Monthly Archives: January 2013

Three Reasons To Do An Early Morning Workout

Posted on January 29, 2013

If you’re interested in getting started with a workout programme, one thing to consider is making it an early morning workout. While most people groan at the thought of early morning workout sessions, these can be just the thing to get you committed to success.

While they may take a few days to adjust and adapt to as at first your body is definitely going to want to stay curled up in the warm confines of your bed, if you can keep pushing through it, you can get hooked on morning workouts yourself.

Let’s have a quick look at why early morning workouts are the best route to go if you want to stay consistent with your workout efforts.

Nothing Else Will Crowd Them Out

The very first reason to consider early morning workouts is because when you’re doing these, nothing else is going to crowd them out of your day.  You don’t have to worry about work meetings running over or other factors that are beyond your control taking you away from the session.

It’s just you and your workout. As long as you can get yourself out of bed, that’s the only hurdle you have to overcome.

They’ll Give You A Rapid Boost Of Energy

Another great reason to consider early morning workouts is because they’ll give you a rapid boost to your energy level.  There’s nothing quite as energising first thing in the morning as doing an intense workout session, so if you often feel yourself dragging mid-morning, the workout may just be the thing to cure that.

They’ll Enhance Your Metabolic Rate

Finally, the last reason to consider doing an early morning workout over and afternoon or late-night workout is because it will set the tone for the day.

Early morning workouts are a great way to jump-start your metabolic rate, so you’ll start burning up fat far more rapidly all day long, rather than suffering from a sluggish metabolism and then kick-starting it before you go to bed for the evening.

Plus, when you do something positive for your body such as a workout, this can increase your desire not to ‘blow’ it on bad foods eaten throughout the day.

So there you have the primary reasons to consider early morning workouts. They are definitely a great way to stay committed to success on your workout programme.

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www.howtoloseweight.co.uk

Have you downloaded our great FREE report yet? Plenty of other dieters have and they are now using this report to overcome the 5 most common obstacles which could stand in their way of losing weight. Click on the image below to find out how you too can overcome the obstacles holding you back and start your journey to the new slimmer, healthier you today…

About Louise Denny

Louise is a health and fitness writer, with a keen interest in seeking out natural health and beauty remedies to keep herself looking her best! As a journalism graduate with a specific background in online media, Louise writes for numerous online publications covering topics such as management skills, sales techniques, digital marketing strategies, health and fitness and fashion trends to name but a few.

The Grapefruit Diet Review

Posted on January 25, 2013

Often used by those who are seeking rapid slimming results in a hurry, the grapefruit diet may be one that you are considering diving onto yourself.

But, before you do so, it’s important to keep a few things in mind so that you’re fully prepared to take on this diet and are ready for what it’s going to offer.

What This Diet Is All About

This diet plan is based primarily around eating grapefruits and not much else.  The idea is that grapefruits contain a special weight loss property that can help assist with boosting the rate of fat burning taking place in the body, helping you reach your goals more quickly.

This diet is to be done in a 12 days on, 2 days off type of set-up and has you combining grapefruits with other foods.

What You’ll Eat

On this diet, you’ll combine grapefruits with a variety of different protein sources along with plenty of vegetables and the occasional glass of milk.  Carbohydrates and dietary fats are kept low, making this a very low calorie plan.  You are allowed bacon however, so that is one food that will provide some additional fat to the body.

Pros:

  • Will help you lose the weight quickly
  • Can help to keep blood sugar levels stable due to the removal of sugars and starches
  • Does focus and promote greater vegetable consumption

Cons:

  • Will leave you feeling low in energy
  • Doesn’t offer much in terms of variety of foods
  • May cause the metabolism to slow down
  • Doesn’t encourage exercise

The Verdict

All in all, while the plan is great since it makes sure that you get enough lean protein along with vegetables in, it’s not going to foster that high of energy levels and may cause some people to feel rather ‘fuzzy minded’ due to its low carb nature.

It does allow for the two day break between 12 day cycles, which is nice and will provide you with a much needed break and allowance to eat normally again.

All in all, it’s not the most sound approach, but you could do far worse.

