Howtoge - lose weight

How to Lose Weight Really Fast

Kitty Langdon — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 09:34:54 +0000

Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. ^[1]

Want to slim down fast for that beach vacation or high school reunion? While there are many things you can do to shed pounds, losing weight too quickly, like any sudden change to your body, can be dangerous. While fad diets, diet pills, and fasting may indeed induce rapid weight loss, these methods can cause you to lose muscle and may also injure your heart and other organs fairly quickly. The best solution? Don't go for an overnight miracle. Instead, follow these steps to lose fat rapidly, healthily, and sustainably.

Steps

Determine your daily calorie intake . Losing weight is simply a matter of expending more calories than you take in, through exercise and your daily activities. To win the battle, it helps to know how many calories you are consuming in a day.
- Write down all the things you eat on a typical day. Carry a small notebook with you and write down every snack, every drink, and the contents of every meal. There are also great websites that you can use to keep track of calories, get recipes, and help achieve your goal. Don't forget to include the pats of butter or the spoonful of sugar in your coffee. It's best to do this for at least a couple weekdays and a weekend; it's even better if you can go a full week. There are also calorie tracking websites that can help you to do this, for example the US government website, My Pyramid Tracker .
- Do an itemized calorie count. When possible, write down the number of calories in each thing you eat as you eat it. Keep in mind that the recommended serving size is often considerably smaller than the serving you actually eat. Look up the calorie count on the internet for foods that don't have calories listed on the container or for fast food meals. You don't have to be 100% accurate, but you do want a good estimate of the number of calories you're taking in. There is an idea that multiplying your own weight by ten will produce a rough estimate of the number of calories you need to eat per day to maintain your weight. This is NOT true, you may wind up grossly under (or perhaps over) estimating the number of calories you should be eating. Use a scientific or health website to determine the number of calories you should eat a day or consult your doctor. Everyone has different metabolisms and there is no blanket rule that covers everyone's recommended calorie intake. Reducing 500 calories per day from the calories you eat to maintain your weight can help you lose a pound of fat per week.^[2]

Go over the list and decide which foods to cut out or reduce. Cutting calories is usually a lot easier than you might think. For example, that daily tall latte in the morning may pack 500 calories. Since a pound of flab (lost or gained) is roughly equivalent to 3,500 calories, replacing that rich beverage with black coffee can help you lose a pound a week. Other easy cuts include salad dressing (salad dressing is the number one source of fat in the average American woman's diet) soda pop, candy, and butter. Look at the nutritional information for the foods you eat, pay special attention to your intake of saturated fats and empty calories (high-sugar foods). You don't need to cut these things out entirely, but if you reduce your intake of high-fat, high-calorie foods you'll lose weight faster.

Seek out alternatives to the unhealthy foods you've identified. You can simply reduce the amount of soda you drink or mayonnaise you put on your sandwiches, or you can substitute healthier choices. Drink water instead of soda, for example, or use mustard instead of mayo. Low-fat and low-calorie options are also available for most foods, and many of these are natural, (although some are made with strange chemicals), and tasty. Start trying to eat healthy in most meals:
- Choose lean meats. Chicken and fish are both very low in fat (and certain fish like salmon, sardines, and fresh tuna are an excellent source of antioxidants, which are also beneficial to your health), so aim to replace some or all of the beef or pork in your diet with these foods.
- Replace high-calorie side dishes with healthier alternatives. Many people get a ton of calories from side dishes such as macaroni and cheese, French fries, or potato salad. You can eat healthier and lose weight by replacing these with fresh vegetables and salads. Pre-made salads are practically effortless, and when accompanied by a reduced-calorie dressing or no dressing at all, they're weight-loss gold.
- Start your days off right. A fattening breakfast of bacon and eggs or a pastry can be replaced with yogurt, oatmeal, high-fiber, low-sugar cereals; or fresh fruit for fruit smoothies. However, for those on a low carb diet bacon and eggs are a great combo for breakfast, since neither have carbs. But don't fall into the trap of skipping breakfast. Eating a healthy breakfast increases your rest metabolic rate earlier in the day, and reduces snacking before lunch.

Plan your meals. Look for healthy, delicious meals online or in your cookbooks, and create a menu for the week. Make sure that your meal plan reduces your total calorie intake: you're not going to lose weight if you consume the same amount of calories by eating different foods. Make a list of what you'll need for these meals, and -- except for a few snacks, of course -- don't stray from your list when you get to the market. Planning your meals helps ensure you get a balanced diet and reduces the temptation to stop off for fast food or order a pizza. Remember, it's easier to stick to your shopping list if you shop when you aren't hungry.

Watch your portion sizes. Opening a bag of rice cakes and eating all of them in one sitting isn't going to help you lose weight. When eating chips, nuts, or dried fruit put a portion in a small bowl and then put the bag away. That way you won't mindlessly eat a larger portion than you had intended. Even if you only make minimal changes to your diet choices, reducing portion size will inevitably reduce caloric intake. A great way to watch portion sizes while snacking is to buy one serving 100 calorie packages - and they come in many favorite snack food items!

Graze on healthy snacks. Just because you're getting healthy doesn't mean you can't snack. In fact, eating small meals and snacks throughout the day, or grazing, has been shown to aid weight loss, (compared to eating three large meals a day), by keeping metabolism steadier. Pick snacks that are low in calories and fat and high in fiber (dried apricots, nuts, rice cakes, fruits, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, and so on). Vegetables are generally very low in calories, very high in fiber, and full of flavor and nutrition. Avoid starchy vegetables like potatoes, and try to eat vegetables plain, without fatty dressings or dips. Fruit also makes a good snack. Fruit contains more soluble fiber than vegetables, which slows your body's absorption of carbohydrates, thus releasing energy more slowly, (preventing sugar highs), and keeping you feeling full longer. Fruit juices are not a replacement for the real thing. You need that fiber, and juices often have more calories than the equivalent serving of fruit -- as many calories as soda! Be careful with dried fruits, because without the water, you tend to eat more, and fruits, when dried, are calorie-rich per ounce. With any dry or dried food, be sure to drink plenty of water.

Get more fiber. There are many myths about fiber, but there is science to back up its helpful role in the diet. Fiber keeps the right amount of water in your intestines, making your digestive system work more efficiently and helping to keep you regular. Thus, just eating enough fiber may help you feel slimmer in just a day or so. There is also evidence that fiber in the diet can help prevent stroke and heart disease, ease the effects of diabetes, and may even directly help in weight loss.

Drink plenty of water. Adequate water is essential for health, and a great many people simply don't get enough. What's more, if you're chronically dehydrated, your body will retain water in unflattering places, so if you make sure to get plenty of fluids you can start visibly trimming down in as little as a day. Remember, the more you exercise, the more water you'll need. See the related wikiHow for more details on how much water you should be getting.

Exercise. Remember, you can lose weight either by decreasing your calorie intake or increasing the number of calories you burn. Any health strategy should include both, but if you want to lose weight fast, exercise is essential.

Perform high-level aerobic activities. Moderate aerobic workouts incorporating jogging, brisk walking, cycling, aerobic machines, or classes not only burn calories -- they also keep your heart healthy. Swimming is also great, especially if you are quite overweight or have joint problems, because you can get the same benefits of running -- typically burning even more calories -- with much less stress on your joints. Try to get at least 30-40 minutes of aerobic exercise at least three or four days per week.

Pump some iron. Resistance training, (weight training), can help both sexes stay lean by building muscle and raising metabolism. The fact is, hours and hours of aerobic exercise won't help most people lose weight fast because your metabolism drops back to normal fairly quickly after stopping the exercise. If you gain muscle, however, your body's resting metabolism, (the amount of calories you burn when you're just sitting still), increases, because muscle requires a lot of calories to maintain. Studies have shown consistent weight training to raise the body's metabolism by 15%. This means an average woman might burn 200-300 more calories at rest every day! Resistance training is the gift that keeps on giving! Although, keep in mind that muscle mass weighs more than fat (don't be surprised if you gain weight but look slimmer).

Rest properly. This means not only taking at least 24-48 hours between strength training the same muscles, (and taking 1-2 days off from exercising each week); it also means getting enough sleep at night, since sleep deficiency impairs your ability to lose fat.

Be realistic. Don't expect a miracle. Healthy weight loss can be achieved fairly quickly, but you'll need to be patient. In addition, be sure to set realistic goals. Make sure that the weight you're trying to reach is a healthy weight for you, and keeping in mind that gaining pounds of muscle will help you lose fat, be trimmer, and look better even though you don't actually lose any weight. Your goal should be a healthy body, not a number of pounds! Everyone looks good at a different weight. A short person may look really good at about 112 pounds, but a person of a taller height would just look unhealthy. Keep yourself at a weight that makes you look good, not at a number that sounds good.

Make adjustments. A successful weight loss strategy based on reducing calorie intake and increasing activity can be adjusted to maintain your desired weight once you reach it. Unlike typical diets, this method is sustainable -- it is a lifestyle change, not a binge-and-purge exercise. Slowly adjust your diet and exercise to include more weight training and calories, as much as is comfortable for you. If you do gain any weight back, you want that weight to be lean, toned muscle, not fat. In addition, weight training, no matter what your age, prevents muscle atrophy and can help stave off osteoporosis.
- Instead of thinking of it as losing a certain amount of pounds, think of it as being a certain weight. So if you are 145 pounds, and you would like to lose 10 pounds, think of it as being 135 pounds. This helps you think about it as a long-term goal and not just losing the weight to gain it back again.

