With a modern, sedentary lifestyle it is very easy to put on weight. Here are some practical tips to fight the flab and get your weight down. It took you a long time to put on weight so you need to take a long view about losing it. Quick diets tend not to work. You need a change in lifestyle. This is the regime that worked for me.

Weight Loss -1

1. Eliminate the Enemy.

The enemy are high-fat, high-carbohydrate foods. The single most important thing you can do is to remove these from your diet. Specifically, make sure that you do not have the following in your Home; bread, potatoes, pasta, chips, savory snacks, cakes, cookies, sweets, candies, chocolates and sugary drinks. This sounds severe but if you can remove these items you remove the temptation and opportunity to consume them. So what do you eat instead?

2. Eat Plenty.

Eat plenty of vegetables, fruit, chicken, fish, cheese and eggs. You can eat as much of your favorite fruits and vegetables as you want. Make soups from a mix of vegetables or buy low-fat soups. Eat red meat maybe once or twice a week. If you want a snack then eat some almonds or other nuts, a banana, apple or pear or a low-fat cereal or fruit bar.

3. Eat out Less.

It is possible to choose the low-fat items on the menu but generally it is much harder to resist temptation when eating out so eat at home more. The occasional big meal out is fine provided your regular regime at Home is disciplined. You also save money by eating in.

4. Leave the Car on the Driveway.

Try to walk or cycle for local outings. You are helping the planet and reducing your waistline by leaving the car at Home for short journeys.

5. Play Tennis.

Any vigorous exercise will do. Tennis is particularly good because you can play at 17 or 70 and it is fun, competitive and sociable.

6. Do it with your Partner.

It is much easier to change your lifestyle and remove tempting bad foods from the Home if your family are all involved. Try to make it a joint effort with your wife, husband or partner and you will find it easier to keep going. Breaking the rules with the occasional treat is allowed as is alcohol in moderation.

These are the key items that have helped me lose 14 pounds in three months. The initial change takes some effort but then you get into new and better habits. The result is that you look better and feel fitter.

Researchers found the stress of thinking caused overeating with heavy thinkers seeking out more calories.

The research team, supervised by Dr Angelo Tremblay, measured the spontaneous food intake of 14 students after each of three tasks.

The first was relaxing in a sitting position, the second reading and summarizing a text, and finally completing a series of memory, attention, and vigilance tests on the computer.

After 45 minutes at each activity, participants were invited to eat as much as they wanted from a buffet.

The researchers had already discovered that each session of intellectual work requires only three calories more than the rest period.

fengman girl

However, despite the low energy cost of mental work, the students spontaneously consumed 203 more calories after summarizing a text and 253 more calories after the computer tests.

This represents a 23.6 per cent and 29.4 per cent increase, respectively, compared with the rest period.

Blood samples taken before, during, and after each session revealed that intellectual work causes much bigger fluctuations in glucose and insulin levels than rest periods.

Jean-Philippe Chaput, the study’s main author, said: “These fluctuations may be caused by the stress of intellectual work, or also reflect a biological adaptation during glucose combustion.”

The body could be reacting to these fluctuations by spurring food intake in order to restore its glucose balance, the only fuel used by the brain.

Mr Chaput added: “Caloric overcompensation following intellectual work, combined with the fact we are less physically active when doing intellectual tasks, could contribute to the obesity epidemic currently observed in industrialised countries.

“This is a factor that should not be ignored, considering that more and more people hold jobs of an intellectual nature.”

The results of the study, carried out at Universite Laval in Quebec, Canada, are published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.

fengman girl

So how exactly can you grow taller even if you have stopped growing many years ago? It is actually simple! With the right set of exercises and stretches you can boost the amount of HGH your body produces. When you combine that with the correct nutrition you will see results that you probably thought were impossible.

