When we age it becomes more difficult to stay fit. When we were younger it was easier to lose those extras. We can even lose them in a week! Even if it is different now, you should not lose hope because you can still do something about it. The only way to lose those pounds easily again is to speed up your metabolism. Read on how to speed up metabolism and lose the fats now.

Understand What Metabolism is

In scientific terms, metabolic rate is defined as the rate at which our body burns calories. Not everyone has a fast metabolism. In fact it even slows down as we grow old but there are also other reasons why our metabolism decreases. Generally, overweight individuals have a slower metabolism than normal people. Those who are slimmer obviously have a faster metabolism. This means that people burn calories differently even if they have the same activity level, diet, and weight.

Determine What Influences your Metabolism

When you reach the age of 40, your metabolism rate reduces 5% per decade. As we all know age plays a big role on our metabolism but there are also other factors that may affect it as well. Aside from that, gender is also a factor. Men burn more calories than women because they have more muscle tissue in their bodies. Another factor is heredity. If most of your family members have fast metabolism then there is a big chance that you burn calories as fast as they can too.One more factor that affects our metabolism is the Thyroid disorder which can either slow down or speed up metabolism.

Eat Small Meals Frequently

It is important that you replenish your body will food to give it enough fuel to burn the other calories that you have consumed. If you deprive yourself of food for a long time, your body will eventually think that it needs to slow down its metabolic rate to compensate the “starvation” it is experiencing and make your body store fat easily. It is best to have four to six small meals per day to increase metabolism. Make sure that you eat enough calories daily. Ideally, women should consume 1200-1800 calories a day while men should get 2000 calories or more to speed up metabolism.

Drink Iced Water

Some think that drinking hot water is going to make them lose weight. Sorry but it is the other way around. To speed up metabolism, you should drink ice cold water as often as you can. This will make your body work its way into warming that cold water turning it to body temperature.

Exercise

To speed up metabolism you should exercise at least 3 times a week. Aside from getting lean muscles, working out regularly will keep your metabolism up and get your body to burn more calories. Now that you know how to speed up metabolism you will have greater success in your weight loss challenges.

“Is it real food?” The four food groups are not fat, salt, starch, and sugar.

Kessler shows how, since the 1980s, the food industry, in collusion with the advertising industry, and lifestyle changes have short-circuited the body’s self-regulating mechanisms, leaving many at the mercy of reward-driven eating. Kessler explains how the desire to eat—as distinct from eating itself—is stimulated in the brain by an almost infinite variety of diabolical combinations of salt, fat and sugar. Although not everyone succumbs, more people of all ages are being set up for a lifetime of food obsession due to the ever-present availability of foods laden with salt, fat and sugar.

He discusses some interesting research on rats being fed sugar combined with fat and shows how these animals will walk across an electrified plate to get to Fruit Loops; a food with a layered combination of salt, fat, and sugar. Rats will go to great lengths to eat this food and will become obese as a result.

It’s a really good book that gets to the heart of the matter of eating too much of the bad stuff. The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite is also one of the more affordable guides at $8.82 and definitely worth a look.

If you’re just starting to work towards the goal of losing belly fat you may be feeling slightly intimidated. There is so much information out there about different approaches to weight loss that you may not even know where to start! Fortunately, if you remember a few key steps, you can be well on your way to results. Below is a five week schedule that introduces a new element to a successful plan to lose belly fat. If you can add each element at the week indicated, you’ll be on your way to success.

Week #1: Increase Your Vegetable Intake.

For week one of this belly fat loss program, the first thing you’re going to do is focus on increasing your vegetable intake. For this week, start each meal off by eating at least two cups of vegetables first. While it may seem weird to eat this first and then move on to the rest of your meal, you would be surprised at how many calories you’ll save. Once you get used to eating so many vegetables and lower amounts of other foods, then you can start mixing your meal together as usual again. Remember a starter salad will also count in this case.

Week #2: Add Daily Walking Or Jogging.

For the second week of your plan, you’re going to start exercising. Don’t make this exercise too intense or you may fall off the bandwagon. Instead, try getting out each day for thirty minutes of walking or light jogging. If you really dislike both of those exercises, choose something that you enjoy. Bike riding or swimming are both excellent choices and will help you lose belly fat quickly.

