Fighting Childhood Obesity Starts At Home

It is a fact that people are generally getting fatter in many
western societies. This is reflected in the popularity of diet
books and fitness equipment. But while most of us realize it
would be good to lose a bit of weight, we are only vaguely
aware of the staggering levels of "obesity" in our societies.
We are even less aware of the impact this is having on our
children, and the widespread existence of childhood obesity.

**What is Obesity?**

Generally speaking, a person is considered "obese" when the
amount of fat stored in his body endangers his health. Here are
some recent OECD statistics that show just how widespread the
problem of obesity is:

Percentage of Population (over 15 years of age) who are obese

U.S.A. - 30.6%
Mexico - 24.2%
U.K. - 22.4%
Australia - 21.7%
New Zealand - 17%
Canada - 14.9%
Germany - 12.9%
France - 9.4%

In other words, almost 1 in 3 Americans and roughly 1 in 5
Australians are so grossly overweight as to have health
problems because of it.

**Causes of Obesity**

As individuals we have a tendency to rationalise our
inclination to be overweight or obese. We often blame such
things as heredity, or glandular imbalance, and while these
things often do make a difference, the primary cause for most
obesity is quite simple. A person gains weight when he or she
consumes more calories than they burn.

In other words, there are two important factors involved --
diet and activity level. And it seems pretty obvious that in
countries with a high obesity level, both things are taking a
hit. Western diets are oozing with more fat and sugar than ever
before, while people are generally becoming more sedentary and
getting less physical exercise -- sitting in front of computers
all day, and in front of the TV all night.

**Consequences of an Obese Lifestyle**

Obesity has overtaken infectious diseases as the most
significant contributor to ill health worldwide.

Illness such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, high
blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea, asthma, heart disease,
stroke, back and lower extremity weight-bearing degenerative
problems, certain types of cancer, and depression, have been
attributed to obesity.

In fact, it has been estimated that roughly 500,000 deaths now
occur annually due to poor diet and physical inactivity. If
this trend towards obesity is not reversed in the next few
years, it will likely overtake tobacco as the leading
preventable cause of death.

Even more troubling, when adults adopt an obese lifestyle, they
are more likely to pass their eating and activity habits along
to their children. This has given rise to a dramatic increase
in obesity in children.

**Obesity in children**

Obesity in children has become commonplace in many countries.
For instance, it is estimated that obesity in children and
adults in the US has increased by more than 30% over the past
10 years alone.

The reasons are obvious. Children are subjected to the obese
lifestyle from all sides. Many families have substituted high
fat, high sugar junk food and soft drinks for regular
well-balanced meals. Or they have simply stopped preparing
meals in the home -- the proportion of foods that children
consumed from restaurants and fast food outlets increased by
nearly 300% between 1977 and 1996.

Children are also the targets of a constant barrage of
advertising that promotes highly processed junk food. And in
many cases the normal physical activity that has been a part of
childhood for many generations has been restricted by concerns
for safety, or completely replaced by sedentary activities like
playing video games or watching TV.

**Consequences of childhood obesity**

Obesity is never a good thing. But obesity in children is
especially bad. Once fat cells are created in the body they
cannot be gotten rid of by normal dieting or increased physical
activity. So an obese child normally carries their obesity
through into adulthood.

On the other hand, if a child learns good habits for diet and
exercise as children, they will very likely carry these habits
and this knowledge into adulthood as well.

**What Can be Done about Childhood Obesity?**

It is up to parents and other adults to teach responsible
alternatives to the obese lifestyle. Parents must first become
aware of the problems with their own personal and family eating
habits and activity levels, and then they must make adjustments
that will have a positive lifelong impact on their children.

One effective way is to adopt the "AKA" approach -- AWARENESS
of the problem. KNOWLEDGE of what to do about it, and ACTION
designed to bring about lifestyle changes. Children have an
innate thirst for knowledge, a deep desire to improve their
self-image, and will love the attention you give them as you
develop a plan for a more healthy lifestyle for your entire
family.


About The Author: The Body Mechanics Toolkit
http://www.bodymechanics.tv/tool-kit.htm This program gives
you the tools to help your children fight obesity. See
http://www.bodymechanics.tv

 

Easy Weight Loss - Make A Start Right Now!

Christmas has come and gone, and what is
there to look forward to! Summer holidays I suppose, but they
do seem such a long time away. 

Anyway, I must confess that at the moment, even the thought of
a holiday horrifies me, because after my over-indulgence during
the festive season, the last thing that I want to be doing is
even more eating and drinking. 

So, if there is nothing to look forward to for now, and we are
in the midst of the January depression, what on earth CAN we do
to lift ouselves out of the blues at this time of year! 

Here's one thought for you, start right now and get fit. I
suggest that not only will that make you feel heaps better,
after a few weeks, you will even start to look forward to that
summer vacation. Let me give you another more serious and
compelling reason for this, and that is that we all shoud start
to take our long term health much more seriously than we do at
present. 

At least that is my humble opinion. 
 
Did you know for instance that current statistics reveal that
75% of Americans are overweight and 40% are obese. That is just
in the US, and I am prepared to hazard an educated guess that
the rest of the developed world is not far behind.

