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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7 of the worst gym mistakes

Sticking to the same machines

The gym can be a scary and intimidating place, so when you find a machine that you’re comfortable with it’s often tempting to use it as much as possible. However, this will hinder your progress. You might enjoy a few weeks or even months of pound shedding and muscle building, but eventually this repetition will be your downfall as your body adapts to it and starts to burn less energy. A study carried out at Curtin University found that mixing up your workouts not only helps you burn fat and develop muscle more efficiently, it also helps to ward off muscle inflammation.

7 of the worst gym mistakes

Ignoring injuries

How many times have you heard someone telling you to ‘push through the pain barrier’ in the gym? Probably all too often. A little bit of discomfort is to be expected when you’re putting your body through a high intensity workout. Sharp stabbing pains that don’t go away aren’t. If you do suffer an injury at the gym, you need to accept that the fastest route to recovery is to rest the affected area. Tearing a muscle and then putting it through the strain of lifting weights isn’t going to result in any fitness benefits, and could seriously delay your recovery.

Believing calorie counters

Seeing that calorie counter shoot up as you pound the treadmill is always a great mood boost in the gym, but can it really be trusted? Not if a study carried out at Stanford University is to be believed. While treadmills attempt to give an accurate reading for calories burned, the huge range of determining factors means this is nearly impossible. For example, the study found that using the hand rails on treadmills can reduce the amount of calories burned by up to 50 per cent without this change being reflected on the counter. If you base your meals throughout the day on this incorrect calorie count, you could gain unwanted weight.

Getting distracted

Did you know one in three people don’t even break a sweat during their gym workout? According to a survey commissioned by sports equipment company Kettler, lots of people who go to the gym are more interested in chatting to their friends, relaxing in the spa, or ogling the opposite sex. One in 20 even said they just go to watch sports on the TVs! Gyms are full of distractions, and some of them might be keeping you from maximising your workout. Allocate a timeslot after your workout to catch up with your gym buddies and relax in the spa, and make sure your workout time is completely uninterrupted.

Using incorrect technique

Using a piece of gym equipment correctly will ensure your muscles go through the full range of motion, lead to noticeable benefits and keep you and the people around you in the gym safe. Using the equipment incorrectly will have the exact opposite effect. Aside from hindering your progress, incorrect technique can actually lead to injuries and permanent damage to your muscles. Don’t use the machines in the way that seems easiest, or the way your friend showed you how to do them – check with a professional personal trainer that your technique is spot on so that you know you’re getting the maximum benefit from your workout.

Copying others

Everyone’s body is different, and what works for others might not work for you. Copying other people’s routines in the gym can be highly dangerous, especially if they’re at a higher fitness level than you. Just because that ripped guy who is in the gym every day lifts a certain weight, it doesn’t mean you’ll achieve the same results if you try to lift it. Sorry guys, but this one area where you’re particularly guilty – of the million Americans who suffered weight training injuries between 1990 and 2007, 82 per cent were men who had been lifting weights that were too heavy for them according to research published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.

Getting the warm up wrong

How you warm up can make or break your workout before you’ve even got started. While many people simply try a bit of light cardiovascular activity to warm up, according to expert trainer Lee Archer your warm up should be specific to your workout for maximum benefits. For example, try using the rowing machine to warm up your upper body before a weights session. Even worse is not warming up at all. A study carried out at La Trobe University in Melbourne found that warming up not only prevents injuries, but also increases the maximum power a muscle can produce during exercise. 

Ref:  http://sg.sports.yahoo.com/news/7-worst-gym-mistakes-070039985.html

10 Reasons You're Not Getting Slim at the Gym

Weight loss mistakesYou've committed to working out and eating healthy, but the scale isn't budging. What gives? Your routine may actually be backfiring. Here are 10 common mistakes that prevent you from winning the battle of the bulge. 

1. You hit the gym on an empty stomach
Nothing will sabotage an efficient, productive workout like exercising when you're hungry, says celebrity trainer David Kirsch. "Exercising first thing in the morning before eating is an optimal way to burn fat stores, [but] the problem is that too often my clients training after 8 a.m. come to the gym hungry, cranky, and low-energy." Premium cars need fuel to run efficiently and so do we. Power up before you hit the gym with an easily digestible meal. Kirsch recommends eating 20 almonds, or an apple or banana with a tablespoon of almond butter. 

Related: Can Yoga Really Help You Lose Weight? 

2. You eat too many carbs before exercising 
And, yes, you need to eat, but don't consume too many carbs (good or bad) before your workout if you want to see results, says Adam Schersten, trainer at Equinox in New York City. "The added blood glucose will encourage the use of those and other sugars for your fuel source rather than the pesky fat stores." 

3. You repeat the same cardio routine 
"The body is a master of minimizing caloric expenditure," says Schersten, "and a long, evenly paced run is easy for it to adapt to." When you first begin a cardio regime, your body burns more calories and you see progress more quickly. But if you don't continually challenge yourself with new moves, your workout turns into weight maintenance instead of weight loss. "Mix it up with some intervals or tempo runs on hills to see continued results," he recommends. 