Week #3: Focus On Protein Rich Foods Five Times A Day – Especially At Breakfast.

As you move into week three, the next thing you’ll want to do is focus on adding more protein rich foods to your diet. This includes foods such as lean chicken breast meat, egg whites, low-fat dairy products, fish, as well as whey protein powder. Aim to have at least 20-30 grams five times each day, especially with the first meal you eat. By getting your body off on the right foot in the morning, you will see results jump that much higher.

Week #4: Perform Five Different Bodyweight Exercises.

Now that you’re almost a full month into your belly fat loss program, it’s time to add some strength training. You may want to take a look at the Turbulence Training program for a complete program design to help guide you as that will produce superior results. Otherwise, start off by performing five different bodyweight exercises. These should challenge your muscles and help you look leaner and firmer. Good ones to choose are push-ups, pull-ups, bench dips, bodyweight squats, or bodyweight lunges. Perform these three times a week for best results.

Week #5: Start A Progress Journal.

Finally, now that you’re past that one month point and diet and exercise is starting to become a habit, it’s time to start a progress journal. In this you will track all the positive things you are doing that are going to bring you closer to your goal. This includes how long you’re working out for as well as what you’re eating. This way when you look back over time you can clearly see exactly what worked best to produce results for you. The simpler you can make your belly fat loss program, the better the results you will see. Don’t let yourself get so wrapped up in details that you don’t even start.

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Grab more free information on Belly Fat Loss Programs, at our Blog – http://howtolosebellyfat.com.au

Drink water. It’s amazing how many people avoid this simple tip yet it is the number one way to start to lose body fat. Water keeps you hydrated and helps to battle cravings. Drink a glass of water about 20 minutes before each meal. You’ll feel fuller before you even start the meal and will eat less as a result.

Never skip breakfast. A nutritious breakfast provides energy to improve concentration and mental performance. It also gets your metabolism going and help prevents overeating later in the day.

It is better to eat five or six smaller meals rather than three large meals. Aim to eat every three hours or so with a balance of protein and carbohydrates. This will keep your metabolism high and avoid the rise and fall of glucose and insulin in your bloodstream.

Eat Protein and Good Carbs. Protein provides certain amino acids that your body needs to feed and repair muscle fibers, and good carbohydrates (the ones in the Low Glycemic Index), will slowly deliver glucose into your bloodstream rather than spiking it in like sugars do. You’ll maintain your energy level better and will feel fuller longer between meals with a balanced diet of protein and good carbs.

Avoid Alcohol Consumption. You love the suds but a couple of beers add up quick. One 12-oz brew has an average of 160 calories. Drink 3 of those after an hour at the gym and you just put almost 500 calories in your body, before you’ve eaten that plate of wings. The same goes for Soda – the stuff is bad for you. Tons of empty calories and a lot of sugar. And you don’t even want to know what the aweful chemical soup known as Diet Soda does to you!

Ingredients:

5 TBs natural peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
1 cup dry oatmeal or whole grain hot cereal (uncooked)
6 scoops chocolate whey protein (approximately 132 grams worth of low‑carb protein powder)
1 tsp vanilla
2 TBs flax seeds (optional)
1 cup non‑fat dry milk
1/2 cup water (add a little more if you need to)

Modifications: Use vanilla protein and replace ~1/4 cup of the oat flour with a variety of nuts, seeds, or dried berries.

Directions:

Spray an 8×8 baking dish with non‑stick cooking spray. Combine dry ingredients in a medium size bowl and mix well. Add peanut butter and mix ‑ the mixture will be crumbly and dry. Add water & vanilla. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix everything until a dough forms. The dough will be sticky.

