Losing Weight In Lockdown

Many places are currently in lockdown for Coronavirus. This means individuals and families are not allowed out of the house except for a few specified reasons: many workplaces are closed and may never reopen, social gathering places, such as hotels and clubs are closed, exercise centers and gyms are closed and even where you can get out, your time is limited.

There can be a temptation to eat and drink whatever you can because you feel powerless to change what is happening around you. You may be lonely, you may not be able to see your family, you may not be able to meet your friends or attend your usual social gatherings and food (and alcohol) may seem like friendly substitutes. They are NOT, they will cheat you out of your health and help you gain weight if you use them to help you feel “better”.

You Are Powerful

You have a great deal of power over your life, if you choose to exercise it.


Step Outside The Box

Challenge yourself to step outside the box. Do something that you have previously feared or that made you feel panicked, uncomfortable or scared. When choosing something to do, keep in mind that:

1. Most of the things we worry about, never take place. Even if it has or will take place, it is usually not as bad as we feared. If it is, we WILL get through it.

2. Doing something  that you have previously panicked about will make you a stronger person.

3. You will gain more confidence and personal supremacy. You will feel powerful, not powerless.

4. Your past does not equal your future

Have you done anything lately that really scared you, but after you did it, you realized you had more confidence and personal power? If you haven’t, try it! The only way to get past your fear of doing something is to: Do It… Do It Now! And you will be shocked. It will be the best feeling on earth. Stepping outside the box and getting uncomfortable is the only way to grow as a human being. Courage is not “feeling no fear” it is feeling scared and uncomfortable, yet doing it anyway.

Do you want to achieve your goals? If so, you have to stretch yourself, get out of the rut of your comfort zone, and take chances!

  • Challenge yourself;
  • Stretch your thinking;
  • Embrace diverse ideas;
  • Try new things.

Your world will begin to expand and your confidence will grow. Your dreams will come alive and your possibilities will be endless! It will be a powerful time!

Feeling Powerful Can Overcome Weight Gain

If you challenge yourself and develop your personal power, it can overcome the cravings for excess food or for alcohol and help you avoid weight gain during lockdown. Only you know what would challenge you and help you develop your power. Some ideas would be

  • Find a way to get more exercise, whether that’s climbing stairs, lifting furniture, doing cleaning(!), working out with the kids, getting your daily 1 hour exercise, clean off your bike, do body weight exercises, take up yoga or pilates, find an exercise class online and join in
  • Do something that is scary to you personally. Make a video or a presentation online. Start writing that novel you always threatened to write. Take up a new creative art. Research your family history. Throw out some of that clutter you have been accumulating. Tidy your drawers or wardrobe. Find a diet that you like the sound of and find out all about it. Start it. Write a letter to someone.
  • Learn something new. A new language (or improve your ability), a new form of exercise, improve your cooking, try a new way of eating, take up the guitar or singing, write poetry, learn to create a website or write a blog or a programming language. Learn to identify birds or trees or architectural artifacts.
  • Overcome a disappointment. If you have suffered a big disappointment, find a way to get over it. This may require acceptance that your choice is not to be or you may need to find the courage to redo something or start again. If you have failed an exam, not succeeded in getting a job you wanted, then decide what you can do to make your dream come true.
  • For people who have always been busy, suddenly having to stay in and do nothing can be very challenging. You could start writing a journal, take up meditation, or relaxation or find some way to slow down, maybe reconnect with yourself or nature. Take advantage of the break and use it to your advantage.
  • Get social. If you have lost your physical social life, learn to develop a new one online.
  • If you are not in the vulnerable categories and not self-isolating, you may be able to volunteer to help others by dog walking, fetching prescriptions, doing shopping. There are also volunteer activities for those who must stay in, such as phoning vulnerable people who are locked in, etc. There are many voluntary activities you could do. Look online for local opportunities.

Feel Your Power: Keep Healthy

 

Carbohydrate Addicts Diet

Seems Unreal But It’s True

I don’t know why I never heard of The Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet before but it has been around for over 20 years and has a Facebook Page you can join too.

This diet is based on research carried out by two severely overweight scientists who found that some people were born with an insulin system that worked differently from everyone else’s. They found out how to manage it, using a diet that allows you to eat anything you want for one hour a day. The rest of the day, you can eat up to two complementary meals that must not contain carbohydrate. No snacking. They both of them lost weight on the diet and have maintained their healthy weights for over 30 years now.

