Posts by Craig Ballantyne
Have Fun, Lose Fat
On Sunday morning, I was reviewing my daily motivational quotes when I stumbled across this one: “Enjoy life. Treat it as an adventure. Care passionately about the outcome, but keep it in perspective. Things are seldom as bleak as they seem when they are going wrong – or as good as they seem when they are going well. Lighten up. You’ll live longer.”
Read MoreA Harsh Truth About Nutrition
For one reason (kids) or another (spouse), they have junk food in the house, tempting them every day. And, in fact, snacking on that junk food – often between the end of work and dinnertime – is what prevents many people from losing weight. It can even cause them to gain more weight.
Read MoreSay Goodbye to Exercise-Induced Muscle Soreness
The next time you do a workout, do only one set per exercise (rather than the three sets most workouts call for) – and don’t worry, you’ll still get most of the fat-burning, muscle-building, strength-boosting benefits of a regular full workout. The week after that, add another set and do two sets per exercise. Finally, in the third week, you’ll be ready to do a full three sets of each exercise.
Read MoreThe #1 Way to Stick To Your Diet
There’s a popular new “social networking” website: Twitter.com. At first glance, it looks as dumb as it sounds. But after spending some time on it, I realized it could help my clients stay accountable to others – and that’s key when it comes to sticking to a diet. Because if you promise others that you are going to lose weight, and you promise to report the contents of every meal, you’ll think twice about cheating on your diet.
Read MoreHow Often Should You Weigh Yourself?
I know you hate to look at the scale. Some trainers even suggest throwing the thing out. But the truth is, keeping an eye on your weight can help you meet your weight-loss goals.
Read MoreHow to Help Your Spouse Lose Weight
Researchers from Connecticut, Rhode Island, Ohio, Arkansas, and Pennsylvania teamed up to see if a weight-loss program delivered to one spouse could be “taken home” and have beneficial effects for the untreated spouse as well.
Read MoreWhy You Should Avoid the Elliptical Machine
Elliptical machines are often the only option for people with bad knees. But if your knees are healthy, think twice before using them – for two reasons.
Read MoreMore Proof That Carbs Are Deadly for Your Weight
In the latest study, from the journal Nutrition and Metabolism, 50 overweight adults were put into one of two groups. One group was given a moderate-carbohydrate, moderate-protein diet, and the other group was given a high-carbohydrate diet. Both groups ate 500 calories less than they needed to maintain their weight.
Read MoreCan You Walk for 3 Minutes?
Well, now researchers from the UK have found that shorter bouts of brisk walking reduce postprandial plasma triacylglycerol (the level of fat in your blood after you eat) and resting blood pressure in healthy young men. And this will probably work even better for out of shape folks who have a few extra years – and inches – under their belts.
Read MoreThe Surprising Truth About Those Late-Night Infomercial Gadgets
Ten young men and 12 young women did all the exercises. And the researchers found that the Ab-Slide worked the abs the hardest. On the other hand, the seated knee tuck-ins required a lot of hip flexion, and they believed it could cause problems in people prone to low-back injury.
Read More3 Reasons to Eat Breakfast
Some experts say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it “boosts your metabolism.” I’m not one of those people. But I do believe you should eat breakfast.
Read MoreHow to Maintain Your Weight
While losing weight is hard, not enough attention is given to the equally difficult process of maintaining weight loss. And what most people don’t realize is that the method you use to lose weight helps determine how difficult weight maintenance will be.
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