Spread dough into pan using a clean wooden spoon or spatula that has been sprayed with non‑stick cooking spray. Refrigerate for a few hours and cut into 9 squares. Wrap bars individually or store in covered container between sheets of wax paper. Keep refrigerated.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: 197 calories, 21 g protein, 7.2 g fat (8% saturated), 13.7 g carbohydrate, 1.6 g fiber

Note: Flax seed has a nutty flavor, something like wheat germ. Most people prefer the milder taste of golden flax seed over the bitter dark flax seed. To release the benefits of flax, use a coffee grinder to grind the seed into a meal. Add the meal to cereals, pancake and muffin batters, breadcrumbs, meatballs, yogurt, cottage cheese, and applesauce. There is no standard for consumption of flax seed, but 1 tablespoon per day is adequate and more than 3 tablespoons is excessive.

Everybody needs a little helpful advice on the road to weight loss success. Following are eight basic but effective fat loss tips that will make adhering to your nutrition and exercise plan much easier. They will gear your body and your mind for extreme fat burning mode:

1) HOW OFTEN DID YOU EAT TODAY?

To stabilize blood sugar levels, decrease insulin and increase fullness it is recommended you eat 5-6 smaller meals 2-3 hours apart. Fat is less likely to accumulate under these conditions.

2) DID YOU EAT A COMPLETE LEAN PROTEIN SOURCE WITH ALL 5-6 MEALS?

Women should eat around 20-30 grams of protein while men should eat about 40-60 grams per meal. Protein is a powerful agent for reducing body fat. It also stimulates your metabolic rate, builds up muscle mass and raises metabolic rate.

3) DID YOU EAT VEGGIES (AND FRUITS) WITH ALL 5-6 MEALS?

Science has shown that in addition to the micronutrients packed in veggies there are disease fighting phytochemicals and antioxidants essential for optimal functioning. Fruits and vegetables also provide an alkaline load to the body to balance the usual state of acidity which can cause loss of bone and muscle. Finally, vegetables and fruits are full of fiber which helps your colon function optimally and keeps you feeling full. A diet high in vegetables and fiber will diminish your appetite and cause you to feel less hungry.

4) WHAT KIND OF CARBS DID YOU EAT AND WHEN?

If your goal is fat loss and you haven’t just worked out, put that plate of pasta, bread and other starchy carbs to the side in favor of fruits and veggies. The only time you should eat starchy carbs is right after your workout. These carbs cause glycogen stores to replenish themselves during exercise recovery. If you’re not working out stick to your veggies and fruits.

5) DID YOU GET YOUR HEATHY FATS?

It’s recommended that 30% of your diet come from fat- an equal amount of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Getting the right fat ratios is really simple. Just add the healthy monounsaturated fats (olive oil and avacado) and polyunsaturated fats (fish oil) into your existing diet and that’s it.

6) DID YOU TAKE YOUR FISH OIL CAPS YET?

Fish oil deserves special mention as a healthy fat because it has been shown to actually help you burn fat and look leaner. It is also involved in more than 3000 positive bodily functions. Fish oil is one the healthiest compounds on earth.

7) ARE YOU DRINKING ZERO CALORIE BEVERAGES?

Avoid the calorie containing drinks. Send back the soda, fruit juice and anything else with more than 0 calories. Water and green tea are always good choices. Green tea is full of antioxidents and can moderately raise metabolic rate.

ARE YOU FOLLOWING THE 90% RULE?

The 90% rule suggests 90% compliance to your nutrition and exercise program rather a strict 100%. Having permission to break the rules 10% of the time can actually have positive motivational effects.

When it’s time to plan, prepare or order food think of these tips to make sure you are following the basic nutritional rules of fat loss. Each time you practice one of the tips, you’ll reinforce it until it becomes second nature. When this happens you will see success on a regular basis. Your habits will have changed-for life.

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

This Nutrition article is provided by Articleteller – The Free Article Directory: www.articleteller.com

With so many different products and magic weight loss pills on the market, many people seem to be turning away from the standard, tried and proven methods of losing weight. And the enticement is very real! While many of the diet and weight loss supplements on the market can be very effective aids in losing weight, they should not be the focus of a weight loss mentality or program. So let’s get back to the basics.

With so many different products and magic weight loss pills on the market, many people seem to be turning away from the standard, tried and proven methods of losing weight. And the enticement is very real! Who wouldn’t love to just pop a pill, not change anything in their lifestyle, and lose 10 pounds a week? While many of the diet and weight loss supplements on the market can be very effective aids in losing weight, they should not be the focus of a weight loss mentality or program. So let’s get back to the basics.