Be confident. You need to believe in yourself! If you want to diet, and you know that it will make you feel better, then you need confidence. Otherwise, the temptation to cheat on your diet will make it harder, and you will not feel better when you do lose weight. Avoid temptations like chocolate, ice cream, and cookies. They may taste good, but there are other foods that taste delicious, too, without being unhealthy. You need to always encourage yourself to achieve the goals that you have set. Learn to evaluate your efforts fairly and objectively. If you fail to achieve your target for the week, find out why is it so. Is it because you have missed a jogging session? Or you have been eating junk food for one of the days? After evaluating, look ahead to next week and try your best to stick to your plan.^[3]

Be consistent and disciplined, and have self motivation. To lose weight effectively, you need to stick to your weight loss plan religiously so as to see results. When you have the thought of giving up, visualize how good you will look when you manage to slim down successfully. ^[3]

A Superb Heath Plan to Lose Weight

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:00:21 +0000

Here are a few secrets to help you lose weight. They apply to all age groups, all sexes and can be practiced at will, without having to sacrifices tasty, delicious meals and snacks.

Step number one is to keep an account of everything you eat and drink. No guesswork allowed for calorie consumption. Just jot down all the foods you eat and fluids you drink to keep track of your caloric intake. Reduce you consumption of fat by at least fifty percent.

Use half your usual amount of butter or margarine on toast, half of your sandwich dressing or no sandwich dressing. Prepared your meals at home to control what is included.

Reduce your intake of sugar by limiting the consumption of sugary desserts to just twice a week. Protein rich foods like fish, chicken, cheese, and eggs should form a part of your daily diet. Substitute snacks with nuts and yogurt. At least once a week avoid eating meat in any form. Increase your overall intake of beans, green leafy vegetables and whole grains.

Switch to skim milk. If you are used to whole milk, gradually reduce the fat content until you reach a fat-free milk level. Replace sodas and canned juices with water; add a few drops of lemon juice for extra zing. Have seasonal fruit every day. It’s a good option for snacks in-between meals.

Develop a taste for vegetables, whether cooked or raw in the form of salads. Have at least four servings of vegetables in two meals a day. Make it a point to eat at the table and switch off the TV before eating your meals.

Keep fat, rich, and sugary snacks locked away while watching TV. Leave multi-tasking for other areas of life. While on the table concentrate on your food; relish what you are eating by properly chewing it.

Choose to chew calories rather than drinking them. Realize that fruit juices are fruits without the fiber and healthier content. Sodas are loaded with sugar, coloring and preservatives, not calories. The exception to this is milk which offers healthier calories.

While planning out the day you should also plan out your meals and snacks, so that you know what to look forward to. Hurriedly deciding a menu is liable to lead to the consumption of more calories and less fulfillment.

Five Easy Tricks to Lose Weight

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:57:33 +0000

given up on them for being too rigid or impractical? Here are five tips proven to help you lose weight with little effort. You can keep a check on your weight gain by adopting the following measures:

1. Consume More Water—A Liquid Diet

Nothing is better for losing weight than adopting a liquid diet and increasing your water intake. Apart from keeping your body hydrated, and keeping hunger pangs at bay, it flushes toxins from your system. It would be a good idea to have a glass of water before every meal. This will satiate your hunger without having to eat an extra helping of food.

2. Breakfast –A Must

People wanting to lose weight find it very convenient to skip breakfast without realizing the harm it causes. A healthy breakfast may help you to go without food or to eat just enough food for the rest of the day.

When you skip breakfast you tend to eat a lot more at the next available opportunity or throughout the day. Some say that they don’t have time for breakfast, but they should try a nutritious liquid breakfast. Your body needs breakfast most after sleep.

3. Improve Your Fiber Intake

A diet rich in fiber facilitates bowel movements. Being low on calories you can afford to have more fiber in your diet, thus eliminating some fats from your diet that add to your weight. On average, an ordinary person ingests just eight grams of fiber per day. Specialists recommend up to twenty-five grams of fiber per day.

4. Switch Over to Healthy Fats

Fats are generally blamed for increased levels of cholesterol that is responsible for an unhealthy heart. Fats are also known to cause obesity. Fats are generally known as bad; but there are also good fats and fats are essential fats to our bodies to promote growth and the reproductive system. Olive oil, nuts, and a variety of fish offer good healthy fats. Make it a habit to include these fats in your diet.

5. Protein

An excellent means for weight control is to include more proteins in your diet. Proteins satiate you for longer intervals while maintaining muscle mass, which is important for burning fats.

Lose Weight on a Busy Schedule

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:52:48 +0000

Many people want to lose weight but it is difficult to do with the busy schedules they keep. Despite having a busy schedule it is still possible to lose weight.

What is required is advance planning. The most difficult matter is how to fit exercise into the day. This can be done with small changes.

Set your goals

You need to know how much weight you want to lose. There are many people who want to lose weight but do not know how much weight they want to lose.

You should also know the timeframe within which you want to lose that amount of weight. If you think you can lose weight overnight, you are deceiving yourself.

Exercise

What most dieters have in common is that they exercise. No matter how busy they are, they still find time to exercise. Exercise is needed to burn excess calories. On average we need about 45 minutes of exercise a day to lose weight.

That does not mean 45 continuous minutes. It may be spread throughout the day in smaller bits. Short, intense exercise is just as effective as long moderate periods of exercise.

There are many simple things you can do to exercise. You can use the stairs instead of the elevator or you can walk further distances in the parking lot at the office.

By parking further away and walking in you get more exercise.
You can also try aerobic exercise, or go to the gym a few times a week or go for a swim.

If you can’t go to the gym or the pool, you can try walking or running. Arm movements should be incorporated into the running or the walk.

You can check the fitness stores for videos and other materials to give you ideas. Maintaining a regular exercise schedule will help you lose weight quickly.

Diets

The change that busy people have to make when it comes to diet is to avoid eating fast food.

Most fast foods are loaded with fats, sodium and calories which considerably slow weight loss efforts. Eat a balanced diet which is low in fat and contains simple sugars.

Opting for organic foods is a great way to change your diet. Your diet should include lots of vegetables.
Losing weight on a busy schedule is very possible.

Variety in your weight loss activities

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:44:47 +0000

It is good to have plans for your weight loss. When making your plans you should remember that exercise should be a part of it. To most people exercise is not fun at all, when planned well exercise could become fun.

State of mind

The right state of mind is another important thing you need for a good weight loss plan. Good mental preparation leads to good performance. You will find a suggested exercise regimen below to help you achieve your weight loss goals.

Start well

The first few weeks of exercise are very important. You don’t have to load yourself to the point of overstretching yourself otherwise you end up not wanting to exercise any more.

You can start with some cardio for about 20 to 30 minutes a day for the first three weeks. You can increase your time after going through these three weeks, 40 to 50 minutes a day is ideal. You must find a place to start.

Kick out boredom

You certainly don’t want to be bored by your exercise. One way to prevent boredom is to change the location. This will in the end determine the kind of exercise you do.

If you decide to jog you can’t do it indoors. After trying jogging for a few weeks, you can change to swimming. Then, you can switch to a sprint routine or an evening bike ride.

There are many ways of varying your activities. If there is a lake or a mall near you, you can try jogging or walking around. Those living near mountains can find a trail to hike. You can decide to ride your bike to work if you are close enough to your place of work.

You need a partner

You need to get a partner who will motivate you. Most people have used these methods and have testified that they are good. There are many ways to keep your cardio going, what you actually need is creativity.

What I am trying to suggest here is that you have to mix up your cardio activities to be able to enjoy them. Consulting a doctor before starting an exercise regimen is very important, especially if you have serious health conditions

How to Shed Pounds with One Simple Step

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:43:55 +0000

Most people think that losing weight is very difficult, but it can be very effortless. By cutting out 100 calories a day you can lose between 10 to 12 pounds in a year.

It is as simple as that. Four pieces of candy or two pieces of large bubble gum make 100 calories. A third of a candy bar or a half piece of pie also gives 100 calories.

Little changes

3,500 calories makes one pound. You can lose calories by simple making changes to your diet as the ones suggested above or by exercising. Whatever you chose, making a deficit of 500 calories daily will make you lose one pound a week. It is the little changes we make daily that brings about the big differences.

Why most fitness programs and diets fail

The reason why most fitness programs and diets fail is that they are too rigid. They require big changes right from the start and they have too many rules to follow.

The person ends up adding stress to his condition. The higher the stress, the more mental energy you have to put in to succeed. The aim of the program should be finishing it. But most often, most people go back to the old behavior making no permanent gains because the programs are too rigid.

It is time you leave behind the weight loss failure syndrome. What you need to know is that weight loss is a slow process. It involves very simple and easy changes to your eating habits.

Making permanent gains

If you want your weight loss efforts to be permanent, you have to keep them as transparent, painless and effortless as possible. Losing 100 calories a day is as easy as passing on 2 cookies.

A few more things you can do.

The first thing you drink in the morning should be water and not fruit juice which contains high amounts of sugar. Water is actually good for you in the morning because most people are dehydrated in the morning.

Eat sugar free yogurt instead of regular ones.

Change a bacon breakfast to low-fat turkey bacon.

Instead of a bakery bagel, choose a low-fat store-bought bagel instead.

Steam your veggies instead of sautéing them in oil or butter.

Eat boiled shrimps instead of steak or shish kebabs.

Just one of these suggestions will give you fantastic results in a few months.

Healthy Tips to Lose Weight

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:42:12 +0000

Even if some people find themselves dealing with very serious weight problems, most people who just want to get rid of a little weight are relatively healthy.

The 10 pounds you want to lose were surely gained gradually over time – in fact over many months. The weight might not represent a problem as such because it was gained during those moments of a little overindulgence which were not followed by checks.

You have below a few tips to help lose those 10 pounds.

