Atkins & Low-Carb – Part 5
With the popularity of low-carb diets today, most of us have at one time or another considered cutting carbs. In this series of articles we have discussed ‘low-carbing’ and whether or not it’s right for everyone.
In this article we’re going to talk about carbohydrates and how they are stored in the body. Does a large supply of excess carbs make us fat?
Many people believe that only dietary fat will lead to body fat. FALSE! Actually, eating more calories than your body needs to perform daily activities and daily metabolism is what causes body fat. It is as simple as putting 20 gallons of gas in a 15 gallon gas tank…..the excess must go somewhere. In the case of human nutrition, the excess is stored as fat.
Just as excess protein can be stored as body fat, excess carbohydrate can be stored as body fat. Unfortunately for the American public, our consumption of simple carbohydrates has skyrocketed over the last ten years! Too many of us took the popularity of the low-fat and fat-free diets as an excuse to fill up on empty carbo-calories. After all, it’s okay to eat the entire package of licorice since it’s all fat free….right? Again, FALSE!
Carbohydrates that the body cannot use are stored as body fat, plain and simple. Carbohydrates usually are ingested in the forms of polysaccharides (starches), disaccharides (sucrose and lactose) and monosaccharides (glucose and fructose). Essentially what occurs in the digestive process is a breakdown of the polysaccharides and disaccharides to the monosaccharides. The primary site of digestion is the small intestine, where the monosaccharides are then absorbed into the blood. Of the three monosaccharides, glucose is of most importance to human physiology. This is called blood sugar. Fructose and galactose are converted to blood glucose either in the intestinal wall or the liver.
A high-carbohydrate meal will lead to a rapid increase in the blood sugar level, usually within an hour. Naturally, the higher the food is on the glycemic index (refined sugars), the higher the blood sugar level will rise. THE MAINTENANCE OF A NORMAL BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR PROPER METABOLISM. The human body regulates blood sugar levels by a hormone called insulin. The rises in blood sugar levels stimulate the pancreas to secrete the hormone insulin into the blood. Insulin then facilitates the uptake and utilization of blood sugar by various tissues in the body, most notably the muscles and adipose tissue.
THE FATE OF BLOOD SUGAR IS DEPENDENT UPON MANY FACTORS, WITH EXERCISE BEING ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT.
1) Blood sugar may be used for energy, particularly by the brain and other parts of the nervous system.
2) Blood sugar may be converted to either liver or muscle glycogen. Liver glycogen may then be later converted to blood sugar. Muscle glycogen is, for the most part, locked into the muscle cell once it enters, where it is converted to energy.
3) Blood sugar may be converted to and stored as fat in the adipose tissue. This situation occurs when the dietary carbohydrate, in combination with caloric intake of other nutrients, exceeds the energy demands of the body, and the storage capacity of the liver and muscles for glycogen.
4) Some blood sugar also may be excreted in the urine if excessive amounts occur in the blood, because of rapid ingestion of simple sugars.
So, what happens if we don’t consume enough carbohydrates? Because the carbohydrate stores in the body are rather limited, and because blood sugar is normally essential for optimal functioning of the central nervous system, it is important to be able to produce blood sugar or glucose internally if the stores are depleted by starvation or a zero-carbohydrate diet. This process is called gluconeogenesis, meaning the formation of glucose. In this process, protein is converted to glucose, and fat is converted to glucose by breaking down glycerol in the liver. The by-products of carbohydrate metabolism, lactate and pyruvate, may also be converted back to glucose in the liver.
With this understanding of how carbohydrate is metabolized in the body, it is clear that low-carb or no-carb diets may lead to decreased levels of energy.
Low-carb diets, however, HAVE been proven to take off the weight. In some cases, weight loss has been dramatic when the subjects abruptly switched to a no-carb diet. Such rapid weight loss is attributed to water loss. Low carbohydrate intake depletes liver and muscle glycogen (stored sugars) and water molecules linked to these sugars. This depletion triggers a drop in body weight.
