Top 7 Weight Loss Mistakes

Seven Mistakes People Make When Trying to Lose Fat

1. They fail to consider the consequences of their actions.

Alwyn Cosgrove (one of the top trainers in the business) once told me, "I get my clients to think, "Will this help me or not? Is this a positive step or not?" If you can see that every action that you take is either helping you lose fat or stopping you from losing fat, then you will start to make better choices. So remember that everything you put in your mouth is either for or against fat loss. And every exercise choice you make is either for or against fat loss. "Get that", Alwyn says, "and you’re a hit."

2. They neglect to control their insulin and blood sugar levels - 2 key factors in determining whether or not the body fat will come off.

If you eat processed foods you are guaranteed to elevate your insulin & blood sugar levels. If you do that, your body sends the message, “Store fat!”, and you won’t make any progress. So avoid white-flour based bakery products, sugary drinks, and almost any carbohydrate snack that comes in a bag or a box.

3. They train like it’s the 80’s.

Yes, I know. Eighties music is popular again. But that doesn’t mean ineffective training methods from the 80’s like light weights, low intensity steady state cardio, and endless low-intensity ab work should also make a comeback. That type of training should stay buried in the back issues of cheesy muscle magazines. Stick to strength training and interval training for efficient and effective body changing routines.

4. They don’t take 30 minutes to plan their next day’s food intake.

If you fail to do this, you will set your fat loss efforts back by a minimum of 72 hours. Without a good meal plan, you are left to hunt and gather food in the modern world. And that’s a recipe for fat loss disaster. You are bound to eat something processed if you aren’t prepared. You will lose the fat burning benefits from yesterday’s workout and it will take until the end of the following day to get back on track. An entire 72-hour period wasted.

5. They don’t eat enough vegetables.

We can thank John Berardi for making it common knowledge that you should eat fibrous vegetables at every meal to assist your fat loss efforts. By doing so, you’ll control your blood sugar and insulin - thus supporting the optimal hormonal situation for fat loss.

6. They screw up their hormones with poor lifestyle choices.

If you are out boozing and staying up late on the weekend, you are shutting down your fat loss and messing up the optimal hormonal environment for fat burning. I will talk a lot more about the optimal hormonal levels for fat loss, as I believe this is the underrated key to building your best body ever.

7. They don’t plan and monitor their training sessions.

If you are still going to the gym without a plan, then you are going to have a hard time losing fat. And if you aren’t recording your workouts and eating habits, then you aren’t losing as much fat as you probably can. To fix this mistake, start by getting on track with strength training and interval training. It’s guaranteed to get you lean.

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Top reasons to try Postpartum Depression Miracle cure

Postpartum depression can be a devastating problem for new mothers. Feelings of frustration, extreme sadness, dullness, even dislike for the baby or the self are all symptoms of postpartum depression. Postpartum depression strikes just a few days after the birth of the baby and can last for weeks or even months. If untreated, it could turn into depression psychosis.

Postpartum depression ruins family relationships and could even affect the baby. However, doctors would only prescribe anti-depressants and muscle relaxants to help new mothers who get postpartum depression. Unfortunately, these drugs could have a negative impact on the health of both the mother and the baby. Postpartum Depression Miracle cure is the one super solution for all new mothers.

Top reasons you should try the Cure is that it would help you regain your energy, get your self confidence back and help you live life with passion – all over again. New mothers wonder what happened to the joy of having delivered the baby when postpartum depression strikes. This Cure helps you enjoy complete motherhood.

Handling family duties combined with work duties plus raising the baby required utmost effort. You have thousands of decisions to take every day. Even if you are suffering from mild postpartum depression, the Miracle Cure would help you think clearly and make decisions more easily.

You will be able to improve your relationship with your spouse and the baby once the depression is gone. No longer you have to wake up in the morning feeling life is a burden or boring.

You can go back to doing all the things you wanted to once your relationships and energy levels are restored.

Combining the Postpartum Depression Miracle Cure with the right kind of diet and exercise is the perfect solution to both treating and preventing postpartum depression. Hundreds of women who have tried the Cure make sure to recommend it to family and friends.

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The Top Three Muscle Building Routines to Follow For Maximum Muscle Gains

The Best Muscle Building Split Workout Routine

There is often a lot of confusion about just what routine to follow when trying to build muscle. There are several options that people can choose from and just about all of them will work.

The real question is which one will work best for you and your starting point.

Let's cover the most common routines out there today and and describe the category requirements so that you can make an informed decision on which program would suit you best.

3 Day Full Body Routine:

This routine is a 3 day a week workout routine. Each workout day is followed by 1 rest day and the third workout is followed by 1 day or 2 days (as most people will take the weekend off entirely).

