Sunday, June 6, 2010

A Pleasuarble Dieting And Weightloss Experience

Tired of the same old do's and don't when it comes to dieting and weight loss? If you're one of the many women trekking the hard path to weight loss, you've probably come across programs that tell you to avoid certain kinds of food. There are those that recommend vigorous exercises to rev up your metabolism but only allows you to eat a third of your usual intake. Chances are, you feel deprived. And this deprivation will probably cause you to binge later or have mood swings. It could even affect your work and family life. But did you know that you could diet and lose weight without sacrificing the things you want? This is the game plan for the slow and conscious eating diet.

Recent studies concluded that diets which are low-fat or low-calorie can only do so much to your body. Dieting and weight loss through this may not event prevent heart diseases. Moreover, another research show that our bodies utilize and absorb more nutrients from foods that we like. This means that scarfing down plate after plate of brussels sprouts or brocolli won't do you much good than you expect if you don't like veggies. This is because if we are presented with something that we like, say, roasted chicken with lemon butter sauce, our brain, upon recognizing the smells and sight will send signals to the stomach to release more digestive juice. The result? A better metabolized and digested protein than servings of tofu that will just go to waste simply because our brain protested against it. But don't binge yet, certain precautions must be considered to avoid going into a pleasure eating overdrive.

First, the food must have nutritional content. This means that chips and chocolate diets are out. Vegetables, fruits, proteins, and whole grains are preferred. Smother them in sauce and prepare them the way you like. Fry, steam, grill, or bake, it's up to you. The key to this method of dieting and weight loss is proper nutrition and yummy food. Second, assess why you need to eat. Are you really hungry? Is it just for socializing? Or is the desire to eat an emotional thing? In short, have the right attitude when it comes to food. Eat substantial portions are enough for sustenance, a small amount if you're just in for the chat, and control your indulgence when eating for emotional needs. This brings us to our third consideration, the method of eating or your eating habits. You may have to tweak your eating habits a few times to control eating for pleasure. Make like the French and chew your food slowly. Savor every flavor and texture. It is important to prolong delight in eating your meal. Without realizing it, you'll feel fuller and more satiated sooner with smaller portions. The result? Easy dieting and weight loss with minimal effort on your part.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Alternative Medicine – New Way to Lose Weight

Weight loss is one of the big topics-no pun intended-on the late night television circuit. While flipping through the channels after 11p.m., you are likely to come across several advertisements for weight loss pills and diet supplements, each promising to assist you drop those unwanted pounds and remove stubborn belly fat once and for all.

Let's face it, if these pills really worked, America wouldn't be the top overweight country in the world.

There are types of alternative medicine, which can help with weight loss, however, and with great results. While no alternative medicine is a magic solution, practicing these principles can help you become more limber, feel more energetic, and the end result-or side effect if you will, is weight loss.

Take yoga for example. The low impact stretching involved with yoga will help you feel less stressed, and as a result less likely to over eat as a result of depression or anger. Acupuncture has exact pressure points in the ear which help reduce cravings, and detoxifying teas and herbs can help you feel healthier, and the side effect would be thinking twice before deciding that you want to "pollute" yourself again with oily and fatty foods. In this regard, alternative medicine is wonderful for loosing weight.

The majority alternative medicines for weight loss come in the form of detoxifying teas, energy supplements, and vitamins. The exercise and diet plans are the basis, as they should be, for safe and effective long-term weight loss. There is no magic potion to lose weight. In fact dropping pounds and keeping them off requires regular daily exercise and a change in eating habits, period.

However, to get you ready for weight loss, here are some alternative medicine detoxifying teas and interesting supplements.

Take turmeric, ginger, and lemon-about a half teaspoon each and the juice of half a lemon, and boil it all in 2 cups of water. Drink every morning as a detoxifier before you start your diet.

All diets should consist of fresh fruits and vegetables, and buying a juicer is a great way to make a habit out of eating healthy. Please see your doctor before starting any kind of diet plan.

Visit your local food co op or herbalist, they can get you set up with all sorts of alternative teas and nutrition advice, and can refer you to a good homeopathic doctor who will evaluate you as to what your individual nutrition needs are.

Bovine and shark cartilage are two dietary supplements to hit the alternative market. Both have been used for years outside of the United States and Britain, but now are big business in the health food stores.

The most popular form of alternative medicine for weight loss isn't really medicine at all, rather behavior modification through hypnosis. Hypnosis doesn't make you rely on will power, that's one of the reasons it's so popular.

How hypnosis works is that it examines what is subconsciously holding you to the thinking and eating habits that keep you overweight. Hypnotists believe that if the root cause of the obesity can be alleviated, the patient will naturally begin to lose weight. It is actually a very efficient form of alternative medicine, and overall can cost much less than trips to day spas and expensive over the counter weight loss pills. Through hypnosis you can let go of fears that keep you from eating healthy, and begin to allow a positive energy flow through you, causing you to want to stick to the new way of eating and exercising.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

10 Steps to Fat Loss

1) Calculate how many calories you body needs to consume to maintain your existing weight. This is called you maintenance calories.(Search Google with "calorie needs" and you will find a few different calculators to help you with this)

2) Initially deduct 10%(to a maximum of 500Kcal)off the total maintenance calories. Drastically reducing your calories will result in muscle and water loss - not fat loss.

3)Divide you calories over 5 or 6 meals rather then 2 or 3. You should aim to eat every 3-4 hours.

4)Cut out all simple carbohydrates (except straight after exercise, eat whole grain, high fibre foods.)

5) Exercise at least 3 times a week, doing 30 minutes of cardio to a reasonable level of intensity. This will help to create the calorie deficit and encourage your body to lose fat.

6)Make simple replacements in your diet, Sweetener in place of sugar, diet drinks in place of full sugar drinks, use leaner cuts of meat etc. At first these changes may be difficult but you will get used to them and make vital calorie savings every day.

7) Drink plenty of water - at least 2 litres of water every day - if you are dehydrated you body will be less efficient and will make fat loss more difficult.

8) Try to eat low carb(complex only!), low fat and moderate protein. From my experience the South Beach Diet is excellent.

9)Keep a food diary to monitor how many calories you are consuming - it is very easy to over eat.

10) Supplementing you diet can make fat loss easier. A diet high in protein can help preserve muscle (more muscle means an increase in metabolism). There are also some fat loss supplements available which help boost your metabolism, this is useful as your metabolism may slow during extended periods of dieting.

This article is written from my own experiences. I have lost 20lbs of fat and gained 20lbs of muscle. My body fat is 11%. Please consult a doctor for proper medical advice.

Xenical the safest weight loss drug.

One of the best and the safest weight loss drugs is Xenical. If you buy Xenical, it helps you treat obesity in the most distinctive manner ever.

The main ingredient of Xenical is Orlistat, which is as a lipase-inhibitor. This means that Xenical works in the intestinal tract and not in the brain. Most of the weight loss drugs target obesity by affecting the brain. Xenical is an exception and it does its magic without affecting the brain. If you buy Xenical, you can spare your brain from many troubles especially dangerous side effects such as depression, suicidal feelings and much more.

Buy Xenical – Obesity Is the Second Leading Preventable Cause of Death

Most of us are aware that the nation is going fatter and fatter. Obesity has spared no one and men, women, teenagers, and even children are now victims of it. If you sit around and do not do anything about your obesity and weight loss, very soon your might obesity may become hazardous and even fatal.

So laze and around like an indolent loaf and take an action today. The first thing you can do is prepare a list of things ‘to do’. Seek an expert on obesity or join a weight loss club and for once be honest to yourself about your shortcomings and failures.

You can also buy weight loss drugs for your obesity. There are many weight loss drugs online. However, the best treatment for your obesity is Xenical. As said above it is unique and helps you get rid of obesity without causing dangerous side effects. Xenical works by throwing out the ‘surplus’ fat ingested through eating so that the body does not digest and store it. This results in easy weight loss. Before you buy Xenical, there is more information about Xenical working and success ratio, so read on.

Xenical at Work

Surely, you will like to know what will happen if you buy Xenical; and how will it help you to get rid of obesity. Xenical prevents triglycerides from turning into free fatty acids that your body can absorb. If you buy Xenical, it can significantly reduce the quantity of fat – by up to 30% – absorbed into the bloodstream, provided you restrict yourself to the standard amounts of 120 mg fat in all the three meals. This means that Xenical can keep 600 calories away from your body everyday. If you do some quick calculation, you will find that when you buy Xenical it can help you to lose about 1 pound every week.
Xenical Success Rate

Xenical is a very effective weight loss drug for obesity and there are no two ways about it. Up to 55% of people who took Xenical loss at least 5% body mass. Up to 25% people lost 10% body mass and not all of this mass was fat. Xenical also reduced type 2 diabetes instances in around 37% of people.

So buy Xenical for effective weight loss drug and make your obesity a history.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Are Herbal Weight Loss Pills The Cure?

Obesity is a common problem among men and women all over the world. Overweight persons have certain other medical complication such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Obesity is determined by the body mass index. If the body mass index of an individual exceeds, then the person is said to obese. Obese persons should consult a physician at the earliest. Moreover, fertility rate in overweight women is less when compared to a normal person. Hence overweight women should consult a physician at the earliest and have his advice to reduce the body weight. Herbal weight loss medications are used now-a-days because they give a cure without much side effects.

To reduce weight, antibiotics are available over the counter. But these antibiotics are produce certain side effects in due course of time, so antibiotics are not preferred for the treatment of obesity, and the better choice of treatment comes in the form of herbal weight loss remedies. These herbal weight loss remedies have more protein and less carbohydrates and fats. Less intake of carbohydrates and fats means less amount of calorie is absorbed in the body of obese person.

