Introduction

It was about a year ago that a friend pulled me into a 'Landmark Forum' to find the secret to living a fulfilled life. Three painful days later, I emerged as if a new man seemingly fortified with the knowledge by which one can live a happy life. And I have to admit that there was nothing much to discover as compared to the hype and fuss.

One aspect of the Landmark Forum emphasizes the extent to which people go to 'look good', meaning , put on a front.

Although, that observation was eye-opening, the fact that people will do anything to portray a sense of confidence from changing their appearance to the way they behave, reveals a degree of inauthenticity that is present in all of us. A quality that is here to stay…

A Case of Bigger ain't Better?

Yes, everyone wants to look fit… don't we? To create the right impressions… to look good… so what?

However not all reasons stem from the desire of 'looking good' but also from the direct correlation between the fat in your body and your level of physical fitness. Meaning to say, more fat means more risks of diseases and vice-versa…

Body Fat – Techniques & Formulas

Several recommendations have been made as to what the ideal body fat percentages should, and the values lie in a range anywhere between 2% to 24% for men and 10% to 31% for women. Values below and above the consecutive upper and lower limits are said to cause both physical and psychological issues in both men and women.

Yet one is for sure: you cannot determine the exact body weight of an individual, however there are techniques that are being to give us an accurate reading. And the ones we discuss here will start with the most unreliable ones to the best that is known to experts today.

1. Height-Weight Table

This method using someone's genius to tell what your ideal weight should be according to your height while also providing you with body frame sizes as well BUT it cannot tell you what your body fat percentage is. An unreliable weight to say the least!

2. Body Mass Index

This method employs both the calculation of you height and weight using the formula, BMI = Weight in kgs * Height ^ 2 (squared) in meters.

Note: You'll have to divide the weight in pounds by 2.2046 and then use the formula

The answer is then evaluated against a table that tells you whether your BMI is ideal or you face a health risk or not. Simple to use BUT it does not calculate body fat!

3.  Skinfold measurements

For this method, all you need are body fat calipers, and the right locations to use these calipers on, the results of which will calculate the accurate body fat percentage. Just remember to consult an experienced examiner while also choosing the right equation to calculate the body fat percentage!

4. Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis

This method uses body fat scales that can measure the body fat percentage accurately (better than the aforementioned calipers) not unless the equation used to program the scale is not right for you.

5. Hydrostatic weighing

Finally, the best of them all. Underwater weighing. Yes, based on the chap who ran naked and shouted 'Eureka' in understanding buoyancy, Archimedes himself! How it works is that the examiner measures your body density, by checking how much water you displace from the tank filled with water. After which, an equation is used to calculate body fat from the bone density value that has been found. However, it is not common to find such a unit anywhere and if that's not enough, is expensive too! But this is the best way to measure body fat…

In Closing

Perhaps just as Archimedes learned that the human body is buoyant, perhaps it isn't wrong to say that perhaps in life one must be able to both take the troughs and crests, rather buoyantly too! And as for Landmark… no Eurekas there!

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Walking — it's the first thing we learn to do after crawling. Factor in the amount of it we've done over the course of our lives since
then, and it's clear that we're more than warranted in considering ourselves experts. Professionals, even. We are the walking gurus, and
we have the extensive track record to prove it. With this being the case, why is it when it comes to walking as an exercise, so few people
do it? Probably because we do it all the time anyway, therefore it does little to stimulate our interest.

We are an easily bored species, one that needs almost constant change in some way, shape or form. This is likely the reason why so many
people prefer elaborate workouts to something as simple as placing one foot in front of the other for an extended period of time.

To help remedy the situation, you may want to try some of the following Boredom Busters:

1. Tune-Up: One of the best ways to liven-up a workout is to listen to music. Whether it's the Rocky IV soundtrack to get you all fired up,
some hip-hop, or whatever your preferred genre is, music will help keep your feet moving.

2. Intervals: Walking is a low-intensity cardio workout, but it doesn't always have to be. To burn extra calories, and to mix things up a bit
over the course of your stroll, try picking up the pace for a minute or so every now and again. By doing so, you can burn an extra 100 calories
or so over the course of a 30-minute workout.

