update - 49kg/112lb lost horay!

Meep meep!

Time for my update again! Things are going great! ive lost 49kg/112lb (at a guess).

Have been back at work and therefore very busy!

Ive been doing more cycling lately and less weights.
Weights burn less calories, cycling more. Though i still go to the gym and maintain what I have.
Ive had to buy more clothes than ever before because they just dont fit. there is only so far you can wear REALLY baggy clothes for lol.
I have lots of friends in lots of sizes and we're doing great clothes swaps which helps. As i grow out of clothes i give them to the larger friends and as i grow into sizes friends give me their old clothes from when they used to be smaller or bigger or whatever. And ive had to buy new underwear and a few other things.

I have 2 weddings to go to in the next couple weeks, currently my hair is pink and yellow, im guessing i should probably go natural ... or blonde again (like the pic on my profile).

Not to sure what I'll do yet anyway, ill see and post pics :)

Its been a while since i posted .. update

Okay well sorry its been a while
I actually started a proper website to get the basics into, its here at http://weight-loss.co.nz

Ive now lost 47kg/104lb and still going strong. Its been 6 1/2 months so im doing great!

Heres some before/during - this was at 44kg lost

Nutritional calculators

Nutritional calculators are a great way to work out how much is in food you have baked or cooked yourself :)

Check this one out
http://www.nutritiondata.com/index.html

how to work out how many calories are in something

If it doesnt have Kilojoules or Calories on the packet try this little formula

Cals = fat X 9 + (carb - fiber) X 4 + protein X 4 + alcohol X 7

Foods with "Negative Calories"

These would be foods that are allowed to be eaten by anybody sticking to the Catabolic diet or the 'Negative Calorie" diet. The idea is that you burn more fat eating these foods, than if you were simply fasting.

• apples
• apricots
• artichokes
• asparagus
• beet greens
• beets
• blackberries
• blueberries
• broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• buffalo fish
• cabbage
• cantaloupe
• carrots
• cauliflower
• celeriak
• celery
• cherries
• chervil
• chicory
• Chinese cabbage
• chives
• clams
• cod
• corn
• crabs
• cranberries
• cucumbers
• currants
• Damson plum
• dandelion greens
• eggplant
• endive
• flounder
• frogs legs
• garlic
• grapefruit
• grapes
• green beans
• honeydew
• huckleberries
• kale
• kohlrabi
• kumquats
• leeks
• lemons
• lettuce
• limes
• lobster
• loganberries
• mangoes
• mushrooms
• muskmelons
• mussels
• mustard greens
• nectarines
• okra
• onions
• oranges
• oysters
• papaya
• parsley leaves
• parsnips
• peaches
• pears
• peas
• peppers (capsicum)
• pineapple
• pomegranates
• prunes
• pumpkin
• quince
• radishes
• raspberries
• red cabbage
• rhubarb
• rutabagas
• salsify
• sauerkraut
• scallions
• sea bass
• shrimps
• sorrel
• spinach
• squash
• steaks
• strawberries
• string beans
• tangerines
• terrapin
• tomato
• turnips
• watercress
• watermelon

Burning calories - the fast way, and the slow way

Burning calories - the fast way, and the slow way

In January's Food Magazine we gave a list of of calorie expenditure for different physical activities in our 'What the Doctor Reads' report. Since then we have received several letters requesting information on calorie use for more sedentary behaviour.

Some teachers, for instance, wrote to say that they would find information about sedentary activities useful, to help children make the comparison between playing sport and watching sport.

Two tables follow, one showing calorie expenditure during sedentary behaviour, the other showing calorie expenditure during different activities over a 20 minute period.

Energy expenditure and activity - sedentary behaviour This table gives the energy you would expend above your basal level (measured asleep). As you will see, some of the 'activities' burn so few calories they are hardly worth recording. A sign of the times, perhaps.
	Kcalories
Using TV remote control	<1
Getting up to change TV channel	3
Sitting, talking on the phone, 30 min	4
Letting dog out of the back door	2
Walking the dog, 30 minutes	125
Using pre-cut vegetables	0
Washing, cutting vegetables, 15 min	12
Using auto car wash	18
Washing and waxing car, 1 hour	300
Using a lift, 3 floors	<1
Walking up 3 floors	15
Sending email to colleague, 4 min	2
Walking and talking to colleague, 4 min	6
Shopping on-line, 1 hour	30
Shopping, pushing trolley, 1 hour	200
Source: Mayo Clinic Proceedings (77) 2002

Burning calories during different activities The following chart shows approximate calorie expenditure for a range of activities:
Activity	Kcalories used in 20 minutes of activity
Aerobic dancing - low intensity, equivalent to walking	80
Aerobic dancing - medium intensity, equivalent to jogging	130
Aerobic dancing - high intensity, equivalent to running	170
Bed making	100
Cleaning windows	60
Cleaning stairs	65
Climbing stairs (72 steps per minute)	95
Climbing stairs (92 steps per minute)	130
Cycling on flat ground ('own speed')	125
Dancing (waltz)	130
Dusting	70
Gardening	110
Golf	100
Knitting	25
Office work (general)	25
Operating electric sewing machine	25
Playing cricket	160
Playing pool	65
Playing squash	200
Playing tennis	140
Playing football	140
Playing table tennis	90
Playing cards	40
Running (speed unspecified)	190
Sitting typing	30
Walking on the level (1-2 km per hour)	45
Walking on the level (4-5 km per hour)	85
Watching football	40
Source: Human Energy Requirements: A manual for planners and nutritionists, by WPT James and EC Schofield, published by the Oxford University Press (1990).

