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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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?

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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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Why Do We Cheat On Our Diets?

If only we could solve this question, the world (for many) would be a better place! Well, the reality is that there are real answers to this question that will apply to many people. It will take a good dose of reality and a brave heart to stop denying what really happens. Read on to discover some answers that may change your life forever and give you the impetus to lose weight and keep it off!

Justification?

Being overweight can be used as an excuse for being unhappy, especially when you do not do anything to help yourself. Subconsciously, over-eating is a comfort for many people and this then allows them to hide behind their weight problem and helps them to justify rejection and avoid being hurt. They can then shift the blame of rejection on their weight-problem, without addressing other aspects of their fears. Sometimes it seems easier to hide behind your “weight problem”, than address other matters where you may have a greater fear of failure.

Eating Without Thinking?

If you are concentrating on another activity while you are eating you are more likely to overeat because you are not fully aware of how full you are feeling. This factor can be difficult to change because it is not a conscious action. Try to only eat when you don’t have a lot of other distractions. Sit down, eat slowly and enjoy the food you are eating, and remember that it is not always necessary to go back for seconds. It takes 20 minutes for food to reach your stomach and for your brain to register that you are full.

Cravings?

The famous “Pavlov’s dogs” were conditioned to eat at the sound of a bell, and we human are much the same when it comes to habitual cravings. If you wonder why you always feel like a chocolate when you sit down to watch a movie, or you have to have a box of popcorn….think again. You are not necessarily craving these foods because you are hungry, but rather consider force of habit. During the time when you have a craving, try to ask yourself whether you are really hungry or not. If you are hungry, reach for a low fat snack rather than a chocolate bar or bag of crisps.

Indulging?

Eating or thinking about food can be a distraction from your troubles and you may therefore be unnecessarily over-eating. Emotions and hormones can trigger certain cravings, for example, if you are feeling low, chocolate and carbohydrates assist the production of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin helps you feel happier. This is why we might crave sweet or starchy foods during times of sadness or stress.

If you identify with any of the above factors, you could be on your way towards discovering what is triggering you to overeat.


By: Kim Beardsmore

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

One Day Miracle Diet

One Day Miracle Diet – as dieticians put it – is a suitable diet program for gourmet buffs. This cholesterol lowering diet plan is quite simple – you diet for a day and eat full the next day and continue this routine until you feel that you have lost enough weight. It is also called the 24 hour Hollywood Miracle Diet.

During the dieting day, refrain from eating any other food than vanilla (every two hours) or chocolate diet wafers and raw fruits. Also, make it a point to drink lots of water (ideally 8 glasses of water or above). It is also advisable to follow a light exercise routine for better results. Walking short distances will serve the purpose.

The biggest advantage with one day cholesterol lowering diet programs is that the person undergoing dieting will not suffer any muscle loss. This is partially because of the high protein and low calorie content of the wafers, and partially due to the fact that the dieting person actually in fact is not completely severed from his/her eating habits. He/she can have any food he/she wants the every next day.

On the other hand, the disadvantage with the cholesterol lowering diet program is that it does not contribute towards improving one’s eating habits. That is, as it does not suggest an improved diet, the chances of the person regaining the weight due to normal eating after stopping the diet program are high. Also, nutritional deficiency can happen sometimes depending on the physical aspects of the person concerned.

To conclude, cholesterol lowering diet programs of this sort can bring about quick results. Further, as the person is not restricted from his normal diet for more than 24 hours, people will be more inclined to try out this diet program. But the con is that perhaps people may resort to eating more after the one-day deprival. Hence one’s control over his/her eating impulse is critical for ensuring complete success.

Tail Piece – some dieticians tout this cholesterol lowering diet program to be more effective than the traditional tuna and egg diet.

By: Oliver Turner

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Liquid Diets

A typical meal replacement plan or liquid diet involves substituting a number of meals and snacks with a nutritionally balanced shake made from sugar, skimmed milk powder, fiber, vitamins, minerals and sweetener. Some plans offer candy-like bars as an alternative.


WHAT YOU EAT AND DRINK:


Typically, you replace two meals and one snack per day with one shake. Each shake contains about 200 calories. Your third meal is a nutrient-rich meal of about 600 calories. Thus your total daily intake adds up to about 1200 calories.

