GetSlimZone.com

author: Mark McDonald

Why do so many of us fail or give up our efforts to lose weight? And why do we fall for so much false advertising? The key to losing weight is eating good food, in moderation, and doing some form of regular exercise – such as walking. But let’s look at some popular weight loss myths:

1. Low Fat Diets

Low fat diets have had many people fooled for years, and with the result just about every brand has come up with a low fat or fat free alternative at a higher price of course, but do not be fooled any longer. Our bodies need certain amounts of fat to survive and actually help us to lose weight. Unsaturated fats are the good fats and can be found in most “fatty” foods as well avocados, nuts, others.

The real culprit to gaining weight is sugar. It is not the high fat content in chocolate, pizza, sauces, and sweets that cause weight gain, but the sugar content. Sugar is used to make fat free products taste much better, so most fat free “diet” products actually have more sugar then their normal counterparts. Sugar is turned into glucose, or energy, by the body and when you have too mush of it, it is stored in the fat reserves until you need it.

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You’ve read a lot about the benefits of exercise, but how much thought have you given to the condition of your heart? Perhaps you dabble in “cardio,” or aerobic exercise, because it is a great method for burning excess calories and spiking the metabolism, but are you reaching a true cardio training level?

A cardiovascular workout is any type of exercise that increases the work of the heart and lungs. Only when your pulse quickens and your breathing gets deeper to the point of being “winded” have you reached a cardiovascular zone of physical exertion. You don’t necessarily have to be a runner to get the best results because any activity that keeps your heart rate up will suffice. In fact, there are a number of regular activities you may already be enjoying that will help to improve your cardiovascular system’s efficiency.

The kind of cardio exercises you need requires the combination of using large muscle movements over an extended period of time (duration) so that you heart rate is elevated to at least 50% of its maximum level (intensity). For true cardio benefits, you must engage in aerobic exercise for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour, and reach a “target heart rate zone” several times a week.

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Walking is the easiest and least expensive method to maintain your weight loss program and to keep fit. A 150-pound person walking for an hour, at a steady pace of 18 to 20 minutes to complete one mile, will burn about 320 calories. You can hike in the woods, around the neighborhood, or do it on a treadmill. And don’t forget you can take the stairs instead of the elevator, and park further away at the store.

It’s easier and more convenient to make walking a daily regular routine than almost any other exercise.

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author: John Lim

To state the obvious, there are great benefits from losing weight. Though losing weight is not easy, the long-term effects would probably be of help to anyone considering to shed those unwanted and unhealthy pounds.

Here are a few of the remarkable advantages from losing weight. (more…)

author: Patricia Zelkovsky

Unfortunately most weight loss diets are actually fad diets. All to often diets that describe themselves as being new or revolutionary are actually diets that are twenty or thirty years old come back for a second or third wave of popularity. Good examples are the Zen diet, which is simply a revival of hippie macrobiotic eating theories from the mid 1960s, the Zone diet which is based on food combining principles that have been around since the turn of the 19th century and the Atkins diet which was initially pioneered in the 1970s and had a Gloria Swanson type comeback not too long ago.

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author: Dr. Lanny Schaffer

An estimated 97 million adults in the United States are overweight or obese. The distinction between overweight and obese is a matter of quantity. Obese individuals simply have more body fat. Both these physical conditions significantly increase morbidity from many well known chronic health conditions. Following are a variety of common conditions found in overweight and obese individuals:

1. Metabolic Syndrome X. A cluster of cardiac symptoms which increase the risk for a heart attack or stroke.
2. Angina Pectoris. An often severe, constricting chest pain.
3. Pre-Diabetes. Reversible, but if left unchecked could lead to diabetes type 2. Diabetes type 2 has risk factors such as kidney disease, heart failure, amputation and blindness.
4. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. PCOS is a hormonal disorder which leads to infertility in women. It can also cause excess facial hair, male pattern baldness and certain skin conditions.
5. Loss of muscle tone and bone density due to inability or refusal to exercise. As time goes by, there is muscle loss and the mineral content of the bones decreases. Loss of muscle tone leads to loss of strength to do simple daily activities. Loss of bone density could lead to dangerous falls and fractures.
6. High Blood Pressure (HBP). Normal Blood Pressure is 120/80 (mm hg) and represents the pressure within your arterial system. Overweight and obese individuals often have readings above 140/90 which is high. HBP is known as the “silent killer” because it has no symptoms.
7. High Cholesterol Levels. Cholesterol profiles tend to be suboptimal. This can lead to other forms of heart and circulatory disease.
8. Coronary Artery Disease. This is caused when plaque builds up inside the arteries that supply the heart. Restricting the blood supply could cause a heart attack.
9. Arteriosclerosis. This involves a hardening of the arteries, making them hard and brittle often leading to a stroke.
10. High blood insulin levels. This is a risk factor for diabetes and heart disease.
11. Gallstones and other gall bladder related problems.
12. Psychological imbalances such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders and low self esteem.
13. Sleep apnea. This can lead to a heart attack by restricting oxygen to the brain and cause other respiratory difficulties.
14. Urinary control problems such as incontinence.
15. Cancer. Some types of cancer including colon, prostrate, and breast have been linked to obesity.

The number of both adults and children falling into the subgroups of overweight and obese grows each year. New research is linking overfat with more and more chronic health conditions. The above list is by no means inclusive. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of ailments where an individual’s percentage body fat may have an influence. A word to the wise is to maintain a normal percentage body fat for optimal health and living.

Dr. Lanny Schaffer is an Exercise Physiologist and the President of The International Fitness Academy. For more cutting edge nutrition and weight loss news go to www.aerobic-exercise-coach.com.

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