It has happened to plenty of people, maybe even to you. Diet and lose weight, come off the diet and gain the weight back. But who wants to diet forever? There is a way to lose weight without a special diet plan, books, or medicine.

Do you want to lose 5 lbs, 10 lbs or 50 lbs? How much weight your lose and how fast you lose it is determined by only one set of principles. We learned that principle when we learned first grade math. Our body weight is determined by the amount of energy that we take in as food and the amount of energy we expend in our daily activities.

Calories are energy. So if you do not gain weight, it isn’t that you do not or cannot gain weight. Rather, you are probably taking in the same amount of calories that you burn each day. If you're slowly gaining weight over time, most likely your caloric intake is greater than the number of calories you burn throughout the day.

Our intake of calories in any given day is completely within our control through the amount of food we eat.  To a large degree, we can control the number of calories we burn each day. The number of calories we burn depends upon the number of calories our body burns just being alive, and our physical activity.

Our weight does determine how much energy (or calories) we burn at rest. Keep in mind that muscle mass burns more calories than fat. So while many say cardio, cardio, cardio is the path to weight loss, a strong muscular body burns more calories, so you should have a plan for both cardiovascular exercise and weight bearing exercises in your fitness program.
 
Lifestyle and work habits partially determine how many calories we need each day. For people who do not have jobs that require intense physical activity, exercise or increased physical activity can increase the number of calories burned.

An average woman 31-50 years of age who leads a sedentary lifestyle needs about 1,800 calories per day to maintain a normal weight. A man of the same age requires about 2,200 calories. Keep in mind this is a very rough estimate. Participating in a moderate level of physical activity (exercising three to five days per week) requires about 200 additional calories per day.

Click "weight loss program" for more information from Answer is Fitness.

What are those weird-looking weights with handles? They are kettlebells and they are worth meeting on a weekly basis. It has recently been discovered that people who did an intense 20-minute workout with kettlebells burned, an average of 400 calories, or 20 calories a minute.  If you need help with the math, that is like running a six-minute mile. Most likely, this is because kettlebell workouts combine cardio and strength training and use several muscle groups at once.

Using a kettlebell burns 70 percent more calories than a typical strength routine. There certainly is a lot of strange looking exercise equipment, but kettlebells you've gotta try. A 20-minute kettlebell workout is worth about an hour on the treadmill! They sculpt every part of your body. Most exercises with them involve swinging the kettlebell up or across the body. All of the weight is below the handle, so your core has to work hard to counteract the momentum. So as a result you will lose inches and while getting stronger and leaner.

If you want to learn how to use kettlebells, work with a personal trainer who can help you design a workout to achieve the goals you want, in a realistic time frame. A trainer at Answer is Fitness can help you get a feel for using kettlebells and burn about 400 calories while you can sculpt your entire body with a fun and different routine.

If you have been to the grocery store lately you have surely seen the massive amount of energy drinks available today. There are a host of energy drinks, shots, and gels flooding the marketplace, promising to give you more energy and help you through the day. But, many also say they will boost your workout, improve your health, and help you stay more alert. No wonder the energy drink business is booming.
 
What's Really in an Energy Drink?

These drinks market a fast-acting boost of energy. Red Bull and Monster talk about their high dose of caffeine with a blend of "energizing" vitamins, amino acids and herbal supplements. However, despite their marketing prowess, the main ingredient responsible for that kick is good old-fashioned sugar. Calories equal energy; so energy drinks equal calorie drinks.

They have a lot of calories too. A 16-ounce can of Red Bull has 220 calories, and a 24-ounce can of Rockstar has 420, very similar to a double cheeseburger! However, most of the calories in energy beverages come from simple sugars. Unlike regular food, there is no fiber, fat, or protein, to slow digestion. All that sugar hits the bloodstream quickly and gives you the superfast rush, a.k.a energy boost you are looking for. But it is very short lived. Just like eating too much candy or sweets, having too many energy drinks, can cause weight gain.

Need Energy?

Regular exercise increases energy and reduces fatigue. Fatigue is one of the most common complaints doctors hear about. But experts say one of the best antidotes to beating fatigue and boosting energy is to exercise more, not less. If you are looking for more energy in a day, regular exercise can increase energy levels even among people suffering from chronic medical conditions. Research shows that expending energy by engaging in regular exercise will pay off with increased energy in the long run. Exercise literally creates energy in the body.

As the warmer weather approaches, many of you are wondering how to lose that winter weight. Losing weight isn't easy but if you know how much activity it takes to lose 1 lb, that information can start you down the path to lose the last 5lbs or even 10lbs. There’s a simple formula: burning more calories + eating fewer calories = weight loss. However, sometimes, it doesn’t seem so simple.

So how is it done? How much can you eat, and how much do you have to exercise? For every pound you want to lose, you need to eliminate, (not cut out altogether, just use up) 3,500 calories through eating less and working out; an even better plan would be a combination of the two. The good news though, is that your body burns energy every day just by running the systems it needs to stay alive, however, how many calories burned varies in each person. So really, cutting a few hundred calories through diet and exercise will be enough to put you in your summer clothes, bathing suit or smaller size.

If you think you are doing this, and you are not losing weight, you may be underestimating the number of calories you eat in a day. Start tracking your meals and calculate your calories burned working out using a pedometer or other fitness calorie tracking tool.

