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One question I am continually asked is, “Is it possible to lose body fat and gain muscle at the same time?” My answer is an emphatic YES!

First of all, to build muscle, you must constantly overload the muscles in the gym. Heavy training is of utmost importance. Even when you are on a calorie-deprived diet to lose body fat, you must be mentally tough and continue to train heavily to preserve-and even build-muscle mass. And, as I’ve discussed several times already, back up heavy training by eating high-quality protein on a consistent basis.

To lose body fat and still gain muscle, you must really watch your diet closely. Keep your daily caloric intake below your maintenance level. When you reduce your calories, be sure to keep your diet high in quality protein. Most of your calories should come from your carbohydrate consumption. Of course, watch your fat intake.

Here is how I suggest you manipulate your carbohydrate consumption: For a couple of days, eat only vegetables for carbohydrates then go back to grains like rice, potatoes, and pasta for a couple of days. Rotate in this manner and see how quickly you start melting the fat. Because carbohydrates give you energy, this may become difficult at times. Nevertheless, it is a very effective strategy.

Let’s break down and simplify this important aspect of bodybuilding. You basically need to understand three things about nutrition:

• The main purpose for each of the three macronutrients: Protein, carbohydrates, and fat
• The “right” ratio, or the “correct” percentages, of protein, carbohydrates, and fat that your food should be divided into in order to meet your bodybuilding goals
• The number of calories you should consume to meet your specific physique-enhancement goals

Good nutrition seems much easier when it is broken down and you look it at from that perspective, doesn’t it? But what do the three macronutrients do for our bodies? What ratio of our food should be allocated to protein, carbohydrates, and fat? How do I determine how many calories I should eat? I’ll answer those questions—and a whole lot more.

Those questions about nutrition provide a wide range of answers that are not necessarily easy to find. But, with experimentation, patience, and persistence , you’ll eventually figure out what’s best to help you reach your personal goals. Unfortunately, there are no easier ways around this fact. There are no magic numbers, solutions, or formulas that I, nor anyone else, can give you to make the process effortless—no matter what you are told. These answers not only vary from person to person, they also can vary within the very same person during different periods of time.

Is there really a need to outsource your organization’s IT workings? Won’t it be better if the organization can have a direct internal control over the IT operations, instead of relying on a 3rd party to help you decide what is best for your company?

Well, the decision to outsource often just falls back on the few crucial considerations, as stated below:

(1) Do you have the internal resources to run existing mission-critical systems efficiently?
(2) Are you prepared to consider high degrees of organizational and cultural change, in the face of managing your IT operations?
(3) Do you consistently need to create new business and technical interfaces for your day-to-day operations? If yes, is it really more cost-efficient to deploy internal staff to execute these tasks?
(4) Based on needs and budget, to what extent will the organization’s IT functions be outsourced?

Simply divesting your company of a function that cannot be effectively managed internally is not a sufficient reason to outsource. Before the final decision to outsource is made, the CIO (Chief Information Officer) and his IT management team have to identify and pinpoint internal management failings. Through identifying the failings, they can address them to avoid repeating the same mistakes in the selection, transition, and management of an outsourcing relationship.

The initial decision to outsource and the final selection of a suitable IT services company form integral parts of an organization’s sourcing life cycle. The decision to outsource all / parts of the organization’s IT functions is one of the most difficult decisions that a CIO and his team has to make. The simple reason being this decision will bring about significant business risks in the form of transferring day-to-day responsibilities of running mission-critical systems to a 3rd party. In addition, there may be considerable operational impact on staff that comes in the form of adjustments in working styles.

The objectives of outsourcing generally comprise of the following:

- Cost control / savings
- Concentration on core activities
- Access to new skills and technologies
- Overcoming internal organizational inertia to effect change

Objectives have to be clearly identified by the CIO and he will also have to take on the responsibility to communicate these objectives to all respective stakeholders from the outset of the process.

