How to satisfy your desire for eating in a healthy way?

Delicious and healthy small snacks

• Apple with honey and peanut butter. Mix equal amount of honey and peanut butter. Cut an apple on pieces and put on them a thin layer of the prepared mixture. Instead of apple, you can use rice cakes.
• Mix of dried fruits and nuts. Mix a cup of dried apricots, ½ cup dried cranberries, ½ cup roasted almonds, ½ cup sunflower seeds, 1 cup peanuts or nuts. Put them all in a bag and shake it. Divide the mixture into 10 small sachets and you will have healthy snacks whenever you want.
• Fruit yogurt. In a cup of yogurt that contains a small percentage of fat put frozen or fresh strawberries, blueberries or blackberries and a bit of chopped almonds and walnuts.
• Orange with sugar and cinnamon. Take an orange and cut it into 4 thin circles. Then stir 2 tablespoons orange juice with 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon sugar and ¼ tablespoon cinnamon. With this mixture spray orange slices. Each of these 4 sweet pleasures contains 85 calories.

Crunchy snacks to 100 calories

• Frozen grapes. This is the perfect appetizer if you want to take something sweet. Wash each grape separately and arrange them on kitchen paper so they will not touch one with another. Put them in a deep freeze chamber and once they are frozen, assemble them in a bag and bring them back in the freezer again. Whenever you wanna chocolate, take 10 frozen grapes and your desire for sweet will pass.
• Baby carrot. Eat 10 baby carrots and you won't enter more than 60-70 calories, and while you eat them you will miss the desire for chips.
• Popcorn. Consume 3 cups popcorn made ​​without oil.
• Peanuts. Fill two tablespoons of peanut. In that way you will determine the dose that will not bring you more than 100 calories, and will be an excellent substitute when you want to eat crisps.

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You don't lose weight because...

1. Exercising on an empty stomach. Do you skip a meal before you start with physical activity? It is time to stop this bad habit because the calories you burn come from the muscles, not from the fat. And the more muscle a person has, the more calories are burned. Having a meal before exercising will not only help you to save muscle mass, but will give you more energy to complete the workout. Perfect meal time is about 1.5-2 hours before starting with physical activity.

2. You reward yourself. "I exercise an hour - I earn two pieces of cake." In your head exercise may  justifies the intake of extra calories, but do not be surprised when the scale does not show the desired results. Physical activity usually does not burn as many calories as you imagine, but significantly less. (For example, one hour aerobics burns about 450 calories and a normal chocolate (100g) has about 500 calories.) It is recommended that your meal after exercise contains about 150 calories.

3. You eat too little. Yes, it is true that if you want to lose weight there should be less calories, but the number of entered calories can be a serious obstacle for weight loss. The human body has built up its own defense mechanism to survive in extreme conditions. When you enter few calories, it slows down the metabolism and burning calories and begins to store fat, because it "thinks" that starvation will continue. Well, at some point, despite exercise your weight will be the same. Generally women should not enter less than 1,200 calories per day.

4. Your workout is a routine. It is great that your workout is a habit, but not when you do it without effort. Repeating the same exercises is not a good strategy for weight loss because the body gets used to the exercises and begin to burn fewer calories. Therefore, your weight will be the same. To lose weight and to have a maximum effect of exercise, you should constantly change the exercises, to increase their intensity, sequence and rest between them.

5. Your weights are too small. Training with weights builds your muscles and speed up your metabolism, which leads to burning more calories. Exercising with light weights does not lead to increased muscle mass. Choose a weight that will tire your muscles after 12 repetitions. When you can do 15 reps with that weights, increase the weight. Minor muscle pain is normal, but you should not feel a strong sharp pain.

6. You are not sleeping enough (7-8 hours). Lack of sleep can reduce the benefits of your body workout and have the opposite effect than desired. For muscles to work at full capacity, you need to give them the needed rest. Moreover, the lack of sleep reduce your energy, slows metabolism and increases your appetite, and does not support your weight loss efforts.

7. You have a health problem. If you are doing everything that is recommended for weight loss and notice that your weight increase rather than decrease, it is best to consult your doctor. There are certain medical conditions that can affect your weight, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, hormonal disorders, thyroid problems, etc.. Also, increased weight can be due to certain medications you take. In any case, it is necessary to consult with an expert.

