Five Reasons Why Burpees Should Be Your Favorite Exercise

What do extreme athletes, elite military forces, and football teams have in common?

They all embrace burpees and regularly include them in their workout routines.

Lots, and lots, of burpees.

But burpees aren’t just beneficial for hardcore athletes or certified badasses…

They’re for everyone. 

That’s why we include so many burpees in the workouts in the official 12 Minute Athlete HIIT Workouts app—they’ll get you fitter than pretty much any other exercise can.

Because not only will burpees turn you into an athlete, they’ll also help you scorch fat, rev up your metabolism and get you conditioned like no other exercise can do.

But what the heck is a burpee… and why should you care?

Burpees are an awesome, calorie-torching, strength-building, full body exercise.

Later in this post, you’ll learn why you should love them. But first, you need to know how exactly to actually do a burpee.

Just follow these simple steps:

• First, stand up straight, then get into a squat position with your hands on the floor in front of you.
• Kick your feet back into a push up position and immediately drop your chest to the ground.
• Bow your chest up, then return your feet back to the squat position as fast as possible.
• Immediately jump up into the air as high as you can.
• Add a little clap for pizzazz!

To see how it’s done, and to get a better idea of the pace you should try and keep, here’s a short video where I show you exactly how to do a proper burpee.

Burpees are all about speed, but don’t go too fast…or you’ll burn yourself out after doing just a few. Trust me.

And now, here are five reasons why burpees are awesome—and why they should be your new favorite exercise:

1. They burn mega calories

Burpees make your body a fat burning machine.

That’s because since burpees are an intense fully body exercise, they burn a ton of calories. Plus, research shows that high intensity exercises like burpees burn up to 50% more fat than moderate exercising.

And better yet, they speed up your metabolism throughout the day—meaning you’ll burn more calories all day long, even after your burpee hell is over.

So if you want to lose weight, ditch the recumbent bike and elliptical machine—and do some burpees instead.

2. They make you stronger

The burpee is a full body strength training exercise and the ultimate example of functional fitness.

With every rep, you’ll work your arms, chest, quads, glutes, hamstrings, and abs. After a few sets of burpees, your legs should feel a little bit like lead.

3. They’re great for conditioning

Why do you think burpees are embraced in the hardest of workouts (like CrossFit)?

Because they’re great for developing conditioning and endurance! And they get your heart rate up—fast.

Burpees are a great way to get in shape quickly, whether your goal is to learn a new sport, train for a triathlon, hike a big mountain, or, just to look good.

4. They’re portable and require no equipment

The best thing about burpees? They require absolutely no equipment.

That’s right. Zip. Zero. Zilch.

You can do burpees in your house, in a nearby park, even in your hotel room.

5. You can add them to almost any workout

Unlike running, which is a slow, monotonous form of exercising (unless you’re sprinting), burpees are fast paced, dynamic, and never boring.

Like I already mentioned, adding burpees to your workout routine will bring you tons of benefits and whip you into shape quicker than you ever thought possible.

However, if you do have equipment available, there are tons of burpee variations you can do to mix things up. Here are a few:

Burpee pull ups. Do a burpee in front of a pull up bar, then do a (jumping) pull up.
Burpee knee ups. Do a burpee in front of your dip station or a set of chairs, then do a knee up.
Burpee box jumps. Do a burpee in front of a box or a high surface you can jump on, then do a box jump.

Be creative and come up with your own!

Give burpees a try

For a really awesome (and challenging) burpee workout, try doing 100 burpees in a row as fast as you can.

Some people look at this as an impossible workout—but it’s all about pacing yourself, and most of all, believing in yourself. 

http://www.12minuteathlete.com/burpees-are-awesome/

Rebounding - The Very Best Exercise for the Immune System

I was diagnosed with low-grade lymphoma in 1989, and have lived far beyond how long mainstream doctors say I should have. I am still in very good health today, and I would call it excellent, except that I have periodic bouts of bronchitis.

In my opinion, one of the very MOST IMPORTANT things I have done to maintain my good health, and to keep the lymphoma in remission, if not out-right shrinking, is an exercise known as REBOUNDING.

