Couples Are More Successful at Losing Weight Together

If you can gain it together, you can lose it together!

Popular TV shows like “The Biggest Loser” feature emotional accounts from couples who share their hopes and dreams for each other, and ultimately for themselves. Given their dramatic weight loss, there may be a reason that the contestants who are part of a couple and work as a team are more likely to succeed. According to several recent studies, there is evidence that people who try to lose weight with their partners get better results than those who attempt it on their own.

Here are four reasons why people lose more weight as a couple than as individuals:

Accountability. There is always someone there to push you and to provide encouragement when you’re exercising or trying to stick to a healthy diet. As a team, couples provide each other with words of support, while also enforcing the rules they’ve created. It’s harder to hide junk food in the house with your partner on the lookout for cheating!

Familiarity. Partners have seen each other at their worst and at their best. They don’t have to act or put up a front, because they should already feel comfortable with each other. Unfortunately, this level of comfort may be what causes a couple to gain weight together in the first place. Busy lifestyles and unhealthy habits can pack on the pounds, as well. On the other hand, while your partner should love you for who you are on the inside, it never hurts to spark the flames with a new, toned body.

Commitment. Couples are invested in each other. Individuals care deeply about the health and well-being of their partners, especially if they have children together. When interviewed, couples with kids often talk about the importance of seeing their sons or daughters graduate from school or get married. Their strong family ties can give them that extra motivation to succeed.

Partnership. They can help each other create effective diets and workout routines based on their strengths and preferences, since they truly want their partners to succeed. You’ll have a consistent spotter when lifting weights and a cheerleader to keep those spirits up. This winning combination of physical and emotional support can make a huge difference in your weight loss results.

Tips for Couples Trying to Lose Weight Together

Health experts point out that men and women often have varied weight loss results, due to differences in their body types and metabolism rates. As long as you recognize and deal with these variations up front, however, there will tend to be more cooperation than competition between you and your partner. In any case, a little bit of friendly competition wouldn’t hurt, and you shouldn’t feel entirely responsible for your partner, either. It might help to remember that, at the end of the day, each of you is solely accountable for your own choices.

Clearly, appearing on “The Biggest Loser” is not possible for everyone. It might sound simple, but, in general, the healthiest option for most people is to eat right and exercise more. Couples should consult their doctors for specific advice on creating their personal weight loss plans.

Beating Pregnancy Fat

Having a baby, nurturing and bringing a child into the world is probably one of the best experiences for a woman. Nonetheless, weight gain during pregnancy is almost unavoidable. Suddenly, you are faced with a tonne of weight that you are unable lose and your huge belly becomes the central problem of your life.

Adjusting to your new role as a Mom will take up most of your time. This makes losing your pregnancy weight easier said than done. Most Moms think that eating less and being able to spend enough time at the gym is the only way to lose their pregnancy weight gain. In fact, eating less will damage your metabolism and is harmful for you and your child, especially if you are breastfeeding. It is also not necessary to dedicate hours in the gym, you just need to know how to optimise your time to burn calories.

Here are some ways that Moms can make use of to help lose pregnancy weight:

Sleep adequately

Having enough sleep will help you restore your metabolism. At the same time, it gives you energy and mood to do work and exercise. Do not trade sleep for exercise time in the first few weeks as you need it to heal and recover from your delivery. Try to synchronise your sleep with your baby's. This way, you optimise your sleep time and your time with your baby.

Snack healthily

Skip bad carbohydrates like sugar, white flour and starch. They make you gain more weight and leave you hungrier. Go for foods like low-fat milk, yogurt, fruits and vegetables. Calcium and fibre helps you burn fats and keep you fuller longer.

Get yourself moving

It is perfectly fine to rest and let your body recover after delivery, especially if you undergo a Caesarean section delivery. You need around 6 weeks for your body to be able to do any serious exercises.

In the meantime, you can start by just taking a stroll around your neighbourhood. If you feel good and the walking does not cause you discomfort or pain, try walking further each day.