Fitness and Diet Tips

Found this blog - very similar to my own.

Fitness and Diet Tips

Weight Loss Plateau

Since i seem to have hit a Plateau...

Why Does a Weight Loss Plateau Occur?

A plateau may occur because (1) your body simply wants a "rest" to cope with your calorie-reduction; or (2) your calorie-intake is in balance with your calorie expenditure; or (3) you have reduced your calorie-intake too low. If your calorie-intake is too low, your body thinks there is a "famine" and slows down your metabolism (how fast you burn calories) in order to conserve calories.

How Do You Start Losing Weight Again?

(1) Raise your metabolism (and calorie expenditure) by increasing your activity level. This boosts your metabolic rate and usually re-starts weight loss. For example, if you exercise for 20 minutes each day, increase this to 25-30 minutes each day, and weight loss should resume. If you are already exercising quite hard, try varying your workout routine. For example, if you do 20 minutes cardio and 30 minutes strength-training, switch them around.

(2) Avoid going too long without food. Going without food for long periods can also trigger a weight loss plateau. Ideally eat something (e.g. piece of fruit) every 3 hours (women) or about every 5 hours (men). This reassures your body that food is plentiful and facilitates calorie-burning.

(3) Try to be patient. Your weight loss plateau will disappear, I promise. But it typically takes anything between 1-4 weeks.

50 Biggest Dieting Mistakes

this is according to ediets:

50 mistakes made by dieters

1. Going on a diet that is NOT a manner of eating that can't be adhered to for life.

2. Believing they can eat cabbage soup every day.

3. Obsessing over counting calories.

4. Weighing in more than once a week.

5. Not drinking enough water.

6. Drinking sugar-laden drinks, such as lemonade, sodas, gourmet coffees, fruity blends, etc.

7. Eating more bread, pasta and potatoes than proteins, lean meats, fruits and vegetables.

8. Consuming processed foods more often than fresh foods.

9. Taking the benefits away from vegetables and fruits by overcooking them.

10. Having a negative, defeatist attitude.

11. Blaming others for their shortcomings.

12. Being quick to judge.

13. Not having a plan.

14. Not being aware of the nutritional benefits or harm of what they consume.

15. Finishing every last bite even after they are full.

16. Going back for seconds.

17. Eating at all-you-can-eat buffets and getting their money's worth.

18. Skipping breakfast.

19. Starving all day, thinking it’s the only way to lose weight.

20. Bingeing after falling off the wagon and then waiting until tomorrow to get back on track.

21. Thinking they are genetically destined to be fat.

22. Not believing they have the ability to change.

23. Confusing fat with a personality trait.

24. Thinking they are unattractive.

25. Not living each day to the fullest. Thinking that will come when they are thinner.

26. Wasting time.

27. Not finishing tasks they start.

28. Postponing tasks that need attention.

29. Rationalizing.

30. Thinking pills, powders or potions are more powerful than they really are in realizing weight loss.

31. Thinking of exercise as a must do or chore.

32. Not scheduling exercise as a vital part of their day or week.

33. Indulging in alcohol often.

34. Watching sports rather than participating in sports.

35. Watching television more than one hour a day.

36. Not giving much attention to personal hygiene or appearance.

37. Refusing to read self-improvement materials on a regular basis.

38. Giving up and resigning to being fat.

39. Finishing the food off others' plates while doing dishes.

40. Tasting and nibbling on the food while cooking.

41. Baking cookies, pies and cakes more often than at holidays.

42. Always having candy in dishes for guests, but eating more of it themselves.

43. Buying unhealthy snack items for the kids but eating it themselves.

44. Not having vegetables and/or fruit with each meal.

45. Serving more carbohydrates than any other food group for meals.

46. Thinking dieting -- not total lifestyle change -- will lead to lasting weight loss.

47. Not visualizing themselves actually living a healthy lifestyle.

48. Not taking vitamins and proper supplements.

49. Consuming fast food on a regular basis.

50. Waiting for tomorrow to get started rather than RIGHT NOW!

If you see yourself in any of these mistakes, then it is time to change. After all, what do you have to lose?!

Always eat more than 1200 calories a day!

