How To Lose Weight Fast

An impending event or social occasion is often a trigger for people to want to lose weight, and fast.

While it's impossible to lose a sizable amount of weight spontaneously overnight or even in two or three days, there is a process that can work weight wonders in just 11 days.

Calorie shifting involves completely re-evaluating your diet and re-distributing your calories so you're consuming them at the optimum times of the day to assist you with not only losing weight, but keeping it off.

The only thing standing between you downsizing your dress size could be embracing a shift in your calorie intake each day. While instinctively we all know that food is more powerful than diet shakes or weight loss pills, we still seem to forgo nature's fuel for quick fixes.

But by eating the right foods at the optimum periods during the day, you will notice a sudden shift in your weight, and best of all, you're still eating a healthy, varied diet that is giving you the right amounts of vitamins and minerals to function at your best each day.

By following the calorie shifting method you will lose weight fast, feel sated and satisfied and continue to maintain a healthy body weight.

If you've ever tried to decrease the amount of calories you're eating you may not have had a lot of success. This is because your body is extremely smart and your metabolism will adjust itself so that your body only burns the amount of calories you're consuming per day. This is your body's natural preservation method, because it doesn't know when it will be fed again so it's trying to preserve the calories consumed as long as possible.

If you would like to lose weight fast, then you need to avoid drastically decreasing your calorie intake. You'll only end up tired, hungry and with little or no weight loss. Other diet 'no-nos' to avoid include:

• Consuming only diet or low-fat products. Ideally your body needs whole-foods to function effectively and consuming too many diet products will not give it the adequate vitamins and minerals that it so richly deserves.

• Cutting out carbohydrates. This will only result in you feeling lethargic, irritable and yep, still hungry. Eaten in their correct quantity of 4-6 serves a day will see you firing on all cylinders and you won't feel starved.

• Only drinking diet shakes. While incorporating a diet shake into your diet once a day or a few times a week is fine, simply consuming them all day every day can not be maintained. Again, your body needs many more nutrients than diet shakes (which is just powder and water) can provide.

Calorie shifting may just be the ideal way for you to lose weight fast, feel fantastic and maintain your ideal weight long-term. And all in time for that special occasion you've got coming up.

Visit my website for low-calorie, high-flavour meals (all 400 calories or less): http://www.simplecaloriecounting.net/


Original article

High-Protein Diet Tips: Everything You Need To Know

According to studies, diets that are high in protein are very effective. Researchers suggest that high protein diets help people control their appetites. How high amounts of protein curbs the appetite isn't exactly known, although some experts believe that the protein reduces the levels of appetite-stimulating hormones received by the brain.

Another reason why high amounts of protein can help people lose weight is because the process of digesting protein requires 30% more calories than digesting carbs. This means that eating a lot of protein will ensure that your body burns more calories per meal!

High Protein Diet Tips

How can you add more protein in your diet? Just follow these tips:

Meats such as poultry, beef, salmon, and chicken contain a lot of protein. Don't be afraid to eat some lean meats - they're not fattening like red meats. Try eating at least two servings of lean meats every day.If you're a vegetarian, eat a lot of nuts, whole grain, lentils, tofu, and sunflower seeds. If you enjoy dairy products, add some yogurt, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, and milk to your diet. One cup of yogurt can contain up to 12 grams of protein! The amount varies depending on the brand, so check the label.Everybody knows that beans are high in protein! Kidney, lima, navy, and soybeans all provide numerous health benefits. They will help your body to burn fat and build muscle. Eat a bowl or two of beans 5 - 6 times a week.Always on the go? Too busy to prepare meals? Take a few protein bars with you to work or school. They contain a small amount of calories so you can munch on them all you want and still lose weight.Try spirulina. This seawater algae has been gaining popularity as a "superfood". It is composed of over 50% complete proteins. It's safe for animals and people both to eat. For humans, it's available in powder and capsule forms.You need to drink A LOT of water! While drinking a lot of water is a given regardless of the type of diet you're on, it's especially helpful for a high protein diet. A sudden increase in your protein intake can cause constipation. Drinking a lot of water will relieve the discomfort.No weight loss plan is complete without exercise. Eating a lot of protein will give you plenty of energy so that you will feel like working out. Try to do at least 30 minutes of cardio a few times a week. Resistance training is also important, as it builds muscle and tons the body.

Drinking Protein Shakes

One easy way to increase your daily protein intake is to drink shakes. Experts recommend drinking one protein shake every morning so that you'll feel less hungry during the rest of the day. It will also provide you with more energy so that you'll exercise more.

Here are the ingredients for the Chocolate Banana Nut protein smoothie:

½ cup of low-fat milk¼ cup of cottage cheese½ cup of nonfat yogurt1 banana10-20g of chocolate protein powder2 tablespoon of dry oatmeal2 tablespoons of peanut butter2 tablespoons of mixed nutsA few ice cubes for texture

This smoothie will take care of most of your daily protein needs. According to the dietary experts, the recommended amount of protein intake for an adult is 35% of total calories. If you're on a 1,800 calorie diet, you can eat up to 218 grams of protein a day.

Conclusion

A high protein diet can really help you lose weight. Just make sure that your protein sources are all low in fat. You should also try to lower the amount of carbs you eat. Keep in mind that you need to increase your daily protein intake slowly over a period of a week. Don't increase the amount you eat overnight, or you might end up experiencing some side effects, such as constipation and nausea.

Weight loss is undoubtedly a difficult task. Visit http://www.ways-to-lose-weight.com/ for wonderful tips, tricks, diets, & exercises, all focused on getting you lean, toned, & thinner.


Original article

Strength Training And Weight Loss: A Perfect Combination

When you need to lose weight, whether it's a hundred pounds or five, you know you need to exercise. Unfortunately, it's often difficult to make that first step. Perhaps you're apprehensive about your appearance while you work out. Maybe you are simply dreading working out that first time. No matter where you are, there are weight loss exercises that will help you shed those unwanted pounds. You know that you could crash diet, or take some unsafe pills, but just by reading this exercise article, we know that you want to do things the safe way.

Before you begin an exercise regimen, particularly if you've not been exercising at all, it's important to consult a doctor. Your physician will most likely have helpful, specific to you tips and strategies. He or she may even suggest some exercises to do in addition to the ones we'll discuss. Plus, you'll feel more at ease while you work out, knowing that you'll be safe.

Cardio

There are two major categories in weight loss exercises. The first is cardiovascular exercises. Cardio, as it's called for short, elevates your heart rate to a range that is ideal for fat and calorie burning. Furthermore, your blood circulation is enhanced, supplying your muscles with Some examples of cardio include:

WalkingJogging/RunningSwimmingAerobicsZumbaMartial ArtsDancingRowing

Of course, these aren't the only cardio activities out there-truly there is something for everyone. It's important to note a prolonged amount of time, around twenty to thirty minutes, maximizes the benefits of cardio.

Strength Training

Strength training is the other main category of weight loss exercise. It's also the category that people are most likely to overlook. Strength training, often performed with weights, increases your muscle density and Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). What's the benefit to that? Increased muscle density leads to a higher level of calorie burning, even while you're doing nothing! Combining this with cardio is an excellent way to boost weight loss.

Many individuals, particularly women, are often wary of strength training. They don't want to look like body builders! You can rest assured. The types of exercises that would produce that result are far beyond what you'll need to do. Some examples of strength training activities include:

SquatsLungesDipsPull upsPush upCrunches

Of course, strength training's effectiveness is enhanced by adding in the presence of weights, even if they're only the handheld, two pound ones. Here's some further strength training exercises that are done with weights:

Bicep curlsChest fliesDeadliftsBench pressesShoulder presses

In Closing

As we mentioned before, the best strategy is to combine weight loss exercises from both cardio and strength training. You'll maximize your results that way and lose more weight. You might even find yourself enjoying your workouts because of the variety. No more running on the treadmill night after night! You can add in a number of activities to that treadmill and shed those pounds.

Weight loss is undoubtedly a difficult task. Visit http://www.ways-to-lose-weight.com/ for wonderful tips, tricks, diets, & exercises, all focused on getting you lean, toned, & thinner.


Original article

Nuratrim: Does This New Diet Pill Work?

Yet another new diet pill has just been released onto the weight loss market, but does it work? Should you buy Nuratrim or is it a total waste of money? How can you tell?

These are questions well worth asking before you part with your cash. So let's take a look...

First of all the company behind Nuratrim is Advanced Health who we already know is a reputable company with great customer service, so no worries about the source of Nuratrim. Let's find out more...

Nuratrim is designed to:

Reduce your appetite

Increase your metabolism

Aid fat burning

Reduce Cholesterol

How Nuratrim works

Nuratrim is a formula of 100% natural ingredients. It doesn't contain any chemicals at all so there are no side effects. This is good news but the downside is that it is a capsule and this capsule is made of Gelatine, making it unsuitable for vegetarians.

Let's take a look at the ingredients in Nuratrim

The ingredients in Nuratrim are Liquorice, Green Coffee, Capsicum and. These are all ingredients that are known to help with weight loss, so let's take a closer look at how they can help...

Liquorice Extract

Liquorice, for instance, sometimes known as Licorice, has been found to have a great variety of medicinal benefits and has been around for many, many years.

Studies have also been done to show that it has a beneficial effect on weight loss One clinical study published the journal of Obesity Research and Clinical Practice, show that when taken as a supplement along with diet and exercise, Liquorice helped to speed up the metabolism. 84 moderately overweight people were all feed the same number of calories. Some were given placebo pills and some, 200 mg of liquorice extract which they took daily for eight weeks.

