Dr. Atkins' Diet

The basis of this diet - almost totally avoidance of carbohydrates. It is their surplus, according to Atkins, raises the level of insulin in the blood and causes a feeling of hunger.

Robert Atkins, still the most odious figure in the diets world. He began to propagate his scheme for reducing and controlling weight more than 30 years ago, but it still raises many disputes about its benefits and harms.

Respecting a diet and the elimination of carbohydrates from the body leads to the generation of ketone bodies - chemicals that accelerate the burning of fat in the body.

The Plan: in the first phase of the diet (14 days) the body adjusts to the fat burning scheme; in the second phase occurs the decline in weight to the desired (with the recommended control of the ketone bodies number in the urine through special strip-tests); in the third phase - the result maintenance.
Advantages: getting rid of "sweet" dependency, there is no restriction on the total amount of food and its caloric value.
Difficulties: you need to have good health, not to have chronic diseases, especially diabetes; in the active phase of the diet is not recommended to take drugs. The diet can not be applied when pregnant, lactation period, elevated cholesterol level. There should be an accurate counting of the carbohydrates. To maintain the result, it is recommended to follow the diet all your life.

The first phase: The consumption of carbohydrates - not more than 20 grams a day. Eating is permitted only when hungry, stop as soon as saturation will occur.
Unrestricted: meat, fish, poultry, cheeses, seafood, eggs, vegetables and fresh herbs, mushrooms; vegetable oil: natural, better- untreated cold juices, animal fats: butter subsistence oil, fish fat.
Beverages: water - simple and mineral, tea without sugar (preferably green or herbaceous), various drinks with no carbohydrates.
In small quantities, counting the number of carbohydrates contained in these products, you can eat: tomatoes, cabbage, eggplants, green peas, onions, spinach, asparagus, sour cream.
Strictly forbidden: sugar and sweets, bread and other flour products, fruits, amylaceous vegetables, margarine and light butter, cooking fats and alcohol.

Second phase: You can gradually increase the consumption of carbohydrates to empirically find their individual level. Weight should decline gradually, and symptoms of hypoglycemia - weakness, somnolence, the constant feeling of hunger- disappear. When you will reach the desired weight, the number of carbohydrates in the diet needs to be a little increased, it would help to stabilize the weight.

Third phase: Result maintenance.

Less Sleeping Leads To Extra Weight

The Columbia University and the Hospital of St. Luke-Roosevelt scientists published the results of the study, according to which there is a link between sleep duration and obesity.

Contrary to the public opinion, doctors have found that people who sleep less, are more exposed to the risk of gaining extra weight. Scientists watched a long time after a group of 18,000 patients and found: for those who sleep at night less than 4 hours, the risk of obesity is higher by 74% than for those who sleeps 7-9 hours. For those who sleep 5 hours - the risk of extra kilograms rises by 50% and for 6 hours sleepers - by 23%.

Most doctors give a simple explanation to this paradox: if people do not sleep at night, they eat, and there is usually little moving. Here is the general portrait of this less sleeping patients: a young man, sitting all night in front of the TV or the computer, with a few handy bottles of beer ( "cola", coffee, etc.), some snacks and a lot of sandwiches. Doctors recommend to abstain from eating after 6-7 PM, go early to bed and early in the morning to get up, nor to avoid moderate physical exercises throughout the day.

The blood hormones study revealed the fact that a small length of sleep caused a significant increase in leptina (the hormone responsible for feelings of satiety and reducing hunger), and, on the contrary, even more significantly reducing grelina (hormone which reinforces the sense of hunger). This makes the little sleeping people at night to feel hunger and insatiable desire to eat something rich in carbohydrates (pies, cakes, cookies, etc.), with all its attendant consequences.

Thus, the increase in duration of sleep can be seen as a means to combat obesity, not forgetting, of course, the leading role of regular physical exercises, and proper healthy nutrition.

The Meals To Help Loosing Weight

This is really true - some products not only make you add additional pounds, but there are meals that help to burn extra fat.

Grapefruit. Some studies show that regular use of half of grapefruit or 150 gr. its juice after every meal, can reduce weight by an average of 2 kg (4.4 lb) in 2 weeks. It is believed that this is happening for one simple reason. Grapefruit reduces insulin, which in turn reduces your appetite. Naturally, the less you want to eat, the less calories you have, and the already accumulated calories are spent, which results in weight loss. If you do not like grapefruit, you can have its juice mixed with orange and lemon juice, which will further strengthen your immunity and clear the body of chemical waste.

Green tea. This plant not only prevents cancer cells, helps to prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular disease, but also has beneficial effects on metabolic processes in the body. So how many calories you can burn through the green tea. It is believed that by drinking 5 cups of green tea a day, you lose 70-80 calories. Not bad, huh?

Acute food. Do you like acute food? Then we have good news for you. Acute spices help burn fats, as well as make your body sweat, increasing your heart beat, which in turn speeds up the metabolism. There is one "but" - if you love very acute chips or acute fried food -it is unlikely to help you losing a couple of kilos.

Water. If you are not consuming enough liquid in the form of clean water, you will find it difficult to loose weight. The lack of fluids in the body slows down the process of metabolism, this could lead to a decline of glucose in blood, the weakness and dizziness.

Cinnamon. Studies showed that 1/4 of a tea spoon of cinnamon, eaten along with food, helps to absorb sugar more efficiently and reduce blood sugar. This is a significant moment, as high blood sugar leads to the formation of more and more fat deposits. Cinnamon also can be used instead of sugar, because it has natural sweet taste.

Protein foods. Proteins are the basis for the education of muscle mass, but, as we know, the more muscle you have, the more fat you burn - even if just relaxing. Moreover, for the digestion of proteins are spent more calories than for the digestion of fats and carbohydrates. Thus, protein foods also help you burn fat. The best sources of protein are:chicken breast, fish, egg proteins, turkey.

Preparing For A Diet

The most common mistake people who want to lose weight do, it is to begin a diet "straight tomorrow morning."

For some reason it is believed that a diet does not require a preliminary preparation, perhaps, except purchases of the products. And this is a big mistake. For the diet we must carefully prepare as for any cause in which you want to succeed.

So, how do we prepare for a diet?

- First, it is necessary to know your own health. For women, very important factors are the menstruation and pregnancy, in either of the cases shouldn't begin a diet. It is not recommended to start a diet at a time when your health may be affected by climatic conditions of residence, for example, in khamsin.

- Secondly, you need to consider how the diet will affect your everyday duties. Would sitting on a diet, for instance, influence the quality of your work, or affect your active participation in family and domestic activities?

- Third, be sure to ask yourself before starting a diet - will I manage? You need to imagine well the expected difficulties - for example, the constant feeling of hunger, the impossibility even to touch the favorite dishes for a long time, maybe the mockery or pity of the relatives ... - and answer honestly: am I capable of such sacrifices? Is it necessary to me? Slyness in this case may lead to the failure of the entire plan.

- Fourth, the diet in no circumstances has to be started suddenly. The principle "to stuff oneself today, and tomorrow will start starving" never justified itself! You must "engage" in the diet little by little. About a week before beginning the diet, exclude from your ration the sweet and fatty products; discontinue late dining, reduce the number of consumes food, etc., etc., depending on what is needed in a particular case.

10 Main Rules Of Weight Loss

If you want to lose weight, or just always to stay in good shape, follow 10 simple but very important rules.

1. Make your diet multicolored.
Fruits and vegetables are an indispensable source of fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They contain few calories, give a sense of satiety and can be combined with any dishes.

2. Eat regularly.
When you eat regularly, your body's metabolism is evenly, and the calories are spent throughout the day. If the break between meals is big, the body tries to spend less energy, i.e. burns fewer calories. The breakfast is compulsory. Eat at least three times a day, from time to time have a bite of easy healthy food.

