Blame It On Iodine

  If you are seriously trying to lose weight, chances are have tried several different programs. Many of you are still not getting down to your desired or ideal weight. One big reason could be that you are having problems with one little molecule.

  Iodine is the basis for the extremely important Thyroid Hormone in your body. That hormone regulates everything from your metabolism to your digestion. Because it usually slowly creeps up on you, it is very common to not realize that there has been a change in your energy level, memory, mentrual periods and skin texture. You could even be losing your hair over this one.

  The lack of enough Thyroid Hormone in your body is called Hypothyroidism. There are several things that Hypothyroidism will cause that make you gain weight. First of all, it decreases your basal metabolic rate and overall metabolism. That is the rate that you use up energy. Basically what that means is that the normal muscle tone is lost and your muscles tend to be much more relaxed than normal. Your internal organs that use muscles will also be affected. You will probably notice that mostly by a change in your bowel habits. You will tend to become constipated. Just what you needed!

  Muscles need to remain toned to keep your joints in the proper position. So, they will always normally be a little tight. This uses calories (yeah!). Obviously, when they are more relaxed than normal, you tend to gain weight.
Secondly, lack of Thyroid Hormone will make you lazy. At least that is my excuse. hehe.

  Dr. Oliver Sacks (made famous in the movie Awakenings) describes one man that had to be helped out of bed in the morning. He was then fed and led to a chair in the corner. In the evening he was led back to bed. During the day he would not even talk. This happened day after day for years! Finally, for some reason, he ended up at the doctors office and was found to be severely hypothyroid. He returned to normal with treatment, but did not even remember all those years where he was a zombie.

  If you suspect that you might have hypothyroidism consider these associated symptoms: dry skin, brittle nails, constipation, irregular or heavy menstrual periods (if you are male, you probably won't develop this one), feeling tired and weak, cold skin, coarse, retaining water or thinning hair. Any, or all of these can occur.
You have an increased chance of getting this condition if you have a swelling in the front of your neck called a goiter, diabetes, patches of light skin (not always, but there is a specific condition causing this that also affects the thyroid), iodine deficiency and some medications. Some women develop this as a complication of pregnancy.

  If you always buy salt with no iodine, there is a slight chance that you could develop hypothyroidism as a result of the lack of iodine. Remember, iodine is part of the thyroid hormone molecule. Without iodine, your body cannot make the hormone.
When you think you may have hypothyroidism, you should see your medical doctor to get a blood test. One thing that most doctors won't tell you is that you need to be otherwise feeling pretty good during the test. There is one condition called Euthyroid Sick Syndrome that will cause low Thyroid Hormone levels when you are sick. But the hormone levels can return to normal when you get well. So, it is better to get the levels checked when you get well in order to have an accurate test.

  Assuming that you have guessed right, your doctor will prescribe a thyroid hormone supplement that will get you feeling better. The only problem at this point is that it is often tricky to get the right amount into your system. You will often bounce back and forth between feeling weak and tired and feeling jittery. But with your doctors help, that should diminish fairly quickly.

  The good news is that once your thyroid is in control, you are going to feel much better, have more energy and be back on track with your weight control.

  Dr. Ron is an Emergency Room physician with over twenty years experience in the health care field. He often treats people for problems with their weight. Come to Balanced Diet Health [http://balanceddiethealth.com/Blame_it_on_Iodine.html] now for more great resources.

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Girls Watch Out! Smoking Can Make You Obese

  Smoking to lose weight? Am I getting it right, or are my ears playing tricks with me? I am still in a right frame of mind and my ears have lost no power of audibility, then it must be the gravity of the situation that has shocked me, shaking me violently off my reverie. It is a heart throbbing experience, contemplating on the means we use to get to our own selfish ends, trampling any opposition ruthlessly and giving a deaf ear to the pleas for mercy of the vanquished, forgetting that it's our own body we're crushing into bits and tatters, shattering into pieces.

  I still cannot comprehend or come into terms with the maddening trend, where girls take up a wholehearted effort and dedicated approach to smoking in order to lose weight. The grit and determination of this young generation of self-assured bevy of teeny-boppers to lose weight is so intense, displaying a maturity beyond their years that even an older woman would pride to boot about. My heart goes out to them, they who are hot and happening and they who throng the hot and happening places, with cigarettes in their lips, puffing the thoughts of obesity and overweight away. I am not sympathizing with their cause, rather I understand their plight.

  It's we, the older generation that has left indelible marks and set umpteen numbers of examples, leading the misguided bunch of youngsters to the road to perdition. We have been living on a daily diet of chemical-laden pills for any and every little ailments that befall us. We are just a bundle of contradictions, a mixture of opposites, who preach what we don't practice. We pass across the message to the young generation that smoking is injurious to health, though we keep smoking all along. Tired of our lip-service, they look out for ways to fend for themselves. And left to themselves, they are sucked in by the myth that smoking, an appetite killer, can contain obesity.

  With the Internet opening floodgates of information, bordering on total insanity at times, the young crowds have their hands full with theories and axioms on weight loss. As they scratch only the rim, they have their eyes set on the toppings, never for a moment relishing the rotting taste inside. They follow a simple logic: smoking leads to no appetite, no appetite leads to no food, no food leads to weight loss. But, my dear girl, life would be a bed of roses, if things were that simple. The Mama Mias of the world are not that stupid. Smoking can have severe repercussions and ramifications on weight loss itself; your weight loss strategy might fire back its cannons making you all the more obese.

  Anyone would call upon the heavens to stand by the fact that smoking kills appetite. But few realize that when they smoke to lose weight, they lose their body to nicotine. You are bargaining for a Faustian deal, exchanging the welfare of your body for a glamorous look that is momentary. Well, grow up, Dr. Faustus had no happy ending, and you are playing with fire that will only engulf you in its flames with time. Once nicotine gets into your system, it is hard to completely remove its toxins. Say, you have been smoking and you have regained the figure you would kill for, but what next??

  Would you give up the means as you have got to your ends? Smoking is not a commodity you can pick and throw as you wish; it has its own set of rules. To enlighten you with a simple example, the craving for your usual after dinner smoke would haunt you like a recurring nightmare if you try to give up smoking. The only way out is to have a rich sugary food that can compensate for the decreased sugar level in your body after you have quit smoking. So, you either continue smoking or stuff yourselves with cakes and chocolates. Ahem, not a nice situation to be in.

  There is nothing like a free lunch, it always comes with a bill attached. When you sell your body to nicotine for that glossy look, you are the ultimate loser. You end up smoking, and you are still overweight and obese. So girls, better keep away from smoking, if you don't want to get into the vicious cycle of smoking and obesity. You don't need logic to comprehend "Smoking can make you Obese."

  Naorem is a freelancer who writes on various health issues.For the latest writeups on weight loss, obesity, depression, anxiety and the likes, log on to [http://www.phentermine-effects.com]

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High Protein Energy Bars

  Nowadays, everywhere you go you see different variety's of these bars being sold. Protein bars have become a popular meal replacement for active people and serve as a healthier snack for people looking to add a few extra calories. Generally, there are two types of these bars out there and they are those that contain a balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat, and those that contain mostly protein and fat, with very little carbohydrate.

  The bars that are balanced with protein, fat and carbs are more of an energy type bar and are popular with active people. The bars that are mostly protein and fat are popular with people looking to lose weight and who are following a low carb diet. But, what are the benefits or the drawbacks of these bars and how can they fit into your diet as part of a healthy eating plan?

  ADVANTAGES
  Energy bars have one main advantage, they are very convenient. They fit into your briefcase, purse or pocket making them easy to take with you anywhere and to eat anytime. A lot of them do have a good amount of protein without the high cholesterol and saturated fat contained in other protein sources. They are usually fortified with vitamins and minerals as well making them a healthier choice than a fast food option or a convenient store meal.

  DISADVANTAGES
  Despite popular beliefs, energy bars do not take the place of a well balanced, nutritious meal. While a lot of these bars are fortified with vitamins and minerals commonly found in fruits and vegetables, they don't contain the phytochemicals, bioflavonoids and fiber fruits and vegetables have so their benefits are not quite the same. A lot of these bars also contain hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated palm oil, meaning that the saturated fat content of these bars can be as much as 50% of the fat content.

  SOME POINTS TO KEEP IN MIND
  You are better off with one of these bars verses a trip to the nearest fast food place, but they still don't have the same health benefits as fresh fruits and vegetables and other whole foods. If you do like to use these bars, you can make them part of a healthier meal by adding a piece of fruit or a raw vegetable, as opposed to making the bar itself the meal. They are alright by themselves as a pre or post workout snack but always try to keep in mind that they should be considered a snack rather than a meal.

