Top 5 tips for healthy grocery shopping

Choose fresh foods, use a list, and read food labels.

1. Buy food that ‘goes bad’.

Buy food that has an expiration date or ‘goes bad’ at some point in the near future. These items are generally healthier than others. The longer the shelf life of a product, the more chemicals and preservatives it probably contains.

The perimeter of the store generally contains fresher food with a shorter shelf life: fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meats, seafood, whole grain bread, and dairy products. More rules for choosing food.

2. Use a list

Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time and create a list of ingredients and products to purchase. Commit to buying only what is on your list.

3. Skip some aisles

Skip the grocery store aisles that don’t contain items on your shopping list.

The grocery store is full of items that can tempt you to stray from your list. Avoid certain aisles to avoid certain temptation.

4. Shop after you’ve eaten

Shop after you’ve eaten…even if it’s just a snack to tide you over until you get home.

If you shop on an empty stomach, anything and everything will look or sound good. It will be hard to make healthy decisions and stick to your grocery list.

5. Read food labels

Get into the habit of reading food labels:

• Learn how to use the % Daily Value on a food label to compare similar products.
• Use the food label to find whole grain products and ignore misleading grain claims.
• Choose products with a relatively short ingredient list. The shorter the list, the fewer colorings, flavorings, chemicals, and added sugar it probably contains

A few more grocery store tips:

• If you’re concerned about your grocery bill, here are a few tips to eat healthy on a budget.
• If you’re looking to buy organic produce, here the top 5 fruits and vegetables to spend your money on.
• Get some extra steps in while you’re shopping!

Walk an extra lap around the store, and take your shopping cart (or somebody else’s) back inside instead of leaving it in the parking lot. Every little bit ofphysical activity counts when it comes to losing weight. 

Article source: fitnessforweightloss.com

Read More

Try this foods to Fight Fat

Weight loss starts with shopping. Taking control of what you eat begins with taking control of what you buy.

Every time you toss a low-calorie food into the cart, you’re taking responsibility for losing weight—even before you sit down to a meal.

There’s a very simple formula for low-calorie eating: Stock up on low-calorie staples. These are the basic packaged, canned, and frozen ingredients that you’ll reach for to create tasty, healthful, low-calorie meals anytime.

The Picture Perfect Anytime List is a menu of the lowest-calorie produce, soups, sauces, condiments, marinades, dressings, dips, candies, desserts, and beverages available. Stuff your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer with them, and reach for them anytime. Feel free to go to the foods on the Anytime List when you want a snack or are planning a meal. Eat any amount of them for any reason. When the Anytime List becomes the core of your eating—in other words, the main dish around which you build your meals—you’ll have no trouble staying thin for life.

The Anytime List
Fruits and vegetables

All fruits and vegetables—raw, cooked, fresh, frozen, canned—belong on the Picture Perfect Anytime List. Avoid any packaged fruits that have added sugar. Otherwise, the more fruits and vegetables you eat, the better.

Soups

You’ve heard of value for your money. Soups give you very good value for the calories. They are filling; a bowl of soup can be an entire meal. They are satisfying. For many people, they are more satisfying than raw vegetables, while many give you all the benefits of veggies (if you choose the soups chock full of vegetables). They are inexpensive, convenient, easy, and quick to make. Soups don’t make you feel like you’re on a diet. Above all, soups are versatile. They can serve as a snack, as part of a meal, or as a cooking ingredient.

Sauces, Condiments, and Marinades

Put the following items at the very top of your shopping list. They’re invaluable for adding flavor, moisture, texture, and versatility to every food and every meal.