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www.howtoloseweight.co.uk

Have you downloaded our great FREE report yet? Plenty of other dieters have and they are now using this report to overcome the 5 most common obstacles which could stand in their way of losing weight. Click on the image below to find out how you too can overcome the obstacles holding you back and start your journey to the new slimmer, healthier you today…

About Louise Denny

Louise is a health and fitness writer, with a keen interest in seeking out natural health and beauty remedies to keep herself looking her best! As a journalism graduate with a specific background in online media, Louise writes for numerous online publications covering topics such as management skills, sales techniques, digital marketing strategies, health and fitness and fashion trends to name but a few.

Conquer Your Cravings With This High Protein Pudding Recipe

Posted on January 23, 2013

Suffering from a serious craving for something chocolatey and sweet? If so, you’ll likely be facing a whole lot of temptation for a number of items that you definitely know do not belong in your healthy diet plan.

And, if you’re not careful, you could easily fall prey to these foods, taking in hundreds of calories more than you should be in the process.

In order to best combat food cravings when they strike, it’s important to have a back-up plan to turn to. That’s precisely what this high-protein pudding recipe will offer. It’s loaded with protein, low in carbohydrates, and virtually fat free, so is the ideal option to keep yourself on track when the craving hits.

Whip it up and in minutes you’ll be diving in to this sinful treat.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups skim milk
1 package sugar-free, fat-free pudding powder
1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder
1 cup sliced strawberries or raspberries

Whisk together the skim milk and pudding powder until completely blended.  Add in the whey protein powder and continue blending until incorporated in.

Spoon into individual serving size cups and then top with strawberries or raspberries.

Note that you can also easily make variations of this recipe using different pudding and protein powder flavor combinations and topping with different types of fruits and even nuts if you prefer (note that this will add healthy fats to the dish however).

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www.howtoloseweight.co.uk

Have you downloaded our great FREE report yet? Plenty of other dieters have and they are now using this report to overcome the 5 most common obstacles which could stand in their way of losing weight. Click on the image below to find out how you too can overcome the obstacles holding you back and start your journey to the new slimmer, healthier you today…

About Louise Denny

Louise is a health and fitness writer, with a keen interest in seeking out natural health and beauty remedies to keep herself looking her best! As a journalism graduate with a specific background in online media, Louise writes for numerous online publications covering topics such as management skills, sales techniques, digital marketing strategies, health and fitness and fashion trends to name but a few.

How To Make Getting Up For Early Morning Workouts Easier

Posted on January 21, 2013

Planning an early morning workout but nervous about whether you’ll actually be able to get yourself out of bed to do it?

This is quite a common concern among many people and if you utilise a few key strategies, the concern can be quickly overcome.

Early morning workouts are a great thing to have in place because those who work out first thing in the morning are far more likely to stick with it over the long-haul.

Let’s take a quick peak at how you can go about making these workouts far easier to get to.

Set Two Alarms

The first technique to use is to set two alarm clocks, one by your bed and one that’s off in the distance.  Have the one by your bed go off first and the other go off second. This way, by the time the second does go off, you’ll have to get out of bed to turn it off and once you’re up, chances are you’ll stay up.

Lay Out Your Clothes The Night Before

Next, make sure that you lay out your workout clothes the night before , as this will help ensure that you are fully prepared for the workout you’re about to do and aren’t going to have to put in much effort to get to the gym in the first place.

Pack a gym bag and put it in your car if you have to. Anything to make going to the gym less effort will help.

Plan A Good Pre-Workout Snack

Last but not least, consider planning a good pre-workout snack. Even though you’re working out first thing in the morning, it is still going to be important that you’re fueling your body well and a good pre-workout snack will do just that.

Have a small protein shake with a banana or a slice of toast with a few scrambled eggs. You want to keep it light enough that you don’t start to cramp up, but there still must be both protein and carbs in the snack.

So keep these quick tips in mind as you go about staying committed to those early morning workout sessions.  If you use them, you should find that doing these workouts is much less of a hassle than you first thought and you may just get hooked on them permanently.

