You're Making Progress- Signs You Need to Know

Many times when you first start a fitness routine, the progress seems to never appear. If you take note of the following, it may help you to finally stick with it this time. You may notice a little pep in your step. Walking a little faster means your getting more fit. Medical tests can show an improvement in triglycerides, blood pressure, resting heart rate and even cholesterol levels. A more positive and energetic attitude are always a good reason to keep doing what your doing. Believe it or not you will even start looking forward to your exercise sessions. This will become one of the best examples that your making progress. Clothing you wear will start to fit more loosely and this shows that inches are coming off in the right places. Take a pair of tight jeans or mark a belt size on the bottom with ink. Even if the scale doesn't move, you may be adding muscle and improving body composition. In the past you may of craved food that was unhealthy or fattening. As you become more fit you usually start to crave food that will help you lose weight and become more healthy. Bottom line, it takes time to turn your body into a fat burning machine. You need to be patient but the changes you want will come. Hang in there and notice the little improvements along the way. It can be the difference you need to finally succeed this time.

Eat Five Meals a Day and Lose Weight

In a word eat "frozen" or "prepared meals". There are several perks when it comes to frozen dinners. They have built in portion control, a vegetable in each meal, are easy to make and clean up, great for single servings and quick to prepare. Most diets are 1500 calories for women and 1800 or more for men. Most frozen dinners are 250-350 calories. 5 times 250 is 1250 and 5 times 350 is 1750.
Some things to do and to avoid are don't get dinners with a crust or any Hungry Man dinners. Avoid dinners that are over 400 calories. The things to do are try dinners that: have over 15 grams of protein, are lower in sodium (under 500 m. if you have high blood pressure), and are low in saturated fat.
You can also eat less obviously, than 5 meals. You can have a quick breakfast (make sure to have 15-20 g. of protein) and then have two to three dinners. If you have less than 5 dinners you may want to round out the holes in protein and fiber. Have a salad with low calorie dressing, a glass of 1% milk or a piece of fruit. The idea is to eat every 3-4 hours so you don't get hungry and overeat.

Walking to Lose Weight

Many people know that walking is a good way to lose weight. If you're not walking and you want to start, here are a few tips. Start with a flat route and start small. Time your walk and use a watch. The idea is to increase the time incrementally. Depending on your fitness level, you can start at anywhere from 10-20 mins. If you like music this can make a big difference. Put together a playlist that is uptempo. The more fun you have the better you'll stick to your new HABIT.
If you already walk and have stopped losing the lbs., here are a few tricks. The good news is you've become more fit. To increase your progress you need to increase your efforts. The best thing to do is interval walking. Bring a watch and do a faster 2-4 mins faster, followed by a slower 2-4 mins. The nice thing is, the attention to the watch makes the time go by faster as well. If you like music, you can put together songs that vary from fast to slow. You won't need a watch and you'll probably have a better time. The best payoff from fast/slow walking is a faster metabolism. You'll not only burn more calories during the walk but more importantly you'll burn more calories even after you stop.
Other tips include trail walking or just vary your route. Like an exercise routine that you never change, a walk that you never change becomes less and less effective.

Clean Up Your Diet and Get Healthy

If you want to be healthy and clean up your diet, here a few ideas. The first place to start is by cutting out empty calories. We all know that too many sweets and too much alcohol will slow down any weight loss program. Other things to consider are food additives. It is estimated that the US diet has about 1400 chemicals in its food supply. Most things in moderation are OK, but in my opinion it would be a good idea to cut down the following five items: Artificial sweeteners claim to be calorie free but often increase sweet cravings. Some studies even show that no calorie sweets can even raise insulin levels. What ever insulin isn't converted to energy is stored as fat. That's why insulin is called the fat hormone. Artificial colors not only cause allergies and hyperactivity but have also been shown to be carcinogenic. Preservatives (BHA,BHT,EDTA) have been linked to cancer, allergies, hyperactivity and are toxic to the liver. Nitrites & nitrates transform into nitrosamines in the stomach which also can cause cancer. Finally, MSG is the popular ingredient in Asian food so many restaurants have taken the hint. Be careful however to look in sauces and processed foods. This ingredient can dramatically increase shelf life but hurt your life in the process.

A Great Reason to Exercise - Your Mind

Along with all the other reasons to exercise, how about keeping your wits as you get older. Regular exercise sessions have been proven in scientific journals to increase an area of the brain called the hippocampus. This area of the brain starts to decline at about the age of 30 and is associated with cognitive function. Another neurological study shows how exercise my slow brain shrinkage in patients with Alzheimer disease. Here are a few byproducts of being fit as you age: Improved memory and concentration, reduced gray matter loss, improved neurogenesis (generation of new brain cells), increased brain blood flow ( helps your neurons fire more quickly ) and a positive change in gene patterns ( helps genes that normally become less active to become more active).
A few mental steps can help the physical thing you do in the form of exercise: Read something new every day, try to play your own trivial pursuits ( look at old pictures and try to pick out details),crossword puzzles, old pop culture games, de-stress ( this has been show to shrink the hippocampus), 8 hours of sleep / naps, eat brain food ( walnuts, salmon and food rich in Omega-3's). Challenge your mind and your body and you can appreciate how good you look

Don't Skip Breakfast

Most people I've worked with don't seem to like to eat in the morning. If you skip breakfast or have a breakfast low or without enough protein you are really hurting yourself. Think of the word itself BREAK FAST. You are eating after being without food all night and hopefully since the last nights dinner (12-16 hours). Especially if you're weight training, you need to feed those muscles with protein. Skip breakfast and you'll probably will be short of the minimum requirement for the day. One key thing to remember is when you eat in the morning you jump-start your metabolism. Eat within the first hour after waking for the best results.
If you just don't want to eat in the morning, drink your breakfast. My favorite is whey isoloate protein powder and some OJ. If you want something low fat/high protein try cottage cheese. If you hate the taste of cottage cheese cover it with fruit. Another good idea if you have a little time is egg beaters. They taste a little bland so try the flavored ones (southwest) or spice them up with what ever you like. Your body can only assimilate 30-40 grams of protein at a sitting. Start the day with 30 grams and you should be good for the rest of the day.

The Mental Benefits of Exercise

The American Heart Association recommends 20-30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week. Most of us have heard of the term "runner's high". During exercise the body's pituitary gland causes a release of endorphins that cause this good feeling. These neurotransmitters not only reduce the body's awareness to pain but also will elevate one's mood. Studies have also shown that people who suffer from depression also have low levels of serotonin. Serotonin or 5-HT is produced by the body's pineal gland by an amino acid called tryptophan when you keep you heart rate up for 20-30 minutes. Increased serotonin will elevate your mood and help you sleep better as well.
Finally with exercise comes an undisputed increase of blood flow to the brain. This increase in blood flow will make you more alert. With increased blood flow, the brain is also able to eliminate waste products that accumulate during the thinking process. This may explain why we often have so many good ideas when we walk.