101 “Everyday” Tips For Losing 10 Pounds (part l)

1.Drink plenty of water. Our body needs a lot of water so give in to water. Water is not just way
to flush out toxin but if you have more water in your body you will generally feel healthier
and fitter. This it self will discourage any tendency to gorge. 

The best thing about water is
that is has no calories at all.

2.Start your day with a glass of water. As soon as you wake up, gulp down a glass of cool
water. It’s a wonderful way to start you day and you only need a lesser quantity of your
breakfast drink after that. A glass of water lets out all your digestive juices and sort of
lubricates the insides of your body. You may have your morning cup of tea but have it after a
glass of water. It is good for you.

3.Drink a glass of water before you start the meal. Water naturally needs some space so that
you feel fuller without actually having to stuff yourself.
4.Have another glass of water while you are having the meal. Again this is another way of
making yourself full so that you can actually rise from the table eating less but feeling full just
the same. Instead of drinking it one gulp, take sips after each morsel. It will help the food to
settle faster so that you get that feeling that you are full faster.

SIDENOTE: Water is such a remarkable thing, but seldom do we give it the
credit that it deserves. Did you know that over 66% of your body weight is
nothing but water? It’s amazing!
Water also plays a vital role in weight control, which is why I donated so
much space to it, above.

5.Stay away from sweetened bottle drinks, especially sodas. Hey all those colas and fizzy drinks
are sweetened with sugar and sugar means calories. The more you can cut out on these
sweetened bottle drinks, the better for you. So if you must drink sodas, then stick to diet
sodas.

6.Include in your diet things that contain more water like tomatoes and watermelons. These
things contain 90 to 95 % water so that there is nothing that you have to lose by feasting on
them. They fill you up without adding to the pounds.

7.Eat fresh fruit instead of drinking fruit juice. Juice is often sweetened but fresh fruits have
natural sugars. When you eat fruit, you are taking in a lot of fiber, which is needed by the body, and fruits of course are an excellent source of vitamins.

8.If you do have a craving for fruit juice then go for fresh fruit juice instead of these that
contain artificial flavors and colors. Or even better, try making your own fruit juice taking care
not to sweeten it with too many calories. 

9.Choose fresh fruit to processed fruits. Processed and canned fruits do not have as much fiber
as fresh fruit and processed and canned fruits are nearly always sweetened. 

10.Increase your fiber intake. Like I mentioned, the body needs a lot of fiber. So try to include in
your diet as many fruits and vegetables as you can. 

11.Go crazy on vegetables. Vegetables are your best bet when it comes to losing pounds. Nature
has a terrific spread when it comes to choosing vegetables. And the leafy green vegetables
are your best bet. Try to include a salad in you diet always.

12.Eat intelligently. The difference between man and beast is that we are driven by intelligence
while beasts are driven by instinct. Don’t just eat something because you feel like eating it.  

Ask your self whether your body really needs it.

13.Watch what you eat. Keep a watchful eye on every thing that goes in. Sometimes the
garnishes can richer than the food itself. Accompaniments too can be very rich. Remember
that it is the easiest thing in the world to eat something without realizing that it was
something that you should not have eaten. Selective memory you know…

14.Control that sweet tooth. Remember that sweet things generally mean more calories. It is
natural that we have cravings for sweet things especially chocolates and other confectionary.
Go easy on theses things and each time you consume something sweet understand that it is
going to add on somewhere.

15.Fix times to have meals and stick to it. Try to have food at fixed times of the day. You can
stretch these times by half an hour, but anything more than that is going to affect your eating
pattern, the result will either be a loss of appetite or that famished feeling which will make
you stuff yourself with more than what is required the next time you eat.

16.Eat only when you are hungry. Some of us have the tendency to eat whenever we see food.
We use parties as an excuse to stuff our selves. Understand that the effect of a whole week of
dieting can be wasted by just one day’s party food. Whenever you are offered something to
eat do not decline it completely bit just break of a nibble so that you appear to mind your
manners and at the same time can watch your diet.

17.Quit snacking in between meals. Do not fall for snacks in between meals. This is especially
true for those who have to travel a lot. They feel that the only time they can get a bite to eat
is snacks and junk food. The main problem with most snacks and junk food is that they are
usually less filling and contain a lot of fat and calories. Just think about French fries…tempting
but terribly fattening.

18.Snack on vegetables if you must. You might get the pangs of hunger in between meals. It is
something that you can very well control. Or even better, try munching on carrots. They are
an excellent way to satisfy those hungry pangs and are good for your eyes and teeth. True,
you might end up being called Bugs Bunny, but its miles better to be called Bugs Bunny than
fatso. 

19.Go easy on tea and coffee. Tea and coffee are harmless by themselves. It’s when you add the
cream and sugar that they become fattening. Did you know that having a cup of tea or coffee
that has cream and at least two cubes of sugar is as bad as having a big piece of rich
chocolate cake?

20.Try to stick to black tea/coffee. Black tea or coffee can actually be good for you. But
personally I would like to recommend tea rather than coffee. The caffeine in the coffee is not
really good for you because it is an alkaloid and can affect other functions of your body like
the metabolism.  

21.Count the calories as you eat. It’s a good idea to have an idea of the calories that most food
items have. If it is a packed thing then the label is sure to have the calories that the
substance has.   

22.Be sure to burn out those extra calories by the end of the week. If you feel that you have
consumed more calories than you should have during the week, it happens you know, and
then make sure that you work off those extra calories by the end of the week.  

23.Stay away from fried things. Fried things are an absolute no-no. The more fried things that
you avoid, the lesser weight you will gain. Fried things are called so because they are fried in
oil or fat. And even if the external oil is drained away, there is still a lot of hidden oil in it so
stay away from it.     

24.Do not skip meals. The worst thing you can do while watching you diet is skip a meal. It has
just the opposite effect of what you want. You need to have at least four regular meals every
day.         

25.Fresh vegetables are better than cooked or canned vegetables. Try to eat your vegetables
raw. When you cook them, you are in fact taking away nearly half the vitamins in them. And canned vegetables too are processed and are not nearly half as good as fresh vegetables.
When you buy your vegetables it would be a good thing to see if the label says that it is
pesticide free.     

26.Nothing more than an egg a day. Eggs are not such a bright idea. It would be best to reduce
your intake of eggs to maybe three in a week. But for those of you die hard egg fans, you
may have up to one egg a day but nothing more than that.   

27.Make chocolates a luxury and not a routine. Chocolates are not or at least they should not be
a part of your diet. So do not indulge too much in them. Even the bitter chocolates are not
good for you because though the sugar is less there is still the cream in them.   

28.Choose a variety of foods from all food groups every day. This is a fine way of keeping
deficiency diseases at bay. Change the items included in your diet every day. This is an
excellent way of keeping deficiency diseases at bay and it helps you to experiment with a
variety of dishes and there by you do not get bored of your diet.

29.If you can say no to alcoholic beverages please do. Alcoholic beverages too are not good for
you. Beer can be fattening and the rest of the alcoholic drinks may not be fattening by
themselves but after a couple of swigs you will be in no position to watch your diet and your
appetite too will be something to battle with.   
                              
30.Try to have breakfast within one hour of waking. It’s always best to have breakfast within an
hour of waking so that your body can charge itself with the energy it needs for the day. The
idea is not to wait for your self to get really hungry. Breakfast is the most important meal of
the day but that does not mean that it should be the most filling meal of the day.    

31.50 to 55% of your diet should be carbohydrates. It is a myth that you should try and avoid
carbohydrates when you are on a diet. Rather the other way round I should say.
Carbohydrates are a ready source of energy and so 50 to 55% of your diet should be
carbohydrates.

32.25 to 30% of your diet should be proteins. Various processes and activities are going on in
our bodies. Things are broken down and being built up again. Resistance has to be built up,
recovery from disease too is needed and for all this the body needs plenty of proteins so see
to it that 25 to 30 % of your diet consists of proteins.

33.Fats should only be 15 to 20 %. You need only this much of fat in your diet so keep it at that.
....and more after week

Weight Loss Tips for Everyone

Weight loss may not be easy, but there are tips that can help make reaching your goals easier. Losing weight is not only diet, but a lifestyle change. While this may sound overwhelming, it does not have to be if you incorporate some new daily habits. 