4. You don't challenge your muscles 
To get the most of your workouts, make sure the strength-training exercises you do target and overload muscles to the point of fatigue. "Go toward that burning, uncomfortable feeling in your muscles. That's how you'll get the results you want to achieve," says Tanya Becker, co-founder of Physique 57 and co-author of The Physique 57 Solution. Interval overload training produces maximum results in minimal time. 

Related: Low-Impact Exercises That Anyone Can Do

5. You use the wrong weights 
Despite all the back-and-forth discussions on heavy versus light weights, keep the weights on the lighter side if you want to trim down, says Kirsch. "Women often use weights that are too heavy. I like to stay in the 3 to 15-pound range. If you're more fitness-experienced, use weights in the 8 to 10-pound range. If you're a beginner, start in the 3-pound range." 

6. You sacrifice good form 
Bad form not only puts you at risk for injury, but it also prevents you from maximizing your workouts, says Becker. "Having good form will allow you to get deeper in the positions and help your body transform fast." If you're not sure how to do a move, ask a trainer. 

7. You perform exercises that don't work for your body type 
Just because the woman next to you is doing traditional squats, that doesn't make them right for you. "The most common mistake when women go into the gym is to watch someone else do an exercise and start doing the same one," says Kirsch. "When training intelligently, 'one size doesn't fit all.' There are exercises and weights appropriate for some body types, ages, and overall objectives and not for others," he says. Consult a trainer to develop a routine that's right for you. Some gyms even offer complimentary sessions when you join. 

8. You "waist" too much time working your core 
You don't need to do an endless amount of crunches to whittle your middle. Your best bet is to expend that energy on exercises that burn more calories. "If you're doing free weights, your core is getting worked too, because you are holding your body upright through the exercises," says Schersten. "You can burn a lot more calories targeting large muscle groups rather than smaller ones, so stick to squats and skip all those sit-ups." 

9. You fail to push yourself hard enough 
If you're leisurely reading a magazine while you're on the elliptical, chances are you're wasting your time, says Kirsch. Your workout should be uncomfortable - but not painful. A good way to gauge effort? Holding a conversation should be a challenge. If it's not, push yourself harder. 

Related: Find More Time to Exercise 

10. You don't fuel properly when you leave the gym 
It's just as important to replenish your body with proper nutrients after your workout, says Becker. "Eating processed foods will prevent you from losing weight and shedding fat. Drink plenty of water and fill up on fresh fruit and veggies." Kirsch recommends a shake that contains carbs, protein, and amino acids. Remember, your results are highly contingent on what you do when you leave the gym. Smart eating habits and healthy lifestyle choices will help you achieve the results you want. 

-By Kim Peiffer 

Ref:  http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/blogs/healthy-living/10-reasons-youre-not-getting-slim-gym-152100658.html

5 ways to burn fat while you sleep

Drink a casein shake

Whilst proteins such as whey are perfect for a post workout boost, their rapid-absorbing nature means they’re not as effective before you hit the hay. Instead, choose casein protein if you want to boost your overnight fat burning. Casein is a gradually digested protein that can take your body around six to eight hours to break down. This means your metabolism will be kept active throughout the night, and you’ll wake up feeling energetic instead of starving.

Burn fat while you sleep

Casein’s fat burning credentials were confirmed in a Dutch study, which discovered a boost in overnight metabolic rate following consumption of the protein. Similarly, researchers at Maastricht University found that casein enhances overnight protein synthesis, which helps to repair and strengthen muscles. When you consider that every extra pound of muscle burns 30-35 calories every day, this is an added bonus of this super-protein that should not be ignored.

Sleep more

That’s right; one of the most effective ways to shift those pounds while you sleep is to quite simply get more of it. With our hectic schedules nowadays sleep is often neglected, but if you want to lose weight that needs to change. Don’t believe us? A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that overweight people on average got 16 minutes less sleep per day than their regular-weight counterparts. It doesn’t sound like very long, but over time that difference builds up.

So why does sleep help keep you slim? It’s all to do with the hormones leptin and ghrelin. Leptin helps to regulate your energy levels and keep your appetite low, while ghrelin stimulates hunger and often initiates the need to eat. The results of a study conducted at the University of Wisconsin found that participants who got more sleep had reduced ghrelin and increased leptin levels, which helped to control their appetites throughout the day.

Eat cottage cheese before bed

Eating food before bed is often seen as taboo when it comes to dieting, but this is actually dependant on what kind of food you choose. Avoiding food completely before sleeping can actually have the opposite effect, as people who wake up feeling hungry are far more likely to binge on food at breakfast. A small snack of cottage cheese before bed is a great choice as it is rich in – yep, you guessed it – casein protein.

As an added bonus cottage cheese contains the amino acid tryptophan. A study published in theJournal of Psychiatric Research found that tryptophan improves quality of sleep, and reduces the amount of time it takes to fall asleep. This means cottage cheese will keep hunger at bay throughout the night, and ensure you sleep for a decent amount of time. What’s not to like?

