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We Chew Too Much Gum

When I finally quit smoking .. my last day was November 7, 2001 .. and I consider it to be “cold turkey”, although I used the PATCH to help me. I haven’t had the urge to smoke since.

My wife, on the other hand .. quit smoking on August 13, 2001 and instead of the PATCH, chose to use Nicorette Gum to help her stop smoking. She consider’s that also to be “cold turkey”, because she hasn’t had the urge to smoke again. However, she did get addicted to Nicorette Gum. It’s funny .. and we *can* laugh at this now .. but, her doctor actually recommended that she go on the PATCH to quit CHEWING NICORETTE GUM! She considered it, and even tried a week but, then gave up the Nicorette gum for sugar-free Dentyne Ice gum.

I was always more of a bubble gum person myself, and enjoy making bubbles, dubble bubble, and all the ‘good flavors’ .. but, I eventually got used to just chewing Dentyne Ice. Besides .. it was sugar-free. It’s better for your teeth – and/or – less fattening if you swallow your gum.

Now ..5 years plus later .. once a week on shopping week, my wife buys about 10 packages of those 4-packs of Dentyne Ice (they’re not cheap .. but about $2.22 CDN at SuperStore) .. and, depending on how it goes during the week .. and how much gum I am chewing .. she may stock up at Walmart with some ‘specialty gum’ like, Mentos Gum, or other flavors of Dentyne Ice gum that I might like. However, for the most part .. it’s either Green or Blue ICE.

I thought it would be interesting to post a picture of what our drawer looks like, on Wednesdays after we stock it up with gum .. Personally, there are many days I don’t chew gum at all – but, on the days that I do – I chew maybe 3-4 packs in one night, 3 pieces at a time. So, it goes fast. My wife on the other hand, constantly chews gum practically every minute of the day, but just takes 1 piece at a time and throws out the rest into the empty used spot that she took her piece of gum from. It’s very unsanitary 🙂 and drives me nuts! I think that’s one of the reasons why I take my own packs of gum, so I don’t accidentally remove one of her USED gum pieces she places and molds to look like a perfectly new piece of gum.

Yep. Here are the pics of a week’s supply of gum for two people.

Top View

Back View

PS.. my wife did that ‘marble’ effect herself on all our cupboards .. it used to be the same 70’ish wood-brown colour as the counter edge you see. But, that’s another story.

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Random Linking – May 27, 2007

Random Links In My Bloglines

Welcome to ..

:. Random Links

I’ve just got too many good links in my BLOGLINES that are going to waste .. and other people should be able to read them too!

Feel free to take your shoes off .. stick around .. click on some links .. click on the top header image … EXPLORE these sites! Bookmark them! Add their RSS Feeds to your own Bloglines! They may seem like random links, but there’s a reason these sites are in my Bloglines 😀

That’s all .. here we go! Enjoy.

* all or nothing
* Weight Watchers Brownies recipe – 8 points
* Six easy Weight Watchers snacks
* Obesity answer: stand-up treadmill workstation? via Weight-Watch-Blog
* 5-Day Core Report
* Old habits are hard to break … and might be the reason you’re still overweight
* How Many Calories Should I Eat a Day? via Starling Fitness
* Advice For The College-Bound Part I
* Carnival of Diet Tips
* Fitflops: Can a shoe tone your butt?
* 6 Summer Slimdown Tricks
* Smaller plates make you eat less?
* Burger King faces Trans Fat Lawsuit
* Free Weight Loss Tips
* Workouts for busy people: free ebook
* No Time? Really?
* FitnessMantra Weekend: Fruits, Vegetables and Whole Grains Are Best During Allergy Season
* Walking Rotation
* Role of your physiological make-up in determining the success of your weight loss initiatives
* May 25, 2007 — Just 4 Today and The Hacker’s Diet
* Fueling runners
* The Ins and Outs of Internet Dieting and How to Find Your Online Dieting Groove
* LA Weight Loss Australia Goes Bust
* Stuffed Peppers

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Setting Weight Loss Goal

By Mac C

Having a goal is vital. Without a goal, life is just dull and unmotivated because you don’t have anything that you want to achieve or obtain. So, what is your goal? Are you thinking of weight loss? If yes, you must have a proper goal and fitness plan to obtain your perfect figure.

To set a weight loss goal, always remember the basics ‘what, when, why and how’. First, you must determine the goal that you desire in a specific way. For instance, instead of setting goal like ‘I want to lose weight’, change it to ‘I want to lose 20 pounds’. This will give you a clear picture of what you are going to accomplish. Second, set a deadline for your goal. This is to prevent you from delaying the plans. Avoid from having an unrealistic timeframe. If the period is too short, you may put yourself into frustration when you fail to do it. Third, dwell on why you want that goal so much. Again, get as detail as possible, like you want to have weight loss so you can wear the beautiful dress on your birthday party. Finally, plan on how you are going to reach your goal. For example, exercise for 2 hours each day with your fitness equipment and replacing junk food with healthy food like fruits.

After having a clear view of your weight loss goal and fitness plan, it’s important to write it down. Get a big poster with your goal written down and paste it in your room or office. This is to ensure you see it everyday and push yourself to do it. Then, try to manage and separate your goal into monthly goals. They are more achievable when you break it into smaller targets. Write them down with your action plan and deadline on the calendar or planner. Every time you review it, you will be more focus with your goal. Besides that, you should also keep track of your daily exercise and food intake. For instance, how frequent you eat, the type of exercise you did, the duration and so on. This journal will be useful for you to examine your progress.

Sometimes, you may find it hard to carry out your weight loss goal and action plan. Review and determine whether it’s just your weakness or the plan is too harsh. If it is just your laziness, push yourself more and avoid the same mistake. However, if it’s about the plan, do not ignore it. Alter the plan a bit so you can move on. Do not stop at a point too long or it will ruin your whole plan.

A weight loss goal is easier to accomplish if you own some support. Be it your friends, family or lover, let them know what you are doing to gain support from them. However, if you get any negative respond, do not give up. Try to turn to online support group. Meanwhile you must be confident with yourself. Not believing in yourself is like putting a big stone in front of you. It will only stop you from marching towards your goal. Hence, you should boost your confidence. Get some motivational items for yourself like t-shirt, mug or pillow. Let it reminds you on your goal, and also encourage and motivate you not to quit easily. In addition, paste an anti-craving sticker to remind you not to drop into the trap of temptation. Besides that, motivational and inspirational stories may also help you in gaining some courage.

