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Following a rapid weight loss diet is a short term fix for something that needs a long term remedy. It’s like using a band aid when you need stitches. For the most part, many will say that rapid weight loss diet does not look like a “diet” at all.

These diet plans often include some drastic cut down on carbs and calories. This is not a good idea because that will make the body react in an equally drastic manner.

A lot of the times, these diet plans are not designed by proper nutritionists and just basing the design on their personal experience. What worked for them does not necessarily will work for you.

Let’s look at the pros and cons of such crash diets.

Rapid Weight Loss Diet Pros

Produces Results

Rapid weight loss diet does produce weight loss in a very short amount of time. Slashing down on carbohydrates and calories will definitely drop your weight because your body is no longer getting the same amount that it used to have to maintain the weight. Simply put, slashing carbs and calories will make you weigh less.

Short Term Goal

Rapid weight loss diets are great for people who just want to lose weight for a single event. This is definitely the case for the most part and I would not suggest rapid weight loss diets to be used for extended amounts of time. But for short term goals, it is indeed perfect.

Rapid Weight Loss Diet Cons

Rapid Weight Loss is Downright Unhealthy

As mentioned earlier, rapid weight loss diets are suitable for short term use specifically because they are not healthy to be followed for extended amount of time. Slashing carbs and calories from your diet for extended amount of time will cause the body to go to starvation mode and conserve what it can and can even has the opposite effect in the long run. You might very well gain instead of lose weight.

No Studies To Support All Claims

There are simply no substantial studies done on what rapid weight loss diets can do to the body if used on a regular basis. Your body needs calories and carbohydrates to function properly and there are some rapid weight loss diets that includes diminished water intake which is a no-no since our bodies are made up of at least 70% water. Sure you might get thinner but you will hardly look great if you have dry skin and hardly any meat in you.

If you noticed, I hardly had anything to write about the pros because there is simply not that many advantage for rapid weight loss diets. These diets are more like gimmicks than anything else. A proper diet plan should include carbs, calories, protein, fat and fiber and cutting out one of those things can have adverse effect in your health later on.

Being healthy is a long term goal and should not be rushed because not every body reacts the same way. You have to get to know your own body and how it reacts to change before a great nutritional plan can be created. If someone really wants to lose weight, he or she needs to put in the hard work and eat properly to achieve a healthy and sustainable weight loss plan.

Five Tips to Control Portion Sizes While Losing Weight

Diet is an important part of weight loss. Nutrition if about 70% of your overall goal and if you get it properly, you are well on your way to getting that body that you have always wanted. Eating more often with smaller meals is one of the best ways to improve your metabolism and therefore your body size.

Controlling the portion to actually make it a “small” meal is the key. Without properly portioning our smaller meals, we might end up having 6 regular sized meals instead of smaller meals which will takes us to the opposite direction of our goal. Some would just slash down their regular meals and then have some kind of shake between their meals but that might not work so well for some so here are a few easy tips so that we can portion a better and more balanced meal.

Have Some Salad

Having some salad before dinner will curb that appetite and the fibers in the salad will make us fuller. Include some protein in your salad though for additional energy that way you will feel fuller at dinner and not eat a lot. Dinner is an important meal to lessen because you are about to sleep and our bodies tend to not use a lot of energy at this time and therefore if we eat a lot, our bodies will convert the remaining resources to fat.

Buy in Smaller Servings

Buy snacks in smaller servings. Do not buy a gallon of ice cream instead, buy a pint so that you will not be tempted to finish it while in front of the T.V. Smaller sized snacks will of course make you eat less and therefore easier to manage weight. But don’t buy smaller sized snacks but place them all next to you because you will just be tempted to open them and that will just be the same thing.

Eliminate The Possibility Of Seconds

This can be done easier by not serving your meals in large containers. Put your meal on a plate and finish it. Chew longer to make it easier for your body to digest the food and therefore process it better. Slower chewing also will give your body time to let you know that you are actually already full.

Mix and Match Your Meals

We are used to making salads the side dish. This time, make meat your side dish and load up on veggies and healthy grains. This will make you feel fuller faster because of the fiber in the veggies and the meat will just make things taste better. Protein is important in every meal too so make sure that you choose lean meat sources.

Master Kid Servings

If you have a kid and you cook for them, start measuring your meals the same way you measure theirs. This is an easy way to portion your meals better and can be easier on your pocket too. Having smaller meals will be easier this way and if you have a kid that enjoys eating with you, then this can also be a fun way to get into a proper diet plan.

Does Willpower Help With Your Weight Loss Journey?

Willpower is something that all of us have. Some have more of it, some have less but it is something that will certainly be useful when you are trying to achieve a goal. As they say, nothing worth achieving can be done overnight. And that applies to your weight loss journey too.

You cannot expect to lose 5 pounds in two weeks because that cannot be safely and naturally done. It can be done but it often include some medical intervention using some kind of dietary supplement that often have some side-effects that is not included in the fine print.

A weight loss journey often includes some changes in lifestyle and diet. These changes are a big deal and that is why a lot of people fail because they try to take the journey without one essential component of any endeavor and that is willpower. A weak willpower will make you eat that double chocolate cake at night when nobody is watching and make you gain back the weight that you have worked so hard to lose the past week.

