The health and fitness conscious among us may assuage this yearning by reaching for a light beer, and it would be an erroneous assumption that a light beer is also necessarily light in calories; some light beers are no such thing!

The term ‘Light Beer’ can often is misleading especially since you can get the same number of calories from some of the regular draught beers as you may from the light ones. And why stop at the beer?

Take a look at some of the other beverages you may happily be downing with nary a thought for the calories you are ingesting. Consider all of these beverages and how they may help to pack on the pounds or stubbornly refuse to let you shed them:

• Your daily latte or coffee drinks can be where a lot of the calories lurk
• All alcoholic drinks have some of the highest caloric value of all edible things, some more even than pure fat
• Cocktails are another seemingly innocent place where calories lurk, they often have sweetened juices, colas or other sugary concoctions added to them
• That sweetened sodas are calorie laden is a no brainer
• Even fruit juices are often sugar laden even when marketed under the ‘healthy’ banner

However it is a misconception that the more you sweat the better your work out. In fact experts say that is not a good idea to induce heavy sweating, which could have detrimental effects on health.

Sweating and the amount you sweat depend upon a variety of factors, external as well as internal. Sweat does indicate that you had a good work out, but more sweat does not necessarily mean a better work out of more calories expended. There are other factors at play:

The climate: Obviously the hotter it is the more you will sweat. So you will sweat more in summer than in winter. Does that mean you burn more calories in summer than winter? Not quite!

Your fitness levels and all other things being equal, you will burn the same amount of calories in winter as in summer doing the same exercises even if you do sweat more in summer. So in that sense, sweat does not ‘melt’ the fat away from your body. It is however possible that you may lose a few more calories if your body temperature is more elevated.

The Kind of exercise: If you are on a stationary bike indoors, you will probably sweat more than if you were outside on an actual bicycle with the wind in your face and the air cooling your body.

However merely the emergence of more sweat on the stationary bike is not an indication that you are getting a better work out. Yes you may get a better work out if you increase the resistance of the stationary bike or its difficulty level, but sweat is not the indicator.

Similarly jogging on a tread mill may make you sweatier than jogging outside in the cool air, but that does not mean you get a better work out simply by being on a treadmill. [treadmill exercise]

You may lose more water not more fat: If you are sweating more during a work out and find that this helped you lose some weight as against a similar work out which did not have to sweating as much, then you have to understand that that weight loss was from water lost during the workout. It was not more fat burnt, but more water lost, which is not necessarily a good thing.

The grandfather of jogging, the good old walk, is the easiest way to get into shape.

I know for myself that in this modern and busy society we lack the time and sometimes the energy to walk home from work.

We either take a cab or drive our own car, always in a hurry to get things done in time.

It seems the time we have is insufficient for our daily program and walking for fitness seems something out of the question.

Have you ever seen an overweight dog walker? Well I didn’t and I looked pretty hard, believe me. All dog walkers are slim, and fit like photo models, and their legs and abs are looking like they spend their whole day in a gym.

One of my friend’s daughters told me the other day that it was pretty fun to get some cash while exercising. She was referring to the dog walking job of course.

I thought for a second about this statement of hers and I pretty much there and then saw she was right.

We are passing this people in the street every day. They are mostly students, or young people looking to get and extra buck watching over other people’s pets.

They are always in a good mood, ready to smile at you. They move easily and look like they don’t have a worry in the world.

Relax…I’m not saying we should quit our jobs and become dog walkers. It’s just that walking the dog is good exercise.

Well …now you will ask, what happens if you don’t have a dog, or simply like me, you don’t want to put these kids out of business. The answer is very simple.

We can all enjoy an evening walk. Just take out your family for an ice cream and walk to the shop instead of driving.

Of course if you prefer you may take your friends for a walk in the mall. Hunting for sales on foot is quite a good exercise. That is why after shopping for a day we need a kind of moment to catch our breath.

If the shopping sounds an expensive solution for getting fit, you can always choose a park, or walking to church, or simply take your half for a walk like when you were young.

If you’re thinking you don’t have the time, you are thinking wrong. We don’t need a 48h day to have the time to walk. We just need the will to do it.

Walking improves breathing, the muscle activity, and the way that our heart works and even improves our blood pressure. There is no wonder that when we are angry we are told to “walk it off”.

So don’t forget your comfortable shoes and start walking. You will feel the results in no time.

It takes time and dedication, something that many fad diets do not require. Here are some tips to help you quickly convert your unwanted fat to muscle.

Reducing Your Caloric Intake

This is the first step in turning fat into muscle. Unfortunately, many people think they can simply lift weights and see results. However, when you consume fewer calories than your body burns for energy, it will reduce the amount of fat on your body.

While it certainly won’t happen overnight, you will notice that your muscles look more defined. You will also notice that your body mass index will decrease. It’s vital that you know how many calories you consume and how many you burn each day in order to start converting fat to muscle.

How to Determine Your Caloric Needs?

In order to burn fat, you have to eat fewer calories. However, if you don’t want to eat fewer calories, you can increase your activity level. The fastest way to reduce fat and increase muscle mass is to do both.

