Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Weight Loss or I Die

Every weight loss plan needs to be considered carefully. People in desperation have gone to ridiculous lengths in order to appear "socially acceptable" though the results most often have been "personally unacceptable" to their health. Many not wanting to go through the rigours and heartaches of a strict dietary plan, have surrendered to all types of surgeries from liposuction to gastric bypass whether or not they deem themselves to be suitable candidates for such. Others have embraced very strict liquid diets, while others wanting to more closely align themselves with the "perfect image" of their favourite celebrities have turned to skipping meals and other sometimes downright funny tactics for losing those extra pounds.

What's the fuss anyway? I shed those extra pounds, regain my celebrity physique and my self esteem improves dramatically. Nobody knows what I suffer privately and no one else is harmed. Wait a minute? Let's get our facts straight.

Last year alone, one source reports about 4000 deaths from cosmetic surgery related cases. Statistics show a higher casualty percentage for persons above 40 years of age. The reasons for those are self evident. Our
cardio-vascular system becomes progressively weake with age and our body's ability to recover from hard knocks received during surgery is severely reduced. Furthermore, of those that live after the anxieties of the surgery have passed, about 40% go on to complain about several types of heart, respiratory and emotional problems. complaints about fatigue, lowered heart rate, hypertension and the like are not uncommon among these ex-patients.

So when next you are tempted to turn to surgery ask yourself, "have I tried other natural weight loss methods", "Am I ready to deal with the medical consequences of surgery", "Is my health critically in danger", or "am I trying to be more socially comfortable", then you can decide to carry on with this line of action.

Liquid diets were once the rave in the 70's and 80's After all, you were not outrightly abstaining from food, you were just taking a better substitute. Well a closer look revealed a lot of things not so hidden. Most liquied diets tend to be high in protein and very low on fat and carbohydrates. This at first glance, seems the ideal combination for weight loss enthusiasts but then we notice something else.

After weeks of faithfully following this liquid diet plan, you begin to notice some things. Yes you have shed some pounds but then you observe that at certain times your heart beats frightenly irregularly, you have a much decreased metablolic rate, are more prone to fatigue and have grown very irritable, what happened? Here's the explanation. Our bodies require a certain percentage of calories for its normal
metablolic function.

These
calories are derived mainly from carbohydrates and fats. When this certain percentage is exceeded, fat cells convert the excess calories in our body into fat and given enough time, consuming above this threshold we become overweight or obese. "Isn't that what we all want to avoid". The problem with most liquid diet manufacturers is this.They think since there is so much pressure from society for a trim shape, why not drastically reduce the carb and fat content, so that rapid results can be attained in record time and people patronise us more. So what do we have, very poor fat and carb liquid diets and a host of metablolic and heart related conditions, most notably ventricular arriththmia.

But the most common weight loss misconception today is that abstinence from food, will in enough time guarantee freedom from being overweight. Teenager's routinely skip their meals and for some, anytime they feel they've overfed, privately induce vomitting, all in the name of remaining in shape.

One thing should be stated clearly here. Abstinence from food for considerable periods of time is the prime cause of gastric, duodenal and most type of ulcers. And in case you don't know it ulcers are the 10th highest killer disease in the world today. More than that, prolonged dieting has been known to shed body fat rqpidly, but when such diet conditions are removed in a moderate amount of cases, certain hormones sometimes become so active, that those lost pounds return in full force and with extra to share. The reason is pretty simple.

Dieting and abstinence from food, put the body in a sort of emergency situation. Fat cells will not normally be used for metabolic activities except when the net ntake of calories is much lower than what the body needs for its normal activities. It is in this "emergency stituation" fat cells come into play. The body converts them into a form that can be readily converted to energy needed for life support. Once this emergency situation is removed, the body resumes its normal process of accumulating a support system in times of emergency. And this means more fat, and sometimes much more unwanted fat, due to over stimulation of fat receptors, leading to obesity.

