This article gives free tips and advice about how to lose weight. Dieting does not need to be a choir, however many of the weight loss programs that are available make it this way. During the article, I describe an easy to follow diet or weight loss program which has helped me to reach a weight that I am now happy and feel comfortable with.

My background

My name is Steve Hill and I struggled to keep my weight under control for the first twenty-two years of my life. I was often teased at school and found it very hard to meet girls as I believed that there would be no way, that they would want to date somebody as fat as myself.

I was a very negative person and I frequently felt stressed and depressed. I often felt sorry for myself and would feel envious of other people who seemed fit, healthy and happy. During these periods of depression, I would often comfort eat to make myself feel better. I love food and this would temporarily help. The problem I found was that if I ate food for ten minutes, I would feel a sense of guilt for around two hours.

Like many people who are over-weight, I was not happy this way and often looked into different types of weight loss plan or diets. Maybe it is just me, but they seem so unrealistic and for somebody like myself impossible to follow. I needed a simple, easy to follow weight loss program.

The solution to my weight problem

The first thing I had to do was to be honest with myself. I asked myself a series of questions:

Why are you over-weight?

I do not eat the right types of food and I rarely exercise.

How determined are you to lose weight?

Very determined.

Are you willing for this to be a long term project, or are you looking for a quick fix?

The quicker the better, however I realise that crash diets do not work and end up causing more harm than good.

Do you feel you have enough self-discipline to succeed?

I am not sure but I will have to have, to reach my target weight.

The weight loss plan

These are the things I must do:

Eat three healthy meals a day.

Exercise more. This will be achieved by leaving the car at home more often and by walking to certain places, such as my children’s school. I will also take the children to play sports like football and tennis, as often as I can.

Fight the demons in my head who constantly tempt me into eating.

These are the things I must not do:

Snack in between meals.

Eat too many take-aways, I will basically allow myself one a week.

Lie to other people or even myself about what I have eaten.

This sounds so simple and is very easy to follow. I have to admit that it is not that easy to carry off, especially not being able to snack between meals. With determination you can succeed and the sense of happiness and pride you will feel when you reach a weight you are happy with, will make it all worthwhile.

About The Author

Steve Hill helps to promote a number of websites including:

http://blog.stop-smoking-tobacco.com/blog

http://www.stammering-stuttering.co.uk

http://blog.radiantyouth.com/blog

info@stammering-stuttering.co.uk

This article was posted on April 07, 2006

Almost everybody, at some point in their of life, has experienced weight-related problems. Most of us, women and men alike, are not content with what we see. We feel that unless we are wafer thin like the models and celebrities we see on television and magazines, we will never be attractive and beautiful.

On the other hand, there are an increasing number of obese individuals across the world. Becoming overweight has become a trend in both the West and East hemispheres. The increasing popularity of processed and fast foods have exacerbated the obesity situation.

There are many diseases related to being overweight, such as hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea, coronary heart disease, to name a few. Thus, you need to find ways to incorporate weight loss activities and good eating habits to our daily routine.

Before you start any type of diet, however, you need to go to a physician first. The doctor will tell you if your weight loss plan is appropriate for your health condition. Furthermore, the physician will also assist you in determining if you really need to lose weight and how much weight you need to shed. Many people develop eating disorders because they do not visit a doctor before drastically changing their eating habits and starting a diet plan.

If you want to lose weight fast, healthy and permanently, you need to follow the tips below.

Maintain a balanced diet

The reason why many people are overweight is partly due to an unbalanced diet. If you eat too much from one food group, you won’t be able to get the vitamins and nutrients that your body need.

A balanced diet is composed of protein, dairy food, a little bit of fat from healthy oil, fruit and vegetables, and good carbohydrates — at least 5 portions every day. Many professionals suggest a diet that is composed of mostly carbohydrate, moderate protein intake, and a little bit of fat.

However, there are many diets espousing a huge amount of protein intake and a dramatic decrease in carbohydrates. Before you apply such diets to your daily routine, you need to talk with a physician first. This high-protein diet may not be ideal for some people, such as those with kidney disease.

Increase servings of fruit and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are good sources of vitamins and minerals that our body need. Such food supplies us with vitamin A that is good for our eyes, vitamin C that boosts our immune system, beta-carotene that helps protects our body from the damage of free radicals, and nutrients.

Most fruits and vegetables are high in fiber and low calorie, so they also help clean our colon and make us feel fuller. Canned fruits and vegetables are acceptable; however, there is no substitute for the real thing.

Stay away from junk food and sugar-loaded drinks

Try eliminating junk food and soda from your diet for a week or two, and you will surely feel and see the difference. Maybe the reason why it is called junk food is due to its poor nutritional value. Try looking at a junk food’s label, not only is it full of saturated fat, but also usually high in salt or sugar, or both.

Aside from water, most of the things you drink are also loaded with calories. Soda and sweetened fruit juices are mainly sugar. Thus, no matter how little you eat, but if you still drink lots of soda and sweetened beverages, you will still continue to gain weight.

Don’t skip breakfast

Even if you are in a hurry or late for work or school, you need to grab a bite. It would be better if your breakfast is healthy – probably an apple, oatmeal and a glass of nonfat milk.

