Best Way To Lose Weight

The highly respected Medical Letter calls it "unbalanced, unsound and unsafe." The Council on Foods and Nutrition of the American Medical Association refers to it as a "bizarre regimen without any scientific merit." The chair of the board of the New York County Medical Association describes it as "unethical and self-aggrandizing."

If you're wondering what these people are talking about, it's "Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution" whose author, Dr. Robert C. Atkins, was the subject of congressional hearings by Senator George McGovern and his Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs.

Atkins was not a nutritionist but a cardiologist. He became interested in diets while working as a medical consultant for the American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T) in 1963. Concerned about his weight, he studied several medical journals and textbooks before coming up with his so-called "diet revolution" in 1964. His popular book followed eight years later.

The secret of staying slim, he claimed, is to eliminate carbohydrates from the diet and to eat a lot of fat. In his diet plan, he said you can eat as much as 5,000 calories daily, sit around all day, and still lose weight.

All this is possible because a high-fat and no carbohydrate diet cause the body to release ketones, unburned chemicals that are the products of fat metabolism. Since there are no carbohydrates to burn as fuel, the body reacts by secreting a fat-mobilizing hormone (FMH) which, Atkins explained, burns fat.

By creating an induced state of ketosis (or elevated levels of ketones in the blood) similar to that found in diabetics and those who fast, Atkins said anyone can eat as much fat and protein as he wants without worrying about his weight. This is because ketones, which are made from body fat, are used instead of carbohydrates. These substances, he added, are also being sneaked out of the body in the urine and breath, making weight loss even faster.

Following this diet for a week will supposedly enable men to lose seven to eight pounds while women will lose five or six pounds. After this, you may gradually add carbohydrates to your diet until the body stops releasing ketones. This is your critical carbohydrate level which you should maintain to continue losing weight. That, in a nutshell, is Atkins' diet revolution.

There are many reasons to be skeptical of Atkins' claims. First, he claimed he treated about 10,000 patients with his diet but he never published any studies about this - hardly the kind of reaction you'd expect from a man with a revolutionary idea.

"A frequent criticism leveled at Dr. Atkins is that if, indeed, he discovered a new nutritional principle, the proper place to announce and explain it would have been in a medical journal or at a medical meeting. Dr. Atkins did neither," revealed Theodore Berland in Consumer Guide's "Rating the Diets."

Atkins argued that it would be much too expensive to do that, considering the number of subjects. Ironically, he didn't mind the thousands of dollars he poured in legal fees to defend his book and his theory. Second, no "diet revolution" appears to have taken place. The concepts Atkins espoused - that of a high fat and low carbohydrate diet - were popularized in Great Britain by a coffin-maker over a hundred years ago. Third, most of the weight loss caused by this diet is due to water not body fat.

The high intake of cholesterol and saturated fats which Atkins recommended can make one susceptible to heart disease and some forms of cancers, according to Kurt Butler and Dr. Lynne Rayner of the University of Hawaii in "The Best Medicine." Furthermore, the state of ketosis which Atkins required for the dieter to maintain weight is dangerous. It can lead to coma and death. True enough, the revolutionary doctor developed a heart condition in 2000 and died three years later.

If you're concerned about your weight, don't fall for dangerous diets. Consult a reliable doctor for the right advice. To help you lose those extra pounds, taking a supplement like Zylorin may help. This powerful fat burner will enhance your diet and exercise program. Check out http://www.zylorin.com for details.

Janet Martin is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premiere online news magazine http://www.thearticleinsiders.com

posted by tips-for-losing-weight36843  # 10:47 PM 0 comments

For many people losing weight is not so much the problem as keeping it off. You may find that you have the willpower to stick with your diet and reach your target weight. But although you feel great having achieved your goal, somehow the weight always creeps back on.

The fact is to lose weight permanently you need to make permanent changes to your lifestyle. After all your lifestyle made you overweight - so if you don't change that lifestyle you'll get right back to your overweight state no matter how much weight you lose.

1. Set your standards

Decide right now to stop putting up with the standards you've set for yourself so far. Is how you treat your body and how you spend your time really how you want to live your life? Are you satisfied with how you are looking after your health? with the food you eat? with your energy levels?

You don't have to put up with a flabby out-of-condition body, junk food and lack of physical activity. You can have a life where you eat delicious nourishing food all the time, where you have plenty of energy, a sparkle in your eye and a spring in your step and where you are toned, fit and healthy.

Decide right now to raise your standards and play in a new league.

2. Squash your limiting beliefs

You may want to change your lifestyle but you'll never succeed unless you believe you can. Failed diets and abandoned exercise regimes (and maybe you've had many of those) can destroy your confidence in being able to make changes. But actually all you need is the right strategy and anyone can succeed at making quite far-reaching changes without backsliding.

If you've not succeeded before you just haven't found a way to make changes which is right for you. It doesn't mean you can't ever succeed.

Start by imagining yourself living to your new standards. How will you look, how will you move and how will you feel? Become comfortable with these images so that they will feel less and less foreign to you. The more you use your imagination the more you start to accept in your subconscious mind that this could be a realistic future for you and it will give you the motivation you need to make changes.

3. Make changes stick

We all have a comfort zone which consists of everything that we are used to in our lives. To make permanent changes that you are happy to stick with forever you have to expand the things you are comfortable with.

The problem with standard diet and exercise regimes is that they ask you to make huge changes all at once - they have you stepping miles away from your zone of comfort. If you are happy making drastic changes - go ahead. If you can stick with it you'll lose weight quickly and permanently.

But chances are you've tried this - probably many times - and although you start out with great intentions you just can't keep those changes up. It's no wonder - because they work right against human nature. The secret of making changes permanent is to expand your comfort zone gently. Make one or two small changes and get used to them before you try and change anything else.

Only you will know the scale of the changes you're happy to make and how long you'll need before those changes feel like part of you. Research suggests it needs about 21 days to form a new habit.

If you create new healthier habits one after the other in this way, the weight loss will follow automatically. And because you have become comfortable with each change you will lose that weight permanently too.

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach, slimming club owner and author of "The Diet Exit Plan", an 8 week coaching program for automatic permanent weight loss. Request her FREE 15 page report "How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn't want you to know" at http://www.SimplySlimming.com TODAY!

posted by tips-for-losing-weight36843  # 10:38 PM 0 comments

I was 25 pounds over my comfortable weight and had been trying to lose for many months. I was very conscious of what I was eating, but did not want to suffer on a restrictive diet. So, I was letting myself have special treats "once in a while". My attempts at losing weight just were not making the scale budge at all. What was the deal?

What I later realized was that the 'once-in-a-while's add up quickly! I knew that I rarely ate 'junk food' like candy bars or cakes, donuts or desserts. So I figured having them once in a while wouldn't do much harm. I had an almond joy one day in January because I knew it had been at least six months since I did anything like that. I had a piece of birthday cake at an office party later that week because I almost never ate cake at home. I had dessert out at a restaurant that Friday night because it was extremely rare that we would order anything after dinner. I had french fries on the side when we ate out on the weekend because I knew it was so seldom I ate them. But in doing so, I neglected to realize I had added another third of a pound to my body weight over just that week!

