Eat your way to slim, trim & healthy.

Already we are about six weeks in to 2015 and for some you may be well on the road to your new years fitness & health resolution, and others may have ditched it already! I came across this article that of course is very relevant if you did start 2015 off with every good intention, or not, but want to know more anyway about slimming down, weight loss and how you can help accomplish this through improved eating habits. Found at 'ezinearticles' (http://EzineArticles.com/8864831) and written by Chritsine M. Esters (http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christine_M_Esters) this is worth a quick read to ensure you are on track, or to get you back on it before the year runs away entirely.


This is the time of year where New Year's resolutions are on the tip of everyone's tongue. Of course, it is no secret that the number one New Year's resolution is to lose weight. Whether it is to drop 10 pounds, 20 pounds or 30 pounds, everyone seems to be upgrading their gym memberships, and ridding their kitchen of all their junk food. But, the truth is, no matter how much dieting and exercise you do, you still have to eat and stay healthy. So, how do you stick to your New Year's goals when your stomach is rumbling? Let me share a few tips with you that will leave your stomach full and your waist slim.

Detox - First things first, if you want to slim your middle, you need to cleanse and detox. Throughout 2014, and especially during the holidays, you probably accumulated a lot of toxins, heavy metals, and chemicals in your body that caused it to go out of whack. If you were feeling sluggish, tired, irritable or just not yourself, most likely your body was filled with toxins. So you want to cleanse your body and get rid of all those little culprits that cause you to have poor health and extra fat that you don't need.

Eat Healthier - I know this rule is simple. However, it can be hard to follow. If you are a busy gal on the go, it's very easy to grab that bag of potato chips and soda instead of reaching for celery and hummus. If you didn't raid your kitchen and rid it of all the junk food, now is the time to do so. You can replace your junk food with organic fruits, vegetables, and lean meats.

Skip Deprivation - I know it may seem counter intuitive to tell you to eat a big chunk of chocolate cake, especially since it has a load of calories in sugar, but, the truth is, you can still enjoy all your favourite foods and treats without worry. The key word here is moderation. If you want a piece of chocolate cake, by all means have a bite or two without worry or guilt. However, you should worry if you eat the whole cake by yourself. Here's a quick tip. If you really want the chocolate cake or any other sweet treat, invite a couple of your friends over and split the cake amongst you all.

Chew your food slowly - It's no secret that many people are fast eaters. And for good reason, food is so tasty! However, eating fast can wreak havoc on your digestive system as well as cause you to over eat. On average, it should take you at least 30 - 35 seconds to chew one bite of food. Your stomach needs time to send messages to your brain to let it know that you are full. However, when you chew your food quickly, you don't have time to let your stomach digest the food properly. Not to mention, you won't enjoy every morsel that enters your mouth. If you take an extra 5 - 10 minutes at the dinner table to chew your food, you will feel fuller and eat less. This can ensure you stay slim and healthy in the New Year. Try using chopsticks.

Eat Often - I know there are a lot of critics out there saying you should only eat once or twice a day if you are trying to lose weight, but, the truth is, if you are trying to lose weight, you need energy and food is energy. Think about a car, if a car doesn't have fuel, it simply won't go. If it's low on gas, it won't function properly. Your body acts the same way when you don't give it the food and energy it needs to perform at optimal health. Now, when I say eat often, I don't mean have a big feast every time you sit down to eat. You can eat about every 2 - 3 hours to boost your metabolism and give you energy. Throughout the day, you can feast on nutritious snacks like cashew nuts, Greek yogurt, and fresh vegetables and fruit. Then have a nutritious breakfast, lunch and dinner.

If you take the pressure off of losing weight, and focus on being healthy and happy, your waist will slim down in no time. However, follow these fun and simple health tips to stay healthy and slim in 2015 and beyond.

WhyWeight - don't hesitate, participate, before it's too late!

-Steve, at WhyWeight-

The benefits of eating healthy!

