Archive for the Weight Loss Category
ScienceDaily – Mayo Clinic researchers found that healthy young people who put on as little as 9 pounds of fat, specifically in the abdomen, are at risk for developing endothelial cell dysfunction. Endothelial cells line the blood vessels and control the ability of the vessels to expand and contract.
“Endothelial dysfunction has long been associated with an increased risk for coronary artery disease and cardiovascular events,” says Virend Somers, M.D., Ph.D., a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic. “Gaining a few pounds in college, on a cruise, or over the holidays is considered harmless, but it can have cardiovascular implications, especially if the weight is gained in the abdomen.”
For the study, which was published in this week’s Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Dr. Somers and his team recruited 43 healthy Mayo Clinic volunteers with a mean age of 29 years. They were tested for endothelial dysfunction by measuring the blood flow through their arm arteries. The volunteers were assigned to either gain weight or maintain their weight for eight weeks, and their blood flow was tested. The weight-gainers then lost the weight and were tested again.
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Weight Loss | 08.22.10 | No Comments
Most weight loss programs try to motivate individuals with warnings of the long-term health consequences of obesity: increased risk for cancer, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and asthma. New research suggests the immediate health benefits — such as reduced pain — may be the most effective motivator for helping obese individuals shed extra weight and commit to keeping it off.
In a pilot research study, University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers found that 21 percent of participants in a local dietary weight loss program reported significantly less pain in the lower extremities and back after losing an average of 10 pounds. Additionally, study participants reported a 20 to 30 percent reduction in overall bodily pain after weight loss. (more…)
Weight Loss | 08.13.10 | No Comments
Why is it that two people can consume the same high fat, high-calorie Western diet and one becomes obese and prone to diabetes while the other maintains a slim frame? This question has long baffled scientists, but a study by Yale School of Medicine researchers provides a simple explanation: weight is set before birth in the developing brain.
Led by Tamas Horvath, chair and professor of comparative medicine and professor of neurobiology and obstetrics & gynecology at Yale School of Medicine, the research team analyzed the same question in specific groups of rats. These animals have been bred so that their vulnerability to diet-induced obesity is known before they would be put on high-fat, high-calorie diet diets.
Horvath said animals that become obese already had a significant difference in the feeding center of the brain. Neurons that are supposed to signal when you’ve eaten enough and when to burn calories, are much more sluggish in these animals because they are inhibited by other cells. In animals resistant to obesity, these satiety signaling neurons are much more active and ready to signal to the rest of the brain and peripheral tissues when enough food has been consumed. (more…)
Weight Loss | 08.7.10 | No Comments
Will Contrave Be the Next Big Weight Loss Pill?
July 29, 2010 — An experimental obesity drug that combines the antidepressant bupropion and the addiction drug naltrexone reduces body weight by 5% or more after one year when combined with healthy diet and regular exercise, according to a new report published online in The Lancet.
If approved, the new drug may be the right choice for dieters who get waylaid by their food cravings because it taps into the brain’s craving and reward system in addition to curbing appetite. An FDA advisory panel is slated to review the drug, called Contrave, on Dec. 7. Manufacturer Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. funded the new study.
In the 56-week study, participants received a high dose of the combination pill, a low dose, or a placebo twice a day. They were also advised to eat a low-calorie diet and engage in regular exercise. Those who took the higher dose of the new pill lost 6.1% of their body weight, while those who received the lower dose shed 5% of their body weight. By contrast, those people in the placebo group lost 1.3% of their body weight. (more…)
Weight Loss | 07.30.10 | No Comments
After you’ve spent the last few months heavily focused on building as much raw muscle mass as possible, there’s a good chance you’re going to want to switch gears and work on stripping off any fat that might have accumulated during the mass building phase.
Regardless of how careful you are with your diet, you are almost always going to gain some fat when adding muscle, it is how much fat that’s the question.
The slower you are willing to build muscle, typically the less fat gain you’ll experience. Likewise, the leaner you are when you initial start your bulking phase, the greater the proportion of lean mass you’ll add.
Either way, once you’re satisfied with the amount of muscle you have, a cutting phase is definitely a good idea to really bring out that definition and set yourself apart from the crowd.
So, that brings us to the question of what needs to change to ignite fat loss? (more…)
Weight Loss | 07.30.10 | No Comments
Ask ten people what type of exercise they should be doing to burn fat and fire up their metabolism and they’ll all probably tell you the same thing. They’ll tell you that you need to do 30-40 minutes of moderately-paced aerobic exercise on a treadmill, elliptical machine, stair climber, etc. for 3-5 times per week.