Especially during the introduction phase of a low-carb diet (2 weeks), the dieter is encouraged to eliminate virtually all carbohydrates from the diet. Even a slight intake of high glycemic foods during this phase would cause immediate weight gain by rebuilding glycogen stores.
Because carbohydrate is the body’s preferred fuel source, this first phase of the diet would most certainly challenge exercise enthusiasts.
So, is the low-carb lifestyle right for you? MAYBE. We hope that this series of articles has helped you understand low-carb diets and their potential impact on the body.
SOURCE: (International Sports Sciences Association; Frederick C. Hatfield, Ph.D.; 2001)
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Build Muscle Mass – 3 Key Ingredients to Building Lean Muscle Mass Quickly.
If you’re anything like I was a short while ago, “a skinny guy trying to build muscle mass”, then I have some important tips that could help you start seeing results instantly.
There are 3 key ingredients that you MUST HAVE in order to build muscle mass and quickly at that. And here they are:
Muscle Mass Ingredient #1 – More Protein
If you want to build muscle mass quickly then this is a “must”. Just remember, the only thing that can build muscle in your body is Protein. So if you’re not consuming enough protein it’s IMPOSSIBLE to build lean muscle mass and stack on the pounds.
In order to maintain your weight, you should be consuming 1 gram of protein for each pound of body weight. So if you’re a 150 lb. guy then in order to maintain your muscle mass at that weight you need to consume 150 grams of protein each day. And if you want to build muscle mass, you’re going to have to consume “more” protein, to not only maintain the muscles you have now but to build more.
So if you want to build muscle mass quickly and safely a general rule of thumb is to consume 1 – 2 grams of protein for each pound of body weight. So if you’re a 150lb. guy you’d want to consume at least 150 grams of protein upward to 300 grams of protein a day.
Muscle Mass Ingredient #2 – More Carbs
Despite what Dr. Atkins said, for all us skinny guys “Carbs are GOOD”. We need carbs as a source of energy. But you don’t want to consume just any ‘ol carbs. You want to consume a lot of complex carbs rather than simple carbs.
In other words, you still want to stay away from the sweets and simple sugars that are found in a lot of our junk food, and you want to consume more complex carbs like those found in whole wheat bread, brown rice, sweet potatoes, whole grain cereals, yams, spinach etc.
Why complex carbs? Because unlike simple carbs (sugars) it’s virtually impossible to turn complex carbs into fat – which means more energy to burn (work out with) and less fat to deal with in the end.
If you want to build muscle mass fast, ideally you’d want to consume 2 – 3 grams of carbs for each pound of bodyweight a day.
Muscle Mass Ingredient #3 – Heavy Weight Training
You cannot build muscle mass without “Heavy weight training”. Let’s just put it this way “the more stress (heavy weight) you put on your muscles, the more it will grow”. And it’s simply because when you put extreme stress on your muscle by lifting heavy weights, your body responds (builds more muscle) so that next time it won’t be as hard or strenuous on your body to lift the same weight.
Ideally, if you want to build muscle mass – lean muscle mass to be more specific, you’d want to lift weights that allow you to do 6-8 reps and no more.
Of course there’s a whole lot more to building muscle mass, but if you follow these 3 key ingredients you’ll be on the road to building lean muscle mass quickly and a whole lot easier than you ever thought possible. Good luck and grow “Massive”.
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This article has been written by Richard Knight, a “former skinny guy” and weight gain consultant. Richard teaches other “Average Joes” step by step how to build lean muscle mass in 28 days FLAT with his own weight gain system. Get his FREE tips today. . . http://www.skinny2massive.com
You can find additional info at the following links:
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Dieting for Weight Loss
The most common reason that people cite for dieting today is weight loss. While most of us would love to claim the noble mantle of dieting for health the vast majority of us are doing so for vanity. This, however, is a perfectly acceptable and plausible reason for making the lifestyle changes that are necessary in order to diet. In fact, this reason might prove to be a far greater motivator than many of the other commonly stated reasons for dieting.
