Thursday, March 26, 2009

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, How Can I Be Like You Are?

Okay, I know that's a silly title for this but bear with me....

Some of us want to lose weight and we openly talk about it. We cringe at the thought of beaches and swimming pools because it reminds us that the typical attire is a bathing suit - and it is nearly impossible to hide those extra pounds and bulges when you are wearing a tiny garment.

But instead of doing anything about it we continue to feel bad and hope and wish that we were in shape. I know because I have been there! I saw Valerie Bertinili on TV last night. She is 48 years old and she has lost almost 50 pounds over the past year and a half. She was in a bikini and looked great.

But how did she do it? Okay, okay, I know, she's rich and she probably had a lot of help and support that most of us don't have. I understand that and I know that's a real advantage. But she lost the weight and got in shape by limiting her daily calorie intake to 1200 and by exercising. She used the Jenny Craig program and she got amazing results.

So how can you mimic what she did? That's easy and it won't cost you a dime! Learn about healthy food choices and appropriate caloric intake. Use that knowledge to create your menus. If you want to stick with 1200 calories per day then simply divide that number by how many times you want to eat each day. It is highly recommended that you eat at least 4 or 5 times per day. By spreading the meals out your metabolism rate stays higher and you do not get to the point of feeling hunger.

As far as getting in shape goes - obviously as you lose weight you need to tone up. You don't want lots of loose skin everywhere! Working out does not have to be difficult and you don't have to join a gym. Begin by incorporating simple things into your life. Take a walk whenever you can, play with your children or pets, clean your house more often, etc. Then you can add things like squats and crunches to your daily routine. As time goes on you can slowly add a more vigorous workout to your regimen.

Soon you will be in shape and feeling great. Your age is irrelevant - no matter how old you are or how much weight you need to lose, getting started is the first step to sculpting the body of your dreams. Why not start today? You can learn most everything you need to know about nutritional requirements right here on this site. Additionally you can check out some of the products listed on the right-hand sidebar. However you do it, whatever method, program or system you use - the key is getting started and doing it!

Sunday, March 15, 2009

3 Easy Ways To Work With And Speed Up Your Metabolism

Our metabolism rate is really the key to losing weight. All we have to do is learn how to manage or work with metabolism and we will be on our way to reaching our goal weight. These three simple steps can go a long way in getting you started!

Most of us are aware of the importance of metabolism when it comes to losing weight. Either we learn how to work with it and even manipulate it or our metabolic rate will control us in relation to weight gain or loss. After you understand how metabolism works it is not difficult to do things to speed it up. This article will cover three easy ways that you can either work with or actually manipulate the rate of your metabolism.

First it is important to understand the two primary functions of metabolism. When you consume food the body considers it to be a fuel source. This fuel or energy is used to promote the proper function of the body.

You are probably aware of the fact that the tissues and cells of your body are continuously dying and being replaced. Believe it or not, the body requires the use of energy to make this process efficient. Another important point is that when you exert energy calories you have consumed are burned.

So your metabolism is doing two things essentially, it is working to break down the calories into a useable form for the body and it is working to create the new cells and tissues. Those functions are opposites in that one is breaking down and the other is building new.

With basic knowledge of metabolism you can begin using steps to make your metabolism work for you. It is important to realize that your body needs a certain amount of calories in order to function efficiently. That is why many fad diets or diet supplements are not healthy. You need to find a weight management program that allows the consumption of nutrient rich foods.

See the three easy steps to speeding up your metabolism listed below:

1) Never skip meals
2) Eat healthy food choices
3) Incorporate activity into your lifestyle

Be sure to sign up for your free report that covers metabolism from A to Z. The sign up form is in the sidebar!

When your body is at rest you are burning fewer calories. When you sleep everything slows down. By eating a healthy breakfast each morning you will actually kick start your metabolism into action. You have to provide food for the process to be faster.

For the same reason it is important that you do not allow yourself to wait an extremely long time between meals. Instead try to eat at least four times per day, but even up to seven small meals is fine. This keeps your metabolism at its optimum rate and you will never feel hungry. That means you will not overeat.

Consider the foods you eat. Make healthy choices. This is not to say that you have to completely eliminate your favorite foods but carefully decide when it is okay to indulge and when it is not. Planning meals ahead of time often helps with this task.

I understand that exercise regimens can be tedious, boring and exhausting. That is why I always recommend adding simple ways to increase your physical activity level. I am suggesting things like taking walks, or using the stairs instead of the elevator, parking at the far end of parking lots, playing with your dog or children, and giving up the remotes. By doing small things a lot you will definitely increase your metabolism rate.

These three easy steps can actually result in a significant weight loss. Simply incorporate the steps into your life and you will find that you are losing weight and feeling better. Get on your way to controlling your metabolism today!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

5 Tips To Fast Weight Loss

Losing weight does not have to be difficult. We can utilize some easy strategies that will result in safe and fast loss of weight. But we have to commit to stick with the techniques if we are going to reach our goals.

Losing weight is an issue that most of us have to deal with at least once in our life. And ideally when we make the decision to lose weight we want to lose it fast. The good news is that there are ways to quickly shed those extra pounds.

This article will focus on five easy steps you can take to quickly get into shape. See the list below.

1) Eat foods that are healthy
2) Eat several times throughout the day
3) Plan your meals ahead of time
4) Drink lots of water
5) Incorporate activity into your lifestyle

Although these tips seem obvious they are very powerful when put to use. By choosing healthy foods you will be consuming calories that the body can use efficiently. That means the energy from those calories will be used to help your body function as it should.

This includes the simple processes of creating new tissues and cells along with other functions that maintain life. On the other hand, empty calories are often stored as fat.

A holistic approach to weight loss is the best approach. To get started using such an approach check out the toolkit offered in the sidebar. It is very affordable and it covers virtually every aspect of a healthy way to lose weight, get in shape and feel great! Check it out now!

If you eat smaller portions of food and eat several times a day you will never reach the hungry point. It is a good idea to create a tool for you to use to measure when you should eat. This could simply be a scale of one to five or even one to three. Use one as the point or feeling right after a meal. This is when you are full. The other extreme is when you are really hungry. Never allow yourself to get to that point. It can result in you over-eating.

When you eat you actually kick-start your metabolism. So if you eat several times a day your metabolism will always be in high gear; it will continuously be burning calories.

Planning your meals ahead of time will prevent you from grabbing the first thing you see. The reason you should avoid that is because those quick food choices are often high in calories. If you know ahead of time what you will be having you are more likely to make wise choices.

Drinking water is always important. But when you are trying to lose weight the water provides the advantage of keeping everything flowing and it gives you a feeling of fullness. This aids in alleviating the feelings of hunger when you really are not.

Next on the list is adding some activity to your life. I suggest that you start with small increments and add to them on a regular basis. A favorite of mine is simply walking. I practice parking at the far ends of parking lots and using the stairs instead of the elevator. I also push myself to play ball with my dogs and I try to interact with my grandchildren on a regular basis. That can add a lot of activity!

These simple tips can result in quick weight loss without a real diet. You will lose weight and feel great. Get started today!

Thursday, March 5, 2009

3 Easy Ways To Work With And Speed Up Your Metabolism

Our metabolism rate is really the key to losing weight. All we have to do is learn how to manage or work with metabolism and we will be on our way to reaching our goal weight. These three simple steps can go a long way in getting you started!

Most of us are aware of the importance of metabolism when it comes to losing weight. Either we learn how to work with it and even manipulate it or our metabolic rate will control us in relation to weight gain or loss. After you understand how metabolism works it is not difficult to do things to speed it up. This article will cover three easy ways that you can either work with or actually manipulate the rate of your metabolism.

First it is important to understand the two primary functions of metabolism. When you consume food the body considers it to be a fuel source. This fuel or energy is used to promote the proper function of the body.

You are probably aware of the fact that the tissues and cells of your body are continuously dying and being replaced. Believe it or not, the body requires the use of energy to make this process efficient. Another important point is that when you exert energy calories you have consumed are burned.

