Does This Make Me Look Fat?




"
Of course not deary, you do look a tad obese though!"



A portion of the economy has always relied on our mentalities of looking our best. Modern society has become a paranoid fleet of excessive weight watchers and vain wannabe-models. It isn't just a mentality though, it's more of an unwritten rule. God forbid if you're seen in public with your dark roots sprouting out and announcing your fake hair color, there's no way you're going out “looking like that”. High heels, waist cinchers, lip-gloss and tamed frizz are a must. It doesn't matter if you have to endure the aching heels and toes, or if you have to apply a treatment-mask twice a day so your hair doesn't get split-ends, it's all a price most of us pay to ensure that we are “up to standard”.

Keeping up with our waxed, bleached and manicured persona has become a hectic full-time job. The dawn of perfectionist celebrities, and the pressure from the media, have managed to warp our idea of the healthy looking woman into a flawless pin-up model, whose bust is fictionally proportioned to measure twice the size of her waist, while a healthy male figure is typically envisioned as a large Herculean-ripped figure. Shocker? Not at all. The overwhelming praise and preferential treatment a Barbie or Ken look-a-like receives over the average “under-groomed” male or female is appalling. Its no wonder that so many of us are dissatisfied with our bodies.



We first experience this growing up, people adore cute babies and toddlers, and most of us were brought up smiling to a waterfall of compliments before the age of 5.Then possibly the most brutal phase where your looks are equally proportionate to your social status would be the teen phase, specifically with a harder emphasis on high school, where popularity and attention would automatically be given to the physically attractive. Case in point- we are trained to believe that beauty and thinness result to a happier and easier life.

The media has redefined the stages of blubber-density in our bodies. Have you had a look at the so-called “plus-sized” models that the fashion industry is employing? Since when is a healthy size 10 considered to be PLUS? Couldn't they have simply named them Average-sized models? Or do they mean to imply that they are considered to be “plus” only when compared to the other stick-thin, bony, petite models? So now, slim is thick, healthy is chubby, average is FAT, and obese is the equivalent of a cow.




I feel that fashion magazines lack some needed fine print at the bottom of their page.

Don't worry, this isn't really a human being- it's an airbrushed, breast-enhanced,make-up-camouflaged,photo-shopped version of one.

Hey, they could include a pinch of honesty, but I guess no one is dumb enough to purposely sabotage their own advertisement sales. This is just one of the few aspects of the media that gives the public an illusion that “you're not thin enough”. Could this sole reason be the cause of the rise of anorexia and bulimia? No doubt that it might have had something to do with it, but one thing for sure is that it molds our mind- one way or another- to think highly of thinner, prettier people. For all those perfectionists out there, being the fantasy-girl that men worship, is something that must be accomplished- whether through dieting and fitness, or harsher methods.

The fair bunch of celebrities that make appearances on TV have an immaculate appearance, thanks to their personal nutritionists, dietitians, trainers and stylists- and of course only the best plastic surgeons around. The reality is, that most of these professionals are required to keep up a faultless presence- the same presence that pushes society to obsess about being Hollywood thin. The large corporations of course, know that the majority of the population cannot cover these kind of expensive “maintenance” costs, and therefore pollute the media even more, with alternative “miracle” dieting products.



The distorted perceptions of a healthy human body, created from the frenzy and hype of the media has caused a generation of weight-loss fanatics that diet compulsively for the sole reason of looking attractive. It isn't about being healthy anymore, no one really cares about that- unless they have to for medical reasons. Losing weight for the wrong motives isn't the only major drawback on society. What about the negativity that obese, overweight characters suffer from the public? Irrelevant of what their personality, and cause of their weight gain is, society typically views them as lazy, sluggish and uninteresting. This can definitely destroy the self confidence that these people need in order to live a healthier lifestyle.




It is essential to recognize the real objective in losing weight: to value your life and live it in a healthy way. The media has affected thousands by leading communities to believe that they have a poor image, regardless of their level of health.

What do you honestly regard as top priority?
A perfect image?
Or a healthy lifestyle?

100 Calorie Snacks

It's hard to include your favorite snacks into your diet, it's even harder to keep track of their calorie count. Keeping low calorie snacks available are a good way to suppress your hunger temporarily. Try to avoid going long periods of time without food, it is more likely that you will eat extra during your next meal - Its better to eat ten 200 calorie meals in one day, than two 1000 calorie meals. Eating smaller meals more often will boost your metabolism and get your body to burn fat more efficiently.

