Is weight training exercise important when dieting? Many experts will quickly tell you “yes” if you ask them this question. Why? It’s because weight training builds muscle and helps increase the body’s metabolic rate. This means, that even while resting, a person who weight trains and who has built more muscle in their body will burn more calories than a person who doesn’t do any weight training.
Plus, weight training workouts typically burn more calories per minute of exercise than cardio workouts do.

But, for women especially, the thought of doing weight training exercises with the intent of building muscle scares them because they think it will make them look less feminine and too masculine. A woman shouldn’t worry though. Unless she does a tremendous amount of muscle building exercises (hours a day) she will not develop a more masculine physique.

Many experts are now recommending that women pick up heavier weights to help them build more muscle and a lean, toned body that is healthy.

Curves for women is one national chain that promotes a circuit type workout for women that builds muscle without building bulk. They recommend doing their 30 minute workout three times a week. That doesn’t mean a person should only exercise three times a week. Cardio exercise can be done every day of the week. Curves isn’t the only choice for women who wish to do weight training exercises. The YMCA is a good place for both men and women who want to get in shape.

Muscle building exercises shouldn’t be done every day though because they fatigues the muscles too much (except for body builders who spend hours a day in a gym following highly specialized workouts under the advice of highly trained trainers). Muscles need a day to rest and recover from their workout before being worked out again. That’s why the recommendation for most people is three weight training sessions a week, doing cardio workouts the other days of the week, with one day a week off to rest.

Another benefit of weight training workouts while dieting that many people don’t think of is that they prevent the loss of lean body mass that typically occurs when people diet. What typically happens when a person goes on a diet is they lose some of their muscle mass along with that unwanted fat. Weight training exercise also strengthens bones and connective tissue.

So, to help your weight loss efforts be successful, do three 30 minute weight training exercise sessions a week. Not only will they help you lose weight, they will help you get stronger, more toned, and healthier.

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Dorrie Ruplinger has written several articles about weight loss. For a free report on how to lose 10 pounds before Christmas visit LoseWeightForChristmas.com.

This article on weight loss has been written because I know, from personal experience, how important it is to your image and self esteem to have just the right body shape.

There are a lot of ways to lose weight. There are people who have decided to purchase exercise machines and after a few minutes of use each day, can loosen the fat instantly. Others try something new such as the Atkins or South Beach diet that have also proven to be effective.

Not all of these will work the same for a person. Some suggest the use of herbs and supplements. These are of western and eastern origin that have been proven to be safe as long as the proper measures are taken.

One of these aids is called hydroxycitric acid, which is an extract from a Garcinia cambogia tree found in India. Many Indians use this in making curry dishes, which is also used in restaurants in the United States.

The chemical does three things. It works by blocking the enzymes in the body from converting carbohydrates to fat. Second, it suppresses the appetite by making the brain think one is already full and lastly, it helps burn fat faster.

This means the person can go into an establishment that serves Indian cuisine or after buying this ingredient, can make a similar dish at home.

People who consume this often should drink a lot of water and reduce the consumption of alcohol because this will hinder the weight loss process. Those who have diabetes, high blood pressure, are pregnant or are still lactating should also stop first since this could have affects on the baby.

Another ingredient used by Indians is called Gugulipid. This herb comes from the mukul myrrh tree that has been used for centuries. This was first used to treat people with lipid disorders and obesity but tests have shown this can also lower the bad cholesterol and increase the good kind that is produced in the body.

This promotes weight loss by stimulating the thyroid gland, which in turn will speed up the metabolic rate in the body thus burning away fat. People who want to try this should maintain a low fat diet and not mix this with anything else since this could cause rashes or diarrhea.

Now before you read any further let me just say that I do hope you are finding this both helpful and interesting. I have written this because I really do believe that we need to know more about this, so, having said that, lets continue.

Gymnema is also a natural herb that can be found in India and parts of Africa. The leaves are known to interfere with the persons ability to taste sweetness thus reducing sugar consumption.

