6Jan/100

Cause of Low Metabolism

The cause of low metabolism is not always something that can easily be determined. Sometimes low metabolism is related to heredity, sometimes to illness, and sometimes just to not eating the right foods.

Ways of Treating Low Metabolism

Do you often wonder why children and teens can eat huge amounts of food and not gain weight? The answer has to do with metabolism, a process that can be described as how much the body burns calories every day. Children and teenagers have faster metabolism, which means their body is able to burn calories faster instead of having those calories stored in the body as fat. As we age, our metabolism slows down, which explains why, even if we eat the same amount of food as we always do, we end up gaining weight anyway. Weight gain as a result of low metabolism can be countered, though. And this usually involves making lifestyle changes and developing healthy habits.

What Causes Low Metabolism?

Low metabolism can be a combination of genetics, lifestyle and eating habits. People who live a sedentary life, get into crash diets and prolonged fasting, eat sugary foods and have hypothyroidism (under active thyroid glands) tend to have low metabolism. Fasting and crash diets promote weight loss, but only temporarily. What they do to the metabolism is slow it down since the body experiences low calorie intake, prompting the body to store the fat and burn it at a slower rate.

How to Increase Metabolism

You can increase metabolism in a number of ways. While metabolism can be increased through treatments and administering medications, the more effective ways are natural forms. If you have low metabolism, the first thing you should do is shun diets that require you to skip meals. You may lose a few pounds if you skip breakfast, lunch or supper but the weight loss is only short term. When you resume normal eating, you will quickly discover that the pounds come back, but this time they're twice as much as you have lost!

Another way to naturally treat low metabolism is to exercise regularly. If you can afford it, sign up for a gym membership and engage in muscle building and strength training as doing so will help further increase your metabolism.

Keep yourself hydrated by drinking water throughout the day, at least eight glasses of it. Avoid caffeinated, carbonated and sugary drinks. If you drink, try to cut back on your alcohol consumption. Limit yourself to an occasional glass of wine. Any attempts to raise your metabolic rate and lose weight would be futile if you can't cut back on drinking beer.

Foods such as green and red peppers (chili, cayenne, serano, habanera), protein rich foods, beets, mustard, cucumbers, celery, garlic and green tea are effective helping people with low metabolism. It is recommended that you snack on a celery stick or any of the foods mentioned in between meals to keep your metabolism occupied.

Don't skip breakfast. As much as possible, eat a healthy breakfast each morning. While you sleep, your body's metabolic rate has slowed down so for breakfast, you need to eat foods that are longer to digest so you will have more energy throughout the day. Instead of donuts, eat oats for breakfast. Ideally, you should consume about 400 calories for breakfast.

Metabolism and Thyroid

In the last decade or so, people have come to know more about the problem of thyroid deficiency and how widespread it is. Hypothyroidism, which occurs when the body is not producing enough thyroid hormone, is responsible for a whole host of symptoms, including low metabolism.

Some people with thyroid problems have very obvious symptoms, while others do not. There is such a range of possible symptoms that many other ailments may be tested for first before levels of thyroid hormone are checked. Some of the other symptoms people with hypothyroidism might include:

Weight gain
Anemia
Muscle cramps and joint pain
Fatigue
Depression
Migraines
Impaired memory
Increased sensitivity to heat and cold
Paleness
Brittle fingernails

A blood test can determine if someone has a thyroid problem, and there are several different treatments that should make this cause of low metabolism relatively easy to tackle.

Other Causes of Low Metabolism

Of course not everyone who has a low metabolism has a thyroid problem. The fact is, most people’s metabolisms decrease as they age There are all sorts of reasons for this, some of which are beyond our control. But there are some things you may do that can be the cause of low metabolism, so changing your behavior may change the way you feel.

Diet

One of the biggest factors in metabolism is actually what we eat. If you’re fasting or on a very low-calorie diet, odds are you have slowed down your metabolism to the point that you still aren’t losing a lot of weight even though you’re miserable from not eating.

The body needs nutrients and calories in order to work properly, and a lot of research seems to indicate that eating more often is better than eating only a couple of meals a day. That’s because it takes energy (calories) to digest and process food, and it keeps blood sugar levels more even when you eat regularly, which also keeps you feeling full.

Not only does how often you eat make a difference, what you eat can have an impact. Lots of high-sugar foods can mess with your metabolism because of the fluctuation of blood sugar. There are also foods that increase metabolism that should be consumed more often.

Water

Drinking enough water is important for a lot of reasons, but not being properly hydrated can really slow your metabolism. Most of the body’s functions, including digestion and metabolism, require water. If you’re not getting enough, your body can’t function at its peak.

It’s easy to start drinking more water if you make a habit of carrying a bottle or mug of water with you through the day. Replace sugary sodas with water and you’ll be doing your body even more of a favor.

Exercise

When your body is in good shape, everything works better. Having more muscle raises your body’s resting metabolic rate, or the number of calories burned just through regular function of the body.

A regular regimen of weight training can allow you to burn around 100 more calories each day. That may not sound like much, but if all other things remain equal that would lead to a weight loss of about 10 pounds in a year.

Stress

Stress may also play a role in decreasing metabolism because when the body is stressed, systems start working less efficiently. Also, people tend to overeat, eat the wrong things and not exercise when they are stressed, so it all goes together.

Ways to Improve Metabolism

Drink more water.
Eat smaller, more frequent meals.
Cut back on sugary foods and beverages.
Try to exercise at least 30 minutes a day most days of the week.
Do some weight training if you’re not doing so already.
Try to cut some stress from your life or learn better ways to handle it.
If something still seems wrong, check with your doctor about getting your thyroid tested.

Causes Of Slow Metabolic Rate

Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism can be understood as a condition wherein the body is not producing enough thyroid hormone, which is responsible for various other symptoms including low metabolism. Thyroid deficiency results in increased body weight, due to low metabolism. However, not everyone with a low metabolism suffers from a thyroid problem and the same can only be determined by a physician.

Diet

One of the biggest factors determining the metabolic rate of the body is what your meals comprise of. If you are on a low calorie diet or fasting rigorously, there is a great chance that your body metabolism will slow down considerably and you may not end up loosing as much pounds as you want to (due to a low metabolic rate).

Water

If the body is not properly hydrated, the metabolic rate of your body will come down significantly. Water is extremely important for digestion and maintaining a speedy metabolism along with other body functions. So, next time you feel that you are gaining weight for no reason at all, check your water intake.

Exercise

Indulging in regular exercise is very essential for maintaining high body metabolism. One of the reasons for low metabolism is a lack of enough exercise or workout. Regular exercise keeps your body metabolism high, which helps you in reducing weight on a constant basis.

Stress

Stress and tensions can also be amongst the most common reasons for a low metabolism. Our system works less efficiently when we are stressed, which in turn is responsible for decreasing the rate of body metabolism. So, try to keep your mind free of any strain or anxiety.

Tips To Improve Body Metabolism

It is advisable to eat smaller meals at frequent intervals, rather than eating a full meal on your fixed timings. This will help in increasing your rate of metabolism.
Introduce a cut in your sugar intake. Regulating your consumption of beverages and other sugary stuff will be of great help in speeding up your metabolic rate.
Try to do some form of workouts on an everyday basis, to pump up your metabolism. Daily exercise of minimum 30 minutes is the key to maintaining a speedy metabolism throughout the day.
Undertaking some weight training is also highly beneficial.
Try to keep yourself stress free and seek ways to lead a more healthy and relaxed life.
Drink plenty of water, not just to cure slow metabolism, but also for keeping your body hydrated for the entire day.
If nothing seems to be working, consult a physician and get a thyroid test done at the earliest.

6Jan/100

Cardio for Weight Loss

Cardio is heart healthy and it's a great exercise, but if your goal with cardio is to burn fat, you need to take it with a stride and make it fat burning productive.

I come across many ladies who are quite active. This is all fine and dandy, but when they are active and top that with teaching spinning classes, kick boxing, high energy videos, and general cardio machines, this can be a recipe for disaster, setting your further back than when you started.

Don't go overboard with cardio. Keep it simple, yet effective.

Cardio Intensity

Cardio intensity is a factor to keep fat burning beneficial. This does not mean to do an all out killer cardio routine that leaves you crawling from the gym in a near death status, but to simply shake things up a bit to force the body to respond.

A good way to master cardio is with HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). There are many variations of HIIT and my favorite is the 2/2 ratio.

Example of 2/2 Ratio HIIT

Minutes 1-2 - Warm up
Minutes 3-4 - Low intensity
Minutes 5-6 - High intensity
Minutes 7-8 - Low intensity
Minutes 9-10 - High Intensity
Minutes 11-12 - Low intensity
Minutes 13-14 - High intensity
Minutes 15-16 - Low intensity
Minutes 17-18 - High Intensity
Minutes 19-20 - Low intensity
Minutes 21-22 - Cool down

With HIIT, your body never falls in a rut because you are constantly changing the intensity to prevent cardio adaptation.

Progressive Cardio

Another successful cardio tactic to use is Progressive Cardio. Your body can adapt to anything in a short amount of time and Progressive Cardio can stop adaptation before it occurs. Progressive Cardio is simply increasing your cardio each week by either the numbers of day or the amount of time to invite change and prevent staleness, provided you don't overdo it.

Example of Progressive Cardio

Week 1 - 4 times a week for 20 minutes
Week 2 - 4 times a week for 25 minutes
Week 3 - 5 times a week for 25 minutes
Week 4 - 5 times a week for 30 minutes

You will notice how each week is a step advanced from the previous. This is how you make cardio work in your favor to burn fat.

Adopt Weight Training

Have you even seen someone in the gym doing endless hours of cardio and still look soft and unfit? That is because she is lacking lean muscle, which is built from weight training and excessive cardio burns muscle.

Weight training builds lean muscle mass. The more muscle you add to your frame, the less you need to rely on cardio. Muscle is metabolically active and allows you to burn more calories at rest and at play. Of course, this does not mean to kick cardio to the curve, but having a balance of both in your program will keep things interesting and will give much better body transformation results.

Summary to Cardio Queen Syndrome

Once you understand how you can manipulate cardio, you will be able to master the fat burning game. Realize that you don't need three or four different cardio methods stacked on top of one another. Just use cardio wisely and you will have the advantage. Remember, cardio is a fat loss tool, not the determining factor.

It is no surprise that diet and fitness go hand in hand, and using cardio for weight loss is an excellent way to boost the body’s fat burning potential as well as take advantage of other health benefits that better fitness provides.

About Cardio Exercise

Cardiovascular exercise is a more technical term for familiar aerobic techniques. Cardio workouts are engineered to last for an extended period of time – typically 30 to 60 minutes – and use a wide range of large muscles to elevate an individual’s heart rate. As the heart rate increases, the body breathes deeper and expands blood flow to the muscles in use.

Cardio exercise stimulates weight loss because of its extended time frame. Initially, the body will burn glycogen, otherwise known as stored sugar, for the energy needed to maintain the exercise. After the available glycogen supply is depleted, however, the body relies on fat for maintaining energy for the activity. It is the burning of these fat stores that results in greater weight loss.

Types of Cardio

There are many fat burning exercises that can be used for cardio for weight loss. The key is to find an exercise that is enjoyable and easy (so you are more likely to do it more frequently and for longer periods of time), as well as one that uses large muscles that will help elevate the heart rate. Popular types of cardio exercises include:

Jogging or running
Singles tennis games
Biking or cycling
Swimming
Brisk walks or hiking
Stair climbing
Elliptical machines
Jumping rope
Kick-boxing
Step, dance, or jazz aerobics
Aqua aerobics

Even individuals who don’t have time for regular exercise can still enjoy the benefits of a cardio workout by making adjustments to their daily routine. Speeding up the pace of housecleaning and yard work can create a cardio workout, and walking to a local store instead of driving can automatically add more cardio time into even the busiest schedule.

Regardless of the type of cardio you choose, it is best to find an exercise that uses a variety of muscle groups, a wide range of motion, and is suitable to your physical abilities. Before beginning any exercise regimen, consult a physician to discuss proper exercise techniques and what target heart rate you should achieve for the best cardio workout.

Cardio Benefits

In addition to using cardio for weight loss, many people enjoy additional benefits from this type of increased exercise. Cardiovascular exercise can:

Increase physical stamina and endurance.
Help lungs work more efficiently and gain a greater capacity.
Stimulate more efficient blood flow to muscles, which helps relieve cramps and remove the body’s toxins.
Release endorphins into the bloodstream, providing a natural “high.”
Increase the body’s flexibility.
Lower blood pressure and bad cholesterol levels.

Combined with weight loss, these health benefits greatly increase the quality of life and can allow individuals to enjoy far more activities than they would be able to without a healthy lifestyle.

Using Cardio for Weight Loss

Swimming is low impact cardio.

To use cardio exercise to enhance weight loss, it is important to opt for a regular cardio routine. A steady regimen of 30 to 60 minutes of cardio exercise 3 to 4 times per week is recommended, though individuals who have not exercised regularly should start with shorter workouts to allow their bodies time to develop the stamina for longer sessions. Interval training – where more rigorous portions of a workout are interspersed with easier exercises in the same session – is particularly effective at increasing the heart rate while still adjusting to each individual’s exercise level.

To keep the workout fresh and interesting, it is also critical to change routines periodically. A new routine or different type of exercise will work different muscles, spreading the benefits of the exercise throughout the body. New techniques will also keep the participant interested and engaged in the activity rather than making it a chore. By staying interested in the exercise, it is more likely that a regular routine will be adhered to and the long-term benefits of cardio exercise can be experienced.

Best Time to Do Cardio

While there is no “wrong” time to do cardio for weight loss, there is some evidence that the most efficient time is in the morning before eating breakfast. The theory is that individuals who do cardio after a meal must first burn off the excess sugar and carbohydrates they’ve just ingested, which means that less fat will be burned away during the duration of the workout. By working out before eating, more stored fat will be converted to energy and the weight loss benefits may be noticed sooner. After the workout, eating a healthy breakfast will restore the body’s energy level and prevent the period of lethargy that may follow.

It is important to note, however, that doing cardio at any time is beneficial. If the only time an extended exercise period can be arranged is in the evening, the benefits will still accumulate, though the weight loss may be more gradual. In addition, many exercise physiologists and nutrition researchers believe that the primary key to weight loss is not what time you exercise, but rather creating a calorie deficit by either eating fewer calories with a properly balanced, healthful diet or burning more calories on a daily basis, and ultimately adopting a healthy combination of both.

Avoiding Injury

Because cardio workouts are so extensive, it is important to take appropriate precautions to prevent injuries.

Wear appropriate footwear with adequate support and cushioning to prevent stress fractures and joint pain.
Drink plenty of water before, during, and after the workout to keep the body properly hydrated.
Be sure to stretch and warm up muscles before intense workouts to prevent strains.

Cardio Won’t Work by Itself

Despite the benefits of cardiovascular exercise and what it does contribute to weight loss, the most effective weight loss plan incorporates more than aerobic exercise. Healthy eating habits are essential to provide adequate nutrition to hard-working muscles, and strength training will help build muscles that can operate more efficiently, further stimulating weight loss. By developing a well-rounded diet and exercise plan, with cardio for weight loss as an integral part of the routine, it is possible to create a healthy lifestyle that will lead to many physical and emotional benefits.

6Jan/100

How to Lose Weight on Celexa

Celexa is the brand name for citalopram hydrobromide, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (or SSRI) drug used for the treatment of depression and other mood disorders. Celexa's side effects can include increased appetite and increased weight, according to manufacturer Forest Laboratories. It may be prescribed in doses ranging from 20 to 40 mg daily.

Some patients actually lose weight on Celexa; in fact, Forest found that "Patients treated with Celexa in controlled trials experienced a weight loss of about 0.5 kg compared to no change for placebo patients." However, other patients report that the drug seems to prompt a craving for food.

Achieving or maintaining a healthy weight can be a real challenge for patients who suffer from this effect, but several options are available to them

A common question asked by depression patients is: "Can you lose weight on Celexa?" According to experts and clinical studies, the short answer to that is yes, it is possible.

Celexa

Lundbeck, a pharmaceutical company, developed Celexa in 1989. When the patent expired in 2003, the drug came out in various generic forms.

Typically, Celexa is prescribed as a treatment for depression. It is also considered a treatment for social anxiety disorder, panic disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. From time to time, it can also be included in treatment plans for Huntington's Disease and premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

Considered a mild anti-depressant, its side effects list is mild compared to many drugs of its kind. Just over 10 percent of patients taking Celexa experienced side effects including vomiting, nausea and diarrhea. Other side effects may be experienced, but these are the ones most linked to the potential for weight loss or gain. Studies have shown that these side effects are short-lived and decrease as the patient is on the drug longer.

Can You Lose Weight on Celexa?

It is very possible to lose weight while taking Celexa. Doctors haven't gone on record as to exactly why, but there are a certain percentage of patients who have actually lost weight without trying while on Celexa.