The conclusion was that people taking the liquorice extract showed significant decreases in body fat, body weight, body mass index, and LDL cholesterol levels. This is a fantastic result as we know that liquorice is a valuable addition to the ingredient list.

Green Coffee

When it comes to green coffee, we aren't quite so certain of exactly how beneficial it is. Studies have looked at green coffee and weight loss, but not very many and the ones that there are don't seem to have been the greatest quality studies. However the results of the studies were promising, revealing that 75% of the volunteers lost on average 3.5lbs over 2 weeks, and 80% of the volunteers lost on average 4.5lbs over 4 weeks, so it does sound as if there is truth in the claims that Green Coffee helps with weight loss.

Capsicum Extract

Capsicum is well-known and proven to work as an aid for weight loss. It is also the main ingredient in Capsiplex which is one of the best-selling brands of diet pills. We are confident that Capsicum is a great weight loss aid and happy to see it being included in the ingredients of Nuratrim.

Glucomannan

This is really the key ingredient in Nuratrim and it is this that we believe makes Nuratrim stand out from other appetite suppressants. Glucomannan comes from konjac root (Amorphophallus konjac) and is a water-soluble dietary fibre which is capable of absorbing up to 200 of its weight in water. This means that it will swell inside your stomach making you feel full and thereby reducing the amount you want to eat.

Glucomannan is so effective that you only need to take one capsule per day. You can take this in the morning and feel the benefits throughout the day.

We have to conclude that Nuratrim looks like a winning formula!

Everything about Nuratrim from the ingredients to the customer service is telling us that this is a great product! Although it is still a very a new diet pill, testimonials from people have trialled it have been very positive and judging by the weight losses they've achieved, we think this is going to prove to be a very popular product once the word gets out. All in all if you are thinking of buying Nuratrim, we would recommend you to go for it. It's going to be good!

Dani Mills is the author of http://www.weightlossanddietpills.co.uk/
Take a look at my site to find out more about Nuratrim and other top brands of products to help with weight loss. You'll also find articles and tips to help you lose weight.


Original article

Lose Weight and Fat in Thighs

Many women struggle with losing weight. Specifically, losing weight in the legs and thighs can be quite cumbersome. This happens because these areas of the legs are prone to accumulating large amounts of fat. Therefore, it is imperative to eat properly and exercise regularly. That said, losing fat in thighs is a direct result of consuming less calories than one takes in. Anytime an individual eats more calories than is burned off, weight is gained. Therefore, look to follow some of these simple recommendations below.

By reducing carbohydrate intake, it will be easy for overweight individuals to lose fat in their thighs. Sugar by itself contributes highly in increasing our body weight. Weight loss is something that can be easily done with little bit of control in daily diet. Following a diet plan can be useful in losing thigh fat faster. No matter which diet plan you choose, it is important that you follow it regularly so that a balance can be achieved

Diet is an important ingredient, but is not the only option to get that perfect body. Wearing skin tight clothes can also help in managing our body shape and to lose fat in thighs to some degree. This also helps in living a healthy life. The appearance of your body really contributes highly in building your overall personality.

Weight training is another way of losing bulky fat. Through weight training people will become fit and not gain excess body fat. Active participation in Gyms and sport can highly benefit a person in the long term. It is a productive activity through which a person can lose weight in thighs and other body parts. Normally, the fat deposit rate is seen higher in particular body parts such as thighs, chest and stomach. You can focus your effort on some parts of the body more than others. However, at the end of the day, weight loss is an overall thing and doesn't work too well if you try to get weight off only one part of your body.

Avoiding sugar to lose weight in thighs is also another way to keep the fat off. The sugary items taste very good but they contain high number of calories. This does not mean that one should start eating herbs and vegetables all the time, but it does mean that they should reduce the quantity of such items and consume proteins instead of unsaturated fats.

Brett Anderson

Brett is an expert in the field of health, nutrition and weight loss.
Contact: blaakq@gmail.com


Original article

10 Ways To Lose Weight NOW!

1. Have tons of water. All of our bodies must have a good deal of water. For that reason give in to water. Water isn't really just a process to clean out toxin but also if you have much more water inside your body you should often feel healthier and fitter. This on its own will suppress any inclination to overeat. The most beneficial thing pertaining to water is that is comes with zero calories.

2. Actually eat fresh fruit preferably instead of drinking fruit juice. Juice is oftentimes sweetened while fresh fruits have natural sugars. Once you eat fruit, you are ingesting a lot of fiber, which is certainly called for by the body, and fruits, as expected, are a terrific source of vitamins.

3. Go loco on vegetables. Vegetables happen to be your greatest bet when it pertains to losing unwanted weight. Nature possesses a terrific selection when it comes to finding vegetables. And the leafy green vegetables are your best bet. Make an effort to include a salad in your diet consistently.

4. Eat wisely. The significant difference between man and beast is the fact that people are driven by thinking ability whereas beasts are driven by reaction. Don't simply just eat something given that you really feel like eating it. Question yourself if your body seriously really needs it.

5. Go lite on caffeine. Tea along with coffee are harmless by themselves, however it's whenever you add the cream not to mention sugar they will end up fattening. Are you aware the fact that having a drink of tea or coffee containing cream and at the least two cubes of sugar is just as bad as having an enormous piece of rich chocolate cake?

6. Raise the fiber in your diet. Like I said, the body must have plenty of fiber. So make sure to include in your healthy eating plan as many fruits and vegetables as you possibly can.

7. Avoid fried foods. Fried foods are a total no-no. The more fried foods that you refrain from, the lesser weight you certainly will gain. Fried foods are identified if they are simply fried in oil or fat. Even if the external oil is drained away after cooking, there will be a lot of hidden oil inside so steer clear from it.

8. You should not omit meals. The worst type of thing you can do when monitoring your diet is skip out on a meal. It comes with the opposing results of what you intend. You will need to have at a minimum four regular meals each individual
day.

9. Begin working out, start little by little and don't get disappointed if you don't obtain your fitness goals just after the first week. Countless people make this oversight. They believe that if they push their bodies they'll lose even more weight and cut down the number of workouts per week. This is certainly false. Any time you try to drive your body excessively in the first number of work outs, you may be likely to find yourself with injuries. The tip to be put into practice here is slowly and continual wins the race.

10. Pick out an exercise routine to accommodate your life style. Most of of us experience different life styles and jobs so there is certainly no sense in making the effort to follow the book solely. Make an effort and carry out an exercise plan that is best suited for you. You have to know that far more important than the exercise on its own is sticking to it. Except when you choose something that might not suit your life style, you're not going to stick on to it.

Sean Hammers is founder of esmFitness.com and has been a certified professional fitness trainer for over eight years. His unique approach of training the brain before the body has produced life changing results for his clients. You can download your free report on his 4 Step Fat Burning Process by clicking here.


Original article

Jogging Is a Fantastic Exercise to Lose Weight

Have you reached the point in your life where you are questioning your own health? You may have grown a little beer belly, and you could certainly improve your cardio fitness. There's no question that starting your own exercise to lose weight could also help your muscles, your heart and even your mindset. Fortunately, a number of jogging tips exist to help you burn belly fat.

Before you even put on your running shoes in an attempt to trim down your stomach, you must be in good health. The more pounds you need to burn, the more intense your workouts should be. Besides the speed of your jog, going up and down hills can always increase the number of calories you will burn. Meanwhile, men and women suffering from sore joints must find options for decreasing any stress on their legs and feet.

Rather than doing your regular exercise on hard concrete, try to go jogging on grass. Even a treadmill is better for absorbing shock throughout your body. Most scenic parks are ideal, as they contain different paths for you to take advantage of. You may even meet fellow joggers and form a friendship or two from your weight loss exercise. Of course, you always have to look out for other joggers, cyclists and tourists making their ways through a picturesque park.

Speaking of avoiding stress on a jogger's body, wearing the right shoes is important for any individual. Nobody wants to train with blisters on his or her feet. At the same time, make sure you wear comfortable clothes. Not too hot, and not too cold. They should absorb your sweat, but do nothing to block your breathing. Meanwhile, you never want to wear those underwear that always give you a wedgie. You can always put on some lotion to prevent your skin from ever getting burnt. Sunglasses are another good idea to protect your eyes. You can even rely on any portable music device with light earphones.

To begin a jogging routine to lose weight, you must get your mind and body on the same page. You have to stretch out and warm up your muscles. You should also start your exercise before you eat breakfast. Both your mind and body can enjoy getting some fresh air before you chow down. Getting plenty of water never hurts, as it fills your tummy and helps to clean out your system. You also need water to perspire, and your body loses calories as it sweats. After all, your body should never grow dehydrated.

It can be extremely useful to set goals for your jogging habit. As is the case with any exercise routine, you should aim for a reachable target. If you set your goals too high, you will only disappoint yourself. You may even get discouraged with jogging all together, and toss in the towel. However, once you reach an achievable goal, such as losing 5 pounds in one month's time, you can stay motivated enough to continue. In fact, going jogging three or four times a week is all you need to successfully lose belly fat.

Since reaching my middle-ages, I have grown ghastly overweight. Besides being unattractive, I knew my overall health could come into serious danger. I decided to ask my doctor how to lose weight fast. He suggested the use of powerful HCG Injections to go alongside any exercise to lose weight. It's true, a person can jog to see significant weight loss results. Thanks Doc!