When dieting for weight loss one of the most common complaints is constantly feeling hungry. In order to help combat this, you might want to incorporate some of the following strategies into your dieting program. First of all, eat more high fiber foods. Whole grains, apples, pears, and lima beans are a great source of fiber as are many breakfast cereals. Easy does it however when it comes to fiber as it may be filling but there are some unpleasant side effects that may accompany heavy fiber eating (remember that beans are a good source of fiber). Try using a product such as Bean-o when consuming larger amounts of fiber. You might also try spreading your fiber intake throughout the day rather than consuming all your daily fiber at once.
Another method for feeling fuller when dieting is to drink plenty of water while dieting. Water provides an important service to the body and is very necessary when it comes to delivering all the nutrients where they need to go. Water also helps regulate your metabolism, which is very important to the dieting and weight loss process. Additionally, water will help you skin retain its elasticity so that your skin can go more easily back into place once the serious weight loss begins.
Learn to control your portions. We live in a world where portions are over inflated and super sized so often that we no longer know what an appropriate portion looks like. Restaurant meals are quite often more than adequate for at least two full meals and that is before salads, soups, appetizers, or desserts have been ordered. Learning to portion correctly can save you from over loading your calorie intake for the day massively. It can also help you get extra helpings of the lower calorie foods such as lettuce and other vegetables rather than taking such large portions of calorie rich starches or fried foods.
Do not go “Gung Ho”. There are limits to what the body and the mind can handle. When you go on a diet you are making a drastic change to your bodies caloric intake. If you go overboard you can lead to health risks along the way. Begin cutting calories a little at a time and incorporate changes as you go rather than going in with an all or nothing attitude. If you go overboard with your dieting plans chances are that you are dooming your diet to failure.
Take your diet one step at a time for the best results and be sure to incorporate extra physical activity into the mix. Even gardening when done on a regular basis can burn calories, so can cleaning the house, and playing with the little ones. Take a walk to the park or the corner store rather than getting in the car and pull a wagon or push a stroller while you’re at it. The added weight will be just enough resistance to burn a few extra calories.
Dieting for weight loss does not necessarily have to be a major sacrifice on your part but in order to be successful it will be a radical change in lifestyle, particularly if you need to lose more than a few vanity pounds. The health implications of loosing the weight are well worth the required effort and should not be taken lightly no matter how excited you are about your new body that is hiding inside your old one.
Golf Basics � One Golf Grip At A Time
An animation of a full golf swing displaying the appropriate and professional technique. Each of the 9 frames in the animation are based on this image.
I would like to focus the jest of this article on the basis of the golf swingÂ… the grip. With spring in the air and golf on our minds let’s get this year off to a good start by not overlooking the basics.
Unquestionably the biggest mistake I see in people’s golf swing isn’t in their golf swing itself.
Nope. Not at all.
More often than not the mistakes happen before the swing even begins. The first mistake is made in how the golfer holds the golf club. After that the next mistake usually comes in with how they stand up to the ball. Poor posture. Then after having two strikes against them, they then finish the job of making it almost impossible to hit a good golf shot by improperly lining up to their intended target.
Of course, after hitting several (possibly several hundred) balls with only a minute few being what they think is acceptable the tired frustrated golfer asks Â… what am I doing wrong with my swing?
For the purposes of this article I want to discuss the very first part of the proper golf swing Â… the golf grip. In fact, let’s be even more precise here; the left hand grip on the golf club. Oh sure Â… there’s much more than just the grip including the aforementioned posture and alignment. But there’s only so much typing I can do at one time so let’s stay with the grip for this communication.
The position of your club face is greatly influenced by your grip. And this is especially true as your club face enters the impact zone and contacts the ball. Certainly there is an abundance of golf swing peccadillo’s that can occur that can cause those woeful golf shots. You know the ones I’m talking about: the banana ball, the smothered hook, skied, skulled, and chili dipped. OK, I’ll stop Â… If you’ll stop trying to correct your golf swing by in incessantly hitting ball after ball trying to make every physical adjustment known to man (and some that aren’t) within your golf swing itself and begin by using a fundamentally sound grip.
So you’re going to continue on with me Â… great! Let’s talk about the left hand (right handed golfers) first and foremost.