3. Give time to the stomach.
Since childhood, we were forbidden to have little snacks before lunch, so as not to spoil the appetite. In fact, these snacks can prevent overeating. Feeling satiated comes only after 10-15 minutes, so often we eat more than it is necessary. When eating at home, please give attention to the size of the portions. In restaurants usually give large portions, so try to eat only a part of what is given. And, of course, do not be afraid to have some snacks before lunch!

4. Pick fresh food.
In order for the produces to be kept longer, they add all kinds of preserving agents. This often leads to lower the content of useful substances and vitamins in food. Try to have fewer semi-prepared foods and fast-foods, these are always rich in calories, fat and salt.

5. Keep moving.
The human body is not suited to the endless seating for the desktop. To stay healthy, you need to move every day. The loads strengthen all muscles, including the heart, improve sleep and mood. No matter, are you training in the sports center, or just walk around the house, most important is that you keep moving.

6. Allow yourself to enjoy the pleasure.
Many delicious things are harmful, but without them it can be very difficult. If you repeatedly refuse to pleasure yourself, you can falter and eat too many taboo sweets. Enjoy sometimes by eating a little of favorite food, but try to keep moderation. For example, you can eat a very small piece of cake in a normal day or a normal piece in honor of the holiday.

7. Read the labels.
If you do not even know the names of ingredients listed on the packaging of the product, it is better not to risk it and leave the product on the shelf at the supermarket. The same applies to products with endlessly long list of ingredients on the label. Also, please note whether the listed on the label calorie and fat content refers to one portion or to an entire package.

8. Eat intact cereals.
White bread and flour do not have any value to the health, while intact cereals are rich in fiber and useful substances. Bread and pasta from whole grains help to avoid sharply disorders of the glucose levels in the blood, prolongs the feeling of being satiated.

9. Choose the "right" fats.
Fats are not always harmful. The saturated fats actually leads to extra weight and cardiovascular diseases, but unsaturated fats are useful for the organism. For example, you can use olive oil for filling salads and cooking meals.

10. Beware of "liquid" calories.
A conventional glass of lemonade can contain about 10 tea spoons of sugar! The extra calories taken daily with a drink, do not give a sense of satiety, but certainly adds unwanted fats. The advertisements so skilfully present some drinks, we believe it is useful and not draw attention to the extra sugar they contain..

Drinking Green Tea Benefits

I'm sure You already know that the green tea drinking has a lot of benefits for our health: it prevents the bad breath and the tooth decay; it helps to the health of the gum; it reduces the UV rays damage to our skin and this makes us look young; it helps us losing weight.

These are very important points, as if you see a person with black teeth, wrinkles and overweighted, I'm sure you do not admire him/her.

It was found that the green tea has wonderful effects on our beauty.
Here is what the researches on it found:

- Green tea contains catechins, which keep the acids under control and prevent the reproducing of bacteria. The main reasons of the periodontal disease - bleeding gums - are the bacteria and acids in our mouth. Conclusion: Green tea helps our gums staying healthy and pink, keeping our teeth in.

- The Vitamin C from the green tea helps our gum to cure.

- Catechins also reactivate the activity of the dying cells - this helps to smooth out the wrinkles.

- Green tea has anti-oxidants that diminishes the UV light harm to our skin. This is how it helps us slowing down the process of aging - we look younger.

- About 2/3 of "modern" people are concerned about their weight, and the green tea with its catechins helps to decrease the body fat and to "hurry" the fat oxidation. Researches found that the caffeine and the thiamine from the green tea help our body to maintain from producing more body fat.

OK, don't expect that if you all day are having Popsicles that drinking a cup of green tea will protect you from all the cavity problems. As well as staying on meals like donuts and pork products, and then after a cup of green tea to expect not to become fatter.

Of course you have heard this before: take care to eat right, exercise all time, brush and floss your teeth; but maybe you want to make an improvement to all of these.

It is recommended to drink green tea every day - make it your relax time, your "refreshing" time. Help yourself staying healthy and young!

The Obesity Virus

Scientists The University of Louisiana have found that obesity can be caused by a virus.

Even if a man is following a correct diet, many persons are missing the fact that every body is unique, and what's good for one may cause harm to another .

Scientists made an assumption that there is a virus that can affect human metabolism.

After some laboratory experiments it was showed that the infection with human adenovirus-36 (AD-36) - long time known as a cause of eye and respiratory infections in humans - causes adult stem cells obtained from fat fat tissue to transform into fat cells. the other stem cells (not exposed to the virus) remained unchanged.
The study also reported the identification of a specific gene that seems to be implied in the obesity effect.

Are They going to find a vaccine for obesity?

How to Lose Belly Fat

It's not a secret that the best way to lose fat is eating right and exercising regularly. Actually the fastest way for getting rid of belly fat is to combine the weight lifting, healthy eating (good diet) and weight loss pills.

Belly fat is an unused energy, so all we have to do is to burn it. Most of us are conscious that the extra belly fat is quite ugly, we don't like it, but we also don't like to get rid of it. It's not so difficult, we just need to take some action, of course if you belly is not a huge one - then it's gonna be a longer road for transforming that fat into muscles.

From all exercises aiming the weight loss, the ones for belly fat loss can be the most difficult. Practice exercises at least 30 minutes a day, jump rope for about 2-3 minutes, then squat thrust into a push up (Slowly squat down with your head forward and bring your hands to the floor just outside of your feet, hands pointing forward too. Then in one movement, push your legs back and out behind you - into a pushup position. Perform one strict pushup and then jump back into your squat position and then stand back up.), do it for a few minutes also, then repeat with the rope jumping. Use your imagination. Keep saying that you are losing fat.

Overweighted persons usually carry too much fat around their belly, and even if not overweighted, there can still be too much fat rounding the stomach - that makes the organs work harder.

Make sure to watch what you are eating! Decrease, or even stop alcohol consumption, try not to eat late night snacks and forget about junk food.

Work with weights about 2 times per week, don't forget to exercise and repeat for yourself that all this is gonna make you slimmer.

The abdominal area would be the winner in the course for the most desired place to lose fat. :)

An important thing to do is to eat frequently, but in small portions rather than two times and a lot! Establish your goal and go for it!

Nutrition Guidelines For Weight Loss

We are what we eat! As you probably know, the nutrition has a very big role in preventing many diseases and keeping us strong. The main factors are: variety, moderation and balance.

Variety stands for eating a wide range of meals from all of the 5 main groups of food.
Moderations stands for not consuming too much of a certain food.
Balance is the equity established when following the moderation and variety, ensuring that the consumed calories do not exceed the burned calories.

The main groups of food are:
- Bread, cereals and rice;
- Vegetables;
- Fruits;
- Dairy-produce (milk, cheese, yogurt);
- Meat, fish, poultry, dry beans, nuts and eggs.

The fats, oils and sweets form a group very reach in calories and fat.
Better to eat them in moderation as they have more calories rather than nutritionally needed substances. However, there are exceptions too, for example the vegetable oils from sunflower, safflower, cottonseeds and corn have a good amount of Vitamin E. The soybean, olive and canola oils have the K Vitamin.
The diary produce- milk, cheese, yogurt- are a good source of Calcium, Protein and B12 Vitamin. When eating them, be aware of their fat percentage in order to have the cholesterol and fat under control.
Meat, fish, poultry, dry beans, nuts and eggs- these are a rich source of Protein, Iron, Zinc and more from the Vitamins B. Take off the fat from meat when cooking to minimize its intake.
Vegetables give us vitamins and minerals, also are a good source of fiber. Have some green , yellow and orange vegetables or starch, like potatoes.
Fruits have more vitamins, but especially are rich in Vitamin C. They do not have many calories and are very low on fat. It's always good to eat some fresh fruit.
Bread, pasta, cereals and rice provide us with LY6 fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.

