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May I know how long a person should sleep
at night? What effect would it have if a person doesn't get enough
sleep?
People normally need eight hours of sleep at night. There are others
who need only six or even four while the rest need ten. You will know
if it is the right amount for you if you wake up feeling refreshed
and you hardly need a nap during the day. The body needs a solid night's
sleep -- catching up on your sleep later in the day will not compensate.
Studies have found that your immune system is affected and eventually
you will be more susceptible to all kinds of diseases.
Are diet pills safe to use? If not, what's
the best alternative to use or do when dieting?
The best alternative to use or do while dieting is to exercise. This
is assuming, of course, that you are not dieting severely because
then you will not have the energy to do any type of exercise. Diet
pills are temporary crutches. You only lose weight while you are on
them. You cannot take them forever; otherwise, you will damage your
health permanently. When you stop taking the pills, the excess weight
will come creeping up again unless you exercise and eat moderately.
Can we take a shower immediately after
an hour of aerobic exercise? Or do we have to rest first? For how
long?
I am assuming that when you say you do an hour of aerobics, you have
a cool-down period wherein your heart rate drops back to normal. If
this is the case, it is perfectly okay to take a shower right after.
Sports medicine doctors and phlebologists (doctors who specialize
in veins) agree that it is safe. What would be unsafe would be to
jump into an extremely hot whirlpool, steam room, or sauna with your
heart rate still very high.
I just started working out in a gym. I'm
chubby but not that fat. I have a moderately pear shaped body. Is
it advisable for me to do weight training or should I just be in the
aerobics class? I just want to look fit & trim, not muscular;
but I do like to work out with these modern exercise machines.
If you have the time, I would suggest doing both the weights and aerobics.
Both programs complement each other nicely and will help you better
achieve your goal (even better, also modify the way you eat to lessen
fat and calories). The aerobics will help you have a stronger heart
and burn excess calories, while the weights will give you harder and
firmer muscles. Weight lifting will also increase your muscle mass
so you will burn more calories every minute of the day. You could
do thirty to forty minutes of the aerobic portion of the class, then
go do your weights. Or you could do the weights program and aerobic
classes on alternating days.
Is it okay if I work out during my menstrual
period?
Yes, it is okay to work out during your period. Many women find that
working out eases the symptoms of bloating, depression, lethargy,
lower back pain that usually accompany menstruation.
Why is it that I yawn (at times) when
I work out?
No one really knows why people yawn when they work out. Some theories
are that it is due to lack of oxygen or simply a sign of not having
enough sleep the night before.
Can weightlifting affect my growth (that
is, if I still have chances to gain height!)?
Lifting weights will not stunt your growth unless you lift such heavy
weights on your shoulder that you can hardly walk. Most of our growth
in height is over by the time we are in our early twenties.
Will running interspersed with walking
make my legs big? I walk two times a week for 45 minutes. I've noticed
that my legs are starting to get a bit bulky. Will walking help to
tone and trim down my heavy thighs?
Not everyone's legs bulk up from running or walking on inclined surfaces
but you might be one of the ones that do. Try walking and running
on flat surfaces. Yes, walking or running should help trim down heavy
thighs. Also lifting light weights will help. And, most of all, make
sure you eat the proper amounts of calories.
What exercise can I do to relieve stress
and anxiety?
All exercise relieves stress and anxiety - weight lifting, aerobic
type activity (walking, running, biking, aerobic dance classes, etc.),
stretching exercises (if you do this to dim lights and slow soft music,
it is especially relaxing). Massage with the right aromatherapy oils
can also be very beneficial (use the dim lights and soft music here
too!).
I'm trying to lose weight. Two months
ago I was 130 lbs. Now, I'm already 118 lbs. I don't know why I'm
not losing any weight anymore.
It is normal to go through a "weight plateau" wherein your weight
doesn't seem to go down no matter what you do. Scientists aren't exactly
sure how this happens but they think the reason is the body is trying
to protect your survival because it thinks that you are starving.
So it lowers your metabolism by conserving energy and hoarding all
the calories you eat. That's why in spite of the fact that you are
eating very little and exercising everyday your weight doesn't seem
to budge.
