Busting the Body Myths Part 2

Continuing from our part 1…
3) If I don’t eat all day and have just one meal in the evening, I will lose weight. False. In order to keep the metabolic rate elevated, we need to eat regular meals three or more times a day, depending on the amount we eat in one meal. When you eat only once in 24 hours, your body has to conserve fuel for long periods of time. To lose weight, however, you need to get rid of extra fuel quickly. The worst time to eat your largest meal is in the evening because you’re moving more slowly and are less likely to burn off calories. It is much better to eat your main meal in the middle of the day, since this is the time when the metabolism is higher because you are on the move. There is another potential problem with eating only one meal per day: You are far more likely to eat more in one sitting than you would normally eat if you were having three meals per day. The bottom line is that if you eat more calories than you burn, you will store those extra calories as fat. Many people who eat one meal per day tend to pick and snack throughout the day on chocolate bars and cookies, since they are under the illusion that they are not eating much. All of these habits are more likely to increase your total caloric intake throughout the day one way or another, which means more fat.

4) Diet pills are a safe and effective way to lose weight. False. There are so many diet pills available without a prescription. Over-the-counter diet products can be on the shelves as long as they comply with labeling regulations and contain approved ingredients in approved amounts. However, many of these drugs act on the central nervous system and have potentially harmful and unpleasant side effects. A friend of mine was placed on a “metabolism booster” drug, which gave her hallucinations, violent headaches and insomnia. After a week on the drug, she looked and felt awful and was unable to continue taking it.

For those who do persevere, however, these drugs can be addictive. Appetite suppressants—or any other drugs associated with weight loss—should be taken only by clinically obese patients, when prescribed by a doctor. Even in these circumstances, it is still a very controversial area; a lot of researchers say that appetite suppressants shouldn’t be used at all. There is a difference between foods that are advertised as helping you lose weight as part of a calorie-controlled diet (such as many diet drinks) and slimming products (such as those that promise to reduce your appetite). Remember: Even water will help you lose weight as part of a calorie-controlled diet.

Find out more misconceptions at our next part of this series!

Make Fitness Work For You!

Are you a traveler who is always rushing from here to there? Are you feeling mentally-drained, experiencing insomnia, or overeating at fast foods at the airport? Do you find it difficult to overcome the discomfort and tiredness of traveling?

This book was written as a survival guide for all the fellow travelers who want to claim control over their busy lives by a salesman who clocks over 200,000 air miles a year. In this useful book you will learn:

1) 10 amazing ways to find exercise where there is none.
2) How to lose fat and have fun at the same time by being more active on the road.
3) How to exercise without having to go to a gym.
4) The secrets of a super-fit salesman
5) Fitness at 40,000 feet
6) How to run two miles in a hotel room
7) De-stressing techniques which you can use anywhere and anytime.

Buy now at a introductory price of just $25USD! We can’t promise that the price will stay there forever!

Busting the Body Myths Part 1

There is so much misinformation about how to lose weight that it’s not surprising people don’t know which way to turn when a new product comes out. My heart sinks whenever I hear of new fads and gimmicks that are on the market, and I grieve for all the people taken in by false promises and clever marketing. I believe it is emotional blackmail: ”Try this pill/potion/drink, and presto, no more fat.”

Have you been taken in by quick-fix products? If you have had a weight problem for some time, then I’d be surprised if you have not. After all, faced with the choice of taking a pill or going on a diet to lose weight, don’t we always want to take the easy option? Of course we do; it’s human nature. Unfortunately, as I have already mentioned, none of these products actually works. They may even harm you and promote weight gain, which would of course make you a perfect customer for the next product that comes along.

I was recently speaking to a friend who is in her mid-30s and suffers from acne and blemishes. She said, “Janet, I never learn. I have tried every potion and lotion on the market, and yet each time a new one comes out I think, ‘This is the one that’s going to do it’—but it never does.” Does this sound familiar? Is this how you feel about every miracle diet that comes along?

Let’s look at a few of the myths that surround the diet industry. Here are some of the most common misconceptions.

1) Potatoes and pasta will make me fat. False. Both of these foods are carbohydrates and can make up a valuable portion of your diet. It’s what you put on them that usually causes the problem. A baked potato smothered in butter will certainly be high in fat. If it is filled with raw vegetables in a low-fat dressing, however, it can make a nutritious low-fat meal or snack. Pasta also contains very little fat itself (provided you buy the durum-wheat variety and not the type that contains egg). A pasta salad provides lots of nutrients for a tasty meal. Both potatoes and pasta are quite slow to release carbohydrates. This means that they release glucose into our bloodstream gradually over a period of time, giving us a constant supply of energy. As a result of this, you won’t feel full one minute and hungry an hour later. Of course, too much of anything—including carbohydrates—will cause you to gain weight. If the total amount of calories you consume is greater than the total amount you burn, the excess will be stored—as fat.

2) If I diet, I will lose fat from only one part of my body, so I can choose a diet specifically designed for my problem area. False. It is impossible to lose fat from one part of the body and nowhere else. As we explain later in this chapter, you lay down your fat cells at three stages of your life. Whether or not you fill them up depends on what you eat and if you exercise or not. This you can change, but no diet can empty fat only from certain cells and not from others. It’s a physiological impossibility. You will lose fat from where you store it. So if you store fat on your stomach and you diet, you will lose it from this area.

Find out more misconceptions at our next part of this series!

Fitness in the Tub

When all is said and done, possibly the most Epicurean arena for exercise is the bathtub. Get some bubbles going, maybe some scented oils, a candle, who knows — maybe even an exercise partner (the size of your tub and energy levels permitting).

Assuming a solo experience, however, try some of the suggestions given below. They come recommended by

Carolyn Maxwell, who after a day of being chef, manager, bookkeeper, and sometimes bottle washer at her own restaurant admits she can begin to feel a little sautéed herself. “Especially nice about the bathtub workout, in addition to being so relaxing,” she says, “is that you needn’t follow it with a shower.”

Tub Stretches and Strengthening Exercises

The hot water of a bath con make ”tubbing” ideal for stretching.

1) Gently pull your right knee in as close as you can to your chest, hold tor several seconds, then repeat with the other knee. (This is good for stretching the muscles at the back of the upper leg — the hamstrings ——
plus those troublesome muscles of the lower back.)

2) Grab your right wrist with your left hand, raise your hands over your head, then lean slowly from side to side as far as you can, concentrating on stretching the muscles at your shoulders and neck. Switch your grip and repeat.

3) Lean as far forward as you con, keeping your legs straight, and grab your toes. Hold for several seconds, then release. (This stretches the lower back, the hamstrings, and the calves.)
You can also do some strength training in the tub, if you’re in the mood:

4) Place your palms on the rim of both sides of the tub, and press yourself upward until your arms are straight. Lower yourself, then repeat until fatigued. (Good tor the triceps ——- the muscles of the back of the upper arm — and also the chest muscles,or pecs.”)

5) With legs slightly bent, grab behind your knees and try to pull your knees into your chest, providing resistance, however, so that you feel considerable tension in your forearms and biceps.
Hold this position of exertion for about 6 seconds, relax, then repeat until you’ve done a set of 10.