Aragog For Aerobics

Aerobic Cross Training for Weight Loss

2007-12-16T04:01:00.001-08:00

Do you sometimes get bored with your aerobic exercise? Do You sometimes feel like you're not getting the results you should from your aerobic exercise? If so, then aerobic cross-training is for you.

Aerobic cross-training refers to using two to three different types of aerobic exercise during an exercise session. For example, if you plan to exercise for 60 minutes, you might start with 20 minutes of walking or jogging, followed by 20 minutes of biking, and finish with 20 minutes of rowing.

Now, please don't get the impression that you have to be in great shape to do this or that it has to be 60 minutes long. You can start with something as simple as a ten minute walk followed by ten minutes with an exercise video. This is cross-training too. You can gradually build up from there.

Here are some of the exercises you can use in your cross-training program; walking, jogging, biking, rowing, stair climbing, swimming, exercise videos, etc. Any combination of aerobic exercises will do. You simply go from one to the next with very little time between them.

Aerobic cross-training is beneficial to you in several ways:

1. It provides variety which eliminates the monotony often associated with doing the same exercise for a long period of time.

2. If your exercise sessions are less monotonous and more enjoyable, you are much more likely to exercise more often and for longer periods of time.

3. You are less prone to over-use injuries that sometimes occur from doing the same exercise movements over and over again.

4. You tone more muscles because you are using more muscles. For example, walking tones mostly the lower body muscles and rowing tones upper body muscles also. Even exercises like walking and biking that both tone lower body muscles, tone them at different angles and each tones some small muscles that the other doesn't.

5. Aerobic conditioning is very specific to the muscles being worked. For example, you can walk ten miles a day and still be somewhat breathless after climbing stairs because you haven't trained the muscles for that specific movement. Aerobic cross-training allows you to develop more comprehensive aerobic training.

6. Aerobic cross-training is effective for weight loss because your are toning and training the fat-burning systems of more of your muscles. It turns more of your muscles into 24-hour fat-burning machines! You are also more likely to exercise on a regular basis and for longer periods of time. this also promotes weight loss and fitness.

Author and exercise physiologist, Greg Landry, offers free weight loss and fitness success stories and targeted, highly affective weight loss programs for women, men, type 2 diabetics, and people with slow metabolisms and hypothyroidism. http://www.Landry.com

Indentify Your Weaknesses: 21 Common Weight Loss Barriers

2007-12-16T04:00:00.003-08:00

by: Maia Appleby

A self-help guide to help readers determine what is keeping them from losing weight successfully.
People have free will, as we all know, and that means that tough issues like weight loss can become very confusing. Thousands of books and videos on the subject give more advice than we could ever handle, but the real tools you need are inside of you.

The little things that you do throughout the day, the way you feel about things and the way you see yourself all determine your weight. The following questionnaire will help you point out your strengths and weaknesses, possibly shedding some light on your lifestyle. Whether you’re trying to lose weight or maintain your current weight, behavior modification is vital.

Answer each of the questions to the right “true” or “false” honestly. Wherever you answer “false,” you may have a weakness that’s holding you back in your quest for weight management. Remember to be completely honest with yourself.

In general, I have a positive outlook. You will get nowhere if you don’t. If you’re a “the cup is half empty” person, you probably don’t realize it. Do you like most of the people you encounter? Do you usually go to bed at night with a positive feeling about your day? Do people turn to you when they’re down? If not, you may need to work on your attitude before you can go any further.

I exercise at least three days a week. Your diet isn’t the only thing you should work on. Exercise changes your body, to make it more efficient at burning fat. If you don’t do this, the weight you lose will primarily be muscle and bone mass – things you can’t afford to lose. If you exercise, the weight you lose will be fat, and you’ll look and feel much better.

I set goals that are realistic and attainable. Unfortunately, many companies bank on convincing consumers that losing ten pounds by Saturday can rally happen. You can realistically lose a pound or two per week, on the average. If you want to lose twenty pounds, give yourself three or four months, and monitor it weekly. Remember that the more gradual the weight loss is, the more likely it is to stay off.

I follow a healthy, balanced diet. Don’t be fooled by the notion that avoiding one type of food or gorging on another will help you along the path to weight loss. Your diet should contain a bit of everything nutritious. About two thirds of your diet should come from complex carbohydrates (whole grain breads, cereals, rice, fruits and vegetables). You also need two or three servings each of calcium-rich dairy foods and protein items like meat, fish and nuts.

I set “mini-goals” to avoid being overwhelmed by large ones. To a child in September, the school year will never end, but holidays and birthdays along the way make it much easier to understand how long nine months is. The same way, assign yourself weekly goals and assess your progress that way while working toward the biggie.

I am always aware of how much fat and calories are in the food I eat. Keep in mind that each gram of fat has nine calories. Fat should make up no more than twenty percent of your total calories. This means that something with “only” 100 calories is fattening if it has eight grams of fat, since 72 of its 100 calories comes from fat. Being mindful of this is a powerful tool.

When I have a craving, I can handle it without eating. We all have our methods. Chewing gum can sometimes ward off cravings, as can drinking a glass of water. Some people even find that keeping their hands busy helps. If you feel compelled to quench that craving, you need a way to handle it.

I reward myself for overcoming obstacles. You are much more advanced than Fido, but isn’t it easier to shape his behavior using biscuits as rewards? This works with people, too, and not just children. When you’ve lost that first five pounds, do something for yourself, even if it’s just saying, “Yeah, I’m good!”

I don’t eat anything unnecessary. When you have pancakes, do you have to slap more butter on them before smothering them in maple syrup? Do you put mayonnaise or oil on your sandwiches? These things aren’t necessary. They’re just examples, but many people make simple foods very fattening by adding the extras. Learn to eat things without all the frills and you’ll avoid a lot of unwanted fat and calories.

I spend less than one hour per day watching television. It’s definitely addictive, especially when a great deal is going on in the world and the news is intriguing. Keeping busy is probably the best habit you can adapt, though. If you have three or four hours of television to watch every day, you’re depriving your body of activity.