Taking food which produces only low calories will reduce the weight of an overweight individual. Yogurt is having less fat, and is best to reduce overweight in an overweight person. Cereal and beans can also be used in reducing weight in an overweight person. Appetite is controlled by taking fruits and vegetables, the fibres in the fruits and vegetables regulates the flow of food in the digestive tract, some of the toxins in the human body can be removed by taking a lot of water.

Few of the herbal medicines controlling the overweight in an overweight person are honey, molasses, syrup of grain which is malted. These herbal weight loss medicines are quiet effective in the treatment in obesity in overweight person. These herbal weight loss medicines are best recommended for reducing overweight in a overweight person. As herbal weight loss medicines does not produce any side effects like certain antibiotics in controlling obesity, these herbal weight loss medicines can be taken to cure any long term diseases.

Herbal weight loss medicines have properties which are therapeutic in nature. Herbal weight loss medicines are much more reliable than the conventional antibiotics used in the treatment of overweight in overweight person. Herbal weight loss medicines should not be taken in large amounts, as it may cause certain side effects. Pregnant women should use herbal weight loss medicine with precaution. About the dosage of herbal weight loss medicine, health care professional has to be consulted. Only a health care professional will know about the exact dosage of herbal weight loss medicine to be taken.

Few of the herbal weight loss medicines are Ephedrine, hydroxtryptophan, pyruvate, aloe, dandelion, guarana. These are quiet effective in the treatment of overweight. Ephedrine as an herbal weight loss medicine effectively suppresses the appetite in a person. As the appetitie in a person is reduced, the person takes only less food, less food means absorption of fewer calories into the body, as fewer calories is absorbed into the body, weight loss is achieved in an effective manner. Herbal weight loss medicine dandelion effectively removes water from the body, thereby reducing the weight of an individual.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Are All Zone Diet Products Compliant To The Zone Diet?

The ZonePerfect Nutrition Company has continued to expand and is expected to sell in excess of one hundred million dollars worth of ZonePerfect foods this year. These include Zone diet bars, Zone diet meals, protein shakes and powders, supplements and fish oil capsules to be used as supplements. While these products are labeled as Zone Diet products, Dr. Sears does not agree that they are following the Zone Diet principles, and he is not endorsing several of the products.

In fact, Dr. Barry Sears is endorsing a new product called Smart Zone which is a meal supplement bar produced by Hersheys. There have been several lawsuits regarding the use of the Dr. Sears implied endorsement of ZonePerfect products. Dr. Sears is very clear that he does not endorse these products despite the fact that they use the ZonePerfect name.

What is the issue?

Dr. Barry Sears now operates a company called Zone Labs. They have the only Zone Diet products that Dr. Sears endorses at this time. The Hershey SmartZone bars will also carry Dr. Sears stamp of approval as soon as they are marketed.

The concern with the non-endorsed products is that while they appear to be the Zone products, they are not correctly chemically balanced to control insulin. Since the whole premise of the Zone Diet is to eat foods that will help your body control the hormones that produce and regular insulin it is very important that the chemical composition of the food is exactly correct.

Dr. Sears explains that a diet bar can be a prime example of how things can appear to be Zone foods but are not chemically balanced to work with the program. There are many nutrition bars that are composed of a 40/30/30 balance of proteins, carbohydrates and fat. The fat in Zone bars comes from a patented fish oil product that actually helps the body slow down the production of insulin and prevents hunger and cravings. Other bars marketed as Zone products have the 40/30/30 ratio but they use flaxseed or soybean oils that don't have the same chemical composition. This oil does nothing to help the body with insulin control and will result in hunger and cravings.

What does Dr. Sears endorse?

Currently Dr. Sears endorses his own line of supplements that include:

* OmegaRx® Fish Oil Concentrates that act to optimize heart, brain and immune system functions as well as help with the hormonal control of insulin production.
* Zone Bars and Shakes that are available for on-the-go meals and snacks. These bars and shakes follow the 40/30/30 ratio and have the added benefit of the omega fish oil for insulin control.
* Zone Ribose is another supplement that is used to increase energy and decrease muscle stiffness and fatigue after exercise.
* SeaHealth Plus is a liquid supplement that provides the vitamins and minerals found in 2-3 servings of fruit and vegetables. It is high in anti-oxidants that rid the body of free radicals.
* An additional line of supplements for body and skeletal health that includes cardio support, bone supplement, hepatic support for detoxification and Zone foundation and micro nutritional support.

The only meal that is endorsed by Dr. Sears as a Zone diet product is the new line of frozen dinners he has developed with Cedarlane, a producer of organic and natural frozen dinners. These Zone endorsed meals include pizza, omelets, enchiladas and burritos. They are designed to be cooked in a microwave and enjoyed.

Dr. Sears continues to develop more supplements and meals that fit into the Zone Diet. Be careful to check that the product you're buying does have Dr. Sear’s endorsement to ensure that you are truly staying in the Zone.

A Weighty Issue: Does Soda Promote Weight Gain?

As childhood obesity continues to increase, researchers are looking at a link between what kids drink and their expanding waistlines.

While experts stop short of laying the blame completely at the feet of soda makers, most acknowledge that people in general, and kids specifically, consume too many soft drinks.

In an effort to curb the problem, some school districts are removing soda machines from school campuses -; and, some say, for good reason. One 12-ounce can of soda has 150 calories; a 20-ounce can has 250 calories.

According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, "Carbonated soft drinks are the single biggest source of calories in the American diet, providing about 7 percent of calories." Non-carbonated drinks (such as fruit juice and iced teas) push that figure to 9 percent.

One study of 548 sixth and seventh-graders in Boston showed that each 12-ounce can of soda consumed increased their risk for becoming overweight by 60 percent, according to an article in the Journal of Pediatrics.

Besides having a high-sugar content - which can contribute to weight gain and promote tooth decay - there is little nutritional value in a can of soda, just empty calories.

So what's a parent to do?

A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains should be the first line of defense. But because what they drink matters just as much as what they eat, one option may be to consider replacing soda with a health beverage like NuVim, which contains a variety of vitamins, minerals, calcium; low amounts of sugar; and no caffeine.

Tested and proven effective in 19 clinical studies for its muscle flexibility and immune-boosting properties, this beverage contains the antioxidant vitamins A, C and E, along with B-12, zinc, calcium and essential amino acids.

NuVim comes in a variety of fruit flavors and is located in the refrigerated juice section of your local supermarket.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

10 Tips On Losing Weight Fast

Before jumping into a diet, you must determine your ideal weight. This will be your guide on your weight loss journey. “Fast” weight loss doesn’t imply that you drop 50 pounds overnight; a few pounds can take months to shed and for obese individuals, it can take years to lose the desired amount of weight. How fast you lose weight will depend on how focused you are on your diet.

Here are some simple steps to help you lose weight:

1.Before dieting, you must know how many calories you normally need in a day. If you are sedentary, multiply your weight (in pounds) by fifteen. If you are moderately active, multiply your weight by seventeen; if you are active, multiply your weight by twenty. This will give you the average calorie intake you need per day.

2.Remember to eat your fruits and veggies! You need at least five servings of them per day – doing this will put you on the right track to a healthy body, because fruits and vegetables have beneficial fibers, vitamins and antioxidants. They also fill up your stomach fast so that you don’t overeat and take into many calories.

3.Monitor the quantity of food you eat. Avoid high-calorie foods and eat in small portions. A helpful tip is to chew your food slowly because this makes digestion easy on your body and you will also be less likely to overeat.

4.Don’t skip meals. When you want to lose weight it may be tempting to starve yourself – but eating small amounts of food frequently can help you maintain a healthy, balanced calorie intake throughout the day. Also, your blood sugar level will be adversely affected if you don’t eat often. You can even divide the standard allotment of three meals into five or six smaller meals.

5.Fresh fruits and vegetables are ideal – packaged and processed foods have high sodium and fat content. You are more likely to lose weight if you eat naturally fresh foods.

6.Don’t limit your food intake too much. Go ahead and indulge yourself; eat your favorite treat. It’s okay to have that slice of birthday cake at the occasional party. Just make sure to eat in moderation and use those special desserts as rewards, instead of enemies, to your weight loss experience.

7.Don’t always believe everything you read on a food label. “Fat free” does not necessarily mean low calories. The same wisdom goes for foods that boast “low sugar” or “low carbs.” Glance over the nutrition label – there you’ll find the calorie count.

8.Try to limit the number of juices and sugary beverages you drink. Instead, drink eight glasses water a day – this flushes out your body’s toxins and waste.

9.If possible, keep a food journal. This will help you keep track of your calorie intake and will be a daily reminder of the types of foods you need.

10.Don’t forget to exercise! Thirty to sixty minutes of physical activity a day will ensure your health and help you lose weight (and not to mention, firm up those muscles). Weight-bearing exercises are especially great ways to burn those pesky calories.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

9 Ways To Feed Your Soul By Simply Walking

We live in a culture that honors Type A, driven behaviors. That includes exercise and for many people, it’s taken away the joy out of simply walking. Instead of seeing walking as something you must do to get in shape, see it as a gift of being alive and let yourself fully enjoy the experience.

1) Walk with deep awareness of how it feels to move your body.
2) Experience the act of walking as if you've never, ever done it before.
3) Be aware. Be present in the moment. Really feel your body as you're moving.
4) Pay attention to how your feet feel with each rolling step on the earth.
5) Notice the strength and power in your muscles.
6) Feel yourself moving in space.
7) Observe the wind on your skin and the temperature of the air.
8) Have a beauty feast while you're out. Notice the light coming through the leaves. See the flowers with fresh eyes.
9) Take a fresh look at the world as you move through it. Assume nothing. Experience the wonder of life as if you've never seen anything before. Watch the people as if you'd never seen a human before.

Let walking become a cherished and enriching part of your life. Turn it into something wonderful that you look forward to with both body and soul.