Choose the time

It is very important that you try to lose 10 pound at the right time. That right time is the time when you are feeling very good and satisfied with your life.

Trying to lose 10 pounds at a time when things are generally not well with you, when you are under a lot of stress might lead to very high rates of failure and make things worse. Weight loss is a personal issue and very much related to self esteem.

Change your diet.

As much as possible, try to change your diet to make it more balanced. You don’t have to starve yourself for that reason.

What you have to do is to try not to get more than a third of your calories from fatty foods. You have to eat more fruits and vegetables and also vary your diet as much as you can. You can try new ideas and meals.

Monitor your progress

It is very difficult for most people to see the results of their diet programs in the early stages of it. They are therefore unsure if the diet is working. You can’t even notice it if you lose one pound.

It is therefore necessary to keep track of your progress so that you know how you are doing. You can do that by calculating how much calories you eat a day and how many you burn. The difference shows whether you are losing weight and how much.

Get friends

One great way of losing 10 pounds is to do it with friends. You will not only support each other, you will also engage in fun activities together.

Make realistic plans

The goals you set for yourself should be achievable. It is not necessary to try to lose large amounts of weight in a short period. You can make some simple adjustments to your diet to help you lose 1 pound a week.

Following these simple tips can make you lose the 10 pounds easily.

Easy weight loss plan

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:41:38 +0000

One of the realities of our time is that people are overloaded and overwhelmed with work and other demands that they seem immobilized.

Such people are aware of the fact that losing weight is good for their health, and they actually want to improve on their health but they don’t know where to start from.

Two ways of starting weight loss

For such people, there are two ways of starting weight loss. The first is to get into the habit of eating small and frequent meals that contain very healthy foods. The second is drinking water regularly during the day.

Choose healthy foods

There is no worry about calorie-specific menus. What is necessary is to choose a healthy breakfast that you really enjoy. You can prepare it in the evening so that you can easily eat it in the morning before leaving for work, or you can easily carry it with you to work.

You can also prepare two simple snacks for yourself, to be taken in mid-morning and in the mid afternoon the following day.

Here are a few suggestions: you can have an apple with some almonds, or a slice of whole grain bread with a table spoon of peanut butter.

Healthy lunch

You also need a healthy lunch. It should be something you really like and want to eat. If you can get it, keep it ready the evening before so that you can take it with you the next day to work.

Water

Water is very important so make sure you always have a bottle of water in your car and sip on it as you commute to work. If you are a work from home person, get a big bottle filled with water and put it in the fridge or on the counter. You should get into the habit of drinking at least 8 oz of water an hour before you eat each meal.

After dinner in the evening, drink only water. Herbal tea is also good.

Eat what you enjoy

Make sure you include foods you really enjoy eating in your plan. You don’t have to deprive yourself too much all the time. Eat a meal or a snack every three hours so that you don’t have to get very hungry.

5 Ways to Avoid Holiday Pounds

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:39:57 +0000

Great! It’s holiday time again, time to relax and time to have heartthrobing New Year parties. But on the same, time to gain those extra holiday pounds.

Friends, be cautious about these extra pounds, because even slight weight gain can remain accumulated throughout the year and lead to health risks.

But you need not to panic. Little efforts can surely beat these holiday pounds. Here are the five sure ways “not” to gain pounds during Thanksgiving-to-New Year’s holiday season.

Keep your meal time consistent

Even for holidays, set your meal time consistent. Start your day with a little exercise and healthy snacks. Don’t skip your breakfast as we usually get up late in the morning during the holidays and eat lots during lunch.

Lighten up your lunch and dinner. Avoid fast foods and soft drinks. Drink lots of water.

Don’t substitute vegetables and fruits for fatty foods. Have short meals within an interval of three-to-four hours. Don’t overeat at any meal; this is one of the main causes of gaining holiday pounds.

Have healthy snacks in-between meals. Keep your temptations for your favorite fatty cookies at minimum. Avoid alcohol.

Be smart enough to choose your party wisely

Of course it’s Christmas and New Year time, but not to remind you again, also the time to gain unwanted weight. No doubt parties are real fun. But also parties are one of the places where temptation for food is very strong.

So, avoid social gatherings. Consider only the important ones. If anyhow, you have to go for a party, always have light snacks at home before you leave.

This will help you from eating in bulk. Opt for juices instead of alcohol. Alcohol carries lots of calories which get stored as fats in the body. Go for desserts, if available, instead of dinner plate. Start with a small plate instead of a huge one.

Keep yourself busy

Holidays are meant for spending time with your friends and family members. Make your focus on toning yourself and your life. Give time to your hobbies for which you never had enough time before.

Read books you like. Have a great time with your spouse and children. Holidays are the opportunity to spend time pampering you. Have a full body massage, for example.

Have a nice hair cut. It will energize you like anything. Go shopping with friends. Help in household chores. These all can help you shift your mental gears and see the food as secondary.

Be in track with your nutrition plan

During the holiday season, it’s very easy to throw your diet plan out of the window. Spicy food is tempting. It seems very hard to maintain your usual diet plan. But think of its after-effects for a while before you go for these fat-rich sweets and cookies.

Focus on your long-term goals. Of course enjoy the holidays, but limit the cheating on your diet only to two very special occasions, Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Make little bit extra effort to stay fit–Exercise regularly without fail

Whether it’s Christmas or New Year’s Eve, don’t forget to burn those extra holiday-fats. Boost your exercise to burn extra calories you tend to consume during holidays and you can have your favorite food a little extra.

Follow the right routine to lose weight

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:38:51 +0000

Losing weight is not so complicated procedure as it is thought to be. If you make certain changes in the routine and life style you can very effectively lose weight.

One has to make effort to lose weight but it really pays in the long run. It not only makes you look better and smart but it also helps you to achieve a healthy, fit and active body.

In order to make your weight lose program effective go very systematically to lose the weight.

Initially make a target of losing 5-10 pounds and then try to achieve this goal. Rushing with things and expecting overnight results can only make you feel depressed and more frustrated.

Remember that losing weight not only boasts your confidence but also make you feel and look healthy and fit. It is very essential for the over all well being of the body that you have the right shape.

The first step while setting the goal of losing 5-10 pounds is to make a realistic plan which easily fits your routine and is easy enough to follow. The next thing is to implement this plan with sincerity.

The panning is just sheer waste of time if it is not implemented in the right and proper way. Make a plan which can be effectively followed by you.

Aimlessly including 3 hour exercise schedule in your routine is not possible and is not practical so choose and include those things which can be easily followed.

Another factor to be kept in mind while planning is that whatever you choose should easily fit in your busy schedule.

If you plan those things which are time consuming and demand more labor then you cannot follow these things for a longer and permanent period of time. Be more realistic and practical while chalking out your plan.

If you succeed in following the right routine and right diet pattern then the weight loss process can become very effective and fairly simple.

So just follow the above mentioned tips very sincerely and just feel and see the change in your body.

Exercise to lose10 pounds

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:38:16 +0000

Weight gain compels a person to make some efforts to bring the body back to shape. This is not only to gain good shape but also for the overall wellbeing as well as health of the person.

Perfect shape of the body gives confidence to the person and this also helps them to give a pleasing personality which impresses everybody.

The first thing to do to lose weight is to check and change your lifestyle. The main cause of weight gain is the lack of activity and exercise.

Sitting the whole day in the office and doing the office work and then coming home and sitting in front of the TV and munching the food can only make you fat and shapeless.

You can easily and effectively shed 10 pounds if you go in for exercise or join a gym. This will tone your body and make you active.

The lifestyle of today’s generation has become such that they have to sit for at least 8 hours and this inactivity not only make them lazy but also make their bodies unhealthy.

Try to make some changes in your life style and you can see some amazing results. Try to take a walk in the lunch break. Climb the stairs at your office instead of using accelerator.

This will make you active and fit in addition to burning the extra layer of the fats. Make exercise an important part of your routine and take it seriously only then the desired and effective results can be achieved.

If exercise is done in the right way then it will never make you feel tired. Instead it will make you more active.

The best thing you can do is to do some hobby during the weekends. Go for swimming, or play some sports. This will not only relax you but also give the perfect shape to your body.

The basic idea is to find ways to exercise. Even though your routine is very hectic but making some changes here and there in your lifestyle can show marvelous results.

Effective and long term weight loss strategies

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:37:44 +0000

For people who are obese, losing weight become a very big challenge and they have to struggle hard to achieve the perfect and desired shape of the body.

Not only it affects the well being and proper functioning of the body, right weight is very essential for a pleasing personality. A smart and fit body not only boosts the confidence but it also impresses the people.

If one has an obese body then one can encounter rejection on many levels- it can be at job where pleasing personality is required or even in a personal way as it inhibits developing of a relationship. An obese person fails to attract the people of opposite sex.

The problem of obesity is increasing at a very fast rate due to the changing and hectic lifestyle.

People try out with many things but these things just fail and do not show the desired and long term results. To make weight loss program a success one should follow some effective strategies.

The first technique which leads to effective weight loss is to visualize yourself to be thin. If you will picture yourself to be in perfect and desired shape then this will give you the kick to work hard to achieve what you visualize.

The basic key behind it is that thinking positive helps you to achieve your set goal in a better and effective way.

Another very helpful and effective technique is to go in for prayer or meditation. This is a very good technique to handle the challenges of the day. This will not only give peace to your mind but also relax your body.

Then you should opt for role playing. Rehearse with your spouse or partner to act a situation in which you will tempt to over eat. This will prove very helpful when you face the real life dilemma.

These strategies are not only effective but they show long term results. The brain has the ability to develop and make sensible and healthy choices. This will not only make your body healthy but also your mind.

