Tips To Lose Weight

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Become Healthy And Lose Weight By Walking Your Dog

This article is about weight loss and how to live a more healthy life, I hope you find it interesting to read and beneficial. I have had a lot of problems with my weight over the years and by the age of twenty-two had had enough of being obese. In the article I write about how I eventually lost my excess pounds.

I have always struggled to keep my weight under control. Being over-weight affected my whole life, I was unable to wear the clothes I wanted to and I often felt guilty after eating certain foods. I was adamant that if only I could lose a couple of stones my confidence would increase and that I would ultimately be a lot happier.

I read many books and attempted to follow a range of diets. For whatever reason this did not seem to help me, mainly because I could not stick to their weight loss programs due to my love of fatty foods.

One day I was talking to a neighbour who was not only very nice but also quite thin. She looked very fit and healthy and I enquired as to how she kept so trim.

This neighbour who is called Gillian seemed quite taken aback and even flattered by my question and went quite coy. She stated that at one point in her life, she had also had a weight problem and had not been happy about it. What she was about to say was quite a shock to me, however would eventually change my life.

She went on to say that wherever she went to at this stage of her life, she would travel to by car. Gillian had realised that in an average week, she did very little exercise and at times did none at all. She then went out and bought a dog and would take this pet for a walk at least twice a day. This was not a choir for Gillian and over the next few years even resulted in her meeting a number of new friends. Previously, Gillian had seen exercise as a hassle and very time consuming but on various days she would take her dog on four walks, she enjoyed it that much.

Gillian quickly noticed that not only was she losing weight but that she also felt a lot healthier. It was not long before she was at a weight she was happy with.

After listening to Gillian's story I decided to follow her weight loss program. Yes I went and bought a dog and am happy to report that it has also worked for me.

Beating Food Cravings

Everyone, regardless of how disciplined they are with their diet, will from time to time fall victim to cravings for one food item or another. For people trying to lose weight, these cravings are even more of a challenge to deal with than for someone simply maintaining their weight. Regardless of whether or not you are trying to lose weight however, cravings can be the one thing that makes you break your normal dietary habits and overdo the calories you usually try to do without.

Most people know that getting some kind of exercise and eating healthy, low-fat foods is the key to maintaining good health, but with the hectic and hurried schedules so many people have these days, sometimes eating right and getting exercise can be easier said than done. The best way to insure against dietary disaster when you do get those cravings throughout the day is to plan ahead and use a little strategy.

For one thing, try to plan 5 to 6 small meals with one to be eaten around every 3 hours of the day and make it a point not to miss any of them. It takes an average of 2 ½ hours for the human body to digest a meal, so by the time you start to feel a craving coming on, it’s almost time for your next meal anyway.

Make it a point to drink plenty of water. Quite often, feelings of hunger between meals are really your body trying to signal thirst. By keeping a bottle of water with you all day and making it a point to take constant “sips” throughout the day, you will keep hydrated, feel better, and eliminate one common cause for cravings to happen.

When you are at home, always try to keep some fresh fruit on hand. If you are hit with a craving, fruit is a better choice than cake or chips. Also, make a fat-free dip and cut up some fresh veggies like carrots and celery and keep them in the fridge. This will give you another quick and healthy snack that you can just grab and eat during a craving.

Never go to a party, a meeting, or any event where there will be food available on an empty stomach. This will set you right up to over eat when you get there. Always eat a small meal or at least eat a good, healthy snack before you go as this will help to stop cravings from hitting you while there.

If there are certain snack foods that you really enjoy, don’t try to completely cut them out. You will only overindulge in them when you can’t control the urge to have them later. Plan these snacks into your day, and just make them snacks that you have once in a while and in moderate amounts when you do.

Remember that just because certain food items are fat-free does not mean they are calorie free. When turning to fat free snacks, be careful of how many calories they contain and adjust your portions accordingly. It is very easy to assume fat-free is “safe” and go way overboard on them.

The next time you are hit with cravings, remember these little guidelines and you will be able to deal with them without ruining your efforts to maintain healthy eating habits.

Beat the Carb Cravings

Anyone who’s been on a low carb diet will tell you that the first week is the hardest. Some report actual physical symptoms of carb withdrawal, like irritability, headaches, and lack of energy. Others say it’s the emotional struggle to stay away from rice, bread, pasta, potatoes the staples that they’ve grown used to serving with every meal.

