How to Increase Your Abdominal Muscles Size

When it comes to exercises for the abdominal muscles you’re spoilt for choice, there are so many to choose from. That’s great but which ones are the most effective is the question and in what order. There are many ineffective abs exercises out there, so it is important to spend time and energy only on the ones that will actually work.


Try these effective exercises for RIPPED abs:


Crunches - 

Lie on an adjustable abs bench with roller pads. Set it to 30°
Wrap your legs around the roller pads so that your legs are locked into place.
Your head should be lower than you legs.
Keep hands crossed at chest.
Raise your head and shoulders off the bench.
Contract your abs for a count of two at the top position.
Reps - 15 12 10 8 8


Hanging Leg Raises - 
Hang from a chin bar with toes pointing straight ahead. 
Raise legs up to just above 90°
Hold for a count of 2.
Return to start position. 
Don’t use momentum to swing your legs up.
Reps - 15 12 10 8 8


Lying Leg Raises -  


Lie on a 40°
angle bench and grab the bench behind your head with both hands.
Raises legs quickly to 90°
Hold the position for a count of 2 while contracting the abs.
Reps – 15 12 10 8 8 


Note: You should always check with your GP or Health Practitioner before starting or changing any exercise program. 

Here’s how it’s done:


The above three exercises are done as one giant set with no rest in between exercises. The only rest you have is how long it takes you to walk from one exercise to the next. Do 1 set of Crunches for 15 reps followed immediately by 1 set of Hanging Leg Raises, then onto the Lying Leg Raises. 

Rest for 1 minute and repeat the giant set above for 12 reps. Rest again for 1 minute and repeat for 10 reps. Then 8 reps and then another 8 reps. The reps should be performed slowly and with full concentration on bringing out the abs. 


That’s it. Do this twice a week and you should notice a big difference in a few short weeks.

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Muscle Mass and Weight Gaining Basics

What I love best about workouts for muscle mass and gaining weight is that no matter what great salesman comes up with a new and improved workout gym, exercise, or supplement, there is nothing better to build a mass of muscle then the same basic exercises men did way back in the 50’s. B7 This routine will last 90 days, and a follow up routine utilizing the same principle of total body workout, section by section with more difficult exercises can be used. 61 You should be in your workout clothes when doing these breast enhancement exercises.  

155 You eavesdrop on their trainers giving instructions and then you secretly work out according to what you have overheard not realizing that each and everyone is different and workout plans are to be tailored to each individual condition factoring in other issues like lifestyle, dietary habits and even the choice of exercises. 61 Change exercises or invite friends to join you to make your workout more enjoyable. Fe ), exercise type (multi-joint or single joint, free-weight or machine based), the number of exercises per workout, the amount of resistance, the time under tension, the base of stability (standing, seated, on stability ball, one-legged, etc. 77 This simple workout plan will utilize classic exercises such as the bench press, bicep curls and squats. 87 Heck, I bet you use many of the exercises in your boot camps and you know how little equipment is needed for a hard workout. Db No one said you can’t change elements of your workout based on how you feel on that day, but having a plan allows you to get down to business fast and prevent wasted time deciding which exercises you’ll do. E6 If you are looking for a basic home gym and equipment to primarily tone muscles and provide a nice, steady workout for a wide range of muscle groups, it is best to focus more on details like the variety of exercises. 2a7Here is a sample workout that will leave you huffing and puffing: WARM-UP bike, treadmill, elliptical, rower 5-10 min CIRCUIT (45 seconds for each exercise, with 15 seconds rest between exercises) 5-7 min Lunge walks with lateral raises Plank (on stability ball) Squats with medicine ball shoulder press Push-ups Side Bridges Reverse Pull-ups Burpies INTERVAL TRAINING (cardio equipment) 20 sec @ 100% : 40 sec @ 70% x 5 5-min Repeat Circuit and Interval 3 times Total Workout Time: 45 â€" 60 min. If you would like to experience what an intense workout feels like then be sure to inquire about the revolutionary Fitter U MP3 personal training program. 