• Salad dressings: oil-free or low-calorie (light or lite)
• Mayonnaise: fat-free or light
• Sour cream and yogurt: fat-free, plain, or with NutraSweet (or low-fat nondairy substitutes)
• Mustards: Dijon, Pommery, and others
• Tomato puree, tomato paste, and tomato sauce
• Clam juice, tomato juice, V8 juice, and lemon or lime juice
• Butter Buds or Molly McButter
• Cooking sprays (such as Pam) in butter, olive oil, garlic, or lemon flavors
• Vinegars: balsamic, cider, wine, tarragon, and others
• Horseradish: red and white
• Sauces: salsa, cocktail sauce, tamari, soy sauce, A1, Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce, ketchup, duck sauce, chutney, relish, and others
• Onion: fresh, juice, flakes, and powder
• Garlic: fresh, juice, flakes, and powder
• Herbs: any and all, including basil, oregano, tarragon, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, dill, chives, sage, and bay leaves
• Spices: any and all, including cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cumin, nutmeg, coriander, curry, paprika, and allspice
• Extracts: vanilla, almond, peppermint, maple, coconut, cocoa powder, and others

Dressings and Dips

myTorontoWeightLoss.com recommends fat-free or light dressings and dips. The light category—low-fat, reduced-fat, and low-calorie—is midway between totally fat-free and regular, and it’s often more pleasing to the palate than fat-free.

Dressings can be used as all-purpose condiments, dips, toppings, even cooking liquids. They already contain a mixture of ingredients, so just slather them on vegetables, seafood, and pretty much anything else. Or cook with them to make up for the lack of butter or oil.

In addition, keeping several varieties of dressings and dips on hand, including at least one creamy version. Try brushing a light creamy dressing on seafood, then broiling; the dressing adds moisture and flavor.

Candy

Yup, candy. The real thing—not the dietetic variety—is best when your sweet tooth starts aching. Dietetic candies have almost as many calories as regular candies, often lack flavor, and are an incentive to eat more. Stick to the real thing.

• Chewing gum or gum balls: any and all
• Hard candy: any and all, including sour balls, candy canes, lollipops such as Tootsie Pops or Blow Pops, Jolly Ranchers, Werther’s Original, and TasteTations

Frozen Desserts

Any fat-free frozen yogurt, frozen nondairy substitute, or sorbet is a fine addition to the freezer. Try the lower-calorie choices. Here are some examples:

• Soft serve: up to 25 calories per ounce, including Skimpy Treat; TCBY, Colombo nonfat frozen yogurt, and Tofutti
• Hard pack: up to 115 calories per 1/2-cup serving, including Sharon’s Sorbet, Low-Fat Tofutti, all Italian ices, and Sweet Nothings
• Frozen bars: Creamsicles, Fudgsicles, and Popsicles; any others containing up to 45 calories per bar, including Welch’s Fruit Juice Bars, Weight Watchers Smart Ones Orange Vanilla Treats, Tofutti Chocolate Fudge Treats, Weight Watchers Smart Ones Chocolate Mousse, Dolly Madison Slender Treat Chocolate Mousse, and Yoplait
• Individually packaged frozen bars: up to 110 calories each, including FrozFruit, Hagen-Dazs bars, and Starbucks Frappuccino Blended Coffee Bars

Beverages

Avoid beverages labeled “naturally sweetened” or “fruit-juice sweetened,” but help yourself to these:

• Unsweetened black coffees and teas
• Diet teas and juices: Crystal Light, Diet Snapple, Diet Natural Lemon Nestea, Diet Mistic, and others
• Noncaloric flavored waters: orange, chocolate, cream, cherry-chocolate, root beer, cola, and other flavors of bottled or filtered water
• Seltzer: plain or flavored, but check the calorie count if the product is labeled “naturally sweetened,” since this usually means that the product has sugar in one form or another
• Hot cocoa mixes: 20 to 50 calories per serving, including Swiss Miss Diet and Fat-Free and Nestle Carnation Diet and Fat-Free; avoid cocoa mixes with 60 or more calories per serving

Let’s Go Shopping

Today’s supermarkets are filled with choices for the weight conscious. Here are some of the lowest-calorie choices for a variety of food categories that aren’t covered in the Anytime List.

