7 Tips to Get Fit Without Going to the Gym

7 Tips to Get Fit Without Going to the Gym

It’s not always the best option to hit the gym for working out.

You will be required to shell out a significant amount of your hard-earned cash to get enrolled at any fitness center out there.

Moreover, one needs to devote a considerable amount of their valuable time to visit a gym on a regular basis which you could have spent on something else.

So here are 7 tips to get fit without going to the gym.

1. Create a plan

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The initial step will be to figure out which workouts seem interesting to you.

Think whether you like to go for a weightlifting routine, play any particular sport or take up jogging as a means of getting fit.

Once you are sure regarding your favorite stuff, it is time for you to decide where and when to work out, whether you need any equipment, and also what resources are obtainable to you.

If you are sure of all these essential things, you should be able to attain success and for that.

You might need to clear some space in the drawing room for squats or figure out some means to stay away from inclement weather that might hamper with your exercises whatsoever.

In case you are not familiar with strength exercises, it will be advisable to go for bodyweight exercises at your own residence.

For this, you will need some YouTube videos to help you get started and you will be able to perfect your lunges, squats, planks, push-ups, and crunches without taking the aid of any equipment at all.

Try to purchase some basic equipment so as to keep the exercises varied as well as intriguing.

A flat bench, a resistance band, jump rope, an exercise mat, a couple of dumbbells, and so forth will be ideal for you.

Otherwise, make it a point to go for weight training in case you like some more challenge while working out and this can include back squats, bench presses, bent-over rows, and weighted step-ups as well as plyometrics for adding intensity to your exercises.

2. Never neglect nutrition

Working out on a regular basis will help you to achieve your goal, but only up to a certain extent.

It is imperative to supplement your exercises with appropriate nutrition and for this, you need to make smart eating habits.

This does not imply crash dieting, and you ought to think twice prior to consuming your favorite snacks.

Although workouts will aid in developing your muscle tissues, enhancing your endurance level, burning your calories, and helping to change the shape of your body, your diet will play the primary role in attaining your target of staying fit.

For this, it will be prudent to stay away from any sugary and fatty food items as well as processed foodstuff, and you must try to provide yourself with balanced proportions of whole grains, protein, plus fruits and vegetables.

However, enjoy your preferred foodstuff although in moderate amounts.

In case you feel confused, it will be a smart idea to take the help of a nutritionist who will be the best person to guide you.

3. Go for outdoor exercises

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The most notable part of working out outdoors will be the sweat sessions.

For this, you might go for a hiking, jogs along a wooded trail, indulge in playing beach volleyball, stroll through the neighborhood at a fast pace or even join a sports team.

There is no need to invest your cash in a machine for helping you stay fit.

You can simply go to any nearby playground and perform step-ups after finding out a bench, go for pull-ups using the monkey bars, and perform things similar to that.

Otherwise, you might even go for some long-distance running in the morning.

4. Change your mode of transport

Changing your mode of transport can help you to enhance your overall health to a great extent.

Try cycling to your workplace for several days each week or walk to a public bus stop for 20 minutes or so.

Otherwise, always make the best use of any available opportunity to remain active throughout the day like strolling while speaking on the phone, parking your vehicle a bit away from your workplace, and so forth.

Else, make it a point to reach your office by walking up the staircase rather than using the elevator.

This is a surefire as well as a fast method of burning your calories as well as strengthening your bones plus toning your muscles too.

5. Yoga

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Yoga will aid in strengthening and lengthening your muscles.

It will be responsible for developing your core strength as well as enhancing your flexibility and balance.

You can take the help of any YouTube video or DVD for helping you to get started.

You might likewise check the local listing for the “donation only” yoga sessions which are available for free.

6. Re-assess your workout regime regularly

It might be the fact that you are not able to make any significant progress, and in that case, you need to make some modifications.

The major components of a typical fitness strategy happen to be duration, frequency, type, and intensity.

Try to change at least one of those for getting better results like increasing the duration of your workouts, exercising for more days every week, working out with more intensity, and experimenting with innovative exercises every week as well.

7. Remain hydrated

It is advisable for any person to consume at least 6 glasses of water every single day.

Water is essential for flushing out the harmful toxins from the human body and improving skin complexion too.

Also, consuming more water will allow you to have enhanced levels of energy and will likewise encourage weight loss in the long run.

It will do this by helping you to avoid eating snack items every now and then plus minimizing the levels of sodium and sugar too.

Conclusion

Let us hope that, after going through the above-mentioned 7 tips to get fit without going to the gym it should not be difficult for you to get the physique that you have always dreamt of.

However, feel free to experiment with other tips as well for getting the desired outcomes. 

8 Post-Gym Hygiene Habits You Should Never Skip

8 Post-Gym Hygiene Habits You Should Never Skip

 

8 Post-Gym Hygiene Habits You Should Never Skip

We go to the gym to sweat off the toxic chemicals in our bodies and try to achieve the form that we so desire. Every gym establishment has its own in-house existing rules. These rules are meant to ensure the guests enjoy their time there because working out is not such a fun endeavor. 

In case you have no idea, the most important part of going to the gym is right after the work-out session. For that reason alone this article will point out 8 post-gym hygiene habits you should never skip.

The eight tips are as followed:

1. Check out A Gym First Before Committing

A gym is a place you might go to become healthy and so it makes sense to seriously look at several options before choosing one. It is okay if you don’t choose the right gym for you right away because you can always cancel a subscription and move on to the next offer. 

Hygiene is the first item on the list of gym criterion. First, research online and make sure to visit the physical location personally. If hygiene is wanting, do not think twice and go find another one. 

It is better to choose a spotlessly clean gym that is expensive than to go to a cheaper and unhygienic place; that will eventually lead you to spend more on medical bills. 

2. Be Selfish

Remember that most gyms are visited by different people with various problems. One of the problems can be a communicable illness. The act of kindness in this situation might be one that you will later regret. 

When you share a sweaty towel is the same as purposefully smearing some else’s face with germs. When you refuse to share, it might rub others the wrong way but find comfort in knowing that you have saved both of you a trip to the hospital in the near future. 

