It’s not just what you eat or how much you exercise that matters; it’s the timing of each component that is the true secret to weight loss success. Research shows that our bodies’ inner eat-and-sleep clocks have been thrown completely out of whack, thanks to all-day food cues and too much nighttime artificial light. The result: You’re caught in a “fat cycle”: a constant flow of hunger hormones that makes you prone to cravings. By tuning in to your body’s natural eat/sleep schedule, you can finally say good-bye to your belly.

Lose Weight All Day Long

The Perfect Day of Eating

Drop Around The Clock! Follow this hour-by-hour slim-down schedule to control hunger hormones, banish cravings, and get trim and toned–fast!

6 TO 8 AM: GET MOVING.
Within a half hour of rising and before you eat breakfast, do 20 minutes of cardio. Research has found that exercising before breakfast may help you burn fat more efficiently. If you can get outside, even better. Early morning sunlight helps your body naturally reset itself to a healthier sleep/wake cycle (regular indoor lights don’t have the same effect).

How to Burn More Calories with Every Workout

6:55 TO 8:55 AM: DRINK UP.
Before every meal, drink two 8-ounce glasses of water. Research shows that people who drank this amount lost 5 pounds more than non-guzzlers.

Try Refreshing Sassy Water Recipe to De-Bloat Your Belly

7 TO 9 AM: EAT BREAKFAST.
The alarm clock also wakes up ghrelin, the “feed me” hormone made in your stomach. Ignore ghrelin and your body will produce even more, eventually making you ravenous. To suppress ghrelin’s effect, eat a mix of complex carbs and protein, such as eggs and whole grain toast, within an hour of waking.

10 TO 11 AM: MUNCH MIDMORNING.

Ghrelin begins to rise again a couple of hours before lunch. It turns off when you chow down, particularly on carbs and protein, so have a small combo snack, like blueberries and Greek-style yogurt.

12 TO 1 PM: HAVE YOUR MIDDAY MEAL.

Galanin, another hunger hormone that makes you crave fat, rises around lunchtime. However, dietary fat causes you to produce more galanin, which then tells you to eat more fat. Instead, fill up with complex carbs and protein, such as chicken-vegetable soup or black bean chili.

2 TO 3 PM: TAKE A NAP.
Instead of hitting the vending machines, find a quiet place to grab a few Zzzs. (Hint: Your parked car is the perfect impromptu sleep pod!) Just set an alarm–15 to 20 minutes will energize your body without affecting your ability to sleep at night.

3:30 PM: GET BUZZED.
Need a boost? This is your last chance to have a cup of joe. Drinking coffee after 4 PM disturbs circadian rhythms and can keep you from falling asleep at night.

4 TO 8 PM: TRIM AND TONE.
Now’s the time to do your strength training, plus any additional cardio. This is when your body temperature is highest, so you’re primed for peak performance. In one study, subjects who worked out in the late afternoon or early evening built 22% more muscle than morning exercisers.

5 TO 7 PM: TIME TO DINE.
To ensure you don’t wake up hungry in the middle of the night, add a serving of healthy fats, such as flaxseed or fish oil, to your meal. If you’re a wine drinker, pour a glass now. Drinking later can delay dream (REM) sleep, waking you frequently during the night.

9 TO PM: HAVE A PRESLEEP SNACK.
Enjoy a carb-based bedtime snack, such as a serving of low-fat frozen yogurt. Nighttime carbs create tryptophan, which helps your brain produce serotonin. This feel-good chemical triggers your body to make melatonin, the sleep hormone.

9 TO 10:30 PM: POWER DOWN.
Step away from digital devices, including the TV. They emit a blue spectrum of light that’s even more disruptive to sleep than regular bulbs. Do something calming–read, take a bath–in dim light so you’re ready to nod off when you hit the sheets.

9:30 TO 11 PM: GO TO SLEEP.
Crawl under the covers at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, even on weekends. Having a regular sleep-and-wake schedule helps you fall asleep faster over time.

TELL US: What time of day do you find the hardest to stick to your diet?
–By the editors of Prevention

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Here is a preview of the spot and the special offer within..  Pretty cool…

SlimTrim TV Commercial

Why wait?

Burn Calories During Commercials

Don’t fast-forward: Use commercials to squeeze in these easy but effective strength moves

Every hour-long TV show has about six commercial breaks that last 3 minutes each, so you can get a decent total body workout while you watch—no gym necessary. This workout is great for beginners, but it’s also good for exercisers of every level, since extra bouts of activity throughout the day help to keep your metabolism revved, says Prevention’s fitness advisor Wayne L. Westcott, PhD, of Quincy, MA.

