Simple Action Steps to Lose 10 Pounds in 2 Weeks

August 30, 2008 · Filed Under weight loss · Comment 
by Ray Lam

If you want to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks, know that your work cut out for you. It’s not easy but with some determination and commitment it can be done. However, the real challenge is to avoid gaining it all back in a short time. The statistics show that 95% of people fail to maintain their weight loss. In fact, the chances of your success depend on the weight loss method that you choose.

When I wanted to lose ten pounds in two weeks, I imagined that it was easy to lose weight and that the weight was coming off. I imagined that I was eating less and was getting thinner and… it started to happen to me. I started to lose weight without even really trying. I was actually thinking myself thin.

I began to consume less calories because I was thinking myself thin. I also began to get more active and exercise more because that’s the way I imagined myself. I began to develop the habits of someone who was thin and I was able to lose ten pounds in two weeks with ease. I used my head and the laws of attraction and it really happened for me.

Many people who want to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks have no idea how to go about it. They eat all the wrong combinations of food and embark on crash diets that do not work and then eventually give it all up and return to their regular hi-sugar, hi-calorie diets. To lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks without exercising, all you need to do really is drink plenty of water and avoid sugar in all forms including foods such as cakes, cookies and sweets.

Be persistent. Trying to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks is a huge task, and to be honest it’s not altogether healthy to be losing such an amount of weight in a short time. A more healthy time frame would be 4 or 5 weeks, which would give your body time to adjust to the changes it is experiencing. If you don’t manage to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks, don’t worry, just keep going. You should have seen some great results by then which will give you the motivation to continue.

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Storage Of Stem Cells In a Cord Blood Registry

August 30, 2008 · Filed Under fitness · Comment 
by Ray Lam

Cord Blood Registry (CBR) is the world’s largest public donation bank, and is famous for reliability, quality and safe storage. Using AutoXpress (AXP), a cutting-edge technology to gather and store blood, consumers have the opportunity to cryopreserve their own genetically-related stem cells for future therapeutic use.

Uses of umbilical stem cells have been proved highly effective in curing blood disorders of child or other members of the family, which earlier required bone marrow transplants. Blood cells in umbilical cords of the newborn can match genetic cells of the siblings and parents up to 25%. Hence, cord blood registry and its uses in treating those who match such cells bring extremely positive outcomes. Moreover, cord blood cells transplants reduce the worst drawbacks of organ transplant treatments, that is, graft versus host reaction, which may even lead patients to succumb to death. Hence, cord blood collection is regarded as a way of insuring your entire family’s lives to combat major ailments.

That information is important because of the amount of mononucleated cells (MNCs) from cord blood that is salvaged, and the ability to process multiple samples in less than an hour, separating red blood cells and plasma into separate bags. This makes the process the most sterile and efficient method of retrieval and storage in the industry. CBR also uses one of the most accurate data tracking softwares in the industry, called XpressTRAK.

Protecting cord blood in this manner, reducing errors in data collection with the XpressTrak system, and producing higher volumes of MNC’s means recipients receive the best possible blood and plasma available for life-threatening conditions, such as leukemia.

CBR’s network of cord blood banks is located worldwide, and doctors can locate cord blood units both within the United States, and abroad, such as Australia, Germany, Mexico, and Switzerland. CBR also maintains cooperative relationships with The National Marrow Donor Program, in hopes that more lives can be saved by the use of cord blood and the research being done to fight diseases that know no boundaries.

During processing of cells, red blood cells are separated by some of the banks. However, some banks retain these cells as well. After separation, cells undergo screening process to determine bacterial and viral contamination, sterility, quantity of the cells in samples and viability of the cells for future treatments. The cord blood banks charge annual fees to allow donors to use their storage facilities for cord blood preservation. The annual fees for the cryogenic storing facility are generally charged at the end of each year.

Cord blood banks offer a host of different types of payment options. Some banks devise payment schemes like pre-paying plans to provide cord blood registry services for up to 15 to 20 years of storage. A one-time payment option is often offered with a considerable discount over the per year charges.

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How To Get Six Pack Abs As Fast As Possible

August 29, 2008 · Filed Under abs · 1 Comment 
by John Alvino

The entire fitness community insists that you must only train your abs at the end of your workout. They state that since the abs contribute greatly to spinal stability, they should never be fatigued prior to performing non ab exercises such as, presses, squats, RDL’s or rowing exercises. Therefore the only option the “experts” give to you is to work your abs at the end of your workouts.

