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Walking For Lunch, or Any Other Down Time You Have
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Want to get in some simple exercise that has great benefits? I have a solution for you…go for walks during your lunch break. It’s way better then sitting around eating. All you have to do is pack some sneakers, or comfortable footwear, and schedule a walk for your lunch hour.
The AARP has a list of benefits that walking provides. Obviously, it is a great way to get in some cardio while enjoying yourself. You can even set up lunch break walking groups with your co-workers. Supporting each other while tackling your health. That’s a cool initiative!
It doesn’t necessarily need to be your lunch break. Maybe it’s the last 15 minutes of your day, or the first 25 minutes. Or maybe it’s right after you get home from work where you go for a walk with your entire family. There really aren’t too many limitations. Just be creative and think up ways to walk. The key take-away here is to walk, no matter when you do it. Just walk. Make it a habit and you will start seeing, and feeling, the benefits.
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This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com’s Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.
Walking For Lunch, or Any Other Down Time You Have
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How Do I Find The Right Gym?
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Editor’s note: This is a guest article from Zane. He runs a website called Best Diet Pills that provides consumers with no b.s. reviews of diets and diet pills.
How Do I Find The Right Gym?
If you’re in the market for a gym membership, there are plenty of details and amenities that may help boost your motivation and success. Today, fitness facilities aim to provide individuals with unique and wide-ranging services, from group fitness classes to child care support, you should check out the specifics before signing any gym contract. Below is a list of questions to pose when you are seeking a new gym membership.
What Specific Details Should I Look For?
When investigating gyms, consumers should always check for 8 details. When investigating these details, consumers can also ask a gym employee or salesperson specific questions to provide further insight and information.
Location - Is the location convenient to your home or place of work? Will the location be convenient to access during rush hour traffic?
Cost - Can you afford the cost of the membership? Are there any promotions? Are there any added membership fees or sign up fees? Can you pay the full year’s membership up front for an added discount?
Hours - What time of day do you like to work out? Do the gym hours accommodate your workout preferences? What hours are the busiest times
Equipment - Does the equipment suit your needs? Are there both cardio and weight machines? Are there free-weights? Is there enough space in the workout area to comfortably exercise and utilize the equipment?
Group Fitness - Are group fitness classes available? What are the types of classes and times of classes? Is there an added charge for group fitness? Who are the instructors, and are they certified and professionally licensed?
Amenities - Are there childcare services, and is there an added cost? Are there towels and personal care items included in the membership? Are there spa services included? Is there a pool and/or Jacuzzi and sauna available? Does the gym provide personal training services?
Staff - Do the instructors and trainers seem qualified? Are staff members licensed and professional? Are staff members friendly and welcoming?
Atmosphere - Is the gym more family oriented or adult professional oriented? (In other words, do you personally prefer a gym that incorporates child care and children’s activities, or do you prefer a gym that caters only to adults?) Is the atmosphere friendly and social, or is it quiet and reserved? Does the gym promote any social functions, such as community races or holiday gatherings? (Many gyms are involved in the extended community, which some potential members may prefer and enjoy).
Before Signing the Contract
Ultimately, before signing your gym contract, try to find out if the gym offers a free trial pass, or a free guest pass. Oftentimes gyms will allow potential members to test out the facilities before signing up. If this is an option, you’ll be able to personally assess the quality of the facility. Adding to this, try to speak with fellow-members before joining the gym; find out what their insight is about the pros and cons, so you’ll be able to make a more informed and educated decision.
Have anything to add? Leave a comment!
*Photo Courtesy of djwhelan
This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com’s Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.
How Do I Find The Right Gym?
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Weight Loss in 5 Important Steps, Be Consistent
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So, you need to lose a few pounds, eh? Well don’t we all, luckily managing that extra something on your stomach doesn’t have to be too much trouble by following a few careful but important steps.
- No more late eating. Seriously. Try to keep yourself from consuming foods or sweats past 9 p.m. or four hours before bedtime. This is crucial to maintaining a healthy metabolism and not allowing your body to store the extra food overnight as fat.
- Set some realistic goals. Losing 10 pounds in one week is not only unrealistic, but darn right unhealthy. If you fail to achieve your goals there are only so many times you will want to get back up; so do yourself a favor and set goals that are easily attained. Start out with two pounds in the first week and work up from there.
