5 Excuse-Kicking Weight Loss Tips For Busy People

Weight loss is an easy thing to do but I admit that it takes time. This little disadvantage had gave people, sometimes you yourself or one of your friends and family members an excuse for not losing weight - "I don't have time!"

Isn't this a lame excuse? Well, from today onwards, kick that stupid excuse away as I am going to show you 5 excuse-kicking weight loss tips for busy people.

Weekends are perfect for weight loss activities

Weight loss success can be met if you have 3-5 days a week to implement your weight loss strategies and weekends (normally you will have two days) are just perfect. Use your weekends to fit in all the workout schedule rather than spending your time on the couch or feasting which will add nothing but weight and fat inside your body.

Be motivated, not disappointed

Busy people have difficulties implementing weight loss tips as sometimes they need to bring the work back home and I understand that. With this, weight loss can be very disappointing because the plans are not carried out consistently. Try to be motivated more to the weight loss side, you can be stretching and have a small on-the-spot job sparingly while you are working.

Make others lose weight with you

When you lose weight but everybody else is not, you feel lonely and wanted to join what are they doing. Why not make them join you? Your kids is the best to start with because they will be excited to see you motivated to lose weight. Exercise with them and share or compare the results with them. With this, you are more likely to follow your weight loss plans!

Weight loss as an high priority item in your to-do list

Weight loss is not a supplementary activity for you. Weight loss is the most important activity to you! If you don't lose weight and fat now, you will be unhealthy and in the end, you will die early from serious diseases. Serious enough? Make weight loss you top priority and don't cancel them off just because you have a file to complete for your boss.

Make others understand your weight loss plans

Let your boss, friends, colleagues and family members know that you are on a weight loss program and don't be feel ashamed as you are caring for your body. Apart from getting motivating words from them, this will keep them away from delegating tasks to you which will provide time for your weight loss activities!

Now, you have all the best weight loss tips for a busy person. If you still can't get the weight loss engines started, I don't know what to say but to label you as a loser. Well, if you are serious, I have some great guides and programs lined up for you over at No Diet and Natural Weight Loss Guide [http://www.budgetpedia.com/no-diet-natural-weight-loss/cheap-weight-loss-hot-deals] which you might find handy.

Kathy Winds is a great tutor in helping to to lose weight differently, which is by using the natural and no diet weight loss [http://www.budgetpedia.com/no-diet-natural-weight-loss] method.

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Lose Body Fat With Weight Loss Psychology

Almost anybody can lose weight. Yet, the fact is, winners remain the minority and failure resides with the majority. In fact, weight loss success rates remain so extremely rare that many individuals hardly ever even bother to attempt losing weight at all.

Of those who do try to lose unwanted body fat, the number of successful candidates remains low. Yet, almost anybody can lose weight IF and only WHEN she or he remains armed with the proper

help.

For example, you can get much assistance even from the fact that weight loss entails a myriad of factors. And, for your success, such weight loss factors must indeed include:

Weight loss awareness;

The basic understanding of physical body fat adaptation (that is, how your body reacts and responds to diet, exercise, and your very own thought patterns); plus Ongoing accumulation of accredited weight knowledge.

This weight loss reading helps you accomplish three things:

Discerning the weight loss definition.

Handling the physical body fat attack.

Realizing the gigantic impact of weight loss psychology.

Textbook Weight Loss Definition

The textbook definition of losing Weight entails using up calories BEYOND what you normally expend. Thousands of people hold misrepresented or misshapen ideas about what weight loss comprises. For example, an all too common weight loss mistake that's easy for you to make is failing to move outside of your comfort zone.

The greatest difference between mere physical activation and exercise itself is this:

Physical activity includes virtually ANYTHING you might do... watching TV, cooking dinner, sewing, going to the movies, talking on the phone, taking a shower, etc. However, basically none of the

above burn the significant calorie amounts needed to lose body fat.

The definition of overall FITNESS carries with it the concept of change. Consider burning body fat as a way of making your body change. When you burn body fat successfully, you also achieve a much higher fitness level.

Would you like to briefly explore why the above weight loss fitness fact is true? Okay, here's the quick explanation...

Intensive Movement Willpower - Your Body Fat Removal Key

Almost any physical activity practiced thirty to forty-five minutes per day is beneficial to health but provides little or no contribution to fitness progress. The reason is that the activity level itself remains too low. Although low-intensity exercises are beneficial enough to merely avoid sickness, they fail to reach the metabolic goal necessary to remove unwanted fat.

You need an energy output of about 500 calories each day to lose approximately one pound of fat per week. That's because one pound of fat, in one sense, "weighs" 3,500 calories.

So, look at this weight loss body fat fact again... if you desire to lose one pound of fat, you merely need to expend 500 calories per day for one week. That's it.

Sounds so simple, direct, and straightforward, right? And, the method truly is a clear one. Yet, why do so many find this difficult to do? The answer to that lies in the realm of psychological versus physiological weight loss development.

Body Fat PHYSIOLOGY

How Weight Loss Calorie Management Occurs

Your weight loss APPROACH may be almost the total opposite of your body's fat management ADAPTATION. There is a great distinction between these two. In order to affect fat loss changes, be sure you know the difference.

The reason why your body requires intense PHYSICAL action follows.

About Adipose Tissue (the scientific name that includes the place where excess body fat gets stored)...

Adipose tissue has to move through about 7 channels before you can transform it to "in-use," non-fat-structured energy. In stages one and two, you simply have to move slightly more quickly to stimulate

chemical body fat changes.

Then, stages three through seven require lots of oxygen uptake - deeper and more consistent breathing. Such breathing pattens most easily come to you as a result of aerobic actions like rowing, running, brisk or fast walking, swimming, bicycling, skating, dancing, etc.

In the presence of oxygen, certain acids in your body combine with glucose and move finally enable themselves (with your physical activity helping) to move them into your "fat-burning chamber,"

a/k/a the mitochondria.

After burning in your mitochondria, you literally see the by-products of weight loss, which are sweating, exhaled air, and heat. Rest assured that after each and effectively every such experience, you lose enough calories to affect weight loss achievement.

Therefore, the bottom line on the physical side of weight loss is this - move hard enough to cause constant and deep breathing without fatigue... and simply keep moving for as long as possible.

FYI: The average adult heart rate associated with such body fat achievement is around 119 beats per minute. (It can be lower or higher, depending on your conditioning.)

Yet, you can still fail at losing weight unless you COUPLE your physical attack with a meaningful, personalized understanding of weight loss PSYCHOLOGY.

Body Fat PSYCHOLOGY

(Thought Patterns, Processing, And Awareness)

The Impact of Body Fat Knowledge and Attitude On Weight Loss Outcome

Ever stop to consider your human psychology weight loss perspectives?

For example, what does weight loss represent for you? Is it a matter of eating foods you love or hate? Is losing body fat motivated by a need for social change? Do you want to lose weight in order to feel better, look better, or perform better?

All of the above, or none of the above - it's up to you. Every person has his or her own personalized drive or rationale for achieving weight loss rewards.

Yet, regardless of your motivation in the above, there are primary body fat percentage challenges you are likely to face. These include:

Tiredness

Lack of Know-How

Fear of Being Seen

Lack of Motivation

Lack of Patience

Know this for yourself - People who lose weight and keep it off with self-sufficiency, confident, and control - these individuals practice consistently. Conscious repetition is key in primary sport

activities.

Practice and upgrade your ability to REPEAT a beneficial, intellectual, weight loss action.

This is, in short, mind control... training yourself and acquiring specific, outstandingly helpful skill in: a) creating a weight loss target; b) aiming at your specified body fat target; and c) hitting that fat-loss target almost each and every time.

These are powers of the mind, and the physical weight loss rewards merely follow your mental directive.

No one can say enough to stress the importance of weight loss psychology awareness and utilization. Without it you stand half-clothed in the inclement weather of weight loss endeavor.

Weight loss psychology principles can go as deep as cognitive method, stimulus control, or behavior substitution. Yet, keeping it on the surface is enough for you to lose weight. Go with small increments; establish very short-term goals that are within easy reach. For example, do you know that losing just 10% of your present body weight is an accredited, acceptable, easily measurable and achievable fat loss goal?

When you look at this weight loss number, you can see that it equals about 1 or two pounds of fat loss per week. One to two ponds per week of weight loss from body fat sources only is the amount sanctioned by the American Council On Exercise, the American Heart Association, and The American College of Sports Medicine.

