Be Fit Fitness Blog

Here is an excellent video from Kim Lyons for your shoulders. She demonstrates several different shoulder exercises that work out and target the shoulder muscles from 3 different angles with several variations for each and excellent explanations for proper form and technique and what to look out for when doing each of these exercises.

In the first exercise, she demonstrates front shoulder raise for the front deltoid muscles using different gym equipment beginning with an 8-Pound Exercise Ball.

In the second exercise she works the medial (middle) deltoid muscles using Basic Resistance Bands
for lateral raises as well using dumbbells.

She also gives you an example of a rear deltoid exercise. Many people tend to neglect the rear deltoids.

I feel that it’s very important to work out your shoulder muscles. Strong, toned and sculpted shoulders also add to a beautiful physique for both men and women. I hope you learn a lot from this excellent shoulder video.

A recent and new study has concluded that drinking water before your meals will help you to lose weight. The reasoning is that water will make you feel fuller and consequently you will not have to eat a lot. This is an obvious conclusion, but do we really need a study to tell us that? I mean whenever I feel hunger I’ll drink a cup of water and the hunger disappears for a while or a healthier way of satisfying your temporary hunger cravings is to eat an apple. An apple tends to make you feel full and for quite a long time.

After reading this article, you can try drinking water and see how much weight you will lose or a week, month… but I suggest a healthier and more nutritious alternative – Eat More Raw Vegetables. Vegetables tend to make you feel fuller because they are full of natural juices consequently filling you up faster and causing you to eat less. Along with the fullness effect of raw vegetables, you will consume more anti oxidants which are vital to your immune system and your overall health and well-being.

Forget about buying weight loss pills. They are manufactured artificially and a total waste of money. Plus you really don’t know what is in them, what long-term negative health benefits they will have! By eating more vegetables, especially the homegrown veggies, your body will benefit in the long-run.

Of course the same is true with fruits. Substitute empty calorie snacks with fruits.

To conclude, eating more raw vegetables during meals will help you to lose weight and benefit your long-term health. And I don’t need a study to prove this because it’s just common sense! Our ancestors subsisted on fruits, vegetables and meat for thousands of years and they did not have the same obesity problems that North American society faces today, but of course they also tended to be more active too! And herein is the key to effective and natural weight loss: proper nutrition and exercise!

For those of you who need help with a natural weight loss or healthy nutrition plan along with an exercise program, I recommend Kim Lyons’ Fast Track to Fat Loss Program.

Are you trying to get at least 25 grams of fiber a day? You’ve probably heard about all the health benefits of fiber from improving your heart to your digestive health, but did you know that fiber can help you lose also fat? Here’s how…

Fiber has the ability to expand up to 10 times its weight and size in the stomach making you feel full and satisfied for a longer period of time.

Fiber helps not only by satisfying your appetite, but also by slowing down calorie absorption and keeping your energy levels up.

Here are some easy, quick and nutritious ways to get more fiber into your diet:

Whole grain oatmeal is great sources of fiber and complex carbohydrates. If you haven’t had steel cut oats try adding this type of oatmeal for even more fiber.

Chili (vegetarian or turkey or lean beef), baked beans and lentil soup are excellent sources of fiber.

Add dried beans, such as kidney beans, in main dishes as well as soups and salads.

Use brown rice, millet or kashi instead of white rice. If have ever looked at the health benefits of white rice, it has virtually no vitamins or nutrients or any nutritious benefits other than filling you up.

Add vegetables to your meals whenever possible.

Try adding a little dried oatmeal or wheat germ to your protein shakes. It sounds strange, but it actually adds a good texture and it tastes just as good.

Of course there are also various fiber supplements and fiber supplements for weight loss, too.

