Calories Are Not All Created Equal

September 24th, 2008


We all know by now that we need to use or burn more calories then we take in to lose weight and that a calorie is a calorie no matter where it comes from. With that being said however all calories are not created equal or no accurately they are not all used equally by your body.


Different food groups or food types not only have different effects on your body systems but they are also dealt with differently. The belief however that all the protein you eat is turned to muscle and all the fat you consume goes to your hips is a myth. The difference however is this; your body requires less energy to breakdown and store fat, where as it requires must more energy to process protein into a form that can be used by your body. Fat is simply broken down into smaller fat molecules and is also stored in the same form. Protein on the other hand is broken down to small amino acids, that can be used to build, repair or maintain muscle. If they are needed at the time of absorption the amino acids are converted to glucose to be used as energy, again if they are not need they are then converted to fat. It is easy to see that the body uses much more energy to convert protein into usable nutrients whereas fat requires very little.


Simple sugars which are your table sugars, the sugar in pop, and candy bars are absorbed very quickly by your body because they do not require processing to break them down into usable forms. Therefore if they are required for use when they are absorbed they are turned directly into fat that will be stored for later use. Complex Carbohydrates however take a little more effort and time to be broken down into the usable sugar form but again if they are not needed at the time of absorption they will eventually be turned into fat to be stored.


This difference in processing time does offer another advantage. The nutrients that require more time to be broken down to usable components will leave you feeling full and satisfied for a greater period of time, This is one of the reasons why low fat diets that do not recognize healthy fats will leave you feeling hungry all of the time. With a balanced diet of good healthy food you should not feel hungry, well at least your body is not hungry.



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Muscle Toning And Weight Loss

September 24th, 2008


Having a nice lean and sculptured body is the goal or in many cases the dream of many individuals. We often hear people talking about “toning up”, but what does that really mean. If you begin to notice that you have extra “flab” hanging from the back of your arms does this means you need to get to a gym and start working your arms? Most would say yes, but actually the answer is no, although working out and lifting some weights is never a bad idea.


Whether it is the back of your arms or the most popular the abs, working out any particular muscle does not mean you will be able to see that muscle any better at least not until you get rid of the layer of fat that is hiding it. So what does this mean? You can do a hundred sit-ups a day but until you lose weight you will not be able to see your six pack. When you are say working out your abs you are indeed burning calories however they could be coming from the fat around your ankles, you do not get to choose.


So if working out your muscles does not necessarily mean that it is going to stand out and be visible then why weight train? The simple fact is muscle burns more calories than the fat covering those muscles. Therefore if you want to have the overall appearance of being sculptured then you need to get your body burning the calories and the easiest way to get this done is to regularly work your muscles; all your muscles, eat properly, and add in some cardio.


A well rounded workout that includes weight training, will turn your body into a calorie burning machine, strengthen your muscle and preserve the muscle you have which becomes increasing more important as you age. You will have better balance, flexibility, and stronger, healthier bones; again important especially as you age. You can not choose the area of your body that you want to lose weight from and do specific exercises to make it happen, therefore instead of wanting to lose the belly fat choose to work towards an overall leaner, stronger and healthier body.


If your goal is to strengthen your over all body and to lose your excess body fat then you should be doing weight training at least four times a week. This will enable you to work out each muscle group twice a week and still allow your muscles time to rest (two days is best). Remember it is not the working out of the muscle that causes it to strengthen but instead the recovery and rebuilding after the fact. A weight training plan may look like this:


Day 1: Chest, shoulders, triceps, quads, upper abs, obliques
Day 2: Back, biceps, hamstrings, glutes, lower abs
Day 3: No weight training
Day 4: Chest, shoulders, triceps, quads, upper abs, obliques
Day 5: Back, biceps, hamstrings, glutes, lower abs
Day 6: No weight training
Day 7: No weight training


The days you choose and the order in which you do the activities is entirely up to you, however it is recommended that you group upper body together for one workout and then lower body for another workout.

How To Exercise To Lose Weight

September 3rd, 2008

You can benefit from exercises to lose weight. For those who are on the exercise program for preventing weight gain, you can increase the intensity or frequency if you want to exercise to lose weight. You only have to increase your duration of workout to an additional of 30 minutes a week, observing if it makes any impact on your weight.

Exercise for beginners doesn’t have to be too tiring or complex. I suggest that you begin with daily walking. Don’t walk briskly as this will not help you at all. Walk faster than usual to increase your metabolism so that you can lose weight. Just look at how much weight you have lost after several weeks of walking when you step on the weighing scale.

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Get Slim And Sexy With Winsor Pilates

February 20th, 2008

Winsor Pilates workout can help to lose weight and
inches of the participant. The critical success factor to these
exercises is that they are done in a precise order and at a set pace
and failing to follow its exact requirements would sadly result in not
getting the desired figure.Winsor Pilates would make one’s dream by helping one wish to have a
slim and sexy body. This program has been designed to tone, sculpt the
whole body and aids in losing weight. Winsor Pilates takes only twenty
minutes a day and is guaranteed to Sculpt Your Body Slim and Hollywood
celebrities are shelling out US$2,000 per month to train under Mari
Winsor to use the Winsor Pilates method. Fortunately it is now possible
for the average person to achieve these amazing results without having
to pay terribly high fees and in less time too.

Drink Water to Help Lose Weight

January 4th, 2008

If you want to be successful losing weight then drinking water for weight loss should be one of the first things you start doing. Stop drinking the sodas and other sugary drinks and begin drinking a lot of water. Your body will thank you for it. Many people do not like the taste of water. They simply are not used to drinking it. If you give it a couple of days you will find that you will come to enjoy the taste of a nice cold glass of water.

Drinking water also helps curb your appetite. If you fill you belly with water throughout the day you will not feel as hungry. Maybe you will not have feel the need to go for that second helping of food.

Water also helps flush out the bad toxins in your body. Drinking water will make you feel better especially when you are working out. If you are trying to lose weight the best way to accomplish it is exercise, eat healthy and drink a lot of water. Every fitness guru will tell you that that is the key to weight loss.

So instead of grabbing for another sugary soda, have yourself a nice cold glass of water. You will feel better and your body will be healthier for it.