A doctor friend of mine said to use rapeseed
oil, which is unsaturated fat to break down other "bad" fats. Is this
true? What about taking cod liver oil?
Unsaturated fats are good for you but they do not somehow "eat up"
the bad fats which are saturated fats (animal fat). Unsaturated fats
come from plant sources like corn, soy, peanuts, sunflowers and rapeseed.
Cod liver oil is a source of Vitamin A. It doesn't do anything miraculous
either like destroy fat cells.
Is it normal for the body to slim down
first before the face?
Yes, it is possible to lose weight, for example, in the upper body
before the lower body. This depends on your own specific fat distribution
pattern. In your case, it seems to be body first, face last. You are
one of the lucky ones. Other people get very thin and haggard looking
in their face, but their body doesn't show much sign of weight loss.
Is there an exercise for the face?
According to many plastic surgeons, the muscles in our face are directly
attached to the skin so the more you move or "exercise" the face,
the more wrinkles you will eventually have. People who practice yoga
believe that you have to do special exercises for the face to keep
it looking young. No one really knows yet who is right.
I am willing to abstain from rice if you will assure me
that it will help much to reduce my weight. Some people claim that
rice is not the culprit while some say otherwise.
Rice, per se, is not a high calorie food if eaten in moderate quantities.
There is no magic in abstaining from rice unless you eat such large
volumes of rice at each meal that cutting rice out of your daily meals
will cause a large caloric deficit. Another way it can work is if
you are the type of person who has a much larger appetite for the
rest of the ulam if you eat rice together with your food. If you are,
then obviously removing the rice will also cause you to eat less of
everything else!
How many minutes should I exercise and
how often?
The amount of time you exercise and how often depends on your fitness
level and if you can realistically squeeze that duration and frequency
into your daily life. For weight loss, I would recommend building
up to an hour everyday (meaning Monday to Saturday with Sunday as
your rest day). If you are not used to this...build up to it slowly.
For example, start with 30 minutes three times a week, increase to
forty minutes, then one hour, then add one day to make it four times
a week, and so on until you are doing it six times a week.
Are diet pills safe?
Diet pills are not safe. They are only artificially effective meaning
they only work while you take them. It is not safe to take them forever
so when you stop, the weight comes back on and sometimes it returns
with a vengeance -- it brings along a few more unwanted pounds!
If I stop aerobics, will I get fat?
Stopping aerobics will not make you fat if you eat a little less than
you were while you were doing the aerobics. You see, whenever you
stop doing any type of exercise or sports that you were doing on a
regular basis you are no longer burning the equivalent number of calories.
If you continue to eat the same way, yes, you will eventually put
on some weight. This is also the explanation why most people put on
weight when they start to work in offices. They used to be so active
as teen-agers or when they were in college and when they work they
just sit down the whole day but they continue to eat the same amounts
of food. It is not surprising that they put on weight over a period
of time.
I'm planning to enroll in an aerobics
program, what fitness center would you recommend?
You need to enroll in a fitness center that is near you. If you have
never done aerobics, ask if they have beginner level classes. Otherwise,
you will not be able to cope with the intensity and complexity of
the classes. Try a few sessions and notice if the instructor cares
for his or her students. Does he or she offer modifications for those
with lower back or knee problems? Do they pay attention if their students
are doing it the right way? You should choose your aerobics classes
based on these criteria. Also ask where the instructor was trained
-- does he or she continuously attend educational seminars to keep
up with the latest research? Where do they take these seminars?
I've heard so much about the 3-day diet.
Does it really work?
The Three-Day Diet is nothing more than a very low calorie diet. Will
it work? Any diet that low in calories should work -- temporarily.
Why temporarily? Because you can't keep it up for very long. Hunger
and boredom with the food will overwhelm you then you will be back
to where you started. The solution to losing weight has always been
to "eat less and exercise more". Eating less should not involve starving
yourself, which will only lead to binge eating. Losing weight this
way is slow but steady -- and you will keep it off for life because
it is easy and realistic to maintain.
I'm one person who never eats vegetables
even in tiny servings. I used to have a strictly meat diet, but now
I just eat chicken and fish. Is this okay?