I rarely eat at restaurants or buffets. When I do, I’m careful. It’s a well-accepted fact that fat makes things taste better. Restaurants want their food to taste good, so they use a lot of fat. Even things that seem low in fat probably have plenty of it. A good example of this is fish served in a lemon-butter sauce. A good salad can be ruined by ranch dressing. It's really better to plan your meals ahead of time and eat at home.

I eat small amounts of food several times a day, instead of two or three big meals. Doing this gives your metabolism a big kick-start. When you eat a large meal, then fast for several hours, your body tends to hold onto the calories from that meal, in case it has to wait a long time for more nourishment. If you get your body accustomed to eating in smaller intervals, you burn calories much faster. This is a pretty neat little phenomenon.

I serve myself reasonable portions. One good way to assure that you do this is by using a smaller plate than usual. The appetite is rather dependent on the mindset of the person eating. If you’re used to having huge portions of each item at dinner, you’ll want huge portions, no matter how hungry you are. Train yourself to be mentally satisfied with average-sized portions.

I drink at least two liters of water every day. Water curbs cravings, decreases bloating and water retention and enhances your liver’s fat burning capability. You should never allow yourself to get thirsty. Two liters of water isn’t that much. Just get into the habit of sipping it all day long, and soon, you won't be able to live without it. Visit www.inch-aweigh.com/water.html for more info on drinking water for weight loss.

I manage my stress productively (without using food). Many people eat when they encounter stress. They tend to look for “comfort foods” that remind them of a much easier, stress-free childhood, opting for ice cream, meatloaf and cookies. If this is you, find other, less destructive ways to deal with stress. If you begin an exercise program, this will help tremendously.

I eat slowly. Your body doesn’t realize that you’ve had enough to eat until several minutes after you’ve had it. If you eat too hastily, you’ll fill yourself up and possibly eat more on top of that. Studies have also indicated that the body is accustomed to an average numbers of chews per mouthful. If you chew your food more than usual, not only will you eat more slowly, but also you’ll trick your body into thinking it’s had more to eat.

I recognize my faults and take responsibility for them. Some overeaters are like alcoholics, in that they don’t realize that they are abusing food. A woman might get into a fight with her husband, gorge on a half-gallon of ice cream and the blame him for it. This is dangerous behavior. Don’t let anyone or anything distract you from your goals. If you do, you must recognize that you are the one at fault.

I only eat at the table. Sitting on the sofa with munchies is a bad idea for those who want to lose weight, because it encourages passive eating. When you confine yourself to the table for meals, you won’t be doing anything but eating, and therefore, you won’t eat quite as much.

I don’t indulge myself at social affairs. This is terribly difficult for a lot of people. Stuffed mushrooms and cocktail wieners seem so small and harmless, but they contain more calories and fat than they should. Birthday cake is great, and a little piece probably won’t hurt you, but where do you draw the line? One key to weight management is learning (or forcing yourself) to control yourself in such a situation.

I never eat anything within three hours of my bedtime. Your metabolism slows down at night, so if you go to bed with a full stomach, your body won’t deal with the calories as efficiently as it would during the day. If you’re used to munching on chips or sweets during prime time, you’re putting weight on yourself. After dinner, eat nothing else. Even if you think it will kill you.

I have made a real commitment to achieving or maintaining a healthy weight. If you truly believe that you will lose weight, you will. Unfortunately, it’s hard for overweight people to do that. They often cannot picture themselves any thinner than they are. Even if you can’t picture it, commit yourself to it wholeheartedly. Recognize that your belief in yourself is the number one ingredient to leading a healthy, happy life.

Nobody can lose weight for you. No bars, shakes or exercise gadgets can do it for you, either. Only you can determine what happens to your body. If you want to make an improvement, start today, just by knowing in your heart that you want to make an improvement. Go through this list once a week until you can answer “true” to everything. It’s not impossible.

If you’re committed, you’re there.

About the Author

Maia Appleby is a certified personal trainer and weight loss consultant at a fitness center in south Florida. For more of her articles, along with weight loss and fitness tips, news and resources, visit her websites: Shape Up Shop - http://www.shapeupshop.com and Inch-Aweigh - http://www.inch-aweigh.com.

5 Simple Steps to Start Your Weight Loss Program

2007-12-16T04:00:00.002-08:00

by: Nick Webb

Remember there’s more to you than meets the eye. You’ve got personality, brains, feelings… in short, all those things that make you, YOU. So why diet? After all, you’re more than just a body, and things that really matter can’t be measured on a scale.
That said, there are some very good sound reasons for dieting. After all, dieting is not just for weight loss or weight gain. No, the true meaning of ‘diet’ is in choosing foods and setting eating habits that will keep you healthy, strong, and feeling your best. It takes planning and dedication. It means setting goals and following through. But it doesn’t have to be a chore. No, with the right tools it can even be fun … especially when you start to see the results that you’re looking for!
Before, choosing a diet, there are five extremely simple Steps, which if you really apply you will probably end up losing weight without even trying! Doesn’t that sound interesting. Really No kidding … try the following:
Step 1) Always sit down when you eat, preferable at a table. Don’t eat while standing, walking, driving or talking on the phone.
Step 2) Don’t read or watch television while you eat.
Step 3) Eat only when your stomach is empty. At least 3 to 4 hours from your last meal.
Step 4) Don’t take a bite until you’ve already swallowed the previous bite. Obvious? Try observing people and you’ll see them stuffing their mouths, which are still full. They probably talk at the same time! So, bite, chew, swallow, bite, chew, swallow.
Step 5) Don’t eat when you’re not hungry. No, I’m being serious and I know that this sounds stupid. For example when at home wait 5 minutes before taking second helpings. If you wait, you’ll probably find that you’re no longer hungry, whereas if you don’t wait you could probably eat thirds! Remember … Wait five minutes before taking more.
A good diet doesn’t end when you finally reach your target goal. Maintaining good nutrition, regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle is a continuing process. Only this will give you the energy to face the challenges of your busy day, boost your self-image, and make you look and feel better.
And there’s no feeling like the satisfaction when you achieve your goals by sticking to a sensible, healthy, diet plan.
Besides, where would we be without food? Changing your diet to prevent or reverse heart disease, reduce your blood pressure, or to get the better of your diabetes and, naturally to reach your desired weight, is not just a matter of cutting out butter and eggs and counting the amount of fat grams you eat each day. For instance, most Americans get close to 40% of their calories from fat! This is twice the recommended amount if you already suffer from heart disease.
There are many misconceptions and confusion concerning fat these days, some seem to make sense, others are just plain dumb! Remember, concerning fat, several things are now known for sure. It is known that most of us eat too much fat and that obesity is a major health concern, increasing the risk for heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, back pain and cancer. It is also known that saturated fat, more than anything else, is responsible for increasing our cholesterol levels.
I know it’s weird, but it’s been found, ironically, that when people focus exclusively on eliminating cholesterol from their daily diet they may unknowingly move on to a diet high in saturated fats! Some people decide to become vegetarian, leaving out meat and eggs, but the salad dressings, nuts and peanut butter, for instance, do more damage than a lean steak! Message: be careful what you eat, you may be surprised.