The left had should come in contact with the grip of the club in such a manner that the grip cuts a diagonal across the palm of the left hand from the crook in the index finger down and across to the bottom right pad of the left hand.
When you close your left hand, your club should be held in the first to fingers and your palm.
The key that you look for out of your left had grip is quite simple. As you address your ball and look down, you should only see two knuckles of your left hand. As an instructor standing directly across from you, I too should only see the same. If I don’t see EXACTLY two knuckles of your left hand then we take a step back and re-grip until we get it right. And don’t try to cheat and re-grip club just as you begin to take the golf club away and into your back swing. FOUL I say. And I will stop you.
OK. I certainly haven’t given you that much to remember here. But seriously golfers, resign yourself to go through a quick, short checklist before you begin the journey we call the golf swing. Start with your grip. Get used to it. A proper grip will feel awkward to you particularly if your grip has been way off. Stay with it. Know that it’s the right way to grip the golf club. Piece by piece let’s lay the foundation for a good swing.
Ernie Els Teaches Some Golf Swing Basics (Here)
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Liability in Golf Course Accidents and Injuries
Dangers of Playing golf
Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Sam Snead, and Francis Ouimet are just some of the people who became famous due to their skills in playing golf. The popularity of this sport has been boosted significantly in the recent years, making it one of the most popular sources of entertainment in the whole United States.
Although many people view golf as a constant source of entertainment, others feel that it has become the reason for their suffering due to the occurrence of golf course accidents. In line with the boost of the sport’s popularity is the boost in the number of accidents that occur in it. In fact, the University of Alabama has published an article revealing that more that 1,000 golf course accidents are reported in the country every month.
Determining Liability in Golf Course Accidents
When a person sustains an injury while he or she was inside a golf course, someone may be liable for it especially if another person’s negligence is the reason why the victim is suffering. Here are some examples of parties who may be liable in such accident:
Golf players
The most usual source of golf course injuries is due to the negligence of the players involved in the game.
Although a golf ball is small, getting hit by it can still produce considerable damage. Statistics revealed that a small number of people were reported to have sustained life-threatening injuries after being struck by a golf ball.
Many people sue to be compensated when they were hit by a golf ball especially if they were injured due by it. The issue of negligence may materialize from the player’s commission or omission of an action if a reasonable individual could foresee that the action or omission may cause other people to get hurt.
Golf course owner or operator
An injured individual can also try to determine whether the golf course owner is responsible for the accident. One vital way of doing this is by finding out if the golf course is publicly or privately owned. If the golf course is publicly owned, the government may be immune from any kind of liability or responsibility for an ordinary negligence.
Meanwhile, a golf course’s operator or owner may be viewed as liable for an accident if there is a failure in applying ordinary care in preserving the area’s safe and good condition.
Golf course builder or designer
A court may rule that a golf course was improperly designed or built, thus placing the players at a bigger danger compared to what is expected. In general, an injured individual must be able to prove that the area contained unseen dangers or it was negligently designed before damages may be awarded.
Proving liability in golf course accidents is not easy because of the legalities that surround the process. Injured individuals may have a higher chance of attaining this goal by asking for the legal help of skilled personal injury lawyers.
To help you pursue claims for injuries sustained in a golf course accident, consult with our skilled personal injury lawyers. Visit our website at http://www.personalinjurylawyerinc.com/ and avail of our free case analysis.
Not all accidents are on the course. (Video Here)
Related articles
- Playground golf injury has parent concerned for children’s safety (ksl.com)
- Golf cart driver seriously hurt in Hutchinson Island crash (savannahnow.com)
Time For New Clubs?
Finding The Best Senior Golf Clubs For Your Game
Remember, though that you should buy something durable. In fact, this is the point at which you need to be critical if you are considering discount clubs. Keep in mind that even though the club gives you the distance you want, that still might not mean it is the best. Many discount clubs can loosen up the more you use them. This can cause the flex to change over time, and it can end up becoming softer than you need.