ADVANTAGES:

The diet is nutritionally balanced and very convenient. All you have to do is open a can, grab a glass, and add milk. In addition to being very sweet, these shakes/bars are good news for anyone with a sweet tooth.

The liquid diet benefits certain types of procedures, both pre- and post-op. In pre-operative cases, a clear liquid diet flushes the bowels while decreasing strain on the digestive system. Before beginning this type of liquid diet, a physician will provide a detailed fact sheet on how to proceed and for how long.

Liquid diets are also used following bariatric surgeries. Those who undergo bariatric surgery may be required to follow a fluid-only diet for up to ten days following the procedure.

Occasionally, extreme cases of obesity are treated with liquid diets. It is successful initially, but must be monitored by a physician for any negative side effects. It is not recommended for long-term weight loss.

DRAWBACKS:

Due to the low calorie content, too little fiber, and lack of important nutrition found in fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, these liquid diets are unsafe unless medically prescribed and supervised. They should also only be used for short periods of time.

Studies have shown that weight loss achieved while following a low calorie liquid diet plan is rarely sustained. Dieters can expect to regain as much as 75% of weight lost, within 3 years.

The biggest drawback concerns the issue of eating habits. Meal-replacement diets can help you to lose weight in the short term but they cannot help you to acquire the sort of sensible eating habits that are essential for long-term weight loss.

In addition, liquid diets that are not medically supervised may not supply the body with enough nutrients to function properly and are associated with problems including sensitivity to cold, brittle nails, diarrhea or constipation, and heart problems. Weight loss by means of liquid diets can also cause gallbladder problems.

VERDICT:

This is a reasonably good (and healthy) SHORT-TERM option for disciplined dieters who are under medical supervision. However, make sure your daily solid meal is healthy and your snacks include plenty of fruit and vegetables.

Any fad diet that uses short-term weight loss methods is not recommended for permanent weight control. Remember, permanent fat loss is achieved by following a sensible, nutritious eating plan that includes regular aerobic exercise and behavior modifications.

CHOOSE A HEALTHY WAY TO EAT:

Beware of Any Diet That...

*Provides fewer than 1000 calories per day.

*Boasts unusually fast weight loss.

*Uses the words "miracle" or "fat-burning" to describe itself!

*Has an unbalanced eating plan: i.e. which omits any of the major food groups.

*Has unrestricted amounts of high fat food, like red meat, full fat dairy products or oils.

*Requires you to take expensive supplements.

*Fails to recommend long term changes in your eating habits.

Americans spend billions of dollars a year on diet products. A large percentage of those who purchase them, purchase fraudulent or completely useless products. Do not be one of them!

By: Chris Chenoweth

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

Do Fad Diets Work?

Fad diets are weight loss plans that promise amazingly fast results. They do not offer any sort of long-term plan for success and they are usually very unhealthy, sometimes actually dangerous, for your body.

Some of the more popular fad diets are listed below:

LIQUID DIETS: You drink a nutrient-rich liquid twice a day in place of your regular meals and eat a well-balanced meal as the third meal of the day.

LOW FAT HIGH CARB DIET: This diet severely limits the fat in your diet and encourages the intake of carbohydrates.

DIET PILLS AND SUPPLEMENTS: Diet pills and/or supplements are supposed to decrease your appetite, resulting in weight loss.

FOOD RESTRICTIVE DIETS: There are many of these types of diets that require you to severely restrict your calorie intake.

Unfortunately, the claims of fad diets prey on people who are usually so desperate to lose weight, they will try anything. Most people would rather try a quick fix instead of making the effort to lose weight with healthy long-term changes to their diet and lifestyle.

The companies who promote fad diets know this and use it to their advantage. When they promise weight loss that is quick and easy, they know people will be anxious to try it out.

Some fad diets do work for a short time if you faithfully follow the directions. The reason they work is when you stop eating certain foods, you are getting less calories, which naturally results in weight loss.

The downside to this is you are probably losing water and lean muscle, not fat. Additionally, most people cannot stick to food deprivation or eating the same foods for a very long time.

Once you go off of the fad diet, the result is gaining your weight back. This puts you back to where you were before, feeling frustrated, angry, and discouraged.

