Sharon

The Diet Experts Agree More Than They Admit!

2010-03-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been hearing a lot about how wrong for our bodies the current recommendations from our most respected medical institutions are. Well-known diet gurus and nutritional researchers have stepped up to the plate to declare that the high carbohydrate, low fat diet regimens recommended by such institutions as the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association and the United States Department of Agriculture are misinformed, and frankly unhealthy.

Instead, they charge, our diets should include lots of high quality protein, fat should not concern us, and carbohydrates are the enemy. This has set the stage for battles between the weight loss industry and the health industry - with the only agreement between them seeming to be the need to lose weight.

The problem is - they're both wrong. And they're both right. The most regularly leveled criticisms of each seem legitimate - until you examine the recommended diets in depth. Sit down and look at the recommended menus. Take them to the calorie calculators and compare ingredients and nutrients. I did, and what I found was a revelation.

In the most practical sense, they're all talking about the same diet.

Oh, there are minor variations that have been grossly blown out of proportion by the advertising hype. There are misinterpretations that have been stated as fact. The bottom line of each and every one of the Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet, the Zone Diet, the American Diabetes Association diet, and the American Heart Association's Heart Healthy Diet -- all of them - is to derive the greatest portion of your caloric intake for the day from low carbohydrate vegetables. Spinach, broccoli, cabbage - leafy green. Carrots, summer squash, deep rich orange vegetables. Fruits with high calorie and antioxidant counts. Whole grains - and this is where the controversy seems to arise.

Almost without exception, proponents of the low carb diets for weight loss and maintenance have condemned the recommended diets for suggesting that adults should derive the greater portion of their diets from carbohydrates. What they fail to note is that also without exception, each of those 'healthy' diets strongly suggest avoiding white breads, starchy, processed foods, sweet snacks high in sugar and preservatives, and white rice.

On the other hand, the medical community has roundly condemned the low carb diets for encouraging the consumption of a diet high in saturated fats and cholesterol. But there is also a strong suggestion in each of those diets along the lines of "eat only until you are no longer hungry". .. and a minimum consumption of vegetables. Dinner's minimum suggested amount of vegetables is 2 1/2 cups. How hungry will you be after consuming two and a half cups of vegetable?

In the end, the bottom line of every weight loss program advertised is the same:

* Eat a well-balanced diet where most of the calories are derived from whole grains, vegetables and fruits.

* Eat fewer calories than you expend.

* Exercise moderately every day.

* Learn to eat that way as a lifestyle and you will lose weight—and keep it off!

Don't Be Confused About Low Carb Diets - 7 Key Points Explained

2010-03-18T09:27:00.000-07:00

With all of the conflicting studies and fuzzy interpretation of information, it's no wonder that confusion reigns when it comes to the value and safety of low-carb diets. It seems like heated debates are raging everywhere!

Whether it's Atkins, the South Beach or some other low-carb plan, as many as 30 million Americans are following a low-carb diet.

Advocates contend that the high amount of carbohydrates in our diet has led to increasing problems with obesity, diabetes, and other health problems. Critics, on the other hand, attribute obesity and related health problems to over-consumption of calories from any source, and lack of physical activity. Critics also express concern that the lack of grains, fruits, and vegetables in low-carbohydrate diets may lead to deficiencies of some key nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, and several minerals.

Any diet, weather low or high in carbohydrate, can produce significant weight loss during the initial stages of the diet. But remember, the key to successful dieting is in being able to lose the weight permanently. Put another way, what does the scale show a year after going off the diet?

Let's see if we can debunk some of the mystery about low-carb diets. Below, is a listing of some relevant points taken from recent studies and scientific literature. Please note there may be insufficient information available to answer all questions.

- Differences Between Low-Carb Diets

There are many popular diets designed to lower carbohydrate consumption. Reducing total carbohydrate in the diet means that protein and fat will represent a proportionately greater amount of the total caloric intake.

Atkins and Protein Power diets restrict carbohydrate to a point where the body becomes ketogenic. Other low-carb diets like the Zone and Life Without Bread are less restrictive. Some, like Sugar Busters claim to eliminate only sugars and foods that elevate blood sugar levels excessively.

- What We Know about Low-Carb Diets

Almost all of the studies to date have been small with a wide variety of research objectives. Carbohydrate, caloric intake, diet duration and participant characteristics varied greatly. Most of the studies to date have two things in common: None of the studies had participants with a mean age over 53 and none of the controlled studies lasted longer than 90 days.

Information on older adults and long-term results are scarce. Many diet studies fail to monitor the amount of exercise, and therefore caloric expenditure, while participants are dieting. This helps to explain discrepancies between studies.

The weight loss on low-carb diets is a function of caloric restriction and diet duration, and not with reduced carbohydrate intake. This finding suggests that if you want to lose weight, you should eat fewer calories and do so over a long time period.

Little evidence exists on the long-range safety of low-carb diets. Despite the medical community concerns, no short-term adverse effects have been found on cholesterol, glucose, insulin and blood-pressure levels among participants on the diets. But, adverse effects may not show up because of the short period of the studies. Researchers note that losing weight typically leads to an improvement in these levels anyway, and this may offset an increase caused by a high fat diet. The long range weight change for low-carb and other types of diets is similar.

Most low-carb diets cause ketosis. Some of the potential consequences are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and confusion. During the initial phase of low-carb dieting some fatigue and constipation may be encountered. Generally, these symptoms dissipate quickly. Ketosis may also give the breath a fruity odor, somewhat like nail-polish remover (acetone).

Low-carb diets do not enable the consumption of more calories than other kinds of diets, as has been often reported. A calorie is a calorie and it doesn't matter weather they come from carbohydrates or fat. Study discrepancies are likely the result of uncontrolled circumstances; i.e. diet participants that cheat on calorie consumption, calories burned during exercise, or any number of other factors. The drop-out rate for strict (i.e. less than 40 grams of CHO/day) low-carb diets is relatively high.

What Should You Do? - There are 3 important points I would like to re-emphasize:

- The long-range success rate for low-carb and other types of diets is similar.

- Despite their popularity, little information exists on the long-term efficacy and safety of low-carbohydrate diets.

- Strict low-carb diets are usually not sustainable as a normal way of eating. Boredom usually overcomes willpower.

It is obvious after reviewing the topic, that more, well-designed and controlled studies are needed. There just isn't a lot of good information available, especially concerning long-range effects. Strict low-carb diets produce ketosis which is an abnormal and potentially stressful metabolic state. Under some circumstances this might cause health related complications.

The diet you choose should be a blueprint for a lifetime of better eating, not just a quick weight loss plan to reach your weight goal. If you can't see yourself eating the prescribed foods longer than a few days or a week, then chances are it's not the right diet. To this end, following a moderately low fat diet with a healthy balance of fat, protein, carbohydrate and other nutrients is beneficial.

If you do decide to follow a low-carb plan, remember that certain dietary fats are associated with reduction of disease. Foods high in unsaturated fats that are free of trans-fatty acids such as olive oil, fish, flaxseeds, and nuts are preferred to fats from animal origins.

Even promoters of the Atkins diet now say people on their plan should limit the amount of red meat and saturated fat they eat. Atkins representatives are telling health professionals that only 20 percent of a dieter's calories should come from saturated fat (i.e. meat, cheese, butter). This change comes as Atkins faces competition from other popular low-carb diets that call for less saturated fat, such as the South Beach diet plan. Low-carb dieting should not be considered as a license to gorge on red meat!

Another alternative to "strict" low-carb dieting would be to give up some of the bad carbohydrate foods but not "throw out the baby with the bath water". In other words, foods high in processed sugar, snacks, and white bread would be avoided, but foods high in complex carbohydrates such as fruit, potatoes and whole grains, retained.

The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any health care program.

Why fad diets don’t work!

2010-03-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

The answer is simple...fad diets are not natural.

Fad diet is the term that describes an array of diet approaches used to temporarily lose weight through unsafe and unrealistic methods. Quick fix programs do not work...although millions of dollars are spent each year. These programs offer a quick loss of weight but sadly the weight is gained right back because people return to their old eating habits and old life style.

There are many kinds of fad diets. Avoid those types of diets that recommend a certain nutrient, or combination of foods encouraging you to loss weight fast. Fad diets do not teach lifestyle habits for long-term weight management, they do not help people gain the will power to change a lifestyle with another.

Diets promoting a very low calorie system, approximately 1,000 to 1,500 calories per day and with no exercise program cause the body to become less efficient at burning fat, making it easier to store fat and regained weight each time a diet is stopped. In the long run this fad diets makes a person fatter instead of leaner. Ultimately these fad diets are not safe.

Only your weight and exercise level determines the number of calories that is right for your diet program and only healthy lifestyle habits will maintain long-term weight control. Healthy lifestyle habits include regular exercise, behavior modification, and a healthy, nutritious diet with a wide variety of foods.

People should be aware of their health problems before engaging in a diet program. All diets should include a warning to check with a specialist before trying a diet. Also most fad diets make no mention of physical activity, which is essential in the process of weight loss and some of these diets can actually harm one’s health.

The majority of fad diets involve a 10 day to 1 month period in which your diet is restricted to a select collection of bad-tasting, inconsistent health foods or recipes. The fads diet is generally advising you to completely avoided fats.

Due to water loss from this period, as a reaction to the starvation process, you will quickly lose weight. And, as you continue to starve, your body starts working in order to keep up with the energy needs. But you are still not burning fats and as you avoid fats in your diet, your body will try to preserve the fat that it has in its store. And if you continue your diet up to a month your body will burn its stored fats having no other alternative to stay alive.

After this period the dieter starts getting weaker and he is not able to feel well and perform its normal duties because it requires a lot more effort and time for the body to produce energy from fat rather than from muscle.

At a certain time the dieter is back to his normal eating habit but it will take some time before the reconstruction of your muscle occurs and during this time, the body stores most of the food intake as excess fats. Therefore at the end of the reconstruction process, the dieter is back to his initial weight gaining back the weight he lost in the starvation process and little bit more.

A diet regards the proper nutrition for a normally developed human and it should contain vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates AND fats. An imbalanced process may cause starvation or excessive reserves of body fat.

By using fad diets in your weight loss process your body will experience both starvation and weight gain in a short amount of time.

Chosing The Right Diet For You

2010-03-16T09:13:00.000-07:00

There are so many different and varied diets floating around today that it can be quite difficult to make a decision regarding which one is right for you when you feel it’s time to lose weight. Some diets emphasize low fat while others insist low calories are the way to go. Still yet, other diet gurus are adamant that in order to meet your weight loss goals you must cut out all forms of carbohydrates. One diet seems to combine factors from at least two other well known diets with claims to produce an optimum fat burning weight loss program. Then there are the various other diets that have circulated around the world for years with numerous success stories such as the cabbage soup diet and the cider vinegar diet. Which diets really work and more importantly; which diet is right for you?

One of the most important factors you must consider when contemplating any diet plan is whether you will learn how to eat healthy and nutritionally sound through the plan. Unfortunately, a number of different diets that boast incredible results do so through nutritionally bankrupt methods. Often referred to as fad diets, these weight loss programs encourage you to indulge in eating habits that can do more harm than good.

Many weight loss programs promise almost instantaneous results and for awhile at least; it seems as though your weight loss dreams may have finally come true through the presence of this type of diet. Then the sad reality sets in. You realize there is no possible way you can stay on this diet for the rest of your life. This is an important factor to consider; because ideally you should be looking for a healthy weight loss and maintenance program not a diet. Although a very low-calorie, high or liquid diet or even a diet that only lasts for a few days may allow you to initially lose some weight, you will inevitably find that your weight loss problems recur when a vengeance at a later point. Instead of looking for a miracle cure, look for a weight loss program that can help you to achieve your goals on a permanent basis.

For those of us who would prefer to avoid exercise like the plague, any weight loss program that promises we can reach our goals without that dreaded E word is a lifesaver. Unfortunately, long term weight loss simply isn’t possible without taking part in a sensible exercise routine. Sad, but true.

When considering engaging in any weight loss program or diet, always ask yourself the following questions 1. Will I learn to take part in a healthy, nutritionally sound eating plan through this diet? 2. Is this a diet I can stick with long term? and 3. Does this diet combine sensible eating with moderate exercise?

When you find a diet or weight loss program that meets all of these conditions, you know that you have found the right diet for you. As with any diet, it’s always a good idea to check with your physician before engaging in any weight loss program.

Low-Carb Diet, Should I or Shouldn't I?

2010-03-15T08:10:00.000-07:00

It's no wonder that confusion reigns when it comes to the worth and reliability of low-carb diets after all the conflicting studies and confusing interpretation of the information. It seems like debates are popping up everywhere!

No matter if it's Atkins, South Beach or some other low-carb plan, there are approximately 30 million Americans are on a low-carb diet.

Supporters contend that the large amount of carbohydrates in our diet has led to increased problems with obesity, diabetes, and other health situations. On the other hand, some attribute obesity and related health problems to over eating of calories and lack of physical activity. They also express concern that without grains, fruits, and vegetables in low-carbohydrate diets may lead to deficiencies of some key nutrients, including vitamin C, fiber, folic acid, and many minerals.

It is already known that any diet, whether high or low in carbohydrates, can produce meaningful weight loss during the early stages of the diet. Keep in mind, the key to a diet being successful is in being able to lose the weight on a permanent basis.

Let's see if we can expose some of the mystery about low-carb diets. Following, is a listing of some related points taken from recent studies and scientific literature.

Point 1 - Some Differences Between Low-Carb Diets

There are many famous diets created to lower carbohydrate consumption. Lowering total carbohydrates in the diet means that protein and fat will take up a proportionately greater amount of the total caloric intake.

Low carbohydrate diet like the Atkins Diet restrict carbohydrate to a point where the body becomes ketogenic (a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that includes normal amounts of protein). Other low-carb diets like the Zone and Life Without Bread are less confined. Some, like Sugar Busters announce only to eliminate sugars and foods that elevate blood sugar levels excessively.

Point 2 - What We Know about Low-Carb Diets

+Close to all of the studies to date have been small with a diversity of research objectives.

Carbohydrate, caloric intake, diet duration and participant characteristics are wide-ranged greatly. Most of the studies to date have two things in common, none of the research studies had people in the study with a average age over 53 and none of the controlled studies lasted more than 90 days.

+The results on older adults and long-term results are scarce. Many diet studies fail to keep track of the amount of exercise, and therefore caloric use, while people in the study are dieting. This helps to explain the variances between studies.

+If you lose weight on a low-carb diet it is a function of the calorie intake and length of the diet, and not with reduced amount of carbohydrates.

+There is very little evidence on the long-range safety of low-carb diets. Even though the medical community has concerns, no short-term bad effects have been found with cholesterol, glucose, insulin and blood-pressure levels among the people in the study on the diets. Because of the short period of the studies the adverse effects may not show up. Losing weight typically leads to improvement in these levels, and this may offset an increase caused by a high fat diet. The over-all weight changes for low-carb and other types of diets are similar.

+Most low-carb diets can cause ketosis. Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and confusion are some of the potential consequences. When first starting a low-carb diet some fatigue and constipation may be met and these symptoms usually disappear quickly.

+Some report that you can have more calories when on a low-carb diet. Remember a calorie is a calorie no matter what you intake. When the study is not closely supervised variations will result by people cheating in the study on many factors of the study.

There are three important factors I would like to re-emphasize:

1.- The over-all success rate for low-carb and other types of diets are similar.

2.- Small amount of information exists on the long-term efficacy and safety of low-carb diets despite their huge popularity,

3.- Dieters usually experience boredom with a strict version of the low-carb diet and are not able to stay on diets of low carb food.

After observing the subject, a more severe and controlled study are needed on a long-range basis. The ketosis produced is abnormal and stressful metabolic state. The results may cause more problems than it solved.

By picking a reliable diet you will benefit over a lifetime of proper eating and not a weight loss quickie. An excellent rule of thumb is look at the diet long-range and see if you can see yourself still on that diet after a couple of weeks. However, by following a diet with fat, carbohydrates, protein and other nutrients in moderation may be the best way to go and a little more exercise won't hurt either.

Be Careful With Diet Pills

2010-03-14T07:55:00.000-07:00

If you are a person who has struggled with their weight and has a BMI, or body mass index, above a 27, the idea of a pill helping you lose weight is very appealing. Taking diet pills seem to be the quick fix to helping obese persons lose weight. There are advantages to taking diet pills, but you have to weigh these benefits with the potential dangers of taking diet pills.

