4 Things Your Need to Know about Low Volume Training

You might have heard of Low Volume Training, as it is a popularly followed routine in weightlifting and mma training. In low volume training or high intensity training, you rest your body in sessions involving higher volume and maintain your muscle mass as well. It is based on the concept that rest would improve the efficiency of your weightlifting routine as it increases strength and promotes growth. There are a number of things you must know about low volume training before you incorporate it into your regimen –

1.The Basics Of Low Volume Training – The number of repetitions or reps in low volume training is minimum in number and this is what Low Volume Training is based on. These limited reps are seamlessly blended with traditional weightlifting to create a successful regimen. Hence, you would be allowed to increase the weight as you progress through your routine. The routine starts with more reps that slowly keep reducing. Thus, after your four-week cycle, your muscles would have experience the descending rep routine with increasing weights.

2.The Routine To Be Followed In Low Volume Training – The pattern suggested by experts for the four week routine is as follows –
• First Week – Not less than eighteen and not more than thirty reps
• Second Week – Not less than thirteen and not more than seventeen reps
• Third Week – About twelve reps
• Fourth Week – Not less than three and not more than seven reps

You have to use higher weights on your low rep weeks. The idea is that when you finish your set, you should be exhausted. Hence, when the weights are low, the sheer number of reps would tire you out and when the reps are low, the weight will compensate for the exhaustion. Take some time off after you finish about 3 cycles (consisting of four weeks each) because your body needs to rest before your routine begins again.

3. The Kind Of Weights To Use – It is recommended that you take the professional guidance of a trainer for this step because it is crucial to both your mma training and your health. Particularly during the heavy weight- low reps period, it could cause serious injury if you make a mistake regarding the right exercise. The trainer will teach you about simple but important things like hand placement or the right machine to use

4. Other Important Things To Take Care – Don’t think that low volume training is easy because it isn’t. It requires strength and resolve and is pretty difficult. Make sure that you are working out your entire body and not just one half of it. Always count your repetitions when you work out specific halves of your body to make sure that they are both getting equal attention.

Tools like exercise log are available in the market that make matters easier for you and keep count of the reps and weights you work. Make a proper plan and write it down to prevent confusion.


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Sleeping Tight in Pregnancy

It can be extremely difficult to have sound sleep when you have a large tummy and you are always conscious of not hurting the baby in your womb. You may order any sleeping pill any time if you are a regular insomniac but that option strikes out if you are pregnant. To top it all, lack of quality sleep makes you more prone to frequent depression, illnesses, and colds, when you are expecting.

With various other guidelines that mom-to-bes’ are inundated with, a thing as simple as sleeping also has its do’s and don’ts for pregnant women. Explained below is how various sleep positions affect you and your baby:

Sleeping on your stomach – During the initial pregnancy stages, breasts are usually tenders. As you reach the third trimester, your belly and breasts are a lot larger than before. Although it isn’t very dangerous to sleep on your stomach, still it is not recommended as it can be very uncomfortable.

Sleeping on your back – The weight of your increasing uterus immediately begins to pure pressure on your back muscles, primary blood vessels, and intestines. This can lead to disrupted blood circulation, blood pressure issues, backache, indigestion, and haemorrhoids.

Sleeping on your side – When you lie on your left side, it enhances the flow of blood and nutrients towards your baby. This also makes it easy for your kidneys to discard any wastes or fruits from your body. Consequently, swelling in your hands, feet, and legs are bound to be minimal. Although there’s no real benefit of sleeping on your right side but it still isn’t harmful. So, you can switch sides in between and be comfortable while drifting off to slumber. Side positions are good for the health of both the mother as well as the baby and also ensure that you sleep tight to wake up all fresh in the morning.

For additional comfort, it is a good idea to use a pillow to support your belly or you may even put one in between your knees. Here are a few special pillows that you can use in pregnancy:

Small Pillows – Using a small pillow in between the bent knees reduces the pressure on lower back and makes it even easier to sleep on your sides. You can even tuck one behind your back, which makes it easy for you to maintain your side positions without any trouble.

