Advice on Losing and Managing Weight

How Not To Lose Weight

We often talk about the best ways to lose weight and get fit, but we should discuss the wrong ways to try to lose weight. There are so many fads, gimmicks, false information and out dated weight loss methods floating around that many people risk failure and ill health by trying to lose weight without proper support and guidance. Do not make the same mistakes, read this article!

Weight Loss Systems That Work

As good as our own resources are, there are some excellent weight loss and fitness solutions available online that follow our own approach for weight loss, i.e. using fitness and strength training, combined with sensible eating, to lose weight. All these systems are tried and tested. They work because they are so simple – use exercise to boost metabolism and lose weight.

If You Cannot Work Out How To Lose Weight, Sleep On It

Recent research has provided further evidence that sleep helps us to lose weight. More that 6 in 19 adults are now overweight, or worse, obese. Not so long ago it was thought that lack of exercise is the problem, however recent research revealed that moderate exercise does not help you lose much weight. The latest news is that lack of sleep makes us fat!

Grandparents Make Their Grandchildren Fat!

In a recent study, reported by the BBC, children who are looked after by their grandparents on a regular basis are more likely to be come overweight that those who go to nursery or to a child-minder. From the 12,000 children, aged 3, that were studied, there was a 34% increased risk of being overweight if your grandparents looked after you.

5 Tips to Get a Flat Stomach

Without a doubt the most sought after advice from our readers, here at MotleyHealth.com, is how they can reduce the size of their stomachs. It seems that reversing the tide of time and regaining the figure of youth is foremost in many peoples’ minds when it comes to fitness. He we revisit the old tricks to lose stomach fat.

So You Want to Lose Weight?

Many people are trying to lose weight, especially men with too much belly fat for good measure. But do you really want to lose weight? A lot of people do not need to lose weight at all! What? Have we gone mad? No. When people say “I want to lose weight” they usually really mean “I want less fat and more muscle”. Net weight loss may in fact be zero.

The Movies Make You Fat!

Eating at the movies has been a part of our culture for over half a century now. A trip to the movies without a bucket of popcorn and giant cup of soda would be incomplete for most people. Many cinemas now make more money from selling food to movie goers than they make from ticket sales, and all the time film fans are getting fatter!

Fitness and Strength

German Volume Training – Old School Approach to Bodybuilding

The current fashion in bodybuilding and weight training is to workout with heavier weights and to do fewer repetitions, generally in the range of 5-10 reps per set with around 15 reps for each exercise (usually 5 sets of 5 reps or 2 sets of 8 reps). However, sometimes old school works very well too, so here is a look at some classic German volume training.

20 Minute Outdoor Workouts

It may still be early in the year, but now is a good time to start thinking about getting in shape for the summer as it is only a few months away now. If you have no exercise equipment at home and are not a member of a gym or fitness club, then one option is get outdoors. Learn how here.

Cross-Country Skiing – Hardest Event of the Winter Olympics

It’s funny, many people have been to the gym and worked out on a “cross trainer”, but few people have ever given any thought as to what it is really best for. Why is it called a cross trainer? What sports skills was it designed to improve? Well, this may surprise you!

Nutrition and Health

The Red Meat Debate – Is It Safe?

We have previously discussed the research that shows that red meat increases risk of developing bowel cancer (previous research indicated increased risk of over 60%). However, the there is now a debate between the British meat industry (which consists of the National Beef Association , the National Sheep Association and the National Farmers’ Union) and cancer charities regarding that safety of meat.

Warning Over High Salt Content In Soup

Studies have shown that there is still too much salt in many brands of soup. Although salt levels in recent years has improved due to health campaigns by various organizations, many diners and producers of tinned soup are still using far too much salt in each portion. We are recommended to not exceed 6g of salt per day, but many soups put us over our daily allowances.

Sleeping Makes You Clever

Once again scientists have proved that society is damaging our mental health. Sleeping for a short period during the day help the brain to retain new information, and ultimately for you to learn new things. However, when workers feel tired, managers expect them to carry on working and not make any mistakes either.

Sports and Celebrities

Alabama Crimson Tide – Rolando McClain – College Football Linebacker

A quick look at an up and coming NFL player, Rolando McClain. He started his junior season last year (2009) and has already clocked 274 tackles in his 3 year career. In December last year he won the Lambert Award which was given for best Collegiate Linebacker. He has also won the Dick Butkus Award.

