Metabolic Rate refers to the rate one expends calories in a given period of time. Essentially, it is the rate by which we expend energy through the chemical breakdown of “burning calories“. Not only do we spend calories during periods of work and during exercise, we also burn calories at rest simply to keep our cells alive. This is a vial point to understand! What I am referring to is known as the “Basil“, or resting, metabolic rate. In fact, you burn more during your ‘resting hours’ than you do during periods of exercise! For example, one hours worth of tennis or basketball could burn about 600 or so calories. One hour at rest may burn only 90 or so. But you might only play one hours worth of tennis three or four times a week, while your resting metabolic rate is what you burn 24/7. It is easy to see that 90 times 24 times 7 is significantly greater than 600 times 4. (90 * 24 * 7 = 15120 vs. 600 * 4 = 2400). The point I am making is not that exercise is useless, it is the importance of the bazil metabolic rate in determining the caloric balances within an individual.
Balance in caloric levels is the whole point in weight control. The basic calculus is simple: calories in / calories out. The amount of calories consumed should approximate the number of calories burned for a caloric balance in maintaining weight levels. For weight loss calories in must be less than calories expended. This is a very obvious, even simplistic point, but you need to have a clear focus on that basic truth. We simply have to reduce our intake (in a healthy way) while we simultaneously increase our output. The reduction of intake through a healthy diet is the subject of a future article. This article focuses on the expenditure of calories as a tool of weight control and weight loss. The main weakness of many weight loss programs, even the good ones, is that they do not stress the importance of exercise. The main goal in weight loss ought to be the improvement of one’s health and well-being; not merely upon a more superficial look into the mirror! In fact: you CANNOT be healthy without exercise!
A very powerful tool in regard to weight loss is the manipulation of the resting or Basil metabolic rate. This rate does vary between individuals and even within a single individual from time to time. Size and age are important factors, which account for differences in metabolic rate between individuals. Another very important factor in influencing resting metabolic rate is the physical condition of the individual. Why this is true is a little too technical to fully explain here, but suffice to say that it has a lot to do with how your body is able to efficiently utilize oxygen in the chemical breakdown of sugar molecules in the process we simply call “metabolism”. If we can enhance the efficiency in which this oxygen is utilized, we can thereby increase resting metabolic rate. A different, and simpler way of looking at this is in the understanding that the human body in its miraculous design is amazingly adaptive. Push the body to habitually utilize more oxygen, push the body to habituate to burning energy at greater levels and the body will adapt to do so. What this all adds up to is the ability to increase the resting metabolic rate. This again is the rate which we burn calories 24/7, 365 days a year. We burn calories even at sleep. The idea is that even a small increase in the hourly rate of caloric expenditure will add up in time to real and permanent weight loss.
Of course, bearing in mind that the increase in caloric expenditure cannot be offset by an increase in intake. Calories consumed must be less than calories expend in order to create a caloric deficit that will translate to weight loss. The topic of exactly how to diet in a healthy way will be dealt with at length in a future article (I hope you will look for it). For now just understand that you actually need to create an imbalance of calories: calories in < calories out.
Resting Metabolic Rate can be increased, and such an increase when coupled with healthy dieting will lead to a healthy weight loss. Because it includes exercise as a necessary component, such a method will be among the Healthiest plans you will ever come across!
The way to increase resting metabolic rate, very simply stated is though aerobic conditioning. This is of course the same as what some people refer to as Cardio exercise. You should exercise at a sufficient intensity to reach about 80% or your “maximum heart rate“. Don’t let this term scare you! To find maximum heart rate, take your age - 220 = “Maximum Heart Rate”. Now find 80% of your Maximum. This becomes your “Target Heart Rate”
A NOTE OF CAUTION: If you are very overweight or over forty, use a healthy dose of common sense. Please don’t kill yourself!!!! If you are much older, you might consult a doctor before beginning a strenuous program. Even if you are younger and in fair shape, gradually work up to this over a few weeks time. At least in the first few weeks, don’t push too hard! This program will SURELY work if you follow it correctly, but please don’t go overboard and kill yourself trying to drop a few pounds! The #1 goal should always be good health. This is well above that of looking good in a mirror! Actually, when you take good care of yourself, through good exercise, proper diet and other healthy habits; everything should fall into place. You will be healthy, feel more energetic, look better, sexier, think clearer, and have a better sex life - the subject of a future article!
