Dieting causes the body to go into survival mode. Dieting itself sparks the intense biological urge to consume large quantities of high calorie foods. It causes the body’s instinctual drives to override all intellectual controls. It primes the body to maximize food intake and minimize energy burned.

Diets have set us up to fight against our own physical survival, the body’s most basic instinct.

As a comparison, think of how difficult life would be if you had to go to the bathroom on a rigid schedule. What if you only allowed yourself to urinate 3 times a day?

At 8 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m. you could release exactly 5 ounces. You’d measure it – of course – to be sure it was the right amount. If you needed to go more, you would force yourself to wait until the next scheduled time. And too bad if you needed to go at 10 am, hold it until noon.

You would be miserable. Your body would have a very difficult time complying with an arbitrary schedule. It would probably get ugly.

Overeating because your body refuses to starve doesn’t make you a failure. It means you’re human.
*It doesn’t make you diseased.
*It doesn’t mean you are flawed forever.
*It doesn’t doom you to being permanently sick and trying to recover for the rest of your life.
*It means you did the best you could at the time.
*It means you can forgive yourself and move on.

Eating is the most natural thing we do and your body knows exactly what it needs to live at it’s very best. All you have to do is practice listening and ACT on the information. Your body knows what to do. Just as it knows how to breathe, reproduce, and heal.

Think of how children live, we can learn a lot from them…
*They rest when they are tired.
*They run, jump, swim, dance, and play as much as they can because it feels good and it’s fun.
*They are picky about what they eat. They’ll go hungry rather than settle for something they don’t love.
*They eat when they’re hungry.
*Once they feel full, they have to be tricked or bribed into eating even one more bite of food.
*They drink when they’re thirsty.
*They love their bodies and they don’t care how their thighs look or if their tummy isn’t flat and tight.
*They don’t have to think about all this. It just comes naturally and easily as a part of being human.

All of these natural instincts live in each of us, too.

We all have the inborn ability to take care of ourselves. We just have to remember. We just have to get back in the habit of listening to our bodies…of following their wisdom. Remember, a normal body weight is your birthright. It was stolen from you. Now you get to take it back.

So stop thinking of yourself as forever fat. You are not doomed to either being overweight or to being on a perpetual diet. Let overeating and overweight fade into the past. They served you well to keep you alive. Once you stop dieting and accept the body you were born with, you can return to your unique, normal weight.

I’m not suggesting everyone is going to be model-skinny. The endless, tyrannical pressure to be very thin is a big part of the problem. Some bodies are meant to be soft and curvy. Others are naturally sharp and angular. We are variously stocky, tall, fleshy, muscular, sinewy, short, etc. There is wonderful beauty in diversity.

Accepting and loving the unique beauty of your body will heal you and set you free. Be like a child and delight in the body you have. Cherish the power in your muscles. Enjoy the feeling of being alive here on this planet. Let go of having to look a certain way. Be yourself. Let someone else try to be like the models or celebrities. The world will be a better place if it gets to have the real, unique, special person that YOU are.

Believe in your own healing. Believe that you can live easily and naturally at your own ideal weight. That faith is a huge part of what will set you free. Eating normally is completely natural. Deep down you know how to do it.

Related posts:

1. Two Opinions on Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe is remembered as an iconic symbol of female...
2. End The Battle With Your Body Today’s ideal female body looks like a young, thin, muscular...
3. 9 Ways To Feed Your Soul By Simply Walking We live in a culture that honors Type A, driven...

Weight loss really does begin in your head. Every successful athlete understands that his thinking process is either working for him or against him. The same holds true with weight loss. If your internal dialogue is negative, your results will eventually manifest the same result! You can’t degrade yourself to a healthy new you! You must change your thinking to work for you, to build your resolve, and to maintain that all important motivational factor.

Writing is an exercise that will help your mind change its thinking! It allows you to process the negative emotions and helps to instill the positive changes. Start with these simple exercises:

1. The Negative Emotions Daily Dump: Many success coaches advocate writing out your negative thinking on a daily basis. Simply spend approximately 15 minutes writing out all the frustrations, bad feelings, and discouragement. This helps you to process these bad feelings out of your system so that you can make room for positive affirmations. Do not reread the entries and do not keep them. Write it out, and then throw it out. We call this the Negative Emotions Daily Dump.

2. Affirm Your Goals: Prepare a list of affirmations that will help your subconscious work with your conscious brain to make those all important behavioral changes. Then write your affirmations at least twice a day. Write them once after you have written your Negative Emotions Daily Dump. Don’t do the Negative Dump without filling it with the positive affirmations. You should always end with this. Write the second set of affirmations either right before you go to bed or first thing in the morning. Read your affirmations several times a day.

3. Understand your Motivations: In order to stay motivated you must understand your real reasons for losing weight. In other words, understand why YOU want to lose weight. Not why your spouse or friends want you to lose weight but why losing the weight is important to you. Do you really want more energy? Do you just love skinny clothes? Do you want to participate in an activity that would be easier if you were slim and healthy? Write these motivations out in detail so that you can solidify them in your head and they can continue to motivate you through the entire weight loss journey.

4. Accountability: Keep a food diary. Keeping a food diary has been proven time and time again to increase your weight loss success by as much as 50%! A food log is your accountability factor. It keeps you honest with yourself.

5. Visualize: Visualize yourself enjoying the portions of your weight loss program that you are currently struggling to do. For instance if you hate the cardio portion of your day, start seeing yourself loving it. See it as “”your time”. It can be your time to read while you’re on the stationary bike. Or your time to watch all those movies you feel guilty watching any other time. Once you begin to visualize positive feelings about a certain activity the easier that activity will become.

6. The Pat-On-The-Back: Keep a written log of your weight loss success. By writing down your weight loss on a weekly basis you are validating your efforts and giving yourself a pat-on-the-back. This will go a long way to keeping you on track.

Keep in mind that if you are utilizing the assistance of a personal fitness trainer or weight loss professional that they may use techniques to help you face your self-defeating habits. This might feel harsh and negative, however it isn’t. Honesty is necessary to motivate change and this is different than running yourself down! Sometimes we have to hear the hard words to make the hard changes. Keep in mind that these professionals are seeking your ultimate success. Your success is their success. Let’s face it, the weight gain started with you and to change that behavior you may have to deal with some uncomfortable feelings. A good trainer will help you feel cared about while still insisting that you deal with your bad habits. It’s a good thing to be pushed past your comfort zone to becoming a better you!

Writing is the new “exercise” that can make all the rest of your weight loss efforts including good nutrition, exercise, and resistance training work for you because you will be working with these principles instead of against them. You will start seeing these weight loss techniques as a positive and permanent part of your life, instead of a temporary device. That will result in faster results that last forever!

Related posts:

1. Addressing The Fears And Feelings Associated With Weight Loss It seems a little strange that losing weight can entice...
2. Weight Loss Success Results from Finding the Right Balance of Calories and Exercise Weight loss is not just about changing what you eat,...
3. Are Your Thoughts About Your Body Holding You Back From Success? I challenge you to write out 10 brief descriptions about...

So will any South African cactus do when it comes to helping you to stay away from snacks? Indeed not, don’t go to the local florist and buy yourself a desert cactus to eat. Of the succulent and asclepiad genus there are 2,000 species of ascleoiadaceae, divided into 300 genera, half from the succulent category. Hoodia Pseudolithos and Trichocaulon are members of the Trichocaulon sub-section from the Kalahari Desert region of S. Africa that touches Angola, Botswana and Namibia. Hoodia Gordonii is the name of the cactus you will want to get but don’t plan on taking a outing to the South Africa and getting some Hoodia cacti for yourself; the Hoodia desert cactus are under strict control by the S. African government. It is considered an endangered plant and only Hoodia cactus farmers with certification may produce and sell the Hoodia.

Can Hoodia affect the world’s obesity problem and help the planet be a slimmer place? Business organizations including, Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Phytopharm, Pfizer and most recently Slim Fast all believe so. All of these companies have banked on Hoodia’s success and together have invested millions of dollars, wanting to corner the marketplace on weight loss. Looking at Hoodia’s journey from Xhoba, plant of The San Bushmen to being today’s miracle plant for weight loss we need to first look at where Hoodia’s been over the past thirty plus years. The greatest amount of time, CSIR analyzed Hoodia to isolate the molecule p57, once they eventually obtained it; they then sold the rights of p57 to Phytopharm. In 1998 The Phytopharm Company leased marketing rights to Pfizer, who invested thirty-two million only to subsequently drop out of the scene because p57 was too expensive to synthesize as a pill. Pfizer’s situation has now been taken over by The Unilever Corporation, the parent company of Slim Fast. Slim Fast at present plans on delivering a Hoodia weight loss supplement to nutritional stores in a couple years.

Almost a year ago, on November of 2004, the Hoodia plant contracted big media coverage when CBS’s Sixty Minutes did a show on Hoodia’s appetite suppressant qualities. With the 60 minute TV exposure, Hoodia was now wanted plant by dieters all-round the globe. People having a hard time staying on their diets desired Hoodia now, not in a couple of years, the secret was out and Hoodia was becoming an indispensable plant. I’m sure after that 60 minutes program was aired, numbers of dieters looked into moving to the Kalahari Desert and making themselves a tiny Hoodia garden of their very own. Luckily, as it is today there isn’t a reason to go to that extent, where there is a consumer need; there are many businesses happy to fill that request. There were a few businesses that were informed of Hoodia before the news coverage broke and were in the right place at the right time. It didn’t take long though for numerous other organizations to create associations with South African Hoodia Gordonii growers and get Hoodia supplements into stores.

Nowadays there are numerous brands marketing both Hoodia powder form and extracts; how long will the Hoodia plant supply last is the question on dieter’s minds right now. The Hoodia Gordonii succulent is a very hard plant to grow; the plants need very much care and management with irrigating, temperature and sunshine. Where it stands today there are only a couple of Hoodia harvesting centers in the South Africa and the Hoodia plant takes two to three years before it’s ready to be exported. Taking this into account, the multi-million dollar question is, for how many months can the Hoodia succulent plant export continue? Because of this situation buyers should be aware if the Hoodia they are getting has been independently tested and certified to be pure Hoodia Gordonii from South Africa. A few of the companies that have been certified authentic are Desert Burn, Hoodoba Hoodia and the Hoodia Max Brand. There are companies out there taking advantage of the great demand and interest in Hoodia and supplying a low quality product. For more information about Hoodia go to http://hoodiagordonii.totalink.com

Related posts:

1. Hoodia Gordonii – One Reason To Take It When Hoodia was discovered the very first animal trials to...
2. Does Hoodia, the African weight loss secret actually work? Does Hoodia, the African weight loss secret actually work? It...
3. What Is Hoodia Gordonii And How Its Related To Dieting While Hoodia gordonii looks very much like a cactus, it...

Asking yourself ‘Why can’t I lose weight?’ is actually one of the best things you can do for yourself. It says you know that what you’re currently doing isn’t working for you.

You’re at the place where you’re ready to look at alternatives – try something different to get a result you want.

So why can’t you lose weight? Here are 3 possible reasons you may not be losing weight – and some suggestions on what you can do about it.

#1) Medical Reasons

Now this is not the same as saying you’re genetically programmed to be overweight. That is hogwash. In fact scientists estimate that even if you do have a genetic propensity to gain weight, your genes only account for 15 – 25% of your current weight. So forget the genetics excuse.

But there are medical reasons that some people can’t lose weight. Low thyroid, adrenal exhaustion, insulin resistance and other medical conditions can make losing weight near to impossible.

That’s why before starting any weight loss plan, you should talk to your doctor first. Have a full workup and make sure that you don’t have any health issues standing in the way of your weight loss.

There’s nothing more frustrating that trying to lose weight, doing all the right things and not losing an inch – all because of a medical condition. Get the medical condition cleared up first and then address the weight (in fact, the weight may just go down on it’s own once you get the medical condition addressed).

#2) Emotional Eating

I recently read an article where a nutritionist estimated that 75% of overeating was due to emotions. 75%! Can you imagine what would happen if you learned to eliminate emotional eating and cut out all those calories? What a weight loss impact! The weight would be falling off.

Unfortunately, in today’s world, emotional eating is on the rise. Most people today are feeling the pressure of an increasingly hectic lifestyle. We hardly have time to tie our shoes, never mind deal with our emotions.

Because of this, our emotions get stuffed down and ignored until finally they explode and we’re face-down in a bowl of Rocky-Road ice cream with extra chocolate sauce.

Here’s the bottom line: you are human and you have emotions. Your emotional needs are important and need to be addressed properly with love. You need emotional nurturing and proper emotional care.