Cereals

• Cheerios: a whole grain cereal with 110 calories and 3 g fiber per cup
• Kellogg’s All-Bran with Extra Fiber: 50 calories and 15 g fiber per 1/2 cup
• Original Shredded Wheat: 80 calories and 2.5 g fiber per biscuit
• Fiber One: 60 calories and 14 g fiber per 1/2 cup
• Wheaties: 110 calories and 2 g fiber per cup
• Whole Grain Total: 110 calories and 3 g fiber per 3/4 cup

Spreads

• Peanut butter
• Low-sugar or sugar-free jams and jellies with 10 to 40 calories per tablespoon

Breads

• Light breads with 40 to 45 calories per slice: oatmeal, premium white, wheat, rye, multi grain, sourdough, Italian
• Whole grain regular breads or rolls

Rice and Pasta

• Whole wheat/whole grain pastas: Hodgson Mill, Ancient Harvest
• Brown rice
• Whole wheat couscous
• Pearled or hulled barley
• Other whole grains: quinoa, whole grain cornmeal, kasha, bulgur, millet

Frozen Meals

• Low-calorie frozen breakfast foods such as those from Kellogg’s, Aunt Jemima, and Pillsbury—and a special mention for the low-calorie, whole grain offerings from Van’s
• Low-calorie, vegetable-focused frozen meals in the 150- to 350-calories-per-package range, especially the Amy’s brand

Beans

• All beans, dried or canned
• Health Valley canned bean/chili combinations
• Low-fat or fat-free refried beans

Snacks
Make it a point to eat starchy, crunchy snacks only in conjunction with a food from the Anytime List. For example, have fruit with popcorn or soup with crackers. Fill up on the former, and go easy on the starchy snack.

Protein Foods

• Legumes: beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas
• Soy products: bean curd/tofu, meat-replacement products by Boca, Gardenburger, Yves, and Lightlife
• Seafood: fresh (do not fry!), smoked, canned, frozen

Please Note: Calorie counts in this story may vary depending on the brand of products used. Remember to check the labels.

Read More

Cutting carbs just 2 days a week can spur weight loss

By Linda Carroll

Dieters who can’t stomach the idea of going hungry seven days a week just got good news: You might be able to drop more weight if you cut back on carbs just two days a week.

British researchers found that women who essentially gave up carbs for two days and ate normally the rest of the time dropped about 9 pounds on average, as compared to the 5 pounds lost by women who cut back to around 1,500 calories every day, according to a report presented at the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

“We came up with the idea of an intermittent low-carb diet because it enables people to still have foods that are very satiating,” said the study’s lead author Michelle Harvie, a research dietician at the Genesis Prevention Center at the University Hospital in South Manchester, England. “Also, there’s a lot of evidence from other studies showing that restricting carbohydrates has the same effect as restricting energy.”

Harvie and her colleagues were spurred to find a diet that would be easier for women to follow because research has shown that obesity and the changes it causes in the body increase the risk for breast cancer. “We know from our research in animal models that losing weight has the potential for reducing breast cancer risk,” Harvie said.

One third of the women were put on a Mediterranean-type diet that restricted calories to about 1,500 per day. A second group was told to eat normally most of the time, but two days a week to cut carbs and also calories to about 650 on those two days. The third group was also to cut carbs two days a week, but there was no calorie restriction on those days.The researchers followed 88 women for four months. All the women were at high risk for breast cancer based on their family histories.

At the end of four weeks women in both of the intermittent dieting groups had lost more weight — about 9 pounds — than the women who ate low calorie meals every day of the week — about 5 pounds.

Women in the intermittent dieting groups also had better improvement than daily dieters in the levels of hormones — insulin and leptin — that have been linked with breast cancer risk, Harvie said.

And, yes, this is something you can try at home, Harvie said. You just need to dramatically cut back carbohydrates two days a week and try to eat sensibly the rest of the time, she added.

What that means, Harvie said, is that you can eat protein and healthy fats on the two low carb days, but skip bread, pasta, root vegetables like potatoes, carrots and parsnips to get to the 50g limit. The diet allows for one piece of fruit on the low carb days. Other foods on the menu include: nuts and green, leafy vegetables, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, broccoli, eggplant and cauliflower.

Artucle source: today.msnbc.msn.com

Read More

The Rice Diet Solution

By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD

The Rice Diet Solution: What It Is

The Rice Diet Solution is an extremely rigid approach to reverse disease and cause weight loss. The detailed food plan severely limits salt, sugar, fat, and processed foods and causes rapid weight loss. Dieters are promised fast weight loss of 20-30 pounds the first month, followed by 2.5-3.5 pounds per week in the later phases.  Add the recommended exercise and you can lose even more weight.

