Pump up your strength workout and you’ll reap the rewards long after you’ve put down the dumbbells. Research has shown that your metabolism can stay revved by 25 percent for up to 15 hours after a high-intensity strength session. Plus, regular resistance training helps keep your metabolic fires ignited daily, notes Michele S. Olson, PhD, an exercise physiologist at Auburn University in Montgomery, Alabama. This workout focuses on a slower lowering phase for each exercise, which forces the muscles to work harder, says Cindy Whitmarsh, president of Ultrafit Nutrition Systems in San Diego.

For each rep, lift the weight in two counts and lower it in eight. Do two or three sets of each move. Aim for a total of three workouts a week — after six weeks, you’ll have sleeker muscles and a metabolism that roars!

Get trim

Find Your Metabolic Rate

Your resting metabolic rate (RMR) — the amount of calories you burn before adding in any activity — accounts for roughly 70 percent of your daily calorie burn. Knowing this number should help you estimate just how much you need to eat and exercise every day. But until recently, finding your precise RMR could be done only in a laboratory setting. Enter personal RMR monitoring devices such as the BodyGem, a small tool that measures oxygen output from the breath. It is routinely used at high-end health clubs. But at about $50 for a BodyGem test, we wondered if the investment was truly worth it.

“While this data may be helpful to someone on a strict calorie-controlled diet, it has its drawbacks,” says Reed Humphrey, PhD, a professor of physical therapy at Idaho State University. “If you log in a low number, you might be tempted to cut your calories too far, which can harm both health and metabolism,” he says. Instead, concentrate on a balanced diet and regular workouts. “These are the things to invest in, since they have an impact on what you see in the mirror,” he says

Does Water Speed Metabolism?

Q&A: Can drinking water speed up your metabolism?

Yes, says Rachel Brandeis, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, but the effect is tiny and temporary at best. “You might burn a few extra calories, but it won’t translate into any long-term, meaningful changes,” she explains. One study found that subjects who drank half a liter of water a day had a 30 percent increase in metabolism — but the boost lasted just 40 minutes.
Originally published in Fitness magazine, October 2005.

To help with your weight loss plans, try Slim Trim, along with diet and exercise. Click here to learn more!

1. Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods. You need more than 40 different nutrients for good health, and no single food supplies them all. Your daily food selection should include bread and other whole-grain products; fruits; vegetables; dairy products; and meat, poultry, fish and other protein foods. How much you should eat depends on your calorie needs. Use the Food Guide Pyramid and the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels as handy references.
2. Enjoy plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Surveys show most Americans don’t eat enough of these foods. Do you eat 6-11 servings from the bread, rice, cereal and pasta group, 3 of which should be whole grains? Do you eat 2-4 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of vegetables? If you don’t enjoy some of these at first, give them another chance. Look through cookbooks for tasty ways to prepare unfamiliar foods.
3. Maintain a healthy weight. The weight that’s right for you depends on many factors including your sex, height, age and heredity. Excess body fat increases your chances for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some types of cancer and other illnesses. But being too thin can increase your risk for osteoporosis, menstrual irregularities and other health problems. If you’re constantly losing and regaining weight, a registered dietitian can help you develop sensible eating habits for successful weight management. Regular exercise is also important to maintaining a healthy weight.
4. Eat moderate portions. If you keep portion sizes reasonable, it’s easier to eat the foods you want and stay healthy. Did you know the recommended serving of cooked meat is 3 ounces, similar in size to a deck of playing cards? A medium piece of fruit is 1 serving and a cup of pasta equals 2 servings. A pint of ice cream contains 4 servings. Refer to the Food Guide Pyramid for information on recommended serving sizes.
5. Eat regular meals. Skipping meals can lead to out-of-control hunger, often resulting in overeating. When you’re very hungry, it’s also tempting to forget about good nutrition. Snacking between meals can help curb hunger, but don’t eat so much that your snack becomes an entire meal.
6. Reduce, don’t eliminate certain foods. Most people eat for pleasure as well as nutrition. If your favorite foods are high in fat, salt or sugar, the key is moderating how much of these foods you eat and how often you eat them. Identify major sources of these ingredients in your diet and make changes, if necessary. Adults who eat high-fat meats or whole-milk dairy products at every meal are probably eating too much fat. Use the Nutrition Facts panel on the food label to help balance your choices.

   Choosing skim or low-fat dairy products and lean cuts of meat such as flank steak and beef round can reduce fat intake significantly.

