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Posts Tagged ‘Diets’

Quick Weight Loss: Does Such a Thing Exist?

December 26th, 2009 Comments off

Whenever you open the Newspapers, magazines or hit the cyber world, you are bombarded with a plethora of quick weight loss programs, plans and wonder cures. If you are really obese and desperate to lose weight so that you may attain a shapely figure and stop people’s snide remarks regarding your ballooning waistline, you might have felt tempted to try out these quick weight loss plans.
But let me warn you, these are all gimmicks that thrive on publicity stunts and dupe unsuspecting customers in parting with their money and sometimes with their health. Most of these so called quick or rapid or fast weight loss schemes are ineffective in the long run, are a waste of money and often cause strong side effects that pose grave health risks.
Often the side effects turn fatal and culminate in strokes and cardiac arrests resulting from increased blood pressure and heart ailments. Many of the quick weight loss magic pills, supplements and herbs that promise to reduce your weight for you, without involving any kind of physical exertion or exercise, contain chemicals and drugs that are disapproved by FDA.
Consequently many of these quick weight loss wonder remedies have been banned by FDA, but they are still being sold under the counter by some unscrupulous chemists. The herbal quick weight loss pills and supplements, which claim to be safer than their chemical counterparts are even more harmful, hazardous and potentially life threatening.
No wonder, doctors always discourage and advise against the consumption of these magic cures for quick weight loss.
You have to understand that there is no short cut to success. No pill or anything, whatever their advertisements may claim, can diminish your weight for you, without your having to move even one finger. Healthy weight loss is a gradual and painstaking process that requires oodles of determination, motivation, self discipline, adherence to proper diet and a regular moderate to intensive exercise schedule as well as significant life style changes.
Your doctor, nutritionist, fitness expert, medical journals will all tell you that losing 1 to 2 pounds per week is deemed as normal and healthy weight loss. Anything more than that is risky. So stay away from slimming centers which scream WE GUARANTEE 7 KG WEIGHT LOSS IN 7 DAYS in their advertisements.
Fad diets like ATKINS, RAW FOOD, THE ZONE, SOUTH BEACH, SUBWAY, MIAMI, DETOX, GENERAL MOTORS diet, 3DAY DIETS, 7 DAY DIETS etc which are endorsed by Hollywood celebrities as well as crash dieting are extremely helpful in shedding flab dramatically, but they are really unhealthy, result in malnutrition and are slammed by doctors and sane human beings.
In severe cases quick weight loss can also be achieved through minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery, liposuction, tummy tuck and bariatric surgeries.

Weight Loss Strategies – Get Ready (part 2 of 2)

December 23rd, 2009 Comments off

During my college and medical school days, I spent a large percentage of the little money I had on weight loss. I bought healthy smoothies, shakes, protein bars, supplements, fat burners, books and other crap I did not use. I even bought organic foods. I did not have to buy expensive exercise equipment because my school came with a great gym…which I never used. During that eight year period, I gained over 80 pounds. Why? I was not ready to lose weight.Before you start trying to lose weight, you must make sure you are ready to lose weight. If you are not ready to lose weight all of your efforts will be in vain. To assess your readiness you should be able to answer yes to the six questions in the first article and the six questions in this article.7. Are you ready to stop blaming others, your situation and yourself?There are a million reasons for why you are overweight. You could spend the rest of your life blaming everyone and everything for you being overweight, but your time would be better spent trying to create and execute weight loss strategies.8. Are you ready to take control of your life?The only person keeping you from losing weight is you. Until you accept full control of you and your life, you will never achieve your goals. You have to grab the steering wheel of your life and drive the car where you want to go.9. Are you ready to stop making excuses?The road to failure is paved with great excuses. There is a solution to every excuse you have.10. Have you addressed all the distractions in your life that could impede your progress?It is hard to make lifestyle changes when you have large distractions in your life. If you are going through a messy custody battle, wait until it is over to change your diet. First remove the distraction or wait for it to pass, and then start your weight loss program.11. Do you believe that the rewards that come from weight loss outweigh the time and energy you will have to invest?If losing weight is not really important to you, then you probably will not lose it. You must have a good reason to get you through the difficult times.12. Do you believe you can and will lose weight?In order to lose weight, you must believe that you can lose weight. If you do not believe you will do it, then you will not be able to.If you have answered “Yes!” to all twelve of those questions, then you are ready to lose weight. So get up and go do it.

