Thursday, January 30, 2014

10 Tips To Lose Weight In Just 2 Weeks

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Benson Kua
Alright, you're going to your friends wedding, but you need to lose some pounds. Or maybe you want to go to a dance but you know you're ex will be there. Whatever the reason, you need to lose weight as quickly as possible, so how do you go about doing this?

I get asked this question all the time. Now first off, I want to say that weight loss is a process, you should try to eat correctly all the time. That being said, we do have a few tips that can make your goal a reality.

1. Try doing HIIT Workouts
High Intensity Interval Training (or HIIT) is probably the best exercise to lose weight as quickly as possible. Some good examples of HIIT are programs such as Insanity, also most crossfit programs that I've been to feel like HIIT. If you don't have access to either of these have no fear! A quick search on YouTube reveals many HIIT programs that you can do at your home for free.

2. Get Rid of the Crud -
Cut the crap, no more sodas, no more candies, no more cake. It's 2 weeks, and these 2 weeks will feel like an eternity, you always feel the worst cravings when you start a diet. But don't worry about it, follow your plans to eat healthy. Keep away from all horrible snack food like potato chips and Cheetos.

3. Eat Your Veggies -
You're mom used to always tell you to do it because she was smart. You need to make sure that you eat your vegetables and fruits. This is one of the main things that started my fat loss. The best way to eat these is keep a bag of carrots or celery with you. whenever, you get the munchies just start on eating.

4. Drink More -
Drink more water that is. Water is key to any good diet, especially when it comes to losing fat. If you want your body to work optimally and to burn fat in the most effective way possible, you need to drink more water.

5. Reduce the Fat -
Don't eat any fries, KFC, don't eat out, if you follow this step, you should see fast results.

6. Believe in Yourself -
I know this sounds cheesy, but it's true. You have to believe that you can do it, if you don't you'll never get it done, half of the battle to lose weight is mental.

7. Don't Get Sick -
Certain "extreme" diets will just end up making you sick. In my experience these diets don't even help, they just make you look and feel worse.

8. Exercise Regularly -
If you want to look good, you need to exercise. The problem is a lot of people will get all excited, go out, exercise, and then go back to playing video games all day. You need to work out daily if you want to see results.

9. Track Your Calories -
Get an app like My Fitness Pal and track all of your calories. Doing this will greatly increase your results.

10. Put Up A Motivational Picture -
I know it sounds cheesy, but it works. So next time you have cravings for junk food or sugar, just look up at that photo and remember what you're aiming for.

Conclusion
There you go, 10 great tips that will show you how you can lose weight quickly. Whether you're getting ready to go to the beach, or a friends wedding, these techniques will work.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

10 "Secrets" to Losing Weight Fast


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Losing weight isn't rocket science, once somebody understands that all you have to do is eat less than your maintenance calories, it gets pretty simple. So why is it that a month into our diets we usually stop? Or why don't we see results? Well today we are going to show you 10 little "secrets" that will show you how you can lose weight faster than you thought possible.


But first off I wanted to say, that these secrets aren't based around fad diets. They aren't based around special pills or wraps that don't do a thing but suck away your money. Instead we are going to go over things that work, I promise you that you'll see quick results if you actually put these tips into practice.

1. Make a deadline -
This is a big one as far as motivation goes. If you don't know where you are going, how do you know how to get there? Make a deadline for yourself, if you want it to, it can be weight. However, I usually like to track my progress with measurements. Choose a pant size you want to fit into, or a body fat percentage you want to hit. These are goals that are easy to track and easy to keep you motivated. After that all you have to do is select a date, that way you know exactly what you're aiming for.

2. Eat your veggies! -
This is a big one that used to always kill me. When I first started dieting I felt hungry all the time! That's until I learned that veggies are the best snack food in the world. Feel hungry? Grab some celery! Seriously, just following this one simple tip make a bigger difference then you could imagine. Veggies are the real difference that allowed my body to become nice and shredded.

3. Use photos - 
Tracking progress with weight alone is difficult. My weight fluctuates all the time, and while I can see it gradually go down over time, it can be a little frustrating. The easiest way to track progress is through measurements, photos, or body fat % by using calipers that you can get cheap at Wal-mart. This way you can really tell what kind of results you are getting. You will also notice that by using photos it's easier to stay motivated.

4. Keep a food journal -
Ugh this one used to kill me. Write down everything that you eat! How many calories it was, what kind of macro nutrients it had. Even if you eat junk food write it down. That's the hardest part for me, whenever I binge I feel guilty and I don't want to record it. Make sure you do though, it will teach you self discipline.

5. It's all mental -
A lot of fitness experts, models, and even bodybuilders talk about this. Make a mental picture of what you want to look like, and keep it. Picture it at least every night and remind yourself what your goal is. This is healthy, it keeps you alert and focused, plus it can help you avoid those terrible binges when you're feeling some junk food cravings.

6. Reward yourself -
No, not with junk food! Set up a system, if you hit your goal of the month go out and get a massage! Or go buy yourself some new clothes, do whatever will keep you motivated. I like to hang my motivations on the mirror, that way I can always remember what I'm looking forward to.

7. Keep at it -
Sometimes we slip up, don't worry about it, just keep on trying. I've slipped up, almost everyone has, the worst thing you can do after slipping up is giving up. Don't destroy all of the work you've done! Instead keep working hard and you'll see those results in the end. So don't get down on yourself, pick yourself back up and get back to work.