Original article by Kim Lyons

Some people are lucky enough to stay slim all through their lives; they can eat all they want (actually, they don’t seem to want to eat like the rest of us who battle the bulge constantly), but they never seem to add a single pound. The rest of us however have to watch every single calorie if we want to fit into our clothes and not sprout unseemly bulges here and there. Unfortunately, weight loss is not an easy process – you try to work out regularly, but your crazy schedule combines with some laziness to sabotage your exercise program; you want to eat healthy food but the plethora of options available tempt and tantalize you until you give in and then feel guilty about it. So the best thing to do is adopt sneaky tactics to lose weight in every way you can – they’re pretty easy, but effective too:

Eat an adequate breakfast, a medium lunch, and very little dinner. When you limit what you eat towards the end of the day, you lose weight.

Don’t snack during the day; instead, eat six small meals rather than three big ones.

If you like your coffee with two or more spoons of sugar, use one spoon less; it’s not going to make much difference to the taste, but it does make a huge difference in your efforts to lose weight.

If you’re in the habit of drinking three or more cups of coffee (or any other beverage with sugar in it), drink one cup less.

Avoid alcohol as much as possible – it’s not only harmful to your health when imbibed in large amounts, it’s also loaded with calories. Besides, when you drink, you tend to eat salty savories like pretzels and nuts, all of which add to your daily calorific count. So if you drink every day, cut back at least one or two days of the week initially before you’re able to reduce it some more.

If you cannot resist fatty snacks, don’t keep them around the house or within easy access. When you feel the craving to eat food that’s not good for you, it’s easier to resist temptation when you don’t see them lying around.

Push up your activity level – don’t just lie on the couch when watching television; walk around your living room or just move from chair to chair; make more trips to the refrigerator if you need anything to eat or drink; avoid using the remote control; take the stairs instead of the elevator; park your car further from your office so you have to walk more; they’re all insignificant things, yet they help boost your metabolism and hasten your journey to a slimmer you. 

By-line:
This article is contributed by Susan White, who regularly writes on the subject of surgical technician schools. She invites your questions, comments at her email address: susan.white33@gmail.com.

Here is an article about what you should know about fats and how in moderation it is vital to your health.

Fat is a vital component for building body tissue and cells and it aids in the absorption of important vitamins and other nutrients. So we all need some fat in our diet.

The problem occurs when we eat too much fat because it is very calorie-dense. In fact, it has more than twice the number calories than protein or carbohydrates. Carbohydrates and protein have 4 calories per gram, whereas fat has 9 calories. So you consume a lot more calories per volume of food with foods that are high in fat.

For example, a tablespoon of peanut butter has almost 100 calories, whereas a tablespoon of low fat cottage cheese, which is also a great source of protein, has just 12 calories. Or, Protein Freeze, which is almost all protein, has just 20 calories!

Don’t get me wrong, nuts and peanut butter are healthy foods and they are excellent sources of good fat but as you now know, you must burn more calories than you consume to lose fat. And if you’re eating lots of foods that are high in fat, it’ll be tough to create this caloric deficit.

Like protein, dietary fat helps to slow down the digestion of carbohydrates, so there’s less of an affect on insulin (blood sugar) levels. 

For example, if you eat carbohydrates by themselves, they will cause spikes in your insulin, but like protein, if you combine some healthy fat with your carbs, such as peanut butter or sunflower seeds or almonds with your fruit, the fat will help minimize this adverse affect.

So, while fat does help slow down the insulin response when combined with carbohydrates, like protein does, it needs to be eaten in moderation so you can continue to burn more calories than you consume so you can lose fat.

So to summarize what you should remember… Healthy sources of fat are beneficial, but because they’re calorie-dense, be sure to eat them in moderation or it will be tough to create the necessary caloric deficit for fat loss.

By Kim Lyons

This article looks at the different types of fats found in food. It examines the fats that you want to limit, the fats that you should avoid altogether and the healthier fats to look for to include in your diet in small amounts.

Fats that you should avoid

Hydrogenated fats, also called trans fats, have been in the news a lot over the last few years. These are fats that have been chemically altered in such a way that your body cannot use them properly, so they’re terrible for you. They are found in solid margarines and many commercially baked goods, including cookies, crackers, doughnuts and pastries, chips and other snack foods, and many deep-fried foods.

Since these are mostly all processed carbohydrates as well, and contain the unhealthiest kinds of fat with no benefit, we recommend avoiding such foods as much as possible.

