Fast Lose Weight

Wishing all of you, a very happy new year! Hope you have a fantastic 2009. Don’t forget to include your fitness as part of your resolutions!

Whether your goal is a six pack, or getting into that size 2 dress, packing on serious muscle, or just to kick start your weight loss … Cheers to all our 2009 fitness resolutions!

Photo - 2009 Resolutions

So, what is your resolution for 2009? I always keep goals that have clear targets. I’ve met some. Here’s my list for the past few years:

2006- My goal was to be able to run 10 miles (16 km). I ran my first half marathon that year- 13.1 miles (21 km).?? In 2006, I also did my first stair climb- race up a 50 floor skyscraper. I completed it in 7.17 minutes, and ranked 26th out of over a 1000 people.

2007- My goal was to beat that time for the 2006 stair climb. I did it in 6.51 minutes and ranked 17th.

2008- The last quarter of 2007 was not good for my fitness, due to personal reasons. So, my goal was to get back into my 2007 shape. I’m still working on it. Oh well, here’s 2009

2009- My goal is to to start swimming again, bench press 1.5 times my weight and to squat twice my body weight.

Now, you tell me yours!

Fitho is with you to help you achieve those goals. If you ever have any questions, feel free to contact us. You can email us at shridhar@fitho.in, or comment on any of our articles. We do our best to respond to comments, with our own comments!

… and some of our readers have already shared their resolutions!

Post from: Fitho.in. If you'd like to read more health and fitness information, check out Fitho.in

Don't Miss

• 5 Best Mascaras - Expert Reviews…
• 5 Tips to Embrace the Nude Lip Look…
• Best Beauty Pick of the Day: Nars Blush Super Orgasm

As I scanned through fashion magazines, my eyes were drawn in the beauty of the models’ eyes. Beauty was not only peripheral in this case, I found myself mesmerized by rich colors, shades and tones…

So the hunt for the best eyeshadows began… and as a result, I came to a conclusion that there are actually 9 Eyeshadows that are truly the best:

1. Dior 5-Color EyeShadow Compact

What It Is: It’s a palette of five rich powder eyeshadow colors, 18 various shades are available.

What It Does: It allows you to be a master makeup artist and create multitude makeup looks – from the simplest look to the most sophisticated look – depending on your mood.

Product Description: A seductive palette of five rich and versatile colors that allows you to create a multiple of make-up looks, from the simplest to the most sophisticated.

My Comments: Best Splurge Shadow ever!  Posh to the extreme, Christian Dior’s bold powder shadows are rich, silky and made with intense pigments, they will seem to last forever. Value for your money, it’s like wearing velvet on your eye. My favorite palette for winter: Secret Charm.  I am sure you will find yours too among those fabulous 18 shades!

Average Price: You can order this beautiful baby at dior.com for $53.50. Yes, it’s a bit stiff, but a little goes a long way, so it’s well worth the price!

2. Silky Eyeshadow Duo by Chanel

What It Is: As per my friend Kittycat, who is a self-confessed makeup junkie, this is the best powder eyeshadow ever!

What It Does: Allows for a smoother application and long-lasting wear.

Product Description: Silky powder shadow combos in runway shades, from pearls to mattes, are quilted in the fashion of Chanel. Colours go on ultra-smoothly, stay put for hours without creasing. Two applicators make short work of lining and shading lids. Apply dry for subtle shadowing or slightly moistened for a more defined look.

My Comments: I love Chanel products in general (though I can’t afford everything), but thankfully, this particular one, I can. My friend showed me her collection of Chanel Silky Eyeshadow Duo and I must agree with her, it does look yummy. I tried the Desert Rose and I think it’s the Best Everyday Shadow. Use your own professional shadow brush though for more control and better application.

Average Price: This can be bought at chanel.com for $40.

5 Best Mascaras - Expert Reviews…

3. Ombre Absolue Duo Radiant Smoothing Eye Shadow Duo 6 Hour Hold by Lancome

What It Is: It’s a light powder shadow designed especially for comfort.

What It Does: This allows you to wear your eyedshadow all day without creases or fading.

