Fad and crash diets, such as the ones described above are not only unhealthy but they also cause rebound weight gain. Also most diets, even though diet gurus write them, cause an initial weight loss but the ultimate result is that you gain all of the weight back the minute you go off the plan. If you don’t gain it back within a couple of diets, you are likely to gain it all back plus a bit more within a year.

Crash diets dehydrate you, low calorie diets put your body into starvation mode so you plateau so you can’t lose one more pound and high protein diets stress your kidneys and clog your arteries.

So how does one lose weight?

There is only one answer to this question.

You need to expend more calories than you are taking in. Restricting certain foods, eating so-called fat burning foods, or dehydrating yourself with special pills or teas does not do it. It is simple math. The only way is to eat a little less and exercise a little more. Here is the equation below:

Eating Less + Exercising More = Weight Loss.

This is not a magical formula, it is just logic. It is also not a fast way to lose weight. As I have mentioned before, this is not an article about how to lose ten pounds in three days or 30 pounds in a month. It is about safe, healthy weight loss.

In order to lose weight safely and without putting yourself at risk for such health hazards as dehydration, kidney failure, malnutrition, exhaustion, nervous dysfunction, tooth loss, dull hair, wrinkles, cellulite, sudden heart failure or stroke and lose the weight so that it stays off, you should lose no more than approximately two pounds a week!

Although that might not sound like a large amount of weight to lose it actually is! If you lose 2 pounds a week that means you can achieve a weight loss of ten pounds a month! If you only have twenty pounds to lose then your weight loss is not only quite rapid, but you have the extra guarantee that it will stay off because you have followed a sensible exercise plan that did not involve starving, exhausting or depriving yourself. If you are willing to drop your impatience and desire for immediate gratification and stick to an exercise plan and healthy eating habits, then a Mediterranean Diet is for you. Remember being slim is only good if you are able to enjoy it!

Do You Need to Lose Weight?

Fascination with Fat

If you want to lose weight, you first need to assess whether you need to actually lose weight or are simply a fashion victim. Unfortunately this society is fascinated with fat – who has it and who doesn’t. As we are persuaded by so many images in the media that persuade us to believe that you can never be too thin, many of us are bad judges of our actual body weight.

If you are under the age of eighteen and reading this book, the first thing you need to do is consult with your parent about your plans to lose weight. Have her make an appointment with a physician so that he can indicate to you whether or not you are a candidate for weight loss.

If you are an adult, it is possible that you may not be overweight and are just trying to be, as Bridget Jones put it in Bridget Jones Diary “a stick insect with eyelashes.” It is also very possible that you know you need to lose weight but have no idea where to start.

If you are obese and you know it, then you have to check with a physician first to see how your health is before you embark on any exercise program or plan. The same is also true if you have any kind of medical condition but especially a thyroid condition or heart condition. Some physicians may not recommend a weight loss program for those who are over 40 as due to genetics and hormonal changes some people naturally just round out or gain weight in a way that simply cannot be changed. If your doctor tells you your spreading hips are due to menopause or genetics, believe him! It is not clever to fool with Mother Nature.

Publisher & author: Roy Barker. Roy has an indepth and long established background with the vitamins, minerals and health industry and has researched and experimented with many diets over a thirty year period. Roy is also the author of Safe and Easy Weightloss, a downloadable e-book based on the famous Mediterranean Diet and often used by those with heart conditions and those who seek an effective and safe way to shed weight and more importantly, keep it off. It can be viewed at http://www.safe-and-easy-weightloss.com More articles and related site can be viewed at http://www.weightloss-diet-health-vitamins.com

1. Never leave home “starving.” Always have a light snack before eating dinner in a restaurant, such as a piece of fruit, a glass of juice or a carrot.

2. Don’t go food shopping on an empty stomach! You’ll be tempted to buy everything in sight.

3. Don’t be tempted by treats. Store them out of view, off counter-tops and as out-of-reach as possible.

4. Don’t eat in front of the TV. Watching the boob tube — instead of watching your plate — lulls you into overeating. Also avoid being tempted by food and snack commercials.

5. Make it a rule in your house to confine your meals to the dining room or kitchen table! Never eat standing up! This leads to mindless snacking.