Here are some weight loss tips that everyone can follow.
Research weight loss plans. You may have been told that losing weight is really just a matter of eating less and moving more. It is not that easy for each weight loss plan is different and each appeals to different lifestyles. So do your homework.

Look at many different ones and see what works for you. Some weight loss plans are very complicated and require a large list of ingredients and lots of time preparing food. Other weight loss plans may include too many processed foods that are unhealthy in the long run while some may be just right for you; the right amount of food and the right amount of exercise.

Keep a weight loss journal. Use this journal to record things about yourself. Start with keeping track of what you eat; often people like to minimize the amount of food they eat like believing they ate a piece of chicken and salad when in reality it was chicken, white bread, macaroni in the salad and a soda. 

These calories add up so write it down.
Keep track of your moods when you eat, how you feel after you eat, and what triggers binge eating or even snacking when you are not healthy. This can help you identify obstacles that cause you to sabotage your weight loss efforts.

Plan your meals in advance and stick to it. We often fall off our diets when we are too hungry to cook and too tired to think. Being fatigued can cause you to turn into the nearest fast food restaurant and put off your diet until tomorrow. Having your meal ready, or even prepared ahead, can help you stick to your weight loss plan.

You can incorporate this tip in a number of ways. Pack your lunch the night before if you go to work. Prepare a large salad and keep it in an airtight container so all you have to do is reach for it. Cook proteins ahead of time and package by serving into baggies. Plan easy breakfasts like yogurt, granola and fruit. Keep plenty of fruits and veggies around for snacks. 

Work as much of these into your daily routine as possible.
Make exercise fun. When exercise is fun, you will stick to it better. Think about your personality and what you like to do. 

For example, it you are more social, try going to the gym with friends. Plan a game of racquetball or squash. Go early or stay later after the game to work out. There are plenty more ideas after this.

If you love the outdoors, try brisk walking, jogging or biking. Some people have brought back rebounding to use for exercise.

 If you like music, you might enjoy a kickboxing workout or aerobics workout to fun music. There are also classes with high energy salsa music or more relaxing yoga classes. You can go out for classes or get most of these on dvd. There are many choices for many personalities, fitness levels and body types.

Find what you like and indulge in it. Of course, make sure your health matches the workout intensity by asking your doctor, if necessary.

Developing a healthy attitude on weight loss can make it fun and easier. Of course you will not have this healthy attitude every day, so work on it. Keep motivational notes around you to remind you of your goals and how well you have done so far. 

Listen to motivational tapes or use hypnotherapy, if you need to. Do what it takes every day to keep a healthy attitude.

Many people strive for weight loss while only a few are successful. But you can reach your goals if you stick to your plan, remain persistent and keep your goals in your thoughts. Hopefully these weight loss tips can help you get started today.

How Much Water Should You Drink For Optimal Weight Loss?

You want to lose weight as quickly and safely as possible. Since water is the way in which fat is flushed from the body, it is obviously an important part of your weight loss strategy. But what is the optimal amount of water to drink, and how much is too much? In this article we give some clear guidelines for drinking the right amount of water for optimal fat flushing and weight loss.

First a little background about water.

• Water accounts for about 55% of body weight in females
• It accounts for about 60% of body weight in males
• All of our tissues, bones and muscles contain water; it is critical to keeping us alive and healthy
• The body needs about 2 liters of water every day just to take care of normal body function
• If you feel thirsty, you have probably been dehydrated for at least a few hours

Okay, so what about water and my weight loss plan?

If you're not getting enough water it's difficult for your body to function properly, much less to flush out extra fat. An while your body does get water from some foods and other drinks there's nothing that's as easy for your body to process as 100% pure water. Many people substitute coffee, soda, energy drinks and alcohol for their liquid intake, thinking this counts toward their water needs. This is not true, as some of these drinks tax the system, as well as serving as a diuretic, which ultimately leaves you dehydrated.

Top tips for losing weight and drinking water:

1. Guideline: Drink at least six to eight 8-ounce glasses per day, or 48-64 fluid ounces. If you are under 150 pounds you can get away with the smaller figure here, while others should stick with the 64 ounces.
2.  If you are overweight, drink another 8 ounces for every 25 pounds you are overweight.
3. Tap water works but try and get filtered water, or at least distilled (spring water doesn't necessarily mean it is better for you). The more pure the water the better it is for losing weight, since it passes through the body more easily.
4. Try and drink the majority of your water between meals.

These are guidelines, rather than exact figures since every body requirements are different, and you'd need to take into account altitude, climate and such to be exact. There are helpful water calculators online, or you can consult with your doctor or nutritionist if you are concerned exact proportions, but for must people these guidelines will support a healthy body and weight loss goals as well.

Your commitment to drinking water can make a noticeable improvement in reaching your weight loss goals, as well as keeping you healthier over the long term.

How Weight Loss Home Remedies Work

One of the many things that concern people today is obesity. A majority of the people are today unknowingly becoming the soft target of obesity. As we all know that being obese is itself a disease. Medically, it is seen that most of the obese people are suffering from various kinds of ailments.

Most of the obese people opt for dieting and other related crash courses to get back to shape. These methods are not good as they not only have side effects but also make people look absolutely pale and bad.

Rather than taking a dieting course to lose weight, an obese person can take some weight loss home remedies, as these are natural weight loss remedies that have been tested, since their modus operandi includes natural processes they seem to have less or no side effects or any other adverse effects on the overall health.

Most of the people may think how natural weight loss remedies work but since its methodologies include all natural processes and a person does not have to keep starving all day or have to be away from one's favorite food, it is a much safer option.

The only thing before opting for weight loss home remedies is that it must be authorized by a registered medical practitioner.

 The intake varies depending upon one's health paradigms. Let us see what are those special natural remedies.

• Drink plenty of water
Water regulates the metabolism and taking water just before a meal and in between a meal may mean less craving for food and less hunger so drinking water is a must.

• Taking a vegetable diet
Taking green vegetables means staying healthy and at the same time getting all nutrients to stay fit. Eat non-veg if you must, only the skin less chicken and fish. Try to avoid red meat and meat of other types for sure.

• Take green tea
Green tea helps retain the antioxidants and also makes you feel light and in due course of time makes people slim and fit.
• Honey and lemon

Everyday on an empty stomach take a glass full of warm water mixed with lemon juice. This is a definite solution for reducing weight instantly in a few days time without any side effects.
Taking the plunge of these natural weight loss remedies means getting in shape in no time and without having to sacrifice favorite food and unwanted starving. These remedies are the best natural sources for mankind to look beautiful and fit.

Safe Weight Loss After Pregnancy

Losing weight after pregnancy is extremely essential and most women struggle to do so. A common complaint is that women struggle losing weight while pregnant and weight loss after pregnancy takes much more time than desired. Two quick facts to put some myths to rest - losing weight while pregnant is not essential or warranted and if it takes a while losing weight after pregnancy then you should not get anxious, it is only natural.
Now, here are some ways in which you can end up losing weight after pregnancy. In all likelihood, with these simple steps your weight loss after pregnancy goals will likely be pretty quick.

Do not Diet
Do not embark on a strict diet. Your body is not at a stage wherein you could starve yourself or deny yourself the necessary nutrients and calories. Post having a baby, many women suffer from medical problems owing to these efforts. Do not have any stringent diet and definitely don't starve. Dieting would lead the body to cling on to the fat owing to the dearth in consumption of calories and nutrients.

Exercise
Mild exercises work wonders for weight loss after pregnancy. You may want to have a well planned routine but casual walking, jogging and some stretches with cardio exercises can be equally rewarding.

Breastfeed
Breastfeeding contributes a lot to losing weight after pregnancy. Many women these days ponder over breastfeeding but it is the healthiest thing you can do for yourself and for your baby. Breastfeeding would not only help you with weight loss after pregnancy but also ensure you have a much healthier and fitter system post pregnancy.

Eat Small Meals
Hunger prangs are common even after child birth. Snacking cannot be avoided in its entirety but having small meals would be advisable. Rather than restricting yourself to three or four meals a day, it is wise to have seven or eight very small meals. 

This would trigger metabolism, counter hunger prangs and ensure you are steadily losing weight after pregnancy.


