Your Fitness Goal for 2013

The two biggest New Year's resolutions for people are always to make more money and/or to lose weight. Is losing weight a part of your fitness goal for the New Year? Have you mapped out a plan yet on how you're going to reach your fitness goal? What would motivate you this time to stick through thick and thin to accomplish this goal?

The other day, I was listening to the great Bob Proctor in a YouTube seminar, one thing he said (being the great teacher that he is) stroke me like lightning. He said that - I'm paraphrasing here- if you are trying to lose weight you will not succeed or you will always gain it back because the way the mind is set is if you lose something, its job is to condition itself to get it back. In order word, after you "lose" weight or anything else for that matter, the mind subconsciously will go to work to sabotage your weight lost result.

To step into your fitness goal in 2013, you have to root for the cause and effect of your overhaul physical health according to the results you've getting thus far. Meaning to say that the reason why you gained weight is not the food in itself but your perception and belief behind the way you consume food and your understanding about exercises.

Most people when they want to "lose weigh" go on crash diets or try all kind of programs (which by the way are ingenious because of the science and hard work behind creating them) that never work for them. The reason why they fail over and over until they give up altogether is because, again, they try to treat the effect not the root cause.

You gain weigh primarily because of your belief about food. If you see food as something comforting that you entertain compare to a TV pastime or something to compensate yourself as a replacement to certain lack, you will gain weight. If you see exercise as a burden that you resist and disgust, or if you see gaining weight as an inevitable part of aging, you will always be out of shape and away from your fitness goal.

Your perception and your belief about any area of your life will always manifest accordingly and will always produce the same exact results until you go through some changes. Therefore, your belief about diet and exercises will show up in your life in the form of you being overweight, obese or you as a fitness specimen.

The first thing to do is to find out where your beliefs about food and exercise stand. Do you believe that the primary role of food in your diet is to refuel your energy level to enable you to go about your habitual physical and mental productivity and should be consumed in moderation? Or do you see food as something you can indulge in at anytime you want and thinking that it won't have any relevance to your overhaul health?

Do you look at your daily physical activities as a chore or do you pick a form of exercise that you like which automatically put you in the likelihood of keeping it up because you enjoy doing it? Do you believe that being overweight or obese can cause you your life leaving your loved ones with unnecessary suffering?

The key to the attainment of your fitness goal this year is to first ask yourself what are your beliefs about fitness and exercise. Do you believe that being obese can cost you your life? (Hint: it can and it does every day)-It all comes down to your belief system-. Then go to work on upgrading those beliefs through massive exposures with people and program with the type of mental conditioning that will help you make the switch. Apply the old adage: "eat to live, not live to eat". Happy New Year 2013!

What you believe creates your result.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ben_Philias

Getting More Fiber In Your Diet

         

             Eating fiber is an important part of a healthy diet and as a result, High fiber recipes are a good thing to have on hand. In fact eating foods high in fiber are proven to reduce to risk of developing cardiovascular disease and also promote a healthy digestive system.

For people looking to lose weight, high fiber recipes may be something to look into, as a high fiber diet can also help in that regard. With all the added health benefits, there is no wonder why people are increasingly turning to high fiber recipes for more of their meals.

Most people associate eating fiber with a healthy digestive system and that is a true fact, as fiber will help maintain one. However, it can be for two different reasons depending on the type of fiber one is actually eating. The first type is insoluble fiber, which just as the name suggests does not break down in water as easily as other materials. What this means, is eating insoluble fiber can help people who experience constipation or irregular bowel movements. In addition, insoluble fiber is proven to reduce the risk of diabetes. For people looking to add more of this type to their diet, they can look at eating whole grains, vegetables and nuts.

The second type of fiber is the opposite, being soluble fiber. As expected, soluble fiber actually absorbs water which can help soften stool and promote a healthy digestive system. As an added health benefit, soluble fiber will help reduce cholesterol levels among people who eat it. A simple way to add soluble fiber to one's diet is mixing in a bit of flax seed to another meal. As apples are also a good source of it, flax seed and apple sauce is an extremely easy to make meal that is also effective in consuming more soluble fiber.

Luckily for people looking to add more fiber to their diet, in many instances you will not need to change much of your diet to incorporate it. Adding fiber can be a very easy thing to do with many meals. Because vegetables are a high source, consider adding more to a soup or mixing them in with our meals you typically consume. The skins of many fruits are also a good source, so consider not peeling potatoes in addition to apples and pears.

As mentioned above, adding flax seed into a sauce or meal is an easy way to increase fiber intake as is simply snacking on nuts between meals. There are countless ways to increase fiber intake relatively easily and painlessly. Completing a quick online search for high fiber recipes will yield countless examples of what you can do. Look for examples and tips of meals before heading to the supermarket and starting a new routine that is high in fiber.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kelvin_Ryan

Weight Loss and Healthy Chocolate

       

         When I talk to people about the weight control benefits of chocolate, the first thing I often hear is, "Are you crazy? You CAN'T lose weight with chocolate!" Before I did all my research on chocolate I might have agreed with them. With the right type of chocolate - unprocessed, dark cocoa - anyone can definitely can lose weight, keep it off and even improve other areas of their health.

Dozens of academic studies have concluded that cocoa and dark chocolate-based foods can decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, improve insulin sensitivity and other diabetic symptoms, relieve inflammation, fight depression, increase energy, improve breathing and even decrease your appetite.

Various studies suggest that dieting in general actually leads to INCREASED WEIGHT gain and other health problems over the long run.

