We Thought Smoking Was The Worse Thing For Your Health

Take a Stand Against Sitting Too Much

Sitting turns out to be just as bad for your health as smoking.

This post from Medicinenet.com will illustrate why we need to change what we do all day if we want to stay healthy.

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

Days spent sitting for hours may increase your risk for an early death no matter how much you exercise, researchers say.

Latest Exercise & Fitness News

In a new study, people who sat the most had twice the risk of dying over a 4-year period as people who sat the least. But taking a break every 30 minutes to get up and walk around might help decrease the risk, the study authors said.

“What’s most troubling is it’s like I exercise in the morning and I think I’m good, but in addition to exercise I should also be mindful of not being sedentary for long periods throughout the day,” said lead researcher Keith Diaz. He is an associate research scientist at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City.

It’s more than exercise, Diaz said. “You have to do more. You have to move, you have to get up often and break up your sedentary habits if you want to have the lowest risk of death,” he explained.

Many people sit for up to 10 hours a day, he noted. Earlier studies that have reported a link between sitting and an early death have relied on people telling researchers how long they sat in a day. This new study, however, actually measured sitting time using a hip-mounted accelerometer that tracked movement, and correlated it with the risk of dying during the study period.

Diaz cautioned, however, that this study only shows an association between sitting and an increased risk of early death.

“There is evidence that suggests, but does not prove, that it could be about how our body handles blood sugar,” Diaz said.

“We think it’s through a kind of diabetic pathway. When our muscles are inactive, they are not using blood sugar, and we know that blood sugar can wreak terrible consequences on our body. Poor blood sugar control is thought to be one of the ways sitting increases one’s risk for heart disease or death,” he said.

Standing up from your desk and walking around for a few minutes every half hour could be an important behavioral change that might reduce the risk of premature death, Diaz suggested.

Dr. David Alter is an associate professor of medicine at the University of Toronto. He said, “We don’t yet know what the ideal solutions are to remedy the risks associated with sedentary behavior.”

It’s not just about avoiding sedentary behavior or prolonged bouts of sedentary behavior, said Alter.

“It might require a combination of exercise, light activity and frequent movement breaks,” he said.

What’s almost certain is that the solution will require folks to track their activity and inactivity, Alter said.

“Just like weight-management strategies, we will need to monitor how much time we spend sitting, moving and undertaking exercise in a much more deliberate way than we have perhaps thought previously,” Alter said.

For the study, Diaz and his colleagues reviewed data on nearly 8,000 U.S. adults 45 and older who had participated in a previous study. The participants wore a monitor that kept track of the amount of time they were seated.

The researchers found that in a 16-hour waking day, the participants sat a little more than 12 hours. The average was 11 minutes at a stretch.

Over an average follow-up of four years, 340 participants died.

Spending more time sitting for longer periods increased the risk for an early death, regardless of age, gender, race, weight or how much one exercised, the researchers found.

Those who had the lowest risk of dying were those who didn’t sit longer than 30 minutes at a stretch, the findings showed.

“If we are to sit for prolonged periods at a time — more than 30 minutes at a time, and for many hours per day — more than 12 hours per day, our risk of death is high,” Alter said.

“That risk is reduced if we exercise at least 150 minutes per week, but not entirely eliminated,” he concluded.

I have my own opinion on sitting. From articles that I read, sitting for one hour will cause your body to go into hybernation because you're not moving around. This will slow-down your body functions and that’s the reason you have trouble controlling your blood sugar levels. If you're having a weight problem this maybe the root cause.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Why Do I Regain The Weight I Lose?

There are a few ways that are a common cause of weight gain. I’ll go over a few because this is the time of year that we all try to lose a few pounds after the holidays. And most of us do lose a few pounds but 9 out of 10 will regain the weight by the end of the year.

1. Unrealistic Diets

This may be the number one reason we regain the weight. An unrealistic diet is one that you can only do for a short time like a “cleanse”. You drop 10 pounds,  you think that’s great, and go back to eating the same diet you had before. Except now you picked up some new eating habits over the holidays like roll and coffee at a coffee shop near work or stopping at a drive-thru on the way to work to pick up some pastries for the break room.

