weight loss diet

Now I am not sure about you
but I find it so hard to diet and to lose weight. The weight loss programs and diets that I have tried are just so boring. They are also very hard to implement as they are asking me to give up foods which I know that I will not be able to. What we need is a weight loss program which is actually fun to implement.

My name is Steve Hill. My own weight problems began when my parents decided to turn vegetarian. I was eleven years of age at the time and basically decided to give it a go as well. My mum cooked the meals you see.

This was twenty-one years ago
at this point there were not many different options of food for people who were vegetarians. I was not at all impressed with the food I was given and missed eating meat in a big way. I would normally be hungry after meals and would then start to eat snack type foods. I only gradually put on more weight and people did not really comment for a couple of years.

As soon as people did notice
it was like a vicious circle. They would taunt me at school
I would come home all depressed and would then comfort eat
to make myself feel better.

A few years ago I went about looking for ways to help me to lose weight. I tried many diets but without success. I have to say it was not that anything was wrong with the actual diet
it was that
that particular diet did not suit me.

I am the type of person who needs to enjoy something to keep my interest in it. This is why I found school a struggle. Well that is my excuse anyway.

The Fun Way To Lose Weight

On a Saturday night a few years ago
I went out for a few beers with a good friend of mine (Dave). We were having a good chat during which I told him about my mission to lose weight. I explained about how as yet
I had not found a suitable weight loss program.

Dave suggested that I should take up a sport
something competitive which I could get my teeth into. I thought about what he had said and agreed that this could be the way to go.

I asked him if he would like a game of tennis three or four times a week. Dave stated that this might be a bit much as he played six a side football twice a week.

He did not want to let me down however
and then asked if I would like to join his six a side team. I will give it a go
I replied.

I came home rather drunk
but also rather pleased with myself. I now had a weight loss plan which I was sure would work. There will be no quick fix
however this amount of exercise
over a sustained period of time
must have a positive affect on my weight
my fitness and my health.

With this program
I am also able to basically eat what I want
when I want.

It did take quite a while as I had predicted
to reach a weight I was happy with. This was not a problem however
as I was having fun on the way.

I continue to play not only tennis and football
but many sports. This is no longer to lose weight but because I enjoy it.

The formula for losing weight is simple: eat less and exercise more. But
it's not really all that simple
is it?

Long-term weight loss isn't impossible
but you do have to be committed. Having a weight loss plan for your success is a good start. Here are ten items that should go into your weight loss plan.

1. Eat breakfast. This keeps you from getting too hungry later and then losing control over what you choose to eat later in the day.

2. Stock your refrigerator and pantry with healthy foods and snacks and limit high-fat
high-salt snacks such as potato chips and cookies.

3. Fill up on Fiber. Eat foods like fruits
vegetables and whole grains. The fibers in these foods will fill you up leaving less room for unhealthy choices.

4. Don't fall into bad habits on weekends. Many people will follow a strict diet on weekends only to fall back into eating more (unhealthy) on the weekends as a reward for "being good" all week. Unfortunately
this can cause you to regain tahe weight you may have lost during the week.

5. Watch portion sizes. Your perception of what a serving size should be and a "true" serving size can differ dramatically. Measuare your portions accurately
especially when you first start your healthy eating regime.

6. Set lifestyle goals - not weight loss goals. Commitment to eating healthy foods does lead to healthy weight loss -- gradually. Looking at your weight daily can cause discouragement and will make many people give up and go back to unhealthy food choices.

7. Take healthy snacks with you when you take road trips. Grab healthy granola bars
bananas
apples and other fruit to prevent the tempation of stopping for a cancy bar or milk shake.

8. Don't deny yourself the foods you love. If you absolutely love chocolate
go ahead and have a small pice - half of a candy bar insteaad of a whole one! And avoid eating your "splurges" every day. Save them for when you really need them!

9. Start moving. Exercise is the key to long term weight loss. You've heard the saying
Move it or lose it.
Too true!

10. Keep a journal. Writing down what you eat
when and how much you exercise and your moods will keep you on track and motivated to continue the course.

Weight loss is achieved by both diet and exercise. It is also achieved by persistence. If you "fall off the wagon" one day
pick yourself up and continue your healthy lifestyle the next. Don't give up!

Who doesn’t want to look fit and stay healthy? Who doesn’t want to stay slim and look adorable? But sometimes what happens due
to our own mistakes we allow our body bulge like a balloon and one day it may burst. Accumulation of fats is a common phenomenon in human body and one does need a bit of fat in body. But too much of fat may lead to hazard. Your body may become prone to various ailments like heart trouble; diabetes
exhaustion and this in return hamper you physically and mentally as well. So when you feel that you are gaining unnecessary fat it is always better to take the necessary precautions.

Apart from dieting and heavy exercises
medications can be a very handy procedure to get rid of your unnecessary fats. Oflate a drug call Phentermine is mesmerizing it’s customers with its unique fat burn qualities. Just within a span of 10 to 12 weeks you can find a “new you” in front of the mirror. You will find lot’s of people being benefited from Propecia. Phentermine first got its approval FDA way back in 1959 as an appetite suppressant.

Let us learn how Phentermine works. Phentermine stimulates our hypothalamus gland in our brain affecting certain neurotransmitters which in turn lowers our appetite and manages body metabolisms. It’s an absolute diet medicine and if it is included in your daily nutritious diet routine along with a bit of exercise
the drug can be very productive.

Clinical trails have found some side effects like dry mouth
dizziness
upset stomach or constipation
but have been proved that these are temporary sings and will fade away as the body get adjust to it. However it is always advisable to consult a doctor before using it
for it is only your doctor who can tell you about its usage and effects.

Nowadays
Phentermine can be easily available and can be ordered online. It is a fact that many like you are benefited from this drug significantly. So you can buy it now online.

This article gives free tips and advice about how to lose weight. Dieting does not need to be a choir
however many of the weight loss programs that are available make it this way. During the article
I describe an easy to follow diet or weight loss program which has helped me to reach a weight that I am now happy and feel comfortable with.

My background

My name is Steve Hill and I struggled to keep my weight under control for the first twenty-two years of my life. I was often teased at school and found it very hard to meet girls as I believed that there would be no way
that they would want to date somebody as fat as myself.

I was a very negative person and I frequently felt stressed and depressed. I often felt sorry for myself and would feel envious of other people who seemed fit
healthy and happy. During these periods of depression
I would often comfort eat to make myself feel better. I love food and this would temporarily help. The problem I found was that if I ate food for ten minutes
I would feel a sense of guilt for around two hours.

Like many people who are over-weight
I was not happy this way and often looked into different types of weight loss plan or diets. Maybe it is just me
but they seem so unrealistic and for somebody like myself impossible to follow. I needed a simple
easy to follow weight loss program.

The solution to my weight problem

The first thing I had to do was to be honest with myself. I asked myself a series of questions:

Why are you over-weight?

I do not eat the right types of food and I rarely exercise.

How determined are you to lose weight?

Very determined.

Are you willing for this to be a long term project
or are you looking for a quick fix?

The quicker the better
however I realise that crash diets do not work and end up causing more harm than good.

Do you feel you have enough self-discipline to succeed?

I am not sure but I will have to have
to reach my target weight.


The weight loss plan

These are the things I must do:

Eat three healthy meals a day.

Exercise more. This will be achieved by leaving the car at home more often and by walking to certain places
such as my children's school. I will also take the children to play sports like football and tennis
as often as I can.

Fight the demons in my head who constantly tempt me into eating.

These are the things I must not do:

Snack in between meals.

Eat too many take-aways
I will basically allow myself one a week.

Lie to other people or even myself about what I have eaten.


This sounds so simple and is very easy to follow. I have to admit that it is not that easy to carry off
especially not being able to snack between meals. With determination you can succeed and the sense of happiness and pride you will feel when you reach a weight you are happy with
will make it all worthwhile.

The math is pretty simple. One pound of fat equals 3500 calories. Want to lose a pound a week? Then you need to consume 3500 calories less per week than you use. That's about 500 calories a day. By cutting out 500 calories a day from your normal daily diet
while keeping your activity level the same
you can lose approximately one pound a week.

All right - that doesn't sound like much
especially if you're more than 25 pounds overweight. Study after study has shown
though
that those people who lose weight gradually - at a rate of 1-2 pounds per week -are far more likely to keep the weight off and maintain a normal weight for a lifetime.

So how much exactly IS 500 calories? If you're going to reduce your daily intake by 500 calories
it helps to know what you need to cut out
right? Here's how easy it is to lose 500 calories a day:

* Use milk instead of cream in your coffee. Savings? 50 calories per cup.

* Skip the butter on your baked potato. Savings? 100 calories

* Drink fruit-flavored water instead of a 16 ounce soda. Savings? 200 calories

* Skip the Big Mac and have a salad instead. A Big Mac weighs in at a whopping 460 calories. A fresh salad with a light dressing? Less than 100! Savings? 360 calories

* Pass by the bag of potato chips. An average snack size bag of chips has over 300 calories. Savings? 300 calories

* Eat your corn on the ear. A 1 cup serving of canned corn has 165 calories. An ear of corn has 85. Savings? 80 calories.

* Switch to low-fat cream cheese on your bagel. Savings? 90 calories per ounce.

