Advice for Helping Teens Lose Weight

Losing weight as a teen is far different from losing weight as an adult.  Weight loss in a teen depends on their age, the metabolic rate, their eating habits, and the type of lifestyle they lead.

For many teens, losing weight is easier than it is for an adult. The teenage body burns calories much easier and quicker.  Often, teens lead a much more active lifestyle; they enjoy doing exercise, walking, jogging or participating in some form of sports.  These types of exercises will help boost a teen’s metabolism, and increase the amount of calories they burn.

Teens could start with one of the many fad diets that are available, but they should only use these for about a week. Anything longer can cause damage to their bodies.  After a week of using a fad diet, they should continue on a much more healthy diet regime, one that allows them to lose weight more slowly, which is the best way to lose weight healthily.

When on a diet, a teen should also lead a more active lifestyle. They can do this by exercising whenever possible, or participating in some sporting activity.  This is especially important for teenagers, as they are still growing, and they need more food.  They need to exercise in order to help remove some of the extra calories they are gaining from the extra food they are eating.  So, get out and exercise. If they sit around at home watching TV or playing on the computer, they will soon find that their weight has increased.

As a teenager, you have much more energy, so put it to good use by exercising or becoming involved in sports.  The best benefit is they are exercising their bodies and burning off the excess fat and calories which improves their health.

It is imperative, therefore, for those teens to lead both an active life, and have a healthy diet, in order to achieve maximum performance and productivity.  Many teens who lead healthy lifestyles, find they are able to do everything they want, and do not suffer from fatigue or weakness.

By: brown Michael

Simple Rules For Safe Weight Loss

Although there is no magic formula to helping your teen lose weight, the real key to succeeding is by helping them to lead a healthier lifestyle that they can carry on into adulthood.

1.  Talk to your Teen

If your teen is overweight, they are probably concerned about it too.  Aside from long term health issues, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, there are also the social and emotional issues involved as well.

Offer your teen the support and gentle understanding that they are looking for, and help them to take control of the problem.

2.  Unrealistic Images

For many teenage girls, their weight and how they look can be a very delicate matter. You should remind them there is no perfect body. Remind them that the right weight for one person, is not necessarily the right weight for somebody else.

Instead of talking to them about fat or thin, encourage your teenage to focus on behaviors which will promote a much healthier weight.  If you want to, talk to your family doctor, and he will help to set realistic goals for your teenager with regards to body mass index, and the weight they should be, based on their age, height and general health.

3.  Resist Using Quick Fixes to lose weight rapidly

Help your teenager by teaching them how to lose weight, and then keep it off.  Many of the fad diets around are likely to rob your teen of essential nutrients, iron and calcium that they need in their diet, as they are still growing.

Don’t allow them to take weight loss pills or other quick fixes, as they will not address the root of the problem. The effects of these types of treatment are short lived anyway.

It is important to remember that only permanent changes in their habits will help them keep the weight off.

4.  Increase the amount of physical activity

Like any adult, a teenager will need to do about 60 minutes of physical activity, several times a week, preferably daily.  But this does not mean that they have to do it all at once.  They can do the activity in short bursts throughout the day in order to help burn off excess calories or fat.

Team sports, which they do at school or at a local sports hall, are a great way for your teen to get active.  However, if your child isn’t an athlete, or finds it difficult to participate in certain sports, encourage them to walk, cycle or skate to and from school, or just to walk a few times around the school before they begin classes.  They could spend at least one day away from the computer and do something a little more physical like taking the dog for a walk, or just going for a walk themselves.

Get them to do some household chores, like vacuuming or washing the car. Most housework has aerobic benefits.

5.  Ensure that your teen has breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  A good nutritious breakfast will help jump start your teen's day and their metabolism. It provides them with the energy they need to face the day ahead.  You may also find that it stops them from eating too much during the rest of the day as well.

If your teen is not keen on high fiber cereal or whole wheat toast, suggest they eat what was left over from the night before.  You could even suggest a piece of cheese, a small handful of nuts and a piece of fruit.

6.  Snack wisely

It may be difficult for your teenage child to make healthy choices when they are at school. Encourage them to replace a bag of chips with a much healthier option from home, such as frozen grapes, an orange, strawberries sliced red, orange or yellow peppers, a few cherry tomatoes or baby carrots.

7.  Watch the Size of the food portions

When it comes to the portions that a teen eats, size really does matter.  If you encourage your child to cut back and stop eating when they feel full, they'll have a much easier time getting their weight under control.  You may find that just one slice of pizza, or half the pasta is enough to make them feel full.

8.  Drinks

An average 12 ounce can of soda has 150 calories and 10 teaspoons of sugar. The calories and sugar that you find in fruit juice, specialty coffees and other drinks can also add up quickly.  So getting your teenager to drink more water, instead of soda and other sugary drinks, will save on the calories and their sugar intake. Suggest they drink flavored water, seltzer water or unsalted club soda instead.

9.  Let them have the occasional treat

Allowing your teen to have a late night pizza at a friend’s, or some nachos when they're at the movies, doesn't derail your teen’s healthy eating plan.

Suggest that when they are out, they have a breadstick with sauce instead of garlic bread, or they share a snack with their friend, instead of having an order themselves.

It is important that you let your teenager know that they are in control, and the occasional treat is okay.  The most important thing is getting them to lead a healthier lifestyle.

10.  Family involvement

Rather than just singling out your teenager to lead a healthier lifestyle, adopt these healthy habits for the whole family.

a. Encourage the whole family to eat more fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains.  It's important that you set a good example for all your children.

b. Forget the junk food. Although healthy food often costs more, it is a good investment in your child’s life.

c. Try out new recipes or healthier alternatives to those family favorites.

d. Don’t allow anyone to eat while sitting on the couch. This will curb mindless eating.

e. Arrange some family activities, such as walks in the evening, or visiting a local recreation center on the weekend.

11.  Be Positive in your Attitude when helping your teen to lose weight

Being overweight does not always lead to a lifetime of low self esteem, but your acceptance of your teen’s weight problem is critical.  Remember to listen to your teen’s concerns regarding their weight, and comment on their skills, efforts and accomplishments.

Make it perfectly clear that your love for them is unconditional, and not dependent on how they look.  Help your teen learn to express their feelings in much healthier ways, say by writing down what they feel in a journal.

If your child is struggling with low self esteem, and finding it difficult to cope with their weight in a healthy way, then consider looking for a support group, formal weight control program or professional counseling to help them.

There are many support groups which will provide your teen with the tools to counter any social pressure and cultivate a positive attitude. This will help them to take control of their weight. These benefits will then last them a life time.

By: brown Michael

Psychological Issues

For many overweight teens, their physical health and well being are the least of their problems.  The main issue is the teasing and abuse they receive from their peers at school.  For many, it is not only what others think of them that is upsetting, but it's what they think of themselves.  A good percentage of teenagers (especially girls) are clinically depressed, because they are so preoccupied with their weight.

A recent survey reveals that overweight teens rate their quality of life as low as that of young cancer patients who are having chemotherapy.  Other studies report increased rates of depression, low self esteem and isolation from other members of their age group, which can result in behavioral problems.  These teenagers are less likely to be accepted into higher education (college) or to get married, and are more likely to be part of lower socioeconomic groups.

Many overweight teens will be hard on themselves, and will often be mistreated by others.  A study carried out in 2001 by Latner and Stunkard found that this situation, has steadily gotten worse.

Often, teens who are overweight can suffer from other problems such as cardiovascular, orthopedic, gastrointestinal, respiratory, hormonal, neurological and metabolic diseases (diabetes).  These can often manifest themselves through psychological problems.

Today in the US, there are some weight loss programs for kids that combine psychological therapy with behavior modification therapy to improve the teens self esteem as well as their physical health. 

By: brown Michael

Parenting Your Overweight Teen and Improving Their Self Esteem

Teaching teens the importance of proper eating habits, nutrition, and physical activity is the first step in addressing the overweight problem.

By helping them become more selective with the types of food that they consume, and increasing the amount of physical activity that they accomplish, it will only produce positive results.

However, it should be stressed that formal dieting, especially giving your child a severely restricted diet, should only be attempted with medical approval and the appropriate nutritional supervision.  Many pediatricians believe the best course is to hold an overweight child’s weight at a steady level, and avoid losing large amounts of weight at a time. When their height is at a healthier proportion to their weight, then a dietary regime may be started.

