Muscle Building, Fat Burning Workouts

Let’s take a look at just some of the most common exercises and routines so you better understand the different techniques used within weight training and overall fitness.

Here are a few of the more common ones:

Dumbbell Bench Press

Sit on the edge of a flat bench with the dumbbells resting on your knees.  In one smooth motion, roll onto your back and bring the dumbbells up to a position slightly outside and above your shoulders.  Your palms should be facing forwards.

Bend your elbows at a ninety-degree angle with your upper arms parallel to the ground.  Press the weights up over your chest in a triangular motion until they meet above the centerline of your body.

As you lift, concentrate on keeping the weights balanced and under control.

Follow the same path downward.

Standing Military Press

For this exercise, you will use a barbell.  Stand with your legs about shoulder width apart and lift the barbell to your chest.  Lock your legs and hips and keep your elbows in slightly under the bar.  Press the bar to arm’s length over your head.

Lower the bell to your upper chest or your chin depending on which is more comfortable for you.

This exercise can also be performed with dumbbells or seated on a weight bench.

Lying Tricep Push

Sit on a flat bench holding a curl bar with an overhand grip.  Lie back so that the top of your head is even with the end of the weight bench.  As you are lying back, extend your arms over your head so that the bar is directly over your eyes.

Keep your elbows tight and your upper arms stationary throughout the exercise.

The biggest key to this exercise is keeping your upper arms in a fixed position.

Slowly lower the bar until it almost touches your forehead.  Press the bar back up in a slow, sweeping arc-like motion.  At the finish, lock your elbows completely.

Side Lateral Dumbbell Raise

Stand upright with your feet shoulder width apart and your arms at your side.  Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms turned toward your body.

Keep your arms straight and lift the weights out and up to the sides until they are slightly higher than shoulder level.

Then slowly lower them back down to your side again.

Keep your palms turned downward as you lift the dumbbells so that your shoulders rather than your biceps do the work.

Make sure you are lifting the dumbbells up rather than swinging them up.  Don’t lean forward while doing this either or you risk injury to your back.

Preacher Curls

This exercise is best done with a special preacher curl bench, but you can do this without it with a little modification.

Sit at the end of the weight bench, and place something such as a firm pillow or a few pillows under your armpits on your lap.  Hold the curl bar in your hands with palms facing upward.

Don’t hunch over the pillow, sit as straight as you can.

Using a shoulder width grip, grasp the bar in both hands.  Curl the bar upward in an arc.  Be careful not to swing or rock to get the bar moving.  You need to be using your muscles to lift the weight, not momentum.  The goal of this exercise is to work the biceps.

Bring the bar up to your chin keeping in mind that the resistance is greatest during the beginning of the lift.  Lower the bar slowly working the muscle on the way down as well.

You can also do this with dumbbells or work one arm at a time.

Seated Dumbbell Curl

Sit at the end of a bench with your feet firmly on the floor.  Keep your back straight and your head up.  Start with the dumbbells at arm’s length with your palms facing in.  Curl the weight up and twist your wrist once they pass your thighs.

Squeeze your biceps at the top and then slowly lower the weight.

Do not swing the dumbbells down; lower them as you are working those muscles!  You can do this standing, but the seated position prevents bad form.

One-Arm Dumbbell Row

Start with your right foot flat on the floor and your left knee resting on a flat bench.

Lean forward so that you’re supporting the weight of your upper body with your left arm on the bench.  Your back should be flat and almost parallel with the floor.

Reach down and pick up a dumbbell with your right hand.  Your left arm should be locked at the elbow so it will support the weight of your upper body.

Before starting, look straight ahead instead of at the floor so you can keep your back straight.  Tighten your abs to keep your body from turning to the side as you lift the dumbbell.

Concentrate on pulling your elbow back as far as it can go.  The dumbbell should end up roughly parallel with your torso.

After you’ve rowed the dumbbell up as far as you can slowly lower it back to the starting position.  Switch arms after one set.

Dumbbell Shrugs

Stand straight up with your feet at shoulder width.  Hold two dumbbells with your arms hanging at your sides.

Droop your shoulders down as far as possible.  Raise your shoulders up as far as you can go then slowly return to the starting position.

You can also rotate your shoulders by going up in a circular motion from front to back and then back down again.  This can also be done holding a barbell.

Standing Calf Raises

This can be done with a specific machine found in a gym, or adapted for use without the machine.  Stand up against a wall with your body facing the wall and your palms down on the wall and your feet flat on the floor.

Keep your body straight and slowly lift up your heels until you are standing on the tips of your toes.  Hold the contraction briefly then slowly return to the starting position with your feet flat on the floor.

Crunches

Lie flat on your back with your feet flat on the ground, or resting on a bench with your knees bent at a 90 degree angle. If you are resting your feet on a bench, place them three to four inches apart and point your toes inward so they touch.

Place your hands lightly on either side of your head keeping your elbows in. Don't lock your fingers behind your head! Push the small of your back down in the floor to isolate your abdominal muscles. Begin to roll your shoulders off the floor.

Continue to push down as hard as you can with your lower back.

Your shoulders should come up off the floor only about four inches, and your lower back should remain on the floor. Focus on slow, controlled movement - don't cheat yourself by using momentum!

Dumbbell Hammer Curls

With a dumbbell in each hand, stand with your arms hanging at your sides, and palms are facing each other. Keep your elbows locked into your sides. Your upper body and elbows should remain in the same place during the whole lift.

Keep your palms facing each other, curl the weight in your right hand up in a semi-circle toward your right shoulder. Squeeze the biceps hard at the top of the lift and then slowly lower.

Do not turn your wrists during this lift! You can also do one arm at a time and/or alternate.

Incline Dumbbell Press

Sit on the edge of an incline bench set at about a 45-degree angle. Pick up a dumbbell in each hand and place them on your thighs.

Then, one at a time, raise them up to your shoulder level while you press your back and shoulders firmly against the bench.

Press the weights back up to a point over your upper chest, with your palms facing forward. Lower the weights slowly. Inhale as you lower the weights and exhale as you lift.

Barbell Squat

Rest a barbell on the upper portion of your back, not your neck. Firmly grip the bar with your hands almost twice your shoulder width apart.

Position your feet about shoulder width apart and your toes should be pointing just a little outward with your knees in the same direction.

Keep your back as straight as possible and your chin up, bend your knees and slowly lower your hips straight down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.  Once you reach the bottom position, press the weight up back to the starting position.

Don't lean over or curve your back forward! You can use a belt to help reduce the chance of lower back injury. You can put your heels on a 1 inch block to further work the quads. You can also use a wider stance to work the inner quads even more.

Upright Barbell Row

Stand upright and grasp a barbell with your hands about shoulder width apart. Let the bar hang straight down in front of you. Keep your body and wrists straight. Pull the bar straight up towards your chin, keeping it close to your body.

Concentrate on either pulling with your traps or the front of your shoulders, depending on what you want to work most. Lower slowly to the starting position. Don't cheat by leaning forward or backward. Don't swing!

Front Dumbbell Raise

Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing backward. Your feet should be about shoulder width apart. Maintain a slight bend in your elbows throughout the exercise so that your arms are straight, but not quite locked.

Lift the weight in your left hand in front of you in a wide arc until it is slightly higher than shoulder height.

With a smooth, controlled motion, lower the weight while simultaneously lifting the weight in your right hand, so that both arms are in motion at the same time.

Do not cheat by swinging or leaning backwards! This lift can also be done with two dumbbells at the same time or a barbell.

Stiff Leg Barbell

Place a barbell on your shoulders. Keep your head up and your back completely straight.

Bend at your waist with your legs locked, until your upper body is parallel to the floor.

Return slowly to the upper position. This can also be done with your knees slightly bent.

One Leg Barbell Squat

Use a 12 to 18 inch box or bench for this exercise - the higher the box, the more difficult the exercise. Place a barbell behind your head at the base of your neck. Grasp the barbell with both hands with a wider than shoulder width grip.

Stand approximately 2 to 3 feet from the box and turn so that the box is directly behind you. Reach one foot back and place your toe on the box.

