Quick-Weight Loss Center.com

Weight loss is a huge problem but another problem is some people just don’t simply have the time for long step by step slow process programs and they want results now, not in several months. Well, sometimes the best results come from the simplest most modern things and this is a great example because exercising is the answer to fast weight loss and doesn’t require any expensive equipment or tutorial videos to complete, only two hands and two legs and a head.If you have all of the above listed, you can exercise and hardly have an excuse to not be in shape. One thing to remember is that if your muscles are burning and your out of breath after each and every work out then you’re on the right track because this is a sign of improvement and a sign you’ve worked and while it may not show results overnight, you will see results depending on how often you work out and how consistent you are with your exercises. Push yourself to the limits and when you think you can’t go any farther, you’re just not pushing hard enough. If you only put in 10 minutes a day then you’ll only see 10 minutes a day worth of results and in the long run you’ll wish you had worked out just a little longer and seen better results a lot quicker.Any type and amount of exercise is better than none at all and anything is a great start if you started out doing nothing but being a couch bum but if you want hard quick and fast weight loss results you have to bust your butt and kick the common laziness disease to the curb which most people seem to have when it comes to working out or staying fit period.When it comes to staying healthy or losing weight fast, this is just one of the many steps you can take.

I was thinking the other day about all the new TV shows that are lining up at the beginning of the new season, each vying for a large chunk of the viewing market and at the same time, as much of a share of the advertising big bucks as they can.
Now this is not a rant about the quality of today’s programming although there seems to be a thinning trend to the substance of said programs. No, this is not a rant about that, nor is it even about the constant bombardment of TV ads every 5 minutes..
But as we, the viewing public, mortals amongst mortals struggle with daily notions of health, money and happiness, we are also confronted with the images of the very healthy, very beautiful, and oh so very seemingly happy actors that populate our favorite programs.
Now I know women (and men) are susceptible to the odd moment of vulnerability, bombarded as we are constantly with images of health products, diet pills, and exercise programs and equipment designed to be the precise and very last missing element in our endeavor of weight loss. And when confronted with perfect people on our TV programs, it is not unreasonable to feel somewhat threatened by the images they project so I was not surprised that my seemingly innocent comment caused my wife to come face to face with her very own boogie man.
A particular book on lose the fat, burn the muscle was immediately purchased and is being read right as I type these lines.
In addition, my wife ordered a supply of weight loss pills called phentremine which has the promise of accelerated weight loss whilst at the same time being safe.
As for me, I will have to remember to keep quiet the next time, and of course, it wouldn’t do me any harm if I was to lose weight myself.

The rise in the number of fast foods joints that have a lot of saturated fat in the meals, the use of a lot of refined sugar in sodas and other processed foods and eating food with less fiber have all contributed to the fact that there are more people than before who are classified as either overweight or are obese. A lot of other factors cause this to happen such as genetics, overeating and as people age; the metabolism slows down making it harder than before to burn the food that was just consumed. The rate that a person loses weight is commensurate to how it is gained. Rapid weight is not good advisable since it leaves the person with lose skin and the only way to get rid of that would require surgery. Weight loss depends on the condition of the person which includes weight, health, calorie-intake, age, gender, lifestyle, stress level and routine. Being overweight does not necessarily make a person unhealthy. It just makes the person a bit unfashionable. Studies have shown that people who are a bit overweight live longer than those who have normal weight. There is no quick or overnight solution for quick weight loss. Nutritionists and other health experts will say that a person’s weight with proper exercise can actually help lose a certain number of pounds per week The best way to do this is with a low calorie diet and an exercise plan. The first thing a person needs to do is to choose a diet program designed by a dietitian or another health professional. The patient has to be evaluated before any program can be made. The program usually consists of an eating plan and an exercise program that does not require the use of supplements or one to purchase any expensive fitness equipment.  The best exercise plan should have cardiovascular and weight training exercises. This helps burn calories and increase the muscle to fat ratio that will increase ones metabolism and lose weight. A good diet should have food from all the food groups. This is made up by 2 things. The first is carbohydrates. The food that a person consumes should have vitamins, minerals and fiber. A lot of this can come from oats, rice, potatoes and cereals. The best still come from vegetables and fruits since these have phytochemicals, enzymes and micronutrients that are essential for a healthy diet.  The second is fat which can come from mono and poly saturated food sources rather than animal fats. Since fat contains more than double the number of calories in food, this should be taken in small quantities to lose weight. All diet plans are designed to make the person induce reduced amount of calories into the body. This does not mean that the person has to eat less. It just means that one has to eat smart by choosing the foods that have less calories. This makes it possible for someone to lose weight without the need to eat less. During the course of the program, the person should still consult with the doctor and other health experts to monitor ones progress. There will be times that it is essential to modify the diet plan to further lose weight. It is up to the person already to stick to the program to see that it works.

