Weight Loss Articles

Steps to a beautiful summer body by adopting a healthy lifestyle
There are more than 20 proven health benefits to regular exercise, including better heart health and sleeping patterns, a lower risk of osteoporosis and better control of high blood pressure. Exercise is an excellent de-stressor and slimming aid as well as giving you a healthy lifestyle. Cardio exercise, an exercise that increases your pulse rate makes you breathe faster and work up a sweat, will help burn fat and make you fitter. Exercise, particularly resistance training, builds muscle, which will increase your metabolic rate to burn more fat.
Set yourself realistic short- term and long-term goals regarding exercise. You may dream of running a half marathon or just being able to walk 5km at a brisk pace in a few months time. Start by setting small monthly goals, and then weekly goals. Bear in mind your current fitness levels when you set goals. Consider other exercise options like swimming, mountain biking, dancing, hiking or canoeing if running, walking, cycling or gyms don?t appeal to you!
According to scientific data, it?s best to lose between 0.5kg and 1kg week, and to do this by following a balanced diet. You can lose five to 9kg of body fat in 2.5 months. Yes, you will loose more weight following a fad diet, but within weeks you?ll be fatter than ever.
Set aside time to exercise. You need at least four half hour sessions a week. Decide when suits you best whether it is mornings or afternoons. Then stick to it ? you will get the best results if you do cardio exercises at least three times a week, and muscle training at least twice a week.
When the going gets tough, it?s harder to drop out if you?re accountable to a partner, so why not get a friend on board ? you will be surprised how many people want to go the gym, but will not go alone!. Each time you visit gym increase your time by three minutes a session at the beginning of each week. Walk or run at a pace at which you?re able to talk to your buddy without being out of breath. Apply this ?slow start? principle and gradually increase in intensity of exercise. Forgive yourself if you miss a session, and get back on track as quickly as possible and keep striving towards your healthy lifestyle.

1. Every day eat two fist-sized fruits and three to five fist-sized portions of veggies.
2. Try to eat red meat only three days a week and fish or chicken four times a week.
3. Limit fried food, salami and pastries to one fist-sized portion a week.
4. Have only two tablespoons of butter or oil a day.
5. Limit all desserts and sweets to a golf-ball-sized portion a week.
6. Use skimmed milk and fat-free yoghurts.
7. Have no more than a golf- ball-sized portion of cheese a week.
8. Although nuts and avocados are healthy, they?re also rich in fats. Limit your intake to a handful of nuts and half an avo a week.