   If you love fried chicken, however, you don’t have to give it up. Just eat it less often. When dining out, share it with a friend, ask for a take-home bag or a smaller portion.

7. Balance your food choices over time. Not every food has to be “perfect.” When eating a food high in fat, salt or sugar, select other foods that are low in these ingredients. If you miss out on any food group one day, make up for it the next. Your food choices over several days should fit together into a healthy pattern.
8. Know your diet pitfalls. To improve your eating habits, you first have to know what’s wrong with them. Write down everything you eat for three days. Then check your list according to the rest of these tips. Do you add a lot of butter, creamy sauces or salad dressings? Rather than eliminating these foods, just cut back your portions. Are you getting enough fruits and vegetables? If not, you may be missing out on vital nutrients.
9. Make changes gradually. Just as there are no “superfoods” or easy answers to a healthy diet, don’t expect to totally revamp your eating habits overnight. Changing too much, too fast can get in the way of success. Begin to remedy excesses or deficiencies with modest changes that can add up to positive, lifelong eating habits. For instance, if you don’t like the taste of skim milk, try low-fat. Eventually you may find you like skim, too.
10. Remember, foods are not good or bad. Select foods based on your total eating patterns, not whether any individual food is “good” or “bad.” Don’t feel guilty if you love foods such as apple pie, potato chips, candy bars or ice cream. Eat them in moderation, and choose other foods to provide the balance and variety that are vital to good health.

To help with your weight loss plan, along with diet and exercise, please visit SlimTrim1.com here.

Now available at a discount!

Healthy eating to all…

How do they do it? We mere mortals seem to struggle with every bite while celebs maintain their perfect shapes. To find out, we enlisted the help of John Stewart, the owner of Sunfare, a food delivery service that works with many of Hollywood’s A-listers. John shared five celebrity diet secrets with us.

1. Speed up your metabolism by eating five small meals: breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner bedtime snack. Yes – a bedtime snack! It keeps your metabolism working while you sleep. And remember – this isn’t a license to pig out! Read on for how to eat!

2. Each meal should have a balanced ratio of 30% protein, 40% carbs and 30% fats. Yes, fats! But good fats – nuts, avocado, olive oil and so on. Fats play an important role in keeping you feeling full and satisfied as well as regulating how much sugar is released into the blood stream.

3.  Spice up lean protein. Diet foods don’t have to be bland and boring. Add flavor so you’ll enjoy what you’re eating. Lemon on your salmon. Herbs, spice, salsas. The possibilities are endless! And you just might like it so much you’ll stop thinking of it as “diet food.”

4.  Drink lots of water – 80 ounces a day. That’s ten 8 ounce glasses. Besides keeping you hydrated, water can curb your hunger pangs. Drinking it before a meal can take the edge off your hunger. And drinking it with your meal can help fill you up.

5.  Plan ahead. Don’t wait until you’re hungry to decide what to eat. That only leads to bad choices! When you’re making dinner, cook a little extra for another meal or snack. You’ll be amazed at how well you eat when you’re not grabbing for everything in the fridge!
Article by Diane Mizota

For more weight loss tips and help to get bikini ready, visit SlimTrim1.com (click here)

Please check out more weight loss tips and plans at SlimTrim1.com. Click here to learn more!

Since mini skirts and shorts are around the corner, it makes sense that we’d start to think more about what we’re eating, what we should be eating and what we’re eating way too much of (hello, cupcakes). To help us jump start our spring slim down, The “Today Show” nutrition expert, Joy Bauer, came by to give us her top 7 spring diet tips.

1. Ditch liquid calories. Between coffee drinks that masquerade as ice cream sundaes, sodas full of high fructose corn syrup and super sugary fruit juices, you may be consuming thousands more calories than you realize. Joy’s suggestion: stick with water but make it more interesting by tossing in slices of cucumber, lemon or oranges.

2. Turn off the TV and head outdoors. This one may sound obvious, but it’s important advice. Yes, “Glee” is starting again (thank God). Yes, “Dancing with the Stars” is heating up. But if you’re like me, while you’re stuck to the couch you’re not only NOT burning calories, you’re consuming them. I’ll settle in to watch a show and suddenly I’ve eaten a whole bag of pretzels without even tasting it!

3. Start dinner with a vegetable first course. Joy suggests starting with a salad or a non-creamy, broth-based vegetable soup because the fiber and water content will expand in your belly and as a result you’ll be less likely to overeat when you get to the main meal.

4. Love your grill. One of the great things about grilling is that it makes a cook out of anyone. There’s nothing easier than throwing fish and veggies on the fire. You don’t have to add anything and they end up with flavor.