This simplified and easily reachable weight loss prescription exists for your benefit. Use it. Also, be sure, from this point forward, not to negate the power of weight loss psychology. Couple it with your body fat performance approaches.

In conclusion, this entire reading serves merely as an example of how you can set your mind to lose weight with more effectiveness, enjoyment, and success.

Avoid underestimating weight loss psychology.

The primary missing ingredients to your body's fat loss success lie here. Uncover them, use them, benefit from them, and achieve continued enjoyment, less stress, improved performance, a nicer looking physique, and a much better body.

Kenneth G. Dockins, http://www.Better-Body.Biz/sitemap.htm [http://www.Better-Body.Biz/Articles/article-lose-body-fat-with-weight-loss-psychology.htm], is an American Council On Exercise Certified Lifestyle & Weight Management Consultant with 17-year diet, exercise, fitness, health, nutrition, and weight management expertise.

Best Weight Loss Pills

What are the best weight loss pills? If you are overweight or obese you have definitely asked this question many times. Whatever our excess weight can be, we always want to be slim. And the best weight loss pills have been always sought after.

Let's think a little on this philosophic question and try to answer it based on what we know about this weight loss aid we can't refuse of using...

We all know the easiest and safest way to live a slim and healthy life is to: consume healthy foods in a balanced diet regime, exercise and stay physically active, and get a sufficient amount of rest each day. Well, weight loss pills may offer a short cut, it might not always be the best route to take. If we make a decision to take weight loss pills, it is always important to understand how they work. It should be in you best interest to know what you are inserting in your body.

Which are best weight loss pills - prescription or natural?

First, weight loss pills are divided into two major groups - prescribed or over-the-counter diet pills. Do you like to know which are best? Well, consider the following - prescription weight loss pills are clinically tested and proven to work as they claim. If say Xenical claims to block 25% of dietary fats from your meals - those are clinically proven results. And approved by official medical organizations that guarantees drug action according to claims.

But prescription weight loss pills are not the perfect - I would say they are far from it and mostly due to side effects and unnatural chemicals applied. The same Xenical gives you a bunch of "additional benefits" like oily spotting, oily stool, possible nausea, diarrhea and more.

At the same time, prescription weight loss pills are basically used in case of obesity with possible dangers to your health. Their effects, side effects are studied and known, and if there's no other ways for you to lose weight naturally - probably prescribed drugs are the best weight loss pills to choose.

Weight loss supplements, or over-the-counter or natural weight loss pills, are not the best ones either, due to numerous reasons. Mostly because they don't back their claims. Have you noticed fantastic or amazing promises to help you lose pounds a day or permanent weight loss results?

The problem is most manufacturers don't support these claims with clinical studies. You cannot know for sure if you buy some real mix of ingredients proven to burn your fat or increase metabolism, or it's just placebo.

Another point of concern is natural or herbal ingredients. Natural does not mean safe. Consider this when choosing weight loss pills. Ephedra or ma huang were the most popular fat burner active ingredients and might be considered as best weight loss pills, until FDA found them being extremely dangerous to our nervous system and heart. Several death cases preceded the ephedra ban.

So our advice in choosing natural supplements - the best weight loss pills among over the counter are well known brands that everybody knows and many people use successfully.

Undoubted leader among natural weight loss pills in 2007 is Proactol - acknowledged by health professionals and customers as good and safe weight loss support.

Weight loss pills action types

We can differ weight loss pills by type of action. Here we have several major types like fat burners, appetite suppressants or fat blockers. They can be both prescription and natural weight loss pills.

Fat burners work accordingly to help the body in breaking down the fat, internally. Once released from fat cells, fat enters the blood stream as free acids that are then carried to muscle cells where they are to be burned.

Another, probably the most widespread pills are appetite suppressants. These pills take away the desire to eat and allow you to keep down the fat consumption. Most of prescription drugs are suppressants, like Phentermine, Meridia (sibutramine), Acomplia and several other brands. Appetite suppressants are the oldest type of pills to struggle extra weight, and many people use them successfully.

Their popularity grew even more after Hoodia Gordonii appeared on weight loss market. It's considered the best natural appetite suppressant that has not been researched thoroughly but showed good efficacy.

Another type of weight loss pills is gaining more popularity due to more safe and healthy effect comparing with others - fat blockers. Among prescription drugs it is Xenical, blocking fat by affecting lipase enzymes responsible for fat absorption. It helped many people lose weight along with good dieting regime, but it's side effects include abdomen discomfort, diarrhea, and the inability to absorb a lot of important fat-soluble vitamins and other nutrients.

Alli is a lighter version of Xenical with the same side effects and many medical professionals refuse to ally themselves with Alli as best weight loss pill because of moderate efficacy combined with many side effects.

Among natural fat blockers chitosan is widespread ingredient. There are many pills based on chitosan claiming fat blocking effect, but scientific researches proved weak fat blocking capacities of chitosan.

As fat blocker, acting somewhat like Xenical but binding fats directly in the stomach, Proactol now is a leading weight loss pill. It acts safely and helps lose weight steadily and prevent weight gain if we eat fatty meals.

The conclusion is simple - choose well known brands that many people used already and had positive results. There is no perfect weight loss aid - but weight loss pills are popular and one of the reasons is that they do help you lose weight more effectively.

Anthony Voronoff is an expert maknig reviews and comparisons of proven natural weight loss pills from reputable brands. If you want to discover top natural weight loss pills proven for efficacy and positively rated by customers, visit Best weight loss pills now.

Why You Should Read a Weight Loss Consumer Report

The development of the weight loss industry has led to the growth of scores of weight loss supplements and programs each claiming to be the best thing to ever come out in the weight loss industry. While these weight loss products are not necessarily lying, some may also be guilty of not telling you the whole truth. So that's where a weight loss product consumer report comes in. A weight loss product consumer report works by providing information on weight loss products that are made available to the public. With the general aim of weeding out the lies from the truths in the weight loss industry, a weight loss product consumer report is used to protect unknowing weight loss product consumers from falling prey to dishonest weight loss product manufacturers.

Choosing weight loss products

Choosing a weight loss product to use can be very tricky. It's not even just because of the sheer amount of products available to you but more so the amount of information that each one is feeding you. So be careful before you buy a weight loss product. It is not enough that you compare products based on what's popular although that would give you an idea on which one works. To guide you, start out by looking up the list of ingredients of a weight loss product. Then look up a list of ingredients that according to the Food and Drug Administration are harmful for consumption. Just by the list of ingredients alone you will find out if you should be taking a particular weight loss product or not.

Prescriptions: yes, no, maybe

Prescription drugs are generally of higher potencies compared to over-the-counter products. Weight loss products that come with prescriptions are normally given to very obese patients or if a person has a particular weight loss need that cannot be addressed with simple over-the-counter weight loss products. Because of their highly specific content, prescription weight loss products are approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Degree of effectiveness depend from one person to another but most who take prescription weight loss products lose about 5% to 10% from their weight. While usually given to very obese patients, prescription weight loss products may be given to people who have healthy body mass indexes considering that they have consulted with their doctors and have been cleared to take them.

Go over-the-counter

A lot of weight loss products are available to you over the counter. (Over-the-counter weight loss products mean that you don't need a prescription to take them.) However, a weight loss product consumer report will tell you that buying weight loss products over-the-counter actually poses more threats than buying with a prescription because use is not regulated. Any person can buy as much as they want, in as many brands as they want without regard to what would work best for them. Essentially a trial-and-error process, the threat also lies in using too many weight loss products at the same time. While all claiming to promote weight loss, weight loss products aren't generally intended to be used in conjunction with another weight loss product. Well, because each one is claiming to handle singlehandedly all your weight loss needs, they aren't formulated to be "friendly" to other weight loss products. Using too many weight loss products at the same time can actually make you sicker instead of better. By piling on different substances into your body, you may be overloading your body systems in the process. This makes your body slow down and weaker in defending you against threats in the environment.

Unproven claims

Be careful of weight loss products labeled as "herbal" or "natural" as these can be misleading. Just because they are labeled as such, that does not guarantee that they are indeed safe for consumption. Not everything herbal or natural is safe for you. Some might even be potentially dangerous especially to those who are suffering from any health condition or are already taking prescription medication.

Protect yourself

As any weight loss product consumer report would, you have to learn how to protect yourself. When buying any weight loss product, check to see if a weight loss consumer product report has been done on it. This will tell you how it worked for other people, what does it do, and what does it contain--some of the very basic things you have to know about any weight loss product. Unless approved by the Food and Drug Administration, be cautious about products that contain the words: breakthrough, easy, magical, new discovery, guaranteed, effortless, exotic, secret, miraculous, and mysterious. If you've taken the time to find out what works, take the time to tell other people what works. Create your own weight loss product consumer report and help ensure that other people are informed and protected as well.

