Comment from personal trainer Dean Piazza :

When you choose a '' diet food'' it doesnt mean its low in calories or in fat - it just means its less than the original version. In some cases the low fat version has more calories than the full fat product as its higher in sugar.
This is where alot of people get it wrong and still eat '' diet products'' .
This is where calorie counting books can come in handy as they teach you about the number of calories/fat
and you are more aware of what you are putting into your mouth.
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The more people eat "diet" versions of richer foods, the less they may actually like what they are tasting, a small study suggests.

The findings, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggest that familiarity can breed dislike when it comes to reduced-calorie foods. They may also offer some insight into the common dilemma of "yo-yo" dieting, the researchers say.

At each meal, the participants rated how well they liked the food after their first forkful, as well as whether they expected the meal to be filling and satisfying.

Overall, the researchers found, diners' had a similar liking for both meals on the first day. But thereafter, appreciation for the diet version declined, with participants' ratings declining by about 30 per cent, on average.

In contrast, ratings for the full-calorie meal held steady over the five-day study.

The findings suggest that people's taste for diet brands may decline as they become more familiar with them, according to senior researcher Jeffrey N Brunstrom, of the University of Bristol in the UK.

However, there are many variables that could affect any one person's willingness to stick with reduced-calorie products. Brunstrom and his colleagues found that while the diet pasta's likeability took a dip, diners' expectations as far as having their hunger satisfied remained steady.

"We found little evidence that people started to expect that the food would be less filling," Brunstrom told Reuters Health in an email, adding that "this is good news for weight-loss foods."

However, he noted, it's unclear if those positive expectations would hold over weeks or months. In general, larger and longer-term studies are needed to better understand how people's affinity for reduced-calorie foods shifts over time, according to the researcher.

Brunstrom and his colleagues also point out that their study focused on the palatability of a reduced-calorie main course, and not the lower-calorie snack foods so common on grocery store shelves. People's taste for those products, the researchers note, may be better maintained.

An interesting question, according to Brunstrom, is whether changes in consumers' taste for reduced-calorie products help explain why so many people find it hard to stick with a particular diet.

"Perhaps this is why people engage in 'yo-yo' dieting," he speculated, adding that such on-again/off-again dieting is considered particularly unhealthy.

One of the co-researchers on the study is an employee of food manufacturer Nestle, which funded the work.

Reuters

Visiting my site www.getfit.com.au its obvious its all about
fitness, fitness programs, working out and exercising.
But when it comes to losing weight,fitness and exercise is only Half Of what you need to do.
Eating the right food choices and good nutrition is the Other Half.

Thats why when you sign up to any of our online programs we have Jen Butler Our Nutritionist who specialises in Food for Weight Loss who will analyse what you eat and when, and recommend what you need to increase and decrease to speed up your weight loss results.

Jen will get you to complete a 4 Day Food Dairy and analyse
> Serving Size
> Brand Of Food
> Balance of Carbs, Protein and Fat Consumed each day
> Alcohol Intake
> Fibre Intake
> Time Of Eating
> Cooking Method
> How processed the food is.

You can read more about How Jen Can Help You by clicking below:
Nutritionist In Sydney

Check out the latest health and fitness products on the market and its being held at Darling Harbour Convention centre
- Fitness and the fashion industry are similar in that products and ideas can change quite quickly so its well worth a look to see whats new and a great way to get motivated with so many healthy bodies on display !

Dean Piazza

The new look Australian Fitness & Health Expo will descend on Darling Harbour for three days, 30 April – 2 May 2010.
Taking place at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, the Australian Fitness & Health Expo (previously the Australian Fitness Expo) will provide access to around 300 exhibitors showcasing the latest in fitness and training equipment, nutrition and supplements, apparel, music and training aids, business solutions and more...

http://www.fitnessexpo.com.au

Comment From Online Personal Trainer Dean Piazza

This is the first in depth study I have seen on exercise and Aging Bodies so it just confirms what we already know but its backed up with scientific research which makes it that much more important.
Its a great read and if you need motivation to exercise and move more as you get older then this article is what you need to read !

Dean Piazza

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We all know that exercise is good for you. Staying physically active helps keep your heart healthy and your muscles strong, and in cancer patients it has even been shown to ward off relapse. Now a series of independently conducted studies on the effects of exercise in healthy older adults, published on Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine, confirms that logging time at the gym not only helps maintain good health but may even prevent the onset of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, osteoarthritis and dementia

By the end of the yearlong study, the women who weight-trained saw an improvement in their performance on cognitive tests of memory and learning as well as in executive functions such as decision-making and conflict resolution — women who trained once a week improved their scores in executive functioning by 12.6% — while those who did balance and toning exercises showed no such improvement. The muscle-strengthening exercise also helped the volunteers, ages 65 to 75, boost their walking speed, a commonly used indicator of overall health status in the elderly, as faster pace has been linked with lower mortality.

The Canadian researchers' findings were somewhat unexpected, given that previous studies on the issue have typically focused on aerobic exercise, which experts believe enhances cognitive function by promoting blood flow to the brain. Liu-Ambrose says her team speculated that anaerobic weight training would have a similar effect for other reasons. First, a resistance-training regimen requires a considerable amount of learning, especially for elderly people who may not be accustomed to the equipment. To learn how to use dumbbells, a leg press or a latissimus pull-down machine correctly, for example, the volunteers were required to focus on the task at hand, master new techniques and retain new information about proper and safe use of equipment. Previous studies have shown that such learning can help older adults maintain mental acuity.

The women also had to remember their weight settings and adjustments to the seats and keep track of the number of repetitions they completed, says Liu-Ambrose. "There is a lot more learning involved that may not occur if you take up a walking program," she says, noting that it took the volunteers a good two months to get comfortable with the equipment and the training regimen.