8. Don't snack -
Or should I say, don't eat midnight snacks! We've all read that you shouldn't eat 2 hours before going to bed. While the science behind this notion is still a little iffy, I've realized that if I eat late at night, I will generally go over my calories for the day. So instead I just try not to eat after a certain hour, or if I'm really hungry I'll just eat some celery.

9. Eat an elephant -
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. The same thing goes for your weight loss, take it one step at a time. Don't think that you're going to build your whole new body in one day, it will take some time. The good news is that by taking these small steps every day for just a few months, will give you some amazing results. So just keep at it, one day at a time.

10. Snack before you party -
Once I understood this principle life became a lot easier. When invited out to party with friends, make sure you eat a ton of veggies first. This way you'll be pretty full when you go, and you won't binge and pig out on pizza and french fries. By following this technique you'll be able to be social, and healthy at the same time.

Conclusion

Losing weight isn't difficult, it just takes hard work and consistency. There will come a day though that you will love eating healthily, and instead of being difficult, it will just be a lifestyle. Any other tips you want to share? Feel free to leave them below.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

10 Reasons Why You Suck At Losing Weight

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Alan Cleaver

Now that its the start of a new year most people are losing weight. I've talked to countless amounts of people who complain that it's impossible to lose weight, and that some people are just genetically gifted.

Hey I get it, I was just like you, I thought that some people were good looking and ripped, and others like me weren't so gifted. That is until I saw a friend make the change from overweight to looking amazing. My friend explained to me that most people just aren't doing the right things to lose weight, so today we are going to list 10 things that are keeping you from dropping the pounds.

1. You make up excuses -
This is a common one that I see all the time. People tell me all about their new resolve to lose weight and look good. Ten minutes later they're eating out at some fast food place telling me that they'll start tomorrow. A lot of people will just make up excuses, losing weight takes work, it takes dedication. If you can just learn how to get rid of the excuses, you'll be able to get some real work done, and I bet you'll be surprised at how quickly you can see results.

2. You don't follow a good diet -
I've been a victim to this one. You start working out, jogging, lifting weights, whatever floats your boat. But you don't change your diet, because you figure you don't have to. Sure maybe you'll lose a few pounds, but it will stagnate. In order to make real changes you need to change how you eat. This isn't as hard as it sounds though, a good free app like my fitness pal can make following a diet extremely easy.

3. You don't work out -
This is the opposite of number 2. Sure you can lose a lot of weight by just dieting, but if you workout you can gain a toned look that most people desire. Plus it can speed up your weight loss, as well as make you feel more healthy and comfortable. Working out doesn't have to be super tough, consider riding a bike or walking with some friends, working out isn't just for losing weight, it's also a key to being healthy.

4. You binge eat -
You fail a test, your boyfriend/girlfriend dumps you, your favorite character on Game of Thrones dies. Whatever the case, your stressed and depressed. So you order in some Domino's pizza, turn on a good movie, and forget about your diet. The next day you feel horrible for what you did, and so what do you do? You do it again! Recognizing early on what is going on is key to stopping yourself from binge eating, otherwise you'll end up falling into a nasty pattern that doesn't lead to any weight loss.

5. You get sick -
I hate this one, but it happens. You're doing great, you're working out, eating right, doing everything you're supposed to. After a few weeks suddenly you start feeling sick, you can't eat right, working out is impossible. After a few days you feel like you've lost all of the progress that you've made. Don't listen to yourself, you haven't lost all progress. Dust yourself off, get up, and start working out again, trust me, you'll be back to where you were in almost no time at all.

6. You give up -
This is one that I see a ton. You just give up, you decide it's too hard, and it's not worth it, it's okay, you're fine with the way you look and feel. Is this true? Or did you just feel depressed? Most people I know that give up, give up because they start comparing themselves to others. Don't do this, just progress and focus on hitting your personal goals. Try to keep in mind your overall goal, hang a motivational picture, or saying to keep yourself right on track. Trust me, your dream body is right around the corner.

7. You lie to yourself -
I see this one a lot to, people tell me they're following their diet, when they aren't really. Don't do this to yourself, don't lie, tell the truth, be honest about your progress. If you slipped and ate bad for a day, just admit it, and then move on. If you keep lying to yourself you won't see any progress.
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8. You follow a fad -
Fad diets are the worst, no those body wraps won't help you, and no that stupid pill that sheds fat away won't be the key to you losing weight. While there are some great programs out there, there are just as many fad stupid diets that don't work. My advice? Just count calories with an app like my fitness pal and workout with a program like p90x, these combinations have worked wonders for me.  Go with what already works, and stay away from these "lose 20 pounds doing nothing!" schemes.

9. You change your mind -
I've talked to people who are on "diets" only to find them running to Carls Junior the next day. "What happened?" I ask them, and they almost always respond that they've changed their mind. They don't need to worry about losing weight. Or that they've started a new workout program so they don't need to follow a diet. Don't be these people, you'll be stuck in the same spot forever.

10. You don't walk the walk -
I find that there are people who love to talk fitness, and people who love to do fitness. Usually the biggest difference is one actually watches their diet, and does the workouts, while the other one can talk about the latest fitness techniques to me until my ears fall off. Look, the latest greatest programs and research can be awesome, but it doesn't mean a thing unless you put it into practice. Do yourself a favor and walk the walk, go out there and put this stuff in practice.

Conclusion
Losing weight is actually pretty simple, just workout and follow a good diet. If you're not seeing results, chances are your skipping either your workouts, or your diet. So quit making excuses and start getting committed. If you feel like I missed anything feel free to tell me in the comment section below.