The senior golfer of today has a number of advantages over senior golfers in the past. The range of senior clubs available today are often designed more for their use and flexibility. In the past golfers often only had a few shaft flexes to choose from, and progressed through the range the more experienced they became in the game.
Nowadays things are very different. Choosing from the range of different golf clubs, and gaining an understanding of what clubs best suit your game makes life easier for todays modern senior golfer. Check out different websites, and look at what the manufacturers of senior clubs are offering. This way you can often see what other people think about each type of club before you go and speak to your local club pro, who will often be able to let you try the club on the range.
You can find additional info at the following links:
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Putting Made Easy ….. Really?
English: Recruiting Brochure: Shot of Bay Area Sports Activities 1979-1995 (Joe March) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Training Aids – Three Different Categories
If you have made the decision that your putting stroke need to go in a straight line, then you would need to look at the putting square system or the putting plane alignment system. Both are railed systems that insure your putter moves straight back and through.
Full Swing Training Aids
Most players struggle with finding a good impact position. An impact bag will put you in the correct impact position. An impact bag does this by teaching you how the shaft needs to be leaning towards the target at impact and not away from the target.
Another full swing training aid is a balance rod. Balance is one of the most important things to have in your golf swing and talked about the least by golf instructors. A balance rod is placed under your feet as you swing the golf and gives you instant feedback on your balance. If you make swing that arte out of balance, you can slice or hook the ball. You never know where it is going.
Golf Fitness Training Aids
Again, if you are already working with a fitness trainer, it would be best to discuss with them on which golf fitness aids would work best for you. A weighted golf club will help you build strength as well as flexibility. You will need to make sure that you swing it equally right-handed and left-handed as you do not want to overbuild one side over the other.
A swiss ball or balance ball is a very flexible piece of equipment as well. With a balance ball, you can increase your flexibility with various stretches. In addition, you can build your core muscles by doing many of your strength exercises on the ball.
Listed above are the three main categories of training aids. Obviously, you can drill down as far as you would like and create sub-categories for swing plane for example. Keep in mind as you are buying the practice aid, will this help me and my current ailment or is this just what everyone else is buying?
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Driver Training (How Good Are You?)
How to enjoy Driving Lessons
Hire a qualified driving instructor. With millions of instructors offering driving tuition you must check the reputation of your instructor. A registered instructor will have a green ADI / Approved Driving Instructor identity card which ensures that she has successfully passed certified driving instructor tuition.
Gain a good relationship with your teacher . In order to make your driving tuition effective teamed with enjoyment you should be open with your instructor. Whenever you have any doubts discuss them with your teacher.
Do your homwork prior to your driving instruction. By asking your tutor about the next lesson plan you can read about the goals you will cover during your next session . This will help your learning therefore you will realise your goal more rapidly and save money.
Practice the requirements of the driving test carefully . Supplement your driving tuition with additional learning. Your success rests with your understanding of the Highway Code, theory and practical tests.
Your driving confidence , your success and achievement greatly depends upon the expertise of your driving instructor. That said, obviously training under a person who has had a track record of coaching prospective drivers and is someone who you are comfortable with is important . You might feel more at home with with a female instructor for example. Don’t be stressed should you need to change your tutor. You cannot afford to continue with an instructor who doesn’t relate well with you. Have the courage of your convictions and walk away . Remember, your goal should be to obtain your driving license rapidly , whilst having fun. Don’t let somebody get in your way. Good luck for your driving test!
More Information here
The writer is an Advanced Driving Instructor in Medway
5 Weight Loss Diet Plans for Diabetics
Diabetic weight loss options may have become a top priority for you to research, especially if you have just received news from your doctor that you have diabetes and you should lose weight.
Trying to find a good weight loss program is hard enough. It may also seem an impossible task to find a good diabetic weight loss diet. This is where we may help out, by explaining 5 different diabetic weight loss diet options.
5 Diabetic Weight Loss Options:
Diabetic Food Exchange Diet: This diabetic diet plan is one of the main eating plans that doctors prescribe to people with diabetes. It may be confusing at first, yet once you understand its concept, you will find that it has two positive outcomes. It will help you lose weight and maintain your blood sugar.