The exercises are pretty easy. There are a ton of them and to get a full routine that is proven and laid out in an easy to use format you will want to visit the link that follows this article. Swimming, hanging upside down, sprint bursts, bicycling with an elevated seat, and certain back stretches are just the tip of the ice burg, but all of these will stimulate growth.

The nutrition is not difficult either. You will need plenty of protein and calcium, which are both found in milk. You will also need your daily dosage of vitamins and minerals. Plenty of green vegetables will also help trigger your growth.

Now you could try to take this information and some of the other free information on how to grow taller fast and put together your own routine, but you may not do it correctly and the results may take longer or might not come at all. Why not, instead, use a step-by-step plan that has been proven to increase height within a few short weeks?

There are many different types of yoga, but all of them contribute to mankind’s self-improvement. So, mankind has been a work in progress for thousands of years and has organized systems to constantly improve. Let’s look at some Yogic principles that are often recognized as “modern” self-improvements.

Activate your mind and body together through daily yoga practice. The mind is more powerful than the sum of its thoughts and it must be controlled. The mind that is allowed to wander usually produces random and unproductive thought.

In varying degrees, most styles of Yoga tie the physical postures, proper breathing, and focused concentration, together, in one single session. This constant bonding of mind and body, creates inner harmony. This in turn, results in a productive mind-set. This gives the average yoga student an advantage in productivity, organizational skills, creativity, and self-preservation.

You can enhance positive energy with daily Yoga practice. After each Yoga session, many students commonly mention how good they feel. Yoga classes, or Yoga sessions, give the practitioner a chance to discard negative feelings, worries, tension, and stress. This gives the average yoga student a simple way to prioritize life’s daily problems.

As a result of this, the yoga student is able to set and prioritize goals. Whether it is a serious goal or a whim, ideas that produce seeds of thought become reality, especially when followed by action. This formula will produce even more bursts of positive energy within the mind, resulting in a productive and positively charged mind-set.

yoga students should be taught to identify, and when possible, remove negative energy from within the mind. Negative thinking is contagious and should be purged or quarantined, just like a disease. Identify those people who have it. If possible help them, but if not, avoid or isolate them. Negative thinking produces nothing of value and contributes to self-destruction. Therefore, you should learn to identify or leave negative surroundings that will stifle your self-improvement efforts.

Finally, listen to your heart and this will tell you if a decision is right or wrong. Some people call it a “gut feeling,” but you can feel it, “in your heart,” if a decision is morally correct, and know, if you can live with your actions.

Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher.

Introduction:

Exercise has always played a greater role in maintaining physical fitness and being healthy. The main purpose of exercising along with being healthy at different organs is to lose the body fat, with maintaining the muscle mass and maintaining body fluids.

Demands Of The Exercise Program

The demand of the exercise program is to keep yourself focused and dedicated and it requires you to be one with your body and mind. Your dedication to the program will make you go through the entire process very smoothly and you do not have to drag yourself through that process.

Meet Your Physician

It is really very important that you meet with your primary care physician to go through a detailed checkup before starting the exercise program. It is very important that you have a detailed report of the status of your physical health and how you should proceed with the exercise.

What Would You Need The Most In The Program?

The thing that you would need the most is that you need to be positive enough to work for the best and obtain the best results out of your efforts. There are people who get impatient easily and this effects their routines and everything a lot and they might lose to what they have achieved over time and this just ends in the disastrous results with gaining back the weight that they have lost.

Always Remember To Stretch

It is the most important thing that you should do before starting the workout for the day. It is very important that you stretch out really good and just warm up your muscles before you start your exercise, as it prevents you from avoiding any injury or soreness in your body.

Workout According To Your Stamina

You must workout according to your stamina and should not exceed your strength. You need to find the level of exercise that is best for you. You must remember that the exercise plan that you design for yourself must be in your comfortable level and is not something beyond your limits.