* Love those fries and can't give them up? Swap the skinny fries out for thick steak-cut ones. Thin French fries absorb more oil than the thicker
meatier ones. Savings? 50 calories per 4 ounce serving

If you'd rather look at losing weight from an exercise perspective
you can also lose one pound a week by upping your activity level by 500 calories a day. How easy is that to do? Take a look:

* Take a half-hour walk around the park. Aim for a pace that's a little faster than a stroll
but not fast enough to be breathless. Burn: 160 calories.

* Get out your bike and take a ride. Tackle a few moderate hills and aim for about five miles total. Burn: 250 calories

* Go dancing - and really DANCE. The longer you're out on the floor instead of at the table drinking up high-calorie drinks
the more you'll get out of it. Dancing that makes you breathless and warms up your body will net you a nice calorie savings. Burn: 400 calories for one hour

* Swimming is great for you
and a lot of fun
too. The water resistance means you burn more calories
and you avoid the stress impact on joints from aerobics
dancing or walking. Do a few laps at a slow crawl - if you can get up to an hour you'll be doing great! Burn: 510 calories

* Get out into your garden. An hour of gardening tasks that includes bending and stretching can burn up to as many calories as a brisk walk. Burn: 250 calories.

* Play a game of tennis. Hook up with a friend for a weekly tennis game and you'll be amazed at the difference. One hour of vigorous tennis is one of the best calorie burners around. Burn: 800 calories

It’s important to keep in mind that all exercise/calorie numbers are based on a woman weighing 130 pounds. If you weigh more
you'll burn more. Want an added bonus to burning calories through exercise? When you exercise
you build muscle by converting it from fat. Three guesses which kind of body tissue burns more calories - even when you're not exercising. You got it - your body uses more energy to maintain and feed muscle than it does fat.

For best results
mix and match food savings with exercises that burn calories. Do keep in mind that eating less than 1000 calories a day for more than a few days will convince your body that it's starving and slow your metabolism. Keep calorie ranges reasonable
and consult a doctor if you want a quicker
more drastic weight loss.

Fat loss 4 idiots is a new diet plan that claims to help or rather make you lose 9 pounds in just 11 days. Although the advised average weight loss is between 3 to 4 pounds per week this diet is an ideal approach to kick start yourself to a new you. Losing 9 pounds within 11 days would keep King Kong on track so what’s wrong with average Joe or plan Jane jumping onto the bandwagon of slim and sexy forever.

So does this diet actually work? Can you shed 9 pounds in 11 days?

Personally I believe this diet to be great! I think this one diet among several that really advertises the truth. Yes you can shed 9 pounds in just 11 days. Why am I so confident about this diet? I myself have done it.

Why does this diet work? How is it different from other diets?

This diet is based on the principle of shifting calories. This diet recognizes that our body has an amazing adjusting capacity. Our metabolism adjusts really quickly to the quantity of food we eat and hence speeds up or slows down accordingly. Our body builds a certain tolerance to certain foods and prioritizes what needs to be burned first and what can be burnt slower. Normally calories are first burned before the fat.

Most diets don’t work because they are aware of the fact that calories are burnt before fats and hence advice lower calorie intake. But what they do not realize is that our body is extremely clever. If you reduce your intake of calories even for a month
your body adjusts to it and your metabolism will not reduce too much fat.

The fat loss 4 idiots diet is not focused on the calories you consume but works on a special calorie eating system.

This diet encourages you to have not 3 but 4 meals everyday for the 11 days. It does not restrict you from many foods. It encourages you to eat a certain type of food one week and eat a different type of food the next week. It basically aims at tricking our metabolism which indeed is a quick and clever learner. If we eat different types of food every week
our body will not have room to adjust to any type. Thus our metabolism will be high and hence causing the burning of fats. Remember the higher your metabolism
the more fats will be burned. Say for example we eat about 2
500
calories and suddenly switch to 200 calories
our body may still read it as 2500 calories and thus burn fat in the bargain.

If you are overweight or obese
and you want to lose weight
give this diet a try. It is only an 11 day diet. You can also resume the diet after 3 days. And on those 3 days you can eat whatever you care to eat. This diet is fairly easy to follow. It allows you to eat fruits
vegetables
carbohydrates and proteins. Believe you me
this is a very easy diet to follow and what is more
the results actually show at the end of the diet.

Tired of the same old do's and don't when it comes to dieting and weight loss? If you're one of the many women trekking the hard path to weight loss
you've probably come across programs that tell you to avoid certain kinds of food. There are those that recommend vigorous exercises to rev up your metabolism but only allows you to eat a third of your usual intake. Chances are
you feel deprived. And this deprivation will probably cause you to binge later or have mood swings. It could even affect your work and family life. But did you know that you could diet and lose weight without sacrificing the things you want? This is the game plan for the slow and conscious eating diet.

Recent studies concluded that diets which are low-fat or low-calorie can only do so much to your body. Dieting and weight loss through this may not event prevent heart diseases. Moreover
another research show that our bodies utilize and absorb more nutrients from foods that we like. This means that scarfing down plate after plate of brussels sprouts or brocolli won't do you much good than you expect if you don't like veggies. This is because if we are presented with something that we like
say
roasted chicken with lemon butter sauce
our brain
upon recognizing the smells and sight will send signals to the stomach to release more digestive juice. The result? A better metabolized and digested protein than servings of tofu that will just go to waste simply because our brain protested against it. But don't binge yet
certain precautions must be considered to avoid going into a pleasure eating overdrive.

First
the food must have nutritional content. This means that chips and chocolate diets are out. Vegetables
fruits
proteins
and whole grains are preferred. Smother them in sauce and prepare them the way you like. Fry
steam
grill
or bake
it's up to you. The key to this method of dieting and weight loss is proper nutrition and yummy food. Second
assess why you need to eat. Are you really hungry? Is it just for socializing? Or is the desire to eat an emotional thing? In short
have the right attitude when it comes to food. Eat substantial portions are enough for sustenance
a small amount if you're just in for the chat
and control your indulgence when eating for emotional needs. This brings us to our third consideration
the method of eating or your eating habits. You may have to tweak your eating habits a few times to control eating for pleasure. Make like the French and chew your food slowly. Savor every flavor and texture. It is important to prolong delight in eating your meal. Without realizing it
you'll feel fuller and more satiated sooner with smaller portions. The result? Easy dieting and weight loss with minimal effort on your part.

To try to lessen the bad feelings of being called fat or overweight
we tend to use lesser dreaded and offensive words such as "larger size" and "big" instead of plain "overweight" and "fat". But it took just one comment from a buddy friend
a nurse in the local hospital
to bring home a deep truth. She said
In my entire life working in this hospital, I have yet to see a fat oriental chinese lady
referring to the patients she has seen seeking treatment in the government hospital.

Of course
it is not true that there are no fat oriental chinese ladies in the world
because fat and overweight are universal issues affecting all races and cultures
irrespective of skin and color. But is there a health secret coming from the Orient that makes the chinese lady generally slimer and slender?

Indeed
recent discoveries in Japan showed that a type of chinese tea called the Okuma's Wu Long tea together with a healthy diet and exercise revealed that people who regularly consumed this tea experienced over TWICE the calorie-burning results of those who drank the same amount of authentic Japanese green tea. Drinking this Wu Long tea 15 minutes before eating carbohydrates also helped blunt the rise in insulin that normally comes after eating food that contained a lot of carbohydrates. As carbohydrates causes weight gain by increasing insulin levels
drinking this tea helps to control weight gain.

Like other teas as well
Japan's Shiga University of Medical Science found that drinking Wu-Long tea also daily dramatically clears up skin eczema within just one month
and helps in reducing free radicals
and lower the risk of infections such as the common cold.

Indeed
in the ancient chinese pharmaceutical book "Bencao Shiyi "(The Compendium of Materia Medica)
it is said that tea "will make one live long and stay in good shape." Tea
particularly the oriental Wu-Long tea that comes from China's Fujian Province has been used by countless generations of ladies to help melt away body fat
boost energy and even clarify the skin
and these newer scientific discoveries in Japan seem to indicate that it is possible to drink away pounds of unwanted body fat and loose inches from the waistline.

Teas are just a form of natural supplements to help in weight management and fat loss. Taking a supplement to assist in weight loss is just one prong in battling weight and fat
but it is necessary to have a healthy diet and to maintain a program of exercise at the same time if we are to continue to keep the extra weight and fat off our bodies. Therefore
selection of a good supplement
having a balanced diet and having a fitness program will go a long way to get your weight down.

When the average person embarks on a diet or fitness regimen in the aim of losing weight or building muscle mass
what they are usually instructed to do is to eat lots of protein and go on a low carbohydrate diet to accomplish either of the goals.

Right there
an observer should see a red-flag: “How is it that the same dietetic suggestion for weight loss remains applicable for building muscle mass?!”
We all know we need a certain amount of protein everyday to remain healthy. Based on misinformation to this effect
several people view the daily consumption of a high-protein diet as beneficial. But have you really seen any one lose the desired weight on such popular diets as the Atkins Diet
which is basically a low-carbohydrate/high protein lifestyle.

I have seen several people try it and fail
and even became sicker for the process.

Here are some other facts that should spur you in the right direction in regards to excessive protein consumption: According to the French Hygienist
Albert Mosseri
diseases and conditions which can be caused or aggravated by too much protein intake include: Leukemia
Skin Diseases and even Cancer.

Based on the John Robbins work titled: Diet for a New America
the number of people in the US suffering from diseases caused by protein excess is a mind-boggling 40
0
0
compared to a measly 3 people suffering from the deficiency of this substance.

