Weight Loss Stalled: Don’t Give Up!

Just about everyone’s New Year’s resolution list includes ‘lose weight’. Whether you have a little or a lot to shed, it’s important to stay motivated. Some people give up a few months into the year, but for those die hard fans of a better body, you keep at it day after day waiting for the first glimpse of change.

When it happens, not only do you notice, but so do family, friends, and co-workers. This reinforcement, along with the dropping numbers on the scale, spur you on to victory. Then, one day, the numbers stop falling. You are still thirty pounds from your goal and the scale refuses to budge. What should you do?

One thing you shouldn’t do is give up. Look at it this way: You aren’t losing weight, but you aren’t gaining weight either. Plateaus are experienced several times over the course of a weight loss program. In the beginning, weight loss is steady because it’s new to the body. Your increased metabolism and decreased caloric intake work to shed those pounds. Water loss accounts for at least the first ten pounds of weight loss. As your body works to adjust to your physical activity, more calories are burned which translated into more weight lost. Plateaus come when the body has become accustomed to the routine.

Don’t stress. Giving up will put you right back at square one.

First of all, throw out the scale (if it was expensive, just pack it away in the back of the garage). If weight training has been a component of your weight loss program, then as the muscle mass increases so will your weight. You may still be losing fat, but the weight of the increased muscle balances everything out.

To jump off of your current plateau, examine your diet and exercise program. If your fitness routine hasn’t changed since the beginning, consider making a few changes. Try a new activity. If you’re used to aerobics five times a week, switch to the treadmill or an elliptical trainer. Muscles need to be challenged on a regular basis in order to grow.

If the exercises are still a challenge, then consider what you are eating. If you’ve been having a free day more than once a week you could be taking in too many calories. Go back to what you were doing at the start of the program. Keep journals for a couple of weeks to track what works for you and gets the scale moving again.

Remember, change one thing at a time. When you change something, give the change a full thirty days, and then check the results. Weight loss isn’t easy, but it is rewarding to reach your goal. Keep at it!

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Benefits of Bike Riding for your Body

I loved riding my bike as a kid. We would ride all around town and back and forth to school. Bike riding kept us lean and healthy. As an adult, bike riding offers many benefits for the body, as well. Purchase a bike today and feel like a kid again.

Bicycling is a good cardiovascular exercise. Bike riding increases the health of your heart. Every body needs between thirty minutes of aerobic exercise at least three days a week. Purchasing a bike with several speeds will allow you to increase you fitness level as your cardiovascular function improves. Begin by riding at an easy speed over even ground. If a challenge is what you desire, change your terrain.

Bicycling is kind to the joints. Women often experience joint pain especially in the knees as they get older. Osteoporosis causes joint problems to worsen because of the lack of proper calcium levels in the bones. Bike riding offers exercise without pain. The aerobic benefit is comparable to jogging or running without the strain. Make sure that the seat height on your bike is adjusted to allow your legs full range of motion with each revolution. Full range of motion also promotes better circulation to the lower extremities that do the majority of the work in moving the bicycle.

Bicycling whips those leg muscles into shape. For muscular endurance, stick to a flat terrain, but adjust the speed of the bike as your strength improves. To avoid cramping, stretch thoroughly before and after each bike ride.

If you are looking to increase muscle definition, vary your terrain. Off-road biking on dirt trails helps to flex leg muscles as you keep the bicycle under control even on uneven ground. Steep hills are great for working the quadriceps and hamstrings.

How’s your bicycle seat? I don’t mean the one on the bike. The gluteus muscles also reap rewards from bike riding. For maximum power, raise your body about an inch off of the seat as you pedal. Squeeze your butt to control the pedaling motion. After a mile or so, those glutes should be on fire!

Bicycling increases your balance. Learning to ride a bike is all about staying upright. To do that, you have to find a balance between your body and the bike. Maintaining that balance strengthens the core muscles of the abdominal region. Tightening the core muscles keeps you from falling off of the bike. The lower abdominals pull your legs back towards you body from the bottom of the cycling revolution. The lower back is also kept pain free by a strong balanced core.