- Take before and after photos. Ouch, nobody likes to see themselves in a photo with their shirt off and their chunk hanging around, however, I bet if you saw it, you would get off that computer seat and start doing some push ups. By documenting your progress by photos, you can actually see the results more clearly, giving you motivation. So get on it, tubby! I did it with my weight loss pictures.
- Stop comparing yourself to others. So what if Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen are stick thin! Every body is different and by now you probably know if you have a slow or fast metabolism, if your weight goes to your hips or thighs, and what your favorite binge food is (sugar cereal anyone?). Keep your goal in sight and do not be discouraged if someone is showing better weight loss than you are.
- Monitor your calories. When I followed a strict regimen of counting my calories during the course of a week I realized something, I was eating way more calories than I thought. By keeping tabs on what you eat and counting the calories each night you will be shocked and just how much food you consume in a day. This is an easy, fun and eye opening effective way at cleaning up your bad diet. Try counting the amount of protein, fat, and carbs you consume too.
Remember that everybody has a different body and different goal in mind. Remember to stay on task and to be consistent, consistent, consistent. By following a strict regimen of exercise and diet using these five simple tips, you will see a drastic change in your health, mentally and physically.
A bonus tip is to drink green tea. It’s does a body good! Just make sure you get the good, all natural kind.
This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com’s Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.
Weight Loss in 5 Important Steps, Be Consistent
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Team Fat Man’s Prefontaine Wins a Medal…Boom!
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This is the first of many Team Fat Man athlete contributed articles. Prefontaine, the first Team Fat Man athlete ever, ran a great race and finished in 12th place out of over 400 runners. Entering a race is big enough, but finishing so high (or finishing at all) is amazing. Congrats Prefontaine! You made Team Fat Man proud and that medal is pretty sweet too (he finished first in his age group)! Woop, woop! Boston here we come.
Race 1- Rattlesnake Run, Saint Antonio, FL 5 Miles, 30mins 57secs, 12th out of 408
By Prefontaine, Tampa, FL
Ran my first race in about 18 months this past Saturday, and wow. I think I was more nervous the prior night and ten minutes before the race began. Not only was I nervous my heart probably beat three times faster at the starting line than any point in the race.
My preparation has consisted of running on a regular basis, five to six times a week, and keeping a solid but not restricted diet. In training I try to keep in line with the norm: distance, speed, legs, endurance, etc. However, when eating I am not as stringent and follow a rule of my mom: eat what your body wants. Sometimes it’s fruit, sometimes it’s beer and pretzels; you’re body is the best diet indicator.
Overall, I was happy with my race but thought I had two areas for improvement.
One, be more diet conscious the day before the race. I ate one of my regular breakfast bars that is very fibrous, and I definitely felt it before the race. Port-a-potty to the rescue!!
Second, the race was at 8 am and I do not like getting up early, plus the race was 30 miles away and I still had to register. Next race I’m pre-registering.
Coming up I’ve got two half marathons and then the full in March, maybe more depending on how I feel. Some things I will be doing to stay focused through March include tracking my results, listening to the iPod, keeping others involved for motivation, setting regular difficult but attainable goals, having fun, and possibly join a running group.
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“Prefontaine” is a Team Fat Man sponsored athlete based out of Tampa, Florida. To learn more or join the team, visit TeamFatMan.com
This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com’s Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.
Team Fat Man’s Prefontaine Wins a Medal…Boom!
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What Motivated Me to Blog About My Health
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I was asked to make a video explaining what motivated me to start blogging about my health. It’s pretty simple really so I grabbed the video camera and made a quick video to blog it up. Enjoy! What motivates you?
This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com’s Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.
What Motivated Me to Blog About My Health
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Explaining the ‘Mental’ Side of Weight-Loss
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This is a guest article written by Dr. Michael A. Snyder, MD, FACS, creator of FullBar.
The major barrier to weight loss is accepting the need to change your diet, behaviors, AND relationship with food. These changes require a commitment. And, all of us know that commitments are very difficult!!
In life, there are very few life transforming commitments that “stick”– some examples: deciding to have kids, getting married, moving across country for a job. These are big changes that have major life ramifications. And, even these sometimes do not work out because of our inability to keep up the commitment. So, how do we expect to ever get our head around the realities of having a successful weight loss experience?