You can even do this with your baby in the stroller with you. Learn to optimise your time with or without your baby.

Breastfeeding helps too

You can burn about 600 to 800 calories a day when you breastfeed. All you need to do is to sit down and feed your baby and you will lose weight.

However, you need around 500 calories more a day when you breastfeed. So be sure to take in enough for yourself and your baby. Take note that once you stop breastfeeding and start to introduce solid food to your baby, your calorie needs drop as well. Adjust your diet to prevent weight gain when this happens.

Build some muscles

Building some muscles will help greatly with your metabolism. Once you have a decent metabolism, you burn fats faster.

If you don't have the time to go to the gym, try to do some strength training with your baby.

For example, you can do lunges while holding your baby to your chest or while pushing the stroller as you walk. You can do some presses by lying down, holding your baby above your chest and press your baby upwards slowly.

Always seek professional help if you have no clue in exercise routines.

Get Support

Get help from your family with the housework and looking after the baby. You don't have to do everything by yourself.

Get in touch with the local community, sign up for programs set up for new Moms. There are many Moms and baby yoga classes, exercise classes available. This way, you can know more new Moms who face the same problem as you. Working with a friend who shares the same situation as you can give you the motivation you need to reach your weight loss goal.

These are some examples of abs exercises to get you started at home:

Please consult your doctor before trying out any of these exercises.

Starting with the first 2 exercises, do 8 reps each and gradually increase to 15. Once you can perform these, introduce the next 2 exercises to your routine and do 10 reps for each exercise. Gradually increase your reps to 15 for each exercise this way. Once your can complete this, add another set of 15 reps with a 60 seconds rest in between.

Chair abs

Lie face-up with your knees bent and lower legs resting on a chair. Keeping your buttocks and legs relaxed, do a crunch with your hands behind your head.

Supported bent-knee curl-up

Lie face-up on with your knees bent and calves parallel to the floor. Place your hands behind your thighs. Press your legs away from you, using your hands as resistance; at the same time, contract your abs and lift your head, neck and shoulders off the floor.

Crunches

Lie face-up with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and hands behind your head. Crunch your abs by lifting your shoulders off the floor and lift your knees to meet your elbows.

Air Bikes

Lie face-up with your knees bent, calves parallel to the floor and hands behind your head. Extend your left leg out; at the same time, rotate left shoulder toward right knee, lifting your head, neck and shoulders. This simulates riding a bicycle upside down in the air.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Weight Loss in Athletic Children

There is a lot of pressure on young athletes to keep their weight down. This article discusses the importance of following a healthy diet and monitoring the weight of athletic children.

The needs of children

Children of all ages need adequate amounts of energy to provide fuel for both their growth and their high activity level. When there is an increase in the amount of exercise, such as when the child is participating in a sport at a high level, the energy needs from food becomes even greater. It is important to focus on getting enough energy and nutrients to match the amount of exercise being performed. It is important to explain to the child that they will perform better with sufficient energy and a well balanced diet.

If the child is not maintaining a healthy growth rate, you can encourage them to eat their

favorite foods to increase their total energy consumption.

The Pressure of Aesthetics

In sports in which aesthetics play a part, such as gymnastics, the participants are often pressured to keep a low body weight and body fat levels. You need to consider the age and participation level of the athlete, as keeping a low body weight is often not necessary and can be detrimental to their physical development. It may be worth attending one of your child's training sessions to observe what the instructors are advising them to do, as it may conflict to what you consider to be in the best interest of the child. Often young children are influenced by people they aspire to, and not all coaches have the right information or understanding of correct nutrition. In any case, if excessive weight loss is noticed, you should consult a doctor or dietitian.

source : www.topendsports.com

Dangerous Diets | Dangerous Diets For Weight Control

While maintaining a healthy weight is a good thing, people sometimes try some dangerous diets in order to lose excess weight. There are some dangerous diet pills and other medications that can cause serious health problems. While we will cover some of the risks here, you should talk to your doctor if you need more information about dangerous diets and how to lose weight safely.