Some things you have to be careful about when taking diet pills are:

· Dangerous side effects and drug interactions – Some prescription diet drugs are very strong. Possible side effects occur in almost all prescription medications, and some can be very serious in nature. Each diet pill has its own unique set of side effect warnings, but some of the more commonly listed side effects are dry mouth, sleeplessness, irritability, upset stomach and constipation. You also have to look at the possibility of drug interactions between the diet pills and other medications you are taking. If you have any other health issues, the taking of diet pills may cause serious consequences when combined with other medications.

· The potential for becoming dependant of the diet pills – There are many diet pills that can become habit forming. Some prescription diet pills are stimulant-based and can be abused by users. This abuse can lead to dependence, just as with any other strong medication. Make sure to talk with your doctor if he decides to put you on a diet prescription that has been shown to be habit-forming. Find out what signs you should look for to indicate if you are having a problem.

· The potential of the diet pills disrupting regular metabolism – Since prescription diet drugs main purpose is to suppress appetite, the person taking diet pills may find themselves consuming many less calories than normal. This is good for losing weight on the surface, but ultimately will lead to your natural metabolism to slow down. When your natural metabolism slows, so does the rate in which you lose weight. That is why people who take diet drugs find they only lose a finite amount of weight when they take diet pills alone.

In order for diet pills to work for you, the first thing you should do is talk to your doctor. Find ways to change your lifestyle on top of the taking of the diet drugs to help you lose weight. Regular exercise, changing food choices, and regular check-ups with your doctor are great ways to increase your weight loss success.

Diet Pills – Do they work? Are they safe? Which one should I use?

2010-03-13T07:51:00.000-08:00

Diet Pills are the fastest growing segment of the dietary supplement industry. Sales of diet pills and related supplements have been increasing 10 to 20 percent annually to the point where last year they reached $2 billion. Considering the fact that 60% of the U.S. population are overweight or obese, it’s no wonder that several of us are looking for a way to drop extra pounds. Diet pill ads are starting to pop up everywhere, particularly on the internet, but before you go out and buy the latest greatest pill, do some research.

HOW DO DIET PILLS WORK?

Most over the counter diet pills work by increasing your body’s energy expenditure. One of the most common ingredients (caffeine) raises your metabolism by increasing the breakdown of fatty acids and therefore reducing appetite. This increase in energy and decrease in appetite is a great combination for burning fat.

WHAT’S IN THESE DIET PILLS?

In late 2003, based on evidence that it caused heart attacks, Ephedrine was banned as an ingredient in diet pills. Diet pills now generally contain a mixture of vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, folic acid) and of course caffeine or any number of herbs. With any supplement, herb, or medication, the best advice is to READ THE LABEL. (As of April 14, 2005- The year old FDA ban on Ephedra has been lifted. The matter has been sent back to the FDA for reevaluation – Source: Yahoo News)

ARE DIET PILLS SAFE?

Diet pill side effects can range from dizziness, nausea, increased urination, to the more sever - chest pain, heart attack, liver and kidney damage, stroke, seizures, and even death. After a few months your body develops a tolerance for the pill’s effects, so diet pills are meant to be taken for a very short period of time. These pills CAN be safe if they are not abused.

With the combination of a healthy diet, and regular exercise a diet pill can give you that little extra nudge to loose a few extra pounds. Don’t expect to loose weight on a diet pill alone. Do your research, ask questions, read the labels and find out what diet pill is right for you.

A Diet Made For You Will Make All The Difference

2010-03-12T07:46:00.000-08:00

For the best diet results, you need a personalized diet that you can stick to.

People diet for lots of reasons, and with lots of aims in mind. No matter what your aims are, the most effective diet to achieve them is a personalized one. A personalized diet which suits you is what you need, whether you want to improve your health, or just lose weight.

Once you've decided to make a change for the better in your diet the next step is to seek advice from an expert. There are a myriad of fitness and diet plans to suit you available from your local gym or fitness center. There will usually be someone there you can talk to and discover what the best diet for you is. Alternatively you can take join up to one of the many fitness programs offered by the major fitness companies, there is one to suit every taste!

Everyones body is different and so different diets and fitness programs effect you diffently to the way they will effect others. Some people will lose weight and tone up more quickly on certain diets so its important to ensure the diet that you are on is just right for your body.

Most diet programs are designed for people with no specific health problems. If you find you are changing your prescribed diet to suit a health problem you have it is essential to contact your doctor first for advice. They can advise you on what is best to eat or avoid eating with your illness.

Of course your doctor knows as much as anyone about your health. They are in an excellent position to help you decide on the diet that will be most effective for you. They will also be able to spot any potential problems with a diet you are on, or are considering. For example if you are on medication to prevent blood clots then you shouldn't eat green vegetables (spinach in particular). Your doctor will spot issues like this and point them out to you.

The major problem with standard diets (including the fad diets we all here about) is that they are just that - standard. They are designed to suit everyone to some degree but they will probably have an average effect on you. These diets are not designed for you - for your body, build, fitness level, health, or potential health problems. A good diet is one you can make your own - a diet you can tailor and personalize to suit yourself.

Another problem is that depending on where you live, some diets might call for you to eat a particular food that is difficult or even impossible to find. They might also require you to eat foods that are out of season or more expensive to buy in your location than others. If this is the case, you should change your diet to include foods that are easier to come by, but that also work in your diet.

Of course there is little point in beginning your diet with great determination only to find a week later you dont have the ability to stick with it. It is important that you ease yourself into your diet when possible. Phase out your old diet while gradually adopting your new personalised diet. That way you'll be able to stick with it and get the most out of your new diet.

Avoid a diet that requires you to abruptly change your eating habits, forcing you to stop eating your favourite foods for example. Changes like that will cause temptation and make you cheta on your diet. A diet like this will rarely last long enough to have any meaningful effect on your health or weight.

If your diet has an aim - like losing weight or lowering your blood pressure then you should consider making a progress chart. that way you can look at the chart and see how far you've come and how much closer to your goal you are. that kind of encouragement will give you a much needed boost in your confidence, and your resolve to work along the path of your new diet and achieve your goals.

How the Protein Diet Works

2010-03-11T07:42:00.000-08:00

Protein is an essential nutrient necessary for maintaining good health. In its basic form protein consists of amino acid chains. Of the 22 amino acids that are capable of creating protein, 8 of these can only be obtained through a protein diet. Because these amino acids are utilized by the body a low protein diet can affect a host of very important functions. The building of our skin, hair, nails and internals organs all depend on amino acids and are maintained trough a protein diet.

Muscle tissue as well as new tissue growth need protein for their activities and can receive adequate levels with a protein diet. Protein intake from a high protein diet helps to transport nutrients and oxygen to our cells. The valuable protein diet aids and maintains antibody production.

The protein sources available to us for inclusion in a high protein diet include animal and plant based proteins. Animal proteins are found in meat, fish, cheese eggs and milk. Plant protein sources include soy, spirulina and organic whey protein diet products. While it is certainly important that we include a balanced intake of protein in our diet, many people eat too much animal based protein.

This type of high protein diet could have adverse health effects, which appear as disease and obesity. Many individuals who follow an excessively high animal based protein diet are overweight and often unhealthy. People on an animal based high protein diet often have elevated bad cholesterol levels.

Heart disease, strokes and osteoporosis are often the result of an excessive animal based high protein diet. It is therefore important that a well-balanced protein diet is maintained. By replacing part or all of our animal protein diet with plant proteins we can be assured that our body requirements are being met. A plant protein diet can help us to avoid the health problems associated with an excessive animal protein diet.

Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats when on a plant protein diet can improve health tremendously. This plant protein diet can also aid with weight control. A plant protein diet does away with the saturated fat accumulation thus limiting unwanted weight gain. Regular exercise combined with a high protein diet including plant proteins will be beneficial to individuals wanting a healthier lifestyle.

Plant proteins have many benefits of their own when included in the high protein diet. These protein diet improvements include the ability to raise good cholesterol levels while reducing bad cholesterol. This important protein diet function aids in preventing the arterial plaque build up, which could cause artery hardening and blockages.

Protein from plant sources like soy and spirulina, when included in a protein diet, are able to reduce the risk of strokes, heart attacks and heart disease. A vegetable high protein diet improves the ability to retain calcium in the body.

Because less calcium is excreted in the urine while on a plant protein diet, problems such as kidney stones are lessened. Therefore it is important to consider exactly which type of high protein diet you are currently following. Due to the high levels of saturated fats and additives found in red meat, a plant protein diet is superior to an animal protein diet and is the healthier alternative.

The South Beach Diet

2010-03-10T07:37:00.000-08:00

Among the most popular forms of dieting is the South Beach diet, developed by cardiologist Arthur Agatston of Miami, Florida.

The South Beach diet is always confused with Atkins Diet, which is a low-carbohydrate diet. The South Beach diet highlights the consumption of “good carbohydrates” (high in fiber) and low in glycemic index. The South Beach diet was developed for patients with heart problems to lose weight without risking ketosis. The weight loss was a side effect which turned out to be beneficial and this encouraged many people to try South Beach diet.

According to the South Beach diet theory, highly processed carbohydrates are quickly digested which makes insulin level to shoot up. Once the carbohydrates are all used up, your high insulin level makes you crave more for carb-filled foods.

The South Beach diet is based on the observation that Americans are carb crazy, which is also the reason for the induction phase. In the first two weeks, dieters attempt to eliminate bad carb such as grains or fruits. After this phase, grain-based foods and fruits are returned to the diet with the concentration on foods with low glycemic index.

The South Beach diet also emphasizes the difference between good and bad carbohydrates, and good and bad fats. Good carbohydrates have low glycemic index which means that they are slowly digested and absorbed. The South Beach diet bans unhealthy fats such as saturated fat.

Finally, the South Beach diet stresses a permanent change in one’s way of eating. The South Beach diet suggests whole grains along with large amounts of vegetables, with sufficient amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, plus Omega-3 oils. The South Beach diet discourages eating of overly refined foods such as flour and sugar.

According to experts, the South Beach diet met the criteria of healthy diet which is a good thing. The bad thing is the induction phase wherein dieters lose weight due to loss of water. Losing a large amount of water can disturb one’s electrolyte so if you’re following the South Beach diet, it would be better if you work closely with a doctor.

According to Dr. Agatston, South Beach diet is neither a low carb nor low fat diet but the restrictions placed in the induction phase cut big time the carbohydrate and fat intake of dieters. The good thing about the South Beach diet is that it teaches people on the right foods to eat to cut the risk of heart problems and high cholesterol as well as help them lose weight. The South Beach diet is a long, tedious journey towards perhaps a drop dead gorgeous body. But more than phases of losing weight, the South Beach diet is a way of life.

Atkins and South Beach Diets Compared

2010-03-09T07:37:00.000-08:00

Low-carb diets have been in the market for quite some time now. Two of the most common these days are the Atkins and South Beach Diet.

Beginnings

Both were developed by medical doctors (cardiologists) who -- according to reports -- were trying to help Americans lose weight given their high carb diets.

Atkins Diet was the first to be developed and is thus, the more popular. It was developed by the late Dr. Robert C. Atkins as early as the 1972 but became more widely popular -- despite the oppositions -- in the 1990s.

Dr. Arthur Agatston, also a cardiologist but from Mount Sinai Cardiac Prevention Center in Miami Beach, Fla., is known as the father of the South Beach diet. His work came a lot later through his book: "The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss" published in 2003.

Similarities

Both popular diet plans advise dieters to avoid carbohydrates and follow stringent steps to ensure that the significant weight lost during the program does not come back.

Both start with the so-called induction phase where the body of the dieter is "trained" for the routine.

Both diet plans come with suggested food lists where dieters can mix and match foods to suit their tastes. Of course, like other diet plans, both plans advise dieters to stay away from food not included in the lists.

Among the "dont's" in Dr. Atkins' list are fruit, bread, pasta, grains, starchy vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and some dairy products except cheese, cream, and butter.

Aside from fruit, bread, pasta and vegetables, South Beach dieters are also advised to stay away from potatoes, cereal, rice, and corn, especially for the first two weeks of the induction or introductory period. After this period, these can be slowly re-introduced into the body, albeit in smaller amounts.

Both diet plans have a lifetime "maintenance" phase where hopefully dieters will be so accustomed to either plan that they hardly recognize that they are dieting at all.

Differences

While both diet plans restrict carbohydrate intake, the South Beach diet is said to be more forgiving by not totally eliminating carbs. It distinguishes between "good" and "bad" carbs and even "good" and "bad" fats. South Beach encourages intake of "good" carbs and fats.

Low-sugar carbs with low glycemic index are "good" carbs under the South Beach plan. Food rich in fiber are also recommended.

Atkins's diet routine helps the body to burn fat instead of carb. The goal is to help the dieter achieve good health. Atkins's diet plan involves four phases while the South Beach plan has three phases.

In both plans, the introductory stage aims to condition the body for some changes to prepare for the program.

In Atkins diet, the body is trained to burn fat instead of sugar to help curb the cravings for sugar and break addiction to some foods.

In South Beach diet, the initial phase involves cutting on high-carb foods, which can be gradually re-introduced in small amounts in the next phase. In this case, South Beach debunks myths that this approach prevents dieters from getting healthy mix from all food groups.

Atkins dieters go through the next following phases: ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance. The last two phases of South Beach diet are called re-introduce the carb and diet for life. What's key in the maintenance phase in Atkins is to keep portions of food at small amounts. Atkins diet guarantees no hunger deprivation because its long-term goal is healthy diet.

South Beach's promise is a "change in the way of eating," with the dieter not recognizing at all that he is on a diet. Summarizing the Diets

Atkins Diet

Developed by cardiologist Dr. Robert C. Atkins in 1972, with his “Diet Revolution”, a high-protein, high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet. The program focuses on a low-carbohydrate diet.

The Program has 4 phases:

1. induction phase (train the body to burn fats instead of carb)

2. ongoing weight loss

3. pre-maintenance

4. lifetime maintenance

South Beach Diet

Developed by cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston of Miami, Florida, who in 2003, published the book “The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss".

The program distinguishes between “good” and “bad” carbohydrates, and “good” and “bad” fats. Take in “good” carbs and fats.

The program has 3 phases:

1. 2-week introductory or induction phase (strictly no carbs)

2. re-introduce the carbs

3. diet for life

Eating a Clean Diet for Permanent Weight Loss

2010-03-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

If you want to lose some weight then following a healthy eating plan is a good start, but allowing someone else to dictate exactly what, when and how much you can eat is crazy making. Guidance is good but ultimately you must learn to make better choices in your eating which leads to your gaining the ability to maintain your new shape after the weight has been lost. The Clean Diet is the answer.

What is the Clean Diet?

The Clean Diet means different things to different people. My version is less strict than some because frankly I'm not a competitive body builder and I don't have a modeling contract. Unless you must maintain a specific body weight (as actors sometimes do for instance), you probably are of the same mind as I; that being, I want to lead a basically normal life. Eating out sometimes, enjoying parties sometimes, and generally not feeling like I have to "watch what I eat" or suffer the consequences. The way I eat is sometimes called the non-dieting approach because I don't diet, but I do pay attention. That's what the Clean Diet means: paying attention to what you're eating.

What Can I Eat on The Clean Diet?

Vegetables: Enjoy unlimited raw, steam, baked. Go for it. I don't know anyone who got fat because they ate too many vegetables and that includes carrots, beans, corn and potatoes. Unless you are allergic, there is no reason to shun fresh vegetables. Yes they contain carbohydrates. Get over it. Wean yourself from sauces, and learn to like them without added butter or salt. Vegetables like carrots and beets for instance are very high in natural sugars (that's the point -- nature intended to give you sweet things whereby you'd WANT to eat them and would consequently get adequate Vitamin C among other things).

Fruit: Try to eat at least one or two pieces a day. More is fine. There is no reason to restrict yourself to one-quarter of a cantaloupe or 1 small apple. Who comes up with these rules anyway? An apple contains less than 100 calories. That's not exactly going to break the diet bank, is it? Eat all the fresh fruit you like, especially late at night if you're working on learning to give up your chips or cookies habit. Apples are great for snacking, as are grapes, bananas, kiwi or anything else you like. Try to eat mostly fresh fruit, and saved canned fruits for once in awhile.

