The 8 Keys to Golf Fitness Success
by georgette pann
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A Special Report by Georgette Pann, PT, SN, PTA NutriFitness Personal Training and Nutrition Studio
When Tiger Woods hit the professional golf scene, everyone took notice. Not only because of his great skill on the golf course, but because of what he did off the golf course to prepare his body to perform at the highest physical level ever seen in professional golf. When British Open Champ David Duvall was questioned as to why he began working with a personal trainer to transform himself physically to improve his golf game, his response was simply, “Because Tiger does it, and I need to keep up.” As you’ve probably heard and read many times since, serious golfers everywhere are hitting the gyms to improve their golf game with better physical conditioning. In fact, if you’re serious about your golf game and you’re not doing any physical conditioning off the golf course, you are in the minority.
So where do you start if you’ve never exercised before? If you really want to be a successful golfer, you must follow these 8 principles which are The 8 Keys to Golf Fitness Success.
1. Increase your dynamic flexibility. While performing typical stretching exercises can improve static flexibility, the extreme range of motion performed during a full golf swing requires dynamic flexibility beyond the static range. That means you need a properly designed and individualized exercise program to increase dynamic flexibility where YOU need it.
2. Increase total body strength. The body will only function at a level as strong as its weakest link. If one area of your body is weak, then your performance on the golf course will be limited. For instance, weakness in the left hip will cause a right-handed golfer to slow down his swing earlier than desired which will reduce power. That means shorter drives.
3. Increase your core strength. Your core is the area of the body from the chest to the knees. This is the area where you generate all your stability, strength, and power used in the golf swing. A few stomach crunches just won’t cut it. Doing exercises on a one of those big Swiss balls won’t do it either. You must train the core while standing on your feet. You don’t play golf lying down do you?
4. Increase your power. Power is your ability to demonstrate your strength faster. That means swinging the club faster. A faster club head speed means longer drives. All the technique work in the world won’t help if you don’t teach your muscles to swing faster. Speed-strength and explosive exercises are a must in this case.
5. Hit fewer balls at the driving range. Most golfers just plain enjoy hitting golf balls so they buy bucket after bucket of balls hitting as many as 200 balls during one practice period. Hitting so many balls without proper rest between each swing accelerates fatigue and increases the likelihood of an inconsistent swing or a swing fault. You need to rest at least one full minute between full swings. Remember practice does not make perfect…practice makes permanent. If you swing poorly in practice, you’ll swing poorly when you play.
6. Avoid excessive aerobic exercise. Here’s where a lot of trainers just don’t understand the science behind the physical preparation for playing the best golf. Performing aerobic exercise to increase endurance could be robbing you of your driving power because it’s the wrong kind of endurance for golfers. Aerobic fitness is NOT a limiting factor in your golf performance.
7. Individualize your program. You won’t make progress on someone else’s exercise program. Tailor your golf-conditioning program to your needs and your performance on the course will improve.
8. Hire a qualified professional to create your personalized golf-conditioning program. An experienced fitness professional can identify your specific needs and design an effective golf-conditioning program which will save you the time and the frustration which goes with random, poorly designed, “cookie-cutter” exercise programs.
What should you expect from your golf-conditioning program?
1. You become more teachable. Oftentimes, a golf instructor must give you advice or a swing fault correction to compensate for a physical limitation such as a lack of flexibility or poor core strength. This is also a great way to get injured. By eliminating that limitation with a proper golf-conditioning program, you can now follow your instructor’s advice directly without compensation and without the risk of getting hurt.
2. Your consistency will improve. Have you ever hit that perfect shot and then followed it with what may have been the worst shot you ever hit? Who hasn’t? A proper golf-conditioning program will improve consistency by optimizing your flexibility, strength, and power to reproduce your ideal swing consistently.
3. Your drives will be longer. Increasing your strength and power increases your club head speed and stability. In other words, if you hit the ball harder, it goes a lot farther.
4. Your golf endurance will improve. Have you ever just “run out of gas” at the end of your round? A properly designed golf-conditioning program will allow you to play your 18th hole as strong as your first.
5. Your scores will improve.
Need more information on the best golf-conditioning program for you? Contact Georgette at nutrifitness.georgette@gmail.com Be sure to check www.thenutrifitness.com for regular updates, workouts, golf instruction, and much more!
Keywords: golf fitness, golf and fitness, golf fitness program
About the Author
georgette pann, old forge,pa.usa
unitasj@aol.com
Learn more about Improve golf score, gofitness programs
Georgette is the creator of NutriFitiness and a featured role model in the E-Book "Fit Over 40". As a certified Sports Nutritionist and ACE certified personal trainer, you will find professional workout programs and customized meal plans to meet your goals. Find out more at NutriFitness.http://thenutrifitness.com
Sunday, December 18, 2005
The 8 Keys to Golf Fitness Success
FW: How To Battle the Holiday Bulge!
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Dear georgette, For NutriFitness subscribers Only! News at NutriFitness: Fitness BOOTCAMPS start Jan 9 . Pre- registrater now at the NutriFitness Studio or call us for details: 570-288-2409. The Basic Fitness/Nutrition BootCamps are filling up fast so reserve your spot now. Our Fitness Boxing Bootcamps Will resume in Jan. also. Pre-register now! NutriFitness New subscriber E-Book "ABS to Die For!-How to get Awesome ABS at any Age" I made it a lot easier for everyone to get it f.r.e.e just go here to download instantly. And as always, don't forget about the best selling E- Book "Fit Over 40..Role Models for Excellence at ANY Age"! Where you can see my profile! This would make a great Christmas gift. To order go : http://www.fitover40.com We have also updated the NutriFitness web site with Features of the Month- FRE.E.Articles, Exercises and Workout Programs This will be changed monthly so check back for updates. Also check out the Nutrifitness Mall 
 By: Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS I'd like to share with you 10 ways that you can follow your diet and stay in great shape over the holidays without turning into a "miserable Scrooge." If you follow this advice, then you'll be one of the proud few with a New Year's resolution to be the best you've ever been in the new year, instead of one of the guilt-ridden many who must resolve to reclaim what they lost over the past year. 1. Expect to stay on your program over the holidays "Fail to plan and you plan to fail"is a time worn and cliched statement, but it's still some of the best success advice you will ever hear. Not only do most people fail to plan, they consciously plan to fail over the holidays. Most people expect to "blow" their diet and skip workouts over the holidays. They expect to eat more, to exercise less and to gain weight. As a result, they don't even make the effort. Instead of taking control, they resign themselves to maintenance at best, or back-sliding at worst. This negative expectancy leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy. By the first week of January, they're in the worst shape they've been in for a year and they frantically make New Year's resolutions to shed the excess fat they've gained. You can avoid this trap by planning to succeed. Set up a positive expectation. Resolve now that you will not tolerate slipping backwards. Keep your standards up and don't settle! Not only can you plan to "stay in shape" over the holidays, you can plan to improve! All you have to do is make the decision and expect success. 2. Plan all your workouts in advance You know your schedule is going to get hectic over the holidays. You'll be cooking, shopping, wrapping gifts, sending cards, going to parties, traveling, visiting family, and so on. To stay on your training and nutrition regimen is definitely going to take some sound time management skills. Plan your schedule in advance. Anticipate what's coming up. Write it down. Put it on your calendar. By doing so, you won't be caught unprepared. Use a schedule book or monthly calendar and "make appointments" for ALL your workouts for the entire holiday season. Then, post a copy where you will be forced to look at it every day. This is a powerful exercise that will keep you focused and force you to think about and prepare for each upcoming workout. If you try to "wing it" and squeeze in your workouts and meals whenever you have time left over, you'll find that there never is any time left over! Somehow your daily activities always seem to "expand" to fill the hours in every day. So schedule your workouts and meal times in your calendar just like you would any other appointment or event. Once you've done that, stick to your schedule religiously. 