Keep your opposite foot flat on the floor and point your toes forward. Stand up straight. Keep your back tight and your chest out throughout the entire exercise.

Keep your head and neck in line with your torso so that you are looking forward. Your shoulders should be directly over your front foot.

Keeping your front foot flat on the floor, sit your hips back (like you are going to sit in a chair), bend your knee (of your front leg), and lean forward slightly at the waist.

Lower your body in a controlled fashion until your thigh (of your front leg) is parallel to the ground.

If you have difficulty lowering yourself down this far, lower yourself until the knee of your front leg is bent 90 degrees.

At this point, your knee should be directly over your toe, your hips should be sitting back, and your chest should be directly over the middle of your thigh.

Now, leading with your head and chest, raise yourself by pushing your hips slightly forward and up toward the ceiling, and straightening your leg. Return to the starting position.

At this point, your shoulders should be directly over front foot.

Lunges

Place a barbell on your upper back. Lift your chest up and look straight ahead. Position your right leg forward in a long stride.

Your foot should be far enough in front of you so that when you bend your right knee, your thigh and lower leg form a right angle.

Slowly bend your knees, lowering your hips so your rear knee just clears the floor. Pause briefly in this position, then slowly straighten your legs and raise your body back up to a standing position.

Complete a full set, then switch legs and repeat, or alternate legs for each rep.

Make sure your knee does not travel past your toes in the down position! This can also be done with dumbbells in each hand instead of using a barbell.

Barbell Tricep Extension

Hold a barbell with hands a little closer together than shoulder width. Lie on an incline bench and position your head at the top.

Press bar overhead to arm's length. Lower the bar in a semicircular motion behind your head until your forearms touch your biceps.

Keep your upper arms close to your head. Return to the starting position. This can also be done with straight bar, 2 dumbbells, seated or standing or with 2 dumbbells and your palms facing in.

Notes:

With any workout, you need to start out with some warm up exercises.  This can be simple stretching as you get your body ready to work.  A warm-up session prior to working out can not only help get your body ready for exercise, but your mind will get prepared as well.

You should also have an appropriate cool down period after you are done working out.

This will reduce the possibility of delayed muscle soreness and will help quell the adrenaline that has been building in your system as a result of the workout.  This can also be simple stretching exercises and deep breathing.

Again, it’s important to start out slow and not push yourself beyond your limits. 

By:brown Michael

Quick Exercise Strategies

Getting exercise is very important in order to increase your metabolism and help you burn fat.

You don’t have to bench press 250 pounds or run the Boston Marathon to get exercise.  There are some very simple, easy, and fun ways to get exercise!

And don’t tell me you don’t have enough time to exercise!  There are opportunities to get exercise all around you.  All you have to do is take them!

We’re going to look at some ways you can work exercise into your day, no matter how busy you are.  Let’s face it, almost everyone is busy.

We all have things like school, work, and children to deal with.  Most of us don’t have nearly as much time as we’d like to complete our daily tasks, must less to exercise and get any entertainment!  But there are ways to work exercise into your normal day!

In additional to pursuing activities you may really enjoy such as bowling, tennis, swimming, hiking, and other physical activities that might be enjoyable, you can use these tips to make sure you get more exercise every day.

Walk More

Take the stairs whenever you can.  Elevators are helpful if you have many flights to ascend, or if you’re carrying packages, or if you have small children with you, or if you’re already extremely exhausted or injured.  But you should take the stairs whenever it is feasible.

Start looking for ways to get more walking into your day.  It has been said that it takes at least 20-30 minutes of aerobic exercise at a time to have a benefit, but recent studies have shown that may not be true.

One study revealed that people who exercised a total of 20-30 minutes each day in increments of just a few minutes at a time still experienced the same cardiac benefit as those who exercised for 20-30 minutes at one time.

Plus, it doesn’t make a difference to how many calories are burned whether you break it up or do it all at once.  You will also benefit from increased muscle, and muscle tissue burns a lot more energy than fat tissue!

Television Workouts

Most people watch a lot of television.  The average American watches 28 hours of television per week, about 4 hours every day!  That’s a lot of time wasted in front of the tube!

You can put that time to good use by exercising while you are watching television.  There are plenty of exercises you can do in front of the TV.

ü     Walking on a treadmill

ü     Riding an exercise bike

ü     Sit-ups and crunches

ü     Lifting weights

ü     Toe touches

ü     Pushups

ü     Leg lifts

ü     Walking in place

ü     Bouncing on a rebounder (mini trampoline)

ü     Using a stair stepper

These are all fun, healthy, and not very disruptive of your television watching.  You can do many of these exercises while reading a book or magazine, catching up on the local news in the newspaper, or listening to music, too.

Office Workouts

There are plenty of things you can do at your desk while you’re at work or school, too.  Students and office workers often find that they don’t get enough exercise, because they spend most of their day sitting down.  They may have to walk from class to class or run errands, but for the most part, they are very sedentary all day.

This is where it comes in handy to perform exercises that can be done while sitting at a desk.  While it won’t exactly be aerobic exercise, it will help you tone your muscles.  Not only will you look better, but remember, muscle burns more calories than fat!

Stomach crunches will help you get your stomach muscles toned.  Simply suck in and hold your stomach muscles tight and taught for several seconds, then release.  Perform this action continually throughout the day whenever you think about it.

You can also walk around doing this during the day.  You’ll be toning and building your abdominal muscles while also sucking in and making your belly look flatter!

You can pull your toes upwards and stretch your calf muscles.  Just point your toes up toward your knees as far as you can without it becoming painful, hold for a few seconds, and release.  Repeat this several times.  This can also help prevent blood clots, which are more common in sedentary individuals.

Your bottom may also be somewhat flabby.  If so, you can clench your gluteus maximus muscles tightly while sitting in your desk.  Hold briefly, and then release.  This will help build and tighten your buttocks.

These types of exercises will also work for other parts of your body, including your back, biceps, triceps, forearms, and thighs.  Just clench your muscles, hold briefly, and release.

Remember to be careful not to injure yourself.  Too much of a good thing is not good.  Don’t stretch your muscles until they are painful.  A slight discomfort is completely normal, but pain is not.  Never work out until you feel pain!

I hope you can see how easy it is to get exercise.  You can find time here and there, whenever and wherever you can.  Any exercise is better than no exercise at all!

By: brown Michael

Maintaining Your Weight

Once you’ve lost the weight, you need to learn how to keep it off.  Most people do gain the weight back after they lose it, because they go right back to their old habits.

As you get closer to your goal weight, you will need to start easing into the lifestyle that you will continue for the rest of your life.

You will need to remember to keep cutting out the biggest sources of blood sugar spikes, including sugar, white flour, white rice, and potatoes.  You will need to continue consuming plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy seafood, and other lean proteins.  And you will need to continue getting some exercise.

Always remember that if you don’t continue the lifestyle, you are doomed to repeat everything you’ve just been through.

You’ll have to deal with the pain of being overweight, the embarrassment you feel when you go out in public, the difficulty losing the weight, the aches, pains, and discomfort of being overweight, and all of those other issues.

That’s something you don’t ever want to have to go through again, right?

Never let go of the things you’re feeling right now.  Never forget the struggle.  Never forget the pain.  Never, ever forget.

Once you let go, once you get past it and you move on, you cannot forget.  If you allow yourself to forget what it was like, you’ll be back on that road to obesity before you know it.

It’s a good idea to keep a lot of photos of yourself before you lost the weight.  Keep a journal of how difficult your dieting is.  Write notes in it about how horrible you feel, how embarrassed you are, how your life is miserable.  Keep all of this together and look at it regularly.

Yes, it will be painful to dredge up those memories of when you were so unhealthy, but it will help you stay healthy.

The emotional pain you feel will be nothing compared to what your friends and family would feel if they lost you because you had a heart attack or stroke due to obesity, or the pain you would feel if you gained all of the weight back.

Keep eating healthily.  Keep exercising.  Keep living the healthiest life possible.

Never, ever forget.

By: brown Michael

Does Alli Work

Does alli work as a weight loss pill? The quick answer seems to be yes, but there is a downside, so read on.

