Posts Tagged ‘Dieting’

PostHeaderIcon Beneficial Weight Loss Program

Any body reading this article most probably is overweight and planning to start a successful weight loss program. There are a number of weight loss programs, some of these programs are beneficial and some caused more problems then benefits. Starting any weight loss program, it’s necessary to consult experts and make sure that the program will suit your body or not.

In most of the weight loss programs the best part is that you will most certainly lose weight if you follow the program. However it’s difficult to maintain the weight, as most of the people get overweight fast after discontinuing the weight loss program.

It is advised to consult a health expert before starting a weight loss program. If a program of losing weight is beneficial for one person may not suitable for another person. The metabolism of each person is different. You should not use programs that promise fast weight loss as it could prove to be harmful. The right program is the one which lose 2 to 3 pounds a week. Losing 2 pounds per week consistently, you will not only be a lot thinner and fit after some weeks but also most certainly stay that way.

Acomplia a weight loss drug is popular almost all over the world. A little dieting and exercise with Acomplia not only lose your weight consistently but also cure obesity. Acomplia is also used for combating smoking. Acomplia also has the benefits to combat alcohol. It also helps in balancing cholesterol. Acomplia also reduces extra fat and get you in to shape. For a successful weight loss program I personally recommend a little exercise, a little dieting and Acomplia as a weight loss drug.

Buy Acomplia and have a successful weight loss program.

PostHeaderIcon Maintaining Weight After Weight Loss

 I presume because you are reading this article, that you have managed after hard work and commitment to lose some weight, and you want to keep it that way and you don’t want to slip back and gain it back again.

 Congratulations! We both know how much willpower, work and commitment it takes to make it to this point, now the most important thing is to maintain that weight by using a combination of right diet and exercise and good mental attitude.

 Maintaining weight is very important because experience shows that most dieters regain a third of what they lost within the first year and two-thirds of it in the second year.  It’s important to understand what is needed here; it is really a matter of energy balance!  But know also that the hardest part is now over, because maintaining weight is actually easier, not harder, than losing it. 

 At this point it’s important that your lifestyle is balanced and you want to avoid all unnecessary stress that could cause old habits to surface again.  Success in gaining, losing, or maintaining weight is dependent upon a combination of factors; I always used to say that losing, gaining or maintaining weight is a result of the “freedom from the obsession and compulsion to eat,” not the other way around, but there is more to it.  You also need to establish some important new routines in your life, because the main thing is to keep exercising and burn calories each day.  This is your magic formula from now on:”best approach is to ensure that one’s physical activity level is high enough to balance the number of calories consumed”.

 You know those weight charts? I bet you do, where your weight ranges are shown in the chart and people of the same height may have equal amounts of body fat but different amounts of muscle and bone…  Don’t look at them too much now, go after your own gut feeling and your good friend; the mirror! There are also many weight loss groups and organizations if you feel you need support, remember that this is an intimate personal and difficult struggle, but it’s not one that anyone needs to go through alone.  In this modern world weight loss has become an essential objective for several people, but only a few are succeeding in their task.  You have gone through that already, but know that for many, weight gain or regain is embarrassing, and seeking help is delayed.  If you join a group and your situation is monitored weekly, the purpose of this assessment is to provide an evaluation and recommendations for maintaining a healthy weight based on your individual needs.

 We are all different, groups can be helpful but they are not for everyone.

 One of my students recently said; “I’ve struggled with weight issues for most of my life, and aside from the occasional slice of molten chocolate cake, I finally have it under control.  Now I basically follow a group point system and strive to keep my dry carb intake to a minimum”. 

 For her it’s ok to do it alone, but she is using a weight chart every week.

 Health

 I think everybody agrees nowadays that the key to losing weight is to burn more calories than are consumed, either by increasing physical activity or consuming fewer calories – or preferably both.  Health professionals judge a low-calorie sweetener to be of benefit for weight control. 

 What are the dangers at this point when you are in a situation where the main battle is won, but you look for safe and healthy ways to maintain your situation?

