20 simple things you can do to boost your calorie burning

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While its great to do a heart-thumping, lung-busting hard workout several times per week, did you know that the energy you expend during exercise accounts for only about 20-30% of your total energy use for the day?

The other 70-80% comes from the energy required to digest and absorb your food, and from what is called your basal metabolic rate (BMR) i.e. how much energy you use while simply resting.

So increasing energy use from these "other" places (BMR and food absorbtion) will slowly by surely help you get leaner.

Here are 20 things you can do...

1. Drink cold water as it takes energy to heat up. Do so in between meals to avoid diluting your digestive enzymes
2. Eat a big breakfast of protein and fat, e.g. bacon and eggs. Yes this is the opposite of what most people do. But most people aren't burning fat as fast as they would like to. For the same daily nutrient and calorie intake, those who eat more at breakfast tend to burn more fat.
3. Increase water intake so that you have at least 5 clear urinations per day. This will make you go to the bathroom more, and also helps with hydration. Well hydrated bodies are more efficient.
4. Go to the bathroom on a different floor than yours via the stairs
5. Eat protein as often as you can, but choose healthy sources i.e. NOT processed nuggets. Protein takes up to 30% of its own calories for digestion.
6. Choose some healthy saturated fats like coconut oil or butter. Apart from health benefits of these oils, saturated fats take a bit more energy to break down than other fats.
7. Choose unrefined carbohydrates. Those like fruit or natural starches take more energy to break down than a sugar drink.
8. Walk up to your flat on the way home
9. Stand at a counter to eat during lunch
10. Wash your car by yourself. Besides, with high car prices, a car is precious, and who could possibly care more about your car than you?!
11. Set an alarm to remind you to get up and stretch once per hour at work (oops mine just went off)
12. Sit on a stability ball while at your desk or home. It is less stable and will require more muscles to fire to keep you upright.
13. Think on your feet. Especially if you need to form creative solutions or ideas, walk around to think. Not only does this increase energy expenditure, your brain functions better when there is more blood flow as there is during exercise. For more on this, read the excellent book "Brain Rules" by John Medina.
14. Make your hobbies active ones. Even if its not a sport like tennis, even billiards is better than 700-episode Korean dramas.
15. If you are going to watch 700 episodes of anything, do it while standing, pacing or marching in place
16. On your way home, stop one bus stop early and take a short walk
17. Get a free pedometer app like this one and try to hit a target number of steps each day. 10,000 is a common goal but you can start from where you are now and work upwards.
18. NOTE: tips 18-30 relate to stress because increased stress, decreases energy expenditure and increases fat storage. Reduce stress by writing each night 3-5 things you are thankful for during the day. Life is not perfect and will never be, but we can always choose a thankful attitude.
19. Reduce stress by sleeping earlier. Your facebook timeline will still be there in the morning
20. Reduce stress by focusing on forming positive relationships with people around you. It has been said that the best way to get friends, is to be one. People with strong (not necessarily many) relationships tend to have lower stress hormone output.

Ok, 20 is a long list. Don't try them all at once. It can take 2-3 months to build up a habit that sticks with you for life. So how about trying 2-3 of these things this week and start the process.

Coach Jonathan Wong has a Doctorate of Science in Holistic Medicine, is a Certified Sports Nutritionist and is the author of "The Happy Body - Getting to the root of YOUR fitness, health and productivity". He is also the founder and CEO of Genesis Gym Singapore (tm), which aims to provide the best personal training and fitness services in Singapore. The views expressed are his own.

Ref:  http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/fit-to-post-health/20-simple-things-boost-calorie-burning-073028996.html

10 ways to wake up slimmer

Avoid late night nibbles

Eating late at night should be avoided if you’re after a flat tum the following morning. Studies have shown that eating late at night can cause weight gain as the body clock is disrupted. One US study found that mice that ate throughout the day and night had 70 per cent more fatty deposits than the mice who only ate at set times. Not only that, giving your digestive organs more to process when they should be having a break can lead to bloating and the feeling of waking up with a full stomach. Do yourself a favour and enjoy your evening meal at least two hours prior to going to bed to wake up feeling lighter.

Choose slimming foods

It is not only when you eat that can affect how slim you feel the next day, but also what you eat. Enjoying a light and easily-digestible dish for your evening meal as opposed to rich or stodgy foods could go a long way in helping you achieve slenderness overnight. Avoid complex carbohydrates and red meat, particularly steak, as well as fatty foods, as these are notoriously harder for the body to digest. Opt instead for simple and plain foods such as salmon and chicken, spinach, sweet potato, melon and probiotic yogurt, and keep the portion size under control too if you want to wake up slim.

Evening exercise

A half hour session of exercise can do the world of good in countless ways; it can lift your mood thanks to the release of endorphins, clear you mind of stress and, most importantly, boost your chance of waking up slimmer. Psychologically, exercise makes you feel fitter and slimmer which can give you the confidence boost you need when it comes to your body shape. But more importantly, exercise can improve digestion as it boosts blood flow, leaving you bloat-free and feeling slimmer the following morning.

Television tummy time

While you’re indulging in your evening TV ritual, make more use of this ‘me time’ by incorporating some stomach exercises. For many, the stomach is the key area that dictates how slim they feel, so focusing on this part of the body could be the difference between feeling flab or fab. On a carpeted floor or exercise mat, do some basic stomach toning exercise such as the plank, sit-ups or crunches. This little abdominal boost, although short and sweet, may help you feel that little bit more nipped-in the following day.