3. Set some compelling training and fitness goals over the holiday period Don't wait until January 1st to set your goals just because you think it will be harder to achieve them over the holidays. On the contrary, studies on personal achievement have shown that you'll usually reach 80% of the goals you put onto paper. The problem is that few people set any goals at all, and fewer still set them during the holidays. Why wait? Why not do it now? Set some big goals that you can start working on during the holidays: Set a goal to lose the 25 lbs you've always wanted to lose NOW Set the goal to gain 10 lbs of solid muscle NOW Been contemplating a competition in bodybuilding, fitness or the new ladies figure division? Pick an early spring show and GO FOR IT - START TRAINING NOW! Goal setting should not be a once a year affair, it should be a continuous process. You should always have your goals in writing and your list should be regularly updated and rewritten. If you only set goals once a year, you're not going to accomplish much in your life. 4. Give yourself permission to have "cheat days" - and schedule them in A planned "cheat day" helps you to stay on your program better in the long run. If you're too strict all the time, you're setting yourself up for cravings and bingeing. One or two cheat meals per week will have very little effect on your physique. If you've been on a strict, low carb and/or low calorie regimen, a cheat meal might actually be good for you! It will boost your metabolic rate and give your body the signal that you're not starving and that it's ok to keep burning a lot of calories. Over the holidays, schedule your dinners and parties so they fall on your cheat day. Then, on the other days of the week, be steadfast! Just the fact that you know you have a "cheat day" coming up will relieve the pressure of staying on a strict diet for a long time. Also, when you do have your cheat meal, ENJOY IT! If you're going to eat it and feel guilty, then don't have it at all. If you've stayed with the program all week long, then when cheat day rolls around, you deserve it! 5. If you fall off the wagon, get right back on it So you had about a dozen too many of those Christmas cookies did you? Don't worry; because you have cheat days built into your plan, you shouldn't let guilt immobilize you. Even if you fall completely off the wagon, don't beat yourself up. All you have to do is get right back on your program without missing another beat. Too many people mess up once and then think their entire diet is ruined. They feel as if everything they've done prior to that day was wasted and there's no sense going on. Or even worse, they rationalize to themselves, "Well, I already cheated, so it doesn't matter now, I might as well keep pigging out." That's nonsense. If you threw in the towel every time you didn't score 100% on your diet, most people would never get through more than a few days on any structured program. Just because you mess up once doesn't mean you should quit! You're only human. Don't let one small slip keep you derailed. Firmly plant your wheels back on the tracks and start rolling again. 6. Maintain your consistent eating schedule If there's one thing that all people who successfully get lean and stay lean have in common, it's consistency. Without it, you never get any momentum going. It's like taking two steps forward, only to take three steps back. Many people allow the busy Holidays to throw them off their regular eating schedule. They completely veer off their usual five or six small meals per day, or they start eating foods they would normally never eat (because "it's there"). You have to keep your metabolic engine revving all year round. Once you have it going, it's fairly easy to keep it going. But once you lose it, it's very difficult to get it going again because you must overcome inertia all over again. (An object at rest tends to stay at rest!) On the major holidays, when there's a big dinner scheduled, many people think that skipping their morning and afternoon meals to "save room" for the big one later is a good idea. It's not. This is a sure- fire way to invite a binge that could set your back for days. Don't lose your consistency or your momentum. Continue with your pattern of eating small, frequent meals all year round. All you have to do is count your holiday dinners as one of your regular meals and keep them small. 7. Control your portion sizes. You can have your cake and eat it too, you just can't eat the whole thing! One of the most important rules to remember this holiday season is the law of energy balance, which states: To lose body fat, you must consume fewer calories than you burn up each day. There are two corollaries to the law of energy balance: 1. Too much of anything gets stored as fat - even healthy food. 2. Small amounts of anything - even junk food - will probably NOT get stored as fat. There's no reason to deprive yourself of things you enjoy. Just make sure you don't overindulge. As long as you enjoy your favorite foods in moderation, and you keep working out, it probably won't end up around your waistline. 8. Don't buy into the low standards and expectations of others Keep your standards high, but don't expect other peoples standards to be as high as yours. Remember that most people have already planned in advance to fail at fitness over the holidays. You've decided to stay strong (haven't you?) Don't let their negative influence drag you down. When you've reached your pre-ordained drink limit, say "When" and switch to water or a non alcoholic, non caloric beverage. When they offer you seconds on dessert, politely say, "No thank you, it was absolutely delicious, but I'm full, I can't eat another bite." And when the wee hours of the morning start to roll around, and your friends are egging you on to keep partying, politely tell them you need your sleep. Tomorrow is a work out day. If they're really your friends, they'll understand. 9. Make the best choices possible in every situation. You know those tables you see at holiday parties that are covered with yards of chips, dips, pretzels, cookies, salami, candies, punch, liquor, and a seemingly endless assortment of other goodies? Well, did you also notice that there is usually a tray full of carrot sticks, cauliflower, celery and other healthy snacks too? No matter where you are, you always have choices. Sometimes you have to choose between bad and worse. Other times you can choose between good and better. But always make the best choice possible based on whatever your options are. If nothing else, you can choose to eat a small portion of something bad rather than a huge portion, thereby obeying the law of calorie balance. Chances are good that there's probably something healthy on the menu at every holiday gathering. As you know, lean proteins and fibrous carbs are a great for getting lean, so fill up on the turkey breast, try to get a vegetable in there, and go easy on the desserts. 10. If you drink, enjoy alcohol in moderation If you enjoy having a few drinks on special occasions, then go ahead and have a drink or two. But if you're serious about your fitness goals, you must drink infrequently and in moderation. Alcohol almost totally inhibits your body's ability to metabolize body fat. When there's alcohol in your bloodstream, you're not in fat burning mode. I've never met anyone in my life that was truly serious about fitness or bodybuilding who was a heavy drinker. Alcohol and muscles just don't mix. The impact goes beyond added body fat; your energy levels and workouts can be ruined for days after a night of heavy drinking. A glass of wine actually has some health benefits. But there's NEVER any never reason or excuse for binge drinking or getting drunk. So go ahead and toast to the New Year, but know when to say when. Conclusion You might be one of the millions of people who want and need to lose weight, and you've decided that you're going to do it. However, you may also be thinking that the holiday season is the worst time, and that you will start after New Years. The truth is, that is nothing but an excuse to keep procrastinating. There's no reason to let your exercise and nutrition program spoil your holidays, but there's also no reason to let your holidays spoil your exercise and nutrition program either! Put these 10 holiday tips into practice and you can start losing fat , not next year. To learn even more about how to eat and work out to burn off body fat naturally and easily, visit the Burn The Fat home page at www.burnthefat.com