It could be said that the side effects of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are directly linked to the causes of the weight loss. If these side effects are somewhat severe in the first few weeks a patient is taking Celexa, it's understandable that weight loss would be experienced.

As the drug begins to take effect, patients may return to their previous eating habits. Their depression recedes and they start to get back to regular, daily activities, which may mean exercising. This is a natural way that the drug may, indirectly, cause weight loss. As their moods even out, it becomes less difficult to control eating habits and a focus on a healthy diet may return.

It Won't Happen on Its Own

As much as you might like to hope that it will, Celexa is not going to instantly make you lose weight and become thin like in your dreams. Just like any diet plan, it's going to take work, effort and determination on your part.

Healthy Diet

The first thing to do is to eat healthier. This means paying attention to calories, fat content, sugar levels, sodium levels, etc. You may need to cut portion size, or concentrate on not snacking on junk food throughout the day. Some dietitians recommend their patients eat several small meals each day instead of two or three larger ones. This dispersal of calories is more effective than bundling them all into two or three meals. It stretches out your chances to eat throughout the day, making you feel more satisfied and less hungry.

Exercise

You'll need to start exercising, too. Just changing your eating habits isn't going to completely help. It's healthy for you to exercise, and a routine that includes both weight training and aerobic exercises is going to get you pretty quick results. Exercising four days a week for 30 to 45 minutes each day will get you in the groove pretty quickly. It may seem hard at first, but just keep trying. You should alternate your types of exercise every day. For instance, if the first day you work on strength training exercises, then the second day should be some sort of aerobic exercise.

It is Possible

Even though it may seem your metabolism is working against you, there are no scientific reasons that weight loss on Celexa isn't possible. Ask yourself the question. "Can you lose weight on Celexa?" If you think you can, then you can. If you tell yourself that it's impossible, it probably is.

# Step 1
Discuss this and any other side effects with your health-care provider. (The pharmacy instructions include this warning: "Call the doctor right away to report new or sudden changes in mood, behavior, thoughts, or feelings. Signs to watch for include new or worsening depression, new or worsening anxiety, agitation, insomnia, hostility, panic attacks, restlessness, extreme hyperactivity, and suicidal thinking or behavior.") Some side effects vanish as you become physically accustomed to the drug over the course of a few weeks. If not, you and your doctor may decide that a side effect of weight gain is unimportant considered against the benefits of the drug. If you are on a high dose of Celexa, your doctor may suggest trying a lower dose.

#Step 2
Healthy eating and exercise may counteract any weight gain. Exercise itself is helpful in treating depression. According to a study from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas published in 2005, "Individuals who participated in moderately intense aerobics, such as exercising on a treadmill or stationary bicycle--whether it was for three or five days per week--experienced a decline in depressive symptoms by an average of 47 percent after 12 weeks."
The Mayo Clinic recommends dealing with weight gain caused by depressants through eating healthy foods "such as plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains"; cutting back on sweets, sweet drinks, and fast food; getting 30 minutes of exercise each day; and consulting a dietitian or nutritionist.

#Step 3
The Mayo Clinic also recommends talking to your doctor about switching medications. The antidepressant bupropion (brand name Wellbutrin), for example, is not chemically related to SSRI drugs and not associated with weight gain. In fact, a study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine in 2005 found that 400 mg of bupropion daily was effective in treating obesity: "Over a period of 6 to 12 months, weight loss in the bupropion group (4.4 kg) was significantly greater than in the placebo group (1.7 kg)." However, many patients find that SSRIs like Celexa are more effective than bupropion in treating mood disorders, especially major depression.

A doctor may consider prescribing a mild dose of bupropion in addition to an SSRI to help counteract the effect of increased appetite. (Bupropion's effectiveness as an anti-smoking drug, marketed under the name Zyban, may be related.) It is important to note that other antidepressants, especially monoamine oxidase inhibitors such as Nardil, should never be combined with SSRI drugs.

# Step 4
You may need to learn coping skills to deal with increased appetite. Weight loss programs like Weight Watchers, weight loss counseling or a program to deal with eating disorders such as Overeaters Anonymous may be useful. Remember that you have taken a major step in dealing with mood disorders, and even good change can be stressful. Take advantage of help available to learn to adapt to these changes.

Tagged as: Celexa, How to Lose Weight, How to Lose Weight While on Celexa, Lose Weight on Celexa No Comments

6Jan/100

Calories in Lollies

Each day last year the average American consumed about 200 calories in lollies, known also as candy, especially hard candy.

Sugar Free vs. Regular Lollies

For those with a sweet tooth, it's tempting while dieting to find a way to satisfy those cravings for something sweet. But if you really want to lose weight lollies are not recommended as a regular part of your diet because they are not only high in calories but are also in low-nutritional value. But a lollie here and there can keep you satisfied. A popular option is low calorie or sugar free candies. The thing you'll want to weigh in your decision is are they good for you? And how many calories do you really save?

For years, dentists have claimed lollies cause tooth decay, and doctors tell us they promote weight gain when eaten in excess. With obesity on the rise, healthier lollie choices are flooding the market and gaining in popularity. But the savings in calories, in reality isn't much. Regular hard candies usually fall between 15-20 calories each, while sugar-free varieties typically have half as many because the artificial sweeteners used are sweeter than sugar and have half the calories.

Calories in Lollies

Bite size pieces of candy can seem so innocent. Just pop one in your mouth after lunch when you crave something sweet. That's fine, but if you are counting calories or calculating carbs, you need to be aware that the calories in lollies add up. Don't sit at your desk and eat from the candy jar. Take a look at the following table and you'll see how easy it is to eat 100 calories or more without thinking. And if you're on a 1200 calorie diet, you'll want to find a snack that provides more fiber and sticks with you longer.

**Calories in Lollies**
Lollie or Hard Candy	Calories	Carbohydrates	Serving Size
Brach's Cinnamon Hard Candy	70	17 g.	3 pieces
Brach's Butterscotch Sugar Free	35	0 g.	3 pieces
Brach's Sugar Free Cinnamon Hard Candy	35	17 g.	3 pieces
Brach's Abra Cabubble	45	10 g.	1 piece
Brach's Strawberry Filled Hard Candy	50	13 g.	3 pieces
Werther's Original Hard Candy	60	13 g.	3 pieces
Butterscotch Hard Candy	23.7	5.72 g.	1 piece
Cream Savers Regular Hard Candy	70	13 g.	5 pieces
Jolly Ranchers Hard Candy	70	17 g.	3 pieces

Calories in Breath Mints

If you crave that little something sweet, and are trying to cut calories, you may want to consider replacing your lollie with a breath mint. Yes, breath mints are candy flavored with mint. And not all breath mints are created equal when it comes to calories so it is still important to know what you are putting in your mouth. However, in general you'll find breath mints much lower in calorie than traditional hard candies and even many sugar free candies.

Breath Mint	Calories	Carbohydrates	Serving Size
Ice Breakers Liquid Ice Mints	0	less than 1 g.	1 mint
Dentyne ICE Mints	1.3	0 g.	1 mint
Certs Breath Mints	4	1.7 g.	1 mint
Tic Tac	2	.5 g.	1 mint

How to Use Lollies to Help You Lose Weight

Even though lollies add calories to your diet, they are much less than most other dessert options. Even Angle Food Cake which is considered low has 128.5 calories for a slice. Taking this into consideration, plan ahead the next time you're going out to eat. Slip a lollie or two into your purse or pocket. Then when your companions sit around the table nibbling their delectable delights you can pull out your long lasting lollie and walk away from the table satisfied not only because you had dessert, but because you stayed within your calorie limit.

Tagged as: bar, calories, Calories in Lollies, carbohydrates, carbs, diet, fat, ice, lemon, lime, lolly, marks, mini, Nutrition, protein, spencer No Comments

6Jan/100

Calories in Alcohol

With 7 calories per gram, the number of calories in alcohol is second only after fat (9 cals/g).

The calories in alcohol are metabolised first by the body, ahead of burning fat - which is not desirable if on a weight loss diet.

How Many Calories are in the Alcohol You Like to Drink?

While it may be a normal part of your social life, the calories in alcohol can wreak havoc on your waistline. You may not realize it, but your happy hour drinks may add up to an entire meal or more.

Alcohol is Part of Life

Every year, over six billion gallons of beer are produced in the United States. The average consumption is 33 gallons per person in the U.S. Alcohol is prevalent at many social functions and is accepted as a normal part of many celebrations.

The Calories in Alcohol

Whether you know it or not, the alcohol you drink on a Saturday night with your friends has a huge impact on your diet. It wouldn't be so bad if you just drank one drink, but typically when the brew starts flowing, one isn't enough. Additionally, studies have proven that weight gained as a result of the calories in alcohol consumption tends to collect on the abdomen.

Beer Belly

According to the labels, beer has a lot of calories. For instance, one 12 ounce serving of Budweiser beer contains 145 calories. Coors Light contains 102 calories, and Corona has 148 calories. One bottle of Michelob contains 155 calories. So, if you just have one beer, it's really not too bad. However, if you consume four, you have nearly 600 calories in your system from just drinking.

Don't be a Whiner

Wine has gotten really good attention lately for containing a high level of antioxidants. It's been linked to preventing heart disease and some kinds of cancers and helping to deter strokes. Despite all of the good press it's been receiving, wine still packs a lot of calories. The recommended serving size for wine is one four ounce glass. Most wines contain nearly 100 calories per serving. Sauvignon Blanc contains 80 calories. Merlot adds 95 calories to your intake. Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon both contain 90 calories.

Liquor is Quicker

Liquor contains a lot of calories for such a small amount of liquid. The higher the proof, the higher the calorie content. A typical serving size is one and a half ounces. If the proof of the alcohol is 100 proof, it contains around 124 calories. 80 proof Liquor has 97 calories. One Gin and Tonic contains 200 calories. A single Long Island Iced Tea can add up to 750 calories to your daily caloric intake. A Margarita contributes up to 500 calories to your diet. A little bit of liquor goes a long way where calories are concerned.

What to Do?

It's hard to go out and about socially if you completely cut out alcohol because of your diet. However, there are ways to drink socially, but still control the calorie content. One key thing is to not snack while you're drinking. It's part of the social atmosphere, but typically as you're drinking, you're not as aware of how much you eat, and you fail to stop eating when you're no longer hungry.

Another solution is to reduce the number of nights you drink. Instead of drinking a beer every evening when you get home from work, just do it a night or two. Instead of going out drinking with friends on both nights of the weekend, just drink on one night. By reducing the amount of times you drink, you're going to drastically decrease your calorie intake.

If you don't want to reduce your time spent drinking, you can choose to exercise more. To burn 150 calories spend 15 minutes jogging, 30 minutes bicycling or 35 minutes walking.

Life in Moderation

They say that everything should be taken in moderation. Even gaining awareness that the alcoholic beverages that seem to be a necessary part of your Saturday night festivities are hindering your diet counts for a lot. Knowing how much of an impact they have on your waistline, you can plan accordingly when you know you're going to be in a social setting where alcohol is consumed.

Calories in Alcohol - Wine

Description	Serving Size	Calories (kCal)
Red Wine	175ml Glass	119
Red Wine	250ml Glass	170
Red Wine	1/2 Bottle (37.5cl)	255
Red Wine	Bottle (75cl)	510
White Wine - Dry	175ml Glass	116
White Wine - Dry	250ml Glass	165
White Wine - Dry	1/2 Bottle (37.5cl)	248
White Wine - Dry	Bottle (75cl)	495
White Wine - Medium	175ml Glass	130
White Wine - Medium	250ml Glass	185
White Wine - Sparkling	175ml Glass	130
White Wine - Sparkling	250ml Glass	185
Rose Wine	175ml Glass	124
Rose Wine	250ml Glass	178
Rose Wine	1/2 Bottle (37.5cl)	266
Rose Wine	Bottle (75cl)	532
Champagne	175ml Glass	133
Champagne	250ml Glass	190
Champagne	1/2 Bottle (37.5cl)	285
Champagne	Bottle (75cl)	570
Port	50ml Glass	78
Port	Large Glass	157
White Wine Spritzer (lemonade)	Reg Spritzer (175ml wine)	138
White Wine Spritzer (lemonade)	Lge Spritzer (250ml wine)	193
White Wine Spritzer (soda)	Reg Spritzer (175ml wine)	130
White Wine Spritzer (soda)	Lge Spritzer (250ml wine)	186

Calories in Alcohol - Gin

Description	Serving Size	Calories (kCal)
Bombay Sapphire Gin	Single (25ml)	59
Bombay Sapphire Gin	Double (50ml)	118
Gin & Slimline Tonic	Single	120
Gin & Slimline Tonic	Double	112
Gin & Tonic	Single	120
Gin & Tonic	Double	175

Calories in Alcohol - Vodka

Description	Serving Size	Calories (kCal)	Fat(g)
Vodka & Coke	Single (25ml)	120	0
Vodka & Coke	Double (50ml)	175	0
Vodka & Diet Coke	Single	56	0
Vodka & Diet Coke	Double	112	0
Vodka, Lime & Soda	Single	76	0
Vodka, Lime & Soda	Double	131

Calories in Alcohol - Rum

Description	Serving Size	Calories (kCal)
Bacardi & Coke	Single	129
Bacardi & Coke	Double	194
Bacardi & Diet Coke	Single	65
Bacardi & Diet Coke	Double	130
Bacardi Dark Rum	Single (25ml)	58
Bacardi Dark Rum	Double (50ml)	116
Bacardi White Rum	Single (25ml)	58
Bacardi White Rum	Double (50ml)	116
Bacardi White Rum	100ml	232

Calories in Alcohol - Other Spirits

Description	Serving Size	Calories (kCal)
Whisky & Lemonade	Single	82
Whisky & Lemonade	Single	137
Jack Daniels & Coke	Single	129
Jack Daniels & Coke	Double	193
Jack Daniels & Diet Coke	Single	64
Jack Daniels & Diet Coke	Double	128
Southern Comfort & Lemonade	Single	73
Southern Comfort & Lemonade	Double	119
Southern Comfort & Diet Lemonade	Single	48
Southern Comfort & Diet Lemonade	Double	94
Martini Rosso	Single (50ml)	70
Martini Rosso	Double (100ml)	140
Lambrini Bianco M/Dry	150ml Bottle	82
Lambrini Bianco M/Dry	175ml Glass	96
Lambrini Bianco M/Dry	250ml Glass	138
Martini Bianco	Single (50ml)	72
Martini Bianco	Double (100ml)	145
Martini Extra Dry	Single (50ml)	48
Martini Extra Dry	Double (100ml)	95
Vermouth, Dry	Single (50ml)	54
Vermouth, Dry	Double (100ml)	109
Vermouth, Sweet	Single (50ml)	76
Vermouth, Sweet	Double (100ml)	151

