Diet Secrets to Weight Loss

Don't Sacrifice...

The first rule as believed by those who are beginners in the field of fitness, is to leave the food you love the most. Well for most not so slim people, its food like processed cheese, pizza, chicken, beef etc. Its not easy to leave what you love. Yet its easier to balance the things you love along with what is nutritious. When a nutrition schedule is drawn for you, make sure you know what is in and what is out. If its meat and eggs all week long, its way too much fat! If its too much sparrow food, then its worse. Weight loss requires a smarter plan than that.

A person needs something way too desperately then he has to sacrifice the food he loves to eat. If he is strong willed then it is a piece of cake for him to let go of his cravings. Some can eat anything and everything they want and still look lean, while others are just not that lucky. Depending on your body structure and metabolism, you have to decide which meal and what exercise is essential for you.

Unfortunately for over weight people, no matter how much they try losing weight it seems like they are pushing the Himalayas. Scary but true! Its wise not to even mirror them. Its not worth a call! You set some standards for yourself. Give either a 100 percent or even lesser, but make sure whatever you do, you stick to your word, i.e. to lose as much weight as possible. Each week, is a new week and surely a brighter one.

You need regular fitness and not a body like Hitman, then its better to have an average percentage of what is known as compliance. Compliance in layman's term means fulfillment, observance, conformity etc. Compliance in fitness means what you should adhere to and what you should avoid.

There is a theory which was suggested by one of the fitness gurus. He said, "If you eat 5 small means a day, you eat about 35 meals a week. Around 32 meals are adhered to." This in turn means that you can have 3 or maximum 4 such parties or occasions which you can make merry in.

You can be in any one of the following scenarios, a) someone who wants to lose a few inches on the waistline and look decent, or b) someone who wants a perfect 36-24-36 kind of a figure. If its scenario A then having a compliance of 100% is sheer madness. On the other hand if you wish to be scenario B then you better slog night and day. Forget you ever loved mommy's cheese cake or thanksgivings turkey. You have to keep in mind that every time you sneak and have a small piece of cake from the fridge, you not only deceive yourself but lose the chances of losing calories.

On a more serious note, eat and eat to your heart's content. It could be a chocolate brownie or just an ice cream. Just remember to count the calories, but they hatch up to your muscles, thighs and tummy.

Chris McCombs is a Costa Mesa Personal Trainer and teaches weight loss to people all over the world, especially the OC. His Orange County Weight Loss Programs are intense and NOT for everyone.

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Types of Weight Loss Diets

There are many weight loss plans, but each is different. It's a good idea to study the different types of plans before getting started on your weight loss journey. Find the type of weight loss diet that best suits you. Consider how each affects your body and health, and how each plan fits into your schedule or routine. Let's see what types of diet plans are available and what is required with each.

Diets for Fast Weight Loss

Though fast weight loss is not recommended for the long term, there are some quick diets to help you lose 5 to 10 pounds in no time. These include the low-carb diet, three-to-five-day meal replacement shakes, water or juice fasts, and alternate vegetable/fruit diets in which you eat only fruits one day and only vegetables the next. These diets work great for a quick fix, but are very difficult (and possibly unhealthy) to maintain for the long term.

Low Calorie Weight Loss Diets

There are many low calorie diets with which you will reduce your daily calories to lose weight. There are several ways to monitor your calories. You can read food labels and count the calories of everything you eat. You can also use a calorie guide to determine how many calories are in certain foods or dishes that do not have labels. Weight Watchers provides an easy point counter that calculates points based on calories, fiber, and fat grams in foods.

Fixed Menu Plans

With a fixed menu diet plan, you will be given a list of all the foods you can eat. The meal plans are put together especially for you based on your likes and needs. This type of diet can make things easy for you as you lose weight, but keep in mind that you will eventually need to start planning your own meals again. So it's a good idea to learn how to plan your meals after you've lost the initial weight. This will help you keep the weight off once the fixed-menu diet has ended.

Exchange Food Diet

With an exchange food diet, you will plan meals with a set number of servings from several food groups. The foods are determined by calorie intake, and you can pick and choose among foods that have the same calories to give you a variety of choices at each meal. This diet is great if you've just completed a fixed menu diet because it allows you to make your own food choices each day.

Low Fat Diet

Another type of diet is the low fat diet, which requires lowering the intake of fat. This doesn't mean eating fat-free everything, but simply lowering fats (especially saturated fats) and oils to a normal level according to the food pyramid. Fat should take up around 30 percent of the calories eaten. Lowering saturated fat promotes healthy weight loss and helps lower cholesterol levels to promote good heart health.