Dried fruits such as raisins are a super concentrated food source and should be treated with respect. A few thrown on your morning cereal or in your trail mix is fine, but remember super concentrated food is also high calorie food. You don't need a lot to get the nutrients. Learn the difference between densely packed nutrients and loosely packed nutrients. Fresh fruit is loosely packed, high in water content, and dried fruit is dense with little or no water. Corn-on-the-cob is loose, corn syrup is dense (and processed too).

An ounce of raisins contains 85 calories and 201 mg of Potassium, while an ounce of fresh grapes is a mere 20 calories. You'd need four times the fresh grapes to equal the dried.

Clean foods are as close to their natural state as possible without being fanatical about it. There is a world of difference between a baked potato and a bowlful of potato chips. One is a good source of nutrients and one is a highly refined, richly saturated fat, greasy, salty, modified source of nothing but smears on your napkin. One is satisfying and one leaves you wanting more. Betcha can't eat just one was more than a catch phrase for Lay's Potato Chips. It's a truism.

Grains & Beans: Whole grains like whole wheat, rice, millet, barley, and others. Drop the habit to eat chips and crackers out of a box. Once in awhile is okay, but if you eat them regularly, then you need to make a modification. Cakes, crackers and the like are simply not good for everyday fare, if you want to reach a healthy bodyweight. Once in awhile, or special occasions is fine, just not every day. Not even every other day. Once a week is plenty, and if you can't commit to weaning yourself off those foods, then you need to adjust to living with a higher body weight. It's not a character flaw, but it is a fact you must face. What you eat, dictates how healthy you will be, both mind and body.

Whole grain means whole grain. Bread that lists whole wheat is not 100% whole grain. Watch out. Seeing Whole Wheat on the package means nothing. You want to see either 100% Whole Wheat or 100% Whole Grain. Brown bread is not always whole grain, but it may be brown because some molasses was added to color it brown. Whole grain breads are heavier, more dense, chewier. I think they are better. You might not share that belief, especially if you're used to the light and fluffy white bread.

When I was a teenager I could easily eat 10 slices of white bread french toast and still not feel satisfied. How ridiculous is that? I could, on the other hand, eat about three pieces of whole grain bread french toast and that was enough.

Many people think if it is brown it is healthier, but it is not true. If it is whole grain it is better than refined, but that isn't licence to eat lots of bread. A sandwich now and then is just fine, thank you. The best breads are heavy. Think of being a peasant sitting around a fire cooking a thick soup. What kind of bread would be best to sop it up? Some lame white bread that would disintegrate if liquid touched it, or a thick, hearty brown bread that could serve as a staple if need be? I'll take the second.

My favorite thing to eat is brown rice with stuff. "Stuff" means any vegetable concoction, or sauce, or just something to sort of mix in there. Use a little oil, preferably olive or sesame for flavor. My favorite quick vegetable is steamed sliced carrots and onions. Both onions and carrots are naturally sweet and ultra delicious all by themselves. Once you learn to simply eat foods the way nature presents them, you'll find your appetite stays more in line with better health.

I didn't intend to create a food rule book. My intention is to point out that you need not live on a skimpy portion of grains like 1/2 cup of oatmeal with 1/4 cup skimmed milk and a half a slice of dry toast for breakfast. Eat hearty. I'm an example of how hearty eating will enhance your health, and bring your weight into line, not the opposite. I'll have one or two cups of oatmeal with raisins and a sprinkle of brown sugar (it won't kill you) or if you've grown used to it, no sweetener at all. Use milk if you like, or soy milk.

Lean Meats, Chicken, Fish: Support your local butcher and farmer. When you buy your meat from a local butcher you can be assured you are getting the best available. Okay, it costs more than the grocery store brand. If you want the best, buy the best. Avoid farm bred fish at all costs. Simply ask your meat counter to stock fresh fish.

Desserts, treats, snacks: It's okay to eat these things, but practice moderation. If you can't do that, and think you'll eat the whole bag, then don't get them when you're alone. Share some with someone else. Buy the smaller size package. Do whatever it takes, but don't tell yourself you can never eat any certain food again, because that just makes it all the more difficult to handle it when the time comes.

The Clean Diet is More a Way of Life than a Strict Set of Eating Rules

Most people will allow themselves one or more "cheat days" every week. The best plan is simply to choose eating clean as your primary eating style, and when you don't you don't but every meal stands alone. If you over ate at breakfast, you just eat your usual lunch. You don't try to "make up for it" by skimping on lunch. That's an equation that will never work. Just eat normally, and when you occasionally overeat, so be it. That way, rather than always thinking in terms of, "I'll start my diet again next Monday," you just get right back on your plan. While no foods are forbidden on a clean eating plan, common sense rules the day.

See if eating a Clean Diet might work for you. Start by adding more fresh fruit, and a few vegetables. Buy frozen vegetables and add them to your other foods, such as when you eat a frozen meal for instance. If you want chips with your sandwich, take a handful (and a half, if you want) and put it on your plate, rather than bringing the whole bag of chips to the table. Decide in advance how many cookies you'll have. Will four be enough, how about five? It's still better than half a bag. Take it one day at a time, one meal at a time, and you'll find things happening in no time.

Successful Weight Loss After Pregnancy

2010-03-04T07:58:00.000-08:00

How fast you lose weight will depend on a number of factors, including the amount of weight you gained during your pregnancy.

Most women will lose anywhere from 10-14 pounds within the first 2 weeks of delivery. This weight may be attributed primarily to the loss of excess fluid in the body, the baby's weight, the placenta and amniotic fluid. Some women might lose a little bit less, and others might lose a little bit more.

As the uterus shrinks back down to its normal size and your hormone levels continue to fall, you will lose weight. Most women gain at least 7 pounds of fat during pregnancy. This fat is meant to help women store energy while breastfeeding. How fast this weight comes off will depend on a number of factors including: genetics, your overall health, diet and exercise.

You should expect that it will take a little bit of time to lose the weight you gained during pregnancy. It did after all take you nine months to put that weight on! Many women have successfully lost weight however, in just a few short months after a delivery.

Some women will hang on to the last few pounds they have to lose until they stop breastfeeding. Your body may want to cling to a few extra pounds to ensure you have enough energy to provide adequate milk for the baby. Every woman's experience is unique with respect to this.

The good news is that with a solid nutritional program and with moderate exercise, you can expect to lose the weight you gained during pregnancy within a reasonable time frame.

Most women will be back to their pre pregnancy weight within nine months of delivering IF they follow a regular exercise program and eat healthily after delivery. That said some women will lose their pregnancy weight in as little as six to twelve weeks!

For Weight Loss It's Want Power You Need Not Will Power

2010-03-03T09:43:00.001-08:00

The problem isn't that you don't have enough will power to achieve what you want. You have will power, but it's not will power you need, it's want power.

You have to first want

You must want to change your habits, want to lose some weight,want to give up your evening snacking before your will comes into play. Once you want a thing badly enough, you will do whatever it takes.

If you think you want something (to make a change in your eating habits perhaps), but then find it difficult to follow-through with your plans, most likely you simply want your current reality (your current habits and patterns) more than you want your goals (less weight, better health, etc.)

I can hear you all the way over here, telling me I'm wrong: "No,that's not right! I want this more than anything, I just don't have any willpower!" Round and round you go, but the truth is,you will get what you really want. Think back, has there ever been a time when you really wanted something? A certain piece of clothing, a certain house, car, job, spouse? Hum... Yes, we go after what we want, if we really want to acquire or achieve it we do. Nothings going to fall in your lap, you've got to go get what you want.

What's Going on?

Put another way, you may want to avoid the pain (breaking old habits, avoiding some favorite foods, simply not overeating...)more than you want to gain the pleasure (losing some weight,gaining new habits, eating favorite foods in moderation ...)

Since losing weight takes time, from weeks to months to years,it's easy to fall off the path. It's always easier to get back into our old habits of eating, eating, and more eating. There's always more food. Unless you are too poor to purchase it, there's plenty food in America - in fact, too much food, and so it becomes even more necessary to keep the longer-term goals in mind.

How do you keep the longer-term goals in mind, when the short-term food is staring you in the face? What about all the treats offered, what about the commercials, the billboards, the signs everywhere that say EAT?

Wanting, in fact, is the "W", the first step in the W.H.A.C.K approach. See it in the free e-book, Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight Loss.

Think back to when you last really wanted something. Wanted it more than anything, had to have it, would do just about anything to get it. To want is a mighty powerful motivator, but surprisingly we aren't all motivated by what we want. Some of us are motivated by avoiding what we don't want.

What is your Motivation Strategy?

Motivation comes in two (or more) flavors. You can be motivated towards something (what you'll gain) or you can be motivated away from something (what you'll lose). This desiring to avoid can be confusing. I'm saying you must want something, and you're thinking, but I don't want to be fat. I can't think about my future, only what I don't want. Here is what's going on:

Motivation: Toward

If you are motivated by what you'll gain you find it easy to look ahead and see your future shapely body, you'll see people around you with admiring glances, you'll hear their compliments, you'll smell the good food and feel good knowing you can eat enough to be satisfied, and then say you're full. You've had enough, thank you. You'll be in control of your life. You'll want what you visualize more than anything, and you'll do whatever it takes to get it. If asked what movie to go see, they'll have a few ideas, and tell you why.

Motivation: Away

If you are motivated by what you'll lose you'll focus on what you want to avoid. For example, you want to avoid dying, you want to avoid being too heavy to enjoy playing with the kids, you want to avoid gasping for breath when you climb a flight of stairs. You want to avoid the embarrassment, the humiliation of other people's remarks and rude glances. You don't want any of that anymore, and you don't want it to the extent that you'll do whatever it takes to avoid these things. If you ask them what they want for dinner, they'll tell you they don't want Chinese,or pizza. It can be difficult to get someone motivated this way to actually say what they do want!

Knowing your motivation strategy makes it easier to find methods that support your preferred strategy. If you are motivated toward, you may enjoy cutting our pictures of people in great shape with similar body types to yours. Find models wearing clothes that would look good on you, pictures of swimming pools,holiday places you'd enjoy; the types of things that go into a dream board.

If you motivated away, then make a list of what you want to avoid and elaborate on that list. Why don't you want these things? The more detailed you are, the more likely you'll truly do what it takes to avoid them.

Hopefully these ideas will get you thinking, and much about making changes in our lives comes down to thinking it through.Realizing what we really want can get us past the hurdles of what we already have. To affect change isn't necessarily comfortable,until you've worked at it for awhile, and then suddenly your changed behavior has become your new behavior and the effort is over.

The Psychology of Weight Loss – Getting to the ROOTS!

2010-03-03T07:57:00.000-08:00

We have missed the boat and your boat is sinking fast. You have weighted your ship down with stats, calories, grams and pounds. Now you are more confused than ever on how to lose weight, feel better and get stronger. We America catch up with the crisis, or will the diabetes and obesity epidemic sink us? The answer is not in the numbers the answer is in the psychology of weight loss. Yes, America’s health will get worse before it gets better. In order for you to get better these two steps must take place:

Step #1: Get over your hang-ups!

Why is it so hard for me to start exercising? I know it’s good for me. It seems like I have some form of resistance to getting in better shape.

“Exercise Resistance” or ER means a conscious or unconscious block against participating in a regular active program. Studies show that some people have barriers built up from past experiences that give them a negative mindset toward exercise and food. In many cases, this prevents a person from starting or following through on an exercise program.

RESENTMENT

I thought the golden years were supposed to be filled with relaxing things to do, not more activities I usually put off before?

Building up resentment toward exercise goes much deeper than just not liking the effort it takes to do it. Resentment brings out a rebellious attitude in us. The sooner you accept the fact that exercise is going to have to be a part of the rest of your life, the more likely you will start — the more likely you will continue exercising. Resentment is usually fueled by his cousins: Denial, Pride and Laziness. The best thing to do is never let them play together. Resentment is a form of pride.

FAILURE

The only failure is not starting. Success is not measured in numbers. It is measured in your growth through the process. Just because your track record may show some ups and downs has no bearing on your future efforts. Plus, your self-worth is not based on how many times you started an exercise program. Fear of failure is an excuse to never try.

PERFECTION

If you think for one second that you are going to be perfect in sticking to a plan, forget it. It’s not possible for anyone. The truth is you will never be perfect. Perfectionism is an illusion.

COMPARISONS

You will always compare your results to something or someone. Once you hit a goal there will always be another one. You may even be the type that no matter what you do, it will never be good enough. If you are this type, stop for a minute and listen to your body.

Comparing yourself to others and your past is a losing battle.

EXPECTATIONS

If your expectations are too high, you set yourself up for failure and then begin comparing yourself to others. In some cases, ER sets in before you even start. This is hurtful. Setting expectations that are too high is self-defeating before you even start.

Step #2: Change your false beliefs about food, exercise and life.

Getting to the ROOT of the matter

To change unwanted behaviors, it’s important to acknowledge your thinking toward exercise and eating. A lot of people believe they know what that thinking is, but haven’t come to grips with their core beliefs. In other words, they have to get to the “root of the matter.” For FREE MINI COURES click here www.resolutions.bz

In order to change your attitude toward exercise and food, you have to understand the WHYs of the behavior.

You are going to have to dig deep, find the root of the problem, nurture and understand it.

Your BELIEF system

The reason you have certain behaviors is based on the core beliefs of your value system. It is here--inside--where things need to be addressed. Beliefs form barriers that stop you from starting or following through on a regular exercise and eating program. In order to change attitudes toward exercise you have to check under the surface.

It takes time, effort, and energy, and in some cases, outside professional assistance to get to the TRUTH of the matter…to see what is below, admit it is there and bring it up to the surface. If you have a hard time following through on an eating plan, chances are barriers have formed, and stop you from smooth sailing.

Do the math! Numbers do not lie. You either accept the road less traveled or you face the consequences. It’s just that simple. This may resemble a scare tactic, but the bottom line is this is the reality. If you think for one second you are exempt, above reproach, or just relying on luck or faith, think again. Your best defense is a good offense.

Get over your hang ups. Get through your false belief’s and GET MOVING!

An Average Person's Account of Weight Loss

2010-03-03T07:50:00.000-08:00

For most of my life, or at least as long as I can remember, I have been overweight. No let me rephrase. I have been fat. Yes, fat. Not just a little overweight, not big boned, not plus sized or comfortably large. Not weight challenged or in need of loosing a few pounds. I was fat. Fat, fat, fat. Fat to the point of being teased and of having problems finding cloths that fit. Fat to the point of just being miserable. It was amazing how one aspect of my life could so completely take control of my life.

One day, while on vacation, I noticed a couple on the beach obviously enjoying each other and life in general. Yes, they were fit and trim just like the perfect picture we all know about. I don’t know for sure what it was about them that hit me the way it did. After all, it wasn’t like I had never seen happy, fit people before. Maybe it was the fact that being alone the way I was, I often found myself in a state of introspection especially when on a vacation. But that scene, of those two people, changed my life forever. Right then and there, I decided I was going to loose weight and keep it off, no matter what it took. I decided that I was strong enough to do this and I was going to prove it to the world – at least my world. I was going to be trim, fit and happy with the girl of my dreams.

Although still looking for the girl of my dreams, I am happy to report that I have lost the weight (47 pounds) that I intended to loose. I feel great, look great and have more energy then I ever have. I am indeed happy with an active social life and a very positive outlook in general. My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner.

This is how I did it

How did I do it? I did everything. I exercised, I changed my diet, I took diet pills and I completely changed the way I lived my life. I set goals, both short, intermediate as well as long term. Goals that were easily obtainable at first, then a little harder. I told everyone I knew what I was going to do so that there was no turning back. And it worked, I lost the weight.

I started out slowly at first with my first goal of doing 25 sit-ups 4 days a week for the first week. Notice I didn’t say every day or 50 sit-ups. I wanted a goal I could easily obtain. I also set a goal of eating two salads in that first week. And that was it. On my second week, I bumped up the sit-ups to 50 per day but, again, only for 4 days. I continued to eat 2 salads though I added a serving of fresh fruit. I also added two 20-minute walks for that second week. Not setting any world records, but again easily obtainable and with little suffering.

