Battling Obesity

By Dan Patterson

Here’s a sad truth that arguably a large contribution to the obesity problem in the U.S.: Americans watch a lot of TV. Here are some interesting statistics from TVTurnoff.org:

* The average American home has the TV on for 8 hours a day
* The average American watches 4 hours and 35 minutes of television each day
* The average American household is 2.55 people, but the average home also has 2.73 televisions

Statistically, we have more TVs per household than we do people in this country! We have very quickly become a lazy, entertainment seeking people. No wonder we have such a large problem with people being overweight and obese. This is no news flash, but when you’re just sitting in front of the TV you are contributing to an overall sedentary lifestyle - a lifestyle that is proven to be prime ground for becoming overweight and obese.

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By Tracey Mallett

It’s summertime, and the living is easy – except when you have to think about putting on an itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny yellow polka dot bikini! But don’t worry, there’s still time to get in shape to strut your stuff on the beach or the boardwalk!

These tried-and-tested exercises can give you quick results with just 10 minute focused workouts every other day. (If you’re on a serious mission and feeling really motivated, feel free to go for it every day!) And don’t forget to mix up these moves with some cardio work, even if it’s a game of soccer with the kids or a brisk walk to the park. Take advantage of the extra quality time you’re spending with the kids, family or friends this summer - whether at home or on vacation - and put the fun things you do to work to stay active. Every calorie counts!

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By James Penn

Summer is nearly upon us. It is a time for visiting the beach and shedding your clothes in favour of a bikini or swim shorts. Many of us are uncomfortable with our appearance because perhaps we are carrying one or two or fifty extra pounds. You want to tone your body so you can feel confident to show off your body, this article will provide you with five of the top calorie burning summer exercises so you can lose the excess weight you want to.

Running

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By Pat Barone

I’m going to be straight with you. Permanent weight loss is different than the quick fix.

It is different in its scope: the changes made are long-term as opposed to limited in duration.

It is different in its approach: changing mental and emotional attitudes leads to healthier behavior with food rather than simply attempting to change old behaviors through willpower. As a professional life coach, I call this “change from the inside out.”

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By Edward Curtis

Before starting to work out make sure you get a full physical from your doctor and a letter stating it is ok for you to do physical activity. Many gym and aerobic centers will require this before letting you start.

Depending on how long it has been since you last did regular exercise it is recommended that you start off slow and gradually build up your workout to harder levels.

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By Zoe Routh

‘Jan’ explained that she knew she wanted to improve her fitness because it would she would feel better about herself as well as improve her job prospects in the acting field.

However, she felt that she lived too far away from her gym; it was inconvenient to get there and interrupted the flow of her day. She also mentioned that she had discovered a yoga class that she enjoyed thoroughly. She felt fantastic afterwards, energised, centred, and really happy. However this was even more out of the way than the gym.

As Jan spoke it was obvious there were various structural and internal blocks to the implementation of an exercise regime.

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By Tammy Foster

Pilates is a fabulous form of exercise known to help lengthen your muscles, tone your abdominal muscles, increase your overall strength and improve general flexibility.

Sounds like a winning idea to me!

With its gentle movements, Pilates is well suited to the majority of folks. It is gentle on the joints and can even help you to relax if you follow along with the breathing exercises which accompany the movements.

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By Brian A Hunt

The average human body reaches complete maturity at about 25 years, and afterwards it is all downhill for every muscle and organ we have. This means that the athlete wishing to maintain fitness has to exercise a little more each day, or watch performance levels drop rapidly.

If you are not a performing athlete earning a living at a sport that requires extreme fitness, speed, and strength, you must be extremely cautious about most forms of exercise, because the chances are that you can do more harm than good.

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By Jason Conley

The way your metabolisms works is largely based on how you eat. It only follows then that if you change the way you eat, you can change your metabolism. Fat loss eating plans are not a new concept. There have been hundreds or thousands of diet plans that tell you exactly what to eat, but if you’ve ever tried a no carb diet, or a no fat diet, or if you’ve ever been desperate enough to try the grapefruit diet, then you know they are not a long term solution for most people. It seems that everyone has a different opinion on how to lose weight, but there are a few things that almost all experts agree on. When you are on a fat loss eating plan, you must do several things. You must eat four to eight meals a day. You must drink lots of water, and you must start now.

One big mistake people make when tying to lose weight is going to far in cutting the amount they eat. They skip meals, and then wonder why they aren’t losing weight. The truth is, skipping meals is one of the worst ways to lose weight. By skipping meals, you are putting your body into “starvation mode” and it will try to store as much energy as it can. Of course the way the body stores energy is as fat. By eating small meals throughout the day, you keep your metabolism high because it takes energy to break down the food. Frequent meals also help to regulate your insulin levels. Excess insulin can lead to increased fat. When selecting your fat loss eating plan, be sure it recommends four or more meals a day.

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By Roger Grant

The first method of weight loss is presented only to show an example of what not to do. It is the rapid weight loss method by way of a starvation diet. This diet involves depriving the body of a vital nutrient that it needs, which forces the body to break down muscle tissue to provide the nutrient.

Because muscle is much denser than fat, this will create a very rapid initial weight loss. Any real fat loss is due to a shortage of calories which is created. However, this loss in muscle tissue will cause a reduction in the resting metabolic rate, which will cause the caloric deficit to become a caloric equilibrium. While this is happening, the starvation state will cause the body to activate some very powerful defense mechanisms to protect the person from the environment as well as from himself.

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