Walking for Weight Loss

This is a good post from MedicineNet for the beginners. Walking is the best way to start an exercise program. When you first start it's not that important that you walk fast, the important thing is that you walk 30 minutes.

Let's start by breaking it down.

1. How Many Calories Do You Burn Walking?

Using walking to balance how many calories your burn each day with the calories that you eat can help you lose weight. But you need to know the numbers, which will vary depending on how much you weigh and how far you walk.

2. Best Ways to Burn More Calories and Fat When Walking

What are the keys to burning more calories with your walking workout? There are good ways and bad ways to try to burn more calories when walking. It is also important to walk long enough to burn fat.

3. Watching the Calories You Eat is Important

One candy bar takes three to five miles to burn off, so the key to weight loss with walking is also to eat fewer calories.

It's a hard truth, but these are the facts. You can't outwalk your mouth.

4. How Fast to Walk for Weight Loss and Burning Fat

Speed matters when it comes to effective walking workouts. How to walk in the fat-burning zone for weight loss. It can be easier to hit this zone with a walking pace than with a running pace.

5. How Long to Walk to Burn Fat

The best walking workout distance and time for weight loss will have your body going into the stored fat you want to lose and burning it as fuel.

Here's how long you should aim to walk three or more days per week.

6. Walking Schedule for Weight Loss

Mix up your walking workouts to get the most weight loss effect. Use this plan for short days, long days, long easy days, days off and weight training.

7. Treadmill Weight Loss Walking Plan

If you prefer using the treadmill for your workouts, this plan will help you challenge your body with a variety of workouts and a weekly schedule to maximize them.

8. Keep Track of Your Walks and Weight Loss

Studies show that keeping track of your walking time and calories can keep you on the path to losing weight.Keeping a log or journal will help ensure success, or use a pedometer with memory or linked to an app to track your walks and exercise.

9. Walk of Life 10-Week Program

Our free daily program for walking, healthy eating and weight loss. Each day for 70 days you will be coached to enjoy a walking workout, exercise, improve your diet and have fun.

10. Ten Things to Stop Doing to Walk Off Weight

Use this list to check yourself and see what habits and thought processes you need to change in order to be successful in walking off weight.

Blogspot is making some changes

Blogger using "blogspot" just found out that Google is making some changes next year. Many of our readers sign in with Twitter or other logins but that will change in January. After the change you will need to sign-up for a Google Account and use that login to read the blogs on Google sites. I'm sure Google will explain all this better than me, but it's all free and there won't be any subscription charge and there is several benefits to having a Google account. It probably has something to do with the security of the blog sites. So don't be surprised when all this takes place next month.

Happy New Year from Howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.com

An Inspirational Story

All it take is willpower to lose weight and the story following is an example of what you can accomplish when you set your mind to it.

Have you seen the story of this 50 year old woman who was brutally fat shamed in a department store by some rude skinny lady?

For years this woman struggled to lose weight yet NOTHING worked.

P90X, Atkins, Zumba, Beach Body, Gluten Free, Cross Fit… NOTHING worked.

And the last straw was when she was brutally fat shamed in the shopping mall while hoping to find a pair of pants she could fit into.

It was in that moment she began her quest to not just LOSE the weight - but to get HOT.

And one year later…

She dropped an incredible 41 pounds!  And she didn’t just lose weight… instead she got a tight, toned body with that sleek sexy muscular looking stomach.

Get this…

She did this ALL without EVER stepping foot in a gym or without some crazy diet, or using pills or surgery.

Lose weight and keeping it off is about changing your life and becoming a new person. A person who is going to forget everything they know about eating and exercise and do it right this time.  

For more weight loss information check out my new website

howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.com

Merry Christmas

To My Loyal Readers

Don't worry about your diet today. Try anything you want, just remember to eat and drink in moderation. You can fix your diet tomorrow. Have a Merry Christmas and be safe.

Ray Edward

Does Rapid Weight Loss Work?

This is a post from MedicineNet and it's important that you read and understand that the whole idea of "rapid weight loss" not only doesn't work but it's dangerous. You might have friends that lost weight with pills they saw advertised on TV or the internet but just because they had no side-effects doesn't mean you won't. Besides the possible side-effects people always seem to put the weight back.