5. Strike starchy carbs a few nights a week. Sometimes I think, “Well, if it’s whole grain it’s ok…” but Joy suggests, even just a few nights a week, skip the starchy carbs (pasta, bread, grains) altogether. You’ll be forced (in a good way) to load up on lean protein and vegetables instead.

6. Close the kitchen after dinner. To stop yourself from going back for more—especially as the days get longer and the time between dinner and bedtime extends— put closure on your meal by drinking some herbal tea or brushing and flossing your teeth!

7. Eliminate the extras. A few M&Ms here, a few crackers there. . . it can all add up— again, without you even realizing it. If you can cut out the “in between” eating, it will pay off.

For more healthy eating ideas, check out Joy’s new book “Slim & Scrumptious,” which I am in love with. My favorite: her crispy kale and crispy Parmesan chicken. Easy and delicious.

Do you have any diet tips for spring that we should know about? Let us know by posting a comment below or emailing us at thethread@yahoo.com

Here are a few great tips and a plan to get you ready in 2010.

1. Step 1

   Establish goals to help keep you motivated and on your desired track. Start early to make the most of the time you have before bikini season begins. For example, decide how much weight you want to lose in a specific time period. Chart your progress to help create and modify future plans. While it’s impossible to lose 100 pounds in three days, you can make great strides toward bikini-season body you desire over time. Keep your ideal swimsuit in mind as you work your way into a healthier you.

2. Step 2

   Find your motivation point. Whether it’s the gorgeous bikini you passed in the mall last week or the desire to shock your friends, you must know how to keep yourself on the right track. Ask yourself what you want to gain from getting fit for bikini season in 2010. Keep this in mind when times get rough as a reminder of why you should keep moving.

3. Step 3

   Since there’s often strength in numbers, getting with a group of like-minded individuals can be a confidence and will-power booster. Let close friends and co-workers know of your efforts to form helpful alliances. For example, you could eat a healthy lunch with your co-worker instead of heading alone to the buffet. There will be a greater sense of accountability if others are aware of your intentions.

4. Step 4

   Get your body in bikini shape by attending aerobics and conditioning classes. Visit the gym a few times a week to help build and maintain a toned frame. Ask for help from trainers to ensure you’re performing he correct exercises in order to meet your goals. Focus on any problem areas, such as your abdomen or thighs.

5. Step 5

   Modify your diet. Cut back on any unhealthy aspects of your diet. Assess your current eating habits to establish your nutritional intake compared to your actual needs. Reduce caloric intake in problem areas such as fats and sugars. Never starve yourself for the sake of fitting into a bikini. Consult with a doctor or dietitian to determine your specific nutritional needs to ensure your safety.

6. Have fun! (last but not least)

For more ways to help with you with your weight loss plans (along with exercise)…

Visit us at www.slimtrim1.com, available online for only $19.99.  Find out how.

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Sample 5-Day Stay-Full Meal Plan

This plan provides about 1,550 calories a day. (If you need more or fewer calories, simply add or subtract a snack; each one is about 150 calories.) To help you lose weight while staying full, we’re emphasizing water-packed soups, salads, fruits and veggies. The menus also include lean protein and fiber-filled whole grains; these foods are digested super-slowly, so they’ll ward off between-meal hunger pangs that weaken your willpower. Feel free to mix and match breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks as you like.

Day 1

Breakfast

• Bacon, egg & tomato sandwich: Top 2 slices lightly toasted whole-grain bread with 1 scrambled egg, 1 slice turkey bacon and 2 slices tomato.
• 4 oz calcium- and vitamin D-fortified orange juice

Lunch

• Greek shrimp salad: Whisk together 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar, ? tsp dried oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle over 1 cup romaine lettuce, 2 Tbsp feta cheese crumbles, ½ cup sliced grape tomatoes, 5 sliced Kalamata olives, ½ sliced red bell pepper, ¼ sliced cucumber, 2 slices red onion and 10 precooked shrimp; toss.
• 10 whole-wheat pita chips

Dinner

• Risotto with saffron & scallops: Cook ¼ cup Arborio rice in 8 oz chicken stock according to package directions. Stir in 1 pinch saffron. Sauté 1 clove crushed garlic in 2 tsp olive oil over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add 4 oz bay scallops and sauté until opaque (about 3 to 5 minutes). Fold into risotto.
• 2 cups baby spinach sautéed in 1 tsp olive oil