What would help in this fight against fat? Many answers abound. Eat sensibly, watch your caloritic intake, Exercise regularly and all that. But whatever you do to win this society wide battle, carefully consider the health implications , so you might live long enough to enjoy whatever benefits you reap from your battle lan.

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Sunday, February 3, 2008

How To Look Great Without Losing Weight

First of all, you do not need to lose weight to have a great body, you only need to convert that body fat to muscle tissue and you would have a body that people would be envious of. So, how do you get this god-like body when you are fairly or even slightly overweight? Furthermore, I'm not talking about building a body like those of professional body builders. I'm talking about building a nice, toned, and healthy body.

So, how do you do this without losing weight? First, the same weight in muscle tissue is much smaller than the same weight in fat tissue. Another way of putting it is... let's say you have one pound of fat tissue and one pound of muscle tissue side by side for comparison. The muscle tissue is much denser and much smaller in size than the fat tissue.

Some numbers I've seen is that muscle is 18% denser than fat tissue and another number is that fat tissue of the same weight of muscle is 3 times as large. Years ago when I went to the gym, there was a model mockup of this comparison at the personal trainers counter. I do not remember the numbers that model mentioned, only that it talked about the same issue.

Now let us get to the part that most of you want to know, how to achieve this. Do you lift weights to build the muscle or do cardio exercises to burn off the fat? The answer is a bit of both. Many guys I know only weight lift and find themselves gaining weight without looking any better. The reason for this is that they are building muscle but they are building it underneath the fat tissues, so technically, they are not burning off the fat tissue as fast as gaining muscle tissue. For some reason, most guys do not think about doing cardio type exercises but these are the best exercises to do to burn off the fat.

The best way to achieve these results is to do a mixture of weight training and cardio exercises. For weight training, 1 to 2 sets of 12 to 15 reps will suffice for each body part. You do not need to do heavy weight training, just enough weight to exercise the muscle and it's important to do both the upper body and lower body during the same session. Most weight lifters will alternate with doing the upper body one day, then the lower body the next day.

We're not going for the same results so I suggest one day of a full body workout in weight training, then the next day doing nothing but cardio. Usually, the old adage is to do 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps if you are only doing the upper body or the lower body. But, we are doing the whole body in one session so you want to spread out your energy for the whole body by only doing 2 sets for each area.

For cardio workouts, you have a lot of options. The funny thing is that most guys don't want to be caught doing aerobics even though that is one good cardio workout. The other options are swimming, boxing, and any other non-conventional aerobic type exercises. Basically, the goal of cardio exercises is to work the whole body with little to no resistance and get the heart pumping. Have you ever seen an overweight water polo player? No! By swimming laps, you work the whole body. It's like doing weight training with very little weight and reps that count into the hundreds, if not thousands. This doesn't build big muscles but it will burn off the fat very well.

So why not just do cardio to burn off the fat? Well, do you want to look skinny or toned with a bit of muscle?

Is Dieting Right For Me?

Whether dieting is right for a particular person is a difficult thing to determine, sometimes. Some who need to lose weight are not interested in doing so, and others who do not need to lose weight are obsessed with being thinner.


Both of these are unhealthy attitudes, but changing them can be difficult. A lot of people do not realize that how they think and feel can affect how they see themselves and their weight. This can be problematic for people who want to diet or are considering dieting, because they may not need to, or they may need to in order to protect their health and not be aware of it - in other words, they are in denial.

In order to weight less naturally, what is eaten is very important, but so is how much exercise a person gets. If a person is completely sedentary, he or she will not be as healthy as someone who is more active, regardless of what is eaten by either person.

Weight loss usually comes from both getting more exercise and eating less food, and because of that there are many different things that an individual who chooses to lose weight can do. Because obesity is such a problem in more and more areas of the world today, it is becoming much more important to be aware of it, and to make an effort to do something about it, regardless of what that might be.

There are many healthy options, and these include dieting tips that can address childhood obesity as well as adult obesity. If the weight problem is caught early, it will be much easier to deal with it and find ways that a person can be helped to maintain a healthy weight. Whether dieting is right for a specific person, however, is affected by several factors.