The following 4 steps will help to facilitate healthier eating habits, and increase the amount of physical activity your teen does.

1.  Assessing the Health of Your Child

Before you make any personal or environmental changes in your teen’s life, take a few minutes to survey what your home life is like.  Do you allow them to lead a sedentary lifestyle? Are they given plenty of chances to over eat at any time?  If they are, it's important that you introduce changes in to these areas of their life gradually.

First, look at just how many hours your teen spends either watching TV, or sitting at their computer.  A teen can spend up to 24 hours a week watching TV.  Log any time that they spend doing either, watching TV or on the computer, and try to reduce this by half.

When you have meals, does your family gather around a table, or do you eat most of your meals sitting in front of the TV or computer?  Make it a family rule that, all food (including snacks) will be eaten in the kitchen or in the dining room at a table.  This one small change has been shown to significantly reduce the amount of over eating that takes place at home.

Next, you will need to take a close look at your fridge and pantry.  Which foods do you have that you are most likely to eat when hunger hits?  If the foods are high in fat, sweetened or low in nutritional value, then find healthier alternatives, such as fresh fruit and vegetables.

2.  Do Not Shame your Child into Losing Weight

Neither adults nor children can be shamed into losing weight, and an overweight teen will know that they weigh too much.  What a teen doesn't know, is how they can achieve a normal weight, as well as increase their self esteem.  Teens like to know that their parents love them unconditionally, whether they are fat, thin or normal.

For any parent, mastering the fine art of loving your child just the way they are, while helping them to achieve a healthier body can be difficult.  Any parent must learn to “give time” and believe that the lessons we teach, will one day come to fruition.

This means we can teach our youngsters to visualize a healthy meal, one that is half salad or vegetables, a quarter starches and the remainder protein such as fish, meat, poultry or soy.  But you also know that at some point, they will sneak either sweets or cookies, and upset the balance that you have achieved.

A parent can persist in teaching their teens to see their plate before any food is put on it. This is helpful, as it creates a sense of portion control that is helpful when the parent is not around. This portion control can also be practiced when visiting a restaurant as well.

3.  Physical Activity as a Family

Physical activity should be practiced several times a week. The recommended amount of physical activity for an adult is 30 minutes. For children it's 60 minutes. However, if you are trying to lose weight, more physical activity may be necessary.

A great way of breaking the pattern is to arrange activities that involve plenty of movement for the whole family. These types of activities burn calories, and serve as a setting for parent and child communication.  It is especially important in a teen's life, since opportunities to interact with your teen are at a premium.

There is little or no financial cost involved in going for a walk or a bike ride. Many communities now have swimming pools which do not cost to much to use.  Just taking the family dog for a walk in the evening will help to increase the family’s metabolism.

4. How to encourage the right sort of behavior in your teen

The best way to help an overweight or obese teen is through your own behavior.  Too often, teens will do as an adult does, rather than what we tell them.

No parent can ask their child to turn off the TV when they are watching it in another room, or to stop using the computer when they are spending hours themselves surfing the net.  Nor should they restrict the portions of food they eat, when they do not watch what they are eating.  Why would any child want to drink water or munch on fruit or vegetables, when they see the adults around them drinking sugar laden soda or having a bag of potato chips?

When looking to lead a healthier life style, it should be done one day at a time, and the end result will be well worth the effort.

By: brown Michael

When the pendulum swings too far

In some cases, an overweight teen becomes obsessed with losing weight and pushes the pendulum to the other end of the scale. The opposite side of obesity  is anorexia and bulimia, which are more dangerous.

It is very difficult to understand how anorexia and bulimia affects people who may look healthy and a normal size weight.  For many sufferers, they see themselves as fat and undesirable, and they usually lack self confidence and self esteem.  They may feel this because they have been laughed at when they were younger, or it can be that they are just too shy or embarrassed to discuss how they feel.

Those suffering from either anorexia or bulimia are at risk.  Their health will be compromised if their eating problems are not diagnosed early. What you need to do is get to the root of their problem and discuss how they feel about themselves. Find out why they feel that they need to lose the weight in such a manner.  Then you can look at ways in which you can help them to combat this problem.

People who are suffering from anorexia or bulimia will most likely need professional help. There are plenty of self help groups which assist with these eating disorders.

How do I recognize if my teen is suffering from an eating problem?

Unfortunately, most people, especially children, are good at hiding the symptoms related to eating problems.  But here are some signs that should help.

1.  The color of their skin.  Does it have a healthy glow or is it dull and pale?

2.  Eyes - are they bright or dull?

3.  Hair – It is full and shiny or has it become dull, flat and thinning?

4.  Legs and Arms – Have they got good tone, or do they look just like skin and bone?

5.  Have their energy levels decreased?

6. Teenage Girls – Has their menstrual cycle altered in any way?

Discreetly watch your teen's bathroom habits. Are they constantly going to the bathroom after they have eaten in order to purge the food from their body?  Do they have loose stools and stomach cramps because they are taking laxatives?

Teenagers who are suffering from anorexia will often play with the food, or say they are not hungry or that they ate earlier when they were out with their friends.  Others may skip breakfast and just grab something on the way school, or they won’t take their lunch to school. Discreetly check with the school to see if they are eating meals at school. Speak to their friends and find out what they are eating when they are with them.  However, it is important that you do not pry too much, or it will lead to them only hiding the problem from you even more.

If you are able to, monitor what they are reading and logging onto on the internet.

If your teen losses a dramatic amount of weight in a short period of time, it could signal a larger issue. Weight gain is an issue, but critical weight loss is even more alarming.

Conclusion

There are number of ways to help a teen to cope with their obesity, as well as helping them lose weight safely.

Often, obesity treatment programs which have been devised for teens rarely have weight loss as a goal, but rather they aim to slow or halt any weight gain so the teen will grow into their body weight over the next few months or years.  It is estimated that for every 20% excess body weight a teen has, they will need about 1½ years weight maintenance to obtain their ideal body weight.

So, early and appropriate intervention on the part of the parent is particularly valuable.  Modifying a teen's eating and exercise habits is much easier to do than with an adult.

The three forms of intervention that a parent could use are:

Physical Activity

By adopting a formal exercise program, or just simply becoming more active, you help burn fat and increase the amount of energy a teen expends.  Studies have shown that exercise, as well as one of the other form of intervention, is a successful way to help a teen lose weight safely.

Diet

It is advisable that you do not allow your teen to fast or drastically reduce their calorie intake.  Not only is this way of losing weight psychologically stressful on them, but it may adversely affect their growth. Make sure they have a balanced diet, with moderate restrictions on the amount of calories they consume.

Your teen may need to be educated on the nutritional values of foods so they are aware of what foods are most beneficial for them.

Modification of a Teens Behavior

There are many behavioral strategies that are used on adults, which can be successfully applied to teens, such as:

1. Self monitoring and recording the food they eat

2. Increased physical activity

3. Slowing the rate at which they eat their food

4. Limiting the time and place they eat

5. Provide them with rewards and incentives

Hopefully you are inspired to help your teen with any weight issues they have.  However, it is easier to prevent a teen from being overweight, than it is to treat it.

Where prevention is concerned, it focuses on educating the parents about providing their children with a good nutritional diet and plenty of physical activity.  It's also important to help teens build their self esteem, and address any psychological issues that they have.

By :brown Michael

Lose Weight Naturally By Walking – Not Strollin!

You don’t need a fancy gym membership, a lot of expensive equipment or anything else to lose weight. You don’t need pills or to be on a special diet either. You might be surprised to learn that you can lose a great deal of weight in a safe and natural way just by taking a long walk every day.

Many overweight people, especially those who have arthritis or other problems have already discovered the benefits of walking. It is the safest form of exercise and most people can at least take a walk around the block every day.

The idea is to have a brisk walk at a pace that gets your heart rate going. The fact is that you won’t lose much weight by just ambling or strolling along. You need to get sweaty for this or you will not be optimizing how much you can lose.  It is possible to lose weight by walking slow but it will take ages. You need to walk at a rapid pace and keep it up  for at last an hour.  The faster your heart pumps the more weight you will lose.

The secret is -- the more you walk the more lean muscle you will develop. Lean muscle burns more calories as you use it. This means that you burn more calories because you have more muscular mass in general.