Phillip England is a weight loss expert and Author of the popular report "The Ultimate Weight Loss Secret". To receive your free information on the secret that doctors, and health companies either don't know, or don't want you to know, please see [http://www.theultimateweightlosssecret.com/secret]

Myths About Weight Loss

Do you really know what it takes to lose weight? Can you really believe
what those ads tell you? Are you confused by what all those experts are
telling you? Do you know that 95% of people who go on conventional diets,
gain back all the weight they have lost and often end up fatter than when
they began? Do you really know what is fact and what is hype?

Losing weight safely, healthily and permanently is not as complicated as it
may seem. Once you know what works and what doesn't and then apply this
knowledge properly, you can, finally, lose that ugly fat.

This article highlights 15 of the most common myths associated with weight
loss. Understanding them, will help clear up the confusion and help you to
decide how best to lose that weight forever.

#1 Fad diets work best for permanent weight loss.

Fad diets (South Beach Diet, Atkins Diet, Glycemic Load Diet etc.) are not
the best way to lose weight and keep it off. Fad diets often promise quick
weight loss or tell you to cut certain foods out of your diet. You may lose
weight at first on one of these diets. But diets that strictly limit
calories or food choices are hard to follow. Most people quickly get tired
of them and regain
any lost weight.

Fad diets may be unhealthy because they may not provide all of the nutrients
your body needs. Also, losing weight at a very rapid rate (more than 3
pounds a week after the first couple weeks) may increase your risk for
developing gallstones (clusters of solid material in the gallbladder that
can be painful). Diets that provide less than 800 calories per day also
could result in heart rhythm abnormalities, which can be fatal.

Research suggests that losing ½ to 2 pounds a week by making healthy food
choices, eating moderate portions, and building physical activity into your
daily life is the best way to lose weight and keep it off. By adopting
healthy eating and physical activity habits, you may also lower your risk
for developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

#2 Certain types of people cannot lose weight.

We are all born with a genetically pre-determined number of fat cells. Some
people naturally have more fat cells than others and women have more than
men. The number of fat cells increase the older we get.

It was once believed that the number of fat cells could not increase after
adulthood, only the size of the fat cells could increase. We now know that
fat cells can indeed increase both in size and in number and that they are
more likely to increase in number at certain times and under certain
circumstances.

Existing fat cells increase in size when energy intake exceeds energy
expenditure and the excess is stored in the fat cell. An overweight person's
fat cells can be up to three times larger than a person with ideal body
composition.

Fat cells tend to increase in number most readily when excessive weight is
gained due to overeating and or inactivity during the following periods:
1. During late childhood and early puberty 2. During pregnancy 3. During
adulthood when extreme amounts of weight are gained

Normally during adulthood, the number of fat cells stay about the same,
except in the case of obesity. When the existing fat cells are filled to
capacity, new fat cells can continue to be formed in order to provide
additional storage - even in adults.

A typical overweight adult has around 75 billion fat cells. But in the case
of severe obesity, this number can be as high as 250 to 300 billion!

Because of these facts, many people believe, "Well, I have more fat cells
than other people, so what's the use, I'll never lose weight". Some
people argue that obesity is genetic and/or that once you're obese and your
fat cells have multiplied, it's an uphill battle you can't ever win.

It's easy to search for excuses to explain your failure. It's easy to
justify current circumstances and low future expectations by seeking out
seemingly logical and scientific facts and explanations.

Here's the reality.

People who say it can't be done are just pessimists or they are simply trying
to sell another pill, potion or miracle solution.

As much as some people desperately want to believe in a magic pill or
surgical procedure, getting a lean body always boils back down to nutrition
and exercise. You can't change the number of fat cells you have (without
surgery), but you can shrink every one of them by changing your lifestyle.

The number of fat cells you possess will certainly influence how difficult
it will be for you to lose body fat. It's one of the reasons why some people
have a more difficult time losing weight than others and why some people
seem to gain weight more easily than others if they're not very careful and
diligent with their nutrition and exercise programs.

However, it does not mean that it's impossible to get lean.

#3 High-protein/low-carbohydrate diets are a healthy way to lose weight.

The long-term health effects of a high-protein/low- carbohydrate diet are
not yet known. Additionally, getting most of your daily calories from high-
protein foods like meat, eggs, and cheese is not a balanced eating plan. You
may be eating too much fat and cholesterol, which can cause heart disease.
You may be eating too few fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, which may
lead to constipation due to lack of dietary fiber and cause a lack of
essential vitamins and minerals. Following a high-protein/low- carbohydrate
diet may also make you feel nauseous, tired, and weak.

Eating fewer than 130 grams (520 calories) of carbohydrate a day can cause
your body to produce high levels of uric acid, which is a risk factor for
gout (a painful swelling of the joints) and kidney stones. High-protein/low-
carbohydrate diets are often low in calories because food choices are
strictly limited, so they may cause short-term weight loss. But a reduced-
calorie eating plan that includes recommended amounts of carbohydrate,
protein, and fat will also allow you to lose weight. By following a balanced
eating plan, you will not have to stop eating whole classes of foods, such as
whole grains, fruits, and vegetables and miss the key nutrients they
contain. You may also find it easier to stick with a diet or eating plan
that includes a greater variety of foods.

#4 A Low Fat Diet is Best

Certain amount of fats are essential, as some fatty acids cannot be made by
the body and must come from the diet. ( Fatty acids are simply one of the
main constituent parts of fat along with cholesterol) Some essential
vitamins (A D E K ) are only soluble in fat and the fatty acids act as a
carrier for them.

Certain fatty acids are also essential in the formation of cell membranes,
particularly in nerve tissue. It has been shown that patients on a fat free
diet develop scaly skin, infertility and run a greater risk of infection.

A further source of confusion is the different types of fat. In particular,
we have heard of saturated fat, unsaturated fat, mono-unsaturated fat and
poly-unsaturated fat. Without getting into the chemical differences between
each of these fats, suffice it to say that there are good fats and bad fats.

Saturated fats are the bad fats. Generally speaking, they are the ones
which are solid at room temperature and tend to be derived from animal
sources. i.e. butter comes from milk. Too much saturated fat is believed to
cause heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and cancers.

Unsaturated fats (both mono and poly ) are the good fats and tend to be
liquid at room temperature and are derived from vegetable sources. So when
we are looking at fats, keep an eye on the types of fat in the foods we are
eating and stay away from those which are high in saturated fat.

Now that we know what fat is, how much should we be eating? It is generally
accepted that about 30% of our calories should come from fat and no more
than 11% of this should be from saturated fat So, if we take a typical male
who is on 2500 calories, his fat target is no more than 750 calories (or
84g) from fat. Remember these are the maximum amounts allowed. It is much
better to err on the low side of this figure but DO NOT go below 20% of
calories from fat. (500 calories for our male example). Remember, we need
fat in our diet.

#5 Weight gain is genetic. You inherit it from your parents

Certainly, there may be what we call tendencies, but there is no such thing
as a fat gene that is passed down from generation to generation. What is
inherited are attitudes towards food and living in general. If parents are
overweight, it is likely that their food choices are unhealthy and it is
likely that their lifestyle is unhealthy. So, from a very early age, their
children are being subjected to that same unhealthy lifestyle. They have
little chance of remaining at a"normal" weight. They have learned to be
unhealthy by following what their parents have done and will carry this
learned behaviour with them throughout their lives.

Being overweight is not genetic but is another convenient excuse not to try
to lose weight. Each of us has within us the power to achieve our weight
loss.

#6 The "set point" theory determines what we all should weigh.

The set-point theory holds that we all have an internal weight regulator,
like a thermostat, that adjusts our metabolic rate up or down whenever we
gain or shed pounds in order to return our body to its predetermined weight.
Undoubtedly, some controls do exist or we would all be obese,
or,alternately, wasting away. Studies show that when we lose weight, our
metabolism actually shifts to a normal rate for that new weight, independent
of individual differences. It is important ,however, that the weight loss is
gradual, 1/2 to 2lbs per week is ideal. The body does not like rapid change
as it tends to have emergency responses to something that it doesn't like.
For instance, by losing weight rapidly, through diet, our bodies will go
into "starvation mode" where it will slow our metabolism to preserve our fat
reserves and thus make it very difficult to lose weight. It will also tend
to make weight gain much more likely when the diet ends because our
metabolism has been slowed down so much.