A reduction of 500 calories is all that is needed to start seeing fat loss. Muscle does not build as fast as fat, so you won’t see all your fat replaced with muscle right away. Because muscle grows slower, you need to start building muscle while you are losing fat. Don’t wait until you have lost fat to begin building muscle.

Nutritional Requirements

One of the main nutritional requirements to build muscle is protein. You will need to give your body enough protein to build muscle, but it also must be from a good source. Currently, the recommendation of protein is .36 grams per one pound of body weight.

The only time you may need more than this is if you are training extensively, such as for a marathon. Protein is made up of amino acids. Not all amino acids and protein are the same. Foods such as a steak and beans contain different types of protein.

Complete Proteins

Your body needs complete proteins to build muscle. Incomplete proteins are found in beans, nuts, peas, and vegetables. These do not contain essential amino acids. Your body cannot produce these essential amino acids.

They are only found in animal products, such as eggs, fish, meat, and dairy items. The best sources of these proteins when you are trying to turn fat into muscle are poultry, low fat dairy products, and fish.

Stick With It and Don’t Give Up

While you won’t turn your fat into muscle overnight, you can help speed up the process by combining your workout program with the proper healthy diet. The exercise will help you get rid of the fat by burning more calories, but also build your muscles to give you a more toned appearance.

Limit the number of times you eat out. Make a rule that you eat out no more than once or twice a week. This will automatically reduce the amount of extra calories that eating out generally means.

Pick slow food over fast food. This is a no-brainer but bears repeating: Fast food may be convenient but it is hardly healthy. Quickly and deep fried items made from Trans fats, refined flour with little or no nutritional value pass for food so give fast food a miss.

Order fewer or smaller portions. Portion control can be the key to any fitness program and should particularly be kept in mind when eating out.

Beware the sauce, the dressing! A portion of meat may not itself be fattening but drown it in gravy and you have a calorie fest. A salad, supposedly so healthy may render itself lethal with a high calorie dressing. Opt for vinaigrette dressing instead.

So remember, you can eat out as long as you eat smart!

However, each option for running has distinct benefits and demands.

Most people develop a preference for the type of running they find easiest. Some people prefer the feel of the wind on their face when taking a jog outdoors, while other people prefer the comfort and security of their own home.

If you are trying to determine which option is best for you, consider the following pros and cons of both types of exercise.

The Pros of Running Indoors On a Treadmill

When running indoors on a treadmill[treadmill exercise] you can enjoy the feeling of the machine moving beneath your feet. Instead of fighting to take the next step, you have no other option than to move forward. You can also eliminate the resistance of wind against your body by running indoors.

Treadmills allow you to control the surface you run on as well. If you are new to the workout game it may be easier to run on a flat surface than one that goes up and down and is uneven.

If you are prone to accidents you will find that a padded flat surface is much easier to navigate than one covered with rocks and natural debris.

You will also find that you can quickly increase the resistance of your workout by increasing the incline of your treadmill. Therefore, if you want to gradually increase difficulty, a treadmill can be a great option.

The Benefits and Demands of Outdoor Running

When choosing to run outdoors you will find there are many benefits. You can enjoy the feel of the sunshine on your body, while breathing in the fresh air all around you. You also get to enjoy a change of scenery as you run.

Many people find that running outside, and looking around, is more fun than staring at the inner walls of your home as you try to workout. However, you will want to consider the area that you will be traveling through during your run.

Is your neighborhood safe? Do you feel comfortable running at any time of day? If you do not feel safe in your local neighborhood running, you may want to enlist your friends to run with you.

However, that is another benefit of running outdoors. You can enjoy the company of friends as you run. Working out and losing weight is never easy. Therefore, forming a group of runners may be just the incentive you need to lose weight.

Indoor or Outdoor: Either Choice Is Great!

Whether you choose to run indoors or outdoors, making the effort to stay in shape is great. Research has shown that running can be a very beneficial exercise for heart and lung health. So try out the treadmill and the local track and discover which option is best for you.

You’ll need to increase your caloric intake by 500 calories at least. The key is to make sure these calories are not from sweets and candy.

Healthy foods, such as vegetables and meats, should make up the bulk of these extra calories. The catch is that with any increase in calories, you will need an intense workout routine to add muscle and not fat.

Here are some tips to help you gain healthy body weight, as well as bulk up by exercising.

Determine Your Routine

The very first thing you need to do is to figure out your eating and workout routine. Do you have the time to work out each day or only three or four times each week? Does your lifestyle allow for three meals a day or six small meals? While it’s important to eat enough food to gain weight, it’s also important to gain the right type of weight.

It’s more complicated to gain muscle than just adding a lot of calories to your diet. You must exercise and you must stress your muscles to the point of breakdown in order for them to become stronger and bigger.

Choose Your Exercises

This is obviously a very important step in gaining weight and bulking up through exercise. Gaining muscle is much different from losing weight, simply because you can choose which part of your body you would to work on. However, this can be a problem if you wish to work on one specific part of your body.