By the end of my second week, I had not faltered from any one of my goals and had actually exceeded one of them by going for a third walk as I actually enjoyed it. I decided to set some more goals. I decided to start going to the gym. Not right way mind you, but in two more weeks. Yes, this was a big one so I decided that I needed to work up to it. In the mean time, I did more sit-ups, now up to 5 days per week and 4 walks per week, although some days I actually went for two walks and by the third week I went for eight 30-minute walks in all. The whole time now working myself up to and picturing myself going to the gym - in two weeks. I knew going to the gym would be hard as I was out of shape, unlike all the people that go to the gym. Also, I just knew it would be a big step. But, I also knew I needed to do it and that I was strong enough to “just do it.”

The end of week three came. One more week till I started to the gym. Again, I had not faltered on any of my goals and again had actually exceeded several of them. I had also decided to start talking health supplements as well as diet pills and that was to start this week.

I took a complete multi-vitamin as well as a complete mineral (Coral Calcium). I also took a cortisol blocker and another diet pill designed to increase your metabolism and give you more energy. Also, on this fourth week, I incorporated an actual diet. It wasn’t a “loose weight” diet, just a healthy diet with fruits, vegetables and a good balance. I figured I would falter if I tried to stick to it every day so I didn’t. Instead I just did the best I could for the time being. One thing I had noticed with the goals I set was that it became easier and easier to meet, and even surpass, them the longer I went. I was now doing 100 sit-ups per day for 6 days per week although my goal was only for 5 days. I was also starting to feel a lot better.

Week 5, Monday morning, without much thought, I went to my local gym and signed up. Just like going to work, I just did it. I started on a regiment of three times per week for 45 minutes. I kept telling myself that I had to do it and it was as simple as that. That was the real turning point of my program as after just three weeks at the gym, the weight really started coming off and I felt really good. Yes, just eight weeks since I started, I felt I was over the hump and well on my way to a better life.

One year later, I go to the gym almost every day for over an hour. I eat right and have a very active lifestyle. I feel great. I feel that my secret to success was to set the goals and to set them in an obtainable way. Easy at first, then progressing. Although I figured that I would fail at some aspects, I didn’t want to set myself up for a lot of failure that would be discouraging. Notice that I did not keep track of the weight I lost especially on a day-to-day basis. I wanted successes as small as they may be. It was also important to tell people close to me what I was going to do. This helped push me probably more then anything else. I remember one of my friends telling me “yeah, right” when I told him of my plan. He did not think I could ever do it and I was going to prove him wrong. I now feel that there is very little that I can’t do if I set my mind to it.

Maybe starting out with sit-ups is not right for you, but I bet that goal setting in a manner similar manner will get you the results you want. Maybe not overnight, but step-by-step and goal-by-goal. Just do it and you will be absolutely amazed at how good you look and feel. Convince yourself and prove to your friends and loved ones that you are strong enough to loose the weight.

Einstein Predicted My Weight Loss

2010-03-01T07:37:00.000-08:00

We all know that Einstein said that energy and mass are related and one can be converted to the other. His insight lead to the creation of the infamous atomic bomb and the development of nuclear power for peaceful purposes. And his insight also lead to my weight loss without diets that I did not like. It can lead to yours.

Few of us ever compare the masses hanging around our beltlines and buttocks to nuclear power. We know that the fat in our bodies is a ticking time bomb and will soon result in some medical disaster for us. But we don't think about it as a mass of energy that will act according to Einstein's laws.

Like millions of others, my bookshelf is lined with books and articles on diets. I call it the diets in diets out section. I tried this and tried that with the end result that the roll in the middle kept on going and growing. And then along came Einstein. He said that your body is an energy machine. It has a storage bin, an energy converter and a refuse system. It turns mass (whatever you put into your stomach, in this article called "potatoes") into energy. You eat "potatoes". They are mass. Your body converts part of the "potatoes" into the energy that allows you to walk, talk and function as a human being. It stores some, and it rejects the refuse.

The more you walk and talk, the more energy you need. Your body, the energy machine, does not really care from where it gets the energy. It just needs energy. Now your body is real smart. It knows that it has to protect itself from times of energy shortages. So it stores your "potatoes". And it just happens to store your "potatoes" around your middle or on your bottom until you need them. And being a nice guy, you help your body by eating a lot of extra "potatoes". But then, of course, your middle or bottom keeps growing.

The process of changing the size of your storage bin (be it in the middle or at the bottom) is simple. You put "potatoes" in the storage bin. You use them for energy. As long as you keep putting more "potatoes" in the storage bin than you take out to use as energy, your storage bin gets bigger. When you take more out than you put in, your storage bin gets smaller.

Some "potatoes" have more energy than others. Some are better for you than others. Some have bad things in them that make your body wear out and fall apart. Some have bad things that make my your body, the energy machine, work less efficiently and shorten your life. And some have good things that make everything better and help you live longer. You read about this on all sorts of warning labels and so on.

But regardless of what you put into your storage bin, they are all "potatoes" that are converted to energy. So I listen to Einstein. If I get rid of energy faster than I take it in, my storage bin goes down. It does not matter what kind of "potatoes" that I eat, it is just a matter of using energy faster than I take it in. If I put more into my storage bin than I take out, my storage bin gets bigger.

So, according to Einstein, to lose weight, just use more energy than you put into your storage bin. You can do that many ways, but the end result has to be the same. It does not matter what time of the day, how fast or what kind of energy it is. Less energy means less size.

So, according to Einstein, how do you do it?

If you are 30 pounds overweight, it means that you have to use 30 pounds of energy more than you take in. It all comes down to getting rid of an extra 30 pounds of energy from your storage bin.

You do that by doing two things.

Change the type "potatoes" that you eat. If you change from fast food hamburger type "potatoes" to fruit type "potatoes", you put less energy into your storage bin. And the size of your storage bin goes down. Increase the amount of energy that you use. The more energy that you use the more your storage bin goes down.

Increasing energy use is easy. The easiest is to walk or use an elliptical trainer exercise machine. Walking is easiest. But elliptical exercise machines do have some advantages because they can be used year round and in the privacy of your home or office.You can do one or both of the above. Nothing says that you can't eat what you want. Nothing says that you have to eat things that you just don't like. All that you have to do to lose weight is to put less energy into your storage bin than you use. Eat what you want and when you want. But keep the amount in less than or equal to the amount out.

So whenever you eat, remember Einstein's famous formula, Calories =My Weight Squared, and change the amount of energy you are putting in and increase the amount of energy that you are taking out. If you are 30 pounds overweight, it means that you have to use 30 pounds of energy more than you take in.

Increasing energy use is easy. The easiest is to walk or use an elliptical trainer exercise machine. Elliptical exercise machines do have some advantages because they can be used year round and in the privacy of your home or office. You can do one or both of the above. Nothing says that you can't eat what you want. Nothing says that you have to eat things that you just don't like. All that you have to do to lose weight is to put less energy into your storage bin than you use.

So whenever you eat, remember Einstein's famous formula, Calories =My Weight Squared, and change the amount of energy your are putting in and increase the amount of energy that you are taking out.

Weight Loss Recipe: Apricot Chicken

2010-02-28T07:33:00.000-08:00

Just because you are watching your weight, doesn't mean the whole family can't enjoy your health enhancing meals! The kids will love "Apricot Chicken" and you will love it because it is so low in calories and fat!

Long term weight loss isn't about hunger, misery and crash dieting. It's a whole new way of learning to prepare nutritious food that your body needs and enjoys. "Apricot Chicken" is one of a range of hunger fighting, low fat recipes to assist you keep your weight under control. This irresistible, no-hassle meal will help you reach your weight-loss goals - while making mealtime a real treat.

Variety is an essential element of any successful health program. If you get bored with foods, you're much more likely to abandon your program altogether. Each main meal should be accompanied by an exciting range of colorful vegetables.

Apricot Chicken (serves 4)

Ingredients

2 cups (460g) solid pack canned apricots (or canned puree apricots)

4 skinless chicken breasts

1 large onion, chopped coarsely

ground black pepper, to taste

2 sage leaves, finely chopped or ½ teaspoon dried sage

1 sprig thyme, chopped

1 tablespoon fruit chutney

1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon finely chopped chives or mint for garnish

Directions

1. Reserve four apricot halves for garnish. Puree remaining apricots in a food processor or blender or press through a sieve.

2. Arrange chicken fillets in a single layer in a casserole. Sprinkle over onion, pepper and herbs.

3. Combine chutney and apricot puree and pour over the chicken.

Bake in a preheated 180C (350F) oven for 30 minutes.

4. Mix the cornflour and water to a smooth paste.

5. Remove casserole from oven. Use a slotted spoon to lift out chicken breasts; cover and keep warm.

6. Drain the sauce form the casserole into a saucepan. Add the cornflour paste to the sauce and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Cook a further two minutes.

7. Arrange a chicken breast on each plate and spoon sauce over each one. Garnish with apricot halves and chopped chives and serve.

Nutrition per serve

192 calories, carbohydrate 11g, protein 26g, fat 5g

Weight Loss Tips After the Birth Of Your Baby

2010-02-27T07:21:00.000-08:00

The tips listed below will help you to get back to you ideal weight after the birth of your child.

1) Remember that the best approach to weight loss combines healthy eating and regular exercise. It is important you stay focussed on both these areas.

2) Eat slowly and chew your food well. Put your cutlery down between bites and don't pick them up until you have finished chewing.

3) Instead of putting the food on the table and letting everyone help themselves, serve the food on the plate. Allocate the appropriate amount for each food group.

4) If you feel like snacking, try going for a walk instead. Before you go, have a good drink of water. Hunger is often disguising thirst.

5) If you have a problem with junk food and can't resist the temptation at home, stop the problem at the source. Don't buy any junk food! Or at least limit the amount you buy to one item per week.

6) Eat smaller meals, but more often. A healthy meal will be a lot more satisfying than a packet of chips or a drink.

7) Drink fresh juices instead of soft drinks. This will cut down on your sugar intake, and is a far better alternative than the artificial sweeteners in those diet soft drinks.

8) Set yourself a weight goal and stick to it. Chart your progress and stick it on the fridge. It will be a helpful reminder every time you go in the kitchen.

9) If you do have to go for junk food, try the healthiest option. For example try to get the burger with the most salad on it, or get some salads to accompany the meal.

10) Increase your motivation levels, and stay on track. If your motivation drops, you will find it hard to focus on your goal weight.

The Most Under Rated Aspect of Weight Loss

2010-02-26T07:17:00.000-08:00

If I were asked, "what is the most difficult thing many people find to do when they start a weight-loss program?", I would have to say right near the top of the list is this - they don't drink enough water!

Few people realise at first just how essential water is to the success of their weight-loss program. In fact, the essential place of water in our diet extends to everyone - whether they want to lose weight, gain weight or stay the same weight! We all know we can't live without water, but just why is it so important? Well there are many reasons. Read on and discover why water can help your loss weight and why it is your essential life-force.

Apart from 60-70% of your body being composed of water, water has an extensive range of functions essential to life.

. Assists digestion, absorption and assimilation of food. If you don't drink enough water you can't get the full benefit of nutrients in the food you eat.

. Assists excretion of waste from bowel and kidneys. If you don't drink enough water you get constipated and put your kidneys under stress.

. Regulates body temperature. If you don't drink enough water you compromise the evaporation process you skin uses to keep you cool.

. Your blood is 92% water. This is your body's transport system distributing nutrients around the body.

. Body secretions and digestive juices are almost entirely water.

Why should you drink water when you want to lose weight?

Water is a natural appetite suppressant . Do NOT underestimate the power of this statement. Lack of water can lead to over eating. You brain does not differentiate between hunger and thirst. So, when you think you are feeling hungry, your body may in fact be signalling to you that you are thirsty! If you are not consuming enough water each day and you feel hunger pains, chances are, your body really is crying out for water. In many instances people will find what they thought were hunger pangs were in fact, satisfied by water. Try it! You have nothing to lose, except some weight.

How do you know whether you are drinking enough water each day? Well the answer is not difficult. The average person needs around 6-8 large glasses every day.

Well then, how should you drink the 6-8 glasses per day? The aim is to drink water consistently. If you drink too much all at once or too fast, it will simply pass through you, with little or no benefit to your body.

If you are someone who enjoys the 'taste' of water, then perhaps you could fill a 1 litre empty soft drink container with water the drink through it twice during the day. Room temperature or cold water, even warm as some people like - whatever you prefer. Place it on the desk at work in front of you as a constant reminder to sip continuously throughout the day.

Other people find they need a water 'diet' to help them keep on track. So for you, here is a program easily followed to ensure you are well hydrated every single day.

. When you wake up you will often be thirsty because your body loses water while you are sleeping through breathing and perspiration. Drink a large glass of water with a slice of lemon for zing.

. Drink another glass of water with breakfast or a cup of herbal tea before setting off the day.

. Mid morning - snack on a piece of juicy fruit such as orange, rockmelon, watermelon, cantaloupe, honey dew. Have a glass of aloe juice which is wonderfully soothing to the digestive system.

. Lunch - think of soup or have a glass of water before your meal, or perhaps a herbal tea.

. Mid afternoon - While you are preparing your evening meal, drink a glass of water and snack on some crunchy fresh vegetables.

. Evening - Sip a glass of water before your meal with a dash of your favourite fruit juice for flavour.

. After dinner - before bedtime drink your final glass of water and sleep well!

A few changes will happen when you start out with your water program. Obviously you may find that you need to 'spend a penny' more often. Why? Because you body isn't used to being well hydrated.

There is absolutely is no doubt about it. When you start drinking enough water regularly, there are great benefits. You may notice your skin significantly improve and even tired muscles will thank you. Many people find their energy is increased and constipation and headaches are reduced, as well as hunger pains.

Now here's the really exciting part…many people notice a reduction in weight and centimetres, as their body's water store become redundant and so decrease. If your diet has been one that did not provide you with adequate water, your body will have developed a pattern of storing water. It's part of the body's in-built survival mechanism - to store up the essential nutrients in short supply…just in case they aren't available in the future. So if you don't drink enough water, you are 'conditioning' your body to store water. And water is bulk and unwanted centimetres.

It's so simple...drink water! 6-8 large glasses a day.

The No. 1 Factor in Weight Loss and Fitness

2010-02-25T07:13:00.000-08:00

After I thought about the question for a few minutes, I told him that there was a more important factor that preceded any of those he mentioned. I told him it was your attitude that determined your fitness levels and what type of conditioning you'll achieve. You see, proper nutrition, cardio exercise, and weight training are all important factors, but it is your attitude that determines how hard you focus on each of those three areas.

Generally speaking, your attitude is simply how you view things in life, how you see something to be. More specifically, you either have a positive view, or slant on things, or a negative view. This attitude shines through in all that you do, including fitness and working out.

If you generally have a good, positive attitude towards fitness, then you are going to approach working out with more intensity and more meaning. You realize that in order to achieve and maintain a certain level of conditioning, you have to "pay the price" and put in some hard work.

But working out does not seem to be a "chore" with a positive attitude. You look forward to it and feel positive knowing that the steps you take in and out of the gym are going to bring you closer to the body that you want.

On the other hand, if you approach fitness and working out with more of a "negative attitude" you are either going to:

1. Do nothing at all as far as working out and eating healthy because it all seems like so much hard work to get in great shape. Since working out seems like a chore, you find it much easier just to sit back and complain about your current situation, doing nothing to fix it.

With a negative view, you label "working out" as too much hard work and do not take the necessary steps to get the body you want. That’s why it’s important to view working out in a positive light and not a negative one. Focus more on what you want rather than what you don’t want.

Or, with a negative attitude:

2. You are going to do the bare minimum when it comes to working out and watching what you eat. With a negative mindset, you’re maybe going to go to the gym once in a while, but once there, not give it your 100% all. When it comes time to maintain a healthy eating regimen, you are not going to be quite as strict as you should be and you are going to give in to "instant pleasure" when the long term rewards seem so distant and far away. So be more aware of your mindset and attitude when it comes to working out and getting fit. Like Zig Ziglar says, "Do a check-up from the neck up."

If you approach your fitness with a positive attitude, you ARE going to take the necessary steps to get in shape, even when it would be so much easier to stay in and watch TV. You realize that persistence will pay off and that all of these workouts and times skipping the pizza WILL get you where you want to be.

