Mallu Goes to Fat Camp

Fat, Carbs, and Protein: How To Balance Them To Achieve Weight Loss

2008-11-05T22:30:00.000-08:00

If you are confused about the many diets, supplements, and plans to lose weight, you aren't alone. You probably know that you need to consider the best way to divide up your food intake between fat, carbohydrates, and protein, but how should you do it?

Until recently, there weren't any studies that compared different plans in a way that really compared apples to apples (please excuse the dietary metaphor). There were also no studies that concentrated on how to keep pounds off after the initial thrill of losing them. In fact, different studies reported different results – but no studies worked on precisely the same criteria!

Fortunately for those of us who could stand to lose some extra pounds, distinguished doctors and scientists from various U.S. universities, medical schools, and research centers collaborated to find the answers. They decided to divide the subjects of this experiment between four groups with diets with different percentages of calories from fat, protein, and carbs:

High fat, average protein – 40% fat, 15% protein, 45% carbohydrates
High fat, high protein – 40% fat, 25% protein, 35% carbohydrates
Low fat, average protein – 20% fat, 15% protein, 65% carbohydrates
Low fat, high protein – 20% fat, 25% protein, 55% carbohydrates

For example, a diet of high fat and average protein would get 40% of its calories from fat, 15% from protein, and 45% from carbohydrates.

All diets included similar foods, and all of them were carefully composed to be heart-healthful. In addition, those in the study were given the chance to receive individual and group education on their diets. (Spoiler alert: remember these educational sessions, because they turn out to be important.) Because waist circumference has been shown to be a factor in heart disease, the study also watched how waistlines decreased. The scientists found 811 overweight adults and divided them as equally as possible between the four groups. About 80% of the study's subjects finished the study.

After six months, those in the study had lost an average of 6 kilograms, or about 14 pounds! Unfortunately, they held this weight loss for only six more months and then started gaining their weight back. After two years, they had kept off only some of the weight – generally about 7 pounds each.

We know you're anxious to hear – what ingredient is most important to reduce so that you can lose weight? Well, it turns out that it doesn't matter whether fats, protein, or carbs have high or low percentages in a diet. Only two things really matter: reducing calories and attending group meetings. Both weight loss and waistline measurements were similar for the study subjects no matter what group they were in. Also, every group session attended led to almost half a pound in weight loss.

So no more fussing about fat, carbs, and protein. Reduce your calories and find a support group, and your weight will drop!

Ways to lose weight fast

2008-01-04T20:51:00.000-08:00

At this time of the year, overweight/obese people spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on gym membership and fitness equipments just to lose weight fast or just to stay away from obesity.

But you don’t have to!

Losing weight and being in shape doesn’t require money; it only needs the right knowledge and motivation. This article will give you an idea regarding the problem and provide you with means to lose weight fast and safely.

My BMI is more than 30! I’m obese! What should I do now?

Don’t panic!

Now that you’re aware of your health status, you’re one step away from obesity related diseases. It’s about time for you to know the ways on how to lose weight quickly and safely.

But first let’s determine the factors that make a person obese:

A. Failure to eat breakfast – breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This is one of the common errors of people who want to lose weight. They believe that by skipping breakfast, they’ve eaten less in a day; but actually skipping breakfast makes you hungry which lead to overconsumption over lunch.

B. Always eating in fast food restaurants – foods in fastfood restaurants such as burgers, hotdogs and fries have very high calorie and trans fats. Trans fats increase your bad cholesterol (LDL) which puts you at risk of developing heart diseases.

C. Tired to do physical exercises – this is the reason why people who want to lose weight fail despite having a good diet regimen. Those who are working in offices with sedentary lifestyles are at risk of becoming obese because they don’t have the time and energy to do some physical exercises.

D. Stress – stress can lead to overeating. People who are stressed especially women seek relief on comfort foods such as chocolates, ice cream and pastries. These types of foods contain high amount of calorie.

It is advisable that you avoid these things in order not to aggravate your current health problem. Let’s bear in mind the saying “Prevention is better than cure”. Keeping the weight away is easier than losing weight.

Now that we’ve determine that causative factors of obesity, it’s time for you to know the solution to your weight problem.

Finally, here are some ways to help you lose weight fast and safely!

A. EAT RIGHT!

Don’t skip breakfast – breakfast provides you with the needed energy for your daily physical exercises.
Avoid eating in fastfood restaurants.
Replenish your body by drinking 8 glasses of water a day – water helps in detoxifying your body and in suppressing your appetite.
Try eating low calorie foods before a heavy meal – eating small meals can help you become less hungry before a heavy meal.
Seek advice from a dietician - they could give you more ideas on what foods to eat and what’s not to eat. They could also suggest a good diet to help you lose weight.

