According to recent research, that old “wives’ tale” about water and weight loss is actually quite true. A study involving two different groups of overweight men and women showed that water drinkers do really lose more weight. Both study groups were asked to adhere to a low-calorie diet, but only one group was instructed to drink two cups of water before each meal. At the end of a 12-week period, the water drinkers lost an average of about 15.5 pounds. The non-water drinkers only shed about 11 pounds.

So, what it is about water that helps with weight loss so much? If you think about it, drinking water before meals really does make a lot of sense. As little as two cups of water can help you:

• Feel fuller – Drinking two cups of water before each meal is a great way to start off the eating process because it will help you feel fuller without adding calories to the mix. Water will begin to fill up the stomach, before the food even hits it. This, in turn, can lessen the amount of food consumed before the body feels sated.
• Begin the digestion process – Water can also kick-start the digestion process and get your metabolism kicked into gear. When this happens, you can benefit from your body potentially burning more calories faster.
• Stay hydrated – Adding two cups of water into the mix before each meal is also a great way to ensure the body stays hydrated. This can help you out with weight loss to an extent. It’s also incredibly important for overall health.

Why Water?

While you could technically drink up two cups of other liquids to get the same filling effect, there are potential downsides of doing so. Filling up on soda, for example, will likely add calories to your meal and defeat the purpose. Sugary drinks should simply be avoided when you’re trying to shed pounds.

If you’re ready to start losing weight, drink to your success! Don’t forget to check with your local gym or your personal trainer for assistance with other measures that can help you in the quest to shed pounds. Diet and exercise are both critical components that can help you reach your goals.

So, are they?

Generally speaking, the answer is no. While there are some workout machines, for example, that can be well worth the investment, they simply are not necessary to see the results you want. In fact, most workout gadgets don’t focus on a full body workout. This is truly what you need to get into shape and stay that way. There really are better – and cheaper – ways to enhance your exercise time than investing in a costly gadget.

Unless you really want to spend money on something with bells and whistles, keep your cash and consider doing these things instead:

• Stick with the basics – In most cases, you’ll get as good or even better results from sticking with exercise basics rather than spending money on gadgets. Run, walk, swim, bike, go lift weights, do something, anything that’s physical. If you blend those cardio activities with good old fashion strength training, you will see results for a whole lot less.
• Join a gym – Rather than purchase your own fitness gadgets, use a gym or fitness center’s collection. This way you can take advantage of a lot of machines and gadgets without having to buy them all.
• Get a personal trainer – Instead of spending your money on a gadget that may or may not work, hire a trainer to develop a program you enjoy and can follow to attain weight loss success. Personal trainers can help you develop a program that’s tailored just for you and they can motivate you to reach your goals.
• Eat right – There is no gadget out there that can replace this key weight loss component. If you want to enjoy real success, you’ll need to learn to eat healthier. A well-balanced, calorie conscious diet can take you where you want to go – especially if it’s combined with a smart exercise routine.

Workout gadgets are fun and they can add some excitement to a routine. They aren’t, however, necessary to reach your goals. Rather than spend your money on a product that won’t help you enjoy a true whole body workout, stick with the basics, rely on some input from the pros and learn to eat better to make the changes you’re striving for.

How can you get past a weight loss plateau to see the results you really want? First off, don’t give up! You can bust through that obstacle to see the rewards on the other side. The key is in learning how to keep your motivation high through a plateau and continuing to work in the right direction.