A 5'2" 19 year old female weighing 100 pounds (which is WAY too small anyways but this is the example given)... needs 1,200 calories to just sit around all day and do nothing. This is how it's broken down (scientifically)

-The heart needs 12% of the calories (144 cals)
-The kidney needs 12% of the calories (144 cals)
-The Liver needs 23% of the calories (276 cals)
-The brain needs 23% of the calories (276 cals)
-The skeletal muscle needs 30% of the calories (360 cals)

You should also think about calorie cycling. You see the human body adapts to our environment and to our lifestyle. So if you eat the same caloric intake each and every day, the body adapts. So you need to stay one step ahead of the body. On a cardio day, decrease your calories by 200, and the next day increase it by 200. Do this a couple of times per week, and hopefully you will avoid the dreaded plateau. Besides you are moving away from needing to focus on fat loss, now you should focus on keeping the muscle mass and growing it. At 5'5 and 17% body fat, your "weight" includes alot of lean muscle. So your BMI may not be accurate.

Muscle is called "active tissue" because it requires a lot of energy to maintain itself. In fact, every pound of new muscle you add to your body will burn about 60 calories per day. That can really add up. Look at the chart below:

The Fat Burning Effect of Muscle

Pounds of New Muscle	Pounds of fat burned per month	Pounds of fat burned per year
1	0.5	6
3	1.5	19
5	2.6	31
10	5.1	62
12	6.2	74
15	7.7	93
20	10.3	123

By adding just 10 pounds of muscle to your body, it will burn off 62 pounds of fat over the next year! And it will keep burning those extra calories year after year. That means that when you've lost the fat, you can eat a lot more and not gain back the fat. Also, with less fat and more muscle, your body will have the lean, toned, fit look that every man aspires to.

So by combining aerobics with strength training, you can transform your body in the shortest possible time, and keep it lean and muscular year round without starving yourself on a low-calorie diet.

More info on exercise and calories

The best cardio exercise is simply the one you will do day in and day out consistently. Choose one which you enjoy doing and don't be afraid to mix the exercises up. Interval cardio work consists of moving from one exercise to another in set time intervals. For example, you could do the elliptical trainer for 15 minutes, then switch to the stationary bike for another 15 minutes and finish off on the treadmill for the last 15 minutes. Interval training is a great way to keep everything fresh!

There are two schools of though when it comes to cardio training. The "slow & steady" group and the "high intensity" group. These two groups breakdown like this:

Slow & Steady Cardio

* Long duration (45min - 1 hour)
* Low intensity
* Burn fat and not carbs
* Preserve joints

High Intensity Cardio

* Short duration (20min - 30min)
* High intensity (interval training)
* Burn tons of calories & rev up your metabolism throughout the day
* Treat cardio like weights - explosive movements (sprinting, etc)

Our advice is to try both for at least 6 weeks and make sure to monitor your progress with a journal and take weekly photos of yourself to see if you're truly losing body fat.

Which Cardio Exercise Burns the Most Calories?
Below are the top 10 cardio exercises which burn the most calories in 30 minutes.

1. Step Aerobics - one of the most favorite cardio exercises preferred by women. Step Aerobics mainly target your legs, hips and glutes, and can burn approx. 400 calories in 30 minutes.

2. Bicycling - stationary or outdoors is a great cardio exercises, depending on resistance and speed can but 250 to 500 calories in 30 minutes.

3. Swimming - like cross-country skiing is an excellent cardio exercises as it is a full body exercises. Swimming is a great cross-training for other cardio activities. Doing the breast stroke can burn approx. 400 calories in 30 minutes.

4. Racquetball - side to side sprinting makes racquetball and excellent cardio exercises. A 145-lb person burns over 400 calories in 30 minutes.

5. Rock Climbing - is not only a cardio exercises, but also uses arm and leg strength and power. Rock Climbing can burn up to 380 calories in 30 minutes.

6. Cross-Country Skiing - whether on a machine or outdoors on snow, is an incredible cardio exercises as it involves both upper and lower body. A 145 lb person can burn approx 330 calories in 30 minutes.

7. Running - Running is an excellent cardio exercises because all you need is a pair of quality running shoes. Running burns serious calories. A 145 LB person can easily burn 300 calories in 30 minutes.

8. Elliptical Trainer - is an excellent cardio exercises and a great way to build endurance. A 145 LB person can burn about 300 calories in 30 minutes.

9. Rowing - is both a cardio exercises as well as giving your arms an incredible workout. 145 LB person can burn about 300 calories in 30 minutes.

10. Walking - Brisk walking is a less strenuous form of cardio exercises. Walking can burn up to 180 calories in 30 minutes. Sprinting, adding hills or an incline can increase amount of calories burned.

For the real high intensity cardio people out there who love the H.I.I.T training (High Intensity Interval Training), below are the top three cardio exercise which will provide amazing results!

1. Jumping Rope - This is one of the simplest, yet most effective exercises one can do. In just 15 to 20 minutes, jumping rope will give you an unparalleled total body workout. Jumping rope is ideal for cardiovascular endurance and enhances performance in virtually any sport - tennis, basketball, football, skiing, volleyball and more. This simple exercise is also great for eye-hand coordination, lateral movement, foot and hand speed and agility.