6. Think before you drink. Alcohol adds lots of calories, but no nutrients. Also, it weakens your willpower to avoid the wrong food choices. Hangovers can cause wicked cravings for fatty or high carbohydrate foods that can sabotage any attempt at weight loss.

7. Fill up on soup first. Begin every meal with non-cream hot soup; it forces you to eat slowly and fills you up so you won’t overeat.

8. Take time to taste your food. Don’t gobble food down! Rushing through your meals doesn’t give your brain the time that it needs to signal your body that you are full.

9. When dining out, request sauces and low-calorie dressings on the side.

10. There is no law that requires you to finish everything on your plate.

11. Prepare a shopping list (with menu ideas in mind) and stick to the list. Avoid being tempted by bargains that grocery stores place on the outer aisles and at the back and the front of the store. The healthiest foods are usually in the long narrow aisles.

12. Use non-stick pans to reduce the need for cooking with fat.

13. If you must use oil, try a flavorful one like olive or sesame oil. Now remember, a little goes a long way! Make just a spritz of oil go even further by buying a Misto. A Misto is an aerosol can that you can fill with a good fat such as olive or canola oil.

14. A pinch of grated cheese or blue cheese will provide a flavorful kick without adding a lot of calories to a salad or grain dish.

15. If you cook in large quantities for your family, store leftovers in individual serving size containers. This is a way to practice portion control for yourself so you don’t eat too much at one sitting.

16. Nibbling off someone else’s plate may seem harmless — but those calories do add up!

17. Drink six to eight glasses of water a day. A beverage before mealtime will also help you feel full faster and longer. Water also helps your body digest food, which is especially important now that you’re eating a fiber rich diet.

18. Store really tempting treats in opaque containers or silver foil — and stick them in the back of the refrigerator. Out of sight out of mind!

19. Are you stuffing yourself? If you have to loosen your belt a few notches after meals you’re definitely eating too much!

20. Mashed bananas, prunes and apple sauce are great baking substitutes for fat, especially in bread, brownie and cake mixes.

21. When you choose to eat “fast food,” choose wisely: skip fried foods; avoid large portions; and opt for a small hamburger.

22. Sauté foods, if possible, in chicken stock, low-sodium soy sauce or water, instead of fat.

23. When cooking, broil, bake, roast, boil or stir-fry and let the fat drain. A George Foreman grill is an excellent investment for those who want to eat meat and avoid eating the fat drippings too!

24. Sauces and soups can be thickened with a puree of potatoes instead of cream.

25. Instead of eating any product directly out of the box, pour a reasonable portion onto a plate or bowl, and put the box away. This also prevents mindless snacking.

26. If a recipe calls for ½ a cup of oil, cut that amount in half, your taste buds won’t know the difference — but your waistline will.

27. Add spice to your life instead of fat; fresh herbs will perk up any dish without adding calories. Experiment with different ethnic foods and seasonings; they’re full of flavor — not fat.

28. Freeze leftovers immediately so you can’t raid the refrigerator later.

29. Watch portion size by dishing out meals and bringing plates to the table. Don’t set “bottomless” bowls and platters where they’ll tempt you to reach for more, unless it’s a salad or a bowl of vegetables. You can never get enough of those greens.

30. Start saving for that new outfit now! When you reach your goal weight, you can buy yourself some fashionable new clothes!

Publisher & author: Roy Barker. Roy has an indepth and long established background with the vitamins, minerals and health industry and has researched and experimented with many diets over a thirty year period. Roy is also the author of Safe and Easy Weightloss, a downloadable e-book based on the famous Mediterranean Diet and often used by those with heart conditions and those who seek an effective and safe way to shed weight and more importantly, keep it off. It can be viewed at http://www.safe-and-easy-weightloss.com More articles and related sites can be viewed at http://www.weightloss-diet-health-vitamins.com

The above really isn’t an exaggeration. People spend a lot of time preparing everything else for their new diet program except the body!
If you are to succeed in keeping weight off, you must take seriously the preparation of the whole person–body, mind, and soul, right? Of course you do!

In the next few articles, I will focus on two very important and related components of preparing your body for weight loss programs: sleep and stress.

Think about these two questions. Question 1: “What are your chances of actually losing the weight you want to lose? Question 2: What are the chances you’ll keep that weight off for at least five years? If you have been on the fad diet band wagon even once in your life, you already look at those two questions warily and with some doubt about your success. I would venture a guess and say that most of us have tried more than one diet that promised fast results with very little if any hunger and no exercise, right?