Judging from these
it may be time to revise the misinforming ideas on protein in our diets.

Let’s consider some factors on why a Low Carbohydrate Diet may be unnecessary and even detrimental to one’s health.
.
1. The animals that are usually eaten for protein
what do they subsists on?
Substances of the Plant Kingdom for example: cows live on grass exclusively.

2. 98% of the human population is sweet toothed...which shows that carbohydrates are our main need contrary to popular belief.

3. The great apes are primarily fruit eaters (although with substantial amount of leaves in their diets) How similar are humans to them? Very much so. We share 98% of the same genes.

4. It’s been scientifically proven that mother's milk is about 2% protein
now if this is the ideal of a growing baby for the first 3 years; of course it shows the minimal need of it. (Point of note
the milk of a woman is affected by her diet so of course that should be checked.)


5. The need of protein for the human body is about a nickel's weight worth
the excess is basically excreted in urine.

6. Several people subsists on fruits and green leaves exclusively or starchy root vegetables
fruits and leaves only and are in top shape-I've seen and am one of them.

7. People have fasted on water only for several days and were actually stronger for the process!

8. Fruits and green leaves give you sufficient protein: e.g. the Banana
Dates
Avocadoes
Olives
Cabbage
Lettuce
Durian
Young Coconuts and even the Apple. Exactly or a little more than what you need at a given time.

9. Based on research
the need for amino acids is highly exaggerated as only 16% or our body is Protein. Pure protein is primarily Nitrogen (N) with some Oxygen and Hydrogen and Carbon. We all know that we get a large share of our Oxygen and Hydrogen need from the air. Since we are able to utilize and assimilate a large amount of our needs of these elements
we are able to build the Nitrogen into our body as protein. This process is done by natural bacteria action that is capable of converting it to our use. People who smoke though cannot pick up Nitrogen from the air so easily but might still get enough from proper foods. Although for your well-being
cessation of tobacco usage is mandatory.

10. Research has been done on the diet of the aboriginal tribes living in the Mountains of Hagen. Their diet consisted of 80 % Sweet potatoes. The rest consisted of fruits and green leaf vegetables. Their daily consumption of protein was around 9.92 g. Meanwhile
eliminated in their fecal matter was a protein of around 15 times more of what was ingested. This phenomenon illustrates the protein synthesis illustrated above.

Definitely cutting back on the ‘wrong’ kinds of Carbohydrates such as Cakes
Confectioneries
Bread
Polished rice and the like will be mandatory for weight-loss
but replacing them with high protein foods is- just as from the points above-unnecessary and actually harmful for overall health and fitness.

So what should we eat? Simple
Raw and properly cooked Fruits
Roots and Leafy Vegetables. Not only is this kind of diet unmatched for speedy weight-loss
but your body will thank you for the change as you mechanically (via the broom-like/mucus-binding qualities of these substances) cleanse yourself from perhaps a life-time of wrong eating.

Remember the famous quote by Hippocrates; the “Father of Medicine”: “Let your foods be your medicine and your medicine your Foods!” Therefore
don’t believe the hype of high-protein/low carbohydrate diets for weight-loss or fitness. For optimal health a wise combination of your organic
seasonal fruits
roots and veggies is the best and safest way to go.

When we chose to change our eating habits
we usually diet to lose weight. Sometimes we may have health issues
such as high cholesterol
which is what leads us to eat healthier.

Often times we diet to lose weight because as we are overweight and realize that our eating habits may have gotten in this predicament to begin with.

It is possible to just exercise and lose weight
but sooner or later the person will not lose any more weight without changing eating habits as well. Most of the time it is the other way around; people diet
that is they count carbohydrates
fat grams
or calories
somehow limiting their food intake to reach weight loss goals.

Even though every source you read on diet to lose weight encourages combining the diet plan with exercise
not everyone does this right away. Of course
it is ideal to diet and exercise from the beginning of a diet plan
some people may feel overwhelmed by taking on too much change at once
if exercise has not been a part of their life.

There are quite a few online support sites to visit
that have a multitude of information for anyone looking to diet to lose weight. Some diets work better for some than others
for instance
the Atkins diet required quite a drastic cut in carbohydrates
which may not be an appropriate diet to lose weight for everyone.

The South Beach Diet is a popular diet to lose weight because it allows dieters to eat many of the foods they eat anyway and is not quite as restrictive as others. There are also weight loss systems such as Jenny Craig
the LA Weight Loss Center
or Curves for Women.

All of these programs are great and offer a good deal of support for anyone who wants to diet to lose weight. Exercise is encouraged
and for the Curves for Women plan
it is the central part of the program.

When you do decide to diet to lose weight
be sure you visit with your healthcare provider first before beginning your program
especially if you have quite a bit of weight to lose
or if you have health issues that may be of concern. Exercise should not be contraindicated for anyone and can be tailored for each individual dieter’s specific needs.

You diet to lose weight
but you must also incorporate exercise into your plan. You will gain greater health
and also be able to maintain your diet and fitness goals.

Only in America could billions of dollars be made selling weight loss products to people who need to shed a few extra pounds. In a world full of starving people
Americans seem to have emerged as a nation of overfed
under exercised fatties who can’t put down that bag of potato chips
stop eating that ice cream or refuse that second (or third?) helping of pasta. America’s weight problem – historically solved by eating less and exercising more – had now proliferated a dizzying array of products. Celebrities
nutritionists
doctors
herbologists
hucksters and former fatties have come up with thousands of products designed to melt fat
reduce cravings for bad foods
block carbs
sugar and fat
lose pounds while you sleep
and more..

Many products claim that
as long as you take one of the pills
you can eat what you want and actually lose weight. There are diet plans
calorie counters
diet food cooked and delivered to your doorstep daily
dance and walk your way to weight loss
the hula weight loss program
the Brazilian weight loss program
the fat burning
belly reducing
balanced woman
unbalanced woman. You name it and it’s on a weight loss infomercial. In fact
weight loss programs (separate from fitness programs and equipment
which may result in weight loss but are sold as ways to improve your appearance) account for more than 50% of all revenue generated in today’s infomercials.

One of the most successful weight loss infomercials ever produced featured a product called Bio Slim. Created by Doctor Josh Leightberg
Bio Slim was a science-driven
medically sound program consisting of several herbal pills which when combined with a diet plan also created by Dr. Leightberg resulted in a changed metabolism
an improved digestive system and a stronger anti-immune system
all of which ultimately led to a steady
healthy weight loss. Following the success of Bio Slim
a steady stream of niche players
knockoff artists and entrepreneurs took to the airways with their twist
their hook
their product designed to produce quicker
easier results. One of them was the well known and extremely successful Fen-Phen diet
which was a combination of two herbs known to doctors and other professionals in the industry as herbal speed. While still legal at the time
the pills killed the appetite completely
created a euphoric state in the user and led to many problems including heart attacks which led the FDA to ban the main substances from use in the USA.

Weight loss infomercials are so powerful and so successful that you have to be careful which products you choose to use. As with anything else in life
if it sounds too good to be true
it probably is. There really is no magic pill or substance that is going to let you sit on the couch and eat huge quantities of bad foods and make you lose weight without paying some kind of terrible price. I mention Bio Slim as an example of a stellar product designed by a professional doctor whose goal was to improve people’s lives and make money. You could call a number given out to anybody who ordered Bio Slim and speak directly with Dr. Leightberg if you had questions or concerns about his product. That should tell you something about the man and the product he’s putting his name on.

Another thing to look out for in weight loss infomercials are the add-ons. Popular diets like the Atkins diet which were not sold on infomercials
but became successful through book sales
interviews and word of mouth led to the creation of a whole host of products you didn’t need that were designed to help you stay on or perform better while on the Atkins plan. Low carb foods and low/no carb candy imitations
sometimes ten times more expensive than their higher carb counterparts
flooded the airwaves. Pills designed to reduce the difficulties associated with the Atkins diet surfaced in infomercials. These items are usually designed by less than professional individuals looking to cash in on a craze they had nothing to do with in the first place.

Usually we all seek to lose weight as fast and easy as possible
and in top of that we want results right away. And if we don’t get them
we just quit and move along.

Frequently we become objective (to lose 1 kilo every week) and if in one week it lowers solely half kilo or what is worse
nothing happens
I get frustrated and that can lead me to no longer continue with the plan I set and then I just quit it.

Even there are times the people unconsciously set goals that are too hard to obtain so that I can leave it quickly
nobody (and I include myself) wants to follow a diet!!!

We make it because it is healthy but when we choose what it tastes better.

Does anybody likes lettuce?

If you want to follow your plan you need to set reasonable and reachable goals. A study stated that when people lower 500g per week
those people maintain long term descent.

It is the best objective that we can intend
to lower 500g for week and knowledge that some week won't lose weight. If you want to lower quick we can also help you
of course
but I have to be conscious that in some moment losing weight rate won’t be the one as desired. And I don't want to frustrate myself for that reason
the following week I will achieve the results.

The body is not something that reacts mathematically
the weight it depends on many factors
as the retention of liquids
the intestinal evacuation
the time in which weigh myself
that ingested the previous night
if I ingested pizza or another very salted food I will surely retain liquids
the same as if I began with an intense activity the previous day.

Another cause of failure in a diet is to be very strict with what you have to eat.