Alli is the over-the-counter name for orlistat which is also available in prescription form as Xenical. If you are going to ask for it you may like to know that it is pronounced like ally, not alley. It is essentially a fat blocker. It works by preventing the body from absorbing the fat from the foods that we eat, and it is the one freely available drug that has FDA backing for its claims to aid weight loss. You might think you could eat all the fatty foods you liked and then take alli to negate the effect but sadly that is not true. It should always be used in conjunction with a low fat diet plan under the supervision of a doctor.

The amount of weight loss achieved with alli is variable. In one study involving one-year clinical trials, between 35.5% and 54.8% of subjects attained a 5% or greater decrease in body mass, although we do not know how much of this mass was fat. Between 16.4% and 24.8% of the subjects achieved a 10% or more decrease in body mass. In combination with a calorie controlled diet, the effects could be expected to be greater. It was also shown to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The participants regained an average of one third of the weight that they had lost after stopping alli, but this is typical of most dieters.

The main disadvantage of alli is the side effects which center around digestive and bowel problems. The higher the fat content in the diet, the greater these side effects are likely to be, as the undigested fat is expelled from the body. Flatulence, loose stools and bowel incontinence can result, especially in the early stages before the body is accustomed to the drug. The manufacturer's website warns, "You may feel an urgent need to go to the bathroom. Until you have a sense of any treatment effects, it's probably a smart idea to wear dark pants, and bring a change of clothes with you to work." You really need to want to lose weight to take alli!

However these side effects are reduced if you stick to the recommended low fat diet and as the manufacturers hint, the potentially embarrassing side effects can even be helpful in encouraging you to keep to your diet. Always remember that alli does not claim to work without consistent efforts toward weight loss from you. What they do claim is that it can improve your weight loss by up to 50%. That would mean a person who lost 10 pounds without taking alli would lose 15 pounds taking it. It boosts your weight loss and rewards your efforts with better results than you could get by yourself. Note though that individual results will vary and are not guaranteed.

Sadly there is no magic diet pill that will melt away your excess pounds while you sleep, but alli is a pill that has documented results. If you are determined to lose weight and have been struggling with diets without much effect, it may be a good time to discuss it with your doctor and find out does alli work for you.

By: brown Michael 

15 Great Ways To Lose Weight Fast

Want to lose weight fast? It's easy to say goodbye to 10 pounds of unwanted fat with these easy diet tips. Just pay attention to what you eat and be sure to have good tasting, fresh and healthy food including snacks, fill up on vegetables and keep your taste buds happy with fruit.

No need to make sacrifices! Just follow these simple guidelines to lose your first 10 pounds, last 10 pounds or give your weight loss program a boost when it seems to have stuttered to a halt. This is a balanced and flexible plan that you can use for as long as you want.

1. Keep a note of everything that you eat and drink. You do not need to estimate calories. Just write down what it was that you had and the approximate quantity. You will find that being more aware of what you are eating helps you to plan healthy meals and snacks.

2. Halve your intake of all pure or added fats. This means using half as much butter or spread on your bread, toast, muffins and potatoes; half the usual amount of mayonnaise or sauce on your salad; and half the oil in the frypan every time.

3. Limit treats containing sugar to three times per week. This includes chocolate, ice cream, desserts, cake, pastries, cookies, etc.

4. Include a lower fat source of protein at most meals: chicken, fish, beans, cottage cheese, or low fat yogurt. Have eggs, nuts and red meat occasionally but not every day.

5. Plan at least one lunch and dinner every week without meat or cheese. Build those meals around whole grains, vegetables and beans to increase fiber and reduce fat.

6. Reduce the fat content in your milk products. If you are currently drinking whole milk, reduce to 2% fat. From 2% reduce to 1%. Choose lower fat cheese and yogurt. When you buy yogurt, also check that it does not contain sugar.

7. Have at least two servings of fruit every day. This can be for dessert or snacks. Choose fruit that is in season.

8. Drink water instead of sodas, juices, milky drinks or alcohol. Avoid diet soda - the sweet taste only encourages you to crave sugar. Hot water with a slice of lemon can be very refreshing in the morning.

9. Include at least two servings of vegetables at lunch and dinner. If you are getting hungry, have more.

10. Eat slowly. The body is slow to register when you are full and it is easy to eat too much if you are racing through your meals.

11. Grated carrot makes a great snack. You will find that a grated carrot is much more filling than a whole carrot. Strange but true.

12. Use whole grains wherever possible. The fiber will give you a fuller feeling and also help your digestion.

13. Choose food that you can chew. Again this will increase your fiber intake, and the act of chewing will make you feel more satisfied too. This means eating fruit instead of drinking juice. If you have soup, make sure it is chunky.

14. Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time. Plan your shopping too - make a list of what you need and stick to it. If you just grab something when you are feeling hungry, you will probably choose high calorie food.

15. Always switch off the TV when you eat. That includes snacks as well as meals. Studies have proved that we eat larger portions in front of the TV, probably because we are much less aware of what we are eating. When you eat, only eat if you want to lose weight fast. 

By: brown Michael

Does Conjugated Linoleic Acid Work

Does Conjugated Linoleic Acid Work?

Conjugated linoleic acid is a natural substance found in many of our foods that according to many studies can reduce fat and improve muscle mass in the body. Taken as a supplement with no change in eating or exercise habits, it would not make you lose weight but it could help you lose fat. It is often taken by men looking to lose weight and bodybuild at the same time, but it can also be useful for anyone who is overweight and under-exercising, as any increase in muscle will increase the metabolism, burning more calories.

Like many natural weight loss products, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) combined with a flexible healthy eating plan can lead to gradual long term weight loss and help you get out of the yoyo dieting cycle where you are constantly losing and gaining the same 10, 20 or 50 pounds. Yoyo dieting is very bad for the health. It is better to remain overweight than to keep on losing and gaining, losing and gaining.

Most experts (unless they are trying to sell you something) agree that the diet that works best in the long term is the non-diet, where instead of eating special foods and banning others, you eat slightly smaller quantities of a normal healthy diet. If you are currently living entirely on pizza, fries and chocolate, then okay, some changes may be overdue. But you can still have small portions of all of those foods from time to time. If this is the kind of diet that you want, then CLA can help reinforce your plan by boosting your fat loss. Dr Michael Pariza of University of Wisconsin-Madison reported to the American Chemical Society that CLA "doesn't make a big fat cell get little. What it rather does is keep a little fat cell from getting big."

Many studies have been done on CLA. One study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that people taking CLA lost on average six pounds of body fat more than a group that took a placebo. The researchers discovered that you need around 3.4 grams of CLA per day for it to be effective. CLA is found in food, especially meat and dairy products, but supplementation is necessary for most people to reach that level.

Another study at Purdue University, Indiana, found that CLA improved insulin levels in about two-thirds of diabetics, and slightly decreased their blood glucose level and triglyceride levels, suggesting that it may help to maintain normal insulin levels. But see your doctor before taking any supplements if you have diabetes.

There are no magic pills for weight loss but if you are willing to commit to reducing your body fat permanently, CLA may help you. Keep in mind that its main effect is to convert fat to muscle, which by itself will not weigh any less. But your body will look slimmer and feel healthier if you do this, and combined with a good weight control eating plan conjugated linoleic acid can help you move toward your ideal weight too.

By: brown Michael 

Fad Diets

Fad Diets: Why Are They Bad?

It is not surprising that many people wonder why fad diets are bad when they seem to get results. You will find many sites on the internet claiming significant weight loss in just a few days. That type of weight loss is always temporary. It is usually 90% water which will be put straight back on as soon as your body rehydrates, which it must do if you are not going to suffer severe health problems or die.

Other fad diets are not so obviously crash diets with outrageous claims but they are over hyped diet plans that tend to be fashionable for a while and usually make a lot of money for the inventor in associated product sales. In the best cases these are good nutrition plans which will help you lose weight, but which you could probably have gotten for free from your doctor. In the worst cases they will prove so difficult to follow that you will give up after a week.