A weak will power will make you finish your set at 8 repetitions when you should be doing 15. Willpower oftentimes spells the difference between success and failure. Here are a few things that willpower can do for you.

Better Workout Sessions

Having willpower will allow you to push that last couple of reps in your sets and even a couple more beyond your target. Willpower will often be the one that will get you in the gym in the first place. It allows you to push harder, run longer and improve the quality of your workout every time you come in. That will then allow you to burn more fat and feel better about yourself because you can actually feel the strength that you get from all that pumping and pulling.

This Pushes Us To Improve Your Diet

We all know that it is very hard to replace that chocolate cake with a carrot or chicken breast but an improvement in the diet is necessary if we are to improve our body composition and weight. Willpower will play a great role in pushing through this change in your diet because at the end of the day, you know that what you put in your body is healthy and will benefit you. Willpower will even get you through the change in taste. Something as simple as that can derail people from their diet plan without a strong willpower.

Gives Us The Strength To Commit

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step and willpower will play a big part on this as well. Committing to change a few things in our lives can be very challenging like passing on those weekends spent on bars and parties. You don’t have to say no to all of them but you do have to make sure that you do not go out very often because that’s when you don’t get to sleep properly and end up drinking all night.

All those brews that you downed last night will have to be burned again in the gym and if you are too tired to hit the gym in the first place, then that makes things worst. Willpower will help us say no to some of these things because we know that it will be for our own good.

Don’t Complicate Your Weight Loss Goal Simplify It

Weight loss is actually simpler than most would expect. It is all about having the right nutrition and workout plan. The hard part seems to be following the set plan. Of course, it will involve changes in your routine because not changing it will give you the same result. As someone once said, if you want to keep on getting what you are getting, keep on doing what you are doing. It is very simple and yet very true. So to ignite change in your weight and ultimately physique, there has to be some changes done. Here are some tips on keeping it simple.

Stick To One Diet Plan

A good diet plan should have a good portion of protein, carbohydrates, calories, fiber and even fat. A good nutrition plan will allow someone to keep getting the right amount of energy to workout and actually produce results. When you go on a crash diet, sooner than later, the body will run out of resources and you will lose the energy to workout. Without working out, you will get thin but you will not just be losing fat but muscle as well. Losing both fat and muscle will make you look more like a twig than an hourglass.

Don’t Take Too Many Diet Supplements

A lot of people turn to “diet” supplements that offer outrageous claims of weight lose and using such supplements will not really be healthy. Many do not have appropriate research backing them up and thus is unsafe for continued use. If you hang your hopes of weight loss on supplements, you are fighting a losing battle. Stick to a good quality vitamin and mineral supplement and have a proper diet and you should be good to go.

Keep Up The Hard Work

Working out is an important part of weight lose. Our daily activities often include us being glued to an office chair and minimal physical activities. Our bodies need to be active and sweat regularly to get rid of toxins as well as keep the muscles working. Our ancestors lived a lot longer because they lived active lives and losing weight is not a big deal for them because they more or less are in the ideal weight range to begin with. But for use, just include an hour of physical activity a day and losing weight will be a lot simpler.

Don’t Let Go

This might very well be the key to keep weight loss simple. Don’t let go too early. Oftentimes, people let go and stop the routine before their bodies have reacted to it and produce noticeable results. It’s not as simple as switching a light bulb. Remember that you had years and years in building the weight that you are trying to lose so don’t expect to get rid of it in two months.

These simple pointers will keep weight lose simple and you don’t have to get on the hype of the new age weight lose gimmicks. The formula of weight loss has been around for a long time and it is as simple as the pointers mentioned above. Just keep it up and you will get there in a healthy manner.

5 Reasons Why Weight Loss Is Hard To Achieve

Weight loss is a simple concept that a lot of people are having a hard time achieving. It seems to be quite simple, exercise + proper nutrition = weight loss right? Well, it is that simple in a nutshell but a lot of people get lost on the proper execution of it. Having the right ingredients and a cookbook does not guarantee a fine meal; does it?

Here are a few things why we have been having a hard time reaching that ideal weight that we are aiming for and below that, some weight loss tips you can use any season of the year.

Weight Loss Struggle 1 – Impatience

A lot of diet and exercise programs before had long time tables but since a lot of people prefer a quick fix, many unsustainable diet fads and exercise programs have popped up. Many people tend to lose interest way before their bodies have adapted to the program and show any results. Being impatient never has benefited anybody when it comes to fitness. The winning formula remains to be perseverance and hard work. Working out and sweating for a week will not get rid of the flab that you have put on for years. Have faith in your program and diet plan and you will see results in time.

Weight Loss Struggle 2 – Cheating

This goes to the exercise and diet too. When doing the exercise, do not cheat your way through your workout. Follow strict form and make sure that you follow your trainer on what to lift and how many repetitions you have to do. Do not say that “that’s too heavy” or “that’s too light”. You have a trainer for a reason so follow their advice. If you are one of the people who is able to afford a nutritionist, follow the programs that they have designed for you. Don’t have a hidden stack of chocolate or secretly buy ice cream or cake on your way home. You are not cheating anybody but yourself.

