Weight Loss

If you’re one of those who ‘MUST’ have a sugared soft drink with your meals, this one’s for you. Everyday, at the restaurant I have my daily lunch at, I look around and see that almost EVERYONE has their meal with either a soft drink, or some sort of sugary concoction.

Why this habit? Often we think that it is fat that we must avoid, and fail to take into account the hidden empty calories that lurk in a soft drink in the form of sugar. It may only be about 100+ calories per drink, per day, but over time, these extra calories add up to alot, and as you should know by now - weight loss is not a daily thing, but more of an average over several days. (An excess of 3500 calories will gain 1 pound of fat, or muscle). [click to continue...]

Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.
~ Adelle Davis*

I am NOT a morning person… and I know very few who are. Brushing my teeth, having a shower and having to put my contact lenses on itself is a chore - and on top of all that, I’ve gotta take the time to have breakfast? It is because of this attitude, and plus the fact that most of us are rushing to either get to work, or to class early in the morning, Breakfast quickly becomes the most ‘convenient’ meal to skip, and the availability of heavily processed foods like Pop Tarts, donuts and fast food don’t really leave the lazier generation with a healthy and quick alternative. [click to continue...]

So… reality has finally hit you, and you’ve made a DECISION to do something about the condition of your bodyweight. Well done.. because you’ve actually already started progress just by making that very decision itself - KNOWING you need to change is a big start.

Start small - Set yourself some reasonable, realistic, and achievable goals. Small steps are the way to go. Telling yourself that you will lose 20lbs in 30 days is unrealistic, and will only certainly guarantee failure.

Also, as a beginner, and as a start - you don’t necessarily need to commit to losing a certain amount of bodyweight just yet. Hold that for later. You can always get started by starting to make better choices about the food that you eat (smaller portions, less junk food/fast food, and healthier meals/smaller portions etc), and start to incorporate some form of exercise that can easily be part of your everyday routine - walking your dog, walking to the store, taking the steps instead of the lift to the office, etc).

If you’re ready to take it to the next level, you can then consider joining a gym (though not necessary, but it helps). Then, when the results start to show (which they will!) you might want to get more serious by adding more ’structure’ and discipline to your exercise routine, weight training, and so on.

Don’t let an opportunity pass you by. Start when you have the desire. How long will you wait before you decide to do something about your bodyweight problem? When you feel it inside of you… that gut feeling… that its time you took charge of your physique and actually do something about it… that’s when you START!

*It is always good to see your physician if you’re overweight and wish to start on an exercise/weightloss program of ANY sort. The advice on dailymuscle.com may be inappropriate for people with diagnosed/undiagnosed diabetes, hypertension, or other problems. Therefore, ALWAYS consult your doctor if you’re unsure. [click to continue...]

Try calculating your optimal heart rate to be in the fat burn zone using the Karvonen* formula in order to get a better idea of how long to run and how intensely:

Karvonen Formula: The mathematical formula that uses maximum heart rate minus resting heart rate to determine target heart rate.

[click to continue...]