Bike Riding for Weight Loss - Tips for Beginning A Bicycling Plan

If you are one of those people who leisurely pedal around the block or over a flat stretch of scenic road, youve probably been riding for sheer pleasure. Riding bikes for pleasure is a good form of aerobic exercise. But unless you map out a plan to push yourself, you probably wont lose much weight.

I really get sick of hearing people say, No pain, no gain! But the old adage is true when it comes to riding bikes to lose weight. By pushing your cycling distance or speed, you are sure to feel some pain in your leg muscles, your hands, wrists, and your derriere-- even some pain in your throat and lungs as your body tries to accommodate your increased demand for oxygen.

HEALTH TIP: Stretching exercises prior to exercising are helpful in preventing injury!

GETTING YOUR BICYCLE READY...TO ROLL OFF THE WEIGHT

Your first concern will be outfitting your bicycle. If you need an excuse to purchase a new bike, this is an excellent opportunity! I went from a 3-speed bicycle for leisure riding, to a 24-speed bicycle for more committed exercising. Once I learned how the different gears worked, I was very thankful for the extra speeds. They make my ride faster and the hills a lot easier to handle.

Weve found the guys at the bicycle shop to be very helpful, and concerned for our unique cycling needs. Rather than simply steering us toward the most expensive bicycle available (as I had expected), they asked how much riding we would be doing, whether we were trying for speed or leisure, and whether we would be riding on paved roads or dirt trails. When you honestly share your goals and level of experience, the sales clerks can match you with exactly what you need. They want you to be successful in your biking venture!

Some state laws require bicycle lights. But if you will be riding anytime from dusk to dawn, common sense demands that you have lights on your bicycle. These little accessories are battery-operated and last a long time. There are a variety of lights to choose from. My tail light has different blinking speeds, and is designed to make my bike visible to cars approaching from both the rear and the sides. Check for brightness before you buy one. Install the light where it makes the most sense.

We held off on buying a speedometer and odometer unit for our bikes, but once we got serious about losing weight and getting in shape, this feature became a must have. You simply cannot track your progress without knowing how far and how fast youre riding.

If you already have a bicycle, take it to the bike shop for a safety inspection each season. They should check the gears, tires and brakes to make sure everything is working properly. They can adjust your seat to fit your height and adjust the handlebars to fit your reach, making your ride more comfortable. If youre lucky, they might even clean and polish your bike!

If you want to save money in the long run, you can find books and videos that teach you how to care for your own bicycle. Its always a great idea to know how to change your own flat tire and adjust a loose chain.

Another must have is a bicycle pump. Ask your bike dealer how many pounds of air pressure to put in your bicycle tires. Check the tires each time you get ready to ride! We guessed at the air pressure one summer day, and lived to regret it. We rode the bikes to the swimming pool, not realizing that one tire was too full. While we were cooling off in the water, the hot sun was rapidly expanding the air in the tiresone tire blew as it sat in the parking lot. The day in the sun was not so fun, once the pool closed and we had to wait for a truck to haul us home!

HEALTH TIP: Talk with your doctor first, and get his or her blessing before you increase your rate of physical activity!

STAYING COMFORTABLE ON YOUR BIKE

Sitting for long periods of time on a bicycle seat can cause pain, discomfort, and even serious blood circulation problems in avid bicyclists. At your local bike shop, youll find a variety of bicycle seats made specifically for your comfort and health. The salespeople at our local bike shop encouraged us to try out new seats on our bikes for a few days. My husband found the split seat to be more comfortable for himself, while I opted to keep my old gel seat. Someone has even invented seats that look more like a bird perch than a bicycle seat!

HEALTH TIP: Get off your bicycle seat and walk around every 25 minutes or so to get the blood flow to important unmentionable parts of your body.

Think about your clothing...you dont have to have padded biker shorts and special clothing to start riding bikes. There are actually scientifically engineered fabrics designed to pull sweat away from your body in the summer and to keep you from getting hypothermia in the winter. But for now, just wear layers of comfortable sports clothes.

Make sure your clothes arent so tight that you are miserable trying to pedal. But they shouldnt be loose enough to become entangled in the bicycle chain, either! If you become overheated, strip off a layer. If you get cold, add a layer. Wear light or bright colors to allow drivers to see you easily.