Those who have a hard time saying no to chocolates or anything sweet should take this before having a large meal. People who have diabetes should also eat this in moderation.

Gamma linolenic acid, which is a type of Omega 6, found in evening primrose oil and borage seed oil can be mixed in a meal before eating. This also increases the persons metabolism thus burning excess fat after brown fat found in the body has been activated.

Pharmaceutical companies sell these in bottle form and must be refrigerated and consumed within a month to a month and a half since this decomposes quickly.

Fibers normally found in herbal teas can also help people loose weight naturally. These products have ingredients such as psyllium, guar gum, pectin, glucomannan or chitin which stimulates bowel movement thus getting rid of excess fat. Users should drink lots of water to compensate for the fluids lost.

The use of aids in losing weight are many and have proven to be safe and effective. The person should consult a doctor first before taking anything.

Let me finish by saying that there is a mass of information out there on the topic of weight loss, and if you are wondering just where to start may I suggest a visit to your local bookstore, your local library, and do a search on the internet.

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Ryan Adams Natural Herbal Medicine is the oldest form of healthcare known to mankind. Herbal medicine is the use of plant and herbs extracts for their therapeutic value. Most plants contain and produce cubical substances that aid in healing and other physical treatments.

With so many people today determined to lose weight without compromising their health, it’s no wonder there are an abundance of natural weight loss diets and programmes out there. A simple Google search will turn up millions of results, as the world moves towards a slimmer, more healthy place. And it’s always been the same. Luckily, you can effectively lose weight without the diet pills and synthetic appetite suppressants, and natural weight loss is far more effective for most dieters anyway.

The best idea for natural weight loss is to increase the rate of the metabolism. If you’re out to lose weight quickly, with long lasting guaranteed results, then you should strive to increase your metabolic rate. The problem with many of the fashionable diets is that they restrict the amount of food the dieter can eat, which will actually slow the metabolism and eventually result in the gradual re-gaining of any weight lost. If you increase the rate of your metabolism, you will lose fat permanently, and become far leaner as a consequence.

Exercising constantly on a restrictive diet actually uses the protein from the diet rather than fat. It also means that the majority of weight lost will be water loss, which can confuse many dieters. Before reducing calories, the key is to increase the metabolism, which will constantly increase the rate at which the food you eat is converted into energy, meaning less storage as fat and in increase in energy for your leaner body. Increasing the metabolism also allows for the proteins to be put to use in building and maintaining muscle, which is again the goal for many dieters. With this simple form of natural weight loss, you will find yourself less restricted, whilst still losing pounds and inches from your weight loss. This is by far the best method to shift those stubborn fatty deposits and work on your way to a slimmer self.

So how do you go about increasing your metabolic rate? The best way to start is by eating smaller portions more often. Rather than eating three large meals a day, it is far better for weight loss to eat five smaller meals. Even without exercise, you’ll soon find that this actually helps you lose weight, simply through eating more often. Of course, it’s no good if you shift from three large meals a day to five large meals a day, and by the same token there’s no point in loading up with extra helpings of pizza or chips. If you stick to a healthy balanced diet and eat regularly, you’ll find you’re more active, have more energy and lose weight.

After sticking to this natural weight loss method, you can then start to decrease your calorie content and step up to some light exercise to help shed those pounds even quicker. That way you’ll be making sure your body gets all the good stuff it needs to stay healthy, whilst still managing to fit those tight jeans. If you think about it, and stick rigidly to your five meals a day, you can lose weight the natural way and end up looking great and feeling fabulous.

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In the fast food instant gratification society we live in everyone wants the quick and easy fix for everything. In regards to weight loss and dieting, ask yourself the question, did you gain the weight overnight? Well, it isn’t coming off overnight either.

One of the toughest things you will ever do is accomplish the goal of losing weight and keeping it off. A good diet is only a portion of the overall weight loss program, it’s possible to lose weight by dieting alone but maintaining it for a long time is difficult and also slows your metabolism if you attempt to do it without exercise.