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All Bogus Bodybuilding Myths and the Explanation of Truth

Every single culture on the planet has it's myths and, whether it be "Big Foot", or "The Lochness Monster", bodybuilding has it's fair share of myths too. Like a lot of myths most of them have some truth to them and some are have no truth to them whatsoever. Bodybuilders and fitness experts the world over have been trying to get rid of these myths but have failed. I may fail too, but I am going to give it one hell of a go. It's time to stop these myths once and for all!   A lot of myths about bodybuilding start within the bodybuilding community, but there are the odd few that start outside by the general public or medical industry. The myths I am going to touch on here are in no particular order. Let's start with a well known classic first of all:  


Bogus Myth #1. "When you stop working out your muscles will turn to fat" 


This myth is mainly used as an excuse as to why people don't start a weight  training program and are resenting those that have. My Auntie used to say this to me a lot when I started going to the gym at 16. There is no proven physiological mechanism by which muscles amazingly turn to fat when a person stops working out! What happens, however, when a person stops training, their muscle mass will decrease due to the lack of stimulation. People who do not exercise and eat too many calories get fat, it's not ground breaking stuff. So what you have here is often a lack of muscle mass coupled with an increase in fat due to an intake of excess calories and complete lack of exercise. The next time you look at someone who used to be nice and ripped but are now fat, it's not because there muscles converted to fat. They are fat because of the reason so many others are fat; too many calories and not enough exercise.   What if it was true? Is the fear of this crazy idea that your muscles convert to fat a reason not to start a bodybuilding program? If you stop washing you get dirty, but that's not a legitimate reason to never start washing in the first place is it! I have gained and lost a lot of muscle in the past, and I have known and worked with a lot of people who have gained and lost weight, and I have yet to see and truth behind the myth of muscles converting to fat. Let this be the end of this myth and let's here nothing else about it.  


Bogus Myth#2. "Bodybuilders are not strong" 


This myth comes from people who haven't even stepped foot in a gym. Strength  in people varies greatly, some bodybuilders can lift upto 800lb squats and 500lb bench presses. Some weights I have seen being lifted have to be seen to be  believed. Not all bodybuilders are this strong, but any bodybuilder who is serious about lifting is considerably stronger than the average person, it's not earth shattering news that the more muscle mass you have the heavier you can lift. Some bodybuilders who I know enter both in weight lifting competitions and bodybuilding competitions and do really well in both of them. Don't get me wrong some bodybuilders are not as strong as they look, but some are much stronger than they look, some are unbelievably strong.  


Bogus Myth #3. "Pro's eat strict diets all year round"  


This myth comes from the bodybuilding magazines and publications who want readers to think that these guys eat low fat healthy clean food all year round. This leads to many beginners trying to get all the calories they need from chicken, rice, veggies, etc. In fact getting the idealic 4000 calories from just clean foods alone is virtually impossible. This can be sometimes off putting and depressing for the newbies as they try and stuff themselves with healthy foods to make gains and they just can't seem to eat enough. For the truth of things: I have seen a lot of bodybuilders while off season who binge on fast foods and pizzas, no joke! This however should not be done for the average joe who is trying to build muscle and gain weight healthily. These pro guys are really strict when on season so they need a blowout when they're off season, who can blame them!   Obviously I can't speak for every bodybuilders off season diet because I don't know them all, some could have an absolutely spotless diet, but the majority I know don't. It is mainly an advertising myth mostly, as many bodybuilders say they carry much more body fat than they claim in these magazines. If you told these publications that they pulled into Burger King every other day they would not sell many issues. So you can see the advantage of how saying that these guys are clean all year round is to these big magazine companies.  


Bogus Myth #4. "All Bodybuilders have small penises" 


I bet you've heard this one before havn't you? Now, I havn't seen any  bodybuilders' manly assets, but it's been my thought that they tend to be like every other man in that department. Some are small, some are normal, and some are big. One fact, however, is that a big guy with a normal sized member would look smaller than a skinny guys normal sized member. It's all in the proportions.  


Bogus Myth# 5 "Bodybuilders are all full of themselves"  


This one does have a bit of truth to it. Some bodybuilders can be full of themselves and can be the most narcissistic people you will ever meet. Some however can be very down to earth and humble people. Some cockiness and narcissism is sometimes par and parcel with the course of bodybuilding.  


Bogus Myth #6. "Bodybuilders are all gay" 


This one is another stupid myth and is often started by those people who are  envious of the bodybuilders physique and the attention they get from the ladies. It is my experience that bodybuilders are as often gay as the general public is, I know more gay people who aren't bodybuilders than I know gay bodybuilders. This is a really stupid myth and it should be put to rest right here right now. These are just some of the really crazy myths going round now that put people off trying to gain muscle, there are many more that are circulating around the general public and they will be covered by me in the future I'm sure. See you down the gym then!

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The Supplements You Need For Muscle Growth

Taking certain nutritional supplements for muscle building is not absolutely necessary; you can do without them, however, some of them really do have their advantages. They can give you an added physical and mental edge. They help to enhance performance and can help in the muscle-building process. Although some are a waste of your time money and effort, there are a few that do actually perform. Supplements help to fulfil the missing link that may occur during an intense muscle-building phase. You do need some supplements for greater muscle growth.


