5 Tips for Starting a Fitness Routine

Take the dread out of getting fit! It really doesn’t have to seem like an chore to get a fitness routine going, and stick with it. You’re most likely to follow through if workouts are planned in advance and you have realistic goals that have some flexibility.


Before you get started, remember that if you want to lose weight and feel healthy, you’ll need the right foods to fuel your body. You might like 11 Top-Rated Skinny Recipes Under 275 Calories, 5 Guilt-Free Comfort Foods with Fewer Than 275 Calories, and the 7-Day Clean Eating Menu.


1. Take Small Steps

Studies show it only takes 20 minutes of exercise for the brain to release the feel-good endorphins that lift your mood. Start with 20 minutes, then add about 10 minutes to the workout each week to ease yourself back in. If you’re really pressed for time and need a jumpstart, try Beginner’s 4-Minute Fat Blaster Workout or 4-Minute Lean-Down Workout.


2. Schedule Your Workouts

You know how it works. If you don’t schedule something, it doesn’t happen. Treat your fitness routine like any other important commitment and give it the priority it deserves. You’re worth it!


3. Try Something New

The best way to beat the holiday fitness slump is to enjoy your workout. Let’s face it. If you hate to do a specific exercise, you aren’t going to keep it up. After all, not everyone is designed to be a runner. Don’t be afraid to try new exercises and figure out which ones work best for you.


4. Find a Workout Buddy or Group

Team up with a friend who will keep you motivated and on track for success. Fitness classes are a smart way to stay motivated, too, because you can share and receive support from other class members.


5. Embrace Weights

The ideal workout combines cardio and strength training. Yes, strength training! Women are often afraid to lift weights out of fear of developing man-muscles. However, pumping iron tightens the body while boosting metabolism for faster weight loss. Try this 4-Minute Kettle Bell Fat Blaster.

These tips for jumping into a fitness routine will help get your body back in gear now that the holidays are over.

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Low Calorie Diet - Does It Work?

Looking for a quick and uncomplicated solution to drop a few pounds so that you can fit into that little black dress of your desires or just to attain your pre-pregnancy figure? Many diets out there are boasting ultra quick weight loss results.
From a dietitian's perspective, that is total rubbish. In order to lose the fats in a controlled manner the low calorie diet plan would be recommended. There has been proof that this diet works and you don't need to be a rocket scientist to carry it out.
Before I elaborate in depth about the low calorie diet, lets get the basic terminology right. The term calorie(kcal) refers to a unit of measurement for energy, and more commonly applies to the measurement of energy in food. So what's the big deal about calories? We need food to give us the energy to carry out our daily tasks. And our body uses these calories to carry out its daily activities or to fuel our workouts.
The problem with most people is they are eating way more calories than they actually need.
Calorie in > Calorie out = Weight gain
Okay now that you understand what causes us to gain weight, follow me though a 3-step plan to help you embark on a low calorie diet plan effectively.

Step 1: Find out what your daily calorie requirement
The amount of calories your body needs is a combination of your basic metabolic rate (BMR) and activity level. So basically anyone can calculate their BMR following the equation below.

Women:
BMR = 655 + (9.6 X weight in kilos) + (1.8 X height in cm) - (4.7 X age in years)

Men:
BMR = 66 + (13.7 X weight in kilos) + (5 X height in cm) - (6.8 X age in years)

To estimate your daily calorie requirement, multiply your BMR using the following table:

Activity Level Total Daily Calorie Requirement
Sedentary (BMR x 20 percent) + BMR
Lightly active (You exercise 1-3 times a week) (BMR x 30 percent) + BMR
Moderately active (You exercise 3-5 times a week) (BMR x 40 percent) + BMR
very active (You exercise intensely on a daily basis) (BMR x 50 percent) + BMR
Extra active (You do hard labor or are in athletic training) (BMR x 60 percent) + BMR
I would assume many of us would be classified as 'lightly active'. Most of us will fall into the category of sedentary of lightly active. So let me give you an example on how it works. The estimated calorie requirment for a 47 year old sedentary woman who is 68kg and 163cm tall will be:
BMR = 655 + (9.6 X 68) + (1.8 X 163) - (4.7 X 47) = 1380 kcal
Total daily calorie requirement = (1380 x 0.2) + 1380 = 1656 kcal

Just to give you an idea, a typical western diet provides 3000-3500 kcal a day which is twice the amount that an average woman needs. This is not surprising given the number of overweight and obese people.

