The Scientific Way To Lose Weight

There are many products available on the Internet for the purpose of helping you to lose weight. Many different programs and diets are available and the information that they provide is basically sound. But few, if any, take a scientific approach to weight loss or "fat burning". As with everything else, knowledge is power. To know why a body puts on weight (and keeps it on) is a big advantage in the quest to lose weight.

Of course, it is important to have an active lifestyle and to have some form of regular exercise or activity (even if it's just walking) for a healthy heart and good circulation. And exercise is an important part of "staying in shape".

But one of the main reasons why we put on weight, (and it stays on) seems to have been ignored by many of the weight-loss vendors and professionals. An important part of the fat-burning process is the release of fat-burning hormones, which is controlled by the brain. There are basically 2 types of hormones, and they are released after each meal. One controls fat burning and one controls fat storage.

These hormones can be manipulated, so that more of the fat-burning hormones, and less of the fat-storage hormones are produced after each meal. To follow this plan and take advantage of these principles, you would need to eat more than 3 meals a day. Most people would be surprised to hear this - I suppose we are conditioned to believe that food is the main problem, or that it's "the enemy". But that's wrong - food is not the enemy. In fact, if the correct food is eaten, it is the main weapon that can be used in the war against overweight. The technique is known as "calorie shifting" and this is achieved by eating specific foods on certain days. The creators of this program seem to have a good understanding of how food is processed by the body and how the whole fat storage/fat burning process works.

And it is possible to see results from this system in a short space of time. After 11 days you can lose 9 pounds. It's hard to believe that such fast results are possible, but it has been proven again and again. If you have been struggling with weight loss, it could be the answer that you are looking for. There are so many people who struggle with trying to lose weight and they are basically doing the same things over and over, and hoping for a different result.

But the chances are you have not come across a weight-loss program like this one before. And one of the strong points in favour of it is, it's just so different from anything else that's available. It gets to the root of the fat-burning issue and it works. It's known as "Fat Loss 4 Idiots" and you can check it out at the Weight Loss Review site below. Continue reading the article...

Can The Gym Prevent Muscle Gain or Fat Loss?

Japan is a nation that whole-heartedly throws itself into fads. As Japan continues the long march from post World War II and postwar hunger toward greater and greater problems with metabolic syndrome and obesity, more and more Japanese are interested in diets. Like many dieters in the United States and around the world, many Japanese are looking for a quick way to lose weight. Lifestyle change involving more exercising, better dietary habits and fewer calories appear to be far from the minds and actions of many people interested in losing weight. Instead, people are searching for the magic bullet. Recent years have seen diet fads focusing on bananas, natto, and agar.



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The Banana Diet Fad and Other Fad Diets in Japan - By: Tom Aaron
Japan is a nation that whole-heartedly throws itself into fads. As Japan continues the long march from post World War II and postwar hunger toward greater and greater problems with metabolic syndrome and obesity, more and more Japanese are interested in diets. Like many dieters in the United States and around the world, many Japanese are looking for a quick way to lose weight. Lifestyle change involving more exercising, better dietary habits and fewer calories appear to be far from the minds and actions of many people interested in losing weight. Instead, people are searching for the magic bullet. Recent years have seen diet fads focusing on bananas, natto, and agar.

The banana diet has been the most recent. Living under a rock, just like Homer Simpson, I didn't realize how pervasive the banana diet fad was until I stopped by at a local supermarket to buy some bananas. They are usually piled high in bunches of five, six, seven, or eight bananas. Instead I was greeted by the sight of a few bunches, each with three bruised and browning bananas wrapped together in plastic wrap. A large sign over these few lonely banana bunches read only one bunch per customer. I bought some apples instead.

The banana diet was based on eating bananas with room water temperature in the morning and whatever you want during the rest of the day. A pharmacist designed the banana diet for her husband. He lost weight and posted the diet information on Mixi, the social networking service. The banana diet boom exploded. Bananas were rocketing off the shelves and prices went up. I ate fewer bananas for a while. Then, banana consumption seemed to decrease. Now I can easily buy bananas.

Before the banana diet fad was the natto diet fad, propelled into fame by appearing on a television. The television show claimed that natto was the magic bullet. Natto, which is fermented bean paste, is very healthy food, but the TV program made even greater claims. Eat two packs of natto, the first in the morning and the second in the evening, and that would be enough. People could lose weight without any other work. Exercise was not necessary, nor were any changes in diet. The claim was this was all made possible by the isoflavones in natto and something else that caused DHEA secretion. Natto sold out at supermarkets all over Japan.

The natto diet began to fade when the true story emerged: the program simply made up the story. The actual science behind the story was fabricated as was the study that the program claimed to have conducted.

Before the truly amazing and incredible natto diet was the truly incredible and amazing agar diet. Agar is a gelatinous substance that comes from seaweed. You can use agar to make jellies, custards and more. Approximately 80% of agar is fiber. If you eat agar, it triples in size and absorbs water. The agar diet simply required eating a dish of jelly made from agar before each meal. The agar diet also came from same television show as the amazing natto diet.

Going back in time before the agar diet or forward in time from the banana diet will certainly produce another amazing diet. Bananas, natto, and agar all offer health benefits, but none was the magic bullet. Still, hope lives on and millions of people still watch television programs about health and diets, waiting for the next grand solution to the world's weight problem. Who knows? A real magic bullet could be just around the corner.

About the Author

Aaron Language Services (http://www.aaronlanguage.com/ ) offers translation, proofreading, and online English coaching to a primarily Japanese client base. We also provide ESL writing coaching via the Internet.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Tom-Aaron/45759

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4 Quick Ways to Lose Weight

It is possible to lose weight in a matter of weeks without fad diets or starvation. By simply following a few simple rules you can easily lose 10 pounds within the next month. The more educated you are on food types and what the food you eat is made of the sooner you will find quick ways to lose weight. In our modern, fast-paced world there are many food and drink choices that have become an integral part of our life. Often these choices are very normal to us but they will cause obesity and in some cases they may even lead to certain types of cancer. In this article we are going to look at 4 different ideas to help lose weight effectively over the next one month.


Eat Small Meals

As you work to find quick ways to lose weight you should arrange your eating habits to eat 4-5 smaller meals instead of 3 large meals a day. By planning out a series of smaller meals you can reduce hunger cravings and help to avoid overeating. These meals should consist of smaller healthy portions of starch free items and fruits and vegetables that will not only give you nutrition but they will help to detoxify your body. A piece of fruit an hour before a meal also curbs your appetite because of the natural sugars and fiber.

Drink Water

A simple but effective trick and one of our quick ways to lose weight that many people overlook is drinking water. Yes by simply increasing your water intake you can help to flush the body of harmful toxins as well as fats. This works quickly with great health benefits, plus it is easy is to drink plenty of water. Everyone has their ideas of exactly how many ounces of water you should drink in a day, but let’s be practical and say drink a bunch. Get a metal water bottle that is 24 to 30 ounces, keep it full and carry it with you all day. Set your goal to fill it up twice and you will be in good shape. If you drink water before you eat a meal this will help in two ways. One, you will feel fuller and two; you will have the added advantage improved digestion.

Cut Out the Soda!