Nick Webb: Author of "Getting Your Life Back & Living it to the Full" offers encouragement, help, tips and advice for beating down your blood pressure, reducing cholesterol and conquering diabetes and living a longer, better life. Check out http://www.cureyourheart.com

Fast Weight Loss Through Thinking Thin!

2007-12-16T04:00:00.001-08:00

by: Jeff Smith

This time you are serious about achieving fast weight loss?

You're heading out on a big trip, and you've glanced at the
latest South Beach Diet book to see if this just might be
the answer to your prayers.

Fast weight loss is achieveable, but so is long-term weight
loss.

There's nothing worse than losing 5 pounds, only to gain it
back within 4 weeks. So how do you summon the focus to
begin fast weight loss and the dedication to stick with it
for the long-term?

Overcoming most challenges in life depend on having the
right mental attitude, beliefs and motivation.

Here are 4 steps you can use to set the foundation for fast
weight loss:

1. Understand Pain Versus Pleasure

Most behaviors in life occur either because we are trying
to avoid pain or achieve pleasure.

In fact, our opinion of how painful or how pleasurable
something is has a major impact on our committment and
actions.

So, your chance of achieving fast weight loss is much greater
if you can focus on the pain of NOT losing weight.

What if you don't succeed? What will your friends, family
and others think of you if you don't experience fast weight
loss?

How will you feel tomorrow, the next day and the next if you
continue to pack on the pounds.

Then, imagine what losing 2 pounds per week could mean to
you in just 1-month? Imagine how much energy and vitality
you could experience with your fast weight loss? Actually
picture yourself looking in the mirror and seeing someone
who you strive to be.

Build your own pain pleasure scale to help you stay motivated.

2. Find a buddy or two

Finding others who have experienced fast weight loss to help
you along the way is so important to your eventual success.

Not everyone requires as much external support as the other,
but we all - as human beings - strive for external support
of our goals, beliefs and actions.

Fast weight loss support can come from someone in your
neighborhood, a weight loss support group, online weight
loss forums and membership sites, weight loss books, or
health and fitness coaches.

3. Weight Gain Triggers

Your fast weight loss goals will be helped along by understanding
the reality and emotional triggers of what causes weight gain.

For example, weight gain is a natural and standard experience
of hitting middle age.

Similarly, common weight gain triggers involve stress,
unhappiness, frustration, lack of control, etc...

A suggestion is to keep a log of your feelings and what you
eat for 2-weeks prior to dieting.

Call it your fast weight loss journal!

Everytime you eat something, no matter how small, make a log
entry and write down your thoughts and what led to those
thoughts.

I think you will be surprised to see what triggers your
over-eating.

4. Get Busy and Get Relaxed

Make exercise and relaxation a key part of your fast weight
loss program.

You need to stay positive, feel good, achieve progress - a
big part of that is your emotional and chemical body state.

By exercising, you release pleasurable endorphins into your
brain - in a sense, pleasure of exercise becomes addictive.

Meditation will take a little longer to show results, but
you really can control the negative factors in life that
often jeopardize your fast weight loss goals.

Fast weight loss is within your reach. Follow these four
steps and enjoy your newfound power and freedom to look leen
and feal better.

About the author:

Discover the Ultimate Weight Loss Resource Center. You Really
Can Lose MORE Weight FASTER -- and keep it off. Find our
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pills and more...Right here:

How closely are fibre and weight loss connected?

2007-12-16T03:59:00.002-08:00

by: Rajesh Shetty

Consumption of Fiber and weight loss are very closely connected.

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

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

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

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

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

There are two types of fiber found in foods:

Insoluble fiber :

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

Soluble fiber :

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

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

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

High fiber foods:

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

Medium fiber foods :

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

Low fiber foods to be avoided:

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

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

Water makes the fiber swell and work better.

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

Get more cutting edge fat burning secrets in my Free 5day email ecourse delivered directly to your inbox by subscribing to my newsletter at: www.eweightlosstips.com

About the Author

Expert in weight loss principles of Ayurveda Medical Science
and Author of the Best selling book,
"Proven weight loss secrets revealed".
www.eweightlosstips.com

One of the Most Valuable Weight Loss Tools Available.

2007-12-16T03:59:00.001-08:00

by: Shawn LeBrun

Meal replacements are one of the most valuable tools for weight loss.
We know that the key to permanent and effective weight loss is to speed up our body's metabolism.

Metabolism simply means the speed in which our body utilizes and burns through food.

A fast metabolism means that your body processes and utilizes the nutrients which it needs and then eliminates those it doesn't.

There are primarily two ways to naturally speed up your body's metabolism.

The first is through resistance training, lifting weights. Lean muscle tissue is a very metabolically active tissue, it requires a lot of energy to maintain.

The body gets this energy from burning calories. So the more lean muscle you have, the faster your metabolism becomes and the more calories that you will burn at rest.

The second way to effectively speed up your body's metabolism is by eating small, well-balanced, nutritious meals or snacks every three to four hours.

This alone can drastically improve the efficiency of your body's metabolism.

Now, for those of us with busy, often hectic lives, eating every three to four hours can be challenging, if not impossible.

What are the chances of eating something healthy and nutritious every two to three hours?

Unless you have a lot of time to prepare and package meals or hire yor own personal chef to cook for you, this can be a daunting task.

Well, now there is a solution.

Meal replacments.