My warped sense of 'dieting' went on through the months; observing what I ate, observing the scale not budging. "I can drive through McDonald's today on my way to the library because I haven't eaten here in at least two weeks". "We can order chinese food tonight because it's been three weeks since we did that". "Ordering a pizza sounds convenient for dinner, and I know we haven't had pizza for almost two weeks". "Donuts? I almost never eat them--I'll just have a little treat today". Another pound not lost that week.

Think about how many times you are eating a food that you know is too high in calories to allow you to proceed with your weight loss regimen. Most of the clients I meet with have the same story as I did: Shaking their head, they tell me "I rarely eat fast food, pizza, desserts, cookies, chips--Maybe just once in a while". Chances are, you may be eating a "once-in-a-while" food once a month, and you may have 30 of these foods on your list. That means every day you are eating one of these foods you know are not a good idea to eat. Every day you are adding 300 or 400 calories to your dietary intake. That means if you stop having these calorie-dense foods, you can lose three or four pounds this month! Not by dieting, not by starving, not by adhering to a strict regimen. Just by thinking about these splurges and going one more day without them.

My suggestion is to have a 'once-in-a-while' day' once a week. Choose a day you'd like--let's say Sunday. Your plan is, Monday through Saturday you watch what you eat, make healthy choices, have plenty of fruits, vegetables, water, lean meats, low fat dairy products, whole grain breads and cereals, and very low calorie desserts like diet jello or a 100 calorie package of cookies if you get a sweet tooth. Sunday you can have your 'once-in-a-while' treat: order a pizza, go to a chinese restaurant (I did not say buffets, there!), enjoy a piece of homemade pie or cake at a family get together, go out for breakfast, or go to your favorite fast food place and enjoy one of their meals (not super-sized, of course). Choose ONE of these treats and relish the taste, knowing you were not ingesting all this fat and salt during the week, and knowing that truly having this food you like just once in a while is not unreasonable and will not make you fat.

Then go back to your well-balanced healthy eating habits on Monday, knowing you satisfied your craving and you can enjoy another treat next weekend. It's not about deprivation, it's about moderation!

Write to me and let me know how you're doing! Laurie Beebe is a registered dietitian certified in adult weight management. Laurie has transitioned into diet coaching which helps dramatically by allowing people to set their own goals and design their own action plans to start their path to success. Please visit Laurie's website, "Shaping Your Future" at http://www.mycoachlaurie.com for diet tips, links to great books and websites, to sign up for a free monthly newsletter, or for more information on coaching.

posted by tips-for-losing-weight36843  # 10:38 PM 0 comments

You might wonder if your thyroid is to blame for your excess weight. If you suffer from weight gain you might want to make sure that your problem is not caused by a thyroid condition. Amongst the various medical problems on a rise, it is sure is among the top few.

For example, a sluggish thyroid reinforces the digestive problems that cause acid to accumulate in your body. Thus, even if you haven't been diagnosed with the disorder, it's important to check your body's overall pH level and take dietary and other steps to reduce the acid level in your body. If you are considering treatment options which create an elevated level of thyroid hormone in the blood, it is important to note this can be quite dangerous and can create more problems than it solves.

For a truly effective and easy weight program to work in the presence of thyroid disease, it is worthwhile to consider combining hormone treatment with an exercise program and a healthy diet. Women who are diagnosed with hypothyroidism can manage their weight gain by undergoing treatment to correct the levels in the blood.

Hypothyroidism is a condition caused by it not producing enough hormone. From the research seen in the last 20 years, it's clear that the thyroid gland is your body's own yellow canary. We need a new approach to the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. If you are experiencing several of these symptoms, a trip to the doctor to discuss the possibility of thyroid disease is definitely warranted.

Many of the symptoms associated with it being under active are fatigue, weight gain, decreased interest in daily activities, difficulty in maintaining concentration, sleep disturbances, cold extremities, and abdominal bloating. When thyroid function slows too much, one of the consequences is that metabolism in the body slows down more than it should.

The symptoms also occur when there is an inadequate secretion of hormones resulting in a slowing down of the body's metabolism. L-Tyrosine is one of the amino acids that your body needs to make the proper hormones.

Mike Dejona is an expert in weight loss and has posted more free tips and articles at http://www.lossweightprogramsite.com/Easy-Weight-Loss.php

posted by tips-for-losing-weight36843  # 10:30 PM 0 comments

The truth is that following a healthy diet is the best way if you want to undergo a safe weight loss. Your body needs certain amount of calories every day to have enough energy for daily activities. Hence, starving yourself is not the best way to lose weight. You simply have to make sure that you eat a moderate amount of calories and ensure that you burn off more fat than you have actually consumed for efficient weight loss. There are some weight loss tips and tricks you can follow to achieve safe weight loss.

Overeating is often triggered by depressing emotions such as stress, boredom, loneliness, anger. Learn to deal with depression without the help of food since it is a significant trick that will greatly serve long-term weight control. It is a very important point to remember when planning for weight loss to achieve a better life and a healthier you. If you want to lose weight permanently, then you have to select an efficient weight loss program, which can be followed without much effort.

An efficient weight loss program will provide you with a balanced and complete diet. Your assignment is to set realistic and safe weight loss. Make healthier food selections like fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals, low fat or nonfat dairy products, low fat meats, fish and skinless poultry. It is always better to avoid foods that are high in fat, calories, and foods that are high in sugars such as pastries, candy bars, pies and candy.

In fact exercise is the best way to lose weight permanently because as you become more active, your body will need more fuel. By choosing an aerobic exercise to lose weight, it will increase your heart rate and this will burn off more body fat. Aerobic activity will help you burn off the stored body fat and this leads to a safe weight loss. Your metabolism increases and this becomes the efficient weight loss program for life.

To lose weight is important, but it is more important to live a healthier and happy life, and a healthy life starts with healthy food. Being aware of your overweight problems and a simple beginning will go a long way to help you lose weight. Hence, if you want to lose weight permanently, it is by having healthy diet and focusing on feeling good. You can follow these weight loss tips and tricks, which can be used for easy weight loss.

Since we are bombarded with so many weight loss methods, one question emerges, "how can we classify that a weight loss program is effective without having to try and risk our money?". I guess the only way is to read a honest feedback and opinion from a regular person who only care about weight loss. Healthy Food is a MUST to lose weight and live healthily.

People tend to buy pills to reduce their fat, it is not necessarily to risk your health because there are natural ways to reduce your fat. Refer to weight loss methods in order to find more details.

Ivy is a mother of three. She never succeeded in losing weight despite trying many so called proven weight loss methods until she found the secret methods. Find out her secrets at How to lose weight naturally and healthily.

posted by tips-for-losing-weight36843  # 9:32 PM 0 comments

I am about to reveal a strategy that can help you lose up to ten pounds in five days. How to lose five pounds in ten days is a great thought, but I prefer ten pounds in five days, and I am sure you do to. Here is the path to successful weight loss.