Weight Loss - What You Should Do at the Very Beginning

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:32:18 +0000

Almost all weight loss plans recommend exercise and diet to lose weight. Here are a few more tips that will help in addition to the same jaded information.

Exercise: As they all say, exercise is the best way to lose and maintain weight loss. It is important to be consistent and workout 5 times a week for about 30 minutes each session. The sessions can be split to accommodate your daily schedule.

Weight training: Weight training will help burn fat and increase muscle mass. This will lead to a leaner and toned body. It is a good idea to alternate weight training and aerobics to see best results.

Maintain a journal: It can be used to record caloric consumption, workout schedules and calories burnt at each session. This will help keep track of your plan and aid in planning your program. Any slip ups can be corrected in a timely fashion.

Focus on health: Understand than being thin does not mean that you are healthy. Focus on healthy eating habits and regular exercise and a means to be fit and healthy and not merely to appear thin.

Identify triggers: It helps to understand what makes you binge out. Is it boredom or anger or other emotional upheavals causing you to over eat? Fix the triggers consciously and eliminate the desire to overeat.

Portion control: make it a point to control your portion sizes. Identify the correct portion size for you and accordingly limit your intake. Make sure to pack extra amounts away in case the portion size exceeds your recommended intake.Avoid eating from a bag and use bowls to serve food.

Eat slowly: chew and savor food while eating. This slows down the process and helps the brain realize that you are full. It prevents you from overeating

Lose weight gradually: Do not resort to drastic measures to lose weight. They will provide encouraging results initially but will only result in quick weight gain later.

Make slow changes to your diet and see consistent results.
Get the support of weight loss groups or networks and enjoy the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

How to lose 10 pounds in 3 weeks

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:29:52 +0000

Any weight loss program demands dedication and consistency. There are so many kinds of weight loss programs that you may feel at a loss to choose the right one. However, if you need to lose weight fast, there are ways to get you there.

Plans to slim down for the summer

With the summer around the corner, everyone is busy making plans for losing weight to beat the heat. As the summer months allow you to look your best with short skirts and light clothing, it makes sense to look trim and slim. This article is meant to help you lose weight within a short span of time.

A good weight loss program involves a healthy diet and regular exercise regimen, ensuring that you lose weight in a healthy and natural way. However, most weight loss programs need time and effort before you actually see the results.

If you have been lazing around the winter and have plans to look good in the summer, here are some tips to get you started.

Consistency in lifestyle

One of the first rules of rapid weight loss is consistency in a transformed lifestyle. Once you have decided to change a few vital things about your lifestyle make sure that you stick to it, following it up religiously.

If your food habits are already healthy with a good intake of fresh vegetables, low fat dairy products, lean meats, and others, you are certainly on the right track and all you need to do is keep going.

This diet plan may be devoid of variety, however you will need to be consistent and stick to it for a considerable period of time to see any desirable changes.

Make a promise to yourself

A weight loss program is easy to get into and difficult to follow up. You may have all the enthusiasm in the world to start one and then slowly lose interest as it begins to feel like a repeated, monotonous activity.

Therefore make sure that you mentally prepare yourself to not get distracted by unwanted temptations such as binging on fast food and remain consistent with your weight loss agenda.

Promise yourself right from the beginning of this weight loss program that you are going to stick to it.

How to Lose 20 Pounds in 4 Weeks

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:28:49 +0000

You have tried just about all the medications and eaten all the foods that will make you lose weight, but you find yourself wearing the same dress and/or pant size. Hold on before frustration sets in. You are about to learn how to lose 20 pounds in four weeks.

Will I have to starve myself? You may ask. The answer is no. In fact, you will be encouraged to do the opposite - increase your intake of food from three to six times a day. One of the secrets to losing weight is eating the right food in smaller quantities.

The kinds of foods to eat to lose weight fast are foods that have low a Glycemic Index (G.I.). Foods are assigned G.I. values based on how fast the body can convert the carbohydrates stored in them to energy. Therefore, foods low in carbohydrates should be chosen over food high in starch and sugars.

Good G.I. foods contain fiber. So start paying attention to the nutritional chart on the foods you are throwing in your shopping cart at the grocery store.

When was the last time you saw a nutritional chart on a box of fries at your local fast food restaurant? Chances are your answer is, “never.” Like fries, you are not warned about bad G. I. foods. You can imagine what this would do to most of the businesses that sell this type of food.

Therefore, to lose twenty pounds in four weeks, you must increase your fiber intake and eliminate, from your diet, foods like French fries and other high starchy and glucose foods.

To complement your intake of low G.I. foods, you should drink plenty of water and do frequent weight training and cardiovascular exercises. The trick is not to starve yourself, but to eat more healthy foods in smaller portions.

Finally yet importantly, the ultimate products that will make you lose 20 pounds in four weeks are Hoodia Gordonii. During your weight-loss journey, you might feel hungry even after you ate.

Hoodia Gordonii Appetite Suppressants will help you overcome this problem. These suppressants, coupled with a Hoodia weight loss plan, will help you lose 20 pounds in four weeks.

Relax Your Way to a Healthy Weight

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:26:15 +0000

Americans suffer from an epidemic of obesity. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. citizens are now classed as overweight, and another third are considered clinically obese. Excess weight increases the risk of heart disease, arthritis, diabetes and certain cancers, as well as dying too early in life.

Some blame the American diet full of junk food with empty calories. Others say the frenetic American lifestyle causes excessive stress, and that many people turn to food as a comfort mechanism. Some studies are beginning to find genetic links or physical conditions that contribute to obesity.

Most importantly, scientific studies are finding these days that obesity is a complex disease that requires individualized treatment. Surprisingly, one of the techniques that may help obesity is the practice of Yoga.

Yoga works in many beneficial ways. Its poses, called asanas, provide physical exercise that burns calories. It relieves much of the stress that causes some people to overeat. Its focus on breathing and meditation provide an alternative philosophy to the Western practices of overconsumption.

Yoga began in India, and some of its practices have been documented as back in history as 5,000 BCE. Its name, Yoga, derives from a Sanskrit word “yuj,” which means to join together, to concentrate. “Yuj” also can communion, a sense of unity. These roots clearly indicate the holistic union of body, mind and spirit that are Yoga’s goals.

Most Americans think of Yoga solely as physical exercise, but in reality Yoga encompasses such things as lifestyle, attitude, choices and philosophy. Practicing Yoga asanas simultaneously involves body movement attuned to breathing, observing how the body feels as it moves and breathes.

While in Western cultures body, mind and spirit were separated centuries ago by the philosophy of thinkers such as Descartes, Yoga teaches the body and mind how to work together, thus benefiting the spirit as well.

Beyond a greater mind and body awareness, yoga also promotes meditation, a practice that seeks to calm both mind and body. Georg Feurerstein, PhD, a scholar of Yoga, describes the state of meditation, called “dhyana,” as a state in which “an internalized object fills the entire space of consciousness.”

For instance, a person might meditate on his or her breathing, focusing not only on the timing of breath, but on how the body feels as air moves in and out. Such a strong internal focus can cause a person’s awareness of the environment outside the body to fade away, but the mind becomes remarkably clear.

Instructors and students believe that Yoga enables practitioners to develop strong spirits as well as bodies. In other words, by cultivating greater physical strength, flexibility and calm through dedicate Yoga practice; one also becomes able to withstand the temptations of an immoderate lifestyle.

Those with weight problems especially can benefit from gaining the internal capacity to make good choices, especially at the dinner table.

Easy Ways to Lose 8-10 Pounds

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:25:19 +0000

There are many reasons why people want to lose weight: to look better, to feel healthier or to gain more confidence. One of the best weight loss goals you can set is to lose eight-ten pounds.

This is a very achievable goal for those individuals who set their mind to it. While many individuals want to lose weight quickly, many of the quick fixes available involve rules that are far too strict and people are unable to stick to them for a long time.

Change your habits

Changing your eating habits is one the best ways to lose ten pounds. While the process may take a much longer period of time, the results tend to be more permanent.

Closely examining your eating habits will reveal a lot about you. For example, you may be snacking late at night or snacking while you watch TV instead of eating because you are hungry.

Reduce the quantity of food

Most people just eat too much. This is because the body only recognizes that it is full twenty minutes after the stomach is full. This means that you have to pay more attention to the signals your body sends when you eat.

Chew foods

You can significantly reduce the quantity of food you eat by chewing more. This increases the time you take to eat and gives your body enough time to signal whether you should eat more or stop. It will also help to reduce the amount of unhealthy food you consume.

Change your routine

A lifestyle change is another way to lose weight. You have to change your daily routine to include more activities and exercise. You can make little changes that will bring about great changes in the end.

The following suggestions may help: take the stairs instead of the elevator, ride a bike to work instead of driving, or consider walking if you live close to work. Not only will this help you lose weight but you will also save money on gas.

Many individuals have found that diet changes and exercise come with quick weight loss that is both unsustainable and unrealistic. It is for this reason that small changes to diet and lifestyle over time are a much better option for sustainable weight loss.

How to Swim Your Way To A Summer Six Pack

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 06:36:16 +0000

Check out this excellent article from MensHealth, and swim your way to a summer six pack.

We're giving it to you straight: You're never going to swim like Michael Phelps. For starters, you're probably not 6'4''--and in the water, length means speed. Then there's your--by comparison--penguinlike wing span. Phelps's span is 79 inches, and it propels him through the water like a nitro-fueled speedboat. And the 45 miles of practice he puts in a week? Great for him, but you have commitments.

A competitive swimmer performing the front crawl (also known as freestyle).