FAD DIET CLAIMS

If a diet product makes any of the following claims, stay away from them:

*Lose weight very quickly. Common sense should tell you since it took time for you to gain the weight, it will take time to lose it. (You DO NOT want to lose muscle tissue or water!)

*Severely limits your food choices. Anything that discourages balanced nutrition is not healthy.

*Requires you to spend money on pre-packaged meals. The expense for this requires you to continue purchasing these so-called NUTRITIONALLY BALANCED MEALS. Beware!

*Offers testimonials from people who have lost weight or from doctors who are promoting the product. Remember, these people are probably being paid to advertise the product.

The bottom line is, if a diet plan or product sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Do not fall for it.

HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS TIPS

If you want to lose weight, develop a healthy diet and exercise program for yourself. If you need help, talk to your doctor.

Use the following tips:

*Never skip meals and start everyday with a healthy breakfast.

* Eat foods from all of the food groups every day, emphasizing vegetables, fruit, and whole grains.

*Limit your daily intake of sugar and starches. High sugar foods and foods that are high in white starch have little or no nutritional value for your body.

*Drink water, lots and lots of water. Water flushes toxins out of your body and speeds up your metabolism.

*Participate in daily physical activity, at least 30 minutes a day. Aerobic exercises like walking, bicycling, jogging, and skating are the best. Try to incorporate movement into your daily schedule. Take the steps instead of the elevator, park your car at the farthest point in the parking lot, mow the yard, etc.

Fad diets are not the answer to weight loss. Only a balanced, nutritious diet and regular physical activity can put you on the road to a healthy weight and a healthy body. Make the changes and you will feel better, look better, and live longer.

By: Chris Chenoweth

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

The Green Tea Diet Can Provide Vital Health Benefits

It appears that a green tea diet has some of the same properties that golden elixirs, fountains of youth and magic potions all have. If there is a risk for Alzheimer's in your family, then a green tea diet may delay the onset of this disease.

This has been the conclusion of a recent study that was done in Britain. It discovered that a green tea diet will inhibit the 3 chemical culprits that are associated with breaking down chemical messengers and forming plaques and protein deposits in your brain.

Who Could Benefit From a Green Tea Diet

During the flu season you should incorporate a green tea diet into your daily routine because it will help you to fight off the flu. This is because the substance in green tea that is known as L-theanine is able to increase your virus-battling cells by 10 times. This will also work if you gargle with green tea.

Another great benefit of the green tea diet is that it will increase your metabolism and oxidize any fat that you may have, without raising your heart rate. This has been proven in a recent scientific paper by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The reason why your heart rate is so important here is because an increased heart rate can lead to adverse cardiac effects.

However, there are only 2 ways in which you can actually get rid of fat: by dieting or by exercising. If you are unable to diet, then the green tea diet may be just what you have been looking for as it will allow you to expend energy without a lot of exercise. Combine that with the fact that it is all natural and you have got yourself a winner.

The Concluding Facts About a Green Tea Diet

If you love the idea of a green tea diet but simply cannot stand the taste of tea then you should know that there are green tea pills that you can take as a dietary supplement. These usually come in 500 mg. capsules that you should take 2 or 3 times a day. There is no bitter aftertaste with these capsules either.

So, regardless of how you take green tea, the benefits of a green tea diet simply cannot be ignored. Of course, it is possible to ignore these facts but why would you want to?

By: Ann Marier

Article Source: www.iSnare.com

Try This Healthy Eating Diet Plan

How many times have you decided the time had come to loose a few pounds but everything you tried left you frustrated and feeling deprived. Have you ever considered a healthy eating diet plan?

If you aren’t familiar with a health eating diet plan you might be surprised at just how simple the concept is and you’ll be wondering why more aren’t using it to lose those extra pounds.

The healthy eating diet plan starts by recognizing that weight will only be lost when the number of calories burned exceeds the number of calories eaten. It also recognizes that if you drop your calorie intake too quickly your body will go into what’s called starvation mode storing fat for that rainy day.

The healthy eating diet plan goes one further stating that you can eat anything you want as long as you don’t exceed your calorie count for the day and in fact you need to reduce your calorie intake by 500 calories but no more. While at the same time increasing your calorie burn by 500 calories. That means you are going to have a 1000 calorie difference which is going to be noticeable on the diet scale.