Weight Loss Struggle 3 – Lifestyle

Losing weight is not a quick fix. It often requires an overhaul of ones lifestyle. Losing weight requires changing a few of you routines and that includes what you buy and bring home to the house. It also involves limiting some of your normal daily activities like watching T.V. and how much time you spend online. The reason people in the old days are a lot more fit than most of us now is because they did not spend every waking hours in the house watching T.V. and chatting online.

Weight Loss Struggle 4 – Target Weight

Make sure that you set an achievable goal so that you can actually get to it. Please don’t aim to lose 5 lbs. in a week because you will just be breaking your heart. An achievable goal is like 10 lbs in 2 months. That can still be hard for some and depends entirely on your dedication to the goal but this is where your personal trainer can be of help because a reasonable goal depends on many things like eating habits, genetics, how hard your workout programs is and more so a clear communication with your trainer is key not only in setting the target weight but on how to achieve it.

Weight Loss Struggle 5 – No Support System

Losing weight is kind of like recovering from an addiction in many ways. You also will need a strong support system because it simply cannot be done alone. Your family and/or friend can provide you the emotional support that you will need and your trainer will provide the push that you will inevitably need when you get to the point that you are getting tired and thinks that you cannot go on.

Weight Loss Tips For the Summer, Winter, Fall and Spring

Losing weight can be quite an ordeal but the summer is one of the few reasons that can really push someone to lose weight. Many want to go to the beach and have a beach worthy body, some just wants to fit in to that bikini but whatever it is the reason, losing weight still has the same formula for success.

Choose a Proper Nutrition Plan

Notice I said nutrition instead of diet? Because nowadays, it seems that the definition of the word diet is closer to “starving” than an actual diet. You do not have to avoid food. You just have to take in the proper nutrients in the proper proportions. Do not completely cut out carbohydrates in your diet because that will put your body into survival mode and actually try to reserve as much as it can and therefore produce “stored” energy a.k.a fats. The old pattern of eating smaller meals more often is still a great way to go as long as you get enough nutrients in a day. You can cut back on carbs and calories but not complete taking them out of your diet.

Get More Sleep

It sounds counter-productive but sleep actually helps you lose fat. People who do not get enough sleep generally eat more to try and boost themselves. Most will turn to caffeine and sugar for that boost of energy. But regular intake of simple sugar will cause more fat. Making sure that you get 6 to 8 hours of sleep allows your body to recover from your day and when you wake up, you will feel energized naturally.

Do Cardio Exercises

You burn calories a lot faster if you include cardio in your workout routine. It depends on you what cardio you want to do but make sure that you do it properly. Also, if you are really serious on losing weight, you can do pure cardio on the days that you are not lifting weights. Make sure that you keep yourself hydrated though because the body needs water to turn fat into actual energy. Plus you don’t want to be hydrated and just collapse on the treadmill now do you?

Eat Slowly And Chew Your Food Properly

When you chew your food properly, the better it will be digested and processed by your body. This makes sure that all of the nutrients of what you are eating actually end up in the body and not the toilet. If you eat fast and don’t chew that much, big chunks of food end up in your digestive track and the harder it is for your body to digest them and most end up being wasted. Eating slow also allows your body to react properly and let you know that you are already full. Most of the time, when you eat fast, you don’t realize that you are already full fast enough so you end up eating more. The point is, give your body time to communicate with you.

Don’t Force Through Your Workout

Lifting too heavy weights when working out will not make you lose weight. As a matter of fact, you might even gain weight if you keep doing that. Muscle tissues are heavier than fat so you might have lost a lot of fat but gained muscle so for the scale, mass is mass. You might even gain instead of lose if you go all Arnold on the weights.

Stay Active

This is the simplest advice that you can get when it comes to getting that beach body. It’s simple enough that anybody gets it but effective enough to bring anybody results. It does not matter that much what you do as long as it gets you moving. Walk the dog more often, trust me even the dog will like this. Do some power-walking in the morning. Anything as long as it gets the blood pumping, do it more often.

Drink Healthy Green Smoothies and Maximize Your Weight Loss Goals

Drinking green smoothies is indeed very healthy and good for weight loss. In fact, you can drink them every day.

What’s more, you are free to choose your ingredients and you may also vary them from time to time. As there is a wide variety of veggies and fruits, you can actually explore more on the ingredients you use in your green smoothies.

Drinking green smoothies with the same ingredients day in and day out can be boring at times and you are only getting the same level of benefits.

Tips for Making the Most Out of Your Green Smoothies:

Add Several Slices of Avocado

Adding avocado to your smoothie will not only make it creamier but will also make it healthier since avocados are a good source of protein and fats.

Use Frozen Fruit

Organic frozen fruits are best for green smoothies. When you use frozen fruits in your smoothie, they will make your smoothie colder and thicker. Frozen strawberries, peaches and cherries are simply delicious. It is also a good idea to vary your fruit ingredients.

Add Nut Milk

Nut milk can also be added into the smoothie. Try to add almond milk to make your smoothie creamier. However, if you think your smoothie already tastes great, then you can just add a little water or ice.