These carb cravings can easily tempt you into giving up on your diet altogether. Don’t. You have so much to gain (or in this case, lose): think 10 pounds in the first two weeks, as some diets claim, and a visible reduction of tummy handles. (Hey, you’ll be able to fit in a smaller size of jeans!) So how do you survive the battle against bread? Here are some tips:

Indulge in the right food

One of the advantages of low carb diets is that you don’t starve yourself. You can eat very well, just stay away from certain types of food. How does help beat the carb cravings? If you’re not ravenous, you’re less likely to raid the fridge in a mad fit of hunger. You can also replace a high-carb snack (like a chocolate bar) with an equally tasty bag of peanuts, and not feel deprived.

Veteran low carb dieters actually advise keeping stashes of low-carb diets in their desk drawers, or by the television the places where most people get the desire to munch on something. Keep the portions small, just enough to make you feel that you’ve had a treat, without actually turning into a binge. You’ll need a lot of small plastic bags, or tiny plastic containers. Another tip: prepare the individual servings beforehand, preferably after eating a meal so you’re not tempted to put more than you should.

Keep yourself busy

Most of us eat not out of hunger but habit. You’re bored, stressed, or you’re killing time before you take on the next item on your to-do list. Avoid temptation by keeping your mind on something you enjoy. Some dieters carry a book around, others start a hobby like scrapbooking which will let them pass long hours without even thinking about food. For those who work at the office, and need something to keep them away from the vendo machine, bookmark a website that you can browse until the snack attack passes.

Look for other forms of recreation

It’s become customary to make meals the center of any recreational activity: eating chips while watching a movie, going out to dinner with friends. While you’re still getting used to the low-carb regimen, pass up the invitation to have drinks after work and invite everyone to watch a play, hit the badminton courts, or attend a museum opening.

Get a diet buddy

Dieting becomes more fun when you have a diet partner to give encouragement, praise you for every lost pound, and even help you scout for the low-carb friendly restaurants in your area. Don’t know anyone? Go online and join a dieter’s forum. Exchange recipes, share thoughts, and hey, even make new friends. You’ll still feel the carb cravings, but somehow, saying no is a little easier.

The best fat loss system is a body cleanse

Be Safe While You Lose Weight With Weight Loss Drug

I have faced so much embarrassment in the past due to extra pounds on my body. I couldn’t think of regaining my flexibility. Everyone looked me like a person from other space. I was not able to face my friends and in no time I lost all my friends. Then a day comes when my doctor advices me to take weight loss drug. I haven’t tried that before this is why I was not sure about to take these medicines. But after starting the treatment I found myself in that position where I can live life at the fullest. Thanks to weight loss drug. I had lost weight with weight loss drug,

Weight loss! Just like me, everyone thinks that it is very difficult to lose weight and to regain flexibility. But the evolution of medical science has proved it wrong. We gain weight when the intake calories are greater than calories that burned. A limited about of calories contribute as the source of energy. But the excess calories that reside in the body stay in the form of fat.

Excess weight can cause various adverse effects like as under:-
•Chronic joint pain, lower back pain.
•Heart failure, and
•Diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension
One way to get rid of excess weight is to indulge more of your time in exercises, daily walks. Doctors’ advices low fat food with the intention of preventing the weight to rise.
But only fatless food doesn’t restrict body weight to lower down.

Then medical science discovered weight loss drug for quicker weight loss. This weight loss is like a boon for those who hate to exercise. A number of medicines are available in the market to remove that extra punch of flesh on body as: -
•Phentermine
•Meridian
•Xenical
•Adipex and many more

These weight loss drugs are meant for short term usage, as long term usage of these medicines may create some complications. One can loss his or her weight with weight loss drug with well balanced diet. Lack of balanced diet with the usage of these weight loss drugs may cause weakness in the body.

Consulting doctor is necessary if you want to use weight loss drug. One should not rely on these weight loss drugs for more than 4-6 weeks without doctor’s knowledge. Keep in mind that these weight loss drugs alone may not give required results. A bit of exercise is needed for better results.

Though these weight loss drugs are beneficial in losing weight but one should not forget its side effects. Usage of these weight loss drugs may cause mild headache, effect on sleep, sagging of muscles etc. Before taking these types of weight loss drugs one should thoroughly consult his or her doctor to prevent its adverse effects.

The best fat loss system is a body cleanse

Be Careful With Diet Pills

If you are a person who has struggled with their weight and has a BMI, or body mass index, above a 27, the idea of a pill helping you lose weight is very appealing. Taking diet pills seem to be the quick fix to helping obese persons lose weight. There are advantages to taking diet pills, but you have to weigh these benefits with the potential dangers of taking diet pills.

