Weight loss: Are you ready?

Ask yourself these questions to see if you're ready to start a weight-loss program.

Weight loss demands focus plus mental and physical energy. So if you want to succeed, you need to prepare yourself. Part of that preparation is determining whether now is the right time to start your weight-loss program.

"Weight loss is challenging, and it requires a commitment, as many people who have tried know very well," says Donald Hensrud, M.D., a preventive medicine and nutrition specialist at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. "But if there is another factor present, such as stress, lack of time or a physical ailment or condition that limits physical activity, it can make the challenge of weight loss even more difficult."

Your weight-loss success depends on your readiness to take on this challenge. These questions can help you judge whether you're ready to lose weight:

• Are you motivated to make long-term lifestyle changes that require eating healthy foods and exercising more? Be honest. Knowing you need to make changes in your life and feeling up to the challenge are two different things. Successful weight loss depends on your willingness to take action.
• Do you currently have distractions in your life that may prevent you from committing to your weight-loss program? You may set yourself up for failure if you're distracted by other major events in your life, such as marital problems, job stress or financial worries. Give your life a chance to calm down before you start. Making the lifestyle changes necessary to achieve and maintain a healthy weight must be among your highest priorities.
• Do you truly believe that slower is better? Losing weight at a relatively slow pace has proved safe, healthy and effective over the long term. You want to aim for a weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds a week. That may seem agonizingly slow in our instant-gratification society. But if you make improving your health a long-term goal of your weight-loss program, speed won't matter.
• Are you realistic about your weight-loss goal? Remember, losing as little as 5 percent to 10 percent of your body weight can reap health rewards if you're overweight or obese. Start small. Work on losing 4 to 8 pounds a month. Ask your doctor how much weight you can safely lose.
• Do you have family and friends to support your weight-loss efforts? It certainly helps to have someone in your corner. In fact, the more the merrier. If you don't have someone you can rely on, consider joining a weight-loss support group.
• Do you believe that you can change your eating habits? Sounds easy to do in theory, but in practice, it can be difficult. It's hard to cast aside established behaviors.
• Are you willing to become more physically active? Increasing your level of physical activity is essential to losing weight and keeping it off. You'll also feel better and have more energy.
• Do you have time to keep records of your food intake and physical activity? Keeping records increases your chance of success. Although this takes time at first, the effort required decreases as you adopt healthier habits. You'll be pleasantly surprised by how helpful it is to track your progress.
• Are you willing to look at past successes and failures in weight loss and other areas of your life? Changing behavior isn't easy. It takes time and effort. You'll run into barriers on your path to success. But be optimistic. Learn from the past about what motivates you. Keep working to resolve barriers that might prevent success.
• Do you view a healthy-weight program as a positive experience? Lose weight because you want to and not because you think it's expected. You'll quickly appreciate the benefits that come from weight loss.
• Have you resolved any eating disorders or other emotional issues that make it difficult for you to achieve a healthy weight? If you have a tendency to binge, purge, starve or overexert when you exercise, or if you're depressed or anxious, you may need professional help.
• Do you believe that a healthy weight is a lifelong commitment? Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is a lifelong process. There's no going back to your old behaviors. Are you ready to make a permanent change?

If you answered yes to all of these questions, you're ready to make the lifestyle changes necessary for permanent weight loss.

If you answered no to one or more of these questions, you may not be ready. And that's OK. Explore what's holding you back and face those obstacles. In some cases it may be a simple matter of timing. For instance, you may need to resolve other problems in your life. In other cases, you may need to work on related issues — such as your feelings toward weight loss or your willingness to commit to permanent changes.

You may be able to make these changes alone, or you may need the help of a doctor or dietitian. "Educating yourself about the process of successful weight loss and maintenance is a start," says Dr. Hensrud. For example, learn more about the dietary changes necessary for losing weight. Or enroll in a behavioral-based program — a program that can help you change the behaviors that can interfere with weight loss, such as eating when you're stressed or bored.

If you're ready for weight loss but fear you'll become discouraged quickly, think toward the future. "As you become more physically active and make dietary changes," says Dr. Hensrud, "you'll feel better and have more energy." And rather than thinking of weight loss as a short-term drudgery, view it as an enjoyable lifestyle change that persists indefinitely.

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How to lose weight the healthy way

Exercise more The healthiest way to lose weight is neither crash diets and fad diets nor sudden bursts of exercise. The body likes slow changes in terms of food and exercise. For example, someone who has not exercised for years should not rush into running three miles every day. Exercise needs to be increased slowly. People who eat a lot will experience problems if they suddenly start starving themselves. Introduce changes gradually. Even relatively light exercise such as a short walk may be beneficial if done frequently. The calories you eat minus what you use in exercise and maintaining your body will be stored as fat. Someone that increases the amount they exercise, but maintains the same diet and calorie intake, will almost certainly lose weight. How to exercise in a fun way Thankfully we are all different in our likes and dislikes and, therefore, exercise in a variety of ways. It is essential that you find an activity that is enjoyable, appropriate, accessible and affordable for you. That way you are far more likely to build it into your routine and continue regular exercise, despite the inevitable set backs due to illness, family commitments, etc. For people who do not like sweating in a fitness studio there are fun alternatives. When going to the local park, nature trails or trips to the seaside, try to incorporate longer walks into the outing and take a picnic so you are in control of what you are going to eat that day. Always use the stairs instead of the lift. Bear in mind that every single step helps. Get off the bus a stop before the usual one and walk the rest of the way. Use commercial breaks between TV-programmes to stand up and do exercise, or consider using an exercise bicycle in your living room while watching your favourite programme. Reduce calories For many people it may be beneficial to reduce their calorie intake by eating less and eating more healthily. It is not necessary to crash diet. This usually ends up with the person concerned either getting weaker or giving up completely in desperation. This in turn can lead to a yo-yoing effect of the weight loss - weight gain cycle. Cut down on fatty foods and eat more bread, fruit and vegetables. Eating 300 to 500 calories less per day, may lead to losing between one and two pounds per week. This is a realistic weight loss. It may seem slow, but would add up to a weight loss of more than three stone in a year. Having a glass of water instead of juice, eating less lunch than usual and having smaller portions of the food you enjoy are all ways to reduce calorific intake without having to necessarily alter your diet significantly. Avoid a second helping at dinner and snacks between meals, which may have become a habit. Cut down on beer and alcohol. All these things will influence your health in a positive way. Write down your weight every week From the day you decide to lose weight, weigh yourself once or twice a week before breakfast. Keep a record of this weight and see the pattern that develops. Be patient and persevere It might take a week or two before the results will show, but they will steadily appear. After the first month you will be able to both see the results and measure them. Rewarding oneself with something nice for reaching certain targets can be beneficial. For example, going to the movies or getting a new CD to celebrate the progress - whatever suits you as an individual for all your hard work. You must not forget to share your joy with your friends and relations. Explain to them how you are losing weight because other people's support is valuable. Let's face it: if a person is really serious about fighting their weight problem, then they can no longer enjoy lots of food, cakes and sweets. This does not mean that they have to completely cut out everything unhealthy - that would be torture. But they can learn how to enjoy these foods in small quantities. Every single time a person exercises more than usual, they burn calories and fat. Avoid being impatient and remind yourself that the results will slowly manifest themselves. Remember that there are no shortcuts to losing weight in a healthy and reasonable way. Health risks associated with being overweight Studies show that women who lose only 10 to 20lb halve their risk of developing diabetes. For men, the risk of heart problems is reduced considerably. It may seem like these are problems to worry about in the future, but time flies by and tomorrow becomes today. We age gradually over time and sooner or later, our bodies will react to how we live our lives. By losing weight it becomes easier to grow old gracefully, without having to be troubled so much by illnesses. Usually people gain weight as the years go by. A few pounds over the years are not a problem. But people who gain more than 20lb compared to their weight as an 18-year-old, will rapidly increase the risk of health problems due to that extra weight. Women who are 20lb heavier than when they were 18-year-olds have increased their risk of dying of a cardiac arrest sevenfold and have doubled their risk of dying of cancer.

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10 Tips To Minimizing A Plus Size Body Type

A plus size physique is no longer left out of the ever-changing world of fashion. Not so long ago, curvy women didn’t have the opportunity to shop from the same trendy selection as a more petite lady. Luckily, plus size clothing has taken a turn for the better. To that end, there are a few tips to help in the selection of the most figure flattering attire for your body type.

Tip # 1
Dark, solid colors are slimming. Any plus size gal will recognize that black is the ultimate color to help in minimizing those curves. In addition to classic black, navy blue can also help to instantly provide the look of a slimmer physique.

Tip # 2
Princess seams. These are ideal for plus size wear because of their slimming design. Princess seams are those that curve in, on both sides, to form a very lazy ‘C’ stitch.

Tip # 3
Long sleeves help to minimize the appearance of full-figured arms or wrists. It happens to all of us. One day we wake up and our arms are no longer the tight shape that they once were, but that is what long sleeves are for. The length will minimize a plus size wrist or forearm and draw attention to any unwanted thickness in either area.

Tip # 4
Shorts may show off plus size thighs or leg, but capris pants with an ankle bracelet will draw the eye to the ankle and will decrease any signs of a plus size presence.