In conclusion - eat diverse meals for a healthy weight, follow a low fat diet, but rich in vegetables and fruits; consume sugar, salt and alcoholics in moderation.

Lose Weight the Vegetarian Way

By Scott Meyers
Do you need to lose weight? Even if you are only slightly overweight, and need to find a way to lose a couple of pounds, you may be frustrated with the options you have tried so far. Diet pills are designed for those who are severely overweight, and the side effects may not be worth the results. Other diets such as the low carbohydrate diet or the low fat diet may not help much either. It can be very difficult to eliminate fats or carbohydrates because they are found in so many kinds of food.

Perhaps a better way to lose those pounds is the vegetarian diet. It is not designed to promote weight loss, but if you use it correctly, it could be the answer to a thinner, healthier you.

Protein: The Hidden Fat

While consuming fat can certainly add the pounds, there are other sources of weight gain as well. Surprisingly, protein is one of them. If you are eating too much protein for your body to convert into muscle, your body will turn that protein into fat.

The main source for protein in most people's diets is meat. By converting to a vegetarian diet, you will be eliminating a major source of protein and therefore fat from your diet. It is not wise to cut out protein from your diet entirely: if you don't provide your system with any protein at all, your metabolism will slow and you will find yourself storing more fat.

A better idea is to change your protein source. Beans in combination with whole grains provide an excellent source of protein. As long as you keep your portions small you will be offering your body just the right materials without eating too much of a good thing. By eliminating meat, you will also be getting rid of a major fat source. Beans do not contain fat, but are instead a purer source for protein.

Adding Up the Good Stuff

On a vegetarian diet, you will be encouraged to eat more plant foods instead of meat. Fruits, vegetables and nuts all are great things to eat to boost your metabolism and to increase your weight loss capabilities. The sugars in fruits are more complex than processed sugars and are less likely to be stored as fat.

Vegetables are great sources for vitamins that your body needs to work efficiently. Plant foods are also good sources of fiber which aids in healthy digestion. All of these factors add up to give you the weight loss results that you are seeking.

A vegetarian diet is not about eating less. It's about eating right. By giving your body a break from the meats that you normally eat, you will be increasing your chances for weight loss. Eliminating meat means a reduction in protein intake as well as fat intake. In combination with eating a healthy vegetarian diet, you should also reduce your intake of other sugary and fatty foods. Replace vending machine snacks with fruits, vegetables and pretzels. By making good choices on a vegetarian diet, you will finally have the healthy body that want to have.

Source http://ar.ticul.us

Dieting And Will Power- Strange Bed Fellow?

By Mark Kimathi

It is never clear to many whether they need will power to diet or not. Depending on your source of information, you will probably be either way. But for many, the lack of will power in a dieting endeavor could be the reason they are never able to lose weight. Yet the question remains is dieting and will power unrelated?

You likely have come across information like you cannot depend on will power to lose weight. The question to retort back would then be what then should you depend on?

Will power is the ability to control ones action, emotions and impulses. The famous American motivational speaker Phil McGraw refers to being overweight as "loss of control" And this rings true because you grow fat to the extent that you lose control of your food choices, food portions and similar calorie related decisions.

To tell you the truth, there is probably no thing as powerful as the backing of will-power to lose weight. And this will power exists in everyone. And like all other major achievements in life it is a central requirement in losing weight.

And just to prove this point in case of weight loss surgery where the individual doesn't comply or is not willing to take up the after weight loss surgery lifestyle; they will still regain the dramatic weight loss achieved by the surgery. This is inspite of the fact that their stomach is 5% its original size and the intestines are re-routed to reduce calorie intake.

Indeed the concept that permanent weight loss is a change of lifestyle is exactly about will power. Changing lifestyle means changing your everyday decisions to agree with the desire to have a healthy weight.

The real problem with will power is not that it does not exist in the individual, rather is that there is no good reason to use it. Will power when deployed is a major resource in the human arsenal of performance. But it needs a reason to get activated.

Take the case of the Governor of Arkansas who lost 100 pounds and has literally ripped muscles all without surgery. He had tried several other diets before becoming successful. But a realization that he was following on the path of a parent who had suffered greatly due to diabetes caused by obesity scared him skinny.

To deploy will power you need motivation and to get motives you need desires - strong desires like the desire not to die young.

You need to want to lose weight. You need to have a good reason deep down within you of why you need to lose weight. This desire will kick in the will power you need to make the lifestyle change. From there you can depend on plain old discipline and routine to reinforce your dietary and lifestyle habits for a permanent weight loss. Indeed dieting and will power are not strange bedfellow they are just a distance apart in the continuum of permanent weight loss.

Source: http://EzineArticles.com

The Alli Diet Orlistat Pill – The Facts Behind The Hype

The alli diet Orlistat pill is the only over-the-counter, FDA approved weight-loss aid for overweight adults. Unlike other weight-loss aids and diet pills, alli Orlistat won't make you jittery, restless or irritable.

The alli diet Orlistat pill works directly in the digestive tract by adhering to some of the natural enzymes. This prevents those enzymes from breaking down about twenty-five percent of the fat you consume. Any undigested fat that you eat is then passed out of the body instead of being turned into fat.

The alli diet Orlistat pill, in combination with a low-fat and calorie diet plan can help you lose fifty percent more weight than by dieting alone. This means that instead of losing ten pounds by just dieting alone, you could lose fifteen pounds by taking alli Orlistat.

Alli Orlistat does have some potential side effects. If you take the alli Orlistat weight-loss aid and eat more than 30 percent fat calories, you might experience side effects such as more frequent bowl movements and gas with an oily discharge.

This is why anyone taking alli Orlistat should consider following a low-fat and calorie diet plan. Following a low-fat diet doesn’t mean you’ll feel deprived. When you limit the amount of fat in your diet, you have more room for protein and carb calories. Why? Because fat contains more than twice the number of calories as the same amount of protein and carbs. One gram of fat contains 9 calories compared with just 4 calories per gram of protein and carbs.

In real life, there are no miracle pills. Taking the alli diet Orlistat pill alone won't give you positive results unless you stick to a balanced, low-fat diet and regular exercise program.

But by committing yourself to a healthy lifestyle change, you can finally lose that weight and keep it off for good!

By: Caroline Kent

Article Source: www.iSnare.com

South Beach Diet Information and Recipes

It is a widely held belief that the key to weight loss is finding the right diet information which means the proper diet to suit their needs. While this is correct in a sense, it is misleading as well. The key to successful dieting is to maintain a healthy and balanced diet plan without having to actually diet. The South Beach diet was proposed by Dr. Arthur Agatston in the mid nineteen nineties as a healthy alternative to the many diet fads in existence at the time. The South Beach diet is not the proverbial diet plan. This diet is actually a sensible and healthy diet plan designed to teach the person using it to eat healthy foods and to learn how to eat properly.

There are many recipes available within the South Beach Diet to aid in healthy weight loss. Unlike traditional the typical diet information we get, the idea of actual dieting by starvation or counting calories or other fads or trends that ignore the primary health concerns of the dieter are not used with the South Beach Diet. The diet includes healthy meal planning and means for controlling the intake of foods including carbohydrates and calories by the dieter so that while they are not actually dieting in the more traditional sense of the word trying to lose weight. The concept is that people will eat healthier foods and in that way do not have the problems with diet failure or the prospect of constantly losing and gaining weight which is not healthy.

