5 Great Ways To Lose Weight

When you are dealing with a phenomenon as diverse as human beings, it is very difficult to create rules which will work equally well for everyone. Nevertheless, there are some characteristics shared by all human beings, and this means that some basic principles can be developed. Here are five great ways to help you lose weight.

Great Way 1

The most fundamental strategy of successful weight loss is to burn more calories than you take in. You shouldn't find it difficult to apply this in some aspect of your life. Adjust your diet by cutting down on high fat food, and try some simple exercises for twenty minutes, three times a week, such as the "Couch Potato 21-Day Walking Challenge". Doing this walking challenge instead of driving everywhere will have the desired effect, as will gentle jogging or swimming.

Great Way 2

Gym memberships are becoming increasingly popular, and, as long as the exercise you do is well planned, it can be extremely beneficial. Aerobic exercise has to be the focal point of your plan, otherwise you could do more harm than good. Provided you adhere to this basic rule, some anaerobic weight or resistance training can help tone up your body. This will give you more strength and vitality, and should increase your confidence.

Great Way 3

Going to see a professional nutritionist or dietician can pay off handsomely. If you go it alone, you will need to put in some serious research to make sure you are genuinely eating healthy, and many who try this find themselves discouraged by the lack of variety in their diet. It certainly doesn't have to be that way, as there are plenty of different healthy meals which help you lose weight. Getting the advice of a professional can make the task of losing weight seem so much more enjoyable!

Great Way 4

Find a friend to train with. If you and a friend are both regularly free at the same time of day, it can make sense to train together. Having someone to help you through the times when you don't seem to be getting anywhere can keep you in the game until the improvement suddenly appears. Having a social aspect to your exercise will help you look forward to it, and make you more likely to stick to it!

Great Way 5

Eat less food more often. Many medical practitioners now recommend eating more meals a day, with less food at each one. This is a more balanced way to take food into the body, spreading the load on the body over a far wider period of time. The system of eating three meals a day is designed far more to fit in with the working day than it is to fit in with the needs of the human body. When you eat less more often, the body absorbs more of the nutrients in the food, so your body craves fewer calories.

The best and most effective method for weight loss does depend on the individual, but follow these time tested principles and you will see results.

This article is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is not to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice or any doctors recommendation. Prior to beginning any weight loss program, individuals must consult a physician for proper diagnosis and/or treatment.

Tips On Working Out And Looking Younger In 2018

The secret  on how to stay young has been searched for many years. Researchers have even done some experiments to find ways to slow down the aging process.

There are some many techniques which have been implemented, but the most important things that we can do is remain consistent in implementing our healthy lifestyle and eating habits.

We can't stop the natural changes, but we can work hard to slow down the aging process.

Therefore, I'm going to help you with 10 easy steps to assist you in looking  younger in 2018:

Detox, It's important to start detoxification, getting rid of toxin from our body. Our body metabolism has done that process, but in everyday life we are exposed to so many chemical hazards from air, food and our environment. Fasting or just consuming fruits and vegetables are ways to detoxify our body.

Sleep; Having enough sleep at least 6-8 hours a day will make our skin healthier. Having a good sleep is also important because growth hormones are working during that time. They renew the old cells of our body, including the skin cells. Our skin will look fresh and young if we have enough sleep.

Food; Eating healthy each and everyday can make our body fit, slim and also look younger. Try to eat more fish instead of red meat. Fiber food, vegetables, fruits, and supplements are important food to consume. Drink less coffee and other caffeine beverages.

Exercise; Through routine exercises, we can feel happier, energetic, and confident. It also increases our bone density and muscle which can make our body look 15-20 years younger. Besides aerobic, walking, and swimming, try also including weight lifting into your routine.

Relax; When looking relaxed, our face will typically look younger. Stress and worries tend to show on our face when we are tensed. If we can manage our stress and feel at peace, our face will look younger and more attractive.