If you miss breakfast, you most probably will feel hungrier the rest of the day. In order for our body function properly, we need energy from the food we eat. If you skip breakfast, or a meal or two, your body’s metabolism will slow down to compensate for the lack of energy supply.

More often than not, people who skip meals, particularly the first meal of the day, will binge later in the day. So, even if you skipped breakfast, you will have a tendency to eat a lot during lunch or dinner.

Start exercising

Many of us spend an extended number of hours in our offices. We get stuck sitting down in front of the computer for more than eight hours. When we get home, we spend another hour or two to check e-mails and chat with friends. Thus, we don’t expend most of the calories from the food we eat and those excess calories go straight to our belly, arms and thighs.

If you want to increase your metabolism, you must start exercising. Brisk walking is a good way to start your exercise routine. If you do not have time to go to the gym, you need to find ways to increase your activities. Try sports activities that you will enjoy – boxing, badminton, or spelunking. There are many to fat burning activities to choose from.

The tips above will not let you lose 10 pounds overnight. However, in the long run, such changes will help you become healthier and fitter. The weight loss you will experience will be more permanent.

Everybody is different. What works for your friend might not work for you, or might work better for you. Therefore, these suggestions for shopping for weight loss are presented as helps, and I hope you will find something of use to you. With just a little thought and creativity, you should be able to come up with several more tips yourself.

1. Always use a list when you shop, and stick to it. Almost any other food item you put in the buggy will be something that does NOT fit in to your weight loss plan.

2. Plan ahead. Decide what your meals are going to be, and what ingredients you will need. Include portion sizes in this planning. If you just buy a pack of steaks, you will probably cook all those steaks at once and there is a chance they may be eaten all at once. Planning your meals will help you prepare your shopping list. Plan also for meals such as lunches you carry to work.

3. Take someone with you who you can trust to be on your side. By "on your side", I mean, of course, someone who understands and supports your weight loss goals. While this person should be aware of what you are trying to accomplish, YOU must understand that they ARE trying to help you, and YOU must give them permission to express their honest thoughts about purchases you are making…especially if you are deviating from your list.

4. Have this trusted friend or family member HELP you draw up your shopping list.

5. Always eat before shopping. It is a fact that shopping when hungry increases your tendency to put extra items in your shopping cart.

6. Learn to read the labels. Almost every food you buy has a label outlining nutritional content and levels. Knowledge of nutritional needs is important, but does not need to be daunting. Basic information is easy to obtain.

7. Avoid convenience foods. Most have additional calories, fats, or carbohydrates. Although they may taste great, this is often a direct result of those very attributes.

8. Plan PREPARED meals. Cook from scratch. Not only will you probably enjoy the meals more, but having to prepare a meal helps prevent you from indulging yourself with a quick and easy snack or meal.

9. Avoid buying "empty" foods. These are foods such as chips, cookies, or candy. An apple may have as many calories as a piece of candy, but it contains a much higher level of nutrition, and provides factors such as fiber, for example.

10. Buy foods you really like. Eating in a healthy manner does NOT have to be a boring or unrewarding experience. Types of meals enjoyed in Japan, for example, can be tasty and a different and inviting experience, but they can also be very good for you. Again, be aware of portion sizes. Just because it is "good for you" doesn’t mean you ought to go back for seconds or thirds.

There you are, 10 hints for shopping for weight loss. Since portion sizes was mentioned twice, let me leave you with this thought. Most Americans eat portions much larger than recommended sizes. A discussion of portion size is more than can be incorporated into this small article. However, people in France tend to eat very rich foods yet do not have the obesity problems found in America. People in Japan who eat a traditional Japanese diet tend not to have an obesity problem such as is found in America. As diverse as these two cultures and their diet are, a common factor is portion size. They typically eat much smaller portions than Americans.

Copyright 2006 Donovan Baldwin

About The Author

Donovan Baldwin’s interest in fitness and health began in 1970 when he first read Dr. Kenneth Cooper’s "Aerobics". Find more weight loss tips at http://nodiet4me.com. You can find additional articles on fitness, health, and weight loss at http://nodiet4me.blogspot.com.

This article was posted on January 17, 2006

If you are like me you are probably totally sick of dieting because every time you stop the weight comes flooding back on and you just cant stop it!

I have put together 10 more weight loss tips to try and sway you away from the dieting run around and to try and put you on a more steady and healthy course of weight loss.

Lets have a look at them:

Move More – Take every opportunity to expend more energy. Don’t drive if you can walk, don’t walk if you can run. See activity as an opportunity rather than an inconvenience. General moving burns a big 70% of your daily calories so try to Eat Less and Move More.

We keep looking for a fast, magical, fat loss, weight loss, health and fitness miracle but what would happen if we applied the simple concept of eating less and moving more.

Eat less junk food, eat more fruit and veggie foods, Get some regular cardio based exercise, Get stronger to protect your body, improve your quality of life and turn your body into a fat burning machine and stick with it rather than giving up after one week.

Don’t Diet – If you’re thinking of going on a diet to lose those extra pounds think again. Long-term weight control through dieting is near impossible, for the simple reason that diets promote only short-term solutions.

On a diet you’ll certainly look lighter on the scales, but in most cases this is because you’ve dumped a few pounds of body fluid, and not because you’ve lost any significant amount of body fat.