The recipes for the South Beach diet include healthy alternatives without being boring. Your diet information sources should include recipes for snacks, breakfast, lunch and dinner all focusing on the health needs of the person seeking the diet weight loss. The South Beach diet is one of the most effective tools for weight loss and the rich diet information recipes will allow the person trying to lose weight the ability to eat all they want and stay healthy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Boyd_Adams

Why Following A Diabetes Diet Is Crucial

Insulin is a very important hormone which converts starchy foods and sugar into glucose, the type of sugar which is required for energy so that your body can function normally. The body stops to produce or use the insulin in the body when you have diabetes, so if you are a diabetic, a careful and strict diet has to be followed. Diabetes is a lifelong problem which has to be dealt with. It is not curable. You have to follow a routine of proper medications and a planned diabetes diet to keep the disease under control and to maintain your health.

Know About Diabetes

It is important that you know thoroughly about the disease and also about the condition of your body. Each one of us has a unique body and although there are many other people with the same disease, it is not necessarily so that what works for them, will also work for you. So you have to consult a doctor to learn about the type of diabetes you have and the issues that may occur when treating yourself for diabetes. It is very important that you follow the correct diabetes diet for you.

Get your blood sugar level tested from time to time, irrespective of what type of diabetes you have. Purchase a pocket size apparatus to check the sugar level in your blood which you can use yourself when and where you want. Start learning how to use the device when you start to follow your diabetes diet. This will allow you to check your sugar level after every meal you eat.

All foods rich in starch or carbohydrates have to be avoided, as these foods are hard to convert into energy if you do not have the required amounts of insulin in your body. You should increase the intake of vegetables and fruits and avoid foods like potatoes, rice, pasta, etc. But there are also certain fruits which you have to avoid, as they can increase the blood sugar level.

It is not true that you have to stop eating a particular food altogether when you have diabetes. You just have to be careful to eat the right quantity.

Make Exercise a Part of Your Routine

The real cause of diabetes still remains unknown, but it is generally accepted that people who are overweight are more likely to suffer from diabetes. Hence, it is necessary that you be careful about what you eat and that you make exercise a part of your lifestyle. Those who are overweight have to be cautious and should try to lose weight. Following a proper diabetes diet is very important, not only for controlling your sugar levels, but also to keep the body fit.

Diabetes is an incurable disease, but if proper care is taken and provided you follow a diabetes diet, there is no reason why you cannot lead a normal and full life.

Article Source: http://www.articlestoreprint.com

Living With Your Diet

Recently, I was reading about a diet plan where you throw everything out of your pantry. Although this sounds like great news for the supermarkets, over the short-term, this leaves very few choices for you to actually eat.

Can you exist on salad, topped with Flax seed oil dressing, for the rest of your life?

People believe that they must pay penance for their eating sins. Dietary and exercise torture seems to be good for the conscience and the prescription of the day. How else can we explain “off the wall” diets and “extreme” exercise programs?

Whatever happened to eating in moderation and using common sense? Even if you are eating a “diet cookie,” you can’t have all you want.

If you travel, or eat in restaurants frequently, you have to eat in moderation, space your meals out, carry healthy snacks, or visit the salad bar at your local supermarket. There are plenty of good choices, and it won’t cost you an “arm and a leg.”

When you eat, you shouldn’t feel stuffed after a meal. This slows down your digestive system, similar to the principle of a “log jam,” and you may not eat for six hours or more, depending upon the amount of food consumed. This is a time when your body is crying to go for a walk.

You should feel comfortably full every time you leave the table, and you should eat five or six times a day; three moderately-sized meals and at least two healthy snacks.

Sorry to say, diet cookies are rarely healthy. If they were of nutritional value, I would live on the Chocolate Chip Cookie Diet.

Now back to reality, if you love dessert, you can’t give it up for life.
Depending on the state your health, you may have to seriously cut back.
Therefore, consult with your family doctor, get a diet that makes sense, and please walk, swim, or exercise regularly.

By: Paul M. Jerard Jr.

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Are Diet Pills Really The Right Answer To Weight Loss?

Diet pills have hit the USA and the world by storm. Everyone loves them, but who really knows if they are safe and how effective they are?

You are in luck, I have tested just about every diet pill on the market and I can tell you with confidence if you know where to look you will be okay.

The ephedra-based diet pills were banned in the USA for a reason, they were not safe for the general public. A diet pill must have herbal ingredients and be safe for you to consume. If your diet pill has any chemically depedent ingredients, then it is probably not the safest pill to consume.

But, you ask do these herbal diet pills REALLY work?

Well, yes some do, and some do not.

Always look for the pills that have gone through clinical studies.

There are many informative weight loss sites that you can visit that have many users who have tested out the pill you are about to buy. User reviews in my opinion is the absolute best way to make a confident decision when purchasing a diet pill.

It is very important to know this when making your decision, there are a lot of diet pills out there that are no more then a couple ingredients mixed together to do NOTHING for you but psyche yourself into thinking you are doing something good.

As always, consult with your doctor before you decide to put anything in your body. This is your health.

Good luck on your quest to lose weight!

By Sean Morganse

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sean_Morganse

Hoodia Gordonii Diet - All You Need To Know About The Hoodia Cactus Plant & Diet

The Hoodia Gordonii cactus extract has been widely publicized on the Today Show, 60 Minutes and other broadcast television programs. This article will explain the history of the Hoodia Gordonni plant, how the Hoodia weight loss diet works and where to find the most potent cactus plant products that really work.

The powerful properties of the cactus plant have been known by the bushmen of the Kalahari desert for centuries. In the 1990s the Council For Scientific And Industrial Research conducted a detailed research study on the many native plants and bush foods eaten regularly by the "Sans Bushmen".

What the CSIR soon found out was that the Hoodia cactus plant is not only not poisonous but it also contains some incredibly powerful properties to suppress the appetite and suppress the appetite. This study was found as a result of watching how animals reacted when eating the Hoodia cactus plant.

As a result of the substantial claims of rapid weight loss many Hoodia Gordonii diet products have ascended the marketplace to become one of the fastest selling and fasting growing weight loss products in an marketplace where billions is spent every year on weight loss products.

Before deciding on a Hoodia product to aid with your weight loss it is vital to understandmore about the Hoodia cactus plant. Once the CSIR had been able to isolate the active ingredients in the Hoodia cactus plant that was responsible for appetite suppressing and increasing the body's ability to burn fat they called it p57. The CSIR then sold the rights to P57 to an English pharmaceutical organisation called Phytopharm.

It is somewhat surprising that there are such a number of Hoodia diet on the market when Phytopharm holds the licence to P57. While Phytopharm ultimately holds the licence to P57 there are other patent laws that come into play. Only the Phytopharm chemical company has the legal ability to extract the potent P57 molecule located in Hoodia Gordonii and use it in any and all of their Hoodia cactus plant product lines.

That being said the whole Hoodia Gordonii plant can never be patented. As a result of this other companies have the legal right to produce their own Hoodia weight loss supplements and products legally without holding the rights to P57.

With such a range of products now available from the Hoodia plant it is absolutely pivotal that consumers don't fall for cheap, ineffective imitations and that they ensure that they only buy PURE South African cactus Hoodia Gordonii products for the fastest weight loss.

By: Karin Manning

Article Source: http://www.articlestoreprint.com

How Water Can Help You Lose Weight Naturally

It may be surprising but water makes up 2/3 of your body mass. You need water to maintain an optimum level of hydration, flush away harmful toxins, cleanse the body, cool off, help joints work and to aid food digestion. You need 2 liters of water daily for all these bodily functions.

Wow, isn't that a whole mouthful? But wait, water is also important in helping you lose weight.

Yes, drinking sufficient water can actually help you lose weight. On the contrary, not drinking enough water can make you put on weight, besides putting your health at risk.

But how does water help you lose weight? Here's how and why:-

1. Your body's metabolism depends on water to continue functioning properly. Not having enought water will significantly slow down the process of breaking food down and converting it into energy. This will lead to unnecessary weight gain for you.

