Lose Weight for a Wedding

The big day is nearing and you still haven’t lost those holiday pounds.  Hope is in the horizon as we provide a quick guide on how to lose weight for a wedding.  You can look your best on the big day by simply making some adjustments to your hectic lifestyle.
Whether your wedding is a few months or weeks away, these helpful tips should get you well on your way to losing weight for the special event.  While nothing is fool-proof, a little consistency can help you achieve your results.

1. Eliminate the empty calories
One of the first steps to losing weight for your big day is to eliminate the foods and drinks that bring no value to your body.  This means cutting the soda, candy, chips and pastries.  Alcohol is also full of empty calories the body can do without.
 
2. Get in some cardio
Incorporating two to three days of cardiovascular training helps to burn calories and shed pounds.  As little as 30 minutes, three times a week can do wonders for the waistline if you stick to the plan.  Cardio training doesn’t mean hours on the treadmill, but could be a brisk walk, swimming laps or playing tennis.
 
3. Start strength training
Strength training builds muscle and muscle burns more calories at a much higher rate than fat.  The more muscle you possess the more fat and calories you can convert to energy in a day, even while at rest.  Lean red muscle can be your best friend.  When training, think high intensity over a prolonged period of time.  Two to three, 30-minute sessions of strength training is the perfect start to losing weight quickly.

4. Reduce the salt
Don’t want the guests thinking you are just starting your second trimester; then reduce the salt intake before the big day.  Cutting back on salt will help you feel and look less bloated.  Too much salt can cause you to retain water and add pounds to your stomach.

5. Up the water intake
Drinking cold water throughout the day can help you to avoid the bloat and eat less.  Portions may not be a problem if you drink a glass of water before each meal.  Don’t mistake hunger for thirst.  It is important to keep hydrated all day.

6. Don’t over-do it
Some of us can get over-zealous when it comes to setting weight loss goals.  Expecting immediate results may not be wise and can get discouraging at times.  If you are aiming to lose ten pounds before the big day, do so with consistency and determination.  Don’t work out eight hours a day for a weekend and expect the results to last.  Over-doing it will get you nowhere.

7. Lessen the portions
Portion control is one of the major components to losing weight effectively.  Before the wedding, watch what you eat and how much.  Small fist size portions are a general rule of thumb. Most vegetables are considered freebies and can be snacked on throughout the day without throwing your calorie and portion sizes off.  Learn to snack freely on spinach leaves, bell pepper and cucumbers instead of chips, candy and salted nuts.

8. Eat small meals regularly
Eating smaller meals of 250-300 calories each, five to six times a day will help you to speed up your metabolism and lose weight.  Rather than binging on one or two large meals each day, eat light and often.

9. Never skip breakfast
Breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day and should never be skipped.  When a person skips breakfast in the morning they are sending their body into starvation mode.  Starvation mode causes the body to conserve fat instead of burning it off.  To lose weight, eat a healthy breakfast each and every morning.

10. Avoid fast-food
This tip is fairly obvious, but should be enforced strictly.  Fast-food is high in sodium and saturated fats.  Even the lighter menus offer high sodium and high calorie foods that should be avoided.

http://www.losingweight.com/lose-weight/lose-weight-for-a-wedding

How to Run! (Day2)

How to Run

 

HOW TO RUN: THE “TALK TEST”

The point isn’t to go as fast as you can or how far you can get in the running interval. The idea is to go slow and steady. You need to pass the “talk test”. That is you are able to speak in complete sentences while you are running at moderate intensity – or thereabouts.  If you can only respond in one-word grunts to your running buddy’s questions, you are running too fast. The main point is simply that you shouldn’t be gasping for air while running. You should be breathing deeply, but not be out of breath. YOU’RE NOT SPRINTING.

Don’t worry if running at that level feels like you’re going in slow motion. Every time you run, you will be fitter than the last time, which means you’ll be able to go faster while maintaining the same moderate intensity and passing the “talk test”. That is why you might see experienced runners running at an incredibly fast pace, but still talking to each other. They are running at moderate intensity, but because they are fit from practicing, they are going faster. If you are running alone, try humming a line or two of a favorite song to work out how intensely you’re running. 

Obviously, if you have a heart rate monitor, all of this is unnecessary. Generally you are able to pass the “talk test” at around 70% of maximum heart rate. Equally, if you can speak in paragraphs you’re going too slowly.

"THE BIG GYMNASIUM'S"FITNESS TIPS

   

HOW TO EXERCISE TO LOSE FAT

 

Build Muscle With Strength Training:

A common misconception among women, is that strength training will cause them to bulk up. This is rarely the case. Women don't produce enough of the hormone testosterone, to build the muscles that a man might build doing the same workout. So grab those dumbbells and different types of weights, ladies, and get pumping! Starting a strength-training program requires no special equipment and doesn't mean that you have to join a gym. Simple body weight exercises are effective. For example, combine push-ups with variations of the lunge and abdominal plank exercises, and you will develop strength in all of the major muscle groups of your body.

 

http://www.superskinnyme.com/how_to_run.html 

Your Get-Fit Regimen (Part 1)

Your Get-Fit Regimen

 

Strength Plan

By Ingela Ratledge
From Health Magazine
Do 1 set of each move (in this order), one immediately after another, circuit-style. Rest 1–2 minutes, then repeat the circuit twice. Do this 30-minute strength workout 2–3 times per week, with at least one day of rest in between.