Diets Don’t Work – One of the main reasons diets don’t work is because they send the body into starvation mode – a survival mechanism for times when humans faced periods of famine.

Cutting back on our energy intake causes the body to lower its metabolic rate, which reduces its ability to burn fat. At the same time, hunger signals increase and we quickly start to crave high energy foods loaded with fats and sugars – the exact foods we are trying to do without!!!

Diets Put On Weight – Alarmingly, research has shown that repeated dieting actually makes it harder to lose weight and easier to put it on!!

This is because when you dump the diet and return to normal eating habits, the drop in metabolic rate caused by the diet means that your old eating habits actually represent excess in calories. Not only do you regain the fat stores just lost, but also you may even gain a bit extra.

Diets Are Unhealthy – A cycle of rapid weight loss followed by weight gain can lead to loss of lean tissue from your muscles and calcium from your bones.

It also strips the body of essential vitamins and minerals. Too little food means not enough energy for physical activity. Dieting causes your body to conserve energy, making results harder to achieve.

Diets Make Food The Enemy – Food provides nourishment and comfort. Diets can make you afraid to eat, depriving you of one of life’s pleasures.

Going from one failed diet to the next can leave you feeling depressed and create a cycle in guilt battles against food.

A Lifelong Plan – Regular physical activity and a healthy, balanced diet aren’t as glamorous as the quick fixes, but they do get better results.

Start with one extra exercise session and one less fatty takeaway meal per week, and gradually work towards a lifelong plan for achieving your best weight.

Sticking With It – If you change the way you eat or exercise to lose weight, ask yourself this question. Can I see myself sticking to this routine for life!! If the answer is "No" then it’s time to change what you’re doing.

Be Realistic – A realistic weight loss plan is around one to two pounds per week. Fast weight losses are not fat loss but glycogen and water. If you lose weight quickly then you will probable return back to the weight at which you started as quickly as it was lost.

Healthy Eating – Increase the amount of fruits, vegetables, non-fat dairy products, whole grains and beans that you eat. Eliminate calorie-dense foods such as cookies, sugary desserts, chips, fries, pizza, candies, crackers etc.

Research on people who have successfully lost a lot of weight and kept it off long term, shows that the vast majority succeeded by consuming a low fat diet high in fibre coupled with strength training and cardiovascular activity.

Your goal is to start utilizing these tips into your everyday weight loss regime to start losing weight consistently and for good.

A fat burning exercise prescription is a MUST for the long term success of any healthy weight loss program. Guidelines for healthy weight loss related to exercise and physical activity have been steadily improving over the last 20 years.

Along with the 1996 Surgeon General’s recommendations, the American College of Sports Medicine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Heart Association have all issued statements on the importance of regular physical exercise in a healthy weight loss program.

The diet industry also endorses exercise as a beneficial component in any healthy weight loss plan.

In fact, look at the disclaimers of any fad diet, special weight loss pill, or fat reducing fruit nectar and you’ll see where, in addition to the "unbelievable benefits" of their product, the practice of proper nutrition and consistent aerobic exercise are highly recommended to achieve optimal healthy weight loss results.

In other words, these companies are telling you that eating right and the incorporation of moderate aerobic exercise have more to do with the overall outcome of the healthy weight loss plan than does their "miracle pill".

Overview

1. Determine your age adjusted maximum heart rate (220 – your age = maximum heart rate)

2. Determine your optimum fat burning exercise heart rate range (maximum heart rate x .6 = minimum heart rate; maximum exercise heart rate x .75 = maximum exercise heart rate

3. Exercise for 30 minutes, 3 times per week, keeping your heart rat between 60% and 75% of your age adjusted maximum heart rate.

4. Perform the flexibility exercises listed below 2 – 3 times per week.

Exercise Prescription

Exercise, by definition, means purposeful movement. Although many kinds of exercise exist, certain exercises may not be necessarily therapeutic for you. Remember, an exercise prescription is just that; it’s a prescription. Very little benefit will be obtained with nonspecific, over the counter exercise programs. Your understanding of the purpose, principles, and adherence to each prescribed exercise technique will be essential to the development of a positive outcome.

The purposes of an exercise prescription are to:

1. Increase muscular flexibility
2. Normalize and balance muscle tone by increasing oxygen rich blood flow to the tissue
3. Integrate muscle activity
4. Restoration of functional movement
5. Restoration of functional muscle strength and endurance

The exercise principles listed below serve as a guideline for proper application. Study the principles carefully in order to maximize the effectiveness of your exercise program.

Exercises designed to improve flexibility should be performed several times per day. Each exercise should be held for 30-60 seconds to allow the tissue to elongate.

Exercise prescribed to improve strength, mobility, and endurance should be performed at a pace that would enable you to complete the prescribed number of repetitions in one minute. If multiple sets are prescribed for each exercise session, a 90 second rest interval should follow each set.

Never hold your breath during exercise. Your therapist will instruct you in the proper breathing technique that will facilitate a better exercise outcome.

You may experience a slight ache or discomfort following your first or second exercise session. This is a normal reaction referred to as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and should go away in a day or so. This type of muscle soreness is not a cause for stopping your exercise program.

If the exercise reproduces a specific pain or makes an already existing pain become more widespread, stop the exercise and inform your physician immediately.

