From the web : 5 ways to exercise less and lose more

If you had a magic lamp would you use one of your three wishes to workout less whilst losing more? If you would then your wish is our command. Here’s how you can lose more and exercise less.

Put in some speed

Add a little speed to your sessions if you want to exercise less and lose more. Running steadily for a set distance over a prolonged period of time is all well and good, but your body will soon get used to running this distance and you will no longer progress or continue to lose weight.

Instead of running steadily for all of your run sessions you should do some speed sessions and include some interval work in your workouts. Interval work is great because when you work harder in the sprint sections of the interval session your muscles work harder too, producing additional chemicals in your body to process the extra oxygen in your body. To get this job done your body expends more energy and burns more kilojoules. Therefore you can exercise for shorter periods of time and lose more weight. Three cheers for interval training.

Eat an apple

Who knew that eating could help you exercise less and lose more? A recent study undertaken by US researchers at Iowa University have found that a natural compound called ursolic acid that is present in apple skins increased the amount of muscle in mice. The compound also increased the amount of brown fat in the test mice and these two tissue increases are known for their ability to increase the amount of kilojoules burnt.

The study found that mice on a high-fat diet that were given the ursolic acid compound were less affected by obesity than mice that were not given the compound. The researchers concluded that ursolic acid could help reduce obesity and help to burn more kilojoules. So, if you want to exercise less and lose more it might be time to stock up on apples.

Lift some weights

If you want to lose weight and do less then don’t skip weight training when you work out. Lifting weights is great because not only does it burn kilojoules when you are working out, if done correctly it will also increase your muscle mass. This is important because the more muscle you have the more kilojoules you will burn when doing an activity, compared to someone doing the same activity with less muscle. Therefore by doing some weight training you’ll be able to do less exercise but burn more because of your increased muscle mass.

If you’re a woman and you’re suddenly sceptical about weight training don’t worry, due to your oestrogen levels most women don’t build hefty muscles and won’t bulk up too much.

Cut down your exercise sessions

A study undertaken by Danish scientists discovered that doing shorter exercise sessions could help people lose more weight. These conclusions were drawn during a study that examined sedentary, unfit Danish men who were in their 20s and 30s. The scientists divided the male participants into three groups. One group were to return to their usual inactive routines (this group acted as the controls), one group were to exercise daily until they had burnt 300 kilojoules, whilst the final group were to do daily workouts where they burnt 600 kilojoules.

Surprisingly the group that did the moderate workouts and burnt 300 kilojoules ended up losing more weight (seven pounds on average) than the group that did longer sessions, who on average lost only five pounds. The scientists aren’t entirely clear why those who did less lost more, but they suggested that those who worked out for longer ate more to compensate and because they were tired from their workouts they did less and sat down for longer during those times when they were not exercising. So, if you want to lose more and exercise less then it might be wise to do shorter exercise sessions.

High-intensity workouts

A high-intensity workout may help you to exercise less and lose more. This is because high-intensity workouts can help you to burn more kilojoules compared to doing moderate exercise. The CDC suggests that we all do 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week or do 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise per week.

Other benefits of a high-intensity workout are seen from the American Heart Association, who suggest that a high-intensity workout can help you lose weight because after exercising your muscles need to have their glycogen stores replenished and this process also burns kilojoules. So if you want to do less and lose more it may be worth doing a few high-intensity workouts when training, such as interval training, swimming or skipping.

(Free Malaysia Today)

From the web : Diet blunders busted

 

Prepared to be shocked, dieters. Here we reveal 5 surprising diet myths and tell you the truth about losing weight.

If you eat less you lose more

If you want to lose weight surely you need to eat a lot less? Well, that’s not exactly true. By going on one of these ‘crash diets’ or ‘fad diets’ where you cut your kilojoule intake drastically you may find that you lose weight initially. However, when you eat a lot less than you need your metabolism slows down and once you return to eating normally again your body will not burn off the kilojoules as quickly as it used to do. Therefore when your crash diet ends normally dieters regain the weight.