Do 10 to 15 repetitions of each exercise, followed by the aerobic component, until the show starts.

Couch Potato Exercise

1. Couch Push-Ups
These modified pushups sculpt your triceps and chest.
Facing a couch, kneel on the floor about 2 feet away from it. Cross your ankles, and place your hands shoulder-width apart on a cushion edge. Slowly bend your arms, and lower your upper body until your chest touches the couch. Hold, then press up again.
2. Side Crunches
These work your oblique muscles for a trimmer tummy.
Lie on the couch on your left side with your legs together and your knees bent. Place your right hand behind your head with your elbow pointing toward the ceiling. Wrap your left arm across your waist. Contracting the oblique muscles along your right side, lift your shoulder off the couch, bringing your rib cage toward your hip. Hold, then slowly lower. Repeat, then switch sides. (If your couch is too soft, you may need to do this exercise on the floor.)

Cardio finish: Do crossover punches. While standing, twist from your waist, and alternate punching your fists diagonally across your body.

3. Armchair Stands
This variation on squats tones your butt and thighs.
Sit on the edge of a chair or couch with your feet shoulder-width apart. Without using your arms, press into the floor with your feet, and stand, tightening your butt muscles as you rise. Keep your abdominals tight and your back straight. Hold, then slowly lower yourself. Before you touch the chair, stand up again.

Cardio finish: Walk or jog up and down stairs.

4. Armchair Dips
These moves are the ultimate arm flab fighter.
Sitting on the edge of a chair (or couch), place your hands on the edge on either side of you. Move your feet out so that your butt is off the chair, and your knees are bent at 90-degree angles. Bending your elbows so they point behind you, lower yourself as far as comfortable. Hold, then slowly press up again.

Cruches work!

5. Leg-Up Couch Crunches
Watch your form on these for maximum flat-belly benefits.
Lie on your back on a couch with your knees bent, your feet up on one end, and your hands behind your head. Pressing your lower back into the couch, slowly lift your head, shoulders, and upper back off the couch. Hold, then slowly lower. (If your couch is too soft, you may need to do this exercise on the floor.)

Cardio finish: Do knee lifts. While standing, alternate bringing your right elbow down to meet your left knee, and vice versa.

6. Scissors
These will help your legs look amazing in skinny jeans.
Lie on your back on a couch (you may need to angle yourself for more room) with your hands (palms down) under your butt and your legs straight up in the air. Keeping your knees slightly bent and your feet flexed, slowly spread your legs as far apart as comfortable. Hold, then slowly bring your legs together, resisting as you press them in.

Cardio finish: Do side slides, stepping your right foot out to the side, then sliding your left foot to meet it. Repeat in the opposite direction, doing this as quickly as you can.

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Even if that coach helps out by phone, with no face-to-face contact, it can translate to more weight loss, the experts found. Either approach results in more weight loss than going solo. The studies will be presented this week at the American Heart Association annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., and published online in the New England Journal of Medicine.

“The ‘remote’ intervention, to me, is very exciting,” said Dr. Lawrence Appel, a professor of medicine and director of the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health. He led one of the studies.

Weight loss tips

Weight-loss support and education delivered over the phone or a website, he said, was effective. “We don’t discourage in-person,” Appel said. “Going in, we thought it would be the best intervention.” The researchers found otherwise. “Given their druthers, the people said, ‘I prefer not to come in,’ ‘I prefer to use the phone, the Internet.’”

In the study, Appel and his colleagues assigned 415 obese men and women, average age 54, all with at least one cardiovascular risk factor such as high blood pressure, to one of two programs. In one, patients got weight loss support remotely — by phone, a website and email. In the second, they got in-person support during group and individual sessions, along with remote support.

A third comparison group met with a weight-loss coach at the study start. They could also meet with the coach at the end. In between, they were on their own, referred to websites on weight loss and given brochures.

Those in the self-directed group lost less weight. On average, the self-directed group shed 1.7 pounds, the remote group lost 10.1 pounds, and the in-person group 11.2 pounds over the two-year study.

A higher proportion of those in the intervention groups lost 5 % or more of their starting weight. That may not sound like much, but experts agree it is enough to make a difference to your health.

