How to Lose Weight and Keep it Off

From television commercials to magazine articles, from talking with friends and co-workers and to grocery stores marketing their diet foods, everywhere you look and go, you hear about some new diet out there to try. If you look at the millions of diets available in the world today, how is it that people still struggle with weight loss? Obviously, some aren’t the real deal. Below are some tried and true strategies that will help you lose the right way, and keep it off. 

Diet Ditching

Fad diets have a 95% rate of failing. In most cases, weight lost is gained back within five years of a fad diet. Some people gain more weight than they did before they even started a diet. People that believe in diets have often tried several different diets, and are now convincing themselves that the new diet will work, unlike the past diet. This cycle continues on and on, with no significant value at all. This is because dieting focuses far too heavily on things like counting carbohydrates or calories, or eating a special kind of food and nothing else. You become too obsessed with the diet and food and then eventually binge to satisfy a taste you have been missing. Think about it – do you really think you’ll NEVER eat carbs EVER again?

Well, unless you can keep that promise, you’ll gain back every pound you lose. Furthermore, diets slow down your metabolism, because you’re often eating less (another reason you lose weight to begin with), and therefore can make you gain weight down the road. In order to really lose weight, you must focus on how to enjoy foods that are good for you, cut back on foods that are bad for you (without going cold turkey) and how to eat only when we are truly hungry. As you might guess, these are all lifestyle changes. There’s no point in only doing these for a month or two. These should be permanent changes. Now, let’s get started!

Hungry or Full

Learning how to recognize when you are truly hungry and full will really help you to keep weight off. Train yourself to only eat when really hungry, and stop when you are truly full. Keep a book or journal of the foods you eat and this will help you lose more weight. Writing down your levels of hunger, what you eat to curb that hunger, and how much you ate until you were full will help you figure out what works best, to make you feel best. When we journal information such as this, we begin to see patterns for what is working and what is not. 

Eat Slowly

Eating slowly allows time for the body to know when it’s full. If you eat too fast, you’re body does not have the proper time to send the signal to your brain that you’re full. It usually takes about 20 minutes to begin feeling full, so slowing down the time it takes to eat will help you lose weight and keep it off. 

Portion Control

To lose weight and keep it off, try to lower the calories you eat while limiting your portions as well. Never have more than ¾ of your plate covered in food. Drink lots of water with your meal. Often, the problem is simply having too much food in front of you. So, remember that you can always take food home or get a second helping. Perhaps it’s best to split large meals with a friend, or put half of the food you ordered away for later before you begin to eat. If you’re still hungry, you can always take it out! 

Don’t Deny Foods

When you take away a specific food you love, you are depriving yourself and will probably fail. The best way to lose weight and keep it off is by balancing what you eat. If you love cookies, have one smaller cookie after a meal and enjoy it. Stay away from eating three or four, but savor the one you eat. Or, help yourself to quite a few every few days. If you’re trying to cut out pop, allow yourself an indulgence Friday and Saturday nights, but stick with water the rest of the week.

Give up the dieting and change your way of eating altogether for a new, healthy you!

Victoria Richards writes about health, finance & saving money at www.flowerdelivery.net.

Yoga Vs Pilates

Overall, yoga and Pilates aim for the same results, but with different methods. They utilize separate styles of breathing and a different viewpoint. The benefits of both have many similarities, such as weight loss, increased muscle tone, better balance and increased strength. However, familiarizing yourself with the differences between the two may allow you to see the benefits for yourself of one versus the other, and maximize those positives.

Yoga

When beginning yoga, the basics are breathing, how to meditate, and specific poses. The focus is on, well, focus. The poses are a means to an end. Many different poses will be taught, such as arm balancing, twists, standing poses, lunges, and more. Beginners are often surprised at how personal issues can be dealt with quite well with yoga, as this is a big part of yoga’s aims (separating yourself from the daily grind).

Pilates

Pilates teaches people about their own body, as well as how to maintain flexibility. It focuses on building core strength. The main difference from yoga is that Pilates does not utilize meditation or spiritual ideas. Pilates works more on increasing strength, balance & flexibility. You’re more likely to “push” yourself in a pilates class, while in a Yoga class, you’re more likely to back off and concentrate on an exercise that’s more comfortable.

Common Denominators

Where yoga is similar to Pilates is that they both usually open up a body in new ways, especially if you spend all day sitting at a desk. Furthermore, they are great for people of all ages and sizes. If you have achy joints, shin splints or are prone to pulled muscles, either of these can be a great alternative to running, lifting, etc. They also both utilize straps, wedges and other similar props during any exercise.

Mentality

The mentality of yoga is that of Eastern philosophy. It’s all about taking the body and mind to a place of self-discovery. A state of peace (through meditation) is the goal of a yoga session. With Pilates, the focus is more on building the body with strength, versus the mind. While yoga has been around for centuries, Pilates is relatively new, and largely incorporates techniques from Yoga and numerous fitness regimens to achieve its aims.