Wow! This is one that so many people miss. Many people think that drinking diet soda or diet drinks like Snapple etc. are ok because they are diet. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most of these convenient bottled drinks use high fructose corn syrup which in a lot of cases is made with mercury, caustic soda and hydrochloric acid and plays a huge role in the obesity dilemma in this country. Many soda companies have switched from real sugar to high fructose corn syrup in order to save money, but this syrup can be very detrimental to your body’s metabolism. This high fructose corn syrup alternative is slower to metabolize and quickly turns to fat. If you really want to loose weight, improve the look of your skin while being kind to your body you need to abandon the soda ASAP!

Ease into Exercise

All of us have heard that we need to exercise when it comes to losing weight and a fact that many just do not want to hear but it is critical. Exercise is one of the most effective quick ways to lose weightas it is needed to increase the body’s metabolism. If you want to exercise but don’t have the time, simply start at home. You can begin with only a few simple exercises like push ups or sit-ups. I have a tip for you. If you are an unmotivated soul, start off very slowly. First start by doing 10 sit-ups every other day. This will not necessarily give you 6-pack abs but it will introduce you to the sit-up process. Once you are comfortable with 10 sit-ups, then increase your exercise load to 15 then 20 repetitions and keep moving up from there. Keep progressing every 6-8 days. Start slowly and as time goes on if you keep it up you may find yourself doing 200 sit ups every other day. This is a great goal. This will help you to burn calories and fat while increasing your metabolism. If you stay focused you will find that exercise is one of the most effective quick ways to lose weight. Continue reading the article...

Tips on Running to Lose Weight

Running is an excellent way to tone the body, increase your metabolism and loose weight. Running to lose weight will help you to produce a cardiovascular workout that improves the function of the heart and strengthens and tones your lower body muscles. As you run your body will naturally shed unwanted pounds. Some people take up running to loose weight as it can burn calories very quickly. This makes sense as a 150 pound person will burn hundreds of calories an hour while running plus the increase in metabolism will help you to burn calories during the day at an increased rate. If you have been thinking about running to reduce your weight there are some things to think about before you get started.

Jogging benefits the body as does all exercise. When you run or exercise you increase your metabolism or processing of food. This will not only help you while you are exercising it can help you through out the day and even while you sleep. When people focus on running to lose weight their main goal is to process food efficiently so that it does not convert to fat. Running is a premium way of doing this. Running offers more cardiovascular help than merely going to the gym and lifting weights. Many people like to run as it is more scenic and interesting that sitting in a gym. Because you choose your running environment you can run in an area that is interesting with plenty of scenery or even run to work.

Some people worry about running to lose weight as it can put stress on the knees and joints. This is more true for those who are overweight than it is for those that are in shape. If you wear quality running shoes you will find that these problems are not really a concern. The cushioning in newer shoes absorbs most of the shock. Besides once you begin running, the muscles, ligaments and bone density will be strengthened to the point of resisting any additional shock. Running is a great way to increase the bodys overall condition not only skeletally but in a cardiovascular condition. One important thing to learn is that if you are going to start running, make sure to get a shoe that will allow you to run without feeling the shock of the road.

Enjoy Running to Lose Weight

Many people who take up running stick with it for years as it is an enjoyable way to exercise and keep in shape. If you are a runner you will have more freedom in eating as you will burn food quickly. You will also be able to sleep better at night. As long as you do not overdo it, you will feel an overall sense of well being as you run from month to month. The body produces an increased amount of endorphins with exercise that create a sense of relaxation and clarity of mind. If you are running to lose weight, plan out your route and get some well cushioned shoes. Running will help you to greatly benefit your health, build muscles and lose unwanted fat. What more could you ask for. Continue reading the article...

Weight Loss Mistakes – And How You Can Avoid Them

Everyone knows how tough it is to lose weight. The weight-loss industry is a multibillion dollar business, and for good reason. Virtually half of the United States today is considered to be overweight. So if you find yourself needing to drop a few pounds you are definitely not alone. If you are considering starting a diet that you will want to pay close attention to some of the common mistakes people make so that you can avoid them and get the most from your efforts.

Mistake #1 - Trying to lose weight too quickly
The single biggest mistake most people make when it comes to weight loss is trying to lose weight too quickly. It is simply unreasonable to think that weight which took you months or years to gain will come off in a matter of a few weeks.

Realistically, maintaining a weight loss of approximately 1 pound per week is what most experts advise. The reason for this is that the body is less likely to hold onto its fat stores if the weight comes off slowly and steadily. The body has a very sophisticated ability to recognize when it has entered a starvation mode and will do everything he can to hold on to weight so that it can survive. The take away here is that you need to focus on your weight loss over the long run and not just a matter of a few weeks.

Mistake #2 - Eating the wrong types of foods and/or too much food

Junk food is everywhere in our society. It is so easy to eat unhealthy, highly processed foods since they are readily available and taste very good. The problem is that these types of foods are often not very good at keeping you full and also have poor nutritional value. Instead, you should concentrate on eating healthy natural foods in reasonable portion sizes. Although this process will take some time, you should make it a top priority.

Mistake # 3 – Getting too little exercise

Learning to change your eating habits is key to long-term weight loss, but equally as important is the practice of getting regular exercise. Without exercising on a regular basis you will have to continue will be less is your weight goes down. It is not only better for you in the long run to exercise daily but also will give you some leeway in terms of calories. Exercise is not a free pass to eat whatever you want but within reason you can get away with the occasional treat if you are a regular exerciser. Continue reading the article...

Diet or fat loss - Significant differences fat and lose weight healthy

When you step on your bathroom scale every morning, what will be the reading of the scale is weight loss and not fat loss. Bathroom scales are never accurate in determining fat loss.

Why? Because the measures of its total weight, not body fat by itself. If you weigh in the morning before breakfast after your bowel movement, you will probably get your lowest reading of the day because your body is dehydrated through hours of non fluid replenishment when sleeping and after emptying your bowels, more water and debris are washed away to the point that they are lighter than they are. After a night of sleep and not eating anything, your carbohydrate store is running low, and therefore it is lighter without the stored carbohydrate known as glycogen. What happened then? You not only lose weight! The fat of your body is still there, while the weight of other substances such as glycogen, wastes, water is scarce, and so on.

Now go back weight after dinner when it is fully replenished through meals and consumption of water and may be surprised that you may probably weigh 2kg or more weight and that is at least 4.4 pounds ! Just gained weight or even fat! Now you can see that is a misnomer when people think weight loss and fat lossv are the same thing.

You should know why the difference? Because for most of us, especially those in the fat to lose fat and do not necessarily want to lose weight. Getting the drift?

Now, for the most important part. Simple lose weight can cause loss of muscle and, in turn, make you gain body fat later. Yes, it is ironic. This is because the greater muscle mass you have, rather than burn fat efficiently because muscle is active tissue and the calories it needs to operate. Body fat sitting there doing nothing and thus do not burn calories on its own. Therefore, the less muscle you have, the fewer calories your body will burn. The lowest number of calories the body burns more calories to be stored in the finished body fat! Therefore, it is important to lose fat but not limited to weight loss that can include loss of muscle tissue.