Take a look at most fad diets or weight loss programs, and you will find missing two very important components. These fad diets and online diet programs fail to give enough, if any, importance to an important key that could more than double your chances of losing weight and keeping it off.

What am I talking about? How getting a good night’s sleep can make all the difference in your weight loss success.

Actually, we can place stress alongside sleep as the two are so very important to each other. If you are under a lot stress, most likely you aren’t getting enough sleep. Lack of sleep can lead to more stress. Now try to take seriously any diet program when you have that kind of stress/sleeplessness cycle, and you are asking for failure.
Evaluating and, perhaps, changing our sleep patterns or lack thereof is not a short term fad diet fix. Remember: It’s not about a diet; it’s about a way of life. If you are going to lose the weight you want to lose and keep it off, you must stop thinking in terms of another “diet,” and start thinking in terms of a way of life. You need to establish a pattern of life where YOU are in control instead of being at the mercy of what goes on at your office or what is going on in your family.

Having counseled countless couples, singles, married, divorced and you name it people during nearly 20 years as a spiritual leader and guide, I am not suggesting that we don’t have to deal with life’s issues and challenges. Quite the contrary. I am suggesting that you deal with those issues by taking the necessary steps to take control of your daily patterns and habits which will lead to a healthy psychological and physical wellbeing.

In other words, if you are eating right, exercising regularly, and getting a good night’s sleep each night, you will be better equipped emotionally and physcally to take on stress. Here are some thoughts on why sleep and stress are so important.

If you consistently deprive yourself of sleep it can lead to a state of sleep deprivation. Typically, everyone goes through periods of sleep deprivation in their life. Remember staying up all night, maybe more than one, when you were in finals week in college? Or if you have a child, you definitely have experienced, or are experiencing now, periods where you deprive your body of sleep.

But there is a great difference in intermittent times of going without sleep because we choose to and patterns of sleep deprivation brought on by illness or, most common, stress.

Be sure to look for my next article in this series which deals with what happens to the body when it doesn’t get enough sleep. These articles will lead to a thourough understanding of why the body needs rest and relief from stress and I will show you concrete steps you can take to make sure you are getting the best night’s sleep possible.

For more information on diet preparations and other aspects of how to make your diet the most health and productive, visit Diet Preparation

Cheers to your weight loss success!

Mark A. Fuqua
Chief Editor and Consultant
Diet Basics

With 3 earned degrees and more than 16 years of experience as spiritual leader, pastor, director of marketing and investment banker, Mark Fuqua brings to the discussion table a breadth and depth of unique experience coupled with academic acumen. He is Consultant and Chief Editor of Diet Basics, a website dedicated to healthy weight loss success.

This is the time of year when walking outdoors is easier. It’s usually cooler, and less humid, but not so cold as winter.

Aim for walking 2 miles a day. One mile in the morning, and one in the afternoon.

Most people are notoriously bad about mental distance measurements, so I suggest using your car to stake out a full mile.

As an alternative, use the rough rule that most healthy adults walking a fairly brisk pace will walk at 3-4 miles per hour. So if you do a fast 20 minute walk, you’ve probably got your time in.

20 minutes is also good because most people can get their walking in during a break at work in the morning. Even better, probably, would be walking in the early morning before the day gets going (you’re more likely to get it done) but some folks have trouble fitting that in.

Either way, get a mile in during the morning. Then aim for another mile in the afternoon or evening. When walking, breathe deeply and steadily. The results will surprise you.

Jim Huffman, RN specializes in natural and alternative healing therapies. His first book is ‘Dare to Be Free: How to Get Control of Your Time, Your Life, and Your Nursing Career,’ and is aimed at helping other nurses find satisfying, dynamic careers. His website is http://www.NetworkForNurses.com and his health blog is at http://www.shababa.blogspot.com

Be sure you and your buddy set up goals and rewards for yourselves. Think going shopping or going to the movies, not hot fudge sundaes. Realize it’s ok to have some non diet foods like pizza occasionally. Just make sure occasionally means occasionally. Try experimenting with healthy recipes or new foods with each other. If each of you suggests one new food item a week it can help break the monotony of rice cakes on a regular basis. Remember you and your diet buddy are in this together and are not competing with one another. It’s not supposed to be competition of who can lose the most, or fit into their skinny jeans first, it’s about helping and supporting a friend.