Not Hungry

You might think you would feel ravenous on this diet but NO! The way the diet works, it controls the release of insulin. Eating or drinking carbohydrates, such as soda or bread, is what gives you “insulin spikes”, where your body releases insulin to deal with the carbohydrates, then releases more, a little later, that makes you feel hungry. The Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet helps your body deal with insulin release so you don’t get these spikes, so you don’t feel ravenous. Certainly, you feel hungry before it’s time for your main meal but it’s not the desperate, “give me anything, right now” feeling that a carbohydrate addict can get, where they will eat anything right before dinner, or never feel satisfied, despite a large meal.

Eat Anything

Yes, it’s true, not a dream. For one hour a day, on this diet, you can eat anything you like. Now of course, it’s much better to make it healthy food. And the way to do that, is to eat salad or vegetables first, then eat your main meal and then dessert if you are still hungry. During the rest of the day, you can eat one or two low carb meals, depending on which of the 5 plans you are following.

Why Not Try This Diet

This diet does not require you to buy any special foods or pills or potions. It sets out how to lose weight, healthily at a pound or so a week and keep it off. What’s not to like?

Vegetables

What Are Vegetables

www.tryadietforaday.comMostly vegetables are thought of as the parts of plants that you can eat. But then you can also eat spices, seeds and fruit and we don’t think of those as vegetables. We usually think of veg as the parts of plants that are eaten as part of a savory meal. If you do not like vegetables, you can find a list of vegetables, or at least some of them, at the end of this article and you may find some that you haven’t tried and that you might like. Surprisingly, some of the veggies we eat are technically “fruits” but we eat them as vegetables, for instance, cucumber, squashes, peppers and tomatoes are all fruits, as they contain seeds, but are eaten as vegetables.

Can We Eat Anything Else In Place Of Vegetables

So why do we eat vegetables? Firstly we get energy, for instance, peas, beans, carrots and turnips provide calories. Secondly, we can get vitamins and minerals from them, for instance, cabbage provides iron and magnesium and many vegetables provide different vitamins, like vitamin C. Thirdly, we can get fiber from them. Fiber is the indigestible part of the plant that helps keep us regular and which can also feed some of the good bacteria in our gut, to keep us healthy.
Now, the big question, can we get energy, minerals and vitamins and fiber from other sources, rather than vegetables? Certainly, we can get energy from other food sources. We can also get vitamins and minerals and we can get fiber. A lot of these could be obtained by eating fruit, seeds, grains and nuts instead of “vegetables”. These are still edible parts of plants but they are not generally eaten as part of a savory meal. Apples will give you fiber and vitamins. Nuts and seeds will provide energy, fiber and vitamins. These are still parts of plants but not vegetables.
So provided you eat OTHER parts of plants to get your dietary needs, you do not need to eat vegetables. If you want a healthy diet, you need to eat some parts of the plant, it may not necessarily be vegetables but you do need plants.

The Universal Plant

It’s interesting to try and imagine a single plant that could provide all the different kinds of food and benefits we get from eating a mixture of plants and their different parts. It would need to have a stem (e.g. rhubarb), swollen stem (e.g.fennel), underground stem (e.g.ginger), tubers, (e.g.potatoes), roots (e.g.carrots), leaves (e.g.lettuce) fruits (e.g.apples), nuts (e.g.almonds) and seeds (e.g.peas), just as a starter.

All food, vegetables, fruit, seeds, nuts www.tryadietforaday.com

The Universal Plant

List Of Vegetables

artichoke
aubergine
eggplant
asparagus
sprouts
beans
chickpeas
peas
mangetout
snap peas
broccoli
calabrese
brussels sprouts
cabbage
kohlrabi
cauliflower
celery
endive
fennel
greens
kale
mustard greens
spinach
lettuce
onions
Chives
Garlic
Leek
onion
shallot
scallion
carrot
celeriac
ginger
parsnip
jerusalem artichoke
potato
sweet potato
yam
turnip
sweetcorn
Zucchini
cucumber
Squash
pumpkin

The Ketogenic Diet & Constipation

Many people who start a diet find that their bowel habits change, usually they become constipated. This can be quite a problem and drinking a lot more water or eating more vegetables doesn’t always seem to help.

Check out this video for some useful advice.

If you find that constipation is a big problem for you, check out your symptoms with your doctor or health adviser.

Cheeses Served In Restaurants

www.tryadietforaday.comCheese On A Diet

Cheese is often one of the first things to go when people are on a diet. It is seen as a big “no-no”, because of the level of fat in many cheeses, however, cheese is also a great source of calcium and a little, even on the strictest of calorie controlled diets can help keep strong bones. It is also very filling, so a little can add a great taste and help keep you satisfied and not hungry. If you are out at a restaurant at dessert time, the cheeseboard is much preferable to the dessert trolley.

