How to Eat Properly When Running to Lose Weight

Aside from getting out there and running some serious interval sprints, losing weight is a matter of calories in versus calories out.

When it comes to the burning side, running is one of the best training programs out there for burning the extra pounds and keeping them off for good. Not only that, running is cardiovascular exercise per excellence, thus doing it a regular basis will boost your endurance levels, help you ward off heart related problems, and get you in the best shape of your life.

Nonetheless, backing up your running program with a proper diet is the surest way for permanent weight loss results. For that, here are the diet guidelines you’ll need to lose the weight without sacrificing performance and energy for the workout.

Come up with a menu

Coming up with a clear and concise menu will help you take the guess work out of your training resolution. Leaving momentum and hunger dictate your eating choices is not the best approach for losing weight. Instead, make the conscious effort of thinking through your diet habits and sketching out an eating plan that will help you lose the pounds with losing the energy to run. For more, follow the below guidelines.

Eat at the right times

When it comes to losing the weigh while enjoying high energy levels, meal-timing is critical. As a result, make sure to plan your meals around your workouts and vice versa. Plan to eat 2-3 hours before the workout and immediately afterwards as doing so ensures the use of the calorie intake as energy instead of being stored as body fat. If you’re planning to run in the morning, you can either exercise on empty or consume a small meal of no more than 250 calories 30 minutes before the workout.

Develop good eating habits

Going on a crash diet every now and there can spell disaster on your weight loss resolution and overall health and well being. Instead, the healthier approach is to strive for developing good eating habits for the long haul. Otherwise, expect more setbacks and failures.
To build good eating habits, do the following:

• Use a food diary to keep track of your eating habits.
• Eat in small portions.
• Instead of eating opting for 3 large meals, consume 4-5 small meals, every three to four hours
• Eat slowly and chew your food mindfully.
• Keep the TV set off your eating venue.
• Use the glycemic index to plan for your food intake. Make sure to opt for food with lower rankings.

Meal Ideas

For the post-run menu, aim for a blend of carbohydrate and protein so you can replenish the empty tanks and start the rebuilding process, thus speeding up recovery. A post-workout recovery drink or shake is always recommended within 20 minutes of finishing a workout. This kickstarts your muscle recovery. After that, switch back to whole meals, or drink more shakes.
Here are some of the best meals:

• A salad with light dressing. The best meal is served with a low-fat dressing. Use lemon or vinegar for a healthier pick. Oil and vinegar is OK, but we’re trying to avoid high fat content right after a workout.
• Fresh fruits and vegetables. This is obviously is the best healthy eating choice you can ever make, whether you’re trying to lose weight or not. Just make sure to consume fruits moderately.
• Drink a milk-shake. If you don’t have the appetite for a whole meal, then a milk-shake is the best option. Not only that, a milk-shake is better than traditional carbohydrate-based energy drinks or just gulping water. Toss is a scoop of protein powder for extra muscle building nutrition.

There you have it! The key to success is speed of implementation, so make sure to put into practice what you’ve just learned. And remember to always stay within your fitness zone and be patient with yourself.

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Consume healthy snacks for weight loss

(NaturalNews) Snacking is almost universally viewed as bad for health, primarily because snacks are associated with convenience foods like chips, popcorn and soda. The last thing many of us imagine is that snacks can not only be healthy, but also supportive of weight loss regimes. In fact, some scientists now believe that healthy snacking may actually help dieters regulate their eating habits by learning to consume lighter meals.

Shed pounds by snacking

A study published in the December 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association suggests that there's a less renowned, but definitely positive side to snacking. Healthy snacks consisting of fresh raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, as well as unsweetened beverages, can actually help dieters in their efforts to shed those extra pounds.


