Fluids In Sports! (Importance of hydration in a Sport lifestyle)

 

 



 

Why is it important to constantly hydrate our self in our active sport lifestyle?
Ever since I get myself involved in an active sport lifestyle, the question on body hydration often pop-up in my mind.  Why is it important to hydrate? When to hydrate? What to hydrate? How much to hydrate?  I came to understand that there are 3 basic phases to look into and prepares the body for your race/event,  they are Pre-Race, Race-Day & Post-Race;  all 3 of this phases are crucial to maintain the body for optimum performance.  However, not everyone understands and focus on these basic preparation in these phases and neglects it. 

I am a long distance runner, I prefers to sip just a little water to get my airway wet and hydrate a little in moderation so I dun get stitches; while I prepares my body through the 3 phases for my runs.  I would suggest to the beginner runners to do ur 3 phases preparation before your race day and do not gulp down the whole cup of liquids at the water station, you will get stitches as you run-on.

To train physically without the proper understanding of how our body works will cause more harm to our body instead, this is what my Sports Medicine doctor told me when I went to him for my injury treatment and recovery.  With the helps and guidance of him, I was able to expand my knowledge and understand how to train my body; with proper strengthening and recovery after every run.

This posting article was given to me by my Sports Medicine Doctor, so that I have a better understanding on the importance of fluids the body needs in sports.  I'm just reposting the "FLUIDS IN SPORT" fact sheet, published by Sports Dietitians Australia / SDA; to share the facts with my readers and also my own reading storage.

** Actual Publication by Sports Dietitians Australia is available at https://www.sportsdietitians.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Fluids-in-sport.pdf


FLUIDS IN SPORT - Fact Sheet (Published by Sports Dietitians Australia / SDA)

1. WHY FLUIDS IS IMPORTANT
Water is essential for the human body.  It is required to maintain blood volume, regulate body temperature and allow muscle contractions to take place.  During exercise, the body maintains its optimal body temperature through sweating.  Heat is removed from the body when beads of sweat production (and therefore fluid loss) increases with a rise in ambient temperature and humidity, as well as with an increase in exercise intensity.  So while sweat loss during exercise is essential for body temperature regulation, it can lead to dehydration.

Drinking fluid during exercise is necessary to replace fluids lost in sweat.  However, in most (elite) cases the rates of sweat loss are higher than the rate of fluid intake.  This can lead to a fluid deficit which ultimately increases the likelihood of dehydration.  Therefore, fluid guidelines should promote drinking more fluid to reduce the deficit and potential performance detriments associated with dehydration.  However, it is also important to acknowledge that it is possible to over-drink during exercise.  This highlights the importance of getting to know your sweat rate and knowing how much you should be drinking.  Your sports dietitian can help to tailor an individual fluid plan for you.

2. DEHYDRATION AND PERFORMANCE
As dehydration increases, there is a gradual reduction in physical and mental performance.  There is an increase in heart rate and body temperature, and an increased perception of how hard the exercise feels, especially when exercising in the heat.  Impaired skill level can also occur, along with mental fatigue.  Studies show that loss of fluid equal to 2% of body mass is sufficient to cause a detectable decrease in performance (that's a 1.4 kg loss in a 70 kg athlete).  Dehydration of greater than 2% loss of body weight increases the risk of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other gastro-intestinal problems during and after exercise.

Dehydration also reduces the rate of fluid absorption from the intestines, making it more difficult to reverse the fluid deficit.  You may end up feeling bloated and sick if you delay fluid replacement.  It is impossible to "train" or "toughen" your body to handle dehydration.

3. CAN YOU DRINK TOO MUCH
Drinking more fluid than is comfortable (in any conditions) has the potential to interfere with your performance.  In cool weather or when the exercise pace is gentle, the rate of sweat loss may be quite low.  It is unnecessary and potentially dangerous to drink at rates that are far greater than sweat losses.  Over-hydration during exercise is called hyponatraemia (dilute levels of sodium in the bloodstream).  Symptoms include headaches, disorientation, coma and  in severe cases, death.  It is important to note through that this is relatively rare and dehydration is a much more common issue for athletes.