Be Positive; A positive mind and affirmation can help us in becoming more centered, and at peace. Negative thoughts tend to bring failure and make us look older and unattractive. Meditation is one way to help us with our positive thoughts.

Medical Check-ups:  Just like a car, our body also needs attention and care so it can work well everyday. Having routine medical checkups during our healthy time is important to identify diseases, or illnesses as soon as possible.

Active Lifestyle; Always try to be active during your life. Activities can improve your health; and if you are older, it can help increase your memory too.

Social Life; Having a happy social life can increases your spirit, bring peace to your mind, and make us all feel and look younger. Staying in touch with our friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, and others can bring happiness as well.

Performance; Start to look at your performance. Is your body weight ideal? If not, try to obtain your ideal weight. Also look at taking care of your skin, hair, nail and teeth. Those are important as they will show our age. Remember Looking good and feeling good for 2018, will soon be a goal for many of us.....six months from now, where will you be? Why Wait...Today is the day!

Written by,

Dwight Obey, Independent AdvoCare Distributor

This article is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is not to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice or any doctors recommendation. Prior to beginning any weight loss program, individuals must consult a physician for proper diagnosis and/or treatment.

Grapefruit, and Boiled Egg Weight Loss Diet

Weight-loss diets like the grapefruit and boiled egg diet can help you lose weight fast, but you may struggle to keep it off. Although some research shows that grapefruit may be beneficial when you're trying to lose those unwanted pounds, eating only grapefruit and boiled eggs may be difficult as a long-term solution to your weight issues. Like any fad diet, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Consult your doctor before starting any weight-loss plan.

Grapefruit and Boiled Egg Diet Details

As you might guess by its name, the grapefruit and boiled egg diet primarily consists of grapefruit and boiled eggs. You're also allowed an occasional piece of dry toast on the diet plan, plus all the black coffee you can drink. In some versions of the diet, you may also be allowed to eat other sources of protein, such as chicken or fish, a salad or a red or green vegetable and a cup of milk.

How You Lose

In essence, the grapefruit and boiled egg diet is a very low-calorie diet, which provides no more than 800 calories a day. Limiting your intake to so few calories will help most people lose weight. However, when you lose weight quickly, you're most likely losing water and muscle and not fat.

However, when following a weight-loss diet, it is generally recommended that you not eat less than 1,000 calories according to most research. Also, when you limit your calorie intake as well as your food options, you might miss out on vital nutrients your body needs to stay healthy.

Grapefruit and Weight Loss

While you're most likely losing weight on the grapefruit and boiled egg diet because of its low-caloric content, there is some truth behind the claims that grapefruit may be helpful in your weight-loss efforts according to my research of a 2006 study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, which investigated the effects of grapefruit, grapefruit juice and a grapefruit supplement on weight loss in a group of obese individuals. The researchers found that the participants who consumed a half-grapefruit every day over the 12-week study period lost the most weight, a little more than 3 pounds. Based on this evidence, the researchers suggest that grapefruit may make a beneficial addition to a weight-loss program.

Boiled Eggs, Weight Loss and Health

Boiled eggs may also assist in the weight loss process through its effects on hunger and metabolism. Eggs are an excellent source of protein, with 6 grams in one large boiled egg. According to a 2008 review article published in The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, protein foods are more satiating than fat or carbohydrate-containing foods. Additionally, protein foods may give your metabolism a boost and also preserve your muscle mass.

Boiled eggs are a source of cholesterol. Cholesterol in food does not have as much of an impact on your body's cholesterol levels as previously believed. However, if you have a history of high cholesterol, you should check with your doctor before upping your daily egg intake.

Grapefruit, Boiled Eggs and a Healthy Diet

You don't have to limit yourself to an 800-calorie grapefruit and boiled egg diet to get all the goodness these whole foods have to offer in your battle for weight loss. Instead of limiting yourself to so few foods, include grapefruit and boiled eggs as part of a healthy low-calorie weight-loss diet. Grapefruit makes a sweet ending to any meal or as a snack in between. Boiled eggs not only make a good protein choice at breakfast, but they can be eaten at lunch, dinner or even as a snack.

