Tag diet

Can I Lose Weight By Using a Sauna?

We could sum this entire article in one word. No.

Nothing to see here about losing weight, so move along folks…

But that wouldn’t be fair since an explanation is necessary. A sauna is basically a room which is heated to high temperatures and meant to warm up your muscles and ‘loosen’ them a little. The temperature in a sauna can go all the way up to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. You will be dripping with sweat and feeling light headed after a sauna session.

So, does that mean you lost weight? Probably yes.

Does it matter? Nope.

Why not?

Because you only lost water weight and once you rehydrate, your body will replenish the lost fluids as soon as possible and you will be back to the same weight you were before.

Pro Athletes Use Saunas to Lose Weight Temporarily

Saunas are sometimes used by pro athletes to lose weight so they can qualify for a lower weight class during the weigh in. This is their strategy to give them an advantage later on.

For a normal person just trying to shed excess pounds, a sauna should not even be a consideration as a weight loss tool. If you want to relax after a hard workout and ease your tired muscles, then by all means use a sauna.

If you are hoping to lose weight just by going to saunas, it’s not happening.

There are some health benefits to using a sauna. Personally, I feel that these health benefits can be achieved with a hard 30 minute run.

You May Not Lose Weight but You Can Lose Toxins

However, for an easier way to experience similar benefits you may try a sauna. When you use a sauna and sweat copiously, you will be flushing out toxins from your body. That’s a good thing.

Your heart will beat a little faster so it can be considered a very mild cardio session. The heat in the sauna will stimulate blood flow and help tired muscles to recover faster.

Some research shows that the increased heart rate in a sauna is similar to that as going for a walk. My suggestion is to just go for the walk instead. Use a sauna as a way to mentally de-stress.

A tough training regimen and strict diet can take a mental toll on you. Use the sauna to relax. Close your eyes, soak up heat, sweat away and relax. You will be less tempted to binge on junk food if you’re relaxed.

You should also take note that a sauna will dehydrate you. Avoid alcohol before a sauna and do remember to rehydrate once you are done. Do not use a sauna before a cardio or weight training session. Only use it after your workouts therapeutically.

Many gyms are equipped with saunas and many members use a sauna after a hard session on the treadmill. I wouldn’t recommend it because your body will have lost a lot of water from the workout. It would be a good idea to rehydrate and wait about 20 minutes before heading to the sauna.

Last thing is to not fall asleep in the sauna and do not weigh yourself after a sauna and feel happy that your weight has dropped because you’ll just be disappointed later when you must re-hydrate.

Burning fat can be slow and tiring process. It’s easy to lose motivation and just give in and give up. Below you’ll learn 9 ways to stay on track and keep yourself motivated to stay the course till you reach your desired weight loss goals.

Burn Fat Tip #1. Don’t weigh yourself daily

This is a very common mistake that people make. They weigh themselves daily and some even weight themselves a couple of times a day. Your weight fluctuates on a daily basis for a variety of natural reasons such as water retention to the foods you eat.

If you weigh yourself daily and do not see any change on the scale, you’ll just de-motivate yourself and feel depressed. Only weigh yourself once a week on the same day, same time, every week.

Burn Fat Tip #2. Cut your calories gradually

This is very important. If you cut your calories drastically too soon, your body will go into starvation mode. When this happens, your body will hold on to its fat stores desperately and you may hit a weight loss plateau real fast.

Burn Fat Tip #3. Include resistance training in your program

Many people mistakenly believe that cardio is the only way to lose weight but this is untrue. Cardio and resistance training go hand in hand. By combining the two, you will shed the fat fast and furiously. Weight training increases muscle mass and the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn.

When you are on a caloric deficit, your body may burn its muscles instead of the fat stores. By working out with weights, your body will realize that it needs the muscle and so starts burning its fat stores and that’s what you want.

Burn Fat Tip #4. Consume different amounts of calories on different days

Do not eat the same amount of calories daily. For example, if you consume 1900 calories on Monday, then you may wish to consume 1500 on Tuesday and 2100 on Wednesday. When you keep your body guessing and never let it adapt to a habit you’ll be keeping it on alert and burning fat.