The tremendous value of rebounding, from my point of view, is that it exercises the lymphatic system like no other exercise can except that of jumping rope. (But with rebounding there is far less impact on the joints than there is with jumping rope.) The lymphatic fluid travels through the body via a system of what can be likened to "one-way straws", connected by valves, and each jump up-and-down on the rebounder moves the lymph along, causing it to travel through the body as much as 15 to 30 times as efficiently as when the body is at rest.

But what is even better than that is that rebounding can cause a state of non-disease-induced neutrophillia, which is an increase in the number of white cells circulating through the body, particularly neutrophils,which are one of the types of white cells most responsible for destroying cancer cells. While gentle bouncing may possibly cause a slight increase in neutrophils, and jogging a little more, by sprinting in place for just one minute on the rebounder you can cause your neutrophil count to as much as double what it normally is,(based on Dr. Arthur C. Guyton's "Textbook of Medical Physiology," Fifth Edition, Page 74, Paragraph 5), and to remain at that level for about an hour! Any middle-aged adult who tried to sprint in place on anything but a rebounder would soon end up with shin splints or some foot, ankle or knee injury.

Rebounding looks very simple, and it is. It consists of gentle bouncing on a special mini-trampoline. When you do what's called the "health bounce," your feet don't even leave the mat. If you wish, you can of course jump higher than that. Also, if you wish, you can jog or run in place. The rebounder stands about 9 inches off the ground, and has a special "soft-bounce" mat attached to the frame with 4" long springs, the total surface diameter being 40". There is a REAL, SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE between the cheap, Asian-made mini-trampolines that are sold at Sears and at K-Mart and the USA-made Rebounder that I use. The cheap mini-rebounders do NOT have a soft-bounce mat, they stand only 4-6 inches off the ground, and they do not have the necessary 4-inch long springs. For those reasons, you cannot do proper rebounding on a cheap mini-trampoline, and in fact you can hurt your ankles, knees or back. Such cheap models will not avail you of the kind of "lymphasizing" exercise I am talking about.

I keep my rebounder near my desk, and get up as often as possible to bounce on it for anywhere between 5 and 30 minutes at a time. Even just a minute or two can be sufficient to stir up the circulatory and lymphatic systems, which tend to settle down and to "pool" in the legs, ankles and feet when one is sitting for an extended period of time.

The ability to do it at any time throughout the day and evening is one of the very significant advantages of rebounding over other exercise. If you go out walking in the morning, and you walk briskly 2, 3 or 5 miles, you will certainly be getting some good exercise. But an hour or maybe two hours after you've finished your walk, your lymphatic and circulatory systems will be back to the rate of flow they were at before you took your walk, and they'll remain that way till the next morning. The same is true for any other once-a-day type exercise.However, if you have a rebounder at your office or in your home, (or both), you'll be able to get on it and do some bouncing or gentle jogging throughout the day, so as to keep your blood and your lymph circulating continually, thereby doing the maximum job of keeping yourself healthy, or, if you are dx'd with cancer, of fighting the cancer. There is no special clothing required for rebounding---you don't even have to take off your shoes! And you can of course rebound no matter what the weather is like outside. On the other hand, if the weather is nice outside, you can take your rebounder outdoors, so as to avail yourself of the fresh air and sunshine! 

http://changeforcancerwellness.blogspot.co.uk/2007/01/rebounding-very-best-exercise-for.html

Nore from Editor: please see video below on how to perform sprints on a rebounder

Low impact, high intensity Sprint intervals on a Rebounder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cp1J87mfZjY&feature=youtu.be

What is a Primer Workout?

When you go to the gym, you see strange things.

One of those things is how people warm up.

This is often what I see:

• Some people do nothing - they jump on the leg press, stack up the weight and go.
• Some people do some leg swings and then jump on the leg extension.
• Some people sign up for their piece of cardio equipment, jump on and go full effort.

My approach is none of those.

I combine a number of approaches when it comes to my warm up; my warm ups are joint focused and depend on what I am focusing in on during that day.