Plus crash diets are bad for you because eating the same foods repeatedly means that you are depriving your body of other essential vitamins and minerals, which means your body cannot function as it should. This deprivation can also lead to muscle loss, which is bad news if you want to lose weight because the more muscle mass you have the more kilojoules you expend when performing physical activities. Therefore by losing muscle you’ll burn less and inevitably lose less weight too.

If you exercise lots you can eat what you like

Exercise is associated with weight loss and, although exercise will help you keep weight off in the long term, exercise on its own is often not enough to help you to shift the pounds you want to lose. This is because it takes a lot of effort, time and energy to burn off all of the necessary kilojoules to lose weight. For example, to burn 420 kilojoules you will need to spend around 60 minutes exercising. So that’s 60 minutes exercising to burn off a small snack or 50g of wholemeal bread – clearly then exercise alone is not enough if you want to lose weight.

The MayoClinic also support this theory, suggesting that studies show ‘an exercise regimen… is unlikely to result in short-term weight loss beyond what is achieved with dietary change’. So if you want to lose weight you need to change your diet and exercise.

Cutting dairy helps you lose weight

If you want to lose weight would you eat cheese or drink full fat milk? If you wouldn’t then you may need to reassess your diet. Researchers at the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville found that low-fat calcium foods can actually help to reduce body fat and that fat cells that contain more calcium will burn more fat.  The researchers believe that calcium can therefore help encourage the burning of fat opposed to the storing of fat.

Dairy products are also great for dieters because it is thought that not getting enough calcium causes your body to produce more fat, which would obviously inhibit weight loss. Interestingly, in the study held at the Nutrition Institute, it was found that taking calcium supplements did not produce the same benefits as actually eating dairy products. So if you want to lose weight it might be time to tuck into some natural yoghurt and honey or have a delicious fruit smoothie made from fruit, milk and ice.

Eating late at night will make you gain more weight

A lot of people believe that eating after a certain time in the evening will lead them to gain weight because they do not get the opportunity to burn off the food they’ve just eaten. According to a study conducted at Dunn Nutrition Centre though, this may just be another diet myth. To test this theory researchers gave participants a smaller lunch and a larger evening meal for a period of time and measured the amount of fat the participants’ bodies stored.  Then the researchers gave the participants a larger lunch and a smaller evening meal, again measuring the participants’ fat levels.

The results indicated that there was no link between when people ate and the amount of fat stored. Another study conducted by Oregon Health & Science University found similar findings, when they did a study on monkeys.

I put on all this weight over Christmas

Although we all like to indulge at certain points during the year, surprisingly weight gain is actually a slow process and it is unlikely that we put on a lot of weight during those times we indulge or splurge.

This is because in order to put on one pound of weight we need to consume an extra 14,700 kilojoules. Yet the average Christmas dinner, which is generally the most indulgent meal of the year, is thought to amount to around 6,300 kilojoules. For those people who feel like they’ve piled on the pounds the weight is more likely to be the result of fluid. So, if you have a diet slip up don’t feel guilty. That chocolate treat won’t sabotage your progress as long as you go back to a healthy diet and exercise after your little indulgence.

(Free Malaysia Today)

From the web : Tips to get fit and motivated

Let’s face it. When it comes to staying healthy and fit, we’re all battling our inner demons. We struggle everyday to get out of bed – or the sofa – and wonder in amazement at how others could do it. Staying motivated has much to do with the psychology of the mind and social support.

 

First, understand that we all are creatures of positive reinforcement. No one likes to be told to do something. So when it comes to workouts, choose something that you enjoy doing. Alina Kamaruddin speaks of her gym class, “When choosing a gym, I make sure that it has a variety of classes that fits my personality. I don’t do workouts that I dislike, in this case, zumba. But that’s just one class out of a week and my gym still leaves me with plenty of option to do something else.”