Before the holidays you would have never done this, but everyone is rushed during the holidays. You have to cram in all that Christmas shopping. We normally do some of that during our lunch break, so we are eating more snack food to compensate for the lunch we had to skip.

The problem is that you picked up a bad habit during the holidays and you enjoyed those trips to the coffee shop and now you continue to go because maybe you like the coffee and rolls or you like the people that hang out there.

The only weight to get control of your weight is to change what your eating. You don’t have to starve to lose weight. Just start eating real, fresh foods. Forget frozen, processed or manufactured foods and start eating all-natural foods.
2. Weight Loss – The Energy Gap

The funny thing about losing weight is that, as soon as you start losing, your body suddenly wants it all back.

As you lose weight, your body doesn’t need as many calories as it did before but, for many of us, something strange and frustrating happens – We want more food.

Like the stereotypical bustling mother who plies you with food saying, “Eat! Eat!,” your body doesn’t like to lose weight. It can’t tell the difference between you going on a diet or being struck by famine and immediately goes into protective mode, lowering your metabolism by up to 15% and stimulating your appetite to preserve fat stores.

On top of that, when you lose weight, your body needs fewer calories to maintain itself, creating what experts call ‘the energy gap.’

They estimate that the energy gap we need to maintain weight loss could be up to 200 calories a day for a person trying to lose 10% of his or her body weight. This energy gap is smaller for people trying to avoid weight gain, around 100 calories a day. If you don’t keep that energy gap going every day, the weight eventually creeps back on.

Making Peace With The Energy Gap

Exercise – Your number one defense against your body’s natural tendency to hold on to weight is exercise. It doesn’t just burn calories, it also weakens your body’s desire to regain the weight. Researchers don’t understand all the mechanisms behind this but believe working out may encourage the body to become more sensitive to leptin (a hormone that regulates appetite) so you don’t feel as hungry.
Recalculate your calories – As you lose weight, make sure you recalculate how many calories you need. The more weight you lose, the fewer calories your body needs to maintain itself, and tracking that can help you keep the energy gap you need to maintain weight loss.
Go by net calories burned during workouts – When you calculate how many calories you burn during exercise, make sure to subtract the number of calories you would’ve burned if you weren’t exercising to get a more accurate number. For example, if you burned 300 calories during a 30-minute run, you would subtract the number of calories you would’ve burned sitting (e.g., around 20-40 calories).
Avoid compensating for your workouts – Another way we sabotage ourselves without realizing it is by compensating for workouts. This may mean resting more than you normally would or eating more because you think you deserve it after exercising. Stick to your regular eating and activity habits to keep the energy gap going.
4. Not Enough Exercise

Aside from being active, exercise is crucial for successful weight loss and avoiding weight regain. In fact, Dr. Len Kravitz states in his article, “Physical Activity, Weight Loss and Weight Regain:”

Regular workouts are the best way to maintain weight loss. And, when it comes to preventing weight gain, more is better.

While we know that exercise is important, everyone needs a different amount based on a variety of factors including gender, age, fitness level, weight, body composition, and genetics. Successful weight losers spend about an hour a day exercising and experts suggest the following guidelines depending on your goals:

To prevent weight gain: 150–250 minutes per week of moderately vigorous exercise, which translates to about 20-35 minutes of exercise most days of the week.
For weight loss: 225–420 minutes per week of moderately vigorous exercise, which translates to about 60-90 minutes of exercise most days of the week.

Get Started With Exercise

If you’re new to exercise, 60-90 minutes may feel impossible, but it’s okay to start with what you can handle and what your schedule allows and work your way up from there.

Your exercise program should include cardio (about 3-5 workouts a week) and strength training (about 2-3 nonconsecutive days a week) for best weight loss results. The following resources will help you get started:

Experts have found that people who maintain weight loss for more than two years tend to keep it off. It seems that, the longer you maintain weight loss, the better you get at it, mastering the delicate balance of calories in and calories out and figuring out how much exercise you need to maintain that balance.

Two years may seem like a long time, but most of us have a lifetime of bad habits and weight problems to overcome. It’s going to take time to unravel all that history. Remembering how long it took to gain weight may help you keep things in perspective.