A Week Of Program

First Day Of The Program

The first day of the program just includes a steady walk for about 20 minute period of time. After the walk you need to take a break and stretch for a little while. This will hardly take about 30 minutes of time from your day and this will just begin you to walk in the direction of losing your weight in a more efficient and interesting way, which will not make your tire, but will boost your morals to go for more. Just remember not to overdo it even though you have a lot of energies inside you.

Second Day Of The Program

During the second day you need to focus on your upper body workouts. This will help you to maintain the strength that you need to have to go through the entire week’s program.

Third Day Of The Program

Your third day must focus on the brisk walk for a ten minutes or you can jog for about ten minutes. The lower body workout for the beginners must be done in the evening.

Fourth Day Of The Program

Your fourth day must comprise of a good stretch and a good day rest. This will help you to focus and realize the thoughts that you have been going through the course of the three days that you have been working and you can utilize your time by enforcing positive thoughts in your mind and maintaining a good positive attitude and shed off the negative thoughts that might be trying to occupy your mind.

Fifth Day Of The Program

On the fifth day, you need to start out with a ten minute walk, which must be brisk and the exercise of the lower body in four sessions. This must follow up with another ten minute brisk walk and then you must need to walk for another ten minutes, that must be brisk.

Sixth Day Of The Program

Your sixth day consists of low impact exercises such as swimming and you can try new things to prevent the feelings of boredom.

Seventh Day Of The Program

Your last day of the program consists of meeting your friends and family members who are also working out and tell them of your feelings and achievements and your mindset with which you are following the program. On this day you can go for a long walk with your friends or family members and can do very light upper body workout.

Your Chances At Losing Weight

You have a whole lot chance of losing weight if you stick to the program for the first week, and if you feel that you cannot stick to the program, then the chances of you losing weight will get thin, but you can still commit yourself to being a part of the program, as you need to be patient and you need to think as to why you thought about losing weight and exercise and reduce weight in the first place. I believe you can do and you just need reassurance, which you have from my end. You Can Do It.

When you are dieting it is easy to bounce from one good sounding diet to the next in your bid to find the fastest way to lose weight. Those who enjoy the most success when losing weight are those who are sensible about the process. Here are some tips that will show you how to lose weight quickly and sensibly without making you crazy in the process.

TIP #1: Burn it in the AM
What is the first thing you do when you wake each morning? Hit the snooze button for an extra ten minutes of sleep? What if I told you that taking those ten minutes to strap on your sneakers and walk briskly around the block would result in weight loss? It has been proven that aerobic activity done on an empty stomach forces your body to recruit energy from storage. This energy is stored in the form of fat on various parts of your body. Starting tomorrow take ten minutes out of your morning to walk briskly around the block before breakfast. Do not sprint or try to walk as quickly as possible, simply walk at a pace that you could comfortably hold a conversation. This seemly small activity, when done consistently, will produce surprising weight loss results!

TIP #2 Forget Your Late Night Snack
I know I am not the only one who enjoys eating a snack after dinner! Although comfort food seems to taste better right before bed, it is also more prone to stick with us when eaten late at night. It has been proven that not eating three hours before bed reduces fat storage throughout the night.

If you go to bed at 10pm, finish eating for the day no later than 7pm. Once you have made this a habit you will be ecstatic over the long term weight loss!

TIP #3 Kiss that Frappuccino Goodbye
What tastes better than a frothy, venti frappuccino smothered in whip cream and chocolate syrup? While blended coffee beverages have rapidly gained popularity with the masses, their caloric tallies have been all but ignored. Whether you are an avid Starbucker, or only wander in for an occasional treat, it is important to know the truth about what you are drinking.

The average Venti sized frappuccino weighs in at 530 calories. This staggering number equals 2.5 bagels, or one third of the recommended daily calories for an average woman. Not only is this an extreme amount of calories to be consumed in a beverage but the calories come purely from sugar, which is easily stored as fat. Next time you are in line at the coffee shop and find yourself eyeing a sugary beverage, redirect your attention to the tea selection, or stick with an old fashion cup of coffee.

