Back fat is something that should not just be taken lightly. When you notice that fat is accumulating in your body, you must take an appropriate step to ensure that you get rid of it in the shortest time possible. The adverse effects of fat accumulation can be toxic and fatal when neglected by the individual. Therefore, learning about them will help you make the correct decision about the management.
Easy fatigue
When a lot of fat accumulates at the back, the respective individual finds it harder to participate in any form of exercise due to the increased burning of fats, which later lodge in the back skeletal muscles making them to get fatigued easily. Therefore, if you notice such a condition, you have to learn how to reduce back fat in the shortest time possible.
Risk of cardiovascular diseases
The fats that have accumulated in the back muscles can travel to the blood vessels any given time and reach the heart. These two are important organs of the body which mediate transport of nutrients and oxygen to the body tissues. Therefore, when blocked by the plagues of fat, one impairs with the transportation of these essential elements in the body. The ultimate effect of this is death, coma or shock.
Body edema
The body can swell any time when back fat moves to the extremities, that is, the hands and the legs. It can them cause fluid retention in the blood vessels leading to edema. This condition is adverse and can predispose one to many other diseases if not treated in time. In such cases where the condition is due to back fat, the most ideal way to eradicate it is through exercise. Simply get to your trainers and request them to teach guided you on how to lose back fat as soon as possible so that it does not result into complications that may worsen the situation.
The risk of getting diabetes mellitus
Most people know that diabetes mellitus is a condition associated with elevated levels of sugars in the blood. However, this does not mean that the condition is only restricted to high intake of carbohydrate foods. Fats can also be risk factors for the development of this disease. This is through the breakdown of fats in the body through metabolism to form simple sugars such as glucose. When the process is increased, there is an elevation of sugars in the bloodstream and this leads to diabetes mellitus. Are you afraid of getting this disease? Do not worry as there is something you can do. For instance, if you get to know how to lose lower back fat you will be in a better position of avoiding such cases.
High blood pressure
High blood pressure can result from fat accumulation in blood vessels. This fat can be from the back when it has accumulated in this place for a long time. This is a critical state that can put you into several problems. However, you can prevent it as mentioned earlier.
Join others in preventing these risks by referring to muscle prodigy.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9428503
Saturday 25 June 2016
Friday 24 June 2016
Benefits of Running to Losing Weight
Running is considered one of the best activities for fat burning being the key to losing weight fast. 60% of runners start running to lose weight and take advantage of all the benefits that running brings health and physical and mental wellbeing.
To begin with, we highlight basics:
• It helps tone muscles,
• It improves shape and appearance
• It brings great benefits to the cardiovascular system.
• It helps you lose your weight fast and reduces the likelihood of developing serious health problems.
The benefits of running as usual for our general well-being are well known. Whether in a gym or outdoors, running can be a good way to keep your body. The benefits and advantages of running on our body are both physical and mental. Some of these benefits are listed below.
It is one of the simplest ways to burn excess body fat ways. Fitness instructors around the world place great emphasis on smooth and steady run, this not only works for people who want to lose weight, but also for those who want to keep fit.
Running every day for cardiovascular health
It reduces the risk of heart attacks. During the fastest exercise, the arteries and veins contract and expand more frequently, increasing its elasticity. This helps in the regulation of normal blood flow and prevent diseases such as high blood pressure. The benefits of running is also reducing the risk of developing diseases such as osteoporosis, diabetes, and breast cancer.
The benefits of running also been found to stimulate the immune system, for when the exercise is practiced increased lymphocyte production is generated. A stronger immune system protects us against opportunistic infections such as the common cold. Running brings great benefits to people who suffer from depression. As we run, our body produces hormones known as endorphins. These help to regulate mood, so the person feels happier.
Lowering stress levels
Running daily also helps lower stress levels. In the highly competitive world of today, stress is something we all experience whether in our personal or professional life. The running daily can help lower stress and anxiety. Running can help make people look younger. Researchers believe that unlocks running muscle stem cells, which helps slow the aging process.
As you can tell, the benefits of running to lose weight fast are infinite. Many people seek the benefits of running to decrease weight fast. Running regularly is a very effective way to burn calories and lose weight.
A person weighing 70 kg burns about 110 calories per 1.5 km while jogging. For the benefits of running to lose weight fast should be noted that only you can decrease weight by burning more calories consumed.
To lose weight fast running, you should combine this habit with a healthy diet. Brokers have special nutritional needs, but the basic principles to lose weight fast tell us that besides running should reduce the intake of fat and calories, increasing intake of vegetables fruits and vegetables.
Achieving Flat Stomach and Abs
The best exercise for the stomach is free, easy and does not require any equipment. It is simply walking or jogging. If your abdomen has a little extra fat, you probably have your whole body. The fat is distributed on all the muscles of the body, but builds up in certain areas, like your belly. Your body can not eliminate fat only one area, that is why measures to reduce your abdominal area, you have to burn fat throughout the body.
Localized exercises are important, but they alone will not flatten your abdomen, just train the muscle that is below the fat, so burning calories should be your main goal to start exercising, you can later focus in toning the area. Cardiovascular exercises are proven as the best way to lose weight and running is one of the most simple and efficient. If you do not have the stamina to run, start by walking briskly or jogging, and go at your own pace, do not despair, anger slowly improving your fitness. This will also increase your metabolism and make you burn more calories.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9427603
To begin with, we highlight basics:
• It helps tone muscles,
• It improves shape and appearance
• It brings great benefits to the cardiovascular system.
• It helps you lose your weight fast and reduces the likelihood of developing serious health problems.
The benefits of running as usual for our general well-being are well known. Whether in a gym or outdoors, running can be a good way to keep your body. The benefits and advantages of running on our body are both physical and mental. Some of these benefits are listed below.
It is one of the simplest ways to burn excess body fat ways. Fitness instructors around the world place great emphasis on smooth and steady run, this not only works for people who want to lose weight, but also for those who want to keep fit.
Running every day for cardiovascular health
It reduces the risk of heart attacks. During the fastest exercise, the arteries and veins contract and expand more frequently, increasing its elasticity. This helps in the regulation of normal blood flow and prevent diseases such as high blood pressure. The benefits of running is also reducing the risk of developing diseases such as osteoporosis, diabetes, and breast cancer.
The benefits of running also been found to stimulate the immune system, for when the exercise is practiced increased lymphocyte production is generated. A stronger immune system protects us against opportunistic infections such as the common cold. Running brings great benefits to people who suffer from depression. As we run, our body produces hormones known as endorphins. These help to regulate mood, so the person feels happier.
Lowering stress levels
Running daily also helps lower stress levels. In the highly competitive world of today, stress is something we all experience whether in our personal or professional life. The running daily can help lower stress and anxiety. Running can help make people look younger. Researchers believe that unlocks running muscle stem cells, which helps slow the aging process.
As you can tell, the benefits of running to lose weight fast are infinite. Many people seek the benefits of running to decrease weight fast. Running regularly is a very effective way to burn calories and lose weight.
A person weighing 70 kg burns about 110 calories per 1.5 km while jogging. For the benefits of running to lose weight fast should be noted that only you can decrease weight by burning more calories consumed.
To lose weight fast running, you should combine this habit with a healthy diet. Brokers have special nutritional needs, but the basic principles to lose weight fast tell us that besides running should reduce the intake of fat and calories, increasing intake of vegetables fruits and vegetables.
Achieving Flat Stomach and Abs
The best exercise for the stomach is free, easy and does not require any equipment. It is simply walking or jogging. If your abdomen has a little extra fat, you probably have your whole body. The fat is distributed on all the muscles of the body, but builds up in certain areas, like your belly. Your body can not eliminate fat only one area, that is why measures to reduce your abdominal area, you have to burn fat throughout the body.
Localized exercises are important, but they alone will not flatten your abdomen, just train the muscle that is below the fat, so burning calories should be your main goal to start exercising, you can later focus in toning the area. Cardiovascular exercises are proven as the best way to lose weight and running is one of the most simple and efficient. If you do not have the stamina to run, start by walking briskly or jogging, and go at your own pace, do not despair, anger slowly improving your fitness. This will also increase your metabolism and make you burn more calories.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9427603
Thursday 23 June 2016
Weight Loss - Are Quick Fix Diets Ever A Good Choice for Losing Weight?
There comes a time in almost everyone's life where they want to lose weight - and lose weight quickly. Perhaps you have a High school reunion coming up, and you want to look good, or maybe you're approaching your wedding day, and you realize you have more than a few pounds to lose. In this scenario, you may be tempted to try one of the many quick fix diets out there, thinking this can be an excellent way to help you reach your goals.
But at the same time, you've heard time and time again this approach is not recommended.
So what's the verdict? Are these quick fix diets ever a good choice? You might be surprised to know they can be useful. Let's look at a few instances where they may do you some good.
1. You Need A Jump-Start To Your Motivation. The first time a quick fix diet or eating plan may be beneficial is if you simply need a boost to reach your motivation levels. If you have felt your progress is slow and it's causing you to lose motivation, these quick fix approaches can help you drop a few pound quickly and get your excitement and motivational levels back up.
Now, the weight you lose is likely not all fat weight but, for some people, just seeing the number on the scale lowering is all they need to start feeling better about themselves and put forth the effort necessary to go forward and lose fat on a more reasonable diet plan.
If you need to use a quick fix diet for a few days as a boost to your motivation before you move back to a smarter, healthier long-term plan, this can be a good thing.
2. The Diet Provides Ample Protein. The second time a quick fix diet plan can be helpful is if the menu itself provides ample protein. Now, while most of these diet plans are set up terribly and will only hinder long-term results, this isn't always the case.
If the food you're looking at provides at least 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight, it may not be the worst quick fix diet out there and could help you see the results you're going for. It's all about evaluating the diet plan and knowing what it will or won't do.
3. You're Preparing For A Big Event And Just Want To Slim Down. Finally, the last time you may want to turn to a quick fix diet plan is if you are preparing for a big event and want to slim down. If you aren't all concerned about whether you lose fat or muscle - you just want to be slimmer, the quick fix eating plan can help you get to your end goal. You just need to be psychologically prepared to face the fact the weight will likely come back on once you stop working with the eating plan.
In these instances, a quick fix diet plan may do some good. Just remember, shop around and don't rush on the first diet plan you find. Try and find one that produces fast results, but is still designed relatively well.
Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9439258
But at the same time, you've heard time and time again this approach is not recommended.
So what's the verdict? Are these quick fix diets ever a good choice? You might be surprised to know they can be useful. Let's look at a few instances where they may do you some good.
1. You Need A Jump-Start To Your Motivation. The first time a quick fix diet or eating plan may be beneficial is if you simply need a boost to reach your motivation levels. If you have felt your progress is slow and it's causing you to lose motivation, these quick fix approaches can help you drop a few pound quickly and get your excitement and motivational levels back up.
Now, the weight you lose is likely not all fat weight but, for some people, just seeing the number on the scale lowering is all they need to start feeling better about themselves and put forth the effort necessary to go forward and lose fat on a more reasonable diet plan.
If you need to use a quick fix diet for a few days as a boost to your motivation before you move back to a smarter, healthier long-term plan, this can be a good thing.
2. The Diet Provides Ample Protein. The second time a quick fix diet plan can be helpful is if the menu itself provides ample protein. Now, while most of these diet plans are set up terribly and will only hinder long-term results, this isn't always the case.
If the food you're looking at provides at least 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight, it may not be the worst quick fix diet out there and could help you see the results you're going for. It's all about evaluating the diet plan and knowing what it will or won't do.
3. You're Preparing For A Big Event And Just Want To Slim Down. Finally, the last time you may want to turn to a quick fix diet plan is if you are preparing for a big event and want to slim down. If you aren't all concerned about whether you lose fat or muscle - you just want to be slimmer, the quick fix eating plan can help you get to your end goal. You just need to be psychologically prepared to face the fact the weight will likely come back on once you stop working with the eating plan.
In these instances, a quick fix diet plan may do some good. Just remember, shop around and don't rush on the first diet plan you find. Try and find one that produces fast results, but is still designed relatively well.
Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9439258
Wednesday 22 June 2016
8 Stress-Free Ways For A Quick Weight Loss Diet That Works
What is the best quick weight loss diet? Of course you want to lose weight fast and easy. But don't many women usually complain that dieting just takes too long? What if you've merely got a month to look fit and fab for your anniversary?
Losing weight slow and steady means you're likely to keep the pounds off, but there are healthy means and ways to lose weight quickly, too. You can step up your metabolism and burn calories faster. Here are 8 fool-proof tips for a quick weight loss diet:
Drink the magic of green tea. Green tea has amazing metabolic effects! Drinking green tea makes you burn an additional 70 calories in a 24-hour period. That 70 calories you burned in a day could have otherwise amounted to an aggregate of 7.3 pounds in 1 year! Research has backed the metabolic-enhancing effects of green tea, owing it to the cathecin components in the drink. It's a kind of antioxidants.
Monitor your intake of calorific drinks. A glass of grande café mocha contains the same amount of calories as a bowl of pasta. But guess what. You're likely to get another cup of the former because it's not as satiating as the latter. Therefore watch your intake of soda, juices, wine and coffee. If you take each of these in the day time, your calories intake would (from them) would add up to 800 by the nighttime, but you'll still feel hunger pangs. Be careful of drinking alcoholic drinks, too. Alcohol tends to suppress fat metabolism, making it harder to burn calories.