Basically, the diabetic food exchange diet separates food into groups. Each group lists certain foods that may be eaten and the exact portion that may be eaten. Measuring the food portions exactly is very important on this diabetic weight loss diet. It is also important to eat on a very regular schedule.
Diabetic Food Pyramid: This diabetic food plan is easier to understand and implement than the diabetic food exchange diet. With this plan the foods are separated into different groups. The food group that allows the most servings is the base of the food pyramid. The next set of groups of foods follow up the pyramid, with the top of the pyramid representing the food group allowed the list.
You can lose weight on this diet and be satisfied, if you stay within the servings allowed each group and choose healthy, low calorie foods.
Atkins Diabetic Diet: This diet is found within the Atkins series of dieting books. The book, Atkins Diabetes Revolution, offers diabetic meal plans allowing three different levels of carbohydrate consumption. This diet plan begins with the person having only 20 grams of carbohydrates a day. Gradually, 40 grams of carbs are allowed, and finally, 60 grams of carbs are allowed per day. This diabetic weight loss diet may be a bit extreme for many people because it almost eliminates breads, rice and potatoes. Yet, many people do control their diabetes as well as their weight with this diet.
Nutrisystem Diabetic Diet Plan: The diabetic weight loss diet plan offered by Nutrisystem may be considered one of the most convenient diabetic weight loss options. The diabetic meals are specifically made for people with diabetes Type II. They are low calorie pre-packaged and pre-portioned, and require no refrigeration. Fresh fruits, vegetables and milk should be added to completely balance the diet. If you are a busy person and find it difficult to plan meals, this particular diabetic diet should be considered.
Medifast Diabetic Diet Plan: This diabetic diet weight loss plan claims to help you lose 20 pounds in 30 days. Medifast has a simple, yet powerful diet plan called “5 in 1.” This means, you choose 5 items to eat a day from Medifast’s prepackaged meals, and make your own one “lean and green” meal a day. The “lean and green” meal should consist of a lean meat and green vegetable. Many people with diabetes and weight issues have been help greatly with Medifast’s diabetic diet plan.
Any one of the above diabetic diet weight loss plans can help you manage your diabetes and weight loss goals.
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Anne Dixon writes about a variety of topics including health and wellness subjects. If you would like to learn more about diabetic diet food and weight loss, and managing your diabetes with healthy food, then you may wish to visit her website at:
http://www.diabeticdietfood.com
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Watch Your Weight This Halloween
For those of us who are looking for quick weight loss, Halloween can be a scary experience! While just one night of indulgence in Halloween candy might not be enough to break your belt, dipping into the leftover stockpile for weeks on end will surely derail your diet or weight loss program.
In 1921, in Anoka, MN, the United States enjoyed our first recorded instance of a Halloween celebration. Annual candy consumption has climbed almost unabated since then. According to the Census Bureau, Americans eat nearly a half-pound of candy each week for an average of 25 pounds of candy a year. Candy is big business, with the United States boasting 1,040 manufacturing establishments producing chocolate and cocoa products in 2001. These establishments employed 45,913 people and shipped $12 billion worth of goods that year. Another 616 U.S. establishments manufactured non-chocolate confectionery products in 2001. These establishments employed 26,400 people and shipped $7 billion worth of goods that year (source: census.gov).
The overwhelming popularity of the South Beach Diet, Zone Diet, and Atkins Diet has prompted low-carb weight watchers to eat less candy. Overall consumption has actually declined over the last few years; as recently as 1997 the average annual candy consumption was a sky-high 27 pounds.
-> The Problem:
Most people on a diet plan or weight control program look at candy as little brightly-colored fat bombs. That assessment isn’t far off the mark, either, with most candy packing little nutritional value and a ton of calories.