The study was led by Dr. Anne McTiernan, a member of the Hutchinson Center's Public Health Sciences Division and the director of its Prevention Center. Her team discovered that individuals who eat mid-morning snacks can lose about 7 percent of their weight during the course of one year. Individuals who consume a healthful breakfast and lunch, but refrain from consuming unhealthy snacks, are able to lose about 11 percent of their total body weight in one year. Dr. McTiernan explained that snacking does not have to be bad for us, provided that we are careful with when and how we snack. She revealed that while snacking too soon after a meal will lead to weight gain, staying hungry for too long is just as bad, for it can sabotage dieting attempts. She also recommends replacing processed snacks with light, healthful foods that will actually support weight loss.

Dr. McTiernan further clarified that snacking which leads to weight gain is not a response to a genuine sensation of hunger, but rather a poor eating habit. Snacks that are eaten in response to a feeling of true hunger can help dieters stay confident, make careful food choices for their next meal and avoid binge eating. Moreover, the same study shows that women who consume about two snacks per day have a higher fiber intake when compared to women who don't regularly snack. Dietary fiber is vital to gut health and will help lower blood cholesterol.

Proteins - Top choice when snacking


So what is the secret formula to a healthy snack for weight loss? "Since women on a weight-loss program only have a limited number of calories to spend each day, it is important for them to incorporate nutrient-dense foods that are no more than 200 calories per serving," explains Dr. McTiernan. Some of the best snacks for a weight-loss program are proteins such as a small handful of nuts; non-starchy vegetables; fresh fruits; and non-calorie beverages, according to Dr. McTiernan.

But how exactly do these foods help? Omega-3 rich foods, such as nuts and seeds, can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and elevate HDL (good) cholesterol levels in the blood. Precious phytochemicals found in green leafy vegetables neutralize free radicals, protect cell membranes, detoxify the liver for more efficient nutrient absorption, strengthen immunity and help regulate metabolic rates. Fiber-rich grains and fruits that are low in sugar give bulk to our stool, ensure gastrointestinal health, and provide satiation that keeps hunger away for longer.

Statistical data consistently shows that an overwhelming majority of Americans report snacking, and that this behavior occurs across both genders, as well as all age groups and cultural backgrounds. "Many people think that a weight-loss program has to mean always feeling hungry. Our study suggests that snacking may actually help with weight loss if not done too close to another meal, particularly if the snacks are healthy foods that can help you feel full without adding too many calories," concluded Dr. McTiernan.

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How To Develop a Winning Attitude

Your attitude can make or break you. It's virtually indisputable that your attitude determines how far you'll go in life and a positive mental outlook can help you achieve optimal success.

Having a positive mental attitude helps you cope with challenges. When you're put to the test, you're more likely to find your inner strengths to overcome adversity, and that strength just might be your winning attitude. Whether or not you have the tools, skills, knowledge, or resources, your attitude can get you through tough times and come out on top.

On the other hand, an attitude filled with negative overtones makes everything much harder. You can't win when you go into the contest prepared to lose! If you expect to do well, your attitude will create positive, winning thoughts that help you succeed.

Cause and Effect

 

It's important to realize that for every effect in our lives, there's a specific cause. Through positive thoughts, we can control these causes and change effects or outcomes.

• In order to change your future for the better, you must first alter your thoughts in the present.

For every positive seed you plant, your thoughts will grow and reward you with a positive harvest. Negative seeds have the opposite effect. They'll grow, but result in a spoiled and fruitless crop. You can't plant negative seeds in your mind and expect positive results. It just doesn't work that way.

A vivid and defining difference between people who are successful and those who aren't is the way they think. Successful people visualize their goals and take action to make them happen.

Unsuccessful people dwell on the negative, spend their time and energy complaining, and worry about things that are unimportant. This negativity wastes time and energy that could be harnessed toward achieving your goals.

Practice Makes Perfect 

If you hone your positive thinking skills and develop the mental attitudes of a winner, you'll be able to overcome challenges without giving up. No matter how discouraging things may get or how intently others may try to dissuade you, with your winning attitude, you will be unstoppable!

A positive outlook enables you to focus on your goals with a tunnel vision that eliminates negative distractions and keeps you on a chartered course to success.

• Train your mind to focus on the good. Develop a positive mantra or affirmation to help you overlook the negative and realize the power of optimism.