The bad of fad diets

1. Diets that promise quick and easy weight loss are usually based on eating more of one food type and none of another. These do not give the benefits that you would get from a balanced diet. They may suggest you take supplements but many supplements are not absorbed by the body unless they are taken along with the foods that the diet has banned. After a few weeks, if you stick to it that long, you may begin to develop nutritional deficiencies.

2. Fad diets are often boring and over restrictive. After the novelty of the first day or two, you will not enjoy your meals. You will then start to crave food constantly and will break the diet. You may even feel guilty, thinking it is your fault that you did not lose weight.

3. Most fad diets do not follow recommendations of the American Heart Association and similar bodies for fat levels in the diet. Often the diet will recommend high fat foods and low carbs which if taken long term, could result in heart disease. The promoters may tell you that the diet is only intended to be followed for a short time. But you probably will not reach your goal weight in that time, and then what? You either continue with a plan that is not good for your health, or stop and probably gain back what you lost.

4. Many fad diets do not help you to incorporate enough servings of fruits and vegetables in your weight loss program, or give you the variety of foods that your body needs.

5. Quick weight loss diets are just a temporary solution and do not help you to make permanent changes to your eating habits. Permanent changes are the only way to remain at your target weight once you reach it. Fad diets encourage yo-yo diet-binge cycles of fast weight loss and equally fast weight gain. This is worse for your health and your self esteem than if you had stayed overweight all the time.

Whatever the publicity materials may say, these diets will not help you in the long term. The best way to sustain weight loss is to eat a varied and healthy diet, do not overeat, exercise regularly and avoid fad diets.

By: brown Michael

Garcinia Cambogia Extract - A Natural Weight Loss Supplement

Garcinia cambogia extract is hitting headlines throughout the western world as a natural weight loss supplement. Several studies have shown that it does help people to lose weight and although as always there are other studies that are less conclusive, it can be an effective weight loss supplement for many people.

Garcinia cambogia is the name of a small tropical fruit that grows in India and Africa. It is one of the citrus family like oranges and lemons. It is too sour to eat but the rind is used as a spice in Indian cooking. The correct name for the substance that is extracted from the fruit as a weight loss supplement is hydroxycitric acid.

Hydroxycitric acid is not a stimulant (like caffeine) or an appetite suppressant, both of which work directly on the nerve centers of the brain and can have undesired side effects, including causing food binges any time you stop taking them.  Instead, HCA satisfies the body's need for energy and improves the signaling system that the body uses to tell the brain when it has eaten enough. This response is often delayed in overweight people, causing them to continue to eat more than they need.

Garcinia cambogia extract (HCA) seems to work best in combination with chromium, which helps to regulate the body's blood sugar levels. Chromium is a mineral that is often lacking in our diets as we get older and a chromium deficit can contribute to weight gain and possibly diabetes. However if you have diabetes already, you should see your doctor before taking any products containing chromium.

As with most supplements, it is best to be cautious and do not take HCA if you are pregnant or breast feeding. Consult a doctor before giving it to children. You may also want to avoid HCA if you suffer from migraine or arthritis which can be worsened by citrus fruits.

HCA seems to work best for people who overeat when they are anxious or stressed, as it will give the same calming effect that they get from food. Generally you do not need to eat any special foods when you are taking HCA, and there are no 'forbidden foods'. Choose healthy foods and you should find that you lose weight and fat slowly but steadily without really trying. You can take slightly smaller portions if you wish and choose fruit instead of sugary snacks but you should not need to go hungry. This is a very natural way to lose weight.

Unlike many other weight loss products, HCA has been extensively tested in research laboratories on both human and animal subjects and no side effects have been found. This natural weight loss supplement is available from many sources online and may be labeled either hydroxycitric acid or garcinia cambogia extract.

By: brown Michael 

Free List Of Negative Calorie Foods

You will find a free list of negative calorie foods below, but first let's consider what this means. There is no such thing as a negative calorie - a calorie is a unit of heat and it cannot be negative. So when people talk about negative calorie foods, this just means a food whose calorie level is low enough that it takes more energy to eat and digest it than the food contains.

For example, if you consider water to be a food, then cold water is certainly a negative calorie food. It contains no calories at all and the body has to expend energy to bring it up to blood temperature. So every time we drink a glass of cold water we burn up a couple of calories and lose a little weight. But there are very few foods like this. Most foods that are on the list do not really use more calories than they add, or if they do the effect is negligible ... until you remember that at the same time the body expends energy just to keep alive and breathing. Celery for example does not give us enough calories to cover both the energy that it takes to digest it, plus the energy that we expend even when we are doing nothing. So that is why people call it a negative calorie food.

Negative calorie foods are most attractive to anorexics. A negative calorie diet would obviously result in starvation in the long term and nutritional deficiencies can occur surprisingly quickly. The calories burnt usually come from muscle mass, and the result is debility and wasting.

A more healthy way to use a negative calorie diet is as a form of fasting or detox. It is something you can do for one to three days right after the Christmas season or another time when you have been eating a over-rich diet. Provided you are otherwise healthy it can be a great way to clean out the system. However it is still best to take medical advice before attempting this.

If you decide to use a negative calorie detox, keep the following points in mind:

1. It is never a good idea to eat huge quantities of one type of food, especially fruits. A lot of foods contain substances that can be damaging if consumed to excess. For example, the acid in grapefruit and pineapple can damage your stomach lining. Other foods put an excessive burden on the liver or may cause diarrhea. So try to use all the different foods in small quantities.

2. Do not spend all day eating. You will just become bloated and feel sick. If you are only doing this for a couple days, you should not feel too hungry. Plan four or five salad meals each day, and let your digestion rest at other times.

3. You will feel more satisfied if you eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly. You will also use more calories that way. So if the foods can be eaten raw, that will be more effective than cooking them. Foods like carrots and beets will also be more satisfying if you eat them grated.

4. Schedule time when you do not have any important commitments. As with fasting or any kind of detox, you may suffer some uncomfortable symptoms including headaches, tiredness, depression and irritability. If these become severe, stop the diet and see a doctor.

5. When you end the detox, plan a gradual return to normal eating.

If all the above points are checked and passed, let's move on to the list of foods.

    * Apples

    * Asparagus

    * Beets

    * Blueberries

    * Broccoli

    * Cantaloupes

    * Carrot

    * Cauliflower

    * Celery stalk

    * Celery root

    * Cranberries

    * Cucumbers

    * Eggplant

    * Endives

    * Garden cress

    * Garlic

    * Grapefruit

    * Green beans

    * Green cabbage

    * Lamb's lettuce

    * Lemons

    * Lettuce

    * Onions

    * Papayas

    * Pineapples

    * Prunes

    * Radishes

    * Raspberries

    * Spinach

    * Strawberries

    * Tangerines

    * Tomatoes

    * Turnips

    * Zucchini

Please use this free list of negative calorie foods wisely.

By: brown Michael

Green Tea Weight Loss Plan

Many people are now turning to inexpensive and natural green tea weight loss plans to help them in their weight control efforts. It is simple too. Green tea can be drunk like any other tea, usually without milk or sweeteners, or if you do not like the taste you can purchase green tea extract.

Research has shown that green tea helps to reduce weight by stimulating the body's thermogenesis process, which increases the expenditure of energy and the oxidization of fat in the body. Many compounds found in plants have this effect. The special thing about green tea is that it does not increase the heart rate, and is therefore believed to be safer than diet pills such as ephidrine that also work by stimulating thermogenesis.

A lot of people who are overweight have or are at risk of developing hypertension and other cardiovascular problems, so the fact that green tea does not put pressure on the heart makes it a good choice. Ephidrine is not usually recommended if you are in this group but green tea is considered a safe option. It means that you can gradually increase your exercise levels without increasing your risk of heart problems.

There are only two ways to lose weight: one way is by eating less (consuming fewer calories) and the other is by increasing expenditure of energy (using up more calories). Green tea works by increasing output and this can be by around 4%. Most scientists believe that this is caused by the high quantity of catechin that is in the tea and its extract.

Green tea has the added benefit of containing powerful antioxidants that may be beneficial to your health in many ways, strengthening the immune system and protecting against disease.

