My Best Way To Lose Weight

Calcium – The Key To Quick Weight Loss
 by: Priya F Shah

Are you dieting your way to bone loss?

Are you aware that the diet you follow may be depleting your bones of essential nutrients and increasing your chances of developing osteoporosis? Popular diets may promise quick weight loss, but calcium and other important nutrients are often missing from the menu, which can lead to bone loss.

And women who consistently limit what they eat to avoid gaining weight may undermine the health of their bones, according to a study by ARS researchers in California. (1)

The study looked at the eating behavior of women between the ages of 18 and 50 and found that those classified as "restrained eaters" had significantly lower bone mineral density and bone mineral content (key indicators of overall bone strength and health) than women who said they weren’t concerned about what they ate.

"Exercise and eating a well-balanced diet with adequate calcium, are two of the best ways to keep your bones strong and healthy." advise the researchers.

Calcium is not only good for your bones but can help you maintain a healthy, low fat diet too. There has been increasing media coverage about numerous studies showing that a diet rich in calcium helps reduce body fat.

Why is calcium important in weight loss?

Calcium is a fat burner. High-calcium diets seem to favor burning rather than storing fat. Researchers say this is because calcium stored in fat cells plays an important role in fat storage and breakdown.

Calcium changes the efficiency of weight loss . In fact, study after study has shown that the people with the highest calcium intake overall weighed the least, and the people with the lowest calcium intake had the highest percentage of body fat. (2,3,4)

When overall calorie consumption is accounted for, calcium not only helps keep weight in check, but can be associated specifically with decreases in body fat. A low daily calcium intake is associated with greater tendency to gain weight, particularly in women. (5)

Researchers found that adolescent girls who consumed more calcium weighed less and had less body fat than girls who consumed the same amount of calories from other sources. (6)

Previous studies have shown that a higher calcium intake can block body fat production in adults and preschool children (7), but this was one of the first studies to show that it might have the same effect in body-conscious preteen and teenage girls.

But aren’t dairy products fattening?

Some dieters consider dairy products to be fattening, but the evidence suggests the opposite is true.

Consumption of calcium-rich dairy foods can actually help to reduce and prevent obesity. Over 20 recent studies show that milk products actually contribute to weight loss.

A new study in obese adults, presented at the First Annual Nutrition Week Conference, showed that increasing calcium intake by the equivalent of two dairy servings per day could reduce the risk of obesity by as much as 70 percent. (8)

The study provided clinching evidence that calcium in low-fat dairy products can help adjust your body’s fat-burning machinery and help keep your weight under control.

In another study, obese subjects placed on a high-calcium diet, with yogurt as the calcium source, showed markedly greater fat loss than those on a low-calcium diet. (9)

Numerous studies have shown that dairy calcium is more effective in reducing body fat than other forms of calcium. (10)

Why does diary calcium work so well?

Researchers believe that other nutrients found in milk products act in synergy with calcium to reduce fat more efficiently.

Glycomacropeptides (found in whey proteins derived from milk) in particular, are known to create feelings of satiety and fullness and decrease food intake. (11,12,13)

Foods that are a good source of calcium include cheese, milk, ice cream, baked beans and other dried legumes, dried figs, broccoli, most dark-green leafy vegetables, and soft fish bones like those in canned salmon.

Disclaimer: If you are under 18, pregnant, nursing or have health problems, consult your physician before starting any weight loss plan. The information here is not provided by medical professionals and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Please consult your physician before beginning any course of treatment.