Rewarding yourself after a workout also helps get you committed to more workouts in future. Personal trainer Jonathan Quek says, “I encourage my clients to reward themselves after a good workout – whether they want that ice-cream or that burger bakar.” There is nothing wrong with indulging, especially in food, says Quek “because you have worked hard at burning off those fat, and so long as indulgence is done in moderation, it is a good motivator.”

Self-control is another way to motivate you to exercise more. Understand that every one has limited self-control, and that this resource thins out the longer the day wears on. For example, you have better self-control to plan your day if you start in the morning. As the day goes by, and more variables go into it, you will keep on losing control of what you can or cannot do.

This is why some fitness experts encourage us to exercise in the morning. This is when you’ll have less hurdles and excuses to overcome, for example an over-extended meeting at the office or running errands after work. If a morning workout is simply impossible, then come up with an alternative plan that can help you remove those hurdles or have you work around them.

 

Finally, embrace the concept of social support. Human beings are by nature, sociable. We like to feel we belong, and whether you admit it or not, we sometimes seek a group’s approval of our actions and behaviour. This is the reason why people who work out in groups fare better in sticking to their exercise routine than one who works out alone. MetCon X founder, Daing Daniel Fitri, explains, “In a group workout such as with MetCon X, you never feel alone. There are always people in your group to motivate and cheer you on, regardless of your fitness levels. Sometimes when you feel like giving up, you won’t because you see others marching on.” 

Another reason group workouts are great, he says, is they also motivate you to work harder. “You don’t realise this but in a group, when everyone’s doing it together, you’re more likely to go beyond your comfort zone.” So the next time you plan to workout alone, try roping in a friend or a group. Committing to a workout with others is the best motivating factor to get you out the door and onto the road of fitness.

(FMT : Free Malaysia Today - Anis Ramli ) 

Feeling stressed anyone? Try and reduce it...

1.     Make it a point to verbalize all your pent up feelings to colleagues.

There is no substitute for communication when it comes to relieving stress. Feeling of isolation is common in cases of prolonged stress and talking about your feelings to a colleague can help you vie things in another perspective – thus act as a cushion in times of stress.

2.     Take one day at a time.

Do some effective time management. Do not spend your tea and coffee breaks to catch up with pending work. Instead, take time off to do something completely different which is in no way related to work. Taking a break from your normal schedule does wonders in refreshing your mind and outlook towards your job.

3.     Try to realize your own energy schedules.

We don't feel the same way during the entire day. So, schedule your work accordingly. Find out which are your high energy hours – and keep the more stressful work during that time. This will ease out stress and stop unnecessary loss of vital energy.

4.    Never try to work all the stressful jobs at the same time.

It will require some amount of advance planning no doubt but if you can plan out your work and take one stressful work at a time – you will soon find out that you can really put in your best in that particular work. It will also leave you less drained.

5.     Keep some outdoor activity in your daily work schedule.

A refreshed body stores a refreshed mind. Out brain needs vital oxygen to keep our body and mind in optimal performing condition. Physical exercise makes us look better and feel better. It increases self-esteem. When you are hibernating, the emotional distresses increase and you feel much low.

6.      When you have a big and intensive job in hand – do not get overwhelmed by its magnitude.

Instead, break it up in small components. It will then seem easier to handle and manage. At the end you will not even realize that you have actually completed the big job so successfully.

7.     Remember you cannot handle everything.

Learn to delegate, if you have the opportunity to do so. If you know your own limitations, it makes the task easier. This way you can involve many others in the problem solving and decision making process.

8.     You do not have to say yes to everyone and every job that comes your way.

Learn to decline. If you go on saying yes to every project, you will soon be full of anger and resentment. Saying no at the right time gives us a sense of control and happiness. That does not mean that you decline from getting involved or committed. Life is all about choices. So take as much as you can give but never over commit and under deliver.