Start an exercise routine using a set of 5-pound weights. You won't regret it as a one-time investment. Strength training using 5-pound weights builds more lean muscles, plus, you'll burn calories at a 24/7 period even if you're at rest. For your strength training routine, do some push ups, some lunges or a few squats. Exercise those biceps using free weights as well. Do some simple bicep curls or a number of tricep pulls on your free time at home or in the office. Three to four times of this routine in a week can bring rapid improvements.
Limit your salt intake. Water retention caused by sodium causes bloatedness. Most people consume salt twice the amount of the daily value which is 2,400 milligrams/day (or 1 teaspoon). Restricting your sodium intake doesn't just mean keeping the salt shaker away, but also curbing your consumption of canned foods and drinks, soups, prepackaged foods and salty snacks including pretzels and chips.
Eat more spices. Eating hot peppers can rev up your metabolism because of the compound capsaicin which is found in jalapeno and cayenne peppers. These hot peppers when consumed also increases the release of stress hormones such as adrenaline that, as a result, boosts your metabolism and burns calories. At the same time, eating hot peppers also curbs your appetite and food cravings. Spice up your stir friend vegetables and try adding low calorie chilli or pasta on your bakes potatoes and salads.
Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation slows down your metabolism, other than the fact that it makes your more susceptible to late night munchies. Get enough snooze, make it 8 hours a day and you'll shed pounds quickly!
Go for a walk in the evening. Exercising is generally good any time of the day, but an evening activity gives you more perks. Perform 30 minutes of aerobic activity before eating dinner because it accelerates your metabolism until the next two or three hours even if you're inactive. This means that your dinner has lost its chance of residing on your hips!
Drink up plenty of H2O. Speed up your weight loss by drinking 64 ounces of water everyday. It has been a time-tested rule. Sufficient water in your body efficiently metabolizes stores of fat. Otherwise, if you're not having enough water supply (in your body), your fat metabolism slows down, making it difficult to burn calories. Drinking at least 8 glasses of water everyday has your bodily system running smoothly!
Aren't these smart and easy tips for a quick weight loss diet? These simple steps will make your quick weight loss diet trouble and stress free so that you'll look fit and healthy in a jiffy!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9440790
Losing weight slow and steady means you're likely to keep the pounds off, but there are healthy means and ways to lose weight quickly, too. You can step up your metabolism and burn calories faster. Here are 8 fool-proof tips for a quick weight loss diet:
Drink the magic of green tea. Green tea has amazing metabolic effects! Drinking green tea makes you burn an additional 70 calories in a 24-hour period. That 70 calories you burned in a day could have otherwise amounted to an aggregate of 7.3 pounds in 1 year! Research has backed the metabolic-enhancing effects of green tea, owing it to the cathecin components in the drink. It's a kind of antioxidants.
Monitor your intake of calorific drinks. A glass of grande café mocha contains the same amount of calories as a bowl of pasta. But guess what. You're likely to get another cup of the former because it's not as satiating as the latter. Therefore watch your intake of soda, juices, wine and coffee. If you take each of these in the day time, your calories intake would (from them) would add up to 800 by the nighttime, but you'll still feel hunger pangs. Be careful of drinking alcoholic drinks, too. Alcohol tends to suppress fat metabolism, making it harder to burn calories.
Start an exercise routine using a set of 5-pound weights. You won't regret it as a one-time investment. Strength training using 5-pound weights builds more lean muscles, plus, you'll burn calories at a 24/7 period even if you're at rest. For your strength training routine, do some push ups, some lunges or a few squats. Exercise those biceps using free weights as well. Do some simple bicep curls or a number of tricep pulls on your free time at home or in the office. Three to four times of this routine in a week can bring rapid improvements.
Limit your salt intake. Water retention caused by sodium causes bloatedness. Most people consume salt twice the amount of the daily value which is 2,400 milligrams/day (or 1 teaspoon). Restricting your sodium intake doesn't just mean keeping the salt shaker away, but also curbing your consumption of canned foods and drinks, soups, prepackaged foods and salty snacks including pretzels and chips.
Eat more spices. Eating hot peppers can rev up your metabolism because of the compound capsaicin which is found in jalapeno and cayenne peppers. These hot peppers when consumed also increases the release of stress hormones such as adrenaline that, as a result, boosts your metabolism and burns calories. At the same time, eating hot peppers also curbs your appetite and food cravings. Spice up your stir friend vegetables and try adding low calorie chilli or pasta on your bakes potatoes and salads.
Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation slows down your metabolism, other than the fact that it makes your more susceptible to late night munchies. Get enough snooze, make it 8 hours a day and you'll shed pounds quickly!
Go for a walk in the evening. Exercising is generally good any time of the day, but an evening activity gives you more perks. Perform 30 minutes of aerobic activity before eating dinner because it accelerates your metabolism until the next two or three hours even if you're inactive. This means that your dinner has lost its chance of residing on your hips!
Drink up plenty of H2O. Speed up your weight loss by drinking 64 ounces of water everyday. It has been a time-tested rule. Sufficient water in your body efficiently metabolizes stores of fat. Otherwise, if you're not having enough water supply (in your body), your fat metabolism slows down, making it difficult to burn calories. Drinking at least 8 glasses of water everyday has your bodily system running smoothly!
Aren't these smart and easy tips for a quick weight loss diet? These simple steps will make your quick weight loss diet trouble and stress free so that you'll look fit and healthy in a jiffy!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9440790
Tuesday 21 June 2016
Fat Loss Patch - Is It the Ultimate Weight Loss Solution You Are Looking For?
Technology makes our life easier. This is even true when it comes to weight loss. As we all know, there are a large range of modern products and approaches that are designed to help us to lose weight with less effort. Fat loss patch is one of them. But after trying out everything out there in the market, will this work for you finally? Let us look into the truths about it in this article so that you can come up with the answer to that question and finally forge ahead with your weight loss effort.
Before we go any further into the patches themselves, let us take a look at what is involved in the traditional weight loss program. We all know that we will have to eat less and exercise more in order to lose fat effectively. However, both of them involve hard work. Restraining ourselves from eating more in front of the delicious foods is hard. And doing exercises everyday is intimidating, too. More often than not, we already try to find out the way back before getting started. That is where supplements such as weight loss patches step in.
Fat loss patch is intended to be adhered to the skin. You must have known something about nicotine patches that are used to help smokers to quit smoking. Fat loss patches are designed on the similar principle. The ingredients that suppress our appetite and stimulate our metabolism are added to the patches and go through our skin into the bloodstream and function as expected.
Wash your skin clean before sticking it to your skin. The hips and the upper back are the two places that most use. Please notice that you should just use one piece or two at first. This way, you can see if your skin is sensitive to the adhesive on the patches. If you have a sensitive skin, then you will have to turn to other approaches as far as losing weight is concerned. So don't buy too many of them at the beginning.
After learning about the working principle of the weight loss patches, you probably have figured out the idea behind this product like Jen Fe fat loss patch. With it, you will not have to discipline yourself on dieting and exercising. How good is that! However, the reality is far from ideal.
Firstly, fat loss patches don't work overnight. You don't expect to stick a patch to your skin and wake up being a boy or girl with hot body. It works over time, even in months. However, if you have a diet plan and exercising schedule at hand, then you will be able to get your ideal body in no time.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5322614
Before we go any further into the patches themselves, let us take a look at what is involved in the traditional weight loss program. We all know that we will have to eat less and exercise more in order to lose fat effectively. However, both of them involve hard work. Restraining ourselves from eating more in front of the delicious foods is hard. And doing exercises everyday is intimidating, too. More often than not, we already try to find out the way back before getting started. That is where supplements such as weight loss patches step in.
Fat loss patch is intended to be adhered to the skin. You must have known something about nicotine patches that are used to help smokers to quit smoking. Fat loss patches are designed on the similar principle. The ingredients that suppress our appetite and stimulate our metabolism are added to the patches and go through our skin into the bloodstream and function as expected.
Wash your skin clean before sticking it to your skin. The hips and the upper back are the two places that most use. Please notice that you should just use one piece or two at first. This way, you can see if your skin is sensitive to the adhesive on the patches. If you have a sensitive skin, then you will have to turn to other approaches as far as losing weight is concerned. So don't buy too many of them at the beginning.
After learning about the working principle of the weight loss patches, you probably have figured out the idea behind this product like Jen Fe fat loss patch. With it, you will not have to discipline yourself on dieting and exercising. How good is that! However, the reality is far from ideal.
Firstly, fat loss patches don't work overnight. You don't expect to stick a patch to your skin and wake up being a boy or girl with hot body. It works over time, even in months. However, if you have a diet plan and exercising schedule at hand, then you will be able to get your ideal body in no time.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5322614
Monday 20 June 2016
Why Convenience Foods Are Fat-Loss Enemies
Most people on a weight-loss diet struggled to manage their time. They end up switching to the many convenience foods available. You may think that eating something is better than eating nothing, but is it? The healthiest looking fast food may be loaded with unhealthy ingredients.
These foods are diet killers. They usually are not only bad for your diet, but may be downright unhealthy. Eating them can actually increase your hunger and endanger your weight-loss.
Following a healthy eating plan may require more planning and preparation. You may have to learn to how to manage your time properly. For some people, this can be very hard, but you can do it. Just make up your mind what is important to you. Taking the time to pre-plan your meals and by keeping a healthy snack on hand, you won't be stuck with nothing to eat.
Let's look at why these kinds of foods are very harmful to your diet so that you will understand clearly why you must stay away from them. It will take some time to change your ways but it's beneficial to your health so it's all worth it.
The Details
• Convenience foods run through insulin. Insulin is the fat storage hormone in the body. The more you consume it, the more body fat will be stored in your body.
• They give few nutrients. These foods have gone through a lot of processes so most of the nutritional contents were already removed.
• They don't have enough dietary fiber. Dietary fiber allows you to be satisfied after eating your food, so a lack of it will make you hungry after a short while.
• They raise blood glucose levels. These foods break down very fast in the body so your blood will boost way up and then speeds back down. It will make you hungry, irritable and absent minded.
• It has simple sugars. These foods contain sugars that you don't want or have an artificial sweetener that's harmful to your health.
• It has too many chemicals. These foods contain food colorings and preservatives that are not beneficial to your health.
• They don't provide satisfaction. You won't feel satisfied after eating convenience foods. They do more to make you hungry than satisfy.
• It includes trans fats. Trans fats are the most dangerous kind of fats and they are only added to increase shelf life.
• They will lead you to bad eating habits. If you're always dependent on these kinds of foods, you'll never realize that choosing to eat healthier is not hard. You just have to plan for the times you will be hungry.
• They are packed with calories. Most of these kinds of foods are packed with empty calories, which hinder your efforts to control your weight.
• They have small serving sizes, which lead you to eat more than what is necessary. You'll tend to eat more and more calories, and your body will be left craving for nutrients. And craving more of empty calories.
The Bottom Line
The success of your diet plan depends on your food choices. You are already aware of the effects of consuming convenience foods based on the information written above, so the decision of choosing a healthy meal is in your hands. If you really want to get rid of your excess fat then you should start choosing healthier whole food. You will look better and feel a lot better too.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9430561
These foods are diet killers. They usually are not only bad for your diet, but may be downright unhealthy. Eating them can actually increase your hunger and endanger your weight-loss.
Following a healthy eating plan may require more planning and preparation. You may have to learn to how to manage your time properly. For some people, this can be very hard, but you can do it. Just make up your mind what is important to you. Taking the time to pre-plan your meals and by keeping a healthy snack on hand, you won't be stuck with nothing to eat.
Let's look at why these kinds of foods are very harmful to your diet so that you will understand clearly why you must stay away from them. It will take some time to change your ways but it's beneficial to your health so it's all worth it.
The Details
• Convenience foods run through insulin. Insulin is the fat storage hormone in the body. The more you consume it, the more body fat will be stored in your body.
• They give few nutrients. These foods have gone through a lot of processes so most of the nutritional contents were already removed.
• They don't have enough dietary fiber. Dietary fiber allows you to be satisfied after eating your food, so a lack of it will make you hungry after a short while.
• They raise blood glucose levels. These foods break down very fast in the body so your blood will boost way up and then speeds back down. It will make you hungry, irritable and absent minded.
• It has simple sugars. These foods contain sugars that you don't want or have an artificial sweetener that's harmful to your health.
• It has too many chemicals. These foods contain food colorings and preservatives that are not beneficial to your health.
• They don't provide satisfaction. You won't feel satisfied after eating convenience foods. They do more to make you hungry than satisfy.
• It includes trans fats. Trans fats are the most dangerous kind of fats and they are only added to increase shelf life.
• They will lead you to bad eating habits. If you're always dependent on these kinds of foods, you'll never realize that choosing to eat healthier is not hard. You just have to plan for the times you will be hungry.
• They are packed with calories. Most of these kinds of foods are packed with empty calories, which hinder your efforts to control your weight.
• They have small serving sizes, which lead you to eat more than what is necessary. You'll tend to eat more and more calories, and your body will be left craving for nutrients. And craving more of empty calories.