Train Your Mind

We often worry about our physical fitness, but do we think much about the fitness of our minds? Just as we train our bodies for peak performance, we must also train our minds by coaching ourselves to think winning thoughts.

An effective way to train your mind is to look at challenges as opportunities instead of obstacles. A problem is only a problem if you allow it to be one. With each challenge comes an opportunity to learn and improve. So if you search for solutions, you'll find them.

When you internalize this mindset, you're sure to develop a winning attitude for a lifetime and reap the rewards of true success and happiness.

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Exercise works better than cutting calories when trying to lose weight

(NaturalNews)

Exercising is a more effective way to lose weight than cutting calories alone, according to a new study recently published in the online edition of the Journal of Applied Physiology.

Researchers from St. Louis University's Doisy College of Health Sciences recruited 34 people between the ages of 50 and 60, who were either overweight or toward the high end of normal weight. The participants were split into two groups -- the first group of 18 was put on a diet, while the second group of 16 exercised.

The dieting group reduced their total calorie intake by 16 percent per day for the first three months of the study. For the final nine months, the dieters reduced their caloric intake by 20 percent.

The second group exercised to burn 16 percent of their caloric intake per day for the first three months, then increased their workouts to burn 20 percent of their calories for the final nine months.

By the study's end, both groups lost roughly 9 to 10 percent of their total body weight. However, the researchers found that the participants of the dieting group lost muscle mass during their weight loss, while the exercising group did not.

"If push comes to shove and somebody wants to know if they should diet or exercise to lose weight, I would suggest exercise, provided they are willing to put in the extra time and effort and not offset the gains they make by eating more," said Edward Weiss, the study's lead author.

Though the most effective weight loss strategy is to combine diet and exercise, the researchers emphasized that people who only exercise to lose weight are missing out on some unique health benefits of calorie restriction.

"It's important that dieting not be seen as a bad thing because it provides enormous benefits with respect to reducing the risk of disease and is effective for weight loss," Weiss said. "Furthermore, based on studies in rodents, there is a real possibility that calorie restriction provides benefits that cannot be achieved through exercise-induced weight loss."

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Water before meals helps with weight loss, say researchers

(NaturalNews)

Weight loss techniques are a dime a dozen these days, with experts touting all sorts of different diet and exercise regimens as the solution to obesity. But new research set to be presented at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) offers a simple approach that involves no drugs and has no negative side effects. According to researchers, drinking two glasses of water before each meal will help you to lose more weight.

"We are presenting results of the first randomized controlled intervention trial demonstrating that increased water consumption is an effective weight loss strategy," explained Brenda Davy, Ph.D., senior author of the study, to reporters." In this recent study, we found that over the course of 12 weeks, dieters who drank water before meals, three times per day, lost about five pounds more than dieters who did not increase their water intake."

The philosophy behind the "water cure" suggests that by consuming more water, there is less room in the stomach for food. So in essence, the zero-calorie beverage takes the place of food, which results in less calorie consumption and less additional pounds. However, all participants in the study ate low-calorie foods as part of the study -- and all lost some weight. But those who drank water before their meals lost more than those who did not.

Researchers also noted that water is better than sodas and other sweetened beverages that are loaded with sugar or artificial sweeteners. These additives contribute heavily to weight gain, so dieters would do best to nix these drinks from their diets and drink plenty of water instead.

"it is a good idea for people on weight loss programs to support their liver function with high-fiber foods and liquids. Consumption of six to eight glasses of liquids is necessary each day to maintain the water content of bile. Pure water or fresh fruit and vegetable juices are the preferred ways to meet your body's water requirements," explain Michael Murray, N.D., and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D., in their book The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods.

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Green tea confirmed as a weight loss nutrient and heart health antioxidant

Green tea (and its less refined cousin, white tea) has been a part of the ancient Chinese tradition for countless generations, in large part due to its rich endowment of bioactive catechins. Many studies over the past decade have shown that green tea is a powerful tool to improve metabolism in a way that is supportive of weight loss.