Eat Super Foods
Eating super foods is the best idea. Whole grains, fruits that are not rich in sugar or calories and super foods such as fish are the best and the safest bets.
A nice amalgamation of all these steps above can help you phenomenally with weight loss after pregnancy. Even if you have been overweight before pregnancy, these initiatives will go a long way.

Weight Loss Programs

In order to lose weight effectively and maintain physical fitness, it is important to enroll in a weight loss program.

 These programs are vital for prevention of diseases like hypertension, diabetes 1 & 2, blocked blood vessels, stroke etc. 

Better still they are essential in managing stress leading to greater productivity at the work place. There are various types of weight loss programs which depend on how much weight needs to be lost, level of commitment needed from the individual, availability of finances and peer pressure and health related risks such as having undergone a surgery prior to taking part in weight loss programs. They are usually designed to meet each and every individual's needs.

To begin with, aerobic exercises involve working out the large muscles for a longer span of time. Although these exercises stimulate weight loss, they are also advantageous as they have a large number of cardiovascular benefits such proper blood circulation. The best of all is swimming but for those people who are budget conscious, there is the option of going to the gym for aerobic classes. Furthermore, cost free alternatives like jogging, walking or even cycling produce the same results as desired.

Secondly, individuals may undertake anaerobic exercises which are basically for building muscles. Lifting of heavy weights is the best mode of anaerobic exercises. It is mostly undertaken by athletes and boxers such as feather weights, middle weights and heavy weights. There are also those who engage in these exercises for the purposes of being employed as bouncers.

There are also those activities that one engages in and which do not take a long period of time. These ones require discipline and commitment since one may not have a support group to motivate him/her. The most common ones include taking the stairs instead of using the lift, taking a walk from home to the workplace and vice versa, taking a walk around the work place, sit-ups etc.

Above all, it is important to put into consideration certain factors so as to be able to make an informed decision on the best weight loss program to engage in. For example, having in mind how much weight one wants to lose in a given timeframe, possibility of joining a support group which will give the much needed motivation especially when the going gets tough, need to change diet from junk food to a healthy one, family commitments, financial commitments and the need to create time for such activities.

Rapid Weight Loss: How to Lose Fat in Less Than a Week

Fats, in excess to the body system, are a great problem in terms of health and physical appearance. We are used to the fact that too much fat in the body is a total no-no and several methods existed in order to fight this issue. Fast weight loss is an achievable objective that one person can actually attain in a short time of period. However, rapid weight loss diet is not effective if you do not put too much effort on it. The impulse to burning fat and losing weight is quite important in order to fulfill your goals.

Fat stored in the adipose tissues and blood pathways in our body can become harmful to our health. Several diseases may possibly occur when cholesterol levels in the blood increase. This is a greater reason to star working out and attain rapid weight loss diet. Being slim is not the ultimate goal here, being healthy is a much greater concern. If you want to attain rapid weight in an instant, try following these easy steps:
Step 1. Assess your body weight. It is essential to take a baseline data of your present state so you can actually compare the progress of your work. Take your weight or body mass index and record it as your baseline data so as to compare results and discover rapid weight loss.

Step 2. Make your move. Start looking for ways to keep your body moving. Try out any exercise that you prefer and enjoy doing. Enjoying what you are doing is very helpful to develop a certain drive for exercise. You can try out sports or yoga, doesn't matter as long as you are constantly physically active to allow rapid weight loss. Devoting 60-90 minutes of work out per day will allow you to lose weight rapidly and see results in no time.

Step 3. Exercising should always be complimented with proper diet and balanced intake. It doesn't mean that when you are currently exercising, it gives you the freedom to eat what you like. Having self-discipline is important. Cut down your calorie intake so you can burn lesser calories and allow rapid weight loss diet.
Step 4. Try modifying your convenient daily activities into a more physically strenuous one. Instead of taking elevators, use the stairs. It promotes rapid fat burn and cardiovascular exercise. Try walking your way to work or school instead of riding; it will benefit you better in many ways. Once you adapt to these changes, you body will surely benefit from it.

Step 5. Stay away from fats. Fatty foods are surely appetizing and enticing but sadly, these are the major sources of fats that are stored in the body so you should avoid these as much as possible and promote rapid weight loss diet. However, there are plant-base fats that you can substitute to your favorite fatty foods which contain lesser or zero saturated fats.
Step 6. Stay focused and stays healthy. As individuals grow older, better health maintenance should be reprimanded. Avoid unhealthy lifestyle such as binge eating, alcohol intake and

smoking so you can avoid disorders and promote health rapid weight loss diet. Staying focus on losing and burning fats is an important factor in achieving your goals of rapid fat burn.

Simple But Effective Guide to Weight Loss

One of the most sought after products online are the ones related to weight loss. This is because losing weight comes with many benefits to an individual. This presents an ideal and healthy lifestyle. This also enables someone to achieve a good physique which can definitely boost self-confidence.
There are many products circulating online that promise to deliver the ideal physique through weight loss. There are diet supplements, exercise products and various guides that are very complicated to understand. However, the disappointing news is that only a few of them actually work.
But don't you know that the most effective way to do this does not require any expensive exercise equipments or dietary products? Yes, the proper way to achieve this comes without any price at all. So here are some basic tips for a free and effective way to lose weight:

Proper Diet
Having a proper diet should go on top of the list among the many ways to achieve weight loss. Without the proper diet, exercises will not work effectively. Even if you exert too much effort on exercise, if you take in calories that is more than your exercise activities can burn, then you will only be wasting your time. You can go exercising all day, but you will still remain fat if you keep on ingesting foods more than your body can process.

For the proper diet for weight loss, avoid fatty foods. Take in diets that consist of white meat, leafy vegetables, fruits and red wine. Basically, white meat is a good source of protein which is needed in the development of bones and muscles. So as you lose weight, you still get to retain a good form. On the other hand, leafy vegetables, fruits and red wine are good antioxidants. Antioxidants aid the body in preventing the accumulation of harmful cholesterol that can cause weight gain.
Habitual Exercise
When we say regular exercises, it does not mean buying expensive workout equipments. Simple jogging, stretching, push-ups or curl-ups are enough to help you achieve weight loss. If you have a hard time doing any of these, a simple walk around the block a few times will do.

Simple exercises or physical activities prevent the accumulation of fats by burning it. This way, the harmful cholesterol that causes a variety of ailments and weight gain is eliminated.
Try It
There is no harm in trying these two simple but effective ways for weight loss. This is because these ways to achieve weight loss only involve eating good food and doing simple movements, which can be done just about anywhere and anytime.

For instance, next time you go to a cafeteria, you can just order fruits for snacks. Then instead of asking for your secretary to always hand you the stuff you need, you might want to consider taking a few steps to the filing cabinet and back just to burn some calories.

Giancarlo C. Perlas is a professional freelance article writer working for various companies and clients. He is an expert in writing web contents, SEO articles, news articles, product reviews and other tasks related to writing. He also specializes in providing consultancy services in the promotion of various projects and businesses due to the experiences that he acquired during his 4-year stint as an Assistant Mall Manager. He is currently holding an officership position in a government agency.

Weight Loss Benefit Of Jogging: How To Get Rid Of Love Handles

Use the benefit of jogging exercise to lose love handles
If you are anything like I was many years ago you might describe yourself as 'cuddly' or 'huggable'. Anything to disguise the fact that you're a little overweight and have a few rolls of unsightly fat around your middle. If this is you then you might want to learn the secret of how to get rid of love handles.

Sorry, there's no secret way to eliminate love handles but I can tell you about how I managed to lose my love handle fat. It didn't happen overnight and I did have to work at it but slowly the fat around my middle and other parts of my body started to melt away and I've managed to stay reasonably lean for many years now.

Nutrition and exercise is the key to losing love handles
I didn't know much about nutrition and exercise at the time and I still don't know that much but I did know that you need to do some exercise. Any exercise is better than none right? I also knew that the more calories you eat the more fat accumulates on your body. I've no idea why it all seems to go on around your middle first but it seems to be very common.

The first thing I did was cut down the size of my meals to reduce my calorie intake. This is very difficult to do if you have a low metabolism like I do because you don't have to eat much before you start putting on weight. This means that you probably don't eat much to start with. You can also make adjustments to the things you eat to help you lose fat. For more about nutrition see this article: 

Food To Help You Lose Weight.
The next step is to introduce some regular exercise. This will burn off some of the calories that you consume allowing you to at least eat something. When you decide what type of exercise you are going to do you should pick something that you'll enjoy doing and can see yourself doing regularly and consistently. That way you'll be able to keep it up for a long time to come.