TIP #4 Fuel Your Fire
Have you ever tended a campfire? You probably remember continuously adding sticks and branches to keep the fire from running out of fuel. Your body’s metabolism is similar in its need for constant fuel. Eating a small meal every three hours is a great way to keep your metabolism high all day long. When your metabolism is high you burn more calories throughout the day and are less likely to store fat. Rather than eating 2 or 3 large meals a day, and allowing your ‘fire’ to go out, giving way to hunger pains, try eating a small meal every three hours and be amazed at your weight loss results.

TIP #5 Curb Your Carbs
I’m sure sometime in the past year you have found yourself subjected to the testimony of a converted ‘low-carb’ enthusiast. While these people may look great it is definitely not the right diet for everyone. Extreme fatigue, crankiness and downright impracticality are what make this diet a tough cookie to swallow. Cutting one or two carb-filled items out of your daily diet can make a huge difference in meeting weight loss goals.

While I wouldn’t recommend throwing out your bread basket entirely, consciously cutting carb-filled items out of your daily food intake is a great idea. If you normally have a sandwich for lunch make it open-faced, thus cutting out half of the bread. If you enjoy eating pasta for dinner reduce your pasta portion and add extra vegetables. These minor changes to your daily diet will prove themselves priceless when you step onto the scale!
It is you against the bulge, and now that you are armed with these 5 tips for easy weight loss, I am confident that you are going to win! Keep in mind that consistency is the key. The more effort that you put into implementing these 5 tips into your daily lifestyle, the quicker the unwanted pounds will disappear!

People today, are under fire.
Relentless stress, longer workdays, fewer vacations, destructive nutrition and an epidemic of inactivity have led to an adult generation plagued by chronic pain, fatigue, disease and frustration. In search of an answer that does not require a lifetime of medication, many have turned to complimentary and alternative medicine and more conscious forms of movement.

For many, yoga has led the way.
While more than 16 million people practice in the U.S. alone, though, that’s still barely 5% of the U.S. population and participation worldwide is dramatically lower. This wouldn’t be such a big deal, but for the fact that a huge chunk of nearly everything the hundreds of millions of non-yoga-practitioners in the developed-world complain about can be substantially alleviated by some aspect of the practice.

Yoga works, plain and simple.
The combination of breathing techniques, movement, mindset training and, if desired the exploration of the more spiritual, subtle-aspects are nothing short of transformational.

In fact, the benefits of these modalities are so promising and cost-effective, larger-scale studies are now underway, some funded by the National Institutes Of Health. A sampling of the currently published research includes:

Yoga More Effective For Back Pain Than Therapeutic Exercise & Self-Care (Annals 2005 Dec 20;143(12):849-856)
Yoga Effectively Treats Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (JAMA 1998 Nov 11;280(18):1601-3)
Yoga Yields Weight Loss In Middle Age (Alternative Therapies In Health & Medicine; Jul/Aug 2006)
Yoga Helps Reduce Anxiety & Depression (Altern Ther Health Med. 2004 Ma-Apr;10(2):60-3, Soc Behavioral Med Ann Mtg; March 1993; Am J Psychiatry 1992; 149:936-943)
Yoga Reduces Risk Factors For Cardiovascular Disease (JAMA. 1998;280:2001-2007, J Assoc Physicians India 48(7):687-94 2000 Jul, J Altern Complement Med. 2005 Apr;11(2):267-74)
Yoga Lowers Pre-operative Anxiety & Stress (AACN Clin Issues. 2000 Feb; 11(1):68-76)
Yoga Reduces Frequency & Severity of Migraine & Tension Headaches (Int J Psychosomatics 36, 1989, pp 72-78, Neurology India 1991 Jan; 39(1): 11-8)
Yoga Effective Complimentary Treatment for Type II Diabetes (Proc XII Ann Mtg Res Soc Study Diabetes India 1984, Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 1993 Jan;19(1):69-74))
Yoga Reduces Risk Factors For Diabetes Mellitus (J Altern Complement Med. 2005 Apr;11(2):267-74)
Yoga Decreases Severity of Asthma (Pneumologie. 1994 Jul;48(7):484-90)
Yoga Accelerates Healing of Psoriasis Lesions (Psychosomatic Medicine, 60, 5: 625-632)
Yoga Reduces Stress During Cancer Treatment & Recovery (Psychosomatic Medicine 62:613-622, Supportive Care In Cancer Mar 2001; 9(2):112-23)
Yoga Effective At Reducing Stress (J Alt & Comp Med. 2005; 11(4): 711-717)
Yoga Effective At Treating Stress In Fibromyalgia Patients (Gen Hosp Psychiatry 15(5):284-9 1993)
So, if you’re looking for a single activity to add to your routine in 2008 that boasts the ability to impact every aspect of your life, why not make it yoga?

