, anytime, using our same Monkey Bar Gymnasium portable fitness equipment. Look forward to our Road Warriors Training DVD coming soon!

Jon Hinds, CNT Founder, CSCS, CPT, Former NBA Strength Coach, Trainer to the Stars, & inventor of the Power Jumper
Owner & Founder of the Monkey Bar Gymnasium

Monkey Bar Gymnasium
http://www.monkeybargym.com
608.663.7511

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