Conversely, approach your workouts and nutrition with a negative mindset and you are setting yourself up for failure. If you view working out and healthy eating with a negative viewpoint, you are not going to give your best when doing them. As I'm sure you’re aware, you only get in return what you give, harvest what you plant. Be more positive in all areas of your fitness approach and you will get the body you want much, much faster.

Just the other day, someone asked me what I thought was the #1 "Most Important Factor" in determining how fit you became. They wanted to know if it was Cardio, Weight Training, or Proper Nutrition. I think my answer may have puzzled him a bit because I said it was none of those.

Weight Loss -- It's In Your Head

2010-02-24T07:09:00.000-08:00

When you truly consider the weight-loss process, the battle waged is mostly in your mind. “Should I eat the corn muffin with butter or would it be better for me to have margarine or better yet, have jelly? What am I doing eating this muffin anyway? It’s so caloric and filled with saturated fat. I’m such a pig. I have absolutely zero willpower.” It’s no wonder you’ll eat that muffin with the butter and slather jelly on top to quiet that negative self-talk.

What you need more than a diet is a way to shift those negative self-defeating thoughts to more adaptive, positive self-statements. As with most things worth doing, this requires a bit of practice. First, become aware when you’re using a negative statement, then determine what about that thought is faulty and finally, replace it with a self-defense response or coping thought. In the corn muffin example, instead of listening to “I’m such a pig” which clearly mislabels who you are, respond with “Pigs are animals and I am human. I don’t have to be perfect.”

Many people cannot change their eating habits until they change their thoughts about food, eating and drinking. By shedding “distorted” thoughts and replacing them with productive ones, eating habits can be changed. It is possible to rid yourself from many self-critical thoughts, but like any ingrained habit, it takes vigor and vigilance to change. Here are some other thinking distortions to challenge:

Shoulds. Should statements are more about other people’s values, not ones chosen by the person who wants to lose weight. Additionally, should statements reflect an attempt by the dieter to motivate herself without really believing in the value. Better to determine what works for you. “I will eat up to two Hershey kisses daily and thoroughly enjoy them.”

All-or-Nothing. This kind of reasoning is the foundation for perfectionism. An all-or-nothing individual views the world as black or white. Since there is no allowance for gray areas, the behavior is either perfect or a failure. “I’ve ruined my diet by eating all that pizza. I can’t stay on a diet and I’ll just always be fat.” Maybe the problem does not arise from the behavior… maybe the problem is with the diet that does not allow for pizza. “I do not want to give pizza up for the rest of my life, so what I need is a way to include pizza in my diet without feeling like a failure. Let me try having a salad (dressing on the side) before the pizza to take the edge off my hunger.”

Good Foods/ Bad Foods. If the truth be told, foods do not misbehave. Foods are not good or bad. While it is true that some foods have more nutrients or are more fiber-dense than others, all foods can be enjoyed. How we think about food colors what we eat and how much we eat. If a food is labeled as bad (such as fries), then for many individuals that food is taboo. When one eventually succumbs to eating the forbidden, French fries, bingeing may result. Rather than continue with dichotomous thinking of good food/bad food, shift to allow space for all foods you like without judgement. Instead of “I ate those fries which are so bad for me” to “I really enjoyed that small portion of fries. They really satisfied me.”

Body Distortions. Rather than dwelling on how fat or thin you think your body is, it is extremely helpful to view your body in terms of what it can do for you. For example, when you look in the mirror, instead of zooming in on your stomach which “looks five months pregnant, although your last baby was nine years ago” tell yourself “my body has given life” or “my body enables me to go where I want to and allows me to have fun.”

The conversations that are going on inside your head cannot be stopped. However, what you can do is to be aware of negative self-talk and understand that it has little to do with actual reality. When you believe this, you can respond to the critical voice with a more objective, coping thought. Although negative thoughts may not be stopped entirely, they can be quieted by listening to your compassionate, caring voice. In much the same way you would sympathize and listen to a close friend, listen to yourself. Be your own best friend and chances are you’ll have greater weight loss success.

Top Thirty Weight Loss Tips and Tricks

2010-02-23T07:05:00.000-08:00

1. Never leave home "starving." Always have a light snack before eating dinner in a restaurant, such as a piece of fruit, a glass of juice or a carrot.

2. Don't go food shopping on an empty stomach! You'll be tempted to buy everything in sight.

3. Don't be tempted by treats. Store them out of view, off counter-tops and as out-of-reach as possible.

4. Don't eat in front of the TV. Watching the boob tube -- instead of watching your plate -- lulls you into overeating. Also avoid being tempted by food and snack commercials.

5. Make it a rule in your house to confine your meals to the dining room or kitchen table! Never eat standing up! This leads to mindless snacking.

6. Think before you drink. Alcohol adds lots of calories, but no nutrients. Also, it weakens your willpower to avoid the wrong food choices. Hangovers can cause wicked cravings for fatty or high carbohydrate foods that can sabotage any attempt at weight loss.

7. Fill up on soup first. Begin every meal with non-cream hot soup; it forces you to eat slowly and fills you up so you won't overeat.

8. Take time to taste your food. Don't gobble food down! Rushing through your meals doesn't give your brain the time that it needs to signal your body that you are full.

9. When dining out, request sauces and low-calorie dressings on the side.

10. There is no law that requires you to finish everything on your plate.

11. Prepare a shopping list (with menu ideas in mind) and stick to the list. Avoid being tempted by bargains that grocery stores place on the outer aisles and at the back and the front of the store. The healthiest foods are usually in the long narrow aisles.

12. Use non-stick pans to reduce the need for cooking with fat.

13. If you must use oil, try a flavorful one like olive or sesame oil. Now remember, a little goes a long way! Make just a spritz of oil go even further by buying a Misto. A Misto is an aerosol can that you can fill with a good fat such as olive or canola oil.

14. A pinch of grated cheese or blue cheese will provide a flavorful kick without adding a lot of calories to a salad or grain dish.

15. If you cook in large quantities for your family, store leftovers in individual serving size containers. This is a way to practice portion control for yourself so you don't eat too much at one sitting.

16. Nibbling off someone else's plate may seem harmless -- but those calories do add up!

17. Drink six to eight glasses of water a day. A beverage before mealtime will also help you feel full faster and longer. Water also helps your body digest food, which is especially important now that you're eating a fiber rich diet.

18. Store really tempting treats in opaque containers or silver foil -- and stick them in the back of the refrigerator. Out of sight out of mind!

19. Are you stuffing yourself? If you have to loosen your belt a few notches after meals you're definitely eating too much!

20. Mashed bananas, prunes and apple sauce are great baking substitutes for fat, especially in bread, brownie and cake mixes.

21. When you choose to eat "fast food," choose wisely: skip fried foods; avoid large portions; and opt for a small hamburger.

22. Sauté foods, if possible, in chicken stock, low-sodium soy sauce or water, instead of fat.

23. When cooking, broil, bake, roast, boil or stir-fry and let the fat drain. A George Foreman grill is an excellent investment for those who want to eat meat and avoid eating the fat drippings too!

24. Sauces and soups can be thickened with a puree of potatoes instead of cream.

25. Instead of eating any product directly out of the box, pour a reasonable portion onto a plate or bowl, and put the box away. This also prevents mindless snacking.

26. If a recipe calls for ½ a cup of oil, cut that amount in half, your taste buds won't know the difference -- but your waistline will.

27. Add spice to your life instead of fat; fresh herbs will perk up any dish without adding calories. Experiment with different ethnic foods and seasonings; they're full of flavor -- not fat.

28. Freeze leftovers immediately so you can't raid the refrigerator later.

29. Watch portion size by dishing out meals and bringing plates to the table. Don't set "bottomless" bowls and platters where they'll tempt you to reach for more, unless it's a salad or a bowl of vegetables. You can never get enough of those greens.

30. Start saving for that new outfit now! When you reach your goal weight, you can buy yourself some fashionable new clothes!

Weight Loss Motivation Through Hypnosis

2010-02-22T07:02:00.000-08:00

Hypnotize the Pounds Away: Weight Loss Motivation Through Hypnosis Many individuals these days, male or female, young or old, are struggling with weight management. Concerns with rising cases obesity are no longer based upon a Hollywood conception of what is the appropriate body size. Instead of doctors wanting their patients to be "thinner", they want them to be healthier. The patients, however, are not necessarily discerning the difference.

What Has This Lead To? Both women and men alike are becoming hooked on yo-yo diets. What is a yo-yo diet? Yo-yo dieting describes the process of going on a diet, losing a few pounds and then going off the diet. When the pounds come back, the dieter then begins another diet and the process continues. Repetitive weight loss and gain is hard on the body, especially the heart and of course, it is hard on the emotional state of the dieter as well.

In addition to this, many dieters are using unhealthy methods of losing weight. Many take dieting pills which are often just glorified caffeine pills claiming to be the miracle cure for obesity. Then, there are those who dive into the "fad diets". Whether it is the cabbage or grapefruit diets, many of these do not give individuals the nutrition they need to live healthily. In addition, low carb diets such as Atkins often create abnormally high levels of protein in the body for the liver to digest. After all, man cannot live on meat and cheese alone.

What To Do? Sometimes, good old diet and exercise is just not enough. Maybe it's the genes. Maybe it is behavioral choices that we make everyday without realizing how they are undermining our health. So how do we change these behaviors? One method is through weight loss motivation hypnosis. You may have visions of a creepy soul dangling a pocket watch in front of your face and your eyes beginning to spin. However, this is not what hypnosis is.

The goal of hypnosis is to access the subconscious mind. Under normal circumstances, you control your conscious level of thought while your subconscious takes care of the automatic stuff, like tying your shoes or starting the dishwasher, things that do not require conscious thought. Still, your subconscious is like the driving force that works with our conscious brain to control our actions. Sleeping is the time when consciousness is put on the back burner and the subconscious mind can take control.

Dieting Motivation Through Hypnosis Hypnotism works on relaxing the conscious level of the mind. Although your conscious mind is subdued and the subconscious mind is allowed the front seat, you are still knowledgeable about what is going on. You and your hypnotist will work to "reprogram" the subconscious side of you. If chocolate, for example, is your weakness, your hypnotist may associate chocolate with nausea so that thinking of chocolate makes you feel nauseous.

5 Ways A Treadmill Helps You Lose Weight

2010-02-21T06:53:00.000-08:00

So why are treadmills still the #1 home exercise machines with shoppers? And why are they the most popular equipment at the gym? Because they get results!

Here are the top 5 ways your home treadmill can help you lose weight and get the body of your dreams:

#1: A Treadmill Helps You Burn MORE Calories by Battling Exercise Boredom

We all know that in order to lose weight, get firm and fight gravity's pull, exercise is a must. But what do you do if you don't LIKE working out? What if you get bored or don't like logging hours in the gym with all those muscle boys or short-shorts women?

One viable option is the home treadmill, because of all the things it allows you to do to FORGET that you are exercising in the first place!You can set it up in front of the television and watch your favorite episode of ER or Oprah. An hour will fly by and you won't even notice that you've been walking (or running)!

Many treadmills also come with a magazine or book rack. What about walking uphill (a MEGA calorie burner) while reading your favorite mazagine or novel?

How easy is that?

And the more you enjoy your workout (or the more you can forget that you're exercising) , the more time you'll spend burning calories on your treadmill.

#2: The Treadmill is Unmatched For Workout Versatility.

Most funky fly-by-night exercise gadgets only allow you to do one thing. One repetitive motion that your body quickly adapts to (and that means less calories burned.)A treadmill - on the other hand - gives you a lot of workout versatility so your body continues to be challenged to burn calories.

If you're just starting an exercise program you can start with a slow walk and then speed it up as your body gets into better shape. If you're training for a marathon, you can run at a steady pace and even build in sprints.You can power walk or do a slow steady jog. Many treadmills will let you walk uphill. Some even come with handweights so you can build in upper body exercise as well. There are countless ways you can vary your workout with a treadmill so that you continue to challenge your body and burn calories.

#3: A Treadmill Helps You Burn MORE Calories by Increasing Your Exercise Frequency

A 3 year study conducted by the University of Stanford's Graduate School of Business has found that consumers are overpaying for gym services.The study concludes that most people overestimate how often they will use their gym membership and that most don't visit the gym often enough to justify their membership costs.

Perhaps the reason may be that many people just don't have the time to go. But here's where a home treadmill can help you actually increase your workout time and frequency.Experts tell us that two 15-minute workouts can give us the same exercise benefits as one 30-minute workout. A treadmill allows you to split your workouts up into mini-workouts and still burn just as many calories!

Maybe you want to go for a 15 minute wake-up walk in the morning. Maybe it's a 20-minute light jog at lunch. What about a 10-minute power walk just before dinner to curb your appetite or fight night-time boredom?Whether it's 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 or 20, it all adds up in weight loss. With a treadmill, YOU'RE in charge of your workout time.

#4: A Home Treadmill Gives You the Benefit of All-Year-Round ANY Time Exercise

Ok, here it is - one of the MOST IMPORTANT benefits of having a home treadmill: CONVENIENCE, CONVENIENCE, CONVENIENCE. If you live in northern climates you know that walking or jogging in the snow and ice is NOT fun. What about when it's raining? Scratch exercise off the list.

A home treadmill can be one of the best exercise comforts around because you can use it regardless of the weather or time of day.AND you can also exercise in any type of clothing that you want (no worrying about wearing that ratty t-shirt to the gym!).

#5: By Using the Large Muscles in Your Legs, A Treadmill Helps You Burn MAJOR FAT Calories

A recent Woman's World article made the startling claim that, contrary to popular belief, gentle walking is one of the BEST ways to burn fat.

Why?

It seems that gentle walking allows your body to go STRAIGHT to the fat stores for energy instead of first depleting your sugar (glycogen) stores (used by your body for quick energy).Not only that, there's been countless studies including one by the American Medical Association, that rank a treadmill as the #1 cardiovascular machine for losing weight and burning calories.

Working the larger muscles in your legs burns maximum calories which means more weight lost. You can even increase your calories-burned by walking uphill which uses even more muscles.Given all their benefits it's no wonder that treadmill sales have continued to skyrocket over the past five years with more and more people starting their own fitness and weight loss programs at home.

So if you want to lose weight and get into great shape, a treadmill can be an excellent investment to help you to achieve your goals. No matter what you decide be sure to have fun and make your health a priority!

Eating a Clean Diet for Permanent Weight Loss

2010-02-20T09:25:00.000-08:00

What is the Clean Diet?

The Clean Diet means different things to different people. My version is less strict than some because frankly I'm not a competitive body builder and I don't have a modeling contract. Unless you must maintain a specific body weight (as actors sometimes do for instance), you probably are of the same mind as I; that being, I want to lead a basically normal life. Eating out sometimes, enjoying parties sometimes, and generally not feeling like I have to "watch what I eat" or suffer the consequences. The way I eat is sometimes called the non-dieting approach because I don't diet, but I do pay attention. That's what the Clean Diet means: paying attention to what you're eating.

What Can I Eat on The Clean Diet?

Vegetables: Enjoy unlimited raw, steam, baked. Go for it. I don't know anyone who got fat because they ate too many vegetables and that includes carrots, beans, corn and potatoes. Unless you are allergic, there is no reason to shun fresh vegetables. Yes they contain carbohydrates. Get over it. Wean yourself from sauces, and learn to like them without added butter or salt. Vegetables like carrots and beets for instance are very high in natural sugars (that's the point -- nature intended to give you sweet things whereby you'd WANT to eat them and would consequently get adequate Vitamin C among other things).

Fruit: Try to eat at least one or two pieces a day. More is fine. There is no reason to restrict yourself to one-quarter of a cantaloupe or 1 small apple. Who comes up with these rules anyway? An apple contains less than 100 calories. That's not exactly going to break the diet bank, is it? Eat all the fresh fruit you like, especially late at night if you're working on learning to give up your chips or cookies habit. Apples are great for snacking, as are grapes, bananas, kiwi or anything else you like. Try to eat mostly fresh fruit, and saved canned fruits for once in awhile.

Dried fruits such as raisins are a super concentrated food source and should be treated with respect. A few thrown on your morning cereal or in your trail mix is fine, but remember super concentrated food is also high calorie food. You don't need a lot to get the nutrients. Learn the difference between densely packed nutrients and loosely packed nutrients. Fresh fruit is loosely packed, high in water content, and dried fruit is dense with little or no water. Corn-on-the-cob is loose, corn syrup is dense (and processed too).