8. You expect results too soon. If you expect to reduce weight in the first 1-2 weeks of exercise, you can only be disappointed. You can see the exercise benefits after 2-4 weeks, at least. Patience is the key to your success.

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Physical activity - Calories

Exercise is an important part of the weight loss process and necessary for having a shaped body. Even if you eat healthy food without exercising you will not have a nice shaped body.

Physical activity causes the body to consume more energy and thus more calories. It is well known that we only lose weight if we spend more calories than we consume them. This means that in order to reduce weight, should either reduce calories or burn more calories through exercise.

Each exercise requires a different effort and because of that some exercises are more effective in burning calories and others not so much.

Here are some of the basic physical activity and the number of calories burned for 1 hour:

Physical Activity	121 pounds	132 pounds	154 pounds
Walking (slow)	138	151	176
Walking (fast)	211	230	268
Running (slow)	444	484	564
Running (moderate)	610	665	775
Running (fast)	777	847	987
Cycling (15-20km/h)	333	363	423
Cycling (21-25km/h)	555	605	705
Riding a stationary bike	485	528	616
Swimming	332	361	421
Swimming (butterfly)	609	664	773
Swimming(breaststroke)	554	604	704
Swimming (backstroke)	442	482	562
Dancing (ballet, twist)	360	393	458
Modern dances (slow)	166	181	211
Modern dances (fast)	250	272	317
Aerobic (slow)	277	302	352
Aerobic (fast)	387	422	492
Water Aerobic	221	241	281
Gymnastics	222	242	282
Jumping rope	555	605	705
Exercise with weights	249	271	316
Tai Chi	221	241	281
Boxing (boxing bag)	332	361	421
Kick-boxing	554	604	704
Basketball	444	484	564
Handball	664	724	844
Volleyball	166	181	211
Tennis	388	423	493
Badminton	249	271	316
Ping Pong	222	242	282
Bowling	166	181	211
Billiards	138	151	176
Hiking	444	484	564
Skiing	359	392	457
Ice skating	387	422	492

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Eating in restaurant

If you want to have a healthy life and great body shape, you have to come to terms with the fact that you can not avoid the occasional feeding in restaurants and need to learn how to make the right choices from the menu to save the diet effect.

Plan what you will order. Today a large number of restaurants and bars have their own websites where they post their menu. Well, before going out, consider everything offered in the menu. That way you can make a choice before you get there.

Do not get out starving. About 30-60 minutes before you leave your home, take a small snack (eg: almonds, banana, apple, soup or low calorie fruit yogurt). If you arrive at the restaurant starving there is a risk of overeating.

Order first. Do not wait for others to make their orders because you will be more tempted to join them and order something with more calories. Order early to avoid the influence from other people's orders.

Start with water. While waiting for your food, drink at least one glass of water. Water will help you to fill a little your stomach and also reduces the number of stored calories.

If you drink alcohol, choose wine. Cocktails and spirits  contain many calories that can distort your diet. If you have already decided to drink alcohol, choose wine. The best choice is a white wine, because you will be able to mix with carbonated water. You will enter a minimum of liquid calories.

Do not be hungry. Many of you decide to skip eating and just drink when you are out. That is a mistake. Starvation will make you feel depressed and will create frustration. As a result of that, you will quit your diet. The body needs food to be able to burn calories.

Pay attention on the way food is prepared. Choose something that contain words such as roasted, grilled, boiled, steam cooked, and skip meals that are describe as fried or breaded. There is a big difference between grilled chicken steak and breaded steak.

Eat half portion. The other half share it with your friends or ask to pack it up for home. Immediately you have your order, ask for an extra plate and put it the half portion in it. So you will not be tempted to eat a whole.

Eat slowly and enjoy the discussion. Chew slowly and enjoy every bite. Do not hold the fork constantly in your hands. Put it down and give your brain a time to realize how much food you ate.

Skip dessert. After the meal, put in your mouth mint gum or candy to satisfy the desire for something sweet. But if you can not resist, however, and decide to order dessert, the best choice is a fruit salad, without icing or chocolate topping.