I see their point to a degree but their philosophy is in stark contrast with “The Priority Principle. The Priority Principle simply says that what gets trained first (while in the freshest state) will get the best training effect. The fitness experts agree that this is a powerful principle with every single muscle group…except the abs. Why would this principle be true for every other muscle group in the human body except the abs?

What if your abs are your weakest body part? What if getting six pack abs happens to be your number one priority?

In either of these cases, your abs should be worked at the beginning of your workout when you are the least fatigued.

So I recommend this modification to your workout: if six pack abs are your main concern, train them first! This one simple alteration in training order will make a significant difference in you bottom line results. When following this sequence, you will be able to put forth a better effort because you will be completely fresh.

If, like most people, you just throw an ab exercise at the end of your workout, this technique will double you rate of progress towards sculpting your midsection.

Additionally, prioritized ab training will also provide a great warm up for the workout to follow. I do have one exception to this rule. If you are training with maximal weights, I would opt to train the abs at the end of the workout. Performing any activity that could leave you with residual fatigue prior to a maximal weights workout would be undesirable.

Try this exercise sequencing technique and get great ab development in half the time! As Stephen Covey says, “Put First Things First”.

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5 Fat Blasting Tips on How to Lose 50 pounds in 6 Months

August 29, 2008 · Filed Under weight loss · Comment 
by Mason Wee

This is how to lose 50 pounds in 6 months - you need to be realistic, you need to be motivated, you need to sacrifice some aspects of your lifestyle and you need to know what and where you are doing. Knowing these personally is a good start before you try to make changes to your weight. For one, 6 months is realistic, but why add a time line to your fat loss. Why not just get make gradual changes to your lifestyle, act on it and let time do the rest. If you really want to lose 50 pounds, toss the 6 months away, learn what you have to do, follow the guidelines and let it grown on you. Over time, the new changes will form a solid foundation of your new lifestyle habits that will last a lifetime. Anyways, below are 5 ways to show you how to lose 50 pounds in 6 months and keep it off for good-

1. Changes need to be long term - make some changes to your lifestyle that you can enjoy and maintain for a lifetime. If you make heathy eating and physical activity part of your daily life, you have more than a good chance of achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight. Start now and make permanent changes to both food and activity habits. It can only get better from where you are now!

2. Eliminate DEAD processed, empty calorie foods and drinks. So what’s empty calories? There are the kind of foods that supply us with calories and little else. The next time you’re grocery shopping try to avoid the following : white bread, white rice, cereal, pasta and fried food with breading; Ingredients beginning with the word ‘enriched’, it has less than 5 grams of fiber and/or more than 8 grams of sugar; ready to eat in a bag or box that comes with ingredients you can’t pronounce; lastly, ditch the fizzy drinks. Processed, empty calorie foods and drinks burn less calories, rapidly increase and decrease your blood sugar levels, resulting in hunger and fatigue which will slow your metabolism. Instead choose, wholesome, fresh foods over dead processed foods - you will get full on fewer calories and more importantly you will get loaded with nutritional benefits!

3. When it comes to fitness, one factor trumps all others - CONSISTENCY. And while this is the key to experiencing all the benefits exercise has to offer, few people make it a long term endeavor. Why? Because life is often hectic and that makes it easy to lose focus on the importance of physical activity and healthy eating. The key to consistency is preparation and planning your schedule ahead. So plan your day and week out to include your workouts and 6 healthy mini meals a day.

4. This is the obvious point but often misunderstood - but Eating Less makes you hungry! But if you Eat little, but more often, you will control your cravings. The best approach to combating the snack attack is to plan a daily dose of five to six healthy meals a day for sustained energy and better concentration, so tap into your inner bovine and graze away. Eating less, but more often controls blood sugar levels, preventing dips in energy and focus once that ‘high’ from your loaded lunch has dwindled. You’ll also be less likely to gorge at the nearest KFC. The challenge is to keep your mini meals ‘mini’. It’s critical that at the end of the day, the calorie content of your mini meals does not exceed what you would eat in three larger meals. The best rule is, fill up of your plate with leafy veggies for fiber load.