There are many foods that advertise "low fat" but many of these are also very high in sugar. Look for foods that are low in fat and low in sugar for healthy weight loss. Also, limit fast foods or make healthier choices from the menu such as salads or grilled foods. Many fried fast foods are loaded with fat.

Weight Loss through Reduced Portions

There are also weight loss diets with which only the portions are reduced, but you basically eat anything you want. You eat only small portions of foods and basically follow your stomach. When your stomach is empty, you eat slowly until you feel satisfied, but not overly full. You only eat when you're really hungry. This type of diet gives you freedom to choose what you want to eat, but limits how much you can eat. The concept is when you eat less food in smaller portions then you're also eating less fat and calories with every meal, no matter what the food.

There are also pre-packaged meals and formulas to help promote weight loss. Almost any diet can work if you adhere to its rules, add activity or exercises, and drink plenty of water. Study each type of diet to find one that will work for you, and check with you doctor before starting a new diet plan if you have a health condition or take medications. You can easily research diet plans online and find many free weight loss tips to help you develop a plan.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about Weight Loss Diets and Tips or Majon's Health and Beauty directory

Weight Loss with Chinese Herbs

Chinese herbs can be used to influence the bodys metabolism in different ways. Most people who need to lose weight would like to have their metabolism run more efficiently. There are a number of herbs that can help people in their quest for a healthier, more efficient metabolism in order to ensure that any efforts to lose weight are blessed with success. There are three types of herbs that can assist people trying to lose weight. The first type of herb is the type that transforms phlegm in Chinese medicine terminology. These herbs can help the body to process fats more efficiently and prevent the accumulation of unhealthy fats and fluids in the body. Some herbs in this class that may assist weight loss include citrus aurantium, immature citrus peel, and magnolia bark. Glechoma and hawthorn berry can also help by transforming phlegm.

Citrus Aurantium contains synephrine, which has been shown to have fat-burning properties in research done at McGill University in Montreal. It improves the thermogenesis of brown fatty tissue in the body, which is generally the fat that is the most difficult to burn off. Citrus Aurantium does not have any negative impact on the nervous system like ephedra does. Speaking of ephedra, I do not recommend its use for dieting. Chinese medicine has traditionally used it for severe and acute conditions, such as asthma attacks. It is not intended to be used as a dieting tool or to get a high. These uses can leave a person ultimately more fatigued and adrenal-depleted in the end. Citrus Aurantium is an infinitely safer option for those interested in weight loss.

Other herbs that can help boost metabolic function are herbs that increase the qi and yang energy of the body. This class of herbs includes ginseng, astragalus, and atractylodes. Other herbs in this category include ginger, cinnamon, epimedium and eucommia bark. These herbs can also give a person an energy boost. This can encourage the person to remain consistent with his or her exercise routine. These herbs also encourage healthy digestion and generally make a persons metabolism run faster and more efficiently. This group of herbs can be particularly helpful for those people whose weight tends to accumulate around the abdomen.

Detoxifying, bitter herbs are another class of herbs that can assist with weight loss. These herbs tend to reduce inflammatory, acidic conditions in the body that often trigger the cravings people have for inordinate quantities of unhealthy food. These herbs are particularly useful in people who tend to have voracious appetites for spicy, oily, and sweet foods. They also may have a tendency towards acne or oily skin, and a slightly reddish, or ruddy complexion. These herbs include Chinese rhubarb, coptis, and scute.

Other herbs can be used to control and balance out the emotional conditions that trigger overeating. People who find themselves eating out of stress, sadness, depression, anxiety, or PMS can find that these herbs balance out their emotional life and reduce their cravings for food. These herbs include magnolia bark, bupleurum root, mint, zizyphus and biota seeds, and longan fruit.

Other supplements that can assist in a healthy weight loss program are kelp, apple cider vinegar, vitamin B6, and flaxseed oil. Drinking green tea regularly can also be quite helpful.

It is important to remember that all of these supplements are beneficial for promoting weight loss because they promote a healthy metabolism, a healthy energy level, a healthy digestion, and a healthy mental attitude, but that dietary and lifestyle changes are crucial in order to see the results that you want. Nevertheless, Chinese Medicine can be a great ally in the quest to shed pounds more efficiently.