Weight Loss Strategies – Get Ready (part 1 of 2)

November 23rd, 2009 Comments off

Everyday, thousands of people decide that they are tired of being overweight. They are tired of being unhealthy. They decide that “today” is the day they are going to start losing weight.They then start to throw money at weight loss. Some go out and join fancy gyms. Some start expensive weight loss programs and others buy expensive home gym equipment. These seem like great first steps but they are not.Before you start trying to lose weight, you must make sure you are ready to lose weight. If you are not ready to lose weight all of your efforts will be in vain. To assess your readiness you should be able to answer yes to all these 12 questions.1. Are you ready to work hard at changing your thinking?Albert Einstein said “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”You have probably tried to lose weight before. You probably did not achieve the results you wanted. You failed because of the way you thought about weight loss. If you want to succeed in the future, you must change the way you think about losing weight.2. Are you ready to stop your bad habits?You are overweight because of your bad habits. Most of these habits took many years to develop. If you want to lose weight and keep it of, you will have to eliminate these bad habits. With hard work and patience, all habits can be learned and unlearned.3. Are you ready for a long but rewarding journey?There are no quick fixes to losing weight permanently. Any quick fixes you have seen will only result in temporary weight loss. The road to permanent weight loss can be very long, but your life will be so much better when you reach your goal weight.4. Are you ready to change your lifestyle permanently?Temporary lifestyle changes create temporary weight loss. Permanent lifestyle changes create permanent weight loss. The same strategies you used to lose weight are the same strategies you will have to use to maintain your weight loss. You must be in it for the long haul.5. Are you ready to pick yourself up after you stumble?On your long weight loss journey you will stumble. You are human. Occasionally, you will have lapses. Expect them and get pass them.6. Are you ready to give up perfection?Weight loss success is the result of persistence and perseverance, not perfection. You do not have to eat perfectly or work-out perfectly to lose weight. Slow and steady wins the race.If you have answered “Yes!” to the first six questions proceed to the next article where I outline the final six questions

Start a Successful Online Weight Loss Plan

November 17th, 2009 Comments off

If you are overweight or suffering from obesity, then you have to complete a tedious weight loss process to achieve your desired goals. Weight loss is not a blind man’s journey. For this you have to be equipped with the right weight loss knowledge, strategies and techniques to achieve your weight loss goals. For a successful weight loss program you should have a plan to manage your program and get maximum benefits. You can get weight loss plans online easily.

These online weight loss plans contain strict dieting programs which have to be followed to get successful in your weight loss program. These online weight loss plans contain exercise programs, diet menus which must be followed and diet products which can be used.

There are many weight loss programs available online and can be implemented without a professional. If the plan does not work and you get tired of it, you may drop that plan and go back to your old eating habit and your old lifestyle.

The main problem with some people in their weight loss plan is that they don’t promote motivation and discipline. If you are starting an online weight loss plan, the best way is to find a partner or support group to motivate you and keep you on your plan to ensure that you are following your plan strictly.

Healthy dieting, regular exercise and good weight loss supplement will help you to achieve your desired weight loss goals. The important question is that which weight loss supplements to use? According to my experience, I personally recommend a popular weight loss supplement Acomplia. Acomplia stops food craving enough which helps people to lose their weight. Acomplia is an anorectic anti obesity supplement and reduces extra fat and get your body into shape.

For more information about Acomplia please visit: http://www.4rx.com/online-pharmacy/categories/weight-loss/generic-acomplia.html?kbid=7812

Here you will also find an online health specialist who will help you to decide the best weight loss program for you. This health specialist will guide you for your dieting and routine of your regular exercise. If a health specialist chat box does not comes from the left side of the browser, then please refresh the browser and you will get a chat box from the left.