Carrying on with the healthy eating regime, there are of course a number of key factors in your life as to why you should eat healthily - weight control is the obvious one, but what about for combating illness, infection and disease, and then what about the benefits on your physical well being - skin, hair, eyes condition, and finally to give you the fuel to do all the things that make up your day . . . including keeping up with your exercise regime. In the below read, sourced through 'ezinearticles' (http://EzineArticles.com/8860883) and written by Josef Bichler (http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Josef_Bichler) there is some further advice on the reasons why.


Giving your body the right type of food is paramount to your overall health. Healthy eating is not about sticking to strict nutrition facts or depriving yourself totally from the food you love. Rather, it is about feeling mentally and physically great and having good energy levels, all of which be achieved by learning nutrition basics and making better food choices. The benefits of eating healthy by making some changes are exceptional. Apart from maintaining health and functioning organs in your body, healthy eating provides a wide array of benefits.

Less Illness and More Health!
As the saying goes: You are what you eat, and you become what you eat, whatever we eat reflects on our body. Unhealthy processed and fast foods affect the normal functioning of our body systems and can lead to obesity and illness. Eating healthy provides all the required nutrients for the body which help in proper functioning of our body organs. By improving body functions you are enhancing your immune system, which further helps in protecting against many chronic illnesses. Staying active and energetic is part of a good diet which is the key to a healthy body. Eating a well balanced diet provides good nutrition and energy to continue a healthy function of the body, and for supporting healthy growth and development. When the energy requirements of the body are right, you stay active and energetic throughout the day.

Weight Control Is Best Through Your Diet
It is no secret that exercise and a healthy diet are the keys to losing weight and maintaining it. Exercise and continuing with the wrong food will not bring your weight down, although exercise has many other health benefits and is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Recent study has shown that half an hour of exercise will improve the brains "Plasticity". Plasticity in the brain is important for learning, memory, and motor skill conditions. This also strengthens connections between other cells and as well different brain cells. Weight loss is all about making the right food choices which will help you in losing weight and calories. Optimal body weight keeps you fit and healthy, and prevents you from many obesity related diseases. Some exercise with the right diet, less carbohydrates, processed food, and smaller portions on your plate will immediately bring your weight down.

Look Good and Feel Good
In today's lifestyle, where people are overtly conscious of the appearance, excessive weight will affect the good looks. Hence, weight control is one of the most important benefits of eating a healthy diet. Overeating and eating junk food can not only pack on kilos, it also disturbs your sleeping patterns. On the other hand just the opposite will happen; healthy food reduces stress and helps getting a good night's sleep. A restful sleep keeps your mind as well as body active ti face the next day with a better attitude. The first and most important step to make smarter food choices is to educate yourself about what your body needs. Reading the food nutritional labels and ingredients of all the food you eat, knowing about the nutritional content of the food product can help you decide whether a food or beverage fits in your eating plan. You can compare different food products and get to understand and knowing which one is good for your health and which is not!

All about this is knowing what to do. Education has become an arguable effective way to gain knowledge and being able to take control of your health. Your chances of success in your health will increase dramatically by following a lesson plan and getting the right information.

WhyWeight - don't hesitate, participate, before it's too late!

-Steve, at WhyWeight-

Cardio - three key exercises for weight loss!

Cardio - raise that heartbeat for a sustained period to help in your weight loss and fitness goals, but what is best for you? Here is some further advice around swimming, cycling and running/jogging that you may find helpful, enjoyable ultimately and not overly strenuous, but will definitely aid you in reaching your objectives. Sourced from 'ezinearticles' (http://EzineArticles.com/7046683) and written by Suzie Ling (http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Suzie_Ling).

Cardio is a great ally in the difficult task of weight loss. If somebody wants to lose weight, he or she probably has a weight which is above the recommended healthy level. And being overweight is not healthy at all. Being overweight can cause many problems and one of those problems is heart related problems.

Similarly, being under the recommended healthy weight is not good for you. If you stay in any of these dangerous weight zones for too long, many problems may occur. This is because we have to maintain our weight between the normal values as well as practising physical exercises to keep our bodies functioning and healthy.