4. ESTIMATING YOUR FLUID LOSS
Knowing your sweat rate can give you an indication of how much you should be drinking during exercise.  Sports dietitians routinely measure an athlete's sweat rate during training and competition in a range of environmental conditions, to provide them with the information required to design an individual fluid plan.  A simple strategy to work out your individual fluid loss is as follows:

• Weigh yourself in minimal clothing, as close to the start of exercise as possible.  Ideally you should empty your bladder before weighing.
• Commence exercise session
• Weigh yourself at the end of your session, in minimal clothing again, ensuring your towel off any excess sweat from your body, pass urine and void your bowels if necessary.
• Your weight change during exercise reflects your total fluids loss;  i.e. the difference between your sweat losses and fluid intake.  Other minor losses come from breathing, spitting, vomiting and other insignificant sources.
• Repeat this procedure under different training conditions to get a good understanding of your individual fluid needs, for example in hot vs. cold temperatures, high intensity vs. low intensity sessions.
• Remember that weight loss during exercise is primarily water loss (not fat loss), and needs to be replaced soon after finishing exercise.

5. HOW MUCH FLUI AND WHEN !
Drinking fluid during exercise helps to prevent a drop in performance caused by dehydration, and fluid after exercise will re-hydrate you.  The amount of fluid and the timing of drinks depend on the individual and the sport.

Here are some tips:

• Always start exercise well hydrated: this will lower the risk of becoming dehydrated during sport.  Urine colour can be indicative of hydration status
• Aim for a pale yellow colour, as dark urine can represent a dehydrated state.  There is minimal performance benefit to being over-hydrated as drinking excessive amounts of fluid before exercise causes increased urination and feeling bloated
• Develop a plan for drinking during exercise based on your own fluid losses and sweat rates.
• Immediately after exercise, monitor your weight change to estimate your final fluid deficit.  During recovery, you will continue to lose fluids through sweating and urine losses, so plan to replace 125-150% of this fluid deficit over the next 2-6 hours.  Fro example, if you lost 1 kg (1000mL), you will need to drink 1250-1500mL to fully re-hydrate.  Drink fluids in conjunction with your recovery snacks and meal to achieve this goal.
• Different sports pose different challenges and opportunities for optimal hydration.  For team and racquet sports there are formal breaks between play, with substitutions and time outs, all offering an opportunity to drink.  Some individual sports require you to drink on the move.  Be smart and practice strategies to get maximum benefit from fluid intake with minimal fuss and discomfort.  Try special squeeze bottles, or hands free drink pouches if practical.
• Thirst is not an effective indicator of hydration status while exercising.  There is usually a significant fluid loss before you feel thirsty.  When drinking, your thirst will be satisfied well before these losses have been fully replaced.  Therefore, it is important to practice a fluid intake plan that is appropriate for you.

6. WHAT IS THE BEST FLUID TO DRINK?
As there are many drinks options available, you now need to think about which is best for you.  Plain water alone is an effective drink for fluid replacement, especially in low intensity and short duration sports.  However, if carbohydrate and electrolytes are added to water, as in a sports drink, performance can be enhanced, especially in high intensity and endurance sports.  Carbohydrate provides an important energy source for muscles and the brain, as well as enhancing flavours.  This can be one advantage of a sports drink over plain water; a flavoured drink is generally consumed in greater quantity than a non-flavoured drink.

Electrolytes such as sodium are lost in sweat and need to be replaced during and after prolonged exercise.  Sodium in fluid improves fluid intake as it stimulates the thirst mechanism, promotes both carbohydrate and water uptake in the intestines, and reduces the volume of urine produced post-exercise.  Sports drinks contain appropriate amounts of electrolytes for most sporting situations.

Of course, salt can be consumed in foods that are eaten at the same time as post-exercise fluids.

For more information, see the SDA fact shee on Sports Drinks.

Caffeine
There are a growing number of drinks on the market that contain a number of ingredients including caffeine.  Caffeine is no longer banned by the World Anti Doping Agency.  The consumption of small to moderate doses of caffeine (75 - 200mg) can help to sustain exercise performance, reduce the perception of effort, and is unlikely to alter hydration status during exercise in such doses.  However, the use of caffeine amongst athletes is often ad hoc and they may be unaware of the potential detrimental side effects associated with its use.  Ensure that you discuss the use of caffeine with your sports dietitian or sports scientist and consider individual responses to caffeine.

