Posts Tagged ‘Weight’

Fit After 40: 5 Tricks to Lose Weight

When you reach that peak age of 40 it seems as if it is getting harder to do things and that includes losing weight. Your metabolism slows down and for women; they have other factors that make it difficult to lose weight as they were once able to do when they were younger.

Trick #1- Don’t Get Discouraged & Stay Focused

If this is the first attempt you have made to lose weight in a few years, the first thing you will notice is the pounds don’t melt off the way they did in the past. This is no reason for you to become discouraged. Stay focused on your goal and with patience and perseverance, you will achieve results.

Trick #2- Water, Water and More Water

If your choice of beverage lately has been soft drinks and caffeinated beverages, it is time to start a new habit. Make sure that you drink from six to eight glasses of water that is cold per day. It is advised you drink at least one glass before every meal in order to fill you up a bit. Drinking your water cold will make your body burn a few calories extra in order to heat your body back up.

Trick #3- Breakfast is an Important Meal

If you don’t take the time for breakfast in the morning because you feel you don’t have time or you just don’t feel hungry, after 40 is the time to start eating it. A morning meal that includes some protein will be sure to kick start your metabolism and keep it working through the day.

Trick #4- Eat Healthy Snacks

Instead of reaching for salty carbohydrates or sugary snacks, switch to healthier alternatives. You can carry a bag of carrots or another veggie with you when you are on the go. Fresh fruit is another alternative and if you must have a crunchy, salty snack, opt for pretzels instead of chips. If you browse the aisles of your local grocery store, you will find many healthy snacks that you will be more than happy on which to nosh.

Trick #5- Start a Fitness Routine

We are not saying that you need to join a gym or buy expensive equipment in order to stay fit, but adding some type of fitness routine is a must if you are going to lose any weight over 40. Swimming, bicycling or simply walking for 30 to 45 minutes at least three times per week are activities you might enjoy. To be sure you stick to your new regime, get yourself a fitness buddy. This will keep you motivated and on track on those days where you might feel like skipping your new routine.

You don’t have to be fat and flabby after 40. Just because your body is changing doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it. Try these 5 tricks to help keep you in shape after you turn 40 so you can feel and look great far into your golden years.

Fast Weight Loss – 4 Surefire Tips to Fit Into Your Old Prom Dress at the Next Class Reunion

 

Whether you are overweight or not, chances are likely that you have had the experience of wanting a fast weight loss solution.  An example is that of trying to fit into your old prom dress in order to wear it to your ten year class reunion.  If you put off trying on the dress until the last minute, thinking you haven’t gained much since high school, you may be unpleasantly surprised to find that your measurements have changed significantly and the dress no longer looks like it was made for you. Here are some ways to make a quick few pounds reduction.  Hopefully you will use these concepts to ensure you won’t have the same necessity in the future.

 

Reduce the Distance to the Goal

 

One of the easiest ways to make certain you will be able to accomplish a fast weight loss is to stay as near to your ideal weight as possible at all times.  If you only need to drop five to ten pounds to be at your target weight, that can usually be accomplished fairly easily with minimum disruption of your regular and typical eating habits.  If you are maintaining your weight at all times, you are less likely to get into an emergency weight loss necessity.

 

Exercise

 

During those times when only a fast weight loss will do, you will want to pull out all the stops to assist you toward your goal.  Moderate exercise is one of the best ways to accomplish not only weight loss, but a better distribution of the pounds you do carry.  Walking, swimming, bicycling and other active, full-body exercises that increase the heart rate for a significant length of time will have immediate effects to improve the metabolic rate, but exercise benefits last beyond the immediate time during which the activity is taking place.

 

Water

 

Another fast weight loss helpful tip is to drink plenty of water.  Increased water intake is always good for the circulatory system, but is particularly beneficial when you want to flush out the toxins and dead or decaying matter that is a natural result of weight loss from your body. The standard of eight full eight ounce glasses of water is one which is good during normal times, but probably not enough during times when you are placing extra stress on your circulatory system.  Increase the water intake by carrying bottled water with you and using it throughout the day.  The standard sized containers help you to keep track of the amount you are drinking.

 

Fiber

 

Fast weight loss will also be assisted if you take in additional fiber that doesn’t add calories to your body, but does require the body to expend more calories during the digestive process. Adding a teaspoon of bran to your regular meals can result in added calories being burned off, just to process the bran fibers.  Other good sources of fiber such as oats and whole wheat bread are known to be good for the entire body, including the heart and colon.

Exercise to Lose Weight – What Really Works

You can increase your weight loss by increasing the amount of exercise that you participate in during the day. This does not mean that you have to join a gym, or run a 5-K every other day. What it does mean is that you need to increase the amount of productive movement that you participate in each day.

Walking is a great form of exercise, with little impact on your joints. You can enhance your health and weight loss further by walking 20 minutes a day at least three days a week. However, you can also increase your movement patterns by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking on your lunch break around the block, march in place while waiting for the copier to print out your work, and walk around the block after you eat breakfast and dinner at home.

To improve your motivation have a friend join you and have a walk and talk date where you can catch up on the local gossip while you exercise. You will find that walking with a friend where you can have a pleasant conversation will help the mile(s) go by faster and with less effort than if you walk alone. If you need more motivation to start a walking program, join a walking club in your hometown. You can often find thee kinds of clubs by going online. Not only will joining a club help motivate you to walk on a regular basis, it will also provide you with moral support.

Other fun forms of exercise include swimming, bicycling, belly dancing, yoga, tai chi, or even fencing. Find a few exercises or sports that you enjoy and mix them up during the week. In order to keep things interesting don’t do the same things every day. Have fun and try new sports and activities. Keep your body guessing what you’re going to do next.

Successful Weight Control

Eating less, or cutting back on fat in your diet, won’t keep the weight off. What you really need to do is strike a good balance between the number of calories you consume and the number you burn. And the only way to do that is to exercise.

By exercising, you can lose weight while you eat more calories than if you simply went on a diet. Regular physical activity is much more effective at keeping the weight off in the long run than any diet.

With aerobic exercise, you can lose weight without drastically reducing the calories you consume or sacrificing important nutritional needs. One reason for this is because aerobic exercise not only elevates your metabolism while you’re exercising, it can also keep it elevated even after you’re done, depending of course on how long and how strong you exercise.

An aerobic program you stick with can help you lose weight easier because it can stimulate your body and make it burn calories. If weight control is your goal, some types of aerobic activity will work better than others. Low-impact aerobics, like walking, step aerobics and low-impact aerobic dance are your best bets. Some good no-impact aerobic activities you can benefit from include swimming, bicycling and rowing.

Your muscles burn calories during physical activity. Increase your muscle mass, and you’ll be increasing your body’s capacity to burn calories both during activity and at rest.

By incorporating strength training into your activity program, as well as following a moderate diet, you’ll be able to maintain lean muscle mass while you lose fat.

Start any strength-training program with one set of exercises and a weight that allows you to complete eight to 12 repetitions. Your program should exercise your legs, arms, chest and upper back. If you want to strengthen your stomach and lower back, increase the number of repetitions with weights that offer less resistance.

Follow a moderate low-fat diet and an exercise program that combines aerobic activity and strength training. That’s the key to losing weight – and keeping it off.

Begin slowly with exercises you find comfortable and build as your body becomes accustomed to the activity level. Don’t start out too hard or too fast. Chances are you may injure yourself or quit before you’ve done yourself much good.

Maintaining a lower, healthier body weight is something you can accomplish. So start now and keep on going!