Trim Mom

Winter Weight Gain: Exposing A Hidden Culprit

While there are obvious reasons for gaining weight during the winter (like the abundance of food and treats as well as lack of exercise) there is also one big hidden reason:  depression.

It’s not unusual to suffer seasonal depression during the winter.  Not only will depression cause you to reach for more fattening foods, it can also leave you lethargic and unwilling to get exercise.  This combination will obviously result in packing on the pounds which often times furthers depression.

To stop from falling into this nasty cycle, take steps to keep your mood elevated as you go into winter and then keep it up through the season.  One of the biggest causes of seasonal depression is lack of sunlight.

Be sure to keep your home and office well lit when you’re indoors.  If this isn’t enough, take a few 20 minute periods every day to sit in from of a high watt bulb.  This will help boost your mood in a natural way.

While bad diet and lack of exercise are often a result of depression, they can also be part of the cause of the depression.  If you start feeling depressed, focus on maintaining your healthy habits.  They will help boost your mood and keep you from falling into a bad cycle of depression, unhealthy eating, lack of exercise, and weight gain.

Technorati Tags: weight gain, weightloss, winter

If You’re Not Exercising…

You are not alone!

Did you know that 30 percent of people don’t get any exercise at all during the winter?

I don’t know about you, but right now I’m part of that statistic.  In addition to those who aren’t exercising, those that do often get less than they would during the warmer months of the year.  Winter is often cold and bitter outside which discourages us from getting out and about.  I know if I lived in a really cold place, I’d probably just want to curl up under a warm blanket with a good book all winter long.  Winter can also be dark and dreary which can easily hamper motivation to do anything, much less get up and work out.  The on top of all of that, it’s generally a hectic time of year with it being that holiday season and all.  Shopping, holiday gatherings, company parties, and everything else that goes along with the holidays makes it a challenge to find time for exercise.  I have to admit that I’m more likely to want to fill my extra time with a fun holiday activity than a workout.  All this adds up to the unhealthy habit or not getting enough physical activity during the winter.  With that in mind, here are

3 Tips for Getting Exercise During the Winter

Join a gym: Gyms offer expert staffs, a warm and safe place to exercise, a chance to get out of the house, and chance to socialize with new people.

Utilize the Mall: The mall is not only good for shopping.  A walk at the mall, may be more interesting than walking at the park.  Plus some have some great stairs you can climb for an added challenge.  Some malls even have walking clubs you can join.

Exercise Tapes or DVDs: Ah yes, it’s time to break out those exercise videos!  They allow you to stay in the comfort of your own home and have more privacy while you exercise.

Other ideas include:

• Running in place
• Getting a rebounder
• Playing with the kids
• Playing sports with family and friends
• Participating in indoor winter sports programs

A word of warning: Quick temperature changes can be a dangerous shock to your body.  When going outside, take time to give your body a proper warm up and cool down.  Also, when coming in from the cold, wait a few minutes to remove your coat and other layers.

When you venture outside in the winter, it’s important to take extra precautions to stay warm and safe.  Always be sure to bundle up and wear layers.  You want enough to keep you warm, but not so much that you’re sweating.  While sweating during your summer workout is great, during the winter sweat makes you wet and can make you cold in freezing temperatures.

Exercising during the winter may take a bit more planning and effort, but you’ll be rewarded by staying healthy, looking good, and maybe even having some fun.

Technorati Tags: exercise tips, fitness, health, Holiday WeightLoss Tips, weightloss, winter exercise

From Tired to Fit - 5 Ways to Improve Fitness

Have you ever felt tired and stressed out from work only to see your three children running towards you asking you to play basketball with them once you got home?  Since you’re tired, you refuse and promise that you’ll play “later.”  Sound familiar?

Instead of disappointing your children, why not say, “yes” next time?  You will be surprised by the amount of energy you will have after that 30-minute activity.

Did you know that exercising at a moderate pace for only 30 minutes helps you feel a lot better, mentally? It has been proven that even moderate exercise not only improves appetite, but sharpens your style in problem solving as well. Not only that. You will also find it is easier to sleep at night if you do moderate exercises even for only 30 minutes every day.

What are the benefits of regular exercise? It promotes self-discipline and has a positive impact how you perceive life. Exercise helps in lifting your spirits and getting you out of any depression. For first timers, it can be done for 15 minutes for 2 to 3 days a week. You can increase the time you spend once your body gets tuned up for it.

DON’T you ever force your body! This is one of THE biggest mistakes newbies make.  If you get hurt, then stop. You can take a break from exercising for a few days and then you can start again but you’ll be starting all over from day 1.

Here are some moderate exercises you can do and enjoy:

1. Do the Walking. Make use of your surroundings. You can walk your dog, with your partner or child. Encourage your family to do the walking exercise daily and you will find yourself burning calories while enjoying the surroundings and getting enough sunlight that is also good for your body.

2. Discover the wonders of Yoga. Yoga is one effective exercise that energizes not only your body but also your soul. You may want to learn even the basic yoga positions that are not too complicated but proven effective. A five-minute yoga exercise can perk you up and recharge your body with the energy you lost for the whole day. You relax and at the same time you stretch!

3. Engage yourself into sports. Play basketball, football, baseball, tennis or badminton. Many doctors have recommended sports as an effective way to stay fit and healthy. Sports can also be done in moderation. Do not take it seriously. Shooting basketball with a friend is one moderate exercise that is also considered a sport.

4. Join exercise programs at work. If you still do not have exercises programs at work, then why not start it? You can talk to your boss about it and start with your colleagues. You do not only lose calories but it is also one good way to bond with them. This can be done 30 minutes, 3 times a week.