The Bottom Line
The success of your diet plan depends on your food choices. You are already aware of the effects of consuming convenience foods based on the information written above, so the decision of choosing a healthy meal is in your hands. If you really want to get rid of your excess fat then you should start choosing healthier whole food. You will look better and feel a lot better too.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9430561
Saturday 18 June 2016
10 Biggest Mistakes Made When Trying to Lose Weight
With so much information our there now in the fitness world, it is hard to determine what is good advice and what is bad. Bad advice can lead to serious issues, such as injuries, and most likely will not get you to your goals. The following are the 10 biggest mistakes made when a person decides they want to lose weight.
1. Fad Diets:
With a quick Google search you can find hundreds of diets that say they will help with weight loss. Most of these diets, if followed, will make you lose weight. However, some will cause unhealthy weight loss and most likely will not keep the weight off for good. Look out for any diet plan that says you will lose more than 2lbs per week. They won't let you eat entire food groups or limit you to certain food or involve a cleanse or supplement that must be taken. Bottom line is if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Do your own research on the diet. Don't pay attention to most before/after pictures since they are usually tampered with. Any diet that you plan to start you should be able to stick with for the rest of your life. If you cannot, you will not keep the weight off once you start eating normally again.
2. Eating extremely low calorie diets or starvation:
Many individuals will decide to stop eating to lose weight. While again you probably will lose weight by doing this, it is obviously extremely unhealthy and dangerous. When an individual goes on a very low calorie diet, problems start to occur. If no food is in the body, then there is no fuel for the body to function. When the body does not get adequate fuel for functions, it has to get it from somewhere. Since your body thinks that it is starving and may not get another meal, it will save fat cell until the last possible moment. Obviously you still need to move, so you brain signals for your body to start breaking down muscle to turn protein into energy. You will continue to lose muscle mass and keep fat. On top of all of this, your metabolism will get slower and slower. If you stay with this type of diet long enough, your metabolism may never recover and you may cause serious health risks to your body. If you, or anyone you know, has this problem you should seek counseling immediately.
3. Perform hours of cardio:
A cardio routine is a great part of an exercise program but sometimes people can take this too far. The thinking process seems to make sense: if I do more cardio I will burn more calories and lose more weight. Unfortunately, it doesn't work out this way. When you perform long duration cardio, a few things happen in your body. First, prolonged aerobic exercise increases cortisol response in your body. Cortisol is a hormone that is released when stress is placed on the body. High levels of cortisol in the body create a catabolic environment. This means that the body will break down muscle proteins for fuel. Not only will cardio increase cortisol, but it will decrease testosterone which will promote muscle growth. When this situation occurs, you will lose more and more muscle mass and not necessarily burn significant amounts of fat calories. In order to limit this effect in the body, stick to cardio workouts that last around 30 minutes and focus more on increasing the intensity.
4. Skipping strength training:
In the previous mistake we learned that too much cardio is a bad thing for weight loss because it can deteriorate the muscle. The only thing that will promote healthy muscle growth is resistance training. Yet many will skip their strength workouts because they are afraid of bulking up and looking like a body builder. Most body builders shown on TV and in ads use drugs to help them get that big. It is extremely hard to build that much muscle with just a weight training routine. I could write a book on the benefits of resistance training, but I don't want to take too much of your time. Some key points, however, are it will build muscle mass which increases your metabolism, it will promote higher bone mass density, and it will create a higher post-exercise oxygen consumption than cardio alone. This last point might sound technical but it is so important for weight loss. In a tough workout you will burn a couple hundred calories. After the workout your body has to get to work repairing the damages you made during the exercise and restore everything back to how it was before you worked out. This can take hours or even days to get back to normal. Until it does, you will burn more calories than you would if you had not worked out. If you are serious about losing weight, you will not be very successful without a strength routine.
It can be hard to design a routine to follow but if you stick to some basic guidelines you will be fine.
o Perform 2-3 workouts per week
o Perform exercises that involve multi-joint movements
o Perform 3 sets of 8-12 reps to help build muscle mass
o Perform at least one exercise for each major muscle group or movement pattern (push, pull, squat, bend, lunge, and rotate)
5. Unrealistic goals:
When setting up goals make sure they are something that you really think you can do. A healthy rate of weight loss is 1-2lbs per week. That is a great goal to shoot for. If you are looking to lose 10lbs in a week, it is just not healthy. Any diet that says they can do it may have serious health risks associated with it. Make S.M.A.R.T. goals. They should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. Instead of saying you want to lose 30lbs you can say you will you will work out 5 days a week for the next 3 months. This is a great goal for many reasons. Instead of focusing on the end result you are thinking about behavior you have to change to get to the goal. You cannot control how much weight you can lose. You can control how much or often you are working out. If you stick to a program 5 days a week for 3 months you will lose weight. Along with being specific you are setting an end date. It helps you stick to a plan when you see the end in sight. Once you get there, if you are not happy with the results, you can try a new goal.
6. Not keeping a food journal:
They have done research where they take two groups of people, put them on a workout/nutrition plan, and tell one group to keep a journal of everything. The research shows that the group who kept track of everything lost more weight and was more likely to stick to a program. Unless you are writing things down you will not be sure how much you are eating. It is also a great idea to have someone review your journal. This can be a friend, family member, personal trainer, or anyone else who would help you. Even if this person is not a nutritionist, the idea that someone will be checking it will help you stay accountable.
7. Not tracking results:
Most people will track their weight. This is not usually the best way to keep track of your progress. You can become obsessed with your weight and give up if you don't lose weight every day. Instead, take circumference measurements on different areas of your body, have your body fat measured, and keep track of weights you use or distances you run. The scale doesn't always tell the whole story. If you lose fat but gain muscle you might not see a big drop on the scale. If you measure your body, however, you can see exactly where you are losing weight. Having your body fat measured is also a great way to see if you are losing fat or not. You may have to hire a personal trainer for this, but many times he or she will to it for free. So take advantage of having a professional take measurements. If you are working out you will see strength improvements. Each week you should try and lift more weight than the week before or get more repetitions. You can test yourself by performing as many push ups or squats in one minute and see if you improve. Also, keep track of how fast you can run, swim, bike.... a given distance and see if you improve. It might not be a change in weight, but it still feels good to know you are making improvements.
8. Relying on supplements:
I know the ads can be tempting but most supplements have not been proven to work. Even if they have been shown to have some benefit, the manufacturers are not regulated. So it is hard to say what you are getting. Bottom line is there is no magic pill to lose weight or burn fat. Some supplements may help for some but it should not be the focus. A supplement is exactly what it says. It should supplement your current diet, not replace it. Avoid the ads with fitness models showing their ripped muscles. There is a good chance they do not even take the supplement they are promoting. Stick to a daily multivitamin and avoid the fancy fat burners and muscle builders unless you have done your research on them.
9. Give up on your plan too soon:
Unfortunately, losing weight takes time. I already said that 1-2lbs is the average you will lose on a good plan. Most people do not want to hear this but it is true. Think of how long it took you to put on the weight. It will take even longer to get it all off. Give your workout program a chance. Stick with a program for at least 3 months. If you have noticed nothing changing you are probably on a bad program. Reevaluate it and try again. You might not get it right the first few times, especially if you are trying it on your own.
10. Overdoing it in the beginning:
I'm sure by now you are motivated and ready to get started on a fat burning routine. Hold up a minute and plan out a strategy. I have seen many individuals throw things I've told them right out the window. I give a progressive program that eases their bodies into the workout so they don't kill themselves. Instead they want to do more and more. I love seeing the drive but you have to be very careful. Doing too much too fast can lead to serious injuries. Look for signs of overtraining. If you suffer from any of these issues, you might have to rest and take it easy for awhile before starting up again:
o Always sore or taking more than 2 days to recover from a workout
o Joints constantly ache
o Getting sick frequently
o Not seeing improvements and actually starting to get worse
o Feeling depressed and run down
o Not getting enough sleep
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1777045
1. Fad Diets:
With a quick Google search you can find hundreds of diets that say they will help with weight loss. Most of these diets, if followed, will make you lose weight. However, some will cause unhealthy weight loss and most likely will not keep the weight off for good. Look out for any diet plan that says you will lose more than 2lbs per week. They won't let you eat entire food groups or limit you to certain food or involve a cleanse or supplement that must be taken. Bottom line is if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Do your own research on the diet. Don't pay attention to most before/after pictures since they are usually tampered with. Any diet that you plan to start you should be able to stick with for the rest of your life. If you cannot, you will not keep the weight off once you start eating normally again.
2. Eating extremely low calorie diets or starvation:
Many individuals will decide to stop eating to lose weight. While again you probably will lose weight by doing this, it is obviously extremely unhealthy and dangerous. When an individual goes on a very low calorie diet, problems start to occur. If no food is in the body, then there is no fuel for the body to function. When the body does not get adequate fuel for functions, it has to get it from somewhere. Since your body thinks that it is starving and may not get another meal, it will save fat cell until the last possible moment. Obviously you still need to move, so you brain signals for your body to start breaking down muscle to turn protein into energy. You will continue to lose muscle mass and keep fat. On top of all of this, your metabolism will get slower and slower. If you stay with this type of diet long enough, your metabolism may never recover and you may cause serious health risks to your body. If you, or anyone you know, has this problem you should seek counseling immediately.
3. Perform hours of cardio:
A cardio routine is a great part of an exercise program but sometimes people can take this too far. The thinking process seems to make sense: if I do more cardio I will burn more calories and lose more weight. Unfortunately, it doesn't work out this way. When you perform long duration cardio, a few things happen in your body. First, prolonged aerobic exercise increases cortisol response in your body. Cortisol is a hormone that is released when stress is placed on the body. High levels of cortisol in the body create a catabolic environment. This means that the body will break down muscle proteins for fuel. Not only will cardio increase cortisol, but it will decrease testosterone which will promote muscle growth. When this situation occurs, you will lose more and more muscle mass and not necessarily burn significant amounts of fat calories. In order to limit this effect in the body, stick to cardio workouts that last around 30 minutes and focus more on increasing the intensity.
4. Skipping strength training:
In the previous mistake we learned that too much cardio is a bad thing for weight loss because it can deteriorate the muscle. The only thing that will promote healthy muscle growth is resistance training. Yet many will skip their strength workouts because they are afraid of bulking up and looking like a body builder. Most body builders shown on TV and in ads use drugs to help them get that big. It is extremely hard to build that much muscle with just a weight training routine. I could write a book on the benefits of resistance training, but I don't want to take too much of your time. Some key points, however, are it will build muscle mass which increases your metabolism, it will promote higher bone mass density, and it will create a higher post-exercise oxygen consumption than cardio alone. This last point might sound technical but it is so important for weight loss. In a tough workout you will burn a couple hundred calories. After the workout your body has to get to work repairing the damages you made during the exercise and restore everything back to how it was before you worked out. This can take hours or even days to get back to normal. Until it does, you will burn more calories than you would if you had not worked out. If you are serious about losing weight, you will not be very successful without a strength routine.
It can be hard to design a routine to follow but if you stick to some basic guidelines you will be fine.
o Perform 2-3 workouts per week
o Perform exercises that involve multi-joint movements
o Perform 3 sets of 8-12 reps to help build muscle mass
o Perform at least one exercise for each major muscle group or movement pattern (push, pull, squat, bend, lunge, and rotate)
5. Unrealistic goals:
When setting up goals make sure they are something that you really think you can do. A healthy rate of weight loss is 1-2lbs per week. That is a great goal to shoot for. If you are looking to lose 10lbs in a week, it is just not healthy. Any diet that says they can do it may have serious health risks associated with it. Make S.M.A.R.T. goals. They should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. Instead of saying you want to lose 30lbs you can say you will you will work out 5 days a week for the next 3 months. This is a great goal for many reasons. Instead of focusing on the end result you are thinking about behavior you have to change to get to the goal. You cannot control how much weight you can lose. You can control how much or often you are working out. If you stick to a program 5 days a week for 3 months you will lose weight. Along with being specific you are setting an end date. It helps you stick to a plan when you see the end in sight. Once you get there, if you are not happy with the results, you can try a new goal.
6. Not keeping a food journal:
They have done research where they take two groups of people, put them on a workout/nutrition plan, and tell one group to keep a journal of everything. The research shows that the group who kept track of everything lost more weight and was more likely to stick to a program. Unless you are writing things down you will not be sure how much you are eating. It is also a great idea to have someone review your journal. This can be a friend, family member, personal trainer, or anyone else who would help you. Even if this person is not a nutritionist, the idea that someone will be checking it will help you stay accountable.
7. Not tracking results:
Most people will track their weight. This is not usually the best way to keep track of your progress. You can become obsessed with your weight and give up if you don't lose weight every day. Instead, take circumference measurements on different areas of your body, have your body fat measured, and keep track of weights you use or distances you run. The scale doesn't always tell the whole story. If you lose fat but gain muscle you might not see a big drop on the scale. If you measure your body, however, you can see exactly where you are losing weight. Having your body fat measured is also a great way to see if you are losing fat or not. You may have to hire a personal trainer for this, but many times he or she will to it for free. So take advantage of having a professional take measurements. If you are working out you will see strength improvements. Each week you should try and lift more weight than the week before or get more repetitions. You can test yourself by performing as many push ups or squats in one minute and see if you improve. Also, keep track of how fast you can run, swim, bike.... a given distance and see if you improve. It might not be a change in weight, but it still feels good to know you are making improvements.