Push yourself

If you’re heading to the gym, the pool or out for a run, aim to push yourself that little bit harder than you normally would. Challenging your stamina and strength will not only give you an adrenaline high, but you’ll also burn more calories and challenge your muscles in new ways which will tone you up and help you feel slimmer. Besides, the compliments you’ll receive the next day for your healthy glow will fill you with confidence regardless of your figure.

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Tune time

Want to stay at home but still feel fit and fab the following day? Whack on your favourite tunes or turn up the music channels and boogie to your heart’s content. Letting loose in your living room to your favourite hits will free inhibitions while burning the calories too. Get hot and sweaty, head for a shower then to bed to enjoy a deep exercise-induced slumber. You’ll wake feeling refreshed and hopefully lighter from burning off your evening meal.

Buy clothes and underwear that really flatter your figure

Go shopping

Aside from altering your food and fitness habits, why not go on a shopping spree for clothes and underwear that really flatter your figure? There is oodles of advice out there regarding dressing to suit your body shape, so lap it up and use the tips to guide your decisions. Invest in some shaping underwear to support and form your figure into a slimmer version of you. Combine with some flattering garments, such as peplum tops for larger midriffs or cap sleeves to disguise shapely upper arms, and you’ll instantly feel slimmer. Just don’t forget posture – this can do its bit for helping you feel and appear slimmer too.

Banish the booze

Alcohol is notorious for causing bloating, which can make you feel chunkier than you actually are. Drinks including cider, beer, sparkling wine and spirit mixers lead to bloating because of the gas they contain. Not to mention that if alcohol was to enter a contest for ‘slimming-friendly beverage’, it would indeed come last. Containing seven calories (29 kilojoules) per gram it’s not kind on your waistline, so leave it out.

Keep hydrated

Perhaps not the best idea just before bed, but drinking plenty of fluids can help you achieve that slim feeling you’re after as it can reduce water retention and bloating while flushing your body of all the toxins you can so easily build up.  Herbal teas such as green, peppermint and dandelion are the perfect beverage for achieving that all-important slim feeling as they are hydrating and aid digestion, but plain old water is not to be sniffed at as this does the job effortlessly too. Aim for 6-8 cups of herbal tea or water throughout the day and you’ll feel lighter come morning. A word of warning, though; if it’s overnight slimness you’re after, try to avoid caffeine, carbonated drinks and, of course, alcohol.

Meditate

As we all know, the mind is a powerful thing.  Some believe that slimness can be a state of mind rather than a physical state, so ‘thinking thin’ can be more effective than you anticipate. Stress is often linked with being overweight (as it can lead to comfort eating and an imbalance of hormones) so why not give relaxation techniques a try, such as yoga or meditation? Calming the mind and focusing on your breathing can help center your thoughts, and perhaps even perceptions of your body too.

Ref:  http://sg.news.yahoo.com/10-ways-wake-slimmer-050034384.html

The Easy Way To Diet

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Dieting is usually a challenge to those who embark on the journey of weight loss, but it doesn't have to be. However, today I’m going to reveal 2 easy guidelines to get your diet on the right track and stay there

1. It’s all in the head

The first key to dieting is getting in the right mindset. You will first need to psychologically shift your mind state into one where eating healthier and more nutritious will be a joy. Realize that you are freeing yourself from the burdens of junk food and how much better your life will be without it. You will look and feel both more attractive and healthier, and you will be unchained from all the stress that you associate with junk food including the weight and health problems it causes. 

2. It’s all about routine

If you don’t have bad food around you, you won't eat it! Once you have your set goals and your mind in the right place you will need to get into a healthy routine of shopping. If you don’t buy junk food you won't eat junk food, if you buy healthy food you will eat healthy food.

When you go to the grocery store don’t try and avoid the aisles with unhealthy food but instead simply acknowledge that they’re there and tell yourself how much better you are without it.  Recognize how much better you feel, and how you wake up in the morning refreshed and energetic instead of groggy and fatigued like when you ate unhealthy food.

3. Set the right goal

Don’t make it your goal to go on an extreme diet for two weeks and lose ten pounds. These diets don’t work!!! In most cases they do more harm than good. Extreme diets are only a short-term solution, as soon as you go off an extreme diet and shift back into your old bad eating habits the pounds will creep back faster than they feel off. Make healthy eating a lifetime goal and look forward to your life being better off.

4. Finding a healthy balance

Everyone who starts a diet is immediately consumed by the fear that they will never be able to eat the things they love.  Don’t worry about cutting out the things you love to eat, because in truth you can still indulge yourself so long as it is in moderation. The key is finding a healthy balance and not over indulging yourself in foods that you know are bad for you, but also don’t forget to treat yourself every once in a while too.

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Stop Drinking Soda

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Soda and other items with high fructose corn syrup are some of the top contributors to diabetes and obesity. Cutting down on all sugary items especially soda can be an easy solution to a BIG problem.

Instead of drinking that soda in the morning, pick up a glass of water. If you need the caffeine in the morning go for a coffee but try and drink it black.

If you need to have milk with your coffee go for the skim milk next time, and if sugar is a must try using one less packet than you usually do. These simple steps can help you yield the results you are looking for and give you a chance to lose the pounds you’ve always wanted to.

If you miss the bubbles in soda go for seltzer water or club soda, this will provide you with the fizz and pop that you are looking for without the terrible sugar.

Always read the labels and nutrition facts of the foods you consume, you would be very surprised at the places you find unwanted sugar creeping into your foods.

Read the labels before you eat, because they won’t do you much good once you’ve realized what you’ve already put into your body.

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