Finally, you must make sure you are determine and really strive for your goal as weight loss process requires consistency, discipline, confident and self control. If you have made it for the monthly goal, reward yourself with a gift. You may even give yourself a one day rest, putting your goal aside just for one day. On the other hand, if you fail to obtain the significant result you have longing for, remember ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’. Be patient and put more effort into it.

Good luck for your weight loss goal and endeavors!

Weight loss is not an easy process. Gain more weight loss motivation and support, visit www.cafepress.com/uniquegiftshop.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mac_C

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Exercise Ball

By Al Villa

One of the exercises that has become quite popular is the exercise ball. If you are looking for results you can easily do the routines at home and get surprising results. The concept is based on the fact that you get a better work out because your body is very unstable on the exercise ball. This requires you to use muscles you normally do not use in other type of aerobic activities.

Basically what you do is pretty much routines you would do otherwise. For example when you do crunches on the exercise ball you are twisting and bending in order to stabilize yourself. In addition to getting a good tummy work out you are also getting a workout in other muscles with the compressing, twisting and bending.

There are many different routines you can do with the exercise ball. When you first start out you want to take it easy. Start with the exercises that are easy such as ball balance, hip extensions, butt extension and back extension. Get used to the ball, you can even just sit on it and watch TV to become acquainted. It seems a little awkward at first, just like anything new. Once you make the ball your friend it will be fun. And always be sure to follow the traditional good rule of warming up with light cardio routines.

One of the other things you can do is search on the internet for examples of free exercise ball routines. There are many sites that offer free advice. But before that you need an exercise ball. You can find them in most sporting goods stores but better yet you can get them on the internet. Some sites that offer advice also offer a free exercise ball if you sign up for one of their programs.

This is a great way to get your abs in shape and also other parts of your body. But remember that diet is also important and be sure to follow a healthy diet plan for best results. Always keep in mind the formula for weight loss, if that is your goal –you must burn off more calories than you take in. So a combination of taking in less calories and burning more calories with the exercise ball gives you a one two punch. In no time you will be feeling and looking great. You can get all this accomplished in the comfort of you home.

Al Villa is a retired Judge and internet entrepreneur. He loves to write articles and you can use them as free content provded you include the whole article and this resource box with this hot link: Al Work At Home
Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Al_Villa

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4 Steps for You to Help Yourself During Chemotherapy

By Dave Saunders

Chemotherapy is a word that causes dread in most who hear it. It is a time of stress as well as risk. If you, or someone you know, are facing chemotherapy, these four simple steps may help get through the process with better spirits and better results as well.

1. Tell your doctor if you get side effects from treatment

You can’t expect the possibility of relief from side effects if you do not share them with your doctor. Be sure to communicate with your doctor. Some people keep a health journal during and after treatment to improve the information you have to present to your doctor if problems arise more gradually. Discuss what you might keep in a health journal that might improve the effectiveness of your treatment.

2. Ask your doctor before you take any other medicine

All drugs operate by manipulating some normal cell function. This includes the chemotherapy drugs as well. These manipulations may conflict with the intended effects of your chemotherapy treatment. Even herbals, or an over the counter pain reliever can lead to unintended consequences. Always inform your doctor before taking any other medications.

3. Take care of your health

There are many things you can do to support the natural ability of your body to restore, protect and defend itself from the effects of injury and disease. Seek to improve your diet, find ways to reduce other sources of stress in your life and be thankful for the hope and opportunity you have because of your treatment. These things can have a remarkable affect on your body and your feeling of good health.

4. Talk about your feelings

These are stressful times. Don’t keep your feelings bottled up. People you know and love are probably feeling stress too. Help each other by being open about what you are going through. By being open with others, you can feel more in control of the stress and trepidation you’re feeling, instead of those things being in control of you.

Self-help can never take the place of professional health care. Ask your doctor and nurse any questions you may have about chemotherapy. Also don’t hesitate to tell them about any side effects you may have. They want and need to know.

Dave Saunders is a professional lecturer, and certified nutritional educator. He enjoys creating interconnections through his writings and lectures to help others create context and see new discoveries and technologies in more a practical light. You can find out more about new discoveries in cancer research at www.cancerresearchnewsonline.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Saunders

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Clinical Depression – When Life Is Just Too Hard

By Judy Wellsworth

No human being has ever walked the planet Earth for any length of time without experiencing sadness, a feeling of isolation, or anger. Those feelings may be triggered by any number of events, from the loss of a loved one to the fear which arises from the loss of one’s livelihood, to the sense of failure resulting when something for which one had worked very hard did not materialize.

Most people, while they may at first feel emotionally devastated by a bad outcome, are in a reasonably short time to move on and face life again. But in those who cannot shake off their feelings of loss and grief, and find themselves too overwhelmed to even perform their basic daily tasks, clinical depression may be developing.

The Fun Is Gone
Clinical depression goes beyond appropriate sadness and literally takes over the life of its sufferers. They often find themselves without purpose, unable to, and not interested in, getting out of bed in the morning. Even those who force themselves to perform necessary tasks like eating and grooming themselves do not enjoy it. Some victims of clinical depression may seek comfort in chemical of alcohol abuse; in the most severe cases, clinical depression can cause a person to become suicidal.

One of the characteristics of clinical depression is that it continues for several weeks or months. Because of the length of its duration, the victim can suffer physical effects if he or she stops eating, exercising, or attending to any medical needs.

Clinical depression differs from bipolar disorder, or manic depression, as it is sometimes called; sufferers of bipolar disorder move from being severely depressed to being manically happy. In clinical depression, there are no such mood swings. It may take some time for a correct diagnosis, because bipolar mania does not occur in a regular pattern.

Depression Is Never Normal
There is a widely-held belief that as the elderly, those who are ill, or those in stressful financial straits are simply reacting normally if they become clinically depressed. But clinical depression is not a normal mental state, and will not disappear on its own.

One of the three types of clinical depression, depression with psychotic features, in fact, can be so severe that it causes hallucinations and delusions. Clinical depression is thought to contribute to almost fifty percent of all suicides.

Given the fact that an estimated nineteen million Americans suffer at least one bout of clinical depression each year, public awareness of the signs of clinical depression and the availability of treatment should be made a priority.

You can also find more information at Clinical Depression and Depression Alternative Treatments.

