Friday, May 13, 2016

Electrolyte Imbalances: Symptoms & Causes



BNP Abnormal Lab Values


HOW TO LOSE FAT

Here are a few simple tips and tricks that have helped me 

1.  COUNT YOUR MACROS NOT CALORIES
Forget calorie counting and focus on your nutrients. Free apps like MyFitnessPal are great for this approach.  Focus on your macronutrients by achieving your protein and healthy fats for the day. Make sure you are not exceeding your carbohydrate limit.  MyFitnessPal is great  for macro counting because it not only totals up daily amount, it also shows you your recommended daily intake.


2. ACTIVITY TRACKER
Activity trackers are a great way to improve your daily activity.  Activity trackers can range from $10-$400. You can go as simple and affordable as a basic pedometer, or you step it up a notch and get a device that syncs straight to your smart phone, computer or tablet.  There are many trackers to choose from, some of the more popular are:
Fitbit, Nike Fuelband, Jawbone, Garmin, Polar.

When I first heard that we the people should take 10,000 steps a day, my initial thought was, "Of course I get that, I stand on my feet at work and I go to the gym."  Boy was I wrong, even with a standing job and frequent gym time, I was only averaging 5000 - 7000 steps per day.  After purchasing my first tracker (a Fitbit Flex), I have greatly improved my daily steps, and even stepped it up (no pun intended) to a minimum of 10,000 a day.  My tracker has taught me to utilize my time better to get more steps.  I have since then upgraded to a Fitbit Surge.



3. INTERMITTENT FASTING
I never knew that taking a late breakfast could be so beneficial to my weight.  Intermittent fasting is the practice of eating in an 8-12 hour window.  For example, I do not eat breakfast, I only eat from 12pm-8pm. From 8pm-until lunch the following day, I do not consume any calories. During my "fast" I do consume black coffee,  chew gum, and no carb breath mints.  If this is something you are considering, you should definitely do your research  before you start.  






4. TRACK YOUR EXERCISE
It does not matter how you do it, you can log it in a journal, a notebook, your smartphone (there are plenty of free apps for this), your social media page, it does not matter just log.