Jogging to lose weight
I chose to start jogging. I wanted to lose body fat all over but I was most concerned about my love handles. I also knew that I would enjoy jogging in the park along the riverbank. Pleasant surroundings is a definite bonus and incentive to keep going as are the occasions when I happen to meet a girl jogging and swap weight loss notes.

Your weight loss from jogging
Exactly how many calories you'll burn by jogging depends on a number of factors. The heavier you are and the faster you run, the more calories you'll burn. A rule of thumb estimate suggests that jogging for weight loss will burn off roughly 10 calories per minute.
 you can use this estimate to work out how much jogging you are going to need to do.

The calorie burned jogging in 30-minutes 6 times a week will be roughly 1800 calories a week. Another rough rule of thumb suggests that 1 pound of body fat is equal to 3500 calories. At this rate you should lose about 1 pound of weight every 2 weeks, which is a very slow but healthy way to lose weight. This assumes of course that your weight was stable before you took up the exercise and that you don't eat more than you did before.

It was a slow process but over time it did show me how to get rid of love handles because they eventually disappeared. I still enjoy the jogging to this day and my love handles have never returned.

Mindful Eating: The Natural Way to Weight Loss

Many people associate meditation with spirituality, with chanting common to most Eastern religions. Actually meditation is all about focus. It trains the mind to focus on just one thought. There is nothing religious or mystical about meditation.

Simply put, meditation is about concentrating on one thing and normally meditation is about focusing on ourselves.
 You simply get into an alert and calm frame of mind and observe what thoughts pass through our minds without analysing or trying to control them. You allow the thoughts to pass and do not give them any importance at all or stand judgement on them.

In our quest to lose weight the natural way, meditation can play an important role. We can control our minds with meditation, the same way as you learnt as young children how to control our bodies and not knock things over or fall while walking. 

However, we never paid much attention to our minds. Our minds simply run wild. In order to achieve permanent weight loss, you can learn to focus through meditation.

People are encouraged to be aware of what they eat and how their bodies react to the food. If you can learn to meditate you will find that you will be more aware of yourself. Meditation is all about awareness. If you meditate for 5 minutes every day you will be watchful and alert. Very soon you will be able to catch yourself when you are about to eat unhealthy food. This will help you to make better choices. This is the natural way to weight loss.

This does not involve spirituality nor needs you to chant some exotic mantra that you do not understand. All you need to do is sit comfortably on your couch or chair, relax and observe the working of your mind. Be watchful and calm. Just observe your thoughts like you would watch a TV program. Disassociate yourself from it.

If you keep practising this, you will be rewarded with focus and clarity of thought. Slowly increase the time you spend meditating. This clarity of thought and focus will help you achieve your weight loss in a natural way.

You will understand the working of your body, and it will also help you make right choices when it comes to the food you eat. Moreover, this focus will enable you to be regular 

 your exercises. Most weight loss failures happen due to impatience and lack of focus. Meditation makes a person patient and more aware. This helps in achieving step by step progress towards permanent weight loss.

Finding Your Own Way to Weight Loss

Where once it might have been considered a fad, dieting has become a staple of modern society. For many it is a way to a healthier lifestyle, while for others it has become an obsession that can lead to more harm than good. The problem is that many are looking for the perfect body that they see in the movies or on TV and for most body types that just isn't possible. Others are just looking for quick results, which is impossible with just diet alone. If you are dieting to try to lose weight, there are several ways you can go to get the results you want, but you will have to be careful in choosing.

The Best is the One the You Can Actually Do
While everyone wants you to join their particular dieting program and don't necessarily agree with the other guy, most of them do agree on one thing; the best diet for you is the one that you can actually stick to. Even if someone develops the perfect dieting program that is scientifically proven to work with no ill effects, if you can't stick with it your weight will go nowhere.

Here is where you need to start getting cautious. If you're using a particular program that you just can't keep up with it can cause depression and might make you look for an easy way out. This can either lead you to a not-so-healthy binge eating session or falling for a quick diet program that is extreme and unhealthy in its own right. Or worst of all, you can do both. The key is to realize that even if that program was a good one, it just wasn't enough for you psychologically. Don't give up; just keep looking for one that better fits your lifestyle.

Don't Restrict Yourself
It might sound a bit crazy, but you should eat the foods you like. One thing that has been scientifically proven is that your body does not think about a diet in the same way that you do. Once you start depriving it of the calories it is used to getting, it sets off the starvation alarms in your head, which tells the rest of the body to actually start storing fat rather than getting rid of it. 
These alarms also lower the leptin levels in your body, which help to regulate your appetite, making you want to eat more. 

This means that even if you manage to finish your diet, you will start eating twice what you were and put on even more weight than you had within a few years.

Change Your Thinking from Diet to Lifestyle
Diet has become an evil word in the past few years, because it has come to symbolize a punishment that keeps you away from what you like for a certain period of time. But a diet shouldn't be about giving things up, it should be about finding ways to eat what you like only with healthier ingredients that have fewer calories. If you can combine this with a small regiment of exercise, you will be able to lose the weight you want while keeping your body happy. And without all the cravings, you won't really have a need to stop.

Obstacles to Weight Loss (Part II)

Okay, you are cruising along... eating right, adding some exercise, journaling your progress - doing all the right things. Days, weeks, and months go along and your momentum slows. Hmmmm, you think. I'm looking pretty good, feeling pretty good; maybe I can be a little softer on myself. I don't have to be so religious about following every rule.

You are totally open to this disastrous scenario if you haven't taken this preventive action. But what could be missing from this picture? You've been doing all the right things!
If you haven't done this one thing, you will eventually start to spiral out of control.

What Did I Miss?
It is imperative that you set clear, concise, achievable goals. If you don't have these goals in front of you throughout each day - visible and encouraging - you leave yourself open to disappointing yourself, becoming discouraged, and maybe even giving up. Don't set yourself up to fail! It may be an obvious fix, but it's often overlooked or generalized.

How to Set Clear, Concise, Achievable Goals
First, let's use weight loss as an example. This is something that's haunted me for the last 15 years. Generally I decide, "Okay, it's time. I'm going to lose weight." Off I go on a diet plan (or health plan) - off to lose weight.

This is too general and vague. If you jump into your weight loss escapade with a general, vague goal, how will you know when you reach your goal? This practice also leaves you with a multitude of outs to grab onto if you need them.

A better goal than a generic lose weight, is to add details and be specific. For example:

I intend to lose 60 pounds by August 2013 by eating the foods on my list (make sure you have your choices in writing) and exercising three times a week. I will only focus on ten pounds at a time.

In the above example, I set a total weight amount to lose. I set an achievable end date. I reminded myself that I have a list of acceptable foods that will help me to achieve my goal. I agreed to exercise, but I did not agree to an hour every day. Agreeing to something that may be unachievable will tempt me to quit when I miss a day or two. By agreeing to only focus on 10 pounds at a time, I break up the larger goal into smaller chunks. I don't have to tackle all 60 pounds at once - something that would immediately become overwhelming.

Amazing Concept
Funny how losing weight empowers you to lose more - and gaining weight leaves you emotionally vulnerable to gain more. When you find yourself succeeding, you feel good about yourself and become excited and driven to continue the actions that led to this success. In fact, each positive thing you do helps you stay strong.

When you plateau or succumb to indulgences, you feel bad about yourself, get discouraged, and think negative thoughts that punish you. Who would feel good when treated so badly? Give yourself a break. Accept that you have not achieved your next small goal, evaluate what you may be doing that might contribute to this delay; make a change to shake yourself out of a boring routine.

What Am I Looking For?
Take an honest look at your actions. You've undoubtedly developed a few habits - healthy or not. Being aware of yourself is the key to resolving your slump.

1. When you evaluate your habits and behaviors, check to see if you've slacked off on the actual plan:

• Did you stop measuring or weighing foods?
• Have you substituted higher calorie foods?
• Did you reintroduce high-fat condiments?

2. Where have you softened your values? Is there a place you can tighten up on your behaviors for a week?

• Look at your exercise routine - is it as strong as it was when you started?
• Keep a workout calendar and mark every time you work out. A simple X on the date is sufficient. Hold yourself accountable by placing that mark.
• Skipping a session or two may have led to skipping a week. Recommit to following your plan.

