Weight Loss Camp Hits Spain

As gyms and weight loss programmes become more and more popular, it is no wonder that weight loss camps are becoming popular. Although just now becoming prominent in terms of popularity, weight loss camps have been around since the 1980s.

Weight loss camps were developed to help people wanting to lose weight do so away from home. It is easier to shed unhealthy eating habits if you are not in familiar surroundings. For this reason many weight loss camps are not located within easy reach of city centers. They are found mostly on large tracts of land away from it all. This serves to make it difficult to order junk food. This is one of the reasons for the success of weight loss camps. In addition, the location helps provide a calm and relaxing atmosphere in which to achieve the weight loss objective.

Another advantage to going to a weight loss camp is the routine that must be adhered to once there. Not only is it necessary to eat healthy, but exercise is a must as well. Plus, with everyone else doing the same thing there is no feeling of alienation. Each person serves as the other's cheerleader by encouraging them through difficult patches.

Many vacation spots around the globe now offer some form of weight loss camp for those looking to shed excess weight. Although more popular in the U.S., they are springing up in other areas as well, such as Europe and Asia. There are different kinds of weight loss camps. The most common ones are teen weight loss camps, summer weight loss camps and those that cater only to females or males.

There are also "fat" camps that cater exclusively to the morbidly obese. These types of specialty weight loss camps have residential programs that last for months. China has also gotten in on the action. The country's Amin Fat Reduction Hospital located in Tianjin works with really obese people. Other weight loss camps are more like spas, offering a complete package of spa treatments.

A British husband and wife team has created a top-class weight loss and fitness camp in beautiful Majorca, Spain. Mereo Boot Camp is based on a military style fitness routine, which is not surprising since Ian and Liz Robinson are ex-army personnel. This is the first such facility in Majorca and in the Balearic Islands.

The British public know Majorca well as many take a holiday to Majorca in the summer holidays.

The Mereo experience is a week-long adventure in losing weight while having fun. The program involves physical activities like hiking, mountain biking, kayaking and runs along the sandy beaches of the Majorca coast. Mereo offers gender-specific and mixed gender camps depending on what makes people comfortable.

In the U.S. the development of weight loss camps is a thriving business. The number of them in existence indicates that they must be offering something that people are buying into. One drawback to weight loss camps for the average person looking to lose weight is the cost. For example, the average rate at the Moreo Boot camp is 1500 Euros or so. However, the cost is a small price for improving your health and overall feelings about yourself.

The NBC weight loss show, "The Biggest Loser," is evidence of the popularity of weight loss camps in the USA. Currently in its seventh season, the show has spawned similar shows in a number of countries: Australia, the UK and Mexico. Contestants on the show have become celebrities in their own right. The trainers and chefs have also built up a following of their own as well. The reality show has led to the release of "The Biggest Loser" workout videos and gym equipment among other items. In short, it has spawned its own weight loss industry.

Another problem with weight loss camps is the difficulty to get a week or more off to attend them. However for those persons who can afford the fees and have the time, weight loss camps do seem to work. They provide the guidance and discipline needed to eliminate unhealthy habits.

Finally, weight loss camps help members develop healthy habits for life. This is especially important to maintaining their weight in a healthy manner and to keep the extra weight from coming back. In fact, good weight loss camps develop a holistic approach to weight loss and health. They not only use diet and exercise to achieve results, but also provide useful information and tips on nutrition. These camps work best for those who need help to develop healthy eating habits for the rest of their lives and not just for now.
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More information about Majorca including holiday villas in Majorca is available with yourmajorca.net

Other 2009 Majorca holidays information includes tour operator deals with holiday companies like Thomson holidays

Weight Loss Solution: Eat 20 Carbs a Day

This is no joke. Are you ready, really ready, to lose weight and build health, fitness, and your body best?



Are you ready to peek over your shoulder in the mirror and look hot in those pants?



Then eat 20 carbs a day.



"What? 20 carbs a day? Are you crazy, Dr. Leslie? Don't carbs make you fat?"



