Weight Control: Eat Less, Exercise More

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Good Morning!

 

Weight Control: Eat Less, Exercise More

 

This week I will be addressing many aspects of wieght control. From

exercise to cortisol, thermo-herbs to dis-ease, I will be discussing

the reasons why and ways to help with wieght control.

 

To obtain successful weight loss, you must apply this rule: " Eat less

and exercise more. "

 

Sure, this is much easier said than done, but the fact remains that

none of the fad diets or supposed breakthroughs in weight control

have made any difference in the epidemic of obesity.

 

Exercise is crucial to successful weight loss. Not only does it help

burn excess calories, but by increasing your physical activity you

can modify the way your brain regulates hunger, making you less

susceptible to food cravings.

 

Exercise is what your body instinctively wants to do especially under

stress: fight or flight, and it works. It burns off some of the

stress chemicals which tension produces. Therefore, a tired muscle is

a relaxed muscle. Regular exercise builds stamina that can help

anyone battle stress. But even something as casual as a walk around

the block can help you burn off some of the tension that you carrying

around.

 

Consider Power walking, Aerobics, Swimming or any cardiovascular

exercise that you do consistantly for 20-40 minutes. It is important

to keep the heart rate up in your target zone during this time in

order for cardio exercise to work effectively. See a doctor before

starting any kind of exercise program if you have never exercised

before or have any other illnesses.

 

It is better to do cardio in the morning and save weight training for

between 4pm - 6pm when cortisol levels are falling.

 

Stretching is a great tension reducer. Stretch your chest for better

breathing. The tense musculature of a person under stress can make

breathing difficult and impaired breathing can aggravate the anxiety

you already feel. To relax your breathing, roll your shoulders up and

back, then relax. The first time, inhale deeply as they go back,

exhale as they relax. Repeat four or five more times, then inhale

deeply again. Repeat the entire sequence four times.

 

Resistance exercise is essential for making a muscle stronger. When a

muscle has to work against a load placed on it, it adapts to the

stress by creating new muscle fibers and making neurological changes

that ultimately make it stronger. Muscles respond to virtually

anything that offers resistance.

 

You need only to remember a few do-anywhere exercises:

 

*sit-ups for abdominal muscles

*push-ups for the arms, chest, and shoulders

*dips for the back of the arms

*squats for the muscles in the rear and front of the thighs

*calf raises for the lower portion of the leg.

 

 

You also might work some simple equipment into your regime. Both

specially designed rubber bands and rubber tubing with handles can

add resistance, as can simple household items. To increase the

resistance when you're doing squats, for example, you can do

something as simple as hold soup cans or milk jugs filled with water.

 

Yoga and Pilates are also great and can be done at home. Many of the

poses in yoga require using one's own body weight to load the

muscles. Take the " warrior " pose, for example. It's essentially a

lunge, one that works the muscle in the front of the thigh. Pilates

is a series of exercises that involve slow, precise moves -- either

using your body weight or specially designed machines -- to work your

muscles. You might work your abdominal and leg muscles, for example,

by pushing against a bar on springs or by raising your legs when

they're attached (by straps) to a pulley.

 

Exercise actually gives you energy. Study after study supports those

words, including one by the National Aeronautics and Space

Administration. More than 200 federal employees were placed on a

moderate, regular exercise program. The results: 90 percent said they

had never felt better. Almost half said they felt less stress, and

almost one-third reported they slept better.

 

Energetic exercise, aerobics, a brisk walk three to five times a

week, for 20 to 30 minutes each time and no later than 2 hours before

bedtime are extremely beneficial. If you're obese, if you need to

drop 20 percent of your weight or more, losing weight will be a great

help. Make sure you follow a sensible diet in combination with

exercise.

 

Love Handles

 

You can spend hours and hours a week trying to reduce these " love

rolls " by cardio assult or weighted side bends but to no avail!

 

Aerobic activity is just one part of the entire equation need to

reduce the " love sacks " . Weighted side bends will build the muscle

under these " love bundles " and actually make them appear even larger!

 

Diet (what you put in your mouth) and moderate aerobic exercise

togehter are far more important than any twists will ever be.

 

The bottom line: The BEST way to reduce all that stored fat is simply

by limiting the amount you normally take in. Eliminate excess fats

and sugars.

 

It is also important to burn off any excess fat through some type of

cardiovascular exercise- cycling, aerobics, jogging or rowing- three

to four times a week for 30-45 minutes.

 

Although it may seem counterintuitive, drinking water helps you burn

fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake, will cause

fat deposits to increase. Without water, the kidneys cannot

effectively filter out the waste products and other chemicals which

build up in the bloodstream and interfere with the liver's ability to

metabolize fat. As a result, you become more likely to store fat and

less likely to burn it.

 

Ironically, drinking more water is the BEST remedy for water

retention. When your body is low in water, you retain pockets of salt

and water under the skin, as a defense mechanism. For your body does

not know when it will get its next drink. This stored water and salt

under the skin will create a puffiness and looks like fat. Drink

plenty of distilled water or low sodium water and avoid high- sodium

foods.

 

The FDA recommends limiting your intake of fat to 65 grams per day.

By safely and carefully selecting your foods so that your fat

consumption is about 30 grams per day, you can see a significant

amount of weight loss, depending on your body mass index. (To learn

your body mass index got to www.peacefulmind.com/ailments_frame.htm).

Your body expends a certain amount of calories upon digestion.

Proteins are burned at the highest rate-20-25%, Carbohydrates 8-10%,

and Fats only about 2%. This is known as the Thermic Effect of Food.

 

Doing cardiovascular exercise on an empty stomach, is the single BEST

way to brun maximum amounts of fat. Low muscle-glycogen stores

triggers the body's fat burning mechanism and fat burning enzymes

work best first thing in the morning when your body is low on glucose

(sugar) after its overnight fast. Research has also found that eating

breakfast after cardio exercise, increases glycogen production by 90%

which means MORE ENERGY the rest of the day! Research has also found

that caffeine HELPS cut into fat. So a cup of coffee (without

sugar...try STEVIA herb) and cardio execise before breakfast is a fat-

fighting solution worth exploring.

 

This fact cannot be stressed enough: EAT five or six small meals a

day will prevent hunger pangs, provide constant energy, increase your

metabolic effeciency- improving you fat lossing abilities- and

decrease your risk of heart attack. Consme lean sources of protein-

skinless white meat poultry or fish, with fibrous water rich

vegatables- string beans, tomatoes, cucumbers. Protein shakes or meal

replacement bars work well as one of your small meals. Be aware of

the carbohydrates in most bars and shakes for they can be extemely

high. Medium to low amounts of carbs 2-14 grams a bar is sufficient.

 

If you are confused or bombarded by the amount of supplements on the

market, just try taking a multivitamin each morning after breakfast.

This allows you the proper proportions (as to FDA standards) as to

your daily needs.

 

For more ideas, methods and great ways to exercise, see:

http://www.peacefulmind.com/exercise_frame.htm

 

 

Andrew Pacholyk, MS, L.Ac.

Peacefulmind.com

Therapies for healing

mind, body, spirit