It is fine to share gym equipment but when it comes to personal effects, keep them to yourself unless it is an emergency and someone’s life depends on it. Even in this situation trade carefully by observing hygiene protocols.

3. Always Carry Wet Shoes

A flip flop is an example of a wet shoe, something that you wear on your feet when you take a bath. It is recommended to head into a shower as soon as possible after a workout session. 

A gym workout is meant to make you sweat and then a shower cleans off the sweat from your skin. A shower is more efficient than a bath in a tub. This is because the water in the tub will become contaminated and the person taking a bath will carry some of the dirt with them as they arise from the tub. At the same time, a shower is more time efficient than a bathtub.

Wet shoes protect your feet from the diverse microbes lurking about on the gym shower floor. After making sure you have the proper showering shoes then jump into it.

4. Shower Right Away

As soon as you end the workout session think about hitting the waters and get rid of all that sweat. Taking a shower is essential because after the working out pressures your body, the water relaxes it. 

This can be compared to a metal rod, it expands when hot and gets back to shape when cool water is poured onto it. Many people prefer cold water after an intensive workout session and you should too. It makes you feel more relaxed as compared to hot water. However, this is all personal preference because the main goal is to get rid of the sweat. It is unhygienic. 

5. Clean Equipment

Sanitary wipes have become a cliche but make a habit of always having one wherever you go. The level of disease attach today is not as aggressive as it was sometime back. Back then people didn’t care much about hygiene and they easily got away with it. 

Today, a simple cold can result in life-threatening illness, the environmental pollution levels of our urban habitats are not helping the situation. A sanitary wipe is a first and basic defense against infections. 

Gym equipment is handled by many people and not many people stop to think about the hygiene of equipment handlebars in regards to how many people have used it before. The simple act of wiping the seat, the bars is more important than weight lifting. 

Of course at first other people will put you down for it but eventually, they will secretly admire you for the habit. In no time you will notice everyone in the whole gym walking around subconsciously with sanitary wipes.

6. Use Alternative Cleaning Agents

It is common for a gym to run out of soap and sometimes water. It becomes ironical when you bring your own soap and water but most gyms have policies against this improvisation.

In any case, always have an extra sanitizer that does not require water. Hand sanitizers are the most common among the non-water cleaning agents. This comes in handy when there is a water shortage or you are in a hurry and the water sinks are occupied. 

There are many cleaning solutions that are a more effective alternative to traditional soap and water. Some of the solutions contain antibacterial properties that ensure a near hundred percent protection from germs.

7. Clean Your Kit

Our gym clothes absorb a huge percentage of the sweat that we secrete. Therefore it is important to thoroughly clean your clothes after every workout gym session.

Using dirty clothes and towels from the last gym session is a sure way to attract infections. Clean gym clothes uplift our moods, essentially clean items contribute to our happiness.

8. Clean Hands

Always clean your hands, this cannot be emphasized more. Our hands can reach all parts of our bodies which means they can transfer germs to any parts of our bodies.

Healthy people are more conscious about how clean their hands are more than anything. People should especially be concerned about how clean their hands are after a gym workout session.

Wiping your hands with a cloth does not count as cleaning your hands. 

In conclusion

One more habit that is not mentioned above is to follow rules. All gym walls have some sort of warning or text on how people should conduct themselves. Cultivate a habit of following rules because this is the only key to mastering the other eight post-gym hygiene habits.

10 Serious Signs of Over-Exercising

10 Serious Signs of Over-Exercising

10 Serious Signs of Over-Exercising

Let’s cut to the chase: working out is part of staying healthy. While most of us have trouble getting motivated to exercise, some have a challenge of resting even a single day. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a beginner or a fitness guru, everyone needs time to recover. During a workout, we lose fluids and energy stored which maintain blood glucose levels. But when you take some rest, the body starts to build new muscles and replenishes these important elements.

Let’s look at 10 serious signs of over-exercising. Read and learn more.

1. Weak immune system

While moderate training has remarkable benefits to your immune health, overtraining can wreak havoc to your body. It’s scientifically proven that over-exercising can reduce glutamine, an amino acid that plays a key role in your body’s immune system.

This explains why some athletes are susceptible to illness a few hours after an exercise. Besides that, the body can produce stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) which may suppress the immune function. It’s important that you take some rest to allow your body to recover after a high-intensity exercise. If you get sick more often, your immune system is telling you to slow down. 

2. Insomnia

Dozens of studies suggest that over-exercising can cause insomnia. A high-intensity exercise like weight lifting can lead to high blood pressure and an increase in heart rate which might interfere with your sleep-wake cycle. In addition to that, the adrenaline levels can increase making it hard to fall asleep. It’s worth mentioning that over-exercising can interfere with cortisol and epinephrine hormones. Therefore, you should ensure you rest 8-10 hours after working out.

3. Unexplained irritability

When you exercise, the body releases endorphins (feel-good hormones) which keep stress at bay. However, too much workout can worsen your mood causing irritability. If small things are setting you off, it’s a sign that your body is worn out. To keep your emotions in check, it’s important that you avoid pushing too hard during a workout. Above all, try to warm up before each exercise and listen to your body. Of course, you should keep your body hydrated throughout the exercise. And when your body says it needs some rest, listen to it.

4. Loss of appetite

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For starters, loss of appetite is a sign that you’re pushing your body too hard. A high-intensity exercise like weight lifting can trigger the release of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates hunger. In extreme cases, loss of appetite can be harmful. It’s important that you listen to any signs of overtraining. Keep in mind that these signs may occur in the middle of the training session. Unfortunately, this can slow the metabolism as the body tries to reduce the workload. You should keep an eye on calories intake and most importantly emphasize on the quality of diet.

5. Prolonged muscle pain

If you experience prolonged muscle pain after a workout, it could be a sign of soreness. The great paradox of any exercise is that muscles take longer to rebuild rather than to breakdown. It’s normal to have achy and sore muscles after an exercise – usually lasts up to 48 hours. But when the pain lasts for a couple of days, it means you’ve overdone it.