People nevertheless embrace the theory to blame their bodies, rather than
their own behaviour, for their weight-loss failure. It offers comfort to
those who refuse to accept the fact that weight control requires a
commitment to a physically active and calorie-conscious lifestyle.

#7 Carbohydrates make you fat.

Carbohydrates do not make you fat. Calories make you fat. Often it's the
sugar and fat contained in carbohydrates that make you fat. Also a lot of
carbohydrates are processed, so you don't get the advantage of feeling full
from fiber found in unprocessed carbs. For example, whole grain pasta is
more filling and makes you feel satisfied longer than white pasta, the same
with white bread and brown bread though, both have the same amount of
calories. What will change the number of calories is the amount of sauce and
butter you put on your pasta. What you want to do is eat carbs in
moderation.

#8 Counting calories is not important.

You definitely need to count calories in one way or other in order to lose
weight. Most people tend to overestimate their physical activity and
underestimate their calories. Don't guess or try to estimate your caloric
intake. You cannot be accurate enough. There are many good computer
programs out there that do most of the work for you. If weight gain is
caused by your caloric intake (food) being greater than your caloric output
(living and exercise), how can you possibly know where you are and what
needs to be done?

#9 The best way to lose weight is to miss meals.

Studies show that people who skip breakfast and eat fewer times during the
day tend to be heavier than people who eat a healthy breakfast and eat five
or six times a day. This may be because people who skip meals tend to feel
hungrier later on and eat more than they normally would. Also, it is now
generally accepted that people who eat smaller meals, 5 or 6 times a day,
tend to be less likely to be overweight. The process of eating in itself
tends to raise your metabolic rate and by eating more often, tends to keep
your metabolism more active for longer. Remember, to keep within your
caloric allowance.

#10 The best way to lose weight is by starving yourself.

Losing weight by not eating is an absolute no, no. There are 3 main reasons
for this. Very low calorie dieting or any "quick weight loss" will
significantly decrease our metabolism. Eating increases metabolism due to
the energy required for digestion and absorption of the food. The calories
required to digest, absorb, transport and metabolise the food we eat, can
cause a 10% increase in our caloric expenditure each day. Every time we eat,
our body's metabolism gets a temporary boost. So one way to help increase
metabolic rate is to eat smaller, more frequent meals and snacks. Skipping
meals causes a decrease in our metabolic rate until we again eat something.

Significantly reducing calories lowers our metabolic rate. Our body treats
any sudden reduction in food intake as an impending starvation situation and
prepares itself by slowing our metabolism to conserve calories. The more
drastically we cut our calories, the more our metabolic rate drops.

Losing weight through dieting alone without exercise, depletes our muscle
tissue stores. Muscle requires many more calories each day to maintain itself.
The faster we lose weight through dieting alone, the more muscle tissue we
lose and the lower our metabolic rate becomes. Exercise prevents muscle
tissue loss and adds muscle bulk and therefore raises our metabolic rate.

#11 We shouldn't eat late at night as all that food will turn to fat.

The fact is, eating at night does not necessarily make you fat. There are
too many other variables involved to make such a big assumption. The primary
factor in whether you gain or lose fat is not when you eat but rather how
much. Providing we have not consumed too many calories for that day it
doesn't really matter when we eat.

However, that doesn't mean meal timing doesn't matter, it simply means that
it's entirely possible to eat one of your meals late at night right before
bed and still lose body fat, as long as you're in a caloric deficit.

It would be more accurate to say that eating large meals late at night
before bed, especially calorie dense high carbohydrate meals, increases the
probability that you will store some of those calories as fat.

It is probably more beneficial if you plan to eat your calories earlier in
the day and slightly fewer calories at night. Experience has shown that this
will accelerate fat loss or make it easier to lose fat and that's not the
same as saying "eating at night makes you fat."

#12 Weight loss pills are the best way to lose weight if you have failed in
the past.

Would you believe me if I said there was a pill which could make you
smarter, richer or more attractive. No you wouldn't. You'd probably would
laugh at the thought. It is no more ridiculous to believe that a pill could
make you lose weight. Many of the so called weight loss pills on the market
have not been properly tested and we are not yet sure of the long term
effects of taking them. You will read many reviews praising this pill or
that pill. Ask yourself this. "Is the writer of that review trying to then
sell me something?" There have been no pills yet which have been proven to
help weight loss safely and healthily.

#13 You can lose weight from a specific part of your body.

It is, absolutely, physically impossible to lose weight just from a specific
part of your body. You cannot control where fat is removed from your body.
Any machine or specific exercise which claims to specifically lose belly fat
or thigh fat is lying. Certainly, a specific exercise will improve muscle
tone in that group of muscles being trained, giving the illusion that fat is
being lost.

Fat will only disappear from your body in a predetermined order.
Unfortunately for men that tends to be the belly area and the thighs and hips
for women. Tom Venuto, author of the internet's best selling book on fat
loss gives us a very good analogy. "You cannot empty the shallow end of the
swimming pool before you empty the deep end first."

#14 You don't need to exercise to lose weight.

You certainly don't need to exercise to lose weight but it is very, very
difficult if you don't. Most diets fail because they are too difficult to
maintain. Severely cutting down on calories means we have to deprive
ourselves of too many things we enjoy. This leads to cravings which leads
to cheating which leads to failure. It is also unhealthy.

We can also burn off calories by exercising. By incorporating exercise into
our daily regime, we immediately make weight loss more attainable. Simply
by walking 30 minutes every day at a pace which raises our heart rate enough
can help our weight loss tremendously. However, the more we exercise the
more calories we burn. Additionally, exercise gives us many other health
benefits, like a healthier heart, lower blood pressure, a greater feeling of
well-being etc. The benefits are too many to mention.

#15 Don't weigh yourself

It's another misconception that you shouldn't step on a scale while
attempting to lose weight. It is a good motivational tool to check your
weight on a regular basis, say once a week.It is an obvious way to gauge
your progress and alter your diet accordingly. However, only using scales is
a bad idea. Use your eyes to see body changes. Use a tape measure to keep
track of tummy and thigh inches.

However, what you must keep in mind is that what you are, ultimately, trying
to do is lose fat and not just weight. Measuring fat loss is more difficult
to do but it is a far better indicator of your progress. Body fat analysis
is best done by a professional and can be done at most local gyms or health
clubs. There are also a wide range of devices freely available which can
give you a fairly accurate measurement.

http://amazing-weight-loss.blogspot.com

Iain Anthony lives in the UK with his wife and three children. He has a BA in Sports Studies and is the author of the Ultimate Weight Loss and Fat Loss Package. If you have enjoyed reading this article and are keen to discover much , much more, please visit http://amazing-weight-loss.blogspot.com

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Discover How a Quick Weight Loss Can Be a Healthy Weight Loss-Phase I

How can a quick weight loss also be a healthy weight loss? Truthfully, if this is the thought on your mind, you are miles ahead of the majority of people interested in weight loss today. In fact, the true thought that the majority of weight loss seeker are having is, "How can I have a quick weight loss?" There is no mention of a healthy weight loss at all! The problem is that everyone wants the results, but doesn't care about what they have to do to get there. More importantly, they don't care about the long term negative affects that will follow their quick weight loss. In order to achieve your healthy weight loss and for it to also be a quick weight loss, you must make some fitness tuning changes to your body.

Now that we've identified that your mind should be on how a quick weight loss must also be a healthy weight loss, let's get you there! We are going to address several things regarding your life and how you live it. I will give you the paths that you need to take in order for you to get to a healthy weight loss. Then you will need to go down those paths, one at a time. How well and how dedicated you are to accomplishing the completion of those paths will determine whether or not you have a quick weight loss. I will give you the tools to make a healthy weight loss also be a quick weight loss, but you must use them, and use them properly, for your healthy weight loss and quick weight loss to occur.

Step one, to achieve your healthy weight loss and quick weight loss, will be to make some changes to your diet. You must, and must want to, start with your diet. If you are a person that has a minimal or non-existent amount of exercise done each week, then trying to tackle that step first can be disastrous. If you run into the gym, before you correct your dieting deficiencies, you will feel a great deal of fatigue during exercise, and possibly faintness, dizziness, and extended muscle soreness and fatigue afterwards. To begin your stepping into a healthy weight loss and quick weight loss, you must first begin with giving your body the nutrients that it needs. Otherwise, your quest towards a healthy weight loss and quick weight loss will be that much more difficult, not to mention less enjoyable!