Keep in mind that green tea does contain caffeine so you should cut out coffee and other forms of tea while you are taking it. Decaffeinated green tea is not recommended because the chemical processes that are used to remove the caffeine may destroy the beneficial properties of the plant.

At the same time you will need to exercise control in what you eat. If you eat more to compensate for the calories that are burnt by the tea, you will not lose any weight. Keeping to the same calorific intake that you have now and taking green tea should result in gradual weight loss and better energy levels over a few weeks. You can of course increase the speed of this by reducing calorie consumption and/or increasing exercise.

Green tea is a simple, easy and inexpensive weight control aid that can easily be incorporated into any weight loss program. The choice of tea or extract offers something for everybody. Natural and safe, green tea weight loss should feature in your program if you want to keep the weight off permanently.

By: brown Michael

Low Carb Dieting For Successful Weight Loss

Low carb dieting has become fashionable in recent years especially with the publication of the Atkins diet. Losing weight is a goal for so many people and everybody is looking for the quick and easy way to lose weight. Some people do not need to lose weight at all but still get stressed over a couple of pounds. Others need to lose for medical reasons and may have one hundred pounds or more that they want to shed.

There are many different diets out there including low carbohydrate diets and the truth is that most of them will achieve weight loss if they are followed correctly. This does not mean always doing what the diet says every moment of every day. What is more important is how you deal with the inevitable occasion when you eat too much or feast on foods that are not on the plan. If you can write this off and return to the plan without giving yourself a hard time, you are likely to succeed. Everybody has those days - the important thing is to let them go and accept them as just another step on the road to permanent weight loss.

It is also important to find a diet that you can easily follow. Low carb diets suit many people because the rules are quite simple. As the name suggests, the diet consists of avoiding or limiting foods that are high in carbohydrates. These include bread, pasta, potatoes, rice and other grains. Sugar is also a carbohydrate. Once you understand what these foods are, it is a simple matter to choose dishes that avoid them.

Most criticism of low carbohydrate dieting is based on the fact that the dieters will get most of their daily calories from meat, dairy and other high fat products. This can lead to high cholesterol and other problems related to a high intake of saturated fats. Medical advice is advised before starting this type of diet. Sometimes weight loss is good in the early stages but people cannot handle the restrictions in the longer term and start to deviate from the diet.

One of the problems that many people have with low carb dieting is the elimination of bread and pasta. No more toast, spaghetti or pizza! Many of the foods that are quickest to prepare are based around carbohydrates - burgers in their buns, fries, sandwiches, pasta and sauce. Beer and other alcoholic drinks are high in carbs too. It is true that alcohol is generally restricted on any diet, because it is high in calories and very low in nutritional value, but low carb diets put particular emphasis on this.

Still there are many foods that can be enjoyed on a low carb diet. If you are fond of meat you will relish the opportunity to consume beef, chicken and other animal products. The popularity of these diets is clear from the length of time that they stay on the bestseller lists. It is just a matter of what suits you. Low carb dieting works for many people.

By: brown Michael

Visualization And Weight Loss - See The Pounds Drop Away!

The surprising fact is that many conditions can be improved by visualization and weight loss is one of them. It works like this: you keep a vision in your mind of how you want your body to look, and subconsciously you will begin acting in a way that will go in that direction. You become much more positive about your body, more accepting of your diet or fitness regime, and you will reach your weight goals more quickly and easily.

Effecting change through visualizing desired outcomes has become more and more acceptable in recent years. Psychologists do not understand exactly how it works but clearly the mind and body are not as separate as we often believe. It seems that if you truly want something it is more likely to happen - provided of course that it is something that is possible, and within your control. Visualization helps us to truly want to lose weight by creating a clear and happy picture of our fitter bodies. Without this we can often put psychological traps in our own path.

Many people who are overweight believe they cannot lose weight. Sometimes you may say it out loud, or hear friends say it about themselves. For other people this belief stays in the subconscious. But it is sure that it influences our behavior. Someone who believes it is impossible for her to lose weight will be constantly battling her own negativity when she is trying to diet. Her mind will be constantly telling her there is no point dieting, she cannot lose weight so she should just go ahead and eat everything she wants. Visualization is the strongest technique that we can use to overcome these negative thoughts and impulses.

If you are plagued by negativity either from your own mind or from the reactions of friends and family to your diet, go ahead and visualize yourself at your desired weight as often as you can. It works on the same level as all those negative voices and can annihilate their influence like nothing else can.

It is important to practice every day - morning and evening if you can. You just need to take a few minutes in a quiet place and keep an image in your mind of your body at its ideal weight. Some people can do this easily, others need some help. If you have a photograph of yourself at your ideal weight in the past, you may find it easier to look at that. Or use a photo from a magazine but cut off the person's face. You need to visualize your own body, but thinner.

You can also visualize from the inside. Close your eyes and let your awareness focus on a part of your body - for example, your right thigh. Imagine it slowly becoming thinner in your mind's eye. Then move to the other thigh, and on through the body. It may help to start at the feet and move up towards the head, or vice versa.

As you go about your work or daily chores, think of yourself as already at your ideal weight. Create your own affirmations and repeat them often, always in the present tense ("I am glad to be flexible, fit and slim", not "I will ..."). Enjoy the feeling of having a positive self-image. Over time, this will help you to keep to your weight loss plan. You will find that fatty foods are less attractive and exercise is more enjoyable.

While your weight loss will of course be gradual, the wonderful thing about visualization is that it gives you a new body image right away. Use visualization and weight loss to make you happier right now, today!

By: brown Michael

Winter Weight Gain - Why Does It Happen And What Can We Do?

Winter weight gain is a common complaint of many people. It seems that every winter we add a few pounds, and come summer we don't lose them all again either. A few of them always stick around, making us a little heavier every year. They seem to be very hard to lose extra pounds! Why does this happen and what can we do?

There are many contributing factors. First, it seems likely that we have a genetic disposition to store more fat as winter approaches. Many animals do this and it was probably vital to survival for our ancestors. Extra layers of fat on the body protect us against the cold and then can be used as fuel in the late winter and early spring when food stocks would historically be very low. We probably have a tendency to eat more in the fall, when food is plentiful after harvest time, to help this process along. We may also unconsciously choose foods that are higher in fat content at this time.

Hormone levels can also influence our weight gain. The interaction of hormones and other chemicals in the brain can bring about variations in appetite and cravings. Some neurotransmitters can also influence the way we eat. People who are overweight often have low levels of these neurotransmitters and the results can include excessive appetite, depression and sleep disorders. At the same time, the lack of daylight caused by the shortening days during late fall and winter can bring on seasonally affected disorder or winter depression. One of the quickest ways to give a boost to the energy levels and emotions is to eat high carbohydrate foods including sugar treats, chips and cereals that give us a fast blood sugar 'fix'. So people who feel low in the winter will tend to overeat or eat the wrong foods, leading to weight gain, more depression and a vicious cycle that is hard to break.

          

So altogether there are many reasons why we eat more high carbohydrate foods such as cookies, pies and chocolate in the winter, and of course most of these foods also contain high levels of fats. The best way to handle this is generally to substitute other foods that are also high in carbohydrate so that we get what our body craves, but which have low fat content and plenty of fiber. This means potatoes, wholegrain bread without butter, wholegrain rice, cereals, and fresh whole fruit.

It is also important to take more exercise. Often our physical activity levels drop in the winter and we have a tendency to want to stay home and rest. This is natural when it is cold outside. But we are not cavemen! We have heating in our homes and can be sure that there will still be plenty of food in the stores come February. We do not need to stow fat the way that they did. Sign up with a gym or get a stationary bicycle for the den. Transform those carbs into energy now instead of keeping it on the waistline until spring. Winter weight gain is easily avoidable this way.

By: brown Michael 

Try These Proven Weight Loss Exercise Programs

Almost everyone is always on the lookout for killer weight loss exercise programs. There are hundreds, if not thousands of programs out there, and you can waste weeks on a program before finding out that it’s just not for you. In today’s fast-paced world, who really has that kind of time to waste? This article outlines a few popular exercise programs that you might be the right fit for you.

The most basic sort of exercise program that you can undertake is to design your own. This type of program offers ultimate flexibility, as you can customize it to your own needs, goals, and schedule. Designing your own workout program takes some work and some research, however.