8. Relying on supplements:
I know the ads can be tempting but most supplements have not been proven to work. Even if they have been shown to have some benefit, the manufacturers are not regulated. So it is hard to say what you are getting. Bottom line is there is no magic pill to lose weight or burn fat. Some supplements may help for some but it should not be the focus. A supplement is exactly what it says. It should supplement your current diet, not replace it. Avoid the ads with fitness models showing their ripped muscles. There is a good chance they do not even take the supplement they are promoting. Stick to a daily multivitamin and avoid the fancy fat burners and muscle builders unless you have done your research on them.
9. Give up on your plan too soon:
Unfortunately, losing weight takes time. I already said that 1-2lbs is the average you will lose on a good plan. Most people do not want to hear this but it is true. Think of how long it took you to put on the weight. It will take even longer to get it all off. Give your workout program a chance. Stick with a program for at least 3 months. If you have noticed nothing changing you are probably on a bad program. Reevaluate it and try again. You might not get it right the first few times, especially if you are trying it on your own.
10. Overdoing it in the beginning:
I'm sure by now you are motivated and ready to get started on a fat burning routine. Hold up a minute and plan out a strategy. I have seen many individuals throw things I've told them right out the window. I give a progressive program that eases their bodies into the workout so they don't kill themselves. Instead they want to do more and more. I love seeing the drive but you have to be very careful. Doing too much too fast can lead to serious injuries. Look for signs of overtraining. If you suffer from any of these issues, you might have to rest and take it easy for awhile before starting up again:
o Always sore or taking more than 2 days to recover from a workout
o Joints constantly ache
o Getting sick frequently
o Not seeing improvements and actually starting to get worse
o Feeling depressed and run down
o Not getting enough sleep
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1777045
Friday 17 June 2016
How To Achieve Quick, Sustained Weight Loss
Millions around the world want to learn how to lose weight in a week - and then stay thin forever!
Typical dieters are frustrated with the limited value of crash diets and fat loss plans. These involve following weird fad diets for a week or two, only to enjoy sudden and drastic weight loss which reverses just as rapidly over the following days.
All they have to show for weeks of deprivation and heartburn is a modest drop in surplus fat, if they are fortunate. Sometimes the rebound results in weighing more than before they went on a diet. Additionally, a few of these diets cause serious harm to health.
Does this mean that it is impossible to lose weight fast and keep it off? Absolutely not. There are many success stories of rapid fat loss that lasted for years. These healthy measures can ensure safe and effective weight loss through scientific methods that are tested and proven to work across large segments of the population.
How To Lose Weight In A Week?
To lose 2 pounds in a week, all that is required is to burn off 500 more calories than are consumed. This can be speeded up by adding an exercise routine to the weight loss regimen.
It can be dangerous to go overboard and slash calorie intake beyond a point. Trying to lose 5 pounds or more in a week inevitably carries some risks and potential for harm. The key should be to work with a strategy that is both safe and effective.
In essence, the fat loss plan is simple. Cut fluid retention by the body. But that alone will not help sustain weight loss. For that, the fluid reduction must be coupled with lower salt and starch intake. This combination helps dramatically lower weight and keeps it off.
A Simple Diet Plan To Lose Weight Fast
Ask any ethical nutritionists about the best way to lose weight in a week and they will hand over a diet plan to follow. And it is amazing how simple and uniform these recommendations are.
* Eat more vegetables because they are filling and reduce craving for snacks
* Drink plenty of water because it also fills up the stomach
* Avoid fattening snacks and food by not even buying them
* Acquire healthy eating habits over time
* Don't skip meals in order to reduce calorie intake
By following such an elegantly simple plan, most dieters will be able to consistently lose weight and keep it off for years.
Keep Weight Loss Records
Tracking progress through a diet plan can help motivate people to stick on for longer than others. There are 3 easy steps to keeping weight records:
1. Keep a food journal
2. Document everything that you eat or drink in it
3. Study the journal regularly to keep track of your intake
By recording all information and reviewing it from time to time, any deviation from the diet plan will become quickly obvious and corrective action can be taken. When an eating pattern is likely to detract from weight loss goals, it can be immediately broken.
With this consistent and disciplined approach to weight loss, it is easy to lose weight in a week and keep it off permanently. Any good fat loss program will be based on these foundations. But the best programs go far beyond this to encourage and motivate dieters to stick with the plan, offer step by step guidance on implementing several steps, and provide a helpful community of fellow health and fitness enthusiasts to hold participants accountable.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9094849
Typical dieters are frustrated with the limited value of crash diets and fat loss plans. These involve following weird fad diets for a week or two, only to enjoy sudden and drastic weight loss which reverses just as rapidly over the following days.
All they have to show for weeks of deprivation and heartburn is a modest drop in surplus fat, if they are fortunate. Sometimes the rebound results in weighing more than before they went on a diet. Additionally, a few of these diets cause serious harm to health.
Does this mean that it is impossible to lose weight fast and keep it off? Absolutely not. There are many success stories of rapid fat loss that lasted for years. These healthy measures can ensure safe and effective weight loss through scientific methods that are tested and proven to work across large segments of the population.
How To Lose Weight In A Week?
To lose 2 pounds in a week, all that is required is to burn off 500 more calories than are consumed. This can be speeded up by adding an exercise routine to the weight loss regimen.
It can be dangerous to go overboard and slash calorie intake beyond a point. Trying to lose 5 pounds or more in a week inevitably carries some risks and potential for harm. The key should be to work with a strategy that is both safe and effective.
In essence, the fat loss plan is simple. Cut fluid retention by the body. But that alone will not help sustain weight loss. For that, the fluid reduction must be coupled with lower salt and starch intake. This combination helps dramatically lower weight and keeps it off.
A Simple Diet Plan To Lose Weight Fast
Ask any ethical nutritionists about the best way to lose weight in a week and they will hand over a diet plan to follow. And it is amazing how simple and uniform these recommendations are.
* Eat more vegetables because they are filling and reduce craving for snacks
* Drink plenty of water because it also fills up the stomach
* Avoid fattening snacks and food by not even buying them
* Acquire healthy eating habits over time
* Don't skip meals in order to reduce calorie intake
By following such an elegantly simple plan, most dieters will be able to consistently lose weight and keep it off for years.
Keep Weight Loss Records
Tracking progress through a diet plan can help motivate people to stick on for longer than others. There are 3 easy steps to keeping weight records:
1. Keep a food journal
2. Document everything that you eat or drink in it
3. Study the journal regularly to keep track of your intake
By recording all information and reviewing it from time to time, any deviation from the diet plan will become quickly obvious and corrective action can be taken. When an eating pattern is likely to detract from weight loss goals, it can be immediately broken.
With this consistent and disciplined approach to weight loss, it is easy to lose weight in a week and keep it off permanently. Any good fat loss program will be based on these foundations. But the best programs go far beyond this to encourage and motivate dieters to stick with the plan, offer step by step guidance on implementing several steps, and provide a helpful community of fellow health and fitness enthusiasts to hold participants accountable.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9094849
Wednesday 15 June 2016
Setting Goals For Weight Loss - How To Do It The Smart Way
When it comes to shedding those extra pounds, most people will concentrate on the physical aspect of it i.e. diet and exercise. It's a little-known fact, that the reason diets fail, is not due to the diet itself, nor is it due to the individual's lack of willpower. It's the lack of adequate (psychological) preparation. In order to succeed at weight loss, one must never under-estimate the power of effective goal-setting.
The most effective goal-setting system by far, is the SMART system.
SMART stands for:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Action-Oriented
- Realistic
- Timed
You have a much greater change of reaching your weight loss goals, if you take some time take some time to conduct a SMART inventory -- preferably in writing.
Here's how it's done:
Step 1: SPECIFIC
You must make sure that the weight loss goals you set are as specific as possible.
A general/ambiguous goal would be: "I want to lose weight."
A specific goal would be: "I want to lose 10 pounds of fat by the end of February."
The former is a vague statement; such statements hold no credibility whatsoever, and do not have a sound psychological effect on your brain, whereas a specific goal has a much greater chance of accomplishment -- simply because it's stated in a non-ambiguous manner, hence - your brain registers it as an active goal (as opposed to passive, irrelevant grousing).
Make sure that all the goals you set / statements you make are as specific as can be. You should apply this to everything, including your actual weight loss strategy. That is, instead of saying "I will eat less", you should establish how much you're going to eat, exactly. "Less" is not an action-oriented term -- at least your brain does not interpret it as such.
Step 2: MEASURABLE
Establish the HOW and the WHEN.
- HOW are you going to measure your weight progress? Choose a method (or a combination of methods) that is suitable for you. It can be the scale, the measuring tape, your BMI, your body fat %, your hip-to-waist ration, clothing sizes, the mirror, or anything else you want to use.
- Decide WHEN you're going to measure your weight loss progress. Every day (bad idea, by the way)... every week... every fortnight?
Now, how will you know when you've accomplished your goal?
Proceed with the end result in mind. What is your ultimate goal? Do you want to be able to fit into a particular dress (what size is it)? Do you want to see a particular number on the scale? Do you want to lose x inches off your waist?
It's a good idea to document your progress regularly.
Step 3: ACTION-ORIENTED
No point setting a goal unless there's no action plan to go with it.
Make a list of things you're going to do to attain your goal, both - long and short-term.
Consider actions you're going to take to overcome any anticipated obstacles.
A sample list of action-oriented weight loss goals might look like this:
(1) Drink a full glass of water every two hours (set alarm).
(2) Walk home instead of driving 3 times a week - Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
(3) Remove refined sugar from the house; a zero-calorie substitute will be used from now on.
... and so on and so forth.
Some of the obstacles you may face, would be things like setbacks and trigger situations. Plan to take care of them in advance; when you anticipate such things, they are a lot less likely to ruin your efforts and strip you of motivation.
Review your action plan periodically, and note what works and what doesn't, and why. Adjust as needed.
Step 4: REALISTIC
Unreasonable expectations... the main reason people fail (at weight loss, and many other things in life). Unreasonable expectations result in disappointment, which usually leads to de-motivation.
Carbohydrates, fats, sedentary lifestyle, food addiction, laziness, lack of willpower, etc. All these things are nothing compared to the destructive nature of de-motivation. It must be avoided at all costs.
... which is why it's so important to set SMART weight loss goals. Unrealistic goals are guaranteed to result in de-motivation, which means not only that you will fail with your current weight loss plan, but also that it will be more difficult to embark on one in the future -- due to emotional barriers.
Basically: if you want to stay motivated (which is absolutely essential for successful weight loss), your goals must be realistic.
How do you make sure that your goals are realistic? Consider this:
- You did not end up at your current weight overnight, so you will not lose it overnight.
- How far are you prepared to go? How bad do you want to slim down and how fast do you want it? Are you ready to work extra hard -- for extra results, or are you not in a hurry?
- What can you expect from your chosen method? Are you going to use extreme methods for rapid weight loss, or employ a more 'slow and steady' approach?
- What is your body capable of? If you're pear-shaped, you must understand that losing weight will not change the genetically predetermined structure of your body. You must understand that the stubborn fat in problem areas is going to be the last to disappear.
If a goal is physically attainable, it does not mean it's realistic. A goal is 'realistic' when you believe that it can be attained.
Know your limits. Set a goal you can achieve with ease. That way you can't go wrong. Do not challenge yourself -- unless it is something you genuinely enjoy.
Step 5: TIMED
You must set a time-frame for each goal.
Creating a time frame also creates a sense of urgency, so your mind is more likely to urge your body to complete the goal when it's due in a specific amount of time.
Work to (realistic) deadlines.
Don't say: "I want to lose weight sometime soon."
Do say: "I will drop a dress size by the end of next week."
Incorporate this goal-setting strategy into your weight loss plan, and see how it affects its efficiency.
For more articles and information on everything weight loss-related, please visit me at: [http://www.get-thin.co.uk]
A site dedicated to exploring the most effective alternative weight loss methods. None of that useless "healthy eating and regular exercise" propaganda.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6845461
The most effective goal-setting system by far, is the SMART system.
SMART stands for:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Action-Oriented
- Realistic
- Timed
You have a much greater change of reaching your weight loss goals, if you take some time take some time to conduct a SMART inventory -- preferably in writing.
Here's how it's done:
Step 1: SPECIFIC
You must make sure that the weight loss goals you set are as specific as possible.
A general/ambiguous goal would be: "I want to lose weight."
A specific goal would be: "I want to lose 10 pounds of fat by the end of February."
The former is a vague statement; such statements hold no credibility whatsoever, and do not have a sound psychological effect on your brain, whereas a specific goal has a much greater chance of accomplishment -- simply because it's stated in a non-ambiguous manner, hence - your brain registers it as an active goal (as opposed to passive, irrelevant grousing).
Make sure that all the goals you set / statements you make are as specific as can be. You should apply this to everything, including your actual weight loss strategy. That is, instead of saying "I will eat less", you should establish how much you're going to eat, exactly. "Less" is not an action-oriented term -- at least your brain does not interpret it as such.
Step 2: MEASURABLE
Establish the HOW and the WHEN.
- HOW are you going to measure your weight progress? Choose a method (or a combination of methods) that is suitable for you. It can be the scale, the measuring tape, your BMI, your body fat %, your hip-to-waist ration, clothing sizes, the mirror, or anything else you want to use.
- Decide WHEN you're going to measure your weight loss progress. Every day (bad idea, by the way)... every week... every fortnight?
Now, how will you know when you've accomplished your goal?
