Health - Fitness - Success

How to Avoid the Dieting Mistakes

When it comes to dieting there are many mistakes that are made on a near daily basis. While there are many real profound mistakes that go along with the territory there are a few that seem to have far more profound and lasting implications than others. Hopefully by learning about these mistakes you can learn to avoid them in your own weight loss pursuits.

Perhaps the single largest mistake that dieters make is adopting an all or nothing attitude. These are the dieters that scour the pantry and the refrigerator removing anything that could be seen as a potential source of temptation. They embark on a dietary regimen that is nearly impossible to maintain and believe that all is lost the moment they stray from the strict guidelines of their diet.

While this may work for some in the short term, it sets them up for failure, frustration, and ill will towards the entire dieting process. The important thing when it comes to dieting is the goal. Your goal is to shed pounds. There are many ways in which this can be done that do not require starving yourself or punishing yourself in the process.

Another great mistake when it comes to dieting is selecting a diet plan where you eat the same thing every day. Despite our human need for structure and routine we tend to enjoy changing our lunch routine on occasion. Select a diet or new nutrition plan that allows you to enjoy a wide variety of foods rather than one that limits you to the same meal or meal selection day in and day out.

Other common mistakes include depriving yourself of everything you enjoy. One thing that we often forget is the importance of moderation. Fill up on servings of fruits and vegetables but allow yourself to enjoy the occasional indulgence for the sake of sanity. If you never allow yourself to enjoy a taste of chocolate, why on earth would you want to live forever? Seriously, do not forget to enjoy food for the sake of dieting. There is nothing wrong or sinful about enjoying food. The problem lies when you enjoy only the wrong sorts of foods.

You should also avoid the mistake of not setting goals. While you do not want to set goals that are impossible to achieve you should also avoid the opposite end of the spectrum, which involves having no goals at all. Those who set aggressive goals that are achievable will see the greatest degree of success. Making those goals public and asking for support is another thing that will help you achieve greater success. This is one reason the Weight Watchers program has enjoyed the phenomenal success is has.

The final mistake when it comes to dieting that is made all too often is giving up. We all have setbacks along the way. Even those who have achieved monumental dieting success have met with failure on the road. The end result however, for those who stick with the plan is a healthier body and that is something that is worth fighting for. Your goals may get side tracked but you can set new goals. You may have had a bad day or even a bad week when it comes to your dietary goals and plans. Do not let this defeat your desires to become a healthier you.

Learn to overcome those mistakes and move on from them. Let your failures teach you as much as your successes and you should be well on your way to the healthier person that you know is hiding inside. Whether you want to get rid of 10 pounds or 210 pounds the only way to achieve that goal and make it last is by dedicating yourself to the process of becoming a healthier person. A healthy person has healthy eating habits and doesn't starve him or herself. Nor does a healthy person binge on things that aren't healthy. Learn to enjoy food in moderation and you should be well on your to the success you seek.

Enjoy life!

Sherley

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How the Wii Video Game Can Help Keep You Fit

Exercise - Nintendo Wii

If you grew up playing video games, you probably realize that it is one thing that you can do without expending any energy at all.  As a matter of fact, many of us who grew up playing video games are now paying the price of a larger waistline as a result of this inactivity in our younger years.  You might be surprised to learn that it is possible to play video games and lose weight at the same time.  As a matter of fact, the Nintendo Wii gives you the opportunity to get fit in a number of different ways, most of which will be so fun that you won't consider it to be exercise at all.

One of the things that makes the Nintendo Wii so good for our physical fitness is the fact that it actually makes us get off of the couch in order to play.  Instead of holding a controller in your hand which only uses your fingers and thumbs in order to play the game, the Nintendo Wii uses a controller with gyroscopic technology.  This enables you to be able to play the video games by mimicking the actions of the players on the screen.  For example, the golf game that comes with the Nintendo Wii actually makes you stand up and swing your arms as if you're swinging a club.

Nintendo's Wii fit is probably one of the best video games that has ever come out as far as our activity is concerned.  It is specifically designed to help us to be active and to lose weight and get physically fit.  It uses balance board to guide our movements and we can get our exercise through a series of balance games along with some aerobics, strength training exercises and yoga moves.

Although it does take some physical activity in order to play these games, you will probably not even recognize the fact that you are doing something active.  This makes the Nintendo one of the most effortless forms of exercise that currently exists. So the next time you are considering picking up a piece of exercise equipment that will only collect dust in the corner, buy yourself a Nintendo Wii instead.  It is one of the most enjoyable ways that you will ever find to lose weight and get in shape.

Enjoy life!