Here are the supplements I'd recommend for Muscle-building. 


Creatine


A great supplement that always produces positive health and muscle-building benefits. Helps to fill the muscles with fluid making you stronger and able to lift heavier and recover faster. Good bodyweight gains achieved with this, which allows you to lift more for better muscle growth stimulation.  

Protein Powders

Whey protein isolate is the best fast acting protein to aid in repair and growth of muscle tissue after an intense training session. Casein Protein is a slow digesting protein best taken just before bed to supply the body with a continuous flow of amino acids for repair and growth through the
night while you sleep. 

Weight Gainers


A high calorie supplement is a good idea if you consider yourself as being under weight. High calories are needed for muscle endurance and optimum performance and effective muscle repair. 


You'll want to stay healthy while you're on a muscle-building quest so I'd also recommend:


A good multi-vitamin/mineral supplement


To offset any nutrient deficits that may occur during an intense training program. Vitmins and minerals are essential for good health and well being.


Vitamin C


A great immunity booster and free radical destroyer.


Vitamin E


Great for Cell integrity and vitality.


EFAs


Essential Fatty Acids


Great for overall health and helps promote the body's production of Testosterone - the muscle builder.

Note : You should always check with your GP or other health professional before taking any nutritional supplements.


Along with the supplements there are other elements that you need for muscle growth:


A sound workout routine that induces muscle growth and does not over-train the muscles. A good healthy high calorie diet. Eat six smaller meals instead of 3 large meals. Sufficient rest and recovery time. Your muscles have to be fully recovered. Discipline Commitment and Consistency. A few supplements like the above.


The bodybuilding supplement industry is big business. You really don't need all those "miracle" muscle-building supplements that come onto the market, but once in a while they do actually bring about a supplement that actually does what it's reported to do.

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Beginner Bodybuilding - How Often to Train

Training the whole body three days a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) is ideal for the beginner. This allows the beginner nearly 48 hours of rest between workouts and gives the beginner an additional two days of rest over weekends.   Do 1 - 2 exercises of two sets of ten reps per body part. The beginner may feel like doing more, but don't. The beginner should do this type of training for about a month before doing more exercises. This will allow the body proper stimulation for growth without overtaxing its ability to recuperate.   As the beginner progresses, he may decide to do more advanced training, such as working specific body parts in some workouts, with whole body sessions only two times a week. Examples of such training include the double split, the push pull system, four on/one off and three on/one off.   Your decision to get into new types of training depends on how fast your body adapts to each new level of training and your individual goals. The beginner may be ready to go beyond the three day a week workout only after one month of training. Another beginner may decide that three day a week training is ideal for his or her lifestyle and goals.  


Sets and reps are important factors to your bodybuilding success. A good set is made up of good reps and a good workout is made up of both. At this point in your training, doing more than two sets of 10 reps per body part greatly increases your chance of overtraining (doing too much work and getting inadequate rest, leading to diminished gains). Ten reps provide optimal muscle stimulation without putting your body into a state of over or under training.   As your body improves in strength and condition, you may decide to use supersets, giant sets, pyramid training, staggered sets, high/moderate/low rep training, rest pause, volume training, speed training and many other advanced techniques, as a way of increasing the intensity of your workouts for maximum  growth.  


A beginner will often ask, 'How do I know when to increase the weight on the exercises I do?' Once you're able to do 10 reps fairly easy with a given weight, try increasing the weight by 10%. Let's say you can bench press 135 pounds for 10 easy reps. On your next set, try going up to 145 - 150 pounds for 10 reps. Continue to do this on all your exercises. This is the heart of progressive resistance training, which is the best way to gain size and strength.   Avoiding the Big Mistake: Why more is not better  Far too many beginner bodybuilders fall victim to more is better. Your body  needs time to adjust to do the exercises you asking it to do. One exercise per body part may not sound like enough to produce any results, but if you're a beginner, it will. As you continue to train and your body adapts to the exercises and recuperative demands you place upon it, you'll be able to add more sets and exercises to your routine. Be patient and don't over train. Over training will halt your progress and increase your chances of injury. It takes time to build a great body, but the rewards are worth it. Go with the Basics 


Starting out with the basic exercises is something that you'll be grateful for later  down the road. The basic exercises let your body get used to the proper groove for each movement. You've got to know how to do an exercise correctly before you can get the most benefit from it.   The basic exercises should be the foundation for your bodybuilding program both now and in the future. Stay away from cables and machines at this point. They'll be important to your training later on. Concentrate on mastering the basic movements. Nearly every bodybuilding champion still uses basic movements as the cornerstone of his or her training routines.   One of the most important elements to laying the proper foundation for your bodybuilding success is using good form on every exercise. Good form means doing every exercise and every rep with complete control through the full range of motion. Incomplete reps build incomplete body parts, so always keep the weight under strict control through the full range of motion. Don't be so concerned with how much weight you can lift. Concentrate on feeling the exercise and working the muscle completely.   Sloppy form is a major cause of injury to muscle and connective tissue. An injury can side line you for weeks and even months. When you train, you want results, not injuries and no progress. Use good form and you'll avoid injuries while getting results toward your bodybuilding goals. 