  Look at the labels and choose bars that are low in saturated fat and have no palm oil or any hydrogenated fats or at least have very little of these fats. Look for bars that contain vitamins and minerals if you are using them for meal replacements from time to time to keep some of the nutrients sacrificed from the meal you are replacing in tact.

  Protein bars are indeed a good thing if you choose the right ones and you always keep them in mind as a healthy snack more than an actual meal. When you use them as a snack, remember that a lot of them do pack a good amount of calories so be careful if you are trying to lose weight.

Jim O'Neill gives you tons of valuable information on the subjects of weight loss, fitness, and nutrition to make it easy for you to live a healthy lifestyle. Sign up now for his free 7 part mini e-course at: [http://www.mrgymfitness.com/minicourse.php]

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Burn Fat With These Foods Found In Your Kitchen

  Did you know that you could lose weight by eating? It's true! Foods that you probably have right in your kitchen can speed up your metabolism and help you burn fat more efficiently. What are these foods, and how do they work? Read on to find out...

  Fruits and vegetables top the list of fat burners found in your kitchen. If you like fruit, try eating more blueberries and grapefruits. Blueberries are very low in calories and packed with sugar-stabilizing antioxidants. According to the USDA, eating blueberries can curb blood sugar swings and suppress appetite for as long as four hours. And they taste great too!

   Similarly, eating grapefruit may also help you burn fat. In fact, a while back there was a fad called the Grapefruit Diet. The choice of grapefruit as a staple of this diet may have had something to do with plant compounds in grapefruit that seem to help control insulin levels. Insulin makes you feel hungry so if you can control insulin levels it follows that you shouldn't be as hungry, and therefore, you'll eat less and lose weight.
Certain vegetables have fat-burning properties as well. One of my favorites is the wonder food broccoli. Broccoli is not only packed with nutrients that protect you from disease, it's also high in fiber which helps keep the absorption of fat in check. Broccoli also has a compound in it called sulforaphane that cranks up metabolism by activating certain enzymes involved in fat burning.

  Bell peppers also work well on a fat burning diet by providing a number of phytonutrients that can help boost metabolism. Research from the USDA confirms that the carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin and beta-cryptoxanthin in bell peppers can help suppress food cravings.

  If you want to add more spice to your fat burning menu try cinnamon. According to Dr. Richard A. Anderson from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, cinnamon appears to increase sugar metabolism, which means it can help your body make energy from sugar faster - before it gets stored as fat. Cinnamon may help increase the body's sensitivity to insulin, which brings blood sugar levels down, so less insulin is needed. This is especially good news for anyone with diabetes or the risk of developing it.

  Another amazing study that will make all you dairy lovers smile suggests that eating more dairy products can help you lose weight as well. Michael Zemel PhD conducted a study at the University of Tennessee in which people who consumed 1200 to 1600 mg of calcium a day from dairy foods lost 11% of their total body weight. The way this works is really interesting; when there is not enough calcium in the body, a hormone called calcitriol gets released and controls the way fat cells work. The idea is that if you eat enough calcium you keep calcitriol from being released and your body will keep burning fat. Of course, the goal is not to add extra calories from ice cream and cheese to your present diet, but to replace calories from other sources with calcium-rich calories, preferably from low fat dairy products.

  Hopefully you like some - if not all, foods mentioned here and are getting ready to make them fit into your daily diet to help boost your metabolism and burn fat. Nature is abundant in foods, plants and herbs that can affect metabolism and help safely accelerate your weight loss efforts. You just have to choose them wisely.

Written by Ricardo Forero. For more information and tips on weight management and herbal products visit [http://www.herbal-alternative-remedies.com].

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Carb Blocker, A Solution To Weight Loss?

  Low carb diets restrict the consumption of carbohydrates. The difference between the Atkins and the South Beach diet is within the amount of restriction. The induction phase of the Atkins diet restricts most carbohydrates while the South Beach diet allows 'good' carbohydrate consumption. These diets can really put one's will power to the test. Why?

  The human body's primary source of energy is glucose. Glucose is derived from the breakdown or hydrolysis of carbohydrates that are consumed. Limiting carbohydrate consumption forces the body to use fat or protein as an energy source. Decreased carbohydrate consumption may leave you feeling tired and easily fatigued until the body adjusts to the change.

  The word carbohydrate arose because molecular formulas of these compounds can be expressed as hydrates of carbons which yield a basic carbohydrate empiric formula of (CH2O)n. Carbohydrates consist mainly of the combination of two chemistry functional groups: the carbonyl and the hydroxyl group. Carbohydrates exist in different forms such as monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides.

  Monosaccharides are usually called simple sugars. These simple sugars cannot be broken down or hydrolyzed into a simpler form (glucose). A complex carbohydrate refers to one or more linked simple sugars that require digestion for absorption.

  Oligosaccharides contain at least two monosaccharide units. Oligosaccharides may be referred to as disaccharides or trisaccharides depending on how many units of monosaccharides the compound contains. Maltose and sucrose (table sugar) are considered disaccharides.

  Polysaccharides contain many monosaccharide units. In order for the body to use polysaccharides, these compounds must be broken down into a simpler monosaccharide form. Examples of polysaccharides are starch and cellulose (fiber).

  Dietary carbohydrate digestion occurs mainly in the mouth and small intestine. During mastication (chewing) the salivary glands secrete the enzyme alpha-amylase which is referred to as ptyalin. Alpha-amylase briefly acts on dietary carbohydrates in the mouth to hydrolyze starch into simple sugars such as glucose. In fact, if you chew on a carbohydrate long enough you may taste sugar. This is a result of salivary amylase hydrolyzing the carbohydrate into a simpler sugar.

  Mastication increases the surface area of the food for alpha-amylase to act upon. This allows the enzyme alpha-amylase to work more efficiently in carbohydrate digestion. However, the food does not remain in the mouth for a long time so only a small portion of starch is hydrolyzed there.

  Once the chewed food has been swallowed into the stomach, carbohydrate digestion halts temporarily. This occurs because alpha-amylase is inactivated by the high acidic environment of the stomach. However, carbohydrate digestion will resume once the chyme (food mass and gastric juices of the stomach) enters the small intestine.

  The acidic contents emptied into the small intestine are neutralized by bicarbonate secreted by the pancreas. The pancreas will then secrete alpha-amylase to continue carbohydrate digestion. Carbohydrate digestion is finished when the mucosal lining of the upper jejunum and duodenum absorb the bulk of the dietary sugars in the form of monosaccharides.

   Now that we have a good understanding of what a carbohydrate is and the importance of the carbohydrate in the body, maybe an extreme low carb diet isn't the answer for weight loss. Extreme diets whether they are low carb or high protein can put the body to the test. Carbohydrates may be a necessary evil, but the body relies heavily on carbohydrates for energy. Instead of testing one's will power, using a weight loss supplement called a carb blocker may be a better option.

  Carb blockers are a weight loss supplement recently introduced into the weight loss world. Carb blockers claim to block the enzyme alpha-amylase. If the enzyme alpha-amylase is blocked, then carbohydrate hydrolysis is affected. By blocking the enzyme, you block the breakdown of the carbohydrate which affects absorption of the monosaccharide. How so? If the carbohydrate is of complex origin, the enzyme must be secreted to break down the carbohydrate into a simpler form for absorption. In theory, the carb blocker should indeed help to block carbohydrates from being absorbed.

  Phaseolus vulgaris is the active ingredient in carb blockers that comes from the white kidney bean. Phaseolus vulgaris interferes with the pancreas' ability to secrete the enzyme alpha-amylase. Subsequent studies do prove that Phaseolus vulgaris does in fact inhibit the enzyme alpha-amylase.

  Carb blockers are another option for weight loss. However, permanent weight loss requires you to make changes to your lifestyle. If you do not change your lifestyle then no matter what diet or supplement you choose, weight loss is temporary and short lived. This also means that if you choose a low carb diet, make sure that this diet can be done. Many people fail the low carb diets because of extreme commitments.
  Copyright 2006 Kristy Haugen

  Kristy is a mother and experienced nurse. She has a Bachelor in Biology and Chemistry and writes to inform individuals interested in health information.

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Ten Commandments of Fat Burning!

  The following The Commandments of fat burning are my recipe for staying lean year round. If you follow these time tested rules you will become a fat burning machine, stoking your metabolism and your internal furnace of calorie consumption to be more efficient in getting rid of that excess fat that has been dogging you forever. These strategies are simple, easy to implement and powerful in their results. So, let's get ready to burn!