Weight loss plateaus are quite common. A person trying to lose 50 pounds, for example, might shed the first 30 with a fair amount of ease and then not see that last 20 budge an inch for some time. There are ways to get past this stumbling block successfully. The more effective ways to keep your motivation high and start to see the results you want include:

• Mixing up your exercise routine – The stalling in your weight loss progress may in fact be because your workout routine no longer works for you. As your body starts to shed pounds and you become more fit, the vigor of a routine may need to go up. If you no longer feel challenged with your workouts, it’s a good sign that a time for change has come. Try to increase your difficulty level, add in different exercises and be sure to talk with your personal trainer for advice.
• Alter your diet – While you’ve no doubt been eating right to produce the results you’ve seen so far, you may need to make a few more changes to drop the remaining pounds. Stick with fresh whole foods and continue weeding out the hidden sugars and processed junk. This can help you barrel through that plateau while also assisting you in developing more lean muscle mass.
• Give yourself a break – Taking a week off from the exercise routine might be what your body needs to adjust to its newer, slimmer size. This doesn’t mean jumping off the wagon entirely though! Make sure you keep your food intake healthy and wise.
• Use mind over matter – Weight loss plateaus can be very taxing on motivation levels. Remind yourself that they happen to just about everyone. Keep your focus and you will get through this bump in the road.

There’s no reason to accept a weight loss plateau. Keep your eyes on your goal and bust through the block to see the results you want. Don’t forget your trainer or the pros at your local gym can also help you get past the bumpy patches.

The reality is all the exercise in the world won’t help with healthy weight loss if diet is not addressed, too. If you eat too much of the wrong things, your workout might not compensate for the caloric intake. Should you not eat enough or skip meals throughout the day, your body might go into calorie-conservation mode. This means your metabolism might slow, preventing you from losing weight even with exercise.
Fortunately, there are some very good ways to make sure diet is addressed effectively along with your workouts. To lose weight without resorting to unsafe, unhealthy fad diets, try these simple tips:

• Make smart dietary changes you can live with – There’s no point going on a diet to lose weight if you can’t stick with it for the long haul. Rather than adopting a “plan,” try eating smarter. Limit intake of carbohydrates, select whole grains and lean meats, eat fresh fruits and vegetables and steer clear of sugary foods.
• Limit calorie intake – You don’t necessarily have to count every calorie for the rest of your life to get results. You do, however, have to stay within a healthy range of calories for you. Try to cut down on how much you eat and consider counting calories for a week to really see what you’re consuming.
• Read labels – While it’s always best to avoid prepackaged foods, this isn’t always possible. When it’s a must, make sure to read labels to pick the healthier choices. There are some decent options out there, if you look for them.
• Pick frozen foods with care – Frozen dinners are often a better choice than fast-food when you’re in a rush. Do, however, pick the smarter choices here. There are some great healthful frozen entrees on the market today. Read those labels to find them.
• Pinpoint your triggers – Everyone has a food they just can’t seem to stay away from. Figure out what your temptations are and try to come up with healthful alternatives. If your weakness is greasy, crunchy potato chips, a handful of nuts might do the trick. Chocolate lovers might find low-fat, low-calorie pudding does the trick just as well as a big candy bar.

If you’re exercising and not losing weight, it’s time to explore why. Work with your fitness trainer or the professionals at your gym to come up with more ideas to help you better address the nutritional side of the weight-loss coin.

In many cases, the so-called signs of aging are actually the body’s way of saying it is time to change diet, get more active and even learn how to manage personal stress a bit better. The signs to watch out for that are not “normal” and don’t have to go along with getting older include:

• Consistent annual weight gain – Most people expect to gain weight as they get older. Expecting it is one thing; accepting it another. Consistent annual gains are not necessarily normal. They actually signal a need to get more active, eat better and take better care. There’s no reason to accept weight gain with aging as a fact that cannot be changed.
• Lessening of breath – Walking up a flight of stairs, taking a long walk, playing with kids and other activities that didn’t wind you when you were younger, should not wind you now. If you’re having trouble on this front, it’s time to make some positive changes. Getting more active can make a big difference and prevent problems later.
• Loss of flexibility – Flexibility issues often go along with aging, but they are not normal. The body can remain very flexible even well into advanced years if stretching and exercise stay a part of the routine.
• Increase in blood pressure – This is a serious sign that it is time to change the daily routine. Blood pressure increases are not a normal part of aging and they can be rather dangerous if left unchecked. Changing diet and becoming more physically active can help stop this problem before it becomes a serious issue.
• Increases in stress – Everyone deals with stress in their daily lives. Increases, however, are not normal parts of aging. Stress is a silent killer that can be battled effectively with a few minor changes in routine. Exercising, eating healthy, getting enough sleep and even learning how to meditate can stop this problem in its tracks. While stress will never go away, its impacts can be curtailed when the right measures are taken.