Wedge Pillows – These wedge-shaped pillows are placed below your belly as you sleep on your side. This takes the pressure off your neck and back. It also aligns your back and stops any rolling forward. For those who experience shortening of breath or heartburn due to pregnancy, wedge pillows can be a good solution as it elevates their head more than the chest, preventing and relieving these problems.

Body Pillows – These full-length pillows support as well as realign the back, hips, neck, and belly. These pillows are loved by many would-be-mothers as they not only support the back but also structures around the belly.

Finally, don’t stay anxious all night worrying about the comfort of your baby. Your baby floats in a weightless environment without feeling any discomfort even when you are tossing and turning all night. So, just relax and have a good sleep!


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6 Routine Stretching Exercises

Unlike how many people take it to be an option; stretching should actually be a part of your daily routine. Beginning with warm ups and ending with cool downs have its own set of benefits. Foremost being, it prevents injuries and muscle pulls and prepares the body for the exercise regimen. Stretching also improves flexibility. There are different types of stretches that have been created, keeping different training programs in mind. Some of them have been described below along with the fitness program with which they should be combined:

1. Static Stretching – This stretching is a cool down stretch where you have to stretch your body to its maximum distance and hold it there for half a minute. It is done by staying in one place and does not involve any quick movements. All that you can feel during this stretch is a mild pull throughout the body.

2. Passive Stretching – This is similar to the above stretch with the difference that it requires a partner who provides the stretch. One example is the hamstring stretch where you stand with the wall supporting your back and your partner lifts your leg in a stretch. This stretches the hamstrings and is one that is popularly used by all sports people.

3. Isolated Active Stretch – Trainers and massage therapists use this from of stretch. They hold the position and remain there with the assistance of only the muscles. One example would be the air kick where you kick your leg up in the air and hold it for a count of 30 seconds. It increases elasticity of the muscles and also improves blood circulation.

4. Ballistic Stretching – This encourages a part of the body to be exercised to go ballistic, or in other words, beyond its range. These stretches can cause injury if you are not used to them and should be performed under the supervision of a personal trainer.

5. Dynamic stretching – When your swing your hands and legs in a controlled manner so that they reach their maximum limit of motion, you perform a dynamic stretch. The stretch begins slowly and as your get used to the motion, you increase the speed.

6. Isometric Stretching – This is a kind of stretch where you resist stretching after the muscle has been stretched, creating a pull. So, there are two movements in the opposite directions. You can do this with the help of a partner and ask him to hold your leg high while you oppose it.

All these stretches and a few more increase the flexibility of the body and prepare it for the actual exercise without having to buy any pills, no matter what your age may be. They also increase the flexibility of joints and you will find that the ligaments and tendons are stronger than ever.


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6 Types of HGH You Must Know About

HGH is so important to the body that there is a market out there for HGH supplements. When the body is unable to produce sufficient HGH, you can take the supplements to enhance the levels. Although, initially only people with low HGH levels took HGH, in the recent years, athletes have also started using them. But what are the types of supplement available? Given below are 6 types of HGH that will help you to know more about them:

1. Natural HGH

The human body happens to be the only source of natural HGH production. It was extracted from the pituitary glands of cadavers to treat growth deficiencies in children. But in 1985, owing to the possibility of diseases, the practice of using cadavers for HGH extraction was stopped.

2. Synthetic HGH

Somatropin and somatrem are HGH prepared artificially in the laboratory, using the structure of the human DNA. Be advised, these synthetic HGH products have an additional methionyl amino acid in it, known to produce some unwanted side effects in the body. This happens due to the fact that methionyl increases the antibody build up in your body. Remember that only a licensed doctor can prescribe a synthetic HGH and is introduced into the body via intra venous injections.

3. Sustained – Release HGH

This sustained – release HGH is produced from recombinant HGH and is also well-known as LB03002. Remember that LB03002 needs to be introduced into your body via intra venous injections and thus mustn’t be done without expert supervision. Also, LB03002 is well-known for being a recombinant HGH with minimal or no side effects. It is widely used in Korea and is awaiting FDA approval for introduction in USA.

4. Homeopathic HGH

Homeopathic HGH was introduced into the market by various companies in order to meet the increasing demand for growth hormones as an anti-ageing miracle drug. The fact that it is a homeopathic product makes it easier to obtain without a prescription from a doctor. The Homeopathic HGH products claim to contain HGH releasers and are usually available in the form of liquid sprays. The side effects and effectiveness of Homeopathic HGH can be questioned.

