Nintendo WII can help YOU Lose Weight!

Some time ago I wrote a post entitled “Video Games to Lose Weight – Huh??” — in it I mentioned an individual that started an experiment to try and lose weight while playing games.

He recently said that he managed to lose 9bs in one month playing his Nintendo WII for 30 minutes per day.  He played tennis, bowling, boxing and baseball.

Now before you jump to conclusions and there is a run on Nintendo Wii machines at your local Best Buy, FutureShop or other electronics retailer (here is the link, if you want to read the full article: weight loss using Nintendo Wii) stop and think about what he was doing every day for 30 minutes.

Getting exercise.

Maybe that has something to do with the fact that he did lose weight?  He was getting exercise every day — 30 minutes of it!  Albeit he was doing it indoors playing a video game — but this story should tell all of us that getting exercise every day is what is needed to get our bodies in shape.  Although playing these video games certainly did help — it’s still nice to go outside, enjoy the fresh air and exercise, rather than being cooped up inside.

Here is the article, if you don’t want to leave the site to read it…

LOS ANGELES, Jan 19 (Reuters Life!) – Video gamers who’d rather battle virtual villains than fight the flab can take heart. Use of the new Nintendo Wii can lead to weight loss.

After six weeks and 21 hours of total game play on Nintendo Co. Ltd.’s (7974.OS) new game console, Philadelphia resident Mickey DeLorenzo is nine pounds (4 kgs) lighter and making a splash with his new svelte self.

“I’m on my 15 minutes here,” he joked, referring to the famous Andy Warhol quote about 15 minutes of fame, in a telephone interview with Reuters on Friday.

DeLorenzo, 25, came up with the idea for his experiment after he and his fiance ended up breathless and glistening with sweat after virtually pummeling each other in the “Wii Sports” boxing game.

“On the fly, as I was typing my blog posts, I set up a daily regimen and went at it 100 percent,” said DeLorenzo, who tipped the scales at 181 pounds — where he’s been for the last couple years — when he started the experiment on December 3.

He ate as usual and didn’t deprive himself during the holidays. The only thing that changed was the addition of daily, 30-minute sessions of Wii tennis, bowling, boxing or baseball.

DeLorenzo chronicled his progress on his blog at WiiNintendo.net, which includes weight-loss charts and “before” and “after” pictures, as well as shots recalling Rocky Balboa, the City of Brotherly Love’s most famous fictional resident — with Wiimotes.

While he expected to shed a couple pounds, DeLorenzo got more than he bargained for.

“Seeing the ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures, I am going to keep doing it. I am going to add some weights to the next round because I don’t want to shrink to nothing,” said DeLorenzo, who said he had never before dieted or worked out to lose weight.

More projects are already in the works.

A fitness Web site already has asked him to help it create Wii workouts and he already owns the Internet address WiiWorkout.net, which for now, links to his blog.

He’s betting that Nintendo will soon have its own workout game. And no, the Japanese game giant hasn’t called.

Visits to DeLorenzo’s blog have jumped — he’s been the subject of numerous blog posts and news stories on major mainstream media outlets — but his fame has not come without a price.

The bill for the extra Web traffic was $80 two days ago and has likely climbed. He’s adding ads to offset the cost, but said even if he comes out in the red on this venture, it’s all been worth it.

“It’s been a wild ride. It’s been great.”

Enjoy!

Here is to Your Health,

Regards,

Mohammed

Technorati Tags: video games to lose weight, weight loss using Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Wii to lose weight, Nintendo Wii

 

10 Foods to help Curb Cravings

Hi,

As you know, I spend a lot of time surfing the web to find information that you can use right now, today to help you with your weight loss efforts.  While looking this morning, I came accross this useful bit of information.  Here are 10 foods that are supposed to help curb your cravings:

Vegetables and Fruits
In spite of what you may have read in other diet books, all fruits and vegetables are helpful for weight loss. In fact, fruits and vegetables are at the top of the Fitter Firmer Faster food list. These superstar foods are rich in nutrients, low in calories and packed with fiber.

Whole Grains
Get the whole truth. Whole grains retain the nutrient-rich germ, which is no longer present in refined grains or flour. This means that whole grains are a great source of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and essential fats. Many studies have also linked whole-grain consumption to proper weight management.

Beans And Legumes
Bean there, done that. Beans and legumes provide the “maximum nutritional bang for the minimum calorie buck.” That’s because the foods in this group are packed with protein, fiber, iron, potassium and folate.

Potatoes
You say “poh-tah-to,” I say good for weight loss. Despite the bad rap potatoes have gotten in the press, they provide a “strong nutritional punch in a relatively low-calorie package.” Potatoes actually contain lots of healthy nutrients such as vitamin C, iron, B vitamins and phytonutrients. Just be careful what you top them with!

Fish
Swimmingly good. Since they are just packed with healthy omega-3 fats, eating fish actually promotes fat-burning in the body. Omega-3 fats found in most fish are also “the most potent anti-inflammatory substances available without a prescription.”