Some things you have to be careful about when taking diet pills are:

· Dangerous side effects and drug interactions – Some prescription diet drugs are very strong. Possible side effects occur in almost all prescription medications, and some can be very serious in nature. Each diet pill has its own unique set of side effect warnings, but some of the more commonly listed side effects are dry mouth, sleeplessness, irritability, upset stomach and constipation. You also have to look at the possibility of drug interactions between the diet pills and other medications you are taking. If you have any other health issues, the taking of diet pills may cause serious consequences when combined with other medications.

· The potential for becoming dependant of the diet pills – There are many diet pills that can become habit forming. Some prescription diet pills are stimulant-based and can be abused by users. This abuse can lead to dependence, just as with any other strong medication. Make sure to talk with your doctor if he decides to put you on a diet prescription that has been shown to be habit-forming. Find out what signs you should look for to indicate if you are having a problem.

· The potential of the diet pills disrupting regular metabolism – Since prescription diet drugs main purpose is to suppress appetite, the person taking diet pills may find themselves consuming many less calories than normal. This is good for losing weight on the surface, but ultimately will lead to your natural metabolism to slow down. When your natural metabolism slows, so does the rate in which you lose weight. That is why people who take diet drugs find they only lose a finite amount of weight when they take diet pills alone.

In order for diet pills to work for you, the first thing you should do is talk to your doctor. Find ways to change your lifestyle on top of the taking of the diet drugs to help you lose weight. Regular exercise, changing food choices, and regular check-ups with your doctor are great ways to increase your weight loss success.

Basics of Losing Weight

Failed diets and out of control obesity may lead you to believe that losing weight is difficult but it is quite easy, at least on paper. The only thing you need to do is keep the calories that you burn greater than the calories that you eat. So why is this article so long?

Your first step is to figure out how many calories you are burning each day. There are a few formulas that have come out over the years that estimate how many calories you burn per day based on your sex, age, weight, height and physical activity. When using these formulas, keep in mind that the number you get gives you an estimate not a number that never changes day to day. It will fluctuate.

Safe weight loss is considered 1-2 pounds per week. While it is possible to lose more, it is extremely unhealthy to do so. So how many calories do you actually have to cut out of your diet? One pound of body fat equals about 3500 calories. If you want to lose one pound in a week, you need to cut 3500 calories out of your diet per week. While this might sound like a lot, per day it comes out to a 500 calorie deficit.

Your next step is to ask yourself how you want to get rid of any unwanted weight. You can cut 500 calories out of your diet per day, or increase the amount of calories you burn by 500 calories per day. A combination of these two methods is the best way to go.

The best fat loss system is a body cleanse

Bariatric surgery & early death

Weight loss surgeries have witnessed huge popularity in recent times. The number of stomach-shrinking operations, a type of bariatric surgery meant for severely obese people has skyrocketed in recent years. Few celebrities of Hollywood have also opted for this form of surgery to curtail obesity.

But there are various risks associated with these surgeries especially for elderly people and those suffering from heart disease. At times, it can result in early death. Patients aged 65 or older face a nearly threefold increase in the risk of early mortality according to latest findings. It has been found that men are nearly twice as likely to die following such procedures as opposed to women. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, more than 5% of men and nearly 3% of women aged 35 to 44 years were dead within a year of having the surgery and a slightly higher rate were found in patients aged between 45 to 54.

Bariatric surgery is a complicated procedure therefore a surgeon requires prior experience to perform it properly. Patients whose surgeons had performed fewer than 20 procedures were nearly five times as likely to die within 30 days after the operation as compared to others. Despite the greater risk associated with it, bariatric surgery can be a safe and effective tool for morbidly obese people, who face serious health problems if they don't lose weight.

Things you need to know about bariatric surgery
1.Bariatric surgery is not an easy option for obesity sufferers as it carries the usual pain and risks of any major gastrointestinal surgical operation.
2.Bariatric surgery requires changes in eating habits therefore after having bariatric surgery; patients remain at a lifelong risk of nutritional deficiencies.
3.Bariatric Surgery is best suited for morbidly obese people.
4.High amount of motivation is required to make the surgery a success.
5.This procedure is costly as compared to other weight loss techniques.
Therefore, be well informed about the surgery you want to opt for as it can make weight loss an easy and safe affair for you.

to know more about weight loss and diet pills, visit:http://www.slimtour.com

The best fat loss system is a body cleanse

Avoid the "Take-Home-Box" Overload

After you’ve had the RNY surgery, there is one thing you immediately begin to notice.. and that’s what I call the “Take-Home Box Overload”. This is what happens inside your refrigerator as a result of you brining home all of those take-home boxes from restaurants because you cannot finish the meal. Even prior to surgery, you couldn’t often finish the meal when some restaurants serve such large portions. So packing up the leftovers after an eat-out meal seems natural to you, so you do it often.