The dieting change to begin your healthy weight loss and quick weight loss journey is your daily food intake. You should have three meals a day, each containing a carbohydrate, a fruit or vegetable, and a protein. These items must also be evenly proportioned for each meal. You should get plenty of whole grains in your diet, so make sure that your carbohydrate sources are whole grain as often as possible. Ensure that you also get plenty of good cholesterol in order to keep your cholesterol level under control. This means that you should be eating a variety of nuts, eggs, and fish and including olive oil in your diet. In fact, I would recommend at least one meal a day which contains some kind of fish. Not only is it a good source of protein, but the Omega-3 oils that are contained in fattier fishes such as salmon and mackerel are essential for a healthy weight loss and quick weight loss, as well as healthy living.

Some fitness tuning suggestions for your healthy weight loss and quick weight loss diet.In the morning, I start my day with a fruit, a bowl of oatmeal and some bacon or sausage, followed by a multivitamin. For lunch you should also plan your lunch to contain a protein source, a carbohydrate, and a vegetable. I only have fruit with my meal in the morning, due to the fact that the sugar will help you to start your day by giving you the energy that you need. Vegetables contain more vitamins and minerals than fruit and therefore must be of higher concentration in your diet. My dinner always contains a meat, pasta or potatoes, and a steamed vegetable or salad. The fiber from the fruits and vegetables will slow down the absorption of the carbohydrates into your body, and will allow you to burn off absorbed carbohydrates before they can be stored as fat. By following these diet guidelines, your healthy weight loss will become a quick weight loss as well. Plus, you will have the energy to begin the next path towards your healthy weight loss and quick weight loss journey that will be found in Phase II.

Believe it or not, your healthy weight loss and quick weight loss plan involves snacks! In order to ensure that you are supporting your body's needs for Phase II of your healthy weight loss and quick weight loss journey, you must have two between-meal snacks. I continually use protein bars and protein shakes as my between-meal snack. However, I have also been known to use trail-mix that contains more nuts than fruits. Your goal is to ensure that your body is getting all of the proteins that it needs to support Phase II of your healthy weight loss and quick weight loss plan. If you should ever feel a craving for something sweet, then have a piece of fruit. Some fruits have more sugars than others, such as bananas, grapes, pineapples, raisins, and mangos, and should be eaten sparingly. These are the desserts that will help to lead to your healthy weight loss and quick weight loss, not to mention a healthier you.

You have now completed Phase I of your journey towards your healthy weight loss and quick weight loss. You have started your fitness tuning process by ensuring that the foods that you take into your body are healthy and contain all of the elements needed for your body's healthy lifestyle. I will be following this article with Phase II of your healthy weight loss and quick weight loss journey, but you will be able to get more information regarding proper dieting and the benefits from doing so by clicking on my fitness tuning website's link below. You will be able to join my free membership website, and gain access to all of the nutrition, dieting, and fitness information that I share with all of my members from week to week. Begin Phase I of your healthy weight loss and quick weight loss journey today, and you will soon lead yourself to the results that you desire.

Powerful Weight Loss and Fitness Techiques [http://www.fitnesstuning.com] Are Available FOR FREE -- Right Now at [http://www.fitnesstuning.com]

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Treadmill Weight Loss Workouts to Build a Leaner, Healthy and Fit Body

Treadmill weight loss is one of the more successful methods of losing weight. Treadmill weight loss helps individuals to loose weight by implementing workout routines on a treadmill machine. A treadmill weight loss workout enables user to build a healthy and fit body. Doctors, medical specialists, gym trainers and health specialists provide treadmill weight loss workout tips to individuals who desire to lose weight, build body sculptures and get into shape.

Treadmill walking workouts for weight loss have consistently provided quality results and lasting benefits. These exercises allow people to work at their own pace to burn calories effectively.

Using a good treadmill workout program has worked for many people and individuals. Treadmill workouts not only enable users to lose weight but also help users to maintain their weight loss. Treadmill weight loss is achieved by performing workouts on treadmills by virtually any age group and individuals of any activity level.

It helps people to lose weight and maintain weight loss by implementing a treadmill workout routine. A sensible, healthy and planned diet that will help users to shed their weight by unwanted pounds is implemented with along with the workout. While performing workouts on treadmills to reach treadmill weight loss targets, users need to be consistent in their planned workouts. Treadmill weight loss can be achieved if the user spends a certain length of time on the treadmill machine.

Treadmill weight loss workouts make the user walk or jog on a treadmill for certain time length and at least 5-6 days per week. Treadmill weight loss requires workouts that user spends 45 minutes or more per session on a treadmill machine. Consistency in treadmill workouts is the key to the success of treadmill weight loss.
Initially treadmill weight loss workout starts at a nice and easy pace but over the period of time the intensity and length of the workouts is increased to achieve the targets of treadmill weight loss exercise. During treadmill weight loss workout users need to keep in mind that they have their body moving for as long and fast as they can and still remain comfortable. The faster the pace during treadmill weight loss workouts on a treadmill, the more calories will be burned which will eventually lead to weight loss. Regular workouts on a treadmill increase the body's metabolism and make more weight loss.

Treadmill weight loss exercise is the best way to lose weight provided users plan their workouts on a treadmill and make it a daily habit. Consistency in maintaining workouts is the key to success of treadmill weight loss.

Treadmill weight loss tips during walking workouts on a treadmill include maintaining a proper posture of the body, keeping the head up, relaxing the neck, swinging the arms at sides, holding the tummy in, keeping the hips relaxed & loose and concentration on breathing. Treadmill weight loss tips also include listening to music, watching TV, or talking to a friend next to you to avoid the boredom during treadmill weight loss workouts.

Treadmill weight loss workouts include numerous programs. Making treadmill weight loss workout a daily habit makes achieving weight loss ambitions more likely. Incorporation of 3-4 treadmill workout sessions each week is a planned program of treadmill weight loss. Forcing the body to become conditioned to more intense workout is another treadmill weight loss program. Treadmill weight loss sessions or interval workouts cause people to burn more calories and make the workout less monotonous. Treadmill weight loss workout includes swinging of arms and variety of arm movements during walking workouts, which increases the metabolic rate and causes weight loss.

Treadmill weight loss workouts help users to achieve their weight loss goals and have a positive impact on all aspects of their life including fitness, the way they look, the way they walk, etc. Treadmill weight loss workout on a treadmill machine is a simple way to reach weight loss goals.

The author of the article is Atanu. He has well known authority and can visit at [http://www.treadmill-walking.com/treadmill-weight-loss.html].

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How to Choose Credible Weight Loss Pills Online?

We all know how huge weight loss market is, offering thousands of different weight loss pills. And it keeps growing every year, as well as the number of people suffering obesity and excess weight. Generally we face enormous offers of amazing results, almost magic capacities and 100% guaranteed weight loss success.

Ok, let's think a little - what really stands behind all those claims? Are those weight loss supplements really matching their claims? Are they really effective and safe for our health? Will we lose weight and become slimmer or just lose our money and give up our attempts to find credible weight loss supplements?

For the moment all the weight loss pills can be divided in two huge niches. First niche is prescription weight loss pills. They are medications with efficacy clinically studied. Basically they are approved by official organizations like FDA. But their use is confined by doctor's prescription, and may be strictly forbidden if we have certain health conditions. Besides, prescription weight loss pills have serious side effects and using them in the long run may lead to tolerance.

The second niche is weight loss dietary supplements. There is really great amount of different types, like fat burners, appetite suppressants, thermogenic calorie burners - all of them apply different approaches to weight loss. There are some risks of using dietary supplements though. They are not strictly regulated by official organizations, and as a rule, don't suffer clinical studies and approvals, so their effectiveness as well as side effects come to light only after the customers have tried them on the market.

The examples are widely known. The great deal of weight loss supplements used ephedra as active component, until ephedra was found to have serious side effects, affecting badly our blood pressure and heart.

Hoodia based supplements is another point of concern when it comes to choosing credible weight loss product. Actually there are around 13 of Hoodia types, but only Hoodia Gordonii has P57 component - exactly the one that provides Hoodia's famous appetite suppression. Artificial Hoodia Gordonii is pretty scarce ingredient, but we see the weight loss market is supersaturated with Hoodia supplements. Certainly there exist pure artificial Hoodia Gordonii that demonstrates its known capacities, but there are a few manufacturers that can guarantee Hoodia Gordonii authenticity and quality.

The huge number of weight loss supplements contains under researched components with the lack of clinical approvals.

At the same time we can find really credible weight loss pills online, that will help us speed up our weight loss.

