losing weight.?

Question

is dancing hip pop, tap, ballet, and jazz a good way to be fit and slim?
yea and i also do cross country.

Answer 1

All are great ways to exercise and will certainly help in weight loss.

Good for you!

Answer 2

My ideas? Try to do 200 minutes of cardio a week. Remember fat does not turn into muscle, so you need to lose your fat while putting on muscle. Work hard, but don't over 60 minutes at a time. Do planks and other abs exercises on alternate days.

On training days, do 5-10 minutes of cardio to warm up, then do your weight training. Do 30 to 60 minutes more of cardio, then go home.

The best time to eat is just after your workout within an hour when your metabolism is raging. For your muscles, incorporate some isolated soy protein or whey protein. Whey is more potent but the soy tastes better!

Don't look at your scale as the be all and end all, but get a measuring tape to check your progress, and that will show more tangible results.

Read magazines like Shape, Womens Fitness, Fitness, etc to get tips and to stay motivated.

Good luck and stick at it. This plan has lost me 20 lbs in 12 weeks so far, just go for it!

Answer 3

To lose weight, a person has to reduce the calorie intake by some amount by modifying their diet. A diet without sufficient nutrients will only increase the appetite of the person trying to lose weight. Since most people combine a diet with an exercise plan, additional nutrients are required for the growth of muscles required to increase the metabolic rate required for long term weight loss. More information available at http://tinyurl.com/jax5h

Answer 4

Yes, any exercise that will get your heart rate up is good cardio exercise and a component for keeping fit and slim. Of course, good diet and drinking lots of water each day are also helpful.

Answer 5

It is a fun wonderful way. You get the heart rate going and you do lots of stretching. Good job on finding some sort of exercise that you would actually enjoy. That is what keeps you going.

Answer 6

it seems you have an active life style.. what you're doing is fine..

here's my tip if you want to really lose weight
eat right, usually i'd tell people that "proper exercise and balanced diet" but since you have an active life style i'd just say eat right.. usually people just sit around and do nothing most of the time so it's good to have an activity that is active.. hehehe.. keep up the good work

Answer 7

ummYES. if you're doing at least one of these 5 days a week that should work out pretty well. well...as long as youre dancing for over an hour and running for over 25 minutes straight.

Answer 8

Strategies to Take Off The Weight And Keep it Off for Good

Despite the best-seller titles, product labels, and magazine covers that say otherwise, there’s no real
secret to losing weight. In a nutshell, you have to eat fewer calories than you burn. The tricky part is finding a diet you can live with that will keep off the pounds. And with popular weight loss
plans banishing entire food categories, like carbohydrates, fats, or anything processed, it’s nearly
impossible to know if you’re eating too much of one thing or too little of something else.

Is there a happy medium? There is, and the message is simple: Choose the best, lose the rest. To help you create your own personal plan, one you can mold to your tastes and lifestyle, we’ve reviewed the latest studies of the concepts behind the most popular regimens; we’ve also ditched the potential pitfalls. The result: A diet you can live with for the rest of your life—at home, at work, and at restaurants. All you have to do is follow these simple rules.

Eat a Serving of Protein at every Meal

In every recent study pitting Atkins against low-fat diets, people on Atkins lost weight faster. Why? There are probably several explanations, but the most important reason, experts say, is that protein seems
to be more filling than simple carbohydrates or fat. Also, there may be a slight metabolic advantage
to protein-rich meals. One study reported that switching 18 percent of total calories from carbs to
protein causes the body to burn about 3 percent more calories over the following 24-hour period. For someone eating 1,400 calories a day, that would mean an extra 42 calories burned, not a lot, but
enough to lose a few extra pounds every six months.

