Dieting and Eating:The Battle Rages Part-1

There is a common belief amongst us dieters that states, “The less you eat, the more you lose.” For the most part, I agree with this statement. However, the problem arises with how you define “eat less.” Does this mean you eat less food throughout the day, or does it mean you eat less food by having only one meal during the day?

When I started my diet over 10 months ago, I subscribed to this belief and I became a strict one-mealist. What I did was hoard my allotted calories and used them all at once. The reason behind this strange behavior, was it gave me something to look forward to later on in the day. If I had that “carrot” dangling out there, it helped me fight any depression I might feel by being on this diet in the first place.

I must say that this worked, for the most part. I would exercise in the morning and reward myself with an icy glass of water...Yum. I drank like a fish, water that is, and would eagerly await the time when I could actually put solid food in my mouth. Yes, I did snack on carrots and celery throughout the day, but I don’t count that as real food. As time went on and I lost more and more weight, I noticed that the amount of weight that I lost each week declined. I went from losing 4-5 pounds a week, which is typical at the beginning of a diet, to only 1-2 pounds per week. However, soon even this weight-loss stopped. What was happening?

Tomorrow: Part Two.

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Dieting and Eating:The Battle Rages, Part Two

Fitness Tips: Exercise Combo

Now that you have chosen your preferred type of exercise, ask yourself whether it is a strength training or cardio workout. Whichever one you have chosen, you will need to add the other to your workout routine as well.

Why, because they complement each other and by combining the two, you will not only lose weight faster, but you will be able to add that lean muscle mass we all want. Now, you don’t have to do both types each and every day. I would suggest that you do, for example, cardio Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and then do strength training on Tuesday and Thursday. Then the next week, flip the order around. This way you will hopefully not get into a rut and become bored.

Fitness Tips: The Exercise of Choice

Have you decided to exercise, but you don’t know what type of exercise to do? As you know, there are hundreds of different types of programs and machines out there all calling your name; hoping that you will pick them. I have a suggestion, which will help you in this all-important decision. Ask yourself one question: What do you enjoy doing?

Yes, it’s that simple. If you enjoy walking or running (cardio), that will be your exercise of choice. If you enjoy lifting weights (strength training), then do that. Why, because if you do something that you enjoy, then you are apt to stick with it longer. If you spend each day dreading working out, I can guarantee that your exercise program will run aground before six weeks are up.

Climbing out of the Plateau

Well, it’s happened again. I have hit, yet again, another weight loss plateau. At first, I thought it was just a result of the new strength exercises I was doing, but after 4 weeks at the same weight, I have to say that it looks suspiciously like a plateau.

I am so tired of these things. The first one I hit came after I lost 40 pounds. This current one has come after losing only 8 pounds. I was hoping that I wouldn’t hit another one for at least 20 pounds or so. You see, I need to lose another 35-40 pounds. At the rate I’m going now, it will probably take more than a year.

I realize that at the start of my diet, my body was not used to the exercise and it was shocked into losing the weight. However, as my body adjusted to the routine, it knew just how much energy to expend in order to complete the exercises. Yes, I know I talked about this in my first article on the dreaded Weight Loss Plateau, but it does bear repeating.

As I mentioned, at first I thought the stagnation was due to the extra muscle mass I gained. You see, after the last plateau, I mixed it up a bit and added new exercises for muscles I had not previously targeted. My thought was to once again, trick my body and it worked, but this time for only about a month.

As of this writing, I have followed my own advice and have just completed my week off from working out. Yesterday, I started a new workout routine and I have to say that today I am sore! I’ll let you know if this has broken the plateau.

This is part of a Blog Hop with Angie's Healthy Living.

Singing the Diet Blues

Getting the blues because of your diet? The scale just staring back at you and not moving down? Well, you’re not alone because I am in that situation right now. It’s been 9 months and I crave real food. A Double Western Bacon cheeseburger would go down real good right about now. I seem to be dreaming of those things more and more.

Why don’t I just break down and but one? The answer is simple; I don’t want to waste an entire days’ calories on one meal. I just don’t know what to do anymore. There are times when I just feel like chucking this whole thing and get back to enjoying life. I mean, I break my neck on these exercises and starve myself (I think) and for what? So I can look a little better in a swimsuit?

Well, I know that I shouldn’t feel this way, but I do. When I take a step back from my situation, I can see that I have actually made a vast improvement on how I looked nine months ago. Even though the scale is staying the same, I know I am doing the right thing. I have more energy to work around the house (not my first choice of recreation) and I can actually fit into clothes that I haven’t been able to wear in years. My wife thinks I look better as well.

Instead of concentrating on where you are, try looking back at how far you’ve come. Look at yourself when you first started and compare that with how you look today. Make that motivate you to keep going. If dieting were easy, everyone would do it. It takes motivation and inner strength. Not many people have that. You do!

Diets and Rewards

Being on a diet can be like looking down a long tunnel and seeing only darkness. What we need to do is provide a little light in this tunnel, so we can actually see where we are going. How do you do this? Simple, reward yourself.

Yes, you heard me correctly. We need to reward ourselves for all of our hard work and dedication. We go day in and day out following the same routine; eating the same foods and drinking the same diet drinks. Well, who wouldn’t be depressed? We all need to look forward to something, however small, to help keep us motivated. What I do is maybe once a week, I go out and have a hamburger or a favorite dessert.