Alcohol
Alcohol is not a suitable fluid to choose immediately after exercise, as it impairs vital recovery processes, and may also impair the ability to rehydrate effectively post-exercise.  If you choose to drink alcohol after exercise, look after your recovery needs first (i.e. replacing fluids, carbohydrate stores and consuming some protein to assist with muscle repair) and then consume alcohol in sensible amounts.  However if a soft-tissue injury is suspected, alcohol should be avoided as it can increase swelling and counter recovery goals.

7. FLUIDS GUIDELINES SUMMARY
The detrimental effects of dehydration on performance may include:

• Loss of coordination, impaired ability to make a decision, increased rate of perceived exertion and increased risk of heat stress.
• Aim to match your sweat rate and fluid loss with fluid intake as closely as possible.
• Get to know your fluid loss by weighing yourself before and after training sessions and competition.
• Ensure that you drink at a rate that is comfortable.
• Practice your competition fluid intake plan in training sessions.
• Water is an excellent fluid for low intensity and short duration sports.
• Sports drinks are ideally suited to high intensity and endurance sports.
• Drink alcohol sensibly and assess the detrimental effects on your recovery.

CONCLUSION
Human body is a complex engineering anatomy, but this is all linked in a direct chain reaction that affects one organ to another.   In our very own determination and persistency to optimize our physical achievements by tough physical trainings, why not spend some time to increase our knowledge to understand our very own human body anatomy while we persist to achieve the impossible and to go beyond our own limit.


** FLUIDS IN SPORT (FACT SHEET) is the publication of Sports Dietitians Australia / SDA)

Increase Your Metabolism!

Increase Your Metabolism

If you are trying to lose weight, increasing your metabolism can enable you to lose more weight without cutting more calories.

There are no :Fat-Burning" foods.  Red peppers and green tea have been studied for their metabolism-increasing properties, but there are no conclusive evidence they help in weight loss.

Half an hour of walking will burn many more calories than half an hour of chewing celery.

Here you can fid a few research-based suggestions:

1. Understand what metabolism is.
In the simplest terms, metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories.  Generally a faster metabolism will enable you to lose more weight compared to someone who has the same activity level, diet and weight.

2. Calculate your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR).
RMR is often used interchangeably with Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR); although they are slightly different, estimating either is sufficient for the purpose of losing weight.  TO calculate your RMR, use the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation (Which is more reliable than the Harris-Benedict equation).

3. The Mifflin-St Jeor Equation:
RMR = 9.99w + 6.25s - 4.92a + 166g - 161

* w = weight in kilograms; if you know your weight in pounds, divide by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms.
* s = height in centimeters; if you know your height in inches, multiply by 2.54 to get your height in centimeters.
* a = age in years
* g = gender = 1 for males, 0 for females

4. Adjust your diet accordingly
Your RMR will tell you how many calories you need to maintain your body a rest.  Your daily consumption to maintain your weight should be:
* RMR x 1.15
* E.g. RMR = 2000, so the maintenance intake is 2000 x 1.15 = 2300
* To lose weight safely, do not exceed your maintenance intake or have a caloric intake lower than your calculated RMR.
* Count calories by recording what you ear and looking up how many calories each foor item contains (either on the food packagingor in tables provided in books or online).

5. Eat small, frequent meals.
Extending the time between meals makes your body go into "starvation mode", which decreases your metabolism as a means to conserve energy and prevent starvation.  Skipping meals does not help you cut calories or lose weight; in fact, people generally eat less overall when they eat small, frequent meals.  In addition to having four to six small meals per day eating healthy snacks will also increase metabolism.

6. Drink Water.
 As with food, depriving your body of water can encourage it to "hoard" rather than "burn".  More than ninety percent of the chemical reactions in your body occurs in water, so make sure you drink an appropriate amount of water.

7. Boost metabolism temporarily with aerobic exercise. 
Different activities burn different quantities of calories, but the important thing is to raise your heart rate and sustain the activity for approximately 30 minutes.

8. Boost metabolism in the long run with weight training.
Muscle burns more calories than fat (73 more calories per kilogram per day, to be exact) so the more muscle you build the higher your resting metabolic rate (RMR) will be.
Every muscle cell that you gain is like a little factory that constantly burns calories for you, even while you sleep, and revs up when you exercise.  This is the only way to increase RMR, which accounts for 60 to 70 percnt of the calories you burn daily.