How is it possible that a person may lose muscle on a weight loss program? Well for a start, we commonly hear about people going on this diet and the diet. Most diets demand a severe restriction of food or calorie intake. Your body then the signal to your mind that you are in a starvation mode and your body is designed to store fat for the impending famine and muscle energy use in their daily activities.

Some argue for a severe reduction of dietary carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are your body's primary source of energy. When your body is depleted of carbohydrates, becomes your protein (muscles) and body fat indiscriminately for energy. Now, to make matters worse, due to restriction of carbohydrate consumed, there will be fewer carbohydrate calories to be used as energy calories and that the signal again, starting again the way of starvation . The vicious cycle of your body cannibalizing its own muscle starts again. The same applies to people on slimming pills or salon fat loss programs.

So some people say well, Chris, I see your point, so I will just do a lot of cardio exercises to lose weight. Another serious error. Have you ever wondered why marathon runners, who run many kilometers often and are doing cardio exercises almost everyday are so skinny with no muscle tone? Because your body is a wonderful machine. It is designed to adapt. When you run or skip or swim long enough, that is, look, I better light so you can take the stress better and improve endurance. Guess what? Your muscles are heavier than fats and what is going to throw her body more when you want more light? Muscle or fat? His body, but to shed even more muscle to fat.

Anyway, why would you like to lose weight only to become a little more than the same body shape without muscle tone? Why would you like in a weight loss program that eats your muscles and reduce your fat burning rate so that when you are out of the program, the fats come piling back?

Therefore, while you are on a lose weight program, it must also be in a muscle building program. This will mean a combination of proper eating habits, cardiovascular exercises and weightlifting exercises to maintain muscle preservation and a fat loss result.

From now on, tell the people in a fat loss program and not a lose weight program. That is a correct eating habit instead of just dieting.

With the distinction clearly in mind, you know how to lose fat effectively, preserve and grow muscle while losing weight on your bathroom scale. That would be an ideal way to achieve their goal due to the loss of weight to lose body fat and muscle instead of mere body wastes.

Continue reading the article...

What do Proteins do?

We know we need proteins for dietary nutrition and that we can get them from food sources like beef, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, nuts and seeds or legumes. When we eat these foods, the stomach and intestines work to break it down into amino acids. It is the amino acids that are reused in the body to form the proteins that the body needs. But what is it that they do in the body? Scientifically, proteins are large organic compounds comprised of amino acids that are arranged in linear pairs. The compounds are joined together by peptide bonds of carboxyl and amino groups of adjacent residues of amino acids. In layman's terms they are important in the overall health condition of a person. The functions of proteins in the body vary from regulation of body functions, the growth or repair or even replacement of tissues, production of hemoglobin and the creation of hormones or enzymes. They even work to remove toxins from our body by signalling cells to remove damaged tissue and then to repair the damage. Proteins are the foundation on which our bodies are based on and built from.

Proteins that assist chemical reactions and do not alter through that reaction are enzymes. Some proteins act as chemical messengers by travelling from tissues or organs and back again or to another. These are known as hormones and some take part in important regulation of bodily functions such as insulin, which regulates the release of glucose into the bloodstream. In fact, the first insulin protein that was discovered was the insulin protein.

The enzymes are responsible for deciding which cells will be doing what function and when to do it. It is the enzymes that make sure, through chemical reaction, to cause the cells to function at a certain time and place. If the enzymes were not supervising all of the actions taking place then dysfunction would occur and body function would not take place correctly or balanced and we would be in a serious situation.

Most proteins are flexible and can open or close, change shape or twist and bend. The reason for this is so that they can grab and then release or they can pull and push. These abilities of proteins are special in itself and can cause a great motivation to the functions in the body.

The chemical reactions that proteins are responsible for require oxygen in order to burn the nutrient for conversion to energy that the body can use. The studies of how proteins accomplish this are quite involved even to experts, but much is known about them. There are thousands of proteins just in the metabolism pathways alone.

The blood usually is the carrier for hormone signalling to the cells in the body. One nerve cell will signal to another nerve cell in some occasions. Interactions between proteins are usually done within signalling pathways in a cell.

Proteins are necessary for the core functions in our body and without them our body would be in complete disorder. Humans are largely composed of proteins and they are everywhere in our body performing the regulatory duties. Continue reading the article...

8 Ways To Drop Weight Now

In this world that we live in there are two types of people, those who can diet easily and those who get frustrated because the diet does not seem to be working. What do they do, they abandon the diet or start a different one and never see it through to the end.

There are 8 ways to drop weight now. What i mean by drop weight now is that these are very effective and results can be felt as quick as two weeks.

So here they are:

Switch to low carb and low fat foods.

Just doing this will immediatly switch off the fat makers and switch on the fat burners. Examples of low carbs are whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Simple carbs or high carbs are fast acting sugars that increase blood sugar. Then they make your blood sugar fall rapidly thus making you hungry soon afterwards.This will make you eat or binge on simple carbs again.

Start an exercise program.

And not just any exercise program.You should do exercises that work major muscles at the same time using multi joints. This will crank up the metabolism and make you start to drop weight now.

Exercise on an empty stomach.

It is best to exercise on an empty stomach. Why? Because when you walk up in the morning your carboydrates(glycogen stores) are very low so when you work out you will be using fat as fuel to power the workout.

Don't eat carbs after 6pm.

That's true. We are mostly sedentary in the evening either in bed or watching tv or at our desktops twittering etc. So it makes sense to not eat carbs at this time because it will not be burn't and will just be stored as fat.

Avoid Alcohol if you can.

I know this is a hard one to adhere to especially during festive periods. But the reality is that if you drink alcohol say goodbye to the goal to drop weight now.

Drink Plenty Of water.

Even a little dehydration will slow down the weight loss process. Thats why it is essential to drink at least 8 glasses a day. drinking water will not only make you drop weight now but it will give you energy to get through your exercise program.

Visualisation.

What the mind can conceive and believe the mind can achieve. What i mean by this is that if you always picture yourself as a slim person your subconscious mind will galvanate you into action to achieve that goal.

Get 8 hours sleep every night.

You need sleep. And you need at least 8hours every night. It is during sleep that you lose weight and burn fat. Continue reading the article...

Simplest Way to Lose Weight - The Calorie Shifting Diet

The simplest way to lose weight is to undertake a diet regimen that yields maximum fat loss while affording you the greatest degree of flexibility, a minimal effort to sustain, the greatest ease of comfort, and the shortest path to dietary re-adaptation.



The Calorie Shifting diet demonstrably meets each of the aforementioned criteria.

Yields maximum fat loss - You can reasonably expect to lose approximately 9 pounds for every 11 days of dieting. That is an average of just shy of 1 pound of weight loss each and every day.

Affording you the greatest degree of flexibility - You get to create your own customized diet, personalized and tailored to your own likes and your own appetite. The diet consists of a balanced variety of foods from all four good groups that you can select from. It also allows you the flexibility to eat as much food as you desire at every meal until you are completely satisfied, but not too full. As the diet requires you to eat four full meals every day, you have the freedom to eat those four meals in any order you choose throughout that day.

A minimal effort to sustain - The diet is easily sustained because any tendency to cheat on the diet is mitigated by the features and flexibility built into the diet itself, with the dietary options available at your disposal.