B. DO RIGHT!

In order for you to lose weight safely you have to burn those fats. Here are some good exercises to help you lose weight quickly and safely:

Indoor exercises:

Walking around the house
Jump rope
Jumping jacks
Push ups and crunches

Outdoor exercises

Jogging
Running
Engaging in sports like basketball, volleyball and soccer

Losing weight will change your life so EAT RIGHT, DO RIGHT and LIVE RIGHT!

How would I know if I’m obese?

2007-06-23T20:49:00.000-07:00

Physicians and dieticians use a formula that measures your Body Mass Index or BMI. Knowing your BMI, gives you an idea regarding your health status. It gives physicians and dieticians a basis on how to help you lose weight fast and safely. People, who successfully lose weight, consider this formula as the “formula of life”.

In order to determine your BMI, divide your weight in kilograms by the square of your height as represented in this formula:

BMI Formula: BMI = weight in kg./ (height)(height)

If you have a BMI of 25 to 29.9 or more, you are considered overweight. A BMI of 30 and above mean that you are obese. Keep in mind that the higher the BMI, the more predisposed a person is to have obesity related diseases.

What’s wrong with being obese?

2007-06-22T20:45:00.000-07:00

Obesity is a medical condition wherein excess body fat has accumulated in the body to the point that it becomes a risk to a person’s health.

About 400, 000 Americans die every year because of obesity related diseases such as:

Congestive Heart Failure
Cardiomegaly
Diabetes
Myocardial Infarction
Ischemic heart disease
Intracranial hypertension and more.

According to a study, about 33% of the adult population in the US is obese or overweight.

How to Slim Your Hips & Thighs So You Can Finally Wear Those Skinny Jeans

2006-01-08T06:21:00.000-08:00

If you have spent any amount of time browsing some of the most popular fashion magazines, odds are you are quickly coming to the realization that you don’t have the perfect body for the fashions you long to own. While you may know you need to lose the extra pounds that have accumulated on your hips and thighs, you success may be dependent on finding the regimen that works best for you and your lifestyle. Here are some key tips that can help you lose the weight that has accumulated in your hips and thighs so you can finally wear the latest trends that you have always dreamed of owning.

First, avoid diet pills like the plague. While these pills claim to be able to deliver results in a short amount of time with very little effort. These pills may deliver temporary results, but not in the area you are looking to lose the weight from. These pills force your body to purge the fat that you have currently accumulated but they have no effect on the amount of calories you take in on a daily basis. It’s best to eat a healthy diet and get some exercise instead of putting all your faith into a diet pill to hopefully deliver the results that you are looking for.

Second, have some patience. While we would all love to find the magic pill that can help us lose all the weight from our problem areas in no time, losing weight and getting in shape is actually a slow process. Many diet programs claim to be able to show you how to lose large amounts of weight in a short amount of time, but these programs are not healthy for your body. The optimal way to lose weight is a few pounds every couple of days. While it may take some time to see results, losing weight slowly gives you a better chance of keeping the weight off in the long run as opposed to the yo-yo effect that you can experience with some of the other quick weight loss programs.

Lastly, get some exercise. While it would be nice if we could just eat right or take a pill that could help us lose the weight, our diet is only half of the equation for losing weight and toning our problems areas. While eating healthy can prevent further weight gain as well as helping with weight loss, you may start to experience flabby skin in the areas that you have lost the weight from. Without exercise these areas will stay flabby, making your body possibly look less attractive than when you were carrying around the extra pounds. By adding some exercise to your routine you allow your body to lose the excess pounds while toning the areas that you have lost the weight from so you can finally feel confident enough to wear those skinny jeans you had always dreamed of.

These are just a few of the key tips that can help you slim your hips and thighs so you can finally fit into those skinny jeans. Get some exercise and have some patience and you will be on your way to losing the extra pounds and toning your problem areas so you can finally wear the clothes that you have always dreamed of wearing.

What does it mean to Be Fit?

2005-04-07T01:39:00.000-07:00

Fitness is a multi-dimensional concept that results in health, vitality, and long life. However it does take some effort on your part! In this report we’ll tell you all about Women’s Fitness – what it means and how to achieve it safely, without killing yourself with boring exercises or pain.

Fitness helps you feel your best and reduces the risk of heart attack, cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure. In your day-to-day life, being fit helps you control your weight, have more energy throughout the day for work or school, and energy left over to enjoy your free time.

Components of Fitness
There are 4 components to fitness:

Within each of these areas you also need to consider safety, so that you don’t injure yourself as you achieve your fitness goals. Let’s talk about each of the components of fitness individually:

Cardiovascular endurance

2005-04-05T01:35:00.000-07:00

Cardiovascular exercise simply means that you're involved in an activity that raises your heart rate to a level where you're breathing hard, but you can still talk.