If the person is not getting any exercise, he or she should become more active. This can help a person to weigh less naturally without being required to worry too much about what he or she eats - but eating healthy is still important, because more than weight is affected by a person's diet.

Another way to determine if dieting is right for a certain person is to find out whether that person is overweight. There are many height and weight charts, as well as body mass index calculators, which can be used in order to make that determination. Once a person discovers whether he or she is overweight, the issue of dieting can be addressed, and if one is needed, the right diet can be chosen.

Water is a Miracle Weight Loss Drink

We have all heard it and most of us have ignored it; if you want to lose weight you need to drink more water. Eight 8-oz. glasses of water per day is the recommendation from health professionals for optimal health. For many people, that just seems like too much, especially because exchanging the same amount of pop or coffee defeats the purpose of drinking the water in the first place.

There are many reasons to drink up. First of all, Americans have not changed their water intake in the past ten years, but have added 20 ounces of soda to their daily intake. This excess of sugary pop is recognized as one of the reasons for the huge increase in obesity over the past 10 years. It makes sense that we are drinking more pop; since pop tends to be a regular choice for diners, and eating out and ordering in has tripled in the past ten years The colossal change in portions has not helped our over consumption of soda; in 1966 the 'regular' size of a soda was 6 ounces, now it is more than 12.

Replacing water for your soda makes good dieting sense. In one study, dieters who replaced virtually all their usual sweetened drinks with water lost an average of 5 pounds more in a year than dieters who didn't, and those who drank more than four cups of water daily lost 2 more pounds than those that didn't drink as much.

Study after study has shown that drinking water aids in weight loss, although the mechanism whereby it helps is still largely unknown.What is known about water is that your body needs enough of consistently to flush out your daily waste. Your kidneys use water to help flush out the toxins from your body. However, if you don't have enough water to maximize your kidney's function, the liver has to pick up the slack.

Usually the liver's job is to metabolize fat and clean up the blood, but without enough water they have to slow down on those jobs and take over the job for your kidneys. In the end, fat is metabolized much more slowly, so your weight loss is compromised. In addition, your muscles need enough water to contract properly. Water improves muscle tone, so if you are not getting the results you expect from your weight lifting, it might be that you are not giving your body enough water.

Many people give up drinking their full share of water within a few days of trying. That's because for many it seems that they are going to the washroom as fast as they drink it. This is actually a good thing, and temporary. You may know that if you don't give your body enough food it slows its metabolism in "survival mode." The same thing happens with fluid.

When you don't drink enough water your body thinks that it needs to be careful and store it because there must be a shortage. So when you begin to drink the amount you really need, it signals to your body that water is plentiful and your body lets go of the stores of extra fluid it has been keeping (you may see this store of water sometimes gathering around your ankles at the end of the day.) The extra water then flushes out of your system, and as long as you keep drinking the amount you require, your body will not hold on to the extra.

So how much is enough? 64 ounces (2 quarts) of water, the usual eight x 8-ounces, is okay for the average person. However, if you are overweight, you should drink another 8 ounces for every 25 pounds of extra weight you carry. Of course, if you live in a hot climate or exercise very intensely, you will need to drink more. What are you waiting for? Get up now and get yourself a glass! You're on your way to a healthier (and slimmer) you!

Causes Of Weight Gain And Weight Loss Solutions

Overweight people are becoming the norm and unfortunately this is very unhealthy. The reward for losing weight is not only a better looking body but also a body that is alert, energetic, strong and healthy. Couple this with a more positive self esteem and on the whole, the world would be a better place.

Unfortunately, people try to
lose weight by crash dieting and ingesting medicines that might have nasty side effects. Many do not know why they are overweight and merely treat the symptom (weight gain), often with little or no result. Like all challenges, we should look at the cause of a problem in order to better know how to remedy it. Here then are some common causes of weight gain followed by common weight loss solutions used today.