Product Description: The ultra-fine Velvet Complex™ delivers luxurious softness to every shade and glides on with feather-light texture, for perfect comfort. A luminous, creaseless finish with long-lasting coverage. Ophthalmologist-tested. Fragrance-Free.

My Comments: These shadows are great for sensitive eyes and dry skin. I find them moisturizing and light to the skin. The color applies evenly and easily. Very nice shadows! Though it didn’t last for six hours, it came close. And the colors are so pretty, it evens out the scale. I really loved it!

Average Price: Lancome’s site lancome-usa.com offers this duo for $35.

4. Paint Pot by MAC

What It Is: Paint Pot is a cream eyeshadow in dozens of fabulous colors.

What It Does: It allows you for easier blending and adds more depth to your eye.

Product Description: A highly pigmented eye colour that goes on creamy but dries to an intense, vibrant finish. The next generation of a popular M·A·C formula, Paint Pots maintains all the intense traits of its inspiration. Long-wearing, colourfast. Creates seamless coverage without weight or caking. Blends smoothly over the lids. Cream-based, can be mixed with M·A·C shadows and liners. Available in matte and pearl formulas.

My Comments: MAC is in their third collection of Paint Pot and I love them even more. All in all, MAC has improved the formulas over the past months making their newer releases even creamier and has better staying power. Use the shimmery ones to give a beautiful pop of color and add fabulosity to your eye makeup. Also, a little secret… the nude beige color matches the skin tone perfectly, so you can also use this as a concealer.

Average Price: This can be bought at nordstrom.com for only $16.50.

7 Steps for Creating a Perfect Smoky Eye Look…

Our previous post was on Eating Habits that Make you Fat- how many are you guilty of? Whatever that number might be, Fitho is here to help you fix those, and convert them into eating habits that make you reduce your weight and lose the fat!

1. When you pass by a bakery, don’t walk in to get something to eat. If you’re truly hungry, eat a fruit. If you don’t have other options, get a wheat bread sandwich or a salad.

2. During office hours, keep eating every few hours. Stress can reduce your hunger pangs, so people don’t eat assuming they’re not hungry. On the contrary, you should keep feeding your body every few hours. It has a double benefit. It keeps your metabolism up, and it helps to distract you from your work, so it reduces stress levels.

3. When you???re stressed, go for a run or play a sport. Its a great stress buster. Don’t eat. Or take your kids to the park and play with them.

4. When you???re not hungry, say no to food. Compulsive eating is big reason for obesity. People don’t know when to stop or how to stop till all the food in sight is over.

5. Instead of dessert, end your meals with a fruit. Its sweet so it satisfies your sweet tooth, and its good for you. Sugary desserts make you fat (read more)

To view this image, click 'view images' in your email

6. When you see junk food, think of how long it will take you to burn it off, and you will not eat it. Read here if chocolate cake tempts you.

7. If you see a plate of cookies, have one and move the plate out of sight. Simple trick to control your brain- out of sight, out of mind.

8. When you???re feeling down, go shop, or go for a walk, or call a friend. Don’t over-eat- it only makes you fat.

9. If you over-eat, then serve yourself 60% of your regular serving. Finish it, wait for 10 minutes, and then see if you really are hungry, or just greedy for more food.

And finally, the carnal eating habit to get fit:

10. Eat a good breakfast. It gives you energy, increases your metabolism and reduces your junk food binging. do you need more reasons?

Post from: Fitho.in. If you'd like to read more health and fitness information, check out Fitho.in

There are certain habits, that make people fat. And we’ve compiled a list of them for you. Check them out and tell us how many of them you are guilty of:

1. When you pass by a bakery, you always enter and buy some goodies.

2. During office hours, you don’t feel hungry if you’re loaded with work.

3. When you’re stressed, you find it relaxing to eat.

4. Even when you’re not hungry, you can’t say no to food.

5. Lunch and Dinner are not complete without a dessert.

To view this image, click 'display images' in your email

6. When you see junk food, you can’t resist it.

7. Only God can save a plate of cookies in front of you.

8. When you’re feeling down, you eat to feel better.

9. You keep eating till you feel stuffed. Basically, you over-eat.

And finally, the carnal eating habit to gain fat:

10. You don’t eat breakfast.

So, what was your count? Don’t worry if your count was high. In the next part of the article, we’ll give you a list of eating habits that can make you fit!