First of all, you have to have a good reason to lose weight. A good reason to change your life. Saying “I want to lose 10 lbs.” or “I want to wear that little black dress” or “I want to look hot for the lady in the office next door” may not be good enough reasons to change your life. Really focus on WHY it is important to you to lose weight. If the reason is not important enough for you, you are not ready to change.
Secondly, realize what has not worked in the past. The often repeated saying bears repeating again: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result!” It is crazy to think that the strategy that has failed you a million times will “work this time.” It won’t. You need something else. Time to investigate what may really work for you. You use tools for so many parts of your life that you do effectively– e-mail and cell phones to communicate, internet to research, cars to get where you are going, etc. Tools are critical to your success in so many arenas. Why do you think that you will not need such “help” with your weight loss efforts?
Third, all diet programs expect BIG changes to get big results. And, you have clearly found that they are not sustainable. Take the Atkins Diet, for example. It is easy to lose some weight with severe carbohydrate restrictions. But, when I did it I literally dreamed of having a banana. I had to white-knuckle it through every carbohydrate temptations. And, as expected, I ultimately let my restraint fade away. I bet many of you had the same experience. Test out different strategies. (I can give more suggestions if you so desire.) Do not make big changes that will fail. Make small, “do-able” changes. And, over time, the results will be great.
Weight loss can ONLY come when you have mastered these 3 steps. And, as you may have noticed, all require you to prepare your mind. I did not ask you to buy anything, join any health club or get on any program. It is your mind that has allowed you to become defeated in the past, but it is your mind that will help you win the fight.
Be honest with yourself. Do not try to be superhuman. You will fail if you “change everything.” All I ask is that you realize that you are human and have limits to the severity of what you can do and sustain. If all you learn is this and, if this allows you to avoid the dreadful spiral of disappointment and failure that most of the weight loss programs force upon you, then you are way ahead of where you started this weight loss journey. And, now you can be realistic and successful.
I realize that this is just the first set of steps in the process. But, when done successfully, it is the only way to succeed. Keep me posted. I trust that you can do this!!
This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com’s Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.
Explaining the ‘Mental’ Side of Weight-Loss
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Runner’s Hangout - A Running Discussion Forum
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Runner’s Hangout is a community focused on people who like to run or get started in running. There are useful links to check out other running web sites. They even have a supplements link to purchase different types of herbal supplements to aid you in your running. Keep in mind that this community website is still very new. On the other hand, they already have over 300 members. So if you like small communities where you can actually get to know someone, which is harder in larger communities, then this is the perfect place for you.
There is a Running & Training section filled with various tips and training methods. Many members are running in races and encourage others to join races and post their results for added support. There are threads that even discuss gym routines and cardio training. Let’s say you have a question on your hurdling form, fellow members will try their best to help you perfect your form with detailed information and tips. Got a marathon to train for? There are number of interesting and helpful posts you can find by either using the search feature or just browse through the thread pages.
The Health & Nutrition section is dedicated to becoming or staying healthy for your running. You can find various posts concerning nutrition. You can find vitamin supplements that others recommend as well as different foods and drinks you could apply to your diet. Some members also share informative articles with everyone and give recommendations on what your diet should consist of in preparation for races.
Should you decide to sign up and join this community be sure to stop by the Introduction section and make a quick post there. Everyone is pretty friendly so they will be sure to give you a warm welcome. There are members from all over the world at Runner’s Hangout so you will be able to get a wide variety of tips and support. Be aware however that it sometimes takes time to get replies, so just be patient.
Be sure to check out the Hangout section when you are done discussing and reading anything running related. It’s a place to mingle with people and share each other’s interests like sports, music, etc. It’s a good getaway from the more serious threads that mostly concern running and training. Runner’s Hangout occasionally hosts random cash giveaways so be sure to check the forum sections regularly for that. They recently had a random drawing in August which they gave away two $20 gift cards to random members that entered just by replying to the thread.
Registration is free so no worries of buying anything. You can visit Runner’s Hangout today and become a part of the community at no cost. Also if you are someone that is new to running or interested in getting involved then this is a good start for you. Free information and support is what you can expect from Runner’s Hangout.
