Robard Weight Loss

7 Simple Ways to Burn Extra Calories

As summer begins to come to an end, you may be looking for some simple and creative ways to burn a few extra calories.  Listed below are seven ways you can burn calories throughout the day – without ever breaking a sweat!

1. It is believed that individuals who are Vitamin D deficient take longer to lose weight, so be sure you’re getting enough (about 2,000 milligrams daily).
2. If you sleep less than four hours a night for extended periods, your metabolism will slow. Try to get between seven and nine hours to optimize calorie-burning benefits.
3. The calories burned doing housework can quickly add up. Break out the vacuum, wash the dishes, and do the work yourself instead of relying on others.
4. Laugh hard, laugh often. Not only is it good for your mind, but laughing for ten to fifteen minutes a day can burn up to fifty calories!
5. Drinking eight cups of water a day will increase your metabolic rate by about thirty percent, so keep hydrated.
6. Moving at a brisk pace can optimize even the shortest walk, so get moving!
7. Tapping your foot, pacing, and moving restlessly can help you burn up to 350 calories a day, so go ahead and fidget a bit.

Source: http://www.thatsfit.com/2010/06/21/no-sweat-ways-to-burn-calories/

Eating "Right" at a Wedding

I think it goes without saying that weddings are grand celebrations.  Meant to signify the love between the two being wed, a wedding always tends to involve grand feasts.  Whether it’s a five course, five star meal or a selection of the couple’s favorite comfort foods, there’s a lot of items on the menu that aren’t “diet friendly.”

So what do you do?  How do you celebrate with everyone and not feel left out of a huge part of the celebration?  Is there a way you can participate in cocktail hour, the meal, cake, and dessert time without blowing your diet to smithereens?  Yes!  Below are some tips to help you eat right at a wedding:

1. Knowing the date of the wedding in advance gives you time to plan for it.  In the week leading up, be diligent about sticking to your diet and exercise program.  You’ll feel good about yourself the day of, and you may actually find that you aren’t craving some of the fat laden treats offered.
2. Eat before you go to the wedding.  Attending on an empty stomach will make every bit of food more appealing.  Eat a nutritious meal beforehand and you’ll feel better satiated and less likely to indulge.
3. But, if you are craving sweet treats, remember that it’s okay to lightly indulge.  For instance, if it’s a slice of cake you want, take the offered piece, slice it in half, and only eat one small portion of it.  Savor each bite, and remember its quality over quantity. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is not about depriving yourself.  Moderation is the key to your success.
4. Post-event, get right back into your program.  The “bye” you’ve given yourself should only last the one day.

Lastly, get up from the table, away from the food, and dance! It’s time to have fun and partake in the wedding festivities that don’t involve food and drinks.  According to DiabetesCare.net’s Nutrition Tracker, 1 hour of dancing can burn about 340 calories.  For those of you counting calories, realize that the laughter that will ensue as you do the Funky Chicken, the YMCA, and the Electric Slide, will help raise your heart rate 10 to 20 percent, burning up to 40 calories for every 15 minutes.

 

Sources:

http://www.DiabetesCare.net
http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/reporter/index.html?ID=4030

7 Additional Methods of Motivation

The third, and final, installment of the 7 Methods of Motivation series is based on motivational thoughts and tips.  

15. Strength training.
Core strengthening exercises will help make you healthier and more attractive.
16. Shop on a full stomach.
When you're hungry, food looks a lot more appealing and you'll be tempted to buy junk.
17. Eat enough protein.
Your muscles need protein to rebuild. Without enough of it, you'll get very little from your workout.
18. Drink water.
Hydrate throughout the day. It takes a couple hours for your body to absorb water, so you need to do more than just fill up before your workout.
19. Use exercise to relieve stress and frustration.
20. Let exercise be your time to think.
There's nothing better than working out and letting your mind stray to other places.
21. Get to bed!
If you get seven hours of sleep, your body will function better, you will be fresher and more productive with your time when you are awake. Turn off the tv, get cozy, and catch up on the zzz's.

I'd really like to know what advice you would give to other dieters.  Leave your tips in the comments below!

FREE Webcast on Motivating Your Dieters

We are more than just a product vendor. We aim to provide services, support, and education to help our network of professionals deliver successful weight loss solutions to their dieters. Our FREE monthly webcasts are just one of the ways that we go about doing this.

Open to all weight loss professionals, we search for the brightest minds and most engaging speakers to deliver hour long webcasts on topics they are passionate about - and that we think you will be passionate about. Past topics include Marketing and SEO techniques, the Role of Patients' Expectations and Goals in the Behavioral Treatment of Obesity, Boosting Professional Referrals for your Weight Management Programs, and many more!

I would like to invite you to our next webcast, this Wednesday, May 19th from 1:00 - 2:00 PM EDT. Hosted by Mike Stewart, the Exercise Facility Supervisor for Decatur Memorial Hospital Wellness Center, this webcast, Let's Get Moving! Motivate Your Clients for Greater Weight Loss Success and Increased Retention, focuses on:

• Motivation techniques that keep your clients exercising
• Increase retention over the summer months with physical activities and outdoor events
• Keep maintenance patients coming back through your door
• Exercise prescription for weight loss and better health

For more information or to register, visit www.robard.com/webcast or call 866.650.2723. If you have any questions - please feel free to leave them in the comments section below! Hope to see you on the call!

It’s a Sunshine Day – Get Active!

A few weeks ago, I was bemoaning the weather, but Saturday marked the first official day of Spring, so I've decided it's time to start washing away the winter blues and preparing for the upcoming warm weather! Whenever the warm weather comes knocking at your door, be prepared to get up, get out, and enjoy the sunshine!

Why get up and get out?
Other than giving yourself the opportunity to be active, burn calories, and lose weight, your skin produces Vitamin D through sun exposure and your body uses it in many vital functions, including absorbing calcium and bone growth. It is helpful in treating or preventing autism, autoimmune diseases, cancer, chronic pain, depression, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, flu, and osteoporosis.

What you can do?
Thirty minutes of unprotected sun exposure, twice a week, will give you plenty of Vitamin D - make sure you slather on sunscreen during times of prolonged exposure to protect your skin. On a bright, sunny day, consider:

1. Going for a walk: As short or as far as you would like, a few extra steps a day will help your heart and cardiovascular system. An hour long leisurely stroll can burn 150 to 200 calories.*
2. Starting a garden: Pick a spot that will see a lot of sunshine and get to work. Onions, peas, and spinach can be planted anytime, while crops like lettuce, carrots, broccoli, and beets can be planted in early spring. Not only will you be getting physical, you'll be giving yourself healthy options to eat in the future. One hour of gardening can burn about 320 calories.*
3. Be a kid again: Pick a spot on the grass, lay on your back, and look up at the clouds. Use your imagination to figure out what they resemble. The laughter you're sure to generate is good for your heart and the relaxation you'll feel could burn about 70 calories, if you do this for an hour.*
4. Wash your car: Wipe away the last remnants of winter and give your car a shine. If it takes you an hour you'll burn about 270 calories* - not including the water fight that is bound to ensue.

*All estimations are based on a 180 pound individual and should be adjusted accordingly. Calorie counts were taken from DiabetesCare.net's Exercise Tracker.

Disclaimer: Consult a physician or qualified health provider before starting any type of exercise program.