I don't look at what I do as a warm up. I look at it as more of a primer. I am working on priming up the joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons, stabilizing muscles and main muscle for what I am going to be working on.

When it comes to priming, it is very much like what race car drivers do with their car engine. They are constantly tweaking, testing and getting the engine ready for the race. That is what I do with my primer workouts.

My primer workouts are not just a bunch of movements or exercises that I throw together. I think out all of the movements, test them out on me and give them to others.

Plus, I make sure my Primer Workout contains these 6 things:

• P - Preparation - They should prepare the body for the activity that you plan on taking your body through.
• R - Range of Motion - The workout or the exercises you do should move the joints through full range of motion. With most of our lifestyles, the lack of moving our bodies through full range of motion has led to muscle imbalances which has led to injuries and pain.
• I - Isolation - Some of the movements need to focus in on isolation and targeting specific joints. For example, my Knee Primer Workout focuses on the knees.
• M - Movement - It is all about movement. Get the joints moving and the body moving because in many cases, prior to your warm up, you were sitting and doing nothing.
• E - Endurance - We want to focus on the most important muscles in the body that protect the body and joints from injury and those are the stabilizers. These muscles are activated with low load and higher repetitions. For the knee you need to activate vastus medialis and gluteus medius.
• R - Resistance - You need to add some resistance to your warm up. This can be done with bodyweight, resistive tubing, medicine ball, kettlebell, bar, etc. Along with isolating the joint and moving it so the joint lubricates itself through full range of motion, you also need to add load so the muscles around that joint activate, get ready to do their job and build endurance.

news@ExercisesForInjuries.net

26 Reasons to Run a Marathon

Thinking about running a marathon?  Sure, there are plenty of excuses not to run a 26.2-mile race (too hard, too far, scared of injuries, don’t want to lose toenails), but there are lots of reasons why all the training and pain is worth it.

Here are 26 reasons – one for every mile you’ll run – why you should consider running a marathon.

1. You’ll stay motivated to run.  You can’t get away with not training with a marathon, so having one on your calendar will keep you motivated to stick to your training schedule. On days when your motivation is lagging, you'll think about how you'll feel if you're undertrained, can’t finish, or have to cancel.

2. You can achieve a life-long goal. Many people have “run a marathon” on their bucket list, but few actually follow through with it.

3. You’ll improve your health.  Running regularly strengthens your heart and also helps keep your blood pressure and high cholesterol at normal levels. It also improves your immune system, so hopefully you’ll get sick less often.

4. You can raise awareness and money for a good cause. Many marathons benefit charities and worthwhile causes, from disaster relief to fighting cancer or other diseases. Running for something that's bigger than you is a great way to stay motivated to keep training, meet other runners to train with, and can make your races even more meaningful.

5. You can prove to your high school gym teacher (or anyone else who doubted you) that you’re an athlete.  Ok, so proving to the naysayers that you can complete an incredible physical achievement shouldn’t be the only reason you decide to train for a marathon, but it is a nice little bonus.

6. You can get in better shape.  If you’re not in good shape – possibly the best shape of your life – by the time you reach the starting line, you didn’t train hard enough!

7. You’ll sleep better.  Marathon training can be exhausting and your body will crave sleep, since it repairs itself while you’re resting.  You’ll definitely find yourself getting to bed earlier and sleeping a lot more soundly.

8. You’ll have a lifetime of bragging rights. Once you become a marathon finisher, you’re always a marathon finisher. No one can ever take that title away from you!

9. You’ll stay busy.  Training for a marathon takes up a lot of time so if you’ve gone through a recent life change – retirement, job loss, empty nest – that gives you some more free time, now might be the perfect time to take on the marathon challenge.

10. You’ll have a great excuse to buy new running clothes. You’ll be running a lot so you won’t be able to get away with one or two running outfits, unless you want to be doing laundry constantly.  Picking up some new running clothes and gear is a great way to reward yourself for sticking to your training.