This routine is typically used by beginners and involved full body workouts.

It is great for newbies because of many reasons:

a. It allows them to get familiar with the exercises by repeating them many times over the week

b. Since most beginners do not possess the same strength levels as more advanced lifters, it is good to trigger the muscle more often because the amount of weight lifted is significantly lighter and they will not need as much time to recover and repair before their next workout.

c. As a beginner, your body will actually experience greater gains training less rather than training more. Take advantage of this time in your training as you will experience the 'beginner gains' that you may never experience again.

You need to allow your body to adapt to exercises and recover in order to grow. 3 days is a good start for beginners and it will allow them to eventually progress to more volume and more frequency if desired.

4 Day Split:

This is the next step from the 3 day full body workouts.

This routine is typically performed by intermediate trainers.

There are many variations that are floating around but the most common template to follow is performing upper body then lower body on the following day, then a rest day, then repeat (upper body/lower body).

As in the 3 day workout program, you have the choice to take two days off for the weekend or to continue after only 1 day of rest. The disadvantage to only taking one day instead of the two day weekend it that it throws you off schedule for your next week (if that is important to you).

The reason why this routine is categorized as intermediate is because now that you have been training longer and you have become stronger in your lifts, you will need more rest to allow proper recuperation between bodyparts you trained in your workouts. You will backoff the frequency you train each muscle but you will increase your training day by 1.

Once you have complete about 3-6 months of a 3 day routine, you can move up to this split to start seeing more muscle gains.

5 Day Split:

The 5 day split is the most advanced routine that I would recommend for anyone.

Sure, there are routines that could make you train 7 days a week or even twice per day for a total of 14 workouts per week. But eventually the line has to be drawn and I draw it at 5 days per week for 99% of natural trainers.

After training for many years and developing your maximal strength and maximal growth, you may need to start to train using a 5 day split routine focusing on only 1-2 muscle groups per workout.

When you train for more than 2 years or so, the strength gains experienced in the beginning (due to an adaptation in your central nervous system) due not occur at the same rate. You will reach a point where it will be very tough to add more weight in your lifts and/or even grow additional muscle.

Its not to say that you can't, it just becomes a lot harder.

At this point, it is better to increase the volume trained on the muscle on the day you work it and allow a longer cycle for it to repair fully and to stimulate growth.

Starting Point Guidelines:

If you do not know what your starting point is, please refer to the guidelines below: Beginner: 6 months or less of weight training Intermediate: 6-18 months of weight training Advanced: 24 months or more of weight training consistently.

If you have trained on and off over many years but never consistently followed any program, then I would consider yourself to be intermediate, but you may even want to start as a beginner to condition your body for the higher volume training to come later on. Its your choice.

Decide what your training level is and then choose a routine that best suits your individual requirements.

Be patient and focus on one thing at a time and you should start to progress through each routine and see some very impressive gains.

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Choosing A Gym - 10 Things To Look Out For

Now that you've made the commitment to starting a workout program, the next step is choosing a gym that you will feel comfortable going to on a regular basis. If it isn't, chances are you aren't going to stick with any type of regular plan and will eventually just stop going altogether. By being sure your gym is a good fit for you, you help take yourself one step further to realizing your health and fitness goals.

Keep in mind that if a traditional gym isn’t for you, you can definitely set up a home gym where you can get complete workouts all in the privacy of where you live. There are a number of home gym systems out there that include all the equipment you need to perform all the key lifts that should be included in any workout program.

1. Location

Who really wants to spend twice as long driving to and from their gym as it takes them to do their workout? After a long day of work you are not going to want to spend a good hour fighting traffic, another hour working out, and then another half an hour driving home. Think about either choosing a gym that is located close to your house or else on the drive to or from work. This is a great option since if you have to pass by it every day, you’ll be reminded of the fact that you should be working out if you choose to skip it.

2. Membership Cost

Gym memberships can really vary in costs so it’s a good idea to shop around before making that final commitment. Also consider how long you are signing the contract for as this can vary too. Many gyms like to rope you in for years and if you aren’t quite sure it’s going to be a long-term arrangement, you’re better off finding something that is more short-term.

Additionally, if you can wait until around late summer or New Year to sign up, you will find that often many gyms will have special promotions going on at this time.

3. Membership Demographic

Another factor to consider is the membership demographic that goes to the gym. Some women will prefer going to an all-ladies gym as it increases their comfort factor. For others, a mixed gym is the perfect solution because half of the reason they go there is to socialize and perhaps even find a date.

Whatever your needs, make sure you enquire about this and take it into consideration.

