Fitness Friday: How Shari Lost 57 lbs with Nutrisystem

Posted on December 20, 2013 by Krissyar

Shari West was struggling with weight problems. She weighed much more than she wanted to. Needless to say, her weight issues were weighing on her mind and affecting her life. That is when she discovered Nutrisystem and her life changed for the better. She took a picture of herself the day before starting the Nutrisystem weight loss program, set a weight loss goal and got started. Her picture became a source of motivation for her. She knew in her mind she didn’t want to look like that anymore. That was reason enough for her to persist with the program and she succeeded.
A Successful Beginning
Luckily for Shari, Nutrisystem worked for her from the beginning. Some people start Nutrisystem but quit because they can’t stick to it (i.e they don’t like the food), and they don’t see any results. But Shari followed the program and saw results within two weeks in the program. It was then that she noticed a couple of inches had come off. “When I set my mind on something, I follow through” says Shari who found the Nutrisystem plan very simple. She was interviewed by Rachel at SecondTimeAround09. The simplicity of Nutrisystem is what makes it so popular according to the reviews posted on WeightLossTriumph.com.

Shari

 

The early success proved to Shari that the effort she was putting in was paying off. This gave her the boost she needed to carry on with the program and reach the weight loss goal she had set for herself.

Enjoying the Food
A major reason why Shari enjoyed a smooth journey following the Nutrisystem program was that she fell in love with the food on offer. For those of you who don’t know, Nutrisystem provides precooked and prepackaged meals that you have to order through their website. Select the meal plan you want to follow and order the food accordingly. They deliver 28 days’ worth of supplies to your doorstep. From there on in, it is simply a matter of sticking to the plan and reaching your goal. As mentioned above, Shari enjoyed the food, particularly the lasagna, cookies, hearty beef stew and cinnamon buns. For some strange reason, she didn’t enjoy the hamburger!
Persisting With It
Shari reminded herself of her weight loss goal every day by looking at the picture she had taken before starting the program. She was already seeing the difference when she measured her waist every week. This is what motivated her to keep going. In her experience, she recounts that she wanted to become a Nutrisystem success case and that is what she did. Fortunately for her, she found the program easy to follow and faced no major setbacks along the way.
Reaching the Goal
It took Shari all of 10 months to reach her weight loss goal. In that time, she had lost 57 pounds and it showed. Unlike many other people, Shari didn’t stop following Nutrisystem right after completing the program. She managed to retain her new weight level for almost one year, at the time when she shared her results. Her strategy was simple: follow the program, stick to the guidelines and persist. Where most others fail, she didn’t.

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Where do bodybuilders go wrong?: Dietary tips for bodybuilders

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Krissyar

Am I in the wrong gym? No, that’s a poor excuse. Finding a decent gym shouldn’t be a challenge.

Do we give up to easy? No, most of us like being in the gym more than we do our own homes.

Do we work the wrong muscles? Perhaps, sometimes we focus too much on some muscles and not enough on others.

The real problem is our diet! It’s obvious! Before you even start your reps, it’s the first thing you should be thinking of.  A bad diet will affect your stamina, your body fat and your muscle development.  If you want to build that muscle you got to put down that fried chicken, boil that turkey fillet and steam those green veg. But it’s all fine having a good diet, you’ve also got to have the right diet.

Simple changes and additions to your diet and the hard work you’re going to do anyway will get you to the size you want to be in no time. First, you’ll need to:

Drink plenty of water. Water is the most important part of your diet. Don’t confuse thirst dehydration for hunger pains. A useful guideline is to divide your weight in kilograms by 30. For example somebody weighing 70 kg is going to need 2.3 liters per day. You’ll need to drink this much everyday and probably more if you’ve been exercising.

Make shakes your new best friend. Shakes for bodybuilders will help you pile on the pounds easily, you’ll recover more quickly and you’ll train harder. You can serve them with water, juice, yoghurt or milk. Before the gym, after the gym, they are a very easy whey, sorry, of getting massive.

Eat more Beans. And not the baked variety, I mean kidney beans, broad beans, chickpeas. Not only are they packed full to the brim with protein they also are a top source of fibre. This’ll help the absorption of nutrients and supplements as well as helping out your bowels.

Eat lean red meat sparingly. It’s what you’ve been waiting for me to say. Red meat, yum. But you gotta treat ‘em mean, keep ‘em lean. Lean ground beef and choice cuts of red meat are the food  for building mass. Packed with calories the high gainers should be looking at this and slobbering. But don’t  eat too much, red meat is also full of saturated fats and we don’t want too many of those bad boys.

Eat Chicken and Turkey. This is much more healthy than red meat and is great for getting BIG. Full of protein and low in saturated fats and trans fats.

Get some slow burning carbs down you. Sweet potatoes, porridge, eat these before you work out and you will last so much longer. These are the carbs that you want, fuelling your body for a hard working shift in the weights room.

Slurp those egg whites down.  A protein to fat ratio of 60:1, egg whites are one of the cheapest and the purest forms of protein in the world. All bodybuilders should eat them, if you aren’t, I suggest you get cracking.

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New Central Heating & Boiler Systems

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Krissyar

Winter is coming and you are probably thinking about implementing your central heating installation: making energy savings, replacing your faulty boiler or even acquiring a new one, but deciding which boiler or central heating system is the most appropriate for your home or business is always a very serious matter.

How do boilers work?

This is a mini guide on the types of new boilers for you to get information about the alternative heating systems on the market, including some for those not connected to mains gas.