11. You’ll be a great role model.  It’s hard not to respect someone who is dedicated and determined to complete a substantial goal such as running a marathon. You’ll be setting a great example for those in your life who matter to you.

12. You’ll get a medal and cool shirt. Whether it's a medal, a shirt, or a great finishing photo, you’ll get something that’s a recognition of your achievement. You may not wear it or look at it all the time, but it'll be there when you need a tangible reminder of your running prowess.

13. People will make signs for you. You can’t expect friends and family to make signs for you if you’re running a shorter race, like a 5K. But running a marathon is definitely a sign-worthy endeavor.  If you think they need some help, you can even give them some ideas for funny signs and inspiring signs.

14. You’ll be distracted.  In my marathon training group, I meet a lot of marathoners-in-training who just recently got out of a long-term relationship or are dealing with a difficult family situation.  Running can be an incredible stress reliever and focusing on a goal such as a marathon can take your mind off your troubles.

15. You’ll meet new people. Joining a running group is a great way to meet new, like-minded people.  I know lots of people who have met their best friends and spouses through running groups.

16. Or, you can spend time with family and friends. If you’re not interested in meeting new people, you can convince a friend or family member to train for a marathon with you.  Training together and traveling to the race is a fun way to bond and spend time together.

17. You’ll gain confidence you never knew you had. After you’ve logged a 20-miler, you’ll feel like you can conquer the world (after a post-run nap, of course). Your running confidence will surely overflow into other areas of your life, such as work and relationships.

18. You’ll find new places to run. If you typically stick to shorter distances for running and racing, training for a marathon will force you to find new places to run, since you'll be running a lot and you’ll get bored with the same routes. Check out MapMyRun.com or ask local runners for suggestions on where to run.

19. You can travel to cool, new places.  If you love to travel, marathon running is a great excuse to visit a new city or country. You'll get to see a lot of the local area in the race and may even be able to score discounted marathon runner rates on hotel rooms.

20. You will most definitely be inspired along the way.  Whether it’s the double-amputee wheelchair racer, the 73-year-old grandmother running her 35th marathon, or your own kids holding the “We Love You, Mom!” signs, they will all inspire you.

21. You can indulge a little after your long runs.  It’s important that you don’t go overboard with eating and assume that marathon training gives you a license to eat whatever you want, whenever you want. But during your very long runs, you’ll be burning thousands of calories, so it’s OK to be a little indulgent after. You will be hungry, after all.  You can run hard, and celebrate hard.

22. You’ll better understand runners' lingo.  If you’ve been a casual runner up until this point, training for a marathon means that you won’t be able to avoid the runner’s subculture much longer.  You’ll find yourself speaking in running acronyms and talking about running a lot.

23. You’ll tone your legs.  Weight loss is often a goal of marathoners-in-training but, as many discover, it doesn’t always happen.  Although you may not lose a lot of weight, logging all those miles will absolutely increase your lean muscle mass, which results in some nice-looking legs.

24. You can get guilt-free massages.  Marathoners-in-training tend to get tight muscles, and regular massages can help you feel comfortable and stay injury-free. Treat yourself to a massage or two during your training to help relieve some of that tightness.

25. You’ll have an amazing feeling of accomplishment.  Although you’ll experience rough patches during marathon training and during the race, it’s all worth it once you cross that beautiful finish line. You’ll feel proud knowing that you set a goal of finishing a marathon and you followed through with it.

26. The experience will change you.  I love this quote:  “The person who starts a marathon is not the same person who finishes a marathon.” It’s true that the marathon will change you and you’ll be a different person when you finish the race. You’ll forever know that you have the mental and physical strength to persevere, even during times when you think you can’t and won’t succeed.

http://running.about.com/od/distancerunningtips/fl/26-Reasons-to-Run-a-Marathon.htm?utm_campaign=caloriecount&utm_medium=email&utm_source=cal_nl&utm_content=20141025

My Weight Loss Story ♡- How I lost 60lbs/Tips & Motivation/Before & Afters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY4fCtKEvM8

Rebranding of Site

Morning All

I hope the re-branding of the site as launched yesterday met with everyone's approval? We will constantly be looking for site improvement and innovation as we go along but yesterday's mission was to widen out the scope to all of the fitness world - focusing on getting our readers fitter, stronger and of course slimmer.