Here's a list of 100-calorie pick me up snacks that you can mix and match, they are all relatively quick and easy to prepare and they're great to take with you to work or school plus you know exactly how many calories you're eating!

[ Vegetables ]

  • medium veggie burger, no buns or sauces (the frozen kind, not fast food kind)
  • 3 raw carrots
  • 1/2 a can of kidney beans
  • 1 can green beans
  • 1 small corn on the cob (frozen)
  • 1 small boiled potato
  • 3 green peppers with 3 tbsp tuna paste
  • 100g of fried mushrooms
  • 10 pickles
  • 1 Caesar salad with no chicken (no sauce or croutons)



[ Fruit ]
  • 1 medium banana
  • 2 large peaches
  • 2 plums
  • 20 fresh cherries
  • 20 rasins
  • 12 green olives (in brine)




[ Dairy/Egg ]

  • 1 medium hard boiled egg
  • 5 large egg whites
  • 180g (1cup)muller light yoghurt
  • 30g of goat cheese
  • 28g of blue cheese
  • 80g of ricotta




[ Meat ]

  • 50g (roughly half a small can) of tuna in water 1 cup of boiled spinach and 1 tbsp of capers
  • 1 thin fillet of steamed white fish ( bass, cat fish,cod or haddock)
  • 1 fish cake
  • 2 fish fingers
  • 8 mussels
  • 2 medium slices of smoked salmon
  • 2 tbsp of caviar
  • 2 slices of bacon w/o white fat (use canola oil to fry)
  • 2 and a half slices of turkey ham
  • 3 slices of smoked ham
  • 1 slice beef luncheon meat
  • 10 slices of Hormel pepperoni
  • 1 boiled or roasted chicken drumstick without skin
  • 2 chicken necks no skin
  • 2 chicken wings no skin
  • 2 chicken nuggets
  • 65g of poached chicken breast ( small portion)
  • 30g of canned corned beef





[ Wheat products/Sweets & Snacks
]

  • 1 crumpet
  • 16 peanuts
  • 2 medium sized rice cakes and 1 tomato
  • 1 average size slice of bread with light cheese spread
  • 1 biscuit of weetabix with skimmed milk
  • 2 fingers of Kit Kat(regular/original)
  • 1 Special K cereal bar
  • 3 handfuls of unbuttered popcorn
  • 4 rolos
  • 1 packet of skips
  • 1 packet of quavers
  • 6 ritz crackers
  • 1 pack super chicken noodle soup by knorr (this is about 500ml of soup- very tasty)
  • 5 medium cups of diet jelly

Audio Motivation

Music can push an individual to his or her maximum limit, whether you are lifting weights, running or boxing, its a massive motivational tool. Listening to our favorite upbeat songs triggers a positive emotional response, which can turn a dull Monday morning run into an enjoyable exercise.

According to various studies, listening to music with high rates of beats per minute (BPM), results into a faster pace of exercise and a higher physical endurance. Usually songs that match your steps per minute (for running/walking) are easier to synchronize with and also help you keep focused. If you have a good pedometer, you can measure your steps per minute and compare the results with the BPM of the songs you listen to - for a manual BPM check, you can use http://www.all8.com/tools/bpm.htm . When it comes to weight-lifting and music, hardcore music tends to push weight-lifters and body-builders harder, providing them with more adrenaline while keeping them motivated.

Here are some playlists I have put together for you to use while training at home~

1) Electronica playlist (useful for running or fast-pace walking/exercise)
Jens - Loops & Things
Prodigy - Voodoo people (Pendulum remix)
Gigi D' Agostino - Bla bla bla
Darude - Sandstorm
Dj Hixxy - More & more
Starstylers - Keep on moving (Hixxy remix)
David Guetta Vs. The Egg - Love Don't Let Me Go (House mix)
Crystal Method - Weapons of Mass Distortion
Benny Benassi - Illusion
Daft Punk - Work It
Kernkraft 400 - Zombienation
Sash! - Stay
Groove Coverage - Poison
Hi Tack- Say say say
Wamdue Project - King Of My Castle
Jeff Mills - The Bells