Choose :

* Eggs (hard-boiled are portable)
* Low-fat yogurt and cheese
* Peanut butter, other nut butters, and nuts
* Lean meat and poultry
* Legumes
* Soy products such as tofu, tempeh, and edamame (raw or steamed soybeans)
* Sunflower seeds

Lose:

* Hamburger and marbled meats, which are laden with saturated fat
* High-fat dairy products
* Processed meats like bologna, pepperoni, and bacon

Eat two Servings of Fruits and Veggies at every Meal

Protein may be key for weight loss, but carbohydrates, especially the ones in high-fiber fruits and vegetables, keep the weight off. In fact, recent findings show that the more carbs people eat, the less they’re likely to weigh. Why? Analysis shows that high-carb diets tend to be lower in calories and energy density (the number of calories per ounce of food). However, it’s important to eat the right kind of carbs, high-fiber vegetables, whole grains, and fruits. These carbs take time to digest, preventing spikes in blood sugar levels and making you feel full longer.

Choose :

* Whole-grain cereals and breads
* Whole-wheat pasta
* Brown rice
* Leafy green vegetables
* Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts
* Legumes
* Fruits such as apples, pears, and berries
* Sweet potatoes

Lose :

* French fries
* Cookies, doughnuts, and pastries
* Candy
* Potato chips
* Sugary soft drinks
* White bread, pretzels, and crackers

Pour on the Healthy Fat, at least when you’re in losing mode

Naked steamed vegetables get pretty old after a while. Fat makes foods satisfying, and it just plain tastes good. Some forms of it, fish oil and unsaturated oils like olive and canola, may even protect against heart disease and cancer. And amazingly, after years of recommending low-fat diets, leading nutrition scientists now say there’s no evidence that people lose weight, or body fat, by eating less fat. Evidence shows you can lose weight on both low and high fat diets; it’s the calorie count that matters. Eat foods you love, whether they’re high in fat or not. Just remember that gram for gram, fat contains twice the calories of carbohydrates, so treat yourself to the very best, and savor small portions.

Choose :

* Nuts
* Popcorn made with canola or olive oil
* Lean cuts of beef and pork (look for the words “loin” and “round”)
* Broiled or grilled dishes
* Bread with olive oil

Lose :

* Processed foods (chips or crackers, for example, unless they’re made without trans fats)
* Fried foods
* Bread soaked with butter (a little bit goes a long way)
* Cream soups and sauces

Leave Half your Dinner on your Plate

The latest diet studies provide new evidence of an old truth: To lose weight, you’ve got to eat less. But in today’s supersize world, it’s hard for dieters to have a realistic sense of what a healthy portion should be, and even harder to stop there. Studies have shown that people tend to do as their mothers told them and clean their plates, no matter how big. The challenge is figuring out how much is reasonable to consume during one sitting, and learning to leave food on your plate.

Choose :

* A piece of your favorite chocolate instead of a subpar variety, make your calories worth it.
* Smaller servings. Still hungry? You can always have more or something else.
* The five-minute pause. Give your flatware a rest every five minutes. It can take up to 20 minutes for you to feel full, so this offers your body a chance to say, “Hey, enough already!”

Lose :

* All-you-can-eat buffets
* Restaurant-hopping or take-out habit. Most restaurant portions are double the reasonable serving size, so share or order two appetizers instead of an entrée.
* Snack foods in bulk (put them in zip-top bags, and eat only one portion)
* Oversize plates and bowls, the bigger the surface, the larger the serving.

Keep A Tell All Food Diary

There’s more to weight-loss than what’s on the menu. Dieting is as much a mental hurdle as a physical one, and people use all kinds of motivation strategies. One proven way to stay on track is to keep
a food diary and record everything you eat, everything. It may sound like a hassle, but it works. In
one study, researchers found that keeping a food diary was an even better predictor of weight-loss than
exercising regularly. For many people, food journals function like gut checks. If you know that you’re
going to have to account for that bag of potato chips later on, then you might think twice about how
hungry you really are.