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www.howtoloseweight.co.uk

Have you downloaded our great FREE report yet? Plenty of other dieters have and they are now using this report to overcome the 5 most common obstacles which could stand in their way of losing weight. Click on the image below to find out how you too can overcome the obstacles holding you back and start your journey to the new slimmer, healthier you today…

About Louise Denny

Louise is a health and fitness writer, with a keen interest in seeking out natural health and beauty remedies to keep herself looking her best! As a journalism graduate with a specific background in online media, Louise writes for numerous online publications covering topics such as management skills, sales techniques, digital marketing strategies, health and fitness and fashion trends to name but a few.

Why Rewards Are A Critical Part Of Staying Motivated

Posted on January 21, 2013

If you’re getting ready to start a workout programme, it’s important that you don’t overlook the role that having proper rewards in place will play. Many people do understand that goal setting is important and go on to set some good goals for themselves, but then neglect to follow through with some rewards.

Rewards can serve as a very powerful tool to keep you motivated at all times and ensure that you continue to strive towards greater and greater success.

Let’s go over why rewards are so important and how you can make sure that they work best for you.

They Mark A Milestone

The first reason why rewards are so important is because they’re going to mark a milestone of achievement. With each mini goal that you set along the way to your long-term goal, if you set yourself a mini-reward for it, you’ll break down the path to that long-term goal and make it so much easier to achieve.

Having the reward to celebrate with is going to boost the feelings of satisfaction you get from reaching that milestone and help you press onwards to greater success.

They Boost Self-Efficacy

Next, rewards will also boost your level of self-efficacy. This means that they’ll help you feel more capable of reaching your goals and ability to carry through on your intentions.

Having a high level of self-efficacy does tend to be important for long-term success, as those who have higher levels will attack their goals with greater intensity.

Choosing Smart Rewards

So now that you can see why rewards are so important for success, how do you go about choosing the best rewards?

The key is to first make them not about food as much as possible. While it may be tempting to make your reward all about having a certain meal or dessert you crave, try and stay away from this as it only forms a connection between success and food that you don’t want to build.

Instead, try and choose other things that are important to you. Seeing a movie with a friend, buying that new bag you had your eye on, or – if it’s a longer term goal – possibly taking that vacation that you’ve wanted to go on for so long.

The more meaningful the goal is to you, the better.

So there you have a few quick tips regarding setting proper goals that work for you. Make sure you don’t overlook their importance.

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www.howtoloseweight.co.uk

Have you downloaded our great FREE report yet? Plenty of other dieters have and they are now using this report to overcome the 5 most common obstacles which could stand in their way of losing weight. Click on the image below to find out how you too can overcome the obstacles holding you back and start your journey to the new slimmer, healthier you today…

About Louise Denny

Louise is a health and fitness writer, with a keen interest in seeking out natural health and beauty remedies to keep herself looking her best! As a journalism graduate with a specific background in online media, Louise writes for numerous online publications covering topics such as management skills, sales techniques, digital marketing strategies, health and fitness and fashion trends to name but a few.

Three Squat Variations To Include In Your Workout Programme

Posted on January 18, 2013

As you go about your workout programme, one exercise that you definitely will not want to miss out on is the squat.  The squat is often called the king of lower body movements because it’s going to work all the main muscle groups in the lower body including the glutes, hamstrings and quads.

Many people make the mistake of completely sticking with just one type of squat variation however, thus they don’t maximise the results that this exercise has to offer.

Instead, you should mix it up, including numerous squat exercises in your workout plan.

Let’s look at the main ones that you should consider to add more variety and excitement into your workouts.

Sumo Squats

Sumo squats are great for targeting the inner thighs as well as the quads, hamstrings and glutes.  To perform them, you’re going to use a slightly wider than shoulder width apart stance with the feet turned out.

From there, hold a dumbbell between your legs and squat as low as you can go.

Split Squats

Split squats are the next exercise to include in the mix.  Split squats are great for building up glute strength and for working the core as well, as you’ll struggle to maintain balance the entire time.

To perform split squats, place one foot up on a bench behind you while standing on a single leg. Hold a set of dumbbells down by your sides and then bend until you’re in the lowered down position.

Pause and then press up again to complete the rep. Once all reps are complete, switch sides and repeat.