If that means you take a 5 minute break every few hours at work to regain your emotional balance, do it. If that means you need to unwind by doing a mall walk and window shopping after work – don’t let anything stop you.

Learn to nurture your emotional health and you’ll nip emotional eating in the bud – and start losing weight FAST.

#3) Mismatched Weight Loss Plan

There are many different ways to lose weight and dozens of weight loss programs to choose from. Some plans emphasize a change in diet, others emphasize a change in exercise, others focus on the inner reasons for overeating.

Every person is different and will lose weight in their own unique way. If what you’re doing now isn’t currently working, it may be a simple case of personality-plan mismatch.

Maybe instead of a diet-focused weight loss plan, you would feel better with a fitness-focused weight loss plan or a psychological weight loss plan. There are lots of plans to choose from and you deserve to take your time and find one that fits your personality and lifestyle best.

If you think this is the case, take some time to review different diet or weight loss plans. Find one that you can get excited about, one that makes sense to you and that fits your belief system and personality. That’s when you’ll make real weight loss progress!

So those are 3 possible reasons for your weight loss plateau. You don’t have to stay stuck in a weight loss rut. You don’t have to keep asking yourself the frustrating question: Why Can’t I Lose Weight?’ Keep believing in yourself and in your dreams. Don’t give up and you will get there!

Related posts:

1. Does Hoodia Work? 3 Ways Hoodia Helps You Lose Weight You've seen the name everywhere. Hoodia Gordonii has taken the...
2. Does Hoodia Work? 3 Ways Hoodia Helps You Lose Weight Hoodia Gordonii can help you lose weight in 3 specific...
3. Best Diet – 3 Key Ingredients For Ultimate Weight Loss Success In order to have fast weight loss success, you have...

How Overweight Is America?

How serious is obesity in America? According to Kathleen Donnelly for MSN Health & Fitness, statistics show that “…60 percent of adult Americans weigh too much, and 17 percent of American children and teens are overweight.”
And the problem continues to escalate. In the past thirty years, children in the USA are increasingly tipping the scales. The rise of obesity among children between the ages of 6 and 11 has gone from 4% to 13 % in three decades. Obesity in US children ages 12 to 19 has gone from 5% to 14%. And if a child is obese at the age of 6, it has a 50/50 chance of being obese for life. Obese thirteen year olds have a 75% likelihood of being obese for the rest of their lives. This problem is even more severe among blacks and Hispanics.

To remedy their plight, 103,000 morbidly obese Americans living in the United States had gastric bypass surgery in 2003. The complication rate was 7%.

What causes obesity?

Several causes for obesity have been suggested, including heredity, social-economic conditions, diet, and exercise. Since we can’t control who our parents are, let’s focus on social-economic conditions, diet, and exercise.
Obesity & Social-economic conditions
Numerous studies have concluded that there is a direct cause and effect relationship between a person’s level of education and their odds of being overweight. The greater their level of learning is, the slimmer their odds of obesity are.

Dysfunctional Diets, Inadequate Exercise, and Bulging Belt-lines

Of course, two obvious causes of obesity are dysfunctional diets and a lack of proper exercise. Americans are exercising less and less while simultaneously consuming too much junk food. The average US woman is now consuming 335 more calories per day than the average woman in 1971. Calorie intake among men has increased to an additional 168 calories per day. Is it any wonder that America is increasingly becoming an obese nation?

Health Risks Associated with Obesity

Discomfort about one’s appearance, however, is not the only downside to obesity. There are numerous health risks associated with being overweight. Obese individuals have a higher-than-normal rate of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, high lipids, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, strokes, respiratory disease, some types of cancers, heart disease, and other chronic and deadly conditions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts obesity will soon be America’s number one killer. In 2000, tobacco was linked to 435,000 deaths while obesity was close behind at 400,000 deaths.

What to Do About Obesity

There are primarily three things that most experts recommend to help maintain a healthy weight level: 1) Getting the proper amount of exercise, 2) eating a healthy, well-balanced diet, and 3) supplementing one’s diet with nutritional products.

The Value of Exercise

If you’re considering going on a diet to lose weight, remember that the important thing is not just to lose weight, but to keep it off. In order to lose weight and keep it off, there is no substitute for exercise. One study reported by The National Weight Control Registry shows that out of 3,000 individuals who lost a minimum of 30 pounds and kept it off for more than a year, only 9 percent lost weight without exercising.

How much exercise should an individual get?

The proper amount of exercise that an individual should get of course varies from individual to individual. To make certain you are getting the proper amount of exercise, consult your family physician.

Melissa Tennen, HealthAtoZ writer, says: “Get at least 30 minutes of activity on most days. To prevent weight gain, 60 minutes a day may be necessary.”

What is a Healthy Diet?

The short answer to the question, “What is a healthy diet?” is to eat a well-balanced diet that is as close as possible to the way nature intended. Fast foods and highly-processed foodless foods have been proven to have ill-effects on one’s health. Many are high in calories and low in nutritional value.
Yet not everyone has the time, the money, or the ability to eat “The Perfect Diet.” So what’s the solution?

The Importance of Supplementing Your Diet

No doubt, in a perfect world, we would not need vitamin pills, diet pills, and other nutritional supplements. We’d simply get everything our body needs from our food. But let’s get a reality check: This is not Eden. And getting everything your body needs from your diet alone is almost impossible. Plus, if you are overweight, you need extra help.

What to look for in a Weight-Loss Pill

If you’re looking for “The Perfect Weight Loss Pill,” there are a number of things to consider. Here are just a few:

Does the product’s formula utilize nutrients in the most absorbable and potent form available?

Most companies compromise on their nutrients. They use poorly absorbed forms or synthetically derived fractions of nutrients.

Does the product use ephedra stimulants or dangerous fat blockers?

For accelerated fat-loss support and increased performance, you need help with reducing hunger, utilizing fat, enhancing metabolism, and increasing true energy levels. Insist on a weight loss product that delivers all natural support for healthy weight loss, without using ephedra stimulants.
Also, avoid dangerous fat blockers. The perfect solution is to find a weight loss pill that works by helping support healthy digestion of stored fat and a healthy metabolism. Lipase is the enzyme responsible for breaking down fat, making it available for utilization as energy. Without lipase, fat is stored as excess body fat.

Does the product contain Citrin K™ and CLA?

Research shows Citrin K™ and CLA as two powerful ingredients in helping maintain healthy fat burning. Also important are Guggul lipids and chelated minerals. They help maintain a healthy thyroid and will reduce cravings. Weight loss pills containing these ingredients make for a healthier, safer and more effective body fat reduction formula.
Don’t forget the importance of fiber

Special types of fiber will expand in your stomach and will reduce your hunger without stimulation and drug-like effects. This, in turn, will help to nutritionally support healthy body fat levels.

Your body needs energy to burn fat

Finally, the most needed factor in losing body fat is keeping your energy levels up so you have the energy burn more fat.

Are there really any nutrients available today that help promote healthy and safe fat reduction? YES! Although there are many supplements today containing herbs like Guarana, MaHuang and Ephedra that can have potentially harmful side effects, there are still many that safely help the body reduce its fat stores.

Here are just a few of the most powerful nutrients which have been well-documented:

CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid)

A study published in The Journal of Nutrition (December 2000, V12) established that the natural dietary supplement conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) reduces body fat. Jan Wadstein, MD, PhD, associate professor at Lund University in Sweden states, “CLA may be a valuable weight management supplement to any diet regimen. Keeping lean body mass and speeding up fat loss are the keys to a successful weight program.”

Garcinia Cambogia

Another supplement essential for weight loss is natural organic acid extract from the rind of the Malabar tamarind called Garcinia Cambogia. This compound has been associated with gradual decrease in body fat, nutritionally supporting healthy cholesterol levels, and suppressing hunger cravings frequently. A study performed by Katts, et al, concluded the administration of Garcinia Cambogia reduced deposition of body fat and promoted increased weight loss in human subjects. Citrin K is a proprietary formula proven to suppress appetite. The best and most researched form of Garcinia Cambogia can be found in our proprietary blend called Citrin K. Citrin K also supplies potassium, which plays a major role in maintaining the body’s fluid balance. There are other forms of Garcinia Cambogia on the market, but they don’t have the potency guarantee that Citrin K does.

Other micronutrients needed to support body fat metabolism include vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C and Zinc and Chromium. Look for a weight-loss supplement that will supply you with the highest quality of whole food vitamins and amino acid chelated minerals. This will help to nutritionally support a healthy metabolism, further enhancing your results.

Theobromine

Theobromine is an extraordinary nutrient found in chocolate. It helps maintain healthy levels of stress, giving you a confident and powerful feeling of health. This is a vital component to look for in a weight control product because it nutritiously supports the body in appetite suppression and provides an energetic, euphoric effect. This is very important, as many people scrap weight loss programs because of irritability and their inability to curb cravings.

So if you want to lose weight and keep it off, get the proper amount of exercise, eat a healthy, well-balanced diet, and supplement your diet with a weigh loss pill that meets the aforementioned criteria. The final word on diet pills is this: “The Perfect Weight Loss Pill” should contain the most powerful and safest nutrients available to help you nutritionally support healthy fat burning metabolism without harmful stimulants.

NOTES:

1. OBESITY in America. http://health.msn.com/reports/obesity/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100133520 .

2. National Center for Health Statistics. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Hyattsville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 1999.

3. Moran R. Evaluation and treatment of childhood obesity. Am Fam Physician. 1999;59:758, 761-762.

4. Hedley AA, Ogden CL, Johnson CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, Flegal KF. Prevalence of overweight and obesity among US children, adolescents, and adults, 1999-2002. JAMA. 2004;291:2847-2850.

5. Newman C. Why Are We So Fat? National Geographic. August 2004.

6. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General’s call to action to prevent and decrease overweight and obesity: what you can do; 2001.

7. Newman C. Why Are We So Fat? National Geographic. August 2004.

8. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General’s call to action to prevent and decrease overweight and obesity: what you can do; 2001.

9. Obesity Swallowing America http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/dc/caz/nutr/obes/alert08032004.jsp

10. The Journal of Nutrition. Vol 130, No 12, Dec 2000.

11. Kaats GR. Reduction of body fat as a function of taking a dietary supplement containing garcinia cambogia extract, chromium picolinate and L-carnitine: A randomized double blind placebo controlled study. 3rd International Conference on Anti-aging Medicine and Bio-medical Technology. Las Vegas, NV., Dec. 7-11, 1995.

Related posts:

1. Will A Spoonful Of Sugar Make Your Child Overweight? Childhood obesity is on the rise. According to a recent...
2. Is A Cattle Prod The Answer To A Life Overweight? If you're not sure what a cattle prod is, here's...
3. Effective Weight Loss Obesity is the widespread accretion of excessive fat in the...

It’s just simple mathematics, right?

After all, if you’re eating 3,000 calories per day and you cut back to 1,000 calories per day, then those extra 2,000 calories have to be burned from your body, right?

It’s as simple as 2 + 2 equals 4, right? Well, this is not exactly true.

First, let’s talk about the average person who begins a diet. The scenario usually goes something like this…

One day you look in the mirror and you finally get fed up with the way your body looks (or the way that your clothes fit) – and on this day you get “angry” with yourself, and you begin cutting way back on calories in an attempt to starve yourself thinner.

So you officially begin your “starvation diet.”

On the first day you skip breakfast altogether (after all, you’re so filled with anger and motivation that it’s easy to skip breakfast).

Then, a few hours later your motivation quickly gives way to severe hunger – since your body is not accustomed to being without calories for so long.

Finally, by lunchtime you’re so hungry that you feel weak and miserable, but yet you tell yourself that you can make it through this tough hunger (after all, you don’t want to look like a quitter to your friends and family who know that you’re dieting).

So you have a small piece of fruit for lunch perhaps, bravely trying to stick to your plan of starving yourself thin.

Then, hours later when dinnertime arrives you’re so hungry and weak that you have a big migraine headache – and you’re beginning to realize that starving yourself might not be such a good idea after all.

However, you try to hold out for another day or two on this miserable diet – since nobody likes to feel like a quitter.

So you’ll probably hold out for another day or two, making yourself miserable in the meantime.

There are even some brave dieters who may hold out for a week or so, possibly even 2 weeks for the bravest of dieters.

However, regardless of how long you hold out — the result is still the same.

You see, even after 2 weeks of starving you won’t have made any noticeable difference to your body when you look in the mirror.

Why?

Simple, because the weight lost during a starvation diet is largely water weight, not real weight loss. This water weight will be gained back immediately when you stop dieting and begin eating normally again.

Also, when you starve yourself your body begins burning fewer calories each day — so even though you’re eating fewer calories each day you must remember that your body is also burning fewer calories.

