lose-weight-related stories
New Thinking on Metabolism - This Week on AOL Health
Diet & Weight Loss, Motivation, Nutrition & Supplements
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| Courtesy of Scott Seiferheld |
Failing with Weight Loss?
Ask Fitz!, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment
Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answers. Our That's Fit fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.
Q. Fitz, My wife and I have tried diet after diet. We often achieve minor to moderate success with each plan, but have always failed in the long run. We're frustrated to the point of just giving up. Why is it we just can't get fit? Tim
A. Hi, Tim. Thanks for writing. Failing at weight loss is very frustrating, but I'm pleased to say that I have an answer for you. It won't sound as exciting as all of those promises advertised by various "diet" programs, though. I'm not offering a "10 pound in two days" drop or anything like that. I am, however, offering up an answer that will help you lose weight in a healthy way and keep it off for good. No magic pills here, just my magical advice! My fellow fitness pro, Bob Greene chimes in with some advice too.
The Lunch Box Diet - More Than a Fad?
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
That's Fit: OK, I've got my empty lunch box, what do I put in it and how should I eat from it throughout the day?
Lovell: Your box should comprise of a mixture of vegetables, lean protein and dressings, what I call the "g-spot" of the diet plan, your chance to spice it up and add some serious flavor without packing in the calories. If you have an active lifestyle then you can use my special "active carbs," where you add in certain types of carbohydrates according to your activity levels. You can have the breakfast and dinner you currently eat and build up to a healthier one over time. You'll find that your evening portions will naturally shrink as you implement the grazing method, which is great because you'll feel less sluggish and lose weight!
Vegetarianism - Will I Lose Weight?
Ask Fitz!, Fitness, Nutrition & Supplements
Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answers. Our That's Fit fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.
Q. Miss Fitz, I've been trying to lose about 25 pounds for a very long time and wanted to run something past you. I'm of the opinion that vegetarians are pretty trim. Should I go that route to lose weight? Nathan
A. Hi Nathan. Interesting question. I'm feeling both the urge to say yes and no, so I'll talk about the subject and let you choose. Vegetarianism has great benefits, and one of them can be weight loss -- if you do it right. There can be drawbacks as well, so hopefully I can help you make a decision that's right for you.
Flat Belly on a Budget
Fitness, Nutrition & Supplements
A whittled middle is one of the most sought after status symbols of the day. A great majority of people would trade much of what they have to be in incredible shape, but fortunately, you don't have to.
Earning a killer body with a flat belly doesn't need to be expensive. My favorite part of my recently published book, "The Everything Flat Belly Cookbook" is that it doesn't require readers spend a ton of money to achieve tremendous results. In fact, a lifestyle geared towards becoming leaner should save you tons instead.
Produce is often less expensive than processed foods. Compare bananas at $.59 a pound verus Cheez-It crackers at $4.19 for a 11.5 ounce box. The caloric and nutritional benefits of fruits and veggies also far outweigh that of snack crackers. Annual savings for buying one pound of bananas instead of Cheez-It crackers per week: $187.20.
Alcohol is ridiculously expensive and horrible on your belly. A Margarita can cost you nine bucks and 800 calories per glass. What a rip! Annual savings for ditching one margarita per week: $468.
Lean cuts of meat have less fat and fewer calories and much less of a price tag.
- Prime Rib, 10 oz: Calories, 830 and Fat Grams, 55 -- Price: $19.99
- Choice Sirloin, 10 oz: Calories, 509 and Fat Grams, 28 -- Price: $15.99
Annual savings for buying sirloin instead of prime rib: $208.
Are Sporting Events Making You Fat?
Fit Kicks Videos, Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
Is your love of sports responsible for that spare tire forming on top of your hips? Don't let the boys of summer sabotage your ability to fully enjoy swimsuit season. This video reveals the secret to staying slim while getting sporty in a stadium.
For more innovative training videos with Fitz, recipes from a wellness chef and more, visit SportsHealthExercise.org.
Boxing - How One Woman Lost 50 Pounds
That's Fit: Can you describe a typical workout?
Pyatt: My typical workout is a one hour kickboxing class and a one hour personal training session (one-on-one boxing and weightlifting) or hiking usually five to six days a week. Most of the time I go to Peter's Canyon Regional Park in Orange County [and I usually] hike one to two hours.