 Why is that? The programs are designed to give you temporary weight loss, that's all. Because they want you to buy more at a later date and keep you as a customer. Anyone selling anything to the public has to sell a product that people will like and continue to buy, so diet pills were never made to give you permanent weight loss. 

So many marketers promise "fast weight loss" it's difficult to sort through them all.

Most rapid weight loss pitches fall into these categories:

Starvation Diets

Beyonce popularized the so-called "master cleanse" diet: water, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. Variations of these diets have been around since at least the 1950s. They often also promise "detoxification" through colonics or enemas. These diets are very temporary and sap the strength from your body.

Diet Pills and Supplements

Dozens of diet supplements promise to speed weight loss. Generally, they claim either to block absorption of nutrients, increase metabolism, or burn fat. All these methods are dangerous. If you feel you need diet pills ask your doctor for a prescription. 

Very Low-Calorie Diets (VLCDs)

One proven method of rapid weight loss is the medically supervised very low-calorie diet (VLCD). Most of what is known about rapid weight loss comes from studies of people on these diets. You can do a very low calorie diet by going Vegan, but you have to take supplements to get the extra nutrients your not getting from vegetables. Remember, being a Vegan is a full-time lifestyle.

Creams, Devices, and Magic Voodoo Spells

There seems to be no end to the dubious ideas promoted in the name of rapid weight loss. Most promise to replace diet or exercise. None of this work.

Exercise Equipment can help you lose weight but you have to use the equipment, most people stop using the machine after a few weeks. You can't exercise away a bad diet. So if all you have to do is walk to lose weight, why spend money on a machine to walk. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does regulate dietary supplements; however, it treats them like foods rather than medications.

The FDA also does not regulate claims made by over-the-counter weight loss products. Unlike drug manufacturers, the makers of supplements don’t have to show their products are safe or effective before selling them on the market. This means that dietary supplements do not need approval from FDA before they are marketed.

Aside from the very low-calorie diet and weight loss surgery, no other product, pill, or diet has been proven to work for fast weight loss. The prescription drug Orlistat can help, but it works slowly and only with diet and exercise. Orlistat is marketed as Xenical. Labeling for Orlistat notes that it can cause severe liver damage.

In any rapid weight loss program, what really burns fat is not a pill or type of food. It's the drastic reduction of calories, combined with exercise.

Rapid weight loss diets can have ill effects, but so does obesity. For this reason, very low-calorie diets (VLCDs) are considered a reasonable weight loss option for people with obesity (having a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30) needing rapid weight loss for a specific purpose such as weight loss surgery .

VLCDs are doctor-supervised diets lasting several weeks. The meals are nutritionally balanced, but expensive -- people can end up spending thousands of dollars over time. VLCDs safely produce a loss of 15% to 25% of body weight in 12 weeks. That's for those who finish the program: 25% to half of people don't complete the program. Weight returns when the diet is stopped and happens rapidly; some experts say its best to take a more sustainable approach to weight loss comparable to that of regular diets.

Most people seeking rapid weight loss, though, usually do it on their own. Frequently, it's to achieve a short-term goal, such as fitting into a dress, or looking good at the beach.

Starving yourself is certainly not a good idea. But if you're otherwise healthy, a brief period of extreme calorie restriction isn't likely to hurt you. You should tell your doctor what you're doing, and be sure to include protein in your diet (70 to 100 grams per day). Take a multivitamin, and eat potassium-rich foods (tomatoes, oranges, and bananas).

Also, remember that crash diets rarely help you achieve a sustained, healthy weight. Most people put the pounds right back on.

For more weight loss advice see my NEW website:

howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.com

More people want to get healthy

I was watching the news this morning and sports wear, the clothes you exercise with, is taking over the casual clothing market. We all know that exercising has been shoved down our throats for the last couple decades but it hasn't been until recently that more people of all ages are actually taking exercise seriously. You can go to the "Y" or any health club and you can see people of all ages. So why is being thin gotten so popular?