If I go to a party and I don't eat anything
or same at home if I am extremely strict it is very difficult to be able to maintain the plan and in the first time that comes out
you will think “I cannot make diet" or "this is not for me"
frustrating me once again
abandoning and feeling badly.

These 2 forms of thinking "if I don't lower 1 kilo per week every week I’m not doing anything good at all" or "I can’t make the diet because I ate an ice cream." are forms in that consciously or unconsciously plot us the diet to ourselves.

In fact I don't want to make diet. Let us accept it!

Nobody wants to make it
but they want to lose weight. Unfortunately these 2 factors are really hard to join them together and make it work|Regrettably the 2 things join are not able to work together}.

Perhaps it is time that you start making choices
and make decisions in order to choose which path you want to go. By just choosing to remain healthy
you will get results.

If you have tried every so-called healthy diet plan on the planet and every exercise program from the latest fitness guru and repeatedly failed to achieve your weight loss goals
you probably need a “healthy diet check up...from the neck up.”

There's no such thing as a healthy
fast
weight loss diet plan. Successful weight loss doesn’t just happen. It took more than a few days to reach the point where you are at right now. Give yourself a break and expect it to take awhile before you see measurable results. Take a leap of faith and follow some basic principles in your diet plan.

Begin with your “self talk.” This is the conversation that runs through your brain continuously. What kind of conversation do you have with your self talk? What type of negative self talk has kept you from reaching your weight loss goals in the past?

If you had a chance to do it over again
would you change the dialogue? That’s a no-brainer isn’t it? Well
the good news is that you can turn the tide of negative self talk beginning right now. It’s never too late to begin and you start by reprogramming your self talk and beginning a whole new weight loss diet plan.

A good starting point is to begin with positive affirmations. Positive affirmations
spoken aloud with authority and belief
positively affect your attitude
focuses your thinking and lead to a course of action that will help you become the person you want to be and have the things that you want to have.

Begin by writing your weight loss affirmations on paper. You can begin with something like
“I want to lose 25 pounds before Christmas.” That’s a worthy goal and attainable
but we need to put some work into structuring the affirmation.

First of all
“I want” gives the impression that what you desire is always in the future. In order to re-program your self talk
you need to trick your mind into believing that you have already achieved weight loss success. This is how your subconscious mind functions.

Your subconscious mind has no capacity for understanding the concept of time. Everything is in the moment. . .here and now. When you tell your subconscious mind that you “want”
that is exactly what you will get. . .want. . .without ever achieving fulfillment. Unless you change your mental tape recorder
you will achieve exactly what you are telling your subconscious
that you “want to lose 25 pounds.” You will “want to lose 25 pounds” for the rest of your days unless you change your self talk.

If your weight is 150 pounds and you desire is to weight 125 pounds
then you need to “be” 125 pounds from the moment you make the decision to change your self talk. What if you write your affirmation to read something like this: “I am healthy and fit
weighing 125 pounds.”

It is extremely important that your affirmation is crystal clear because what you affirm is exactly what your subconscious mind will bring you.

You needn’t limit yourself to one affirmation either. Write another one that reflects your new exercise program. “I enjoy my healthy new diet plan
” or
“I love the healthy foods I eat.”

Write and rewrite until you are absolutely certain that you have written your weight loss goals “in the here and now” AND represent precisely what you desire. Only then do you begin to speak it aloud and do so several times a day.

Remember to use the present tense. “I acknowledge achievement in all my weight loss goals.” “I have the skill and talent to exercise every day.” “I am a winner.” “I am grateful for all of my accomplishments no matter how small.”

At first you will feel awkward and uncomfortable and you may not feel or believe what you are saying. It doesn’t matter
continue to speak them aloud with as much conviction as you can muster. It’s taken a long time to train your subconscious to use negative self talk. If you will persevere with speaking your affirmations aloud
firmly and confidently
you will be amazed at how quickly you can turn your thoughts around.

You didn’t hop on a bicycle the first time and just take off down the street. It took practice to train your body to balance on those two wheels. This will take some practice as well. Continue to repeat your affirmations aloud
several times a day for the next 30 days and you will be amazed at how much you change your thinking and attitude.

Above all
take action. Do nothing and nothing gets done. Do something and many things are placed in motion.

Regardless of what you are doing in life
you need to take action. Do something every day to put your plan into motion.

The goal of six pack abs mainly depends upon losing weight by completing exercises that focus on the muscles in the abdominal area. There are literally dozens of such exercises including many that are meant for other major muscle groups
but that can be modified to include a workout for your abdominal muscles. Here are just a few of the major abdominal emphasis exercises.

CRUNCHES

Crunches are done by lying on the floor either on a mat or not
with your arms crossed in front of your chest. Many people do crunches with the hands behind the head
but this can create lower back problems because of the pull on the head and neck. A slightly different position has the finger tips placed behind the ears
rather than crossed on the chest. It is important not to pull on the neck or on the ears for assistance in rising off the floor. Instead
suck the abdomen back toward the spine and inhale through the nose at the same time. Raise the shoulders toward the knees using only the muscles in the abdomen. The entire back should not be lifted from the floor
as this is likely to create back strain. No additional benefit to the abdomen is gained by raising the entire torso. The key part of the crunch is the initial flexing of the abdominal muscles as the shoulders are lifted off the floor. As the shoulders clear the floor
exhale through your mouth. Complete the exhalation with a gasp to expel the last of the air from the lungs as your shoulders stay clear of the floor. Lower the shoulders back to the point where the shoulder blade touches the ground while inhaling. It is important to maintain the proper breathing control and muscle flexing to get maximum benefit from crunches.

SIT UPS

Once again start in a position on the floor with your feet flat and your knees bent. The fingers should be placed behind the ears
or you can cross your arms on your chest. Slowly raise the entire back off the floor while inhaling deeply and exhale as you reverse the move. This exercise can be made more challenging in several ways. For instance
you can do sit ups from an incline with your head lower than your lower body. You can then add weights on the chest to lift while you are sitting up. Weights can become heavier on an incline bench. The next difficult step can be attained by holding the feet off the ground while doing sit ups or making a bicycle peddling motion while doing sit ups with your legs. These exercises may not be easy
but are very beneficial to the abdominal area.

LEG LIFTS

Leg lifts begin with the legs straight and the hands at your sides while lying on the floor. Lift both legs up at the same time without bending the knees until the legs are at a ninety degree angle or a close as possible. Not everyone is flexible enough to reach the ninety degree angle. Lower the legs as close as possible to the floor without actually touching and repeat several times. Increase the challenge of this exercise by adding weights to the legs while lifting them. Another challenging exercise for improving definition and musculature in the abdomen is to hang from a pull up bar while lifting both legs to a ninety-degree position. As with most other exercises
try to stay conscious of breathing while slowly doing the routines.

JACKKNIFE SIT UPS

This exercise begins by lying flat on the floor with the hands at your sides in order to provide better balance. At the same time you raise your knees
bring your torso up slowly till the face and knees meet. Return slowly to the original position while in full control of the movement. The jackknife name comes from the natural tendency of the legs to bend at the knee with the feet dropping to the hips presenting the shape of a jackknife. The difficulty level of this position can be increased by holding a weight between the feet while performing the sit ups.

V UPS

This exercise begins with you on your back on the floor with the arms extended over your head. Bring both legs and torso up at the same time without bending the knees or the arms. Keep the pace slow and steady and reach for your feet with your extended hands at the top of the arc. If possible
try to touch your feet
but this move can be tricky until your level of flexibility increases. As with other exercises
adding weight between the feet increases the difficulty level.

Weight loss is a tough result to obtain regardless of weight or level of physical fitness. There are many different ways to lose weight
some more unhealthy than others
but the ones that work are most times the most complicated to pull off.

Some people may recommend eating less to lose weight
and in some cases eating less is a key component of losing weight
but in most cases
eating is a necessity if one wishes to lower their own weight. Without food and the calories they supply
your body has no energy to burn and in turn will turn your existing muscle into fat. In order to lose weight you must make a commitment
a commitment that must not be broken if you desire results.

Do not misconstrue this for the idea that you can never indulge during your diet
but just be sure that you have set reasonable limits for yourself that you are ready to commit to. If you are on a strict diet
a "cheat" meal here and there will go a long way to keeping you happy.

To be successful in achieving your goal of weight loss: set multiple
smaller
more easily attainable goals for yourself. These will keep you self motivated and more likely to obtaining your overall goal of a happier and healthier life.

Hoodia Gordonii is heralded as the world's greatest weight loss product. The truth is the Hoodia Gordonii plant has very little to do with it. The appetite suppressing qualities that Hoodia seems to possess
are derived from one molecule that is found in the plant. This molecule is known as P57.

P57 was not discovered until the Hoodia Gordonii plant was being studied by a British company
This company
PhytoPharm has never published all the details of this study. A few bits and pieces have been released
but it is a pretty safe bet that the findings were quite promising. I base this on the fact that British health food giant Unilever Inc.(makers of SlimFast) entered into a contract with PhytoPharm to develop Hoodia Gordonii as a diet supplement. To date
Unilever has spent 21 million on research and development of Hoodia Gordonii products.

Prescription pharmaceutical companies have also taken notice of P57
several are rumored to be attempting to develop a synthetic form of P57. If this is successful a new prescription product would be produced and sold at much higher profit margins. This research is also reportedly running into the millions of dollars.

One thing is certain
there is no shortage of people who are claiming that the product is indeed miraculous. Many of the users claim to have lost almost all appetite urges
this in turn gives the power to control their eating habits.

