Guest Post: James McGrath is the owner and editor of Supplement-Deals.co.uk, which provides price comparisons of bodybuilding supplements including the popular Peak Body Pro 50 Bars and other whey powders, creatine’s and fat loss products. Don’t forget to check out his writings on the sports nutrition blog.

Running is one of the best, most complete exercises for improving general fitness. It works legs the most, but also has an impact on your back, your core, chest, arms, and the cardiovascular system. Running is also one of the easiest ways to get exercise; and you don’t need a lot of special equipment. A good run can be enjoyable and fun as you move through your town or city — or as you run down country roads. Running can be great for increasing your level of athletic ability, losing weight, and making sure that you stay strong and fit — at all ages. As easy and straightforward as it is, there are a few things that you should know if you are just getting started with running.

Clothing and Accessories

First, you will need to have the right shoes. Good running shoes will be very light; this is so that you are not expending all of your energy bringing your legs up off the ground but are instead putting it into forward motion and increasing your speed. Running shoes should have some ankle support, especially if you are running outside, but should not go so high up the ankle that they add a lot of weight. They should also have some way to breathe through holes in the sides or top so that your feet do not become too hot and contained. Most good sports stores will be able to advise on a good pair of shoes for running, even better are specialist running stores which can measure the shape of your foot and recommend the perfect pair accordingly.

Next, you will want to have the right clothing. If you’re not running competitively but just to get exercise, do not worry about tight, aerodynamic clothing — however, you may want to get this if you do plan to start running competitively because the right clothes can help shave seconds or more off of your time. The most important thing to have is a good pair of shorts. Make sure they are not too heavy or bulky; also, make sure that they have a draw string so that they are not moving excessively while you are running. You want them to be tight so that they are not going to fall and cause you to trip. You can wear any sort of shirt, though a sleeveless shirt is often best so that your body doesn’t overheat.

Depending on the climate you are in, you may wish to wear a light, breathable jacket which will help keep you warm whilst your body warms up, but prevent overheating later into the run.

Finally, you may want to consider compression socks. These socks are tight near the knees and grow loose as they go down to the foot. They promote better blood flow in areas far away from the heart, helping your muscles to get the blood and oxygen that they need so that you can run better and recover faster.

What Schedule To Start With

Start by running three days a week, an amount that will give you fast, consistent improvement without taxing the body too heavily. Take a day off in between each run to let your body recover. Running on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday will give you a schedule that is easy to remember; this also gives you an extra day of rest on the weekends, which can be very nice especially for beginners and can help you fight mentally through the Friday run.

The first time you go out, pick a distance to shoot for. If you have never run before, it might be a good idea to only run a mile. You can work your way up to longer distances later as you get in better shape. Pick a spot that is roughly a half a mile away from your home, turn, and come back. Do this every day that you run until you feel that you are ready to increase the distance. Remember not to run too far too soon, because you will have to walk back if you become too tired to keep running, which will make you more likely to give up.

Where To Run

If you want to run outside, it’s best to stay close to your home when you are first getting started. If you want to run two miles, for example, do not run a mile away from your home unless you are sure that you can get back. This is true in the city or the country. Just run a half a mile away, come back, and then repeat the process if you are still feeling good. This is not to make it so that you will quit, but to make it so you are not a long way from home if you decide that you can’t carry on.

If you want to run indoors, you can get a membership at a local gym or YMCA. Every good gym will always have treadmills that you can practice running on, while watching television or listening to music. They will often have tracks made of heavy rubber; these have some give and are easier on your knees than sidewalks. Older folk or those with weak legs or knees may be best practising on a treadmill first to get a feeling for how your legs will cope running on hard ground or pavement.

Safety Tips

For most, running is a perfectly safe activity, but accidents and injuries do happen. Take note of the safety tips below to reduce the chances of an injury.

• Do not try to do too much at first; work your way up to longer runs.
• In the first few weeks, stay close to home in case you need to stop.
• Drink lots of fluids before and after.
• Eat no less two hours before you set out.
• Stretch properly, for at least ten minutes beforehand.
• Listen to your body, take a break if you need it.

Almost any town or city will have several established running clubs. Just search your location + ‘running club’ and see what’s available near you. Running clubs can be invaluable to the beginner, and most members will be happy to provide tips and advice including where to run, timetables of local races and more.

And Finally…

Have fun! With a little preparation and planning, running can be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding exercises around.

As you set out on our weight loss diet plan, you’re definitely going to want to look at all the things that you can do to keep the calorie level down while maintaining a high amount of nutrition. Since you will be consuming less food when aiming for fat loss, it’s important that you make the most of all those calories you are taking in by choosing the foods that offer the most nutritional punch.

One place that some people struggle with when on a lower calorie diet is the flavor of the foods they’re eating. If you’re like most people, you may have this notion that a low calorie diet has to taste like cardboard, and this can really keep you from starting up a diet plan altogether.

Fortunately though, if you’re willing to get just a little creative in the kitchen, you can find a way to add plenty of flavor to your foods without having to add all the fat and calories that you may have normally taken in.

Often by simply cutting back on high calorie sauces and condiments this can make a dramatic difference to the total number of calories that you consume, so something that’s not to be overlooked by anyone.

The following are some quick strategies that you can use to get yourself started.

Balsamic Vinegar
Many people are quick to turn to soy sauce for use as a condiment or sauce and while that is a lower calorie option, it is remarkably high in sodium.

Instead, consider some balsamic vinegar. This offers a very nice flavor to many different dishes and keeps the meals very low in calories.