5. HGH Injections

HGH Injections are usually used for introduction of HGH externally into the system of a person who suffers from HGH deficiency due to problems with the functioning of the pituitary glands. It is considered by many as the one and only form of HGH which is effective and has minimal side effects owing to the fact that it has been in use for many years now.

6. HGH Sprays

HGH sprays have been around in markets for quite some time now owing to the fact that many people believe that oral consumption of HGH is the most effective way of introducing it into the body. The point of contention to this claim is the fact that the HGH requirements of an average human being are too high to be compensated by diluted HGH sprays. Some people claim that HGH sprays are hoaxes with little or no HGH content in them.

In spite of the fact that you now know about the various forms of HGH in the market, you mustn’t trivialize the need to consult a doctor before consumption of HGH supplements.


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Keeping a Check on Your Food Cravings

One minute you’re innocently going about doing your routine work, the next minute you know you are relentlessly searching for that mud cake that was kept in the refrigerator. What really happened? You were taken over by the demons of food cravings that make losing weight seem almost like impossibility in your situation.

Like millions of other people, you almost always choose to brush off that faint voice at the back of your head, which is saying “This is loaded with calories. Don’t eat it!” Almost each one of us has these cravings and at that time, the answer to keep a check on them goes a lot beyond willpower.

Scientifically speaking, it is actually the feel-good brain chemicals like dopamine that fuel these cravings. And once you eat what you were pining for, these chemicals are released to create a sense of euphoria that your brain wants, time and again.

Natural as this cycle might be, it is detrimental for weight watchers like you who’re unable to resist and succumb to these urges and add on more unsightly pounds to your waistline. So, if you’re a worried weight watcher who is desperately trying to develop a resistance for these calorie-laden delights, here are a few things you MUST ask yourself when that insatiable urge tries to win you over:

1.Do I Feel Stressed?

Norman Pecoraro, a researcher with University of California, who studies stress physiology, explains that cortisol is a hormone that is released by the body when we’re stressed. This hormone suggests your brain to look for rewards and is usually satisfied (or eases out stress) by comfort foods that are loaded with fat and sugar. When you look for potato chips, french fries or any such food to ease out your negative emotions, like sadness or anger after an argument or fight with someone, you are subconsciously establishing a connection in your brain between comfort foods and stress.

In order to combat these negative emotions, it’s important that you find out ways for yourself that can help you relax instead of just grabbing the next bag of chips:

Listen to Music – Have an upbeat playlist ready with you at all times. Listen to it when the craving strikes. The songs provide an emotional release as well as the much-needed distraction.

Pause for the Cause – Wait it out. The intensity of cravings is known to subside after the initial 10 minutes have passed.

Know What’s the Distraction that Will Work For You – Every time you feel any negative feelings and you want to just gorge on food, ask this “I’m feeling _____ because ____.” This will help you find the distraction that will work best for you in that situation. For example, if you’re feeling lonely, taking a walk alone wouldn’t be of any help. If you’re stressed out because of a fight with your mom, call a close friend and let it all out. In short, look for an outlet that will help you release your nervous energy.

2. Am I Eating Less Than Usual?

You might think that by eliminating carbohydrates or any other food group completely, you’re reducing your calorie intake substantially. But the truth is, by cutting out any particular food group completely or by reducing your calorie intake to less than 1,000 calories daily, you’re only getting your body ready for the main craving mode. “Restrained eaters” thereby end up having 1-2 BMI points (or 10-20 pounds) higher than regular eaters.

Exercise Your Leeway Safely – Even if you do feel like surrendering to your cravings sometimes, don’t forget about portion control. Instead of eating the whole chocolate pie all by yourself, settle for only a bite of it.

Don’t Eat around Other Stuff to Avoid Your Specific Food Craving – If milkshake is what you seek, having yoghurt instead won’t be of any help. Trying to satisfy your specific craving by bingeing on other random food stuff may make you consume more calories than if you’ve just had that food item in a limited portion.

