Archive for the ‘General Weight Issues’ Category

by Alfa - Losing Weight Zone
07-27-2010

0
Comments
How to Calculate Your Caloric Needs & Determine Weight Loss

How to Calculate Your Caloric Needs & Determine Weight Loss

Everyone knows that in order to maintain or lose weight, you must keep a close eye on your caloric intake. However, the number of calories we consume varies between each person. So, how to you figure out what your magic number is? Well, in order to find that number, you must first understand what factors must be included in the equation. The formula is called the Harris-Benedict principle, which provides you with your basal metabolic rate, or BMR. Essentially, your BMR is the amount of energy your body needs in order to function. Interestingly, we use about 60% of the calories consumed each day for basic body functions. The other factors that influence your BMR are height, weight, age and sex. So, here how you calculate your BMR:

STEP 1:
Women:
655 + (4.3 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) – (4.7 x age in years)

Men:
66 + (6.3 x weight in pounds) + (12.9 x height in inches) – (6.8 x age in years)

STEP 2: Determine Your Activity Level

* If you are sedentary : BMR x 20 percent

* If you are lightly active: BMR x 30 percent

* If you are moderately active (You exercise most days a week.): BMR x 40 percent

* If you are very active (You exercise intensely on a daily basis or for prolonged periods.): BMR x 50 percent

* If you are extra active (You do hard labor or are in athletic training.): BMR x 60 percent

STEP 3:
Add the results of step 1 to the results of step 2. This number is the amount of calories you can eat every day to maintain your current weight. Obviously, if you want to lose weight, you will have to take in less calories than this number. *Of importance, as you lose weight, you will need to re-calculate the formula to assess your new BMR.

by Alfa - Losing Weight Zone
06-16-2010

0
Comments
How to Avoid Weight Gain While You Quit Smoking

How to Avoid Weight Gain While You Quit Smoking

One of the biggest reasons people are reluctant to quit smoking is they fear they will gain weight. Of course a few extra pounds is better than the myriad of chronic health problems related to smoking. But, it is still one of the major road blocks to quitting. So, let’s explore the stats related to weight gain during the quitting process and some of the things you can do to avoid weight gain.

Scott McIntosh, PhD is an associate professor of community and preventive medicine at the University of Rochester and director of the Greater Rochester Area Tobacco Cessation Center. He reports that only about 1/3 of quitters gain weight and the average weight gain is about 5 – 8 pounds. “Obviously that’s something many people would rather not see. But by quitting smoking, you can add years to your life — and years of being in good health rather than sick or disabled. Those extra pounds are a small price to pay.”

So, now that we know that the average weight gain is under 10 pounds, let’s look at some tips to either mitigate or altogether avoid the weight gain. First, don’t crash diet or start a new diet plan while quitting. That is way too much stress and can not only cause you to gain weight but also derail your plans to remain smoke-free. Rather, keep an eye on your daily calorie intake. Remember, take in the same amount or less calories that you burn on a daily basis. Second, have low-calorie snacks available to help with the oral fixation side of smoking. Some great options include sugar free candy, bite size veggies (carrots, peppers or celery sticks are great options), sugar free gum or lollipops. Third, drink enough water! This will not only keep you hydrated but will also help you feel full as it satisfies the craving to pop something in your mouth. Next, be sure to eat foods high in fiber as it helps make you feel full for longer periods. Some foods high in fiber include whole grains, beans and veggies. Of great importance, you must exercise! This not only burns calories but it also keeps your mind and body busy, thus distracting it from your nicotine cravings. It also relieves the stress of quitting. Finally, consider seeing a doctor about a smoking cessation aide to help ease the stress of quitting, increase the chances of remaining smoke free and to help avoid excessive weight gain.

by Alfa - Losing Weight Zone
04-24-2010

0
Comments
Beyond Crunches, Diet and Lifestyle Tips for a Flatter Belly

Beyond Crunches, Diet and Lifestyle Tips for a Flatter Belly

For most women, the belly seems to be the toughest section to trim, tone and then keep that way. We all know that in order to achieve a flat midsection, you need to exercise and focus on those that target your belly. However, your diet and your lifestyle also play a key role in the size of your belly. So, instead of focusing on the exercise tips, I wanted to bring you some easy changes you can make to your diet as well as to your lifestyle. These tips will help to not only flatten your belly and keep it that way but they will also help in your overall health and well being.

Drink More Water: Water does not cause your body to bloat, it actually flushes your system and helps to avoid bloating. If your body is dehydrated, it will hold on to more water from what you eat and drink, causing your belly to bloat. Drinking 6-8 glasses helps avoid dehydration and your body’s natural defense of retaining water. Also, water helps to promote health digestion, which in turn helps you to avoid being gassy or being “backed up,” Want to jump start your metabolism and digestive system every morning? Drink a cup of hot water with lemon. The lemon is like a natural diuretic and the water helps flush it through your system.

Reduce the Stress in Your Life: Stress can increase your cortisol levels, which cause the body to store more fat cells, especially around the waist line. A great stress reliever is to do some deep breathing exercises a few minutes every day. Try to find a quite place where you can close your eyes, turn off your mind and take slow, deep breaths. Also, it is important to breath correctly. Many people inhale/exhale through their belly instead of letting the rib cage expand and contract. This can cause a distended look in your bell. Pilates expert, Brooke Siler suggests the following: lay on your stomach with a rolled up towel placed horizontally under your belly button, then breathing deeply. This prevents you from pushing your stomach out when you inhale and helps you learn how to correctly expand your rib cage. It also is a great way to kill two birds with one stone – learning to breath properly and a de-stressing exercise.

Get Enough Sleep: Lack of sleep can affect the production of Leptin and Ghrelin (hormones in your body ), which can cause you to feel hungrier and more prone to overreacting.