Yes and no.



Yes, I am a bit (or a lot) crazy.



No, carbs don't make you fat. More calories in than out make you fat.



But you're right - carbs do get a bum rap. So it's confusing. Let's get carb clear, shall we?



All carbs are not created equally.



There's the bad-guy carbs - refined foods, like white sugar, white flour, white rice, quick oats, boxed cereals, 99% of all breads. Lots of calories. No nutrients. They turn into fat in your body.



Yikes! Who wants more fat? Lose those bad guys and those pounds right along with them. Out, out, out! Off, off, off!



But get in, in, in with the good-guy carbs - your newest best friends: fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains (like brown rice, not breads), and beans (like black or kidney beans).



Broccoli has 58% carbs, Romaine lettuce 54%, green beans 76%, potatoes 92%, carrots 87%, bean sprouts 64%, spinach 54%, apples 95%, oranges 91%, bananas 92%, kidney beans 70%, and brown rice 85% carbs.



Yet, 4 cups of lettuce is only 32 cals, 1 cup of broccoli, 46 cals. 1 cup of brown rice, 173 cals.



One egg-McMuffin is 280 calories. One quarter-pounder with large fries - 910 cals. One chicken enchilada - 330 cals. Tuna, no mayo, sandwich - 720 cals. Ham with mustard on rye - 560 cals. You get it.



Good-guy carbs come in those foods that give you the most nutrition for your calorie buck - loaded with nutrients, low in calories. Once you get carb clear, it's a no-brainer - fill up on carbs to trim off the fat.



Good-guy carbs also give you energy. Your brain is fueled almost 100% by the glucose from good-guy carbs. No, your zip and thinking power don't come from protein.



Protein in your body is like the engine in your car. Carbs are the gases that make it run. Without gas, you stop. Pretty simple.



Rev yourself up with at least 20 of those energizing good-guy carbs a day. It's a piece of cake (little joke - that's a bad-guy carb) if you follow "10+10 for Life."



Center your day around those whole, fresh fruits for breakfast and snacks, a 10-veggie salad for lunch and dinner, along with other vegetables, whole grains like brown rice or barley, and beans.



Count up the carbs (10+10=20) to count down the pounds. Bingo, bango.



Here's to you and your 20-carb solute to weight loss and your body best. And I solute you for working hard (and playing) to create that body you can be proud of.



Now's the time to feel good about you - go for it!





"Extra cals are not your pals, gals."

~ Dr. Leslie











Dr. Leslie Van Romer is the author of forthcoming "Getting Into Your Pants," chiropractor, weight loss cheerleader, and feel-good-about-you motivational health speaker.



www.drleslievanromer.com

www.vanromerchiropractic.com

Can't Lose Weight? It May Not Be Your Fault!

Are you frustrated with your weight problem and don't know what to do about it? Do you find that you lose weight at first, only to gain it all back later, and maybe more when you stop dieting, or when you find yourself bingeing? Are you fed up with weight loss programs that don't work?

There is a good reason for that. You don't lack willpower. You are not doing anything wrong. It is just that dieting doesn’t work!

Facts About Dieting

* Dieting rarely works. 95% of all dieters who lose weight regain their lost weight and more within 1 to 5 years.

* Dieting can lead to eating disorders. The obsession to be thin can lead to anorexia, bulimia, bingeing and compulsive exercising.

* Dieting impacts your mental health and restricts your brainpower, leaving you mentally unfocused.

* Dieting robs you of energy and slows your metabolism down.

* Numerous studies link chronic dieting with feelings of depression, low self-esteem and increased stress.

* Dieting increases compulsive eating.

* You are fatter after a diet than before!

Why Dieting Doesn't Work

Quick fix diets usually never give long lasting results. The reason is most of the weight loss is due to loss of water. When you restrict calories, your body interprets it as impending starvation. When the body is under stress of starvation, it hoards the fat and burns the muscles first. The weight lost comes from water and the break down of muscles - the places we don't want to lose it from.