Allow yourself enough time to complete the exercise as prescribed. Exercise sessions that are rushed through with little attention paid to technique will be ineffective and will prolong your symptoms. If time becomes an issue, perform a few repetitions several times throughout the day.

Don’t be in a hurry to advance to more strenuous exercise. Remember that tissue adaptation to new forms of stress takes time. In some cases it took years for your condition to develop. It is unrealistic to expect that the condition will be resolved after just a few exercise sessions. Compliance with your prescribed program and patience will result in the desired outcome.

In combination with a healthy diet and nutrition plan, a fat burning exercise prescription is a necessary component of any healthy weight loss program.

Before beginning any healthy weight loss program, it is strongly advised that you consult with your physician.

By squidoo

The key to successful healthy weight loss is to make some permanent, realistic eating and lifestyle changes.

Don’t starve yourself.

Eating small healthy meals throughout the day lessens the chance that you’ll start snacking on candy or fat-laden fillers. Try to eat five small meals per day, instead of three large ones. That way you avoid becoming too hungry and there’s less danger of you reaching for something sweet when your blood sugar levels are lower.

Never skip breakfast.

A good breakfast actually helps to kick-start your metabolism. And by eating right first thing in the day, you’ll be less likely to pick unhealthy choices later on. So make the time in your morning to eat a balanced meal before tackling your busy day. It will not only give you the energy you require, it will also help you stick to your weight-loss plan

Diet foods.

Learn to read labels to identify the total fat and sugar content of food. Don’t be mislead by claims of ‘low cholesterol’ or ‘low in saturated fat’. Many foods still have a high total oil or fat content. ‘Lite’ is another term that is misleading, and may mean light in salt, flavor or color rather than low in fat and calories. Often total calories may be high due to added sugars.

Watch out for portion sizes.

The amount of food you eat, even if it isn’t junk food, can still affect your weight. You can follow a smart eating plan by choosing the right foods, but if you aren’t watching the amount of food, you’ll find it difficult to lower your calorie intake and reach your ideal weight.

Supermarket tips.

Write your grocery list in advance – and stick to it

Never shop on an empty stomach. It will only encourage you to splurge on unplanned treats Leave the kids – and the potential for impulse buys – at home. Avoid the confectionery aisle. The easiest way to avoid temptation is not to encounter it in the first instance!

Eating out and going about your normal social life when you’re trying to lose weight can be difficult. You can still achieve your goals by following a few simple guidelines.

Don’t go to parties or functions hungry.

It takes roughly twenty minutes for your brain to recognize that your stomach is full. When you’re hungry you tend to eat quickly which can lead to overeating. Having a nutritious snack before going out will make it easier to say no to fatty, sugary party foods.

Change your focus.

Isn’t the point of a great party to socialize? So try to catch up with as many people as you can. The more occupied you are, the less time you have to think about the food! Not only will your clothes thank you but you might also make some new friends!

Stay hydrated.

Most people have a hard time telling if they are hungry or just thirsty. Going to a function dehydrated is just setting you up to overeat. Try breaking up your drink of choice by alternating it with water

Party drinks.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that party food is your only enemy in the weight control war. Alcohol and soft drinks are both calorie-packed carbohydrates. Drinking too much of either will lead your body to store the excess calories as fat tissue.

Food cravings.

If you find yourself drifting off to the food table too often, ask yourself why. Are you really hungry, or are you just bored? It’s also worth considering motivations such as nervousness or stress. Ask yourself, will this food really make me feel better?

Clever menu choices.

If there’s a great new restaurant you’d like to try remember it’s still possible to enjoy your meal and keep your weight-loss program in track.

* Choose tomato-based sauces instead of creamy sauces.

* Try ordering an appetizer as a main meal.

* If you must order condiments like sour cream and salad dressings, order them on the side and use only half of the amount they give you. Or try toppings like salsa or low-calorie dressings to add flavor with fewer calories.

THE IMPORTANCE OF EXERCISE

Regular exercise is an essential part of sustainable weight management. It builds bone and muscle strength, wards off conditions such as diabetes and hypertension and supports a healthy heart.

Being fitter also helps you take part in more of life’s pleasurable activities, such as keeping up with your children, joining in more outdoor activities on the weekend, and enjoying food and drink without the guilt and consequences!

Adding a quality weight loss supplement to your diet and exercise plan will really lift your energy levels and kick-start your exercise plan.

Try to think of exercise as an opportunity to treat your mind, body and senses – not just a way to keep off the pounds. Think of all the good you’re doing your body. If you just think of exercise as a chore then you’ll find it hard to stick to a healthy exercise routine.

Take opportunities to exercise as part of your daily routine by adding a little more activity into everything you do. Take the stairs rather than the elevator. Park the car a little further away than usual in the mall. Walk the dog for an extra twenty minutes.

Don’t find excuses not to exercise. You may have a lot going on in your life but if you "think" you don’t have time to exercise then you won’t change your mindset. Remind yourself of the benefits of fitness. If you’re stressed a 45-minute break at the gym will actually make you think more clearly. Exercise is also great remedy if you’re feeling lethargic as it gets blood pumping through your body, which gives you more energy, helps you work more productively and sleep better.