Riding a bike is not just for kids. The physical benefits increase as you get older. Besides, bike riding is just plain fun. So, get moving!

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Create an Exercise Plan You’ll Stick To

We all know the best way to lose weight and live healthy is to have a good diet and exercise regularly. Here are some helpful tips to help you develop an exercise plan you can stick with.

Don’t be drastic
Making an exercise plan is great, but let’s be realistic. If you’re not a runner and try to run 5 miles a day, every day, you’ll find it hard to stick to the routine. You should start small and make gradual increases to your exercise plan. Start by working out 30 minutes a day, three days a week. Once you’ve stuck to that for a few weeks, then start working out for longer periods, harder workouts, or more days. Sure, your progress may be slower to start with, but you’re more likely to actually continue progressing.

Have some fun
Treadmills and stair machines are great ways to burn calories fast. They’re also great ways to get bored and stop going to the gym fast. If you’re bored and in pain, you’re much more likely to make excuses to skip your workout. Try new things until you find something you like. If you’re having fun while you work out, you’re much more likely to keep doing it.

Give yourself a reward
Is there a great new outfit you want, or an electronic device you just can’t live without? Develop a reward system for yourself, e.g. ‘if I stick to my workouts for two months, I can buy that outfit’. If this doesn’t work, try smaller rewards for smaller achievements like ‘if I work out three times this week, I get to see a movie’. If you find you’re rewarding yourself without achieving your goals, get someone you can depend on to hold you accountable.

Bring along a friend
People who work out with a buddy are a lot more likely to stick with an exercise plan. If you have a work out date set up, you’ll feel bad if you cancel it, so you’re more likely to go. You also have the benefit of a voice of encouragement pushing you along. Lastly, having someone there to talk to will make the time fly by faster and you’ll get bored less quickly.

Mix it up
We already know that getting bored can keep you from going to work out. Even if you really like a certain physical activity, you’ll probably still get bored with it eventually. Instead of doing the same exercise every time, find several activities you like and alternate them.

Get a personal trainer
Personal trainers are people you pay to not only develop the best exercise plan for your body and goals, they also help you stay on track by giving you tips, motivation, and are there to hold you accountable. Yes, personal trainers can be expensive, but if you’re serious about losing weight and sticking with it, it may be worth it to trim fat in other areas of your budget. Plus, that money you spent will be more of a motivator to keep going.

Being healthy isn’t easy; and it will take a little time, but if you find a workout plan that works for you, you’re well on your way to a healthy, fit new you.

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Fitness Tip: The Right Carbs for Weight Loss

Eat complex carbohydrates instead of simple sugars for a leaner body. Your body is in constant need of carbohydrates to be converted into glucose and used as fuel. When your body has extra glucose it will be stored as fat for later use. Complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, legumes, and vegetables, take longer to break down into glucose, and will therefore be less likely to be stored as fat than simple carbohydrates such as table sugar, or fruit sugar.

Kristy Lee Wilson

Exercising After Baby

During pregnancy, it’s good to gain a certain amount of weight. This is used to support your growing child and to provide the extra calories when you start breastfeeding. New mothers naturally lose weight after the birth; however, if you don’t lose the weight because of gaining too much weight, or other reasons, it can be hard to take off the rest.

Here are some tips to help you get on track with your exercise plan:

Involve your baby
Don’t wait till your child is asleep to try to get a decent workout. Get a baby sling so you can go for a walk with your baby.

Don’t start too soon
Whether you’ve had a vaginal delivery or a C-section, your body has gone through quite a bit. If you start a workout routine too soon, it can be damaging to your health. It’s usually recommended to wait 6 weeks before you start trying to workout; however, if you had a vaginal delivery, you can use those first 6 weeks to strengthen your vaginal muscles and start stretching exercises. Just be sure to check with your doctor before you start any exercise program.

Don’t work too hard
It’s pretty likely that you haven’t been able to do a normal workout for at least a few months, maybe more. Just like starting any exercise program, you should not start full force straight away. Trying to do too much is likely to do more harm than good. Before you start working out, ask your doctor for recommended exercises and how often you should do them. Remember, if you hurt yourself, you’re not going to be able to take as good care of your baby.