In addition, Liu-Ambrose says, other studies have found that people who weight-train show an increase in blood levels of a growth factor that is important for maintaining skeletal mass. This factor, it turns out, also promotes nerve growth, which could be another way that resistance training boosts mental function.

In a second brain-function study, published in the same journal, scientists in Germany found that increased physical activity was associated with a lower incidence of dementia. In this study, researchers recruited 3,485 elderly residents in Bavaria and asked them about their physical activity. None of the participants had dementia at the start of the analysis, but after two years of follow-up, researchers found that those who exercised at least three times a week were half as likely to have developed dementia, compared with the people who reported no physical activity. Based on his results, says lead author Dr. Thorleif Etgen, a professor of psychiatry and psychotherapy at München University, "it doesn't make a big difference if you have moderate or high physical activity. The important message is that you do any activity. And even if you start late in life, at 60 or 70, there is a benefit, for it's never too late to start exercising."

The key words are "moderate or high," according to another study that was published on Monday in the Archives. Dr. Qi Sun, a researcher at Harvard School of Public Health, analyzed 13,000 women participating in the Nurses' Health Study and found that when it came to exercise, more was better. Compared with women who jogged for 20 minutes a week, those who jogged three hours a week or walked briskly for five hours a week were 76% more likely to age successfully, free of chronic illnesses such as cancer and heart disease, as well as mental and physical impairment.

Sun's group found that this benefit occurred across all weight divisions, meaning that even among those who were overweight or obese, women who exercised improved their odds of aging without chronic disease. The effects may apply across different age groups as well; the women were at least 60 years old by the time they enrolled in the study, and while Sun was not able to determine how long they had been exercising prior to that, the results suggest that the health benefits are not limited to the young.

That was the same message of the final exercise paper in the journal, by researchers at University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany. In this trial, a group of 246 elderly women were randomly assigned to an 18-month exercise regimen or wellness program. The women participating in the four-times-weekly exercise sessions, which involved aerobics and balance and muscle training, improved their bone mineral density by nearly 2%. The women in the wellness group, which focused on walking, muscle relaxation and breathing skills, had a 0.33% increase in bone density over the same time period. Perhaps more important, participants in the exercise group saw no increase in their risk of experiencing a fracture-causing fall, compared with a 66% higher risk in the control group.

Despite the positive evidence, however, not all researchers are ready to suggest that exercise is a sure-fire prescription against mental decline or chronic disease in healthy people. To make that claim, a large, longer-term, controlled trial would be needed, in which participants are randomly assigned to exercise or not, and are then followed for the development of chronic conditions such as cancer, heart disease or dementia.

Still, says Dr. Marco Pahor, director of the Institute on Aging at the University of Florida and author of a commentary on the studies appearing in the journal, "if you pool all the evidence together, the benefits of exercise seem promising

Source : Time Magazine Januuary 2010

We overeat because we Regard Food as our Friend ...

We can stop by Finding Better Friends.

People regard food as a friend but we need to find better friends !

Its easy for me to tell you to stop eating junk food but its not that simple to adhere to.

Resisting in this fashion only increases the cravings so you need to think about this saying before you eat it:

'' its not real food, it wont satisfy me and will make me feel disgusting''

It will take a week or so for this pattern of thinking to set in but once you master it it will
make it easy for you to ignore junk food and have the strength the make the right food choices.

Try it and let me know your results as would love to hear your feedback.

If you have any questions on the above email me @ dean@getfit.com.au

Dean Piazza
Your Online Personal Trainer
and Weight Loss Coach

comment from online personal trainer dean piazza:

This is a good article so i had to include it here !
Eating out for breakfast can be healthy but you have to be careful !

Tip :Dont eat more than you would usually eat at home . Most people who eat out for breakfast tend to eat alot more than they usually would at home and the extra calories are stored as added weight.

Dean Piazza
www.getfit.com.au

*********************************************************************************

Think that order of eggs and orange juice you enjoy at your local cafe is a healthy choice?

Think again.

Experts warn that those who ditch the classic wheat cereal and milk in favour of a restaurant breakfast could be consuming the equivalent of a high-fat, high-sugar junk food meal.

Whether it is grabbing a bacon-and-egg roll on the way to work or scheduling catch-ups over Sunday brunch, nutritionists agree that dining out for breakfast may be contributing to rising obesity levels.

Breakfast favourite eggs benedict - about 2900kJ - is almost as bad for the waistline as a McDonald's bacon double cheeseburger.

A hot chocolate? That is an extra 1406kJ and 15.5g of fat to the calorie count.

The Dietitians Association of Australia recommends a daily saturated fat intake below 24g.

Researchers from the University of Massachusetts Medical School in the US have identified eating out for breakfast regularly as a major risk factor for obesity, with those guilty of such indulgences 137 per cent more likely to be overweight.

Nutritionist Rosemary Stanton said that cafe breakfasts were an ''exaggeration of everything'' people would make at home, with typically much larger portion sizes and higher contents of fat, sugar and salt.

''It is almost a justification of the cost of eating out,'' Dr Stanton said.

She said the biggest culprits were the size of serving portions and the ''intrusion'' of banana bread and muffins onto breakfast menus.

''Banana bread is usually equal to several slices of cake and the muffins are usually equal to several cupcakes,'' she said.

''If you only do this once a year on your birthday, that is fine. If you do it every Saturday, you would be better off ordering raisin bread.''

Those who order a skim coffee to absolve their guilt need not be so smug.

''You see people ordering a large breakfast and then a skinny latte,'' Dr Stanton said. ''Here, you're saving 2g of fat and with the food, you're eating 32g.''