Treatdepressionhelp.com is a comprehensive resource to find out about Depression.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Judy_Wellsworth

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The Side Effects Of Stop Smoking What To Expect!

By Chris Woodall

Maybe your family has been urging you to do it for a while, or you have been meaning to, but it is now finally the right time: you are ready to quit your cigarette habit. If you have quit caffeine in the past, you know that withdraw symptoms from any sort of drug are not very pleasant. Remember, though, that the temporary discomfort of withdraw is just one of the side effects when you stop smoking, and that there will be good benefits down the road as well. Be prepared for the side effects when you stop smoking, both bad and good, and remember that the ultimate goal is great health.

Here is a discussion of what to prepare to experience:

Changes In The Body

When you stop smoking, side effects will include a lot of physical sensations that are not very comfortable. In particular, keep the aspirin nearby, as you will be suffering from headaches during the first few days. If you have ever experienced withdrawal from caffeine, you know that those headaches can sometimes feel pretty severe, so your best preparation is with headache medicine, taken sparingly or at the start of your day for the first few days to lessen symptoms.

Other side effects when you stop smoking include a sense of tiredness, which is to be expected when you stop the use of a stimulant of a drug like nicotine. Ironically, having trouble sleeping is yet another side effect if you stop smoking, and can be a result of the other withdrawal symptoms you will have when you quit.

Changes in Behavior

Those who stop smoking report side effects in the way they act during the withdrawal period as well. In particular, those who have recently quit report irritability, depression, or feelings of anger during the withdrawal period. While those sorts of feelings are certainly not desirable, keep in mind that this is a temporary problem! If you are worried about the effect this will have on your friends and family, please let them know before you stop smoking about these side effects so they can prepare and help you through the worst of it.

Keep in mind that these sorts of effects should be expected when you quit a stimulant such as nicotine. The biggest trap with the mental as well as the physical side effects is that you will feel the urge to go back to smoking just to stop those feelings, but do not fall into this trap. If you stick with it, you will soon pass through the withdrawal phase and be experiencing health benefits that will far surpass any temporary discomfort. With that in mind, throw out your pack of cigarettes and be ready to get yourself through the hard part! You will realize that it is worth it.

If you are trying to stop smoking this can be one of the hardest things you will ever do. If you need stop smoking help go to nicocure.good-reads.com/ to get a review of Nicocure the all natural patch.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Woodall

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Weight Loss Tricks – 7 Simple Ideas

By Simon Volk

There are a couple of simple things you can do to help in the process of lossing weight. For the most part they are common sense and should be part of your daily routine even if you are not currently on a weight loss program.

1. Less Food Later in the Day

Sometimes a diet is really not so much about what we eat, but when we eat. A large meal or extra helping of left over dessert right before bed is not a good idea. Your body is shutting down the metabolism when it goes to sleep so more of this late night snack will get stored as fat. You know what they say “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”. That is because it gives your metabolism a kick start and gets your fat burning machine on the road.

2. More, Smaller meals

Sticking with the whole metabolism thought pattern, you have to keep this internal engine running in high gear. Eat several small meals spaced evenly throughout the day instead of three large meals will keep things burning.

3. Exercise Early in the Day

One more stab at metabolism, if your schedule will allow exercise early in the day. Again this will kick start you metabolism for the day and get it burning the fat away. I have also heard that late in the day will help keep your metabolism going into the night, but I don’t really have an opinion on that either way.

4. Water, Water, Water

Our bodies are approximately 60 percent water (your brain is more like 70%), so needless to say it is important. With weight loss it is even more important. First if you are exercising you will need to replace loss fluids so as not to dehydrate. Second, your body uses water (specifically in your blood) to dilute and carry away the waste from the fat burning process. Check out this cool hydration calculator to get a good idea of how much water you might need.

5. Supplements

Not going to say a lot here due to the many variations. So two simple things, one make sure you are taking a complete multi-vitamin daily to insure your body has what it needs to operate at peak performance. Two, there are plenty of things (some natural, some not) advertised to help you loose weight. Bottom line – consult with your physician before taking any of them.

6. Healthy Snacks on Demand

Make it a habit to have health snacks on hand. Fresh fruit or veggies, low fat yogurt, low calorie snack alternatives, etc. That way when the inevitable hunger pains hit you in the middle of the afternoon or between dinner and bed time, you have a healthy alternative.

7. Eating Out – Salad

One problem I have run into is having multiple lunch meetings per week. Eating the restaurants’ special of the day or worse fast food is not a good alternative. Go ahead and splurge once in a while, but more often than not stick with a simple salad with low fat or no dressing at all.

Hope these ideas help you with your weight loss goals. A final reminder, before starting any diet or exercise program consult with your physician to determine what is right for you. Good luck and good health.

Simon Volk has been a contributing author for websites and is an acknowledged expert in the field of health and fitness. He can be found on the internet at the website: www.healthfitnessarticle.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Simon_Volk

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How Swimming Can Lose Weight

By Lawrence Chok

Swimming is a whole body exercise and not only can lose weight but also can improve your heart and lung functions. This exercise also can train up all your muscles. Because of water buoyancy; when you swim in the water, your bones are fully relaxed. This is good for those who want to increase their height, especially those young teenagers.

Actually, swimming is a huge energy consumption exercise. This is because the water resistance during swim in water is far greater than the air resistance during exercise on land. Just walk in the water already consume a lot of energies, if swim in the water much more calories will be consumed. Meanwhile, the thermal conductivity of water is 24 times greater than the atmosphere and the water temperature is lower than normal temperature, so this is conducive to heat loss and energy consumption. Therefore, the energy consumption from swimming is greater than those exercises on the land. So, the weight loss effect is more obviously.

Swimming can avoid injury from waist and lower limbs exercises. When perform weight loss exercise on land, because of body weight is heavy, it will cause certain part of body (especially the lower extremities and waist) to sustain the enormous gravity load. So, it may easily damage joints and lower limb bones. Therefore, this will reduce the exercise capacity, easy fatigue and gradually reduce the interest in weight loss exercise. However, when swim in water, a portion of body weight will bared by the water buoyancy. So, the load is reduced and the risk of injury to the joints and bone is much lower.

You can enjoy the service of natural massage. During swimming, the water buoyancy, resistance and pressure will become an excellent massage on the human body. It also may help in the beauty of skin.