Meal replacements are probably the most valuable and underrated supplement on the market.

People are always looking for the magic solution to weight-loss by buying some drink or pill that promises miraculous results.

We gain weight and body fat by having poor eating habits, so the only way to undo the damage is to reverse the cycle by developing good eating habits.

Meal replacements make this possible.

Meal replacements are pre-packaged powdered drink mixes that you mix with water, milk, or juice and then drink in the place of a meal.

They are convenient, inexpensive, and most taste pretty good.

For optimum fat-burning and muscle-building results, we need to consume a high-protein, moderate-carb, low-fat meal about every three to four hours.

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

Meal replacements provide a perfect, compact meal in a packet that is high in protein, low in fat (some have no fat) are low in carbohydrates, and contain a wide array of vitamins and minerals.

They are low in sugar and cholesterol. They are very nutrient dense and can be mixed easily and conveniently.

In order to get the same benefits from whole food as some of the high quality meal replacements, you would have to put together a large meal like a chicken breast (protein) a potato for some carbs, and a salad for the vitamins six times a day.

Why bother when you can just rip open a meal replacement packet and toss it into a cup with some water or skim milk. Presto!

Instant nutrition.

Check the ingredients. Stick with meals replacements that use a combination of whey, milk, and egg proteins as the first ingredient.

Most meal replacements, if taken with water, offer at least 40 grams of protein with minimal fat. Most are under 300 calories, chock full of vitamins and minerals, and taste rather pleasant.

Many people I have spoken to over the years attribute meal replacements being on of the biggest reasons why they we able to lose weight.

They are able to get vitamin-rich, high-protein, moderate carb meal for less than 300 calories. All of this for about 2 dollars. You cannot even buy a Happy Meal for fewer than 2.00 dollars and Happy Meals are loaded with fat!

About the Author

Shawn LeBrun is one of the internet's most publised fitness and weight loss coaches. Visit his site to see how he can make this the year you achieve your best body ever!

Indulge in Water Therapy for Weight Loss

2007-12-16T03:58:00.002-08:00

by: Tom Crystal

We never know the worth of water
Till the well is dry.

Thomas Fuller

We get water in abundance and yet fail to grasp the worth of it. Plenty of water in your daily day diet will show glowing health results. To stay healthy, drink water in plenty. Doctors suggest 8 glasses of water a day. We believe that drinking lots of water will give puffy abs, but this is not true at all. Water flushes sodium from our body and it kills the bloat.

The popular water effects

•It suppresses appetite
•It metabolizes fat into energy
•Water helps muscle stimulation
•Lots of water will reduce body fat deposition
•Kidneys function properly with good water intake
•Water pampers the liver too
• It helps dehydration and relaxes us
•Water dissolves nutrients such as oxygen and minerals to the body
• It flushes the toxins
•It prevents constipation
•Burning calories is a process which requires water in good quantities

Calorie comparison of some drinks-

Soft Drinks (6 fl oz): Calories
7-Up: 80
Cola: 80
Cherry Cola: 80
Lemon-Lime: 70
Apple Juice: 90
Grape juice: 110
Orange Juice: 90
Pineapple Juice: 100
Cranberry Juice: 100
Water: 0

Water is a zero-calorie drink. So substitute it with fruit juices or soft drinks and take the first step towards a weight loss goal. If you drink enough water regularly you can lose up to 5 pounds a week. Increase your weight loss by taking cold water as your body needs to heat up the water generating calorie loss. Drink water when you are hungry between meals or just before one. Even if you are fit and not aiming for a weight loss, don’t lose touch with water therapy as it’s good for each one of us. Also, it’s free of cost, easily available, natural, with no side effects and good for health. So why not take to water therapy and feel good about yourself.

For more information on weight loss visit: http://www.pillslim.com

About the Author

Author is the author of http://www.pillslim.com which give valuable information on weight loss.

Weight Loss, a lifestyle choice achievable by the power of s

2007-12-16T03:58:00.001-08:00

by: Malcolm James Pugh

HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT.
This is my personal view built on personal ideas. It works for me.

The plain truth is that we are not stupid, we all know how to lose weight. There is
no miracle cure, no overnight sensation, no morning after pill, as the times we live
in would love to have you believe. They want you to believe this so money can be
made out of misery year on year with amazing new breakthrough diets.
As I said, we are not stupid, but somewhat lazy and glad of the excuses bandied
about what is actually a simple truth.

You would not expect a major operation to be folllowed by a training session the
next morning, followed by discharge in the afternoon, and work the next day,
these things take time to overcome, a gradual recuperation period.

I think we all accept that is pretty much of a fact, yet we seem to think that
weight loss from a grim start weight is achievable overnight with no attendant
dangers if we rush our attempt using dangerous techniques.

The plain truth is that to lose weight you have to take less calories in than you
are burning off. End of story. Period.

In order to do this we might like to exercise more as this speeds up our
sluggish and near terminal metabolism towards a semblance of its old self.

Tell me if Im losing you at any stage here, but I am assuming you are all
intelligent enough to be with me so far.

There is only one major obstacle to this being a life changing revelation.
The obstacle is you, and that is a large obstacle.

Insidious advertising does not help much either.

The problem is your body, your triggers, your impulses and your mind set.
There is also the question of duration. Many can adopt a new regime for
days, weeks or even months at a time, but making this into a permanent
change is also a huge problem, especially given that advertising wants
you to do it EVERY year, not just once. There is little money in your
just doing it once, for people whose job it is to sell you on diets.

The Atkins diet seemingly defied the odds, and propounded you could
eat as much as you liked and eat yourself slim. It seemed calories in
were meaningless, that they would disappear without exercise or
effort. That calories in versus calories out was wrong.
It appears now that the fact that high protein foods contain less calories
than carbohydrates, pound for pound, coupled with the fact that in most
cases high protein foods trigger the body into saying, now hold on here
Im already full up with food, does in fact follow the age old principle
of calories in must be less than calories out.

I would question whether it is necessary to be swimming in fat and not
just grilled or poached or boiled, as I see the main benefit being in the
eating of high protein in exchange for high carbohydrate, that is my
own deduction from the data available to date.