It may seem like a real pain initially to curb your food cravings but as you move along; it will become a habit and wouldn’t seem like too much of an effort anymore. It’s also a good idea to not stack fat-laden stuff, like mayonnaise, ice creams or cheese at home. If you don’t have time to cook, instead of going out to have a subway or any other restaurants that you “think” serve healthy food, try sticking to best home delivery diet food package services that serve fresh food at your doorstep at an affordable price.

Also, instead of fad diets, my personal recommendation would be to try this popular weight loss plan, which also focuses on bringing about behavioral changes in you instead of just guiding you about exercises or diet that’s good for you.
Always know that it’s not just the willpower and knowledge of what to do or eat that’s going to help you in your weight loss endeavors. Behavioral changes play a very subtle and crucial role in helping you stick to that lifestyle and keep off your lost weight for the long haul. Now you know why you always end up gaining weight whenever you get off a regime suggested by fad diets.

Your Turn

What do you crave for the most? How do you fight your cravings? Share it all with us in the comments section.

Rebecca Williams loves writing about meal delivery programs and review popular weight loss programs that are both healthy and easy on the pocket. She’s an avid reader and a nature lover. In her free time, she loves to spend time with her plants or go for a walk in the woods and spend time with children. She’s a contributor to Health Care Information, which is a great website that offers tips and advice for healthy living enthusiasts. She lives in Melbourne, Australia.


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The 3 Less Common Foods that Help You Lose Weight

Losing body fat can have its own set of cravings. After all, it isn’t easy to keep your eyes, hand, and mind off food easily, especially if you have a restraining order and you’ve been a die-hard foodie all your life.

But your chances of resisting the temptation are at least better when you’re full. But when you’re following portion control and all that they suggest in diets, what if you’re still not completely full at the end of it? You shouldn’t eat more because you’ll put on weight. And you wonder, how great had it been if you could eat without having to put on weight?

The good news is that while you cannot eat just anything without stacking on those unwanted inches, there indeed are some foods that help you lose weight. Of course, we all know that broccoli, chicken, and spinach is all great. They are a standard when you talk about foods you can eat without adding on to your inches. But moving beyond the basics, dig into the matter and you can explore a whole new variety of foods that can help you lose weight rather than adding on to your calories even more. Here are some of the foods that can help you lose weight:

Berries – All berries work great for losing that extra flab, even when you’re also doing keto. They taste great and are extremely low calorie. You may add them to plain yoghurt or cottage cheese and add peanut butter. They make for a great calorie-less and nutrient-rich dessert from nature and are best to satisfy the sweet tooth. Around 120 grams of strawberries (10 strawberries) are 38 calories, 7 grams of carbohydrates, and almost your complete Vitamin C requirement for the entire day.

Wild Salmon – Take your intake of omega-3 in this yum treat. The omega-3 content in salmon is a lot higher than the wild fish, so be sure to upgrade your order and have a salmon instead. Animal fats and protein content in salmon is also very high. For me, they’re the most amazing thing in the world when you grill salmon on a barbecue with thyme, salt, and pepper, and topped with a lemon squeeze. A salmon steak with leafy greens on its side will both satiate your taste buds as well as the appetite.

Whey Protein – Okay, this is not that uncommon, still for novice fitness enthusiasts, this is a must know. Whey protein is mainly known for its thermic effect, which means that you do not feel too hungry when it’s time for your next meal, as a result causing you to consume lesser calories. Besides, it will help you preserve your muscle mass at the time of cutting and if you’re following a proper exercise program like this one, you’ll even be thrilled by your enhanced body composition and the improved basal metabolic rate.

This naturally available protein source has many other benefits, like tissue repair, immune response, brain function, et al. To satiate the foodie in you, try out the French vanilla protein. It tastes just like a blended ice cream when you add some ice and water/milk to it. You can have this as your everyday dessert without any sense of guilt, however be wary of health issues that might arise due to artificial sweeteners that some manufacturers add to their whey protein shakes.

Of course, it is not possible to stick to these choices all the time and it’s okay to sway and indulge sometimes, as long as you know where to draw the line. Now, cooking at home every day is really not everyone’s cup of tea. But boycotting dining out almost on a daily basis is no solution either. My blogger friend Matthew introduced me to just the perfect solution to this dilemma. You can check out his website to know about healthy meals delivery options in your area that especially cater to our anxious and cautious weight watchers generation of today.