Soy
Oh say, can you soy? Eating soy can help you lose weight, because it is full of nutrients but low in calories. Soy foods such as edamame beans and soy beans also have the added advantage of being rich in fiber.

Flaxseeds and Flaxseed Oil
Just the flax, ma’am. Flax is actually a great source of omega-3 fat. According to Ivy, flaxseeds and flax oils are digested slowly, so they can keep you feeling full for hours. She also says that flaxseeds offer an added bonus for weight loss, since they are rich and filling in fiber.

Nuts and Seeds
Nuts about weight loss? Walnuts and pumpkin seeds are great sources of omega-3 fats. Other nuts such as almonds, cashews, chestnuts, hazelnuts and peanuts are packed with monounsaturated fats.

Low-Fat Plain Yogurt
Ivy says that yogurts and other cultured dairy products like kefir contain more nutrition than milk. Yogurt is also a great source of calcium.

Omega-3 Enriched Eggs
Eggs-actly what you need to lose weight. Eggs are full of healthy nutrients, such as B vitamins, zinc, vitamins A & D, iron and the antioxidant lutein.

Fitter Firmer Faster is really three books in one. The health-conscious couple has made their approach easier than ever to follow by adding a detailed exercise program and more than 50 delicious recipes.

To get your own copy of Fitter Firmer Faster, click here.

Technorati Tags: food to help you lose weight, curb cravings, get fitter firmer faster

Have a look at the book — I do not endorse any diet plans or websites, but thought that this was interesting and that you may find some value from the information.

Here is to Your Health!

Mohammed

 

10 Tips to Commit to Fitness

One of the hardest things to “get to” when making lifestyle changes, is the committment to become more fit.  Yes, I’m sure we already park away from the store to get those few extra steps in — but fitness is more than that.  It’s part and parcel of the lifestyle changes you are making to get into better shape, AND live a l-o-n-g-e-r life!

Here are 10 tips that I came across the other day to help you commit to fitness.  Where suitable, I’ve interjected my comments using a double asterisk (**):

1. Project into the future and visualize how you will look and feel in three months if continue on the path you are on right now. Then visualize in detail how you will look and feel in three months if you begin a regular exercise program today. Keep the future in the front of your mind.

** Visualizations are images we create in our mind.  The word means, literally, to see in your mind.  Your mind makes mental movies that you will play over and over again.  Our brain and it’s subconscious functions ‘remember’ the things we see – the smile of a new baby, the rainbow over the meadow, etc.  We can recreate these images over and over again in our minds.  Thus, creating ‘movies’ of what we want does the same thing.  It is entered directly into our subconscious as what has actually been seen by us.  It is real to our brain.  We have actually seen the image we created.  Thus we create the reality we want.

2. Figure out what matters most to you. If you truly want to have a fit body, cut out thoughts of the old you. The past does not equal the future. You can only affect the present decisions you make. Your body is an amazing organism that responds to both positive and negative stimulus (exercise or sedentary lifestyle) every day. The choice is completely yours. Exercise is not something anyone can do for you.

3. Have commitment in areas that matter the most. If your health and fitness are a priority to you, keep you exercise appointments the same way you would keep a doctors appointment or a parent teacher conference. Know you are worth the 20 to 60 minutes you take for exercise. Keep fitness high on your priority list.

4. Catch yourself before you steer away. For example, if you miss one workout, don’t make it two. Immediately plan to get in your next exercise session regardless of life’s events. You will feel so much better if you do, versus the guilt you will carry around if you don’t exercise. When two missed sessions becomes three, the weeks then become months, making it more challenging to build momentum again.

5. Look for evidence that your workouts are working. Notice that you are moving better, posture is improved, you are feeling less bloated, pants are getting loose, energy is up, metabolism is kicking in and you are attaining a firmer, fitter more defined body. Continue to reinforce the positive results by engaging in regular exercise.

6. No matter how far “gone” you feel, get up and get moving! It doesn’t matter that you have not exercised in weeks, months or years or that you had three slices of pizza and chocolate cake for dinner last night. What matters is that every day you have a new opportunity to make improvements in your body. It’s never too late. Even at 90 years old, you can build muscle and get stronger.

7. Commit without judgment. This is not a race or a competition. This is your life. Do your very best each workout and each meal. Discipline is an important success building component. Just the fact that you are getting up and exercising even if some days are not as intense as others is both important and effective.

8. Be true to yourself about your lack of commitment. You are only fooling yourself if you are justifying missed exercise sessions. You make the decision to exercise (or not to) emotionally and then justify it logically. Of course your life is full and demanding, but wouldn’t you be better able to handle all of life’s events in a fit and strong body?

9. When you miss an exercise session, it affects other people! I’ll say that again!!! When you miss an exercise session, it affects other people. When you don’t exercise, the rest of your day, you have guilt on your shoulders. You will then feel guilty or even angry with yourself. Since your mind can only hold one thought at a time, that anger and guilt reflect your actions throughout your day. Maybe your husband, child or co-worker gets to feel or see the end result of your not exercising. Maybe it comes out at the drive-thru or in a bar after work. On the other hand, performing your exercise routine can have very positive effects on your entire day and everyone in it.