In the second study, Dr. Thomas Wadden, at the University of Pennsylvania, and his team assigned 390 obese adults to one of three types of programs. One group was termed ”usual care” and saw their doctors for weight-loss education and support every three months. One group received brief lifestyle counseling, including visits with their doctor every three months and monthly sessions with lifestyle coaches. One group received enhanced lifestyle counseling, which included everything the brief lifestyle counseling group got, along with being offered a choice of meal replacements or weight-loss medications.
The weight-loss medicines were either orlistat or sibutramine. Orlistat now carries a warning about potential liver damage. Sibutramine is not available in the United States now, after reports of an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes with its use. By the end of the study, most were using the meal replacements, not the medicines.

At the end of the two years, 86 percent were still participating. Those who received the enhanced lifestyle counseling lost the most: 10.1 pounds. Those in the usual care group lost just 3.7 pounds and those in the brief lifestyle counseling group lost 6.4 pounds.

Those in the enhanced lifestyle group were more likely to drop 5 percent of their starting weight, according to the report.

Both studies suggest a model using primary care doctors works, said Wadden, professor of psychology and psychiatry and director of the Center for Weight and Eating Disorders at the university. That model is recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which makes recommendations based on evidence of benefits and harms.

In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Susan Yanovski of the U.S. National Institutes of Health pointed out that the participants got the meal replacement and medicines at no cost. “Whether patients would be willing to pay for these therapies, or insurers would be willing to reimburse for them, is not known,” she said.

Appel estimates his program would cost less than $500 for the two years and speculates that employers might pay. Wadden said his program would cost about $1,300 for the two years. He said employers or insurers might pay in the future.

One in three U.S. adults is obese. Both studies were funded by the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The study led by Appel was also supported by other sources, including Healthways, a disease-management company that has a consulting agreement with Johns Hopkins. One study author has received consulting fees from Bristol-Myers Squibb and Merck and royalties from Taylor & Francis Publishing.

More Information

For information about healthy food choices, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

For more weight loss ideas and for a special offer, visit SlimTrim1.com today.

There are diets that work fast and are easy to follow. However, if they are followed for a long period of time, there are many health risks involved. Therefore, it is very important that you consult a professional dietitian and a doctor both, before going on a diet to get safe and healthy results. Let us take a look at some of the easy diets that work fast. Read more on fad diets.

Eat Slim, Stay Trim

Simple Easy Diets that Work
Here are some really quick and easy diets that work.

Atkins Diet
In this diet, the intake of carbohydrates is reduced to a great extent. Carbohydrates are required by the body to generate energy. When you restrict the intake of carbohydrates, the body starts utilizing the fats stored in the body for energy generation. There are four phases of the Atkins diet viz., induction phase, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance phase and lifetime phase. In this diet, you are supposed to eat the following foods:

• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Salads
• Fish
• Eggs
• Asparagus

These are the foods which do not have carbohydrates and are used in the Atkins diet.

Zone Diet
Zone Diet is an easy diet that works and the specialty of this diet is that it does not restrict any kind of foods and snacks in the diet plan. The theory behind the zone diet is that you have to consume 30% proteins, 30% fats and 40% carbohydrates. A zone diet calculator will help you in calculating the content of these nutrients in different foods. In addition, the zone diet maintains the hormonal levels to a normal value and helps in a healthy weight loss.

Cabbage Soup Diet
Cabbage soup diet is a diet which is meant for weight loss and is done for seven days. In this diet cabbage soup is taken along with fruits. Read more on cabbage soup diet recipe. This diet is done for seven days and each day there is a permutation and combination of cabbage soup diet and fruits. For detailed information read cabbage soup diet.

Low Glycemic Index Diet
Low glycemic index diet is particularly effective for diabetics and pregnant women. Low glycemic index diet is a good way to keep your baby healthy, as soon as it is born. Low glycemic index diet is very beneficial for women with gestational diabetes. Women with fat accumulated in their thighs and abdomen, can have a lot of benefits from the low glycemic index diet. Read more on diabetic diet.

Read more on the following:

• SlimTrim
• Detox Diets
• Diet Tips

There are many other free easy diets that work fast, available on the internet. However, you must consult a dietitian or a doctor before you follow any one of these. This was all about easy diets that work fast.

For more weight loss ideas and tips, visit SlimTrim1.com..

Eat Slim, Stay Trim

7:30 AM: Have Breakfast
“Eating breakfast kick-starts your metabolism — especially since we don’t eat for around ten hours overnight,” says Di Prima. “Eggs are a high-satiety food and good to begin the day with.”

Keep your carbohydrate intake light at breakfast if you’re trying to lose weight; think one slice of wholegrain toast instead of two, and include beans or spinach rather than the empty calories of white bread, jam and butter.

“Aim to get 25 percent of your total day’s calories at breakfast, with five other small meals throughout the day. Think breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper — and two dainty snacks — like a princess!”