  1. Check your greed at the door. The best way to keep that metabolism stoked to the highest levels of efficiency is to make sure you eat several SMALL meals throughout the day. Many people eat a sparse breakfast, have a quick bite at lunch and then belly up to the feeding trough at the end of the day for a huge dinner, usually with a second helping and desert too! Well, no wonder, your body is starving by the time you get there. Oh, by the way, eating too little actually slows your metabolism down! Bottom line, recent research from the Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology showed that eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day helps to burn fat. You will also enjoy the fact that you will not be hungry when you are eating 5 or 6 meals a day. Keep the portions small and consider using a meal replacement bar or drink for one of the meals so you don't feel like your prepping food all day long.

  2. Mix up your training. The biggest mistake I see people make in the gym is coming in every day and doing the same thing. I watch people hit the treadmill, set it on a fast walk, and then walk that way for 40 to 60 minutes or more! These same people complain about how they can't loose any weight...no kidding! No shock there. Your body is functioning at a level that is so low you are really not burning calories with any efficiency. You need to mix things up. Train with weights, and train on the treadmill (or whatever your favorite aerobic equipment may be) but put in some 60 second sprints every 5 minutes and get the heart rate up. There are literally thousands of ways to challenge yourself safely and if you have no idea where to start, hire a personal trainer for a couple of sessions to give you some ideas, they are worth every penny! By the way, research has shown that training with weights is one of the best ways to boost metabolic rates.

  3. Drink up! Hydrate yourself, but be sensible about it. I see people all day long who are drinking way too much water. Remember, everything at some point is bad for you, even water. It puts a lot of strain on your kidneys to filter so much liquid. Moderation is the key. If you are dehydrated it will cause your body to drop your resting metabolic rate...no good for burning fat! The advice we have heard for quite a while now is 8 glasses of water a day. Good advice. By the way, those sports drinks are worthless unless you are into about 90 minutes or more of intense exercise. Stick with the water as nature intended. Less calories, less sugar and easier on the body.

  4. Time for some protein & fiber. Remember to eat enough protein and get plenty of fiber. Both of these are going to help increase your metabolic rate because there is a "thermic effect" produced by the digestion of this type of food that is much higher than a high carbohydrate meal. Yes, you still need the carbs too, at least 130 grams a day to maintain normal brain function. Also, if you eat protein and fiber as the last meal of the day and skip the carbs, research has shown this is also more efficient in burning fat while you are sleeping.

  5. Skip the coffee & try Green Tea. No, I'm not trying to kill your caffeine addition. I'm not that stupid, although I think we are consuming way too much of the stuff. But if you're going to get a fix, why not make it healthier? We have known this for some time, but green tea actually increases fat oxidation and as an added bonus it also has good immune system building effects as well. There are many brands out there, but recommendations are 200 to 300 milligrams daily.

  6. Post workout - feed me NOW! Your body wants some fuel after working out and the sooner the better. Try to fuel up within 30 minutes of vigorous exercise to keep your metabolism running on high. A good way to go is to make a protein & carbohydrate meal. Try one of the many drinks out there (just watch the sugar on some of these) or make a fruit & protein smoothie at home. Added plus; you will also be helping your muscles recover faster and this will help you to be ready for the next workout sooner.

  7. Get some rest, please! Ok, I know the day only has 24-hours. I know you are trying to do everything in that time and I also know you are sacrificing sleep in order to get it done. But sacrificing sleep is taking away one of your bodies ways of recovering from all that damage you do to it every day. Recovery is essential for keeping your body running at its most efficient levels. Sleep is critical to this process, not to mention all the benefits it has for your mental health as well. Shoot for at least 8-hours of quality sleep a night and you will notice huge benefits in how your body feels and you will be supporting your fat burning goals with an efficient machine.

  8. The truth about alcohol. I know you don't want to hear this...but someone must speak the truth! Alcohol is a fat burning enemy, even those of you who only indulge on the weekends. Alcohol has calories too, 7 per gram, and we know it slows your metabolism as well. Alcohol is a depressant and a powerful drug, but did you know it can also increase fat storage in cells? Sorry, but if you want a 6-pack then you need to loose the 6-pack in the frig!

  9. Get enough calcium. The more we learn about calcium the more we realize it is a real friend to burning fat. This mineral is abundant in the body and current recommendations are making sure you get 1200 milligrams daily. Tasty treats like low fat yogurt and skim milk are excellent sources of calcium. Did you also know that it helps to manage estrogen levels? Believe it or not, this is also vital for men! Estrogen can be enhanced in the body by deficiencies in calcium and zinc and can lead to bloating and abdominal fat.

  10. Low-glycemic meals? Huh? Ok, simple stuff really, just a fancy way of saying don't eat meals that have a high impact on blood sugar levels. The real key in your meal consumption is to make sure you are eating a mix of lean meats and complex carbs. Eating less processed food, closer to how nature intended us to eat, will help to stabilize your insulin levels. This means you will be less likely to store fat.

 Bottom line; good nutrition is not difficult to understand, but putting aside old habits can be daunting. Don't try to change your world overnight. Pick one commandment a month to add to your life and within a year you will be running at peak efficiency and burning fat like never before.

Rodger Ruge is a Cooper Institute certified personal trainer for law enforcement and author of The Warrior's Mantra, Barricade Books. Rodger can be reached through his web-site at [http://www.readyforce.net].

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

CLA and Weight Loss

  CLA, otherwise known as conjugated linoleic acid may be a supplement you want to consider for help in your weight loss efforts. CLA has become popular because of its reported benefits of fat loss, cancer fighting, improving cholesterol, immune system improvement, and possible prevention of atherosclerosis.
  Researching CLA may leave you wanting to take it whether or not fat loss is your goal.

  CLA is a fatty acid that is found in small amounts in meat and dairy products. However don't plan on getting the benefits of CLA from eating these foods. There is just not enough CLA present. Supplement companies have found a way to convert the linoleic acid from safflower oil into conjugated linoleic acid. This allows you an affordable way to get the benefits of CLA.

  Studies that have shown promise were done using dosages of 3 to 4 grams of CLA per day. Most supplement companies sell CLA in dosages from 500 milligrams to 1 gram per pill - This means you may have to take several pills per day to get the optimal results. CLA is different from many weight loss supplements as it does not contain stimulants and you probably will not "feel" any immediate effect from taking CLA. You will want to stay on CLA from 4-6 weeks before expecting to see any results.

  If you decide to do further research on CLA you will undoubtedly find it listed on many bodybuilding sites. The reason for this is that CLA has also shown promise in helping to maintain lean muscle tissue. Do not let this deter you from trying it because this will help you improve your fat to muscle ratio. In other words - you will look better.

  The opinion of many health and fitness professionals is that CLA may be something you want to consider adding to your daily health regimen. I recommend purchasing your CLA online in order to save money. Tonalin is a brand name that you will see on many different companies form of CLA. Tonalin is the most researched, highest quality CLA that you will find. Purchase from a reputable company and give CLA time to show some effects.

  Bill Herren is the webmaster for http://www.proweightloss.com bringing you top rated diet weight loss supplements and weight loss ebooks

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5 Realistic Ways to Tackle Weight Loss

  1. Don't expect to lose 50 lbs in one month!
  Set a realistic goal for yourself, or you will be disappointed. And what could be less motivating than disappointment?
  If you are continually searching for the miracle 'quick weight loss diet', you're never going to lose weight. It doesn't exist! Not in a healthy world anyway. Losing around 2 lbs each week is ideal.
  Choosing a proper diet and exercise regime is the best solution for weight loss. Slow and steady wins the race, right?

  2. Drink water.
  I'm not going to list the many reasons why everybody should be drinking a gallon of water each day. I will say however, that drinking enough water can make or break a successful weight loss program.
  Drinking more water will leave you less bloated and start getting your body ready for weight loss. Everything in your body will run more efficiently by getting at least 10 8 ounce glasses of water each day.
  It is also thought that drinking ice cold water will increase the amount of calories burnt each day due to your body having to heat the water to use it properly.

  3. Don't forget that drinks count as calories!
  A lot of people count their calories each day when trying to lose weight. But are they counting the sodas and coffees they are drinking with their food? If you drink one can of coca-cola in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one in the evening, you've just consumed 750 calories!
  And if you're really serious about losing weight, staying away from alcohol is a must. You won't tip the scale if you have one drink now and then, but remember that just one beer can have anywhere from 100 - 175 calories, depending on the brand and amount of alcohol in it.
  The best strategy - drink water.

  4. Find a 'weight loss buddy'.
  Having someone to lose weight with can actually help you reach your weight loss goal. A weight loss buddy will provide support and encouragement, and maybe even a little friendly competition.
  Weight loss buddies can be found online, or you can recruit a friend or family member to go for walks or jogs with you. They can also make your weight loss experience much more enjoyable.

