How Many Calories Should I Eat To Lose Weight?

How Many Calories Should I Eat To Lose Weight?

A very common question every nutritionist and fitness guru gets constantly asked is, if I want to lose weight, how many calories should I eat? So let´s commence with the basics…

What are calories?

Calories is the amount of energy that the body receives with the full absorption of food. If a person does not spend this energy as a result of a chemical reaction, it is converted into fat.

How many calories should I eat to lose weight?

The amount of calories you need to consume depends on your gender, age, and physical activity. The least calories are consumed by women who weigh little and have a sedentary lifestyle (on average, about two thousand calories).  Men should consume a little more than 2.5 thousand calories. Interestingly, at the age of 20-35 years, people lead the most active lifestyle, so they need maximum food before and after consumption is reduced. That is, a woman over 50 years old, will have to eat about 1600 calories per day, if she is slim, so as not to gain weight again. 

How to keep track of the number of calories I consume?

Previously, everyone used to count calories by utilizing tables, but now thanks to the Internet and apps around there, we have a full range of calorie calculators and applications for smartphones to calculate the cherished numbers. Always remember, that it´s not just about the amount of calories you need to consume, but also the macro components (right amounts of proteins/fats/carbs) depending on your goal.

Tips to lose weight without starving

– Eat several times a day. Women tend to incur in a big mistake when they think that the solution is to either eat ridiculous small amounts of foods or just fast as much as possible. A starving organism perceives any food as a reserve, which should be put off for a rainy day. To lose weight, you need to ensure you are boosting your metabolism, forcing it to act as actively as possible. In order to do this, it is recommend to have breakfast, lunch and dinner (including two snacks in between) throughout the day. Now remember, it is essential that you fill these calories with as much nutritious foods as possible from a variety of food groups the majority of time. An organism that does not feel hunger does not accumulate excess fat.  

– Get enough sleep! People tend to underestimate the power and benefits of an appropriate sleep (7-8 hours). Vital energy and effective weight loss depend on how well your body rests and whether it has a chance to recover during sleep. Poor sleep adversely affects health – a sleepy person is more likely to eat more during the day to fill in the missing energy.  

-Variety- Increase the amount of food at the expense of vegetables, fruits, water, etc. – thus, there will be more food, and its caloric content will be less. Often cook porridge on water (buckwheat, rice, oatmeal, etc.): they swell at the expense of water and significantly increase the volume of servings. Add more non-starchy vegetables (tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, onions, sweet peppers) to the dishes.  These will ensure you get the proper amount of your macro nutrition components that will speed the weight loss journey!

– Portion Sizes- Be mindful of your portion sizes when it comes higher calorie foods such as protein, fats and carbs. However, feel free to fuel your plates with vegetables and fibers which are so important for a proper weight lose diet.  

– Get rid of excess water- For express weight loss at 1.5-2 kilograms, you can use a dandelion root or horsetail grass. These herbs are a strong natural diuretic, they should be taken in 12 drops of tincture per cup of warm water two or three times a day. Do not exceed the dose, otherwise, the body expects unpleasant consequences.  

-Motivation- Motivation is the strongest stimulus, so tell yourself why you need to lose weight. Perhaps it makes sense to take a picture in a bathing suit or try on old clothes. Take care of the visualization. Think about how slim you will become, imagine your future appearance. Your WHY will be the fuel that will enable you to remain consistent throughout the whole process!

– Avoid refined foods. In nature, it is designed so that everything that contains a complex of carbohydrates, also contains vitamins B and E and fiber. B vitamins are involved in carbohydrate metabolism, and fiber slows their absorption; so when you eat whole grains, your body gets the vitamins necessary for carbohydrate metabolism. At the same time, you also get fiber, which contributes to a normal stool and a healthy bowel. Refined, purified products do not possess any of the listed properties.  

-Eat dairy products.- Women who eat low-fat dairy products 3-4 times a day burn 70% more fat. Calcium causes the body to burn excess fat faster, and 1,200 mg of calcium should be consumed daily. Just taking calcium tablets is almost useless. The best result is the consumption of dairy products.