For example, let’s say that you normally eat 2,500 calories per day (before you begin dieting). Then, you suddenly try to starve yourself by eating only 1,000 calories per day.

Guess what?

Even though you’re eating 1,500 fewer calories per day your body will begin burning 1,500 fewer calories per day – so your weight will remain the same even though you’re starving yourself.

When your body begins burning fewer calories it’s called a weight loss “plateau.” This is why virtually all starvation dieters cannot make the scale go down after about 2 weeks of dieting.

This is why even the most determined of “starvation dieters” always fail after just a couple of weeks.

The truth is that “noticeable” weight loss simply cannot be achieved by starvation, and it’s pointless to even try that type of diet.

True weight loss can only be achieved by giving your body the right types of calories at the right times each day. Your body is like a big engine, and the truth is that it needs all 3 types of calories (protein, carbs, and fat) to some degree.

The best way to lose weight is to effectively manage these 3 types of calories, so that your body receives the proper amount of protein, the proper amount of carbs – and also the proper amount of fat each day.

Related posts:

1. Fast Weight Loss for Special Occasions You have all been through it before, the family wedding...
2. Weight Loss Or Fat Loss – Important Differences To Lose Weight And Fat Healthily Some people used the term “weight loss” while others call...
3. Weight Loss Tip #12: How Starving Your Body Can Make You Gain Weight No, that title is not a typo. One of the...

Do you look at yourself and say, “I’m fat”, or “My hips are too big”? Many of us look in the mirror and immediately compare ourselves to those ‘perfect’ human specimens we see every single day on TV, in magazines and in the newspapers.

Often we talk to ourself and make excuses, “It’s my genes”, “I’m much too busy to get fit”, “I like myself this”, as a way of protecting yourself from the way we see ourselves now and the way we want to be.

If we were to be truly honest with ourselves most people actually want to lose a few pounds – if we only knew how.

The good news is you CAN achieve your desired body shape with the right thinking about yourself, an understanding of how to get optimal nutrition, healthy eating habits and how to incorporate activity into your lifestyle to keep your muscles toned.

But most important of all, you need a regular mental workout to keep your self-image in shape.

Self-image is closely connected to the success or failure of any goal you choose to seek after, but none more so that the goal to get yourself fit and healthy.

So how do you go about strengthening your self-image? Well fortunately your self-image, just like your muscles, will respond well to a regular work out. You can actually strengthen your self-image with a few daily exercises.

Exercise One – Self Examination

Start by compiling a list of all those negative thoughts your have about yourself…I’m undisciplined, I can’t manage my time, I let people down, I can’t succeed, I don’t exercise enough. You will need to decide before you start this process that you won’t get discouraged….these are things that you will admit to yourself but they most certainly don’t have to control your life.

Next, compile a second list including everything you LIKE about yourself. Keep going until this list is LONGER than the first list you compiled. You might include things such as, I am a good cook, I can make people laugh, I contribute to the soccer club, my daughter loves the way I decorate her room.

Then, take your ‘negatives’ list and turn it into your ‘potentials’ list. You do this by creating a positive self-image to every ‘negative’ you listed. Instead of “I can’t succeed”, write a counter belief, “I will succeed”.

Ceremonially throw out the ‘negatives’ list – you are saying goodbye forever! Burn them, trash them, destroy them….they are no longer going to be a part of your thinking about yourself.

Now, keep your list of potentials in a prominent place. On your refrigerator door, in your daily journal, or in a picture frame on your desk. Make sure you have them in front on your every single day so that you are reading them constantly and reprogramming your daily thoughts.

Exercise Two: You Can Be What You Want to Be

Now that you have your list of potentials… run your own visualisation stories so that you can ‘see’ yourself in a new light. For example, if your list of potential includes “I eat just the right portions”, visualise yourself with a moderate portion on your plate, and feeling completely satisfied at the conclusion of your meal.

Read through your list of potentials every day taking a few moments of personal quiet time to reflect strongly on your visualisations. Try starting your day first thing in the morning and finishing as the last thing at night with visualising yourself being the person on your list, and doing the things you want to do.

Exercise Three: Keep a Journal of Your Daily Successes

Keep a record of all the positive changes in thoughts you have about yourself. We all have triumphs and ‘failures’. You must record and remind yourself of the positive changes because our human nature will replay the negatives – sometimes blowing them out of proportion. It’s important to nurture and celebrate the small steps you make every day.

Exercise Four: Go Easy On Yourself – You Are Beautiful Work In Progress

Don’t listen to the criticism…not your own nor that of others! Remember you are the designer of your self-esteem, do not hand this over to other people. You are way too important to give this away. Protect your role as creator of your own self-image and do not, take on board negative criticisms. We all make mistakes, and mistakes can be used to help us learn. Do not criticise yourself for being human and making a mistake. The only last mistake in the one from which we never learn to grow.

Exercise Five: Forget About The Past

The only moment you can live is the current one. You can’t live in the future and you most certainly shouldn’t live in the past….the challenge is to take charge of our thinking so that we think in the same time zone in which we live!

For example we may be tempted to think about yesterday’s failures…”If only I hadn’t eaten second helpings”, “If only I didn’t reach for the chocolate cookies”. If we concentrate on the mistakes of yesterday this will our brains to replay our failures and reinforce them to us.

Yesterday is over, today is where you live….make sure that today you do NOT replay yesterday’s failures and make your resolve to change TODAY.

Exercise Six: Resolve to Change Today

Just as you shouldn’t live in the past, you can’t live in the future. You can only live or change today. The oldest cliché in the world is perhaps one of the greatest truisms of all…’tomorrow NEVER comes!’

There is no better time than now. So, no matter what excuses you may have to wait to take those healthy steps you know you should take, none of them are valid. Do it now, do it today. Resolve to make a different in your own life before you go to sleep tonight.

Exercise Seven: Write a Plan For your Life

This is your success plan. If you have not already done so it is time for you to create direction and purpose in your plans for yourself. Review your list of potentials and record next to each potential when you want to achieve this by.

Exercise Eight: Carry Affirmation Cards About Yourself

This is one of the fastest tools for your success. You are what you think. Strengthen your self-image every day by reviewing your thoughts. One of the easiest ways to do this is to carry affirmation cards in your wallet and review regularly. Affirmation cards are short bursts of words in business card that prompt and remind your self-image of your intentions. An example might be:

* I can achieve anything that I put my mind to.

* I will be satisfied with single helpings.

Try it, you have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Exercise Nine: Change Your Eating Habits

Now that you have set the groundwork in place, you are now ready to change your physical habits. You are ready to add a balanced nutritious diet, healthy eating habits, regular exercise and relaxation.

By using these nine exercises daily to change your thinking habits, you will be strengthening your self esteem and unlocking your internal power to make a change in your life. Before you can change lifelong eating habits, you must first change life long thinking habits. We are what we think. We can’t be something other than what we believe we can be!

So, do yourself a favour, liberate your self-image and then, see how much more effective your healthy living plan becomes!

Related posts:

1. Eat Your Way to Weight Loss Experts tell us we are what we eat. A disturbing...
2. Bust Through the Weight Loss Plateau! Dieters dread the plateau. You're on a roll, losing weight...
3. Weight Loss Myths Exposed It probably won’t come as a surprise to hear there...

How does this work? This works based on a well-known scientific fact, that the “Flavor Point”, it is a phase in your eating experience where the appetite center (hypothalamus) in your brain recognizes the fact that your appetite has been satisfied.

The Flavor Point diet is arranged around “flavor themes”. This means, each day has a set of meals based on a specific flavor. You could get apple flavored meals on Monday, oregano on Tuesday, or blueberries on Wednesday, etc. Better yet, you do not feel deprived of food or nutrients at any time.

David L. Katz M.D. a renowned authority on nutrition and weight controls, working at the Prevention Research Center and the Rudd Food Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale University, is the writer/creator of this diet.

He conceived of this diet program and tested the recipes by conducting a pilot study of 20 women, men, and their families for over 12 weeks at the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center.

At the conclusion of the research project, the participants and their families saw their body fat drop, blood sugar, and cholesterol, insulin, and blood pressure drop significant levels.

Dr. Katz said ‘The Flavor Diet’ book , whose recipes have been created with the help of his wife Catherine a neuroscientist, has three aims:

To guide people, to stay committed to their weight loss goals, in a responsible manner.

Be an agent of positive change, by altering the negative concepts Americans have and feel about dieting.

Change the way the foods are cooked and presented in homes, hotels, and restaurants. Dr. Katz contends today’s prevailing culinary environment has led to flavor overload, leading people to eat more, before they feel full.

For whom is the Flavor Point Diet intended? Dr. Katz recommends the diet to be used by persons with an obesity problem, chronic dieters, and those who simply choose to eat the healthy way.

The Flavor Point Diet can be a healthy aid in lowering the obesity levels, for in the United States today, obesity has become a serious health epidemic.
Figures taken from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from to 1999-2002, show that 15% of American children ages 6-11 and 64% of adults aged 20 years up are classified as obese.

The second reason, is the fact that every year, hundreds of diet and weight loss programs are introduced. A majority is faddish, and some of these are dangerously very unhealthy.

The Flavor Point Diet plan with its’ three dieting phases, where the more obvious flavors are set at the beginning and the subtler ones towards the end, will suit the chronic dieter. For the chronic dieter has a tendency to jump from one diet fad another, or skip certain stages in a diet plan.

The nutritional profile of the diet is steady, and it meets all the dietary guidelines. Because of these, the chronic dieter can safely stay at any phase of the diet plan, for an indefinite time, stay healthy, and keep losing weight.

Lastly, the diet plan is intended for and is appropriate for all the members of a household, whatever ages they may be.

The Flavor Plan Diet provides you with the ability to select one flavorful food and to eat only this, to your heart is content for as long as you want to. You will feel full and satisfied. Your nutritional requirements are met, even if you are eating fewer calories. See the unofficial support site at http://www.flavorpointdiet.org for more info.

Related posts:

1. The Atkins Diet Everyone is still talking about it! Hard to believe that a diet that has been around...
2. Weight Loss Tip #3: Moderate Drinking May Help You With Weight Loss The connection between moderate drinking and avoiding heart disease is...
3. Take Hoodia diet pills with a Smart Diet, not a Starvation Diet Hoodia, the new African weight loss supplement taken properly, with...

Jumping forward from 1972, Dr. Atkins published three books on his diet plans between 1992 and 2002. He has also published several companion books, like cookbooks, journals and various specialized dieting books. Using these books and his diet plan, a great amount of weight loss success has been achieved by numerous dieters.

Over the last few years, Dr. Atkins’ diet has not only been popular in homes, but in restaurants and grocery stores, as well. Many restaurants are now featuring an “Atkins” option, or low-carb selections based on his or other similar diet plans. Atkins Advantage is a company that is creating and distributing nutritional bars, shakes and other goods based on the Atkins diet in grocery stores, pharmacies and discount outlets nationwide.

One of the main draws of the Atkins diet is the fact that when you follow it, counting calories is not something that is required. No funny charts are used and no journal has to be kept (unless you choose to). You also don’t have to watch “portions” when you are on the Atkins diet. You can eat as much of certain types of food as you want, when you want, without worry. This leads to another of the pros of the diet – serious weight loss!

Another thing that attracts people to the Atkins diet is the fact that you can eat as much meat, cheese and eggs as you like. High fat, high cholesterol foods are not a “no-no” with the Atkins diet. As anyone who has been on a diet knows, you have to give up something when you choose to follow any kind of plan. This plan allows you to keep eating as much protein rich foods as you want.

One of the main complaints about the Atkins diet is its strict limitation of carbohydrates, which includes basic foods like bread, pasta, rice and even fruits. You can up your intake of eggs, cheese and any type of meat, but you have to practically eliminate any processed flours and sugars from your daily food intake. Some say even this is not that big of a problem in an age where artificial sweeteners can allow you those guilty pleasures, like ice cream. Also, if you stick with the diet long enough, those craving for carbs will not be as strong and easily managed. However, if you cheat and eat carbs occasionally to stop those cravings, they will come back stronger and stronger.

This diet has been criticized by others in the medical community, which might be seen as another drawback to the diet. It does not conform to the American Heart Association’s guidelines for a healthy heart due to its high levels of cholesterol and fatty foods. Other medical professionals also state that due to this diet’s low levels of dietary fiber, it can lead to constipation and bowel problems. It can also lead to high levels of uric acid and ketones in the body, since it is burning fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. These high levels can lead to problems with the kidneys and headaches.

