Burn Baby Burn – This summer, its not the dark tan or tomato brightness blazed on your light skinned body, its your overall look in a 2 piece bikini not your guy friends XL shirt and basketball shorts. How do you get there?

Start your summer diet with water!

The potion for losing that excess body fat is all around you. It covers two thirds of the planet. If you eat right and exercise at the intensity, frequency and duration proper for you, but still can’t get rid of a little paunch here and there, you’re probably just not drinking enough water.

No need to get defensive. You’re actually quite normal. Most people don’t drink enough water. Most people are also carrying around a few more pounds than they would be if they did drink enough water. If you can’t seem to get that weight off, try drowning your sorrows in nature’s magical weight-loss mineral.

“Eight glasses a day? Are you kidding?!” It’s really not that much. Eight 8-ounce glasses amount to about two quarts of water. This is okay for the average person, but if you’re overweight, you should drink another eight ounces for every 25 pounds of excess weight you carry. You should also up this if you live in a hot climate or exercise very intensely.

Being overweight in the summer heat is no fun. And exposing a fat stomach or fat thighs isn’t exactly pleasant when everyone else around you is wearing gnat-sized beachwear and drizzling oil onto wasp-like abdomens. In fact, for people carrying excess weight, summer can be an unpleasant trial involving countless opportunities for embarassment and discomfort.

Another simple way to loose weight with Watermelon!

Watermelon is highly nutritious and is one of the few fruits packed full of lycopene, a red pigment that occurs naturally in certain plants. Lycopene is thought to act as a powerful antioxidant. It has also been shown that keeping a watermelon at room temperature will in the end deliver more nutrients than if it is kept in the refrigerator.

There has been research that a diet high in fruits and vegetables can help reduce the risk of heart disease. Another great benefit is that watermelon is fat free, and has a high water content!

Watermelon is a food highly recommended for weight loss. About 1 cup of watermelon is 46 calories.

So if you decide to do the watermelon diet, you can eat lots of watermelon and drink plenty of water. It is almost an assured approach to losing weight.

The trick is to not get sick of watermelon and end up stopping the diet shortly after you begin.

Don’t look for the “short cut” weight loss method or diet. You know what I mean: the type of program seen on TV that sells for $29.99 that promises “a fast effortless way to reduce weight”. In my experience, none of these diets or pills actually work, and the medical evidence is quite clear: the maximum rate of sustainable fat loss is between 1 and 2 pounds per week, perhaps a little more if you are obese. Besides, if a brilliant scientist did manage to concoct a formula for rapid effortless weight reduction, overnight he would be more famous than Einstein. He certainly wouldn’t be peddling his program in 30-second TV infommercials or mail-order advertisements. So for the sake of your sanity as well as your financial health, don’t waste time on weight loss methods that make extravagant claims. If you don’t believe this, think of any of your overweight friends who favor the short-term “lose 20 pounds in two weeks” type of approach, and ask yourself why they are still overweight.

Three Month Summer Diet Plan
You can’t lose much weight in a week or two. You need about three months to make a significant impact on your body shape. Remember, the human body is interested in survival, not cosmetic appearances, and since rapid weight loss is a prima facie symptom of disease not good health, the only guaranteed way to improve your body shape is to adopt a gradual approach of healthy eating and increased exercise. In three months, you can lose about 26 pounds – more than enough for most overweight people to experience noticeable health improvements as well as a much leaner body. And by reducing your weight gradually in this manner, you have far less chance of weight regain, so if necessary you can continue losing more with less danger of incurring a weight loss plateau or other obstacle.

You Need A Motive
No one likes to change their habits. So if you want to change your eating and exercise habits, you need a strong motive – something to keep you dieting and exercising when boredom sets in.  Try introducing your methods to your family. The easiest diet is when everyone in your hosehold is following the same steps. Its always nice to say that your family is healthy and happy. Why not make it a reality by finding new foods to include on the dinner table. A few extra vegetables, soda water instead of coca-cola. Something that we do at home is have a big basket of fruits on the kithcen table for those afternoon snack attacks.