Resistance training

Whilst sleep alone is great for encourage weight loss, there are some exercises you can do before bed that will help the process along. One of the best approaches is some pre-slumber resistance training. Burning fat is all about boosting your metabolism, and resitance training is great for this. In fact, according to a journal published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition, subjects who performed resistance exercises enjoyed a higher resting metabolic rate for an average of 16 hours following their workout.

This resistance training session doesn’t need to be excessive. A simple weight lifting routine will suffice, even if it doesn’t push you to the limit and leave you breathless. It’s well worth following this up with a casein shake; as mentioned earlier this will ensure consistent muscle recovery throughout the night while you sleep.

Eat small meals throughout the day

‘Eat little and often’, is a favourite tip of trainers and dieticians the world over, and you’ll be glad to hear this is a great way of boosting your nocturnal weight loss. Eating small meals frequently throughout the day serves to keep your metabolism ticking over, and will ensure your body continues burning fat throughout the night. Of course, these meals need to be healthy and nutritious for this technique to work!

As well as boosting your metabolism while you’re asleep, this frequent eating method will ensure your appetite is kept in check, which should reduce any cravings you have when you wake up in the morning.

Ref:  http://sg.sports.yahoo.com/news/5-ways-burn-fat-sleep-070044461.html 

4 ways to recover from an intense workout

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  Yahoo! Newsroom -Ways to reover after an intense workout. (Photo courtesy of Coach Jon) …more   less 

Coach Jonathan Wong has a Doctorate of Science in Holistic Medicine 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 andfitness services in Singapore. The views expressed below are his own.

Imagine if you did a thousand pushups in an hour? Would you be stronger at the beginning of those thousand pushups or at the end?

Quite clearly, you would be completely wiped out after the thousand pushups, and would only receive the benefits of the exercise after you had recovered from the training.

That is why when a new personal training or fitness bootcamp client at Genesis Gym asks me "how many times should I train" my answer is that it depends on what you can recover from.

More training is, in general, better since it means you can progress further. But more is not better if your exercise program is an added burden above and beyond the usual stresses of work, family, social commitments and environmental pollutants. A person under such a stress load needs to train a little "less" and focus more on recovery.

So, here are 4 things you can do to help your body recover from a hard workout. Please note, that hard, intense workouts are those which you put lots of effort into i.e. a hard run, or strength training workout. Reading a magazine for 10 minutes while pedaling on a stationary bike does not count.

1. Take in good nutrients in adequate quantities

These include:

Protein at about 2g per kg of body weight per day. For most men it means about 6 palm size servings per day, and for ladies, 3-4 servings. Trying to recover from exercise without protein is like trying to build a house without bricks. It is just not going to happen.

Carbohydrates after training, which refuel muscles and helps lower stress hormones post-workout. A good choice is ripe bananas with brown spots on their skin (they have less fructose and more glucose), rice, potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes. Bad choices are artificially sweetened drinks and processed pastries and snacks. The only exceptions for this "carbohydrates" suggestion are those who are close to diabetes, or are very overweight. Just stick to protein post workout then.

2. Manage physical stress levels

The critical ingredient for this is sleep, and achieving good sleep quality. Sleep is probably the most under-used recovery method out there. Check out my sleep article for some tips.

Natural nutrients that can aid sleep and manage stress include - Magnesium, phosphatidyl serene, valarian root from herbs or in tea form, inositol, taurine and glycine. Ask your health care provider to suggest dosages for you. The good thing about these nutrients is that they are non-addictive and you wake up with a refreshed feeling rather than the "oh, somebody just punched me" feeling of a hangover, or a sleeping pill.

Other physical stress management methods include - sauna, stretching (hold each position for 30 sec), massage of any kind, and sunlight exposure (which has emotional benefits too!).

3. Manage emotional and environmental stress levels

Stress is a "total" body response. Your body does not care if its from the recent "haze" causing pollutants to enter your nose, or of its from a stressful project deadline or nagging boss. The response of your body is quite similar.

So you need to manage these stresses by doing your best to negate them or remove yourself from them. Water filtration and using non toxic personal care products is a good start.

In addition, family time, service to others and your community, prayer, writing a journal, and having positive relationships with people around you are good choices for lowering emotional stress.

4. Plan your training properly

Nobody, not even the most gifted olympian, can train super hard, super long, all the time. The body needs time to recover to be at its best. In a month, our clients often do some weeks with more/harder training, and some weeks with less/easier training to help avoid injury and increase the speed of progress.

A sample month would be:

• Week 1: Light training - get used to a new workout, learn new exercises etc
• Week 2: Medium training - increase milage/number of sets/speed/total weight lifted etc...
• Week 3: Hard training - all out effort, train till you push your limits, try to break your previous records
• Week 4: Medium training - similar to week 2
• Repeat week 1.

There are many ways to adjust training, but the above sample is a simple one that keeps most people motivated and injury free.

There we have it 4 ways to recover well, stay strong, lean, healthy and injury free!

Coach Jonathan Wong has a Doctorate of Science in Holistic Medicine, 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 andfitness services in Singapore.