 Usually they are psychological issues. How balanced we are emotionally and how we can see ourselves in a new positive light. It’s very important to be aware of the potential purposes of anger, how anger impacts health, and learn assertive methods of dealing with anger.  Health and fitness experts all know this and the most recent research related to emotional and physical health has found that there are pitfalls and the old feelings might come back from time to time. Feelings of unworthiness fear of rejection, bad self image etc.

 These feelings can be triggers – for bad habits again – so it’s very important to stay alert, that is why I always recommend some kind of group or/and family and friend support.

 Now that you have come this far, make it even better! You probably see now that anything is possible, you only need a positive attitude and you are ready to recreate yourself.

 Visit also my blog where I give every week new tips and strategies for all kinds of weight loss situations.

 Good luck and stay fit!

PostHeaderIcon Simple Weight Loss Exercises

The reason for search of weight loss exercises by many dieters is for health and self-esteem. Exercises help in burning calories, muscle building and weight management. Too hard exercises and doing too much of exercises can result in serious injuries, burnt out and also may lead to frustration. When doing weight loss exercises start slowly and increase intensity gradually.Exercises which are easily welcomed by every aspiring weight loss person :

Walking – the easier exercise where there is no time commitment or specific requirement is needed. Walk for a minimum of 40 minutes for four days in a week and you will see the difference it makes, by yourself. Health benefits of walking are it reduces the risk of life-threatening maladies like diabetes, heart diseases and high blood pressure.

Swimming – Start slowly and focus on a few strokes. Practice for 25 minutes for three days in a week and it takes away a few pounds lightly.

Water aerobics – If you don’t know swimming, then you can easily practice water aerobics. It is the best method of weight loss exercise as it has less impact with aerobics in it and creates resistance on all moves.

Running helps in burning more calories in lesser time comparatively than any other weight loss exercise.

Running and walking both produce endorphins and brain chemicals, which gives you happiness and confidence. The energy burnt during these depends totally on your speed, weight of your body and experience.

For people in need of weight loss exercises they actually want to fit in a program on their busy schedules. The challenge for you is to balance your family demands, career, relationships, commitments and organizational responsibilities. The following important keys will help you to balance your lifestyle and your weight loss exercise program together.

Be Committed for a regular schedule of exercises at least three days in a week and you have to take time for it on your “to do” lists. If you want to succeed then you have to plan ahead.

Utilize your weekends to work out producing effective results. The benefit, which you will get out of this, is the flexibility and control of the weight loss exercise program.

You should give high priority for your weight loss exercise program and rescheduling has to be done only for important emergencies.

Encourage others to participate in your weight loss exercise programs and this will motivate you to work out with commitment. Make your dear ones aware of your weight loss commitment and ask for their support.

If things are not working the way as you have expected because of external influence, don’t be tough on you and get de-motivated.

For women, excess weight may be due to genetic factors and environmental factors and women have to understand that quick weight loss will not bring them result for long-term. A woman has to compulsorily drink at least one glass of juice before exercise during morning exercises. Spot exercises will not bring women desired result of burning fat on the desired area. Aerobic weight loss exercises and activities are suitable for women, which include jogging, cycling, skating, brisk walking and doing exercises with aerobic equipments.

Whatever goals you have, either weight loss or fitness, if you are continuously practicing your weight loss exercise program, then your success towards the goal is not far-off.

