You already know that exercise is key in losing weight- but what kind of exercise should you do for optimal results?
The most popular type of exercise for weight loss is walking. Walking can be very helpful to help you lose weight- not just to burn calories, but to burn FAT. Since walking is an aerobic exercise, you will actually be burning fat as your main fuel source after about 10-20 minutes. For this reason it is important to walk at a brisk pace for at least 30-60 minutes. The longer the better, but of course, any exercise is better than none at all.
Here are 3 tips to optimize your results:
1) Interval training. Switch it up! Warm up for about 5 minutes, and then do two-minute intervals at alternating different speeds. Jog for two minutes, then walk for two minutes. Don't like to jog? Well, then just walk quite a bit faster; or adjusting the incline can also vary the intensity. This will not only boost your metabolism, but it will help you to burn more fat. Interval training really helps you to get the most out of your time, and maximize your results. All we all know that results are by far the BEST motivation to keep you going!
2) Don't forget the incline. Assuming that you are doing your walking on a treadmill, up the incline a few points. I'm not saying to jack it all the way up (unless you like waking up to aching muscles- hope you live in a one-story :), but increase the incline enough that you can feel it. You will burn more calories and tone your legs, butt, and abs. You will actually burn more calories by walking at an incline at a slower pace, than walking at a faster pace on a flat surface.
3) Ok, this one is a bit weird, but true. You burn around 23% more calories if you walk with your arms straight at your sides. The momentum you build while swinging your arms makes it easier to walk, so when you don't move your arms, your legs have to do all the work. I realize that you will look a bit odd and statuesque... but for a 23% more calorie burn, who cares?
Keep these three tips in mind during your next workout, and remember to aim for about 3-6 workouts a week. Good luck in reaching your weight loss goals!
Showing posts with label weightloss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weightloss. Show all posts
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Liquids and Weightloss for Women
If you think you know exactly how the liquids you consume affect weight loss in women, you may be wrong. I'm sure you have heard the general 'drink 8 glasses of water a day' or to switch your daily soda with diet soda to save calories. But I have a little to add on these topics that will hopefully help you out with those weight loss goals.
First lets start with those 8 glasses of H2O that we all know we need. Drink those. Obviously. But don't gulp them down all at one time. Don't gulp them down with your meals. Of course, if you must do these two things, it's better than not getting your daily requirement. But what would be really effective to keep your metabolism working it's hardest is to get yourself a large jug and sip it throughout the day. Think of your body as a machine- if you oil that machine all at once, yeah, it will work. But won't it work better if you keep it going by slowly oiling it throughout the day? It sure will. And better yet, make sure your water is ice cold. It obviously will seem more refreshing, but your body will also burn a few extra calories just warming it up.
But whats a few extra calories, right? Well actually, say warming up that water burns up 20 extra calories a day- that actually comes out to losing 2.08 pounds a year. Just for drinking your water cold as can be.. simple. Maybe two pounds a year doesn't sounds like much to you- but I'm sure a 21 pound weightloss in a decade sounds nice. I surely don't want to GAIN 21 pounds in the next ten years. (I better not be jinxing myself here)
Also, it is actually best not to drink with your meals. This is obviously against most people's habits, but nonetheless aids with digestion. The liquid that you consume during meal time dillutes stomach acid, therefore making it harder for your body to digest your meal. To further aid digestion- chew your food as finely as you can, so it's really broken down into almost a liquid and much easier to digest. This correlates with weightloss, because the more efficiently your body works as a whole- the easier it will be for you to lose weight.
On to my next topic. Soda. Diet soda. It really bugs me when I browse a diet plan and I see you can drink one fruit juice a day, but 'as much diet soda as you'd like'. I really don't want to bore you with the ingredients of diet soda, but basically you are ingesting chemicals. I know I sound melodramtic, but there are studies linking Asparteme to cancer. Not only that, but soda will inhibit your absorbtion of calcium and also dehydrate you. (Dehydrated skin= bloated, older looking skin, ew). Another fun fact about Asparteme is that it will make you hungrier- your body get's all excited about the sugar that never comes, which will trigger cravings to satisfy that little tease you just pulled. Gee, just what we dieters need.. why is this considered a 'diet' drink again?
And let me clarify, I am not advocating for you to switch back to regular soda. You can take the paint off of a car with Coca Cola. I'm not about to put that in MY body, as I surely don't want you putting it in yours. If you really NEED to drink something soda-like you can get crafty and mix some 100% natural orange or cranberry juice with some soda water. Just make sure to take those calories into consideration once you hit the gym or tally up your calories for the day.
Or drink some tea. Studies have shown that drinking 3-4 cups of green tea a day can help burn up to 50 extra calories. Again, that doesn't sound like much, but it comes out to almost half a pound a month, and 6 pounds per year. And it's super easy... who doesn't like easy?
Some other teas I like are yerba mate, which has about 1/3 the amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee and Oolong Tea. Which is a Chinese tea and known for it's weightloss properties. Get organic if you can (ALWAYS get organic if you can, which I will discuss at a later date).
Alcoholic drinks are a whole other topic, which I will also discuss in detail in another post, but I'll just give a few facts for the sake of being thorough. As depressing as it is, alcoholic drinks are not a dieters friend. Mixed drinks have a ridiculous amount of calories.. basically, you are drinking your dessert (and then some). Which is obviously not condusive to weightloss. I really don't want to ruin your next boozing experience, but a regular margarita that you order in a restaurant can easily have up to 700 calories. Damn sweet and sour mix. So stick to light beer and wine- though the sweeter the wine, the higher the calories.