So what does this all mean? The recommendation is to cut your daily caloric intake to 1,500 calories per day--no less, since eating too little can throw off your metabolism and cause other problems. In order to lose sizes faster, increase your activity. You will burn more energy, in turn burning more calories. And, remember your weight training, muscle burns more calories than fat when at rest. Answer is Fitness is running a Fitcamp to help you lose your winter pounds. Call us for details.

A good beginner type of calorie burning and strength gaining exercise is that of resistance training. It is common for many individuals to direct their energies to weightlifting exercises but it is also acceptable to begin with an exercise program based on body weight. Whichever exercise program you choose, begin at a slow pace until you have learned the correct way to practice the strength training exercise designed for you.

There are many different exercises that can be included in a strength based exercise plan. It's a good idea to include exercises that use various muscles. Begin slowly and gradually increase the weight. There are several different methods you can use to vary your exercise routine. You could do a complete body workout routine one day, your legs and abs on another day, and your arms on yet another day. Always give yourself one complete 24 hour period of rest before focusing on that same muscle again. To increase circulation, make sure you warm up your muscles at the beginning of your exercise routine.

It is not necessary for a beginner workout routines to be so hard to follow. Always begin by adding calorie burning cardiovascular exercises in conjunction with helpful strength training exercises. You should see yourself losing weight by exercising at least three to four hours weekly. After you have advanced, you may want to consider a more strenuous routine based on weightlifting or body weight. Contact us today should you have any questions about starting a workout plan.

While you are under a weight reducing diet, there are certain times of the day that are better for eating because the energy provided by food is better used by your body. The times of the day when is better to eat are not tied to specific hours, but to the kind of activities that you have. This means that for example it is not important that you always eat breakfast at exactly 7AM, but you should always eat breakfast in the morning.

The first time to eat during the day is in the morning. This is especially true if your workout routine is in the morning as well. About 30 mins before you workout is the best time to eat a good breakfast. It is important to eat a good breakfast, one that stops the urges of eating for several hours. The breakfast you eat should be balanced, because when you wake up all the nutrients in the blood are already depleted.

After working out is another good moment to eat. This is so because after you eat your metabolism is still accelerated, which makes it easier for your body to use the energy that comes with your food. This makes it less likely for your food to get deposited as fat in your body.

This is the same reason why it is recommended to eat a light dinner. Since while you sleep your body burns less calories, if you have a heavy dinner all the extra energy will get deposited as fat. A good advice is to eat your dinner at least three hours before going to sleep and to eat a light dinner. In that way you will give your body time to burn some calories while awake.

Staying on a fitness plan while eating healthy will not only help you lose weight but turn it into lean muscle. If it proves to be too difficult try doing group exercises such as the ones we offer  or use a personal trainer. Be sure to contact us should you have any questions regarding fitness and being healthy and we'll be happy to help.

Cardiovascular exercise simply means that you are actively participating in something that will raise your heart rate to meet your target. Before you start a cardio routine, it is important to be aware of your personal target rate. This means that during your cardio routine, your heart rate should be within this zone. If it goes above the zone, you need to slow down. If it goes below the zone, you should pick up the pace. A simple tip to remember is that during your workout, you should be breathing heavier but still be able to have a conversation without stopping your exercise.

Cardio is very important for many reasons. First, it is a way to burn calories in a short amount of time and help you lose weight. It also helps you maintain your weight once you have reached your weight goal. Second, cardio strengthens your heart so it does not have to work as hard to pump blood in your body. Third, it increases your lung capacity. Fourth, it reduces the risks of heart disease, heart attacks, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. These are all health issues that affect so many men and women in American today. Just think, many of these cases could be prevented with some simple cardiovascular exercise. In addition to helping reduce risks of health problems, cardio also just simply makes you feel good, helps you sleep better, and reduces stress.

Contact us today to learn how you can become a part of our friendly gym. Membership is always available and we would be happy to answer and questions you may have. Be sure to check out our group exercise programs as well here!

The gym is one of the good places to go in order to exercise, burn fats, remove excess calorie intake, and work on the muscles that need exercise to function properly. Usually, after a few hours of doing exercise, the first thing that comes to mind is what to eat, which is very important. Some people however, after going to the gym, will eat more food that is unhealthy to the body.

Many fitness professionals recommend eating the right foods right after a workout. Just a reminder that after exercise in the gym you need food that is high in protein to start the muscle repair process. Avoiding food with lots of fats, like anything that is fried, its also recommended to slow the flow of digestion. A glass of low fat chocolate milk will do, in order for you to get a sufficient dose of protein and carbohydrates that the body needs.

We also recommended three good things in order for us to keep in shape without feeling guilty of the foods we eat. One suggestion is to drink lots of water to replenish your body from sweat and calories that you had burned. Eating with at least 30-60 grams of carbohydrates is also advisable; to give your body the energy it needs after lifting weight. Eating food with enough protein is also one way to replenish your body after sweat and body exercise.

Going to the gym and eating excessive fats after a few hours of exercise is useless. Working out and having a healthy food choice is a good way to discipline your body. It is a good way to stay slim and healthy. Keeping up with a fitness routine and sticking to a healthy diet are the best ways to lose weight and tone up. Contact us today if you haven’t signed up for our membership and start seeing results now.