Truthfully, if you are finding success with this diet, it could be the correct diet for you. However, if you are experiencing health problems or are not satisfied on this diet, it probably is not. As with other diets, the dropout rate of those who start the Atkins diet is high…so it obviously isn’t the best thing since “sliced bread”!

Related posts:

1. The Atkins Diet Over the years, the Atkins plan has become synonymous with...
2. Atkins Diet – How To Do It The Right Way? Obesity is the main reason for many diseases like cardiovascular...
3. Discover All About The Atkins Diet – Also Know As The Low Carb Diet Nearly everyone has heard of the Atkins Diet by now,...

If Hoodia is going to accomplish what no other diet pill has ever done, help people to keep the weight off; dieters are going to need to look at this supplement in a different way than they have all the pills that have come before. We need to look at why it is that we have so many supplements for dieters on the store shelves and yet just a small number of people in reality lose the weight? To look at the state of obesity in America effectively you need to step aside from the examination of diet pills and weight loss supplements like Hoodia and observe the bigger picture. Who are American’s embodying in their daily lives that have them have such problems with their weight. To follow are some rationales I believe people in United States have adopted with regard to weight loss; holding these ideas could play a role in making it difficult to lose the weight and keep it off.

• Being preoccupied with our weight; we think being thin equates to a happy life. We think we will find romance, the best career and friends if we are at the right weight. Because of this we will jump on virtually any diet fad or diet pill that comes along.

• Idolizing everybody in the media; we look up to these people and want to be like the people we see on television, films and magazines. Something that we don’t understand is that for movie stars and people on TV being thin is just a part of their profession. They are required to be a particular size to fit in their character and obtain the acting jobs they want to get; they then have their trainer’s and dietitians work with them to help accomplish it. You have to think about the fact that these actors and actresses in show business also make up a very small part of the general population.

• Accessibility of junk food; our lives are busy, fast paced and stressed; because of this our lives suffer in the domain of eating good foods and physical exercise. We don’t think we have the time to eat right and work out so we take easiest route which is fast food, snacking on junk food, eating late at night with no exercise; all this is an equation for being overweight.

• Yo Yo dieting; we go from dieting to not dieting and from one diet program to another diet program. This is not a healthy way to live and unquestionably stops you from staying at your desired weight; studies have shown with “on again, off again dieting” that you gain more overall weight each time you start and stop your weight loss program. With our overall weight only increasing we become more desperate to find that magical diet pill that will give us the results we can’t manage to achieve on our own.

• Quick Weight Loss; we are always looking for the fastest way to lose weight, that magic weight loss supplement or fad diet that will take those pounds off instantly without exercising or eating right. We refuse to listen to old adages like “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is”, instead we hope this time it will be different, this time it will work. We just can’t accept the fact that true, healthy weight loss doesn’t happen fast. In reality attaining your goal weight takes time and dedication; it takes doing things you may not want to do, such as eating foods that are not as tasty as usual and getting to the gym and sweating some of those pounds off.

If Hoodia, the new weight loss supplement from Africa is going to have any chance of helping people sustain a healthy weight, a few of the issues above will have to be addressed. Hoodia is not the magic diet pill that will melt the pounds off. In fact Hoodia won’t actually make you lose weight at all; it doesn’t do what other diet pills do; which is quickening your metabolism so you burn calories. What Hoodia does do is fool the brain into thinking your stomach is full. So if your plan is to just take Hoodia pills without proper nutrition, then know that what you are doing is the equivalency of going on a starvation diet. If you are not aware of this, let me tell you starvation diets don’t work; you may have weight loss at first but in the end you will gain the weight you lost back and more. You slow down your metabolism when you don’t eat on a regular basis during the day; then once you start eating again regularly your body stores more fat than it did before. Hoodia will help you not be hungry but if you just don’t eat you won’t be doing yourself any favor, you will gain that weight back and you’ll blame it on the Hoodia.

Hoodia taken properly, with a good nutritional program that includes exercise and healthy approach to dieting could aid with weight loss and perhaps give you the edge you’ve been looking for in loosing weight. Hoodia diet pills can assist dieters with weight loss if they use them intelligently, as an aid in addition to a good weight loss plan. Hoodia will benefit most any dieter’s program including the Atkins Diet, the Zone Diet, the South Beach Diet, Low Carb Diet or any other of today’s popular diet plans. Hoodia is an all natural supplement with no none side effects and has been proven to help people reduce calorie intake by 1,000 calories a day. Reducing your calorie intake, eating healthy foods and regular exercise can be a triple threat to obesity; this is the approach you should take if you’re thinking of using Hoodia. Create a weight loss program for yourself that will be realistic and manageable long term, think in terms of a way of life, not a quick fix.

Taking a Hoodia supplement may help you in many of the tough battles along the way in your weight loss journey. Hoodia’s effect of enabling you to not be hungry can be very beneficial when it comes to not snacking on junk foods, late night eating, eating better foods and an overall reduction in calories. You should also be educated when it comes to selecting the right brand of Hoodia for you; not all Hoodia brands are the same. A few of the top brands of Hoodia are: Desert Burn Hoodia, Hoodoba and Hoodia Max; consult a Hoodia Comparison Chart to find out which brand is right for you. Hoodia may be just the thing you have been looking for if it’s used in the right way, let it help you change your approach to weight loss from fad dieting and magic pills to proper nutrition and a healthy way of life. There is no need to take Hoodia diet pills forever, just use them as a weight loss aid to get into a better dieting regime where you can maintain a healthy weight. Taking Hoodia while making good dieting choices could put you well on your way to being one of the five percent of the population that keeps the weight off for good.

Related posts:

1. Does Hoodia, the African weight loss secret actually work? Does Hoodia, the African weight loss secret actually work? It...
2. Does Hoodia Work? 3 Ways Hoodia Helps You Lose Weight You've seen the name everywhere. Hoodia Gordonii has taken the...
3. Does Hoodia Work? 3 Ways Hoodia Helps You Lose Weight Hoodia Gordonii can help you lose weight in 3 specific...

Would you like some more free radicals with your lunch…? There is frequent mention these days about ‘free radicals’ and how they are constantly attacking the body, causing potentially serious damage.

A free radical is the name for a molecule that has an unpaired electron. They are a normal by-product of metabolism and without them you would die.

To put the record straight, it’s the over-production of free radicals that causes damage to the body. We are advised by nutritional experts to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.

This is because they are rich in antioxidant phytonutrients…substances that neutralise free radicals and so help protect the body.

One of the essential tasks of free radicals is in producing energy from the food you eat. Every time you eat, free radical activity is intense. The more food you eat, the more free radicals are formed, and the more antioxidants your body needs to neutralise them. Big meals are big trouble!

Effective Antioxidants include vitamins A, C, E; minerals such as selenium, zinc, and herbs such as aloe vera and grapeseed extract.

The Reality of Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are root vegetables, pasta, rice, bread, grains, fruit, pastries, cakes, biscuits, crisps, sweets etc. They are easy to prepare, filling, tasty and cheap. Most meals are dominated by carbohydrates, as most of us ‘full up’ on them. When you eat carbohydrates you’re eating a form of sugar.

Carbohydrates are converted by the body into glucose, which is either used immediately for energy, or stored in fat cells. Carbohydrates make up an excessive proportion of the diet, add together a lack of exercise and excess sugar and the inevitable result is excess weight.

By reducing your overall carbohydrate intake and reducing the size of your meals, you reduce your body’s exposure to free radical activity, and, the amount of excess food that meals, you reduce your body’s exposure to free radical activity, and, the amount of excess food that gets stored as unwanted fat. A double bonus!

Big meals are too much stress

Food is in abundance – look around the supermarket shelves at the food mountain! Fill your trolley, take it home and fill your kitchen cupboards – fill your plate and fill your stomach till you can barely move. How many times a week do you overeat? How many free radicals are attacking your body and accelerating the aging process? You could choose to eat less.

Think about your meals over the last week.

Better still, keep a food diary for the next week, record each meal by drawing a plate divided up showing how much protein, carbohydrate, fat, vegetables and fruit you eat at each meal/snack. After a week you’ll be able to see for yourself how much sugar you are eating.

Related posts:

1. Bust Through the Weight Loss Plateau! Dieters dread the plateau. You're on a roll, losing weight...
2. What Causes Us To Age? Science has made stunning discoveries in this area of human...
3. Eat Your Way to Weight Loss Experts tell us we are what we eat. A disturbing...

It’s no surprise really. Kids love snacks we buy from the supermarket, and parents love them because they are quick and easy to throw into the lunchbox or for kids to grab from the shelves in the pantry. Small bags of chips, tasty bite size crackers, sodas and the like. No problem. Except when it comes to mom’s weight loss program. Mom loves them too!

These products are high in fat, high in energy and high in refined sugars. And after one, two or three nibbles it is possible to wrack up an unwanted 500 calories. This single act will probably stall your weight loss or even worse!

To stop your kids from sabotaging your weight loss efforts, here are 20 snack ideas for kids that will do far less damage to your weight loss program if mom nibbles (just a little).

1. Chop up ½ tinned pear or other fruit in natural juice and set in 200mls of low calorie jelly. Make up into individual disposable plastic containers with lids.

2. Cut up crisp vegetable sticks with dipping sauce – ranch, peanut (satay), sweet chili or tomato.

3. Cut celery sticks 6-8 cm, fill with cottage cheese and top with sultanas or chopped nuts.

4. Combine a mixture of low fat hard cheese cubes, nuts and dried fruits in plastic wrap or a lunch bag.

5. Roll up thin slices of carrot and celery with grated cheese in a slice of cold meat. Secure with toothpick. Slice the carrot and celery with a vegetable peeler for really thin slices.

6. Cut oranges into quarters and freeze on trays. Put into plastic bags for a fruity ice block.

7. Meatball surprise. Next time you are making meatloaf, double the quantity and make a batch of meatballs. These are great in lunchboxes cold. Add a slice of pineapple with a toothpick to each meatball. Add dipping tomato sauce if required.

8. Mini quiches….make a batch of crust-less quiche and cook in muffin tray. Each ‘muffin’ will be a wonderful healthy snack for kids.

9. Chilled fruit surprise – slice a combination of strawberries, bananas, kiwi fruit, watermelon, grapes or in season fruit. Place in small resealable plastic container. Top with apple juice; do not overfill. Seal, freeze. When packed in lunchbox, will keep sandwiches cool and prove a refreshing treat on a hot day.

10. Rice cakes spread with mashed avocado, mashed banana and cinnamon, or try mashed avocado, sliced tomato and sprouts.

11. Chopped hard-boiled egg served with low fat mayo, salt, pepper on a crisp bread.

12. Leaf wrappers: wrap a cheese finger, celery stick and carrot stick in a lettuce leaf. Wrap in foil and place in lunchbox. Contents will be kept moist.

13. Yoghurt tub.

14. Baby Bell Cheese and low fat cracker.

15. Creamy dates: slice dates lengthways, remove stone. Fill with Philadelphia cream cheese (low fat).

16. Quick sausage rolls: wrap a skinned (good quality) sausage in several sheets of filo pastry. Brush pastry with beat egg to glaze. Cut into desired lengths. Bake in moderately hot oven for 15-20 minutes. Rolls can be frozen.

17. Same as above but use fresh chicken breast strips and cut to 2″ – use tomato or favorite dipping sauce

18. After school hot snack attack: Spread a round of pita bread with tomato paste and herbs. Top with tomato, ham, mortadella, add onion, sliced mushrooms or pineapple. Sprinkle grated low fat hard cheese over pita bread. Grill to make a tasty pizza. If no pita bread is available, substitute a crisp bread.

19. Fruity kebabs: place bite size pieces of fruit in season on kebab skewers.

20. Pop top sandwich tuna tin, crisp bread, sachet of mayonnaise. Kids can put their snack together at school so that it doesn’t go soggy.

Remember fresh is best both for yourself and your children. By substituting these ideas for some of the prepackaged snack food and cookies your kids eat you will be doing both them and yourself a favor.

(c) 2004 Kim Beardsmore

Related posts:

1. Your Food Can Prematurely Age You! Did you know that the food you eat could be...
2. Bust Through the Weight Loss Plateau! Dieters dread the plateau. You're on a roll, losing weight...
3. Eat Your Way to Weight Loss Experts tell us we are what we eat. A disturbing...

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a way to be able to start to slim down without having to completely change everything about the way you eat and/or relying on diet fads and gimmicks? Well, read on and you will see that by just making some small changes, you can make some big strides in your effort to lose weight.