The Rice Diet Solution is based on the 1939 Rice Diet Program, where dieters checked into facilities in Durham, N.C., for an intensive two to four week boot camp focused on treating obesity, diabetes , heart disease, hypertension, and kidney disease.

Due to the continued success of that expensive in-house program, co-authors, Kitty Rosati, MS, RD, LDN, a registered dietitian; and her cardiologist husband, Robert Rosati, MD, wrote The Rice Diet Solution to guide those wanting to try the diet at home.

The plan consists of a very low-calorie, high-complex carbohydrate, low-sodium, low-fat, low-sugar, low-protein, whole-foods diet designed to detoxify, cause , and prevent or reverse chronic diseases.

The plan incorporates stress reduction through mindfulness, yoga, and meditation as well. Hundreds of recipes, weekly menus, tips, and diet advice are sprinkled throughout The Rice Diet Solution book.

NOTE: The diet is not recommended for anyone who has had a colon resection or impaired kidney function.

The Rice Diet Solution: What You Can Eat

Ricers, the affectionate term for those following the Rice Diet Solution, eat more than just rice -- but not much. Though rice is part of the plan, it is one of 30 foods available at any given meal.

The plan allows for whole-grain starches, low-sodium beans, fruits, vegetables, nonfat dairy and very lean protein sources. "Eating a diet high in fiber from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables will keep you feeling full and satisfied," says co-author Kitty Rosati.

The Rice Diet Solution plan has several phases:

Phase 1 -- one week

1 day: Basic Rice Diet (800 calories and 50 mg sodium)

2 starches and 2 fruits at breakfast, lunch, and dinner

6 days: Lacto Vegetarian Rice Diet (1,000 calories a day and 300 mg sodium)

 Breakfast: 1 starch, 1 fruit, 1 nonfat dairy

Lunch and dinner: 3 starches, 3 vegetables, 1 fruit 

Phase 2 -- one week

1 day: Basic Rice Diet

5 days:  Lacto Vegetarian Rice Diet

1 day: Vegetarian Plus Rice Diet (1,200 calories per day and 500 mg sodium)

  Breakfast: 2 starches, 1 fruit

  Lunch: 3 starches, 3 vegetables, 1 fruit

  Dinner: 3 starches, 3 protein (or 2 dairy), 3 vegetables, 1 fruit

Phase 3 -- Maintenance. Same as phase 2, adding about 200 more calories per week, until you stop losing weight.

1 day:  Basic Rice Diet

4 days:  Lacto Vegetarian Rice Diet

2 days: Vegetarian Plus Rice Diet

The authors of The Rice Diet Solution note the diet is too low in calcium and vitamin D and suggest a once-daily multivitamin.

Article Source: www.webmd.com

Read More

Healthy Drinks That You Should Drink

Staying hydrated can be great for your body. Drink enough of the right liquids and your mood will improve, your focus will sharpen, your heart will beat stronger, and you’ll be less likely to suffer from headaches and fatigue. All that, plus if you pick the right potions, you’ll receive beneficial nutrients, antioxidants and protein as a bonus. Water is the universal fluid which is essential for the body and does wonders for us. But there are many other healthy drinks which are very refreshing.

Here is the list of best healthy drinks that you should include in your daily lifestyle -

Water: Water provides everything the body needs—pure H2O—to restore fluids lost through metabolism. Water is needed for our cells to function properly, which then enables thinking, movement, blood circulation, digestion and nerve function. Water helps suppress appetite, which reduces the risk of obesity. Additionally, water helps the body burn fat.

Green Tea: When you think of healthy drinks, water immediately comes to mind, and when it comes to tea, green tea is the champion. Green tea contains EGCG which is an antioxidant. It is extremely helpful since it can locate cancer cells and kill them without damaging healthy cells. Green tea increases the metabolism which makes the body burn more calories per day. This makes green tea a superb drink for dieters who are looking to slim down to a fit body. Green tea also prevents clogging of the blood vessels and so prevents strokes. So, add this in your daily life and stay healthy.