Now take action! You have a plan, you evaluated where it wasn't serving you, and you corrected and altered. You are ready for success!

Obstacles to Weight-Loss Success (Part I)

Every diet I've ever tried, I've failed at miserably. I start off great - pumped, prepared, and eager to lose. But it doesn't take long for me to derail from the plan and begin cheating. Are you like me? Chances are you've experienced this at some point in your life.

I used to get so angry with myself for not following through; I couldn't understand why my great intentions always ended with defeat. Many experts say that people stuff their feelings with food. But I didn't realize what that feeling was until just recently when I watched my son struggle the same way. It's amazing how clearly we can identify other people's issues (rather than our own). But if I learned something - who cares?

My Biggest Obstacle

What was that feeling that I was stuffing? Be honest - tell me if this describes your attempts to lose weight, or change a habit, or follow a difficult plan. I felt sorry for myself! Yup, it's true. Looking back over my life, my 20/20 after-the-fact vision clearly reveals that I succumb to a pity party every time I have to control my eating.

I'd find myself arguing with, well, myself while I was out shopping:
Strong Self: "Don't buy that treat!"
Weak Self: "Why can't I just have this one?"
Strong Self: "Don't do it!"
Weak Self: "I promise. It'll just be this one." [Note: It's never just the one. That one instigates so much trouble - a downward spiral.]
Strong Self: "What is wrong with you? You do this every time."
Weak Self: "Everyone else gets to eat what they want. Why can't I?" [Really?]
Strong Self: "First, EVERYONE else isn't eating what they want. Second, grow up!"
Weak Self: "My life is so hard right now. I lost my job. I'm discouraged. I just want this treat - there's nothing wrong with that!"
And so it goes.

I got to thinking about why having that one treat became so important. My best guess (and many therapists would probably agree), that I felt so comforted by my mom when I was little and I don't have that now. For some reason pampering myself with treats seems to give me that invisible hug that I crave so much.
Being able to indulge myself takes the sting out of being a grown-up. That other self? That whiny voice sneaks up when I least expect it? The best way to deal with that voice is to PLAN for that voice. Here are some strategies that work for me:

Keep a record: Most people have a smart phone, and if you don't, you probably still have access to paper. I keep a running tally in my smart phone's notepad every time I start to have that annoying conversation with myself. If I give in, I jot it down.

 Inevitably, whatever I craved so badly and couldn't live without gives me acid reflux, a stomachache, or some other negative side effect. I note that as well. What I've just done is loaded up with ammunition for the next time I whine at myself. I can remind myself how this "treat" impacted the way I feel.
Have a backup: I keep a high-protein bar in my purse and one in my car. I can have that instead - or if I'm still in the store, I can promise myself a compromise if I leave empty handed. This has gotten me out of many close calls.

Dodge and weave: What? I trick myself sometimes - hey, we get desperate! I tell myself that I can rethink this decision after I've completed my shopping. If I'm tempted while driving, I tell myself I can rethink that treat at the next exit - then the next exit, etc.


Distract yourself:

I have many ways to distract myself. I phone or text a friend (not while driving), check my social media, I also carry my e-reader everywhere. I no longer worry about standing in line next to the candy display; I'm usually reading my Kindle in the check out. I get so engrossed in what I'm reading that I forget about that craving (until the next time). If I'm driving, I listen to music or instructional mp3s.

And if none of these strategies works, I try one last ditch effort to stop myself:
Face it head on: This is brutal, but necessary to succeed. I ask myself why I am voluntarily, willfully trying to sabotage my own efforts. I remind myself of my goal, of why I want to achieve that goal, and ask myself if that treat is worth giving up on that goal.

And finally, there is always that time that none of this works and I give in to my whining. When this happens, the best thing to do is to love yourself and recommit to your goal. Start fresh the next day.

Is Surgery The Right Solution To Weight Loss?

You may have heard about people who resort to surgery for their weight loss problem. This decision should not be made casually. Any surgery comes with its own set of risks. It is important that this option be considered thoroughly before any decision is made. Read this article for some guidance in helping you through this decision process.

You must discuss this option with your doctor. Sit down with him to talk about your weight loss goals and what you hope surgery will achieve for you. Ask him questions about all the risks involved and the complications that can develop. Schedule a full physical exam and get all necessary blood tests to first make sure that you are healthy, with no underlying medical problems. A lot of medical terminology is tossed around in the discussion, so have your doctor explain anything that you do not understand.

Surgery is usually reserved for those who are extremely overweight. Many overweight people have medical issues that resulted in their excess weight gain. They have mobility problems, and their weight prevents them from engaging in many normal daily routines. Surgery is not a miracle solution either because adjustments have to be made in the person's lifestyle.

Have you exhausted all other methods of weight loss? Perhaps you tried a fad diet that did not work well. Remember that there is no easy fix. With any weight loss method, continuous maintenance is necessary. Get together with a support group to try other non-invasive alternatives. Find a buddy with whom you can exercise to get that mutual support. Reduce your caloric intake gradually. Starvation diets never work. You do not have to eliminate all of your favorite foods; just eat smaller portions of it. You should try all other methods before you consider surgery because surgery is the riskier option of all.
Talk this over with your spouse and family. You will need their support if you choose to go through with it. Talk it over with a trusted friend.

Surgery can be very expensive too. If your insurance company does not consider this a medical necessity, it may not cover the procedure. Look over your insurance policy to see what it covers. You should not go into debt over this. Make sure that you have the money for it.

There will be changes that you need to make in your daily lifestyle. Surgery is not a quick fix. You may have a long period of recovery, depending on your health condition. You would still need to control the types of foods you eat. You still need to exercise daily. Just keep that in mind so you will not be disappointed.

Just be sure that you are absolutely clear about the risks involved. Complications can develop, and surgery sometimes will not be 100 percent successful. Be realistic about your expectations.

Surgery is a serious matter. Do your own research and talk to your health professionals about this option. Make sure that you know all the facts before you decide to proceed with it.

6 Tips For A Weight Loss Plan

The first step for healthy weight loss is to create some sort of weight loss plan.

I know that sounded a little vague, but your weight loss plan does NOT have to be something that only NASA could understand or approve.

YOUR weight loss plan should include such simple things as what activities (exercise) you are going to indulge in, when, where, and so on. You will want to outline your goals, both long term and short term goals You will definitely need to outline what your strategy will be for nutrition...notice I DID NOT say "diet"!

Why have a formal, or at least semi-formal, weight loss plan?

It has long been known to those who are successful in business, sports, entertainment, motivation, and other areas, that one way to improve your chances of success is to sit down and write out where you are, where you want to be, and how you are going to get there.

It is easier to plan for losing weight, or any other goal related activity, if there exists a clear picture of starting points, ending points, and how you intend to move from one point to the other. It is very easy to start a weight loss program or any other activity with intense motivation and a flurry of lofty plans only to lose site of the objective or to be led down unproductive paths by daily activities and the blurring effect of time.

Here are a few tips to consider when putting together YOUR personal weight loss plan:

1. Make your goals realistic:

Wanting to weigh what you weighed in high school is, for most of us at least, unrealistic. Using some movie star's weight or a relative's weight as your goal is also possibly detrimental to actually accomplishing effective weight loss. Each of those people arrived at THEIR weight by a combination of genetics, diet, and exercise which may not apply to you at all!

Most people do not realize that a healthy weight loss program should, for most people, result in a weight loss of only a pound or so a week. To many who have been striving for years to lose weight, this may seem a depressing statement. However, let me put it in perspective.

I have a close friend who was so desperate to lose weight that she opted for gastric bypass surgery. She weighed 340 lbs at the time of the surgery. When the doctor was briefing her on what to expect, she learned that even with surgical intervention, she would probably only lose about 70 lbs in her first year. That works out to 1.35 lbs a week, which would be a healthy weight loss that most people could achieve through a combination of physical activity and proper nutrition. The doctor also informed my friend that she would continue to lose weight over the following years until she reached some new level which would be determined by genetics, nutrition, and activity. This is the same expectation that anyone bypassing the bypass and opting for a healthy weight loss program could expect.

Finally, unrealistic weight loss goals insure failure, while an average of a pound a week over a period of a year is relatively easy to attain with motivation and effort.