It really helps to have a small cargo rack on the back of your bike. Mine looks like a little shelf over the back tire. It has two bungee cords to keep any cargo securely fastened to the bike. Ive used it to tote a small picnic cooler, a shopping bag or extra clothes.

I had the bike shop attach a water bottle holder to the bike under my seat. I can grab a quick swig as I ride or pour some water over my pulse points to cool off a bit. Take small sips of water when needed during your bike ride, rather than chugging huge gulps.

A helmet is almost a must. Life is filled with hazardsand biking has its share. Be smart. Wear a helmet. You can buy a cool rear-view mirror for your helmet. The mirror helps you see when its safe to turn and lets you observe traffic coming up from behind.

I recommend wearing sunglassesboth for the sun and for bugs! At certain times of the year, the air is thick with flying insects. Getting a tiny bug in your eye is a painful event. For contact wearers, carry a contact case and lens cleaner on bike rides for just that reason. Some day youll be glad you did!

HEALTH TIP: Shake your hands downward frequently to get the blood flowing and to prevent pain or numbness in your arms and hands.

MAPPING OUT A WEIGHT LOSS PLAN

You will want to keep a record of your daily diet and food intake, your weekly body measurements and weight, as well as your bicycling miles and time.

The web site www.OpenFitness.net is an excellent way to track your progress. It is very easy to usesimply type in your information you wish to track. As the only community fitness web site of its kind, youll find it to be a fantastic motivation tool that will print out charts and graphs to show how much progress youve made in a few days, a week, or a month!

It keeps track of your food, vitamin, and supplement intake. Thousands of foods have already been analyzed by experts for number of calories, fat, carbs, and protein. You simply select the foods you ate from a pull down feature, and the daily total is tallied for you. Make sure you dont exercise when youve just eaten, or when its almost meal time. Both times will slow you down.

No matter how humiliating it is, measure your arms, legs, chest, waist, neck, hips and thighs once a week. The software keeps track of your weight and body measurements. The thrill of seeing those same inches melt away in the coming weeks will be worth the effort. Its especially impressive seen as a graph!

Consider investing in an instrument that actually measures body fatthere are inexpensive pincer-type instruments that measure fat by pinching you, or buy a set of bathroom scales that cost more but calculate body fat quite painlessly.

Try to ride 4-6 days per week. When you map out your weight loss plan, your short-term goals will change as you change. Youll quickly develop stamina for longer distance. As fat turns to muscle, your speed will increase. Each week, try to increase either your mileage or your speed.

You know how far youve been able to ride, thus far. Start keeping track of the exact route you are taking, the total mileage, and the length of time it took you. Make notes in your records for special circumstances. Did it get dark outside so you were forced to cut your ride short? Did the road crews dump a layer of gravel on your normally paved road?

What was the weather like? Was it dangerously hot? Was it windy? The wind can be your friend or your enemy. When the wind is behind you, your ride is a breeze...but coming from any other direction, be prepared to huff and puff. Accept any length of time as a job well done and simply get the ride accomplished!

Finally, add an upper body workout three times per week. Bicycling works your legs, but to get the rest of your body firm and trim, youll need to exercise your upper body, as well. The www.openfitness.net web site, created by a certified personal fitness trainer, has excellent features which allow you to design and track this portion of your fitness program, as well.

Bicycle riding is a fun, inexpensive form of aerobic exerciseits good for every part of you. But be warnedyou will need to buy a whole new wardrobe for the thinner, more beautifully fit body that emerges!

Sharyl Calhoun

See our 9 Day Cleansing & Fat Burning Program page at http://www.fastandnaturalweightlossprogram.com

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- The teen years can be difficult for parents and their children, who are undergoing countless physical and emotional changes.

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A Desire For Change Equals Weight Loss

Overweight people usually die prematurely. They just don't live as long as someone who maintains a healthy body weight. Overweight people die from weight related conditions and diseases. Usually your quality of life diminishes as your weight increases.