PostHeaderIcon Exercise Speeds Up Weight Loss

Most people join the gym or begin their exercise program with high hopes. Unfortunately, most people give up within six months of starting because they are not getting the results they want. Many figure that they will get the same results by dieting alone, but the reality is that the pounds will come off significantly faster when you combine healthy eating, portion control and add an hour- long activity, four times weekly.Adding four hour-long exercise sessions per week does not have to be as hard as it sounds. The first thing to think about is that your new exercise routine will not simple be from now until you successfully lose the weight, but these activity sessions must be thought of as activities you will continue to do to maintain the weight loss. Studies have shown that nearly 90% of individuals who successfully maintain their weight loss also continued their exercise programs.
Why does exercise speed up weight loss and help maintain your weight loss? One school of thought indicates that aerobic exercises especially, are crucial for weight loss. During aerobics sessions, your body begins to burn fat after thirty minutes of moderate intensity exercise. In order to turn your body into a fat burning machine you need to work out at 80-90% of your maximum heart rate (calculated by 220-age). This level of intensity in your work out will help increase your metabolic rate and help your body to burn fat even after you have finished working out. The amount of calories you will burn while exercising and in the hours after depend upon a number of variables, such as; your weight and the intensity of your workout. After doing aerobics exercises for several weeks, you will begin to notice that you clothes feel looser and that you feel healthier overall. Also, aerobic exercise has been shown to increase mood and help ease depression.
Another school of thought states that working out with resistance (that is, weight, or resistance bands) is the best way to lose weight. Once again, there are a lot of variables which will determine how successful you will be at losing weight this way. Previous research indicated that for every pound of muscle you added to your body, your resting metabolic rate would increase by 60 calories. That’s a fantastic finding, meaning that if you add five pounds of new muscle, you will automatically burn an additional 31 pounds of fat in a year. By adding this muscle you will also tone your look, so whether or not the scale says differently, you body composition is going to change for the better. There is merit to this plan, even though the research has not born out the claims that each pound of new muscle burns 60 calories of fat per hour. No one knows for sure how much fat you will burn by adding muscle; it seems to depend upon your gender, your age and your past history of exercise. In the end, though, there is good reason to add weight bearing exercises to your exercise plan; regardless of the amount of additional fat you will burn, you WILL burn more fat, especially in the two hours after your workout. Also, weight bearing exercise decreases your odds of getting osteoporosis, something you haven’t likely given much thought to if you are still under 60, but something you will be especially happy about when you are older.
So what should you do? Because no one can tell you for sure how much weight you will lose given either strategy, and because you need to add activity to your lifestyle for the rest of your life, the best thing to do is to add activities which you enjoy doing anyway. Promise yourself at least four, one hour activity slots per week, and PUT THEM IN YOUR CALENDAR. It’s really easy to allow exercise to drop to the bottom of your to-do list, especially if you already have too much to do and not enough time. By putting the appointments in your calendar, you are agreeing to make it a priority to keep yourself healthy. Make it a priority; the same priority you would give going to work and don’t let other people’s needs get in the way. Then, do what you love. Try new activities; curling, squash, racquetball, spinning, biking, volleyball; the list is endless. If you choose activities you enjoy, rather than repetitive exercises on the treadmill or climber, you will have a greater chance of sticking with them throughout the rest of your life. If you have been a bit of a loner in your exercises so far, getting out and being part of a team will do wonders both for your weight loss and your soul. And the great thing is that many of these activities combine both aerobic exercise and weight bearing together. If you feel that you should have some degree of real exercise each week, add a treadmill/weight lifting session to just one of your scheduled sessions. That way, you will feel as if you are doing the “real work” of exercise while enjoying your weekly activities.
In the end, any exercise speeds up weight loss. While the jury is out on how many calories, or how much fat you will lose exactly, there is plenty of research to indicate that you will build muscle, burn more fat and feel better. What are you waiting for? Go out and start having fun! Your body, and your scale, will love you for it.

PostHeaderIcon Quick Weight Loss for Women: is This Really the Best Weight Loss for Women?

Why slow weight loss is the “new” quick weight loss for women!

 

Losing weight is an ongoing struggle for many women.  But is quick weight loss for women the ultimate fix?

 

I personally have tried all the quick weight loss for wowmen diets there is out there. Yes some of them do work, but only for a short period of time.

 

Let’s look at these quick weight loss diets and understand why they work, but only for the short term.

 

How Do You Lose Weight Quickly?

 

In order to lose weight quickly you need to eat a much lower number of calories than you burn in a given day.

 

This means that you either have to calorie count or follow one of those “lose ten pounds in ten days” diets.

 

Many people say that in order to lose weight quickly you should only consume 800 calories a day. Wow – that’s not much food is it?

 

Yes you can keep this up for a short period of time and lose weight quickly, but as soon as you start eating properly again… yes you’ve guessed it – up goes your weight again.