For the first week or two slowly condition yourself to program. Begin with a five-minute warm-up of simple walking. Then build to a heart rate of about 60%. If you opt for playing sports rather than running on a treadmill in a gym, just try to go a moderate pace to gradually condition yourself to where you want to be. When you are at the point where you can exercise to the full, then you still should begin with a warm-up of about 5 minutes. Some pre-exercise stretches can both help to warm the muscles up and prevent injury. After a five-minute warm-up, get your heart rate up to your target rate; hold it in that range for 20 to 30 minutes. Begin at lower levels and build over several weeks toward the 60-minute range, Do this initially at three times a week. Build to four. Then to five if your schedule allows. I do understand that many people have busy schedules but you must at least find time for three to four sessions if you want to gain the benefits of the program.
Over the period of several weeks you will find your energy and stamina improving dramatically. Remember, energy = the burning of calories. Therefore, if you are more energetic throughout the day, as you certainly will be, then just as certainly it means that your metabolic rate has been increased. This can be a very powerful tool in weight control! Again, watch the caloric intake as well! Eat healthy, but keep the calories down. Before long you will notice the benefits on the bathroom scale! Weight will come down as body fat is reduced. More importantly, your general state of health and well-being will be significantly enhanced! You’ll have more energy than you have experienced for years, and will even experience a sharper mental focus as well.
I truly hope that this article will influence your life for the better. I do know what I am talking about; however, I have no claim to absolute knowledge. Certainly there can be informed disagreement with some of the points I have expressed and the more knowledgeable among you may feel that I have only scratched the surface. Fine! There is a wealth of information on the web and elsewhere on the subject of health and fitness and I do hope that you continue to seek out that knowledge and understanding. This holds true whether you choose to obtain it from me or another source. But if you have enjoyed this article, and especially if you try this program and gets result from it, please consider visiting my Website for more health related e-books. I thank you for your attention and trust that your health and well-being will grow from this day forward!
This article is about weight loss and how to live a more healthy life, I hope you find it interesting to read and beneficial. I have had a lot of problems with my weight over the years and by the age of twenty-two had had enough of being obese. In the article I write about how I eventually lost my excess pounds.
I have always struggled to keep my weight under control. Being over-weight affected my whole life, I was unable to wear the clothes I wanted to and I often felt guilty after eating certain foods. I was adamant that if only I could lose a couple of stones my confidence would increase and that I would ultimately be a lot happier.
I read many books and attempted to follow a range of diets. For whatever reason this did not seem to help me, mainly because I could not stick to their weight loss programs due to my love of fatty foods.
One day I was talking to a neighbour who was not only very nice but also quite thin. She looked very fit and healthy and I enquired as to how she kept so trim.
This neighbour who is called Gillian seemed quite taken aback and even flattered by my question and went quite coy. She stated that at one point in her life, she had also had a weight problem and had not been happy about it. What she was about to say was quite a shock to me, however would eventually change my life.
She went on to say that wherever she went to at this stage of her life, she would travel to by car. Gillian had realised that in an average week, she did very little exercise and at times did none at all. She then went out and bought a dog and would take this pet for a walk at least twice a day. This was not a choir for Gillian and over the next few years even resulted in her meeting a number of new friends. Previously, Gillian had seen exercise as a hassle and very time consuming but on various days she would take her dog on four walks, she enjoyed it that much.