9 Ways To Feed Your Soul By Simply Walking

We live in a culture that honors Type A, driven behaviors. That includes exercise and for many people, it’s taken away the joy out of simply walking. Instead of seeing walking as something you must do to get in shape, see it as a gift of being alive and let yourself fully enjoy the experience.

1) Walk with deep awareness of how it feels to move your body.
2) Experience the act of walking as if you've never, ever done it before.
3) Be aware. Be present in the moment. Really feel your body as you're moving.
4) Pay attention to how your feet feel with each rolling step on the earth.
5) Notice the strength and power in your muscles.
6) Feel yourself moving in space.
7) Observe the wind on your skin and the temperature of the air.
8) Have a beauty feast while you're out. Notice the light coming through the leaves. See the flowers with fresh eyes.
9) Take a fresh look at the world as you move through it. Assume nothing. Experience the wonder of life as if you've never seen anything before. Watch the people as if you'd never seen a human before.

Let walking become a cherished and enriching part of your life. Turn it into something wonderful that you look forward to with both body and soul.

Friday, May 21, 2010

A Weight Loss Plan Which Is Fun To Implement

Now I am not sure about you, but I find it so hard to diet and to lose weight. The weight loss programs and diets that I have tried are just so boring. They are also very hard to implement as they are asking me to give up foods which I know that I will not be able to. What we need is a weight loss program which is actually fun to implement.

My name is Steve Hill. My own weight problems began when my parents decided to turn vegetarian. I was eleven years of age at the time and basically decided to give it a go as well. My mum cooked the meals you see.

This was twenty-one years ago, at this point there were not many different options of food for people who were vegetarians. I was not at all impressed with the food I was given and missed eating meat in a big way. I would normally be hungry after meals and would then start to eat snack type foods. I only gradually put on more weight and people did not really comment for a couple of years.

As soon as people did notice, it was like a vicious circle. They would taunt me at school, I would come home all depressed and would then comfort eat, to make myself feel better.

A few years ago I went about looking for ways to help me to lose weight. I tried many diets but without success. I have to say it was not that anything was wrong with the actual diet, it was that, that particular diet did not suit me.

I am the type of person who needs to enjoy something to keep my interest in it. This is why I found school a struggle. Well that is my excuse anyway.

The Fun Way To Lose Weight

On a Saturday night a few years ago, I went out for a few beers with a good friend of mine (Dave). We were having a good chat during which I told him about my mission to lose weight. I explained about how as yet, I had not found a suitable weight loss program.

Dave suggested that I should take up a sport, something competitive which I could get my teeth into. I thought about what he had said and agreed that this could be the way to go.

I asked him if he would like a game of tennis three or four times a week. Dave stated that this might be a bit much as he played six a side football twice a week.

He did not want to let me down however, and then asked if I would like to join his six a side team. I will give it a go, I replied.

I came home rather drunk, but also rather pleased with myself. I now had a weight loss plan which I was sure would work. There will be no quick fix, however this amount of exercise, over a sustained period of time, must have a positive affect on my weight, my fitness and my health.

With this program, I am also able to basically eat what I want, when I want.

It did take quite a while as I had predicted, to reach a weight I was happy with. This was not a problem however, as I was having fun on the way.

I continue to play not only tennis and football, but many sports. This is no longer to lose weight but because I enjoy it.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Body Wrapping And Obesity

Many spas and salons offer a process called “body wrapping.”
This procedure claims to remove inches from the waist, thighs, hips or other parts of the body.

The process includes the use of special wraps or clothing and can sometimes be used with special lotions or creams that are applied to the skin.

Customers are usually told that they can lose “inches” as opposed to pounds and that fat will melt away bringing about a loss of inches in about an hour. One of the claims is that wrapping will work because cellulite is “water logged fatty tissue.”

What overweight person wouldn’t love to find a product that will render them slim and trim while they sleep?

Unfortunately, many people think that body wrapping is a relatively “new” procedure and jump on the bandwagon quickly.

The truth is that the body wrapping craze has been around for some time.

Over two decades ago, government “watchdogs” reported:

“Who can blame the fretfully flabby for being lured by the promise of losing inches without doing anything more strenuous than popping a pill or wrapping up the offending flesh? Who can resist ads for body wraps that promise ‘to burn away fat even while you sleep,’ to ‘lose 4-6 inches the first day?"

What do these wraps consist of?

Some are plastic or rubber garments worn around the waist, some cover the waist, hips and thighs, and others cover nearly the entire body.

Some are to be worn while carrying out routine activities, others while exercising, and some while sleeping. One is inflated with air from a vacuum cleaner. Another uses an electric hair dryer to blow in warm air. Some are used after a cream, gel or lotion is applied or after the wrap is soaked in a solution.

The garments and wraps, with or without lotions and creams, say that they reduce body dimensions by removing fluids. Most medical experts agree that such treatment will cause a loss of inches and perhaps pounds due to profuse perspiration. But the reductions are temporary. The fluid is soon replaced by drinking or eating.

Remember, rapid and excessive fluid loss is potentially dangerous because it can bring on severe dehydration and can upset the balance of important electrolytes in the body. Reputable spas are aware of any potential hazards such as this, so do your homework and select a spa with a good reputation.
Some people have tried using “plastic wrap” as body wrap material. In fact, that was a very popular practice several decades ago.

Body wrapping has evolved since those days, becoming much more sophisticated. Prices for a body wrap range anywhere from $40 an hour up to as much as several thousand dollars at some of the upscale spas.

Some advertising claims that body wrapping will eliminate, or at the least reduce, cellulite but we’ll leave that up to you to determine. What we can tell you is that visiting a spa or salon for body wrapping may be a wonderfully rejuvenating experience, leaving you rested, relaxed and refreshed.

And who wouldn’t like to have a few hours being pampered and fussed over in a relaxing environment regardless if it helps the cellulite problem.

Some spas advertise herbal and other natural wraps. In fact, the methods and products applied are widely varied. Let’s explore some of the components that make up a good “wrap” experience.

Herbal wraps. Some of the higher end spas go so far as to grow their own “herbs” for use in their body wraps, but that isn’t necessary for a good body wrap experience. Herbs can be fresh, or dried and usually organically grown is best.

Each herb has a specific effect. Some increase circulation, another may soothe the skin and so on.

The herbs are steeped in very hot water (almost boiling) then special muslin sheets are soaked in the solution. It is these herb-infused sheets along with other insulating layers that wrap around the body.

How the treatments work is interesting. The goal is to create a condition not unlike your body when you have a fever. We all know that when we have a fever, our body eliminates toxins by sweating.

It’s the same principle with body wraps. The results vary. Some people report a very intense detoxification while for others it might be mild.

Methods of application and content vary as well. Seaweed, mud and salt are popular body wraps. Most often, the subject is wrapped from neck to toe with the arms set close to the sides of the body. This can be uncomfortable for someone who suffers from claustrophobia.

The easiest correction for this is to keep the arms free from the wrap. Most people who are claustrophobic find the works and that all they need to be able to feel free to remove themselves if they choose.

Whatever type of body wrap you select make certain that you feel comfortable with the spa and that a technician is always close at hand.

Care should be taken when selecting a salon or spa. Some things to consider:

How long have they been offering body wraps?
Do they have a licensed clinician whose sole purpose is massage and/or body wraps?
Where do their herbs and other contents come from?
Do they offer any special pricing for new clients?
Will they allow a tour of their facilities prior to purchase?
Have they had any unresolved complaints reported by the Better Business Bureau?
Do they have any package pricing for multiple visits?

Watch your local publications for coupon offers. This can be a good way to try out a service at a bargain.

Ask your friends if they have had a body wrapping experience and whether they enjoyed it and what kind of results did they experience. You may even want to check for “two for one” specials and try it out with a friend!

Whether the experience reduces your cellulite or not, if you follow the guidelines you are in for a pleasant experience. Who knows, you might just like it enough to include it in your long term personal care budget!

7 Weight Loss Tips for Kids and Their Families

Here is a sure-fire list of diet dos and don'ts to help your family triumph over obesity:

1. Be a ‘healthy’ role model. The number one thing that parents can do is to be a good role model for their children, Parents so often unknowingly set their kids up for failure. If there are chips, cookies and Twinkies and no fruit or vegetables when your kids look for snacks, how can they succeed? Line your refrigerator and cabinets with fresh fruits, nuts, low-fat cheese, easy things for kids to snack on besides ‘junk food’.

In a 2000 survey conducted by the CDC, close to 80% of adults reported eating fewer than the recommended five or more servings of fruit and vegetables daily -- not good role-model behavior.

2. Be positive. Don’t tell your child to ‘lose weight’ say, 'Let's be healthy and start taking care of our bodies’. Focus on the foods you can eat, not the ones that you should limit eating. Say, 'Let's go pick out fruits and make a fruit salad,' not 'Don't eat this or that.' Instead of saying, 'We have to exercise,' say, 'Lets go to the park.' Use positive words and phrases when talking with your kid.

3. Make healthy eating a family affair. Create family meals together and for the entire family. Do not single out an overweight family member with special diet food. Your entire family can benefit form healthy eating regardless of weight.

A family that eats together, eats better, according to a recent study in the journal Archives of Family Medicine. The study showed children who report frequent family dinners have healthier diets than their peers who don't.

4. Avoid portion distortion. When serving food you must use portion control, buffet-type or family-style situations tends to promote overeating. Fill up on salads and cooked vegetables at meals and always wait 10-15 minutes before having a second helping. Second helpings should only be taken if truly hungry.

5. Start the day off right with a good breakfast. A bowl of low-sugar cereal with low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt with a granola or breakfast bar, or an English muffin with peanut butter, rather than a doughnut or muffin. A healthy breakfast will put your family on the healthy track for the rest of the day.

6. Make time for physical activity. Make physical activity a family activity. Every night after dinner in the summer, go for a half-hour walk and make it an activity that kids look forward to. If you can afford it, enroll your kids in dancing or a sporting activity that they enjoy because they need to enjoy it to keep doing it. Or just turn on some dance music and have a dance party around the house.