There is a strategy called juice fasting that can easily help you lose weight quickly and naturally. This is a strategy that is very healthy for your body and has a lot of other benefits.

Basically you will start with a 3, 5, or 7 day juice fast. Depending on your level of self discipline will depend on how long you can go on a juice fast. I started with a 3 day and have worked up to a 7day juice fast.

You are going to need to purchase a juicer and search online for some great juice recipes. You want all your juices to be from a very natural source and you will want to have plenty on hand. Juice fasting is when you only drink juices, water, and tea for a specific amount of time.

This is great for the body and great for weight loss. I have dropped as much as 12 pounds over a 7 day period with a juice fast. It is very healthy to lose weight this way and when you go back to regular eating your appetite will be curbed, which will allow you to cut more weight and keep it off.

As always make sure to consult your doctor before you start a new diet or workout plan. While juice fasting do mainly aerobic exercise and make sure to take a whole food vitamin. Also, make sure to get regular sleep and plan for a short nap the first day or two. It won't be easy, but you can do it.

Lose weight fast with the Top Weight Loss program Online. Take 10 pounds off in 10 days and start today!

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posted by tips-for-losing-weight36843  # 9:24 PM 0 comments

A simply analogy that describes cellulite is skin that appears to have a cottage cheese appearance. The lumpy appearance of the skin is actually deposits of fat and/or water that are trapped in the connective tissue beneath the skin. The most common areas for cellulite to develop are on the hips, buttocks, and thighs.

Causes of Cellulite

Cellulite develops from a number of reasons. The main causes though are circulation problems, water retention, and dietary factors that include food additives, chemical preservatives, & hormones. In addition, lack of exercise, excess ingestion of saturated fats and sugar and poor hydration are other factors in developing cellulite.

Reducing or Eliminating the Appearance of Cellulite

There are ways in which you can reduce or even eliminate cellulite. However, to rid your body of this condition will take discipline to exercise. Below is a fitness program to get you on your way to better looking skin.

As with any exercise program, a warm-up is required to reduce the threat of strain or injury on your muscles. A good warm-up exercise could be 15 minutes of aerobic dance, and some general stretching.

After you have done your warm up, you are ready to begin your exercise regiment. The first exercise should be strength exercises or weight training. Start out with lightweights and then as your program progresses, raise the weights to a higher level.

Recommendations for exercise are to do at least 15 minutes of strength exercises. In addition, you should do 10 repetitions of each exercise for the targeted area. After completion of 10 repetitions, you should do a few stretching exercise for about 20 seconds. Stretching out the targeted muscle will increase flexibility and increase strength. Increasing strength will build muscle thus eliminating cellulite.

For example, if your thighs are the problem area, use exercises that are designed for the thighs. These could be leg lefts or side leg lifts. In addition, there is exercise equipment exclusively made for thighs.

If cellulite is on the buttocks, there are a number of ways to eliminate it. Doing lunges or squat exercises would be one way. Moreover, to increase the effects of your exercises, consider adding weights to you ankles or holding weights at your side. Exercise machines are another possibility to get you on your way to reducing or eliminating cellulite.

There is no easy cure for cellulite. Reducing its appearance or eliminating it altogether takes some work and dedication. A good exercise regimen will not only improve your cellulite, it will promote a sense of well being and improved health all around.

For more information about cellulite, visit Cellulite.

posted by tips-for-losing-weight36843  # 7:24 PM 0 comments

Youre likely to look at this list of foods and be left feeling restricted and not knowing how you are going to manage without these foods. When you remove these foods it can leave a gaping hole in your eating plan. I believe that this is one of the main reasons that people go back to eating the foods that they really want to reduce. When you feel stuck and unsure about what you are going to eat, habit will have you going back to foods you used to eat becomes its easier. I would suggest that rather than following a restrictive diet and considering a list of foods that you need to cut out in order to lose weight, that you first discover some healthier choices in foods. Make these healthier options as interesting and enticing as you can. When you have these healthier foods available to you in a way that you enjoy them, then you can decide which ones they will replace in your usual eating plan.

I can remember once a restrictive diet that said you could only eat red meat a maximum of 3 times a week. Although this is a sensible approach to eating healthier and losing weight, I remember wondering how on earth am I only going to eat red meat 3 times, what would I eat instead? The recommendation was to eat chicken instead and although I like chicken, I wasnt sure that eating chicken every day would keep my interest in food and stop me from going back to foods that werent so healthy. It was definitely something I struggled with and yet now I rarely eat red meat. I would say that one of the main reasons for this is due to discovering a huge variety of foods that are healthier and I enjoy. I would suggest that before you look at the foods that you arent going to eat or reduce them, that you first focus on finding one new food, menu or recipe that is enticing to eat. When youre ready to replace that food then I encourage you to go ahead and make that change.

What I want for you is plenty of healthy food choices.

Wendy helps and motivates people to lose weight. Click to her site http://www.weightlosscoaching.com to read more weight loss articles.

posted by tips-for-losing-weight36843  # 7:15 PM 0 comments

Many women today are working to improve their overall health and appearance, while focusing on increasing some of their best assets. Right now, the rump is getting a lot of attention and I've got a list of the best machines that will help you improve your, ahem, best assets.

The Treadmill - It doesn't matter if your are jogging or walking this machine will get your on your way to a curvy and firm behind. If you choose to job make sure that your heels are hitting the ground first. If you choose to walk, increase the incline so it simulates walking up a big hill. The treadmill is the most effective machine for working out your glutes, even more than the stair master.

The Elliptical - This machine is great for a cardio workout! Did you know that this machine will activate about 32 percent of your glute muscles? Its true, stick your butt out a little while on this machine and push down with your heel as much as possible. You will defiantly feel the burn!

Spinning - Using an upright stationary bike while sitting farther back on the seat and pushing the pedals down forcefully will get your butt in gear in no time! If you are spinning, stand up and stick your butt out while leaning forward. This method only activates 6 percent of your glute muscles, but is a great workout overall.

Take the stairs - A stair stepping machine is a great tool for increasing the strength in your legs and bringing your butt up to new heights! This machine will activate about 24 percent of your glute muscles, all you have to lean forward slightly at the waste and take longer steps, try taking two at a time if you can manage it. And let go on the rails!

What are you waiting for? Go get your rump shaking!

Check out The Fat Loss 4 Idiots Diet - The best diet for getting your rump in shape much faster. Remember it doesn't matter how much you exercise if you aren't eating the right things!

I also recommend Turbulence Training & WorkoutPass for exercise you can do at home without cardio equipment.

posted by tips-for-losing-weight36843  # 7:12 PM 0 comments

Yeah, we've all heard about how to achieve fast weight loss. "Exercise for as little as 8 minutes a day and lose 20 pounds in 4 weeks!". Claims like this have been around for many years. You buy this junky gizmo and get incredible results for only $19.95! Or, you buy this $2000 piece of cardio equipment and the weight will melt off! Let's be real here. Do you really think losing weight is this easy? If it were, everyone would be in great shape and the obesity epidemic would be nill. Sure, some of this stuff will work, but results will be limited.