Tip # 5
Most plus size ladies want to wear baggy clothes, but this doesn’t hide anything. Always go for a more figure flattering approach. This doesn’t mean to wear tight clothes, but it does mean to wear something that accentuates the figure in good taste.

Tip # 6
If you have love handles, don’t wear extremely a snug shirt with jeans as this may make the bulge a little more obvious. Instead, wear your favorite jeans with an a-line or flutter shirt. This will hide any problem areas and maximize your sense of style.

Tip # 7
Do not wear clothes that are overly tight. This is simply bad taste. Enough said.

Tip # 8
A monochromatic look, meaning clothing that is all one color, can give the wearer a taller and more slim appearance. And, after all, what woman wouldn’t want either of those characteristics in an outfit? Consider a black figure flattering top with a black pant in soft material. For a special touch, add a trendy belt, but take a look at the new you with an instantly slimmer look.

Tip # 9
A suntan will give a healthier and possibly even a slimming glow. A tan looks healthy and health is beautiful. Avoid the sun or a tanning bed, but check out a high quality self-tanning lotion instead.

Tip # 10
Control top pantyhose or a tummy control panty can help to eliminate belly bulge. Any woman, whether plus size or not, has a stomach. If you want to slim up your tummy area, either of these will help to minimize any bulge.

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Doctors Offer Five Tips for Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain

To help people concerned about holiday weight gain, the doctors and nutritionists at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) offer five tips for enjoying the holiday festivities with tasty, non-fattening foods. In America, 65 percent of people are overweight, and rates of weight-related illnesses, such as heart disease and diabetes, are skyrocketing.

“Share the gift of good health with friends and family,” advises Brie Turner-McGrievy, M.S., R.D., clinical research coordinator for PCRM. “With the obesity epidemic an ever-growing concern, now is the time to create a new family tradition by serving holiday foods that are tasty, nutritious, and slimming. In other words, skip the fat and make it vegetarian.”

Five Tips for Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain:

1.Share the gift of good health
When entertaining, serve festive holiday foods that are healthful and slimming. Choose a hearty autumn stew, faux-turkey with cranberry sauce, or baked local acorn squash drizzled with Vermont maple syrup and sprinkled with fresh herbs. For dessert, there’s pumpkin custard pie or sliced mango with ginger cookies. For healthful holiday recipes, please visit www.pcrm.org/health/Recipes/holiday_recipes.html.

2. Make it vegetarian this holiday season
Vegetarians are, on average, 10 percent leaner than omnivores. When researchers at PCRM instructed overweight individuals on how to switch to a low-fat, vegan diet, the patients lost weight without counting calories and managed to maintain or keep losing weight through the holiday season.

3. Lower the fat
Cutting out the animal fats found in turkey, ham, dairy products, and eggs and eliminating added oils, such as margarine or shortening, are easy ways to decrease calorie intake.

4. Get plenty of fiber
Fiber makes us feel full without adding too many calories, and diets high in fiber may prevent heart disease, some cancers, diabetes, and weight gain. Every 14 grams of extra fiber in your daily diet cuts your calorie intake by 10 percent.

5. Travel smart
Order a vegetarian entrée or a salad while in the airport and on the plane, and pack healthy food to take with you.

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Tips to look Slim

There are times especially the holiday season when you take a break from your sensible-eating and exercise regime and want to just lie back and enjoy all those forbidden foods. Well then you are bound to put on weight but until you have worked towards reducing the excess weight you can follow these few tips to look slim.

• Stand comfortably erect and stick your stomach in. Good posture always makes you look slimmer.
• Dark colours such as olive, black, charcoal grey, and navy help make areas appear smaller so wear them where you think you need it. For most women it's from the waist down.
• Avoid shiny or heavily textured fabrics. Shiny fabrics reflect light, making any area appear larger. Heavily texture fabrics only add extra weight.
• Sewn-down pleats in skirts and blouses can both create a slimming effect. Include vertical lines in your accessories, such as long chains worn around the neck.
• Avoid extensive use of horizontal lines - belts, boat-collar blouses and border print skirts. These styles can add extra width to your body frame.
• Your best asset is your face; so draw attention to it with scarves and jewellery worn around the face.
• Introduce simple lines, such as A-line skirts, tailor-notched, collared blouses and blazers. The oversized blazer is a great solution for camouflaging large derrieres and hips. Double-pleated skirts and trousers mask protruding stomachs and provide comfort as well.
• If you want to appear thinner incorporate dark, cool and dull colours and textures. Dull textures absorb the light like wool or cotton. Some very slimming colours include black, navy, olive, violet, charcoal grey, chocolate brown, plum, eggplant and burgundy.
  

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13 Weight-Loss Tips for People Who Love to Eat

When did eating become such an all-or-nothing proposition? It seems that Americans are either gorging on gargantuan portions of unhealthy, highly processed foods and getting fatter all the time, or they're starving themselves on the latest hyper-restrictive diet that no one could stay on for more than a few weeks without feeling miserable and deprived. Whatever happened to just enjoying good food, in moderation, without guilt?

If we buy into the common-sense wisdom found in books like the bestseller French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano, it's clear that the way to be thin and still have some joie with our meals is to adopt a more traditional, and worldly, way of dining. Moderate portions, fresh whole foods, relaxing and lingering with family and friends at the table-it's what they do not just in France, but throughout the Mediterranean, Latin America and Asia. These are places where obesity rates have historically been low (at least until the global spread of fast food and sedentary lifestyles boosted obesity everywhere). It's where the "gym workout" was a bicycle ride to work or school, or where eating a low-fat diet meant Mom stretching the meat by stuffing cabbage or grape leaves. This reminds us that it is possible to eat what you love without feeling guilty, deprived or going on any restrictive regimen. Here's how:

1. Start with soup. This Japanese tradition is one of the best weight-loss strategies. That's because eating soup, particularly the broth-based vegetable kind, before your entrée fills you up so you eat less during the meal, explains Barbara Rolls, Guthrie professor of nutrition at Penn State University in University Park, and author of The Volumetrics Eating Plan (Harper-Collins, 2005). A two-year French study of 2,188 men and 2,849 women found that those who ate soup five to six times a week were more likely to have BMIs below 23 (considered lean), compared with infrequent- or noneaters whose BMIs tended to be in the 27 range.

2. Mix up the flavors. In ayurveda, including the six basic tastes-sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent-is the key to a satisfying meal that won't leave you craving junk food later, says Workman.

Not sure where to start? This will cover all the flavor bases: Try salmon with yogurt dill sauce along with some sautéed kale topped with mango chutney, a sweet potato sprinkled with sea salt and a little clarified butter, and finish with a cup of chai and a small piece of dark chocolate.

3. Go for color. The Japanese have a saying: "Not dressing up the meal with color is like going out without clothes." Not only does color make food more attractive, but consciously seeking out colorful foods is a great way to bulk up your meals without a lot of calories. A Cornell University study of 6,500 adults in rural China found that while the Chinese ate about 30 percent more than the average American male, they weighed about 25 percent less, largely because they ate a lot of plant-based foods. The Japanese aim for five colors at each meal: red, blue-green, yellow, white and black, including things like red peppers, squash, broccoli, onions, black beans or black olives. "We're variety seekers, so instead of seeking a variety of, say, cookies, get the variety from these low-energy dense foods," Rolls says.

4. Drizzle on the healthy oils. Healthy fats like olive oil, a staple of the Mediterranean diet, and canola oil, a staple of Okinawans, make vegetables tastier, so you're likely to eat more of them. According to data from the Catalan Nutrition Survey done in Spain, people who ate the most olive oil also consumed more vegetables than those who consumed the least olive oil. And, as we know, eating a diet rich in produce is key to maintaining a healthy weight. In a study of more than 74,000 female nurses conducted over 12 years, Northwestern and Harvard University researchers discovered that those who added the most fruits and vegetables to their diets lowered their risk for major weight gain by 28 percent.

5. Make lunch your main meal. Although they do this throughout Europe, a good explanation for eating your big meal at midday comes from ayurveda, India's 5,000-year-old approach to wellness. "According to ayurveda, we're actually designed to eat the larger meal at lunch because our digestive 'fire,' called agni, is strongest between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., so we digest more efficiently," explains Jennifer Workman, a Boulder, Colorado-based ayurveda specialist, registered dietitian and author of Stop Your Cravings (Free Press, 2001). "I've seen people in my practice lose 5 to 10 pounds just by doing this."

6. Think quality, not quantity. The French snub processed "diet foods" not found in nature, opting instead for high-quality meats, fish, produce, dairy, even desserts. When food is fresh and flavorful, you can be satisfied with smaller portions. This is the opposite of the American approach, which is to fill up on bland diet foods, then gorge on sweets later. "The French set the standard for small portions with their haute cuisine," says David Katz, MD, author of The Way To Eat (Source Books, 2002). "If we consider that part of eating is to induce pleasure, if you can get there with quality of choice, you get there in fewer calories."

7. Chow down only when you're hungry. Americans eat for all sorts of reasons besides hunger, especially from boredom, loneliness, stress or fear, a foreign concept in other cultures. "You can't make food the solution to every issue in your life and expect to be thin," says Dr. Katz. "If you eat from boredom, find a hobby. If you eat to relieve stress, learn meditation or yoga."