Paul Bettany’s Fitness Regime for Legion

Paul Bettany is slowly developing into a bit of an action hero. We first saw his body when he was running naked, having lost his clothes in a bet, the the film A Knights Tale. At that time he was slim, but verging on skinny. Then in Wimbledon he looked a little more buff, now the same trainer takes him to a new level of fitness.

Seth Wescott – Profile of an Olympic Snowboarder

The 2010 Winter Olympics saw some pretty exiting action coming from the snowy slopes of Cypress Mountain. Seth Wescott has won his second Snowboarding gold medal. He is now 34 years old and he first won gold four years ago at the Winter Olympics in Turin. Here we learn a little about his Olympic training methods. You need to be on the ball for this one!

Fitness Book Reviews

Celebrity Body on a Budget – Book Review

March sees some exciting new fitness books released by Price World Publishing. Celebrities Body on a Budget by Cornel Chin is reviewed here.

Pure Physique – How to Maximize Fat Loss and Muscular Development – Book Review

Another new fitness book out this month is Pure Physique – How to Maximize Fat Loss and Muscular Development by Michael Lipowski. Read the review here.

• www.netdoctor.co.uk – Netdoctor has a great section on weight loss that follows the “keep it simple” approach very well. Like us they tell you that the best way to lose weight is through diet and exercise – not through fads and gimmicks. Articles are often reviewed by doctors.
• www.patient.co.uk – This is another UK website that provide no nonsense advice on weight loss; “To lose weight and to keep it off, it is vital that you are motivated, really want to lose weight, and want to improve aspects of your lifestyle.” The website is run by doctors.
• www.nhs.uk – Our third favorite is the NHS, another UK website! The British do seem to have a no nonsense attitude to losing weight which many other people lack. Advice is available on shopping for healthier food, problems with fad diets and the need for lifestyle changes to lose weight.
• www.truthaboutabs.com – This is an eBook by a weight loss expert called Mike Geary. It provides some of the best information available on losing weight by using a combination of strength training, intensive cardio and a specific diet plan to cut fat.
• www.wikihow.com – Like wikipedia.com, wikihow.com is a community run site that allows people to share and edit articles. Unlike Wikipedia it is not restricted to factual information only, but has articles on how to do things. “How to lose weight fast” is one if its most popular articles.
• webmd.com – Like the UK medical sites, WebMD is a US based site that provides objective information on how to lose weight. They do however promote fast weight loss, done safely. But preference is still the slow and steady approach – “you can safely lose 3 or more pounds a week at home with a healthy diet and lots of exercise”.
• exercise.about.com – About.com has a sub-section devoted to exercise with a great selection of information on losing weight. There is advice on calculating base metabolic rate as well as the standard healthy eating and exercise advice.
• MotleyHealth.com – Last but certainly not least, is MotleyHealth.com which also focuses on exercise and healthy eating to help with weight loss. Most popular articles are the “how to lose belly fat” and the many celebrity workouts and diets.

1. Does Jogging help Lose Weight?
2. How to Lose Weight on Your Stomach
3. Swimming Exercise to Lose Weight
4. Dance Routines to Lose Weight
5. Does Red Wine Help You Lose Weight?
6. Exercises for Children to Lose Weight
7. Fastest Way to Lose Weight on Stomach
8. Home Workout to Lose Weight
9. How Did Beyoncé Lose Weight?
10. How to Lose Weight Using a Punch Bag

There is lots more useful information across MotleyHealth.com to teach you how to lose weight quickly and safely, but these are the ones that are currently drawing most attention. So maybe they will help you too!

Healthy weight loss takes time. You cannot expect to shed 5 years worth of fat accumulation in 2 weeks, no matter how little you eat, or how far you run. Fad diets do not work. There is no magical exercise regime that will shed pounds quicker than any other. Plus everyone is different, so what worked for your colleague of friend may not work for you.

So, what are the 10 basic healthy weight loss tips?

1. You must reduce the amount you eat, in terms of calories. Weight gain is caused by eating too much. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise.
   