Front Squats

Finally, front squats are great for placing more emphasis on the quad muscles. To perform these, simply place a barbell across the front of the body and move down into the squat position.  You’ll notice that your balance is slightly shifted here, so be sure that you give yourself some time to adapt.

Squat as low as you can go, pause, and then press up again.

So there you have three squat variations to make sure that you are adding to your workout programme.  Change it up every few weeks so that you continue to make great progress.

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www.howtoloseweight.co.uk

Have you downloaded our great FREE report yet? Plenty of other dieters have and they are now using this report to overcome the 5 most common obstacles which could stand in their way of losing weight. Click on the image below to find out how you too can overcome the obstacles holding you back and start your journey to the new slimmer, healthier you today…

About Louise Denny

Louise is a health and fitness writer, with a keen interest in seeking out natural health and beauty remedies to keep herself looking her best! As a journalism graduate with a specific background in online media, Louise writes for numerous online publications covering topics such as management skills, sales techniques, digital marketing strategies, health and fitness and fashion trends to name but a few.

How To Maintain Naturally High Levels Of Motivation

Posted on January 16, 2013

If you’re someone who’s been going about your workout and diet plan and are starting to wonder how some people always seem to stay motivated when you can’t seem to go a week without a slip-up, you need to learn a few key secrets.

Naturally motivated people have a slightly different mindset than those who aren’t, so by tilting yours in favour of the following techniques, you can help keep yourself committed for the long haul.

Exercise For Internal Reasons

The very first thing to do is to shift your primary motivation for exercising in the first place. If the only reason you’re hitting the gym is to fit into a size 6 pair of jeans, you’re going for the wrong reasons.

Start focusing on how exercise makes you feel and think about that next time you’re tempted to skip a session.  It’s these reasons that you should be going to the gym because these are the ones that will never die out and that will keep you coming back for more regardless of what your weight happens to be doing.

Don’t Do Things You Don’t Enjoy

Second, make sure that you’re always doing workouts that you enjoy. Don’t force yourself to run if you absolutely hate the thought of it.

That’s silly and will just cause you to want to avoid exercise entirely. Start seeking out activities that you know you enjoy and that you will look forward to each day. If you actually want to do it, it’s not going to feel like half the challenge carrying through with your programme as you strive for greater success.

Don’t Strive For Perfection

The last thing that you should know is that you should never be striving for perfection. Those who are naturally motivated are going to always make the most of any situation they’re given.

If it’s not perfect, they don’t stress – they just try and do their best.

This frame of mind helps them prevent falling off entirely because no matter what, they are just doing their best.

Most of the time their best is enough to keep them seeing results, so they have no problem progressing forward.

So there you have the few key secrets of the naturally motivated. Are you missing any of these? Start integrating them into your own approach to your workout programme.

(Image by Photo Steve 101)

www.howtoloseweight.co.uk

Have you downloaded our great FREE report yet? Plenty of other dieters have and they are now using this report to overcome the 5 most common obstacles which could stand in their way of losing weight. Click on the image below to find out how you too can overcome the obstacles holding you back and start your journey to the new slimmer, healthier you today…

About Louise Denny

Louise is a health and fitness writer, with a keen interest in seeking out natural health and beauty remedies to keep herself looking her best! As a journalism graduate with a specific background in online media, Louise writes for numerous online publications covering topics such as management skills, sales techniques, digital marketing strategies, health and fitness and fashion trends to name but a few.

The Biggest Dieting Mistakes You Might Be Making

Posted on January 14, 2013

Working hard towards your goal to shed excess body fat? If so, you should be doing self-checks regularly to make sure that you’re staying on track and are not making any serious dieting mistakes that could significantly cost you your progress.

So which are the most critical slimming mistakes that many people make?

What must you avoid if you want to see optimal success?

Let’s have a look at the biggest  mistakes that you must make sure you’re not committing if you hope to see success.

Lack Of Monitoring Your Diet

The first mistake is not monitoring your diet plan. You eat healthy and figure that’s enough. As long as you cut the junk food out of the mix, that should be enough to get you seeing results, right?

Wrong.