This article was written by Allison Preston who runs http://www.Fitness-Web.com, a website dedicated to bringing you health and fitness articles and information and reviews of fitness programs and infomercials.

NOTE: You’re welcome to “reprint” this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the “about the author” info at the end).

Right now, say: I love my body, I love my body, I love my body, I love my body! Feels great, doesn’t it? Our bodies are incredible gifts from God. If we’re experiencing resistance to change, then we’re resisting God’s loving message. What are you resisting?

I was on a teleseminar recently and the topic was visualization. The message was very powerful. Let me share with you what I learned.

Take out a piece of paper and a pen or pencil. Write down 5 things that you desire in your life. It can be a car-mine is a red BMW convertible and I have a picture of it on my dream board and look at it everyday while I say affirmations in my energy circle. Of course, in my visualization the real George Clooney is in the passenger seat, not my cardboard cutout of George that a friend gave me.

Maybe you want a new house, a trip to Hawaii, thousands of dollars, a new outfit as you achieve your ideal weight. Whatever it is, write down 5 things.

Say the statements out loud, shout them and do the visualization hiney dance to them. I do love shaking it. I read a cute quote the other day?.what if the hokey pokey is what it’s all about? Interesting thought, huh?

You know what? I took a break from writing, went for a walk and just came back. While I was on my walk, guess what I saw? A red BMW convertible!! Now, is that synchronicity or what? You know what I should have done? Jumped out in front of that car and made the driver get out and give me her car. Ooooppps?wrong vibration. The focus is higher vibration and manifesting it through Divine means. See the difference in vibration levels.

I will manifest that car. I don’t know how it will come; I just know it will. I only know why I desire it. I like the feeling that it conjures up?.the feeling of freedom, sex appeal, youthfulness, being a hottie!

We’ve all experienced times throughout the day where we have a lull?.where our energy is low or flat. What we want to do is to keep that vibration high so we constantly are aligned with the energy that we’re pulling to us. When we are in a low or flat vibration, those things we desire can’t be propelled to us because our thoughts are creating a disconnection. When our thoughts are creating and saying, "Yes, I am attracting a red BMW convertible" then we keep the energy lines open and that car will reveal itself.

It’s like that phone commercial, "Can you hear me now?" When we’re in low vibration, that which we want to attract cannot hear us. Guess what shows up? Everything we don’t want. Now, when we’re in high vibration, the reception is great and we get heard loud and clear. All that we desire flows easily to us.

Let’s practice. We’ll name these the High 5. Get it? 5 things that will manifest at a High vibration. I just made that up and I believe it’s extremely clever. Read those statements and dance, dance, dance!!

Now, you’re going to be carrying that list with you throughout the day and take it out and do the routine of saying the statements out loud with enthusiasm. Do this several times throughout the day and notice how your energy will remain at a high vibration. I encourage you to get carried away and shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake your booty while saying them. Now say them over and over and really put some feeling into it. I know you can do it!

I’ve had a practice of doing this type of visualization in the morning and at night while reading those things that I am manifesting in my life. I had noticed that I was experiencing some lulls in my energy during the day, and was grateful to hear this Divine message on how to sustain the high energy throughout the day. I’ve been doing this a few days since I heard this on the teleseminar and I’ve seen remarkable results. We were told to make a commitment to ourselves and make it a goal for 30 days. I encourage you to do the same. For 30 days take time to shout the High 5’s throughout the day. I look forward to hearing about your results.

God is AWESOME! I am shouting that statement from my office window right now. I just opened the window and shouted it so everyone could hear. Oh, the birds just flew away. They’ll be back?.I have a bird feeder.

We’re on fire!! Nothing can stop us!!

High 5!