2. You need to get more active on a daily basis as well as by doing specific fitness exercise routines.
3. Weight Loss requires you to be patient and well motivated. Do not despair if you are not losing weight quickly. Just make little changes everyday to the amount you eat and exercise.
4. Calorie counting does work – but be true to yourself! On average eating 400 calories less per day results in a weight loss of 1-2 pounds per week. This may not seem much, but in 13 weeks this will be around 26 pounds – all from one small change, such as no more soda or candy.
5. Eat less fat – fat contains more calories than protein and carbohydrates. Eat less fat to reduce overall calories.
6. Serve smaller portions of both food and drinks.
7. Avoid all drinks but water when you can.
8. Join a support group to find like minded people and motivation.
9. Focus on why you want to lose weight – to look good; to be healthy; to help get fitter.
   
10. Empower yourself – learn all you can about healthy eating, nutrition, exercise and fitness. The more you learn, the easier it is for you to take control of your weight loss plan.

This is been an exciting year for MotleyHealth.com as we have grown and matured and are continuing to go from strength to strength.

We appreciate all the support that our faithful community provide, all the excellent comments, questions and answers provided by you, our readers.

We plan to continue expanding the key areas in 2010, i.e. weight training and weight loss, and will continue to keep you updated on health, nutrition and fitness news.

We wish you all a merry Christmas and prosperous 2010.

Jon and Marcia,

MotleyHealth.com.

How to Lose Weight and Trim Fat

1. Burn more energy than you consume.

We actually require much fewer calories every day than most people think. On average, all that is required to lose two pounds per week is to reduce daily calorific intake by 1000kcal. Although a calorie restrictive diet is not always the best solution in the long term, it can be an effective way to lose unwanted fat.

2. Keep a Food and Exercise Journal

Deep down inside most of us know when we are eating the wrong things, and we often live in denial of the truth – we are overweight because we eat too much junk food. By keeping a food diary, it is possible to look objectively at what we are eating everyday. This can really help to motivate you to stick to the diet plan, as often just the act of writing “today I ate a Big Mac” is enough to shake yourself out of your state of denial and start focusing on eating healthily again.

The same rule applies to exercise. If you diary is blank for a week, it is glaringly obvious that you have not been exercising enough!

3. Don’t have your cake or eat it!

Simple reminder – cakes make us fat. And biscuits and sweet breads too. Cakes are full of refined flour (empty calories), sugar and fat. They may taste great, but they are certainly not good for those looking to lose a few pounds. And as they contain empty calories and sugars, your body will not be nutritionally fulfilled after eating, so will still crave more food, especially after the blood sugar levels drop again.

4. Grill meat rather than fry

This is really the easiest way to quickly cut a lot of fat from your diet without resorting to hiring a personal dietitian. Grilling does not require any additional fat to be added when cooking, and also allows fat from the meat to be drained during cooking. Also get into the habit of pouring off as much oil as possible before dishing up, or adding the meats to a stew.

5. The 20 minute rule

It takes approximately 20 minutes for your belly to feel full from the time you start eating. Many people eat their meals quickly, and then feel the need to eat more. Often by just waiting an additional 5 minutes people lose their appetite. Arnold Schwarzenegger follows this rule.

If you follow these simple rules you should start to lose some additional weight. To help with your weight loss plans, read up on our tips to lose belly fat. Learn more about losing weight in our weight loss section.

Exercising is essential to weight loss. We provide many celebrity workouts, home fitness workouts and strength training workouts, all of which will help you to tone up and lose weight. Attaining your ideal weight really is possible if you take a sensible approach to weight loss, using both diet and exercise to help to reduce and improve food intake, as well as train your body and tone up.

• I want to be able to wear my wedding dress again
• I want to be as fit as I was when I was in High School
• I want to be the fittest dad at my son’s school football game
• I want to be able to wear my favorite Levi’s again
• I do not want to die of a heart attack
• I want to look like Brad Pitt / Megan Fox

There are many reasons to get fit and lose weight, and there are many different ways to achieve your goals. For women the goal is weight loss, and for men it is usually a combination of weight loss and building muscle.