So, the last thing you want to do is drastically cut calories. When you do, the body will start breaking down muscle protein to produce energy for vital body functions. The body will use muscle protein as fuel, before it starts burning fat, so you end up losing more muscle mass than fat during dieting. The body then uses large amounts of water to flush the broken down muscle tissue out. Thus you lose weight fast. No matter how much you drink, you can't prevent this loss of water. The only way to get control of your water balance is to stop starving yourself.

When dieting, the body starts saving energy by turning some functions off and running others at a slower pace. Fat is designed to provide the body with energy and protect it from starvation. If you go below 1000 calories a day, your body will slow your metabolism down to compensate. That is why weight loss slows down dramatically after a few days on a crash diet. And a slow metabolism is exactly the opposite of what you want to lose weight.

Another reason that diets don't work is bingeing. Bingeing doesn't happen because of a lack of willpower. It is a direct result of dieting. As your body senses a restriction in calories, it goes on the alert for an impending threat to survival. As a result, it tells you to eat, which results in your bingeing on calorie and fat filled foods. The more successful you are at starving yourself, the more the body will increase it's efforts to eat more foods. Eventually the body wins because survival is our strongest instinct. Bingeing is also a result of depriving yourself of something, which psychologically makes you obsessed with what you can't have.

After the Diet

After the quick weight loss diet you go back to your normal eating pattern, and what happens? The body that has shut off functions in order to conserve energy is now, suddenly, fed. The cells in your body have an immediate response to the sudden abundance of food, and that is to keep on saving energy, storing up for the next famine. As your body saves energy, it also begins storing all the extra energy - as fat. So, you end up having lost fat burning lean muscle tissue and added more fat! That wasn't your goal when you started your diet.

In addition to building fat again, the body has no ketone-bodies to get rid of. Consequently, less water is secreted and your water balance is restored. As you replenish your emptied water stores you rapidly gain back the weight you lost. So, by building fat, and replenishing water, you will gain weight quickly the first few days after a diet.

And each time you diet, you are teaching your body how to deal with starvation by hoarding fat, so each round of dieting increases your overall body fat!

Freedom from Dieting

So, how can you lose weight if dieting and restricting calories don't work? There is no quick fix answer. Any healthy weight loss needs to come gradually. The goal is to give up dieting forever and get back in balance. Stop trying to lose weight. No more counting calories. Instead make a commitment to get healthier.

When you get off the diet roller coaster, you will feel better, become healthier and lose the weight for good. When the body is well fed with healthy foods, it will shed the extra fat. It doesn't have to store it anymore. And when you give the body the nutrients it needs to be healthy, you stop having all the cravings for less healthy foods.

Enjoy the freedom from counting calories. You will find yourself moving slowly and safely to your perfect body weight, and you will feel better than you ever have before, lean and full of vitality, energy and health. This means developing some new healthy eating habits, as well as other health habits such as exercise.

Try to avoid extremes, such as eating a high protein, low carbohydrate diet. There are many complications associated with unbalanced low carbohydrate diet regimens. At the other end of the spectrum, some diets are saying avoid protein and fats, but eat as much carbohydrates as you want. Too much of the wrong kind of carbohydrates, especially refined sugar and white refined flour will turn to fat in the body also. Most commercial breads, breakfast cereals, and prepared foods are loaded with empty, fast-release carbohydrates, causing levels of blood-sugar to rise, leading to obesity and hypoglycemia.

All of the experts agree that unprocessed complex carbohydrates such as fruit and vegetables, whole grains, potatoes, and legumes are far superior to other forms of refined carbohydrates and should play a significant role in people's eating habits. According to the American Heart Association, a healthy diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables along with regular physical activity can help most people manage and maintain weight loss for both cardiovascular health and appearance.

Losing weight and becoming healthier requires a lifestyle change, not a six week diet “quick fix”. The first step is to eat a balanced diet, filled with plenty of healthy foods, such as whole grains, fresh organic raw, fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and organic meats.

