Editorial articles - Year 2021
Editorial articles published during the year 2021
Losing Weight While Gaining Muscle
Many readers have asked me this question: can I lose weight but increased my muscles? the answer is yes but, unfortunately, many times when we try to lose weight, we may end up having less muscle mass than when we started out. And sometimes we might even find our body fat% increased.
Why is this happening?
Because to lose weight we usually consume fewer calories than we burn, we are indirectly telling our bodies not to care much about muscle mass. This happens because "low calorie" strategies decrease the intracellular signaling necessary for the body to synthesize new muscle proteins.
Weight Loss During Pandemic Times
This COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic is affecting every aspect of our lives: from virtual meetings to telecommuting to go to work and changing meals habit to adapt to compulsory lockdowns. Observing public health measures and reducing exposure to the virus is fundamental to reduce the spread of this virus. While current vaccination programs are making things closer to normality, the current situation is giving us an amazing opportunity to get rid of some extra pounds (kg) and getting back in shape for the coming summer.
Here are some tips to improve our chances of succeeding with our weight loss (getting back in shape) plan.
Weight Loss by Coloring Foods
Virtual Personal Trainer's philosophy does not consist of telling what to eat as food choices vary across cultures and personal likes. So, for long-term weight loss and maintenance, I rather recommend to choosing foods wisely. Being more specific, focusing on “calorie density” (i.e. how many calories are contained in a particular meal), can be fundamental for healthy eating and a sustainable Ideal Weight. For example, a full bowl of french fries is much denser and has a lot more calories than a bowl of mandarins because mandarins have more water.
Thus, the idea behind is to color foods by calorie density, using different colors: green, yellow, and red, from light to higher calories, and organizing our meal choices wisely so that we always and unconsciously eat healthily.
From One to 100 Push-ups, in a Row - Part 2
In the previous article we tackled how to do push-ups properly, the different kinds of push-ups, how to enjoy doing it, and its benefits. In this section, we move from the theory to the practice, I will review the potential issues we may encounter as well as future steps.
From One to 100 Push-ups, in a Row
It was the end of summer and, together with losing a few pounds, going from one to 100 push-ups was my best complimentary fitness goal. But, rather than, how I did manage to do so, some of the most intriguing questions were … How do I know I am doing push-ups correctly?, and how can I, a person who was not a fan of working out at all, make of doing push-ups something that is actually enjoyable?
Stress and Weight Gain - Part 2
How your body and mind understand the states of "emergency"
Stress and weight gain are related to each other, like "cousins". In the first part of this series, we explored a very common psychological reaction to stress – emotional eating. Now, we dive into a physical response, triggered by the hormone cortisol.
Weight Loss After Holidays
Tips and tricks to (re) encouraging weight loss
It’s a new year, and odds are good that several readers indulged during the holiday season. And why wouldn’t they? Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year's Eve are all times when people are expected to celebrate and eat a lot of good food—even if it isn’t particularly healthy. Turkey, honey-glazed ham, sugar-coated walnuts, stuffing, and so on are all common foods readers may have consumed during the later part of the year. There is even a distinct possibility these foods are still laying around depending on how long a family is willing to store leftovers. Similarly, chances are good that readers have abstained from performing certain actions, like exercising, as they prepared and enjoyed the holiday season.
Stress and Weight Gain
How your mind and body interpret your states of "emergency"
Stress and weight gain often go hand in hand, so understanding your behavioural patterns in stressful situations can do wonders for your waistline, as well as your general health and wellbeing.
We live in a stress-full culture, so it is understandable if the efforts necessary to maintain or obtain the “perfect” weight and body shape just seem impossible sometimes. We should also reject all the body-shaming we “normal” people face – and subject ourselves to – when compared to the “beautiful” people championed by the media. Our cultural standards of beauty are often unattainable and just become another source of chronic dissatisfaction and stress. However, rejecting harmful standards doesn’t mean we should also reject sensible health recommendations. There is a proven link between chronic stress and weight gain, as well as a serious illness.
A New Year, A New You
After all the excess of the holiday season, January seems to be the perfect month to start a weight loss goal. And this is because the beginning of the new year is the time when people usually realize that they have gained some weight, and it is time to start losing a few pounds and get ready for the new year ahead. If you are one of these people, then you need to stick to a plan! From a psychological type of view, starting a new year means the beginning of new life experiences, which can add a lot of motivation. If you are all set up to lose weight in 2021, then this is the right article for you. Just follow a few simple tips and soon you will be one that you always wanted to be.