Burn Fat Tip #5. Minimize your carb intake

Cut down your carbs to the minimum that is required daily. Avoid processed carbs that have a high GI. Consume starchy carbs that digest slowly but limit those to the minimum too.

Burn Fat Tip #6. Make HIIT training part of your regimen

HIIT stands for high intensity interval training. This is very high intensity training with very short breaks between sets and reps. For example, sprinting for 1 minute followed by a 30 second walk and back to a 1 minute sprint.

HIIT training will leave you gasping and panting. It will create an oxygen deficit. That means you will be on fat burning mode for 8 to 12 hours after your workout

Burn Fat Tip #7. Eat more fats

To lose fat, you must eat fat. It sounds contradictory but holds true. Eat healthy fats such as natural nut butters, egg yolks, fish oil, etc. When you eat healthy fats, your body will realize that it can do away with its fat stores since it is getting a healthy amount of fats daily. Your body will burn fat more readily.

These are the 7 key ways to burn and lose more fat. By incorporating these methods into your weight loss program, you will reap the rewards for the long run and will see weekly progress in reaching your weight loss goals.

This is a very interesting question and causes a lot of debate among health care professionals and fitness experts. After all, there are people who are obese and yet engage in sports actively on a daily basis. They are fat because they consume more calories than they burn off.

So, it is possible to be fat and still relatively fit. I use the term relative because we must look at fitness from a broader perspective. It’s not about how fast you run, how much weight you can lift or the amount of stamina that you have.

Fat and Fit vs. Slim and Unfit

Fitness encompasses all of the above but it also includes the general state of your health. When you factor this in, even slim people may be considered unfit and unhealthy.

Obesity has been linked to many diseases from hypertension to diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, etc. However, automatically assuming that becoming obese means you will get these problems is not really correct. There are many other factors to consider.

Young Fat and Fit People

Age is one. Younger people often tend to escape these problems even if they are obese. It’s older people who are more prone to obesity linked diseases. So, a young obese man could be fitter than a slim but older man.

Then we have genetics which is never fair. Some people are much more prone to health problems due to poorer genetics. There are many obese people with normal blood glucose and blood lipid levels. They just have good genes.

Other Factors of Being Fat and Fit

There are many other factors such as smoking, diet habits, stress levels, sleep habits, drinking, drug use, etc. that may cause health problems. So, an obese man who smokes and drinks frequently will be less fit than another obese man who maintains a healthier lifestyle.

In the end, it’s really all relative.

If you eat right and exercise often, you will be healthy. Eating right in this case means eating healthy. Of course, even if you eat healthy but exceed your daily calorie requirements, you will still gain weight. You will be fit but fat to a reasonable point.

The best way to live life happy and healthy is to slowly shed the excess pounds and reach the ideal weight for your height. As you age, your body’s systems will deteriorate and any excess fat that may not pose a problem now will start causing problems later.

Prevention is better than cure so it’d be ideal to lose the excess weight now because now is as easy as it’s going to get for most of us.

If you are involved in exercise actively but still overweight, then the problem lies with your diet and just with a few tweaks, you can attain your desired weight.

It will even be easier for you since you already have the habit of an exercise routine worked out. Those people who are obese and do not exercise regularly will have a much tougher time since they’ll have to inculcate 2 new habits – exercising regularly and eating properly.

There is no doubt that fat people can be fitter than slim people who lead sedentary lives. However, why carry more weight than you need to in any case?

Lose it. You will look better and feel better. You will be lean and fit. Now that’s a goal anybody can strive for and feel happy about when they accomplish it. For some great weight loss and fitness tips, check out the weight loss section and subscribe to our My Fitness Nut Newsletter at the top of the page.

The Pros and Cons of the Atkins Diet

The Atkins diet is one of the most popular diets and thousands of people have reported benefits by going on the Atkins diet. Even famous celebrities have come out and vouched for its effectiveness.

The Atkins diet is indeed effective because it uses nutrition principles that are very sound.

The Atkins diet also known as the ‘fry up’ diet strictly limits the amount of carbohydrates consumed to the bare minimum. This is the key principle behind the Atkins diet. It aims to make the body convert the stored body fat to energy instead of using glucose as a source of energy. This is known as ketosis.