Eat Right! Burn Fat!

9:00 AM: Skip the Morning Latte
Forgo the large, full-fat latte in favor of a small, skim latte, or better still, try tea. “This will save a lot of calories,” says naturopath Kevin Griffiths. “It will also help keep sugar cravings in check, and blood sugar levels on an even keel.”

11:00 AM: Ditch the Juice
Have an apple instead. “A glass of apple juice has the calories of almost three apples,” says Di Prima. Studies also show that regular fruit juice intake may increase diabetes risk by 50% due to massive sugar hits. “Also, the fiber — which is what helps you fill up faster — is left out of the juice. By making this one swap you’ll save calories every day.”

1:00 PM: Love Your Lunch
“Don’t eat at your desk. Get outside, go for a walk and be conscious when you do eat of what’s going into your mouth,” says Di Prima. “If you want to cut carbs, have a stir-fry with extra sprouts and vegies, but ask for fewer noodles. Eat fish with salad instead of fries, and if you must have bread, ditch the top of the sandwich and have it open.”

3:00 PM: Avoid the Afternoon Sugar Slump
If you don’t want to look like the Michelin Man, drink water and avoid soft drinks. A Harvard study of 6000 people found that drinking just one soft drink a day (diet or standard) increased the risk of obesity by 31%. And now there’s more evidence that diet drinks are as bad as normal ones; one university study found that rats fed artificially sweetened drinks for ten days gained more weight than those fed sugar-sweetened drinks. Researchers theorize that when you eat artificial sweeteners, your body prepares for a large intake of calories. When these fail to materialize, your body demands food by making you feel hungry. Di Prima agrees. “Soft drinks are liquid candy. Aim to make water the main drink that passes your lips, outside of a daily coffee and a glass or two of skim or low-fat milk. And aim for a maximum three or four glasses of wine or beer per week. “Beat sugar and salt slumps by having solid food snacks at your desk, such as low-fat yogurt or fresh fruit.”

4:00 PM: Breathe Easier
Although morning exercise suits many people, for athletes looking for that extra endurance — or for those who are asthmatic or easily exhausted — working out between 4pm and 5pm may be best. One study of 4800 people by the American College of Chest Physicians found that lung function peaks (at about 20% higher) during this period, with midday exercise returning the lowest lung function.

“The main thing is to exercise at a time that’s best for you,” says Rob Daly, an exercise physiologist from the University of Melbourne. “For people with depression, sunlight on the eyeballs in the morning is good. For others, afternoon works better. The main thing is to do it — not just think about it.”

7:00 PM: Enjoy a Drink
There have been countless studies trumpeting the health benefits of moderate daily alcohol intake (emphasis on “moderate”), with wines — especially the newer organic breeds – linked to reductions in arterial and cardiovascular diseases. So go ahead, we’re not saints or robots.

But try to aim for low-alcohol (and therefore low-calorie) varieties, and don’t be fooled by the latest low-carb beers; it’s the calories that count, and there’s actually little difference in calories content between standard beer and the low-carb varieties.

8:30 PM: Stop Eating
“Unless you are an insulin-dependent diabetic, it’s better not to eat two to three hours before bed,” says Di Prima. “If you are tempted, give your body an ‘automatic’ brain signal that eating is over for the night. This might include washing the dishes, putting away all the leftovers and flossing and cleaning your teeth thoroughly. If you’ve done this, you’re less likely to be tempted to put anything but herbal tea past your lips late at night.”

Source: Jane Washington from HealthSmart

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Researchers from St. Louis University’s Doisy College of Health Sciences recruited 34 people between the ages of 50 and 60, who were either overweight or toward the high end of normal weight. The participants were split into two groups — the first group of 18 was put on a diet, while the second group of 16 exercised.

Exercise - lose weight

The dieting group reduced their total calorie intake by 16 percent per day for the first three months of the study. For the final nine months, the dieters reduced their caloric intake by 20 percent.

The second group exercised to burn 16 percent of their caloric intake per day for the first three months, then increased their workouts to burn 20 percent of their calories for the final nine months.

By the study’s end, both groups lost roughly 9 to 10 percent of their total body weight. However, the researchers found that the participants of the dieting group lost muscle mass during their weight loss, while the exercising group did not.

“If push comes to shove and somebody wants to know if they should diet or exercise to lose weight, I would suggest exercise, provided they are willing to put in the extra time and effort and not offset the gains they make by eating more,” said Edward Weiss, the study’s lead author.