3 Big mistakes that can ruin your weight loss

Losing weight can be a very tough and frustrating process. But with the right mindset and attitude it doesn’t have to be that way. One very important thing to do before you start your weight loss journey is to learn about common mistakes people do, and then don’t do them your self!

These are three of the most common mistakes that people do when it comes to weight loss:

1. Quitting to soon

2. Expecting weight loss overnight

3. Having the wrong attitude

1. Quitting to soon

Many people quit with their diet and exercising programs to soon. It could be because they got to little time to exercise one day so they miss one training pass. And then they lose motivation, and then they skip a few more training passes, and before you know it they quit training all together.

If you don’t have enough time to do your usual exercise, then use all the time that you got. If you only got 10 minutes over, great use that to train then, it’s better to train for 10 minutes then nothing at all.

Same thing with the diet, lets say around Christmas and you eat a bit too much and a bit unhealthy one day. Many people feel very tempted to stop the diet and go back to their old food habits after that. You have to learn to stick to it even after one of those nights.

And remember that just because you have broken your diet or exercising plan once or twice doesn’t mean that you have failed. Just make sure that you step it up and do the right thing next time.

2. Expecting weight loss overnight

When you start with your weight loss don’t expect that you’re going to see results in the first few days, maybe even in your first week. Many people when they start out they keep going for like a week and then they look at the scale and maybe they haven’t lost anything or just not as much as they expected. And they get frustrated because of it, and maybe keep going for a few more days and still they don’t lose as much as they want, so they stop because they lose all motivation. You didn’t gain all of your weight overnight, and neither will you lose it overnight. You need to understand this before you start your weight loss.

One thing to remember about this is that you shouldn’t only be watching the scale when you start your training and diet. You should start to feel more energetic, you can begin to feel less stressed during the days, maybe even sleep better! So don’t just focus on the scale, focus on everything else that also comes with eating healthy and training.

3. Having the wrong attitude

When you start out and you get a training program that you plan to stick to, and it says that you’re going to train maybe 4-5 times a week. You can get very discouraged because most people feel that exercise is like a punishment, a chore, which has to be done.

And with that attitude towards training, chances are that you will lose all your motivation for training quite quickly.

Training should be a fun thing to do. Something that you should look forward to. And if you don’t feel that about your training you should consider changing your training and start doing something else. If you’re out jogging 3 times a week, and you really hate jogging, then change it. Start with power walking 4 times a week, or start dancing or something that you enjoy.

Stefan Edlund

Owner of howtolosequickweight.com

South Beach Diet Or Another Fad Diet?

I have thoroughly researched this diet and am giving you every detail of south beach diet for information.

South beach diet book is founded on the premise that switching to good carbs stops insulin resistance and curbs appetite which leads to weight loss. Also, good fats protect the heart and prevent hunger.

But this is hardly true as you will learn after reading this article.

South beach diet book offers a simplistic solution to weight loss. All you need to do is eat good carbs like whole grains, vegetables and beans instead of eating bad carbs like sugar white breads and potatoes.

South beach diet says, fast sugars are worst for dieters and slow sugars are good.

And how are these foods classified as fast or slow? The Glycemic Index.

According to south beach diet, the food having a high Glycemic Index causes the blood sugar to spike (go up) immedietly after having the meal,whereas the food with a lower GI does not drastically shoot up the blood sugar levels.

But this theory is only partially true. Yes, the foods with high GI are good for diabetics in helping them to keep their blood sugar levels in check, but contrary to popular belief, the glycemic index of a certain food is not the same.i.e. it depends on how the food is processed, stored, ripened and cooked.

Further, south beach diet is formulated on the premise that good carbs like whole grains have a low glycemic index and bad carbs like sugars, white flour and refined grains have a higher GI.

BUT THE TRUTH IS....

Bread is high GI whether whole wheat or white because it is made from finely ground flour.

Pasta is low GI, whether whole or white(thin languine has a high GI as compared to the thick one)

"Instant white" rice is low GI whereas "Uncle bens converted white" rice is high GI.