We know people are working longer now, and the competition for jobs is getting much harder. It's no secret that today the slim and trim people are doing better in the job interviews. They just look like their a more serious applicant. They look like their a harder worker. Your perception is a big part of a job interview and if you give the perception that you're a harder working employee than you might have the advantage.

We still have a majority  of overweight adults  but this might be the last generation. I think in twenty years you will see a big change in what we eat and how we take care of ourselves. Young people are adopting this new lifestyle and some of the over 40 group are all in. It's not that fast food is on the way out, but all food will be changing. I thing that finely all of us realize that we need more from the food you're eating. A new trend has started with younger adults and instead of looking for comfort food they're looking for healthy food. I'm not saying that comfort food is on the way out, but I thing in years to come we will see less of it.

When we get comfort food and other fried foods out of the schools and replace it with healthy food and healthy snacks that's when you'll see a difference in the way young people look at food in general. That's where we have to start making a change in eating habits. The government had a good idea when they wanted to change the food in schools but they didn't know how to implement it. Those changes have to be done on the local level. Parents have to get involved and demand change and then you'll see results. We also need to teach physical education again. Elementary School in particle stopped physical education due to budget cuts, so parents are finding outside activities for their kids and it's expensive and time consuming and most kids can't join in. Most of the schools in the suburbs have gym classes and other after school sports but inner city school have often been forced to cut out those programs.

Learning good health like diet and exercise has to be taught in schools from the earliest age if you want to create healthy habits that the child will care with them for life.

Losing Weight Might be Easier than You Think

If you want to know how to lose weight, there is no need to go searching the internet for diets fads and trendy weight loss programs. The truth is that all successful weight loss plans use essentially the same method. Of course, each diet guru and celebrity trainer puts a creative spin on it - which is why you see so many books and programs on the market. But the bottom line is that weight loss is determined by energy balance. And if you can change your energy balance you can lose weight.

How to Lose Weight with Energy Balance
Experts in the medical field, registered dietitians and health coaches agree that there is one way to lose weight. Don't waste any more time than you need to. Master the principle of energy balance to slim down once and for all.

Most people don’t think of their weight loss journey as a math problem. But in many ways, it is. There is a simple equation behind every successful diet, every successful weight loss program and every get-slim-quick plan. It’s called your energy balance. And if you can get your numbers to tilt in the right direction, you’ll lose weight and get the body you want.

What is Energy Balance?

Energy balance is simply the relationship between your energy input and your energy output.

The equation looks like this:

Energy Balance = Energy input – energy output

Sounds reasonable, right? To figure out your energy balance you need to gather a few numbers.

How Do I Input Energy?

We input energy in the form of kilocalories, or "calories." Calories are simply a unit of energy or heat. The food we eat and the drinks we consume provide different levels of energy, or calories. Protein and carbohydrate each provide 4 calories per gram, and fat provides 9 calories per gram.

One of the best ways to start a weight loss program is to determine your current level of energy input or caloric intake so that you can make adjustments to your energy balance. A typical woman may consume anywhere from 1200 to 2500 calories per day depending on her size, activity level and lifestyle factors.

What is My Energy Output?

Energy output happens when your body uses energy. We often refer to this as "burning” calories. Even when you’re sleeping, your body uses energy to perform basic functions like breathing and circulating blood.

You also expend energy during activities of daily living, like washing dishes or shopping, and of course, through physical exercise. These activities make up about 15-30% of your total calorie burn each day. The last 5-10% of calories are burned through the thermic effect of food, when you eat and digest meals and snacks.

There are different ways to calculate the number of calories you burn each day. Many people use one or two methods to determine the most accurate number.

Tip the Scales to Lose Weight

If your energy input and your energy output are perfectly balanced, you won’t lose weight. A perfect energy balance creates a stable weight. To change your weight you need to tip the scales so that they are no longer balanced.

A positive energy balance occurs when your energy input is greater than your energy output. That is, you eat more calories than your body needs. Your body stores excess energy or calories as fat. This results in weight gain.

Weight gain = energy input > energy output

Weight loss occurs when you create a negative energy balance. That is, you burn more calories than you consume. When this imbalance occurs, your body burns stored energy in order to function and you lose weight.