So, if you are dieting and you seem to have hit the dreaded plateau, then you are probably not drinking enough water. Drink more water to correct the situaion.

2. Your body's process of digestion and elimination of residues is also dependent on water. Not drinking enough water? Get ready for an uncomfortable case of constipation and a host of other problems in the intestines.

Poor digestion leads the body to seek out more food since the body "thinks" that it is not eating enough. This is usually the first sign of trouble for you.. A dehydrated or water-deprived body feels hungry, thus tempting you to eat more food than you should.

3. Water also acts as a good food filler or substitute. A big cup or glass of water before a meal can fill your belly and reduce your hunger pangs. That's why dietitians and weight loss experts advise us to drink lots of water to fill up our tummy first. Now you know why!

You should drink water gradually and steady throughout the day. Never drink a larger gulp all at once because your body can only absorb so much at one time. It will discard the rest as waste so that that's bad for you.

You can also take fruit juices, weak tea and coffee instead of plain water for hydration purposes.

And for the ladies, drinking a lot of water will not make you retain it. Dehydration forces your body to hang on to what it has, not abundance of water.

If you need help losing weight, besides drinking lots of water, it may be a good idea to also look for some weight loss supplements.

By: Gary Toh

Article Source: http://www.articlestoreprint.com/

Fast And Simple Ways To Drop One Dress Size In A Week

Weight loss is one of the most important ideas in American society today. People are constantly searching for a way to lose weight very quickly. Whether you want to fit into that dress for your date on Saturday night, or you just want to look good for your upcoming class reunion, there are a number of ways that you can lose weight rather quickly.

One good way to drop that dress size by next week is to add some water to your diet. This is a fairly good tip for any dieters, but losing weight fast means you should drink more water than you ever thought you could handle. The body retains four to six pounds of water on any given day. The body is, essentially, hoarding the water for some future use.

Should you ever become incapacitated and not give your body the water it needs to survive, your body would have some reserves to live on. If, however, you give your body the water it needs on a regular basis, you will lose your water weight quite quickly. This will give you at least four pounds less on the scale when you get up to put your new dress on.

Another good way to lose that dress size by next Saturday night is to be sure to take in enough protein. Your body needs protein so it does not feel like it is starving. If your body feels like it is starving, it will begin hoarding pounds. All of these pounds will be converted into fat, no matter what you are eating. As a result, if you allow your body enough protein, you will not have that problem.

You should consume protein every three hours. You should certainly try to get several ounces of protein before you go to sleep each night. There are several ways you can get the protein you need. Meat is an excellent source of protein. You should try to only purchase and eat lean cuts of meat. Poultry works well too. Beans and legumes are another great source of protein to add to your diet. Eggs are also a good source of protein.

The chances of you getting sick of the traditional protein sources, though, are quite good during your week of intensive weight loss. As a result, it might be necessary to visit a nutritional supplement store or the supplement aisle of your local mega mart. A protein supplement of any kind, whether it be in bar, pill, or powder form, will help you out.

Another important quick weight loss tip is to eat lots of smaller meals during the day. If your normal day is structured around three meals each day, you should try to refocus it around five to six much smaller meals during the day. This will help you to take in fewer calories during the course of the day. Moreover, taking in fewer calories at any given time will help to stimulate your metabolism and help you burn off the calories you actually consume.

Be sure to exercise for at least thirty minutes each day. If you want to lose weight quickly, you should increase your time to a minimum of two hours each day. The only real way to lose weight is to burn the calories you take in. As a result, two hours of hard exercise each day should help to nullify the calories you have consumed during the course of the day.

One final way to lose weight quickly is to cut your carbs as much as possible. Carbohydrates are empty calories. You have to consume far more calories in carbohydrates than you do in other sources of nutrition like proteins to help your body feel full. As a result, you simply cannot process the calories you take in when your diet is based around carbohydrates. Change your diet to a protein base, and you will lose weight rather quickly.

You should be cautious with each of these methods listed here. It is important to remember that long lasting weight loss can only be achieved through hard work and true changes to your diet and lifestyle. The chances are quite good that if you lose a dress size within a single week, you will regain your weight within three weeks. As a result, if you truly want to keep the weight off, you have some serious changes to make in your life.

Article Source: http://www.articlestoreprint.com

Practical Tips For Healthy Weight Loss

Ever wish there was an easy-to-follow practical primer to tell you all the things you should and shouldn't do to help you lose weight? I'm not talking about food choices here - there are 'tons' of eating plans available. I'm referring to a simple list that you can follow in your everyday life to make it easier to stick to your diet. Here are a few tips that I've found works wonders to help avoid temptation and keep me on track.

Shopping Tips

1. Shop the outside grocery aisles.

Supermarkets are designed with the four basic food groups around the perimeter of the store. If you stick to the outside aisles, you'll find produce, bakery, dairy and meat - exactly what you should be buying. Avoid going up and down the aisles where processed 'convenience' foods lurk to tempt you from your good intentions.

2. Never ever shop hungry.

It's an old tip, but it works every time. When you're hungry, everything looks good - especially quick, empty calories. Make it a point to shop on a full stomach and you'll find yourself saving both money and calories.

3. Buy fresh, whole and organic whenever you can. Processing depletes vital nutrients and adds calories. If you have a choice, buy fresh vegetables and fruits and whole grain products. Skip the highly processed snack foods(twinkies and chips etc.)and 'convenience' dinners.

Setting Goals

1. Break your goals down if you have to. The thought of losing 100 pounds can be daunting. Instead, make it your goal to lose 10 pounds this month, or to get through the week without cheating on your diet. "Inch by inch life's a cinch; yard by yard it's hard."

2. Set reasonable, attainable goals for yourself. Remember that a healthy, sustainable weight loss is about 1-2 pounds per week. Setting the goal to lose 30 pounds by next month is setting yourself up for failure. Don't be taken in by the infomercials and false advertisements! Everyone is different! Being content with your progress will help you attain your goals. Discontentment leads to eating binges. Remember, you didn't gain the weight overnight nor will you lose it overnight.

3. Reward yourself! There's nothing more motivating than promising yourself a special treat when you reach a goal - but don't keep rewards just for big milestones. Make a list of positive reinforcers that you can dip into whenever you avoid temptation or need a little boost. I always make Saturday by treat day. I stick to my diet goals all week then on Saturday I reward myself with a treat. Plus, it just makes it easier to get through the week knowing that on Saturday I can have that banana split.

Measuring and Weighing

1. Measure your progress by dress size or pants size instead of pounds. Use a tape measure instead of the bathroom scales. Why? One of the by-products of eating healthy and exercising daily is converting fat to muscle. Muscle is denser, and weighs more than fat - but you're still getting smaller, and your clothing will tell you the truth.

2. Measure your day in steps - steps walked, that is. Counting the steps you walk each day and aiming to increase them to 10,000 steps daily is a great way to add exercise to your diet. By walking 10,000 steps a day, you can burn as many calories as you do when you do any of the following:

- Swim for 90 minutes
- Ride a bike for 70 minutes
- Play 10 holes of golf (without the cart)
- Walk 50 blocks
- Play soccer for 90 minutes
- Work for two hours in your garden

How do you fit in 10,000 steps? You can count every step you take during the day - clip on a pedometer first thing in the morning and take it off last thing at night. (Hint: Invest in a pedometer!)

3. Measure your food for the first month. Our concept of portion size has been greatly distorted by restaurants, magazine ads and our own eating habits. Invest a month in learning what a real portion looks like - weigh or measure everything. Stay away from buffets until you have reached your goals or for a special treat.