An ounce of raisins contains 85 calories and 201 mg of Potassium, while an ounce of fresh grapes is a mere 20 calories. You'd need four times the fresh grapes to equal the dried.

Clean foods are as close to their natural state as possible without being fanatical about it. There is a world of difference between a baked potato and a bowlful of potato chips. One is a good source of nutrients and one is a highly refined, richly saturated fat, greasy, salty, modified source of nothing but smears on your napkin. One is satisfying and one leaves you wanting more. Betcha can't eat just one was more than a catch phrase for Lay's Potato Chips. It's a truism.

Grains & Beans: Whole grains like whole wheat, rice, millet, barley, and others. Drop the habit to eat chips and crackers out of a box. Once in awhile is okay, but if you eat them regularly, then you need to make a modification. Cakes, crackers and the like are simply not good for everyday fare, if you want to reach a healthy bodyweight. Once in awhile, or special occasions is fine, just not every day. Not even every other day. Once a week is plenty, and if you can't commit to weaning yourself off those foods, then you need to adjust to living with a higher body weight. It's not a character flaw, but it is a fact you must face. What you eat, dictates how healthy you will be, both mind and body.

Whole grain means whole grain. Bread that lists whole wheat is not 100% whole grain. Watch out. Seeing Whole Wheat on the package means nothing. You want to see either 100% Whole Wheat or 100% Whole Grain. Brown bread is not always whole grain, but it may be brown because some molasses was added to color it brown. Whole grain breads are heavier, more dense, chewier. I think they are better. You might not share that belief, especially if you're used to the light and fluffy white bread.

When I was a teenager I could easily eat 10 slices of white bread french toast and still not feel satisfied. How ridiculous is that? I could, on the other hand, eat about three pieces of whole grain bread french toast and that was enough.

Many people think if it is brown it is healthier, but it is not true. If it is whole grain it is better than refined, but that isn't licence to eat lots of bread. A sandwich now and then is just fine, thank you. The best breads are heavy. Think of being a peasant sitting around a fire cooking a thick soup. What kind of bread would be best to sop it up? Some lame white bread that would disintegrate if liquid touched it, or a thick, hearty brown bread that could serve as a staple if need be? I'll take the second.

My favorite thing to eat is brown rice with stuff. "Stuff" means any vegetable concoction, or sauce, or just something to sort of mix in there. Use a little oil, preferably olive or sesame for flavor. My favorite quick vegetable is steamed sliced carrots and onions. Both onions and carrots are naturally sweet and ultra delicious all by themselves. Once you learn to simply eat foods the way nature presents them, you'll find your appetite stays more in line with better health.

I didn't intend to create a food rule book. My intention is to point out that you need not live on a skimpy portion of grains like 1/2 cup of oatmeal with 1/4 cup skimmed milk and a half a slice of dry toast for breakfast. Eat hearty. I'm an example of how hearty eating will enhance your health, and bring your weight into line, not the opposite. I'll have one or two cups of oatmeal with raisins and a sprinkle of brown sugar (it won't kill you) or if you've grown used to it, no sweetener at all. Use milk if you like, or soy milk.

Lean Meats, Chicken, Fish: Support your local butcher and farmer. When you buy your meat from a local butcher you can be assured you are getting the best available. Okay, it costs more than the grocery store brand. If you want the best, buy the best. Avoid farm bred fish at all costs. Simply ask your meat counter to stock fresh fish.

Desserts, treats, snacks: It's okay to eat these things, but practice moderation. If you can't do that, and think you'll eat the whole bag, then don't get them when you're alone. Share some with someone else. Buy the smaller size package. Do whatever it takes, but don't tell yourself you can never eat any certain food again, because that just makes it all the more difficult to handle it when the time comes.

The Clean Diet is More a Way of Life than a Strict Set of Eating Rules

Most people will allow themselves one or more "cheat days" every week. The best plan is simply to choose eating clean as your primary eating style, and when you don't you don't but every meal stands alone. If you over ate at breakfast, you just eat your usual lunch. You don't try to "make up for it" by skimping on lunch. That's an equation that will never work. Just eat normally, and when you occasionally overeat, so be it. That way, rather than always thinking in terms of, "I'll start my diet again next Monday," you just get right back on your plan. While no foods are forbidden on a clean eating plan, common sense rules the day.

See if eating a Clean Diet might work for you. Start by adding more fresh fruit, and a few vegetables. Buy frozen vegetables and add them to your other foods, such as when you eat a frozen meal for instance. If you want chips with your sandwich, take a handful (and a half, if you want) and put it on your plate, rather than bringing the whole bag of chips to the table. Decide in advance how many cookies you'll have. Will four be enough, how about five? It's still better than half a bag. Take it one day at a time, one meal at a time, and you'll find things happening in no time.

The Psychology of Weight Loss – Getting to the ROOTS!

2010-02-20T09:22:00.000-08:00

Step #1: Get over your hang-ups!

Why is it so hard for me to start exercising? I know it’s good for me. It seems like I have some form of resistance to getting in better shape.

RESENTMENT

I thought the golden years were supposed to be filled with relaxing things to do, not more activities I usually put off before?

FAILURE

PERFECTION

If you think for one second that you are going to be perfect in sticking to a plan, forget it. It’s not possible for anyone. The truth is you will never be perfect. Perfectionism is an illusion.

COMPARISONS

Comparing yourself to others and your past is a losing battle.

EXPECTATIONS

Step #2: Change your false beliefs about food, exercise and life.

Getting to the ROOT of the matter

In order to change your attitude toward exercise and food, you have to understand the WHYs of the behavior.

You are going to have to dig deep, find the root of the problem, nurture and understand it.

Your BELIEF system

Get over your hang ups. Get through your false belief’s and GET MOVING!

How to Burn Fat- Doctors' Proven Weight Loss Secret #1

2010-02-20T06:53:00.000-08:00

Let me ask you a personal question. As you read these words, right now-- are you burning fat?

If you don't know the answer, you need to know about a simple, inexpensive way to make sure. Every time. Every day. And I'll show you why and how this simple, doctor-proven technique can be your most powerful weapon in your fight against fat.

No matter what weight loss program you are currently on, wouldn't you like to know whether your plan is producing results? Most of us step on the scale, or wait until our clothes fit more loosely, before we really know whether our latest miracle diet pill or plan is working. And as a veteran dieter, you know that can take many days or weeks.

But there is a way to know for certain-- within hours-- whether or not you're burning fat. To see if the food, or the pills, or the exercise is really returning benefits. Immediate benefits.

Are you starving?

There are really only two ways your body loses weight (by non-surgical means). You are either burning fat, or "burning" muscle. If you are burning muscle, watch out! You have actually begun to starve. For safe, healthy weight loss, you must preserve your muscle tissue (including heart muscle) and burn fat instead.

Here are the medical facts: any time your body burns fat, chemicals called ketones are produced. Ketones are byproducts of burning fat. Robert C. Atkins, M.D., the famous low-carb diet expert, states it clearly. "When your body releases ketones," says Dr. Atkins, "it is chemical proof that you're consuming your own stored fat."

And burning your own stored fat is exactly what you want to do. Dr. Atkins goes further. "If you're not in lipolysis (ketosis), you're in glucosis." It's one or the other, period. Your body is either burning sugar, from simple and complex carbohydrates you are eating, or burning your own stored fat. Both produce energy. But only one will help you lose weight!

Prove it to yourself

You may have heard about this simple method of testing for ketone release before. But have you actually used it? It really is a marvelous tool to help you see the biological proof of your diet program, quickly and easily.

Ketone test strips are available at any pharmacy. Originally developed as a testing tool for diabetics, they are sold under various brand names, including KetoStix, LipoStix, Keto-Thin, and others. They all work essentially the same way.

The test strips are simple to use. Just place the tab end of the test strip in your first morning urine stream, and note the color change. Match the color to the chart on the bottle, and know immediately whether you are burning fat-- or not.

The beauty is- it’s all about you!

Perhaps the best part of this test method, aside from the ease of use, is that you get to see what is really working for you. Everyone’s body is a little different, and now you can customize your food and supplement intake from specific results of your unique body and metabolism.

The other very important benefit of this easy test method is that it can help protect your health. As stated earlier, loss of muscle can be dangerous, and eventually even fatal. If you are dropping pounds but you are not burning fat, you are risking your health. And the ketone test strips can provide this valuable feedback.

To recap Doctors' Proven Weight Loss Secret #1: test for ketones daily. If the reading is too dark, you can increase carbohydrates to balance into the “trace” to “small” range. If you see too little or no change, decrease your carbs, increase your protein intake.

Enjoy Weight Loss This Holiday

2010-02-20T06:39:00.000-08:00

Holiday seasons are here again. This is your coveted time to forget about all the sorrows and rejoice with family and friends. Unfortunately, we do a little bit of celebrating during this time of year and add up extra baggage when the New Year appears. We unknowingly indulge in extra helpings, snacking on seasonal treats during celebrations. Hardly do we pay attention to our daily workout plan. This all contributes to increase in dieters in January.

Let us resolve this holiday season to buck the trends and avoid the Seasonal Seven (the average weight most of us will gain between Thanksgiving and the New Year). Yes this is the fact and you must not want to participate in this trend.

Forget about additional stresses and challenges this year may bring, still there are ways to find balance and maintain a healthy lifestyle. It may be hard at times to forego the insatiable urge to devour the season's traditional foods. But don’t forget that there are many ways to enjoy the fun without increasing your pant size. It doesn’t mean that you should starve yourself on a crash course diet but you can enjoy the festivities and maintain your weight as well.

Moderation is the word of the season. It's the secret to achieving a fun but also healthy holiday time. Try to use this mantra both to what you eat (or don't eat) and how much exercise you do (or don't do). This will help you avoid packing on extra weight AND also partake in all the fun of this time of year. So kick start this season on a determined note on the New Year instead of starting January with extra pounds to lose.

Here are some tips to help you during those hectic holiday weeks:

• Plan ahead. Create a plan for incorporating fitness and good nutrition ahead of holidays sneak peek. Define you daily routine. Evaluate your vacation period and try to come out with realistic time line you can devote on working out daily.

• In your work environment, simply reject the gracious treats offered to you by your co-workers. Stick to your healthy snacks prepared at your home. Eat moderately and don’t guzzle on others snacks tempting you from nearing desk.

• Never wait until the New Year for you fitness goals to begin. Keep finding time and dedicate few hours on exercise as often during this time period as well. Adjust you other schedules appropriately. There can be lots of excuses for procrastinating your workout time. But it will ultimately harm you as you will be left in nowhere finding the right time to begin your daily exercise. Remember, tomorrow never comes! Utilize even few hours of your daily hectic schedule to keep yourself fit and healthy.

• Make a scheduler for your daily workouts. Always use a daily calendar or other inventory to set-aside time to complete them. Keep on regular update on your fitness calendar. Never skip a single day’s workout. Stick to the timetable just like any other important business appointment.

• At holiday dinners, skip the gravy, dressings, and high-calorie condiments.

• There can be days when you may feel real lack of motivation. There can be time when you seriously find it hard to devote even 15 minute for daily workout. Even on these instances, do just 10 minutes of exercise. Try not to break this habit and go full throttle religiously.

• Health clubs can be good to follow a strict discipline and regular exercise. But at they same time, you end up coughing lots of money. If feasible, try to exercise at home. You’ll find yourself more committed and inclined at to do workouts at your own pace and confidence. At the same time, you will be saving time on driving, parking, the locker room or waiting to use equipment.

• Drink less alcoholic beverages. The average alcoholic drink contains 150-200 calories per glass. Even if you indulge in these, try mixing half try mixing half a glass of wine with sparkling water or with a diet soda. This will help cut your calories in half.

• During socializing, focus on sharing time with your friends and relatives other than sharing desserts and hot chocolates. During get-togethers spend the majority of time talking and discussing events and interesting topics with your dear ones.

The above-mentioned tips must come handy to you when you are honestly on a path to weight loss program. Always find a balance between staying fit and also enjoying the fun of the season. Last but not the least; never forget that moderation is the magic mantra to weight loss key. Enjoy a great holiday season ahead!

Diet And Exercise Evolution: Best Weight Loss Exercises

2010-02-20T02:32:00.000-08:00

The only absolute truth in the area of exercise and weight loss is this: Becoming more physically active will burn calories, and as long as you don't absorb those calories back by eating more, you will lose weight. Getting active and getting your muscles to burn more calories is an essential part of a weight management program. It will improve your circulation and your nervous system more than any diet could. Regular exercise can fight all signs of aging, lower cholesterol ratings and reduce osteoporosis. But the question that fuels the multi-million dollar fitness industry is, "What exercise is best?"

This is a very contentious area. Mr. Weightless will only tell the simple truth, so below is the information that has been proven to be true, but the final judgment is yours.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race...

Slow and steady exercise that raises your heart rate a significant amount, but that still allows you to breathe without struggling for at least 20 minutes will encourage fat loss. This is called aerobic exercise. The term aerobic means "with air", meaning that your muscles are burning sugar and fat in the presence of oxygen. To be able to burn calories in the presence of oxygen, you have to be taking regular breaths, so the activity you're doing must be a moderate pace, at most. For many people who are overweight, this can mean simply a fast walk. For many athletes, this may be a quick run. It doesn't matter where you are along the spectrum as long as your heart rate is raised and you can breathe normally.

Why 20 minutes? At first, your body will only burn blood-sugar because it is readily available. If you keep going long enough, your body realizes that blood-sugar won't be enough, so it starts burning fat as well. If you stop exercising before this happens, then your body will simply be tired and you will feel hungry because your blood-sugar will be low (see my article on Satiety). Your body wants to retain the fat and avoid burning it. This is a survival mechanism... read my article on Adaptation.

Or Does Maximum Intensity?

There is another school of thought that has had similar success with just as much good theory behind it. Vigorous exercise for 10-15 minutes will burn just as many calories from your blood-sugar as a longer duration exercise, but it will also raise your metabolism for many hours afterwards. In other words, you won't burn fat during your workout, but you will slowly burn fat for a period of time after finishing. This method has been shown to have more dramatic effects on lowering body-fat than the low-intensity exercise described above. This is anaerobic exercise, meaning "without air". You'll be going fast enough that your breathing won't be enough to fuel the calorie burning. Carbohydrates (blood sugar) will burn without oxygen, which leads to the creation of lactic acid. This is what accumulates in your muscles, and makes them feel like they're burning.

However, there are serious drawbacks to this method, which make it difficult to recommend this strategy. Before embracing the high-intensity mindset, read below.

First, if a person is just starting a program, they risk serious injury if they try to exercise too vigorously. Knees, hips and ankle joints are very common injury sites, and muscle cramping can be very painful even if it is short-lived. Don't exercise at your peak intensity until you're used to exercising!

Secondly, high-energy activities tend to be high-impact on the body. Running fast, playing racketball, and jumping jacks wear down the connective tissues in the body, so even if a person is not directly injured, they are causing long-term damage. People who run road races often have chronic hip, knee and ankle pain. If you decide to pursue this type of high-energy program, I highly recommend a reclined stationary bike to reduce the strain on your joints.

The third problem is how vigorous does a person need to exercise? If you go at your absolute peak, you may only last three minutes, maybe less, and that won't be effective. It is difficult to gauge how much you can push yourself to be exhausted exactly at 12 minutes.

Finally, though vigorous exercise technically takes less time, it requires changing into workout clothes, doing the exercise, then taking a shower and changing back again. That means scheduling more time for the preparation than for low-intensity activities, as well as having access to a place to change. On the other hand, going for a brisk walk you can do on a whim, maybe more than once a day, in your regular clothes.

The Best of Both Worlds

You can get good results using either method, but the best method is to combine the two. Your goal should be to do a warm-up of aerobic activity for about 20 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of anaerobic exercise. For many people, a 20 minute brisk walk followed by a 10 minute run makes the most sense. For those who play high intensity sports like racketball, a light warm up on a stationary bike for 20 minutes before a match can kick-start the fat burning process. Everyone is different.