Our bodies are made for survival, so there are built in mechanisms to help accomplish that mission. One of the strongest of these is the anti-starvation instinct which kicks in when we try to lose weight by simply cutting calories. Your body thinks that you are having a problem finding enough food and goes to work to protect itself from starvation by slowing down you metabolism which makes it even more difficult to lose weight.

This is the reason why you need to combine an exercise regimen with your weight loss program; exercise helps to keep your metabolic rate up. Any time you attempt to withhold something from your body in an attempt to trick it you will get a negative result. This is the same reason that you can’t lose water weight by eliminating drinking water; your body will retain water thinking that you are going to dehydrate.

In addition to the negatives I have already given you, a diet without exercise will also result in the loss of muscle. Whether you know it or not the more lean muscle your body contains the more calories you burn, so you guessed it. Muscle loss results in less weight loss do to a lower metabolic rate. A proper exercise regimen will assist you in losing fat while maintaining or even gaining muscle which is desirable for long term weight loss management.

You aren’t alone if your desire to take a magic pill and sit on the couch watching TV and eating Doritos. Almost everyone would rather eat celery sticks and drink only water than subject themselves to an exercise program of any kind, and God forbid, sit-ups! This is exactly why our nation as a whole is obese and our children are facing an obesity epidemic. You don’t have to exercise like you are training for a triathlon; there are some simple things that anyone can do that will help you lose weight.

One thing you can do that almost everyone is able to do is just walk. Start with just 15 minutes and work on increasing it. You don’t have to walk the whole distance at once either. You can work up to doing 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes at night and that will go a long way to helping you keep your metabolism stoked, how hard is that?

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Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as www.thebestdietpill.com“>Diet Pills and Programs at www.thebestdietpill.com

Thyroid boost: When you consume less calories, the body slows down metabolism making fat loss that much more difficult Levels of thyroid hormone, which help support metabolism, drop off when calories decline. The following three products support thyroid levels so you can continue burning the maximum calories while dieting.

a) Phosphates. Phosphates salts of sodium, calcium, potassium keep thyroid levels up while dieting. A study showed that women eating as few as 1,000 calories per day increased their metabolism by 12%-19% when taking a supplement that consisted of sodium phosphate 25mg., potassium phosphate 107 mg., and calcium phosphate 537 mg. Several manufactures offer this balanced supplement: MuscleTech Caffeine-free Hydroxycut, FSI Nutrition Phosphate Edge.

b) 7-Keto. This is a precursor to DHEA that supports thyroid levels. A study showed that overweight women taking 200 mg. daily lost more weight than those not taking the supplement.

c) Guggulsterone. This is a plant derivate common to India that supports thyroid hormones. Guggulsterone has been used for hundreds of years in Asia as a weight-loss remedy. It helps burn fat and can help lower cholesterol. Take 500-mg. daily.

Thermogensis. Mildly increasing core body temperature, causing more calories to be burned rather than stored as fat. When dieting, thermogensis often declines. The following four ingredients help.

a) Capsicum. Red pepper. They incite the sympathetic nervous system, causing the body to burn more calories. Research shows that peppers boost metabolic rate. 100 mg. three times a day.

b) Green tea. Green tea contains a small amount of caffeine, which increases calorie expenditure. But it is the polyphenols that stimulate calories burning brown fat that surrounds the organs and spinal column. Combining green tea and caffeine boost the metabolic rate and thus fat-burning potential for a full day. Green tea also contains strong antioxidants that prevent the development of some forms of cancer. Dosage: 400-mg. daily.

c) Citrus Aurantium. Also called bitter orange or Zhi shi, this fruit is common to Asia. Extracts stimulate special parts of the nervous system called beta-3 receptors, resulting in calorie-burning. It burns calories without “wiring” you. It prolongs the effects of caffeine. One study showed that caffeine and citrus Aurantium added to the herb St. John’s wart was extremely effective in shedding fat. Dosage: 15 mg. daily.

d) Forskolin. The main ingredient of the herb Coleus Forskolin, it initiates fat-burning by activating an enzyme called adenylate cyclase, which encourages the use of fat for fuel. It is a member of the mint family and is used in herbal medicines to treat indigestion and some heart aliments. Dosage: 30 mg. daily