This high protein being a lower calorific value and a trigger to being
full and damping down pangs of screaming appetite, must surely be
the basis of a simple dieting plan. Let us investigate other known
benificial tools for us to diet and choose for ourselves our own
method from the resulting possibilities, as contrary to what
advertisers would have you believe there is no set way for a whole
nation of slimmers.

It also is seemingly true that leaving a thirty minute gap between
courses actually means you often do not want the next course, as
apparantly the body takes about fifteen to twenty minutes to tell
you you are full after a main course. You want a dessert or a sweet
as it is different, and most of us have a sweet tooth, but your body
probably does not need it. You would not eat your main course
twice, but a sweet is appealing. If you leave it twenty minutes, chances
are you will not need it, as the better Restaurants will allow.
Perhaps this is why we are sometimes rushed to order in lesser
establishments.

Obviously also there has to be a set amount of calories per day that
is a pseudo upper limit for that day, depending on hieght, structure, age,
and exercise regime, otherwise we would be eating the right things in
inordinately large amounts.

There has to be a balance.

Below is a list of what I would say are the most salient points to note.
1. Exercise increases metabolism.
2. A faster metabolism burns more calories.
3. Substitution of high protein for carbohydrates works.
4. Our metabolism is fastest in the morning, slowest late at night.
5. Food eaten early will burn up quicker than food eaten later.
6. Leaving a thirty minute gap after a course may save a course.
7. Small portions over a day put on less weight than the same
weight of the same food in say three sittings.
8. Weight watchers type unit watching works if followed.
9. Eating after seven pm accumulates fat due to slow metabolism.
10. A large obstaclee is our sweet tooth for chocolate, cakes, sweets
biscuits, and desserts.
11. Few of us take in enough water per day, though it makes up eighty
per cent of our being, and is important in releasing toxins.

These seem pretty obvious statements, but we can glean our own weight loss
plan for the future just using these simple ingredients.

I have evolved my own method, which I will endeavour to explain to you, not
as a follow this this is the way, but as a this is how I used the above information
to help me in my own way, as no doubt you are clever enough to adapt it to your
own way. This is where many weight loss programs fall down. They make it seem
insurmountably hard to achieve without their patronisingly know all ideas
and cures and proclamations.

I was in computing when it first started, and programming was nowhere near
as difficult as people would have had you believe, but you hardly tell your
customers that when you are charging the earth for your services.
You make it seem difficult, almost a guru type thing, so clients will not worry
too much over the cost.

It seems this way to me with slimming. Certain companies would have it deemed
almost an insurmountable obstacle without help and guidance, which of course
you pay for willingly, believing it to be of benefit, and like all things having
a healthy self doubt in your own ability, unless you are the Prime Minister.

My own method is as follows.
You may well view this as a dont try this at home.

a. Find out your calorie or unit allowance per day for your hieght age and frame,
Your GP will assist in this, or Weight watchers type meetings can
be joined locally or over the internet. This is important to allow
yourself treats now and then, which are necessary in any regime.
This is a bit like knowing how much you have to spend for a week
and not going over weekwise, probably a bad example in the era of
credit cards and loans.

b. Do a simple exercise which takes little time morning noon and night.
For me twenty sit ups is fine, and helps to hold in my stomach,
but you could walk up and down stairs, or do simple step ups.

c. Eat a decent breakfast, preferably high protein, minimal fat and minimal
carbohydrate, grilled poached or boiled as opposed to fried.
I go for eggs, bacon and sausage with high meat content.

d. Do not eat anything else for thirty minutes, if desperate drink water.

e. Remember, the longer the day goes on the less your metabolism burns food.
Basically eating late is bad news eating early is good, besides which you
need breakfast to get through the day, as in break fast.

f. I find lunchtime I only want something light, but try eating high protein where
I can. Often I eat pilchards, sardines or salmon, not only for high protein
but for oils good for the joints, which are creaking more.

g. I tend to carry a small bottle of water with me at all times in the car, or out
walking, as it fills a gap other things might fill.

h. Evening meals are a dangerous time for me, as I tend to convince myself I
did more exercise than I actually did, and deserve a treat. Now I try
also to keep to high protein, as in lean meat, vegetables and fruit. I
have tended to cut down on potatoes and bread in favour of high
protein, which seems odd at first But soon becomes more enjoyable
and more varied. I think we tend to eat what we have always been
used to eating, almost out of habit.

i. Your sweet tooth should be allowed within the confines of your calorific
and units plan, as it is no use supressing what you like in a lifelong
lifestyle plan, it will always surface in the end, probably explode.
Better to appease your demons than shut a lid on them.
If you cannot do this in moderation then you will just stay fat,
and there is no point in trying to change. There is after all an
element of will power involved here. You only cheat yourself.

I found that cutting out cakes, sweets, sugar, biscuits for a while at the very start helped
me to feel in control from the word go, and more easily assess what I could eat without
their distraction. I eat them sparingly now and then now, but to start with it was useful.

I only ever now eat up until I feel full, I eat what I need, not what I would like.

Generally speaking we know what we should be eating and what we should be doing,
but doing it is quite another matter, not helped by the food chain stores and diet
gurus making it seem tantamount to impossible, or at the very least difficult.
This is simply just not so, if you use common sense it is achievable.

following these simple guidelines will at least give you some foundations on which
to base your own regime to suit your own unique situation. There are at least some
concrete facts here on how to go about it in a sensible way for yourself.

Obviously age comes into the equation, as Im in my fifties now it is harder to
Lose weight as my metabolism is a little slower, but too often this is used as an
excuse as correspondingly it is often true that as we get older we need less
calories to achieve what we do on a day to day basis, and in any event you
can always tailor your suit to suit your cloth calorie wise, at any age.

The best help is your own will power and determination, and the long term goals
of more energy, better appearance, less strain on the joints and back and heart,
more self confidence and greater fitness, and the great boost to pride of feeling
more vibrant and more attractive. It is an upward spiral, instead of an out
of control downward spiral which saps your self confidence and esteem.
It is not a wish to look like waif thin role models bearing no semblance to
reality, but more a sensible healthy lifestyle gateway to energy and
fitness and happiness. These go hand in hand, as the fitter and
less fat you get, the higher the serotonin levels and the greater
the feeling of happiness.