We will still be posting plenty of great articles on weight loss but this, as so many of the posts stress, is not just about diet but a sustainable exercise program to accompany it.

Let me have your comments - would love to hear from you.

Don't forget by the way to sign up for your free gifts on weight loss and exercise - 3 great e-books covering nutrition, the explanatory guide on the main dieting systems and a great exercise program for you all.

Happy reading!

Andy

Everything You Want to Know About Body Fat

Determining your percent body fat is very important because the amount of fat in your body is related to health as well as fitness and sports performance. In fact, if you go to a gym or health club, assessing your percent body fat has become quite common. But what exactly is body fat? What percent body fat is healthy for men and women? Here we try to answer the most common questions about body fat.

What is Body Fat?

Fat is one of the basic components that make up the structure of your body. The other components include muscle, water, bone and your organs — the brain, liver, kidneys, spleen, stomach, pancreas, and intestines. etc. All are necessary for normal, healthy functioning.

Body fat can be divided into two categories: Essential fat and storage fat. As its name implies, essential fat is necessary for normal, healthy functioning. It is stored in small amounts in your bone marrow, organs, central nervous system and muscles. In men, essential fat is approximately 3% of body weight. Women, however, have a higher percentage of essential fat — about 12%. This is because their essential fat also includes some sex-specific fat found in the breasts, pelvis, hips and thighs. This sex-specific fat is believed to be critical for normal reproductive function.

Storage fat is the other type of body fat. This is the fat you accumulate beneath your skin, in certain specific areas inside your body, and in your muscles. It also includes the deep fat that protects your internal organs from injury. Men and women have similar amounts of storage fat.

It is desirable to have some storage fat due to the protective role it plays in your body. However, most storage fat is considered to be "expendable". Storage fat:

• increases when you gain weight
• is what you want to lose when you lose weight. Many Americans have too much storage fat, while some have too little. Too much or too little storage fat is unhealthy.

What is the Healthy Range of Body Fat?

For the average adult the healthy range of body fat is shown below. The ranges are different for men and women depending on their age.

Healthy Range of Body Fat

Age	Female	Male
18-39	21-32%	8-19%
40-59	23-33%	11-21%
60-79	24-35%	13-24%

Professional and superior amateur athletes often have a body fat percentage much lower than the average person. For example, male marathon runners have been found to have body fat as low as 3.3% and female Olympic swimmers have been found to have body fat as low as 14.5%.

What happens when your percent body fat goes above the desirable range? Your risk for developing heart disease, high blood pressure, gallstones, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, certain cancers and for an early death increases. In some cases, the excess fat becomes a mechanical barrier to breathing properly. This condition is called sleep apnea.

Where your excess fat is located is even more important than the amount of body fat you have. Recent studies have shown that if you carry your extra fat around your waist, you are at a higher risk for developing the diseases mentioned above than if you carry the same amount of extra fat around your thighs and buttocks.

Can Body Fat Be Too Low?

The answer is YES for both men and women.

If a man's body fat is less than 3%, his health may be compromised because normal, healthy functioning requires some fat. He may become more susceptible to illness or experience chronic fatigue. Remember that 3% the amount of body fat considered to be essential for men.

Based on current information, a woman must have a minimum percent body fat of 13-17% for regular menstruation. If a woman's percent body fat is too low, her periods may stop and she may experience infertility. Her menstrual irregularities may also compromise the health of her bones, normal hormonal function is necessary for bone health.

Women, and an increasing number often men, with eating disorders — anorexia and sometimes bulimia — can lose large amounts of fat. Thus having too little fat can be a sign of the presence of an eating disorder.

What Is Lean Body Mass?

Lean body mass is commonly used to describe the muscles in your arms, legs, back, neck and abdomen. But actually it also includes your heart muscle, and the tissues of your other internal organs as well as water, and bone. This is the part of your body you want to preserve or expand.