7. Try again. Weight loss and healthy eating is not easy. There will be times when you and your family will struggle with this new lifestyle. It is important to keep trying. Failure is certain if you are not trying.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

6 Week Body Makeover Program To Help You Lose Weight

For those who need to shed a few pounds, and others who have a long way to go before their diet goals can be achieved, the infomercial titled "6 Week Body Makeover" is a must watch.

The 6 Week Body Makeover is built on the theory that each person has a unique shape that defines his or her body in its natural state as it was meant to be.

The assertion that each individual person has a unique metabolism that is specific to his or her body type is another cardinal principle of the 6 week body makeover.

The program is a highly motivational one and centers on a basic idea of individuality.
And it will help you create a diet that is customized to your body shape or metabolism.

Other advantages of the 6 week body makeover includes the development of a unique metabolic system that will enable you burn more weight than in the case of a normal diet.

No doubt, the people behind the 6 week body makeover seem to have to have found an interesting and innovative concept, because studies show many find the program appealing and exciting, due to its focus on individuals.

Just some few steps are required to kick-start your own personalized program. The first one is to identify the right program that would allow you to lose weight in a short time.

The 6 week body makeover helps you out with its lucid instructions on how to fill out a questionnaire that helps pinpoint your specific metabolism type.

After the initial step, the next hurdle is the matching of your shape and general body size to the sample drawings.

If you can match the drawing that best depicts your body shape and size, then you have determined your specific problem areas.

Both your metabolism type, as defined by the questionnaire, and your problem areas as defined by the shape and size drawing are combined together. And it is from this the 6 week body makeover is developed.

The program includes plans where meals are designed to help you feel energized and healthy and a simple body-sculpting workout program that targets your problem areas.

This exciting 6 Week Body Makeover concept still carries the same basic principle of successful weight loss programs.

Whose basic focus is on proper diet and nutrition as well as regular exercise.

We may not really need a program to figure this out, but a program like the 6 Week Body Makeover may push some of us in the right direction.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Yoga for Weight Loss: What you need know to succeed (part 1)

Using yoga for weight loss might not look effective to most people. I bet you they’ll go: “Naw, it’s just stretching…what can it possibly do to burn calories?”
Well, a lot my friend. Yoga can work for weight loss if you use it right and I’ll tell you what to do in due course.

“But how exactly can yoga work for weight loss Foras? (That’s my name by the way), ya’ll just stretching that’s it…!”

Boy, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that comment.

Well for interested parties, yoga as an option for weight loss is wise, safe and effective.
Remember, it is the oldest physical culture known to man and not only does this exercise work the body, it works the mind and soul as well. Hey, have you seen Madonna, Sting or Russell Simmons lately? (I can just see you go: “Foras…they were never overweight so don’t go there! Well…they never gained weight either and they actually all still look good for there ages right?

Okay, here are the poses I recommend you use when using Yoga for weight loss.
Now my friend, I will go over what I believe is the CORE of Yoga Poses.
Trust me, there have been times when I did this alone and still got the benefits that yoga gives from daily practice.

Let’s take notes:

The Sun Salutations When using Yoga for Weight Loss:

These exercises are a combination of Yoga Poses, Breathing Exercises, Sun Bathing and Prayer. They have been practiced for centuries by Yoga Practitioners in India, Martial Artists and African Wrestlers and as a system to rejuvenate the body and soul are beyond compare. It’s been said in the Drugless Healing circles that one round of the Sun Salutations is much better than a week of exercises at the gym!

They are very simple to learn and just about anyone, regardless of their fitness or flexibility levels can learn these simple exercises. In actuality, if you are familiar with “burpies” (the calisthenics exercise), they do derive their origin from the Sun Salutations.

Here are some of their benefits:
-They alleviate disorders of the skin and waist.
-Flexibility increases and breathing is corrected, moreover, they mildly exercise the legs and arms, thus increasing the circulation.
-They are the best way to burn calories and reduce weight and are often recommended for obesity and depression.
-They are an effective way of loosening up, stretching and massaging all joints and internal organs of the body.
-They stimulate and balance all the systems of the body including the endocrine, circulatory, reproductive and digestive system.

Technique:

1. Stand straight with the palms together as in a prayer position.

2. Inhale and stretch the arms above the head.

3. Exhale and bend forward while touching the toes.

4. Inhale and stretch the right leg away from the body in a big backward step and keep the hands and left foot firmly on the ground. Bending the head backward the left knee should be between the hands.

5. Inhale and hold the breath. Move the left leg from the body and, keeping both feet together and the knees of the floor, rest on the hands (arms straight) and keep the body in a straight line from head to foot.

6. Exhale and lower the body to the floor. In this position, only 8 portions of the body come in contact with the floor: the two feet, two knees, two hands, chest and forehead.

7. Inhale and bend back as much as possible bending the spine to the maximum.

8. Exhale and lift the body of the floor. Keep the feet and heels on the floor.

9. Inhale and bring the right foot along the level of the hands; left foot and knee should touch the ground. Look up, bending the spine slightly (same position as #4)

10. Exhale and bring the left leg forward. Keep the knees straight and bring the head down to the knees as in the third position.

11. Raise the arms overhead and bend backward inhaling. As in Position 2.

12. Exhale and drop the arms and relax.

You have now completed one round.

Perform as many rounds as possible in multiples of 3. Ideally you want to aim for 6 rounds minimum and up to a maximum of 30. It only takes about 5-10 minutes, depending on your speed and intensity and is best practiced with as little clothing as possible before an open air window first thing in the morning.

Okay, we’ve gone over the core pose or combination thereof when using Yoga for weight loss in this part of the series of this article. I’ll go over SPECIFIC poses (asanas) that will target the trouble spots and some breathing exercises that would speed up burning up of calories. But my friends, note, when I say use yoga for weight loss; I mean ALL its limbs: the poses, the prescribed diet for practice and mind-set. If you were doing conventional exercise for weight loss, you’d know to eat a healthier diet right…?
Well the same applies to yoga for weight loss as well friends.

See you in part 2 of this article.

Monday, April 26, 2010

You Too Can Control Cholesterol Through Your Diet

Do you love to eat fatty foods? If so, then you could be a candidate for certain heart related problems. According to medical studies, the incidence of heart attacks and coronary artery disease is a result of an escalation of blood cholesterol levels. For that reason, people with cholesterol levels that are above the norm should protect themselves from suffering any form of degenerative disease by lowering their blood cholesterol. This can be realized by observing a low cholesterol diet, while at the same time engaging in moderate physical activities. If diagnosed with high cholesterol levels, there is also medication that can help in controlling cholesterol levels.

Having an excess of cholesterol in the blood is suggested by medical experts as the number one cause of hypertension, and heart disease. In general, the concept that cholesterol is harmful for the body is definitely a false impression. Cholesterol is an important component in our body’s complete metabolism. It functions as a vital substance in the formation of cell membranes and also is responsible in producing vitamin D and other significant hormones in the human body. However, an increase in cholesterol levels may damage our entire physical condition. For this reason, controlling cholesterol is important.

Most doctors tell their patients who suffer from high cholesterol to lower their cholesterol level. This can be achieved by following a diet that is low in fat. Watch out for foods that are high in cholesterol and fats; adding non-fat and low-fat foods to the diet also helps. Also one of the best solution in controlling cholesterol is through exercise. In some instances, your doctor may prescribe drugs that can also help lower cholesterol levels.

What kind of dietary practice should you adopt?

First and foremost, observing a diet that contains less fat and less cholesterol is the key for controlling cholesterol. Here are some tried-and-tested tips in maintaining a healthy heart:

1. Eat in moderation. Excess amounts of food can lead to an increase inweight.

2. Stay away from fatty foods.

3. Steer clear of sweets, especially pastries for they are identified as a principal source of saturated fats.

4. Eat more vegetables. Vegetables contain vitamins and minerals, which are cholesterol-lowering elements.

5. Boost your fiber intake. Fiber-rich foods are also known to lessen cholesterol in the blood.

6. Keeping active while on a low-cholesterol diet is also a contributory factor in controlling cholesterol.

7. For more effective tips in controlling cholesterol, seek advice from your physician. He or she may need to prescribe medications to lower your cholesterol.

Practicing healthful eating habits can greatly add to your overall fitness. And so, controlling cholesterol through diet really makes a difference to your whole wellbeing.

If you have high cholesterol, you should consult your primary care physician prior to making any changes in your diet or lifestyle.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Your Three-Step Fat Attack - Part One of Three

Today you are reading Part One. This is a Three-Part article.

With so many varying recommendations on how to approach losing your body fat, many crucial details tend to slip into through one ear, yet right out of the other, quick, fast, and in a hurry. Yes, it’s true that you hear so many conflicting ideas about health, diet, fitness, and weight management. Why does so much instructional or informational variation exist? Which parts are factual? What are the concepts, ideas, or truths that can really help you?

Likely, the GREATEST fact you can benefit from right away is the following: to lose body fat assuredly, you need a three-part fat attack strategy, and your methodological system needs to be a truly solid one. The three parts, of course, you already know WHAT they are. However, what you are more likely to lack is acute and chronic skill or savvy regarding exactly HOW and WHEN to mix these intricately related weight loss pieces together.

Let’s explore each one here, just a little, that is, 1) diet-foods-nutrition, 2) physical action-movement-exercise; and 3) reeducation-strategy-knowledge acquisition/enhancement/upgrading. Perhaps there’s a clue for you in the fact that the latter of these vital elements above is quite lengthy.

Here's one solid scientific fact you might observe. You are more likely to adopt and adhere to solid diet or exercise lifestyle when you educate yourself. You grow more, when you know more... about your approach, your limits, your potential, and your benefits.