Sherley

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How to Get Exercise Without Effort

Exercise Tips

All of us would probably enjoy having a better physique but very few of us have the time and energy that it would take to put in all of the exercise necessary to do so.  Fortunately, there are a lot of different ways that you can get some effortless exercise that will help you to be able to get fit and lose some weight in the process.  Here are five different ways that you can do so, most of which can be added into your life without you ever realizing it.

Parking Your Car - Instead of parking your car as close as possible to work or to the store, try parking in a little bit further away and walking there instead.  The few minutes that you will spend walking into the store and out again are going to add up to a lot of exercise over time.

Clean Your House - Housecleaning is one of the greatest exercises that we can do for a number of different reasons.  First of all, it is physical activity that we need to do and can not be put off for too long.  Secondly, living in a clean house is going to make us comfortable and less stressed.  This will go a long way in helping us with any fitness goals we are trying to achieve.

Enjoy Your Children - Your children are a powerhouse of energy and can be a great source of exercise for you.  Take them to the park on a regular basis and be active with them.  Not only will you enjoy some exercise but your family bond will grow as a result of the increased togetherness.

Take Dancing Lessons - Dancing is a fantastic form of exercise and is a lot of fun at the same time.  Usually, there are dance lessons that are available in almost every town so check your local listings and see if you can get in on the fun.  This is going to be strenuous activity but you will not recognize it as being exercise.  It is also a great way for you to spend some family time and almost everybody will enjoy doing it.

Don't Use the Phone - Instead of picking up the phone and calling somebody that is on the other side of the office, get up out of your cubicle and walk over there to talk to them.  It may seem small but this little bit of activity will add up over the course of time.

Enjoy life!

Sherley

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How to Get Fit with the Glycemic Index?

Healthy Eating - Glycemic Index

Getting some exercise in can be quite a challenge considering the fact that many of us have an extremely busy schedule.  Not only that, most of us don't really like exercise in the first place which can make it difficult to stay motivated at the gym.  We all realize that getting some exercise is one of the best ways for us to stay trim and healthy.  That doesn't mean, however, that it is the only way for us to do so.  If you get a moderate amount of exercise throughout the week naturally, you may be able to get fit simply by eating in the proper way.

One problem that many people run into when it comes to eating properly is that they follow to many different programs.  Although it is a good idea to have a program in mind whenever you start eating for health, being too drastic or jumping from program to program is not going to help you at all.  Another thing that many people tend to do whenever they diet is to cut something out of their diet which the body needs.  It is difficult to estimate how many people have damaged their metabolisms as a result of yo-yo dieting through low carbohydrate or low-fat eating.

If you really want to stay fit, it is difficult to beat the benefits that you receive from eating a low glycemic diet.  The way that you would do this is actually fairly simple to understand.  The glycemic index is a list of foods that are arranged according to how quickly the sugar that is in them is released into our system.  The higher on the list the food resides, the faster the sugar is going to be dumped.  This can cause our pancreas to overload us with insulin, something that is going to end up storing fat on your body.

By eating a healthy diet that includes five to six small meals on a daily basis, you can really get your metabolism running at top speed.  Make sure that you include a protein, legume and plenty of low glycemic vegetables at every meal, preferably raw.  If you eat like this for two weeks you will be able to see the difference in your clothing and whenever you stand on the scale.  It is an easy way to get fit without doing exercise.

Enjoy life!

Sherley

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How to Monitor Your Heart Rate When Exercising

Heart Rate and Exercising

1. Getting a heart rate monitor to track your heart rate while you exercise  is helpful

2. Resting heart rate (measured in beats per minute) is averagely about 70 bpm for men and 75 bpm for women

3. Know your max heart rate - subtract your age from 220.  Example if you are 28 years old your max heart rate would be 192, it’s going to be an estimated number and will vary for each person but this is the number you don’t want to go over

4. Finding your target heart rate: here are a few methods for doing this:

Karvonen Method

The Karvonen method factors in Resting Heart Rate (HRrest) to calculate Target Heart Rate (THR):
THR = ((HRmax – HRrest) × %Intensity) + HRrest

Example for someone with a HRmax of 180 and a HRrest of 70:
50% intensity: ((180 - 70) × 0.50) + 70 = 125 bpm
85% intensity: ((180 - 70) × 0.85) + 70 = 163 bpm

 Zoladz Method

An alternative to the Karvonen method is the Zoladz method, which derives exercise zones by subtracting values from HRmax.