As a rule, we all know that too much fat in the diet is one of the major culprits in causing overweight problems in people. While that means fat intake should be cut down, it does not mean it can’t be replaced with some better choices that pack fewer calories. For example, take the mayo off the sandwich and replace it with mustard. You cut off 100 calories per serving, all from fat, and replace it with zero calories per serving with no fat at all. Use fat-free cheese instead of regular cheese. Again, you will be replacing 45 calories per slice at 40 calories from fat with 30 fat-free calories. The sandwich is still the same size, but you cut over 115 extra calories off of it.

EAT MORE BREAD
If you eat more bread, you are increasing your carbohydrates and eating less fat as well. In one study, a small increase of bread in the diet led to a 4% decrease of fat consumed. Depending on your overall calorie needs daily, this could mean you’ll be eating more carbohydrates per day, but it is the reduction of fat and the overall reduction of calories that make you start to lose weight. The right balance of carbohydrates, proteins and fats in the proper calorie range determine energy levels and whether you’ll lose weight and maintain a healthy body weight.

EAT MORE VEGETABLES
These foods are great sources of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and are also low in calories and high in fiber. These foods are filling, nutritious and great for people trying to lose weight. When your parents used to say “make sure you eat all of your vegetables” they were right.

EAT MORE FRUIT
Just like vegetables, fruit is high in vitamins, minerals and fiber. Also, fruit is naturally sweet and can satisfy the need for bad sweets, like candy. Try to replace desserts and snacks such as cake and ice cream with fruit at least half of the time and it will make a huge difference.

EAT MORE FISH AND CHICKEN
Eating fish and chicken more often than red meat will reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet. Too much saturated fat in the diet has been shown to cause atherosclerosis (artery blockage) which leads to heart problems and eventual failure. Skinless chicken breast and most fish are very lean and only contain small amounts of fat, not enough to worry about. When you eat fish, besides lowering your fat intake, you also increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids which has been shown to promote a healthy heart. Fish is the best source of omega-3 fatty acids and you don’t have to eat fish every day to get a good benefit from it.
USE CANOLA AND OLIVE OILS
These oils are good sources of monounsaturated fat which is the best kind of fat because this kind of fat increases the good cholesterol (HDL) in your body and lowers the bad cholesterol (LDL).

Sometimes it may seem to be a long road to weight loss but the length of the road is not nearly as important as how smooth the road is. By making small, gradual changes to your eating habits, you will find your road can be smooth as well.

Related posts:

1. Weight loss vs. Fat loss – Yes There Is a Difference! In order to lose weight, your body must burn more...
2. What Is The Zone Diet? The Zone Diet is one of the five most discussed...
3. A Lot Of People Diet To Lose Weight These Days When we chose to change our eating habits, we usually...

The phrase “weight loss center” returns over 3 million search results in Google. The exponential growth in the number of obese persons or obesity has created a huge demand for weight loss programs, slimming pills, and of course weight-loss centers. Each year people spend over $35 billion for these weight-loss techniques. And as usual, U.S. leads from the front. It will be prime news on CNN if any American city is without its weight loss center. In pure dictionary terms, a weight loss center is meant to provide weight-loss treatment to obese or overweight people. The problem of being overweight is bad for health but excellent for business. Dieting has become a uniquely American “sport,” for which Americans pay billions annually to commercial weight loss centers. This multi-billion dollar industry thrives on our inability to control our weight.

Obesity carries enormous health risks and economic costs. It is recognized as a major catalyst for developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and other debilitating conditions. Estimates of the number of deaths attributable to obesity in the United States alone reach up to 350,000 per year. Weight loss surgery may be an alternative if the body mass index (BMI) is 40 or more. Weight loss surgery may also be considered if the BMI is 35, combined with other health problems such as diabetes or arthritis. A surgical weight loss center provides surgical treatment for obesity. Bariatric surgery is increasingly being used to combat obesity. For very severe obesity, or BMI greater than 50 intestinal-bypass weight loss surgery is indicated. In these cases, weight loss surgeries prove to be effective, as the extreme obesity poses many problems.

Bariatric surgery, as weight loss surgery is referred, has a controversial history dating back hundreds of years. But the first modern procedure on record was in 1889, performed by Howard A. Kelly. Other type of surgery also known as “cosmetic plastic surgery” is liposuction. In it, layers of fat are removed by performing an operation on those body parts where the fat has accumulated. Though the fat gets reduced for the time being, the factors and the causes remain untouched and therefore liposuction is only a temporary solution, and at best can be called a symptomatic treatment.

Weight loss centers help to adopt healthy lifestyle changes to keep the body fit and healthy. A weight loss center offers a relaxing, serene ambience. The experience at the spa equips the individual to follow a balanced eating regimen, increase physical activities and maintain a healthy lifestyle. These centers also offer the company of like-minded people, thereby making the transformation to healthier lifestyle, a pleasant affair. A professional center should offer guidelines for healthy eating habits and exercises. They should also provide counseling, when needed. Whichever weight loss center you pick to resolve your pressing problem of obesity, make sure the people at the center are well-aware of the body system and are sensitive to your needs. They should be able to prescribe a balanced diet, medications if necessary, and ultimately lead you towards a healthy weight loss.

Summary:

You cannot just walk in a weight loss center expecting to return home shedding all that extra flab. You need to visit the center often to get necessary tips and healthy diets. It is important to select a center with supportive people, who follow you up on your weight loss progress. The precious time you spend at the center should be productive. It makes no sense, if the weight you lose in a month, reappears in a week. It is important to preserve sustainable weight loss. Remember, a weight loss center cannot provide permanent weight loss. However, if you strictly follow their instructions, you can stay slim and keep the lost weight, well lost forever.

Related posts:

1. Fitness Center: How to Choose the Fitness Center of Your Life In reality, you really do not have to spend a...
2. Facts to Know Before Going for Weight Loss Surgery Have you ever wondered what exactly is up with weight...
3. Weight Loss Surgery, Is It A Safe Option? For the growing number of obese individuals, weight loss surgery...

You may try only cutting down on all the high-calorie foods and skip the exercise. You may cut down on your portion sizes. And, the weight will eventually come off. However, if you also include exercise in your weight loss program, you’ll discover that not only will the weight come off, but your metabolism will improve, your fat will be replaced by lean, muscle tissue (rather than loose, jiggly flab), you’ll feel more energetic and mentally alert, and you’ll be better able to keep the fat off.

The human body was created to be active. It wasn’t meant to live a sedentary lifestyle. Unless your health prohibits you from getting some sort of exercise each day, you should make an attempt to focus on the amount of physical activity you engage in. After all, most Americans don’t get nearly enough physical exercise during the course of a day! We’re all too busy sitting at our desks or in front of our televisions.

By the same token, if you’re like the average American, who thrives on fast food or other high-fat, high-calorie meals, a change in eating habits is advised. You can still enjoy eating! But, if you’re serious about losing those extra pounds and keeping them off, you’re going to have to replace the greasy french fries with some healthy, fresh veggies. Instead of that 44 ounce Coke, drink more water. Try to include more fish in your diet, rather than a big, fat hamburger. You’ll be surprised at how much better you look and feel, when you replace those heart-clogging, fat-producing calories with healthier food choices.

And, don’t skip meals! If you regularly skip meals, your metabolism is going to slow down, you’ll feel sluggish, and your body is going to hang onto those extra pounds as protection against starvation. By eating regularly, your metabolism works better, and you’re better able to lose weight!

Yes, diet and exercise are important ingredients for successful weight loss! You don’t have to be miserable in the process of losing weight. Just remember the following points, if you want to shed those pounds and keep them off:

A few healthy lifestyle changes can make all the difference in your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Note: Before beginning any diet or exercise program, consult your medical professional.

Related posts:

1. Benefits Of Online Exercise Programs Online personal fitness training has become an affordable, convenient alternative...
2. Weight Loss Success Results from Finding the Right Balance of Calories and Exercise Weight loss is not just about changing what you eat,...
3. Take Hoodia diet pills with a Smart Diet, not a Starvation Diet Hoodia, the new African weight loss supplement taken properly, with...

No matter if it’s Atkins, South Beach or some other low-carb plan, there are approximately 30 million Americans are on a low-carb diet.

Supporters contend that the large amount of carbohydrates in our diet has led to increased problems with obesity, diabetes, and other health situations. On the other hand, some attribute obesity and related health problems to over eating of calories and lack of physical activity. They also express concern that without grains, fruits, and vegetables in low-carbohydrate diets may lead to deficiencies of some key nutrients, including vitamin C, fiber, folic acid, and many minerals.

It is already known that any diet, whether high or low in carbohydrates, can produce meaningful weight loss during the early stages of the diet. Keep in mind, the key to a diet being successful is in being able to lose the weight on a permanent basis.

Let’s see if we can expose some of the mystery about low-carb diets. Following, is a listing of some related points taken from recent studies and scientific literature.

Point 1 – Some Differences Between Low-Carb Diets

There are many famous diets created to lower carbohydrate consumption. Lowering total carbohydrates in the diet means that protein and fat will take up a proportionately greater amount of the total caloric intake.

Low carbohydrate diet like the Atkins Diet restrict carbohydrate to a point where the body becomes ketogenic (a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that includes normal amounts of protein). Other low-carb diets like the Zone and Life Without Bread are less confined. Some, like Sugar Busters announce only
to eliminate sugars and foods that elevate blood sugar levels excessively.

Point 2 – What We Know about Low-Carb Diets

+Close to all of the studies to date have been small with a diversity of research objectives.
Carbohydrate, caloric intake, diet duration and participant characteristics are wide-ranged greatly. Most of the studies to date have two things in common, none of the research studies had people in the study with a average age over 53 and none of the controlled studies lasted more than 90 days.

+The results on older adults and long-term results are scarce. Many diet studies fail to keep track of the amount of exercise, and therefore caloric use, while people in the study are dieting. This helps to explain the variances between studies.

+If you lose weight on a low-carb diet it is a function of the calorie intake and length of the diet, and not with reduced amount of carbohydrates.

+There is very little evidence on the long-range safety of low-carb diets. Even though the medical community has concerns, no short-term bad effects have been found with cholesterol, glucose, insulin and blood-pressure levels among the people in the study on the diets. Because of the short period of the studies the adverse effects may not show up. Losing weight typically leads to improvement in these levels, and this may offset an increase caused by a high fat diet. The over-all weight changes for low-carb and other types of diets are similar.

+Most low-carb diets can cause ketosis. Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and confusion are some of the potential consequences. When first starting a low-carb diet some fatigue and constipation may be met and these symptoms usually disappear quickly.

+Some report that you can have more calories when on a low-carb diet. Remember a calorie is a calorie no matter what you intake. When the study is not closely supervised variations will result by people cheating in the study on many factors of the study.

There are three important factors I would like to re-emphasize:

1.- The over-all success rate for low-carb and other types of diets are similar.

2.- Small amount of information exists on the long-term efficacy and safety of low-carb diets despite their huge popularity,

3.- Dieters usually experience boredom with a strict version of the low-carb diet and are not able to stay on diets of low carb food.

After observing the subject, a more severe and controlled study are needed on a long-range basis. The ketosis produced is abnormal and stressful metabolic state. The results may cause more problems than it solved.

By picking a reliable diet you will benefit over a lifetime of proper eating and not a weight loss quickie.
An excellent rule of thumb is look at the diet long-range and see if you can see yourself still on that diet after a couple of weeks. However, by following a diet with fat, carbohydrates, protein and other nutrients in moderation may be the best way to go and a little more exercise won’t hurt either.

Related posts:

1. Low Carb Fad Diets Revealed With all of the conflicting studies and open interpretation of...
2. Discover All About The Atkins Diet – Also Know As The Low Carb Diet Nearly everyone has heard of the Atkins Diet by now,...
3. Losing Weight With PCOS – Low Carb May Help Insulin Response Learn about PCOS and how a low carb diet can...

Many people that suffer from binge eating disorder do not have positive body images. Instead, they have very distorted images of how they see themselves. Here are six ways to create a positive body image for yourself.

1. Create a list of people that you admire. Write down why you admire each person. As you are writing the characteristics you like, take notice of what you are writing down.

For example, let’s say that you have a high regard for Oprah. Your list might include her generosity towards people, her willingness to support what she believes in, and her strong character that went for success no matter what background she came from. You do not admire Oprah because of her looks; you admire her for the difference that she has made in the world. For her contribution to society. How she has touched and changed so many lives.

2. Remember a time in your life when you felt great about yourself.

Travel back in your life to a time when you were happy with your body. Maybe this was high school or college. Whatever the time, just close your eyes and remember how you felt. Let these good feelings radiate within you.

3. Write down what you like about yourself now.

Take out a piece of paper and write down everything that you like about yourself: your legs, your eyebrows, your smile, your hair, etc. The key here is to focus on the likes of yourself instead of the many dislikes. Start appreciating what you do like about yourself. This will make you feel better overall.