Though the most effective weight loss strategy is to combine diet and exercise, the researchers emphasized that people who only exercise to lose weight are missing out on some unique health benefits of calorie restriction.

“It’s important that dieting not be seen as a bad thing because it provides enormous benefits with respect to reducing the risk of disease and is effective for weight loss,” Weiss said. “Furthermore, based on studies in rodents, there is a real possibility that calorie restriction provides benefits that cannot be achieved through exercise-induced weight loss.”

That being said, there are plenty of free alternatives for us, especially once the weather becomes nicer. The best example we have is when my wife and I take walks around a nearby lake. The entire walk is approximately three miles and has some very minor changes in elevation, so you do get your blood pumping, but it’s hardly a “work out.” But, it’s still three miles of walking and that’s better than not walking three miles, right? Best of all, it’s free. While we have to pay some local taxes that go towards it’s upkeep, anyone can visit the park and enjoy the scenery.
As an added bonus, there are little exercise stations all along the path. There are benches for sit-ups, monkey bars, pull-up bars, balance beams, etc. It’s a fun little diversion and you could work in a pretty good workout using each station. And, if you don’t consider walking to be much of a workout, simply run it. When it’s nicer, I like to go on runs occasionally, when it’s a little warmer than freezing, to get the blood flowing.

What are your favorite free exercise options?

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Be sure to hydrate

Source

: bargaineering.com

Instead of using the heat as another excuse to skip my workout, I get creative with my summertime activities so I can keep up my fitness goals.

Running outside

Stretch with the sun

On days when I know it’s going to be a scorcher, I set my alarm for an early morning yoga session.

It’s a win-win for me: I get my workout done before it gets too hot and I start my day on the right foot.

Take your toughest workouts inside

I love training outdoors whenever possible, but exercising in an air-conditioned gym (or house) is the best way to keep me cool.

I pick my toughest workout of the week (usually running intervals on the treadmill) to do indoors. I don’t even bother attempting them outside in the summer!

Pick up a racket

I love a good game of tennis in the summertime, but when it’s too hot outside on the courts, I swap my racket for a different type.

Racquetball and squash are typically played indoors, so I stay cool while getting in my workout.

Exercise indoors and get moving

Run in the rain

I love running outdoors, but the summer heat doesn’t always make it easy for me. When rain is in the forecast, I like to plan my run during the showers. A little rain cools me off, and it’s a nice change of pace from my usual super-sweaty runs.

Plus, just the thought of running in the rain is fun and exciting, which prevents me from skipping my workout all together!

Get a wet workout

This one might seem like a no-brainer, but exercising in a pool or lake is an instant way to cool off.

Try a new activity like paddle-boarding, check out your local gym for a water aerobics class, or round up some friends for a competitive game of water volleyball. Whatever you decide to do, you’ll get a great workout!

Cool off like kids

When it’s boiling outside, play some of those fun games from your childhood.

Run through the sprinkler or have a squirt-gun and water-balloon fight. When the sun sets, plan a late-night game of flashlight tag. These games are a guaranteed good time. I mean, isn’t running around with a big smile on your face the best type of exercise?!

Plan a day at the water park

Water parks aren’t just for kids!

Spending the day at a water park will keep you cool and active all day long. Play in the wave pools and ride the slides, and you’ll keep moving for hours. I promise, it won’t even seem like exercise!

Plan a mini triathlon

Have a free morning on the weekend? Plan a mini triathlon for you and a friend, but finish with the swimming part so you can cool off at the end of your workout.

Try this: Run for 20 minutes, bike for 30 minutes, and then swim a few laps in your favorite watering hole.

Hit the mall

Too hot to take a lunchtime walk outside? Take your workout to a nearby mall with air conditioning. Lace up your sneakers and get your heart pumping without overheating!

Find a cool spot

Wherever you happen to live, there are probably certain areas where joggers, walkers, and bikers flock because they are cooler—literally.

Maybe it’s a boardwalk near the ocean or just a shady path in a local park. Seek out the least hot places to exercise and become a frequent visitor.

Swim to cool down

Join a night league

It’s much more enjoyable to exercise without the sun blazing down on you.

Stay motivated to exercise once the sun sets by joining a team that meets in the evenings. From softball to kickball to running groups, there’s something for everyone.

End your day with a walk

When the sun is low in the sky, I like to take an evening stroll around the neighborhood with my husband and dog. It’s a nice way for us to get in some exercise when the temperatures aren’t as high, and also to relax after a long day.
Source: Health.com

For more exercise tips and way to lose weight through a healthy diet, visit SlimTrim today at www.slimtrim1.com.
Eat Slim! Stay Trim!