A large orange juice uses up to seven oranges, adding up to as many as 60g of carbohydrates or the equivalent of four slices of bread, dietitian Monica Kubizniak said. ''In essence you're having two brekkies,'' she said.

Lisa Renn, a Melbourne dietitian, said that cafe-goers were potentially missing out on essential fibre and calcium which they could get at home with regular cereal and milk.

''Certainly, it is nice to eat out and, certainly, people are eating out more,'' Ms Renn said. ''It is possible to make good choices but it is about learning where the hidden traps are and asking restaurant staff, 'Do you use cream and milk in this?'''

Comment from Dean Piazza your online personal trainer @ www.getfit.com.au

Its easy to put on weight without even realising it especially if you always wear loose fitting clothes.
There are 2 types of fat , fat that is stored externally on the body and fat which is stored internally on the body,
(especially around the organs which is the most dangerous type of fat.)
With most people as you put on weight it will be a combination of external and internal fat building up on the body slowly over time.

An easy way to monitor your weight gain without stepping on the scales is to regularly wear jeans or tight fitting tops as this allows you to monitor your body shape in real time - if the clothes feel tighter it can set off alarm bells to
eat better and exercise more and it gives you subtle reminders that you cant slacken off !

The article below makes you realise reducing your body fat is not just about losing weight and looking good, its also about staying healthy ,staying alive and warding off chronic disease.

dean piazza
www.getfit.com.au

Even skinny people may be carrying a mother lode of toxic fat, writes Lissa Christopher.

Haven't been getting much exercise lately? Thickening around the waist? Need a fright to get you moving more and eating better? Then look no further than visceral fat, an extremely common if lesser-known type of body fat that builds up inside the abdomen and grows around your vital organs, much like a strangler fig. It's highly chemically active - about 10 times more toxic than the pinchable, under-the-skin fat that interferes with the fit of your jeans - and it's linked to a growing list of chronic diseases.

The quickest, simplest way to check if you're carrying too much visceral fat is to look down. Do you have a bit of a belly? Are you carrying a lot more fat in your upper than your lower body? If so, then it is very likely you are also carrying too much visceral fat.

"It can become one big inflammatory mass of fat inside the belly," Carey says. Because it ''squashes'' the stomach, kidneys, veins and even throat and neck structures, it causes or exacerbates conditions including reflux, hypertension, swelling of the legs and sleep apnoea. It promotes fatty liver, LDL (aka ''bad'') cholesterol and insulin resistance (an early step on the path to type 2 diabetes). The same dangerous fat ''extends around coronary arteries, inflaming and narrowing them and promoting heart attacks independent of cholesterol. And it gets into the heart muscle, causing enlargement and, ultimately, heart failure.''

Men, thanks to their hormonal profile, are particularly prone to laying down visceral fat. It wouldn't have been a problem when they tracked across the savanna for days at a time in search of a meal, says Carey. But in a couch-happy world of abundance it has become a problem.

Post-menopausal women, who often morph from a healthy pear shape to a less healthy apple shape as their oestrogen levels drop, are also prone to the build-up of visceral fat.

"A number of studies have shown that as women progress across the menopause, even if they have no change in overall body weight, they develop an increase of central abdominal fat of between 20 and 40 per cent," says Professor Susan Davis, chair of women's health with Monash University's department of medicine.

And with that change also comes an increased risk of heart disease and insulin resistance.

Menopausal weight gain was probably not a problem back in the hunter-gatherer days, either, or even a few hundred years ago - not because women ate less and moved more, though that might have helped, but simply because they didn't live long enough to reach menopause. Much like modern Western diets and lifestyles, menopause is new to the human body.

''If our bodies weren't really designed to live into a healthy old age then I guess that means we need to treat them with a lot of respect along the way to get there,'' says Davis. ''That's something I'd like to be able to get through to younger people.''

The fat belly on the outside, fat belly on the inside guideline does have its exceptions.

Japanese studies of sumo wrestlers, for example, have found that these obese men are commonly ''fat on the outside but thin on the inside'', says Carey. This is because sumos are very physically active, tend to be of a genotype that allows them to lay down a lot of relatively healthy subcutaneous fat all over, rather than just concentrated in and around their bellies, and they eat a healthy, if calorie-laden, diet.

But in the general population, such people are in the minority. And the reverse of the sumo scenario also exists: people who look normal size or even skinny on the outside but who are carrying a toxic mother lode on the inside.

Women who restrict their kilojoule intake to keep their dress size down, but have a generally poor diet and also smoke and drink, can be prone to building up visceral fat, says Davis. And people with Aboriginal, Asian and Indian heritage tend to respond particularly poorly to even small amounts of visceral fat. ''Even a small paunch on an Indian man, for example, the kind of paunch you probably wouldn't think twice about, is bad news for his health,'' says Davis.

Waist-to-hip ratio (see below) is proving to be a particularly useful tool for assessing abdominal fat levels and their consequences because it takes into account an individual's frame-size and build (thus, indirectly, their ethnicity) - as well as where they store their fat.

A large study by Professor Tim Welborn and Associate Professor Satvinder Dhaliwal from Perth's Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and Curtin University, published in The Medical Journal of Australia in 2003, found that after cigarette smoking, waist-to-hip ratio is the best single predictor of death from heart disease in Australia; better than a simple waist measurement and better than the much-touted body mass index.

In further studies published this year in the American Journal of Cardiology and Preventive Medicine, Dhaliwal and Welborn found that when it comes to determining a person's risk of cardiovascular disease, waist-to-hip ratio is also equal to if not better than the traditional set of risk predictors used by most doctors, which includes cholesterol and blood pressure readings. It's also simpler and cheaper.

Furthermore, because central obesity has such a primary link with heart disease, they say, ''a public health focus on identifying and modifying central obesity is at least as important as the measurement and treatment of [cholesterol, triglycerides and high blood pressure].''