So how much weight can you lose by walking.  Keep this in mind. A pound of fat equals 3500 calories.  In order to lose that one pound a week you will need to burn off 3,500 calories. When it comes to losing weight it is the amount of distance that you cover that matters. Walking for a long time at a slow pace will not do much for your weight loss efforts.

You can expect to lose at least one pound a week by walking at a moderate pace for at least a half an hour to an hour a week.  Not only is walking the best thing for shedding pounds but it can also help prevent other disorders such as heart disease, colon cancer, diabetes, stroke and breast cancer. Another bonus is that walking can help keep your immune system in good working order.

If you are not used to exercising you might want to take it easy when you first start. Take care not to overdo it if you are in recovery from an illness or operation. In fact it is a really good idea to get checked out by a doctor before you begin any kind of exercise program – including a regimen to walk your weight off.

By:brown Michael

Rapid Weight Loss Techniques

Other than physical appearance weight affects a person in many ways. This could be the overall quality of life, self-esteem, depression, health risks, and physical incapabilities. There are a lot of positive changes once a person experience weight loss.  It is for this reason why a lot of people are searching for a weight loss technique that will surely trim down those fats and get a super slim head turner body.

The first thing that an over-weight should do is seek a doctor to recommend the best weight loss regimen. This will be done after a full physical examination, which leads to the determination of proper weight loss technique. And to lose weight fast and effectively four aspects of life should be changed: what to eat, how to eat, behavior and activity level.

7 Here are fast tips that can change an over-weight's life:
First: Fast weight loss composes of a multi-faceted technique that consists mindset, exercise, and in other cases, diet supplements.  Begin by learning a diet food plan that can easily be accustomed with.  Incorporate an exercise plan that allows even at least fifteen minutes a day like brisk walking, running, swimming, and dancing.

Second: Set realistic approaches.  The ability to focus and have proper mindset enables someone on a diet to quickly lose those extra pounds. With discipline and proper mind set, a dieter will never be discouraged and lose focus. 

Third: Listen as the body speaks.  Each and everyone's body metabolism reacts differently to different fast weight loss programs and plans.  Try substituting one program for another to compensate the body's reaction.  Exercise program must be suitable to one's body, as others are not able to exercise as rigorously as others can.  If walking is all that can be done, then walk for this is proven the best exercise.  Muscles burn more calories than fats so it's also best to put on a little muscle and looking good too.

Fourth: Eat more fibers for it makes a person full sooner and stays in the tummy longer, slowing down the rate of digestion.  A single serving of whole grain bread moves fat through the digestive system faster.  Grains turn into blood sugar that spikes the body's insulin level.  Thus, making the body more energized and ready to tell the body when it should stop burning fats or start storing.

Fifth: Keep away from fried foods especially deep-fried as this contains a great amount of fat.  Although fish and chicken appear leaner than beef, this white meat can contain more fat than when a beef is fried.  It is recommended for those on strict diet to opt for grilled food as this does not have or contain less amount of fat after the food is cooked.

Sixth: Takes lots of fluid.  Drinking at least six to eight glasses of water a day keeps the body refreshed.  Since weight loss depends on how the body eliminates body wastes, the body must stay hydrated.

All in all, discipline and consistency is still the best practice and the key to a rapid weight loss success.  Light dieting, workout, and right amount of supplementation applied in a regular way everyday will result in faster weight loss than having a massive action only to be followed a return to old habits as this would only lead to gaining more weight than when the weight loss plan has started.

By: brown Michael

Losing Weight the Healthy Way

Almost 108 million Americans were overweight or obese in 1999. Until now, obesity continues to be a serious problem and is predicted to reach epidemic levels by the year 2020.

One way to prevent this scenario is to make people aware of the risks of being overweight or obese.

Here are some diseases that you are putting yourself in risk of if you are carrying a lot of extra pounds:

1. heart disease
2. stroke
3. diabetes
4. cancer
5. arthritis
6. hypertension

Losing weight helps to prevent and control these diseases.

The quick weight loss methods which have spread like fire these days do not provide lasting results. More often than not, dieting methods which involve dietary drinks, foods and supplement or  pills do not work. If they do, the results are just temporary.

It is better to rely on a healthy weight loss option which will provide lifetime results. You have to set realistic goals and not expect to lose a lot of pounds in a short span of time. 

Here are some tips on how you can lose those unwanted pounds the healthy way:

1.   Do not starve your self.

The key to a healthier way of losing weight is: Do not diet.

You may seem happy and feel that you are losing those unwanted flabs on your belly and thighs by skipping meals. But remember that this would not last long. Your body cannot tolerate having insufficient food to fuel the energy that you use up everyday.

If you get used to skipping one or two meals a day, your stored calories will be used up instead of the energy that should have been provided by your meals. So if you just eat one huge sandwich in one day, it will end up straight to your problem area (i.e. highs, buttocks, hips).

2.  Start your day right.

Mothers always say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Have a healthy meal in the morning to jump-start your metabolism.
Your food intake after you wake up will be used to burn fat all day long.

3.  Eat small, healthy meals frequently.

Five  small-serving snacks per day is better than three hearty meals. Eating more frequently, and in small servings, can prevent over-eating. This will also increase your metabolism and make calories burn faster.

4.  Decide on how much weight you want to lose.

Keep your goals realistic. In the long run, it is virtually impossible for you to lose 40 pounds in 2 weeks. Have a mindset that you want to eat healthy to stay healthy for the rest of your life.
Once you have decided on a weight loss plan or program, stick to it and make sure that you follow your own set of dieting rules. 

5.  Drink lots of water.

Your body needs sufficient water  to burn fat and keep your cells hydrated and healthy.

6.  Avoid too much sugar.

Plan your meals around lots of fruits and vegetables, some bread, rice or pasta for that carbo fix that you need, plus lean  meat and protein rich-foods. Sweets, sodas and pastries should be once-in-a-while indulgences only.

7.  Watch your fat intake.

Fat is not the culprit to being overweight. You need this to keep your weight at the proper level.
There is such a thing as healthy fats. Olive, peanuts and canola oil have them. Tuna, salmon and mackerel have omega-3 fats which is good for the heart. 

8.  Exercise.

Leave your car if  you are only going a few blocks from home, take the stairs instead of the elevator, jog, cycle or  skate. Use these activites and other home chores if you are too lazy to go to the gym and take exercise classes. Make sure that you do this regularly and you will not even notice that you are already shedding pounds with these mundane activities.

It does not matter how much weight you plan or need to lose. What is important is that you set realistic goals for yourself.

Go slow. If you have already lost 5 or 6 pounds, give yourself a break then try to lose the next5 pounds.

Eat healthy, drink lots of water, have enough sleep and exercise. This will give you a higher chance of losing weight and improving your health, which would result to a new, healthier you.

By :brown Michael

Quick Weight Loss Diet

The ?Quick Weight Loss Diet? Trend Disadvantage

If you wear a size 14 and you blow a bundle on designer size 8 dresses as motivation, you will probably end up feeling guilty, frustrated, and angry if you are not slinking around in it a month later.

In reality, you will do much better setting smaller, achievable targets for yourself. If you must try the new-clothes strategy, go down a size at a time, and do not buy anything you have to take out a second mortgage to pay for.

Because, if you continue to remorse on losing weight fast, you will end up incorporating fad diets or those that offer quick weight loss.

For most people who are not aware of this fact, there are no such things as quick weight loss diets and there is no nippy weight loss for people who want to be slimmer than what their body can provide.

The problem with most people is that they tend to opt for nippy fixes wherein fact these things are not effective at all.

What Does Not Work
Today, there are plenty of weight-loss strategies that are guaranteed to backfire. This is because these nippy fixes instilled on certain diet plans are, in reality, not efficient because it does not employ the right principle and the right attitude in losing weight.

These quick weight loss diet plans are known as fad diets because that is exactly what they are, just a fad. In time, when fashion is over and popularity wanes down, people will realize that the diet they have depended on is not reliable at all.

To know more about these fad diets that are selling like hotcakes in the market today, here is a list of some telltale signs that would tell you not to try it even once.
Here they are:

1. Skipping meals

Does your diet plan require you to skip meals? If it does, then, it is a fad diet.
Abstain from food completely is not a healthy habit. It may even cause some serious complications or problems especially for people who are sick with diabetes.
Skipping meals will only cause a hypoglycemia, or the condition wherein your blood sugar is really low, and will probably only be effective in making you eat twice as much at the next meal.