Beware, though, choose your yoga carefully.
Before you rush out and dive in, you should know that there are more than 20 major schools or “styles” of practice today and many of them offer radically divergent experiences. Some, like ashtanga, vinyasa or power yoga provide a strong, flowing dynamic experience that can range from mildly to extremely rigorous. Others provide more of a gentle, restorative effect.

All approaches have value, but before beginning, it’s important to:
Identify what you are looking for from the practice,
Assess your physical condition and limitations and potentially seek input from your health-care provider,
Consider the type of setting you’d feel most comfortable in (gym, studio, retreat, home), and
Think about whether you’d prefer a group or a more private experience.
Once you’ve sussed out your preferences, it’s time to explore local yoga options.
Here is a brief summary of the major types of yoga you’ll run into and the general experience they’ll offer:

Vinyasa/Power/Flow/Ashtanga/Jivamukti – rigorous, flowing, dyamic practice, rooted strongly in movement, postures and breathing exercises. May be extremely challenging and generally also provides a great workout. Different teachers may bring in more or less of the subtler-side of the practice
Iyengar – more static, but still very physically challenging experience, with a strong emphasis on precision and alignment, holding postures for an extended time and very little movement.
Anusara – similar attention to detail as Iyengar, but more movement and focus on mindset and the energetic side of the practice. Less movement than Vinyasa, but more than Iyengar. May be highly challenging.
Integral/Sivananda – Very traditional experience, rooted more in the subtler-side, study of traditions, philosophy and scriptures, breathing and energetic work, with less emphasis on postures.
Hot/Bikram – set of postures and breathing exercises performed in a super-heated environment (105-degrees +) . The heat makes this a very intense experience.
Kundalini – experience taps strongly into the subtle-side in an effort to release the body’s lifeforce and allow it to travel up the spine. Strong emphasis on breathing, chanting, interaction and unique set of movements and postures
Hatha/Kripalu/restorative – balanced emphasis on breath, meditation and postures, many of which are designed to release physical imbalances and holding patterns in the body. Generally, a gentle experience, not tailored o those looking for a strong exercise-experience, but highly-valuable nonetheless.
Viniyoga/yoga therapy – individualized experience that is tailored to the precise diagnoses and needs of the individual. Most often done on a private basis, though, some classes may be found.
YogaFit – begun as fitness-classes, based on modified yoga postures, YogaFit is the designated yoga at a number of large health-club chains.
Hybrids – Yogilates – yoga and pilates, Tai Yoga – yoga and massage, Yoga boxing/Spinning – yoga and indoor cycling
Once you’ve determined your general yoga preferences and noted which styles of practice sounds appealing, search for the local setting and type of class that feels right to you and commit to trying it out. A great resource to learn more and find yoga in your local neighborhood is the beginner’s area at YogaJournal.com.

And remember, the nature of the experience, even at the same studio or gym, can vary fairly dramatically, based upon the skill, ability, experience and personality of the teacher.