The real question with popular home gym equipment is how well are they built. They certainly aren't as durable as the commercial equipment at your local gym. What a lot of these companies bank on is the fact that you'll use it for 8 weeks or less and then turn it into a coat hanger.

Sorry, I got a little off topic. Back to the nitty gritty. Fast weight loss does not come by a small level of commitment, taking a pill, or using only a specific piece of equipment. It's a factor of lots of hard work, discipline, a correct nutrition strategy, and possibly some form of supplementation.

There, I said it. No, I'm not going to tell you it's easy and will come with little time and effort. This seems to be the "American Way" with everything we do in life. Unfortunately, very few results will come by following any fast weight loss strategy. I've mentioned the following before, but feel they may need to be reviewed once more.

Fat Loss Program Needs

1. Weight Training - This is probably the most important area of concern besides nutrition. If you understand anything about the human body, you'll know that efficiency is of utmost importance. This is the "survival mechanism" and applies heavily to weight loss efforts.

For example, let's say you've started on a restricted calorie diet. This tells the body to use it's energy stores (fat) and minimize energy usage (muscle). Without weight training, the body will degrade muscle tissue because of it's high energy cost. In turn, this will slow the metabolism down and cause results to eventually plateau. Lost muscle mass, GASP!

2. Nutrition - Definitely, the most important aspect of a fat loss program. If you consume too much food, it's gonna take a whole lot of exercise to lose weight. I'm talking a 24/7 affair with small improvements made. So, it makes sense to reduce/control caloric intake.

This can be accomplished through popular nutrition strategies such as Adkins, The Zone, South Beach, Low Fat High Carb, etc. Understand, however, that fast weight loss will not and should not take place. The goal should be around 1-4 pounds per week depending upon body composition and body weight. Any more than that and chances are you're losing muscle and plenty of body water.

My personal belief is that quality of food needs to be addressed first. This means minimizing processed foods and returning to more natural sources. Following this, I've found that the overweight population doesn't do well with carbohydrates. This is especially true as the day wears on. Nutritionist's call this "nutrient timing".

The body is better able to utilize carbohydrates early on in the day when testosterone levels are highest. As the day progresses, levels diminish and carbohydrates are more easily stored as fat. In individuals with higher body fat, this window is even smaller. UGH!

3. ESD - This is also a very important area that needs to be addressed. For fat loss, energy must be consumed through activity. Unfortunately, in this technological age, this cannot be accomplished through ADL's or Activities of Daily Living. We work jobs where sitting dominates and automobiles provide any and all transportation. Many also rely on steady-state cardiovascular methods while I tend to believe that relying on higher intensity activities, such as sprinting and intervals, will produce faster results.

4. Supplementation - Supplements tend to be relied upon too heavily when embarking on such a goal. They are just what the name states, a supplement to your diet program. In other words, having a crappy diet with tons of supplements will get you nowhere!

Some supplements I recommend and have been found by research to help with the effort include: fish oil, post workout shakes, a multivitamin, and possibly a stimulant of some kind.

I hope you don't get drawn in by the fast weight loss gimmicks and realize it's going to take time and energy to get where you want to be. Go join a gym and get to work!

Paul Yost is the Owner/Operator of Paramount Training Systems, a personal training company based in Houston, TX. He also works as a Strength and Conditioning Coach in professional baseball. Find more about his services and information at: http://www.paramount-training.org

posted by tips-for-losing-weight36843  # 7:06 PM 0 comments

so can you really drink water to lose weight? Well in short the simple answer is yes. You can indeed drink water to lose weight for a few reasons. Water acts to suppress your hunger and it can also raise your metabolism a little. Combined with a low fat diet its simple to see that you should increase your water intake.

Drinking water throughout the day can actually act to suppress your hunger. Another thing is sometimes you mistake your hunger for thirst. I know this sounds crazy but its actually true. So I can already hear a lot of you out there saying "hey I can tell the difference between when I'm hungry and thirsty!"

This may be true to a certain extent, we all obviously know we are hungry when we have not had anything to eat all day right? Its much harder to tell sometimes though when we are just a little hungry, and your body can actually make you think your hungry when your actually thirsty.this is why you should drink water to lose weight.

Another reason water works to help your weight loss efforts is because it can actually raise your metabolism a little. Your stomach has something in it so it gets to working, but nothing major. Its certainly better then having an empty stomach though, plus it can act as a filler just because sometimes in your stomach. So drink water to lose weight and you will be one step closer to your weight loss goals!

John is a self proclaimed Weight Loss Enthusiast. Hurry and you can get a step by step weight loss ebook and see a powerful weight loss method at his site at his site http://www.weightlossrocket.com and even more info on why you should Drink Water To Lose Weight

posted by tips-for-losing-weight36843  # 4:44 PM 0 comments

You've probably heard it a hundred times before but I will say it again, incidental activity is very important in the process of losing weight as you can burn more calories than relying on dietary means alone.

Fat is burned from the body when cells oxidize to release energy in the form of exercise or movement. When the exercise is done slowly to moderately then the majority of energy is taken from the fat stores.

The loss of fat comes from fat cells all over the body, not from one or more specific area's so spot reduction of a certain area is not possible. The main priority of this article is to show you the quickest and safest way to lose fat from the body.

The key to effective aerobic training that burns off the maximum amount of fat is long-term consistency not intensity. It doesn't matter if you run a mile, jog a mile or walk a mile you will burn exactly the same amount of calories.

The best exercise by far for the purpose of fat-loss is fast walking either indoors on the treadmill or outdoors. What many don't know is that walking produces a greater percentage of fat loss as opposed to jogging or running.

Other aerobic activities are the treadmill, bike, climber or any other training gear found in or out of the gym.

Walk or exercise until you are mildly puffing and hold that rate until the allotted time. If your aerobic activities leave you panting or breathless, your going too hard, your energy is coming from your carbohydrate reserves and not from your fat stores.

Try fast walking for one hour a day every day of the week if you are able.

Here are some of the benefits of Fast Walking.

Easy to Perform
Most Conventional
All Natural Body Movement
Doesn't Cause Injuries
Can Be Done Anywhere
The Best Minimal Effort Exercise for Fat Loss

Research shows that regular, brisk walking is one of the best exercises we can do for overall fitness. It suits people of all ages and fitness levels, it's easy to get started and there's no complicated technique to learn or equipment to buy.

Walking is an excellent way to get fit because it uses nearly all the muscles and, as you have to carry your body weight, you can get a good workout from it.

It's also safer on the joints and the back than most other forms of exercise because you're not jumping up and down, so the impact is low.

Studies have shown that taking a daily 20-minute walk can reduce the risk of heart attack as much as 50%, it also reduces high blood pressure and helps to burn fat to keep weight under control.

Walking and other weight bearing exercises (Strength training) helps to increase bone mass, which protects against osteoporosis and bone fractures.

In the first two weeks, go for a 20-minute walk every other day and then increase this to 40 minutes. At first try to do five 20-minute walks per week totalling 100 minutes a week.

Once you get used to the regular exercise, increase this to 40 minutes for five times a week.