References: Dieters May Lose Bone Density. April 1999; Agricultural Research magazine Regulation of adiposity by dietary calcium. Zemel MB et al. [2000. FASEB J 14:1132-1138.] Regulation of adiposity and obesity risk by dietary calcium: mechanisms and implications. Zemel MB. 2002. [J Am Coll Nutr 21: 146S-151S.] Effects of dietary calcium on adipocyte lipid metabolism and body weight regulation in energy-restricted aP2-agouti transgenic mice. Shi H et al. [2001. FASEB J 5:291-293.] Calcium intake, body composition, and lipoprotein-lipid concentrations in adults. Jacqmain M et al. [2003. Am J Clin Nutr 77:1448-1452.] Higher dairy intake is associated with lower body fat during adolescence. Novotny R et al. [2003. Poster Presentation, Experimental Biology Meeting, April, San Diego, CA.] The role of dietary calcium and other nutrients in moderating body fat in preschool children. Carruth BR and Skinner JD. [2001. T Int J Obesity Relat Metab Disord 25:559-566.] Calcium and Dairy Acceleration of Weight and Fat Loss during Energy Restriction in Obese Adults. Zemel MB et al. [Obes Res. 2004 Apr;12(4):582-90.] Dairy (yogurt) augments fat loss and reduces central obesity during energy restriction in obese subjects. Zemel MB et al. [2003. FASEB J A1088:679.3] Calcium and Weight: Clinical Studies. Heaney, R.P., Davies, K.M., Barger-Lux, M.J. [Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 21(2), 2002, pages 152S-155S.] Cholecystokinin decreases food intake in rats. Gibbs J, Young RC, Smith GP.J Comp [Physiol Psychol 1973 Sep;84(3):488-95] Cholecystokinin antibody injected in cerebral ventricles stimulates feeding in sheep. Della-Fera MA, Baile CA, Schneider BS, Grinker JA. [Science 1981 May 8;212(4495):687-9] Peptides with CCK-like activity administration intracranially elicit satiety in sheep. Della-Fera MA, Baile CA. [Physiol Behav 1981 Jun;26(6):979-83]

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Tips for Guaranteed Healthy and Fast Weight Loss by Nathalie Fiset

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.

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Natural Weight Loss – 5 Tips Can Make Your Plan Successful

One of the major health problems found nowadays is the issues related to lifestyle. Obesity is growing by leaps and bounds and hundreds of thousands of people across the world suffer from overweight one or the other way. Again, the culprits are many; right from improper dietary pattern (including irregular meal timings, consumption of junk, canned, packed foods and foods with preservatives) to hereditary factors and from bad and harmful lifestyle (such as sedentary) to lack of proper body care.

There are many ways to lose the weight. The options include surgeries (such as liposuction), modern medications, fitness exercises, special physical workouts, proper dietary pattern, lifestyle modifications, consumption of healthy and specially designed foods, intake of herbal medications or natural products etc. More and more people now prefer to undergo natural weight loss as modern options may come up with other complications and unwanted effects.

Let us learn natural weight loss tips-

Natural weight loss tip 1: To lose weight, one should not go for any quick weight loss. This is because a sudden drop in a weight may make body weak and dull. It also harms body systems and organs. One should plan not more than 10% of the body weight to lose in one week. The first thing that comes to lose weight is dietary restriction. Junk food, spicy food, oily food and foods with preservatives are to be given up. Include dark, green and leafy vegetables and fresh fruits (preferably citrus and not so sweetish) that help in fat metabolism and also help in cleansing the intestines so body remains a toxic-free zone.

Natural weight loss tip 2: The nature has gifted us with lots of herbs that possess natural anti-obesity action. They help in loosing and then melting down the body adipose tissues (the body fats). Herbs such as garcinia, guggulu, haritaki are said to have good results in obesity and overweight. One can consume such herbs as a single supplement or can go for some herbal formula that contains the blend or combination of these herbs.

Natural weight loss tip 3: Honey, lukewarm water and lemon juice work wonderfully. To prepare special solution out of it, take one glass of lukewarm water and add 1 tsp of honey along with 1 tsp of lemon juice. Consume this healthy drink preferably on empty stomach on a regular basis. The solution helps in cleansing the intestines and also helps in losing the weight.

Natural weight loss tip 4: Exercises do play significant role in lose weight. Aerobic exercises, cardio, jogging, early morning brisk walking etc are considered to be useful in losing extra pounds those have been accumulated in various parts of the body.

Natural weight loss tip 5: Change in lifestyle is necessary and is very important factor in natural weight loss campaign. Park your vehicle a bit far away from the office and take a walk. Likewise, prefer climbing the stairs than to go for elevators. Giving up sedentary lifestyle helps in shedding off extra pounds from the body.