What You Can Eat on the Atkins Diet Plan

Food will be restricted but you will be able to eat foods that other diets will never recommend. You will be allowed to eat oily and fatty foods but will not be allowed to consume carbs or foods which contain sugar. You are forbidden from eating foods like white bread, pasta, cakes, etc.

You are allowed to eat any kind of meat, fish and shellfish. It does not matter if the meat is fatty. In fact, eating fats are encouraged in the Atkins diet. Most vegetables are allowed on the Atkins diet except the starchy types of vegetables such as potatoes, peas and corn.

You may eat butter but margarine is not allowed. It is recommended that you consume fish oils or omega 3 supplements. In fact, you may eat cheese, creams, sauces, condiments and spices as long as they are low in carbohydrates and do not contain sugar.

The Atkins Diet Plan Totally Rules Out Sugar

There are no restrictions on beverages either. However, as mentioned earlier, your beverages should not contain sugar. Even natural sugars like honey are not allowed on the Atkins diet. Artificial sweeteners are fine but controversial in regards to the health and safety of them. Try stevia leaf instead.

All these requirements make the Atkins diet very effective. Just cutting out the high GI foods itself is a very effective measure. The body will not experience insulin spikes and blood sugar levels will be constant. This will make fat loss easier and it will be more difficult to gain fat.

Sugar is detrimental to any weight loss program if it exceeds the daily requirement. Many people drink their calories from sodas, sweetened fruit juice, etc. The Atkins diet puts an end to unnecessary calorie consumption from sweetened drinks.

That’s the Biggest Problem of the Atkins Diet

The problem with the Atkins diet is that it restricts the unrestricted carbs for life. Any diet that uses restrictions will not be effective for the long run.

There may be occasions when you feel like having a plate of pasta or a pizza. However, if you are doing the Atkins diet, you will not be able to eat these kinds of foods.

This may be inconvenient and in some cases, the self-denial may cause you to binge on junk food. Cravings may reach a point that you just have to satisfy them and when you do, you will likely go overboard.

The best way to lose weight will be to adopt a healthy diet that does not have extreme restrictions. Eat sensibly and have a  good exercise program in place. If you are maintaining a calorie deficit daily then having a pizza every now and then can’t hurt. Life is meant to be enjoyed and having a meal that you crave occasionally shouldn’t be a sin.

22 Rules for Fat Loss

This article will be real short and simple to read. If you apply the rules stated below, you will be dropping the fat real fast.

1. Aim for a 500 calorie deficit daily. This equates to a 1 lb. of weight loss per week.

2. Adopt a diet high in proteins and fats but limit the carbs. Avoid high GI carb foods.

3. Consume slow digesting carbs. These are considered as low GI foods and they will keep your blood sugar levels constant.

4. Drink 2 glasses of icy cold water daily. This will boost your metabolic rate due to an increase in norepinephrine.

5. Drink about 3 to 4 cups of tea without sugar daily. It can be green tea, black tea or oolong tea.

6. Eat eggs as a form of protein. It’s an excellent source. Studies have shown that people who consume eggs have less hunger cravings and lose more weight.

7. Consume fish oil supplements. They are rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids. They aid with fat loss.

8. Drink a glass of raw milk a day if you can obtain it. It is rich in fat, calcium and protein. Only drink raw milk.

9. Eat an apple a day. They are rich in anti-oxidants and have many health benefits. A compound in apples known as apple polyphenols has been shown to increase muscular strength, boost endurance and promote fat loss. This is definitely a must have in your diet.

10. Eat a handful of nuts daily. Almonds, macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, etc. They are rich in fat and have many health benefits.

11. Drink at least 7 to 8 glasses of water daily. Your body needs water and oxygen to metabolize the fat. Not being properly hydrated will mean that your fat loss progress is hindered.

12. Include whey protein in your diet. If your budget allows it, get a tub of whey protein from your health store and make a protein shake for yourself before bed daily. It will help with muscle recovery and growth.

13. Skip the artificial sweeteners. There is a lot of debate about whether they are safe or not. What really matters is that artificial sweeteners tend to affect the brain’s ability to regulate calorie intake. That means you feel hungry more often, experience cravings and end up consuming more calories.