We offer several steps to define if certain slimming pills worth ordering online.

1. The official sites selling pills online don't display unsubstantiated claims about their product. Such claims are intended primarily to manipulate ill-advised customer in the rash for easy and fast weight loss solution. But this is not a point yet, as it's easy to change distrustful claims for more adequate ones to avoid any mistrust from the potential customers.


2. The weight loss products are produced by manufacturers with a strong reputation in the weight loss niche. You can always find the company's site, its contact info, and get all the necessary knowledge of its production process, as well as certificates that prove compliance with manufacture standards.


3. We can also include money-back guarantees, and wide scope of customer service, for example, advisory services or additional bonuses like free delivery or special re-order conditions. But this is still not enough for a product to be considered as credible.


4. The strict rule for high quality slimming pills is using only artificial high quality ingredients, proved with clinical studies, and their efficacy and safety is approved. If a manufacturer really uses no fraudulent components, he will let you know by presenting respective certificates.


5. And obviously the surest sign of slimming pills credibility - the company is free to present its weight loss product for general audience. You can hear about the product not only in the online community, but from reputable experts in the health niche.

We understand how the real quality weight loss product is important for achieving weight loss success. It's been proved many times that the guarantee for real and successful weight loss is combination of healthy diet and regular physical activity. The great aid in achieving successful weight loss results are weight loss pills. And if they prove to be fraudulent, we won't reach such perfect and fast weight loss than we could if using really credible weight loss supplements.

Anthony Voronoff is expert of http://www.weightlosstabs.com - the site examinating weight loss pills market and making reviews of the most effective and high quality weight loss products - natural weight loss pills and weight loss supplements.

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Discover How a Quick Weight Loss Can Be a Healthy Weight Loss - Phase II

We left off with my last article of "Discover How a Quick Weight Loss Can Be a Healthy Weight Loss - Phase I". As a recap, you learned how you should adjust your diet to ensure that your healthy weight loss is also a quick weight loss. Now, we are on to Phase II of your healthy weight loss and quick weight loss journey. So, what is the next fitness tuning path that I must pursue after you have adopted a complete and healthy diet?

Phase II of your healthy weight loss and quick weight loss journey is exercise. Now that you have adopted a complete and healthy diet, and your body has all of the vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and proteins that it is supposed to, it is time to put all of that good work to use! Exercise is the next key ingredient to the amazing recipe of your healthy weight loss and quick weight loss. Not only must you exercise, but you must do so intelligently. There is no need for you to try to kill yourself in the beginning. Instead, it is better for you to take baby steps and to work yourself up to advanced workout routines. The road to a healthy weight loss and quick weight loss will only be as bumpy as you choose to make it!

Start you healthy weight loss and quick weight loss workouts slowly. That means that you should work yourself up to doing advanced workouts. My working out started with cardiovascular activity, and body training. I would suggest that you do the same. Body training will consist of using your own body weight to train your muscles. This means that you do push-ups, sit-ups & crunches, pull-ups, squats, lunges, dips, reverse crunches, calf-raises, and flutter kicks. These are excellent exercises to start Phase II of your healthy weight loss and quick weight loss, and builds up your muscles' endurance. Do as many minutes of cardiovascular exercise that you can, following the completion of your body training exercises. Start yourself at ten minutes and work your way up to thirty minutes. This is the preparation step necessary for a successful Phase II of your healthy weight loss and quick weight loss.

The next step of your healthy weight loss and quick weight loss is to move your fitness tuning efforts into the gym. Once you are able to pump out your body training exercises like a professional, then you are ready for weight and resistance training. Depending upon your body type and desire for body type, the method of gym training for your healthy weight loss and quick weight loss journey differs. To plainly put it, if you want to put on muscle size and increase strength, you will use more weight with fewer repetitions; if you are solely concerned about core strength and toning your body, then you will use less weight and more repetitions. Deciding upon what body type you want is the easiest part of a healthy weight loss and quick weight loss journey. With either method, use the pyramid set structure. This means to increase your weight with each set of the exercise, and complete 3 sets per exercise. Refer to my fitness tuning website, listed below, if further information is needed regarding healthy weight loss and quick weight loss exercises or exercise techniques.

During Phase II of your healthy weight loss and quick weight loss journey, remember to use your head. When you are starting a new exercise for the first time, use an extremely light weight. Not only will this ensure that you don't injure yourself doing the exercise, but it will also allow you to use proper form for the exercise from the very beginning. Achieving a healthy weight loss and quick weight loss is impossible if you injure yourself in the gym. In fact, a gym injury can set your healthy weight loss and quick weight loss exercise program back weeks, even months. Remember, if you can't do ten repetitions of your third set of an exercise, that's ok as well. As long as you can do ten repetitions of the first two sets of the exercise, then eventually your strength will build enough for you to do ten repetitions of the third exercise. This is the fitness tuning method of Phase II of your healthy weight loss and a quick weight loss, and has been working for fitness enthusiasts for years.

The gym portion of your healthy weight loss and quick weight loss is simple. You do three exercises per muscle group, and do two muscle groups per day. This means you can do chest and triceps the first day, back and biceps the second day, and legs and shoulders the third day. Finish your exercise routines off on those three days with twenty or thirty minutes of cardiovascular exercise. On the fourth day, do only abdominal exercises, unless you are working your abdominal muscles on the other three days along with the other muscle groups. If this is the case, then the fourth day is a complete day of rest. In order to be completely successful in your healthy weight loss and quick weight loss journey, you must give your body time to recuperate. You are giving your body the nutrients that it needs to recuperate from your healthy weight loss and quick weight loss efforts, but the last ingredient is rest.

By utilizing these exercise methods and techniques, you will ensure success in Phase II of your healthy weight loss and quick weight loss journey. Once you have mastered the gym routines listed above, then you are ready for more advanced training methods. You are able to find out more information on all of the fitness tuning training techniques for a healthy weight loss and quick weight loss program listed in this article, as well as more advanced training methods, by clicking on my website's link below. You can join my free membership website, and gain access to all of the nutrition, dieting, and fitness information that I send to all of my members. You will also be able to build the workout routine that is best for you, and ensure your success in Phase II of your healthy weight loss and quick weight loss journey today!

Powerful Weight Loss and Fitness Techiques [http://www.fitnesstuning.com] Are Available at Our Membership Website FOR FREE -- Right Now at [http://www.fitnesstuning.com]

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Weight-Loss Surgery Helps Diabetes

Recent research from Columbia and Duke Universities show that gastric bypass can help improve diabetes is WLS patients, even before significant weight loss. The study attributes the improvement to BCAA and related metabolites -- researchers say the findings could help scientists identify new diabetes treatements (other than gastric bypass) in the future.

Considering Surgery?
Here are some questions to ask your doctor.

View the original article here

The Big Picture of Permanent Weight Loss

Most people who read my articles and e-books know me as a science guy who likes to quote studies and apply research to everyday problems such as weight loss, bodybuilding, and other health/fitness related topics. However, sometimes you have to step back from the science and look at the big picture to help bring people back into focus, so they can see the forest for the trees, so to speak.

For most people reading this article, finding an effective diet that works most of the time must seem as complicated as nuclear physics. It's not, but there are a bewildering number of choices for diets out there. High fat or no fat? High carbohydrate or no carbohydrate? Low protein or high protein? To make matters worse, there are a million variations and combinations to the above diet scenarios to add to the confusion. It seems endless and causes many people to throw up their hands in frustration and give up. In this article I will attempt to change all that.

There are some general guidelines, rules of thumb, and ways of viewing a diet program that will allow you to decide, once and for all, if it's the right diet for you. You may not always like what I have to say, and you should be under no illusions this is another quick fix, "lose 100 lbs. in 20 days," guide of some sort. However, if you are sick and tired of being confused, tired of taking the weight off only to put it back on, and tired of wondering how to take the first steps to deciding the right diet for you that will result in permanent weight loss, then this is the article that could change your life...

Does your diet pass "The Test"?
What is the number one reason diets fail long term; above all else? The number one reason is...drum roll...a lack of long term compliance. The numbers don't lie; the vast majority of people who lose weight will regain it - and often exceed what they lost. You knew that already didn't you?

Yet, what are you doing to avoid it? Here's another reality check: virtually any diet you pick which follows the basic concept of "burning" more calories then you consume - the well accepted "calories in calories out" mantra - will cause you to lose weight. To some degree, they all work: Atkins-style, no carb diets, low fat high carb diets, all manner of fad diets - it simply does not matter in the short term.