Here's why cardio is so important:

It's one of the best ways to burn calories and help you lose weight
It makes your heart strong so that it doesn't have to work as hard to pump blood
It increases your lung capacity
It helps reduce risk of heart attack, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes
It makes you feel good
It helps you sleep better
It helps reduce stress

Bottom line: you need cardio if you want to get your weight under control and get your stress to a tolerable level.

These days, there are so many choices, there's no reason you can't find something you enjoy. Walking is great, but a slow stroll won’t get you fit – you need to move!

If you like to go outdoors, running, cycling, hiking or walking are all good choices. If you like the gym, you'll have access to stationary bikes, elliptical trainers, treadmills, rowing machines, stairmasters and more. For the home exerciser, the available videos cover everything from Tai Chi to kickboxing.

Just about anything is acceptable as long as it involves a movement that gets your heart rate up and you breathing hard.

Remember:

There is no 'best' cardio exercise. Anything that gets your heart rate up and makes you breath harder for at least 30 minutes fits the bill
It's not what you do, but how hard you work. Any exercise can be challenging if you make it that way, including housework and gardening.
Do something you enjoy. If you hate gym workouts, don't force yourself onto a treadmill. If you like socializing, consider team sports or a walking club.
Do something you can see yourself doing at least 3 days a week.
Be flexible. You don't have to do the same thing all the time--it's boring and will lead to weight loss plateaus as well. Feel free to turn on the radio and dance around the house like a fool.

Muscular Strength

2005-04-04T01:31:00.000-07:00

Much has been written about the benefits of cardiovascular training. Until recently, however, little attention has been given to strength training, an important component of a balanced fitness program.

You do not need to be a body builder to benefit from strength training, and women don’t have to worry about “bulking up” like a body builder by lifting weights. A well-designed strength-training program can provide the following benefits:

Increased strength of bones, muscles and connective tissue (the tendons and ligaments), decreasing the risk of injury.
Increased muscle mass. Most women lose about one-half pound of muscle per year after the age of 20. This is largely due to decreased activity.
Muscle tissue is partly responsible for the number of calories burned at rest (the basal metabolic rate or BMR). As muscle mass increases, BMR increases, making it easier to maintain a healthy body weight.
Enhanced quality of life. As general strength increases, the effort required to perform daily routines (carrying groceries, working in the garden) will be less.

The benefits of strength training are no longer in question. Research continues to demonstrate that strength training for women increases both muscle and bone strength and reduces the risk of osteoporosis. A safe strength-training program combined with cardiovascular and flexibility training will give you the benefits of a total fitness program.

An encouraging aspect of strength training is the fact that you'll likely experience rapid improvements in strength and muscle tone right from the start of your program.

It's only natural that, as your fitness level improves, improvements in strength and appearance will follow at a slightly slower pace. To help keep your motivation up, find a partner to train with you.

Flexibility

2005-04-03T22:11:00.000-07:00

Flexibility doesn’t mean being able to do back-bends or splits – it means being able to reach up to the high shelf in the closet, bend down to pick up a dropped coin, and dance without any pain!

Do you remember to stretch before you begin your workout routine? If you’re not stretching before and after you exercise, you could be putting yourself at risk for a serious injury. Besides avoiding a workout-related injury, stretching can also improve your posture, make you stronger, reduce your cholesterol and even help you to lose weight. Flexibility is very important as we get older, since our joints tend to “stiffen up” with age and make everyday tasks (like those above) more difficult. Here are some tips for getting the most out of stretching:

The most common mistake women make is stretching until they are in pain. Pushing your body way beyond normal is just asking for trouble and injury to your muscles. Instead, take your time when stretching and only go as far as a little discomfort.
Ease into that stretch instead of moving quickly. Sudden jerks and movements before our muscles are warmed up can cause your muscles to tear.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Focusing on your breathing will actually allow your body to relax and make you stronger before your workout.

How to Choose the Best Treadmill for Your Lifestyle

2004-10-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

When choosing a treadmill (or any piece of exercise equipment for that matter), there is a lot to consider. Many people tend to look at the price first, but you don't want to be a slave to a price.

When you're buying a car or house, you don't just look at the price; you consider durability and functionality (car) and location, schools, neighborhoods, etc. (house). You'll want to put the same effort in choosing your treadmill - it's just as important a decision. After all, your health is important to you, right?

Of course, first you'll need to think about several things before choosing a treadmill such as size, manual or motorized, how much use will it need to withstand, and maintenance issues.

If space is an issue, you may want to choose a model that folds for storage. There are several models that fold for storage these days.