Fit exercise into your schedule
While having a regular routine is helpful, it’s almost impossible to get a baby to conform to your schedule. This means you have to change your schedule to fit your baby’s. You’ll probably have to squeeze in workouts where you can. Choose exercises that you can do in different places at different times. Get an exercise tape or something else you can do at home. You should also remember that two 15 minute workouts or three 10 minute workouts can be just as helpful as a half hour workout. If you can set a rigid workout schedule, that’s great. If you can’t, set a looser schedule (I will workout for thirty minutes before I go to bed) and be sure to stick with it.

Getting back in shape after a baby can be difficult, but with time, patience, and planning, you too can get back to your healthy self.

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Adding Exercise to Your Arthritis Treatment

Arthritis is an ailment that affects millions of people. While some people may experience mild discomfort, others are in horrible and debilitating pain every single day. No matter how mild or severe your pain is, you can probably benefit from some exercise. Not only will exercise improve your overall health, it may also help combat some of your symptoms, leaving you pain free and help you with your symptoms.

We all know the importance of exercise, but arthritis patients will probably benefit more from strength training exercises targeting their affected joints. The best way to get this kind of workout is through a physical therapist or personal trainer. They can provide you with exercises designed specifically to improve endurance, and muscle strength. If you perform these exercises as prescribed, you will probably find yourself feeling better, or at least not deteriorating as quickly. You may be able to do more, or your condition may simply worsen more slowly. You can’t reverse the damage arthritis has caused, but you may be able to improve your quality of life.

Another type of exercise your therapist, or trainer, will probably recommend is flexibility training. Many arthritis patients lose flexibility and range of motion in their affected joints because pain is causing them to use the joint less. Flexibility exercises can help keep the joints limber, enabling a better range of motion and increasing how much you can do with that joint.

A good cardio workout is just as important for people with arthritis as it is for everyone else. However, unlike everyone else, people with arthritis don’t skip aerobic exercise because they’re busy or tired, it’s because they’re in pain. If performing activities everyday is painful, then you probably don’t want to consider doing anything more than that; however, there are exercises you can do to work your heart without severe pain or a worsening of your condition. You should work with your doctor to find exercises that don’t stress, or even involve, the affected joints. For instance, patients with severe knee arthritis can get aerobic exercise with table top bike-like devices which you pedal with your hands. While this doesn’t help your affected joints directly, it improves your overall health, endurance, stamina, and circulation, which can improve your ability to handle your arthritis. Exercise can also temporarily relieve pain through chemicals in the blood.

While exercising isn’t going to cure your arthritis, it may help substantially improve your condition. To work properly, exercise should be combined with proper diet, getting enough rest, medication, and other treatments your doctor may recommend. A combination of these therapies goes a long way for relieving arthritis pain.

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Fitness Tip: Watch those liquid calories that add up

One great alternative to soda is a fresh brewed glass of decaf Green tea. Brew green tea with cloves and cinnamon stick and sweeten it lightly with Splenda and a fresh wedge of lemon or lime juice. It’s a great health drink with NO Calories and high in antioxidants. So drink to your health and Lose Weight. Remember that liquid calories can really add up in your daily intake. So drink wisely.

Get Fit and Stay Fit!

Kristy Lee Wilson

Fit or Fiction: Baby Boomer’s Fitness

Whether you’re old or young, in shape or never picked up a weight in your life, you’ve probably heard a lot of fitness myths. There are all kinds of ideas about weight loss and exercise out there, ranging from credible to downright crazy. Here are just a few of the common myths baby boomers hear about their fitness and the real truth behind them.

Myth #1: You can’t be in great shape.

When you think of healthy, sculpted bodies, your mind generally cuts to people in their mid 20’s. While many people want to be more fit and healthy, they have convinced themselves that they are simply too old to be in great shape. This simply isn’t true. Sure, you lose some of your abilities as you get older. You may not be as fast or lift as much, but that doesn’t have to stop you. Plus, the earlier you get started on your fitness program, the less functioning you’ll lose as you age.