The healthy eating diet plan also looks at the type of foods you are eating. Of course although it says you can eat anything you want it expect that you will not fill your diet with foods high in saturated fats but rather will mix your meals up with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables but it gives you the flexibility to mix it up how you like it without being restricted to certain foods.

So what would a healthy eating diet plan look like? Well it might look something like this:

Breakfast

• 1 cup Cheerios
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen berries
• 1 cup fat-free or low-fat milk
• 1/2 whole-grain English muffin, toasted, topped with 1 teaspoon light margarine
• Coffee if desired

Mid-morning snack
• 4 pieces dried apricot
• 1 cup tea with lemon

Lunch
• Sandwich: one 6-inch whole-wheat pita, spread with 1 tablespoon light mayonnaise and stuffed with 2 ounces deli-style roast beef, 1-ounce slice of reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, 3 tomato slices and lettuce
• 4 baby carrots
• 1 banana,

Afternoon snack
• 5 ounces fat-free yogurt
• 3 vanilla wafers

Dinner
• 3 ounces grilled or broiled salmon brushed with 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed before cooking
• 2/3 cup brown rice
• 3/4 cup sliced asparagus spears steamed
• Salad: 1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves topped with 1 tangerine, peeled and sectioned; 1 tablespoon chopped almonds; drizzled with 1 tablespoon sesame seed vinaigrette salad dressing
• Water or other no-cal beverage

Of course this is just an example of a healthy eating diet plan for a day. There are so many options that you will never be bored and remember you can eat which ever foods you want as long as you don’t exceed your daily calorie intake. So if you love fish eat as much as you want or perhaps you hate asparagus but love baby carrots then don’t eat asparagus but do eat all the baby carrots you want.

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

Healthy Diet Plans-Finding The Right Diet To Help You Achieve Your Health Goals

Many, many people today suffer from poor health. Often times, you hear that they must be the victims of either poor genetics or just bad luck. You might be surprised to learn that the vast majority of health problems and diseases in our world today are simply a result of a lack of healthy diet plans. They are not subject to chance as many would have you believe.

You can actually improve your health dramatically by simply making a few changes in the way you eat. Here are some tips to help you when first embarking on a diet plan.

First of all, healthy diet plans must consist of each of these essential elements:

Calories. A person needs a sufficient amount of calories to maintain their metabolic needs. However, if it results in greater than 12% body fat, you are most likely eating too many calories.

Sufficient quantities of fat: this can include monounsaturated fast, polyunsaturated fat and saturated fat. One of the big myths out there is that all fat is bad, and that is why there are so many low fat diets. Actually, your body needs a certain amount of fat in order to function properly; if you deprive yourself of this, you will experience worse health.

-Avoid trans-fat.
-Enough amino acids (complete protein).
-A sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals.

All healthy diet plans must be well balanced and provide you with all these essential elements. Without them, you cannot hope to maintain good health.

That is why low carb and low calorie or fat diets or so dangerous, because they often times only allow you to eat certain types of foods. You don’t get all the essential elements that your body needs, and you actually end up with worse health than before the diet.

Also, try to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, and avoid meat and dairy products whenever possible. The reason that raw foods such as fruits and vegetables are so good for you is that they are very rich in enzymes, the life-blood of the body.

When your body doesn’t receive enzymes naturally through its’ food, it must manufacture them itself. This is why you often feel exhausted after consuming a cooked meal; the food contained no enzymes, and your body got worn down attempting to reproduce them itself.

These are a few tips to get you started on a lifetime of health and vitality. Of course, it’s not possible to change a lifetime of poor health and eating habits overnight; however, you need to start somewhere. Follow these healthy diet plans, and you will soon begin feeling much healthier and energetic throughout the day.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

Why A Low Carb Diet Is A Different Weight Loss Experience

If you are no stranger to the diet world, you are probably wondering what the difference is between the low calorie diets and the low carb diets. Scientists doing high protein low carb diet research have found that there is a dramatic difference in the way our bodies respond to the two basic types of dieting.

The low carbohydrate diets have one obvious difference - they are much lower in starches and sugars. But that is not the important difference in this case. It's how our metabolism and bodily functions react to the change in food intake.

