hardeep asked:


Copyright 2006 Donovan Baldwin

 

A week or so ago, I was in the check-out line at the supermarket and saw a blurb on the cover of a magazine.  The headline read: “Breakthrough! FAT LOSS VITAMIN!”, and the text beneath it said, “95% of us don’t get enough.  Safely boost your intake and:

 

*Lose 5 lbs a week!

 

*Burn 30% more fat every day!

 

The magazine was Woman’s World.

 

Being in the business of health, fitness, diet and weight loss, this claim intrigued me so I threw a copy of the magazine in the buggy, and read the article when I got home.

 

Very briefly, here’s what the article had to say:  Most people don’t get enough Vitamin C, and Vitamin C can help your body burn more fat.

 

Now, this was interesting, and since I believe most people don’t get the nutrients they need, I was willing to go along with the idea of increasing your normal intake of Vitamin C, either by increasing the amount of things such as orange juice, which is good for you anyway and it contains a lot of Vitamin C, or by use of Vitamin C supplements.

 

The information in the article made sense, and, when I did a little independent online investigation, I found that apparently the article was reasonably accurate.  I don’t have a particular problem with the information in this article, and agree that increasing Vitamin C could help someone lose weight.

 

This brings us to the slightly exaggerated title of this article.

 

Everyday, it seems we are bombarded with all these claims about weight loss, fat loss, diets and health.  One person says their pill will deal with cortisol, which is the cause of weight gain.  Another says their diet will “melt” the fat.  Someone else wants to hypnotize you, and that will do the trick.  The covers of many other magazines at the checkout on the day I bought my magazine had different tips, hints, diets, and weight loss solutions.

 

All these people can’t be telling the truth, can they?

 

Is weight gain the result of cortisol, poor diet, lack of exercise, not enough Vitamin C, lack of sleep, stress, too much beer, or just bad genes?

 

Actually, the answer to both questions is, “Yes…sort of…”

 

The actual biological process by which people get fat is known.  The solution is also known, and it doesn’t have much to do with Vitamin C, cortisol, genes, or a lot of other things…directly.

 

A runner who wishes to run faster gets there by training at running and trying to run faster.  However, that runner can also strengthen his or her legs by using weight training.  They can improve their performance, or perhaps reach their goal faster, by eating a certain type of diet…maybe even making changes in that diet at different points of their training or competition schedule.  If stress is inhibiting their performance, learning to meditate might help them put that stress behind them or at least relieve it enough so that their times improve.  If their home life or work schedule is such that it interferes with their training, rest, or nutrition schedules, then making a change in those areas may improve their athletic performance.

 

Even so, the main thing in their running training is…running!  Everything else just helps with the speed of development or the amount of progress that is ultimately made.

 

The same thing applies to most weight loss situations and so-called solutions.  Increasing physical activity and eating reasonably are the two major things that bring about healthy, permanent weight loss.  If, in your exercise program, you choose to supplement with Vitamin C, or get more sleep, or take something which reduces the effects of cortisol, or quit your job because it interferes with your weight loss program, then you will probably enhance the results.  You will lose more weight over time, lose the weight a bit faster, or just find the whole process easier.  However, the major portion of the weight loss (and improved health and enjoyment of life), comes from the basics of exercise and nutrition.

 

So what about the people who DID lose weight by breathing properly, or taking Vitamin C, or adding Chocolate to their diet?

 

People are all different, and so are the facts and factors of their lifestyles, education, upbringing, and genetic makeup.  Someone who is one dress size bigger than she wants to be may get all the weight loss she needs from increasing HER Vitamin C intake.  That does NOT mean that every woman will experience the SAME results.  Another woman may need to lose a lot more than one dress size, and taking Vitamin C, while it might help her shed a few pounds and be more healthy overall, will probably NOT produce anywhere near the total results she hopes to achieve.  If, however, she IS doing the right things to bring about weight loss, adding the Vitamin C may speed the process a bit and help get her to her goal a little faster,

 

Just as in the title of this article, the key word in all these claims is “help” whether it is stated or merely implied.  True healthy, permanent weight loss will be the result of a combination of activity and nutrition.  All the other things, which may certainly be of value, are just helping.