You can then gradually increase this as you see fit, if you want to walk every day for 40 minutes or even an hour so be it. Remember the more you walk the more fat that will be burned off.

The best pace for fitness training will make you slightly breathless, but you should still be comfortable and be able to carry on a conversation.

As you get fitter, you'll want to stretch a little harder to keep your heart rate up.

Try lengthening your strides, increasing your pace. Keep your shoulders back, your chest lifted and your tummy pulled in when you walk, hold your head up for open, easy breathing.

Practical Tips

If your feeling stressed, try counting your steps repeatedly from one to ten as you walk, this helps some people achieve a meditative effect and can be a great tension reliever when practiced over a full 40 minutes.

Time yourself, measure the distance or increase the gradient to make the workout more challenging. Drink plenty of fluids during and after your walk.

Make safety your first consideration. Don't walk after dark except in well-lit, busy places. Start the walk slowly, and then gradually increase the pace.

So, go ahead in all other activities try to move, move, move. Try parking the car further away from your destination so you can walk the extra distance, hide all your remote controls so you have to get up and change the channels manually.

These all help burn those extra calories and body fat from your frame.

Gary Matthews is the author of the popular fitness eBooks Maximum Weight Loss and Maximum Weight Gain. Please visit http://www.maximumfitness.com right now for your 'free' weight loss e-course.

posted by tips-for-losing-weight36843  # 4:34 PM 0 comments

A weight loss regimen does not have to be the ordeal that it is made out to be. The process of reducing unwanted body fat can turn out to be a positively encouraging endeavor that helps you continue on the path to greater vitality and health.

Many people in the hope of achieving fast weight loss, resort to extreme measures, such as skipping breakfast. It is totally a wrong notion that not eating breakfast can make you thinner sooner.

The first meal of the day is very important as it sets the tone for the rest of the day. The next meal, in terms of importance, is lunch. Studies have shown that people, who on a daily basis, consume at least half of their total daily calories in the first two meals, stay slimmer and trimmer.

Skipping breakfast triggers off the "starvation response," and slows down the metabolism. This also may be a contributing factor to calories being stored as fat, which is what you are trying to avoid in the first place.

Eating early is the key to good health. This keeps the energy levels up throughout the rest of the day, but try not to eat three hours before bedtime, as these calories are mostly stored as fat. Another disadvantage of eating very late in the day is the difficulty in waking up in the morning.

Achieving weight loss, even quick weight loss, is possible while eating all the meals. You only need to do it the right way.

To learn more about the powerful workouts you can do to build muscle and burn fat at the same time, visit http://www.positiveattitude4life.com

Frank is a former body guard, professional martial artist and trainer. He will show you the proper way to do turbulence training

posted by tips-for-losing-weight36843  # 3:54 PM 0 comments

These are a few basic principles to weight loss any one can use right away. The only thing keeping you from applying them is the ability to decide if you will apply them. Make the decision to apply these principles and you will lose weight. If applying all of them is too overwhelming than pick one principle and implement right away. If your having a hard time choosing, I would start with eating a protein dense breakfast. Do this for a week than implement the next principle, and you will have formed positive eating habits which will lead to weight loss.

Here are the principles below;

Right after you wake:

Fill your plate with high quality protein, slow digesting carbohydrates, and healthy fats.

Every 2.5-3 hours after Breakfast:

Waiting more than 4-5 hours between meals causes you're your blood sugar to bottom out, leaving you weak, irritable and tired. The solution: frequent meals. Eating ore often helps regulate blood sugar levels, protecting your muscles from being broken down and used as energy.

How to eat:

Eat more protein rich foods because 30% of its calories are burned during digestion, compared with 8% of carbohydrates, and 2% of fats.

High Quality Protein; eggs, egg whites, fish, lean beef, turkey, chicken, low-fat milk, low-fat cheese, and plain-low fat yogurt are a few great examples.

Slow Digesting Carbohydrates; oats, onions, tomatoes, beans, green vegetables, berries, oranges, and apples are a few great examples.

Healthy Fats; olive oils, canola oil, fish oil, flaxseeds, nuts, sunflower seeds, olives, and avocados are a few great examples.

Consideration:

Carbohydrates; the fast-digesting kind-breads, pasta, rice, potatoes, baked goods, and candy-raise blood sugar quickly. This signals your body to stop burning and start storing fat, and forces it to use the excess sugar for energy instead (this is okay though before, during and after you workouts when your body is far more equipped to handle fast digesting sugars). High-sugar carbohydrates aren't always bad. In fact sometimes they're the smartest foods you can eat. The secret is timing. When you consume these sugars is very important to your goals.

After you workout: Fast-digesting carbohydrates are more desirable than the slow-digesting type. That's because an intense workout changes your body's priorities. As sugar is absorbed into your blood stream, it's preferentially shuttled to your muscles-instead of being used as fuel-and is stored there for later use. The kicker is that this forces your body to accelerate the rate at which it burns fat for energy.

When to consume simple carbohydrates:

Immediately after you finish exercising, ideally this should be a liquid meal, which speeds up the absorption of protein and carbohydrates to your blood stream. 1 hour after the post-workout shake is ideal for eating a solid meal with fast absorbing carbohydrates. Even better, combine fast and slow-acting carbohydrates with protein by choosing a lean meat and a green vegetable to go along with pasta, rice, or a potato. Once you've eaten this meal all the meals here after should be from slow-digesting carbohydrates.

"Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle," which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: http://www.bodybyweb.com/burn_the_fat.html

Dean Boukaras is a person who has dedicated his life to educating and helping as many individuals as possible reach their absolute physical best. I truly want to impact one person at a time by spreading the health and fitness truth.

posted by tips-for-losing-weight36843  # 3:46 PM 0 comments

Physical activity has always been linked to improved health and longer lifespan. It can boost the performance of your heart and lungs and defeat stress as well. More importantly, being active will help you maintain an ideal weight and bring you a more positive outlook in life.

But how can you enjoy the benefits of an increased physical activity if you work in shifts? Regular exercise and other activities rely on routines; after all, these are habits that you need to build over time. More often than not, you will have less amounts of sleep and you will have a hard time squeezing physical activities in a work schedule that keeps on changing.

So if you work in an ever changing schedule exercising and other forms of physical activities will be likely placed on the back burner. Still, the benefits of increased movement are so important for your health that you can not afford to just ignore them. The good news is that there are ways to add physical activity into your life without disrupting your already erratic work schedule; and the only requirement is for you to be a little bit more creative.

Physical Activity And Ordinary Household Chores

Working in shifts can definitely make it hard for you to insert physical activity into the picture. But sure enough, you still need to perform ordinary household chores like taking out the trash or going to the nearby grocery store. Well then, you can insert exercise and put in more action into your ordinary household chores.

Do some stretching and a dozen of pushups on your lawn right after you're done with the garbage. And instead of taking your car, you can always walk on your way to the 24-hour grocery. Walking the dog can also be a good way to exercise your leg muscles. Always think of ways to incorporate physical activity into your shifting work setup and you will reap the benefits that regular nine-to-five guys get when they go to the gym.