By: Bryan Len

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

For more useful information visit Natural Weight Loss and Herbal Weight Loss at www.herbal-supplements-for-you.com/

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More Tips To Improve Your Weight Loss
 by: Gary Matthews 

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.

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Your Brain Can Help You Lose Weight… Or Make You Fat!
 by: Tracy Lee 

Have you done this before?

You have set your weight loss goals and mapped out your plan to lose all those excess pounds that you have been dying to get rid off.

In your mind, you have psyched yourself up — this time you are going all the way out to lose all those pounds! "Nothing can stop me," you tell yourself.

Then, you rationalize that…

1) In order for you to succeed in your weight loss goals, you must follow a super-strict diet and exercise routine.

and/or

2) If you happen to go off track in your diet or exercise routine by eating your favorite high-calorie junk food and skipping your exercise session, this means you have totally blown off your plan altogether.

Sound familiar?

I sure hope not!

This train of thought can be very detrimental to your weight loss efforts, but it’s all too easy to fall into this trap. And not only is it very harmful to your body, it actually lowers your self-esteem too.

Your brain can help you to lose weight, or it can make you fat.

If you want to lose weight successfully, you’ll need to have the right thoughts in your brain. Conversely, holding on tight to the wrong concepts can (and will!) jeopardize your plans!

Here’s what you should do instead…

1) Get rid of the word "DIET" from your thoughts

Firstly, you must shake off the idea that you absolutely have to follow an extremely restrictive diet in order to lose weight successfully.

In fact, most people who are able to lose their unwanted weight successfully DO NOT diet. What they do is simply change their lifestyle such as practicing portion control, moderation, cutting back on calories and curbing their emotional eating bouts.

It’s time to change your focus from weight loss to weight management. It is not just losing weight, it is about changing your lifestyle so that you can maintain your weight loss.

And do you notice how most women like to use the word "diet" every time they want to lose weight? We "go on" and "go off" diets after every holiday season; we say "I start on Monday" only to go off it by the weekend. Nobody says "I start my new way of life on Monday." But that’s exactly what we need to do. An effective diet isn’t just for Christmas or just a very special occasion, it’s for your whole life.

We need variety not only for our nutritional reasons. It is also to satisfy ourselves, and to take care of our "wants." So, you need to create your own healthy lifestyle… the lifestyle that you want, and one that’s sustainable for the long term.

Be wary of any plan that restricts entire food groups, or if it relies on just 1 type of food (e.g. soup or salad) as its mainstay.

Believe me, I’ve been there and done that. If you go on a diet that requires you to eat all the food that you hate or totally omits your favorites, you are going to dread your meals and are bound to fail. Even if you manage to lose the weight, all your pounds (and probably more!) will creep back once you are off the diet.

2) Do NOT give up your favorite foods

Another thing that most women would do initially is severely limiting their food intake. Or they completely cut off their favorite foods.

This is one thing that you should never do.

"Why?"

Well, by doing that, it sets you up for binges and your temptation for these foods would definitely increase.

Instead, you should reduce your consumption slowly. For example, you always have desserts after dinner. Instead of cutting off totally, you start by reducing your portion size to half. Thus, the temptation becomes much less powerful when you have just the taste of something "bad" now and again instead of telling yourself that it is off limits for good.

After a while, you will find yourself accustomed to the new portion sizes, and you’ll be able to satisfy your craving with just a small amount of your "super sinful" foods.

3) Forgive and move on…

So, you decide to keep your favorite foods in your weight loss plan. You allow yourself a chocolate cookie everyday. But, you could not resist the temptation and you finish half of the pack. Next day afternoon, you finish the remaining half of the chocolate cookies pack for your afternoon tea.

Gee, have you blown your weight loss plan again? Does that mean you should just give up the idea of losing those extra pounds and go back to my old eating habits?

Well, not allowing yourself to make mistakes is the worst mistake you can ever make. Seriously.

Having this all-or-nothing thinking is a way to let you off the hook. It is an escape route that you create for yourself. In your mind, you could be telling yourself, "Oh well. It is all gone. I guess I don’t have to bother anymore. Give me my cookies."

There’s an old saying that goes, "No matter how far along you are down the wrong path, it’s never too late to turn back." So don’t think just because you made bad choices today, you can’t start over tomorrow.