The Key Rules to Slimming Success in 2010

1. Reduce the amount of food that you eat
2. Eat healthier food
3. Exercise a lot more than you do now
4. Be more active in general daily life
5. Take up a new sport or fitness activity, but one that you are genuinely interested in
6. If in doubt, ask for advice
7. Develop a fitness regime and stick to it
8. Learn as much as you can about healthy eating, nutrition, exercise, weight training, sports science etc.
9. Empower yourself to succeed
10. Encourage yourself to succeed

Getting fit, losing weight and slimming down really is not rocket science. To lose weight in a healthy way calories in needs to be less than calories used, so that each day your body needs to burn a little fat to fuel your muscles. Exercise is proven to make you feel better on both a physical and mental level. Group activities such as martial arts provide all the motivation that you need too.

We are here to help you slim down and get fit in 2010. Search the site, ask questions and most importantly, work hard and enjoy yourself.

What are the Top Ways to Get Fit and Lose Weight in 2010?

As we become more aware, usually by the media, of our increasing poor condition (obesity still on the rise, less adults and children exercising, more cancer and heart disease etc. etc.) we are slowly becoming ever so slightly more active once again. Also the credit crunch is keeping many people away from the expensive commercial gyms and working out at home, by themselves of with groups of friends. So, what are the most popular fitness activities likely to be for 2010?

Dancing For Fitness

Over the last years several new, or reformatted, methods of fitness have become more popular. Possibly the biggest increase in fitness is currently being driven by the continuing dance trend that has been triggered partly by the revival of ballroom dancing with the success of Dancing With the Stars and Strictly Come Dancing. Exercise classes such as Zumba and Flamenco are also growing in popularity, although they are still a minority fitness activity.

Nintendo Wii Fitness Games

Computer games have only ever had a bad reputation since they began. However, Nintendo are changing this with more fitness orientated titles for the Wii. The latest titles include The Biggest Loser which provides home exercise plans and eating advice as seen in the TV series.

Boot Camps

Fitness boot camps are still popular and on the rise. Many people are more motivated to get fit when working out outside with a group of other like-minded people. Plus a drill sergeant, or at least a fitness instructor acting like one, helps to keep people motivated.

Martial Arts

Martial arts clubs are now very well established, and have been for many years. However with the heightened awareness in the need for physical fitness, the interest in the boot camp / old school training, and the ever increasing fees of large commercial gyms, martial arts classes are likely to become more popular once again. Styles such as kickboxing and Western boxing continue to be popular, with also an ever growing interesting in MMA (mixed martial arts) and the UFC movement.

Athletics / Olympic Sports

Athletics has been in a slight decline in the UK in recent decades, but the fast approaching London Olympics in 2012 is likely to change that. Track and field events provide everything required to keep you in top physical shape which naturally helps to manage weight.

Bodybuilding / Weight Lifting

Two sports that have also lost favor in recent years, but are once again on the rise. Research has shown how weight training can help to strengthen the whole body to make it resist disease, heal faster and become less prone to injury. Plus it burns a huge number of calories, and with some basic free weights a good weight training routine can be followed at home. A true credit crunch beater!

Cycling

Cycling, like many other sports, has been in decline. However, global warming is causing many governments and local councils to adopt greener transport strategies, and this resulting in cycle lanes being improved and extended in many cities. Most people do not cycle in cities due to fear, but with more cycle lanes and safer networks cycling is set to replace jogging as a fitness pastime.

Soccer / Football – World Cup Frenzy in 2010

The FIFA World Cup is being held in June and July 2010 in South Africa. This is likely to increase interest in soccer during and after the World Cup games. Soccer is an excellent team sport which requires good all round fitness, with endurance, intensive intervals and strength all playing a part.

As 2010 progresses we may see many other activities increase in popularity. We shall keep you posted.

Don’t forget to sign up to our newsletter to keep up to date with health and fitness news.

Top Health and Fitness News

Winter is fast approaching, so we have brought out winter fitness advice up to date. Simple advice on what to do, what to wear and what to eat in the winter. We have also published the Skiing Workouts advice so that all you budding skiers can get the most from your ski vacations by getting fit for skiing first.

Research published this week showed that stress makes us fat. There is more to it than just binge eating when stressed. Fortunately exercise is a great way to combat stress.

Fitness and Strength Updates

Last week we received the first article from our newest guest writer, Mike Brooks. He shared with us his kickboxing fight preparation advice. There will be more tips on training for your first kickboxing fight coming soon.