While some changes are expected with aging, many of the “symptoms” are actually signs that people should not ignore. When the right actions are taken, health can be improved and those nagging signs just might go away. Ask the professionals at your gym or feel free to contact me for a PLAN!

You work hard to keep yourself in shape. You eat right, exercise and steer clear of unwise lifestyle choices. Still, you just can’t resist at least one sugary/sweet drink a day. After all, a single can of soda pop won’t hurt you, right?

This is not necessarily so. According to a study in Diabetes Care, that once-a-day habit might come back to bite you in the end. Researchers found that people who down one or two sugar drinks a day can increase their likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes by as much as 25 percent. The average person faces a 1 in 10 risk of developing this potentially devastating disease. Sugary drink lovers fall in with a 1 in 8 rate.
Since sugary drinks, such as soda, sugared waters, energy drinks and even sweet tea, have already been linked to weight gain, it’s a good idea to kick this habit if you can. Getting off the soda doesn’t necessary have to be as difficult as it might sound either. There are some great tips that can help you curb your cravings for a little pick-me-up in a can.
They include:
• Get your sweets elsewhere – If you just have to have some sweets to make it through the day, put the can of soda back in the fridge and pick up some fruit instead. Grapes, citrus fruit or even a banana can provide you the pick-me-up you need in a much healthier package.
• Enjoy a better source of caffeine – Should you find yourself reaching for sodas or sweet tea not because of the sugar, but the caffeine, switch your drink of choice. Go with coffee, no sugar, in the morning. Try drinking your tea unsweetened with some lemon instead.
• Seek out some support – If you’re used to reaching for a sports drink after working out or that can of soda calls your name after a hard day at work, you might need some help to kick the habit. Enlist your family, friends and even your trainer to provide some moral support. Chances are they’ll be more than happy to pitch in and help you stick with healthier, smarter alternatives.

Kicking a sweet drink habit isn’t necessarily easy, but giving up that daily can of soda can help you prevent type 2 diabetes. Eating healthy whole foods, exercising and making smart lifestyle choices can also help. Work with your trainer or hit the local gym for more ideas on keeping this serious disease at bay.

But, just what is meant by a “solid” routine? Isn’t one plan just as good as another? This isn’t necessarily so. A good routine will involve four critical aspects, each of which are important to explore closely. They are:

• Cardiovascular – This is the kind of physical activity that gets your heart beating faster and your blood pumping. Running, swimming, aerobic classes and much more all fit into this type of exercise. This component is critical because it aids in fat burning, increases endurance and can improve cardiovascular health, as well.
• Strength training – Performing some kind of weight training is a vital part of any workout routine, as well. You don’t have to work out like a body builder to get great results either. Just simple lifting to tone and strengthen the muscles can create fantastic results. Strength training is important because developing lean muscle mass can assist fat burning and it can help you keep that fat off once it’s gone.
• Stretching – This is a critical component of a workout routine because it helps prevent injuries. Stretching can also assist with flexibility, which is important to maintain throughout life. Gentle, targeted stretches can also alleviate muscle aches and pains. It’s best to perform stretches during a workout warm-up period and to cool down with a few gentle moves, as well.
• Time – The time factor is one many people overlook. You don’t have to work out seven days a week, two hours at a time to see results. In fact, going overboard can backfire quickly. To get the best results, try a four-five-day schedule and aim for 30 to 60 minutes with each workout. Sometimes less is more and this is often the case with exercise. If you can’t handle four/five days a week to start out, shoot for three or four and work your way up to the ideal. Keep the workouts concise and intense!