We live in a culture that honors Type A
driven behaviors. That includes exercise and for many people
it’s taken away the joy out of simply walking. Instead of seeing walking as something you must do to get in shape
see it as a gift of being alive and let yourself fully enjoy the experience.

1) Walk with deep awareness of how it feels to move your body.
2) Experience the act of walking as if you've never
ever done it before.
3) Be aware. Be present in the moment. Really feel your body as you're moving.
4) Pay attention to how your feet feel with each rolling step on the earth.
5) Notice the strength and power in your muscles.
6) Feel yourself moving in space.
7) Observe the wind on your skin and the temperature of the air.
8) Have a beauty feast while you're out. Notice the light coming through the leaves. See the flowers with fresh eyes.
9) Take a fresh look at the world as you move through it. Assume nothing. Experience the wonder of life as if you've never seen anything before. Watch the people as if you'd never seen a human before.

Let walking become a cherished and enriching part of your life. Turn it into something wonderful that you look forward to with both body and soul.

Everyone has been hearing the news and buzz on the semi miraculous
plant called Hoodia Gordonii which helps to reduce your appetite.
The weight loss gurus are betting their shirts that people who are
very challenged in losing weight will benefit in a big way by regularly digesting hoodia. I will now spell out straight and harsh facts about Hoodia Gordonii that I found online while conducting research about this exotic plant.


Fact #1
There are several species of Hoodia. Hoodia Gordonii in particular
is a rare plant that grows in South Africa.

Fact #2
Hoodia Gordonii is difficult to grow and only grows under certain climatic conditions that the South African region offers.

Fact #3
Hoodia Gordonii is on the Red List of endangered species—meaning—it
may become extinct in the near future.

Fact #4
Only Hoodia Gordonii has the molecule that effectively suppresses one’s appetite.

Fact #5
Because of its scarcity
authentic Hoodia is expensive; so if you see Hoodia in ads advertised for $20-30.00 per bottle
close your wallet and run!

Fact #6
The current supply of pure Hoodia is quickly diminishing; thus
it’s growing tougher to find 100% pure Hoodia any where.

Fact #7
Because of the rising demand for Hoodia and the fast depleting supply of the real stuff
many dishonest vendors are brazenly lying in their promotional ads and selling either fake or inferior Hoodia Gordonii under popular brand names. Be extremely careful which Hoodia product you consider ordering.

Fact #8
The FDA does not regulate the supply of real Hoodia which means that you can easily end up buying fake Hoodia at your local health store or online.

Fact #9
There exists an overabundance of counterfeit Hoodia in comparison to
the 100% pure stuff available through a few honest vendors.

Your absolute best bet to avoid buying fake or inferior Hoodia is simply to properly educate yourself about this amazing plant before you place your first or next order.

Need to lose weight? Dreading the thought of another diet program? You don’t have to follow diets to lose weight. There are many people discovering this for themselves and they are the ones who are finding long term weight loss apposed to short term fixes. The key to weight loss is finding the right balance of what you eat
what you think
and what activity you do. It is not about following a perfect plan. It is impossible to be perfect every day! Finding the right balance helps you to decrease your calorie intake
increase your metabolism and keeps the self-sabotage at bay. Here are 8 steps to bring more balance into all corners of your life so you too can find weight loss success.

1. Eat more frequently during the day-
Skipping meals or waiting too long between meals can have a negative impact on your metabolism and results in overeating later in the day. It’s best to have 3 small meals and 1-2 snacks throughout the day. You will feel more satisfied and eat less. Plan to have a snack or meal every 4-5 hours.

2. Watch portion sizes-
Appropriate portion sizes are still quite misunderstood. Most Americans are eating 2-3 times the recommended portion sizes. Limit your grains
cereals
pastas
and rice to ฝ - 1 cup serving sizes. Keep meat
poultry and fish to 4-ounce portion sizes. Restaurants are notorious for giving extremely large servings of food. Keep this in mind when eating out. Eat half of the food on your plate or take the rest home for lunch the next day. Studies show that when people are given large portion sizes
they eat up to 56% more calories without realizing it. To add insult to injury
our portion sizes are larger than they have ever been. Start to become more aware of the portions you are served wherever you are.

3. Eat the right fats-
Yes some fat is important. Omega 3 fatty acids are an important strategy for weight loss success and yet most Americans are not eating enough of these healthy fats. Some reports show these fatty acids may be helpful in increasing your metabolism. They are also shown to be a wonderful mood supporter and people report significantly less food cravings and triggers to eat when they incorporate omega 3 fatty acids on a daily basis. This is especially important for any emotional eaters out there. Omega 3’s are found in fatty fish such as salmon
mackerel
cod; they are also found in canola oil
walnuts
and ground flax seeds.

4. Increase fruits and vegetables-
Fruits and vegetables are not only packed with important vitamins
minerals
and antioxidants
they are also loaded in fiber and low in calories. Include 5-8 fruits and vegetables every day. This is one of the most important diet changes you can make. When you fill your plate up with fruits and vegetables you eat less of the higher calorie foods. For example
let’s take a sample steak dinner.

Original meal:
8 ounce steak
Whole baked potato with fixings
ฝ cup steamed broccoli

Meal Makeover:
4 ounce steak
ฝ baked potato with fixings
ฝ cup steamed broccoli
Side salad with mixed greens
tomatoes
and 1 tbsp light vinaigrette dressing

By changing the balance of this meal to include more vegetables while decreasing the steak and potato we saved approximately 350 calories. Saving 350 calories daily can result in almost a 1 pound weight loss per week. Small changes are the key.

5. Eat when you’re hungry
stop when you’re full-
Our bodies have an innate weight management mechanism. It performs this task by making you feel full when it is time to stop eating. Every time you eat past full you are taking in more calories than your body needs which will result in weight gain. Start to become more aware of your internal cues for hunger and satiety (fullness). You will be amazed how many times you wait too long to eat and how often you eat past full and enter into stuffed. It’s common for all of us to do this from time to time. However
it’s time to check in with yourself and see how often you are falling into these food patterns. Listen to your body
it will tell you when you are physically ready for food and when you are ready to stop.

6. Exercise regularly-
I know
this isn’t anything you haven’t heard before but it is a crucial part of weight management. It is important to engage in regular aerobic and weight bearing activity. The aerobic exercise helps you to burn the fat and weight bearing activity increases your metabolic rate. Muscle burns up to 90% more calories than fat. The more muscle mass you have
the more calories you will burn in a day. By adding three to five pounds of muscle you could actually burn 100 - 250 additional calories a day. This combination of aerobic and weight bearing activity is what really kicks weight loss into gear.

7. Limit sugar-
Sugar becomes a major issue for many people wanting to lose weight. Not only does it add calories
it also causes insulin spikes leading you to store more calories as fat
it stimulates your appetite
and is a major food trigger for emotional eaters. However
it doesn’t mean you need to go all or nothing. When people try to omit all sugar from their diet they can become obsessed about sugary foods and end up in a binge. Find the right balance for sugar. Avoid daily use of sugar and instead have some guiltless treats once in awhile. A little cake at a birthday party or some ice-cream with friends is a good way to incorporate sugar once in awhile to avoid the negative outcomes.

8. Pamper yourself regularly-
Who wants to argue with that?! The reality is many people eat for emotional reasons. Food makes us feel good on many levels. The problem occurs when eating becomes the only coping mechanism your subconscious knows of. This is why that pesky urge to emotionally eat is so strong. It is hard to reason your way out of it. For many people food is the only thing they know that makes them feel better. When you start to do other things that make you feel good on a regular basis such as taking a hot bath
going for a walk
having a hot cup of tea; then your subconscious starts to register these activities as coping mechanisms as well. Over time this will decrease the constant urge to use food. You can’t expect to have a bad day
go take a bath and not have an urge to eat. It is something you need to do regularly and something you truly enjoy so your subconscious starts to recognize it as a new choice.

ฉ 2005
Meri Raffetto

Obesity is the second leading cause of death after smoking. It is associated with an increased mortality rate of all ages including children. Losing weight though commercialized is still to your benefit if you carry more weight than you should.

Obesity and overweight are term often used interchangeably. However
technically they refer to two different states.

Being overweight technically means excess body mass. This includes all the body tissues. Obesity on the other hand refers explicitly to excess body fat e.g. a professional heavy weight body builder is overweight because of excess muscles but is not obese.

Obesity is what should concern you. Losing weight is no longer an issue you can afford to procrastinate
and probably a good health scare is in order.

Reason #1 to lose weight


Diabetes:- It is well known that 80 -90% of type-two-diabetes patients are overweight. Diabetes is the third leading cause of death in the U.S.
as well as the leading cause of adult blindness in the world. One of the direct causes of obesity is eating wrong foods. Some of these wrong foods include high glycemic foods. High glycemic foods are energy dense foods that quickly increase the level of blood glucose in your body after been eaten. This results to the body reserving the unnecessarily high glucose/energy into fat. This makes losing weight very difficult.

Releasing a hormone called insulin does this. Type-Two-diabetes occurs because the body cannot produce enough insulin to remove the excess blood glucose and store it as body fat. This will occur after straining insulin production for some time. And that’s how you end up being fat and diabetic.