So your metabolism is doing two things essentially, it is working to break down the calories into a useable form for the body and it is working to create the new cells and tissues. Those functions are opposites in that one is breaking down and the other is building new.

Be sure to get your free report - all about metabolism - the sign up form can be found in the side bar.

With basic knowledge of metabolism you can begin using steps to make your metabolism work for you. It is important to realize that your body needs a certain amount of calories in order to function efficiently. That is why many fad diets or diet supplements are not healthy. You need to find a weight management program that allows the consumption of nutrient rich foods.

See the three easy steps to speeding up your metabolism listed below:

1) Never skip meals
2) Eat healthy food choices
3) Incorporate activity into your lifestyle

When your body is at rest you are burning fewer calories. When you sleep everything slows down. By eating a healthy breakfast each morning you will actually kick start your metabolism into action. You have to provide food for the process to be faster.

For the same reason it is important that you do not allow yourself to wait an extremely long time between meals. Instead try to eat at least four times per day, but even up to seven small meals is fine. This keeps your metabolism at its optimum rate and you will never feel hungry. That means you will not overeat.

Consider the foods you eat. Make healthy choices. This is not to say that you have to completely eliminate your favorite foods but carefully decide when it is okay to indulge and when it is not. Planning meals ahead of time often helps with this task.

I understand that exercise regimens can be tedious, boring and exhausting. That is why I always recommend adding simple ways to increase your physical activity level. I am suggesting things like taking walks, or using the stairs instead of the elevator, parking at the far end of parking lots, playing with your dog or children, and giving up the remotes. By doing small things a lot you will definitely increase your metabolism rate.

These three easy steps can actually result in a significant weight loss. Simply incorporate the steps into your life and you will find that you are losing weight and feeling better. Get on your way to controlling your metabolism today!





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Monday, March 2, 2009

Does Losing Weight Have To Be Complicated

A schematic showing the make-up of a plate of ...Image via Wikipedia

Let me begin this article by stating the obvious, some diet plans make losing weight so difficult that it takes a highly educated person to follow their plan. Then when you fail they can explain the failure away by saying that you did not follow the plan correctly. This is BS! Losing weight does not have to be complicated. You simply need to eat the right foods at the right intervals.

Over the years I personally have dealt with fluctuating weight. I also have family members and friends that have dealt with the trauma and stigma of feeling less than perfect because they are or have been overweight. The worst part is that many so called diet programs are scams.

They do nothing to educate the participants about how to lose the fat, instead they only teach the individuals to blindly follow the program. This might work if the participants had no mind of their own, but we are individuals and we think for ourselves. The programs are not able to insert a script into our brains that tells us what exactly to eat and what not to eat.

If you are content with a program that sends you a month supply of food and that is all that you eat, then I tip my hat to you. But I am an individual and I have my own preferences and I questions things. I want to know why I am doing things.

I understand that such programs are trying to make losing weight less complicated…but I am not a robot. I want choices. Teach me to fish, do not give me a fish.

What you really need to learn is all about metabolism. Metabolism is what regulates the way the human body uses food. When you are armed with that knowledge you can then make informed choices about your food and when you eat your meals.

You will learn that it is all about eating the right foods at the right intervals. Do not fall into the trap of a dependence on a program that you will need in order to lose weight. Instead, purchase one that teaches you how to eat properly. You will then have the lifetime skills needed to maintain your weight and health.





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Monday, February 23, 2009

8 Easy Tips To Making Your Life Fat-Loss Friendly

A typical American snack vending machineImage via Wikipedia

Fat traps are everywhere! This makes sticking to a food plan difficult. The key is learning to make your life fat-loss friendly.

Perhaps one of the biggest reasons that most people fail at any weight loss program or plan is a lack of will power. Now do not take that wrong because I mean this in the nicest way possible. It takes a lot of will power to pass up your favorite foods and snacks.

This is especially true when they are readily available, even as close as your own kitchen. So what can you do, how can you increase your will power, or more importantly, what can be done to make your home a more friendly place for anyone looking to lose the fat.

Actually there are several things that you need to know about. Check out the list below:

1) Snack promotion is everywhere
2) Buying in bulk can lead to overeating
3) Fat-free does not mean low calorie
4) Variety is not always a good thing
5) Junk food should be avoided - always
6) Free refills are not so free when they show up as fat
7) Calories on the weekends and holidays do count
8) Restaurants with great atmospheres can lead to overeating


From the gas stations to TV commercials you will see promotions for snack foods that are not conducive to fat loss. Tip; pay at the pump and keep a low-fat alternative snack available.

Although buying in bulk can save money it can also result in us eating more. We simply see that there is plenty available and we consume more. Tip; divide the bulk goods when you get home with them. Then hide whatever is not needed right away.

Food labels can be misleading. Be sure to read the complete label, low fat foods are sometimes very high in calorie content. And when you buy a package of cookies, candy bars or other food items that offer a variety you may be doing yourself more harm than good. It is human nature to want to sample each of the varieties.

Junk food is junk food, whether it is from a vending machine or from a candy jar on a desk of a co-worker. Avoid all junk food. Many restaurants now offer free refills on drinks. Although this is a nice gesture, those free refills can add lots of calories. Tip, drink water or unsweetened tea.

Calories count even if they are consumed during a holiday or a weekend. I am all for taking a break from a routine but use caution and do not go overboard. And when you eat out consider the atmosphere of the restaurant you choose. Those with relaxing and soothing atmospheres tend to entice us to hang around longer, which means we are more likely to eat dessert. Those same restaurants also have wonderful names for their foods which make them sound even better than what they are. Use caution.

By making a few small changes to your life you will decrease the temptations and make it more likely that you will succeed in your weight loss attempts. Planning is everything! That is one reason that a Food or Weight Loss Journal is so effective. By planning ahead and tracking what you do eat you can easily see where you need to make changes.

Make healthy choices and use a holistic approach to losing weight - not only will those pounds disappear but you will feel better too!




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Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Keys To Developing a Weight Loss Plan That Works

Typical brands of Potato Chips at a superstore.Image via Wikipedia

Important decisions deserve planning. For some reason many of us decide on a spur of the moment that we are going to begin a weight loss program. Although the decision is admirable planning is often key to the success of any plan or program.

When you make a decision to do something important it is usually done with a lot of thought and planning. This could be deciding to start a business, buying a car or a house, basically anything that is going to affect you in a big way. One decision that people make routinely is related to their weight. Many people are guilty of deciding to lose weight and not making the plans needed to accomplish the task.

To begin you should probably list the reasons that you have made this decision. You might come up with things like health and appearance to start but then you can break that down and be more specific. You could include the fact that you want to look good for a special occasion or event. Or even that you want to purchase a new wardrobe.

It is a great suggestion to visit your doctor before you begin any sort of weight management or fat loss plan or program. Find out first if there are any health related concerns.

I then suggest that you start a Weight Loss Journal. Begin your entries by listing your true reasons for wanting to lose weight. A hint here is that if you are not doing this for yourself you are more likely to be unsuccessful.

Then describe how you feel about your current body image and weight. After you have done that you may be feeling a little down but that is not the intention of this. You should next write a description of how you are going to feel when you have reached your goals.

And that takes us to the next step which is actually setting some goals. Remember to be realistic with your goals because if you set them at unachievable levels you will become disappointed and frustrated. This often leads to one simply giving up on a challenge that seems impossible to realize.

I would also encourage you to include a page in your journal that lists any temptations that you are aware and ways of dealing with those temptations and situations. An example might be eating out or attending parties. By deciding ahead of time how you can effectively deal with such a situation you will be more likely to do well when the time comes.

If you are a regular reader of this site you know that my major weakness is potato chips. I have to make certain that I avoid purchasing my favorite chips or my diet efforts are ruined! Believe me, if they are in the house I will eat them!