If you’re ready to get into shape, a good workout routine is essential. Developing one that will work for weight loss, maintenance and overall health improvements calls for all four components.

If you’re not sure how to get started or you need support along the way, speak with your personal trainer or talk to the fitness pros at your local gym. They will be more than happy to help you get off on the right foot and will work with you to ensure you stay on task.

• Enjoy an apple a day – Apples really are among the most perfect foods. They’re packed with vitamins and minerals and they add a sweet, crunchy snap to just about any meal. If you just can’t bring yourself to sit down and eat one alone, however, try adding some slices to your favorite sandwich. Chicken, turkey or hummus sandwiches are great with a slice of apple to top them off.
• Drink them down – Smoothies (homemade, not the processed, sugary kind) are great. Fruit smoothies can provide a sweet pick me up. Veggie smoothies might sound odd, but honestly, they taste great and add a whole lot of nutrition to the daily routine.
• Scramble them in – Adding a few pinches of fresh spinach to scrambled eggs or morning egg white omelets can provide a great infusion of nutrient that won’t overpower the meal. If eggs are your passion, you can even add in some fresh peppers, onions and other veggies to get a good serving in the morning.
• Cover them up – Low-fat spinach artichoke dip is a great “cover up” for fresh veggies. Try it with celery, carrot sticks, peppers and other crunchy, fresh veggies. If spinach artichoke doesn’t do anything for you, consider a low-fat ranch or another cover flavor to help you get your veggies down each day.
• Mix them in – You can add fresh veggies and fruit to almost any meal. Try working zucchini and squash work great in casseroles. Carrots and celery are fantastic food processed down and added to spaghetti sauce. Get creative and have some fun with the process.
If you just can’t follow your own words of advice, try disguising your fruits and vegetables to make sure you get your daily dose. There are great ways to make sure you eat right even if you don’t like doing so! Consider asking your trainer or the folks at the local gym for some advice, too. Chances are they’ll have some fantastic suggestions to help you out.

Understanding Interval Training
Interval training involves a precision workout that combines intense, but brief, bursts of activity with less intense physical measures. The idea is to blend an aerobic and anaerobic workout into a single training session to maximize caloric burn.
Let’s say a runner does great at 4 miles per hour on a treadmill, but starts to tire at 5 mph. An interval session might include a normal warm up period, several minutes of that runner working out at 4 mph and then a minute or two at 5 mph before the workout goes back down to the 4 mph range.
Essentially, an interval workout pushes the body farther, but not for extended periods of time. A short, but effective sprint in the case of the runner can maximize workout time and increase calorie burning.

Does It Work?
The simple reality is interval training does work and can produce a number of benefits. While that 4 mph run does burn calories and helps tone and trim the body, that burst of energy expended during the one-minute run can increase the overall effectiveness of the same amount of workout time without overextending the body in the process.
The benefits of interval training include:
• Decreased chance of injury – It’s okay to push the body to its limits or near them, but not for too long. Interval training sessions help reduce the chance of injury and undo wear and tear because the burst of energy in the extreme range is very short and occurs after a person is properly warmed up.
• More effective use of time – Where it might take 45 minutes to gain results running at a single pace, an interval training session can shave time off the routine. Basically, interval training makes for a more effective workout.
• Increases fat burning – Interval training sessions put the body to work in the fat-burning sense. Studies have shown that interval sessions improve efficiency of mitochondria. These are tiny cells that use oxygen to help create energy. This more efficient use of them can increase fat burning properties of a workout.

Interval training is a great way to get bigger gains out of your workout time. Before starting a program, however, it’s a good idea to make sure you work with a personal trainer or check with the pro at your gym for assistance. This type of workout isn’t for everyone and you want to make sure you are working out appropriately for your fitness level and goals.