Everyday is truly a new beginning. You do not have to wait until a new year, a new month or a Monday to start all over again.

You can’t erase last night’s binge, but you can aim for a much healthier today!

4) Create a lifestyle you want

Many times, when you want to lose weight, you will plan up a very strict diet and exercise routine for yourself. Well… there is a high chance that you would not be able to execute it successfully. To make things worse, you hate it.

Why not aim to create a healthy lifestyle you want so that you do not give up your favorite foods?

You must create a realistic and achievable weight loss plan. After all, you want to plan to SUCCEED, not to fail, right?

If you find difficulty in creating a good plan for yourself, or if you can’t seem to discipline yourself to stay true to your plan, I suggest that you engage a personal trainer to help you.

5) Celebrate your small victories

Every time you achieve a small milestone, go ahead and reward yourself.

But do not over-indulge. For example, you can reward yourself a small ice-cream once you have managed to complete your first week of exercise routines. Or when you lose your first 3 pounds, you can treat yourself a slice of cheese cake.

Remember, it is alright to reward yourself for the small challenges you have overcome so that you won’t give up so easily. Let it be something you look forward to every time you surmount a challenge.

If you set up your rewards properly, they’ll motivate you on a daily basis and you’ll find it easier to follow your weight loss plans!

Bonus: And here’s one more extra tip… Don’t stress yourself. Take it easy on yourself as you’re learning how to be a new, improved and healthier you. After all, you’re only human… a soon-to-be-much-lighter human!

Copyright 2006 Tracy Lee

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Fat Loss 4 Idiots – A Unique Weight Loss Plan That Really Works!

A lot of weight loss programs are being offered online these days. But only a few of them are effective. They do not work most probably because of the myths related to weight loss. A weight loss plan should instruct a candidate on the correct food to be taken, the time interval of its consumption, and its most appropriate pattern of consumption. Manipulating fat burning hormones is the only effective method for losing weight in a safe and healthy way.

No! Do not lose heart! Don’t think that you can never achieve that enviable figure or body anymore. Here’s a ray of hope for you. A weight loss plan that really works, let’s say, in just eleven days!

You must have tried out a number of weight loss plans by now. If you still find yourself very fat and ugly, then there must be something wrong with all those weight loss plans. You must understand that till now many weight loss plans have been formulated, but sadly, not even a handful of them are effective. What can be the reason behind this? Is it impossible to conquer obesity? Certainly not! You simply need to identify facts about weight loss and segregate them from myths.

Many weight loss plans are based on myths and that is the reason they do not work. For example, did you know that lack of exercising is not actually a big reason for you to get obese? A lot of weight loss programs stress on your taking long and painful exercising sessions in the gymnasium. A lot of people who are quite obese find it difficult to exercise. As a result this method proves to be ineffective for losing weight.

Weight loss pills are another ineffective remedy for losing weight. These days a weight loss plan normally consists of the consumption of one or two herbal pills in a day during the treatment. The pills are claimed to effectively reduce the weight in a short span of time. But they hardly work and, moreover, they are harmful for the consumer. Many people have contracted dangerous diseases, such as, stomach cancer etc., after consuming those pills.

The food that you eat, the intervals in which you eat, and the pattern of consumption play a very significant role in weight loss. A weight loss plan should consists of a schedule that lets you know what to eat, when to eat, and how much to eat. Did you know that for losing weight eating the right food is not enough? You should know when to eat what. Otherwise the body will not burn the food efficiently and you will not lose much weight. On the contrary these unused calories will get deposited as fat in your body. An effective weight loss plan consists of the correct pattern of eating food.

There are some popular weight loss programs such as those of Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig Weight Loss Plans. But they offer to reduce weight at a slow pace. You can reduce only about two or three pounds per week. But these are hardly effective. An accelerated weight loss program from Fat Loss 4 Idiots, for example, is a more effective one. It is a highly efficient and fast fat-burning program that drives away all myths about weight loss and put you on the right track. Their plan scientifically manipulates fat burning hormones. You will definitely find yourself losing significant weight in a short time by following their diet plans and other weight loss instructions.