Resistance of movement in the water is 12 times greater as compare on land. So, when you move your limbs in the water, you will be able to feel a strong resistance. This will train up your back, chest, abdomen, hip and leg muscles. That is the reason why those swimming athletes have clear lines of muscles. Swimming also is an exciting exercise and the heat loss in water is faster than air. In other words, the rate of heat loss in water will be very fast and a large number of calories will be soon consumed during swimming. Therefore, those excess body fats will be easily burned out.

In order to have a good result, a plan is needed for the swimming training. For the beginner: you continuously swim for 3 minutes and then take a rest for 1-2 minutes. After that, you swim for another 2 times, as well as three minutes. If you feel that these are not cost you too much effort to complete, then you can proceed to the second stage: you continuously swim for 10 minutes with average speed and then take a break of 3 minutes (totally 3 times). If you still feel that very relax, then set the time to 20 minutes each …., until as long as 30 minutes. If you feel that the intensity of increment is too fast, then you should adjust to the level that you can accepted. Because of the physical exertion for swimming is quite high, it is recommended perform this training once every 2 days. At least you have 1 day to recover back your energy.

The rate of metabolism will be very fast during swimming. In 30 minutes of swimming can consume 1,100 calories and this metabolic rate still can continue for a certain period of times after you leave the water. So swimming is an ideal weight loss method. For those who are slim and thin, swimming is a good method for them to gain weight. It is because swimming can develop every part of muscles by increasing the size of the muscles and causing weight gain. In order to have smooth lines of muscles, swimming will be the good choice.

Base on above information, swimming really is a good exercise to help in slimming or weight loss. However, well preparation and safety should be done before swimming to prevent accidents.

Lawrence Chok has revealed some simple, easy and effective tips in weight loss and body slimming. Those amazing tips are proven that work to majority of people. Visit his website – Weight Loss Tips at www.behealthyguide.com/.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lawrence_Chok

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Treatment Of Pancreatic Cancer Has Saved Middle Aged People

By: Riley Hendersen

Pancreas lies horizontally behind the stomach. It serves to release enzymes that help digestion, and hormones that serve to regulate carbohydrates metabolism. It helps regulating the sugar level (glucose) of your body.

Pancreatic cancer spreads very fast and it is difficult to spot it, therefore, it is a major cause of death among cancer illnesses. It is a cancer that spreads very rapidly to other parts and organs of the body, making surgical intervention useless in protecting the patient from death.

How does cancer develop in your pancreas? Most tumors form in the cells that produce digestive enzymes. These tumors that are called adenocarcinomas account for nearly 95% of cancer pancreatic.

Endocrine tumors that form in the islet cells are less common. Upon existence, they produce too much hormone. Very serious are the ampullary cancers that form in the ampulla of Vater, it is where your bile and pancreatic ducts are emptied into your small intestine. These tumors when blocking the bile duct, lead to jaundice.

The developing of pancreatic cancer happens when the DNA is damaged, and the growth and division of healthy cells becomes uncontrolled. Thus, a tumor is formed which is a formation of malignant cells.

A small number of people develop this cancer due to genetic predisposition. In 90% of the cases environmental factors, lifestyle, smoking, diet, and chemical exposure lead to the formation of cancer.

According to surveys, black men and women are at higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer, being overweight and working with petroleum compounds also play a risk factor.

How do you suspect that you may have developed cancer in your pancreas? First of all, you lose your appetite, develop sharp abdominal pain, suddenly lose weight, and have jaundice, yellowing of the skin. It is important to mention Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that infect your mucus and your stomach. In many cases it is asymptomatic.

Courvoisier’s law predicts that jaundice and a painless gallbladder that is distended are together indicative of pancreatic cancer. This cancer can be spotted while carrying out liver function tests, along with ultrasound and abdominal CT examinations. Endoscopic ultrasound is a painful, but effective way of spotting the tumor.

Patients having cancer in their pancreas have a poor prognosis due to the cancer not causing evident symptoms in the early stage. Mortality is around 99% in the United States, ranking cancer pancreatic as the number one fatal cancer in America.

This cancer may result in diabetes which turns out to be a life-long illness exposing the patient at discomfort and high risk of death if not treated properly. The American Cancer Society promotes high consumption of vegetables and fruits and lower consumption of red meat. Like with all other cancers, smoking proves a major factor in developing this cancer as well.

Prevention of cancer is vital. Long-term examinations have proved that taking vitamin D helps in decreasing the risk of cancer with 50%. Lately, younger generations have been affected, however, these patients have responded well to treatment in the UK, for example. There is hope for better treatment and diagnosis, these cases have proved the general statistics wrong. For further details, please consult the Pancreatic Cancer UK organization.

Article Source

For more information on cancer try visiting www.cancercondition.com – a website that specializes in providing cancer related information and resources including information on pancreatic cancer.

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Exposed: The Myth of Chemical Imbalances and Depression

By: Chris Green

If you’ve been told by a health professional that you are depressed because of a chemical imbalance within your brain, then you’ve been misled. Imbalances have never been proven to cause depression and here’s why this theory is seriously flawed.

Perhaps the biggest flaw with attributing the cause of depressive illnesses to chemical imbalances is one of order. The question is: What comes first, imbalances or emotional turmoil? If we look at somebody who has just been told of the unexpected death of a loved one and who enters into depression, we can see that it isn’t chemical imbalances that came first, it is the sad news that triggered the depression. If there are chemical imbalances, then you can clearly see they come AFTER the news and are therefore a SINGLE symptom.

What exactly is the nature of a chemical imbalance? If you eat too much sugar, do you experience an imbalance? How about chocolate? Smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol – will these create imbalances? And what if you land the job you’ve always wanted – will the resulting joy cause a chemical imbalance?

Imbalances are given as the cause of depressive illnesses but what about the times when you were totally happy with your life? Was this because you had too much serotonin in your brain and if so, does this mean that you were ill during those times? Clearly not. So how can it be that when you’re very happy it isn’t an illness but when you’re depressed it is? And at what levels are chemicals balanced – when we feel neither happy or sad? That just doesn’t make sense.

A question about what happens after a course of antidepressants is also raised. Antidepressants are used to correct the chemical imbalance by raising levels of serotonin. So, when the balance is restored and the sufferer stops taking the drugs, will the imbalance happen again? So does this mean a sufferer has to remain on drug therapy for life or does it indicate that something else is at the root of stress, depression or anxiety. In the case of a sufferer stricken with grief, will a drug end the torment? How if it isn’t imbalances that have caused the grief?