This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com’s Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.
Runner’s Hangout - A Running Discussion Forum
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Weight Lifting for Weight Loss, Fitness and Health
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Editor’s note: This is a guest article from Zane. He runs a website called Best Diet Pills that provides consumers with no b.s. reviews of diets and diet pills.
Weight Lifting for Weight Loss, Fitness and Health
In addition to cardiovascular exercise activities, research reveals that weight lifting will also provide individuals with added weight loss and health benefits. According to research, weight lifting exercises not only boost the body’s muscle tone and strength, but they are also shown to increase the body’s metabolism, fat burning abilities, and energy levels.
Benefits of Weight Lifting
Metabolism
One of the key benefits of weight lifting comes from the fact that weight lifting increases the body’s metabolism. The metabolism is essentially the body’s ability to burn calories; therefore, the faster your metabolism is, the faster you can burn food and ultimately avoid weight gain. Essentially, your metabolism is boosted when lifting weights since the increased muscle fibers burn off calories more efficiently and effectively. Therefore, by lifting weights regularly, individuals are able to teach their bodies and metabolisms to process food more efficiently.
Lean Muscle Tissue
Weight lifting provides benefits for both men and women, although the body’s ability to increase muscle mass varies between the two sexes. Essentially, women’s weight lifting activities will increase the body’s appearance of tone, while also boosting the body’s strength and abilities. On the other hand, men’s weight lifting activities will actually increase the size of various muscle groups; therefore, both men and women benefit, yet only men are able to significantly bulk up from weight lifting activities. Also, lean muscle tissue is where the bulk of calories are burned when being processed, so individuals who begin a weight lifting regimen early on in life often lose about ½ to ¾ of a pound more than non-weight lifters each year.
Improved Aging Abilities
As humans age, the body naturally slows down, as the metabolic rate also slows its processes. As a result, it is common and normal for humans to gain relatively small amounts of weight each year as they gain. By lifting weights, however, dieters are able to prevent this weight gain, as the muscle tissues and fibers promote weight loss at every age throughout one’s lifetime.
Why Dieting Alone May Not Work
- By dieting alone, without exercise, the body begins to burn muscle stores; therefore, while individuals may experience weight loss, nearly 25% of the amount lost may come from muscle tissue and fibers.
- Exercise and weight lifting boost metabolic levels; therefore, dieting alone can actually hinder the body’s ability to efficiently and effectively burn fat and calories from one’s diet.
- Even cardiovascular activities have been shown to not completely boost one’s metabolic rate. Traditionally, cardio exercises include activities such as running, jogging, walking, etc. These activities are effective calorie-burning exercises, but only increased muscle can effectively boost one’s metabolic rate.
How to Begin Weight Lifting
Individuals interested in weight lifting can take advantage of various fitness opportunities, such as:
- Attending weight lifting / muscle building group fitness courses.
- Joining a gym with various weight equipment machines to help provide support and guidance.
- Hiring a personal trainer who can guide an individual through specific and effective exercises.
Add weight lifting to your workouts today, if you haven’t already!
This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com’s Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.
Weight Lifting for Weight Loss, Fitness and Health
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What I Learned from the Tampa Bay Rays and the ALCS
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I’m not a huge baseball fan, but I am a big sports/competition fan. So no matter what sport it is, when playoff time comes I become an instant fan of that sport. I was fortunate enough to attend game 3 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) in Tampa Bay where the Tampa Bay Rays were visited by the Boston Red Sox. It was a great game to watch. I actually left early and finished watching the game at home since it went into extra innings. The Rays won that game.
What Got Me Thinking
Fast forward to game 7 of the ALCS. I was invited again. This was actually last night. The game was amazing. Before last night I had never been in a stadium (Tropicana Field is where the Rays play) that loud. It was so loud my ears were ringing. Simply amazing. After the Rays won I was thinking to myself…these guys are determined and full of support.
Then on the drive home I started thinking about how the Tampa Bay Rays had persevered throughout the entire season and especially in the ALCS. They were up, then down, then up, then down, and then pulled through to win. It doesn’t get any better than that.