By: Paul Moore

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Set Realistic Weight Loss Goals
 by: Adam Waxler

How much weight do you want to lose? Are you being realistic about how long it will take to achieve your weight loss goal?

When someone has decided to lose weight, one of the first things that person should do is set a goal weight or an ideal weight.

Unfortunately, when most people decide to lose weight, they are not being realistic about how much weight to lose and how long it will take them to lose that weight. For many, their ‘ideal weight’ may be the wrong weight for them to be aiming for

The sad fact is, years of being overweight and jumping from one fad diet to another may have confused your mind and body about what is truly your ideal weight. One of the major problems comes from a lack of understanding about metabolism. If you’ve been overweight for a very long time, or if you’ve consistently ‘yo-yoed’, your body may respond to your initial weight loss by slowing down its metabolism because it believes that you are starving to death. This slowing down of your metabolism leads to discouraging plateaus that often knock people off their diets entirely, and lead to regaining all or part of the lost weight.

Many weight loss experts today recommend aiming for shorter-term, more attainable weight loss goals. Since the bulk of diet research shows that most dieters lose weight steadily for about 12 weeks, then hit a plateau, that’s the number of weeks that the weight loss experts suggest you should aim for. The weight loss strategy that many have found works best for them is one of alternating periods of weight loss and maintenance, each lasting 8-12 weeks.

The strategy calls for choosing a realistic weight loss goal for an 8-12 week period. Knowing that the most reasonable and healthiest weight loss rate is 1-2 pounds per week, losing 25 pounds in three months is not unrealistic. You should be on your weight loss diet until you reach that goal, or for 12 weeks, whichever comes first, and then switch to a maintenance diet.

Why switch to a maintenance diet at that point?

Simple, you’re giving yourself a break from more restrictive eating. More importantly though, you are re-educating your body and letting it establish a new starting point. Once you’ve maintained your new weight for 8-12 weeks, set another weight loss goal, and move back into weight loss mode. By giving your body a break from ’starvation’, you’ll have overcome its resistance to weight loss.

You’ll also be giving yourself a chance to ‘practice’ maintaining your new, healthier weight. Researchers have found that more than half of the dieters who take off significant amounts of weight do not maintain that weight loss once they go ‘off’ their diet. By practicing weight maintenance in stages, you’ll be proving to yourself that you can lose weight and maintain that weight loss over a period of time.

This weight loss plan will work with any long-term weight loss diet. You’ll find dieting and reaching your weight loss goal much easier to do if you choose a diet that has concrete ‘phases’, such as the South Beach or the Atkins diet, since the weight loss and maintenance phases are clearly laid out for you to follow. Regardless of the diet you choose, though, by alternating between weight loss phases and maintenance phases, you’ll teach yourself and your body how to maintain a healthy weight.

Copyright 2006 Adam Waxler

About The Author

Adam Waxler publishes the Weight-Loss-Machine…a free weight loss newsletter. Sign up for your free subscription and receive a new weight loss tip each and every week guaranteed to help you lose weight. Grab your free subscription here: http://www.weight-loss-machine.com.

This article was posted on February 02, 2006

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Weight Loss and Snacking – can they go together?
Copyright 2006 Eva Moffat

Snacking in itself is not bad for you, but it’s your choice of what food you eat to tide you over until your next meal that can be the baddie.

If you snack on junk food, that is usually full of unhealthy fat, you will be more likely to have a weight gain rather than a weight loss.

Here are 7 ways you can snack and not mess up your weight loss programme:

Healthy Snacks, give them a fair try
Keep away from Trans Fats
Read the small print on the labels
Energy Bars are not all they are cracked up to be
You don’t have to have a snack just because the clock says it’s time
High fat snacks ….. run a mile
Ignore the TV ads that tempt you to eat unwisely

Healthy Snacks, Give Them A Try

If you must snack, go for the healthy alternatives. In the fridge or your lunch box have some ready prepared fruit and vegetables. You could peel a carrot, slice it up into bite size pieces and chew on it slowly. You will be amazed at how quickly this will satisfy you. And as mother used to tell you, ‘Eating carrots will help you see in the dark.’

Or have a nice crispy apple. Wash it but don’t peel it. Most of the goodness is in the skin.