You can see that the issues given above raise serious doubts about chemical imbalances causing depressive illnesses and explain why there is a lack of strong supporting evidence for the imbalance theory. The root cause of depressive illnesses isn’t to be found in depleted levels of chemicals in the brain but in the harmful and flawed modes of thinking performed habitually by all sufferers. Antidepressants will not help sufferers address this, but modes of thinking can be treated naturally and successfully and will lead to a permanent cure and is therefore much more effective than treating chemical imbalances.

Article Source

You can find more articles, tips and information about natural anxiety, depression and stress management over on our Conquering Stress website.

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Know the Lingo – Common Street Terms for Illegal Drugs

By Stephanie Loebs

Weed, pot, bennies, rock, snow, dime bag…with drug use and abuse comes a large vocabulary of slang terms known primarily to dealers and addicts. A concerned parent or loved may be puzzled at first to hear such code coming from children, spouses, or friends, and consequently it may take time to realize drugs are being abused.

It is the goal of any reputable drug and alcoholic rehabilitation center to help families and friends of addicts break the codes and seek help for their loved ones, that everybody may be able to speak the same language – one of sobriety and good health. With this in mind, it is important for loved ones to be aware of street terms commonly used for illegal drugs. Some may already be well known due to saturation in popular culture, while others are more obscure.

People who suspect loved ones of abusing drugs may wish to be aware of certain words creeping into their vocabulary:

* Amphetamines – bennies, pixies, speed, bottles, brownies, crank, footballs, uppers
* Cocaine – snow, blow, sugar, snort, bunk, candy, coke, charlie
* Crack – rock, baseball, hail, apple jacks, black rock, bubble gum, pebbles
* Heroin – horse, smack, junk, score, brown sugar, Mr. Brownstone, caps, dirt
* Inhalants – huff, kick, rush, ames, moon gas, poppers, spray
* LSD – acid, purple haze, Lucy, specks, haze, sugar
* Marijuana – pot, weed, grass, ganja, blunt, bud, hooch
* PCP – angel dust, crystal grass, dust, juice, mist

No matter how you say it, drug abuse can have a lasting effect on one’s physical and mental health and finances for the worse. If you suspect a loved one of abusing drugs, now is the time to get help and put his or her life back on track. Please contact a physician or counselor and start on the path toward rehabilitation and healing.

Stephanie Loebs is the executive director of Williamsburg Place, one of the top drug rehab clinics in the nation. Williamsburg Place aids those who suffer from drug and/or alcohol addiction, and specializes in caring for health care professionals. For over twenty years Williamsburg Place and its joint rehabilitation center, the William J. Farley Center, have helped thousands of people from all walks of life take back their lives and overcome substance abuse.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephanie_Loebs

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Looking at Nutrition and BMI

By Sarah Verneke

If you are trying to lose weight or just maintain a healthy weight, you should understand the connection between the energy your body takes in and the energy your body uses. Energy is taken in through food you eat and beverages you drink. Energy is used by activities performed. To lose weight you have to use more calories than you take in. To maintain, you have to match the calories you take in with those that you use. Eating a healthy diet and being physically active can help you reach either goal.

The number of calories you need each day depends on your age, activity level and whether you are trying to lose, gain or maintain your weight. Your diet should include the most nutritious foods including fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fat free or low fat milk and dairy products. Foods should be rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients.

You also must be physically active. Regular physical activity is important to your overall health and fitness. It can help you control your body weight. Aim to be physically active at a moderate intensity for at least 30 minutes a day. Increase the intensity or amount of time you exercise to have greater health benefits. Children and teenagers should be physically active for at least 60 minutes every day.

To see if you are at a healthy weight you can measure your BMI (Body Mass index). To calculate your BMI, multiply your weight in pounds by 704, and then divide by the square of your height in inches. For example: if you weigh 162 pounds and are 69 inches tall, your BMI is (162 x 704) divided by (69 x 69)= 23.9 which is normal.

Underweight= <18.5 Normal weight= 18.5-24.9 Overweight= 25-29.9 Obese= BMI of 30 or greater © Copyright.Fitness-Infomercial.com, All Rights Reserved.

Sarah Verneke runs www.Fitness-Infomercial.com where she looks at health and fitness infomercials, and weight loss supplements.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Verneke

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Lose Weight by Learning to Play the Organ

By Jim Lange

Imagine your hands gliding effortlessly, skillfully, making lighting fast decisions made possible by the sheer mastery that your have over your instrument. People look on in awe, astounded by your dedication and self discipline. The audience is on their feet with a standing ovation, your family members tearfully cheering above the applauding crowd, you step away from the Buffet table… a champion. You bow politely, acknowledging the approval of the audience, soaking in the well deserved glory, it is deserved because you have mastered the organ, you have mastered… the Pancreas.

The Heart gets all the attention and all the glory these days. There is the American Heart Association, slogans like “eat heart healthy”, “I love you with all my heart”, the list goes on and on. Certainly the heart is vital to living and should be treated with respect and cared for properly, but the great unsung hero of the body is the pancreas. This is the organ that produces Insulin. Insulin forces sugars from the food you eat into the cells so that the cells can convert it to energy to fuel the body or store it as fat. The pancreas controls how much energy you have during the day and when you have it, it controls whether you gain body fat or lose body fat, it controls when you feel hungry and when you feel full. If your pancreas wears out you get Diabetes.

It is very rare that the human heart stops beating because it t beat too many times and just plain wore itself out. The heart is a muscle, a very tough, relentless workhorse that just doesn’t want to quit. If it stops we can electroshock it back to action, we can cut it open and fix it if it’s broke or damaged, even if it dies we can cut it out and put in a new one, electroshock it, and it starts beating again. An engineering marvel.

The Pancreas is just as tough. It must produce and pump insulin into the blood stream to process our food into energy (think about what you eat and you can appreciate how difficult this can be) to fuel the body. It works tirelessly, attempting to keep your blood sugar in a very narrow range while you take in enormous amounts of sugar that cause your pancreas to produce great spikes of insulin. Unlike the heart however, your pancreas will wear out, it may take decades (or it might not) of abuse but the day comes when it just can’t do it anymore. In fact children are suffering from pancreatic problems at an alarming rate as a result of the enormous amounts of sugar in their diets. The amount of insulin that can be produced becomes limited or in some cases ceases altogether. This results in Diabetes, which results in circulatory problems, blindness, and a host of other medical issues.