How to Keep Yourself From Starting The New Year As Round As Santa The Average American gains 7 - 12 pounds between Halloween and New Years and studies show that most will abandon their fitness programs. Yes, I know, I've already said this but it bears repeating. Between the parties, high fat foods, alcohol and hectic schedules who has the time (or the inclination for that matter) to worry about exercise, never mind healthy eating? Most people are busy putting off their healthy eating and exercise programs "until the 1st of the year." That is, until they try to get into their clothes or get a good look in the department store mirror. There is still time to formulate a plan that will have you closer to the fitness goals on the first of the year instead of looking at an extra 7-12 pounds of ugly fat. These easy tips will help you get through the holidays with a minimum of stress and weight gain. 1.Don't try to "diet" during the holidays- Set a goal of trying to maintain your present weight. This way, you have a realistic goal. Since , as I have previously mentioned, the Average American gains 7-12 pounds, you will still be ahead of the game. You can allow yourself to indulge here and there, but you won't go over the edge 2.Pay attention to how quickly you eat and exactly what you eat and drink- Chew your food slowly and focus on your companions and the social aspects of each event 3.Remember that alcohol is packed with calories - Choose light beer and wine over mixed drinks." A holiday-sized mixed drink can have as many a 300- 500 calories or more. 4.Offer to bring a favorite low-calorie dish to holiday parties, so you know there will be at least one "safe" item 5.Make the effort to continue a regular exercise program – Find a buddy or consult with a professional to help you keep yourself on track. Aim for 2 – 3 30 minutes sessions per week (remember - a little bit is better than none) 6.Never go to a party or event on an empty stomach- Before going out, snack on protein, like chicken or cottage cheese. Protein satisfies and will help you eat less 7.Keep an eye on your portion sizes - In the heat of celebration, portion sizes can be quite excessive 8.Don't Skip Meals – Many people think that if they skip breakfast and lunch, that they can "save" enough calories for later. This almost always leads to binging 9.Don't let a hectic holiday schedule force you to eat fast food - Prepare and freeze several quick, healthy meals. That way, you have an option other than high-fat, fast-food meals. 10.Remember what the Holidays are about – Focus on friends and family. Although most holiday events focus around food, the point is to enjoy the company of your friends and family not to see how much dessert you can eat before you actually pop the buttons on your pants (or dress) 11.Avoid Tasting While Cooking – You will be appalled at how quickly the calories add up – Get a family member to taste the food for you For more information on personal training and diet plans go to Nutrifitness
The real culprit in holiday weight gain Metabolic Syndrome X Researchers report that 40 million US adults suffer with "Metabolic Syndrome X." This is the worst nightmare for someone overweight or obese, especially during the holiday season, (A major health hazard: the metabolic syndrome, 2003, Isomaa). While the Holiday 7 are not as bad as reported for most people, small gains in bodyfat over time can contribute to the condition "Metabolic Syndrome." Metabolic Syndrome has to do with how the body acts as it puts on extra bodyfat. Starvation diets may temporarily pull off a few pounds after the holidays; but these diets without exercise can make matters worse. Symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome are extra bodyfat around the waist, higher cholesterol, and insulin resistance. Insulin resistance means that someone with a lot of bodyfat can eat bread for example, and their body processes it like pecan pie. This is why someone lean and in shape can eat some traditional holiday meals without too much concern, and someone overweight will gain 5 pounds during the holidays. The Best part there may be a free cure for Metabolic Syndrome. The cure for Metabolic Syndrome is not a fad starvation diet, but rather a consistent diet of moderation and a real commitment to exercise regularly. Extra bodyfat is at the center of this disease, and this means that you should add exercise to build and tone muscle. Adding muscle will raise your resting metabolic rate so the muscle, in essence, eats away the bodyfat for you while you're resting. Men, women, teenagers, and even children need to exercise to add and tone muscle. Walking and increasing activity levels will not do what you need to get accomplished without adding some type of strength training to your fitness plan. Personally, I'm partial to weight training at least three times a week along with an anaerobic exercise (sprinting types of exercise) program to make the body produce exercise-induced growth hormone, (Impact of acute exercise intensity on pulsatile growth hormone release in men, 1999, Pritzlaff). Growth hormone released from exercise will facilitate the bodyfat burning and muscle building and toning process. Make the commitment today to add weight training to your fitness plan and enjoy meals this holiday season in moderation, of course. For NutriFitness Online Personal Training and Diet Plans go to Nutrifitness website. Holiday SpecialGet A Home workout program! See Below.
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Sunday, December 11, 2005
Calorie Density for Muscular Immensity!
All proteins and all carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram and all fats have 9 calories per gram, but not all foods have the same number of calories per unit of volume. Let me explain:
Imagine for a moment, two measuring cups (the kind you have in your kitchen) and notice the amount of space in each container. Got it? Now visualize the two cups side by side; one filled with chopped cucumber and one filled with raisins. Each cup now contains exactly the same VOLUME of food, right? But did you know that the cup of raisins has 37 times more calories? That's right! The cup of cucumbers contains 14 calories, while the cup of raisins contains 520 calories. If cucumbers and raisins both have four calories per gram, then how could this be? The answer has to do with calorie density. The cucumbers have a lower calorie density because they have a higher fiber and water content. The calories in the raisins are more "concentrated."
And that's the secret to getting enough calories to gain weight: choose calorie-concentrated foods.
If you learn which foods are nutrition dense and calorie dense, you can use this information to help you gain lean weight more easily than ever before.
Fibrous carbohydrates and vegetables such as lettuce, asparagus, cucumber and broccoli have very low calorie densities because your body can't absorb the caloric content of fiber. That makes veggies an excellent choice when you want to lose body fat. Before competitions, bodybuilders usually reduce or remove high calorie simple sugars and starches from their diets and replace them with fibrous carbohydrates. (Goodbye bagels and pasta, hello broccoli and asparagus!)
On the other side of the coin, the low calorie density of most vegetables is the very reason that they don't help you gain weight. Think about it; you would have to eat a wheelbarrow full of lettuce, cucumbers or spinach before you consumed enough calories to make the scale budge at all! It's wise to always include vegetables in your diet (because they're good for you), but you won't get enough calories to gain weight from veggies alone; you have to eat lots of high density foods or you'll be fighting an uphill battle.
So now let's look at some "calorie-dense" foods that can help you pack on the pounds:
Simple carbohydrates such as fruit have higher calorie densities than vegetables because simple carbs are more concentrated and have less fiber. Fruit juice is even more concentrated than the fruit itself. A medium sized orange contains about 60 calories. A glass of orange juice has about 160 calories. Fruit and fruit juice, therefore, make great additions to a weight-gaining program.
Taken to the extreme, concentrating and refining carbohydrates results in empty calorie products like white sugar and white bread. Although these are calorie dense foods, they have little or no nutritional value. Don't add nutritionally void foods to your diet just for the sake of more calories - it's the quality and nutritional value of the calories you want, not just the quantity. You should look for foods that are high in calories that are unrefined and as close to their natural form as possible (the way they came out of the ground).
Complex carbohydrates (starches) such as whole grains, pasta, cereals, beans, yams, potatoes and rice also have higher calorie densities than fibrous carbs. A typical restaurant sized serving of pasta contains 800-1000 calories. Obviously, pasta and other complex carbohydrates are great foods for gaining weight.
Ok, now that you know what carbs to eat, let's talk about fat. Fat can also have a major impact on the calorie content of foods. Fats have more than twice as many calories per gram than carbohydrates or protein (9 calories per gram vs. 4 calories per gram), so foods that are 100% fat have the most calories per volume. Olive oil, which is pure fat, contains 1920 calories per cup. Any food that has a lot of fat in it will have a high calorie density. Peanut butter, for example, has 1600 calories per cup; Cashews have 780 calories per cup.
I'm not suggesting that you start devouring French fries, cheeseburgers and sausage every day for the sake of gaining weight - if you do, you'll gain weight all right - right on your belly or backside! Your diet should always be low in fat (15-25% of your total calories), but not all fats are bad. It's the saturated fats like fried foods, butter and tropical oils that you should avoid.