Written by,

Dwight Obey, Independent AdvoCare Distributor

How Veterans Gain Weight After Service

As much as some of us may love or hate our time in the military, eventually our time ends. And for many of us, losing the military means gaining too many pounds (I myself was one of them). 

Dwight (USAF Ret.), "1st N Weight Loss" Owner 

Dwight Obey, Independent AdvoCare Distributor

That’s not just perception or stereotyping — it’s a documented fact. A U.S. Army article released last year reported in 2014, “Approximately half of the retirees whose height and weight were measured at medical appointments in military treatment facilities that year had a body mass index that classified them as obese. Obesity rates for these retirees are significantly higher than the general population of the same age.”

Many of us who once called out others for being lazy, and overweight had become, or will become exactly that once we leave the service. 

Heres how it happens;

Someday, by choice or by force, everyone gets out. Once out, we say to ourselves, we’re tired of getting up early. We’ve given four years or 20 years of hard work to serving our country, and we decide we want to take it easy for a week or two. We treat ourselves to a few more beers than usual. 

But then that week or two of indulgence becomes a month or two. Then it’s too hard to start running or lifting again, so the month or two becomes a year or two, and soon the only way to recognize that person as a veteran is a crazy looking retiree baseball hat or military retiree bumper sticker.

It really doesn’t have to be that way. Fitness doesn’t have to be accompanied by pain, despite what some of others might lead us to believe. All you need to reap major health benefits is 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. And “moderate” includes walking. 

That’s five 30-minute sessions a week. If you can’t find that time, you’re probably lying to yourself. And if you think that’s taking away from your family or significant other, then take them with you on one or two of those walks — it can be a good way to connect with them after years of too much time away serving.

Walking isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it requires no equipment and is completely free. On the other hand, many service members love to worship at the iron church — the base gym. That can quickly become an excuse for laziness once out of the service. Gyms in the civilian world can either be too expensive or not close enough. Civilian jobs often require long hours or travel, just like the military. Driving to the gym before or after work becomes the first thing to go when time gets tight.

You really don’t need to go to some commercial gym, though. Unless you are training for serious mass or competitive athletics, getting in great shape and getting pretty damn strong requires little to no equipment. If you have a few square feet in your garage or can slide over your kitchen table, there are a number of programs to get you on the road to fitness. Blogs like “1st N Weight Loss” by Dwight Obey (Ret. USAF) offer great ideas for working out, along with other useful information with no frills. These tips are handy even on active duty.

For those who don’t like to read, or who need a trainer’s motivation and can’t afford it, there are endless videos available to motivate you. Fitness videos can have some stigma in macho military culture from their association with aerobics videos of the 1980s and 1990s. Well, they aren’t your mother’s Jazzercise anymore. For example, the Insanity or P90X series of programs will challenge just about anyone, regardless of fitness level. For those without $100 or so in their pockets to spend, plenty of video programs are available for free online and via devices like Amazon Fire TV. Add just a pull-up bar and a couple of kettle-bells or dumbbells, and almost any fitness goal is within reach.

Home programs do have a weakness, though — they don’t get you out of the house. You’re out of the military now. Unless you resettled in either a military town or your hometown, you need to get out and meet some new people. There are a million ways to do that, but fitness events are a great way to do it.  Putting such an event on your calendar gives you a goal and provides focus to your training. 

Most of these events also have substantial pre- and post-event social components. There are even groups that exist to help vets connect to their communities through fitness events. Getting outdoors and meeting people is pretty good medicine for anyone, veteran or not.

All of this is basically a long way of saying that there’s no excuse for sitting on your butt and getting fat. Working out is good for you. It’s fun. And besides, you can no longer make fun of others you considered being fat, lazy, and undisciplined when you, yourself have become one of them, can you?