Movements

With yoga, the movements utilized are static. They are intended to be held for long periods of time. You don’t count with seconds or minutes, but with breaths. It’s all about what works for you. If 10 seconds of stretching is what you like, then that’s what you should do. In Pilates, you’ll do some stretching, but you’ll do just as many repetitive movements. Here, it won’t be about breathing, but a certain number of reps. So, you’ll do 10 leg raises one each side, the same as everyone else in class.

Bottom Line

If you prefer a more physical exercise program, then Pilates may be the better option for you. If you want a more spiritual activity that just happens to make you look and feel better, then yoga may be best for you. Either way, you’ll see increase benefits after a few weeks, and you’ll probably swear by whichever you choose!  My suggestion? Do both! Alternate between the two and do each weekly. You can’t go wrong there! They’ll likely help each other out. 

Tyler Hudgens writes about fitness, saving money & frequenting www.termlifeinsurance.org.

How To Press to Handstand!

I’m noticing that I’m getting a lot of super fit viewers out there that are interested in doing some more challenging exercises doing Calisthenics, so today this one is for you guys.  This is not necessary for your general health and wellness, but for those trying to learn a Press to handstand.  You see, there are many ways to end up in a handstand.  You can Kick up, jump up from a straddle, press up from a straddle, press from a pike, or an L sit, or even do a dip swing to Handstand.  But, here are the fundamentals of pressing to a handstand.

You want to start your press to handstand in a straddle stance with your hands on the ground.  Keep Those elbows straight and lean your shoulders forward over your wrists to counterbalance the weight from your lower body.  Focus on Getting your Hips over your wrists.  Once your hips are over your wrists, then you can extend your legs up to handstand.  Same thing for doing this with your feet together, its just a bit more difficult which means you have to lean over your wrists more, and use those shoulders, traps, and Rhomboids even more to extend that shoulder angle.  

You can also start in a straddle L and press up on paralletes, or perfect pushups.  The same principles apply, leaning your shoulders forward, and getting your butt over your shoulders.  It is also extremely helpful to work on the Reverse movement, starting in a handstand and lowering slowly to either a straddle stand, or a straddle L.  

If you get that down, you can do the press from an L-Sit and press to handstand.  This one is very tuff, and it requires some hamstrings flexibility to get those feet through without bending the knees.  
As always, be careful and gauge your ability level to see which progression is right for you.  All these variations are not for everyone. 

Dips Workout!

Here are some ways you can do some Dips Variations in Your Next Workout!  From beginners on the bench, to swinging dips to handstand, it's all in this video.  Of course be safe, and have fun with this great exercise!

The Benefits of Aerobic Exercise for Weight Loss and Fitness

Aerobic exercise, such as jogging, Zumba and a variety of other activities, is a great way to lose weight, get in shape and tone your body up. It has countless benefits, but here are some of my favorites!

Increased Stamina
Aerobic exercise uses your body's natural need for oxygen, and as such, aerobic exercise takes place over a fairly long period of time. However, aerobic exercise done over and over again will allow you to exercise longer and longer. This increased physical endurance will apply to all sorts of different physical activity, and anything from going on a walk to cleaning the house will be much easier.

Weight Loss

If you pair aerobic exercise with a balanced, healthy diet, then you'll lose weight and keep it off. Even if you’re lifting weights, you’ll still lose weight, because you’ll be burning fat! For those that want to slim down instead of bulking up, aerobic workouts are the perfect solution.

A Stronger Heart
Your heart is perhaps one of the strongest muscles in your body, and getting regular exercise helps it stay in shape. Aerobic workouts, where your heartbeat gets pounding, helps your heart take your daily work in stride. So the more often you get a good dose of aerobic exercise, the stronger your heart gets, and the less likely it is to get sick.

Eliminate Bad Cholesterol
When you get aerobic exercise in, your body boosts up the amount of high density lippoprotein (what people think of as "good" cholesterol) and it cuts down on the amount of low density lippoprotein (what you'd consider "bad" protein). This can be a great boost for those dealing with cholesterol problems, or who just want to keep their arteries clear from all possible blockages over the years.

Increased Physical Longevity
When you get the proper amount of aerobic exercise your body will last longer, physically, than if you didn't. This means that as you age you will experience fewer aches and pains than other people your age, and you'll be able to remain physically active and independent as long as you maintain your muscles and joints. More physical activity means stronger joints and muscles, and fewer injuries. It's entirely possible that, with proper exercise and eating, you can remain active and healthy your entire life.

Longer Life
Studies have shown, according to the Mayo Clinic, that if you exercise properly and you include aerobic exercise in your routine, then you are more likely to live a longer life. The overall health benefits that are provided to those that regularly engage in aerobic exercise is enough to add years onto your span.

These are all compelling reasons to get up off the couch and go for a walk, sign up for a Zumba class or start jogging a couple times a week. Just remember that while aerobic exercise is good for you, you have to pace yourself and do what your body is capable of handling. After all, too much of a good thing can lead to problems with your body, rather than solutions that will allow you to stay healthy.

Michelle Rodriguez writes about saving money, health & www.healthinsurancequotes.org.