In order for a person to make changes in their lives the changes must be important to them .The desire to change is important to us for a variety of reasons. Some people will want to change to improve their quality of life. Some so they will live longer. Think about a good reason for you. Maybe you would like to be alive long enough to meet your great grandchildren. Perhaps to look good again for your spouse or significant other. There are a million reasons to change. It just has to be important for you to make it happen.

If you feel that you may be over weight you need to use a BMI calculator. You can find one on the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services web site. A quick link to the calculator is http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/. This calculator uses a formula that will give you an answer based on your height and current weight. If your BMI is 25 or over you are overweight and at risk for a number of weight related maladies including premature death. Some of these include diabetes and heart disorders. Others are joint problems, resulting from carrying around to much weight. Even sleep apnea can be brought on by an unhealthy weight.

In order for you to lose weight you need to set some fairly easily obtainable goals. Say you set a short term goal to reduce your body weight by 5%. A very realistic short term goal that should be easily met with a minimum of effort. A 200 pound person would only need to lose 10 lbs to attain this goal. Congratulations you have met your first weight loss goal. Then set another realistic goal. Say another 5%, no problem you already did it once. By doing a weight loss plan like this we are not overwhelmed by the problem. Instead we see ourselves making progress and that gets us excited because we see that we can really do it.

There are literally hundreds of weight loss plans available to help you attain your goal. You will need to do a little research and decide which one would be best for your circumstances. Answer these questions and you will already have started to realize your goals. Are you healthy enough to try one that promises fast weight loss? Do you need one that will take the weight off slowly? Do you need one that includes ready to eat meals? Do you need one that is in e-book or book form? Do you need a doctor or health care professional to guide you? I have found a wealth of information and links to all of the time tested and revolutionary new approaches to weight loss at http://FreeFromFatDiet.com. You can find almost any diet plan information there with plenty of advice and food for thought. I wish you the best in your quest to make change happen in your life.

Allen http://freefromfatdiet.com

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Simple Key To Effective Weight Loss

Weight loss is considered by many as a daunting, complicated and endless struggling journey. The media puts out so much rubbish among the useful stuff that it becomes a gamble on which program or advice to choose from. Well the good news is that it can actually be quite simple if you just follow some universal weight loss principles.

The first thing to remember is energy in vs energy out. What does that mean? Well it simply means that because all unused energy is stored mainly as bodyfat, you need to consume less energy than is going out for weight loss to occur. Simply put, if you consume 2000 calories in a day then you must use at least 2001 calories for any weight loss to occur. Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on a minute, how the hell do I know how many calories I am using? You dont really need to measure calories you just need to gain some general knowledge of approximately how many calories are in certain foods and the general amount burned in a particular mode of exercise. Dont go too nuts with this, if you do a little bit of research then you will be able to judge around about whats appropriate.

The next thing to remember is that muscles need energy to survive so the more of it or even the denser it is, the more calories it will use just to survive. This means that you can burn more fat even at rest. Dont be alarmed, especially the women, you dont need to become bulky and buff just to burn more fat. All that is needed is a little extra muscle tone and maybe a bit extra muscle mass in some areas, this will not compromise a slim, slender look.

You also need to consider the intensity and duration of exercise. I wont go into too much detail here as it that is for a later discussion.

For further fitness advice and personal development resources visit my site at www.endlesshumanpotential.com and don't forget to sign up for the free newsletter. Until next time, live with passion!

My name is Chris Lyons, I am a qualified, registered and experienced fitness professional, human behaviour expert and personal development coach from Australia. I created a site called Endless Human Potential, which is part of my plan to implement simple but effective principles into the lives of those who want more from their lives and also for those who want a results oriented, premium service. I am 24 years old and have been in the fitness industry since age 19 and have a passion or even an obsession with helping people become super fit, super healthy and achieve their ultimate potential in every area of their life. I have developed a programme that aims at balancing every aspect of life and live by your values and get what you really want. You can visit the Endless Human Potential website here: http://www.endlesshumanpotential.com

AP - In another food scare sure to rattle consumers who watched the national salmonella outbreak in peanuts unfold, federal food officials are now warning people not to eat any food containing pistachios, which could carry contamination from the same bacteria.

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Can't Lose Weight? Get the Right Diet For You

Anyone can lose weight if they really want to; the problem is usually motivation, or cravings.