After any intense training, the body needs time to recover. When you have constant soreness, it means you’re not giving yourself enough time to relax. To be on the safe side, look for a workout that can handle your strength. In some rare instances, overtraining can damage the skeletal muscles.

6. Increased resting heart rate

When you start working out, the body responds to the new stress in training. A higher heart rate simply means you’re overloading the cardiovascular system. The heart has to work hard to pump blood to all parts of the body. While the heart rate can sound a little vague, this number will give an insight into your fitness level. Thankfully, you can rely on a fitness tracker to keep the stats in check. Note: an increase or decrease in heart rate means something is abnormal.

7. Lack of interest in exercise

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While an exercise is usually associated with the release of endorphins (feel-good hormones), it can sometimes lead to a decrease in energy. Perhaps, this is the most obvious sign that you’ve pushed your body beyond the limit. For those who enjoy working out, disinterest in exercise simply means burnout is on the horizon. This feeling is common to people who enjoy a rush of challenging exercises like weight lifting which is normally driven by speed and power. Make sure you keep it simple and you’ll make big changes.

8. Psychological stress

If you’re taking part in a tough competition, you may be forced to push above the limit. This can lead to stress which may affect your psyche. Apart from that, it could be a sign that you’re not fueling your body with enough calories before an exercise. To keep stress at bay, be sure to include some break in your workout routine.

9. Feeling dizzy or weak

It’s normal to feel dizzy after a strenuous workout. This happens when you perform an exercise that requires a lot of internal pressure like squats. You’ll also feel woozy when exercising your abs on the floor. Obviously, the body tries to balance the internal pressure which may
cause a lapse in blood flow. Apart from that, the body will feel weak if you are working out when on an empty stomach. If this continues for a prolonged period, it’s a sign that you are overworking your body.

10. Heavy or overlay fatigued legs

Heavy legs can mean two things – either you’re targeting specific areas of your leg muscles or overworking. When you’re in this kind of situation, you have to put more effort to achieve your weight loss goals. If you have fatigued legs/arms, you should give your body enough time to fully charge and repair. People who engage in aerobic exercises should take a break between the workouts. Alternatively, you can try different exercises that target the core muscles. Needless to say, you should massage the muscles in the problem areas.

Final thoughts

Whether you’re a beginner or a fitness enthusiast, overtraining can send you backward. To ensure you find your optimal recovery time you should keep an eye on the above 10 serious signs of over-exercising. If you think you might be overdoing it, just take a break. While this may sound like you’re taking some time off from your fitness routine, resting will refuel your body for the next exercise. The key to successful training is finding a schedule that works for you.

Do These 8 Things Every Night to Lose More Weight

Do These 8 Things Every Night to Lose More Weight

There are many ways to lose weight, however, not all are applicable to all types of people.

Thus, you should thoroughly assess what method best works for your schedule and lifestyle before you start a lose-weight plan.

Otherwise, you will be wasting time and effort on things that just won’t work.

If you are a person who can’t religiously watch your diet due to work, study, health or other reasons, do these 8 things every night to lose more weight.

1. Finish Your Dinner Before 7 O’clock In The Evening

It is said that it is not good to sleep just after having dinner.

Anatomically, it is not recommended to lie flat on the bed with a full stomach; otherwise, the food can regurgitate to the esophagus and cause heartburn.

At least two hours after meals is recommended for a person to rest before he/she hits the hay.

Eating before seven in the afternoon ensures the two-hour period for the food to move through the stomach and complete the digestive process before sleeping.

If you want to lose weight faster, make sure that the food you ate is properly digested and absorbed into your system before going to sleep.

Unabsorbed nutrients due to indigestion’s result in poor metabolism which leads to the accumulation of excess body fats.

2. Brush Your Teeth Early

Experience would prove that brushing teeth affects appetite.

Because of the clean feeling brought about by brushing, many lose the appetite to eat.

Losing appetite can lessen cravings for sweets or snacks during the night.

Thus, it controls food intake.

Food intake during the night is closely associated with the accumulation of excess fat for the fact that food is ingested when the digestive system is not at its peak performance.

Therefore, people who munch nuts, sweet candies, carbs or heavy snacks have the tendency to get fat than people who don’t.

If you want to lose weight, avoid eating at night.

3. Complete The Required Hours Of Sleep

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Sleeping does a lot of wonders.

It is said that when we sleep, the body starts to rest and undergoes a process called detoxification.

It is for this reason that we should complete the recommended hours of sleep (8 hours for kids and 6 hours for adults) as it is understood that every minute is a part of the resting and detoxification process.

Completing this number of hours helps in eliminating the toxins that could hinder the normal process of metabolism.

Plus, enough sleep means a healthy brain. As they say, a tired, sleep-deprived brain is the cause of food cravings.

4. Empty Your Mind Before Going To Sleep

As the importance of sleep cannot be undermined in losing weight, you should do your best to attain the most peaceful sleep every night.

One technique to attain this is the practice of emptying your mind before going to sleep.

The steps are simple. First, sit down, relax and concentrate.

Eliminate every thought that is entering your mind whether positive or negative.

Then lie down on the bed and close your eyes.

It won’t be long when sleep comes after completing this process.

Believe me, you will have a recharged brain and good feeling the next day when you wake up.

5. Sleep At 11 O’clock In The Evening

According to the Traditional Chinese Medicine, the gallbladder becomes active between 11 P.M to 1 A.M.

During this period, migraine, dizziness, resentment, and bitterness may be felt like some of its physical and emotional symptoms.

It is therefore suggested that at this time of the night, we should sleep and regenerate as the gallbladder is being detoxified.

Remember that a healthy gallbladder means enough production of bile.

Bile, in return, is the enzyme that breaks fats.

When enough bile is secreted by a healthy gallbladder, it follows that there will be no excess fats to be stored in some parts of the body.

6. Drink Red Wine

Many success stories feature drinking red wine as one of the recipes of a successful weight loss program.

Before hitting the sack, one or two glasses of red wine are the common regimen recommended online.

With or without scientific basis, the regimen is claimed as effective.

If it worked for more than one person, then it’s worth giving a try.

Besides, red wine has a relaxing effect that could help promote good sleep which in turn, could help in losing weight.