3. VERY Short Term Goals: Of course it's important to have long-term goals (i.e. feel healthier, lower cholesterol, lose weight, etc.), a great
way to keep you motivated through your daily walk is to have an almost immediate goal in sight. By this I mean having a goal, or even a reward,
waiting for you at the end of your walk. It could be a landmark (such as a view from the top of a hill, or your arrival to a friend's house),
but could also be something such as a hot chick whose waiting for you at her apartment.

4. Make it a Family Affair: With quality time becoming harder and harder for the modern family to find, a great solution is to use that daily walk
to serve that purpose. Because you're only walking, you'll have plenty of wind left to have discussions about school, work, and any other
topic that would before be part of typical dinner table discussion. Plus, with childhood obesity rates on the rise, bringing the kids along
may benefit them, as well.

5. Get Creative: This could mean anything from taking a different route each day, to holding a set of very light dumbells in your hands while
you walk. Not only will changes of this kind prevent you from becoming bored, they will also ensure that your fitness results do not plateau
over time.

Let's face it, walking — even hundreds of miles per week — won't exactly jack you up.  But, it is a great way to burn some extra fat and calories,
which will help uncover your hard-earned muscle from those last layers of chub.

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This is a powerful and accurate demonstration of many people's relationship with food and themselves, brought to you by none other than Goofy himself.

He certainly was ahead of his time, considering this cartoon aired in 1951.

What do you think? Are you honest with yourself when assessing your body and weight, and do you feel your addiction to food is as strong as this?

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• This post seems to be one-of-a-kind!

Now, unless you have winged sandals like Roman god Mercury, increasing your stamina and speed in running is an ongoing process. Unlike the numerous 5-stepper programs which promise you increased vitality within weeks (rather characteristic of the twelve-step program in the AA format), the results obviously vary from participant to participant.

However, there are general running tips that do help regardless of whether you’re a beginner or have been running enthusiast for a while now.

So, take a look at the list of seven tips from preparation to after the training session that will contribute to your increasing your stamina and speed.

In Preparation
First Tip: Diet
It is best to run on an empty stomach, especially two to three hours after your last meal. Ensure that before you have a good high-protein breakfast and a light lunch but keep the carbohydrate-based food for after the run. In addition, drinking plenty of fluids will help you immensely. Just make sure that you keep it to sugar-free fluids 15 minutes before you start your running session.

Second Tip: Shoes and Clothes
Running Shoes are very important in order to prevent injury, so take professional help to find the right shoes that you feel comfortable in for running. No cotton socks, not unless you want blisters. Find socks designed specifically for running. As for clothes, wear whites and head-protection in summer, nylon wear to protect against wind and wet and in winter, wear thermal underwear along with cotton or wool shirts to protect you from the cold.

These tips might not seem much but if overlooked can slow you down from meeting your objective of increasing your stamina and speed, if not risk injury.

Get, Set, Go…
Tip Three: Breathing
In almost any form of exercise, breathing is a vital component in getting the results required. The difference between normal and belly breathing is that in the former your chest expands when you breathe in, but your abdomen (stomach) expands in the latter. It is considered to be a healthier and a better way to ingest oxygen (read: better performance in aerobic-related exercise such as running).

Here is one method to practice belly breathing:
1. Sit or lie comfortably, with loose garments.
2. Put one hand on your chest and one on your stomach.
3. Slowly inhale through your nose or through pursed lips (to slow down the intake of breath).
4. As you inhale, feel your stomach expand with your hand. If your chest expands, focus on breathing with your diaphragm.
5. Slowly exhale through pursed lips to regulate the release of air.
6. Rest and repeat.

Tip Four: High Intensity Interval Training
It has been medically proved that when you run alternatively in short bursts and then slow down in a simple ratio of 2:1 [meaning 2 minutes of slow running and 1 minute of sprinting alternatively] for about 15-30 minutes, you burn more calories (and lose more weight) as compared to running at a constant pace for 30 minutes or so.

An excellent way to build speed and stamina!

Tip Five: Hill/ Staircase Running
Another effective method is to run up stairs or up a hill (if there’s one around). In running up a set of stairs burns twice the amount of calories that you would burn normally. There are variations with this form of exercise as it can range from walking to running with weights above your shoulder.

This tip has worked for me!

After the Training Session
Tip Six: Maintaining a training diary
Progress always gives you motivation to accomplish greater levels of fitness. Emphasize on highlights of the workout by comparing your performance to previous training sessions. Also make an attempt to be as detailed while observing time, body response to specific workouts and other factors that indicate improvement.