  5. Stay motivated.
  I know what it's like to feel really pumped to start losing weight. For the first few weeks (or in my case a few days) you feel really good and you take your weight loss goal seriously.
Then, something happens and you just don't feel like doing it anymore. The reason for this is lack of motivation.
  There are so many sources of motivation, you just have to find one - and keep it. This could be a weight loss buddy as mentioned earlier, a picture of yourself 30 lbs lighter taped to the fridge, or a little black dress hung up in plain view in your bedroom. Use your imagination and come up with something inspiring.

  Cassandra Germsheid is the author of RealWeightLossInfo.com where she shares her knowledge about weight loss. You can learn more about healthy lifestyle habits at [http://realweightlossinfo.com] and don't forget to sign up for her newsletter to receive a free special weight loss report.

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

Comfort Food for Weight Loss

  When you need comfort what do you reach for? Do you have a particular food you always go for?
  Of course it's better to take comfort in something other than food. If you can phone a friend or cuddle your dog or your partner that's great, but chances are you'll often still turn to food for comfort.

  Maybe you love the taste and texture of ice cream or chocolate as it melts in your mouth. Maybe you choose pizza because it fills you up and makes you feel warm inside. Maybe there's a food that reminds you of the good times in your life or one which always makes you feel better when you're fed up.

  Food can and does evoke lots of great feelings.
  But what if your favourite comfort food also

• Uses up half a day's calorie allowance?
• Pads out your hips and stomach with fat you don't want?
• Clogs your arteries?
• Gives you a huge hit of sugar which creates a craving for more sugary/starchy food?
• Makes you feel full of regret rather than comfort when you've eaten it?

  Is it such a friend to you then? Pretty false friend I would say!  If that's the case how about getting attached to a new comfort food?
  Don't worry - it doesn't have to be boring like carrots and celery - no one was ever comforted by a carrot! Choose something absolutely delicious that you can make and keep in your freezer or have available to cook at a moments notice ready to cheer you up when you feel nothing but food will do the trick.

  How about keeping some hearty warming soup in your freezer and eating it with crusty bread from ready-to-bake rolls? Or serving up childhood treats like boiled egg and toast or milky puddings made with low-fat milk? How about cooking some potato wedges with very little oil - and enjoying a mini feast without the calories of French Fries. No matter what you like there will be something healthy which works for you.

  So forget pizza, ice cream and chocolate. They will always be false friends, making you feel worse after any close encounter.

  Choose a new real comfort food that you can get ready at a moment's notice and enjoy something which is better for your waistline as well as your soul.

  Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

  Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach, slimming club owner and author of "The Diet Exit Plan", an 8 week coaching program for automatic permanent weight loss. Request her FREE 15 page report "How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn't want you to know" at http://www.SimplySlimming.com TODAY!

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7 Ways To Lose Weight Without Dieting

  1. When you have finished your meal, say an affirmation out loud several times. Here's some suggestions: "I've now finished eating till lunch/dinner/6.00 pm." (whatever is suitable given the circumstances) or "I have eaten enough food to last me till ...." or "I'm full and do not need to eat till ..." Experiment to find the format that's right for you, and then say it with conviction several times preferably out loud at the end of the meal.

  2. If you comfort eat to suppress emotions and stay cheerful, take the Bach flower remedy Agrimony. These simple, safe remedies based on flowers have been in use for over fifty years. They're safe to take even if you're taking medication.

  3. Put your fork or your sandwich down between mouthfuls. This way you are likely to eat less and enjoy your food more - your stomach has time to register that it's full, which it doesn't have if you gobble your food down.

  4. If you crave chocolate, try taking a zinc supplement or eating foods that are rich in zinc (e.g. seeds, leafy green vegetables and seafood). This is a magical tip for lots of people who thought they would never master their desire to eat chocolate.

  5. Sit at the table to eat, but clear the table of bills, things to do, etc. It doesn't help you to control what you eat if you're looking at unpaid bills.

  6. Drink more water - we often misinterpret the body's thirst request as a food request. When you feel hungry, drink some water and wait a while to see if you really are hungry.

  7. Use a smaller plate, so that it looks as though you have more. We eat with our eyes as well as with our mouths and stomachs.

  Jane Thurnell-Read is a writer and researcher on health, stress, alternative medicine and happiness. Visit her web site http://www.healthandgoodness.com for tips and information on how to live a happier, healthier life no matter how busy you are.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jane_Thurnell-Read

Diet Failure Versus Weight Loss Success

  What's keeping you from losing weight? For most people, the answer is lack of motivation.
  It comes in many forms, sometimes before starting the diet or during the diet.

  Maybe you just can't get started because the whole process is too overwhelming. First you have to choose the diet, gather the recipes, buy the proper food, measure it, and prepare it. Maybe the rest of the family won't eat what's on your diet, so you need to prepare something else in addition to your diet meals.

  Perhaps you get off to a good start, but it becomes too much work and you give up.
  Eventually the lack of encouragemnet, lack of time, and lack of energy is just too much and you give up.
Some reasons for diet failure include:
1. Family commitments. Children are extremely busy and that means mom and dad are busy. Sports, extracurricular activities, and church keep families on the run, leaving just enough time to drive through a fast food restaurant.

2. Not enough energy. After a long day of getting kids to school, working a full day, then evening events, most people barely have enough energy to fall into bed, let alone plan and cook a calorie-conscious meal.

3. Habit. Cooking healthy is a relatively new concept, so few of us were trained to cook this way. Thus, new habits need to be formed and that takes time. Developing new habits takes hard work.

4. Self-discipline--the second half of developing a habit. We make mental choices all the time. The battle for right versus wrong wages inside our minds. Which side wins? All too often it's the easy way, which means fast food, junk food, and not very nutritious food.

5. Sedentary lifestyles. We sit at work for hours on end, sometimes barely moving a muscle, except to pick up the phone. This contributes to fatigue, depression, and lack of motivation.
6. Lower socioeconomic status. People with lower incomes tend to use food as recreation or pleasure, putting them at higher risk for gaining weight. Obesity is epidemic among lower income groups.
This paints a fairly dismal picture. But all is not lost. Try these tips for success:
1. Find a partner or create a small group of like-minded people who all want to lose weight. There really is power in numbers!
2. Create a simple plan based on what you know you can achieve. Start simple and keep it basic, such as no super sizing a fast food meal. Try that for a week, then move on to no fast food meals or just salads.

3. Set up simple, non-food rewards, such as seeing a movie at the end of the week.

4. Get your family involved so that they help rather than hinder you. For instance, the whole family gets to see a movie Friday night if the diet plans have been followed all week.

5. Decide on a new, healthy food to include in your diet for one week. Make it something simple like an apple. Make it a game for your group or your family. Can we all eat an apple every day this week? Set up a chart on the refrigerator. Have the children draw a game board with markers for success.

6. Assess your family schedule. If you are burning out, eliminate some activities so that you have another free night at home. Then go out for a walk around the neighborhood and talk to each other.

  These simple steps can empower you to lose that excess weight. You don't have to be helpless anymore!

  Looking for diet and weight loss tips? Kathy Ferneau has created an excellent resource for information on diets, healthy eating, and exercise. Click here: [http://www.lose-weight-diets.com]

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

The Easiest Way To Lose Weight

  If you think there is no easy way to lose weight - think again. The easiest weight loss method could have been staring you right in the face all this time.
Here it goes:
* Stop drinking soft drinks. Drink water instead.

  Dumping the soft drinks from your diet will result in dropping some serious pounds. Think about it:
* A can of coke packs in 150 calories.
* Just 3 cans of coke add up to 450 calories.

 Now, you are in for a shock: a quarter-pound cheeseburger sets you back by only 360 calories, which is less than those 3 cans of coke. Now, what would you rather have: a warm juicy cheeseburger or the sugary water from the can?

  If you currently drink 3 soda cans a day, you can save 450 daily calories by switching to plain water. Water has zero calories. Let's do the math: since one pound of fat equals to 3500 calories, you will lose roughly one pound per week just by leaving the coke behind.

  Yes, you've heard it right - you can lose a pound of fat every week while you eat as much as you normally do. No dieting, no starving - don't change a thing about what you eat. The only thing you change is what you drink.

  Now, let's do some more math, which gets better and better. 1 lb per week equals 4 pounds per month. Multiply 4 pounds by 12 months, and we get 48 lbs of ugly fat per year!
Unbelievable, huh?

  Calorie savings on drinks provide you with yet another advantage: you can now eat more and still lose weight. For example, if you substituted 3 cans of soda every day with water, you have 450 calories to play with. If you eat an extra piece of chocolate that's worth 200 calories, you still save 250 calories and lose 24 lbs per year.