Once you have started losing weight, it is crucial to think of how to maintain that weight loss in the days ahead.

It may seem hard to believe, but taking the weight off is the easy part. Maintaining weight loss for good is where the real challenge lies. If you are like me, you have tried countless diets, only to gain the weight back. People lose lots of weight on diets everyday, but 95% of them gain it back because they have focused only on the weight loss. They follow the diet until they get to a particular number on the scale and then, shortly after, they go back to the old lifestyle that made them overweight in the first place. Over time, of course, the weight comes right back.

The truth is, almost everyone can lose weight but only 5% keep it off. These are the Weight Loss Registry’s figures, not mine. The WLR followed highly successful dieters and came up with seven reasons why people were able to keep the weight off.

Here are the seven reasons the dieters were successful.

1. The dieters accepted failure and kept on trying.

2. The dieters did not deny themselves–they indulged from time to time.

3. They weighed themselves often.

4. They exercised one hour a day.

5. They added little bits of activity into their daily life.

6. They followed a high carb and low fat diet.

7. They ate 5 meals a day.

When I compare my own weight loss success to the list above, I would say I learned how to maintain weight loss due to the following: I do the best I can with what I have available. Sometimes I am not always in a perfect situation with the healthiest choices, but I make do with what is there and I stick to the plan. If I make a not so healthy choice, I don’t beat myself up for it.

I eat YUMMY and whole foods. Using the finest ingredients makes the most delicious meals and has helped me stick to Living Well. If I wanted to indulge, I would make it from scratch using the healthiest ingredients possible. To me, indulging does not mean eating junk.

I use a tape measure to keep tabs on my weight and occasionally weigh myself.

I really struggle with exercising regularly and I have NEVER exercised for one hour a day consistently. I will do heavy housework and other activities around the house to get my heart rate up and I try different forms of exercise all the time because I get bored easily.

I think it is vital to get moving every day, somehow, and it doesn’t always mean you have to be in an aerobics class or on some sort of machine to get your heart rate up.

I eat organic whole foods and healthy oils. I am not sold on the idea that low fat and high carb is the way to go. High fat is not the answer either, but healthy oils are not the enemy. The rights oils will actually speed up the metabolism.

I eat only 3 meals a day and rarely snack. I do better when I don’t snack or graze on food all day. BUT, you may be different. You have to do what works best for you and your unique body.

This is the MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL: I think of the health I have now and my future health EVERYDAY. I really want to enjoy my older years and I want to be healthy. I don’t want to sit in a rocking chair, talking about all my symptoms and the things that ail me when I am in my golden years.

The Weight Loss Registry tips and my maintenance tips are not the only path for everyone, but instead are some ideas you can use to come up with your own way to keep the weight off once you have lost it.

Ultimately, I think it is crucial to focus on your health when changing over to a healthy lifestyle. So many people are in a hurry to lose weight. They spend their entire lives putting on the weight, losing the weight temporarily on diets and just wanting to get rid of it as fast as possible, not taking into consideration their state of health. I know you have heard this many times before, but if you don’t have your health, you don’t have much. Being thin will mean nothing to you if you compromise your health along the way.

Even if you are losing weight slowly, good for you! The idea here is to take off the weight and keep it off for good. Even just a couple of pounds a month adds up over the course of a year. And for those that were doing everything they could and continuing to gain weight, just stopping that weight gain is a measure of success.

