Going Well

It's been two weeks since I started the kettlebell training using the Kettlebellebody Program. I managed to lose 1.4lbs in the first week, this week was a little disappointing because my weight has stayed at 161.4lbs. There could be two reasons for this:

1) My scales are a bit wonky. They are the digital ones and the readings have been out a little every time I have used them. Hopefully it's just the batteries and replacing them will sort the problem out.

2) I am not surprised that I have lost no weight over the past week. Since kettlebells build muscle long after the exercise has finished I am guessing that I am at the point where the muscle is affecting my weight. Muscle is heavier than fat and there comes a point where your body has built up enough muscle to replace the fat lost, so there is no evidence of weight loss on the scales. You also need to factor into the equation the fact that bones become denser and heavier when people exercise (this is why it reduces the risk of Osteoporosis).

The second scenario has happened to me before when I tried kettlebells. It didn't last long and soon started to lose weight again. The best thing about this lack of weight loss is that it means the Kettlebells are working. Every piece of exercise I do with or without the Kettlebell burns more calories then if I had done the same exercise a week ago. Even when I am resting I am burning more calories. Fat burns just 4 calories per pound at rest compared to 14 calories for muscle. Kettlebell exercises continue to work well after the exercise has finished.

I have drastically noticed the difference with my waistline. Even a couple of days after doing the first exercise I noticed that my trousers were not as tight and my belly had shrunk. When I started my belly measurement was 102 cm around the fattest part. It is now 99cm and feels a lot firmer. In the space of two weeks I have lost 3cm. It may not seem like a lot in terms of measurement but you notice the difference when you see yourself in the mirror. If you want to lose belly fat quickly then Kettlebells are the answer. I have first hand evidence and I will stake my life on it.

Variety is key to a good workout.

For anybody interested in undertaking kettlebell training for weight loss I thought I would tell you what equipment and resources I have been using.

I own a 6kg kettlebell which is ideal for the beginner as it is completely manageable without being too difficult to handle. I also bought the "Kettlebells the Iron Core Way" DVD - which were bought from London Kettlebells(UK).

Kettlebells are also available from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. If you cannot afford to buy kettlebells at the moment then dumbells are the next best thing.

Whilst the DVD I purchased is great for getting started I find the routine a bit boring. I have since purchased the Kettlebellebody Program. Whilst it is a bit more expensive I offers a lot more choice about what workouts you chose to do and when.

On another note, I cannot seem to find out how to calculate how many calories you burn exercising with kettlebells. It's quite annoying because I want to see whether this 1500 calories per hour workout is actually true.

I also need to point out how I am going to monitor my weight loss. I am going to measure my weight every morning then averages it over 7 days. This average weight loss (or gain) will show how effective the routines are. I expect I will gain weight initially then start to lose it after about two weeks.

Beginner kettlebell workouts - i'd forgotten how demanding they actually are!

I have started my workout routine as stated in a previous post. However, I have had to adjust the schedule a little bit already. I completed the first two, 15 minute sessions on Saturday, and the first session on Sunday but had to leave out the second session and I am going to leave the Monday session as well. The session on Tuesday will go ahead as planned.

The Reason?

Once you feel that your body is hurting from exercise, especially exercise that works on muscle; it is a good idea to leave any further exercise for about 48 hours. Your muscles need to repair and build themselves and they cannot do that if they are under constant strain. You also increase your risk of serious injury if you don't allow your body time to recover. It's all good though, more muscle means more calories burned. It is in your best interest to rest between exercise because it means that your next workout will be a more efficient calorie burner.

The revised schedule is as follows:

Tuesday 6 January: 1 x 15 minutes
Wednesday 7 January: rest
Thursday 8 January: 1 x 10 mins
Friday 9 January: rest
Saturday 10 January: Full workout (40 minutes)
Saturday 11 January: rest
Monday 12 January: 1 x 10 mins
Tuesday 13 January: rest
Wednesday 14 January: Full workout
Thursday 15 January: rest
Friday 16 January: rest
Saturday 17 January: Full workout

This schedule is ideal for beginner kettlebell workouts. You get enough exercise to begin the fat burning process without putting your body under too much strain. However, you have to listen to your body. If you feel that you are doing too much then adjust your schedule until you feel you are able to do more. There is no point injuring yourself - you will still get the results you are after.

A New Year, A new weight loss program

Well once again the Christmas gorgery has let me down once again. I put on half a stone over Christmas and I expect there is more to come. I am not worried though. I have managed to lose weight from undertaking kettlebell training and it was the only thing that has ever worked for me.

Today marked the first day of the new regime. I started off lightly as my body needs to get used to the exercise again but hope to be back into full training within two weeks. I am starting off with 15 minutes workout twice a day for the first two days, followed by 15 minutes every day for the next five days; followed by full workouts. The schedule should look a little something like this:-

Day 1 = 2 x 15 minutes (morning and evening)

Day 2 = As above

Days 3 - 7 = 15 minutes each day in the evening.