Include Lots and Lots of Greens

It is a healthy way to include great amounts of greens in your smoothie as this will help flush out the toxins from your body. You can add red leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, carrot greens, beet greens, kale, chard or spinach. For a more nutritious recipe, you can include more greens to your recipe. When you do this you do not only get a healthy dose of vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants but also do something good to speed up your weight loss.

Aside from this, the presence of more greens will create a balance in the mixture and taste as they will reduce the sweet taste of fruits. Eating the same kinds of greens every day is not healthy as greens contain little amounts of alkaloids that if taken in large doses can cause toxicity. The key is to add different varieties of greens every other day. By doing this you will discover a whole new flavor each time you use a different variety.

Make it Deliciously Sweet

Although some fruits are naturally sweet, they are not created equal. One orange may taste sweet, while another orange may taste a bit tangy. To make your smoothie sweeter, you can add medjool dates, agave nectar, honey or more fruits. Medjool dates are quite healthy as they contain potassium and fiber. They are also good for digestion, boost your energy and reduce blood pressure.

Prepare a Different Green Smoothie Recipe Every Day

Trying a new recipe can be quite fun and exciting, and the same is true for smoothies. You can find many smoothie recipes online. Try every recipe if you can and make your own as well. Sooner or later you will find what tickles your taste buds the most.

7 Health Benefits of Including Green Smoothies in Your Diet

If you are looking for a tasty and nutritious drink, try drinking a green smoothie. Green smoothies contain ingredients that are essential for health improvement. Read on to see in what ways green smoothies can improve your health.

They Help You Lose Weight Naturally

One of the effective ways to lose weight is to drink green smoothies. They provide the minerals, vitamins, low-calorie whole food, fiber and nutrition you need for losing weight effectively, safely and quickly.

They Are Rich in Antioxidants

Green smoothies contain high levels of phytonutrients and antioxidants. These natural substances are important for your optimum fitness and health. Because of the presence of phytonutrients and antioxidants in green smoothies, your body is protected against diseases.

Green Smoothies Contain Lots of Fiber

Smoothies are more nutritious than vegetable or fruit juices due to their high fiber content. The whole vegetable and fruit used in smoothies are rich in nutrition and fiber. Fiber is good for the colon and essential for easy bowel movement. That is why smoothies are considered healthier compared to green juices.

They Improve Mental Focus and Clarity

A healthy diet can enhance your mental focus and clarity. Green smoothies are healthy alternatives to coffee, so it is a good idea to drink a delicious smoothie in the morning instead of a hot coffee. As they are caffeine-free, smoothies can provide greater energy and alertness. They can also reduce nervousness and anxiety.

They Reduce Your Appetite

Much like a wonder drink, green smoothies can help a lot in reducing your cravings for fats, salt, unhealthy sweets and junk foods. Whether you believe it or not, an amazing thing happens when you regularly drink smoothies, and that is, you will want to eat greens, veggies and fruits more instead of unhealthy foods.

They Help You Increase Consumption of Veggies and Fruits

According to the American Cancer Society, eating 5 to 9 servings of vegetables and fruits every day can prevent an individual from getting cancer or other diseases. Most people do not like the taste of vegetables so they rarely eat them. However, drinking a cold glass of green smoothie will do the trick. The most convenient and quickest way for you to consume some leafy, dark greens and vegetables without even tasting them is to eat them with fruits. This is possible when you prepare a nutritious green smoothie since the fruits you use will mask the flavor of the veggies. Thus, even though your smoothie may taste like strawberry, banana, mango or pineapple, you are still consuming healthy amounts of tomatoes, carrots, kale, spinach, and other types of veggies.

They Are Good for Your Skin

When you eat healthy foods, you get radiant and clearer skin. As they are good sources of fiber, green smoothies make it possible for you to get rid of body toxins properly and not through the skin. This explains why you get a healthy and glowing skin when you drink smoothies regularly.

Indeed, no drink or food is a surefire guarantee for weight loss. If the amounts of calories you take in are still more than what you burn, your efforts at weigh loss will be useless. You should be able to find a way to consistently burn calories by regularly exercising and following a healthy diet. Following a healthy diet means eating the right kinds of food and drinking healthy beverages such as green smoothies.

Green smoothies refer to blended beverages that contain leafy greens, veggies, healthy fats and fruits. Healthy fats include coconut, flax, hemp seeds and almonds. Examples of leafy greens are parsley, mint, Swiss or rainbow chard, wheat and barley grasses, kale and spinach.

The ingredients actually may vary, depending on the individual’s preference. Some people use all raw, fresh ingredients, while others use frozen fruits to create green smoothies with a thicker texture similar to that of an ice cream. However, the ideal smoothies for weight loss usually contain very few ingredients such as veggies, fruits and greens alone.

Green Smoothies are Low in Calories

More often than not, the ingredients that are used to make green smoothies are a combination of whole foods that are low in calories. Thus, they are considered as ideal drinks for losing weight. Chips and cookies or other high-calorie snack foods can be quite tempting, but drinking green smoothies instead of snacking on high-calorie foods is a wise strategy to lose weight.