Original article

How To Prepare For Weight Loss Surgery

Obviously, your surgical consultation itself is the most important step you can take in preparing for your weight loss surgery. However, let's take a closer look at that consultation, as well as other important steps you can take to prepare for your surgery.

The Consultation Itself

While the consultation itself is the most important step in the preparation for your surgery, there are also important steps you can take to prepare even for the consultation! One of those steps is to make sure you have a list of current medications prepared to bring with you. You should include more than just your prescription medications, too. You should also include any over-the-counter medications you're taking, and any herbal remedies or other nutritional supplements. Another important thing to tell your surgeon is whether or not you know of any complications you or a family member have experienced involving anesthesia.

About Those Medications

The reason it's so important for your surgeon to know about the medications you're on before your surgery is that many of those medications can cause complications during the surgery itself. For example, even things as common as aspirin and vitamin E can increase the risk of bleeding. Birth control pills can increase the risk of blood clots, too. Not only can these (and other) medications cause complications during your surgery, they can also interfere with medications your surgeon may prescribe after the surgery itself. Whether your medicine was prescribed before or after your surgery, you may need to crush your pills for several weeks afterward. This is because of your now smaller stomach. Your surgeon will tell you which pills you need to crush and for how long. If he doesn't, ask.

Before The Procedure

Make sure you have somebody to drive you home from the hospital and drive you anywhere else you need to go for a few days afterward. In fact, you may want to consider ordering your circumstances far enough ahead of time to ensure that you'll be able to stay home as much as possible for several days after your release, because you're not likely to want to go anywhere anyway. Also, if you're a smoker, you should stop smoking for at least thirty days prior to your surgery. It will make your lungs more sensitive, and possibly result in pneumonia. Also, it really slows down your healing process. That's because it narrows your blood vessels so that blood doesn't flow as easily to where it needs to be in order for your body to heal itself properly. In fact, because of these reasons, some surgeons require blood and urine tests to verify the absence of nicotine prior to consenting to even performing weight loss surgery.

Following the advice in this article will serve you well in preparing for weight loss surgery, but this list is by no means exhaustive. As always, we can't emphasize too often the importance of following the advice of the medical professionals who serve you. He or she is likely to give instructions not included in this list. Make sure to follow all of them.

Weight loss is undoubtedly a difficult task. Visit http://www.ways-to-lose-weight.com/ for wonderful tips, tricks, diets, & exercises, all focused on getting you lean, toned, & thinner.


Original article

How Can I Lose Weight in a Month?

Often, for various reasons, people ask themselves the question "how can I lose weight in a month?" It must be understood that a proper diet is necessary to achieving this goal. A proper diet should be based around eating lean proteins, vegetables, legumes, some whole grains, some fruits, a little healthy fat and a generous amount of water. All refined sugar and fried foods should be completely avoided, as well as fast food and sugary snack foods.

These factors aside, the most important aspect of a proper diet is calorie intake. Calorie intake should also be regularly monitored, but be warned as avoiding calories is almost as bad as eating foods with too many calories. If your body doesn't get enough calories, your body starts to thinks that there is a food shortage, and accordingly starts hoarding your calories.

This natural occurrence is known as starvation mode. Your body will store every single calorie that enters it as fat because it doesn't know when it will get more food. This will not help your diet and weight loss plans at all; in fact this is completely detrimental to your proposed weight loss plans. Drinking things like soda, fruit juice, and other sweetened beverages can add up the calories you already have; drinking alternatives like natural fruit juice and most importantly, water, will help you achieve your weight loss goals. It is generally advised to consume no fewer than 1200 calories a day for women and 1500 for men. Make sure not to let your diet plan go under these numbers, or it can have an adverse affect on your health.

So, if you are one of those persons asking "how can I lose weight in a month?" You will need to have a thoroughly thought out diet plan to follow through for the next four weeks. Choose a date to begin your diet and begin clearing out the kitchen cupboard of all those fatty foods, replacing them with all the suggested foods mentioned above. Also remember, the secret is not just what you eat, you must keep in mind that when you eat is just as important as what and how much you consume. You must make sure to eat at about every three or so hours. If you eat more, your metabolism will increase and you begin to lose fat faster. Doing this provides your body with a consistent flow of energy in small amounts, as a result, you are keeping your blood sugar at a steady level and your body thinks there is enough food, but gets just enough to use at a time and doesn't get much chance to store any. In contrast, if you eat less often, your blood sugar begins to fluctuate. It will burn fat right before meals, but will store more fat right after meals, thus negating your weight loss efforts completely. I hope this article has helped to answer the question "how can I lose weight in a month?"

Summary

How can I lose weight in a month?

1) Preparation - Choose a proper diet plan before beginning

2) Replace the food in your kitchen cupboard with your diet plan food

3) Eat frequently but in small amounts

4) Replace soda drinks with natural fruit juice or even better drink lots of water

Following these general tips will keep you on the right track and you will see significant progress within a month.

Written by Anthony Leonce owner of Online Weight Loss Programs a website dedicated to encourage healthy living by helping people to lose weight.

If you have been helped by reading this article and would like a FREE Weight Loss Dieting Ebook packed with full of tips go here: Weight Loss Diets For Women


Original article

Food V Exercise: What Matters Most to Weight Loss?

Are you looking for the most effective way to lose weight? Dieting or exercising?

Dieting is crucial to losing weight because irrespective of a persons' genetic makeup and metabolism, anyone who stops eating is guaranteed to lose weight. Whilst, starving yourself is a dieting option clearly this is not sustainable in the longterm.

Within the dieting option, the question is whether you should opt for a low low-fat, low-carbohydrate, high-protein, low-GI, small meals or any one of a many other popular dieting approaches.

Dozens of high-quality, randomised controlled trials have been undertaken to address this issue. These research have shown that there is no one dieting option which provides the magic solution for everyone and apart from some short-term success for particular approaches - mostly low-carbohydrate diets - all of the popular dieting approaches fare poorly for shedding weight once the six-month milestone has passed.

This fact was demonstrated in one of the largest and longest weight loss study which investigated how diets with different fat, protein and carbohydrate content influenced how weight you lose. This study lasted two years and consisted of more than 800 overweight adults. Each person was randomly allocated to one of four different diets which ranged from high-carbohydrate/low-fat to low-carbohydrate/high-fat.

After six months, the average amount of weight lost was 7% of the initial body weight and there was negligible difference between the diets. Predictably, much of this lost weight was regained and only half of the respondents maintained their new weight for two years.

Other clinical trials clearly and conclusively show that the fat, protein and carbohydrate composition of the diet matter little for reducing your weight. In fact what matters most is following a sensible eating plan and sticking to it.

So now lets us consider exercising. Does regular exercise increases your chance of long-term weight loss?

Research has shown that exercise has a modest, but consistent benefit on body fat reduction and that this benefit is independent of dieting. One recent study found that people who kept up more than 90 minutes of physical activity each day lost the most weight.

Whilst exercising is important dieting is perhaps the most important element of shedding weight. This can be seen if you consider the scientific evidence. Here's a simple example: A 100g chocolate bar could easily be eaten in under one minute. The amount of energy in that bar - 2200 kJ or 500 Calories - would be enough to fuel the body of office worker for approximately five hours. However, to burn off that energy you would need to run 7km run or 90 minutes. So by making some concerted changes to the "input" side of the energy balance equation you can reap large benefits for weight loss without exercising.

If your dieting efforts is going to be effective research suggests that your diet should include at least one of the following:

fruit and vegetablesexercisekilo joulesfatsweets and junk foodportion sizesoverall quantity of food

For most people,research suggests that the crucial way to reduce weight in the long-term is not dieting nor does hitting the gym alone seems to work except for the most dedicated of souls. Instead research shows that in order to lose weight small and realistic lifestyle changes is the best recipe for achieving and maintaining a weight loss. The Diet solution program offers a scientifically based diet program which shows you how to eat naturally,not diet food, and combine the different food groups together to achieve your target weight.

Current research shows that it is our ability to stick to a proven diet program and making changes to our life style that will ensure permanent weight loss. Click here to visit http:wanttolossweightfastreview.com to discover weight loss secrets.

Resources
http://wanttolossweightfastreview.com/


Original article

Weight Loss - Why the Struggle?

As we enter another year, many of us always seem to set that one goal ahead of us - losing weight. I know I've set this goal for myself many times, only to see it fall the minute I'm faced with serious temptation.

Why is weight loss so difficult? There are many reasons, but a common theme among them that I've noticed is that it requires a lifestyle change. Do you really want to change your life, or do you want an instant fix? As much as we tell ourselves we're willing to work for it, when times get tough it's easy to go back to our old ways. If you buckle down to work out and eat right for a few weeks but haven't determined to make that a part of your life, you can quickly fall back into your old habits. It's uncomfortable to change. On the other hand, food can be comfort for many of us. That's why we might load up on pizza and ice cream when we're having a bad day. We might have so many happy emotions associated with food, like that time our mom took us out for ice cream after we got an A on our paper in grade school. As our world gets more stressful, our subconscious desire to relive these happy days through junk food may increase.

Many weight loss programs fail because they require such a drastic change in our lifestyle so quickly. These types of programs cause us to eventually hate them no matter how enthusiastic we felt about them at first. I find myself thinking, "you really expect me to go from being overweight and having bad eating habits to eating fruits and vegetables, cutting out junk food, and working out every day? If I had the self discipline to do that I wouldn't need your program, I'd already be in good shape."