THR = HRmax – Adjuster ± 5 bpm
Zone 1 Adjuster = 50 bpm
Zone 2 Adjuster = 40 bpm
Zone 3 Adjuster = 30 bpm
Zone 4 Adjuster = 20 bpm
Zone 5 Adjuster = 10 bpm
Example for someone with a HRmax of 180:
Zone 1 (easy exercise) : 180 - 50 = 130; ± 5 ? 125 to 135 bpm
Zone 4 (tough exercise): 180 - 20 = 160; ± 5 ? 155 to 165 bpm

5. And a third and less scientific way is some people simply increase their goal heart rate by 5 each week

6. Heart rate abnormalities, while not common do exist and would be identified by your doctor, if you experience these you should discuss all exercise plans with your physician before beginning

7. Know how to take your pulse properly. Place your index and middle fingers directly under your ear, then slide your fingers down until they are directly under your jawbone, pressing lightly. Start with zero on the first beat and count for 10 seconds then multiply by six. Always check your pulse frequently throughout your workout to make sure you within your target heart rate zone. 

8. Know when to slow down.  Even without a heart rate monitor, you need to know when to begin to slow back down.  A good indicator is becoming breathless, you should be able to talk and carry on mild conversation while exercising, not be breathless. 

9. Don’t just stop, cool down

Enjoy life!

Sherley

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How to Plan a Successful Fitness Program

Fitness Program

1. If it’s your first fitness program start small and work your way up.2. Decide how often you want to do your scheduled workout 3, 4, 5, 6 days a week?

3. What type of exercises do you want to do?  Walking aerobics, strength training?  Maybe one day for each, such as walk on Monday, aerobics Wednesdays and strength training on Thursdays. 

4. How long should each session be?  10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour?  Plan according to your schedule allowance and fitness goals

5. Don’t be afraid to alternate your program, variety is good for you maybe walk one week, jog or bicycle the next

6. Talk to your doctor or a personal trainer about your goals, remember to consider any health concerns you may have

7. Make an appointment with yourself to have your workout and treat it like any other important appointment

8. Choose whether or not to use equipment such as balance balls, weights, and machines you may have at home or at your gym

9. Set small reasonable goals and increase or alter your program accordingly as you reach each goal

10. Make it a social meeting and have a workout buddy, you’re less likely to let your friend down when you make an appointment to exercise together!

Enjoy life!

Sherley

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How to Breathe Properly When Exercising

Exercise - Breathing

Breathing is just as important for your health as the exercise itself

Here are 12 tips to help you out:

1. Do not hold your breath while exercising

2. You should not be short of breath or gasping for breath during exercise

3. You can actually train yourself to breathe in different ways

4. Brief meditation and breathing techniques before and after exercise can improve your results

5. Be aware of your breathing both at rest and during exercise to help know when you’ve

6. Reached your physical limit and need to cool down

7. Breathing puts oxygen into our blood and tissues

8. Proper breathing techniques during exercise will prevent getting that exhausted feeling and increase the amount of time you are able to continue the strenuous activity

9. Breathe a 3:2 inhale-to-exhale ratio; full inhales and full exhales. This means you inhale on the left, right, left foot strikes and exhale fully on the right, left foot strikes.

10. Always exhale on exertion during exercises, lifting, pushing, or pulling

11. Oxygen + water = you burning away fat

12. Focus on breathing during exercise helps maintain rhythm

For more breathing tip https://www.amsa.org/healingthehealer/breathing.cfm

Enjoy life!

Sherley

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How to Use Kegel Exercises for Health

Exercise - Health

When most of us think about exercise, we think about hitting the gym and lifting weights or perhaps running on the treadmill.  The fact of the matter is, there are so many different types of exercise that we can do that it is difficult to describe them all.  Some types of exercise certainly do require us to go through some strenuous activity but other forms of exercise are relatively effortless whenever we do them properly.  A good example of this is Kegal exercises, something they can help both men and women in a number of different ways.

The main benefit of Kegal exercise is to help you with urinary incontinence.  By exercising the muscles in this part of our body, we may be able to overcome some urination problems that we made have been experiencing for some time.  Many of the other benefits that go along with Kegal exercises are surrounding sexual function in one way or another.

It is also possible for women to use this to aid them in childbirth since many of the muscles that they will be strengthening are used during this time. For this very reason, many people practice doing these exercises on a regular basis because of the enjoyment that can be heightened as a result of doing them.

One of the greatest things about this particular form of exercise is the fact that they can be done in almost any location and nobody needs to know that you are doing them.  What you're actually going to be doing is flexing your pelvic muscles, much in the same way as you would if you were to cut off your urinary flow. 

This can be done in several different ways, including quick pumps in which you do 15 quick repetitions and then rest for 30 seconds before repeating.  You can do these up to 100 times a day.  You may also be able to hold these muscles for five seconds before releasing, something that may mix up your Kegal exercise regime in one way or another.

Because you are able to do these exercises at any place, you can easily keep up with a regular routine of doing them.  The best part about it is that they are about as effortless as an exercise can possibly be.  Not only that, they tend to help us in areas of our life that we may not be able to help ourselves.