Attitude

1. Treat yourself well! Losing weight is something you're doing because you love yourself. Remember to reinforce yourself regularly for your hard work. You can do it! "If one man (or woman) can do it, another can!" (Anthony Hopkins in "The Edge")

2. Focus on your health, not your weight. Eat healthy, exercise sensibly, and focus on how you will feel when you reach your goal. See yourself the way you want to be, but be realistic.

3. If you slip, forgive yourself and start again. After all, just one banana split never made anyone fat. Every day is a new day, and every day brings you closer to the new you.

By: Bob Janeway

Article Source: www.iSnare.com

A Weight Loss Plan For Success

The formula for losing weight is simple: eat less and exercise more. But, it's not really all that simple, is it?

Long-term weight loss isn't impossible, but you do have to be committed. Having a weight loss plan for your success is a good start. Here are ten items that should go into your weight loss plan.

1. Eat breakfast. This keeps you from getting too hungry later and then losing control over what you choose to eat later in the day.

2. Stock your refrigerator and pantry with healthy foods and snacks and limit high-fat, high-salt snacks such as potato chips and cookies.

3. Fill up on Fiber. Eat foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. The fibers in these foods will fill you up leaving less room for unhealthy choices.

4. Don't fall into bad habits on weekends. Many people will follow a strict diet on weekends only to fall back into eating more (unhealthy) on the weekends as a reward for "being good" all week. Unfortunately, this can cause you to regain tahe weight you may have lost during the week.

5. Watch portion sizes. Your perception of what a serving size should be and a "true" serving size can differ dramatically. Measuare your portions accurately, especially when you first start your healthy eating regime.

6. Set lifestyle goals - not weight loss goals. Commitment to eating healthy foods does lead to healthy weight loss -- gradually. Looking at your weight daily can cause discouragement and will make many people give up and go back to unhealthy food choices.

7. Take healthy snacks with you when you take road trips. Grab healthy granola bars, bananas, apples and other fruit to prevent the tempation of stopping for a cancy bar or milk shake.

8. Don't deny yourself the foods you love. If you absolutely love chocolate, go ahead and have a small pice - half of a candy bar insteaad of a whole one! And avoid eating your "splurges" every day. Save them for when you really need them!

9. Start moving. Exercise is the key to long term weight loss. You've heard the saying, "Move it or lose it." Too true!

10. Keep a journal. Writing down what you eat, when and how much you exercise and your moods will keep you on track and motivated to continue the course.

Weight loss is achieved by both diet and exercise. It is also achieved by persistence. If you "fall off the wagon" one day, pick yourself up and continue your healthy lifestyle the next. Don't give up!

By: Jude Wright

Article Source: http://www.articles411.com/

The Basics For Raw Food Recipes

In this day and age, everybody wants to improve their looks with a thinner waist line. For that, people may need some directions for finding healthy solutions to lose weight. The best choice someone can make in order to lose weight and gain health, energy and vitality is switching to a raw food diet.

People discover each day the benefits of raw food recipes. When switching to a raw food diet you will see improvements to your daily behavior like improved sleep, some anti-aging benefits, increased vitality and health. Owing to such advantages, the popularity of raw food diets is bound to increase, because we all want to improve the way we look and the way we feel about ourselves, don’t we?

In the beginning people didn’t cook their food and they consumed it raw. Eating like this helped them keep very healthy. Our bodies are built so that we can consume raw foods. The only thing we need to do is to rediscover the way we were in the beginning and enjoy all that nature has to give us. Consuming raw foods helps our bodies because they contain enzymes that help digestion. These enzymes are destroyed if the fruits and vegetables are cooked. Our body digests the foods through its own enzymes, but the enzymes in our body also give us energy. Therefore, when we use the enzymes in our bodies for digestion and not the ones in fruits and vegetables, it means that our energy levels and vitality are decreased.

Basic guidelines for planning your healthy raw food recipes recommend that you should include in your diet mostly fruit and vegetables, which are our most biologically conducive meals. Something that can help you in planning your raw food recipes is the categories in which fruits and vegetables are divided.

Fruits can be divided in sweet fruits (tropical fruits, persimmons, sweet grapes), acid fruits (lemons, citrus), sub-acid fruits (apples, pears, tart grapes) and fatty fruits (avocadoes, durian). Melons constitute a separate category of fruits. Some of the vegetable categories are non-starchy greens (spinach, cabbage), fruit vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes) and root vegetables (carrots, celeriac). Another category of vegetables includes lettuce and celery. The vegetables named here can be found as items on a list of raw low carbohydrate foods. All these fruits and vegetables are the common components of raw food recipes.

Now that the categories have been established, here are some rules of combining them in order for you to avoid fermentation in the intestines, indigestion, water retention and toxicity. Sweet fruits are to be eaten with other varieties of sweet fruits only or with sub-acid fruits. Don’t eat acid fruit with anything other than celery and lettuce. Avocadoes and olives should be eaten with non-starchy vegetables. Melons should be eaten alone or not eaten at all. These are combinations that you should try. But there are a few combinations that you should try to avoid like starch and acid (tomato and potato), protein and protein (avocadoes and nuts), sweets and starch (maple syrup and rice). Think about these combinations when you are developing your own raw food recipes.

Raw food diets are not all about fruits and vegetables. Organic foods can also be included in the diet. Organic cheese is very nutritious and can be included in raw food diets because it does not involve a cooking process that destroys enzymes. You should make sure that the organic cheese you buy is organic, and not a scam. The process that is followed by farmers to obtain organic cheese consists of letting nature take its natural course, from harvesting the milk from the cows and letting it coagulate with no help from additional catalytic agents. Incredible products made from raw ingredients and that may include organic cheese can be found here, on rawbakery.com.

By: Ckint Jhonson

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Dietary Therapy: High Fiber Diets

Can high-fiber diets really do all they claim to do? Studies have looked at the relationship between high-fiber diets and many diseases, including colon cancer, coronary heart disease and diabetes.

Proven benefits of a high-fiber diet include prevention and treatment of constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulosis. In addition, certain types of fiber help decrease blood cholesterol levels.

Dietary fiber comes from the portion of plants that is not digested by enzymes in the intestinal tract. Part of it, however, may be metabolized by bacteria in the lower gut. Different types of plants have varying amounts and kinds of fiber, including pectin, gum, mucilage, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin.

Pectin and gum are water-soluble fibers found inside plant cells. They slow the passage of food through the intestines but do nothing to increase fecal bulk. Beans, oat bran, fruit and vegetables contain soluble fiber.

In contrast, fibers in cell walls are water insoluble. These include cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Such fibers increase fecal bulk and speed up the passage of food through the digestive tract.

Wheat bran and whole grains contain the most insoluble fiber, but vegetables and beans also are good sources.Sometimes there is confusion as to the difference between crude fiber and dietary fiber. Both are determined by a laboratory analysis, but crude fiber is only one-seventh to one-half of total dietary fiber.

Insoluble fiber binds water, making stools softer and bulkier. Therefore, fiber, especially that found in whole grain products, is helpful in the treatment and prevention of constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulosis.

Diverticula are pouches of the intestinal wall that can become inflamed and painful.It is now known that a high-fiber diet gives better results once the inflammation has subsided.

Some types of fiber, however, appear to have a greater effect than others. The fiber found in rolled oats is more effective in lowering blood cholesterol levels than the fiber found in wheat. Pectin has a similar effect in that it, too, can lower the amount of cholesterol in the blood.

High-fiber diets may be useful for people who wish to lose weight. Fiber itself has no calories, yet provides a “full” feeling because of its water-absorbing ability. For example, an apple is more filling than a half cup of apple juice that contains about the same calories.

Foods high in fiber often require more chewing, so a person is unable to eat a large number of calories in a short amount of time. Dietary fiber is found only in plant foods: fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains. Meat, milk and eggs do not contain fiber.