8. Dine with others. Eating with family or friends vs. alone in your car, at your desk or on the couch is part and parcel of traditional cultures. Not only does camaraderie make the meal more enjoyable, it's slimming. "Eating with others restrains your own behavior," notes Dr. Katz. "You eat more slowly, which increases the likelihood that you'll register when you're full before you've eaten more than you should."

9. Have a glass of wine. A staple of French and Mediterranean tables, wine adds joie to the meal, and because it contains potent antioxidants, is at least partly responsible for why these cultures traditionally have lower rates of cardiovascular disease and mortality despite their higher-fat diets. And while some studies show that we tend to eat more when we imbibe, a Finnish study actually found that male drinkers were leaner than abstainers.

10. Get moving. People in Asian countries, France and the Mediterranean tend to be slim because they're more active. Not that they spend hours at the gym; they simply walk a lot. It can work for Americans too. A study of 200,000 Americans at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, found that city dwellers were six pounds lighter than their suburban counterparts, largely because, instead of driving, they walked more. "You're not working out," says Dr. Clower. "You're just moving."

11. When you're eating, just eat. No other culture multi-tasks meals the way Americans do with our TV dinners, fast-food drive-throughs and grab-'n-go food that's designed to fit into a car cup holder and be eaten with one hand. In Japan, it's considered rude to eat while walking. And you'll never catch the French gulping coffee in the car. "In France, there are no car cup holders because you don't drink coffee while driving," explains Will Clower, PhD, author of The Fat Fallacy: The French Diet Secrets to Permanent Weight Loss (Three Rivers Press, 2003). "Eating and drinking aren't errands. It's not what you do on the way to something else." Good advice. When you're distracted by work, traffic or the TV, you're apt to overeat without even realizing it, notes Dean Ornish, MD, author of Eat More, Weigh Less (Perennial Books, 2001). "If you really pay attention to what you're eating, you enjoy it more fully and don't need as much food."

12. Enjoy regular meals. One reason French women don't get fat is because French women eat three meals a day. You may think skipping meals cuts calories, but all it does is evoke a primal "fear of hunger response" that causes overeating later, explains Dr. Katz. "Throughout most of our history, we had too little to eat. So when you go for long periods without eating, you stir up all that native programming, which says eat like crazy when you can, because all too often you can't." Start with breakfast. Studies show that breakfast-eaters are slimmer than skippers.

13. Stop eating before you're full. The Okinawans, whose average BMI is 21.5 for those who eat a traditional diet, call this hara hachi bu, or eating till you're 80 percent full. Of course, we're not suggesting that you leave the table hungry. But eating until the buttons pop stretches the stomach by about 20 percent each time you do it, so you inevitably need more food to feel satisfied, explains Bradley Willcox, MD, co-author of The Okinawa Diet Plan (Random House, 2004). He says that putting your fork down "when you feel that first twinge of fullness" gives your brain a chance to realize that you are full before you overdo it.

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Weight Loss Diet Tips...

By buying a diet plan, you have made a commitment to yourself about the changes you want to make with your health, and for most people, body weight as well. It is important, and for some, it is even urgent. It is a life goal and a value for you to do this. So, this should be at the top of your “to do” list every day. But is it? What things get in the way of starting and maintaining your eating and/or exercise program?

If you are like most people, just about every day is filled with tasks that must be done, at work, at school, and at home. Your “to do” list is longer than the day allows, and you are probably doing many things at once. And, if you are not getting an average of 7.5 hours of sleep, you are getting through the day sleep-deprived, and you’re not functioning as well as you could. Many of you eat throughout the day haphazardly, eating whatever is handy or convenient at the time. Most of you said that work or school gets in the way of eating well and exercising. Many of you have asked for a plan that considers your habit of snacking and eating convenient foods. But having a plan that gives you goals and strategies to deal with these issues isn’t enough. You have to put it into action, and you have to repeat these new strategies until they become a habit, something you don’t have to think about, you just do.

Commit to the plan
Changing your eating habits and getting in shape are long term goals, and like most long term goals, it is important, but not “urgent”. If you’ve ever taken a course in time management or read Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, you know what I mean. (If you haven’t read this book, I recommend it, it’s worth the time). The thing about important, long term goals, is that often daily, less important, but more “urgent” tasks get in the way of accomplishing them. Most of us are really good about getting the daily things done (doing homework, doing errands, etc.). But pretty soon, a year goes by and we are no closer to the important life goal, no matter how important it was, or still is. So, to make sure that you are making headway on your diet plan, you must put it on your list of things to do, every day. By the way, this has good scientific support. It has been found that just writing down the foods you’ve eaten every day leads to weight loss, all by itself. It seems that the act of being conscious of what you’ve eaten by writing it down can lead to eating better, or less, which leads to weight loss. So, here are some very specific suggestions on how to keep your long term goal of losing weight and improving your health at the top of your daily tasks.

1. Write down what you want to accomplish with your health and your body weight. Be specific. “I want to lose 10 pounds by the end of the year” is much better than “Someday I would like to lose weight”. Another goal might be “I want to have my cholesterol or blood pressure in the normal range within six months” or "I want to reduce my body fat by 2% over the next 6 months". These are examples of long term goals.
   
   
   
2. It’s not enough to have the goal. You have to remind yourself of it every day. Put this goal in your day timer, calendar, computer, or where ever you keep your list of “things to do”.
   
   
   
3. The long term goal might be specific, but you need short term strategies to get there. Your plan was designed with this in mind. All of your eating habits have been analyzed and broken down into categories. You were given specific goals and strategies to implement within each area. Or, you can follow the calorie specific “Eating Guidelines” and just follow the amounts and types of foods to eat. The point is, where is your plan? Do you keep it with you during the day and refer to it?
   
   
   
4. As I have said in your Personal Diet Plan, you probably cannot make all of the changes at once, and realistically, you can’t do everything right every day. It is definitely a process. Pick one or two strategies that you can focus upon. Most of you have identified snacking and “overeating” as two key elements that need to be worked upon. Write down your snacking goals, read the strategies in your plan. and pick one or two you can actually put into action this week. Be realistic about what you can do. Write your specific strategies in your daily organizer every day. Check it off it you accomplished it.
   
   
   
5. If you didn’t put your strategies into action, evaluate why. You may need to change something about your day to make this happen for you. For example, if your plan is to bring healthy snacks to school or work, you need to put them on your grocery list and actually buy them first, then set them out where you can remember them! If you brought the healthy snacks, but didn’t eat them and instead ate the higher calorie, high fat snacks, evaluate why this happened. Are you sabotaging yourself? Do you really want to put forth the effort to make the change? Based on your findings, make a plan for tomorrow to accomplish your goal. When you set out to do something hard (like changing your life habits), you will make mistakes, but it is bigger mistake not to try, and to keep trying every day. What is life without goals?
   

This week, take fifteen minutes and get organized with your plan. Write down your long term health and/or weight goal. Write down your specific strategies you want to work on this week. Put this in your organizer and take it with you. Take a few minutes at the end of the day to evaluate what happened, and to plan the next day. The small amount of time you take to plan will make a big difference in your ability to realize success. Give your important goal the time it deserves!

Try some new recipes, most are pretty easy and quick, but I included a few that take a little more time for those who enjoy cooking and want to try something new.

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Weight Loss and Diet Tips: One Change Can Make All The Difference

Ever wondered why some people manage to keep their weight off easily and others just pile it all back on when they stop that new diet? The answer is easy; it comes down to one simple change.

Before we get to that simple change, you need to keep in mind these rules of thumb when it comes to dieting.

1. Never do a diet, which forbids a food group. This is simply asking for trouble. One day, no matter how hard you try, you will eat something from the forbidden food group and fail. Not very positive is it? You are setting yourself up for disappointment. Dieting is hard enough, so try and make it as easy as humanly possible.

2. Never give up trying. Overeating is a little like smoking; they are both addictive, costly and bad for your health. People recognize the world over that giving up smoking is very difficult but overeating is seen as a weakness. No matter what people may think, you can lose weight. Choose a diet that is right for you and start again. Never give up trying.

3. Seek help. You can get help with your weight loss program from lots of different sources. Online forums are free places where you can discuss your diet and meet new friends. You can motivate one another. If you are too shy for forums then some weight loss programs offer online support as one of their packages, but these usually involve a charge. Help from friends and family is free and invaluable to your dieting efforts. Help can motivate you and encourage you to hit your slimming goals.

Now these three points should help you to choose a healthy diet and motivate you into trying to lose those extra pounds.

Back to that simple change.

People who keep their weight loss off change tiny things in their daily life.

Instead of full fat milk they have skimmed, they grill rather than fry and they choose to reduce the amount of cheese, cream, cakes and biscuits they eat, every single day.

Now you are immediately going to say that that is lots of changes not just one. To some degree you would be correct, but not completely.

If you look at a photograph it is one small picture but when looked at closely, it is made up of thousands of pixels. One small sugar cube is made up of hundreds of sugar grains, and a handkerchief consists of numerous cotton threads. Almost everything in the world, no matter how small, can be broken down into even smaller parts. All those tiny parts still only amount to one small thing.