You have it in your own power to do this for yourself, it is not unachievable,
or supreme effort, or an endless struggle, as adverts would have you believe.
It is an eminently achievable long term goal to be achieved once by a
conscious change of lifestyle, a gradual recuperation after the operation,
a new life in a new way with a new happiness achieved by your own
common sense and willpower ONCE. All the guilt and hardship and
super methods to help you slim are to produce one result, the spending
of money on others to do something for you, preferably EVERY YEAR
with a new method and a new fad and more money down the drain.

You can do this yourself. You do not need anyone telling you how to diet,
it is all there for every one of us to read, it is just taking control of your
own destiny which seems difficult, and is made to seem doubly difficult by those with
vested interests in selling you slimming plans.

I make no money whatsoever in publishing this article free in ezines
or letting you read it on the internet here. It is to help people take
Control of their own destiny and future, and hopefully we will all benefit
in the long run and have more time and energy to enjoy life.

Best of luck in your quest.

Malcolm Pugh March 2004.

http://www.stiffsteiffs.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk the new site everyone is talking about.
http://www.stiffsteiffs.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/mcqueen.htm the new escaping bear.
http://www.stiffsteiffs.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/elliot.htm the new compensation culture

About the Author

originally a Civil Engineer. moved to systems programming. now very idle.

Weight Loss, a lifestyle choice achievable by the power of s

2007-12-16T03:56:00.001-08:00

by: Malcolm James Pugh

About the Author

originally a Civil Engineer. moved to systems programming. now very idle.

Fad Diets & Weight Loss

2007-12-16T03:56:00.000-08:00

by: www.NegativeCalorieFoods.com

Fad Diets & Weight Loss
Copyright www.NegativeCalorieFoods.com

[Please note that this article is not a subsitute for medical advise.
You have permission to publish this article in your web sites, ezines or
electronic publication, as long as the piece is used in its entirety
including the resource box, all hyperlinks (clickable) and references and copyright
info. ]

A diet may be a fad diet or a healthy diet. People often start a fad diet for fast
weight loss. They do not realize that quick weight loss and a fad diet is not the
answer for their weight problem. They may lose weight initially but that may not
be permanent. The fad diets recommend to eat a certain group of foods and
eliminate some foods or a group of foods from the diet. Such diets are not without
a danger. Some of the fad diets are:

Grapefruit Diet : This diet recommends to eat only grapefruit.
Low Carb Diet : This diet recommends to eat foods low in carbohydrates.
Low Fat Diet : This diet recommends to eat foods low in fats or eliminate fats in diet.
High Protein Diet : This diet recommends to eat only protein rich foods, eliminating
carbohydrates

Note that these diets recommend to eliminate some food groups that are essential
for a healthy body. These diets may offer only a temporary solution and are not
based on the recommendationsof the food pyramid. On using a fad diet, you may
lose weight fast, but lateron you may again gain weight and your body may be
deficient in many nutrients that can develop health problems.

A good diet should provide all the major nutrients including dietary fibers,
carbohydrates, proteins, good fats, minerals, and vitamins. The best way to tackle
overweight and obesity problem is to eat a balanced diet and do some physical exercise daily.

You should not start any diet if it does not allow any major group of the food pyramid.
The negative calorie diet is based on neagtive calorie foods that include vegetables, fruits,
legumes, lentils, and beans, so it allows all the major nutrients in the diet necessary for
good health. By eating these foods, you will never feel hungry and you will never gain
weight. If you remain physically active and eat these foods, you will deop pounds permanently.

----------------------------------------
For more information, visit the web site
negative calorie foods and diet information
www.NegativeCalorieFoods.com
--------------------------------------

About the Author

This article has been written by http://www.NegativeCalorieFoods.com
For more information, visit

Fat Burning Foods & Negative Calorie Foods

Glycemic Index,a magic weight loss solution or a soap bubble

2007-12-16T03:55:00.004-08:00

by: Rajesh Shetty.

Glycemic index ranks different carbohydrate foods depending on their potential to raise blood glucose levels.

The ranking is on a scale from 0 to 100.Higher the Glycemic index, higher is the particular carbohydrates ability to effect a spike(rise) in blood glucose levels.

Low-GI foods, by virtue of their slow digestion and absorption, produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels, and have benefits for health.

Low GI diets have been shown to improve both glucose and lipid levels in people with diabetes (type 1 and type 2).

This is as far as it goes about the use of glycemic index for weight loss.

Popular diet books like the south beach diet are founded on the premise that the spike in blood glucose levels leads to more hunger and subsequent weight gain, whereas the foods with low GI have a tendency to delay the haunger or lower appetite, leading to weight loss, which is too simplistic, but ,not quite supported by scientific evidence.

Read this excerpt taken from WebMD:

All the researchers are unanimous in that, it's the fiber content of the diet that is more important for controlling diabetes and weight gain than the Glycemic Index.Read the exerpts of a new research document from WebMD,....

All this leads one to conclude that the importance of fiber is far more that Glycemic index for dieters. The weight loss programs like many low carb diets and the popular south beach diet are only trying to exploit the limited scientific data on Glycemic Index to sell their diet wares.

A diet rich in fibre has many advantages like:

Fiber can help you avoid overeating. It has been found that fiber can bind with cholesterol in the digestive tract, thus lowering blood cholesterol.

Another important point about fiber-rich foods is that they tend to be loaded with phytochemicals that appear to have anticancer functions,along with these benefits and its role in weight maintenance, fiber helps prevent the following:

Constipation Hemorrhoids Appendicitis Diverticulosis -- an intestinal disease where pockets, which can become infected, develop in the intestinal lining.

A diet program which recommends fiber rich foods and is loaded with healthy and natural weight loss alternatives to the foods recommended by the fad diets is the only alternative to safe and sure weight loss.

You can get more cutting edge fat burning secrets in my Free 5day email ecourse by subscribing to my newsletter at: www.eweightlosstips.com

About the Author

Expert in weight loss principles of Ayurveda Medical Science
and Author of the Best selling book,
"Proven weight loss secrets revealed".
www.eweightlosstips.com

Hoodia is the Solution to Weight Loss

2007-12-16T03:55:00.003-08:00

by: Viviana Aida

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Viviana Aida
Hoodia Latina (www.hoodialatina.com)

About The Author

Viviana Aida is the Sales Manager at Hoodia Latina, a company focusing on Hoodia products to the hispanic and latin population.

www.hoodialatina.com

info@hoodialatina.com

Are Weight Loss Supplements Right For You?