Genetics

Obesity and weight gain tends to run in families. This is closely related to poor family eating habits as well but research has shown a genetic link.

Metabolism

Little exercise and crash diets actually slow down the
metabolism. This makes weight loss even more difficult.

Crash diets

When food intake is drastically reduced, our bodies slow down metabolism in order to conserve energy. The body becomes convinced that food supply is unreliable and will start to store as much fat as possible. A person will then pick up weight, even when back onto a normal
healthy diet.

Psychological

Comfort is eating is quite common. Food is often associated with reward and pleasurable feelings. In time, food becomes related to emotional addiction.

Socio-cultural factors

Due to inactivity and years of eating incorrectly, people become
overweight. Diets, fast foods and quick energy fixes make a huge contribution to weight gain.

Medical Conditions

Some medical conditions result in people picking up weight. Some examples are: Hypothyroidism, Cushing's disease, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome...

Side effects

Certain medications cause
weight gain as a side effect. These include some oral contraceptives, anti-depressants, corticosteroids, lithium and anti-seizure agents.

Pregnancy

Although weight gain is normal during pregnancy, many women struggle to lose weight after giving childbirth.

Methods in use for losing weight

Drug treatment

Prescription and over the counter drugs are used to control appetite. However, many of these products contain stimulants which cause anxiety and numerous other health problems. The body ultimately suffers and lost weight often returns when use of the product is stopped.

Psychotherapy

If weight gain is linked to emotional issues, it would be better to deal with those emotions. Psychotherapy helps identify emotional triggers and to discover positive ways to deal with them.

Lifestyle change

Even though changing bad habits is difficult, it is much easier than most people think. Healthy and balanced diets, irregular exercise, a positive mental approach and a positive emotional quotient do much for a healthy body. This is a gradual process so immediate results are not expected. On the other hand, the results are very long term.

Natural Remedies

Herbal and homeopathic remedies help people lose weight in a healthy manner. They boost metabolism and stimulate the digestive system. They provide a rich source of minerals and maintain healthy metabolism. Natural ingredients assist in the breakdown of dietary fat and rid the body of harmful toxins. The result is a slimmer, energetic and healthy body. Results are noticed quickly but are very long term. The best part is that there are no harmful side effects!

Now you should try to identify exactly why you are gaining weight. Be realistic with yourself. Then decide which would be the healthiest solution for you to reach your goal weight. Remember that the body heals naturally given time (lots of time) but sometimes needs a helping hand due to the lack of nutrients in our modern diets. You should not concentrate only on losing weight but being healthy as well.

Important note

Always consult a doctor or dietitian before subjecting yourself to medicinal or drastic lifestyle changes.

Weight Loss - Stop Chasing The Quick Results

Where ever there are discussions pertaining to weight loss,nutrition, diet, exercise and health,the one topic that comes to mind is that of 'Junk Science'.

Every month there are new claims which are often backed up with extensive research and studies. However, if scientists themselves find it difficult to decide what the truth is,then one cannot expect the lay man to know any better.

Most people don't have the time or inclination to go through a dozen scientific studies so they remain confused about how to lose weight. While there is no sure shot solution, one can follow certain sensible guidelines to ensure that they eat the right foods and get appropriate amounts of exercise in order to lose weight.

Always view out sized claims skeptically especially if they contradict long standing notions on what is best in the world of nutrition.

Although there might be several studies that have been conducted in the field of health and nutrition most of them have come to the conclusion that a well balanced diet which includes all the food groups like carbohydrates, proteins etc and age appropriate exercise are important factors in maintaining optimal health.

Losing weight is not an overnight process so do not be fooled into programs that promise quick, safe and easy results. Reducing fat and getting into shape requires a long term commitment and a good weight loss program will always consider safety first.

Do not be conned into trying or any program that scares you into adopting it. For example there are some that try and hype the dangers of consuming meat. While it is a known fact that consuming excessive red meat can lead to health risks, what is considered 'Excess' is still being researched upon.

Any claim that eating meat in moderation is harmful is based only on 'Junk Science'. Science doesn't warrant people to turn vegetarian unless they want to for their own personal reasons.