Whether you choose to use this on its’ own for flavor or combine it with other ingredients is up to you but do try and include it in your meal plan this week.

Specialty Mustards
Second, another way that you can boost the flavor of the foods you’re eating is to turn to one of the specialty mustards that are available.
Whether you like Dijon mustard, honey mustard, or another option, mustard in general is a low calorie condiment that really packs a strong flavor quickly.

Just watch when ordering the sweeter varieties of mustard that there isn’t too much additional sugar added or that can take away from the benefits that it provides.

Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice that very often gets overlooked but should be added back into your diet regularly. Those who consume cinnamon at a meal often report that they have more stable blood sugar levels, so for anyone who suffers from high fluctuations or who deals with diabetes, this is the perfect spice to be adding.

Cinnamon is more traditionally placed in baked goods or breakfast foods, but don’t restrict yourself to just these options. It can also work well with many main dishes too, so look for a couple recipes to try it out in this manner.

Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
If you have a recipe that calls for oil or even butter in some cases, consider swapping that out for some chicken broth instead. Chicken broth is virtually calorie free and you can purchase lower sodium varieties if that is a dietary concern you have.
What’s best is that it forms a great base for many of the sauces that you might be preparing or can be used as a substitute for butter when making mashed potatoes.

Fresh Parsley
Finally, the last option that you might want to consider to add more flavor to your foods and make your diet more palatable is parsley. Parsley, especially when consumed fresh, works perfect in pasta’s, on your main protein source such as chicken or fish, or even served on top of a salad.

Parsley also offers numerous health benefits including being a rich source of vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, and iron.
If you can get it fresh, all the better but if not, dried will also work well.

So be sure that you consider all of these quick and simple methods for boosting the flavor of some of your dishes without adding all the fat and calories that you otherwise would have.

When you can make small changes like this on a daily basis, that’s when you’ll really notice a dramatic improvement in the overall results you see as you work towards your weight loss goals.

Author Bio: Nick Clipton is the owner of BuildingBodyMuscles.com.  He writes about gaining muscle mass and maintaining a healthy weight. You can subscribe to his RSS or email to read more.

I wrote about bento boxes before, and I think it’s still a great concept to controlling your portions. If you’ve been to a Japanese restaurant, you’ve probably heard of a bento box, which is a box shaped plate with a bunch of split sections. This allows you to put a variety of food in each section. The bento box has evolved into a way of packing lunch and has even become an art form. It’s quite impressive as to how cute lunches can be.

Here’s an example!

That picture alone really makes me want to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich! Check out the fruits and veggies in there too! It’s a totally balanced meal right there for a kid’s lunch.

As adults, we should definitely consider portion control in meals, because as we all know, we tend to eat way too much! If you’re wondering what kind of bento boxes there are out there, you can check out Amazon, or this site, Bento Lunch Boxes!

Do you think about portion control when packing your own lunch, or do you just throw things together in a paper bag?

We all have our favorite foods that we would love to eat as much as we want. For example, I love cheeseburgers.  I’ll admit I am a cheeseburger aficionado. But, I know that eating them on a regular basis is definitely not a good idea. So, I make sure that I limit myself to this food I love to indulge in at least once (or twice, if I’m being bad ).

I was flipping through channels and found this show on TLC called Freaky Eaters. Coincidentally, the episode I watched was about this guy who was addicted to cheeseburgers! He ate them pretty much everyday and refused to try different types of food. Obviously, eating cheeseburgers everyday is definitely bad for you and an addiction like that has to be treated.

We all know that too much of a good thing is not always the best thing, so keep that in mind when you’re eating a certain kind of food. Go out there and try something new, and make sure you’re getting the right balance of nutrients. I personally started taking a multivitamin, to make sure that I’m getting the right nutrients and vitamins everyday. It may be a pain to remember to take a vitamin, but if you make it routine, like eating breakfast and drinking coffee or tea, then its just another thing to add to it.

This may be common sense to many, but to others, it may be something to be realized.

Is there a type of food you’re been eating a lot lately? If so, will you try and cut back?

Before I made the leap to self-employment, I thought about how my schedule was going to be like.  I thought about what time I was going to wake up and what time I was going to work, and so forth.  I also thought to myself, “I’m going to work out more!” and was psyched I was going to be in better shape.

The week I started working, I had an overwhelming feeling of freedom.  I am self-employed!  I could wake up whenever I wanted and stop working when I wanted – no rules.  Believe it or not, I had developed a pretty strict attitude in that first week.  Sure, I can work whenever, but it’s really up to me to work if I want to make money.  So, in that first week, I worked, took a break to eat lunch, cook dinner, shower, rest for an hour or so, and then go right back to working a couple more hours.  I honestly did not work out much that first week, except for a few laps at the pool two days out of the week.

This week so far, I only worked out for 24 minutes, doing a condensed version of Jillian Michaels No Trouble Zones workout on Exercise TV.  Let me tell you, it was tough.  I think I would have fainted if I did the full version!  I pushed and got through it.  It made me realize I am slowly getting out of shape.  Working out is an ongoing struggle for me, and planning is really key for me to succeed.  I am grateful that my husband got cable TV back this week, with On Demand, because the Exercise TV workouts are pretty awesome for me.  I don’t really have an excuse to not work out anymore.  I know that everyone struggles with finding the time to work out, so I know the only solution is really to just set time for yourself and just do it.  Also, think about what it will do for you later.

So, if you’re struggling with fitting exercise in your busy day, let me know how you are getting through it.

Also, have a great weekend too!  Enjoy spending time with your loved ones and have fun with whatever you are doing!