Your journal should also be used to document what you eat, when you eat it, and how much you eat. It is also a good idea to include your emotions before, during and after you eat. This helps you to determine which high-calorie foods are worth indulging in and which simply lead to guilt feelings. You will also learn if you eat more during times that you are happy, sad, or feeling stressed.

If you truly develop a journal using these suggestions you will find that it is a very helpful tool. You can also add a page to list your physical activity. This will help you to see if you are in fact leading a sedentary lifestyle or if you are getting the activity that you should. This simple tool will provide a way to track your success from the beginning to the end of your program.

You can check out the holistic approach to weight loss that is promoted in the sidebar for a complete toolkit that includes a Weight Loss Journal. This package is very inexpensive and it's a healthy approach to losing weight and keeping it off. Remember, like anything else that is important to you, this project deserves planning!


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Monday, February 16, 2009

10 Basic Keys To Losing Weight

Silhouettes representing healthy, overweight, ...Image via Wikipedia

Obesity is a growing problem, not only in the United States, but in many regions of the world. Perhaps part of the problem can be attributed to the fast-paced lifestyles we live or even perhaps to the stressful economic times that we live in.

It seems that the trend is even affecting our children. Obesity among children in the age range of 2 – 5 is on the rise. So obviously we need to consider ways of losing weight; ways that are effective and doable.

There are countless pills, gadgets, diets and fat loss programs available to choose from but in order to be a successful program it is important that some basic keys are addressed:

1) Drinking lots of water is always a good idea whether you are concerned with you weight or not but when attempting to lose weight the water helps to cleanse the body as well as giving you a feeling of fullness
2) Visit your doctor to find out if there are any medical issues you should be concerned with as you pursue your fat loss strategies
3) Use a journal to track your progress; this will prove to be helpful as you continue with your plan
4) Find a way to exercise on a regular basis; even if you cannot fit in a regular workout you can find ways to incorporate more activity into your life
5) Do what you can to keep a positive thought process and to minimize any negativity in your life; your mental state will have a direct impact on your success as there is a relationship between eating and how we feel emotionally
6) Keep your goals realistic; if you set yourself up for failure by setting unrealistic goals you are more likely to become frustrated and give up completely
7) Document each step of your plan; this will aid in determining what is working and what changes you might need to make, additionally you will be able to look back at how far you have come
8) Get plenty of rest; being rested will insure that your energy is what it should be and that will assist you in maintaining a high activity level
9) Find some support; it does not matter if this is a friend or a forum online but it is helpful if you have someone you can discuss matters with that understands how you are feeling
10) Do not think of yourself as being on a diet; rather than thinking of this as a diet you should be working on lifestyle changes that will lead to better health now and in the future.

For some great weight loss products check out the sidebar!!!!

In the end you will find that you are a slimmer and healthier person!


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Sunday, February 15, 2009

Lose The Fat: Get The Body You Want Fast

Dieting is not for most people; we love to eat. But by making the right food choices we can eat healthier and lose weight at the same time.

Many of us are on the road to toning up and losing weight. Essentially we are ridding our bodies of fat and getting in shape. The good news is that we do not have to change everything about our diets to get on the right track, as a matter of fact; a few simple changes can make a big difference. All we need to do is make some substitutions; we can swap healthy choices for those fattening things we are in the habit of eating.

I will provide some examples from each meal group so I will begin with breakfast. If you switch from a regular corn flake cereal to a bran flake cereal with raisins you will be getting about ¼ the fiber you need for the day. Eat regular oatmeal instead of instant. If instead of eating an apple-cinnamon instant oatmeal you eat regular oats with chopped apples and a dash of cinnamon you will get the same taste but you will not desire to eat as soon afterward. Your body is able to digest the instant oatmeal faster than the regular oatmeal so regular oatmeal makes you feel full longer.

When you choose a sandwich for lunch be sure that your mayonnaise is canola oil mayonnaise, and consider tuna. You will be getting a double dose of heart-healthy omega-3 fats. Another tip is adding avocado to your sandwiches. Avocado is rich in vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and cholesterol-lowering plant sterols.

Always opt for food cooked in canola oil as opposed to corn oil whenever possible. Canola oil provides more omega-3s than most cooking oils.

Choose cheese ravioli over meat lasagna because it has about half as much total fat.
Meatloaf made with ground turkey has less calories and less fat than meatloaf made with lean ground beef.

Please do not stop with this article. Do your research related to your favorite foods. I am sure you can find substitutions that you will be happy with. Go to Google and put in a search for low-fat alternative for whatever your food entry is. By simply making some wise choices and substitutions we can save calories and fat, thereby getting in shape faster.

I know that there are certain fruits and raw vegetables that I love - and if I have them readily available I am more likely to make healthy choices. I have been working on having veggie trays prepared and ready so they are a good choice for a quick snack - that is one way I am attempting to conquer my obsession with chips!

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Thursday, February 12, 2009

New Day - New Beginning!

Yesterday did not go exactly as it should have - I slipped again!

I knew I shouldn't do it but I decided I wanted something to eat...I thought for awhile about what that should be. I looked at the bowl of fruit on the counter and knew that I did not want fresh fruit. I thought about having a salad - even a deluxe salad but I decided that really was not what I wanted either.

The whole time my mind was on the bag of chips hiding in the cupboard. Okay - to make a long story short, I gave in, I grabbed the bag of chips and ate way too many.

I know that I shouldn't have them in the house - I KNOW THAT - but I really have trouble avoiding them in the grocery stores.

I know most everyone has a similar weakness - a sort of addiction to a particular food item. I also know that I TEACH others to never allow those foods in the home or if you do to limit the amount that you eat. I also teach that if you really feel a strong desire for such a food to go ahead and indulge.

So I indulged and now I feel guilty - but I have to admit that I am still thinking about how great those chips tasted!

Tomorrow I will not eat chips - tomorrow I will not eat chips - tomorrow I will not eat chips...........................................................................

Am I the only one that is obsessed with chips?

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Wednesday, February 11, 2009

My Fat Trap - STRESS!

2009 started off with a bang for me - and it was not a good sort of bang! Really - you will think I am making this up but every word you are about to read is true!

Here's my story:

My mom died of ovarian cancer on Jan. 13th. Mom was buried on Jan. 17th. She had suffered with the disease for two years.

My husband's best friend of 30 years died on Jan. 18th. He was diagnosed with cancer on the same day that my mom died.

On Jan.19th my new grandson was born.

I happen to live in Louisville, KY and as you probably know, we were hit hard by the recent winter ice storm. My power was out for days - the power lines were pulled down from my home. That meant that after the utility company restored power to my area my home had to be disconnected in order that electricians could repair my lines.

During the mist of the ice storm my daughter's home caught on fire. So now my daughter and my two oldest grandchildren are living with me.

Well, I think that about covers my year so far! I am hoping that my family has received its share of bad luck for the next several years in this short period of time.

Anyway, you would think that with all that stress I would not think about food but guess what - I sometimes find food comforts me. You guessed it, over the past three weeks I have gained about 4 pounds.

Okay - I realize that 4 pounds is not a lot but I also know that I have to get back to paying more attention to what I eat, how much I eat, and when I eat. I am going to start today.

I will be posting about my progress. The first thing I need to do is get all of the chips out of my house - chips are my true weakness. I love salty foods and I love quick snacks - go figure!

I'm stopping for now but I will be updating the blog about my progress.

I hope you and yours are well!

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Monday, January 26, 2009

The Best Ways To Lose Weight Safely

Many fad diets, diet pills and crash diets are simply not healthy. The good news is that there are ways to lose weight that are both safe and effective. Do not endanger your health in order to shed a few pounds, that is not necessary. Instead, learn about healthy alternatives.

One of the common mistakes made when trying to lose weight is to begin by reducing the amount of food eaten. Although this seems logical and to some degree it would make sense it is not a good solution. In many cases it can even be dangerous to your health. You see, your body absolutely needs nutrition in order to function at its best and if it is deprived it will go into survival mode which means it will spread out whatever calories it has available.