The Different Types Of Cheese Served In Restaurants

One of the most delicious types of dairy based foods that exists is cheese. It has been a part of our diet for hundreds of years and it is actually a main part of almost every cuisine from around the world. There are many different varieties of cheese that you can eat and they all have different flavors and characteristics. Most people have a favorite type of cheese, or one that they’re most accustomed to. However, in this article, we will be taking a closer look at some of the types of cheeses that are typically served in restaurants.

French Cheese

The first cheese we will look at is Brie. This is a soft and creamy cheese that originated from France and it is quite a mild cheese. It generally has a pale yellow color with a white rind and it has about 334 calories per 100 grams. The center is deliciously soft and the rind is slightly chewy. If you want a stronger version of Brie, then you can try its cousin, Camembert cheese. Brie is a very popular cheese around the world and you can eat it with a variety of cured meats, fruits and wine.

International Cheese

Next, we will look at Cheddar cheese which is actually one of the most common cheeses available. This cheese originated from England and it has a pale white to orange color. The strength can vary between mild and pungent and 100 grams of cheddar cheese is approximately 400 calories. The different strengths of cheddar cheese actually depend on how long it has been aged for. Three months will produce a very mild tasting cheese, five to six months will produce a medium tasting cheese, nine months will produce a mature flavor, fifteen months will create an extra mature flavor and eighteen months and more will create a vintage tasting cheese. Vintage cheddar cheese is very sharp and tangy while having a crumbly texture.

Cottage cheese is up next and this cheese is quite similar to ricotta cheese. This cheese has a very different production process and as a result, it has a different nutritional profile. It has a significantly lower fat content which means it’s lower in calories. One hundred grams of cottage cheese is only 98 calories which makes it a fantastic cheese for people who are on a diet. It is a very moist and creamy cheese and it looks like white curds. It has a very high protein content along with a very lumpy texture.

Lastly, we will look at Gorgonzola cheese, which is a blue cheese, so called because there are veins of blue running through it. This cheese originates from Italy and it has a very sharp and strong flavor. There are mainly two varieties in this type of cheese and they are Dolce and Piccante. Dolce is aged for under three months and as a result, it is very creamy, soft and almost spreadable. Piccante on the other hand is aged for between six and twelve months and is very pungent while being crumbly. This makes it perfect for eating with certain dishes.

Cheeseboard

Some of these cheeses are served on the cheeseboard at the end of the meal, often in place of a dessert, though not always. They can be served with wine and are often eaten with crackers or bread of some kind.

In closing, we have just looked at some of the different types of cheeses that are served in restaurants. There are many more varieties so be sure to continue reading and learning to gain a greater understanding of cheese.

Stainless Steel Chefs Knives

Chef’s Knives

If you want to try out a special diet, it is often a good idea to make sure you have a good range of sharp kitchen knives to prepare your food easily.

There are many varieties of stainless steel chefs knives around for any commercial kitchen or even a home kitchen, though not all are exactly top grade. A chef’s stainless
steel knife is one of those that you need to keep extra sharp, to make the job of cutting meat and other material easier. While not all knives are made from stainless steel,
those that are, have a long life and superb performance, as they have a natural resistance to rusting, making them easy to keep clean and well maintained.

It is the chromium content in the metal that gives steel its stainless properties. A great advantage of having stainless steel for your chef’s knife is their high resistance to corrosive or rusting agents, when compared with other metals.

www.tryadietforaday.comStainless steel chef’s knives are especially useful when working with moist or wet foods such as sea cuisines, acidic foods like fruits or salty foods as the metal is well
capable of withstanding these conditions while still maintaining its top class condition.

Before the advent of stainless steel the knives in use had disappointing edges and
were rather hard to attempt to sharpen, but over time there has been an emergence of high power steel that has a really sharp edge that remains sharp for longer without having to sharpen regularly, offering also the best in lifetime assurances without any corrosion or diminished edges.

An interesting point to note however about the stainless steel used for a chef’s knife is that while they offer very optimal resistance to all forms of corrosion, they aren’t
exactly stain or rust proof and extreme treatment like prolonged stays in water or salty fluids may actually make them rust or have a discoloration. To keep your stainless
steel chef’s knife at its best for the longest, may I suggest proper treatment of your “favorite knife” in the kitchen, with proper storage and wiping off of the edges with a
dry cloth after washing. If your knife has wood based handles, then dry these off properly to reduce the risk of cracking. This is all just basic information of what you need
to know about stainless steel chef’s knives which can ensure long service from your knife.

Buying And Enjoying Wine The Right Way

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TIP! Wine contains a LOT of calories. If you are trying to lose weight, try cutting out the wine for an extra day a week. Even have a “dry” week every so often.
TIP! Think about what you like before you splurge on expensive wine. Do not listen to critics or wine tasting professionals, as only you know what flavors you prefer.