Take the case of sugars...Glucose is high GI, Sucrose is medium GI and fructose is low GI

This illustrates that recommending foods based on GI is confusing as well as misleading. On top of it all, there is no research to support the claim that the rise in blood sugar by eating high GI foods leads to high blood insulin levels, and that this leads people to overeat.

To summarise...there is no evidence to suggest that eating low GI foods leads to weight loss.

Now lets have a look at the south beach diet menu.

South beach diet book claims that you won't feel hungry while on this diet. This is impossible considering the fact that some of the menus average only 1200 calories, which is too low not to feel hungry.

The diet encourages you to eat seafood, chicken breast, lean meat, vegetables,whole grains, some fruits, beans, low fat cheese, nuts, oils and whole grains. fatty meats, high fat cheese, refined grains, sweets, juice and potatoes.

The choice of foods in this diet plan are somewhat healthy compared to other leading diet plans like ATKINS but restricting the consumption of carrots, bananas, pineapple and watermelon is the worst part of south beach diet.

The meal plan consists of three phases :

Phase 1 of south beach diet :

You are allowed to eat normal size helpings of chicken, meat, turkey, fish and shellfish, vegetables, eggs, cheese and nuts. You can have three meals per day. Desserts, coffee and tea are also allowed.

But for the first 14 days you are not allowed to eat bread,rice,potatoes,pasta or baked goods and even fruits!

Phase 2 of south beach diet :

You can slowly begin to reintroduce carbs into your diet again. The diet advices you to take all the forbidden foods in phase 1 like bread, pasta, fruits etc. in moderate quantities but at the same time not as much as you were having before.

Phase 3 of south beach diet:

This part is the most relaxed. Dr.Agastson says that you can now forget that you are on a diet. He says that now onwards it is just a healthy lifestyle you are used to, and going to adhere for the rest of your life.

All in all, south beach diet is one more money spinning fad diet for the creator of this weight loss program and a phsychological prop(support) for people who are allways hopping from one diet to the other in search of a hollywood like sexy body.

The initial weight loss caused by this diet is on account of calorie restriction and not because of low Glycemic Index or an invisible switch as Dr. Agastson's marketing language wants you to believe.

Your health could be 100 times better without south beach diet weight loss program,if you choose healthy foods like green vegetables,whole grains,fiber rich foods and vegetables.

And if you are eager to lose those extra pounds,why not do it the most natural way with the weight loss principles of Ayurveda medicinal science?

This is the most effective long term,scientifically proven solution to excess fat.

You can get real cutting edge fat burning secrets of Ayurveda in my Free 5day email ecourse by subscribing to my newsletter at: www.eweightlosstips.com

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There are millions of people worldwide looking to lose weight quickly and easily. Green tea fat burner has come up recently as an easy weight loss mechanism. But does it really work? That is the question we will answer here.

The common health benefits of green tea are well known. Most effective at treating stomach ailments and digestive disorders, the antioxidants present in it also fight cancer and liver disease effectively. The antioxidant Catechin helps prevent viral hepatitis. Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) prevents both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

When it comes to weight loss, green tea fat burner does help. Here's how it works. The metabolism rate of the body determines how many calories you burn while exercising or during any other physical activity. Consumption of green tea increases the body's metabolism rate, effectively burning more body fat for the same amount of physical activity. This makes it considerable easier to follow a weight loss regiment as you can see the results faster than normal.

Not only that, green tea also helps prevent weight gain by preventing the absorption of fat by the intestines. It is also good for the heart as it reduces cholesterol levels in the body.

Compare this with the diet pills available in the market. These pills just kill your appetite and make you consume less food than normal. While this does help in reducing a little weight, it also carries a significant cost in terms of lost nutrients for the body. No food intake means no minerals, no vitamins, and no proteins - all of which are really important for a healthy body. Not to forget the various side effects that you can experience by consuming these diet pills.

Instead, combine green tea fat burner with an exercise program and a balanced diet, and you are sure to lose weight in a gradual and natural way. There would be no side effects and your body will get all the desired nutrients in the right amounts.