2. Sprinting - Sprinting not only burns HUGE amounts of calories while sprinting, it also keeps your metabolism flying for days after. Sprinting combined with running / jogging can bring amazing results

3. Spinning - These high-intensity workouts to music simulate a challenging bike ride, complete with hills, valleys and varying speeds, all dictated by the group instructor.

Diet Myths

Taken from http://abcnews.go.com/Health/2020/story?id=512095&page=1

Myth : Eating Late at Night Makes You Fat

Four out of 10 Americans work evenings, nights or on shifts, and that means a lot of us are eating later. But won't eating late-night meals pack on extra pounds because we can't burn off the calories when we sleep?

"That is a myth," said dietitian Erica Blacksburg. "Eating late at night won't make you fat unless you go over your calorie load for that day."

But beware. People can gain weight eating late at night depending on what they eat. "A lot of people save their treats for the end of the day," said Blacksburg. "They feel like they deserve something special … They'll have ice cream, they'll have chips."

Myth : Muscle Turns to Fat When You Don't Exercise

For those who spend three or four days a week sweating through cardio and strength training, what happens to the muscle when you stop working out? Does it turn to fat?

Fitness guru Donna Richardson Joyner explained this can't happen. "Muscle is muscle, fat is fat. And you can't turn one into the other," she said.

It's a source of confusion for many, but there's no comparison deep inside the body. Dr. Walter Thompson, a professor of exercise science at Georgia State University, said muscle is much denser then fat and is more compact.

He said that when you stop working out the muscle becomes a bit flabby and "non-functional," but does not turn into fat.

And if you're hoping for the opposite — sorry — exercise does not transform fat into muscle.

"You have to get rid of fat by doing cardio, said Lara Szymanski at The Sports Club/ LA. "You have to build lean muscle. And that's what you do by strength training."

Myth : Diet and Exercise Are All You Need to Lose Weight

Need to lose a little weight? If you think counting calories and exercising are all it takes to melt those pounds, you could be mistaken. You might be missing out on another key weight-loss component — sleep.

"Americans sleep the least of modern countries. And they also, as you know, are the most overweight and obese," said Dr. Eve Van Cauter, a sleep researcher at the University of Chicago. "Perhaps it is worth thinking about the possibility that we don't sleep enough and therefore our appetites are disregulated."

She and Dr. Esra Tasali, another University of Chicago sleep researcher, tested sleep-deprived individuals and found that getting as little as one hour less sleep than is needed can create a hormonal imbalance. Analysis of the sleep-deprived subjects' blood showed lower levels of the hormone leptin, which tells us we're full, and higher levels of the hormone ghrelin, which tells us we're hungry.

"I think sleep should be included in any intervention for weight loss," said Van Cauter.

I Happen to know the first one is a myth, I eat more at night time myself so reserve my calories for then so I dont feel all deprived. I still however do eat plenty of breaky and other food also :)

Weight loss forum and support

So I stumbled accross this weight loss forum yesterday. Its truly fantastic. Everyone seems supportive of each other, lots of hints and tips, they have an area where you can enter your details and kind of compare with others. You can see whos doing what diet and which ones are more effective.
There are some fantasticly insperational stories from some people that will just get you up and going.

I can see myself becomming a fairly active forum whore for the first time in my life :)

Lifting weights and Fat Loss

Taken from here

Getting Started

If you want to lose fat or change your body, one of the most important things you can do is lift weights. Diet and cardio are equally important, but when it comes to changing how your body looks, weight training wins hands down. If you've hesitated to start a strength training program, it may motivate you to know that lifting weights can:

• Help raise your metabolism. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you'll burn all day long.
• Strengthen bones, especially important for women
• Make you stronger and increase muscular endurance
• Help you avoid injuries
• Increase your confidence and self-esteem
• Improve coordination and balance

Getting started with strength training can be confusing--what exercises should you do? How many sets and reps? How much weight? The routine you choose will be based on your fitness goals as well as the equipment you have available and the time you have for workouts.

The Basics

If you're setting up your own program, you'll need to know some basic strength training principles. These principles will teach you how to make sure you're using enough weight, determine your sets and reps and insure you're always progressing in your workouts.

1. Overload: If you want to get stronger, you need to use more resistance than your muscles are used to. This is important because the more you do, the more your body is capable of doing, so you should increase your workload to avoid adaptation. In plain language, this means you should be lifting enough weight that you can ONLY complete the desired number of reps. You should be able to finish your last rep with difficulty but also with good form.
2. Progression. In order to avoid plateaus (or adaptation), you need to increase your intensity. With strength training, you can do this by increasing the amount of weight lifted, increasing the sets/reps, increasing or changing the exercises you're doing and/or change the rest intervals between sets. You can also change the order of your exercises. This means increasing your intensity every week.
3. Specificity. This principle states that the way your body adapts to exercise depends on the type of exercise you're doing. That means, if you want to increase your strength, your program should be designed around that goal. To gain strength and mass, you want to train with heavier weights closer to your 1 RM (1 rep max). If you want to build endurance and strength, you'll want to stick with lighter weights and a rep range of 8-12.
4. Rest and Recovery. Rest days are just as important as workout days. It is during these rest periods that your muscles grow and change, so make sure you're not working the same muscle groups 2 days in a row.