In small amounts, unsaturated, "healthy" fats are not only good for you, but they can help you gain weight more quickly than if you didn't eat any fat at all. Just one tablespoon of flaxseed oil and two tablespoons of peanut butter would add nearly 500 calories to your daily diet and you'd hardly notice that any extra food was added.
Protein foods that contain some fat will also be higher in calories. 4 oz of Chinook salmon has 262 calories and 15 grams of (good) fat; 4 oz of Haddock has 137 calories and only 1 gram of fat. Because of the higher calories and the essential fatty acids (good fats), cold water fish like Salmon are another great addition to a weight gain program.
The best proteins for gaining muscle are the lean ones like chicken, lean beef, egg whites, turkey and fish. Lean cuts of red meat like round or flank steak are excellent for gaining weight. Avoid fatty cuts of beef, as well as pork, sausage, bacon and whole milk products because they contain large amounts of artery-clogging, unhealthy saturated fat.
I'm a huge believer in always choosing whole foods over supplements whenever possible. However, it's not easy to eat whole foods 5 or 6 times per day if you have a busy schedule. If you have a hard time getting enough calories from food, then you should consider using a weight gain or meal replacement product because drinking your calories is a lot easier than eating them.
Meal replacements are usually powdered products that you mix with water, milk or juice. You can also increase the calories further by adding peanut butter, flax oil, fruit or your other favorite ingredient and mixing up the whole concoction in a blender.
Don't just blindly follow the instructions on the container. One thing that most people don't realize is that you need to customize your supplement intake to your exact calorie needs. Just because the package says there are "1000 calories per serving" doesn't mean that's how many you need. Adjust the serving size to fit your own diet.
For example, if you need 3000 calories to gain weight, that breaks down into five 600-calorie meals or six 500-calorie meals. There's no need to shovel down 1000 calories at a time just because the label says so - that's only going to make you fat.
Some products were designed as meal replacements for fat loss programs. These usually come in individual serving packets, they have about 280-300 calories per serving and they contain more protein than carbohydrates; this way, they fit into the guidelines of a low carbohydrate, high protein, fat burning diet. These products are not as cost-effective when you're trying to gain weight. 300 calories is not enough for mass-building meal. If you decide to use this type of product for weight gain, you'll need to mix it with a calorie containing liquid like juice or skim milk to bring the calories up to 500-700 (or whatever your diet calls for).
When you want to gain muscle, you'd be better off choosing a product that was specifically designed for that purpose. These "weight gainers" are much more concentrated in calories and contain more carbohydrates.
Using mostly carbs (sugars) and skimping on the protein is a dirty trick that supplement companies use to make a product cheap to manufacture. Read the labels carefully and avoid any product that is mostly sugar with very little protein. A good product will have approximately one part protein for every two parts of carbohydrates and small amounts of fat. For example, a drink mix with 40 grams of protein, 80 grams of carbs, and 2 grams of fat would provide almost 500 calories. If you wanted even more calories, you could mix the powder in skim milk or juice instead of water.
So, let's summarize your strategy for quickly and easily adding more calories to your diet:
Continue to eat the same healthy foods you always eat, but simply eat more of them.
Choose foods with a higher calorie density. You could eat broccoli and salad until your face hurts from chewing so much, but you still won't get enough calories.
Eat plenty of starchy carbohydrates including whole grains & cereals, pasta, potatoes, yams, beans, rice and oatmeal.
Don't be afraid of adding a little bit of fat. Keep your diet low in fat overall, but add in some of the healthy "good" fats (such as flax oil, olive oil, or a couple tablespoons of peanut butter) and you'll gain weight more quickly.
Just because you're trying to gain weight doesn't mean you have a license to eat anything you want. Go for nutritional value as well as calorie density; avoid saturated fats, sugar and processed junk foods.
If you can't seem to get enough calories from food, then a meal replacement or weight gainer supplement can make your life a lot easier. Adjust the serving size to fit your calorie needs and make sure the product has a good protein to carb ratio.
Don't be afraid to drink a lot of your calories in the form of low fat/skim milk, juice or supplements/shakes.
Well, that's it! Follow these strategies diligently and you'll gain pounds solid muscular weight more easily than you ever have before without having to chain yourself to the refrigerator!
How To Avoid Common Diet Scams
As our country gains weight at an alarming rate, we are spending
more each year on products that promise us easy, effortless weight
loss. Each year in the United States, an estimated 35 billion
dollars is spent each year on weight loss products. The problem is
that in spite of headlines that feed our hopes that a new, secret,
"better" weight loss formula has been discovered, the truth is
there are no easy solutions to losing weight.
Simply put, weight loss is a combination of lifestyle choices, and
is the result of a firm commitment to making and maintaining them
over a period of time. Any products that offer weight loss without
reduced caloric intake and increasing activity levels are
fraudulent- and a waste of money.
Why Do People Buy Products That Are Scams?
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Denise Bruner, MD, MPH, FASBP is a specialist in weight loss, and a
fellow in the American Society of Bariatric Physicians. She shares
one of the major reasons that weight loss scams flourish today: "We
live in a society today that wants immediate gratification. This is
reflected in our willingness to buy from those that promise
'instant results'".
The increasing obesity in our society, and hopes that weight loss
can be achieved without lifestyle changes fuels the growth of
frauds. Bruner states, "In the U.S., currently 61% of the
population is overweight, and the numbers are going up. There's a
huge market out there for weight loss products. After all, it
appeals to us to find out that you can 'Lose 30 pounds in 30 days.'
We don't want to have to deprive ourselves of our favorite foods,
and want something that will 'magically' absorb the calories."
Jeannette Kopko, Senior Vice President of the Better Business
Bureau for Dallas and Northeast Texas, agrees that illegitimate
weight loss products feed on false promises: "People are fooled by
these scams because they hope that they aren't scams. They hope
that they're real, and are an easier, faster, painless way to lose
weight."
With the huge demand for weight loss products (and their revenues),
companies are more than willing to become suppliers-whether or not
their products work. Kopko states, "The number of companies hawking
bogus supplements and weight loss products is increasing rapidly in
recent years."
How can you spot a weight loss scam?
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Typically, weight loss scams make promises that aren't realistic.
Headlines that promise weight loss without dieting are always
scams, since calorie reduction is the basis of any true weight loss
program. There are no legitimate weight loss programs that allow
you to "eat whatever you want" without limit. As Monica Revelle,
public relations specialist at the FDA notes: "If it sounds too
good to be true-it is!"
Other tips offs that the weight loss product is a scam include:
* Claims to be a "secret" formula: Products that claim to have
secret formulas are scams. Dr. Bruner feels strongly on this issue,
and states, "There are no 'secrets to weight loss' being held away
from the public. In America alone, an estimated 100 people a day
die from obesity; we could prevent 300,000 deaths annually if there
was a real product that made weight loss simple and safe, and
physicians would be the first to prescribe them."
* There's no physical address for the business. Legitimate products
and services will have a physical address and phone number. Be wary
of those that only offer a mailbox, or a toll-free number to call
manned by "help center" personnel. Kopko shares, "While not all
companies that have P.O. or private mail boxes (PMBs) are
illegitimate, plenty are. Check to see if there are the letters
'PMB' after a physical address; this indicates that it's really a
private mail box, that can forward mail to anywhere in the world."
She adds that the Internet is also being used to promote frauds,
and adds, "You can't judge how good or legitimate a product is by
how professional the web site looks. This only reflects how good
their web designer was."
* They promise rapid weight loss. Weight loss that is too rapid is
not only unhealthy, but is normally quickly regained. The best
plans advocate moderate goals, with slow, steady weight loss of
about 6-8 pounds a month over a long period. Dr. Bruner states,
"Any product that offer overnight or rapid changes is a fraud."