What I Learned
By now you must be thinking to yourself, “Okay bub, what’s the point and what did you learn?” Well, I learned that in life you will be challenged. Sometimes you get challenged by small things you can overcome easily. But there are those times when you get challenged by something bigger than you, forcing you to dig down deep to try and overcome it. You may fail, as the Rays did in games 5 and 6, but if you believe in yourself and do the things you need to do, you will overcome.
How It Applies to My Weight Loss
I can apply that to my weight loss journey. I have had my ups and downs, but I always manage to get myself back on track. It helps to have a “team” behind you. By team I mean a support mechanism. That “team” can be teammates (like the Rays) or it can be family and friends, or a blog with readers, or a notebook to write in. Or maybe even imaginary friends… Anything, so long as it supports you goals.
The Journey Is Always Worth It…
I’m a realist and understand that sometimes you just can’t overcome things, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. You never know what can happen…right? Even if you don’t overcome that “thing,” isn’t the journey worth it? I think so. I have learned a lot about myself, both mentally and physically, during this iteration of my weight loss journey. I always knew how to workout, but never really knew how my body reacted to specific things. I always knew that I was mentally tough in some areas and not some, but now after writing about my weight loss for over a year, I can zero in on what the exact areas are that I need improvement in.
Even if the Rays hadn’t made it to the World Series, they would still have been a strong team for going through what they have so far. The same goes for the Boston Red Sox. Although they lost, they are a way better team for having made it this far, plus they lost to something greater than them, not something weaker. That will help them become better.
While I have not yet reached my ultimate eight loss goal, I can honestly say that I am a better person because of this blog. So, it has been 100% worth it.
This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com’s Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.
What I Learned from the Tampa Bay Rays and the ALCS
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Diet Food Delivery Review
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DietFoodDelivery.org is a comprehensive guide informing you of the latest available diet food delivery services as well as an in depth look of each service they have listed. Each service has its own section with detailed information such as sample menus, special offers, testimonials, and a summary. You can compare diet programs and decide which service would be the best fit for you. Each service offers breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks to eat in between meals. Every diet food delivery service that is listed has a special offer or coupon code that you can use to save. Some are a percentage off your order, free shipping plus a free meal on your first purchase, or 1-2 weeks of free meals. Therefore, be sure to check out their latest special offers listed on the comparison table as well as each section as mentioned earlier.
After you’ve done your research and decided which service you would like to order from; you have the convenience to order via website, phone, or fax on some services. You choose which program you want, for example, low carb, men’s, women’s, senior, vegetarian, etc. as well as the menu and depending on the service you can pick out certain meals you want to have. After order takes place there is a confirmation given by email or phone to give you notice of the delivery date. Food is stored in a special container that preserves the freshness of your food; so when you are not available to pickup the deliver it’ll be there waiting for you when you get back and still fresh. Take note that deliveries are weekly and provides a week worth of food so be sure to have a freezer with enough space to store everything. Depending on where you are located some services can offer a daily delivery.
Be aware that if you decide to use a diet food delivery service you will have to stay focused and be careful. You have to eat ONLY your daily portion of meals as well as snacks. I highly recommend that you do not buy anymore food, no snacks, or ingredients for meals. This would only tempt you even more to eat outside of the daily meals and snacks provided by the service you have chosen.
Another issue to be concerned about is the cost. Now some of them cost on average around $12 depending on the type of program you chose. It can easily become higher than that. When you go buy your next week’s worth of food record how much money you’ve spent. If you do not shop weekly or just a couple of days out of the week then just save the receipts that equal to a week’s worth of food. Then compare the daily cost from your week’s worth of food to the daily cost of the service. Depending on how much you usually spend you could actually be saving some money.
These services are designed to give you less daily carbs based on your ideal weight so you can lose weight. There is a handy weight calculator on their website which calculates your ideal weight based on the information you’ve provided. Once you’ve reached your ideal weight you should either change to another kind of service or start back preparing your own meals. There is a page that helps you with how long you should stay on a program. Therefore continuing to use the service can lead to medical problems from becoming underweight. On a final note. With any diet there is work involved. You have to resist the temptations. This service is just a big helper but you have to still put in the effort to reach your goals.
Spread the Health News? - Get all of the latest health news, submit your own, and vote them to the top.
This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com’s Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.
Diet Food Delivery Review