Sticking With It

Sticking with it doesn’t mean you have to be perfect for the next two years. There will be times you fail – You’ll get sick, get slammed by holidays, get injured, go on vacation or just lose your mojo. When that happens, and it does for all of us, how you respond is crucial to your success:

Get Back on Track – Falling off the exercise wagon will happen, but what’s important is what you do about it. Recognize that a mistake is a one-time thing and something you can overcome by admitting your mistake and easing back into your program. The same thing goes for injuries; make sure you are ready to get back in the routine of exercising. Start off slow to test out the injury and after a week increase your routine until you are back to normal.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

 

28 Days To Shrink Your Stomach

  Have you strayed from your weight loss goals this year but still want to get in shape? Give the 28-Day Shrink Your Stomach Challenge a try! This weight loss program is designed to decrease your bloat, burn fat, and shrink your stomach in just one month. Plus, the diet is flexible — you can start it whenever you want to! Print out the chart to put on your refrigerator so you can start weight loss the right way, with healthy balanced meals and an exercise routine. If the Plank Challenge is too difficult for you, there are other exercise routines you can do. Just go to the “doctoroz.com” website and look for this “Shrink Your Stomach” plan.

The facts are that you have to shrink your stomach if you want to lose weight. To lose weight you cut the calories by eating better, fresh food that has fewer calories and increases your activity to burn more than you eat. If you do both those things every day you will lose fat and the extra fat will disappear.

What some people starting weight loss for the first time, don’t understand is that just eating less of the same foods you’re eating now isn’t going to take the fat off. If you eat high-quality foods you can eat the same amount and consume fewer calories, that’s the secret to good health. You can’t lose weight or fat by starving yourself. That only works for temporary weight loss. In a month the weight will come back.

If you’re overeating or bingeing, this is normally caused by too much stress, and the stress isn’t going to disappear because you want to lose weight. So you can force yourself to cut back on food and you can lose a few pounds for a few weeks but the stress is probably still there and you will start bingeing again.

I had a similar problem, but shrinking my stomach and changing jobs did the trick for me and I started to lose the extra fat. Today my meal portions are half the size and I feel full. I found the “5 small meals a day plan”. Each meal is about 250 or 300 calories and I was eating every three hours. Get ideas for small meals on the internet. I googled 300 The food cravings disappeared and I stopped being hungry. The 5 meals a day plan works well with the “28 days to shrink your stomach” plan.

This is a sure-fire way to start losing. Stick with this for 28 days and I know you’ll be happy with the results. I stayed on the 5 small meals a day plan and never looked back. It is a great way to control your blood sugar.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

 

Foods That Rev Up Your Metabolism

Foods That Rev Up Your Metabolism

By Susan Bernstein

Can certain foods kick your body’s metabolism into a higher gear to help you lose weight? Many foods are touted as metabolism boosters, but how much and when you eat may be more effective ways to get the most impact from your workouts.

What Is Your Metabolism?

Metabolism is your body’s process of turning foods and drinks into energy.

“Metabolism is a sum of all of the chemical reactions going on in your body in order to maintain life. This requires energy in the form of calories to be expended every day,” says Laura Kruskall, PhD, director of the Dietetic Internship and Nutrition Center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Metabolism includes your total daily energy expenditure. You need fuel to rest, to digest and process nutrients from food, and to maintain physical activity, she says. “When we talk about maximizing metabolism, you’re really asking: How can I increase my total daily energy expenditure? You can choose how much energy to expend by moving your body with activities of daily living or exercise.”

Muscle-building exercise increases your basal metabolic rate or the energy your body needs to function. That means you can take in more calories and use them up, with fewer calories left over. Regular exercise probably revs up your metabolism more than any food or eating strategy like eating at a certain time of day, so make sure you do these activities regularly, Kruskall says:

• Cardio exercises like brisk walking or swimming to burn calories
• Strength training to build more muscle mass

Instead of looking for magic foods that rev up your metabolism, focus on getting a variety of healthy, whole foods in your diet to support your workouts, says Sarah L. Ash, PhD, emerita professor of nutrition at North Carolina State University in Raleigh.