Day 8 = Full workout 60 minutes

Days 9 - 11 = rest

Day 12 = Full workout 60 minutes

Days 13 and 14 = rest

Day 15 = start days 8 to 15 again.

The above schedule is designed to ease the body into the full workout. The schedule following that is full workouts three times a week. The beauty about this schedule is that whilst your body has a kick start on the first two days it is allowed to adjust to the exercise over a course of a week. The timings for the workouts include stretching and warming up exercises before exercise begins and the stretching exercises afterwards.

I am going to work out how many calories each workout burns. I will post the results soon.

Weight loss for older women - Some exercises that could benefit you.

Weight loss for older women is once again in the spotlight for reducing the risk of cancer and other serious diseases. Here are some moderate-intensity exercises that are geared towards older women:-

Silver Workouts

A weight loss program specifically designed for women over 50. There is no need to skip the kind of workouts younger women go for. Designed to get you the results you need without running the risk of over doing the exercise. Ideal for beginners.

Kettlebells

These are the patron saints of workout routines. They can burn up to 1500 calories during a 60 minute workout. Although a kettlebell workout is considered a medium intensity workout it is probably best left until you are more experienced and your body is used to exercise. If you are looking for a full body workout without the muscle bulk kettlebells are ideal for weight loss for older women.

10 Minute Workouts

If you find that you do not have time to do 60 minute workouts then try 10 minute workouts instead. They can be just as beneficial as longer workouts. Any exercise is better than none at all.

Medicine Balls

Another very good way to achieve weight loss in older women. Ideal for beginners a medicine ball workout will help you burn the abdominal fat and strengthen muscles. Medicine ball workouts are suitable for all ages and ability. It is recommended that you start with the smaller size (2kg) then move up once your body is used to the exercises.

So there you go. Four top ways to start weight loss for older women. Silver Workouts, Kettlebell X, 10 Minute Workouts and Medicineball Workouts are available from Workoutpass.com. You get unlimited access to these sites and more for a one off fee of $99.00.

Foods that burn belly fat - Do they really exist

As most of you will probably know losing weight is not an easy task. Many diets are too simplistic to enable long term weight loss. Furthermore, those of us who want to lose the belly fat find it harder to shift than other areas of the body.

So are there any foods that burn belly fat? Well, there are foods that can help you with fat loss but targeting that fat loss is a lot harder than it looks.

Weight loss is a more complicated than many diets portray. The key to losing weight and keeping it off it to aim for a long term solution rather than a quick fix. Eating the right foods is key to this success.

Lets take a look at the major food groups to help us understand their roles in the body’s ability to burn fat:-

Carbohydrates – these are one of the three vital ingredients your body needs to function. Complex carbohydrates are better for your body as they take longer to break down, raising your metabolism and burning more calories for a longer period of time.

Fat – Another vital component of a healthy diet. You need certain fats to help maintain a healthy diet. There are bad fats and good fats and your body needs the good fats. Fats are also needed to absorb fat soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K.

Protein – vital for the repair and maintenance of muscle and tissue. It makes hemoglobin to help carry oxygen around the body and also makes antibodies to help fight infection. Eating protein is a good way to keep hunger at bay for longer.

Looking at the above we can see that there is little point in cutting out the three main food groups. They all provide a vital role in our body’s health.

A better way to look at whether there are any foods that burn belly fat we have to take weight loss as a whole picture. There is little we can do to lose fat from particular areas of the body. In order to lose belly fat you have to lose fat in general and to do that you have to follow an eating plan that has more of the good foods than the bad. The problem is that there are all sorts of conflicting information out there that it becomes very hard to understand what is good and what is not.

You also need to consider the role exercise plays in weight loss. You cannot aim to lose weight just sitting on your backside.

I hope this article has given you some basic information regarding foods that burn belly fat. Losing weight in a healthy way is a complicated business and requires an understanding of how the body uses the resources it is given. Feed it the wrong resources and things go wrong; get it right and you have nothing to worry about.

Missing Exercise

I am one of those people who always hated the idea of running or any other obvious form of exercise. Lets just say that certain body parts made it uncomfortable and embarrassing. I have very little will power to go on a diet so I just had to accept that I was not going to lose weight anytime soon.

Then randomly when I was checking my email I came across an article for Kettlebells. It said that they are the best and most efficient way to lose weight. I decided to give it a go as other forms of weight loss were proving elusive. It cost £50.00 for all the extras including a workout DVD.

I started slowly first, didn't want to overdo it, and boy did I feel it the next day! I did enjoy it though. I was able to do the whole series of exercises in the privacy of my own room so didn't need to worry about who saw me. My usual weekly work out would be 1 hour on Saturday and 20 minutes on Wednesdays. I started to lose weight after three weeks and it kept slowly coming off. It also builds muscle so every time you exercise you are burning more and more calories. I had to stop just before my two week holiday and I still lost weight.

I miss it though, I need to get back into it. It helped my aching hips and knees and made me feel ten time better.