The greatest ease of comfort - You never starve on this diet. You never feel dissatisfied and have your cravings for certain food groups go unfulfilled. In fact, one of the uniquely distinguishing features of this diet is that you are required to take a mandatory 3-day break from the diet every fortnight (every 2 weeks) during which time you are allowed to eat whatever you want. This 3-day break provides the impetus to stay motivated to succeed, since this mini-reward is built into your diet as an incentive.

The shortest path to dietary re-adaptation - It is easy to adapt to this diet because you do not have to cut out any particular food groups or calorie types such as carbohydrates or breads. You do not even have to cut down on the quantity of your food either. The only adaptation required is that you must be willing to eat your meals in such a way that the calorie types are shifted from one meal to the next, over the course of each day.

Based on an assessment of the criteria above, it goes without saying that the Calorie Shifting diet is indeed, demonstrably the simplest way to lose weight. Continue reading the article...

Here Are 4 Suggestions For Quick And Easy Weight Loss

Weight loss is on of life’s most difficult challenges for most people. Not only is weight loss hard, but keeping it off is even more difficult. There are many different weight loss methods, however, not all methods will work for everyone. Simple exercise and diet for some people is all that is required – these are the lucky ones. Some other people will have to work much harder at it and may even need some weight loss supplements.




Do not accept weight loss advice from your friends or relatives. Sometimes this advice can actually harm your health. You need to take responsibility for yourself and choose your own weight loss method. For those of you who have chosen the route of traditional exercise and diet, read on as I will give you some really helpful tips.

1. Avoid junk foods as much as possible: If you eat a lot of junk and processed food, then you can forget about weight loss altogether. These foods are very high in calories and will always cause weight gain. Try as much as you can to eat healthy. If you keep a good stock of fresh fruit and vegetables in your house and no junk food, you won’t be continually tempted to eat the bad stuff. Cooking your own meals will really help you to stick to healthy foods. Limit your saturated fat and sugar intake to an absolute minimum.

2. Eat more frequently and in smaller portions: Eating large meals infrequently will not serve you well when it comes to weight loss. If you were to eat, let’s say 5 or 6 small meals each day, then your weight loss will proceed more efficiently. Each time you eat, your metabolism rises and this helps your body with fat burning. Additionally, you won’t develop that nagging hunger as much in between meals.

3. Cut back on your calories but don’t deprive yourself. Ultimately, you need to eat less calories than you burn if you want to lose weight. Start out slow and decrease your calories by a small amount every day. As you cut back your calories, don’t completely cut out your favourite treats. If you do, you will likely binge eat and this will be a setback for your weight loss efforts.

4. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of exercise. Even if you hate exercise, you are going to have the force yourself to do this. Weight loss without exercise is extremely difficult. Working out builds your muscle mass and speeds up your metabolism. Your body will burn a lot more fat if your metabolism and muscle mass are both going up. Try to increase your physical activity all throughout the day. For instance, if you need to go to the corner store, walk instead of driving. Use stairs whenever you can in place of elevators.

In summary then, the easiest way to lose weight is through simple exercise and dieting. If you can’t make this work, you should probably consult with a doctor. Your doctor may advise you to take some sort of weight loss pill or even surgery. Continue reading the article...

Weight Loss – Ways & Means to Achieve Targets

Your attitude towards weight-loss is of prime importance for the effective integration of strategies. A winning formula would be to put in place achievable weight loss goals for short duration as well as for a considerable period till your goals are met. You also must incorporate a system wherein you can put an eye on the advancements made in realizing your aims and fine-tune the process as required.

Decide on achievable goals

Reasonable interval be allowed for the end result; otherwise the chances of giving up the attempt at weight loss is substantial.

Are there ways to reach sensible objectives?

- Bear it in mind that weight loss is a protracted process

Professionals in this discipline believe that a weight-loss of ten to 15 percent is feasible. As such for a person having weight of 100 lbs, the target is attained when he loses five to ten lbs.

A reasonable target should be a weekly down-turn of 500 to 1000 grams to remain fit.

How to compute

Your estimation of the requirement of time should be rational. To bring down your weight by 10 lbs, the program should be of three months’ duration.

180 days are required to attain weight loss of about twenty lbs.

This calls for a cutback in energy requirement from five hundred to One thousand everyday, which you could achieve by reducing food intake or by workouts or doing either program. 1000 grams produces about 8000 calories. As such a reduction of five hundred calories everyday will result in bringing down about 1000 grams in 15 days.

- Target for short duration

Concentrate on losing weight in phases of 2.5 lbs instead of 10 lbs to stir your enthusiasm. Your everyday target should be to traverse the day by going through a ‘less-intake-routine’. This way, you will be able to stride forward every day.

Another rationale for the gradual decrease in the sustenance of weight-loss is that it will provide you enough time to implement fresh behavioural patterns which is a requirement for weight sustenance.
Give attention to changing your behavioural pattern as this will let you reach your target effortlessly.

Take Charge

- Check on your improvement

Methodically watch your improvement by writing down your weight measure everyday. Ideally you should take your weight everyday or at regular intervals. You also need to ascertain deviations and making allowances depending on the intensity of everyday workouts you have done for reaching the goal.

- Fine-tune your activities

Maintenance of food-dairy will help you lose weight twice as much

You can bring down weight without a dietary regimen: Studies advocate ten approaches.

Weight-Loss: Recommendations of Health Consultants

- Make another study to reach the goal

In case you are unable to achieve your target, the problem could be overestimation of your goal compared to the food intake and the quantity of calories utilized.

The requirement here is for healthier alternatives of victuals to be applied to your everyday routine so that improvements take place and you will prevail.

Even after all these, if you observe increase in heaviness, alter your objective to continuance of the same weight regime instead of weight-loss. Progressive decrease in heaviness can be perceived if you continue to maintain the same weight for a period. Continue reading the article...

Easy Weight Loss For Teens--Unwilling Heavy Weights

Nobody wants to be a heavy weight – not especially during the teenage years. Being overweight has been found to cause clinical depression in a great number of teenagers. Teenagers who are on the heavy side are almost always the subject of teasing and taunting in school and in social gatherings. Just when one’s self confidence and self esteem is in a fragile state, such social treatment can wrek havoc on a teenager’s psychosocial development. As concerned parents, there is something that you can do to help your teenagers have a positive self image and a high level of self esteem. There are ways for easy weight loss for teens. You can start with a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle.

How you eat and live at home plays a great part in how your children do the same outside the home. Eating healthy at home to start with can influence your children’s food choices when they go out. An awareness and understanding of the benefits of eating fresh, low fat, low preservatives, and low salt food can get your children on the right track. A small bag of chips is fine occassionally and not as a regular fare. Serve healthy home cooked meals and pack them a lunch pack for school so that your teenagers are not snacking on junk food and fast food.

You can also consult with a physician and a nutritionist to get you and your teenager on the right footing. Your physician could recommend an anti-obesity medication such as Orlistat to help eliminate fat from your teenager’s system. Such medication is available through online pharmacies. You can save a lot of money by going for generic medication in these online pharmacies. There is no difference in the potency of these medications versus those expensive brand name drugs sold in retail pharmacies. With the same active ingredients, these generic medication can result in the same easy weight loss for teens and adults as well. Continue reading the article...