Lemon water: Another name in the list of healthy drinks is lemon water. Starting your day with lemon water is really good for your health. Lemon water is good for detoxification of the body and drinking it first thing helps to eliminate the bodily wastes effectively paving the way for a glowing skin. Lemon water is rich in Vitamin C that helps in strengthening the immune system and also potassium which is good for heart. Lemon water though is acidic, acts as an alkaline in the body thus helps in curing digestive problems like heart burn, constipation and nausea. This is simple and easy to make. Take a glass of lukewarm water and squeeze half lemon and you are done.

Coconut water: Coconut water is incredibly healthy and one of the best health drinks to hydrate the body. Besides helping remove toxins from the body & aiding digestion, coconut water has amazing anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti- microbial properties that helps in fighting against various infections. Another benefit of this healthy drink is that it helps in blood circulation and prevents from excessive heat burn problems and also controls acidity. Coconut water is a rich source of natural calcium, magnesium, and natural potassium- making it a healthy electrolyte balancing drink.

Milk: Milk should be a component of one’s daily diet. We begin drinking it when we are young, but our intake decreases as we get older. Some people shy away from it because they fear that it will add too much fat to their diet. Others leave it out because they believe that they no longer need it. Milk is a great source of calcium, which is essential for healthy bones. Not only do young children need it while their bones are growing, but adults need it to keep their bones strong and to prevent osteoporosis. Other than calcium, this healthy drink is rich in protein, phosphorus, magnesium that is good for development of teeth, fight hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even obesity. There are several varieties of milk in the market, such as whole, 2%, low-fat and fat free. You can choose wisely to avoid addition of extra fat to the diet and reap all other health benefits for a strong skeletal system.

There are many ways to lose weight and get fit. But the best and healthiest way to do so, is with a diet that let's you eat your regular food, is easy to follow, doesn't keep you hungry. Many of us know what is healthy or not, but we still don't lose weight. What you need is a good weight loss diet plan, designed by an expert, who makes it around your food choices (veg, non-veg), and your height, weight, gender and other such factors.Here is what you will get for your weight loss diet:

An updated diet plan every week, so that you enjoy it, and can eat a good variety of foods

It should have regular food, without anything exotic, and natural without any supplements.

Also, you can access the plan anywhere, anytime, so it's really convenient.

Article source: www.fitho.in

Read More

IF YOU WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT, WAIT A FEW WEEKS

If I told a client she wasn’t supposed to lose any weight for the first two months of a weight-loss program, she’d probably go find another nutritionist. But that may be the secret to not only dropping a dress size but also keeping those pounds off for life.

In a new study by Stanford scientists, more than 260 overweight to obese women were split into two groups: One immediately began a 20-week weight-loss plan that involved eating more fruits and veggies, being more active, keeping daily food journals, and attending weekly support meetings. Once this part of the program was completed, they spent eight more weeks focusing on weight maintenance tactics.

The other group was asked to refrain from losing any weight the first eight weeks while they learned those maintenance lessons. Only after those two months did these women began the identical 20-week weight-loss program.

In the end, both groups lost about the same amount of weight—an average 17 pounds, roughly 9 percent of their starting weights. But there was a big difference a year later: Those who lost weight first regained seven pounds, more than twice as much as the women who started by mastering the maintenance tricks.

See what Cynthia thought of these results after the break!

I’m fascinated by this research because weight management is one of the primary reasons clients come to see me, and the study's results echo what I’ve seen in my practice. When a client is overly fixated on weight loss (Did the number on the scale go down today and if so how much?), she can easily lose sight of, or even give up on, the skills that ultimately lead to success.

That's why I sometimes I ask my clients to commit to not weighing themselves at all and instead pay attention to things like hunger and fullness patterns, emotional or social triggers, and learning how to navigate situations in which they tend to fall off track. I also often ask clients to make a list of the reasons they want to change their eating habits that have nothing to do with losing weight, such as having more energy, not feeling bloated, better sleep, glowing skin, better workouts, more even-keeled moods, and just plain feeling good about being healthy.