Be consistent. In order to see results and reap the health and weight loss benefits you must exercise regularly. Every day is ideal but at least three times a week is essential if you’re serious about getting results.

Don’t worry about how you look. The thing with gyms is that everyone is much more concerned with how they look than how other people look! Just ignore everyone else and turn your music on, watch the TV or think about what you’re doing on the weekend. Avoid working out in front of mirrors which will only magnify your feelings of being watched. It’s important to choose a gym where you feel comfortable, and one which is close to home will help as well. Some gyms even offer childcare or classes that involve running with prams so now you can’t use the kids as an excuse!

The formula for losing weight is simple: eat less and exercise more. But, it’s not really all that simple, is it?

Long-term weight loss isn’t impossible, but you do have to be committed. Having a weight loss plan for your success is a good start. Here are ten items that should go into your weight loss plan.

1. Eat breakfast. This keeps you from getting too hungry later and then losing control over what you choose to eat later in the day.

2. Stock your refrigerator and pantry with healthy foods and snacks and limit high-fat, high-salt snacks such as potato chips and cookies.

3. Fill up on Fiber. Eat foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. The fibers in these foods will fill you up leaving less room for unhealthy choices.

4. Don’t fall into bad habits on weekends. Many people will follow a strict diet on weekends only to fall back into eating more (unhealthy) on the weekends as a reward for "being good" all week. Unfortunately, this can cause you to regain tahe weight you may have lost during the week.

5. Watch portion sizes. Your perception of what a serving size should be and a "true" serving size can differ dramatically. Measuare your portions accurately, especially when you first start your healthy eating regime.

6. Set lifestyle goals – not weight loss goals. Commitment to eating healthy foods does lead to healthy weight loss — gradually. Looking at your weight daily can cause discouragement and will make many people give up and go back to unhealthy food choices.

7. Take healthy snacks with you when you take road trips. Grab healthy granola bars, bananas, apples and other fruit to prevent the tempation of stopping for a cancy bar or milk shake.

8. Don’t deny yourself the foods you love. If you absolutely love chocolate, go ahead and have a small pice – half of a candy bar insteaad of a whole one! And avoid eating your "splurges" every day. Save them for when you really need them!

9. Start moving. Exercise is the key to long term weight loss. You’ve heard the saying, "Move it or lose it." Too true!

10. Keep a journal. Writing down what you eat, when and how much you exercise and your moods will keep you on track and motivated to continue the course.

Weight loss is achieved by both diet and exercise. It is also achieved by persistence. If you "fall off the wagon" one day, pick yourself up and continue your healthy lifestyle the next. Don’t give up!

About The Author

Jude Wright is the webmistress of multiple websites. She is especially interested in nutrition and health issues.

In a world where almost everything moves in a fast-paced environment, people no longer pay attention to ‘slowly-but-surely’ strategies. Everybody wants everything in express, fast, easy, hassle-free, and convenient manner. Even in losing weight, people who are suffering from obesity or those who are morbidly obese want fast weight loss solutions to their problem.

FAST WEIGHT LOSS AND EMOTIONAL EATING

Experts say that fad or fast diets are not recommended because these cannot pave the way for permanent weight loss and control. But there are studies that show that fast weight loss has some short-term benefits like being a powerful motivator in losing weight for good. Some physicians also say that is it okay to have a fast weight loss if the person’s health wouldn’t be undermined or affected.

Fast weight loss can be effective if it’s only used for initial weight loss because this can lead to having balanced diet and doing regular exercise or physical activities. Fast weight loss can even motivate a person to follow a reasonable eating plan and sensible eating pattern so he/she would not regain the weight lost. Although some fast weight loss strategies are allowed, it still doesn’t change the fact that engaging into it without preparation is hazardous to health.

One of the reasons why people become obese is emotional eating. Some of the key factors that trigger emotional eating include anger, depression, and anxiety that lead to eating more food that a regular diet allows.

Experts say that if a person can manage emotional eating, the possibility of losing weight fast and safe is greater.

Here are some tips in combating emotional eating:

– It pays to determine your own mood especially before eating. Doing this will give you a mindset that eating is just a part of solving whatever that is bothering you.

– Analyze and monitor your emotions daily. Checking your emotional levels daily can help you trace the reasons why you indulge to emotional eating and can help you solve these emotions before taking any meal. This can also help you fight the urge to overeat when you get emotionally upset.

– Try to develop new hobbies that will take your mind off food and eating. By keeping yourself busy in other things, you can avoid eating large amount of food on a regular basis.

– Work out a meal plan that you can stick with everyday. By having a concrete reminder of the foods you should and should not eat for the day, you can develop a healthy eating plan that can help you lose weight fast and safe.

– Do regular physical activities such as walk or jogging regularly. Physical exertions can help your body burn unnecessary and unwanted calories.

– Exert more effort to form closer friendships and emotional bonds. Having a company that can give you moral support in your endeavor will help you fight emotional complexities.

– Discover and rediscover a better spiritual health. Analyzing your emotions through spiritual health can be enough motivation to keep up with your weight loss agenda.

– Stick to water therapy. Drinking at least 8 glasses of water daily can keep your body refreshed and well hydrated so you won’t easily get irritated or upset.

– Choose you treats. Comfort foods such as junk foods should be replaced with healthier alternatives such as fruits or low fat products.