Calories in Alcohol - Beer

Description	Serving Size	Calories (kCal)	Fat(g)
Alcohol-free Lager	Pint	20	0
Alcohol-free Lager	1/2 Pint	40	0
Amstel Bier Lager	1/2 Pint	114	0
Amstel Bier Lager	330ml Bottle	132	0
Amstel Bier Lager	Pint	227	0
Banks Bitter	1/2 Pint	85	0
Banks Bitter	500ml Bottle	150	0
Banks Bitter	Pint	170	0
Becks Bier	1/2 Pint	102	0
Becks Bier	330ml Bottle	99	0
Becks Bier	Pint	204	0
Best/Premium Bitter	1/2 Pint	94	0
Best/Premium Bitter	Pint	187	0
Boddingtons Draught Bitter	1/2 Pint	85	0
Boddingtons Draught Bitter	440ml Can	132	0
Boddingtons Draught Bitter	Pint	170	0
Bud Ice	1/2 Pint	114	0
Bud Ice	330ml Bottle	132	0
Bud Ice	Pint	227	0
Bud Light	1/2 Pint	114	0
Bud Light	330ml Bottle	132	0
Bud Light	Pint	227	0
Budweiser Budvar	1/2 Pint	114	0
Budweiser Budvar	330ml Bottle	132	0
Budweiser Budvar	Pint	227	0
Budweiser Ice Bottle	1/2 Pint	114	0
Budweiser Ice Bottle	330ml Bottle	132	0
Budweiser Ice Bottle	Pint	227	0
Carling	1/2 Pint	94	0
Carling	330ml Bottle	165	0
Carling	Pint	187	0
Carling Premier	1/2 Pint	111	0
Carling Premier	440ml Can	172	0
Carling Premier	Pint	222	0
Carling Rock	1/2 Pint	94	0
Carling Rock	330ml Bottle	109	0
Carling Rock	Pint	187	0
Carlsberg Export	1/2 Pint	114	0
Carlsberg Export	500ml Bottle or Can	200	0
Carlsberg Export	Pint	227	0
Carlsberg Lager	1/2 Pint	91	0
Carlsberg Lager	Pint	182	0
Carlsberg Special Brew	1/2 Pint	196	0
Carlsberg Special Brew	500ml Bottle or Can	345	0
Carlsberg Special Brew	Pint	392	0
Castlemaine XXXX	1/2 Pint	111	0
Castlemaine XXXX	Pint	222	0
Fosters	1/2 Pint	97	0
Fosters	Pint	193	0
Fosters Export	1/2 Pint	105	0
Fosters Export	440ml Can	163	0
Fosters Export	Pint	210	0
Fosters Ice	1/2 Pint	105	0
Fosters Ice	330ml Bottle	122	0
Fosters Ice	Pint	210	0
Grolsch	1/2 Pint	122	0
Grolsch	500ml Bottle or Can	215	0
Grolsch	Pint	244	0
Guinness Draught	1/2 Pint	105	0.1
Guinness Draught	440ml Can	185	0.3
Guinness Draught	Pint	210	0.3
Heineken	1/2 Pint	114	0
Heineken	330ml Bottle	110	0
Heineken	Pint	227	0
Heineken Export	1/2 Pint	128	0
Heineken Export	440ml Can	198	0
Heineken Export	Pint	256	0
Holsten Export	1/2 Pint	111	0
Holsten Export	440ml Can	172	0
Holsten Export	Pint	222	0
John Smiths Bitter	1/2 Pint	85	0
John Smiths Bitter	440ml Can	132	0
John Smiths Bitter	Pint	170	0
Labatt Ice	1/2 Pint	114	0
Labatt Ice	330ml Bottle	132	0
Labatt Ice	Pint	227	0
Labatts	1/2 Pint	114	0
Labatts	500ml Bottle or Can	200	0
Labatts	Pint	227	0
Low Alcohol Bitter	1/2 Pint	37	0
Low Alcohol Bitter	Pint	74	0
Low Alcohol Lager	1/2 Pint	28	0
Low Alcohol Lager	Pint	57	0
Premium Lager	1/2 Pint	168	0
Premium Lager	Pint	335	0
Regular Lager	1/2 Pint	82	0
Regular Lager	Pint	165	0
Regular Bitter	1/2 Pint	85	0
Regular Bitter	Pint	170	0
Skol Lager	1/2 Pint	77	0
Skol Lager	500ml Can	135	0
Skol Lager	Pint	153	0
Staropramen	1/2 Pint	116	0
Staropramen	Pint	233	0
Stella Artois	1/2 Pint	128	0
Stella Artois	440ml Can	198	0
Stella Artois	Pint	256	0
Trophy Bitter	1/2 Pint	85	0
Trophy Bitter	440ml Can	132	0
Trophy Bitter	Pint	170	0
Whitbread Best Bitter	1/2 Pint	94	0
Whitbread Best Bitter	440ml Can	145	0
Whitbread Best Bitter	Pint	187	0

Tagged as: Alcohol Calories, calories alcohol, Calories in Alcohol No Comments

6Jan/100

Calories Needed for Women

The calories needed for women are less than those needed for men. That means if both eat the same food portions then the woman may gain weight while the man keeps his trim waistline.

Calories Needed for Women Differ

In general, men have leaner muscle mass than women and as a result will burn more calories. A woman doesn't burn calories as efficiently as a man and needs fewer calories. The caloric requirement for women can also differ from one woman to another. Caloric needs depend on a number of factors that are unique to your physical makeup.

Caloric Need Factors:

* Age
* Gender
* Genes
* Height
* Amount of exercise (activity level)
* Ratio of fat to muscle
* Weight, ratio of fat to muscle

Along with this standard list, you'll also need to take into consideration other variables such as being pregnant, breast feeding, or fighting an illness. All of these factors may increase your caloric need.

How Your Body Burns Calories

You don't want the process of determining how many calories you should eat to become an unsolvable puzzle that makes you throw your hands up in surrender. The easiest way to evaluate your individual caloric needs is to focus on your basal metabolic rate and level of physical exercise.
Basal Metabolic Rate

Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) controls the amount of calories your body burns in order to keep running. Even when your body is at rest, you’re burning calories to keep all of your automatic body functions operating. Your lungs breathe, your eyes blink, your heart pumps, and your liver and kidneys continue to filter your blood. That just skims the surface of the automatic body systems that don’t require your conscious thought in order to function. When it comes to the number of calories women need, more than half of the required calories are used to fuel automatic functions.

Physical Exercise

The second factor to take into consideration when determining caloric needs is your level of physical activity. Physical activity burns calories, and the more you exercise or move around the more calories you need.
Determine Your Caloric Needs

Learning your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and factoring in your physical activity will help you determine how many calories you need in order to maintain your current weight. If you plan to lose weight, then you'll need to burn more calories than you consume. This is the crux of any successful weight loss.

One formula commonly used to determine caloric needs for women is the Harris Benedict Formula. This mathematical formula determines calories needed based on height, weight, gender, and age. The calculation also takes into account your level of exercise and adjusts the caloric intake requirement accordingly.

Harris Benedict Formula

To figure out how many calories you need in a day multiply BMR by the most fitting activity factor:

Harris Benedict Formula

To figure out how many calories you need in a day multiply BMR by the most fitting activity factor:

Harris Benedict Formula

To figure out how many calories you need in a day multiply BMR by the most fitting activity factor:

Sedentary – little to no exercise: BMR x 1.2
Light activity – 3 days per week: BMR x 1.375
Moderate activity – 3-5 days a week: BMR x 1.55
Hard exercise – 6-7 days a week: BMR x 1.725
Very hard exercise—those who exercise hard, have a physical job or are in training: BMR x 1.9

It's always beneficial to understand how to calculate the calories you need. If you want to bypass the math, you can try some of the handy online calculators that use the Harris Benedict equation. These online calculators make determining your caloric needs easy.

Eating Too Many Calories

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service, women and men are eating too many calories. It's easy to overeat when you're served giant portions of food. Many advertisements and TV commercials encourage you with slogans that claim you need and deserve a break. All of these messages translate into eating more than you need. Knowing the calories needed for women is a tool you can use to help break this unhealthy trend.

Tagged as: Calories Needed, Calories that Need Womens, Needed for Women No Comments

16Dec/090

Calories Needed Each Day to Lose Weight

How many calories needed each day to lose weight depends on a number of factors and can vary from individual to individual.

To determine the number of calories needed to lose weight we must first try to calculate the calories required by the body. Only then is it possible to slowly lower the calories needed by the body until we are in a negative energy balance. The gradual reduction in calories required encourages the body to slowly use up fat stores rather than burning up protein from muscle - this is what often happens when calories are cut too quickly and results in a lowered metabolism!

There are several accurate formulas to choose from. We will show the Schofield equation below.

Equations for estimating basal metabolic rate (BMR) for adult men and women.

Men:

10 - 17 years BMR = 17.7 x W + 657 SEE = 105
18 - 29 years BMR = 15.1 x W + 692 SEE = 156
30 - 59 years BMR = 11.5 x W + 873 SEE = 167

Women:

10 - 17 years BMR = 13.4 x W + 692 SEE = 112
18 - 29 years BMR = 14.8 x W + 487 SEE = 120
30 - 59 years BMR = 8.3 x W + 846 SEE = 112

Key:

W = Body weight in Kilograms - convert body weight here!

SEE = Standard error of estimation

The SEE value means the calculated BMR could be this number of calories out, in other words either too many or too little. As an example, if you are very muscular and possess more lean weight than an average person of the same height and weight, then you may have to add the SEE value to the BMR calculated. The simple reason is more lean weight means more calories needed!

An example calculation of calories needed for a woman aged 30 years and weighing 70 kilograms (154 pounds)...

30 - 59 years BMR = 8.3 x W + 846 SEE = 112
BMR = 8.3 x 70 + 846
BMR = 1427 calories needed for basal metabolic rate!

Now remember the SSE, this is 112. So if the woman is about average body fat percentage then we could say this value is about right. However, look at her age!

She is at the lower end of the scale (30 - 59 years) for this reason we may have to add the SEE value to the calculation simply because younger people generally need more calories. Therefore the real BMR for this woman is more likely to be around 1539!

What Is a Calorie?

When considering how many calories needed each day to lose weight, you hear the term calorie bandied about, but most people have a really nebulous idea of what a calorie actually is.

A calorie is a unit of food energy. Six nutrients contain calories. Carbohydrates and proteins have four calories per gram. Fats are more energetically dense, and have nine calories per gram. Alcohol has seven calories per gram. Other sources of calories include organic acids (such as acetic acid and lactic acid) and polyols (sugar alcohols such as Mannitol, Xylitol and Glycerol).

Calories and Weight Loss

One of the basic tenants of weight loss is that you need to burn more calories than you eat in order to lose weight. While this is true, the process is a little more complex than that simple statement indicates.

Calories – energy units – are burned by your body as energy. There is, however, a limit to the amount of calories your body utilizes as energy. This amount varies from person to person based upon a number of factors including your basic metabolic burn rate, the amount of lean body mass you have, and your activity level. Other chemical and hormonal factors may also affect how many calories your body burns each day, but they are beyond the scope of this article and are best discussed with a nutritionist or physician.

Any calorie consumed that your body does not convert to energy is stored as body fat.

Basal Metabolic Rate

Your basal metabolic rate is your minimal caloric burn rate. These are the calories you need just to exist and support bodily functions such as respiration, heart beat and digestion to name a few. This is an important number to consider when determing how many calories needed each day to lose weight. It is never advisable to have a daily caloric intake that falls below this basal metabolic rate (BMR). There are a number of methods that can be used to calculate BMR ranging from the very scientific which is done in a doctor’s office to an estimation that will work well for most people who are trying to get a handle on how much to eat. To get a general idea of your BMR, use this BMR calculator. This is the lowest amount of calories you should EVER eat unless directed otherwise by a physician.

Lean Body Mass

In general, the more lean body mass you have, the more calories your body will burn. Lean body mass is everything in your body that is not fat including muscles, bones, water and organs. Your lean body mass to body fat ratio is also referred to your body composition. There are a number of ways to measure body composition, including skin fold calipers and hydrostatic weighing. Most body composition calculations need to be done by an expert who has been trained in body composition. Skin caliper measurements are usually the least expensive method.

Activity Level

The more active you are, the more calories you will burn. Activity level includes more than formal exercise. It also includes how sedentary or active your job is, and whether you fidget a lot or sit still. There is a good basic equation that takes your activity level into account and recommends caloric intake based upon how active you are. This equation is called the Harris-Benedict equation. You can use a Harris-Benedict calculator to calculate your daily caloric needs.

How Many Calories Needed Each Day to Lose Weight?

Your individual answer will depend on the two numbers you derived – your BMR and your Harris-Benedict number. Since you need to burn more calories than you take in, a good rule of thumb is to take your Harris-Benedict calculation and subtract between 300 and 500 calories from that number. This, then, would be your required daily caloric intake for weight loss.

Eating Below Your BMR

Never eat below your BMR number, because your body will begin to convert your lean body mass to energy. This, in turn, decreases your lean body mass (even though your weight is dropping), which decreases your basal metabolic rate. This can become a vicious cycle that traps many dieters, who find they can eat less and less and need to exercise more and more to even be able to maintain their weight loss.

Increasing Your Body’s Ability to Burn Calories

Is the number of calories you can eat and still lose weight alarmingly low? You can increase your body’s ability to burn calories. There are two ways you can do this. First, you can increase your lean body mass through strength training. Secondly, you can increase your activity level. If you significantly increase your activity level, you will need to recalculate your caloric needs so that you can continue healthy weight loss that sacrifices minimal lean body mass.

Once you have determined how many calories you need to eat daily to lose weight, check out some of the different diet recommendations for a 1200 calorie diet, 1500 calorie diet and an 1800 calorie diet.

Tagged as: Calories Needed Each Day to Lose Weight, Daily calories needed to lose weight average No Comments

16Dec/091

Calories Burned

When you hear the word metabolism, it is best to think of the number of calories burned by your body. A calorie is a unit of measure of energy for our body. The foods we eat supply the calories through protein, carbohydrate, and fat. How many calories we burn differs from one person to the next. The information here will help you understand your metabolism, how it relates to the calorie equation, and how you can boost it for optimum weight management.

How is a Calorie Burned?

We use calories for every function our body endures. Breathing, blood flow, heart beat, and kidney function all require energy; hence calories are being used as these involuntary mechanisms are taking place. Every organ system in our body is made up of millions of cells and each cell created energy in an effort to function properly. This, then, is how calories are burned.Calorie restricted diet

Exercise Calories

Another way in which our body uses energy is through voluntary exercise. For example, it takes a certain number of calories to walk one mile. Every activity requires a different amount of calories. This is why highly trained athletes such as triathletes or cyclists, need to consume enormous amounts of food. The sedentary person requires much fewer calories since the only calories being burned on a regular basis is what the involuntary organ activities require.

Basal Metabolic Rate

Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the number of calories that you body needs to run on a daily basis without any extra physical activity or exercise routines. It is this number that is key to weight management, whether it be weight loss, weight gain, or weight maintenance. For example, if a person’s BMR determines a caloric requirement of 1400 calories per day, then theoretically this is the amount of food that person would eat to maintain his or her current weight. If weight gain was intended, then an increase of 250 – 500 calories each day would result in a ½ to 1 pounds weight gain over the course of seven days. For weight loss, a deficit of that amount of calories would result in a weight loss of ½ to 1 pound over the course of week’s time.

How to Determine Number of Calories Burned

Physical activity is often recommended for weight management purposes because it causes the caloric deficit the body needs in order to lose weight. When incorporated into a healthy diet, exercise can significantly encourage weight loss. Here is a short list of some activities and the number of calories burned based on a 120 pound person per hour of activity. The number of calories increases as body weight increases.

aerobic dance 330
bicycling at 10mph 220
bowling 165
driving a car 110
eating 80
gardening 275
golfing (walking) 250
hiking 330
horseback riding 220
housework 135
jogging 385
sleeping 50
soccer 385
swimming 330
tennis 385
walking (brisk) 220
watching TV 55
weight training 165

As you can see, the more vigorous the activity, the more calories burned. This is why it is best to get up and move instead of being sedentary most of the time.

Metabolic Differences

Every person is made differently and so are their metabolisms. While age, weight, height, gender, and genetics are pieces to the metabolic puzzle, body composition is a large piece as well. A person with a lean muscle mass greater than fat mass will have a higher BMR than a person with a higher fat to muscle mass ratio. This is because muscle tissue is highly metabolic and burns more calories per hour than fat tissue.