4. Additional Benefits

You will want to ask if the gym offers any additional services or benefits along with your basic membership and if there is a fee for these. Such examples would be daycare services, physiotherapy, massage therapy, nutritional counselling, and fitness testing.

5. Operating Hours

Always be sure to check the hours of operation of the gym. If you are an early morning exerciser you will want to be sure they are able to cater to this preference. Additionally ask about their holiday policies. Many people enjoy working out on the holidays because it is a relaxed day for them when they can really get in a good workout. If you are looking forward to this and then go and find out the gym is closed, you are going to be more than disappointed. Similarly there are some people who prefer working out late at night so you need to be sure that if this is the case you will be able to do that.

6. Personal Training Services

Having some good, qualified personal trainers on hand is critical to helping you realize your full fitness potential. Even if you are fine with your program right now, consider that in a year down the road you might be plateauing and in need of a ‘check-up’ so to speak on your current regime.

Having the option available of knowledge staff cannot be stressed enough. Unfortunately many gyms hire almost anyone who has a basic interest in fitness, so be sure to enquire about the actual certifications these trainers hold.

7. Group Fitness Classes

Be sure to ask about all the various group fitness classes that are offered at the gym you are considering. Often, when boredom kicks in on your workout plan, this is just the thing to get you going again.

These days there are currently thousands of different fitness class styles available, so there is sure to be something that suites your interest.

When checking up on this, again inquire if there are any additional fees associated with it so you are prepared for when you go to sign up.

8. Cleanliness

One very important factor you want to look for is the cleanliness of the gym. You do not want to be working out on equipment that is not clean as gyms are a place where germs can be in high concentration. Also make sure they have towels and spray bottles in various places around the gym to clean up after workouts, and have a look at the bathrooms and change rooms to make sure they are up to your standards.

9. Type/Quality Of Equipment

Looking at the type and quality of the equipment offered in the gym is another thing you must factor in. If you prefer free weights, make sure there is a large number of dumbbells present because during rush hours, these could be hard to come by.

Likewise, if you prefer doing your weight training on guided machines, you’ll want to be sure they have enough variety that you can work all the necessary muscles on your body. If you find yourself doing a lot of cardio training as part of your workouts you will want to be sure there are ample machines available.

Nothing is more frustrating than getting to the gym after work to find out that there is not a single machine in sight available for you to use. Ask if they offer a sign-up list where you can write your name and time down to reserve a machine. This is a great solution that many gyms have now come up with to make sure their members can get their workouts in.

10. Cancellation Policy

Finally take a look at the gym's cancellation policy. If you sign up for a 3 year membership and then end up moving after a year due to work, are you going to be partially refunded? It will be a bad situation if they offer no refund or transfer membership.

Some gyms are good about this and some are not so you will have to weigh the likelihood of your cancelling among other things that are discussed above when making your decision.

So, be sure you are considering all of these essential factors when choosing gym. Overlooking just one could lead you to being less than happy with your workout facility and this could end up being the reason why you do not stick with your program.

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Tricks to Managing Your Money

Inflation is a fact of life. As much as we may want to, there's no way to avoid it. I’m sure we’ve all heard our grandparents talk about the time gas was 25 cents a gallon, and a loaf of bread cost a nickel. It sounds good to us now, but in reality they didn’t have it any easier. When gas was 25 cents a gallon, the average salary was around $65 a week. The more you make, the more things cost.

But knowing that doesn’t make it any easier to manage your money, does it? Here are some tips to make it a little easier.

Budget — The foundation for any successful financial management program. Create one. More importantly, stick to it. Don’t let it be like that New Year’s Resolution that you forgot about on the fifth of January. Good financial planning can be the difference between a stress-free life…and insolvency. Don’t forget to set aside some money for savings, even if you can only manage a few dollars each month. It adds up. Resources to help you create a budget can be found at an office supply store, bookstore, or online.

Be Prepared — Make the Boy Scout motto your own. No, you can’t foresee any particular emergency, but you’re certain to experience them. Cars break down, appliances burn out, wind storms rip the shingles off your roof. Plan for it. Set aside a little bit each month and mark it “Miscellaneous Expenses.”

Create a Monthly Payment for Non-Monthly Items — In every household, there are bills that come due once a year, or every quarter. These are usually things like automobile excise taxes, homeowner’s insurance, quarterly electric bills, etc. Calculate how much the bill would be each month, and set that aside. For instance, if an annual insurance bill is $1500, divide it by 12, then set aside $125 a month. That way you won’t be surprised when the bill is due and have to scrounge to make the payment.