Now, green tea is available in many different varieties - tea bags, dried tea leaves, tea extract and capsules. While using any of these forms will provide the health benefits of green tea, there are some trade offs involved.

To get the full benefits, you will need to drink copious amounts of the tea - 5-10 cups a day. And the caffeine that you will ingest with all that tea can cause some unwanted effects like anxiety and restlessness.

An effective alternative is to take a caffeine-free nutritional supplement that contains green tea fat burner along with other natural nutrients. Not only will this fast track your weight loss goal, you will have a healthier and rejuvenated body as well.

Dan Reeves is a passionate researcher of supplements, natural health and healthy living. He shares his research on his website - Supplements Home. If you want to make the most of your life and your health, naturally, visit http://www.supplementshome.com today.

Video Source: Youtube

Avoid These Five Common Weight Loss Mistakes

Mistake #1: Not changing your calorie plan as you lose weight. The fallacy of the "1200 calorie diet" plans and the like.

Most people fix their calorie intake to a given number and expect to lose weight at the same constant rate over a period of weeks. Hence, dieters look for 1000 calorie or 1800 calorie diet plans on the internet. The fixed calorie diet plans don't work. If you burn 3000 calories a day at the start of a diet, after a week or two of losing some weight, you are no longer burning 3000 calories. Now you might be burning 2800 calories. If you fix your calorie intake in the face of a decreasing calorie expenditure, your weight loss will slow down more and more as you lose weight.

If you want to lose weight at a constant rate, you must repeatedly:

decrease your calorie intake to accommodate the calorie expenditure drop

increase your calorie output by exercising more

do both

I would like to note that you must set realistic slow weight loss goals. If you go for fast weight loss you would not be able to sustain it for a long period unless you go extreme in the calorie reduction and exercise a lot. For people who have to lose more than 20 pounds (10kgs), the goal should be a loss of no more than 2 pounds or 1 kg per week. People who need to lose just a bit of weight should go for weight loss of 1 pound or half a kilogram per week.

decrease your calorie intake to accommodate the calorie expenditure drop

increase your calorie output by exercising more

do both

I would like to note that you must set realistic slow weight loss goals. If you go for fast weight loss you would not be able to sustain it for a long period unless you go extreme in the calorie reduction and exercise a lot. For people who have to lose more than 20 pounds (10kgs), the goal should be a loss of no more than 2 pounds or 1 kg per week. People who need to lose just a bit of weight should go for weight loss of 1 pound or half a kilogram per week.

Why does my calorie expenditure drop as I lose weight? The most important factors are:

You weight less. A smaller body burns less calories both at rest and while active

You may involuntarily burn fewer calories. Dieters often lack energy and move less

Calorie restriction suppresses the metabolic rate

You have less body fat, which may further suppress your metabolic rate

These major factors contribute to an ever-decreasing energy expenditure as one loses weight. The more a dieter cuts calories, the bigger the calorie expenditure drop. The leaner the dieter, the greater the calorie expenditure drop.

You weight less. A smaller body burns less calories both at rest and while active

You may involuntarily burn fewer calories. Dieters often lack energy and move less

Calorie restriction suppresses the metabolic rate

You have less body fat, which may further suppress your metabolic rate

These major factors contribute to an ever-decreasing energy expenditure as one loses weight. The more a dieter cuts calories, the bigger the calorie expenditure drop. The leaner the dieter, the greater the calorie expenditure drop.

Now you must understand that if you want to succeed in losing weight, you have to make changes in your nutrition plan. I recommend burning more calories, because being more active facilitates smaller calorie restriction and milder calorie expenditure drop.

It is very difficult to estimate the rate of the metabolic drop. Here is the general rule: the bigger you are, the smaller the rate of the metabolic drop. The more weight you lose, the more you have to cut calories or increase exercise. If you are overweight you might need to cut just 10 more calories for every lost pound, while if you are lean you might have to cut 60 calories for every pound lost. I picked these numbers just as an example.