For those who desire to lose weight and obtain optimal health
therefore, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out where to
start. 

From the Atkins Diet to the South Beach Diet, from low fat to
low carb diets, there are numerous weight-loss plans to choose
from. In addition, given conflicting information as to what
works best, it can be difficult deciding what to do. 

For those who have tried many diet plans with no success, it
becomes more difficult and frustrating. Many people forget that
a diet might work wonders for their friend but won't work well
for them. This is not necessarily because the diet is "bad",
but because each body reacts differently. 
However, there is a way to lose weight that is easy, fast, and
doesn't involve deprivation or calorie counting. 

It is important to address some background information about
body genetics and why weight loss can be difficult before I
start to discuss weight loss tips. 

At the start of any diet, it is important to note that each
person has a different body build. Some people are short and
stout, while others are tall and thin. Some have big hips and
shoulders, and others are short and very muscular. Genetics can
determine body shape and a person's natural build just as it can
do eye color, hair color, skin color, and so on. 

The good news is that genetics do not determine whether or not
one will be fat, but will determine one's body shape. 

This means that not every woman can expect to be tall and thin
like a Hollywood actress or supermodel such as Tyra Banks. Not
every man can expect to be defined and muscular like The Rock.
The goal really, in my opionion, is to be at a comfortable
weight for one's body shape and to feel good about it. 

Having said all that, why is it that people are overweight! I
have listed ten of the most common reasons below:- 

1. Slow metabolism - People who are overweight have a hard time
"burning off" their intake of food. As a result the fat is
stored up in the body, rather than used. 

2. Emotional eating - Those who struggle with weight often eat
when stressed, or when other emotional upheavals are happening
in their life. 

3. Hormonal imbalances - This does mainly apply to the ladies,
(complex creatures that we are!). 

4. Eating portions - We can all be guilty of the syndrome that
I like to call "greed not need". So watch out for those portion
sizes.

5. A build up of toxins in the body - This can be due to too
much junk food, candies, sodas, too much coffee, these can all
contriubute to this.

6. Eating too late - Late-night eating can cause food to
convert to fat a lot more easily, as well as making sleep more
difficult. 

7. A high susceptibility to growth hormones - These are the
hormones which are given to animals to help them grow faster
and larger. Some meat and dairy can have some residual growth
hormones. These hormones can sometimes result in increased fat
storage. 

8. Not eating breakfast - This really does make your metabolism
slow and sluggish. 

9. Numerous diets - Going from diet to diet has a negative
impact on the metabolism and causes weight loss to be much more
difficult. 

10. Food ingredients - The reasons why are amazing and beyond
the scope of this article. 

 

Build Big Muscles Fast

Gain Muscle Mass Guide

 

So you want to build big muscles? Simple isn't it? Just join a
gym and hit those weights regularly and viola, in a couple of
months, you will gain so much muscle mass that you are ready to
take on any bodybuilding contest. Is it really that simple to
build big muscles? Well, to gain muscle mass, there is much
more than just hitting the gym regularly. Here are some muscle
mass gaining tips :-

1) Eat and Eat - To build muscles, you must eat. Your calorie
consumption must be more than your calorie expenditure. If you
expand all the calories you have eaten, then where are the
calories to build muscles? 

2) Protein - Make sure that you eat enough protein. You should
eat at least one gram of protein per pound of your body weight
everyday if you want to gain muscle mass fast. If you don't get
enough protein, your muscles won't grow big.

3) Supplement - If you cannot have adequate protein from your
normal meals, supplement with protein shakes. If you want more
strength so that you can lift heavier weights to grow bigger
muscles, take Creatine supplement.

4) Weight Training - You must lift with heavy weights and to
add on more weight consistently to progressively build your
muscles. But it is very important not to sacrifice correct
lifting techniques and form for the sake of lifting heavier.

5) Lift Free Weights - Use free weights like dumbells and
barbells to recruit more muscle fibers so that more muscle
fibers can be worked on.

6) Compound Exercises - Work with compound exercises like bench
presses, squats, barbell rows, chin ups and dead lifts to build
big muscle mass. If you concentrate on working your puny
muscles like your biceps, then you will only have puny muscle
growth.

7) Get Enough Rest - Have rest days in between your workout
days and do not work the same muscle group more than twice a
week. Your muscles need to recover from your workouts in order
to grow big.

8) Get Enough Sleep - Sleep at least 8 hours a day. More even
better. Your muscles grow when you sleep.

If you practise the above 8 steps consistently, your muscles
will grow fast and big. Of course there are many more things
you can do to achieve a competitive bodybuilder's physique of
which I cannot cover in just an article here. So do research
for more knowledge.

Take Control of Your Metabolism:

Quick Tips for Increased Muscle Tone, Faster Fat Burning, and Energy Levels Like a 9 Year Old!

by Jesse Cannone CFT, CPRS, CSPN

So many people are talking about how slow their metabolism is and why they need to start taking the latest diet supplement scam yet they don’t even understand how the human metabolism works. So before I even go into how to speed yours up, I want to first go over some of the basics.