Calories Burned During Exercise

Activity (1 hour)	130lbs	155lbs	190lbs
Aerobics, general Aerobics, high impact Aerobics, low impact Archery (nonhunting) Automobile repair Backpacking, general Badminton, competitive Badminton, social, general Basketball, game Basketball, nongame, general Basketball, officiating Basketball, shooting baskets Basketball, wheelchair Bicycling, <10mph, leisure Bicycling, >20mph, racing Bicycling, 10-11.9mph, light Bicycling, 12-13.9mph, moderate Bicycling, 14-15.9mph, vigorous Bicycling, 16-19mph, very fast, racing Bicycling, BMX or mountain Bicycling, stationary, general Bicycling, stationary, light Bicycling, stationary, moderate Bicycling, stationary, very light Bicycling, stationary, very vigorous Bicycling, stationary, vigorous Billiards Bowling Boxing, in ring, general Boxing, punching bag Boxing, sparring Broomball Calisthenics, home, vigorous Calisthenics, home, light/moderate Canoeing, on camping trip Canoeing, rowing, >6 mph, vigorous Canoeing, rowing, crewing, competition Canoeing, rowing, light Canoeing, rowing, moderate Carpentry, general Carrying heavy loads, such as bricks Child care: sitting/kneeling-dressing Child care: standing-dressing, feeding Circuit training, general Cleaning, heavy, vigorous Cleaning, house, general Cleaning, light, moderate Coaching: football, soccer, basketball Construction, outside, remodeling Cooking or food preparation Cricket (batting, bowling) Croquet Curling Dancing, aerobic, ballet or modern Dancing, ballroom, fast Dancing, ballroom, slow Dancing, general Darts, wall or lawn Diving, springboard or platform Electrical work, plumbing Farming, baling hay, cleaning barn Farming, milking by hand Farming, shoveling grain Fencing Fishing from boat, sitting Fishing from river bank, standing Fishing in stream, in waders Fishing, general Fishing, ice, sitting Football or baseball, playing catch Football, competitive Football, touch, flag, general Frisbee playing, general Frisbee, ultimate Gardening, general Golf, carrying clubs Golf, general Golf, miniature or driving range Golf, pulling clubs Golf, using power cart Gymnastics, general Hacky sack Handball, general Handball, team Health club exercise, general Hiking, cross country Hockey, field Hockey, ice Horse grooming Horse racing, galloping Horseback riding, general Horseback riding, trotting Horseback riding, walking Hunting, general Jai alai Jogging, general Judo, karate, kick boxing, tae kwan do Kayaking Kickball Lacrosse Marching band, playing instrument Marching, rapidly, military Moto-cross Moving furniture, household Moving household items-upstairs Moving household items-carrying Mowing lawn, general Mowing lawn, riding mower Music playing, cello, flute, horn Music playing, drums Music playing, guitar, classical (sitting) Music playing, guitar, rock/roll (stand) Music playing, piano, organ, violin Paddleboat Painting, papering, plastering, scraping Polo Pushing or pulling stroller with child Race walking Racquetball, casual, general Racquetball, competitive Raking lawn Rock climbing, ascending rock Rock climbing, rapelling Rope jumping, fast Rope jumping, moderate, general Rope jumping, slow Rowing, stationary, light Rowing, stationary, moderate Rowing, stationary, very vigorous Rowing, stationary, vigorous Rugby Running, 10 mph (6 min mile) Running, 10.9 mph (5.5 min mile) Running, 5 mph (12 min mile) Running, 5.2 mph (11.5 min mile) Running, 6 mph (10 min mile) Running, 6.7 mph (9 min mile) Running, 7 mph (8.5 min mile) Running, 7.5mph (8 min mile) Running, 8 mph (7.5 min mile) Running, 8.6 mph (7 min mile) Running, 9 mph (6.5 min mile) Running, cross country Running, general Running, in place Running, on a track, team practice Running, stairs, up Running, training, pushing wheelchair Running, wheeling, general Sailing, windsurfing, general Sailing, in competition Scrubbing floors, on hands and knees Shoveling snow, by hand Shuffleboard, lawn bowling Sitting-playing with child(ren)-light Skateboarding Skating, ice, 9 mph or less Skating, ice, general Skating, ice, rapidly, > 9 mph Skating, ice, speed, competitive Skating, roller Ski jumping (climb up carrying skis) Ski machine, general Skiing, cross-country, racing Skiing, cross-country, moderate Skiing, cross-country, slow or light Skiing, cross-country, uphill, max Skiing, cross-country, vigorous Skiing, downhill, light Skiing, downhill, moderate Skiing, downhill, vigorous , racing Skiing, snow, general Skiing, water Ski-mobiling, water Skin diving, scuba diving, general Sledding, bobsledding, luge Snorkeling Snow shoeing Snowmobiling Soccer, casual, general Soccer, competitive Softball or baseball, fast or slow pitch Softball, officiating Squash Stair-treadmill ergometer, general Standing-packing/unpacking boxes Stretching, hatha yoga Surfing, body or board Sweeping garage, sidewalk Swimming laps- fast-vigorous Swimming laps, freestyle-light Swimming, backstroke, general Swimming, breaststroke, general Swimming, butterfly, general Swimming, leisurely, general Swimming, sidestroke, general Swimming, sychronized Swimming, treading water, vigorous Swimming, treading water, moderate Table tennis, ping pong Tai chi Teaching aerobics class Tennis, doubles Tennis, general Tennis, singles Unicycling Volleyball, beach Volleyball, competitive, in gymnasium Volleyball, noncompetitive Walk/run-playing with child-moderate Walk/run-playing with child-vigorous Walking, 2.0 mph, slow pace Walking, 3.0 mph, mod. pace Walking, 3.5 mph, uphill Walking, 4.0 mph, very brisk pace Walking, carrying infant or 15-lb load Walking, grass track Walking, upstairs Walking, using crutches Wallyball, general Water aerobics, water calisthenics Water polo Water volleyball Weight lifting/body building, vigorous Weight lifting, light or moderate Whitewater rafting/kayaking/canoeing	354 413 295 207 177 413 413 266 472 354 413 266 384 236 944 354 472 590 708 502 295 325 413 177 738 620 148 177 708 354 531 413 472 266 236 708 708 177 413 207 472 177 207 472 266 207 148 236 325 148 295 148 236 354 325 177 266 148 177 207 472 177 325 354 148 207 354 236 118 148 531 472 177 207 295 325 236 177 295 207 236 236 708 472 325 354 472 472 354 472 236 384 148 295 708 413 590 295 413 472 236 384 236 354 531 413 325 148 118 236 118 177 148 236 266 472 148 384 413 590 236 649 472 708 590 472 561 413 708 502 590 944 1062 472 531 590 649 679 738 797 826 885 531 472 472 590 885 472 177 177 295 325 354 177 148 295 325 413 531 885 413 413 561 826 472 413 974 531 295 354 472 413 354 413 413 413 295 472 207 413 590 295 354 708 354 207 236 177 236 590 472 472 590 649 354 472 472 590 236 236 236 354 354 413 472 295 472 236 177 236 295 148 207 354 236 207 295 472 236 413 236 590 177 354 177 295	422 493 352 246 211 493 493 317 563 422 493 317 457 281 1126 422 563 704 844 598 352 387 493 211 880 739 176 211 844 422 633 493 563 317 281 844 844 211 493 246 563 211 246 563 317 246 176 281 387 176 352 176 281 422 387 211 317 176 211 246 563 211 387 422 176 246 422 281 141 176 633 563 211 246 352 387 281 211 352 246 281 281 844 563 387 422 563 563 422 563 281 457 176 352 844 493 704 352 493 563 281 457 281 422 633 493 387 176 141 281 141 211 176 281 317 563 176 457 493 704 281 774 563 844 704 563 669 493 844 598 704 1126 1267 563 633 704 774 809 880 950 985 1056 633 563 563 704 1056 563 211 211 352 387 422 211 176 352 387 493 633 1056 493 493 669 985 563 493 1161 633 352 422 563 493 422 493 493 493 352 563 246 493 704 352 422 844 422 246 281 211 281 704 563 563 704 774 422 563 563 704 281 281 281 422 422 493 563 352 563 281 211 281 352 176 246 422 281 246 352 563 281 493 281 704 211 422 211 352	518 604 431 302 259 604 604 388 690 518 604 388 561 345 1380 518 690 863 1035 733 431 474 604 259 1078 906 216 259 1035 518 776 604 690 388 345 1035 1035 259 604 302 690 259 302 690 388 302 216 345 474 216 431 216 345 518 474 259 388 216 259 302 690 259 474 518 216 302 518 345 173 216 776 690 259 302 431 474 345 259 431 302 345 345 1035 690 474 518 690 690 518 690 345 561 216 431 1035 604 863 431 604 690 345 561 345 518 776 604 474 216 173 345 173 259 216 345 388 690 216 561 604 863 345 949 690 1035 863 690 819 604 1035 733 863 1380 1553 690 776 863 949 992 1078 1165 1208 1294 776 690 690 863 1294 690 259 259 431 474 518 259 216 431 474 604 776 1294 604 604 819 1208 690 604 1423 776 431 518 690 604 518 604 604 604 431 690 302 604 863 431 518 1035 518 302 345 259 345 863 690 690 863 949 518 690 690 863 345 345 345 518 518 604 690 431 690 345 259 345 431 216 302 518 345 302 431 690 345 604 345 863 259 518 259 431

16Dec/090

Calorie Count

What are calories?

Calories are the amount of energy that is produced by a given quantity of a food. Calories are supplied by the carbohydrate, protein, fat, and alcohol in food.

Why count calories?

Fact: When you eat more calories than you need, you gain weight. The wild card is determining what you need because there are so many variables. In general, an individual needs only the calories he is able to burn. You can maintain a healthy weight by matching the calories you take in to the calories you burn day-after-day. You lose weight by taking in fewer calories than you burn.

Counting calories is a real eye-opener. Research shows that most people don't realize how many calories they eat. They don't see the extra calories that come from large portions and from high fat foods.

As a weight loss method, calorie counting doesn't give you rules about what, when, and how much to eat. The only recommendation is to have a balanced diet of the foods you prefer within your calorie requirements. Calorie counting induces people to adjust their food choices, portions, and physical activity to reach their calorie goals.

How are calorie requirements derived for an individual?

Calorie requirements are determined by several factors, including your body composition, gender, and age. Larger people with more muscle need more calories, and men and younger people needing more calories than women and older people. Other factors, such as excessive thyroid hormone, fever and illness, and extremes in temperature, can raise calorie requirements temporarily. An individual's activity level also impacts his calorie requirements, but that is not a fixed factor because activity can change from day-to-day.

How many calories should I be eating in a day?

Assuming you are in good health, the answer depends on your height, weight, age, gender, activity level, and the amount of muscle you have on board. For instance, at moderate activity levels, a 30-year old woman who is 5'5" and 125 pounds needs about 2200 calories a day, while a 30-year old man who is 6'0" and 172 pounds, needs about 2800 calories a day. Calorie requirements should be based on a person's adequate weight rather than on a weight that is over or under the adequate range. A person's muscle mass is the wild card in setting requirements because it is difficult to measure muscle mass without special training and equipment. In order to lose weight, you should create a deficit of 500 - 1000 fewer calories than you need. To create that deficit, you have the options of eating less, moving more, or doing a little of each. The Calorie Target calculator in the Tools section will determine your calorie needs.

How much weight should I lose?

Ideally, you should lose enough weight to place you in the adequate weight range on the BMI chart, which is a BMI of 18.5 - 24.9. For example, for a 5'5" tall person, the adequate range is 114 - 144 pounds. The range accounts for differences in gender, frame size and muscle mass. Small-boned Asian and some Caucasian women should aim for the bottom of the range, while men, large-boned and African people are better placed at the top of the range. Considerable variation exists among individuals regardless of race.

The rate at which you should lose weight is another issue. An average loss of 0.5 to 2 pounds per week is the medical recommendation for good health. Success is defined as a loss of 10% of body weight over six months.

What should I eat in a day?

You should eat a balanced diet with all of the food groups represented. After you have the necessary food groups, you can spend them on "discretionary" foods that are tasty but lacking nutrients. Of course, you can spend your discretionary calories on wholesome foods as well. For great information about what to eat in one day, go to www.mypyramid.gov.

Do I have to eat three meals a day?

There is no law that says you have to eat three meals a day. You may eat two, four, five or more meals if you prefer. The three-meal plan follows the body's natural tendency to feel hungry about five hours after the last meal. If you choose to eat less often, you might become ravenous and be inclined to overeat. If you eat more frequently, your meals will have to be small to keep within your calorie requirements.

Read more in our library: Mini-meals and Metabolism, 1500-calories in three meals a day, 1500-calories in six meals a day.

Why must I eat at least 1,200 calories a day when I want to eat less?

In order to get the daily food servings you need for a balanced diet, it takes about 1200 calories a day. With careful planning, you could have a balanced diet on 1000 calories, but the restrictiveness of a very low calorie level can lead to binging and weight cycling. What's more, very low calorie diets can cause excessive muscle breakdown and metabolic adaptations, which can make you need fewer calories to maintain a higher weight.

Should I be following a low carbohydrate diet?

Research shows that dieters who follow a low carbohydrate diet, like Atkins, lose more weight at first, but after one year, there is no difference in weight loss between dieters who follow low carbohydrate or low fat diets. Calorie control makes the difference. As long as you stay within your calorie requirements for weight loss, the specific ratio of carbohydrate to protein to fat is not so important as long as you get the nutrients you need and do not exceed the upper limits for saturated and trans fats.

Part of About.com and The New York Times Company, Calorie-Count.com (as the name implies) offers calorie and nutritional information for common foods. These include a variety of categories, including:

Fruits and Vegetables
Meats and Proteins
Snacks
Cereals, Pasta, and Baked Goods
Fast Foods
Entrees and meals
Beverages and Condiments
Specific Name Brand Products

You can either browse the headings or use the calorie count search tool to find the food or beverage you're looking for.

Activity Browser

The Activity Browser, often referred to as a calorie counter, on the site provides a list of common activities and how many calories each activity burns per hour, including necessary daily activities, recreation, and occupational tasks. These cover a wide range, from bathing, carrying groceries upstairs, and cleaning carpets to painting, standing in church, or playing the cello.

Of course, the activities which are often thought of first when burning calories are included as well. The calories burned from exercise and highly active categories such as the following are also shown:

Sports
Running
Bicycling
Walking
Swimming
Aerobics

Recipes

Another feature of Calorie-count.com is their recipe collection. The member-submitted recipes are grouped according to type of food, listed by popularity, or available via the recipe search feature. Each recipe provides nutritional information, including the number of calories per serving.

Each recipe also features a nutritional analysis that gives the recipe a "grade" and points out the pros and cons, such as low in fat or high in sugar. If you want to know the caloric content and nutritional values of a recipe without submitting it to the site, Calorie-Count.com also offers an innovative recipe analysis tool that provides this information for several homemade recipes and dishes.

For those who love doing their own cooking and baking, the recipe center and recipe analysis tools are extremely helpful.

Additional Resources

Along with the calories counts for various foods and beverages, the activity calorie burning charts, and the recipe sections, Calorie-Count.com also offers other weight loss resources. These include forums, a library of health, diet, and weight loss articles, links to additional health sites on About.com, and a substantial FAQs page.

Although the resources are free, they ask you to complete a free registration. You can view the calorie counters and other resources without registering, but you cannot post to the forums or submit recipes.

Navigating the Site

The site is easy to navigate for the most part, including pertinent headings and recent and popular searches. They also include an interactive demo that shows you how to incorporate Calorie-Count.com into your weight loss program.

Improving the Site

A fairly new site, Calorie-count.com offers its audience a chance to improve the growing site by submitting features they think would be beneficial or would like to use themselves. The ideas that are already planned or in the process of being integrated into the site are tagged under a "To-do" list, while others remain on the suggestion list.

While Calorie-Count.com does appear to offer a number of good resources, it's important to note that the information on the forums can be posted by anyone, and therefore should not be taken as the last word on weight loss. Nor are there any bylines or experts associated with the articles on the site's Library. And, while it is assumed that the site is authored by professionals, this may be of a concern to those interested in obtaining accurate and trustworthy weight loss information.

Tagged as: Best Life Diet, Burning Calories, Calorie-Count.com, Cheap Diet Pills, Diet Myths, Easy Weight Loss, Fast Food Calories, Food Diary, Free Calorie Counters, Walking for Weight Loss No Comments

16Dec/090

Calorie Shifting

The most important part of calorie shifting is that you have to eat meals up to 4 or more times a day. No snacks or tiny meals are allowed in between. Every meal should again have different calorie values, but must be a full meal. It is also very much recommended that you drink up to 10 glasses of water a day (you can also drink sodas, coffee and juices in addition to this).

Drinking lots of water during calorie shifting helps speed up the process and increase the weight loss effect because the water will flush out the food and help keep metabolism high. Now most people make the common mistake of disregarding this diet altogether and just drinking water. This will help you lose weight but not as quickly.

Because you are eating meals in different calorie values, you will cause a unique reflex in your body which will raise metabolism and fat burning and keep it high for as long as you keep doing calorie shifting so you can lose weight while you sleep! The combination of eating 4 or more meals a day with different calorie values in each meal, combined with drinking plenty of water is the main idea behind how to calorie shift.

The Calorie Shifting Method, also knows as Calorie-cycling or Zig-zag diet, is one of the latest solutions to come along to help people lose weight.

Metabolism and Shifting Calories

Statistics say that 95 percent of diets fail, and in most cases dieters end up weighing more than when they started. The reason cited for these weight loss failures is that when a dieter deprives her body of certain foods or cuts calorie intake considerably, it results in a slower metabolism rate as the body's biological survival mechanism kicks in. When the body thinks it is starving, it slows the metabolic rate to use fuel deposits as efficiently as possible, making them last. A slower metabolism works against weight loss goals.

Calorie shifting is a weight loss method designed to keep the metabolism running high so dieters continue to burn fat quickly.

How Calorie Shifting Works

Calorie Shifting works to trick a dieter's metabolism. This is accomplished by rotating food types and amounts. It requires eating specific foods at certain times of day, and then rotating food choices so that the metabolism doesn't adjust to a specific diet regime. Promoters of this diet say that this is the key to not gaining weight back when dieters go off the diet. Following this diet keeps a person's metabolism guessing at how much fuel or energy it will have on hand, and when dieters lose the desired weight and go off the diet, their metabolism is still running at peak efficiency. As a result, when they incorporate other foods back into their diet, it doesn't flood a slow metabolism with an overload of calories or carbs that it can't handle. This shifting of caloric intake requires changing the following every few days:

Kinds of food you eat
The nutrients
Calorie amounts

This can be accomplished by focusing your eating on carbs for a few days, then mainly protein, change your intake of fat, and mixing up the amount of calories eaten from day to day so the body can't find a metabolic set point.

The Downside

Following this rotation of varying calorie amounts is not easy. It still requires a plan to work. If you try to do this on your own, it requires the development of an expert menu based on the shifting calorie system. This is most often accomplished with the use of special software.