So whether or not red wine has a direct effect on weight loss, it still pays to drink a moderate amount before sleeping.

7. Take Apple Cider

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A friend once testified that apple cider helped her lose weight.

When asked about the measurement, she mentioned that it depends upon what a person can tolerate.

In her case, there were many times when she took 2 tablespoons before going to bed.

Apple cider has many well-known benefits such as improving digestion and loss of appetite.

While it is not recommended to lose appetite every dinner, it pays to ingest apple cider as it also has the effect of reducing appetite.

Reduced appetite can make you take light dinner and avoid ingesting too much food which is not recommended before bedtime.

8. Exercise And Sweat

Exercise and sweat before you go to bed.

This is one of the techniques in sleeping early and conditioning the body to have good blood circulation.

Exercising is a well-known technique in losing weight by allowing the consumption of calories more than the average consumed during normal tasks.

Blood circulation, on the other hand, aids the muscles that use the energy by carrying oxygen that could help the latter function better.

Also, exercising can make you sweat.

Sweating can make you lose weight by shedding excess water in the body.

Sometimes, what we consider as fats are simply excess water which needs to be flushed out.

Conclusion

There is no hard and fast rule in losing weight.

Even the eight things above should not be taken as a perfect recipe for weight loss.

Study your lifestyle and modify your weight loss plan accordingly.

Make use of strategies that could help you sustain your desire to lose weight from beginning to end.

Keep in mind that consistency plays a big role in the success of your plan.

12 most creative weight-loss tips ever (that really work!)

12 most creative weight-loss tips ever (that really work!)

To be honest, we have so many people out there who are very uncomfortable with their weight.

If they sat down and opened up about the things they have tried in the name of losing weight, you’d be left speechless.

This industry is filled with crazy myths about weight loss.

The good thing is that in recent years, science has come up with so many ways and strategies that have been proven to work effectively.

The following is an outline of the 12 most creative weight-loss tips ever that (really work!).

1. Drink clean water preferably before meals

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Drinking water improves metabolism with rates of up to 30% within a very short period of about 1.5 hours.

This, of course, bring along burning off lots of calories that contribute to weight loss.

According to a study that was done a few years ago, drinking clean water before meals (about half a liter) helped to control the number of consumed calories which led to a weight loss of up to 44%.

2. Take eggs especially for breakfast

A study done by a recognized American university states that replacing the common grain-based cereals or rather, foods for breakfast helps you take a reduced amount of calories in the next 36 hours.

This as well helps you to lose a lot of weight and more body fat.

If eggs aren’t your thing, any other food with quality protein can do the trick in equal measures.

3. Drink black coffee.

Most people don’t realize the health benefits that come with coffee.

It contains large amounts of antioxidants that have very crucial health benefits.

Black coffee increases rates of metabolism by about 10%.

This increases the burning of fats by around 10-29%.

However, this works best when it’s taken with very little or no sugar.

It’s also recommended that you don’t add any other high-calorie substances.

High levels of sugars and calories will instead negate the benefits the coffee will have brought, and of course weight loss will be a past tense to you.

4. Drinking green tea works!

Green tea is one of the most underrated solutions to the puzzle of weight-loss.

Just like black coffee, green tea can also help you lose a great deal of weight.

It contains minimal levels of caffeine but on the other side, it contains very powerful antioxidants known as catechins.

These two, (caffeine and catechins), work hand in hand to enhance and fasten the fat burning process.

Researchers have proven that it can either be taken as a beverage or an extract supplement of green tea and the end results is something you’ll really love.

5. Practice intermittent fasting.

It’s really obvious that if you don’t eat, the chances of losing weight will increase.

However, intermittent fasting doesn’t really mean you quit eating.

It simply means rotating between short periods of meals and fasting.

This restricts a lot of calorie intake which in turn leads to continuous weight loss.

Muscle mass loss is associated with diets with low-calorie content.

This means by fasting, this is controlled and you will lose a considerable amount of fats.

However, this tip isn’t an easy one to apply. You have to be really committed.

6. Cut down your added sugar intake.

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Sugar is really sweet, to be honest.

But what most people don’t know is that it’s actually one of the most detrimental ingredients in the modern day diet.

It’s a fact that people consume a lot of this nowadays.

Based on science, high levels of sugar intake are directly linked to obesity.

Moving away from weight issues, it also brings along diabetes and increased risks of heart diseases.

It is therefore really simple.

If you want to lose some weight, be careful about the added sugar content of what you take.

7. Eat using smaller plates

This is a more psychological tip and it actually works for very many people.

By using smaller plates, you get to reduce the amounts of food you take which means you get to consume fewer calories.

Generally, this has been known to work for overweight and obese people so if you’re really willing to lose weight, it will really count.

8. Take less refined carbohydrates

A few examples of these refined carbohydrates are grains and sugar, whose fibrous as well as nutritious components have been stripped off.

A good typical example of these is white bread.

Refined carbohydrates increase levels of blood sugar which of course brings about the thought of hunger.

This is the reason why these refined carbs have a direct relationship with obesity.

Avoid refined carbs, lose more weight!

9. Spicy foods help in weight loss.

Spices such as chili peppers have this substance called capsaicin.

This compound has been known as a metabolism booster and is very good at cutting down appetite.

This has actually helped a lot of people in weight-loss.

10. Do some aerobic exercise

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Cardio helps in burning calories as well as improving your state of physical as well as mental health.

This is actually the best tip to follow especially if you look forward to cutting some belly fat.

I highly recommend this tip for we all know belly fat can actually lead to serious metabolic diseases.

11. Take more fibers

Viscous fibers have been known to increase satiety.

This will be of great help to you as it will make it easy for you to control your own weight over a long period of time.

Fiber is highly recommended for overweight people.

12. Chew your food slowly.

Psychology shows that when you chew slowly, it helps you eat a few calories which increase the release of hormones that contribute to weight loss.

Chewing thoroughly can also help.

Science and research show that calorie intake in a meal is reduced when one chews slowly.

Conclusion

The list would be endless if I was to continue.