2007-12-16T03:55:00.001-08:00

by: Tom Worsley

Are Weight Loss Supplements Right For You?

By Tom Worsley

The debate about whether supplements for weight loss are healthy or not will go on and on for years to come. There are good and bad points to using weight loss supplements. One of the bad points is that once you stop taking them you gain everything back that you lost to begin with.

Most doctors will tell you that weight loss supplements are not necessary and that only a good controlled diet along with daily exercise is the only thing one needs to lose weight. This is true. however with today's working society with 2 parents working and trying to raise children at the same time who has time for exercise? Who has time to plan good nutritional meals?

I know first hand what this is all about. My wife is probably around 60 pounds over weight. Now before we go any further I would just like to say that I love her just as much now as I did when we first met. Her weight does not bother me. She is a beautiful person both inside and out. But I know inside she is hurting. And for the last several years she has struggled with her weight almost daily. And the biggest problem as I mentioned above is time. Time to prepare good quality nutritious meals both for her self and the children. Time to do sufficient exercise in order to burn off calories.Our schedule is chaotic to say the least. She works from 9:00 AM till 5:00 PM. I work from 3:30 PM till 12:00 AM . When I'm not with the kids she is with the kids. Only on weekends do the kids have both parents home at the same time.

Back to supplements.

First they will not work if you do not get the proper diet and at least exercise once per week. My wife has tried supplements and they did work for her. What supplements do is to help speed up your metabolism rate decreasing the need for daily exercise. They also supplement the nutrition needed that you may not be getting from your diet for proper weight loss. Weight loss supplements actually regulate your blood sugar level, this helps you overcome severe sugar and carbohydrate cravings that sabotage even the most strong-willed weight loss efforts.

So are weight loss nutrition supplements right for you? When my wife lost 40 pounds using supplements she felt great. She was happy and gained allot of self esteem back. Not to mention that she had allot more energy. If you have a hectic schedule and cannot find enough time in the day to prepare proper nutritional meals and get regular daily exercise then I suggest you give supplements a try.

My opinion is that if they help you to lose weight and make you feel good about yourself again then go for it. What do you have to lose except a few pounds. There are hundreds of products on the internet you can try. A couple of my wife's favorites can be found at the following web page. http://weight-loss-nutrition-supplements.com

You can also get good information on dieting and weight loss at this site along with a very handy calorie calculator.

Tom Worsley is a successful internet entrepreneur and webmaster for several websites including the following 2 health and supplement related sites. http://weight-loss-nutrition-supplements.com & http://multivitamin-liquid-nutrition.com This article may be re-produced freely on your site and or in your newsletter as long as this resource box is included in its entirety.

Ephedra: It's Not Just for Weight Loss Anymore

2007-12-16T03:54:00.001-08:00

by: Amy S. Grant

Americans are buzzing about the FDA’s recent decision to reverse the ban on ephedra and ephedrine supplements in the United States. Known as the “world’s oldest medicine,” ephedra has been used for thousands of years for its variety of healing properties. While ephedra is not a cure-all, it is successfully used in treating hundreds of afflictions, including some that may surprise you.

When the average person hears the word “ephedra” they generally think of two things: “weight loss” and “banned.” The millions of people who have safely used ephedra to burn fat and lose weight were devastated when the U.S. ephedra ban was imposed in early 2004. The FDA was claiming a high death rate attributed to use (or misuse) of ephedra and ephedrine (the main “active” ingredient in the ephedra plant). However, further research showed that only five of these deaths could be attributed to ephedra use, so the ban was lifted. To put the number of adverse events into perspective, consider that over 12 million people reportedly used ephedra during 1999.

Ephedra has thermogenic qualities, which means it can be used to speed up the body’s metabolism. This natural increase in metabolism is what results in virtually effortless weight loss and has earned ephedra the nickname “miracle fat burner.” Unlike other weight loss products on the market, ephedra helps the body retain lean muscle mass. The thermogenic qualities of ephedra also improve the body’s ability to eliminate toxins (through urine and sweat), which can reduce unnecessary water retention.

What you may not know is that the ephedra plant has been used to treat a number of respiratory and circulatory conditions, including asthma, allergies (such as hay fever) and the common cold. Ephedrine, or the synthetic equivalent called pseudoephedrine, can be found in many over-the-counter cold and allergy medications, including Sudafed. Ephedra is a vasodilator, which means it relaxes (or dilates) blood vessels, which allows blood to flow more easily, and allows nasal passages to open wider. In Chinese medicine, ephedra has been used for thousands of years to increase blood flow and improve circulation.

Athletes have used ephedra for centuries, since it helps build muscle and burn fat. Many people report increased energy and stamina while using ephedra, which increases overall athletic performance.

Ephedra is generally considered safe when adhering to the recommended doses. Since ephedra is a very powerful and effective supplement, you should check with your physician before using ephedra if you have any of the following conditions: anxiety, high blood pressure, glaucoma or heart disease. Do not take ephedra if you are pregnant or lactating. It’s recommended to check with your physician before beginning any weight loss program.

Since the ban was lifted so recently, only one company currently offers ephedra supplements online. You can purchase ephedra while supplies last at: http://www.BetaFuelDirect.com or http://www.EphedraBurnsFat.com

About the Author

Amy Grant is an avid fitness enthusiast who enjoys scuba diving, photography, and empowering people to achieve their goals.

Exercise and Weight Loss

2007-12-16T03:52:00.002-08:00

by: Mary Howard RN

If you are serious about your weight loss program, exercise is the key. But how do we get motivated to make such a big change in our life?
If you are serious about your weight loss program, exercise is the key. But how do we get motivated to make such a big change in our life? We’ll talk about motivating benefits, how much exercise it takes, types of exercise and exercising with health conditions.

They say we are supposed to take time each day for ourselves. In my opinion, that means curling up on the couch with a good book and a cup of hot cappuccino. Who wants to exercise?! After doing some research, it looks like it is time to get moving and change some attitudes about doing something for ourselves.

