Saturday, June 7, 2008

Weight Loss Tip #4 - Count the Once-in-a-While's

I was 25 pounds over my comfortable weight and had been trying to lose for many months. I was very conscious of what I was eating, but did not want to suffer on a restrictive diet. So, I was letting myself have special treats "once in a while". My attempts at losing weight just were not making the scale budge at all. What was the deal?

What I later realized was that the 'once-in-a-while's add up quickly! I knew that I rarely ate 'junk food' like candy bars or cakes, donuts or desserts. So I figured having them once in a while wouldn't do much harm. I had an almond joy one day in January because I knew it had been at least six months since I did anything like that. I had a piece of birthday cake at an office party later that week because I almost never ate cake at home. I had dessert out at a restaurant that Friday night because it was extremely rare that we would order anything after dinner. I had french fries on the side when we ate out on the weekend because I knew it was so seldom I ate them. But in doing so, I neglected to realize I had added another third of a pound to my body weight over just that week!

My warped sense of 'dieting' went on through the months; observing what I ate, observing the scale not budging. "I can drive through McDonald's today on my way to the library because I haven't eaten here in at least two weeks". "We can order chinese food tonight because it's been three weeks since we did that". "Ordering a pizza sounds convenient for dinner, and I know we haven't had pizza for almost two weeks". "Donuts? I almost never eat them--I'll just have a little treat today". Another pound not lost that week.

Think about how many times you are eating a food that you know is too high in calories to allow you to proceed with your weight loss regimen. Most of the clients I meet with have the same story as I did: Shaking their head, they tell me "I rarely eat fast food, pizza, desserts, cookies, chips--Maybe just once in a while". Chances are, you may be eating a "once-in-a-while" food once a month, and you may have 30 of these foods on your list. That means every day you are eating one of these foods you know are not a good idea to eat. Every day you are adding 300 or 400 calories to your dietary intake. That means if you stop having these calorie-dense foods, you can lose three or four pounds this month! Not by dieting, not by starving, not by adhering to a strict regimen. Just by thinking about these splurges and going one more day without them.

My suggestion is to have a 'once-in-a-while' day' once a week. Choose a day you'd like--let's say Sunday. Your plan is, Monday through Saturday you watch what you eat, make healthy choices, have plenty of fruits, vegetables, water, lean meats, low fat dairy products, whole grain breads and cereals, and very low calorie desserts like diet jello or a 100 calorie package of cookies if you get a sweet tooth. Sunday you can have your 'once-in-a-while' treat: order a pizza, go to a chinese restaurant (I did not say buffets, there!), enjoy a piece of homemade pie or cake at a family get together, go out for breakfast, or go to your favorite fast food place and enjoy one of their meals (not super-sized, of course). Choose ONE of these treats and relish the taste, knowing you were not ingesting all this fat and salt during the week, and knowing that truly having this food you like just once in a while is not unreasonable and will not make you fat.

Then go back to your well-balanced healthy eating habits on Monday, knowing you satisfied your craving and you can enjoy another treat next weekend. It's not about deprivation, it's about moderation!

Write to me and let me know how you're doing! Laurie Beebe is a registered dietitian certified in adult weight management. Laurie has transitioned into diet coaching which helps dramatically by allowing people to set their own goals and design their own action plans to start their path to success. Please visit Laurie's website, "Shaping Your Future" at http://www.mycoachlaurie.com for diet tips, links to great books and websites, to sign up for a free monthly newsletter, or for more information on coaching.

Diets for Weight Loss

After the Christmas and New Years holidays, it seems that most people return from their resting places with a few more pounds on, and who am I to judge them? If I myself ate to the verge of exploding, and drank as if every single beverage was running out. It is perfectly understandable why people gain some weight during these days, however it is also perfectly understandable that people want to lose those very pounds by the time the New Year has begun, I mean, that is why the New Years resolutions are for right?

You will notice that most of the people that actually wrote their New Year Resolution wrote this line: To lose some weight before summer. Why? Because they are probably planning to attend the beach, and every single person alive wants to look great in a bathing suit. This is where those popular and famous diets for weight loss come into action; there are many eating routines which claim to make you lose dozens of pounds just by eating whatever you want, but if that was the case, everyone would be perfectly fit, dont you agree?