Have you had a rough day at work and need to unwind with a good glass of wine? Maybe you are the type of person who just loves drinking all different types of wine? This article is for you! Read here for some simple tips on how to enjoy wine to the fullest.

TIP! Never fill your wine glass to the brim. This does not leave any space for you to swirl the wine around.

Wine should be stored in a dark, cool location. One of the best places to help your wine remain fresh if you do not have a wine cellar is in a closet in your basement. Store your bottles on their side away from any light sources to help it remain fresh.

TIP! Know whether the wine you wish to store away will age well. Check the shelf life of the particular wine to find out how long you can store it before the flavor is negatively affected.

Read up as much as you can on wine through books and magazines. In these works, you will find that some of the best wine connoisseurs in the world rate some of the most popular wines. This will help you to decide what wines you want to buy if you have yet to try them.

TIP! Get to as many wine tastings as you possibly can. Taste as many different kinds of wine as you can, and you learn a lot in the process. Remember, tasting doesn’t include swallowing!

Look at the entire wine store. Do not just stay in one aisle. Some stores are better organized than others, and you may even find some great deals in a section that you may not normally look in. Take some time to explore it. Surveying the store can help you avoid missing anything.

TIP! Having a sniff at the cork from the wine bottle is not the best way to determine whether or not your wine is spoiled. While this may work in some cases, there are times when a cork smells musty and the wine is perfectly fine.

You can make a simple sauce for beef quickly and easily by using wine. Just use your favorite red wine and add a little bit of butter to the saucepan. Let this sauce simmer until it thickens up a bit and some of that alcohol is burned away. Finally, lightly drizzle the sauce on your beef entree.

TIP! When you are in a restaurant, do not feel too shy about ordering a wine that is not the most expensive. Sommeliers choose great wines for the restaurants they work for, which means that the more inexpensive choices should taste just as good as the ones that cost quite a bit.

You should know that old bottles are often worthless. You could try selling it to another wine connoisseur, but most buyers look for large quantities. Keep in mind that serious buyers will want to know everything about the provenance of the wine you want to sell, which is not always feasible if you found a bottle in your basement.

TIP! Dessert wines are those that are ideal for after dinner drinking. They offer a rich tasting experience.

If you really love wine, consider traveling to wine country so you can see how wine is made firsthand. The scenery in wine country is to die for, plus you will develop an appreciation for wine as you discover its origins.

TIP! Keep a journal just for wine. The easiest way to keep track of the wines that you enjoy and the ones that you do not like is to keep a list of them.

If you are saving your wine after a night of drinking, make sure to cork it well. You want to avoid letting extra air into the bottle because it will completely change the taste of the wine and can cause it to go rancid. Make sure the cork fits securely, or use a wine stopper that blocks air out.

TIP! Many grapes for wines are grown on hills as they’re typically protected from frost there. At the same time, water won’t pool on a hill and drains away, keeping grapes safe from rot or over-watering.

Sparkling wines and champagne need to be served very cold. A white wine served at a different temperature will not expose the flavors that you deserve to experience. Chill your champagne inside the refrigerator up to two hours before you consume it.

Wine is a beverage that is loved by many different types of people from all over the world. In fact, when you drink it in moderation, it can actually be very good for you. Make the most out of this delicious drink by utilizing the tips provided in the above article.

Advice On Brewing And Enjoying A Great Cup Of Coffee

If you are a heavy coffee drinker make lunch your last cup. Drinking caffeine in the afternoon and evening can seriously affect your ability to sleep soundly. As long as you don’t load your coffee up with too many calories it is just fine to have several cups during the morning hours. Try reducing the amount of sugar, if you take this in coffee, to try reducing your calorie intake for a day.

TIP! Make sure to store your coffee inside a container that’s airtight. Your coffee’s taste will be adversely affected if it goes stale from air exposure.

While people often enjoy coffee, many have no clue how to make it themselves. If better tasting coffee is something you want, then you are in the right place. This article will give you great advice and useful tips for making the perfect cup of coffee.

Do not reheat coffee after it has been brewed. This has been said to release harmful chemicals, although that is false. Within 30 minutes of making coffee, the compounds start breaking down. The taste can change to a bitter flavor. That might make you want to ad more sugar, so resist reheating brewed coffee if you want to keep the weight down.

TIP! Do not use tap water when you are making coffee unless your faucet is fitted with a device that will filter out all of the impurities. There are many people that have no problem with tap water, but the reality is that tap water that tastes bad will make your coffee taste just as bad.