Food is a joy, and eating can be a social occasion. I don't want to lose that, and I doubt if you do either. I never want eating to be a function that I do only to stay alive. That said, when many of us splurge and eat badly, it's less about the joy of eating and more about the addiction of junk food. Are you really enjoying eating that pint of ice cream while you watch TV, or do you feel guilty later? Do you enjoy not being able to do much physical activity because your weight and health make it nearly impossible?

Change is difficult. I've read that for change to happen, the pain of staying the same has to be very uncomfortable for us, so uncomfortable that we see change as our only relief from that pain.

So first we must be ready to accept a change, to really embrace it and make it part of our lives. Next, we must find a solution that works for us, a solution less drastic so we don't reject it and end up hating it soon after we start. We must decide that the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of changing our lifestyle.

I wish you the best as each of us continually work on improving our lives, including losing weight and getting healthier.

As someone who has struggled with weight loss much of my adult life, when I find something that works I want to share it with others. Since it has to be a lifestyle change, it has to be something that I can stick with. Read about my journey as I undertake it at http://weight-loss-tools.blogspot.com/


Original article

Shed the Fat, Keep the Muscle

Rate of Weight Loss

Unlike bulking which is a very slow and tedious process, cutting is actually much quicker. Not too quick though. You should aim to lose between 1 and 2 pounds per week. Ideally, you should lose 1 pound per week. This will keep any potential muscle loss to a bare minimum. However, most people have a weight loss deadline to meet so the good news is that you can safely lose up to 2 pounds per week without worrying too much about muscle loss. Do not lose anymore than 2 pounds per week unless you are over 25% body fat and substantially over weight. The leaner you get, the closer to 1 pound per week you should lose. As you get leaner, the risk of muscle loss increases.

Cardio

Believe it or not, you do not need to do any cardio to lose weight. You can do it through diet alone but I would not recommend doing so. Cardio is simply a tool to burn calories. You should use it to help you reach your desired calorie deficit. If you choose not to do any cardio, then you will need to eat even less to hit your calorie deficit.

As a general rule, I would aim to hit 50% of your calorie deficit through diet and 50% through cardio. This means that if you are trying to lose 1 pound per week, you should burn roughly 250 calories per day through cardio and the other 250 should be from your diet. Although 500 is the average calorie deficit per day, the more important number to hit is your overall calorie deficit for the week which would be 3,500 if your goal is to lose 1 pound per week. This means your daily calorie deficits can vary as long as the weekly deficit is the same. (Throughout this article, I will talk in terms of calorie deficits per day just because I think it is easier to visualize it daily rather than weekly). Since your weekly calorie deficit is more important than your daily calorie deficit, you don't need to do cardio everyday. Instead, you can aim to burn twice the amount of calories per cardio session but do them every other day.

The type of cardio you do doesn't really matter because the goal is simply to burn calories. You can do HIIT, low intensity, moderate intensity, or a combination of both. Focus on burning a certain amount of calories and then stop. Fasted cardio is a bad idea though. You should always have a meal in you prior to cardio. Fasted cardio puts you at a greater risk of burning muscle and doesn't burn any extra fat. In fact, it may even burn less.

Macros

As I have stated in every article regarding diet so far, macros are the single most important factor in reaching your goals. Since you should be aiming to lose between 1 and 2 pounds per week, you need to create between a 500 and 1,000 calorie deficit per day. You can do this through diet alone or a combination of diet and cardio.

Before you can figure out how many calories to eat for a calorie deficit, you need to know what your maintenance calories are. If you don't already have a general idea, here is a calculator to get you started. You can never trust an online calculator so you should just use it as an estimate. Using this number, subtract your desired calories to reach your deficit. For example, if your goal is to lose 1 pound per week and you are burning 250 calories from cardio per day, then your deficit should be your maintenance minus 250. Meanwhile, you should weigh yourself without clothes on in the morning once a week to see what your weight is doing. If you didn't lose any weight, then your initial maintenance estimate was probably off and you need to create a larger deficit by either subtracting more calories, doing more cardio, or both. If you lost more than your desired amount, it is probably best to keep everything the same for an additional week or two since your body usually drops a few extra pounds the first couple of weeks while transitioning into a cut. This has a lot to do with losing water due to eating less carbohydrates and less sodium. If after two weeks you are still losing more than you hoped, you can add some calories back in or do a little less cardio to slow down the weight loss. To do all of this, it is extremely important to have a reliable scale. I recommend this one.I've gone through five scales over the last couple of years and this is the first one that gives me consistent readings. It's not expensive and pretty aesthetic looking too. You don't even need to tap it to turn it on.

Once you have your target number of calories, you should figure out your macros very similarly to how you would if you were bulking. Your protein should be either the same or slightly higher and your carbohydrates and fat should be lower. Aim for 1.25 grams of protein per body weight and.4 grams of fat per pound body weight. The rest should be carbohydrates. Let's take a 180 pound male whose maintenance calories are 2,500 as an example. If he wants to lose 1 pound per week, he should burn 250 calories per day through cardio. That means there is a 250 calorie deficit through diet which puts him at 2,250 calories per day. He should eat 225 grams of protein and 72 grams of fat. That leaves 175 grams of carbohydrates. Keep in mind these numbers are very general. Some people do well on low fat and some do well on low carbohydrates. Feel free to adjust the numbers to see which you like more. As you get deeper into your cut, you should subtract calories from your carbohydrates and fats. I personally subtract fat first. Once I my fat reaches.3 grams per pound of body weight, I leave it the same and only subtract carbohydrates from that point forward.

Meal Frequency

You don't need to eat 6 small meals per day but you can if you would like. The frequency of your meals won't have any effect on your progress. When cutting, you are going to be hungry most of the day. For this reason, I rather eat fewer, larger, more satisfying meals than a bunch of smaller meals that leave me hungry. It's personal preference though.

Nutrient Timing

Just like meal frequency, nutrient timing will not have an effect on your progress. You can eat carbohydrates when you wake up or before you go to bed. Your progress will be the same. However, I do recommend eating a larger portion of your carbohydrates around your work outs. This will provide you with more energy so you get the most out of your work out. I'd recommend having approximately 30% of your carbohydrates before your work out and 30% after. The remaining 40% can be spread out however you would like. Although eating carbohydrates before bed won't hurt your progress, I would avoid eating them then simply because there is no reason to give your body fuel before you go to sleep. Save those precious carbohydrates for during the day when you need the energy.

Work Out Routine

During a cut is not the appropriate time to switch routines. Whatever routine you used to build your muscle is the routine you should use to keep your muscle. Commonly, people start doing higher reps and give up the heavy weights. This is the biggest mistake you can make. You need to continue lifting heavy if you want to keep your muscle. You are already eating in a calorie deficit. If you combine that with lifting light weights, you aren't giving your body any reason to keep your muscle. It is important to continue lifting as heavy as possible in order to give your body a reason to keep your hard earned muscle.

Supplements

Don't bother with fat burners. There aren't any over the counter fat burners that will give you any noticeable fat burning effects. The only additional supplements I would add on a cut are a pre work out supplement if you don't use one already and BCAAs. The pre work out supplement will give you an energy boost when your diet is failing to give you the energy you would like for an intense work out. A couple of pre work out supplements I recommend are Controlled Labs White Flood and Muscle Pharm Assault.

BCAAs can help to prevent muscle loss. You can drink them during your work out as well as before cardio. I would recommend either Scivation Xtend or AI Sports RecoverPro. One serving during your work out and another serving 5-10 minutes before cardio is enough.

Conclusion

To sum everything up, cutting really isn't too complicated. Cardio is very beneficial but not required and your macros should be similar to your bulking macros but with less carbohydrates and less fat. As you get deeper into your cut and your weight loss stalls, you should subtract calories from your fat and/or carbohydrates and increase your calories burned on cardio. Your weekly calorie deficit is the most important number to hit but it may be easier to break it down daily instead. Meal frequency and nutrient timing is irrelevant and entirely personal preference. You should not change your work out routine and continue lifting heavy to give your muscles a reason to stay put. Additionally, fat burners are unnecessary but pre work out supplements can be helpful to provide some extra energy and BCAAs can help in preventing muscle loss.

For more information on diet, working out, and supplements, check out http://pfaufitness.blogspot.com/.


Original article

Simplifying Weight Loss: How To Do It

It's so tempting to want a magic fix that will allow you to lose weight easily and quickly. No matter if you need to lose five pounds or over a hundred, it's not always very fun to put in the effort required to drop that weight. Unfortunately, losing weight is something you must be intentional about, and it does necessitate hard work. Happily, we have some great tips that will help you in your journey.

Now, everyone knows that drinking at least eight glasses of water, eating healthy, and exercising is the right way to lose weight. Knowing that, however, still leaves you with a lot of questions. Hopefully, the following tips will clear some things up for you.

The Tips

One tip that we've found helpful is to add, not subtract. What that means is that some people believe that getting healthy and losing weight means that you need to completely cut out foods from your diet. Actually, it's best to perhaps limit the amounts of certain foods, while adding in lots of healthy choices. Make sure you add in healthy foods and snacks you really love, so you don't feel like you're being deprived. On a related note, take recipes that you already love and tweak them to make them better for you. For instance, substitute low-fat cheese for the full fat version, or use whole wheat pasta in your spaghetti.

In today's society, portion sizes have never been more out of whack. Just take a trip through any fast food drive through and you'll notice how big the drink cups have gotten. Some of them even require two hands to hold! Educate yourself on what an adult portion actually is. At first, it will most likely shock you, and it may take some getting used to. Keep at it, though, because consuming accurate portions will serve you in good stead.