As you probably know, the weight loss industry is massive and unfortunately what goes along with that are the thousands of weight loss websites with used car salesman talk telling you how easy it is to lose weight with their plan, and why theirs is better than everyone else's.

It is most certainly a buyers market when it comes to weight loss products, but it's also a buyer beware market as well. As always, consumers are advised to use their due diligence when shopping on the internet for anything related to diet and weight loss. No one can promise you a miracle, if it sounds too good to be true, then it most likely is.

There are many reputable websites that offer various types of weight loss products, you just have to know where to find them. That's why a review or comparison site can be very helpful in narrowing down your range of choices. These sites can offer a basic rundown of what the site has to offer, and can give you an idea of who you are dealing with before you actually purchase any products from them.

To summarize, when shopping around for a diet plan please take the time to research what each company or product offers and as always, consult with your physician before beginning any new diet or workout program. What works for one person may not work for you.

For your convenience 5diets.info offers comparisons of diet plans featured by well established and reputable companies which offer the name diets, as well as pre-packaged meals.

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How to Lose 5 Pounds of Stomach Fat in 5 Days With This Weight Loss Plan

Being overweight expose you to a lot oh health risk such as heart diseases and diabetes. Therefore every time when it comes to a New Year, a lot of people will want to lose weight and set it as one of their New Year resolutions.

A lot of people who are excessively overweight tend to think that losing those pounds of stomach fat is not possible for them. But as long as you have a plan to achieve your goals, you will be able to achieve it sooner or later. What is important here is to know what are your long term goals and short term goals. By determining the duration of your goals, you will stand a higher chance to lose those pounds of stomach fat that have been with you for years.

Let me share with you some tips on how you can lose weight with proper planning and goal setting:

1. Setting realistic goals

When it comes to weight loss, most people set goals which are too ambitious. For example, if you are currently weighing 200 pounds and you set a short term plan to shed 100 pounds, this is not a realistic goal.

To lose weight effectively, you need to have a sensible weight loss plan that will guide you step by step to achieve your target weight.

2. Determining your objectives to lose weight

To succeed in doing something, you need to have a very compelling objective or reason so that you will not lose track of your goal. Losing weight just for vanity's sake is usually less helpful than losing weight to improve health.

Other than just exercising, you need to have a healthy diet so that you will have a better body and more energy to be positive throughout the day.

3. Focus on doing, not how much you are going to lose

By focusing on how many times you are going to exercise per week rather than setting how much pounds you going to lose per week, you will definitely be able to come out with a more effective weight loss plan.

As long as you have the discipline to attend all the exercise session that you have plan out per week, weight loss will come naturally.

4. Losing fat step by step

Let say if you have set a goal to lose 20 pounds after 1 month, you need to break down to how much pounds you are going to lose per week. Then plan out how many times you are going to exercise per week and what are the foods that you need to take to achieve your 1 week goal. By achieving weekly goals, you will definitely be able to achieve your final goal.

5. Having self-motivation

You need to always encourage yourself to achieve the goals that you have set. Learn to evaluate your efforts fairly and objectively. If you fail to achieve your target for the week, find out why is it so. Is it because you have missed a jogging session? Or you have been eating junk food for one of the days?

After evaluating, look ahead to next week and try your best to stick to your plan.

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Please feel free to republish this article on your website, or distribute it to your friends or clients, as long as you leave the resource box intact.

HealthDay - MONDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- Physical fitness programs in schools improve many aspects of children's health, but they don't appear to combat obesity, a new study in the Canadian medical publication CMAJ shows.

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Mind Your Weight Through Weight Loss Hypnosis

Advocates of hypnotism claim that hypnosis cannot make a person do what he doesn't want to but it can modify a person's behavior. When under hypnosis, a person can be more receptive to suggestion. This is basically the principle behind weight loss hypnosis. Companies that offer such services and products claim that their merchandise aid in weight loss by conditioning the mind to suppress cravings for unhealthy food such as those rich in sugar, fat and sodium. It can also strengthen the motivation of a person to exercise and to sustain the will to adhere to the program.