The truth behind diets for weight loss is that they consist of a perfectly balanced intake of nutrients, which is why they claim that you can eat whatever it is that you want, given that you do not consume more than you should (which sometimes may be just a small bite). Diets for weight loss are not poorly developed, at least not all of them, however if you are truly aiming to reach your weight loss goal, then you should compliment that weight loss diet with an exercise routine that may allow you to burn the excessive amount of fat that you have been holding in your body for the last few months or years.

People who watch and manage what they eat, are not only benefited by the weight loss bonuses, they are also benefited from a healthier kind of life, and a lower risk of heart problems. Here is what you should do when following a weight loss procedure:

First of all you will need to keep those calories under control, no more than 1000 per day, and you will also need to practice an exercise routine; run until you get tired, then walk, once you recover start running again and repeat the process for 1 hour or 2, this is called a cardiovascular exercise routine, and it is the fastest method for burning fat.

This article can be freely published on a website as long as it's not modified in any way including the author bylines, plus all the hyperlinks must be made active just like below.

Jean Lam is a writer, author, publisher and owns several sites. Visit his weight loss obesity website for lots of articles about losing weight. Also check out the weight loss eBook that will give you tips for your weight loss problems.

How Hoodia Gordonii Compares to Other Weight Loss Supplements

Hoodia Gordonii, also known as hoodia, Ghaap, xhooba, khoba, hoodia cactus, and South African desert cactus hoodia is a cactus-like plant that is currently causing a stir in the US and Canada for its potential to suppress appetite and promote weight loss.

Some people report that hoodia works for them right away, suppressing appetite within 20 to 30 minutes after taking the capsules. Generally, though, people typically need up to two weeks of regular hoodia intake before they begin to notice the effects of hoodia, which include a reduced interest in food, a delay in the time after eating before hunger sets in again, a feeling of fullness and a general feeling of well-being.

It is good noting that Hoodia gordonii is not a stimulant, and has no known negative side effects. However, there would always be someone who has a reaction to even the safest supplement, so it usually differs on each person's personal experiences. It would be best to get the advice and guidance of a licensed medical practitioner, should one be unsure of the possible effects.

Natural hoodia supplements are currently available in the market, but one should be particularly careful that he/she takes a hoodia pill that contains the actual plant, since there are some brands out there who claim to contain hoodia, and have been tested to show that they do not have an ounce of hoodia whatsoever. Among the popular hoodia supplements in the market are Hoodia Slim from Paradise Herbs, and the Canadian-based MHSCI Hoodia.

Some individuals start by taking 1-2 capsules of Hoodia an hour before lunch and 1-2 capsules an hour before dinner daily for the first two weeks. As the appetite suppressant effect seeps in, some people drop back to 1 or 2 capsules per day. It is advised to follow the directions of your qualified healthcare professional.

Other weight loss supplements in the market have been found to have little or no effect on weight loss. Among these supplements are Chitosan, Garcinia cambogia and Pyruvate. Chitosan, a marine-derived starch found in the skeletons of shrimp, crab, and other shellfish, is often used in products promising to keep dietary fats from being absorbed by the body.

However, researchers have concluded that "the evidence available in the literature indicates that there is considerable doubt that chitosan is effective for reducing body weight." Garcinia cambogia is one of the main components in one of the best-selling supplemental weight loss products, Hydroxycut., and researchers have concluded that "the evidence for G. cambogia is not compelling."

Pyruvate, which is formed by the body during the breakdown of carbohydrates, is often touted as a booster of metabolism and an appetite suppressant, but analysts reported that "the case of pyruvate as an aid to body-composition changes and weight loss is weak."

According to weight loss analysts and researchers, clinical evidence was also inadequate for the other supplements being sold as weight-loss aids, including the evergreen tree-derived herbal pill Yerba mate, Yohimbe and the fiber psyllium, but the analysts concluded that "none of the reviewed dietary supplements noted can be recommended for over-the-counter use."

Hoodia Remedy - http://hoodiaremedy.com

Vanessa A. Doctor from Jump2Top - SEO Company

Why Can't I Lose Weight?

You really want to lose weight, you've been trying to lose weight and get fit for some time, but somehow it just isn't happening. "Why not?" I hear you scream through clenched teeth.