14. Consume CLA supplements. They have been proven to aid fat loss.

15. Have an exercise program that combines both cardio and weight training. This will ensure that you will burn the most fat in the shortest possible time.

16. Do your cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Your body will burn its fat stores directly.

17. Lift heavier weights every now and then Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption will lead to an elevated metabolic rate that lasts for hours. That means you keep burning calories long after you have finished working out.

18. Motivate yourself daily with photos or quotes or even body transformation videos. It is easy to get de-motivated along the way.

19. Weigh yourself only once a week and NOT daily. This will track your progress and keep you focused.

20. Get your body composition measured. Sometimes your weight on the scale may not change but that does not mean you have not lost fat. Your fat loss may have been offset with lean muscle gain. The only way to be sure will be to do a body composition test.

21. Keep up to date with the latest in health, fitness and weight loss by subscribing to the free My Fitness Nut Newsletter at http://MyFitnessNut.com.

22. Never give up on yourself. If other people can do it, so can you. It will be so worth your effort.

These are the 22 rules to fat loss. Of course, there are many more but if you just follow these 22, you will be way ahead of the pack, see results quickly and your dream of a toned body will become a reality for you.

While in theory losing weight sounds like something you could do with your hands tied behind your back (metaphorically of course), in practice it just happens to be one of the hardest things to pull off, especially nowadays where we practically don’t have time to dedicate to ourselves anymore.

While there is no way to lose weight without having to make an effort, there are certain tips which you can implement in your daily life to make the process much easier. Here are a few quick weight loss tips that should help you succeed with whatever program you are currently following.

Quick Weight Loss Tip #1: Don’t Overdo It

One of the biggest mistakes many people make when trying a weight loss system is trying too hard. They take in even fewer calories than they are required to and they push themselves to the very limit when exercising.

At first glance, this approach simply ensures that you will get faster results… however, what it really does is ensure that your progress gets slowed down. The harder you try, the more you are at risk of suffering some kind of injury, especially if you become weak because you didn’t feed yourself well enough.

Simply stick with the program and don’t push yourself too hard.

Quick Weight Loss Tip #2: Have a Cheat Day

While some diets explicitly forbid any deviation from the program, the truth is that ultimately, we live for pleasure, and if we can’t get any, we’ll do whatever it takes to get some. It is better to control your cravings for pleasure rather than suppress them and see them running wild later.

Food is one of the greatest pleasures humans have come to know, and once in a while, about every two weeks, you should have a cheat day during which you want what you want, and how much you want of it. This will remind you that the weight loss process isn’t nearly that bad, not to mention it will make keeping your food cravings at bay much easier.

Quick Weight Loss Tip #3: Make it a Permanent Goal

When you think about it, losing weight isn’t just a one-time deal… what are you going to do once it’s over, put all the weight back on again? You need to make sure that on your list of goals, weight loss is something that takes up the rest of your entire life. Various studies have actually shown that instead of thinking of a weight loss program as an event or an activity, but rather as a lifetime pursuit, will dramatically increase your chances of succeeding.

Quick Weight Loss Tip #4: The Power of Walking

While it may sound like the most absurd quick weight loss tips on Earth, walking happens to be a very beneficial activity for the human body, especially when performed during the morning. Not only do regular walks contribute to building stronger legs and burning calories, but when done early in the day, they trigger a pleasant release of endorphins and even help to control your blood sugar levels, which in turn contribute to controlling your sweet cravings.

We are being bombarded with countless messages every day, from the television, radio, billboard and other kinds of advertisements, about how hard it is to lose weight naturally, and about how some pill or workout system will provide you with the easy weight loss ticket you were looking for all along.

However, is there really such a thing as losing weight easily? After all, many people take it for granted that nothing comes free or easily in life, and not without reason.

Easy Weight Loss is Up To You

As it happens, whether or not easy weight loss is possible depends entirely on the attitude you approach your weight problem with. In other words, if before every exercising routine you think about how hard it is and how much work you have to do to get through it, then it goes without saying that you are going to have an extremely hard time losing weight.

However, if you are motivated, if you feel that each and every move you make helps you get fitter and slimmer, you won’t so much be turned off by the pain of exercising as turned on by it. You will actually like doing things that help you lose weight, and when you are doing something that you actually enjoy, the difficulty level goes way down.