Like any other weight loss endeavor, your will to lose that flabby gut is what makes a big deal of difference in your results. No weight loss wand or program will ever work for you if you give up on yourself too easily.

Although restriction is not the key here but leeway definitely is! There’s no way you’ll ever have permanent weight loss if the diet that you’re following isn’t really something that you can make your lifestyle for the rest of your life. So the most honest weight loss advice that you’ll ever hear is, change your lifestyle for life.


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Top 3 Weight Loss Myths Debunked

“Damn this weight loss plateau! I eat right, I exercise regularly and still I’m stuck at the same number since 2 months. What the hell am I doing wrong?” I’ll tell you what. Maybe it’s your facts more than your actions that are constantly deterring you from moving closer to your weight loss goals.

Sometimes hearsay is unquestioningly accepted as universal truth by majority, simply because it has been passing on from generations. Millions of people end up being a victim to these myths and get caught in the rut, losing all their motivation and finally giving up because even though they’re putting in their best efforts, they hardly see any results.

Of course, you do not want to add onto the statistics of these people. Given below are some of the popular weight loss myths that play culprit for derailing the efforts of a huge majority of weight watchers:

1. “Strength training will make me bulky”

To start with, let’s clarify one thing. One pound of muscle doesn’t weigh more than one pound of fat. They weight just the same, however muscle definitely takes up less space and is denser in comparison to fat. So, two people with same weight can look very different, if one has a higher lean muscle mass to fat ratio. Muscle weight makes a person look more fit, firm, and small. Good muscle mass also enhances metabolism, helping you stay lean.

Strength training makes you optimally burn calories throughout the day and heavier weights can give you the best result of your efforts. The research team of the Washington University School of Medicine found that using heavy weight for the workouts improves the sleeping metabolic rate of exercisers’ by almost 8%, even if you do only 3 to 6 repetitions. This means that you can lose almost 5 pounds more every year even when you do nothing else.

2. “All calories are the same, so what I eat doesn’t make much of a difference as long as my calorie count is right”

For decades people believed that all calories are the same. You eat 500 calories of cake or cereals; they will be burned or stored by your body the same way. It has now been scientifically proven that calories are not at all alike when it comes to losing weight.
Certain foods require more work in eating than others, like chewing whole grains, vegetables or fruits. But these are also the foods that have calories that are more easily burnt when you’re trying to digest them. The mere act of chewing has been known to improve the calorie burn by almost 30%.

A Japanese study also revealed that women who ate food that require more work had better waistlines than the ones who ate foods that are easy to eat. It is actually the protein and fiber in the former that require the effort to digest, which causes your body to not absorb much of their calories.

If you avoid processed foods, your body’s ability to burn fat continues to be high all through the day, so you keep on losing weight and still not feel hungry.

3. “Don’t eat at night, else you’ll gain weight”

NO snacking at night. It’s all logical you know – it’s the time when you’re least active, so you shouldn’t eat too much at that time. Even a study in the Journal named Obesity in April 2011 said that you’re more likely to be obese if you eat after 8 p.m. Why? There are really no clear-cut reasons that have been suggested. And the topic still remains a debatable one, since ages.

The truth is – it is more about how much do you eat, instead of when you eat every day that decides your weight gain. Most people are in the habit of consuming more calories during the night just because they’re bored, or because of negative emotions, like loneliness or any other, and not because they are actually hungry.

This usually makes them exceed their calorie limit for the day and often gets stored in their body as fat. Sometimes these people may also wake up the next day with little or no appetite for breakfast, the meal that regulates our metabolism as well as our calorie intake for the entire day.

Although sleeping early does help, but if that’s not an option, you can try eating your dinner an hour later than you usually does, to avoid the nighttime snacking, suggests a spokesman for American Dietetic Association. Nevertheless, even if you postpone your dinner, make sure that you have it at least two hours before you sleep. This is helpful in avoiding mindless snacking in the evening.

You can try the best weight management program that there is or even buy the most raven weight loss devices for yourself (like this belt) but if you’re trapped in any of the myths mentioned above, you’re sure to reach a stage when you’ll be clueless about how to cross that dreaded plateau. At that time, you’ll know that it was probably one of these myths that were holding you back.