It's a "Need" Versus "Want" Dilemma

In the more traditional approach to weight loss programs, the main emphasis is placed on the amount of food ingested and the number of calories consumed. A major difference with the low carb diets is the focus tends to be not on how much you eat, but rather how much you want to eat. BIG difference here. It's a matter of limiting the supply of food to the body versus altering the body's demand for food.

Our bodies require certain levels of calories just to function properly. Determining exactly what that number is can be next to impossible to compute. Our requirements fluctuate daily depending on our levels of activity, and can vary up to 25% from person to person. So, is it better to push calories into your system without knowing what is really required, or letting your body tell you what it needs?

The Problem with the Typical Reduced Calorie Diet

A major issue with your host of low calorie diets is that it isn't natural. They generally advocate starving your system by eating less, therefore consuming fewer calories. This may work for a short while, but your body will fight back. Common reactions include:
* Difficulty concentrating
* Experiencing food cravings
* Fatigue
* Sense of constant hunger
* Irritability
* Depression
Of course, there are some individuals who can power through these reactions through sheer will power, but the odds state that most will lose this battle with their body's biology.

If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em

Now that you know why the simple reduced calorie diets generally fail, let's look at an alternative - the low carbohydrate diet. If you can make your body require less food, while burning body fat for energy, you will lose weight. The fact is that individuals on a low carb diet lower their calorie intake by default, a natural added benefit.

The result will be that your body will seem satisfied even with the reduced food intake. This is key! You will begin to work with your body instead of fighting its natural tendencies for storing more and more fuel. High protein low carb diet research indicates that individuals who respond well to this diet don't experience the feeling that their bodies are constantly craving more food. So, as the saying goes; "Go with the current rather than trying to fight it" - it's a much easier and rewarding way to get where you're heading!

By: Bill Wilson

Article Source: www.iSnare.com

Frequently Asked Questions About Weight Loss And Diets

If you’re on a diet, or considering going on one, you’re in luck. We’ve put together ten of the most frequently asked questions about diets and weight loss and compiled them here. Enjoy!

1. How much should I weigh?
Your doctor can answer that question most accurately. More important than how much you weigh is your body/mass index, which measures your height against your weight.

2. What's the best diet for losing weight?
Any diet that provides all the nutrition that you need for health, and in addition, provides fewer calories than your body burns regularly.

3. How can I keep off the weight that I lose?
If you lose weight gradually and re-educate both yourself and your body about food, you'll have a good start. The secret to keeping weight off is to balance your energy needs with your food intake. Eat enough calories to supply your body's energy needs, but not so many that your body stores the excess as fat.

4. What's the story with obesity and diabetes?
Obesity increases the risks of a number of chronic health conditions, and diabetes is one of them. People who are more than ten percent overweight increase their risk of developing type 2 diabetes substantially.

5. How do I decrease my intake of sugar?
Obviously, you can decrease your intake of sugar by cutting out sweets and refined snacks, but you should also watch out for 'hidden' sugars. Check ingredients. High fructose corn syrup and sucrose are both simple sugars that add lots of calories and little nutrition.

6. How often should I weigh myself?
Most diet experts recommend that you weigh yourself no more than once a week. Some go so far as to tell you to throw out the scale entirely! A more accurate measure of your loss is your clothing size. If your clothing is feeling looser, you're doing great.

7. Do I really have to exercise?
You don't HAVE to, but it will be a lot harder to lose weight if you don't. A half hour of moderate exercise daily is the minimum activity level for healthy weight loss. You can get it walking, running, cleaning your house - anything active burns calories.

8. What's a calorie?
A calorie is a measure of energy. Foods are rated with calories based on the amount of energy they provide to the body when consumed.

9. Can I lose weight without changing my diet?
Weight loss results when you burn more calories than you consume. If you only need to lose a small amount of weight and your diet is generally healthy, you can lose weight by increasing your activity level to burn more calories. If your diet is poor, or if you're more than a few pounds overweight, you really need to learn a new, more healthy way or eating, or you'll put the weight back on when you go back to 'normal' eating.

10. Should I eat fish on my diet?
Unless it's expressly forbidden by your diet, absolutely. Fish is high protein, low saturated fat, and high in omega 3 fatty acids. Some doctors recommend eating as much as 10 servings of fish per week.

Author: Kirsten Hawkins

Article Source: www.iSnare.com