Green Smoothies Keep You From Feeling Thirsty

According to experts, most people don’t actually drink 8 glasses of H2O daily. Some people, if not most, like the taste of sweet carbonated drinks or high-calorie beverages more than the taste of water, so they tend to buy these drinks more. Aside from that, most people choose beverages or drinks other than plain water to quench their thirst. These drinks primarily contain lots of sugar and great amounts of calories that can lead to weight gain. When preparing your smoothie, you can always add more H2O into it. By doing this, you will be able to drink more water and this will reduce your cravings for sweet or high-calorie drinks.

Green Smoothies are Very Filling

The veggies and fruits present in your green smoothie are not only low in calories but are also high in fiber. As you consistently include green smoothies in your daily diet, you will gradually lose weight. The USDA claims that eating more veggies and fruits can prevent overweight and obesity. Furthermore, based on a certain research review that was published in the 2005 “Nutrition” journal, a diet that contains high fiber is important in maintaining a healthy weight.

Because of the great amounts of water and fiber found in green smoothies, they are the best examples of drinks that are very filling. They will keep you from feeling hungry for long periods of time. For this reason, you will have the tendency to eat less as your cravings are reduced. Thus, many weight losers like to drink green smoothies.

5 Advantages of Green Smoothies

You must have heard a lot of people talk about green smoothies and all their health benefits. Why do so many people nowadays love it? What makes them become a popular drink these days? They are packed with essential ingredients needed for optimum health and not only that but there are also more advantages in drinking smoothies than any other drink. Here are some reasons why it is more beneficial to drink green smoothies than other beverages.

They are easy to prepare.

It only takes a few minutes to prepare a healthy green smoothie at home. They are also quite easy to prepare. As long as you have the equipment such as a blender, a pitcher or any container, there is no reason you cannot make a healthy smoothie for yourself. All you have to do is to select the kinds of veggies and fruits you like, and after that you can mix them well with the use of a blender.

They are easily digested.

Fiber-rich green smoothies are not hard to digest. In fact, since they are liquefied and blended, smoothies are quickly digested. This means your body does not need to put in so much effort to digest it so that the nutrients can be extracted. Green smoothies relieve and prevent constipation.

They are cheap.

Buying a glass of smoothie from any juice bar can cost you up to $6. However, when you make your own green smoothie at home, it will only cost you a few cents. Besides, you do not have to spend much on your vitamins since drinking a single glass of smoothie already contains lots of vitamins.

Green smoothies come in handy.

After you have made your own green smoothie, you can keep it in a container and store it in a fridge. You can store it up to twenty-four hours or so and drink it anytime you want. You can then take the chilled smoothie with you wherever you go, be it at work, the gym, the park or on a train. You can store your green smoothie in a stainless steel or a glass container as this is the most recommended storage option.

They contain veggies that you would not eat or drink alone.

Although eating veggies is quite healthy, most people still prefer to eat more fruits than vegetables. Since vegetables are combined with fruits in making green smoothies, you will get to eat some vegetables without even tasting them. More often than not, the flavor of the veggies is somewhat masked by the fruity flavor that it is even hard to distinguish the veggies used in green smoothies.

A green smoothie is not only good for adults but also for children. Most children don’t like, if not hate, vegetables. However, they love to drink a cold glass of chilled smoothie. The best way to prepare green smoothies for kids is to use lots of fruits instead of veggies until they become more comfortable with the taste.

Yes, Yoga Can Definitely Help You Lose Weight

Yoga physically burns fewer calories than traditional exercising like jogging or running. But because of the internal and external changes your physical body undertakes when you consistently practice, you can find yourself losing more weight than when you perform more intense exercises over time.

Beth Lewis is an Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Kinesiology in the United States (Kinesiology is basically a study of human movement, and the mechanics behind it). She has stated that regular yoga exercising tends to influence weight loss more than it directly causes it.

Yoga Can Help You Burn Some Calories

The regular weight loss you are familiar with is when you burn more calories than you consume. And to a small extent, yoga will contribute to your weight loss efforts in this way. But the spiritual and mental understanding of how your body works that comes with practicing over time is what leads to a realization of what is causing your weight gain.

This changes both your energy intake and expenditure, and has consistently been proven to contribute significantly to weight loss, until your personal healthy body weight is achieved.

So while yoga can definitely help you lose weight and get in shape, do not expect the pounds to melt off as quickly as with some other forms of exercise. Remember that yoga was developed as a spiritual and religious practice, not as a physical exercise. Since yoga teaches you to breathe properly and achieve harmony in both mind and body, you can begin to identify healthier foods and habits which can relate to losing weight and fat.

And if you are one of those people who gets comfort from eating when they feel stress, yoga can definitely help there. Significant studies have shown stress levels plummet in veteran yogis and even beginning yoga practitioners that regularly practice this ancient mind-body cleanser.

Some Poses are More Intense than Others

Additionally, remember that there are several levels of yoga. There are those asanas and sequences which are more up-tempo and intense than others. Focusing on these poses and movements can cause your heart to beat faster, cranking up your metabolism.

Since yoga is a sophisticated tradition involving metaphysical, internal and external functions and delivering physical, mental and spiritual benefits, the improvements you will receive with regular practice are numerous.

And when you perform yoga 3 to 5 times a week, you will begin to benefit from the noticeable and mental weight loss benefits it delivers. If you currently live a rather sedentary lifestyle, any physical exercise like yoga will immediately crank up your metabolism, helping you to lose weight and making you feel and look healthier and happier.