* Article source from New Straits Times 1klassifieds (http://www.1k.com.my/). Please click for more details!
* All rights and write-up belongs to New Straits Times 1klassifieds.

Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) - Caloric Calculation

Resting Energy Expenditure "REE"

1998 VacuMed
By Denise Schwartz, MS, RD, FADA, CNSD


What does REE mean?
Resting energy expenditure (REE) represents the amount of calories required for a 24-hour period by the body during a non-active period. Energy expenditure can be estimated by numerous published formulas. There are nearly 200 published energy expenditure formulas dealing with various conditions, disease states, age, presence of obesity and other additional factors. (5) One of the most frequently used formulas for predicted energy expenditure are the Harris-Benedict equations. These were established in 1919 and took into account gender, age, height and weight. However, these formulas are skewed towards young and non-obese persons. (2)

Harris-Benedict Equations (calories/day):
Male: (66.5 + 13.8 X weight) + (5.0 X height) - (6.8 X age)
Female: (665.1 + 9.6 X weight) + (1.8 X height) - (4.7 X age)
weight in kilograms, height in centimeters, age in years

The Harris-Benedict equations have been found to overestimate by 6% to 15% the actual energy expenditure measurements done by indirect calorimetry. (3) There is a large variation between individuals, when comparing their measured energy expenditure to the calculated amount.

These equations have limited clinical value when tailoring nutrition programs for specific individuals for weight loss purposes or acute as well as chronic illness feeding regimens.

Energy expenditure can be measured directly by putting a person in a calorimeter and measuring the amount of heat produced by the body mass.

This is expensive and very impractical in the clinical setting. Energy expenditure can be measured indirectly with a metabolic cart by analysis of respired gases (usually expired) to derive volume of air passing through the lungs, the amount of oxygen extracted from it (i.e., oxygen uptake VO2) and the amount of carbon dioxide, as a by-product of metabolism, expelled to atmosphere (CO2 output ? VCO2)? all computed to represent values corresponding to 1 minute time intervals.

With these measurements the resting energy expenditure (REE) and respiratory quotient (RQ) can be calculated.  The RQ represents the ratio of carbon dioxide exhaled to the amount of oxygen consumed by the individual. RQ is useful in interpreting the results of the REE. The abbreviated Weir equation is used to calculate the 24-hour energy expenditure. These measurements are printed out by the metabolic cart after completion of the indirect calorimetry test. (1,4,5)

Abbreviated Weir Equation:
REE = [3.9 (VO2) + 1.1 (VCO2)] 1.44
VO2 = oxygen uptake (ml/min)
VCO2 = carbon dioxide output (ml/min)
Respiratory quotient (RQ) = VCO2/VO2


Benefits of using REE in the clinical setting
The REE is useful to prevent under and overfeeding of individuals, especially in the acute care hospital setting. Excessive calories or inadequate feeding regimens can have detrimental effects on clinical outcomes of patients' care. Malnutrition can result from feeding a patient less than his/her metabolic requirements leading to reduced respiratory muscle strength, increased risk of infection, poor wound healing and impaired normal body function. Overfeeding means providing too many calories that can not be used by the body and are therefore converted to fat storage.

This can cause more CO2 to be produced and result in increased work of breathing. The REE measurement is especially beneficial in the ventilator dependent patient population during the process of weaning the individual from mechanical ventilation to resume (reestablish) spontaneous breathing. (7)


How do you do the test?
For best results, when having a REE done, there are certain conditions that need to be controlled and others that just require documenting at the time of the test. During the test the individual is interfaced with a metabolic measurement system by means of a facemask or a canopy.

A mouthpiece with a nose clip is also sometimes used, but it may create overly stressful conditions to a subject (patient).  Important considerations or conditions to improve the REE measurement: (1,4,5)

Individual should rest for at least 30 minutes in bed or a recliner before the test, however, the person should not be asleep.  No food for at least 2 hours before the test.

Maintain quiet surroundings when the test is in progress and normal temperature. The individual should not move arms or legs during the test.

Normal room temperature should be maintained, avoid drafts or any condition that might result in shivering.

Medications taken should be noted, such as stimulants or depressants.