If you’ve forgotten how much coffee to put in your machine, opt for putting in more rather than less. You can always water down your coffee if it’s too strong. But, if it’s too weak, you won’t be able to make it better. You’ll have no choice but to make a new pot.

The human body needs at least four hours to eliminate caffeine. You should keep this in mind if you want to drink a cup of coffee before going to bed. It is best to drink a decaffeinated beverage if you need to go to sleep within the next few hours.

TIP! When purchasing a new coffee maker, always give it a trial run. What that means is using water and running it as if you were really making coffee.

It is very important to properly clean your coffee making equipment. If you do not clean the equipment frequently, the taste of your coffee may suffer. You do not have to clean the equipment fully after every use, but if you start to notice a slight odor or buildup of any kind, it should be fully cleaned.

Always make sure that you store your coffee in an airtight container if you are not planning on using it. This will help to preserve its freshness so that you can make coffee that is desirable for all of your friends and family. Coffee tastes the best when it is fresh, as this will help to optimize your brew. You can also store ground coffee, tightly wrapped in the freezer and use it straight from there.

TIP! The type of water used to brew coffee can easily alter taste. The coffee that you brew has so many different factors.

If you want the best iced coffee that you have ever had, you need to brew the coffee cold. If you do try to make hot coffee cold, you can end up with a pretty awful brew. If you start your brewing right before bedtime, you will have delicious iced coffee for your morning commute.

If you order coffee in a diner or restaurant, do not drink it right away as you should let it sit for at least five minutes. When you see the steam subsiding considerably, this means that your coffee has cooled down a little, so you will not risk getting hurt by drinking it at this time.

TIP! If you really want to try your hand at making a great cup of fresh roasted coffee, try roasting the beans yourself. There are a variety of ways to roast your own beans if you have access to green coffee.

Lots of people like drinking coffee but avoid it because they don’t want their teeth to become all yellow and stained. If you love drinking coffee but are afraid that it might stain your teeth you should consider drinking it through a straw. This will prevent the coffee from ever coming into contact with your teeth.

Try using coffee when cooking meats. When you think of coffee in foods, you typically think of a flavor that is rather strong. In desserts, that’s definitely true. But when you use coffee as a rub for red meat, it actually brings out the flavor of the meat itself, making for a much tastier meal.

TIP! It’s important to be on the lookout for the caffeine levels in your coffee. Not all coffee has equal amounts of caffeine.

Fresh coffee beans taste better than anything you can buy in stores. Did you know you could roast your own beans and enjoy fresh coffee every day? You can easily roast your own beans by placing them in your oven or using a heat gun. Buy some cheap beans to practice.

Make sure that you refrain from combining coffee beans from different brands. Not only will the flavor be different, but you will also be combining two sets of coffees that have different expiration dates and levels of freshness. Stick with the same brand and the same bag of coffee beans each time.

TIP! When making iced coffee at home, do not use the traditional method of simply making the coffee and pouring it over ice cubes. This will create a very watered down version of coffee.

If you really want the freshest coffee with a gourmet taste, avoid pre-packaged coffee that sits on the grocer’s shelves. Purchase your coffee beans directly from the roaster through their website. Most roaster’s will have the coffee on your doorstep in just a couple days. This enables you to enjoy the beans when they are at their most flavorful.

The best tasting coffee comes from the best water. If the water from your tap tastes awful before you make your brew, it is still going to be unpleasant after making your brew. Use bottled water if you have to or purchase a simple filtering system to improve the taste of your water.

TIP! If you are wanting a safe way to break from your favorite everyday coffee and try something new, try to narrow down what it is you like best about your tried and true brew. Pay attention to where your beans are brewed as well as to whether you are using a light or dark roast.

If you have a hard time finding fresh, roasted beans in your area, then consider roasting fresh beans yourself. The easiest and most fool-proof method is to place green coffee beans on a baking tray and roast them in the oven. Preheat the oven at the highest temperature and roast the beans until you hear them start to crack.

You can use coffee to bring the shine back to hair that looks worn and dull. Brew some extra strong coffee then allow it to cool. Place it on hair that is clean and dry and leave it on for 15-20 minutes. After that, rinse your hair and style it as you normally would.

TIP! If you have trouble sleeping at night, cut off your coffee drinking before 3PM. Coffee late in the day can keep you up at night.

If you really want good coffee, throw away your cheap machine. It isn’t going to make you a great beverage and there are other alternatives that are very inexpensive. Just go to the store and locate a pour-over brewer. You will also need some paper filters. Go online and find a tutorial on how to use these products. They will cost you under ten dollars and the coffee will taste much better!