2. Do not focus on weight loss:

I know that sounds strange since your goal IS weight loss, but it is easy to see failure if you are only looking for weight loss. For example, people's weight fluctuates from day to day and even within the day itself. A temporary setback where weight is regained becomes inflated if viewed against the background of only weight loss. However, if your goal is to do the things which are going to make you healthy, for example, then those few days of overeating at Thanksgiving may be more excusable in your own heart if you know that you have been taking your walks, or have cut your use of sugar, or are still taking action in some other form.

This is something that should be considered in your weight loss plan. How are you going to make your life better overall? How many ways can you approach "weight loss"? Do not make it your goal to lose so many pounds this week. Rather, set a goal to walk so many minutes, lift so many pounds, garden for so many minutes. That way, even if your weight does not change that much in that period or even goes in the wrong direction, you still know that your body is benefiting from the parts of your weight loss plan that you are still in touch with.

NOTE: People who begin exercising as part of their weight loss program often experience a weight GAIN somewhere in the first few weeks of their new exercise experience. THIS IS PERFECTLY NATURAL! If you have just begun exercising to lose weight and experience a weight gain, this should be only temporary, and is most commonly caused by your body adding muscle mass faster than it loses fat.

3. Plan to go slow:

I don't know if there is a statistic somewhere that demonstrates how many people drop out of their weight loss program due to stress, strain, pain, or just plain burnout. However, I have experienced it myself, I have read about it, and I know people it has happened to. Sometimes the simplest statements are most true. One that you will often hear is, "It took years for your body to get this way, and you cannot change it overnight." This is so true. Also, take into consideration that, even though you might not be SEEING significant changes, if you are taking the steps that you have outlined in your weight loss plan, your body is adapting inside, in places you cannot see, but it is repairing and preparing to move to higher levels of fitness and health.

4. Plan to measure your progress:

I know I said not to stress so much about the weight loss, but you do need to see what is going on. You don't have to concentrate exclusively on pounds lost, however. If you can walk farther this week than you could two or three weeks ago, you are progressing. Hopefully, in another two weeks, you will be walking farther, or faster. If, at the start of your weight loss program you could only exercise for five minutes at a time, and now you can exercise for 15 minutes, that is progress, isn't it? That's an accomplishment and is something you should be proud of.

NOTE: One measurement of progress in a weight loss program is quite simply "size". Two weeks into a weight loss program, you might actually have gained weight, for example, as I pointed out a few paragraphs ago. However, if your clothes are looser, or you need to buy smaller clothes, or friends are coming up and asking, "Have you lost weight?" these are good signs that your program is working even if your scales haven't gotten the news yet.

5. Plan to stay motivated:

One of the most common obstacles that knock people off their weight loss program is loss of motivation. The drive and excitement that gets you started is very seldom still around when you lace up your walking shoes for what seems like the millionth time and have only lost two lbs.

Including your reasons for losing weight, the emotional and perhaps physical triggers that got you started in the first place, as part of your written weight loss plan gives you a means of reinvigorating your desire to achieve your goals. We often forget how we felt and what we believed at the start of such a journey, and being able to pull out the paper and review the dreams and expectations can bring us back up to that original level, or at least remind us of what we are enduring this for.

I used to be an instructor for a major national corporation, and one thing that I and other instructors would tell our students was, to achieve their goals, they had to, "plan their work, and work their plan."

Donovan Baldwin is a Dallas area writer. A graduate of the University Of West Florida (1973) with a BA in accounting, he is a member of Mensa and has held several managerial positions. He has written poetry and essays for his own use, and instructional media in many of the positions he held. After his retirement from the U. S. Army in 1995, he began writing articles on various subjects for websites he owned as well as for use by other webmasters. He has a keen interest in health, fitness, diet, and weight loss and has recently completed courses on Diet and Nutrition, and Fitness. He has posted a review on a great way to build muscle and burn fat.

9 Steps To A Healthy Weight Loss Program

So who cares about healthy weight loss? Well, if the information below means anything there is a large portion of society which should care.

Over 65% of adults 20 years or older can be classified as obese. Additionally, 17% of adolescents of ages 12-19 years are overweight and 19% of children age 6-11 years. Obesity is and will continue to be a serious problem in the future. In fact, it is predicted that obesity will reach epidemic levels by the year 2020.

While everyone understands that being overweight, or obese, is "not good for you", many people do not understand the risks they and their loved ones face if they fall into this category.

Obese or overweight people are at increased risk for some or all of the following conditions:

1. Various forms of heart disease

2. Strokes

3. Diabetes

4. Cancer

5. Arthritis

6. Respiratory problems

7. Psychological disorders

6. High blood pressure or hypertension

It is estimated that 300,000 deaths in the U. S. each year are associated with obesity, and the economic cost of obesity in the United States was about $117 billion in 2000. Economic costs include the out-of-pocket expenditures of the individuals involved, the costs of the institutions and organizations which help provide services, and the costs born by every member of society whether they are in this group or not.

A healthy weight loss program could do much to help individuals avoid the personal and financial risks associated with being overweight while helping them achieve longer, happier, more productive lives more years of healthy enjoyment once they leave the work place behind them.

Unfortunately these days, one is more likely to hear of a "fast" weight loss program than a healthy weight loss program, and it is next to impossible to include both terms in the same sentence. The fast weight loss programs which are so prevalent are short term, temporary "fixes" when they fix anything at all. These programs, which commonly involve drinks, supplements, pills, or exotic exercise equipment, simply do not work, at least not for permanent, healthy weight loss.

Worse, many of these fast weight loss programs may actually contribute to further weight gain, decreased enjoyment of life, diminished health, and, in extreme cases, even death.

Fortunately, there are healthy weight loss programs, plans, systems, and options which can provide, or contribute not only to healthy weight loss, but a lifetime of healthy weight management.

While a full program would take a book to explain all the possible actions you can take for healthy weight loss, here are a few tips that can help anyone get started on a lifelong program for health and fitness.

Here are some tips on how you can lose those unwanted pounds the healthy way:

1. Start moving. One of the most effective weight loss strategies around is exercise. Sadly, many people have no idea how much or which exercise they should do. Many do not even realize that simple, enjoyable activities such as gardening, swimming, or playing tag with the kids can be part of an exercise program. Exercise is such a diverse topic that anyone serious about losing weight should do a little research on the types of activities that may possibly be a part of their weight loss program.

2. Eat smart. There is a lot you can do to improve what and how you eat, but some of it takes training and knowledge most people do not have. It also involves all sorts of convoluted decision making, sometimes based on charts and lists, good carbs, bad carbs, high glycemic index foods and low glycemic index foods. If you are able to learn all that great, but just use come common sense in the meantime. Eat lots of veggies and fruits, have some protein, but not a ton, and stay away from stuff with sugar. Teach yourself to use artificial sweeteners instead of sugar, and start looking at labels.

3. Eat small. Eat small, healthy meals and snacks several times a day. One failure mechanism built in to a diet is the denial of food. It is not just the denial of pleasure of food and eating, but your body also reacts one way when food is denied, and another when it is regularly supplied daily with small healthy meals and snacks.

4. Team up. Get together with a friend who has much the same goals as you. Take a walk with them every day. Meet them for lunch. They won't make faces when you order something for your health rather than for the fun of it. In fact, why not get a group together? That way, if one person is not available, maybe someone else will be. Plus the social interaction is good for you. People who "go on diets" tend to start avoiding people, and that often is at least a part of the reason they fall off the diet wagon.

5. Think health. Don't try to lose weight. Instead, try to get healthy. First of all, a positive goal is easier to work towards than a negative one. Second, doing things to make yourself healthy is easier to sell to yourself and to others than "trying to lose weight". Also, there will be setbacks along the way. These are normal. If you fail to lose weight as fast as you think you ought to, or if you gain weight, in your mind you will have "failed". If however you eat a second piece of pie, you have slowed down on your path to health, but you can get back on track within minutes simply by going for a walk or remembering to use sweetener in your drink rather than sugar.

6. Get rest. When your body is tired, certain chemical changes take place and substances are released that contribute to weight gain or slow weight loss. It is easier to get involved in activity when you are rested.