Introduction: The Surprising Benefits of Walking

When it comes to exercise you might be surprised to learn how powerful walking can be. Walking not only increases your heart rate and cardiovascular fitness, it also improves your bone density and strength. This particular benefit is increased when you walk on uneven surfaces like trails or gravel paths.

Walking has mental and emotional benefits as well, and can help you reach your weight loss goals. Let’s take an in-depth look at how fantastic a walking program can be for you and what 10,000 steps a day really looks like.

Bone Density Improvements from Walking

Did you know that without exercise, after the age of 40 your bone mass decreases by about 5% a year regardless of gender or ethnicity? That bone loss leads to debilitating diseases like osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is “a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to fracture. Usually the bone loses density, which measures the amount of calcium and minerals in the bone.” (National Library of Medicine)

According to The Sport Journal, in the U.S., it has been estimated that by 2025 the number of hip fractures attributed to osteoporosis will double to nearly 2.6 million. And while women account for the majority of osteoporosis diagnosis and bone breaks, men account for 29% of the 2 million fractures that occur each year in the U.S.

It’s all pretty scary. You don’t want to break a hip or wrist, especially not when you’re older and your recovery time can take months, if not years. The good news is that if we go back to the very first sentence in this section, you’ll see that there’s hope.

Walking is a weight-bearing exercise. That means that you’re putting the weight of your body into each movement. Weight-bearing exercises actually slow down the bone density loss and delay or prevent osteoporosis. Now, you can’t replace bone density but you can stop or dramatically reduce bone loss, and a good walk each day is a great way to get started.

Additionally, if you walk on uneven surfaces and you keep your eyes looking forward (rather than constantly focused on the ground) you’ll improve your posture and your joint mobility and flexibility.

Walking for Weight Loss

Walking burns several hundred calories per hour. For example, if you walk for an hour at a moderate four miles per hour pace and you weigh around 150 pounds, you’ll burn 350 calories. If you weigh more, you’ll burn more. Additionally, there are different types of walking that can increase the calorie burn. Walking also kicks up your metabolism so you continue to burn more calories after you’ve finished walking.

Additionally, The Diabetes Prevention Program showed that walking 150 minutes per week and losing just 7% of your body weight (12-15 pounds) can reduce your risk of developing Type II Diabetes by 58%. Since walking can help you lose that weight it’s a win/win for you. You lose weight and you prevent diabetes.

Don’t think you can walk for an hour a day? Consider breaking it up into smaller segments. You can take a 30 minute walk at lunch and three smaller 10 minute walks at other times. The benefits are the same.

How Does Walking Improve Mobility and Flexibility?

There are actually a few ways that walking helps improve your mobility and flexibility. When you walk you increase your heart rate, which pumps more blood and nutrients to your tissues. That helps your ligaments and joints stay healthy. Additionally, you work your muscles so they are more lose and better able to respond to the demands you put on them.

If you do a little stretching after your walk you’re helping take your mobility and flexibility to the next level. Why is mobility and flexibility important? It helps your posture stay tall. Many elderly people struggle with movements and mobility. Much of this is due to poor posture during their earlier years.

When you cannot move your body the way it is supposed to move, other areas of your body are forced to compensate. This leads to breakdown and ultimately it can lead to a shuffle walk and a hunched posture. Walk tall and stay mobile.

Walking Enables More Mental Energy and a Brighter Disposition

According to research on depression, walking for 30 minutes at a time, three to five times per week for 12 weeks reduced symptoms of depression by 47%. It makes sense. When you walk outside you are exposed to the sunshine, which helps your body make vitamin D. Vitamin D has been connected to both physical and mental well-being. Exercise also causes your body to release endorphins, which generate a feeling of contentedness and a positive outlook.

Whether you struggle with depression or not, you can gain mental energy and a brighter mood from walking. It has also been shown to improve cognitive function and reduce cognitive decline later in life. You’ll strengthen your brain and keep it strong well into your golden years.

Waking for Better Sleep, Cancer Reduction, Improved Cardio Health and More

Walking has also been shown to improve sleep, which is connected to weight loss. People who get a good night’s sleep on a regular basis weigh less than those who don’t. Walking reduces your risk of deadly cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer too.

More Good News!

Most anyone can walk for fitness and health. There are no special requirements. It doesn’t matter if you’re starting from a place of good health or if you have health issues you’re dealing with, you can walk and move your body.

You may start slowly and you may not get far in the beginning, but step by step you’ll increase your fitness. You’ll be surprised what you’re capable of. In fact, you can put on a pair of comfortable shoes and go for a walk right now. Let’s take a look at how walking can help you improve your fitness and lose weight.

Should You Choose Walking versus Running for Your Overall Health Benefits?

Both aerobic activities are simple to perform and promote weight loss. And both walking and running help regulate a healthy sleep rhythm, elevate your energy levels while awake, and even allow you to maintain healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Running and walking can also be social exercises that you enjoy with friends or family members, and you can take a jog or a hike just about any time of the year, depending on where you live.

Walking is Easier on Your Body Than Running

Just remember that if you choose walking over running to improve your overall health, you will need to walk twice as far as you run to gain the same weight-loss benefits. Running is much more rigorous on your body, and burns more calories. But walking is also much easier on your joints since the impact of your foot striking the ground is lessened.