Herbs

a) Fenugreek. This is an herb that may control the rise in blood sugar associated with heating. Controlling blood sugar levels helps you stay out of a fat-storing mode and keeps your appetite under wraps. Dosage 500 mg. twice daily

b) Yohimbe. Is an herb derived from the Carynanthe yohimbe tree common in
West Africa. It blocks the release of alpha-adrenergic fat-cell receptors, which in turn upgrades fat-burning. Dosage: 20-30 mg. daily.

c) Garlic. Garlic is known as stinking rose. It stimulates adrenaline and UCP (uncoupling proteins). UCPs are located in brown fat, the metabolically active fat surrounding the spine. UCPs cab increase calorie-burning. Garlic may help regulate blood-sugar levels, preventing the crash from eating carbs. Dosage: fresh garlic daily.

d) Calcium. Dietary calcium triggers hormones that prevent fat production and boost fat breakdown. Calcium helps control body weight by reducing the amount of fat absorbed after meals. Non-fat dairy products (stick to the cheese and yogurt – many are allergic to milk) help maintain blood sugar longer. Adequate calcium intake is important for bone health and weight control. And calcium, it seems, helps overweigh intervals lose weight primarily from their waste lines. Dosage 200 mg. daily.

Tid-Bit: when is a calorie not a calorie?
One of the most basic rules we learn in any nutrition class is caloric balance – calories in vs. calories out – determines whether you gain or lose weight. Why is it then that some people lose more weight on high protein diet than a high carb or high fat diet?
Researchers think they’ve found the reason. It takes energy to digest food. Consuming one gram of protein (5.65 calories) yields only 4.0 calories of energy. One gram of fats (9.4 calories) yields 8.9 calories of energy. One gram of carbohydrates (4.1 calories) yields 4.0 calories of energy. You lose nearly 30% of the energy when consuming protein, but only 7% from fat, and 2% from carbohydrates. This accounts for about half the weight loss difference from people on a high carb vs. low carb diet. The other half is due to water loss in people on a low carb diet. Every gram of glycogen (stored carbohydrate) is stored with three grams of water. Low carb diets deplete the muscles and liver of glycogen, which releases water and causes weight loss.

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In recent years, more and more people are trying out acupuncture to lose weight. Just what is acupuncture? How can acupuncture treatment help you lose weight?

Acupuncture is a branch of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and has been around for about 5,000 years. It is the practice of inserting very thin needles to stimulate pathways or meridians in the body to treat many illnesses and diseases especially to relieve pain from chronic disorders.

Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners or TCM physicians claim that acupuncture can help you to lose body fat by making you feel full and so will eat less. This curbs excess caloric consumption in the patient treated with acupuncture and is a great help in the patient’s weight loss program.

Acupuncture treatment can also be used to raise your metabolic rate and help you to burn more calories to speed up weight loss. Some Chinese medicine practitioners say that acupuncture stimulates the production of a hormone called endorphins and this hormone helps to lower body fat, insulin and lipid levels in the bloodstream thus less insulin is converted into body fat.

Acupuncture is not a miracle cure for obesity. TCM physicians often stress that to achieve good weight loss results from your program and maintaining your weight, acupuncture treatment alone is not enough. To lose weight effectively and keep the fats off permanently, acupuncture treatment must be combined with healthy eating habits and regular exercises.

Before you begin your acupuncture treatment, your Chinese physician will conduct a medical examination on you by checking your pulse and examination of your tongue to ensure that you are suitable for acupuncture weight loss treatment. This is because TCM is a holistic branch of health care and do not just specifically target the ailment or medical complaint. So an investigation into other reasons why a patient is obese is necessary to solve the problem holistically.

If you want to lose weight naturally and without drugs, why not try TCM acupuncture for your weight loss program?

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Chris Chew is a personal trainer of pageant winners, models and other celebrities. Read more of his articles at Lose weight for an attractive body and Personal trainers in Singapore