How much lean body mass you have is the most important factor in determining your metabolism (the rate at which you burn the calories). The higher the amount of your lean body mass, the higher your metabolic rate and the more calories you will burn when you are sitting or lying down. This higher metabolic rate makes it easier to maintain your weight.

Want to build up your lean body mass? The good news is that you can increase the amount and the strength of your muscles through a regular program of strength training — also known as "resistance" training.

What Happens When You Gain Weight?

Fully grown adults gain both lean body mass and storage fat when they gain weight. The amount of fat gained usually far exceeds the amount of lean body mass gained. The exception to this is if you are involved in a training program specifically aimed at increasing your muscle mass.

More specifically, the extra weight you gain is about 60-80% fat and 20-40% lean body mass. Therefore, if you gained 10 pounds, about 6-8 pounds would be fat and 2-4 pounds would be lean body mass. This would mean increases not only in your fat tissue but also in your muscles, stomach, intestines and other organs, bone and water.

What Happens When You Lose Weight?

When you lose weight, you lose water, lean body mass and storage fat. To replace lost water, it is important to maintain proper hydration. From a health standpoint and to maintain your metabolic rate, it is better to preserve as much lean body mass as possible as you reduce your body fat.

How much fat and lean body mass should you lose when you lose weight? Experts have determined that:

• during the early weeks of weight loss, at least 75% of the weight you lose should be fat loss and not more than 25% should come from lean body mass.
• as you continue to lose weight, especially if certain types of exercise are included in your weight loss plan, fat loss should be about 90% of the weight you lose and lean body mass should be about 10%.

What is the Best Method to Lose Weight?

The best method for losing weight is to follow a program that helps you to maintain hydration, lose more storage fat, and lose as little lean body mass as possible. Such programs promote a balanced eating pattern and a well rounded program of physical activity that includes some strength training to build or preserve muscle.

• Balanced eating means including foods from all food groups and portion control.
• Physical activity not only boosts metabolic rate and burns calories, but strength training also plays an important role in building and preserving muscle as you burn fat. Finally, weight bearing activities such as walking help to maintain and improve bone density.

The average rate of weight loss should be no more than two pounds a week. If the calories you eat are too low and you lose weight too fast, you will lose a greater percentage of lean body mass than is desirable. Some dietary strategies may allow you to lose pounds faster; however they promote the loss of both lean body mass and body water. Therefore, even though the pounds you lose may be higher, you will be losing the wrong type of weight.

http://www.shapeup.org/bfl/basics1.html

Losing weight quickly is just as good (or bad) as losing it gradually

When it comes to dieting, the conventional wisdom holds that losing weight gradually is more sustainable in the long run than losing weight quickly. But new results from a long-term clinical trial show that this is just another dieting myth. 

Related story: Slim down with grapefruit juice? Berkeley study adds weight to idea

Both fast and slow weight loss produced pretty modest results over the long term. But in some respects, the rapid weight-loss regimen tested in the study worked better than its slow-but-steady counterpart, according to a report published Thursday by the journal Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology.

The study involved 200 obese Australian adults between the ages of 18 and 70. Ninety-seven of them were randomly assigned to a strict diet that replaced breakfast, lunch and dinner with Optifast shakes. By consuming only 450 to 800 calories per day, their goal was to lose 15% of their body weight in 12 weeks. The other 103 volunteers were asked to drink Optifast shakes once or twice a day and prepare their remaining meals according to the recommendations in the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. This plan was supposed to lead to a 15% reduction in body weight over 36 weeks.

Volunteers in both groups also had meetings with dietitians and received educational materials about healthful eating.

Despite its austerity, the extreme diet worked better for more people than the gradual diet, according to the study. Among the volunteers who made it to the end of the weight-loss portion of the study, 81% of those on the rapid plan lost at least 12.5% of their body weight. For volunteers on the gradual diet, only 62% achieved the same goal.

Related story: Low-carb diet beats low-fat for weight loss and heart health, study says
Lauren Raab

One of the reasons for this success was that the extreme diet was more tolerable than the gradual one (perhaps because it lasted for only three months instead of nine). Only 3% of those assigned to the rapid weight-loss regimen dropped out of the study, compared with 18% of those in the gradual program.