Diets that Use Shifting Calorie Method

The following diets claim lasting weight loss results for those who practice the Calorie Shifting Method:

Fat Loss 4 Idiots Diet
Zig-zag Diet - Varies daily calories averaging 1250-1300 calories per day over the course of a week. But one day you can eat 1200 calories, on another, 1600, then 1,000 and so on making sure your daily caloric intake for the week falls into the average.
Calorie Restricted Diet
The Idiot Proof Diet
Calorie Cycling

Keep Your Body Guessing

According to those who promote the Calorie Shifting method, following a varying calorie intake from day to day will keep your body guessing. Your metabolism won't slow because it expects a certain amount of fuel to be burned. Instead the fluctuating calorie amounts will keep your metabolism running high, burning that unwanted body fat while you enjoy a variety of food selections. Change the kinds of food, the nutrients and the calories you eat every few days to keep your body guessing and avoid the yo-yo affect when you've reached your weight loss goal and go off the diet.

Tagged as: how to calorie shift, how to do a calorie shifting diet, how to lose belly fat fast No Comments

16Dec/090

Calorie King

CalorieKing is an online weight loss club and software developer with a program centred around healthy eating and exercise ("calories in, calories out"). The company offers products and services tailored specifically for the United States and Australian markets. As well as offering help for people who wish to lose weight, there are also programs and support for those who want to maintain their current weight, or to gain weight. The web sites' resources also include forums, and an extensive library of recipes and health and weight loss related articles contributed by company staff as well as other organisations and contributors.

Counting calories is a common yet frustrating method of food monitoring, but now dieters and anyone interested in being knowledgeable about what they eat can turn to a convenient online resource: the Calorie King.

About Calorie King

This innovative website was launched in 1996 to help promote food awareness rather than mindless dieting. The philosophical goal to “set the food record straight” combines the idea of straightforward information with tools for lifelong weight control through healthier, informed food decisions. By offering visitors a rich diet of updated information and interactive resources, the company strives to alter society’s perceptions of food and encourages improved eating habits that lead to healthier lifestyles instead of just a temporary diet plan.

In 2003, a three month intensive program – Calorie King University – was introduced to educate users about nutrition, weight management, and lifestyle changes to promote better health. In 2004, that educational option was followed by the Nutrition and Exercise Manager desktop software, giving users another convenient tool to track their progress. Today, the website offers a wide range of materials to help users discover the many options healthy eating habits can encompass, as well as providing constant updates and ongoing support as users work their way toward better food awareness.

Available Tools

There are many online tools available for users to track not only the number of calories in their favorite foods, but also to monitor their eating and related lifestyle habits. Popular website features include educational materials, interactive tools, and the ever-growing food database.

Educational Materials

A successful dieter is one who understands what foods meet their nutritional needs, who knows how diets do and don’t work, and who is willing to learn more about diet trends and fads before blindly signing up for restrictive meal plans or alternative treatments. Calorie King provides a startling array of educational materials to help users learn more about their diets, including:

Informational articles about diet myths, nutrition, children’s and teens’ dietary needs, and motivational topics.
Illustrated portion guides for popular foods that demonstrate the increase in calories, fat, carbohydrates, and proteins as portion sizes increase.
Recipes for any meal or taste preference with an emphasis on nutritional awareness and balance.

Food Database

The food database is undeniably the most popular feature. This comprehensive guide has information on more than 55,000 food items, including brand name products, restaurant menus, fast food calories, and general types of food, from alcohol and soda to soups, chocolate, bread, tofu, fruits, chips, and more.

Categorized entries make both searching and browsing convenient, and each type of food offers average data as well as specific information on calories, carbohydrates, fat grams, sodium, protein, and other nutritional components. Visitors can increase the serving size for an instant appraisal relevant to their eating habits, and each entry’s calorie breakdown includes the percent of recommended daily values for further comparisons.

Interactive Options

Users can personalize their online experience by taking advantage of the interactive features, such as:

Simple quizzes to gauge grocery shopping habits, emotional eating tendencies, types of dieters, a chocoholic predisposition, and more.
Calculators to provide personalized body mass index and exercise target heart rate results, as well as to help users understand how exercising contributes to the calories burned from a meal, snack, or treat.
Forums, blogs, and live chats for members to share their triumphs and setbacks, building a supportive community of like-minded individuals.
Success stories with a wide range of weight loss totals and before-and-after pictures to encourage both current and new users.

Learning More

Visitors can learn even more about dieting and nutrition by becoming website members for a modest fee (access to informational articles, most interactive tools, and the comprehensive food database does not require membership). A free e-mail newsletter is also available, as well as various shopping options for related merchandise.

How Calorie King Can Help Dieters

Unlike many calorie-oriented websites, Calorie King is not about dieting or losing weight through counting calories. Instead, the website promotes intensive awareness about the properties of food to help users make informed decisions about their eating habits. Rather than promoting dieting as a temporary measure, dieting is viewed as a lifestyle habit that helps determine an individual’s health and wellness, both things that can be improved with the tools and information available.

- Calorie King is a useful informational website with an extensive database of food entries, nutrition articles, and other resources to help everyone gain better control of eating habits through the most effective diet tool possible: education. With many interactive features and support options, every dieter can find the tools to help them succeed.

The CalorieKing Program

If you're like everybody else, you've lost weight before. What most of us aren't so good at, though, is keeping the weight off over time. The CalorieKing Program is a step-by-step, well-guided but self-driven series of levels structured to build a foundation for successful, permanent weight loss. You'll be given the basic science, practical steps and behavioral changes you need to lose and manage your weight for a lifetime.

For more information, visit CalorieKing com.

13Dec/090

Counting Calories

How many calories should I eat if I want to lose weight?

Counting calories is one of the basic methods to a weight loss plan. With some vital information about how this approach to dieting works, an effortless and easy loss of extra weight is sure to follow.

Many people repeat "A calorie is a calorie is a calorie". It's both true and not true. Calorie counting is a powerful technique when it comes to loosing excessive weight, but calorie counting alone, even if you use the most advanced calorie counter, wouldn't help much. When you try to lose weight, you consume less energy (food calories) to force your body to burn the energy already stored as fat (fat calories). What you have to realize is that your body needs to get adequate amounts of all essential micronutrients from food you consume especially when you try to lose weight.

Technically, there is no magic number of calories we should all eat each day to lose weight. While most people can lose weight eating around 1,500 calories, you can assess your own personal caloric needs with a little math.

Calories In vs. Calories Out

The equation for weight management is an uncomplicated one and straightforward: calories in equals calories out. For weight loss, the equation is defined as calories in less than calories out. Hence, the amount of food eaten (and the calories contained in that amount of food) is either the same or less than the calories your body needs for involuntary energy expenditure and voluntary physical energy needs.

Why Counting Calories is Important

With the above equation in mind, it is important for weight loss purposes to achieve the necessary deficit of calories, keeping in mind that one pound of body weight is equivalent to 3500 calories. There are two way in which to do this:

*Eat less

*Move more

Counting calories on a daily basis is the only way to know for certain if you are eating the appropriate amount of food, whether you are seeking weight maintenance or weight loss. If weight loss is your goal, your body will use up stored fat for energy needs when the calorie shortage is reached. Daily caloric requirements differ for everyone. The following steps are critical for effective weight management:

Know your calorie requirement by finding your basal metabolic rate specific for you.
Calculate the amount of calories expended through your preferred physical activity.
Start counting calories.
Reach a 3500 calorie deficit and say good-bye to a pound of weight.

How to Count Calories

Calorie counting requires the following knowledge:

*1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 calories

*1 gram of protein = 4 calories

*1 gram of fat = 9 calories
It is the accumulation of carbohydrate, protein, and fat, the three macronutrients, which comprise total calorie intake. In contrast, vitamins and minerals, known as the micronutrients, do not contain calories and do not add to calorie content. So, if 50 grams of carbohydrate, 9 grams of protein, and 10 grams of fat make up your meal, your total calorie amount would be 326 calories

The Twist

Many foods contain a combination of the macronutrients, which generates a not-so-clear picture of calorie counts. For this reason, label reading and calorie counters are life-saving tools for keeping on track.

Label Reading

Finding nutrition information is easy due to the nutrition facts label on most packaged foods purchased at the supermarket. Be sure to first check serving size and total number of servings contained in the package before proceeding. Once this information is known, you can easily tally up your calories by simply locating the total calories per serving at the top of the label. Carbohydrate, protein, and fat calories are also specified below the total calorie amount.

Calorie Counters

For dining out, homemade meals, and overall ease with calorie counting, there are tools available that do the work for you. A variety of books, as well as computer gadgets, can be used. Likewise, pedometers are a popular gadget for summing up total calories expended during the course of your day.

Does It Work?

Indeed, consistent and persistent calorie intake awareness is one of the most successful methods toward a healthy body weight. Following a low fat diet plan plays a significant role in mastering this technique since fat contains nearly double the amount of calories per gram than carbohydrates and protein. Together with an exercise program that fits your lifestyle and fitness level, counting calories is healthful, safe, and effective.

Final

If you consider the overall picture, counting calories does not necessarily restrict you from eating any specific foods. In reality, there are no forbidden foods, but rather a focus on mindful eating related to balance and portion. Along with the idea of not feeling deprived of your favorite foods and treats, the outcome of this type of eating plan is enjoying what you eat while you lose or maintain your weight.

Tagged as: Caloric Intake, calorie counter, calorie counting, calorie intake, daily calorie count, how many calories should, how to count calories, how to lose weight counting calories, I eat each day No Comments

13Dec/090

Caffeine and Weight Gain

Many overweight people, particularly those who have frequently 'dieted' and lost weight only to regain it later, are insulin resistance. Unfortunately, the majority of people who have insulin resistance are unaware of it. If you have insulin resistance, using caffeine will further affect your metabolism.

Studies have shown that caffeine (as in coffee and some sodas) contributes to insulin resistance (thus making it harder to lose weight), increases appetite (again making it harder to lose weight) and contributes to food cravings (making it difficult to adhere to a weight loss diet or exercise program). In those studies, even decaffeinated coffee is shown to be detrimental to weight loss.

Caffeine also interferes with GABA and prevents it from performing its calming duties in the human body. This then increases physiological and psychological stress (often associated with both overeating and difficulty adhering to a weight loss diet). Those who are trying to lose body fat (weight) would do well to avoid caffeine.

Relationship Between Caffeine and Weight Gain

If you drink caffeinated beverages throughout the day you may actually be causing yourself to eat more. That's right. If you're struggling to lose weight, it may help you to kick the caffeine habit. Here's why:

Food Cravings

Do you wake each morning with new determination to eat healthy and within your calorie limit only to find yourself snacking or eating more at lunch that you had first planned? Limiting your intake of caffeine can help control your food cravings to stay within your dieting goals.

Caffeine affects cravings for food because it raises the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol raises heart rate, blood pressure and tells your body to increase its energy stores. This results in the body craving sweets. So if you're wondering why you snacked on cookies in the afternoon, it could have something to do with that coffee you drank with breakfast.

Appetite Stimulant

Low blood sugar known as Hypoglycemia occurs when blood glucose levels drop. When this happens, your body doesn't have enough energy to perform regular activities because glucose provides important fuel for your body. The main dietary sources for glucose are carbohydrates like:

Rice
Potatoes
Bread
Tortillas
Cereal
Milk
Fruit
Sweets

Drinking caffeine can trigger hypoglycemia. The body’s reaction is an increased appetite and cravings for higher calorie foods. The more caffeine consumed, the more your body urges you to eat.

The following characteristics of coffee have an adverse effect on weight loss:

Coffee Elevates Stress Hormones
1. Caffeine in coffee elevates the stress hormones cortisol, epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) and norepinephrine.These hormones are responsible for increased heart rate and blood pressure, and a sense of "emergency alert". Circulation of oxygen to the brain and extremities is decreased and the immune system is suppressed.
2. The purpose of this "fight or flight" response is to provide the body with a temporary energy boost for intense physical activity. With today’s sedentary lifestyle, the continual state of increased stress resulting from caffeine consumption can negatively affect weight control through disruptions in normal metabolism.
Increased Cortisol Levels Lead to Abdominal Obesity
1. Chronically elevated blood cortisol levels that are caused by frequent stress or regular caffeine or coffee intake lead to an increased buildup of fat in the abdominal area; this type of weight gain further stimulates the release of additional stress hormones.
Increased Stress Leads to Overeating
1. This chronic state of increased stress caused by caffeine is associated with a markedly increased tendency to overeat. CNS stimulants stimulate anxiety and caffeine consumption increases the tendency of people to overeat or binge-eat and abuse laxatives and diet pills.
2. Coffee drinking increases physiological measurements of stress, and although this effect is greater with increased caffeine levels, decaffeinated coffee may also influence stress as factors other than caffeine in coffee are associated with stress
3. Elevation of stress hormones leads to fat cravings
4. Elevated levels of cortisol increase appetite.
Caffeine Exacerbates Insulin Resistance Syndrome
1. Caffine ingestion contributes to insulin resistance and impairs glucose and insulin homeostasis as part of the stress response. Even moderate amounts of coffee can have this effect
2. Obesity, high blood pressure, impaired glucose metabolism and elevated LDL and lowered HDL blood lipids cluster to generate insulin resistance syndrome. Stress and the release of corticosteroids contribute to the pathogenesis of this syndrome. When people with this syndrome drink coffee as a weight-loss aid, it negatively affects all the conditions associated with this syndrome.
3. Drinking coffee can cause insomnia and sleep deprivation, both of which have been found to increase insulin resistance. People who are deprived of adequate deep sleep, and are in situations of sleep debt have lower levels of glucose tolerance, greater insulin resistance, increased concentrations of blood cortisol and stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system.
Caffeine Stimulates Appetite
1. Although caffeine is included as an ingredient in many weight-loss aids, it actually stimulates appetite, and organizations including the Mayo Clinic²⁶ discourage the use of caffeine as a weight-loss aid. Initially, caffeine may decrease appetite through its central nervous system response. However, subsequently caffeine increases cortisol levels, and higher levels of cortisol stimulate appetite.
2. Caffeine triggers hypoglycemia through the activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal glands, causing an immediate and sustained constriction of blood vessels, decreased circulation to the brain and a heightened feeling of low blood sugar. The body’s reaction to hypoglycemia results in food cravings and increased appetite. People often crave higher fat foods resulting in increased caloric intake, further interfering with the body’s ability to maintain a healthy weight.
Coffee Increases Serum Cholesterol Levels
1. Lipid metabolism is an important factor in weight loss, and drinking cofee is linked to higher levels of serum cholesterol, with particularly high levels noted in people who drink boiled coffee or coffee processed at high temperatures (which includes espress and espresso drinks). Other forms of coffee including decaffeinated coffee have also been shown to increase serum cholesterol levels. Coffee drinking also demonstrably raises blood levels of low density lipoproteins in one lipid research study, although results in other studies are inconclusive.
Caffeine Interferes with GABA Metabolism
1. GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid) is a neurotransmitter naturally produced in the brain and nervous system as well as the heart. It plays an important role in mood and stress management and influences a persons sense of well-being.
2. Caffeine has been found to interfere with binding of GABA to GABA receptors, preventing it from performing its calming function. GABA’s role in stress management is compromised in the presence of caffeine, and increased physiological and psychological stress lead to overeating as well as difficulties losing weight.

Stress

Caffeine is known to make people feel jittery, but its affects go beyond that. The stress caused from drinking caffeine can be:

Physical
Mental
Emotional

Caffeine-induced stress can actually interfere with how you feel about yourself and trigger emotional eating or a need for comfort food. This correlation between caffeine and weight gain is another good reason to consider weaning yourself from caffeine to reduce stress hormones that result in emotional eating.

Cortisol Levels

As mentioned earlier, caffeine can raise cortisol levels and it's important to take a closer look on what this means because raised cortisol levels can leave you feeling anxious, fearful and even lashing out at in frustration and anger. It diminished feeling of well being and can even lead to feelings of depression and affect your ability to communicate and learn. Prolong cortisol levels can:

Lower your immune system
Slow thinking
Generate blood sugar imbalances
Raise blood pressure
Weaken muscle tissue
Decrease bone density
Increase fat in the stomach areas

That's right! Increased belly fat can be the result of elevated cortisol levels. Decreasing caffeine intake combined with regular exercise can help you reach that goal to a flatter stomach and better overall health.

Caffeine and Insulin Resistance

Studies show that caffeine also contributes to insulin resistance. When this happens glucose and insulin builds up in the blood. It's common knowledge that drinking coffee can also cause insomnia and sleep deprivation. Both of these conditions are related to insulin resistance and insulin is a metabolism hormone. It affects every cell in the body. Insulin:

Regulates blood sugar
Controls the storage of fat
Helps direct the functions of amino acids, fatty acids, and carbohydrates
Regulates the liver’s synthesis of cholesterol
Affects appetite control
Affects kidney function

A consistent elevation of insulin presents other possible problems including:

Raised blood pressure
Raised cholesterol levels
Stores food as fat instead of using it for fuel
Causes kidneys to retain excess fluid
Damages arteries
Elevates triglycerides
Changes protein into sugar and fat

These are the problems your body faces with insulin resistance. Breaking the caffeine habit can help to lower the risk to insulin resistance and as a result help to manage your weight.