Occasionally, you may tend to ignore important and crucial facts about fitness or nutrition. At times you just can't help that. It's a small part of human nature. Plus, you probably hear a lot of "crap" these days, particularly concerning “carbs – to be or not to be,” and/or the “best and only time of day to exercise.” After a while, though you don't really want them to, your ears simply become numb to the barrage of junk information. Then, you assume that no one really knows what they're talking about anymore. You might even mistakenly include accredited professionals into that stereotype, too. Perhaps, you even express your own opinion as true fitness fact without receiving support from science and community.

Time after time, you try things that don't work. Yet, once in a while, you try something that does. Is what you tried still working for you? Probably not. Consider cutting to the chase about excess, loose tissue... hanging around in places you don't want it to. Your formidable enemy is likely to be "saturated" fat. Here's a professional tip that can help you now and far into your future. Gain a thorough understanding of this "Three-Step Fat Attack" concept. It’s a relatively new concept, yet the power lies in the fact that although each area can afford you some weight loss productivity, combining the three yields geometrically improved results.

It might not be such a natural tendency for you to try new things. You may not even have the luxury of acquiring formal knowledge on nutrition, fitness, or weight management. That leaves you with trial and error as major modus operandi. Then, your weight loss solutions stem from incorrect data such as: rumors, old tales, things that you have "heard about," or just plain old advertising hype.

(Believe it or not, we’re still talking about part three – reeducation-strategy-knowledge acquisition/enhancement/upgrading – because all of the above has to do with know-how and knowledgeable approach to weight loss, avoiding unnecessary time, trouble and effort.)

Now's your time to concentrate on a focused, weight management approach that works with long-term reliability. What you need is plain and simple. However, you need to realize right now that you can easily fall into one not-so-obvious trap. This trap catches most people who are seeking solutions to a diet or exercise problem. You can avoid it from now on. That common trap is NOT REALLY UNDERSTANDING THE INFORMATION YOU RECEIVE, underestimating it, or taking it for granted without deeper exploration, inspection, and investigation.

Yes, this is where you can place your focus... on increasing comprehension. And, how can you grasp complex details without expanding your ability to process that knowledge? Easy. Learn about it. This moves us to the very first step in your "Three-Step Fat Attack," which follows:

1. Read.

2. Apply.

3. Maintain.

Yes, it's that simple. Yet, do you really understand it? First, here's an easy way to remember it... you have to RAM this approach into your arsenal of diet exercise tools. That's right. RAM IT IN! Here's your detailed breakdown for R. A. M.:

STEP ONE - "R." = "Read accredited sources of information."

You can expect to find that these sources might be slightly "unpopular." Now, understand what "unpopular" really means. Unpopular simply means this type of news is not sitting out on the stands just waiting for you to pick it up. This is not the dazzling, interest-grabbing, highly publicized, or TV advertised gossip. Accredited, accurate, helpful, long-lasting, scientific data is not so easily located. You have to find it. You have to do your homework. Do some research. Yet, even with research, you need to have a central idea of what you are looking to explain.

We’ll explore the weight loss difficulty involved and the viable solution in Part Two.

Your Three-Step Fat Attack - Part One of Three

Today you are reading Part One. This is a Three-Part article.

With so many varying recommendations on how to approach losing your body fat, many crucial details tend to slip into through one ear, yet right out of the other, quick, fast, and in a hurry. Yes, it’s true that you hear so many conflicting ideas about health, diet, fitness, and weight management. Why does so much instructional or informational variation exist? Which parts are factual? What are the concepts, ideas, or truths that can really help you?

Likely, the GREATEST fact you can benefit from right away is the following: to lose body fat assuredly, you need a three-part fat attack strategy, and your methodological system needs to be a truly solid one. The three parts, of course, you already know WHAT they are. However, what you are more likely to lack is acute and chronic skill or savvy regarding exactly HOW and WHEN to mix these intricately related weight loss pieces together.

Let’s explore each one here, just a little, that is, 1) diet-foods-nutrition, 2) physical action-movement-exercise; and 3) reeducation-strategy-knowledge acquisition/enhancement/upgrading. Perhaps there’s a clue for you in the fact that the latter of these vital elements above is quite lengthy.

Here's one solid scientific fact you might observe. You are more likely to adopt and adhere to solid diet or exercise lifestyle when you educate yourself. You grow more, when you know more... about your approach, your limits, your potential, and your benefits.

Occasionally, you may tend to ignore important and crucial facts about fitness or nutrition. At times you just can't help that. It's a small part of human nature. Plus, you probably hear a lot of "crap" these days, particularly concerning “carbs – to be or not to be,” and/or the “best and only time of day to exercise.” After a while, though you don't really want them to, your ears simply become numb to the barrage of junk information. Then, you assume that no one really knows what they're talking about anymore. You might even mistakenly include accredited professionals into that stereotype, too. Perhaps, you even express your own opinion as true fitness fact without receiving support from science and community.

Time after time, you try things that don't work. Yet, once in a while, you try something that does. Is what you tried still working for you? Probably not. Consider cutting to the chase about excess, loose tissue... hanging around in places you don't want it to. Your formidable enemy is likely to be "saturated" fat. Here's a professional tip that can help you now and far into your future. Gain a thorough understanding of this "Three-Step Fat Attack" concept. It’s a relatively new concept, yet the power lies in the fact that although each area can afford you some weight loss productivity, combining the three yields geometrically improved results.

It might not be such a natural tendency for you to try new things. You may not even have the luxury of acquiring formal knowledge on nutrition, fitness, or weight management. That leaves you with trial and error as major modus operandi. Then, your weight loss solutions stem from incorrect data such as: rumors, old tales, things that you have "heard about," or just plain old advertising hype.

(Believe it or not, we’re still talking about part three – reeducation-strategy-knowledge acquisition/enhancement/upgrading – because all of the above has to do with know-how and knowledgeable approach to weight loss, avoiding unnecessary time, trouble and effort.)

Now's your time to concentrate on a focused, weight management approach that works with long-term reliability. What you need is plain and simple. However, you need to realize right now that you can easily fall into one not-so-obvious trap. This trap catches most people who are seeking solutions to a diet or exercise problem. You can avoid it from now on. That common trap is NOT REALLY UNDERSTANDING THE INFORMATION YOU RECEIVE, underestimating it, or taking it for granted without deeper exploration, inspection, and investigation.

Yes, this is where you can place your focus... on increasing comprehension. And, how can you grasp complex details without expanding your ability to process that knowledge? Easy. Learn about it. This moves us to the very first step in your "Three-Step Fat Attack," which follows:

1. Read.

2. Apply.

3. Maintain.

Yes, it's that simple. Yet, do you really understand it? First, here's an easy way to remember it... you have to RAM this approach into your arsenal of diet exercise tools. That's right. RAM IT IN! Here's your detailed breakdown for R. A. M.:

STEP ONE - "R." = "Read accredited sources of information."

You can expect to find that these sources might be slightly "unpopular." Now, understand what "unpopular" really means. Unpopular simply means this type of news is not sitting out on the stands just waiting for you to pick it up. This is not the dazzling, interest-grabbing, highly publicized, or TV advertised gossip. Accredited, accurate, helpful, long-lasting, scientific data is not so easily located. You have to find it. You have to do your homework. Do some research. Yet, even with research, you need to have a central idea of what you are looking to explain.

We’ll explore the weight loss difficulty involved and the viable solution in Part Two.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Zone Diet – A New Weight Loss System

The Zone Diet works on the principle that 100,000 years ago, we were meat eaters, and our metabolism is designed to handle the demands of a meat-based diet.

Madonna, Demi Moore, and Jennifer Aniston swear by the results of the Zone Diet, which was created by Barry Sears, PhD. The Zone Diet contains 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein, and 30% fat and is known as the 40-30-30 plan.

As the food industry evolved, more carbohydrates have been introduced into our daily diet, thus causing an imbalance in our metabolism to burn fat. The reason for our extra weight can also be attributed to the many grains and starches in our diet (pasta, rice, breads, and potatoes). The Zone Diet's approach calls for a return to the diets of our ancestors where meat, fruits, and vegetables are the main dietary foods.

The Zone Diet suggests that you need the right ratio of carbohydrates to proteins and fats in order to control the insulin in the bloodstream. Too much of the hormone (insulin) can increase fat storage and inflammation in the body (conditions that are associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease). Sears asserts that by using the Zone Diet, you are actually optimizing the body's metabolic function. Through the regulation of blood sugar, you allow your body to burn excess body fat.

Although you are not prohibited from any particular food group, it is best to avoid food with high fat and carbohydrates such as grains, starches, and pastas. The ideal sources of carbs are fruits and vegetables and for monounsaturated fats olive oil, almonds, and avocados are recommended. The Zone Diet claims to use food as a drug for overall good health, weight loss and prevention or management of heart disease and diabetes.

Sears says that you can test to see whether you are 'hormonally' correct by eating following the Zone diet and see how you feel four hours later. To simplify the Zone Diet, fill one-third of a plate with low-fat protein, and then two-thirds with fruits and vegetables.

Celebrities and some health experts say that the Zone's recommendations do not stray far from the USDA's (United States Dietary Association) dietary guidelines and therefore are advocates of the Zone Diet. Others argue that the Zone Diet has flawed ratios but Sears argues that the Zone diet is a low-glycemic-load diet that has adequate protein. .

A critic of the Zone diet such as the AHA (American Heart Association) classifies the Zone Diet as high protein and does not recommend the Zone Diet for weight loss. They contend that the Zone Diet has not been proven effective in the long term for weight loss. The AHA issued an official recommendation warning against diets like the Zone Diet. They believe that the Zone Diet is hazardous as it restricts the intake of essential vitamins and minerals present in certain foods. The AHA also contends that the protein ratio in the Zone diet is too high even if the minimal fat ratio is good. Robert H. Ecker M.D of the A.H.A. finds the Zone Diet's theory on insulin flawed and argues that there is no scientific proof that the hormone insulin plays a big role in weight regulation.

