Work Life Tips

Add Mileage, Lose Weight – Women’s Weight Loss Tips

Looking for the best workout for weight loss? Tie on a pair of running shoes. Running burns more calories per hour than almost any other aerobic activity.

Depending on your gender, size and body type, running burns anywhere from 500 to 1,300 calories per hour; this outpaces most other forms of exercise. If you’re a regular runner and weight loss is your goal, gradually increase your weekly mileage by adding a mile or two to your runs a few times a week. For example, if you might normally run three miles (or for half an hour) one day, add a mile (or another five to 10 minutes). But remember: If you increase your mileage one day, drop it back the next day. If you build up too quickly, you’ll increase your risk of injury.

If you are new to running, start by alternating running with walking and gradually build up the time spent running vs. walking.

Don’t Fall For Fat Burning Gimmicks To Lose Those Final Pounds – Women’s Weight Loss Tips

The best way to burn fat is to exercise with a combination of cardio and strength training. But many women get frustrated when they hit a weight loss plateau. You lose weight, and then the scale seems to stick at that last five to 10 pounds.

Don’t abandon your fitness routine and turn to magic bullets or quickie fad diets to burn fat. Instead, revisit your calories. The bottom line in weight loss is that you need to burn more calories than you consume, but if you reduce your intake too drastically, your body goes into starvation mode. If you have only a few more pounds to lose, your body may be fighting to hang on to every ounce.

You may actually need to eat a little more to jumpstart your metabolism and burn fat. Just stick to healthy food, not junk foods. And reassess your goal. If you are within a few pounds, you may be at the healthy weight you want, and if you stick with your fitness plan, your body may move off the plateau with a little more time.

Body Fat Measurements with a Skin Fold Caliber – Women’s Weight Loss Tips

Using a skin fold caliber to measure body fat can be effective, if, and only if it is done correctly. For an accurate reading, you must be sure to measure in the exact same spot each time. Otherwise, if you have been following an effective weight loss program, you will be rewarded with the instant gratification of experiencing “less pinch for the inch. Remember: to lose fat, you need to burn fat.

Some of the common sites to perform a skin fold body fat test are:

* Measure at a point that is midway between the shoulder and the elbow. Keep your arm relaxed, with the palm facing downwards. The triceps tend to be one of the areas of the body that accumulates fat. Make sure that you are supplementing your weight loss program with strength training, which will tone the muscle and speed up your metabolic rate.
* The Abdominal Area: In order to lose weight around the abdominal area, you need to burn fat through aerobic exercise. Fat around the abdominal area is, in some cases, an indication that you might be eating too many high fat foods. However, if you have been following a healthy fitness and weight loss plan, you will like what you see when you use your skin fold caliber to measure body fat in this area. Measure about 15cm. from your belly button.
* Your skin fold caliber will come with an instruction manual, which will explain the other sites to test for body fat. For best results, follow the instructions as carefully as possible.

Thyroid and Weight Loss in Women – Women’s Weight Loss Tips

Most of us know a woman who eats a healthy diet, exercises regularly, but still seems to be carrying a few excess pounds. What is the reason for this? Is she secretly eating high fat or high calorie foods? Probably not. The more likely explanation is that she is suffering from hypothyroidism, which, according to studies, is one of the most frequently missed diagnoses in modern medicine. Since this disease affects women eight times more frequently than men, it can often be the the culprit responsible for stalling the progress of even the best women’s weight loss program.

Symptoms of Hypothyroid

* Unexpected and unexplained weight gain
* Depression
* Low Energy
* Memory Loss
* Cold Hands

Although doctors are unsure of why there seems to be a sudden epidemic of women suffering from hypothyroidism, there are some theories. It is quite possible that products such as aspartame, found in diet sodas, and soy, which is often suggested as a low-fat alternative to dairy products might contain compounds that suppress normal thyroid functioning. Although a test at the doctors office is you best bet for diagnosing hypothyroidism, there is a simple home test you can try. When you wake up each morning, take you underarm temperature. If it is consistently lower than 97.8, and you are experiencing symptoms, consult your physician.

What Can be Done?

* Get 30 minutes of sunshine on a daily basis. Sunlight is said to improve thyroid function.
* Get enough iodine by eating dark green, leafy vegetables
* Ask you doctor to prescribe a thyroid medication

Lifestyle Changes for Weight Loss – Women’s Weight Loss Tips

What is the best workout for weight loss? This is perhaps the most common question presented to fitness and weight loss professionals. The simplest answer is: the one that you enjoy the most. It sounds like a no-brainer, but consider this: How likely are you to adhere to a program that you simply don’t enjoy? Let’s take this one step further. When it comes to exercise adherence, studies have shown a direct correlation between convenience and compliance. In other words, if you’re your fitness center is an hour’s drive from your home, how likely is it that you will go on a daily basis?

So now that we’ve answered that question, are you interested in learning about the most effective weight loss program? It’s called lifestyle change. Here are some simple things you can do to enhance your weight loss program. No equipment or gym membership is required:

* Walk it off: If you can walk to work, great. If not, consider parking further away from your office. Go for a walk after meals. The Europeans have known about this for years.
* Take the Necessary Steps to Burn Fat: In other words, get out of the elevator and on to the staircase. Walking steps also builds beautiful butts!
* Go Ride a Bike: It saves on gas, burns fat and is eco-friendly.
* Lose the Remote Control: Yes, we’re only talking about a few calories here. But lying on the couch with the remote leads to a generally lazy attitude.
* Fidget: Don’t laugh! The mayo clinic has found that people who engage in “non-exercise activity thermogenesis” such as fidgeting and postural changes burn more calories throughout the day than folks who remain immobile.