So, even if your first or second experience do not immediately resonate with you, be sure to explore a few more teachers, styles or settings, instead of simply writing off a practice that has the ability to make your life a calmer, more energized, less painful, more enjoyable place to be.

Wishing you all an incredible 2008 ahead!

PS – This list is by no-means all-inclusive, so feel free to add to my list or share your thoughts, stories and ideas in the comment section below.

Namaste (Sanksrit for the light in me honors the light in you).

If you’re like me, you can eat healthy much of the time, exercise a lot, and still find your fat-burning efforts at a plateau.

It seems easier to lose the first 30 pounds than the last bit of fat around your middle.

And if you’re like me, you want to get lean — for reasons that may vary from improved physical performance to better health to better looks. It’s not always easy to get rid of that stubborn belly fat — or any fat, for that matter, as you can’t “spot reduce” just your belly fat.

So I’ve created a list of things you can do to break through that plateau, if you’ve been exercising and eating fairly healthy for awhile but have seen your progress slow considerably. That’s the situation I found myself in recently, and these are the techniques I’ve been using to pretty good success.

Weight Loss

Who Should Use These Tips

Again, this post is aimed at those who have been exercising regularly for at least a few months and who already eat fairly healthy. It’s for those who want to break through a plateau and speed up their fat-burning, lean-making progress. It’s for those who are looking for leanness and not hugeness.

If that’s you, read on.

If you don’t exercise regularly, I highly recommend you start right away (assuming you don’t have major health problems) and that you start out slowly. These tips aren’t for you. Start with: get healthy and fit with exercise, and 4 simple steps to start the exercise habit.

If you regularly eat junk food — that’s sugary foods, fried foods, fast foods, fatty foods, processed foods, or refined carbs — this isn’t the place to start. Better to start with the basics — learning to slowly wean yourself from these junk foods and start eating mostly whole foods instead. I’m not saying you can never have sweets or french fries, but you should cut back on them and only have them in moderation. Start here: get healthy and fit by eating healthy.

If you are looking to build massive amounts of muscle, this post isn’t for you. To do that, the prescription is pretty simple: 1) do compound lifts like the squat, deadlift, bench press, standing military press, standing barbell row, power clean, pullup, etc.; 2) lift heavy and continue to progress; 3) eat a LOT, including lots of protein. I recommend lifting 3 times a week, full body routine, unless you’re a serious bodybuilder (in which case, you know better than I do how to reach your goals).

But if you’re looking to get lean, as I said, these tips will help take you from your foundation of healthy eating and regular exercise to your goal of losing that last bit of stubborn fat.

How to Rev Up Your Fat Burning

You don’t have to do all of the following tips — pick ones that will work best for you and give them a try. If they don’t do much after a few weeks, try some of the other tips:

1. Lean Your Diet. I typically eat pretty healthy. As a vegetarian, I stick with lots of veggies, fruits, lean protein, nuts, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and good fats. For the most part. But I also allow myself some indulgences, including veggie pizza, some sweets, and other treats. And while I think that’s a good lifestyle to have, sometimes you have to get a little strict with yourself for a little while to achieve your goals. So right now I’m on a self-created diet with only one menu plan — I eat the same things every day. I have a set breakfast, set lunch, set dinner, and set snacks. I’ve taken the choice out of eating, and for me that’s been working. That might not work for everyone. The key is to cut out the junk food and other treats (except for maybe 1-2 cheat meals a week). Cut back on grains for a little while and focus more on lean protein, veggies, fruits and good fats. With a diet like this, you’ll get lean faster.