What is metabolism?

There are many scientific ways for me to put to you and I could make it seem really confusing like most of the so-called experts do, but I won’t. I’m going to give you my extremely simple and easy to understand definition...

metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories to sustain life

I should also note that your body, yes yours, burns calories 24 hours a day, everyday – regardless of whether or not you workout or not. Remember that, your body needs energy all the time, even while you’re a sleep and that is why skipping meals is the absolute worst thing you can do if your goal is to lose weight (body fat).

Before we go any further let’s talk about what affects metabolism...

What affects metabolism?

What do you think has the biggest impact on your metabolism? Activity levels? Your Thyroid? Age?

WRONG! WRONG! and WRONG! Activity levels, Thyroid function, and age do affect metabolism but not nearly as much as...

any idea?  It’s muscle tissue! The more muscle you have the more calories you burn regardless of how active you are, how old you are, etc. It’s live tissue and it’s there working for you and burning calories 24 hours a day – each and every day!

Here’s a list of some of the factors affecting metabolism in order of biggest impact to least:

• muscle tissue (you already know why this is on the top of the list)

• meal frequency (the longer you go between meals the more your metabolism slows down to conserve energy)

• activity level (important but doesn’t make any difference if you don’t match your eating to your expenditure)

• food choices (ex. low-fat diets tend to result in poor hormone production which leads to a slower metabolism)

• hydration (over 70% of bodily functions take place in water – not enough water causes all your systems to slow down and unnecessary stress)

• genetics (some people have higher metabolisms than others – you can’t change genetics but you can still win the battle!)

• hormone production and function (think you have a slow thyroid? it’s not likely – before you go blame it on the thyroid first stabilize your blood sugar and throw in some progressive exercise 2-3 times each week)

• stress (stress also can slow metabolism by placing extra stress and strain on numerous systems. plus, many people tend to overeat when “stressed out”)

Why does it slow down?

How many times have you heard someone say, “as soon as you hit 30 your metabolism slows down”? Maybe you’ve said it. I know I hear it all the time and I got tired of hearing it so I did a little research and found that the metabolism does NOT slow down significantly due to aging but DOES due to a lack of muscle. And, you don’t lose muscle quickly due to aging either but due to a decrease or lack of physical stress.

So, the major cause of a slowing metabolism is three fold...

1. you lose muscle due to the lack of physical stress

2. your body cannibalizes muscle when it needs energy but you won’t supply any because you are “dieting” and skipping meals

3. your activity levels tend to decrease as you get older

So now we know the problem... what’s the solution? Address those 3 issues! I’ve found with years of experience in helping hundreds of people, that increasing your metabolism and getting rid of that excess body fat can often times be quite easy! Yet you’ll hear of all these experts telling you how hard it is and why you need to buy their new diet program, supplement, or fitness contraption.

It’s not that hard, it doesn’t have to be confusing, and you don’t need any of that crap! All you need is an understanding of how your body works and the willingness to make some small changes.

Here’s my basic formula for jump starting your metabolism:

Step 1 - Stop the storage of new fat

It doesn't make any sense to start an exercise program if you just end up adding new fat later that day. This is a problem that is very common among people who start an exercise in an attempt to lose weight.

See the problem is this...

We don’t get fat due to a lack of exercise – we get fat because we supply the body with more calories than it needs at a given time. So the solution has nothing to do with exercise – it’s all about your eating! And I’m not saying you have to eat low-fat, super clean and healthy diet consisting of salad and tofu only. You can still eat the foods you like IF you can give the body just the amount it needs.

The key is to give the body the energy it needs, but just that amount not a bunch extra because extra is extra is extra, it doesn’t matter what it’s from. Salad can be stored as fat, celery can be stored as fat – if it results in extra it can be stored as fat. I should also note that not all extra energy is stored in the fat cells and I will touch on that later.

So forget about trying to burn off any fat unless you can first stop storing new fat! Again, you do that by matching your eating to your activity level. This means small, balanced meals or snacks every 2-3 hours and the amount of calories in each feeding should depend on how active you are at that time of day.

Step 2 – Attack the existing fat

This requires a combination approach consisting of stable blood sugar/energy levels, and progressive cardiovascular/aerobic exercise and strength training.

We already talked about how important stable blood sugar and energy levels are and how to match you eating to your activity level so now I’d like to cover the exercise part of the equation.

In order for the exercise to even be worth your time you must be sure it’s progressive. Just because you run on the treadmill for 30 minutes three times a week, that doesn’t mean your body has to burn off that unwanted body fat! You have to force the body makes changes and improvements and the ONLY way to do that is to consistently provide a stimulus or stress that is greater than what the body is used to.

Here are some general guidelines on how you can make your exercise progressive and productive:

Strength training

• Change exercises frequently (every 2-4 weeks)

• Increase resistance

• Perform more reps

• Slower reps 

• Advanced techniques

Cardiovascular training

• Increase speed/resistance

• Perform intervals

• Increase distance traveled

• Cross train by performing numerous activities

I should also say that it is extremely important that you have a well thought out and detailed plan to follow. You can’t just say “ok, now I know what to do” and then try a little of this here and little of that there. You need a roadmap.