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Health, Fitness, Weight training, Smoking and Drinking

Weight training makes a person healthy, fit and strong. It is not just for people who want to build muscle, but also for everyone who likes to stay fit and keep the excess weight off.    

If you want to get in shape or stay in shape you can walk, run or cycle every morning, play sports with friends, but if you want to have muscles and look lean, then lifting some weights either at the gym or at home is your best bet.  


People go to the gym for many reasons. eg:


To lose a few pounds if they are overweight.
To gain a few pounds (of muscle) if they are underweight.
To get fit and Healthy.
To get strong.


The most effective exercise plan for most should have some cardiovascular work and mostly weight training exercises. This helps burn calories and increase the muscle to fat ratio better than cardiovascular work alone. 


Some Benefits of Weight training;


1. It is the best way to maintain and improve ones health from a variety of diseases and premature death. 
2. It makes a person feel better and increases ones self-confidence, prevents depression, anxiety and gloom.
3. A weight training lifestyle helps a person live longer than an inactive person.
4. It instils discipline into a person, making other things in life easy.
5. It makes one stronger physically and mentally. 

To start: one should consult a physician to get the go ahead and then get into it gradually.
Getting stronger, fitter, healthier Week by week building up more endurance will be of great benefit to you.
Aim for 3 or 4 days a week working out, this is sufficient no matter what your goals are.
Maintain a reasonable diet.


You could consult with a professional to get an excellent eating plan to match your goals and gym activities. They will evaluate you based on your needs, and recommend a diet plan. 


A good diet should have nutrients from all the food groups.  This is made up by 3 basic groups.


The first is carbohydrates. The energy source. The food that a person consumes should have vitamins, minerals and some fibre. A lot of this comes from oats,  rice, potatoes, cereals and breads, and also from vegetables and fruits since these have phytochemicals, enzymes and micronutrients that are essential for a healthy diet.


The Second is Protein. The building blocks of muscle and essential organs. This comes from fish, chicken, red meat and dairy. Protein is broken down in the body to form amino acids for repair and growth of new cells.
   
The third is fat. The body's enemy, according to most. There are 4 types of fat: Saturated (the bad) from animals, the more animal fat you consume the higher your blood cholesterol will rise, increasing the risk of a malfunction in the body. Should be taken in small quantities. Sources are: Beef, dairy, coconut oil. Polyunsaturated (the good) Comes from plants, reduces blood cholesterol. Sources are: nuts, fish, safflower oil, seeds, corn oil and sunflower oil. Monounsaturated (the best) also comes from plants, raises the good cholesterol.


Sources are: Avocado,  Olive oil, olives, nuts, canola oil and peanut butter. Trans fats (the ugly) This is relatively new, the effects are unknown. It is believed that they behave like saturated fat (the bad) causing blood cholesterol levels to rise. The consumption of fats (the good fats) is important for our health. They are used in the production of hormones and other activities. We do need some fat, but do limit the bad.  


A great way to help your efforts in the gym is to give up some detrimental habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol. Smoking damages the lungs and dramatically increases the risk of lung cancer along with other diseases. Excessive drinking has also been shown to causes major diseases. These two habits are definitely not worth having around.


The best thing one can do for themselves is to quit any destructive habits they have and get into that gym, start pumping some iron and look forward to greater Health and Fitness.

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10 Best Exercise Tips - 4

31. Whenever you can, lean against a wall with your hands flattened against the wall and in such a way that your face is very close to the wall. Then use you hands to push your body away from the wall. Do this two or three times at a stretch.


32. Tuck in your tummy whenever you walk. Get that proper gait. And the best way for that is to tuck in your tummy and inflate your chest. Do not let your tummy hang above your belt line like some unruly layer of flesh. Bring it under the belt.Each time you tuck in your tummy, you will feel the pressure on the muscles of your stomach. This tightening and loosening of these muscles is even better than stomach crunches.