2. Intervals. If you do cardio exercise such as running, cycling, rowing, or what have you … rev it up with higher-intensity intervals. This means going at a little under full speed for a short interval, and then going slow for another short interval. There are tons of great interval workouts, but one of my favorites recently are Tabata Intervals — basically 20 seconds of intense exercise, then 10 seconds of rest … and repeat those intervals 8 times. That’s a total of four minutes — a great workout in a short amount of time. I suggest easing into interval training if you haven’t done much of it before — just pick up the pace for a minute, then go slower for another minute. Don’t overdo it at first. Also realize that if you do intense intevals, you will probably have to cut back on the duration of the exercise.

3. Metcon Workouts. These are usually workouts that combine strength training with cardio at high intensities.
Generally they’re about 20 minutes (give or take 10 minutes), and they use a combination of exercises with no rest in between. Crossfit is the ultimate expression of this philosophy — typical workouts include doing four rounds of 400-meter sprints and 50 squats (as fast as you can) … or 100 pullups, 100 pushups, 100 situps, 100 squats (as fast as you can). See Crossfit’s “girl named Workouts of the Day” for more examples.

4. Hills. If you normally run, add some challenge to your runs with hills. Hills are like strength training for runners. They add intensity and are a great way to rev up the fat burning. I suggest easing into hill running if you’re not used to it. Start by running a slightly hilly course — gentle, rolling hills. Then run a course with hills that are a bit tougher. Then, when you’re good and strong (after a few weeks), do some hill repeats up a challenging hill — run hard up the hill, then go easy down the hill, for 5-7 repeats. You’ll curse my name when you’re done.

5. Heavy Weights. If you normally do strength training, but only do bodyweight exercises (which are great) or do high reps with lighter or medium weights, try increasing the intensity. Do this gradually, of course, as you don’t want to overdo it at first. Shoot for 3 sets of 5 reps with a heavier weight, for each exercise you do. This will help you to build more muscle and increase your metabolism.

6. Compound Lifts. Combine the above tip of lifting heavier weights with this tip — only do compound lifts. That means no isolation lifts, where you’re only working one muscle group at a time. Be sure that each lift uses two or more joints. Bicep curls are an example of an isolation lift — only the elbow joint is involved. Examples of compound lifts include the bench press (shoulder and elbow joints involved), the pullup (again, shoulder and elbow), squat (knees and hips and back). With compound lifts, you are working more muscles at once, and as a result you’re going to build more muscle overall. Compound lifts are also more functional — they mimick real-world motions. No one lifts anything like they do in a bicep curl, but we squat every day (think of picking something up off the floor, or sitting down and then getting up).

7. Extra Activities. If you’re doing all of the above tips, you’re on a great track to get lean. But if you’ve stepped up the intensity and are eating super lean for a month or so and want to take it to the next level, then add some extra activities to your schedule several times a week. These could include anything where you get active for at least 30 minutes: playing sports, going on a hike, doing some yardwork, doing some intense house cleaning (no, the Roomba doesn’t count), going swimming, etc. Just get active, in addition to your regular workouts. This extra activity will help you burn those extra calories and help break through your plateau.

With a modern, sedentary lifestyle it is very easy to put on weight. Here are some practical tips to fight the flab and get your weight down. It took you a long time to put on weight so you need to take a long view about losing it. Quick diets tend not to work. You need a change in lifestyle. This is the regime that worked for me.

1. Eliminate the Enemy.

The enemy are high-fat, high-carbohydrate foods. The single most important thing you can do is to remove these from your diet. Specifically, make sure that you do not have the following in your Home; bread, potatoes, pasta, chips, savory snacks, cakes, cookies, sweets, candies, chocolates and sugary drinks. This sounds severe but if you can remove these items you remove the temptation and opportunity to consume them. So what do you eat instead?

Lose Weight only Six Great Ways

2. Eat Plenty.

Eat plenty of vegetables, fruit, chicken, fish, cheese and eggs. You can eat as much of your favorite fruits and vegetables as you want. Make soups from a mix of vegetables or buy low-fat soups. Eat red meat maybe once or twice a week. If you want a snack then eat some almonds or other nuts, a banana, apple or pear or a low-fat cereal or fruit bar.