For Beginners Walking is the Best Place to Start

If you are just beginning some type of dedicated physical regimen, walking is definitely recommended, and you can always build up your endurance and physical fitness to include running in the future.

And in some cases, walking can give you many of the same benefits as running, with less downside. For instance, extensive research taken from the Runners and Walkers Health Study shows that both running and walking equally cut down on your risk of contracting age-related cataracts.

That significant body of information, compiled from tens of thousands of runners and walkers, also showed that runners could expect a reduction in the risk of contracting heart disease by about 4.5% by running one hour a day.

Running Beats Walking for Weight Loss

But those who spent that same one hour daily simply walking cut their risk of heart disease by over 9%. Certainly, walking and running both improve your overall health and fitness much more than if you were sedentary instead. So choose whichever exercise best fits your current fitness levels and situation. And for weight loss, running is definitely the better vehicle than walking. That is because of the increased energy expenditure, elevated heart rate and calorie burn.

Before Walking or Running for Exercise – Check With Doctor First

You should always consult a doctor before adding any type of exercise to your daily routine. But both walking and running are excellent ways to get you up and active, and are low-cost activities which you can enjoy even if you only have a limited amount of time on your hands.

There is no argument that running or walking is much healthier than not doing either, so put one foot in front of the other today and begin to enjoy the heart and total body benefits are that these simple but healthy exercises can provide.

Avoiding Bulky Legs While On a Walking Fitness Program

Because muscles have two different types of fiber, some walking fitness programs target one type of fiber better than the other. To avoid bulking up your legs, you want to follow a walking fitness program that targets slow twitch fibers as they do not grow significantly from their current size.

If you choose a program that targets the fast twitch fibers, you stand more of a chance at building up leg muscle than you may not want as those fibers do have the capability to grow in size.

Follow These Five Steps to Keep From Building Up Bulky Legs:

• When planning your walking course, avoid hills, inclines or stairs. Moving your body vertically emphasizes building up the glutes, hamstrings and calves, which can give you a bulky appearance. Staying on flat land works all of your lower body muscle groups equally.
• Maintain a proper posture by engaging your abdominal muscles and keeping your head and neck centered over your spine. This keeps your weight evenly balanced vertically across your muscles supporting it, thus not working one group more than others.
• Don’t walk with added weight. While ankle and wrist weight do increase the number of calories you burn while walking, the additional weight on your ankles can make your large lower body muscle groups work harder thus developing them more.
• The same advice applies to other things you may carry with you. What you carry in your backpack can add additional weight, so think about what you really need and leave the rest at home.
• How you walk can make a difference. In a proper walk, your foot should land on the outside of your heel. As your step progresses forward, your weight should shift forward and inward to your arch. At the end of your step, your weight should shift to the ball of your foot and then to your toes where you push off for the next step. If you land on the middle part of your foot, you can strengthen and ultimately enlarge your calf muscles.

For Walking or Running Choose Good Shoes

Of course, having a good pair of walking shoes that fit well and support your arch will make walking properly much easier.

By selecting a walking fitness course that works slow twitch leg muscle fibers and following the rest of the above steps, you can safely burn calories and lose weight without having to worry about bulking up your leg muscles. As you lose weight, your toned and well defined leg muscles will begin to show themselves.

If you’d like to get more out of your walking for fitness plan, check out the “Guide to Setting Your Walking Fitness Goals” for more in depth knowledge on the subject of walking for fitness. While you’re there, be sure to sign up for the free MyFitnessNut.com Newsletter to be kept up to date on the latest health and fitness topics.

Walking is a great way to burn calories and lose weight. But there are a couple of things you can do to increase the number of calories burned and to maximize your workout. Three things affect the number of calories burned when you’re looking to walk off weight.

1) Speed is Important When You Walk Off Weight

Starting out, you may be able to only walk at a pace of 3 mph giving you a pace of 20-minute miles. However by working up to a walking speed of 4.5 mph, you end up with 13-minute miles. The difference in the number of calories burned is 20 calories per mile. On a one hour walk, that is an additional 92 calories burned.

2) Distance is Needed to Walk Off Weight

It stands to reason that if you are walking faster for the same amount of time, that you will cover more distance. However if you are just starting out, work on distance before speed. The advantage of increasing your distance first is that you build endurance, i.e. you are able to sustain walking at the same pace over a longer period of time. Once you have built endurance, you can work on increasing your speed.

3) Heavier Weight Matters When You Walk Off Weight

A 120 pound person burns about 65 calories per mile walking at 3 mph on a flat surface. As a comparison, a 180 pound person walking the same distance and at the same pace burns about 95 calories. Numerically speaking, the above facts would lead you to believe that as you lose weight, you would most likely will have to increase your energy expenditure to keep burning the same number of calories. However, what can happen is that as you become fit, your basal metabolic rate increases meaning you naturally burn more calories than you did before.

Healthy Eating When you Walk Off Weight

The other half of walking off weight is to eat healthy. You can’t expect to lose weight by walking and then coming home and gorging yourself with food that is bad for you. Keep in mind that the candy bar you ate takes three to five miles of walking to burn it off! When you’re trying to walk off weight, this can be a huge handicap so be aware of this destructive habit.