Crash diets can force the body to slow down the metabolic rate. Because the body has few calories coming into it to burn it may be forced to burn some fat but because you are not eating properly you are likely to be feeling tired, fatigued and you may even be prone to illness due to a weakened immune system. It is also possible that you will force your body to burn muscle mass during this period.

Sadly many people use one fad or crash diet after another only to find that after losing weight it comes back and when it does there is usually more than before. These types of diets cannot be sustained for long periods of time because of the stress the participant feels.

Dieters using fad diets are usually hungry and often complain of feeling weak or having little or no energy. Diet pills often make the claim that the user will not be hungry. Although this may be true, if the participant is not eating a healthy diet then he or she is still depriving the body and there will be consequences.

So when one wants to lose weight safely he may wonder how to go about it. The answer is really quite simple. By eating frequent small-sized meals of smaller serving sizes of nutritious foods one can lose weight. This method does a couple of things. First, it insures that the person will not get hungry which means he or she will not be grabbing quick snacks that are high in fat and calorie content. It also keeps the metabolism at a higher rate.

Metabolism is the process of the way the body uses calories. Calories are the energy units in foods and the body can use energy to either break down to be used for immediate fuel or to store for the future. When we provide more calories than our body needs for its functions we basically are creating extra cells, and in most cases that will become fat.

Exercise is one way to burn more calories. As a matter of fact, if you build muscle mass the muscles will burn calories around the clock. So obviously having muscles is a good thing!

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Saturday, January 24, 2009

Diets Do Not Work: Learn How To Overcome The Top Three Reasons That Diets Fail

The typical dieter tries several diets before ever finding one that works for him or her. This does not mean that the diets tried are not workable, it simply means they were not a good match for that individual. Knowing what to look for in a weight management plan can help to ensure success with the program.

I want to start this article with some statistics, but I warn you, they are not encouraging. First let me say that it is estimated that at least half of the women in the United States are trying to lose weight. That is not just true for today but for any day of the week, month or year.

The fact that is really sad is that most will not find a plan that works for them and of those that do, 2/3 will regain any weight they lose within two to three years. I have listed the top three reasons that diets fail for you below:

1) Too restrictive
2) No support
3) Does not fit in with established lifestyle

The number one pitfall to most diets is the fact that they are too restrictive. After all, we want choices; we do not want to be limited to a particular food or have to follow a lot of rules. We just want to lose weight. The solution to this problem is learning more about proper food choices and eating right.

A second problem frequently noted is that many programs do not include any support. Although there are various options available to solve this dilemma one of the best is using online support. This type of network offers insight from individuals from various places and you are sure to find several someones that you connect with.

Problem number three is that the diet plans do not fit the lifestyle of the participant. Most if not all of us live very busy lives and we have little time to give to a new venture. We want and expect things to fit in with what we already do, how we already live. And if they do not then we give them up. Always research any new program thoroughly before signing on, find out what you are committing to.

By the way, a holistic approach to weight loss will always be one that can easily be incorporated into your preferred lifestyle. You will gradually make changes that will result not only in weight loss, but also in a fitter and healthier you - your lifestyle will become one that is geared toward promoting health in a non-intrusive manner. In the end you will lose weight, feel great, and it will show! Check out the complete holistic weight loss toolkit offered in the sidebar for only $11.

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Monday, January 19, 2009

Weight Loss Should Focus On Losing Fat

Many of us want to lose weight. To be even more accurate I could say that most of us want to lose weight. But to a great degree diets and diets programs leave us short-changed. What I mean is that some of the well-know programs focus on weight loss as opposed to fat loss. And fat loss is what we are really looking for.

The difference is simple. Fat is what is unwanted on our bodies. We want to lose that. We do not want to lose our muscle mass. So losing weight needs to have a focus on fat and not just any weight loss at all.

Any time that a person is attempting to lose weight he or she should learn about metabolism and how it works to establish the use of the nutrients that enter the body. This knowledge will help you understand that eating right is the key to losing fat.

We have all heard that diets do not work. Metabolism is why they do not work. Your body will adjust the metabolism rate according to what is normal for you, whatever your normal caloric intake is. So if you make a habit of eating several small meals a day of highly nutritional foods then your metabolism will be optimized.

But on the other hand, if you eat irregularly scheduled meals and they are of varying nutritional valued foods your metabolism rate will have a difficult time adjusting as you would want it to, and unfortunately it will probably slow down. The reason it may slow down is that the body is designed for survival and because you have not established a clear pattern for your body to depend it has determined that it must spread out calories in order to make them last, just in case you do not eat regularly.

Extra calories, the ones that are not used for nutritional value are stored as fat. That is why you should learn about eating quality foods. Essentially, if you eat the right foods at the right intervals not only will you lose weight but more importantly, the weight you lose will be from fat.

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Sunday, January 18, 2009

Five Fat Traps That Can Be Avoided: They Are Everywhere!

Losing weight can be difficult even in under the best circumstances. But it seems that no matter where you are there are traps waiting for you, fat traps that is. Learn how to avoid them; this article will help!

It is difficult to make it through a day without being overwhelmed in one way or another by fatty, sweet and salty foods. They seem to be everywhere we look, from grocery stores to gas stations we stop at, to the restaurants we visit, and even the department stores that we shop at. It really is hard to avoid the fat traps when everywhere you go and everywhere you look they seem to jump out at you.

Here are fat traps that you can avoid:

1) Free refills
2) Varieties
3) Junk food
4) Bulk buying
5) Nice, romantic restaurants

A free refill is a wonderful concept except that it can add to the calories you are consuming which is not so wonderful. Water or unsweetened tea is always a good choice.

When you have a lot of variety to choose from you are more likely to be tempted to try a little of all options available. This is true whether you are at a buffet table or eating candy. So limit your options. If you eat at a buffet style restaurant try to keep your main entre a low calorie dish, or even a salad, and then add two, three or four side dishes.

Junk food is my weakness and I think a lot of people deal with this as well. My first suggestion is simply to not buy junk food. If it is in my house I will eat it! The same thing is true for the junk food you find at work. If you keep a bowl or jar of candy on your desk you are likely to dip into from time to time. If you know junk food is available in a particular area at your place of employment then avoid that area.

With the economy being what it is many of us have resorted to buying in bulk in order to save money. The problem that is happening is people are eating more. I believe this is psychological. We see that there is plenty available so we feel it is okay to eat as much as we want. So to change that way of thinking you should divide those large packages up into smaller ones as soon as you get home with them. Store the excess someplace where it will not be in plain view.

Okay, some people will not like this but it is true. If you eat in a nice restaurant where the atmosphere is relaxing, soothing and unhurried you are likely to eat more. Additionally, restaurants like that usually have spectacular names for their dishes, especially their desserts, which make them sound too good to resist. So either avoid this type of restaurant or at least be aware of these facts when you eat at such places.

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Saturday, January 17, 2009

Lose Weight Without Exercising Or Dieting; Change Your Lifestyle Instead

This is a familiar story, this couple I know is in their late forties (well, that is what they told me to say, but they are in their fifties) and both are getting a little flabby. This is not surprising; they live a fairly inactive lifestyle. Form what I see they go to work, come home, have supper, spend a little time doing odd and end things around their home and then retire for the evening.

That does not sound very different from my own story as a matter of fact! This couple spent some time with my husband and I last weekend and they asked how we were staying in shape, they wanted to know what our secret is. First of all I was thrilled that anyone would say something like that and secondly I was happy to help a friend with something that they sincerely wanted to work on.

As I had said, this couple seemed to live their life much the same way that my husband I live ours; except for a few differences. I learned years ago that diets do not work for me, so therefore I learned all I could about nutrition and metabolism. Luckily you do not need to know much at all about either to know that metabolism and good nutrition are the keys to weight management.

I began explaining metabolism to our friends. Although both are well educated they said they had never really considered the impact of metabolism on weight loss before. They had mistakenly got caught up in the diet trends over the years and just never had much luck with any of them.