If you are serious about achieving your weight loss and fitness goals I highly recommend you get the help of a professional. Whether that means one on one personal fitness training or just a do-it-your-self fitness plan – your chances of success are much greater.

Get a Personal Workout Online today..at Http://thenutrifitness.com

 

Do Weight Loss Pills Or Diet Pills Really Work?

Do you really want to lose weight and get rid of extra body fat
forever? If so, which is the most convenient and effective
method to achieve permanently weight loss? Do I hear you say by
taking weight loss pills or diet pills?

Well, by taking weight loss pills or diet pills may be
convenient for you to lose those unwanted body fat, it
certainly is not effective if you want to lose weight
permanently. I am sure many of you have already tried taking
weight loss pills and once you stopped taking them, your weight
starts to creep up on you again didn’t they? That is frustrating
and an awful waste of money isn’t it?

There are many types of weight loss pills and diet pills in the
market. Some of these pills will curb your appetite, some
supposedly speed up your metabolism and some are supposed to
prevent your body from absorbing too much oil from your diet or
restrict absorption of carbohydrate. But they all have one thing
in common. Once you are off the pills, you will put on weight
again. Therefore taking weight loss pills or diet pills are
only temporary solutions. They do not condition your body to
burn unwanted fat forever. On the contrary, your body may even
adapt and resist the effects of the pills making you waste even
more money and causing you more frustration.

So what is the best solution for permanent weight loss? Well,
just do these 3 things:-

. Build Muscle - The more muscle you have, the more calories
your body will burn. So when extra calories are being burnt
everyday, over a period of time, you would have burnt off
massive amount of calories. Furthermore, you will look good
with a well toned body and your posture will also improve
making you look even slimmer. That means you are a calorie
burning machine when you have more muscle.

. Change Eating Habit - Eat your carbohydrate early in the day
and restrict carbohydrate consumption later part of the day.
This will help your body to regulate insulin level and reduce
the chances of carbohydrate turning into body fat. Also avoid
starchy carbohydrate and refined carbohydrate like white rice,
refined flour foodstuff like cakes and pastries, white bread,
pasta etc. Replace these with high fiber and slow to digest
carbs like brown bread and brown rice. Carbohydrate turns into
body fat quickly if digested too fast.

. Exercise Your Heart and Lungs - Go for regular exercise and
perform exercises that will make you puff, pant and sweat such
as jogging, skipping or take part in ball games. These
activities not only improve your heart and lung health, they
also burn massive calories.

When these 3 activities become part of your routine, you will
be burning extra calories every day. That means you will not
put on weight easily and will lose body fat forever. Best of
all, it is free. So why spend money on temporary solutions like
weight loss pills and diet pills?

About The Author: Chris Chew is a fitness personal trainer of
fashion models, international pageant winners and actors. More
free fitness tips on his websites http://www.sgfitness.com and
http://www.sgfitnessonline.com

Check out NutriFitness for more articles and start your diet and exercise plan today!Http://thenutrifitness.com

 

 

 

Abdominal Exercise And Weight Loss

Abdominal Exercise

When most people start on a weight-loss regime the first thing
they wish to attack is their waistline. They start off with
visions of turning a beer gut into an abdominal six-pack. After
a few weeks of strenuous exercise nothing appears to happen and
soon they lose confidence and give up.

This article is designed to explain, in laymen's terms, why
this happens and why you may be using the wrong exercises, or
possibly the right exercises at the wrong time. Either way you
are doing yourself no favors.

Never give up because only losers quit. We've all heard the old
saying: "The height of stupidity is to repeat the same thing and
expect a different result." If it isn't working you try a
different routine and you keep doing that until you find the
routine that does work, that is the way of winners.

Why These Exercises do not Reduce Waist

The first thing you must accept is that all abdominal exercises
only strengthen abdominal muscles, if those muscles are covered
by a layer of fat when you start they will still be covered by
the same layer of fat when you finish. You will have stronger
abdominal muscles but you will not look any different.
Therefore your attempt to create figure from fat will have
failed. The secret to making these abdominal exercises work is
to lose fat first. You lose fat by diet and aerobic exercise,
by burning more calories than you take in with food. When you
have reduced your waistline to a more natural size you can then
take up abdominal exercises and start working on that perfect
six-pack.

Weight Loss

In a nutshell you need to reduce your calorie intake and burn
some calories off by using light exercise. Losing weight can
only be achieved by eating less and moving more. Forget the
complicated scientific formulae, it all boils down to eating
less and moving more. 

Exercise Wisdom

Conventional wisdom claims that you need to exercise for
30-minutes each day and that this demand can be broken down to
six five minute sessions or three ten minute sessions,
whichever suits you best. You can carry out aerobic exercise
using simple methods like parking your car as far from the
store as possible and forcing yourself to walk further. Maybe
walking up the stairs instead of using the escalator, any small
act of this nature that adds to your normal exercise output is
aerobic exercise and burns calories. 