This post was inspired by, and is dedicated to the thousands of vets who follow my blog (Active and Retired), and have requested an article as such. I understand, and have been there. I was so concerned about ensuring the numerous businesses in which I ran were successful, that I forgot about myself, and eventually let myself go from a fitness stand point. Luckily for me I got back on track, sooner then later, and now Im able to travel the world, while helping thousands of others become successful, from both a professional, and fitness standpoint.

You may also like: "I Was That Person....This Is My AvoCare Story"

It is my hope, this post has inspired you to get up and move......."Today Iz The Day"

Is Organic Really Better For You?

The short answer is, most health researchers say no. Organic food is not better for you, as studies have found that it has basically the same nutritional value as non-organic food.

In addition organic food is generally more expensive.

A review published in the scientific journal Critical Reviews In Food Science And Nutrition in 2010, reported that some studies found organic foods had higher levels of vitamin C and phosphorus than conventional foods, but after further, and closer scrutiny there was little difference between the nutrient levels. 

Other tests on the fatty acid composition of organic and conventional food showed minimal difference, with some tests even showing organic eggs having a greater concentration of the bad saturated fats.

While many health professionals, still today continue to advise people to eat organic, you need to be wary as there is little scientific evidence to support this, and as stated before the debate is ongoing. 

If you are thinking about going organic, just remember to do your due diligence prior to starting.

How Long Does It Take To See Fitness Results

How long it takes to see fitness results will vary depending on what your goals are along your fitness journey. “Are you looking to improve time? Get stronger? Lose weight? Lose body fat? The answer to how long it will take to get fit will vary for each one of those goals.”

A beginner wanting to run a 5K race will take less time to get in shape than someone training for their first marathon or triathlon. And they will need a different training program than someone getting ready for a weeklong backpacking trip.

In general, though, you will start to “feel” better long before you see major fitness results.

For someone starting out, typically within two weeks they can start feeling the benefits of exercise, if they were to stick with it.

This might mean being less out of breath when you climb stairs or run to catch the bus. Or being able to play with your grandchildren in the back yard without getting tired.

Although you might not have a “shredded body” yet, these small changes shouldn’t be dismissed.

The mental benefits of getting active are even more important than the external changes we are all so concerned about seeing, which might include increased motivation and confidence to keep coming back to your workout until you start seeing better results.

If you have been out of shape, or not working out for 10 years, or so it will generally take about two months of working out most days of the week to get to what is considered a moderate level.

And if you exercise regularly, over time you will see even more fitness results.

At six to eight weeks you can definitely notice some changes, and in three to four months you can do a pretty good overhaul to your health and fitness level.

Strength-specific results take about the same amount of time.

So, what are you waiting for, no waiting for tomorrow,.....remember "Today Iz The Day"

Written by,


Dwight Obey, Independent AdvoCare Distributor

Fitness Basics

Basic Fitness Principles

With the huge amount of information on different training methods out there, there is no consensus on which is the right way to go. Understanding the basic principles of training will help to understand the differences you will find among training programs.

Basic Principles

There are two simple acronyms for remembering the main principles of an effective training program.

SPORT

• Specificity - sport and individual needs
• Progression - start at your level and gradually increase
• Overload - work harder than normal
• Reversibly - train regularly
• Tedium - keep it interesting

FITT

• Frequency - how often
• Intensity - how hard
• Time - how long
• Type - what methods of training

Putting it into practice

Just about any training program will work to improve your fitness to some extent. If you perform a training program in which there is an increased load placed on the body, the body will adapt to the higher load, and you will be become stronger, faster and fitter. However, a program tailored specifically for you and your needs can maximize and accelerate the benefits to your health and fitness.

How To Workout At Home For Free

If you are like me, then you will probably know that using free weights and machines is the fastest and most efficient way there is to improve your metabolism and strength but for many reasons these may not be convenient or readily accessible to you.

You may also have no access to a commercial gym, home gym or are on business trip, but there can be a solution, a strength-training workout without the need of expensive machines.