Reason #2 to lose weight


Stroke:- Obesity is associated with arteriosclerosis
the build up of fatty deposits in the arteries through out your body. This makes them narrow slowing blood flow and among other things increases risk of the blood clotting. Arteries at risk include those supplying blood to the brain. If clotting occurs due to narrowed artery
it blocks blood supply to an area of the brain resulting to stroke. Losing weight reduces this risk.

Reason #3 to lose weight


Cancer:- The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates between 25% - 33% of cancer world wide are overweight and physical inactivity related. Body fat evidently promotes higher levels of insulin production and excess estoregens
a hormone. Both insulin and estorogens accelerate cell division.

[Probably to create adipose tissue; new fat cells to store fat
in addition to the regular cell division]

As research has indicated
the faster cells duplicate the more they increase chances of a cancerous cell developing. The situation is further complicated as the rapid cell division caused by the excess hormones lead also to rapid cell reproduction of the one cancerous cell
hence cancer starts to develop actively. In addition fat cells tend to keep carcinogenic i.e. cancer-causing agents
trapped in the body which increases chances of developing cancer.

Types of cancers you will be at high risk to get include:-

Breast cancer- affecting the breast possibly in both men and women.

Colorectal cancer- affecting colon and rectum.

Prostrate cancer- affecting the prostrate gland in men.

Endometrial cancer- affecting the uterus.

Esophageal cancer- affecting the esophagus.

Renal cell cancer
the cancer of the kidney
etc.

Reason #4 to lose weight


Respiratory problems:- Obesity causes lungs to “become smaller” in size and chest wall become heavier to lift in the process of breathing in. The most common respiratory problem is sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition where by an individual stops breathing for some time while asleep. A soft tissue in the throat collapses around the air way probably due to weight
blocking it. For the severely obese sleep apnea may get more complicated with hypoventilation. Hypoventilation is accumulation of toxic levels of carbon dioxide (the gas we breathe out) in the blood
due to inadequate breathing. Losing weight would be the only permanent safe and healthy solution to sleep apnea.

Reason #5 to lose weight


Urinary Incontinence:- This is involuntary release of urine. Being overweight can contribute to urinary incontinence. A heavy abdomen due to body fat deposit may cause valve of urinary bladder to be weakened. The weight also exerts pressure on the urinary bladder
trying to push urine out. This results to leakage of urine when coughing
sneezing or laughing. This is because of a slight relaxation of the bladder valve that normally will not result to leakage. It can even result to bed wetting at night. This particular problem can be a very effective motivator to lose weight.

Reason #6 to lose weight

Varicose veins:- Also known as Venous Stratis Disease. The leg and thigh muscles assist the heart in blood circulation just like most large muscles in the body. They are involved in pumping blood against gravity back to the heart with the help of valves that close to avoid a backward flow. Pressure as a result of a large abdomen may increase the work load on the valves eventually causing damage. Damaged valves then allow for blood to back up
due to gravity
causing high pressure in these veins leading to swelling
thickening of skin and skin ulcers.

Reason #7 to lose weight

High Blood Pressure:- The BMI (Body Mass Index) and age together are the strongest indicator of risk of hypertension or high blood pressure. At least a third of hypertension is related to obesity.

Reason #8 to lose weight


Other Diseases:- Other diseases which MAY occur as a result of being overweight include;

• Gout
  
• Coronary heart disease
  
• Lower back pains
  
• Osteoarthritis
  
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
  
• Gall stones
  
• Pregnancy disorders such as
  
• Neural tube defect
  
  
• Prenatal mortality
  
  
• Maternal hypertension
  
  
• Gestational diabetes etc.
  
• Impaired immune response
  
• Liver disease
  
• Pancreatitis
  
• Bad body smell
  
• Depression

Research shows that even modest weight loss of even 10 pound for the overweight significantly reduces the risk of developing these diseases. Weight loss is in fact a challenge taken by many every year.

Unfortunately many fail in this healthy endeavor. And all because of one thing; they lack proper information on effective weight loss. Effective weight loss is permanent
and a permanent weight loss depends fundamentally on four factors. These four are what we at Health-eMark call the ‘Top 4 Reasons for Weight Loss Failure’.

I went on my first diet around five years ago. Over the past four and a half years my weight went up and down as I tried every diet and exercise program under the sun. Nothing seemed to work for me. Until six months ago I enrolled in a weight workshop which taught me that I need to change the way I look at food. It was then that I realized that I had made many mistakes in my quest to lose weight.

In this article I’m going to share with you eight mistakes I made on my quest to lose weight. I hope by sharing my experiences with others throughout the world via the internet I might be able to help people avoid the mistakes I made. So
here are the eight mistakes I made while trying to lose weight.

1. I started to skip breakfast
Most people trying to lose weight believe simply eating less and skipping meals helps shed that fat. And breakfast is a real easy meal to skip. This is one of the biggest mistakes you can make when on a weight loss diet. If you leave the house in the morning on an empty stomach you’re much more tempted to eat more at morning tea and lunch times. And
calories you eat at breakfast time are easily burnt throughout the day.

2. I would eat one day and not the next
I would literally eat about 2000+ calories one day
feel guilty
and end up eating about 700 calories the following day. If you “starve” yourself throughout the day you’re much more likely to eat more in the evenings
which is not going to help you lose weight. You should consume most of your calories in the morning.

3. I bought diet food
When I went shopping I always looked for the foods marked diet
low-fat
healthy etc. This is a good practice to get into
but I was buying these foods for the wrong reason. I bought these foods because in my mind it meant I could more. I would totally disregard portion size. If you eat diet foods in large portions you’re not doing yourself any favors.

4. I thought I’d always be fat
This is mindset that you must break if you want to lose some serious weight. Sometimes it feels like you’re doing the right things and not making any progress
this is totally natural. You need to focus on being happy and healthy and achieving your goals. Try not to get caught up in “the big picture”.

5. I started eating salads as main meals
Eating salad is a good way of keeping your calorie intake down right? Yes
meal of salad has much less calories that a pizza but does it have the satisfaction? When you eat you mind needs to get some satisfaction from what you have just eaten. I found that when I ate salads for meals a few hours later I was back I the cupboard looking for more food. I learnt that I was better off eating a balanced meal with slightly more calories than simply eating a salad and snacking afterwards.

6. I started my new diets on Mondays
When I found a new diet that I decided I was going to try I always started it on a Monday. This meant I would eat all weekend like I was never going to eat again. Doing this I was just setting myself up for failure.

7. I was to embarrassed to go to the gym
Taking the plunge and joining a gym was one of the hardest things I ever did. I was always worried that people in the gym would be staring at me and talking about me. I really thought I was too fat to join. My advice is to join a gym! You’ll be glad you did. I look forward to going to the gym now.

8. I set my goals to high
Setting long term goals is great
but these goals always seem to far off. You need to set smaller
more reachable goals that you can regularly meet to keep your motivation high. Set yourself weekly
monthly and three monthly goals. Once you meet one short term goal set a new one for next week.

So there you have it
those are the mistakes I made. I now look at weight loss from a totally different perspective and it has paid off. I now help others with weight loss and keeping healthy.

Here is a sure-fire list of diet dos and don'ts to help your family triumph over obesity:

1. Be a ‘healthy’ role model. The number one thing that parents can do is to be a good role model for their children
Parents so often unknowingly set their kids up for failure. If there are chips
cookies and Twinkies and no fruit or vegetables when your kids look for snacks
how can they succeed? Line your refrigerator and cabinets with fresh fruits
nuts
low-fat cheese
easy things for kids to snack on besides ‘junk food’.

In a 2000 survey conducted by the CDC
close to 80% of adults reported eating fewer than the recommended five or more servings of fruit and vegetables daily -- not good role-model behavior.

2. Be positive. Don’t tell your child to ‘lose weight’ say
'Let's be healthy and start taking care of our bodies’. Focus on the foods you can eat
not the ones that you should limit eating. Say
'Let's go pick out fruits and make a fruit salad
' not 'Don't eat this or that.' Instead of saying
'We have to exercise
' say
'Lets go to the park.' Use positive words and phrases when talking with your kid.

3. Make healthy eating a family affair. Create family meals together and for the entire family. Do not single out an overweight family member with special diet food. Your entire family can benefit form healthy eating regardless of weight.

A family that eats together
eats better
according to a recent study in the journal Archives of Family Medicine. The study showed children who report frequent family dinners have healthier diets than their peers who don't.

4. Avoid portion distortion. When serving food you must use portion control
buffet-type or family-style situations tends to promote overeating. Fill up on salads and cooked vegetables at meals and always wait 10-15 minutes before having a second helping. Second helpings should only be taken if truly hungry.

5. Start the day off right with a good breakfast. A bowl of low-sugar cereal with low-fat milk
low-fat yogurt with a granola or breakfast bar
or an English muffin with peanut butter
rather than a doughnut or muffin. A healthy breakfast will put your family on the healthy track for the rest of the day.

6. Make time for physical activity. Make physical activity a family activity. Every night after dinner in the summer
go for a half-hour walk and make it an activity that kids look forward to. If you can afford it
enroll your kids in dancing or a sporting activity that they enjoy because they need to enjoy it to keep doing it. Or just turn on some dance music and have a dance party around the house.

7. Try again. Weight loss and healthy eating is not easy. There will be times when you and your family will struggle with this new lifestyle. It is important to keep trying. Failure is certain if you are not trying.

Here is a list of the top 7 healthiest foods to feed your kid and why it’s so healthy:


1. Oatmeal: A fabulous breakfast food
full of B vitamins
iron
zinc and calcium. Old-fashioned oatmeal offers plenty of carbohydrate for quick energy and high fiber. Add berries and honey to make it a delicious perfect food for those fast-paced school day mornings!