Slimming liquids – The latest entrant in the slimming world

Since obesity and overweight problems have neared pandemic like proportions in the UK, most people are on a quest of the best slimming options. There is no dearth of slimming options but there is definitely a dearth of effective slimming options. Most slimming pills, gums, patches and teas in the market do not live up to people’s expectations. Some of them do work but it is as difficult to find them, as it is to find a needle in a haystack. One product that has really stood out and has taken the world by storm is Valie of Switzerland’s slimming liquid.

Valie of Switzerland is a trusted company that has a vast range of products for cosmetic purposes. Their latest invention for slimming purposes is slimming liquids. You can get the slimming liquids or get a combo of slimming liquid and cellulite cream.

Slimming liquid supplement

This slimming liquid is made up of natural supplements for weight loss such as green coffee, green tea, yerba mate, guarana and cola nut. These natural extracts are combined together to make a potent blend that boosts the metabolism and activates the body’s heat producing process. Thus, it can help the body to take more energy from the stubborn fat deposits resulting in more fatty acids being burned. The process of burning fats is known as thermogenesis, which happens in the body naturally too when we eat, shiver due to cold or work out in the gym. The slimming liquid helps you to lose weight naturally without eating, hitting the gym or sitting out in the cold.

Benefits of slimming liquids

The main benefit of taking Valie of Switzerland’s slimming liquid is that it complies with the strict guidelines of BDIH and the Association of German Industries and Trading Firms. These associations look over pharmaceuticals, health care products, food supplements and personal hygiene products. You will find BDIH seal of ‘Certified Natural Cosmetics’ on the slimming liquid, which ensures that the product has met highest standards and are really effective and natural.

The new slimming liquid helps you to burn fat cells in the areas affected by cellulite and reduces the appearance of orange peel skin. It also tones your silhouette making you look younger and slimmer. Yet another benefit of slimming liquid is that the metabolism is activated, allowing you to lose weight faster. It means that now your exercises will yield results faster and you can get a greater looking body in a much easier way. Slimming liquid is the easiest and the fastest way to combat cellulite.

Slimming liquids in the UK

If you think that amount of slimming liquids in the UK matches the amount of pills and drugs, you have to think again. There is only one slimming liquid in the UK at present and it is even certified by BDIH. So now, you don’t have to go hunting for various options for slimming liquids in the UK and can get the most effective and safe product without any hassle of research and price comparison. WeightWorld has exclusive rights for sale of Valie of Switzerland slimming liquid in the UK and you can get the latest revolutionary product for weight loss from one of the best websites in the UK for weight loss solutions.
Continue reading the article...

Reduce Tummy Fat, Ways to Look Slim again

Losing those last vanity pounds is always tough, especially when it’s tummy fat. Starving yourself or eating less won’t do the trick. It has to be a combination of portioned, nutritious meals along with daily exercise. Sticking to a diet and exercising can be difficult, but is necessary in order to shed those pounds!

More and more people are worrying about losing that extra tummy fat standing between them and a sculpted midriff, especially now that summer has returned. Since summer is here, along with thoughts of fitting in a bikini, people mostly think how to reduce their tummy most compared with anything else. Of course there is good news. The process can be accelerated by tummy exercises.

This is great for both men and women. I hope women who go to the gym at least give this one a try before saying it’s not for them. What you do is take a medicine ball and lift it over your head with both hands on it. Then from that overhead position, throw it against a wall as hard as you can. Stand about 8 feet away from the wall. Pick up the ball and repeat for a total of 3-5 minutes non-stop.

There are two types of fat around the midsection area. The first type is the subcutaneous fat which lies directly beneath the skin and on top of the abdominal muscles. This type of fat covers the abdominal muscles from being visible. The second type is the visceral fat which lies deeper beneath your muscles and surrounds the abdominal organs. Both fat types contribute to serious health risk factors, but visceral fat is even more dangerous as it releases more inflammatory molecules into your body. This means that performing only abs exercises WILL NOT help you much since visceral fat will not burn away

Calorie shifting will show you how to alternate the calories from the foods that you eat on a daily basis (which is custom designed for you with a diet generator provided from the program) so that way you will be able to boost your metabolism to the highest point possible. Your metabolism is elevated with calorie shifting because you are confusing your metabolic rate since your metabolism is used to a certain types of foods and certain times of the day you eat. When you alternate those things, this will cause your metabolism to elevate exceedingly. The higher your metabolism, the faster you will be able to burn fat and lose weight!

Going on and off diets is a sure fire way to fail at losing body fat. Going on and off diets is one of the major reason for yo-yo weight loss and weight gain. Every time you go off a diet back to your old habits, you invariably gain back the weight you lost, and sometimes, a little extra. For a diet to be successful, it cannot be too restrictive so that you will not have a difficult time staying on the diet. Continue reading the article...

Weight Loss Exercises: How to Achieve Success

Experts are of the opinion that obesity is not only due to eating a lot but also due to lack of exercises. Exercise is a physical activity that keeps us moving like walking, gardening or dancing. Exercises are of two types namely muscle building (anaerobic exercises) and fat burning exercises (aerobic exercises).

Muscle building exercises are movements against resistance like weight. It is targeted at each muscle group, consisting of ten repetitions. It should be repeated one or two times. Another one is a fat burning exercise. It consumes large number of calories. This includes swimming, jogging and walking. As far as walking is concerned, it will be more effective only if we walk long distances regularly. Then the calories will be reduced resulting in weight loss. Walking for weight loss can be counterproductive if it is not done smartly and regularly.

Getting started is the most important thing in weight loss exercise. We can start it anywhere like walking for five minutes in our dwelling place. But, if we are really serious about losing weight we should commit more time to it. Ensuring regular exercise depends on the will, determination and motivation but other things are adequate sleep (getting adequate sleep will help in exercising for that day without wearing off quickly), walking (it is healthy to start with a thirty minute walking program for 5 times a week) and tread mill (this has the advantage that the speed can be increased if we want a vigorous exercise and can be used when we do not get the time to go out)

Thermogenics is a process in which during aerobic exercises the temperature of the body is raised thereby burning the unwanted fat in our body. Running is an exercise, which generates heat. But swimming is not a good example of Thermogenics because body temperature does not increase while submerged in water.

Even without going to the gym or using costly equipment, we can earn the benefits of being physically active. It is also advisable to consult dietician who will guide us to decrease the calories without foregoing the foods we enjoy. The most important thing for weight loss exercise is time commitment. To be successful in losing weight, exercise for half an hour time, thrice a week is compulsory.

Weight loss exercises will make us feel far better everyday. Exercising will give a dramatic difference. It increases our energy level, improves our mood and gives a better sleep. We can live longer with proper food and exercise. Continue reading the article...

How to Lose Weight Healthily and Keep Fats Off Permanently

Burn The Fats And Keep Them Off Permanently!

How many times have you heard a friend say, "I am on a diet"? Then what happens is your friend would lose some weight for a while before putting them all back on again.

I'll bet you have also heard someone said that "Cardio exercise is the best way for losing weight". This person would then religiously pound the treadmill but results are agonizingly slow. Soon, he gives up and gains back all the weight he had lost, and sometimes even gaining some extra kilos!