Eating habits

Furthermore it makes sense to eat five or six meals each day
rather than two or three. Why? Because you will eat smaller
meals and it is better for your metabolism to deal with smaller
meals rather than large meals. You can also eat between these
meals providing you restrict it to a piece of fruit or a raw
carrot. Dieting doesn't have to be hard it has to be sensible.

Your brain doesn't get the message that your stomach is full
for at least twenty minutes after it is full. How often have
you eaten way beyond the capacity that is required simply
because the message hasn't got through?

Conclusion

There is no point in attempting abdominal exercises while you
still have a layer of fat and expecting a figure improvement.
Muscle building and weight loss are separate subjects that
should be approached individually if you are to get the best
results.

This article is (c) Copyright David McCarthy 2005 and may be
reproduced in its entirety with no additions.


About The Author: David McCarthy is webmaster of
http://www.recipesmania.com a website devoted to freely sharing
knowledge on all facets of food, cooking, weight loss, food
related health subjects and a free weight loss program. It
contains recipes for all occasions from health to partying.

 

Weight Loss Issues-Can You Be Cellulite Free?

Weight Loss Issues-Can You Be Cellulite Free?

One thing I really must say at the outset of this article is,
that if you were to ask the majority of men to define cellulite
they would most probably be completely baffled. 

Then after you explained it to them in detail and told them
that you suffered from it, more likely than not the reaction
would be to look at you as if you were slightly mad, shrug
their shoulders and say that they had actually never noticed
it.

So one consolation I suppose, is that most men apparently just
do not see it and do not know what all the fuss is about! 

(They can be wonderful sometimes can't they!)

From a womans point of view however, cellulite is at best
something which restricts what she can or cannot wear, or at
worst in extreme cases something which can be downright
unsightly.

If we are being brutally honest, dimples on our cheeks can be
really cute, but dimples on our thighs and our buttocks most
certainly are not. 

It has been described as the dreaded "orange peel look"
especially in relation to female thighs and buttocks.

Many women can literally spend absolute fortunes to try and
find ways to eliminate it.

Having established that it is a big problem (for the majority
of women at least), I find myself coming back to the question
in my title - Is it possible to be totally free of cellulite!

In truth I think sadly that as things stand at the moment
probably not, but there are many many steps that can be taken
to minimise the unsightly look of cellulite, and my intention
in this article is to outline just a few of them.

It does really help if we try and understand some of the main
causes of cellulite, and what if anything we can effectively do
to both reduce the unsightly appearance (in our eyes at least),
and even to try and banish it completely.

We should remember that the primary cause of cellulite is
weight gain, and if a woman does gain excess weight the layers
of fat under the skin expand, but sadly not in a smooth uniform
way. We have the female hormone estrogen which promotes fat on
the thighs and buttocks to thank for this. 

When fat cells start to build up on the lower half of the
female body, they are more likely to multiply and press against
the skin. This process creates the bulged and dimpled look of
the dreaded cellulite, and with very very few exceptions, it is
completely a feminine problem.

Another important factor is that as we age our skin also tends
to lose its tautness, particularly so if we do not take any
forms of regular exercise.

So having now determined the main causes of cellulite,let us
look in some detail at some of the choices available to us to
try and minimize the effects of it.

The first choice is that you can learn to live with it! 

Yes, I do actually mean that! 

At the end of the day it is not going to detract from you as a
woman, and there is no reason whatsoever why you cannot still
be very attractive. 

Do not let it become an obsession under any circumstances!

The second and for me personally, the most important choice
available is to make a seriously determined and long term
effort to lose those unnecessary extra pounds. I strongly
recommend a low fat diet as the first and vital step to take if
you are to succeed in fighting this battle. 

Make it a top priority to become much more active! 

Simple changes such as walking more frequently, taking up a
sport that you really could enjoy(perhaps something you did in
the past), or alternatively taking the time to join a few
exercise classes, are just some examples.

Join those exercise classes which concentrate primarily on hips
buttocks and thighs. This will greatly help in improving and
toning up those areas affected by cellulite. 

Your third choice is to try out some of the many creams that
you can purchase. Use these with a deep massaging technique
which will help improve the overall appearance of the cellulite
areas. 

The fourth and most drastic choice is liposuction which removes
excess fat. Another such process is Endermologie, a mechanical
massage that will smooth out the dimples.

These methods can be really expensive, so you will have to be
prepared to dig deep for them.

Useful Quick Fix Tips To Disguise Cellulite.

Fake Tan - Apply the fake tan normally, but just before you are
going to show your legs, rub a layer of hair serum (yes the
stuff you use to stop frizz), along your shinbone. This makes
the thinner area of your shinbone much more prominent, and will
therefore help to disguise those parts which are less firm in
appearance.

Wear The Right Shoes - Heels or wedges will make your legs
appear much longer, but beware of ankle straps and flat shoes.
They really do make your legs look considerably shorter and
fatter. 

Take a tip from the celebrities. They wear heels with trousers
and jeans, and have them made so that the trousers end about an
inch below the ankle. The effect of this is to make their legs
look really long and slim.

Draw The Eyes Upwards - If you are wearing your jeans on a
night out for example, by either wearing a bulky necklace, a
glittery scarf, or maybe even a Wonderbra and a V Necked top
(if you are feeling slightly daring), you will distract
attention away from your thighs. 
Wear dark colors as they make your bottom parts look much
slimmer.

