Finding Energy To Exercise Part 1 of 3 - The Mental Commitment For Results

One extremely common piece of reasoning I hear put forward about why we have belly fat is peoples lack of energy. So many things we are surrounded by in everyday life drain us of our energy and don't tend to give much back (with the exception of addictive drugs such as caffeine).

So where then, do we find enough energy after a day or a week of busy work, family, study and life? Well, I say that the major key is finding balance. And the most important aspect of succeeding in finding energy is to not let a lack of energy stop you!

Many people find that after committing to just 1 minute of exercise (which doesn't require much energy at all), they feel more energized and will usually continue for a minimum of 15 minutes.

It can be challenging at times to get over that first hurdle but it certainly doesn't require any physical energy to overcome the first hurdle (ie. making the decision to exercise).

So it might work something like this:

• You feel low on energy, but know you need to exercise
• You sit around for days lacking energy and therefore motivation for exercise is low
• You feel sorry for yourself and don't get any 

When it could (just as easily) work like this:

• You feel low on energy, but know you need to exercise
• You have made a mental commitment to exercise for at least 1 minute per day
• You end up doing at least 15 minutes of exercise per day
• You feel great, get fitter, start losing belly fat and have more energy 

Image courtesy of http://www.herbalvitality.info/isotonic-sport-drinks.jpg

Comparing Top Healthy Weight Loss Plans: Diet vs. Exercise

Today I have a post from an expert nutritionist friend of mine, John Phillip, on exercise and diet around weight loss (virtually the same methods apply to lose belly fat).Unlike a previous article on some un-savvy nutritionists, John really gets to the point here about healthy weight loss plans. Have a read:

 Comparing Top Healthy Weight Loss Plans: Diet vs. Exercise

Everyone has an opinion as to whether diet or exercise works best when trying to lose weight.  Which method will provide the best weight loss results, and more importantly, which will help in the prevention and treatment of heart disease, diabetes and cancer?

Both diet and exercise are important when considering a weight loss plan, and each regimen has important benefits when considering the war on obesity. More than 45 million Americans belong to a health club and yet obesity continues to rise at an alarming rate. How do you determine the best strategy to drop those excess pounds without disrupting your daily routine?

Important Benefits of Diet for Weight Loss and Health

Changing the quantity and type of food eaten is the single most important way to promote weight loss and improve overall health. To lose one pound of body fat, it’s necessary to burn an extra 3500 calories, either through physical exertion or reduction in calories eaten.

This can be done by jogging for a total of 7 hours over the course of a week or through substituting 3 sugary soft drinks each day with a no calorie alternative. The net effect will be the same, and most people find the dietary modification route much easier to tolerate. Diet trumps exercise as the quickest route to sustainable weight loss.

It’s important to look beyond weight loss, and consider the health implications of a reduced calorie diet. The food you eat has a direct impact on your risk of developing heart disease, cancer, diabetes and dementia. The nutrients in the foods we eat have either a positive or negative impact on our genes. Studies demonstrate that our genome is altered ever so slightly every time we eat, depending on our food choices at that meal.

Researchers have been able to map the negative genetic changes which we incur from a single meal of fried foods, refined carbohydrates and sweets. Our genes are dynamic and continually changing the risk factors which lead to serious disease. Proper diet is the most important factor in any healthy weight loss plan.

Compliment Diet with Exercise For Maximum Benefit

While diet may be the most efficient route to permanent weight loss, exercise is a necessary component to ignite your fat burning machine. Combined with a low calorie menu, exercise compliments diet to provide muscle tone, endurance and a positive mood.

Over 70 studies confirm the mood lifting effect of both cardio and resistance exercise performed for 20 to 30 minutes most days of the week. Regular exercise is also important for reduction of heart disease risk as it builds the heart muscle, as well as prevention of diabetes due to improved regulation of insulin metabolism by the muscles.

A diet which emphasizes substitution of high calorie, unhealthy foods with low calorie, nutrient dense vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, nuts and seeds will alter the body’s metabolism and result in slow, sustainable weight loss. When compared to exercise, most people will find a dietary restriction plan easier to follow because small changes in food choice lead to quicker weight loss. The importance of both diet and exercise on overall health cannot be minimized, as both are clear winners in disease risk reduction, but the blue ribbon is awarded to healthy diet and calorie restriction in the weight loss battle.

Written by guest author, John Phillip.  Visit his blog to get heaps of great info on nutrition and health, including some free articles.

How Breathing Can Help You Lose Tummy Fat

Correct breathing techniques have long been sidelined in the world of fitness. People will often under-play the importance of this vital part of performing exercise and utilize poor breathing while working out resulting in lower results, injuries and ultimately a poorly executed workout.
The whole point of breathing is to feed oxygen into your blood, relax your body and perform efficiently. When you use poor breathing you reduce your oxygen levels, your muscles become less relaxed and you feel more stressed. By using proper breathing methods as a part of your workout, not only can you increase your oxygen intake and have more relaxed muscular control but you will also be more effective at burning fat.
The major reason for this is that by breathing properly during a set, you will most likely be able to handle more weight than otherwise.
What is proper breathing then?
Well technically, you will breathe in on the eccentric (easier) phase and out on the concentric (harder) phase. So when pushing a barbell, breath out whilst pushing it up and in while it comes back down. This gives you an advantage in being able to exert more force with the same amount of movement therefore allowing you to lose stomach fat at an increased rate.
So don't take breathing for granted, it will, with many other things, offer a cumulative affect in enabling you to speed up your metabolism and lose more belly fat to expose your abs.