Cut back on alcohol intake and Stop Smoking: Alcohol tends to increase your cortisol levels, which can cause belly fat. Smoking also tends to increase cortisol levels. Most people think smoking keeps them from eating too much. However, the truth is smokers tend to have larger mid sections than non-smokers.

Get Enough Fiber: Fiber is great for helping you fill up and stay full. It also helps to avoid constipation (which can cause bulging in the belly). It is recommended to get about 25 grams of fiber per day. Foods like fruits, veggies and whole grains are rich in fiber. Or you can take a fiber supplement like Metamucil.

Focus on your Posture: Good posture helps you look thinner and your abs flatter. Conversely, slouching pushes your belly forward which makes it look bigger than it really is. Furthermore, slouching can undo some of the benefits you get from your workouts. So, try to focus on great posture all day – whether it is sitting at the office or standing in line at the store. Practicing good posture is a great workout for your core (your core is from your chest to your upper thigh). It keeps your core engaged and active. Some tips include sitting on the edge of your chair at work, home, etc to discourage hunching. Also, when standing, keep your shoulders back, head up (imaging a string pulling the top of your head toward the ceiling). Add some core strengthening routines to your workouts to help build your core.

by Alfa - Losing Weight Zone
03-31-2010

1
Comment
5 Simple Ways to Ward Off Hunger

5 Simple Ways to Ward Off Hunger

Do you ever wonder why you are still hungry, even after polishing off a huge meal or snack? Why you seem to always be hungry? Do you feel like your constant eating habits are out of your control? Well, there are reasons why your body may be craving food all the time. Mostly, it has to do with the type of food you are eating. Yes, there are foods that trick our bodies into thinking we are still hungry. These foods are adding inches to your size and keeping you from attaining a healthy weight. They could even be hindering our ability to exercise! Yet, we as a nation continue to consume these foods in mass quantities and on a daily basis.

But, there are also foods that can help us ward off hunger, help us take back control over our intake of food and help us gain the energy and stamina to exercise routinely. Here are 5 simple tips to help you gain control over your daily food intake and ultimately gain control and happiness in your life:

1. Cut out the soda and sugary drinks and drink water instead. This is the simplest step any person can take toward a healthier, slimmer lifestyle. Just this one step alone will give you more energy, help you feel full in between your meals and quickly cut down your daily calorie intake. According to research at the University of California at San Francisco, the high fructose corn syrup found in these drinks tricks our brain into craving more food by hindering the hormone in our body that helps us determine when we are full. High fructose corn syrup is one of the worst things we can ingest in our body, yet it is reported that we as a nation consume so much that it accounts for roughly 2/3 of our annual intake. Most importantly, DRINK WATER!!! If you are dehydrated, you body will feel hungry. Drinking water helps you to stay full and it is good for you. Tip – if you are finished with your meal and you still feel hungry, drink a glass of water before ingesting more food. The water can be just enough to fill you up. So, get yourself a cute BPA free water bottle and carry it around with you. You would be amazed at how that one step will save you money and inches!

2. Eat a bigger breakfast and reduce your intake as the day progresses. There is a saying that you should, “eat like a king at breakfast, a prince for lunch and dinner like a pauper.” This is very good advice (so long as you eat the right kinds of foods) to follow. The reason is that when you eat a bigger breakfast, your blood sugar and insulin rise at a slower rate throughout the day, thus reducing the sudden food cravings we can feel. Researchers found that those who ate 300 calories at breakfast gained twice as much as those who ate 500 calories at breakfast. Again, the sugar and insulin rise faster if we don’t take in enough food in the AM, thus increasing the onset of sudden cravings throughout the day. One important piece of advice is to avoid unhealthy fats, added sugar or refined carbs in your breakfast as these can actually reduce energy levels (thus reduce the will to exercise) and actually tell your body to store the fat, versus burning it off. Eat whole foods like berries, nuts, egg whites and oatmeal for breakfast and avoid the breakfast burrito’s, muffins and sugar filled cereals.

3. Fill half your plate with salad or other veggies rich in the B-vitamin, Folate. A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition reported that people with high levels of Folate lost 8.5 times more weight when dieting than those folks with much less Folate in their system. These foods are said to protect us from damage from chemicals like BPA (bisphenol-A), which is linked with obesity. Here are some foods rich in Folate: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussle Sprots, Kale, Cabbage, Romaine Lettuce, Spinach, Collard Greens and Radiccio.

4. Stay Active, avoid boredom! This alone can spark you to go to the kitchen and grab something to eat. Keeping your mind and body stimulated and active can significantly decrease “mindless eating.” It’s like when you go to the fridge over and over again looking for “something” that isn’t there. It is those moments that we just grab something and start nibbling. But, it is those moments where we have to ask ourselves, “are you hungry or just bored?” I bet if you give yourself something to do to keep your mind active, your need to go to the fridge or cupboard will go away. Take a walk, read a book, do some chores, etc. You will fend off the urge to mindlessly eat and you will get the added benefit of giving your mind and body some exercise!

5. Drink tea! A study documented in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that drinking black tea after a meal can help you feel fuller and suppress hunger. Apparently, the polyphenolic compounds in the tea are credited for suppressing “rebound hunger.” Also, instead of reaching for a bag of chips or any other unhealthy foods, go for a cup of tea at night as it is a great way to suppress those night time hunger attacks. But, avoid putting sugar in your tea. Instead, go for honey; It will give you the same sweet taste you crave!

These simple steps will save you a ton of calories every day and help you lose inches! Also, you will be amazed at the amount of energy you get from eating the right foods and avoiding the wrong foods!

Page 1 of 612345»...Last »