Love and hugs,

Tami
http://www.tamiclose.com
http://www.closekeptsecrets.com

Tami Close is an Integrative Body Therapist and uses an integrative method, including cleansing and nutritional products from Isagenix, in her weight loss management practice. She is certified in Rapid Eye Technology and has a basic and advanced certificate in Emotional Freedom Techniques. Tami is a recipient of a grant from the Sumasil Grant Foundation in her work with RET and EFT. She is a master trainer and has a B.S. in Training and Development. She is a #1 best selling co-author, Wake Up…Live the Life You Love Finding Personal Freedom. The other authors include Mark Victor Hansen, Wayne Dyer and Deepak Chopra and others. She has also written several e-books.

http://www.tamiclose.com
http://www.closekeptsecrets.com

Now, I have never felt that I have such a small area of personal space. A busy street or mall never bothered me. I could walk through the crowd at a museum or a concert without being trampled. Only since losing 110 pounds have I begun to notice how the shrinking personal space has begun to bother me.

When I weighed 277 pounds I always felt emotionally invisible; that no one truly saw me or knew I was there. But while I felt emotionally invisible, I knew I was always physically there. I didn’t get bumped into, people didn’t stand so close to me that I felt the need to step away in order to maintain personal space. In the mall or on a San Francisco street, people gave me a wide berth. Bus passengers would hesitate before sitting down next to me judging just how much space they would have for their ride home.

When a thin person sees a fat person, regardless if the fat person is attractive or not, a bit of uneasiness runs through the thin person; "If I wasn’t working out everyday that could be me." "Thank goodness I don’t look like that." "Ok, salad again for lunch."

According to ABC News, the American public spends $33 billion on the ever elusive quest for non-fatness. The billions are spent on fat-free products, exercise equipment, gym memberships, and weight loss programs. Spent on anything and everything not to become that fat person they see on the bus. So it is no surprise that when the one thing they work so hard to avoid is right in front of them they steer clear of it.

As a newly thin person I see the overweight person. I wish I could stop them and tell them how I did it– that I was once overweight and have broken free.

But I can’t. So instead I make eye contact. I smile. I sit next to them on the bus without hesitation.

But it is a different life I am in now. Today I feel like I am physically invisible when walking those crowded streets, and that people are going to literally walk right into me if I don’t step out of the way. I feel like they no longer see me; or maybe they are just no longer ill at ease. Maybe I am now like everyone else and I need to get the hell out of the way if I don’t want to get run over.

Robin McCoy was banded on February 3, 2004. She has reached her weight loss goal of 110 pounds. Robin is Vice-President and Senior Writer for Lapband Lifestyle, a resource and support group for LapBand patients.

http://www.lapbandlifestyle.com
robin@lapbandlifestyle.com

What is Diet Drop Out?

To stop a diet plan before reaching your goal or before reaching a pre-defined time limit is called diet drop out. Not one diet succeeds at keeping diet drop out rates low. One or more of the following strategies are used by diet plans in attempts to eliminate diet drop out:

In order to provide a strategy that works, diet plans should ask dieters why they drop out. Then simply provide a solution for the reason dieters drop out, problem solved.

Why Dieters Drop Out

When dieters are asked what is the hardest part about dieting, the response is surprising. Most dieters say that following strict diet menus, not exercise, is the hardest part.

A good strategy for decreasing diet drop out rates would address the menus. This is exactly what Exchange It accomplishes…giving dieters more control over what they eat.

The exchange process involves substituting healthy food choices for harmful ones. For instance, substitute a healthy fat, like Omega-3, for saturated fats. This allows you to eat more fats, and still remain on your diet.

To learn more about Exchange It! and other new dieting strategies, click…

Exchange & Other Dieting Strategies

To Healthy Living!

Michael A. Smith, MD
Chief Medical Consultant
Diet Basics Website

Dr. Smith is the Chief Medical Consultant for Diet Basics, a content rich website dedicated to your weight loss success. Quickly becoming known as the net’s primary resource for weight loss issues, his RSS Feed and News Blog are received by thousands of e-zine websites, medical centers, and individuals. The interactive content is original and informative, challenging readers to act and maximize their weight loss efforts.

To Healthy Living!

I still remember the dress I wore. Red and white squares in a very 70s pattern. Just past the flower child stage and slightly reminiscent of the art deco style. I was almost sick at the thought of going to the wedding looking like a whale. Ha ha ha ha. If I knew then what I know now, it would have been sheer joy. Today, my goal is to get down to 150 pounds.

I really chunked up in my thirties and decried the paternalistic pressures to be thin. I embraced my voluptuousness. I was healthy. What more did I want?