33. While making telephone calls try walking up and down.


34. Select an exercise pattern to suit your life style. All f us have different life styles and professions so there is no sense in trying to follow the book strictly. Try and follow an exercise routine that is suitable for you. You have to understand that even more important than the exercise itself is sticking to it. So unless you choose something that can suit your life style, you are not going to stick on to it.


35. Try to get somebody to exercise along with you. But it should be somebody committed or else your interest might dwindle. This is indeed an excellent idea. One of the advantages of getting a committed person t exercise with you is that it keeps you going.

36. When you do notice a change, reward yourself. When I say reward I do not mean go for some goodies like chocolates or sweets. Maybe you could go for a movie or buy yourself something like a new dress or a trinket. This is something that can keep you going. It is a good idea to save on the money that you wanted to spend on ice creams and chocolates and then treat your self to something more substantial.


37. Check your weight before you start the routine and keep checking for changes but do not expect a radical change immediately, it might be one or two weeks before you notice some change. However it is crucial that you continue to monitor your weight. You may bear in mind the fact that even a few pounds loss is a big achievement.

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10 Best Exercise Tips - 3

21. Smoking is bad for weight loss. Smoking as such may not contribute to weight loss but smoking leads to other conditions like erratic eating habits and excessive dependence on things like coffee.


22. Any distance is walkable if you have the time, consider walking to places that you would normally drive (such as work or the market if they’re not too far away). It may take you longer, but the health benefits will last you a lifetime.


23. It sounds strange, but some people have reported that they lost more weight when they drank black coffee before a workout. While there’s no hard data to support this, nutritionists speculate that the caffeine in coffee makes the body rely more on fat for fuel during the work out. It’s worth trying!


24. During commercial breaks walk about. If you want to sit all evening with your eyes glued to the tube, then do so. But at least spare your eyes the agony of a commercial break. When the next commercial flashes on screen, instead of surfing, get up and take a walk. Reach over and try to touch your toes or do any such simple exercise that will at least get the blood flowing in your veins.


25. Turn on music and dance like wild. Let your hair down once in a while. Go back to the days of wild child hood. Close the door of your room, turn on your sound system to the highest volume possible (but a little lower than the level at which your neighbors start to complain) and then do the wackiest dance that you can think of. Jump on your bed and jump off it again. Roll all over the floor. Pretend that you are Michael Jackson or Madonna (you will never see them keeping still) and do ever boogie move that you know.


26. Get down at a block before your destination and walk the rest of the way. You might not have time to fit in long walks in your busy schedule so this is one way of ensuring that you at least get to walk for a little bit every day. If you take the bus or the subway, get down at an earlier station and see if you can walk the rest of the way. If you drive to work, see if you can get space in a parking lot that is a little away from your office.


27. When nobody is watching try doing pelvic gyrations. If you take a moment to observe it you will see that it is the mid section of our body that gets the least bit of exercise and that is probably why the signs of weight gain are mostly seen there. It is the same reason why we find it very difficult to lose weight in that section. So the best thing that you can do is consciously try to give that part a little bit of exercise. Stomach crunches might be too strenuous an exercise to start off with but gyrations are relatively mild. Pelvic gyrations make you thrust your midsection towards all directions and this is the best way of tightening every muscle in that mid section and that is of course what weight loss is all about.


28. Try yoga. Yoga is one of the best ways of losing weight. Of course I can’t go into a full lecture about yoga, but I can tell you that I have never seen people with better-toned bodies than those who practice yoga. One of the benefits of yoga is that you learn to control virtually every muscle and joint of your body so that the issue of weight gain will cease to exist.


29. Instead of waddling up and down the staircase, try taking them two at a time. Now this is something that you have to be careful about because we do not want you to trip. So when you do this make sure that your feet are well and truly planted on each step before you increase the beat and try two at a time.


30. If you have a dog, take it for a run and let the dog lead you on. You will be surprised as to how much exercise a dog can give you.

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10 Best Exercise Tips - 2

11. Do things like fetching, turning things off and on by yourself. Often when we come back tired from work, we tend to get others to do simple chores for us. These things are no big deal. They are things that we can very well do for our selves but we don’t.That is why we often ask our kids to fetch us this or take away that.

12.  Don’t stand, walk. If you can walk about then do so. Do not stand in a fixed position. Pacing about is a good thing to do. If you are thinking deeply about something, try pacing about, it will aid in your thinking.Don’t sit, stand. If you can stand, then do not sit. The golden rule is to choose a position that is less comfortable.Don’t lie down, sit. The rule that we mentioned above rings true here as well.