7. Have fun. Two of the reasons you want to lose weight is so that you can feel good, and feel good about yourself. You want to enjoy life. It works both ways. If you lose weight and feel healthy, you will want to enjoy life, and you will feel good about yourself. If you go out of your way to enjoy life, you will probably be more active, and this, combined with other beneficial effects related to weight gain and weight loss will help your healthy weight loss program.

8. Drink water. Many times we interpret the body's signals as hunger when they are actually thirst. Often, a glass of water will satisfy what we believe are hunger pangs. Keeping the body properly hydrated helps it process toxins and perform a myriad of functions more efficiently.

9. Don't quit. When you are on a healthy weight loss program, your weight loss will be slow. Many people are disheartened when they think of only losing one or two pounds a week on average. However, that would be a weight loss of 52 to 104 pounds in a year and 104 to 208 pounds in two years! To put that in proportion, I had a friend who had a gastric bypass. She was told that even with surgery, she would probably only lose about 75 pounds in her first year, and the weight loss would slow down in the second year! Many people could accomplish similar results just by building up to a daily 20 to 30 minute walk and by cutting a few empty calories out of their diet.

By the way, if you have not been exercising and begin exercising as part of a healthy weight loss program, it is highly likely that you will actually GAIN weight at first. Don't let this dishearten you. It is entirely normal and can actually be considered part of the body's preparation to lose weight and live a healthier life!

Be happy with your results. If you are living in a healthy manner, you will lose weight. Certainly, how much weight you lose will depend on a lot of factors, and, if you are walking 20 minutes a day and haven't lost what you would like to lose, you can walk 30 minutes a day, or 15 minutes twice a day. Adapt and move on. However, do not expect to be the man or woman you were in high school or college. You might never fit into your old prom dress or army uniform again. I don't, and I exercise regularly and try to eat right. I feel great and am in excellent health, but my old army uniform is just a memory hanging in my closet now.

Go on. Have some fun. Do what you can. Reward yourself for your gains and forgive yourself for non-gains. I refuse to call them failures. There is no failure until you give up completely.

Donovan Baldwin is a Dallas area writer. A graduate of the University Of West Florida (1973) with a BA in accounting, he is a member of Mensa and has held several managerial positions. After retiring from the U. S. Army in 1995, he became interested in internet marketing and developed various online businesses. He has been writing poetry, articles, and essays for over 40 years, and now frequently publishes articles on his own websites and for use by other webmasters. He has a blog on weight loss, and a website where he reviews weight loss products [http://nodiet4me.net/weightlossproducts/]. He also provides affordable health care benefits [http://realworldbenefits.com] to individuals, households, and businesses.

7 Fast Weight Loss Tips To Speed Up Metabolism

Craig Ballantyne's 24/7 Fatloss program revealed!

These fast weight loss tips will help you to drop a lot of extra pounds, if you need to lose quite a bit of weight. These 7 fast weight loss tips will also help you, if you are already in decent physical condition, to sculpt your body to an even greater degree.

Any weight loss tips to help speed up metabolism do just that. They help you. You still must have your overall fitness and nutrition plan in line with the goals you want to achieve.

You need to be focused on each aspect of your plan. If you expect to use these fast weight loss tips but don't exercise and just watch television eating a bag of chips every night, they won't do a thing for you.

Are you ready to add these fast weight loss tips to your lifestyle?

In order to get rid of any amount of excess weight, you must speed up metabolism. Your metabolism is a biochemical process that occurs in your body.

Your metabolism helps to break down nutrients in your bloodstream. This helps you to add more lean muscle, resulting in a greater expenditure of energy, meaning you'll get rid of more fat.

You have billions of cells in your body that can use up an enormous amount of energy if you are active. The fast weight loss tips listed below will help you do this. However, if you aren't active they won't burn up much at all, meaning you'll have a tendency to easily add fat to your body.

Thankfully, using the fast weight loss tips in conjunction with your healthy and active lifestyle you can speed up your metabolism quite noticeably.

Fast weight loss tips: #1. Eat specific foods. A number of food additives, like spices, can help to speed up your metabolism by creating a thermodynamic burn that has been shown to last a few hours after you eat.

Fast weight loss tips: #2. Time your meals. The majority of your calories should be earlier in the day. Your meals should contain less total calories as the day goes on. Try to eat little or preferably nothing at all after your evening meal. Don't skip any meals. You should be eating 4 - 6 meals each day.

Fast weight loss tips: #3. Make sure you eat enough. One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to lose weight is they don't eat enough.

If you don't consume the proper amount of calories you will send your body into what is known as a survival mode. This happens when your body does not have enough calories, so it conserves energy to prepare for possible starvation.

On the opposite side of this, is if you eat too many calories the excess will be stored as fat. You need to exercise in order to burn more calories than you eat. Therefore, moderation is the key when it comes to calorie intake.

Fast weight loss tips: #4. Increase your daily activities. To prevent fat storage and to drop any excess that you might be carrying you must increase your daily activities.

This needs to include weight training and cardiovascular training. The more calories you burn, the faster you will lose weight. It's that simple. An increase in lean muscle mass results in a dramatic increase in fat burning.

One more thing; try to exercise first thing in the morning. Research has shown that you can dramatically increase your fat burning ability if you exercise after a fasted state. Meaning just after you wake up.

Fast weight loss tips: #5. Do weight lifting before doing any cardiovascular work. The only exception of course is to perform 5 - 10 minutes of cardio before your weight training in order to warm up your muscles.

This is important because you need the energy in your muscles for weight training. By the time your weight training session is complete you will have used up all of your preferred energy sources.

This means that you will actually be burning fat cells during your cardio session.

Here's what happens if you do this in reverse.

First, you will only be burning carbohydrate sources of energy during your cardiovascular workout. No fat cells will be used up for energy. Next, you will not have the energy in your muscles in order to get the most out of your weight training.

You will not be able to increase your lean muscle, which is very important if you want to lose your excess weight.

Fast weight loss tips: #6. Change up your exercise routine on a regular basis. For the most part you should change some aspect of your workout every 2 - 3 weeks. This can be anything from the number of reps or sets per exercise. The exercise order you perform and the exercises themselves.

If you do the same thing week after week, month after month your body will start to get used to what you're doing to it and will eventually stop making changes. You will also stop adding any more lean muscle.

The more muscle you have the more calories you will burn even when at rest.

Fast weight loss tips: #7. Meal combinations. Always eat protein / carbohydrate meals earlier in the day. Eat protein / fat combination meals (meaning little to no carbohydrates) in the late afternoon and evening.

The only exception is if you normally exercise in the evening. Then your first meal after your workout should consist of protein and carbohydrates.

Never eat carbohydrates and fat together in the same meal.

With these seven fast weight loss tips you will speed up metabolism and burn excess body fat at a much faster rate.

Try these fast weight loss tips out for a while and you'll notice a difference after a couple of weeks.

Phil Beckett is a health & fitness trainer, author & educator. He can get you the results you want in less time with less work. For more info on fast weight loss tips & how to speed up metabolism, visit http://www.womens-health-fitness.com/fast-weight-loss-tips.html

Fast Weight Loss The Healthiest Fast Weight Loss Plan

In general, fast weight loss is not healthy. The faster you lose weight, the faster you'll gain it back. Here are the top 5 reasons fast weight loss plans are not healthy...
Diet fast and lose muscle not fat.
Diet fast and lose water not fat.
Diet fast and cause diet shock. What is diet shock?
Diet fast and make no lifestyle changes.
Diet fast and fail at long term weight loss.


Fast weight loss impacts your dieting efforts in so many negative ways, it's hard to imagine how any fast dieting attempts could produce healthy results.

The only thing I can think of is to use a lower goal for your weight loss. At a 5% weight reduction, your health improves, diet shock is minimized, and it's fast.

So, if planned properly, you can lose weight fast, in shorter time periods focusing on 5% reductions in total body weight.

At first, you will lose mostly muscle and water. But as you progress through each period, more and more fat will burn and less muscle. The way I see it, no matter how many fast weight loss warnings we write about, many of you will try the next one that hits the market. Instead of fighting, I want to work with you and provide you the healthiest yet fastest way to lose weight.

The Healthiest Fast Weight Loss Plan

Slow and consistent, a healthy weight loss plan delivers small successes everyday, building momentum along the way, peaking at the point in time when you reach you're goal. This is key to dieting success.