Choose :

* A stylish journal (or a PDA, if you’re the techie type)
* A supportive friend
* A supercool scale
* A night out or a ski weekend to celebrate victories

Lose :

* Obsessive scale-hopping. Weigh yourself only once a week, at the same time, wearing the same clothing.
* Unrealistic expectations
* Situations or people that tend to trigger binges
* All-or-nothing thinking. If you slip up, don’t beat yourself up. You can’t be perfect all the time. Just get back on track.

Answer 9

It's good that you are active. Most people aren't these days.
Maybe cut down on portions and eat more fruits and veggies.

Answer 10

Healthy weight loss tips


* Take one pound at a time
Don’t get overwhelmed by how much weight you need to lose. Try to remember that "losing 15 pounds in two weeks" is nothing to celebrate. It is important to realize that the more quickly weight is lost, the more likely the loss is coming from water and muscle, not fat.

Since muscle tissue is critical in keeping our metabolism elevated, losing it actually leads to a decrease in the amount of calories we can each day without gaining weight.

Fat loss is best achieved when weight is lost slowly. Strive for a weight loss of no more than 3-4 pounds per week. One pound of weight is equivalent to 3500 calories.


* Set Reachable Goals
For instance, if you know you need to get more exercise, begin with a manageable goal of, say, walking 10 minutes a day that you know you can achieve. Then build your self-esteem by achieving the small goals you set yourself.

The same logic applies for losing weight.

* Stay off the scales
Don’t get discouraged when your progress seems to be slow according to your bathroom scales. They do not provide a true measure of what is going on with the body.

If exercise levels are adequate (5-7 days a week), you may be putting on muscle but losing fat, thus losing inches even if you are not losing pounds. It's always a good idea to do several body measurements to have a second objective way to monitor progress.

* Stay focused on being healthy, not thin
# Many people become more successful at long term weight loss when their motive changes from wanting to be thinner to wanting to be healthier. Change your mindset to think about selecting foods that will help your body's health rather than worrying about foods that will affect your body's weight. The Food Pyramid offers a basic outline of the types and amounts of food you should eat each day to give your body the nutrients it needs for optimal health.

* Fat Free?
We've known for some time that limiting high fat foods in the diet can be helpful with weight loss. That's because fats pack in 9 calories per gram compared to only 4 calories per gram from proteins or carbohydrates. To many, the message to limit fats implied an endorsement to eat unlimited amounts of fat-free products. Just to clarify, fat-free foods have calories too. In some cases fat-free foods have as many calories as their fat laden counterparts. If you eat more calories than your body uses, you will gain weight. Eating less fat will help you to lose weight. Eating less fat and replacing it with excessive amounts of fat-free products will not.

* Drink plenty of water
Drink eight glasses a day. Water is a natural appetite-suppressant. Nettle tea is a great weight-loss tea as it supports metabolism and has diuretic properties.

* Reward yourself
# Each time you reach a goal, such as losing 5 pounds, reward yourself with a gift or a massage.

* Seek help if you need it
# A big key in long term weight control comes from receiving encouragement and support from others. Find a friend to lose weight with or you can check to see if groups such as Weight Watchers, or eDiets offer programs and resources in your area by clicking the links. You may also wish to check with your local hospital to see if their registered dietician conducts group weight loss programs.

* Watch your portions
With the advent of "supersize" meals and increasingly huge portions at restaurants, our concept of normal serving sizes is a distant memory. Be mindful of the amounts of food you consume at a sitting. When necessary, divide your food in half and ask for a take home bag. It is all too easy to be a "plate cleaner" even when served enormous portions. Learn to pay attention to your hunger level and stop eating when you feel comfortably full, not stuffed.

* Eat your food slowly
Did you ever notice that thin people take an awfully long time to eat their food? Eating slowly is one method that can help take off pounds. That's because from the time you begin eating it takes the brain 20 minutes to start signaling feelings of fullness. Fast eaters often eat beyond their true level of fullness before the 20 minute signal has had a chance to set in. The amount of calories consumed before you begin to feel full can vary significantly depending on how quickly you eat. So slow down, take smaller bites and enjoy your food.