There are a lot of fad exercise programs out there. They show up, get really popular, and then you never hear about them again. But one plan that keeps showing up over and over again is walking. The reason? It’s easy to do and it actually works. The key is knowing how to do it right.
The first step is to walk long enough; about an hour a day, 5 to 6 days a week. If this is too much for you, start walking less and work your way up. If you can only make it 15 minutes, then walk 15 minutes. If you stick with it, you’ll soon find that you can walk 30 or 40 minutes. Just walk every day and you’ll reach that hour mark in no time
The second step to getting a good workout from walking is to get walk fast enough to keep your heart rate up. Once you’ve hit your goal of walking an hour, try increasing how far you walk. Aim to walk a little farther than you did the day before, while still walking for only an hour. Another great way to keep up your heart rate is to alter how fast you go within your walk. For example, start at a normal pace for a minute or two; then walk as fast as you can for a minute. After that minute just repeat the process for your whole walk. This will maintain a good heart rate without wearing you out.
The last step is to build muscle mass so you keep burning calories even when you’re not working out. If you’re just starting out, you will probably build muscles just by walking. Once you’re more accomplished, you can do this by adding hills or steep slopes to your route. You can also build muscles by having a proper walking posture, holding in your stomach, and flexing your leg muscles as you walk. If you’re a serious walker, you can learn to race walk to further build muscle mass.
Now that you’ve gotten started on your walking workout, remember to keep going. If you start to get bored, listen to your favorite tunes on an ipod or invite a friend to come along. Try altering your route and explore a new area. Just don’t give up and you’ll do great!
Filed under Weight Loss by on Feb 25th, 2008. 1 Comment. 
There are a ton of weight loss products on the market. In fact, over a billion dollars was made last year selling these types of products. With all the available options, it’s hard to figure out which one is best for you. Here are some of the most popular natural weight loss supplements on the market today.
Hoodia
Hoodia gordonii, also known as the cactus diet, is a powerful appetite suppressant. It comes from a cactus in South Africa that has been used by native Bushmen for generations. It’s currently available in pill, liquid, or tea form. If you decide to take hoodia, remember to drink a lot of fluids; it’s a thirst suppressant to.
Green tea
This has become a popular item for weight loss in the last few years. It works by speeding up your metabolism so you burn calories and fat faster. Some people also claim that green tea can aid in lowering cholesterol. Green tea contains caffeine, so you should cut back on your other caffeine sources if you’re taking it.
Chitosan
While many diet pills work to suppress your appetite or boost your metabolism, chitosan is used to prevent your body from absorbing fats. The unwanted fat simply passes throughout your system instead of ending up at your waist line. While many people have lost weight with chitosan, it can also cause problems in the digestive tract.
One thing you must remember is that if a weight loss supplement works, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Many people think that because something is natural, it’s not dangerous. Not only do many supplements have dangerous side effects (think Phentermine and Ephedra); they are usually not rigorously tested so their negative effects are not well documented. It’s always a good idea to check with your doctor before taking any supplement.
While a weight loss pill may be effective, remember that they should be used in conjunction with diet and exercise, not as a replacement. If you do, your diet may just get that extra boost it needs to finally take off excess pounds.
Filed under Diet Supplements, Weight Loss by on Oct 26th, 2007.
If you’re like me, you’re wary of taking any supplement that hasn’t been verified by independent research to be safe and effective. But the urge to take pills becomes much stronger when you see commercials on TV and in other media showing people who have lost so much weight by taking herbal supplements or diet pills. You’ve probably seen commercials recently selling Hoodia or Cactus diet supplements. Before you start taking them, you should have all the information.
Hoodia Gordoni, also know as cactus diet supplements, is a cactus found in South Africa. Tribal Bushmen in the area have been using this cactus for many generations to ward off hunger and thirst. Only recently has this product been commercialized and brought to other countries. Now you can get Hoodia in pill, liquid or tea form.
So how does it work exactly? Hoodia contains a chemical called p57. This chemical affects the way your brain interprets your blood sugar levels. Even though your blood sugar is dropping due to lack of food, your brain doesn’t feel this; so you don’t feel hungry. While they don’t really know why, Hoodia also works well to suppress thirst; you should remember to drink plenty of water when using this supplement.
While Hoodia is often toted as having no side effects, this may just be because it hasn’t been adequately tested. Some people believe it can cause liver damage. This is why you shouldn’t use it if you have liver or kidney problems. Also, because it makes you think your blood sugar is normal when it is actually low, you shouldn’t take Hoodia if you are diabetic or hypoglycemic.
Many people may tell you that they tried Hoodia and it did nothing to suppress their appetite. The reason? It is estimated that 80% of products on the market do not actually contain pure Hoodia. Before you try a product, look around for independent testing of its contents. Official reports are best. Many “recommendation sites” on the internet have been created by specific companies trying to get you to use their brand.
Hopefully this information has helped you make a decision about whether or not the Hoodia cactus diet is for you. Good luck and happy dieting.
Filed under Diet Supplements, Weight Loss by on Oct 6th, 2007.
Anyone who has ever had to lose weight knows first hand just how difficult it can be. And for those people who tell you just stop eating or just cut back, you can rest assure they’ve never had to struggle with weight issues in their lives.
The truth is losing weight is hard work and the more you have to lose the harder it is. But that doesn’t mean it’s not achievable. There are many, many people who have achieved weight loss and are living happier and healthier lives.
One of the biggest struggles of weight loss is staying motivated. Sure most of us start out with great enthusiasm and usually have great results the first week or even two but once the weight loss slows down that’s when our willpower has to work overtime to keep us from reverting back to bad habits.
Here are a few tips to help you stay motivated during your weightloss:
Picture It – Visualization has been used for years by many and it works. Take 5 minutes out of your day to visualize the pounds melting off, but don’t stop there. Imagine what your life would be like if you were thinner. Would you have more confidence, would you buy new clothes, start dating again, what would you do? Visualize it and stay motivated.
Journal It – Start a journal at the beginning of your weight loss journey, write how you’re feeling, what your goals are and what a difference it would make to your life. Then take a picture and stick it to that page. Depending on how much weight you’d like to lose you can update the journal weekly or monthly (as difficult as it may be, you should probably do it weekly). Take the time to take a new picture every week and stick it in a new page along with a few notes, if you hit a plateau, look back through your journal and see just how far you’ve come.
Reward It – Set small goals throughout your weight loss and rewards to go with it. For example 5 pounds can be a nice body lotion, 20 pounds can be a fab new outfit. Make the rewards whatever you want but try to stay away from food rewards as this is not constructive to your weight loss.
Instead do have little treats here and there throughout your weight loss phase (don’t deny yourself completely) and see these treats as everyday part of life not something to use as a reward, just make sure you eat them in moderation.
Flaunt It – Why not? You’ve worked hard, share your thoughts with friends and family members. Let them know how proud of yourself you are and bathe in their compliments. You’re taking steps to change your life and doing something that’s not easy at the best of times, so be proud of yourself and share it with others.
Filed under Health Talk, Weight Loss by on May 8th, 2007.
We’ve all gone too bed one night and told ourselves “Tomorrow, I’m going to start eating healthy and exercising every day”. Many of us have also done it: thrown out all our junk food, bought a gym membership, and taken other big steps. The problem is that most of us have reverted to our old lifestyles within a week. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is a healthy body. The key to making permanent lifestyle changes is to make small, achievable goals and stick to them.
When most people decide to lose weight, they set goals like “I will lose two pounds per week”. But various factors that have nothing to do with your lifestyle changes may affect your weight. The best goals are ones that are under your control. Set goals related to how much you exercise or what you eat. If you make these goals small and reasonable, you’ll be more likely to accomplish them.
One of my best friends went on the raw food diet. He ate one cooked meal a day, and most of the food he ate was remarkably similar to what I feed my pet rabbit. The diet worked; he lost weight, but two months later he gained it all back when he started on the Coke and fast food diet. The moral of this story is: while big changes are good for you, you can’t stick with them for the long term. Try setting goals like “I will replace one fatty snack a day with a piece of fruit instead” or “I will walk for 10 minutes every day”. Once you reach your goal, set a new one. This makes any diet easier to stick to.
While starting too fast with a diet can make it hard to stick to, starting too fast with an exercise program can be dangerous. Doing too much too soon can not only wear you out, it can cause permanent damage to your body. Remember to pick your exercise program and start small. If you decide to run, run until you’re too tired. Then walk the rest of the time. You may only run 5 minutes the first day, but if you keep it up you’ll be running the entire way in no time.
No matter what you do to lose weight, try to incorporate small, reasonable changes. This will greatly increase your chances of success.
Filed under Health Talk, Weight Loss by on May 8th, 2007.