  I can now almost hear you say - "Well, Melanie, what if I don't drink 3 cans of coke a day? I only drink one soft drink for lunch!" Good for you! Now, consider this: if you swap this lunchtime coke with water, you will lose 16 pounds per year. How's that for a freebie weight loss?

  Since soft drinks don't make you full, it is very easy to dump them. Drinks are "liquid calories", "empty calories" - calories that are just not worth it. Soda drinks have no nutritional value - just useless sugars and chemicals that rot your teeth, make you gain weight and don't even fill you up.
Take advantage of the easiest weight loss tip on Earth -eat your calories, don't drink them.

  Melanie Mendelson has helped hundreds of people lose weight with her rapid weight loss diet. Who else wants to lose up to 25 lbs in 30 days? Read weight loss success stories at [http://www.30-Day-Diet-Plan.com]

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

Weight Loss

  Nutrition and weight-loss researchers say that some supplements can give you an advantage in the battle to be slim (helping you lose about 2 to 3 pounds a month).

  Protein can reduce hunger (thereby decreasing the calories you consume), help you preserve muscle as you lose weight, and help your body build more muscle, particularly if you include strength training in your fitness routine. Muscle burns more calories than fat and also helps you look trimmer, Kreider says, so strength training three times a week is a good addition to any weight-loss program.

  These work best if you also exercise, eat less, and deal with any emotional reasons for your extra weight, our experts say. You can combine them, but seek a health care practitioner's advice before taking green tea and ephedra supplements together, as they are both high in caffeine.

  As any nutritionist will tell you, the ideal way to meet all your body's nutritional needs is through a healthy, carefully balanced diet of whole foods. But in the real world, few of us eat this way. Worse, even those paragons of nutrition may not get enough of the specific nutrients needed to protect against heart disease.

  This can be particularly important for full- and even part-time vegetarians, because some of these heart-smart nutrients--such as Coenzyme, the amino acid L-carnitine and alpha lipoic acid--are found in high levels only in animal products.

  GREEN TEA HOW IT SPURS WEIGHT LOSS:
  Green tea (Camellia sinensis) increases your metabolism (the rate at which you burn calories) and stimulates your body's ability to burn fat, according to a handful of human studies. Research shows that the benefits come from an interaction between caffeine and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a plant chemical in green tea that triggers your production of the metabolism-boosting, appetite-suppressing hormone noradrenaline. The men ate a normal diet and did not exercise. Only those who took the green tea supplement experienced a significant increase in calorie-burning ability.

  (EluSun) [http://www.starherb.com/productdetail.asp?pid=27623]
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rajkumar_Khatri

How to Lose Weight and Improve Your Health Dramatically

  Most of you are looking for ways to improve your health, lose weight, or get rid of an illness that you have. Here's some information that will help you achieve these results. It is call "Using the Natural Body Cycles" for achieving maximum health.
  By learning how to assist your "Natural Body Cycles", you will be in tune with what your body is doing to maintain your weight and health.

  Getting in tune with your Natural Body Cycles requires change in the way you eat. Since all of us are addicted to the way we eat, it is, sometimes, difficult to change these habits. But if you are serious about what you want, this is best information I have found that will give you good health.

  Using this method to gain better health, you will experience side effects because you will be eliminating more body toxins and body wastes than normal. The side affects maybe headaches, stomach upsets, body pain, diarrhea, or similar types of symptoms. These conditions will not last and will disappear as you get rid of more toxins. So if you experience these side effects, don't let them stop you from moving forward on this eating pattern.

  Here are the 3 natural body cycles:
  Cycle 1 time period: 4 a.m. to 12 noon
This cycle is the time where your body is eliminating toxins, acids, wastes, and derby by urine, bowel movements, sweat, mucus, and other secretions.

  Cycle 2 time period: 12 noon to 8 p.m.
  This is the time when your body should be taking in food and digesting.

  Cycle 3 time period: 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.
  This is the time your body is absorbing and using the food you have eaten during the 12 noon to 8 p.m. period.

  Here's how to use cycle 1:
  During the elimination cycle, 4 a.m. to 12 noon, eat and drink only fruits and their juices or drink vegetable juices. For breakfast eat a bowl of fruit or have a fruit smoothie made with strawberries, apple juice and fruits in season. Before noontime eat fruits as snack. Forty-five minutes before noon eat your last fruit. You can eat and drink all the fruits and juices your want up to noontime.
Eat fruits such as,
  Bananas, oranges, apricots, strawberries, melon, watermelons, apples, peaches, nectarines, prunes, grapes, and so on.

  Eat all melons or watermelons together and not with other fruit and wait 1/2 hour before eating other fruit. Melons require their specific enzymes to be digested in the stomach so other fruit eaten with melons will just sit in your stomach waiting to be digested. (Not a good idea since the other fruit will begin to rot while waiting to be digested.)

  By eating in this way you are assisting your body's elimination cycle. This helps your body to eliminate toxins and acids from your body and blood by increasing your urination and bowel movements. It is these toxins and acids that make you sick and overweight.

  Eating solid food for breakfast - eggs potatoes, rice, meat, cereal, milk, and so on interfere with your body's elimination cycle and eventually leads to sickness and excess weight. It takes over 3 hours to digest heavy and solid food. The food you should be eating, in the morning. should digest quickly, within ½ hour, to help remove toxins, acids, and waste from your body.

  Heavy food slows down the elimination of toxins from your body and this causes more toxins to remain in the body to get stored at fat and acids. Acids are the main cause of most illnesses and so you want to have an alkaline body. Fruits and vegetables give you an alkaline body.

  It takes ½ hour or so to digest fruit and fruit juices. Because of this, they help to cleanse your body of waste during the morning cycle. Fruits are 70% water just like your body and this gives them the cleansing action they have and that your body needs.

  So if you are not already having fruit and fruit juices for breakfast and snacks, start slowly changing your habits, if you want to lose weight and feel better.
  Now, one other thing, don't eat fruits and juices with your lunch or dinner meals. In the next article, I will tell you why.

  Discover how you can eliminate or prevent illness using natural remedies. Go here Now to get my Free report on the "Top 67 Best Foods" to eat to keep disease free. Improve Your Health

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

Diet Essentials - What You Should Know Before You Start Any Diet

  1) If you starve your body then it will go into "Fat Storage" mode and will attempt to conserve energy by slowing your metabolism down and store reserves as fat.
  Whereas, if you eat when you are hungry then your metabolism will operate more efficiently as your body learns that it is easily able to replenish spent energy reserves.
  As a result you will feel more energetic and able to carry out those physical activities that burn up calories and result in actual weight loss.

  2) The food that you eat does not only supply you with energy but with those vitamins and minerals required to keep your body in a healthy condition.
  Reducing the amount you eat and or changing your diet (what you eat) will have an impact on the level of vitamins and minerals you are taking in, which may mean that you may need to supplement your diet with an additional source of these essential items.

  3) To lose weight you need to use up more energy than you take in. Your diet needs to reflect the amount of energy you use.

  4) Exercise causes your body to burn calories, the definition of exercise is not a "26 mile marathon" but "Anything that causes you to breathe more deeply than you normally would and or causes your heart rate to speed up".

  5) Most people feel hungry when their blood sugar level falls below a certain level. Eating sweet sugary foods will temporarily increase your blood sugar levels as sugar is quickly and easily absorbed.
However, sugar in this form is quickly used up so you will very quickly feel hungry again. This is one of the reasons why you should eat "healthy foods" as you will feel less hungry for longer.

  6) Unfortunately, as a result of poor a diet your body can become accustomed to high blood sugar levels, so any relative drop will potentially result in you feeling hungry.
  This is why dieting is mainly about re-educating your body not to feel hungry on less food.

  7) Studies have shown that eating protein (meat, eggs etc) causes you to feel less hungry for longer.

  8) Slowing the rate at which you eat by thoroughly chewing up each mouthful has the effect of causing you to eat less food.

  9) Your imagination is more powerful than your willpower. Giving up those foods which you crave and dream about will result in failure. Use your imagination to help achieve your goals.

  This article was written by John Jarmola, a Consultant Food Technologist who specialises in the development of new food products. He is currently involved in a reviewing the benefits of the new "Superfood", Acai Juice, to find out more visit [http://acaijuicereview.com/]

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

Secrets to Losing Weight

  Many people struggle with losing weight either for a short time in the spring or summer or for their whole life. There are many things that you can do to make the difference between being overweight or not. Based on the way that your lifestyle is there are two big things that you have to concern yourself with, diet and exercise.