Diet Pills

Diet pills are becoming more and more popular these days as many people think they will be a safe and effective way to lose excess weight. Unfortunately, there are a number of very dangerous diet pills out there, including some that are available without a prescription. They can cause multiple medical problems and in some cases may even result in death. However, many people assume they are safe if they are sold without a prescription, and many also assume their doctor would not prescribe anything dangerous. Such assumptions can put you at great risk.

Many diet pills contain a combination of phenylpropanolamine and caffeine. These pills stimulate the nervous system and may reduce appetite. Unfortunately, they may also cause anxiety, nausea, diarrhea, rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, dizziness and irritability.

Other diet pills may contain ephedrine. While this may also reduce appetite, it can also cause rapid heart rate, irregular heart rate, chest pains, dizziness, difficulty breathing, headaches, nausea, diarrhea, anxiety, seizures, strokes and even heart failure. Ephedrine has been linked to numerous deaths.

In the past, fenfluramine, commonly referred to as Fen-Phen, was commonly prescribed by doctors for patients needing to lose weight. It was eventually withdrawn from the market due to serious side effects, including lung disease that was often fatal. Fen-Phen was one of the most dangerous diet pills ever sold in the U.S.

Laxatives

Laxatives are not diet pills and they are not intended to be used to help people lose weight. However, some people following dangerous diets do use or abuse laxatives in an attempt to prevent weight gain or to lose weight.

Laxatives are available without a prescription and are meant to be taken only occasionally to relieve constipation. Some people mistakenly think that taking laxatives will cause food to move through the digestive system faster, preventing them from absorbing all the calories in the food. This is not true, however. The use of laxatives causes people to lose fluid, which might make them feel like they lost weight, but that feeling does not last long.

Abuse of laxatives can lead to severe stomach pain, nausea and vomiting, bloody diarrhea, dehydration and serious electrolyte imbalances. Ironically, severe constipation may develop as the bowels begin to have difficulty functioning with the stimulation of laxatives. With prolonged use, laxatives can cause permanent damage to the bowels. As with other dangerous diet pills, laxative abuse can be deadly over time.

Diuretics (Water Pills)

Diuretics, sometimes referred to as water pills, cause people to lose a lot of fluid. They are typically prescribed for patients that retain excessive fluids, such as those with heart disease or high blood pressure. When used by people on dangerous diets to try to lose weight, water pills can be very dangerous. The loss of fluids can lead to serious electrolyte imbalances and dehydration. Both kidney failure and heart failure may result.

While water pills may initially cause a temporary weight loss due to loss of vital fluids, the body will soon begin retaining extra water in an attempt to correct the resulting electrolyte imbalances and prevent dehydration. Then it appears that people using them are gaining weight, which may lead them to take even more diuretics. The more they are used, the more dangerous they become.

Syrup of Ipecac

Syrup of Ipecac is not a diet pill, but some people on dangerous diets use it to prevent weight gain. It’s a liquid medication meant to induce vomiting. It’s typically used when someone has ingested something harmful, like an overdose of certain drugs or some poisonous plants. You should always consult a doctor or your local poison control center before taking syrup of Ipecac for such purposes, though, because there are some substances that can actually cause more harm if vomiting is induced.

People with eating disorders may use syrup of Ipecac to induce vomiting in order to avoid absorbing calories from food they’ve eaten. Such use can be very risky, particularly if done often. It can cause damage to the heart muscle and may result in cardiac arrest. It has caused numerous deaths among people with eating disorders.