Moderation is the key and one should try and avoid going to extremes to achieve weight loss.

Some newer diets actually recommend that people eat only fruits the first 3 days and then consume other foods the rest of the week. Such diets are generally not a good idea because they create imbalances in the body which can have adverse effects on an individuals health.

On the other extreme there are some diets that encourage people to eat more protein and very little carbohydrates. What we need to realize is that the body requires all the food groups in adequate quantities in other to extract and synthesize what it needs.In other words, it should possess a certain amount of carbohydrates to generate energy, proteins to produce amino acids, fiber and other essential elements to sustain healthy functioning.

The bottom line is that one should not be naive enough to believe in products that promise effortless,quick and instant results which at the same time claim to be safe and reliable. In reality weight loss requires long term commitment and effort on our part to achieve.

8 Keys to Rapid Weight Loss

Water, Water, Everywhere - Drink more water. Your body is composed of mostly water. Doesn’t it make sense that water should be a major part of your daily nutrients? While most people don’t tend to think of water as a nutrient, it is essential to carry nutrients in your blood, to lubricate your joints, to help your brain function properly, to keep your kidneys working well, to aid your digestive system, and it’s needed in practically every biological activity that your body does. The formula for how much to drink is easy. Take your bodyweight, divide it in half, and drink that many ounces of water each day.

The Meat of the Matter - Eat more lean protein at every meal. The good proteins are fish, tofu, nuts, and beans. The bad proteins are beef, pork, and factory-farmed chicken and turkey. These foods not only contain more fat but they can also have hormones, antibiotics, and other chemicals in them.

Find the Fats - Eat the right fats. Get rid of things that can clog your arteries and put you in the high-risk category for heart attack, stroke, and high blood pressure. Remove the chicken skin. Switch to low-fat salad dressing or skip it completely. You’ll actually taste the salad! Stop using corn oil and other vegetable cooking oils. When heated, they become trans-fats and are not digestible. Use olive oil, preferably extra virgin olive oil. Don’t eat any margarine, partially hydrogenated oils, or fried foods.

Lose the Booze - Avoid alcohol in all its different forms – wine, beer, mixed drinks, and hard liquor. Despite what some studies might tell you, you won’t lose any health benefits by not drinking alcohol. Remember that alcohol is a poison to your body and not a health food. Instead, drink herbal teas and water.

Curb Your Carbs – Eat less white bread, white rice, white sugar. These products are refined and are stripped of their nutritional value by the processing that they undergo before making it to the store shelves. You can still eat carbohydrates. In fact, you need them daily to supply your body with energy. Work on eating foods like oatmeal, sweet potatoes, vegetables, and fruits.

Eating Raw – Raw vegetables and fruits provide nutrients and fiber. Try to eat a diet that is full of whole grains, seeds, sprouts, and nuts. Some of the best fruits to eat are blueberries, strawberries, apples, pears, and oranges.

Dump the Dairy – Reduce your intake of cheese, butter, ice cream, and milk. These foods are all high in fat content. Many people have food allergies and dairy products are often the number one problem. Doesn’t it seem a little strange that we are the only living things on the planet that drink milk after we’re weaned from our mothers? What’s even stranger is the fact that we are the only creatures on the planet that drink the milk of a completely different species. If you still feel the need for dairy products, go for low-fat yogurt.

Muscle Up – Weight training boosts your metabolism. Muscle burns calories at a higher rate than fat. As a result, your metabolism is running at a higher level. You burn more calories even while you’re sleeping when you have more muscle mass. Weight training should be done a minimum of three times per week. Alternate the training sessions – upper body one day, then lower body the next day or work on the pushing muscles for one session followed by the pulling muscles the next session. Always give your body a chance to recover by waiting at least 24-48 hours before working the same muscle groups.

The information in this article is a small sample of my personal coaching program called ‘The Answer Is Right Under Your Nose.’ It’s available under the Personal Coaching section of my website. You can become a slimmer, healthier person in eight weeks through some simple steps like those that I have described in this article.