Finally, listen to your body's cues. Most of us are full before we stop eating. The key factor in accomplishing this is slowing down and savoring your food. That way, your body has time to let you know that you're full, and you can refrain from overeating. Pair this tip along with accurate portion sizes, and you could potentially lose weight just from those two changes.

Get Moving

If you really want to jump start your weight loss regimen, however, pair eating right with exercise. If you're the type who hates exercise, start slow. Take a nice walk around your neighborhood when it's lovely out. Perhaps you hate running and walking, so you've never ventured out into other activities. There are tons of activities that will get you active, and you're sure to find something you actually enjoy doing. Maybe you're best in the water. For you, swimming or water aerobics should be on the top of your list. Whatever you enjoy, find it, and get moving!

In Conclusion

Let's face it. Losing weight takes effort and dedication. It doesn't have to be miserable, though. If you employ these tips, you can shed those pounds while eating food you enjoy and being active in exercises you actually like doing.

Weight loss is undoubtedly a difficult task. Visit http://www.ways-to-lose-weight.com/ for wonderful tips, tricks, diets, & exercises, all focused on getting you lean, toned, & thinner.


Original article

Why You Store Body Fat?

In case you are currently having a problem with your body weight, you might wonder how you store the unwanted body fat to start with. You want to find out the reason that got you where you are now and what could you do to improve your overall weight.

Below you will find the reasons why you store body weight and an explanation about how this process works.

Energy Imbalance Issue

First your need to understand that adding fat is a relationship between how much energy you generate (by consuming food), and how much energy you consume (by exercise, daily activities).

In case you consume a lot of calories, and you burn fewer calories throughout the day, the process of adding fat begins by storing the excess calories which were not burned.

Because your body now seems to have more calories than it needs to function, it has to do something about the "left over" calories, so the natural thing is to deposit it for later use.

In this manner, when you are faced with a period of hunger, the deposits made will back your body up by consuming the stored calories.

In case you were wondering, if you store more than 3500 calories over a week's time, you will gain one pound of fat.

The Food that you eat

Something that you have to meditate a little about, when finding out why you gain excess fat, is the food you eat on a daily basis.

Food that is rich in protein has the least chance of being converted into body fat deposits since it need a lot of energy (aka calories) just to break them down.

Because your organism uses a lot of energy to break proteins down, it has less energy to store as fat cells.

If your diet is rich in carbohydrates, this might not cause large body fat deposits. In case your diet is a low carbohydrate one, and you usually have intense workouts during a week, these will be burned and not be stored.

Next are fats. Fats tend to be converted easier into fat cells since they need less energy to break down and to be stored in your fat store.

Be careful, I do not recommend you to have a diet that does not include fats at all; some dietary fats are required for appropriate health. However do not forget that in case you consume too many calories, then the dietary fats will be stored as body fat.

The key is to have a balance in calorie intake and burn, so you won't have troubles.

Above you have the main details about body fat - how and why you store it. In case you desire less fat storage, be sure to follow a low carb diet which is abundant in proteins, reasonable amounts of carbohydrates and just some few healthy fats from now and then.


Original article

Fat Burning Foods - Internet Fallacy Or Dietary Staple?

During my time in the health and fitness industry I've been asked numerous times what the best 'fat burning foods' are. This is a particularly controversial topic, the more you research online the more conflicting opinion you're likely to come across. It's important to establish from the outset that even the existence of 'foods that burn fat' is debatable. Most people have heard that green tea has some fat burning properties, and foods that burn fat are spicy, or hot. But what's the real science behind all this? Are there foods that can really burn fat away?

If you research the topic you'll find a number of people in the 'it's all just a gimmick' camp. These people are primarily those who believe 'a calorie is a calorie', that it doesn't matter what 'fat burning foods' you eat, arguing overall calorie intake is the only important variable at the end of the day. They are to an extent justified in their skepticism. They are also correct to an extent that overall calories are an important element of the fat loss puzzle. However, for optimum body composition, you're not going to get very far by just concentrating on total calorie intake. It's also important to obtain calories from the appropriate sources, at the appropriate times.

When actually delving into the controlled scientific research on this topic it's apparent that some of the reported 'fat burning' benefits of specific foods are genuine. For instance, there is a thermogenic effect from spicy foods such as hot pepper. It's the capsaicin specifically, in the hot pepper, that this effect is derived from. Does this mean we should all start pouring hot pepper over every meal? Well no, not really. Unless of course, you're a massive fan of hot pepper and already have it on your breakfast cereal. By all means, if this is the case, who am I to stop you?

Unfortunately, while the capsaicin found in hot pepper does increase the thermogenic effect of feeding, the actually impact this has on fat loss is minor at best. There has been a number of studies on the impact of green tea on fat loss also. This should come as no surprise, considering it's rise in popularity in the last decade. The compound that affects metabolic rate in green tea is called epigallo-catechin gallate (tell your co-workers you're drinking it for that reason, to get some funny looks). Epigallo-catechin gallate (EGCG) provides a small increase in metabolic rate over a 24-hour period. The downside to this is studies show the amount of EGCG required to produce this metabolic increase is quite significant. It's around 300mg of EGCG per day. This is the equivalent of around 5 strong cups of green tea each day.

The obvious catch with both of these 'fat burning foods' is that the effect they have on fat loss is minimal. Unless you've already got all other aspects of your diet perfect, you're unlikely to see much benefit from their implementation. The majority of people would be better focused on increasing the thermogenic effect of their diet as a whole rather than looking at specific food/supplements as the answer. As with most things, it's better to concentrate on the broad strokes before the finer details. This translates to ensuring that your diet is primarily constructed from natural, unprocessed foods. All food we eat has a thermogenic effect. This is known as the thermic effect of food. It's why many diets prescribe you should eat 6-8 small meals per day rather than 2-3 large meals. This keeps the metabolism stoked all day long.

Here's the key rule to remember when looking at 'burning fat' with foods: Different food groups have different thermogenic impact. This means that the thermogenic effect of fat isn't as high as the thermogenic effect of protein. Indeed, scientific studies have illustrated protein has the highest thermogenic effect of any macronutrient. You'll have seen many fat loss diets including protein in every meal. Now you know why. It also acts to suppress the appetite. So it's easy to see why protein is an essential pillar of any weight loss program. Many top level coaches I've worked with actually prescribe increasing the level of protein their clients are getting when they are dieting, while simultaneously decreasing the level of carbohydrates, and in some cases dietary fats.

The thermic effect of protein requires around 30% of the calories it contains. This means just eating and digesting protein requires almost a third of the energy it supplies us with. So it's easy to see why it's a true food type to burn fat. Depending on the dietary system you're following, lean proteins are often best for fat loss. So to ensure you're eating fat burning meals throughout the day combine any of the following with some green vegetables, and even some natural starchy carbohydrates:

-Chicken breast, turkey breast, bison, buffalo, seafood, eggs, sirloin steak, fillet steak, venison, extra-lean ground beef (preferably grass-fed), fish, and duck breast(with fat removed).

Have a go at eating 4-6 smaller meals a day containing the above foods with healthy vegetables and some starchy carbs (include these mostly around workouts), track your progress, and see if you can lose some fat. Oh, and feel free to season your meal with hot pepper, and wash it down with green tea. Just don't conclude that's why you're losing your belly.

Visit the Food 4 Abs website for great free articles on Fat Burning Furnace.

I'm a health and lifestyle author/journalist/geek. I've been published in numerous online and print publications. I love researching the optimum methods for burning fat and increasing muscle mass.

The purpose of my site is to provide you with all the information you'll ever need regarding the popular Fat Burning Furnace plan. Check out my review of the program: Fat Burning Furnace Review.


Original article

Three "P" Words For Weight Loss

If you type "lose weight" or a similar query in a search engine, you'll come up with thousands of results. It's normal for people to have the desire to be appreciated, sought after and, at least somewhat popular. This could very well explain why we are so mesmerized with superstars and why we will blindly follow whatever fad or trend they might support in our own quest to lose weight. Sometimes, at the cost of our own health.

There are many myths and fads that claim to give you a "cure-all" for losing weight. If you intelligently analyze them, they will make you wonder why you ever considered giving them a shot. For weight loss to be everlasting, your best bet is to place your energies on:

*Proper diet
*Proper exercise
*Positive thinking

Most of us are familiar with the adage, "You are what you eat" (Anonymous), and perhaps not so familiar with, "Let your foods be your medicine and your medicine your food," by Hippocrates. Given the near epidemic proportions of obesity and the increased health risks, it should be apparent that modern-day habits of eating reflect the negative stream of these two quotations.

On the more positive and upbeat side, if you want to lose weight, read the quotations again. It should dawn on you that the proper diet should consist of fresh vegetables, nuts, fruits and lean meats and fish (if you aren't a vegan). Steering clear of processed foods is a wise choice. You don't have to be a master chef to prepare simple and healthy foods.

If you are eating healthy food in the proper proportions, you will lose weight. To lose more fat though, you'll have to do some form of exercise.

Indeed, there was a time that I believed stunning and exaggerated muscles meant fitness and health. It may illustrate strength to a degree, but take a good look at some of the greatest martial artists, or other infamous athletes in sports. They have well-defined muscles, agility and stamina - without the massive bulk.