You make several tiny changes to your lifestyle, which you genuinely do not mind and weight loss becomes easy. Remember, they have to be changes that you will hardly notice � low fat spread instead of full fat, low calorie squash or just eating more fruit.

Make the one small change to adjust your eating habits slightly and permanently and even if you break your diet program, you could still lose weight slowly and steadily.

Good luck with whichever weight loss program you choose and happy, easy slimming!

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Slimming Solutions

Here are 5 solutions to slimming:

1. Set Mini-Goals: Try setting short-term or "mini" goals to help you achieve your goal of shedding the excess weight. Keep in mind that your mini goals should be specific and realistic, and they should have a measurable outcome. Setting your target in specific, measurable terms will increase your chances of accomplishing your long term goal of losing those unwanted pounds. In addition, remember to be realistic. If you've been consuming over 2000 calories, dont try cutting back to 1400 overnight. And if you haven't exercised all year, dont aim to run three miles each day.

2. Budget your foods: If you can budget your money, you can budget your foods. Aim to have a specific amount of fruits, vegetables, starches, proteins and fats throughout the day, or for each meal. By limiting the amounts of each type of food, you will be able to stay within a calorie level that will enable you to loose weight.

3. Keep a food journal: Keeping a food journal helps you to avoid what is called "unconscious eating" - eating that leads to consumption of excess calories, beyond what you may have ever intended to consume. In fact, research actually shows that keeping a food journal will help you to loose weight!

If emotional eating is a big sticking point for you, then journaling your moods, such as stress, boredom or anger can help you pinpoint problem areas, which in some cases may serve as triggers to overeating. Once you understand the problem, you can find a solution that does not involve opening the boxes of cookies or the jar of jellybeans.

4. Get moving: If you dont have time to get to the gym or to your aerobics class, be sure to engage in some physical activity at some point during the day. Believe it or not, even light physical activity can help you shed excess pounds and get into shape.

Burning an extra 500 calories each day will help you to loose one pound per week. So, be sure to take advantage of the longer days with outside walks and outdoor activities. In addition to burning excess calories, getting out of the house to get your body moving will keep you away from the refrigerator.

5. Drink lots of water: Water will help to curb your appetite; it will also keep you hydrated during the hot months ahead, And here is an added bonus: Cold water helps you to burn calories! That's right - the process of bringing cold water to your body's own temperature involves expending energy, or calories. So carry a water bottle with you at all times, and aim for at least eight ounce glasses each day (or ten if you exercise).

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How to lose weight - what works, what doesn't work, and my day in a weight loss chat room#2

The next thing that bothered me was the gimmick weight loss diets themselves. Now, before I go any further, let me just say that if you like these types of diets and they work for you, then please, keep doing it. You should do whatever works for you! Now, getting back to these gimmick diets.. you do NOT need them! They don't do anything special, they just make it seem like they do so they can get your money. None of these types of diets really do anything special at all in terms of losing weight. For example, slimfast. Do you know what slimfast is? It's calories. Sure, its a "delicious shake," but all it really is is just calories. I do not know how many calories are in slimfast, but for this example, lets pretend it has 250 calories. The thing about slimfast is that it is just these calories. There is no weight loss magic in it. You would get the same results by eating 250 calories worth of good food like chicken breasts or tuna fish. The only difference I see between 250 calories worth of slimfast and 250 calories worth of chicken is that you will probably be fuller and feel like you ate more after eating the chicken instead of drinking down a slimfast shake. See my point?
To be honest, I think these gimmick diets are bad for most people. They are confusing. I don't know everything about the weight watchers diet plan, but I know the basic idea is that food counts as points, and each food is worth a certain amount of points and you are allowed to eat a certain amount of points a day. The big sell of this diet is how something like a cookie is this many points, which means you can still eat a cookie as long as you stay within your daily point range. This one is starting to sound like "eating in moderation" and if you read my food cravings article, you most certainly know that I am fully against "moderation."
I mean, if counting weight watchers points and checking your point guide book thing and seeing how many points are in this and seeing if this many points equals this many cookies and points this and points that works for you, then fine with me.
But honestly, it is not needed one bit. Weight watchers is just replacing the word calories with the word points. Instead of watching the calories you eat per day, you are now watching the points.
The difference? Watching calories is free, and watching points costs money. Oh, you didn't know? Weight watchers isn't free. You need to pay to sign up for all of the really important weight watchers stuff and point system guides and other junk or else it will never ever work and you will be doomed to never lose weight!!!! Bullshit, just eat right and workout.. point system my ass.
Moving on, another thing that really made my day in this weight loss room was the constant spam. If you don't know what spam is, lets pretend you are in a chatroom and all of a sudden someone comes in and says "Looking to by life insurance? Click here NOW!!!!!!!" and then they leave the room right after, that is spam. It seemed like once every 20 seconds someone new would come in and spam their useless weight loss crap. Sometimes they'd stay for a while and put on a whole act that sadly, only I was able to figure out was a spam act. They'd say "I feel great, just lost 50 pounds!" Then of course, the whole room asked them how, and they say "It was easy since I used herbal-meta-slim-weight-fast-quickfix-watchers-pill" or whatever the name of the useless product or gimmick was and then, magically, this person just happens to have a web site or a phone number or some way for everyone else in the room to buy this product.
Remember before when I said the only way to lose weight was to eat right and workout and that this was the only answer anyone would ever give you if you asked them how they lost weight? Well, let me add a second half to that. If anyone EVER tells you they lost weight some other way or even just says that another way of losing weight exists, then they are lying and trying to get you to buy something. Remember that.
You know what though? In the end, weight loss IS simple! There is nothing to it actually, just learn what you need to do and then just keep doing it. Here's how.... Your weight works like this. There is a certain number of calories that you need to eat a day in order for your body to maintain its current weight. If you eat about 500 calories less than this maintaining number, then you will lose weight. Combine this with making sure the calories you do take in come from only good foods, combine this with drinking lots of water and getting enough sleep, and combine this with working out correctly, and weight loss happens. How do you like that? You didn't have to spend any money and there were no fancy gimmicks. What I just described works. It ALWAYS works! If it doesn't work, then you are NOT human! How's that for a guarantee? So if you do it and it doesn't seem to be working, then guess what? You were NOT doing it right! It's just that simple. I know I just gave a very broad description, but the whole weight loss diet and workout is described in way better detail on other parts of this site. EVERYTHING you need in order to lose weight is here for you, free. Check out the weight loss page for the full diet and workout information here: weight loss
Weight loss isn't rocket science. It isn't confusing and it isn't complicated. It is simple, whether you refuse to beleive it or not. Just eat right and workout, and that's it. Oh, and one more thing... please never invite me to any more weight loss chat rooms!! LOL

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How to lose weight - what works, what doesn't work, and my day in a weight loss chat room

Not too long ago someone emailed me and thanked me for the information on the site about weight loss. They told me that they lost 30 pounds by following the info on the site, which is always nice to hear. They then went on to tell me about a weight loss chat room that they go into every once in a while where the people in there didn't know very much about losing weight. They wanted me to check it out. So, I checked this weight loss chat room out one day and what I saw was pretty bad and actually kind of funny, in pathetic kind of way though. The main subject of this room was of course the almighty question... How do I lose weight? I am going to answer that question for you right now plain and simple and by only using 4 easy words that everyone can understand even if you know nothing about weight loss.

The main thing in this weight loss room that caught my attention was that every once in a while, someone would come in and say that they lost weight. Everyone else in the room would then congratulate them on losing the weight and within the next 5 seconds, EVERYONE in the room would all ask this person one question all at once.... "How did you lose it???" Honestly, I find that question to be extremely funny. I just can't figure out how anyone can ask that question. Someone loses weight and you ask them how they lost that weight? What kind of stupid question is that? To me that question is just as funny as if someone said "I just got a haircut" and someone asks them "Really? How did your hair get cut off?" The obvious answer is "With scissors." And the answer to the question "how did you lose weight" is just as simple and as obvious as that... and that is why I find it so funny.

You see, despite the hopes and dreams of many lazy people, there is only one way to lose weight. No, that wasn't a typo.

You can only lose weight 1 way, by doing 1 thing. Here it comes, get your pads and pens ready and write this one down. Here are those 4 simple words that I mentioned before, here is how weight loss happens.

Drum roll please...

If you want to lose weight, you need to "eat right and workout." There you have it ladies and gentlemen, the 4 simple words. Eat right and workout! That's it! That is ALL that works!! EVERYTHING else is USELESS!

If weight loss and losing weight is your goal, then you just need to eat right and workout and THAT'S IT!!!!

When people ask the "how did you lose weight" question, it's like they are expecting to hear something other then "I ate right and worked out," but you will NEVER EVER hear any other answer to that question. I mean honestly, when these people ask that question to someone, do they really expect them to say "Well, I bought one of those electronic ab belts 3 weeks ago and LOOK AT ME NOW!!" Hell no, you will never hear that! Do you think someone is going to answer them with "I went to the supplement store and bought these amazing fat burning pills to help me lose weight and I lost it all in no time. The pills did all the work for me!" You will never hear that either! The only answer that they will ever hear is that this person lost weight by eating right and working out. Do you know why that is the only answer they will ever hear? It's because that is the ONLY thing that works. There are no weight loss secrets, no machines with super powers, and no magical pills, products or supplements.