If your goal is to lose some weight quickly, then pick one and follow it. I guarantee you will lose some weight. Studies generally find any of the commercial weight loss diets will get approximately the same amount of weight off after 6 months to a year. For example, a recent study found the Atkins' Diet, Slim-Fast plan, Weight Watchers Pure Points program, and Rosemary Conley's Eat Yourself Slim diet, were all equally effective. (1)

Other studies comparing other popular diets have come to essentially the same conclusions. For example, a study that compared the Atkins diet, the Ornish diet, Weight Watchers, and The Zone Diet, found them to be essentially the same in their ability to take weight off after one year. (2)

Recall what I said about the number one reason diets fail, which is a lack of compliance. The lead researcher of this recent study stated:

"Our trial found that adherence level rather than diet type was the primary predictor of weight loss"(3)

Translated, it's not which diet they chose per se, but their ability to actually stick to a diet that predicted their weight loss success. I can just see the hands going up now, "but Will, some diets must be better than others, right?" Are some diets better then others? Absolutely. Some diets are healthier then others, some diets are better at preserving lean body mass, some diets are better at suppressing appetite - there are many differences between diets. However, while most of the popular diets will work for taking weight off, what is abundantly clear is that adhering to the diet is the most important aspect for keeping the weight off long term.

What is a diet?
A diet is a short term strategy to lose weight. Long term weight loss is the result of an alteration in lifestyle. We are concerned with life long weight management, not quick fix weight loss here. I don't like the term diet, as it represents a short term attempt to lose weight vs. a change in lifestyle. Want to lose a bunch of weight quickly? Heck, I will give you the information on how to do that here and now for no charge.

For the next 90 to 120 days eat 12 scrambled egg whites, one whole grapefruit, and a gallon of water twice a a day. You will lose plenty of weight. Will it be healthy? Nope. Will the weight stay off once you are done with this diet and are then forced to go back to your "normal" way of eating? Not a chance. Will the weight you lose come from fat or will it be muscle, water, bone, and (hopefully!) some fat? The point being, there are many diets out there that are perfectly capable of getting weight off you, but when considering any eating plan designed to lose weight, you must ask yourself:

"Is this a way of eating I can follow long term?"
Which brings me to my test: I call it the "Can I eat that way for the rest of my life?" Test. I know, it does not exactly roll off your tongue, but it gets the point across.

The lesson here is: any nutritional plan you pick to lose weight must be part of a lifestyle change you will be able to follow - in one form or another - forever. That is, if it's not a way of eating you can comply with indefinitely, even after you get to your target weight, then it's worthless.

Thus, many fad diets you see out there are immediately eliminated, and you don't have to worry about them. The question is not whether the diet is effective in the short term, but if the diet can be followed indefinitely as a lifelong way of eating. Going from "their" way of eating back to "your" way of eating after you reach your target weight is a recipe for disaster and the cause of the well established yo-yo dieting syndrome. Bottom line: there are no short cuts, there is no free lunch, and only a commitment to a lifestyle change is going to keep the fat off long term. I realize that's not what most people want to hear, but it's the truth, like it or not.

The statistics don't lie: getting the weight off is not the hardest part, keeping the weight off is! If you take a close look at the many well known fad/commercial diets out there, and you are honest with yourself, and apply my test above, you will find most of them no longer appeal to you as they once did. It also brings me to an example that adds additional clarity: If you have diet A that will cause the most weight loss in the shortest amount of time but is unbalanced and essentially impossible to follow long term vs. diet B, which will take the weight off at a slower pace, but is easier to follow, balanced, healthy, and something you can comply with year after year, which is superior? If diet A gets 30 lbs off you in 30 days, but by next year you have gained back all 30 lbs, but diet B gets 20 lbs off you in the next 3 months with another 20 lbs 3 months after that and the weight stays off by the end of that year, which is the better diet?

If you don't know the answer to those questions, you have totally missed the point of this article and the lesson it's trying to teach you, and are set up for failure. Go back and read this section again...By default, diet B is superior.

Teach a man to Fish...
A well known Chinese Proverb is - Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

This expression fits perfectly with the next essential step in how to decide what eating plan you should follow to lose weight permanently. Will the diet plan you are considering teach you how to eat long term, or does it spoon-feed you information? Will the diet rely on special bars, shakes, supplements or pre-made foods they supply?

Let's do another diet A vs. diet B comparison. Diet A is going to supply you with their foods, as well as their special drink or bars to eat, and tell you exactly when to eat them. You will lose - say - 30 lbs in two months. Diet B is going to attempt to help you learn which foods you should eat, how many calories you need to eat, why you need to eat them, and generally attempt to help teach you how to eat as part of a total lifestyle change that will allow you to make informed decisions about your nutrition. Diet B causes a slow steady weight loss of 8 -10 lbs per month for the next 6 months and the weight stays off because you now know how to eat properly.

Recall the Chinese proverb. Both diets will assist you to lose weight. Only one diet, however, will teach you how to be self-reliant after your experience is over. Diet A is easier, to be sure, and causes faster weight loss than diet B, and diet B takes longer and requires some thinking and learning on your part. However, when diet A is over, you are right back where you started and have been given no skills to fish. Diet companies don't make their profits by teaching you to fish, they make their money by handing you a fish so you must rely on them indefinitely or come back to them after you gain all the weight back.

Thus, diet B is superior for allowing you to succeed where other diets failed, with knowledge gained that you can apply long term. Diet programs that attempt to spoon feed you a diet without any attempt to teach you how to eat without their help and/or rely on their shakes, bars, cookies, or pre-made foods, is another diet you can eliminate from your list of choices.

Diet plans that offer weight loss by drinking their product for several meals followed by a "sensible dinner;" diets that allow you to eat their special cookies for most meals along with their pre-planned menu; or diets that attempt to have you eating their bars, drink, or pre-made meals, are of the diet A variety covered above. They're easy to follow but destined for failure, long term. They all fail the "Can I eat that way for the rest of my life?" test, unless you really think you can eat cookies and shakes for the rest of your life...Bottom line here is, if the nutritional approach you use to lose weight, be it from a book, a class, a clinic, or an e-book, does not teach you how to eat, it's a loser for long term weight loss and it should be avoided.

The missing link for long term weight loss
We now make our way to another test to help you choose a nutrition program for long term weight loss, and it does not actually involve nutrition. The missing link for long term weight loss is exercise. Exercise is the essential component of long term weight loss. Many diet programs do not contain an exercise component, which means they are losers for long term weight loss from the very start. Any program that has its focus on weight loss but does not include a comprehensive exercise plan is like buying a car without tires, or a plane without wings. People who have successfully kept the weight off overwhelmingly have incorporated exercise into their lives, and the studies that look at people who have successfully lost weight and kept it off invariably find these people were consistent with their diet and exercise plans. (4)

I am not going to list all the benefits of regular exercise here, but regular exercise has positive effects on your metabolism, allows you to eat more calories yet still be in a calorie deficit, and can help preserve lean body mass (LBM) which is essential to your health and metabolism. The many health benefits of regular exercise are well known, so I won't bother adding them here. The bottom line here is, (a) if you have any intentions of getting the most from your goal of losing weight and (b) plan to keep it off long term, regular exercise must be an integral part of the weight loss strategy. So, you can eliminate any program, be it book, e-book, clinic, etc. that does not offer you direction and help with this essential part of long term weight loss.

Side Bar: A quick note on exercise:
Any exercise is better than no exercise. However, like diet plans, not all exercise is created equal, and many people often choose the wrong form of exercise to maximize their efforts to lose weight. For example, they will do aerobics exclusively and ignore resistance training. Resistance training is an essential component of fat loss, as it builds muscle essential to your metabolism, increases 24 hour energy expenditure, and has health benefits beyond aerobics.

The reader will also note I said fat loss above not weight loss. Though I use the term 'weight loss' throughout this article, I do so only because it is a familiar term most people understand. However, the true focus and goal of a properly set up nutrition and exercise plan should be on fat loss, not weight loss. A focus on losing weight, which may include a loss essential muscle, water, and even bone, as well as fat, is the wrong approach. Losing the fat and keeping the all important lean body mass (LBM), is the goal, and the method for achieving that can be found in my ebook(s) on the topic, and is beyond the scope of this article. Bottom line: the type of exercise, intensity of that exercise, length of time doing that exercise, etc., are essential variables here when attempting to lose FAT while retaining (LBM).

Psychology 101 of long term weight loss
Many diet programs out there don't address the psychological aspect of why people fail to be successful with long term weight loss. However, quite a few studies exist that have looked at just that. In many respects, the psychological aspect is the most important for long term weight loss, and probably the most underappreciated component.