2. Dieting without exercise, or vice versa

Exercise is crucial to the human body. It is important in the proper blood circulation and other activities of the human body system.
Therefore, diet plans that do not require you to exercise are nuisances. People are born to move.
But then again, exercise alone is not sufficient. Hence, it would be better if diet and exercise will go hand-in-hand.

3. Continuous dawdling

There is no better time to start losing weight. If you want to really lose those excess fats, you have to lose weight now Delaying tactics will not get you anywhere and will only make the problem worse. So, if your diet plan suggests a certain timeframe for you start losing weight, chances are, you are following the trend of fad diets.
Boiled down, it is best to rely more on the way you feel than the tale of the tape. This means that if the weighing scale tells you that you are losing weight even if it is slower than you would like, but you are feeling energetic and positive about your weight-loss efforts, then, you are just doing fine.
As mentioned and is worth mentioning all over again, weight loss is not a quick process.

By: brown Michael

Program your Weight Loss in as Easy as a Week

The idea of the program is to be able for you to develop a consistent approach to weight loss as well as a healthy endurance when exercising.  The program’s objective is to get rid of the excesses in your body, the excess fat.  Not the healthy and lean muscle tissues and body fluids. 

The program first requires your focus and dedication, so therefore you need to be prepared in both mind and – of course – body.  It is highly advised that you first visit your doctor for a check-up before embarking on any weight loss program. 

It is important that when starting on any weight loss program, one should be positive enough to work for the results.  Some people get impatient easily but long term effects are assured as long as one sticks to the weight loss plan at hand. 

Stretch, stretch and stretch some more.  Before actually doing those exercises and working out those muscles, a little stretching is needed in order to avoid any injury or soreness in your body.

It is also not advisable for anyone to try too hard.  Everything should be done in moderation.  Find the level of exercise and training that suits you.  It should be enough for you to be comfortable in but not too convenient that it will not be much of a challenge. 
The first week

The first day of the program involves a long and steady walk in a little over twenty minutes.  After the walk, follow it up with a good stretch.  This takes so little of your time for the first day.  In less than an hour you have taken that first step to a weight loss program that could work to your advantage.

By the second day, it is good to focus on an upper body workout.  This maintains your strength to be able to go through the whole program for the week.  On the third day, a brisk walk or jog for ten minutes is in order.  For beginners, a lower body workout should be done in the evening.

In the fourth day, a good rest is in order, as well as a good stretch.  This lag time should be used wisely though to sort out any negatives in your mindset.  The fifth day starts with a good ten minute walk.  Exercise the lower body in four sessions of workouts, follow this up with another ten minute walk, and another four sessions of lower body workout.

The sixth day should be spent on a low impact exercise such as swimming.  To avoid boredom, do not be afraid to try something new.  The last day of the week is a time to solicit the support of the people you care about.  Spend time with them or get them to be with you in your long walk.  Again, follow up your walk with a light upper body workout. 

This is just the beginning though.  If by this first week you are able to stick to the program, you have a great chance to further boost your weight loss and stay with the plan until you achieve your desired result.  Try as much as possible to be unlike the people who give up easily just because they could not see the result they want at the time they want – like this moment, today, now!   Patience is a virtue.  The same way it took your body time to gain all that weight, think about it as the time your body will have to exert just to get rid of it. 

By: brown Michael

Colon Cleanses to Lose Weight: Do They Really Work?

Are you looking to lose weight?  If you are, you may have used the internet to research weight loss products. When many of us think of weight loss product, diet pill are often the first thing that comes to mind. While diet pills may be able to help you achieve your weight loss goals, diet pills are not the only weight loss product that you may want to look into.  A large number of individuals have successfully used colon cleanses, also commonly referred to as weight loss cleanses, to lose weight and you may want to think about doing the same.

When it comes to using colon cleanses to lose weight, there are many individuals, possibly just like you, who wonder how the whole process works. Before understanding how colon cleanses may help you lose weight, it is important to remember that there may be a variance. There are some colon cleanses that advertise that they are designed to help you lose weight. These types of colon cleanses are also commonly referred to as weight loss cleanses. With that in mind, there are colon cleanses that advertise that they are not guaranteed to help you lose weight, even though some of them may.

When using a colon cleanse, it is important that you follow all of the instructions given to you. For instance, there are some colon cleanses that require that you do not eat anything for one or two days.  These types of colon cleanses are often ones that are in liquid format.  The colon cleanses in pill format may request that you only eat and drink certain products, like fruits and vegetables.  If you buy a colon cleanse that asks to you restrict your diet, you are advised to do so.  This diet restriction is what makes it possible for you to lose weight, as well as allow the colon cleanse to properly work.

When you use a colon cleanse, you are essentially detoxifying, your body.  The colon cleanse will work to push toxins out from your colon and sometimes even your intestines.  This is not only ideal to promote a healthy wellbeing, but it can also help you lose weight.  It has been said that the average person has anywhere from four to eight pounds of stored waste in their body. When using a colon cleanse, that extra waste will be expelled from your body. This is why many individuals are able to lose weight with a colon cleanse.

If you are able to use a rapid colon cleanse, like one that works in three to seven days, you may notice a rapid weight loss. There are some individuals who use colon cleanses to quickly lose weight before a special event like a wedding or a vacation. While you may be able to achieve rapid weight loss with a colon cleanse, it is important that you proceed with caution.  If you do not change the way that you eat or add exercise to your daily activities, you may see your weight add back on it as little as a few weeks or a few days. This typically happens if you were asked to restrict your diet when using a colon cleanse.  While you do not have to keep up with your restricted diet, you are advised to reduce your junk food intake and start a daily or at least a weekly exercise program.

Since it is more than possible for you to lose weight with a colon cleanse, you may be interested in giving one a try. When looking to buy a colon cleanse, you may be able to find them available for sale in traditional department stores, fitness stores, and health stores, both on and offline.  Before buying a colon cleanse, you may want to search for product reviews online or speak with a healthcare professional.  This will help to ensure that you if you do buy a colon cleanse that your money is well spent.

By brown Michael

Do You Need to Lose Weight? Signs That You May

Each day in the United States, million of Americans say to themselves “I need to lose weight.”  Are you one of those individuals?  While many of the individuals who tell themselves that they need to lose weight do need to lose weight, not all do.  So, the question that many ask themselves is “do I really need to lose weight?”  If that is a question that you have asked yourself before, you will want to continue reading on.

One of the many signs that you may need to lose weight is if you are obese.  Many individuals do not realize that there is a difference between being overweight and being obese. While different healthcare professionals have different definitions for obese, it is often said that those who are thirty or forty pounds overweight are obese.  If you are obese, you shouldn’t only be worried about your appearance, but your health as well.  Obesity has been linked to multiple health complications, including the early onset of death.

Another one of the many signs that you should lose weight is if you have been told that you need to do so.  Whether your physician recommended losing weight or if someone that you know on a personal level has, it is advised that you at least take their suggestions into consideration. Unfortunately, many individuals are embarrassed or become upset when they are told that they need to lose weight.  What you need to remember is that the individual mentioning your weight to you likely isn’t as concerned with your appearance as they are with your health.

Another sign that you may want to think about losing weight is if you are finding that your clothes no longer fit you.  Of course, it is normal for some individuals to gain weight or to have their weight fluctuate, but you may want to think about joining a weight loss program or developing your own weight loss plan if you find that your clothes no longer fit or are difficult to get into.  Unfortunately, many individuals do not just have a small weight gain. Small weight gain often leads to more, which could have a negative impact on your health.  It is also important to mention the cost of new clothes, which you may not be able to afford.

If you find many simple tasks or activities, like walking up a flight of stairs, difficult, you may want to think about losing weight.  Of course, becoming out of breath from simple activities may not necessarily just be a weight problem, but there is a good chance that it is. When you lose weight, even just a little bit of it, you will likely find it easier to do many of the activities that you love or even the tasks that you need to do, like take your kids to the park.

The above mentioned signs are just a few of the many signs that you may need to lose weight.  Should you wish to lose weight, you are advised to proceed with caution. There are a number of weight loss products on the market, like diet pills or exercise equipment, which do not work. To save yourself money and to protect your health, you may want to consider consulting with your physician before starting any weight loss program, even one that you develop yourself.

By: brown Michael

Fast Weight Loss Tips

Are you interested in losing weight?   If you are, are you in a hurry to do so? While it is advised that you do not rely heavily on fast weight loss, also commonly referred to as rapid weight loss, there are many individuals who do.  If you are interested in losing weight, as quickly as possible, you will want to continue reading on.