Mistake #2: Overreporting the "extra" calorie expenditure of exercise

Most people count the calories they spend exercising as "extra" calories. There is a difference between calories burned while exercising and "extra" calories burned exercising. Here is an example: you burn 300 calories on the treadmill instead of your usual activity (watching TV at home); in reality, you have to subtract the calories you would have spent watching TV from these 300 calories to calculate how many additional calories you burned. Let's say that watching TV, you would have burned 80 calories. In this specific case, you have expended 300 calories while exercising, and 220 "extra" calories.

Calorie counters mindlessly add the calories burned exercising as "extra" and in some cases, this practice can significantly influence the calorie calculations. Hence, calorie software counts the part of your usual activities that overlaps with the extra activities twice.

How to estimate the "extra" calories burned exercising?

In order to make the calculations more accurate, I shall first introduce the concept of MET values. MET values are a convenient way to calculate the calorie cost of activities. MET values are multiples of the resting energy expenditure per time. In plain English, a MET = 3 means burning 3 times more calories than resting. A MET = 1 signifies how many calories you burn at rest (your Resting Metabolic Rate or Basal Metabolic Rate). Whatever you do, you burn calories at a rate of at least MET = 1 with the only exception being sleeping which has MET = 0.9. During the day, most activities include sitting and walking which have MET values between 1.2 and 3. Your total daily energy expenditure is calculated by multiplying your Resting Metabolic Rate by the average MET of all your activities. Is your head spinning?

Let's use a real world example. Consider a female person with a Resting Metabolic Rate of 1200 calories a day. One day has 1440 minutes. Our example lady is burning 1200/1440 = 0.84 calories per minute at rest, which signifies a MET = 1. Let's say our example woman just returned from an aerobics class, where she exercised for 30 minutes. General aerobic class training has a MET = 6. Our example lady has just burned 30 (minutes) x 6 (MET) * 0.84 (calories per minute) = 151 calories while exercising. Suppose our lady would have chatted on the internet instead of exercising (MET = 1.5). In this example, the woman substituted chatting on the internet with aerobic exercising. Remember, that every time you do something you substitute one activity for another. In order to get the extra calories, we have to subtract 1.5 (chatting) from 6 (exercising). Now let's calculate the extra calories: 30 (minutes) * (6 - 1.5) (MET value) * 0.84 = 113 calories.

Let's consider what a standard calorie counter would have done. First, it will assume an average calorie burn rate of 1 calorie per minute. Then the counter will find that exercising for 30 minutes will yield 30 (minutes) * 6 (MET) * 1 (calories per minute) = 180 calories. The calorie counter will add these 180 calories to your daily expenditure without considering that a part of these 180 calories is already accounted by your usual activities.

Do you now see the difference between 113 calories and 180 calories? If that woman spends 5 hours a week in that aerobics class, the standard calorie counters will overreport her calorie output by: (180-113) * 10 = 670 calories a week. The woman will be fooled that her metabolic rate has dropped while she just overestimated her calorie expenditure. Enter weight loss plateau, wasted time and efforts. Do you have the time for trial and error calorie estimations?

Remember these two rules:

Report only extra activities to your calorie counter. If your walk to your office every day, do not log "walking to office for 30 minutes" as an extra activity. Consider only unusual activities that contribute to extra expended calories!

Always subtract the calories you would have burned instead of exercising. A general rule is to subtract from 1.2 to 1.5 from the MET values. In some cases, you need to subtract a greater MET. If you substitute 30 minutes of bodybuilding (MET = 6) for 30 minutes of slow jump rope (MET = 8) then the additional MET would be 8 - 6 = 2.

How to find the MET values of activities based on standard tables?

Report only extra activities to your calorie counter. If your walk to your office every day, do not log "walking to office for 30 minutes" as an extra activity. Consider only unusual activities that contribute to extra expended calories!

Always subtract the calories you would have burned instead of exercising. A general rule is to subtract from 1.2 to 1.5 from the MET values. In some cases, you need to subtract a greater MET. If you substitute 30 minutes of bodybuilding (MET = 6) for 30 minutes of slow jump rope (MET = 8) then the additional MET would be 8 - 6 = 2.

