Metabolism Facts, by The Mayo Clinic

It may be tempting to blame your metabolism for weight gain. But because metabolism is a natural process, your body generally balances it to meet your individual needs. That's why if you try so-called starvation diets, your body compensates by slowing down these bodily processes and conserving calories for survival. Only in rare cases do you get excessive weight gain from a medical problem that slows metabolism, such as Cushing's syndrome or having an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism).

Unfortunately, weight gain is most commonly the result of eating more calories than you burn. To lose weight, then, you need to create an energy deficit by eating fewer calories, increasing the number of calories you burn through physical activity, or both.
You can burn more calories with:

• Regular aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise is the most efficient way to burn calories and includes activities such as walking, bicycling and swimming. As a general goal, include at least 30 minutes of physical activity in your daily routine. If you want to lose weight or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to increase the time you spend on physical activity even more. If you can't set aside time for a longer workout, try 10-minute chunks of activity throughout the day. Remember, the more active you are, the greater the benefits.
• Strength training. Strength training exercises, such as weightlifting, are important because they help counteract muscle loss associated with aging. And since muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue does, muscle mass is a key factor in weight loss.
• Lifestyle activities. Any extra movement helps burn calories. Look for ways to walk and move around a few minutes more each day than the day before. Taking the stairs more often and parking farther away at the store are simple ways to burn more calories. Even activities such as gardening, washing your car and housework burn calories and contribute to weight loss.

  By Mayo Clinic staff

MYTH: Eating at night will make you gain weight.

FACT: While eating later in the day means you don’t have as much time to burn off excess calories, what dieters really want to do is focus on how many calories are consumed throughout the entire day. Eating 3500 more calories per week than what you can burn will cause you to gain 1 pound and it really does not matter when these calories enter your body during the day.

Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RD, LD, Wellness Mgr, Lifestyle 180 Program, Cleveland Clinics

The Facts With Decreasing "% of Body Fat"

How can I decrease my body fat?
Weight loss alone won’t necessarily lead to huge decreases in body fat since weight loss without exercise will lead to decreases in lean mass as well.  If you really want to decrease your body fat percentage you’ve got to eat better, do cardiovascular exercise AND remember to do resistance training to build up your lean mass, otherwise about 25% of every pound you lose will come from lean, calorie-burning muscle.  Assuming you do resistance training and all the weight you lose comes from fat, you can use the following handy formula to help you estimate approximately how much weight you’ll need to lose in order to achieve your ideal body fat percentage-

Desired body weight = Lean body weight/(1-desired body fat percentage)
Desired body weight = how much you will weigh when you achieve your desired body fat percentage.
Lean body weight = how many pounds of rock-hard, lean tissue you have right now (to know this you have to get your body composition measured.  Basically, what is not fat is lean).
Desired body fat percentage = your goal body fat percentage (in decimal form).

For example, Angela weighs 120lbs and has 25% body fat (30lbs fat, 90lbs lean). 
Her goal is to have 20% body fat.  How much weight will she need to lose
(assuming all of the weight loss comes from fat)?
       Desired body weight = 90/(1-.20) = 113lbs
So she would need to lose 7lbs to achieve her goal (120-113=7).

(By Natalie Digate Muth )
Natalie Digate Muth, MD, MPH, RD

How To ReBOOT Your Metabolism!

Chris Powell* has three foolproof rules that will reset your metabolism to make it optimal for weight loss.
1. Boost metabolism every three hours with a “Power 3” plate.
One of the best ways to keep your metabolism working is to eat a small meal every three hours. The plate should have three small portions – one protein, one carbohydrate or fat, and unlimited vegetables. Small, frequent meals keep things moving, the simple act of eating stimulates your metabolism by triggering digestion. Every time your body digests food, it ramps up your total metabolic rate.

2. Turn up your metabolic thermostat.
Your thyroid acts as a metabolic thermostat. It releases hormones that play a major role in controlling your body’s temperature and the rate that your body burns calories. When your thyroid is working at its max, your metabolism will be sky-high. If your thyroid’s function is impaired, the metabolic rate slows down and leads to weight gain. The key to keeping your thyroid working hard is in eating good carbs, like whole grains, root vegetables and beans. Believe it or not, studies have shown that cutting out carbs from your diet completely can reduce thyroid function by 50%. So, make sure to keep complex carbs in your diet.

3.Build your metabolic muscle.
The number-one consumer of calories in your body is muscle. The more muscle mass you have, the more your body works toward burning calories – even when you’re asleep. It’s extremely important to maintain muscle during any weight-loss endeavor. A great way to build muscle is by doing cardio with light weights. It’ll keep your heart rate up, while sculpting your body to be more lean and muscular.

I can only imagine this Trio, combined with a couple of HerbaLife shakes daily?? Wow, the possibilities!! herbalife4changes@gmail.com



*Info from (http://www.chrispowell.com), referred by Dr. Oz

Start Your Diet The Right Way!!

Really, it's actually best to start your diet effectively, and properly, by intializing a gentle 'cleansing'. Yup, it sounds uhhh, eye-opening, but it's not at all that bad, it's very easy actually, and will help you absorb the nutrients you really need when you start your nutritional plan of dieting, by rebooting the 'villi' in your digestive system, specifically in your small intestinal wall. Toxins are adequately removed and you are prepared to make your goals come true--

HerbaLife has a delicious Aloe Concentrate that you can easily start with, and a 21-day Cleansing supplement as well, to make your nutritional endeavor the most effective it can be for you and de-toxifying your body as well! This important 1st-step of a diet is often overlooked!

It's so simple and so important, and healthier for you!! There's a 30-day money back-guarantee, but we promise you won't be anything but happy with the results-- email us should you want more information, we're here to help! herbalife4changes@gmail.com

Start with Fiber!

    We are just out of the holiday season, and gearing up for the famous dietary resolutions! The most important thing is to have a plan, and how to actually start this process so you can get the most out of your journey in reaching your goal(s)-- one thing we should include each day is FIBER!! Better sugar control, and helps relieve symptoms of digestive disorders!

     How come? Because it is going to help our bodies properly digest! Ximena Jimenez of the American Dietetic Association explains:
    "There are plenty and significant reasons to eat fiber rich foods. First of all high fiber foods are nutrient packed with vitamins and minerals. Studies show that high fiber diets (25-35 grams per day) may help prevent and treat diabetes. After eating these foods, there is better sugar control. Fiber also helps relieve symptoms associated with digestive diseases such as: diarrhea, diverticulitis and chrohn's disease. Most people with these disorders are afraid of eating fiber. Recent studies are showing that fiber relieves pressure by increasing bulk and motility."
   
     HerbaLife has several nutritional shakes that include your daily requirements of Fiber, along with Proteins and essential, effective vitamins included to help users get on the path for nutritional balance. This achieves the launch pad for achieving your weight-goal(s) for the year!! Easy to prepare, not to mention delicious and quick results--HerbaLife shakes are the answer to your steps to your plan! Contact us to find out how easy, affordable and effective it can be for you at herbaLife4changes@gmail.com