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Top 5 Weight Loss Killers

22 Apt 2013 Successful weight loss plans are all based on one simple principle: burn more calories than you eat. Unfortunately, this principle has some complicated pitfalls that limit success. Ignoring calorie intake, eating excess junk food and physical inactivity are the quickest ways to kill weight loss.

Fats

03 Apt 2013 Dietary fat is one of the three macronutrients (fats, carbohydrates and proteins) the body uses for energy. It is the most energy dense of the macronutrients, providing 9 calories per gram, compared to 4 calories per gram for carbs and proteins. Contrary to popular belief, eating fat does not makes you fat. Fat has many important functions within the body and attempting to eliminate it from the diet can lead to serious health consequences.

Top 5 Ways to Get Toned

01 Apt 2013 Body fat obscures muscle tone and definition. Though plenty of products promise to rid you of excess fat, the only way to achieve a defined physique is through a strategy built around exercising more and eating less.

Top 5 Ways to Increase Your Protein Intake

18 Mar 2013 Protein is the building block of all tissue in the body. It is an essential nutrient for everyone, not only hardcore bodybuilders and powerlifters. Protein provides the body with the materials it needs to build and repair tissue. An adequate amount of protein builds muscle, increases strength and improves fitness ability.

What are simple carbs?

15 Mar 2013 Carbohydrates are one of the macronutrients (alongside fats and proteins) whose main function is to provide the body with energy. Carbohydrates are somewhat unpopular due to the misconception that they cause weight gain. This popular misconception leads some to completely eliminate carbohydrates from their diets. Carbohydrates do not cause weight gain and eliminating them from your diet causes you to miss out on some important health benefits. While eliminating all carbohydrates is a bad idea, differentiating the good from the bad improves overall health.

How to Ruin a Calorie Deficit

08 Mar 2013 A calorie deficit is the magic that makes weight loss possible. It is the difference between the amount of energy you burn and eat; the shortfall of energy caused by eating less and moving more. If your body burns 2,000 calories per day and you only eat 1,500, that extra 500 calories comes from non-food sources (typically body fat) causing weight loss. Creating a healthy calorie deficit requires exercising more, monitoring your food intake and making smart food choices. Here are a few ways to ruin a calorie deficit and create a failing weight loss strategy.

Top 5 Sources of Good Fats

06 Mar 2013 Fat is one of the macronutrients providing the body with energy and essential nutrients. Fat is the most energy dense of the macronutrients providing nine calories per gram versus four calories per gram found in carbohydrates and proteins. Fat has many essential functions including nutrient absorption and hormone production. A common misconception says eating fat makes you fat. The truth is excess energy from any macronutrient (fats, carbs or proteins) leads to weight gain. Unsaturated fats, also known as healthy or good fats, decrease cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Cutting all fats out of your diet results in missing out on some important health benefits.

Full Body vs. Split Routine

04 Mar 2013 Shifting from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one goes a long way in providing some very important health benefits. Strength training, a specific type of exercise, builds muscle, increases bone density and speeds up metabolism. There are two main types of strength training workouts, each having its own benefits: full body and split routines.

Top 5 Reasons to Eat Healthy

25 Feb 2013 A diet built on a foundation of healthy food choices has plenty of benefits including weight loss, more energy and disease prevention. A healthy diet allows you to eat unhealthy foods sometimes, provided you make the right choices most of the time. A healthy lifestyle is about balance, not deprivation.

Calorie Calculator

19 Feb 2013 The calorie calculator estimates both your basal metabolic rate and amount of calories you need to gain, lose or maintain weight. This information is important because the amount you eat compared to the amount you burn is the only way to control weight. Weight plays a very important role in health; knowing how to control it will help you look great, and live a healthier life. Enter your weight, height, age, exercise level and gender into the form below.

Can I lose weight without exercise, through diet alone?