Steady state should be achieved, which would be identified clinically by the following:

5 minute period when average minute VO2 and VCO2 changes by less than 10% and the average RQ changes by less than 5%.

Stable interpretable measurements should be obtained in a 15 to 20 minute test.

Additional considerations for hospitalized individuals:
If the individual is on specialized nutrition support (enteral or parenteral nutrition) continuous 24-hour infusion does not need to be stopped. The nutrients infused should be constant for at least 12 hours. If feedings are intermittent or cyclic, the feeding should be held for at least 2 hours. Document the product and the rate the individual is receiving.

Discontinue any supplemental sources of oxygen if the individual is on room air, which includes nasal cannulas, masks or tracheostomy collars.

If the individual is on a ventilator, the settings should remain constant for at least 1-1/2 hours before the test.

No recent chest therapy or physical procedures.

Renal failure patients requiring hemodialysis should not be tested during dialysis therapy.


Interpreting the REE
Interpreting the measured REE includes comparing the results to the predicted level of energy needs for that individual. Determining the 24 hour calorie intake of that individual from either an oral diet or specialized nutrition therapies (through feeding tubes into the gastrointestinal tract or intravenous administration) is required.

It is important to assess the RQ to make certain it is within physiological range and consistent with the person's calorie intake and medical history. The physiological range of RQ is 0.67 to 1.3. This value represents the combination of carbohydrate, fat and protein being used for energy. If the RQ is greater than 1.0, decrease the total calorie intake and adjust the carbohydrate to fat ratio. If the RQ is less than .81 increase the total calorie intake, dependent on the goal for the nutrition therapy. Food sources and conditions have specific RQ values that are useful when interpreting the REE and making recommendations for changing dietary goals and feeding regimens. (1,4,5)

Energy source/condition RQ
prolonged ketosis <0.70
fat 0.70
underfeeding <0.71
protein 0.80
mixed energy 0.85
carbohydrate 1.00
fat storage >1.00

Use of REE in conjunction with weight management programs In weight management programs, when an individual has trouble losing weight a frequent comment is that ones metabolism is slow. This can result in failure of the individual to adhere to a weight management program incorporating a reduction in total daily calorie intake.

However, once the actual REE is done, there is no longer need to speculate about the normalcy of metabolism for that person.

Successful maintainers of weight loss report continued consumption of a low-energy and low-fat diet. (8) Efforts to improve weight loss and maintenance need to focus on strategies to increase calorie expenditure
through exercise and an appropriate diet based on measured energy needs.

The goal is a lifelong commitment to healthful lifestyle behaviors. (6)
An example of how to successfully use the REE measurement in a weight management program requires interpretation and counseling by a registered dietitian. After measuring the REE and calculating the 24 hour intake, the individual would be instructed on reducing their food consumption by approximately 200-300 calories a day below the measured REE. This should result in about 1 pound weight loss per week with additional weight loss due to exercise. If the REE is extremely low then the focus would be on maintaining the calorie intake at the REE level and gradually increasing to at least 30 minutes of enjoyable activity each day.

Clinicians monitoring weight management programs would be able to determine if their clients are actually following a reduced calorie diet based on REE, RQ and the amount of weight loss. These measurements would be very useful in detecting failure to adhere to the diet and facilitate better understanding by the client in achieving his/her weight goal.

It is important that an individual have a framework for making healthful food choices to obtain realistic weight reduction and maintenance goals. The challenge is to balance adequate nutrient intake with the individual's desire to lose weight rapidly and to address the numerous myths concerning diet modification. The REE takes the guesswork out of determining the goal for the calorie intake to achieve the desired outcome.


References
1. Feurer I and Mullen JL. Beside measurement of resting energy expenditure and respiratory quotient via indirect calorimetry. NutrClin Prac. February 1986;1:43-49.

2. Frankenfield DC, et al. The Harris-Benedict studies of human basal metabolism: history and limitations. J Am Diet Assoc. 1998;98:439-445.