With these tips, you now know how to maintain weight loss. Give yourself time to adjust to a new and healthy lifestyle and enjoy yourself along the way. A year from now your body will be thanking you for it!

Christopher Guerriero, is the founder of the National Metabolic & Longevity Research Center and a best-selling author, speaker, and coach to millions. He is creator of the award-winning ‘Maximize Your Metabolism’ system. To learn more about this step-by-step program, and to sign up for FREE how-to articles and FREE teleseminars, visit: Maximize Your Metabolism

Walking has long been the exercise of choice because it is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to lose weight and improve your health. Walking as a cardio exercise can benefit anyone – young or old. For these reasons, walking continues to be popular with fitness enthusiasts everywhere.

No gym membership or expensive equipment is required to enjoy this superior weight-loss tool. An added bonus is getting to enjoy the quiet joys of nature and breathing in fresh air while clearing your mind at the same time. Some testify that walking is the best way to squeeze healthy exercise into a busy schedule.

The beauty of walking is that you have to do it anyway as part of your daily routine. Walking for weight-loss needs to be at a brisk pace in order to provide a truly effective workout.

Many experts now recommend exercise “intervals” where a period of time is spent at a difficult pace followed by a period of time at a slower “recovery” pace. Alternating difficult and recovery intervals can provide an extremely effective fat-burning workout and alleviate boredom. As you can imagine, more calories are burned using the interval method than in simply walking at the same pace for the same amount of time.

If you’re ready to start a walking program, there are several things to consider. By far the most important consideration is whether you are healthy enough to begin the program. Always check with your physician before starting any new type of exercise routine. Your doctor should be able to tell you at what intensity and length you can safely begin your program.

One you receive the “all clear” signal from your doctor, you need to set your goals. Weight loss goals require a different approach than goals intended to gain energy and improve health. Experts now recommend 60 to 90 minutes of activity on most days to achieve weight loss. Thirty minutes will be fine for improved health in most cases.

Don’t despair if you are in the weight loss group and have no idea where to find 60 to 90 minutes a day to exercise. If you are just beginning, even a slight increase in activity will produce positive results at first. In addition, using the interval method of training for about 30 minutes for a couple of your workouts each week can provide a challenging and effective workout.

Other considerations when beginning your program include getting the proper attire. This includes a good pair of walking shoes and comfortable clothing. A new pair of shoes and walking outfit can be the perfect motivator for jump-starting your new routine!

The next thing you have to consider when starting a walking regimen is your schedule. Regardless of recommendations for the perfect time to exercise, the best time to walk is the time when you will actually do it!

Some walkers prefer to begin their day with a walk to jump-start their energy and ensure their exercise is complete for the day. There is no better feeling than knowing you have met your exercise goals for the day and can do as you please with the rest of it.

Others prefer to end their day with a walk, perhaps after dinner. This is a great way to avoid the “couch potato” syndrome and enjoy nature as part of your evening activities. Evening walks could also prove to be a great way to spend more time with your family. Just be sure to keep the pace up for a good workout – walking with others should not slow you down.

You will also have to consider the environment and weather as well as the safety of the areas in which you will be walking. Look for sidewalks and trails in safe neighborhoods. A great alternative to walking outside during inclement weather is walking on a treadmill if you have one. The added benefit of walking on a treadmill is that you can watch your favorite television program without missing your workout. Also, many walkers head to the mall to get out of the rain or hot weather.

Wherever and whenever you choose to walk, use it as a time to reward and renew yourself. You will reduce stress levels, burn calories and improve your overall health. Enjoy!

Millions of people spend billions of dollars, hoping to achieve the same thing, effective weight management. For years, many people have struggled to maintain a healthy weight and body. With a majority of Americans being overweight or even obese, the problem has grown into a crisis. Nearly 300,000 people die each year from weight-related disease.

Every week seems to bring out the next fad diet designed to help you shed the pounds. The problem is that most of these programs are not effective. Some work for a few days, but the weight comes back. Others are downright unhealthy. From products to exercise equipment, people are looking for the answer to their weight-management problem.

I believe the key to effective weight-management is a lifestyle of health. The pH Factor Weight-Management System combines a sensible eating plan, exercise, water consumption, and superior nutrition to help you create a lifestyle of health.