13 Feb 2013 Dieting alone can lead to weight loss, though it is not feasible for most people and will not produce long term results. Dieting without exercise will lead to yo-yo style weight fluctuations with a steady increase in weight over time. A moderate restriction in calorie intake combined with an increase in physical activity will yield the healthiest, longest lasting and best overall results.

Top 5 Sources of Good Carbohydrates

12 Feb 2013 Carbohydrates are the body's main source of energy. In recent years, carbs have gotten a bad reputation as the macronutrient that causes weight gain. The slightest hint of eating carbs while on a diet conjures up lectures from gym nutritionists about the benefits of going low carb. The reality is that weight balance has more to do with overall calorie intake than carbohydrate levels.

What is protein?

11 Feb 2013 Shakes, tuna and chicken are a bodybuilder's best friend, and as such, protein is often thought of as only a gym rat's food. Protein is an important and essential nutrient for everyone. It has several functions including (but not limited to): providing energy, building/repairing tissue and structural support (skin and hair).

How much fat should I eat each day?

07 Feb 2013 Myths perpetuated over long periods of time eventually become accepted as fact. One of the most prevalent diet myths says that eating fat will make you fat. Fat has plenty of important functions, many of which are essential to life. Drastically reducing or attempting to eliminate your intake of fat can have serious implications. Fat is an essential nutrient. It is impossible to live without it and can even help improve your overall health.

What is a good food to eat before bed?

05 Feb 2013 Exercise causes damage to muscle tissue which the body heals during the recovery process. The recovery process is dependent on an adequate amount of rest and nutrients. A large part of this process happens during sleep, making good nighttime nutrition crucial in a quick and effective recovery.

What is a calorie deficit?

04 Feb 2013 A calorie deficit is the magic that makes weight loss possible. It forces your body to use fat stores for energy causing weight loss. While a calorie deficit is the only way to lose weight, there are a few ways to create one, though they all involve improving your eating and exercise habits.

Guide: Nutrition

01 Feb 2013 Nutrition is the science of food as it relates to health. Learning good nutrition habits can help you accomplish a wide variety of goals including: losing weight, burning fat and gaining muscle. The type and amount of food you eat has a huge bearing on your overall health. It is therefore crucial that you learn to differentiate between healthy and unhealthy food choices.

Guide: Gain Muscle

30 Jan 2013 If you ask the approximately 70% of Americans that are overweight or obese how they got there, you would find that it takes a lot of unhealthy eating and physical inactivity to gain a meaningful amount of weight. Unfortunately, gaining muscle isn't as simple as stuffing your face and avoiding physical activity. Gaining muscle is a two step process: 1) working out and 2) eat more healthy food.

Guide: Reduce Body Fat

29 Jan 2013 There are plenty of gimmicks, pills and wacky diets that promise to help you burn fat and lose weight. Though it can be difficult to separate junk from plans that work, there is only one way to burn fat: eat less and move more. Plans based on any other principle will fail.

Guide: Beach Body

28 Jan 2013 A beach body can best be described as toned, muscular and in shape. Though the beach season is a special time of year, the same health rules apply. Getting a beach body requires combining a solid exercise routine with smart food choices. A beach body is hindered by two problems: 1) too much body fat and 2) not enough muscle. Start your beach body routine early so that you have enough time to make the big changes that will lead to a noticeable difference.

Why are healthy foods expensive?

23 Jan 2013 In our society, healthy choices are sometimes a lot harder to make than unhealthy ones: going to the gym vs. staying home, ordering a salad vs. french fries or buying healthy groceries vs. unhealthy ones. Healthy groceries such as fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats and 100% whole wheat products always seem to be more expensive than their unhealthy counterparts. The reasons are are simple but the solutions, complex.

Top 5 Ways to Ruin Your New Year's Resolution

21 Jan 2013 The New Year is a perfect time to make a resolution because it can give you the needed motivation for change. While motivation is a requirement to make change, it will not lead to anything on its own. True change takes hard work, time and a good plan. Here are a few things you should avoid when planning a successful New Year's Resolution.