The best diet is a varied and balanced one. Fruits and vegetables
contain fiber, and other vitamins and minerals that fish don't. By
the way, there is no food that is bad in itself if we eat it in moderation
and together with other kinds of food. Poor nutrition happens when
our diet is very lopsided -- too much of one kind of food.
I would like to inquire from you if hydrogenated
palm oil makes you fat when using it to fry foods.
All kinds of oil are fattening (olive, corn, vegetable, palm, etc.).
The reason they are so fattening is that oil is pure fat. 1 fat gram
equals 9 calories while protein and carbohydrates only equal 4 calories
each. When you fry food, the food absorbs all the oil. But not all
oils are equal when it comes to having a healthy heart and blood vessels.
Hydrogenated oils have a substance called "trans-fatty acids" which
damage the blood vessels in just the same manner as saturated fat
(oil from animal sources). Heart-healthy oils are vegetable oils,
which are not hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated.
Is yogurt acceptable for dessert?
Yogurt is a good substitute for dessert if it is low fat or non-fat,
and eaten in moderation. It also gives you protein and calcium.
Which type of exercise machine would be
more effective in helping me lose weight -- a "rider" or a "strider"?
I plan to purchase one in the near future and don't want to get stuck
with a lemon.
Both will help you lose weight by burning extra calories, however,
there are a few more tips you should know about.
I would like to know the correct amount
of weights (using dumbbells) to be used to firm and tone arm muscles
without building up muscle.
If you can lift the dumbbell 15 - 20 times before you get tired, then
it is light enough to tighten and firm the muscles without enlarging
them.
What can you say about the "after-six" diet?
There is some wisdom to "not eating after six or seven" if this keeps
you from snacking at night. However, some people believe that they
can eat whatever they want during the day and they won't get fat as
long as they eat before six o'clock! It is wise to not eat two hours
before going to bed to aid digestion. When we sleep, many of our body
processes slow down (digestion included). Some sensitive people get
an upset tummy from eating right before sleeping especially if they
eat rich, fatty food. If you are a very active person, it doesn't
really matter what time of day you eat because any calories stored
will be burned anyway through exercise.
I come from an obese family. Aside from my parents, my aunts
and uncle are also fat. Can I still lose weight?
Yes, obesity does have a strong genetic component. What are the eating
and exercise habits of your parents, uncles and aunts? Weight loss
experts say that if they eat properly and exercise religiously, but
are still overweight, then there is a definite genetic pattern. But
if they eat a lot of excess calories and do not exercise, the majority
of the reason for the obesity is poor lifestyle habits that are passed
on from the parents to the children.
Is it okay to wear ankle or leg weights while walking? Will
it give me firmer and slimmer legs?
Using leg weights, no matter how light, while walking, is not a good
idea. It subtly changes the biomechanics of how you walk and may eventually
cause injury as your muscles try to compensate without your even realizing
it. To shape your lower body, you need exercises with light leg weights.
Walking helps to slim down the legs because it burns extra calories.
Will I gain weight if I suddenly stop
going to gym? Does irregular exercise make a person gain weight?
Stopping exercise can make you gain weight if you continue to eat
the same way when you were exercising because you are no longer burning
the same calories you did when you were attending gym. If you replaced
your gym workouts with brisk walking or you lessened the amount of
food you eat, you will not gain weight. Irregular exercise doesn't
make you gain weight. On the contrary, it should help you burn some
extra calories.
Can regular workouts lower our cholesterol level?
Your total cholesterol score is composed of LDL (or "bad" cholesterol)
and HDL (or "good" cholesterol). Exercise doesn't seem to affect the
bad cholesterol (eating less saturated fat does) but it increases
the good cholesterol. When you exercise and eat less saturated fat
(these are fats from animal sources), your total cholesterol is usually
lowered and the ratio should change for the better -- less bad cholesterol
and more good cholesterol.
What foods are good for losing weight?
There is no food that will make you lose weight by eating it. But
there are foods that are low in calories so you can eat a moderate
amount without eating too many calories. Examples of these foods are
fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, etc. Meanwhile, there are other
foods that are very high in calories. They are not "bad" food but
should only be eaten in very small quantities. Examples are soft drinks,
mayonnaise, butter, etc.