Then we talked about exercise. Although I am not athletic I do work out somewhat regularly at home; but I am not sure anyone else would consider what I do a workout. I simply run through some basic exercises about 3 or 4 times a week. My husband is very active on the job because he is in construction work. But we both know that we do not get enough structured physical activity so we have found ways to add activity to our life.

These are simple little techniques that anyone can do. I always park at the end of parking lots which forces me to walk a little farther. Instead of just letting my dogs outside in the fenced yard to do their business I take them for walks. My home is multi-level so I make it a point to travel from one level to another as many times as possible. At work I take the stairs instead of the elevator. But this one is the big one, this is the one that hurts the most so we do not stick with it, we change the TV channels by hand!

After our discussion our friends said they felt anxious to give this approach a try. They seemed to appreciate the fact that they had not been asked to start a drastic diet or to make any extreme changes to their schedules. I completely understood.
I also told about resources and books that I had read that might help them. My friends are well on their way to getting in shape,

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Friday, January 16, 2009

Exercise To Lose Inches Without Working Out

The desire to lose weight is very common; most of us have at least some phases of our life in which we need to shed a few pounds. It seems that many weight management programs focus not only on changing the way a person eats but also on the addition of a regular workout.

The problem with this is that many people are not physically able to do most exercise routines that are recommended or they simply do not have the time available to add spending time at the gym a few days a week.

Gyms are often expensive and that alone can be a deterrent to anyone. Also there is the time factor involved. Not only do you need to spend the hour or so at the gym but you need to include the time required to travel to and from the gym as a part of that routine. This can add up to a lot of time!

My personal problem with gyms is the fact that the equipment there is shared and people that are working out are most likely sweating. Maybe I have some sort of phobia about that but I believe gyms are bacterial havens. I prefer to stay out of them.

So now you may be wondering what the typical person do to add physical activity into his or her life without exercising. After all, losing fat means losing inches and a quick way to lose fat is through exercise.

Consider adding simple ways to force yourself to be more active. To be most effective with this you will need to dissect your normal routines. Keep an activity journal for at least a few days that list everything you do during a 24 hour period.

Then come up with ways to make each action a little more physically demanding. For example, oftentimes I will open the back door to my home to let my dogs run free in the backyard. The purpose of this is for them to get some activity into their lives and so they will relieve themselves outdoors. If one time per day I actually put their leashes on and take them for a walk I will be adding that activity to my life while doing the basic thing that I was doing before.

Since I brought up walking I might as well mention that walking briskly rather than slowly is another simple way to increase your activity level. Another idea is that when you shop or go anywhere at all instead of driving around the parking lot looking for a spot close to the door simply park at the back or end of the parking area. This will force you to walk that distance and in most cases it really is not a long distance even from the farthest available spot to the door.

Another suggestion is giving up your remotes. This one is hard to do but even the few times that you get up to change a channel or turn on an electronic appliance you will be adding to your total activity for the day.

Review your activity journal and come up with creative ideas that are specific to you and that will meet your needs. This will help you to establish a healthier way of living that can not only help you to lose the fat but it will lead to a healthier you!

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Thursday, January 15, 2009

Top 10 Ways To Lose That Body Fat Fast!

The task of losing weight can really try our patience. It seems that few of us conquer weight management in the way that we would like. By incorporating a few of these tips into your weight loss plan you will be on your road to victory!

Anyone that is overweight understands the feeling of stress when it comes to shopping or preparing for a special event or vacation. When shopping it seems that all the clothes are made to look best on a small figure. When planning for special events and vacations your appearance and what you will wear is often one of the first worries.

It is not uncommon for individuals to want to lose their excess fat at a very rapid pace. Oftentimes a special event or a vacation prompts this new ambition and rejuvenation of the forgotten desire for a slimmer body.

But losing weight can be difficult and if done improperly it can be potentially dangerous. Below you will find the top ten ways to lose body fat fast.

1) Take note of your average daily calorie intake. You may want to keep a food journal for at least a few days before you actually begin any fat loss plan. This journal will be an important tool in your fat loss arsenal.

2) Use your food journal to determine what high-fat and high-calorie foods you eat regularly. Make a plan to reduce the intake of those foods.

3) Make it a point to find substitutes for the high-fat and high-calorie foods that you will be limiting. If you are too restrictive on yourself you will not be likely to stick with your plan at all.

4) Plan your meals ahead of time. If you wait until it is time to eat or until you are hungry to decide what the meal will consist of you are much more likely to eat quick foods or simply foods that are less than desirable for anyone trying to manage his or her weight.

5) Similar to planning your meals you should adjust your portion or serving sizes. Free refills are not attractive when they appear in the fat areas of your body!

6) Keep healthy snacks available. Do your research and find snacks that are appealing to you. Eat those between meals. Do not allow yourself to get to an extremely hungry point.

7) Add fiber to your diet. This helps to maintain the efficiency of the digestive system and keeps you regular.

8) Drink lots of water. Water does many important things for the human body but when trying to lose fat or excess pounds the advantages of drinking water are multiplied.

9) Exercise to some degree at least 3 or 4 times per week. If you cannot find the time to plan a workout of some sort then at least find ways to incorporate extra activity into your daily schedule; use the stairs, give up the remote, park at the end of the parking lots, etc.

10) Allow yourself one day per week to have free from any restrictions; but do not go overboard, just allow yourself to eat a special treat or meal. Then get back to your regimen.

A good tip is to measure your success by the way your clothes fit you rather than by what the scales say. Keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat; your goal is fat loss not muscle loss. It is possible to lose inches without losing weight!

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Wednesday, January 14, 2009

10 Tips For Quick Fat Loss…Start With Your Metabolism

Obesity is a widespread problem; it is not limited to one nation or even one age group. And over the years we have learned that dieting is not the answer to this epidemic. So you might be wondering what the solution is, and I will do my best to explain it and to give you some simple tips on what you can do to effectively lose fat quickly.

To begin, let us talk about the way your body uses food. Your body is designed to use the beneficial calories in ways that will enhance the functioning of the organs and bodily systems. Empty calories become stored…you guessed it, as fat.

So what we need to do is learn to eat the right foods at the right intervals and all will be right with our weight. I know I am over-simplifying here but it really is true. I am essentially referring to you learning to work with or in some cases learning to manipulate your metabolism so that it will function in a way that provides the best advantages for you.

The way to do this is simple really. You will need to learn a little bit about what foods are high in nutritional value and also learn something about how the metabolism of your body works.

Below you will find 10 tips for increasing your metabolism:

1) Incorporate physical activity into your daily lifestyle
2) Eat breakfast
3) Avoid sugar
4) Eat spicy foods
5) Get plenty of sleep
6) Drink lots of water
7) Eat smaller meals
8) Never skip meals
9) Avoid stress
10) Eat foods with high nutritional values

Check the sidebar for the sign up form for a free report on metabolism!


The reason I did not say to add a regular exercise routine into your busy schedule is because that alone can be a deal-breaker for some people. After all, we are busy enough as it is, who has the time to add the time involved to going to the gym. But there are simple things that anyone can do daily to increase our activity level and thus increase our metabolism rate; such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, taking the dog for a walk, or parking at the backend of the parking lot.

Skipping breakfast is a major mistake made by many people. Overnight your metabolism rate slows down in order to spread out the calories your body has available. This slowing down will continue until you feed your body, which will boost your metabolic rate.

Sugar enables the body to store fat so it should be avoided as much as possible. On the other extreme, some spicy foods can actually speed up your metabolism. Sleep is needed to rejuvenate your body, providing you with the energy needed to help keep you feeling fresh and energetic during the day. Water helps to flush out toxins from the body.

I am sure that by now you are starting to see how all of these things work together to establish your metabolic rate. The actual foods that you eat do make a huge difference as well as the intervals of your meals. You should eat small meals but eat them often. Plan your meals ahead of time because that can help to prevent the last minute grabbing for a quick high calorie fix. And do not skip meals because just as with your nighttime rest, your body will adjust the metabolism to spread out the calories as much as possible.