So learn to play your pancreas, begin today choosing foods that are low in sugar so that your pancreas doesn’t have to work overtime trying to balance out the sugar with insulin. You will feel better, you will have more energy and you will lose weight.

To find out how to RESET your metabolism in 5 days and end the cycle of obesity you can go to ourdreams.usana.com/mystory_en.cfm

Jim Lange is a health and fitness enthusiast. This year he lost 72 lbs in 9 months by resetting his blood sugar levels and adopting a consistent exercise program. You can check out his blog at resetyourweight.blogspot.com/ to get more information, motivation, and tips on weight loss and fitness.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Lange

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Greetings and Salutations!

Welcome to .. Battling-Diabetes.com

Battling the monster – Diabetes.

My father has diabetes and injects himself with a needle before every meal with insulin. He also checks his sugar level every morning. My brother was just diagnosed with early symptoms of diabetes.

Fortunately, I have been tested negative for diabetes, but struggle with my weight and am warned about the risk that I face in also getting diabetes in the next few years. I want to be healthy and fight this monster before I become vulnerable, and that is why this topic is important to me.

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Welcome to Yvonne’s Corner

Glad to be able to contribute!

He finally did it, he got me to contribute to his blog. Of course, I’m referring to Hartley, my dear husband .. the one you all know as HART (1-800-HART).

Hartley and I joined Weight Watchers in May of 2005. That means we’ve just had our 2nd anniversary. Even though I joined Weight Watchers because Hartley’s cholesterol was too high, it was the best thing I could have done for myself.

A little background about me

When the aerobics craze first hit in the early 90’s, I saw right away that it was something I knew I would enjoy. I joined a few gyms around the city and even took a course to become an aerobics instructor. I was in excellent health, even though I smoked. That all changed when I met Hartley and my gym closed. I became lazy and over a period of about 5 years, I put on about 40 lbs.

I started exercising again in January of 2001, because I wanted to loose some weight and feel better. Although I lost weight when I started working out again, I had a set back. My thyroid gland went hyper (overactive) and I had to take medication to keep it under control so I wouldn’t have a stroke or heart attack. About a year later I got the treatment to stop my over active thyroid, which unfortunately caused it to go hypo (under active). I ended up gaining another 20 lbs before I was put on medication, so by this time I was probably 60 lbs overweight.

Fortunately, when I was put on meds to control my hypo-thyroid, I lost some weight, I was exercising regularly after all. But over the next year or so, I just couldn’t loose all the weight I wanted to. I was about 45 lbs over my ideal weight. I didn’t even realize it had gotten as bad as it was until I joined Weight Watchers. It was the first time in a long time that I stepped on a scale. That was a rude but necessary awaking!

About Yvonne’s Corner

This is my first blogging post – ever. I hope you have patience with my writing and with me. If you have any hints or tips or if you see something wrong with my posts: Please! leave me a comment and tell me!

I like the name “Yvonne’s Corner” and will try to keep all of my posts in this one category. I can’t guarantee that I will be writing long novel stories or chapters, but I will try to write something when time permits me to. I would like to think of this space as my own continuing saga about Weight Watchers, losing weight and exercising. I hope that I don’t just stop in the middle of a sentence or thought .. but, I should warn you that I probably will do that. But, I will come back and continue with my sentence and thoughs another day. And, hopefully “Yvonne’s Corner” will end up to be a good lesson or provide some great weight loss tips for some of you are in the same position that I was/am in … and maybe my sweet husband Hartley will finally listen to me and read my blog entries and lose some weight, so we can retire together and live happily everafter!

I mean .. c’mon .. only 10 pounds down since January 1? Sheesh 🙂

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THE HART-SERIES: May 1, 2007 to May 12, 2007

News, Updates, and Reflections

Nothing new here … after the April 30th deadline and adrenalin rush slow down occurred, and I was getting trying to get all of the “wakeup” pills out of my system too .. I found that I had problems getting back into the swing of things. Then, to make matters worse .. I suddenly realized that I should never have stopped because I am STILL super busy, and pounding to be meeting all of my deadlines before June 15th. I’ve got work deadlines of May 31st and June 30th that I think is under control .. if you call control having the work sit in a box next to your home office desk with a piece of paper stapled to the box with black in text .. “DO ME BEFORE MAY 31st” on it!

Yes .. I’m still battling my obesity problems. I’m not losing weight. However, I am not gaining weight. That in my head is stopping me from losing weight, because in my own very mind – I have been successful in the opposite of ways, by not gaining weight.

After May 1st came and went .. I finally got back to my early morning exercising routines, if you can call it that, with my stationery bike and rowing machines in the basement .. but I stopped after about a week. I’m getting these muscle locks in my legs – where I pull a muscle and it’s like a jolt of electricity has been turned on and there is great pain while I dance around the room walking off the pain, trying to get feeling once again.

Since this past Monday after Mothers’ Day, I have been out walking as an alternative. My dogs Maxxie and Sophie hate me, because I am not taking them with me. It’s just that I don’t feel I am getting exercise with them when I walk. And, I’m just walking down about 6 streets to the local bank, post office or Tim Hortons – and I always end up inside the place where dogs are not allowed anyway. I don’t feel guilty, because my wife has been taking them for the odd walk every couple of days (Whew!). Where do you draw the line? I need to get back into shape. I know they want to go outside, but they will survive and get their share of outside this summer!

This May Long Weekend .. we are heading out for the first time to the cottage out in Victoria Beach, Manitoba .. (here’s pictures from last year). It’s supposed to be cold .. about hi of 11c and low of 0c .. with possibility of rain this weekend. A little chilly, but we will only be doing ‘day’ trips and not staying over. I imagine I will be on leaf and raking patrol this weekend and I’m sure Maxxie and Sophie will be getting lots of walks around this weekend!

Yvonne’s Corner

I created a new category here, and have been trying to get my wife to part-time blog on this blog (translation: begging!). She’s in great shape, and I’m so proud of what she accomplished and continues to do to maintain and be healthy. I believe she books approximately 8-9 hours during the week at Shapes Fitness Center, (1 hr or 2hr sessions) and wants to share some articles she receives about fitness training. I hope to encourage her to write more but I will gladly accept less, if anything! She’s been gearing up for the summer cottage routine, by foregoing a few hours at the gym and instead going jogging for a spell, then taking the dogs out for a short walk. I hope that my readers will leave her lots of comments, to get her motivated to write more and get hooked on blogging! I know, that’s sneaky – but Shhhh! I know she would love to help me with my blogging ventures .. if only she didn’t like blogging! But, she’s passionate about being healthy .. it’s almost like blogging, isn’t it?