Some of the more popular Halloween candy has too many calories to be included in any healthy diet:
- Twizzlers 1 treat size pkg.= 45 calories
- Almond Joy 1 snack size bar = 90 calories
- Milk Duds 1 treat size box = 40 calories
- Butterfinger 1 snack size bar = 100 calories
- Milky Way 1 snack size bar = 90 calories
- SweetTarts 1 treat size pkg. = 50 calories
- 1 Tootsie Pop 1 pop = 60 calories
- 1 Tootsie Roll 1 small roll = 13 calories
Note: Calorie content is based on 1 serving of Halloween ‘snack’ or ‘fun’ size packages, not full size servings found in the candy aisle.
While just a few pieces of Halloween candy won’t obliterate your diet program or weight loss plan, it’s the temptation to keep having ‘just one more’ that will pack on the pounds. It only takes nine small fun-size candy bars to put on a quarter-pound of fat. Besides candy, Halloween threatens many other high-calorie treats like Caramel apples (243 calories), 8-oz. apple cider and a cake donut (319 calories), or a slice of pumpkin pie (240 calories).
-> The Solution:
Is it possible to cope with the menace of Halloween candy without taking all the fun out of the holiday? Absolutely! If you’re looking for fast weight loss, and don’t want Halloween to bring your fat loss to a screeching halt, consider these healthy Halloween tips:
- Walk with your kids while they’re trick-or-treating. A 165-lb. woman strolling along (walking slowly) for one hour will burn approximately 150 calories (source: caloriesperhour.com).
- Out of sight, out of mind. When the kids have unloaded their stash, store it in an airtight container and put it in the cupboard. A bowl full of candy on the counter is an open invitation to have ‘just one’, but a stockpile you can’t see is less tempting.
- If you’re going to give out candy to trick-or-treaters on Halloween, don’t buy it until October 31st. Having a candy supply in the house before Halloween only entices you to have some early.
- If you must buy candy before Halloween, buy a kind you don’t like. Again, this will reduce the temptation for you to dig in.
- Hosting a Halloween party? Supply vegetables, healthy dips, and low fat snacking alternatives instead of candy.
- Set a Halloween candy deadline by which all Halloween candy must be either consumed (by the kids) or it will be thrown away. Saving that candy for weeks, or even months, only keeps temptation in the house.
- Put more emphasis on dressing up in a great costume, and less on candy. This is especially true for the kids, who often view Halloween as a candy free-for-all dream come true.
- By hosting a party on Halloween night, you can control the menu and have fun with friends at the same time.
- Focus on Halloween activities other than eating. There are lots of options available, from hayrides to haunted houses to bonfires.
- Candy has a long shelf life, and there’s no reason why you couldn’t put some of it in airtight bags and store it in the freezer. Allow the kids to take out one bag every two weeks until it’s gone. This tactic will at least space out the temptation and minimize candy binge eating.
Of course, the absolute best way to avoid weight gain, and perhaps even achieve some easy weight loss, during the Halloween season is to bump up the amount of exercise you’re getting. There’s no better way to lose weight fast than a healthy diet and regular exercise.
Make sure the workout you’re doing includes both aerobic and resistance training, as it is critical to get both types of exercise to maximize weight loss. It’s also important to exercise for at least thirty minutes, three times per week, which is the most recent recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (source: cdc.gov).
A fantastic strategy is to find the best weight loss program for you now, before Halloween hits. The reason is that the last three months of the year are packed with holidays, special dinners and seasonal treats. Starting with Halloween candy and ending with Christmas fudge, many people find that they’re packing on more pounds during this period than they do any other time of year.
Joining a gym is an excellent way to combat Halloween and holiday weight gain. Finding a good gym to join now will not only help keep off those holiday pounds, but will even make you slimmer by New Years.
For more free weight loss information and weight loss tips, go to www.letspickupthepace.com and click on the ‘Articles’ link.
* Copyright 2005 Pick Up The Pace. Permission is not required for the distribution of Pick Up The Pace articles as long as they are used in their entirety, are properly credited to Pick Up The Pace, and are accompanied by our website link: www.letspickupthepace.com.
* The information in this article and on this site is for general reference purposes only and not intended to address specific medical conditions. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice or a medical exam. Prior to participating in any exercise program or activity, you should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional. No information in this article or on www.letspickupthepace.com should be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition.
thomashyndman 