Try out a Fast Fix Treatment - Treat yourself by going to a
beauty salon, and indulge in one of their cellulite instant fix
procedures. These can be very expensive but they really do make
your thighs look smoother and sleeker.

Unfortunately though, these procedures only last for a short
length of time.

The majority of women would love to have thinner cellulite free
thighs, but do please remember that it is your overall
appearance which matters most. 

If you look and feel attractive in yourself that will be the
way that others will also see you. 

Remember that the aim here is for improvement not perfection.
Cellulite has been a femimine curse (as women see it), since
the beginning of time. As yet no one has come up with either an
instant or indeed permanent cure.

However until they do, and one day somebody just might, stay
focussed on your overall health, take serious and meaningful
steps to lose weight, and maintain a good exercise program.

That way you can at the very least keep the whole thing in
perspective, and in so doing, maintain your self confidence and
self esteem at a much higher level than it would otherwise have
been.


About The Author: Marie Gordon is Author and Publisher of "Your
Fastest Way To Permanent Weight Loss" the complete solution to
all your weight loss problems. You can find out more by
visiting http://www.howtoloseitfast.com

 

Eating And Gaining Weight? How To Control The Urge To Splurge!

 Eating And Gaining Weight? How To Control The Urge To Splurge!

I confess: I'm completely addicted to Pringles. My
determination weakens every time I think about munching into
one, hearing the crunch, and getting that first taste of its
yummy flavor. Pure heaven. Although you don't flip over chips,
probably there's another food that lures you into the
refrigerator or the pantry cabinet. According to one study, 97%
of women (compared to 68% of men) experience cravings on food.

How do you control these urges that drag you in an intoxicated
shape away from your diet plan and down into the swirling
vortex of pleasure? I researched on the topic to give you
expert advice on how to enjoy that art called eating without
turning in into a feeding frenzy. Read on - and never again
feel guilty about eating a chocolate chip cookie.

Take Charge of Your Eating Habits.

Try to control the number of food cravings you experience. It
appears to be impossible for humans like us, but if you psyche
yourself and develop fewer cravings, then slowly you'll submit
to fewer cravings.

According to one study of nearly 500 women, researchers found
that women who received a daily 1, 200 milligram calcium
supplement reduced their number of premenstrual food cravings
by 54%. To reach the same result by getting the needed calcium
intake from food, rely on skim milk and yogurt. Sounds a bit
difficult for all lactose intolerant? Try some
calcium-fortified foods or juices like cheese and
calcium-filled orange juices. If you don't feel you can get
sufficient calcium from food, make up the difference using a
supplement of calcium carbonate or calcium citrate.

How about something relaxing? When you're anxious, the body
produces more of the hormone cortisol, which may increase the
amount of carbohydrates you want to eat. Sweets or
carbohydrates temporarily increase our levels of serotonin,
making us feel calm and relaxed.

Thus, one way of helping curb your sweet tooth, rent some
videos, text your funniest friends, or schedule a spa weekend.
Why not have a bit of chocolate once in a while? When you begin
including small amounts of these forbidden foods into your diet,
a funny thing happens: You don't crave them anymore.

Distinguish specific cravings from hunger. Suppose you drive by
a fast food outlet and all of a sudden, you develop a deep
craving for French fries. Rather than rushing down the drive
thru section, reassess your urge. Turn on your favorite music
and switch your attention away from the fries idea. Suppose, on
the other hand, you feel the need to satisfy not the urge but
your hunger, select an apple pie or salad as a substitute.

Cut Hundreds of Calories.

Sure you can cut on hundreds of calories on what you eat every
day! How? By making the appropriate choices on replacing
high-calorie to low-calorie foods, such as cheese, creams,
whole milk, butter, etc. Here are easy tricks to keep you
cooking and eating minus the calories.

• When cooking, use nonstick pan to eliminate the use of butter
and/or oil.
• Remove the fat from the meat.
• Remove the skin of chicken before serving.
• Use butter-flavored seasoning on vegetables instead of
sprinkling butter.
• For casseroles, desserts and sauces, use evaporated skim milk
(12 cal./tbsp.) instead of heavy cream (51 cal./tbsp.)
• Cook stews and other casseroles ahead of time. Refrigerate.
Remove congealed fat before serving.
• Choose real orange (71 cal.) over an orange juice (90 cal./6
oz).
• For snacks, low-calorie fruits (cucumbers, asparagus,
carrots, apples, pickles) are good replacements for crackers
and breads.
• Use bottled chocolate extract for milk shakes instead of
sweetened cocoa.
• Use two egg whites (34 cal.) for cakes instead of one egg (82
cal.).
• Choose diet margarine (50 cal.) instead of the regular
margarine (100 cal.).
• Choose cereals with the least calories then add fresh fruits
to be more nutritious.
• In parties, good substitutes for snacks are carrot strips,
pickle slices, and raw mushroom caps.
• Drip away fats by cooking hamburgers on the rack.
• Avoid chips with dips.