This is why it is important that you do not just accept things on their face value and question the reason behind what you hear. Only then will you be able to debunk these myths and know what’s actually right for you. After all, there are a lot many myths that surround us than the ones that are mentioned here.

Marcia Calleiro is a vegan and a work-from-home mother. Calleiro usually orders from any healthy meal delivery or diet meal delivery service as they serve fresh, tasty and nutritious food. She combines this with her waist trimmer device for overall fitness. She is currently a contributor to Health Care Information Website, a site that educates its readers about various health and weight loss issues. In her free time, she likes square-foot gardening, playing games on her Xbox, and spending time with her family.


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4 Great Exercises for Outdoor Workouts

Nothing beats exercising outdoors with the wind blowing and the feeling of being free of confined spaces. Working out in a gym may have a lot of benefits, but outdoor workouts can be equally beneficial if you do them the right way. Burn calories with these 4 great outdoor exercises:

1. Run On The Beach – There are many advantages of living close to the beach. One of them is the feeling of being free when you run on the sand with the feel of wind on your face the sea spraying on your hair. Run barefoot to make your exercise more fun. Your body will adjust to the rhythm and foot pattern naturally. All that you have to do is to do a few warm ups for your ankles before you begin with your run.

2. Park Plyometrics – The next time that you go to a park, be ready to do a challenging workout called Plyometrics. You need a 6-12 inch wall to help you with your exercises.

(a) Jump Off With Single Leg – Stand with a foot on the ledge and ensure that your heel is near the edge. Push off with the foot on the ledge and extend your leg. Try to get enough height and swing your arms up as you push off. Repeat this 10 times.
(b) Jump With Double Leg – Stand before the ledge with your feet apart at shoulder width. Place your hands behind the head. Your elbows should face out. Squat a little, jump up and land on the ledge softly. Repeat this 10 times. It must be mentioned here that plyometrics are not for beginners. You must practice strength training and should have good core strength before you attempt plyometrics. Incorporate these exercises into your routine at least two times a week.

3. Climbing Stairs – This is a great exercise for burning calories. Having a park or a stadium close to your house where there are stairs, helps, as working outdoors is more fun. Begin with jogging to warm up. Follow this with stretches, focusing on your calf muscles. Now take the stairs at a run and walk down so that you do not injure your knee. To stretch your calf muscles, stand facing a wall and lean towards it, as if you are doing pushups. Now stretch till you can feel it in your calf muscles. This stretch help prevent calf injuries when you are climbing the stairs at a run.

4. Inline Skating – This involves balance, core stability and muscle coordination. The motion of skating gives your gluts and hips a good workout. When you are doing inline skating, wear protective pads so that you do not hurt yourself if you are unable to keep your balance and fall.

Keep yourself fit by following these outdoor workouts. When working out outdoors, there is a fun element added to a routine and this fun ensures that you enjoy what you are doing.


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The Right Diet To Increase Your HGH Levels

When the production of HGH in the body decreases, aging starts to set it. Before the availability of supplements, the only way to replenish the decreasing levels of growth hormone was by injections. But these injections are very costly and are also available only on prescription. You can, instead, use HGH supplements and include foods that promote HGH production.

Eat a Protein Rich Diet

Include protein rich foods like soybean, chicken, fish, pork, beef tofu, eggs and milk that are protein rich. This helps to boost the production of HGH. In fact, a study has found that out of the 20 amino acids in proteins, six stimulate production of natural HGH in the body.

Eat Dairy Products

Dairy products like milk, eggs, yogurt and cheese are all good ways to boost HGH production.

Eat Choline Rich Foods

Maximum HGH is released in the initial hours of sleep.
Choline is a necessary nutrient, found in foods like peanuts, broccoli, milk, Brussels sprouts, wheat germ and beef liver. When a special type of choline, A-GPC, is taken before exercising, its absorption in the body increases, resulting in increased HGH.

In addition to these foods, make exercising a regular part of your routine. Exercising, especially resistance training or intensive 10-minute exercising enhances production of HGH.

Sleep deeply for at least 6-8 hours in day and you will soon find that HGH levels in your body have increased. You will not feel the effects of aging.