Stress can contribute to eating the wrong foods at the wrong times as well as triggering the release of a steroid called cortisol, which decreases metabolism. Do what you can to avoid negativity in your life.

Knowledge is power and after you learn about metabolism you will have the power to control and manipulate it. Metabolism is the key to fat loss. Forget diets and do not worry about joining a gym or jogging around your neighborhood, just learn about metabolism!

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Tuesday, January 13, 2009

10 Basic Keys To Losing Weight

We have all heard that diets do not work but we are left wondering what does. Weight issues are problematic for the majority of the population; people need simple methods that really work.

Obesity is a growing problem, not only in the United States, but in many regions of the world. Perhaps part of the problem can be attributed to the fast-paced lifestyles we live or even perhaps to the stressful economic times that we live in.

It seems that the trend is even affecting our children. Obesity among children in the age range of 2 – 5 is on the rise. So obviously we need to consider ways of losing weight; ways that are effective and doable.

There are countless pills, gadgets, diets and fat loss programs available to choose from but in order to be a successful program it is important that some basic keys are addressed:

1) Drinking lots of water is always a good idea whether you are concerned with you weight or not but when attempting to lose weight the water helps to cleanse the body as well as giving you a feeling of fullness
2) Visit your doctor to find out if there are any medical issues you should be concerned with as you pursue your fat loss strategies
3) Use a journal to track your progress; this will prove to be helpful as you continue with your plan
4) Find a way to exercise on a regular basis; even if you cannot fit in a regular workout you can find ways to incorporate more activity into your life
5) Do what you can to keep a positive thought process and to minimize any negativity in your life; your mental state will have a direct impact on your success as there is a relationship between eating and how we feel emotionally
6) Keep your goals realistic; if you set yourself up for failure by setting unrealistic goals you are more likely to become frustrated and give up completely
7) Document each step of your plan; this will aid in determining what is working and what changes you might need to make, additionally you will be able to look back at how far you have come
8) Get plenty of rest; being rested will insure that your energy is what it should be and that will assist you in maintaining a high activity level
9) Find some support; it does not matter if this is a friend or a forum online but it is helpful if you have someone you can discuss matters with that understands how you are feeling
10) Do not think of yourself as being on a diet; rather than thinking of this as a diet you should be working on lifestyle changes that will lead to better health now and in the future

In the end you will find that you are a slimmer and healthier person!

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Monday, January 12, 2009

10 Tips For Quick Fat Loss; Start With Your Metabolism

We have all heard that diets do not work but what we need to know is what does work. The truth is that we simply need to learn to work with our metabolic rate. We need to eat the right foods at the right intervals. Our metabolism is the secret to our weight gains, losses, and maintenance.

Obesity is a widespread problem; it is not limited to one nation or even one age group. And over the years we have learned that dieting is not the answer to this epidemic. So you might be wondering what the solution is, and I will do my best to explain it and to give you some simple tips on what you can do to effectively lose fat quickly.

To begin, let us talk about the way your body uses food. Your body is designed to use the beneficial calories in ways that will enhance the functioning of the organs and bodily systems. Empty calories become stored…you guessed it, as fat.

So what we need to do is learn to eat the right foods at the right intervals and all will be right with our weight. I know I am over-simplifying here but it really is true. I am essentially referring to you learning to work with or in some cases learning to manipulate your metabolism so that it will function in a way that provides the best advantages for you.

The way to do this is simple really. You will need to learn a little bit about what foods are high in nutritional value and also learn something about how the metabolism of your body works.

Below you will find 10 tips for increasing your metabolism:

1) Incorporate physical activity into your daily lifestyle
2) Eat breakfast
3) Avoid sugar
4) Eat spicy foods
5) Get plenty of sleep
6) Drink lots of water
7) Eat smaller meals
8) Never skip meals
9) Avoid stress
10) Eat foods with high nutritional values

Be sure to sign up to receive a free report about metabolism - check out the sidebar!

The reason I did not say to add a regular exercise routine into your busy schedule is because that alone can be a deal-breaker for some people. After all, we are busy enough as it is, who has the time to add the time involved to going to the gym. But there are simple things that anyone can do daily to increase our activity level and thus increase our metabolism rate; such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, taking the dog for a walk, or parking at the backend of the parking lot.

Skipping breakfast is a major mistake made by many people. Overnight your metabolism rate slows down in order to spread out the calories your body has available. This slowing down will continue until you feed your body, which will boost your metabolic rate.

Sugar enables the body to store fat so it should be avoided as much as possible. On the other extreme, some spicy foods can actually speed up your metabolism. Sleep is needed to rejuvenate your body, providing you with the energy needed to help keep you feeling fresh and energetic during the day. Water helps to flush out toxins from the body.

I am sure that by now you are starting to see how all of these things work together to establish your metabolic rate. The actual foods that you eat do make a huge difference as well as the intervals of your meals. You should eat small meals but eat them often. Plan your meals ahead of time because that can help to prevent the last minute grabbing for a quick high calorie fix. And do not skip meals because just as with your nighttime rest, your body will adjust the metabolism to spread out the calories as much as possible.

Stress can contribute to eating the wrong foods at the wrong times as well as triggering the release of a steroid called cortisol, which decreases metabolism. Do what you can to avoid negativity in your life.

Knowledge is power and after you learn about metabolism you will have the power to control and manipulate it. Metabolism is the key to fat loss. Forget diets and do not worry about joining a gym or jogging around your neighborhood, just learn about metabolism!

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Sunday, January 11, 2009

Lose Fat By Incorporating Activity Into Your Lifestyle

Exercise routines do not have to be part of a weight loss plan. Really! There are simple ways to incorporate small lifestyle changes which increase your daily physical activity level; these changes tend to stick with you for the long-term making lasting changes rather than a quick fix that is soon forgotten.

I have never liked exercising. I have avoided for all it was worth. I am not athletic and I do not want to be. I do not like competition. I have made it a point in life to only to compete with myself; my goal is only to do better than I have done before.

The only reason that this is even an issue is that I need to lose some weight and it has been suggested that I exercise to help shed the pounds. When I protested saying that I hate to exercise it was suggested that I play some sports.

But eventually I found a book that talked about the importance of working physical activity into your daily life. In other words, this book said it was more important to find ways to incorporate little things into your life that add even a small amount of activity than it is to try to add something huge like a few hours at the gym per week.

I know that sounds crazy so I will explain the rational. First of all most people that start a new membership at a gym do not stick with it very long. They may be there religiously for the first few weeks but that usually slacks off by the second month and by the third month it is likely that they will not even show up.

But what if you make small adjustments to your life. Something as small as changing the channel on the TV by hand instead of using the remote. Or how about parking as far away from buildings as the parking lots allow instead of looking for close spots; with small adjustments you can make big changes in your metabolism.

Your metabolism rate is really what determines how fast or how slowly your food is absorbed. So if you can learn to change a few small things in your life in order to speed up your metabolism you are likely to see some big changes in your weight and fat loss. All of this can happen without any real sacrifices on your part.

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Saturday, January 10, 2009

Easy Weight Loss: Great Benefits

Most of us want to shed a few pounds but the idea of dieting is not appealing. And for good reason, diets do not work and they are not healthy! But there are simple ways to lose weight and do so in a healthy manner.

It is not a secret that we are becoming overweight. This has been documented by statistics for quite some time. It is true that the statistics show some fluctuation, some highs and lows, but there is no denying that obesity is a problem. The good news is that there is an easy way to lose weight, and this easy weight loss system has some great benefits!

1) Lose 9 lbs every 11 days
2) Get slim by eating
3) No starving
4) No exercising
5) 60 day guarantee

This program is so simple it is called Fat Loss 4 Idiots. Now do not take offense at that title. It is simply meant to let people know that the system is easy to follow.

The first thing you will need to do with this program is forget about dieting. How awesome is that…you will be losing weight by eating! Few weight loss programs can make that claim.