Gillian quickly noticed that not only was she losing weight but that she also felt a lot healthier. It was not long before she was at a weight she was happy with.
After listening to Gillian's story I decided to follow her weight loss program. Yes I went and bought a dog and am happy to report that it has also worked for me.
Everyone’s been talking about low carb diets. While most people tend to associate it with South Beach or Atkins, there are actually quite a few books that centre on the principle of cutting out the carbs: Sugar Busters, Protein Power, The Zone Diet, Carbohydrates Addict Diet. They differ on how strict they are about carbohydrate intake—what you can eat, and not eat, or how much you are later allowed to eat in the later phases of the diet—but as a whole, they agree on one thing: carbs are bad.
The Carbohydrate Principle
Which makes you wonder: what’s so bad about carbs? The belief is that when you control carbohydrates, you lower your body’s production of insulin. Insulin gives your body the “quick fix” of energy (which is why, after eating carbs, you get the famous sugar rush). But without carbs, your body’s forced to use your body’s fat and protein stores.
Low carb diets can lead to rapid weight loss, but nutritionists are debating whether or not it should be continued in a long term. This is because you force your body to burn muscle, and muscle can be a dieter’s best friend because it burns calories even when you’re at rest. However, some diets allow restricted carbs in later phases—which would lower the rate of your weight loss, but is healthier for you in the long run.
What are the benefits of low carb diets?
* You feel (and weigh!) lighter. Low carb diets remove many high-calorie, low-nutrition foods such as pastries and pasta. It also forces the body to burn fat stores (i.e., the bulge around your hips). The foods that are typically included, mainly protein, low-fat dairy, and fibre, also tend to reduce water retention.
* You feel less hungry and more energetic. The body digests carbs and uses very quickly, leading to quick bursts of energy but also frequent hunger pangs and the infamous “sugar rush-sugar crash” cycle When you replace carbs with fibre and protein, which takes longer to process, you’ll feel full longer and have more stable energy levels. That is also linked to less mood swings and higher concentration.
* Better blood pressure and cholesterol. Low carb diets usually remove saturated fats, and refined or processed food, and shift to what is called “whole food groups” (low fat dairy, protein, fibre) which help control blood pressure and cholesterol. The significant reduction of sugary food—which typically contain lots of calories, no nutritional content—also helps control obesity, which is a big factor in heart attacks.
What foods are low carb?
Low carb diets sound good, but be prepared: low carb diets will take out what many consider as staples in all meals: bread, pasta, and rice. In fact, low carb diets will remove anything made of flour, starchy vegetables like corn and potatoes, and foods that contain sugar (this includes several fruits), and cereals that aren’t specifically labelled as “low carb”. However, you will be allowed to take meat and eggs, low sugar fruits like strawberries, and high-protein but low-fat alternatives like soybeans. Some low carb diets allow dairy.
This is an extremely popular diet among those who are planning to slim. This diet is also called the Fat loss 4 idiots diet. Why such a weird name you ask? Well this diet is so simple and easy to follow that even an idiot can get through it without any trouble. However, the scientific element is not so easy. This diet is based on the whole shifting calories method.
The shifting calorie method is no new discovery. The shifting calorie diet works on the principle of our metabolism getting used to the type and quantity of food we intake. It is true. If you give your body a certain amount of time, your body will get accustomed to the diet you are following. That is the reason why you manage to lose weight when you follow low-fat, low-carbohydrates and low-protein diets. Do it long enough and your body will get accustomed to it and you will shed no more weight. Our bodies have been made in such a way that our metabolism adjusts fast enough to the changes we make, be it eating less of carbohydrates, fats and proteins or eating a different quantity of food as compared to before.
In order for any diet to work, it needs to keep the metabolism of our body at a very high level. Is your diet is giving you a slow metabolism, it just means it is going to take all that more time to burn down your fat. You need a high metabolism in order to burn out more fats. Another minus point about slow metabolism diets is that once you are off the diet, you gain back all the weight and even faster.
