Fitness4Her

Women's Fitness

The Simple Way To Lose Weight

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Losing weight is easy once your body begins to let go of those excess pounds. The logic behind losing weight seems simple enough, yet it is one of the hardest feats to accomplish. It’s a logical assumption that to lose weight all you need to do is reduce calories and increase your aerobic activity and miraculously, once your body gets this message, losing weight becomes easier.

Of course, what you eat will determine how much weight you lose. You’ll want to cut back on fat, in particular saturated fat, also cutting back on sugar and salt will help you lose weight and protect your heart. Your heart has to work harder when you eat foods that have too much sugar, salt and fat. Make wise substitutions and develop a diet plan that you can stick to.

Design a diet that includes foods that you love to eat. Explore different ways to prepare your favorites that make them healthier for you. Make sound decisions about abstaining from foods or beverages that are bad for you. A bad food or beverage would be one that offers little in the way of nutrition but are packed with lots of sugar, fat, salt and calories.

Pay attention to the amount that you eat. Portion control is key to losing weight. That doesn’t mean you have to walk away from the table when you are still hungry. It means being conscious of how much you are eating. Use a measuring cup or scale to help you get an idea of how to portion your foods. Once you realize what 6 oz looks like, you can enjoy your meal without eating too much or too little.

Keep a food diary or fitness journal, especially if you are exercising regularly. Write down everything you eat, drink and your daily physical activities. It is a proven fact that keeping track of your what you eat makes it twice as successful to lose weight than if you do not.

To lose weight effectively and live life more fully, you must be active. A sedentary lifestyle leads to weight gain, makes it harder to lose weight and is responsible for a number of health problems. Not having enough time to exercise is one of the biggest excuses for a sedentary lifestyle. The problem with that logic is that you will never find the time; the solution is that you have to make the time. 30 minutes a day, that’s all it takes. Your body will love you for it.

Conquer Fat With Canola Oil

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Long hailed as a heart healthy fat, Canola oil is one of the best oils that you can use to cook your food. Made from crushed canola seeds, it has less saturated fat than most of the oils in your pantry. Compared to heart-healthy olive oil, canola oil has only half the saturated fat. Lower saturated fat means lower cholesterol and that is good news for your heart and your waistline. Studies have shown that consuming Canola oil will lower your bad LDL cholesterol levels.

When you are trying to lose weight, you might think that cutting out fats is the best way to reduce your waistline. However, not all fats are bad for you. Actually, a healthy dose of fat is part of the daily requirements according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. A well-balanced nutritional diet should consist of 20% to 35% of healthy fat and Canola oil is one of the best fats you can choose.

In addition to the low saturated fat content and ability to lower cholesterol, Canola oil contains higher levels of an essential Omega-3 fatty acid, called Lineolic Acid. These are essential to your health but your body does not make this fatty acid, which is why it is important to add foods that are rich in these nutrients to your diet.

Whether you are cooking with olive oil, canola oil or vegetable oil, keep in mind that oil is 100% fat. Fat contains calories, a whole lot of calories. As a matter of fact, there are 9 calories in every gram of fat, compared to only 4 calories per gram for proteins and carbohydrates. Use oil sparingly because of the high calorie and fat content.

Canola oil has the lowest level of saturated fat than all other vegetable oils. Saturated fats raise the bad cholesterol in your body and have been linked to coronary heart disease. Cooking with canola oil will help to lower the saturated fat you may be adding to your food. Remember, a healthy dose of fat each day is good, but choose the healthiest forms for the best benefits.

Fairly inexpensive, canola oil is a good oil to add to the grocery list and keep as a staple in your pantry.

Take The Journal Challenge

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If you are ready to make huge leaps in losing weight and getting in the best shape of your life, then you must start keeping a fitness journal. It is the best way to keep an accurate account of everything you eat and drink and track your exercise and heart-healthy activities. The day you start keeping a fitness journal is the first day on your way to success. Take the Journal Challenge for 30 days and decide for yourself if what you are doing is working for you.

There’s something powerful about challenging yourself by practicing goal setting. When you follow up that challenge with the accountability of a journal you further your chance for success. As a matter of fact, it has been proven time and again, that people who keep a journal of everything they eat and drink and all of their daily activities have a far greater chance of losing weight than those who do not.

Keeping a journal is not for the faint of heart. It’s for women who aren’t afraid of honesty and hard work. Journaling is best left to those who believe in being accountable, journaling is for women who really want to make a difference.

Journaling is a tool that will bring you closer to your goals. While all forms of journaling are good for the soul, a fitness journal keeps you in check with your physical health. Everything you eat and drink has an impact on your health. Food nourishes the body and the soul. It helps us to stay focused and keeps us from becoming irritable. I know when I am really hungry; I can’t concentrate fully until I eat. But eating on the run can mean trouble for the waistline, that’s why it is important to plan ahead. The best way to plan your meals ahead is by keeping a fitness journal.

Find a convenient place to keep your journal close by so you don’t forget to write down everything you eat and drink. Try not to wait too long to record each meal. It’s easy to forget if you wait until the next meal and try to remember what you ate at the previous one. Be sure to measure or weigh your portions and record exactly how much you eat. The benefit of the journal is to have an accurate account of your food and beverage intake.

Take the journal challenge, keep an account for at least 30 days and see if you can tell a difference. Be honest, stay focused and keep writing your way to a healthier you.

Love To Exercise And It Shows

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If you need a little boost to get you to the gym, start the day with positive affirmations and you’ll see a remarkable transformation in your fitness level. Affirmations are positive reinforcements that rewire your brain and change your thoughts from negative to positive. Affirmations are the recipe for an “I can” attitude.

I absolutely love to exercise. Not only does exercise release all those wonderful endorphins that make me feel good, exercise does wonders for my body. It slims, shapes and tones my entire body. Exercise strengthens my muscles and increases my flexibility. I feel young, vibrant and energetic when I exercise regularly.

Exercise empowers me. I am a confident woman, not only because my body shows the effects of fitness, but because I constantly challenge myself by reaching for the next level. Patience and persistence are my allies, as I allow my body time without giving up hope and giving in. These are the building blocks of confidence: set goals that challenge your body, mind and soul and then to give yourself a chance to achieve these goals, before giving up hope.

Affirmations ensure that you never give up hope. Affirmations help you to stay focused on your goals and your achievements. Many times women who have been exercising don’t see the results they hoped for. They start to feel as if their workouts just aren’t working. When affirmations are a part of your fitness program, your positive attitude is all it takes to keep you assured of your progress. Affirmations keep you focused on the big picture.

Negative thoughts keep you trapped in a paradox. The more you beat up on yourself, the weaker you become. The weaker you become the more you berate yourself. It’s a vicious cycle but one that you can break very easily.

Below are 10 of my favorite affirmations that focus on exercise. Engage your mind, body and soul and repeat these affirmations each morning. You will find yourself looking forward to your workouts and ready to meet new challenges daily.

1. I love to exercise.
2. My body becomes more beautiful each day.
3. Exercise makes me feel good.
4. I am slim and trim.
5. Others notice how great I look and feel.
6. I love and approve myself.
7. Every day, I feel stronger and healthier.
8. I am replacing fat with muscle.
9. My clothes look great on my body.
10. I am getting stronger and better looking every day.