One of the many ways that you can go about achieving a fat weight loss or rapid weight loss is by reducing the foods that you eat. When reducing your food consumption, it is important that you only reduce your consumption a little bit.  Unfortunately, many individuals who want to achieve fast weight loss think that they need to stop eating altogether, even if it is for two or three days.  That is something that you do not want to do.  Once you resume eating again, you will likely gain all of your weight back, almost automatically.  It is also important to mention that starving yourself is dangerous to your health.

In conjunction with reducing your food intake, it is advised that you reduce the amount of sweets or junk food that you eat. For fast weight loss, you will want to completely eliminate junk food from your diet, even if it is only for a short period of time. This means that if you want a snack, you should grab an apple or an orange instead of a chocolate bar or a bag of chips. With candy and other sweets being high in calories, you may see a significant decrease in your calorie consumption by eliminating them from your diet.

Exercise is another way that you can go about achieving fast weight loss. The thing about using exercise to achieve fast weight loss is that it is a little bit tricky. With exercise, you may not notice a significant weight loss right away.  For instance, it typically takes most individuals at least a week or two to notice an improvement in their appearance with the use of exercise. With that in mind, the more overweight you are, the sooner you may see a decrease in your weight, often quickly.

In keeping with exercise to lose weight, exercise is important to losing weight, as it helps to limit your calorie intake.  When you burn off calories, with the use of exercise, your body absorbs less calories. This is what makes it possible for you to lose weight.  Although your first though may be to start exercising as much as possible, right away, you may want to refrain from doing so.  If you aren’t usually physically active, it is best to start out slow.  This should significantly reduce your risk of injuries.

Another one of the many ways that you may be able to achieve fasts weight loss or rapid weight loss is with the use of a cleanse.  These cleanses are commonly referred to as colon cleanses or weight loss cleanses.  Cleanses work by removing toxins and extra weight, actually waste, from your body.  It has been said that most individuals have at least seven or eight pounds of waste stored in their bodies.  A weight loss cleanse or a colon cleanse should help remove those toxins from your body.

Should you decide to try a colon cleanse or a weight loss cleanse, to help you achieve a fast weight loss, it is important that you read all directions given to you. Some cleanses have a strict diet that you must follow. For the fastest weight loss, you may want to examine liquid cleanses, instead of those in pill formats, as they often produce the quickest results.

The above mentioned fast weight loss tips may help you achieve fast weight loss, even if it is only a small weight loss. As a reminder, it is important to proceed with caution. While it is more that possible for you to achieve your fast weight loss goal, it can also be dangerous to you and your health.

By: brown Michael

How to Find a Local Weight Loss Center

Are you looking to lose weight? If you are, have you ever though about joining a weight loss center?  A weight loss center membership is a nice way to help you achieve your goal of losing weight.  If you have never been a member of a weight loss center before, you may be wondering how you can go about finding a weight loss center to join.

Before examining how you can go about finding a weight loss center to join, it is first important to know what weight loss centers are. When examining weight loss centers, you will find that weight loss centers come in a number of different formats.  Most commonly, weight loss centers are used to describe local weight loss programs, where you attend group meetings at the “center.”  There are some weight loss centers that have weekly or biweekly meetings, like for weigh-ins.  There are also weight loss centers where your membership fees give you access to onsite exercise equipment or the ability to attend an aerobics class.

Now that you know exactly what weight loss centers are, you are better prepared to go about finding one to join. One of the many ways that you can go about finding a weight loss center to become a member at is by using your local phone book. When using your local phone book, you will want to checkout the business directory section, which is also commonly referred to as the yellow pages.  You may be able to find the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of local weight loss centers by looking under the headings of “weight loss,” or “health and fitness.”

In addition to using your local phone book, you can also use the internet to help you find a local weight loss center to join. When using the internet, you can use online business directories or online phone books. These online resources are nice, but they are similar to what you would find in your local phone book. Often times, you only get the name, address, and telephone number of a weight loss center.  If you were to use an online business directory, you may also get the address to an online website, if the weight loss center in question has one.

In keeping with using the internet to help you find a local weight loss center, you can also use standard internet searches to your advantage.  When performing a standard internet search, you may want to search with phrases like “weight loss centers,” or “weight loss programs.”  This generalized search may return results for nationally operated weight loss centers.  If you are looking for a local center, you may want to incorporate your city or your state into your standard internet search as well.

Another great way that you can go about finding a local weight loss center to join is by asking those that you know for recommendations. This includes your friends, family members, coworkers, neighbors, or your doctors.  Whether the individual in question was or still is a member of the weight loss center in question or they know someone who was, you may be able to get a lot information by speaking to those that you know.  It is also nice, as you often don’t just get the name, address, or telephone number of a local weight loss center; you also should get personal recommendations and constructive criticism as well.

The above mentioned approaches are just a few of the many ways that you can go about finding local weight loss centers to join. Although it is nice to hear recommendations from those that you know or use the internet to help you familiarize yourself with all of your options, it is important that you take the time to find the perfect weight loss center for you and needs. This should involve examining the membership features that you have access to, the cost of becoming a member, and so forth.

By: brown Michael

Exclusive How to Find the Best Weight Loss Program for You

Are you looking to lose weight?  If you are, you may be interested in joining a weight loss program.  When it comes to joining a weight loss program, you will find that you have a number of different options.  If this is your first time joining a weight loss program, you may be unsure as to what you should look for in a weight loss program.  If that is the case, you will want to continue reading on.

One of the best ways to go about finding the perfect weight loss program for yourself is to ask yourself a number of important questions.  One of the first questions that you should ask yourself is how much time you have to devote to weight loss meetings.  If you were to join a local weight loss program, you would likely be required to attend weekly meeting.  Whether you are busy with your family or busy at work, you may not have the time to do so.  In that case, you should look into joining an online weight loss program, as they are often designed for those with busy schedules.

Another question that you will want to ask yourself, when looking to find the perfect weight loss program is your willpower.  Should you join an online weight loss program, you will be given more freedom, as you do not have to physically report to meetings and answer to group leaders. While this freedom is nice, it has allowed many hopeful individuals to go off track.  If you do not think that you can stick with your online weight loss program goals and instructions, it may be better to join a local weight loss program instead.

Another one of the many questions that you will want to ask yourself, when looking for a weight loss program to join, is how much money you have to spend.  While it is possible to find free weight loss programs, both locally or online, it is actually quite rare.  In your search for weight loss programs, you will find that they have a wide range of membership fees.  Commonly, you will find that online weight loss programs are cheaper than locally operated weight loss programs.  If you are on a budget, the cost of each weight loss program that you come across should play a large role in your decision.

You should also ask yourself if you are embarrassed with your current weight or your physical appearance. Although you should have nothing to be ashamed of, you may still feel that way.  If that is the case, you may be afraid of attending local weight loss meetings.  Of course, you need to remember that everyone else in your meetings is likely feeling the same way, but you don’t have to put yourself in an awkward situation.  If you are concerned with your appearance or what others may think of you, you may want to look into joining an online weight loss program instead.

The above mentioned questions are just a few of the many that you should ask yourself if you are interested in joining a weight loss program. While there are a number of benefits to joining a locally operated weight loss program, as well as an online weight loss program, you need to make the decision that is best for you and your own needs.

By: brown Michael

Your Weight Loss Surgery Options

Are you looking to lose weight?  If you are, you likely already know that you have a number of different options. For instance, you can go about losing weight naturally, with the use of exercise and healthy eating. You can also lose weight with the assistance of weight loss products, like diet pills. Another option that you have is weight loss surgery. Although all of the previous weight loss methods are popular, weight loss surgery is rapidly increasing in popularity.

If you are interested in undergoing weight loss surgery, you are not alone.  As previously mentioned, weight loss surgery is increasing in popularity.  If you have never considered weight loss surgery before, you may be wondering what all of your options are. While there are a number of different weight loss surgical procedures that you can undergo, you will find that there are two main procedures. These procedures, which include gastric bypass surgery and lap-band surgery, are outlined below.

Gastric bypass surgery is a weight loss surgery that involves the stapling of the stomach. That is why this procedure is also commonly referred to as stomach stapling.  When undergoing gastric bypass surgery, your surgeon will portion off some of your stomach, making a smaller pouch. Your intestine will then be rerouted, making it so that your food consumption only impacts a portion of your stomach.  This is what makes it possible for you lose weight with gastric bypass surgery.