The basics in natural weight loss and weight management are the following: nutrition and exercise. In this article we will discuss these two main topics in the categories of diet, resistance training, and cardio exercise.

Diet and Nutrition

While its very cliche to say that you are what you eat, there is a lot of truth to this statement. Let’s look deeper at this statement and think about some every day examples and evidences of this statement as well. Think about the last time you went to an all-you-can-eat buffet. For the most part, what was the overall physical condition of the people eating there? You make the call: are people that eat in the style of an all-you-can-eat buffet becoming what they eat? Does eating large amounts of food high in fat make your body react a certain way? Of course it does! Granted, this is some what of an extreme example, but the concept is true. Eating clean and reducing highly processed foods, lots of sugar, and the wrong types of fat will definitely help your body composition. For a great example of this, see the movie “Super-size Me.”

Resistance Training

There are many different types of resistance training that are effective. Weight training, pilates, yoga – all can be effective ways to get your body moving. Why is resistance training than cardio training? Because resistance training helps to build muscle more than anything else. Simply put, if your body has more muscle it tends to function and burn fat more effectively. So in summary, resistance training does more than just get your heart pumping and your muscles burning, but it builds muscle and improves your overall physical appearance and condition.

Cardio Training

As with resistance training, there are many ways to do cardio training: running (either outdoors or on a treadmill), biking, using an elliptical trainer, stair climber, rollerblading, and many more. There are several reasons why you should include cardio training in your natural weight loss or maintenance program. One of the main reasons is that doing cardio helps your body to burn more fat. Cardio will really get your heart pumping and will also put your body in a prime stat to burn more calories. Another reason to do cardio is overall conditioning. Do you find yourself getting easily winded when doing normal things like going up a staircase? Cardio training will help your body get used to that type of work.

In summary, for a natural weight loss or maintenance program to truly be effective and work over a longer period of time, you need to include proper nutrition, resistance training, and cardio training. These are the three pillars of your program and if any one of them is missing or being in some way neglected you will find that your program is not working as well as you might have hoped. When it comes to using supplements, remember that they are only supplemental to what you are already doing, hence the name “supplements.”

Dan Patterson is an editor of a website that promotes
Natural weight loss help at http://www.bodyfitnessinfo.com.

Article Source:
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When you are trying to eat healthier, many clever tricks in the kitchen can help, and you can still enjoy your favorite dishes. With simple modifications, even cheesecake can be part of a healthy diet. These easy substitutions and techniques lower the fat and cholesterol in your recipes, without sacrificing great flavor.

For easy reference in cooking healthy, print out the healthy equivalents chart and mount it to the inside of a cabinet door.

Meat

Eat more fish! Fish is loaded with protein, low in fats, and full of the beneficial omega 3 fatty acids. When choosing other meats, “loin” cuts are the usually the leanest (for example, pork tenderloin has approximately the same fat percentage as chicken). Replace bacon with turkey bacon, lean ham or Canadian bacon in breakfast dishes, salads, etc.

Liquid smoke is also a good alternative to bacon in recipes. Use extra-lean ground beef or substitute ground turkey for ground beef in most recipes. When cooking meatloaf, keep the desired consistency with ground turkey by adding instant oatmeal, chicken stock, and marinara sauce. For low fat cooking, marinate meats in fruit or vegetable juices instead of oils. Removing the skin from poultry also helps to cut the fat, but do so after grilling to help seal in moisture. To brown meat without oil, cover the pot and cook over lower heat. The meat will “brown” in its own juices.

Eggs

Eggs are a prime source of fat and cholesterol in recipes, but also easily adjusted. Substitute two egg whites or 1/4 C. cholesterol-free liquid egg product for one whole egg in recipes.

You can even make your own egg substitute by beating together 6 egg whites, ¼ C. nonfat powdered milk, 1 tsp. oil, and 6 drops yellow food coloring. This homemade egg substitute will keep in the refrigerator for a week.

Cheese

Although cheese is a definite fat culprit, you don’t have to cut it out of your diet completely! Instead, use low-fat, skim milk cheese whenever possible.