Staying in healthy shape depends on the right attitude. So how
strong is your will power to control the urge?


About The Author: Who else wants to get rid of those stubborn
body fats, lose weight and maintain a healthy body? You’ve done
a lot of techniques and diets? But nothing seems to work for
you? Visit Rene Graeber´s free website for more information:
http://www.obesity-weight-loss-diet.com/

 

Safe Weight Loss Part 2.

Safe Weight Loss Part 2

Keeping it off 

Our first weight loss article on this subject dealt with losing
one pound per week, which is achievable for everybody. This
article deals with keeping weight off after you lose it, or
controlling weight. There is little point in going through with
a diet and changing your exercise regime only to see the weight
return; that is demoralizing and exactly what happens to people
who attempt to lose weight too rapidly. If you weigh 200-pounds
and wish to get down to 150 pounds it is going to take 50 weeks
to achieve it and sustain your new weight. 

Controlling Weight 

Controlling weight means having to learn two sets of behavior:
weight loss and weight maintenance. According to some health
professionals, weight maintenance is the more difficult. Only a
third of the people who lose weight are able to keep it off.
Long-term success depends upon continuing the good eating and
exercise habits you developed while losing weight. So don't
allow yourself to get into a regime that is too vigorous
because you are unlikely to be able to keep it up. Vigorous
diets do work but usually they only work to take the weight off
and then become unsustainable and within a short period of time
the weight returns. 

Set Sustainable Goals 

Now is the time to set sustainable goals and to meet that
criteria your goals need to be realistic. Losing a single pound
(450 grams) each week should not prove too difficult. I once
heard comedian Billy Connolly say: "Losing weight is easy; all
you have to do is eat less and move more." I don't think
anybody has ever stated a more obvious fact. So ask yourself
whether you can eat a little less and move more each day, if
the answer is yes and your will power is strong enough then you
will have no problem losing weight. 

It will take time to make these new habits part of your life.
Continue to modify your behavior by: 

1. Accepting the fact that it takes your stomach about 20
minutes to get the message to your brain that it is full. Most
people continue eating long after they have had sufficient. 

2. Never drink beer, or carbonated waters like Coke, Pepsi or
anything that fizzes with your meal. Beer prevents the
breakdown of fat. 

3. It is better to have five or six small meals than one big
meal. 

4. Eat slowly and chew each piece of food. 

5. Stop eating before you feel full. Be prepared to take a
twenty minute break before deciding if you have eaten enough. 

6. If you become hungry between meals then eat a piece of fruit
or a raw carrot. 

Reward Yourself 

By losing weight you are achieving an ambition and achievement
deserves reward. Just do not reward yourself with food. New
clothes are a good incentive, a visit to the theater or a
sporting event or anything that you will see as a reward.. 

Summary 

You do not have to give up any food that you like, unless it is
extremely high fat content, It is just a matter of reducing the
amount that you eat. This can be achieved in many ways. I
nominate one thing each day that is off the menu for that day.
Say potatoes: I do not substitute potato, I just leave a gap on
my plate that it usually fills. That way I reduce my calorie
intake and my extra light exercise also burns further calories.
Y'know Billy Connolly is right. It works. The final decision is
always yours and only you have the ability to see it through
but if you are reading this article then you are at least
thinking about it. Lowering your weight and increasing your
fitness not only prolongs life, it makes life more fun. 

This article is © copyright David McCarthy 2005. It may be
reproduced only in its entirety with no changes or additions.


About The Author: David McCarthy is webmaster of
http://www.recipesmania.com a website devoted to freely sharing
knowledge on all facets of food, cooking, weight loss, food
related health subjects and a free weight loss program. It
contains recipes for all occasions from health to partying.

 

Safe Weight Loss Part 1.

Safe Weight Loss Part 1.

Safe weight loss is about maintaining health whilst losing
weight, it is not about losing weight rapidly; this has never
worked and never will. This article is to be published in two
parts over two days and will be stored in our news blogs
archives for future viewing. 

Aim for one pound (450 grams) each week because this level of
weight loss is sustainable and you will not regain the weight
later providing you adjust to your new healthier lifestyle. 

Slow weight loss is the safest and most effective approach. A
good weight-loss program helps you to lose weight gradually --
about one-half to one pound per week initially and improving to
one pound each week. Gradual weight loss promotes long-term loss
of body fat, not just water weight that can be quickly regained.


Diets are only half of the program because no program works
without sufficient light exercise. 

Most people leading moderately active lives need about 15
calories per pound to maintain their weight. For example, a
200-pound person would have to eat foods containing no more
than 3,000 calories each day to maintain his or her weight.

To lose one pound, a person must burn 3,500 calories more than
consumed. For example, reducing calories by 300 per day and
increasing daily activity to burn off an additional 200
calories should result in a weight loss of one pound per week.


A Good Balance 

When limiting calories, you still need to satisfy basic
nutritional needs. Eat a variety of foods every day. Choose
from each of the five food groups - dairy, meat, fruit,
vegetables and breads - and allow for an occasional treat.
Balanced food plans encourage making wise choices about
everyday food; choices you can make to achieve and stay at your
proper weight for life. 