Recomandation

Don't let caffeine sabotage your efforts to lose weight. Limit your caffeine intake and you'll have better control over your appetite. Instead of a cup of coffee learn to drink herbal teas, water or drink a smoothie made with fresh fruit..

Individuals who are trying to lose weight would do well to avoid coffee. Dietary changes that include weaning off of coffee and all other sources of caffeine along with an appropriate diet and exercise program can encourage weight loss. Caffeine increases the reactivity of the body to the stress of everyday life and increased levels of stress negatively affect weight loss. Nutrition professionals can support people who need to lose weight by guiding them through the process of substituting a non-caffeinated, alkaline herbal coffee that brews and tastes just like coffee.

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13Dec/093

Burning Calories

Whether you are trying to lose weight or maintain your current healthy weight, burning calories is the key. While there are clear reasons for the need to ignite your internal furnace, there are also a few tricks to help keep your body running at high speed. Weight is determined mostly by the balance of calories - how many you burn vs. how many you eat each day. To lose weight, you need to increase your activity to burn more and/or eat fewer calories each day.

Calories and Weight

A pound of fat equals 3500 calories. To lose 1 pound a week you will need to expend 3500 more calories than you eat that week, whether through increased activity or decreased eating or both. Losing 1-2 pounds of fat a week is a sensible goal, and so you will want to use the combination of increased activity and eating less that will total 3500 calories for 7 days.

How You Burn Calories

Your weight x distance = energy used walking. Time does not matter as much as distance. If you speed up to walking a mile in 13 minutes or less, you will be burning more calories per mile. But for most beginning walkers, it is best to increase the distance before working on speed. A simple rule of thumb is 100 calories per mile for a 180 pound person.

Note About the Calories Chart
You burn more calories per mile at very low speeds because you are basically stopping and starting with each step and your momentum isn't helping to carry you along. Mean while, at very high walking speeds you are using more muscle groups with arm motion and with a racewalking stride. Those extra muscles burn up extra calories with each step. Running may burn more calories per mile as there is an up and down motion lifting your weight off the ground as well as moving it forward.

Calories burned per mile by walking

Speed/Pounds	100 lb	120 lb	140 lb	160 lb	180 lb	200 lb	220 lb	250 lb	275 lb	300 lb
2.0mph	57	68	80	91	102	114	125	142	156	170
2.5mph	55	65	76	87	98	109	120	136	150	164
3.0mph	53	64	74	85	95	106	117	133	146	159
3.5mph	52	62	73	83	94	104	114	130	143	156
4.0mph	57	68	80	91	102	114	125	142	156	170
4.5mph	64	76	89	102	115	127	140	159	175	191
5.0mph	73	87	102	116	131	145	160	182	200	218

Basal Metabolic Rate

Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the amount of calories your body needs within a 24-hour period to sustain itself. Bodily functions include everything from your respiratory and circulatory systems, to your kidney and liver functions. Your BMR is strictly composed of the number of calories needed for these types of involuntary systems and not the energy needed for physical activity.

There are a number of individual factors that determine BMR. Age, gender, height, weight, and body composition all play a role in BMR. While most of these elements are unchangeable, alterations to body composition is possible and can lead to a more efficient BMR.

A simple formula to determine your BMR is as follows:

½ calorie per 1 lb. of body weight per hour example: 120 lb. person = ½ x 120 x 24 hours = 1440 calories per day

Since this formula does not take into account age and height, the following formula was devised. It is known as the Harris-Benedict formula and is used by expert nutritionists around the globe.

Males: 66 + (13.7 x kg weight) + (5 x cm. height) – (6.8 x age in years) Females: 65 + (9.6 x kg weight) +(1.7 x cm. height) – (4.7 x age in years)

The Importance of BMR

The number of calories a person burns on a daily basis is especially beneficial as we age. Naturally, BMR will lower its speed as we age due to the decreased need for energy. For example, bone is no longer depositing calcium after age 35 or so, all major organs are fully developed, and our body is running as efficiently as it will ever work. Therefore, when we speak of burning calories, it is critical for weight management purposes to have our body burn as many as possible throughout a person’s life in order to avoid weight gain.

Maximizing the Burn

Burning calories via BMR is a somewhat given expenditure. However, there are ways you can maximize your BMR in a general sense, and maximize your caloric usage with physical activity that adds to your BMR usage. The keys to optimal calorie burn include:

Strength training activities: Muscle tissue requires more energy, otherwise known as calories, than any other tissue in your body. Even at rest, muscle tissue leads a very active lifestyle. For this reason, the more muscle tissues you have in your body, the more calories you will burn. Free weights, universal weight machines, yoga, and resistance exercises, such as bands, done on a consistent basis will increase muscle mass.
Aerobic activities: Running, swimming, walking, and biking are great ways to burn calories. While these types of activities do not directly serve to increase muscle mass, they are extremely beneficial for using up calories that otherwise may be stored as fat. Consistent participation in an aerobic activity of choice is key to burning a consistent number of calories to avoid weight gain.
Eat often: The idea of eating several times throughout the day is not new. By consuming an amount of calories that matches your body’s need for the next couple of hours, you are nourishing and providing energy in a sensible manner. When too many calories are consumed at once, the excess ends up being stored as fat. It is better to burn calories as they are being eaten than to pull them from storage, which happens only when extreme hunger is experienced. Importantly, when your body is being deprived of the nutrition it needs, metabolic rate is known to lower itself in an effort to sustain its primary functions of the brain, heart, and other life-sustaining mechanics.
Eat sufficiently: Depriving your engines of food decreases BMR because it thinks there is an earthly famine lurking and thus conserves energy for ever-so-important factors like brain function. When a lower BMR has been set, and normal eating patterns return, weight gain occurs due to the body now requiring fewer calories secondary to lower BMR. Tip: When reducing calories, be sure to exercise to offset BMR response.
Stay hydrated: When your body fluids are adequately maintained, every cell in your body will operate at its optimal speed. Proper hydration has been shown to increase BMR by up to 30% within 10 minutes and remains elevated for up to 40 minutes. While this may not sound like much, it plays a tremendous role in extinguishing those extra 60 “cookie” calories.

Burn, Baby, Burn

Indeed, your internal inferno is a mandatory piece of your weight management puzzle. However, by using your BMR to its fullest potential and adding an excess calorie needs requirement through physical activity, your body will be smiling.

Calories Burned During Exercise

Activity (1 hour)	130lbs	155lbs	190lbs
Aerobics, general Aerobics, high impact Aerobics, low impact Archery (non-hunting) Automobile repair Backpacking, general Badminton, competitive Badminton, social, general Basketball, game Basketball, nongame, general Basketball, officiating Basketball, shooting baskets Basketball, wheelchair Bicycling, <10mph, leisure Bicycling, >20mph, racing Bicycling, 10-11.9mph, light effort Bicycling, 12-13.9mph, moderate effort Bicycling, 14-15.9mph, vigorous effort Bicycling, 16-19mph, very fast, racing Bicycling, BMX or mountain Bicycling, stationary, general Bicycling, stationary, light effort Bicycling, stationary, moderate effort Bicycling, stationary, very light effort Bicycling, stationary, very vigorous effort Bicycling, stationary, vigorous effort Billiards Bowling Boxing, in ring, general Boxing, punching bag Boxing, sparring Broomball Calisthenics (pushups, sit-ups), vigorous effort Calisthenics, home, light/moderate effort Canoeing, on camping trip Canoeing, rowing, >6 mph, vigorous effort Canoeing, rowing, crewing, competition Canoeing, rowing, light effort Canoeing, rowing, moderate effort Carpentry, general Carrying heavy loads, such as bricks Child care: sitting/kneeling-dressing, feeding Child care: standing-dressing, feeding Circuit training, general Cleaning, heavy, vigorous effort Cleaning, house, general Cleaning, light, moderate effort Coaching: football, soccer, basketball, etc. Construction, outside, remodeling Cooking or food preparation Cricket (batting, bowling) Croquet Curling Dancing, aerobic, ballet or modern, twist Dancing, ballroom, fast Dancing, ballroom, slow Dancing, general Darts, wall or lawn Diving, springboard or platform Electrical work, plumbing Farming, baling hay, cleaning barn Farming, milking by hand Farming, shoveling grain Fencing Fishing from boat, sitting Fishing from river bank, standing Fishing in stream, in waders Fishing, general Fishing, ice, sitting Football or baseball, playing catch Football, competitive Football, touch, flag, general Frisbee playing, general Frisbee, ultimate Gardening, general Golf, carrying clubs Golf, general Golf, miniature or driving range Golf, pulling clubs Golf, using power cart Gymnastics, general Hacky sack Handball, general Handball, team Health club exercise, general Hiking, cross country Hockey, field Hockey, ice Horse grooming Horse racing, galloping Horseback riding, general Horseback riding, trotting Horseback riding, walking Hunting, general Jai alai Jogging, general Judo, karate, kick boxing, tae kwan do Kayaking Kickball Lacrosse Marching band, playing instrument(walking) Marching, rapidly, military Moto-cross Moving furniture, household Moving household items, boxes, upstairs Moving household items, carrying boxes Mowing lawn, general Mowing lawn, riding mower Music playing, cello, flute, horn, woodwind Music playing, drums Music playing, guitar, classical, folk(sitting) Music playing, guitar, rock/roll band(standing) Music playing, piano, organ, violin, trumpet Paddleboat Painting, papering, plastering, scraping Polo Pushing or pulling stroller with child Race walking Racquetball, casual, general Racquetball, competitive Raking lawn Rock climbing, ascending rock Rock climbing, rapelling Rope jumping, fast Rope jumping, moderate, general Rope jumping, slow Rowing, stationary, light effort Rowing, stationary, moderate effort Rowing, stationary, very vigorous effort Rowing, stationary, vigorous effort Rugby Running, 10 mph (6 min mile) Running, 10.9 mph (5.5 min mile) Running, 5 mph (12 min mile) Running, 5.2 mph (11.5 min mile) Running, 6 mph (10 min mile) Running, 6.7 mph (9 min mile) Running, 7 mph (8.5 min mile) Running, 7.5mph (8 min mile) Running, 8 mph (7.5 min mile) Running, 8.6 mph (7 min mile) Running, 9 mph (6.5 min mile) Running, cross country Running, general Running, in place Running, on a track, team practice Running, stairs, up Running, training, pushing wheelchair Running, wheeling, general Sailing, boat/board, windsurfing, general Sailing, in competition Scrubbing floors, on hands and knees Shoveling snow, by hand Shuffleboard, lawn bowling Sitting-playing with child(ren)-light Skateboarding Skating, ice, 9 mph or less Skating, ice, general Skating, ice, rapidly, > 9 mph Skating, ice, speed, competitive Skating, roller Ski jumping (climb up carrying skis) Ski machine, general Skiing, cross-country, >8.0 mph, racing Skiing, cross-country, moderate effort Skiing, cross-country, slow or light effort Skiing, cross-country, uphill, maximum effort Skiing, cross-country, vigorous effort Skiing, downhill, light effort Skiing, downhill, moderate effort Skiing, downhill, vigorous effort, racing Skiing, snow, general Skiing, water Ski-mobiling, water Skin diving, scuba diving, general Sledding, tobogganing, bobsledding, luge Snorkeling Snow shoeing Snowmobiling Soccer, casual, general Soccer, competitive Softball or baseball, fast or slow pitch Softball, officiating Squash Stair-treadmill ergometer, general Standing-packing/unpacking boxes Stretching, hatha yoga Surfing, body or board Sweeping garage, sidewalk Swimming laps, freestyle, fast, vigorous effort Swimming laps, freestyle, light/moderate effort Swimming, backstroke, general Swimming, breaststroke, general Swimming, butterfly, general Swimming, leisurely, general Swimming, sidestroke, general Swimming, sychronized Swimming, treading water, fast/vigorous Swimming, treading water, moderate effort Table tennis, ping pong Tai chi Teaching aerobics class Tennis, doubles Tennis, general Tennis, singles Unicycling Volleyball, beach Volleyball, competitive, in gymnasium Volleyball, noncompetitive; 6-9 member team Walk/run-playing with child(ren)-moderate Walk/run-playing with child(ren)-vigorous Walking, 2.0 mph, slow pace Walking, 3.0 mph, mod. pace, walking dog Walking, 3.5 mph, uphill Walking, 4.0 mph, very brisk pace Walking, carrying infant or 15-lb load Walking, grass track Walking, upstairs Walking, using crutches Wallyball, general Water aerobics, water calisthenics Water polo Water volleyball Weight lifting or body building, vigorous effort Weight lifting, light or moderate effort Whitewater rafting, kayaking, or canoeing	354 413 295 207 177 413 413 266 472 354 413 266 384 236 944 354 472 590 708 502 295 325 413 177 738 620 148 177 708 354 531 413 472 266 236 708 708 177 413 207 472 177 207 472 266 207 148 236 325 148 295 148 236 354 325 177 266 148 177 207 472 177 325 354 148 207 354 236 118 148 531 472 177 207 295 325 236 177 295 207 236 236 708 472 325 354 472 472 354 472 236 384 148 295 708 413 590 295 413 472 236 384 236 354 531 413 325 148 118 236 118 177 148 236 266 472 148 384 413 590 236 649 472 708 590 472 413 502 708 561 590 944 1062 472 531 590 649 679 738 797 826 885 531 472 472 590 885 472 177 177 295 325 354 177 148 295 325 413 531 885 413 413 561 826 472 413 974 531 295 354 472 413 354 413 413 413 295 472 207 413 590 295 354 708 354 207 236 177 236 590 472 472 590 649 354 472 472 590 236 236 236 354 354 413 472 295 472 236 177 236 295 148 207 354 236 207 295 472 236 413 236 590 177 354 177 295	422 493 352 246 211 493 493 317 563 422 493 317 457 281 1126 422 563 704 844 598 352 387 493 211 880 739 176 211 844 422 633 493 563 317 281 844 844 211 493 246 563 211 246 563 317 246 176 281 387 176 352 176 281 422 387 211 317 176 211 246 563 211 387 422 176 246 422 281 141 176 633 563 211 246 352 387 281 211 352 246 281 281 844 563 387 422 563 563 422 563 281 457 176 352 844 493 704 352 493 563 281 457 281 422 633 493 387 176 141 281 141 211 176 281 317 563 176 457 493 704 281 774 563 844 704 563 493 598 844 669 704 1126 1267 563 633 704 774 809 880 950 985 1056 633 563 563 704 1056 563 211 211 352 387 422 211 176 352 387 493 633 1056 493 493 669 985 563 493 1161 633 352 422 563 493 422 493 493 493 352 563 246 493 704 352 422 844 422 246 281 211 281 704 563 563 704 774 422 563 563 704 281 281 281 422 422 493 563 352 563 281 211 281 352 176 246 422 281 246 352 563 281 493 281 704 211 422 211 352	518 604 431 302 259 604 604 388 690 518 604 388 561 345 1380 518 690 863 1035 733 431 474 604 259 1078 906 216 259 1035 518 776 604 690 388 345 1035 1035 259 604 302 690 259 302 690 388 302 216 345 474 216 431 216 345 518 474 259 388 216 259 302 690 259 474 518 216 302 518 345 173 216 776 690 259 302 431 474 345 259 431 302 345 345 1035 690 474 518 690 690 518 690 345 561 216 431 1035 604 863 431 604 690 345 561 345 518 776 604 474 216 173 345 173 259 216 345 388 690 216 561 604 863 345 949 690 1035 863 690 604 733 1035 819 863 1380 1553 690 776 863 949 992 1078 1165 1208 1294 776 690 690 863 1294 690 259 259 431 474 518 259 216 431 474 604 776 1294 604 604 819 1208 690 604 1423 776 431 518 690 604 518 604 604 604 431 690 302 604 863 431 518 1035 518 302 345 259 345 863 690 690 863 949 518 690 690 863 345 345 345 518 518 604 690 431 690 345 259 345 431 216 302 518 345 302 431 690 345 604 345 863 259 518 259 431

Basal Metabolic Rate

A simple formula to determine your BMR is as follows:

½ calorie per 1 lb. of body weight per hour example: 120 lb. person = ½ x 120 x 24 hours = 1440 calories per day

Since this formula does not take into account age and height, the following formula was devised. It is known as the Harris-Benedict formula and is used by expert nutritionists around the globe.