Several scientific studies have found that a high-risk waist-to-hip ratio is linked not only to the development of heart disease and diabetes, but also to Alzheimer's disease, depression, some cancers and even deep vein thrombosis. The precise mechanisms behind these links are yet to be established.

After all that, there is some good news. Visceral fat is easier to get rid of than the stubborn subcutaneous stuff. It burns off about three times faster, says Carey, and it's particularly responsive to exercise. And those with borderline high blood pressure, a poor-ish cholesterol profile or very early signs of diabetes who reduce their visceral fat have a strong chance of preventing or significantly delaying the onset of more serious disease, he says.

The message is clear: take action sooner rather than later.

smh.com.au

Comment from personal trainer Dean Piazza:

This is a great article to point out some myths that exist in the weight loss industry. Losing weight and getting fit requires discipline and consistency with exercise , and reducing your intake of foods which are highly processed and high in sugar. Its a combination of Eating less and moving more, and getting into a good routine so a healthy lifestyle becomes second nature !!

Dean Piazza
www.getfit.com.au

Australian scientists Garry Egger and Sam Egger separate truth from fiction in the quest for weight loss.

There is a great deal of misunderstanding about weight loss, which extends well beyond the public to health professionals. On one level, that is hardly surprising because the evidence can be very unclear. The science of health behaviour – including nutrition, exercise, sleep and weight management – is generally less developed than research relating to other medical questions. Unvetted ”expert” claims abound.

Commercial sponsors of weight-loss diets make loud proclamations for the superiority of their product but lifetime adherence to a restrictive diet – which is necessary to keep off weight once it is lost – is unrealistic for most people.

We assessed the best available evidence on weight loss and maintenance and used this to compile a 20-statement survey – with true or false responses – which we then gave to two groups of people: 173 GPs and 129 truck drivers and tradesmen.

We found doctors were almost as confused as truckies and tradies. The doctors disagreed with most of the supporting evidence on 40 per cent of our questions, the others on 49 per cent.

The statements below attracted the most incorrect answers, with our summary of evidence for and against them.

It seems doctors could benefit from more education and training in this area, and much more research into these questions is required, to confirm or challenge the accuracy of so-called ”facts” on which weight-loss advice is based.

Fruit juice is about as fattening as beer – TRUE

In terms of kilojoule content, equivalent servings of fruit juice and beer are similar. But as alcohol cannot be stored in the body, and is never directly converted to fat, any fattening effect of alcohol is dependent on other factors, particularly accompanying energy intake. So the often-quoted ”beer belly” is really more of a ”beer plus food and drink” belly. Fruit juice is as potentially fattening as beer in equivalent amounts.

Humans need eight glasses of water a day – FALSE

The physiologist Heinz Valtin tried to track the basis of this belief, which he claims may be responsible for the excessive intake of high-calorie fluids in the modern diet.

Valtin showed a person’s fluid needs depended on age, gender, activity level and state of health – as well as the weather – and varied from 500 millilitres (about three glasses) to four litres (24 glasses) a day. Despite the popularity of the eight glasses ”rule”, international guidelines on fluid intake, now under development, suggest it is arbitrary and meaningless.

Dairy products can help weight loss – TRUE

The accuracy of this statement remains controversial. Because of the fat content of most natural dairy products, a common belief exists that all dairy products cause weight gain. But recent research – both across communities and in dietary experiments with individuals – suggests eating low-fat dairy is linked to weight loss.

There are indications that certain dairy ingredients, such as whey protein, and combinations of ingredients, such as protein and calcium, can increase feelings of fullness, and increase the calories lost in the faeces – both of which may assist weight loss.

Chocolate is healthy provided it is dark – FALSE

There has been more than a decade of research on the health benefits of dark chocolate since the antioxidant effects of cocoa were discovered. Cocoa is high in bitter-tasting flavinoids, which are the prime source of such antioxidants but which many chocolate manufacturers extract to improve taste.

However, there are no labelling requirements to inform the consumer of this. Sugar, which can lessen the benefits of cocoa, is also often added to improve palatability. Hence, while genuine dark chocolate has health benefits, chocolate that is simply labelled ”dark” does not necessarily have these benefits.

Exercise is better than dieting for weight loss – FALSE

It is easier to reduce energy intake by a given amount than to increase energy expenditure by the same amount. Reducing intake by 1000 calories a day, for example, is the equivalent of walking an extra 15 kilometres daily. For this reason, dieting is more likely to be successful in the early stages of a weight-loss program. But exercise is important in weight loss and it may be more important than dieting in the maintenance stage, after effective weight loss. And both psychological and physiological factors must be considered, in which case neither exercise nor dieting is better than the other.

A low-protein diet is best for weight loss – FALSE

The success of a weight-loss diet depends mainly on the total calories. Specific nutrients generally make little difference but some have advantages. Protein can increase the sensation of fullness, particularly in comparison to sugary, starchy carbohydrate foods. In the context of the modern high-calorie diet, a reasonable intake of protein is likely to be better for weight loss than a low-protein diet.

The present protein intake of about 13 to 15 per cent of total energy is well below the estimated 25 to 30 per cent often proposed for weight loss and a healthy diet.

Fat people don’t get more hungry than lean people – TRUE

It is difficult to evaluate a subjective feeling such as hunger among individuals, but research indicates hunger is not a distinguishing factor in obesity. Much overeating has a psychological and environmental, rather than physiological, basis and hence there is little reason to believe in a difference in genuine hunger – as distinct from psychologically conditioned ”appetite” – between slim and overweight people.

Swimming is better than walking for weight loss – FALSE

In general, the best exercises for weight loss are those that are weight-bearing, such as walking or jogging. Up to 30 per cent less energy is used in activities such as swimming or cycling, which support weight and can be carried out at a more leisurely pace.