As with any exercise, whether you are using your own body weight, machines or free weights, if the resistance doesn't increase, your muscles won't be worked to their maximum capacity and the stimulus these fibers need to grow will be missing.

Exercises done correctly will build the lean muscle and increase your metabolism in the same way as performing exercises at a gymnasium, but without the time constraints and associated costs.

These exercises can be easily done in a bedroom, hotel room, a park, school yard, ceiling rafters in a garage or in a doorway and all you have to do is use your imagination. There will always be a way to add more resistance to your workouts.

Please remember: It doesn't matter where you are working out — at home, a hotel, or a park — always warm up properly before beginning your session, and cool down and stretch when you are finished.

Leg Exercises

Squats

They build muscle in the thighs, shape the buttocks and improve endurance. Position your feet about 13 to 17 inches apart or at shoulder width, keeping the back straight and your head up. If you want you can use something that will give you some support, i.e. a desk, bookcase, sink etc.
Now squat down to where the tops of the thighs are parallel to the floor, hold for a second and then stand up, but don’t bounce at the bottom of the movement, use a nice fluid motion. Always exhale your breath as you stand up.

Lunges

Stand straight in correct posture; now stand with one leg forward and one leg back. Keeping your abdominal muscles tight and chest up, lower your upper body down, bending your leg (don't step out too far).
You should have about one to two feet between your feet at this stage, the further forward you step, and the more your gluteus and hamstring muscles will have to work.
Do not allow your knee to go forward beyond your toes as you come down and stop where your feel comfortable (try not to let your back come forward) then push directly back up. Do all your reps on one leg then switch legs and do all your reps on the other leg.

Back Exercises

Chin-ups

Chin-ups are a great upper body workout, particularly targeting your biceps, deltoid and lat muscles. Use a doorway chin-up bar, ceiling rafters in a garage or grab the moulding of your door frame, position your hands with an under hand grip and hang down stretching the lats, slowly raise your body until your chin reaches the bar level.


Pause a moment before slowly lowering yourself back to the starting position. Don’t swing or use momentum to get your body to the top, just use the target muscles. Doorway chinning bars remove from the doorway when you are not using them and can be put up and taken down in seconds.

Bent Over Row

Take up a position with your right hand and right knee braced on a sturdy bed or some other flat surface that will provide a good support. Now pick up a dumbbell or something heavy that you can hold onto with your left hand.


Visualize your arms as hooks and slowly bring the dumbbell or object up to the side of your chest, keeping your back straight, then lower the weight back down to arms length, no lower, on extremes, safe form only please. Concentrate on your back muscles. Reverse the whole procedure and do the exercise now with your right arm.

Chest Exercises

Push-Up

The push up is used for building chest, shoulders and arms. Lie face down on the floor with your hands about shoulder width apart and keeping your palms turned slightly inward. Now push-up until your arms are straight, lower and repeat for repetitions.

To make it more difficult elevate your feet. Try placing the toes of your feet on a stable, elevated surface such as a bench, chair or a stair. Straightening your body, position your hands on the floor at shoulder width, lower your body until your chest touches the floor at the bottom, and then return to the starting position in a nice fluid motion.

Dips

This exercise can be done between two sturdy chairs or other surfaces that provide stability. The dip is another great upper body exercise. It’s a compound movement as well and involves working all the muscles that the push up works.

Keep your head up and body as vertical as possible. For the beginning of the movement, start at the top (arms fully extended) and lower yourself until your upper arms are parallel to the seat of the chairs, hold and then push up to the top of the movement until your arms are fully extended again. Keep looking straight ahead and don’t bounce at the bottom of the movement.

Adding Weight

Although the simple weight of your own body is enough resistance to provide an effective workout we need progressive overload (added resistance) to become stronger.

So all we need to do is add some weight wherever we can find some. Because there are no metal plates and fancy machines to use it doesn’t matter because the body doesn’t care where it is as long as it's receiving resistance of some kind.

You can use heavy books clasped in your hands. You can buy some cheap weighted dumbbells or ankle weights. A weighted vest will also allow you to add resistance for both chin-ups and push-ups.