Another thing that I found so funny in this room was how these people, who all claim they want to lose weight, will try just about anything (no matter how stupid) as long as it doesn't require them to eat 100% correctly, workout correctly and do all of the hard work that is needed in order for weight loss to happen. One of the many stupid conversations that I saw in this weight loss room was something about some type of herbal tea that is supposed to allow your body to burn 4% more calories than it normally does. At this point I had to grab my chair to stop myself from jumping out of my window. Are you kidding me? The person who started this magic tea conversation also mentioned that they had about 60 pounds to lose. If you have 60 pounds to lose and you're wasting your time talking about drinking magic herbal tea because it is supposed to allow you to burn 4% more calories, then you might as well start eating herbal potato chips and herbal Mcdonalds cheese burgers because you are herbally out of your mind.

But wait, there's more! The next wonderful weight loss conversation that started was about how you should drink cold water instead of warm water because the colder water requires your body to warm it up, and this "warming" of the water burns calories, which will of course make you lose weight. I swear I'm not making this up! First of all.. who the hell is drinking warm water in the first place? Secondly, do you honestly think that the calories that "supposedly" get "burned" while your body is "warming" up this water is going to make any difference what so ever in terms of weight loss? OF COURSE NOT! Not one single little bit! This conversation proved 2 things to me. One, that people will try anything to lose weight as long as it doesn't require them to work hard. And two, that I could start the "eating snow diet" and tell people that all they need to do is move somewhere where it snows a lot and just start eating snow 5 times a day, and they will lose weight because their body will be "warming" the snow all day long.

Don't just think I sat there and watched this, I jumped right in to tell them how wrong they were and how they should be focusing on just eating right and working out, not on useless crap like herbal tea and cold water and other little weight loss tips they read about or heard about that won't make one damn difference. The only tip there is when it comes to how to lose weight, and the only tip that will make a difference, is to just eat right and workout. They refused to listen to me though. At one point, I just came out and said these exact words: "Weight loss is SIMPLE" and half the room sounded like they wanted to fight me. They refused to believe that it was simple. Crazy huh? It took me a few minutes, but I figured out why they didn't want to believe me. These people obviously have not lost weight yet. Therefore, they want to believe that weight loss is confusing, hard and impossible. If they believed it was simple, they would hate themselves for not being able to do something that was simple. They'd much rather believe that they can't do something that is extremely complicated. Sometimes I think people would much rather just have a good excuse for not being able to lose weight, than to actually lose it. So, after a few minutes of wasted time arguing, I wished them all good luck with their herbal tea and cold water and left.

A few days later I went back in. This time the conversation was about gimmick diets (or fad diets), and I mean EVERY gimmick diet. Everything from the weight watchers diet plan, to atkins, to slimfast, to stuff I could swear these people had to be making up on the spot, like the "cabbage soup diet." This was really the conversation that just made me mad. To me, the worst part was how after someone mentioned one of these diets, everyone else would say something like "yeah, I tried that one, it was ok" or "I tried that one for a while" or something along those lines. This means that basically all of these people have "tried" all of these different diets at some point to lose weight. What I can't understand is how they could just "try" a diet. How can you expect the diet to work if you just "try" it? These people go on one of these diets for a week, come into this stupid chat room or read some stupid magazine or see some stupid commercial for some other diet and they say to themselves, wow this one looks like the best weight loss program of all, I'm going to "try" this one! DEAR GOD HELP ME! You can not "TRY" diets!!! You have to "DO" diets!!! Do it and keep doing it! That's it! And if these people were just "trying" the diets to see which one would better fit their lifestyle or to see which was easier for them, it would be fine. But no, they "try" them to see which one will allow them to lose 20 pounds in a week. They fail to understand that unless they are on the "cut your left leg off diet," these results can NOT happen EVER. Weight loss takes hard work and consistency! Sadly for these people, these were 2 things they did not want to "try."

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Cardio: The best time of the day to do cardio for maximum fat loss, and why

WARNING: What you are about to read is the answer to the most common question people have about their cardio/aerobic workout. What you are about to read is all 100% true! What you are about to read is the answer to the question that personal trainers and fitness magazines will make you pay for. Enjoy...
This is another time where what I am writing is inspired by questions people have emailed to me. So, be sure to keep those questions coming so I have more material to write about. =]
Now, on to the question. When is the best time of day to do cardio, and why? Well, I bet most people do cardio "whenever they get a chance." Sometimes during the middle of the day, sometimes before bed, sometimes directly after your weightlifting workout, sometimes directly before the weightlifting workout and sometimes first thing in the morning. The truth is, all of those times will get results. It doesn't matter what time of day you do your cardio workout, you will be burning calories every time. BUT, the real question is, which of those times is the most effective? And the answer is (drum roll please).... first thing in the morning!
Doing cardio first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach, before you eat anything, is by far, the most effective. Whether you run, jog, walk, swim, jump rope, take an aerobics class, ride a bike, etc., doing it first thing in the morning is the best time to do it for maximum fat loss. Why? Its simple. When you do your cardio workout, you are burning calories. Lets say you wake up, eat breakfast, eat lunch later in the day, and then a few hours after lunch, you do your cardio. All you will be doing during that cardio is burning the calories and carbs of the food you just ate. When you do cardio first thing in the morning, you haven't eaten anything for the last 8 or so hours because you were sleeping. So, when your body sees that there are no carbs to burn, it goes directly to stored bodyfat. And stored bodyfat is the fat that is on your body, which is the fat that you want to lose!
Understand how it works? When you do your cardio sometime during the day other then first thing in the morning, you spend most of that time burning off carbs that you already ate that day. When you do it first thing in the morning, there are no carbs to burn, so all your body can burn is body fat!
Some people have e-mailed me asking what type of cardio I do and I tell them I jog on my treadmill first thing in the morning. Even though I do all of my weightlifting at a gym, I do my cardio in my house on my own treadmill so I can do it first thing in the morning without having to take a shower, get dressed and do whatever else I'd do if I went to the gym to do cardio.

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weight loss - free information on losing weight

When you think of weight loss and losing weight, the first things that probably come to your mind are either those "lose weight fast !!" articles that are in every magazine and newspaper in the world that never work and are written by some personal training idiot that has no idea what they're talking about... or maybe you're thinking of all of those weight loss pills that claim to be safe and allow you to "eat whatever you want and still lose weight because the pill will do all of the work for you" or whatever stupid line they are using to get you to buy their useless unsafe weight loss product. Or, maybe you're thinking of rice cakes and never eating and being hungry all day long.
Well, if you are thinking any of those things, forget it! Forget all of it!
What I am about to give you is totally FREE, detailed, easy to understand information on weight loss and losing weight and how to lose weight and fat without using any type of pill or supplement, without using some "fitness magazine" diet, and by eating not 1, not 2, not 3, but 5 meals a day! Sound impossible? Sound too good to be true? Sound like I'm going to make you buy my "book" or order my "product" first before I tell you? Well I'm not! I don't have a book and I don't a have product. I am not trying to sell you a damn thing! What I am trying to do, no... what I am GOING to do, is tell you exactly how you can lose weight. Enjoy...
Weight loss is simple, burn more calories then you consume. If you can fully understand that then you are on your way to losing weight. There are 6 simple steps. Here they are:
1) Count how many calories you eat in a normal day. That's right, wake up, and eat like you would normally eat and count the calories in everything you eat and everything you drink and keep track of it on a piece of paper or on the computer some where. You might be thinking to yourself, "yeah right, I'm not gonna sit around counting calories all day." Well, if you're thinking that, then you're obviously not dedicated enough to losing weight. If this is the case, then feel free to go waste your money on the newest useless weight loss pill. But, if you are dedicated enough to take 10 minutes out of your day and count the calories, then keep on reading.
2) At the end of that day, add up the number of calories you ate/drank. Be as exact as possible. Once you add it all up, you now have the total number of calories you consume daily. Also, weigh yourself.
3) Starting the day after you counted calories, eat 500 calories LESS then you normally do. So, lets pretend that the day you counted calories you counted 2000. For the rest of the week, you would eat 1500 calories a day. Understand? All you have to do is subtract 500 from the total number of calories you consume in a normal day, and eat this new number of calories every day for the next 7 days.
4) Instead of eating 3 big meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner), or eating all day all the time, spread those calories out over 5 smaller meals. Eat one meal every 2 and a half to 3 hours. Doing this will speed up your metabolism.
5) Cardio. Cardio is an important part of weight loss. If you're serious about losing weight, but don't want to do the cardio workouts, then you are requiring your diet to do all of the work. Jog, walk, swim, jump rope, ride a bike, take an aerobics class, whatever... cardio + proper diet = better than just doing one of the two. All it takes is 30 minutes a day, 3 - 5 days a week. I say 3-5 days a week because I don't know if you have 5 pounds to lose, or if you have 50 pounds to lose. So, depending on how much your looking to lose, figure it out. 3 times a week is good starting point though.
6) At the end of that week, weigh yourself. You'll notice a difference just after one week! Now, don't expect to see a 20 pound difference. Losing anymore then 1 or 2 pounds a week is unhealthly. So look for a 1 or 2 pound weight loss at the end of the week. Don't sound like much? You can lose 5-8 pounds a month! That's around 75lbs a year! So if you have A LOT of weight to lose, you can lose it. If have just a few pounds to lose, you can lose it.