Dr. Farah Khan, DOM is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine practicing in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She offers information and products related to different health conditions at her web site at http://www.yinessence.com/home.htm, including FormuSlim and Citrus Aurantium for weight loss. She can be reached at farah@yinessence.com.

Wii Weight Loss - Yes You Can!

Is there really such a thing as a Wii weight loss program? Unlike other game consoles, the Wii requires that you move your body, arms and legs, to guide the controller where you want it to go. Some of the sports games and a few others really can give you a workout! Depending on the game, and how physical you want to get with it, you can really work up a sweat by playing for a long period of time!

The best Wii games for Wii weight loss are the games that come with the console: Wii Sports and Wii Play. The best game for Wii weigh loss is definitely Boxing. Two players team up, or one player teams up against the computer. To box, you throw punches, using left, right, upper cut and other punches. Your arms get a great workout, and you can even get a little short of breath. Just make sure you play for a longer period of time, at least twenty minutes or more, to get the full effect.

What about other Wii games? Can you get the Wii weight loss effect from playing any other games? The next best game is bowling. To bowl, you move just the way you would when you bowl at the bowling alley, without having to move forward so much, but if you incorporate the forward walking movement, you can really increase the aerobic effect.

How about tennis? The Wii Sports game disk has full court tennis, and Wii Play has table tennis. Just like with boxing, with tennis you can just stand still and flick your wrist to move the racket. But you can also move your body, move your whole arm, and really get into the game by being more physically active. Is it going to be the same effect you would get with a real tennis match? Probably not, but if your goal is to just use the Wii for Wii weight loss, by moving a lot more when you play, you can really enhance the results.

As for other games, such as soccer, football, and racing games, the effect will be a little different, since many of these you can play while just sitting. With the Wii, though, it's really up to you how much you want to play. Just remember to tighten the wrist strap so you don't throw it through your television or a window or a player standing next to you. Shake that thing and stay in shape with Wii weight loss!

Sue Calhoun writes on a wide variety of topics all over the Web. Find the best price on a Wii game console, at http://wii.my-sale-site.com and start losing weight today!

How To Lose Weight Quickly - 5 Common Weight Loss Myths Exposed

You might have tried to lose weight numerous times before, only to give up when you don't see immediate results. There are numerous myths around diets, and hopefully, we'll dispel them now!

The first myth folks surrender to is that you'll be able to reduce weight quickly by getting rid of as many calories as possible from your diet or by fasting. This is a very harmful means to do it since your body enters starvation mode, instantly halting fat loss. A lot of folks simply would like to slim down quickly for an outfit they want to fit into for a special social function coming up soon. Do not hold back till the eleventh hour to begin dieting.

A different myth we come across in our pursuit of a slenderer waist is the one that says to exclusively consume a single type of food all day, day-after-day. Grapefruit, pepper-laden water, and even hotdog dieting crazes have led to several bouts of overeating in the past. Embarking on reckless diet crazes means your system isn't obtaining the requisite nutrition it demands to combat sicknesses and remain in good health.

You might have likewise heard that you will be never be able to deviate from your diet plan. Whenever you do, you will be forced to work out for a long time in order to compensate for it. This is not correct. It is all right to eat that dessert occasionally. You simply must correct your calorie consumption for that day. There is actually no need for hours of working out simply to correct for one tiny dessert.

One myth you might have picked up is the one that alleges you can not snack prior to going to sleep, because you will get fat in your sleep. This one is not correct since a diet plan simply signifies that you are eating healthy and keeping an eye on your caloric intake for the day. Consuming a light snack prior to bed Is not going to make a big difference unless it is a full meal or a whole chocolate cake.

How about the one that alleges you can not snack between meals? It is more beneficial to eat snacks. Eat littler meals during the day in order to keep your hunger satisfied. By doing away with snacks between meals, you are simply going to make yourself hungrier at meal times, which makes you to eat a great deal more than you actually must simply to fulfill your craving.

Try not to fall victim to the countless dieting myths circling the internet. A levelheaded balance of correct eating (almost all of the time) and working out can skyrocket your dieting success!

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How to Lose Ten Pounds in a Week

You don't want to know how to lose ten pounds in a week!

What's the point in punishing yourself with short term results. A far better way would be to change your eating habits gradually, think positive and think long term.

Here are reasons why it is stupid to learn how to lose ten pounds in a week

1. It is not safe and healthy - this is obvious. You should be looking at 1-2 lbs a week. This is more manageable and long term,

2. You may lose the ten pounds in a week, but most likely, you'll pile the weight back on and more in a few days.

For sure, whatever you did to lose the ten pounds that fast, it will not be manageable and practical. Look at it this way - a short term fix to a longer term problem.