It may seem counterintuitive, but taking the pressure off of losing weight has allowed many of my clients to really focus on the foundational skills and mindset changes that set them up for long-term success. That doesn’t mean not paying attention to weight at all, but instead realizing that weight loss and maintenance are desired “side effects” of a healthier relationship with food.

In this study the researchers used some lingo I really like: They call it paying "relaxed attention" to weight. In my experience, this shift in focus is what can finally break the yo-yo on-off diet cycle and foster sustainable habits that can allow you to get to and stay at your weight goal—for good.

Read More

Three Reasons Women Should Do Weight Training

Most women see weight training as something only men and bodybuilders do. But this is well and truly a myth. This myth is so ingrained among women that it's quite difficult to dispel it.

Once people know that I workout with weights regularly, they look me and up and down expecting to find bulging muscles and a bulky structure. But when all they can see is a slim figure standing in front of them, they think I'm joking.

Honestly! What's up with these people??

So, much to their surprise (and some annoyance), I explain to them that weight training doesn't necessarily build a bulky body. In fact there are lots of reasons why every woman should take up weight lifting.

Here are three of the main reasons.

1. You'll get slim.

Believe it or not, weight training will actually make you lose body fat and get slim.

When you train with weights such as dumbbells and kettlebells or other heavy items, you put more pressure on your muscles than they're used to. To withstand this bigger pressure, your body makes your muscles stronger.

Your body builds more muscle tissues. This process uses up a lot more calories than usual. And your metabolism works faster. You probably know that a faster metabolism will promote faster fat loss.

It's not only the faster metabolism you'll get from this process. You'll look a lot leaner as well because of having more muscles. You'll look a lot slimmer since muscles take up less space than fat.

What's more, training with weights is the best way to tone up trouble spots, like under the arms, thighs and belly.

But don't worry - unlike men, you're not likely to become bulky. You just don't have enough of the right hormones which help cause huge muscles in men. All you'll end up with is a nicely sculpted, well-defined body.

2. As you get older, you'll look and feel a lot younger than your friends.

After the age of 30, women start to lose their muscle mass year by year. To put it frankly, unless they do something about it, they'll get more and more flabby.

Weight training will help prevent this by preserving your muscle mass. You'll stay firm in your older age.

Not only does this make you look attractive even in your old age, but you'll also maintain your mobility into your very old age. That means you won't need to depend on people to get up from your chair or get help walking. You'll keep your independence and even be able to enjoy playing with your grandchildren (if you do decide to have children).

3. You'll keep your osteoporosis at bay.

One of the commonest health scares for women as they get older is rapid bone loss. This is even more common after the menopause. It can very easily lead to osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a serious health problem in which your bones become brittle and are easily broken.

How does weight lifting help with this problem?

Well... regular weight bearing exercises don't only strengthen your muscles, but also your bones. That means you can prevent osteoporosis by regular resistance training combined with good nutrition.

OK, even knowing these benefits...

Are you still concerned about becoming bulky?

Hear me out on this.

Again I'm stressing the fact that, contrary to popular belief, training with weights doesn't make you bulky. People who build up their bulk actually train specifically for that purpose. For average women like you and me who just want to get fit and shape up, it's very unlikely that you'll become muscular like professional bodybuilders.

OK, now that concern's out of the way, here's another:

Do you feel that you don't have enough time to do your workouts?

It might surprise you to know that, if you're very busy, you don't actually have to go to the gym. You can train at home just as easily without using barbells or gym equipment.

When you think about it, weight training simply means exercising with weights. So, the weights could be dumbbells, or kettlebells, or any old heavy things lying around your house. On my home weight training site (link in the resources box below), I show how you can easily and cheaply train with weights in the comfort of your own home.

Whether you like to exercise at home or at the gym or even outdoors, now that you know its benefits you should start making weight training a regular part of your life.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7361473

Read More

The Ryan Reynolds workout

Ryan Reynolds shares the diet plan he used to slice his body fat to 3 percent.