4. Notice how you carry yourself when you walk.

Do you walk with your head down looking at the ground? Do you slump your shoulders? Perk up! Start walking and making eye contact with people. Hold your head up high. Walk with your shoulders held back.

5. Start exercising.

If you haven’t exercised in a while, start off slow. Go for a walk outside on a nice day. If you are used to exercising, keep it up and change up your routine so that you don’t get bored. When you exercise you begin to feel good about yourself, even if it is for 15 minutes. Start off slow and work your way up.

6. Hang out with positive people.

Take a look at the people closest to you. Are they positive or negative people? Chances are if they are negative this attitude will reflect on you and your attitude. Try to limit your time with any negativity as this will only make you feel bad about yourself. You will focus on the things that you do not like about yourself.

Start feeling good about yourself and learn to accept yourself. Little by little you will notice changes that have occurred. Learn to be on your side instead of always being against yourself. Put your shoulders back and quit thinking about what you’re not. Love the person you are and the person that you are becoming.

Related posts:

1. 7 Tips to Help Your Kid Develop a Positive Self-Image Try these 7 tips to foster optimism and resilience in...
2. Positive Imaging for Weight Loss Visualization can play an important part in losing weight and...
3. Are Your Thoughts About Your Body Holding You Back From Success? I challenge you to write out 10 brief descriptions about...

Simply put, weight loss is a combination of lifestyle choices, and is the result of a firm commitment to making and maintaining them over a period of time. Any products that offer weight loss without reduced caloric intake and increasing activity levels are fraudulent- and a waste of money.

Why Do People Buy Products That Are Scams?

Denise Bruner, MD, MPH, FASBP is a specialist in weight loss, and a fellow in the American Society of Bariatric Physicians. She shares one of the major reasons that weight loss scams flourish today: “We live in a society today that wants immediate gratification. This is reflected in our willingness to buy from those that promise ‘instant results’”.

The increasing obesity in our society, and hopes that weight loss can be achieved without lifestyle changes fuels the growth of frauds. Bruner states, “In the U.S., currently 61% of the population is overweight, and the numbers are going up. There’s a huge market out there for weight loss products. After all, it appeals to us to find out that you can ‘Lose 30 pounds in 30 days.’ We don’t want to have to deprive ourselves of our favorite foods, and want something that will ‘magically’ absorb the calories.”

Jeannette Kopko, Senior Vice President of the Better Business Bureau for Dallas and Northeast Texas, agrees that illegitimate weight loss products feed on false promises: “People are fooled by these scams because they hope that they aren’t scams. They hope that they’re real, and are an easier, faster, painless way to lose weight.”

With the huge demand for weight loss products (and their revenues), companies are more than willing to become suppliers-whether or not their products work. Kopko states, “The number of companies hawking bogus supplements and weight loss products is increasing rapidly in recent years.”

How can you spot a weight loss scam?

Typically, weight loss scams make promises that aren’t realistic. Headlines that promise weight loss without dieting are always scams, since calorie reduction is the basis of any true weight loss program. There are no legitimate weight loss programs that allow you to “eat whatever you want” without limit. As Monica Revelle, public relations specialist at the FDA notes: “If it sounds too good to be true-it is!”

Other tips offs that the weight loss product is a scam include:

* Claims to be a “secret” formula: Products that claim to have secret formulas are scams. Dr. Bruner feels strongly on this issue, and states, “There are no ‘secrets to weight loss’ being held away from the public. In America alone, an estimated 100 people a day die from obesity; we could prevent 300,000 deaths annually if there was a real product that made weight loss simple and safe, and physicians would be the first to prescribe them.”

* There’s no physical address for the business. Legitimate products and services will have a physical address and phone number. Be wary of those that only offer a mailbox, or a toll-free number to call manned by “help center” personnel. Kopko shares, “While not all companies that have P.O. or private mail boxes (PMBs) are illegitimate, plenty are. Check to see if there are the letters ‘PMB’ after a physical address; this indicates that it’s really a private mail box, that can forward mail to anywhere in the world.” She adds that the Internet is also being used to promote frauds, and adds, “You can’t judge how good or legitimate a product is by how professional the web site looks. This only reflects how good their web designer was.”

* They promise rapid weight loss. Weight loss that is too rapid is not only unhealthy, but is normally quickly regained. The best plans advocate moderate goals, with slow, steady weight loss of about 6-8 pounds a month over a long period. Dr. Bruner states, “Any product that offer overnight or rapid changes is a fraud.”

* They state that they can help a person lose fat or cellulite in a specific part of the body. Body fat is lost overall, not in a spot, and ads that claim otherwise are frauds.

* They promise permanent weight loss. No product can do this, since permanent weight loss is maintained by lifestyle changes.

By avoiding products with the above “red flags” in their advertising, you can protect yourself from illegitimate products-and save money.

Types of Weight Loss Scams

Weight loss scams can range from the highly illegal (and even dangerous) to the mildly unethical. Kopko states, “There are degrees of fraud and misleading consumers. Some are scams where the person doesn’t receive anything at all when they send in their money. Another form of scam is when the customer sends in money, and they get a product that has no benefit, such as a sugar pill.”

Other weight loss scams use questionable practices, such as making claims for an ingredient-but without scientific studies to back them up. Kopko adds, “In yet other scams, the product has very low levels of active ingredients, so the person doesn’t get the desired result.”

Some products sell because their names are similar to real products-even though they don’t contain the same ingredients or quality. Dr. Bruner warns that these knockoffs are frauds: “The person thinks, ‘Oh, I can get this a lot cheaper here…’ but be careful, and check it out thoroughly first.”

Kopko has seen all types of weight loss scams during her years with the Better Business Bureau. She remembers, “Years ago, in our area, there was a business that sold ‘weight loss glasses’; one lens was blue, the other brown. Supposedly, the two colors ‘confused the brain’ and the person didn’t get hungry.” She adds, “Another fraud was weight loss “bath powder’ that a person pours into the tub, that promised weight loss.”

Today, popular scams are pills, powders, patches, and herbal teas that supposedly promote weight loss.

One recent scam was a powder taken a few hours before sleep. Kopko states, “It promised that the fat would “melt away” while you slept. The only benefit was that the person gave up their bedtime snack when they took it; there was nothing in the powder to help. And the person who bought the powder was then deluged with other products from the company that would ‘make the product work better.’ It was all a huge fraud.”

Dr. Bruner has also seen a variety of weight loss scams over the years. She states, “I’ve seen people wearing inserts in their shoes; the manufacturers claim that they hit pressure points to relieve hunger (it doesn’t work). Another scam is a ‘“chocolate patch’ designed to reduce cravings for chocolate, or wearing special clothing to spot reduce areas.” She notes that in Europe, another popular weight loss fad is getting attention: “In Europe, right now mesotherapy, injecting a drug into the muscle, is a very popular fraud.”

FTC’s sokesperson Shirley Rooker notes that the FTC recently stopped another popular weight loss scam-and the company was forced to pay back millions to consumers taken in by its fraudulent ads. She notes, “The Enforma System claimed that its products increase the body’s capacity to burn fat and would help the body burn more calories while just standing or sitting around doing nothing, even while sleeping. And the TV ads stated that consumers could enjoy fried chicken, pizza, and other high-calorie, high-fat products and still lose weight. The FTC complaint charged that there was no proof that Fat Trapper and Exercise in a Bottle really worked.”1

Why Aren’t They Stopped?

With the huge numbers of weight loss frauds out there (it only takes opening up a magazine, or surfing the Internet to view some), the question of why they are allowed to continue is raised.

Kopko says, “I get a lot of calls from people who ask, ‘Why isn’t something being done?’ about a scam. Basically, the answer is: until we receive complaints, a fraud can’t be investigated.” She adds that many times, people who are scammed don’t file reports. “They don’t want the bother, or they don’t know where to turn. The complaints we get are probably only a fraction of the problem that’s out there.”

She warns that not being shut down is not a guarantee of reliability. “Just because a business is out there, selling weight loss products doesn’t mean they’re legitimate; it may just be that they haven’t been caught yet. This is why it’s so important to be an aware consumer. “

Once complaints are made, law enforcement will step in and start investigating weight loss frauds. They often prosecute illegal businesses, and force them to make restitution to their victims. But Kopko shares that not every questionable weight loss product can be dealt with in this manner: “Some scams might not be illegal-just unethical. They market their products in a way that implies benefits, instead of stating them outright, and skirt the legal boundaries of false advertising.”

In some cases, stopping a fraud takes time because of the decision over who has jurisdiction, and the time needed to gather the data to begin prosecuting a company. For instance, the FDA’s Moica Revelle states that they only have jurisdiction over scams in which a product is proven to be unsafe. “We monitor the quality and safety of weight loss products; but we don’t have jurisdiction if there’s no evidence of harm done.”

In many cases of false advertising, the FTC steps in, and uses information gathered by other agencies to make their case against a company. Kopko states that the Better Business Bureau, while not having jurisdiction itself, make their task easier. “We keep information about businesses on file, including complaints against them, and share this with law enforcement and government agencies.”

How To Protect Yourself From Scams

One of the best methods of protecting yourself from weight loss scams is to seek medical advice from a qualified physician who specializes in weight loss (bariatric medicine). At times, this means first coming to terms with a realistic view of weight loss. Dr. Bruner states, “Losing weight isn’t simple or easy.

Basically, it means reducing calories and exercising, but it must be individualized to the person’s needs. For instance, the person with insulin resistance needs a higher protein, lower carbohydrate diet so they won’t feel that they’re starving; and those with allergies (such as to wheat or yeast) will need a diet that avoids these items.”

To protect yourself from scams, check the product out first with your physician. And if possible, try to avoid “impulse buying”. First investigate the product and the company’s reliability with consumer organizations. This can save you needless expense and disappointment in the long run.

Another method of avoiding scams is to visit sites that investigate consumer frauds-and check out a company before buying. Kopko states, “The Better Business Bureau is a participant with the Sentinel Database (online at www.consumer.gov/sentinel ) which allows consumers and law enforcement to view trends and complaints against businesses. You can also go online to our national web site at www.bbb.org to check out a company nationally. Just click on the “consumer info” link, and look up diet fads and scams that have been reported.”

Weight loss scams are on the rise, and the numbers of companies using fraudulent advertising are multiplying. By taking the time to carefully investigate a company and its products, and choosing to work with a qualified physician on your weight loss goals, you can save yourself needless expense and disappointment. Best of all, you can get started on the road to real, achievable weight loss goals while maintaining good health.

Related posts:

1. 10 Real Life Diet Tips Are you tired of diet tips handed out by someone...
2. Drinking Water Scams Revealed Read this article before you consider paying for your drinking...
3. Weight Loss Surgery: What Are The Options? To understand how surgical procedures aid the grossly overweight person...

The media sounds a loud alarm over the celebrities who get too thin. And then they go right on showing us image after image of the very same women as beauty icons. It’s insane.
*The hottest boutique in Los Angeles, catering to the stars, carries only sizes 0-8.
*The average American women wears a size 12 or 14.
*The usual waist size for a celebrity’s pair of jeans is 28.
*The average woman wears a size 34 jean.

In a recent celebrity magazine, the following heights and weights were listed for five well-known performers:

*Terri Hatcher 5-6, 109 pounds
*Kate Bosworth 5-7, 107 pounds
*Lindsey Lohan 5-5, 102 pounds
*Victoria Beckham 5-6, 105 pounds
*Joan Allen 5-10, 110 pounds

All are severely underweight. This is starvation imagery. Anorexic-type bodies regularly presented as the beauty ideal.

Today’s female body is expected to be slim, trim, lean. Tight, toned muscles. Six-pack abs. Hard bodies. Sounds like a description of a man’s body doesn’t it? The only feminine characteristic remaining on today’s “perfect woman”: fake, plastic breasts. The real ones disappear when a woman is underweight.

The ideal female body looks like a young, very thin, muscular prepubescent boy with large breasts. This is where 100 years of media brainwashing has left us. “Brainwashing” seems like too strong a term until you consider that most females see 400 to 700 media-generated images of thin women every single day.

Rounded bellies, padded hips, curvy thighs. These are “problem areas” to be worked on. In reality, they are beautiful, natural qualities of a healthy female body.

It’s time we define our own style. Make our own rules. Turn our backs on the media and embrace the beautiful bodies we were been born with. It’s time to live with grace and beauty instead of self-hate and struggle.

Too many of us have learned to dislike our own bodies:
*53% of 13 year-old girls,
*78% of 17 year-old girls, and
*80% of adult women spend every day disliking the only bodies we will ever have.