And because it is that restrictive and tough to manage the non eating, your hunger will take control of your eating habits. Therefore, you will eat more than you should.

So ask yourself, is it worth it to go on a 'Yo Yo' weight loss with meaningless results.

3. If you cut out food completely, you're just hurting yourself and limiting the necessary nutrients that can help you to metabolize more efficiently.

Eating food is the reason to live and function daily. Food is not the enemy - so live to eat.

If you still want to know how to lose ten pounds in a week - just let me cut off both of your arms. Now this may sound silly to you - but you wanting to lose weight that quick is just as silly.

This is not how to lose ten pounds in a week.

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Weight Loss Made Simple

The Plan

You don't need diet pills or television gimmicks to lose weight. All you need is a good diet plan, and you need to stick to it. Any good diet plan needs only two parts, an eating plan and exercise. I prefer to use the term eating plan over diet because the word diet makes me think of eating less food, or food that has little or no taste. The plan is to kick up your metabolism so that you're burning more calories during the day. Consult your doctor before beginning any exercise or diet program.

20 Minutes a Day, 3 Days a Week

This is one of the best and easiest ways to get your exercise in and build lean muscle. Muscle building is one of the important parts of this guide. An extra pound of muscle will burn about 50 calories a day even if you're sitting and watching television. To build lean muscle, do a weight circuit. Do squats, push-ups, bent-over row, military press, upright row, triceps, wall sit, and bicep curls with a set of free weights that you're comfortable with. Try to go from one exercise to the next without resting, and this will keep your heart rate up. Rest a minute or two between sets. Start with 2 sets of the circuit and then move to 3 sets when you're ready.

How to Eat

Make sure you eat first thing in the morning to jumpstart you metabolism. Eat six times a day, three small meals and snack in between. Frequent eating will keep your metabolism running strong. Drink plenty of water as this also helps metabolism. If you're feeling hungry, then drink a glass of water, and if you're still hungry after that then go ahead and eat. Sometime thirst can be confused with hunger and a lot of people don't drink enough water every day.

What to Eat

Eat as many vegetables as you like. Eat foods like lean meats, eggs, low or non-fat dairy, beans, nuts, berries, oatmeal, whole grain food, and definitely ad some whey protein after workouts. Stay away from trans fats, saturated fats and high fructose corn syrup. Unsaturated fats are good for you and are found in olive oil, nuts, avocados, etc. Use olive oil to cook with instead of butter. Use this guideline to make a healthy version of things you like to eat. For an example, you could make a pizza with a whole wheat crust, tomato sauce, lean meat such as turkey or chicken, and any type of vegetables you like.

Stick to the Plan

Don't go on and off of fad diets, you'll end up weighing more than when you started. Make a lifestyle change by eating healthy and exercising, because it's a sure way to lose weight and keep it off. You don't have to use the plan in this guide, but it's what works for me.

Hope this was helpful, for more info visit http://gf-weightloss.blogspot.com Thanks, Greg Green.

How To Lose Belly Fat Fast And Furiously

Most people are quite extreme about losing belly fat. They will cut their calories down by a thousand a day, and yet they will not put in the effort to exercise. This is a strange paradox. If they would just get out and do some stomach exercises, they would have it made.

Exercises for your stomach are really crucial to melt the belly. They will not only decrease your belly fat, but they will also provide more support for your spine. Stomach exercises tend to reduce back problems, by creating a more upright posture.

Although there are people who are ready, willing and able to get out and exercise, most don't know where to start. They put themselves on a daily aerobic routine, walking, running or cycling and sure, this is beautiful to work up the metabolism, but for getting rid of belly fat one needs to be more balanced and ruthless in the approach. A combination of aerobic, cardiovascular and interval training, combined with a healthy effort in your diet, is what will bring the fastest results.

No you don't have to go to the gym, if you are not for that. And you don't need to have hours per day to spend exercising. And obviously there are many effective approaches. Two of the best approaches I have come across truly ensures maximum results in the least amount of time. One of them involves alternate training styles for 45 minutes, 3 days a week, and another involves exercising for 2-3 minutes, every hour for 8 hours of the day, and for 5 days of the week.

In other words:

• You will exercise for 2-3 minutes each at 8am, 9am, 10am, 11am, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm. At 12pm you have lunch!

• You will use alternate body weight exercises, allowing you to target the whole range of core muscles.