2)Metal/Industrial Rock playlist (great for weight lifting and hard exercise)
Clawfinger - Biggest The Best
Rammstein - Bang Bang
Fear Factory - Self Immolation
Cyanotic - Transhuman
Metallica - Fuel
Faderhead - Acquire The Fire
Celldweller - Switchback
Crossbreed - Machines
Drowning Pool - Bodies
Godsmack - I Stand Alone
Hypocrisy - Inseminated Adoption
In Flames - Only For The Weak
KMFDM - Free Your Hate
Prodigy - Firestarter
Slipknot - Before I Forget



3)Pop/Dance Playlist
(best for aerobics/dancing)
[sorry about the inconsistency of the music players,
Youtube have copywright issues with mainstream
music]
Black Eyed Peas - Pump It
Mindless Self Indulgence - Shut Me Up
Ciara ft Missy Elliott - Work
Lady Gaga - Just Dance
Faithless - Insomnia
No Doubt - Hella Good
Madonna - Hung Up
T.a.t.u. - Not Gonna Get Us
Timbaland- The Way I Are
The Bloodhound gang- Uhn tiss uhn tiss uhn tiss
N.e.r.d. - Rock Star (Jason Nevins Mix)
Cascada - Everytime We Touch
Pussycat Dolls - Flirt
Rihanna - S .O.S.





Get a playlist! Standalone player


4)Rock Playlist
AC/DC - Riff Raff
Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal
Linkin Park - One Step Closer
Limp Bizkit - Break Stuff
Muse - Hysteria
Smashing Pumkins - Doomsday clock
Disturbed - This moment
Sum 41 - Hooch
velvet Revolver - slither
Boom - P.O.D.
Rage Against The Machine - Killing In The Name Of
Pitchshifter - Predisposed (To Sickness)
System Of A Down - B.Y.O.B.
Black Sabbath - Paranoid




5)Metal Playlist
Adema - Needles
Stratovarious - Speed Of Light
Dragonforce - Through The Fire And Flames
Unearth - Endless
Quo Vadis - Dysgenics
Iron Maiden - Different World
Elvenking - The dweller of rhymes
Chimaira - Power Trip
Fear Factory - Machine Debaser
In Flames - Versus Terminus
Hammerfall - The Dragon Lies Bleeding
Kreator- Phobia
Arch Enemy - We Will Rise
Skinless - Deathwork
Machine Head - Bite The Bullet
Mesghuggah - Bleed
Lamb of God - Now You've Got Something To Die For


How we develop nasty eating habits during childhood

People always feel the need to blame their weight gain on something that is completely out of their control.

"It isn't my fault, I stuck to my diet all day, and then the pizza ad came on T.V.- I couldn't help myself!",

"What can I do? Mum cooked mac and cheese, it would have been rude to refuse",

"With my hectic lifestyle, how do you expect me to find time for the gym??"

And then by far the most commonly used scapegoats for being fat:

"It's all because of my Genetics!" - the easy route; blame the parents.



While there are a few of us that are really obese because of our genetics, a study done by Peninsula Medical School at the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth has suggested that behavioral factors have a greater influence on a child's weight. That is, the eating habits and patterns that were planted in our social development process by mum and dad. So technically, it could be your parent's fault, but are you doing anything about it? Granted, it is extremely difficult to break old habits. But the sooner you realize that you may have grown up on the unhealthy side of the road, the sooner you can cross over to the other side.

The vast progression in technological development, has brought on its regression. The fact is that society is obsessed with having their kids reach high academic achievements, has led us to become fat and food dependent. This could all be a phase- for all we know, a global health-wake up call might occur, one that would ban certain amounts of greasy and sugary goodies, but seriously, how likely could that be? We want to have our cake AND eat it. Scientists are paid an arm and a leg every day to find cures for rare and life-threatening diseases to protect our sacred asses, while we devour our way to obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Nowadays, especially in developed countries, it is more likely to find families where both the parents are working (I have nothing against that, in fact I always hope the world keeps striving towards gender equality). However, it's extremely important to set parents' priorities straight.

In this modern age, after children come home from school, they heat up a TV dinner in the microwave, eat, and watch their favorite show. When the parents arrive, the kids will methodically go to their room and start their homework or chores. The truth is, we don't have time to cook complex meals, so we rely on packaged and microwaveable goodies- this process is close to inevitable, unless you can afford a full-time nanny. The sluggish behavior of children is derived from substituting a human guardian with the hypnotic effects of T.V.