I've listed only a few of the benefits of dark, unprocessed chocolate, given by Dr. Stephen Warren, M. D. from his research:

1. Dark Chocolate is loaded with key neurotransmitters like tryptophan, serotonin and dopamine. Often, eating is an emotional experience associated with depression or boredom. Unfortunately the more you eat, the more depressed you become. These nutrient chemicals in cocoa can lower the risk of depression, as well as suppress one's appetite and block the pathway that leads to food cravings. Additionally, phenylethylamine (PEA) improves mood, which in turn decreases food cravings. Food addiction is like drug addiction; consequently, cocoa can minimize food cravings and addictions by delivering the right chemicals.

2. Fiber in cocoa is linked to decreased weight. Fiber helps block some fat absorption as well as a feeling of fullness.

3. Cocoa's flavonoid content can relieve inflammation. Chronic inflammation is associated with low leptin levels, which increases appetite. In addition, cortisol levels increase with elevated inflammatory chemicals that start to break down muscles, deposit fat in cells and fuel the appetite.

4. Cocoa also contains anandamide, often called the "bliss chemical," because of its involvement in the generation of motivation and pleasure. Like PEA, it greatly influences mood.

5. Cocoa's various vitamins and minerals provide essential nutrients that boost energy levels and aid in recovery from exercise.

6. Research shows that dark chocolate and cocoa-based foods help stabilize blood sugar levels. They also increase insulin sensitivity and proper glucose metabolism, meaning if the sugar in your blood is being utilized properly, it doesn't convert into fat.

7. Numerous studies show that dark chocolate can improve heart health. A recent Dutch study found that elderly men who regularly consumed chocolate had less cardiovascular-related and overall deaths than their non-chocolate counterparts.

8. Though it may seem a contradiction, consumption of dark chocolate can decrease your desire to eat more sweets, which in turn lowers your overall appetite. An added benefit is that energy and blood sugar levels are improved with less snacking and fewer sweets.

9. Some researchers suggest that bacteria in your stomach may play a role in obesity. For centuries, cocoa has been used as an antibacterial agent.

10. Chocolate is a histamine blocker, helping decrease stomach acid and possibly improving digestion.

11. Theobromine, found in abundance in cocoa, is associated with weight loss and increased energy.

12. Studies show that individuals who consume dark chocolate and cocoa-based foods tend to lose weight and have increased energy.

Not All Chocolate is Healthy

It's important to note that, when it comes to conferring weight loss benefits, dark chocolate reigns supreme. To benefit from antioxidant properties and cocoa's polyphenols, stick with products that are 60 percent cocoa and avoid alkalinization or Dutch process chocolate.

Although it may seem counterintuitive, eating dark chocolate can actually help us achieve our weight loss goals.

(Always consult with your physician when starting a new weight loss program. Information contained herein is not to be taken as medical advice. No therapeutic or medical claims are either implied or made.)

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about Weight Loss and Healthy Chocolate [http://www.mxi.myvoffice.com/carollawson] or Majon's Health and Beauty directory

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Robertson

Your Weight Loss Problem: How-To Cure It By Watching Movies

       
        Is it possible that you could actually lose weight while watching your favorite shows or reading your favorite books?  YES, it is!  Read this article to find out how...
I don't know anything about you but if you're anything like me then you struggle with a weight loss problem.  Your weight loss problem consists of you struggling to keep your weight down, or struggling to make your weight go down.

Most people who see me wouldn't believe that I have a weight loss problem, but I do.  I've battled bulimia and constant gains and losses in weight, of ten pounds each time.  Thats what I call a big weight loss problem.

A lot of women and men with the same or a similar weight loss problem would sympathize with me I'm sure.  I want to look good (who doesn't?) so that always motivates me to go on a diet.

But after sticking to a diet for a week and dropping the unwanted weight my love for good tasting food overpowers my need to feel attractive and the weight piles back on pound by pound.

There is always exercise to help with a weight loss problem, I remind myself as I lie lazily on the couch chomping down on one of my non-diet treats.  "Sure!"  I groan "I don't feel like wearing my butt out without seeing any results for weeks at a time."

Whenever I start a workout regimen I only stick to it for a few weeks (usually less) and then I get bored and drop it.  So my weight loss problem continues.

How many other women I wondered (or men, for that matter) get bored while exercising?  I thought about that for awhile then I set about to find a solution to help all those poor people (and myself too, of course) with this weight loss problem.

First I asked myself: What did I like to do?  What did I find Interesting?
"Hmmmm, well" I thought "I like dancing, but long periods of it are exhausting.  I like to read, to listen to music, and I really dislike being on my feet for over long periods of time.

What could possibly combine all or most of these to make my exercising interesting and help solve my weight loss problem?

The solution to my weight loss problem was amazingly simple!

I own an old stationary bike, and I do mean OLD, but the important thing is that it operates.  You can do this with any form of stationary bike, whether it's a twenty year old model or an up to date model.

It doesn't matter whether you own the stationary bike or use a gym's or your local YMCA's or YWCA's facilities.

My weight loss problem solution is this:

Find something engrossing to read.  It could be a novel or your favorite magazine.  Or listen to music that you enjoy, you could even use audio books or any different CD's or things you could listen to.

I suppose if your bike was somewhere around a television or computer with a DVD player, you could even watch your favorite movie.

The next step is to mount your stationary bide and start biking while reading or doing any of the above listed activities, and not to get off for at least 45 to 60 minutes, except for an occasional rest every quarter of an hour.

I usually just keep biking away the whole time and sometimes I bike longer because I'm so engrossed in what I'm reading, and I won't allow myself to read it once I'm off the stationary bike.

After a week of this, without change in my eating habits, or any dieting, I'm maintaining a healthy weight.  Best of all I'm not putting on any new pounds, and my legs look visibly slimmer.

So I've kissed my weight loss problem goodbye, and I'm saying hello to slim jeans and size 6 dresses, and you can too.

For the first time in a long while I actually look forward to putting on a bikini.


by: Beth Scott