Now, the good news: All of this had less to do with Phelps's six gold medals and three world records at the 2004 Olympics than one basic in-pool principle that anybody can learn: "The longer and more streamlined you can make your body, the faster you'll go," he says.
"It's that simple."

Phelps and swimming guru Terry Laughlin, president of the New York-based swimming think tank Total Immersion (totalimmersion.net), helped us put together a step-by-step swimming workout guide to leaving your lanemates behind. If you're a beginner, our plan will keep you from flailing about like you're being attacked by piranhas. If you're a pro, we'll show you how to shave seconds without having to shave your knees.

We're focusing on the freestyle stroke here, not only because it provides a killer cardio workout, but also because it works the most muscles overall--building core strength and carving your V. And it shreds calories. Blows them right out of the water, in fact. Phelps is as thin as an Olsen twin, yet he eats 8,000 calories a day. His average breakfast: two egg-and-cheese sandwiches, a bowl of grits, a western omelet, French toast, and a stack of chocolate-chip pancakes ("for dessert," he says). Being 19 doesn't hurt, of course, but if Phelps can keep his abs well groomed despite eating enough for four, you should be able to make sizable strides with just a modest amount of effort.

Here's our seven-step plan for leaving everyone in your wake.

1. Swim tall. "Water is 1,000 times denser than air," says Laughlin. "So the single most important factor is to slip your body through the smallest hole in the water." Imagine a central axis extending from the top of your head to the opposite end of the pool. Rotate your body along this axis with each stroke, stretching your leading arm (the one reaching out front) as far forward as you can. Keep the muscles in your lower back and abs taut as you power through the water--doing so will keep the propulsion coming from both your arms and legs and stop your midsection from sagging like an old first-mate's belly.

2. Drop an anchor. Swimming with just your hands is like jumping with just your feet. Instead, grip the water with your entire forearm and hand, holding your forearm at a right angle to your upper arm and digging in like you're gathering sand with a shovel. Keep your hands broad, flat, and firm. You're not pushing your arm through the water as much as anchoring it and pulling your body over it.

3. Put yourself on heavy rotation. Each stroke begins with your leading arm having entered the water, and that side of your body--the low side--pointing almost at the bottom of the pool. The other side of your body--the high side--should be raised, with the arm that just finished its stroke getting ready to return to the water. Power is triggered when you drive down the high side of your body, Laughlin says, throwing your high-side arm forward along the central axis into the leading position and forcefully rotating your hips and torso. Meanwhile, your low-side arm becomes the pulling arm underwater, working with your rotating torso to provide acceleration.

4. Keep your head down. Freestylers used to hold their heads high. That forced the rest of the body to drop, turning it into a high-drag plow. "I look pretty much straight down at the bottom of the pool," says Phelps. Not only does this technique cut drag, it keeps your torso high, reducing strain on your neck and lower back.

5. Find your glide path. In the pool, fewer strokes is better. Your goal should be a high DPS--swim-speak for "distance per stroke." Elite swimmers like Phelps can easily traverse a 25-yard pool in seven strokes (each hand entry counts as a stroke). Try to keep yours below 20 by conserving momentum. Pull yourself over your anchor and continue to glide forward with one arm forward and the other back. "You'll travel farther and faster with your legs streamlined near your axis," says Laughlin. When you begin to slow, start the next stroke.

6. Drag your feet. "If you're a good kicker, you're a good swimmer," says Phelps. The secret is turning your feet into fins. Here again, leverage rules: Your legs should be taut, scissoring you through the water, while your feet remain flexible. This will help them snap at the downstroke of each kick, adding oomph and helping twist your torso along the central axis. If your feet don't flex well, buy a set of kicking fins (we like the Slim Fin, forcefin.com) to add flexibility.

7. Don't waste your breath. Gasping for air every time your head nears the surface is a great way to drown. Instead, make each breath count. Emphatically exhale the air from your lungs (all of it, not just 90 percent) before snagging a quick, full breath on the high side. Beginning swimmers need to breathe after each stroke, but as your endurance improves, try breathing on alternate sides--that is, after three strokes. It'll reduce the strain on your neck and shoulders that results from always breathing on the same side.

Fitness Guru Swim Routine

Start off doing a slow warm up of mixed strokes (e.g. 2x 25/50m Free, Breastroke, Backstroke)

Sprints will get you fit as a shark in no time. Try the pyramid workout, using Tabata Protocol principles of resting for a third of your exercise time- go for 60 seconds rest for 20, and repeat.

25m, rest
50m, rest
100m, rest
50m, rest
25m, rest

You can repeat this pyramid as many times as you like. Alternatively you can increase the distance swam on each set. Vary it according to your personal goals.

Finish by doing a slow cool down of Breastroke e.g 2x25/50m...just take it easy.

How to Cycle To A Better Body and Lose Weight

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 06:32:21 +0000

Cycling is one of the best forms of exercise for improving cardiovascular fitness. Not only will it get you fit, you'll also lose some serious weight and build killer legs that'll certainly turn some heads. With the Tour de France coming up this summer, it's time to put on your yellow jersey and saddle up. You won't be competing with the pros just yet, but this guide will certainly get you breaking away from the peloton of pretenders in no time!

You'll obviously need a bike if you want to get out and go, but you can also use a stationary bike too. Most recommended though is a turbo trainer/home trainer/spinning trainer, to which you hook up your regular bike. This is the optimum way to train as you will be able to hold exercise levels for specific periods of time...and you're using a bike you are familar with. There are many types of turbo trainers, so shop around for the one that fits your personal needs.

Once you're set up with a bike and turbo trainer, or stationary bike, there are a number of good ways to train and push through some boundaries. Some examples we will talk about here are:

-interval training
-training with heart rate levels
-training with bike computers

Interval training

This is basically going hard for a period of time, then resting. It can be a killer at first, but once you get the hang of it, your fitness levels will go through the roof! You should aim to push as hard as you can (or are able) untill you feel some discomfort and no further. You can either do this by going up to a hard gear, or getting your cadence (rpm) high, or mix it up and do both!

An ideal programme to do is the Russian Step. This is as follows.

-5 min warm up
-Sprint 15 seconds
-Rest 45 seconds
-Sprint 30 seconds
-Rest 30 seconds
-Sprint 45 seconds
-Rest 15 seconds
-Sprint 1 minute
-Rest 1 minute

Then go back down...

-Sprint 1 minute
-Rest 1 minute
-Sprint 45 seconds
-Rest 15 seconds
-Sprint 30 seconds
-Rest 30 seconds
-Sprint 15 seconds
-Rest 45 seconds

That is 1 up/down. Take a 5 minute rest between each up/down set to clear out lactic acid and recover. Aim to do 2 sets to start, building to 3+. You're going really well if you can do 5!

Training with heart rate levels

This is a simple form of training, and you'll need a heart rate monitor to do it.

Basically it involves keeping your heart rate at certain levels/ in certain zones for periods of time. Check out our heart rate zone article to see what zones you can train in. Using a turbo trainer is ideal for this type of training, as you are able to keep a constant speed/ rythm for longer periods of time. There aren't any hills after all!

Training with bike computers

This can be done on the home trainer or when you're out for a good long ride. Ideally you'll need a bike computer with the following functions:

-average speed
-cadence
-distance covered
-time spent

You can use all of these to build a quality workout. For instance you can aim to keep an average speed e.g 25mph for the duration of your ride, or you can aim to keep a certain cadence while going up hills and on flats (best to work this out before you go). Furthermore you could aim to cover a certain amount of distance in a given time, for example 30 miles in x hours/minutes.

The best thing to do is mix it up and keep your body guessing. That way you'll be able to perform at an optimum level and really blast through your fitness goals.

Go ahead, get on the bike and get pedalling today!

How to lose weight: Fight Fat with Fat!

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 06:18:27 +0000

What if I told you that you could lose weight while still eating delicious food rich in fats?

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - I have struggled all my life with abdominal fat. It has been a lifelong issue because even though the rest of my body was slim, I have had a bit of abdominal fat since kindergarten, when I was chosen to read a “round robin” poem. I was traumatized in first grade when a boy called me “Chubby Checkers” (a popular singer in the 1960s who was slightly overweight). Even as a raw foodist, I couldn’t get rid of the “apple shape,” or having a relatively larger belly than hips.

That is…until I discovered the secret of fighting fat with fat. I have now, at age 53 and after menopause, reached my ideal weight for the first time since high school. I can proudly wear designer jeans, and dress like younger women. And best of all, I no longer struggle to keep it off. I have learned the secrets of fighting fat with fat.

In the 1980s there was a theory that we could eat all the carbs we wanted and that these would not be stored as fat. Fat on the body came mostly from fat in the diet, the theory went. And there were studies to prove this theory, of course. So the idea was to eat as little fat as possible. While there is some truth to that, in that fat in the diet can more easily be stored as body fat, those who adhered to this theory went overboard in undereating essential fatty acids. They suffered from depression, fatigue, PMS, and all sorts of maladies. Put simply, your body needs fat. Next to water and oxygen, fat is the most important component of the body.

We now know that we need fat to burn fat. We need the good fats to boost our metabolism. Fats are needed to make hormones that burn fat. Our brains need fat, especially the kind with DHA, which makes up 60% of our brains.

Eat Monounsaturated Fats with Every Meal

Studies show that monounsaturated fatty acids, called MUFAS, are the secret to getting rid of abdominal or belly fat. In The Flat Belly Diet, they teach you to break up your food into three meals and one snack, each one 400 calories. Each meal/snack should include about 100 calories of MUFAS. This could be two tablespoons of nuts (macademia nuts are especially high in MUFAS), 10-15 olives, 1/3 of an avocado, a tablespoon of acai berry, a tablespoon of olive oil, or an ounce of chocolate.