Because fat floats, an obese individual is likely to use relatively less energy while swimming, particularly if that person is an experienced swimmer. This does not negate the benefits of swimming as an exercise but reduces its relative effectiveness for fat loss compared with walking.

Weight lifting is good for fat loss – TRUE

In general, any form of exercise involving energy expenditure has benefit for weight loss. Resistance training is often underrated and considered only for the development of strength or size. However, where large muscles or muscle groups are used – or in resistance training using light weights at high repetitions – weight lifting can be effective for weight loss as well as muscle strengthening.

The best measure of body fat is body mass index -FALSE

Body mass index – a ratio of weight to height – does not correlate well with fatness in individuals. Body mass index is less accurate in people with a more muscular body type, some ethnic groups such as Pacific Islanders, and the elderly, whose height shrinks with age. This can lead to unrealistic goal weights. Waist circumference and some other body measures, or bioimpedance analysis, provide better estimates of body fat.

You lose more weight doing exercise you are good at – FALSE

Individuals become more efficient and expend less energy as they become experienced with a particular form of exercise. A fit, experienced runner, for example, requires less energy to cover a set distance than an unfit individual of the same weight, age and gender. Weight loss requires excess energy expenditure, which comes more from activities with which an individual is not so familiar.

An obese person can be fit and healthy – TRUE

While fitness and fatness are usually inversely linked, studies have shown that many active individuals can maintain good health irrespective of body weight. There is also accumulating evidence that a significant proportion of obese individuals do not suffer the damaging metabolic effects from their extra weight that might be expected, while a significant proportion of lean individuals do suffer such health problems. This has led to new questions about the effects of obesity as a marker, rather than a cause, of disease.

Garry Egger is Adjunct Professor of Health and Applied Sciences, Southern Cross University. Sam Egger is a statistician at the Cancer Council NSW.

This is an edited version of an article that first appeared in Australian Family Physician and is reproduced with permission from the publisher, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

Comment from online personal trainer Dean Piazza @ www.getfit.com.au

Its good to see even celebrities train from home as the article on Ashlee Simpson reveals.

For alot of people joining a gym is just not the best option due to the high membership fees, crowded or sweaty environment or simply because it just not close to where they work or live.
You can get into shape from your own home but you have to be motivated.If you have limited space, Invest in some light hand weights, and exercise ball and you can choose to do your cardio workouts such as fast walking or jogging outdoors, or your cardio training indoors on equipment such as treadmill, exercise bike or cross trainer.
Combine the above workouts with smart eating plan and you will be well on the way to a better body .

Need help with getting started or a plan to follow ?
email me with your questions and I will respond asap ! dean@getfit.com.au

Ashlee Simpson-Wentz will need to be in top shape for her upcoming debut on Broadway. Simpson-Wentz will be playing the role of Roxie Hart, the lingerie-clad seductress in the musical Chicago which is set to open in December 09. The actress who is already known for having a lean, fit body, hit the the cover of Women's Health magazine yesterday to talk about her simple at-home workout routine.

Simpson-Wentz gave birth to her first child, Bronx, earlier this year. According to reports, her plan during the pregnancy was to limit weight gain by doing plenty of low impact cardio. In the months following Bronx' birth, Simpson hit the gym hard with trainer Ramona Braganza, doing upper body strength workouts and abdominal crunches.

But now, as Simpson prepares for her debut on Broadway, it would seem that she needs to take it up a notch. The role of Roxie Hart in Chicago requires that she dance for hours in skimpy lingerie. She told Women's Health magazine how she prefers to stay in shape.

"Bronx Pilates! And these [biceps] are from holding him. He's in my arms all the time."

Simpson-Wentz is not the first fit celeb to stay in shape with at-home workouts that include a new baby. High priced trainers often can't compete with the workout that women get in the first few months of taking care of a new infant. These three simple exercise tips will help get new moms back in shape.

1.Take advantage of 3-5 minutes breaks by doing mini-blasts of cardio with a jump rope or climbing stairs
2.Learn simple body weight exercises that require no equipment and can be done anywhere or invest in hand weights
3.Combine aerobic activity with strength training to maximize weight loss benefits

Comment from your online personal trainer Dean Piazza :

Alot of media focus on protein when it comes to losing weight and looking good but fibre is just as important.
Most foods high in fibre are carb based foods so this is where it gets tricky and most people who follow high protein diet are more than likely not getting enough fibre.

What are best high fibre choices ?

Unprocessed foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables, wholemeal or wholegrain breads, cereals such as all bran and oats , nuts and seeds and a product called physillium husks which is not a harsh as bran.

Dean Piazza
Your Online Personal Trainer
www.getfit.com.au

Eating just a little bit more fibre could have a big impact on a flat stomach, new research shows.

American adolescents and teens who increased their fibre intake over a two-year period had significant decreases in the amount of fat around their waists, while young people whose fibre intake fell saw their bellies expand, Dr. Jaimie N. Davis of the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and her colleagues found.

Davis and her team were looking at belly fat, which is the most dangerous type of body fat. Fatter waistlines increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

The investigators had 85 overweight boys and girls 11 to 17 years old fill out a questionnaire on their eating habits, and then report on their diet again two years later. At this stage of life, Davis noted in an interview, the diets of some young people tend to get worse.

Fibre intake fell by 3 grams per 1000 calories consumed, on average, for 46 of the study participants, while it increased by the same average amount for the remaining 35.

Belly fat increased 21 per cent for the study participants who were eating less fibre, but the young people who upped their fibre intake had a 4 per cent reduction in belly fat.