“Most people have efficient reserves of calories from their diet to engage in moderate exercise. You may be looking for sparkplugs in your diet or foods that make you feel a boost of energy.” Some people feel that boost from caffeine or sugary foods, Ash says. “Some energy bars even have caffeine in them, and that gives you a little spark. But they’re not really nutritious. People are looking for a way to help themselves because it’s hard to start exercising if you haven’t been active.”

Protein Powers Metabolism

Foods rich in protein help you build muscle, so they’re good choices if you want to support your metabolism, says Vijaya Surampudi, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the UCLA Division of Human Nutrition in Los Angeles.

“Protein shakes are a great option if you’re hungry or on the go, or foods like cottage cheese or yogurt,” Surampudi says.

Try these protein-rich snacks to keep your metabolism wired during the day:

• A small serving of nuts
• Celery topped with hummus
• Hard-boiled egg

“Smoothies are popular too, but some are high in sugar and are more like sorbet. Make your own smoothie instead of buying one. Put in no more than one cup of fruit,” along with plain yogurt, Sarampudi says. “If you add protein powder, use whey protein isolate,” which may help you build muscle mass along with strength training.

If you buy premade smoothies, check the label for healthy ingredients, says Joan Salge Blake, EdD, a registered dietitian and clinical associate professor of nutrition at Boston University. Making your own smoothies at home gives you control over the ingredients, so you know it’s not all sugar. “Also, you don’t have to always use fresh fruit. Frozen or canned fruits in your smoothie are fine. You’ll get some fiber too, and it’s really inexpensive.”

Instead of looking for magic foods that rev up your metabolism, focus on getting a variety of healthy, whole foods in your diet to support your workouts.

Sarah L. Ash, Ph.D., emerita professor of nutrition, North Carolina State University

Metabolism-Revving Foods

These foods give you healthy sources of energy and nutrients to support your metabolism as you exercise:

• Salmon: Rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fats
• Beans: Plenty of fiber to stave off hunger pangs
• Hot chili peppers: Capsaicin in that fiery taste may help your body burn more calories
• Broccoli: Packed with water and fiber to help you feel full
• Lentils: Rich in protein, fiber, and iron, a mineral that supports healthy energy and weight
• Fresh berries: Low in calories, high in fiber, rich in vitamins
• Tempeh: Soy protein rich in folate, a mineral important for a healthy metabolism

What About Coffee or Chocolate?

Coffee is often touted as a way to rev up your metabolism and help you burn more calories, but research is mixed. A study published in October 2020 found that drinking coffee in the morning could impair your body’s ability to metabolize glucose or sugars, and boost insulin, which isn’t what you want if you’re trying to burn calories effectively and lose weight.

“Some people claim that coffee works for them as an appetite suppressant,” Surampudi says. “Green tea may be another good option for some caffeine in your day because it also has antioxidants,” healthy nutrients that help prevent cell damage from aging. “The troublemaker in coffee is what you add to it, including cream, sugar, or artificial flavors. You may not realize that your coffee can rack up a lot of extra calories.”

What about dark chocolate? In one study, 30 people who ate 40 grams of dark chocolate (less than 2 ounces) daily for 14 days had modest metabolism benefits. Choose very dark chocolate that contains 70% cacao or higher, Surampudi says.

When You Eat Matters Most

To have a healthy metabolism, eat regular, small meals and snacks throughout the day, Salge Blake says.

“Don’t fast all day or skip meals, or you won’t have enough energy to exercise. Moving is what really revs up your metabolism,” she says. “Have some fuel in your tank before you go work out.” Grab a banana for a snack on the go, or start your day with a cup of oatmeal and fruit.

There may be some slight changes you can make to maximize your metabolism, but most of this process is beyond our control through food choices, Kruskall says.

“The most common strategies are eating protein at each meal or to eat smaller meals rather than one or two larger ones,” she says. “While biologically, you may see some differences from these strategies, they’re generally not clinically significant. You shouldn’t rely on them as a strategy to increase your total daily energy expenditure.”

WebMD Feature

Sources

© 2021 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

 

Can You Skip Breakfast And Lose Weight?