What should I do to make my breasts larger?
Exercise helps to firm your chest muscles and lifts the breasts higher,
but that's all. The breast itself is made up of milk gland tissue
and fatty tissue (fifty percent each) and is not affected by exercise.
Aside from plastic surgery, there is actually very little that can
be done to make the cup size bigger. By the way, losing or gaining
weight also affects the size of the breasts if you have the type of
body that stores fat in the upper portion.
Does walking help trim the tummy?
Walking helps to trim the fat over the tummy because cardiovascular
exercise (walking, jogging, dancing, cycling, aerobics, etc.) burns
fat all over the body. However, walking will not firm the muscles
in your abdominal area. To do that, you need to do specific abdominal
exercises. Tight, firm abdominal muscles help to keep the tummy flat.
Should I refrain from attending aerobics classes while we're
trying to conceive or should I quit only upon knowledge of my pregnancy?
First of all, you should consult your gynecologist. If your gynecologist
approves, there is no reason why you cannot continue to exercise while
you are trying to conceive. If you have no contraindications, it would
be preferable for you to continue to exercise while you are pregnant.
Exercise will keep you fit and free from the usual aches and pains
usually associated with pregnancy.
My trainer told me I was flat-footed.
What does that mean? How can I remedy my "condition"? What are the
risks of being flat-footed and regularly pounding on the treadmill?
"Flat-footed" means the arch of your foot is not as "arched" as it
should be but is rather flat. A practical way to find out is to step
with a wet foot on a piece of paper... if the imprint shows your whole
foot instead of the typical half moon pattern, then you have flat
feet. Flat feet or fallen arches cause the knees to bend inward. Aside
from eventually causing pain in the knees, this can, in turn, throw
the hips and spine out of alignment leading to lower back problems
as well. Flat feet can be helped with "orthotic devices" or arch supports.
You need to see an orthopedic doctor to diagnose whether or not you
really have flat feet. He or she will prescribe the correct orthotic
device to wear with your shoes.
If I do sit-ups before eating, will it make my tummy bulge
even more? When should I do my sit-ups? Before or after eating?
I don't believe that doing sit-ups before eating makes the tummy bulge
even more. However, the best time to do sit-ups is definitely before
eating. It can be very uncomfortable to do your sit-ups on a full
stomach -- in fact, you may even feel like throwing up! (Note: by
sit-ups, I mean abdominal crunches wherein your lower back is kept
in contact with the floor the whole time.)
My problem area has always been my "lovehandles". I regularly do some
abdominal crunches but nothing seems to happen.
"Lovehandles" aren't affected much by abdominal crunches (even diagonal
and lateral crunches) because they are fat deposits. They are common
among males and can be just as stubborn to remove as saddlebags in
women. Nature must have made sure we would always have a fat deposit
to fall back against in times of famine. Something like a camel's
hump! To get rid of the "lovehandles" requires eating less and exercising
more (aerobically) to burn excess calories. Sometimes, in spite of
all that, the blasted things won't budge (genetics, age, etc.). Keep
doing your abdominal exercises because tight ab muscles help to hold
in all the intestines and internal organs the way a tight girdle flattens
the abdominal area.
Is it true that lifting weights is not
a recommended form of exercise since it has a tendency to increase
peripheral resistance and thus increase blood pressure?
Contrary to what was believed before, weight lifting has now been
found to improve hypertension just like cardiovascular or aerobic
exercise. However, there are a few guidelines you have to follow:
- Do not lift weights
over your head.
- Do not lift very
heavy weights.
- Do not hold the
weights (dumbbells) very tightly as this can block the flow of blood
to your arm.
- Exhale on the
exertion (when you lift the weight).
- Never hold your
breath.
What bad effects are supposed to happen if one overdoses
on Vitamin A?
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin. It is stored primarily in the liver.
Excess Vitamin A accumulates there -- it is not excreted out of the
body. Therefore, the number one bad effect is it can ruin your liver.
This may make you more prone to liver cancer, hepatitis, cirrhosis of
the liver etc. since your liver cannot function properly or efficiently
to fight off these diseases should you ever be prone to them. If you
are a woman, taking more than 10,000 units of Vitamin A while pregnant
can give you the risk of having a defective child.