 

Vikram kuamr asked:


 

Looking for men’s health and fitness advice and self improvement tips? Look no further. At Mens Gear by Nathan James, we have a selection of the best advice articles in these areas, to help you become the man you want to be.

 

In our online self improvement tips, we cover areas including the following:

 

* Self confidence. Truly one of the most important characteristics for a man to have. If you lack self confidence, it can affect every area of your life. Our self improvement tips give you 3 easy ways to build your self confidence.

 

* Setting personal goals. Setting goals is a good way to motivate yourself and to track your progress. Every man needs to know how to set effective personal goals.

 

* Pushing yourself. The best things in life can be the hardest to get, so you’ll never reach your goals unless you read our self improvement tips and find out how to push yourself beyond barriers such as pain and fear of rejection.

 

* Getting results. To achieve your goals in life, it’s important to know how to set goals and pursue them through to completion. Our self improvement tips will help you do just that.

 

Our men’s health and fitness advice currently covers subjects such as:

 

* Express workouts: 10-minute exercises that get results. If want to improve your body and lose weight but you feel that you don’t have the time, these are for you. We have men’s health and fitness advice on exercises that will give you results in just 10 minutes.

 

* Secrets of top trainers. Here’s where we bring you men’s health and fitness advice from professional fitness trainers. This men’s health and fitness advice covers things such as having a gym buddy, varying your workout for better results, and the importance of keeping it fun.

 

Aside from our advice articles, we also carry some of the world’s best speakers in this area on CD, with self improvement tips from available for purchase at competitive prices. We carry the following motivational speakers:

 

* Jim Rohn. Mr Rohn is an American with a real life rags-to-riches story. Born to an Idaho farming family, he left college after a year, and by the age of 25 was a salaried employee with a lot of debt and a young family to support. Soon after he began a process of personal development that led to him becoming a millionaire salesman by the age of just 31.

 

* Hilary Hinton ‘Zig’ Ziglar. Zig Ziglar is an American evangelical Christian who lives by a mantra of putting God first, family second, and career third. He is vastly experienced at giving self improvement tips, having been a motivational speaker full-time since 1970.

Liam Murphy asked:

Keeping healthy is extremely important, no matter what age you happen to be. It’s imperative that you take measures to work on your health and fitness throughout your entire life. Wondering where you can begin? Well, here are 5 great fitness and health tips that you can use to make sure you stay healthy and fit all your life.

Tip #1 – Get Moving – First of all, if you want to stay fit and healthy, you have to get moving. Every day you need to think about how you can get moving in order to keep your body in good shape. There are many little things that you can do to keep moving throughout the day. While going to the gym is a great idea, you don’t have to spend an hour at the gym in order to get the movement that you need. Simply take the time to take the dog for a walk, mow your own lawn, take the stairs, park further away in the parking lot, or even to play with your kids. This will help you to get the exercise that you need on a regular basis and it is also great for lowering your stress level too.

Tip #2 – Cut Back the Fat – Another important tip to remember for fitness and health is to make sure that you cut back the fat in your diet. Bad fats can lead to a variety of different physical problems that can end up haunting you as you grow older. So, start cutting the fried foods out of your diet, as well as fast food and even meets that are fatty, such as sausage, bacon, salami, and even ham. You should limit dairy products as well and eat lower fat products instead. Limit the sauces, lunch meats, butter, and mayonnaise that you eat as well. Try to eat lean and you’ll definitely reap the benefits.

Tip #3 – De-Stress – Start getting rid of some of the stress in your life. Stress can lead to a variety of health problems. Spend time enjoying yourself each day, such as listening to music, enjoying a hot bath, a long walk, or even reading. Meditating can also help you out as well.

Tip #4 – Stop Smoking – One of the worst things that you can do for your health is to smoke. If you want to be healthier, then one of the best things that you can do for your health is to stop smoking. When you smoke you raise the risk for a variety of nasty diseases, so take the steps to quit as soon as you can.

Tip #5 – Drink More Water – Most people don’t drink enough water each day and it shows in their health and fitness. If you want to be fit and healthy, then water is an important part of your diet. You should be drinking at least 8-10 glasses each day, and more when you are exercising. The body needs water to be healthy, and the more you drink water, the healthier you will be.

These are just 5 great fitness and health tips that can really make a difference in your life. Nothing can replace your health, so take the time to follow these tips so you can improve your health for life.