A outsourcing relationship that starts without clearly-defined objectives frequently fail, or may require significant remedial efforts to reset expectations and amend the services agenda. This will have the negative effects of wasting resources and affecting the bottom-line of an organization. Thus it is crucial that internal needs / failings are fully assessed and evaluated before the final decision is made.

Lastly, upon outlining the objectives, the CIO and his team will have to define, communicate and agree on the areas that will be outsourced. Areas of consideration will include deliverables, measurement and acceptance criteria.

CIOs are often encouraged to view outsourcing as part of an entire process that ranges from sourcing strategy formulation to monitoring, measuring, evaluating, and re-sourcing where and if appropriate. But like any partnerships, outsourcing can sometimes have the reverse effect of bringing about traumatic experiences, which can prove to be costly to the organization. So before you engage a 3rd party IT services firm, seriously consider all the impending factors as outsourcing is a long-term engagement and should not be taken lightly as a temporary relief of internal management failings for the organization.

Gifts are a medium to express love and emotion towards another person. It is usually presented to people who are very close. Presenting gifts has now become a very common affair, whereas initially it was just restricted to occasions like, marriages, birthdays, Christmas, New Year etc. Today with the growth of society and with growing relationships, the frequency of presenting gifts to near and dear ones has multiplied several times.

A lot of things need to be considered while gifting somebody. Topping the list is the relationship you share with the person. Secondly, the occasion needs to be taken care of and finally, fixing of your budget is necessary.

Gifts are exchanged on various occasions, a unique gift presented with love, does not only makes the recipient happy but it also helps in the strengthening of bond.

Various occasions can be listed when gifts are shared. Lets check on a few interesting ideas of gifts on various such occasions.

Marriage Gifts:
Marriage is a very special occasion in a person’s life, and to make this day a memorable one, unique and special gifts are presented to the newly wed couple by their near and dear ones. Depending on your relationship and of course your budget, you can choose from a special honeymoon package to a remote island, to gold and diamond jewellery to present to the couple. If a honeymoon package does not suit your budget you can also arrange for a cozy dinner for the twosome in a good restaurant, which they can enjoy and make it memorable. Presenting them with a surprise gift while they are dining will be an added treat. Presenting household items to the newly wed is also a good and useful idea, if they are moving into a new home after marriage.

New Baby Gifts:
To welcome the new life in your relative or friend’s house, gift them with baby stuffs, like baby toys, dresses (make sure they are little large in size, as babies grow fast), baby toilette sets etc. If your budget permits you can also present them with a small nursery setup in their home, for the new baby.

Birthday Gifts:
Birthdays are unanimous occasion to present gifts to someone. Not much needs to be thought while choosing a birthday gift for someone. You just need to pick up things that will suit the person’s personality or if you are aware of something he/ she has been looking forward to buy. Surprising the birthday boy/ girl with flowers and cakes is a tried, and tested idea, which always clicks.

New Year and Christmas Gifts:
This is probably the oldest occasion in history when family members exchange gifts. There is no specification as to what you should gift. The idea of exchanging gifts on New Year and Christmas is to wish them a happy and successful year ahead. It is a great idea to present things your friends and relatives have been wishing to have. This shall make them happy. What else could beat a happy New Year start?

Gifts for Him/ Her:
To gift that special person in your life is the toughest job indeed. You always want your present to be the best for your partner. If the choice is getting too difficult, it is safe to settle for generic options. In case you are looking to gift her, pick up a good jewelllery piece, which is a hit amongst women. You could also chose from cosmetics, stuffed toys, dresses or a good ladies perfume, which she will surely like. While choosing a present for him, the best options include the eternal, perfumes, shirts, office stationeries like organizers or a good branded pen. If your partner is a music freak you could also gift them with the latest release of their favorite musician.

The custom of exchanging gift is a sweet gesture to develop relationships and to show how much you care. Gifts are a great medium to express those thoughts, which you could not phrase in words.