* They state that they can help a person lose fat or cellulite in a
specific part of the body. Body fat is lost overall, not in a spot,
and ads that claim otherwise are frauds.
* They promise permanent weight loss. No product can do this, since
permanent weight loss is maintained by lifestyle changes.
By avoiding products with the above "red flags" in their
advertising, you can protect yourself from illegitimate
products-and save money.
Types of Weight Loss Scams
-------------------------
Weight loss scams can range from the highly illegal (and even
dangerous) to the mildly unethical. Kopko states, "There are
degrees of fraud and misleading consumers. Some are scams where the
person doesn't receive anything at all when they send in their
money. Another form of scam is when the customer sends in money,
and they get a product that has no benefit, such as a sugar pill."
Other weight loss scams use questionable practices, such as making
claims for an ingredient-but without scientific studies to back
them up. Kopko adds, "In yet other scams, the product has very low
levels of active ingredients, so the person doesn't get the desired
result."
Some products sell because their names are similar to real
products-even though they don't contain the same ingredients or
quality. Dr. Bruner warns that these knockoffs are frauds: "The
person thinks, 'Oh, I can get this a lot cheaper here...' but be
careful, and check it out thoroughly first."
Kopko has seen all types of weight loss scams during her years with
the Better Business Bureau. She remembers, "Years ago, in our area,
there was a business that sold 'weight loss glasses'; one lens was
blue, the other brown. Supposedly, the two colors 'confused the
brain' and the person didn't get hungry." She adds, "Another fraud
was weight loss "bath powder' that a person pours into the tub,
that promised weight loss."
Today, popular scams are pills, powders, patches, and herbal teas
that supposedly promote weight loss.
One recent scam was a powder taken a few hours before sleep. Kopko
states, "It promised that the fat would "melt away" while you
slept. The only benefit was that the person gave up their bedtime
snack when they took it; there was nothing in the powder to help.
And the person who bought the powder was then deluged with other
products from the company that would 'make the product work
better.' It was all a huge fraud."
Dr. Bruner has also seen a variety of weight loss scams over the
years. She states, "I've seen people wearing inserts in their
shoes; the manufacturers claim that they hit pressure points to
relieve hunger (it doesn't work). Another scam is a '"chocolate
patch' designed to reduce cravings for chocolate, or wearing
special clothing to spot reduce areas." She notes that in Europe,
another popular weight loss fad is getting attention: "In Europe,
right now mesotherapy, injecting a drug into the muscle, is a very
popular fraud."
FTC's spokesperson Shirley Rooker notes that the FTC recently
stopped another popular weight loss scam-and the company was forced
to pay back millions to consumers taken in by its fraudulent ads.
She notes, "The Enforma System claimed that its products increase
the body's capacity to burn fat and would help the body burn more
calories while just standing or sitting around doing nothing, even
while sleeping. And the TV ads stated that consumers could enjoy
fried chicken, pizza, and other high-calorie, high-fat products and
still lose weight. The FTC complaint charged that there was no
proof that Fat Trapper and Exercise in a Bottle really worked."1
Why Aren't They Stopped?
------------------------
With the huge numbers of weight loss frauds out there (it only
takes opening up a magazine, or surfing the Internet to view some),
the question of why they are allowed to continue is raised.
Kopko says, "I get a lot of calls from people who ask, 'Why isn't
something being done?' about a scam. Basically, the answer is:
until we receive complaints, a fraud can't be investigated." She
adds that many times, people who are scammed don't file reports.
"They don't want the bother, or they don't know where to turn. The
complaints we get are probably only a fraction of the problem
that's out there."
She warns that not being shut down is not a guarantee of
reliability. "Just because a business is out there, selling weight
loss products doesn't mean they're legitimate; it may just be that
they haven't been caught yet. This is why it's so important to be
an aware consumer. "
Once complaints are made, law enforcement will step in and start
investigating weight loss frauds. They often prosecute illegal
businesses, and force them to make restitution to their victims.
But Kopko shares that not every questionable weight loss product
can be dealt with in this manner: "Some scams might not be
illegal-just unethical. They market their products in a way that
implies benefits, instead of stating them outright, and skirt the
legal boundaries of false advertising."
In some cases, stopping a fraud takes time because of the decision
over who has jurisdiction, and the time needed to gather the data
to begin prosecuting a company. For instance, the FDA's Moica
Revelle states that they only have jurisdiction over scams in which
a product is proven to be unsafe. "We monitor the quality and
safety of weight loss products; but we don't have jurisdiction if
there's no evidence of harm done."
In many cases of false advertising, the FTC steps in, and uses
information gathered by other agencies to make their case against a
company. Kopko states that the Better Business Bureau, while not
having jurisdiction itself, make their task easier. "We keep
information about businesses on file, including complaints against
them, and share this with law enforcement and government agencies."
How To Protect Yourself From Scams
----------------------------------
One of the best methods of protecting yourself from weight loss
scams is to seek medical advice from a qualified physician who
specializes in weight loss (bariatric medicine). At times, this
means first coming to terms with a realistic view of weight loss.
Dr. Bruner states, "Losing weight isn't simple or easy.
Basically, it means reducing calories and exercising, but it must
be individualized to the person's needs. For instance, the person
with insulin resistance needs a higher protein, lower carbohydrate
diet so they won't feel that they're starving; and those with
allergies (such as to wheat or yeast) will need a diet that avoids
these items."
To protect yourself from scams, check the product out first with
your physician. And if possible, try to avoid "impulse buying".
First investigate the product and the company's reliability with
consumer organizations. This can save you needless expense and
disappointment in the long run.
Another method of avoiding scams is to visit sites that investigate
consumer frauds-and check out a company before buying. Kopko
states, "The Better Business Bureau is a participant with the
Sentinel Database (online at www.consumer.gov/sentinel ) which
allows consumers and law enforcement to view trends and complaints
against businesses. You can also go online to our national web site
at www.bbb.org to check out a company nationally. Just click on
the "consumer info" link, and look up diet fads and scams that have
been reported."
Weight loss scams are on the rise, and the numbers of companies
using fraudulent advertising are multiplying. By taking the time to
carefully investigate a company and its products, and choosing to
work with a qualified physician on your weight loss goals, you can
save yourself needless expense and disappointment. Best of all, you
can get started on the road to real, achievable weight loss goals
while maintaining good health.
PS -- Recently, I came across this incredible fat loss program
written by a natural bodybuilder who competes with body fat levels
around 3-4%. His name is Tom Venuto. Tom has the incredible ability
to cut through all the BS and hype that surrounds losing fat. Not
only do I trust what he says, I know that he practices what he
preaches.
If you're trying to lose fat, you MUST check this out --This
material is excellent and a MUST READ for anyone trying to lose fat
and improve their health. Click the link below to read more about
this fantastic book and how it can help you achieve your goals:
burnfat
References
1. FTC Audio Features, "Weight Loss Scams", text available online
at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/audio/weight_loss_scams.htm
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Rotation, Rotation, And More Rotation In Your Golf Swing
In golf, it’s all about rotation. More power requires better
rotation. To keep your body healthier, it’s about better
rotation. For consistency, you’d better be able to rotate.
The body rotates around a spine angle that should be fixed or
stable, keeping your club on the proper swing path. Are you
able to do this with your swing?
This may be the idea that separates the high handicapper and
low handicapper: the ability to rotate your body, keeping the
club on a consistent swing plane.