Excessive body weight can cause heart problems. Like a car needs its engine, we need our heart. With this in mind, we therefore need to protect our heart and avoid unhealthy habits that may affect our health. Additionally, physical exercise will maintain our health as well as our heart.

We can even find some of the best cardio for weight loss in order to reduce our weight in a healthy way on the Internet and by practising cardio exercises we will be helping our heart and our body.

There are some of the best cardio exercises for losing weight:

Swimming:  is a very good cardio exercise in order to lose weight and to keep you healthy. Swimming allows you to exercise your entire body and it is an excellent way to lose weight. Swimming is among the best cardio for weight loss. Additionally, this type of physical exercise doesn't cause any injury relating bones or joints, because you will be exercising in the water with reduced resistance.

Running: you don't need any kind of special equipment for this exercise, however you will need a good pair of trainers in order to prevent any kind of damage to your bones or joints. Also, you will need comfortable clothes so you can move without any problem. Running will help you losing weight by burning calories, though of course you can't run only five or ten minutes - you will have to run around half an hour each time. A good tip is to listen to music or run with someone else as this will help you keep motivated to run further even if you are tired.

Cycling: by cycling at least thirty minutes a day you will improve your endurance and lose weight. Cycling is a very simple activity and an effective exercise to lose weight. Additionally, you can practise this exercise by going to work or school by bicycle. You just have to be creative and find the best way to incorporate your best cardio for weight loss exercises in your day to day activities.

These are only three of the best cardio for weight loss exercises that you can undertake in order to be healthier, to lose weight and to improve your physical skills such as endurance and strength.

WhyWeight - don't hesitate, participate, before it's too late!

-Steve, at WhyWeight-

Cardio workout for weight loss!

Combining cardio routines into your exercise regime will help you with your weight loss goals period. Again there is all sorts of advice, guidance and differing opinions about cardio exercise, so here is some further simple advice that you may wish to think about. Sourced from 'ezinearticles' once again (http://EzineArticles.com/724014) it is written by Phillip England (http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Phillip_England) - a weight loss expert and writer, and worth a look.

A cardio workout for weight loss is a great way to help you lose weight and at the same time build leaner muscles. Yes, losing weight means having to get up and do some physical activity. When losing weight, the best mantra to take is this: eat less; exercise more.

About weight loss
Before doing a cardio workout for weight loss, it is important to understand what weight loss is. People usually have the wrong impression that losing weight equals to being thin. This is presumption often leads to dangerous results.

In medical terms, weight loss is the reduction of one's weight to one that is proportional to his body type. To get your ideal weight, you have to know your body mass index (BMI), or the proportion of your weight to your height. Some people are either too thin or too overweight for their height, both of which are unhealthy.

Healthy weight loss
Adopting a healthy weight loss program is the best way to go if you want to lose weight. Healthy weight loss entails eating less and exercising more. This does not mean that you undergo crash diets and other weight loss products.

Eating less simply means you decrease the amount of calories you intake. This means:

• Replacing soft drinks and sodas with water.
• Swapping whole milk for semi-skimmed, or semi-skimmed for skimmed.
• Eating less lunch than usual.
• Decreasing the intake of sugar in tea and coffee.
• Having smaller portions of the food you enjoy.
• Avoiding second helpings at dinner.
• Cutting out unhealthy treats such as confectionery, sugary biscuits and crisps between meals.
• Cutting down on beer and alcohol.

Also, exercising more helps your body burn the stored energy and excess fat. One of the methods of exercise is a cardio workout for weight loss.

About cardio
Cardio workout is an effective weight loss method. Together with dieting, cardio workouts help you build a leaner and fit body. Before you undertake a cardio workout, you need to consult first with a dietitian or a fitness trainer to guide you in your activities.

How often should you do cardio?
Because cardio workout is essential for weight loss, you need to undergo cardio almost everyday. Some claim that the best way to do cardio is during the morning, before breakfast. Why is that? Because doing cardio with an empty stomach results in your body burning the stored fat, as opposed to it burning what you just ate.