13. If you want to increase your time of exercise or your work out routine, do it gradually and not in sudden steps.Well easier said than done. Most of us have such hectic schedules that it is quite impossible to fit in tie for exercise right? Wrong. I want to say it once and for all, your body, or anybody’s body for that matter needs proper exercise. If you make up your mind to do it, you can.


14. Try to collect some information about exercise. There are a lot of things that you can do at home. Extensive research has been done on exercise and plenty of this information is easily available.You can try browsing the net or getting a book or two on how to exercise at home. This information will be useful to you to know how much you need to work out on each specific exercise in order to burn off the desired number of calories.

15. You can take a day off from exercise every week. This is not just a very good idea but it is part of the exercise routine. Your body needs a day off from an exercise routine so do not hesitate to take a day off from what ever you have been doing.


16. When you decide it’s time to start working out, start slowly and don’t get discouraged if you don’t achieve your fitness goals after the first week. Many people make this mistake. They feel that if they really push their bodies they can lose more weight in a couple of workouts. This is a very serious thing in fact.
If you try to push your body too much in the first few goes, you are likely to end up with sprained joints, a sore back and even torn ligaments. The rule to be followed here is slow and steady wins the race.


17. Exercise out doors as much as possible. There are two advantages of doing whatever you are doing out side. One advantage is that it gives your body a chance to get a lot of the much needed fresh air and sunshine. The second advantage is that the surroundings keep you perked up and it is a break form remaining cooped up all day long.


18. Stop when your body has had enough. There is no sense in pushing it. When you have worked out for a considerable time, your body will start giving you signals. Heed those signals. This is particularly true in the initial stages. Take one step at a time. Stop when you are out of breath or when a certain part of your body tells you that it has had enough.

19. Do not be a couch potato. It is the easiest thing in the world to become a couch potato. You know what we are talking about don’t you? That shapeless thing that sits or reclines on a shapeless chair in front of the television and stupidly munches away at something fried! If you are inclined to become a promising old couch potato, break the habit, cut at the very root of the vine. And you want to know what is the best way for that? Take away that favorite chair of yours. In fact, it would be a very good idea if you could keep a chair that isn’t too comfortable in front of the TV. This will discourage any tendency to become a couch potato.


20. If you have a sitting job, stand up and stretch yourself every half an hour. Most of the jobs today are indeed sitting jobs that are in one word sedentary. This is especially true for those who sit and punch away at the keyboard or toy with the mouse all day long.

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10 Best Exercise Tips - 1

1. Be sure to burn out those extra calories by the end of the week. If you feel that you have consumed more calories than you should have during the week, it happens you know, and then make sure that you work off those extra calories by the end of the week.


2. Use the stairs instead of the elevator whenever you can. Elevators are a great convenience particularly if you have to go up or down some twenty floors. But elevators also make us very lazy.


3. If you hate running, remember, you do not have to run a marathon to stay fit. 10 minutes of cardio each day is good enough for most.


4. Do not slouch in your chair but try to maintain an erect posture with your tummy tucked in. Slouching is a very bad habit. Not only is it bad for your back but it also gives you a very flabby figure.


5. I understand that most of us tend to put on weight particularly in the mid section, right. It is the tummy that seems to have a mind of its own. Well I will tell you a sure shot method to reduce the flab around the waist line.Mind you this doesn’t hold true for post pregnancy tummies. This is what you have to do.Breathe in air as strongly as you can and as you do so, tuck in your tummy as much as you can. Hold it like this for a few seconds and then slowly release your breath taking care not to let out your tummy. Try to keep breathing like this at least fifty or sixty times in a day. In fact breathe like this whenever you can remember to do so. After the first day, you should feel the muscles of your stomach tightening each time you do this. Then you know that you are on the right track. If you practice this without fail for 20 days, at the end of the twentieth day, you will have lost at least an inch.


6. While traveling in an elevator instead of just standing there and staring stupidly at the numbers going up or down, try raising your self onto your toes and then back on your feet again. Do this several times. Also try flexing your buttock muscles as well. In fact there are many muscles in our body that we can twitch and flex without inviting the attention of others.


7. Any work out should start with a 5 to 10 minute warm up and should end with a 5 to ten minute cool down session. Whatever physical exercise you are involved in, you must remember to warm up before the exercise really starts.


8. Do not carry your mobile phone around but leave it a place where you can hear it ringing. In this way you make sure that you at least get up and walk towards it.


9. Join a dance class. Dancing is a wonderful way to burn off those extra calories. It is true. When you dance you are in fact burning away a lot of calories. Of course we are not referring to the slow ballroom kind of dances in which one person actually leans on the other one for support. We are talking about fast dances.