The Iron Diet Plan

In an effort to attain the recommended daily nutrient requirement of the family especially for the growing and active children, most mothers take time to carefully plan and set up a healthy diet chart of menus and servings that would suit the family's health and nourishments needs. In doing so, the meticulous mom needs to know the good food sources of these nutrients and minerals and know how much portions they will need daily.

For this discussion, let us focus on one nutrient iron. It is no secret that iron is vital in anyone's diet especially in preventing and fighting against iron deficiency anemia.

There are a number of sources of iron in food. Some of them are offering more iron content than the other. Basically, there are two main categories for iron: the heme iron and the non-heme iron. The former is generally found in meat, fish and poultry food products and are more preferred by some as they are more easily absorbed by the body.

If you are looking for the best sources of iron on meat, then you can go for a serving of three ounces of chicken or beef liver; or of oysters, or of clams or mollusks. From these three, you will be able to get 3.5 milligrams or more of iron. As oysters and clams may not be available in some localities and quite expensive for some households, you may want to settle for the following sources in second place. These food sources offer 2.1 or more milligrams of iron on their servings: cooked beef which may be ground or steak, canned sardines in oil, or cooked turkey.

Other sources of iron found in meat products which offer .7 milligrams of iron include chicken, veal, pork or ham, and fishes such as haddock, perch, salmon, halibut and tuna in servings of three ounces.

The second source of iron is the non heme food groups which may be found in vegetables, whole grains or fruits. Let us break these down to the best, better and good sources for your added information. If you are seeking for the best source of iron for your family, you need not look far but just reach out for a bowl of your favorite breakfast cereal. Look closely at the label and you will usually find that these are enriched with iron and actually very good for your diet. This is a plus as most kids enjoy eating cereals during breakfast so no need in forcing a spoonful of iron into their mouths.

Other great sources also include a cup of cooked beans which could be chickpeas, lentils, white beans or soybeans. Then you could opt of a one half cup of tofu or an ounce of squash seeds, sesame or pumpkin seeds. These food sources generally give you 3.5 milligrams or more of your iron requirement.

The next group of sources offers 2.1 milligrams or more of iron in your diet. The list includes canned lima, split peas or red kidney beans at one half cup servings, a medium sized baked potato, dried apricots in one cup servings, broccoli medium stalks would do fine, wheat germ in one fourth cup and enriched egg noodles well cooked in one cup servings.

Your favorite peanuts, cashews, walnuts or almonds are good non-heme iron food sources which give off .7 milligrams of iron. You may add to the lot dried seedless peaches or raisins, spinach, pasta, slices of bread and rice.

Weight Loss Can Help Save Lives

When most people go on a diet, it is because they have gained a few pounds and there is a party coming up, or bikini season is nearing, or they have had a child and need to lose the "baby weight" that they gained during pregnancy.

For these people, dieting is a simple, short term solution to a common problem. For others, however, weight loss becomes a matter of life and death. There are people in this country who are so seriously entrapped by obesity that they literally cannot leave their homes. Some of them cannot even leave their beds. These people must lose weight, or they will die.

Most people who struggle with obesity, however, are not to that extent. They may have trouble with some tasks, and they need to work to get healthy again, but there are steps that they can take to weigh less naturally. One of the most common areas in which this is seen is childhood obesity. Obese children used to be a rarity, but this is no longer the case.

Many children today are overweight or obese, and the trend does not appear to be slowing down in any way, meaning that more and more children will become victims of childhood obesity. This puts a strain on their hearts and other internal organs, and it also strains their muscles and joints, setting them up for many health problems later in life.

The good news, however, is that obesity does not have to be permanent. There are ways that obese people can lose weight and go on to lead fulfilling lives where they are able to do much more than they thought that they could. Weight loss is not easy, and it does not happen overnight, especially for people who have a lot of weight to lose.