5. Exercise while doing household chores. Gardening, raking leaves, lawn mowing, doing the laundry, vacuuming and car washing are effective moderate exercises at home. Make use of these chores to sweat and burn calories. Instead of using machines and gadgets to perform these chores, why not do it with your hands and lose some fats?

You may be surprised at how many calories you burn simply by incorporating exercises into your daily routines and tasks. Doing these moderate exercises every day can burn from 150 calories up to 1,000 calories a day!

Personally, I love high intensity exercise.  With high intensity, you feel like you’ve gotten a great workout and you see results relatively quickly.  However, not everyone finds it easy to get into high intensity, especially if you’re not used to working out.  If you’re not quite ready for high intensity these  moderate exercise ideas are a great way to get started on your path to improved fitness!

Technorati Tags: exercise, fitness, health, moms weightloss, weightloss

Why Water is Vital for WeightLoss

Water: Essential for Melting Away the Fat

by sidney

Water is essential for life, our bodies depend on it, 55 to 75% of the average adults body is comprised of water. If you do not drink enough to maintain your body ’s fluid balance, you will impair every aspect of it physiological function including digestion, blood circulation, regulating body temperature, cushioning joints and protecting tissues and organs. It is undeniable that water is integral for the body to function properly but it is also a necessary component to a healthy and successful weight loss program.

Water is a key factor in weight loss and has a direct effect on your body’s metabolism. One of the liver’s main jobs is to metabolize the stored fat in our bodies to be burned for energy. However the liver also assists the kidney’s when they are not able to carry out their duties in cases such as dehydration. When this occurs the liver steps in to assist and is therefore not available to breakdown fat as efficiently.

Another aspect of water ’s role in weight loss is actually twofold. Water contains no calories so you can drink it to suppress your hunger at zero cost. Drinking adequate amounts of water throughout the day helps to keep you feeling full and are therefore less likely to overeat. The other component is that generally people can not distinguish between the brain asking for food or simple asking for water. If you think you are feeling hungry have a couple glasses of water and wait ten to fifteen minutes and then reevaluate.

When consuming liquids it is important to remember that they are not all created equal. Caffeinated beverages and alcohol both have a stimulating effect on the adrenal glands and therefore act as diuretics, causing a loss of water in your body. Juices and flavored drinks tend to contain large amounts of sugar thus calories. There are many alternatives on the market today you just need to take care and look at the ingredients before you make a decision. Simply adding a wedge of citrus fruit is an easy alternative. As you continue to incorporate water into your daily diet you will find that you will begin to crave it.

The general rule of thumb is to try for approximately eight glasses of water per day, however it should be noted that it is not always the same for different individuals. For instance if you have take into account such things as your daily activities or exercise habits as well as the temperature. If you are playing out side on a hot day with your kids you will require a much higher level of water consumption to maintain a balance in your body. It is also recommended that for every 25lbs you are overweight you should add one glass to the recommended daily amount.

When you start out incorporating water into your diet you may find you are going to the bathroom every five minutes, this will level out after a few days. If it does not then you may have to adjust your intake accordingly. A easy to check indicator to see if you are getting enough liquid in your diet is to simply check the color of your urine, if it is yellow you are not getting enough, it should be almost colorless. These are all just guide lines, use your judgment and do not get frustrated with the process of adding water into your daily life style, the benefits are endless.

About the Author

Christine Erickson writes articles relating to women ’s health and their endless struggle with weight loss. To learn more visit her at: http://exerciseforwomen-christine.blogspot.com or http://squidoo.com/women-exercise

Article Source: Content for Reprint

Technorati Tags: drink water, drinks, fluids, water, weightloss

Green Tea Really Does Have Health Benefits

My husband keeps telling me that Green Tea is good for him. That’s why every time I go to the store to by drinks for the park or for a party we’re hosting, I have to buy him his green tea. Not only because he wants it, but because he insists that it’s good for him.

Well, after digging around on the internet for a bit, I’m finding out that he may be right? Yes, I’m admitting that my husband is right about something ;P.

Here are some of the health benefits I came across while reading about Green Tea:

According to HealthMad.com, green tea:
1. It is used to treat multiple sclerosis.
2. It is used for treatment and prevention of cancer.
3. It is used to stop Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
4. It is used to raise the metabolism and increase fat oxidation.
5. It reduces the risk of heart diseases and heart attacks by reducing the risk of trombosis.
6. It reduces the risk of esophageal cancer.
7. Drinking green tea inhibits the growth of certain cancer cells, reduces the level of cholesterol in blood, improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol.
8. It is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular diseases
9. It is used to treat impaired immune function. .
10. Some researches show that, drinking green tea regularly may help prevent tooth decay by killing the bacteria which causes the dental plaque.

According to green-tea-expert.com, the benefits of green tea in a body are “so remarkable that it is believed that the key to a longer and healthier life may just be brewing in your cup!”

Guess what? Green-tea-expert.com also goes on to talk about a WeightLoss study involving green tea. This WeightLoss study was done on 60 obese middle-aged women. Turns out, after two weeks, the women who were taking green tea lost twice as much as the other women in the group. Read the full story, HERE

Now if you’d like to discover how amazing green tea really is to your good health, check this out. Green Tea is known to:

• Promote good heart health
• Lower your cholesterol
• Reduce your chance of heart attacks
• Aid in your weight loss efforts
  
• Prevent damage to your skin
• Improve your circulation
• Help with your digestive health
• Soothe your stress (remember what I said about stress in this post)
• Is antibacterial
• Help protect you against diabetes
• and a whole bunch more

For a Complete Guide to Green Tea, click here

You can also sign up for a FREE Mini Course that tells you why people all over the world are raving about Green Tea, Click Here.

Technorati Tags: green tea, healthy drinks, Healthy Foods, weightloss