It's no secret amongst parents, that they rely on the television and internet to keep their children occupied if they want some time for themselves. For older people, their childhood playtime activities used to involve running around outside, playing jump rope or tag. If they had misbehaved, their punishment would involve confinement in their room. Nowadays, it's a complete contrast. Kids don't want to leave their computers, they have everything they need- an endless sea of information where they can get help with homework, free online games, instant messaging, movies and music. If a child misbehaves, the power cable of their tower is pulled out, and after two hours of belling, sobbing, and protesting, you'll give in to their devilish demands.



When it comes to child control, education, and making children recognize your authority, its a much simpler process to use food and treats as your median.

Chrissy, If you finish your Physics project today, you can have extra desserts

Ben, If you obey your grandpa, we can stop for pizza after school tomorrow

Let's face it, these methods of persuasion rarely fail. The only consequences will be an increased chance of having your child turn into an unhealthy, obese lemming. The reward-food schemes need to be halted, they're your spawn after all, not your pet dog . If their sugar addiction can't be helped, at least parents need to engage their kids into sports or dance. That way they can at least burn the extra sugar off, and have something else to do apart from playing World of Warcraft.



The parents are not all to blame. Schools and teachers are another mentionable source of bad eating habits. Teachers will often rely on giving their students small chocolate bars in order to make them pay more attention to their socio-economic-policies lecture, or even simply to show up to class! This isn't the worst part though. Cafeterias are dishing out fast food and sugary beverages to the students, reason being that in order for schools to maintain the high expenses of a typical cafeteria, they need students to buy, buy and buy. School is supposed to be this all high and mighty place that will determine your future career and income, however, it has also taken up the role of determining your body shape and eating preferences.



Parents might blame the schools for not giving enough nutritional education, but the reality is, no matter how many times you preach to the boys and girls to eat their carrots, children will surely be biased towards tasty food. Fast food companies encourage kids to eat their food through TV ads in between popular cartoons, and usually have a mascot that promotes the free gift you will get with each fast food treat. How often do we see commercials encouraging fruit and vegetables? Rarely. Very Rarely. When I do manage to see such a rare sighting, the commercial is usually poorly executed, and more than often would target older female audiences, rather than young children.


The adolescent ages can be rough, especially when all your friends hate veggies and love hot dogs. The most logical choice is to eat whatever your friends are eating, and to hate whatever your friends are hating. Doing “fun” things like birthday parties, would usually involve either a movie with a side of high calorie snacks, or a pre-booked birthday party at Pizza Hut.


If any of these situations might have been relevant to your childhood upbringing, you might notice that most of the times you keep gaining weight is due to these early developed eating habits. Letting these habits control you can be the result of an ongoing unhealthy lifestyle- If you want to become a healthy eater, you have to begin from the roots.


  • What made you start opting for high calorie foods initially?
  • Did your folks always put healthy food on the table?
  • Did they make you eat large portions from a young age?
  • Did they reward you with treats and snacks just to abide to their rules?



If so, you need to change your psychological reasoning towards food, the same reasoning that you were initially programmed with. We have a tendency of rewarding ourselves with our favorite foods if we achieve more than our target work before a deadline. Why should it be food?

If you never learned health food recipes, its never too late to start. Simply Googling “salad recipes” will return a never ending list of easy, basic recipes you can prepare in a couple of minutes.

Make yourself develop Healthy habits. Eat smaller portions, opt for water instead of soda, incorporate an aerobic class every week- get creative!

Super Size Me?

OK, the mass media bombardment of the famous golden arches on every TV commercial, billboard and magazine was tolerable once, but now, its reached the point of insanity. That's right- I'm talking about McDonalds. Now let me just clarify that I have nothing against the corporation, they are after all profit making business- just like any other food company, but could they be exaggerating? Maybe just a little bit? It's hard enough having to listen to their mind numbing slogans and jingles on the radio, but having your kids chant it all day, or your bimbo friend hum it every odd hour (maybe just to irritate you), makes me want to smash things.