Proceed with the end result in mind. What is your ultimate goal? Do you want to be able to fit into a particular dress (what size is it)? Do you want to see a particular number on the scale? Do you want to lose x inches off your waist?
It's a good idea to document your progress regularly.
Step 3: ACTION-ORIENTED
No point setting a goal unless there's no action plan to go with it.
Make a list of things you're going to do to attain your goal, both - long and short-term.
Consider actions you're going to take to overcome any anticipated obstacles.
A sample list of action-oriented weight loss goals might look like this:
(1) Drink a full glass of water every two hours (set alarm).
(2) Walk home instead of driving 3 times a week - Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
(3) Remove refined sugar from the house; a zero-calorie substitute will be used from now on.
... and so on and so forth.
Some of the obstacles you may face, would be things like setbacks and trigger situations. Plan to take care of them in advance; when you anticipate such things, they are a lot less likely to ruin your efforts and strip you of motivation.
Review your action plan periodically, and note what works and what doesn't, and why. Adjust as needed.
Step 4: REALISTIC
Unreasonable expectations... the main reason people fail (at weight loss, and many other things in life). Unreasonable expectations result in disappointment, which usually leads to de-motivation.
Carbohydrates, fats, sedentary lifestyle, food addiction, laziness, lack of willpower, etc. All these things are nothing compared to the destructive nature of de-motivation. It must be avoided at all costs.
... which is why it's so important to set SMART weight loss goals. Unrealistic goals are guaranteed to result in de-motivation, which means not only that you will fail with your current weight loss plan, but also that it will be more difficult to embark on one in the future -- due to emotional barriers.
Basically: if you want to stay motivated (which is absolutely essential for successful weight loss), your goals must be realistic.
How do you make sure that your goals are realistic? Consider this:
- You did not end up at your current weight overnight, so you will not lose it overnight.
- How far are you prepared to go? How bad do you want to slim down and how fast do you want it? Are you ready to work extra hard -- for extra results, or are you not in a hurry?
- What can you expect from your chosen method? Are you going to use extreme methods for rapid weight loss, or employ a more 'slow and steady' approach?
- What is your body capable of? If you're pear-shaped, you must understand that losing weight will not change the genetically predetermined structure of your body. You must understand that the stubborn fat in problem areas is going to be the last to disappear.
If a goal is physically attainable, it does not mean it's realistic. A goal is 'realistic' when you believe that it can be attained.
Know your limits. Set a goal you can achieve with ease. That way you can't go wrong. Do not challenge yourself -- unless it is something you genuinely enjoy.
Step 5: TIMED
You must set a time-frame for each goal.
Creating a time frame also creates a sense of urgency, so your mind is more likely to urge your body to complete the goal when it's due in a specific amount of time.
Work to (realistic) deadlines.
Don't say: "I want to lose weight sometime soon."
Do say: "I will drop a dress size by the end of next week."
Incorporate this goal-setting strategy into your weight loss plan, and see how it affects its efficiency.
For more articles and information on everything weight loss-related, please visit me at: [http://www.get-thin.co.uk]
A site dedicated to exploring the most effective alternative weight loss methods. None of that useless "healthy eating and regular exercise" propaganda.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6845461
Want To Diet? Here's 5 Tips To Do It Safely
Dieting has been a debatable issue for long. While many consider it as a quick fix if you are looking to shed some serious weight and get in shape as quickly as possible, others tend to be quite cynical about the routine. This is because diets are often associated with short-term results. Dieters complain that the pounds creep in as soon as you step off the diet restrictions. To add, many experience side effects due to drastic changes in their diet habits.
It is true, but not for all diet programs. And besides, if you take the right precautions before and after dieting you can sustain your results and keep the ugly consequences at bay. This short article discusses the dos and don'ts of dieting.
1. Cut calories slowly -
Dieting, for many, means cutting calories drastically. Going from 10 to 1 in a matter of a day will only have adverse effects on the body, sending it into starvation mode. Don't get lured by fad and crash diets. Instead look for meal plans that cut calories a meal at a time, giving your body a chance to get accustomed to the calorie deficit.
2. Drink a lot of water -
Since your calorie intake will be less, it is natural for the body to feel tired. Hence, it is advised that you drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated. Water also fills you up making you eat less at the following meal.
3. Inclusive of exercise -
Losing weight is not only about the number of calories you eat, but also about the amount you expend. Hence, the best and healthiest diet programs are those that combine food with exercise. Exercise in addition to promoting general health also helps you maintain weight loss in the long run.
4. Nutritional requirements -
Never opt for diet plans that eliminate particular food groups. The body needs nutrients in stipulated amounts to carry on the daily functions. By depriving it of these nutrients, you disturb the balance. That is what results in illnesses and side effects.
Settle for a diet plan that includes food items from all the major food groups; it could be in controlled amounts, but they should be there. Also, don't opt for diet programs that include foods that are not palatable. You will give it up no sooner than you have started. A small indulgence once a while makes the diet program more manageable.
5. Flexibility -
No diet plan is a one-size fits all. It should be customizable according to the nutritional demands, caloric requirement and health concerns of the individual opting for it. If you are unable to decide or you suffer from a specific health condition (allergies, heart disease or diabetes), it makes more sense to speak to a healthcare provider about managing your weight safely.
To wrap up, the diet program you choose is of equal importance. It should be designed by a registered nutrition, who understands the requirements of the body and the effects of the diet program on the individual.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9414864
It is true, but not for all diet programs. And besides, if you take the right precautions before and after dieting you can sustain your results and keep the ugly consequences at bay. This short article discusses the dos and don'ts of dieting.
1. Cut calories slowly -
Dieting, for many, means cutting calories drastically. Going from 10 to 1 in a matter of a day will only have adverse effects on the body, sending it into starvation mode. Don't get lured by fad and crash diets. Instead look for meal plans that cut calories a meal at a time, giving your body a chance to get accustomed to the calorie deficit.
2. Drink a lot of water -
Since your calorie intake will be less, it is natural for the body to feel tired. Hence, it is advised that you drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated. Water also fills you up making you eat less at the following meal.
3. Inclusive of exercise -
Losing weight is not only about the number of calories you eat, but also about the amount you expend. Hence, the best and healthiest diet programs are those that combine food with exercise. Exercise in addition to promoting general health also helps you maintain weight loss in the long run.
4. Nutritional requirements -
Never opt for diet plans that eliminate particular food groups. The body needs nutrients in stipulated amounts to carry on the daily functions. By depriving it of these nutrients, you disturb the balance. That is what results in illnesses and side effects.
Settle for a diet plan that includes food items from all the major food groups; it could be in controlled amounts, but they should be there. Also, don't opt for diet programs that include foods that are not palatable. You will give it up no sooner than you have started. A small indulgence once a while makes the diet program more manageable.
5. Flexibility -
No diet plan is a one-size fits all. It should be customizable according to the nutritional demands, caloric requirement and health concerns of the individual opting for it. If you are unable to decide or you suffer from a specific health condition (allergies, heart disease or diabetes), it makes more sense to speak to a healthcare provider about managing your weight safely.
To wrap up, the diet program you choose is of equal importance. It should be designed by a registered nutrition, who understands the requirements of the body and the effects of the diet program on the individual.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9414864
Tuesday 14 June 2016
How to Plan the Perfect Breakfast
Introduction
Have no doubt about it- breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Eating a delicious and nutritious breakfast is an effective way to manage food cravings throughout the day and provide your body an instant increase of nutrition at a peak time when it needs to be refueled.
Breakfast is a great chance to fuel your body with lean proteins, a lot of dietary fiber and a high content of antioxidants. Let's have a quick look at planning the right breakfast so that you can have a great result while following a healthy diet plan.
The Details
• Examine your calorie consumption. Breakfast must be the source of your 25-30% daily calorie needs. See to it that you are eating adequate quality protein at this morning meal, whether from lean meat, fresh eggs, beans or even protein powder.
• Calculate the prep time. Estimate the time you have in the morning to prepare your breakfast. If you are always in a hurry in the morning, choose a breakfast option that takes less time to prepare.
• What will be your energy source for your daily activities? An extra dose of carbs in the morning for energy along with your proteins will give you a jump start on the day. Vegetables and fruits are a good source since you will use them up during your day at the office.
• Keep your personal favorite taste in mind. The common mistake that many dieters make is forcing themselves to eat unpleasant foods. Following a healthy diet plan doesn't mean that you have to eat dull food. Of course, you need to take in enough calories so you can get through the day. You can't achieve that it by eating an unappetizing meal.
• Consider how various foods affect you. If a carb-dense breakfast makes you feel sleepy at mid-day, then switch to a lower carb breakfast.
• You must be satisfied with your food. If it is going to be a long time before you eat lunch, add enough fiber to your breakfast to boost total digestion time.
• Evaluate your body weight goals. If you need to drop down calories during breakfast, switching to an egg white and vegetable omelet is a smarter alternative than a carb-filled bowl of cereal.
The Bottom Line
Having a healthy breakfast is essential as it affects your daily performance as you carry out your daily activities. It may require time and planning to have the right breakfast but your effort will worth it once you achieve your desired body weight.
There are lots of healthy food choices. You can eat any foods according to your taste as long as it's beneficial to your health. You can look to international breakfasts for different ideas on how to make your morning meal enticing. Following a diet plan doesn't mean having a dull meal at all. What matters is how much nutrients you can get from those foods and how beneficial they are to your health.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9430531
Have no doubt about it- breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Eating a delicious and nutritious breakfast is an effective way to manage food cravings throughout the day and provide your body an instant increase of nutrition at a peak time when it needs to be refueled.
Breakfast is a great chance to fuel your body with lean proteins, a lot of dietary fiber and a high content of antioxidants. Let's have a quick look at planning the right breakfast so that you can have a great result while following a healthy diet plan.
The Details
• Examine your calorie consumption. Breakfast must be the source of your 25-30% daily calorie needs. See to it that you are eating adequate quality protein at this morning meal, whether from lean meat, fresh eggs, beans or even protein powder.
• Calculate the prep time. Estimate the time you have in the morning to prepare your breakfast. If you are always in a hurry in the morning, choose a breakfast option that takes less time to prepare.
• What will be your energy source for your daily activities? An extra dose of carbs in the morning for energy along with your proteins will give you a jump start on the day. Vegetables and fruits are a good source since you will use them up during your day at the office.
• Keep your personal favorite taste in mind. The common mistake that many dieters make is forcing themselves to eat unpleasant foods. Following a healthy diet plan doesn't mean that you have to eat dull food. Of course, you need to take in enough calories so you can get through the day. You can't achieve that it by eating an unappetizing meal.
• Consider how various foods affect you. If a carb-dense breakfast makes you feel sleepy at mid-day, then switch to a lower carb breakfast.
• You must be satisfied with your food. If it is going to be a long time before you eat lunch, add enough fiber to your breakfast to boost total digestion time.
• Evaluate your body weight goals. If you need to drop down calories during breakfast, switching to an egg white and vegetable omelet is a smarter alternative than a carb-filled bowl of cereal.
The Bottom Line
Having a healthy breakfast is essential as it affects your daily performance as you carry out your daily activities. It may require time and planning to have the right breakfast but your effort will worth it once you achieve your desired body weight.
There are lots of healthy food choices. You can eat any foods according to your taste as long as it's beneficial to your health. You can look to international breakfasts for different ideas on how to make your morning meal enticing. Following a diet plan doesn't mean having a dull meal at all. What matters is how much nutrients you can get from those foods and how beneficial they are to your health.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9430531
Weight Loss Advice From Authentic Professionals
As you probably already know, losing weight is a really tough challenge. There are all kinds of plans, diets, and more. The fact that weight loss is a very personal thing can make it seem a bit impossible to find what will work for you. However, we are confident that at least some of the tips below can be really useful to you.
When you are trying to lose weight, find places where you can easily shave calories without noticing. For example, leave the last bite of your sandwich at lunch or the last few bites of your dinner on the plate. Add more ice to your drink before you pour it into the glass. All of these methods will add up over the course of a day.
One way to keep your weight down, if you enjoy baked goods, is to look wherever possible for ways to lower fat and raise fiber levels in home-baked products. Applesauce makes a very respectable substitute for oil in many cakes and brownies. You can also substitute whole wheat flour for white flour, up to 100% depending on the recipe (the substitution will be invisible in chocolate brownies, by the way). You'll substantially lower calories without affecting the taste of your favorite baked goodies.
A great way to help you lose weight is to start using an artificial sweetener instead of sugar. Eating too much sugar can sabotage any diet. By using an artificial sweetener, you can still sweeten your food without damaging your diet. A small change like this can be very significant.
Chew gum to suppress your appetite. The next time you want a snack, just grab a piece of gum. While gum is not filling, the taste and movement of your jaw can trick your body into feeling like it is eating. Make sure the gum you are chewing is sugar-free.
Another great weight loss tip is to add some flavor to your lean meat by adding low-fat salsa or cream sauce. This will prevent you from growing tired of consuming the lean meat that is needed every day to get the adequate amount of protein. This method will help you eat the protein your body needs to function efficiently.
There are a lot of people who keep their weight loss goals hidden from other people. They can be valuable sources of support and motivation if you share your plans with them. In addition, they'll avoid putting you in situations where you'll be tempted by unhealthy food choices.
For someone who doesn't know where to start losing weight there are many informational programs to join that can give you direction. A program will provide steps to follow and a path for you to stick to. Although careful research must be done to find out what program is right for the each individual.