 

Raised-Feet Push-Up

(for chest, shoulder, triceps and core)
A. (top) Get into plank position with hands on the floor and feet elevated on a bench or low chair. Activate your core by pulling your belly button in toward your spine and squeezing your butt muscles.

B. (bottom) Bend your elbows and slowly lower your body toward the floor, stopping when your elbows are at 90-degrees; press back up to starting position. (Make sure your core stays engaged throughout the entire movement, and don’t let your lower back arch.) Do 12–15 reps.

 

Forward Lunge With Elbow Extension

(for butt, thighs, calves, shoulders, triceps, core)
A. (inset) Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and abs drawn in. Holding a 5- to 8-pound dumbbell between your hands, raise it above your head."]

B. Keeping body aligned, step your left foot forward and lower into a lunge, keeping most of your weight on your left leg. In the deepest part of the lunge, bend your elbows to bring the weight behind your head. Push back up to starting position while ex-tending your elbows. Do 12–15 reps, then switch legs and repeat.

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/

How to Build a Balanced Fat Loss or Weight Loss Workout Program

3 Components Work Together So You Lose Weight

What’s the best singular workout for weight loss? There isn’t one. The most effective weight loss workout is actually a combination of three different types of training: cardiovascular training, strength training and flexibility training. Each type of exercise has unique benefits for people who want to lose weight.

Before you design your workout program, make sure you understand each type of training and why it matters for weight loss. Then, be sure to include all three components to get the full benefits of your hard work.

What Is Cardiovascular Training?

Cardiovascular training is often called "cardio" or aerobics. Cardio can be the kind of activity that you do in an aerobics class, but it also includes any kind of movement that raises your heart rate and makes you breathe deeply for an extended period of time. Running is cardiovascular activity, so is swimming, riding a bike and brisk walking. Weight lifting makes your heart rate increase and makes you breathe deeply but not for long enough to qualify as cardio.

Weight Loss Benefits of Cardiovascular Training

Aerobic activity is the core of most weight loss workout programs. When you participate in aerobic activity, you put your metabolism into hyper drive and rev up your calorie-burning engine to burn fat and calories. Cardiovascular activity also improves the function of your heart and lungs. 

While this may not directly contribute to weight loss, it will help your body to perform better throughout the day which may help you to remain more active even when you are not exercising. For example, if your heart is healthy, you may be more likely to take the stairs instead of the elevator or walk to the grocery store instead of drive. These non-exercise physical activities help you to burn more calories all day long.

What is Strength Training?

Strength training is physical activity that builds healthy muscle tissue. Strong muscles help you to move your body more efficiently. Some people refer to strength training as “lifting weights” but there are many other activities such as TRX training and body weight exercises that effectively qualify as strength training even though they don't involve lifting a dumbbell or a weight plate on a machine.

Sometimes, people who are trying to lose weight will skip weight lifting because the purpose of this type of activity is essentially to add weight to your frame. But in the long run, adding muscle helps you to lose fat.

Weight Loss Benefits of Strength Training

When you build muscle, you increase the amount of lean tissue on your body. A body with more lean muscle mass burns more calories even when it is at rest. For this reason, experts recommend that we include strength training as part of a weight loss workout program. You don’t have to be bulky and muscular, but a toned tight frame is more likely to have an efficient metabolism. A body with more muscle also has a better shape than a body that has more fat.

Strength training also becomes particularly important as we age. For many reasons, our metabolism slows down as we get older. Many women find that after menopause, weight gain is almost inevitable and weight loss is impossible. But exercisers who continue to build and maintain muscle are less likely to suffer from a slow metabolism and excessive weight gain.

What Is Flexibility Training?

Flexibility training is stretching. An effective stretching program takes only a small amount of time and can be done in just about any space. Even so, flexibility training is often the most neglected part of a workout. This is particularly unfortunate because people who stretch enjoy specific benefits that help them lose weight.

Weight Loss Benefits of Flexibility Training

Stretching helps us to maintain good range of motion in our joints and helps our muscles to remain loose and healthy. All of this helps us to move more efficiently during the day and experience less pain from tight muscles or from muscle imbalances. A healthy body is likely to move more and burn more calories.

Consequently, the greatest benefit enjoyed by dieters who stretch is that it relieves stress. People who struggle with weight loss often cite emotional eating as a key reason that they cheat on their diets. If dieters can find a healthier way to relieve stress then they may be able to use it as a preventative solution to eliminate binge eating or cheating when their emotions get the best of them.

Moreover, lastly, stretching that includes quiet meditation may also help us to sleep better at night. Why does that matter? Studies have shown that people who are well rested are more likely to make better food choices than people who are tired.

Combine Cardio, Strength and Flexibility for Best Results

Now that you know why each type of training matters, be sure that you make each mode of exercise a priority on your workout schedule. It doesn’t require a huge time investment. If you currently participate in some aerobic activity on most days of the week, add 15-30 minutes of strength training on two of those days and just 10 minutes of stretching at the end of each session. This small time investment may help you to enjoy big rewards when it’s time to step on the scale.

http://weightloss.about.com/od/exercis1/a/How-To-Build-A-Balanced-Weight-Loss-Workout-Program.htm