Can Breakfast Help You Lose Weight?

A Great Post and a question several of my readers have asked.

To eat breakfast or not to eat breakfast? That’s the big question if you’re trying to slim down.

For years, diet and nutrition experts have said a morning meal is a wise idea. But after a University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) study showed that overweight breakfast eaters weren’t any more likely to slim down than those who skipped it, many were left wondering if they should bother, after all.

“Yes, you should eat breakfast,” says Suzy Weems, PhD, a registered dietitian and professor of family and consumer sciences at Baylor University in Waco, TX. But that doesn’t mean you should dig into a stack of pancakes and a plate of bacon. The UAB study didn’t look at what people were eating. It didn’t look at how many calories they were getting, either.

“You can’t have Twinkies and coffee and expect to slim down, or even maintain weight loss,” Weems says. “The food you choose matters.”

That may be why other studies show that breakfast does help with weight loss. In fact, more than 75% of people who lose more than 30 pounds and keep it off eat the morning meal every single day.

What Does Breakfast Do for You?

Keeps your appetite in check. If you wait hours after waking up to eat, your blood sugar levels can get low. Certain hunger-fueling hormones can be affected, too.

The result? “You may be starving by lunchtime -- or even earlier,” Weems says.

And when you’re really hungry, “you’re less likely to choose healthier options,” says Leigh Tracy, a registered dietitian at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. You’ll probably eat more calories and fat than you intended to, which makes it even harder to shed extra pounds.

Gives you energy. “Imagine driving a car on fumes,” Tracy says. “You’re not going to get far before you need to refuel.”

Your body’s the same way: Skip breakfast and you don’t get the nutrients and calories you need to get through your day. When your energy levels are high, you’re also more likely to make waist-friendly choices, like exercising and cooking healthy meals at home instead of opting for fast food.

Boosts your health. “Breakfast tends to go hand in hand with a healthy lifestyle,” Weems says. It may even lower your odds of getting conditions like heart disease and diabetes. 

How to Eat for Weight Loss

Opt for protein and fiber. Foods that are rich in protein (like eggs) and those that are high in fiber (like oatmeal and whole-grain cereal) are great choices for dropping pounds and staying at that lower weight. “They satisfy you and keep you feeling fuller longer," Tracy says.  

Don’t forget produce. If you’re like most Americans, you get enough protein and fat -- but not nearly enough vitamin- and fiber-rich fruits and vegetables.

“Think of breakfast as an opportunity to add them in,” Tracy says. Even an apple and a slice of string cheese, or a hard-boiled egg with carrot and celery slices, can get you through until your midday snack or lunch.

Count calories. Some breakfast foods are loaded with hidden calories. Some people add five or more fruits to a smoothie, plus protein powder, not realizing how fast the calories add up, Tracy says.

Serving sizes can be tricky, too, so use measuring cups. “One cup of cereal may be less than you think,” Weems says.

The number of calories you should eat depends on your height, weight, weight loss goals, and activity level.

Even so, “you should eat at least 250 to 300 calories at breakfast,” Weems says. If you’re an active man, that number may be as high as 500 to 600 calories. Not sure? Ask your doctor or a dietitian.

Choose food that works with your lifestyle. Not a “breakfast person”? “When my patients don’t feel up to eating early, I suggest they bring an easy grab-and-go breakfast to work,” Tracy says.

Try these healthy, on-the-go ideas:

• A banana wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla with a couple tablespoons of peanut butter
• A smoothie made with berries, low-fat yogurt, ice, and water
• Instant oatmeal

If you’re usually rushed in the morning, “plan your breakfast ahead of time,” Weems says. For example, make an egg casserole with vegetables at the start of the week, store it in the fridge, and make that your breakfast for several mornings in a row.

WebMD Feature

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

 

Understanding Weight Loss Plateaus

It can be frustrating to be losing weight and then for no reason, just stop losing. But don't worry this will happen. It's called a weight loss plateau.