Within the reality of weight loss, there are many techniques that you have at your disposal to better your health. The world of weight shedding has a little something for everyone, but what works for one person may not for another. Hopefully, these tips have given you a starting point for your own plan.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9433597
When you are trying to lose weight, find places where you can easily shave calories without noticing. For example, leave the last bite of your sandwich at lunch or the last few bites of your dinner on the plate. Add more ice to your drink before you pour it into the glass. All of these methods will add up over the course of a day.
One way to keep your weight down, if you enjoy baked goods, is to look wherever possible for ways to lower fat and raise fiber levels in home-baked products. Applesauce makes a very respectable substitute for oil in many cakes and brownies. You can also substitute whole wheat flour for white flour, up to 100% depending on the recipe (the substitution will be invisible in chocolate brownies, by the way). You'll substantially lower calories without affecting the taste of your favorite baked goodies.
A great way to help you lose weight is to start using an artificial sweetener instead of sugar. Eating too much sugar can sabotage any diet. By using an artificial sweetener, you can still sweeten your food without damaging your diet. A small change like this can be very significant.
Chew gum to suppress your appetite. The next time you want a snack, just grab a piece of gum. While gum is not filling, the taste and movement of your jaw can trick your body into feeling like it is eating. Make sure the gum you are chewing is sugar-free.
Another great weight loss tip is to add some flavor to your lean meat by adding low-fat salsa or cream sauce. This will prevent you from growing tired of consuming the lean meat that is needed every day to get the adequate amount of protein. This method will help you eat the protein your body needs to function efficiently.
There are a lot of people who keep their weight loss goals hidden from other people. They can be valuable sources of support and motivation if you share your plans with them. In addition, they'll avoid putting you in situations where you'll be tempted by unhealthy food choices.
For someone who doesn't know where to start losing weight there are many informational programs to join that can give you direction. A program will provide steps to follow and a path for you to stick to. Although careful research must be done to find out what program is right for the each individual.
Within the reality of weight loss, there are many techniques that you have at your disposal to better your health. The world of weight shedding has a little something for everyone, but what works for one person may not for another. Hopefully, these tips have given you a starting point for your own plan.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9433597
Healthy Safe Weight Loss Tips You Can Use Every Day!
There are articles that discuss the legit way to lose weight in a fast way. Some of us may also take a supplement for a faster weight loss. However, not all of them are safe and suitable for everyone. If your goal is to lose some pounds; here are some healthy and safe weight loss tips.
Avoid emotional eating - we do not always eat to satisfy hunger; sometimes we also eat when we anxious or stress out. Stress eating can wreck your diet plan and make you gain more pounds instead. You should recognize your emotional eating types such as you eat when you are lonely or bored or you eat in front of TV on a stressful day.
When you have this kind of pattern, you need to find other solution for example when you stress, try to find healthier way to calm your mind such as meditation, when you are down or low energy, you can take a short nap or listen to upbeat music, and when you are bored or lonely, you can call your friend or take your dog for a walk.
Get moving - losing weight without exercise will be a big failure. While the amount of exercise is still in the debate; the important thing is you get moving. You can hit the gym, jogging, playing basketball or any sport that you like. If you want additional exercise, you can do the house chores such as mopping, cleaning around, and such thing. Small exercise such as taking the stairs than the elevator or walking to office is better than doing nothing.
Eat healthy fat instead or low fat - when you are grocery shopping, you will find numerous products with the low-fat label; however, the low-fat food does not actually help to lose weight. Those low-fat products are packed with sugar and carbohydrates to make up the taste. That is why, choosing healthy fat such as avocado, nuts, olive oil, and the like is better than the low-fat products.
Stay motivated - keeping up with the diet plan is not easy; most of us lose motivation in the middle of the process which leads to failure. You need to set realistic goals to keep you motivated. If it is possible, you can also seek for motivation from people around you such as a spouse, children, family, and friends to remind you when you are about to lose motivation. In addition, getting enough sleep also help you to lose weight because you have a fresh mind.
Eat healthily - eating vegetables, fruits, and protein is a must when you commit to a diet. Make sure to always add loads of vegetables especially the greens in every of your meal and add protein in at least one portion a day. If you crave for snacking in between the meal plan, try to ditch the chips and cookies and substitute it with fruits or nuts.
Watch out for liquid calories - eat plenty of pure water instead of calories water such as energy drink, fruit juice, beer, and the like. That drink is packed with empty calories which will make you gain more weight due to the sugar contain.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9422713
Avoid emotional eating - we do not always eat to satisfy hunger; sometimes we also eat when we anxious or stress out. Stress eating can wreck your diet plan and make you gain more pounds instead. You should recognize your emotional eating types such as you eat when you are lonely or bored or you eat in front of TV on a stressful day.
When you have this kind of pattern, you need to find other solution for example when you stress, try to find healthier way to calm your mind such as meditation, when you are down or low energy, you can take a short nap or listen to upbeat music, and when you are bored or lonely, you can call your friend or take your dog for a walk.
Get moving - losing weight without exercise will be a big failure. While the amount of exercise is still in the debate; the important thing is you get moving. You can hit the gym, jogging, playing basketball or any sport that you like. If you want additional exercise, you can do the house chores such as mopping, cleaning around, and such thing. Small exercise such as taking the stairs than the elevator or walking to office is better than doing nothing.
Eat healthy fat instead or low fat - when you are grocery shopping, you will find numerous products with the low-fat label; however, the low-fat food does not actually help to lose weight. Those low-fat products are packed with sugar and carbohydrates to make up the taste. That is why, choosing healthy fat such as avocado, nuts, olive oil, and the like is better than the low-fat products.
Stay motivated - keeping up with the diet plan is not easy; most of us lose motivation in the middle of the process which leads to failure. You need to set realistic goals to keep you motivated. If it is possible, you can also seek for motivation from people around you such as a spouse, children, family, and friends to remind you when you are about to lose motivation. In addition, getting enough sleep also help you to lose weight because you have a fresh mind.
Eat healthily - eating vegetables, fruits, and protein is a must when you commit to a diet. Make sure to always add loads of vegetables especially the greens in every of your meal and add protein in at least one portion a day. If you crave for snacking in between the meal plan, try to ditch the chips and cookies and substitute it with fruits or nuts.
Watch out for liquid calories - eat plenty of pure water instead of calories water such as energy drink, fruit juice, beer, and the like. That drink is packed with empty calories which will make you gain more weight due to the sugar contain.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9422713
Weight Loss - Are Quick Fix Diets Ever A Good Choice for Losing Weight?
There comes a time in almost everyone's life where they want to lose weight - and lose weight quickly. Perhaps you have a High school reunion coming up, and you want to look good, or maybe you're approaching your wedding day, and you realize you have more than a few pounds to lose. In this scenario, you may be tempted to try one of the many quick fix diets out there, thinking this can be an excellent way to help you reach your goals.
But at the same time, you've heard time and time again this approach is not recommended.
So what's the verdict? Are these quick fix diets ever a good choice? You might be surprised to know they can be useful. Let's look at a few instances where they may do you some good.
1. You Need A Jump-Start To Your Motivation. The first time a quick fix diet or eating plan may be beneficial is if you simply need a boost to reach your motivation levels. If you have felt your progress is slow and it's causing you to lose motivation, these quick fix approaches can help you drop a few pound quickly and get your excitement and motivational levels back up.
Now, the weight you lose is likely not all fat weight but, for some people, just seeing the number on the scale lowering is all they need to start feeling better about themselves and put forth the effort necessary to go forward and lose fat on a more reasonable diet plan.
If you need to use a quick fix diet for a few days as a boost to your motivation before you move back to a smarter, healthier long-term plan, this can be a good thing.
2. The Diet Provides Ample Protein. The second time a quick fix diet plan can be helpful is if the menu itself provides ample protein. Now, while most of these diet plans are set up terribly and will only hinder long-term results, this isn't always the case.
If the food you're looking at provides at least 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight, it may not be the worst quick fix diet out there and could help you see the results you're going for. It's all about evaluating the diet plan and knowing what it will or won't do.
3. You're Preparing For A Big Event And Just Want To Slim Down. Finally, the last time you may want to turn to a quick fix diet plan is if you are preparing for a big event and want to slim down. If you aren't all concerned about whether you lose fat or muscle - you just want to be slimmer, the quick fix eating plan can help you get to your end goal. You just need to be psychologically prepared to face the fact the weight will likely come back on once you stop working with the eating plan.
In these instances, a quick fix diet plan may do some good. Just remember, shop around and don't rush on the first diet plan you find. Try and find one that produces fast results, but is still designed relatively well.
Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9439258
Ten Most Frequently Asked Questions About Weight Loss
1. How do I know if I'm overweight and really need to lose weight?
People used to believe there was an "ideal" weight for every height. If you were 5'4", you were supposed to weigh X. If you were 5'0", you were supposed to weigh Y. Now we know better. The numbers on the bathroom scale don't tell you whether you are overweight. And there is no set number that says you are too thin, too heavy, or just right. Scales may be handy, but a better way to tell if your weight is healthy is to measure the proportion of fat in your body to lean body mass. Health professionals look at your body composition-including your muscles, bone, and body fat-for someone your age, sex, and height. Some people use a tool called the body mass index, or BMI, to help decide whether they are overweight. For example, if you are a woman and your BMI is 27 to 28 or higher, you are considered overweight.
Body mass index is a key index for relating a person's body weight to their height. The body mass index is a person's weight in kilograms (kg) divided by their height in meters (m) squared.
Overweight is defined as a BMI of 27.3 % or more for women and 27.8 % or more for men. Obesity is defined as a BMI of 30 and above. (A BMI of 30 is about 30 pounds overweight.) Note, however, that some very muscular people may have a high BMI without undue health risks.
Another way to determine your fat-to-lean muscle mass ratio is through the use of a caliper. A caliper is an instrument consisting essentially of two curved hinged legs, used to measure thickness and distances. It is used to pinch a part of your arm to see how much fat and lean muscle you have.
2. What steps should I take to lose weight?
Aside from regimented diet and exercise, a few adjustments in how you live your life can create a great impact on your weight loss efforts. Try the following:
Walk to work.
Use fat free milk over whole milk.
Drink water before a meal.
Eat leaner red meat & poultry.
Eat half your dessert.
Avoid food portions larger than your fist.
Mow lawn with push mower.
Increase the fiber in your diet.
Do yard work.
Eat off smaller plates.
Don't eat late at night.
Skip seconds.
Work around the house.
Grill, steam or bake instead of frying.
Go for a half-hour walk instead of watching TV.
Use vegetable oils over solid fats.
Sit up straight at work.
Wash the car by hand.
Don't skip meals.
Pace the sidelines at kids' athletic games.
Take wheels off luggage.
Choose an activity that fits into your daily life.
Make time in your day for physical activity.
Exercise with a video if the weather is bad.
Keep to a regular eating schedule.
Take a walk or do desk exercises instead of a cigarette or coffee break.
Perform gardening or home repair activities.
Avoid laborsaving devices.
Take small trips on foot to get your body moving.
Play with your kids 30 minutes a day.
Dance to music.
Keep a pair of comfortable walking or running shoes in your car and office.
Walk briskly in the mall.
Choose activities you enjoy & you'll be more likely to stick with them.
Take the long way to the water cooler.
Vary your activities, for interest and to broaden the range of benefits.
Choose fruit for dessert.
Consume alcoholic beverages in moderation, if at all.
Take stairs instead of the escalator.
Conduct an inventory of your meal/snack and physical activity patterns.
Share an entree with a friend.
Grill fruits or vegetables.
Eat before grocery shopping.
Buy 100% fruit juices over soda and sugary drinks.
Stay active in winter.
Flavor foods with herbs, spices, and other low fat seasonings.
Remove skin from poultry before cooking to lower fat content.
Eat before you get too hungry.
Stop eating when you are full.
Snack on fruits and vegetables.
Top your favorite cereal with apples or bananas.
Try brown rice or whole-wheat pasta.
Include several servings of whole grain food daily.
If main dishes are too big, choose an appetizer or a side dish instead.
Park farther from destination and walk.
3. How much exercise should I do?
Provided you're not consuming too many calories, any amount of exercise may help. About five hours of weekly exercise may bring the biggest weight loss for obese adults who are also watching their intake of fat and calories.
To maximize weight loss and minimize weight regain, it appears that overweight individuals should supplement dietary changes with approximately 300 minutes of exercise each week, which is twice the amount recommended for health for the general public.
Remember that we lose weight if we burn more calories than we take in. Normal maintenance activities like muscle repair and regular physiology and simple walking uses about 15 calories per pound. Someone who does not move around much all day might only needs about 13 calories per pound and someone who moves all day might use 17 or more calories per pound.
Every mile walked or run burns 100 calories more or less. Another way to look at it is every half hour of brisk activity burns about 300 or so calories, depending on how much you weigh now and how vigorous the activity is.
If you increase your activity by 500 calories a day and do not increase your eating, you will lose 3500 calories a week, the equivalent of 1 pound. Alternatively, if you reduce your eating by 250 calories per day and increase your activity by 250 calories, it's still a net loss of 500 calories per day or 1 pound per week.
The gym is not always the answer to exercise. You can do a lot of calorie-burning activities inside your house, like dancing, cleaning, or even gardening. But if you want to make sure that you burn this amount of energy in a specific amount of time, a gym membership would definitely help. You may also check out calorie counter sites to know how much energy a particular activity spends.
