weight loss

What to Consider When Choosing an Exercise Video

Posted by healthtips 2 October, 2008 (0) Comment

Are you interested in losing weight?  If you are, you may be interested in starting your own weight loss program.  Of course, you can join a local weight loss program or even an online weight loss program, but many individuals prefer to do their own, at-home weight loss programs. If you are one of those individuals, you may be interested in buying exercise videos. Exercise videos, also commonly referred to as workout videos, are a great addition to any weight loss program.

Although you may have bought workout videos before, have you even done so when seriously trying to lose weight?  In the United States, a large number of individuals buy exercise videos just because.  Just because exercise videos are a lot different than exercise videos that are a part of a weight loss plan. That is why you should shop for them differently.

When it comes to buying exercise videos for yourself, as a part of your weight loss program, there are number of important factors that you may want to take into consideration. These factors will not only make buying exercise videos for yourself easier, but they will also help to ensure that you choose the exercise video or videos that are best for you and your own personal needs. A few of the many factors that you should take into consideration, when buying an exercise video are outlined below.

One of the many factors that you will want to take into consideration, when buying exercise videos as a part of your weight loss plan, is the type of exercises that you want to do.  For instance, you often get to choose between traditional aerobic videos, yoga, Pilates, kickboxing, and so forth.  To spice up your weight loss plan and to keep it fun and exciting, you may want to think about buying a collection of exercise videos, particularly a mixture of them.

Another one of the many factors that you will want to take into consideration, when buying an exercise video for your weight loss program, is difficulty. What you need to remember is that many workout videos come in sessions. For instance, it is possible to find kickboxing videos that are designed for beginners, those at the intermediate level, as well as those at an advanced level. You want to make sure that you choose the right video for yourself.  If you are not careful, you may end up with an advanced workout video that you cannot even use, as you are unable to keep up with the instructor.

Cost is another factor that you may want to take into consideration, when buying workout videos or exercise videos for yourself.  In your search for exercise videos, you will find that they are sold for a wide range of prices. Some are affordable, others are a little bit more costly, and many are downright expensive.  Of course, the expensive workout videos may be worth the cost, but you never really know until you order them.  One way to help make sure that you are spending your money wisely is to search for exercise video reviews online.  This can often be done with a standard internet search.

The above mentioned factors are just a few of the many that you may want to take into consideration, when buying exercise videos to incorporate into your at-home weight loss program.  Most times, you will find that any exercise video is better than no video at all, but taking the time to find the perfect one will likely make your weight loss program much more enjoyable.

Tags: weightloss program, exercise

Categories : weight loss Tags :

Slim-Fast: Drinking Your Way to Weight Loss

Posted by healthtips 30 September, 2008 (0) Comment

You may have seen one of the ever-present cans in the grocery store and been tempted to pick it up.  Yet, you’re not sure whether Slim-Fast will be effective in helping you to lose weight.  You should know that the Slim-Fast program is considered quite successful in the fight against fat—although not everyone is sold on the plan.

Nearly thirty years ago, S. Daniel Abraham revolutionized weight loss programs with the Slim-Fast drink.  According to the company website, Slim-Fast represents a sensible way to slim down.  In fact, more than two dozen medical studies indicate that the diet program is a winning formula for losing weight. Slim-Fast is considered to be a nutritionally-balanced plan, offering dieters proteins, carbohydrates, and a healthy amount of fat. 
      
One of the recommendations of the Slim-Fast program is its convenience.  You can drink on the run, enabling you to fit nutrition into your busy day.  In addition, the program is considered far less expensive than other diet plans, particularly pre-packaged diet plans such as NutriSystem and Jenny Craig.   Slim-Fast also now offers more variety.  In addition to all the different flavors of shakes it offers, Slim-Fast also provides dieters with soup, pasta, and nutrition bars.   In all, Slim-Fast now features more than a hundred different products.  If you follow the Slim-Fast plan, you will need to eat three meals each day, along with three snacks made up of fruits and vegetables.   Two of the meals and one snack must be made up of Slim-Fast products.  Because of the frequency with which you’ll be eating, you shouldn’t suffer from hunger pains.  One study actually showed that individuals who used Slim-Fast over a period of a decade were 33 pounds lighter than dieters who did not use Slim-Fast products.

Another advantage to the Slim-Fast program is that you don’t have to worry about counting calories, cooking meals, or figuring out portion sizes.  Slim-Fast has, in essence, done the work for you.   Also, you can now choose between two different Slim-Fast programs:  the Optima Diet and the Plan for a Low-Carb Lifestyle.

The company’s website contends that the program is a proven weight loss tool.  Dieters have had success in maintaining their weight over one to five years’ duration.   A spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association has called the website “user-friendly.”  By visiting the site, you can be put in touch with registered dieticians who can answer your concerns.  The website also offers a support group, which can be a critical factor in maintaining weight loss over the long term. 

 Slim-Fast’s goals as far as weight loss is concerned follow government guidelines.  The idea is to lose ten percent of one’s weight over six months, meaning that one would shed no more than two pounds a week.  Slim-Fast’s plan calls for only 30 minutes of exercise a day, which seems entirely doable.  Dieters may also be inspired by the success stories posted on the company’s website.   

However, there are disadvantages to the Slim-Fast program.  For instance, if you don’t like the taste of the shakes or food, you could find it difficult to continue with the meal plan.  Also, some people report feeling hungry, despite eating the recommended portions of food.   Slim-Fast, in essence, does the thinking for you, so, for the most part, you do not get the experience of shopping for wholesome food for yourself.  You might also tire of the program quickly, causing you to gain back the weight you initially lost.  While Slim-Fast may be effective for the short-term, it is a difficult program to maintain for life.

As a result, Slim-Fast gets mixed reviews—even from members of the medical community.  While some dieticians are fans of meal replacement programs, others see them as potentially harmful and nutritionally inadequate.  Whether you can effectively lose weight with Slim-Fast depends upon whether you have the discipline and desire to remain with the program for the long-term.   If you start to use Slim-Fast for a while, then stop, you will likely gain back the weight you initially lost.   However, for decades now, Slim-Fast has been winning the hearts of dieters and the company shows no signs of slowing down in the near future.  Slim-Fast may be one way that you can drink yourself to optimum weight loss. 

 

Tags: slim fast, weight loss

 

 

Categories : weight loss Tags :