It’s a bit difficult to play online slots rather than playing slot machines in a land based casino. Nonetheless, it’s not very difficult to get started. Some of the tips for the beginners to get started are as follows:
The very first step you need to take is to find a good casino of your choice. Every casino has a different kind of offering and it is very important that the casino you have chosen should give you ‘your kind of enjoyment’. In case you wish to go for online virtual casinos then in that case you have a choice of thousands of casinos. Some exceedingly good and some good for nothing, therefore you have to be also very cautious in choosing the right enjoyment for yourself.

While playing online slots or online bingo one might find that every game is different in some senses from the. The bonuses, management, policies of casinos differ from each other. Many casinos even offer downloadable software’s. One has to be very careful in taking a demo show of the software. Most of the people play demo just for the sake of fun or becoming a guest and enjoying for free. It is advisable that one must not lie while writing about personal details when he is playing for the real money. In an online bingo, most of the people get confused in making a deposit therefore before going on a slot machine, one must read the casinos financial terms and conditions very carefully. The first thing that the customer must check is how secured is the site and whether it contains data-encrypted link for the protection of personal info from cyber thieves or not.

Those who prefer playing online slots must be very clear of all its merits and demerits. Online slots are not for the people who are searching for a game where they can win money in abundance and on the same time control their destiny. Therefore, the very first thing one must do while playing an online slot or online bingo is to avoid the games which are already crowded by players because in such situations chances to win the game are very less. So one must always look for the games where the players are not much in quantity.

When shopping for a new balance transfer credit card, take the time to compare a number of credit cards, as the terms and conditions of these offers varies greatly. There are numerous things to consider before you take this step of choosing a new card. Be sure to read the fine print.

First, you need to have a plan on why you’re applying for this new balance transfer credit card. If it’s to consolidate two or three credit card balances from higher interest credit cards to a card offering an introductory 0% APR, there’s more you need to know. Some issuers charge a fee for each balance transfer transaction. This can amount up to 3%, or a flat fee of $35.00 for each transfer. So if you have a number of account balances you want to consolidate, you need to figure this charge in also.

Some financial institutions only offer the 0% APR on the balance transfer amount and not on new purchases. So if you’ve transferred balances to this new credit card, and then you use the credit card for new purchases, when you make a payment it is applied toward the lower APR balance and you’re assessed interest on your new charges. It isn’t until the balance with the lower interest rate is cleared, that your payments are then applied toward the newer charges with the higher interest rate.

Another thing to take into consideration is the balance limit on the new balance transfer credit card. Is it enough to cover those other credit card balances you want to consolidate? If the credit limit isn’t high enough, they won’t transfer the whole amount. In addition, you wouldn’t be able to use the credit card as it would take you over your credit limit. Again, read the fine print. Going over your credit limit would take you out of the terms and conditions of the credit card, thus voiding the special introductory offer. The penalties can be steep.

You also need to know if there is an annual fee for this new balance transfer credit card. If there is a fee, that would have to be taken into consideration when determining any savings you might realize by consolidating your debts into a new balance transfer credit card.

Now, don’t get me wrong, a balance transfer credit card can be a good thing and work to your benefit. With a definite purpose of eliminating some of your debt and then sticking to your plan, a balance transfer credit card with a 0% APR valid for several months, can save you a lot of money in interest payments.

So you have decided to purchase a PDA. Congratulations-you will be buying a form of technology that will help you get your life organized! Yet, if this is your first PDA purchase you may find that you will benefit from some of these PDA buying ideas.

1) Find a PDA at a price that you can afford. Don’t go crazy when you purchase a PDA, more money doesn’t always equate to a better PDA. If you are unsure as to what PDA is worth the money you are planning to pay, read various PDA reviews to see what others think of the product. In fact, in reading PDA reviews, you can successfully determine which PDA will meet any and all of your needs. I strongly urge you to use PDA reviews, they can save you a lot of grief when purchasing your pda.

2) PDAs are diverse in size and you should find one that you will be comfortable in handling on a regular basis. Some PDAs are very tiny while others are smaller than a laptop, but still relatively large. If you are comfortable with a tiny device then get a small device, but if you have a repetitive motion injury or if you have a problem with your fine motor skills, a smaller PDA may not be the best thing for you and you may want to consider purchasing a larger PDA.
This is so true, you really need to sample a pda, I mean actually hold it in your hand and try it out. Because if it’s not comfortable to use then down the road you won’t use it.