They’ll probably also tell you that more is better…4 times per week would be better than 3, and 5 times per week would be even better.
People will tell you this because that’s been and continues to be the mainstream recommendation for fat burning by many fitness professionals. Get in a certain target heart rate and stay at that heart rate for 30 minutes or so, several times per week. I am here to tell you there is a better way.
Sure, you’ll burn some calories while you’re running to nowhere on a treadmill, but you won’t make a complete physique transformation with this type of exercise alone. (more…)
Weight Loss | 07.24.10 | No Comments
Many people who want to build an impressive-looking body often use a variety of bodybuilding supplements to help them out. Bodybuilding supplements are a quick and more convenient way to add lean muscle to your body while getting rid of some of the fat. Bodybuilding supplements are meant to be an aid to a heavy workout regimen, not a substitute for one. People who want to build a large, muscular body get the best benefit from a combination of weightlifting, proper nutrition and the right bodybuilding supplements. For beginners, the bodybuilding supplement market can be intimidating with all of the choices available, but there are a few basic supplements to consider. (more…)
BodyBuilding Supplements, Weight Loss | 05.13.10 | No Comments
Are you in search of an exercise program that needs little or no equipment, and calms your spirit while toning your body? While yoga incorporates exercise, it is also a way of life for which exercise is just one component. You have lots of options when it comes to tailoring your yoga workout. Before taking a class, take the time to observe a class that interests you and make sure the instructor is certified with the Yoga Alliance, a qualification that entails at least 200 hours of training in yoga methods and teaching.
Posture, breathing, and mindfulness are yoga’s three main elements, and their simplicity contradicts just how difficult it can be to master even the most straightforward skills. “Savasana,” or the Relaxation Pose is one good way to gain knowledge of fundamental yoga breathing and meditation. Focus on calming your entire body once you get into the pose. (more…)
Weight Loss | 04.24.10 | No Comments
For effective fat loss, you need to do the following:
- Eat 5-8 small meals per day, highlighting proteins, healthy fats and vegetables. The traditional three meals a day won’t do it for burning fat. Balance each meal with about 50% of your calories coming from carbohydrates, 30% from protein and 20% from healthy fats.
- Limit restaurant dining.
- Increase physical activity. Cardiovascular exercise is perhaps one of the most important keys to losing weight.
- Don’t skip on carbs post-workout.
- Get at least 6 hours of sleep nightly. Take a nap if needed during the day.
- Don’t eat just before bedtime. The food that you eat will probably be stored as fat since your body will not be able to burn it off fully.
- Drink more water. Water helps you properly utilize all of your nutrients that you take in through food, which is essential when dieting. It will help you transport the nutrients efficiently into your cells and determine how your cells use them. At the same time, it will help you efficiently eliminate wastes while flushing all toxins out of your body to make you even healthier. Water will also improve your complexion.
| Some days will be tougher than others, especially if you’re on a strict diet. What you must do is to encourage yourself to follow your plan by whatever means you can use. If you eat all the ice cream and candy you want, can you stand the consequences? Remember that falling for temptation will make you fat and put you further away from your dream body.
These changes are not easy to make all at once. By implementing these changes, however, you will see a decrease in your waistline, improved overall health, and more self-confidence.
Dropping fat is not hard. So why does it continue to be |
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an elusive goal for so many people, who fight to lose just a few inches? There is a secret, over 2,000 years old that was disclosed to the general public by the father of medicine, Hippocrates:
If we could give to every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health. |
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Female bodybuilding, Weight Loss | 04.24.10 | No Comments
“What exercise routine will get me the body I want,” is one of the most frequent questions posed by discouraged exercisers. Over the last three decades there have been tremendous changes in our macro nutrient combinations in our mission for the perfect body. Understanding how our muscles use the calories we ingest as energy for muscle contraction is our first step in knowing what to do and what not to do.
What kind of exercise should you do, though? Some types of workouts are aerobic, and others are anaerobic, and you need both varieties of training because they help your body in different ways. Aerobic exercise uses oxygen to burn fuel like fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Anaerobic exercise uses fuel sources stored in the muscle. Both types of exercise, aerobic and anaerobic, are important for complete fitness.
Cardio training is a form of aerobic exercise, and it entails any activity that uses large muscle groups in an unbroken, rhythmic manner for sustained periods of time. Frequent cardio training helps avert an assortment of illnesses including heart attack, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity. The American College of Sports Medicine advocates 30-45 minutes of aerobic training 3-5 days a week if you’re strictly interested in making health improvements.
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Weight Loss | 04.24.10 | No Comments