Scientists publishing in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry demonstrate that it activates genes associated with fat burning while also helping to reduce absorption of fat from the digestive tract. Further evidence on the gene-altering activity of green tea is reported in the International Journal of Cardiology, as polyphenols from the drink lower free radical damage to help maintain telomere length in heart cells. Drinking several cups of green tea each day may hold the key to effective weight management and cardiac health.

Researchers from the Departments of Chemical Biology and Pharmacology and Toxicology at Rutgers University in New Jersey examined the effect of green tea supplementation on obese mice, known to exhibit similar metabolic characteristics to humans. The animals were broken into two groups and both were fed a traditional high fat/Western style diet. One group received water supplemented with the green tea bioactive catechin EGCG, while the second group acted as a non-supplemented control.

 Green Tea Supplementation Assists Weight Loss by Reducing Abdominal Fat Stores

The study determined that EGCG supplementation significantly reduced body weight gain, associated with increased fecal lipids and decreased blood glucose levels, compared to those of the control group. Scientists further found that fatty liver incidence, associated liver damage and liver triglyceride levels were also decreased by the EGCG treatment. Treated animals also experienced improved insulin response as well as lowered C-reactive protein (CRP) and interlukin-6 (IL-6) levels, both strong indicators of systemic inflammation and immune response.

The study authors concluded "Our results demonstrate that the high fat/Western diet produces more severe symptoms of metabolic syndrome and that the EGCG treatment can alleviate these symptoms and body fat accumulation. The beneficial effects of EGCG are associated with decreased lipid absorption and reduced levels of inflammatory cytokines." Green tea helps our cellular engines (mitochondria) to better metabolize calories more efficiently, providing a significant weight management tool.

Additionally, supporting research documents the effect of green tea catechins on extending the lifespan of heart muscle cells. Scientists found that EGCG supplementation exerted a potent antioxidant effect that lowered free radical damage to preserve telomere length and reduce heart cell death. Nutrition experts recommend two to four cups of fresh brewed green tea daily or an organically compounded and standardized EGCG supplement (300 to 500 mg daily) to assist weight management goals and improve cardiovascular health.

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How To Give Yourself a Motivational Boost

When you’re having trouble staying motivated it can often seem like an impossible task to pull yourself out of the slump. Most likely you either sit immobile with a blank look of boredom on your face or you find other non-essential activities to distract you. Of course, these two choices don’t help you get anything accomplished, do they?

Instead, why not try some of the suggestions below the next time you’re feeling unmotivated:

Put on some music.

Upbeat music is one sure way to get your emotion and energy flowing again! Turn it up loud, groove to the beat and even dance around if you feel like it. In no time at all you should be feeling pumped up and ready to get moving again.

Laugh.

Laughter is like a miracle drug for the blues. Not only does it make you feel more alert, it also releases a flood of those fantastic feel-good endorphins in your body. Spend a few minutes reading or watching something funny, and then allow those good feelings to stimulate your motivation.

Wash away lethargy.

Showering can immediately perk you up and make you feel more energized again. Try using a fresh-scent shower gel or soap, and turn the water temperature a bit cooler than you normally would. Scrub your hair and body with vigor and imagine that your feelings of “blah” are being washed down the drain.

Get some fresh air.

A brisk walk is another great way to get some positive energy flowing again! Focus on working your muscles and burning off any sense of sluggishness you may feel. Breathe deeply and feel your body being flooded with life-giving oxygen! Imagine your brain perking up and your body being energized, and in just minutes you should be feeling focused and productive again.

Breathe!

Speaking of breathing deeply, it can work as a powerful wake-up exercise even if you’re not working out at the time. Simply sit quietly and take several slow, deep breaths. As you inhale, imagine that you’re taking in invigorating energy, and as you exhale imagine that you’re releasing lethargy and stagnation.

These are just a few ways you can get yourself feeling motivated again, but there are many others too!

When it comes right down to it, motivation is simply the willingness to take action and be productive. Whether you’re working on your goals, trying to get chores done at work or around the house – just deciding to get up and get moving can be the most powerful motivator of all.

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