Although gastric bypass surgery is a great weight loss surgery to undergo, it isn’t right for everyone.  Most physicians require their patients to be around eighty pounds or more overweight. In some rare instances, those who are less than eighty pounds overweight are able to undergo gastric bypass surgery if their health is at risk or if they have other medical problems, such as diabetes.

As previously stated, lap-band surgery is another weight loss surgery that is increasing in popularity.  Lap-band surgery is similar to gastric bypass surgery. When undergoing lap-band surgery, your stomach pouch is made smaller.  One of the few differences is that your stomach is not stapled, but an adjustable band is used. That is one of the reasons why lap-band surgery is so popular, as the band used can be completely removed or easily adjusted.

Lap-band surgery and gastric bypass surgery are not the only weight loss surgeries available to you, but they are two of the most popular.  Thousands of Americans have undergone these two weight loss surgeries. For many individuals, weight loss surgery is a last resort.  Many who undergo weight loss surgery have not had success with losing weight any other way.  If you are interested in undergoing a weight loss surgical procedure, you will want to speak with your physician.

One of the many reasons why it is important to speak with your doctor or another healthcare professional is because weight loss surgery isn’t right for everyone.  In addition to being at the “right,” weight, you also need to have the willpower to reduce your food consumption.  If you eat too much food, namely too much food for your stomach to hold, you can not only harm your weight loss progress, but you can also put your health at risk. That is why your weight loss surgery decision is not one that you can make alone; it is one that must be made in conjunction with a healthcare professional.

By brown Michael

What to Consider When Choosing a Weight Loss Cleanse

Are you interested in losing weight? If you are, have you heard of weight loss cleanses, also commonly referred to as colon cleanses, before?  If you have not, you may want to take the time to examine them.  Colon cleanses are mostly used to remove unwanted toxins from the body, but they can also be used in weight loss. That is why it is sometimes possible to find colon cleanses being referred to as weight loss cleanses.

If you have never tried a colon cleanse before, namely to lose weight, you may be wondering what you should look for in a colon cleanse.  If that is the case, you will want to continue reading on.  Outlined below are a few of the many points that you should take into consideration, when looking to buy a colon cleanse.

                                                                                                                            
Perhaps, the most important factor to take into consideration, when looking to buy a colon cleanse or a weight loss cleanse, is safety.  It is important that you find a colon cleanse that is safe to use.  Colon cleanses and weight loss cleanses are made and sold by a number of different manufacturers and distributors. While many colon and weight loss cleanses do work, you will find that not all do. In fact, there are even some colon cleanses which can put your health at risk. That is why it is important that you review each colon or weight loss cleanse that you are interested in buying.

When it comes to researching colon cleanses and weight loss cleanses, you have a number of different options. Perhaps, the easiest way to review this popular weight loss tools is by performing a standard internet search. You may want to perform a standard internet search with the name of the colon cleanse that you would like to try.  You will want to examine all information that you come across, especially product reviews.  Another way that you can determine if the colon cleanse or weight loss cleanse that you are interested in trying is safe is by consulting with a healthcare professional, like a dietician or your primary care physician.

Another factor that you will want to take into consideration is the length of the colon cleanse or weight loss cleanse in question. When examining the length of the colon cleanse in question, you will find that it often depends on the type of cleanse that you are using.  You should be able to find colon cleanses or weight loss cleanses that are in pill format, those that are in ready-to-drink format, as well as those that can be mixed into a drink.  For the most part, you will find that drinkable colon cleanses require shorter use times, like for two or three days.  It is common to find colon cleanses, especially those in the pill formats, which need to be taken for up to thirty days or more.

The directions of the colon cleanse or weight loss cleanse that you would like to try is also important when choosing a weight loss cleanse.  As with the length of a colon cleanse, you will find that the directions of each cleanse also varies. For instance, there are some colon cleanses, namely those in pill formats, that allow you to go about eating your normal diet.  On the other hand, there are some colon cleanses that require you to limit your food and drink intake, often to specific products.  If you choose a colon cleanse that requires you to only eat certain foods or go without eating for a day, it is important to make sure that you can follow those directions. If not, your colon cleanse may not work as intended and you may not be able to lose weight.

The above mentioned factors are a few of the many that you should take into consideration, when looking to buy a weight loss cleanse or a colon cleanse for yourself.  While some colon cleanses are not marketed as weight loss products, you will find that many do result in weight loss.

By: brown Michael

Weight Loss: Why Exercise Is Important

Are you interested in losing weight? If you are, you may be in the process of developing a weight loss plan for yourself.  For many individuals, a weight loss plan is a guide that they can follow and one that may help to give them motivation. If this is your first time developing a weight loss plan for yourself, it is important that you place a focus on exercise, as exercise is important component of weight loss.

Although it is nice to hear that exercise is an important part of a weight loss plan, you may be wondering exactly why that is. For your body to lose weight, you must see a reduction in your calorie intake. The amount of calories that you need to reduce, in order to lose weight, will all depend on your current weight and your hopeful weight loss goal.  Unfortunately, this is where many individuals automatically assume that they can’t eat three meals a day and many actually just stop eating. This is not only dangerous to your health, but it can be deadly.

Instead of reducing your calorie intake by solely limiting the amount of foods that you eat, you can use exercise to your advantage.  By exercising, you burn off calories. These are calories in which your body can use to help you lose weight.  If you have a specific weight loss goal, like one that involves losing at least twenty pounds, you may want to focus on fun exercises or workouts, but also ones that burn the most calories.  Adding exercise to your weight loss plan is a natural and a healthy way to lose weight.

Since it is important to incorporate to exercise into your weight loss plan, you may be wondering how you can go about doing so. In all honestly, there are an unlimited number of ways that you can go about using exercise to help you lose weight.  For starters, you can buy a collection, even just a small collection, of exercise equipment.  Exercise equipment can include items such as exercise balls, weights, a treadmill, a stair climber, and so forth. Even if you have limited financial resources, you should be able to find a number of exercise equipment pieces that are within your budget.

Although you should be able to find a number of exercise equipment pieces, including instructional workout DVDs, for affordable prices, you may be looking to limit your weight loss plan investments.  If that is the case, you may want to take the time to examine your local gyms or fitness clubs. While some fitness clubs and gyms have relatively high membership fees, you can also find a number of them with affordable membership rates.  It is also important to mention that many fitness clubs and gyms are open accommodating hours, often making it easy to exercise before work, after work, or even during a lunch break of yours.

Despite the fact that exercise is often associated with exercise equipment, like a treadmill, that is not all that exercise is about. Exercise can also involve something simple like going for a walk or taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work.  If you would prefer to exercise, for free, in your spare time, you may want to consider finding an exercise buddy.  This is a person who can workout with you, even if it just involves walking around your local shopping mall.  Not only can you make a new friend or strengthen your relationship with one of your current friends, having an exercise buddy or an exercise partners often means that you are more likely to stick with your weight loss plan and achieve your weight loss goals.

As outlined above, it is extremely important that you incorporate exercise into your weight loss plan, especially if you are serious about losing weight and wish to do so in a healthy matter.  With multiple ways to go about incorporating exercise into your weight loss plan, there really isn’t any excuse for not doing so.

By: brown Michael

The Dangers of Rapid Weight Loss

Are you interested in losing weight?  If you are, are you looking for a rapid weight loss?  Rapid weight loss, also commonly referred to as quick weight loss or fast weight loss, involves losing weight in a short period of time, often anywhere from two to seven days. 

Each year, in the United States, hundreds of thousands of Americans are interested in rapidly losing weight.  Many people wish to lose weight before an important event, like an upcoming vacation or a wedding.  While it is defiantly possible to understand how you can want to lose weight quickly, namely as fast as possible, you need to proceed with caution.  Although it is possible to lose weight, at least a little bit of it, in a relatively quick period of time, you should know that there are dangers associated with doing so.

One of the many dangers of rapid weight loss is some of the many measures that some people take. For instance, it is common to hear of individuals who have decided not to eat, while trying to achieve a rapid weight loss.  Going without food, for even a short period of time, can be dangerous to your health.  A better alternative is to cut back on the food that you do eat or to just make sure that it is healthy foods in which you are eating. By limiting your calories, you should be able to achieve at least a small weight loss in the time that you were looking to.  It is just very important that you do eat.