PROBLEM ONE: The Take-Home Boxes can actually establish huge neighborhoods inside your fridge!

PROBLEM TWO: You feel you MUST NOT throw all of that food out because you have been taught from the early days of your crib that you SHALL NOT WASTE FOOD because of all the starving children elsewhere who certainly would appreciate the food you are wasting, right? Frankly, when you heard that guilt-phrase that was supposed to motivate you to gobble up, didn’t you feel even MORE compelled NOT to finish eating and MAIL your uneaten portion to those starving children? I never really understood that philosophy of telling me I better eat because some poor children don’t have enough to eat…. A puzzlement.

PROBLEM THREE: Because of the guilt, you decide that you’ll just “snack” on the food in the take-home boxes. So you snack, snack again, snack some more, and HOORAY… you’ve eaten everything in the box and you didn’t waste the food! OH, but you’ve done yourself a BAD turn!

Bad turn? How?

Let’s consider that the food in that take-home box could contain 1500 to 2000 calories. So what? Well, when you eat those leftovers, you are consuming those ADDITIONAL 1500 to 2000 calories that you DON’T need in your eating routine… especially if you eat them as SNACKS and not meals. It is a DANGEROUS thing to leave those take-home boxes in the fridge when they scream at you to be consumed. Don’t listen to them!

Here’s what you need to do instead:

If you truly plan on eating the leftovers as “another meal portion”, then you should wrap them according and place them in your FREEZER for eating LATER. You know that adage, “out of sight, out of mind?”… well, this is that basic concept. By doing this regularly, you’ll be able to rotate your frozen meal portions for a better variety rather than eating the leftovers time after time. How appealing is it to eat six servings of chili in a row? It’s not… so freeze the portions and eat them later.

The FREEZER is your solution to curb the “snacking” out of those take-home boxes. So use it as your new best friend, you new best meal-planner buddy, and your calorie-saver!

Getting use to the idea of tossing out food is a hard one, but it’s something you have to get used to as well. The dog or cat will always be there to volunteer to eat what you can’t’, and the animals will show you a deeper devotion that ever imaginable! And your household loved ones often appreciate you giving them an open invitation to anything they find in the take-home boxes.

Get a grip on this early so you won’t sabotage yourself with those additional calories that will creep up on you if you fall pray to snacking or through guilt-eating. As an RNY patient, you are only to consume a minimal amount of calories anyway.. so don’t fall into the trap of eating more than you need. This could be a factor as to why you seem to not be losing enough weight or why you are gaining some back after awhile.

Bottom Line: Take-Home Boxes can be Dangerous… Tame them before they do you harm!

The best fat loss system is a body cleanse

Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

As the holidays approach, a feeling of dread creeps in. Not only is money getting tighter, but your pants are, too. It's the same old story. Colder weather keeps you stuck indoors, while the yummy holiday cooking fattens you up. Not this year. Not me! I refuse to gain those holiday pounds and you can, too. No, you don't have to sign any contracts at an expensive gym. You can get the body you want on a limited budget.

You may not realize it, but workout videos are more fun and exciting than they used to be.

Workout videos are also much less expensive than a gym membership or buying home workout equipment like a treadmill or elliptical trainer.

If the thought of buying workout videos reminds you of leg warmers and striped leotards, you've got some catching up to do. You're not stuck with the boring workout videos of the 80s and 90s anymore. Believe it or not, the same sought-after trainers who get paid the big bucks to train celebrities can be on call to train you in your own home for pennies a day.

Some of the newest fitness trends are available on video.

Ballet:

Have you always envied a ballet dancer's lean and graceful body? Several ballet videos are now available as workout videos. One of the most popular choices right now was created by the famous New York City Ballet. Although you won't learn to be the next prima ballerina training with exercise video at home, you will shape and lengthen your muscles for a graceful body.

Belly Dancing:

Shimmy your way to a great waistline. Whether you want an instructional video to teach you proper belly dancing technique or you just want to exercise with belly dance moves, you'll find a wide variety of videos available.

Exotic Dancing:

You read that right. If you've ever thought it would be fun to learn sexy moves, then this is for you. In the privacy and safety of your own home, you can bump and gyrate to your heart's content. I have also heard that laughter is good for your abs, so you'll have that covered as well, especially if you have a mirror in your workout room.