Take a Big Step Towards a Small Swimsuit
A stadium is a great place to sit on your bum to watch a game and get off your bum and train it. Whether you live near a small or large stadium, I recommend utilizing it as a unique component of your training regimen to intensely target your lower body muscles and respiratory systems. There are so many activities you can do with the varying heights of steps, and the benefits are unreal.
For more innovative training videos, visit SportsHealthExercise.org.
For more from Fitz, visit Fitzness.com
Incredible Abs - Earn them with a Medicine Ball and a BOSU
Fit Kicks Videos, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness
Incredible abdominals are on everyone's wish list, right? Who wouldn't want a flat belly which is bumpy only because of amazing musculature? Sounds sweet, right? Eating right plays the largest role in your weight management, but without exercises like the ones shown here, incredible abs will never make their debut. Train like this several times a week, watch what you put in your mouth and enjoy your amazing transformation!
For more innovative training videos and waist-slimming recipes from my new book, The Everything Flat Belly Cookbook, visit Fitzness.com.
Find both a BOSU and a Medicine Ball at Power-Systems.com
Flatter Abs - Best Bikini-Ready Body Advice
Here, Pagano, a certified health and fitness instructor and author of "15-Minute Abs Workout" and "15-Minute Total Body Workout," (each come with step-by-step companion DVDs) among other fitness titles, shares her best bikini-ready body advice. Remember, she cautions, like any muscle group, abs require 24 to 48 hours to recover between workouts, so you should train them on nonconsecutive days. Also, quantity is not more important that quality. Fifteen minutes is enough time to spend on your belly-flattening routine.
That's Fit: If people have taken vacation from ab exercises over the winter season and are just starting up an ab program, how quickly should they see results?
Pagano: Doing an abs routine three to four times a week for four to eight weeks will strengthen and firm the muscles. For the sculpting effect to show, you also need to reduce your body fat to reveal the contours of the muscles underneath. You can shed the fat by regularly expending more calories than you consume. Incorporate at least 30 minutes of moderate cardio activity most (at least five) days of the week, and monitor your dietary intake.
Wacky Diet Trends of the Last 70 Years - This Week on AOL Health
What's the strangest diet you've tried? Did it work?
Man Handles - Torch or Hide Em'
Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answers. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.
Q. Fitz - I've seen you offer advice for women with "love handles" before, but do you have any for a man? My whole midsection is flabby and I'd like to reign it in. Thanks, Lars
A. Hi Lars, Thanks for your question. You're right, I have answered this question before (to see that feature, click here for "Love Handles and Man Boobs." Love Handles, Man Handles, Damn Handles ... call them what you want, but my answer will always be the same. Those pockets of fat sitting above your hips are just that. Pockets of fat! All the silly side bends in the world won't make them go away unless you do one thing.
Lose Your Gut (Biggest Loser Trainers' Tips) - This Week on AOL Health
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Nutrition & Supplements
Transform Your Body (in 2 Weeks) - This Week on AOL Health
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
Skip the Snacks After 6 PM
Walk the Walk, Diet & Weight Loss, Best Life with Bob Greene
When it comes to late night snacking, the jury is still out on whether or not it helps with weight loss. As Maggie recently pointed out, many experts believe a calorie is just a calorie, no matter what time of day that you eat it.
Over at AOL Health, Bob Greene shares his seven habits of successful weight loss. One of Bob's best known tips, possibly because he shared it with Oprah, is to choose a closing time for your kitchen. In other words, put a stop to late-night snacking. His theory is that if you overdo at breakfast or lunch, you've got time to burn a few of those extra calories off. But if you overdo near bedtime ... well, you can't sleep it off, now can you?
I agree with the idea that a calorie is just a calorie. But as Bob suggests, and as Maggie also points out in this post, late-night snacks tend to be more of the chips and dip variety, eaten mindlessly in front of the TV, rather than a carrot or an apple. That's emotional eating, and getting a handle on emotional eating is one of Bob's seven tips for success.
Bob suggests setting your kitchen closing time for sometime after dinner, usually 7 PM. Since we eat an early dinner, I'll be closing my kitchen at 6 PM this week to cut back on late night snacks and see if this is a tip that really can affect weight loss. Fingers crossed.