  Diet is what you eat. We all know that we should not eat food that is bad for us but how about the flip side. How about eating more foods that are better for us. Today at lunch I could have gone out for fast food or I could have stayed in and eaten the soup and fruit that I brought with me. I ate the soup. Today is generally the way that I eat which is eating by design. I plan in the morning what I will eat and then pack it with me so that I do eat it and not something that is more convenient at the time. Tomorrow I may go out for lunch instead but I know that in two weeks I will have eaten all but three meals or so by preparing them myself and not by having a restaurant prepare them for me. I eat what I should and if I eat any prepared food that I know that it is one bad decision compared to all of the good decisions that I make.

  Water is also a big part of my diet. I drink water throughout the day so that my body can easily digest my food and also so that I am not hungry and looking for some junk food.

  Exercise is the other part of a great health plan and is the basis, to me, of how to best lose weight. I ride a bike to work all summer so I can get two good workouts in a day but on the weekend I take it easy so that during the next week I am not getting too sore to keep up my exercise schedule. Exercising one a day is a great way to get better health and if you can keep up a high heart rate of at least 30 minutes a day it will burn more calories constantly during the day every day. Now that winter is coming I will be balancing my cardio on an indoor elliptical trainer with some weights to gain a bit more muscle. The importance of weight training can not be understated. If you have more muscle your body has to work a little harder to keep itself going, this will burn more calories.

  Lastly I think that losing weight has a lot to do with a great, excited attitude. I have always found that when I am in my best shape I have a great attitude about my exercise and my eating. Workouts are a breeze and I am working towards my exercise goals consistently. My eating is really good and I am proud of the things that I am putting into my mouth and finally my outlook is great because I feel excellent about the way I look and feel.

  Adopt these tactics and your weight loss will be a lot easier and more fun than it has ever been before

Bill Nadraszky is passionate about health and fitness. To learn more read the fitness book review. Or visit the greatest Fitness Tips weblog.

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

Exercise Intensity Vs Duration

  It seems like there are more bits of exercise advice floating around on the internet and in books than there are stars in the sky. The fact is that what works for one person may not work as well for another. Of course the bottom line is that it's better to do ANY exercise than none at all. However most people are looking for workouts that will allow them to get the most "oomph" from a set amount of time, and will allow them to make the fastest progress.

  I believe that to make progress faster in regards to losing fat and increasing your metabolism, intensity trumps duration.
  In other words, if you pack 30 minutes of exercise into 15 minutes, in the long run the 15 minute routine will give you faster progress than the 30 minute routine, although technically both will have burned the same amount of calories.

  I'm not a physiologist, but I've read enough and also experienced personally the effects of high intensity exercise. The fact is that working at a higher intensity level ramps up your metabolism and keeps it at a higher level for a longer amount of time. In other words if you do a slow jog for two miles and it takes you 20 minutes vs. doing a series of sprints interspersed with your jogging that takes 10 minutes, you will ramp up your metabolism more with the shorter workout than with the longer version.

  Technically speaking you've burned the same amount of calories, but I don't believe your body will agree. :-) It will *feel* like you did more work and your body will respond accordingly.

Learn about Kettlebells for unique strength training information.

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

A Negative Calorie Food List

  To make a negative calorie food list, we must be precisely clear on what we mean. There has been some confusion about this phrase. Some have thought that this kind of food contains no calories at all. This can't be right as long as all kinds of food contains at least some energy.

  We're going to present you with a list of this kind of food. If you follow it, not necessarly without any other kinds of food, it will increase metabolism naturally, and the result will be weight loss - especially compared with eating a meal where these foods are not included.

  Now, it's time for a definition. When we say nagative calorie food, we mean foods which contain so little energy that the body actually uses more energy to digest and absorb the nutrients. So if you subtract calories you'll burn from the calories you eat, the result will be negative. Only by digesting the food you have eaten, there will be a net loss of energy or a negative energy balance. This is what must happen if you want to lose weight but with this food you don't have to do anything but eat it to accomplish that.

  You can also eat protein in combination with such food. Good protein will help you control your appetite as well as increase your metabolism because the total amount of calories are not reduced too much.
  Here is the list:

  Vegetables
  Fennel, aubergine, gourd, broccoli, leek, cabbage, lettuce, carrots, marrow, cauliflower, peppers, celery, radish, chicory, spinach, cress, tomato, cucumber, turnip.
  Fruits
  Apricot, mandarin orange, blackberry, melon canteloupe, blackcurrant, peaches, clementines, plums, damsons, raspberry, grapefruit. rhubarb, guava, strawberry, honeydew melon, tangerine, lemon, watermelon.

Terje Brooks Ellingsen is a writer and internet publisher of weight loss and fitness articles, such as how negative calorie food diets can give fast weight loss and related issues.

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

Top 10 Weight Loss and Fitness Myths

  WARNING: Don't weight train until after you've lost weight!
  No, no, please don't believe that headline! That's one of the many myths associated with weight loss and fitness. If you're interested in losing weight and getting fit as quickly as possible, don't let these myths throw you off track:

  Myth #1 - Some fancy exercise machine-of-the-month burns more calories than any other exercise.
FACT - One thing that many people seem to be confused about is how many calories are expended during different types of exercise. For example, I receive lots of questions regarding how many calories are burned with fancy exercise machines or certain unusual exercises that are supposed to burn lots of calories.
Don't be fooled by this stuff! Here's the bottom line - caloric expenditure is directly related to the amount of effort an activity requires. In general, the more difficult it feels, the more calories you burn. The easier it feels,
the fewer calories you burn.
That's it! I don't care how fancy or expensive the equipment is, the harder you work the more calories you burn.

  Myth #2 - Weight training with free weights is much more effective than with machines.
FACT - For the purposes of general fitness, muscle toning, and weight loss, it doesn't matter. My suggestion is to do whichever you are most comfortable with and are most likely to do on a regular basis.

  Myth #3 - Low intensity exercise puts you in the "fat burning zone" and is ideal for weight loss.
FACT - The "fat burning zone" doesn't matter. Here's how it got started. Your body is always "burning" a mixture of carbohydrates and fat for fuel. This mixture tends to contain a little more fat during lower intensity exercise. 
  Somebody took this to mean that a lower intensity workout was best for losing weight.. not so!
It all comes from the same "pot". It doesn't matter if you're burning a little more fat or a little more carbohydrate at any particular time in your fuel mix. It all comes from the same calorie pool. The bottom line is, how many calories are you burning. With higher intensity exercise you're burning more calories.

  Myth #4 - Exercising for 30 minutes two to three times per week is sufficient for weight loss.
FACT - That's better than doing nothing but it's not optimal. I firmly believe our bodies are designed to be active daily. When we exercise daily we are healthier, leaner, more energetic, and the list goes on and on.
Also, daily exercise boosts your metabolism like nothing else can. I recommend working up to 30 to 60 minutes of daily aerobic exercise and three days of weight training per week.

 Myth #5 - You can lose fat from a specific part of your body by doing an exercise for that part of your body. For example, abdominal crunches will remove fat from your abdominal area.
FACT - You can't spot reduce! You cannot control where fat is removed from your body.

  Myth #6 - You can't lose weight.
FACT - You CAN lose weight but it often happens much slower than you'd like it to. Believing that you CAN lose weight is critical to making it happen. Realize that if you are
consistently doing the right things, it will happen. Don't get side-tracked by every new crazy diet or exercise gizmo.

  Myth #7 - You shouldn't start weight training until you've lost most of the weight you want to lose because it will slow down your fat loss, or trap your fat in the muscle, or who knows what else.
FACT - Weight training is VITAL to a weight loss program because it turns up the metabolic fires that burn calories -and it tones your muscles. You should start weight training immediately.

  Myth #8 - You burn more fat if you exercise on an empty stomach.
FACT - Exercising on an empty stomach does not affect how you lose weight. In fact, it may hinder it if you don't have the energy to exercise. Eating or not eating before exercise should strictly be a matter of personal preference.

 Myth #9 - You should always do your weight training just before your aerobic exercise session because you burn more fat that way. I've even heard that you should weight train, eat two raw carrots, and then do your aerobic exercise.
FACT - The order in which you exercise does not affect how you lose weight. I always recommend weight training just after your aerobic exercise (such as walking) simply because your muscles are warm and supple and much less prone to injuries.

 Myth #10 - You'll burn more calories jogging a mile than walking a mile.
FACT - Caloric expenditure is 62 calories per 100 pounds body weight per mile traveled (walked or jogged). For example, if you weight 150 pounds, you expend 93 calories per mile walked or jogged (62 x 1.5). Of course, if you're jogging, you'll cover the distance in less time than if you're walking. Thus, you'll burn more calories in a given period of time if you're jogging.