Weight loss = energy input < energy output

When you evaluate your own energy balance, it's best to get the numbers as accurate as possible. Small differences in energy input and energy output can make a big difference in your weight.

Calculate Your Own Energy Balance

Are you ready to calculate your own energy balance? Here are two sample equations to use as a guide.

Dieter #1: Megan

Calories consumed each day: 2000

Calories burned each day: 1750

2000 (energy input) - 1750 (energy output) = 250 calories

Megan has a positive energy balance of 250 calories per day. That doesn't sound like much. But over the course of a week, her estimated balance would be 1750 calories or enough to gain a half pound of weight.

Dieter #2: Carol

Calories consumed each day: 1800

Calories burned each day: 2050

1800 (energy input) - 2050 (energy output) = -250 calories

Carol has a negative energy balance of 250 calories. Over the course of a week, her body will need to burn 1750 calories of stored fat to meet its needs and she will lose roughly one half pound of weight.

If the Math is Simple, Why is Weight Loss So Hard?

So if weight loss is just a simple equation, then why is it so difficult to lose weight? Because there are many factors that affect both your energy input and your energy output. Things like your medical status, your age and your mood affect your energy balance equation every day. Weight loss is a simple equation, but finding the right balance requires a little bit more work.

If you are at the beginning of your weight loss journey, or if you are questioning your current diet and exercise plan, the energy balance equation is a perfect place to start. You don't need to buy fancy tools or invest in an expensive weight loss program. Try to make some changes on your own. Evaluate the factors that affect your caloric intake and caloric output. You have control over some factors (like activity level) and no control over others (age, gender). Simply change what you can to tilt the scales of your energy balance equation and reach your weight loss goals.

Most people gain over a long period of time and this is how we differ from our ancient ancestors; they would eat as they needed energy and only as much as they needed to go on. Before there was money and jobs, people only worried about survival. Humans were part of the food chain and were being hunted by large animals like we hunt animals today. They were constantly on the move burning energy and eating mostly roots and fruit during the day also hunting for small game that they could eat at night. Man was eating by instinct like wild animals do. If you have ever noticed, animals in the wild always maintain a perfect body weight. But domestic animals that live with us will gain too much weight and end-up with all the diseases that man has; cancer, obesity, joint problems and other illnesses. Animals in the wild will stay healthy except for injuries.

What are we doing wrong, what happened? Thin people like a marathon runner will burn his energy first and then eat something to replace that energy. He will use up all he has before he eats to replace it. We are eating before we need the energy or calories and then we try to burn all those calories we ate. We are working backward and that's why we can't win. When you eat the calories first you will probably never burn all the calories you ate. And you never burn the body fat because your first burning the new calories you just ate. I hope that makes sense to you.

Losing weight for me works best if I have an energy shake in the morning, first thing, then workout, then eat a high-protein breakfast after the workout. I prefer ham and eggs or Greek yogurt and fruit. High-protein breakfast cuts my cravings and I don't even think about food until lunch.

Think about your diet this way. If you're hungry two hours after you eat then you didn't eat the right food. Cravings are the way your body tells you that it needs nutrition, but you have to decide what kind. If you decide wrong you will have more cravings and this will continue on until your body get what it needs or you're totally stuffed.  Meanwhile, you're adding pounds. Be smart about what you eat and you'll eat less and spend less money.

If you really want to lose the extra flab you can get help, I write 4 blogs and I’ve written two E-books. Read some of my other blog posts.
gettingtoahealthyweight.blog
idropped40pounds.wordpress.com
howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.blogspot.com

blogonweight.blogspot.com

E-books are the easiest and cheapest way to learn about any subject without groping through hundreds of website looking for the material you want.My first e-book is “HowBadDoYouWantToLoseWeight” and it sells for $2.99 on most online bookstores like Amazon.com, BN.com, iBook, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, and Gardner books in the U.K.
My second e-book is available in the same stores. And on smashwords.com. If you use the smashwords' promotional code You can get my second book for $1.99 (TL96R). Just type in the search line “getting to a healthy weight”.