That is probably the major benefit of the program. Additionally, you will be learning that eating the right foods, which means keeping watch on the calories and eating your meals at the correct intervals will be the key to your weight loss success.

This is a basic course in metabolism. When you master this you will be able to control your weight for the rest of your life. That is right; you will never have to worry about dieting again because the real key to getting slim is to eat the right foods at the right intervals.

You will learn the importance of shifting your diet menu every few days. This is important because your metabolism will adjust to whatever is normal for your body. So if you deprive yourself for a strict diet you may initially lose some weight but your metabolism will adjust and you will plateau out. That simply means that your metabolic rate is doing exactly what it is designed to do.

That is why diets do not work. You have to learn to work with your metabolism. You will learn how to make it work for you, how to speed it up. This system shows you how you can lose 9 pounds every 11 days. You can repeat this method over and over.

You will never be hungry and you are not asked to start a jogging routine! The simple truth is your weight is determined by the foods you eat and when you eat them.

This program even provides a 60 day guarantee. So if you have used the system wisely you should have lost a tremendous amount of weight long before that. In fact, most people find that in the first month they lose the weight they want to.

The program is going to provide you with the information you need so that you can lose that unwanted weight and gain back the confidence that you are missing. After you learn about calorie shifting and how to control your metabolism you are going to wonder why it took you so long to find this program. This system, Fat Loss 4 Idiots, seems to have the right name; it is a no-brainer! It simply works!

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Friday, January 9, 2009

Facts About Losing Body Fat The Smart Way

When you really want to lose the fat you need a plan. At the top of that plan you need to write in bold letters a reminder to yourself to ignore what the scales say!


Facts About Losing Body Fat The Smart Way

Carrying around excess weight is not fun. It can be uncomfortable and unhealthy. Additionally, it can have devastating effects on self confidence and self esteem. That is why millions of people are looking for quick and easy ways to lose body fat. Notice that I stressed body fat and not simply weight; I will explain why.

Fat is the true unwanted pounds that we carry around. Losing muscle is not the goal of most people. The fact is that pound per pound, inch by inch, muscle mass weighs much more than fat.

When you make the decision that it is time to lose weight your primary focus should be on losing fat. Diet pills and fad diets can be fast and effective but you need to know ahead of time that they are potentially dangerous. These methods can lead to muscle loss and possibly cause injuries to the heart and other organs of the body.

Although we have been taught to focus on our weight a shift of focus to how our clothes fit us may be even more reliable when trying to determine if a weight loss or fat loss plan has been effective. I suggest that you have particular clothes that you can use as a measuring device. Perhaps you could start with a pair of jeans that are too tight.

Then at the end of each week try those jeans on to see if you have lost any body fat. As I mentioned before, muscle weighs more than fat so you really cannot measure your success by what the scales tell you.

In order to lose one pound of fat or flab you will need to decrease your caloric intake by about 3500 calories. Obviously you need to do this in a healthy way and the reduction of calories should be done over a matter of days.

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Thursday, January 8, 2009

Those Expensive Diets Do Not Work, But They Will Add To Your Stress!

Emotions are a wonderful thing. But they do play a role in our eating patterns. Consider how much you eat when you are sad as opposed to how much you eat when you are happy, feeling confused or simply content. We really do have emotional ties to food.

If you have tried more than three diet programs in the last five years raise your hands. If you have tried more than five diet programs in the last five years then you certainly will identify with this article. Believe me; I understand the feelings you have had. You find an ad for a program that sounds wonderful.

You think to yourself that this one will be it; this one will be the answer to your weight problem. But again, the diet does not work, no matter how expensive they are, the only thing they seem to do is add to your stress level.

Okay, let us get to the bottom of the problem. The number one thing you need to do is find out if you have a medical issue that needs to be addressed. Many times there is a true medical reason for weight problems. Medications can be culprits. Always look into those possibilities.

Consider your emotional attachments to food. I know that may sound silly but I am serious. Think about when you eat and where and what. I can give you an example of what I mean. I have a few foods that I call my comfort foods. Whenever I am not feeling well, and I mean not feeling well as in sad or physically ill, I want my comfort foods. These comfort foods are pasta dishes, very high calorie dishes. And I seem to eat a lot when I am sad. That is what I mean by an emotional attachment.

I also feel like I need to have something to snack on whenever I watch TV. This is something that I have been working on so it is not such an issue any longer, but until recently I ate chips while watching TV. I have now found that I enjoy veggie trays just as much.

A great way to learn about your emotional attachments to food is to keep a food diary. Jot down what you eat and when you eat it and how much you ate. But here is the part that is important for the emotional record, include the way you were feeling before you ate. Also add a note about how the food made you feel. Although some of us think that eating a certain food will make us feel good what we find is that we only feel guilty afterward.

Guilt is not a pleasant feeling. So if we can learn to associate particular foods with certain feelings it may help us in creating a healthier diet for ourselves. Give it a try.

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Wednesday, January 7, 2009

I Need To Lose This Fat Quickly

Wow, that was a common mantra of mine in recent years. That is, until I discovered the truth to losing and controlling fat, or as it is more commonly referred to, excess weight. Being overweight is not fun nor is it comfortable.

Most of us deal with this stigma at least once in our life but it does not seem to stop us from being judgmental about others with the same problem. We see others that are overweight and most often we assume they overeat.

Obviously that is the wrong assumption to make. First and foremost there are many medical conditions and medications that can contribute to weight issues. Secondly, lifestyles and genetics are major players in how we are shaped and our sizes, but most of all our weight depends not only on what we eat, how much, when we eat and how often.

For most of us, if we are reasonably healthy, losing fat is not that difficult once we understand metabolism. You see, metabolism is what regulates how our body uses the food we consume. Be sure to sign up to get a free report on metabolism - the form is located in the sidebar of this blog!

If we learn how to eat the right foods at the right times we can learn to work with our metabolism; this is more like the manipulation of our metabolism than working with it really. The more you know the easier it becomes and the whole thing is really not complicated at all.

To put it simply, your metabolic rate is determined by whatever is normal for your body. This normalcy can be adjusted by you. To keep your metabolism steady you should eat lots of small meals that are high in nutritional content at regular interval.

When you skip meals your metabolism slows down. This means that your body is not burning calories very rapidly. Your body does this while you are sleeping. Then when you wake up and eat breakfast you jumpstart your metabolism again. But if you skip breakfast your metabolism remains in the same mode it was in while you were sleeping.

What this all means is that you should be eating regularly. But you need to eat the right foods at the right intervals. It is not that hard to learn about or to incorporate into your life. The good news is that this information can be used for the rest of your life!

A holistic approach to weight loss will include every aspect of you as a person. It is always a healthy approach and it works. For a comprehensive toolkit covering such an approach please CLICK HERE. The entire toolkit is only $11!

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Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Can I Lose Fat Without Starving Or Dieting

If you are like most people you have tried various diets over the years and although you might have lost a few pounds here and there they always find their way back, and sometimes they bring friends! There are reasons for this and it is not your fault!

Diet is a four letter word! And the truth is that diets do not work. There are lots of reasons for that but the main one is related to the fact that assuming an individual adheres to a diet his or her metabolism will adjust to that new level of caloric intake, thus the individual will only lose weight for a short period of time. That is why people tend to plateau out as it is called.

So all in all in most cases the weeks that individual suffered and starved were wasted because eventually the body figures out that it needs to spread out the limited number of calories over a longer period of time. What this means is that the person will then need to consume even fewer calories to lose weight. What a vicious cycle!

Be sure to sign up for your free report on metabolism - check out the sidebar for more information!

The way the metabolic system works is part of the way the body is designed to survive. It will consume the nutritional calories it has available at a pace consistent with the normal intervals that the body usually receives nutrition.

This is why starving oneself or dieting is not necessary in order to lose fat or weight. What is important is eating the right foods at the right intervals. Skipping meals is the wrong thing to do. Eating several small meals that consist of the right foods, foods high in nutritional value is what one should do when working at losing or maintaining weight or fat loss.