Use fat-free cream cheese, or replace cream cheese in recipes with low-fat ricotta and plain yogurt. In casserole dishes, use 1/2 C. cottage cheese mixed with 1/2 C. reduced fat cheese for every C. of regular cheese.

Creams

Substitute evaporated skim milk for heavy cream in recipes.

To remove the fat from cream soups, put the can or container in the freezer for 10 minutes and then scoop off the fat from the top. When preparing creamy soup, use pureed, cooked potato instead of cream. As a substitute for cream sauce in many recipes, mix together 1 C. low fat butter milk, 1 Tbs. cornstarch, and tomato sauce.

In place of sour cream, blend 1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice into 1/2 C. cottage cheese as a substitute, or use drained non-fat yogurt mixed with a little sour cream. On baked potatoes, try salsa or low-fat yogurt instead of the traditional sour cream.

Replace whipped cream in a recipe with vanilla non-fat yogurt, or three stiffly beaten egg whites. You can also make your own healthy whipped cream by beating together 1/4 C. fat-free milk powder and 1/4 C. water until thick, and then adding 1/2 tsp. lemon juice, 1/4 tsp. vanilla, and 1/4 C. sugar.

Oil and Butter

Soybean, sesame, and sunflower oils are better for you than saturated fats like palm oil. In baking, you can substitute an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce for oil, or use prunes instead of oil in chocolate products.

Prunes keep chocolate baked goods moist and also maintain the color.

Use the pureed or baby-food varieties in a 1 to 1 ratio with replaced oil. In using applesauce, also try using an equal volume mixture of 1/2 buttermilk and 1/2 applesauce in place of fat for a moister product.

Instead of cooking with butter, olive oil can usually be substituted, or you can use 1/2 to 1 C. of margarine for every C. of butter called for in a recipe.

Dipping bread in olive oil is a healthier and delicious alternative to butter with dinner. The fats in olive oil are better for you than in saturated fats like butter.

Mix freshly ground peppercorns or herbs like oregano into the olive oil for an extra touch.

Fruits and Vegetables

The peels of fruits are a great source of nutrients, so leave them on! To cut down on salt intake, choose fresh or frozen vegetables over canned, since canned vegetables tend to be packaged with salt.

Instead of sautéing onions and other vegetables in oil, steam them in water with a pinch of rosemary to add flavor without the fat. Also try cooking vegetables in non-fat broth, stock, or even wine.

Tomatoes are a wonderfully flavorful and healthy addition to many different recipes. Even canned tomatoes and tomato paste offer the powerful antioxidant lycopene, which may help prevent heart disease and certain kinds of cancer.

Alternative Desserts and Chocolate

Baked fruits, fig bars, ginger snaps, and graham crackers all make healthy alternative desserts. Instead of ice cream, indulge in the super-healthy; frozen low-fat, flavored soy milk. Instead of frosting cakes, try dusting them with confectioners’ sugar or cinnamon and cocoa.

To cut the fat in chocolate desserts, substitute 3 Tbs. cocoa powder, plus a little oil or applesauce if desired, for every oz. of chocolate. Carob powder is also a healthy alternative, with the added benefit of having no caffeine (especially good for those with heart conditions). When baking cookies, use half the amount of chocolate chips, and chop them smaller so they evenly disperse through the cookie.

Article Source: www.articleteller.com

Diet, as part of a healthy lifestyle, plays an important role in maintaining one’s healthy body. It will help reduce chances of getting many health issues, including diabetes, hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol, etc that may ultimately lead to the risk of heart disease.

Problems to overcome

Saying is easier than done! For working adults, maintaining a balanced and healthy is even more difficult because most of the time they eat out. Limited time available for meal and tight work schedule frequently cause workers to pick fast food or other convenient foods, usually not very healthy. Or, they simply skip the meal.

Eating too little vegetables is one common phenomenon among working adults. Vegetables are great sources of vitamins, minerals, and fibers. Taking hardly any vegetables may result in deficiency of vitamins and minerals in the long run.

Another problem for eating out is that the salt and saturated fat in the diets could be high. At least cooking and having meal at home means they can control this. In order to get sufficient vitamin A/beta carotene and vitamin C, one should eat a mix of bright and dark colored vegetables and fruits or citrus.