Tip Seven: Rest
It is vital to rest so that your body can recover from the workout. Please don’t try to strain yourself as it could result in injury yet also remember to be creative in structuring your workouts so that you don’t get bored either. If during your running session, you are able to talk to yourself or a running partner, then that is the right level of exercise for your body. It is important to also constantly drink water or other fluids that contain electrolytes to maintain the water levels in the body as well.

In summary, these seven tips should help you steadily improve your speed and stamina if not overlooked, and carried out correctly. And more importantly, in wanting to achieve perfection… remember that the race to perfection has no finish line.

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Introduction
Anorexia is not necessarily a gender thing. Er… what I mean is that this desire to lose weight (and look thinner) is not necessarily restricted to women.

This was brought home in watching the movie ‘Seabiscuit’, with Tobey Maguire playing the role of a jockey. And man, they hardly eat anything!

Even if they do, they vomit it out in the morning just before race time. It’s bizarre how much sacrifice these jockeys have to make in order to receive the highest honors and prize money in horse racing.

You might ask why?

Well, it’s because putting on even two or three kilos can have a big impact on the results of a 1000 meters race (forget 1600 meters), and of course you don’t want to let the gambling folks down. Or else anarchy and the death threats follow…

And then, of course, you have fashion models who are obsessed with losing weight to maintain that fit look, so that they can look their best all the time. And to me, that’s just too much work but that’s just me!

These are two examples where anorexia can take on obsessive-compulsive proportions despite justifiable reasons, and that’s where the danger lies. It’s bizarre how people are so negative about who they are… based on the centerfold picture of a woman in a magazine! And this is consistent amongst women with a junkie-like approach to these stupid women’s magazines that only makes them drown themselves in self-loathing.

But whatever makes you happy, really…

The bottom line being if you want to slim down for the sake of being (or looking) healthy, moderation is possible but not when you want to please other people. A healthy dose of realism with a positive attitude will take you a long way in achieving these goals in health and fitness. And that’s when these ads which go ‘Lose weight in Seven days’ will lose appeal… and you’ll go the tried and tested [Read: longer] way that has no shortcuts!
Yet if it means that much to you, let’s look at a couple of (tried & tested, though) tips that will help look thinner:

Tips to Look Thinner
1. Stand tall, elongate your neck and square your shoulders. Yes, and remember to breathe deeply.
2. Pick clothes based on whether you are heavier at the top or bottom and of course, if you’re not so curvy. Just make sure that they fit comfortably.
3. Accessories and make-up will help take the attention away from the fat areas in the case of women. In the case of men, good luck with all that! Hehe.
4. Exercise for at least 2-3 days in a week for at least 30 to 60 minutes, but most importantly watch what you eat. If you eat a lot of junk food, don’t stop all at once. Make a list of all the crap and eliminate two items every week.
5. And the biggest tip of them all: If there are negatives, there are some POSITIVES about your body too. FOCUS on them!

In Closing
To be honest, if we aren’t happy with who we are now, we never will be happy regardless of what we achieve in losing weight or in any other area of our lives. So be good to yourself because no one else will, for it is only the people who are friends to themselves that find friends everywhere too.

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Fat hanging around the belly can really disrupt that sleek and chic look you are aiming to achieve, so lower abs exercises are essential. A flat stomach can really bring out the fitting of the dress on you, making you look absolutely dazzling. But the problem with lower abs is that it’s an arduous job to work off the fat stored in that area. You've got to make use of the right muscles so that the work out does not prove to be futile.

Here are 3 of the most effective abdominal exercises in which you are not required to lay down on your back or curl your shoulder blades off the ground. In fact these three exercises are free from all that annoying routine of sit-ups that are super exhausting and not that effective.

These 3 abs exercises can be carried out in a circuit fashion for an outstanding abdominal exercise that will assist in burning belly fat exclusive of forcing any stress on your lower back.

3 Best Lower Abs Exercises

1. Ab wheel:

The first exercise is termed as the “ab wheel”. To start, you are required to put your knees on the ground and place your body in the upright position. Compress, with your back straight, while compressing your abs and then go back to the starting position. Repeat this around 20 times.