Myth #2: You have to work out very hard to lose weight.

Sure, working out really hard is going to burn more calories than if you have a light workout, but you can still achieve safe results while cutting back a little. If you go into workouts full force, you’re not only putting unnecessary stress on your heart, joints, and the rest of your body, you’re also risking injury and other serious health problems. Don’t try to push yourself beyond what your body can do. A little bit of effort does goes a long way.

Myth #3: Doing cardio several times a week is enough exercise.

While cardio and other endurance exercises are an important part of getting and staying in shape, they’re just one piece of the puzzle if you want to stay healthy. A well-balanced workout should also include strength training to keep muscle mass, definition, and bone density, stretching exercises to maintain and improve flexibility, and balance exercises to help prevent future injury. If you are uncertain about your workout, seek the advice of a personal trainer who can help you get started on the right path.

Myth #4: Cutting out carbohydrates and fats will make you lose weight.

Sure, there have been fad diets around for many, many years, but lately they seem to be much more prevalent and often much more crazy. You may be guilty of jumping on the bandwagon, probably only to ump right back off. These diets tend to cut out things completely that your body needs and craves. Instead of constantly looking for diet products, eat sensible meals with lots of fruits and vegetables for nutrients. The best way to get into shape is to do it slowly through a healthy diet and regular exercise. Ignoring the latest fads of fitness myths will usually keep you on the right track to becoming healthy.

Get Fit and Stay Fit!

Kristy Lee Wilson

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Get Motivated to Get in Shape and Lose Weight

The problem with losing weight is typically motivation. People are happy just sitting back on the couch and watching TV. How many times have you seen people stop their vehicle in front of the mailbox to get the mail through the window. Why not drive in and park then walk back to the mailbox instead. It all adds up. No, walking down your driveway will not get you in shape unless you live five miles from the main road. But you have to get motivated to shape up and it can start with the little things.

So how do you get motivated? Well, put a photo up of your goal on the bathroom mirror. Remind yourself every day why you need to workout, get in shape and eat properly. There is no reason for you to be overweight unless you just choose to be.

You can learn how to lose weight by listening to motivational CDs or even watching DVDs. One way to stay motivated is to go to a gym. They have exercise classes that will help you get fit. You will begin meeting people who have the same goals that can help you stay motivated. They will make you accountable for participating. Ideally the motivation to exercise should come from within. You should want to be in shape and not be overweight. You just have to want to do it.

The motivation to slim up should be simply to live a healthy life. No, it is not particularly easy or fun, especially if you are not accustomed to doing it. But are you going to be accustomed to having a heart attack? A Stroke? Diabetes? The health benefits of getting fit and losing weight far outweigh the inconvenience.

75% of Americans disagree though. They have no problem with being overweight. The medical community now believes that modern medicine has made it possible to stay alive longer and be obese. It makes people relax about losing the weight.

Why would someone want to be overweight and unfit? You can hear the overweight and out of shape coming a mile away. The huffing and puffing as they make their way down the hallway at work or climbing a set of stairs. They cannot move comfortably toting all that weight around. That alone should be motivation enough to get in shape and lose weight.

Get motivated and reduce your fat. Your life will be much better.

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Little Known Facts About Changes In Our Diets

To say that Americans are obsessed with dieting is an understatement! Pick up any magazine, tune-in or turn-on any source of advertising and you’re bombarded with the latest diet schemes and food fads. More often than not, they are endorsed by some familiar Hollywood celebrity, or promoted using some other cleaver technique.

It’s no mystery that the weight-loss industry has built a thriving empire. In America, for example, we spend about 35 billion dollars every year on an assortment of weight loss products and plans. In addition, we spend another 79 billion dollars for medication, hospitalization, and doctors to treat obesity-related problems. Even with this, the obesity epidemic continues to spread. Sadly, we have become the heaviest generation in our Nation’s history.

The National Center for Health Statistics reports that we have some very good reasons to be concerned about our weight-gain. Americans, for example are packing-on the pounds faster than ever before and weight-related medical problems are taking center stage. Diseases like heart disease, diabetes and yes…even certain forms of cancer have all been linked to obesity.