Yvonne’s corner .. watch for it .. staring before the End of May!

Pictures Between May 1-12, 2007

Basically, this is what I have been eating .. I must upload them to clear my camera memory or fear of accidentally deleting them for a better picture of something else. I will try to place adequate descriptions with the image, so all you have to do is mouseover them. Throughout this period, I believe I have been eating healthy foods, although I can remember days eating at the following places, with no pictures:

(1) Palatal Restaurant for Mongolian Stirfry x 2. No pics
(2) A&W Restaurant for Double Mozza Burger Super Sized Meal *sigh .. I was weak*. No pics
(3) I took my brother out on his 50th birthday to AppleBees Restaurant but, had the Oriental salad. No pic.
(4) Mothers Day. BBQ. Appetizers. Desserts. need I say more? No pics.

And .. yes .. I seem to be eating a lot more Blueberry Bagels now .. instead of Whole Wheat bread.

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Weight Watching: 3 Tricks to Ease the Pain of Weighing In

By Shelly Crawford

Have you ever gone to your “weight loss” meeting and after the meeting made a b-line to a fast food restaurant with your fast food restaurant calorie book in tow? You know that you have a whole week before the next meeting … plenty of time to still lose some weight.

I’ve done that.

You seem to have momentarily forgotten about your resolve to shed those pounds, once and for all. If you can relate to the above scenario in which I told myself a story about the trip to the fast food restaurant, perhaps you’ll also relate to the three tricks below. In each case, I use a different trick to help me cope with the reality of the weigh-in.

1. Throw off Excess Baggage

Have you ever gotten on the scale with all of your clothes on, shoes included, fearing that you may have gained some weight? Then you begin to gradually remove items. Your jacket, (yes, I had my jacket on), then your shoes, then socks, your pullover shirt, the next shirt, watch, earrings and necklace … stepping on then stepping off the scale after each removal, noting the decrease in your weight each time? You’re literally losing weight right before your very eyes. How wonderful! And after removing the last article of clothing allowable (so as not to be streaking in the house), you arrive at your true weight which somehow, even though you may have gained, doesn’t come with quite the same blow as having to see it from the get go.

Yes, I have done that.

2. Postpone the Weigh In

Have you ever weighed yourself on a doctor’s office type of scale and set it at the weight you were the last time you weighed? And when you step on the scale, if the weighing arm slams to the top of the gauge, you know you’ve gained. You get off, and go on about your business without knowing exactly how much you’ve gained. Heck, for all you know you may have just gained tenths of a pound. No big deal. You’ll weigh again in a couple of days, after you’ve been more disciplined about sticking to your plan.

Yes, I have done that.

3. Eliminate Waste

How about this one … Have you ever gotten up in the morning, jumped on the scale like experts suggest; stating that it’s the best time to weigh? You make a mental note of that weight then go get rid of all the “water” in your bladder from the night before, step on the scale, and lo and behold, you’ve lost nearly a pound! What a wonderful thing. Next, if you can, you make a “move” to “eliminate” anything heavier and you’re off to a great start.

As you know, watching your weight can be difficult. It truly is a journey. Along with your tried and true weight loss program, feel free to use a couple of these ideas to ease some of the pain from time to time along the way. It could be just the thing you need to get you through another weight watching day.

Shelly Crawford is Senior Vice President of Weight Loss Partners LLC, a motivational and accountability company pertaining to long term weight management. Shelly is a Personal Trainer and Fitness Coach: Certified Principles of Group Exercise and Advance Resistance Training. Weight Loss Partners stresses a team approach to weight loss with the goal of building a foundation for living a healthy lifestyle for years to come.

Visit Weight Loss Partners at www.weightlosspartners.com and subscribe to receive a complimentary tip every week.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shelly_Crawford

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The Secret to a Healthy Weight

By Wil Dieck

According to a recent article in Remedy Magazine, being a little overweight is not okay. After a ten-year study of more than 527,000 Americans between the ages of 50 and 71 scientists from the National Cancer Institute concluded that that overweight people (defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 29) at age 50 can increase a person’s mortality rate by 20 to 40 percent. An obese person (defined as having a BMI over 30 percent) boosted that risk between 200 and 300 percent!

The article went on to cite another study from Korea that looked at 1.2 million people between the ages of 30 and 91. In a twelve-year period overweight non-smokers were between 10 to 50 percent more likely to die from heart disease or cancer than normal weight non-smokers.

What these and other studies show is that when you are overweight you increase your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and other illnesses. Achieving your desired weight through a healthy life style reduces your risk.

So how do you achieve your healthy weight? The answer, as we all know is to eat less calories than you burn, but this answer is much too simplistic. It’s too simplistic because dieting doesn’t work. Diets tell us to eliminate foods from what we eat regularly, for example fats. The problem with low fat diets is that our bodies require fat. Fat stores fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Fat also helps the body produce testosterone, which is the hormone that contributes to muscle growth and the burning of body fat. In fact studies have shown that men with higher levels of testosterone were 75 percent less likely to be obese than men with lower levels. This is primarily due to the body’s tendency to store fat when it has low levels of testosterone.

Some diets tell us to eliminate animal protein. While eating fatty cuts of red meat definitely is not good for you, eating lean cuts of animal protein actually helps your body burn more calories than eating protein from soy products.

Other diets tell us to restrict carbohydrates. There while there are many studies that have shown lowering our carbohydrate intake can help us control our weight, eliminating them is absolutely suicidal. Carbohydrates are essential to good health. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans help protect us against cancer and other diseases. So, as you can see, dieting doesn’t work.

Dieting in general doesn’t work because it revolves around restricting what we eat. Weight management is a long-term project. Most people who lose weight quickly by crash dieting or by some other extreme measure usually gain back all or more – of the pounds they lost. Why? Because in order to permanently lose weight and keep it off a person has to change their eating and exercise habits. You see, the best weight management strategies are those that you can maintain for a lifetime. So a better question is how can you change your habits?

We have all tried to lose weight through willpower, cutting down on the calories and/or increasing the exercise. Some of us lose weight by eating almost nothing while working out like crazy. Others lose weight using “crash” diets. The problem is these methods never work and can also be dangerous.

