I need help. Will weights
stunts my growth? I'm only 15 and my height is 5 foot. And another
thing - does milk make me grow everyday?
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Weights will not stunt your
growth. Just be sure that you're using them properly - let an
instructor show you what you should be doing and monitor you
until you're okay to work out on your own.
Milk has a lot of great nutrients in it, but it doesn't necessarily
make people grow. It keeps your bones nice and healthy, which
improves your posture and will prevent you from losing height
as you age, which counts for something, though!
If you'd like to maximize your height, I recommend avoiding
caffeine, which can interfere with your growth, drink
four glasses of milk a day and work on flexibility (stretching).
When you lengthen your muscles, you stand straighter, giving
a taller illusion.
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I want to lose 10 pounds
how can I seriously lose it fast ???
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Fast? Well, there are unhealthy
ways to drop water and muscle mass quickly (inevitably resulting
in your gaining it all right back and setting you up for a long-term
weight problem), but I'm not in the business to recommend them.
I'm willing to bet that you're not obese, which means that it
will take a good month (at least) to lose ten pounds.
Just step up the cardio and avoid foods that provide a lot of
fat and empty calories. You should be able to take off a good
pound or two per week if you're careful.
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I was wondering if you
can eat too much fruit and vegetables. I hear a lot about how
too many carbohydrates can be detrimental is losing weight and
lowering cholesterol. Is this true, or should I eat plenty of
fruits and vegetables?
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Eat plenty of them. One
thing that people need to learn is that there are two types
of carbohydrates: simple and complex. Simple carbs (like sugar
and white flour)are fattening and should be eaten in moderation,
but complex carbs (whole grain items, fruits and vegetables,
brown rice, etc.) are not fattening, and they contain a lot
of precious nutrients. Diabetics have to watch their fruit intake,
but the average person doesn't.
You just have to use common sense. Oatmeal, which is the best
cholesterol-lowering food out there, is a complex carbohydrate.
Add a lot of sugar to it and you change its properties. See
what I mean?
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What are some good diets
or examples of diets that can help a women who is 125lbs overweight?
I talked to this doctor and he said either go to Weight Watchers(which
didn't help)or look on the web for diets, so does anybody know
of any free diets?
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The main thing to remember
is to keep your diet balanced and low in fat. The best nutritional
resource you'll find anywhere is the Food
Guide Pyramid, which was created by the United States Department
of Agriculture. InchAweigh will be posting a free diet plan
based on it within the next week or so. If you're interested,
please sign up for a free e-mail
update and you'll be notified when it's posted.
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I have been working out
for over 3 months, and have finally began losing weight (15
lbs since 12/29/01). Also at that time, I radically changed
my eating habits, cutting down on sugar, drinking more water,
lowering regular carbs, and watching overall portions. My colleague,
Dave, is of the opinion that my weight loss is due to exercise,
and primarily the "portion" part of my nutrition improvement.
I feel Dave is oversimplifying my hard work. I started at 197,
and I'm now at 181, with a goal of 170-175. Any suggestions
for my sturdy friend Dave?
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Well, your sturdy friend
thinks the way I do. Weight loss is a matter of simple mathematics:
calories in minus calories out. Cutting down on simple carbs
(white sugar and white flour products) is okay, but when you
exercise, you NEED pleanty of complex carbs, so please be careful
here. Drinking lots of water
is definitely a big help, but I would give most of the credit
to exercise, as you have been making your body a more effective
fat-burning machine, hence increasing the "calories out" part
of the equation above. Keep up the good work!
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hey i have a treadmill
at home and i was wondering how can i lose some weight on that?
I do walk on it 3 times a week, but it seems i am not losing
any weight!
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I don't really have enough
information to answer this question. In general, you should
walk on the treadmill (at a fast enough pace to hit your target
heart rate) five days a week for thirty minutes per session.
Of course, you also should follow a healthy, well-balanced diet.
Treadmills are great tools to help you lose weight, but they're
only part of the whole process. Good luck!
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I was wondering what the
nutritional information of sushi is. I've heard that it is good
for you I just wasn't sure how good.
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Check out this chart
for every question you have about sushi's nutritional values.
It is low in fat, but pretty high in sodium and, where shellfish
is used, in cholesterol. As you can see, it really depends on
what type of sushi you're ordering. Some varities are high in
calories and others are not.
Since raw fish contains parasites, there are obvious risks to
eating sushi, but if you're healthy, that shouldn't bother you.