 Get movin'! :)

 Author and exercise physiologist, Greg Landry, offers free, unique, weight loss and fitness articles and his "Fast and Healthy Weight Loss" Newsletter at his site.. http://www.Landry.com

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

Weight Loss in Children

  What is "too young" to begin a weight loss program with children? Is there actually such a thing? There are many different opinions on the topic of child obesity but one thing everyone can agree on is that it is becoming an epidemic in North America. Many reports show that obesity now kills more people in a year than smoking does.

  So whose fault is it? I don't think there is any one area of blame but a combination of many. The fast paced lives that we lead have created more of a demand for "quick" meals whether they are pre packages or fast foods. The consumption of junk food is at an all time high with more and more variety that are all very attractive to our kids. Parents often think they are doing something nice for their kids when they give in to the demands of "I have to have that" when they see the constant advertising of attractive and yummy treats on television. Lack of exercise, face it many kids to day are just plain lazy. So is a weight loss program the answer for overweight and obese kids? My answer is definitely yes. If however you ask me is the answer to put these kids on a diet...my answer is definitely NO!

  So what is the difference? Weigh loss means changing the way your child eats in a very positive way. Tell them to eat more fruits and vegetables because they are healthy for them. Keeping the junk food out of the house is the best way to make sure they are not eating it. I don't mean that an occasional treat is not OK but the key word here is "occasional." Watch their fat intake. Pre packaged foods and fast foods are very high in fat especially Trans fats which are very dangerous. More and more companies have realized this danger and are offering Trans fat free foods. Get your child involved in physical activities. Today our children's lives often revolve around television, video games and computers. The common negative denominator here is that they all involve just sitting. These are all excellent ways to help our children with their weight.

  There is a big difference between healthy weight loss and a diet. A diet is something negative that makes children feel focused on their size rather than their health. Diet does not mean healthy it means getting thin any way possible, which is exactly the opposite of what we want our kids to believe. What you teach your kids when they are young about eating habits is the seed you plant for their future and giving our children good health is in my opinion our responsibility.

  Cass Hope is a registered massage therapist who has studied and counseled in nutrition. Cass regularly contributes to online and offline publications dealing with weight loss and nutrition. She is currently sponsoring this site: [http://www.naturalsuccess.info]
(for web reprints please ensure this URL is hyperlinked)

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

Weight Loss Linked to Sleep

  If you want to find a way to lose weight faster, and you think there is nothing new under the sun, then what I'm about to tell you will really make you nod off.
  According to Dr Kenneth Goodrick at Baylor University, a good night's sleep is a vital ingredient for weight loss.

  He believes that lack of sleep robs people of the energy they need to exercise and sets up a vicious low-energy cycle that sabotages your weight loss program. Often when energy reserves are low, people turn to high-fat and high-sugar laden foods or caffeinated drinks for energy pick-me-ups...all of which interfere with weight loss efforts. Some may drink 10 to 15 caffeinated beverages a day, which has a adverse effect on sleep quality. It's a double whammy.

  This is not the only fascinating connection between sleep and weight gain. Researchers have found there are two hormones involved. Leptin, a hormone that suppresses appetite, and grehlin, which increases food intake and is thought to play a role in long-term regulation of body weight. Sleep deprivation lowers the levels of leptin and raises levels of grehlin. This is thought to be the reason why obese people suffering with sleep apnea often put on weight faster than others.

  Goodrick says, "Sleep is a time for the brain, the body, and all the hormones to get regulated and restore themselves to the baseline values for the next day. If you have caffeine, or inadequate sleep, you don't have a chance for all of those restorative processes to get finished. So you're ending not quite fit, or metabolically where you should be".

  What is a good night's sleep? Participants in a US study who got less than 4 hours of sleep each night were 73 percent more likely to be obese than those who sleep between 7 and 9 hours a night, the recommended amount. Those who slept only 5 hours each night were 50 percent more likely to be overweight, and those who slept 6 hours a night were 23 percent more likely to be overweight.

  It's official, for good health we all need to wake up and get a good night's sleep.

  Kim Beardsmore M.B.A., B.Sc. is a writer for the weight loss, health & fitness website Weight Loss Health. For reliable information and resources free from hype, visit Weight Loss & Health Information

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Understanding Bariatric Surgery

  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity among adults has risen significantly in the U.S. over the last 20 years. In fact, statistics show that 30 percent of adults 20 years of age and older are obese (body mass index [BMI] of 30 or higher). That translates to more than 60 million people. Although reducing the prevalence of obesity among adults is a national health objective, the health of the nation seems to be getting worse instead of better.

  There are myriad complications associated with obesity, including endocrine abnormalities, hypertension, respiratory and pulmonary ailments, gallbladder disease, degenerative arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer. Individuals suffering from obesity may also have psychological issues stemming from a low body image and repeated diet failures. For many obese individuals, diet failure is extremely common and the odds of significant weight loss are low.

  Those who have tried and failed to lose weight using diet modification and exercise may find success using surgical methods such as Bariatric weight loss surgery. The word "Bariatric" comes from the Greek words "baros," meaning weight, and "iatrike," meaning treatment. There are two basic types of bariatric weight loss surgeries for obesity: restriction procedures and malabsorption procedures.

  Restriction procedures reduce the size of the stomach through the use of a gastric band, staples, or both, and do not interfere with the normal digestion process. Malabsorption procedures, on the other hand, reduce the size of the stomach and bypass duodenum, the first segment of the small intestine, and sometimes the whole of the jejunum (the mid-section of the intestines).

  Bariatric Surgery Info [http://www.WetPluto.com/Bariatric-Surgery-Costs.html] provides detailed information on bariatric surgery, including cost, patients, centers, diet, financing, and complications, as well as specific procedures like laparoscopic and bypass surgery. Bariatric Surgery Info is the sister site of Gastric Bypass Surgery Web.

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Medical Conditions That Inhibit Weight Loss

  Weight loss can be a difficult goal to achieve. Some inhibitors include poor planning, low motivation, and lack of knowledge. These can be over come easily. Other conditions may be a bit more difficult to compete with.

  Pain
  Pain can inhibit your ability to excersize either a little or it can inhibit it completely. If you plan on exercising and are experiencing pain, use a little common sense: If it hurts to do it, don't do it. Sometimes your pain can be a symptom of years of inactivity and starting slow and easy is preferred. In other cases you may want to consult a physical therepist.

  Thyroid
  This will require that you see a doctor and get the proper medications. Low thyroid or underactive thyroid will cause a low metabolism. Most of us are aware that the metabolism dictates how much energy your body burns. A doctor can work with you and help you find the exact amount of medication required to balance your thyroid activity. Some exercises can help balance your thyroid. Consult a physical therapist for help with the exercises.

  Diabetes
  Unfortunately diabetes and overweight conditions go hand in hand. Most people who have diabetes are overweight and need to monitor their blood-sugar levels. If insulin levels are too high it will promote weight gain. It is highly recommended you work with your doctor closely when using insulin to regulate blood-sugar levels. If you use diet and exercise to control your blood-sugar levels you will achieve your goals more readily.

  Prescriptions
  If you are having trouble reaching your weight loss goals, it may be attributable to the Prescription Medications you are taking. Some medications that contain steroids will cause you to gain some weight. Other medications like anti-seizure drugs and psychotropic drugs may also inhibit your weight loss efforts. Work with your doctor to find a medication that will do the job needed without obstructing your weight loss goals.

  Steven Rook writes for MylivingRx.com [http://www.mylivingrx.com] as well as other sites.

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Weight Loss from Exercise

  Weight loss from exercise can be achieved by walking, running, or some sort of aerobic activity. You can exercise at home or at a gym. Other physical activity such as gardening, doing housework such as cleaning, vacuuming are also good forms of exercise.

  Before engaging in any form of intense physical exercise you may wish to consult your doctor for a physical checkup. The doctor may check your blood pressure and advise on how much exercise you can do. If you are diabetic you will be advised accordingly. You can ask the doctor for your ideal weight to height ratio.

  If you have not been physically active for a long time then you should start gently. Perhaps begin with a few minutes each day for a week. You can then add a few more minutes of exercise every couple of days. Once you feel more capable then you should exercise for 30 minutes continuously everyday. Activity causes your muscles to burn up surplus energy in the form of blood sugar. When all blood sugar to used up your body will turn to the energy stored in your fat cells.

  Do not expect miracles to occur in the first few days of exercise. You may lose a tiny amount of weight within a week. This can be from excess water in your system. Using a measuring tape around your waist, you can determine if there is indeed weight loss.

  You can increase the intensity of the exercise every week to increase the energy burn rate. Walking up and down stairs instead of using the elevator or lift is good idea. Walking up a gentle incline can help the weight loss. Wear a small backpack with a light weight such as a small book. This should help you exercise more intensely.