I have to admit it though, those repetitive ad campaigns have done a good job at brainwashing the junk food-eating society that we have become. Mc.D were smart enough to reap our souls at a young age, and drag us into their world of international corporate butchery. Their catechism would start by promoting those must-have plastic toys, that everyone at school seemed to be obsessing over, and if you didn't get one soon, it would mean a total abolishment of your adolescent social life. Then, there was the sugar. As if a bucket of coca cola and a sundae drowned in syrup wasn't enough to get kids going, they added sugar to their sauces, buns and fries too. No wonder children are always so perky and hopped up in there! The company has accomplished their plan to get you to think that Mcdonalds is equal to hype... lots of it. It's as if they've discretely implanted a mechanism in your brain that makes you auto-respond with: “YEAHH”, “Oh My God YES!” or maybe just a jackalope-like bounce and leap every time your parents suggested going to the fast food Utopia.

So, harvesting the young wasn't too hard. What about the adults? What makes them keep going there? even after their sugar-binging juvenile days? For one, the simple fact that we are used to seeing a McDonalds logo or banner in every commercial street, newspaper, and TV station, gives us a subliminal feeling of familiarity. If you're travelling to a foreign country for the first time, you might feel disoriented at first, but when you catch a glimpse of the golden arches, you automatically feel more at ease- just for the simple reason that you've sighted something that this country has in common with your own. Yeah, most of us are used to seeing McDonalds for years, and somehow, it gets conventionally embedded into our lifestyle.




Let's face it, society grows lazier by the day. When it's time to eat, we want to do it without cooking, waiting or spending obscene amounts of cash. That's exactly where McDonalds comes in. They provide their customers with quick, tasty and inexpensive delights- the perfect concoction for a successful food empire. We love that we can buy a meal with a couple of dollars, and Mc.D seem to have special offers, promotions, and new snacks all the time. The one thing, however that it does not provide us with, is enough healthy alternatives.

It's true that they have a range of salads, but if you plan on dumping the pre-packaged dressing it comes with, then you're probably better off nibbling at a McToast, or a small burger instead. Just an FYI- the dressing might consist of more calories than the salad itself (depending on what you order). Here's a quick calorie crunch so that you know what I'm on about. A large coke is equal to 400 calories, a grilled chicken salad contains 120 calories, the Ranch dressing has 230 calories and a large fries adds another 500 calories. A total of just under 1300 calories. Sure, they might make it seem healthy, but always be aware what you're mixing with what. Now this does not mean that you have to abolish fast food for eternity, maybe you might want to steer clear of it if you're dieting and can't handle the smell of greasy meat, but otherwise, try opting for a diet coke instead of the original, and cut the fries off- they're packed with sodium. If you manage to incorporate these substitutes, your net calorie intake will drop to just 400 calories. Not bad, considering it's fast food.




All in all, the golden arches have conquered the planet with their world-wide advert barrage, modifying us into a plumpish population. However, a few positive things that make McDonalds praiseworthy, is that it seems to make people content with it's friendly atmosphere and staff and this seems to be absent in other grease-huts. Additionally, they have lately added the nutritional content on every box of burgers and fries which is nice of them to do, although we remain deprived of some of the salads and beverage nutrition content, could it be work in progress? I hope so.

Popping Your Diet Virginity




Your first diet always starts on a good not; you've got your meal plan ready, your new track suits for running, or maybe you might have even invested in a heap of "home gym" equipment like the super duper ab-blaster or handy dandy belly-burner that the "Vin Diesel" look a like at the gym said that he can't live without. On top of it all, everyone seems to be supporting you on your healthy decision.

The first couple of days don't seem too bad, in fact you might even start "boasting" to your friends about how committed you are, and how proud of yourself you felt when you walked past that fast food joint and didn't stop in for your usual pizza slice.

A week finally passes, which means that today you're "granted" a moment to relieve that curiosity that has been growing inside you. You can now weigh yourself for the first time during your diet and enjoy the fruits of your labor. You take your shoes off and dart to the bathroom. While a surge of excitement passes through your body, you step on the scale-that you always loathed. You glare wide-eyed with anticipation at that wobbling meter which can't seem to make it's mind up, and at the precise second that it stops moving, the meter gives you a slap of reality. It's the same feeling as if all your hopes and dreams have plummeted into a pit of despair. You're outraged, and you begin to mumble to yourself, "I've lost TWO pounds? JUST two?!" Of course, that isn't enough for you.