The form of food may or may not affect its fiber content. Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables contain just as much fiber as raw ones. Other types of processing, though, may reduce fiber content. Drying and crushing, for example, destroy the water-holding qualities of fiber.

The removal of seeds, peels or hulls also reduces fiber content. Whole tomatoes have more fiber than peeled tomatoes, which have more than tomato juice. Likewise, whole wheat bread contains more fiber than white bread.

Fiber supplements are sold in a variety of forms from bran tablets to purified cellulose. Many laxatives sold as stool softeners actually are fiber supplements. Fiber’s role in the diet is still being investigated.

It appears that the various types of fiber have different roles in the body. For these reasons, avoid fiber supplements. Instead, eat a variety of fiber-rich foods.

This is the best way to receive the maximum benefits from each type of fiber present in foods, and obtain necessary nutrients.

By: Davin Michaels

Article Source: www.iSnare.com

Which Diet Plan Is Best? Study's Surprising Results

The question that hangs in the air for those who are anticipating the start of a new diet lies in exactly which diet might happen to be right for them and which diet holds the key to helping them lose the most weight.

Certainly, there are numerous diets available and it seems like every few months a new diet or eating plan has emerged to become the new successful diet rage. Is it possible that all the popular diets can help you lose weight or are there certain diets that can help you lose more weight than others?

This is the question that a group of researchers set out to answer recently. Over a period of two months, 160 individuals were monitored closely as they followed a supervised program. The varying factor among all 160 program participants was that they were allowed to choose whichever diet suited their fancy. Researchers waited and watched in anticipation to learn which diet or diets would prove to be most successful.

What they learned at the conclusion of the study proved to be quite interesting. The data they collected not only helped them to learn more about which diet programs tend to be more successful in terms of total weight loss but also which diet programs more individuals were more likely to stick with for long term weight loss and maintenance.

While the study participants were allowed to choose their favorite diet plan, most participants opted for one of the following: Atkins, Weight Loss, Ornish and the Zone. Even though initial data was conducted after just two months, researchers continued to study the remaining participants. They discovered that after a period of time more than half of those participants who opted for diet plans that focused on low carbs and high fat, such as the Atkins plan, dropped out. Additionally, approximately the same percentage of individuals who chose the Ornish plan, which focuses on low fat and high carb vegetarian foods, also quit their diets. Weight Watchers participants fared moderately better, with about two-thirds of that groups' participants sticking with it. The Zone participants showed similar results.

So, which diet plans performed best overall in terms of total weight loss? Surprisingly, they all performed about the same. Those individuals participating in the Ornish plan who were able to stick with their diet for the entire year achieved a weight loss rate of about 6%; the highest of all groups. Atkins came in at about 4%, with Weight Watchers and the Zone performing at an average of 5% weight loss. Health risk factors related to obesity were an entirely different matter; however. In terms of heart disease risk, Weight Watchers participants decreased their risk by 15%, while other diet plans hovered in the 12% range. The Ornish diet plan participants, who showed a higher overall weight loss, showed a lower decrease in risk of heart disease, at just 7%.

Overall; however, researchers concluded that in the end, there is no one magic diet. If you're planning to resolve to lose weight in the New Year, your best strategy is still the same regardless of which diet plan you ultimately choose. Eat sensibly, cut back on portions, drink plenty of water, participate in a moderate exercise routine and find a diet buddy to support you in your weight loss goals.

The Author: Joey Dweck

Article Source: www.articles-hub.com

Low Calories Diets – The Healthiest Way To Your Ideal Weight

Having the ideal diet means not exceeding the appropriate weight for your height and build. How important is it to have the ideal weight? You cannot even begin to imagine that. Let’s just say that a lot of health hazards are related to obesity, and this condition is unfortunately way too frequent all over the world. Bad eating habits and complete lack of physical exercises are just two of the factors that lead to being overweight. This in its turn can lead to serious medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, arteriosclerosis, arthritis, and so on.

The good news is that you have to be seriously over your ideal weight before you can begin worrying about health issues. Even so, as long as your are not obsessed about it, there is nothing wrong in try to lose weight in order to look good.

You’ll probably ask yourselves what is your ideal weight. This is a rather complex subject, and what you should think of first and foremost is the ratio of fat to muscle. No body weight calculator can take into account the amount of body fat you are carrying. It’s up to you to determine whether you are pleased with your body, in terms of how strong and toned or how flabby you are. Due to the fact that muscle weighs more per square inch than fat does, you may find yourself at the higher end of the ideal weight range, which is provided by a height and weight chart. The point is that two persons with the same height and weight can look completely different, meaning that if one of them is muscular, he or she will look rather slim, whereas the other can look quite plump.

Even if you have the ideal body weight, you may still need to tone up, because an inappropriate fat-muscle ratio may eventually lead to some health problems. What most health professionals recommend in order to get the ideal weight is to become more active and have healthy eating principles. In other words, weight loss does not require a punishing exercise routine or going on a strict diet. All it takes is that you follow some low calories diets and exercise regularly.

Healthy and successful weight loss can definitely be attained through good habits and moderation. Weight fluctuations are extremely dangerous to your health, and submitting your body to repeated strict diets will eventually prove damaging to your physical and mental well-being. Health professionals recommend that you resort to low calories diets and turn calorie counting into a lifetime habit.

No fitness apparels, wonder belts, magic pills or diets will get you to your ideal weight if you keep eating irregularly and unhealthy. Many people prefer hamburgers, chips, pizzas or snacks with many calories to a healthy vegetable and fruit meal, because the former don’t require any effort to prepare and are readily available. Those who argue that they simply cannot live without their daily snacks and sweets should know that in much a similar way as quitting smoking, getting used to eating low-fat food is just a matter of time. Low calories diets are very helpful because they allow you to eat tasty food in a moderate way. You don’t have to starve in order to look good. All it takes is that you pay a little more attention to number of calories for your meals.

Remember that there is no better way to lose weight and get your ideal weight that combining low calories diets with regular exercise, and making a habit out of being active and eating healthy.

By: Groshan Fabiola

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Atkins Diet

The world today loves the idea of slim looking people. We see these people in magazines, on the television, and on beauty contests. In short we see them all over following various diets to help them achieve this look. One such diet that promotes this way of living is the Atkins diet. With the Atkins diet the way many people dieted changed forever.

In the Atkins diet you are introduced to a new way of living. With this method you will be re-educated about the types of low carbohydrate foods that you can eat. You will have to follow certain spartan rules in order for the Atkins diet to work for you.

There are Four stages of the diet that are necessary for any one who is on the Atkins diet to follow. These stages are the induction which is stage 1, in progress(p) weight loss

is level 2, pre-maintenance is the 3rd phase and stage Four is maintenance. In addition to following the diverse dietary rules of these various stages the Atkins diet also recommends that steady exercising and nutritional supplements are used as part of this low carbohydrate diet.

During the induction point of the Atkins diet it is possible to ache up to Fifteen pounds. This is achieved by restricting your sugar intake to 20 grams a day. You can have low carbohydrate vegetables in your diet like lettuce, broccoli and tomatoes, Yet you can’t eat yoghurt, fruit and any starchy vegetables like potatoes on an Atkins diet. You are not allowed to have any drinks like alcohol or anything that might be caffein based.

Supposedly during the induction phase of the Atkins diet you stabilize your blood sugar, and curb various wellness symptoms that originate from unstable blood sugar, like fatigue. In this stage you break diverse food addictions and you also ensure your cravings for differe

National Trust foods. You will also find there to be a significant weight loss during this period.

When you enter the Third and 4th stages of the Atkins diet you will have reached your ideal weight. It will be at this time that you get to increase your carbohydrate intake up to 60 grams per day. From this point on if you wishing to keep your weight at this level then you must stick to your Atkins diet for the rest of your life.