A weight-loss plateau is a pause your body will take after losing several pounds, all this is normal, the body needs time to adjust. This is a must-read for those who are trying to lose more than 20 pounds. You want to understand that your body really doesn’t like to see you lose weight. The body always worries that you’re going to starve. You have to trick your body into losing weight and not going into starvation mode over the weight loss. Don’t get frustrated over plateaus, they’re normal and this article tells you how to deal with them.

If you’ve spent any time and effort losing weight, you may have noticed how hard it is. It seems like, just when you start to see progress, your body just stops responding to what you’re doing. The human body doesn’t keep track of body fat and doesn’t know how much fat is too much. The way your body works is that it works to adapt to what you’re doing to the body. It has no ability to restrict you from doing or eating whatever you want. The thing is, as hard as you work at losing weight, the human body works even harder to keep energy intake and output in balance. In other words, your body doesn’t like to lose weight.

And, even more, frustrating is the fact that whatever efforts you make to burn more calories may eventually slow down your calorie burn. Here are some of the mistakes we make that may contribute to weight loss plateaus.

Problem 1. Reducing your calories too much

Fact: It takes calories to burn calories. When you decrease your food intake, your body simply lowers its metabolic rate in response. This still allows the body to function properly but, because there aren’t any extra calories around to fuel all the other things you’re doing, your body may move into starvation mode, holding onto extra fat as fuel.

Solution:
Keep your calories slightly below your maintenance calories so that your energy and metabolism remain high. A deficit greater than 500-700 calories makes it much more difficult to maintain your lean body mass. One basic formula to calculate your daily calorie needs:

Men
kg (body weight) x 24 = kcal/day
Women kg (body weight) x 23 = kcal/day

note: kg = pounds divided by 2.2 (i.e.: 180 lbs / 2.2 = 81.8 kg)

You can also use Nutrition Expert Shereen’s excellent calorie calculators to get a rough estimate of how many calories you need each day. More about calories and weight loss. More Ways to Break the Plateau!

More Ways to Break the Plateau!

Problem 2. Loss of lean body mass
Fact: Muscle burns fat and losing muscle means burning fewer calories. Lean body mass uses five times the calories as fat mass so, if you lose it, your metabolism drops and your weight loss stops.
Solution:
Make sure your exercise program is combined with a fully nourished body. You can accomplish this with a diet that creates a safe calorie deficit along with some type of multivitamin to help with any nutrient deficiencies.

Problem 3. Weight loss
What? But you thought that’s what you wanted! However, what you may have forgotten is that when you weigh less, it takes fewer calories to move your body. A loss of any amount of weight will lead to a reduced energy requirement.

Solution:
Make sure you start (or continue) a weight training program to help increase lean body mass, which can help compensate for the loss of calories.

Problem 4. The ‘Adaptation’ Phase Ends
When you start a new exercise program, your body responds because it is required to make numerous changes to adjust to different workloads. So, your muscles are rebuilding themselves and this consumes all kinds of calories. But, at some point your body will stop adapting to the new workload and, as a result, you burn fewer calories for the same activities.

Solution:
Don’t let your body get used to the exercise. Maintain your body’s adaptation period by changing the intensity, duration, frequency, and/or the mode of exercise and include interval training if necessary.

Problem 5: Exercise Efficiency
The more you do something, the better you get at it. As your body becomes better at performing your exercises, it can actually use fewer calories during the exercise. Think of it this way: trained athletes often use fewer calories than untrained athletes with similar body types and workouts.

So, if this describes where you are, consider yourself a trained athlete and read on!

Solution:
The solution to this is the same as for Problem 4; don’t get used to the exercise. Concentrate on more dramatic changes such as trying brand new activities. For example, if you use the treadmill for two weeks, switch to something different like the rowing machine or the bike. Don’t forget to make changes in your weight training routine as well!

Problem 6: Over-training
Just like not eating enough can lower the number of calories you burn, so can over-training. When you exercise too much, there is a point of diminishing returns when an increase in exercise energy expenditure is negated by an equal decrease in non-exercise energy expenditure. In other words, when you increase your exercise intensity, your body responds by decreasing the number of calories you burn during the rest of your day.

Solution:
Take time to recover. If you reach exercise burnout, this is a great time to take a break for a few days or try something gentle like yoga or a stretching routine.