There are hundreds of ways that can help you lose some weight.

Going through the above “12 most creative weight-loss tips ever” will have given you a head start.

10 Tips to Help You Win at Weight Loss and Fitness

10 Tips to Help You Win at Weight Loss and Fitness

10 Tips to Help You Win at Weight Loss and Fitness

Weight loss and getting general body fitness is hard for some people to withstand. It requires a lot of self-control and discipline to maneuver to your dream weight over a short period. However, some people think they aren’t disciplined enough to take only a particular diet and avoid others during the weight loss period.

It’s not always your fault that losing some weight is hard for you. Many foods, also the healthy foods, have chemicals which create addictions and causing you to overeat. For weight loss and body fitness, you can alter your metabolism, and have good self-control to food.

You can do this by eliminating food cravings and start eating healthy. Eating a healthy diet with a good fitness program will eventually lead you to your desired body weight within a short time. Therefore avoid the junks foods since they make you feel tired, or bloated as they add extra sugars to your body.

In this article, we look at 10 tips to help you win at weight loss and fitness.

The tips include the following:

1. Get The Right Fitness Program. 

Having a personal trainer helps you get fast results. The trainer develops a program for you to follow in achieving your fitness. A good trainer also follows your progress to make it successful. Also, you should lower your calorie intake for a successful program. Decrease your daily calorie intake. Reducing your calorie intake levels compare to the calories consumed during workouts makes the program useful. By setting realistic calories intake you limit the possibilities of taking some foods.

2. Keeping Away from Junk Foods

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You should remove all junk food in your diet. Failure to do this means that weight loss will be extremely difficult or impossible. Avoid fast foods and processed foods like burgers or fried chicken. Only take a diet containing the required nutrients. Actually, you need to ensure your body has access to all the right nutrients for proper losing of weight. Hence, access very carefully what your fridge or cupboards have for you. Just throw away those processed sugary foods.

3. Find a friend 

Doing exercises with a friend is more comfortable than being alone. With a friend, you enjoy each other company during workout making your exercising more social and appealing to you. Doing exercises with friends is more encouraging as you have a common goal to achieve with them.

4. Make a plan. 

Plan a weight loss program that you will use. After that plan your meals by writing them down. Also, do proper planning on your grocery. Plan the extras that you will use to promote your weight loss, like exercise and visualization. Write an excellent schedule to ensure you don’t use some time for an excuse. Writing down notes is more commanding to you for achieving your dream weight and fitness.

5. Using Near Support Network 

The fitness clubs boast of having the whole support network of health staff, including nutritional experts and from fitness instructors. The experts help you achieve your fitness and weight loss goals with ease; hence it’s good to take advantage of them. Also, join a sports team for fun to complement the gym routine and ensure commitment to an active life. Joining a health club is advisable too. It’s the right place for having friends in the gym doing exercises. Health clubs are great places to go instead of joining a bar or night club if you value your fitness goals.

6. Listen To Music And Watch TV 

Watching the minute’s counting on your cardio machine isn’t really stimulating; however, you can decide to watch TV or listen to music to pass the time with ease. Buying a workout CD can work too, and use it every morning for exercises. Watching the CD is very motivating, it will lead you to do exercises. Learn and try the simple exercises before proceeding to the complex ones.

7. Get Enough Sleep And Adequate Rest.

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Having a good sleep leads to a more healthy body, hence losing weight quickly. Don’t confuse sleeping to weight gain as a healthy functioning body is needed for weight and fitness. Good sleep should be part of your general weight loss program. Having the right amount of comfortable daily sleep is good for your nervous system and proper functioning and refueling of your body. When at work, it’s advisable to take some minutes rest if it’s allowed in case you work in strenuous activity.

8. Right Cardio Exercises

Exercising is the hardest part of a successful weight loss. Many people find it difficult to change their attitude to accommodate cardio exercises. Many fail because discipline is really needed here. Cardio helps you to burn the stored fat hence losing weight. However, a healthy diet alone isn’t enough for successful body fitness. Work out is needed to promote effective weight loss and give you more stamina, energy, and physical fitness.

9. Training For an Event 

Get yourself an event like a fun run and then start working on it as you encourage friends to join. By taking part in the activities, you get time to exercise your body in the right way. The events drive you to train to make it successful. This promotes your health and fitness in the end.

10. Get The Right Diet Book

Diet books are good motivators. The books help to reinforce your weight loss plan and as they explain why their method works. Some books have before as well as after pictures which motivates you. The books are excellent do work for you, therefore remember there’re many ways to lose weight. So choose the right one, which you even enjoy reading.

Conclusion

Losing weight is a challenge to many but the above 10 tips to help you win at weight loss and fitness are good enough for you. Take the right eating regime, eat healthy diets and involve your body in a good set of exercises. Following this will not only make you achieve your weight loss and fitness goals but also your weight loss mind game.

10 Tips to Push Past a Weight-Loss Plateau

10 Tips to Push Past a Weight-Loss Plateau

There is nothing that beats the difficulty of trying to lose weight.

It’s even harder for people who face obesity challenges.

When you start the process, (losing weight is actually a process), it always seems like you’re losing weight pretty fast in the beginning.

However, it gets to a stage where the weight seems not to be falling off anymore.

This is a stage that is called a weight loss plateau.

It’s a pretty frustrating stage and to get out of it, you need really good strategies and proper planning.

The following are 10 Tips to Push Past a Weight-Loss Plateau.

 

1. Perform regular and more intense exercises

 

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According to science, the bodies metabolic rate reduces as you shed off weight.

As the body weight reduces together with the metabolic rate, it becomes really difficult to cut off more weight from the body.

High-intensity exercise sessions have been proven to shield the body against having a metabolic slowdown.

Some of these exercises are aerobics.

When the metabolic rates are kept high, fats are burned and therefore more weight is lost from the body.

Regular training also helps in muscle mass retention which directly influences the way your body burns calories.

Resistance training has been proven to be the number one exercise for the weight loss journey.

Therefore, by coming up with a proper exercise plan you can easily overcome a weight loss plateau.

2. Reduce the intake of carbs

 

Low carb diets are the most recommended diets for weight loss.