In order to properly for a personal workout program, you’ll need to understand how exercise affects the body. Obviously, it’s important not to go too easy on yourself – if you don’t work your body hard enough, you won’t burn fat, and you won’t lose weight. What some people don’t know, though, is that you also can’t overwork your body. Exercising too hard cannot only lead to injury, but can also lead to a less productive workout overall.

A basic personal exercise program will consist of both cardiovascular exercise and strength training. Cardio exercise can be a simple jog outdoors, a run on the treadmill, or even performing aerobics along to a video. Strength training includes weight lifting, as well as activities like pushups, pull-ups, and crunches. It’s up to you to find the right mix of exercises that will challenge you and keep you motivated.

For someone looking for something more structured, one of the most popular weight loss exercise programs is known as Tae Bo. This program became famous for supposedly blending martial arts and self-defense techniques with an aerobic workout. Actual martial applications of the program are slim to none, but it does provide a great structured workout that you can follow along with at home.

Tae Bo combines basic aerobic maneuvers like jumping jacks with various series of punches and kicks, sometimes done very rapidly. Although some Tae Bo programs sometimes use aids, such as resistance bands to enhance the workout, they are not necessary. People are often surprised by how much the simple act of punching and kicking the air can leave you sore the next day!

Another extremely popular exercise program is called Pilates. Pilates bridges the grasp between intensity and relaxation, and shares some similarities with yoga. It uses slow, deliberate movements rather than rapid repetitions to achieve weight loss and muscle growth.

One the major focuses of Pilates is on breathing – you might say it’s the most important part. Even if you don’t decide that Pilates is for you, this idea can be put to use in other weight loss exercise programs. Breathing is very, very important to any exercise program. Proper breathing technique can help reduce fatigue during exercise, allowing you to workout longer, which can only help to speed you along to your weight loss goals.

By: brown Michael

Burn Excess Fat Green Tea Weight Loss

With the boom of herbal products in the last decade or so, one of the most popular products has been green tea – but did you know you could use green tea for weight loss? There’s been a lot of talk about reasons to use green tea to help improve your health, but a lesser-known fact is that is that green tea can help you burn calories, as well. Before you decide to stop your diet and quit exercising, you must realize that green tea is merely an aid for weight loss.

Green tea is a weight loss aid, but it’s merely meant to help you shed pounds – it’s not going to do all the work for you. So how can green tea help you lose weight? It’s pretty simple, really: green tea contains caffeine. As a stimulant, caffeine naturally helps you burn extra calories. The thing is, most drinks that contain caffeine are full of calories of their own, too.

Coffee, soda, and energy drinks are never going to help you lose weight, because they’re filling your body up with fat and calories along with the caffeine content. Again, it’s key to remember that green tea is just a little boost, in the neighborhood of an extra 70 to 80 calories burned per day. That number much is less than the amount of calories in a single serving of soda or coffee.

One thing that gives green tea weight loss an advantage is the compound called epigallocatechin gallate, commonly known as ECCG. The ECCG in green tea increases the effectiveness of the caffeine, leading to a greater amount of calories burned. Along with the fewer calories contained in a serving of green tea, this means the caffeine in green tea can help you lose weight where it would not if you got it from soda or coffee.

It can’t be stressed enough that green tea is just a small ally in the war against fat. If you were to lose 80 extra calories per day, that only adds up to about 8 pounds lost in a year, assuming you made no other dietary or exercise changes. If you want to shed pounds quickly, green tea can help, but it’s not the answer.

The good news is drinking green tea does more than just help you lose weight. As an antioxidant, green tea provides a number of benefits to your cardiovascular health – this means green tea can help reduce the risk of heart problems. Green tea can also help improve your metabolism and control your cholesterol level, and some claim that it can help your mental focus, as well.

Replacing your daily coffee intake with green tea can be a great way to help lose weight and improve general health. You’re replacing all the calories and chemicals found in coffee with pure herbal tea. This change can help make you feel healthier in months, and experience the effects of green tea weight loss at the same time.

By: brown Michael

Discover The Truth About Gastric Bypass Surgery

For those of you, who are unfamiliar with gastric bypass surgery, allow me to explain. The basic idea of the surgical procedure is to help to treat morbid obesity. Morbid obesity is classified as an excessive accumulation of fatty tissues and excess weight. A lot of people that get this surgery only do so because other forms of weight loss have been unsuccessful. This type of surgery should only be considered by people that have had problems with losing weight their entire life and not people that are just looking for a short term fix.

People that are interested in gastric bypass surgery should consider many things. Firstly, the price of this type of procedure will depend on your country’s national health plan. A lot of times this procedure will not be covered by your national health plan. This is because, for the most part, this procedure is considered cosmetic. However there are cases where they may deem the surgery necessary to your health. In these cases you might be able to get a portion or all of the surgery covered by your health plan.

There are many different forms of gastric bypass surgery; they are all pretty much the same however the process may vary from country to country, or even doctor to doctor. The basic idea of the surgery is to get you to feel full quicker resulting in eating less food and thus eventually losing weight. It is important to note that this surgery isn’t the only thing that contributes to weight loss. After recovering from the surgery it is still necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle and exercise.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with gastric bypass surgery, the basic idea is actually quite easy to understand. The basic idea of the surgery is to split the stomach into 2 pouches. The upper pouch is the smaller of the two and the lower pouch is larger. Once this procedure is completed the doctors then re-attach the small intestine to both pouches. This procedure, although basic, has proven to be very effective for a lot of people. Perhaps the most important part of the surgery is the recovery. During this time is when you will start to set the bar for the new diet and workout regiment.

If you are interested in learning more about gastric bypass surgery you should do all of the necessary research in order to find out if you are an ideal candidate for this type of procedure. The good news is that there are a lot of resources dedicated to this surgery. There are many other options of weight loss that should be tried before taking part in this procedure. If you have considered all of your other options and are still considering this surgery, you always consult your doctor or medical health professional to get their medical opinion. They will be able to inform you on all of the risks that are commonly associated with this procedure as well as refer you to other professionals that specialize in gastric bypass surgery.

By: brown Michael

Fantastic Tasting Diet Shake Recipes Will Help You Lose Weight

Nothing can be quite as delicious and satisfying as a great diet shake, especially in the hot weather months that we are now “enjoying.”  Whether you choose to go to the mall and visit a nutritional supplement shop, so you can add supplements to your diet shake recipes or whether you prefer your diet shake recipes to contain just what you can get at the farm stand or grocery store; there are a million diet shake recipes out there.  It can also be quite fun to experiment with your diet shake recipes and add your own personal touches to your delicious creations.

One of my favorite ingredients to add to any smoothie or diet shake recipes is low-fat yogurt.  No mater whether you are making a water-based (ice) shake or a dairy-based (2 % milk) diet shake recipe, a little container of yogurt can add a lot.  Yogurt adds a nice creamy consistency to your diet shake recipes, and I wholeheartedly recommend that you try it in your favorite smoothie recipe the first chance you get.

Here are five tried-and-true diet shake recipes.  Give them a whirl in your blender:

Strawberry-Orange-Banana Diet Shake Recipes

•    Some orange juice – about 2 cups or so

•    Some sliced bananas – 1 or 2

•    Some strawberries -- a cup or so

•    Some ice – about a cup

•    A container of strawberry-banana low fat yogurt

Mandarin-Mango Diet Shake Recipes

•    Some mandarin orange pieces – 2 cans or so

•    Some cut up mangoes – 2 mangos is about right

•    Some ice – about a cup

•    Protein supplements from the nutrition store—follow the label directions

•    A container of mango-flavored low fat yogurt

Berry Berry Special Diet Shake Recipes

•    Some cranberry juice – about ½ a cup

•    Some apple juice -- about ½ a cup

•    Some strawberries

•    Some blueberries

•    Some raspberries

•    A banana

•    A container of strawberry or blueberry low fat yogurt

Banana-Chocolate-Vanilla Diet Shake Recipes

•    A cut up frozen banana

•    A teaspoon of vanilla

•    A cup of skim milk

•    A teaspoonful of Splenda

•    A teaspoonful of cocoa powder

•    A container of low fat yogurt—plain or vanilla

Coffee-Mocha Diet Shake Recipes

•    One teaspoon instant coffee

•    One teaspoon cocoa powder

•    One teaspoon of Splenda

•    Ice

•    A container of vanilla or plain low fat yogurt

•    A powder protein supplement if you like

Regardless of which of the diet shake recipes you are making, the procedure is the same.  Just pop all the ingredients into your blender and turn it on.  Run the blender until the shake is the desired consistency, pour into a beautiful glass, and enjoy your homemade, healthy, nutrient-dense, diet shake recipes. Not only will it help with your weight loss; it taste delicious.