– Learn to forgive yourself. When you blow your diet, forgive yourself. Feeling guilty and depressed will only make matters worst. Instead of dwelling on your self-will, try to be positive by telling yourself you can do better tomorrow.

THE ROAD TO SUCCESSFUL WEIGHT LOSS

Fast weight loss might be a good way to jumpstart a weight loss plan, but it’s significant to keep the long term weight loss goals. In reality, there’s really no such thing as a quick fix or fast when it comes to weight loss. You must bear in mind that if you want to be happy, healthy, and achieve your desired weight for good you better start changing you eating and lifestyle habits.

Mistake #1: Not changing your calorie plan as you lose weight. The fallacy of the "1200 calorie diet" plans and the like.

Most people fix their calorie intake to a given number and expect to lose weight at the same constant rate over a period of weeks. Hence, dieters look for 1000 calorie or 1800 calorie diet plans on the internet. The fixed calorie diet plans don’t work. If you burn 3000 calories a day at the start of a diet, after a week or two of losing some weight, you are no longer burning 3000 calories. Now you might be burning 2800 calories. If you fix your calorie intake in the face of a decreasing calorie expenditure, your weight loss will slow down more and more as you lose weight.

If you want to lose weight at a constant rate, you must repeatedly:

decrease your calorie intake to accommodate the calorie expenditure drop

increase your calorie output by exercising more

do both

I would like to note that you must set realistic slow weight loss goals. If you go for fast weight loss you would not be able to sustain it for a long period unless you go extreme in the calorie reduction and exercise a lot. For people who have to lose more than 20 pounds (10kgs), the goal should be a loss of no more than 2 pounds or 1 kg per week. People who need to lose just a bit of weight should go for weight loss of 1 pound or half a kilogram per week.

Why does my calorie expenditure drop as I lose weight? The most important factors are:

You weight less. A smaller body burns less calories both at rest and while active

You may involuntarily burn fewer calories. Dieters often lack energy and move less

Calorie restriction suppresses the metabolic rate

You have less body fat, which may further suppress your metabolic rate

These major factors contribute to an ever-decreasing energy expenditure as one loses weight. The more a dieter cuts calories, the bigger the calorie expenditure drop. The leaner the dieter, the greater the calorie expenditure drop.

Now you must understand that if you want to succeed in losing weight, you have to make changes in your nutrition plan. I recommend burning more calories, because being more active facilitates smaller calorie restriction and milder calorie expenditure drop.

It is very difficult to estimate the rate of the metabolic drop. Here is the general rule: the bigger you are, the smaller the rate of the metabolic drop. The more weight you lose, the more you have to cut calories or increase exercise. If you are overweight you might need to cut just 10 more calories for every lost pound, while if you are lean you might have to cut 60 calories for every pound lost. I picked these numbers just as an example.

Mistake #2: Overreporting the "extra" calorie expenditure of exercise

Most people count the calories they spend exercising as "extra" calories. There is a difference between calories burned while exercising and "extra" calories burned exercising. Here is an example: you burn 300 calories on the treadmill instead of your usual activity (watching TV at home); in reality, you have to subtract the calories you would have spent watching TV from these 300 calories to calculate how many additional calories you burned. Let’s say that watching TV, you would have burned 80 calories. In this specific case, you have expended 300 calories while exercising, and 220 "extra" calories.

Calorie counters mindlessly add the calories burned exercising as "extra" and in some cases, this practice can significantly influence the calorie calculations. Hence, calorie software counts the part of your usual activities that overlaps with the extra activities twice.

How to estimate the "extra" calories burned exercising?

In order to make the calculations more accurate, I shall first introduce the concept of MET values. MET values are a convenient way to calculate the calorie cost of activities. MET values are multiples of the resting energy expenditure per time. In plain English, a MET = 3 means burning 3 times more calories than resting. A MET = 1 signifies how many calories you burn at rest (your Resting Metabolic Rate or Basal Metabolic Rate). Whatever you do, you burn calories at a rate of at least MET = 1 with the only exception being sleeping which has MET = 0.9. During the day, most activities include sitting and walking which have MET values between 1.2 and 3. Your total daily energy expenditure is calculated by multiplying your Resting Metabolic Rate by the average MET of all your activities. Is your head spinning?

Let’s use a real world example. Consider a female person with a Resting Metabolic Rate of 1200 calories a day. One day has 1440 minutes. Our example lady is burning 1200/1440 = 0.84 calories per minute at rest, which signifies a MET = 1. Let’s say our example woman just returned from an aerobics class, where she exercised for 30 minutes. General aerobic class training has a MET = 6. Our example lady has just burned 30 (minutes) x 6 (MET) * 0.84 (calories per minute) = 151 calories while exercising. Suppose our lady would have chatted on the internet instead of exercising (MET = 1.5). In this example, the woman substituted chatting on the internet with aerobic exercising. Remember, that every time you do something you substitute one activity for another. In order to get the extra calories, we have to subtract 1.5 (chatting) from 6 (exercising). Now let’s calculate the extra calories: 30 (minutes) * (6 – 1.5) (MET value) * 0.84 = 113 calories.