How about a world where all body types are appreciated…
*Where naturally thin bodies are considered beautiful.
*Where naturally curvaceous bodies are considered beautiful.
*Where the thin aren’t trying to get plump.
*And the curvy aren’t trying to get skinny.

Let’s live in a world where the bodies we were born with are the best, most beautiful bodies we could each have.
How to do that?
*Stop buying from companies who advertise their products with starvation imagery.
*Don’t go to movies that star emaciated actresses.
*Make your voice heard. Email or write companies to complain about their irresponsible imagery.
*Swear off TV shows, fashion magazines, and other media that depict only thin women. (Just 5% of American women are naturally underweight. Among the actresses on television…it’s 87%.)
*Reinvent your sense of female beauty with images of all types of women. Old art is one of the best choices. Go out of your way to view old paintings and sculptures to help get you started.
*Reeducate your eyes to appreciate the natural, average female body.
*Don’t talk about your own weight loss or gain and don’t comment on others’ bodies in that way.
*Appreciate the women in the world around us. Practice seeing without the anorexic eyes we’ve been trained to view the world through. There is beauty in our natural curviness.
*Move with grace and pride.

You are beautiful. Reject the propaganda of starvation imagery. Love the body you’re living in, it’s the only one you get and it deserves your love, honor, and affection.

Related posts:

1. Two Opinions on Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe is remembered as an iconic symbol of female...
2. You Are Not Doomed To Be Fat Forever Once you stop dieting and start listening to your body...
3. Understanding Breast Enhancement Options The more you understand about any subject, the more interesting...

A vital area of life that requires our attention is this….learning to answer hunger pains appropriately. If we neglect this, weight can increase and well-being may suffer.

Whether you need to lose weight, maintain weight or tone up your body; inappropriate eating habits can jeopardize your best efforts. This articles will help you start to understand how to manage hunger in a busy lifestyle.

If it’s sticky and sweet, made with sugar and saturated fat, then you must only eat it as a rare treat. Can the same be said for a delicious bowl of strawberries, or a juicy sweet orange? That is the problem here? Why do we choose cakes and chocolate over nature’s best offering?

If you do not have a genuine glucose imbalance, one cause perhaps is that sweet treats are deeply connected to our childhood, where frequently, ‘sweeteners’ were given as a reward for good behaviour, or to placate or console the unhappy child. Our memory will automatically associate sweet foods as a reward or a comfort. That bar of chocolate or sticky bun you devour mid-way through a stressful afternoon could be you rewarding yourself for hard work!

If you think you may be using sweet treats as a ‘reward’ or comfort and want to kick the habit, simply remember that putting on weight is NOT a reward. Then think of a reward that doesn’t involve food!

Guard yourself from the sweet snack attacks by being prepared and planning your day’s food patterns.

1. Incorporate protein in to your breakfast AND lunch. Protein is key to controlling carbohydrate cravings. The RDA of protein for women is 60 grams a day. For women wanting to lose weight, health professionals recommend approximately 100 grams of protein daily. Why? One of the principle advantages of protein is that it creates a feeling of fullness and satisfaction in the body that makes overeating much less likely. Source your protein from ultra lean sources so you don’t pick up unwanted calories and saturated fats.

Even better, than providing a sense of sustained fullness, protein can block the triggering effect that carbohydrates can have on the brain. If you eat protein with a carbohydrate it will reduce the cravings caused by eating the carbohydrate.

2. Never skip meals. Research has shown that people who skip meals are more prone to obesity than those who regularly eat 3 meals a day. In fact, people who space their daily food requirements by making appropriate use of healthy snacks do even better. Why is this? When you skip meals you are more likely to get hungry and fill up on easily obtained fast foods which are often trigger foods.

3. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water throughout the day. For some people sugar laden soft drinks are a trigger food. Make sure you don’t get thirsty in the first place. Water creates a sense of fullness and has a host of other health benefits.

4. Plan the timing of your meals so that you don’t get hungry. Despite having three healthy meals a day, sometimes your work schedule can mean the spacing of those meals still does not guard against the carbohydrate cravings. If you have a long gap between meals, make sure you carry healthy snacks to cover the distance, otherwise hunger will set in

5. Plan your snacks. Plan out your weekly snack schedule with some delicious, healthy snacks. Purchase these with your weekly shopping so that you are fully prepared. If you need to, get up a few minutes earlier in the morning so you have time to prepare and take your snacks to work. Remember, healthy snacks don’t live in a vending machine! You are less likely to get hungry when you have a ready supply of healthy snacks.

6. Carry emergency supplies of nutritional protein bars in your handbag or brief case. When you feel a carbohydrate craving, eat the protein bar instead and wait 30 minutes before acting on the craving. More often than not the craving will pass and you will be in control again. This truly works.

Related posts:

1. Weight Loss Myths Exposed It probably won’t come as a surprise to hear there...
2. Bust Through the Weight Loss Plateau! Dieters dread the plateau. You're on a roll, losing weight...
3. Weight Loss Starts in Your Head! Are you a 'look-and-lose' dieter? Have you studied every diet...

But does Hoodia work?

Considering the debacle that was Ephedra, consumers are right to be cautious about this new weight loss pill. Does Hoodia actually work to help you lose weight? Does it really do what the pill manufacturers say?

Well, Hoodia has been shown to have some specific effects in the area of weight loss. But there are certain things you should know before running out to buy the latest Hoodia pill from your drug store.

Here are 3 ways Hoodia helps you lose weight and 3 other things you should know to make Hoodia work best for you.

#1) Hoodia Makes You Physically Less Hungry

Pure Hoodia contains a molecule scientists called “P57″ which, they believe, is responsible for making you feel full.

Normally, when you eat food, this food turns to glucose. When the glucose in your body rises it eventually signals to your brain (the hypothalamus) that you are full.

It is believed that “P57″ molecule in Hoodia mimics the effect that glucose has on your brain, telling part of your brain (the Hypothalamus) that you feel full. Consequently, you are physically less hungry.

One of the first studies of Hoodia Gordonii was done in the UK on obese patients. Half of the volunteers were given Hoodia Gordonii, the other half were given a placebo.

The subjects were allowed to do nothing but read, watch television and eat. After 15 days it was found that those taking Hoodia had reduced their calorie intake by 1000 calories a day. Despite having unlimited access to food, the Hoodia subjects lost weight without feeling hungry.

#2) Hoodia Turns Off The Desire To Overeat

Some people have reported that not only does Hoodia make them feel full, but it also shuts off their desire to eat.

As many of us know, we can feel physically satisfied but still eat for a variety of reasons like emotions, timing and social influence. In fact emotional eating is actually responsible for more overeating than physical hunger.

Hoodia can help some people lose weight by quenching this desire to eat and breaking the emotional attachment to food.

By quenching this emotional attachment to food, Hoodia can help the individual to develop new emotional coping skills that don’t include using food for comfort.

Note: Hoodia may not have this effect on everyone, however many people have reported having less of a desire to eat after taking Hoodia.

#3) By Turning Off Your Appetite Hoodia Allows You To Start Making Positive, Healthy Food Choices

How many times have we planned to eat healthy and then that old, ugly hunger rears it’s ugly head and demands food NOW. We end up reaching for anything that’s fast, easy and usually unhealthy.

By turning off your appetite, Hoodia allows you to start to make positive, healthy food choices. It takes the pain out of building new healthier eating choices. Since you probably don’t want to be on Hoodia forever, this is a great way to lose weight and transition your eating to a healthier, lighter diet – with less pain and deprivation.

So those are 3 ways Hoodia Gordonii can help you lose weight. Does that mean that it will? Not necessarily. In order for Hoodia to help you achieve your weight loss goals there are several factors you must consider:

1) Make Sure You Buy From A Pure Source.

Unfortunately, there are scam artists who are taking advantage of the current demand for Hoodia by packaging fake Hoodia, fillers or even sawdust – and then selling it as Hoodia.

Look for genuine South African Hoodia from a seller who displays both a C.I.T.E.S certificate on their website along with Lab Assays and testing of their Hoodia pills. If you’re not sure about which Hoodia brand to buy, do more research until you feel comfortable with your decision.

2) Make Sure You Are Taking Enough Hoodia.

The correct dosage varies depending on whom you talk to but most people start with about 400 mg three times a day before meals. They then increase the dosage up as high as 1000 mg three times daily until they find the dose that works for them.

Also, give it several days for the Hoodia to take effect before you increase your current dose.

3) Make Sure You Consult Your Doctor Before Taking Hoodia or Making Any Change To Your Diet or Exercise Routine.

This one is a given but surprisingly many people don’t do it and it can result in you wasting your time and effort for no good reason. If, for example, you have a medical condition that makes it hard to lose weight, Hoodia may not work for you as you’d hoped. Talk to your doctor before trying anything new.

So those are 3 ways Hoodia works to help you lose weight and reach your goals. Hoodia does work. Make sure you follow these suggestions and you’ll be well on your way to weight loss success with Hoodia.

Related posts:

1. Does Hoodia Work? 3 Ways Hoodia Helps You Lose Weight Hoodia Gordonii can help you lose weight in 3 specific...
2. Can Hoodia Gordonii Help You Lose Weight? Hoodia Gordonii is the newest catch phrase in the weight...
3. Does Hoodia, the African weight loss secret actually work? Does Hoodia, the African weight loss secret actually work? It...

So what about if your living in middle America and are looking for something to help you curb your cravings and keep of the pounds, will Hoodia do the trick? It depends on who you ask, some dieters say it is the magic pill and will help you lose the weight with no side effects. Other people will say, “I tried it and it did absolutely nothing for me”. How can this be the case you might ask, one person swears to it and one swears at it. It’s actually no mystery at all if you know what is happening in the industry. Hoodia has gained huge popularity due to increased media exposure; so far since last November Hoodia has been on CBS 60 minutes, the BBC, CBS News, Oprah Winfrey’s “O” Magazine, ABC News and most recently it was featured on the NBC Today Show with Katie Couric. Because of this news coverage the demand for Hoodia has greatly increased and along with this, the amount of companies providing fake or impure Hoodia has also greatly increased.

If I can stress only one thing in this Hoodia article, it would be to know what is in the Hoodia you are buying. When it comes to buying Hoodia, you have to be an informed buyer; you can’t just buy the first Hoodia Pills you see. And unlike other supplements you buy at your nutritional store, in the case of Hoodia, you can’t trust brick and mortar stores anymore than you can an online company. There is no regulation when it comes to Hoodia pills; there is no testing process or certification that a Hoodia brand has to go through. Because of this anybody can start a new Hoodia brand, put whatever they want in a pill and call it Hoodia and sell it. Many companies are doing just this, making lots of profit and leaving you the dieter with a bogus product, the dieter then tells others, “hey, this Hoodia stuff is no good”.

Natural Health Report has published a study done by Truth Publishing and Alkemist Pharmaceuticals located at: naturalhealthreport.com/A-Hoodia-Gordonii-exposed.html, the study findings state that eleven out of seventeen brand-name Hoodia supplements tested failed a laboratory analysis of authenticity. Unfortunately in the study they don’t say which brands failed but they do say which brands passed.

The following brands passed the independent testing:
* Desert Burn
* Hoodoba Pure
* Dr. Wheeler’s Afrigetics
* King Hoodia
* Hoodia Max
* Ethno Africa

Eleven out of seventeen brand names failed to be authentic, to me that is an amazing statistic and says a lot about the industry. Looking at those statistics we can now see why some dieters are saying Hoodia is wonderful and helps you lose weight and others are calling it a scam. The truth is there is both authentic pure Hoodia and bogus fake Hoodia available and what you get will determine how you feel about it.

This information should not necessarily stop you from buying Hoodia, as there are many reports of Hoodia decreasing you appetite by up to 1,000 calories a day and many people trying to lose weight swear by its results. Like we have stated before you just need to be very cautious and be able to identify pure Hoodia from ineffective and impure Hoodia. So how can you identify which Hoodia brand is best? Here are some things the consumer should look for:

* Certification – the company should provide a visual documentation on their website that the Hoodia they are selling is authentic Hoodia Gordonii from South Africa.

* Independent Testing – some of the top companies selling Hoodia are now submitting their product for independent testing to assure the customer their Hoodia is authentic and set them apart from the competition. If the brand has been tested you will again most likely be able to see visual documentation on their website.

* You should be know if the product is a pure hoodia powder or in extract form. There is a lot of information on the internet as to which is better and you should be informed on which kind you want to buy.

* Know what all the ingredients in the pill are – many companies will increase the total milligrams of a Hoodia pill by adding other ingredients to it, so in a 750 mg. pill you might only get 50 mg. of Hoodia. Also know if those other ingredients are something you want to be taking.