Post from: Fitho.in. If you'd like to read more health and fitness information, check out Fitho.in

Have you ever been to a bar, and seen someone really hot, but they always look like they’re drinking? Ever wondered how they are that way even though they’re pounding down the alcohol and still look so good, while you’re working your ass of in the gym, and still have that extra fat!

In the first part of this article, we gave you a list of low calorie alcoholic drinks and a list of high calorie drinks to watch out for. Here, we give you some smart drinking tips.

Switch with water: After each drink, have a glass of water. It will help to fill you up, so you drink less empty calories. Alcohol dehydrates your body. With lack of water, your metabolism slows down, so you burn fewer calories. So, hydrate yourself with water.

To view image in email, click 'display images'

Eat less before the party: No, don’t starve. But if your intention of hitting the bar is to get tipsy, then you should eat less before drinking. That way, fewer drinks will get you tipsy. Fewer drinks means fewer calories.

Equate to workout: Before you order your next round of alcohol, try to think about how much work it would take to burn it off! to burn a 100 calories, an average person has to jog about 1.5 kms. A glass of red wine is about a 100 calories. Now, you want to order another 4?!

Beat the pressure: Your friends will pressure you to drink, but be stronger than that. Your friends will understand.

Post from: Fitho.in. If you'd like to read more health and fitness information, check out Fitho.in

Most of you know that alcoholic drinks contain loads of calories and promote fat storage in the body. If you didn’t, now you do. But we still enjoy a few drinks. Like food, not all drinks are equally bad. There are some lower calorie options. So watch what you drink at the bar, and it could be less damaging to your waistline. Below is a list of alcoholic drinks that are light on the calories. They are all around 100 calories:

1. Champagne, Red Wine: Per glass, both these drinks contain less than a 100 calories.

2. Diet Lime Vodka: A 30 ml shot of vodka, with diet lime soda and a splash of lime.

3. Gin & Tonic: This classic drink is also low on calories. Better yet, if its diet Tonic.

4. Diet Cuba Libre: A 30 ml shot of rum, a splash?? of lime and top off with diet cola.

Photo- cokctail (shrtbutfast@flickr)

Some popular drinks that are loaded with calories are: Long Island Iced Tea, White Russian, Pina Colada. Basically, all large servings of alcohol mixed with sugary juices, cream, liqueurs, etc can bust your weight loss plans.

So, next time you order that drink at the bar, order smart. Watch out for our next part of this series on dinking smart!

Post from: Fitho.in. If you'd like to read more health and fitness information, check out Fitho.in

Sounds unbelievable, but if you are at a McDonalds and still want to eat healthy, we have a fantastic news for you- You can do it!

The Mexican Chicken Wrap at McDonalds is a tasty and healthy option at McDonalds India. Since its got chicken, it has protein which will help build muscle and burn calories. Its not fried with much breading (the crisp stuff coating the chicken), so its not ridden with bad carbs, and will less breading, it also absorbs less fat. The most amazing part is still not over, which is the bread that it is wrapped in is not made from refined flour! We confirmed this from employees of McDonalds. The wrap bread is made from whole grains! Whole grains are high on fiber, and have a low glycemic index, so they keep you full for longer, so you won’t snack on unhealthy food.

Photo: Burger (debbiedoescakes@flickr)

The wrap is stuffed with crisp vegetables , which seem relatively raw, so they should have some fiber. The down side is that these vegetables are in a sweet, cheesy sauce- So, there is probably some sugar and fat in the sauce.

With the mix of fast dissolving and slow dissolving carbs and protein, this could make a great post workout snack to build muscle.

Overall, its a great tasting wrap. If you’re vegetarian, they also have a Paneer Wrap. Paneer is high in protein and since its a dairy product, it can help reduce belly fat- read more here.