 

Therefore you are back to square one. Six months later you have tried so many quick weight loss fixes and given up so you are still at your overweight state. Not exactly quick weight loss now is it!

 

I know this from first hand experience, time and time again. Before I know it a whole year has passed and I still have not lost any weight even though I have spent money on many quick weight loss fixes!

 

Why Losing Weight Slowly Is The Way To Go

 

Now that we’ve established that quick weight loss is not the best way to go, let’s look at why losing 1-2 lb a week is actually the “new” quick weight loss for women routine.

 

You see giving yourself enough calories to live off will give you a slow steady weight loss which is much more manageable to stick to and attain. After all you can eat a good amount of food plus have treats such as wine and the odd pizza slice etc.. This is just so much more natural making it much more achievable to stick to it and lose 1-2lb week.

 

You still have to watch what you eat and go down the healthy route with plenty of fruit, vegetables and fibre, but you can also fit in foods you like so you won’t cheat.

 

So in the same six months you are much more likely to be able to stick to the higher calorie diet with a slower weight loss and be able to reach your goal. As opposed to keep trying quick fix fads which are practically humanly impossible to stick to so you give up and you are back to square one.

 

I finally realised this a few months ago when I was still 21lbs overweight after being on a ‘diet’ for about two years! So I set a target of losing only 1lb a week. This was so easy to stick to by being able to have the odd glass of red wine and a few treats. I ate healthy most of the week and introduced some exercise in the form of swimming. I am now half way to losing my 21lb but if I had stuck to my quick weight loss diet fads, I would still be 21lb overweight!

PostHeaderIcon Tips on Fast Weight Loss for Special Occasions

If you are like me, you have probably been through all this before, the family wedding is coming up next month and you can’t seem to fit into that suit or dress because you have put on too much weight. So you must lose at least ten or more pounds quickly.

Losing weight quickly is not advisable as most of the loss will be muscle tissue and water; you put on the weight slowly (usually over years) so normally you should take it off slowly and then you will know that the majority of the loss will be body fat.

But you have a problem here and the clock is ticking so you will have to diet pretty hard to meet your target weight loss. Let’s look at that first, you all know that diets don’t work; they send the body into starvation mode, a survival mechanism from long age when humans faced periods of famine.

Going too low in calories causes the body to lower its metabolic rate, which reduces its ability to burn fat. At the same time, hunger signals increase and you quickly start to crave high-energy foods loaded with fats and sugar, the same foods you are trying to do without.

Research shows repeated dieting actually makes it harder to lose weight and easier to put it on because when you dump the diet and return to normal eating habits the drop in metabolic rate caused by the diet means that your old habits actually represent an excess in calories.

Not only do you regain the fat stores just lost, but also you may even gain an extra bit.

Knowing this, you really don’t want to put yourselves through this rigorous process, but for this special occasion you will. First though, you will have to boost the metabolism that has been lowered by the dieting.

To do this you will have to perform a “Strength Training” workout to generate that initial spike in your metabolism. By increasing the lean muscle on your body by using Strength Training, your metabolism will increase, burning fat along the way.

The strength training technique I use requires just twenty to thirty mins per week. Gone are the days of the five-day a week program with 6 to 12 sets per body part that, method has never worked.

One short intense strength-training workout a week will elevate your metabolism more than you ever thought possible.

While the calories expended doing exercise are important, the increase in metabolism especially after strength training continues long after the exercise is finished, burning calories at the same time.

The two main components of this technique are the intensity of the exercise and the recovery after the exercise.

Infrequent, short, high intensity weight training sessions, followed by the required amount of time to recover and become stronger is what is needed to increase functional lean muscle and lose body fat.

Small frequent meals should be consumed during the day each containing a little protein to maintain muscle mass and energy levels. A high quality broad-spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement should also be taken on a daily basis.

As before get the calories from high quality food but if you can’t, utilize a blender to make concoctions from skim milk with whatever additives you want to use, just as long as you keep count of the calories for your daily total.