Weight Loss Programs Explained – Truth About Weight Loss Programs

November 11th, 2009 Comments off

Many weight loss programs exist either on the web or in bookshelves. With change of our lifestyles, we have embraced junk food which is easier to make or buy on the counter in place of the natural and unprocessed foods rich in all nutrients the body needs for normal functioning. Most junk foods are rich in fats and carbohydrates that often lead to sudden weight increase due to absence of exercises and physical activities to burn the excesses.Most of these weight loss programs are very expensive and the available free excerpts in the web act as teasers and don’t give you comprehensive information that may help you unless you purchase the e-book or a copy of the hard covered books. Though still the cheapest, results are not guaranteed and most users are left frustrated after the programs fail.Weight loss is one of the most expensive, highly uncontrolled and equally heartbreaking remedy for being overweight being sought by lots of people around the world. Enrolling in reputable weight loss center and camps, using meal replacement shakes and diets, hiring weight loss gurus and weight loss surgeries are other options available with costs too high for common people to afford. Some of these personalized programs have positive results but only for a short while to most.Maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle is a sure way of enjoying the new you. After successful weight loss programs, most people still slip back to the old lifestyles and gain their weight back. A high level of personal discipline is of outmost importance if at all you want to keep that new figure and increased confidence as your achievement.Have a successful weight loss program but stick to the basics……..Disciplining your body is the key!.

Daily Physical Activities Can Add Up To Weight Loss

November 10th, 2009 Comments off

Daily physical activities can results to weight loss. This is according to a study published in the Journal of The Royal Society for Promotion of Health. The study whose purpose was to compare effects of different patterns of exercises on body weight involved Singaporean women in an eight week exercise program.

The study showed significant reduction of weight using a walking treadmill and cycle ergometry. The exercises further reduced body fat percentage as well as waist circumference. Waist circumference is known to be a strong and independent indicator of heart disease as well as insulin resistance. A high insulin resistance precedes the development of diabetes.

These results were similar and did not matter whether the subjects were involved in the exercise for a few extended periods (long bouts) or for many short periods (short bouts). Long-bouts involved exercise of 60 minutes done twice a week while the short-bouts involved exercising on the equipments 15 minutes five times a week.

The short bout exercise replicated/imitated physical activities that could be included into the daily lifestyle of an individual. Such activities included walking to the mall or taking the stair instead of the elevators. The long-bout exercise imitated the structured exercise regimes that would be found in a gym environment or aerobic classes.

These results then indicate that inclusion of lifestyle physical activities for the overweight is just as effective as structured exercises. Other studies that agree with this one indicate that the benefits are especially significant for previously sedentary individuals. It does not matter how you do your exercises what matters is total amounts of calories burnt.

The effectiveness of these lifestyle physical activities that result to weight loss is in being aerobic.

Aerobic exercises are known to use mainly body fat rather then body glucose or glycogen to provide energy. Body fat is used for energy in the presence of oxygen (hence the term aerobic that means ”in oxygen”) and aerobics activities involve constant breathing during execution. This provides the necessary oxygen optimal for fat burning.

The study however does not discount the use and at times necessity of structured exercise. Infact some people do find the environment of the gym the equipments and psyche motivating which help in marinating a physically active lifestyle.

Indeed a different study showed that to maintain weight after weight loss requires more physical activities than that recommended for good health. This means that to lose weight and maintain, you will need to do more than the 30mnutes of moderate exercising recommended for good health. Exercises for losing and maintaining weight would be at least 45 minutes of moderate to intense for at least four days a week.

A physical active lifestyle is necessary both for losing weight and maintaining that weight loss. On the other hand sedentary lifestyle is one of the contributing factors to the pandemic obesity. The inclusion of lifestyle activities is effective in improving the situation.

How Do you Find your Weight Loss Program in your Neighborhood?

November 4th, 2009 No comments

If you want to shed some weight then you might find it very helpful to enroll at your local weight loss center where you will not only find information about losing weight, but will also have the benefit of the help of other members and of following a program with set targets for you to achieve. But just how do you go about locating a good local weight loss program center?

Before we answer this particular question it is important to know just what you want as weight loss centers are not all the same.

Some weight loss centers have regular meetings generally every week where members ‘weigh in’ to check on their progress and talk about their diet plan for the period up to the next meeting. These meetings typically take about an hour and, though they provide you with encouragement and advice, you are largely left to your own devices outside of the meetings.

Other weight loss centers are open throughout the week (frequently with extended opening hours) and not only offer advice and information, but also provide you with access to an extensive range of exercise equipment and will even run various exercise classes.

Probably the best place to start looking for a suitable local weight loss center is your local telephone directory. Start by looking for ‘weight loss’ or ‘fitness and health’ in the business or yellow pages section of your directory.

