Found this blog - very similar to my own.
Fitness and Diet Tips
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Monday, August 07, 2006
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.
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.
Saturday, August 05, 2006
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?!
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?!
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
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:
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.
-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.
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.
Monday, July 31, 2006
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 :)
Sunday, July 30, 2006
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 :)
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 :)
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