That may be too much for someone who is just starting out, though. The best recommendation is to start at a low intensity activity like walking, and gradually increasing the intensity week to week. A good way to do this is to walk down the street directly away from your home for 20 minutes, then turn around and walk back at a slightly quicker pace. This low-intensity 40 minute exercise every day should be fine for the first week. Don't aim to run right from the start, start slow, be patient, and improve consistently every day. After a week or two, turn the "walk away" portion into a quick power-walk and try to jog all the way back. Remember to use time, not distance, as your measuring-stick. Making your workouts shorter is not the goal, we always want our fat-burning exercise to last 30 minutes, and our warm-up aerobics to last 20 minutes, regardless of distance.

The Ultimate Weight Loss Exercise

Interval Traning is the best combination of long-duration aerobic exercise and short-duration anaerobic exercise, and can melt the fat off faster than anything else.

Frequency

How regular should exercise be? Every day. Anyone can fit in one half hour into their schedule. You should look forward to the physical activity, so choose one that you like to do if walking isn't for you. Remember that you're training your body to lose weight. If you don't exercise every day, your body will think that when you do exercise, it's a minor exceptional change. Only by doing it every day will your body come to expect it, and will therefore prepare for it. Training your body to expect to burn calories is half the battle! If anything, take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Weight Loss Recipe: Veal Mango

2010-02-20T02:29:00.000-08:00

Just because you are watching your weight does not mean you can't prepare fantastic meals for company. "Veal Mango" is one of range of hunger fighting, low fat recipes that will assist you manage your weight. Your guest will never know you are on a diet, and your family will love you for this great recipe!

Veal Mango (serves four)

Ingredients

2 small or 1 large mango or tinned mango

1 cup (250ml) dry white wine

3 tablespoons mango chutney

4 tablespoons chopped spring onions

4 lean veal schnitzels

a little plain flour

1 teaspoon oil

2 tablespoons water

4 spring onions for garnish

Directions

1. Peel the mangoes. Cut away and roughly slice the flesh.

2. Place the mango flesh in a saucepan. Add the white wine and chutney. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer until the sauce has reduced by half, about 15 minutes.

3. Add the chopped spring onions. Return to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for a further two to three minutes.

4. Dust the veal schnitzels with the plain flour. While the sauce is simmering, brush or spray a large frying pan with oil and heat over medium-high heat.

5. Fry the schnitzels, turning occasionally, for approximately 10 minutes until browned on both sides.

6. Remove the cooked schnitzels from the pan. Add the 2 tablespoons of water to the pan, as well as the sauce. Heat, stirring constantly, for about three minutes.

7. Arrange the schnitzels on individual dinner plates. Spoon the sauce over the schnitzels and garnish with the whole spring onions.

Weight Loss Recipe: Tuna Patties With Dill Sauce

2010-02-20T02:27:00.000-08:00

Lean protein is your diet is essential to weight loss and weight maintenance. Tuna fish is an excellent source of lean protein as it is lower in fat than red meats.

Losing weight isn't about hunger, misery and crash dieting! By learning to make, delicious, easy-to-prepare, nutritious food your body needs and will enjoy – losing weight becomes exciting and energizing.

Instead of high calorie, fatty sources - use spices to provide flavorsome, exciting meals your whole family will enjoy. "Tuna Patties With Lemon Dill Sauce" is another recipe in a range of hunger-fighting, low fat recipes to assist you keep your weight under control. This irresistible, no-hassle meal will help you reach your weight-loss goals - while making mealtime a real treat.

Variety is an essential element of any successful health program. If you get bored with foods, you're much more likely to abandon your program altogether. Experiment with spices to find exciting alternatives, try new recipes and build your repertoire of quick home cooked meals to replace take outs, frozen dinners and snacks. Your body will love you and your family will be delighted.

These tuna fish patties are delicious hot or cold. They are great for the lunchbox - just hold back the sauce.

Ingredients:

1 (12 ounce) (350g) can white tuna packed in water, drained and finely flaked

3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 cup minced green onion

1 egg

1/2 cup skim milk

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Lemon Dill Sauce:

1/4 cup nonfat chicken broth

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon dried dill

Directions:

In large bowl, combine tuna, breadcrumbs, green onion, egg, milk, and lemon peel.

With lightly floured hands, form mixture into patties.

Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat.

Cook patties, until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.

Sauce: combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until warm.

Add a small amount of flour and mix with a whisk to thicken sauce.

Spoon sauce over tuna patties and serve.

Makes 4-6 Servings

Approximate Nutrients per serving:

Calories: 190

Total fat: 1

Saturated fat: 0 grams

Cholesterol: 72 mg

Sodium: 34 mg

Carbohydrate: 18 grams

Protein: 29 grams

Dietary fiber: less than 1 gram

6 Simple Steps To LifeLong Weight Loss

2010-02-20T02:23:00.000-08:00

If You are sick of losing the same weight over and over, and feeling like a failure because your last "diet" didn't work, try these tips to not only lose weight, but lose it for good. I have watched hundreds of clients over the years and almost without exception, those that lose their weight once and for all have these six basic habits as a part of their lives.

1. Keep a food diary

For at least five days and up to a week, keep a pen and paper handy and write down everything you eat, how much, where and when you ate it and who you ate with. try to write it down as you eat it. Most people find that when they try to remember everything at the end of the day, they leave something out. I have also had clients tell me that they didn't eat something because they knew they were going to have to write it down. Be completely honest with yourself. You don’t need to show anyone the results, but most will be very surprised by them. Particular environments and people can often trigger certain eating behaviors that are redily apparent when you use a food log. free fitness journal/food log.

2. Don’t eat too little

Very low calorie diets will, in the short term, help you lose weight but they’re extremely difficult to maintain. You’ll gradually become tired and irritable, lack the energy to exercise, and people won’t want to eat with you because the long list of ‘taboo’ foods renders restaurant menus, and even family meals at home, unsuitable for your overly strict diet. For a more detailed description of the effects of low calorie diets click here.

3. Neither feast nor fast

They weren't kidding when they said "breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Studies show that those who skip the first meal, end up eating more total calories throughout the day and tend to make less healthy choices. Try to eat at least 3 meals a day. Optimally you should spread your calories throughout 6 small meals per day. This will keep your metabolism bustling and yuor blood sugar level even to help avoid binging.

4. Freshness Counts

\The packaging and processing generally found in "convenience" foods generally reduce the nutrient values of foods and substantially raise the caloric content. The American Dietetic Association recommends at least 3 - 5 servings from the fruit and vegetable group per day. no time to prepare "home made meals? Try preparing in bulk on the week ends to make healthy choices readily available. Cut up a large bowl of fresh fruit, (1c = 1 serving) or pre make a large bowl of salad or cut up veggies. I usually prepare a weeks worth of chicken or pork so i can quickly re heat it and add it to any recipe.

5. Hydrate your way to quicker weight loss

Drink water ahead of coffee, tea, or soft drinks. Including the ‘hidden’ water we consume in food, we need 64 oz. per day. More is recommended to counteract the dehydration caused by caffeinated beverages and intense exercise or excessive heat. How much do we need to drink? In general you should be drinking enough water per day so that your urine is nearly clear.

6. Eat less, exercise more

The great thing about food diaries is they show you much where you can cut the number of "extra" (calories). Many people eat out of habit when they are not even hungry. you may also need to make dietary changes if you begin or increase the intensity of a fitness program.

I know, you are going to say, "I don't have time because ...(insert your favorite excuse here) Ask yourself this..."how much more energy will I have when I am not carrying around this extra _____ pounds? How many more things will I enjoy and feel god while doing when I am in a fit healthy body? Is it worth a few minutes a day to incorporate these simple habits into your day?

The best weight loss exercise is…

2010-02-20T02:18:00.000-08:00

• Not walking on a treadmill everyday for 45 minutes

• Its not swimming a lot of laps

• And its’ definitely not running 5 miles everyday

The best weight loss exercise is…

• Something that you like (love) to do

• Something that you can do everyday for 30-60 minutes

• Something that can at least make you break a little sweat

So that rules out watching TV, reading and sleeping. Just think about something that you enjoy doing that requires you to move.

Do you like to play golf? If so, just play 18 holes without using the golf cart.

Do you have kids? Play with them everyday for about an hour—they will enjoy it and not only will you lose weight playing with them…You are preventing them from getting obese as well. Give your kids piggyback rides or play catch with them everyday for about an hour.

Even activities that you may not enjoy like Yard work, gardening or housecleaning can be done to lose weight. They are not just chores to do around your home but they are weight loss exercises as well.

Just do some kind of activity everyday for at least 60 minutes. Don’t make up a workout routine—just DO something. You can start RIGHT NOW while you are reading this article.

YOU WILL LOSE MORE WEIGHT…doing something you like (love) to do. You will stick with it longer because it doesn’t seem like work.

Advanced tip: Do interval exercises at least twice a week to burn more fat.

Have you ever heard of interval training? Interval training is where you workout fast or hard for a period of time followed by a period where you workout slow or easy.

For example---You may run for a minute and then walk the next minute.

Interval workouts should last no longer than 20 minutes but at least 10 minutes. So if you do an interval workout you are really working hard or fast only half the time and resting the other half by working out easy or slow.

Here are some more examples of some interval workouts you can do:

• You can Walk or Jog up and down flights of stairs…Going up is the hard part & going down is the easy part

• You can Run a lap around a track and then walk a lap around a track

• You can freestyle swim a lap real fast followed by a easy backstroke swim for a lap.

Just make sure that when you do the interval workouts that the hard or fast part is really intense. For example if you are doing a run/walk interval---Make sure that the run part is so intense that you just can’t wait to start the walking part.

Why do intervals?

After you finish an intense interval workout your metabolism will remain elevated hours after you finish exercising. So for many hours after you finish your interval workout your body is still burning calories (burning fat).

Think about it…while you are taking a shower after your interval workout you will still be losing weight. Even when you relax to watch TV you are still losing weight because that intense interval workout kept your metabolism (your fat burning furnace) running high hours after you finished working out…Interval training keeps your metabolism elevated throughout the day so you can burn more calories.

Interval training should be treated like weight training and be done 2-3 times a week.

Protein - its place in your weight loss program.

2010-02-20T02:16:00.000-08:00

Any food that we take into our bodies is composed of macronutrients, micronutrients and water. The macronutrients (macro = large) are protein, fat and carbohydrates; the micronutrients (micro = small) are vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Macronutrients provide the calories that provide energy for life; micronutrients have no calories but are an essential part of our diet. Without macronutrients we would starve to death, without micronutrients we would die from health deterioration.

So, what exactly is protein?

Technically speaking proteins are any of a large group of nitrogenous (containing nitrogen) compounds of high molecular weight that are essential constituents of all living organisms. They consist of 22 biological compounds called amino acids. They provide the building materials for the basic cell structure of the heart, brain, blood, nails, hair, internal organs and skin – in fact for every living cell in our body. You would recognise proteins better if they were defined as red meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, eggs and soy.

To understand the importance of protein as an aid for weight loss we also have to briefly define what carbohydrates and fats are: carbohydrates are basically sugars, usually referred to as either simple or complex. Simple or refined carbohydrates are the ones like sugar, honey, cakes, biscuits and white bread. Complex carbohydrates are whole grain breads and cereals, brown rice, some vegetables, beans and legumes, and certain fruits. Fats are technically triglycerides and are usually divided into two groups; saturated and non-saturated. Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature and include fats found in meat, dairy products, ice cream, milk and tropical oils. Unsaturated fats are usually liquid at room temperature and come in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated forms. Monounsaturated include oils from some nuts, olives and avocadoes. Polyunsaturated include oils from soybean, flax, sunflower, safflower as well as those fats that have been chemically transformed to make them solid like margarine.

But the most important thing to consider is what effect do proteins, carbohydrates and fats have on your body? Or more specifically what effect do they have on the production of insulin in your body. Insulin is essential to life, some of its many functions are to control the storage of fat, control appetite, regulate the retention of water in the kidneys and the synthesis of cholesterol in the liver and it also acts as a growth hormone.

Eating fat has little effect on your insulin levels, and it actually decreases your appetite. Also eating the right kind of fats can rebalance hormones and improve the way you look and feel.

When you eat carbohydrates your body produces digestive enzymes that break down the chemical bonds between the sugar molecules. These molecules stimulate the production of metabolic hormones including insulin and this is where the problems can start. If we have a diet too high in carbohydrates, particularly refined carbohydrates, the high levels of glucose cause high levels of insulin to be produced. This can cause insulin resistance, where the body’s cells become non-responsive to the insulin so the pancreas keeps producing more and more. It also means the body fails to burn the glucose as energy and instead it is stored as fat! If this happens constantly the build up of glucose in the blood can cause Type II diabetes. The high level of insulin also tells a gland in the brain, the hypothalamus, to send out hunger signals. So you could have just eaten a meal and you would still feel hungry, there will be nothing that satisfies that hunger.

Eating protein produces a moderate amount of insulin but also produces the hormone glucagon. This hormone stimulates the body to get rid of fat by burning it for energy; it also decreases the body’s production of cholesterol and stimulates the kidney to release excess salt and fluid. It also maintains your blood sugar level counteracting the effect of insulin, which lowers the blood sugar levels.

So, what should we be eating? Recent studies recommend 100g of protein for women and 150g of protein for men. An excellent way of getting the majority of your protein intake is by using a meal replacement product with extra protein powder if necessary. This takes all the guess work out of two thirds of your protein intake and when combined with a third meal of low fat protein (e.g. chicken or turkey) and low glycaemic vegetables gives the ideal diet to lose weight, gain energy, lower cholesterol and blood pressure and possibly reverse Type II diabetes.

Hoodia Gordonii is your solution to weight loss

2010-02-20T02:10:00.000-08:00

Overweight and obesity are actual problems for the American population, but much more for women who are trying to look better.

Close to 60 million Americans are overweight or obese, but the problem is more relevant into the minorities. Acording to the Obesity Research conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the hispanic population was the most overweighted in the ethnic groups in 2000. Estimations reach to more than 20 million people.

Hoodia Diet is the solution for safe weight loss. Hoodia Gordonii contains a natural active ingredient, P57, which has only recently been identified. The P57 works as an appetite suppressant.

Taking Hoodia Diet Tablets when you are hungry alleviates the feeling of hunger and so makes you less likely to snack between meals due to hunger.

The Hoodia Gordonii Cactus has been used by the San indigenous people of South Africa for hundreds of years as an appetite suppressant and thirst quencher.

Extracts from this succulent have shown in clinical trials on obese subjects to reduce caloric intake by 30% to 40%. Significant weight loss has resulted from such a drop in caloric intake.

Therefore, Hoodia is one of the best and most powerful natural appetite suppressant available, if used in conjunction with any diet. Hoodia will help you to stop snacking between meals. It will also help you to reduce the amount that you eat at meal times.

Dieting is not easy, you need to make your mind up that you are going to choose a diet plan that appeals to you and use Hoodia Diet Tablets to help you stick to your diet by reducing your daily calorie intake.

Some users of Hoodia simply take the tablets 3 times a day, one hour before normal meal times, and this will allow them to eat less at each meal, so reducing daily calorie intake.

Others find a low carb or low fat diet and take Hoodia Diet Tablets to stop them feeling hungry between these meals.

Your Simple Plan for Weight Loss

2010-02-20T02:07:00.000-08:00

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.

50 Reasons to Get Weight Loss Surgery

2010-02-20T02:01:00.000-08:00

Weight loss surgery is fast becoming a very popular way for obese and morbidly obese people to get and keep the weight off. America is the fattest it's ever been and they're even saying there is an "obesity epidemic". The term is even being used in the UK now. I even had gastric by pass surgery 2 years ago and it has changed my life only for the better.

There are many reasons for people to consider getting weight loss surgery. For those of you who are still unsure, here are fifty ways your life will change for the better after surgery. If you're still unsure, feel free to contact me for a free consultation.