By: brown Michael

Discover How Easy A 3 Day Detox Diet Will Make You Feel And Look Better

Have you been looking for the fastest, safest and easiest way to feel better and look better? This article will provide you the right way to go about it.

A 3 day detox diet is a fantastic way to quickly clean out your system without committing to a long term diet change. Diets that go for any longer than a few days are notoriously hard to stick to, but if you know in your mind, that you must only stick to it for three days then amazingly it becomes more of a pleasure than a chore.

Actually the overall plan is extremely simple and very easy to execute. There are several varieties of this diet and it’s up to you to choose the one that suits your tastes and lifestyle. However, you must stick to the exact diet though; otherwise your detoxification process will be ruined.

Day 1

This is the day to cleanse the system. Getting rid of all that build up is the toughest part, but you start by drinking water first thing in the morning. After that, water is all you drink besides some fresh fruit juice (and ONLY fresh, no added sugars!). Breakfast should be a light wholegrain cereal and fruit, lunch can be some veggies and fresh fish (grilled) and dinner a similar menu. Salad is allowed as are fruits but the order of the day is vegetables and water - these are fantastic elimination products.  You should be exercising on day 1 - a brisk walk for 30 minutes will do the trick.

Day 2

Today is the day to build upon the detoxification process that is well underway. You don’t want to stop it now, so it is impetrative to keep drinking water and lots of it. No coffee or tea are allowed during this entire process, nor is junk food (obvious but should be pointed out!). Did I hear a groan on that last one? Get over it! You want to feel good and look better don’t you? 

Breakfast today should consist only of fresh fruit and water. A green salad is great for lunch and steamed fish and vegetables for dinner. After today you will start feeling amazing and your skin will start to look clearer after just two days on this ultra healthy diet. You'll also lose the bloated feeling around the stomach.

Day 3

Water and fruit rule day three. You may feel very hungry today but that’s ok, your body is finally cleaning out all those toxins. Keep going and get through today without exerting much energy. Vegetables for dinner will ensure your body does not crave food overnight.

Your 3 Day Detox diet seems very sparse, but remember it is only for three days and the whole idea is to cleanse your body. By not eating foods which have chemicals or other unnatural substances in them, you’re giving your body a totally natural diet, the way it was intended to be. Now go take a look in the mirror, give yourself a high five, because you’re feeling better and you’re looking hot.

By: brown Michael

Common Disagreements And Bad Effects Of The Atkins Diet On People

There are many disagreements and bad effects of the Atkins diet that have been created and focused on since its original introduction to the world. Many feel the Atkins diet does not adequately provide the nutrients needed for what the body needs on a daily basis. Others feel that it is downright destructive to the body and will eventually destroy all semblance of good health the person has.

A common disagreement over the Atkins diet is whether it is actually good for someone. Those who believe in the Atkins diet say it is a great way to become healthy and lose weight. They claim they lose around 10lbs. the first week, which in turn slowly increases over time, especially if they take supplements and exercise the right way. Furthermore, they state that they are able to enjoy meat more often and other fatty foods.

Those who disagree with the Atkins diet state the aforementioned individuals are losing weight due to a combination of water, fat, and lean muscle loss. Lean muscle loss in any form is not good for an individual, as they only need to lose fat and not healthy lean muscle. They state the 10lbs. that were claimed was very damaging to the individual and was not the results that they believe. In addition, while the meat does help build lean muscle, it is the supplements and exercising that help the person lose weight, and not the diet itself.

Disagreements and bad effects of the Atkins diet will continue to be a hotly debated topic for as long as the Atkins diet is around. The bad effects continue to be debated for the damage it does to the human body, which goes beyond the loss of lean muscle. It is believed that if a person is unaware of having certain health conditions and begins the Atkins diet; by the end of the week, that person may fall into a coma and possibly even die. While this may be correlated only to extreme cases, almost all interviewed participants of the Atkins diet state that by day three or four they have begun to experience light headedness and dizziness, often followed by collapsing or passing out.

There is a consensus that the Atkins diet does work, but that the bad effects far outweigh any good effects that it can have. Still, there is evidence that the diet does work and there is proof of this. Disagreements will continue about the Atkins diet for as long as it continues to exist, despite new evidence that there may be some true pros to the diet. No matter how good something is, if it causes you harm people are not interested.

In the end, people will have to determine the pros and cons for themselves. If they choose the Atkins diet, there is sure to be more disagreements and bad news of the Atkins diet for many years in the future.

By: brown Michael

What You Should Know About Weight Loss Medication

There comes a point in the fight with obesity where you may just say, “Forget diet and exercise, I need weight loss medication!” The good news is that there are a wide variety of weight loss drugs on the market today. The bad news is, there’s pretty much never going to be a circumstance where you can truly forget about diet or exercise. That doesn’t mean that weight loss drugs are useless, of course – far from it. Weight loss medication can be very helpful in your quest to lose weight.

There’s a big difference between over-the-counter diet pills and genuine, prescription weight loss medication. Anyone can buy diet pills. Usually, the only function that diet pills provide is a boost to a person’s metabolism through assorted herbal compounds and a generous dose of caffeine. This can be enough for some people when combined with diet and exercise, but it’s not always going to get the job done in severe cases.

Prescription weight loss drugs are, of course, tougher to obtain. When your doctor feels that weight loss drugs are the way to go for you, he’ll recommend them for you and write a prescription. Generally, weight loss medication is only prescribed to people with a body-mass index of over 27, and even then, sometimes only if that person suffers from obesity-related symptoms.

Obesity-related symptoms are numerous, and can include: heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer and more. If you’re suffering from these symptoms, then you need to lose weight, and fast. Losing weight is more than just a matter of fitting into your summer swimsuit – the symptoms it can cause can be life threatening!

Most weight loss drugs are meant to only be used for a short period of time – a couple weeks, months at most. There are a few medications made specifically for longer-term use, but their safe use has not been tested past 2 years. Again, your doctor will be able to advise you of the dosage and length of time that you should use any weight loss drugs he or she prescribes.

Most of the weight loss drugs on the market today are one of two types: appetite suppressors or fat absorption inhibitors. Those are a lot of big fancy words for saying that these drugs either make you get hungry less or make less of the fat in the food you digest “stick.” Only one fat absorption inhibitor is legal in the United States, so most of the time a doctor will prescribe an appetite suppressant.

Ironically, appetite suppressants actually work on your head, and not your stomach. These drugs trigger the release of a natural chemical in your brain that helps keep your appetite in check. Basically, your brain believes that you’re not hungry or even full when you’re actually not. With these types of weight loss medication, you’ll have less desire to eat to fill yourself up, but you’ll still need willpower to avoid eating for pleasure, so hide those chocolate bars!

By: brown Michael

The Truth About Weight Loss Success Stories

Are weight loss success stories really true? Many of them are and then there are the ones which you know are outright lies. These stand out on the fly by night diet plans and pills. They show a picture of a gorgeous bikini clad blonde standing by a before picture of 350 pounds and tell you they did this in 10 days. Yeah, right!

However, a real weight loss story can save someone’s life. Frankly, that’s not an exaggeration; it is a statement of fact. Your on personal story about shedding all that extra weight and how you did it; can inspire someone to lose the weight that is killing them.

Weight loss success stories are everywhere. If you go on any weight loss forum, blog or web site you are bound to find stories of people who have successfully lost weight. Many of these people have made huge sacrifices and life changes to achieve their goal. Most also post progress photos of themselves which is extremely inspiring to you if you are just starting your weight loss journey.