Dangerous diet pills, laxatives, diuretics and syrup of Ipecac are not safe or effective ways to lose weight. They can cause serious medical problems or even result in death. If you need to lose weight, talk to your doctor about the safest and most effective way to do so rather than relying on dangerous diet pills. If you have been following dangerous diets in an attempt to lose weight, see your doctor right away to make sure no serious damage has been done and to discuss safer, healthier weight loss methods. If someone you know is following dangerous diets, encourage them to see a doctor as soon as possible.

source : www.mirror-mirror.org

Fat Loss Diet Tips | Fast Weight Loss

There is no worse feeling than sitting down on the couch and realizing that you have folds of fat where your stomach used to be. You know what it’s like, to have that pouch of tubbiness preventing you from getting truly comfortable whether you are trying to sit, sleep, or fit into your jeans. 

There might have been a time when you could eat anything you wanted and still maintain a slim frame. But now it’s many years later, and your metabolism isn’t what it used to be. It seems that weight materializes out of nowhere, and you feel guilty for even thinking about munching on your favourite snacks. Maybe it’s time to think about losing some weight and pursuing a fat loss diet and exercise plan. Eventually everyone comes to a point where they consider taking steps to pursue fat loss and losing weight. Whether or not they actually go through with a plan is a different story, but the fact that you are here is a good start. No matter where you rank on the weight or activity scale, it is never too late for fat loss. And the good news is you don’t have to necessarily go through punishing diets and workouts to get the results you want.

Fat loss can be achieved through a healthier lifestyle and moderate inclusion of better daily habits.

When it comes to losing fat, a lot of people imagine hours in the gym exercising and sweating until their legs are sore. Their taste buds may even curl at the thought of having to eat “nutritious” foods with absolutely no flavour. They imagine that their lives will be a lot less fun, having to stick with a strict regime given to them by a doctor or personal trainer. But fat loss does not have to mean an end to freedom or fun in your life. In fact, dropping a few pounds can go a long ways towards expanding your possibilities. Sometimes all it takes is a slimmer look to give someone the confidence they need to rejoin the world as a participant rather than an observer. And let’s not forget about the fact that physically feeling better will allow you to do so much more.

While you will need to do some planning and certainly bring a bit more organization into your life, you don’t have to exhaust yourself to achieve weight loss – especially if you have not worked out in awhile. In the beginning stages, in any activity is better than nothing. And getting over that hurdle of deciding you want to do something is a big step already. Just remember that nothing good can come without a little bit of work, and the result of a healthier body is definitely worth it. There are resources found on this website that can help. Check out the table of contents for a full list of weight loss articles. In the meantime, here are some simple tips to keep in mind to lose fat.

Fat Loss Tips

1. Get active. Getting active and exercising can be broken down into two parts: cardiovascular and weight training. Cardiovascular exercise is this step that most people concentrate on. It is basically anything that gets your heart pumping and makes you work up a sweat. If you have not worked out in awhile, then you will want to start off slow and make sure to stretch well. Jumping full on into heavy jogging after years of inactivity is a good way to get yourself injured. Remember that even something as simple as going for a walk will burn calories, contribute to fat loss, and keep your body healthy. Eventually, you can work your way up to more intense cardiovascular exercise such as running, swimming, you or organized sports. Weight training is an aspect of physical activity that most people don’t think about. Don’t worry if you have previously ignored it either.

How does weight training contribute to fat loss? Basically, muscle burns more calories than fat. If you can build up muscle in various areas of your body, it will keep your metabolism running higher thereby contributing to losing fat. 

You will be able to burn more calories in a state of rest while also improving your physical appearance. Check here for great reviews on good home exercise equipment.

2. Eating.

This is the hard part for many people because of foods that are bad for us simply taste better. Cravings for junk food or on healthy snacks may also seem to be uncontrollable after awhile. But losing fat is a matter of science and basic biology. If you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose fat – it’s just that simple. Here are some things that can help you to curb your appetite and come up with a healthy fat loss diet:

Don’t skip meals – by skipping meals you will only make yourself hungrier throughout the day. People have a tendency to skip breakfast, but as you have probably heard this is the most important meal of the day. It gets you off on the right foot while giving you the energy you need. You don’t have to worry about breakfast adding to your weight; it’s more late night dinners or snacks that are the main barriers of a succesful fat loss diet.