Conventional boilers

It normally includes a cold water tank and a smaller one for the feeding, expansion and heating of water by drawing water from the cold water mains. The central heating boiler will heat a cylinder by condensation, releasing hot water to taps and radiators.

The pros

  • Hot water and heating through the same installation
  • Amazingly fast flow rates
  • Possibility to work on multiple taps systems
  • An airing cupboard (so useful for drying clothes)
  • It is solar compatible

Combination boilers

They are cheaper to run and will instantly source an endless furnish of hot water from the mains and at the same speed as the cold one. Plus, you don’t have to wait for cylinders to heat up and running out of hot water is just a non-existing problem. There’s also no need for cold water storage tank so it’s perfect if you are limited on space. Hot water will run through pipes by means of a pump and heat the radiators really fast.

The pros

  • It is space saving (no storage tank is needed)
  • Hot water is sourced with the same pressure as the mains

Alternative heating systems

For those who are seeking an environmentally friendly system or are simply not connected to mains gas, there’s still an interesting range of heating systems:

Boilers generating electricity

A boiler like this can generate not only the energy supply but also both hot water and heating for any house.

Solar thermal

A professional will mount this boiler on your roof to provide more than half of your hot water needs per year. It is one of the cheapest of renewable energy: not only the bills, but also its maintenance.

Back boilers

They get installed behind any chimney that has a gas fire in its front to offer both heating and hot water really efficiently. The warm air it sources is just delicious.

Warm air devices

This system heats any space with the help of vents in the ceiling. The warm air it sources is just delicious.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas Heating Systems

This is the most similar to mains gas for hot water, heating and cooking. A pipeline will serve your home with it.

Oil

Perfect for rural areas, oil is always easily stored in a tank on the ground at home. This system works quite similarly as the one for liquefied petroleum: A burner heats the water and heating and hot water are delivered via a pipeline.

Wood

This system (aka biomass) sources heat or hot water by burning logs or pellets.

Remember that if you have found among our suggestions the solution that best meets your heating and hot water needs, you should always leave installation and fixing issues in expert hands.

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Little Trendsetters: Baby Names of America

Posted on December 17, 2013 by Krissyar

Baby Names of America (Infographic) border=
Presented by MyChronicleBooks

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America’s Best Brunch Spots

Posted on December 17, 2013 by Krissyar

Brunch is the reward for a week of hard work, it is a time to relax and unwind and enjoy a long drawn out breakfast affair with no rush to be anywhere soon. Indulgent meals enjoyed alongside good company, the brunch is one of America’s favorite dining experiences and with good reason.

Nothing stirs the soul like a well made brunch and to offer the best dining experience a top brunch spot is looking to deliver some of the most classic, comforting dishes and serve them up in a great atmosphere. Here we take a look at some of the best brunch spots America has to offer.

Locanda Verde – New York City

Locanda Verde is located in Tribeca’s Greenwich Hotel and offers a casual, energetic and affordable Italian brunch experience. Think exposed brick walls, chalkboard menus and studded leather bar seats. Grab a spot in the cafe to enjoy a great cup of cappuccino and indulge in one of New York City’s best brunch experiences. Star chef Andrew Carmellini serves an inspired menu which keeps the locals coming back for more. Expect to find plates stacked full of polenta waffles, mascarpone cheese, zucchini frittatas with roasted tomato and a wide selection of delicious pastries. The signature dish here is Locanda’s ricotta cheese paired with truffle honey and a burnt orange toast.

Location: 377 Greenwich Street, NYC.

Magnolia Pancake Haus – San Antonio

The Magnolia Pancake Haus is a Texas crowd pleaser and claims to serve the world’s best buttermilk pancakes. Husband and wife owners Robert and Sheila Fleming (from Munich, Germany) say that their success is in using the best ingredients with no substitutes and a few secret recipes handed down from Sheila’s grandmother. With years of restaurant know-how, this unbeatable team now churns out some delicious dishes from Germany and the States. Magnolia’s standout dish however has to be their wonderful Bavarian puffed pancake made with the best Granny Smith apples and lavishly topped with whipped cream.

Location: 606 Embassy Oak, Suite 100, San Antonio

Soho South Cafe, Savannah, Georgia

Savannah is a city known for its antebellum mansions and according to Areavibes it’s a great place to live. Those who are lucky enough to live near the Soho cafe however, are probably well aware of this quirky delight. The Soho South Cafe offers a big helping of southern charm along with a unique breakfast dining experience. This kitschy restaurant come art gallery was formerly a mechanic’s garage and now features quirky props such as pianos, indoor umbrellas, a random mix of seating and tables and a range of local art. Chef and owner Bonnie retsas has created the restaurant of her dreams and serves up a range of affordable and delicious dishes in this casual neighborhood joint. Diners can enjoy dishes such as shrimp and grits with sausage gravy and cheddar bacon waffles or go for the standout dish – Eggs Savannah which comprises of a jumbo lump crab cake topped off with asparagus, poached egg and hollandaise sauce. Now open for dinner too!

Location: 12 West Liberty Street, Savannah.

Tremont 647, Boston

Located in Boston’s South End, the super popular Tremont 647 offers an ever changing menu which is dictated by the seasons. A range of dishes are served up by Chef Andy Husband in this stylish restaurant. Dishes are big here with favorites such as crispy prosciutto Benedict with rosemary potato cake and a green bean and candied nut salad or try the half pound grass-fed burger which you can double if you’re super hungry. Be sure to make a reservation in advance or expect a long, hungry wait for a table.

Location: 647 Tremont Street, Boston.

Have you enjoyed an amazing brunch lately? If so tell us where and all about it in the comments box below.

David Wilson is a writer finding the best places to live across the United States.

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