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Helpful Tips to Lose Weight

Many people are really exasperated with the same old tips for weight loss. Therefore we have added a few different tips to lose weight below:
Always find a chance to move around. Do not use a vehicle if you are able to walk. Preferably run around if you have the time. Almost 70% of your calories are burned in this process. Instead of depending on magical ways to lose weight, apply your own efforts by eating less and moving more.
Reduce your junk food intake and stick to wholesome foods such as fruits and vegetables. Imagine your body as the machine to burn your weight and actually perform the workouts.
Do not plan dieting because it is not a solution for a longer duration. You can easily feel tired by following a particular diet pattern for a shorter duration. It reduces your rate of metabolism by draining away the water content and retaining the fat content.
Schedule an exercise program almost daily and gradually increase your workout. Reduce one spicy meal in a week and work towards healthy meal consumption.
Think in realistic terms and decide to lose about one to two pounds per week. Even if you lose weight rapidly you will revert back to the original weight soon. Contact people who have successfully lost weight and follow the same procedures they have tried out.
So if you follow these tips you are sure to achieve your targeted goal and lose weight consistently.

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fast weight loss - can you really lose weight fast?

I get emails all the time from people about fast weight loss. Is it possible? Can it be done? If so, how??? They tell me their story and then say something like, "I just want to lose weight fast. I'll do WHATEVER I have to do! What's the fastest way?" Or my favorite, when I get emails from the people I REALLY can't stand. The people who need to lose weight fast because of some type of event that is coming up very soon. Like I get this one all the time. "Hey, I have a wedding to go to in 3 weeks and I need to lose like 25 pounds fast, what can I do?" They really expect me to write back with the answer they are hoping for. I also love the ones that I get a few weeks before summer starts. "Summer is coming up next week and I need to lose 80 million pounds! What should I do?" Ok, 80 million is an exaggeration, but you get my point. Granted, no one wants to workout and eat right and get their results slowly, but is fast weight loss really possible? Is there a diet and/or workout you can do or a pill you can take or a machine you can use that will make the pounds come off faster? I'm going to crush a lot of people's hopes and dreams here, but the answer is NO. ...And here's why.

First off, the right amount of weight that the average person should hope and try to lose a week when eating and working out correctly is something like 1 or 2 pounds a week. That is a good, healthy, safe, smart, effective amount to lose. That right there is fast weight loss. So if you are losing weight at that speed, then hang on tight, because you are going the maximum weight loss speed limit! Yup, 1 or 2 pounds lost a week. Not as fast as most people would hope for, but sadly, that's just the way it is. You just can't lose weight fast, or at least, as fast as many people would like to. Aside from all of the obvious health risks and possible negatives of losing any more than that a week, losing anymore than 1 or 2 pounds a week means you are losing muscle, not fat. As you can guess, that's not good.

The next question someone might have now is about all of those pills and products that promise fast weight loss. And they back up their claims too. They show before and after pictures of people who lost a lot of a weight in a very short amount of time. They have pictures!!!! They can't be lying!!!! These are good people! They only want to help people lose weight fast!! They would never lie just to get our money right?!?!?!?!? WRONG! Before and after pictures are the biggest bunch of bullshit there is. Before and after pictures are so faked that I am having trouble typing this just laughing at the thought of them being actual truthful pictures showing the great results someone got with whatever useless fast weight loss crap they are trying to sell you. Aside from the obvious easy ways of faking them such as putting the head on another body (it's been done) or showing real before and after pictures, except that they were taken 5 years apart instead of 6 weeks apart like they claim (it's been done too), another wonderful faking method is used that some people don't think of. They take a person with an already great body (who got that way by working out correctly and eating right for years) and call that the "after picture." They then get this same person to gain weight. Once they gain enough, they take a picture and call it the "before picture." Yes ladies and gentleman, fast weight loss at it's best!

But my all time favorite lose weight fast bullshit is still to come. This next one always puts a smile on my face, and if you look close enough, you will see it too. There are commercials on TV for all kinds of gimmick weight loss diets and pills and products that all promise fast weight loss. First they bullshit to you... whoops, sorry... I meant "tell you the amazing features of their product" and then show you people, actual people, who used this product or diet and were able lose weight fast. Sometimes they just show their "real" before and after pictures, but sometimes they have the actual people standing there talking. They show you a before picture while this person talks over it and says "I hated my body. I tried everything but nothing ever worked... UNTIL NOW!!!! I lost 50 pounds using ::insert useless crap here:: in just 4 WEEKS and look at me now!!" As funny as it already is, that isn't even the half of it yet. Here comes the real best part. At this point in the commercial, if you put on your glasses, walk all the way up to your TV, bend down, and put your face 2 inches from the screen.... if you look close enough, in small tiny letters that you can just barely read, you will see writing that says something like: "These results are not typical." Excuse me for a second... HAHAHAHAHA!!!

I'm laughing just remembering these fast weight loss commercials. I swear I am not making this up. Most weight loss commercials do this. Sometimes it says "These results are not typical" or sometimes it might say "Just like every body is different, so are their results. You may not get these results." or it will just say something that basically means "The person we are showing you right now who says they lost 50 pounds in 4 weeks is a lying idiot. We are lying to you. We want your money, so we made up all of this stuff so you buy our useless lose weight fast product. Don't expect to get results ANYTHING even close to these that we are showing you. We only show you them so you think you will get these results, even though you really won't. We are assholes. But who cares, because we got your money. We laugh at you because you think fast weight loss is possible. Now that we have this statement on the commercial somewhere, you can't use the product, see no fast results, and then try to sue us for false advertising. Sucks for you don't it? Thanks for your money, maybe we will all buy a new car with it. See ya later."

Wow, I wonder why they make this part of the commercial so hard to see? This just helps prove the fact more and more. Fast weight loss doesn't exist, unless of course your idea of fast weight loss is losing 1 or 2 pounds a week. There is no machine, no special type of cardio, no special diet, no special workout, no special pill, no special anything, that will allow you to lose weight fast safely and healthily. If these people who want such fast results so badly got off their asses and put half their effort that they put into finding a fast "quick fix" and put it into actually working hard, they probably would have lost the weight by now. I've said it once and I'll say it a million times, just eat right and workout correctly. Do it and keep doing it. It won't happen fast, but it will happen. Be consistent. Never stop. Work hard and stay dedicated. Don't be satisfied until you get EXACTLY what you want. And like magic... weight loss happens.

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Think You're Slim And You Are!

Most of the things in life are based on what we think and believe and this is not my personal theory but is taught everywhere. You can ask anyone in this world to tell you how to loose weight. The simplest answer would be to have a low calorie diet and to regularly perform exercises to keep you physically fit and fine. Even you would know this. The thing is to prepare your mind to give up fats and other temptations and exercise. If you are not mentally prepared for doing so you cannot do it!
David Moxon a well-known psychologist believes that brain gives us the stamina and strength to exercise and behave the way we have thought of. Being mentally prepared is a motivation factor.
If you are to loose weight, you should not think of it as a big war against you. Keep a goal that you have to achieve. Do not try to make long jumps. Make a steady process. You can loose weight gradually, step by step reaching your ideal body weight.
Here are a few ways of taking yourself positively and think that you are slim and smart and not fat anymore. The first thing is that if you are controlling your diet think positive about your figure. Look at you in the mirror and observe your freshness, your good hair, your face and beauty. This will make you feel pleasant and confident to face yourself. There is nothing bad in you. Stand in front of the mirror and believe in yourself.
Next you can do is as I said before do not aim for a long jump in one glance. Make your aim easy to reach. Divide you main target into segments. Once you reach one point you will be happier than ever. This will further motivate you and built more strength in you, also that you will be happy and not bored of dieting.
Another thing is to read success stories of people to built-in the confidence that everything is possible and that if x can do it why not you? You are not dumb! Say to yourself, I can do it! There is feature in "News and Features" namely "how to avoid eating when you're really not hungry". Nutritionist Fiona Hunter writes it. It would be of great help to through her words.
Before you eat something think for it. Is it for your quitting hunger or for the sake of taste? Are being taken over by some tempt or your heart? Eat for hunger. Challenge your heart; it's just a matter of days. If you have been successful in not listening to your misleading tempt, do appreciate yourself. Feel great. Love your instinct.
The last thing I would say to you is to dream to be slim. Think that you can do it. And start for it. You will surely be a smart dude soon. What you believe is what you do. Be happy through your way to success.

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Drinking Water to Lose Weight

What if someone told you you could lose weight with no effort on your part? What if there was a secret to losing weight that didn't involve increased exercise or decreased calorie consumption? And what if this method was free and easily available to you? Would you jump at the chance to do it?
Here's where I know there must be some kind of self-sabotage involved in my battle to lose the last ten pounds. I know I should be drinking more water, and it is the easiest thing in the world to do. It doesn't involve willpower, it doesn't involve dragging myself out to exercise, and it doesn't involve cutting back on calories. So why aren't I doing it?