Snacks

• 8 oz minestrone with 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan
• 4 oz all-natural rice pudding topped with 1 Tbsp dried tart cherries

Day 2

Breakfast

• 5.3 oz 2% Greek yogurt with honey, 1 sliced banana, 1 Tbsp chopped walnuts

Lunch

• 2 oz smoked turkey slices, ½ sliced apple, 1 slice Cheddar and 1 Tbsp honey mustard on 2 slices whole-wheat bread
• ½ cup cucumber salad (sliced cucumbers drizzled with white vinegar and seasoned with salt and pepper)

Dinner

• Chinese food takeout: 8 oz ginger chicken with broccoli, 5 oz garlic sugar snap peas, ½ cup brown rice

Snacks

• ½ cup soft-serve chocolate ice cream
• 1 cup cantaloupe chunks and 1 cup pineapple chunks, topped with ¼ tsp chopped mint

Day 3

Breakfast

• Strawberry French toast: Dip 1 slice whole-wheat bread into 1 large beaten egg. Fry in 1 tsp butter over medium heat until golden, 2 to 3 minutes, turning halfway. Top with 1 cup sliced strawberries tossed with 1 tsp sugar.
• 8 oz nonfat or 1% milk

Lunch

• Southwestern veggie burger: Prepare 1 black-bean veggie burger according to package directions. Serve on whole-wheat hamburger bun with ¼ sliced avocado, tomato and onion slices, and 1 Tbsp barbecue sauce.
• 10 blue-corn tortilla chips

Dinner

• Cranberry-chicken couscous: Combine ¼ cup dried cranberries, ¼ tsp curry powder and ½ cup chicken broth. Bring to a simmer. Add ¼ cup whole-wheat couscous. Cover, remove from heat and steam for 10 minutes. Add 4 oz cubed grilled chicken breast and 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley; toss.
• 1 cup string beans with 1 tsp olive oil

Snacks

• 16 oz light mango smoothie (Try Jamba Juice Jamba Light Mango Mantra, or make your own smoothie by blending ½ cup frozen mango chunks with ½ cup calcium- and vitamin D-enriched orange juice and ½ cup nonfat vanilla yogurt.)
• 1 oz cinnamon-brown sugar roasted almonds

Day 4

Breakfast

• 1 cup whole-oat cereal (such as Cheerios), 1 cup blueberries, 2 Tbsp almonds, 8 oz nonfat or 1% milk

Lunch

• Small 3-bean chili and ½ roast beef sandwich with wasabi (spread 1 Tbsp wasabi mayonnaise on ½ kaiser roll and top with 2 oz lean roast beef, ½ tsp pickled ginger and romaine lettuce)

Dinner

• 4 oz meat loaf
  1 small baked potato with 1 Tbsp sour cream
  1 cup sliced carrots roasted in 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

Snacks

• 1 mini Babybel cheese and 1 apple
• 10 pretzel twists dipped in 2 tsp Nutella hazelnut spread

Day 5

Breakfast

• ½ cup cooked oatmeal with 1 tsp brown sugar and 1 Tbsp each dried cherries, dried cranberries and dried blueberries (or try Starbucks Perfect Oatmeal)
• 12 oz nonfat cappuccino

Lunch

• Peanut butter and banana pizza: Spread 1 whole wheat pita with 1 Tbsp peanut butter. Top with ½ sliced banana. Drizzle with 1 tsp honey and broil for 2 minutes.
• 8 oz nonfat or 1% milk

Dinner

• Mexican rice bowl: Toss ½ cup cooked brown rice with ½ cup each drained canned black beans and microwaved frozen corn. Top with ½ cup diced tomato, ¼ cup chopped onions, 2 Tbsp shredded Cheddar and ¼ cup chunky salsa.

Snacks

• Two 2¼-in. homemade chocolate chip cookies; 8 oz coffee with 1% milk
• 1 pear, quartered, sprayed with nonstick cooking spray and roasted at 400°F for 15 minutes, topped with ½ cup vanilla frozen yogurt

11 Satisfying Foods (Keep this list with you!)

1. Vegetable- and-bean-based soups and chilis
2. Fresh fruits and vegetables
3. Baked potatoes
4. Main-dish salads with vinaigrette
5. Lean broiled or baked meat, fish and skinless white-meat chicken
6. Brown rice, whole-wheat couscous risotto, pasta and polenta au naturel or with a light vegetable or tomato sauce
7. Whole-grain cereals
8. Small servings of olive oil, canola oil and butter
9. Small portions of natural tortilla and regular potato chips (Fat-free ones aren’t satisfying)
10. Mini-servings of cookies, ice cream and brownies
11. Coffee, tea, nonfat cappuccinos and lattes

To help with your weight loss program, include Slim Trim.  Click here to learn more.