Ah, so you thought you've finally found the answer to permanent weight loss. You went on a strict diet and ran your heart out. Yes, you dropped kilos real quickly. But somehow, something is wrong when you look into the mirror in your birthday suit.

Yes you have lost some weight, but somehow your body shape isn't as flattering as you would like it to be. And then suddenly, you hit a plateau. No matter how strict your diet and cardio workouts are, your weight just simply refuses to drop any further. Then horrors of horrors, your kilograms actually started piling on! You get disillusioned with the unrewarding program and soon you succumbed, gave up and blame it on your bad genes. Sounds familiar? Why???

Here's why. Firstly, the heading of the article said "Burn The Fats" and not "Lose Weight". My point is, by merely losing weight, you will also lose some muscle mass in the process. By losing muscles, you will lose body tone and thus your metabolism for burning calories will slow down correspondingly. Therefore, you have got to maintain or even build muscles while losing fats. You may even gain some weight because muscles are heavier than fats. See the paradox?

To lose fats and keep them off permanently, you have to combine healthy eating habits, incorporate cardio exercises and lift weights to build muscles. For every kg of muscles you pack, you will burn an extra 70-100 calories per day even without doing anything. Can you imagine the benefits of building up 5kg of extra muscles? You will be burning 350 to 500 extra calories a day even if you just laze around. You'll be burning a Big Mac everyday! To further illustrate my point, 1 kg = about 7,700 calories, thus if you burn 500 calories a day because of the extra muscles you have, you will be burning off about 1 kg every 2 weeks simply because of your higher metabolism rate! You'll also look good, healthy and well-toned too! Is it any wonder why body builders eat so much but do not put on fats as easily?

Everyone knows that intensive cardio and strict diets cause you to lose muscle mass along with fats. So while you will lose some weight at the beginning, you will look like, well, just a smaller version of you without any muscle tone. That's not what we want isn't it?

As you lose more and more muscles, your metabolism plummets. On top of that, your body will start conserving fats and 'eat' your muscles for energy because it is reacting to your strict diet and is now in the "famine" mode. What happens then is that you will hit a plateau and no matter what you do, you will not reduce anymore weight and your fats will start creeping up again. This, in a nutshell, is the 'yo-yo' dieting effect that we hear so much about.

Losing fats is simple. And notice that I said 'simple' but did not say that it is 'easy'. My pointers will be simple to understand, but the execution will take determination and discipline on your part. It is a lifestyle change to keep the fats off permanently and you will be glad you did because you will get used to the changes in only a few weeks. By then, it will become a cultivated habit for you, especially when you are rewarded with a fitter, healthier, hunkier and sexier you, together with a glowing complexion to boot!

Here is how you do it. Simply, losing fat just means you must burn more calories than you consume. Period.

Lift weights with compound exercises. Forget those puny biceps and triceps curls. Go for big muscle groups like legs, back and chest routines. Why? Because you are working with bigger parts with more mass, and that means more body muscles are working, translating into more calories being expended. If you are fit, do giant sets (4 or more exercises or sets with no rest in between sets or exercise).

Here's an example. Lift only one set of each exercise with no rest in between the exercises. Choose a weight of about 60%-70% of what you normally lift and go for at least 25 reps. Lift more if you can or until your muscles are fatigued, then stop. Leave the gym. The whole routine should not take you more than 40 minutes. But remember to warm up thoroughly and cool down with some light movements and stretching.

After thoroughly warming up, start with squats, then dip, bench press, barbell row and military press. Sounds simple? Not so. You will be huffing, puffing and sweating profusely. What is achieved? You will have combined a cardio workout with a weightlifting workout and your metabolism will burn for the next several hours. Do this 3 times a week with at least a day's rest in between lifting days.

After 4-8 weeks, change the sequence of the exercises. So if you usually squat first, then squat last. Then after another 4-8 weeks, change some of the exercises, like substituting squats with dead lift, or bar bell rows with lat pull down. This is to shock your muscles so that they continue to adapt and grow.

For cardio, go for a run first thing in the morning before breakfast. If you are jogging at normal speed, sustain the jog for at least 45 minutes. If you are running at 65% to 80% of your maximum heart rate (you will be panting and unable to sing or complete a sentence while running), then 20-30 minutes will be enough. Anything more than that may cause muscle break down. You may intersperse the speed with slower jogs in between to catch your breath. Do these 5-6 times a week.

Eating habits? Just eat less of what you normally eat. For example if you have 2 slices of bread with 2 eggs in the morning, now take just one slice and an egg. Just eat half of what you eat but eat more regularly. Have 5 to 6 meals a day if you can. This is to feed your body frequently so that it will not go into starvation mode and start to conserve fats. At the same time, it will boost metabolism because your body burns calories while digesting the food. Chuck away all soft drinks, sugared drinks and stop adding sugar into your coffee and tea. Just by abstaining from sugary drinks, you may already have gotten rid yourself of 200 calories per day. Drink plenty of water instead and double the amount if you can.

Oh, by the way, all work and no play make Jack a dull tired boy and an exhausted Jill. Do choose a day to relax a week. No exercise on that day. Indulge in your favorite food if you must. Hey, pat yourself on the back and reward yourself for passing another grueling week. After all, your body needs to recover too.

As you reach your fat loss goals and you are happy with your muscular development, you can then take things a little easier. Hit the gym less frequently, have shorter runs and even relax a little in your diet. Because of your greater musculature, your body is now a fat-burning machine. You have earned that luxury.

Simple? Sure. But do you have the determination enough to lose those fats and keep them off permanently? It's your call folks! Continue reading the article...

Low-Fat + Exercise = Weight Loss

Written by Christopher Ayu

Reducing your saturated fat intake is only part of the healthy body formula. You need to burn more calories than you consume in order to avoid having that excess food stored as body fat. That's where exercise comes into play.

These exercise tips can get you started on the road to losing weight and keeping it off:

* Always check with your doctor before starting an exercise program. This is especially true if you have, or are at risk of having, heart disease, diabetes, or you are seriously overweight.

* Practice moderation by beginning with light and low impact exercises like walking, and gradually increase your intensity as your body begins to become conditioned to increased activity.

* Aim for at least 30 per day of light cardiovascular activity each day. You don't have to do all 30 minutes at once. You can spread it out over the day if you want to.

* Easy to do exercises include walking instead of taking the car on nearby errands. Take the stairs instead of the escalator when you're going to the office or shopping at the mall. Take a walk during lunch time.

* Start doing things that are both fun and provide exercise. Gardening, bike riding, window shopping downtown.

* You can make exercise more enjoyable by wearing headphones and listening to music, or doing your exercises with a friend.

Here are some dietary tips that can change, or save, your life:

These foods have been linked to various health conditions including cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease. Not all of these foods have been linked with all of these conditions, but each of them are worth avoiding when possible.

* High in saturated fats, these foods should be avoided at all costs: All saturated fats and oils found in butter, lard, palm and coconut oil, bacon grease.

Replace these foods with: Soft margarine (no fat kind), olive, safflower, soy, corn, canola, and peanut oil.