 Make sure you drink about 8 glasses of water each day. This can help suppress your appetite. Eat a balanced diet of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein. Avoid eating processed food products such as cakes, cookies and candy. After exercising you can eat a small snack of fruit such as an apple or banana to help you recover.

  Carbohydrates in the form of bread or pasta is OK in moderation. The secret is in the portion size. Keep it small. Meal size should be the size of two fists held together. Protein helps you feel fuller faster. Don't drink water during your meal. It will dilute your digestive juices and affect your digestion. Green leafy vegetables have fiber and help with your bowel health. Don't eat till you feel like bursting.

  Training with weights can help with your exercise but should be small weights. Heavier weights will build muscle. Exercising with friends can help keep your motivation up. Praise each others efforts. Riding a bicycle is another exercise option you can explore to help lose weight.

  If you have trouble with your joints you might consider swimming or wading in a pool. If walking or running proves to be difficult you could try inflating balloons by blowing air into them. Start with a small balloon. Do not over exert yourself.

  Make your goal to exercise and eat regularly and you will surely move towards your desired weight.

Frank Williams is the weight loss consultant for http://www.bodyenhancer.com. Keep up with the latest health news. http://www.bodyenhancer.com

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Successful Weight-loss Pointers

  Well we're at it again, trying to honor our promise on New Year's Day to lose weight and tone up those flabby parts. Although the year's still young more than half of our New Year's Resolutioners have strayed from their promise of fitness and or weightloss. The reasons may vary as to why their resolutions have been pushed to the side, one common compliant is difficulty in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Why? It's difficulty to break old HABITS!

  For so long we've had a life of overindulgence with the foods that are considered taboo, now we're expecting ourselves to enjoy doing without those favorites with no effort whatsoever. Rather than ease into a new way of eating through gradual elimination of our no no foods we jump in with both feet not expecting any backlash. To our surprise we have reactions ranging from endless cravings,headaches, stomach and intestinal discomforts. Some pointers for being successful this year:

1. As mentioned above ease into your new eating plans, gradually eliminate forbidden foods from diet. As far as exercise is concern give yourself plenty of time to build your endurance, don't attempt to workout for two hours the first day and you've been sedentary for twenty years.
2. Set goals that are short term. Instead of setting a long-term goal to lose forty pounds this year, lose four pounds a month.
3. When you feel anxious and desperate to reach your goal in a hurry remind yourself of past day,week, or month's progress. Losing a lot of weight in a hurry leaves little time to adjust lifestyle habits for long-term success.
4. If you're not able to reach your goals alone join a support group that reflects you. Stop by http://www.onelist.com and peruse their categories of health and fitness surely you'll find a list for a individual like yourself.
5. Have hobbies and other outside interests so you're sure to get a mental break from your goal. Thinking to much about having to lose forty pounds can depress even the most enthusiastic of persons.
6. Don't be afraid to take time out of your day to relax your nerves and do nothing but enjoy that moment.
7. Use you imagination to see yourself after reaching your goal. The more vivid the mind picture the better, doing this will enlist the aid of the subconscious. It has been said that our goals are 10% actual work and 90% mental. So don't be afraid to be child-like in using your imagination to help you reach your goals without sweat and strain.

Always remember, "What the mind can conceive it can achieve!"

Regena English,editor St.Mary Publishing Company of Houston is the first publisher dedicated to the happily unmarried careerwoman. Visit the company's website which hosts both a newsletter and ezine for this specialized audience. http://www.leatherspinsters.com

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Easy But Effective Weight Loss Tips

  In order to lose weight consistently, you need to combine exercise with good eating habits. Exercise alone will not help you lose weight when you cancel its effects by eating the wrong stuff. Here are simple weight lose tips that are quite easy to follow. Your workout routines will bear more fruit when you keep your diet under control.

  1. Keep track of what you eat
Most people are not conscious of how much they eat. But if they were to keep a record of what they ate, they would truly surprised at the quantity of their intake. Therefore, maintain a journal to keep track of what and how much you eat. This will help you keep your diet under control.
Over a two week period, keep a record of your intake. This will show you how much calories you are consuming. It will also show you what bad foods are in your diet, and the kind of foods that you need to include in your diet to make it more balanced.

  2. Think before you eat
Too many people eat absent-mindedly. They have no clue as to how the bowl of chicken nuggets or pale of ice cream got onto their laps. If you are in the habit of eating unconsciously, almost as blindly as chain smokers put a cigarette to their lips, then you need to change your habits.
Do not eat when you are involved in some other activity like driving, or watching TV. This could lead to eating unconsciously. Also, try to avoid eating between meals.

  3. Plan your meals in advance
If you plan your intake and stick to it rigorously, you would not eat more than you need. You would eat healthy foods and avoid impulsively eating the wrong kind of foods. If you plan well, you can totally avoid fast foods or frozen meals which are not really healthy for the body.

  4. Try burst exercises
Most people try to burn all their fat through cardiovascular exercises, but do not see the results they desire. Studies have begun to show that exercising with intervals could produce better results. Exercising in short bursts can actually help women lose fat in their arms and thighs quite effectively.

  5. Exercise with your body mass
You can use your body weight to your advantage during exercise. Instead of lifting light-weight dumb bells, do exercises that make you lift your body weight instead. Choose exercises that will increase your metabolic rate and help burn up your fat.

  These are some of the effective ways in which you can lose weight consistently. Follow a combination of these techniques to burn fat and keep it off for good.

You need read weight loss tips there are tips that will help you, for more information visit http://www.healthmay.com

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Liquid Diets

  Liquid diets are usually a temporary form of diet advised before a surgery takes place. The liquid diets fall in to two categories. One is a low calorie liquid diet and the other a meal replacement liquid diet.
  The low calorie liquid diet is practiced under strict medical supervision only. This diet provides on an average about five hundred to eight hundred calories a day. This is normally a short-term diet plan, mostly recommended to those who have serious obesity problems and need to lose a lot of weight in a short span of time.

  The meal replacement liquid diet replaces one or two whole meals with liquids. This type of liquid diet is offered to many people as an effective tool to reduce weight.
  A liquid diet consists of fresh fruit juices or shakes. They are prepared keeping in mind nutritiously, along with sweeteners, sugar, skimmed milk and a good quantity of fiber, minerals and vitamins. Certain liquid diets also permit the consumption of solid or real food intake in proportional sizes.

  There could also be certain disadvantages an individual encounters while on a liquid diet. The person may get very little fiber, and the important antioxidants present in whole fruits and grains may be left out. This will lead to having a low resistance to disease. Moreover, a liquid diet should be under medical supervision only. The weight lost during the intake of a liquid diet is rarely maintained, as such diets do not teach us to eat right long term. An individual should realize, that although liquid diet works, it is not recommended for everyone.

  Diets [http://www.WetPluto.com/Diabetic-Diets.html] provides detailed information on Diet, Diet Pills, Diet Programs, Diet Plans and more. Diets is affiliated with Herbal Diet Products [http://www.i-DietProducts.com].

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How You Can Chew to Lose Weight

  There Is A Right Way to Chew!
  Chewing your food is the beginning of the whole digestion process. By chewing food, your mouth produces saliva which helps break it down. If you're not chewing enough, then not enough saliva is produced. This forces your stomach to work harder to digest your food.

  You don't want your stomach to work any harder than it is supposed to. Your stomach actually moves when it is digesting food. The muscles twist and contract to mix your food together. (This is why your stomach growls if it is empty, because it is just squeezing air.) If you are swallowing whole pieces, this can actually cause your stomach to stretch by overworking it.

  Chewing each mouthful of food thoroughly and eating slowly can improve your overall health. You should chew each mouthful 50 times in 30 seconds. This will decrease the amount of intestinal gas you have and you will find your appetite will be satisfied quicker.

  Helpful hint:
  Your stomach is a little bigger than a loose fist. Your meals should be the same size. Think about when you feed a baby. You never give them more than the size of their fist, so why wouldn't the same rule go for adults?

  If you take smaller bites and eat slower, you will be taking in less air. If you take in less air, you will burp less. If you burp less, you won't embarrass your partner in the mall, like my husband does to me!
By changing the way you eat (literally), you will train your body's digestive system to be more efficient and your stomach will let you know when you are full.

  Interesting note:
  A study has been done to show that your body can lose up to 11 pounds of fat each year by chewing sugar-free gum. That's almost a pound each month!

Cassandra Germsheid is the owner of Baby Tips Online (http://www.babytipsonline.com). She is a stay at home mother but sometimes works part time for her local newspaper. More Weight Loss information can be found at [http://realweightlossinfo.com]

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