2. Stability ball jackknives:

The second exercise for the lower abs is termed as “stability ball jackknives”. There are various types of variations of this work out; such as, resting your elbows on a bench with your feet on a stability ball, keeping your body in a diagonal position. Strut your abs and push your knees into your chest and then pull out.

For a tougher work out and better results, you can try the one-leg stability ball jackknives. This way when one leg is pushed in, the other one kick out and vice versa. Another variation to this exercise can be adding a bit of rotation to the stability ball jackknives. This will require transporting your knees to one side and then to the other.

With your hands pressed against the ground, there can be another variation to execute stability ball jackknives, with an extra push up incorporated for good results.

3. Cross body mountain climber:

The cross body mountain climber is the final exercise for this circuit. Rather than what you do with the regular mountain climber work out where you bring your knees to your chest, the twist to add to help work the lower abs muscles will be that with the revolving you are going to convey your knee to the converse elbow. The integration of the rotation element basically allows for better and effective lower ab work out.

With these three abs exercises that are aimed at actually making you work off the belly fat, you are bound to see those absolutely amazing results in no time with the emergence of the flat abs.

What are your favorite lower abs exercises?

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Fat loss rate is a tricky subject for many people for many reasons. Of the countless times that you've caught yourself pinching that extra inch of fat thinking it's shrunk to half its size since the last decade, of the many pictures that you brood over during the nights deciding whether you've actually become a tad bit lighter or is it a photographic miracle, how many do you think are mere illusions?

It is a desperate attempt to convince yourself that somehow over the years you are moving towards that dream body. Well maybe you are, but then maybe you aren't. It’s the time to stash the "maybe" in the trash can of illusions and get down to some real change; one that you can actually feel in that pinch and see in your version of "before and after" pictures. Today it's all about making big changes in little time! It's about increasing your fat loss rate to lose 5 pounds in 10 days.

Following a Balanced Diet Plan

When following a weight loss plan the very first step is to work on your eating habits, this does not mean resorting to starvation or fasting, rather there is a need for a balanced diet plan to be formulated. There is truth in the saying ‘you are what you eat’ and healthy eating will make a healthy man out of you. Fast foods, cookies, candies and chocolates are a hazard for the diet program and need to be crossed off the menu. In an attempt to shed rapid weight it is advised to walk the line of a vegetarian, the ingredients of such a green diet contain low fat and high levels of vitamins and calcium. We have devised a sample diet plan that will help you to get rid of some vanity weight and help in maintaining the lean and smart look.

For those of you, who can not function without a cup of coffee in the morning, you'll be glad to know that the contents on our breakfast table include one plain bagel, a cup of coffee with a table spoon of cream.

• The breakfast is an essential part of the diet plan as it speeds up the metabolism and such a modest intake of food will be easy to burn through out your daily activities.
• To keep you from getting too hungry we have added small snacks between meals, the set of choices for the snacks will be fresh juices or skimmed milk.
• The Lunch menu for today has three special low fat items, fish or salad with sugarless dressing and water. Fish serves the purpose of fulfilling you daily requirements of protein and at the same time keeping fat levels to a minimum. Water acts as a detox helping in purifying the body from toxics, wastes and even parasites.
• Dinner timings will be scheduled 4-5 hours before sleeping and will have servings of a bowl of cabbage soup, white rice, pulses and of course water.

For this diet plan to be successful the most important attitude you should possess is patience and at the same time be optimistic in believing the fact that this is something good for your body.

The Work Out

Exercise and regular workouts will be the perfect partner to help you sail through the period of 10 days. A combination of two 30 minute work outs during the day with a balanced diet will make you shed those unwanted pounds in no time. The 30 minute work out will consist of cardio exercises, aerobics and a little bit of weight lifting.

If you follow this routine, you are sure to lose more than 5 pounds in 10 days and retain that youthful look. Just make sure that you continue to eat healthy and add a daily exercise routine to maintain your weight, lose more weight and prevent your body from gaining back the weight lost.

Do you have any other tips for increasing your fat loss rate?

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Proteins are said to have immense benefits for the body, and while there are many different healthy dietary options, a vegan protein diet is one of the most extreme and possibly beneficial.