The study findings appear in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

"Even slight decreases in dietary fibre are having a pretty significant metabolic impact," Davis noted in an interview. The recommended fibre intake for young people, she added, is 14 grams per 1000 calories consumed, or about 25 to 30 grams daily.

Based on the current findings, Davis noted, increasing fibre intake by six grams a day - the amount found in half a cup of beans or a single whole-wheat tortilla - could have a significant impact on young people's belly fat. "That's not an unrealistic goal for kids to set," she said.

People of any age who want to boost their fibre intake need to take a careful look at food labels, Davis added. "Just because it says 'whole wheat' or 'multigrain' doesn't mean it's a good source of fibre," she explained. "People think if it's brown, if it's wheat, it's good, but not necessarily."

Instead, she advised, people should check the Nutrition Information panel on packaging to see how many grams of fibre per serving the food actually contains.

Reuters

The Sydney event is scheduled for Wednesday, 11 November, at 6:30 p.m @ Centennial Park. And now is the time to enter this annual celebration of teamwork and camaraderie and reserve your company's spot in the Corporate Hospitality Village.
Click below for more info :

http://www.jpmorganchasecc.com/index.php

Comment from Dean Piazza : Your Online Personal Trainer

This is a good article for all women who plan on having children in the future. Everybody wants their newborn child to be healthy but in order for this to happen and to give your child a head start in life you have to be responsible and before you fall pregnant be in good shape and a healthy weight.
Otherwise as you will read below the consequenses could be devastating :

By next year one in five pregnant women could be obese, according to experts. We look at the dangers to you and your baby, and what you can do to reduce them.

Pregnant women often say they are eating for two, but too many extra pounds can be dangerous for mum and her baby. Here, we take a look at some of the risks and how to ensure a healthy, happy life for you and your child.

If you’re obese during pregnancy you’re at risk of several serious health complications.

You are more likely to have a premature or low-weight child, to die in pregnancy or after birth, and five-times more at risk of developing pre-eclampsia.

Janet Fyle, from the Royal College of Midwives, says: “Obesity is becoming increasingly prominent in society as a whole and as a result midwives are having to become aware of potential problems, such as pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes and complicated births, that obesity brings into pregnancy.”

Pre-eclampsia causes high blood pressure, fluid retention and swelling during pregnancy. In serious cases, it can also restrict bloodflow to your placenta.

Obese mums-to-be are also more likely to develop gestational diabetes. This can cause your baby to grow larger, which can increase your chances of needing a caesarean.

Women who are obese during pregnancy also have an increased risk of experiencing other problems during delivery, including a slow, prolonged labour and problems recovering afterwards.

Risks for your baby

The birth can be made more difficult by a condition called macrosoma, where the baby puts on too much weight during development, making it difficult for it to enter and exit the birth canal.

Babies born to obese mothers also have more of a risk of suffering neural tube defects like spina bifida.

They are often picked up by ultrasounds in the early stages of pregnancy but the scans have trouble penetrating extra layers of fat so they aren’t always picked up in heavier women.

Scientists at King’s College in London found obese women had higher rates of premature births .

The risks associated with premature and low-weight births include brain damage, difficulty with breathing, learning problems and greater susceptibility to infection.

Babies of obese mothers are also more likely to suffer from obesity themselves.

How to tell if you’re at risk

If you began your pregnancy with a body mass index (BMI) of between 25 and 29.9, you are considered overweight. You’re classed as obese if your BMI is 30 or over.

You are also at particularly high risk if you are a first-time mum.

What can you do?

If you are overweight or obese there are things you can do to reduce the health risks for you and your baby.

Jane Norman, professor of maternal and foetal health at the University of Edinburgh, advises: “Women can help reduce risks by taking folic acid prior to pregnancy, by not gaining too much weight during pregnancy, by having regular antenatal checks so any problems can be identified early, and by having blood-thinning agents for a short while after they have their baby.”

Lose weight before pregnancy

If you plan to get pregnant in the near future, consider losing weight beforehand.

Even if you’re obese, you should never try to lose weight during pregnancy without speaking to your doctor as weight loss or changes in diet can prevent your baby from getting the calories and nutrients they need to grow.

Alison Merry, pregnancy exercise expert and director of BloomingFit.com, says: “Pregnancy is not a time to diet. The main focus should be on eating foods which will deliver healthy nutrients and energy to both mother and baby.

“So to ensure a constant flow of energy, reduce sugar cravings and boost metabolism, eat smaller amounts every four hours, cut down on processed food, sugar and white flour, and fill up on fresh fruit and vegetables.”

Watch your weight gain

“Eating for two is no longer an option,” agrees Janet Fyle.

“Mums-to-be need to be made aware of the need to eat healthily both during pregnancy and after.”

Ask your midwife or GP for advice to ensure you don’t pile on the pounds but keep you and your baby well-fed.

Staying fit

“Cardio exercise not only improves circulation and builds a stronger and more efficient heart and lungs for the mother, it also improves nutrient-rich oxygen flow to the placenta from where the growing baby receives all its oxygen and nutrients,” explains Alison Merry.

In addition, it prepares your body for the birth, increasing your chances of an “easy” labour by strengthening your muscles, improving your stamina and helping to increase your blood circulation.

It also helps you to shed those extra pounds and get your old body back after the birth.

Start with low-impact exercise such as walking or swimming. And never begin a new regime without first talking to your doctor or midwife.

I felt so guilty my weight might be why Ellen was born early

Sarah Dixon, 33, from Bolton, weighed 18-and-a-half stone when she got pregnant with Ellen, now three, and feels her weight contributed to her daughter’s dangerously early arrival at just 24 weeks.

We’d been trying to have a baby for over five years when I got pregnant with Ellen. I’d undergone tests and doctors suspected PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome).