Diet and exercise, however, will work if it is followed diligently and if the person remains committed to it instead of giving up because it is thought to be difficult. Nothing in life worth having comes easy, and those who are willing to work for their weight loss and their health will have a much greater degree of success than others.

Obesity is a serious risk factor today for early death, and weight loss is a simple way to lower that risk. Partnering up with another person who is also trying to lose weight can be very helpful from a motivational standpoint, and both of the partners will be helping one another to live longer, healthier lives.

Top 3 Weight Loss Traps and How to Avoid Them

The number of people who plan to go on a diet to lose weight jumps up at the start of the year. It seems that a lot think that the coming year is the perfect time to turn a new leaf, in terms of body weight. However, a huge percentage of dieters get into all sorts of weight loss traps and end up being beaten in the battle against the bulge.

If you are planning to go on a diet or any exercise program to shed off some pounds, you need to be aware of the common weight loss traps that a lot of people are facing. Having the knowledge of the pitfalls you might encounter and realizing the ways to overcome these obstacles will surely increase your chances of reaching your weight-loss goals. The following are the weight loss traps you need to know and the ways in which you can overcome them:

Forgetting To Set Specific Goals And Create A Plan Of Action

The number one trap for people who want to lose weight is forgetting to set a goal or objective. Simply telling yourself that you want to lose weight by not eating something is not a very good way to start your weight reduction program. Furthermore, failure in determining specifically what you need to do and not do in order to achieve your goals will definitely derail your success.

Before anything else, you need to set concrete goals. For example, you can aim to lose 10 pounds in two weeks or go down two dress sizes before summer.

Next, you need to know your plan of action. Ask yourself whether you are going to follow a specific diet, undergo weight training, or do both. If you plan to go on a diet, you must already start making meal plans or create a food-to-avoid list. If you think increasing activities is enough in shedding unwanted pounds, then you need to determine what those particular activities are; you can go brisk walking, swimming, dancing salsa, or jumping on a trampoline.

Permitting Stress To Beat You

Work and relationships can really put you into a lot of stress, especially if things are not working out well. Even dieting and exercising can cause mental, physical and even emotional pressures. However, if you are in a weight-reduction program, you need to beat stress in order to emerge victorious. If you succumb to stress, there is a big tendency that you will start to go back to unhealthy habits and lifestyle like binge eating, drinking loads of caffeine or alcohol, smoking and procrastinating.

Having Amnesia During Social Functions

Social functions and gatherings are also potential weight loss traps. Most people do not want to displease the host and other friends around them, so they end up forgetting that they are on a diet. When this happens, you start chugging several bottles of beer, sipping countless martinis, and chowing down whatever food is served.

One way to prevent being pressured or tempted to eat is by having lunch or dinner before going to parties. So if your friends urge you to eat, you can honestly say that you are already full. You can also hold on to your half-full glass of wine or nibble on a healthy appetizer as you go around and greet your friends; this way, they won't notice that you are not eating or drinking anything.

You will surely encounter one or all of these pitfalls during your diet program. In fact, you might find yourself crumbling against these temptations every once in awhile. The only thing you can do when you fall into a trap is to get out of it and immediately go back to your weight reduction plan. Sometimes, you might also need slimming products to help you get back on track.

Diet Pills: are They a Safe Option to Take?

Welcome to the world of diet pills. You have to keep an open mind with these weight-loss supplements. Be ready to engage in healthful measures to reach your goal in losing those extra pounds. You see, it’s not really that scary to opt for diet pills as a weight-loss

Before you give in to these claims, be aware that nearly all the man-made drugs have their own side effects as well, and can be a possible cause for physical, mental, and psychological dependence. In fact, these effects are written on the medical information that you would find inside the boxes or on the bottles themselves.

With this in mind, always take the appropriate amount or dosage that is recommended by the manufacturer. Over dosage is the main cause of problems hitting diet pill users. Some just can’t wait and wants an overnight sensation!

Diet pills have different actions. They are:

1. Metabolism enhancers – those that speed up the fat burning process thereby reducing stored fat.

2. Appetite suppressants-those that suppress hunger pangs and make you feel full most of the time. This will help you control you desire for more food intake.