Your mind flashes back to all those moments you had to go through during the past week, and you ponder whether all of that was really worth it. You remember that time you were sitting next to your colleague, the guy that gorged away at his juicy cheeseburger, dripping bacon grease all over your paper napkin, while you sat there and munched away at your carrot sticks. That other time you went to dinner with your significant other, he ordered the peppered steak with jacket potatoes, and you went for the Caesar salad, of course, without any dressing or croutons. You recall the heavenly smell of his steak that made your mouth water, and the way you had to force yourself to grin at him while he ranted on about his new video game, and all you were really doing was looking at his mouth gnaw and gulp a delicious piece of divine goodness.



You snap out of your thoughts of disappointment, go to work, and start crunching your celery like a 5 year old being forced to eat his broccoli. A few more days go by, it's 8:00pm and you're on the couch watching TV. Suddenly, that box of forgotten "Ferrero Rocher" in the top cabinet comes to mind, you're too tired and desperate to reason out how many calories each bite contains, or whether its really a good idea to be eating carbs at this time. In a rush, you shred the foil off of the chocolate and stuff yourself senseless. You have finally given in to that guilty satisfaction that has been lurking in the depths of your thoughts all day. When it's too late, and all the candy is gone, you realize that you've squandered ten days of counting calories, enduring cravings, and eating the sour-tasting "diet" version of every food product. Congratulations, you've had your first diet flop!



There are always a few dieting tips that can make your diet work, unfortunately I found that out after many dieting attempts. I however have learned this: the Key to a successful diet and to reaching your target weight, is actually finding a regime that does NOT feel like a burden, but that can rather be converted into a lifestyle. You need all your necessary tools to make your mind have a positive attitude on healthy eating and exercise, be it inspiration, motivation from a family member, advice from a nutritionist, or just strong will-power, this is something anyone can certainly achieve.

Remember, with the right approach, knowledge and determination, anything can be done.

F.A.Qs


  • Do I need to lose weight?
If you are overweight, then yes, you need to lose weight. Doctors define overweight as a condition in which a person's
weight is 15-20% higher than normal, as defined by a standard height/weight chart. If you want to know whether you are overweight, you can check by visiting http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ and imputting your height and weight. Note however that this isn't 100% accurate, and it does not take into account your muscle mass.

  • Do diets really work?
If you're overweight, chances are that a good diet will give you the results you want. The key to losing weight effectively however is not only finding the most suitable diet for your body type, but also incorporating a set of exercises to be carried out daily. It's also important to plan all your meals and exercise time. If you feel that you need help chosing which diet is suitable for you, you can research the various diet plans on the internet and try the one you feel you can execute fully. Don't try a diet which you know you won't stick to. Also, making an appointment at a nutritionist will definately help you with your conquest to lose weight.

  • What is a calorie?
Contrary to popular belief, a calorie is not a measure of fat, it is however a metric unit of energy. So yes, when we are counting calories, we count the amount of energy each food piece contains. The more saturated food is (meat forexample) the higher the calorie count will be, however foods like lettuce which are not saturated, and which are made up mainly of water, are extremely low on calories.
Food is made up of Fats, Proteins and Carbohydrates. Protein contains 4 calories per gram, carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram also, while fat contains 9 calories per gram. Calories from fat are more easily stored as fat, than are calories from carbohydrates.

  • Do I need to count calories to lose weight?
It is not a strict must, however I would say that the majority of people that are dieting do count calories. You can do this easily by purchasing small booklets which contain a calorie index of most food types, or simply by using websites such as caloriecounter.com or calorieking.com to look up how many calories the food you're eating contains.

  • How many calories should I eat every day?
The average adult varies around a calorie intake of 2000-3000 calories a day.
Every body type has different needs, if you work out alot, you will need more calories than average, also men need to consume more calories than women. On average the human body needs at least 1200 calories per day to survive and function normally.

A way you can calculate your needed calorie intake is:
Your personal energy requirement=basic energy requirements + extra energy requirements
Basic energy requirement includes your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and general daily activities
- For every Kg (1 kilogram = 2.2lb) of body weight, 1.3 Calories is required every hour(assuming you perform general daily activities.If you have a sedentary job, your required calories might be less).
For a calculation of your BMR, visit http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
-Extra energy requirements- for each hour of training you require an additional 8.5 Calories for each kg of body weight.