My advice: be mindful of what you're ordering and you'll get
a nutritious sushi dish.
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Can you recommend a pilates
video or workout that will allow me to burn fat and tone my
lower body? There are so many videos out there, I need some
specific advice. thanks
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Sure. Try this
one. It's a great beginner's video and Ana Caban is a well
respected instructor. Moira Stott is also excellent. Click here
to see one of her videos.
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I am only 14, and a cheerleader
but i need to lose weight and i don't mean like 40 pounds, but
just enough so i can look great feel great and be able to fly!!!
Like i need to loose 20 pounds or something can you please help
me? kaylie
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I'd be willing to bet that
you don't need to lose 20 pounds. The last thing an active 14-year-old
needs to do is worry about her weight. Believe me - if you concentrate
on being healthy and HAPPY, you'll look and feel great.
Please read this
article for the FDA's advice on this topic.
There are lots of skinny cheerleaders out there who are totally
miserable. Just follow a balanced diet and work hard at your
cheerleading (and any other sport you participate in). If
you start dieting at 14, you may mess your metabolism up to
a point where you have serious weight problems later
on. It happens.
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I have two questions,
why is it not good to drink water before going to bed? And,
When am I going to stop running to the bathroom because I am
drinking my 8 oz. of water?
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The only reason I advise
against drinking water right before bed is because you may be
waking up all night, which is annoying. When you increase your
fluid intake, you're purging your body of water that it has
been storing, so you're constantly running to the bathroom.
This usually only lasts a week or so. Hang tough!
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I am a young girl who
needs to know something. I have big hips, which i don't mind.
however, on the backside of my hips, i have fat, and i can't
seem to get rid of it. Do you have any tips to get rid of it?
Thanks
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For most women, fat likes
to take residence in either the hips or the thighs (for men,
it's the belly). I'm just like you - when I put on a few pounds,
it goes right to my hips, and that is the LAST place it comes
off. You need to do lots of cardiovascular stuff (walking, doing
aerobics, jogging, swimming, racquet sports, etc.) If you're
disciplined, you'll see the fat shrink down, little by little.
Watch your fat intake, too, of course, and drink two liters
of water
every day.
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You were saying that it
is safe to lose a pound or two a week. I am now losing a pound
a week by lowering my calories. I am going to start exercising
too. Should I eat more? If I lose two pounds a week, is the
extra pound fat or muscle? Thanks.
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When you lower your calories
without exercise, you're probably losing a combination of fat
and muscle. If you lose more muscle than fat, you're slowing
down your metabolism and setting yourself up for weight gain
in the future. You don't want to do THAT! I'm glad you're planning
to exercise, too. If you do that, you'll add muscle, lose fat
and rev your metabolism up to new heights.
I don't know if you should eat more, because I don't know how
much you're currently eating, but you should definitely be consuming
at least 1200 calories a day - probably more. If you want to
determine the number of calories you should consume each day
(and what they should consist of), my Weight
Loss Workout shows you how to do that. Please let me know
how you're doing!
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I have recently been diagnosed
with essential hypertension (high BP) and am 34 years old. I
am overweight. Have recently started swimming in the pool. Please
tell me if there are good strokes/exercises to lose weight esp.
in the stomach region
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Swimming is great for hypertension!
I'd stick with the front crawl and other strokes that you can
maintain for a long period of time. You might also want to try
some toning in the pool (see my article on
water exercise for some ideas about that. It all strengthens
your abs and burns fat, so your middle will shrink eventually.
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I wouldn't say I am very
overweight, but I know I need to loose at least 14 pounds. I
have tried many, many exercise plans in the past, but I always
end up giving up because I think I am doing the wrong things!
Could you give me some advice on what kind and how much exercise
I should do to lose the 14 pounds?
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Certainly! Exercise is very
simple. The companies that market new gadgets, pills and "plans"
are just trying to get rich (and, unfortunately, they often
do). All you need to do is take a thirty-minute walk five times
a week (or spend that time in another calorie-burning activity
you enjoy) and the weight will come off. Slowly. If you want
to step it up and improve your health immensely, spend thirty
minutes weight training two or three times a week, as well.
There is no "one magical exercise" that will make fourteen pounds
disappear. Try to get that notion out of your head and focus
on becoming more active and improving your overall health. With
this mindset, I guarantee you'll succeed.
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Please help!
I am a 35 yr old man that was treated for a deadly virus back
in 1988. At the time doctors told me thatI had suffered from
a stroke. Then they said it might be M.S.