Before you get started on setting up your routine, keep a few key points in mind:

1. Always warm up before you start lifting weights. This helps get your muscles warm and prevent injury. You can warm up with light cardio or by doing a light set of each exercise before going to heavier weights.
2. Lift and lower your weights slowly. Don't use momentum to lift the weight. If you have to swing to get the weight up, chances are you're using too much weight.
3. Breathe. Don't hold your breath and make sure you're using full range of motion throughout the movement.
4. Stand up straight! If your mother could see you now, she'd probably slap a book on your head. Pay attention to your posture and keep everything straight. Engage your abs in every movement you're doing to keep your balance and protect your spine.

Choosing Exercises, Sequence & Weight

Your first step in setting up a routine is to choose exercises to target all of your muscle groups. One way to make sure you're doing this right is to work with a personal trainer who can help you set up the right program for you and educate you on proper form. If that's not an option, consider renting or buying a workout video. Strength training videos can give you visual instruction without the cost of a personal trainer. The only limitation is that, once you adjust to that workout you might have to get another video! One more option is to hire an online personal trainer. It's cheaper than hiring a trainer at the gym and, at My Fitness Expert, you get the same kind of personal treatment as you would at a gym or at home.

For beginners, choose at least one exercise per muscle group.

The list below offers some examples:

• Chest: bench press, chest press machine, pushups, pec deck machine
• Back: one-armed row, seated row machine, back extensions, lat pulldowns
• Shoulders: overhead press, lateral raise, front raise
• Biceps: bicep curls, hammer curls, concentration curls
• Triceps: tricep extensions, dips, kickbacks
• Quadriceps: Squats, lunges, leg extension and leg press machines
• Hamstrings: deadlifts, lunges, leg curl machine
• Abs: crunches, reverse crunches, oblique twists, pelvic tilts

Check out the strength training and cardio workouts available at Workout Central

Sequence of Exercises

• Make sure you choose at least one exercise for each major muscle group.
• The muscles to work include: Chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves and abdominals.
• If you leave any muscle group out, this could cause an imbalance in your muscles and possibly lead to injuries.

Most experts recommend starting with your larger muscle groups and then proceeding to the smaller muscle groups. The most demanding exercises are those performed by your large muscle groups and you will need your smaller muscles to get the most out of these exercises. For example, in a bench press your shoulders and triceps are involved in stabilizing your arms, so you want them to be strong so you don't drop the weight on your chest. The bonus? By the time you get to your shoulder and triceps exercises, your muscles will be warmed up and ready to go. However, this isn't written in blood so do what works for you. In addition, you don't necessarily need to do as many sets with your smaller muscle groups since they're used so much in other exercises.

How Much Weight To Use

The easiest way to determine how much weight you should use on each lift is to guess (not very scientific, huh?):

1. Pick up a light weight and do a warm up set of the exercise of your choice, aiming for about 10 to 16 repetitions.
2. For set 2, increase your weight by 5 or more pounds and perform your goal number of repetitions. If you can do more than your desired number of reps, heavy up again for your 3rd set.
3. In general, you should be lifting enough weight that you can ONLY do the desired reps. You should be struggling by the last rep, but still able to finish it with good form.
4. It may take awhile to find the right amount of weight for each exercise.
5. In general, you can use heavier weights with larger muscle groups such as chest, back and legs. You'll need smaller weights for the shoulders and arms.

Choosing Repetitions and Sets

How Many Reps/Sets To Do

You've figured out how much weight to use for your chosen exercises...what about the number of sets and repetitions? Your decision should be based on your goals. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 8-12 reps for muscular strength and 10-15 reps for muscular endurance. They also recommend at least 1 set of each exercise to fatigue although you'll find that most people perform about 3 sets of each exercise. In general:

• For fat loss: Do 10-12 reps using enough weight that you can ONLY complete the desired reps and 1-3 sets (1 for beginners, 2-3 for intermediate and advanced exercisers). Rest about 30 seconds-1 minute between sets and at least one day between workout sessions
• For muscle gain: Do 6-8 reps enough weight that you can ONLY complete the desired reps and 3 or more sets, resting for 1-2 minutes between sets and 3 or more days between sessions.

• For beginners, give yourself several weeks of conditioning before going to this level. You may need a spotter for many exercises.
• For health and muscular endurance: Do 12-16 reps using enough weight that you can ONLY complete the desired reps and 1-3 sets, resting 20-30 seconds between sets and at least one day between workout sessions.