Let’s consider what a standard calorie counter would have done. First, it will assume an average calorie burn rate of 1 calorie per minute. Then the counter will find that exercising for 30 minutes will yield 30 (minutes) * 6 (MET) * 1 (calories per minute) = 180 calories. The calorie counter will add these 180 calories to your daily expenditure without considering that a part of these 180 calories is already accounted by your usual activities.

Do you now see the difference between 113 calories and 180 calories? If that woman spends 5 hours a week in that aerobics class, the standard calorie counters will overreport her calorie output by: (180-113) * 10 = 670 calories a week. The woman will be fooled that her metabolic rate has dropped while she just overestimated her calorie expenditure. Enter weight loss plateau, wasted time and efforts. Do you have the time for trial and error calorie estimations?

Remember these two rules:

Report only extra activities to your calorie counter. If your walk to your office every day, do not log "walking to office for 30 minutes" as an extra activity. Consider only unusual activities that contribute to extra expended calories!

Always subtract the calories you would have burned instead of exercising. A general rule is to subtract from 1.2 to 1.5 from the MET values. In some cases, you need to subtract a greater MET. If you substitute 30 minutes of bodybuilding (MET = 6) for 30 minutes of slow jump rope (MET = then the additional MET would be 8 – 6 = 2.

How to find the MET values of activities based on standard tables?

In order to make the above calculations, you need to know the MET values of activities. Standard tables give: name of activity, duration and calories. Standard tables assume an average calorie expenditure of one calorie per minute. To find the MET you just need to divide the calories by the duration.

Example: "Bicycling, stationary, general", "20 minutes", "140 calories"

MET of "Bicycling, stationary, general" = 140 / 20 = 7

I know these calculations are somewhat tedious and in many cases the standard calorie calculations are close to correct. However, in some cases they can significantly over or under-calculate the calorie expenditure of activities and compromise your weight loss plan with daily miscalculations.

Mistake #3: Training with light weights and lots of reps

I have seen countless number of ladies come to the gym, get the lightest possible dumbbells, crank out some hundreds of reps and go home. Most often, these women do not get the results they want. The problem with this type of training is that it does not burn many "extra" calories unless you spend a considerable amount of time in the gym. Hefting Ken and Barbie weights in the gym has a MET value of 3, which means that it burns 3 times more calories than resting in bed. Almost anything you do during the day has a MET value of 1.2 to 2. Browsing the internet on your computer has a MET value of 1.5. Realize that almost anything you do during the day (average MET = 1.5) has about 50% overlap in calorie expenditure with training with very light weights (MET = 3). If you pump super light dumbbells in the gym, only about half of the calories burned are "additional".

Of course, you can burn a considerable amount of extra calories training with light weights but you have to really extend the duration of this type of training. Curling 5 pound dumbbells for 4 sets of 20 reps and chit-chatting for 20 minutes in the gym is not going to burn many extra calories.

Remember the rule: the less intensive the activity (smaller MET), the greater the calorie expenditure overlap with casual activities; the less intensive the activity, the more time you have to spend doing it to expend a good deal of extra calories. Always subtract a MET of 1 to 1.5 to arrive at the additional expended calories.

Mistake #4: Using "average person" calorie estimations

You can find all kinds of tables showing the calorie cost of different physical activities on the internet. These tables don’t show your calorie expenditure. They actually tell you the calorie expenditure of an "average person". These tables assume you are an average person that burns one calorie per minute at rest. Yes, we covered this in the first part of the article and it needs repeating. Most men burn more than one calorie per minute and most smaller women burn less than one calorie per minute at rest. In reality, these standard tables overestimate the calorie expenditure of smaller people and underestimate the calorie expenditure of bigger than average people. Combine this with the common mistake of counting all burned calories as "additional calories" and you have a wide range of possible miscalculations.

Mistake #5: Going on very low calorie diets (VLCD)

Research has shown little to no difference in the weight loss rate of 1200 calorie diets and 800 calorie diets. The 1200 calorie threshold is the point where further calorie restriction does not yield faster results. Diets in the range of 800 to 1200 calories a day suppress the resting metabolic rate from the very first day and after some weeks on these diets, the metabolic rate has dropped by up to 20%. This metabolic drop is just a consequence of the calorie restriction factor; other factors such as the level of leanness may further depress the calorie expenditure.

A big percentage of the quick initial weight loss on a VLCD is water. VLCDs create an illusion of fast fat loss, while in reality most of the weight loss is water. It is hard to continue a very low calorie diet for a prolonged time because the harsh calorie restriction makes you hungrier than ever. People on VLCDs often lack energy and move very little. When you stop the diet, you are prone to instant overeating. Eating a very low calorie diet is the ticket to yo-yo dieting.

Instead of using very low calorie diets, I recommend diets with a mild calorie restriction and an emphasis on exercise. Overweight people who know what they are doing can employ VLCDs for a limited time. It is important to get enough vitamins and minerals from supplements, because such low calorie diets are woefully inadequate in nutrients. Water intake should be high.

Bodybuilders, powerlifters and athletes must stay away from very low calorie diets because the large calorie restriction causes a greater proportion of the weight loss to be muscle loss.