Males: 66 + (13.7 x kg weight) + (5 x cm. height) – (6.8 x age in years) Females: 65 + (9.6 x kg weight) +(1.7 x cm. height) – (4.7 x age in years)

The Importance of BMR

Maximizing the Burn

Strength training activities: Muscle tissue requires more energy, otherwise known as calories, than any other tissue in your body. Even at rest, muscle tissue leads a very active lifestyle. For this reason, the more muscle tissues you have in your body, the more calories you will burn. Free weights, universal weight machines, yoga, and resistance exercises, such as bands, done on a consistent basis will increase muscle mass.
Aerobic activities: Running, swimming, walking, and biking are great ways to burn calories. While these types of activities do not directly serve to increase muscle mass, they are extremely beneficial for using up calories that otherwise may be stored as fat. Consistent participation in an aerobic activity of choice is key to burning a consistent number of calories to avoid weight gain.
Eat often: The idea of eating several times throughout the day is not new. By consuming an amount of calories that matches your body’s need for the next couple of hours, you are nourishing and providing energy in a sensible manner. When too many calories are consumed at once, the excess ends up being stored as fat. It is better to burn calories as they are being eaten than to pull them from storage, which happens only when extreme hunger is experienced. Importantly, when your body is being deprived of the nutrition it needs, metabolic rate is known to lower itself in an effort to sustain its primary functions of the brain, heart, and other life-sustaining mechanics.
Eat sufficiently: Depriving your engines of food decreases BMR because it thinks there is an earthly famine lurking and thus conserves energy for ever-so-important factors like brain function. When a lower BMR has been set, and normal eating patterns return, weight gain occurs due to the body now requiring fewer calories secondary to lower BMR. Tip: When reducing calories, be sure to exercise to offset BMR response.
Stay hydrated: When your body fluids are adequately maintained, every cell in your body will operate at its optimal speed. Proper hydration has been shown to increase BMR by up to 30% within 10 minutes and remains elevated for up to 40 minutes. While this may not sound like much, it plays a tremendous role in extinguishing those extra 60 “cookie” calories.

12Dec/091

Binge Eating

Binge eating is a pattern of disordered eating which consists of episodes of uncontrollable eating. It is sometimes as a symptom of binge eating disorder. During such binges, a person rapidly consumes an excessive amount of food. Most people who have eating binges try to hide this behaviour from others, and often feel ashamed about being fat or depressed about their overeating. Eating binges can be followed by so-called compensatory behaviour, acts by which the person tries to compensate for the effects of overeating. Examples of such acts are purging (induced vomiting or laxative abuse), fasting, and heavy exercising.

Although people who do not have any eating disorder may occasionally experience episodes of overeating, frequent binge eating is often a symptom of an eating disorder. Binge eating is a central feature of bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. It is also practiced by some people with an eating disorder not otherwise specified or anorexia nervosa.

What Is Binge Eating?

A binge is an uncontrollable urge to eat tremendous quantities of food, usually in a very short amount of time, and frequently in secret. Binge eating is an eating disorder in which a person repeatedly binges, usually due to a psychological trigger. Some binges focus on one type of food: sweet, salty, crunchy, or creamy, for example. Other bingers report the urge to "eat everything that isn't nailed down"--one binger said she would even eat the nails if given the chance. The tell-tale characteristics of a binge are:

astonishing quantities of food
short time span
secrecy
inability to stop eating

How Does Someone Know if He or She Has Binge Eating Disorder?

Most of us overeat from time to time, and many people feel they frequently eat more than they should. Eating large amounts of food, however, does not mean that a person has binge eating disorder. Doctors are still debating the best ways to determine if someone has binge eating disorder. But most people with serious binge eating problems have:

Frequent episodes of eating what others would consider an abnormally large amount of food.

Frequent feelings of being unable to control what or how much is being eaten.

Several of these behaviors or feelings:

Eating much more rapidly than usual.
Eating until uncomfortably full.
Eating large amounts of food, even when not physically hungry.
Eating alone out of embarrassment at the quantity of food being eaten.
Feelings of disgust, depression, or guilt after overeating.

Episodes of binge eating also occur in the eating disorder bulimia nervosa. Persons with bulimia, however, regularly purge, fast, or engage in strenuous exercise after an episode of binge eating. Purging means vomiting or using diuretics (water pills) or laxatives in greater-than-recommended doses to avoid gaining weight. Fasting is not eating for at least 24 hours. Strenuous exercise, in this case, is defined as exercising for more than an hour solely to avoid gaining weight after binge eating. Purging, fasting, and strenuous exercise are dangerous ways to attempt weight control.

What Causes Bingeing?

Each binge-eater has a different trigger. Some are victims of emotional eating. This happens when strong emotions threaten to overwhelm them, their brains short-circuit and force them to eat to dull the pain. Others are compulsive eaters who, as the result of a chemical imbalance in the brain, engage in eating as a repetitive, obsessive behaviour, in much the same way that some obsessive-compulsives wash their hands repeatedly. Some bingers are so desperate to lose weight that they will binge because they are starving, but then they will purge in some way to "atone" for having consumed such great quantities of food.

What are the health consequences of binge eating disorder?

People with binge eating disorder are usually very upset by their binge eating and may become depressed. Research has shown that people with binge eating disorder report more health problems, stress, trouble sleeping, and suicidal thoughts than people without an eating disorder. People with binge eating disorder often feel badly about themselves and may miss work, school, or social activities to binge eat.

People with binge eating disorder may gain weight. Weight gain can lead to obesity, and obesity raises the risk for these health problems:

Type 2 diabetes
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Gallbladder disease
Heart disease
Certain types of cancer

Obese people with binge eating disorder often have other mental health conditions, including:

Anxiety
Depression
Personality disorders

To Purge or Not To Purge

Some binge eaters simply binge and then return to normal eating patterns when the trigger for the binge has been resolved. Many bingers, however, choose one or more methods of purging to make up for the "loss of control" that they displayed by bingeing. Most people are familiar with the victim of bulimia, who purges by forcing herself to vomit after eating. That is the most common form of purging, and one of the most damaging. Other methods of purging include excessive fasting or stringent dieting as a form of self-punishment, excessive exercise, negative self-talk, or overuse of laxatives and enemas. All of these forms of purging can cause severe damage to the body and to the self-image of the victim of this disorder.

Treatment

Binge eating is treated by combining several different approaches. The patient must receive psychotherapy to address the underlying issues, medical treatment for the health disruptions, and nutrition counseling to help them learn to eat in a healthy manner. Of primary importance is discovering the triggers that lead to a binge, and teaching the binge-eater to find other ways of coping with the trigger. For example, emotional eaters must learn to face their emotions and work through them, rather than sedating themselves with food.

12Dec/090

The Bible Study on Eating Healthy

What The Bible Says About Healthy Living

Calorie Restricted Diet. Fatigue. Depression. Arthritis. Heart disease. Diabetes. "ADD/ADHD." Allergies...

Are you and your family tired of feeling less than your best? Do you struggle with your weight? Are you looking for better health?

Many of us may not realize that God cares about our diet and nutrition. Or that He desires good health for His people. Or that He has laid out guidelines in His Word that show us how to live and eat in ways that will give us more vigor and strength.

Rex Russell, M.D., understood that God gave His laws to protect people, and that astounding measures of health are available to those who obey these guidelines. By following these laws himself, Dr. Russell was able to live an extra 30 years after being in advanced stages of diabetes. His diet kept it under control and his mission to spread the Word of God's Health blossomed.

Committing to a bible study on eating healthy can help you to lose weight and grow spiritually at the same time!

Why Explore a Bible Study on Eating Healthy?

Many Christians, as well as those from other faiths, have turned to the Bible as a spiritual guide and for emotional comfort when struggling with issues such as weight and body image. When people feel as if the world has failed them, finding strength in a higher power is an appealing solution. Through this, a multitude of dieters have found success and have positive stories to tell regarding how faith helped them get through their physical challenges.

What sorts of tools are needed for a bible study on eating healthy? Naturally, a bible would be an essential. Beyond that, a good concordance and a blank journal are recommended. You will want to record your thoughts throughout your diet journey, and the concordance will help you to further understand God’s words and what they mean in context.

Getting Back to Basics

While many people keep up on the latest news reports regarding what foods are best for us, those same individuals also may note that opinions swiftly change. For this reason, some are going back to God’s word for the truth of what is good for our bodies. The Old Testament is packed full of statements regarding what to eat and not eat, and it is up to us whether we choose to take these as fact.

Those who have followed a biblical diet in the past can assure others that God is the original nutritionist. He put things on this earth to sustain us, and just as there is junk food today, unhealthy foods that damaged people's bodies also existed back in ancient times as well.

What Not to Eat

One of the main things the bible tells us, which you have more than likely heard every day of your life, is to not eat fat. This is further categorized by explaining the difference between “clean” and “unclean” animals.

This diet pattern is not typically observed by Christians today, but rather by practicing Jews who rely upon the Old Testament as their primary guide for everything including diet. However when following the dietary restrictions set forth in the book of Leviticus (chapters 3 and 7), we find that no matter what our faith, the clean vs. unclean meal philosophy really does eliminate harmful amounts of fat we otherwise would consume.

Food considered “clean” includes cow, lamb, salmon, chicken, and turkey. Remarkably these same meats are in alignment with many fad diets today and continue to prove beneficial to the human body in moderate amounts.

“Unclean” foods, including pork, crab, clams, and duck and are all known by modern day science to be fattening and out of the realm of what our body needs to remain healthy and functional.

This sort of diet is proven in the book of Daniel which describes Daniel's experience when he avoids “unclean” foods and nourishes his body with “clean” meat and a myriad of vegetables. This diet kept Daniel and his companions looking and feeling better than the King of Israel himself!

Following this old fashioned Jewish diet can give you a new lease on life full of health, resiliency, and lowered cancer risks & weight issues

A Little More Modern

If the Old Testament is a little, well, old for you, then consider meditating on God’s promises throughout the bible as a supplement to your contemporary diet. A bible study on eating healthy does not necessarily include food commands. It can instead be an encourager to you as you make positive choices in your life.

The book of Psalms is filled with plenty of feel good images of angels and immeasurable willpower that can help anyone curb their cravings and get back on the right track again physically.

Philippians 4:13 is a popular verse for those not only dieting but committing also to exercise more often. Physical strength is often found in mental and emotional endurance, which has been proven by those who have pushed themselves much further physically after meditating on Scripture in a daily, bible study setting.

Did you know you can find the answers to many health problems in the pages of Scripture? Think of God's Word as a treasure map that leads straight to the healthy life you've always dreamed of. It reveals how you can move from a sickly, lackluster life to one that is full of energy and hope. This practical Bible study will reveal the truth about the foods you eat and provide simple tools to begin improving your physical, emotional, and spiritual health. You won't believe how much your life can change when you grab hold of the treasures God has provided for you.

In this Bible study, you will:

Discover the basics of nutrition to build a firm foundation for your health
Obtain the tools you need to evaluate and improve your health
Examine the harmful effects of altered food and household products
Find healthy alternatives to unwholesome foods
Learn how diet, exercise, and your spiritual life go hand-in-hand
Lay the groundwork for a lifetime of positive health
Enjoy applying your knowledge and join your foodie friend for fun food experiences

Whatever your dieting goals may be, God’s word can help you stay focused and attuned to what is important in life – your health, your family, and your wellbeing – not just necessarily your physical appearance.

Tagged as: Bible Study on Eating Healthy, Daniel Diet for Fasting, Diet and Fitness, Diet and Nutrition, Diet Products, Food to Eat on a Daniel Fast, Health Benefits of Aerobic Exercise, Nutritional Diet Programs, Optimum Nutrition, The Maker Diet, Vegetarian Foods No Comments

12Dec/090

The Best Weight Loss Programs

How to choose the best Weight Loss Programs

Whether you are striving to lose five pounds or fifty pounds, there are keys to look for when choosing the best weight loss program. The following summary will help guide you through the vast world of diet plans so you can achieve your goals effectively and safely.

Some important questions you must ask before choosing a weight loss program:

How much weight do you wish to lose? Setting a realistic goal is very important to keep you motivated!!! To lose 1 lb to 2 lb a week is more realistic than trying to lose 40 lb in a month!!!
How much support will you receive from the program? any online weight loss classes? online personal weight loss counseling? support groups? chat rooms? etc
What is the Total cost for the program? Will you have to pay extra on top of what you have paid? Does the total cost include foods?
Will they consider your lifestyle before making a diet plan for you? Or do they simply restrict your normal eating habit so that it's tough to follow through? Is the program able to personalize your likes and dislikes?
What kind of maintenance program is provided and at what cost? Find out what the maintenance program consists of, how long it lasts, and what you must do. Remember that the longer the program focuses on helping you change your eating and exercise patterns, the greater the chances of long-term success.
What is the refund policy? If you are not happy, you should have every right to quit the program and receive your money back.

A Personal Approach

By far, the best weight loss program will incorporate the personal characteristics and needs of the individual. This approach utilizes the services of a nutritionist and an exercise trainer. The nutritionist should have sufficient education and experience with the countless issues of weight loss challenges. To begin developing an individual dietary program, the nutritionist will assess your current status, determine your daily caloric requirement for a safe progression of weight loss, and break down your meal plan into a healthful ratio of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. The nutritionist will also need to know about your lifestyle. He/She may ask questions similar to:

Do you cook?

Do you eat out?

Do you live alone? With others?

Are you a vegetarian?

Do you do the grocery shopping?

Do you travel?

What hours do you work?

When do you usually snack?

Do you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner?

Do you eat fast?

Do you eat in the car? Standing up? Watching television?

Do you drink alcohol beverages? Number of drinks per week?

Besides these lifestyle inquiries, your nutritionist will ask you about your favorite and least favorite foods. With this information, meal plans can be created especially for you in order to develop the best weight loss program to satisfy your hunger, yet allow your body to lose the weight. The correct meal plans will offer foods from all the food groups in correct portion amounts, and give your body the nourishment and energy it needs to keep you satisfied and healthy.

Your personal trainer/exercise specialist will assess your current physical fitness level, as well as your present activity regime, if any. He/She will then create a suitable program in an effort to expend more calories than cutting calories alone. Your routine may involve at least three sessions per week at one hour in length. Strength training and aerobic activity are often the two major components of any weight loss and management fitness program.

The Best Commercial Weight Loss Programs

Most people have heard of Atkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers, Scarsdale, and others. While many are considered fad diets, offering quick, easy weight loss, not all take this approach at weight loss. Any commercial diet should take a practical look at what is going on with the customer. For example, Weight Watchers lets you, the member, decide whether or not you want to “spend” your food points on the cake or the chicken. In addition, you want to look for the following “ingredients” when choosing an advertised diet:

Variety

Wholesome foods

Healthy choices (low fat, low cholesterol)

Satisfying

No elimination of specific foods

Proper portion control

Flexible

Support

Lifetime change in eating habits

Slow, gradual weight loss (no more than two pounds per week)

Long-term success rates

Exercise recommendation

With these factors in mind, diets such as the grapefruit diet, the cabbage soup diet, Scarsdale diet, and the Atkins diet do not fall into the best weight loss program category to follow. These diets tend to be too restrictive. Initially, yes, you will lose weight. However, the long-term picture does not usually include keeping these pounds off for good. On the other hand, programs such as South Beach (except for the first two weeks or so), Weight Watchers, Ornish fit the criteria for the most part. Also, the more unconventional approaches seen with the Sonoma Diet and the Mediterranean Diet teach individuals how to enjoy food in a non-diet manner, but mostly via portion control and healthy choices.

Summary

No matter which plan you choose to embark on, persistence with your plan of action cannot be overstated. Continual monitoring and adjusting is mandatory in order for the best weight loss program to be discovered and utilized. Setting realistic, honest goals for yourself, both short-term and long-term, and reminding yourself where you are headed is almost certainly the most critical factor for success.

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12Dec/092

Belly Fat Workout

Do you want to flatten your Ab or want a flat tummy? Know how to burn abdominal fat using ab exercises and workout to lose belly fat easily.If you're battling the bulge at your mid-section, you may be searching for that miracle belly fat workout to give you that lean defined look. In reality, no secret workout sequence exists to give you perfect abs overnight. It takes dedication and a little sweat. However, if you make the commitment to do what it takes your tummy will be in show-off shape very soon.

Battle of the Bulge

Whether you've had issues with weight settling at your abdomen for a long time or this is something new you're experiencing, either way, experts conclude that belly fat is not healthy. Extra weight at the stomach has been linked to the development of diabetes and heart disease. Doctors urge patients to lose this weight to decrease chances of developing further health problems.

Belly Fat Workout

While watching daytime TV, you're apt to see various ads for a number of "miracle" workouts that promise to firm up your tummy and give you a great body. These workouts are marketed to be quick, easy and the solution to all of your problems. They aren't.

What is the perfect workout for belly fat reduction? There is no specific recipe for success, except for hard work and consistency.

Doctors and fitness experts encourage those with spare tires to do a combination of exercises in order to lose belly fat. Aerobic exercise is recommended because it helps burn calories and is good for your heart. This includes walking, jogging, running, using the stair climber or any other exercise that uses most of your body and increases your heart rate.