It's not just me. Most North Americans are dehydrated. In fact, chronic dehydration is probably the most common cause of a lot of our health ailments. There are two main reasons so many people are dehydrated these days. We eat less vegetables and fruits (which are water-dense) and more processed foods than we should. And we drink lots of caffeinated beverages instead of water. Caffeinated beverages and alcohol are diuretics. They force more water out of our bodies.
If a person is dehydrated their body compensates by retaining excess water as a protective measure. This alone is responsible for some excess weight. As well, a dehydrated person's metabolism is significantly lower than a normally hydrated person.

Dehydration is responsible for many people's feelings of fatigue. Many people have lost their sense of thirst and mistake it for hunger. Drinking a glass of water will usually greatly reduce any false hunger pangs.

So the solution to losing at least a few extra pounds sounds easy. Start with two glasses of room temperature water first thing in the morning. That's before you drink coffee or eat your breakfast. Try to drink some water regularly during the day. And eat more water dense foods such as vegetables, fruits and even legumes.

I'll get right on it. And I'd be keen to hear any feedback from people who've recently tried this for losing weight.

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What's your best weight-loss tip?

Drink Up!
Drinking eight to ten glasses of water a day is great for skin and boosts weight loss, too. Drink it ice-cold and your body will burn additional calories just warming up. The benefits of drinking water far outweigh the first day or two of running back and forth to the bathroom.
—Malinda Edgell, Illinois

Don't Let Snacks Attack
I've found it's important to know your treat weakness, and then not bring that food into your home to tempt you. My treat weakness is ice cream. It may be more expensive—and inconvenient!—to go out and buy an occasional ice-cream sundae instead of keeping ice cream at home in my freezer, but to me, it's worth it to bypass the regret of overeating.
—Name withheld, Maine

Keep it Clean
A few years ago when I joined a weight-loss program, I found it helpful to brush my teeth as soon as I finished eating a meal. The clean feeling that results helps me resist any impulse snacking. And as a bonus, I have great dental checkups!
—Sheryl Cook, Texas

Keep Your Eyes on the Prize
I've found three things helpful in the battle of the bulge. First, I found a friend to go through a weight-loss program with me. Second, we focused on completely changing our eating habits rather than on "dieting." Finally, once we started the program, we never stepped on a scale. We based our weight loss on how we had to downsize our clothes.
—Rebecca Stewart, Illinois

Snack Strategically
I consume a piece of fruit or bottle of water before meals. This fills my stomach right before I eat, so I don't eat as much. Plus, I get in my fruits or water for the day!
—Krystie Taylor, California

Pump You Up
Building your muscle mass increases your metabolism. When you go for a walk, carry hand weights and do pumps and curls. You may gain a little weight in the beginning because muscles weigh more than fat. But once they're built up, they'll burn calories even when you're resting.
—Marcea Galindo, Washington

Go for a Quick Fix
I replaced my regular-size daily candy bar with a smaller, snack-size one. I still get my chocolate fix but at a fraction of the calories. I've also learned to compare me only to me. God designed my body just for me, so why get frustrated if I don't look like my thinner neighbor?
—Carrie Ismail, California

Talk to the One Who Made You
God already knows our struggles, so why not openly share this area of our life with him? Throughout each day, I pray for God's guidance to help me combat sugar cravings, incorporate exercise, and make healthy food choices with controlled portion sizes. God has rewarded me with gradual weight loss and the joy only he can bring.
— Pansy Crumpler, North Carolina

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Why can't I lose weight?

Your goal is to lose weight, improve your health and keep the weight off. But something (or someone) keeps hiding your running shoes and leaving open bags of candy, chips and crackers around the house.
Sounds like a self-assessment is in order. This quiz might be the eye-opener you need to see how your habits and environment are affecting your weight.
Which of the following best describes your home?
a) Refrigerator packed with fresh fruits and vegetables
b) Refrigerator packed with chopped fruits and veggies, and no junk food in the cupboards
c) Empty refrigerator
d) Chips, cookies and candy in bowls within sight
Tip: Get rid of the junk food in your house. It's too tempting, especially if you're trying to lose weight. Keep healthful, low-calorie snacks within sight and easy reach.
How often do you eat five or more servings of fruits and veggies?
a) At least three times a week
b) Daily
c) Rarely
d) Never
Tip: The majority of fruits and vegetables are largely water and contain many of the vitamins and minerals that help strengthen your immune system. They're also low in calories. Buy fruits that are dried, frozen and canned (in water or juice), as well as fresh, so that you always have a supply on hand.
How would you describe a typical meal?
a) Smaller meals, eaten more often
b) I keep a food journal, so I know exactly how much I eat and when.
c) I don't keep track of what I eat, but I'm sure it's average.
d) Just keep piling it on
Tip: Most of us have no clue how much we're really eating. As a general rule, assume you're eating 30 percent more than you think.
Describe your dieting history.
a) I diet only when I need to, like for high school reunions.
b) I'm careful about what I eat, but never diet.
c) I'll lose weight quickly, but eventually gain it back.
d) I feel like I've been on a diet my entire life. Nothing works.
Tip: If you aren't changing your lifestyle, you aren't making lasting changes. Losing weight for good involves coming up with permanent strategies.
Why do you believe you need to lose weight?
a) I would like to look more attractive.
b) I have a few extra pounds.
c) My spouse bugs me all the time to lose weight.
d) My doctor said I'm at high risk for diabetes and heart disease and I need to lose weight, but I haven't done anything yet.
Tip: Part of being able to change a behavior requires that you have a real desire to do so. Make sure that you know the reason you want to lose weight - and that the reason is important to you.
Do you combine dieting with a daily increase in physical activity?
a) I try to exercise three or four days a week.
b) Always.
c) Sometimes. It depends on what's going on at home, work or school.
d) Never.
Tip: Permanent weight loss requires changing your routine and combining dieting with an increase in physical activity. It's important to be active most days of the week and to make it part of your daily routine.
Do you plan your meals?
a) I know what's for breakfast.
b) I know what I'm going to eat most days.
c) I eat fast food, vending machine food or takeout.
d) No. I eat whatever is around when I'm hungry.
Tip: We consume more calories when we don't prepare. Stock up on healthful ingredients for quick meals and snacks.
Do you skip meals to lose weight?
a) Once in a while
b) Never
c) Sometimes three or four times a week
d) I eat once a day.
Tip: Skipping meals can send the body into semistarvation, slower-metabolism mode. When you get around to eating, it is usually something unhealthful, and it gets stored for energy later, rather than burned as energy now.
How often do you drink sugary soda or alcohol?
a) Once or twice a week
b) Rarely
c) Five to 10 drinks a week
d) More than two drinks a day
Tip: Sugary soda and alcohol are high in calories. A can of soda contains about 160 calories and 10 teaspoons of sugar. Alcohol consumption can also encourage overindulging in greasy, fatty or fried foods.
How often do you eat out?
a) Two to five times a month
b) Once a month or less
c) Once a week
d) More than 10 times a month
Tip: People who eat in restaurants are more likely to gain weight because of larger portions of foods higher in calories and fat. Order a salad and dishes centered on vegetables.

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Walk Your Way to Weight Loss

Walking is the exercise of choice for most dieters. No wonder.

You don't need a gym membership. You can do it virtually everywhere (around the block or around the mall, for example). It's gentle on joints. And you can burn a surprising number of calories. On flat terrain, a half-hour walk at a brisk pace can chew through 75 to 100 calories. Hike up some hills and you can spend 200 to 250 calories. Here's how to prepare:

Find a Shoe That Fits

The only equipment you really need is a decent pair of walking shoes. Finding them is a cinch. What matters most is comfort. If it feels good, odds are it provides enough support. When you're shopping for shoes:

# Wear the socks you plan to exercise in. That way you'll get the best fit.
# Try on both shoes. Most people's feet aren't exactly the same size. Choose a pair that fits your larger foot.
# Allow a little extra room. Feet swell when you walk, so buy a pair with about a thumb's width between your longest toe and the end of the shoe. Make sure the heel doesn't slip, though, or you could end up with painful blisters.

Check Your Form

Sure, walking comes naturally, and it's smart to go with the technique you've honed since you were a toddler. But these tips will help you stay comfortable and get the most out of your walk:

# Stand up straight. Imagine a string pulling you up from the center of the top of your head. Let that string pull you up as straight as possible. Relax your shoulders.
# Look ahead. Keep your neck straight and your head held high to avoid unnecessary strain to your neck and shoulders. If you have to look down to see where you're going, lower your eyes, not your head.
# Move those arms. Bend your elbows and let your arms swing naturally at your sides. You'll prevent swelling, tingling or numbness -- and you'll burn up to 15 percent more calories by keeping your arms moving.
# Don't carry that weight. Some people try to get in extra exercise by toting a couple of light dumbbells, but fitness-walking experts say that's risky: The weights can pull you off balance and strain muscles in your back or legs.

Stay Safe

Walking is one of the safest activities you can do. Still, it's wise to take a few precautions.

# If you're walking at night, wear a piece of reflective clothing.
# If the path is dimly lit, bring a good flashlight.
# When the weather's warm, be sure to drink a tall glass of water before you set out and another when you return.
# If your path is rugged or bumpy, protect your ankles, particularly if you have a history of twists or sprains. Consider wearing a comfortable elastic bandage for support, and keep your eyes focused on the path.