I work out regularly in the gym doing weight lifting and
cardiovascular exercises. However, when I swam a few laps in a pool
a few weeks ago, I felt tired easily. What could be the reason for this?
One of the basic principles of fitness is called the "specificity of
training". It means that you become fit in whatever you train for. Since
your fitness routine consists of the treadmill, stairclimber, and stepper
plus weights, these are the activities that you will be fit in. You
haven't been doing swimming as part of your regular routine. That's
why you felt tired when you swam. If you swim regularly, your swimming
endurance will improve. It doesn't mean that you aren't fit, just that
you are not specifically fit for swimming. A swimmer who doesn't do
the stairclimber or bike will also feel tired when he or she tries these
machines.
Sometimes I notice the cellulite on my buttocks and thighs,
and sometimes I don't. Why is this so?
The reason that sometimes you see your cellulite and sometimes you don't
is because of the kind of light you are under. Fluorescent lights and
sometimes halogen lights will make skin look wavier. Soft incandescent
is probably the most flattering light to be under. In the same manner,
if you are very white, skin looks wavier and more dimpled than when
you are tan.
Whenever I do sit-ups, my back hurts. Am I doing something
wrong?
Something is definitely wrong if your back is hurting you. Are you doing
full sit-ups? These exercises can sometimes hurt the lower back. If
you are, try switching to crunches instead (only curling the upper torso
thirty degrees) wherein the lower back remains on the floor the whole
time. See if your lower back pain stops.
Is it bad to eat too much bread every day?
Eating too much of anything is not good because an excess of calories
from any kind of food will be stored as fat. To get the greatest amount
of vitamins and minerals, you need to eat a variety of foods.
I seldom experience muscle soreness. Is
it okay? My trainer says it is better to have muscle soreness because
it means there is an effect.
You don't necessarily have to experience muscle soreness to see effects
on your muscles. Muscle soreness happens when you do an exercise that
you are either not used to or you increase the frequency or duration
or intensity of an exercise abruptly.
What do you think is better for weight loss?
Aerobics or weight training.
In my opinion and a lot of research on the subject, both weights and
aerobics are better than aerobics only or weights only. The aerobics
helps you burn calories and increases your efficiency to burn fat. The
weights increase your muscle mass so you burn more calories throughout
the whole day. Lifting weights will also shape and firm up your muscles
better than aerobics only can. However, don't be surprised if you are
smaller but you haven't lost much weight on the scale. As muscles get
firmer and harder, they also get heavier. This is a good sign.
I recently bought an all in one gym equipment. I do not
seem to see any results from it. I have been on it for about a month
now. Do those total gyms work? How soon do you think should I see toning
and weight loss?
Total gyms are good for muscle toning and tightening. You should see
some results in about six weeks. If you want to lose weight, total gyms
are just part of the solution. You need to focus more time on aerobic
exercise.
Is it true that we must not sit immediately
after we eat our breakfast, lunch or dinner?
I have heard people say this, but I have not seen any kind of research
either for or against it. I have heard that the reason why people shouldn't
sit down immediately after eating our meals is because our stomach will
grow big -- is this the same reason you have heard. Frankly, I don't
think sitting down after eating makes your tummy big. It's sitting down
the whole day, no exercise, and eating too much that causes a big tummy!
When is the right time to exercise, morning
or evening?
Anytime is good as long it fits your schedule.
Is it true that one cup of rice is even
less fattening that two slices of white bread?
One cup of rice has more or less the same calories as two slices of
white bread. However, many people make the mistake of having too big
a "cup". Be sure to measure it with a correct measuring tool like those
for baking.
Is pesto sauce fattening?
All foods can be fattening when eaten to excess. Pesto sauce is made
with a lot of olive oil and , therefore, is high in calories, but can
be eaten in SMALL quantities to avoid it becoming "fattening".
Is it true that whole-wheat cereal is non-fattening?
There is no such food that is non-fattening, even non-fat foods, because
they also contain other calories from carbohydrates or protein. There
are low and high calorie versions of whole-wheat cereal depending on
the brand. Always remember, anything eaten in excess will be stored
as fat.
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