5. Keep Track and Take Control - begin a journal. Start today. It is one of the most powerful ways to teach you more about you than any book or course you take. And the best part is, you can keep it simple - just enough to keep you aware of what you’re eating. The basics of a journal entry should record what and how much you eat and drink for at least 5 day (try to include a weekend day), how you felt at the time (stress and boredom are common causes of mindless eating) and the kinds of snacks (extras) you had. By reviewing your journal, you can identify your eating patterns, and promote fat loss by controlling your portion sizes.

Remember, stick to the guidelines and make it a point to make small changes to your life daily. All the small changes you make over time will have a lasting impact on your health and weight. This is how to lose 50 pounds in 6 months and stay healthy.

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Boost Your Metabolism

August 26, 2008 · Filed Under weight loss · Comment 
by Ray Lam

Many dieters give up dieting because they get too tired. It’s impossible to deal with all the demands on your life if you’re exhausted all the time. The major reason you’re exhausted is because your metabolism has slowed, because you’re not taking in sufficient calories. One of the secrets to losing weight - and keeping it off forever - is to eat with your metabolism in mind. You can boost your metabolism very easily. Then not only will you lose weight, but you’ll have loads of energy and you’ll feel great.

First you should never take any pills that claim to accelerate your metabolism as these have proven side effects which can cause permanent damage to your metabolism if taken for an extended period of time. As for exercising this is only a temporary solution as the effects will wear off within a few hours. So unless you are interested in constantly running around to keep your heart rate up and your metabolism burning calories you may want to consider the alternative. Eating the right foods and eating them at the right time is the best way to constantly keep your metabolism running at a higher rate and thus constantly burning calories.

Eat breakfast, a snack, lunch, a snack, dinner and followed by a snack an hour before going to bed. Constantly having food in your system does not allow your metabolism to slow down.

Did you know that if you go for a 20-minute walk, it will boost your metabolism for 24 hours? You should also lift some weights to increase your muscle-mass, because your muscles burn calories. There’s no need to go to the gym and become a bodybuilder. Just get some small weights, and lift them while you watch TV.

While some low fat foods are good, make sure you don’t fall for the “LOW FAT” labels some companies put on their products. You need calories to boost your metabolism, however, make sure they come from the “right” place, not from hamburgers, fries other unhealthy foods.

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Low Cost Liposuction

August 26, 2008 · Filed Under weight loss · 2 Comments 
by Linda A. Lithony

Cosmetic surgery can be very expensive. The liposuction costs can easily add up to several thousand Dollars although the surgery just takes an hour or two to be completed. Cosmetic surgery is not paid by your normal health insurance so if you look for financing solutions you may contact one of these private companies that are specialized in funding cosmetic surgeries.

Financing makes it possible to get the desired fat removal surgery. But how big are the liposuction costs really? The cost for liposuction depend on different factors. In fact, an excellent liposuction performed on more than one area of your body could be ten thousand Dollars or more.

The larger the area for fat removal the larger the costs. But there are more factors. Cheaper areas are the arms or the back for example and it gets much more expensive when you look for a surgery on your breasts or stomach area. Combining different areas doesn’t save you money, it just increases the costs.

It also depends on the patient. How old is he or she, in what condition is the skin, how good is his or her health condition, have there been previous liposuctions performed, are there any scars or any other diseases etc.

The next factor which has big influence on the liposuction costs is the cosmetic surgeon himself. The more experience he has the more expensive he is. You also pay for the location. A New York liposuction will cost you more than a liposuction in a less expensive area simply because the costs for the surgeon are lower.

Modern equipment has also its price. If you want a laser liposuction with the latest equipment you must pay more. Here it clearly pays to spend more to get better results.

What is the price for looking better, younger or healthier? Many would pay any price but you can save money on a liposuction when you know all these factors and are willing to spend a little time in research. The best way to save some money is to get the surgery in a less expensive city. There you can still get a top surgeon but pay less.

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Healthy Eating in the USA

August 26, 2008 · Filed Under fitness · Comment 
by Sara Mendez

This generation will forever be known as the XXL generation. However, the American public wants the next generation to be different and they are prepared to do something about it. Almost every restaurant is now offering healthy options and disclosing their top secret nutritional information. Public schools are replacing soda machines and recreating the cafeteria food. Positive attitudes toward exercise with multiple health benefits are being implemented at gyms. Organic foods and local markets are also giving big chains a run for their money. It is time for America to fight obesity on person at a time.