4. How do I spot a fad diet?
Fad such as grapefruit. These diets lack major nutrients such as dietary fiber and carbohydrates, as well as selected vitamins, minerals, and protective phytochemicals, such as antioxidants (substances found in vegetables, which are protective against disease). Over the long term, by not receiving the proper amounts of these nutrients, you may develop serious health problems later in life.
Also, by not being allowed to eat foods from food groups that are "banned," your body will tend to crave for them and cause you to lose control and start an overeating frenzy, which is worse than the diets take form in many ways: low-fat, low-carb, high-protein, or focusing on one food item case that you have begun with. Remember that a balanced diet is still key to full nourishment whether you need to lose weight or not.
Other tell-tale signs include:
Recommendations that promise a quick fix. Beware of advertisements that say "eat all you want and still lose weight!"
Dire warnings of dangers from a single product or regimen. Yu have to read the fine print on labels and booklets.
Claims that sound too good to be true. Like "lose 25 pounds in two weeks."
Simplistic conclusions drawn from a complex study.
Recommendations based on a single study or testimonials. Home TV shopping networks are full of these. Remember that these people are paid to appear in these infomercials.
Dramatic statements that are refuted by reputable scientific organizations.
Lists of 'good' and 'bad' foods.
Recommendations made to help sell a product. If the study is made by the weight loss program creator or product manufacturer, take it with a grain of salt.
Recommendations based on studies published without review by other researchers.
Recommendations from studies that ignore differences among individuals or groups.
Eliminating one or more of the basic food groups.
5. How can I prevent regaining lost weight?
For most dieters, a regaining of lost weight is an all too common experience. Indeed, virtually all interventions for weight loss show limited or even poor long-term effectiveness. Some lose as much as 10 percent of their weight only to gain back 15 percent by the time they've given up on dieting.
If you've just lost weight and are trying to keep it off, don't rely on diet alone to keep those unwanted pounds at bay. It may not be enough, no matter what kind of "maintenance" diet you follow.
To avoid regaining weight, the best plan is to stick to a diet that works for you -- in combination with exercise.
Do not underestimate the power of eating breakfast as well. Researchers from Queens College of the City University of New York and other facilities collected data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, including more than 12,000 men and women. Their study was partially supported by the Breakfast Research Institute, sponsored by Quaker and Tropicana, which make breakfast foods. Those who ate breakfast tended to eat healthier foods during the rest of the day. Women-but not men-who ate breakfast had a lower body mass index than women who skipped breakfast.
Those findings may be especially good news for women. "Simply eating breakfast may help them control body weight and appetite throughout the day," the research concludes.
You can lose weight and keep it off long term, but to achieve that you must persistently have a low-fat, high-fiber diet, exercise a lot, eat breakfast, and monitor progress regularly and be prepared to tighten the reins if straying off the rails. Success is achievable without having an overly restrained lifestyle and improved quality of life is guaranteed. People who succeed will tell you how a great deal of effort is required but that at the end of the day it is all worth it.
6. Are over-the-counter weight loss supplements helpful?
Weight loss supplements can be prescribed by a doctor or bought over the counter in many stores. Prescription weight loss drugs are used to treat obesity, while over-the-counter supplements are generally used for cosmetic weight loss. Non-prescription weight loss supplements include herbal weight loss pills, fat-burning pills, and many other diet and sports supplements.
Most clinical tests for weight loss supplements only last for a few weeks. For this reason, long-term benefits and side effects are often unknown until consumers get hold of a product and begin to use it for months at a time. The human body adjusts quickly to the effects of many weight loss pills, which is why many consumers may notice that a weight loss supplement may only work well for them for a few weeks.
Because weight loss supplements are often used to reap benefits quickly and with little effort, many consumers do little to change their lifestyle while using weight loss supplements. For this reason, even those who see somewhat dramatic weight loss results might find that they gain the weight back over time. This is because achieving long-lasting weight loss requires that a person change their entire lifestyle. Crash-dieting for a few weeks may help you achieve your goal weight at first, but clinical tests show that in the long run the only way to maintain a healthy weight is to have a healthy lifestyle. This means eating properly and exercising regularly. Walking, hiking, dancing, and swimming are just a few of the activities that can help you lose weight and maintain weight loss.
A genuine candidate for weight loss supplements is a person who is seriously obese to the extent that it affects their health and their daily life. In these situations, the risks of obesity often outweigh the risks of using a weight loss supplement. This should be a person who is ready to commit to a lifestyle of healthy eating habits and regular exercise.
It is important to always talk to your doctor before using a weight loss supplement. Your doctor should know your medical history and perform a medical exam to determine your current health needs.
7. Does quitting smoking lead to weight gain?
Yes and no. Not everyone gains weight when they stop smoking. Among people who do, the average weight gain is between 6 and 8 pounds. Roughly 10 percent of people who stop smoking gain a large amount of weight-30 pounds or more.
When smokers quit, they may gain weight for a number of reasons. These include:
Feeling hungry. Quitting smoking may make a person feel hungrier and eat more than usual, but this feeling usually goes away after several weeks.
Having more snacks and alcoholic drinks. Some people eat more high-fat, high-sugar snacks and drink more alcoholic beverages after they quit smoking. Some feel the need to snack absent-mindedly to keep their mouths busy on times that it is supposed to be pursed over a cigarette stick.
Burning calories at a normal rate again. Every cigarette you smoke makes your body burn calories faster, but is also harmful to your heart. Once you quit, you are no longer getting this temporary effect. Instead, you are burning slightly fewer calories on a daily basis.
Physical activity and a healthy eating plan may help you control your weight. In addition, being physically active may ease withdrawal symptoms during smoking cessation and help reduce the chances of relapsing after quitting.
While it is a good idea to be physically active and eat healthy foods as you quit smoking, try not to worry about your weight. It may be easier to quit first and focus on controlling your weight when you are smoke-free.
To lower your chances of gaining weight when you stop smoking:
Accept yourself.
Get regular, moderate-intensity physical activity.
Limit snacking and alcohol.
Consider using medication to help you quit if you feel you are about to get derailed from your plan.
Consider getting professional advice about weight control if the weight gain caused by quitting smoking will send you over the overweight standards.
8. How many pounds overweight should I be to be considered for a surgical weight loss program?
Weight loss surgeries-also called bariatric surgeries-can help treat obesity. You should only consider surgical treatment for weight loss if you: have a BMI of 40 or higher, have a BMI of 35 or higher and weight-related health problems, or you have not had success with other weight-loss methods.
Body mass index is a key index for relating a person's body weight to their height. The body mass index is a person's weight in kilograms (kg) divided by their height in meters (m) squared.
Common types of weight loss surgeries are:
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. The surgeon uses surgical staples to create a small stomach pouch. This limits the amount of food you can eat. The pouch is attached to the middle part of the small intestine. Food bypasses the upper part of the small intestine and stomach, reducing the amount of calories and nutrients your body absorbs.
Laparoscopic gastric banding. A band is placed around the upper stomach to create a small pouch and narrow passage into the rest of the stomach. This limits the amount of food you can eat. The size of the band can be adjusted. A surgeon can remove the band if needed.
Biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) or BPD with duodenal switch (BPD/DS). In BPD, a large part of the stomach is removed, leaving a small pouch. The pouch is connected to the last part of the small intestine, bypassing other parts of the small intestine. In BPD/DS, less of the stomach and small intestine are removed. This surgery reduces the amount of food you can eat and the amount of calories and nutrients your body absorbs from food. This surgery is used less often than other types of surgery because of the high risk of malnutrition.
If you are thinking about weight-loss surgery, talk with your doctor about changes you will need to make after the surgery. You will need to: follow your doctor's directions as you heal, make lasting changes in the way you eat, follow a healthy eating plan and be physically active, and take vitamins and minerals if needed.
You should also talk to your doctor about risks and side effects of weight loss surgery. Side effects may include: infection, leaking from staples, hernia, blood clots in the leg veins that travel to your lungs (pulmonary embolism), dumping syndrome, in which food moves from your stomach to your intestines too quickly, and not getting enough vitamins and minerals from food.
9. Is it harder to lose weight as I get older?
Most people round out a little as they get older, as a result of a decreased metabolism and less movement. Menopause can cause women to suddenly gain weight, and both men and women find that they can't eat as much as they did a few years back without gaining a few pounds! This makes it hard to lose weight.
Another reason for difficulty in losing weight as you age is your set point and metabolism. The set point of your weight is predetermined, which means that your body stubbornly clings to a certain amount of weight. For instance, some people's set point dictates that they won't gain an ounce no matter what or how much they eat. Other's set points, on the other hand, is set a little higher, causing them to gain pounds when they catch a whiff of French fries and bacon cheeseburgers.
Physiological forces can prevent weight loss. It's possible to be thinner than when you were in your 20s now because once upon a time you weighed less - but it can be a real struggle staying at that lowest weight. Perhaps that's the secret behind set points: it's still possible to lose weight, but just a little more difficult.
Genetics also have a lot to do with stubborn pounds. Your body shape, weight, and size is affected by your genes, making it hard to lose weight. You see examples all around you, every day, of people looking exactly like their parents or grandparents - for better or for worse. You may have your mom's curves and tendency towards the bulge; your half-sisters have their mother's lean silhouette and long, slim limbs.
Watching what you eat, exercising, and keeping informed of health tips and low-fat recipes are still extremely important in losing weight and keeping it off. Remember to strike a balance between accepting and loving your body the way it is, and striving for health and wellness.
10. How do I lose my post-baby weight faster?
Lots of new moms regain their pre-pregnancy figure within 8 to 12 months. True, it takes time for your body to get back to normal, but don't despair. Eat properly, get active and let nature do the rest.
If you are not breast-feeding, then don't rush out and start dieting. Instead, for the first three months or so after the birth, concentrate on healthy eating, and develop your own exercise plan. Then, when your body has begun to recover and when your period has returned to normal, start following a healthy, low fat weight-loss plan and you will lose weight just as easily as the next person.
If your weight gain during pregnancy was no more than the recommended 22 to 30 pounds, you should be able to return to your pre-pregnancy weight within about 8 months. This may sound slow, but you really can't lose weight much faster and stay healthy at the same time.
Breastfeeding may assist you to lose weight, at least during the 12 months after giving birth. The process of breastfeeding releases a number of hormones into your body which helps your uterus to return to its pre-pregnancy size and shape. However, don't count on breast-feeding to improve your weight loss during the immediate postpartum period. Very often, it is only when the breast-feeding stops that the weight starts to come off.
In addition, don't depend on breast-feeding for your weight loss. Otherwise you may get careless about your diet and instead of losing weight, you may actually gain weight. So be sure to eat sensibly, take exercise and allow nature to do the rest.
If you are breast-feeding there is no reason why you should not go on a healthy, low-fat weight loss diet, but you should not drop below about 1800 calories per day, while feeding.
The fastest, most effective way to lose weight and regain your figure is to make it part of an overall program, involving diet, exercise and general lifestyle changes.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1792795
People used to believe there was an "ideal" weight for every height. If you were 5'4", you were supposed to weigh X. If you were 5'0", you were supposed to weigh Y. Now we know better. The numbers on the bathroom scale don't tell you whether you are overweight. And there is no set number that says you are too thin, too heavy, or just right. Scales may be handy, but a better way to tell if your weight is healthy is to measure the proportion of fat in your body to lean body mass. Health professionals look at your body composition-including your muscles, bone, and body fat-for someone your age, sex, and height. Some people use a tool called the body mass index, or BMI, to help decide whether they are overweight. For example, if you are a woman and your BMI is 27 to 28 or higher, you are considered overweight.
Body mass index is a key index for relating a person's body weight to their height. The body mass index is a person's weight in kilograms (kg) divided by their height in meters (m) squared.
Overweight is defined as a BMI of 27.3 % or more for women and 27.8 % or more for men. Obesity is defined as a BMI of 30 and above. (A BMI of 30 is about 30 pounds overweight.) Note, however, that some very muscular people may have a high BMI without undue health risks.
Another way to determine your fat-to-lean muscle mass ratio is through the use of a caliper. A caliper is an instrument consisting essentially of two curved hinged legs, used to measure thickness and distances. It is used to pinch a part of your arm to see how much fat and lean muscle you have.
2. What steps should I take to lose weight?
Aside from regimented diet and exercise, a few adjustments in how you live your life can create a great impact on your weight loss efforts. Try the following:
Walk to work.
Use fat free milk over whole milk.
Drink water before a meal.
Eat leaner red meat & poultry.
Eat half your dessert.
Avoid food portions larger than your fist.
Mow lawn with push mower.
Increase the fiber in your diet.
Do yard work.
Eat off smaller plates.
Don't eat late at night.
Skip seconds.
Work around the house.
Grill, steam or bake instead of frying.
Go for a half-hour walk instead of watching TV.
Use vegetable oils over solid fats.
Sit up straight at work.
Wash the car by hand.
Don't skip meals.
Pace the sidelines at kids' athletic games.
Take wheels off luggage.
Choose an activity that fits into your daily life.
Make time in your day for physical activity.
Exercise with a video if the weather is bad.
Keep to a regular eating schedule.
Take a walk or do desk exercises instead of a cigarette or coffee break.
Perform gardening or home repair activities.
Avoid laborsaving devices.
Take small trips on foot to get your body moving.