3. Fat blockers-they bind with fatty food and flush it out of your system before it gets stored and converted to calories.

Learn how they work and decide which particular approach is a better option for you.

You also need to have a consultation with your physician before starting this. Your doctor can help you understand if there are certain ingredients included in these drugs that may not be favorable to your health.

While pills present an easier option towards weight loss, do not forget that healthy habits are also needed to achieve your goals in losing unwanted pounds. If you take pills, and still practice unhealthy habits, it may take a long wait for you to make your dream a reality.

So, are diet pills safe? It may depend on a lot of factors. But, if you practice healthy habits, exercise, follow a healthy meal plan, and go through medical supervision while taking these drugs, the adverse effects is not going to happen.
measure.

Natural Weight Loss – Ideal way to Lose Weight

In today's world, being obese is one of the biggest complications that almost 3 among 10 in USA are going through this problem and the condition is on continuous rise. In UK, a recent study estimates that nearly 10 million adults and 1 million children will be suffering from obesity by the time of 2010.

There are various medications available in the market for treating obesity; however, a natural weight loss procedure has no alternative. It is mainly because, in most of the cases, the medications used to control weight have inevitable side-effects, whereas there is a wide range of natural weight loss programs focusing the same goal but without any apparent negative outcomes.

Prior to our discussion regarding different methodological approaches of weight loss, we should know what a natural weight loss approach offers in general compared to the traditional chemical-based medicinal approaches.

Most essentially, it puts emphasis on a holistic system which considers elimination of wastage products from the system to restoring healthy body weight. It doesn't focus only the elimination of the symptoms of the problem; rather it tries to encounter the problem from its roots, contrary to conventional artificial treatment policies. Now let us discuss few of natural weight loss approaches which have received significant recognition irrespective of demographic differences and cultures.

Therapeutic Fasting

Fasting is known as the most ancient process to keep your system healthy and to restore health as well. It is indeed a natural healing mechanism. Fasting facilitates a complete cleansing process incorporating each and every cell and tissues in our body. Within duration of less than 24 hours of food intake, enzymes produced within the body start entering into intestine and blood stream instead of stomach and these enzymes in the course of their movement gulp up all kinds of waste particles including dead and spoiled cells.


Meanwhile, they resist entering different microbes, pollutants and metabolic wastes. Quite obviously, at this stage all organs and glands become able to relax and the tissues get rejuvenated and their functions get restored. However, therapeutic fasting is essentially directed with the help of expert health practitioner in order to promote it for natural weight loss approach.

Herbal Solution

Since ancient ages, a wide range of herbs are well-respected for their ability to alleviate symptoms of various complications associated with our health system in general. This is truly applicable for obesity also. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is useful for suppressing appetite. It has the ability to curb your appetite so nicely that you do not need to feed much. To have a good control over your consumption of food, you can add fennel in your diet or you may have fennel tea. You can also have sage or thyme substituting fennel.


Have Light Food


Depending on green vegetables with a plentiful of water can always be beneficial for your health. Green vegetables help you to have required nutrition, whereas water helps cleansing your system. If you are really inclined on natural weight loss process, you may depend on beet green, lettuce, Swiss chard, collards, turnip greens and other leafy vegetables. You may feed yourself with bulgur wheat, because its constituents include protein, niacin and iron. It is a great source of fiber, whereas low in sodium and fat. Soup and low calorie meal are beneficial for being aligned with natural weight loss program. While having your soup, you must not have cream ones in order to avoid being obese.

Regular Exercise

If you truly desire about loosing your extra weight, you must be truly honest to your goal and required actions to achieve your goal. A safe well-balanced healthy diet in addition to regular exercise has no other alternative for natural weight loss. Make a daily schedule and follow it rigorously for performing exercise. You may make a minimum of one hour walk everyday to make you feel healthier and more active. It will help you to burn extra calories from your system and promote a healthy system eventually.