Whatever motive you choose, it must be something more powerful than the urge to eat tasty high calorie foods in front of the TV!

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Hello Ladies! We are proud to present our newest member Michelle Aultman from California to the NOD Team!

Below is an article that she wrote for you to get some fitness ideas to avoid osteoporosis.

About 10 million Americans have osteoporosis and another 34 million have low bone mass, (osteopenia).

A disease with out symptoms, osteoporosis affects about 20 percent of men and 80 percent of women.

As the bones gradually become weaker, they may break by a minor fall or, if left untreated, even from simple things like a sneeze.

The commonest fracture sites are hip, wrist and spine, although any bone in the body could be affected.

A diagnosis of osteopenia or osteoporosis tend to be scary, leading a number of people to avoid exercises due to fear it’ll cause fractures.

The reality is that people with low bone mass should make a point to exercise regularly.

Being active may not only aid the prevention of osteoporosis, but slow bone loss once it’s already begun.

Before beginning an exercising program, you should consult your doctor for guidelines, as level of bone loss determines how much exercise is best.

Physicians can assess bone density and fracture risk by scanning the body with a special type of X-ray machine.

In conjunction with exercise, treatment may include dietary modifications and/or estrogen replacement therapy.

The more you know relating to this condition, the more you can do to help prevent its onset.

To create strength and bone mass, both weight-bearing and strength training workouts are ideal.

Weight-bearing workouts are those that require the bones to fully support your weight against gravity.

Examples are walking, jogging, stair climbing, dancing or using an elliptical exercise machine.

Non-weight bearing exercises include biking, swimming, water aerobics and rowing.

Weight-bearing activities like walking well under 3 times per week will manage to benefit the bones.

Resistance training places mechanical force (stress) on the body, that might increases bone density.

Start by lifting light weights, moving in a slow and controlled manner, increasing resistance as you become stronger.

It is usually recommended that folks with osteoporosis avoid the following forms of activity:

* Step aerobics and high-impact activities for example running, jumping, tennis.

* Activities that involve rounding, bending and twisting of the spine.

* Moving the legs sideways or across the body, particularly when performed against resistance.

* Rowing machines, trampolines.

* Every movement that involves pulling on the head and neck.

Exercise Tips:

* Even if you don’t have osteoporosis, you need to seek advice from your medical provider prior to starting an exercising program.

* Be sure you warm-up prior to starting and cool-down at the conclusion of every exercise session.

* To find the best benefit to your bone health, combine several different weight-bearing exercises.

* When you build strength, increase resistance, or weights, rather than repetitions.

* Make sure to drink plenty of water whenever exercising.

* Vary the types of exercise that you do each week.

* Combine weight bearing and resistance exercise with aerobic exercises to help improve your overall health.

* Bring your friend along to assist you keep going or better yet, bring your family and encourage them to be healthy.

* Add more physical activity in your day; take the stairs vs. the elevator, park further way, and walk to your co-worker’s office rather than emailing.

Put LIVE into action!

L – Load or weight-bearing exercises make a difference for your bones

I – Intensity builds stronger bones.

V – Vary the kinds of exercise as well as your routine to keep interested.

E – Enjoy your exercises. Make exercise fun so you will continue in to the future!

Specific factors raise the likelihood of developing osteoporosis.

While some of these risk factors are controllable, others aren’t.

Risk factors that could be controlled are: Sedentary lifestyle, excess intake of protein, sodium, caffeine and/or alcohol, smoking, calcium and Vitamin D deficiencies and taking certain medicines.

Body size (small frame), gender, family history and ethnicity are risk factors that can’t be controlled.

Women can lose approximately 20 percent of their bone mass in the five to seven years after menopause, making them more susceptible to osteoporosis.

It is never too soon to start thinking of bone density.

About 85-90 % of adult bone mass is acquired by age 18 in girls and 20 in boys.

Nutrition and Exercise for Healthy Bones in childhood and Adolescence

Much of the reserve of healthy bone is built in youth and before the age of 30.

Women could be more vulnerable to an inadequate foundation process at this time than men.

Sufficient calcium intake, a comprehensive diet with plenty of fruit and veggies and load-bearing exercise will be the secrets of solid bone growth when you’re young.