* Brand Reputation – the longer Hoodia is around the more people are talking about which brand is working for them. Do some internet searches on the brand you are thinking of trying and see if you find that lots of people are having problems with that brand. You have to take general public comments with a grain of salt though because many company owners have people spreading bad publicity about their competition.

* Common Sense – overall use your common sense about your purchase. Does the company not disclose much information? Do they have easy way to contact them? Do they have any type of guarantee? Also, especially when it comes to Hoodia on eBay, does the label of the product look like it was printed on a home inkjet printer? Also be wary of deep discounted Hoodia, there may be a reason it’s so cheap.

In closing, when it comes to Hoodia the consumer will need to stay cautious for awhile, the situation may get worse before it gets better. Demand for Hoodia is growing, supply is decreasing and the wholesale cost is increasing. What does this formula equal? It equals bad news for the dieter who wants to get some authentic Hoodia; there will be a lot of fake Hoodia out there. Give Hoodia a try, just do your homework first, be an informed, educated buyer and you may find that you truly have found a product to help you shed those extra pounds with no side effects. For more information on Hoodia visit Totalink’s Hoodia Directory at http://hoodiagordonii.totalink.com

Related posts:

1. Why is Hoodia such a sought after weight loss supplement? Can Hoodia affect the world’s obesity problem and help the...
2. Does Hoodia Work? 3 Ways Hoodia Helps You Lose Weight You've seen the name everywhere. Hoodia Gordonii has taken the...
3. Does Hoodia Work? 3 Ways Hoodia Helps You Lose Weight Hoodia Gordonii can help you lose weight in 3 specific...

This is the first time CLA has been researched for it’s effects on body composition an the results are clearly remarkable.

Never heard of CLA?

CLA is a naturally occurring fatty acid found in meat and dairy products. It is a popular dietary supplement benefiting people who want to lose fat, maintain weight loss, lower blood pressure, boost their immune system, retain lean muscle mass, and control type 2 diabetes – the type of diabetes that is often associated with obesity.

CLA comes in different concentrations. Products containing 80% CLA are recommended to get maximum weight-loss results.

CLA has been shown to prevent heart disease and several types of cancer. It also appears to enhance the immune system.

One study involving 180 overweight men and women, all between 25 and 30 BMI (body mass index). A BMI — an indicator of body fat — over 25 has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and other medical problems, such as diabetes. The volunteers were mostly female — 149 women and 31 men.

Volunteers were assigned to three groups. The two groups taking CLA got either the typical off-the-shelf pills (4.5 grams of 80% CLA) daily or the syrup formulation (3.6 grams of 76% CLA disguised in a capsule) daily. The third group took a placebo capsule filled with olive oil daily.

Participants were not required to change their diet or exercise habits. However, a nurse did give dietary and exercise advice upon request. Daily calorie intake was similar among the three groups; all volunteers reduced their calorie intake a little during the study. All got about the same amount of exercise.

This strongly suggests that the observed effects of CLA on body composition were independent of diet. The decreased calorie intake may be partly due to the supplements and/or a reduced appetite. Also, because volunteers kept a food diary, they learned to cut food intake.

Several times during the 12-month study period, the study group came to a clinic to have their weight, BMI, and blood checked. They also completed questionnaires on their diet and exercise in the previous two weeks.

At the end of one year:

• Both CLA groups lost weight — about 4 pounds; the placebo group stayed the same.
• The CLA syrup group had a 9% body fat loss; the CLA pill group had 7% loss; the placebo group had no body fat loss.
• Both CLA groups had similar improvements in muscle mass.

Regarding other risk factors:

• The CLA pill group had slightly higher LDL bad cholesterol.
• The CLA syrup group had slightly lower HDL good cholesterol.
• Both CLA groups had higher lipoprotein levels, a marker of inflammation and heart disease.
• Both CLA groups had higher levels of leptin, a hormone thought to be a heart disease marker.
• Both CLA groups had higher white blood cell counts, which could trigger damaging artery inflammation.
• The CLA groups had only modest changes in blood sugar levels, a marker for diabetes.

The results of this study corroborate and expand on the findings of the previous short-term studies. Results show that the effect is greatest in those with highest body mass index, especially women with a 25 to 30 BMI.

As far as the heart disease risk factors, the variations seen in the CLA groups are within normal physiological range. Increased white blood cells may reflect the heightened immune response that other studies have shown. In studies in Holland, CLA has been shown to prevent some viral infections.

The mechanism(s) by which CLA decreases body fat mass and increases lean muscle mass is not completely understood. CLA is known to accumulate in tissues of animals and humans where it is readily metabolized. CLA may trigger fat cell death, shrink fat cells, or it may speed up metabolism to promote weight loss.

Related posts:

1. Weight Loss Helps Prevent Diabetes A few months ago (March 2005), the American Diabetes Association...
2. Which Diet Plan Is Best? Study’s Surprising Results As the old year comes to a close and everyone...
3. Which Diet Plan Is Best? Study’s Surprising Results As the old year comes to a close and everyone...

Now that we’ve covered those aspects of carbohydrates, let’s turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered.

It has been estimated that three out of every four overweight people are addicted to carbohydrates. But what does this mean? In essence, it means that you have too much of the hormone insulin in your system. This insulin prompts you to eat often and to consume the wrong types of foods. Some of the tell-tale signs of carbohydrate addiction include fatigue, mood swings, and migraines which can be caused by low blood sugar.

A carb addiction can lead you to consume a whole bag of pretzels at one sitting, or to indulge in half a cake at dinner time. Your body is conditioned to eat as many carbs as possible. Thus, it may seem that at times you’re never really satisfied—no matter how much or how often you eat.

On the official Carb Addicts plan, you eat two meals composed of vegetables and protein; the other meal consists of protein, vegetables that are not filled with starch, and carbohydrates. During this last meal, known as the reward meal, you can even eat dessert. The trick is to skip the carbs for two meals each day.

The authors of the program believe that, if you follow this regimen, you will lose your cravings for carbohydrates in time. If your urge to consume carbs does not disappear by the second week of the program, they recommend checking your diet to see whether you are following the program closely.

With the Carb Addicts plan, like other diet plans, you need to closely monitor your portion sizes. All of your hard work will be in vain if you allow yourself to over indulge in sweets—even if it is for only one meal a day. Also, you need to make sure that the protein you consume is not high in fat. You may want to eat fish, chicken with the skin removed, or lean meats when trying to obtain a protein source.

Another important aspect of the Carb Addicts plan is that you are not permitted artificial sweetener except during your reward meal. This can be quite a challenge, especially if you’re accustomed to sweetened coffee in the morning. However, it can be well worth the deprivation in the long run as you see those pounds melt away.

There is no set time for the reward meal; however the authors of the plan recommend that the meal take place in the evening. This is because it can take 12 to 24 hours for the body to overcome carbohydrate overload. There is also a psychological advantage to having the meal at night. It gives you something to look forward to all day long.

You should begin your reward meal with a salad, such as a Caesar salad or an Oriental salad, then divide the rest of the meal into thirds: One third should consist of low-carb vegetables, one-third protein, and one-third carbs. This formula has proven successful in enabling individuals to achieve long-term weight loss.

As with many other meal plans, the biggest challenge for those who are on the Carb Addicts Diet is the ability to stick with it. Dieting can be hard work, no matter what kind of rewards await an individual at the end of the day. Your commitment will enable you to stay with the program, even when it becomes particularly challenging.

Surf the World Wide Web, and you’ll find a number of testimonials offering glowing reviews of the Carb Addicts Diet. But you should keep in mind that results can differ from individual to individual. While some people might see rapid weight loss with the Carb Addicts plan, others may see only moderate weight loss. The success of the program may depend on your own individual physiology.

Is the Carb Addicts Diet a fad? It all depends on who you talk to. While some people see it as a significant dietary breakthrough, others view it as just a passing fancy. Medical experts disagree as to whether the Carb Addicts Diet represents sound nutrition. In the end, you, in consultation with your personal physician, will have to decide whether the Carb Addicts Diet will work for you.

The day will come when you can use something you read about here to have a beneficial impact. Then you’ll be glad you took the time to learn more about carbohydrates.

Related posts:

1. Low-Carb High Protein Diets This type of diet became very popular as of recently...
2. Lo Carb Diets Can Assist You Rapid Weight Loss Lo carb diets are the newest dieting trend, and seem...
3. Low-Carb Diet, Should I or Shouldn’t I? It's no wonder that confusion reigns when it comes to...

It’s perfectly normal for a dieter to reach a plateau. The trick is to use it as an opportunity to double up your efforts and get really clear on your strategy to carry you through to the finish line. Below you’ll find suggestions that can help you recommit to your program and re-ignite the weight-loss process when you feel challenged.

1. Get clear on your ultimate weight-loss goal.

Be sure that your weight-loss goal is realistic and that your expected rate of weight loss is reasonable. If you are on a heath enhancing, nutritionally rich weight loss program you can expect to loss one to two pounds a week. Each body has its own ideal weight and size. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else, but listen to your body and notice what feels best for you. A simple way to approximate your ideal weight is by referring to a Body Mass Index chart.

2. Go high-protein, low carbs.

Unless you are eating enough protein to maintain your lean muscle mass, you are likely to have lost weight already from both your fat stores and muscle. Women need to eat approximately 100grams of protein a day and men 150 grams in order to preserve their muscle tissue during a weight loss program. If you have lost some muscle during your weight loss program so far you will need to focus on protein so your body can build muscle, which requires more calories to sustain, which will in turn, kick start your weight loss again. Needless to say, any weight loss program you choose should be one that preserves your body’s muscle and this does not happen!

3. Add resistance training to your program.

A wonderful way to boost your metabolism and break through to the next level of weight loss is by incorporating aerobic exercise into your program, such as 30 minutes of walking three to four times a week. (If you are 35 years or older, or haven’t exercised regularly, begin with 10 to 15 minutes two to three times a week.) In addition, weight training with free weights or machines several times a week can help increase muscle mass, which in turn allows you to burn more calories faster. Studies show that weight training can increase your metabolism overnight by five to 10 percent. Working out can increase your metabolism for up to 21 hours after an intense workout.

4. Look out for hidden carbohydrates.

If your weight loss progress seems slow, look out for carbohydrates that might be sneaking their way unnoticed into your diet. Sugar can lurk in the most unexpected places such as ketchup, salad dressings, teriyaki and barbecue sauces. Watch out too for cornstarch, sugar or milk solids in many processed foods such as gravies, or sauces on frozen vegetables. Be especially careful about “low-fat” foods where flavor is enhanced by sugar and other carbohydrates. Try keeping a diet journal for a couple of days of EVERYTHING you eat and drink. You may quickly discover the hidden carbs that are keeping your weight-loss progress stuck and be able to eliminate them and move past your plateau.

5. Take the “refinement” out of your diet.

Try eliminating all refined sugar and refined grains from your diet. This includes white bread, pastries, pasta, white rice, white flour crackers, sugar-coated breakfast cereals, cookies and cake. This simple step can encourage a huge weight-loss breakthrough and leave you feeling more healthy and energized in the process.

6. Don’t go hungry.

Cutting back on how often you eat can have a negative impact on your diet plateau. Many studies show that small, frequent meals are more satisfying and produce better weight-loss results than the same number of calories consumed in three large meals. Take advantage of healthy snacking and crunch on fresh slices of raw vegetables like celery, peppers, cucumber and jicama when you’re hungry.

7. Drink to burn up.

It’s vitally important to replenish your fluids by drinking plenty of water on your weight loss program. An inadequate supply of water in itself can slow down your weight-loss. Carry water with you wherever you go throughout the day. For additional weight-management benefits, add a high quality aloe concentrate to your water to help keep your digestion in top shape. Also, a probiotic supplement can help us maintain a healthy intestinal flora. Keeping well hydrated not only helps you burn fat efficiently, it also helps control hunger.

8. Keep your incentive strong.

Remember the determination you felt when you first began your weight-loss program? Remember the excitement of watching the pounds drop one by one? Go back to whatever your initial motivation was and see whether it still works for you. It may have been the desire to lose weight for a particular event or to regain your figure after pregnancy. You may have been motivated by poor health or by the shock of just how much weight you had gained. See whether the same motivation still has juice for you. If not, choose a new one. Keep a picture of yourself looking great (or bad!) on your refrigerator as a daily reminder of where you are heading.

(c) Kim Beardsmore

Related posts:

1. Weight Loss Myths Exposed It probably won’t come as a surprise to hear there...
2. Eat Your Way to Weight Loss Experts tell us we are what we eat. A disturbing...
3. Your Food Can Prematurely Age You! Did you know that the food you eat could be...