Fats to limit

Saturated fats come from animal products and you want to limit these. Animal sources offer some of the highest quality protein and even the leanest varieties will have some fat.

Stick with extra lean varieties of meat, low or non-fat dairy and just one egg yolk a day, for example, so that you get high-quality protein, but not too much saturated fat and not too many calories.

The fats to look for (in moderation)

For the fat your body needs, look for unsaturated fats which contain essential fatty acids (EFAs). Seeds, nuts, nut butters, olives, olive and flaxseed oil as well as avocados all are excellent sources. Some kinds of cold water fish, like salmon and anchovies, also contain unsaturated fats. In moderation, they’re a great choice too.

Remember, it’s good to have small portions of these types of foods each day, but because they’re so high in calories - 9 calories per gram - make sure that you eat only small amounts.

For example, a quarter cup of nuts and some fruits or raw veggies make a good snack. Protein Freeze is made with a little peanut butter so you get lots of high-quality protein and a little healthy fat as well. Or try some sunflower seeds or a few olives or a couple of avocado slices on your salad as a tasty way to add healthy fat to your diet.

Key points to remember

Limit saturated fats by choosing extra lean and low fat animal products.

Try to totally avoid hydrogenated fats (also called trans fats), those that have been chemically altered in commercially baked goods, margarine and other processed foods.

Choose unsaturated fats in small amounts, such as seeds, nuts, nut butters, olives, olive and flaxseed oil, and avocados.

Alright, I hope this clears up any confusion on what types of fats to limit and avoid and which types to look for.

Article by Kim Lyons of Fast Track to Fat Loss

There are always distractions and excuses to keep you from making the trek up to the gym, but with fitness equipment that you can put right in your home it’s easier than ever to bring the gym to you. Even if you’re an avid gym go-er, home gyms are great because they split up the workouts and allows you to get a full workout when and where you want to get it. Most people have a hard time buying the necessary weight equipment for their which is why most get cardio equipment for the home. Cardio equipment also sets aside time for free weight/barbell/aerobic exercises at the gym while working cardio back home.

There are many suppliers of home fitness equipment with an excellent cardio. selection An example of this would be the Cybex LCX 425T, which is a great treadmill that avoids the noise that comes with most treadmills and is even, smart too! In fact, the Cybex LCX 425T is such a smart treadmill that it links up to the runner’s stride allowing the runner to have a flawless run and a great workout. Another great machine to help a person get everything they want out of good run is the Cybex ARC Trainer Elliptical. The Cybex ARC trainer Elliptical helps to give flexibility to the runner while allowing them to use it to gain strength (especially in their legs), endurance and cut down on the pounds. Sure, it may be a little steep money-wise for most, but its advantages are something you can’t put a price on.

If you’re more of a biker than a runner then have no fear! There are plenty of great stationary bikes to bring home and even park right in front of your TV (losing weight while watching TV, who would have thought!?). The Lifecore 1050RB is a great sit down bike that includes many state of the art qualities like 16 levels of magnetic resistance, 4 heart rate programs and 5 user profiles that help to keep track of biker’s workout and progress.

These are just a few examples of quality fitness equipment. With fitness equipment from places like Gym Source it’s easy to stay fit and healthy even when you don’t leave the comfortable confines of your living room. Now there’s no excuse to not go to the gym because the gym has come to you.

Here are some leg exercises that can easily be done at home using just your standard barbell and your own body weight as resistance.

Calf Raises – Stand up straight then rest the barbell on your upper back. Your feet should be planted apart at shoulder’s length for balance and stability, keeping your legs straight without locking your knees. This will be your starting position. Exhale as you lift your body using your toes by extending your feet. Lift yourself as high as you can then hold the position and contract for a second. Inhale as you slowly go down to starting position, taking care to keep the contraction in your calf muscles. You can create a variation by doing unilateral calf raises in order for you to target a weaker leg.