– Eat fish- Those who regularly eat fish and seafood have a reduced level of the hormone leptin, which is closely associated with slow metabolism and obesity. Try 3-4 times a week to eat fatty fish: salmon, tuna and others.  

– Drink green tea- The green hour not only helps to fight carcinogenic substances, but it also has the ability to speed up metabolism. According to studies, people drinking green tea 3 times a day, accelerate their metabolism by 4%, which translates into burning an extra 60 calories a day. In a year, thus, you can lose about 3 kilograms.

womans weight loss tips

What is Healthy Eating?

What is Healthy Eating?

Eating healthy foods is one of the best ways to boost the weight loss process or maintain the current weight.

However, it is one of the hardest things to do especially if someone was used to consuming unhealthy foods such as fried processed foods. The fact is that these fried foods always look more appealing and appetizing than their healthier counterparts do. Getting used to healthy eating becomes easier with time, especially if one finds different ways of making healthy meals look more interesting.

So before we launch ourselves in pointing out some of the main benefits of healthy eating, what does healthy eating actually mean?

The term may mean different things to different people but it essentially means consuming foods that supply the body with the required nutrients without depositing too much fat in the body. These include proteins, vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates without extra cholesterol. Healthy eating consists of consuming food that encourages the general well-being of the body which includes physical, emotional and psychological aspects.

Some of the main benefits that you obtain from healthy eating include:          

Better weight management: Healthy eating helps with the weight loss process, especially when used with other programs. Eating fruits and vegetables together with whole grains and other sources of proteins like legumes helps reduce the amount of cholesterol in the body. This, when coupled with exercises can speed up the weight loss process. The low cholesterol intake also helps with maintaining the current body weight.             

Prevention of diseases: Many fruits and vegetables contain high levels of antioxidants such as beta carotene’s. As such, they are great at protecting the body from some diseases like some types of cancer. According to some study conducted in 2014 by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, consuming more fruits and vegetables helped reduce chances of liver cancer, colorectal cancer, and gastrointestinal cancers. Diabetes patients can also benefit a lot from healthy eating. The healthy habits help to reduce calorie level and maintain proper glucose levels. These help in the prevention of diabetes-related complications.  Healthy eating is also great at preventing heart conditions including stroke. The reduction of cholesterol levels and blood pressure associated with such eating habits are great for maintaining a healthy heart. Eating more vegetables, almonds, sunflower seeds, and hazelnuts among others can help prevent heart attacks by preventing blood clots which can be fatal.          

Better physical health: Healthy eating promotes stronger bones and teeth as well as emotional well being which then translates to better physical health. Eating legumes, low-fat dairy products, and vegetables like broccoli and cabbage supply the body with calcium which is essential in the development of stronger bones and teeth.

In addition, healthy eating also helps in enhancing better mood and boosting energy needed for the whole day.          

Some Healthy Eating Tips To Consider:    

 When transitioning to healthy eating, one of the best ways to make the process easier is by making healthier options less boring. This can be done in ways of preparation as well as presentation. However, it starts by replacing the processed and fried foods with those that have fewer calories and organic . For example, instead of bacon, sausages, and toast for breakfast every day, try to eat whole grains like brown bread or oatmeal. Rather than frying the eggs, try boiling them. Replace red meat with legumes or white meat such as fish. When taking dairy products, go for the non-fat options.          

Add flavors:  Use healthy ingredients like fresh herbs to add flavors. Fresh lemon juice or cilantro, for instance, can make the food smell and taste better. Most of the fresh herbs such as ginger roots also have many health benefits. Using them, therefore, makes the food better and healthier.  

Try to use a minimum amount of salt since too much sodium content can also be harmful to the body. When purchasing, choose fresh fruits and vegetable and try to avoid those that have preservatives.            

Mix it up:  Using different colored vegetables makes the meal more interesting and appealing especially where there are kids. Try to serve the meals in decorated plates if available. It’s also advisable to eat healthy meals with others whenever possible. This eliminates loneliness and provides encouragement.        