Friday, April 16, 2010

CrossWalk 425 Treadmill at $350 OFF

Exercise must never have felt so light. ProForm, the world’s number 1 fitness brand proudly presents the CrossWalk 425 Treadmill, truly a one of its kind machine. Along with it, you are offered some great deals which are sure to make the product a sell-out.

With its 2 CrossWalk Calorie Workouts and CrossWalk Upper-Body Arms, you can burn upto 350 calories in addition to giving shape to your shoulders, arms and back. Additional features include Power Incline upto 10%, EKG Heart Rate Monitor, 0-10 MPH QuickSpeed Control, Tinted Blue LCD Display, Mach 1.3 CHP Drive Motor and 3 years of Motor warranty. Regarding the product specifications, it has a 17” by 50” Treadbelt and 250 lbs of weighing capacity. The ProSoft Plus Impact Reduction is a special type of cushioning which is said to reduce the work-out impact on your joints by 22%. The machine is priced at just $449! That means a good 44% discount on its retail price of $799. And that’s not all! You even get free shipping, thus making a saving of $125 for you. Add to that, a one year service warranty totally free!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

5 Simple Steps to Losing Weight

If you are carrying around a few (I use that term loosely) extra pounds like most of us are, you all know all the reasons why we should take the weight off. It will reduce stress on our heart, reducing the chance of heart disease, cancer, possibility of diabetes; feel better, look more attractive, etc.

There are 101 reasons why, but it can be a real pain to finally get that weight off. You push really hard, make a little progress, get side tracked, and bam you are heavier then you started.

It’s maddening. Enough with that hassle, I have put together 5 simple steps to actually losing weight and keeping it off. These steps can be applied to anything, but we are focusing on weight loss here.

1. Know What You Want
2. Know Where You Are
3. Track Your Results
4. Make Course Corrections
5. Being held Accountable

Now all your extra weight will effortlessly melt off. Yeah right! A simple list of 5 items is not going to do it, so let me explain the intricacies of the 5 items and where the hang up normally occurs when applied to losing weight.

1. Know What You Want

This one is dead simple. Most people that want to lose weight have an idea of how many pounds they would like to lose or how they would like their body to look.

I think we can safely say if your body started looking the way you wanted it, you would know, even if you didn’t have it completely mapped out and detailed.

2. Know Where You Are

This is the big trip up. It is almost always overlooked and is the number one reason for the up and down Yo Yo effect we experience with losing weight. We are unhappy with how our body feels and how it looks and it is painful to zoom in and get an accurate picture of where we are. Unfortunately, we have to know where we are, to be able to accurately judge the results we are getting.

You are on a trip to San Diego, California. You would like to start your trip from Phoenix, Arizona, but you really don’t know where you are. No problem. You get an Arizona/California map and find that a simple 6 hours trip west on interstate 8 will get you to San Diego.

6 hours later, you have no clue where you are and it is definitely not warm San Diego. You feel defeated and you want to give up! Do you blame the car? The stupid maps? San Diego? Yourself?

Now what if I told you, you were actually in New Your City, not Phoenix, Arizona. A 6 hour car ride west from New York City will never get you to San Diego.

If you took the time to accurately find out where you were, you would have been able to choose the appropriate means to get to San Diego and have an expectation as to how long it would take.

This is the same with weight loss and our personal physical condition. In our minds, we think we are starting in a different physical condition then we really are. When the results don’t follow the illusion in your mind, we get upset.


3. Track Your Results

This is conceptually simple. If we have no clue as to WHAT we are doing, how do we know what is working? It might be a simple to do, but is also simple not to do. In the end, most people never track their results.


4. Make Course Corrections

We love to do this one. We have it hands down. It is like step 1 of knowing what you want. We try the new food diet, the super sit up machine, and the cardio hip hop power energy yoga fat burner class.

We might be great at switching it up, but without knowing where we are starting from and a history of tracked results, we have no clue as to what we should change or even which direction we should go.


5. Being held Accountable

No, not accountability! That is an evil word. I don’t want someone to know what I am doing, or more importantly what I am not doing.

So, why do we resist accountability, your secret weapon to weight loss? Because it works! If you know someone is going to be watching, you would follow through or at least feel very uncomfortable not following through.

Accountability when used wisely is the ultimate turbo booster to your weight loss. Since you are going to be accountable anyway, you might as well get something out of it.

Using accountability up front, you can achieve the body of your dreams. If you let your body hold you accountable, it will throw on fat in places you don’t want it to be.

The biggest obstacle to weight loss is not taking any action. It doesn’t matter how good the plan is, it is worthless if you don’t follow it. So what do I do now?

First and foremost get Accountable.

Forward this article to someone you respect and care about and tell them I want to be accountable to finally taking off my extra pounds. When they agree to support you, start working through Steps 1 – 5.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Choosing Your Fitness Equipment

Fitness equipment is a large group of tools that are used in exercise and are referred to also as exercise equipment. These can include simple items such as balls, track shoes and skipping ropes as well as more complex pieces of equipment such as treadmills, weights, bicycles and many others. Today a wide range of fitness equipment is available for sale with new designs constantly being produced due to the high demand for equipment that is effective in building muscles and strength as well as for losing weight.

Some of the types of fitness equipment available for use can be classified according the type of exercise for which they are built. The first class to be discussed is the strength training equipment. These include free weights and machines referred to as the resistance machines.

The most common type of resistance machine is one that uses gravity as a resistance source. This design is used mainly in weight machines. Gravity in combination with a simple design of pulleys, wheels and inclines, uses a percentage of the weight of the user as the resistance transferred. Other types of resistance machines can use other forces other than gravity to provide resistance. These include friction, spring-loaded, fan-loaded or fluid-loaded machines.

Another type of equipment belonging to the strength training equipment is the bands and tubing, which are lightweight options for training at home and in the office.

The other class is the aerobic fitness equipment which is mainly the endless-path machines. These include devices such as the stationary bicycles, the treadmills, the elliptical trainers, aerobic riders, the stair climbers, the ski and rowing machines. The stationary bicycle focuses the exercise on the legs by the action of pedaling. The treadmills are an all body exercise as you may walk or run at various speeds. There are also some models that can simulate slopes for a more intense workout.

The stair climbers replicate the action of climbing a stairway. This device now also has modifications that replicate the pulling up action off the hands for a more through workout. The skiing and rowing machines work both the arms and legs simultaneously with the rowing machine also working the back muscles. The elliptical trainers are a cross between the stair climbers and the ski machines. The aerobic riders also exercise the arms and legs at the same time by the use of a simultaneous pull and push motion.

There is also a miscellaneous group of fitness equipment. These include items such as heart rate monitors and exercise balls as well as many others. The heart rate monitors are used as a motivational tool in exercise as they monitor the heart rate and provide feedback to the individual exercising. The use of exercise balls has become very important in training such as flexibility training and for balance as well.

When using any type of fitness equipment it is always important to seek professional advice as the improper use of this equipment can cause severe damage.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Buying an Elliptical Trainer Online – What You Need to Know!

When I first started working in the fitness equipment industry the idea of customers buying online seemed absurd. But about 9 years ago the company I worked for built a web site and started advertising on Yahoo. Back then Google was still a concept, and pay per click advertising hadn’t been conceived. Surprisingly a few people here and there would make purchases, primarily for treadmills. All sales were conducted through the phone.

Gradually sales increased, so about 6 years ago I suggested we include a shopping cart on our site. The reaction was, “who would buy fitness equipment online without talking to someone first.” Well, how times have changed. When I left the company over 60% of our sales were through the cart. Our minimum price item was $1,000, with our premium products exceeding $3,000.

Purchasing fitness equipment online has become a major industry. There are several benefits from buying online:

There is no sales tax.
The item is delivered to your home.
The Internet is ideal for comparison shopping.
Nothing competes with the convenience of shopping from your home.
Not always, but in some instances you will save money.


Elliptical Trainers Grow in Popularity

The fastest growing fitness equipment currently is elliptical trainers. They offer the benefit of providing a low-impact, upper and lower body workout. They have become particularly attractive to the aging baby boomers. And like treadmills, many people are purchasing them online. If you are considering buying an elliptical trainer online there are several considerations:

Buy a Quality Elliptical Trainer

Do not waste your money on a cheap machine, unless you plan to use it to hang clothes. How do you determine what qualifies as cheap and what merits quality? You need to do your due diligence. Check out third party reviews, customer testimonials (epinions.com is a good source), and compare features and specifications. At my site you will find an elliptical trainer buyer's guide. It explains in detail the important features of an elliptical trainer.

Buy an Elliptical Trainer that has an Adequate Warranty

When you see an elliptical trainer with a 90 parts and labor warranty, you should be concerned about the durability of that machine. It doesn’t say much about the faith of the manufacturer in their products. When buying an elliptical trainer look for models that come with a one year labor warranty, and a 1-3 year parts coverage.

Buy an Elliptical Trainer from a Company with a Good Reputation

When you purchase an elliptical trainer you are not only buying the machine, but also the company that stands behind it. Although elliptical trainers require less service than a treadmill, you may still have maintenance issues and questions. You want to make sure you purchase from a company that is responsive to their customers. Once again customer reviews can be helpful. Whenever I want to get some insight into a company I will do a search on the company name and “complaints”. You could be surprised on the results. I was going to spend considerable money with a furniture store chain and when I did a search I was overwhelmed with the number of customer complaints. Guess what? They didn’t get my business.

There are a number of advantages to buying an elliptical trainer online, but as with any purchase let the buyer beware. Become an informed consumer and make a smart buy.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

5 Fun Ways to Get In Shape

The market is saturated with low-fat, low-carb and sugar-free foods. But despite the popular diets, "magical" pills and the latest, greatest fitness machines that all promise to melt away the pounds, more than half of American adults are overweight.