Lunges – Stand up straight with the barbell resting on your upper back. Keep your legs together with your knees relaxed but not bent. Keep this as your starting position. Inhale as you take a step forward, bending your rear leg as you do so until your knee almost reaches the floor. Only go down as low as you can go and then hold it for a second. Exhale as you push yourself back up to starting position slowly and carefully without releasing the tension in your calves. Repeat with the other leg and make sure that you do the same number of repetitions and sets for each extremity.

Sumo squats – Stand up with the barbell stationed behind your upper back. Assume a wide stance with your legs spread apart wider than your shoulders. Set your legs straight without locking your knees and point your feet outwards. Contract your core muscles and arch your lower back to help lessen the pressure on your spine. Keep this as your starting position. Inhale as you lower yourself down by bending your knees until you form a 90 degree knee angle. Keep the position and contraction for second then exhale as you push yourself upwards while still maintaining the tension in your core and leg muscles.

Since you are doing these exercises at home, make sure that the weights you are using are easy to carry while still able to give you a satisfactory workout. These leg exercises are done with 3 particularly long sets of 15-25 reps per leg.

Article written by Brad Jones of Ultimate Fitness Gear, your best source for the Shaun T Insanity Workout routine.

By Kim Lyons

How long you should you work out and at what intensity level to achieve the best fat loss results? This is a question many people have when it comes to working out and losing weight. I know that you want to maximize your time and effort to achieve the best results, so I thought I’d share my answer with you.

For the past decade, dieters and fitness enthusiasts have been mislead into thinking that lower intensity exercise is the best way to burn fat. This is likely because exercise at lower intensities primarily uses fat as the “fuel” source while higher intensity exercise uses carbohydrates as fuel.

However, the most important factor in losing fat with exercise is the total number of calories burned and not whether the calories burned are from fat or carbohydrates.

I can’t tell you the number of people I’ve trained who have refused to work hard because they were afraid it would take them out of their “fat burning zone.”

Research and our Fast Track to Fat Loss program success stories have proven, time and time again, that exercising at a low intensity to stay in the “fat burning zone” is incorrect. At lower intensities, you burn more calories from fat but you burn fewer total calories. Remember, in order to lose fat, you must create a caloric deficit. That is, you need to expend (burn) more calories than you consume. There are no exceptions to this rule.

So, whether your cardio sessions are 15, 20, 30 or 45 minutes long, the higher the intensity, the more total calories you will burn. And the more total calories that you burn, the more fat you burn.

In addition, higher intensity exercise not only burns more calories, it also elevates your metabolism more (and longer) after the workout is over. That’s right, with higher intensity exercise, you can actually condition your metabolism to work more efficiently throughout the day! Of course, be sure to exercise at a safe range for your fitness level.

I hope I’ve cleared up the confusion on exercise intensities and burning fat and I hope to see you at my weekly Live Chat.

Protein plays an important role in our body functions including primarily building and repairing muscle tissue, but it also plays an important role in fat loss. There are many sources of foods with high protein content including many cereals these days, so be sure to check the packaging and the protein content of the types of foods that you are eating.

This short article by Kim Lyons of Fast Track to Fat Loss will briefly explain how protein can aid in weight loss or the potential to gain weight. It’s very important to balance all meals and snacks with carbohydrate-rich and protein-rich foods together. A meal with carbohydrates alone is problematic because glucose levels shoot up and then crash down. This can leave you feeling tired, hungry and weak and it gives your body an easy opportunity to convert that meal to fat.

When protein is included, however, you will not only stay full longer, but glucose levels will stay more consistent, your metabolism will work more efficiently and you will feel energized for a longer period.

Carbohydrates are digested in about two hours, but proteins take much longer to digest. When the two are eaten together, protein slows down the digestion of the carbohydrates and the energy from carbs is released more slowly.

In addition, eating carbohydrates with protein means that more carbohydrates will now be used as energy, sparing the protein which can be used for their primary function to build and repair muscle tissues.

So, for maximum fat loss, make sure that you include a complete protein source at each snack and meal. All of these reasons above are exactly the Protein Freeze product was created. It contains 22 grams of very high quality protein with only 2 grams of fat and sugar! It tastes absolutely amazing and goes so well with oatmeal, fruit and a variety of other healthy carbohydrate foods.