2. Yogurt: Kick your child's dairy consumption up a notch and include yogurt on the menu. A great source of calcium
yogurt is easier to digest than regular milk
and the cultures (check the label to make sure they're in there!) are very beneficial to good colon health. Watch it on the sugar content though. A great idea is to buy plain yogurt and sweeten it yourself with fresh fruit!

3. Broccoli: it is one of the best vegetables for anyone
especially growing kids. It has loads of calcium
potassium
beta-carotene and a wide variety of the B vitamins. If your child is not a fan of plain vegetables include broccoli in a casserole or put a little shredded cheese on top to add flavor.

4. Protein: One size does not fit all when it comes to protein. The fact is that growing kids need protein to keep growing. How you're going to give it to them can vary widely
according to your preferences. Good choices include legumes
beans (combined with a grain to make a complete protein)
soy products like tofu
eggs or lean meat
fish or poultry.

5. Whole Grains: The best nutrition is found in whole grains. Brown rice and whole wheat bread are a quantum leap over their white counterparts and offer necessary fiber
minerals and vitamins. Choose grain products with the words “whole”
“unbleached” and “intact” or “ground”.

6. Nut Butters: Peanut butter and other nut butters are great fast and easy foods for kids. Kids need fat (it's a good fat if it doesn't have hydrogenated oils mixed in it) and they need the protein. Try spreading almond or sunflower seed butter on crackers
toast or celery sticks for a quick and nutritious snack.

7. Fresh Fruit: My personal choice would be cantaloupe in the melon department. Vitamin C
beta-carotene
bits and pieces of B vitamins and trace minerals and calcium fill every juicy bite. Any in season fresh fruit is sure to be packed with healthy goodness!

Try these 7 tips to foster optimism and resilience in your overweight child:

1) Believe in your Children. Assure your children that you are on their side and that you expect then to be the best person that they can be
although you don’t expect them to be the best at anything. No one is perfect.

2) Find other adults who believe in your children. Teachers
aunts
uncles
neighbors and friends can help you make a positive difference for you overweight child. Other adults that can see beyond the weight and also believe in your child can help your child take control of their lives.

3) Encourage your children to stay interested in activities. Let them know that their interests are valuable and deserve to be developed
whatever it is.

4) Celebrate your children’s winning experiences and help them to accept defeats graciously. Let your child know that you appreciate their efforts and positive attitude win or lose. Positive attitude and effort is for more important than victory.

5) Encourage upbeat conversations about the future. Assume they are going to college and thinking about good careers. Let your child know that you believe they are capable.

6) Be a role model for perseverance. Be sure your children hear you say that some tasks are difficult
but that you are not a quitter.

7) Facilitate family fun and laughter. A family that can joke
laugh
and lighten up their day’s with humor can help to prevent negativity and tension.

1
Role Model –Your heath and weight directly effect your child’s health and weight. Children with just one overweight parent have a 25% risk of becoming an overweight or obese adult. If both parents are overweight the risk of becoming an overweight adult jumps to 50%.

2 Be Positive- No one enjoys receiving negative feedback. Talk to your child with compassion and encouragement. Instead of saying
'Lose weight'
say
'Let's be healthy and start taking care of our bodies'. Focus on the foods you can eat
not the ones that you cannot. Say
'Let's go pick out fruits and make a fruit salad
' not 'Don't eat that.'

3 Make healthy eating a family affair - A family that eats together
eats better
according to a recent study in the journal Archives of Family Medicine. Children who report frequent family dinners have healthier diets than their peers who don't
the study showed. Also fill your refrigerator and cabinets with fresh fruits
nuts
low-fat cheese
and things for everyone to snack on.

4 Eat Breakfast – A breakfast that consists of protein
starch and fat will keep your children more alert during school. Studies have shown that weight loss is much more difficult in people who skip breakfast.

5 Make time for physical activity - Make physical activity a family activity. Every night after dinner in the summer
go for a half-hour walk and make it an activity that kids look forward to. If you can afford it
enroll your kids in dancing or a sporting activity that they enjoy because they need to enjoy it to keep doing it. Or just turn on some dance music and have a dance party around the house.

6 Don't say diet - Put your child on any diet and you are setting them up for an eating disorder - whether binge eating or closet eating or another type of disorder. Lifestyle changes have proven to be the most effective to lose weight and keep it off.

7 Avoid portion distortion - When serving the food try to portion out meal on dishes and avoid buffet-type or family-style eating. When exposed to so much food it is easy for your eyes to be bigger than your stomach. Resist the first temptation to have seconds then check in with yourself to see if you are really hungry.

When I eat out I want it to be special
consequently I don't eat out often. You may have seen the advice on how to shave calories at restaurants but really
are you wanting to pay high restaurant prices for undressed salads and plain steamed vegetables? If not
how then can you solve the dilemma of too many calories when you eat out?

Here are seven tips for getting the calories out of restaurant meals while still ordering your favorites.

1. Say NO to super sizing. The size you ordered is already too big. Stop super sizing and you'll save money. Better still
order one dinner and ask for an extra plate. Many restaurants will do this for a dollar or two
and it's well worth it. Then share the meal with your friend and you split the cost straight down the middle. Another option is to order from the so called "appetizer" menu. Two people could order three entrees
one dessert and split the whole thing and it's still a ton of food!

2. Skip the bread and rolls. Many family restaurants still serve a bread basket with your meal. Unless it's a fresh baked loaf or some really special bread
just skip it. You don't need to fill up on ordinary bread when you're paying good money for a meal. Just ask for it to be taken away if you can't resist
but frankly
you're an adult
you can resist
if you want to. You can simply choose not to put a roll on your plate. Try it
just once and see if you don't walk out of that restaurant feeling strangely powerful.

If you can't skip the rolls
at least skip the butter. That's right. Eat it plain. Whole grain bread is delicious all by itself.

3. Stop Ordering Drinks. Soft drinks are a huge cash cow for restaurants. For pennies they sell you a squirt of syrup and carbonated water and act like they're doing you a big favor by only charging you $1.29 for a giant 64 ounce soda. Start saving those dollars. Especially if you're ordering "to go" skip the drink. If you're eating it there
ask for water
or at least switch to diet drinks. Never drink "fat pop."

4. Slow Down You Eat Too Fast! What's the rush? Take your time
savor the moment
enjoy the flavors. A big part of getting in touch with your hunger signals and learning to eat what really will satisfy is learning to recognize the subtle signs of hunger. You won't know when you're approaching satisfaction if you've gobbled everything down in five minutes. Take a bite then notice how many times do you chew before you start wanting to swallow? Once
twice? Make an effort to chew your food and your body will be much happier. A very large part of digestion begins in your mouth
not to mention you'll get much more pleasure if you let the food linger.

5. Trim Visible Fat and Skin. I know
you really love the skin--of course you do
it tastes good
it should
it's pure fat. Do you want to get leaner
or do you want to eat fat? You choose. I never eat chicken skin and never eat the visible fat hanging off a steak
good taste or no. You have to decide what you want more
the second's worth of pleasure of a yummy taste
or a lifetime of carrying around an extra 40 lbs? I know this is counter to the low carb crowd's belief that fat is good
carbs are evil
but I've maintained an 80 pound weight loss for 18 years without dieting and I don't eat visible fat or skin. Enough said.

6. Ask for a Doggie Bag at the Beginning of Meal. When the food is served
immediately portion off some to take home for tomorrow. Most restaurants in the US serve way too much. There is no law you have to eat it all. Do this frequently and soon you'll find you're getting an extra lunch out of that meal.

7. Get a copy of Restaurant Confidential by Michael F. Jacobson and Jayne Hurley
and start checking out how many calories you're really eating. If you eat out frequently and you carry extra weight
then that's probably the problem right there. This little book can help you realize why it seems you don't eat that much yet you can't lose any weight. Hardees recently introduced a new burger that clocks in at just under 1200 calories all by itself! Now that's frightening.

If you really want to get a handle on your weight problem
look first to where you eat
second at what you eat
and third how much you eat. Where
What and How Much? Try these steps choosing one tip at a time
and see how easily you can take some of the calories out of restaurant food.

Is stress affecting your weight loss battle?

Stress brought on by dieting is added to the personal and work life stresses that we face every day
often resulting in a "vicious cycle" of increased stress and increased food intake. People under stress tend to engage in self-defeating and unhealthy behaviors such as binge eating and there is strong biologic evidence that stressed-out people may tend to put on the pounds faster. "I'm stressed
therefore I eat." Many people complain that they overeat in response to workplace or personal stress. If this sounds like you
read the following tips for managing stress-related overeating to help you check this unhealthy habit.

1. Practice waiting. Postpone your instant gratification when hunger hits. Tell yourself you'll wait 10 to 30
minutes to eat. Chances are good if your cravings are only stress-related
they'll disappear when you allow yourself to become distracted.

2. Keep a food journal of what you eat each day. Knowing you have to write down every snack or nibble can be a good way to remind yourself to think before eating.

3. Enlist a friend's help - ideally one who also is tempted by stress-related cravings. When you feel like eating
write him/her a quick note or make a phone call.

4. Keep yourself nourished. Eat regular
healthy snacks to maintain your energy level. Skipping meals while under stress only prompts you to eat more
and unhealthily
when you do get around to eating.