The perfect diet would be, one that keeps changing your metabolism, giving your body no chance to get used to it. That is exactly what the shifting calorie method is all about. You keep changing your eating routine and that indeed leads to high metabolism which then reacts into weight loss. Makes sense doesn’t it? The idiot proof diet is formed along the same lines. The diet offers you a different list of rules to follow. The diet encourages you to eat 4 meals a day. The type of food you eat at every meal will be rotated ensuring that your metabolism is high and your fat is being burned out.
The good news about this idiot proof diet is that it involves no exercise at all. I’m sure I’ve captured your full attention here. Yes, indeed no exercise. This diet does something special; it claims to help you lose 9lbs in just 11 days. Awesome isn’t it? On an average, many people who have done this diet have lost up to 9lbs in 11 days. That too is good enough.
The idiot proof diet is everything it claims to be. But remember you are only going to get results if you stay committed to the plan. You need to follow it strictly and religiously.
For the growing number of obese individuals, weight loss surgery is a reality that must at some point become a real consideration and alternative. Today, in the United States, obesity is quickly becoming our nations’ number one health issue. The staggering affect of obesity on the rest of our health is unequaled. This is due to the fact that when our bodies our obese, every part of the body is affected. Not just the limbs, not just the heart, but every organ, tissue and cell.
There are many advances being made in the treatment of obesity, and the option that most people look to solve the initial obesity dilemma is surgery. Once your body reaches a certain weight, you’re no longer able to exercise; performing simple hygiene tasks often becomes impossible. Exercise and mobility are not options for bringing about weight loss. The only other alternative available is through surgical procedures that cause the body to take in less food. The procedures actually prohibit the ingestion of large quantities of food. You simply won’t be able to eat. This causes the body to begin to feed on itself. Using up the stored fat, in order to keep body processes functioning. This is a drastic way to induce weight loss, but for many it has become the only option
But is this safe? Does this allow our bodies to safely lose weight and come back to normal levels of body mass? Sometimes it is safe, and sometimes a person’s body just cannot adjust. The medical profession continues to work diligently to ensure that all weight loss surgery patients are safe from deathly side effects, but it does happen. No surgery is fool proof, every time you must submit to surgery, of any kind, there are risks. The risks associated with weight loss surgery are often less dangerous than the risk associated with continued obesity, especially for persons who have reached the morbid obesity levels (More than 100 pounds over the recommended body weight).
The traditional options available today are minimally invasive surgeries that directly restrict the body’s ability to take in food or slow the food absorption rate. Both surgeries are minimally invasive, meaning there is no need for major incisions, and most of the surgery is completed using laparoscopic technique. If the United States continues to see obesity rates climb, these surgeries and other techniques under development will become more commonplace for our generation.
In her role as Jenny Craig's star client, Kirstie Alley inspires and encourages men and women across the country to increase their health, energy and self-confidence by decreasing their weight.
"As soon as I saw Kirstie's first television commercial, I felt like she was speaking right to me," said Annette Blake of Kingston, N.Y., who joined Jenny Craig in January and has since lost 56 pounds*. "I decided to be her 'I'm fat, too' sidekick and lose weight right along with her. And so far, I am!"
Like Annette, Kirstie is more than 60 pounds* slimmer and has less than 20 pounds to go to reach her desired weight. The award-winning actress and mother of two attributes her success not only to the program and her consultants, but also to the following acronym that helped "steer her ship" along her weight loss journey.
"I think the biggest accomplishment anyone can achieve is to be the cause of something, rather than the effect," said Alley at a recent gathering of fans and friends in New York City. "A cause makes something happen-ideally, a positive outcome, such as losing weight, finding someone amazing or getting a new job. It puts you in a position of control and confidence, rather than reaction and reluctance."