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Summer food

Most people diet and exercise in spring, so they can be in a good shape for the summer. But if you didn't manage to enter in top form, don't be disappointed.

`Summer is the ideal season for dieting and weight loss. Experts say that people who are on a diet in summer achieve greater success.

`One of the reasons is that the sunlight increases the level of serotonin, the hormone of happiness. Increased level of serotonin will reduce your desire for eating, especially the desire to consume fatty or sugary fatty foods.

`Another advantage that summer brings is the ability to spend a long time outdoors. Increased physical activity, whether it be normal walks around town or playing sports in the park, is leading to a greater number of burned calories and weight loss.

`Best of all is that in the summer there are so many delicious food that does not contain a lot of calories. There are plenty of low-fat fruits and vegetables, so you can not only enhance your appearance but also improve your health. Here are some of them:

Watermelon

Watermelon is a great fruit to tread thirst in the summer heat, as well as to satisfy your desire for sweet foods. And all this without increasing your weight. If you are feeling hungry and/or thirsty, you will not mistake if you choose watermelon.

But watermelon is not just water. It is an excellent source of vitamins A, C and B6.

150g watermelon = 45kcal

Beetroot

Beets reduces weight in different ways. It helps to get rid of excess water that is retained in the body, prevents constipation, and contain vegetable fiber which play an important role in the fight against fat.

Consumption of beets will help you deal with fatigue and depression.

One of the most important vitamins for women, folic acid, is present in beets. Moreover, beets is a rich source of magnesium, iron, vitamin C and potassium, and enhances immunity, protects against many cancers (particularly colon cancer) and heart disease.

85g beetroot = 37kcal

Black plums

Whether you eat them fresh or dried, black plums are great for keeping your line, because they are low-fat and rich with vegetable fiber and vitamin C.

Dried plums are ideal snack. It helps you to satisfy your appetite without consuming a lot of calories.

66g black plums = 30kcal

Blueberries

Blueberries are super foods that fight many diseases, because it contains many antioxidants that destroy free radicals in the body. They improve circulation, while reducing body fat, especially in the abdomen.

This fruit is an excellent source of vitamin C, magnesium, vitamin E and vegetable fiber.

70g blueberries = 40kcal

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5 reasons to start running

Many people start running because of various reasons. Is it to lose weight, be healthier or they simply want to try something new.

Here are five important reasons why it is good to deal with this physical activity:

1. It is too easy and simple. To start running you do not need new fitness devices and should not learn new skills. All you need are good shoes and nice sports bra.

2. Running reduces stress. Many women claim they solve their problems more easily while running. A study done by the University of Georgia, which includes only women, proves this. It is caused concern and anxiety among the participants - half of them are left to rest, and the other half to run on a stationary bike. Analyzing their behavior shows that running is three times more effective in reducing anxiety and concern.

3. Running protects you from diseases. Most experts agree that daily exercise reduces the risk of diseases like cancer. The results of the research done in the UK shows that people who are more active (those who walk 5-6 hours per week) have 24% less likely to suffer from colon cancer, than the less active people (those who walk 30 minutes a week). Another study shows that women with normal weight who are physically active (running, aerobics, tennis) have a 30% lower risk of developing breast cancer than women who are not physically active. People who run, can better able with diabetes and heart disease. Running also lowers blood pressure, increases the level of "good" cholesterol in the body and improves the immune system, helping the body fight colds and viruses easily.

4. If you run regularly, you'll probably live longer. Research conducted by Stanford University examined 538 people who run and 423 which do not run during the period 1984 - 2005. All participants were over 50 years and were measured their capabilities for doing ordinary things: opening milk, washing hair, cutting meat, etc.. Each year the abilities of the "inactive" participants decreased. At the end of the study, still were alive 85% of participants who ran regularly and 66% of participants who were not active.

5. Running helps to reduce weight. This is one of the most common reasons why people begin to run. They want to "break" a few extra pounds. You will not go wrong if you choose running to achieve desired weight. An hour calmly running burns about 200 calories, but if you accelerate the pace will burn more.

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