Saturday, July 23, 2011

Eat Out To Lose Weight With A Restaurant Calorie Counter

A restaurant calorie counter can be a dieter’s best friend. Losing weight isn’t easy, so you need to take steps to make it as easy as possible on yourself. One way to do this is to not limit yourself to just bland home meals and a life where you never eat out for fear of not being able to maintain your diet the way you want to. With a restaurant calorie counter, you won’t have to.

There’s no doubt that losing weight is difficult. The rate of obesity is soaring and it’s not because people are trying to gain weight, sumo wrestlers excepted. In general, more than 95 percent of people who do manage to lose weight won’t be able to keep it off. Many people manage to gain and lose hundreds of pounds over their lifetime. When something is this difficult, you need to take every step you can to make it as easy as possible.

This includes eating out, or grabbing things on the fly, which is where a restaurant calorie counter comes in handy. We’d all like to be able to be able to do up our food at home, eat perfectly all day and come back to prepare a nutritionally flawless means for dinner, all with a smile on your face.

But in reality, this doesn’t happen. People sleep late, work late, and sometimes the boss wants you to have lunch with him. It’s a rare person who can get by without buying their food already prepared at some point. Unless your eating out is going to consist of glasses of water, you’re going to need a restaurant calorie counter.

A restaurant calorie counter is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It’s a guide to the calories and nutrient contents of things you find in restaurants. Generally, these will be available for all chain type restaurants, fast food and otherwise, but a very good restaurant calorie counter will also have very famous restaurants, and it is possible to get copies that have local information, as well.

The local restaurants are actually a flaw in using a restaurant calorie counter; even those that have restaurants are forced to estimate. This isn’t necessarily a huge problem, but bear in mind that if you’re eating at Uncle Joe’s Wings and Things you’re going to have to estimate.

A good way to do this, if you’re eating in a place where you’re going to be eating a lot but the place isn’t listed in your restaurant calorie counter, is to get your favorites as take out. Once you have them, measure them and then find something in the counter that’s pretty close and work out how many calories are in each one.

Either way, a restaurant calorie counter can be key to your weight loss success, regardless of the type of diet you’re on. If you’re using a controlled calorie plan, then you can easily look up the calorie count and adjust. Or you can choose dishes with the right amount of fat or carbs for your plan. Every diet is easier with a restaurant calorie counter.


Friday, July 15, 2011

The Truth About The Subway Diet


So you want to get rid of a few unsightly pounds. Maybe you’ve even tried some of the traditional diets out there and they just don’t work. Maybe it’s because you don’t have the time to cook your own healthy meals, let alone time to weigh and measure ingredients and count calories.

Maybe your weight gain is due to the fact that you eat most of your meals either at work or on the go. If this describes you, then you may want to consider a diet that is considered non-traditional but certainly has worked for many people, including the man who invented it. Maybe the Subway diet would be right for you.

Before getting into what the Subway diet is, it is best to understand more about the creator of this diet, Jared Fogle. Jared Fogle around 1997 decided that he needed to lose weight. He weighed approximately 430 pounds, and was consuming approximately 10,000 calories per day.

It was when his roommate in college a pre-med student correctly diagnosed Jared with sleep apnea and edema. Jared went to the hospital for some tests. His father, a physician, told Jared the sobering news that if he continued on like this, he would most probably not live past 35.

Jared decided he was going to go on the Subway diet. Subway was his favorite place to eat, so he figured he wouldn’t really be sacrificing a lot. Every day for lunch he would have a 6 inch turkey sandwich and every night he would eat a 12 inch veggie sub. Within the span of 3 months, Jared lost 100 pounds.

Spurred by this success, he then started to walk everywhere. Instead of taking an elevator he would take stairs. The exercise, combined with eating the low fat low calorie Subway sandwiches, helped Jared to eventually lose 240 pounds. Jared now weighs 190 pounds. Eventually, Subway found out about him, and paid him to be their spokesperson.

1. So why exactly does the Subway diet work?

The subway diet worked for Jared and anyone else who goes on it, because of two factors: Portion control and caloric intake. If you stick with the subs that are low fat and are low calorie and avoid mayo, cheese, and oils, you are limiting the amount of fats and calories that you consume.

By sticking with a 6 inch and a 12 inch sandwich you are controlling how much you eat. Jared also walked a lot. Therefore, he was not only limiting how much he ate, his fat and caloric intake, but was exercising on top of it.

2. Was it strictly the Subway food?

Yes and no. Subway offers many healthier types of foods than most other fast food restaurants. It wasn’t specifically the Subway food; it was as mentioned above, the fact that Jared was not consuming high calorie, high fat foods. He was exercising regularly.

You could do what Jared did with just about any fast food restaurant. You just have to pick foods that are low fat and low calorie. Most fast food restaurants have their nutrition information available upon request.

3. Is the Subway diet right for me?

You should always consult a doctor before you begin any type of weight loss or exercise plan. It is suggested that if you decide to do the Subway diet that you include more vegetables and fruits into your diet. Jared skipped breakfast. This was a mistake. He could have easily prepared a low fat, low calorie, breakfast which included fruits. For example, a low fat fruit smoothie is a good option.

If you do eat on the go or a lot of fast food and you talk about it with your doctor then the Subway diet may be right for you. Though Subway offers more healthy choices, you don’t have to stick strictly with Subway. You just have to find the low fat, low calorie foods in other fast food restaurants. Be sure to get plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables too.


Saturday, July 2, 2011

It Is Important To Know How To Use Elliptical Machines Properly


Using elliptical machines, such as the2 in 1 Elliptical Cross Trainer & Exercise Bike, are very beneficial if you know how to use them. I know it is Often the easiest to just use the equipment rather than getting to know a little bit about them. Knowing how they work can help you use them properly and get the most out of your workout. By not knowing your elliptical machine you stand the danger of injuries and wasting your time.

Elliptical machines were designed to hit all of those target areas that so many people are struggling to keep in good enough shape, but because of the improper training and usage of these elliptical machines, many people simply give up too quickly with the resultant waste of money. Your training routine should not only consist of using the elliptical machines, you should also consider changing your diet, dramatically if you are living off of junk foods and fast food restaurants. You are the only one who can truly make a difference as to how you feel about your body weight, it is up to you, so decide to work harder from now on.

By working hard on making some changes within your life, to change the way that you look and feel, the benefits will definitely start happening, and once you begin seeing those first signs or results, you will be very satisfied with the results, there is for sure no doubt about that. The elliptical machines can be used as often as you like, but normally people who are beginners with any type of exercise program, would only need to do it for about 30-45 minutes, three or four days a week. That small amount of time out of your busy schedule can make all the difference in the world, when it comes to looking and feeling 100% better about yourself and your new and improved healthier lifestyle.

Aging is something that none of us can avoid, but did you know that eating healthy and exercising can help with slowing down the aging process? By doing healthier things within your life, you are adding healthier years to your life, as well as improving all other aspects of your overall health and wellness. By using the elliptical machines and keeping your heart rate up to its maximum during your workout, you are making unimaginable improvements that can lengthen your life tremendously.

Anything positive that you can do, whether it is training on elliptical machines or quitting smoking will help and it is never too late to start a new and improved lifestyle. These changes will last you a lifetime, believe me when I say that. All of the people who care about you, truly want you to be happier and healthier so that they can enjoy having you around for many years to come. So, it is never too late to choose a healthier lifestyle, but it does get more difficult as we grow older, so think about this while you are still young.