Now use these blender mixtures and solid food for your daily feedings. Spread it out over many small meals a day instead of the traditional three meals a day. The way to keep track of weight loss is to buy a calorie counter and record your daily calorie intake for a week.

Now average out how many calories you consume a day with the use of a seven-day eating plan and calorie counter, once you have this figure subtract 1000 calories and this will be the target number of calories you will be aiming for.

Remembering that one-pound of fat contains 3500cals, losing 1000 calories a day will total 7000 for the week, which equals two pounds lost by dietary means alone. Another technique for low calorie eating is to watch your fat intake as this has the most calories.

Incidental activity is also very important if you want to lose this amount of weight in this short period of time, by increasing incidental activity you can burn at least another pound a week The best exercise for the purpose of fat-loss is fast walking either indoors on the treadmill or outdoors.

Walk until you are mildly puffing and hold that rate until the allotted time. If your aerobic activities leave you panting or breathless, your going too hard, your energy is coming from your carbohydrate reserves and not from your fat stores. Try fast walking for one hour a day every day of the week.

Well there you have it, as an experienced trainer I wouldn’t recommend this type of program to my clients. The weight loss is just too quick and the program would be very hard to maintain owing to the very low caloric intake.

I advise my clients to decrease their calories by just 500 per day (and no more) below their maintenance levels and they will be losing 1 – 2 pounds of body fat every week, safely, without craving and without too much disruption to their lifestyle.

In conclusion remember, think long term here and that’s between 30 and 50 pounds of fat lost in six months. Any faster and all you will be losing is water and precious muscle tissue.

PostHeaderIcon What is Healthy Weight Loss?

We all want a quick weight fix, especially when it comes to losing weight. The initial stages of our diet we can lose a lot of excess wait. People do miraculously well in the first couple of weeks. The reason being our body is not used to of the new healthy low fat foods and it reacts amazingly. The body becomes a weight busting machine and people sometimes lose 10 pounds in a week or more.But during the second week the weight loss stops reason being your body adjusts to your new diet plan. Therefore it is important to change your diet plan every week. Either you add five minutes to your workout routine or eat a different fat burning food. Overall the safest weight loss requirement for every week is a Kg. A weight loss greater than that might be normal in the first couple of weeks, but later it might just be water weight. Remember water weight comes back, a weight loss which consists of more fat is which you should be looking at.When you follow your diet you lose a lot of muscle weight, but when you work out you lose fat. It is better to lose fat, since fat is dangerous and makes you look heavier. Muscle weight is good, but losing both the weights simultaneously is expected in the first weeks. Getting rid of fat more than muscle will be seen if you keep a track of your lost inches. It is important when you start your weight loss process you monitor your weight loss in inches and on the scale. Sometimes you might not have lost weight on the scale, but your inches would have gone down a lot.So a combination of both proper exercise and the right diet will help you achieve your goal faster. But do not rush your weight loss process since this is a life long adjustment you need to make. Not something which is done for a week and then stopped. Maintaining a healthy weight is a great achievement.