When reading weight loss success stories it is simple to become inspired. The next step then is to take action! By starting your new diet plan today you are taking a step toward your ultimate goal of achieving your desired weight. It is vital to keep in mind that you won't achieve your target weight tomorrow, next week or next month but everyday that you stick to your plan, you are one day closer to your target!

You'll find many weight loss success stories if you join a program like Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig. These companies love to tell the world about their successful clients, no doubt to make themselves look great but also to inspire everyday people to reach their goals.

Even celebrities have weight loss success stories to tell. Just look at Oprah Winfrey, Dan Marino and Kirstie Alley. All of these people have lost considerable weight and (generally) kept it off. And they did it the healthy way, not with unsustainable crash diets. Kirstie Alley now even stars in commercials for Jenny Craig!

You might not think it is possible to become a weight loss success story yourself, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Absolutely anyone can achieve their weight loss goals, regardless of how much you weigh now. People have regained control of their life from all sorts of difficult circumstances, including weighing several hundred pounds! So there is no reason why you can't follow on their footsteps.

Although every person achieves weight loss differently, they all have one thing in common; they had the will and motivation to continue their diet and exercise plan day after day. Sure there may have been a few days here and there that they let it lapse but overall they stuck to their guns and knew that it would be well worth the minor compromises.

Reading about weight loss success stories is fun and inspiring. Just remember that you'll have to take action just like these people if you are to achieve your target weight. Now is the time for you to help save a life. Your own and others.

By: brown Michael

Causes of obesity

New information from weight loss researchers and nutritionists shows that over 300,000 people die each year from complications resulting from obesity. Obesity is a major problem in the United States and now many other parts of the world. This is where the body accumulates more fat than is being burned by normal metabolism and this causes fat deposits to begin to build up in the belly area, thighs, buttocks and even waist. The problem of obesity is so acute that some schools especially in Atlanta Georgia have began to offer strictly vegetarian diets to their students and the students have embraced this diet well. So what causes obesity?

There is one cause of weight gain that is rather unfortunate-genetics. Sometimes, it is easy to judge people from appearance and form an opinion that their excess weight is as a result of irresponsible eating habits. But doctors report that there are people with genetic maladjustments that cause a problem with the way the body processes food. There are also problems that cause an under-performing thyroid gland that ultimately causes the body metabolism to slow and therefore and accumulation of fat. So one reason why some people are overweight is because of genetic issues.

Another reason why some people might have a weight problem is because they have an eating disorder. In the same token that there are eating disorders which cause bulimia, there are disorders that run in the opposite direction and cause compulsive eating and an abnormal appetitive. A disorder called Pica even has its victims craving non-foods (earth, pens, pencils and anything close by). These disorders which cause excessive eating can be treated and the person can resume normal eating habits.

Another reason for obesity is off course leading a sedentary life of little or no activity. This is common in the West where people use cars to go even short distances.

By: brown Michael

new exercises for weight loss

Being overweight has its share of health issues. It has been reported that about 300,000 people die each year due to weight or obesity related complications. This refers to people from a cross section of society who have a BMI or body mass index of 25-29 which t many experts is considered overweight. Obesity now affects over 25% of the US population and more and more people are realizing that obesity kills. People that are overweight struggle with sleep problems, breathing problems, susceptibility to disease and illness, chronic fatigue not to mention a low self-esteem because the medial peddles people who are obese as abnormal and those that are skinny as the ideal.

Obesity is brought about by a number of reasons. One of them is eating more than the body is breaking down through the normal body metabolism. This causes excess fat to accumulate in many cases in the belly area and cause someone to be overweight. Then there are people that are overweight not because they over-eat, but because they have a genetic malfunction which causes their overall body metabolism to slow and food to be digested slowly. Others get overweight because of a combination of all of the above not to mention the contributing factor of a sedentary life. This means a life that is devoid of exercise and little movement. In the US, a lot of people live this life because of using their vehicles even for short distances. But there are some exercise that one can embark on to battle weight gain.

Running is one of the exercises that one can get into to combat obesity. In most places, enrolling in a gym is not even necessary. One can run in their neighborhood or compound. Walking is another. This does not involve much but just 20 minutes a day.

By: brown Michael 

Exclusive how dieting can affect weight loss

Excess weight is often referred to by the term obesity. This is a condition where the body accumulates more fat than is being processed or burned by the normal metabolism. In many cases, this can be genetic but in most, there is obviously a diet problem that needs to be reconsidered. Obesity is measured in what is called body mass index or BMI according to the fitness and medical circles. BMI is arrived at by dividing weight by height and then squaring the result. A BMI of 25-29kg/m is considered overweight.

Obesity is dangerous. Medical research shows that the chances of a heart attack are exponentially increased the higher the BMI goes. People who are overweight also struggle with a myriad of other complications. For instance, obese people also have to deal with a low self-esteem because the general mass media pushes the image of the slim model as the ideal. Clothes are also had to find and one has to shop at special stores. More problems include sleep irregularities and the risk of a stroke.

How does diet help? Researchers and nutritionists report that there is a correlation between weight loss and dieting. Education is key. Reading the labels when shopping is recommended. There are some foods which have a higher calorie content than others and knowing this will put one in the right track. By education, we also mean that you should familiarize yourself with the food pyramid. You can easily access this at the food pyramid website which is supported by the Food and Drug Administration.

Dieting does not always mean starving yourself. It can mean that you are taking precautions as to what you eat. That means cooking with oils such as olive oil which has healthy fats and does not encourage fat accumulation. Animal fats should be avoided if possible.

By: brown Michael

Exclusive How to lose belly fat

We live in an error which we call the information age. This is because information is being beamed to us in real time and in so many variations that it is hard to keep up. One of the benefits of this blitz in information is the fact that we have come to know plenty especially when it comes to our bodies. One area is in belly fat which affects about 40% of the US population.

Belly fat is brought about by various factors. One of them is cholesterol intake that surpasses the ability of the body to burn it and converts it into energy. The excess cholesterol is then converted to fat and stored in the belly. Another reason is obviously excessive eating and failing to watch what one eats. This is more so especially for this present generation which is hard-pressed for time. When one is pressed for time, they opt for junk food instead of a carefully prepared meal. Another reason is genetically related. There are people with a thyroid glad that malfunctions and causes the body metabolism to be below optimum.

One great way to lose belly fat is to exercise. Since fat can be accumulated by the failure of the body metabolism to burn excess fat, this only makes sense and more and more people are realizing how important this is.

Exercises such as sit-ups are crucial in the shedding of excess belly fat and they work regardless of whether one is a man or a woman. Many people claim they do not have time to exercise but 20 sit-ups every morning before going off to work can go a long way in getting fat belly down to where it should be. Unless one realizes that the problem lies with excess build-up, then they will not set time aside for exercise.

By: brown Michael

Exclusive exercise the best way to lose weight

The current enrollment in many gymnasiums and fitness centers immediately tells us that more and more people are realizing that being over Weight is a burden not just to their health but it may also endanger their very lives. A total of 300,000 or more people die each year simply because they are overweight. This means that they succumbed to illnesses which were directly caused by their having a BMI that is higher than is recommended by nutritionists. People who are overweight also struggle with issues such as chronic fatigue, sleeping disorders, risk of heart diseases and also low self esteem which is amplified by the general media in that it portrays the skinny models or males with six-packs as being the ideal standard.

There are a few ways you can take to win the battle against weight gain. One of them is exercise. A sizeable number of people are overweight because they live a sedentary lifestyle, that is, a life that is devoid of exercise or much physical exertion. Nowhere is that so than in the US where there is a vehicle for every two people and people prefer to drive even for ridiculously short distances. This, coupled with a junk food society, causes people to become overweight easily. Enrolling in a gym is ideal because it helps you shed the excess weight. In case your budget does not allow you to enroll in a quality fitness club, you can easily take matters into your own hands and jog on your own or simply walk around the block.

Eating right is also a great way to fight weight gain. Choosing foods that have low fats and low carbohydrates is the way to smart shopping.

By: brown Michael