Studies that compare the psychological characteristics of people who have successfully kept the weight off to people who have regained the weight, see clear differences between these two groups. For example, one study that looked at 28 obese women who had lost weight but regained the weight that they had lost, compared to 28 formerly obese women who had lost weight and maintained their weight for at least one year and 20 women with a stable weight in the healthy range, found the women who regained the weight:

o Had a tendency to evaluate self-worth in terms of weight and shape
o Had a lack of vigilance with regard to weight control
o had a dichotomous (black-and-white) thinking style
o Had the tendency to use eating to regulate mood.

The researchers concluded:

"The results suggest that psychological factors may provide some explanation as to why many people with obesity regain weight following successful weight loss."

This particular study was done on women, so it reflects some of the specific psychological issues women have - but make no mistake here - men also have their own psychological issues that can sabotage their long term weight loss efforts. (6)

Additional studies on men and women find psychological characteristics such as "having unrealistic weight goals, poor coping or problem-solving skills and low self-efficacy" often predict failure with long term weight loss. (7) On the other hand, psychological traits common to people who experienced successful long term weight loss include "...an internal motivation to lose weight, social support, better coping strategies and ability to handle life stress, self-efficacy, autonomy, assuming responsibility in life, and overall more psychological strength and stability." (8)

The main point of this section is to illustrate that psychology plays a major role in determining if people are successful with long term weight loss. If it's not addressed as part of the overall plan, it can be the factor that makes or breaks your success. This, however, is not an area most nutrition programs can adequately tackle and should not be expected to. However, the better programs do generally attempt to help with motivation, goal setting, and support. If you see yourself in the above lists from the groups that failed to maintain their weight long term, then know you will need to address those issues via counseling, support groups, etc. Don't expect any weight loss program to cover this topic adequately but do look for programs that attempt to offer support, goal setting, and resources that will keep you on track.

"There's a sucker born every minute"
So why don't you see this type of honest information about the realities of long term weight loss more often? Let's be honest here, telling the truth is not the best way to sell bars, shakes, books, supplements, and programs. Hell, if by some miracle everyone who read this article actually followed it, and sent it on to millions of other people who actually followed it, makers of said products could be in financial trouble quickly. However, they also know - as the man said - "there's a sucker born every minute," so I doubt they will be kept up at night worrying about the effects that I, or this article, will have on their business.

So let's recap what has been learned here: the big picture realities of permanent weight loss and how you can look at a weight loss program and decide for yourself if it's for you based on what has been covered above:

o Permanent weight loss is not about finding a quick fix diet, but making a commitment to life style changes that include nutrition and exercise

o Any weight loss program you choose must pass the "Can I eat that way for the rest of my life?" test,

o The weight loss program you choose should ultimately teach you how to eat and be self reliant so you can make informed long term choices about your nutrition.

o The weight loss program you choose should not leave you reliant on commercial bars, shakes, supplements, or pre-made foods, for your long term success.

o The weight loss program you choose must have an effective exercise component.

o The weight loss program you choose should attempt to help with motivation, goal setting, and support, but can't be a replacement for psychological counseling if needed.

Conclusion
I want to take this final section to add some additional points and clarity. For starters, the above advice is not for everyone. It's not intended for those who really have their nutrition dialed in, such as competitive bodybuilders and other athletes who benefit from fairly dramatic changes in their nutrition, such as 'off season' and 'pre-contest' and so on.

The article is also not intended for those with medical issues who may be on a specific diet to treat or manage a specific medical condition. The article is intended for the average person who wants to get off the Yo-Yo diet merry-go-round once and for all. As that's probably 99% of the population, it will cover millions of people.

People should also not be scared off by my "you have to eat this way forever" advice. This does not mean you will be dieting for the rest of your life and have nothing but starvation to look forward to. What it does mean, however, is you will have to learn to eat properly even after you reach your target weight and that way of eating should not be a huge departure from how you ate to lose the weight in the first place. Once you get to your target weight - and or your target bodyfat levels - you will go onto a maintenance phase which generally has more calories and choices of food, even the occasional treat, like a slice of pizza or whatever.

Maintenance diets are a logical extension of the diet you used to lose the weight, but they are not based on the diet you followed that put the weight on in the first place!

Regardless of which program you choose, use the above 'big picture' approach which will keep you on track for long term weight loss. See you in the gym!

References

(1) Truby H, et al. Randomised controlled trial of four commercial weight loss programmes in the UK: initial findings from the BBC "diet trials" BMJ 2006;332:1309-1314 (3 June),

(2) Michael D., et al, Comparison of the Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers, and Zone Diets for Weight Loss and Heart Disease Risk Reduction. A Randomized Trial. JAMA. 2005;293:43-53.

(3) Comparison of Diets for Weight Loss and Heart Disease Risk Reduction-Reply. Michael Dansinger. JAMA. 2005;293:1590-1591.

(4) Kruger J. et al. Dietary and physical activity behaviors among adults successful at weight loss maintenance. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2006, 3:17 doi:10.1186/1479-5868-3-17

(5) Byrne S, et al. Weight maintenance and relapse in obesity: a qualitative study. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2003 Aug;27(8):955-62.

(6) Borg P, et al. Food selection and eating behaviour during weight maintenance intervention and 2-y follow-up in obese men.Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2004 Dec;28(12):1548-54.

(7) Byrne SM. Psychological aspects of weight maintenance and relapse in obesity. J Psychosom Res. 2002 Nov;53(5):1029-36.

(8) Elfhag K, et al. Who succeeds in maintaining weight loss? A conceptual review of factors associated with weight loss maintenance and weight regain. Obes Rev. 2005 Feb;6(1):67-85

Author Bio

Will Brink is an author, columnist and expert in the supplement, fitness, bodybuilding, and weight loss industry and has been extensively published. Will graduated from Harvard University with a concentration in the natural sciences.

His often ground breaking articles can be found in publications such as Lets Live, Muscle Media , MuscleMag International, The Life Extension Magazine, Muscle n Fitness, Exercise For Men Only, and numerous others.

He has been co author of several studies relating to sports nutrition and health found in peer reviewed academic journals, as well as having commentary published in JAMA. Will formerly trained high level Olympic athletes, bodybuilders and fitness and now runs seminars for (SWAT).

He is the author of Bodybuilding Revealed which teaches you how to gain solid muscle mass drug free and Fat Loss Revealed which reveals exactly how to get lean, ripped and healthy completely naturally.

Find out more at http://www.bodybuildingrevealed.com & his personal website at http://www.brinkzone.com

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Weight Watchers PointsPlus Review: The Snowball Effect

I recently went on vacation. My first vacation in seven years. During that time, I decided to go "no-tech" as part of my vacation relaxation. No Skype. No laptop. No iPad. No e-mail. I was going off-line.

I did think ahead and had every intention of staying on the diet. I even ordered the books that list PointsPlus values for almost everything you can think of. And a special journal to record those PointsPlus values in. After all, I had used this pencil-and-paper method years and years ago. In fact, the first time I joined Weight Watchers, there was no online version.

Then, the snowball effect went into full effect.

It started innocently enough: Someone offered me popcorn at a movie. I have a weakness for popcorn. And movies. And one without the other just makes me feel a little sad. So, I gave in.

I tried to be "good" and measure by handful, but as I reached in for, what was probably the third or fourth, I convinced myself I had conveniently lost count and I said out loud, "What the heck, I won't worry about PointsPlus values today."

For some reason that I've yet to discover, sitting down at my computer and typing in all those foods and beverages and see their values on my screen made it "real" to me, it made me feel like I absolutely had to be accountable. For some reason, going off-line caused some sort of disconnect and I lost my discipline completely: That one slip-up suddenly became my license to eat with wild abandon.

Old habits came back really quickly. I don't even remember having a second thought about that coffee drink I had later that day. With whip? Why, yes, of course. And then it was an order of fries at dinner instead of veggies. And, gosh, was I so tired of diet soda; just one ice tea wouldn't hurt, right? And then the next day happened. And another. And they were all filled with poor choices and empty journal pages.

After all, I was on vacation!

Well, my vacation from my diet has lasted nearly three weeks. Each Sunday I've promise to buckle down come Monday, but I haven't. In the first three months of my review, I lost just over 20 pounds; in a few weeks, I've already gained back two of them. I can see the way this is headed and that snowball effect is going to happen to the scale really soon, too.

I think it's time for my vacation from accountability to be over.

View the original article here