Now why doesn’t this work? It’s because our subconscious image overcomes our conscious goals. Since our subconscious sees us as an overweight person as we begin to “lose weight” our subconscious starts the process of bringing us back to our “correct” image, undermining our conscious efforts.

To really change we first have to change our mindset about “losing weight.” Nobody likes to think of themselves as a loser. To gain a healthy weight you need to stop trying to lose weight and focus on a goal that is positive rather than negative. That goal is to be healthier, look better, and have more self esteem and confidence. In other words you want to have a better image of yourself.

How can you create this better image? A great method is through visualization, reprogramming your mind’s image of your body. One of the best ways to use visualization is through hypnosis, either self-hypnosis, or using a professional hypnotist.

How does hypnosis help? In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, 109 people were divided into two groups for a nine-week study. The first group was offered changes in their diet and more exercises without the addition of hypnosis. The second group was given the same diet and exercise program and also given hypnosis for reinforcement. After nine weeks both groups lost weight. But an interesting phenomenon happened between the eight month and two year follow ups. The group that didn’t have the aid of hypnosis did not lose any more weight, and in most cases actually gained most of their original weight back. The hypnosis group continued to lose weight during both intervals and many actually met their long-term weight goals.

As mentioned before your body image is controlled by your subconscious. The key to helping you become healthier is to align your subconscious image with your conscious goals. That is how hypnosis can help because it goes directly to the subconscious and modifies it, aligning it with your positive conscious goals and making them possible.

Hypnosis teaches your subconscious the skills you need to help you control your appetite, while substituting your old diet for healthier foods and drinking water. It also motivates you to exercise. By visualizing your ideal body image you can anchor your eating and exercise habits toward achieving your imaged goal.

So that’s the secret. It isn’t magic, only good healthy habits adapted for a long healthy lifetime. Healthy eating habits coupled with a moderate exercise program anchored in your subconscious. So why not try hypnosis to change to a new, better image of yourself? It works!

Bio

Wil Dieck is a professional hypnotist practicing in San Diego, California.

For more information about Wil and his practice please go to www.e-hypnosisworks.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wil_Dieck

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I Do Cardio Every Day, Why am I Not Losing Weight?

By Antonio T

Your goal, to lose weight. Your solution, reading while on a treadmill or reading while doing the elliptical and reading while riding the bike on the lowest level. Let me give you a scenario:

The other day, I walked in on my roommate who happened to be on my exercise bike. He was playing the playstation while, slowwwly pedaling away. Later that day, he came to me and asked why he hadn’t lost any weight? My reaction,”Ummm…??” Exactly, I didn’t know what to say. Earlier that day, I’d saw him playing a video game while doing cardio. “What’s wrong with this picture?” His heart rate couldn’t have been 10 points above resting!

Are you one of those people that do something I mentioned in the above? Are you curious as to why you’re not losing weight? Well, I have 3 possible solutions for you!

1) Caloric deficit and diet

Here’s the obvious, you need to burn more calories than you take in. There are a 100 methods you can use to calculate this. Personally, I’m not a calorie counter but, I’m not going to give you some method to calculate the “PERFECT” caloric requirements for you. What I will say is this, “Your diet must change!” It’s really that simple and you need to eat WHOLE FOOD. Now, I’m also not going to tackle a precise diet here but, I will say one thing though, It should consist mostly of whole foods. Example: lean meats, complex carbohydrates, and vegetables and some fruit. Remember you should be eating around every 3 hours (INCLUDING BREAKFAST). You’re meals should be slightly smaller than normal. This means you could very well be consuming the same amount of calories, but more spread out during the day. That means you get a constant flow of nutrients for your body throughout the day.

2) Cardio

Say you do one of the types of cardio I mentioned above. If you are one of those people that pace themselves for 30, 45 or even 60 minutes on a machine and wonder why you’re not losing weight, here’s your answer:

If you’re morbidly obese and get tired after walking for 10 minutes you will be doing yourself a great deal of good by pacing yourself, but why? Think about this, you’re doing cardiovascular exercises and you’re trying to elevate your heart rate. If you aren’t sweating or breathing a little hard, you are NOT elevating your heart rate enough to do jack. Instead of spending an hour doing cardio, “UP YOUR INTENSITY!” Do sprinting paces mixed with jogging paces and if you can read while you’re doing cardio, “YOU ARE NOT DOING CARDIO.” Now I will say this, at first you can go a little slower, but when things seem a little easier, “UP THE INTENSITY!” You have to push yourself to see results! When you’re done with cardio, you should be breathing hard (pre cool down) and sweating. I don’t care if you don’t sweat, “YOU BETTER BE SWEATING YOUR ASS OFF!”

Have you ever tried solving a puzzle? Once you solve a puzzle, it gets a little easier the next time. The more practice it takes, the less time you’ll spend doing the puzzle. This is kind of like when you do any type of exercise (CARDIO included). Your body gets used to the stimulus and it doesn’t feel like it has to adapt, so it doesn’t. Hence that results in you burning less calories because your body knows what to expect. Change things up and it doesn’t matter how.

One day use a bike, one day run around the track, one day walk at an incline, one day use the eliptical. I’m not saying you have to do something different every day, but at the minimum changes the speeds, times, and types of exercises every couple of weeks.

3) Weight training

When overweight people only do cardio to drop fat, it is very possible for them to lose the weight. Usually when this happens, they get what a lot of us like to call the “skinny fat”. Sure, you’ve lost the weight but, you’re still worried because there is no definition. You’ve still got fat and no muscle underneath to give you some shape. That’s one of the MANY reasons I always recommend weight training in addition to cardio and a proper diet.

Another major reason you should weight train if you are trying to better your physique is that more lean muscle means a higher metabolism. That in turn, means you’ll be burning more calories while you’re sitting on your butt. That’s a good thing! No, you don’t get bulky just from lifting weights. People that look “jacked,” spend a lot of time on their diet and weight training regime. It’s not easy and doesn’t happen just because you work out and eat moderately healthy. It is typically a carefully planned endeavor, so in the end you’re burning calories while lifting weights and more so even after your done. Because at the end of the day (figuratively speaking) you’ll have more muscle and a higher metabolism. You’ll be skyrocketing your fat burning potential.

For More Information Please visit the site that posted this article at: Muscular Training Development.com or you can jump into our popular fitness forum and join the many discussions at MTD (View Discussions Now)

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Antonio_T

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