You know few months ago I was also alike other obese people, helpless and hopeless. No ray of hope to lose weight. As others, I also used to believe that losing weight is not only difficult but it is totally impossible for me. Somehow I became able to summon up enough courage to make myself strong to deal with the depressing situation of being overweight. Thank god! Today I am fit and healthy and I am really proud of the body shape I got today. You know how I transform my couch potato like body to a fit and firm one. It is only because of various effective fat-burning exercises that today I am before you slim and trim. That is the reason why I am asking you to be optimistic and look forward to the great-looking physique. Like me, you can also make use of various exercises to lose weight. Now, as you have decided to shred those extra pounds from your body, the good news for you is that weight loss is not a rocket science and can be achieved with strong determination and diligent work.

When it comes to mentioning the different types of exercises to lose weight, there are literally many of them. So many that it can be a little overwhelming for you to choose which is why I am here to introduce you with choosing the exact exercises that are bound to bring about weight loss in a matter of days. Here we go!

Before going further let me clear you one thing about exercises. It is that there is no such exercise doing which you can lose a particular part’s fat layer. For instance, if you have a pooch belly, you won’t be able to make them go away by performing hundreds of crunches and sit-ups hour long daily. The fact is that, no matter whichever part of your body carries excess fat; full-body training is must to let those extra fat go away.

For fast weight loss, what can be much better than cardiovascular exercises? Cardio exercises are supposed to be the best option to lose weight naturally and rapidly. This is because they help in intensifying the metabolic rate of the body by quickly increasing the heart rate and keep it elevated for longer period of time. As you know increased metabolism leads to weight loss, this is how cardio play an important role in losing fat fast.

Bicycling is a good choice to lose weight. It gives you total body training and makes the calf and thigh muscles stronger. It is a real calorie burner which depends on the intensity of cycling. In case of cycling, the faster you go the more fat you will burn. You can go outside for a bicycle ride, but if riding outside is not possible for you; you can opt for stationary bike to ride indoors. Bicycling can smoke down 500 to 1000 calories per hour.

Swimming is certainly a top exercise recommended for weight loss, especially during summer. Performing an hour of swimming will burn off 800 calories, plus it also tones up the entire body.

Elliptical burner is my dearest exercises to lose weight. This is an excellent cardio, which not only make muscles stronger but also tones up the stomach. It helps you in burning 600 calories per hour. The best part of this indoor exercise is that, you can do it while watching TV or listening to your favorite music.

Walking is the easiest yet great cardio workout. Brisk walking help to tone stomach, hips and legs. A daily morning walk really do wonders for you.

Dancing is the most enjoyable exercises to lose weight. It burns 600-800 calories per hour. Apart from being a good calorie burner, dancing is also a great stress-buster.

Jogging is a pleasant and easy exercise to lose weight. While jogging, you can burn 550 calories per hour.

Kick boxing is a very vigorous yet efficient exercise to lose weight. It can burn 600 calories per hour.

Yoga is the most losing weight. It improves tone and flexibility of your body, and also decreases back pain.

Outdoor sports such as soccer, badminton, basket ball are also considered as good cardiovascular workouts. As while playing these sports you need to move here and there constantly, definitely you will have the total body workout.

Last but not least, don’t forget to take a healthy diet along with these exercises. Exercises when combined with proper diet are sure to produce weight loss.

There you have it-best exercises to lose weight. Keep obesity at bay by following these exercises from today only. Wish you good luck!

The Atkins’ diet has been a craze for a couple of decades. Here’s how you can gain from it.

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All of you who are reading this article right now have definitely been on a diet at some point or the other of your lives. The battle of the bulge is an ongoing problem and we are always on the lookout for various means to win this war.

Along with exercise, our diet and nutrition also plays an important role in reducing our weight. Hence, this obsession persists in all of us to undertake some form of dieting. But going on a diet is definitely not an easy thing. What to eat and what to stay away from is always a perennial problem.

One of my friends told me that she ate the normal menu which she cooked for the family, but her weight loss recipe is “portion control.” This is a really simple diet plan. In this plan, you cut down on the portion of food you consume. For example, if you usually have two pieces of toast for breakfast, you should eat only one piece. If you normally eat two cups of rice for lunch, cut it down to one cup. In this way, you are automatically reducing your calorie intake by half.

Another popular method of dieting is to stop all intake of fatty foods and sugar. In this diet, you cut down on your oil, butter and ghee intake which automatically reduces your fat deposits.

While I was leafing through a magazine, I read about one of our Hollywood celebrities following the Atkins’ diet. This immediately aroused my curiosity about the diet. Though I have heard about the diet many times, I had no inside knowledge about it. So, I immediately set to work on it and found out certain basic facts’ about the Atkins diet which I want to share with my readers.