3. Garrel DR, et al. Should we still use the Harris and Benedict equations? Nutr Clin Prac. June 1996;11:99-103.

4. Matarese L. Indirect calorimetry: technical aspect. J Am Diet Assoc. 1997;97(suppl 2):S154-S160.

5. McClave SA and Snider HL. Use of indirect calorimetry in clinical nutrition. Nutr Clin Prac. October 1992;7:207-221.

6. Position of The American Dietetic Association: weight management. J Am Diet Assoc. 1997:97:71-74.

7. Schwartz DB: Pulmonary failure. IN Matarese LE and Gottschlich MM:
Contemporary Nutrition Support Practice. Philadelphia, W. B. Saunders, Co. (In press)

8. Shick SM, et al. Persons successful at long-term weight loss and maintenance continue to consume a low-energy, low-fat diet. J Am Diet Assoc. 1998;98:408-413.



* source from http://www.vacumed.com/
(Article posted are from sources available on the internet, My posting here is for easy references)

How to Calculate your Caloric Needs & Lose Weight!

Technically, there is no magic number of calories we should all eat each day to lose weight. While most people can lose weight eating around 1,500 calories, you can assess your own personal caloric needs with a little math.


Why Estimate Your Caloric Needs?
To estimate how many calories you should consume in order to maintain your weight, you'll need to do a little math. By using a simple formula called the Harris-Benedict principle, you can assess your basal metabolic rate -- also known as your BMR.
(Then, to lose weight, you'll need to cut calories or burn extra calories and shoot for a level lower than the results you get with this formula.)


Calculate Your BMR
Your BMR is the amount of energy your body needs to function. We use about 60% of the calories we consume each day for basic bodily functions such as breathing.

Other factors that influence your BMR are height, weight, age and sex.

Step one is to calculate your BMR with the following formula:

Women:
655 + (4.3 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)

Men:
66 + (6.3 x weight in pounds) + (12.9 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

*(Please note that this formula applies only to adults.)


Calculate Activity

Step two: In order to incorporate activity into your daily caloric needs, do the following calculation:
•If you are sedentary : BMR x 20 percent
•If you are lightly active: BMR x 30 percent
•If you are moderately active (You exercise most days a week.): BMR x 40 percent
•If you are very active (You exercise intensely on a daily basis or for prolonged periods.): BMR x 50 percent
•If you are extra active (You do hard labor or are in athletic training.): BMR x 60 percent

Add this number to your BMR.

The result of this formula will be the number of calories you can eat every day and maintain your current weightt. In order to lose weight, you'll need to take in fewer calories than this result.

As you lose weight, you can re-calculate the formula to assess your new BMR.

To learn more about counting calories and search for the caloric content of many foods, as well as keep an online food diary, visit About.com's Calorie Count!



* source from http://www.about.com/

(Article posted are from sources available on the internet, My posting here is for easy references)

Best foods to eat for Great Health!

Choosing these best healthy foods to eat for great health will help you looks younger, feels better, more energetic and stays healthy.  But's that's not all.  The great health benefits gets even better.

When you eat for health, you strengthen your immunity, stamina and endurance, lose weight, reduce stress and prevent painful diseases like Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes, Athritis and Alzheimer's disease.  What's more, choosing the best foods to eat for great health can even lower your Bad LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein - the major carrier of cholesterols in the blood) cholesterol better than taking statin drugs.

The Best Foods to Eat for Great Health Benefits
You don't need a degree in nutrition to learn the best foods to eat for health.  You can get the nutrients you need every day and achieve great health by just choosing from this list of the best foods to eat and seeing that you eat for health from these nutritious foods on a daily basis.

1. Start keeping good records. To face the challenge, you need to know what's going on. Mindlessness will get you nowhere. Write down everything you eat and drink and exercise times. At first you won't like what you see, but clarity and awareness can gradually move you forward.


2. Make a long-term commitment. "Permanent" means you won’t be done in twelve weeks or even twelve years. Healthy permanent weight loss is about making a commitment to lifestyle changes for the long haul.

3. Plan your strategy and do it. What are you going to eat tomorrow? How can you handle family meals, work lunches and travel? What about emotional cravings? List your challenges and create solutions.

4. Pay attention to your calories. To lose a pound a week requires cutting about 500 calories a day. Almost everyone who achieves permanent weight loss counts calories – usually by writing them down.

5. Increase your physical activity. Exercise burns calories. Most people who lose weight and keep it off exercise between 30 minutes and an hour a day. If you're squirming over those figures, realize you can start out slowly. Any amount of exercise is better than none at all.