The missing key to this challenge for many is the pH factor. Since blood pH is so critical to life, the body protects the blood at all costs. The typical diet consists of foods that when digested create acid that is put into the blood. The body has to neutralize this acid or risk major problems. Fat is one of the primary buffers used by the body to help deal with acid. When the body cannot neutralize acid, it stores it in fat cells.

When attempting to lose fat, we typically cut calories. But, if our system remains acidic, then instead of burning fat, which would release more acid into the system, the body burns muscle instead. The pH Factor Weight-Management System helps you to identify those foods that are creating excess acid in the system and also provides products that are alkaline. This combination can help you to raise your body pH, thereby creating an environment for health.

Tired of fighting to lose weight only to gain it back, again and again. It is a horrible cycle. Not only is it depressing, it is unhealthy. The missing key to long-term weight management is the pH Factor.

Welcome to the pH Factor Rapid Weight-Loss System. Success with this system requires strict adherence to the system. Failure to follow the system reduces the effectiveness of the system and lessens your chances of accomplishing the desired result.

A lifestyle of health is paramount to weight-management and health. This includes: sensible eating, moderate and consistent exercise, sufficient water consumption, and a good nutritional program. The pH Factor Rapid Weight Loss System combines these into a simple plan. For the next 14 days, we are going to transform your body into a more effective, fat-burning machine.

The pH Factor

“pH” or “potential for hydrogen” is the measure used to determine whether something is an acid or alkaline. It is measured on a scale from 0 to 14, with 6.8 to 7.0 being considered neutral. Anything below 6.8 is considered acid, and anything above 7.4 is considered alkaline. The pH of the blood is just over 7.3. If blood pH is altered, major problems, including death, are imminent. Therefore, the body has multiple buffers in place to make sure the blood pH remains constant.

The primary buffers the body uses are: sodium, calcium, and body fat. When acid is present in the blood, the body looks to neutralize it with an alkaline substance. The primary neutralizing agent is sodium, then calcium. The body actually takes calcium from the bones in order to neutralize blood acid. If it cannot be easily neutralized, then the body stores the acid in the fat cells. That creates a major weight-management problem.

Let’s look at how this all works. Like any machine, our body needs fuel in order operate. Unfortunately, the fuel or food that most people use is not what the body needs or desires. In order to operate at peak efficiency, the body needs the proper food. The typical diet is high in food with little to no food value.

The problem goes much deeper than just lower efficiency. Like any machine, the fuel that we burn creates exhaust or by-products, sometimes called ash. In the body, our food is burned as fuel on the cellular level. The blood is the vehicle used to carry the food to the cell, and is also used to carry the waste or exhaust away from the cell to be eliminated.

When raw fruits and vegetables are consumed, the body breaks it down and sends it to the cells for fuel. The cell burns the fuel and the exhaust is an alkaline ash. When food from the typical diet is burned as fuel, the exhaust created is an acid ash. That acid is then carried in the blood.

Since blood pH is so critical to life, the body protects the blood at all costs. The body has to neutralize this acid or risk major problems.

Our goal then is to reduce the amount of food that creates an acidic ash and increase the foods that create an alkaline ash.

Effects of Acid

Acid in the body acts very much like acid outside the body. It creates waste. It ages the skin, degenerates tissues, and causes major problems. Additionally, most health concerns are created by an over abundance of acid in the system. Reducing acid in the system is critical to long-term health.

Many people love to drink a can of soda. If you look on the label, you will discover that a can of soda primarily contains acid. The pH of a soda is around 2.3. That is highly toxic. The body has to scramble to neutralize that acid in the system. It uses sodium, calcium from the bones or teeth, or anything else it has to in order to neutralize the acid.

Part of this system includes a slight change in some of the foods that we normally would eat. We understand that most people will not eliminate all the bad food from their diet, so instead of eliminating it, we are going to suggest a strategy of reduction.

Water

Most people are dehydrated. Drinking sufficient amounts of good water is critical to your success. In order to determine your water needs, convert your body weight to ounces and divide it by two (2), and that is how many ounces of water you should consume each day. Pure water is the only thing that counts toward your daily intake. Even water mixed with Pro Factor Shakes does not count toward your daily needs. For best results, you should drink only distilled water charged with the Crystal Catalyst Concentrate. Mix one-half (½) ounce of Crystal Catalyst Concentrate to one (1) gallon of distilled water.

Exercise

Building lean muscle, burning additional calories, and improving overall health are just some of the benefits of consistent exercise. For the next 14 days, commit to doing some sort of physical activity for at least 20 minutes a day for ten (10) of the 14 days of this program. That may include: walking, jogging, riding a bike, playing with your kids or grandkids, or other activities like, chasing your spouse around the house, that will raise your heart rate. Make it something you enjoy. Just commit to it for the next two weeks.

Extremes

In life, balance is to be desired. When anything is done to excess, we are in danger of getting out of balance. Usually it is not one piece of cake, or one soda that does us in. It is when sodas, cakes, and other acid-producing foods are consumed in excess that we create problems. You can even get out of balance on the other side. The life span of most professional athletes and vegetarians, is actually less than some couch potatoes. But, we need to identify the things we are doing in excess in our food consumption, and make some extreme choices on how to bring those into balance.

For instance, one customer was drinking 6 to 8 diet sodas per day. For him, it was an extreme choice to eliminate diet sodas from his daily life, but that was one of the extreme choices he has made. For others it may be 6 to 8 cups of coffee, or two desserts per day, or the mid-afternoon candy bars. We do not suggest that you necessarily quit these types of things cold turkey. Rather, start to exercise some discipline and control over yourself in these things. Instead of eight sodas a day, drink only two. Instead of four cups of coffee, drink only one or two. Instead of four packs of sugar in your tea, maybe only one or two. Instead of a late night snack, drink two glasses of water charged with the Crystal Catalyst Concentrate. Instead of always taking the elevator, take the stairs once a day. Maybe reduce your portion sizes when you eat. When you go to a buffet, maybe just go through once. Remove from your thinking the idea that when you go to a buffet, you have to get your moneys worth, by eating as much as you can. The purpose of eating is to give you enough fuel to get to the next meal and nothing more. For best results, we strongly suggest that you make some extreme choices.

If you’re trying to lose weight, you have to strike up a weight loss plan that involves both exercise and a balanced diet. With the right combination of a good fat-burning workout schedule and the commitment to eating healthy, in no time at all, you’ll probably achieve your intended weight loss goal. It not only gets you the size that you want but also ensures a longer and healthier life for you.
What is “cardio”?
Cardio or cardiovascular exercises are a combination of different types of exercises designed to elevate the heart rate to the fastest level it can beat. Also referred to as aerobic exercises, cardio exercises burns calories, strengthens the heart, body and lungs and combined with strength training increases muscle mass and tone.
Cardio and Weight Loss
Now you ask, what do cardio exercises have to do with weight loss? Imagine if you’re not doing any exercises and you’re relying on a simple diet to trim yourself down. Yes, you’re not putting in any more unwanted calories but you’re also not burning any of the excess. Cardio exercises will fix that. Aside from giving you the body that you want, you also benefit from better and stronger heart and lungs.
A regular aerobic exercise lasts for 30-40 minutes a day and as much 3-5 times a week, depending on your needs and stamina. Activities include swimming, walking and biking so you can just imagine the bulk of your workout. Yes, these exercises need your total commitment to work so it’s important that you choose an exercise you like doing.
Naturally, you’ll start with a low-impact workout so as not to jar your untrained muscles. Also, you won’t be able to last long with your exercises if you plunge yourself into a high-intensity, fast-paced workout immediately. You might end up in the hospital for your efforts. It’s best to start out with a leisurely workout, doing it for a longer period of time to burn the most of your calories. Once you get used to the schedule and the basic regimen, you may increase the pace.
When you do your aerobic exercises, your heart and lungs get a good workout. They in turn need more energy to sustain the demands your exercise is extracting from them. Where do you think they’ll get the energy to offset this additional strain? They’ll use the fat stored in your body and convert that into energy. Because that’s what calories are – they are a measure of the body’s energy consumed. The more calories you burn, the lesser your weight becomes.
Cardio and Aerobic Cross-Training
Since cardio exercises are ideally done on a repetitive basis, it is advisable that you stick to a routine that you’re comfortable with and with exercises that you’re sure you enjoy. That’s why, some people combine different types of exercises in their workout schedule. This is called aerobic cross-training. You go from one type of exercise to another with almost no breaks in between. For instance, if you’re a beginner, you may try 10 minutes of walking plus 10 minutes of working out to an exercise video. You just add more time to each exercise or add a new and different exercise when you need to increase your pace and endurance.
This method of aerobic cross training is very useful in combating the boredom often associated with exercising. You are more motivated to work out and you are more inclined to exercise longer if you’re looking forward to the other exercises in your routine. It also helps if you try out the different equipment in the gym. A new experience will certainly boost your interest.
Another advantage to aerobic cross-training is that you’re also less likely to injure the parts of your body which are regularly bombarded with the stress of exercising. Going from one exercise to another, for example, biking which is suited for your legs and then moving to rowing which is suited to your arms, distributes the muscle building and toning to other parts of the body.
When you combine your cardio exercises and do cross-training, you are in general, building more of your muscles. When your muscles get developed, they need more calories to function well. This means, they burn more fat in the process, even while you’re at rest.
Lastly, in order to enjoy a good workout session, you have to do it when you feel you have more energy to accomplish what you need done. Other people prefer to exercise in the morning while others have more energy at night. Try out different times and see what works best for you.
The key to a good cardio workout is that you tailor the workout to suit your lifestyle and goals. Be sure that you enjoy what you’re doing. Believe it or not, you may not even notice that you’re losing weight that fast.

All of the world’s most effective diet regimens are worthless, or will only succeed in short term, if you don’t have the best weight loss exercises to maintain and improve the results you got from them. The most efficient way to losing weight permanently is to go on a weight loss diet, and complement it with some regular physical activity, to make sure that all the fat and cholesterol you have lost will not come back again.

For people who are not accustomed to extensive physical activities, the best weight loss exercises are those that don’t stray far from their previous daily routines. Low impact exercises such as brisk walking and jogging will serve for a while. As soon as their body starts to become limber, they can start to improve by following these tips:

-Visit your local gym. Most communities have free gym facilities or offer some sort of discount. If you’re not strapped for cash, you may even hire a personal trainer, which could greatly help especially if you are not familiar to regular exercises. Note that you shouldn’t jump with both feet in. Start with easy resistance training and progress to higher levels in time.

-Be more active in everything. Forget about your sedentary lifestyle in the past. Continue brisk walking in the morning, or take the stairs instead of the elevator if you’re not running late. Do some swimming or cycling. If you have a pet dog, you can hit two birds in one stone by regularly taking him for a walk twice in a single day.

-Do some stretching every once in a while. This will also help in situations where you can’t visit the gym due to a busy schedule. This helps keep your body limber and prevent those fats from creeping up again. Some stretching exercises such as yoga and tai chi can also help you relax and improve mental health.

-Use home exercise equipment if you have it, or if you can afford them. This has the added benefit of letting you do some other leisure activities while maintaining your body’s health. For example, you can still watch TV or read a book while on a treadmill.

-Drink lots of water. I can’t stress this enough. While exercising, your body fat will get burned and will usually be expelled through your sweat. If you run out of body liquids you can’t perspire, so you need to regularly replenish your body liquids by drinking copious amounts of water. You also need to remember that failing to replenish your body’s water while exercising can be fatal, since it would lead to heat stroke or dehydration.

-Last but not the least; be consistent in your routines and schedules as well as your diet. A weight loss program’s effectiveness will lessen greatly if not done religiously, as your body may adopt itself to the irregular activity and could hinder your progress. Create a specific schedule and program for yourself, and follow it to the letter.

We have all seen those infomercials that advertise different kinds of special weight loss foods, exercise equipment, and tell-all books that will change your life. There are the inevitable before and after pictures advertising how much weight people lost and their testimonials talking about how nothing else worked until they tried this program. The main problem with these weight loss fads is that they come and go very quickly. All the magazines might promote the “eat edamame and carrots all day” diet for one issue and the next month they have dropped that diet and insist that you try the “spend fifteen minutes in a sauna room every day” routine. Once you start one, the “experts” have already moved onto the next in-style diet. It can be extremely frustrating if all you want to do is get in shape!