1. You lose weight FAST!

2. You get to buy a whole new wardrobe....several times if you wish.

3. You will be able to see and touch your own feet.

4. You'll feel lighter.

5. It will be easier for you to exercise

6. You can go up a flight or two of stairs without completely running out of breath.

7. Your self-esteem will sky rocket.

8. People will hold doors open for you, look at you and actually say hi and smile.

9. You will get hit on!

10. You will be able to achieve all those positions you've always wanted to try during sex.

11. You'll clothes will start falling off of you.

12. You can buy jewelry in a "normal" store.

13. Your joint pain will lessen or disappear.

14. There is a possibility your diabetes will go away.

15. You'll just feel GOOD.

16. You'll get complimented a lot.

17. Your snoring will lessen or disappear.

18. You can comfortably wear jeans.

19. No more high blood pressure.

20. No more asking for a seatbelt extender on the airplane.

21. Your butt won't hurt as much after riding a bike.

22. You will feel very proud of yourself.

23. You'll see inches of fat melt right off of you.

24. Your energy will increase.

25. You'll be able to cross your legs.

26. You will finally weigh LESS then what it says on your driver's license.

27. You can finally buy that cute little sports car and now worry if you'll fit behind the steering wheel.

28. You'll actually be able to use those tiny bathrooms on airplanes and trains.

29. You can sell all your fat clothes on ebay and make some extra money.

30. You can do more housework! (Ok, this may not be a "pro" for everyone)

31. You'll literally lose weight overnight.

32. You'll live longer.

33. You'll be healthier.

35. You won't run away or throw your hands up every time someone wants to take your picture.

36. You'll start using the regular carts at the grocery store instead of the electric handicap ones.

37. You can get a short haircut without looking like a pinhead.

38. You won't feel hungry all the time.

39. You'll feel pretty/handsome again.

40. Your shoe size will drop.

41. You'll be able to ride all the roller coasters and never have to do the "walk of shame" when you discovered you couldn't fit into the seats anymore.

42. No more heartburn.

43. You can go to the gym and finally be one of those skinny perky people you use to envy.

44. No more starving yourself on crazy diets.

45. No more worrying if the chair you're sitting on will break.

46. You can go to the playground and swing on the swing set.

47. Your kids will be able to put their arms all the way around you when they hug you.

48. You'll save money by not eating as much and not going out to eat as often.

49. Learning how much certain people really care about you.

50. And lastly you will most likely meet a ton of wonderful weight loss surgery people who will become your good friends for life.

Easy Steps To Weight Loss

2010-02-20T02:00:00.000-08:00

It can be intimidating to follow a weight loss plan, right? Sometimes there are so many rules, and so many major changes in your life required. Is there another way? Not just another diet or plan, but a whole different approach?

Try Small Changes To Lose Weight

If a diet or a complicated weight-loss system is just too overwhelming, try making a small change instead. For example, develop the habit of eating celery or another low-calorie food before any other snacks, so you don't eat as much of the junk.

Is this going to do much for you? No, not by itself. It is a small change you can handle now, though, and once it becomes a habit, you can make another small change. Motivation comes easier for easy steps, right? Then, when you take enough of them, you'll be getting somewhere.

Easy Steps Towards Weight Loss

1. Park farther away from the store, so you start walking a little. It's a whole lot easier to find parking this way, too.

2. Stay away from people who encourage you to eat too much. Maybe even eat with people who have small appetites.

3. Don't ever shop when you are hungry. You'll buy more - and more snacks. Get in the habit of eating right before grocery shopping.

4. Switch from sugary soft drinks to flavored water. The carbonated ones are delicious.

5. Start taking short walks each evening. Walk the dog, or find a friend to walk with.

There are dozens more small changes you can make. Create your own list, but start just one new habit now. When that becomes a normal part of your life, start another. It's difficult to say how many changes you'll need to start losing weight, but these are easy steps if you take them one at a time.

Weight Loss - Attacking the Root of the Problem

2010-02-20T01:43:00.000-08:00

So many people these days are wondering about the most efficient way to keep their metabolism going and at the same time are looking for results that are permanent. The answer to this question is not that difficult as we will begin to examine.

To start off, most people associate aerobic activity with weight loss when they picture the exercise portion of a weight loss program. You know, the classic fitness instructor in leggings leading out a fitness class, 'One and two...' While this view is not wrong it is only half of the battle.

While aerobic activity does burn fat and spikes the metabolism that spike isn't permanent. You need some other way to keep your metabolic rate higher than average all of the time. This way your body will burn calories more efficiently allowing you to eat more food and also burn more calories at rest. For this you need more lean muscle mass because fat does not burn calories. It just sits there.

The most efficient way to add more muscle mass to your body is through a light weight training program for the beginner or light calisthenics if you don't have weights of any kind. There are also other creative ideas for those who don't have weights or don't want to join a gym for some reason, whether it be finances or a lack of self-esteem.

As a note to any women who are wondering...no, you will not look like a bodybuilder. I can back this up with a number of reasons. 1. These women are the select few out of thousands who have the genetic potential to build themselves up to that point. 2. These women take advantage of the genetics they have by spending hours a day in the gym training extremely hard. 3. Most of the hardcore ladies are on muscle building drugs.

For those men and women who are busy and/or have better things to do (and who doesn't) three times a week should be sufficient. You could try Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday or possibly Monday, Wednesday and Friday, whichever is better for you. This way your body will receive sufficient rest between sessions.

On your first workout try exercising your chest, shoulders and triceps. On your second workout try working your back and biceps and on your last workout of the week try legs. Your workouts don't have to be long or strenuous. In future articles we will explore beginning routines as well as more advanced ones. You can repeat this process every week. Remember, the more muscle you have the more calories you will burn.

Combined with moderate aerobics you can expect to see dramatic results not only in your appearance but in your metabolic rate over the course of just a few months. Just remember to be consistent. That is the key. It is not how long or hard you go in one session that counts but what you do over a longer period of time that really matters. Don't get discouraged and keep focussed. You will see some who are a little over zealous after they watch a Rocky movie for example, and then they will go and work out like they have never worked out before but then they will stop for the next few months. As you probably have guessed, this is definitely the wrong approach although their intentions might have been sincere.

Besides the benefits already mentioned there are also additional benefits directly related to weight loss concerning your appearance itself when you are toned. For men, you will have that 'v' taper in your back creating the illusion of a smaller waist. The same goes for women. If your shoulders are widened a little your waist will also appear to be smaller. The same is also true if you have a good outer sweep in your quadriceps (outer thigh). And combined with fat burning aerobics, you can expect your results to be twofold.

Weight Loss - Attacking the Root of the Problem

2010-02-20T01:33:00.000-08:00

How to Break Out of a Weight Loss Plateau

2010-02-20T01:31:00.000-08:00

What is a weight loss plateau?

You are on a diet, but you reach a period of time (two or more weeks) where you can't seem to lose any weight. Your weight may actually fluctuate 3lbs up or down, but you can't seem to break below this range.

You can experience a weight loss plateau for different reasons:

1. You are consuming too many calories for the amount of calories that you are burning off.

2. You are not consuming enough calories; your body defends itself by slowing down your metabolism.

First, you need to determine if you are experiencing a plateau or if your weight is in a state of normal fluctuation. Weigh yourself once per week. If you have not lost any weight after 3 weeks, you've hit a plateau. Remember, people lose weight at different rates. If you've lost even one pound after three weeks, you are still losing weight and probably don't need to change anything. The closer you get to your goal weight, the harder it will be to lose weight.

Second, if you are experiencing a plateau, look at your current diet and exercise patterns. The NutriCounter can function as a measurement tool to see how many calories you are consuming each day. (http://www.nutricounter.com) It will also help you determine if you are eating the appropriate amount of carbohydrates and protein each day. You should also keep an exercise journal that will help you determine how much exercise you are getting each day.

Here are some patterns that you may need to break. (Note: before trying any of the methods below, get your doctor's advice. This is especially important if you have special dieting needs.)

1. You should be eating at least 1200 calories a day if you are a woman and 1500 calories per day if you are a man. If you restrict your calories too much your body will start stockpiling fat because it thinks you are starving.

2. You may try to break a plateau by decreasing the percentage of carbohydrates and increasing the percentage of protein that you intake each day.

3. Another common recommendation is not to mix your protein and carbohydrates. If you have a protein breakfast, wait 2-3 hours before resuming your balanced meals.

4. Generally speaking, you should be exercising no more than 1 hour per day. However, ask yourself if your fitness routine is intense enough? Simply walking around the block for 15 minutes a day may not be enough for you. Each person is different. Also, walking around the block may have been an excellent exercise when you first started to lose weight, but it may not be enough now that you've hit a plateau.

5. If you have recently added a fitness regimen to help you lose weight, you may experience a slight weight gain for the first few weeks, especially if part of that routine involves weight lifting. This can be a very frustrating experience. If you are engaged in an intense workout regimen, it may help to measure yourself with a measuring tape, rather than the scale. You will be putting on muscle and muscle will burn more calories than fat, but it's also heavier.

6. If you are already on a low calorie diet and you are sticking to it, then it is not recommended that you cut out any more calories. Increasing your activity is really the key to breaking out of a plateau. However, if you are "supposed" to be on a low calorie diet but you are not sticking to it, well, the answer is obvious: you need to stick to it.

One of the Most Valuable Weight Loss Tools Available.

2010-02-20T01:25:00.000-08:00

Meal replacements are one of the most valuable tools for weight loss.We know that the key to permanent and effective weight loss is to speed up our body's metabolism. Metabolism simply means the speed in which our body utilizes and burns through food. A fast metabolism means that your body processes and utilizes the nutrients which it needs and then eliminates those it doesn't.

There are primarily two ways to naturally speed up your body's metabolism.The first is through resistance training, lifting weights. Lean muscle tissue is a very metabolically active tissue, it requires a lot of energy to maintain. The body gets this energy from burning calories. So the more lean muscle you have, the faster your metabolism becomes and the more calories that you will burn at rest.

The second way to effectively speed up your body's metabolism is by eating small, well-balanced, nutritious meals or snacks every three to four hours. This alone can drastically improve the efficiency of your body's metabolism. Now, for those of us with busy, often hectic lives, eating every three to four hours can be challenging, if not impossible.

What are the chances of eating something healthy and nutritious every two to three hours? Unless you have a lot of time to prepare and package meals or hire yor own personal chef to cook for you, this can be a daunting task. Well, now there is a solution.

Meal replacments.

Meal replacements are probably the most valuable and underrated supplement on the market. People are always looking for the magic solution to weight-loss by buying some drink or pill that promises miraculous results. We gain weight and body fat by having poor eating habits, so the only way to undo the damage is to reverse the cycle by developing good eating habits.

Meal replacements make this possible.

Meal replacements are pre-packaged powdered drink mixes that you mix with water, milk, or juice and then drink in the place of a meal. They are convenient, inexpensive, and most taste pretty good. For optimum fat-burning and muscle-building results, we need to consume a high-protein, moderate-carb, low-fat meal about every three to four hours.

This is approximately five to six meals per day. So, replace two or three of your whole food meals with meal replacements and you will drastically start cutting out unneeded calories, calories that can add up and, if not burned off, be stored as body fat.

Meal replacements provide a perfect, compact meal in a packet that is high in protein, low in fat (some have no fat) are low in carbohydrates, and contain a wide array of vitamins and minerals. They are low in sugar and cholesterol. They are very nutrient dense and can be mixed easily and conveniently.

In order to get the same benefits from whole food as some of the high quality meal replacements, you would have to put together a large meal like a chicken breast (protein) a potato for some carbs, and a salad for the vitamins six times a day. Why bother when you can just rip open a meal replacement packet and toss it into a cup with some water or skim milk. Presto!

Instant nutrition.

Check the ingredients. Stick with meals replacements that use a combination of whey, milk, and egg proteins as the first ingredient. Most meal replacements, if taken with water, offer at least 40 grams of protein with minimal fat. Most are under 300 calories, chock full of vitamins and minerals, and taste rather pleasant.

Many people I have spoken to over the years attribute meal replacements being on of the biggest reasons why they we able to lose weight. They are able to get vitamin-rich, high-protein, moderate carb meal for less than 300 calories. All of this for about 2 dollars. You cannot even buy a Happy Meal for fewer than 2.00 dollars and Happy Meals are loaded with fat!

The Most Important Step in Weight Loss

2010-02-20T00:25:00.000-08:00

Here is the first and most important step in weight loss

Before taking any physical steps in your efforts to lose weight, begin by taking a mental approach.

The first step to achieving physical success is to accept complete responsibility for where you are, right now.

Outside of extreme medical conditions, your current weight has happened by your choice. You cannot and should not blame anyone at all for where you are right now.

If you're currently overweight, it's because you created it.

Tired of the way you look when you look into the mirror?

You are responsible.

Just plain sick and tired of being sick and tired?

You are where you are right now due to the choices you've made.

A large part of being a fully mature adult is accepting full responsibility for where you are right now and what has happened to you in life up to this point.

Then and only then can you begin the action steps to clearly change your situation.

You see, if you're blaming your current weight on everything but yourself, that's what you're going to keep telling yourself internally to the point that you truly believe that you're not at fault for your weight.

If you truly feel you're not at fault for your current weight, do you really think you're going to get real with yourself and take the necessary steps to lose weight and stay thin?

Of course not, you're going to continue blaming McDonald's or Pizza Hut and you'll just continue on in your never-ending search for weight loss success.

On the other hand, by accepting complete and full responsibility for your being overweight, you can start the necessary preparations of figuring out why it's occurring and you can take action to change it.

The fact is, by claiming ownership, you also realize that it's you and only you that will be the one who gets you to take action and change what you want changed.

The buck stops with you. No one forced you to eat more than you should have.

Stop blaming and start accepting.

Once you do, you're in the driver's seat and you can now go as fast as you want to achieving your goal.

It really does amaze me how people tend to pass responsibility for their current situations to someone or something else.

Have you ever said or heard any of the following:

I cannot seem to find a job. There must be no jobs available for me, the goods ones have must have been taken by other people.

You can turn this negative into a positive by saying:

I'm in control of my destiny and my life and as long as there are people, there will be jobs. I must not be looking hard enough. I'll send out 20 more resumes each day and make 10 more phone calls.

How about this one:

I'm fat because of the food my family eats. My spouse and kids only want to eat pizza and burgers for dinner and it's causing me to be fat.

You can turn this around by saying:

Since I'm the one providing for my family, I want them to receive good, wholesome foods for dinner. I think I'll buy a low fat cookbook and really learn to add some variety and spices to our low fat food. I'm not going to sacrifice my own happiness and health for others.

So, instead of blaming your current situation on uncontrollable outside forces, realize that there's little in your life that you were not the cause of by making certain choices.

Once you realize that you are the captain, and only captain, of the boat called your life, you can steer it in any direction that you want to.

Its up to you and only you.

Fibre And Weight Loss: How Closely Are They Connected?

2010-02-20T00:22:00.000-08:00

The incidences of deseases like obesity, diabetes, colon deseases etc.are minimal in countries where the population has a regular dose of fiber in their diet.

Fiber is very important link in the weight loss puzzle. Fiber cannot be digested by the human digestive system and it passes out from the colons taking all the waste material with it.

Fiber provides bulk and softens the stools therby helping in regular bowel movements and avoiding constipation. In the intestine, fiber produces a gel which binds the bile acids and this leads the lever to convert cholesterol into bile thereby reducing cholesterol levels.

Fiber makes people feel less hungry on account of its bulk and reduces appetite resulting in weightloss. It also helps the body in controlling blood sugar.

Ayurveda Medical Science recommends consumption of fibre rich vegetables in large quantities to get rid of all the toxins from your body.Removal of toxins automatically ensures removal of excess fat from your body.

There are two types of fibers found in foods:

Insoluble fiber :

Insoluble fiber doesn't dissolve in water. This fiber increases the bulk of the food and helps in the fast passage of waste materials from the colons avoiding build up of toxins and therby deseases like colon cancer.

Soluble fiber :

This type of fiber forms a gel in the intestine and helps in reducing the cholesterol.

Your body needs a regular dosage of 30-40gms of fiber to keep in good health and lose those excess pounds.

Consuming the following foods will keep you in great shape and health:

High fiber foods:

Oat bran, Corn Bran, rice bran, wheat bran.

Medium fiber foods :

Whole grains, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat flour, oatmeal-rolled oats, steel cut oats, wheat-oat flour, corn meal, brown rice.

Low fiber foods to be avoided:

Refined foods like white flour(bleached or unbleached), pasta, cream of wheat, oat flour, corn starch, white rice.

One important aspect of fiber and weight loss is drinking lots of water.

Water makes the fiber swell and work better.

However, increase your consumption of fiber very gradually to avoid digestive discomfort.