All about Healthy Eating

 Conclusion:   Creating a different atmosphere like lighting candles can also make healthy eating more interesting. The main goal is to consume more useful nutrients and avoid those extra calories. Use less oil when cooking and try to maintain the natural nutrient supply by not overcooking. You should also avoid overeating by taking the right portions only. With all these tips in mind, healthy eating will be a fun and fulfilling lifestyle choice that will enable you to obtain your best body shape ever

Healthy Pregnancy Tips

Healthy Pregnancy Tips

The pregnancy period is always exciting to the expecting parents but it can also mean a time full of uncertainties and a bit of stress.

Therefore, it requires to take extra care as the mother prepares herself for the birth. This can be done by taking care of hygiene, eating properly and taking supplements provided by the doctor among others. These healthy precautions/habits will ensure that the she gets everything she needs to sustain the extra pressure and the growing fetus and that the baby also obtains all the necessary nutrients to stay healthy. Some additional tips include:          

Proper rest:While it may be difficult to get a good night’s sleep sometimes, it’s still important to get enough rest. Try to sleep during the day if sleeping at night is impossible. You should also try to avoid doing too much work especially anything that involves heavy lifting or prolonged bending.       

Exercising: This will help your body prepare for the coming birth and most likely make it easier as well.

Regular exercising also helps with weight loss after pregnancy.

It enables you to shed off the baby weight faster thereby regaining your original body shape. However, you should avoid any exercise that causes you to strain. Some of the safe exercises to try are:         

  •  Kegel exercises        This involves squeezing as if to stop urine flow when relieving yourself. It mainly helps with keeping the pelvic area stronger thereby making the birth process easier. You can also try squatting and tilting your pelvis to achieve similar results.            
  • Swimming        This is one of the best exercises during the second and third trimesters since it tends to be more relaxing. The water tends to lift off extra weight thereby reducing pressure on the joints. When doing swimming exercises, you should avoid jumping into the water or using heated swimming pools. In addition, you should also utilize the railings when getting in and out of the water for extra support.          
  • Yoga        Yoga has many benefits with the main one being maintaining calmness and self awareness during the pregnancy period. It also helps with relaxation and flexibility which are both vital during both pregnancy and birth. Joining a prenatal yoga class will ensure that you stay safe as you also keep yourself fit.         

 Eating        Cravings are natural during pregnancy. However, you shouldn’t let them control you especially if they involve unhealthy or processed foods. These will only give you extra calories and bad fats that will most likely make birth difficult. Now, we are all aware that this tends to be hard, but its worth keeping it in mind. Choosing healthier foods will keep both the mother and the baby well-nourished and strong. Below are some of the foods you can try:          

  • Fruits and vegetables        These are great substitutes for unhealthy snacks. When you start craving fatty snacks or feeling hungry between meals, take a fruit like a banana or an apple. These will provide you with important minerals like potassium without those annoying extra fats. Fruits and vegetables will also supply you with fiber that is essential in reducing constipation.          
  • Choose whole foods        Brown rice and oatmeal are some of the examples of whole grain foods you can try. Never skip breakfast. Try to cook healthier options like wheat toast and if not, include cereals which are rich in nutrients like calcium.           
Fitness tips of the day

You may think that you are busy now, but once the baby comes you will even have less time for yourself. Be sure to follow these healthy tips so as to make sure this is your best pregnancy period ever.

Top 10 Tips for Health and Fitness

Top 10 Tips for Health and Fitness

 It’s everyone’s desire to be all around fit and healthy. Good health is an asset that everyone wants to own.

You can stay healthy and fit even without visiting a gym. All you need to do is to be creative and willing to work towards obtaining your desired results that will boost your health and fitness to another level. The following are a few things you should bear in mind.

 1. Make Breakfast Mandatory   Skipping breakfast impacts negatively on your system. The system senses a threat of famine and thus slows metabolism in counteraction. When food is taken later, metabolism increases way beyond the normal levels making you more likely to feel hungry, hence carving into any unhealthy foods.

Breakfast should remain as one of the most important meals of the day. Where possible, add a berry.     

2. Take Green Tea   As you continue improving your eating tricks, green tea should replace those calories drinks. Tea improves metabolism and acts as an antioxidant. You really need this in your quest to stay healthy and fit. 