Weight loss hypnosis is generally within the realms of weight loss programs. Some people strictly keep to a regular exercise regimen, others limit their calorie intake, still others take dietary supplements and others opt to take hypnosis as a recourse. As much as there are healthy and unhealthy means of losing weight, a person must be wary in choosing the right method. Healthy weight loss happens gradually over time, not in an instant. If a person wants to lose pounds properly, patience, discipline and determination are still the basic elements required.

If a person decides on adhering to a hypnosis program, he must foremostly realize that it doesn't work like magic. It works on subliminally conditioning the mind to lose weight healthily. The program usually entails a combination of office therapy sessions and utilizing self-hypnosis CD's or tapes when the individual is on his own. The amount of time allotted for the sessions and the self-hypnosis varies according to the program being implemented. Hypnosis programs can be as tedious as any weight loss program as it requires the desire and the persistence to adhere to the whole process.

Some people connote hypnosis to magic thereby expecting these programs to work miracles. It must however be taken into consideration that the safety and effectivity of hypnosis need further scientific evidence. As with any trade, one must always be cautious of charlatans. There are bogus companies as well as there are counterfeit hypnotists. At its best, however, it can tap into your subconscious to instigate self-motivation and self-discipline. Therapy sessions are carried out in combination with tapes and CD's and there are other sources such as alternative reading stores wherein self-help, motivational and meditative tapes and CD's are available.

In most major cities, therapy sessions average about $30 each and are supplemented with the right tools. With a duration of 6 to 8 weeks at one session per week, weight loss hypnosis programs are facilitated with recordings to listen to nightly. As with any program, will power is the ultimate deciding factor and the same can be said with a hypnosis regimen. When deciding to take this method as a recourse for losing the desired pounds, commitment is also a major determinant for the program's success. Hypnosis has been shown to aid in weight loss efforts but further researches are looking for conclusive scientific evidence on the influence of hypnotism on successful weight loss.

In another perspective, it simply encourages an individual to be self-motivated to eat and live healthily to lose weight and it requires cooperation and personal effort on the part of the individual. In any endeavor, one can hardly expect to be successful by magic. The same can be said with losing weight. As much as it sounds alluring, weight loss hypnosis certainly doesn't mean that you will lose weight with the snap of your fingers.

The author of this article Rose Windale is a Health and Wellness Coach who has been successful with several natural health programs for many years. Rose decided to share her knowledge and tips through her website http://www.healthzine.org. You can sign up for her free newsletter and enjoy a healthy and happy life.

AP - Federal food safety officials warned Monday that consumers should stop eating all foods containing pistachios while they figure out the source of a possible salmonella contamination.

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How to Lose Weight Easier

Losing weight is so hard for so many people because most people go about losing weight the wrong way. They do the wrong exercises and they start the wrong diets. If you go about losing weight in the wrong way then it is going to be very difficult. But it doesn't have to be that way. There is an easier way.

Most people start diets which do more harm than good. They go on low calorie diets that starve their bodies and slow down their metabolism. Most people exercise wrong too, they spend hours on the treadmill but completely ignore strength training which is the key to boosting your metabolism over the long term.

The way to make losing weight easier is to shift your focus. Instead of choosing a diet which slows down your metabolism, choose one that boosts your metabolism. The best diet for a boosted metabolism is one that is not focused on eating a certain amount of calories, but instead one that is focused on eating the right foods ("Green Light Foods") and which includes a weekly "day off" from dieting. Yes you read that correctly. You will lose weight faster by taking a day off from dieting every week. Why is that? Because it keeps your metabolism from going into starvation mode with the regular "calorie spike."

And of course taking a "day off" from dieting every week makes losing weight a lot easier too! With this approach you can continue living your social life and you can satisfy the cravings that usually knock you off course with other diets.

You should also shift your exercise focus from cardio to strength training (yes I'm talking to both men and women right now.) Why? Because each pound of muscle you add to your body will burn an additional 50 calories a day even at rest. Please do not be concerned about getting "too muscular." This is an irrational fear that is keeping you from doing what you need to do: strength training. Women, please realize that it's impossible for you to become "too muscular" just from lifting a few weights. If you see yourself becoming "too muscular" (which I highly doubt) then you can just slow down (or stop) your strength training.

Combining this "day off" dieting approach with strength training is the best way to make weight loss both effective and easy.

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