• Change-I first had to alter a few perceptions: one, that being fat is just something that comes with age, and two, that losing weight involves suffering, deprivation and working out for 30 to 40 hours a week. Once I changed my mindset, I was ready to take a leap of faith.
• Attitude-For a while, I had this less-than-fantastic attitude that it was okay to be 70 pounds overweight because the man of my dreams would love me for me and wouldn't care if I was fat. Although this could be true…I finally realized that this was not about someone else's view of me-but my view of myself-and that only I could make me happy.
• Understanding-We all have unique talents and attributes. Most of them are good; those that are not, we have the ability to change. Realizing that the positives outweigh the negatives helped me appreciate what is unique about me and also helped me identify areas for personal enhancement.
• Signified Spirituality-This has meant the strengthening of my faith and an increased connection to the people who mean the most to me. I can apply my religious beliefs to enhance myself and my body, help my children and friends, and improve my artistic endeavors.
• Enthusiasm-I now have an abundant amount of endless energy and boundless enthusiasm. I jump on the trampoline with my children, I run and play with them, and my happiness and zest for living permeate their lives as well.
Failed diets and out of control obesity may lead you to believe that losing weight is difficult but it is quite easy, at least on paper. The only thing you need to do is keep the calories that you burn greater than the calories that you eat. So why is this article so long?
Your first step is to figure out how many calories you are burning each day. There are a few formulas that have come out over the years that estimate how many calories you burn per day based on your sex, age, weight, height and physical activity. When using these formulas, keep in mind that the number you get gives you an estimate not a number that never changes day to day. It will fluctuate.
Safe weight loss is considered 1-2 pounds per week. While it is possible to lose more, it is extremely unhealthy to do so. So how many calories do you actually have to cut out of your diet? One pound of body fat equals about 3500 calories. If you want to lose one pound in a week, you need to cut 3500 calories out of your diet per week. While this might sound like a lot, per day it comes out to a 500 calorie deficit.
Your next step is to ask yourself how you want to get rid of any unwanted weight. You can cut 500 calories out of your diet per day, or increase the amount of calories you burn by 500 calories per day. A combination of these two methods is the best way to go.
As people all over the world are engulfed in the epidemic of the chronic disease obesity, we also cannot shrink our thoughts away from the life-threatening influence of smoking. And if traits of obesity and smoking go hand-in-hand very little can be done for the treatment of such an individual. There have been quite a number of diet pills flourishing the markets for the past few years but now for the first time a diet pill is to be launched which is to have an additional function as an antismoking drug other than weight loss.
An experimental pill that offers the fairy-tale promise of helping people lose weight and quit smoking has already created a stir in this world with a large chunk of its population fighting the two vices. The diet pill has been the brain-child of French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis and will be marketed as the brand name Acomplia. The main component of Acomplia diet pill is Rimonabant. It works by blocking CB1 receptor, one of two receptors found in a newly described physiological system called the Endocannabinoid System (EC System), believed to play a critical role in the regulation of food intake and energy expenditure. These receptors are present not only in the hypothalamus region of the brain, but also throughout the body, notably in fat cells-- which are involved in lipid and glucose metabolism. They work by reducing dependence on tobacco, suppressing appetite and restoring the balance in the system. Since many smokers have a tendency for obesity, Acomplia diet drug could serve both the purposes.
Some analysts have also started considering Acomplia Rimonabant as a heart drug. Its medicinal implications on major cardiovascular risk factors – smoking and obesity can be considered a major medical advance for patients at risk of heart disease. It is the first anti smoking diet pill aimed at blocking the CB1 receptors of the brain commonly called the ‘pleasure centre’ of the brain and interfering with the cycle of craving and satisfaction thus making hunger or cigarette pangs more manageable.