In addition to eating healthy, another component of weight loss is exercise.  Unfortunately, many individuals do not realize that it can take up to one week to notice the signs of exercise. With that in mind, the more weight you need to lose, the sooner it is that you may start seeing results.  While exercise is a major component of losing weight, it is important that you do not overdo it, especially if you haven’t had a regular exercise plan.  Running on the treadmill for three hours, instead of thirty minutes, may help reduce your calorie intake, but, at the same time, it may also land you in the hospital. 

Another problem that is often associated with rapid weight loss is the taking of medications or other weight loss products.  The good news is that many of these products do work and some are even safe, but you may not be able to tell what you are getting. If you are interested in using a weight loss product, like a diet pill or a cleanse, to help you lose weight, it is important that you do the proper amount of research first.  This research may involve checking product reviews, to see if the product is effective, or speaking with a healthcare professional.

As you can see, it is important that you proceed with caution when trying to achieve rapid weight loss. Although unexpected events or appearances do popup, most individuals have at least a months worth of notice before attending a large event, like a wedding or even a vacation.  As soon as you know about your upcoming event, you are advised to start trying to lose weight then, if you are interested in doing so.  Rapid weight loss can be dangerous; therefore, you shouldn’t rely on it if possible.

By: Mustapha Echarkaoui

Nutrition Notes on Weight Loss Supplements

More and more spend hundred and even thousands of dollars yearly on weight loss supplements in the hope of speeding up their metabolism.  The main desire is to be attractive and accepted but it is becoming a more difficult goal to achieve.  The fitness industry is booming but still a lot of people are unable to cut those fat in spite of all the exercise and diet efforts. 

In America, more than sixty per cent of adults are overweight and thirty per cent are considered obese.  This is because: one, a lot of weight loss products promises unrealistic goals; two, dietary supplement manufacturers rely on the overweight person’s failure to survive; and three, the information about the supplements in the market are just written by themselves just to make a sell. 

Although the Food and Drug Administration has successfully banned illegal marketers, some products are still available.  Consumers can be deceived of the labels which claims caffeine or ephedra fee not knowing that these supplements composes of other ingredients that may pose the same health risks.  These include heart and digestive problems, headaches, insomnia, and even psychological side effects.

Other supplement manufacturers say that their products contains EGCG which is a phytochemical ingredient found in green tea.  This so-called component claims to speed up metabolism but in reality poses to reduce the risk of cancer.

 Some studies denote that it could slightly increase the potential to burn calories and now can be found in many weight loss supplements.  It has good points on the other hand since the body might conform to EGCG after a period of time.  Eve the weight loss benefit could sum up to 60 to 70 calories a day.  This helps prevent excessive weight gain. 

A few other significant effects of weight loss supplements is that it may contain ingredients that makers claim will prevent the absorption of carbohydrates.  One good example is Chitosan, which appears most promising, which in fact shows no positive result in fat absorption.

 It could even take up to seven months for men to lose just a pound of body fat and for women, there is no fat loss at all.  Thyroid supplements act as thyroid replacements help regulate and optimize the thyroid at a higher level.  This they say makes the body feel like a couch potato and won’t perform the job it has to.

Since the number one reason why people eat is because they feel hungry, there is another type of ingredient that manufacturers made which increases the feeling of being full and decreases appetite, Guar Gum.  However, recent studies show that it has no meaningful benefit at all to weight loss.  It is ironic that manufacturers mix Psyllium that has the reputation of reducing eating and aiding weight loss for initial studies so far do not support this claim although it helps control blood cholesterol and sugar.

One of the latest innovations in the fat loss industry is by way of skin absorption.  There’s a Cutting Gel, which is an epidril product by far the best selling in fat loss creams technology.  Rub it where you want the fats cut.  For now, it will seem safer to advise the age old remedies to excessive weight gain and that is to invest on walking shoes instead of diet supplements, go to the park and do brisk walking, go to the gym, and have a well balanced diet instead.

By: brown Michael

Alli Weight Loss

Alli Weight Loss: Does It Work?

There has been a lot of publicity about alli weight loss plans in the media, but does this weight loss pill really work? The answer from many research studies appears to be yes, but before you take alli weight loss remedies be sure to check out the rest of this article, because there are some things you need to know.

What Is Alli?

Alli is a brand name for the chemical orlistat. It is available over the counter in drug stores in the USA and the UK. It is also available as a prescription medication, often under the name of Xenical. Generic orlistat is also available in some countries.

How Alli Weight Loss Works

Alli weight loss effects have been demonstrated in many research studies and it is approved by the FDA as a weight loss aid. It works as a fat blocker, preventing the body from absorbing a certain percentage of the fats in our food.

At the usual dose of 60 mg three times a day it has been shown to block absorption of around 25% or one quarter of the fat that we eat. This increases to around 30% at a dose of 3 x 120 mg, which is not recommended without medical supervision. Beyond that there is very little added effect, so there is no point in taking more.

One study followed people taking alli in clinical trials over 12 months. Among the different groups of people, between 35% and 55% lost at least 5% of their body weight, which is a significant loss. About half of those people lost 10% of their starting body weight or more. These are very good results for clinical trials.

In addition, alli has been shown to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Whether this is because of alli weight loss effects or whether there are other beneficial effects in alli has not been proved.

However, this does not mean that we can eat all the fat that we want and then take alli to prevent weight gain. It is important to be aware of the side effects of alli weight loss before starting to take it.

Side Effects Of Alli

The most common side effect of alli or orlistat is bowel disturbance. Alli blocks digestion of a lot of the fat that we eat and so that fat has to be expelled from the body in undigested form. The result is loose stools which may cause severe diarrhea in some cases. Many people also suffer from excessive flatulence.

These symptoms are worse when people begin taking alli. It seems that the body adjusts to it after a time. So you could help to avoid the side effects of alli by starting with a very low dose and gradually increasing.

However, the best way to avoid alli weight loss side effects is to eat less fat. That way, there is less undigested fat for the body to excrete. Eating less fat also helps with weight loss.

The manufacturers claim that alli or orlistat can improve your weight loss by up to 50%, assuming you are not simply taking alli so that you can eat more. It won't work if you do that. You do need to have some control over your food intake. But if this is true, it means that a person who loses 10 pounds without taking alli would lose 15 pounds in the same time with the same food intake if they add alli weight loss to the mix.

By: brown Michael

4 Cheap but Healthy Foods for You

The problem with health food is that it can be expensive. This is because it has fewer chemicals and more real food in it. In addition the health food needs to be kept at a specific temperature and cannot remain on the shelves indefinitely. This makes the food expensive to store and expensive to carry in the stores.

However, there are some health foods out there that are not so expensive and these foods can surprise you. This can help you put some healthy food in your diet and not break your bank at the same time. Take a look at these 4 foods and consider adding them to your grocery list next time you go out.

* Brown Rice- This rice has more protein and more complex carbohydrates than white rice. This is also very high in fiber, which makes it very filling. Most brown rice is very cheap, but consider buying the long cooking rice instead of the instant rice for better health benefits.

* Canned Fish- Canned fish, in particular canned tuna and canned salmon, can be significantly cheaper than fresh fish but still provide you with all of the health benefits of fish. This fish should be packed in

By: brown Michael

Are You Making These 3 Diet Mistakes

Even though there is so much information available about weight loss, the same diet mistakes are being made over and over every day. We are not talking here about little slipups where you ate a slice of pie that was not on the plan, but big mistakes that lead to failure to lose the weight that you want to lose. Understanding these errors can help you develop the attitude that will lead to permanent weight loss for you.

1. The All Or Nothing Attitude

All or nothing dieters will often pick out a complicated diet that is almost impossible for them to maintain. Before beginning, they will search the kitchen for anything that does not fit the plan and throw it in the garbage. They are planning to be the perfect dieter, and so they will be, for one day, three days, seven days or even a couple of weeks. Then, inevitably, something happens that means they cannot keep to the diet one time. Immediately the whole thing is ruined in their eyes and the diet is over. They go to the store and buy all the things that went into the garbage last week and proceed to gain back all the weight that they lost, as fast as possible.

If you are this kind of dieter you need to ask yourself some tough questions. Do you really want to lose weight permanently, or just lose a few pounds so that you can enjoy putting them back on again? The way forward is to make small changes to what you eat so that you have a slow but steady weight loss.