Yoga or Pilates:

If you're looking for a sleek, lean body, firm core, or more flexibility, then there are hundreds of yoga and Pilates videos to choose from. You'll find yoga for adults as well as yoga for kids. Yes, kids get stressed, too. Yoga is a great way to teach them to relax.

Fitness videos for kids:

Oftentimes kids can be the best motivators. If you put in a Sesame Street dance video and your three year old asks you to dance with Elmo, you can hardly say "no".

Once you've chosen a trend or video you are interested in, set a specific time each day to "meet" with your personal trainer. It's best to rotate at least two different forms of exercise (or videos) to avoid repetitive use strains. You can do different videos each day, or alternate a walk, bike ride or other activity you enjoy on your non-video days. As long as you are moving, you're keeping those spare pounds from firmly attaching to your body.

So, don't sign that costly gym membership agreement just yet. Blow the dust off the exercise videos in your cabinet, get some good walking shoes, or check out the hottest trends at your favorite online store. It's the frugal way to go.

The best fat loss system is a total body cleanse

Attitude: Your Weight Loss Secret

It's a contest of purposeless suffering....to me of course, it's all about living." - Lance Armstrong comments on the grueling demands of competitive cycling, after his fourth Tour de France victory in 2002.

With the start of the Tour de Georgia last week and the approach of the Tour de France in July, I find myself checking in to see what Lance Armstrong is up to these days. I sometimes do this when I’m in need of a little motivation.

Of course, you remember that all of Lance Armstrong's seven Tour de France wins followed a cancer diagnosis in 1996. This was not just any cancer, but a highly aggressive testicular carcinoma that rapidly metastasized to his lungs and brain.

Most people would have crumbled, but based on Armstrong's attitude toward life, his response was absolutely predictable.

After absorbing the terror of a certain death sentence, he assaulted the aggressor with the same guts and determination that he exhibits on grueling inclines in the French Alps. It is in the mountains where he typically leaves his competitors in the dust.

Armstrong’s motto… "Knowledge is power and attitude is everything". The rest is history.

As someone who helps people lose weight and improve fitness by changing their habits and behaviors, I'd like to take a closer look at the subject of attitude.

After all, it's attitude that determines whether you drag yourself off the couch and out the door for an invigorating walk, or spend the afternoon watching TV.

Whether it's to enhance your life, or save your life, to a very large degree, it is attitude that determines where you end up.

If you would like a good example of how attitude can overcome a real downer of an experience, consider Kelly Luckett of Decatur, Georgia. She ran 26.2 miles last year, as the third ever female amputee to compete in the Boston Marathon. That's 26.2 miles folks...in six hours, twenty minutes and two seconds.

Ms. Luckett had the choice to either succumb to her disability or live life fully. She chose to not only live, but to strive for excellence and the result was outstanding.

With the list of things I have to do today, I have a “pretty good reason” to stay hunched over my desk until dinnertime, but I guess I have just motivated myself to haul up the anchor and take my protesting body out for a run.

It's all about living!

Tips to “Boost” Your Attitude:

Most of us understand the reasons for our poor physical fitness and the answer to losing weight. We have read volumes on diet and exercise, but it is our attitude that prevents us from doing what needs to be done.

One way to develop a powerfully positive attitude, even if you don’t feel that way, is to behave as if you do. To that end, planning your actions and anticipating setbacks, in advance, is essential.

1. Schedule workouts on your calendar. Making an important appointment with yourself, in writing, carries more weight than just the vague intention to do something. Schedule for first thing in the morning because research shows that people who exercise before the business day begins are most likely to stick with it.

2. A little bit of something is better than nothing. Regardless of how short you are on time or how blah you're feeling, commit to just five or ten minutes. Every little bit helps and, almost always, once you get going, your energy picks up and you have a great workout.

3. Be flexible. A change of plans is not an excuse to do nothing. If you usually exercise in the gym, and you’re out of town, go for a jog. If you forgot your running shoes, go for a brisk walk. Honor your commitment to your exercise appointment.

4. When possible, join your spouse or a workout partner. It’s a lot less easy to cop out if someone else is depending on you.

5. Check out Lance’s autobiography, “It’s Not About the Bike. My Journey Back to Life”. Last time I looked, you could get a used copy for fifty cents on http://www.Amazon.com . If this book doesn’t motivate you, nothing will!

"Be Strong... Be Lean"

The best fat loss system is a body cleanse