Enjoy life!

Sherley

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How to Choose Exercise Equipment to Get Fit

Fitness - Exercise Equipment

Fitness exercises are great ways to stay physically fit and healthy. You can join health clubs or fitness gyms if you like, if you think that is the way to stay on track. Some people prefer to do their exercises at home, and that is quite convenient because you can do it at
any given time, and on any part of the house. Whether you decide to exercise in a gym or at home it is a good idea to know what exercise equipment to use. 

Heart rate monitor - a device that allows a user to measure his or her heart rate in real time

Weights and dumbbells - for resistance and strength training in varying weights, sometimes adjustable

Stability or balance ball - a large poly-vinyl ball (typically between 18 and 28 inches in diameter) that can be used in many ways during an exercise routine (a pedal bike for outdoor use is just as good if not better!)

Stationary bicycle - can be fan powered or motor powered and stationary

Treadmill - the best of walking indoors, add incline or decline with most models, some self powered some motor powered

Step bench - resembles a long step stool and used for step aerobics

Resistance bands - resembling large rubber bands are a portable alternative to hand weights for resistance and strength training

Cross country ski simulators - simulate a skiing motion with sliding footpads, good aerobic workout and can be fun

Weight machines and total home gym systems - those big contraptions you see on television usually costing over $1000 supposed to replace all exercise equipment of a gym in a compact space

Shoes!  Very important piece of equipment no matter what you are doing, properly fitting shoes can make a huge difference in your work outs

Whatever your equipment, big, small, motorized or not, the most important thing is learning to use it properly because improper use leads to injury.

Enjoy life!

Sherley

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5 Quick and Easy Exercises for the Busy Woman

Fitness - Exercise Tips

Exercise and fitness is an important part of our lives.  Staying in shape is one way to increase your life expectancy. Weight bearing exercises aren’t just for bodybuilders.  For those that would like a more vigorous workout plan, weight bearing exercises is a viable option that can combine building muscle tone and working the cardiovascular system.

As you age, especially once you hit the age of forty, you begin to lose muscle mass.  Weight bearing exercises are important also for increasing bone density as you age. For women especially, bone loss becomes a problem.  When the body is in need of calcium it can rob it from your bones.  Building muscle not only increases their mass but your strength.

Most of us have learned what to do when it comes to exercising.  The problem is where and when to get the job done.  With a busy lifestyle, making time for exercise is a challenge.
If your efforts at exercising are not going as well as you had planned, take a look at these tips. Here are five easy toning exercises that can be done anywhere and whenever you have time.  At home, at the office, or on vacation, you can do these easy yet extremely effective exercises.


1. The Bridge Butt Lift – Sounds like a plastic surgery technique but it is an easy way to tone your buttocks.  Lay down with feet flat on the floor, legs shoulder width apart.  Place your hands, palm side down, on either side of your body.  Pushing with your feet, squeeze your gluteal muscles and lift your butt off the floor.  Hold the position for a count of five to ten and release down to the floor.

2. Squats – Squats work the butt, the hamstring muscles and the quadriceps.  If you aren’t sure of proper form, you can use a chair.  Stand with feet shoulder width apart and feet firmly planted.  Push your butt back as if you were preparing to sit in a chair.  Keep your abs tight and your upper body straight.  Once you reach chair level stop and hold the position for a count of two to five and release.  At the lowest point, place all of your weight on your heels for balance and maximum toning.

3. Reverse Lunges – Lunges work the quadriceps muscles.  They can be hard for people with knee problems.  A reverse lunge still tones the right muscle groups but with less pressure on the knee.  Stand with feet together and arms at your sides.  Take one leg and move it backwards until you are in lunge position: front leg bent at a 90 degree angle and back leg extended until you are on the ball of your foot.  From this position lower yourself down until the back knee almost touches the floor.  Hold for a count of two and return to starting position.

4. Pushups – This is a classic toning exercise that works all areas of the arms plus the chest muscles.  If you aren’t comfortable or strong enough to perform a pushup on your toes, lower your body to your knees.  Be sure your arms are tucked into the body and your back straight as you lower and lift your body.

5. Crunches – Abdominal muscles can be worked every day to build strength and muscle tone.  Lying on the floor in sit up position, lace your fingers behind your head.  Squeezing your abdominal muscles, lift your upper body until your lower back is about to come off the floor.  Hold for two to five counts and return to starting position.

These five exercise moves can be done whenever you have time.  The best thing about exercise is that its effects are cumulative.  Even five or ten minutes at a time will work to your advantage. Your body will thank you for your efforts and you will look and feel better than you have in years.