This should lead one to conclude that exercise ought to include basic aerobic (such as walking, jogging, and dancing) and anaerobic (such as resistance training). Although most would agree and more than likely know that both are needed for sustained fitness, we also can struggle with keeping ourselves motivated. This is where you have to teach yourself the power of positive thinking.

The late Dr. Norman Vincent Peale wrote in his book, "The Power of Positive Thinking", that, "You are what you are now based on your thoughts five years ago and will be in five years what you constantly think of yourself now."

While one's thoughts are very important, without consciously applying steps to improve your self now, you will undoubtedly have the same thoughts and behaviors five years from now.

As with any journey, there can be "smooth sailing," bumps, jars and revision of the journey. There may be times when you want to give up or lose focus. You will have to empower your thinking to be positive so as to overcome the doubts and fears as you go about accomplishing your goals. Develop mantras to pull you through the tough times.

In conclusion, forget the fads, the advertising and promotions. For a program to be successful, especially weight loss, it needs encompass diet, exercise and positive thinking.

If you would like information and recipes geared toward weight loss and fitness visit my blog at http://www.weightlossandme.com/


Original article

Lose Weight in Your Thighs - The Journey Begins

How to get Sexy Legs and Thighs

It seems that one of the most difficult areas to lose weight for women is their thighs. Although men tend to accumulate and hold fat in their stomachs, women struggle with their lower bodies. Leg and thigh fat is a problem for many women and it is one that is not easily fixed.

A large number of women like to try to lose weight and fat in specific areas of their body. Unfortunately, this will not work and is an ineffective objective. Since it is easier for women to gain weight and fat in their thighs, it's understandable that losing it could be targeted. Both weight and fat loss are a direct result of eating a proper diet and exercising appropriately.

Although losing fat in specific areas, without doing so in others is virtually impossible, the process of toning up legs and thighs is very specific. There are many ways to get your legs in better shape. Here are a few options for anyone who wants sexier legs.

Go for a daily walk.Join a gym and hire a personal trainer to advise you.Sign up for a local 5K.Ride a bicycle to work.Give swimming a try.

Fast food will ruin any attempt at getting healthy. Most people do not realize the number of calories in the fast food they are eating. While healthier options are becoming more popular, eating out more than three times per week, consider reducing your trips to these restaurants to once or twice. Furthermore, many individuals to not realize how many calories are in their current diet. So, if a calorie reduction is required to lose weight, decide to make the right food choices.

Exercising helps to burn off calories. Your nutrition keeps you in balance. If you are consuming more calories than you are burning off, you will gain weight. Both diet and exercise play a critical role in whether or not you can lose weight in your thighs. If you consistently eat too much, but exercise occasionally, don't be surprised if you don't get the results you want. The main key is to eat a healthy diet, consisting of complex carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables and lean protein.

If you truly wish to lose weight in thighs, make sure your diet is in check. Exercise three times per week, or simply go for a walk. Losing fat in your legs is not difficult, but the ability to get started can prove daunting. Don't give up and if you continue down the right path, you'll see the results you want!


Original article

Is Weight Loss Ruled by Calories or Genetics? Neither!

Which is it? Does our genetic makeup ultimately determine whether we will be able to lose weight and keep it off? Or does it all come down to the number of calories we take in and the number we burn daily? Is it really all calories? Or are we totally at the mercy of our personal chemistry?

The simplest answer is that genetic disposition affects our tendency to gain weight much more than our ability to lose it. And it plays a big role in where our body stores the fat, which is why some people gain more belly fat, while others gain more in the hips or thighs.

Short of a few people with true disorders, it is difficult for almost everyone to lose weight and keep it off, especially as we get older. Of course, the quality and type of food we eat, the amount of calories we eat and the amount of exercise we get play a big factor in our weight. But so do our stress levels, the chemicals we are exposed to, our psychology and the times of day when we eat.

Here are some interesting points about our human tendencies toward obesity:

Obesity was rare worldwide before the 1900's In 1997 the World Health Organization recognized obesity as an epidemicIt is likely that 'genetic predisposition' figures less in this trend of growing obesity than a worldwide change in diet and an increase in sedentary lifestylesOther than healthier diet and exercise, historically little has been found that can create and maintain weight loss for an extended period of time, short of surgery or disease

So, if genetics plays less of a role in weight gain than a bad diet and a sedentary lifestyle, then we must simply reduce our caloric intake (diet) and increase our caloric expenditure (exercise) if we want to have a chance at losing weight. Or is there more to it? Recent discoveries have modified the longstanding prescription to eat less and exercise more if you want to lose weight, although both are still healthy choices.

Try using some of these newer tools in the weight loss battle:

Timing: Eating specific food types, such as proteins, at one time and other food types, such as carbohydrates, at other times, when done correctly can increase metabolism and result in weight loss without a change in total caloric intakeFood Additives: Some common food additives have been shown to increase bodily fat storage, removing them can reduce fat storage without a change in total caloric intakeSafe Herbs: There may be safe herbal supplements that can be used over a long period of time without side effects, which lead to mild weight reduction without a change in caloric intake.Interval Training: Small amounts of interval training exercises can increase metabolic rate for hours after the exercise much more effectively than large amounts of 'cardio' exercises can. This means less exercise yields greater fat loss results.Muscle Mass: To a certain extent, exercises that build muscle mass can also increase the metabolic rate and create an overall higher caloric burn than straight cardio.

The final word is that, though genetics are somewhat of a factor, caloric intake and expenditure are a much bigger one in weight loss. The newest discoveries show us that we can lose weight and keep it off by eating wisely with little overall reduction in caloric intake --but use moderation-- and by simple adjustments to the type of exercise taken.

Cody Cross is a passionate researcher of fat and weight loss techniques including the 7 Day Belly Blast Diet. He runs successful websites dedicated to exposing the strengths and weaknesses of various weight and fat loss programs. To get great free tips and many more details on this program, go to Cody's site here: 7DayBellyBlastReview.net


Original article

How to Lose Weight in the New Year

Every holiday season millions of Americans go through a month, or so, of holiday parties, dinners, get-togethers, stress over shopping, stress over accommodating family and guests, stress over what to wear and what to eat. Needless to say the thought of going to the gym is laughable for a lot of people as time and energy is very limited during this busy season.

That's why so many people put off their weight loss goals until the new year where they are resolved to get back in shape. The problem is so many start off behind the gun as a lot of them actually gain weight through the holidays. In fact a national average per CNN once noted the average American gains 8 lbs during the holidays. That's an astounding number!

So before you go off and look for local gyms, here below are some ways to make sure that this is the last year you say "It's my new years resolution to lose weight!"

1. First of all, identify your main reason for losing the weight. You see too often people will start and stop a weight loss regiment with a carefree, go-with-the-wind attitude that's destined for failure. The reason is because the lack of a clearly defined goal and reason to accomplish those goals will inevitably lead to boredom and quitting. So be sure to sit down and really think out clearly what it is you want to accomplish and why it is so important you actually do.

2. Hire a local personal trainer or fitness professional. Let's face it. If this isn't your first time resolving to lose weight starting January 1st, you're even more likely to cut your quest short.

By hiring a personal trainer, you're putting allowing someone else to hold you accountable over the decision you made to get in shape. Not just that but you're also more likely to get in shape as you and your trainer will be doing exercises that you necessarily wouldn't do on your own, greatly increasing the likelihood of success.

3. Sign up with a buddy! If hiring a personal trainer isn't in your budget, finding a friend to start working out with you is the next best thing. It's important you keep each other motivated. It's also a good idea to make sure you both have similar goals. Two individuals looking to lose weight as opposed to one person wanting to enter bodybuilding competitions makes it more likely for success.

These are just some of the ways to make sure this is your last year of New Year's resolutions. Ultimately it will be your will for success that determines if you achieve it.

Kal Gunay is a Delray Beach personal trainer and works privately across many gyms in Boca Raton. He works with people trying to lose fat and increase energy.


Original article

Finding The Best Weight Loss Surgery Option For You

Perhaps you've been considering whether or not you might be a candidate for weight loss surgery. Of course, there's no substitute for the advice of a medical professional, and we can't recommend that highly enough. This article, however, is intended to provide you with some basic information so you can decide for yourself whether you want to consult one.

Various Types

There are essentially three types of weight loss surgery, also known as bariatric surgery. The first of these is called a gastric bypass, the second is lap-band surgery, and there's also a procedure known as a gastric sleeve.

Gastric Bypass

The basic idea of gastric bypass surgery is that the surgeon staples the upper part of your stomach, separating it from the lower, larger part. The small intestine is then connected to the reduced stomach pouch, creating a situation in which the amount of food you can eat is reduced. Of course, this surgery can help you lose weight, but in order to be effective, it still requires a commitment on your part to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. That's true of all weight loss surgeries. They all help a lot, but there are no magic pills. You will still need to make some other changes in your life, in addition to the surgery itself, in order to achieve the best results and reduce the associated risks as much as possible.

Lap-Band Surgery

Lap-band surgery is similar to gastric bypass, with similar risks and similar rewards. In this surgery, instead of staples, the surgeon uses a silicone band, which creates an even smaller pouch in your stomach than a gastric bypass. There are advantages and disadvantages associated with both of these types of surgeries, and your surgical consultation will serve to help you and your primary care physician decide which surgery is right for you. Of course, it may be that neither of these is the best option for your particular case. If that turns out to be true, don't worry. There is yet another option, to which we shall now turn our attention.