Then, with continued exercise into old age –- and this goes for men as well — bone density decline might be kept to a minimum.

Although women will be the main focus of data about osteoporosis and low bone density (osteopenia), some men are also seriously afflicted by this condition.

In case you do all the right things while becoming an adult and into adulthood; your inherited characteristics (your genes) can present you with bones that are susceptible to osteoporosis. This is even greater reason to maximize your lifestyle to prevent poor bone health.

About the Author

Michelle Aultman writes for the Elliptical Workout for Weight Loss blog, her personal hobby blog devoted to guidelines to prevent osteoporosis trough fitness at home.

Writer’s note: The information provided on this document are designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her medical doctor.

Michelle Aultman has no professional intent and does not accept direct source of advertising coming from health or pharmaceutical businesses, doctors or clinics and websites.

All content provided by her is based on her editorial view and it’s not driven by an advertising and marketing purpose.

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The Biggest Loser

The Weight Loss Journey Continues

Watch as contestants learn the importance of continuing a health and wellness routine and how the various 24 Hour Fitness amenities, such as Personal Training and Group Exercise classes help members reach their health and fitness goals. Remember to tune in every Tuesday 8/7c on NBC.

Partnering with The Biggest Loser

24 Hour Fitness is proud to support The Biggest Loser season 9 contestants. By providing the tools and guidance the contestants need in their quest to lose weight and achieve their health and fitness goals, 24 Hour Fitness is helping transform their lives.

Contestants on The Biggest Loser are competing for a $250,000 grand prize and title of “The Biggest Loser” with the guidance and support of their trainers, Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper. “The Biggest Loser” contestants will again work out and train during the show at the state-of-the-art onsite gym provided by 24 Hour Fitness, which is outfitted with cutting-edge fitness equipment to help the contestants reach their weight loss goals.
With some high-tech help from the bodybugg® calorie management system, words of encouragement from Olympic athletes and hopefuls, contestants are provided with the tools and guidance to transform their lives through nutrition and exercise.

24 Hour Fitness supported highlights for season nine of “The Biggest Loser” include:

The bodybugg calorie management system

During the season premiere, contestants were provided with the bodybugg calorie management system, which includes an armband and optional digital display that will keep the users up-to-date on how many calories they have burned throughout a 24 hour day. The technology assists contestants with daily meal planning and has been a valuable tool in helping previous contestants meet their fitness goals while taking the guesswork out of losing weight. Discover the benefits today:

• Revolutionary calorie management device, over 90% accurate
• Wearable device with user-friendly web program
• Tracks calories consumed vs. calories burned
• Makes it easy to stay in control of your weight loss

Learn more about the bodybugg system

Train with Team 24 athletes

Olympic Gold medalist and two time Silver medalist, Julia Mancuso (watch the video) and two time Olympic Bronze medalist, J.R. Celski (watch the video) made an appearance on the show to help train the contestants during tough work outs.

Two time U.S. Pairs Figure Skating Champion Rockne Brubaker (watch the video) led contestants during an intense boot camp class. This intense class incorporates drills designed to enhance agility, speed, power, strength, and quickness.

Making health & fitness a way of life

A mid-season episode will feature another trainer talking to contestants about the importance of continuing a health and wellness routine after the show concludes, and the various amenities, such as personal training and group exercise classes, that 24 Hour Fitness clubs have to help people reach their fitness goals and create lasting change in their lives.

Bob Harper leads 24 Hour Fitness members through a workout in our Dallas club demonstrating the importance of varying one’s workout routine and teaming up with others who have similar fitness goals.

The Biggest Loser Boot Camp

Americans across the country who want to summon their inner athletes can take part in a FREE boot camp class led by Personal Trainers on April 10 and May 8,during our “Open Door Saturdays” promotion that offers guests (non-members) free access to clubs. Check your local club for class time. Find a class.

The Biggest Loser airs every Tuesday 8/7c on NBC.

BODYBUGG is a registered trademark of 24 Hour Fitness USA, Inc., registered in the United States Patent and Trademark office.

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