Weight Loss and Body Fat Distribution in Women – Women’s Weight Loss Tips

You don’t need to read Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus to realize that men and women have different patterns of body fat distribution. In general, men tend to accumulate fat around their abdomen, giving them an apple or “android shape, whereas women accumulates body fat around their hips, thighs and buttocks, which results in a pear or “gynoid” shape. This fat can either be subcutaneous, which is fat placed under the skin, or visceral, which is fat that is close to the internal organs. Since abdominal fat is usually visceral fat, it can pose health risks such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and respiratory diseases. In contrast, the subcutaneous fat that accumulates around the hips thighs and buttocks can make a woman susceptible to biomechanical injuries of the lower body.

You have probably noticed that even the best women’s weight loss program may not get rid of as much lower body fat as she would like. However, there is a reason for this. Certain female hormonal functions, such as childrearing, require a basic amount of essential fat.

Although this may sound discouraging, the news is not all grim. Even though it may be harder to lose weight around your lower body, losing body fat around the abdominal area is relatively easy, provided that you follow a healthy weight loss and diet plan. In the mean time, be sure to read the chapter on strength training! Developing your upper body will make your lower body appear slimmer. It will also rev up your metabolic rate, which will accelerate the results of your weight loss program.

Susie Orbach’s Fat is a Feminist Issue – Women’s Weight Loss Tips

Although Susie Orbach’s Fat is a Feminist Issue was published in 1981, it is still one of the best books that attack the issue of women’s weight loss. Some of the concepts discussed in Orbach’s book include:

* Unrealistic expectations regarding your life after weight loss: Many women believe that if they can only lose 10 pounds, they will get the guy, get rich, get a promotion, win the lottery (well, maybe not) etc. When life doesn’t automatically become amazing after weight loss, they regain the weight.
* Compulsive Overeating: One of the questions women should ask themselves is whether or not they are really healthy when they reach for something to eat. Orbach contends that women often overeat, and thus gain weight because fat is a protective mechanism.
* The Yoyo Diet Syndrome: You’ve been “good” on your diet for a few weeks, so you are rewarding yourself when you go away for a weekend. However, come Monday, you know that you are going back to the “diet jail,” so you eat everything in sight. Since your metabolic rate is probably lower due to food deprivation, you can end up gaining more weight than you have lost.
* Feeding the Clock instead of the Stomach: This is perhaps one of the biggest issues in regards to weight loss. Do you eat at noon, even if you are not hungry? Have you ever consumed hundreds of calories of salad in an attempt to avoid eating a cookie, only to eventually end up eating that cookie anyway? Orbach suggests that we eat only what we want, and only when we are hungry.

Chart Your Calorie Intake – Women’s Weight Loss Tips

If you’re counting calories, a calorie chart is one of the best ways to track what you eat. Calorie charts are easy to use, and you can find them on the Internet or at your local bookstore. Use a calorie counting chart to find out how many calories you need to lose weight and keep track of how much protein, fat and carbohydrates are in what you eat. Most calorie charts come with extensive food guides that have the nutritional values for most foods. This way, you can easily record the number of calories you eat and also plan ahead for future meals. It is important to record everything you eat for the day. Don’t skimp on any amount, as this defeats the purpose of keeping a calorie chart.

Calorie charts are also beneficial if you are trying to lose weight because people often do not realize how many calories they consume in a day. Keep track of your caloric intake for a week before starting your weight loss plans to see approximately how many calories you usually consume in a day. When you find out how many calories you usually consume, you can adjust your diet accordingly. If you usually take in 2,300 calories per day, for example, when you start your weight loss regimen you might want to cut your calorie intake by 500 calories so you consume 1,800 calories. Look up foods ahead of time to find out their nutritional value and caloric values to plan your future meals and budget you calories.

Healthy Weight Loss – Women’s Weight Loss Tips

Let’s do the math: If 3500 calories equals one pound of body fat, you either need to eat 3500 calories fewer, or burn an additional 3500 calories. How much time do you think that you can realistically do this?

If a diet plan claims that you can lose seven pounds a week, that means that you will be eating 3500 calories less per day. Were you really eating that much more than 3500 calories a day? Probably not. the same applies to exercise. Consider that running burns about 100 calories per mile, even if you ran a marathon, you still would not burn up one pound of body fat. Fast weight loss is usually water loss, as opposed to fat loss.Additionally, fast weight loss slows down your metabolic rate. As soon as you return to normal eating habits, since your body has grown accustomed to less calories, you gain back the weight twice as quickly as you lost it.

For lasting results, aim for a healthy weight loss rate of one to two pounds a week.

BMI: Body Mass Index – Women’s Weight Loss Tips

Today, many people are talking about BMI. What is it? BMI stands for Body Mass Index. It is a number that is calculated from a woman’s weight and height. Although it does not directly measure body fat, a BMI reading has been shown to correlate with body fat measuring methods such as underwater weighing. According to the Center for Disease Control, the following method is used to calculate BMI:

Formula: weight (lb) / [height (in)]2 x 703

Calculate BMI by dividing weight in pounds (lbs) by height in inches (in) squared and multiplying by a conversion factor of 703.

Example: Weight = 150 lbs, Height = 5’5” (65″)

Calculation: [150 ÷ (65)2] x 703 = 24.96

A BMI of below 18.5 is considered underweight. From 18.5 to 24.9, the BMI is considered normal. If your BMI is 25 to 25.9, you are considered overweight. Obesity begins at a BMI of 30. Although BMI can be a useful method for calculating body fat, there are some caveats. A highly muscular woman will obviously weigh more. However, this does not mean she has more body fat.