The Atkins’ diet made its first appearance in 1972 and was invented by its namesake, Dr Atkins. According to him, this method enables us to lose weight by inducing a change in metabolism. Our body burns both fat and carbohydrates to provide energy. If we reduce the intake of carbohydrates significantly, our body starts burning only fat to provide energy. This method is called “lipolysis”, which in turn induces ketosis. In ketosis, our body burns fat as fuel. Atkins also felt that ketosis will affect insulin production which will result in less fat being formed. And, once your body enters ketosis, your cravings for carbohydrates will reduce significantly which, in turn, will reduce your body weight.

The major difference between Atkins’ diet and other types of diet is that, while most diets restrict calorie, intake, the Atkins’ plan encourages us to eat more. While most of the diets recommend low fat, high carbohydrate intake, Atkins’ does just the opposite. Instead of carbohydrate and sugar, this diet wants us to consume plenty of fat and protein.

The core principle of the Atkins’ diet is that, by limiting carbohydrates, our body is forced to burn its stored fat, rather than carbs for fuel.

The Atkins’ diet has a four carbohydrates stage plan induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance. With the help of these four stages, you can reduce as well as maintain your weight throughout your life.

Induction – phase 1: This phase lasts for two weeks, by the end of which you can obtain significant results. Another point is that, in this diet plan you can begin at any of the phase. But it is recommended to start with induction. As you cut back on your carbohydrates significantly in this phase, you will jump start your weight loss programme. In this phase, only 20 gm of carbohydrates are allowed and hence your weight loss is significant. As you drastically cut down on carbohydrates your body shifts into high gear and starts burning fat. This takes about 48 hours to occur and you may feel hungry and irritated for the first three-four days. But don’t worry, as soon as your fat starts getting converted to fuel, you will feel fit as a fiddle. Induction will strengthen your immune system and also improve our long-term health.

Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) phase 2: In this phase, the weight loss pace slows down as you add nutrient-rich carbohydrates to your diet. During this period, you will boost your body’s ability to burn fats as well as understand your body better. You will find the right amount of carbohydrates which you can consume and still lose weight. Your body will also prepare itself for permanent weight management. The amount of carbohydrates which you can eat is increased to 25 gm per day for the first week and increased in five gm instalment for the next few weeks. If your weight loss is significant, you can increase your carbohydrate intake. A person has to be on OWL till he or she is within three-five kg of their goal weight.

Pre-maintenance – (phase 3): Pre-maintenance is a practice run for lifetime maintenance. In this phase, you are fast approaching your target. As long as you continue to lose weight, you can increase your weekly allotment of carbohydrates by another 10 gm. You will be in this phase till you reach your goal and stay on it for one month. The ultimate goal here is to achieve a state of balance called Atkins’ Carbohydrate Equilibrium (ACE). The ACE is your individual level of carbohydrate intake wherein you neither gain nor lose weight.

Lifetime maintenance phase 4: In this phase, you have to focus on your individual ACE and strive to stay within two kg of your ideal weight for the rest of your life. By following a sensible eating plan, you gain energy, better health and confidence in yourself.

By following these four phases, you not only achieve your dream weight but are also able to maintain it throughout your life. You can learn more about this diet by reading the book, Dr Atkins’ New Diet Revolution. But, as with any other diet, this plan also has its pros and cons. The good point is that this diet recommends exercise as a vital part of the weight loss programme. Another point to be noted is that you cannot start on carbohydrates after you lose weight as this will result in your gaining back all that you have lost.

Medical experts advise that people who have gout, kidney problems, diabetes or are pregnant women should not follow this diet plan. As this diet is very stringent, do consult your doctor/dietician for proper advice.

Your dietician will provide you with a proper menu chart as to what should be eaten, in what quantities, etc, based on your eating habits and general lifestyle.

Happy dieting and hoping to see slimmer and fitter readers.

Carr and Lubbock’s Board of Health will spearhead the recently dubbed “a pound a person” initiative aimed to address what Carr calls one of the biggest health threats facing Lubbockites — obesity.

The program will be a public/private partnership, Carr said. It is under way already and should be firmed up by year’s end.

As many as one-third of Lubbock County adults are obese, according to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Carr said it’s a health problem Lubbockites could tackle easily.

“I know it’s a problem where the intervention is not controversial — people know what to do,” Carr said. “Nobody’s going to advocate for obesity.”

He said a weight-loss campaign would be a ideal way to show the Board of Health and Lubbock Health Department’s relevance in citizens’ lives through inspiration.

“We don’t have to outlaw Big Gulps,” he said. “We can have it as a positive thing where people do it on their own.”

GM Diet

Carr said his proposed weight-loss program was inspired by a recent and similar 1 million pound weight-loss challenge in Oklahoma City and would encourage Lubbockites to lose weight as a community in a public-information campaign guided by city leaders, Lubbock businesses and organizations.

Negative Calorie

“It’s just a wonderful way to have a public/private sponsorship with no taxpayer dollars involved,” he said.

Carr sought early sponsorship from Lubbock’s city council in June.

Though council members, including Mayor Glen Robertson, expressed support for Carr’s proposal, they urged the Board of Health member to firm up a plan before the council would endorse the concept.