I was advised to lose weight so they could explore my womb and fallopian tubes through keyhole surgery. It was while I was doing this that I missed
my period.

The midwife mentioned my weight at my first appointment – I weighed 18-and-a-half stone – and I took her advice about healthy eating and exercise. I tried to eat better, joined aqua aerobics and walked to work.

During those first weeks I also lost 8lb due to severe morning sickness.

When I was 22 weeks pregnant I had a bleed so went straight to hospital. Once there, doctors discovered, to my horror, I was 2.5cm dilated. By the next morning I was being rushed to theatre to have a stitch to try and keep my cervix closed and the baby in.

After a couple of days I was allowed home only to bleed once again and be readmitted. I was kept in and the following week a scan revealed my waters had gone.

The consultant warned if I went into early labour they couldn’t stop it, and although we tried to remain positive, deep down I was convinced we’d lost our baby.

That evening I was in pain and bleeding heavily. I felt two contractions and Ellen was born weighing a tiny 1lb 3oz.

The guilt I felt was immense. When I was six weeks gone, doctors told me I had an incompetent cervix – which means it will open under pressure or excess weight. And although no one will say Ellen’s early arrival was because of my weight, I can’t help thinking that it played a major part.

In fact, I felt guilty about everything, from not stopping smoking soon enough (I stopped at 10 weeks) to walking to work along a main road.

At first, things were touch and go. But after the third day, on which Ellen nearly died, things took a turn for the better and we dared to believe she might pull through.

With every infection she beat, her prognosis got better and she finally came home on oxygen at five months old. Four months on, she could breathe independently.

Now three, Ellen is generally a healthy little girl although she does have chronic lung disease, which means that a cold could very easily turn into a chest infection.

Fortunately though, as she gets bigger, the risks will reduce as her lungs get bigger and the damaged parts are used less.

We’re desperate to give her a little brother or sister but I want to lose weight before we start trying. I’ve managed to lose 6 kilos already and am aiming to get down from a size 24 to a 16.

It’s not easy but I’m determined to do it. I really want another child and to be here to see Ellen grow up.

Comment from online personal trainer Dean Piazza

Committing to trek the Kokoda Trail which is 100km in distance over rugged , mountainous terrain means you have
to be fit, strong and healthy .

As far as fitness I compare it to competing in a triathlon or marathon - its a gruelling event and its alot more than just being fit enough to walk !

With over 10 deaths already in 2009 , people are not preparing seriously enough and its risking your life .
I have coached 3 people online over 12 weeks to finish the kokoda trail in good health and spirits and the feedback from them was it was certainly worth the training to prepare the body and mind for this epic event.

Below is a good article on Kokoda Trail :

Professor Kevin Norton says many of those who set out on the arduous Papua New Guinea track have not done sufficient training, and it is a problem Australia should no longer ignore.

His comments follow the death of 55-year-old Phillip Brunskill, the second Australian to die after setting out on the track in a week and the fourth this year.

"There probably should be a coordinated, pre-participation training program that people should go through," Prof Norton, who walked Kokoda in 2006, said.

"It would require a minimum x,y,z completed in the last eight weeks before you go, and that would be much more reliable as a predictor of who is going to make it.

"It would be much more challenging than the training most people do - very fit young people would do it without any trouble but it's the 40, 50-year-olds.

"We should standardise it, and it should be our responsibility ... as the vast majority of those who walk the track each year are Australians."

Physical feat

Prof Norton, who is Professor of Exercise Physiology at the University of South Australia, measured the calories he and fellow hikers burned per day during his experience on the 96km track.

The first few days require about nine to 11 hours of walking each, and Prof Norton recorded a peak of 5500 calories burned in a day.

The average across the whole Kokoda Track for Prof Norton and those in his party - men aged in their mid-40s and the "typical sort of profile of people that do it" - was 4500 calories burned daily.

"Riders in the Tour de France average about 6100 calories a day over 21 days, and the highest value ever recorded for humans is people who walk to the Arctic, or Antarctic poles ... and that's about 7000 calories.

"So it's right up there amongst the toughest physical feats you can do."

Unseen evacuations

The average person is recommended to burn about 150 calories a day, the equivalent of a half-hour walk, to be healthy.

Prof Norton also points to research that shows one person will suffer a "sudden death" for every 700,000 hours of exercise in gyms.

Compared to this, the rate of death on Kokoda was roughly "10 times higher than what we would expect", he said, while the track also promoted a high and largely unseen number of emergency evacuations.

Eight out of the 11-strong group that set out ahead of Prof Norton's party required an emergency airlift out.

"They don't die and that's why you don't hear about it, but a lot are evacuated," Prof Norton said.

He said Kokoda could appear to be more doable because it was "not high intensity" walking but the steep jungle terrain, humid weather and other factors placed an additional load on the body.

"A couple of us got malaria ... the cumulative effect is that you're placing yourself in pretty significant stress, and danger of things like heart attack," he said.

"I don't think we should underestimate its toughness, its physical and mental toughness - I would hate to do it again, to be honest."

Mr Brunskill had a clearance from his doctor but experienced difficulties and was declared unfit to continue within an hour of starting the trek on Sunday.

He collapsed while attempting to walk out and later died of a suspected heart attack - one week after 38-year-old Paul Bradfield died of a suspected heart attack in his sleep while on the trek.

A woman in the same group as Mr Brunskill was today airlifted to Port Moresby for treatment after complaining of nausea and dizziness, the ABC reported.

The woman, in her 60s, began feeling discomfort as she approached the end of the 96km trek.

smh.com.au

This is a good article on the reasons behind why people fail to exercise regularly or achieve their goals.
If exercise came in tablet form it would be the most prescribed drug in history !