3. Eat out Less.

It is possible to choose the low-fat items on the menu but generally it is much harder to resist temptation when eating out so eat at home more. The occasional big meal out is fine provided your regular regime at Home is disciplined. You also save money by eating in.

4. Leave the Car on the Driveway.

Try to walk or cycle for local outings. You are helping the planet and reducing your waistline by leaving the car at Home for short journeys.

5. Play Tennis.

Any vigorous exercise will do. Tennis is particularly good because you can play at 17 or 70 and it is fun, competitive and sociable.

6. Do it with your Partner.

It is much easier to change your lifestyle and remove tempting bad foods from the Home if your family are all involved. Try to make it a joint effort with your wife, husband or partner and you will find it easier to keep going. Breaking the rules with the occasional treat is allowed as is alcohol in moderation.

These are the key items that have helped me lose 14 pounds in three months. The initial change takes some effort but then you get into new and better habits. The result is that you look better and feel fitter.

healthy Eating

Without the right fuel your body will sputter out like a Ford Pinto. It’s great being young and eating whatever you want but the fast metabolism doesn’t last. As you get older, your metabolism slows and eating like a teenager leads to a sagging gut. To keep the youthful body, switch to a mature way of eating. Here are some basic guidelines for an age-proof diet:

1. Cut the Junk Food – Cut it out of your diet completely. It serves no purpose. Junk food is merely salt, sugar, empty calories, and an assortment of artificial chemicals. Once you break the addiction and become accustomed to healthy snacks you won’t miss the junk.

2. Minimize Highly Processed Carbs – Sugars, pasta, and white breads are all examples of highly processed carbs. These foods give you a quick burst of energy that quickly wears off and leaves you burned out. They also have the highest calorie count of any food group. Staying lean is all about burning more calories than you consume. By substituting slow carbs like beans and whole grains you can immediately decrease the amount of exercise you need to stay lean.

3. Eat Lightly – Most people spend the day working at a desk. We don’t move around much, so we don’t burn many calories. As a consequence, you don’t need to eat that much. Think of your body as a car engine. The more fuel gets processed, the more wear and tear inflicted on the engine. Thus, the more you eat, the more wear on your body. Try to get avoid eating for indulgence. As Socrates said, “Thou shouldst eat to live, not live to eat.”

Stay Beautiful and Energetic with Age

Exercise

1. Weight Training – Not just for bodybuilders, weight training should be an important part of everyone’s exercise routine. Even if you don’t want to add muscle, it’s essential for maintaining and toning the muscle you have. More muscle will burn more fat and keep you lean and toned as you age.

2. Work the Entire Body – Many people mistakenly focus on the most visible body parts. This means weight training workouts that consist of only chest and arms. To get the best results for your effort, you need to work the entire body. Devote just as much time to the back and leg muscles as you do to the beach muscles. This is important because the body functions as a whole. You wouldn’t soup up your car’s engine but let the axles rust away would you? By working the whole body, you boost the results of all the major muscle groups.

3. Work the Core – Nothing gets harder with age than maintaining your youthful figure. To keep the stomach flat, it’s essential to work the core. Beyond the usual ab exercises, there are many different core exercises that can be done in a few minutes without any special equipment. Doing these exercises regularly for just a few weeks will produce improved posture and a noticeably firmer abdomen.

Avoiding Vice

The final piece of the anti-aging puzzle is minimizing the damage you inflict on yourself. All your healthy eating and exercise will go to waste if you trash your body with drugs, alcohol, and junk food. Just look at the groups of people that age the worst: smokers, alcoholics, over-eaters, and (in the most destructive case) drug addicts. The images aren’t pretty.

Not to say that it’s bad to cut loose occasionally, but it’s important to understand the implicit cost of these actions. Practice moderation and discipline and your body will thank you.

If you liked this article, check out more PeopleJam posts on eating healthy and fitness.