Well, there are probably several reasons and the most likely of them are

1. You are still eating too much. It is astounding how much the average person can pack into their stomach in the course of a day. Once you develop a habit of eating up big, it takes a really conscious effort to cut down.

You must not eat till you feel full cause it takes your stomach 20 minutes to get the message. You can consume a lot of calories in 20 minutes and this may be where you are doing the damage. Or you could be mindlessly grazing all day. Either way, you have to keep careful track of how much you eat.

2. You are eating the wrong type of food at the wrong times. It you wake up each day determined to eat less, you may be starving yourself at the wrong end of the day.

Many would-be weight-losers begin their day with deprivation; no breakfast, no morning tea, a low fat tub of yoghurt for late lunch, a small sugar hit for afternoon tea, a pre-dinner drink or two with a packet of salty snacks, a big dinner complete with plenty of carbs, a rich desert, a well deserved bedtime snack (because you ate hardly anything all day).

And next day, with the acrid stench of defeat hanging heavily in the air, back to skipping breakfast again.

It is no deprivation for you to turn your calorie intake upside down, it's just a new habit that will take a few short weeks to get used to.

If you eat a decent breakfast, have healthy snacks morning and afternoon and sit down to a really nutritious lunch, you will use those calories for good (giving you the energy to think and work and exercise) not evil (parking excess fat on your poor innocent hips and belly).

3. You are not allowing your body to partake of the regular exercise it needs. You have to incorporate heart rate lifting, mood enhancing, fat burning exercise into your weekly routine. Up to one hour a day brisk walking will do it for you (have a rainy day contingency plan so you don't fall off your program).

If you know you need to lose weight, if you feel unhappy about your weight and you don't like the way you look, then you have to change what you are currently doing to alter your thoughts, feelings and body shape.

That's about all there is to it. Eat less than your overweight body needs, eat the right foods at the right time and get moving every day. Then, and only then, you will be assured of losing weight.

Rosie Peters gives common sense advice, encouragement and tips for weight loss, sensible diet and lifelong fitness. Sometimes it's not what you want to hear, but what you need to know. Visit Rosie to get diet advice and fitness tips for losing weight

Rosie's e-Book Weight Loss is Simple may be what you're after. Check it out & get a FREE copy of her popular e-Book Fat No More, while you're there.

Weight Loss - The Secrets You Need To Know

Here I have gathered some weight loss secrets everybody needs to know. Weight loss is a gradual process so we should attain our goals in a regular and gradual manner. Try to cut down salt from your diet as salt is one of the cause of obesity. Pepper is a good substitute for salt.

Replace you table butter with cholesterol free butter both of these types of butter are having same taste. Always remember that these small changes will give you a great effect. Avoid frying your food there are some other methods like baking,grilling and boiling which need less fat or no fat. Whenever you fry you can use nonstick pans these type of pans need very less quantity of oil.

Steaming is the best method for eating vegetables like cabbages and cauliflower. Steaming should be always preferred over boiling as it preserves vitamins. The best thing is eating your vegetables raw. Try to eat parsley in between the meals It is having lot of vitamins and gives you a fresh breath. Try to find low fat oil these cooking oils are good for health and some of them are also available with vitamins. Crash diets are not the solution for weight loss you will gain back whatever you lost once you will take a break. Always chew your food thoroughly it will add saliva to your food which helps in digesting carbohydrates.

If you like drinking wine replace sweet wine with dry wine as sweet wine is having lot of added sugars. When you decide to stick to an exercise program always start slowly. Always remember that slow and steady wins the race. Do not get discouraged if you can not achieve some fitness goals just continue you program. I want to tell you again that weight loss is a slow process so do not be in hurry.

Jitesh Arora.

Visit http://jitu-doctor123.blogspot.com/2007/11/best-tips-to-lose-weight.html to know more about Weight Loss.

Weight Loss As An Added Bonus

The truth is that the astounding weight loss being achieved on the green tea diet is just one of the numerous miracle-like benefits of simply drinking it. The tea diet is also widely recognized as a substance that can protect against many different cancers such as stomach cancer, ovarian cancer, cancer of the colon, oral cancer, prostate cancer, and breast and cervical cancers. Another antioxidant in tea diet is also being studied as a potential cure for cancer. The diet is actually a dietary supplement which is composed of natural ingredients such as green tea.