How much cash do you spend on coffee from the local coffee shop? Simply purchasing a travel mug and a coffee maker can save you big money. Additionally, you will save yourself time every day.

If you are a true coffee lover, you know how terrible it can be to encounter a poorly brewed cup. These suggestions should have assisted you in knowing how to do just that. Print the info here out and keep it near your coffee maker for continued, great-tasting coffee.

If You Want To Become Fit Here Is The Easy Way!

TIP! If you doing a new workout go to a personal trainer. Your personal trainer can help you meet your goals and determine a fitness routine that is right for your needs.

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s start off by saying that getting into shape can be a very challenging experience, which can at times be complicated and a struggle. However, it is a necessity that should not be avoided if one wants a healthy and happy life. The good news is, fitness is not out of reach and need not be considered drudgery. All you need to do is come up with a plan and follow through with it. You may even find the process enjoyable.

Push Ups

TIP! Your strength training goals will determine how often you need to work out. If you wish to develop more powerful muscle groups, you need to carry out strength training sessions less frequently.

Being fit is a goal many people try to achieve by lifting weights at the gym. However, all that’s really needed to keep your body in shape are six types of exercises. These are pull ups, push ups, handstand push ups, squats, leg raises, and bridges.

TIP! Lift a higher amount of weight for a lower amount of reps. Start by choosing a particular focus, like the chest area.

You can substantially boost your fitness level by walking. For increased effort, walk by pushing off your heel and going to your toe. Involve your arms too. Bend your elbows, then swing your arms each time you take a step.

TIP! Keep a fitness diary showing what you did during your day. Use it to keep track of each type of exercise you do and the length of time for each.

Setting and reaching personal fitness goals is a great way to stay motivated. Goals push you to work through your challenges rather than worrying about how hard they are. A goal gives you something concrete to focus on. You will be less likely to give up on working out if you have set a goal for yourself and have made it known to other people.

TIP! Instead of avoiding the parts of your workout that you don’t like, make yourself do them. For many people, the exercises they avoid are the ones that they’re the least skilled at.

Maximize your results by varying your workout activities. If someone typically runs on a treadmill, for instance, he or she can change it up by jogging around the neighborhood. Since running on a sidewalk is different than running on even the most advanced treadmill, you’ll get different results. If you have a lot of variety in your exercise routines, you’ll keep your body from getting too used to your routine and you’ll be able to continue losing weight.

TIP! Treadmills, whether at home or in the gym, are convenient, but a run outside is a better exercise. Treadmills are excellent for saving time and running in the winter, but running on asphalt will give you a better workout.

Don’t be scared! Another great fitness alternative is biking. Biking is a cheap, healthy, and fun solution for going to work. If your commute to work is about 5 miles, that could take 30 minutes or less, and since you will have to bike back home, you get two workouts in one day.

TIP! Sit ups and crunches are not all you need for 6 pack abs. Abdominal exercises do strengthen your muscles; however, they don’t burn belly fat.

Make sure your workouts include a variety of different exercises. As odd as it sounds, this will help you avoid starting a routine in your routine; thus keeping things fresh and lively, always coming back for more. What’s more, doing the same exercises over and over again gets you muscles used to the workout, which reduces its effectiveness.

TIP! Add many intervals of lighter weight, as opposed to heavier weights and less repetitions, when lifting weights. This will help you see results more quickly.

When doing any workout, you should make sure to exhale after every repetition of the given weight. You can help the blood and oxygen flow throughout your body more efficiently by doing this.

TIP! As the benefits of exercise become better known, the amount of exercise that experts advise you to get has also increased. Usually based on a weekly number from 150 to 300 minutes per week, there remain a variety of options for achieving the health benefits of exercise even if you are short on time.

Obviously, you want to make your exercise efforts work for you as well as possible. You can increase your strength by as much as 20 percent by starting with stretches. Try and stretch your muscles after each set of your weight lifting routine. A simple addition like stretches can really enhance your workout.

TIP! Make your count in reverse. Instead of counting upwards from zero, try counting down from your chosen number of reps.

In short, getting in shape may not always be fun or easy, but if you have a good attitude and work hard, it can become both. No one expects you to begin the long journey to a lifetime of fitness all alone. So do everything in your power to get the body that you truly want.

Sugar and Weight Loss: How Sugar Affects Your Weight Loss Goals

This article first appeared on Sweetdefeat.

https://www.sweetdefeat.com/blog/sugar-and-weight-loss/Perhaps the biggest topic in health and wellness these days is sugar and how to cut back on consuming it. For ages, the average adult would add a spoonful of sugar here and there to food— it never seemed like a big deal. But over time, food manufacturers started adding sugar to just about everything in the grocery store, even foods that you don’t think of as sweet, like crackers and spaghetti sauce.