To make a long story short, it was neither of those. Here is
my question: I was treated for inflammation of the brain and
given steroids for the swelling.
My problem now is that I can not seem to lose the weight I gained
from being bedridden. Could it be that these steroids I was
given had a big impact on my being overweight?
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Steroids given for swelling
(usually Prednisone or Decadron) can cause weight gain in two
ways. First, they tend to increase your appetite. Second, they
promote fluid and salt retention. The retention gain will gradually
go away once you've stopped taking the steroids, but anything
gained from the appetite increase will take a little work.
I recommend that you drink lots of water and avoid salty foods
to lose the excess fluid you're storing, and work yourself gradually
into an exercise program that you enjoy doing.
Steroids can also cause a potassium deficiency, so you may want
to keep an eye on that. If you get leg spasms in the night,
that is probably why - eat a banana.
Steroids also change the way the body handles sugar. If you've
noticed any increased urination, extreme thirst or fatigue,
you should let your physician know about it. Take care!
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Recently I have been working
out on the bicycle and realized that my stomach began sweating
alot. One of my friends told me that this was a way that my
stomach was losing its excess fat. Is that true?
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Well, no. fat and sweat
are two entirely different substances. When you burn fat, it
comes off of your entire body - not just one area. The stomach
is a warm part of the body, and therefore prone to perspiration,
but sweating is actually your body's way of protecting itslf
from becoming overheated and has very little to do with fat
burning.
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I really like your web
site. Can you tell me more about staying in fat burning zone
vs. cardio zone on treadmill. I am 46 and weigh 144. I am trying
to keep my heart range between 125 and 135. How long should
workout be? Does this really work better than higher heart rate
range, and why?
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First, I'd like you to read
my article Finding
Your Target Heart Rate to help you figure out what your
range should be.
The difference between fat burning and cardio is this: the longer
you maintain an activity, the more fat you burn. Therefore,
if you stay in the lower to middle part of your range, but you
last 45 minutes to an hour, you will burn more fat than you
would working at a higher intensity for a shorter period.
For cardiovascular benefits (which you do achieve at your fat-burning
zone), the goal is to decrease the resting heart rate. The average
sedentary person's RHR is about 74 and a highly trained athlete's
is about 45. An exercising person should shoot for a RHR of
about 60. Check yours before you get out of bed in the morning.
This is a great way to assess your progress aerobically.
Bottom line: stay at an intensity that you can maintain for
at least thirty minutes, but it shouldn't be too easy!
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Is there such a thing
as drinking too much water? I have been drinking between 5 and
6 Litres and day...is that too much. I am about 40 lbs overweight.
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Actually, it is possible!
If you drink too much water, you can create an inbalance in
things like your sodium levels, which could be very harmful.
If you drink that much per day, you might need it, though. I
wouldn't recommend drinking more than three liters a day, but
if I were you, I'd mention this to my doctor.
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Ok, i'm afraid that if
i ask this, i'll get some sort of lecture on how i should be
happy w/ myself, blah blah. But, heres my story. I'm 5' and
about 7 or 8" and weigh about 125 or so. now i know many people
would love this but i would feel SO much better about myself
if i could lose like 5-10 lbs. (or look that much thinner even
if i'm not) and i was wondering if you had any tips on how i
could do this in a healthy manner. just eating tips and especially
exercises i can do for my stomach and upper legs. so thanks
for anything you can do! looking forward to hearing from you!
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I can relate! I'm about
5'8" and normally weigh 128, but my clothes have fit me several
different ways. It all depends on your fitness level. You shouldn't
restrict your diet - you are not overweight! Please remember
that and just step up the weight training a little bit.
Unfortunately, the last place it comes off is on the places
you mentioned (or, in my case, the hips). I'd do some cardio
stuff and weights two or three times a week. If you concentrate
on your inner and outer thighs, your legs will firm right
up. Please email me if you need at-home exercise suggestions
for this. Otherwise, use the leg abductor/adductor at your gym.
The excess flesh will come off your tummy eventually, once you've
added a little more muscle to your mass. Don't waste your time
doing 500 crunches a day or anything (please read my article
The
Truth About Abs for more details.
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I've taken up Pilates,
but I'm not quite sure how many days a week will give me the
best results.
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According to Brooke Siler,
author of The
Pilates Body, Joseph Pilates himself used to recommend doing
the matwork four times a week for optimal results. It can
be done every day, but I don't think your results will be drastically
different than if you just did the recommended four a week.