* These foods contain trans fatty acids and/or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and should be eaten only in very limited quantities: Hard margarines, most snack crackers, most cookies, corn and potato chips, shortening.

* These meats contain high levels of fat and can cause serious arterial blockage and heart conditions. They should be eaten very sparingly: corned beef, pastrami, pork and beef ribs, beef steak, ground meat, most frankfurters, pork sausage, bacon, liver, kidney, and processed deli meats.

Replace with these foods with skinless chicken or turkey, turkey or chicken frankfurters, ground turkey, occasional lean beef, veal, pork, lamb, fish, and vegetable dishes including beans, peas, pasta, or rice.

* Try not to eat more than 2 oz of meat, fish, or poultry per day. Replace the rest of your meal with healthy vegetables, pasta and rice.

* Be careful of fat that's hidden in dairy products. Drink either fat-free or 1% milk. Replace other dairy products like cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, and snack cheeses with their no-fat or low-fat versions.

* Avoid eating high fat snack crackers, cake, cup cakes or muffins, and replace them with low-fat baked versions. Continue reading the article...

Benefits of a High Fiber Diet

Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol and high in fiber are associated with a reduced risk of certain cancers, diabetes, digestive disorders, and heart disease.



Diets low in fat and rich in fiber-containing grain products, fruits, and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancer.

Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol and rich in fruits, vegetables, and grain products that contain fiber, particularly soluble fiber, may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

Diets low in fat and rich in fruits and vegetables, which are low-fat foods and may contain fiber or vitamin A (as beta-carotene) and vitamin C, may reduce the risk of some cancers.

Found only in plant foods, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds, fiber is composed of complex carbohydrates. Some fibers are soluble in water and others are insoluble. Most plant foods contain some of each kind.

Some foods containing high levels of soluble fiber are dried beans, oats, barley, and some fruits, notably apples and citrus, and vegetables, such as potatoes. Foods high in insoluble fiber are wheat bran, whole grains, cereals, seeds, and the skins of many fruits and vegetables.

Fiber's Health Benefits

What can fiber do for you? Numerous epidemiologic (population-based) studies have found that diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol and high in fiber are associated with a reduced risk of certain cancers, diabetes, digestive disorders, and heart disease. However, since high-fiber foods may also contain antioxidant vitamins, phytochemicals, and other substances that may offer protection against these diseases, researchers can't say for certain that fiber alone is responsible for the reduced health risks they observe, notes Joyce Saltsman, a nutritionist with FDA's Office of Food Labeling. "Moreover, no one knows whether one specific type of fiber is more beneficial than another since fiber-rich foods tend to contain various types," she adds.

Recent findings on the health effects of fiber show it may play a role in:

Cancer: Epidemiologic studies have consistently noted an association between low total fat and high fiber intakes and reduced incidence of colon cancer. A 1992 study by researchers at Harvard Medical School found that men who consumed 12 grams of fiber a day were twice as likely to develop precancerous colon changes as men whose daily fiber intake was about 30 grams. The exact mechanism for reducing the risk is not known, but scientists theorize that insoluble fiber adds bulk to stool, which in turn dilutes carcinogens and speeds their transit through the lower intestines and out of the body.

The evidence that a high-fiber diet can protect against breast cancer is equivocal. Researchers analyzing data from the Nurses' Health Study, which tracked 89,494 women for eight years, concluded in 1992 that fiber intake has no influence on breast cancer risk in middle-aged women. Previously, a review and analysis of 12 studies found a link between high fiber intake and reduced risk.

In the early stages, some breast tumors are stimulated by excess amounts of estrogen circulating in the bloodstream. Some scientists believe that fiber may hamper the growth of such tumors by binding with estrogen in the intestine. This prevents the excess estrogen from being reabsorbed into the bloodstream.

Digestive disorders: Because insoluble fiber aids digestion and adds bulk to stool, it hastens passage of fecal material through the gut, thus helping to prevent or alleviate constipation. Fiber also may help reduce the risk of diverticulosis, a condition in which small pouches form in the colon wall (usually from the pressure of straining during bowel movements). People who already have diverticulosis often find that increased fiber consumption can alleviate symptoms, which include constipation and/or diarrhea, abdominal pain, flatulence, and mucus or blood in the stool.

Diabetes: As with cholesterol, soluble fiber traps carbohydrates to slow their digestion and absorption. In theory, this may help prevent wide swings in blood sugar level throughout the day. Additionally, a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health, published in the Feb. 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, suggests that a high-sugar, low-fiber diet more than doubles women's risk of Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes. In the study, cereal fiber was associated with a 28 percent decreased risk, with fiber from fruits and vegetables having no effect. In comparison, cola beverages, white bread, white rice, and french fries increased the risk.

High-fiber diets may help blunt the effects of smoking and other risk factors for heart disease.

Heart Disease: Clinical studies show that a heart-healthy diet (low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and high in fruits, vegetables and grain products that contain soluble fiber) can lower blood cholesterol. In these studies, cholesterol levels dropped between 0.5 percent and 2 percent for every gram of soluble fiber eaten per day.

As it passes through the gastrointestinal tract, soluble fiber binds to dietary cholesterol, helping the body to eliminate it. This reduces blood cholesterol levels, which, in turn, reduces cholesterol deposits on arterial walls that eventually choke off the vessel. There also is some evidence that soluble fiber can slow the liver's manufacture of cholesterol, as well as alter low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles to make them larger and less dense. Researchers believe that small, dense LDL particles pose a bigger health threat.

Recent findings from two long-term large-scale studies of men suggest that high fiber intake can significantly lower the risk of heart attack. Men who ate the most fiber-rich foods (35 grams a day, on average) suffered one-third fewer heart attacks than those who had the lowest fiber intake (15 grams a day), according to a Finnish study of 21,903 male smokers aged 50 to 69, published in the December 1996 issue of Circulation. Earlier in the year, findings from an ongoing U.S. study of 43,757 male health professionals (some of whom were sedentary, overweight or smokers) suggest that those who ate more than 25 grams of fiber per day had a 36 percent lower risk of developing heart disease than those who consumed less than 15 grams daily. In the Finnish study, each 10 grams of fiber added to the diet decreased the risk of dying from heart disease by 17 percent; in the U.S. study, risk was decreased by 29 percent.

These results indicate that high-fiber diets may help blunt the effects of smoking and other risk factors for heart disease.

Obesity: Because insoluble fiber is indigestible and passes through the body virtually intact, it provides few calories. And since the digestive tract can handle only so much bulk at a time, fiber-rich foods are more filling than other foods--so people tend to eat less. Insoluble fiber also may hamper the absorption of calorie-dense dietary fat. So, reaching for an apple instead of a bag of chips is a smart choice for someone trying to lose weight.

But be leery of using fiber supplements for weight loss. In August 1991, FDA banned methylcellulose, along with 110 other ingredients, in over-the-counter diet aids because there was no evidence these ingredients were safe and effective. The agency also recalled one product that contained guar gum after receiving reports of gastric or esophageal obstructions. The manufacturer had claimed the product promoted a feeling of fullness when it expanded in the stomach.