Exercise During Graveyard Shifts

If you work on shifts, you are sure to hit the graveyard schedule, if not always then at least occasionally. Well, some employees find graveyard shifts to be boring. If you have not experienced it yet, just ask the night guard in your building and he will tell you why. One thing is for sure, it will not be called a graveyard shift if it was fun!

If you are working during unholy hours, chances are, there are not much people around you. So instead of singing to yourself or stealing some time from your company, why not inject some exercise routines while doing your job? If you can not exercise during your official work hours, you can always put more action during your breaks. You will definitely stay awake and be healthier.

Organize A Fitness Or Sports Group

Unless you are a grave digger, you are probably not alone in your work. Whether you are working in the wee hours of the morning or during irregular hours of the day, you will always be in a company of other employees, maybe not in the same department as you are. What you can do is form a fitness or sports group so that you will not be alone at increasing physical activity; after all, your co-workers have the same health needs as you.

A graveyard brisk walking club, a noontime badminton society, or even a 3AM yoga class can help you put the physical activity that you need even if you have a daily schedule that is different from the rest of the world.

When it comes to fitness and physical activity, fluid movements are essential. Make sure that you do not experience pain in your body, particularly in your joints. Ensure the health of your joints by using products like Flexcerin. Visit http://www.flexcerin.com/ for more details.

Janet Martin is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premiere online news magazine http://www.thearticleinsiders.com

posted by tips-for-losing-weight36843  # 3:43 PM 0 comments

If you are trying to find an easy weight loss method, I am sorry to give you the bad news. There is no such system that can be considered as perfect. In fact, there are many good methods which do exist but it varies on individuals to individuals as to how good can any of these will be. Being fat is the cause of many health conditions and habits and all these requires long term attention.

How difficult or easy your weight loss program is will depend on how much you apply yourself to shedding those extra pounds. Your primary reason for losing weight must be clear whether it is too improve your looks or for health reasons; once you know this, then you must decide.

There are a number of things to consider which will help make your weight loss program easier including; the time of day you eat, how often, what you in fact eat and of course what physical activity you carry out. Losing weight too quickly will do more harm to your body. So remember to do it naturally so that your body can synchronization with your weight loss program.

If you really want a method that is easy to remember, always remember to set your sights slightly out of reach so that you can have the possibilities of reaching it. And always remember to cut down on your junk food as well.

Of course we often eat more when we do not feel very good about ourselves or are depressed about our life, which is often called comfort eating. Being overweight is suspected to be the cause of many life threatening medical conditions. The best answer to losing weight and maintaining that weight is not just about easy weight loss diets but a lot depends on the person and the kind of attitude he has towards weight loss.

The success of a weight loss program also relies on the mental attitude of the person involved so if they stay happy and do not get stressed they will more likely lose the weight they desire. Being positive is one of the most important aspects in life as it can help us achieve things we did not believe possible. Together with the loss of extra pounds comes a boost in energy and vitality as well as a sense of well being that is directly related to an improving self-esteem.

Many easy weight loss programs are far from it as they actually test the person using them but the pain barrier does not last long and once through it, the whole system becomes more pleasant.

Set a resolution to make Year 2008 to lose those belly fats, find more ways on how to get rid of love handles and challenge yourself to lose weight in our 60 days challenge. Let's all set our sights on throwing those oversize clothing away.

I am giving away 3 power-packed reports here for you to set your 2008 resolution to lose those belly fats in motion.

posted by tips-for-losing-weight36843  # 3:36 PM 0 comments

The hoodia feedback is encouraging, to say the least. It is sometimes a little funny to read people arguing back and forth at chat rooms about which hoodia diet supplement is the best. For instance, at one site I read a woman saying that product X was working great for her. To which a gentleman responded something like, You must be working for the company, because it does nothing for me. Her response; Im not working for the product X company; you must be working for a competitor. And back and forth they went.

If the hoodia feedback means anything, then Americans may have found a solution to their ever increasing waist lines. Not that some people in other countries could not benefit from a hoodia diet supplement, but the American weight problem is now recognized as a serious, chronic disease, according to the American Obesity Association. In the news we read that a major insurance company has increased coverage for obesity treatment and that a new government report finds surgery effective. Surgery seems like an extreme measure, but for some there is no choice. We can only hope that the hoodia feedback is true.

The most common statement made by people using a hoodia diet supplement is that they just do not feel like eating. They do not feel sick, nauseas, dizzy, nervous or light headed, but they do not think about food. A nurse from Alaska reported that at the end of a long shift, she realized that she had not eaten all day, but that she was not jittery, which is often the case with appetite suppressants that contain stimulants. Hoodia feedback does not indicate that anyone who is taking a 100% hoodia diet supplement feels any of the side effects associated with stimulants.

There are some hoodia diet supplements that do contain stimulants. Often, it is hard for the consumer to spot these. Most people are aware that caffeine is a stimulant, but so are green tea and cocoa. The most positive hoodia feedback comes from dieters using a 100% hoodia diet supplement and apparently the higher the dosage the better. A Desert Burn customer, who had used their 400mg product and lost 20 pounds, gained back 12 when she had to stop taking it due to an illness. When she was able to resume use, she chose the 750mg capsule and lost the 12 plus 5 more in about two weeks. These results seem amazing.

There is no standard dosage for a hoodia diet supplement and length of time to experience results varies among individuals. Some people realize that they are not hungry after the first dose, but for others it takes a few days. Hoodia XR, a 1000mg extended release capsule (meaning that the hoodia gordonii is released into the system gradually, rather than all at once) recommends that customers take the product as directed for ten days. If after ten days, a customer is dissatisfied for any reason, they may return the unused portion for a full refund. Hoodia feedback indicates that some people think that they may have been ripped off when they do not notice an immediate result, but if they continue to take the product, they do notice a difference in their appetites.

Doctors who have recorded the progress of patients using a hoodia diet supplement have noted that weight loss varies depending on the diet and exercise program the patient uses. Of course, including exercise increases success rates and pounds lost. Anyone who is considering using a hoodia diet supplement should be in reasonably good health and should consult their doctor before they begin. Hoodia feedback does indicate that most people are choosing to eat properly, because they can resist the high calorie, high fat foods that are everywhere and most hoodia customers are exercising more, feeling more energetic and pleased with their progress.

Patsy Hamilton is an editor of the Hoodia Info Blog. Visit us at http://hoodiainfo.blogspot.com

posted by tips-for-losing-weight36843  # 7:16 AM 0 comments

Many people had asked me over the years how to lose weight fast and I answered each and everyone of them the same thing, with hard work, results will not come just by sitting at home all day, losing weight is as every other project hard at the beginning, but don't let that stop you, there are many things ordinary people can overcome with determination, willpower and hard work.

It's only too often that people quit their plans before they even get a good grip on them and especially since we need around three weeks to get used to new habits and other changes in our lives. There are also other things you can benefit apart from looking good. People will judge you by your appearance, whether is it a good or a bad one.