*remember-for an accurate evaluation of your calorie requirements, visit a nutritionist*

  • Should I count calories or carbs? or both?
people find it beneficial to eat less carbohydrates (diets suggest eating 20 net grams to 60 net grams of carbs for a couple of weeks) because carbohydrates cause cravings. This is because eating carbohydrates raises insulin, which then lowers blood sugar. This causes a desire (or craving) for more food and, in some people, for more carbohydrates.

I would recommend counting calories first, by finding how much calories you need to eat each day to lose weight. Remember to opt for regular healthy meals. If you eat one meal a day which contains all your daily calorie needs, it is likely that your body will not function properly.

If you've tried the calorie diet, and have had negative or no results, and if you are a big carb eater (eating pasta,noodles, white bread 2-3 times a day) you might want to consider counting carbs. Note: Many low carb diets insist that you buy vitamin tablets.
Some low-carb diets worth mentioning are:
The Atkins diet, Eskimo style diet and South Beach diet.

Some people try combining Atkins diet with calorie counting diet which doesn't always work, as the atkins diet needs fat for the diet to work well. However it is good to keep at least an average calorie intake when on a low-carb diet.

  • How do I know if i am losing weight effectively?
A simple rule is, if you are not losing a Minimum of 2lbs per week, then the diet is probably not right for you. Remember to weigh yourself early in the morning, before breakfast and before drinking anything, for a clearer indication of your weight. Also, make sure to include cardio exercise in you plan (at least 30 mintues a day).

Diet Tips - Exercise

Feel The Burn!

  • If you have equipment at home, try to position them in front of the TV so that you can work out while watching your favorite shows or Dvds. If you are doing something repetitive such as running on a treadmill, you will pay more attention to the TV and the time will pass much quicker.

  • If and only if you are in a situation where you have nothing to do, nowhere to go, and already done your daily dose of exercise, play video games. Really, if you really get into it, some games can make the time fly by and make you forget about your cravings. I would recommend a good Mmorpg. If you don't know what this is, try asking your kids, or just use google :)

  • The worst thing you can do, is sit around bored. This will likely result into snacking. Make a list of all the things you can do when you're not busy; going out for a walk, playing computer games, reading a good book etc.

  • Listen to music that motivates you.


  • In an a book written by "Nan Allison" she says that High concentrations of endorphins in the brain produce a sense of euphoria, enhance pleasure, and suppress pain, both emotionally and physically. When endorphins are low, people feel anxious; they are also more aware of pain. They have an appetite for fat and fatty foods, such as fries, cheese, creamy sauces, margarine, butter, fried chicken, potato chips, and chocolate, to name some of the most popular examples. Upon eating some fat, they will notice a change in mood, feeling more pleasure. This feeling is related to a higher concentration of endorphin. Exercise, by releasing fat from within the body, raises endorphins and causes the same mood changes.This can be one other reason to exercise.

  • Always keep moving! Even if you are bored at work on your desk, try moving your toes and fingers. Every calorie counts =)

  • Remember not to limit your exercise to crunches, sit ups, and weight lifting. Good cardio exercise will melt the belly fat right off, sit-ups are more of a "toning" exercise to pump up the abdominal muscles. Cardio exercises include running, fast walking, cycling, jogging, swimming and rowing. A good plan is to do 30 about 30 minutes of one of these a day.

  • If you are a "morning" person and tend to be less energetic in the evening, try to fit your exercise plan before you go to work, as this might have better results. Although the most important thing when it comes to exercising is consistency, remember to find a good time of day that is right for YOU.

  • It is always a good thing to fuel your body up before a work out. If you are going to exercise for less than an hour, you will need food that digest easily. High-carb, low fat foods, such as crackers or bread. If you are going to exercise for longer than an hour, choose carbohydrates that last longer, such as yogurt or a banana.(Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook, 1997) Note: remember to give your body some time to digest the food before you work ( at least half an hour) out otherwise this may result into cramping.

  • Avoid eating high fat proteins before exercising, peanut butter and red meat can make you feel weary during your work out.

  • Don't get TOO into it. Remember it isn't a good idea to lose too much weight, remember, you are aiming to be Healthy. If you think you may be underweight I strongly suggest you visit a nutritionist

  • While working out, try to listen to upbeat, fast music, this will actually make you work out faster because your brain will naturally try to adapt your pace with the beat of the music.

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