How Long To Rest Between Exercises/Workout Sessions

Again, this will depend on your goal. Higher intensity (i.e., when lifting heavy) exercise requires a longer rest. When lifting to fatigue, it takes an average of 3 to 5 minutes for your muscles to rest for the next set. When using lighter weight and more repetitions, it takes between 30 seconds and 1 minute for your muscles to rest.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends training each muscle group 2 to 3 times a week. But, the number of times you lift each week will depend on your training method. In order for muscles to repair and grow, you'll need about 48 hours of rest between workout sessions. If you're training at a high intensity, take a longer rest.

Where to Workout

You don't have to join a gym to get a great strength training workout. A gym is nice because you'll have access to both machines and free weights, so you have plenty of variety. If you do join a gym, it's a good idea to incorporate both types of equipment into your workout routine for variety. What's the difference? This article explains all.

If you decide to workout at home, here are a few items you might want to consider buying:

• Resistance bands are around $6 to $15. They're small, light, travel well and you get get a full body workout with it.
• Dumbbells. They're cheap and you can do a variety of exercise with them. Find them at your local Target or Walmart. Other options include a barbell set, an exercise ball and/or a weight bench.
• A step is more expensive (a good one goes for around $85 or so) but you can use for everything from step aerobics to weight bench to plant-holder (although I don't recommend it for that).
• For tips on setting up your home gym, check out this in-depth article.
• For more, see Best Strength Training Equipment

Another opinion on slow lifting

Is it true that the best way to build muscle is by doing really slow repetitions?

IB, Southampton

---

Several years ago, a study suggested that lifting weights slowly -14 seconds per repetition - increases strength faster than lifting at normal speeds.

But there was a flaw.

The slow lifters gained more strength in slow lifts than the others gained in normal speed lifts.

They never compared the two groups in absolute strength.

"There's no one size fits all way to build muscle, you have to look at your training regime, your diet, even your genetic make up," says Ceri Hannan, national fitness manager at Fitness First.

He suggests that to boost muscle fibre, you alternate between slow and medium speed repetitions to 'shock' your muscles.

"Generally, however, it's better to push slower because it makes you concentrate on your technique and control more, which is the biggest problem," adds Hannan.

As a rule, count to four lowering a weight, and to two pushing or pulling it up.

But don't ignore speed completely.

A study from George Washington University in the US looked at slow versus normal lifting, comparing how much could be lifted for one repetition before and after a ten week training programme.

Those lifting weights at the normal speed gained 24% more strength than the tortoise trainers.

"Vary your workout speed as much as possible and, more than anything, don't push weights above your station," Hannan advises.

Metabolism and Exercise

Here are some factors that do influence the number of calories a person expends in general:

Genetics

Some people are born with high metabolisms (the rate at which one's body uses calories) and others are born with low metabolisms. The main culprit of these phenomena is the thyroid gland. Some individuals produce more thyroxin (the hormone that is secreted from the thyroid) than others. Thyroxin is responsible for metabolism, so if a person's body produces a high-normal amount of thyroxin, s/he will utilize calories more quickly. If a person's body produces a low-normal amount of thyroxin, s/he will utilize calories more slowly. NOTE: if thyroxin is out of normal range in either direction, it is dangerous and needs medical attention.

Gender

Typically, men have greater muscle mass than women. Since muscle requires more calories to maintain, men tend to have 10 - 15 percent faster metabolisms than women. Similarly, men have a lower body fat percentage than women.

Age

Metabolic rate is higher in childhood than in adulthood. Children are growing and need more calories to fulfill their bodies' requirements. After the age of 20 years, metabolism drops 2 percent per decade.

Brain Power

The brain is only 2 percent of the body's weight, but accounts for more than 20 percent of total calories used. Also, the length of time per day spent awake affects the amount of calories utilized. We expend more calories when we are awake than when we are asleep.

Fever

For every increase of 0.5°C (32.9°F) in body temperature, BMR increases by approximately 7 percent. For example, if someone has a fever of 42°C (107.6°F), s/he would have an increase in metabolic rate of 50 percent. The reason for this is that chemical reactions in the body occur more quickly at higher temperatures.

Medications

Some medications, such as anti-depressants, can slow down metabolic processes and lead to weight gain.

During exercise, the following factors influence calorie expenditure:

Cardiovascular Exercise Intensity

The intensity of aerobic exercise has the greatest impact on calorie usage during exercise. As exercise intensity increases, the greater the caloric expenditure during and after exercise. Intensity refers to the rate of exertion during exercise, which can be measured by VO₂ max (oxygen consumption), heart rate, or perceived exertion. Here's an example of cardiovascular exercise intensity: running on a treadmill at 6.5 mph is more intense than running at 5.5 mph, so increasing speed can impact intensity. However, two people can be running at 5.5 mph, but if one runs on an incline, that activity would be more intense.

Cardiovascular Exercise Duration

The length of time per exercise session not only impacts the number of calories utilized during exercise, but also the number of calories to be utilized after exercise. The longer the bout of physical activity, the more calories will be expended right after it is over, a.k.a. the 'after-burn.'