** I exercise with my son.  He love to catch a ball, so while I ride the stationary cycle we throw a small rubber ball around.  He loves it, and he gets some exercise as well!  It’s a win-win situation.  When I miss a day — he gets upset that we didn’t have our time together, and playing catch with mom just isn’t the same.

10. Missing your workout creates darkness in your life. That darkness expands, disempowers and grows. It disempowers you and pushes your energy down. Some people get so far pushed down that they need medication. Coming back to your senses and getting your body moving is always the positive way to turn your body and life around.

** You miss one day — and say that that is fine.  Day 2, then 3 then finally you’ve stopped entirely.  It’s OK to miss a day or two — but beyond that, stop yourself! 

Here is to your weight loss success!

Mohammed

Technorati Tags: weight loss, fitness tips, fitness tips for weight loss

Video Games to Lose Weight – Huh??

OK, we all know that video games and even excessive amounts of TV will promote weight gain.  I mean, I remember as I grew up, we ate many a dinner in front of the TV.  It shows today.

So what’s the alternative?  Kids won’t leave their video games.

Yes, moderation is one route — but what do you do when moderation by itself just doesn’t work?  Here is an excerpt from an article I found on Medical News Today:

“”We know if kids play video games that require movement, they burn more energy than they would while sitting and playing traditional screen games. That’s pretty obvious even without our data,” says Lorraine Lanningham-Foster, Ph.D., Mayo obesity researcher and study leader. “The point is that children — very focused on screen games — can be made healthier if activity is a required part of the game.”"

Soooo…. have you seen the new Nintendo WII game machine?  It features games where you can use its controllers to control movement and perform actions.  Could the Nintendo WII be the next “weight loss tool” to help obese children who won’t part with their game machines the machine to help them get active again?

There are several sports games that are controlled through user actions — perfect to help the obese kid get some exercise — and to help kids get a little more active.

Now I would hope that you don’t take me seriously — playing video games WILL NOT help you lose weight by itself, in fact you probably still want your kids to enjoy the outdoors and have some REAL playtime where their entire body is moving.  Combined with exercise, kids (AND adults) need to eat properly.  Exercising, while snacking on pop, chips, candy and chocolate won’t do anything to tighten the belly.

Everything needs to be done in moderation — including playing video games (even if they do make you sweat).

Does it sound crazy? Probably not.  I’ve seen on TV a company that is developing games that are powered by “sweat” — meaning, you gotta exercise to play the game. I’m sure we’ll read more about this in the weeks and months to come…

Technorati Tags: video games to help lose weight, Nintendo WII to help lose weight, obesity, obese children and video games

Studies prove…

…whatever the industry “giant” wants to be proven. 

You see them everywhere – drink “product x” to help with “condition 1, 2 and/or 3″.  I was reading a report in USA Today with the headline “Industry-funded beverage research tends to support soda, milk, other drinks, study contends”.  So this is another study, do you believe its findings?

Heh… well, I guess you need to take everything you read in the news with a grain of salt.

Anyway, here are a few excerpts from the article:

“Does milk lower blood pressure? Does juice prevent heart disease? Beverage studies were four to eight times more likely to reach sweet conclusions about health effects when industry was footing the bill, a new report contends.

Its authors claim to have done the first systematic analysis of such studies published from 1999 through 2003 in hundreds of journals around the world.

“We found evidence that’s strongly suggestive of bias,” said Dr. David Ludwig, an obesity specialist at Children’s Hospital Boston who led the work, which was published Monday in the online science journal PLoS Medicine. The consumer advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest also participated.”

Not to be overshadowed, the industry did bite back and had this to say:

“

However, beverage industry folks say the authors have a slant, too.

“This is yet another attack on industry by activists who demonstrate their own biases in their review by looking only at the funding source and not judging the research on its merits,” says a statement by Susan Neely, president of the American Beverage Association. “The science is what matters — nothing else.”

Public health experts who promote dietary guidelines are biased toward their own advice, said Greg Miller, a nutrition biochemist who heads research for the National Dairy Council. The council requires its funded researchers to publish results in journals that require review by outside scientists and to disclose who pays for their work.

“Everybody brings a point of view to the table, and in the long run, that’s probably a good thing,” Miller said.”

The article goes on to say…

“But the authors say this point of view appears to influence results.

They used Medline, a compendium of scientific literature, to identify 538 studies about soda, milk or juice involving people, not animals. They targeted 206 that made a health claim directly related to the drink being studied — for example, bone fractures related to calcium and milk intake, or immune system benefits from anti-oxidants in juice.

Of the 206 studies, only 111 gave information on funding: 22% were fully funded by industry and 32% got some industry money.”

I recommend that you take a read at the full article by clicking on the title “Industry-funded beverage research tends to support soda, milk, other drinks, study contends.“

Enjoy!

Here is to Your Health!

Mohammed