For true weight-loss success, health experts stress the importance of changing your lifestyle for the long term and exercising regularly. Here are some creative ways to make fitness fun again and help you win the battle of the bulge once and for all.

* Take "healthy" vacations. Make fitness part of your travels. Head to a spa where, along with a little pampering, you can enjoy hiking, rock climbing, kickboxing, aqua aerobics and yoga.

* Walk or run for a good cause. Training for a 5K charity walk, for example, may be all the motivation you need to get started on a regular fitness routine. Best of all, you'll be helping your favorite charity accomplish its goals.

* Dance. Join a ballroom or hip-hop dancing class. It's a great way to shed the pounds, learn how to dance and have fun.

* Strip the weight away. New DVDs featuring Carmen Electra help you spice up your regular workout routine and provide a fun new way to tone your body right in the comfort of your own living room.

"Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease" and "Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease - Fit to Strip" are fast becoming wildly popular. With the help of fitness experts, Electra teaches viewers how to trim down with high- and low-impact dance and fitness techniques. The strengthening moves are designed to help tone the hips, thighs, buns and abs. The DVDs' special features include a pop-up video display with workout tips and a customizable music track.

* Do Pilates. Find out what makes Pilates the workout of choice for countless celebrities, and why your gym's Pilates classes are always full. The "MTV: Pilates Mix" DVD, hosted by renowned Pilates and yoga instructor Kristin McGee, is perfect for those who want to add a more cutting-edge beat to their workout. The DVD features two half-hour workout sessions that focus on toning the arms, legs and abs, with a music mix that motivates you to get up and work out.

The DVDs are available online and in stores nationwide. - NU

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

3 Simple Steps To Lose Body Fat

What Does It Take To Lose Body Fat?

To lose body fat, you need to incorporate sheer simplicity, plus ultimate science because understanding how to lose body fat comprises your awareness of BOTH concepts. Now is the time to prepare your heart and mind for non-stop challenge, consistent focus, and utmost care.

You are here seeking some viable remedy, correct? Our time together here is far more worthwhile if I just go ahead and tell you, right now, what it takes to lose body fat. In a nutshell, your biggest key is mental preparedness. Yep. That's the biggie!

As soon as you discover how to convince your mind to issue "lose body fat" commands, you are well on your way to fitness success. To lose body fat, then, is a quite simple matter. Ye, of course, the difficulty you may face lies in your initial THINKING, then the reality of DOING.

There are a few things you will have to do in order to lose body fat. If and when you are willing and ready to do these things, you are SURE to lose body fat, without question.

LONG-TERM "LOSE BODY FAT" SOLUTION

Does It Really Pay To Seek A Short Cut To Lose-Body-Fat Satisfaction?

After you spin yourself virtually all the way around in a lose-body-fat circle by asking questions from sources that either really don't know the truth, or even worse, only care to tell whatever it takes to separate you from your checkbook, credit card, or wallet -- the simplicity and long-time duality of how to lose body fat remains unchanged. Ease versus complexity... long way around versus short-cut solution.

Somebody or someone (meaning YOU) has to do the work! You want to lose body fat, that's why you're here. So, your body needs to engage required, time proven, professional principles that prove themselves for you over and again. In short, to lose body fat you clearly build independence, self-assuredness, confidence, and other lose-body-fat skills that surprisingly emanate from your mental intellectual potential rather than merely your present physical ability.

HOW TO LOSE BODY FAT - HERE IS YOUR 3-STEP CURE

Simply do these three things to lose body fat:

ONE: Once and for all, learn how to find out your daily caloric consumption AND your energy expenditure numbers. Both of these numbers are absolutely crucial because they tell you exactly what your body is doing, right down to the very calorie. Once this calculation process becomes second nature to you, full control of the amount of body fat you carry lay right in the palms of your very hands.

In other words, you can shape your "lose-body-fat" fortune and alter your lean body appearance almost exactly how you want it to be.

TWO: Work out for the most part, using much more drive and intensity than you ever have before in your entire life! I say this to you primarily because of 1) remotely conscious human tendencies that we all have toward relaxation and taking the easy way out of a challenging situation rather than facing and conquering its root cause, plus 2) endorsed exercise science knowledge says that performing at higher thresholds gives you life-extending benefits and burns higher amounts of calories from excess body fat. So, to enormously yet safely lose body fat, begin to train yourself towards high intensity interval exercise.

You may burn twice as many calories as you did before, plus feel better and look better, too.

THREE: Lastly, know that the entire weight-loss-lose-body-fat scenario revolves around one, vital and never-changing concept: Being overweight, thus, needing to lose body fat, remains a direct result of eating too much food and not getting enough exercise. Now, with this last one, allow me to isolate your biggest probable obstacle. The number one problem is that you hear this very same lose-body-fat news so much and so often that your brain instantly goes into SHUT-DOWN or shut-off mode. That is, the tendency to assume the "I've Been There Before, Heard It All Before, Done It All Before, and It Never Works for Me" syndrome kicks in immediately.

The solution? Put on some new "lose body fat" ears today, starting right now. Allow yourself to hear the deeper gist this message carries. Cease to dismiss the seemingly small yet crucial matters that make the difference between your continued frustration and your lose body fat reward.

If you need any kind of help whatsoever, just contact us because 1) we care, and 2) lose-body-fat assistance online is both professional and affordable. So, don't worry yourself about spending lots of money to lose body fat.

Understanding the true meaning of what it takes to lose body fat requires acceptance, open ears, and action. So, learn your personalized details, do the required work, plus know confidently and securely almost all about what it takes to lose body fat.

Monday, March 22, 2010

5 Fun Ways to Get In Shape

The market is saturated with low-fat, low-carb and sugar-free foods. But despite the popular diets, "magical" pills and the latest, greatest fitness machines that all promise to melt away the pounds, more than half of American adults are overweight.

For true weight-loss success, health experts stress the importance of changing your lifestyle for the long term and exercising regularly. Here are some creative ways to make fitness fun again and help you win the battle of the bulge once and for all.

* Take "healthy" vacations. Make fitness part of your travels. Head to a spa where, along with a little pampering, you can enjoy hiking, rock climbing, kickboxing, aqua aerobics and yoga.

* Walk or run for a good cause. Training for a 5K charity walk, for example, may be all the motivation you need to get started on a regular fitness routine. Best of all, you'll be helping your favorite charity accomplish its goals.

* Dance. Join a ballroom or hip-hop dancing class. It's a great way to shed the pounds, learn how to dance and have fun.

* Strip the weight away. New DVDs featuring Carmen Electra help you spice up your regular workout routine and provide a fun new way to tone your body right in the comfort of your own living room.

"Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease" and "Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease - Fit to Strip" are fast becoming wildly popular. With the help of fitness experts, Electra teaches viewers how to trim down with high- and low-impact dance and fitness techniques. The strengthening moves are designed to help tone the hips, thighs, buns and abs. The DVDs' special features include a pop-up video display with workout tips and a customizable music track.

* Do Pilates. Find out what makes Pilates the workout of choice for countless celebrities, and why your gym's Pilates classes are always full. The "MTV: Pilates Mix" DVD, hosted by renowned Pilates and yoga instructor Kristin McGee, is perfect for those who want to add a more cutting-edge beat to their workout. The DVD features two half-hour workout sessions that focus on toning the arms, legs and abs, with a music mix that motivates you to get up and work out.

The DVDs are available online and in stores nationwide.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

3 Simple Steps To Lose Body Fat

What Does It Take To Lose Body Fat?

To lose body fat, you need to incorporate sheer simplicity, plus ultimate science because understanding how to lose body fat comprises your awareness of BOTH concepts. Now is the time to prepare your heart and mind for non-stop challenge, consistent focus, and utmost care.

You are here seeking some viable remedy, correct? Our time together here is far more worthwhile if I just go ahead and tell you, right now, what it takes to lose body fat. In a nutshell, your biggest key is mental preparedness. Yep. That's the biggie!

As soon as you discover how to convince your mind to issue "lose body fat" commands, you are well on your way to fitness success. To lose body fat, then, is a quite simple matter. Ye, of course, the difficulty you may face lies in your initial THINKING, then the reality of DOING.

There are a few things you will have to do in order to lose body fat. If and when you are willing and ready to do these things, you are SURE to lose body fat, without question.

LONG-TERM "LOSE BODY FAT" SOLUTION

Does It Really Pay To Seek A Short Cut To Lose-Body-Fat Satisfaction?

After you spin yourself virtually all the way around in a lose-body-fat circle by asking questions from sources that either really don't know the truth, or even worse, only care to tell whatever it takes to separate you from your checkbook, credit card, or wallet -- the simplicity and long-time duality of how to lose body fat remains unchanged. Ease versus complexity... long way around versus short-cut solution.

Somebody or someone (meaning YOU) has to do the work! You want to lose body fat, that's why you're here. So, your body needs to engage required, time proven, professional principles that prove themselves for you over and again. In short, to lose body fat you clearly build independence, self-assuredness, confidence, and other lose-body-fat skills that surprisingly emanate from your mental intellectual potential rather than merely your present physical ability.

HOW TO LOSE BODY FAT - HERE IS YOUR 3-STEP CURE

Simply do these three things to lose body fat:

ONE: Once and for all, learn how to find out your daily caloric consumption AND your energy expenditure numbers. Both of these numbers are absolutely crucial because they tell you exactly what your body is doing, right down to the very calorie. Once this calculation process becomes second nature to you, full control of the amount of body fat you carry lay right in the palms of your very hands.

In other words, you can shape your "lose-body-fat" fortune and alter your lean body appearance almost exactly how you want it to be.