How to find the MET values of activities based on standard tables?

In order to make the above calculations, you need to know the MET values of activities. Standard tables give: name of activity, duration and calories. Standard tables assume an average calorie expenditure of one calorie per minute. To find the MET you just need to divide the calories by the duration.

Example: "Bicycling, stationary, general", "20 minutes", "140 calories"

MET of "Bicycling, stationary, general" = 140 / 20 = 7

I know these calculations are somewhat tedious and in many cases the standard calorie calculations are close to correct. However, in some cases they can significantly over or under-calculate the calorie expenditure of activities and compromise your weight loss plan with daily miscalculations.

Mistake #3: Training with light weights and lots of reps

I have seen countless number of ladies come to the gym, get the lightest possible dumbbells, crank out some hundreds of reps and go home. Most often, these women do not get the results they want. The problem with this type of training is that it does not burn many "extra" calories unless you spend a considerable amount of time in the gym. Hefting Ken and Barbie weights in the gym has a MET value of 3, which means that it burns 3 times more calories than resting in bed. Almost anything you do during the day has a MET value of 1.2 to 2. Browsing the internet on your computer has a MET value of 1.5. Realize that almost anything you do during the day (average MET = 1.5) has about 50% overlap in calorie expenditure with training with very light weights (MET = 3). If you pump super light dumbbells in the gym, only about half of the calories burned are "additional".

Of course, you can burn a considerable amount of extra calories training with light weights but you have to really extend the duration of this type of training. Curling 5 pound dumbbells for 4 sets of 20 reps and chit-chatting for 20 minutes in the gym is not going to burn many extra calories.

Remember the rule: the less intensive the activity (smaller MET), the greater the calorie expenditure overlap with casual activities; the less intensive the activity, the more time you have to spend doing it to expend a good deal of extra calories. Always subtract a MET of 1 to 1.5 to arrive at the additional expended calories.

Mistake #4: Using "average person" calorie estimations

You can find all kinds of tables showing the calorie cost of different physical activities on the internet. These tables don't show your calorie expenditure. They actually tell you the calorie expenditure of an "average person". These tables assume you are an average person that burns one calorie per minute at rest. Yes, we covered this in the first part of the article and it needs repeating. Most men burn more than one calorie per minute and most smaller women burn less than one calorie per minute at rest. In reality, these standard tables overestimate the calorie expenditure of smaller people and underestimate the calorie expenditure of bigger than average people. Combine this with the common mistake of counting all burned calories as "additional calories" and you have a wide range of possible miscalculations.

Mistake #5: Going on very low calorie diets (VLCD)

Research has shown little to no difference in the weight loss rate of 1200 calorie diets and 800 calorie diets. The 1200 calorie threshold is the point where further calorie restriction does not yield faster results. Diets in the range of 800 to 1200 calories a day suppress the resting metabolic rate from the very first day and after some weeks on these diets, the metabolic rate has dropped by up to 20%. This metabolic drop is just a consequence of the calorie restriction factor; other factors such as the level of leanness may further depress the calorie expenditure.

A big percentage of the quick initial weight loss on a VLCD is water. VLCDs create an illusion of fast fat loss, while in reality most of the weight loss is water. It is hard to continue a very low calorie diet for a prolonged time because the harsh calorie restriction makes you hungrier than ever. People on VLCDs often lack energy and move very little. When you stop the diet, you are prone to instant overeating. Eating a very low calorie diet is the ticket to yo-yo dieting.

Instead of using very low calorie diets, I recommend diets with a mild calorie restriction and an emphasis on exercise. Overweight people who know what they are doing can employ VLCDs for a limited time. It is important to get enough vitamins and minerals from supplements, because such low calorie diets are woefully inadequate in nutrients. Water intake should be high.

Bodybuilders, powerlifters and athletes must stay away from very low calorie diets because the large calorie restriction causes a greater proportion of the weight loss to be muscle loss.

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