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Easy Ways to Cut Fat and Calories

Cutting a few calories at every meal will add up to real calorie savings. Her are some culinary "special effects" that you can try to trim some calories and fat.

· Substitute leaner meats for fattier ones, such as white-meat poultry for dark, lean ground turkey for ground beef, or pork tenderloins for ribs.

· Bake or broil instead of frying in oil, which saturated whatever you're cooking, especially if the food is breaded.

· Remove skin from poultry, trim visible fat from meat, and throw out the egg yolks. Why worry about hidden fat when the fat you can see -- and remove -- does most of the harm?

· Buy low-fat or sugar-free products. If you haven't recently tried low-fat or fat-free foods (especially cheese), try them again: They've gotten better. If one brand doesn't taste good to you, try another. And you'll always save calories by replacing whole milk with fat-free or using naturally lower-fat cheeses such as mozzarella instead of higher-fat ones such as cheddar.

· Mix higher-fat meats, cheeses, and other foods with lower-fat versions if you don't want to make wholesale substitutions.

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20 Ways to Lose Weight After the Holidays

Guilty of overeating during the holidays? Here are 20 simple ways to beat weight gain.

1. Drink water. People often mistake thirst for hunger, so next time you feel like noshing, reach for water first. Drinking also helps you feel full. Some experts suggest sipping water (or iced tea) just before you sit down to a meal. Continue drinking as you eat to add volume and weight to your meal.

2. Set realistic goals. One or two pounds a week maximum is doable. Top weight-loss programs advocate stopping after the first 10 pounds and maintaining that loss for about six months before trying to lose any more.

3. Build in splurges. If you allow yourself to eat whatever you want for 2 meals out of every 21, you won't inflict enough damage to subvert your weight loss. And you'll feel less deprived.

4. Count to 10. Studies suggest that the average craving lasts only about 10 minutes. So before caving in to your urge, set your mental timer for a 10-minute time-out. Use the time to tackle an item on your to-do list; choose one that will give you a sense of accomplishment -- and get you out of the kitchen.

5. Eat more often. People who have kept their weight off for more than a few years tend to eat an average of five times a day. Light, frequent meals curb your appetite, boost your energy, improve your mood and even speed your metabolism, since the process of digestion itself burns calories.

6. Make weekly resolutions. Don't try to overhaul your diet overnight. If you make too many changes at once, chances are you'll get frustrated and throw in the towel. Instead, make one change, such as eating at least one piece of fruit daily, every week.

7. Start with 10%. People who start by focusing on achieving just 10% of their long-range weight-loss goal may have the best chance of ultimate success. Losing those first pounds yields the biggest health gains, too, since belly fat is usually the first to come off and is the most dangerous.

8. Spike your meals with salsa. This spicy condiment can stand in for mayo to deliver plenty of flavor without the fat. Mix it with a bit of low-fat yogurt to make tuna salad. Spread it on a veggie burger, or serve it with chicken or fish.

9. Take one-third off. When you eat dinner out, reduce the temptation to clean your plate by setting aside one-third of your meal. Ask the server for a doggie bag, and take it home for lunch the next day. Try serving yourself one-third less at home too. This simple tactic could subtract more than 500 calories a day.

10. Go easy on the alcohol. Remember that alcohol is a source of calories. A 12-ounce beer has 150 calories; a 3.5-ounce glass of wine, 85. A margarita packs a bigger caloric punch. Even worse offenders are creamy cocktails, such as brandy alexanders and mudslides -- equivalent to drinking a rich dessert. The bottom line: If you're trying to lose weight, stick with water.

11. Write notes to yourself. To help you stay on track, post notes to yourself on the fridge and the pantry. Put up a little stop sign or make tags with questions like "Do you want this food enough to wear it?" and "Are the calories worth the consequences?"

12. Stay away from sodas. Soft drinks are a major source of empty calories in the American diet. We drink twice as much soda as milk and nearly six times more soda than fruit juice. But fluids don't satisfy your appetite as well as solids. A study at Purdue University found that when people were fed 450 calories daily as jelly beans or as soda, the soda drinkers gained a significant amount of weight, but the jelly-bean eaters compensated for the extra calories by cutting back on other food. So if you crave something sweet, you're better off chewing it than gulping it. If you're truly thirsty, reach for water or unsweetened iced tea instead of soda.

13. Don't just eat -- dine. Eating on the run or in front of the tube invites mindless munching. Instead, set the table every time you eat. Make a conscious choice to sit down and savor every bite. Placing a portion of chips on your best china helps focus your attention so you don't eat the whole bag.

14. Up your protein (a little). Research suggests that protein prolongs the feeling of fullness better than carbohydrates or fats do. Studies in Scotland, Denmark, Sweden and England found that people who ate a high-protein breakfast or lunch were less hungry at their next meal. Protein also requires a few more calories to digest. Just don't go overboard. Stick to low-fat protein sources like low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese, low-fat soy drinks or snacks, or thinly sliced turkey breast.

15. Learn how to measure. It's easy to misjudge portion sizes. Pull out the measuring spoons and cups, especially for full-fat salad dressings, dairy foods and mayo.

16. Make smart substitutions. Look for nutritious low-calorie alternatives to sugary, high-fat treats. Try frozen grapes instead of candy. Use air-popped popcorn instead of oil-popped. Dip fresh strawberries in fat-free fudge sauce for a sensuous chocolaty treat.

17. Have a "party plan." When attending a party, offer to bring a plate. Arriving armed with chopped fresh veggies and a low-fat dip -- or any other low-calorie snack -- ensures that you'll have something to snack on without feeling guilty.

18. Think positively. Experts note that low self-esteem is a major cause of overeating. Train yourself to focus on your best points rather than your weak spots. Buy clothes that fit and flatter you at your current weight. Update your hairstyle and get a makeup consultation so you feel attractive today.

19. Give yourself a break. No one says you have to reach your goal without making mistakes along the way. Tell yourself you can succeed in losing weight by taking things one step at a time and starting fresh whenever you slip up. If you overeat one night, just get back on track in the morning by focusing on what's worked for you in the past.

20. Relax! Some people binge when they're stressed. A Yale University study found that women who secreted the most cortisol (a hormone released during stress) ate the most high-fat food after stress. The combination of cortisol and insulin prompts the body to store fat in preparation for possible starvation -- just what you don't need. If stress has a stronghold on your life, try learning yoga, meditation, or simple breathing exercises.

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Top 10 Nutrition and Fitness Tips

Discovery Health Channel National Body Challenge medical advisor Dr. Pamela Peeke shares her top 10 tips.


1. Get real and be specific. Write down three or four realistic goals that you can stick to. For example, "I will try to lose one pound of body fat every week. I will walk for 30 minutes minimum five days a week." Avoid fantasy-land goals that will only frustrate you.

2. Get prepared. Throw away all the junk, the processed, and the "bingeable" foods now and replace them with fresh, whole foods like lots of water and veggies. Buy a new pair of walking shoes and find some clothes in your closet you feel comfortable to walk in. During a lifestyle change, if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail!

3. Get support. Whether it's your best friend, spouse, or pet, it helps to have some nonjudgmental and nurturing support when trying to lose weight, especially during trying times.

4. Make daily notes. Research has shown that keeping track of your daily exercise and food intake in a journal or notebook will increase the likelihood of success. Keep it simple, or if you're inspired, write a novel! The key is to hold yourself accountable.

5. Create a food-free reward system. How about a new workout outfit, pair of jeans, shoes -- or what the heck, even a spa treatment, shopping spree, or weekend getaway? You deserve this kind of treatment when you reach your goals.

6. Buy a pedometer. A pedometer keeps track of how many steps you take daily. Wear it every day, around home, work, and while exercising. Your National Body Challenge goal is to increase your steps by 10,000 or more daily! Remember this: You'll burn roughly 100 to 125 calories by taking 2,500 steps (about one mile). The goal during the challenge is to burn 300 extra calories and to eat roughly 200 calories less in a day. This 500-calorie deficit is equivalent to one pound of body fat per week and a healthy boost to your self-esteem.

7. Don't skip breakfast. Research shows that the most successful "losers" never skip it. Try to keep it balanced with some protein, a healthy carb, and a small amount of fat. Here are some examples: an egg-white omelet with fresh berries and a piece of whole-wheat toast, or a skim milk shake with fruit and yogurt.

8. Nix the late-night eating. If you eat a lot of excess calories after 8 p.m., you wear them the next morning. Put a stop to this by making sure you have a healthy dinner consisting of lean protein, veggies, and fruit.

9. Eliminate processed sugars. Processed sugars are carbs that have been stripped of their valuable nutrients. How can you identify these sugars? They are all white: table sugar, pasta, rice, and bread, and they're nothing but trouble, since they kick up your appetite for more of the same.

10. Have a mid-afternoon snack. This will curb your appetite and provide fuel for your after-work walk or workout at the gym. Some great snack ideas include: reduced-fat peanut butter on a multi-grain cracker, a couple of pieces of low-fat string cheese and an apple, cottage cheese with pineapple, or try a low-fat cheese microwaved in a whole-wheat pita.

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