6. Keep yourself motivated. Maintaining motivation is the biggest challenge. You can't be at the affect of your moods, failures or the numbers on the scale. Take time to nurture yourself, get enough rest and find healthy entertainment that doesn't involve food indulgence.

7. Eat a healthy high fiber diet. People who lose weight and keep it off tend to eat a healthy, moderately low-fat (25-30% of calories) high fiber diet. Here are more eating guidelines for healthy weight loss.

•Eat early and often. A healthy breakfast and 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day will jumpstart your metabolism, stabilize your blood sugar and ward off hunger pangs.

•Focus on vegetables. The low calories and high fiber, water and nutritional content of most vegetables make them more fulfilling and nutritious at a lower calorie cost.

•Upgrade your carbs. Switch from refined carbohydrates to whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds. They provide sustained natural energy and have much more fiber, so you feel fuller longer.

•Pad with protein. Protein helps keep you feeling full, so include some with every meal. Choose omega 3 fish, lean poultry, beans, whole grains and nuts.

•Drink more water. By replacing soda, coffee and alcohol with water, you can easily reduce your calorie intake.

•Take a multivitamin. Good quality supplements (not weight loss products) can fill the nutritional gaps in your diet and contribute to better natural energy and health.

Success in using these healthy permanent weight loss strategies will make you look and feel better and reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, arthritis, some cancers, diabetes and many other health problems.

(Article posted are from sources available on the internet, My posting here is for easy references)

Loosing Belly Fat & Waist Fat!

Everyone wants to get rid of belly fat & waist fat, but studies show that getting rid of belly fat is far more important than mere vanity.  In fact our life depends on how to get rid of belly fat & waist fat!



There are 2 kinds of belly fat - deep beneath our skin that is the Visceral Fat & Subcutaneous Fat, deposited just below our skin visible to everyone.  Wanting to loose the belly fat & waist fat usually refers to noticeable subcutaneous fat.  But visceral fat hides deep beneath the muscles surrounding our vital organs and is far more destructive, causing a higher health concern for diabetes, heart disease and other health issues.

How Do You Get Belly Fat and Waist Fat?


Well the research reveals no big surprises! Studies show sedentary people who eat unhealthy food have much more visceral fat, subcutaneous belly fat and waist fat than those who eat healthy and exercise regularly.

Of the nearly 3,000 adults in one study, people who were physically active and ate a healthy diet, with lots of high fiber vegetables, fresh fruits and whole grains, plus low-fat high protein foods, had much less belly fat.

And although many studies in the past have shown that smokers typically weigh less than non-smokers, this recent research from the University Medical Center Utrecht, in the Netherlands, shows that even when a smoker is thin, they still tend to have more deep belly fat.

Besides the belly fat accumulation caused by smoking, poor diet and lack of exercise, high alcohol intake was also shown to greatly contribute to potbellies and belly fat, especially dangerous visceral belly fat.



How to loose Belly Fat

When you decide to get rid of belly fat, don't just target the subcutaneous fat that lies directly underneath your skin. Also go after the dangerous deeply deposited visceral fat that surrounds your vital organs.

Research shows that visceral fat not only increases your risk of insulin resistance, diabetes and heart disease, it also contributes to gallstones, psoriasis, fatty liver and possibly even prostate cancer and breast cancer.

So here's how to loose belly fat – both the visible and invisible:

• If you smoke, quit.
• Limit or eliminate alcoholic beverages.
• Exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Although abdominal exercises can help tighten your belly muscles, Duke University Medical Center research found that all physical activity makes a significant difference in reducing belly fat. The more you exercise, the more you lose.
• Eat for great health. Increase nutritious high fiber food, such as vegetables, 100% whole grains and fruits. Eat more omega 3 fish, low-fat dairy and lean poultry. Eliminate high glycemic index carbs (like refined grains and sugar) and keep your saturated fat intake low.
• Lose weight by eating a healthier diet and increasing your physical activity. Studies show that your belly fat will be the first to go.

And that's how to get rid of belly fat.

You can track your progress by measuring waist fat. Women with a waist over 34 inches (87 centimeters) and men over 39 inches (99 centimeters) are at a much greater risk for excess visceral fat health problems.
 
(Article posted are from sources available on the internet, My posting here is for easy references)