Low fat biscuits can also help to keep you on track.

Have foods that are baked or grilled rather than fried.

Keep Away From Trans Fats

Trans Fats (bad fats) are the fats that raise your Cholesterol.

Cholesterol is the fat that clogs up your arteries, and as the blood is unable to flow smoothly, it can have the effect of giving you high blood pressure. High blood pressure can cause heart problems or strokes.

Foods containing Trans Fats could be found in Microwave Snack foods. If you see ‘partially hydrogenated oils’ listed on the label, alarm bells should be ringing in your head.

Read The Small Print On The Labels

Get out your magnifying glass, be like Sherlock Holmes and play detective.

Study the labels on the food you buy. Forget about the adverts telling you how wonderful they are, rather check for yourself what’s in it.

What you are looking for is the Nutritional Value. The label should tell you:

How many calories are in each portion?
Grams of fat per portion
Saturated Fat
Trans Fat
How much calcium is in each portion
Protein
Sugar
Salt

Work out for yourself, how much salt you are eating each day. It has been found that we should not be eating more than 6 grams of salt each day. You may be shocked to find that you are having more than your daily recommended amount of salt in one meal, so you could be over your limit if you eat more than one meal a day.

Also if the label says it contains Trans Fat. Do yourself a big favour and put the packet/tin back on the shelf and your heart will thank you for it.

Be sure to check how the manufacturers work out what they consider a portion. Often their portions are for birds and I mean the feathered type.

Energy Bars Are Not All They Are Cracked Up To Be

Those bars that are said to be packed with energy and power, should be scrutinised for what’s in it.

It’s a common belief that sugar gives you energy. But too much sugar can mean you end up with higher blood sugar levels than your body can cope with.

Maybe the label tells you that the bar is low in Carbohydrates, that’s fine, but what it doesn’t tell you, is that it is also low in fibre and probably higher in fat.

Be afraid; be very afraid, if it tastes good … it’s likely to be loaded with sugar.

So ideally, the perfect energy bar for you should contain the following.

At least 3 grams of Fibre
At least 5 grams of Protein
Lower amounts of fat
No saturated fat
And fewer than 20 grams of sugar.
Low in salt

You Don’t Have To Have A Snack Just Because The Clock Says It Is Time

If you have got into the habit of having a snack at 11.00 in the morning and again at 3.00 pm, do you really need it?

Say you had a high protein breakfast or lunch you should manage to get through to your next meal without the need to snack.

Yet if you had a high carbohydrate meal (either breakfast or lunch) you probably will be peckish, so a snack will prevent you from going into starvation mode.

Why is a High Protein meal better than a High Carbohydrate one?

The High Protein meal will be digested more slowly, so filling you up gradually over several hours.

While the High Carbohydrate meal fills you up instantly, but you will be feeling hungry much sooner. As High Carbohydrates are normally full of Calories, then having a High Carbohydrate snack as well, thus taking in even more calories, that weight loss plan you have been following is now about to fly out the window.

So if the clock tells you it’s snack time, only have a snack if you are really hungry. Then have a High Protein snack, it’s much less Calories in it.

High Fat Snacks … Run A Mile

High Fat snacks can encourage you to overeat.

Pennsylvania State University Researchers did a test on some rats, they fed the rats a High Fat diet; this resulted in the rats overeating. The researchers compared these results with rats fed a Low Fat diet.

The conclusion the Researchers came to was that there is a Hormone that is secreted then sends a message to the brain saying, ‘Stop eating now, you’re full up’. But on a High Fat diet, this Hormone was suppressed, and so the rats just went on eating. .

Ignore The TV Ads That Tempt You To Eat Unwisely

While you are watching TV, especially during Prime Time, have you noticed the number of adverts for snack foods? And of course these snacks are made up of junk foods; high in fat and salt.

As we know, these advertisers are paying thousands of pounds to get their adverts put in these prime spots. So the TV viewer is suddenly convinced that they are in need of a snack. Sure enough, when next at the Supermarket, he/she will deliberately seek out that advertised product. The mentality is …… if it’s advertised on the TV it must be good.

The advertiser has won again. And you lose your weight loss goals.

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