A word of cautiousness should be given. There are many medical facts that state that followers the Atkins diet will cause wellness problems for those on the diet. The reasons are many but the main ones are that our bodies need about 300 grams of carbohydrates for wellness and mentality activity to function properly.

However, so far the dieting seems to be working for many people on many different levels, so if you take things one step at a time, you should be able to find that with the Atkins diet you’ve found asure-fire winning way to permanent weight loss. And what could be better than that?

Article Source: http://www.articles411.com/

Weight Loss Motivation Guidelines (Part 2)

A Better Way of Thinking

Now let me show you some better alternatives. Please compare them with the above example.

Example 1

"Hmm, my diet isn't going so good. But I'm not going to make excuses. I've wasted enough time making excuses to myself. From now on, no matter what happens, I'm going to be honest with myself. So what do I want? I want to lose weight and get myself into shape. Why? Because I really want that beach holiday (or other very selfish goal) which I promised myself. I want it so bad I can touch it! Okay, so I need to learn how to eat properly - big deal! I can easily do this if I put my mind to it. Heck! Eating good food isn't difficult. What's difficult is seeing myself being overweight for the rest of my life. I want something better. Something a lot better than a fistful of nachos or a dollop of fatty dessert."

Example 2

"Hmm, my diet isn't going so good. So let me remind myself why I'm dieting. All my life I've been eating to please other people. My mom said "eat this", so I ate it. My school friends said "have some of this", so I had lots. My work colleagues now say "have a slice of this", so I have two! And my kids say "you must try this", so I try it. And every time I make an effort to lose weight, everyone says "forget about your diet, eat some of this" so I do. Well that's enough! No more eating to please other people. Today I'm going to start eating to please me. And what pleases me is the idea of wearing a size (?) dress to my daughter's wedding (or other very selfish goal). I realise I need to eat properly, but this is a ridiculously tiny price to pay for achieving my goal. Heck! Eating good food isn't difficult. What's difficult is carrying my excess weight around all day. I want something better. Something a lot better than a 4-cheese pizza or a box of cookies."

Example 3

"Hmm, my diet isn't going as smoothly as I thought it would. Never mind, I'm sure this is quite normal. I can't expect to change my regular eating habits without a few hiccups along the way. Besides, I'm looking for more than the few minutes of pleasure I get from filling my stomach with junk. I want a lifetime of pleasure - real pleasure from looking good and being taken seriously and who knows, maybe finding a great partner. I know other people see me as a fat person - goodness, at times I do too! - but this is exactly WHY I want to change. I'm tired of being fat. Real tired. And if this means learning how to eat good food, then let's do it! And when it gets tough I'm going to login to Anne Collins forum and get help. All I know is, I want to make it happen!"

Example 4

"Hmm, my diet isn't going as smoothly as I thought it would. This morning I watched my colleagues eat a whole birthday cake - it looked delicious - and I sat there feeling miserable and deprived. Then I went for lunch with a friend and chose a tuna salad while she ate half a pizza followed by two slices of cheesecake. It was torture! But then I started thinking to myself "what's more important - a few slices of cheesecake, or a really lean shape?" And I decided that looking good was what I really wanted. I know that it's not going to happen overnight, but if I can persevere and learn good eating habits along the way, I know I'm gonna make it..."

Example 5

"Hmm, my diet isn't going as smoothly as I thought it would. But at least it's not a race. So who cares if I have a few wobbly moments, as long as I get where I want to go. At 26 I'm in the prime of my life, and I want to make the most of it. I'm tired of my slim friends getting all the best guys. I want to turn a few heads myself. I want the attention and I want to be taken seriously, and if I have to spend 12 months dieting - heck! I'm gonna do it. Last week I saw a friend of mine in hospital who lost a leg in a car crash. The doctors say it's going to take her 12 months to relearn how to walk. Now that is tough. By comparison, my journey is easy. And as long as I keep reminding myself of this, I'll be fine."

Points To Remember

1. A diet is a journey from A to B.

2. Feeling bored is a sign we are losing our direction.

3. When we lose direction we need to regain it, fast!

4. The way to regain direction is to remind yourself why you are dieting.

5. You are dieting because you want something better than a plate of fattening food.

Getting Help To Lose Weight

Changing our eating habits is much easier when we get support from other people. So make sure your online weight management plan includes membership of a forum. Because only people can offer you the sort of encouragement you need to achieve your personal weight loss goals.

By: Anne Collins

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Weight Loss Motivation Guidelines (Part 1)

By: Anne Collins

Introduction

If there is one thing that all dietitians and obesity experts agree on, it is that personal motivation is the foundation of all weight loss success. No matter how healthy the diet-plan, or what combination of calories and nutrition it contains, it won't help anyone lose weight unless they follow it for long enough. Their willingness to do so depends entirely on how motivated they are to change their eating and exercise habits in order to achieve their weight loss goals.

Motivation Advice Hard To Find

The Internet offers a bewildering array of diets and weight loss eating plans, but advice on motivation when dieting is in extremely short supply. Given the strong link between diet-compliance and motivation, this lack of motivational help is surprising to say the least. It may stem from the fact that many diets are created by people who lack hands-on experience of helping people to manage their weight. Perhaps they see weight loss as a biological rather than a human process. If so, I think it's a mistake.

Motivating Yourself To Lose Weight

I tell all my clients that starting a weight loss diet is like starting a journey. And like any journey it requires preparation. We need to look ahead and plan how to overcome problems that occur along the way. By doing this we take control of the process and greatly increase our chances of success.

Unfortunately, many dieters don't plan ahead. Instead, they take things as they come, and rely upon two things: their initial enthusiasm, and (when this wears off) their willpower. But enthusiasm and willpower aren't enough to overcome the temptations and difficulties which we face when we try to change our eating habits and lifestyle.

Stop for a moment and imagine taking your family on a camping trip. Do you rely on your enthusiasm and willpower for food and shelter? Of course not. In all probability you spend hours beforehand carefully packing and preparing for every eventuality, and the whole trip is carefully planned out in advance.

Yet when you start a diet-journey, many of you set off without any kind of planning or preparation. It's as if you are convinced that everything will go smoothly. But let's face it, what diet ever runs smoothly? Answer: none! So what happens when we encounter a big problem? Answer: we wobble, and often quit.

We Need To Plan New Thinking Habits

Planning a diet-journey doesn't involve packing equipment, it involves packing "new thoughts". We need to rehearse and adopt new ways of thinking in order to overcome problems during our journey. This isn't psycho-babble - this is plain common sense. After all, successful dieting is largely a matter of motivation and attitude. It's about what goes on between our ears!

The Most Common Dieting Problem

The most common problem we face when dieting is boredom. This typically occurs when our initial enthusiasm for losing weight wears off, and we become tired of watching what we eat. We become dispirited, and slightly depressed at the idea of having to maintain our "sensible eating habits" while everyone else seems to be having a good time.

Losing Direction Leads To Boredom

We get bored when we lose our sense of direction. So to overcome it, we need to reestablish exactly where we are going. Remember, dieting is not an aimless process, it's a journey from A to B. Here's how we think when we lose direction:

"I'm really bored with dieting, it's such a pain. I don't have any freedom any more. I can't eat this, I can't eat that... I'm fed up. I can't share food with the girls at work, I can't eat at my favorite restaurants, I have to keep saying No to food when I visit friends, I have to watch my family eating in front of me, I don't have time to exercise properly, I'm never going to lose weight and I'm feeling really miserable. Heck! Life is too short for this..."

This kind of thinking is totally demotivating. It focuses exclusively on the negative aspects of dieting and signals complete aimlessness. No weight loss goal is achievable when we think like this.

A Better Way of Thinking- continued in the next post

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