There have been some exciting articles in the strength training section too, with some clarification on the different methods of weight training. Weight Training Intensity or Volume for Bigger Muscles? provides some useful information for those that are trying to decide whether to adopt a low rep and high intensity method of weight training, or a low rep and high intensity method.

This was quickly followed by Are You Training for Muscular Strength, Size, or Power? which provides more details on the various methods of weight training.

Finally in the fitness section is an article to help you choose a martial art style. New Year is when most people start a martial arts class to get fit, but there are more reasons to train than just fitness. Learn a little about the different styles here.

Yoga Update

Just a week before giving birth Marcia revealed the home yoga workout (session 2) which is a great way to shed some holiday season pounds. Don’t wait until after Christmas, get started today!

Christmas Store Opens

Last week we also launched a Christmas Fitness Gifts stores which have a range of products plus many discounts and special offers.

The Biggest Loser: The Workout and Jillian Michaels – 30 Day Shred are still proving to be popular buys for this Christmas.

Also the $130 saving on the Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver With Heart Rate Monitor means that Garmin are going to be filling many Christmas stockings this year!

For athletes and bodybuilders there is a $20 discount at the moment on BSN True-Mass Ultra-Premium AM to PM Lean Mass Gainer which is a highly rated muscle growth supplement.

In addition to the American store we also have UK and Canadian stores with discounts on many items.

Due to the early Christmas present in the MotleyHealth household we may not manage a newsletter next week, but do hope to have some updates by Christmas and there will certainly be plenty of advice and tips for getting fit in the New Year.

Holiday Greetings from all at MotleyHealth.com.

Happy Thanksgiving to all our American readers! Thanksgiving is a time to kick back and enjoy the company of family and friends for a few days. Try not to overindulge though!

So, what has been happening this week?

Health News

• We started the week with news on various studies about heart health. The Spanish Study is especially interesting, as it seems that alcohol does actually have some health benefits, although not enough to outweigh all the ill effects – Men Should Drink More For Better Heart Health. Also in the news was research from Egypt that discovered that Heart Disease Is Not A Modern Problem, it has been around for thousands of years. And of course we reported on the most obvious news, but something so often ignored - Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: Why do we Neglect the Most Potent Intervention?
• More health news came up this week, including the debate on the amount of salt that we are advised to eat – Is 6g of Salt a Day Too Much?

Yoga Updates

• Our yoga expert has been busy this week updating the yoga workouts and information section. We now have Yoga Relaxation Techniques and Yoga Breathing Techniques. There have been updates to the Asana Sequences and Workouts and new information on Yoga Chant and Mantras. Finally the popular Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series has been updated. Ashtanga is possibly the most effective form of yoga for fitness and improving muscle tone.

Weight Training and Bodybuilding

• The weight training section is also undergoing some exciting changes. For those serious about bodybuilding then there is a new Dorian Yates Bodybuilding Workout. Dorian Yates has won Mr. Olympia 6 times and utilized Mike Mentzers HIT method of training. We also take a look at Mark Rippetoe’s Strength Training Advice which provides workouts aimed at the beginner to build a solid foundation quickly.
• Also we have added two more weight training exercises: Weighted Lunges and Front Squats. Big compound exercise for building muscle and stripping away fat.

Nutrition and Diet Advice

• Some interesting nutrition articles, covering both sports nutrition, weight loss and health: Ephedrine Fat Burners – What Are They?, Low Carb or High Carb Diet – Which is Best?, Fight Colds with Garlic Tea.

Child Health and Fitness

• The health of our children was also a hot topic. Studies showing that many parents think that their children are exercising enough when they are not. What Sort of Exercise is Best for Children? and Are Your Children Exercising Enough, Or Are They Couch Kids?

Sports and Celebrity News

• Usain Bolt was in the news again, having won Athlete of the Year – Usain Bolt and Sanya Richards Are World Athletes of the 2009

Weight Loss Videos and Fitness Trainers Treats!

• The Biggest Loser’s fitness coach Jillian Michaels shares with us some of her training videos. Jillian Michaels 3 Secret Fast Weight Loss Tips
• Finally, something for Christmas. If you have a fitness trainer and do not know what to buy them for Christmas, then here are some ideas: Christmas Gifts For Fitness Trainers

Take care and have an enjoyable weekend.

Many thanks

Jon Wade

MotleyHealth.com