3) Again, the size of your PDA and its keyboard is so vitally important. No one wants to be constantly aggravated by a PDA keyboard that has keys that are designed too close together or that are small and difficult to utilize. This is especially true for those individuals that have problems with fine motor skills or have a repetitive motion injury. Therefore, thoroughly examine the usability of a PDA’s keyboard before you make your PDA purchase.

I just want to reemphasize this point, I not to long ago bought a PDA for my wife. Sure I sampled them found one I thought she would like and low and behold found out the opposite. She liked the small size but did not like the keyboard. So I took her to the store so she could sample them herself I then purchased the one she was comfortable with.

4) If you are considering using your PDA to get Internet access, invest in a PDA that offers you wireless Internet access. The whole idea of enjoying the use of a PDA is the portability that the product provides and using cell phone dial up, although more secure, is in no way less costly than wireless Internet access.

5) If you plan to carry quite a few files or images on your PDA, you may want to purchase an expanded memory card. Because PDAs are small, handheld devices, their memories are a bit limited. Therefore, if you plan some heavy-duty use of a PDA, you many need to purchase additional memory so you don’t slow down the processing that can be handled on your PDA.

Or better yet, purchase a PDA with more installed memory. You can always buy expanded memory down the road if you need it. But purchasing a PDA initially with larger installed memory for your current needs is cheaper than buying one with less and then adding a memory expansion card.

In the end, if you keep the above mentioned tips in mind, you will easily find a PDA that is right for you. Now all you need to do is start your research and your sampling of PDAs. Visit the nearest electronics dealer to determine what PDA you want and get your life organized today!

Waiting for the World Cup to start has always been a punishing yet rewarding experience for soccer aficionados. The former is felt days after the last World Cup ends, the latter, days before the next one starts. Soccer fans will declare that the long four-year wait is all worth it once this truly world event begins with that starting kick off. All that pent up excitement has to come out sometime and what better way for it to go than through the explosion of cheers, applause and jubilant gestures of support once the games are underway. Finally, the excruciating wait is over as the eight groups of thirty-two teams from various countries compete for the World Cup Trophy and their respective nation’s pride. Last Friday marked the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Several countries virtually went into a standstill as history unfolded in the Allianz Arena at Munich.

This truly is an occasion of global proportions as football devotees root for their country’s team with fervent display of loyalty and zeal. In the 64 grueling and exciting matches ahead, soccer fans are sure to get a treat as the likes of Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, and Beckham strut their wares on the road to football glory. The powerhouse that is Brazil is clearly the team to beat this year. In the seventeen previous tournaments since the first World Cup in 1930, Brazil has been a dominant force having won five of the seventeen events including the one back in 2002. The defending champions shouldn’t take it easy though because hot on their heels are other soccer superpowers and they are not trailing far behind in talent and passion. Italy, England, Germany and Argentina are only few of the countries that will surely make Brazil’s journey to the finals very difficult. The other countries in FIFA’s top world ranking list includes Spain, Mexico, Netherlands, Czech Republic and the United States. These are all formidable teams that can certainly hold their own in this tournament and could easily be this year’s World Cup champions. It is almost an impossibility to predict who will raise the trophy in Berlin on July 9 but that’s simply the beauty of it! One thing is for sure, the country that gets to keep the World Cup Trophy for the next four years will have justly earned and deserved it. All this rich history, glorious pride, legendary teams, prominent personalities and beautiful venues will be the making of one of the best tournaments thus far.

Talking about the World Cup would be incomplete without mentioning the hooligans that this event seemingly attracts. Add booze to the mix and you’ve got an explosive situation warranting a serious once over.