Eat Plenty of Omega 3 Fatty Acids

But I recommend even more fats! To burn even more of your unwanted fat, you simply add in Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (chia seeds, flax seeds, walnuts, pharmaceutical grade fish or krill oil). The MUFAS mentioned before will help your body to not only burn abdominal fat, but also to absorb the Omega 3 fats, which are fat burners. These Omega 3 polyunsaturated fats are thermogenic, heating up the metabolism, without the jittery side effect of other thermogenics such as herba ephedra. Take 3 to 6 grams of pharmaceutical grade fish oil to get really impressive results. Just make sure it is pharmaceutical grade, or you will end up getting mercury which is extremely toxic. (Much better to be overweight than filled with toxic mercury!)

Eat Coconut Oil or Butter

The third part of your fats-fighting-fat regime is raw virgin coconut oil or butter. I once counseled someone switching to a raw diet to eat coconut butter. She loved it. Then when I told her this would have the side effect of causing her to lose weight, she replied, “No way! Something that tastes this decadent can’t possibly help me lose weight!” But it is true.

Coconut oil or butter contains medium chain fatty acids or triglycerides (MCTs). Most vegetable oils are composed of long chain triglycerides (LCTs). LCTs are usually stored as fat, while MCTs are burned for energy and increase metabolic rates, leading to weight loss.

One study showing that MCTs help keep weight down is “Overfeeding with medium-chain triglycerides in the rat” (Metabolism, 1987). The study points out that the body is less inclined to store fat with MCTs and that eating them is even better than a low fat diet at decreasing stored fat.

Another study involved comparing the effects of 400-calorie meals of MCTs with LCTs by measuring metabolic rates prior to and six hours after the meals. The MCT meals were found to increase the metabolism by an average of 12%, while the LCTs only increased the metabolism by an average of 4%. The authors concluded that consuming MCTs “over long periods of time produce weight loss even in the absence of reduced [caloric] intake” (“Thermic effects of medium-chain and long-chain triglycerides in man,” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1986).

Farmers have known for years to feed animals LCTs, such as soybean and corn oil, to fatten them up, and to feed them MCTs to trim them down. Now that people are demanding leaner meats, some farmers feed their animals coconut oil to get them trimmer.

Eat at least 2 teaspoons a day of coconut fat, which can be used in smoothies, salad dressings, or eaten plain because it’s so yummy!

Eat Your Fats RAW!

Eating most or all of your food raw can be a huge factor in weight loss. I have never seen an obese raw fooder.

Dr. Edward Howell spent a lifetime researching enzyme biochemistry. He pored over hundreds of published scientific studies on enzymes and reached some startling conclusions that impact health, longevity, and weight loss. He found that eating foods heated above 118 F causes all the enzymes to die, and that as we eat cooked food, our pancreas has to crank out enzymes. When this function is exhausted, we die. But if we eat raw foods, the enzymes to digest the food are already in the food and our pancreas has a much lighter load. We live longer, we are healthier, we have more energy. And it is easier to attain and retain our ideal weight.

One of the studies he reviewed showed that cooking food raises the glycemic index; that is, it makes the body respond by secreting more insulin (Rosenthal and Ziegler at George Washington University Hospital, 1929). It is well known that eating cooked starches (like potatoes or popcorn) causes the blood sugar to skyrocket. Some diabetics in this study ate raw starch and had very little blood sugar increase, the opposite of what would have happened had the starches been cooked They did not need insulin. The nondiabetics had a very slight increase in blood sugar. This proved that cooking raises the glycemic index of foods. As we will see later, this means foods become more fattening when cooked.

Howell found that raw calories didn’t act like cooked calories. “Cooked calories excite glands and tend to be fattening. . . As a general rule we may say a raw potato is not as fattening as the same potato cooked. A raw banana is not as fattening as a baked banana. A raw apple is not as fattening as a baked apple” (Enzyme Nutrition, The Food Enzyme Concept, p. 107). He pored over various veterinary journals and learned that the way farmers fattened up animals for maximum profit was by serving them cooked food. Hogs, for example, would not get fat enough on raw potatoes, while cooked potatoes did the trick to make the farmer extra profit.

Lipase, the enzyme that breaks down fat for digestion, is absent in cooked foods. The traditional Eskimos ate enormous amounts of fats, but they were all eaten raw with the lipase intact. Dr. V.E. Levine of Omaha, Nebraska, examined 3,000 traditional Eskimos during three trips to the Arctic and found only one overweight person.

Lipase has been found to be deficient in obese humans. Howell cites a study at Tufts University School of Medicine (1966) in which tests were done on the abdominal fat of obese people and an enzyme deficiency was found in their fat deposits.

A raw diet which is low in calories does not have to leave one hungry or undernourished. But put someone on a low calorie diet of cooked and especially processed foods, and she will feel hungry, even obsessed with food. Put the same person on a low calorie raw diet, and she will feel great, full of energy, and satisfied. If she needs to lose weight, she will likely lose more weight on the raw diet than on the cooked one with the same number of calories.

Furthermore, a raw diet is not primarily about weight loss. Even when you reach your ideal weight, this is a way to “eat for life,” in both meanings of the phrase. Your body on a raw diet has a much better chance at disease prevention and even disease reversal. Your body on raw receives the enzymes, vitamins, minerals, biophotons, and other nutrients lost in the fire of cooking.

Finally, to lose weight and keep it off, write it down! Counting your calories and writing down what you eat will make sure you stay on track and don’t go into denial about how much you are eating. By eating raw, and eating these good fats, you won’t go hungry. By writing it down, you won’t go overboard and wonder why you didn’t lose weight. While it’s true what you eat is more important than the calories, calories still count.

Susan Schenck, LAc, MTOM, is a raw food coach, lecturer, and author of The Live Food Factor, The Comprehensive Guide to the Ultimate Diet for Body, Mind, Spirit & Planet, known as the encyclopedia of the raw food diet. Go to LiveFoodFactor Special Offer to get 82 bonus gifts with the purchase of one copy!

How to Eat for 3 hours and lose weight?!

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 06:15:07 +0000

Hello!

Here's an interesting finding:

In France, the average person spends over 2.5 hours per day eating and drinking.

In America, the average person spends about 0.6 hours per day eating and drinking, yet is more overweight.

No fair! What gives?!

Turns out that they just eat slower and manage to eat FEWER calories, despite spending so much MORE time eating.

How's that for simple? We just need to SLOW DOWN! Chew more, set down your fork, eat left-handed, do whatever it takes to make the pleasant experience of eating last a little longer.

Bon Apetite!

Jill

Source:

http://jillsblog.dietforhealth.com/2009/06/eat-for-3-hours-and-lose-weight.html

How to Lose Weight in 30 Days - Your Guide to Looking and Feeling Great in 30 Days

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 06:12:04 +0000

People often get confused on hearing the words “Lose weight in 30 days”. They think that these words are just a ‘phrase’ that the marketing agencies use to market their products. They also think that the phrase that these marketing agencies use is in no way concerned about the actual meaning of ‘losing of weight’. However we do not know how the so-called marketing agencies are using that phrase. But to speak the truth, it is possible to lose weight in just thirty days-what you’ve read just now is true!!

The words seem unbelievable, but they are possible. If you ask me how, then I say that it can be made possible only with the help of dedication and commitment. Do not believe in products that promise you to lose your weight in just few days and that too do not believe in those that promise you to deliver the results without doing any workouts. Practically this is not possible, as no one is going to reduce his weight without spending calories. The only way one can lose his weight is through doing several special workouts. And to reduce the weight in just 30 days, one needs some dedication and commitment in addition to the special workouts.

Prepare for the Project

Losing weight has to be considered as a project. You cannot start the project right away without any prior preparation. You have to go through a time of preparation before getting into the weight loss project. You have to prepare your mindset accordingly and negate all the negative influences you have over this project.

1. Jot down the reasons behind the starting of your ‘weight loss’ project: Vision or Purpose is the driving force behind the success of a project. A project without vision can end up in delivering undesired results. List down the reasons why you want to lose your weight and start working out on those points.
2. Prepare a Strategy: Now prepare a strategy based on your goals. Your goal is to lose weight in 30 days. Now that you are ready with your goal, design a strategy that best helps you achieve your goal.
3. Be consistent in carrying out the project: Now make yourself ready for the project. Estimate and anticipate the shortcomings beforehand and deal with them carefully. No matter what obstructs your way, do not stop until the project is accomplished.

Tips on How to lose weight in 30 days

1. To reduce your weight, you don’t have to employ an exercise you don’t like to do. Choose an exercise that you like to do and employ that exercise in your project.
2. Do the exercise consistently. If the exercise requires you to do it for an hour, then do it for an hour for the rest of the thirty days.
3. Do not employ an exercise and a diet program at the same time.
4. Weigh yourself at the start of the project and regularly check your weight in the process. Doing so will let you know whether to change the exercise or to increase the intensity of the exercise.
5. Keep yourself motivated. Motivation is the key to reach the goal of your project.

If you are through with all the above steps, then losing your weight in less than 30 days is nothing less than a miracle…

Learn more about fat loss 4 idiots and weight loss here: http://www.thinkingweightlossdiets.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Johathan_Pope

Distributed by:
Fat Loss 4 Idiots Website
Fat Loss 4 Idiots File Download

Want to know an easy way to lose 10 pounds - visit this blog!

Lose Weight In a Week

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 06:09:37 +0000

Ok, so you want to lose weight in one week. So what’s up? Going on a vacation? Have a party next week? Big interview coming up? Can’t fit in your Wedding dress?