Based on research and science, it has been proven that people who prefer taking low carb diets or rather people who consume just a few grams of carbs in a day lose more compared to those who take the ordinary weight loss nutrition diets.

Low carb diet plans induce the feeling of fullness as well as reduce the hunger feeling.

This temps your body to produce ketones which significantly reduces appetite.

This leads to increased weight loss and within no time you’ll have run way past your weight loss plateau.

3. Increase protein intake

 

If your weight has come to a sudden stall, adding up on the number of proteins you take especially in mornings can help.

Proteins boost the metabolism rate higher than either fats or even carbs.

When metabolism is increased, fats are burned at quite a high rate (up to 30% increased rate) which definitely will fasten weight loss.

Proteins also stimulate the release of PYY hormones which gives you a full feeling that reduces appetite.

This greatly contributes to overcoming the weight loss plateau.

4. Be a good stress manager

 

Stress has been observed to halt the process of weight loss.

Having stress also tempts some people into emotional eating which promotes obesity.

This definitely means you can never get out of the weight loss plateau just in case you’re a victim.

It would be better if you enrolled in a proper stress management platform to help yourself manage the stress.

When stressed, always try muscle relaxation or deep breathing sessions.

You will be surprised by how many kilos you will lose just by being a good stress manager.

 

5. Intermittent Fasting

 

This is one of the most applied tips to push past a weight loss plateau.

By fasting, we don’t really mean that you starve yourself in the name of losing weight.

It simply means going for reasonable hours without taking a meal.

This, therefore, means you have to rotate around a meal-fasting circle.

Normally, the fasting period is about 16-48 hours.

This reduces calories intake which fastens weight loss.

It’s so efficient that within 3 weeks, your waist will start shrinking.

Wouldn’t that be good news?

 

6. Stay away from alcohol

 

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Alcohol is very detrimental to weight loss plans and efforts.

Although an average one sitting drink of alcohol contains just a mere 100 calories, this can never justify its significance to weight loss.

We all know that alcohol impairs our judgment.

When you get drunk, you will most likely make a very poor food choice.

This will clearly be bringing you back to square one of your plan.

Alcohol also subdues the fat burning process which is the reason why most alcohol addicts have very big and flabby bellies.

This, of course, doesn’t look very good.

If you notice your weight loss has stalled, you better avoid the bottle or rather take controlled amounts.

 

7. Drink lots of coffee and water

 

This traditional beverage contains enormous amounts of caffeine that multiplies the body metabolism rates with up to 13%.

This may work perfectly in reversing a stall in weight loss. 

Drinking clean water can also help solve this problem.

This would work best if the water is taken some thirty minutes or so before having the meal.

It is written that on consuming half a liter of water before a meal boosts the metabolism rate of the body by around 25% for up to 1.5 hours.

This leads to increased rates of weight loss.

 

8. Get enough sleep daily

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Sleep promotes emotional, physical and most importantly mental health.

When the body doesn’t get enough sleep, it gains significant amounts of weight.

This is brought by alteration of hormone levels that chase away appetite.

The metabolic rate is also lowered which eventually brings about weight gain.

To overcome a weight loss plateau, get around hours of sleep in a day.

 

9. Distribute protein intake wisely throughout the day

 

For proteins, it’s not only the amount you take in the morning or the amount that you’ll have taken by the end of the day counts.

When you consume ample proteins throughout your day, metabolism is boosted which contributes to hastened weight loss.

If it’s possible, make sure you have proteins in almost every meal you take.

 

10. Be as active/busy as you can

 

By being active, it doesn’t mean that you have to work out.

Petty activities such as fidgeting can be of great help.

You would not believe it if I said fidgeting while standing would increase your metabolic rate to close to 94% compared to the same assuming a sitting position.

This increases rates of weight loss. I know this sounds really petty but it would be an important step of pushing past a weight loss plateau.

 

Conclusion

 

If you talk to everyone who is trying to lose weight, most of them will tell you that they have experienced weight stall in their journey.

A weight plateau can be very demotivating and in fact, if you’re not strong enough, you might just give up.

Luckily, I have prepared the above outline of 10 Tips to Push Past a Weight-Loss Plateau just for you.

Try them out and remember not to give up!

 

 

7 Unexpected Reasons Why You’re Not Losing Weight

7 Unexpected Reasons Why You’re Not Losing Weight

It is possible to shed pounds only when the calories burnt is more than the calories consumed.

One needs a deficit of 3500 calories to lose 1 pound of weight.

Therefore, it is crucial to have a calorie deficit of 500 calories every day for achieving the target of losing 1 pound of weight every week.

Although it might appear to be easy, it is not so in real life.

Here are 7 unexpected reasons why you’re not losing weight in spite of trying to do so.

1. Lack of adequate sleep

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The quantity, as well as the quality of sleep one gets in his or her daily life plays an important role in weight reduction.

At present, the majority of the folks out there do not get adequate slumber.

While there is an increase in the obesity and overweight problems at present, a proper night’s sleep is slowly declining.

There is a relationship between weight reduction and the amount of sleep one gets, although the exact mechanism is not clear to date.

However, it is believed that lack of sleep results in diminished energy levels during the day and consumption of more foods as well.

2. Stress

It is impossible to prevent stress in our lives although we might want to.

Apart from interfering with our lifestyle, stress can also hamper our weight reduction efforts to a great extent.

Our body releases cortisol in response to stress and anxiety.

As a result, we might suffer from an increase in our appetite and deposition of unwanted fat in our abdominal areas too.

We also tend to consume more food items in response to stress which can likewise result in weight gain.

However, there are several ways to combat this issue including going for a stroll in the morning or evening, taking some time off from your hectic daily life, taking a warm shower, and so on.

3. Your workout regime

It is very difficult to lose weight if you do not exercise on a regular basis.

Although it is possible to shed pounds by dieting, you are going to hit a plateau at some particular point in the future.

Although there is no need to devote a considerable amount of time at the fitness center, a reasonable workout regime will help to get the job done successfully.

You need not perform too many strenuous workouts, and instead, try to perform something you like and what you will be able to continue for the long-term.