Here are a few fads that you might see advertised that do not work! Avoid them if you can!

1) The sauna belt. You are supposed to wear this belt around your stomach area for a set period of time. The heat applied to your stomach will cause you to sweat out the excess weight and create the effect of a tummy tuck. Unfortunately, this “weight loss” is short lived. You are only losing water weight. It might stay off for a day but this product will never create permanent weight loss. Many people use saunas to supplement their exercise routines but never as a substitute for exercise.

2) The “only eat this” types of diets. We all learn about the food pyramid triangle while we are in elementary school. It is important to make sure you focus your nutrition on a healthy balance of carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables, and protein. As much as we want to fill up on sweets, we really need to resist those impulses! Remember: everything in moderation and make sure you have a well-rounded diet so that you can receive all the nutrients you need.

3) The “use this machine and you will look great in one week” exercise routine. Just like your diet, you need to make sure that your exercise routine involves variety. Combine aerobic exercise with weight lifting in order to achieve long-lasting weight loss!

With roughly the same amount of food being available to all of us in our society, why do some people end up with weight problems while others don’t? And moreover, why are some of us able to lose weight and change our lifestyle relatively easily, while others hold onto their excess weight? There are about three different answers to those questions. The first is physical – some of us have a faster metabolism than others. We just burn calories faster, so any weight that we do gain is quickly lost. The second answer is behavioral – this refers to the habits we have picked up over the years. If we have bad eating habits, they can be changed, but until they are, we are likely stuck with any weight that we do gain.

The third variable is psychological, and it may even be the most powerful determinant for who will be able to lose weight and who won’t. Many of us have a psychological basis for our weight gain or weight loss. Until the psychological issues are dealt with, weight loss may well prove impossible. Once the person deals with these issues, however, weight loss may occur quickly and easily, even if you aren’t trying to lose weight.

In a sense, it is natural that food and weight might be linked to psychological issues, because food is also linked to childhood and our relationship with our mothers. This is the earliest and most potent psychological reality. Think about what your mother taught you about food. Did she show love by giving you food? Or did she withhold food, out of a concern about weight gain (many mothers in the 1950s and 60s did this, as thinness was considered important). Chances are, the way in which your mother dealt with food has a bearing on how you deal with it and what you feel about it. If your mother used food to show love, you might have a problem dieting or restricting food, because restricting how much you eat makes you feel unloved. On the other hand, if your mother controlled your food intake and you felt the need to rebel against her rules, you might still be rebelling by eating too much – even as an adult!

It can be more complicated than that, though. How do you feel when you think about losing weight? Some of us love the idea before it starts to happen, but when it does, we get scared and start to sabotage are own weight loss plans. The fact is that you may have a vested interest in holding on to your excess weight. It may be doing something for you, in a sense – for example, it may be hiding the ‘real you’ from the world, and protecting you. For women in particular, carrying excess weight means that they will be less attractive to men, and this can be a way of avoiding relationships. People who have experienced abuse in the past may use this as a way of hiding. On the other hand, people might also want to hold on to weight (on a subconscious level, of course) because the world seems like a dangerous place, and they are afraid of getting swept away. Having excess weight on your body makes you bigger, literally; you may feel better equipped ot deal with the dangers of the world if you are heavier.

Most of these fears and desires take place on a subconscious level only. What you are consciously experiencing is a lot different – you might think that your are really trying to lose weight, but not succeeding. You might even conclude that you ‘can’t’ lose weight, for whatever reason. In many cases, just recognizing that you have a psychological basis of your weight gain may be enough for you to let go of it. You can make the shift, and the weight will suddenly start to come off easily, even spontaneously.

On the other hand, you may not be able to get past these issues on your own, especially if they have to do with the past – with a history of abuse, for example. You may need to seek counseling in that case, and though this can be challenging work, the end result is always worth it – not just weight loss, but regaining a positive sense of self.