Variety is important to weight training because muscles are forced to adapt to changes. Simple tweaks are all it takes to keep your muscles guessing. There are many easy ways to mix things up in the weight room. One way is to add more weight and decrease the number of…
Make stretching a mandatory part of every workout. When muscles perform any exercise, they tighten and shorten as a result. Stretching can help maximize your range of motion. A simple warm-up walk while moving your arms in a circular motion is sufficient. When doing strength training, you could stretch each…
They don’t call it a beer belly for nothing. Drinking excessive amount of alcohol can pack on the pounds. So if you’re watching your waistline, you may want to skip that next round. It’s important to remember that all alcoholic drinks are not created equal. Perhaps the smartest choice calorie-wise…
The USDA recommends five to nine servings per day of vegetables and fruits, and that doesn’t include French fries. Many people don’t grow out of their childhood habit of hating vegetables, but summer is a perfect time to try and make those valuable veggies taste great. Farmers’ markets are in…
Halloween is the start of the holiday eating season, but it doesn’t have to result in extra pounds that linger into the New Year. It’s possible to enjoy the treats of the season without blowing your diet. One of the best tactics is to buy candy that you don’t like…
Emotional eating can wreak havoc on even the most determined dieter. It’s a way to suppress or soothe negative feelings like boredom, grief, fear and anger. Triggers may include unemployment, financial stressors, relationship strain, health problems or simply fatigue. Our first reaction when anxiety rears its ugly head is to…
You’ve consumed your allotted calories for the day when a killer craving comes out of nowhere. You’re first instinct is to reach for the Ben and Jerry’s, but don’t give in just yet. We have a more polished approach to ward off those hunger pangs. Bypass the kitchen for the…
There are plenty of things to be thankful for this year — like celebrating the holiday in a healthy style. If you’re one of those folks who overdoes it every Thanksgiving, this is the year to start anew by adopting some diet-smart traditions. By following these helpful hints, you can…
Learn time management. When you have a thousand things to do, it can feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day. You wake up, get the kids ready for school, go to work, come home from work, cook dinner, help the kids with their homework, get them ready…
Beware of full-fat dairy. High in fat and calories, milk, sour cream and other dairy products can be a danger to your diet. Thankfully, there are a slew of low-fat and non-fat alternatives that won’t seriously affect your bottom line. Most of the time you won’t be able to taste…