10. If there is a pool nearby go for swims as often as you can, swimming is one of the best exercises. Water has a lot of advantages. And if nothing else, a cool dip in a pool is a wonderful stress reliever.

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Lose 10 Pounds Quickly by Changing Your Diet - 4

28. Snack on vegetables if you must. You might get the pangs of hunger in between meals. It is something that you can very well control. Or even better, try munching on carrots. They are an excellent way to satisfy those hungry pangs and are good for your eyes and teeth.


29. Nothing more than an egg a day. Eggs are not such a bright idea. It would be best to reduce your intake of eggs to maybe three in a week. But for those of you die hard egg fans, you may have up to one egg a day but nothing more than that.


30. If you can say no to alcoholic beverages please do. Alcoholic beverages too are not good for you. Beer can be fattening and the rest of the alcoholic drinks may not be fattening by themselves but after a couple of swigs you will be in no position to watch your diet and your appetite too will be something to battle with.


31. Choose white meat rather than red. White meat, which includes fish and fowl, is miles better than red meat, which includes beef and pork for those trying to lose weight.


32. Limit your sugar intake. If you can’t have things unsweetened go for sugar substitutes. These things are just as sweetening but are certainly not fattening.


33. Watch your fat intake. Each fat gram contains 9 calories so by reading the total calories on a food and knowing the quantity of fat, you can estimate the % of fat, which should in no way exceed 30% of the food.


34. Boil your vegetables instead of cooking them, or even better, eat them fresh. However if you do not like eating your vegetables as it is, try steaming them without adding anything at all. This is probably the healthiest way to eat cabbages, cauliflowers and a host of other vegetables.


35. Dry wine is better than sweet wine. Sweet wines naturally contain a lot of sugar. But on the other hand, in dry wines most of this sugar has been fermented away so from the weight point of view dry wines are better than sweet wines.


36. Develop a habit of chewing all food including liquid food and soft foods like sweets, ice creams at least 8 to 12 times. This is essential to add saliva to the food, as it is only in the saliva that sugar is digested.


37. Choose low fat substitutes or no fat substitutes. There are plenty of low fat or even no fat substitutes available in the market so why not choose wisely.


38. Use a non stick frying pan for your cooking so that you do not have to add oil. The golden rule is to try and avoid as much oil as possible and a non stick pan is the perfect solution to this problem.

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Lose 10 Pounds Quickly by Changing Your Diet - 3

19. Try to have breakfast within one hour of waking. It’s always best to have breakfast within an hour of waking so that your body can charge itself with the energy it needs for the day. The idea is not to wait for your self to get really hungry. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day but that does not mean that it should be the most filling meal of the day.


20. Control that sweet tooth. Remember that sweet things generally mean more calories. It is natural that we have cravings for sweet things especially chocolates and other confectionary. Go easy on theses things and each time you consume something sweet understand that it is going to add on somewhere.


21. Fresh vegetables are better than cooked or canned vegetables. Try to eat your vegetables raw. When you cook them, you are in fact taking away nearly half the vitamins in them. And canned vegetables too are processed and are not nearly half as good as fresh vegetables. When you buy your vegetables it would be a good thing to see if the label says that it is pesticide free.


22. Choose a variety of foods from all food groups every day. Change the items included in your diet every day. This is an excellent way of keeping deficiency diseases at bay.


23. Reduce your intake of pork. Pork is not something that can help you to lose weight. So the lesser pork you eat the better chances you have of losing weight. And remember that pork includes the pork products as well, things like bacon, ham and sausages.


24. Graze 5 to 6 times a day. Instead of sticking to just three meals a day, try grazing. Grazing means try having 5 or 6 smaller meals instead of three king sized meals. It is an excellent way of having smaller quantities of food.


25. Go ahead eat cheat food, but only for flavor. There are many things which you have to avoid from your diet but which you may have an undying craving for. Do not avoid them altogether. You could call them cheat foods and indulge in them once in a while. But take care just to tingle your taste buds, don’t hog on them. Instead of that share them with others.


26. Fix times to have meals and stick to it. Try to have food at fixed times of the day. You can stretch these times by half an hour, but anything more than that is going to affect your eating pattern, the result will either be a loss of appetite or that famished feeling which will make you stuff yourself with more than what is required the next time you eat.


27. Eat only when you are hungry. Some of us have the tendency to eat whenever we see food. We use parties as an excuse to stuff our selves. Understand that the effect of a whole week of dieting can be wasted by just one day’s party food. Whenever you are offered something to eat do not decline it completely bit just break of a nibble so that you appear to mind your manners and at the same time can watch your diet.