Admittedly, some of the pros like Jim Furyk make some
interesting movements in the swing, but if you dissect it a
little further, you will notice they keep the club in a certain
slot on the backswing and on the downswing. Every tour player is
able to rotate around a fixed or stable spine angle, make a
linear weight transfer, and successfully hit the golf ball.
This is the goal of the golf swing: keep the golf club in a
slot, essentially dissecting the shoulder on the back swing and
follow through.
How many of us do that?
Fewer than we would probably like to admit. So how do we rotate
the body and keep the club in this slot? The answer is probably
not the one we would like to hear. It requires developing a
“feel” for the golf swing and knowing what the body is doing at
every step of the golf swing.
Essentially, you must develop a feel for both the club and your
body. Some of us are better at it than others. At this point, it
is ingrained into the body and you will know when the swing is
off and what to correct. Keep in mind, we are not going to make
a perfect swing every time, but that is our goal.
How do we go about keeping the swing on the correct plane and
developing “feel?”
I know of two possibilities. One of the answers is probably
quite obvious.
The first answer to this question has to do with your golf
swing mechanics. Yes, probably not a surprise to many of you.
The golf swing is an intricate, biomechanical movement
requiring you to perform a large number of movements with the
correct timing and no room for error.
Understanding the correct biomechanical sequence of the golf
swing and the ability to execute it take great instruction, a
good amount of practice, patience and time.
The body can learn either the correct or incorrect way to swing
a golf club. As a result, it is imperative to receive quality
instruction on the proper way to swing a club.
Secondly, the mind and body learn new movements through
repetition. The only way to learn the correct golf swing is
through consistent practice. Practice ingrains into your brain,
nerves, and muscles how to properly execute the movements of the
golf swing, the correct sequence of the golf swing, and the
correct timing of the golf swing.
Finally, to learn the golf swing correctly it takes time. It is
not an overnight process but requires consistent time spent
practicing and playing. Don’t let anyone fool you that there is
a quick-fix patch that will drop your handicap 25 strokes while
you’re sleeping.
Over a certain time period the body will learn the swing. It’s
different for each of us. Once the body learns the swing, the
“feel” begins to develop. Once you get that feel, you will
begin know exactly where your clubhead is at all times during
the golf swing.
I can’t feel a thing!
Most of us understand that the golf swing is a rotational
movement and requires learning the proper biomechanics of the
golf swing. However, the second part of the answer of
developing “feel” may be less understood.
Now think about this for a second. What if your body is not
able to rotate around a fixed spine angle? If you can’t rotate,
it will be very, and I mean very, hard to keep your club in a
slot.
I see it all the time with amateurs. They want to develop a
good swing desperately, but are unable to do so because of a
weak, inflexible, and powerless body.
If you are inflexible in the hips, how are you going to rotate
in a manner that places the club in the correct slot for the
downswing? It’s not going to happen!
If you have poor balance, how are you going to develop “feel”
in the golf swing? You’re not!
It comes down to this notion about the golf swing.
Your body is performing the mechanics of the golf swing. In
order to do this properly, your body must have certain levels
of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power.
The only, and I mean only, way to develop a good swing and
“feel” within your swing requires a body that can support your
swing.
The swing is a very complex movement requiring a synergy
between your body and the mechanics of the swing. If you
attempt to develop a swing without a body to support it, you
are on your way to a very frustrating experience and lowering
your handicap will be a trying time.
I would strongly suggest implementing a program that develops
your swing mechanics in conjunction with your body. The
exercises in Your Body & Your Swing will take your body to
where it needs to be.
If you are looking for help learning the correct golf swing
mechanics, take a look at our golf swing instructional videos.
Putting both the body and the swing together will give you the
results you’re looking for.
About The Author: Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized
golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA
Tour regularly with 2005 PGA & 2004 Masters Champion Phil
Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction
and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur
golfers on the website http://www.bioforcegolf.com. To contact
Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com.
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Tips For Losing Weight The Healthy Way
countries across the globe people are constantly on the lookout
for diet pills or other quick ways to lose weight quickly with
minimal effort. While some of these products may work over the
long term they usually aren’t safe or effective at keeping the
weight off. Managing your weight is really just a matter of
eating a healthy balanced diet and getting enough exercise.
Here are some tips to help you get in shape and lose weight.
Eat Regularly. Starving yourself is not a safe or effective
solution to losing weight. If you continue to skip meals your
body makes an adjustment and slows down your base metabolic
rate. So you’ll have less energy, do less work and exercise and
lose weight at a much slower pace.
Eat Frequently. By eating frequently you keep your body from
reaching the starving stage. It takes the body 15 to 20 minutes
to realize it’s full, so the hungrier you are to start the more
likely you are to overeat. If you eat small frequent meals or
snacks you are able to manage your hunger levels more
effectively.
Eat on Schedule. The majority of people eat when it’s
convenient and fits into their schedule. As a result people
often go six or more hours without eating a meal. Try to eat on
a regular schedule every three to four hours. Your body will
adjust to the schedule and you will keep from becoming
abnormally hungry before a big meal.
Portion Control. This is one of the single most important
factors in weight control. You should eat small portions and
stop eating when you are no longer hungry. Do not wait until
you feel full to stop eating. The most common mistake most
people make is eating portions that are too large.
Nutritionists say that a good rule of thumb is to eat portions
that are the size of your clenched fist.
Drink lots of water. Many studies recommend 8 glasses of water
a day. There really isn’t much scientific basis for that
number. However drinking lots of fluids will help keep you
hydrated, will keep your stomach feeling full, and you will
prevent build up of ammonia or other toxins in your waste
system. Getting up and going to the bathroom frequently will
even give you a little bit of exercise.
Exercise Regularly. You should find some form of exercise you
can do regularly (three or four times a week). It doesn’t
matter if you are going to the gym, playing tennis, riding a
bike, roller blading or swimming. As long as you are exerting
yourself and increasing your heart rate. If you can find an
activity you enjoy it’s the best solution. Try not to do the
same thing for more than 6 weeks, your body will adjust to the
exercise pattern, so try to change the pattern frequently.
Medical Approval. Before you begin any diet or weight loss
program see a doctor and discuss your plans with him, give him
as much information as possible about what you are doing and
what your goals are. Once you have the proper medical
clearance, you can get started getting in shape.
© Copyright.Fitness-Infomercial.com, All Rights Reserved.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Less Sleep Can Equal More Weight Gain
decade. Everywhere around the world people are sleeping
less. This trend has increased in the recent years
starting a viscious cycle of sleep deprivation. Many
shrug off lack of sleep and say they will only become
irratible. Lack of sleep can also play a role in
weight gain.
Did you know that your hormones play a role in your weight
loss and gain? The hormones called Ghrelin and Leptin are
the hormones that can either cause you to gain or lose
weight. Ghrelin stimulates your appetite while leptin
helps to control your appetite. Leptin is your friend as
it tells you when you are full.
When you are deprived of sleep, researchers have found that
the production of ghrelin and leptin are affected, and not
in a good way! Researchers concluded that a sleep deficit
leads to elevated levels of ghrelin in your system. So,
when you are not getting enough sleep, your body actually
responds by telling you that you are hungrier.
Lack of sleep will make you feel tired and ravenous. This
is a result of the decrease of amount of leptin in your
system. This turns into a cylce that leads to the less
sleep means the more apt you are to gain weight.
If the production of ghrelin and leptin aren't convincing,
then consider this: there is a correlation between obesity
and sleep deprivation according to researchers at Stanford
University and the University of Wisconsin. According to
polls, 63% of Americans declare that they are not getting a
full 8 hours of sleep every night. Amazingly, 65% of
Americans are considered overweight or obese (Source:
usatoday.com, 12/06/2004). Coincidence? Perhaps.