Too often, the World Cup has been analogous to thousands of people trooping into colossal stadiums, euphoric crowd shouting, ultra tight security and some minor riots happening near and around the stadium. Although there is nothing wrong with this image (except for the riot part) and all the fanfare, the real value of this monumental event is not just about winning the most sought after accolade in sports. It is the coming together of different countries and cultures under one common goal. Let’s play futbol!

June 29th marks the first year anniversary of the very first vehicle that is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. In fact, this vehicle is the first of its kind in the world to be actually leased to an individual retail customer and it bears the name Honda FCX. This is the announcement given by American Honda Motor Co., Inc. And Honda is celebrating this event.

The vehicle powered by a hydrogen fuel cell has been leased by Honda to the Spallino family who is actually based in the Los Angeles area. Jon Spallino is the person who has signed for the lease and uses the FCX. He comments, “I am surprised at the amount of attention and rubbernecking received while driving the FCX. Despite being a developing technology, we have not suffered from any reliability issues and the car has all the comforts and conveniences we need.”

The Spallino family uses the Honda FCX on their everyday drives to their daily activities. In fact, the vehicle has already traveled a couple thousands of miles already. The trips have been largely made to the supermarket, to the Spallino children’s soccer practices, as well as the daily commutes to their workplace. The family has been constantly stopped though by the public who has been very interested about their experiences in riding such a car. Some would even blatantly ask to have a ride in their Honda FCX. But after twelve months, the family is no longer surprised by these actions.

On the anniversary of such a lease, Gunnar Lindstrom says, “The lease of the Honda FCX to the Spallino family demonstrates the real-world viability of fuel cell vehicle technology and its ability to meet the needs of a family on an ongoing basis. Honda will continue to evolve and refine hydrogen vehicle technology based on feedback from real world customers, and we’ll see that expressed in future models.” Lindstrom is the senior manager of Honda’s Alternative Fuels Sales and Marketing department.

Most people have never used a massage chair and have no idea how they function. They have been around for years and are very sophisticated machines in the form and shape of an arm chair. Many of them are produced in Japan.

It is really great to just sit in the chair and get the massaging.

Inside the chair there are a number of motors, often 2-6, and a computer program that runs the program you choose. The whole body can be massaged within 20 minutes, sometimes less and sometimes more.

What kind of massage can you get? Let me give you some examples.

Air arm massage is a feature on some massage chairs. This is especially great to relieve weariness from the arms which are working restlessly for operation of a personal computer or a cellular phone, during works, domestic chores, leisure and so forth. The air massage mechanism is provided on the armrest and it will move naturally with the change of the body angle caused by the reclining movement. In this way the stiffness and strains in the wrists and back of hands will be relaxed thoroughly.

Depending on how the backrest is set, the function of the arm massage will work differently. The backrest can be in an upright position, slightly reclined and completely collapsed.

The air massage option is also available for the lower part of your legs. It massages with repeating cycles of compression of the muscles in an oblique direction and releasing. This stimulation assist an important function, to return the blood to the heart.

As the shape and form of our bodies differ it is vital for a good massage chair to have the option the adjust for that. Now there are chairs that automatically scans the persons body and use the data collected to change the tools, often small wheels that role and push, inside the massage chair.

Movements of hands and whole arms are reproduced to realize complicated and stereoscopic kneading up and kneading down massage. There are even more complex functions added in some programs of a massage chair. For example a function that combines the stretch massage, which resembles pressing with hands to push up first and then down, with the simultaneous application of the kneed, tapping and wavelet.

The most common functions of massage chairs are vibrations in the seat and backrest. Pleasant intermittent vibrations can be enjoyed simultaneously with the massaging. It promotes blood circulation and relieves strain from muscles.

What is the price of a massage chair? As always it depends on the functionality you want but prices range from just over $1,000 USD up to $8,000 USD. Many companies buy or rent a chair and have it for the personal. This is appreciated as a very efficient way to help the staff to stay healthy. There are studies showing that the number of sick-days will go down considerably when the massage chair has been installed.

An usual effect when a new chair is installed is that people will line up and try the massage. A schedule is almost always required and many use it frequently to get rid of the problems a stressful work situation sometimes creates.