Archive | Diet & Weight Loss

Zumba – The Party Workout

Zumba – The Party Workout

Zumba is a fitness program that has gained tremendous amount of popularity particularly in the last decade among people of all ages. It includes elements of dance and aerobics and is designed around Latin music while the workout or exercise movements are based on salsa, samba, hip-hop etc, even Bollywood and belly dancing. Squats, lunges and push-ups are also commonly included in the routine, which varies from instructor to instructor.
The roots of Zumba go back to early 1990s when it all began by Alberto “Beto” Perez in Columbia, who later introduced it in United States. Since then, it has only become a craze that is only increasing by the day. A decade later, we now have more than 5 million people taking part in a class every week and over 30,000 certified instructors worldwide.

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Reading the labels right

Reading the labels right

In the early 1990s, FDA in the United States implemented food labels and started regulating what goes on the label as a part of mandatory food packaging. Two decades later, most people have noticed the change and have actually started reading what’s on there but are we really reading it right? It is not hard to get lost in the maze that the food industry traps us in by concealing a few things by a mere subtle representation. They might throw in a number like 20 calories on a box of super-fried chips and make you feel they are not that bad. What one fails to notice more than often is the serving size. Those 20 calories might be just from 4 pieces (`10g) of chips while you are most likely to consume the whole packet/box amassing 500 calories at once.
Next, it is not always the calories that count, but also how you get them. Saturated fat is a strict NO-NO. And even if you don’t quite understand the ingredients and which side of the good and bad equation they fall in, here is what a quick glance can tell you. What you really got to look at is its ingredients. The longer the name and harder it is to pronounce it, the more likely it is harmful for you, because it is artificial and chemically synthesized, probably only to alter taste or increasing its shelf life.

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It all adds up- every move counts

It all adds up- every move counts

One hour at the treadmill, how many calories do you burn after all? Somewhere close to 100 at best. If you just park you car a little further everyday, take the stairs instead of an elevator, take a stroll every 30 minutes you spend at your office desk, and have walking meetings; taken together by all of this you might be spending more calories without working hard that extra bit. It’s all about incorporating little things in life, which were once a part of our daily routine, before technology took over our lives. We see factory workers or laborers, who work hard and earn minimum wages and they are in much better shape than most of the other working class is. We might be shelling our “hard earned $” in gym memberships only to go and spend those 100 calories on the treadmill, while those workers have the perfect 6 packs and biceps by doing nothing but small work by themselves. They need not be lifting 100s of pounds on the benchpress, but may only be transporting under 20 pounds to and fro, they may not be running for hours on a machine, but just standing or walking 5-6 hours a day.

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How to lose weight without giving up what you like

How to lose weight without giving up what you like

It’s a common misconception that in order to lose weight you need to give up all of your favorite foods and suffer constant feelings of hunger. Trying to lose weight like this will take every last drop of your willpower and as soon as you have a bad day, you will start struggling to carry on. Of course, you may prevail, but most of the times, you’ll just go back to the old habits. Don’t despair, though, it is possible to lose weight without losing the plot, just follow the tips below.

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How to eat well while still keeping to a diet

How to eat well while still keeping to a diet

How many times have you embarked on a diet, fully motivated to succeed, and then given in the minute you’re invited out for a meal? Combining weight loss with eating out can be tricky, but if you have a few tricks up your sleeve you’ll find it is possible to enjoy meals out without blowing the diet.

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Don’t let snacks ruin your diet

Don’t let snacks ruin your diet

When you’re trying to lose weight, you need to be careful about what you eat between meals. Calories from unplanned snacks add up fast, and will ultimately prevent you from reaching your ideal weight. When you think about how much effort you put into the rest of your diet, it’s a shame to fail because of a few snacks here and there.

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Various facts about weight loss that you should know

Various facts about weight loss that you should know

Many people tend to become unsuccessful in their efforts to reduce their weight. They might be able to achieve some short term gains but unhealthy practices such as crash dieting tend to do harm than help in achieve desired results. Further, they may set unrealistic goals which are difficult to achieve and they may get frustrated when such goals are not met. Below are provided some facts related to weight loss which must be kept in mind before starting your efforts for reducing weight.

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Importance of fiber in weight loss

Importance of fiber in weight loss

Nutrition experts all over the world agree over the importance of fiber in our diets. This is because fiber has numerous features that help in weight loss. Besides this, it helps in various processes inside the body and aids the functioning of intestines. It is also a well established fact that the food items that are rich in fiber contain a limited amount of fats. You must consider the following points related to importance of fiber in our diets so as to reduce excess weight.

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