TWO: Work out for the most part, using much more drive and intensity than you ever have before in your entire life! I say this to you primarily because of 1) remotely conscious human tendencies that we all have toward relaxation and taking the easy way out of a challenging situation rather than facing and conquering its root cause, plus 2) endorsed exercise science knowledge says that performing at higher thresholds gives you life-extending benefits and burns higher amounts of calories from excess body fat. So, to enormously yet safely lose body fat, begin to train yourself towards high intensity interval exercise.

You may burn twice as many calories as you did before, plus feel better and look better, too.

THREE: Lastly, know that the entire weight-loss-lose-body-fat scenario revolves around one, vital and never-changing concept: Being overweight, thus, needing to lose body fat, remains a direct result of eating too much food and not getting enough exercise. Now, with this last one, allow me to isolate your biggest probable obstacle. The number one problem is that you hear this very same lose-body-fat news so much and so often that your brain instantly goes into SHUT-DOWN or shut-off mode. That is, the tendency to assume the "I've Been There Before, Heard It All Before, Done It All Before, and It Never Works for Me" syndrome kicks in immediately.

The solution? Put on some new "lose body fat" ears today, starting right now. Allow yourself to hear the deeper gist this message carries. Cease to dismiss the seemingly small yet crucial matters that make the difference between your continued frustration and your lose body fat reward.

If you need any kind of help whatsoever, just contact us because 1) we care, and 2) lose-body-fat assistance online is both professional and affordable. So, don't worry yourself about spending lots of money to lose body fat.

Understanding the true meaning of what it takes to lose body fat requires acceptance, open ears, and action. So, learn your personalized details, do the required work, plus know confidently and securely almost all about what it takes to lose body fat.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

"Fad" Weight Loss Diet

Overview:

Obesity is a physical state that refers to excessive body fat. Chances are you have experienced the frustrations of dieting at least once in your life, if you have problems with your weight. Close to a hundred million Americans go on a weight loss diet in any given year and up to ninety-five percent of them regain the weight they lose within five years. Worse, a third will gain back more weight than they lost, in danger of "yo-yoing" from one popular diet to another. The conventional approach to weight problems, focusing on fad weight loss diets or weight loss drugs, may leave you with just as much weight and the additional burden of ill health.

Today, an estimated sixty-five percent of all American adults are obese or overweight. Our culture obsesses about staying thin even as we grow fatter, but this isn’t about appearances. Obesity is known to be a precursor to many debilitating health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, osteoarthritis, and gallbladder disease. Obesity contributes to as many as 375,000 deaths every year. In addition, the public health costs for obesity are staggering. According to researchers at Harvard University, obesity is a factor in 19% of all cases of heart disease with annual health costs estimated at 30 billion dollars; it’s also a factor in 57% of diabetes cases, with health costs of $9 billion per year.

Set Realistic Goals:

No doubt you have fallen for one or more of the weight loss diet schemes over the years, promising quick and painless weight loss. Many of these quick weight loss diet programs undermine your health, cause physical discomfort, flatulence, and ultimately lead to disappointment when you start regaining weight, shortly after losing it. Fad or quick weight loss diet programs generally overstress one type of food. They contravene the fundamental principle of good nutrition - to remain healthy one must consume a balanced diet, which includes a variety of foods. Safe, healthy, and permanent weight reduction is what’s truly lost among the thousands of popular diet schemes.

Some of the weight loss diet schemes reign supreme briefly, only to fade out. While some wane from popularity due to being unproductive or unsafe, some simply lose the public's curiosity. Examples of such fad diets include the South Beach Diet, Atkins diet, the Grapefruit diet, Cabbage Soup diet, the Rotation diet, Beverly Hills diet, Breatharian, Ornish Plan – the list goes on and on. These fad diets advocate a specific technique (such as eliminating a certain food, or eating only certain combinations of foods) in conjunction with the basic idea that the body makes up the difference in energy by breaking down and utilizing some part of itself, essentially converting matter into energy. This self-cannibalism, or catabolism as it is referred, typically starts with breakdown of stored body fat.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Using the Internet to Develop Your Own Weight Loss Plan

Are you interested in developing your own weight loss plan? If you are looking to lose weight, there is a good chance that you may be interested in doing so. Although you can pay to have a weight loss plan supplied to you or you can choose to join an existing weight loss program, you may find the cost of doing so a little bit difficult, especially if you are on a budget. That is why many choose to develop their own weight loss plans.

If this is your first time developing a weight loss plan for yourself, you may not necessarily know how you should proceed. What is nice about developing a weight loss plan for yourself is that you have freedom. With that in mind, you will still want to make sure that your weight loss plan is one that you can benefit from and one that you can lose weight while on. For that reason, you may want to think about turning to the internet, when looking to develop your own weight loss plan or weight loss program.

When it comes to using the internet to help you develop your own weight loss plan, there are a number of different ways that the internet can offer you assistance. For starters, a good part of a weight loss program involves eating healthy. For many individuals, eating healthy is something that is difficult to do, as they are unsure as to what they should cook or how they should cook it. There are a number of websites that you can find online, many of which are free to use, that give you access to healthy foods and recipes. Many of these recipes are accompanied by pictures; therefore, you should be able to tell right away whether or not the food in question is something that you would eat.

Another part of losing weight involves exercise. For some individuals, taking a simple walk is enough to help them lose weight, but others must participate in more active exercise activities. If you are one of those individuals, you can find a number of websites that outline exercises that you should be able to do. You will likely find a number of fitness websites that come with detailed pictures or videos, which outline each step of the workout in question.

You can also use the internet to order weight loss resources, like weight loss books or exercise equipment. One piece of exercise equipment that you may want to look into buy is that of an exercise video. What is nice about using the internet to find an exercise video, which you can incorporate into your at-home weight loss program, is that you can not only buy videos online, but you can also find product reviews online. Product reviews are a great way to determine if the exercise video you are interested in buying is really worth the money.

Once you have found a number of exercises that you would like to do or a number of healthy meals that you would like to make for yourself, you are advised to develop yourself a list, in writing or on the computer. This list can act as a schedule for yourself. For instance, you could outline each workout that you would like to do on Monday’s, as well as which meals you would like to eat on that same day. Having a detailed weight loss plan for each day of the week is likely to improve the chances of you following your own plan.

As you can see, the internet is a nice tool to have, when looking to create you own weight loss plan. For the best results, with finding what you need online, you may want to perform a standard internet search. As a reminder, not everyone is able to develop their own at-home weight loss plans and follow them. If you find that you are having a difficult time with staying on track, you may want to think about joining one of your local weight loss programs or even an online weight loss program.

Monday, March 8, 2010

The Easy Side Of Weight Loss

This article was written to answer many of the most frequently asked questions on this topic. I hope you find this information helpful.

There is the familiar story of your teenage years and how active you were playing sports, going out with friends and having a good time. Because of your high activity level and age your metabolism is also high so your weight has not ever been a problem. As a matter of fact, whoever even thinks about it' Over time you develop a taste for fatty junk food and you sure do love those hamburgers, fries and pop. Your metabolism helps burn off most of the excess calories from the junk food and so any extra weight goes unnoticed.

As you move into adulthood priorities change and somehow sports disappears from your life and the focus now becomes more on work and social activities such as parties and drinks. You notice that you have some extra weight but by now you've programmed your lifestyle habits into your subconscious and weight loss is still not something that is thought of. As you get to your 30's and 40's you have now noticed a considerable amount of body fat and you begin to see the health problems associated with your unhealthy lifestyle. Now you are concerned.

What you have done in your life to date is set the cause and effect of your lifestyle choices in motion, accumulating all the little unhealthy lifestyle habits along the way until the weight issue has become bigger year after year, and so have you. Hang on. There is good news.

The good news is that you can turn around the negative cause and effect in such a way as to achieve health and weight loss by making steady improvements to your lifestyle across multiple areas. This will cause your new weight loss to grow and gather speed and lead you back to health. The most important thing to realize is that while you may not see immediate results from the slight changes to your lifestyle, the combination of little improvements across lots of lifestyle areas over time will achieve the weight loss you're looking for.

Here's how to get started:

1. Get Active - To burn off some of the body fat and strengthen your heart you need to do some form of exercise. A starting point might be walking as it is a low impact, low risk activity. Start out with a short walk at first and and then walk farther and for longer each time. The important thing to remember is to choose an exercise you like to do so you will stay with it.

2. Eat Healthy - Little by little, replace high fat and high sugar foods with healthier alternatives. First start with perhaps one meal a day and progress from there. After a while you will be more accustomed to healthy food and will make better food choices. It is true the healtheir you eat, the less you want the the old eating habits back.

3. Eat Smaller Meals - It is better to have frequent smaller meals than three large meals, so try cutting down your portion sizes and have a piece of fruit between meals for snacks.
Eating healthy keeps you fuller longer.

4. Cut Sugar Drinks - Eliminate soda drinks from your diet as they wreak havoc with your blood sugar, add body fat, and interfere with your hormonal system.

5. Reduce Alcohol - Alcohol has the same effects as soda drinks on your body so try to reduce your consumption.

6. Drink a lot of Water - Water helps eliminate all the body's byproducts and is needed to flush the body of the waste associated with weight loss. It also helps give you that full feeling. There is an easy way to drink enough water each day. Just drink three twelve ounce glasses of water with each meal. I chose the one right sized glass for each meal or start with one glass of water with each meal and work up to the three glasses. There, you're done and it's easy.

7. Get Lots of Sleep - A large proportion of the people who get inadequate sleep are overweight. That's because sleep deprivation has an enormous negative effect on the body's hormonal system among other things.

8. Eat Slower - Most people eat way too fast, which leads to poor digestion and overeating. Eat slower and savor your food and you will feel fuller on less food.

There is no quick fix when it comes to weight loss, but if you make gradual improvements in several areas, the combined effect will put the brakes on obesity your weight issues will be a thing of the past.

Thank you for visiting. Go ahead and look around to find additional helpful tips and information.