Obviously good looking people have advantages over certain things in our lives, they have more options to build their future on and other advantages in society. Only thing keeping you from becoming that good looking person is a few months of hard work and devotion. If you can get that tip and follow it, everything else will be as easy as a walk in the park.

And you can learn a great lesson from this, try to keep your goals where you can reach them and try to focus on visualizing them, if you won't forget why you are doing this you will not lose motivation. I don't get it why some people stay unhappy with their bodies through their whole lives and regret not going to gym day after day.

It will only take you a minute of your time per day to get your engine working. I know that nowadays life revolves so fast and leaves us with almost no spare time, but if you want something strong enough, you can make time and that is all that I need you to do, take that hour from your daily routines and change your body, you have to do it once.

Why not start now? Obviously best ways of losing weight are good diets and daily cardio exercises such as running or jogging. Since following a good diet might prove quite a challenge try to keep following them for at least a month since this is the time it usually takes for us to start noticing changes.

So only thing you need to do is start and keep on going for at least a month, take an hour of your time and convert it into some quality cardio training.

This is not all I have prepared for you, read more useful tips on CLICK HERE.

posted by tips-for-losing-weight36843  # 7:11 AM 0 comments

It's not always easy to get your family interested in weight loss and healthy eating. But, once you do get them involved they can be of great support to you when you are trying to lose weight.

Before starting on a new diet plan for your family, be sure that the diet that you create is appropriate for all family members. Your spouse will require different portion sizes than you do and children have different nutritional needs as well.

One of the best ways to start eating more healthy meals is to go through your pantry and refrigerator and get rid of all of the "junk" food like potato chips and ice cream. Then, go to the grocery store and stock up on more healthy foods like fresh vegetables and fruit, baked chips and low-fat desserts.

It will take a little bit of time for your family to get used to eating healthier foods -- especially if they're used to having McDonald's or Kentucky Fried Chicken for dinner. Stick with it and they will soon like it even better!

Make a game of meal planning. Have each family member make suggestions for healthy dishes and choose main courses and desserts that fit together well. Include a vegetable and a salad and you have dinner. If a family member has a favorite high-calorie food, look for ways to lower the calories.

It can be a challenge to find healthy foods that the whole family will like. But, believe me, it will be worth the time and effort to find those that they will. You can also let other family members plan and cook their own version of a healthy dinner. You might be surprised at the delicious meals that they come up with.

Teach your family about good nutrition. Show them the food pyramid and how it relates to portion sizes. It's best to start while your children are young, but it's never to late to eat healthy. Getting your whole family involved in exercise is another good weight loss tactic. Instead of sitting around watching television, go outside and play in the snow, play tennis or go swimming. Even just going for a walk is a good family activity.

Another healthy plan for a family would be a camping and hiking vacation. Take along healthy foods for meals and snacks. Look for hiking trails that will be appropriate for the ages of your children. When thinking of weight loss for your family, don't think of dieting; think of living a healthy lifestyle.

Get more information on healthy weight loss and dieting at Healthy Weight Loss Guide.

posted by tips-for-losing-weight36843  # 7:05 AM 0 comments

Have a look at these wonderful tips to lose weight. They will help you lose weight fast and naturally. Losing weight always requires some small changes in your lifestyle and diet pattern. So if you want to lose weight, start practicing these tips today.

• If you want to lose weight go and consult your physician or a weight loss doctor so that he can find which program suits your body best.
• You always needs plenty of water because it helps a person to be fresh and healthy. It washes out toxins from your body.
• A wonderful tip to lose weight is to start your day with a glass of water it will moist your gastric tract.
• Try to join an exercise program which you really enjoy. Exercise is more effective when you do it with a joyful heart.
• Try to cut off all the fizzy drinks they have lot of calories.
• Do not eat in between the meals.
• Avoid frying your food because there are more methods to prepare food like steaming,boiling and grilling.
• Stuff you refrigerator with healthy food. It will help you to not eat junk food when you are hungry.
• Eat lot of vegetables and fruits. They will give you lots of vitamins, minerals and fiber.
• Avoid processed fruits as they have a lot of added artificial sugar.
• Eat your vegetables raw if you can. This will give you enough vitamins as cooking vegetables results in vitamin loss.
• Never skip your meals because it will make you more hungry at the time of your second meal.

Jitesh Arora is a weight loss expert if you want to read more articles on weight loss,diet and exercise then click here to visit his website LOSE WEIGHT NOW.

posted by tips-for-losing-weight36843  # 7:01 AM 0 comments

In this article we are going to take a quick look at incorporating a powerful but hugely important wrinkle into your dietary regimen: Simple but expeditious workouts to lose weight, and make it melt fast! So if you are one of the many who is looking for the perfect companion to your new diet, and are ready to shift gears a bit (no pun intended) conversationally, read on as we explore...

Let me first say this: Gone are the day that exercise was a tedious, time consuming chore to be performed on high school bleachers, and old dusky gymnasiums with rooms filled with spandex wearing prim donnas only interested in the show. Today, exercise is fun, fantastically easy and entertaining, and dare I say, incredibly sexy and effective as well!

Cardiovascular exercise is the quickest way that I know to accentuate and accelerate your new diet. Burning calories by simply getting your body moving is tremendously effective, cleansing and mighty therapeutic in other ways as well. If you are up to it, and are unable to make it to the gym, I recommend any number of the home DVD workouts. Ever try the Billy Blanks series of Tae Bo workouts? They are tremendous! If you are able to incorporate the resistance bands into your workout, it's tough.....but worth it as your arms, legs, chest and shoulders will be sculpted like NEVER before in no time!

How about Yoga? You would be AMAZED at how quickly you can mend your mind, body and spirit through an intense daily Yoga session. Try "Hot Yoga" to turbo charge your fat burning and sweat out all of the knots, stress and mushy spots in a hurry. Truly a transformative practice for the 21st century!

And don't forget about weights either! Studies have shown over and over again that weightlifting can literally turn back the biological clock, and in concert with your fantastically fun and fit dietary regimen, you are looking at a phenomenal NEW you in no time flat. And that is sexy...

Read On to Discover the 6 Biggest Lies About Weight Loss.....and how to avoid them like the plague!

(Not knowing them MAY be KEEPING you heavy.....watch the weight melt away like magic once you do!)

posted by tips-for-losing-weight36843  # 6:43 AM 0 comments

Healthy weight loss programs don't have to mean diet drudgery. Sure, you may have to give up certain foods, but for most of us it's about food and snack choices that allow us to still eat foods we enjoy the taste of, but that are lower in fat, sugar, and empty carbohydrates. Since many of us eat healthy meals but sabotage our diets by snacking on the wrong foods, learning to replace them with satisfying but healthy treats can put us back on course. These weight loss tips should help.

Here's some quick, tasty, and satisfying snacks that will bolster your weight loss program.

• Feel like you want a sweet snack, but you're not sure what?

First, try a glass of juice-water. What the heck is juice water? Think of it as a weight loss supplement. It's an invention on mine to make sure I get enough water, which I have a hard time drinking by itself. Fill a glass 7 or 8 parts with water, and top off the rest with orange juice, lemonade, limeade, ruby red grapefruit, or whatever you prefer. It makes a tasty, filling, and often craving-crushing treat that's also very low in sugar.