Intermittent vs. Single Bouts of Exercise

Several studies have concluded that intermittent aerobic exercise expends more calories overall than continuous exercise. People used more calories during two, 25-minute sessions when compared to a continuous 50-minute bout of the same exercise. This occurs for two reasons: first, the body has to work harder at rest to move from an anaerobic state, using glucose and other simple and complex carbohydrates during the first few minutes of exercise, to an aerobic state, which relies on fat as its main energy source during more sustained activity. This will happen twice in intermittent exercise bouts versus once in a continuous bout. Also, there is more 'after-burn' of calories in intermittent exercise sessions versus one continuous session.

Resistance Training

The intensity of weight training also influences calories utilized. Heavier lifting (3 sets, 8 exercises, 3 - 8 reps at 80 - 90 percent of 1RM) will use more calories during and right after than lighter weight lifting (4 sets, 8 exercises, 15 reps at 50 percent of 1RM). 1RM refers to the weight of one repetition at maximal strength. For example, if a person's 1RM of a squat is 100 pounds, then heavy lifting would be doing 3 sets of 3 - 8 reps of squats at 80 - 90 lbs. Lighter weight lifting would be squatting 50 lbs for 4 sets of 15 reps.

Fitness Level

People who are more fit expend fewer calories during and right after exercise than people who are less fit. This occurs because people who have been exercising more consistently have faster recovery time in breathing and heart rate, and repair muscle more quickly

Slow Weight Lifting vs Faster Reps

When lifting weights try and go slower and more controlled with lighter weights for more muscle mass.
With slower repetition speed you effectively increase intensity of the lifting (concentric) phase while decreasing momentum. While momentum may allow you to lift bigger weights, it basically reduces target muscle stimulation and intensity while also increasing your chances for injury. Researchers in Massachusetts, USA and in collaboration with the YMCA, looked at this phenomenon on middle-aged men and women (mean age 53). They divided these previously untrained people into two groups, all performing 2-3 days per week training in this 8-10 week program.

One group was performing weight training at normal repetition speed (7 seconds) while the other was performing it at slow speed or 14 seconds. To ensure that muscle time under tension was constant, the normal speed group performed 8-10 reps while the slow speed group performed 4-6 repetitions. They conducted two studied and in both, the slow speed group increased strength significantly more than their faster speed counterparts. In study one, the slow speed group showed a mean strength increase of 12 kg while the normal speed group showed an only 8 kg improvement. In the second study, the slow speed showed a 10.9 kg increase while the normal speed showed an increase of 7.1 kg.

This study shows the importance of repetition speed when performing resistance training and further cements the idea that weight must be lifted in a fully controlled manner. This holds especially true when training for strength increases in older adults.

How to work out calorie content from Kilojoules

The difference between calories and kilojoules is that one calorie equals 4,2 kilojoules and vice versa. So, if you read on a food label that a portion of the food contains 100 calories, you can multiply that value with 4,2 to work out how many kilojoules the food contains:

Example: 100 calories x 4,2 = 420 kJ

Conversely, you can calculate that a portion of food that contains 420 kJ (metric system) will contain 420 divided by 4,2 = 100 calories The same applies when you want to work out how many calories or kilojoules a diet contains. Multiply calories by 4,2 to obtain kilojoules and divide kilojoules by 4,2 to obtain calories.

Although we use larger numbers when working with metric kilojoules this does NOT mean that kilojoules contain more energy, just that we are using a different system to express energy content.

Iron & Anemic

Well I had been going great guns and fantasticly until i got my period on thursday. I was helping a friend move house on weds and felt a bit tired that night. Then Thursday i got my period lightly and later that night felt dizzy again. Comes friday i had my period much more heavily and i was feeling so dizzy after being at the gym i was worried about driving. At work i couldnt concentrate, boss sent me home because i was useless to him. After some googling and checking out my reports on Fitday I realized I was low on iron. It was fine up until i had my period and lost blood! DOH! So ive been popping multivitamins, eating steak washed down with orange juice (Vit C helps Iron absorbtion). All day friday saturday i felt like crap, was barely able to get out of bed. Today i woke up feeling HEAPS better. My period has eased/stopped and my iron levels are clearly up again. Im full of beans!
So I wont be makin that mistake again and will be keeping up with the multi vitamins!.

down to 130kg (Was approx 145kg a month ago)
I appear to have shed a few clothes sizes also and now everything is baggy. My face looks HEAPS different. I feel like a clown and my brother says im lookin more like MC Hammer every day (Baggy pants! Hammer time!)

How to loose weight 101 - the math!

Okay you want to know the secret? its no secret! its on LOTS of websites. The problem is that those websites get buried under tons of others full of garbage.

So long as Calories in are lower than Calories out you WILL loose weight. How much is up to you!

Firstly, work out how many calories you use in a day, eating breathing, pissing etc ..