You can't beat inflation, but you can be prepared for it by saving money and planning for even unforeseen expenses. To learn more about how to cut your costs and save your money

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The True Way to Defeat Obesity. Warning: No Magic Pills

I’m sure there’s no need to list the disadvantages of being overweight. Few people chose to be overweight. If you’re a sane human being who is overweight, then you probably want to know how to shed your excess pounds.

I’m also sure there’s no need to explain that dieting is the key to losing weight. But you can’t just go on any old diet. You need a diet that is right for you. A diet that takes into account your gender, age, lifestyle, body weight and fat percentage. Here are some tips on how to craft a fat loss program that’s just right for you…

First of all, create a list of all the dishes you eat each day for a week. When the week is up, look at your list and note down all of the fatty foods you eat. If you are unsure about the nutritional content of certain foods, contact a dietician who can educate you on the nutritional value of such foods.

Now you will be in a good position to start eliminating the unhealthy foods from your diet. If some of the foods are your favourites and you eat them every day or multiple times a week, reduce your intake gradually before removing it from your diet all together. For example, rather than eating it four times a week, reduce your intake to 3 times for the next week, and then 2 the week after that etc.

While you begin eradicating the fatty and unhealthy foods, you can start gradually introducing more fruit and veg into your diet. Try to get used to eating 2 pieces of fruit a day, then 3 a day, then 4 a day etc. It’s best to implement these changes gradually so that they are not overwhelming and your body is gets gently introduced to new foods.

Your meal patterns are something you should take care with too. You could eat breakfast, lunch and dinner every day and have small snacks in between. A better way is to graze throughout the day so that you boost your metabolism and you can use The Lunch Box Diet to do this. It has been voted ‘the best diet’ 5/5 by the likes of Elle Magazine who called it ‘a way of life’

Regular exercise is something else you should gradually introduce into your life. Your exercise should be mainly cardiovascular exercises like jogging or cycling. Working out your muscles is also helpful too however. In particular, working out your biggest muscles such as quadriceps, calves and hamstrings is good for boosting metabolism.

Patience is a big key to losing weight. Don’t expect result straight away when you begin new routines. Too many people want to lose all their weight in a matter of weeks. Stay disciplined and stick to your new routines, and your long term weight loss will be guaranteed.

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6 Ways to Prevent Holiday Weight Gain

Obesity has worldwide problem. In fact, almost 2/3 of Americans need to lose weight and over 1 billion people in the world are overweight. If you are overweight, you need to lose weight and improve your health and fitness. And yes, this can still be done over the holiday season. Don't wait for New Year's day to start your weight loss resolutions.

There are a number of reasons for the increased incidence of obesity and overweight individuals, as suggested by American statistics, but also a number of workout and nutrition tips that can counter the effects of each bad nutrition and exercise habit that we have:

* It has been estimated that for every high-sugar drink you consume, you increase your risk of obesity by 60%! Soft drinks provide 33% of all added sugars in American diets.

Tip #1: Avoid drinking calories!

* In the USA, sugar consumption has increased from 26 to 32 teaspoons (between the 1970’s and 1998).

* Americans eat an extra 150 kcal per day now in comparison to 1980. In theory, this could lead to 15 lbs. of weight gain per year!

Tip #2: Avoid over-eating treats at parties. If you can't have just one, don't have any at all!

* Your obesity risk increases 6-fold if you watch more than 2 hours of television each day.

Tip #3: Stay active. Walk around the mall a couple extra times if it means you'll avoid the couch and overeating at home. Stay busy, stay active, stay lean.

* Only 25% of individuals exercise moderately for 30 minutes each day, whereas 25% of the population does no exercise at all.

Tip #4: It's not all or nothing. If you can only do 15 minutes of exercise, that is still better than nothing. Don't stop all exercise just because you can't do 30 minutes that day.

* Obesity continues to increase in the USA despite a continued decrease in the consumption of dietary fat. In 1994-96, fat accounted for 33% of total calories compared with 40% in the late 1970's.

* In 1994-96, just over half of the population reported eating fruit each day while the consumption of processed carbohydrates (such as bread, snack foods, and cereals) has increased 110% since the late 1970's.

Tip #5: Avoid processed carbs. Hit the veggie tray, the protein offerings, and the calorie free beverages at parties. If its rolled in pastry, don't eat it.

* Milk consumption has decreased in children by 16% since the late 1970's, while consumption of soft drinks increased by 16%.

Tip #6: Don't keep soda in the house. If you don't buy it, neither you nor the kids will drink it.

Stick to these 6 simle tips and you'll stay lean over the holidays. Add in a little more exercise and you could do the impossible - you could lose fat over the holidays! Get started on a fast, efficient and effective program of strength training and interval training today!

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