While eating healthy is good, you can still gain weight eating healthy foods.

You need to eat healthy and eat a calorie deficit to help your body to shed those extras pounds. That is your ticket to success.

Doing Too Much, Too Soon

Another vital mistake that you must be sure you’re not making is doing too much, too soon. This means hopping onto a workout programme that has you in the gym six days a week for 90 minutes each time.

And on top of that you’re taking your calorie intake down to 1200 calories per day.

If you do this, your body is going to revolt and you will pay the price.

Slow and steady needs to be the name of your game. Sure, in the short term you may think it’s going to take longer, but really, you’ll get to your end goal faster going that route.

Not Having A Plan

The last mistake that you must be sure you aren’t making is not having a plan in the first place. Far too many people start the day without knowing what they’ll eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and all the snacks in between.

If you leave your diet up to chance, the chances are that the foods you eat are not going to be ones that promote weight loss. Temptation is just too high and that temptation will lurk around almost every corner.

Put a plan in place and you will see greater success.

So there you have the top mistakes to avoid. Are you committing any of these?

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www.howtoloseweight.co.uk

Have you downloaded our great FREE report yet? Plenty of other dieters have and they are now using this report to overcome the 5 most common obstacles which could stand in their way of losing weight. Click on the image below to find out how you too can overcome the obstacles holding you back and start your journey to the new slimmer, healthier you today…

About Louise Denny

Louise is a health and fitness writer, with a keen interest in seeking out natural health and beauty remedies to keep herself looking her best! As a journalism graduate with a specific background in online media, Louise writes for numerous online publications covering topics such as management skills, sales techniques, digital marketing strategies, health and fitness and fashion trends to name but a few.

Why You Shouldn’t Ban Dairy From Your Diet

Posted on January 11, 2013

As you go about your slimming programme, one food group that you may think about removing entirely from the picture is dairy rich foods. Many people cut these items off their grocery list because they firmly believe that they’ll cause fat gain to occur.

But, this isn’t entirely accurate. If you choose incorrect dairy choices then yes, these definitely won’t help enhance your results. But chosen correctly, dairy can actually promote faster progress, not take away from it.

Let’s look at why you should consider adding dairy to your diet plan.

It’s High In Protein

The very first reason to opt for dairy rich foods is because they’re a good source of protein. A glass of skim milk for example will provide almost 10 grams of protein, while a half cup of Greek yogurt can provide 15 or more grams.

Since many people do really struggle to get their protein intake up high enough, consuming dairy products makes this all more possible. Getting enough protein in your diet is a must, so not something to miss out on.

It Promotes Abdominal Fat Loss

Next, calcium from dairy foods will actually encourage faster fat loss from the stomach region. Those dieters who eat at least two to three servings of dairy each day will show higher rates of abdominal fat loss than those who don’t, so this isn’t something to overlook.

Adding dairy to your diet, as long as it is the lower fat, lower calorie varieties could in fact make you more slim than if you had eaten other foods.  Just keep in mind some dairy products are high in sodium, so aim to choose lower sodium varieties if you can as well.

It Cures Hunger

Finally, the last great thing about adding dairy products to your diet plan is that the form of protein found in these foods (called casein) takes longer to digest and break down in the body, therefore will keep you feeling satisfied for a longer period of time.

For anyone who is constantly hungry on their diet plan, this is clearly a very good thing.

So don’t be so quick to banish dairy products from your meal plan.  Choose wisely and pick low-fat, low-calorie varieties and you can definitely start adding this food to your meals a little more often.

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www.howtoloseweight.co.uk

Have you downloaded our great FREE report yet? Plenty of other dieters have and they are now using this report to overcome the 5 most common obstacles which could stand in their way of losing weight. Click on the image below to find out how you too can overcome the obstacles holding you back and start your journey to the new slimmer, healthier you today…

About Louise Denny

Louise is a health and fitness writer, with a keen interest in seeking out natural health and beauty remedies to keep herself looking her best! As a journalism graduate with a specific background in online media, Louise writes for numerous online publications covering topics such as management skills, sales techniques, digital marketing strategies, health and fitness and fashion trends to name but a few.