Let’s see, Protein reduces the amount of bad cholesterol and raises the amount of good cholesterol. Protein reduces the risk of hypertension and keeps the cholesterol level low. Also, studies have shown that those people who have ample intake of protein and less of carbs have fewer chances of having strokes. And even for all those weight fanatics, a protein diet has shown its self capable of shedding off unnecessary fat. So what does a high protein diet basically do?

What happens in a high protein diet is that the amounts of carbs are replaced with protein. As we all know, carbohydrates activate the insulin resulting in more weight gain ultimately. So in a high protein diet, all those sugars, and bread and pasta and potatoes are replaced with protein. Major sources of protein are meat and fish. And seemingly many people seem to be excessively happy with these animal protein forms. But what does a vegetarian do under such circumstances? Worry not, because even the vegetarians can pursue a high protein diet. It’s just about knowing all the protein sources and fitting them in to your diet plan.

Vegan Protein Diet

A large amount of public is shifting towards adopting a vegetarian eating lifestyle due to the concerns and health related issues that have taken birth because of the excessive meat intake. It is a fact that vegetarians have a lower tendency to get inflicted with various chronic maladies. The results of Vegetarian times magazine showed that around 14 million Americans have called themselves vegetarian. While there are various types of vegetarians out on the streets, some of them who might eat fish but not red meat, there is still a much stricter category of vegetarians termed as the Vegan. This post will thus focus on what Vegans should include in their diet to enjoy the benefits of a high protein diet. By the way, going vegan is considered to be very helpful for those suffering from asthma.

Here is an example of a vegan diet high in protein

Breakfast: 1 cup Oatmeal    1 cup Soy milk    1 Bagel

Lunch: 2 slices Whole Wheat Bread    1 cup Vegetarian Baked Beans

Dinner: 5 oz firm Tofu    1 cup cooked Broccoli    1 cup cooked Brown Rice    2 Tbsp Almonds 4

A high protein diet for vegetarians is easily achievable. Nearly all the vegetables, nuts, beans and grains have an ample amount of protein in them. Of course, the trick is to combine these foods in such a manner that the human requirement of having all the 9 amino acids that are present in meat are met by the variations and combinations of all vegan products.

Have you tried or are you currently trying a vegan protein diet? Why or why not?

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Intermittent fasting is becoming increasingly popular. It appears that apart from marketing, losing weight is the most popular topic to be discussed online. People want to get rid of all those pounds, whether extra or seemingly extra to attain the ideal body shape. A multitude of diet plans have been devised; from cabbage soups to high protein diet to eight losing herbs and supplements, everyone is trying everything that might have the slightest notion of producing likable results. But in most of these diet plans, one has to give up eating their favorite foods. No more pizzas and pastas, some happily adopt an herbivorous lifestyle, just to lose weight.

But what if you do not have to give up eating your favorite dishes? What if you don’t have to try any experiments with artificial supplements on your body? What if weight loss could happen with you eating what you generally eat, and in the quantity you eat but still losing weight? Sounds elusive, right?

The truth is that it is possible. And this is not a new found theory, but it has been around for quite a while. Surprised?? Wondering what exactly is this magic diet plan? It is called, "Intermittent Fasting".

Intermittent fasting is the trick to adopt. It requires a person to go on a fast for 24 hours, once or twice every week depending on the individual capability, and having a large intake of water/green tea during this time span. With the lifestyle we all lead, packed with work, food, more work and a truckload of responsibilities, it is not only difficult to take out time for gym and aerobic classes but truly impossible. Similarly, even following a diet plan can become monotonous, and everyone is aware of how diet plans quit working after some time since the body becomes immune to them. So you might just lose weight during the first month of your diet plan routine, it is assured that the results will start to wear off once the body becomes accustomed to the routine. On the opposite end, Intermittent Fasting will help you consistently lose weight and also maintain it. The routine is not difficult to adopt.

All you have to do is pick a day or two in the time frame of a week when all you are going to be consuming is water, or better still, green tea. That one day where the intake of liquids is going to be on the rise; it will allow the metabolism to flush up and work off all those stored fats in the body. Take it more like a body cleansing day. Just like a shower is vital to rid the exterior of all the germs, a day on water is pivotal to rid the body of the harmful fats that are stored up.

In the remaining days of the week, keep on going with your normal diet. You do not have to give up food at all during that time. Sounds great? Well you will feel great once you try out this truly genius form of putting off those extra pounds!

Have you tried intermittent fasting? What are your thoughts?

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