To modify the diet, one can replace white bread with wholemeal bread to increase the fiber intake; use less sugar in the beverage to cut down on un-necessary calories; has less oily foods to reduce the intake of saturated fat.

Fruits should not be used to replace vegetables. Fruit and vegetables have their own characteristic combination of nutrients and phytochemicals.

A diet rich in fruit and vegetables can lower the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and certain types of cancer.

For elderly, drinking soy bean milk is good for getting calcium that is needed to prevent brittle bone disease. Old folks can also get calcium by eating anchovies and sardines.

When the intake of whole grains and dark vegetables is low and health issues surface, taking of multivitamin multi-mineral supplement may be necessary. Nonetheless, taking supplement alone will not improve one’s health if the diet continues to be high in saturated fats and salt, and is low in fiber.

To get the nutrients needed, one should eat a variety of foods from all food groups concentrating on bright and dark colored fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats and alternatives prepared in ways that do not involve a lot of oil or excess sugar.

For good health, one should look at the nutritional level as a whole and not just concentrate on vitamins and minerals.

Heart Disease Prevention – 8 Simple Ways You Can Do Immediately, Go to: www.howtopreventheartdisease.com

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Why do so many of us fail or give up our efforts to lose weight? The reason is that we pay too little attention to our emotions and what drive us to eat unnecessarily. If you are able to get a grip on these emotions, you have a better chance of success and losing weight and keeping it off.

Here’s a motivation checklist:

1. Make a commitment

As with every goal in life, make a commitment to lose weight that no matter what happens, rain or shine, you are committed to make that trip to the gym. Adopt that “I can do it” attitude and remember to draw on these successes when the next time you are faced with yet another challenge.

2. Give yourself 10 good reasons

List 10 things that drive your weight-loss desires, for example , “lower my cholesterol level” or “increase my energy level” or “fit into that new bikini”. Keep the list handy , either in your purse, or at your desk where you cannot miss it. When you suffer a dip in motivation, looking at the list will guarantee a recharge.

3. Downsize the less than healthy foods

Who says you cannot enjoy your life while dieting. The key is to eat in moderation all the things that you love. Eat with awareness. If you must have your regular fix of icecream or chocolate, plan your eating habit. Establish how much you consume in a week, cut it by half or a third, either through size or frequency.

5. Practise never-miss-a-meal habit

It is a fact and reality that whenever we skip meals and become extremely hungry and sluggish, we tend to grab any food to satisfy hunger for example potato chips or some snacks. Or we could gobble down in larger volume for the next meal. So the lesson here is to ensure you never miss your healthy meals. Imagine the energy that you get when you practise healthy eating habits.

6. Share your gameplan

Set up your support system and share with those whom you think can encourage you in your weightloss effort. Decide what you want friends and family to do to encourage you. For example, remind them to be mindful of what or what not to offer you in terms of food.

7. Stop thinking little things have no calories

Sometimes we tend to forget little bites like a handful of potato chips, sweets, jelly beans – are too small to have any calories. They all add up. Think of how little satisfaction you get from these little bites and how they negate your effort to lose weight. Over time, you will adjust your eating pattern and will no longer be tempted by these little distractions.

8. Post a note strategically

Put signs in your kitchen or refrigerator to remind you, “what you are looking for is not here”. Sometimes we have a tendency to overcome any emotional upset by eating. Instead go out and exercise and release the emotional baggage. That is guaranteed to make you feel better than eating anyway.

9. Recharge your motivation battery

There will be down times when you are in no mood to exercise or cook healthy food. You might think it is easier to just order pizza. It is time you revist your goals and remind yourself you got this far, so why blow it now. Just get up and run.

10. Celebrate the smallest of victories

Focus on your successes, no matter how small they are. Write them down and put the list where you can see them to motivate you. You will feel gratified and happy that you have made achievements and will encourage you to increase your successes.

About the author: Nora M is an advertising veteran and now runs her own net business. She owns a site on weight loss, with the aim to give useful tips on how to lose weight quickly and effectively. Get more tips and resources here: www.rapidweightloss.nmaskuri.com

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