What if your boss told you to gain 20 pounds of muscle and lose a third of your body fat? Most of us would end up in the unemployment line, but Ryan Reynolds did as he was told to prepare for his role as a cut vampire killer in Blade: Trinity. Here are his tips for sculpting a six-pack--on a full stomach.

Eat More

"I attribute my results mostly to nutrition," Reynolds says. (See "What He Eats," below, for a sample menu.) He ate every 2 to 3 hours to burn more fat. "Your body doesn't need to store fat for energy if you're feeding it all the time," explains Bobby Strom, Reynolds's Los Angeles-based trainer.

Mix It Up

"I gained a lot more muscle mass when I went on creatine," says Reynolds. He also took L-glutamine, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), whey, and a multivitamin.

Go for Bulk

Reynolds doesn't have a personal chef, so he cooks meals in advance. For instance, he'll make a large supply of Irish steel-cut oatmeal and freeze it. That way, the most important meal of the day requires the least work.

Carve with Carbs

"Never do any of that carve-starve crap," Reynolds says. Instead, watch the clock. He ate most of his carbohydrates postworkout, and none after 8 p.m.

Think about Yourself

"If you hate your workout, you're not going to do it," explains Reynolds. Customize your fitness plan to meet your needs. He found it "meditative" to do ab exercises first instead of last.

WHAT HE EATS

Breakfast

2 eggs, some "good" fat like a spoon of almond butter or slice of avocado, and 1 cup of oatmeal with applesauce

Midmorning Snack

protein bar

Lunch

albacore tuna wrap or chicken and salad

Midafternoon Snack

protein shake (whey and water), protein bar, or apple and almonds

Dinner

broiled fish or chicken, brown rice, vegetables, and salad

Evening

Snack protein shake

Article source: www.menshealth.com

Read More

Get Fit in 60 Days or Die Trying

Hundreds of people search the internet every month looking for ways to get fit in 60 days. Many of these searchers believe that it is impossible and that it simply cannot be achieved.

What if it was true? What if I was able to say that there was a way for you to get fit in 60 days using a program that is proven to work? What if I were to say to you that over 12 million people worldwide have tried this method and have seen fantastic results?

Guess what? I am telling you now that there is a way to get fit and in the best shape of your life in as little as 60 days using a method taken on by millions around the world. By now you may have guessed what this method is, some of you may have heard of it and some of you may never have heard this word before in your life. You can achieve all of this by taking on Insanity.

What is Insanity?
Insanity is a 60 day home fitness program whereby you workout at home simply by following that days particular DVD. There is no catch, all you need is yourself and a DVD player and away you go. Oh, and you will need to invest around 45 minutes a day, 6 days a week.

This fitness program works on the basis that you push yourself to your maximum and long periods of time and then have a short rest after. Using this method your body will be peaking at its fat burning rate and you can expect to burn hundreds of calories each and every workout.

By having regular fitness tests every two weeks during the 60 day challenge you will see your fitness increase each and every time. You will quite literally be amazed by what you are able to achieve.

Insanity is reported to be the hardest workout ever to have been put on DVD. Having completed the Insanity challenge myself, I can say that I totally agree with that comment. What you will find though is that with every workout you are able to do more of the exercise each time. You will also find yourself becoming addicted to Insanity, looking forward to each workout and to digging deeper.

If you are looking to get fit in 60 days then there is no other way to do it, you simply have to get Insanity, push yourself to your maximum and dig deeper.

The Insanity Challenge has widely been known as the pinnacle of workouts. People boast about completing Insanity and having done so myself I can see why. See why you should be focused on your health and fitness now by visiting my site Home Gym Body now.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7354375

Read More

Simple Ways To Help You Lose Weight

Now offers so much variety of diets, it's hard to understand which of them will be useful for you. Understanding this, we offer you a few simple rules that you can select a good diet that will help you lose weight and achieve the goal.

You can begin to apply these rules now!

Vegetables

Vegetables - this is the first thing you should pay attention to. Vegetables contain many vitamins and minerals that help your body to get the necessary energy. This energy you need for a weight loss program that you plan to use. Here is a small but effective trick can be used with vegetables, to cultivate the habit of eating more vegetables and less to eat high-calorie foods.