American’s like to eat out but eating out does not have to mean sacrificing your health or diet. Wendy’s and Subway were some of the first fast food restaurants to offer healthy substitutions for children and adults. At Wendy’s a salad can replace fries for no extra charge. For a kid’s meal, parents can order their children a fruit cup and milk instead of fries and a soda. Subway also has raisins and apples in place of chips. Another chain is seeing their competitors success and making a change! Fatburger recently changed from vegetable oil to soy bean oil to fry their foods therefore reducing the amount of trans fat being served. Fatburger will also start using the leanest beef possible in all of their burgers and they are now offering a Boca patty (soy based meatless patty) substitute for all their burgers according to prleap.com. Even sit down restaurants such as Applebee’s are jumping on the band wagon by offering Weight Watcher friendly menu items.

In years past eating out meant not knowing how many calories or servings you were eating. There was a lot of guess work involved. But after America demanded to be informed, restaurants and chains relented. Now the nutritional information can be found anywhere from their internet websites, pamphlets in the place, or on the actual container such as McDonald’s fries carton. There is no more guess work to be done, consumers know exactly what they are eating, no more mystery meat!

The public is not stopping there, they also pushed for healthy reform in America’s schools. During the 2006-2007 school year, every district in America had a goal to obtain. This goal was to implement a better nutrition and increase activity levels according to aappolicy.org, and nearly every school accomplished this. Soda machines, snack machine and pizza are gone in every American school. They have been replaced by water, granola and a salad bar. Kids can no longer sell junk food for clubs during school hours and all the cafeterias are required to serve balanced meals.

Organic is the new black. In the last ten years, local farmers have more than doubled. Organic products appeals to the new health conscious America on many levels. Consumers want to know where their food is coming form and if it has been chemically treated. When buying food from local farmers, it gives the consumer control and they can find out where the food has come from and what it has been exposed to.

Eating right is only one way to be healthy, the public wants more! They want more exercise! People are making an effort to get out and exercise at least three days per week. According to WebMD.com, some of the most popular exercises are yoga, core work and martial art based exercises such as Tai Chi. All of these exercises have multi-fold benefits such as stress relief, flexibility training and toning all built in. A new trend in exercises is also emerging, in 2008 WebMd.com reports America will likely see an increased amount of training, education and certification for all exercise providers and trainers. This is due largely to the rising health kick.

Flexitarianism is a new “diet” which is quickly on the rise with many Americans according to CNN.com. Dietitians are defining these dieters as those who eat mainly fruits and vegetables but also eat protein but only three days per week such as chicken, lean beef and fish. The other four days a week they eat meatless meals. It is a diet which is low in saturated fat and high in fiber. Those who follow this diet have lower risk of stroke, diabetes, and heart attack.

America is ready to make a stand. Obesity causes stress for individual families, the pubic and healthcare providers. Of course there will be those out there who love eating their greasy pizzas and triple Whoppers. But for those who do not want to gain hundreds of pounds, there are now options. People are now given the choice when the once did not have one and America responded and healthy living is taking over.

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Elliptical Machines

August 26, 2008 · Filed Under fitness · Comment 
by Ray Lam

Elliptical exercise machines, also popularly known as elliptical trainers, first made a splash in the world of fitness as a staple on the gym scene in the mid-nineties. Elliptical exercise equipment was available in upscale sport and health clubs. Personal trainers, researchers, and surgeons have long hailed the health benefits associated with ellipticals. Elliptical trainers enjoy a substantial following among athletes. The non-impact feature of Elliptical exercise machines is a top selling point to users with recent injuries, chronic knee problems, and the overweight. Older people are also frequent Elliptical consumers.

The elliptical machine also is a great exercise machine for cross training. You can have a variety of workouts with an elliptical without sitting on a exercise bike are running in place on a treadmill for hours.

The elliptical machine is easy to use and as mentioned offers low impact on joints such as ankles and knees. They normally take a beating in exercises such as running or using a treadmill. The user places her or his feet in the foot pedals and simulates walking, running, or climbing in continuous fluid movements.

The machine offers varying amounts of resistance for the different exercises. The exact amount of the resistance used is adjustable and up to the individual exerciser. Elliptical machines have surpassed the popularity of the treadmill for home exercise as more and more people opt for the many benefits they offer.

Elliptical machines are not cheap. The better built machines that will last for years will set you back almost a thousand dollars. Consider what they offer for the money spent though - a one piece gym that you can use in the privacy of your own home. You will never have to worry about exercising in inclement weather or going to the gym again.