Gastric Sleeve Surgery

Gastric sleeve surgery is one of the more recently developed options in the world of bariatric surgery. It uses a keyhole approach. A laparoscopic tool is utilized during this procedure, which enables the surgeon to see inside your abdomen while the surgery is being performed. This also means that smaller incisions are made, which many candidates appreciate. The size of the stomach is reduced by generally as much as eight-five percent during this procedure, and the result is that the stomach takes on the shape of a tube or "sleeve," from which this surgery derives its common name.

Which One is Right for You

Again, a surgeon who specializes in this type of surgery is best equipped to decide which is the best route for you to go. He will evaluate your situation as well as any potentially complicating medical conditions that might exist. Together, you'll be bale to decide which is the best route for you to take.

Weight loss is undoubtedly a difficult task. Visit http://www.ways-to-lose-weight.com/ for wonderful tips, tricks, diets, & exercises, all focused on getting you lean, toned, & thinner.


Original article

The Most Overlooked and Critical Belly Fat Loss Factor

Most people focus on one of two things: Diet and Exercise. However, there is another factor that is just as important--if not more so, but is often completely ignored.

That factor is rest.

Rest is pretty much THE most overlooked factor when it comes to losing fat-and it's as essential as the other two components.

In fact, it's so essential that the equation for shrinking your belly and seeing good fat loss results looks like this:

60% Diet + 30% Rest + 10% Exercise = 100% Results

Yes, it's that important. Even more so than exercising. If you aren't getting good rest you won't get good results. Period.

Not getting enough rest (which most people don't) harms your waistline in the following ways:

Insulin resistance goes up (this causes fat storage and can lead to type 2 diabetes).Cortisol levels go up (this breaks down your muscles, encourages fat to be stored in the abdominal region specifically, and also encourages increases in insulin resistance).Energy levels go down (this is due to a decrease in your ATP levels).Ghrelin levels rise and Leptin levels decrease (these two hormones are responsible for making you feel hungry or satisfied. When Ghrelin goes up you feel hungry, when Leptin goes up you feel full. So basically, when you don't get enough sleep: you get hungrier.Self-Discipline goes down (which, combined with the point above, makes snacking go up).Stress levels go up (adrenaline spikes, which causes more fat-storage).Base Metabolic Rate decreases (which means you burn less calories overall).Testosterone levels decrease (which discourages muscle growth, and again-encourages more fat. It also makes you feel less manly.)

And, if all that's not enough reason to make you go to bed on time, maybe this is: You'll be happier.

The benefits of sleep are numerous as well-but I won't list them because they're basically the opposite of those listed above and that would be slightly redundant.

The point is: Don't skip sleep-especially when trying to lose fat around your mid-section.

Rest is when your body recovers from the stresses of the day-so get as much as you can.

A Good Sleep Routine

So what is a good sleep routine? How do you make sure your rest is actually effective?

Well, you should be getting 7-9 hours of sleep EVERY night.

You should be going to bed and waking up AT THE SAME TIME... EVERY night. I can't stress this enough.

Good sleep is of utmost importance in any fat-loss program.

The Other Side of Rest

Rest doesn't just apply to sleeping though-you should have time to relax during the day as well.

If you're constantly busy and are running from one activity to another-that creates a lot of the same negative effects as above.

Stress by itself is bad for fat-loss.

In order to maximize your results, you need to have one day of every week completely off to do whatever you feel like doing. I use Sundays.

You should also be taking short 3-7 day vacations once or twice a year. If you don't do this already, you'll be amazed at how great you feel afterwards.

If you're too busy, then reschedule some stuff, and arrange your life so you have time to lay back and enjoy yourself.

Go hang out with friends, go read a book, or watch a movie. If you don't relax (or rest) you're just going to keep gaining fat.

**The above is an excerpt from The 2012 Belly-Fat Breakthrough, written by Jeff Russell. If you'd like to learn more about losing fat the fast--and correctly--you can check out http://www.fatmassacre.com/ where he's giving away The 2012 Belly-Fat Breakthrough as well as his Kick-Start Fat-Loss Workout Program.**

Jeff Russell is the #1 online fat-loss expert for middle-aged men who want to lose 30+ pounds of fat for a better, healthier, and happier life.

Also known as "The Weight-Loss Warrior" he is dedicated to helping 1 Million people transform their bodies--and their lives--by 2020.

If you would like to learn more about Jeff, or losing weight, you can visit his website at http://www.fatmassacre.com/ where he's giving away his Kick-Start Fat-Loss Workout Program as well as a report titled: The 2012 Belly-Fat Breakthrough.


Original article

Diet Myths Destroyed: Lose Weight and Keep It Off With Calorie Shifting

If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different outcome, then for many of us, we're completely mad when it comes to our diet!

It's no wonder we're all a little cuckoo with contradictory claims about how to eat well while staying slim and healthy saturating every media outlet that we're exposed to each day.

One day a news story will claim that the latest research shows by eating two squares of dark chocolate a day you will lower your cholesterol, but then the very same newspaper will the very next day state that chocolate should only be consumed once a week. Who do you believe?

Weight loss, ongoing wellness and staying slim cannot be achieved by:

• Low-calorie diets - they don't work.

• Depriving yourself of carbs - your brain needs good-quality carbohydrates to keep you functioning and alert. Ever gone a few days without any type of carb and you'll be able to relate to the zombie-like trance that you seem to walk around in. Carbs, when eaten in the recommended quantity (4-6 serves per day), are good. Full stop.

• Skipping meals. Your body will go into its genetic survival mode and slow down its metabolism to try and preserve your fat stores. It doesn't know when it'll be fed again so it's trying to preserve the fuel in your body as long as possible. Smart huh? The great wellness irony is that you actually need to eat more to lose weight. You just need to be eating the right types of foods and in the right quantities.

• Seeing food as the enemy. Food is a wonderful part of life that gives you the fuel and energy to function at your peak. Your body is your temple and you need to treat it accordingly. Constantly filling it with crap or effectively starving it will only lead to yo-yoing up and down the scales and much unhappiness.

Grab a calendar and note the date in 11 days' time. It's not far away, right? Now imagine if you were 4.4lbs (2kg) or 6.6lbs (3kg) or 8.8lbs (4kg) lighter. What difference would it make to your life? Is there a favourite dress or pair of shorts that you could now wear given your weight loss? Imagine wearing that dress or those shorts in just 11 days.

With simple calorie shifting you'll be well on your way to a more streamlined version of yourself. You will increase your number of meals but re-distribute your calories during different times of the day so your metabolism works at its peak and your body responds by losing weight.

You need to work with your body and feed it the way nature intended. You'll be happy, your body will be happy and everyone around you will notice the health and happiness you're radiating.

Visit my website for low-fat, high-flavour meals to keep you satisfied, sane and slim: http://www.simplecaloriecounting.net/


Original article

Who Should Start Losing Weight Today?

People with high BMI: People with BMI (Body Mass Index), above30 are generally termed as obese and should definitely go for weight loss methods to reduce their weight. Body Mass Index is calculated taking into account an individual's height and weight

People with Large Waist: Men with a waist circumference more than 40 inches, and women with waist circumference of 35 inches are at higher risk for diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and dyslipidemia, a condition wherein the blood contains higher amount of fats than is healthy. Such people also should start losing weight from today.

People with psychological disorders: People who are on drugs to relieve psychological problems also tend to put on weight. The side effects of the drugs make them dull and lethargic. In course of time because of inactivity, they tend to put on a lot of weight. If the problem is not tackled at right time, it may lead to obesity. Such people also should start losing weight, to avoid problems later.

If the BMI for a male is between 25 and 30 and waistline above 36 inches, and for women, if their waist line is above 32 inches, you should start losing weight from today.

Obesity poses many health risks. Listed below are some of the problems

Chronic diseases: If your family members or close relatives suffer from heart disease or diabetes, the chances of you developing any of these symptoms are very high if you are obese.

Obesity is the main cause for insulin resistance. There is a direct link between obesity and diabetes. The risk of developing diabetes increases as the weight increases.

Medical condition: High Blood Pressure, high blood glucose, High LDL cholesterol are some of the problems that are associated with obese persons.

Psychological effect: Whatever risks obesity may pose, it affects at the psychological level as well. The mental health effects for obese people are as important as the physical effects. A person who is obese loses self confidence and looks for ways to run away from the problem. The condition may lead to depression. The person will tend to eat more to overcome the depression and will feel guilty about over eating. It becomes a continuous process and the person will be adding more pounds to his already over weight body.

Many studies have suggested that obese people have very low self esteem and it reflects in their performance at work place, in relationships with family and friends and in society. Obese people are more prone to suffer from anxiety and depression. People who are obese do not want to join a gym because of their bad figure, cannot exercise because of their obesity, and there will be several hormonal imbalances in the body which may lead to other complications like thyroid problems.

Obesity is like a vicious circle. People who are obese should become alert immediately and try to lose weight as quickly as they can. There are several weight loss methods like boot camp workouts, Aerobics, Yoga and Pilates that really help obese people to lose weight in a natural way. Along with exercise, a proper well balanced diet plan is extremely important to remain fit and healthy. Persistence, determination and a well devised weigh loss program will help obese people to lose weight.

Kya Cassiuss Victoria is a fitness boot camp specialist. If you want to join a Boot Camp Eastern Suburbs, go to Personal Trainer Sydney.


Original article

Discover Some Motivational Tips for Healthy Weight Loss

Are you growing too lazy to start a healthy weight loss program or take part in an exercise regime? Before long, your health could be at risk. Rather than sitting around and waiting for some cardiovascular disease to ruin your life, you just need to find the motivation to get your mind and body back in shape.