Volunteers who followed the rapid plan were getting more exercise (2,291 extra steps per day, on average) than their counterparts on the gradual diet (an average of 1,300 extra steps per day). However, the gradual dieters saw bigger

improvements in both waist and hip circumference. The drop in BMI was virtually the same in both groups: 5.3 points lower for those fueled only by Optifast and 5.2 points lower for those who got to eat at least some real food.

But losing weight isn’t the hardest part of a diet -- the bigger challenge is keeping it off. So the researchers tracked the volunteers who were still part of the study for 144 more weeks. During that time, all of them were advised to follow an “individualized diet for weight maintenance,” according to the study.

Related story: Fake sweeteners may mess with the way our bodies metabolize sugar
Deborah Netburn

Of the 127 volunteers who completed the study, all but six -- five who lost weight rapidly and one who lost weight gradually -- started to gain back some of the pounds they had shed. Those who started with the extreme diet lost a little more than 32 pounds after the initial 12-week period but gained back 23 of them. And those who lost weight gradually dropped 31.5 pounds after 36 weeks but gained back 22 of them.

The net result after more than three years: Those who followed the gradual diet ended up losing 0.44 pounds more, on average, than those who followed the rapid diet.


The researchers found several reasons to endorse the all-Optifast diet: It is simpler to follow than a gradual diet that requires people to prepare some of their own meals. It produces results more quickly, which may encourage people to exercise more. The hormone changes detected in those on the rapid diet seemed to make them feel less hungry than their counterparts on the gradual diet. And it is probably cheaper.

But in the end, both approaches ultimately did a poor job of helping obese people lose weight in a sustainable way.

“A strategy to suppress hunger after weight loss and therefore prevent weight regain ... is still awaited,” the researchers concluded.

Why Do People Do This at the Gym?

Morning All

One of the great things about my local gym, a branch of Virgin Active, is that they now allow children over 10 to train with their parents in the gym, although they're not allowed to use the weights.This has made our lives that bit easier as previously my only option was to take them swimming.

So for that reason I was at the gym last weekend using the cardio machines. Not really a favourite of mine as I have some doubts over the effectiveness of these machines. Nevertheless that was the only way I could train, so I kept an eye on my two sons, aged 11 and 10, and encouraged them to work a bot harder. I put in about 30 minutes work, mostly on the rowing machine and the horizontal cycling machine. I included some intensive bursts so in the end it wasn't too bad a work out and sneaked in some push ups and chin ups.

So the point of this? Two cycling machines away a girl in her 20s was also using the same machine. She as however totally absorbed in her Kindle!! Now while I believe a Kindle is a great way to read it simply does not mix with exercise. If you can read anything you cannot be working hard enough. In her case she barely looked up and ensured the pace and no doubt the resistance was comfortable enough top ensure vit didn't disturb her reading.

I often see this in gyms and can't help wondering how disappointed these people will be in their weight loss and fitness / strength programmes.

If this is you please separate the two and get the most of out of your limited time to exercise.

Reading is a fantastic way to idle time away but not at the expense of exercise.

Happy exercising

Andy

The Atkins diet: What it is - Part 3

What the experts say

Both in the UK and abroad, the Atkins diet remains highly controversial.

An Atkins spokesperson points out that a number of studies since 2002, demonstrate some benefits of a low-carbohydrate diet -- especially when weight-loss results achieved with a diet like the Atkins plan are compared to weight-loss results on other diet plans.

However many health experts remain wary about the long-term safety of the diet.

Dr Robert Eckel, at the general clinical research centre at the University of Colorado in the US says, "Our worries over the Atkins diet go far past the question of whether it is effective for losing weight or even for keeping weight off. We worry that the diet promotes heart disease. ... We have concerns over whether this is a healthy diet for preventing heart disease, stroke, and cancer. There is also potential loss of bone, and the potential for people with liver and kidney problems to have trouble with the high amounts of protein in these diets."