Play with your kids 30 minutes a day.
Dance to music.
Keep a pair of comfortable walking or running shoes in your car and office.
Walk briskly in the mall.
Choose activities you enjoy & you'll be more likely to stick with them.
Take the long way to the water cooler.
Vary your activities, for interest and to broaden the range of benefits.
Choose fruit for dessert.
Consume alcoholic beverages in moderation, if at all.
Take stairs instead of the escalator.
Conduct an inventory of your meal/snack and physical activity patterns.
Share an entree with a friend.
Grill fruits or vegetables.
Eat before grocery shopping.
Buy 100% fruit juices over soda and sugary drinks.
Stay active in winter.
Flavor foods with herbs, spices, and other low fat seasonings.
Remove skin from poultry before cooking to lower fat content.
Eat before you get too hungry.
Stop eating when you are full.
Snack on fruits and vegetables.
Top your favorite cereal with apples or bananas.
Try brown rice or whole-wheat pasta.
Include several servings of whole grain food daily.
If main dishes are too big, choose an appetizer or a side dish instead.
Park farther from destination and walk.
3. How much exercise should I do?
Provided you're not consuming too many calories, any amount of exercise may help. About five hours of weekly exercise may bring the biggest weight loss for obese adults who are also watching their intake of fat and calories.
To maximize weight loss and minimize weight regain, it appears that overweight individuals should supplement dietary changes with approximately 300 minutes of exercise each week, which is twice the amount recommended for health for the general public.
Remember that we lose weight if we burn more calories than we take in. Normal maintenance activities like muscle repair and regular physiology and simple walking uses about 15 calories per pound. Someone who does not move around much all day might only needs about 13 calories per pound and someone who moves all day might use 17 or more calories per pound.
Every mile walked or run burns 100 calories more or less. Another way to look at it is every half hour of brisk activity burns about 300 or so calories, depending on how much you weigh now and how vigorous the activity is.
If you increase your activity by 500 calories a day and do not increase your eating, you will lose 3500 calories a week, the equivalent of 1 pound. Alternatively, if you reduce your eating by 250 calories per day and increase your activity by 250 calories, it's still a net loss of 500 calories per day or 1 pound per week.
The gym is not always the answer to exercise. You can do a lot of calorie-burning activities inside your house, like dancing, cleaning, or even gardening. But if you want to make sure that you burn this amount of energy in a specific amount of time, a gym membership would definitely help. You may also check out calorie counter sites to know how much energy a particular activity spends.
4. How do I spot a fad diet?
Fad such as grapefruit. These diets lack major nutrients such as dietary fiber and carbohydrates, as well as selected vitamins, minerals, and protective phytochemicals, such as antioxidants (substances found in vegetables, which are protective against disease). Over the long term, by not receiving the proper amounts of these nutrients, you may develop serious health problems later in life.
Also, by not being allowed to eat foods from food groups that are "banned," your body will tend to crave for them and cause you to lose control and start an overeating frenzy, which is worse than the diets take form in many ways: low-fat, low-carb, high-protein, or focusing on one food item case that you have begun with. Remember that a balanced diet is still key to full nourishment whether you need to lose weight or not.
Other tell-tale signs include:
Recommendations that promise a quick fix. Beware of advertisements that say "eat all you want and still lose weight!"
Dire warnings of dangers from a single product or regimen. Yu have to read the fine print on labels and booklets.
Claims that sound too good to be true. Like "lose 25 pounds in two weeks."
Simplistic conclusions drawn from a complex study.
Recommendations based on a single study or testimonials. Home TV shopping networks are full of these. Remember that these people are paid to appear in these infomercials.
Dramatic statements that are refuted by reputable scientific organizations.
Lists of 'good' and 'bad' foods.
Recommendations made to help sell a product. If the study is made by the weight loss program creator or product manufacturer, take it with a grain of salt.
Recommendations based on studies published without review by other researchers.
Recommendations from studies that ignore differences among individuals or groups.
Eliminating one or more of the basic food groups.
5. How can I prevent regaining lost weight?
For most dieters, a regaining of lost weight is an all too common experience. Indeed, virtually all interventions for weight loss show limited or even poor long-term effectiveness. Some lose as much as 10 percent of their weight only to gain back 15 percent by the time they've given up on dieting.
If you've just lost weight and are trying to keep it off, don't rely on diet alone to keep those unwanted pounds at bay. It may not be enough, no matter what kind of "maintenance" diet you follow.
To avoid regaining weight, the best plan is to stick to a diet that works for you -- in combination with exercise.
Do not underestimate the power of eating breakfast as well. Researchers from Queens College of the City University of New York and other facilities collected data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, including more than 12,000 men and women. Their study was partially supported by the Breakfast Research Institute, sponsored by Quaker and Tropicana, which make breakfast foods. Those who ate breakfast tended to eat healthier foods during the rest of the day. Women-but not men-who ate breakfast had a lower body mass index than women who skipped breakfast.
Those findings may be especially good news for women. "Simply eating breakfast may help them control body weight and appetite throughout the day," the research concludes.
You can lose weight and keep it off long term, but to achieve that you must persistently have a low-fat, high-fiber diet, exercise a lot, eat breakfast, and monitor progress regularly and be prepared to tighten the reins if straying off the rails. Success is achievable without having an overly restrained lifestyle and improved quality of life is guaranteed. People who succeed will tell you how a great deal of effort is required but that at the end of the day it is all worth it.
6. Are over-the-counter weight loss supplements helpful?
Weight loss supplements can be prescribed by a doctor or bought over the counter in many stores. Prescription weight loss drugs are used to treat obesity, while over-the-counter supplements are generally used for cosmetic weight loss. Non-prescription weight loss supplements include herbal weight loss pills, fat-burning pills, and many other diet and sports supplements.
Most clinical tests for weight loss supplements only last for a few weeks. For this reason, long-term benefits and side effects are often unknown until consumers get hold of a product and begin to use it for months at a time. The human body adjusts quickly to the effects of many weight loss pills, which is why many consumers may notice that a weight loss supplement may only work well for them for a few weeks.
Because weight loss supplements are often used to reap benefits quickly and with little effort, many consumers do little to change their lifestyle while using weight loss supplements. For this reason, even those who see somewhat dramatic weight loss results might find that they gain the weight back over time. This is because achieving long-lasting weight loss requires that a person change their entire lifestyle. Crash-dieting for a few weeks may help you achieve your goal weight at first, but clinical tests show that in the long run the only way to maintain a healthy weight is to have a healthy lifestyle. This means eating properly and exercising regularly. Walking, hiking, dancing, and swimming are just a few of the activities that can help you lose weight and maintain weight loss.
A genuine candidate for weight loss supplements is a person who is seriously obese to the extent that it affects their health and their daily life. In these situations, the risks of obesity often outweigh the risks of using a weight loss supplement. This should be a person who is ready to commit to a lifestyle of healthy eating habits and regular exercise.
It is important to always talk to your doctor before using a weight loss supplement. Your doctor should know your medical history and perform a medical exam to determine your current health needs.
7. Does quitting smoking lead to weight gain?
Yes and no. Not everyone gains weight when they stop smoking. Among people who do, the average weight gain is between 6 and 8 pounds. Roughly 10 percent of people who stop smoking gain a large amount of weight-30 pounds or more.
When smokers quit, they may gain weight for a number of reasons. These include:
Feeling hungry. Quitting smoking may make a person feel hungrier and eat more than usual, but this feeling usually goes away after several weeks.
Having more snacks and alcoholic drinks. Some people eat more high-fat, high-sugar snacks and drink more alcoholic beverages after they quit smoking. Some feel the need to snack absent-mindedly to keep their mouths busy on times that it is supposed to be pursed over a cigarette stick.
Burning calories at a normal rate again. Every cigarette you smoke makes your body burn calories faster, but is also harmful to your heart. Once you quit, you are no longer getting this temporary effect. Instead, you are burning slightly fewer calories on a daily basis.
Physical activity and a healthy eating plan may help you control your weight. In addition, being physically active may ease withdrawal symptoms during smoking cessation and help reduce the chances of relapsing after quitting.
While it is a good idea to be physically active and eat healthy foods as you quit smoking, try not to worry about your weight. It may be easier to quit first and focus on controlling your weight when you are smoke-free.
To lower your chances of gaining weight when you stop smoking:
Accept yourself.
Get regular, moderate-intensity physical activity.
Limit snacking and alcohol.
Consider using medication to help you quit if you feel you are about to get derailed from your plan.
Consider getting professional advice about weight control if the weight gain caused by quitting smoking will send you over the overweight standards.
8. How many pounds overweight should I be to be considered for a surgical weight loss program?
Weight loss surgeries-also called bariatric surgeries-can help treat obesity. You should only consider surgical treatment for weight loss if you: have a BMI of 40 or higher, have a BMI of 35 or higher and weight-related health problems, or you have not had success with other weight-loss methods.
Body mass index is a key index for relating a person's body weight to their height. The body mass index is a person's weight in kilograms (kg) divided by their height in meters (m) squared.
Common types of weight loss surgeries are:
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. The surgeon uses surgical staples to create a small stomach pouch. This limits the amount of food you can eat. The pouch is attached to the middle part of the small intestine. Food bypasses the upper part of the small intestine and stomach, reducing the amount of calories and nutrients your body absorbs.
Laparoscopic gastric banding. A band is placed around the upper stomach to create a small pouch and narrow passage into the rest of the stomach. This limits the amount of food you can eat. The size of the band can be adjusted. A surgeon can remove the band if needed.
Biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) or BPD with duodenal switch (BPD/DS). In BPD, a large part of the stomach is removed, leaving a small pouch. The pouch is connected to the last part of the small intestine, bypassing other parts of the small intestine. In BPD/DS, less of the stomach and small intestine are removed. This surgery reduces the amount of food you can eat and the amount of calories and nutrients your body absorbs from food. This surgery is used less often than other types of surgery because of the high risk of malnutrition.
If you are thinking about weight-loss surgery, talk with your doctor about changes you will need to make after the surgery. You will need to: follow your doctor's directions as you heal, make lasting changes in the way you eat, follow a healthy eating plan and be physically active, and take vitamins and minerals if needed.
You should also talk to your doctor about risks and side effects of weight loss surgery. Side effects may include: infection, leaking from staples, hernia, blood clots in the leg veins that travel to your lungs (pulmonary embolism), dumping syndrome, in which food moves from your stomach to your intestines too quickly, and not getting enough vitamins and minerals from food.
9. Is it harder to lose weight as I get older?
Most people round out a little as they get older, as a result of a decreased metabolism and less movement. Menopause can cause women to suddenly gain weight, and both men and women find that they can't eat as much as they did a few years back without gaining a few pounds! This makes it hard to lose weight.
Another reason for difficulty in losing weight as you age is your set point and metabolism. The set point of your weight is predetermined, which means that your body stubbornly clings to a certain amount of weight. For instance, some people's set point dictates that they won't gain an ounce no matter what or how much they eat. Other's set points, on the other hand, is set a little higher, causing them to gain pounds when they catch a whiff of French fries and bacon cheeseburgers.
Physiological forces can prevent weight loss. It's possible to be thinner than when you were in your 20s now because once upon a time you weighed less - but it can be a real struggle staying at that lowest weight. Perhaps that's the secret behind set points: it's still possible to lose weight, but just a little more difficult.
Genetics also have a lot to do with stubborn pounds. Your body shape, weight, and size is affected by your genes, making it hard to lose weight. You see examples all around you, every day, of people looking exactly like their parents or grandparents - for better or for worse. You may have your mom's curves and tendency towards the bulge; your half-sisters have their mother's lean silhouette and long, slim limbs.
Watching what you eat, exercising, and keeping informed of health tips and low-fat recipes are still extremely important in losing weight and keeping it off. Remember to strike a balance between accepting and loving your body the way it is, and striving for health and wellness.
10. How do I lose my post-baby weight faster?
Lots of new moms regain their pre-pregnancy figure within 8 to 12 months. True, it takes time for your body to get back to normal, but don't despair. Eat properly, get active and let nature do the rest.
If you are not breast-feeding, then don't rush out and start dieting. Instead, for the first three months or so after the birth, concentrate on healthy eating, and develop your own exercise plan. Then, when your body has begun to recover and when your period has returned to normal, start following a healthy, low fat weight-loss plan and you will lose weight just as easily as the next person.
If your weight gain during pregnancy was no more than the recommended 22 to 30 pounds, you should be able to return to your pre-pregnancy weight within about 8 months. This may sound slow, but you really can't lose weight much faster and stay healthy at the same time.
Breastfeeding may assist you to lose weight, at least during the 12 months after giving birth. The process of breastfeeding releases a number of hormones into your body which helps your uterus to return to its pre-pregnancy size and shape. However, don't count on breast-feeding to improve your weight loss during the immediate postpartum period. Very often, it is only when the breast-feeding stops that the weight starts to come off.
In addition, don't depend on breast-feeding for your weight loss. Otherwise you may get careless about your diet and instead of losing weight, you may actually gain weight. So be sure to eat sensibly, take exercise and allow nature to do the rest.
If you are breast-feeding there is no reason why you should not go on a healthy, low-fat weight loss diet, but you should not drop below about 1800 calories per day, while feeding.
The fastest, most effective way to lose weight and regain your figure is to make it part of an overall program, involving diet, exercise and general lifestyle changes.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1792795
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