 3. Cut White Food Consumption   To stay and remain healthy, you must have been advised to cut on white food. This is actually true and should be taken with the appropriate care it deserves. However, fish, white eggs and cauliflower may be used.    

 4. Sleep Well   Your body needs proper recovery and quality sleep to restore and protect the functioning of the vital organs. Always attempt a quality seven-hour sleep per night.     

5. Stretch   Stretching is one of the best workout tips. You can do stretching anywhere as among the workout trends. Stretch on a queue, do ballet moves when doing gas pumping etc. A simple but very effective way of staying healthy and fit. Also, stretching is vital in achieving flexibility, muscle tension and maintaining a good posture.     

6. Take Walks/Run   Walking is one of the best ways of being healthy and fit. It doesn’t demand you to be super fit, you can head to some outdoor parks, listen to podcasts, favorite book, etc. Amongst other key things, it  improves your circulation and air flow in the body. Set a walking target for each day. One of the modern workout trends is the use of a pedometer. Employ its usage. You can also do some running.     

7. Drink A Lot of Water   Water helps in boosting metabolism. Metabolic boost results in an improved health and fitness. Water also acts as a cure for hunger. Don’t be deceived by thirst to eat. Water is also a natural energy drink.     

8. Get Vitamin D  Why exposure to sunlight? Vitamin D is crucial in the control of appetite. Additionally, the sunlight activates the metabolism of the fat cells. Sunlight also boosts calcium in the body which improves health and keeps you fit.     

9. Workout Music   The use of music is one of the latest workout trends. Get that Zumba and dance to it. Crank yourself up with a pole dance if you can. Feel that sweating, flexibility and blood circulation.     

Top 10 Tips for Health and Fitness

10. Routine Workout Tips   You can make it in the gym if you can. If you can’t, make 5 to 10 minutes workouts every morning. Do the normal workouts. Look for workout tips that exercise your whole body.

Maintaining health and staying fit is now easier than ever before.

You don’t need to spend your whole day at the gym. Do simple things. Follow a few workout tips and you will keep that health and fitness that you love.

Exercise Tips For Weight Loss

Exercise Tips For Weight Loss

Weight loss can prove to be an elusive goal.

Many people complain that even after hours of rigorous exercise at the gym, there is still nothing to show for it. Others have tried diet after diet with no results to show for their sacrifice.

But losing weight is also far from impossible. All you need is to understand the science of weight loss, and to use your knowledge to make your efforts more efficient. Here are exercise tips to help you lose weight easier.

1. Start Simple

When people think of fitness plans, most believe that they have to engage in strenuous exercises in order to lose weight. This is not necessarily true.

While a high- power exercise session at the gym will certainly help you burn calories, it can also make you incredibly hungry.

This makes you susceptible to making wrong dietary choices, therefore undoing all the hard work you put in at the gym. Additionally, there is a high likelihood that you will find it hard to keep up with your chosen routine. Sure, for the first month, hitting the treadmill and lifting weights can be exciting. But when expectations are not met and the scales aren’t encouraging, the enthusiasm you once felt can begin to dwindle. This is why you need to start with simple exercises. For one thing, simple exercises are easy to keep up with. Also, you will not be tempted to wolf down an entire chocolate bar after a simple exercise session, and thus you should start seeing changes in your weight within no time. You can also carry out most simple exercises at the comfort of your own home, which saves you the agony of paying an expensive monthly subscription at the gym.

 

 2. Be Consistent

Furthermore, you need to be committed to exercising. You can actually work whole muscle groups within five minutes, so time should not be much of a problem. As long as you are faithful to your simple exercise routine, the extra pounds you want to shed will definitely fall off.

Simple Exercises for Weight Loss

The Triceps Dip:    If arm fat bothers you, this exercise will help tone your arms in a short span of time. To do it, place your hands on the edge of a seat, with your arms shoulder- width apart. You should be facing away from the chair. Lower your body away from the chair towards the floor, making sure that elbows are bent at 900 or more. Then raise your body upwards making sure to use your triceps. Repeat this motion as much as you can.