Today it’s clear that  sugar is linked to various illnesses and conditions, and it is likely a major culprit connected to the rise in obesity and weight gain in this country. The information below will  give some background on the sugar debate and suggest ways in which you can cut it out for good.

Does Sugar Make You Fat?

Obesity has been a hot topic in recent years, and with good reason. Roughly 38 percent of adults over the age of 19 in the U.S. are obese. What’s more staggering is that more than 70 percent of adults over the age of 19 are overweight or obese, suggesting that most people in this country have weight problems.

Just think about these statistics a bit: seven out of every 10 adults are overweight or obese. From a public health standpoint, effective weight loss programs are important, and it seems that sugar may play a role. Let’s take a look at how sugar is associated with weight gain.

Sugar’s Calorie Content

One of the first things with any body weight management program is to consider how much you eat and to cut out whatever is unnecessary. Sugar is a major culprit in weight gain since it contains calories, but not much else in the way of vitamins, minerals, or anything else that’s good for you. You can find a detailed description of the amount of calories in our calories in sugar guide, but overall, if you eat more than what you need, you will store the extra energy as fat. Some weight loss programs suggest that eating fat is the path to gaining fat, but in reality, it does not matter what nutrient you over consume; the more you eat, the more you gain.

Excess Sugar May Lead to Obesity

Considering the difference between how much sugar we should be eating  and how much we’re actually eating, that excess sugar consumption might be one of the key factors in the rise in obesity levels in this country. If the recommended amount of sugar is at most 150 calories each day and the average adult is consuming more than double this value, perhaps the increase in overweight or obese adults is caused by this excess.

If a pound of fat equates to roughly 3,500 calories, and men consume 180 calories (at least) in excess and women consume 230 calories (at least) in excess, this could add up over the years. If you do the math on the extra amount men eat, 180 calories of sugar in excess from what is recommended each day, for a total of 365 days over an entire year, and this amounts to about 19 pounds of fat per year. Do the same math for women and this equates to 24 pounds of fat added each year. Doing the math, it seems clear  how sugar can contribute to obesity across the nation.

Cutting Sugar to Lose Weight

One of the first rules in any weight loss program is to burn more calories than what you eat. This method suggests that for every 3,500 calorie deficit, you lose roughly one pound of fat. This is not an exact science, but it is a good way to estimate weight loss. In contrast, if you eat more than what your body needs, then you will gain weight. Figuring out the balance between the energy in and the  energy out can be a challenge, but cutting sugar may be one of the best ways to reduce your excessive caloric intake.

If you use the figure of 82 grams of sugar consumed by the average adult each day, it should be no surprise that you could lose some serious weight from sugar alone. Consider this: if you eat a standard 2,000 calorie diet (men or women) each day and you immediately cut all sources of sugar from your usual food and drink, you would reduce your caloric load by 330 calories each day, assuming you eat the average of 82 grams of sugar each day. Reducing your caloric load by 330 calories in sugar each day would translate to about 34 pounds of fat loss each year, or close to three pounds per month.

If you are like many adults out there and you feel your diet is impeccable and that sugar is not an issue, consider this: one medium apple contains about 19 grams of sugar, a banana has 12 grams, one orange has 17 grams, and 1 cup of grapes has 15 grams. You can see that sugar is everywhere, even if you have a healthy diet. It is easy to hit the average 82 grams of sugar each day from fruits alone, but considering a plethora of other foods have sugar in them, it would be easy to consume this much without even touching a candy bar.

Cutting out Sugar Completely Can Be Challenging

One of the biggest issues in any weight loss plan is avoiding things that your brain wants. This is where many adults have issues when it comes to cutting sugar from the diet. The brain has a strong desire to obtain sugar as a way to boost dopamine (known as the happiness hormone), which can be a major sign of sugar addiction. Sugar also provides a quick burst of energy that also floods the brain with compounds that make you feel euphoric. This craving for euphoria is hard to defeat, and it is one of the biggest challenges people have when they’re trying to cut out sugar for good.

9 Effective Ways to Cut Sugar From Your Diet

Now that you have some information on how sugar impacts your weight management, some of the names that it goes by, and the difference between natural and added sugars, you will want to learn about some effective ways to cut sugar out for good. Consider the following tips to aid in your journey to successfully avoid sugar in your daily eating habits.

1.  Substitute sugary beverages for water.

It may taste  boring when you first make this switch, but beverages are the primary source of added sugars in the adult diet. Consider drinking your coffee black without sweetener or sugars and avoid all forms of soda, including ones with artificial sweeteners.