Due to the popularity of recent findings, green tea has almost become synonymous with weight loss and diet. For instance, instead of drinking coffee and cream which area high in calories, the weight loss programs can not only save you from taking in too much calories but also let you take in several healthful substances like polyphenols and flavonoids. There are a large number of remedial benefits of drinking green tea and research has confirmed that consuming a small amount like just one cup a day can greatly assist in weight reduction and fat burning. The great thing about the weight loss benefit of green tea extracts is that it does not have any adverse side-effects.

With its countless health and weight loss benefits, these dieting supplements are fast replacing ephedra as the leading weight loss product in the market. Although green tea weight loss supplements also contain caffeine this doesn't seem to have the negative effects found in other products with caffeine. People who use these supplements in studies will loose approximately 2 pounds per month. Yes, believe it or not, more and more often you'll find green tea (or green tea extract) included in the compilations of many of the more popular weight loss supplements today.

As opposed to black and oolong tea which undergoes full oxidization, green tea diet is only gently steamed, preserving the natural antioxidants in its original form. A green tea diet is one of the easiest lifestyle changes to make. The tea diet is no different that it not only recommends but requires the use of simple exercises to be completed along with the consumption of the dietary supplements.

P. Rodgers specializes in marketing natural health & beauty supplements. http://dietea4u.com and http://herbs4all.com

Simple Weight Loss Tips - Misinformation About Simple Weight Loss Revealed

Everyday, magazines give out new simple weight loss tips that are dramatically supposed to reinvent your life and have the fat running away from you. True, some of these tips are extremely valuable and often overlooked because they seem like common sense and obvious, but it is often times the most valuable simple weight loss tip that is also the simplest (how ironic). Today, there will be no discussion about simple weight loss tips in the sense of a top 5 or a quick outline into a specific path, but instead, we will shed some light on myths that permeate throughout the industry and cause people to build diets, routines, and lifestyles on top of a faulty foundation.

There are three myths, three ideologies that are simply destructive to the ill-informed. Myths that promise to cut fat, build muscle, and lose weight can simply add to that stubborn, excessive belly fat or cause your biceps to remain stagnant, growing flabby instead of granite-like.

Simple Weight Loss Tip Myth #1: Spot Reduction does NOT work.... So forget about simply getting rid of only that excessive belly fat or that spare tire, fat loss comes as a collective whole. What this translates into is that simply doing crunches and leg lifts and more crunches and more leg lifts will NOT reduce the fat on your stomach; it simply works out the muscles underneath. Now, in order to see these muscles, one must develop a diet that reduces the overall body fat % or all the crunches and workouts will go to waste.

Which leads us to our second Simple Weight Loss Tip Myth: Less Calories means less Weight/Fat! Not necessarily. Once you starve your body of calories it has a tendency to go into starvation mode and slow the metabolism. The slowing of the metabolism causes you to use your resources less (ie burn calories slower) allowing you to live off the current cache of fat you have. In other words, an intuitive simple weight loss tip that is as widely distributed as this one can have serious effects on your progress if misused. A very popular, up-and-coming weight loss diet and fat loss program that utilizes online meal planning (in which you get to buy your own, fresh food) and a revolutionary style of calorie manipulation (called Calorie Shifting) to completely counteract this process. Although this is relevant, it is out of the scope of this article and more information can be found at my blog... Here.

Final Simple Weight Loss Tip Myth: Cardio workouts makes you lose weight faster than working out. True and not true. Aerobic exercise allows one to lose weight while they are doing it and shortly after. The benefits of 45 minutes on the treadmill will last that 45 minutes and only slightly after. The flipside is weightlifting, which burns calories and fat during it while beefing up your metabolism to work for you afterwards burning calories and fat. It's the difference between a part-time employee and a full-time employee.

Conrad is a long-time athlete and a fitness fiend who has decided to share his practical and realistic experience and knowledge with the world. Conrad played football, baseball, and even golf for well over 10 years throughout college and highschool and even as a little tyke. If you liked this article, be sure to check out http://conrad1cal.blogspot.com

For more great, practical information and links to even more helpful articles, along with http://www.squidoo.com/simpleweightlosssteps for effective and simple weight loss steps and tips.