First of all, let's get motivated. Regular and sustained movements of large muscle groups promote the loss of fat while preserving the lean body mass, so exercise is an important part of any weight loss program. Exercise burns fat, at the same time, it allows you to eat more; as long as you eat the right foods. Aerobic exercise before breakfast forces your body to burn fat and with the right exercise program you can get your body to burn fat 24 hours a day.

Exercise also makes you feel better while shaping and toning your body. Exercise is an important step in restoring, maintaining and increasing strength. It can provide a diversion and help build self-confidence by providing a positive self-image.

Now let's look at how much exercise it takes to lose weight. It varies from person to person, but you will need to make permanent changes in eating habits and life-style if you want to lose weight and stay in control of that weight loss. To promote fat loss, a weight loss program should have these 4 characteristics:

Exercise should involve the large muscle groups (legs and arms). Be done at least 3 days a week. Use at least 300 calories per session or 4 days/week and use 200 cal/session. Aerobic enough to increase your heart rate.

For some very simple guidelines here are approximate caloric cost of some common exercises. They are based on an average, 154-lb person during 30 min of exercise:

Bicycling 12 mp - 354

Running 5 mph - 294

Swimming (fast freestyle) - 273

Walking 3 mph - 126

Now let's look at some types of exercise. (Some of these are exercises that a Physical Therapist might teach, but may be helpful, especially for people with limited mobility and joint pain.):

Isometric exercises - Muscle tension is increased but no movement of near-by joints. For example, tightening the thigh and leg muscles without moving the knees or hips. This is good for someone with joint pain or to strengthen muscles above or below an injured joint or cast.

Range of Motion exercises - These are used to increase joint mobility by bending and extending the different joints of the body. These exercises are good for people that stay in one position for extended periods of time, for example standing or sitting. These are also a great warm-up for your joints before an aerobic exercise workout.

Isotonic exercises - These are the movement of muscle with the intent of increasing their length. For example, bending and stretching of arms, legs and back. This exercise increases the circulation and conditions the heart.

Resistance exercises - Involves the movement of muscle groups against resistance. It may be the weight of an extremity, lifting weights or against some type of gym machine. This exercise is used to strengthen and condition the body.

Aerobic Exercise - Jogging, rope skipping, swimming, bicycling, brisk walking and aerobic dance. These increase the heart rate, condition and strengthen the muscles and burn the most calories for your weight loss program.

Ambulation - Good old walking is a low impact way to strengthen and condition many muscles and the heart. It burns calories and is good for the psyche.

For a good work out, it may be helpful to use a combination of a conditioning type exercise along with an exercise that increases your heart rate. In addition to regular aerobic exercise, you can increase energy expenditure during usual daily activities by parking further from the office or store to increase your daily walking distance or use the stairs instead of taking the elevator when you can.

It is important to have adequate amounts of quality protein in your diet during weight loss because protein helps you build lean muscle mass. You want to be replacing fat with muscle mass instead of just losing weight. Starving yourself or skipping meals is not a good way to lose weight; frequently, it will cause your body to store fat rather than use fat.

Exercising with health conditions:

An obese person or anyone with a family history of heart disease should be carefully evaluated by their doctor or health care provider before beginning an exercise program.

Exercises such as jogging and rope skipping may worsen degenerative joint disease. Less stressful activities may be better for those with joint problems such as swimming, bicycling or walking.

Exercise and Diabetes: Regular aerobic exercise that involves using large muscles and increases the heart rate has a potential to lower blood sugar and increase insulin sensitivity. It can also decrease blood pressure, increase your ability to do physical work and make you feel well. The diabetic has to be very careful to be consistent with an exercise program and monitor blood sugars very carefully. It is also important to have very close contact with your doctor, going over your exercise program with your doctor, and reporting weight changes and blood sugar changes. If you are on medication or insulin for your Diabetes, the dosages may need to be changed while you are taking part in an exercise program. Also, if you quit your exercise program, a careful re-adjustment of medication or insulin may be needed.

There are many aspects to a good weight loss program but the key is a consistent exercise program. There are many kinds of exercise and ways to avoid injury during exercise if some time and effort are put into putting a program together. Getting motivated may seem like an insurmountable task, but it is worth it in the end. Be careful and exercise in moderation if you have health problems. However, excercising may help you overcome some of the same health problems you have to modify your program for in the beginning.

About the Author

Mary Howard is Registered Nurse, mother of two, and enjoys natural gardening. More or her articles are posted on the Homegrown web site. Feel Free to contact her at: gardenrn@sendfree.com

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

2007-12-16T03:52:00.001-08:00

by: Katrina Kern

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

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

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

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

Are you starving?

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

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

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

Prove it to yourself

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

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

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

The beauty is- it’s all about you!

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

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

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

Whether you are low-carb dieting, trying a new fat loss supplement, or starting a new exercise regimen, this simple, inexpensive test method can be the most important tool you have to make sure your program is safe, effective, and actually burning fat. Katrina Kern is an author, women's health counselor, former nurse and Director of Medi-Bolic Weight Loss Clinic. Get more exciting health and fat-loss discoveries, and 10 more Doctors' Proven Weight Loss Secrets, in her free e-book, "How to Absolutely, Positively Know When Your Body is Burning Fat," now at http://www.applepoly.com/report

Successful Weight Loss After Pregnancy

2007-12-16T03:51:00.000-08:00

by: Beverley Brooke

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About The Author

Article by Beverley Brooke, full-time mom and author of "The Ultimate Guide to Weight Loss in the Post Partum" - http://www.pregnancy-weight-loss.com

beverley.brooke@healthandfinesse.com

The Most Under Rated Aspect of Weight Loss

2007-12-16T03:50:00.000-08:00

by: Kim Beardsmore

- You are free to publish this article in its entirety, without changes as long as the Copyright, Author's Bio, remain in place and the URLs and links remain intact and working. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

. Body secretions and digestive juices are almost entirely water.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Weight Loss Tips After the Birth Of Your Baby

2007-12-16T03:48:00.000-08:00

by Richard Wassell

http://www.livinghealthysite.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About the Author

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