Here are a few of the surprising statistics about our weight:

- A whopping 64 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese. That’s up approximately 8 percent from overweight estimates obtained in a 1988 report.

- The percent of children who are overweight is also continuing to increase. Among children and teens ages 6-19, 15 percent or almost 9 million are overweight. That’s triple what the rate was in 1980!

- Nearly one-third of all adults are now classified as obese. At present, 31 percent of adults 20 years of age and over or nearly 59 million people have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater, compared with 23 percent in 1994.

(The BMI is a number that shows body weight adjusted for height. For adults, a BMI of 18.5 – 24.9 is considered normal. A BMI of 25.0 – 29.9 is overweight and 30.0 or above, is considered obese.)

Modern life both at home and at work has come to revolve around moving from one “seated” position to another: whether it’s television, computers, remote controls, or automobiles, we seem to be broadening the scope of our inactive endeavors.

At times, life seems to have gotten almost too easy! For entertainment, we can now just sit-down, dial-up our favorite TV program or DVD movie and enjoy hours of uninterrupted entertainment…

And all of those simple calorie burning activities that were once a normal part of our daily routine not so long ago? Long gone! You know the ones I’m talking about…activities like climbing stairs instead of using escalators and elevators. Or, pushing a lawn mower instead of riding around on a garden tractor. And what about that daily walk to school? Now, our kids complain when the school bus happens to be a few minutes late getting to the bus stop!

Along with the convenience of our affluent lifestyle and reduction in energy expenditure, have come changes in our diet. We are now consuming more calorie rich and nutrient deficient foods than ever before.

Here are a few examples of what we were eating in the 1970′s compared to our diet today (information is taken from a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture survey):

- We are currently eating more grain products, but almost all of them are refined grains (white bread, etc.). Grain consumption has jumped 45 percent since the 1970s, from 138 pounds of grains per person per year to 200 pounds! Only 2 percent of the wheat flour is consumed as whole wheat.

- Our consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased, but only because the U.S.D.A. includes French fries and potato chips as a vegetable. Potato products account for almost a third of our “produce” choices.

- We’re drinking less milk, but we’ve more than doubled our cheese intake. Cheese now outranks meat as the number one source of saturated fat in our diets.

- We’ve cut back on red meat, but have more than made up for the loss by increasing our intake of chicken (battered and fried), so that overall, we’re eating 13 pounds more meat today than we did back in the 1970s.

- We’re drinking three times more carbonated soft drinks than milk, compared to the 1970′s, when milk consumption was twice that of pop.

- We use 25 percent less butter, but pour twice as much vegetable oil on our food and salads, so our total added fat intake has increased 32 percent.

- Sugar consumption has been another cause of our expanding waistlines. Sugar intake is simply off the charts. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, people are consuming roughly twice the amount of sugar they need each day, about 20 teaspoons on a 2000 calorie/day diet. The added sugar is found mostly in junk foods, such as pop, cake, and cookies.

- In 1978, the government found that sugars constituted only 11 percent of the average person’s calories. Now, this number has ballooned to 16 percent for the average American adult and as much as 20 percent for American teenagers.

The days of the wholesome family dinners so near and dear to our hearts, where we all sat around the kitchen table to discuss events of the day, are now a part of our sentimental past. They have been replaced by our cravings for take-out and fast-food. We have gradually come to accept that it’s “OK” to sacrifice healthy foods for the sake of convenience and that larger serving portions mean better value.

And, since I have been throwing-out statistics, here’s one more: Americans are consuming about 300 more calories each day than we did twenty years ago. We should actually be eating less because of our decreased activity level, but instead are doing the opposite!

Decide TODAY that healthy eating and exercise habits will become a permanent part of your life!

Begin to explore your values and thoughts and other areas of your life where change may be required, and then take action. Begin slowly, but deliberately to make improvements in the areas you identify. And remember, it has taken a very long time to develop your habits, and it will take some time to undo them…so be patient!

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