Most Americans are to busy to spend an hour in the gym or have such a short attention span they can’t do a boring diet. Ok, I understand. But each one of us is different, some are more over weight then others. And regardless the more overweight you are the more weight you better lose for your good health and your family’s future.

The ideas I am about to share with you are simple but effective. But you must take action. These ideas are small changes but will get you bigger losses. And you can feel comfortable doing them.

1. Increase Fiber Intake. Eat a can of black beans everyday.

The American diet is low in fiber. The average American gets only 9-10 grams of fiber a day. The US government recommends 25 grams and yes they are always wrong. We need more fiber for our bodies to flush out our intestines. We need some 40 grams of fiber a day.

The best way to increase your daily fiber intake is to consume a can of black beans everyday. I know woman fill up faster then men so you do not have to eat all the beans in one setting. Spreading them out over the whole day is better anyway. There are 25 grams of fiber in one can of black beans. With the increased fiber in your diet you will need to drink more water.

2. Eat 3 Apples or 3 Bananas a Day.

This is continuation of adding additional fiber to your diet. Remember we are looking for 40 grams of fiber a day. Apples and bananas have about 5 grams of fiber each. So the addition of the 3 pieces of fruit brings us up to the 40 grams of fiber a day.

This increase in fiber will clean your intestial tract. It is key to both short term and long term weight lose. Your intestial tract most likely has 5 to 10 pounds of solid waste and fetal matter adhereing to the walls of the intestines. If you are more than 25 pounds overweight there is more material stuck. All of the fiber will push out the build up of solid waste and fetal matter. Acting as a colon cleanse. You lose the 5 to 10 pounds of solid waste and make future weight lose easier.

How about that! Two small alterations, not a entire diet make over and you could lose 5-10 pounds in one week. Adding additional water to your diet will help reduce retained water in your body. Resulting in additional weight loss. Possibly giving you a better resultfor the week.

If your are looking to lose weight in a week, I have a website that reviews all of the lastest quick weight loss programs. Visit http://www.reviewalldiets.com for all of the lastest diets reviews. Download my free ebook Top 10 Diet Myths Exposed at reviewalldiets.com

Miranda Kerr shares her secrets

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:08:41 +0000

How well do you know Miranda Kerr? Did you know that she started modeling in Australia after winning a Dolly/Impulse Modeling Competition in 1997 at age 13?

Interesting Facts about Miranda Kerr

She grew up in Gunnedah, a small rural town in Australia. She is Filipino, Italian, French, and Australian. Miranda went to All Hallows, an all-girl Catholic high school in Brisbane. Miranda studied health and nutrition before modeling full-time. She sticks to a strict organic diet.

She is currently signed by is signed to Maybelline, Victoria’s Secrets, Californian fashion designer Arden B. and Clinique Happy, but she has worked for Levi’s, BabyPhat, Blumarine, John Richmond, Pronovias, Johnson & Johnson, Jets swimwear, Voodoo Dolls, Madeline New York, Lisa Ho and Abercrobie & Fitch, Peter Alexander, Neiman Marcus, Alex Perry, Anna Mollinari, Enrico Coveri and Nicola Finetti. What a list! Miranda Kerr has modeled for modeled in Japan, South Africa, Bahamas, Turkey, New Zeland, London, Paris, Italy, Spain y and Greece.

Miranda Kerr’s exercise routine

According to her trainer, Justin Gelband, Miranda and the other Victoria Secret models work out 3 to 4 times per week for 75 minutes at a time. They spend 30 minutes on their legs, 30 on their core, arms and balance, and 15 minutes on stretching.

A typical gym workout for Miranda is first 5-10 minutes warming up, then she goes for a 5 kilometer run with her trainer. Back at the gym, they do a combination of boxing, resistor balls, and weight work for her legs. She does leg presses, calf raises and leg extension exercises to keep her legs long and lean-looking.

Diet

As for diet, Miranda’s trainer encourages her to eat a lot of healthy carbohydrates and lean protein for breakfast - foods like old-fashioned oatmeal, egg whites, veggies, cottage cheese, muesli, yogurt and fruit. Then it’s salads and chicken or fish for lunch, and a combination of fish, turkey, vegetables and chicken for dinner.

Jennifer Aniston Workout Secret

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:05:10 +0000

Everyone knows how Jennifer Aniston loves yoga. She has been practicing yoga for few years now and that is part of the reason she looks as great as she looks at 40. Recently thought she has been introduced to a new exercise routine that she has incorporated into her fitness. It was recommended by her best friend, former Friends co-star Courteney Cox. Read on for the details.

Late last year Jennifer Aniston started working out with trainer Cameron Shayne, who describes himself as a martial arts master, yoga teacher and lifestyle coach, is a Budokon expert. “By exploring the physical, emotional and spiritual body through movement, diet and meditation, the student works toward achieving truly sustainable health, wellness and personal power.”

He adds of Aniston: “She started with me last summer. But she’s a busy woman so she tries to get in when she’s in town.

“Because Jen’s very laid back. It’s good for her to get some of that fire energy out.”

Who is Cameron Shayne?

A high-ranking black belt in both Olympic-style taekwondo and Okinawan Karate-Do, Cameron Shayne was a martial arts trainer for Renee Russo in the “Lethal Weapon“ series and the fight scene choreographer for Chris Tucker in the “Rush Hour” series. He has trained for more than 20 years in the martial arts, and for nearly a decade in hatha yoga and meditation techniques.

Bullied as a kid and inspired by episodes of Kung Fu on TV, Cameron was drawn early to the martial arts — beginning (against a friend’s advice) with taekwondo and its explosive, spinning kicking techniques. His diverse study, practice and competition in the Eastern arts includes training under the legendary Rickson Gracie in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, yoga training under OM Yoga founder Cindy Lee and Ashtanga teachers William and Patti Asad, and extensive studies in Eastern philosophies and holistic nutrition. His studies inspired him to synergize yoga, martial arts and meditation with whole-foods nutrition and self-mastery coaching to create his holistic Budokon training system.

Now a highly sought-after personal trainer to Hollywood celebrities including Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox Arquette, David Arquette, Meg Ryan, Renee Russo and Amber Valetta, and athletes including U.S. Olympic beach volleyball gold medalist Kerri Walsh. He has worked as a personal bodyguard for entertainers including Sean Penn and Charlie Sheen, and has been sought after by top athletes for peak performance training, working with Sugar Ray Leonard, Carolina Panthers Quarterback Rodney Peat and volleyball pro Cassey Jennings.

What is Budokon?

Budokon is a physically challenging fitness regime with aspects of yoga and meditation. Budokon is designed to “create balance and permanent change in the entire system,” according to Cameron Shayne, the founder of the system. Budokon is influenced by the Japanese martial arts - the name budokon can be translated as “the way of the spiritual warrior” - bu (warrior) - do (way) - kon (spirit).

Budokan is very intensive - it is not uncommon for people to burn up to 900 calories in a session, which is 50% more than a spinning session. And unlike spinning classes, Budokan is dynamic, exciting and far more socialable, like many other martial arts.

Every class involves three disciplines: meditation, martial arts and yoga. The order varies depending on the day, as Ryan believes in working with the mood of the class. This is actually how all good martial arts instructors teach. A class can be planned, but the students’ needs can change from week to week, and a flexible teacher makes a more engaging class. It is inspired by the centuries-old training systems of Buddhist monks and it offers an emotional, physical and spiritual work out. Really Budokon has a very similar philosophy to Tai Chi Chuan and Bagua.

Budokon has not only impressed celebrities, but also professional athletes, including Kerri Walsh, who won an Olympic gold in women’s beach volleyball.

A Budokon warm up is again similar to a martial arts warm up - the joints are loosened and stretched - this helps prevent injury. Then a series of yoga postures, often incorporating elements of the sun salutation routine, are done to help warm the body up.

Budokon has gradings, like many other martial arts, so students can progress. The main thing that makes martial arts such a good way to get fit is that the grading system keeps students motivated and competitive. Healthy competition is essential to avoid becoming bored with a fitness regime.

Budokon has recently started to become more popular in the UK, and Cameron Shayne is aiming for it to become a leading fitness regime in the Britain. “I’d like to see British cities becoming thriving hubs for Budokon. My sense is a lot of people in the UK are like: get up, go to work, go to pub, go home, then get up and do it all again. There’s so much more to life.”

How to Lose Weight Naturally

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:51:18 +0000

<br>Weight loss is not about eating less and exercise more. It’s all about feeling Lose-Weight-Naturallyenergetic.

In present days there are various ways of weight loss, natural weight loss is a much favorable and easy way of doing it.

Because it has fewer side effects & it encourages healthy habits.

    * First & foremost thing is to lower the fat content from your meal. Like dairy products, chocolate, candy etc.

    * Walk daily for a hour at your own pace.
    * Balanced diet is very important for weight loss. You should be aware of the quantity of vitamins, minerals, fat you consumed daily.
    * Drink plenty of water every day, minimum 60 ounces a day. Its helps to improve your constipation related problems.
    * Complete your last meal within 7 p.m.
    * Don’t go to sleep immediately after dinner. Spend some 20-30 minutes & then go to sleep.
    * Try to consume adequate quantities of fresh vegetables & fruits.
    * Concentrate on making your body fit, rather than slim. Ample nutrition is essential for weight loss & being energetic.
    * Sound sleep in very essential for losing weight, reshaping muscles & burning some unwanted fats.

How Lose weight - 12 Lose Weight Tips That Will Help You Eat and Lose Weight

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:49:24 +0000

eat and lose weight

Here are 12 of the best lose weight tips that you can find to help you lose those extra pounds you have:

1. Explore the reasons of why you decided to lose weight, make sure it is for the right reasons.

2. Calculate your calories with no exception, not only is it a practical tool that helps you to find out which foods provides the amount of calories that your body needs, it will also keep you aware of what you eat, when and why.