In addition to aerobic exercise, professionals in the fitness industry are seeing the best effects with clients who include an element of strength training in their workout regime. It's common knowledge that muscle burns more calories than fat. So, when your body has more muscle, it burns calories more efficiently. By adding strength training or weight lifting to your workout, you build muscle and sculpt your body for when that belly fat comes off.

It's recommended to alternate your workouts between aerobic and weight training. For instance, if you workout four days a week, the first and the third day should be aerobic exercises. The second and fourth day should be weight lifting.

Don't Waste Your Time

Fitness experts agree that exercises targeting your mid-section won't help peel off that belly fat. They are good for you, but doing sit-ups without any other exercises isn't going to get you a flat tummy. This is because there is a layer of fat on top of your abdominal muscles. Even if you get your abs firmed up, there's still a layer of fat covering them. Other exercises must be performed in order to get rid of this fat.

Proper Diet is Important

Exercise alone won't fix your problem, either. Along with exercise, you must begin to watch your diet more closely and cut calories in order to lose weight. You need to use more calories than you consume.

Additionally, foods low-fat should be added to your diet and foods high in fat should be eliminated all together. The old saying, "You are what you eat," is very true. If you consistently eat fatty foods, you're more likely to have a higher body fat percentage.

Another thing to eliminate from your diet is alcohol. Experts have indicated that weight gained from drinking alcoholic beverages goes directly to your middle. If you are serious about losing the belly fat, lose the alcohol or limit it to only special occasions.

Several abdominal exercises may be considered. The sit-ups and abdominal workouts can help.

Do any of the following abdominal exercises for a few weeks and see results. It is better to practice these exercises in the following order.

Ab Workout Set 1

Choose any 2 exercises, if you can't do all. If your abdominal does not flatten out by one exercise, try another one.

Exercise 1: Lie on your back on a floor mat with feet flat on the ground and both hands at right angle to your body and touching the floor. Breath in and while breathing out move your knees towards left side to touch the floor. Feel the tension on the sides of the abs. Repeat in the other direction. Do this exercise 5 times.
Exercise 2: Naukasana Yoga Asana
Lie on your back on a flat surface on a floor mat. Raise your legs and the upper body at an angle of 30 degrees and hold for 30 seconds, then return to the starting position. Breathe normally all through the asana. Repeat this asana for 10 times to begin with, increasing to 30 times.
This asana tightens and contracts your upper and lower abs.
Exercise 3: Lie on your back on a floor with your hands on the sides. Curl your head up. Don't use any pressure from your arms to lift yourself. After some practice, start placing your hands gently to the sides of your head, when doing each curl up.
Exercise 4: Crunches: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground at right angle. Put your hands behind your head. Breathe in and bring your knees in towards your chest, while lifting your upper body to an angle of 30 degrees, hold for 3 seconds and relax breathing out. Repeat for 15 times.
Exercise 5: Stand on your knees, with heels facing upwards. Move your head towards the floor feeling the pressure on your stomach. Hold for 30 seconds, then return to the starting position. Repeat this asana for 10 times.
Exercise 6:
Sit on your knees, with heels touching the buttock. Place your hands on your stomach and move your head towards the floor feeling the pressure on your stomach. Hold for 30 seconds, then return to the starting position. Repeat this asana for 10 times.

Ab Workout Set 2

Choose any 2 exercises, if you can't do all. If your abdominal does not flatten out by one exercise, try another one.

Exercise 1: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor at right angle. Lift your hips in the air slightly, hold for 5-10 seconds. Do 5 sets of 15 reps.
Exercise 2: Ushtrasana Yoga Asana
Stand on your knees, with heels facing upwards. Place your hands on your knees and arch your back pushing your belly outwards. Hold for 30 seconds, then return to the starting position. Repeat this asana for 10 times to begin with, increasing to 30 times. This asana is opposite to the ushtrasana asana which releases the tension.
Exercise 3: Lie flat on floor with your hands behind your head. Put your feet on a bench or chair such that upper legs make a 90 degree angle. Lift your upper back off the ground and contract your abdominal part.
Exercise 4: Lie on your back on a flat surface on a floor mat with your hands behind your head. Contract your abdominal part. Hold for 2 seconds, then return to the starting position. Do 5 sets of 15 reps.
Exercise 5: Lie on your back on a flat surface on a floor mat and move your legs as if you are cycling, making slow pedaling motions with both your legs alternatively. Breath normally and exercise for 30 seconds.
Post Natal Exercise: If your abdominal growth is after your delivery, you should alternately contract and relax the abdominal, pelvic and perineal muscles to strengthen them. For this pull in the abdomen as hard as you can and keep it 10 seconds before relaxing. You can do this contracting and relaxing exercise while sitting, lying, or standing.

Ab Workout Set 3:
Breathing Exercise or Yoga for Fat Belly

This is the most effective exercise to get a flat belly. Practice it in the morning, afternoon and evening. You can do this exercise sitting on your office chair or watching TV. You will definitely see results within weeks.

The Kapalbhati Pranayama exercise will dissolve fat from not only your abdominal but from your body as a whole. These exercises are very good for burning belly fat.
Exercise with Gym Ball Exercise.

You Can Do It!

Nobody is going to tell you that trimming your tummy is going to be an easy task. It's hard. But, it's worth it. You'll be decreasing your chances of developing diabetes or heart disease and another nice perk is that you'll have a toned tummy to show off! The benefits are definitely worthwhile..

Tagged as: ab exercises, abdominal fat, abdominal workout, abs exercises, belly fat, fat belly, flat tummy 2 Comments

12Dec/090

How to BMI Calculation

What is BMI? BMI (Body Mass Index) is a statistical measure aimed to find the "fitness" of a person according to that person's weight and height. It was invented in 1835 by Belgian mathematician Adolphe Quetelet, and has caught on in popularity by the public.

BMI calculation is a straightforward process. Use the BMI calculator below to calculate your BMI. Simply enter your weight and height, and we will do the BMI calculation for you. You can also use the BMI Chart to look up your BMI directly based on your weight and height.

Your BMI calculation stands for your body mass index calculation. This is a measurement that compares your height to your weight and gives you an indication of whether you're at a healthy weight for your height. Finding your BMI is easy. You can calculate it yourself or use a free online tool. Knowing your BMI is important as it can tell you if you're overweight or underweight and if you're potentially at risk for certain health conditions.

BMI Calculation

Finding it Yourself

There is a simple formula you can use to find your BMI calculation. It is:

: Multiply your height in meters by itself. Then divide your weight in kilograms by this number. The result is your BMI.

Numerically, the formula looks like this:

: BMI = Weight in Kilograms / Height in Meters * Height in Meters

English Units: BMI = Weight (lb) / (Height (in) x Height (in)) x 703

Examples 1: Someone who is 1.70 m and weights 60 kg has a BMI of

BMI Calculation = 60 / (1.7 x 1.7) = 20.8 <== This person is in the Normal category.

Example 2: Someone who is 5'6" (5'6" = 66") and weights 160 lb has a BMI of

BMI Calculation = 160 / (66 x 66) x 703 = 25.8 <== This person is in the Overweight category.

It's very important that you have accurate data. Take a measuring tape and figure out your exact height and step on your bathroom scale before calculating your BMI. You want to make sure your calculation is up to date and correct.

Click on the chart below, you can find your BMI value based on your height and weight in English units (feet/inches and pounds).

[rokbox title=" BMI value based on your height and weight in English units" size="561 350" thumb="http://www.diet-articles.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/bmi-chart-300x225.jpg"]http://www.diet-articles.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/bmi-chart.jpg [/rokbox]

Free Online Tools

If math simply isn't your strong suit you may prefer to check out one of the many free online tools available for calculating your BMI. All you have to do is input your accurate height and weight and the tool instantly provides you with your BMI. Here are just a few of the free online BMI calculators:

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Free BMI Calculator
Dish Diet

What Your BMI Means

Your BMI will likely be a number between 15 and 40. Here are what the ranges indicate:

A BMI of less than 18 means you are under weight for your height.
A BMI of less than 18.5 indicates you are thin for your height.
A BMI between 18.6 and 24.9 indicates you are at a healthy weight for your height.
A BMI between 25 and 29.9 suggests you are overweight for your height.
A BMI of 30 or greater indicates obesity for your height.

If you are overweight or obese you are at risk for developing one or more of the following diseases associated with obesity:

Heart disease
Diabetes
Stroke

Additional Risk Factors

Your BMI is only part of the picture of what determines your risk for obesity related diseases. Another major factor is your waist circumference, which is a good indicator of the amount of abdominal fat you have. Finding your waist circumference is easy; simply take a measuring tape and measure the slimmest part of your waist. Your risk of obesity related diseases significantly increase when:

You have a waist circumference over 35 inches and are a woman
You have a waist circumference over 40 inches and are a man.

A measurement above these figures combined with a high BMI puts you at a high risk for chronic obesity related illness. Smaller, but still influential, risk factors include the following:

High blood pressure (hypertension)
High LDL-cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol)
Low HDL-cholesterol ("good" cholesterol)
High triglycerides
High blood glucose (sugar)
Family history of premature heart disease
Physical inactivity
Cigarette smoking

If after reading this you find that your BMI and other risk factors are higher than you'd like, consult your doctor or nutritionist as soon as possible. They can help you get started on a healthy weight loss diet and exercise plan.

Examples 1: Someone who is 1.70 m and weights 60 kg has a BMI of

BMI Calculation = 60 / (1.7 x 1.7) = 20.8 <== This person is in the Normal category.

Example 2: Someone who is 5'6" (5'6" = 66") and weights 160 lb has a BMI of

BMI Calculation = 160 / (66 x 66) x 703 = 25.8 <== This person is in the Overweight category.

Tagged as: BMI Calculation, Free BMI Calculator No Comments

5Dec/090

Athlete Nutrition Guidelines

Nutrition can be quite an advanced topic when you reach elite levels, but there are some basic athlete nutrition guidelines that apply to mere mortals and dedicated fitness devotees alike.

The term athlete is used in a general as well as specific sense. In general, it means any sports person - one who regularly participates in sports. More specifically, the word is used to describe participants in track and field events, i.e. events involving jumping, running and throwing. Athletes have above average physical abilities. To achieve and maintain these abilities, they need to undertake a vigorous exercise routine, proper dietary intake, adequate rest and be very disciplined about all these. Neglect of any component can result in a below-par performance.

Food is what we eat, nutrition is what we need. Although the nutrition requirements vary according to the event in which the athlete participates, there are certain general guidelines regarding the diet of athletes. A healthy diet for an athlete includes the following elements:

Carbohydrates
Fats
Proteins
Vitamins
Minerals
Fibers
Water

Carbohydrates are the chief providers (about 50%) of energy during early stages of a medium level exercise and when the exercise is of a short duration (about 1 to 1.5 hours). Carbohydrates provide more energy for the same amount of oxygen consumed as compared to fats. Oxygen is obtained from inhaled air; thus burning of carbohydrates results in less exhaustion. Carbohydrates are available in honey, fruit, milk, cereals, potatoes, lasagna, other grain products and sugar. Fats are the main energy providers during long duration exercises; while free fatty acids supply the remaining half of the energy during moderate exercise (the other half being provided by carbohydrates). Fats are a concentrated source of energy and their use in providing energy avoids the use of protein for the same purpose. This is useful as protein is required for the building up of tissues.

Proteins are the building blocks of the body, building and repairing tissues and muscles. They along with carbohydrates and fats also provide energy and play a significant role in strengthening the immune system. The intake of proteins may have to be increased for an athlete. However, excessive intake of proteins results in increased water requirement for eliminating nitrogen through urine, thus leading to dehydration. Extra protein intake also results in a higher metabolic rate that requires more oxygen.

Minerals are an important constituent of an athlete's diet. Potassium regulates muscle activity, iron is required for the formation of hemoglobin and therefore in carrying oxygen, calcium is essential for building strong teeth and bones and zinc is required for normal growth and for energy production in muscle cells. A normal diet diet is enough to replenish the loss of sodium due to sweating. Excessive sodium intake should be avoided. Potassium-rich foods like oranges, bananas and potatoes provide enough quantity of the mineral. Here again, excessive intake will lead to hyperkalemia, causing muscle weakness and palpitations. Iron is contained in meat, poultry, fish and some vegetarian diets as well. More than normal iron intake can lead to constipation. Dairy products are a good source of calcium.

Vitamins assist in better absorption of iron and play a role in the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. They also act as anti-oxidants preventing cell damage. Athletes are more vulnerable to cell damage as they inhale more oxygen. Fruits and vegetables in general, contain vitamins. Fibers keep the bowels regular and reduce blood cholesterol.

Last but not least, is water. Water levels directly affect fluidity of blood which transports nutrients, and therefore energy inside the body. Water also regulates the body temperature. Water is obtained through fluids. Low temperature fluids should be preferred as they are absorbed quickly. It is better to consume water at regular intervals during the day and not wait till thirst makes itself felt, as by then the athlete is exhausted. This is in addition to the ad hoc consumption during exercise.

Apart from the nutritional requirements, certain dietary practices are of great help. Having a healthy and adequate breakfast will keep hunger in control and start the day on high metabolism. Ideally, five meals should be eaten daily. This spreads out the intake, helps digestion and keeps the energy levels high. Post-exercise meals aid in quick recovery of lost energy. And, it is always advisable to stay away from canned and fried foods.

General Athlete Nutrition Guidelines

Some things are pretty much no-brainers, so let's get them off the table right from the start. Generally speaking, the more strict you can be, the better your progress you'll make.

Avoid alcohol
Avoid highly processed foods whenever possible
Eat lots of fiber
Sip plain water throughout the day between meals
Minimize sugar intake
Steer clear of anything "instant"
Avoid trans fats whenever possible (hydrogenated oils)

No magic there, but nonetheless quite important to decrease the risk of derailing your dieting efforts before they've even begun. Now, let's dig into the more specific stuff.

Protein

Protein is very important to athletes, since protein is the single most important nutrient for recovering after workouts. Think of protein as building blocks of which your muscles are made. Exercise damages the muscles, requiring them to use more protein to rebuild themselves and overcompensate (which is why you get stronger over time). However, if you fail to take in sufficient amounts of protein, your recovery efforts are compromised and progress slower.

Bodybuilders use one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight as a good yardstick for optimal protein intake. In other words, a 200 lb man should eat 200 grams of protein per day using this formula. Less extreme athletes will likely see perfectly adequate results at around 0,7 grams per pound of bodyweight (140 grams in the case above). The exception is those who have kidney problems or otherwise should be careful with protein intake; discuss with your doctor if you fall into this category.

Good sources of protein

Chicken
Turkey
Lean beef
Tuna, shrimp and similar sea foods
Nuts
Peas and beans
Tofu/soy (in moderation, since excess intake can mess with your natural hormone balance)

Carbs

Carbohydrates, or carbs in fitness lingo, provide fuel for your muscles. If you're into endurance sports like marathons, triathlons and the like, you need to make sure you have fuel in the tank for that last grueling hour. That's where complex carbs, i.e. carbs that take a long time to digest and thus release a slow but steady trickle of energy into your system, come into the picture. Crazy carb-loading schemes that leave you bloated and nauseated right before a big race isn't the goal here, but having lots of whole wheat pasta, rough bread and similar foods the day before is a good way to make sure the glycogen deposits are nicely topped off.

On the flip side, there is one exception to the previous rule about avoiding sugar, and that is immediately following a workout. By then, you've depleted the aforementioned glycogen deposits and your body is essentially in a state of starvation. Lacking other sources, it soon begins cannibalizing your hard-earned muscles. To prevent this, slam down a protein drink spiked with 50 grams of dextrose or other quickly-absorbed sugar -- or enjoy a classic Coke from the vending machine.

Good sources of complex carbs

Whole wheat pasta
Rough bread (chewy with lots of fiber)
Oatmeal
Brown rice
Bran-based foods, like cereals
Peas and beans

Fats

Fans of the Atkins and South Beach diets have long preached the benefits of fats. Truth is, their unconventional approach makes a lot of sense, even for athletes. While you can debate the merits of stuffing your face with bacon grease, a sensible fat intake even on a diet makes the burning of body fat easier as lack of fat is your body's cue to slam the big, red "stop fat burn" button. Furthermore, your body needs good fatty acids to function properly in a myriad of ways, and you need fats to enable proper vitamin absorption.

Bottom line: don't make the mistake of adopting old-school athlete nutrition guidelines that endorse cutting out all fats, as it is doomed to certain failure in the long run.

Good sources of fats

Fatty fish like salmon and mackerel
Vegetable oils like olive oil
Flaxseed oil
Sunflower seeds
Avocadoes

Tagged as: Athlete, Nutritional Guidelines, Orthopaedic Surgeon, Patient information, Sports Medicine No Comments

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The Twist

Ab Workout Set 3:
Breathing Exercise or Yoga for Fat Belly