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7 Exercises NOT To Do If You Want to Lose Belly Fat

August 26, 2008 · Filed Under abs · Comment 
by John Wiley

There are exercises — and then there are EFFECTIVE exercises. The two are not the same thing. Some exercises can actually be detrimental to burning belly flab.

If you want flat abs, then here are the 7 exercises you want to make sure to avoid:

1. Lying straight-legged leg raises (first 45 degrees off of floor, one leg at a time or both at the same time) 2. Hanging leg raises with an arched back 3. Sit-ups with the feet supported 4. Straight legged sit-ups 5. ANY machine-based ab exercise 6. ANY machine-based twisting exercise 7. Torso twists

Remember that the point here is to BURN the belly fat and DEVELOP the abdominal muscles. You aren’t working on your arms, your legs or your neck. Exercises need to target the abs and the supporting areas of your body, like your core.

These are the bad exercises that you need to avoid if you ultimate goal is to finally have great abs.

1. Lying straight-legged leg raises: An excellent exercise — but NOT for your abs. The lying straight-legged leg raises are great for exercising the LOWER abdomen… but not the classic six-pack abs are. Sure, any exercise is a better than no exercise, but you’re wasting your workout time on lying straight-legged leg raises if your goal is to develop your abs.

2. Leg raises with an arched back: Hanging leg raises with an arched back is not only bad for your abs it’s actually a bad exercise overall.

3. Sit-ups with the feet supported: Doing sit-ups with no support below your legs or feet is a great ab exercise, but the minute you put support below your feet, the entire exercise becomes useless.

4. Straight legged sit ups: When the legs are kept straight out during sit ups, the muscles that are being used are in the back and lower abdomen… not the abs!

5. Any machine based ab exercise: No machine is going to build your abs. Great abs are earned the hard way. Get over it and pass on the machines.

6. Any machine based twisting exercise: Twisting doesn’t work the abs. Twisting exercises are good exercises to reduce the size of the waist, but that’s all they do.

7. Torso Twists:Twisting will not work the abs or help burn belly fat.

Your exercise sessions should be working FOR you. If your goal is to burn belly fat and build a six pack abs, you have to make sure you get the most out of every minute if your exercise program.

Doing exercises that are not designed to develop your abs is simply a waste of your time and energy, plain and simple.

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3 Exercises To Strengthen Your Core And Obtain Killer Abs

August 25, 2008 · Filed Under abs · Comment 
by Michael Jans

Rock solid Abs are a distinctive mark of sexiness in a man’s body. So if you don’t have abs you can kiss your social life goodbye.

Six pack abs are not so easy to achieve. You must get them the old fashioned way and can’t rely on machines to do it for you. you need to earn them and core training is the starting point.

You need to check with your doctor, if you have any problem with your lower back. These exercises strengthen your core, which form the foundation for your future abs.

The three exercises are:

1. The Plank 2. The Side Plank 3. The Superman

1. The Plank

Get into a pushup position. It’s important to have your body absolutely straight. Support your upper body by putting your forearms on the floor.

Keep your body in straight line. Make sure you don’t lift up your butt, drop your head, or arch your back because these things can make these exercises easier and less effective. When you are in position, hold for 30-60 seconds or as long as you can.

We will now make this exercise harder for more effectiveness. Lift and hold one foot a few inches higher from the ground while doing this exercise. Uneven load on the core makes the plank tougher and hence more effective.

2. The Side Plank

If you thought the plank was tough, wait until you try the Side Plank! Lie down on one side. Now brace your forearm on the floor and lift your hips off of the floor. The only parts of your body touching the floor should be your forearm and your feet.

It is important that your body is straight. When you are in position hold your position for 15-30 seconds.

To benefit the most from this exercise you need to make it harder. Lift the top foot while you are still in that position. It might surprise you how tough this exercise is but its equally effective in strengthening the core.

3. The Superman

You’ve seen superman fly, right? SO lie down on the floor on your belly and stretch your arms out in front of you. Spread your arms so that they make a “V? with your head.

Now keeping your legs together, raise them off of the floor. Be sure to get your knees up OFF the floor! Hold the position for 30 to 60 seconds or as long as you can.

These three exercises are like the foundation for building up killer abs. Instead of wimpy ab machines, these exercises are an effective way to start.

“The dictionary is the only place where ‘results’ comes before ‘work’.” Rightly said by Vince Lombard. Getting a flat abs with out the proper foundation will yield no results at all.

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