Try to buy one that will let you remove and add weight as you see fit. Also a backpack filled with books can be perfect for most of the exercises and is a cheap alternative.

How about a couple of buckets and fill them with a certain level of water? As you get stronger fill them with more water. This is perfect because depending on the exercise, all you need to do is to increase or decrease the amount of water in the buckets for the required amount of resistance.

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Quick Weight Loss Tips

These quick weight loss tips will help you jump start your weight loss.

In order to lose weight quickly you will need to adjust your current lifestyle. These will help you do just that in order to drop weight faster and get you motivated. Generally people will lose weight more quickly at first but as your body adjusts you will begin to lose weight at about 1 to 2 pounds a week.  

This slower weight loss is what experts recommend and is the healthy approach. Using the healthy tips below will help get you started on your weight loss progress.  These are not a fad diet approaches or any quick weight loss pills suggested here.  Instead these weight loss methods are all natural and healthy for you.

However, taking vitamins and supplements for some people may be beneficial to give you all the nutrients you need by supplementing the healthy foods you will eat.

Get Active

Get up off the couch and do something that gets you moving like gardening, cleaning house or going up and down the stairs to do laundry.  Even these activities will help burn calories and speed up your metabolism.

Play for Fun – Play for Weight Loss

You can add even more activity in your life by adding some fun activities.  Shoot basketball hoops in the driveway with your children or go for a family bike ride or even an evening stroll around the block.  

You can even play video games for additional fun activities like the Wii Fit game.  The more active you are the more calories and fat you will burn and the faster you will lose weight.

Structured Exercises

This is the most important quick weight loss tip.  If you want to lose weight quicker then you need to add a structured exercise routine to your weight loss plan.  Aim for at least 30 minutes a day of some form of structured exercise.  

Choose Your Drinks Wisely

Alcohol tends to be high in calories and offers no nutritional value.  Also when alcohol is introduced into the body your body will first use this as fuel for energy.  This means that the foods you ate are left to be stored as fat.  

Alcohol also tends to lead to bad decisions such as overeating or eating the wrong foods.Of course there may be times when you want to enjoy a drink or two. For these special celebrations, just limit yourself to just one if you can. This way you don't add too many calories for the day.

Switch to Diet Drinks 

If you drink regular flavored sodas then switch to diet.  Just this one change will show quick results in your weight loss.  Watch out for the fruit drinks as well.  Fruit drinks are also high in calories and these can add up quickly.  Minimize to one fruit drink a day or water them down.  

More Water

Even better for you than diet soda and fruit drinks if you are trying to lose weight quickly is to drink more water.  Start your day with a glass of water and have a glass of water before each meal.  If you have been drinking 8 glasses of water a day then try drinking 10 glasses a day.  Water can help suppress your appetite and make you feel full faster.

Green Tea

Green tea has become the latest and greatest quick weight loss tips craze.  Like coffee, green tea has caffeine which is known to speed up the metabolism.  But in addition green tea has Epigallo Gallate also known as EGCG.  

This is thought to be the secret ingredient in green tea that aids in weight loss.  Research suggests that drinking 5 cups of green tea a day can help burn 70 to 80 more calories. For this first quick weight loss tip, you will need to be active. If you have not yet started your exercise routine, then now is the time to start with these tips.

No More Couch Potato

Exercise not only helps burn more calories and fat but helps build lean muscle mass.  This helps increase your metabolic rate and increases your overall calories burned in a day.  

These quick weight loss tips are all about what you drink. From soft drinks to alcohol, it's important to choose your drinks wisely in order to lose the weight faster.

This is one quick weight loss tip many people are not aware of.  But another way to ensure you shed pounds faster is to eliminate all alcohol.  

Make sure to include both aerobics and strength training in your weekly exercise routine.  This way you are getting the benefits of burning calories and building muscles.  You will also help tighten and tone both muscles and bone by exercising.

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