2.  Be mindful of sugar substitutes.

Avoiding sugar is something that adults on diets aim to do,  and many switch to artificial sweeteners as an alternative. While they may be calorie-free, artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes can be up to 600 times sweeter than regular sugar, which means your brain thinks you are consuming enormous amounts of sugar at one time. This strategy often leads to you having intense sugar cravings throughout the day.

3.  Avoid fruit juices.

An orange has plenty of sugar, and a cup of orange juice has the juice of five oranges in there—so it has five times the amount of sugar.  And that’s if you make the juice yourself. Orange juice found in cartons in the grocery store—even the ones that say they’re not from concentrate— are highly processed, and many brands have added sugar.

4.  Limit fruit.

If you are serious about cutting sugar from your diet, you should pay attention to how much sugar is in the fruit you’re eating. Fruit can be healthy for you, but you need to limit your intake to 2-3 pieces at most a day—and count that as part of your sugar consumption.

5.  Avoid jams, jellies, honey, or other preserves.

American breakfasts are often sweet, and jams, jellies, and other options are a source of sugar  that you may not think about.

6.  Eat plain Greek yogurt.

You may be surprised that yogurt is a common source of added sugar—sometimes up to 30 or 40 grams in a serving! Choose plain Greek yogurt, which only has the natural sugars in dairy and no added sugars.  Make sure to read the food label to double-check.

7.  Consider products that help lessen sugar cravings.

One amazing way to cut back on sugar and to fight some of the associated sugar cravings is to consider getting a little help. There are products such as lozenges that help fight sugar cravings so that you can effectively eliminate it from your diet.

  1. Get used to reading grocery labels.

Even if the ingredient list on your favorite food items doesn’t specifically list “sugar” as an ingredient, there’s still a chance that it could have a high sugar content under the veil of a different name. There are at least 60 other names for sugar out there, with the most common being high fructose corn syrup.

9. Know the difference between natural and added sugar.

Not all sugar is created equal and it’s important to know the difference between natural vs added sugar. While it may be difficult to avoid all forms of natural sugar, avoiding added sugars that are refined or processed can be a realistic goal to strive for.

Helpful Weight Loss Tips

If you have ever been on a diet plan only to see it work briefly and then go south from there, then you should consider a lifestyle change to make your plan more effective. Consider the tips below as some of the most effective ways to boost your weight loss journey so that your previous frustrations turn into successes.

Adjust your exercise routine.

One way to boost your weight loss success is to adjust your exercise routine. Many adults hit the gym, perform endless amount of cardio exercise day after day, only to see minimal results. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, your cardio intensity may not be high enough. Consider high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for better results. Second, add a resistance training program—lifting weights, for example—which will help build muscle. Muscle burns more energy than fat, so this will help with weight loss. Changing your workouts to include high intensity interval training as well as resistance training is a great way to boost your metabolism and add lean muscle mass.

Avoid long periods of sitting.

One of the biggest issues with weight loss is that adults go all-out at the gym, only to lose all of the benefits directly afterwards. Studies have shown that sitting for long periods of time can lead to weight gain, suggesting that changing this  habit may help with n your weight loss goals. Avoid sitting for longer than 30-60 minutes at a time throughout the day for best results. Taking standing breaks can help to circulate your blood, and it increases your heart rate and metabolism just enough to where your body is not in continuous fat storage mode.

Be mindful of alcohol.

Another factor that adults should watch when attempting to lose weight is alcohol consumption. Alcohol may have some health benefits, but consuming it often can lead to increased fat production as well as inflammation. Consider cutting alcohol from your diet any time you are looking to lose weight and only drink amounts that current health guidelines suggest you consume.

Make a Habit of Walking.

One effective way to control your body weight is to take a brisk walk after each meal. Research has shown that brisk walking after a meal for about 15-45 minutes can lead to an improvement in overall glycemic control in older adults. An improvement in glycemic control could cause better usage of insulin, which could lead to a reduction of fat in your body. Consider making a brisk walk a habit after each meal and you may see great benefits in both weight and in mood.

Bottom Line

Sugar consumption is linked to a number of health concerns. Perhaps the most concerning one is obesity. Obesity is a highly prevalent issue in the U.S.: seven out of every 10 adults are overweight or obese. And  sugar plays a major role in this statistic.

The average American consumes twice as much sugar as what’s recommended. That excess sugar adds up to about 330 calories each day, which means the average adult could be gaining close to 20 pounds a year simply from eating too much sugar. Sugar consumption is likely a major element contributing to obesity levels in this country.

Consider finding healthy ways to cut sugar from your life to help you lose weight.

Note: This article has been reproduced with permission from Sweetdefeat.com