However, even this reward needs to be in moderation. You do not want to undue all your hard work in one swoop. So, have your reward, but in moderation. We can all install a few lights in this dietary tunnel, but let’s not make it so bright as we need sunglasses.

Tips for Starting your Weight Loss Program

this post has been moved to... Beginning you fitness routine

The Six Week Exercise Program

We have all been there at one time or another. We get a bee in our bonnet to try and lose weight. We become fitness nuts and go out and buy equipment and become totally involved in this, our latest fad. The first few weeks are fine, we motivate ourselves to try and exercise each and every day. We are proud at the initial weight lose and the feeling of euphoria we feel at the end of the exercise session. A few more weeks and we TRY to get in at least 3 sessions a week. Finally, at the end of 6 weeks, we have become disillusioned with the slower rate of weight loss, and the next thing you know, we have a great exercise machine and no motivation to use it.
Does this sound familiar? It sure does with me. I have been down this road several times in the past and it is a depressing road indeed. Aside from the wasted money and time, it also soured me on trying an exercise regime in the future. In order to overcome this dilemma, I needed to have something to motivate me to not only begin again, but to make sure that I stuck with it for longer then six weeks. I needed to make sure that this was not another fad, but an actual lifestyle change.This was a stickler for me, as I'm sure it is for most people.

My motivation was my enormous weight and size and the fact that I was on the verge of having Type 2 Diabetes. I was 278 pounds and had a 57 inch waist. I now weigh 237 pounds and have a 43 inch waist. Yes, it is a big improvement, but I'm not finished yet. Hopefully, you can find something to motivate you besides a potential health problem.Here are some of the things that I have tried:

• Set aside a specific time of day to workout. Give yourself about a 2 hour window for this.


• Reward your self when you are done. A cup of coffee, a cold glass of diet soda, etc.


• Concentrate on one exercise at a time. Don't look forward to the number of sets and reps you need to complete before you are done. This can be depressing. Complete each set and then move on to the next.


• Vary your workout routine. Don't do the same exercises in the same order.


• If you're having a tough workout, just remember that you are actually DOING something.


• If you have to short yourself on some reps because you are just too sore, don't get discouraged; your muscles undoubtedly need rest. This is good.


• Instead of doing your entire routine, just do some stretching exercises. The important thing is that you do some sort of physical activity during your "workout Time."


• Look forward to your reward and go to your "Happy Place."


• Just remember: if it was easy, everyone would do it.

Remember why you are doing this: To look better, feel better, have more energy (yes, it sounds crazy, but you actually do have more energy after a workout), and live longer.
Are you doing this for yourself only, or for your partner (or potential partner)? Think of them and how proud they are of you. They WILL NOTICE the changes in your body and in your attitude.
After 5 or 6 weeks, give yourself a break for a week. Your muscles will thank you and you will help avoid the dreaded Weight Loss Plateau.
I hope this has given you some ideas to try. It is not easy, but I know that you can make exercise a part of your lifestyle and not just a 6 week fad.

http://www.sideroad.com/Fitness/avoid-exercise-burnout.html
Weight Loss Program Reviews
http://exercise.about.com/od/plateausmotivation/f/notmotivated.htm

Coming Soon: Tips on purchasing Quality exercise equipment.

Why You Need to Add Strength Training to Your Workout

Don't you just love counting calories? I know, I hate it too, but it is an important part of any lifestyle devoted to staying fit. Dieting is only part of the equation when trying to lose weight. You must also adhere to some sort of exercise program, which includes both weight training and cardio workouts. Why must I do both? Well, you CAN get away with doing only one or the other, but if you REALLY want to lose weight, and lose it quickly, you need to include both in your weight loss regimen.

Remember when you were in the fifth grade and you started doing word problems in math? Do you recall the problem: which weighed more, a pound of feathers or a pound of iron? The answer is that they both weigh the same. Yes, it's a trick question , but one that I bring up for a reason. There is another trick question on the fitness horizon which deals with muscle and fat. Which weighs more, a pound of muscle or a pound of fat? Well, the answer is the same as in the feather and iron question, they both weigh the same. This question should address density, not weight.
A pound of muscle is much more dense then a pound of fat. This means that it takes up less space, is much more concentrated in the space it occupies, and it looks better. For example, if you take 5 pounds of fat and 5 pounds of muscle and place them side by side, you will notice that the fat, as compared to the muscle, takes up a great deal of space. Imagine this on your body. That extra 5 pounds of fat could easily add 1-2 inches, if not more, to your waistline.

Now, I brought all this up to help explain a point. It takes your body more energy to maintain your muscle mass, than it does fat mass. Why is this important? When your body expends energy, we call that CALORIES. This means that the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you will burn.

As you begin your weight training routine, you will begin to lose fat but you will also begin to build muscle. As you weigh yourself, you will start to notice that some days you have actually gained weight. Don't be alarmed, this is only natural. Yes, you will be losing fat, but you will also be gaining muscle mass. This extra muscle mass will not only look good on you, but it will also help to burn even more calories to help you get rid of the fat. My advice, start with the two largest muscle masses: the legs (quadriceps) and the upper back (trapezius).

The magic number is 3500. That is the number of calories that you need to burn in order to lose 1 pound. This is done by using a combination of REDUCING your caloric intake and INCREASING the amount of calories you expend each day. Since the body uses more calories to maintain your muscle mass, you will continue to expend calories hours after your workout has finished. After all, isn't that the goal anyway?

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