This implies that you need to stay away from activities which you dislike and create a program that you really enjoy.

It is important to have the motivation to be active regularly, and not just for one week or so.

4. Sticking to a fad diet

At present, you’ll come across many fad diets which are not based on any scientific evidence, and they will not help you to lose weight whatsoever.

Individuals are creating these types of weight reduction diets only to generate a considerable amount of money which will not provide the desired results.

Most of these diets are quite restrictive in nature and can also lead to health conditions.

Although you’ll come across several fad diets which will deliver the goods, most of them are not effective.

Moreover, it can be quite difficult to maintain these diets and most individuals tend to regain any lost weight within a short span of time once they stop the diet.

You need to consume lesser calories and it is important for your diet to be balanced as well as varied in nature.

For this, you can curtail your consumption of sugary food items as well as unhealthy fats including trans fats.

5. Sugary beverages

Consumption of too much sugary beverages can prevent weight reduction in the long run.

As per some studies, it has been shown that weight gain is influenced considerably by the amount of sugar present in our diet.

However, an excessive amount of sugar can be consumed by means of the sugary drinks out there.

These beverages, as opposed to the different types of high-calorie food items, will not satisfy your hunger and will also provide an inadequate amount of vitality to our system.

As a result, it will be easier to ingest too many sugary beverages without being aware of it.

6. Consumption of alcohol

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Consuming an excessive amount of alcohol will also prevent weight reduction.

Being a high-calorie drink, every ounce of beer consists of approximately 154 calories while a glass of red wine consists of 126 calories on an average.

Consumption of four beers in a single evening can enhance the daily calorie intake of our system by as many as 614 calories.

However, studies have revealed the fact that there will be an insignificant increase of body weight in case alcoholic drinks are consumed in light quantities and not on a regular basis.

On most occasions, it is not crucial to avoid alcoholic beverages entirely for losing weight and it is possible to lose weight while consuming two or three alcoholic beverages every week.

7. Your immediate surroundings

At times it is impossible for you to control the things happening around you.

You might be surrounded by temptations while working, for example, junk food items, vending machines, doughnuts, and so forth.

The same might be true while you are at your residence.

For this, make it a point to surround yourself with stuff which will encourage you to stay healthy.

This might imply investing some cash on home workout equipment, controlling the television set several nights every week to perform a workout video, and so on.

Also, try to create an environment which encourages you to make healthy food choices.

At times, simply walking into the kitchen and seeing a bowl of fresh fruit might be adequate to remind you of what you are attempting to accomplish.

Conclusion

After going through these 7 unexpected reasons why you’re not losing weight, it must be evident to you by now how to stay fit and reduce weight at the same time.

Losing weight is quite difficult; however, there are no shortcuts to it and it simply requires your persistence as well as patience to see the desired results.

Bear in mind that you’ll be able to shed pounds successfully by maintaining a calorie deficit by means of healthy dieting, working out regularly and having adequate sleep as well.

The 10 Most Overweight Cities in the U.S

The 10 Most Overweight Cities in the U.S

The 10 Most Overweight Cities in the U.S

The United States of America has the highest percentage of obese people in the entire world. The effects of this problem do not just impact individuals on a personal level but also the society at large. In 2005, a report was released that showed that a whopping 190 billion dollars were spent on tackling obesity and its related illnesses. By 2017, the number had almost doubled to 206 billion per year. This money is mostly spent on medical care and prescription drugs for the people affected by obesity.

The effects also spread to the society affecting it economically because obesity leads to low productivity and also a lot of absenteeism from work when people have to call in sick to treat obesity-related complications. The cost of absenteeism alone is estimated at about 8.5 billion a year. Now factor in the cost of higher health insurance premiums by employers, lower wages due to absenteeism and lower household income because of medical bills and the economy is hit by a blow so huge it is estimated to get to $580 billion a year by 2030 if this problem is not mitigated fast.

As if that is not enough, obesity is also taking its toll on the security of the country because many young people do not attain the standards required to join the armed forces because they are too heavy.

Over the years, the need to combat this epidemic led to a study that showed the cities in the country with the highest number of obese people. They were judged on the number of obese people, the consumption of fruit and vegetables and how active the adults were. In no particular order, here are the cities that have continuously made it to the list of places with the largest percentages of overweight people in The US over the years since the study started.

1. Columbia South Carolina

To solve the obesity challenges in South Carolina, several sectors have to be addressed right from the type of food served to children in schools to reevaluate the number of hours adults spend at their desks at work. This is because the problem is spread over a wide demographic of children, adults, and race with 41.7% of the African Americans obese compared to only 28.9% of the white population.

2. Baton Rouge Louisiana

The cuisine in this part of Louisiana is mostly Creole. Sugary treats are the norm and we already know that sugar is bad news. This is in evidence in this state. The government should play an active part in tackling this epidemic by subsidizing healthy food so that it is not cheaper to buy the processed food that has almost no nutritional value.

3. San Antonio Texas

The obese population in San Antonio has led to reduced productivity and an increase in health care expenditures and employers are not happy about the increased costs of running their companies.

4. McAllen Texas

It is said that everything is big in Texas and unfortunately some people might have taken this a bit too literary because the state has the highest number of obese adults in the nation and 2nd highest number of population of people living with diabetes and unless they decide to do away with the reputation for the highest number of inactive adults then these percentages are only bound to get higher.

5. Lafayette Louisiana

With a population of 131,686, 16% are smokers, 33% are obese, 21% do not engage in much physical activity and 18% are binge drinkers. This is a city that does not care much for its health.

6. Little Rock Arkansas

On top of a large number of the population being obese, the city also ranks highest on the list of the highest number of adults that do not lead an active lifestyle. Fruits and vegetables are also not popular in these parts. They have a long way to go.

7. Memphis Tennessee

The abundance of mouth-watering southern comfort food in Memphis has not been much of a blessing to the city of jazz because the obesity rates have gone up. There is a need for the population to be educated on the harmful side effects of obesity because at the moment it ranks second in the city with the highest number of overweight people in the country.