To begin, think about getting skinny. Allow your conscience to overpower any urges to dig into fattening foods. Do not imagine how good a piece of chocolate will feel in your mouth. Instead, think about how a piece of cake will feel in your tummy after 30 minutes' time. Rather than any instant satisfaction from calorie-rich sweets, just picture your naked body in front of a mirror. Think about your long term goals, and the consequences of your decisions. Eventually, making the right decisions for healthy weight loss will become second nature.

Remember to be fair to yourself. Make sure that all of your fitness goals are realistic. At the same time, do not get discouraged. You will tend to have bad days, even bad weeks. If you drop 9 pounds when your goal was to lose 10, never throw in the towel. Nobody is perfect, and to fluctuate is only human. In the meantime, you still lost 9 pounds, even if you were not 100% successful at your overall weight loss goal. In fact, allow yourself to enjoy a few goodies every now and then so you never begin to hate your diet.

Getting skinny certainly has its benefits, but losing weight is never the golden miracle that instantly improves people's lives. You may look good in a bathing suit, but you can still have a bad day. Folks will still cut you off on the highway, and your boss will still be a grump. Sure, you can improve your appearance, your breathing and your overall energy levels. But if you think that getting skinny is the miracle that will make all your troubles disappear and make life perfect, you will be sadly mistaken. Your weight is not the only priority in your life.

As stuck-up as it may sound, you should try to separate yourself from anyone who does not practice a healthy lifestyle. In other words, don't play cards with the girls at a local doughnut shop, and avoid keg parties for the next football game. Like it or not, your environment plays an important part in your dieting. Try spending more time with individuals at the gym. Play some racquetball, and maybe even join a league. Before you know it, you will have developed your own social life that revolves around fitness.

Of course, what you put into your mouth can have an enormous influence on your motivation levels. You always need your protein, along with fruits, veggies and whole grains. Loading up on sweets will only cause your body to quickly crash, as well as slowly grow bigger. Drink wisely too. Load up on water, not fattening soda. If aqua is too boring for your taste, begin drinking green tea as part of your healthy weight loss plan.

Since growing into a middle-aged man, my belly has grown big and fat. While I thought it was just unattractive, my doctor warned me about serious health risks, such as heart disease that goes hand-in-hand with being overweight. Immediately, I asked him how to lose weight fast? The doctor suggested powerful HCG Injections to quickly get into shape. He also told me several motivational tips to keep weight loss activities part of my daily routine. Thanks Doc!


Original article

Look Better in the Mirror

Take a look at yourself in the mirror. Do it now. Go look. After you go look, come back and continue reading. Did you like what you saw in the mirror? If so, that's great. You may close this article right now. However, if you were not pleased with what you saw in the mirror, I have a few suggestions for you. Is it your body weight that you were not pleased with? If you are not pleased with your body weight, there are a few things you can do to achieve your desired weight. First of all, stop eating junk food. Secondly, drink the adequate amount of water and follow a healthy diet plan. Thirdly, exercise for about ninety minutes each and every day. If you do the following, you will be pleased with the reflection of yourself in the mirror.

Many people like eating junk food. They like eating food from McDonald's and other fast food places. They like eating donuts, candy, chips, and other stuff that is not healthy for them. That food is readily available. It takes no time to cook it. People prefer that type of food because they can purchase it fast and eat it even faster. Those people who eat that type of food may or may not be aware of the health effects those foods will have on them. Those who do not now are excused. But those who do know, are just in denial, thinking that a little burger and some fries will not hurt them. My friends, that junk food is bad for you. Whether you eat a little of it, and definitely if you eat a lot. Your goal should be to cut out that food completely. That food is not good for you, it might even lead to your death if you do not stop eating it soon. Eat other foods that are healthier for you. Follow a better diet plan.

Speaking of a better diet plan, the first thing you should always do is drink enough water each day. The amount of water that your body requires depends on your weight. Visit a search engine and type in "recommended amount of daily water intake by weight." There will be a chart that explains to you how much water to drink by weight. It should not be more than twelve cups of water a day, for anybody. Once you have found how much water you need daily, it ranges between eight to twelve cups a day, drink that amount each day. Do not wait until the day is almost gone to start drinking your water. Start early in the morning with a glass of water, then drink some water all throughout the day. You may also have a water bottle. Water bottles are the best because they can be closed. It does not matter how you get your water, as long as you drink enough each day.

In addition to drinking the adequate amount of water daily, follow a good diet plan. Eat foods that are high in proteins and fiber. Make sure to stay away from foods that are high in fats, specifically saturated fats. Eat foods like oatmeal, broccoli, spinach, raisins, green split peas, lentils, beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, brown rice, black rice, turkey, lamb, eggs, milk, oranges, apples, pears, celery, carrots, etc. Pretty much, have a diet full of fruit, vegetables, lean meats(ones low in fat), milk(soy or regular), and other healthy foods. In the case of milk and meat, it's up to you to decide which type of milk, if any, that you will drink. And also decide which type of meat, if at all, you will eat. Some people think that the human body can do without meat. Others think that humans need some meat in their diet. That is up to you to decide. As long as the meat you eat is lean, and low in fat, you will not gain weight by eating it.

Exercise is important for everybody. If you have not had adequate exercise recently, now is the time to start. Exercising is so simple, and so beneficial to our lives. Yet some people do not take the time to get some exercise. Walking is exercise. If you take the time to walk outside, that is adequate exercise. Whenever you have free time, take a walk outside. When you walk, your heart pumps blood in the body faster than when you are sitting down. Walking helps your body burn fat. If you are used to sitting down all the time, your heart will suffer because it will not be getting the adequate amount of blood pumped through your body. Another great type of exercise that does not take a lot of effort is running. If you take the time to run, maybe a half a mile a day, your body will greatly appreciate it. The more you run, the more healthier your body will get. If you are not used to running or walking, the best thing to start out with is walking. Once you are used to walking, you may start running. The objective of exercise is to get your heart pumping the way it needs to.

You have just read the article. It is now up to you to follow the pieces of advice given above. Eliminate junk food from your diet; drink plenty of water daily; eat the right foods; and exercise each day. If you do all of those things, in a few months you will take a look in that mirror and you will be like the other people who closed the article after the first five sentences.

Good Luck.

visit this Website to contact me.


Original article

You Can Lose Weight by Walking

One of the most difficult things that people will do in life is to lose weight and learn how to keep it off. It is very hard for them to motivate themselves to get up and go. Losing weight is not an easy task to accomplish as it requires much hard work and commitment from the individual in order to succeed. This is something that has to be done on a daily basis if you want to shed those extra pounds.

The main reasons why most diets fail is the lack of commitment and motivation by the individual over the long- term. Exercise is not something that a lot of people view as a fun thing, but you must force yourself to get up and get moving every day if you want to lose weight.

The good news is that you do not have to be involved in a strenuous exercise program to lose weight, but you still need to be persistent and dedicated to make it work. If you adopt a diet that is light and balanced, you can shed pounds by simply taking a walk on a daily basis. What better way to lose weight than walking as it is very easy and it does not completely wear you out and most of all, it is very enjoyable and refreshing. This is one of the best weight loss strategies available.

As with all exercise programs, walking is not without its down sides. The most important one is that it is going to take you a lot longer to lose weight through walking than other weight-loss-programs. It may take a few months before you start reaping the rewards of you efforts. You can speed things up some by walking faster or going further, but if you are going to stick to basic walking, it is going to take a long time to lose.

A study conducted by the American National Institutes of Health discovered that the average adult should take 10,000 steps per day in order to maintain a healthy weight. This means that if you want to lose weight, you will have to take in excess of 12,000 steps a day to lose or you could choose to cut back more on food. It is estimated that this would equal to walking between 4 and 6 miles a day and this could take you up to 90 minutes to complete.

The key to losing weight through walking is to make it a regular part of your daily exercise routine. This is something that you should not have to force yourself to do, because if this is the case, chances are you will fail in the long run. You may find it easier to adopt a walking lifestyle if you live in a walking friendly area, but if you do not, it is still possible to do if you have the determination to succeed.

We all lead different and busy lives, so it is up to the individual to decide how they are going to incorporate walking into their lifestyle. Here are a few tips that you might want to consider:

*Walk more and drive less. If you happen to live in an area where you are close to work, walk instead of taking your car. If you do not, park further away from the office or park in the further corner of the parking lot. When you go to the mall, park further away to increase your walking or when you are on your break at work, walk up and down the stairs or a few times around your office building to get exercise.

*If you are concerned about not reaching your walking goals, buy yourself a pedometer to keep track of your steps and make sure to check it at the end of your work day and that way, you can take a walk after work if you have not yet reached your goal.

*Do not put your walking off until the end of your day because that will put added pressure and stress on you to complete your set goal. Make sure to start walking early and that way, you can get a head start on your walking for the day and it will make it that much easier for you.

*Be patient. You have to give walking enough time to work because you are not going to lose weight overnight. It is going to take a long time before you see results so stay positive and keep the faith and it will pay off big.

I hope that you enjoyed this article and if you would like some great free information on eating healthy, than please visit my site where you will find some valuable tips to help you live a long and healthy life.

I am a 54 year old retired mill worker from Northern Maine. I am happily married with 3 wonderful boys. My main interests are my family and God. I own a eating healthy web site with great tips and information that is designed to help you live a healthier and longer life.

http://eatinghealthyhub.com/


Original article