Step 2: Decide on how much you need to cut out from your diet, create a calorie deficit
To lose weight, you need to eat less than what you body needs. If you cut out about 500 calories from your daily diet, that would mean 3500 calories less in a week.
So to put it in simple terms, the lady who requires 1656 kcal will lose approximately 1 pound after a week if she consumes approximately 1150 kcal per day. This is in theory. I would not suggest anyone consuming less than 1200 kcals per day as this will cause your body to lose it's effectiveness in burning fats.
3500kcal deficit = 1 pound of weight loss
If you need to lose 10 pounds, you will need to create a deficit of 35000 kcal. One thing to rememeber is to slowly cut your calories. Don't start jumping on the wagon and starve yourself for the entire week to create a 35000kcal deficit.
A healthy weight loss diet is one that helps you lose 1-3 pounds per week
There is no STATIC DIET. What it means is that if same lady who consumes 3000 kcal per day makes a conscious effort to cut down her calorie intake to 2500kcal daily, She will shed those unwanted pounds. This is because even though she is still consuming more than her actual calorie requirement, her body is reacting favorably to her decreased food intake. Sounds easy in theory? Think again. The hardest part is in the execution.

Step 3: Take note of what you eat
By taking down what you consume you will have a better understanding of your eating habits. You may discover that you are taking in more calories than needed. Okay I admit it is a chore but I guarantee you won't regret it!
Write down all the food and drinks you consume and the estimated amount (in household measurements e.g. cups or tablespoons etc) over a period of 3 days. Try to be as detailed as possible. Do include condiments you may consume e.g. salad dressing, sugar). Remember, keep your diet as normal as possible.
There are many online tools that can assist in calculating your daily calorie intake.
By doing this, you can easily know where the unwanted calories are coming from. You can then decide what to remove from your diet to create the calorie deficit.
As with all dietitians, I love to write meal plans. Here is a sample nutritionally balanced low-calorie meal plan.

Breakfast:
a wholegrain bagel with a thin spread of light cream cheese (300kcal)
1 glass of low fat milk (90kcal)

Mid-morning snack:
1 cup of Low-fat yoghurt (130kcal)

Lunch:
Wholegrain sandwich bread, with a spread of mustard, salad veggies and lean meat (chicken/beef) (350kcal)
1 serving Minestrone soup (150 kcal)

Afternoon snack:
1 serving of fresh fruit (70 kcal)

Dinner:
cup of pasta with tomato sauce + 1 palm size grilled meat/fish or chicken OR cup of lean mince (400kcal)

Side salad with fat-free dressing (70 kcal)
1 serving of fresh fruit (70 kcal)
Total Calories: 1630 kcal

This is just an example and not a definite eating plan. If you follow through with the food diary activity and get yourself familiarized with the general calorie content of foods, you would have already known by now what are the high calorie foods that you need to reduce your intake of.

Here are some easy ways by which you can reduce your calories
1) Go for a diet soda instead of a normal soda
2) Use fat-free salad dressing and low fat mayonnaise
3) Have 2 servings of fresh fruit instead of 2 cups of processed fruit juice
4) Use less oil in your cooking
5) Always choose lean cuts of meat
6) Reducing your portion sizes by a quarter
7) Sharing a dessert instead of having the whole thing by yourself
8) Cut down on the amount of fried stuff you consume
9) Switching to low fat dairy products
10) Drink less alcohol

The key to a successful low calorie diet plan is consistency. Treat yourself to a little something 'sinful' at every milestone. Just don't end up eating a whole chocolate cake and regret it later. Do not be hard on yourself in you exceed your daily calorie intake. It is a collective effort over a period of time that will help you get to the weight you want.

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4 Easy Tips on How to Make Healthy Recipes

Discover quick healthy recipe tips to cook healthy meals for you and your family. Learn how eating healthy is simple with easy healthy recipe ideas.

For many people, making healthy recipes seems too difficult and time consuming...

 

 But with some advance planning and some basic knowledge of nutrition, it is easy to create a week's worth of healthy meals that you and your family will love. The key to creating delicious and healthy meals for the family is planning ...and lot's of it!

Planning ahead of time an entire week of healthy recipe meals is the best way to create dishes you can be proud of, while keeping cost and time commitment to a minimum.  So below are amazing tips you can use to make healthy meals all the time.

 

 Healthy Recipe Tip #1

Using convenient appliances such as slow cookers and microwaves can be a huge time saver when planning and preparing meals.  There are many delicious and healthy recipes that can be started in the morning and left to cook all day in a crock pot or slow cooker.  These are great choices for working families.

In addition, making the meals ahead of time on the weekend and heating them in the microwave is a great way to stretch both your food and your time.  There are many microwavable healthy meals you can make at home, and single serving microwave safe containers allow every member of the family to eat on their own schedule.

When planning the meals for the week, it is a good idea to create a chart listing each day's menu and each days' schedule. Here's a smart tip...plan the quickest and easiest to prepare meals for the busiest days of the week.