There’s nothing like a weight loss strategy that takes almost no time or effort–but still works like a charm! Here are 10 successful strategies to cut calories and burn fat that literally take 60 seconds or less.

1. Mix a juice spritzer
Combine your favorite juice (half of your usual amount) with plain or sparkling water. You can cut up to 85 calories per glass–and lose 5 pounds or more a year.

2. Walk while you talk
Burn calories while you talk on the phone: Do the laundry (68 calories), set the table (85), or water plants (102).

3. Study the wrapper
At a quick glance, that candy bar appears to contain 220 calories. But a closer look may reveal that it (or a bottle of juice, bag of crackers, or bag of nuts) provides two or more servings–which more than doubles those calories.

4. Sip green tea before a walk
The caffeine frees fatty acids so that you burn fat more easily. And the polyphenols (antioxidant compounds) in green tea appear to work with caffeine to increase calorie burn. (If you have high blood pressure, skip this tip.)

5. Pack a lunch
Dining out more than 5 times a week may make you eat more–nearly 300 calories a day–than if you dine out less frequently.

6. Dip your bread
Use olive oil in place of butter. It’s healthier and may also help you eat less. In a recent study, dippers ate a total of 52 fewer calories, on average, than those who used butter.

7. Sprinkle flax on cereal
High-fiber ground flaxseed can help curb your appetite and eliminate calories. Add it to yogurt or muffin and bread mixes–it’s available in health food stores.

8. Schedule a blood test
About 1 in every 12 women (most of whom don’t know it) has an underactive thyroid, which can slow down her metabolism.

9. Supersize your H2O
Buy the big bottle when it comes to good-for-you stuff such as water: You’ll drink more.

10. Eat a chunky salad
Chop carrots, celery, sweet potatoes, zucchini, or other veggies instead of shredding or slicing. It takes more effort to munch bigger pieces; you’ll do more chewing and eat less during the main course.

Try Slim Trim today…

A toned stomach is like an amazing Chanel bag. It looks good, feels great and takes a ton of work to get it. Some of us were born with it, and some of us spend our whole lives vying for it. Plus, it’s sexy.

We can’t give you tips on buying a Chanel bag (other than save, save save!) but we can tell you the killer moves to get your stomach into shape. Just keep in mind that these exercises alone won’t do it. Click here for fat-burning cardio ideas and metabolism-boosters.

“A toned core will help your body age well in the decades to come, so it’s crucial to build a strong one early on,” says Valerie Orsoni, founder of LeBootCamp.com. “Also,” adds Geralyn Coopersmith, senior national manager at Equinox Fitness Training Institute, “developing a fit core early in life sets you up for amazing posture and a pain-free lower back.” (See: 4 Weeks to a Better Body)

Goal: To condition your entire core
Frequency: Four times a week
Directions:
- Get into a push-up position with your forearms on the floor.
- Lift your legs and torso up off the ground so that only your toes and the flats of your forearms remain on the floor.
- Keeping your back neutral and your belly button pulled in, hold this position for 20-60 seconds.
- Repeat for 3-5 sets.
(See: 45 BEST Body Secrets)

Killer Move: The Plank

Goal: To work your deep abs while getting a flat, sexy stomach
Frequency: Four times a week
Directions:
- Sit comfortably on a gym mat or carpet with your legs crossed. Using your arms to support you, slowly lie back until your body is flat, keeping your legs crossed.
- Place your hands under the nape of your neck for support. Inhale through your nose, and raise your chest a few inches off the floor while exhaling through your mouth. Your chest should be moving up toward the ceiling, not bending forward to your knees. This should be a smooth, controlled motion.
- Repeat 25 times, and as you progress, move up to 50 times.
- Tip: Do not push your head with your hands as this puts you at risk of injuring your neck. The purpose of your hands is to keep your head in alignment with your back and shoulders. You don’t want to curve your back.
(See: 30 Days to a Better Butt)

Killer Move: Butterfly Abs

Related Links

• The Killer Workout Moves for Every Age
• Lose 20 Pounds Fast!
• Get a Better Body in 2 Weeks
• Want to Lose Weight? Try Our Complete Workout Plan.
• Get Into The Groove – Here’s How Madonna Works Out

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.

Related: workouts, toning, toned, stomach, routines, nutrition, get fit, fitness, diet, abs, abdominals