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Lose 10 Pounds Quickly by Changing Your Diet - 2

10. Eat intelligently. The difference between man and beast is that we are driven by intelligence while beasts are driven by instinct. Don’t just eat something because you feel like eating it. Ask your self whether your body really needs it.


11. Watch what you eat. Keep a watchful eye on every thing that goes in. Sometimes the garnishes can be richer than the food itself. Accompaniments too can be very rich.


12. Quit snacking in between meals. Do not fall for snacks in between meals. This is especially true for those who have to travel a lot. They feel that the only time they can get a bite to eat is snacks and junk food. The main problem with most snacks and junk food is that they are usually less filling and contain a lot of fat and calories. Just think about French fries…tempting but terribly fattening.


13. Try to stick to black tea/coffee. Black tea or coffee can actually be good for you. But personally I would like to recommend tea rather than coffee. The caffeine in the coffee is not really good for you because it is an alkaloid and can affect other functions of your body like the metabolism.


14. Stay away from fried things. Fried things are an absolute no-no. The more fried things that you avoid, the lesser weight you will gain. Fried things are called so because they are fried in oil or fat. And even if the external oil is drained away, there is still a lot of hidden oil in it so stay away from it.


15. Make chocolates a luxury and not a routine. Chocolates are not or at least they should not be a part of your diet. So do not indulge too much in them. Even the bitter chocolates are not good for you because though the sugar is less there is still the cream in them.


16. 50 to 55% of your diet should be carbohydrates. It is a myth that you should try and avoid carbohydrates when you are on a diet. Rather the other way round I should say. Carbohydrates are a ready source of energy and so 50 to 55% of your diet should be carbohydrates.


25 to 30% of your diet should be proteins. Various processes and activities are going on in our bodies. Things are broken down and being built up again. Resistance has to be built up, recovery from disease too is needed and for all this the body needs plenty of proteins so see to it that 25 to 30 % of your diet consists of proteins.Fats should only be 15 to 20 %. You need only this much of fat in your diet so keep it at that.


17. Do not skip meals. The worst things you can do while watching you diet is skip a meal. It has just the opposite effect of what you want. You need to have at least four regular meals every day.



18. Try and adopt a vegetarian diet. A vegetarian diet is undoubtedly better for those of us watching our diet. There are a lot of advantages of keeping to a vegetarian diet but I don’t want to sing an ode to vegetarianism now. What I would suggest is keep to a vegetarian diet as much as you can. Make a non- vegetarian diet a week end event or something if you find it impossible to give up eating all those animals.

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Lose 10 Pounds Quickly by Changing Your Diet

1. Drink plenty of water. Your body needs a lot of water so give in to water. Water is not just a way to flush out toxin but if you have more water in your body you will generally feel healthier and fitter. This it self will discourage any tendency to gorge. The best thing about water is that is has no calories at all.


2. Stay away from sweetened bottle drinks, especially sodas. Hey all those colas and fizzy drinks are sweetened with sugar and sugar means calories. The more you can cut out on these sweetened bottle drinks, the better for you. So if you must drink sodas, then stick to diet sodas.


3. Eat fresh fruit instead of drinking fruit juice. Juice is often sweetened but fresh fruits have natural sugars. When you eat fruit, you are taking in a lot of fiber, which is needed by the body, and fruits of course are an excellent source of vitamins.


4. Start your day with a glass of water. As soon as you wake up, gulp down a glass of cool water. It’s a wonderful way to start you day and you only need a lesser quantity of your breakfast drink after that. A glass of water lets out all your digestive juices and sort of lubricates the insides of your body. You may have your morning cup of tea but have it after a glass of water. It is good for you.


5. Include in your diet things that contain more water like tomatoes and watermelons. These things contain 90 to 95 % water so that there is nothing that you have to lose by feasting on them. They fill you up without adding to the pounds.


6. Choose fresh fruit to processed fruits. Processed and canned fruits do not have as much fiber as fresh fruit and processed and canned fruits are nearly always sweetened.


7. Increase your fiber intake. Like I mentioned, the body needs a lot of fiber. So try to include in your diet as many fruits and vegetables as you can.


8. Drink a glass of water before you start the meal. Water naturally needs some space so that you feel fuller without actually having to stuff yourself. Have another glass of water while you are having the meal. Again this is another way of making yourself full so that you can actually rise from the table eating less but feeling full just the same. Instead of drinking it one gulp, take sips after each morsel. It will help the food to settle faster so that you get that feeling that you are full faster.


9. Go crazy on vegetables. Vegetables are your best bet when it comes to losing pounds. Nature has a terrific spread when it comes to choosing vegetables. And the leafy green vegetables are your best bet. Try to include a salad in you diet always.

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