At every meal (except breakfast), fill your plate at least half vegetables before you put on it is something else. Salad, raw, cooked or fresh herbs - it does not matter what you choose as long as your plate will not be half-filled with vegetables. In the end, you get not only all the nutrients from vegetables, but will have less room on your plate for high-calorie foods.

Pay attention to your beverages

Many people believe that the beverages they drink they do not add calories. If you drink tea with sugar or coffee with cream you get extra calories, which are detrimental to your body. Consider switching to low-fat milk, low-fat low-calorie sweeteners and substitutes cream for your coffee or tea, diluted fruit juice to quench their thirst. Of course, there is nothing better for your body than a good old cup of water.

Replace the white on black

Processed foods such as flour and rice have been deprived of much of their nutritional value. Bread and bakery products, rice and quick cooking oatmeal, processed cereals, pasta, and it's not all examples of seemingly harmless products that seem to actually help you lose weight. In fact it is not so.

Try switching to whole grain bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice and whole grain cereals. You'll feel more satisfied with their meals, which will lead to fewer snacks between meals. You will also receive additional benefits, resulting in a diet of whole grains. In these foods contain fiber that can help you in an effort to reduce your weight.

Classes - Hobbies

If you have a lot of time you spend watching TV or just sit back, stretch your arms themselves to the fridge to put in your mouth sandwich. Watching on TV advertising of so-called "popular power" you may want to eat junk food, never believe what they say on TV. Also not uncommon when, after dinner, watching TV you casually however noticing open a pack of chips or cook yourself a few sandwiches, which also adversely affects your weight. Avoid these temptations to do, or what a fascinating job that can distract you from the desire to snack.

Grasp sew or knit, try your hand at what or creativity. Learn how to use new computer programs, try to create a schedule. Even better, if you go out on the street for an evening walk, or use their free time on a treadmill or stationary bike. The more time and energy you spend on something that you are really interested, the less time you spend in the kitchen.

Get rid of boredom

Nothing kills your good intentions and a desire to reduce your weight, as boredom. If you try to limit yourself to dietary products, such as low-fat cottage cheese, your body will start to ask other foods, and you will feel that they are tired of these products, and can you give a pledge to get rid of them for good.

Allow yourself more variety. Healthy eating is not boring as it may seem at first glance. See magazines and websites with recipes for healthy food to make a change in your favorite food, according to your new lifestyle. Experiment with new products, and try to use international cuisine as Mexican, Indian, Chinese or French, depending on your tastes.

Find friends

You need to find friends who like you want to use a healthy diet and exercise. Agree with your friends together to go to training, it gives you extra motivation and obliges you to be more responsible. It does not matter if it is your spouse, your best friend, a colleague, or someone you met on the Internet, as long as you are sure to continue to support each other to eat right and exercise every day.

Rid yourself of the Temptations

If your closets are full of potato chips and candy, you will be hard to resist temptation, something to eat. Clean your kitchen and throw out all the junk food.

It will not be easy, but once you're done you'll be able to use any diet or weight loss program. Keep in your kitchen just the right system for your food ingredients. This will save you from frequent snacking and very soon, you will notice that began to feel better.

Always keep in your kitchen-fat cheese and crackers from corn, and all kinds of no-calorie foods that will help you to satisfy your hunger, but will not, cause cravings for sweets and treats.

Things like low-fat fruit pudding can be a great way to replace your sweets, but as long as you use it in moderation.

Plan ahead

If you're going to go out to dinner, or any party, you stalknetes face to face with a high content of calories, so plan your menu in advance.

Put the candy in his pocket, and snacks before going to a party.

If you are not too hungry when you go to a party, you will be more likely not to eat the forbidden foods. In addition, drink bottled water, or dry wine. These drinks have fewer calories than their counterparts.

Using these tips, you'll be on your way to reduce weight and improve their health.

Always keep in mind that weight loss does not happen overnight - it takes time. Your determination and hard work, and a constant reminder to yourself that you can do it! Make small changes in your diet, do some exercise, these habits is the best way to achieve the results that you have planned.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7349943

Read More