This is a great way to break out of a plateau and to stimulate new results in your body. But abdominal exercises by themselves won't make you lose belly fat. A healthy effort in your diet is essential.

• Never skip breakfast! When you sleep, your metabolism slows down, and there is nothing like a healthy bowl of fibrous cereal and a fruit or two, to get your metabolism purring like a happy lion. Eating plenty of fibrous foods also helps aid digestion.

• Eat at least four meals a day, and yes, snack in between - once again, keeping your metabolism active is one of the best things that you can concentrate on.

• Drink plenty of fluids, especially water.

Although I love to go to the gym, I don't always have the time to. I usually have to do my stomach exercises, along with my cardiovascular workout, at home. At first it seemed a little difficult, but there are quite a few real effective programs available, that rely on simple body weight techniques, and the use of exercise balls. Although they are not necessary for stomach exercises, they are pretty affordable and are really effective. I highly recommend them from my own positive experience.

Get your free copy of "The Stubborn Fat Solution" at Your Top 10 Diets and visit The Healthy Living Blog for more expert articles, sample exercise routines and effective fat los tips.

6 Surprising Weight Loss Tips

Researchers at Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab have been very busy exploring ways that food choices can be influenced by how we perceive them. They have watched hundreds of people in every day settings and have developed a set of tips that should help all of us develop easy ways to avoid overeating.

1) Some things look smaller than they really are. Consider short and tall glasses for instance. Chances are you will feel like you are drinking less when drinking from a short glass than you will when drinking from a tall narrow one. The tall one always seems to be bigger, even when the two glasses hold the exact same amount. Research has shown, even with experienced bartenders, that this size illusion causes us to pour an average of 34% more into short glasses. So, don't be fooled by short glasses. Better yet, let yourself be fooled by the tall skinny ones.

2) The closer and easier it is to reach those candies, the more candy we are going to eat. It sounds like oversimplification until you consider that the research found that people ate over twice as many chocolates when they were within arms reach rather than only 6 feet away. Conclusion? Keep those high calorie treats where you can't just reach out and get one. Another problem that this proximity effect will trigger is a zone we enter that you might call 'eating sessions.' When any foods are sitting out within easy reach, we tend to graze and eat more spontaneously and, unfortunately, more often and in greater amounts.

3) There is a reason food ads look so good- you eat more of their food when they do! How many times have you seen an ad on TV and suddenly started craving the food that was being pitched, or how about that 'Double-Chocolate Black Forest Cake' on the menu? The researchers found that people bought 27% more chocolate cake when the menu simply gave it a fanciful name. Remember then that advertising is, after all, only an illusion.

4) If you keep a stockpile of food around in view, you will end up eating it more often. The researchers call this the 'wholesale club store curse.' In their study of 219 adults, they found that stockpiled products are more frequently used when they are visible and in bulk. So, if you want to buy in bulk, at least keep it where you won't see it all the time.

5) Package size will influence how much you pour out of the package. If you buy the giant bag of chips, the researchers showed in a study of 691 adults and 48 product categories that large package size increases consumption an average of 22%. In another study involving different sized popcorn containers at the movies, it was found that people ate 45% more popcorn from the giant containers than the medium ones, even (we have to laugh at ourselves about this one) when the giant containers were filled with 10 day old popcorn.

6) If you want to change the way you eat, do it incrementally. This is particularly true if you are cooking for someone else who needs to make a change in diet. If you want to rebalance the percentage of fruits and vegetables on the dinner table, try making the shift over a few weeks. If you are the nutritional gatekeeper for your family, recognize your cooking style and understand that any modifications you make will probably have a huge impact on the people that eat at your table.

Everyone knows that it is always easier 'to say' what should be done than it is 'to do.' We know that the answer to weight loss is, simply stated, to eat no more food than our bodies require. We know that if we consume more calories than we burn, the excess will be stored as fat- in our bellies, bottoms, tops, thighs. We know that if we are overweight, it is very likely we will end up paying an unwelcome health toll. We also know from experience that this weight loss thing is hard to do! So, give yourself a break. You can lose weight over time if you make regular, incremental changes in your life. You don't have to make yourself miserable. Maybe you can start by acting on these six tips

Remember, too, that this article is for information purposes only. If you have or think you have a health issue, including weight or diet issues, consult your primary care physician for proper diagnoses and treatment.

Personal Fit Weight Loss Guide
dx.doi.org/10.2121/Weight-Loss-Guide-020808
2006 Healthiness, Inc.
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