In other words, if you adopt a positive approach and maintain an optimistic outlook on your weight loss process, then you will barely experience any difficulties as you are going to be able to find joy and fulfillment in it. However, that is not to say that a bit of motivation will give you incredible powers and make your entire life a walk in the park.

You are still limited by your physical and mental capabilities, not to mention that being human, you are prone to getting distracted from your goals and principles. All in all, if you are looking for an easy weight loss method, then doing what is described above is going to be your best bet.

Is That The Only Way to Easy Weight Loss?

Can’t some external product or influence be used in order to make the process easier without having to do much of anything yourself? Well, if this is what you are looking to accomplish then without a doubt your best bet will be to look for natural weight loss supplements.

They aren’t really going to make the exercises themselves easier, nor will they make your diet any more tasty and filling than it already is. However, what these supplements can do is bring about results much faster, which means that not only will you have to follow your weight loss system for less time, but you also won’t have any trouble finding the motivation you need to keep on going; you’ll be reminded of the tremendous progress you are making every time you look in the mirror.

Unfortunately, that is really all you can do to ease the road to weight loss. As of now, there is no magical, easy weight loss method that simply makes you slim as soon as you take it, and from the looks of it, there won’t be one for a long time to come. Instead of waiting for one, you should simply make use of the methods that are already available to you and make the best of the most powerful weapon you have, your own body and mind.

Ozzy Osbourne is a man who needs no introduction in this world, being officially considered the face of heavy metal since 1969 when he and his band, Black Sabbath, released their first album. Over the years Ozzy has received a lot of coverage for his crazy antics, such as biting off the head of a bat while being on stage.

However, the media attention the rest of his family received is something to behold, especially recently when it comes to his daughter Kelly. There are a few old photos of her floating around, and the least that can be said is that she was a plentiful woman. However, it seems that a Kelly Osbourne weight loss miracle happened recently, as she followed a system thanks to which she lost fifty pounds.

The best part being that said system is now available for anyone else who wishes to duplicate her success.

Duplicate Kelly Osbourne’s Weight Loss Success

Before looking into the system itself, it has to be said that it took Kelly more than just a couple of weeks in order to lose all her excess weight. She followed the training program put in place for her by pro trainer Sara Hagaman, and it took her a lot of strength and courage to finally drop the pounds and become fit again. While the system does indeed work, you should simply know that it doesn’t offer a magical solution to the weight problem.

About the Kelly Osbourne Weight Loss System

So how precisely does her system work?

For starters, you will need to acquire a Bosu balance trainer, a nine to fifteen pound Body Bar, and some dumbbells weighing between five and eight pounds each, although depending on your strength you can change up those variables.

It has to be added that while it would be preferable to have the Bosu trainer, it is by no means mandatory as there are ways to modify the system’s exercises to be doable without one.

The Kelly Osbourne Weight Loss Exercise Routine

The exercising routine isn’t particularly hard as it only requires you to work out two to three times per week, maybe four if you are feeling particularly active. The routines start with a brisk warm-up that takes up about ten minutes of your time, and then you are going to be performing a single set of every move they teach you, one after the other.

What makes this system unique and effective is the fact that you don’t rest between sets, but you do mountain climbers, a cardiovascular exercise.

How does it make the system more effective?

Well, the longer you are performing an exercise, the more your body adjusts to it and the less calories it burns in order to go through with the required moves. By mixing up a cardio workout in between sets of muscle-building exercises you are preventing your body from adapting to anything, meaning it will constantly need to burn a lot of fat in order to keep up with the intense exercises you are performing.

The best part about the Kelly Osbourne weight loss program is that the workouts aren’t even that long, yet they still manage to make a size-able impact on the fat that you drop as well as your overall muscle development giving you strength and fitness.

Those of you who remember The Drake and Josh Show can also probably remember which one of them was the bigger boy (hint: it was Josh). As you can guess, saying that he was the bigger boy is somewhat of a euphemism. He had a real weight problem, and even though it made him look somewhat adorable as a kid, there was no question about whether it would come back to haunt him as an adult.

Nobody expected to see the Josh Peck weight loss miracle that occurred, especially because he was getting more and more used to playing the fat and chubby roles on the silver screen.