Squats: They not only help tone your body, but they also burn calories in the process. To do them, stand with your feet apart, with toes pointing forwards and a little outward. With your back straight, bolt your hips back, bend your knees and shift your weight downwards. Come up again and repeat the exercise as many times as you can.

Running: It is an exercise that has innumerable advantages. You can opt to go for a morning jog, a thirty minutes run in the evening, or simply to jog from your home. If you really want to stick to your training plans and achieve tremendous weight loss, be sure to take up running.    Exercise Tips For Weight Loss

Conclusion

Although losing weight is not a walk in the park, it can be done. All you need is to be consistent and dedicated. Try some of the simple exercises suggested above and see the difference they will make.

 

 

 

Healthy Snacks

Healthy Snacks

How to shed off your extra weight today by taking these healthy snacks?

Are you interested in reducing your body weight today? There are many factors that you should consider. You will note that most people have gained a lot of weight lately. This is due to many factors. One of these factors is unhealthy lifestyles. You will realize that some people normally prefer sitting down for many hours watching movies and so on. This normally happens during the holidays. You might gain a lot of weight unawares. This is the reason why you should be keen with the lifestyle that you lead. In addition, modern technology has made life easier.

What are the issues we face today?

Nowadays, you do not have to walk to a certain shop physically. You can readily shop online and the product will be delivered to you at your home. This means that there will be reduced movement and this can make you gain weight over time. If this trend continues for a long period of time, you might become obese. In addition, failure to take the right diet can make you gain weight. These include junk foods and high carb foods. However, how can you do in order to mitigate this situation? You should consider taking healthy snacks.

You will note that there are many snacks being sold out there. Most of them are not very healthy. Taking theses snacks can make you gain a log of weight. If you are not fond of doing regular exercises, the situation can even be worse.

The good news is that there are some quick and healthy snacks that you should consider.

These include:

Healthy Snacks1. Mixed nuts.  Most people normally like taking nuts when they are traveling or watching a movie. This snack is normally very nutritious. It can play a major role in reducing the risk of getting heart related diseases. These include: high blood pressure, cardiac arrest and so on. It can also help prevent different types of cancers, depression and other diseases. You can trust that your body will get more proteins after taking these nuts. These nuts are also known to contain healthy fat and even fiber. They can also enable you get the energy that your body needs. This is the reason why you should consider taking nuts today.

Healthy Snacks

2. Greek yogurt and mixed berries.  You can consider making this snack at home. You just need to buy Greek yogurt from the supermarket and then mix it with some berries. You can trust that this snack will be delicious and very nutritious. This snack is healthy because it normally has a lot of calcium and potassium. In addition, it is rich in proteins. These proteins can help in repairing the worn out tissues in your body. Berries are known to contain a lot of antioxidants. You can choose to take a mixture of different colored berries today.

 

Healthy Snacks3. Eggs.  Eggs are very nutritious. They are actually known to contain a lot of proteins. If you want to reduce your weight and gain more muscles, you can consider taking more eggs. They can help build more muscles and minimize the excess body weight. You can readily boil eggs and take them once they are ready. Eggs can also enable you get more energy as they contain a lot of calories. You can consider taking 2 eggs before going to work. You can trust that you will feel energetic and you will be able to reduce your weight over time.

 

Healthy Snacks

 

4. Dark chocolates.  Are you fond of buying dark chocolates for your partner? You should also consider buying some for yourself. These chocolates usually have a lot of flavanols. They can help reduce blood pressure and other heart related diseases. You can combine these chocolates with almonds. Almonds normally have healthy fats and can help reduce your appetite. This can play a major role in helping you reduce your body weight.

 

 

 

Healthy Snacks5. Grapes.  You can readily buy grapes from your local market or even from the supermarket. It is advisable that you buy them in plenty so that you can preserve some in your refrigerator. You can then be taking a handful of them on a daily basis. These grapes can make you feel full and enable you get the calories that you need.

 

 

Conclusion

You should consider bung these healthy but yummy snacks for yourself today. You can even buy them for your partner too. This can help you reduce your excess body weight over time. Consider these fun healthy snacks for weight loss today and you will look fit. They are truly incredible.