After you’ve rested, get back to exercise but lighten up your original routine and increase your intensity only as necessary.

7. Enhanced Physical Condition
As you get into better shape, your body is more efficient and it costs fewer calories to operate. Improved health means a lower resting metabolic rate and fewer calories are burned during normal daily activities. Part of this is because your cardio-pulmonary system is more efficient now and you have a lower resting heart rate.

Solution:
Congratulations! You’re officially in shape and healthy. Focus on that and feel good about yourself. Concentrate on changing your routine as described in Solution 5.

There’s one more important tip. Most of us think that there is nothing wrong with the food they’re eating and to lose weight they simply eat less of the same thing. Actually, the food you’re eating is causing the body fat. Until you change the food you eat you are just fighting your body. You might drop a few pounds but the weight will return usually quicker than the time you spent losing the weight and often after losing 10 pounds you’ll still have the fat. 

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

 

Walking To Lose Weight

Before you read this post there’s something that those of you new at exercise might not realize. Your body will get used to anything and everything if you do it long enough. In other words, Anything I do to lose weight will only temporarily.  Mostly I’m talking about exercise; I wrote about weight plateaus in my last post, plateaus can be caused by you. For instance, you walk 2 miles a day to lose weight and It’s working just fine for about 2 months and then you stop losing weight. What’s going on you might ask? Your body got used to your routine and now it knows what to expect, so it makes the adjustments to the calorie burn and you stop losing weight or hit a plateau.

You have to out-smart your body to lose body fat continually. I do different workouts on alternate days. In other words, If I use my stationary bike on Tuesday and Friday, I might swim on Monday and Thursday, and jog on Wednesday and Sunday. The trick is not to let your body get comfortable with the exercise. Do something your body doesn’t expect, so the body is constantly having to go into your stored fat reserve to create the energy you need.

Okay, I do a pretty heavy workout and it’s not for a beginner, but you can get some ideas from the internet to vary your workout without doing anything extreme. Remember you want moderate exercise to lose weight, yoga is great for anyone at any age. You have to lose body fat before you build muscle if that’s your goal, but regardless you have to lose body fat to be healthy.

Plan Out Your Walk

Walking is one of the most efficient and easiest ways to lose weight because you don’t need a gym membership or any equipment. All you need is yourself and some motivation. If you’re considering adding walking to your daily life to lose weight, you have to make sure that you do it right.

The first step to walking off your weight is to make sure that you set a schedule so you can adapt to this new healthy lifestyle. Experts recommend getting 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week — that means you have to walk 30 minutes a day to achieve that goal.

Planning out your 30 minutes will ensure success. Ask yourself questions about when and where you’ll walk to get started. For example, if you’re busy at work all day you may want to consider taking three 10-minute walks around or outside of your building, but if you have more free time, taking a 30-minute walk after dinner may be more ideal.

Walk the Right Way

While walking is a natural instinct, making sure you’re walking the right way is key to bust your belly fat, tone your legs, and improve your overall health. When you walk you should have good posture, slightly bent and swinging arms, and an engaged core. These three things will help ensure you are getting the most out of your walks and burning more calories. Additionally, remember to stretch at the end of your walks to avoid any stiff muscles or potential injury.

Walk Long Enough to Burn Calories

Walking is only effective at burning calories if you do it long enough and fast enough: taking a stroll in the park does not burn as many calories as taking a brisk, paced walk. Walking 30 minutes a day at a moderate pace will help you burn an average of 150 calories, but the longer and faster you walk, means the more calories you will burn.

While walking is a great form of exercise and helpful for weight loss, a key thing to remember about losing weight is you have to eat fewer calories in order to lose or maintain weight. That is why having a healthy diet in conjunction with daily exercise is the best way to ensure you lose the weight you want.

Other Health Benefits of Walking

Walking isn’t just for burning fat, it helps a lot of other things in your body too. A daily walk gets your blood pumping and can, therefore, lower your risk of heart disease and blood clots. Walking may also reduce your risk for a stroke, improve your mood, help your sleep quality, reduce stress, and sharpen your mind. So what are you waiting for? Start walking today!

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.