If your treadmill is going to get lots of use from you and your whole family, obviously you'll want to invest more for a sturdier model. This means a heavier motor and more cushioning. Be sure to pay attention to construction also, which may be shoddy in the cheapest models.

Be sure to choose a treadmill with an adequate walking track (at least 48 inches long and 17 inches wide). And if you're going to be running, you'll need a longer track. And for comfort, select a treadmill that has a deck thickness of at least 3/4-inch or 1-inch if you plan to run as well as walk.

If you're choosing a motorized treadmill, you'll definitely want to consider motor power. Generally, the larger and heavier the motor is, the cooler it will run and the longer it will last. But don't get burned - you should choose a reputable brand when considering motor power also. Reputable brands tend to use better quality parts than cheaper models that may have heavier motors. So be careful.

And you don't want to buy a treadmill that is going to cost a fortune to fix if something goes wrong - so check out the owner's manual before buying to make sure that parts are easily replaced and not too expensive.

Okay, after you've evaluated what you want and need in your treadmill, you can consider cost. Treadmills can start at about $400 (el cheapo models) and run up to around $4,000 (top of the line luxury). Basically, you'll have to weigh the quality and features you require against what you're willing to spend to arrive at a treadmill purchase that you're satisfied with and will enjoy for a time to come.

Calories in food

2004-10-03T20:12:00.000-07:00

When you investigate any labels which contain nutrition information you should always see much of the space provided to the number of calories actually present within the food. Usually, this information will be broken down into what are known as the three macronutrients of food. These are the proteins, carbohydrates and the fats.

In actual fact, you will be looking at calorific values that are in ‘kilocalories’. In other words, each unit will represent 1,000 calories at a time. The reason for this is that just one calorie’s worth of energy is a very small unit indeed. One calorie is all that is needed to heat 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius, in terms of heat energy.

So, when you are reading nutrition labels, remember that these statistics are presented in kilocalories (or Kcal for short). This is rather a confusing fact, but it does help consumers to understand the number of calories they are consuming far more easily.

As a rule of thumb, there are average calorific values that can be apportioned to each kind of macronutrient. For every one gram of food these are as follows:

Protein contains 4 kcal;
Carbohydrates contain 4 kcal;
Fats contain the most at 9 kcal.

When you are reading the nutrition label, the presented statistics should be pretty much in line with these average figures. So, as an example, if a serving of breakfast cereal (at 30g) without the milk contains the following macronutrient makeup, you should be able to work out the calorific value of this food:

30g of breakfast cereal

Protein: 3g
Carbohydrates: 25.5g
Fat: 0.5g

So with the protein you take 3 (g) and times this by 4= 12 kcal
For carbohydrates take the 25.5 (g) and multiply by 4= 102 kcal
Lastly, with the fat; take 0.5 (g) and multiply by 9= 5 (4.5) kcal.

Your total would be 12 + 102 + 5= 119 kcal within your portion of breakfast cereal.

You may have noticed that the three weights above do not equate to 30g (rather 29g), this is because the breakfast cereal also contains other nutrients (called micronutrients (e.g. vitamins and minerals etc)) and when working out calorific values, these are usually too insignificant to worry about. If you are, then you can always multiply the remaining weight by 4 kcal per gram.

No doubt you never thought it would be as simple as that to work out the calorific values of your foods? When you next look at the nutrition chart on your selected item of food, see if the figures coincide with this guide - they should be very close for you.

So by placing an average calorie content on certain types of foods, we can immediately recognise the fact that fat rich foods are going to contain a lot more calories. In fact, more than twice the values for proteins and carbohydrates. It is therefore imperative, especially when looking to lose weight, for you to watch out for types of foods that contain too much fat.

Each individual has a set Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for calories in every 24 hour period. But it must be stressed that this is exactly that - an average. If you are leading a much more active lifestyle, it will be necessary for you to increase your EAR accordingly. Conversely, if you lead a more sedate life, the chances are that you will not need as many calories per day.

These averages will vary between males and females and in accordance with your age. They start at around 545 kcal for males and 515 kcal for female babies of up to the age of 3 months. They will then continue to rise to a peak EAR for 15 to 18 year olds, where the EAR for males is 2755 kcal and 2110 kcal.

After this period of an individual’s life (namely puberty), where so much energy is being used to effect the relevant changes in the body, the EAR’s will start to gradually decrease as the individual gets older. Falling to an average EAR of 2100 kcal for men and 1810 kcal for women for 75 year olds plus.

You should bear in mind that these values may vary from country to country and that there are other crucial factors that will dictate that higher calorific consumptions are required. Pregnancy and lactation are two excellent examples for you here.