How long should a cardio workout take?
A regular cardio workout for weight loss should take about 45 minutes to an hour. When doing cardio, remember to work on a progress level and take note of your training zone. Do not push for an ambitious cardio workout plan that will only result in you pushing your body beyond its limits.

A low-intensity aerobic exercise uses body fat as its primary fuel source. However, as you get closer to your breaking point, your body starts using a smaller percentage of fat and a larger percentage of carbohydrates, another fuel source. Pick up the pace so you can burn more calories.

If you do the following activities for 30 minutes, this is the amount of calories you can expect to burn:

• Aerobic dance - 342 calories
• Basketball - 282 calories
• Bicycling at 15 mph - 354 calories
• Boxing - 330 calories
• Circuit weight training - 378 calories
• Golf (carrying clubs) - 174 calories
• Karate, tae kwon do - 834 calories
• Running 8-minute miles - 446 calories
• Swimming freestyle, 35 yds/min. - 248 calories
• Tennis, singles - 232 calories
• Walking, 20-minute miles, flat - 120 calories

Muscle toning
Aside from weight loss, cardio workout also helps you build leaner and toner muscles. Combined with strength-training and a healthy diet, a cardio workout can help you achieve a healthier and better body image in no time.

WhyWeight - don't hesitate, participate, before it's too late!

-Steve, at WhyWeight-

10 Reasons why a PT will help you reach your goals!

Continuing with the PT theme a little longer just to ensure you are as fully informed as you can be, I include this recently sourced article giving you a heap of reasons why it is worthwhile engaging with a Personal Trainer and what he/she can do for you. Have a read if you are not yet convinced, and by the end you just might be! Written by Matthew James (http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=M_James) and sourced through ezinearticles (Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3293073) it adds up and makes sense.


If you've tried many different diets, and haven't lost weight, or joined a gym, and still not got fitter, then perhaps you're at a loss as to what you need to do in order to reach your health and fitness goals. Perhaps you need a personal trainer.

Here's what you need to know :-

1. A personal trainer will devise sessions that are designed just for you. Your requirements and preferences will be taken into account, and you'll have your own bespoke programme that will perfectly meet your needs.

2. If you want to achieve healthy weight loss, then you know that you need more exercise. Perhaps you're not doing the right sort of exercises, or not going to the gym often enough in order to make a difference.

3. You might want to tone up after having a baby, or just want to get a bit fitter. Your personal trainer will have the skills and experience to help you with the exercises you need, and show you what you need to do.

4. If you want to put on weight, and gain muscle, then you might be finding it hard. Your own personal coach can help you, and give you the exercises that you need in order to make the improvements you want to make.

5. Perhaps you can't do normal exercises, or take part in exercises due to surgery or because of a medical condition. Your trainer will be able to show you the exercises you can do, without making your condition worse.

6. Your trainer will make sure that you're doing the right sorts of exercise. You don't want to be doing lots of weights and resistance machine exercises if you want to lose weight. You might also want to get fit, and so cardio exercises will be more appropriate.

7. It's all well and good knowing which exercises to do, but if you're doing them wrong then the won't be as effective, and you could be in danger of hurting yourself. Your trainer will emphasise just how important good technique is.

8. You and your trainer might set goals so that you have something to aim for. It might be to do with weight loss, or weight gain, or endurance, or lifting heavier weights.

9. You might lack the motivation to go to the gym as often as you should. Your trainer will be able to make sure that you're still committed and are on the way to achieving your health and fitness aims.

10. Your trainer can also help you with your diet. You might not know what sort of foods to eat or avoid, and what you should eat instead, or when you should eat. You are also likely to find that your trainer can help you with your confidence and general wellbeing. Who knows, your fitness enthusiasm could spread to the whole family and so your children's fitness and health could improve too.

Now you know more about the many ways in which they can help, perhaps now is the time you hired a personal trainer.

WhyWeight - don't hesitate, participate, before it's too late!

-Steve, at WhyWeight-