Well, I can tell you now what more I could have wanted? I could have wanted the kind of sense of self that would allow me to say to the men I met, hey, just because I am fat does not mean I am willing to settle for second best. I could have wanted to believe my own b.s. about my size. I could have wanted my blood pressure to remain low. I could have wanted to be taken seriously when I went into the boss’s office to say I had a problem with a co-worker. (It was really bad and I had to say something. She was and is a very slender and attractive woman and that was the issue as far as the boss was concerned. The real issue was something else entirely but as I stood there, I saw myself as my boss saw me. Wake up call!! Woo hoo. Reality calling Joanne.

A long time ago, ironically, I studied nutrition at university. Right up to the point of taking chemistry courses to understand it. I should have studied psychology as well. I know the facts of life. Garbage in ? big fat bum.

The one thing I did do right is know that just because I am plus size, I need to wear pretty things. Still I have trouble finding pants that fit. Short legs, wide hips. Ha. Wide, did I say? Well. I was visiting this buddy of mine who is a creative genius with the sewing machine and asked him to measure me up for pants. Hips? Fifty-four inches. And I was mortified at the size 11 dress I wore to that wedding so long ago. Where did I go wrong?

I intellectualized myself into all kinds of nonsense so I have begun to intellectualize myself out of the same nonsense. I have tried so many diets over the years, I consider myself just about an expert in what works and why. Over at my Chaos Queen site, http://chaosqueen.biz, I share my best research with you, along with some ways to look gorgeous while you work your way into fine shape.

Joanne Reid’s reviews of the best and worst diets can be read at http://chaosqueen.biz. It’s her opinion that as the Chaos Queen, everything is her business. Her sisters are too grown up now for her to boss around and for some reason, her friends have all taken assertiveness training and smile nicely when she offers advice on how they should run their lives.

Support for Whey Protein

Whey, as a weight loss protein, is derived from animal milk sources.

Supporters of these products report that whey protein is superior to other protein supplements and can help dieters achieve their weight loss goals.

Here are the facts on whey protein:

• Pure whey is most commonly found in a powder form for making a shake.
• Whey protein quickly increases the blood levels of amino acids, usually within 1 hour, after ingestion.
• The increase in amino acids after ingestion a whey protein shake peaks around 2 hours and falls to normal levels by 4 hours.
• Little evidence is available on this fast build up of amino acids and the affects on weight loss. The results of some of the studies are inconclusive, at best.
• A faster recovery and repair of muscle tissue after exercise is a clear benefit of whey protein. This can indirectly help dieters successfully reach their weight loss goals.
• By supporting muscle tissue, whey protein helps to stabilize a fast metabolic rate — a fast metabolic rate is critical to weight loss success.
• However, to benefit from this affect, the protein shake must be ingested right before a workout.

Whey protein appears to help dieters lose weight by supporting muscle tissue.

Support for Casein Protein

The other weight loss protein, casein, is derived from animal sources. Claiming superiority over other weight loss proteins, here are the facts on casein protein:

• It also is found in powder form for making a shake.
• Casein protein raises blood levels of amino acids much later than whey protein. Usually, the rise in amino acids begins around 2 hours after drinking the shake, peaks around 4 hours, and falls off 6 hours later.
• No evidence can support casein protein in the recovery and repair of muscle tissue after exercising.
• Evidence does support casein protein in the preservation of muscle tissue when fasting or dieting. Some suggest it might even promote fat loss in individuals trying to lose weight.
• This “fat loss” benefit is possible if the shake is consumed during times of long fasting (like between lunch and dinner, the second longest fast of the day for most people).

Casein protein seems to help dieters lose weight by preserving muscle tissue and promoting the breakdown of stored fat.

Weight Loss Protein Conclusion

Both whey and casein proteins appear to enhance weight loss efforts in two distinct methods.

Whey Protein–Supports muscle tissue.

Casein Protein–Preserves muscle tissue and may promote fat loss.

Additional information on healthy weight loss is available at the following links…
Best Weight Loss Programs

To Healthy Living!

Michael A. Smith, MD
Chief Medical Consultant
Diet Basics Website

Dr. Smith is the Chief Medical Consultant for Diet Basics, a content rich website dedicated to all dieters. Please visit his site at Diet Basics