Enjoy the read and use it as motivation to get into regular exercise this summer -
its not far away so its a good idea to ease back into it gently now before it gets too warm and set yourself
up for looking good in 2010 !
Dean Piazza
Your Online Personal Trainer

In your 40s or 50s? It’s crunch time if you want to help delay the ravages of ageing. But it’s also the time of life when many people are busy and stressed. Lissa Christopher reports.
Physical activity is a powerful drug. Its potential side-effects include feelings of euphoria and the prevention, discouragement and amelioration of a host of chronic diseases. It does, however, have one major fault: it doesn't come in tablet form.

The fact is that fewer than half of all adult Australians are doing even the recommended minimum: 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five times a week. What's more, those least likely to be physically active are those who may stand to gain the most from it: the middle-aged. Our middle years are when the early signs of chronic and increasingly common lifestyle diseases such as Type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease start to manifest, but when positive lifestyle changes can still stem the tide and stave off early death or decrepitude.

''The baby boomers are juggling a lot of commitments, too busy taking care of everyone else,'' says Professor Billie Giles-Corti, the director of the Centre for the Built Environment and Health at the University of Western Australia. ''But it's really about taking some time out for yourself - even three 10-minute bouts throughout the day will make a difference to your health.''

Lack of time, however, is not the whole story. ''Even people who are active don't feel they have enough time to do all the things they need to do,'' says Giles-Corti. ''It's about priority, and that's the interesting thing. If you are really motivated to do it, you will fit it in. People say they don't have time but the truth is they've got something else they'd rather do.''

Researchers are starting to look at this vexed issue of why people do or don't exercise from new angles. Twenty years ago the focus was very much on individual responsibility, says Associate Professor Gavin Turrell, from the school of public health at the Queensland University of Technology.

Now, given a distinct lack of success, the physical environment, social context and government policy are also being scrutinised.

''You might think that becoming sedentary is just an inevitable part of getting older,'' says Giles-Corti, ''but when we look at data from the Netherlands and Germany, for example, a lot more people who are in their 70s still cycle and walk than do here. That's partly because of the environment in which they live and their culture. Where you support people to walk and cycle, people are more likely to do it.''

A new Australian study hopes to uncover further clues to the puzzle of the midlife activity slump. HABITAT is a four-year investigation into changes in physical activity among 11,000 Brisbane residents aged between 40 and 65. It is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council and is unique in that it takes into account a huge range of both subjective individual factors and objectively measured environmental factors.

It is surveying, for example, participants' attitudes towards physical activity and perceptions of their environment as well as objectively measuring green spaces and average distance between each person's house and the nearest bus stop, swimming pool and shop. Factors to be surveyed include the participants' health over time, their access to a motor vehicle, the hilliness of their suburb, and whether or not they own a dog.

Giles-Corti was involved with earlier research looking at the interplay between individual attitudes and environment. In a study that looked at who was walking 30 minutes a day, five times a week, as recommended, she says, only 8 per cent of people who had a poor attitude and lived in a poor environment were walking as recommended. Twenty-one per cent of those with a poor attitude who lived in a supportive environment were active and 41 per cent of those with a positive attitude and a supportive environment walked as recommended.

A positive outlook in this context, Giles-Corti says, meant a belief that you would reap benefits from physical activity as well as confidence that you could get it done despite tight timetables and other challenges.

Research also showed that social connections, whatever your age, were a vital determinant of physical activity. ''We know people are more likely to be active if there's a social component to what they do,'' Giles-Corti says. ''They're more likely to exercise if they know someone's waiting for them,'' - a trainer, a friend ''or even a dog that's wagging its tail at you, wanting to go for a walk''.

What exercise can do for you? Reduce the risk of.....

*CANCER
Colorectal and breast cancer are among the six most common cancers in Australia.

* Colon
There is strong evidence to suggest exercise has a significant protective effect in relation to colon cancer and that the higher the intensity of the activity, the greater that effect. Those who do 30-60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per day can cut their risk of colon cancer by 30 to 40 per cent compared with those who are sedentary.

* Breast
Most studies of physical activity and breast cancer show that physically active women are at lower risk of developing breast cancer than inactive women, but estimates of how much lower vary wildly. The greatest benefit has been shown to come from a lifetime of vigorous exercise, but women who increase their activity levels after menopause still reduce their risk compared to those who remain sedentary. Thirty to 60 minutes of moderate to high intensity exercise per day seems to do the trick.

Source: National Cancer Institute (US)

* TYPE 2 DIABETES
Two major studies looking at diabetes prevention have found that among a cohort of people with pre-diabetes, those able to participate in moderate physical activity for 150 minutes a week (21 minutes a day) and reduce their body weight by 5 to 7 per cent, reduced their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 58 per cent.
American research from Georgetown University of Medicine, Washington, found that Caucasian men with Type 2 diabetes who are moderately fit reduce their risk of early death by 43 per cent. Those with a high fitness cut their risk by 67 per cent. African-American men benefited far less.
Source: Diabetes Australia-NSW

* CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
Cardiovascular disease is the biggest killer in Australia. People who are physically active are half as likely to die from this as those who are not. Physical activity lowers your risk and has a positive effect on blood pressure and blood lipids.
Source: The Heart Foundation

* BONE STRENGTH
Regular physical activity on a long-term basis can help maintain healthy bones. Exercise can increase bone strength by boosting bone mass or by slowing
age-related bone loss.
Muscle strength is also increased, which is important for supporting the joints and preventing falls.
Source: Osteoporosis Australia

* DEPRESSION
"A recent systematic review of 28 randomised controlled studies found exercise helps depression. Jogging, weightlifting, walking, stationary bicycling and resistance training have all been found to be effective. In older people, exercise has been found to be as helpful as antidepressant medication or social contact."

Source: Centre for Mental Health Research, Australian National University
Smh.com.au