Barbara Roll at Penn State University in the US says:  "No-one has shown, in any studies, that anything magical is going on with Atkins other than calorie restriction. The diet is very prescriptive, very restrictive, and limits half of the foods we normally eat. In the end it's not fat, it's not protein, it's not carbs, it's calories. You can lose weight on anything that helps you to eat less, but that doesn't mean it's good for you."

Food for thought

The Atkins theories remain unproven, and most experts are concerned that a high-protein, high-fat diet can cause a host of problems, particularly for the large segment of the population that is at risk of heart disease. What's more, the plan doesn't permit a high intake of fruit and vegetables, recommended by most nutrition experts because of the numerous documented health benefits from these foods.

http://www.webmd.boots.com/diet/features/atkins-diet-plan?page=3

Diet - Calories

The energy stored in food is measured in terms of calories.

Technically, 1 calorie is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree centigrade. The calorie measure used commonly to discuss the energy content of food is actually a kilocalorie or 1000 real calories. This is the amount of energy required to raise 1 kilogram of water (about 2.2 pounds) 1 degree centigrade.

Different foods contain different amounts of energy -- which is why a small piece of chocolate can have many more calories than a similarly sized piece of lettuce.

However, since calories are a measure of energy, there cannot be, as some diet books claim, different types of calories. A fat calorie has the same amount of energy as a protein or carbohydrate calorie.

A person's caloric need is determined using a variety of mathematical equations. Age, height, current weight, and desired weight are taken into account. Diet is what you eat. Dieting usually refers to eating fewer calories to lose weight.

Function

The amount of calories in a diet refers to how much energy the diet can provide for the body. A well-balanced diet is one that delivers an adequate amount of calories while providing the maximum amount of nutrients.

The body breaks down food molecules to release the energy stored within them. This energy is needed for vital functions like movement, thought, growth -- anything that you do requires the use of fuel. The body stores energy it does not need in the form of fat cells for future use.

The process of breaking down food for use as energy is called metabolism. Increased activity results in increased metabolism as the body needs more fuel. The opposite is also true. With decreased activity the body continues to store energy in fat and does not use it up. Therefore, weight gain is the result of increased intake of food, decreased activity, or both.

The nutrition labels on food packages indicate the number of calories contained in the food.

Food Sources

Naturally, different foods provide different amounts of calories. Some foods, such as ice-cream, have many calories; while others, like leafy vegetables, have few.

Side Effects

• Inappropriate dieting (fad dieting) can lead to rebound weight gain.
• Altered body image is associated with anorexia nervosa andbulimia.
• Diets that are excessively low in calories are considered dangerous and do not result in healthful weight loss. A more desirable method of weight reduction is one that is moderate in calories and that encourages routine exercise.
• Children and young adults should not limit calories below the Recommended Daily Allowance because they require a certain amount of calories for growth and development. Better eating habits for the entire family often accomplish the caloric decrease that is required for a child or young adult to reach a desirable weight.

Back to TopRecommendations

Recommendations for dieting:

• Do not eat meat more than once a day. Fish and poultry are recommended instead of red or processed meats.
• Avoid frying food because food absorbs the fats from cooking oils and this increases dietary fat intake. Bake or broil food instead. If you do fry, use polyunsaturated oils, such as corn oil.
• Include adequate fiber in your diet. Fiber is found in green leafy vegetables, fruit, beans, bran flakes, nuts, root vegetables, and whole grain foods. Fiber often makes you feel full without having to eat excess calories.
• Do not eat more than 4 eggs per week. Although they are a good source of protein and low in saturated fat, eggs are very high in cholesterol, and should be eaten in moderation for that reason.
• Choose fresh fruit for desserts rather than cookies, cake, or pudding.
• Cut down on salt, whether it is table salt, or flavor intensifiers that contain salt such as monosodium glutamate (MSG).
• Too much of anything has its drawbacks, whether it is calories, or a particular type of food. A well-balanced diet with creativity and variety is best suited to your needs.
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• http://www.nytimes.com/health/guides/nutrition/diet-calories/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier