Bodybuilding Winter Nutrition Tips

Take the opportunity to try new foods that have specific winter-targeted benefits.

By Eric Falstrault

Is winter the "bulking up" season or have you just gained fat over the holidays and thrown in the towel on staying lean? Bulking up during the winter isn't the trend anymore. The new breed of bodybuilders are getting better educated about ongoing research on gaining lean muscle mass adequately without pro-inflammatory fat gains.   

I tend to believe that most people would benefit from letting go of the hard diet and just taking it easy for a couple of weeks; it does the adrenals some good. But most people will train harder prior to and during the holidays to compensate from the higher calorie intake, thus beating up the adrenals. My take would be to not see the winter season as a bulk up phase, but a chillax phase. Without considering reserving a permanent parking space at McDonald's, stick with the basics. This it might be the best time to try out some new food. 

1. Restore your immune system

For those of you who live in cold weather areas, flu season is a fact of life. Holidays are the perfect storm to share flu-causing microbes. On top of that, the constant eating most people do during holiday season impairs their digestive systems and increases the chance of catching a cold. The immune system is mainly built up in your gut. Great health is the reflection of a healthy gut.

The best immune system builder is a good probiotic. Instead of most common yogurt that is often full of sugar, I would go towards goat milk or Greek yogurt enriched with probiotics. Glutamine taken as a supplement will go a long way. One of the best tricks I use to beat the hell out of a cold is to take 5 grams every hour when I feel a cold coming along. Glutamine will repair the gut. When bacteria enters the gut, the incubation period could be up to five days until it grows strong and invades the rest of the body to cause dreaded flu symptoms. Repairing the gut in the process will bring the gut’s homeostasis back up to par and help beat the symptoms in half the time.

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 Nutrition

Jim Stoppani, Ph.D.

The Superman LEANER, But Bigger and Stronger Diet

To focus more on getting leaner, but still building muscle size and strength, you will still need to eat similar amounts of protein and fat since these are the most critical for building muscle. To make sure that calories are low enough to lose fat, you will drop carbs down to 0.5 grams per pound of body weight on rest days from the gym, but protein will stay solid at 1.5 grams per pound, and so will fat at 0.5 grams per pound of body weight. This will bring calories down to about 12 per pound of body weight. On workout days you will add a pre-workout whey shake and a post-workout meal, which will bump up the protein to almost 2 grams per pound of body weight and carbs up to almost 1 gram per pound. Fat stays about the same at 0.5 grams per pound, and calories jump up to 15 per pound. For a 180 pounder this equates to about 2700 calories, 335 g protein, 150 g carbs, and 90 g fat.

Sample Superman LEANER, But Bigger and Stronger Diet

Breakfast

• 1 scoop whey protein
• 
  
• 1 cup low-fat milk (1%) (mix whey protein in milk and drink ASAP upon waking)
• 
  
• 3 whole eggs
• 
  
• 1/4 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese (make scramble eggs and add cheese)
• 
  
• 1 large apple

Morning Snack

• 2 sticks light mozzarella string cheese
• 1 scoop whey protein
• 1 cup low-fat milk (1%) (mix whey protein in milk)

Lunch

• 6 oz chicken breast
• 
  
• 2 cups mixed green salad (add any vegetables you like such as cucumbers, onions, 
• tomatoes)
• 
  
• 1 Tbsp olive oil/1 Tbsp vinegar (salad dressing)

Afternoon Snack

• 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese (1%)
• 
  
• 2 Tbsp salsa

Dinner

• 8 oz top sirloin steak
• 
  
• 1 cup chopped broccoli (steamed or grilled)
• 
  
• 2 cups mixed green salad (add any vegetables you like such as cucumbers, onions, tomatoes)
• 
  
• 1 Tbsp olive oil/1 Tbsp vinegar (salad dressing)

Bedtime Snack

Eat within 30 minutes before going to bed.

• 1 scoop whey protein

• 8 oz. reduced fat Greek yogurt (2%) (mix whey protein into yogurt and eat)

Totals: 2200 calories, 270 g protein, 100 g carbs, 80 g fat

On workout days add the following meals to your day:

Note: If you train in the morning, have your pre-workout shake when you wake up and then work out. Follow the workout with the post-workout meal within 30 minutes after the workout. Then an hour later have the breakfast and follow the rest of the diet from there.

Pre-Workout Meal

• 1 scoop whey protein

Post-Workout Meal

• 1 scoop whey protein
• 
  
• 2 cups low-fat milk (1%)
• 
  
• 10 gummy bears

Adding these two meals will bump up the daily totals to over 2700 calories, 335 g protein, 150 g carbs, and 90 g fat, which for the 180 pounder equates to 15 calories per pound of body weight, almost 2 grams of protein per pound, slightly less than 1 gram of carbs per pound, and fat remains fairly steady at about 0.5 grams per pound of body weight.

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We take the guesswork out of eating right to get leaner

We take the guesswork out of eating right to get leaner and stronger with our Superman Program.

Jim Stoppani, Ph.D.

The Superman BIGGER & STRONGER, But Leaner Diet

To focus more on building muscle and strength, but still allowing yourself to lose some body fat comes down to ensuring that you are eating enough calories yet not too many. It also means that you need to get ample amounts of protein and fat, with just enough carbs to spur muscle cell growth, but not fat cell growth.

For calories you should be shooting for 20 calories per pound of body weight on workout days. To get in these calories you will shoot for 1.5-2 grams of protein per pound of body weight, 2 grams of carbs per pound of body weight and 0.5 grams of fat per pound of body weight. For 180-pound man that equates to about 3600 calories, 270-360 grams of protein, 360 grams of carbs, and 90 grams of fat. On rest days from the gym you will be nixing the pre- and post-workout meals, so the totals for the day will drop down to about 16 calories per pound of body weight, 1.5 g protein per pound of body weight, 1.5 g carbs per pound of body weight, and fat will still be close to 0.5 g per pound

Sample Superman BIGGER & STRONGER, But Leaner Diet

Breakfast

• 1 scoop whey protein
• 
  
• 1 cup low-fat milk (1%) (mix whey protein in milk and drink ASAP upon waking)
• 
  
• 3 whole eggs
• 
  
• 1/4 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese (make scramble eggs and add cheese)
• 
  
• 1 cup cooked oatmeal
• 
  
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 
  
• 1 tsp brown sugar (add sugar and raisins to oatmeal)

Morning Snack

• 1 stick light mozzarella string cheese
• 
  
• 1 cup low-fat milk (1%)
• 
  
• 2 slices whole-wheat bread
• 
  
• 1 Tbsp peanut butter
• 
  
• 1 Tbsp jelly (make peanut butter and jelly sandwich)

Lunch

• 6 oz chicken breast
• 
  
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 
  
• 1 cup mixed vegetables
• 
  

Afternoon Snack

• 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese (1%)
• 
  
• 1 cup sliced pineapple
• 
  

Dinner

• 8 oz top sirloin steak
• 
  
• 1 medium sweet potato (baked,)
• 
  
• 1 cup chopped broccoli (steamed or grilled)
• 
  
• 2 cups mixed green salad (add any vegetables you like such as cucumbers, onions, 
• tomatoes)
• 
  
• 1 Tbsp olive oil/1 Tbsp vinegar (salad dressing)

Bedtime Snack

Eat within 30 minutes before going to bed.

• 1 scoop whey protein
• 
  
• 8 oz. reduced fat Greek yogurt (2%) (mix whey protein into yogurt and eat)

Totals: 2900 calories, 265 of protein, 275 g carbs, and 75 g fat

On workout days add the following meals to your day:

Note: If you train in the morning, have your pre-workout meal when you wake up and then work out. Follow the workout with the post-workout meal within 30 minutes after the workout. Then an hour later have the breakfast and follow the rest of the diet from there.

Pre-Workout Meal

• 1 scoop whey protein
• 
  
• 1 large apple

Post-Workout Meal

• 1 scoop whey protein
• 
  
• 2 cups low-fat milk (1%)
• 
  
• 10 gummy bears

Adding these two meals will bump up the daily totals to over 3500 calories, 330 g protein, 350 g carbs, and 85 g fat.

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Why Promote Weight Loss Hypnosis Pro Instead of Other Similar Products?

Why Promote Weight Loss Hypnosis Pro Instead of Other Similar Products?

As many top affiliates have known, weight loss is a huge and hot market because the demand is timeless and only more and more people are seeking for quick solution to lose weight. The core problem with majority weight loss programs is that they shed a few pounds right away before seeing them packed on again after the consumer finishes the program. That is why I invited Steve G.Jones (the man in the picture on the left) to create Weight Loss Hypnosis Pro which retrain the consumers’ subconscious mindset in order to change their habits and outcome. In short, I’m very proud to say my program works forany gender and age.

Weight Loss Hypnosis Pro has a extremely low refund rate because I’ve included a set of simple guide (pdf and audio) so that all customers can learn better about hypnosis. A clear explanation about the program and 60-second sample is included in my salespage so all customers will form their expectation and understand what this program will do for them before making the order, thus reducing the possibility of requesting refund.

Being in the industry since 1980s, Steve G.Jones is a regular guest on many TV shows and author for a number of hot-selling physical books, for example “You Can Attract It”. In terms of credibility and professionalism, it is easy to tell that Steve is the most qualified hypnotherapist to create weight loss hypnosis audio program in the industry.

I will consistently provide support to all affiliates promoting Weight Loss Hypnosis Pro. If you have any questions about the affiliate program, you can reach me at contact@weightlosshypnosispro.com and I will answer you within the next working day.

click here for more

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5 top tips

Weight loss tip 1: Alter your snacking habits - At Health Me Up, we have several healthy snacking ideas for you. Set those French fries aside, skip that aerated drink, and ban those unhealthy deep fried samosas. Explore the healthy snack world and you will find several appetisers, party snacks, movie snacks and meal accompaniments that'll satisfy every craving of yours.

Weight loss tip 2: Have at least one active hobby - It isn't sufficient to rely on just 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity per day. Moving from bed to office chair, and back to bed, isn't a healthy way to live. Buy a motion sensor gaming console that lets you enjoy social games with friends and family, plan weekend trips, clean your house once a week, dance, play sports, the list is endless. Get out of the coffee shop and dining table rut, and you'll have fun along with the healthy weight loss.

Weight loss tip 3: Find a solution to combat stress - As we pointed out in our post about stress and weight loss, stress is always detrimental to healthy weight loss in the long run. Find ways to combat stress and you'll soon realise that your diet and exercise aren't sabotaged anymore, and that you truly do see results. Look at yoga, meditation, deep breathing exercises, or simple hobbies like reading to fight stress.

Weight loss tip 4: Drink plenty of water - You've known that your body relies heavily on water for all important bodily functions, and yet you skimp on drinking adequate quantities of water every day. Well, it's time to stop that. Check out some exciting ways to make water interesting and you'll be packing it away in no time. Do not forget to carry a water bottle to your workout, and take a few sips after every 2-3 minutes of exercise.

Weight loss tip 5: Plan healthy vacations - Why go all the way with healthy weight loss, when one tiny vacation will just come along and topple it all? Healthy vacations aren't impossible. Take a look at how you can eat smart on a holiday, and then at bodyweight workouts that you can carry with you wherever you go, to understand how to holiday right. Above all, remember that these are lifelong habits that'll help you stay fit forever and not short term weight loss quickfixes.

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5 Tips

Weight loss tip 1: Decide how much weight you need to lose - Most people start their weight loss journey by claiming to be xyz kilos overweight. This isn't a healthy way to project or aim for weight loss. Calculate your desired weight against your height by using reliable methods like the BMI, and set a healthy weight loss target. This is often half the battle won.

Weight loss tip 2: Time management - This is quite often overlooked. Decide which part of your day will be dedicated to exercise, when in the week you will stock up on groceries, and when you will do the cooking - all within your current work and home life routine. If you don't do this now, your days will be rushed and unplanned, and you won't be able to sustain your weight loss efforts.

Weight loss tip 3: Stock your kitchen - Keep your house well-stocked with fruits, vegetables, healthy meats, grains, cereals, spices, and flavourers. Follow our tricks to healthy cooking, cooking vegetables for the week, and low-fat cooking posts to understand how best you can stock your kitchen with healthy and delicious ingredients. All of this will go into helping the next step - cooking healthy meals at home.

Weight loss tip 4: Eat healthy homecooked meals - Whether it's you who's cooking, a family member, or house help, ensure that every one practises healthy cooking methods, and ingredients. Ask any person who's lost weight the healthy way, and you will always hear about how healthy homecooked meals were a big reason behind it. Use less oil, low salt, fresh produce, and you'll start seeing results in no time.

Weight loss tip 5 : Start a cardio + weights workout - A healthy weight loss programme is incomplete without a good exercise routine, and weight training mixed with cardio is the best way to lose weight. Of course, variations and forms exist, but any workout that stresses on muscle tone and increased heart rate will always help you lose weight and keep it off. You can either start a home workout today, or rely on gyms for fitness training.

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Health and Fitness: Yoga Article

Improving Your Yoga 'Off the Mat'

There is more to Yoga than attending a one hour class once or twice a week. Physical postures become easier and go further when you use your mind instead of your body. When you get to this point, start with Yoga off the mat.
The Various Benefits of Yoga

Yoga has become increasingly popular in various parts of the world due to the benefits that it offers the individual. An individual can be able to get health, emotional, physical as well as spiritual benefits from this practice.

Hot Yoga for Pregnant Or Recently Pregnant Women
Most pregnant women are advised to exercise not only to keep themselves healthy but also to alleviate the discomforts of pregnancy and at the same time, increase their strength and stamina to breeze through the birthing experience more easily. However, it's not a good idea to take on a strenuous workout regimen especially if you're not used to it. Prenatal yoga is recommended for most women but hot yoga requires more careful considerations.

What Is Hot Yoga? What Are the Benefits?

Yoga is not your typical workout. Unlike other forms of exercise that would have you running, jumping and getting all your muscles worked up, yoga is low-impact and it focuses more on connecting the mind, body and spirit to achieve unique poses that positively benefit your overall health and wellbeing. There are now more than 100 kinds of yoga, all of which provide wondrous benefits for the health.
Getting to Know the History of Hot Yoga

Are you one of those who can't get enough of hot yoga? You'll be happy to know that this popular workout can do so much for your health, not only for your body but also for your mind and spirit. A system of yoga poses and techniques done inside a heated room of up to 100 degrees, hot yoga can burn up to 1000 calories per session, alleviate painful symptoms of arthritis and back problems, stabilize levels of blood pressure and cholesterol, improve blood circulation, release tension and stiffness in the muscles, and prevent depression among many others.
Using Hot Yoga To Relieve Stress

A little stress from time to time isn't bad for you. In fact, it keeps you on the go and lets you breeze through your work more efficiently. But too much of it can take a toll on your health.
What's The Difference Between Hot Yoga And Bikram Yoga?

Yoga has countless of benefits for the health-increased strength and flexibility, pain relief, mood booster, injury prevention, better immune defense, better blood circulation and so much more. For over 5,000 years, it has been one of the most widely practiced forms of exercise, benefiting people from different parts of the world. This meditative form of exercise originated in India.

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10 Weight Loss Tips

1. Tired of eating your salad on a plate? Fill a whole wheat pita with salad and a splash of lemon for a twist.
2. You might do better to replace an occasional dinner with a nice roll in the hay. Healthy sex may help control the amount of food you eat and it's great exercise.
3. Create emergency packs filled with healthy foods such as nuts, fruits or sliced vegetables to help you avoid unhealthy temptations.
4. Add red pepper flakes to your pantry. When eaten early in the day, red pepper lowers the amount of food you'll eat later.
5. Odds are you're eating too fast. Try holding a conversation while having a meal so you're not gulping down more than you need to feel full.
6. Take a brisk walk before lunch or dinner. Not only will you get in some exercise, you're less likely to choose something unhealthy after a little movement.
7. Looking for the benefits of salmon but you don't feel comfortable cooking fish? Try canned salmon as a simple and affordable alternative.
8. Are your dishes too big? A healthy dinner should fit on a 9-inch plate. You may find that kid-sized plates are more appropriately sized to feed an adult!
9. Never eat any snack food out of the box, carton or bag it came in. You're less likely to overeat if you separate snacks into appropriate fist-sized servings.
10. Boost your metabolism with some green tea or chili peppers.

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Do You Want Stronger Muscles?

 Do You Want Stronger Muscles?

Do you want to say goodbye to fatty and flabby skin? Weightlifting can give you great results! However, be ready to work hard at losing weight and building those six pack abs it requires motivation and proper weight loss approaches.

Weightlifting can be a healthy means of getting yourself into shape. It can give you great results. Muscle gain requires time as well as dedication, so see to it that you stick to the workout program you have chosen.

These days, a lot of information can be found on the web. Some are in the form of e-books, online courses and newsletters that you can get free or for a very small cost. Most of these weightlifting resources are from successful weightlifters that are more then happy to share their experience and weight loss success with others.

Through an online course in weight loss and body building, you can learn a lot of things ranging from how you can build abs or a perfect body at home, which nutritional supplements will help you get fast results and what weight lifting and cardio vascular approaches you should go for.

Getting tips from the experts or from other people who have successfully built a great body can help you find the right path towards losing weight and reaching your weightlifting goals. You do not necessarily need to go to the gym or starve yourself if you know a sure fire fitness routine that truly works. Even from the comfort of your home you can get great abs, if you know the secrets to having them.

Most weightlifters are seeking advice from others to learn about their secrets in keeping themselves motivated, supplements that have given them good results, approaches to melting their fats as well as what mistakes they have made that can be avoided. Taking the advice of the experts can help you make your weight loss and weightlifting efforts a success. Tips and tricks coming from the experts can be very helpful.

Diet and exercise plans can be beneficial for those who are in search to lose weight. Such workout programs can give you good results. Since a lot of body builders are in eye catching

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10 Weight Loss Tips

1. Automate your eating by planning your meals ahead of time. That way you're less likely to make an unhealthy last-minute food choice.
2. Oats are your friends! Eating a cup of oatmeal in the morning will prevent you from gorging in the afternoon.
3. Foods with healthy fats such as olives, salmon and walnuts help you feel satisfied.
4. Skipping meals can cause your body to go into a fat-storing starvation mode, making it harder to burn calories.
5. Got nuts with nuts. Eating a handful of nuts will help you stay full. Try soaking them in water for a different texture.
6. Use meditation to help you cope with chronic stress, which can lead you to crave feel-good carbs.
7. You may be used to fried foods but there are other, sometimes healthier, ways to cook including: roasting, steaming, poaching, baking, braising and broiling.
8. Do your grocery shopping with a list and a time limit; that way, you're less likely to stray into the processed foods section.
9. Don't confuse thirst with hunger. Drink a glass of water when you feel hungry to see if that's what you're really craving.
10. When out at a restaurant, ask the server to hold the bread, snack mix or chips and salsa that might come before the meal. If you're hungry, you'll be tempted.

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Weight Loss and Side Effects of CLA

Does Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) have any bad side effects? Does it work for weight loss? CLA has been sold for many years as a fat loss supplement based on the weight loss and body composition (i.e. losing fat and gaining muscle) changes seen in studies using mice and rats. Does is work in humans? More recently research in humans has shown that it can be used to increase fat loss. In this article we'll look at some of the benefits of CLA as well as some of the potential side effects. In addition to weight loss studies there have been (and are currently) countless studies looking at the effects of this fatty acid on reducing inflammation, fighting cancer, and in the treatment of other conditions.

Ever since 2007, there has been an increase in use of CLA as a fat burner. This is due to the release of a meta-analysis (basically a review of several scientific studies) published in the May 2007 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition which concluded that 3.2g/d of CLA can induce moderate weight loss in humans. CLA is an attractive weight loss supplement and many people use conjugated linoleic acid as part of a fat loss supplement stack (i.e. a group of compounds and herbs taken together to maximize effects) because unlike many other weight loss supplements it is not a stimulant and you don't suffer the nasty side effects of getting the jitters, increased heart rate, or worse - increased blood pressure. This is especially as there are not many effective options for non-stimulant fat burners on the market.

Let's now look at two more studies that involve people taking supplemental CLA. The first study was again published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The researchers found that when people supplemented with 3.2 g/d of CLA (this is generally the recommended dosage for weight loss purposes) they burned more fat and more specifically they burned more fat when they slept!

This is true.

Not only did the subjects that took CLA burned more fat when they slept, the fat they burned was NOT fat they had recently eaten; it was actually stored body fat that they were burning. This study gets even better as the researchers reported that the individuals that took CLA had decreased urinary protein losses. In other words the CLA group had improved protein retention when they slept. These are really interesting findings. If I owned a supplement company that sold large dosages of CLA - my new headline would be "CLA - Scientifically Proven to Burn More Body Fat and Build Muscle while you SLEEP."

So CLA can work for weight loss but are there any side effects? Again in 2007, another study was published that looked at the effects of CLA on weight loss, this time in obese people. In this study, the participants were given CLA dosages of 0, 3.2, or 6.4 grams/day. At the end of the study the group that received the 6.4 g/d of CLA experienced a significant increase in a compound called C - reactive protein or CRP for short. C - reactive protein is a protein that is released from your liver. It is commonly used in the medical field as a general marker of the level of inflammation in your body - higher CRP means more inflammation.

While there was an increase in CRP, it was truly not clinically significant as CRP levels remained below what is considered normal (Normal CRP levels are 3mg/dL). It is also important to see realize that the people in the study that had increased CRP as a result of taking a CLA supplement were taking 2x the 'recommended' dose for weight loss and also that people that obese normally have higher CRP levels (this might have come into play here as well). The group that only took 3.2 grams per day did not have any increase in their CRP levels.
Based on the findings in the studies that I've mentioned above and the review of studies from article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition is seems that 3.2 g/d of CLA can be safely taken to boost weight loss.

The next question that you should ask is...

What do you do with these findings? At the moment not a whole lot... CLA is a nice add-on to a fat loss program but "add-on" is the key word. CLA is perfect for nutrient stacking as combing these effects with a supplement like green tea extract (which has also been shown to boost weight loss), increased non-exercise physical activity, and multiple meals throughout the day will surely boost your fat loss. If you aren't spot on with your nutrition, training with weights 3x per week, and doing 3 interval sessions per week then don't waste your time with CLA and focus on the more important things.

Discover 4 'Hacks' to Help you lose more weight faster (how does 20lbs in 30 days sound?) This Incredible Weight Loss System Has Helped Thousands of People Lose 10,15, and 20lbs of Nasty Fat In 28 Days Or Less. Click here To Start Your Fat Loss Journey.

Mike Roussell is an author and nutrition doctoral student at Pennsylvania State University. Mike writings can be found in Men's Health and Men's Fitness and Ironman Magazines in addition to the internet's largest bodybuilding and fitness website - T-Nation.com. Learn more at

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The Importance of a Weight Loss Family Circle

You may have heard of a quote by Jim Rohn: "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with."

This can be in any area of life. Including weight loss. If your family circles & friends are overweight, start adding in new friends that are losing weight and/or who have successfully lost weight.

Changing Your Patterns

On the TV show The Biggest Loser, the contestants are separated from their families, friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc. This breaks all their normal routines, patterns, habits & eating cues.

They are surrounded by a new team of people working towards the same goal. They have personal trainers and nutritionists. They have new support systems to help them develop new habits.

You can surround yourself with new groups in several ways. This can include meetings, books, personal development DVDs & CDs, memberships, Facebook groups, etc.

For example:

• I joined Weight Watchers and attend the meetings.
• Weight Watchers is also on Facebook and online, so I am adding these in for some more support.
• I also have some exercise DVDs which feel like a group workout. (Some join a gym.)
• And I read books on weight loss, health and nutrition.

Taking Control of Your Life

"If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much. " Jim Rohn

Other people in your life may not be working on the same goals as you. They have different plans. So to achieve your goals, you need to find like-minded people.
It is your body and you need to take care of it. It is your responsibility. You need to decide how you will be able to take care of your body when you are in your different family circles.

For example, if you attend a weekly church service that includes a lot of tempting food, decide how will you handle it before you go.

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Vegetarian Diet Chart For Your Weight Loss Plan

If you like to experiment with your eating habits, then you can try out a pure vegetarian diet for your weigh loss program. Research says that in general vegetarian food is healthier than non vegetarian food. It also says that human digestive system is naturally designed for eating vegetarian food. Lot of people are turning vegetarians every year, so if you would like to try the vegetarian diet for your weight loss program, you can consider the following vegetarian diet chart for your weight loss plan:

1. Try to wake up before sunrise. Drink 2 glasses of water. If you are not able drink that much water in the first day, then drink as much as you can, and slowly try to increase it to 2 glasses every morning.
2. Go for a morning walk or jogging for at least 30 minutes every morning. Do not eat anything before going to jogging. After you return back, have juice of any fruit that you like. Try to avoid sugar as much as you can. Fruits have natural sweetness in them.
3. In breakfast, have bread or toast with butter or have two 'idlis' (a round shape Indian dish, made up of rice) with 'sambhar' (a type of vegetable soup)
4. In lunch have 3 medium sized chapattis, a cup of boiled rice with curry, and one green vegetable. You can also have salad in which you can add fruits and vegetables of your choice. The food should have minimum oil and spice.
5. at evening, you can have milk, tea, coffee or any other beverage with a couple of toasts or biscuits.
6. At dinner, either have chapattis or rice with any of your favorite vegetables or 'dal'. Eat of lot of vegetable salad and includes green and leafy vegetables in it.

If you would like to alter this diet then there are lots of healthy and tasty vegetarian recipes to select from. You can always goggle for new recipes; sites like YouTube would be helpful as well. Try to follow a strict vegetarian diet for 3 months, and with proper and regular workout, you will see a definite change in yourself, both in weight as well as in your health.

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Determination Is the Key to Successful Weight Loss

Have you tried countless ways to lose weight but none of them seems to work? Well, you're not the only one who suffers

 from such. A lot of people engage in different diet fads but they keep on gaining back the weight they lost. If you want to get out of this cycle, it's time for you to change the way you see things.

Remember that no matter how much money you spend for diet pills and whatnots, the only thing that will ultimately lead to successful weight loss is determination. Here are 10 tips to self motivation for successful weight loss.

1. Before and after pictures - Sometimes, turning your goals into tangible things can do wonders. Post your current picture alongside the picture of a figure that you want to become. Seeing your goal often will help you boost your determination.

2. Create a timeline - A plan in itself is a good way to start. However, a lot of people fail to carry out their plans because they fail to observe a timeline. Setting a timeline helps tighten discipline and can lead to successful weight loss.

3. Join support groups - Some people falter in their resolve because they think that they are alone. By joining support groups, you will be able to find other people who are going through the same process. Moreover, these support groups can provide you with further tips on achieving weight loss.

4. Talk to people about it - Sometimes, just venting out helps. Remember that you need not be alone in your journey. Talk to people about your goals and you will be surprised to see how that would make it much easier for you to stay determined.

5. Read books - It is true that some people are too shy to talk about their feelings to others. This can be addressed by reading self-help books and other instructional materials. Books can serve as your guide to successful weight loss.

6. Have a partner - Having company is always better than being alone. Try to find someone who will support you all the way. A partner will be very helpful in times when your determination is failing you. Just make sure that you have the right weight loss buddy and you're sure to achieve your goal.

7. One step at a time - The journey to weight loss can sometimes be frustrating. The reason is because some people set unrealistic goals which surely lead to failure. Because of this, some people just opt to stop. Take it one step at a time and be patient.

8. Reward yourself - This is very important in maintaining determination. Rewarding yourself can easily condition your mind that you are doing a good job. Just make sure that you reward yourself with non-food prizes, otherwise your merit system would not help you lose weight.

9. Have affirmations - Make sure that you always appreciate your works. By simply telling yourself that you are beautiful already helps you become more determined to make things work for you.

10. Believe in yourself - Remember that your journey will depend on no one but yourself. Start right by believing that you can achieve weight loss by working hard for it

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Badminton Is More Than Just a Fabulous Weight Loss Exercise

Playing badminton can be a fantastic weight loss exercise. You can find a badminton court in a public parks, as well as indoor community centers. Use a special racquet to hit the ball, known as a birdie, over a volleyball net. Otherwise, you can simply thump it back and forth with a friend or two. Fortunately, badminton has several health benefits for your entire body.

To begin, anyone can play badminton for an easy workout routine. Regardless of your age or sex, numerous calories can be burned with the light workout. Little children can start playing against their grandparents, while Mom and Dad go head-to-head with one another.

Playing badminton, you get to run up and down your court. You jump up high and bend down low to hit the birdie. Your body has to be quick and flexible, with good hand-eye coordination. Besides burning calories, the consecutive movements give your legs and buttocks a good workout. At the same time, swinging your racquet exercises your arms, shoulders, stomach and back. Before you know it, your hope body will benefit from better coordination and core stability. Your entire body can grow more firm and attractive.

Playing badminton can actually reduce your high blood pressure, lowering your chances of heart disease. Your body can defend itself against nasty hypertension without prescription medications. Playing the game, you can strengthen your heart, while keeping your blood vessels clear. Whether you are suffering from high blood pressure, or simply trying to prevent it, badminton is a great exercise.

Some people enjoy the social life that the sport can bring. Gyms often host leagues, tournaments, charities and parties for you to spend quality time with friends, as well as meet other men and women with similar interests. So don't sit on the couch alone and watch a television program about losing belly fat. Get out there and socialize in an organized badminton league.

Enjoying badminton can also do wonders for balancing out your cholesterol levels. The game can actually help you lower your amount of bad cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins (LDL), while increasing the good cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL). In other words, your body will be better defended against enlarged arteries that can cause lethal heart attacks.

If you are suffering from osteoporosis, you can also benefit from badminton. The sport can actually assist your body's cells in forming strong bones. Calcium can be better absorbed, and both breaks and fractures can be prevented. As a direct result, your bones can grow much more durable from playing the game.

Of course, the most favored benefit of playing badminton is always quick weight loss. Hundreds of unwanted calories can be burned with all of the physical movements involved with the sport. Just don't eat more than you can burn off in order to get skinny. You can work up quite a nice sweat too. This is why it is always important to keep yourself fully hydrated with plenty of drinking water around your badminton court. You can keep score and place fun little bets with your spouse, if not your buddies. Whether you are on the sand at the local beach, or inside an air conditioned gym, playing badminton can be a marvelous weight loss exercise.

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Health and Fitness: Exercise Article Category

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Is Creatine Helpful For Weight Loss?

Creatine. You've all heard the word before. But not many know what it actually is. Creatine is made up of three amino acids (amino acids are the building blocks of protein). These three amino acids are glycine, arginine, and methionine. Many use creatine as a supplement to build muscle, in the form of powder, pills, and even in a liquid form which is dispensed by an "eyedropper."

Ok, so how does creatine help in losing weight? Don't worry, I'm going to get to that, but first you must understand how it actually works. Well, how creatine works is this: When you take the creatine supplement, creatine saturates your muscle cells. This creatine that is now in your muscles, attracts water in your body, causing your muscle cells to fill up with water. In order for your muscle cells to accommodate this new amount of water within them, they have no choice but to expand. This translates to larger, stronger muscles.

But I'm a woman, I don't want big, bulky muscles! Don't worry, the only way that is going to happen is if you are taking in more than enough calories, lifting heavy to gain muscle, and taking the same amount a bodybuilder would take. Plenty of women take creatine, and are not bulky at all, rather they are toned; the way most women prefer to look.

Any who, getting back to the point, the muscles will be larger than before. Now, since bigger muscles require more calories to maintain their new size (remember, this doesn't mean huge, just larger than before), your muscles will have no choice but to rob your fat stores for the necessary calories to maintain their size. This is how creatine will help with weight loss!

Also, if you are on a diet, one of the hardest things to do is to keep your current size/definition, (ladies, remember, don't be nervous by the word size). Another reason to take creatine while dieting. Creatine will help you keep your current size, while burning fat only, rather than fat and muscle for energy to fuel your workouts.

What kind of creatine should I take? Since there are so many different types on the market, I will elaborate to help you narrow down your choices.

Creatine Monohydrate

Most commonly sold in a white powder form, very chalky in taste and texture, creatine monohydrate is the first and oldest type of creatine invented. Creatine monohydrate is generally used by people seeking gains in muscle mass (ladies, believe me, this is not the type of creatine you are looking for). The problem with creatine monohydrate is that it is known for gassy stomach problems as well as bloating. So although your muscle may get larger, it will be very difficult for you to get definition with that size, if you are like most people. Also, with creatine monohydrate, you have to go through what is known as a "loading phase," in which you must take around 4 scoops (roughly 20 grams) of it per day for your first four days on the product. After, you can take only 2 scoops or roughly 10 grams for a period of 6 weeks or so, then you must load up again and so on and so forth. This process is known as "cycling" a supplement.

Creatine ethyl ester

A newer form of creatine, creatine ethyl ester is sold in pill form (a popular brand known as "CE2"), as well as in powder form (another popular brand known as "Cell Mass"). The rage about creatine ethyl ester is that it provides all the benefits of creatine, without having to go through a loading phase, no bloating, and no stomach problems. Depending on your genetics, diet, and workout program, the effects of creatine in general will have different effects for each user.

Creatine alphaketoglutarate (Creatine AKG)

This particular creatine supplement is one that has worked the best for me personally. Creatine AKG is your traditional creatine supplement, however, it has what is called AKG attached to it. AKG is almost like a car that drives the creatine straight into your muscles, to saturate them as much as possible. This means you will be getting the most out of your creatine supplement. Also, Creatine AKG boasts zero bloating and zero stomach problems just like the creatine ethyl ester. A popular brand of Creatine AKG is known as "Anavol."

Well, I hope this article helped you make the decision to start supplementing with creatine for weight loss, and ladies, I hope after reading this, you realize that creatine is recommended for you too. Remember, for the guys, you will usually be taking the full-recommended dosage of creatine, lifting heavy, and eating big if you are seeking muscle mass. Ladies, you obviously are not going to take the full-recommended dosage, eat big, or lift heavy, unless you are a bodybuilder of course.

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