8. Jackson Mississippi

Jackson has topped the list of cities with the most overweight people for a few years. It has a list of most people with high blood pressure and also most people with less than one serving of fruits and vegetables per day. Jackson has a long way to go before her inhabitants can achieve optimal health.

9. Shreveport Louisiana

With the 3rd highest number of obese residents and 2nd highest with bad cholesterol and high blood pressure, Shreveport is a ticking time bomb. The state has to get involved in these matters. Educate the population on the adverse effects of being overweight, encourage parents to let their children go outside and play more and subsidizing gym memberships. Preventative programs can also be put in place to arrest this pandemic. Teach the people that paying for the gym is cheaper than paying for heart surgery.

10. Mobile Alabama

A large percentage of the citizens are dealing with high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease which made this southern city score quite poorly in the area of Health Consequences of the study.

The southern states have the most number of people suffering from weight-related complications. In order for the local governments to reduce the risks of weight-related illnesses among these populations, the programs implemented should focus on improving their socio-economic conditions, making healthy food options cheaper and more accessible and also providing nutritional information and knowledge to the people.

Without taking all these aspects into consideration, there might be little success in reduction of the health complications and its impact on the costs of health care and the low productivity brought on by absenteeism of the overweight people.

Conclusion

Please, staying healthy is your obligation. With whatever you are eating and sometimes hit the road for some jogging or just for a mere walk as this will help to burn the calories hence no unhealthy weight increase/obesity.

7 Smart Steps to Weight Loss That Are Backed by Science

7 Smart Steps to Weight Loss That Are Backed by Science

Nowadays many people are looking for the ideal figure, either for aesthetics or for health, but regardless of their cause, all are eager to know the ideal method of losing weight.

As many of you already know, there are plenty of options, but unfortunately, not all fit our needs and capabilities, that is why today we will provide the seven smart steps to lose weight that are backed by science.

1. Drinking water

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This is the most basic method to lose the weight proven by science.

First, drinking water is available to all people who have a minimum of economic stability and, on the other hand, to follow this diet is incredibly simple.

This method is based on keeping your metabolism working properly by drinking water.

Our body will easily eliminate waste and toxins, and as a result, it will be able to maintain its temperature.

Otherwise, if we are dehydrated, our body will not have the ability to eliminate waste or maintain its normal temperature.

So it will not burn the stored fat, since it will be used as a substitute to maintain the balance and consequently, we will not lose weight.

Now, this method does not only consist of drinking water in an uncontrolled way, since there are ideal moments for it.

It is advisable to drink a glass of warm water when you wake up in the mornings.

It is also suggested to drink a glass of water at room temperature before each meal and, if you are a person who likes to exercise, it is recommended to drink half a glass of water before your routine.

During sports routines, you should drink sips approximately every 15 minutes and, at the end of it, a glass of water.

Finally, before going to bed, drink a glass of water to keep your metabolism active even when sleeping.

2. Maintain a low carb diet

This method to lose weight is based on eliminating all foods that have a high carbohydrate index.

By decreasing these, you will lower your insulin levels, which is a hormone that stores fat.

By changing your diet, you will undoubtedly lose weight by denying this system of retention.

As for the foods that are recommended, you can easily find oats, fruits, pasta or rice in the market.

As for the right amount to consume, it is half a cup once a day, being more than enough to lose weight.

3. Exercise with dumbbells

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If you want to lose weight with a traditional method, you can always return to regular exercises, but in this case, we will add the dumbbells.

They provide us with an additional effort that our body can assimilate in an incredible way since it accelerates our metabolism even hours after finishing our training.

So we will burn the fat more effectively.

Apart from that, we will tone our muscles and get a sportier image of ourselves.

The advisable thing is to do a routine that adapts to your current capacity, always being careful not to exaggerate your load, since it could be harmful to your health.

4. Consume more proteins

Contrary to the number 2 method, this time you must consume more food that gives you more protein.

With this, what we seek is to encourage the entry of amino acids, which are the key nutrients to increase muscle tissue and therefore, eliminate the excess of harmful fat from your body.

It is recommended to add protein-rich foods in each meal, but without exaggerating, as these will give you a natural growth of muscle mass that in the end, may not be the result you are looking for, so we must be careful.

As for the foods that offer us proteins, we have egg, fish, red meat, chicken and dairy products.

5. Decrease the consumption of saturated fats

Again we return with food, and this time, we should put aside the junk food, and instead consume foods containing healthy fats.

These can be found in sunflower or olive oil, avocado, fish and nuts.

Of course, you can still consume foods that contain saturated fats.

But their quantity should be very limited since the excess of it will greatly increase the cholesterol in your blood.

And as a result, not only will you gain weight, but you will also harm your health.

6. Clean your body with natural methods

This method works perfect with the topics 2, 4 and 5 since you will consume foods that will help you to purify your body of carbohydrates and fats that could increase your weight.

For this, it is recommended to consume peppers, carrots, cucumbers, and lettuce.

These separate ingredients are not the only way to consume them since you can also prepare a smoothie that will have the function of detoxifying yourself.

One of the most popular and recommended is the green smoothie, which you can prepare with a small slice of pineapple, a slice of eggplant, a slice of cucumber and a piece of radish.

After having all the ingredients we will proceed to liquefy them and the mixture will have a thick green color, hence the name.

It is recommended to drink this shake before breakfast, as it will help you to purify your digestive system and as a result, your body will use everything you eat during the day more effectively.

7. Do cardiovascular exercises

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The quintessential method that all professional trainers recommend to people who want to lose weight intelligently.

This training is based on exercises that stimulate your cardiovascular system and for this; you can jog or walk about 45 minutes a day.

Another training that you can carry out is jumping the rope, as it stimulates the blood flow, effectively removing the saturated fats that are in it.

Caring for your body is your responsibility

We know that today there is much talk of promoting love for oneself and in a certain way, it is good, since we are the first to love and accept ourselves as we are.

We must not forget that overweight, beyond being a condition that any person can have, brings with it serious health problems, so that the quality of life of the affected person is considerably reduced.

That is why experts recommend losing weight when it is excessive and does not contribute anything to our health.