An alternative to using your own local telephone directory is to use the online business directories and online telephone books. Just as your standard telephone directory, these online services will provide you with the name, address and telephone number of local weight loss centers, but have the benefit of also providing you with the website address of centers which have an online presence. This will then allow you to find out much more about a particular center from the comfort of your own home and without having to telephone them or travel to check them out.

As well as using online business directories and telephone books you can also perform a simple online search on your preferred search engine. A simple search for phrases like ‘weight loss programs’ or ‘weight loss centers’ will bring up a listing of not only local centers but also national chains which can be helpful for discovering such things as the size and scope of the business. Usually, you can then locate a local center through their main website. You can also improve your search by adding your location and, for example, performing a search for ‘weight loss centers in Merced’ or ‘weight loss programs in Merced’.

A further very good way to locate a suitable local center is by simply asking around. You can start with family members, work colleagues, neighbors, friends or your own doctor. This will normally not only provide you with details of local weight loss centers, but will also provide you with details of other people’s personal experience in using such centers. Of all the search methods this is perhaps the best because there is nothing better than a personal recommendation when it comes to finding a good weight loss program.

5 Top Tips on Weight Loss

November 4th, 2009 No comments

If your goal is to lose weight for the long term,then prepare yourself for a long term commitment to weight loss to make it happen.
When people tell you that you must eat healthier or start exercising it doesn’t mean a great deal. Actually doing it is a big deal, and it is going to take commitment, hard work, and time.
If you can accept this and come to terms with it, the better chance you will have of actually losing weight for the long term.
Contrary to popular belief you don’t have to spend lots of time or pay through the nose to lose weight successfully. This doesn’t have to be the case. The one thing you will definitely need is to make a strong and committed decision that this time you are actually going to do it without any excuses.
Follow the next 5 steps to weight loss and you will reach your weight loss goals in a sensible and healthy way.
Step One
Be realistic about how much you can lose. Close your mind to products that promise you large amounts of weight loss in a short space of time. This is far too high a figure for it to be healthy. Even if you did manage to lose this much in a month it would leave you feeling tired and rundown.
Most of the weight loss you may have achieved will be back with a vengeance,is it any wonder you want to give up. Set a target of losing no more than 3 pound of weight a week. This is a more workable approach as you will not be going far above your capabilities.
Step Two
Pick a way to do it. Ignore the fad diets, the pills and any other so called weight loss aids. By using a sensible approach you are giving yourself a much higher chance of success.
Try to drop as much unhealthy food from you current diet as possible, and replace it with healthy food. Make sure you always eat breakfast along with 3 or 4 other small meals a day. This keeps your metabolism rolling.
Step Three
Keep a weight loss journal. This would reap great benefits as you could keep a check on your progression from day one. You can even use the journal to work out why one week may have been better than another by looking at what you may have done differently.
Write down what you eat and when you eat. Also write down monthly measurements and weight. This will show you your progression over time and act as a motivator.
Step Four
Exercise will account for 50% of your results. Ignoring exercise is going to drastically keep your results much slower.
Exercising will get you there faster. There is no need to spend money on purchasing exercise equipment or joining a gym. You can exercise for free at home. There are countless exercises that can be done without investing in exercise equipment.
Most boxers swear by just using their bodies to exercise,if it’s good enough for these guys ,I’m sure you will get some benefit. If you don’t know which exercises to do then just look on the internet and there will be hundreds, if not thousands of resources available. Exercise apart from increasing weight loss will also give you countless other health benefits.
Step Five
Always focus on why you doing it and why you started. Keep in mind the goals and don’t focus on how difficult it is. The thing with a thought is that the more you focus on it the bigger and bigger it gets.
If for example you wake up in the morning and are not looking forward to exercising, then that thought will play on your mind all day. When the time has arrived for you to exercise, that thought will be massive and you probably would have talked yourself out of exercising.
Don’t focus on stuff that you are not looking forward to,just do it when you know it is time. Think about how great you are going to look, think about what others will say about you, think about how happier you are going to be, and all these thoughts if you focus on them will also get bigger just like the bad ones.
Well there you have it. Don’t start right away, have a good think about things then make preparations towards your weight loss goals. Don’t forget that you can only lose weight by actually doing something about it, so follow these 5 steps to weight loss.