Healthy Weight Loss Diet Tip: Never drink your juices straight up. Way too much sugar. Always dilute them as juice water. This habit alone will trim calories off your weight loss diet every day. It also stretches your grocery dollars if you use lemonade or limeade concentrates. They're far less costly than orange juice, and ounce for ounce their stronger taste does a more efficient job of flavoring your water.

• Need something with "mouth feel"? In other words, something to chew on?

If you definitely feel the need for something to satisfy the eating urge, try a tablespoon of peanut butter, which should be on almost everyone's weight loss diet program. It has just enough fat for flavor and just enough sweetness to satisfy. For it's size and caloric value, it's also filling. Want to juice it up? Dip-up a little of your favorite fruit preserve. It also makes a quick one-spoonful dessert.

• Feel like you gotta have some chocolate ice cream?

Try chocolate Ovaltine and milk. It's chocolaty, it's delicious, and it includes vitamins and minerals. It's also far more filling than ice cream, which is in fact not filling at all. But use just one or two tablespoons of Ovaltine, not the recommended four. One or two is plenty, and it reduces your sugar consumption.

Another chocolate ice cream switcheroo is hot chocolate, but don't reach for the chemical-laden packaged mix. Instead, heat a cup of milk in the microwave for 1.5 to 2 minutes, then add one or two tablespoons of Ovaltine.

• Have a hankering for a pastry?

Just make sure you grab a few weight loss pills to go with it. Instead, have a piece of toast with jam. Whole grain bread has real protein, and far fewer carbs than pastry. If you toast it, you also improve the fiber benefit for your body. Add a thin layer of apple butter for extra satisfaction. (Apple butter has less sugar than other fruit jellies and preserves.)

Substitutes: honey on the bread instead of preserves, and half of an English muffin instead of a slice of whole grain bread.

• You can squelch almost any sweet tooth attack with a healthy serving of fruit.

Try to always keep around a bag of apples and oranges. Since you can't always get the fruit you want in season, keep some raisins in the pantry. Just a small scoop will satisfy almost any sweet tooth. But be sure to brush your teeth afterwards. Raisins are really good at sticking to your teeth, and you don't want the sugar hanging around there.

Other suggestions:

• Small handful of peanuts, almonds, or cashews = healthy fats and protein.
• A few small pieces of extra sharp cheese. The sharpness is important, because the sharper the cheese, the more flavor each piece contains. The more flavor, the quicker your taste buds are satisfied. The cheese advantage is that it packs protein, calcium, and a little fat in each chunk.
• For extra enjoyment without added calories, brew a cup of coffee to have with the cheese. Coffee and sharp cheeses are a match made in heaven.
• If you definitely need a large snack or small meal, cottage cheese and pineapple chunks are fast and easy. If you buy canned pineapple chunks, be sure to check the label for sugar content; they're not all alike. This combination gives you calcium, protein, a little fat, and fruit fiber.

Sure, every now and again you need to let go and eat that big bowl of chocolate ice cream. When the time comes, savor it for all it's worth. But on a daily basis, if you'll make some sensible substitutions in the snacking department, you'll lower your daily calorie intake and put yourself on track for long-term healthy weight loss and proper diet management.

See Paul's test of the Cheia Vida Slim 10 Day Slim Down Challenge, with videos and weight loss tips on his blog at http://fasthealthyweightloss.wordpress.com

Paul W. Whitten is a life-long nutrition, health, & fitness enthusiast. He writes about his fat burning dietary exploits to help others lose weight too.

posted by tips-for-losing-weight36843  # 6:34 AM 0 comments

Nausea, pain, fatigue...these are just a few of the results of undergoing chemotherapy. Those symptoms make it difficult to want to exercise, even if it is good for the patient. Also, when the treatment is over, patients usually do not know what, if any, exercise they should be doing.

One recent study shown introducing aerobic training, as simple as a basic walking program, one week prior to and continuing through eight weeks of chemotherapy improved five out of seven functional measures and decreased fatigue during and after performing activities of daily living.

Another recent study prescribed exercise programs (thirty minutes of ergometer daily, in an interval pattern) to hospitalized chemotherapy patients and compared the results to a control group. The exercise group showed reduced fatigue and had fewer complaints about pain than the control group. They also decreased their psychological stress over the course of the hospital stay.

Resistance exercise is also important for cancer patients. A 2007 study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology followed three groups throughout their chemotherapy: aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, and control. Those engaging in aerobic exercise improved their self-esteem, aerobic fitness, and percent body fat. The resistance exercise group showed improvements in self-esteem, muscular strength, lean body mass, and chemotherapy completion rate. Both groups showed increased quality of life scores and decreased fatigue, depression, and anxiety.

Exercise is also important after the cancer has gone into remission. A 2005 study followed nearly three hundred women who had been previously diagnosed with breast cancer. Survivors who engaged in more than nine MET hours per week (three hours of walking 2-2.9 mph) reduced their risk of mortality by six percent. The greatest benefits from exercise while in remission occurred in women who performed the equivalent of walking three to five hours per week at an average pace (2-2.9 mph). There was no evidence of correlation between greater energy expenditure and increased benefit. The exercise benefits especially helped women who had had hormone-responsive tumors.

In another study, twenty-seven breast cancer survivors were placed on an eight-week full-body resistance and aerobic training program. The sum of their skinfolds, waist girth, and hip girth were significantly reduced posttraining. Their body weight did not change, but that was most likely due to an increase in lean tissue mass. Improvements were also made in upper body strength and endurance, lower body strength and endurance, VO2max, trunk flexibility, and flexibility of both the surgical and non-surgical shoulder joints (in lymphadenectomy patients). Both psychological and overall quality of life also improved.

This recent research shows that exercise is both safe and beneficial for those undergoing cancer treatments, and for those who have been through treatment in the past. In patients undergoing chemotherapy, exercise can reduce fatigue, improve function, increase fitness, and improve psychological stress. Breast cancer survivors can safely engage in full-body exercise, and physical activity after breast cancer reduces risk of death from the disease.

References:

"Effects of Aerobic and Resistance Exercise in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Adjuvant Chemotherapy: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial." Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2007.

"Effects of Aerobic Training Prior to and During Chemotherapy in a Breast Cancer Patient: A Case Study." The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research," 2006.

"Effects of Physical Activity on the Fatigue and Psychologic Status of Cancer Patients During Chemotherapy." Cancer, 1999.

"Full Body Exercise Training Improves Fitness and Quality of Life in Survivors of Breast Cancer." The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2006.

"Physical Activity and Survival After Breast Cancer Diagnosis." Journal of the American Medical Association, 2005.

Dr. Heller is a chiropractor and certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS), practicing in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. She has extensive experience teaching fitness classes, including aquatics, to all age groups and abilities. http://www.healthritellc.com http://www.unlockingthehealingcode.com

posted by tips-for-losing-weight36843  # 3:41 AM 0 comments