How can lack of sleep add pounds to your waistline. Don't
you burn more calories while you are awake? Yes, you do
burn more calories while awake then sleeping. However,
the you often eat sugary snack foods when you could be
sleeping. These calories overshadow the fact that you
are awake. This is due to the decrease of leptin in
your system.
Also take into account that we burn 2/3 of all calories
while we are resting. Therefore, only 1/3 of our calories
are burned during physical activity and exercise. So
just because you are awake doesn't necessarily mean you
are burning more calories. It depends on each person and
their activity levels.
No, most of us do not believe that sleep deprivation has
anything to do with our weight. But, with the majority of
Americans overweight and with a growing amount of research
illustrating the link between obesity and sleep
deprivation, people should start making shut eye a
priority.
Peter Kilpton runs a very interesting website at
Regarding Sleep,
visit there today for the latest Sleep advice, and
while you're there sign up for the free newsletter.
If you want to read more Sleep articles go to:
http://www.resleep.com/articles
3 Essential Keys To Weight Loss
long-term health is to keep your weight in a “healthy” range.
It is now well known that excess weight is correlated with a
number of health problems such as cardiovascular disease, some
types of cancer, sleep apnea, adult-onset asthma, diabetes, and
many other medical problems.
When discussing weight, three key questions should be posed.
How much do you weigh in relation to your height? What is your
waist size? And, how much weight have you gained since your
early 20s? Your answers to these questions may strongly
influence your risk for a number of health concerns.
So, what is a healthy weight? It is not always easy to
determine. For example, someone who is tall can carry more
weight than someone who is in the shorter side. One measure
that takes into account varying body heights is the body mass
index (BMI). Calculating your BMI is fairly easy. Begin by
dividing your weight in pounds by your height in inches. Divide
that number by your height in inches. Then, multiply that number
by 703. Unless you are an extremely muscular body bulder, if
your BMI is between 25 and 30 you are considered overweight. If
your BMI is over 30, you are considered obese. Further, many
people who have a BMI between 23 and 25 are not at their
healthiest weight.
There is a good chance that you now weight more than you did in
your 20s. However, you should realize that gaining weight as we
age is not inevitable. It is also not without risk. If you have
gained more than five pounds since your 20s, you have a greater
risk of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, high blood
pressure, type 2 diabetes, and gallstones. If you have gained
more significant amounts of weight, you have an even higher
risk for these diseases. These facts point to one of the major
problems of the BMI. If you were relatively thin when you were
younger, you may be able to gain a good deal of weight and
still have a BMI that is considered relatively healthy.
There are a number of possible reasons for your weight gain.
These include eating larger amounts of higher caloric food and
living a relatively inactive lifestyle. But your genes may play
a role. And, don’t discount cultural factors, such as feeling
compelled to eat all the food that has been placed on your
plate.
Consider where you store your excess fat. If it tends to
gravitate to your waist and chest, you may be labeled an
“apple.” Or, if it is clustered around the hips and thighs, you
are a “pear.” Fat that accumulates around the waist and chest
increases the risk of high cholesterol, high blood sugar and
heart disease. However, it is probably most useful to test your
waist measurement. If your waist has been expanding, it is time
to evaluate your diet and level of exercise.
If you have determined that you need to lose weight, I would
advise a three-pronged strategy. Start by prioritizing
exercise. There is no real way around it; if you want to lose
weight and maintain the weight loss, you need to participate in
regular exercise. Exercise burns calories that might be
converted into fat, and it builds muscle. An inactive 50-year
old person who has gained 10 pounds has often lost five pounds
of muscle and gained 15 pounds of fat. With this increase in
weight will come a deceleration in the resting metabolism; the
body needs less energy for basic needs and increasing amounts
of food become fat stores. Thus, as more muscle is converted to
fat, it is easier to gain weight.
I highly recommend a daily walk of at least 30 minutes. If you
have the time and inclination, walk even more. To keep yourself
motivated, walk with a friend or listen to books on tape. If you
have a treadmill, watch a video or DVD. In addition to regular
walking, include more activity in your everyday life. Park at
the far end of the lot. Take the stairs instead of the
elevator. Also, consider trying other forms of exercise such as
tennis and swimming.
While beginning your exercise program, you will need to take a
closer look at your diet. I generally recommend a
Mediterranean-type of diet with lots of fruits, vegetables and
whole grains and smaller amounts of meat, poultry and fish.
Most fat should be obtained from olive oil or other vegetable
oils as well as small amount of nuts.
And, you need to practice what I have termed “defensive
eating.” It is best to stop eating before you are stuffed. Of
course, you don’t want to walk around with constant hunger
pains. But, you should stop eating before feeling overly full.
And, do not eat everything that is put before you. So, if your
waiter serves a basket piled high with various breads, do not
feel that you must eat every last morsel. Replace the butter
with olive oil. Since they are likely to have far more calories
than you think, always be careful of desserts. Close your meal
with a bowl of fresh fruit.
Defensive eating entails eating more slowly and gaining greater
awareness of what you are eating. Try keeping a journal that
tracks your food consumption. It may be quite revealing. Have a
snack or appetizer before a meal. It will quell your hunger.
And, to reduce temptation, eliminate foods you should not be
eating from your home.
As I wrote in my book, Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy, “Weight
control isn’t impossible, not does it need to mean deprivation
or a boring, repetitious diet. With conscious effort and
creativity, most people can successfully control their weight
for the long term with an enjoyable but reasonable diet and
daily exercise. A longer, healthier life is definitely worth
the effort.”
Walter C. Willett, M.D./DrPH
Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Chair, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health
Author, Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School
Guide to Healthy Eating
Copyright © 2005, by Weight Loss Buddy Press
About The Author: Joey Dweck is the Founder & CEO of
http://www.WeightLossBuddy.com. a website committed to 24/7
support, expert advice and helping people find a buddy(s) who
will not only help them lose weight but who also help them to
change to a healthier lifestyle. And it’s all Free.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
The Ripple Effect –Treatments for that “C” Word Called Cellulite
Cellulite – it’s that ugly little problem that causes your skin to look like an orange peel. No one is 100 percent sure what causes cellulite, but it appears to originate from our own female hormone. In fact, nearly 98% of girls develop at least a small amount of cellulite after reaching puberty. Those back-stabbing hormones of ours seem to be triggered during adolescence, when they begin laying down fat, particularly in the hips and the thighs, by enlarging cells.
Lymph fluids then gradually pass through the tissue and accumulate in areas with poor circulation. The fat then becomes compressed and starts to harden into lumps. Over time, these lumps are visible through the skin.
Some experts believe that certain lifestyle factors, such as lack of exercise and taking in high levels of toxins, like alcohol and coffee, increase the likelihood of developing cellulite. Bearing this in mind, the best way to treat cellulite is to live a healthy lifestyle and avoid getting it altogether.
Of course, avoiding getting cellulite isn’t necessarily all that easy. For some women, developing cellulite is simply the result of genetics, a part of the aging process, or due to pregnancy. Furthermore, many of us already have it and just want to know how to get rid of it.
One way to get rid of cellulite is through exercise. Sitting for long periods of time decreases our body’s circulation. In fact, the most stubborn cellulite deposits are often located right in the area where the leg meets the chair while sitting, most likely because this is the area where the circulation was cut off.
A sluggish circulatory makes it more difficult for the blood and the lymphatic system to send oxygen around the system and to remove toxins. Therefore, regular exercise that can is brisk, yet gentle, is one way to treat cellulite. Swimming and walking are great ways to do this.