2. The Attitude of Sacrifice

Another common mistake is to view your diet as a period of sacrifice. You do not allow yourself the foods that you enjoy most while you are on your way to your target weight. You may have a great diet plan and be very successful in losing weight, but what happens when you reach your goal? You have not learnt to eat 'bad foods' in moderation so as soon as you start, you are likely to go out of control. It is better to include a little of everything in your diet and learn to enjoy it in small quantities. Yes, even chocolate!

3. Goal Failure

Setting achievable goals is vital in any weight loss plan. Goals should be clear, realistic and set out in writing. While you probably do have an ideal weight in your mind, unless you are only very slightly overweight it is probably too distant to be useful. A more useful goal would be to lose two pounds per week for the first five weeks and then one pound per week after that. Some weeks you will lose more and some less, some weeks you may even gain, but if you track your progress on a graph you will see that ups and downs are natural and do not stop you progressing steadily toward your major goal.

If you have been making these mistakes, do not worry. The most important point in dieting as in so many other things is to move on. Learn from your failures as well as your success and do not use a mistake as an excuse for giving up. The only way to achieve your goal permanently is to make a commitment to become a healthier person. Remember that eating normally includes eating more some days and less others. Learn to enjoy food in moderation and you have every chance of avoiding these bad diet mistakes.

By:brown Michael

Avoid Winter Weight Gain

Winter weight gain is something that happens to many people who live in climates with cold winters. If you track your weight you may notice that it's harder to lose in the fall. It's not your fault and it's not a myth. Most people, even those of normal weight, gain a few pounds when the weather begins to turn cold. But it is possible to avoid winter weight gain.

To do this, we first need to understand what causes winter weight gain. There are two main factors. The first is a biological tendency that is carried in our genes and is there to help us survive in cold climates. Our bodies are simply programmed to store more fat as winter approaches. And we're not the only ones. Most animals do this too.

It's easy to see why when you think about it. More fat means more protection from the cold and more stored nutrients that the body can access if food is hard to find in the winter months. Our bodies don't know that we can walk into a store and buy polar level winter clothing and any food we need, no matter what the weather is like outside.

In primitive societies, there was always plenty of food in the fall, the time when nuts, fruits and grains are ripe. It makes sense that we would feel hungrier at this time and crave 'warming' high carbohydrate foods that can easily be converted to fat and stored ready for the late winter and spring when plant-based foods are hard to find.

Hormonal changes caused by the shortening days are a second factor that can cause winter weight gain. These changes affect our eating habits as winter approaches.

It is well known that having less natural light can cause depression and low energy (SAD or seasonally affected depression). Most people who are overweight tend to eat more when they feel low. We also turn to food (especially refined carbohydrate foods like chips, chocolate, cake or white bread) for a fast energy boost when we feel tired. These foods cause blood sugar swings that lead to more lows and cravings.

Understanding all of this makes it much easier to avoid winter weight gain. We have a natural tendency to eat more and to eat the wrong foods at this time of year. We cannot expect to hold out against a biological need but we can be careful what foods we choose.

It's fine to have high carbohydrate foods in the fall if that is what you crave (and as long as you are not on a low carb diet) but be sure to choose whole grains and starchy vegetables over sugar and refined carb foods. The fiber in brown rice, whole grain bread, pumpkin etc helps to slow down the absorption and keep our blood sugar stable.

At the same time, avoid winter weight gain by being careful not to take in any unnecessary fats. Don't slaver butter thickly all over that whole grain bread or pumpkin, or smother your whole grain pasta in a cheese sauce. Choose low fat dairy products and use them sparingly.

And of course, it's important to keep our exercise levels up. Primitive people would have gotten a lot less exercise in the cold winters, but we don't have to rely on outdoor activities for our fitness. We can go to the gym or keep a stationary bike in the basement. That way, even if we eat a little more, we don't have to let it settle on our waistlines. We can avoid that pesky winter weight gain easily.

By: brown Michael

Green Tea For Weight Loss

Drinking green tea for weight loss is a popular option for anybody who wants to lose weight naturally. It is a simple, natural and cheap weight loss aid that can be drunk like any other herbal tea, sometimes with lemon, but usually without milk or sweeteners. You will find it in most grocery stores. And if you do not like the taste, you can find green tea extract in health food stores that can give you the effects of green tea for weight loss in capsule form.

So how does green tea help you to lose weight? First let's be clear that all weight loss aids must be used in conjunction with a healthy eating plan and/or an exercise program. To lose weight, a person must either eat less or exercise more. Nothing can help a person to lose weight if they keep on adding more and more fats and sugars to their diet and become less and less active.

Most weight loss aids work either by reducing the appetite, so that a person eats less, or by increasing the calorific output so that they burn more calories. Research studies have shown that green tea has the second effect: it is believed to help you to burn more calories by increasing the metabolic rate.

It does this by stimulating the body's thermogenesis process, which turns fat into energy. So using green tea for weight loss is believed to help your body burn fat. It works a little like the drug ephidrine but is not considered to have the same risks for heart health. Nevertheless, you should consult with a doctor before taking green tea for weight loss, especially if you have heart problems or other heath issues.

In theory, green tea can have a weight loss effect even if you do not change your diet. However, in practice, this effect would be slow, and there is a risk that a person who was not paying attention to their diet would simply eat more to compensate for the energy that is burned. So it is important to exercise some control around food and at least be sure that your calorie consumption has not increased.

You might also want to apply that extra energy by starting an exercise program. Regular exercise can assist with weight loss in two ways: first by burning calories while you exercise, and second by increasing the metabolic rate so that there is a slight increase in calories burned even when the body is at rest.

A good time to take green tea for weight loss is around 30-60 minutes before a meal. It does contain caffeine so it is best to reduce your consumption of coffee or regular tea by replacing those drinks with green tea. If you don't usually consume any caffeine, it is better not to drink green tea after midday so that it does not affect your sleep. Decaffeinated green tea is available but studies suggest that the fat-burning catechin is often removed along with the caffeine so using decaffeinated green tea for weight loss is not so effective.

By: brown Michael

CLA Supplements: Do They Work?

CLA supplements are a popular choice for anybody interested in fat loss, but what are they and do they really work to help you lose weight? Let's take a close look at CLA supplements.

Despite its chemical-sounding name, CLA or conjugated linoleic acid is not artificial. It is found in many naturally occurring foods, especially meat and dairy products. It can be extracted from those products or created in the laboratory to be taken as a supplement.

CLA supplements are often recommended for men who want to build muscle mass while losing fat. They appear to work by converting mass into lean body tissue. People who take them without making other changes in their diet might be more likely to see results in the mirror and in clothes sizes without necessarily seeing a change in the numbers on the scale. This is because muscle weighs heavier than fat, although it has less bulk, so we look thinner even if we stay the same weight.

Anybody wanting to lose weight can benefit from having a leaner body. It is healthier and it also increases the metabolism, so we are likely to burn more calories. But most dieters want to reduce their weight too.

The best way to use CLA supplements is to take them at the same time as you follow a healthy eating plan. It could be a low fat diet, a calorie controlled diet or any type of weight loss plan that you can stick to. That way you are likely to lose weight as well as reducing body fat.

Experts agree that the most important issue in choosing a weight loss plan is finding one that you can be happy with for the long term. Crash diets do not work because as soon as they finish, most people return to their old eating habits. The only way to lose weight permanently is to change your eating habits and avoid the yoyo dieting trap.

There has been plenty of research aiming to show how conjugated linoleic acid works. The Journal of Nutrition published a study finding that subjects taking CLA supplements lost an average of 6 more pounds of body fat than a control group taking a placebo.

How much conjugated linoleic acid can you take? The researchers in this study found that the best level of supplementation was 3.4 grams of CLA. There was no increased effect from having more than this.

CLA supplements can have other beneficial effects too. A study at Purdue University in Indiana found that CLA had a positive effect on insulin levels in diabetics, as well as reducing their blood glucose level and triglyceride levels slightly. Of course, it is important to consult with your doctor before taking any supplements.

There is no magic pill that will spirit away 50 or 100 pounds of excess weight overnight, but if you are willing to commit to a healthier way of eating, CLA may help you to lose body fat and achieve your goals sooner than you would without it. CLA supplements are most effective when used after consultation with your doctor alongside your diet plan to boost your fat loss while you lose weight.

By: brown Michael