PostHeaderIcon The 3 Golden Rules of Weight Loss

Picture the scene. You’ve spent the last week eating like a sparrow, killing yourself at your local spinning class and saying no to that extra portion of chips that you’d usually gobble up in a second. You even said no to the tray of doughnuts being offered around the office and watched everyone else chomp away as you nibbled on the fruit bowl you spent way too long preparing that morning…So it’s time to step on the bathroom scales and see if all your hard work has paid off. Surely you’ve lost half a stone this week, or at the worst about 4lbs. You take a long, deep breath… one foot on… the other foot on… and the result… half a pound!! Half a bleeding pound?! After two or three “re-weighs” and a “tactical wee” your weight still hasn’t budged! What’s that all about?!You’ve probably heard experts say that hair loss is one of the side effects of crash dieting… what they forget to mention is that it’s usually because it’s been pulled out when your scales don’t tell you what you want to see!These 3 golden rules of weight loss will not only save you from pulling your hair out, but will help to manage your expectations and keep you motivated long enough to reach your weight loss target.1) Aim for 1lb of weight loss per week on average.Most people give up at slimming clubs because they expect too much too soon. You may have seen people lose 7lbs a week on celebrity fit club or in your glossy magazine, but they will have been on a seriously strict diet and done 4 to 5 hours exercise a day… not exactly realistic! If you’ve got a job, a family and a social life, then the most you should expect to lose is 1lb per week on average. Add up all the weeks in the last year you’ve spent dieting, giving up, dieting again then giving up again, then work out how much you’d have lost if you were losing 1lb per week consistently.2) Don’t expect to lose weight every week.Our bodyweight naturally fluctuates 3 – 4lbs a day. Long term weight loss isn’t like a leisurely stroll down a hill, it’s like a really frustrating rollercoaster! If you expect to lose weight every week you’re going to be disappointed… and bald! As a realistic target aim to lose 4lbs every 4 weeks (1lb per week on average). That means you might lose 1lb in the first week, stay the same in the second week, lose half a pound in the third week, then lose 3.5lbs in the fourth week (-1lb, -0lb, -0.5lbs, -3.5lbs = -4lbs over 4 weeks, -1lb per week on average). Or you might lose 2lbs in the first week, gain 1lb in the second week, lose 3lbs in the third week, then stay the same in the fourth week (-2lbs, +1lb, -3lbs, -0lbs = -4lbs over 4 weeks, – 1lb per week average).3) Track your weight loss over time.Although weight bounces up and down week by week, due to water levels, if you look at your weight over time you can see the trend, which tells you how much you are losing on average. Good weight loss should look like a downward rollercoaster. If you use a weight tracker you can see the trend of your weight over time, which is far more motivating that just looking at your weight bobbing up and down week by week. The winners in the weight loss game aren’t the people who crash diet, lose 7lbs a week over two weeks, give up and put it all back on again. It’s the people who lose on average 1lb a week over several weeks and keep it off.

PostHeaderIcon You Don’t Need The Scale To Track Your Weight Loss Progress

There are many challenges to losing weight. Knowing when to eat, what to eat, how to eat, how much to eat and dealing with your cravings are just some of those challenges. You have to exercise, and be consistent about it. And you have to weigh yourself to track your progress, right?

Weekly, or even daily weigh-ins can be a great way to gauge how your weight loss efforts are paying off, but how many times have you been sent on an emotional roller coaster because of your scale? Feelings of desperation, disappointment, frustration and even elation can send all of your best weight loss efforts into a tail spin.

Is it possible to lose the scale and still lose weight? Yes! In fact, your scale may be a huge culprit in why you are having such a hard time losing weight. Think about it, when you do really well with diet and exercise and don’t meet you weekly weight loss goals, how do you feel? Are you wanting to throw in the towel and drown your best efforts in a pint of ice cream or your mothers best cheesecake recipe? When you lose weight, do you find that you want to be more relaxed with your eating and reward yourself with food?

There are ways to measure your weight loss progress without the scale, such as how your clothes fit, how much better you are able to complete new and challenging exercises and by monitoring your food intake and exercise habits. Take a trip to your closet and pull out a pair of your favorite pants that fit snuggly before you began your weight loss efforts. How do they fit? Can you sit down in them comfortably? Try on a button up shirt that used to gap open. How is it fitting now? Consider taking a picture of yourself in these clothing items and making notations in your journal about the fit. You will see that over time, these clothes will fit better and better and eventually become too big.

If you need to see your progress in numbers then try taking measurements of your body. When you begin to lose weight always take a few minutes to measure your body. Measure every part of your body and make notations of where you put the measuring tape. Measure your wrists, waist, hips, bust, each arm, thighs, etc. Each month pull out your measuring tape for another round of measuring. Measure your waist, hips, bust, and thighs.

Progress can be subtle, but if you pay attention and keep a journal, over time you will see how good you actually feel. You energy levels will increase so that you can do more stuff during the day and this will in turn improve your mood. Eating a diet that is healthful will satisfy you, fill you up and give you more energy. Is your diet doing that for you? As you keep up with your exercise you will build muscle and improve your overall fitness level so that you can finish tasks that once seemed impossible.