Tendency to regain weight quickly has been seen in people once they stop taking the weight loss drugs. That is why the clinical trials for the Rimonabant drug have been going on since the year 2002 and are still in progression to make sure the guarantee of trust it will subject on its users because, only longer-term studies can determine whether the preliminary results of Acomplia trials will translate into lasting weight loss. People prone to obesity and smoking addiction have been waiting for the first anti-smoking weight loss drug to arrive in the market and their fanatic search for online Acomplia reports are enough proof of the inherent faith this diet pill has bestowed on people all over the world.
As childhood obesity continues to increase, researchers are looking at a link between what kids drink and their expanding waistlines.
While experts stop short of laying the blame completely at the feet of soda makers, most acknowledge that people in general, and kids specifically, consume too many soft drinks.
In an effort to curb the problem, some school districts are removing soda machines from school campuses -; and, some say, for good reason. One 12-ounce can of soda has 150 calories; a 20-ounce can has 250 calories.
According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, "Carbonated soft drinks are the single biggest source of calories in the American diet, providing about 7 percent of calories." Non-carbonated drinks (such as fruit juice and iced teas) push that figure to 9 percent.
One study of 548 sixth and seventh-graders in Boston showed that each 12-ounce can of soda consumed increased their risk for becoming overweight by 60 percent, according to an article in the Journal of Pediatrics.
Besides having a high-sugar content - which can contribute to weight gain and promote tooth decay - there is little nutritional value in a can of soda, just empty calories.
So what's a parent to do?
A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains should be the first line of defense. But because what they drink matters just as much as what they eat, one option may be to consider replacing soda with a health beverage like NuVim, which contains a variety of vitamins, minerals, calcium; low amounts of sugar; and no caffeine.
Tested and proven effective in 19 clinical studies for its muscle flexibility and immune-boosting properties, this beverage contains the antioxidant vitamins A, C and E, along with B-12, zinc, calcium and essential amino acids.
NuVim comes in a variety of fruit flavors and is located in the refrigerated juice section of your local supermarket.
Tired of the same old do's and don't when it comes to dieting and weight loss? If you're one of the many women trekking the hard path to weight loss, you've probably come across programs that tell you to avoid certain kinds of food. There are those that recommend vigorous exercises to rev up your metabolism but only allows you to eat a third of your usual intake. Chances are, you feel deprived. And this deprivation will probably cause you to binge later or have mood swings. It could even affect your work and family life. But did you know that you could diet and lose weight without sacrificing the things you want? This is the game plan for the slow and conscious eating diet.
Recent studies concluded that diets which are low-fat or low-calorie can only do so much to your body. Dieting and weight loss through this may not event prevent heart diseases. Moreover, another research show that our bodies utilize and absorb more nutrients from foods that we like. This means that scarfing down plate after plate of brussels sprouts or brocolli won't do you much good than you expect if you don't like veggies. This is because if we are presented with something that we like, say, roasted chicken with lemon butter sauce, our brain, upon recognizing the smells and sight will send signals to the stomach to release more digestive juice. The result? A better metabolized and digested protein than servings of tofu that will just go to waste simply because our brain protested against it. But don't binge yet, certain precautions must be considered to avoid going into a pleasure eating overdrive.
First, the food must have nutritional content. This means that chips and chocolate diets are out. Vegetables, fruits, proteins, and whole grains are preferred. Smother them in sauce and prepare them the way you like. Fry, steam, grill, or bake, it's up to you. The key to this method of dieting and weight loss is proper nutrition and yummy food. Second, assess why you need to eat. Are you really hungry? Is it just for socializing? Or is the desire to eat an emotional thing? In short, have the right attitude when it comes to food. Eat substantial portions are enough for sustenance, a small amount if you're just in for the chat, and control your indulgence when eating for emotional needs. This brings us to our third consideration, the method of eating or your eating habits. You may have to tweak your eating habits a few times to control eating for pleasure. Make like the French and chew your food slowly. Savor every flavor and texture. It is important to prolong delight in eating your meal. Without realizing it, you'll feel fuller and more satiated sooner with smaller portions. The result? Easy dieting and weight loss with minimal effort on your part.