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Preparing Your Mind for Effective Weight Loss

You want to know the future of the weight loss industry? Simple! It’s rooted in bringing about the behavioral changes in people to help them achieve their long-term weight loss goals and keeping those unwanted pounds off for years to come.

With most fad diets having hit rock bottom in their popularity charts, more and more people are now realizing the need to bring about the crucial lifestyle and behavioral changes in their lives in order to fight this trying obesity battle. They now understand better than ever before that success of weight loss goals go a lot beyond just the right exercises or diet. That there are many other factors that can influence our hormones, the environment around us, and our body composition and influence our journey to lose weight.

While we can control a lot many of these factors, there are some factors that cannot be controlled by us. To ensure our success, we can try to identify these events or behaviors that are beyond our control, be proactive about them and prepare ourselves to deal with them.

Friends and Family Impact Your Weight

A study conducted by the University of Michigan revealed how behavior modification and peer pressure can affect the lifestyle/eating choices made by female freshman roommates. The results clearly showed that roommates who had bulkier partners are likely to gain a lot less weight (one-half pound) in comparison to those who had slimmer roommates (two and a half pounds, on an average) in the first year.

For sustainable weight loss, lifelong behavior modification is important. And our family and friends, to a great extent, influence what we’re eating as well as when/how frequently we’re eating them.

Quite understandably, researchers were of the opinion that bulkier roommates are, more often than not, on some kind of exercise routine or low-calorie diets, which catches on with their roommates, making them gain less and avoid the defamed ‘freshman 15.’ Behaviors of heavier roommates make their roommates more conscious about their nutrition and diet and modify their habits for the good toward weight reduction and healthy eating.

There are certain behavior changes that you can implement in your life to achieve your weight loss goals:

Switch to a Door-to-Door Meal Delivery Service Instead of Heading to a Fast Food Joint – It so easy to find a meal delivery service that provides healthy and delicious freshly-cooked food while keeping your calories in check. You can try this service or this one, to start with, which are two of the most popular meal delivery services in America. Stick to them and you’ll not have to get into the hassle of counting calories again. They do it all for you.

Aim to Change Your Habits Permanently, Not Temporarily

When you set unrealistically high goals for yourself, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment from the very start. Keep your focus on changing your habits rather than reaching out for a number, after which you long to get back to your “normal” habits, only to gain all of your lost pounds all over again.

Establish small goals for yourself while altering your habits. Try aiming for weight that is somewhere between your current weight and your final weight that you want to achieve. Give your body some time to metabolically adjust to every new weight loss plateau and accomplish your goal in small steps than just trying to take a giant leap.

Ask Your Peers for Help

Health-conscious behavior is contagious in social surroundings. We all more or less know about the basic negative and positive habits of people around us. When people who surround us indulge in healthy eating habits that encourage weight loss, it doesn’t seem too difficult to resist temptations and most of us often follow suit, only to see excessive pounds disappear in no time. Modify your lifestyle and eating habits and at least some in your peer group are sure to follow suit.

Reward Yourself for Your Small Achievements

Remember how your parents used to get you that coveted toy to reward you for scoring high in class? It was a great way of keeping you motivated to do better every time. Nothing much changes when you grow up, except that you need to reward yourself now.

Apply this to your weight loss journey. Maybe you wanted to buy that expensive watch that you thought is extremely extravagant to spend on. So set a milestone for yourself and if you successfully achieve it, go buy that guilt-free. After all, you’ve worked hard to earn this for yourself. Such small rewards can be a great positive reinforcement to motivate you to stay on track. The only thing you need to be careful about is, don’t reward yourself with any food items and you’ll be fine.

People and environmental factors that surround us can make a great deal of difference in our motivation and mindset to reach our weight loss goals. Try staying with positive people who share the same belief system and are trying to achieve the same weight loss goals and it would all begin to look as effortless as it could be.

Marcia Calleiro is a vegan and a work-from-home mother. Calleiro usually orders from any healthy meal delivery or diet meal delivery service as they serve fresh, tasty and nutritious food. She combines this with her fitness program for overall fitness. She is currently a contributor to Health Care Information Website, a site that educates its readers about various health and weight loss issues. In her free time, she likes square-foot gardening, playing games on her Xbox, and spending time with her family.


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