If you want to automate these complicated calorie calculations, try our training and nutrition software Fitness Assistant FREE for 30 days. Get your trial copy at www.x3msoftware.com

About The Author

Hristo Hristov is the owner of X3MSoftware, a company specializing in developing training and nutrition software. Hristo has a degree in Computer Science and passion for powerlifting. In his spare time, Hristo gives training and nutrition consultations.
hristo@x3msoftware.com

This article was posted on December 10, 2003

‘I’ll start my diet today’ you say to yourself for what seems the 485th time. But as the day wears on, you fall back into your typical eating patterns. These are the eating patterns which do not contribute to any weight loss either. Instead, you keep the vicious cycle going of either maintaining your current weight, or increasing it even more which may lead to health problems.

My personal journey started at a time when I was young and had trouble breathing. I even had trouble fitting into a pair of size 44 pants, and had trouble socializing with people because I thought of myself as a ‘fat person’. There came a time however when I took that first step towards positive weight loss, and a positive step towards changing my life.

But where to start? Which diet? Do I need to stick to any one diet, or could I make my own up? I was confused, because there was so much information out there about the newest weight loss diet gimmicks, and nutritional supplements which ‘GUARANTEED I WILL LOSE WEIGHT!!!!’.

It was all baloney. I found that I could not trust any marketing claim associated with a company trying to make money.

How did I start? By cutting down on the number of meals/snacks I was eating. I grew up in an Italian household where we were encouraged to finish our plate. You can only take so much of that as your waist lines grows. Today, however, I encourage people to eat 4-6 times a day. But to eat in small amounts. If you are a person who likes to pick at food, eat snacks throughout the day, and eat well after 8pm. My advice is to stop doing all of that (I know, easier said than done, right?).

5 Steps to starting your weight loss plan

Step 1: Eat 4-6 times a day, in small amounts. Make each time you eat a small meal. Sounds tough, doesn’t it? It is, but as you start doing it, you will change the way you eat food. The way you prep food, and the way you enjoy food (I still love food!).

The goal here is to force your metabolism to burn up the calories at the proper time. The more you have your metabolism working throughout the day, the more you are forcing your body to expend energy to burn up food! It IS as simple as that.

You have to realize that at first, it may seem like you are eating a lot in the beginning, when you are trying to lose weight. But remember, it’s all in the size of the portions you are feeding yourself. Don’t overdo it. Have a fruit salad in the morning, at 10 or 11 am, have a turkey sandwich, at 1 pm make yourself some chicken salad, etc..by doing this, you are not starving your body, and at the same time you are not feeding your body garbage!

Step 2: Drink a lot of water. Drinking water cleans out your system, that’s been known for a long time. It also has been shown to help in fat loss. How? Well, if you are generally a juice or soda drinker, and are now switching over to just water- you are cutting out those simple carbohydrate calories from your diet. And for some, that is a lot of calories. If you have troubles switching over to plain water- try some crystal light, or flavored water. Personally, I’m up to drinking a gallon a day. For many, this may seem a lot. Try to shoot for 6-8 full glasses of water a day. The key here is to make a habit of it.

Step 3: Exercise. So where do you start? If you have time to join a gym, by all means, do so! Join a step class, and/or lift weights. If you are overweight, do NOT feel like you do not belong in a gym. Many people who are overweight often feel like people are staring at them, thus making them feel self-conscious. My advice to you- Don’t worry about it! The gym is for EVERYONE to get in shape, no matter what size they are. Talk to a personal trainer when you go in there also, they will be your best source of information of reaching your workout goals. That’s what they get paid to do!

If you can’t afford a gym, or spend the time at a gym, there are alternatives. Places like Target, Walmart, and even on Ebay, sell exercise balls which come with videos or instruction sets on doing exercises. I feel as though exercise balls give you a greater range of flexibility and mobility. These are two very necessary things to work on when you are trying to lose weight. These exercises can usually be done in 15-20 minutes worth of time a day. If you are truly dedicated to losing weight, then make time for these exercises.

Other ideas for exercise include power walking, home video step workouts, hiking, riding a bike, or staying active for long periods of time. Even if you need to get a friend or family member to go along with you, this is time well spent. These exercises will give you a greater focus on your goal of losing weight.

Step 4: Talk to people about your diet. From my experience, the more I talked about my diet with people, the more support I was getting for my efforts. Do not underestimate the value of community support. Consequently, I run a website that specializes in online diet support ( http://www.dietdiscussions.com ) and I feel as though when people are given encouragement to stay on track, they feel better about themselves. Why do it alone when others are walking the same steps you are?

Step 5: Change the way you think about food. This is one of the hardest things to do, in my opinion. So often food becomes an object of comfort. We feel bad, we eat. We feel good ,we eat. The problem with this is that when we do eat, we are not consciously thinking about what we are putting into our bodies, and then we gain weight.

This mindset has to change. You can still enjoy food, but just pause before you eat something and ask yourself- Is it time to eat? Does this fall into my portion size for this meal?

These 5 steps are ways that I know that have directly helped people, beside myself. Use these steps to focus on what you are trying to do. There is so much information in the diet community about what works and what does not. What it all boils down to, is that it is not rocket science. There is a means and method to making it work for you. If you need any support for your weight loss diet plan, do not hesitate to contact me and ask a question or give me a comment. I have been through what you are going through, so I understand what you are feeling. Stay focused and stay on track, and you will find that you will start feeling better as the pounds start coming off!