However, something amazing happened. It seems that the weight loss gods has struck once again, completely transforming Josh into a slim and fit person. Indeed, Josh Peck not only lost a bit of weight, but he actually lost enough of it to transform his entire body into something that belongs on a magazine cover. But why precisely did he do it? After all, considering the amount of fat comedians out there, he probably didn’t feel discriminated against.

The Reason Behind Josh Peck’s Weight Loss

According to Josh’s own words, he did it because of his son. He knew that for his own child, he would be the most important role model in the universe, and if he wasn’t to lose weight, he would send the wrong message to his kid. And so, he sucked up all the pain of exercising and not eating what he liked, which eventually paid off in ways he couldn’t even begin to imagine.

Josh Peck’s Weight Loss Turns Him into Role Model

On top of being a role model worth following for his son, he also inspired millions of kids around the world who have weight problems. In most cases, the obstacle which prevents them from losing weight is a lack of motivation stemming from the belief that weight loss just isn’t possible for them. By seeing Josh lose weight, they knew that it was not only possible, but that it would probably turn their lives around once it happened.

While certain comedians seem to lose their sense of humor along with their tummy, the case was far from being so for Josh Peck. Despite losing his weight and transforming his entire appearance, Josh still remains his same old self, and even after all the attention he has received, he still maintains that it doesn’t really matter how we look, only how we feel, and what we are ready to do in order to feel better.

While the Josh Peck weight loss story truly is a source of immense inspiration, it has to be mentioned that Josh wasn’t exactly the average Joe when he went on his weight loss program; he had the money and the time to have people following him around, making his food decisions for him and constantly reminding him to forgo his negative habits.

Heck, he even probably had his own fitness specialist along with him. However, it doesn’t mean making the same progress isn’t possible for you as well; you will simply have to take a more personal approach to it and harness the necessary self-discipline to get through with it.

Time is money. It seems the expression is used more and more often today, or at least it would be appropriate to do so. People seldom have free time to themselves, spending most of their lives working so that they can sleep, and sleeping so that they can work.

The problem is that the kind of work most people are doing today isn’t exactly perfect to stave off weight gain… in many cases, it actually contributes to it.

In a nutshell, people today don’t simply want to lose weight, they want to do it as fast as possible, which is why many are looking for the best exercise for weight loss and the most effective diet, hoping to combine them together and get rid of their weight problems in a couple of weeks.

So What is the Best Exercise for Weight Loss?

Well, sorry to disappoint, but there really is no such thing as one exercise that will be the best one to lose weight for every single person on Earth. It has been scientifically demonstrated that as our bodies evolve and get older, they also become more unique as they have been shaped by experiences that few others, if anyone else has had.

Different human bodies have different reactions to various types of exercises, meaning what works well for someone may be useless for someone else. While there isn’t one best exercise to lose weight, there is a way of exercising that has been observed to be extremely effective for that purpose: interval exercising.

When your goal is to lose weight, what you are really looking to do is burn as many calories as you can and sweat as much as possible. The best way to achieve that is to exercise in short intervals, meaning that your workouts will constantly have you alternative between fast-paced cardiovascular and muscle-building exercises.

The Best Exercise for Weight Loss: Interval Exercising

How precisely is it more beneficial for you? For starters, you will be required to exercise practically every muscle group you have, the pace is going be very fast, meaning your body has to burn more fat in order to make enough energy to allow you to go through with it.

The second reason as to why interval exercising is much better than traditional methods, for losing weight at least, lies in the fact that it allows you to overcome the plateau effect.

What is that?

Well, the plateau effect is basically what happens when you perform the same exercising routine for far too long and your body becomes adapted to it. When the body is adapted to something, it expands a minimal amount of energy on doing it, which results in there being practically no more results from the exercises.

When you are working out in short intervals, you are not giving your body the chance to adapt to whatever it is you are doing, ensuring that it is constantly burning fat at a high pace.

All in all, while there may not be a best exercise for weight loss, there are certain measures which you can take in order to make your exercises much more efficient in those terms, and interval exercising is one of them. As a matter of fact, it is deemed so effective that entire workout systems have been based around it, meaning it can definitely work for most people; you included.