Most dieters do the opposite...they experience fast weight loss early, their momentum peaks mid-way, and by the end of the diet, they are completely deflated. With no energy left to carry them into the next stage of weight loss -- weight gain prevention -- most dieters give up at this point.

My fast weight loss plan avoids the deflation and lack of motivation at the end of the diet because it evenly spreads the weight loss over 6 weeks. When do most dieters lose the most weight? Weeks 1-3. On my plan? Weeks 2-5.

No, these results are not from a good rigorous clinical study. Instead, they are my own observation of several patients I follow in Dallas.

Healthy Fast Weight Loss Steps
Week One, Part One -- drink a protein shake supplement everyday. Do not change anything else. Drink a protein shake that's a 50:50 mix of whey to casein proteins. The best time to drink the shake depends on your physical activities. Since most bodybuilders know what to do, I suggest for the rest of us, a protein shake between breakfast and lunch or between lunch and dinner. The time you choose depends on when you have the longest period of fasting. For me, it's between lunch and dinner, so my shake comes around 3pm. Week One, Part Two -- Start an exercise program, with the first week involving nothing but stretching major muscle groups. Stretching increases the tonal stimulation to muscles (tone) causing them to burn more calories at rest. Plus it protects against injuries. The second week start some form of low impact aerobics...walking! Walk for 40 minutes everyday.
Week Two -- Start dieting by replacing 1/2 of a meal with the same protein shake from last week. Do this for 1 week.
Week Three -- Replace one whole meal with a protein shake. Change the mixture of the shake to 60% whey and 40% casein proteins. For most people, this comes out to about a 500 calorie reduction.
Week Four -- Reduce caloric intake by another 250 calories. I suggest adding a second protein shake, made up of the same 60:40 mix and use it to replace 1/2 of a another meal. Record the amount of weight you're losing. Never let it reach a rate of more than 4 pounds per week (that's double what I normally recommend).
Week Five -- Repeat week four.
Week Six -- Add back the last 250 calories you dropped and stop drinking the second shake.

End Result -- 12 to 18 pounds of average weight loss. The exact amount depends on many factors including exercise.


Fast Weight Loss Summary

Don't do it. Fast weight loss inevitably will lead to future weight gain. Just don't do it. But, if you do, at least follow my steps, the healthiest steps to fast weight loss.

To Healthy Living!

Michael A. Smith, MD

Chief Medical Consultant

Diet Basics

Dr. Smith is the Chief Medical Consultant for the Diet Basics Website. His medical experience includes Radiology, Internal Medicine, and Preventative Medicine. He trained at the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical School for all post-graduate years, 7 in total. His most memorable experience was training under Drs. Michael Brown and Joseph Goldstein, the Nobel Laureates in Medicine for their pioneering work in fat and cholesterol metabolism. Please visit Dr Smith's website at, Diet Basics

The Hands Face, Underarms. Advanced Surgery

The Hands, Face, Underarms. Advanced Surgery

Are you ready to lose some weight? Perhaps you're surfing for the magic pill that will vanish your weight away. Maybe you're simply searching for the right information to help you lose and keep the weight off. Whatever the case, here's some surefire tips to help you with your weight loss.

1. Do your homework. As you start your weight loss plan, take the time to carefully evaluate your situation. What caused the weight gain? Pregnancy? Inactivity? Overeating and binging? Emotions? There are many triggers in our lives that will cause us to gain weight. Some can be prevented or eliminated, some can't. It's important as you begin your weight loss to understand and come to grips with the cause of your weight. Be honest with yourself. Don't cheat on this one. Obviously, you want to have your weight loss become permanent.

In order to keep off the weight in the future, you may have to make some lifestyle changes to stay slim. Don't give up before you start. There's usually more than one solution to any weight gain reason. Just remain open-minded, and be willing to change to get the results you desire. Don't hesitate to read and learn as much as you can about weight gain. It's really easy to understand, and you may be surprised at what you learn.

2. Avoid Hidden Calories. Here's an over simplified version of weight loss and weight maintenance... if you eat more than your body needs, you gain weight. If you eat less (reduce calories) than your body needs, you lose weight! While it sounds simple enough, just eat less ....Right? Basically that's true. Yet, there are other things that come into play as one is trying to lose weight. One common mistake many people make as they diet is the fact they don't really understand how much is provided by the food they are eating. This is especially true with eating out and eating snack foods and beverages.

A serving as defined by the scientific communities on weight loss and a serving that your local restaurant provides is most often very different. For example, one serving of bread is typically one slice. Yet, the average bun in a fast food restaurant is actually almost three servings. A single serving of French fries is 15 fries. Just take a guess at how many servings are in a "Biggie" French fry container.

Also, don't be fooled into thinking just because a bag of popcorn is small, that it's a single serving. The same thing goes for beverages. The bottle may contain16 oz. Yet, the serving size may be 4 ounces. Pay attention to actually how many servings of food and beverages you are actually consuming. The amount may surprise you.

I'll give you an example, my son-in-law who's 28 was had put on several pounds. His favorite cola is Mountain Dew. Mountain Dew has higher sugar content than most other cola's. He didn't have a clue as to how may calories he was consuming by drinking 3 or 4 24 oz bottles a day. When my daughter told him, he was amazed. He replaced the cola with water and went from a 38" waist to a 34" waist in about two months. Be careful, you may be consuming more than you think.

3. Consider Diet Pills Carefully. Maybe one of your diet buddies has decided to buy diet pills, or maybe you've seen or heard a commercial for diet supplements promising easy fast weight loss. If so, please evaluate CAREFULLY! Even the most natural-sounding diet pills or weight loss supplements can be useless for weight loss, or dangerous, or both. Diet pills are very tempting things if you want to lose weight, especially if you have tried several conventional weight loss plans without success. The side effects and dangers of some diet and weight loss pills can vary enormously because many of these pills contain a cocktail of ingredients and because dosage instructions may be inadequate. Possible side effects include: nervousness, tremor, diarrhea, bulging eyes, racing heartbeat, elevated blood pressure even heart failure.

There are some instances when diet pills can be helpful. Usually these are indicated in the truly obese person. For the person wanting to lose 5 or 10 pounds, they usually aren't necessary. So you may ask, how does the diet pills work to cause weight loss, while I continue to eat the same amount? In recent years, it seems everyone has the PERFECT answer to help with your weight loss. There are almost as many weight loss methods and diet pills available as there are people who want to lose weight.

There are diet pills that stop your hunger so you eat less and burn more fat. There are diet pills that cause the body not to metabolize all the food you eat, so it's passed out of your system and not stored as fat. There's combination of these two. As you begin your search for the perfect diet pill, be careful as some can have harmful effects on your body.
Diet Pills work by shifting levels of brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) that control satiety (fullness) and desire for food. Some also slightly increase your metabolic rate - the rate at which your body burns calories.

Examples of weight loss diet pills include:

Diethylpropion hydrochloride (eg. Tenuate)

Mazindol (eg. Mazanor, Sanorex)

Phendimetrazine tartrate (eg. Bontril)

Phentermine hydrochloride (eg. Adipex-P, Ionamin)

4. Monitor/Increase Your Activity - Regardless whether you're taking diet pills or not to help with your weight loss, it's still important to maintain a regular exercise program. This is beneficial not only for your weight loss, but also for your overall health. In many ways we in the developed country have a much more sedentary lifestyle than our bodies need. Obviously it's easier for us than in the era when people had to be very active simply to survive, yet it's not necessarily healthy for us not to be active. Start and maintain some sort of exercise plan no matter what your age. Especially for the middle-aged and older people exercise play a very, very important role in the quality of health and staying within normal weight ranges.

5. Develop a Plan for Maintenance. Even if you're taking diet pills to help with your weight loss it's important to keep in mind, that once you stop the pills, unless you maintain a balance between your activity level and the food you eat the weight will come back. While it may take some time to become accustomed to a change in diet and activity, the rewards are well worth the time and effort spent to reach and maintain a healthy weight.

Hilda Maria is a freelance writer with 5 children who knows the importance of a balanced diet [http://www.ic-weight-loss.com/diet_plans.html] for them. She enjoys providing useful knowledge about weight loss [http://www.ic-weight-loss.com/index.html] and regular exercise [http://www.ic-weight-loss.com/weight_loss_exercises.html] to her readers as well as to her children.