Healthy Recipe Tip #2

Get your family involved in creating the week's meal plan by asking for their input and noting everyone's favorite foods. It is still very important to eat healthy meals, so that (of course) does not mean eating pizza every night or having ice cream for dinner.  But involving your spouse and children in healthy recipe planning, you'll help to increase their interest in healthy eating right away.

It is also a good idea to get your entire family involved in the preparation of the meals.  Even children too young to cook can help out by setting out the dishes, chopping vegetables, clearing the table and washing the dishes.

Healthy Recipe Tip #3:

Cooking large quantities of healthy food recipes - and freezing the leftovers - is a easy way to save time.  Cooking large amounts of stews, soups, pasta, chili and casseroles can be a huge time saver.  Making double and even triple batches of these staple foods, and freezing the leftovers for later use, is a great way to save both time and money.

When freezing leftovers, however, it is important to label the containers carefully, using freezer tape and a permanent marker.  Try to keep the oldest foods near the top to avoid having to throw away expired items.

Stocking up on meats when they are on sale is another great way to use that valuable freezer space.  Stocking up on such easily frozen foods as chicken, turkey, ground beef, steaks, roasts and chops is a great way to make your food dollar stretch as far as possible while still allowing you and your family to enjoy delicious healthy meals every day.

Healthy Recipe Tip #4:

Keeping a well stocked pantry is as important as keeping a well stocked freezer.  Stocking the pantry with a good supply of staple items like canned vegetables, canned fruits, soup stocks and the like will make healthy recipe preparation much faster and easier.

Stocking the pantry can save you money as well as time.  Grocery stores are always running sales, and these sales are a great time to stock up.  Buying several cases of canned vegetables when they are on sale, for instance can save lots of money and provide the basic ingredients for many nutritious, easy to prepare meals.

Examples of great staples to stock up on include whole grain cereals, pastas, tomato sauce, baked beans, canned salmon, tuna and whole grain breads.  It is easy to combine these staples into many great meals on a moment's notice.
healthy recipe

I hope you found these easy !!




Damian@FitnHealthy

15 things you didn't know about the Human Body

7 Ways to Boost Your Energy

Everyone would like to feel more energetic during the day.  You naturally go through periods of higher activity which contrasts with times of relaxation.  The problem occurs when more energy and concentration is required than we can give. Or when we try to sleep and can’t. Follow these invaluable tips to a new you!

1) Stay on a regular sleep schedule.  You can’t stay up late during the week-end and suddenly on Monday morning wake up refreshed.  If you do enjoy later nights on Friday and Saturday vow to get to bed early on Sunday to wake up rested.

2) Avoid the sugar and caffeine roller coaster.  Eat some protein and foods with a bit of fat in the morning.  The brain needs protein and the body does not store it.  You don’t have to eat very much- a glass of low fat milk, a piece of cheese, or a  handful of nuts will get you going instead of pure carbohydrates like a plain bagel. 

3) Take a 5-10 minute power nap around lunch.  Even if you just close your eyes and let your mind drift you will be refreshed for the afternoon.  This is also effective anytime you feel yourself not concentrating, reading the same material over and over.  Give in to the urge and completely relax for a few moments.

 

4) Drink more water and liquids.  I know, everyone says to drink more fluids.  But most Americans are in a constant state of dehydration from filling up on coffee, tea, and sodas with caffeine.  This is very stressful to the kidneys and can cause irritation to the bladder.  Keep a sports bottle filled with your favorite flavored water or just plain and keep it with you at all times.  Set a goal- empty by lunch, refill, empty again by the time work is over. Carry plenty of water in the car too for you and your family.


5) Exercise regularly.  This is easier said than done with a busy schedule.  A poor conditioning level causes you to be short-of-breath and your heart to race when just doing simple things like climbing a flight of steps or doing household chores.  Park farther away when shopping and walk Dust off that exercise machine or get an exercise tape to play when weather is bad. Set an example for the rest of your family and maybe they will join in too!

6) A joke a day keeps the doctor away.  Seriously, laughter has many beneficial effects on the body.  The brain chemicals for experiencing pleasure, happiness, and peace increase with good, hearty  laughs.  Live alone?  Get a funny movie or watch a light-hearted comedy on tv.  Nothing sarcastic or put-down, however.

 

7) Avoid confrontations and situations with negative people.  You know who they are.  They are not going to change but they will bring you and your mood down.  The complainers, gossipers, and generally unhappy souls we all have to deal with on a day-to-day basis drain our energy if we allow them. Be polite but avoid arguing or getting hooked into listening to their constant problems.

8) Take regular, daily supplements of the highest quality.  Our food and diets simply do not meet the amounts needed for maximum health.  There is a difference between avoiding nutritional deficiencies and optimum performance.