Eat healthier – obviously this is easier said than done, but eating healthier with the right fat loss diet means you can also eat more often. You can eat healthy snacks throughout the day to keep your metabolism up. Vegetables and fruits are also great on their own or as side dishes to fill up your stomach and cut down your cravings for other foods. A fat loss diet should contain all these elements.

Drink water – water has so many benefits that it is impossible to list them all here. When it comes to losing weight and getting rid of fat, water can help to keep your hunger under control. It will also balance out the excess levels of sodium or sugar that you might get from an unhealthy diet.

Eat regularly – it can be hard in this day and age to keep a regular schedule when it comes to dinner and heating. But try your best to eat at the same time each day so that your body can get use to our routine. Varying your eating times will always have your body guessing and trying to catch up in terms of normalizing itself. Be careful of fast weight loss tips that tell you to dramatically cut your diet. There is a difference between fast weight loss and healthy weight loss, and a fat loss diet shouldn’t include skipping meals.

3. Fast weight loss vs. Healthy weight loss.

There is no reason that you cannot get fast weight loss that is also healthy. However, most people do not go about it in the right way. It is also important to remember that “fast” is a relative term that will mean different things for different people. But in general, it’s better not to become obsessed with the fastest way to lose weight if your expectations are unreasonable. Concentrating on healthy weight loss will reduce your stress levels in addition to giving you a better chance for longer lasting results. You will be able to find plenty of fast weight loss tips around, but sometimes they are not the healthiest options. Make sure to stay away from strict fat loss diets that are based on deprivation more than healthy eating choices. When it comes to losing weight, there are no easy ways to cut corners completely if you want to do it in a healthy way. Fast weight loss is achievable in the sense that you can start living a healthier lifestyle and lose a pound or two within a week, but don’t try to lose 10 pounds within that same time span.

Foods for a Fat Loss Diet

It’s all about health and careful planning when it comes to food, and remember every bit counts. You don’t have to go crazy with counting each calorie, but you can’t be completely clueless either. Important point: a calorie is a calorie whether it comes from a vegetable or a burger. There are differences of course when it comes to fat, sodium, or cholesterol content. This comes into play when people buy “fat-free” foods that they are lower in calories. Be careful – 300 calories from a fat-free ice is the same as 300 calories from a normal one, so it doesn’t necessarily mean you can eat more of your fat-free products, and people tend to go overboard because they think it’s “safer”.

Breakfast selections for a fat loss diet

Oatmeal and fresh fruit such as blueberries or strawberries

Fresh fruit on its own such an orange or grapefruit

Cereal high in Fiber or whole grain

Examples of food to avoid eating too often – bacon, sausages, fried eggs, cheese omelette, sugary cereal, high-fat muffins, pasteries.

Lunch and Dinner selections

Lean turkey sandwich

Sandwich whole grain wrap with select meat and loaded with veggies

Vegetable soup

Garden salad with grilled chicken

Salmon – poached, grilled, baked

Beef and vegetable stew

Ravioli stuffed with spinach and tomato sauce

Chicken Curry

Seafood Tacos

Asian-style hotpot with select meats – lamb, beef, chicken, and pork!

Examples of lunch and dinner foods to avoid eating too often – burger and fries, friend chicken, pizza, steak and baked potato with all the trimmings, creamy soups or sauces, anything with too much butter or grease or other high cholesterol foods.

Healthy Snack suggestions for a fat loss diet

Fruits or vegetables

Dried Fruits

Homemade trail mix – cut out the sodium or sugar

Bran crackers

Nuts- almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, peanuts

Unsalted pretzels

Snack foods to avoid – chips, cookies, donuts, ice cream, candy, cake, softs drinks or sugary beverages

Source : rabbitsadvice.com