3. Do not starve yourself in any way, you should always eat. Diet is only a percentage at the war of not being fat.

4. Choose the one really bad thing you eat and promise to by no means touch it ever again. Eliminating it will assist you to achieve your initial pound loss.

5. Do not eat after your evening meal, if you eat before you go to sleep your body won’t rest trying to process the food, while it needs to rest. Wait for you breakfast.

6. Eat only when you actually and physically hungry, stop eating the exact moment you full. It sounds simple but unfortunately it’s not. This way you can really eat and lose weight.

7. Chew a gum. If your mouth is occupied then you don’t think about eating, until you are actually hungry.

8. Drink a lot of water, sometimes it seems that you are hungry, but all you need is a glass of water.

9. Enjoy the food that you eat! Do not turn it into a relief to your pains and bad feelings. For that, find yourself other reliefs.

12 Lose Weight Tips

10. Stop for seven seconds before you consume something. Take 2 minutes to think of what you’re doing and if it really helps you. Think about how really hard it was to learn How Lose weight is possible. and after that time passes you probably will not want it so bad anymore.

11. To balance your blood sugar and your hunger, eat lots of fruits and vegetables with a portion of protein. Do not forget eating a small amount of natural fat too. Try to stay away from processed foods.

12. Keep the positive thinking. Focus on your goal and choose the right foods to eat. Exercises helps in making the change. Depression definitely doesn’t help in any way.

To learn how to eat and lose weight press on this link:
http://womandeal.com/woman/lose-weight/how-lose-weight

Resources:

how to eat and lose weight
Is There A Good Fast Weight Lose Diet that actually works ?
Who said that eating fat is so bad ?

Source:

http://womandeal.com/woman/lose-weight/how-lose-weight-12-lose-weight-tips-that-...

Easy way to lose weight

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:46:00 +0000

Whenever people talk about easy ways to lose weight I often wonder if they really know what they are speaking about. Well, in today’s fast paced world one can see that everybody wants a little bit of everything and yet has not enough time for anything! Weight loss issues have plagued the minds of many, with the increase of salaries one has to put up with an unhealthy lifestyle as well. This gives way to burgers and chips replacing the homemade and healthy food in the larders. With a little time management and will power, you can have things going your way in no time! Check out some of the easy ways to lose weight mentioned below which should help you stop thinking about such weighty issues all the time!

Dieting is fine if done moderately and under the supervision of a dietician. Remember never to go overboard about anything for weight loss. The first and foremost would be to increase your water intake. Drink loads of water and juice and avoid the aerated drinks, which can definitely help you to cut down on a few calories for the day.

Be optimistic about your approach. This is where half the battle is won already! Try to avoid items like butter, cream cheese and mayonnaise in your diet.

Always include small changes in your routine. This will help the body to adjust to the changes more easily. If you can’t stop gorging on those biscuits, cut it down to just one biscuit at teatime. With such little changes, your weight loss issues will seem like a possible task to you.

Do you have any specific interests or hobbies that involve some amount of physical exercise? Running the treadmill may be boring to some after a few months. This generally happens after the initial enthusiastic months spent thinking about weight loss. Therefore, easy ways to lose weight in such cases would be pursuing a hobby you like such as tennis, swimming, running or even dancing. This would help you to look forward to your class or activity rather than going for any gym routine grudgingly. If you have your heart and soul into what you’re doing, the results will obviously show.

Many people make drastic changes in their diets for weight loss, which may not really suit everybody. What you can do is avoid fried food and spicy food. Grill or boil whatever you eat. It may take time for you to adjust, but keep telling yourself the benefits of maintaining this habit.

While eating at home, cut down on the amount of food you place before you. This should be done, since the problem with many is the more food they see, the more they want to eat. Eat because you are hungry and not to satisfy your taste buds. You must always eat only till you feel you have had just the right amount that is required. Anything beyond this is going to show on you.

Have your meals on time. A healthy breakfast should be followed by a complete meal at noon and dinner should be on the lighter side. If you feel the urge to eat in between, you can keep some fruits with you instead of rushing to buy those candies and donuts.

Easy ways to lose weight can also be managed with the help of a friend. It could be your neighbor or relative, this can make the whole routine a fun affair. Join a Yoga class or go for a walk with a friend. You can even meet new people and have more friends. The whole activity will seem like a friendly get-together rather than an over hyped exercise routine, which is visible at most gyms.

One easy way to lose weight would be really treat yourself on a Sunday! This should be done in moderation as maintaining a new diet can be really tough initially and can leave you feeling blue. So, indulgence in moderation can help you tackle weight loss with ease.

Go shopping! I really mean it, get yourself all those gorgeous little numbers and you shall automatically feel motivated to follow your diet plan!

These easy ways to lose weight can certainly help to get started on your routine in a cheerful way. Follow them on a regular basis for a new and healthy you!

How to Lose Weight

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:57:28 +0000

People who have excess weight often need an answer to how to lose weight? Many people suggest different answers to the question of how to lose weight but in the end the method of treatment depends from person to person. People who are obese may suffer from many types of disorders like high blood pressure, high sugar levels in the body, hypertension, gall bladder and gout problems. Hence it is necessary for them to not just know how to lose weight but also strive hard achieve it.

There are many books available in the markets that suggest how to lose weight. All these books suggest alternative steps on how to lose weight as people may not be able to follow all the steps mentioned in the books. E-books on how to lose weight can be downloaded from the internet also. There are nominal charges for downloading the books or the books can be downloaded free of cost.

So how can one lose weight? The best answer on how to lose weight is a good combination of diet and exercise. You should avoid fatty, sugar and oily foods at all costs. You should avoid fast foods like burgers and chips and also pastries, confectionaries, desserts and pastries. You should in fact include plenty of vegetables, fruits and salads in your diet. Include high protein foods like pulses. Also you should limit your consumption of alcohol to just once a month. You should also drink lots of water as water improves blood circulation and also keeps your skin healthy. You can start with light cardiovascular exercises like walking, stationary cycle, swimming, etc. Then you can proceed to doing heavier exercises like weight lifting and weight training. You should keep yourself physically active throughout the day. You can climb uphill or climb the stairs to your apartment.

The most important thing is to keeping yourself motivated. It is observed many people start their weight loss program with lots of enthusiasm but soon lose interest and are back to their own ways. You can also consult your dietician or doctor on how to lose weight. The dietician will generally work up a weight loss program for you after studying your case. It is normally a weekly or a monthly program on how to lose weight. If you follow the program exactly as recommend by the doctor then you can lose weight quickly.

How to Lose Weight by Eating Healthy Food

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:55:13 +0000

If you want to lose weight or maintain your weight you need to get your body used with healthy food. By embracing healthy eating habits you will achieve your weight loss goals faster and easier. You will also fortify your immune system.

In your daily meals you have to include lots of vegetables. If you can eat them raw the better. You also have to eat lots of fruits, whole grain foods, dairies, fish, eggs… Get a balanced, diverse and moderate alimentation.

Everything that you eat during a day should be linked to your metabolism and the daily activities you have planned. Different daily activities burn a different number of calories and need more or less energy. A person who works all day in a cubical needs far less energy than a professional athlete. You have to consume less calories than the quantity you burn during the day to lose weight. Of course you should diminish the quantities of sugar, fats, salt and fried foods you eat. And you have to drink at least 8 cups or 2 liters of water daily.

Never skip eating breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Some weight loss gurus even believe that eating a good breakfast helps us maintain our weight. If you eliminate one of the obligatory daily meals you might not be able to lose weight. You have to eat lots of small meals during the day if you want to lose weight. You should eat 5-6 times a day. That way you will avoid binging.

We all know the food pyramid that scientists tell us to respect daily. At the base of the pyramid you will find cereals, pastas, rice and whole wheat bread. From all these foods you should eat over 5 servings daily. Between 5 and 11 servings. For example for one meal you can eat cereals, for another pastas, bread, biscuits, rice. You can combine them with vegetables for a tasty meal.

Vegetables are on the next step. You should eat between 3 to 5 servings per day of vegetables together with 2-3 servings of fruits.

On the third step you find dairies and fish meat, beans, eggs, nuts and chicken meat. You should eat less than 2 servings of dairies or egg-light meats per day.

At the top of the pyramid you will find all the junk food and fast food together with fatty meats. You should eat just 1 serving or less per day.

I know that the word serving has different meanings from person to person. That is why you should know that a medium sized fruit is what a serving is. A serving of meat is the size of a deck of cards. A serving of pastas fit in a tea cup.

You should also know that in the servings of vegetables potatoes aren’t included. Potatoes are included in the cereal, pasta, bread, rice level because of their high starch content.

I know it’s hard to lose weight and refrain from those fattening delicious goodies. Our taste buds are used and crave junk food and fast food. But your body doesn’t get the nutrients and vitamins it needs form them. All it gets is lots of calories.

Cereals, whole grain foods, dairies, egg yolk, and meat contains chrome. Chrome is a fabulous mineral that helps you lose weight because it helps the energy release process form your cells. It helps your body decompose sugar faster and easier.

Just by eating right you can lose weight. I personally know a few people who succeeded to lose weight just because they started eating healthy food. Eat vegetables at each meal. Eat fruits for snacks. Drink 2 liters of water per day. Stop eating fast food, junk food and everything that is fired. Stop eating sweets and drinking alcoholic beverages. Eat 3 meals per day and 2-3 snacks. That’s it. Start eating healthier food and you will become healthier and lose weight.