Post from: Fitho.in. If you'd like to read more health and fitness information, check out Fitho.in

Not all chocolates are equal. A recent study showed that eating dark chocolate might help you consume fewer calories than those who did not.

Participants in the study were divided into two groups- one was fed dark chocolate, and the other, milk chocolate. A few hours after their chocolate snack, they were given pizza and told to eat till they were comfortably full. The dark chocolate group ate 15% less pizza than the milk chocolate group.

Photo- Dark Chocolate (linderrox@flickr)

Dark chocolate has a high cocoa content. Cocoa is rich in antioxidants, which are good for you (read here why). So, the higher the cocoa content in dark chocolate, the more the antioxidants.

Dark chocolate contains flavanoids which have shown to increase blood flow to your brain for up to 3 hours. So, while helping you manage weight, chocolate can make you smarter too!

The best kind of dark chocolate is unprocessed. Processed dark chocolate can contain high sugar and fat content, so watch out before the calories add up. Indulge in moderation

..

Liked the article? For more articles, email ???subscribe??? to thelist@fitho.in, or use the news feed!

Post from: Fitho.in. If you'd like to read more health and fitness information, check out Fitho.in

In the first part of this article, we wrote about how static stretching before a workout can be detrimental, how warming up is good for your workout, and how to warm up effectively.

Instead of static stretching before your workout, try dynamic stretching. Dynamic stretches are specific to the sport or workout. For runners, an ideal warm-up might include squats, lunges and ???form drills??? like kicking your buttocks with your heels. Athletes who need to move rapidly in different directions, like soccer or basketball players, should do dynamic stretches that involve many parts of the body. ???Spider-Man??? is a particularly good drill: drop onto all fours and crawl the width of the court, as if you were climbing a wall.

Photo- Stretching Girl (danske@flickr)

Now, after your workout, you should do static stretching. During your workout, your muscles contract and expand, and go through a lot of rigour. After a strenuous workout, your muscles are sore and devoid of nutrients. Do static stretching now. Stretch each major muscle part of your body (list below). Hold each stretch for 30-60 seconds. The benefit of stretching is that it helps the muscle fibers relax, which in turn helps your body deliver nutrients faster your muscles.?? Stretching will help to deliver nutrients faster to your body, and thus help muscle growth. With more muscle, your body will burn more calories at rest, and thus help you lose the fat faster! Stretching post workout also reduces muscle soreness the next morning, seriously!

Below is a list of major muscles in your body, that you must stretch after your workout. In your lower body, stretch your thighs, hamstrings, calves and your glutes. In your upper body, stretch your shoulders, triceps, back, chest, abs and your biceps.

So remember .. stretch after your workout, not before. Spending those 5-10 minutes doing static stretching after your workout is very beneficial!

..

Liked the article? To get more articles, email ???subscribe??? to thelist@fitho.in, or use the news feed!

Post from: Fitho.in. If you'd like to read more health and fitness information, check out Fitho.in

When you look around the gym or the running track, you see people performing stretches before a workout. Why? Because traditionally, we were taught stretching is key before a workout. But recent research disagrees with the old adage of static stretching before a workout. It is now believed that static stretching before a workout besides being a waste of time, is also detrimental to performance.

Photo- Stretch after workout (lomokev@flickr)

In a recent study conducted by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, athletes generated less force from their leg muscles after static stretching than they did after not stretching at all. In another study, it was found that stretching decreases muscle strength by as much as 30%!

[ Note: Fitho always stressed the benefit of stretching post workout, like in this article on tips to run ]

To prepare your muscles for a workout, its important to do two things- loosen muscles and tendons to increase range of motion and to physically warm up. A warm up increases body heat and bood flow. Warm muscles use your muscle fuel more effectively and can withstand better loads.

To raise body temperature, begin with some aerobic activity, like light jogging. That’s why your tennis coach made you run around the court before training.

Just don’t run too much, so you’re too tired for the real workout! (for running tips, click here)

Check out our next article to know more how what stretches to do before, and after your workout!

..

Liked the article? To get more, email ???subscribe??? to thelist@fitho.in, or use the RSS feed!

Post from: Fitho.in. If you'd like to read more health and fitness information, check out Fitho.in