BMR
BMR stands for Basal Metabolic Rate, and is synonymous with Basal Energy Expenditure or BEE.

Okay, First you need to work out how many calories you use in a day. These are the calories you use just being alive. Not ones you use working out. This is called your BMR.

Here is how you can figure your BMR ..

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Metric BMR Formula

Women: BMR = 655 + ( 9.6 x weight in kilos ) + ( 1.8 x height in cm ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )

Men: BMR = 66 + ( 13.7 x weight in kilos ) + ( 5 x height in cm ) - ( 6.8 x age in years )

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Imperial(US) BMR Formula

Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )

Men: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in year )

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This will calculate what you require even if you were to sit on your butt all day or sleeping most of the day. Because this is roughly how many calories your body will burn as a living, breathing, eating,heart-beating, digesting etc.. being. This does not include your daily activities.

It is really easy to not eat enough, when we want to lose weight and especially when it includes exercise, which of course keeps the metabolism working efficiently. Extremes are easy aren't they? We need to find the body's "happy place" for optimal fat burn. So now we will need to determine our activity levels, which again many of us misjudge.

Harris Benedict Formula To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor (BE HONEST WITH THYSELF), as follows:

1. If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
2. If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
3. If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
4. If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
5. If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

If you are to lazy to do all the numbers and work it out you can go here and have it automated (conversion kg to lb on http://www.convert-me.com) or http://www.fitday.com will automaticly work it out :)

This is the total number of calories you need in order to maintain your current weight. Amazing non?.

Now to make that number even larger, you can facter in any exercise you do on top of that.

20 mins of the following burns ...
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Bicycling - Actual 300-400 calories
Running - 5-6 mph 300-350 calories
Swimming laps - 350 calories
Bicycling - Stationary 250-300 calories
Stair climber - 200-250 calories
Aerobics - 200-250 calories
Walking briskly - 150-180 calories


Now Intake! Start counting! There are many databases online that count what you eat or have the calorie content of each item. As soon as you make your intake less than your outgoings - BINGO! you loose weight!
Females: Never eat less than 1200 calories unless you are under a docter.
Males: You use more calories in a day and have a faster metabolism. Keep it above 1800 calories.
If you eat less than these numbers chances are your body will go into starvation mode and you will actually stop loosing weight. Your body will slow its metabolism down and store as much as possible.

Keeping your metabolism higher
Exercise:
Regular exercise is great, but dont be fooled, 3 20 minute workouts are just as good as 1 60 minute workout! If you do it in the morning you are less likley to talk yourself out of it and arrange to be busy. Try and get that heart rate up doing bikeing, skipping, or if you are really having trouble - swimming.

Meals:
Space your meals out so you're eating 4-6 meals a day. It fools the body into thinking its eaten more than it has. Lots of water! Soup is a great low calorie way to fill up inbetween meals or you are waiting for dinner.

Another thing to remember is protein! you dont want to loose muscle! you want to loose fat! so eat plenty of protein in a day - about 1.2 grams per kg of ideal weight or more.

Muscles burn more fat! the more muscles you have the faster you burn! 1lb of muscle burns up to 60cal a day just sitting doing nothing!
If you are having trouble finding protien and keeping the calories low try taking a Whey Protein suppliment right before or after exercize. Personally I found a lot to taste like crap so opted for the Carbless Protein bars which taste like a chocolate bar but have a few more calories in them


If you are having trouble keeping track of this - try signing up to a website such as http://fitday.com or http://www.calorie-count.com/
They take into account your intake and outtake. I find Fitday is better formatted and has some nice graphs so i can see how I'm doing. You can see my fitday profile and how my stats sit here



Now we must address the caloric deficit needed to help us lose body fat

Now - for some more numbers!
4500 calories = 1 lb of fat gone
9000 calories = 1kg of fat gone
If you are 1000 calories deficient every day then in 9 days you will have lost 1kg.

Larger people use more calories to stay alive, so the larger you are the bigger the Gap between eaten and used. I usually do about 3500 calories burnt in a day (thats including exercise) and eat about 1200-1500. If i eat 1500 my maximum im still 2000 calories difference, hence why i loose about 1.5kg per week (about 3lb)
How cool and easy is that?


Okay - So now you have clicked - you can eat whatever you want - whenever you want! so long as those calories stay down. Here are a few things i like that fill me up nicely.
I allow myself about 300-400 calories per meal and make up the rest with snacks between. Some days I will eat less calories for one meal so i can eat more for another.


Spagetti - the canned type. A whole can is only about 400 calories

Yogurt - you can eat a cup full of yogurt and its only about 150-180 calories

Salad - A basic lettuce with other bits salad is a mere 17 calories per cup - thats a lot of salad! Try a chicken salad - filling and chicken is a great protein source

Soups - a cup of soup is great to take the edge of hunger between meals and is only about 50-90 calories.

Anyway I will edit this post If i notice anything missing or not described well enough :)
Be honest with yourself no matter how hard it is - you are only cheating yourself.