A healthy diet should consists of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, foods high in Omega 3 fats (such as tuna, salmon, mackerel, herring, walnuts and avocados) and lean meats.

Generally speaking a woman should eat around 1,200 to 1,300 calories per day; a man 1,500 to 1,600 per day. This should put you on a weight loss of one pound per week. If you lose more than one pound adjust your calorie intake accordingly as you may not be eating enough calories.

When you want to walk off weight and team up walking on a consistent basis along with healthy eating, you’ll be well on your way to losing weight the healthy way. Soon you’ll be enjoying life as a lighter and healthier you.

How Many Calories Do You Burn as You Walk Off Weight?

The number of calories while walking varies from person to person. You may walk the same route at the same speed with a friend who weighs about the same and is of similar age, and one of you will burn more calories than the other. Why is that?

The Other Variable as You Walk Off Weight

Besides weight, age speed and distance, the other variable is fitness level. If one of you is more fit than the other, the one that is most fit will have a higher basal metabolic rate (BMR), meaning that person naturally burns more calories at rest. While you can’t directly control your BMR, you can increase it by improving your fitness level; this is where walking comes in.

Know Your BMR

Regardless if you are walking to lose weight or improve fitness, you have to know your BMR as a starting point. An online search for “Basal Metabolic Rate Calculator” brings up a host of options. Pick one and enter your information – height, weight and age (and sedentary, if it asks for fitness level). The results are the number of calories your body needs each day to maintain your current weight at your current fitness level.

For example, a female weighing 120 pounds, 30 years old and 5 foot 4 inches tall needs to eat 1700 calories per day to maintain her current weight. To lose a pound of weight per week, she has to burn 2400 calories per day.

Calories Burned as You Walk Off Weight

So how far and fast does she have to walk to burn the additional 500 calories per day? On average, our example walking 3 mph for an hour burns 200 calories. And because speed is a factor, it makes sense that if she walked at a faster rate, she would have covered a greater distance over the same amount of time and would have burned even more calories. Having walked at 3.5 mph, would have burned an additional 50 calories.

Now before you think you are going to have to walk 2.5 hours per day, don’t forget that household chores also burn calories, so they factor into your 500 calories per day burned. For example, 30 minutes each of daily activities, such as showering, making beds, doing dishes and laundry, burn over 400 calories. Add in your hour walk and you are at 600 calories burned for the day.

Sometimes all it takes is to add in an hour of brisk walking per day – walking with a purpose – to get the extra calorie burn you need to lose weight. As you become more fit, and your basal metabolic rate increases, so will the number of calories burned at the same activity level. So strap on your walking shoes and get your “walk off weight” routine started!

If you’d like to get more out of your walking for fitness plan, check out the “Guide to Setting Your Walking Fitness Goals” for more in depth knowledge on the subject of walking for fitness. While you’re there, be sure to sign up for the free MyFitnessNut.com Newsletter to be kept up to date on the latest health and fitness topics.

It makes sense that to burn fat and ultimately lose weight, you have to get your body into the fat-burning mode. But just exactly how do you tell your body to burn stored fat instead of pulling from available sugars? By warming up first!

Warm Up Before You Walk to Burn Fat

To wake up your muscles and let them know you are in this for the long haul, walk at a slower pace than normal for five to 10 minutes.

Once you are warmed-up, increase your speed to at least a brisk or moderate pace; your daily goal should be to walk at this pace for at least 30 minutes.

What Does a Brisk Pace Feel Like?

While the speed you walk depends on your fitness level, the way it “feels” to you will be the same. Your breathing rate should increase, but you should still be able to carry on a conversation with your walking partner. Your heart rate should measure from 50% to 70% of your maximum heart rate, 220 minus your age. On a less technical side, it should feel like you are rushing to get to get to an important appointment because you are running late – you know, that quickened pace.

Increasing the Number of Calories Burned

Let’s face it, you are only going to be able to burn a certain number of calories by walking the same distance at the same pace. As your body gets more fit, it will adapt by becoming more efficient. So to increase the number of calories burned, it makes sense that you either have to walk farther or faster (or both). But wait, there is a third option – weights.

By wearing wrist or ankle weights, you increase the amount of work exerted even though you are not walking any further or faster. Your heart beats a little faster- you perspire a little more; your body is working a little harder.

While wearing weights, move your arms in a back and forth pumping motion to burn even more calories, build muscle and lose more weight.

Walking builds muscle. By working your large lower body muscle groups, they become more toned, better defined and stronger. Now your “new” muscles burn more calories (even at rest) than your old ones did because it takes more energy to fuel them than it did before.

By wearing wrist weights, you are also improving your arm and shoulder muscles, making them burn more calories too. All-in-all, it adds up; the “new you” is now a fat burning machine, burning more calories than before. As you burn the calories you’ll burn fat but you have to get started and the best time is now.

If you’d like to get more out of your walking for fitness plan, check out the “Guide to Setting Your Walking Fitness Goals” for more in depth knowledge on the subject of walking for fitness. While you’re there, be sure to sign up for the free MyFitnessNut.com Newsletter to be kept up to date on the latest health and fitness topics.