And a total fun-killing fact: After consuming two standard alcoholic drinks, you're body burns 73% less fat. The main energy source becomes the alcohol, so better lay off the chips and dip, and other various munchies. And no, you alchies- 3 shots each in your two rum-and-diets does not constitute as two standard drinks. But obviously you aren't drinking diet soda- you know better. :)
Thanks for reading my take on how the liquid calories that women consume affect weight loss!
First lets start with those 8 glasses of H2O that we all know we need. Drink those. Obviously. But don't gulp them down all at one time. Don't gulp them down with your meals. Of course, if you must do these two things, it's better than not getting your daily requirement. But what would be really effective to keep your metabolism working it's hardest is to get yourself a large jug and sip it throughout the day. Think of your body as a machine- if you oil that machine all at once, yeah, it will work. But won't it work better if you keep it going by slowly oiling it throughout the day? It sure will. And better yet, make sure your water is ice cold. It obviously will seem more refreshing, but your body will also burn a few extra calories just warming it up.
But whats a few extra calories, right? Well actually, say warming up that water burns up 20 extra calories a day- that actually comes out to losing 2.08 pounds a year. Just for drinking your water cold as can be.. simple. Maybe two pounds a year doesn't sounds like much to you- but I'm sure a 21 pound weightloss in a decade sounds nice. I surely don't want to GAIN 21 pounds in the next ten years. (I better not be jinxing myself here)
Also, it is actually best not to drink with your meals. This is obviously against most people's habits, but nonetheless aids with digestion. The liquid that you consume during meal time dillutes stomach acid, therefore making it harder for your body to digest your meal. To further aid digestion- chew your food as finely as you can, so it's really broken down into almost a liquid and much easier to digest. This correlates with weightloss, because the more efficiently your body works as a whole- the easier it will be for you to lose weight.
On to my next topic. Soda. Diet soda. It really bugs me when I browse a diet plan and I see you can drink one fruit juice a day, but 'as much diet soda as you'd like'. I really don't want to bore you with the ingredients of diet soda, but basically you are ingesting chemicals. I know I sound melodramtic, but there are studies linking Asparteme to cancer. Not only that, but soda will inhibit your absorbtion of calcium and also dehydrate you. (Dehydrated skin= bloated, older looking skin, ew). Another fun fact about Asparteme is that it will make you hungrier- your body get's all excited about the sugar that never comes, which will trigger cravings to satisfy that little tease you just pulled. Gee, just what we dieters need.. why is this considered a 'diet' drink again?
And let me clarify, I am not advocating for you to switch back to regular soda. You can take the paint off of a car with Coca Cola. I'm not about to put that in MY body, as I surely don't want you putting it in yours. If you really NEED to drink something soda-like you can get crafty and mix some 100% natural orange or cranberry juice with some soda water. Just make sure to take those calories into consideration once you hit the gym or tally up your calories for the day.
Or drink some tea. Studies have shown that drinking 3-4 cups of green tea a day can help burn up to 50 extra calories. Again, that doesn't sound like much, but it comes out to almost half a pound a month, and 6 pounds per year. And it's super easy... who doesn't like easy?
Some other teas I like are yerba mate, which has about 1/3 the amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee and Oolong Tea. Which is a Chinese tea and known for it's weightloss properties. Get organic if you can (ALWAYS get organic if you can, which I will discuss at a later date).
Alcoholic drinks are a whole other topic, which I will also discuss in detail in another post, but I'll just give a few facts for the sake of being thorough. As depressing as it is, alcoholic drinks are not a dieters friend. Mixed drinks have a ridiculous amount of calories.. basically, you are drinking your dessert (and then some). Which is obviously not condusive to weightloss. I really don't want to ruin your next boozing experience, but a regular margarita that you order in a restaurant can easily have up to 700 calories. Damn sweet and sour mix. So stick to light beer and wine- though the sweeter the wine, the higher the calories.
And a total fun-killing fact: After consuming two standard alcoholic drinks, you're body burns 73% less fat. The main energy source becomes the alcohol, so better lay off the chips and dip, and other various munchies. And no, you alchies- 3 shots each in your two rum-and-diets does not constitute as two standard drinks. But obviously you aren't drinking diet soda- you know better. :)
Thanks for reading my take on how the liquid calories that women consume affect weight loss!
Welcome to the Weightloss Resource for Women
Thanks for checking out my new resource to help women lose that extra, unwanted weight. Whether you have a long way to go, or you are just looking to get rid of those last five pounds, losing weight can be a drag. Scratch that- it almost ALWAYS is. But getting healthy doesn't have to mean starving yourself or turning down cocktails with your girlfriends every weekend. Actually, to me, that sounds miserable. And last time I checked, misery definitely did not equal healthy.
I, for one, am sick of reading the same weightloss "tips"- that are more or less common sense. And I definitely do not want to shell out a bunch of cash to get some less-than-helpful, but more than enough crazy ebook. So I will be featuring tried, true, and sometimes surprising tricks that will reach your goals.
Grab some coffee (or better yet, green tea), and let's get learnin'! Until next time, Thanks for coming to my Weightloss Resource for Women.
I, for one, am sick of reading the same weightloss "tips"- that are more or less common sense. And I definitely do not want to shell out a bunch of cash to get some less-than-helpful, but more than enough crazy ebook. So I will be featuring tried, true, and sometimes surprising tricks that will reach your goals.
Grab some coffee (or better yet, green tea), and let's get learnin'! Until next time, Thanks for coming to my Weightloss Resource for Women.
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