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Actually, this is a combination
feedback. My question is this: how does one determine how many
calories are burned in a Pilates workout? I have Colleen Craig's
video "Pilates on the Ball", but I also do a regular matwork
workout. I've looked all over the Internet for this info, but
can't seem to find it. My comment is that your website is great
- I've enjoyed browsing your many topics. Thanks for your motivation
to us!
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| Thank YOU for browsing!
Now, when you see figures like the ones in the left sidebar
of this page, you're looking at estimated numbers based on the
average 150-pound person. Heavier people burn calories more
quickly than lighter people. Therefore, your weight is a big
factor to add into figuring this out.
Although I'm also unable (but I'll
keep looking) to find numbers for Pilates, I'm sure that it's
very close to hatha yoga, as far as burning calories.
Here's a very thorough (and ADORABLE)
website to check out: caloriesperhour.com.
Pilates isn't technically a cardiovascular
activity, but you probably burn a couple hundred per workout.
Thank you!
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How can I lose twenty
pounds in four months so I can look good for my wedding???
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| It's completely possible
to lose twenty pounds in four months, as long as you're really,
REALLY good! Are you sure you need to lose twenty pounds, or
are you really interested in fitting into a certain dress size?
There's a big difference there.
I suggest that you do thirty minutes
of cardiovascular exercise five or six days a week, weight
train three times a week and follow a balanced, low-fat diet,
like my InchAweigh plan.
If you don't really need to lose twenty
pounds, you probably won't, but I think you'll still look
good for your wedding. Congratulations, by the way!
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How much weight loss is
needed to lose 1 inch?
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| Great question! Unfortunately,
this is impossible to answer. Comparing weight to girth is like
adding apples to oranges.
The thing is, you can actually lose
inches while gaining weight (and vice-versa). This is especially
true when you start weight training. Let's say that you put
on three pounds of muscle and lose one pound of fat. You have
technically gained two pounds, but you're leaner and firmer,
and the measuring tape will confirm that.
Normally, you'll lose inches and pounds
simultaneously, but there isn't a formula to collaborate the
two. I hope this helped!
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I REALLY WANT TO LOSE
WEIGHT. I HAVE BEEN EXERCISING ABOUT THREE TO FOUR TIMES A WEEK.
I'M HAVING TROUBLE WITH MY SWEET TOOTH. WHAT ARE SOME THINGS
I CAN DO NOT TO PIG OUT. PLEASE HELP!!!!
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| I think you need to find
out why you have trouble with your sweet tooth! Do you eat sweets
out of habit, for comfort or what? The first step is to determine
the root of this weakness.
If you absolutely cannot give up sweets,
how about substituting with more self-redeeming foods, like
fruit yogurt, graham crackers or a semi-sweet cereal?
I recommend taking my "Identify Your
Weakness" Quiz in the articles above, and checking out the
tips in the right side bar. A good one for chocolate lovers
is to up your intake (within reason) of magnesium. This often
curbs cravings for chocolate!
Good luck, and please let me know what
you've tried and how you're doing.
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I think your site is fantastic!
Here's my question: Is Leptin really helpful to lose weight?
Thank you!
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| First, let's talk about
what leptin is. It may sound like a vitamin supplement or something,
but it's actually a hormone that is made in fat cells. Some
researchers who, in studies on diabetes, have given obese mice
leptin injections have noted that the mice have become thinner,
but what it does to humans is still pretty unclear.
Call me a wimp, but I don't think drugs
are the answer for anyone whose life isn't threatened by obesity.
In a few years, we may find out that leptin is dangerous for
people to take. The active ingredient in seemingly harmless
Dexatrim has caused brain hemorrhages!
In a nutshell, leptin may be helpful
to diabetics, but my opinion is that taking it just to lose
a few pounds isn't worth the risk.
For more information, please see my
headlines for recent articles on leptin. Thanks for the feedback
and the question!
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If slimming pills and
products are making a storm in the market, why are so many people
still obese?
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I appreciate this question
very much. Slimming pills and products simply can't change the
way the body metabolizes fat. They do other things, like dehydrating
the body or robbing it of lean muscle mass. Many companies are
making MONDO money by misleading the obese public (quite possibly
the most vulnerable market there is) into thinking a few bucks
will buy easy weight loss. Please read my article "Ten Clues
to Help You Spot a Fad Diet a Mile Away" for more detailed answers
to this complicated question.
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