Recent research suggests that as much as 35 grams of fiber a day is needed to help reduce the risk of chronic disease, including heart disease. A fiber supplement can help make up the shortfall, but should not be a substitute for fiber-rich foods. "Foods that are high in fiber also contain nutrients that may help reduce the risk of chronic disease," Saltsman notes. In addition, eating a variety of such foods provides several types of fiber, whereas some fiber supplements contain only a single type of fiber, such as methylcellulose or psyllium.

To fit more fiber into your day:

Read food labels. The labels of almost all foods will tell you the amount of dietary fiber in each serving, as well as the Percent Daily Value (DV) based on a 2,000-calorie diet. For instance, if a half cup serving of a food provides 10 grams of dietary fiber, one serving provides 40 percent of the recommended DV. The food label can state that a product is "a good source" of fiber if it contributes 10 percent of the DV--2.5 grams of fiber per serving. The package can claim "high in," "rich in" or "excellent source of" fiber if the product provides 20 percent of the DV--5 grams per serving.

Use the U.S. Department of Agriculture's food pyramid as a guide. If you eat 2 to 4 servings of fruit, 3 to 5 servings of vegetables, and 6 to 11 servings of cereal and grain foods, as recommended by the pyramid, you should have no trouble getting 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day.

Start the day with a whole-grain cereal that contains at least 5 grams of fiber per serving. Top with wheat germ, raisins, bananas, or berries, all of which are good sources of fiber.

When appropriate, eat vegetables raw. Cooking vegetables may reduce fiber content by breaking down some fiber into its carbohydrate components. When you do cook vegetables, microwave or steam only until they are al dente--tender, but still firm to the bite.

Avoid peeling fruits and vegetables; eating the skin and membranes ensures that you get every bit of fiber. But rinse with warm water to remove surface dirt and bacteria before eating. Also, keep in mind that whole fruits and vegetables contain more fiber than juice, which lacks the skin and membranes.

Eat liberal amounts of foods that contain unprocessed grains in your diet: whole-wheat products such as bulgur, couscous or kasha and whole-grain breads, cereals and pasta.

Add beans to soups, stews and salads; a couple of times a week, substitute legume-based dishes (such as lentil soup, bean burritos, or rice and beans) for those made with meat.

Keep fresh and dried fruit on hand for snacks. Continue reading the article...

Planning for the Atkins Diet

When it comes to the Atkins diet, your success will lie in your planning. Making sure you have the proper foods on hand when you begin your diet will go a long way toward your ongoing weight loss. There are many suggestions for Atkins diet meals in the Atkins books, and there are plenty of resources online for Atkins and low-carb recipes.



Planning your meals and snacks will be an important part of your life when you are on this diet. That advice really goes for any diet. When you eat whatever you like, you gain weight. Your current weight and health problems are a direct result of letting your eating habits go unchecked for so long.

As with all diet plans, becoming used to the Atkins way of eating is going to take some time and adjustment. The standard American diet relies heavily on carbohydrates and other restricted foods. Many people grew up on carbohydrate heavy favorites like spaghetti and meatballs, meat and potatoes and pasta casserole. It is going to take some effort and patience to get used to eating in an entirely new way.

There are two different approaches you can take in adjusting your diet. You can find replacements for your favorite foods with mock carbohydrates. For example, lasagna made with eggplant or zucchini instead of pasta is much more carb-friendly than the regular variety. Spaghetti squash noodles make a good substitute for spaghetti noodles. There are also many low-carb or carb-free replacements for bread, pasta and sugar products.

The second approach is to find out how to make new recipes that center around meats and other low-carb foods. There are a wide variety of meats that are acceptable on the Atkins plan. If you are used to just eating ground beef or chicken on a weekly basis, you'll be surprised by the variety of meats that are out there. Try incorporating pork, lamb and ham into your weekly routine. You can also experiment with game fowl like Cornish hen, quail and pheasant. If you've never been a fan of fish, try a different variety. Some people who don't like trout find they have a love of salmon or another fish. Don't forget shellfish like mussels, clams and shrimp. These foods are all acceptable and can add variety to your diet.

Make sure to have some easy to prepare foods on hand for snacks and quick meals. For example, thin sliced cucumbers, radishes and celery mixed with lemon mayonnaise makes a great low-carb meal or dinner salad. Fried peppers, mushrooms and garlic served on arugula with feta cheese is another good option.

Research and try out different low-carb recipes so you have a good base of knowledge of what to prepare for meals. The most important step you can take in losing weight is planning. Getting a good arsenal of easy to prepare meals will prevent you from hitting the drive through or going to a restaurant and breaking your diet.

If you have delicious food to look forward to everyday, you'll be less bored with your diet. Even during the restrictive induction phase, there are many food combinations that you can use. At first glance, the vegetable and meat options may seem restrictive. But this is only in comparison to what you have been used to eating. With a little planning and creativity, you can find something interesting to eat everyday. Continue reading the article...

Find a Weight Loss Program That Works For You

Millions of people struggle with weight issues every year-and despite claims that a wonder diet can "work for everybody", the fact is that each of those individuals have a medical history, a personality, or a lifestyle issue that affects whether or not that weight control technique will help them shed those pounds.

But while nothing works for everybody, there is something that will work for you... and the challenge is to find it, identify it, and stick to it.

For some people, appetite control is extremely difficult. Some weight loss programs try to tackle that problem by delving into the psychological issues behind food (these are the total lifestyle body makeovers, whose techniques include keeping a food journal and coming to terms with one's body image). Others address the problem through metabolism, introducing or removing certain foods in one's diet that are said to either trigger appetite. Still others, like diet pills, act as appetite suppressants. Other programs rely on nutritional substitutes, like heavy shakes that make one feel full and provide adequate vitamins and minerals, while reducing calories.

For others, it's not appetite that's problematic, it's the kind of food they eat. Certain diet programs give very strict diet regimens that promote weight loss, because of the way the body digests the food. Some are short-term, meant to shed pounds over a limited period of time; others are long-term lifestyle changes. The success of these diet programs depend largely on the person's weight loss goals and level of commitment. Needless to say, if you just want to drop a dress size for your wedding, you may not be ready to go into something long-term. But if you have health problems, and need to control cholesterol levels, then a short-term solution would not be very effective.

Other weight loss programs are closely tied with exercise routines. Of course, not all exercise regimens will appeal to an individual; some would find yoga interesting, while others would prefer something like belly dancing. The idea is that one picks what is most interesting to them-the more fun and enjoyment they derive from a routine, the more likely they will stick to it.

The mistake that many people make is that they don't consider their own lifestyle or personality when they try a diet or exercise regimen; they go with what everyone else is doing, or jump on the weight loss bandwagon on the premise that it worked for so-and-so. While it's okay to experiment with different regimens (wouldn't hurt to try anything once), ultimately it is a search to find what is personally appealing.

Another secret to maintaining a diet or exercise regimen is to have very clear and realistic goals. "Be thin" is too general to be meaningful; pinpoint a number, and a date: "Lose 15 pounds by September." And to avoid discouragement, that goal must be humanly achievable and should never compromise with one's health. If a diet makes one dizzy, or radically affects one's ability to be fully alert and functional, then stop immediately.

Luckily there is a wide variety of weight loss regimens. There's bound to be one that will help one meet one's goals and match one's lifestyle. Continue reading the article...