Who doesn’t feel amazing when they can slide into a sexy red dress and turn heads at any age? One of the main reasons many women want to lose weight is to show off a stunning appearance.
How to Figure Out Your Ideal Weight
6 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism
Did you know that the idea that your metabolism slows down a ton as you age is just a myth? It’s true that you don’t burn calories as much as when you were 20, but the difference isn’t as huge as you may think. So why does it seem easier to put on pounds after 60?
For many people, that answer has to do with their habits. Some adults unconsciously start to limit their activity level instead of enjoying every day to the max. It’s a good thing that you’re determined to get the most excitement out of life!
Staying active is one of the best things you can do to burn calories. Here are six valuable tips for boosting your metabolism:
1. Eat a Colorful Diet
Superfoods help your metabolism by giving it valuable nutrients for energy production. Exotic fruits and colorful veggies are packed with antioxidants, minerals and other natural substances that enhance weight loss. For example, broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts have lots of B vitamins and calcium. Citrus fruit such as grapefruit and lemons are rich in vitamin C, which burns fat more quickly. Also, a healthy diet with lots of fruit and vegetables helps you drop pounds in a long-lasting, natural way.
2. Prioritize Healthy Proteins Over Carbs
Your body uses up more energy burning proteins than carbohydrates. Including plenty of healthy protein can kick your metabolism into high gear. Here are some of the best proteins for reaching your weight loss goals:
- Low-fat cheese or yogurt
- Fish
- Chicken
- Nuts and peanuts
- Beans
- Lentils
- Turkey
- Tofu
For this to work, it’s important to choose proteins that are low in fat. Also, keep your protein intake balanced with other nutritious foods. Supplements are an important way to make sure you’re getting all the vitamins and minerals your body needs.
3. Focus on Aerobic Exercise
It’s time to get sweating. Aerobic exercise does wonders for your metabolism and your heart. Any activity that accelerates your heart rate boosts calorie burning, including using an elliptical machine at the gym or swimming laps in a pool. Brisk walking, Pilates and rowing are some low-impact aerobics options perfect for people with tender joints. If you prefer the high-impact variety, go for a jog or enjoy an intense step aerobics session.
4. Get Your Full Eight Glasses of Water
For your beautiful metabolic machine to run smoothly, it needs water — all eight glasses! Staying hydrated delivers more oxygen to your muscles and increases metabolic activity significantly. According to a study mentioned in Redbook magazine, drinking water supercharged metabolism by up to 30%! Natural juices and drinks containing electrolytes can also be effective, but steer clear of sugary cheats.
5. Stay Energized All Day Long
When you feel energized, it’s easier to exercise and spend time outdoors. This creates a positive cycle where you lose weight and feel great, which actually helps keep your metabolism running hot.
Professional athletes stay in top shape by eating smaller portions of nutritious foods several times during the day. A healthy snack every 3 or 4 hours helps the metabolism burn calories nonstop.
Green tea is another secret for staying energized. Its caffeine content improves fat burning. Special antioxidants called catechins (especially EGCG) boost your metabolism’s output during exercise and while you rest. It’s not a magic pill, but green tea extract can help you drop pounds faster than normal.
6. Live an Adventurous Life
Take care of your metabolism and it will take care of you. Don’t let the temptation to sink into a cozy recliner and binge on Netflix win! Harness the power of your metabolism to do the things you really love in life.
Even your favorite hobbies can keep your blood pumping. Go for a stroll, tend to your garden or indulge your passion for outdoor photography. Staying in motion every day has great effects on your body, emotions and mind.
How To Reduce The Appearance Of Stretch Marks
If you’ve ever struggled with your weight, been pregnant or gone through a rapid growth spurt, you probably have stretch marks. In fact, it’s estimated that 80 percent of all people have stretch marks, though women are more likely to get them than men.
Those little pink, white or purple lines that stretch across various body parts are the subject of much angst. In an effort to live peacefully with them, multiple campaigns have been created to urge people—particularly women—to embrace their stretch marks as beautiful designs rather than flaws.
Though it’s important to love and appreciate your body no matter what it looks like, you may still wish to at least minimize the appearance of your stretch marks. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to improve the way you look, as long as your goals are safe and attainable. Fortunately, it is possible to reduce the appearance of stretch marks without undergoing major surgery or other invasive procedures. Here’s how.
How Stretch Marks Appear
Before you take steps to minimize your stretch marks, you should understand how they form. Stretch marks are actually scars that develop when the skin stretches rapidly. They can also develop when the skin shrinks abruptly. Changes in skin tautness occur when the elastin and collagen in the skin rupture. As they heal, stretch marks form.
Once they form, stretch marks are usually permanent. However, they do tend to fade over time. If you leave them alone, they can take years to fade to the point where they are no longer very obvious. If you want to speed up that process, here are some things you can do to help stretch marks fade more quickly.
Apply Stretch Mark Creams and Lotions
While research shows mixed results when it comes to stretch mark creams and lotions, researchers say that some products can help minimize scarring. However, they must be applied every day for several weeks before results appear. You should also take time to carefully massage stretch mark products into your skin to maximize their effectiveness.
Avoid Tanning Beds
It’s already a well-known fact that tanning beds increase your risk of skin cancer. It turns out they can also make your stretch marks much more noticeable. That’s because stretch marks don’t tan as readily as the rest of your skin. So each time you get in a tanning bed, you increase the visibility of your stretch marks while putting yourself at increased risk of skin cancer. Avoid both scenarios by staying away from tanning beds.
Apply a Self-Tanner
Although tanning beds can make your stretch marks stand out even more, self-tanner can do the opposite. Self-tanner won’t get rid of stretch marks, but it can help camouflage them so they blend in better with the rest of your skin.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Some foods are known to help the body increase its own production of elastin and collagen. Leafy greens and brightly-colored fruits and vegetables are particularly helpful for increasing elastin and collagen and contributing to healthy skin that stretches and springs back more readily. If your diet is rich in these types of foods, you may be able to minimize the appearance of future stretch marks.
Dermatology Procedures
There are a variety of procedures dermatologists use to minimize the appearance of stretch marks. Some of these include:
- Radiofrequency
- Chemical peels
- Microdermabrasion
- Ultrasounds
- Laser therapy
For optimal results, your dermatologist may recommend multiple therapies in combination. It’s important to have realistic expectations and understand that there is no known therapy that can completely remove stretch marks.
Whether you have new, brightly colored stretch marks or yours have faded over time, these techniques can help them fade even further. Try one or all of them today and within weeks you could start seeing positive results.
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3 Harmful Approaches to Dieting
There are a few reasons why recommendations of how to improve your diet for weight have failed. Again, none of these failures was your fault. You were simply given incorrect information about how to improve your diet to lose or maintain your weight. Here are a few of the most important ones.
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