You’ll need to have a truly balanced program that will target all areas of your body. The best way to do this is to split up the different muscle groups every day.

You should also leave about 48 hours in between exercising the same group of muscles. You also do not want to do too much too quickly or you may quit. Free weights and machines together will give you the best workout.

Change Your Routine

You’ll need to change your routine as your muscles become accustomed to your workout. If you stay with the same routine, you will not progress any farther. It helps to keep a workout diary in order to know exactly how you are progressing, and what the next routine change needs to include, in order to make your muscles stronger and bigger.

Make the Right Choices and Enjoy a Healthy Weight

If you eat more without exercising, you will gain weight. However, you’ll gain fat not muscle. By increasing your caloric intake, along with the right exercise program, you will build stronger, bigger muscles. Keep changing your routine if you find that you are no longer progressing.

If you decide you don’t want to gain any more weight, you will need to decrease your intake of calories or increase the amount of exercise to burn calories. This would include cardiovascular or aerobic exercises. Good luck!

It should be a healthy but hearty combination of carbs and protein that will give you sustained energy all through the day.

Breakfast helps you build muscle

Since the stomach is empty in the morning this is the right time for it to fill it full of nutrients which the body will be more receptive to in the morning.

A high protein breakfast is helpful in one’s aim to gain lean muscle.

You won’t overeat during the day

If you have had a nutritious breakfast in the morning, you will feel full and satisfied for a longer time as a day progresses and you won’t be ravenous when the next meal time comes along, making it less likely that you will over eat.

You have more energy throughout the day

A healthy well balanced breakfast will make sure that your body has the fuel and the energy to face the day ahead and not flag or feel tired.

Keep being told that white bread is bad for you, for your health; why exactly is this so? What is it about white bread that is so bad for you? There are several reasons:

Refined flour

The refining of wheat flour strips it of many of the nutrients and health giving properties that wheat has.

The wheat germ and bran, which are the most nutritious part of the wheat grain, which includes vitamins and minerals are removed when making refined flour. What remains are starch and some protein.

The protein is not good quality protein. The starch is converted into sugar and is stored in the body as fat. Refined flour provides what are sometimes known as empty calories, or calories without the goodness or nutritional value of wholesome food.

Low Fiber

Fiber is essential for the healthy functioning of the human body and for the efficient working of the digestive system. In milling of refined flour, the fiber of the wheat grain is removed and what is left is not healthy.

Lack of sufficient fiber in the body also makes it difficult for the colon to evacuate the bowels of waste matter effectively, which can lead to Irritable Bowel Syndrome and even cancer of the colon.[colon cancer]

Digestive rates and the efficiency with which the food is digested slow down. There are also greater amounts of fat deposits and this increases how negatively eating white bread can impact health.

Bleaching

Ever wonder why that loaf of white bread is so white when the grain that it supposedly comes from is brown? Well the fact is that the flour that is used to make the bread is routinely bleached using chemicals, which results in the white color.

There are several harmful bleaching agents used for this and among them is chloride oxide, which, when combined with whatever proteins are still left in the flour, produces alloxan. This is a poison and has been used to produce diabetes in laboratory animals. Chlorine oxide destroys the vital wheat germ oil which is another nutritive element destroyed.

For someone who is used to eating white bread all their lives, the switch to whole grain bread (as against brown bread, which may simply have some caramel added for the color) may be a bit difficult however one can soon get used to it, and can also start to appreciate a healthier and tastier meal option.

The abdominal muscles, the hip muscles and the spine muscles form the core of the body, upon which the optimum functioning, stamina and overall ability of the body depends. It is these groups of muscles that the body depends upon for stability and it is from the core that the body derives its power to perform.

It isn’t abdominal exercises only that will help you work on your core strength; there are many more aspects to developing core strength. So concentrating on getting that six-pack won’t ensure core strength. You need to target a larger area.

If using equipment, use free weights like medicine balls, dumbbells, balance boards or wobble boards, stability balls and kettle-bells. There are several ways to develop core strength using nothing more than your body.

Abdominal bracing can be a little tricky to learn however with a little practice, you can do it, so long as you concentrate on even breathing and it can be very effective in developing core strength.

Push ups, squats, hip lifts, lunges, back extensions, Russian twists are all extremely helpful in developing strength, endurance and stamina.

To improve core strength, the aim should be to increase stamina and endurance, which may often take the form of unconventional exercise or disciplines: Yoga, which is seen to greatly improve flexibility and suppleness of the body, is seen to be great for improving core strength. Yoga is useful for centering and its meditative qualities also offer people mental relaxation which goes a long way in improving concentration.

The ancient discipline of Pranayam, which is related to yoga, is also useful for developing core strength, because the accent is on breathing in pranayam. For instance the Kapaal Bharti Pranayam concentrates on the strengthening the stomach muscles and has been described as an internal massage for the body’s organs.

Pilates is another discipline that is seen as being extremely useful in the improving core strength, because Pilates is all about balance. The graceful, precise movements of the pilate exercises ensure that the ability of the individual to center and to focus improves.