Although exercise is certainly beneficial, it is not a necessary component of fat loss. By working with and in some cases even learning to manipulate metabolism an individual can effectively lose fat and maintain the weight that he or she is happy with.

This information does not have to be put in difficult terms because it is not that complicated. What is important is the right foods at the right intervals.

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Saturday, January 3, 2009

Walking For Fun, Walking To Burn Fat

Burning calories is often a goal of anyone determined to lose weight. But when faced with strenuous exercise routines it is easy to lose your motivation very quickly. Instead of exercising hard try exercising smart, consider walking!

Walking For Fun, Walking To Burn Fat

I know it is trendy to go to the gym and work out. I know it is healthy to work out at the gym, but I do not like gyms. I do not like the concept of using equipment that others have sweated on nor do I want other people seeing me attempt to work out. I will simply say that I am not an athletic person, but I do like to stay fit.

One of the ways that I have found to help me stay fit, healthy and in shape is by walking. I know, so simple but it is rarely discussed as an exercise alternative. Trust me, it does work.

Of course, just as with any exercise it is best to warm up before you begin. By warming up I mean that you should start out with a moderately paced walk. A tip is that you should alternate between walking fast and walking slower.

The change in your speed will help to increase the calories that you will burn. So I start out kind of slow, then build my speed up and walk at a very fast pace for awhile, and then I slow down again. I simply repeat this throughout my walk.

I know some people get into the specifics of exactly how far and how fast they walk but that is not my style. Most of my walks last approximately 45 minutes so I just walk in any one direction for about 20 to 25 minutes and then I turn around. I guess I am a simple kind of person but I really enjoy walking and it has done a lot in toning up my thighs and legs.

In addition to walking I sometimes do a few moves that I learned from an exercise video that are designed to enhance the fat burning and help build the muscles in my legs. These include side lunges, front lunges, and calf raises; ideally you should do these moves at least tow or three times per week.

To do a side lunge you stand with your feet apart and your hands on your hips, then you step to the right with your right foot. You will bend your knee and lower your body. Then you do this with your left foot. Alternate lunges for a total of 10 to 15 times for each leg.

The front is very similar only this time you will be stepping forward. Again you will need to repeat this 10 to 15 times for each leg. Calf raises are very easy to do. Begin by standing with your feet slightly apart and then lift yourself up onto your toes. Hold yourself there for a count of 5 and then lower yourself down to the floor. This should also be repeated 10 to 15 times.

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Friday, January 2, 2009

Lose At Least One Dress Size Quickly And Simply

For many the thought of fitting into our clothing from last year is a no brainer. We simply pull them out and put them on, relishing the fact that we love our clothes. But for others we worry if we will need to purchase yet again one size larger this year than last.

This is a common situation for many of us, especially for women. The change of season comes and we pull out our clothes from last year only to find that we have gained weight, the clothes are too tight! Obviously we feel a sense of devastation and we feel as if we have been betrayed by our own bodies.

We wonder what happened. But then it is usually pretty easy to reminisce about the wonderful lunches we had and those great snacks we found, not to mention that we have been too busy to exercise. Well okay, enough of that. Now we know how we got out of shape, next we need to learn about getting back into that size smaller.

Although the thought of shopping does not sound bad the idea of shopping for a larger size does. So we will work on a quick fix to getting back into that smaller size that we already have. Then we can reward ourselves with a new outfit!

To begin I do not want you to start a crash or fad diet. I know you believe that is the quick fix, and I admit that you may lose a few pounds quickly but those diets are not healthy choices. There are better ways that are just as fast.

You will basically be working with your metabolism, which is the true key to weight loss. Having a plan is important and I suggest that you plan your meals ahead of time.

Be sure to get your free report on metabolism - the sign up form is located in the sidebar!

Additionally you need to know that I am going to recommend that you eat several times a day. I know that sounds backward but there is a method to my madness. This will accomplish a couple of things. First of all, by eating more often you are not likely to feel hungry. Feeling hungry often results in one grabbing for a quick fix.

Unfortunately most quick fixes are high in fat and calorie content. Secondly, eating actually kick starts your metabolism. So each time you eat you are giving your metabolism rate a boost. The key is that you need to eat the right foods in smaller portions and at the right intervals.

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Thursday, January 1, 2009

Relax Into Losing Those Unwanted Pounds

Diet and weight loss programs come in many varieties, from pills to complete programs that include a coach. But finding a plan that will meet your needs is the key to success. Your plan will need to fit in with your lifestyle in order to be a lasting and effective means to weight management.

You are in a crowded auditorium and the speaker asks that all the over weight people stand up; you are struggling trying to decide if you will get up out of your seat. You know that you worry about your weight but you hope that others do not think of you as being overweight. If you stand up you will be bringing attention to those extra pounds and then they will surely notice. But you feel like a cheater by remaining in your seat. Then alarm sounds; thank goodness, it was only a dream!

Now that you are awake you cannot get the dream out of your mind. You wonder what other people think when they look at you and you decide that it is time to really do something about your weight this time. But you are not into exercising and you do not want to join a program of any type.

You keep going through your mind of all the things that you are not interested in: diet pills, gadgets of any sort, fad diets, joining a gym, you think to yourself that there is not much that you have not tried in the past so you may have to give up.

During lunch your friend talks about her diet plan. She found it online. It is one of those programs that you see advertised on TV by the mega-stars. You know, the super stars that have lost 40 pounds over the year by eating a certain line of food. You are not interested in that but you are intrigued with the idea of doing a search online for information.

In your search you find out that it is the metabolism rate that is key to regulating the use of the nutrients ingested. The more you learn the simpler this seems. All you really need to do is learn to manage your metabolism rate and you will lose fat.

You even find a program that is built around this concept. Awesome! In no time at all you have ordered and downloaded the ebook. It is easy to understand and the information is simple to apply. You are on your way to losing weight; not only that but you are now armed with the information needed to manage your weight forever!

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Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Getting Rid Of Unhealthy Fat Without Diets Or Exercise

You probably have a number in mind; the perfect size or weight for you. The key is finding a way to get there. Do not worry because it is not that hard to do; just learn about metabolism. This article will get you started!


Most of us have an ideal weight and size that we dream about being. Few of us are there. Everyone has an area or problem spot that they would like change. For me it has always been my abdomen. I have always worried about loose flab on my abdomen. My problem is sticking with a diet or exercise program: I have searched for a way to get rid of my unhealthy fat without diets or exercise and I think I have found it!

You have got to check this system out for yourself. It is based on eating the right foods at the right intervals. Now when I say the right foods I do not mean that you will need to purchase a supply of food from a particular diet program or anything close to that. What I mean is that you will learn what foods are high in nutritional value and those are the ones that you will eat.

I mentioned eating at the right intervals. Let me explain briefly what that is about. This is based on how your body uses the calories that it has. Really it is all about your metabolism. Your metabolism will adjust according to what is normal for your body and what you normally consume.

So if you begin a diet and restrict yourself to only a few calories you will in fact lose weight. The problem is that in order to continue losing weight you will need to continue decreasing the caloric intake because your metabolism will soon adjust to whatever calorie level you give it. That is why people say they plateau out after being on a diet for awhile. You see, diets do not work.

As far as exercise goes, this is not going to help you lose weight; however, exercise will help you tone up as you do lose the weight. So it is very wise to exercise as you lose weight but I would advise that you incorporate physical activity into your daily lifestyle rather than trying to actually workout. Most people begin working out and do fine for a few days but then the routine is soon forgotten.

If instead you do things like use the stairs instead of the elevator, park at the back of the parking lots routinely, and take your dog out for a nice walk daily you will find that you are healthier and more active without the burden of a scheduled workout.

Be sure to sign up to receive my free report on metabolism - you can find the form in the sidebar. And if you are looking for a healthy approach to weight loss then check out the programs offered here. I do my best to only promote high quality products. Please let me know what you think about any of them. Thanks and good luck with your efforts - slow and steady is the key to successful weight management!

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