Cellulite can also be treated with skin brushing and massage. These forms of treatment help to clear and cleanse the lymphatic system by speeding up circulation. This, in turn, gets rid of cellulite that has been building up for a long time in the body cells. A wooden brush with a long handle is needed for skin brushing.
To perform skin brushing successfully, the brushing should be done in an upward direction with firm sweeping strokes. The process should begin at the soles of the feet and gradually move upward on the body. Special attention should be paid to areas that are prone to cellulite. In these areas, the brush strokes should follow a small, circular pattern. Over brushing, however, can irritate the skin and cause reddening.
Weight loss and drinking plenty of water can also help in treating cellulite. Accumulated toxins need to be flushed from the system in order to restore skin tone. The liver, in particular, needs to be cleansed as its job is to help the body filter out toxins. In addition, weight gain will only cause cellulite to worsen. On the other hand, weight loss in a person who is overweight can help decrease the appearance of cellulite.
In addition to these methods, there are several creams and lotions available on the market that claim to aid in the reduction of cellulite. Some of these creams can be costly and have little proven effect on the reduction of cellulite.
A more invasive means of treating cellulite is the use of surgery. Cellulite treatment surgeries, such as liposuction, are available which are capable of removing inches of collected fatty tissue from various parts of the body, including the abdomen, legs, arms, back, neck, and face.
Liposuction does not, however, change the structure of the skin. Therefore, it does not eliminate cellulite forever. In addition, as with any surgery, liposuction has risks. Also, it will not result in the “perfect” body – and it’s not cheap, either. Therefore, it is important to become well-educated about cellulite treatment surgeries before plunging into this form of cellulite treatment.
The dreaded cellulite is very unattractive and no woman is happy to discover a new deposit on her body. Therefore, the best line of defense is prevention – drink plenty of water and exercise regularly to keep your circulation flowing and your body free of toxins.
Georgette Pann
NutriFitness
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Dieting, Scams And Losing Weight
I’ve been reading so much stuff on diets and weight loss
that I’ve lost about 15 pounds since I just can’t stand to
eat anything anymore. Not protein, not carbs, not
chocolate, nothing.
And I’m getting very hungry, but for what? It’s
astonishing how many different diets are being pushed. And
then there are the pill, herb, and extract scams. A number
of the fad diets are downright dangerous. Use of zero-cal
sugar substitutes may not only be extremely dangerous, but
there’s some evidence that they may cause weight gains.
I just ran into this site set up by the FTC and the
Competition Bureau of Canada to give us all a vivid lesson
in how some of these scams work and the kind of claims most
fraudulent diet sites use. It’s well worth taking a look
at: http://wemarket4u.net/fatfoe/ and be sure to click on
the order link to see the analysis they provide of the type
of claims you need to be careful of.
If you’re lazy or disinclined to take a look at it, lets
look at some of the usual scam tip-off claims. First, you
can not lose weight by eating all the high calorie food you
want. It sounds too good to be true and it is.
The only - ONLY - way to lose weight is by reducing your
caloric intake and/or increasing how much you exercise to
burn off the calories you take in.
Now that’s annoying, but true. To lose weight you’re
probably going to have to both diet and exercise more.
Any plan that claims you can lose 3 pounds or more a week
is either outright lying or exceptionally dangerous.
Survivable, sustainable and healthy weight takes time - and
effort. day
Nothing exists which blocks “fat or calorie absorption” and
anything that claims to do it is an outright scam.
No weight loss product or system works for everyone. We’re
all different and we need different approaches.
No product can cause permanent weight loss (unless it kills
you of course). Maintaining any weight loss requires a
sensible diet and regular exercise.
Patches, gels and creams — nothing that you apply to your
skin has been proven to cause weight loss.
So why do we continue to fall for this kind of thing? It’s
actually pretty obvious. We all want an easy, fast, no
pain solution to all of our problems. Scam artists use this
to guarantee that what we lose is our money.
The unfortunate truth is that there is no “magic bullet”
for anything. Oh, we want to believe. We want desperately
to believe that we can achieve whatever our dream is
without any pain or hard work. And that desire is the hook
that every con is based on.
Weight loss is no different than getting rich overnight
(with no work). No way. Don’t be conned, if you want to
and need to lose weight there a few simple things you
should do. First - see your doctor and develop a reasonable
diet that reduces your caloric intake and - with medical
approval - start an exercise regimen.
You need to modify your lifestyle and then, to keep the
weight off, you need to maintain a healthy diet and a
rational exercise plan. We may all wish there were an
easier way, but it doesn’t exist.
—————————————————-
Richard writes on a variety of health and e-business
subjects. If you’re interested in low carb (be careful with
this kind of diet, it may be unsafe),
http://www.Carb.Werkz.org has recipes, articles, news and
diet resources. For information and resources in general on
diets and dieting visit http://diet.wyze.info
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
How to Eat Well If You're an Athlete
If you are a sportsman or sportswoman, you need to think
about your diet. This applies to people who have just
started exercising as well as top athletes - there is some
evidence that those in the process of getting fit have a
greater need for certain things - proteins for example -
than already fit athletes in training.
So what is good nutrition for a sporty lifestyle? If you
are exercising you are going to use more calories, so
someone who is not overweight should be eating more than
they do when not keeping fit. A rough guide is that you
need eight and a half Calories per kilogram of weight per
hour. So if you weigh in at 220 pounds (100 kilograms)
you would use 850 Calories during an hour of exercise.
If you are exercising regularly it is not usually a good
idea to cut back on your dietary intake at the same time -
first talk to your physician if you are thinking of doing
so. Generally speaking anyone in training should not aim
to lose more than two or three pounds a week.
Most studies agree that the most important thing when
training, and when cutting back your food intake, is to
maintain a balanced diet. This is the same for athletes
as for the general public.
That means you should be taking in most of your calories
from carbohydrates, which include vegetables, grains,
oats, wheat, rice, bread, pasta, etc. The exact number
that you should aim for is 57% of your diet.
Next, shoot for 30% fats. I don't mean saturated fats, the
type found in butter and vegetable shortening. I mean
healthy fats, the unsaturated version, which you can find in
oily fish like salmon and tuna, avocadoes, almonds and
olive oil.
Thirteen percent of your diet should be protein. Protein
is meat, fish, poultry and nuts. These items are essential
to the body's proper functioning.
Go easy on the junk food, including chocolate, cookies,
fried foods, and chips. Restrict your alcohol intake and
reach instead for water. Eat plenty of fruits and veggies,
as well as whole grains. These elements are the
cornerstones of healthy eating.
If you follow the advice above and make sure to vary up
your diet, you will be getting all the essential nutrients
and won't really need any supplements.
There are, however, a huge number of supplements
currently available. Most of them have not been
scientifically proven to work. Still, some athletes--such
as marathon runners and others in endurance sports--
may require iron supplements. This tends to be the case
with women more so than men, but you can get tested if
you suspect you need more iron.
Consulting a good nutritionist may be a smart idea, too.
And if you're hitting the road, consider supplementing, as
travel food is rarely healthy.
The other common dietary supplement used by many athletes
is an energy snack or drink. These are very useful for
athletes in training since they are often easier to consume
than a full meal. Ideal if you are having trouble eating a
couple of hours before a work out or soon after (both of
which are good ideas). Remember though that these bars and
drinks are packed with calories, so do count towards your
dietary intake.
Nutritionist Ann Sertanze provides expert help through
RHS Nutrition, a
specialist website offering nutritional advice for people
of all ages. Pay Ann a visit at http://www.rhsnutrition.com