5. Post some reminder messages wherever you're likely to see them when stress-related cravings begin. Use any message that works for you. Examples might be "Are you really hungry?" or "Think about why you're eating."

6. Physically remove tempting food items from your home or office. Never go shopping while hungry and always make a list of food items prior to shopping; bring home only what you feel good about eating.

7. Take time for yourself every day. Whether it's 10 minutes to reflect and relax
or whether it's some fun activity that will revitalize you
it's critical to do it. Health is not just physical
mental well-being is just as important
you deserve to mentally de-stress everyday!

The search for ways to speed up your weight loss is over. With these seven tips
you can be seven pounds lighter in the next two weeks. Be ready to make some changes
but your thinner self will thank you.

Make water your best friend

While it should come as no surprise that water is your best weapon in weight loss
some still haven’t caught on. By increasing your water consumption to six to eight glasses a day
you will help you body flush out toxins that are impeding the weight that you want to lose.

Water helps to speed digestion as well as many other processes in your body. And if your body is running more smoothly
then you can burn more calories along the way.

A new appetizer

If you’re looking to cut back on the foods that you’re eating
here’s a trick that works for anyone. Start your lunches and dinners off with a small cup of soup. Of course
the soup shouldn’t be cream based; a broth will work very well.

The warm soup will help to make your stomach feel fuller so that you eat less at the meal that follows. This is also a good trick if you are going out to eat. Have that bowl of soup before you go to curb your temptation for larger portions.

Take away the salt

A lot of the extra weight people carry is due to a large intake of salt. Salt can be found in many of the things that we consider healthy—frozen lunches
canned soups
and condiments.

Take some time over the next two weeks to look at the labels of the things that you eat to see how much salt (as sodium) are in the foods that you have been eating. Avoiding prepackaged foods is the best way to remove the salt from your diet.

Take away the sugars

While we don’t want to admit it
sugar is keeping us overweight and unhappy. And sugar isn’t just a candy bar or a milkshake
it’s also in the white breads and pastas that we love.

But if you want to lose weight
it’s time to find better ways of eating. This can include switching to brown rice and whole wheat bread. And of course
limiting your sugary snacks to once in a great while.

Get moving

When you’re trying to lose weight
you need to start exercising. If you haven’t exercised before
you’re in luck. Studies have shown that you can walk just a few times a week and burn the calories that you want to burn.

Thirty minutes a day is the best way to lose seven pounds in two weeks
but if you don’t have that much time
try to split it up over the course of the day—say ten minutes three times a day
or just try to fit in three good thirty minute walks a week.

Slow down

One of the main things that trigger overeating is not taking time for your self. When you’re trying to lose weight
it’s essential that you set aside a little time each day for you and you alone. By giving yourself some quiet time
you’ll be able to slow down and remember that you’re worth the extra effort that you’re putting in to lose weight.

Just like mom said

And don’t forget about your fruits and veggies. Though fruits do contain sugar
they also contain fewer calories than your traditional sugary snacks.

If you really want to jumpstart some weight loss
eat steamed vegetables at every meal. Not only do they have a slightly diuretic effect (makes you lose water weight)
but they also energize your body to keep making great choices.

When you want to lose weight
you need help
but with these tips
you have everything you need.

Hey
we all want to shed some pounds and get back to the body that we had when we were younger and didn’t appreciate it but it takes discipline
planning
and dedication to make that happen. All too often people shed 10 or 15 pounds and then seem to stop losing weight. There is definitely a reason this happens and it should not be seen as failure or an excuse to give up on your weight loss goals. Here are 7 absolutely killer ways to maximize your fat burning routine and help ensure success with your weight loss goals.

1) Anaerobic Exercise

If you think you can just run laps or pedal that fat away
think again. Muscle tissue is what burns the most calories in our bodies and you need to life weights in order to create bigger muscles that will burn more calories. Now although aerobic exercises such as cycling or swimming are also necessary
the fact remains that building bigger muscles is the best way to lose weight and keep it off. This is because you are creating a more efficient calorie burning machine by lifting weights which will ensure you success with your weight loss goals.

2) Warm-up and Cool Down

Warming up before exercising and taking the time to cool down afterwards with some light exercises are not generally seen as essential to a fat burning program. However
the reason why a lot of people tend to give up on their weight loss goals is because they failed to see the progress they hoped for when they began. An injury
even one that only lasts for a few days
can set your weight loss goals back by weeks and lead to a loss of stimulation. You need to plan an extra twenty minutes into your weight lifting routine for these two essential activities or you risk injury and derailing your weight loss plan.

3) Diet
Diet
Diet

This should not be a killer way to maximize your weight loss goals but it is. The reason for this is because people tend to think of losing weight in two ways: diet
or exercise. Hey
these two go hand in hand and you are never going to maximize your fat burning routine in the gym unless you take care of your body outside of the gym. Stop thinking of meals in terms of three: instead
think 5 meals with smaller portions. The FDA recently developed a new food pyramid with this very idea in mind and you should check it out before starting your fat burning program because it can save you a lot of time and energy if you get the diet part figured out before even stepping into the gym.

4) Plan Workouts

The body is the most complex machine on the planet and you can’t just hope to step into a gym and jump on a machine or some weights and think that you are going to see the results you want without knowing how they affect your body. The ideal exercise routine is done only 3 or 4 times per week and only for 30-45 minutes at a time. You cannot work your body more than this because it will actually cause your muscles to break down which means you will be burning fewer calories
and therefore
not maximizing your fat burning routine in the gym. If you have any doubts about what kind of routine is ideal for your goals
don’t be afraid to consult an physical trainer to help you set up a program that is best suited for you.

5) Nutritional Supplements

If you really want to maximize your fat burning routine in the gym
then you need to consider using nutritional supplements. Now I am not talking about those crazy supplements that promise to burn fat for you while you sit and watch tv! I am talking about essential fatty acids
amino acids
whey protein….things that will truly maximize your workouts that you can’t always expect to get in the foods you eat every day. Again
consult a physical trainer if you want to know which supplements are best for your weight loss goals.

6) Set Weekly Goals

I know that this just seems terribly obvious but the truth is that most people are not thrilled with the idea of working out so it is easy for them to skip a session or indulge in some pizza and think that they will make up for it next time. Listen
next time never comes and when you stop seeing the scales go down
the motivation just seems to stop. By setting weekly goals
you can track your progress and make it that much more likely that you will adhere to the goals when you see things are not going as expected.

7) No More Late Night Snacks

This one may not seem to make sense
but I assure you that it will help maximize your fat burning exercises. The reason is your metabolism. When you eat right before you go to bed
it throws your body off and you probably notice that you awaken and don’t feel hungry. Then
you skip breakfast entirely or only snack on a bagel or something on you way into work.

The result: the body goes into conservation mode. This means that it slows down your metabolism and that means you are burning less calories throughout the day. Plus
it increases the likelihood of snacking and basically just sets the scene for a bad cycle. Eating five smaller portioned meals per day also has to do with your metabolism as it has been found that metabolism remains highest when there is a consistent supply of food in the body. You might not believe that late night snacking affects the way your body burns fat when working out
but it does.

Now some of the things listed above are obvious while some just seem silly. And yet
taken together and consistently adhered to
these 7 little ideas will maximize your fat burning in the gym and get you to that body you can see in your mind but not the mirror far quicker than if you just go about things in a disorganized and inconsistent manner.

Today more than ever there is so much information out there on losing weight that is has become very confusing and sometimes difficult to follow. It’s actually very easy to lose weight if you follow my 7 principles.

1. - Before you can start any diet program you need to be in the right frame of mind. If you do not feel good about yourself you probably will not want to choose healthy foods. You cannot expect the act of going on a diet to make you feel better about yourself. The only way you can choose to eat a healthy diet to lose weight is if you have a positive self-image.

2. - Learn more about who your ancestors were. If you eat more like your ancestors you will be eating food that is better for your body. You will likely lose weight
have more energy and feel great. It has been shown when a group of people stop eating the food that was indigenous to them they start gaining weight and having health problems.

3. - Eat whole foods that are as natural as possible. When you eat whole foods that are full of nutrients your body will know how much to eat and how much not to eat. You do not have to count calories because your body is a wonderful machine. If given the right nutrients you will be at the best weight for you
have plenty of energy and feel great. Eating highly processed empty calorie foods will cause your body to always be hungry because it’s trying to get the nutrients it needs.

4. - Drink the best weight loss supplement known to man
water. Most people do not know the difference from being hungry for food or thirsty for water. A great deal of times people eat when they should drink. Most likely you will not feel as hungry if you are getting enough water. You will be satisfying the thirst
which is confused for hunger. Water also helps you digest food better. Drinking water before you eat will help fill you up.

5. – Always chew your food well. Chewing your food well will ensure that you get the most nutrients out of your food. Getting the most nutrients will satisfy your body therefore you will eat less. Another benefit of chewing well is that it helps aid in digestion.

6. - Eat small
frequent meals in a day. Large meals tax your digestion system
making it work harder. Taking too much time in between meals makes you hungrier for the next meal.

7. - Increase your physical activity. Most people are over weight because of a lack of physical activity. Start walking more
bicycling
walk your dog for longer periods of time
swim
dance and leave the car at home when you can. It’s important that you choose a physical activity that you enjoy because you’ll stick with it. Choosing a physical activity purely based on the fact that it burns a lot of calories may be a mistake.