Evaluate Your Eating Pattern 

You should also evaluate your eating patterns. Sometimes six
small meals a day can help you control your hunger. If you
prefer to stay with eating three main meals, always plan for
some low-calorie between-meal snacks like an apple or a carrot
to satisfy hunger between meals. 
All foods and beverages can be consumed in moderation. Try to
cut down on foods high in fat and sugar, or substitute with low
calorie and low fat foods and beverages. 

The choice is always yours.

Most successful weight-loss plans call for a reduction in both
calories and the amount of fat eaten. 

Exercise. 

Determine what type of physical activity best suits your
lifestyle. You should work your way up to regular aerobic
exercise, such as brisk walking, jogging or swimming, since it
is a key factor in achieving permanent weight loss and
improving health.

Aerobic exercise works the body's large muscles, such as the
heart, and should be moderately vigorous, but not exhausting,
to be most effective. For maximum benefits, most health experts
recommend exercising 30 minutes or more on most, preferably all,
days of the week. I disagree with this because as you exercise
and become fitter the amount of exercise that you do will
become inadequate compared to your fitness level. My weight
loss program recommends three sessions of ten minutes each week
to start.

Try to incorporate some simple calorie-burners into your
everyday routine. Even the most basic activities (such as
taking an after-dinner walk, using the stairs at the mall
instead of taking an escalator, or parking farther away so you
have a longer walk) can get you prepared for more aerobic
activities. 

Part 2 of this article will follow.

This article is © copyright David McCarthy 2005. It may be
reproduced only in its entirety with no changes or additions.


About The Author: David McCarthy is webmaster of
http://www.recipesmania.com a website devoted to freely sharing
knowledge on all facets of food, cooking, weight loss, food
related health subjects and a free weight loss program. It
contains recipes for all occasions from health to partying.

 

Happy New Year from Nutrifitness

	Greetings! NutriFitness wishes you... every happiness this Holiday Season and health and prosperity in the New Year. Thank you for being our customer. We look forward to continuing ourrent relationship in the coming year. Get yourself off on the right foot by filling out your F.r.e.e Goals Report I just wanted to make sure that you've had a chance to download your 117 Christmas Gifts at: http://www.117christmasgifts.net/?id=19 (You will regret not visiting this site!) Make sure you download all of them immediately, as Henry Gold and Reed Floren have told me that this site will disappear by midnight, Wednesday, January 18'06. Don't Wait Any Longer!! The 117 Christmas Gifts are the generosity of all marketers by giving away their valuable products to celebrate the holiday, as we all want you to celebrate the new year with love and success. This way, you're able enjoy the great financial f'reedom and success in the years to come. Go ahead and download your products at: 117christmasgifts.com Sincerely, georgette pann Nutrifitness
	email: unitasj@aol.com voice: 570-457-0799 web: http://www.thenutrifitness.com

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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Nutritional Programs

 

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Nutritional Programs
By Dr. John M Berardi, Ph.D.



Take a look around the nutrition world. Confusing, isn't it?

Conflicting advice is everywhere, and you're stuck in
the middle. You wonder whether anyone out there even knows
what they're talking about, or whether the experts will ever
reach a consensus on anything. You start to wonder whether
you'll need a degree in nutritional biochemistry before you
can lose that stubborn abdominal fat.

So what's the deal? Why so much confusion? Why does one
expert suggest that high protein is best for everyone, while
another expert suggests high carb and yet another expert suggests
high fat? Besides, what exactly do high protein, high carb,
and high fat really mean? And why are other experts telling
us that food choices should be based on our "metabolic
type," our "blood type," or our "ancestry"?

One expert says to eat like a Neanderthal and another says
eat like a Visigoth, or perhaps a Viking. But while
searching for nutritional Valhalla, most people just get
lost and eat like a Modern American - and end up looking
more Sumo than Samurai.

These days, we have a cacophony of expertise: lots of
confusing noise from the experts drowning out the
signal of truth.

On the surface, it appears as if today's nutrition technology
is quite advanced. After all, we have at our disposal
more nutrition information than ever before. More money
is being spent on nutrition research than in any time in
history. Every day, impressive strides are being made in
the field. Dozens of nutrition experts are rising to
prominence. Yet simultaneously we're witnessing a steadily
increasing rate of obesity, an increase in nutrition-related
illness (Diabetes, CVD, and Syndrome X), and an increase
in nutrition-related mortality.

Part of the problem is that much of the information hasn't
reached the people who need it. Part of the problem is that
even when it does reach those people, they often don't use
it. And certainly, the problem is multifactorial - there
are probably many more reasons than I can list here.

How much more information do we need?

But the curious thing is that many people try to solve the
problem by seeking out more information. They know it all
and still want more. If there's one thing of which I am
absolutely convinced, it's that a lack of good nutrition
information isn't what prevents us from reaching our goals.
We already know everything we need to know. Sometimes the
real problem isn't too little information but too much.

All the fundamental principles you need to achieve good
health and optimal body composition are out there already,
and have been for years. Unfortunately, with 500 experts
for every fundamental principle, and very little money to
be made from repeating other people's ideas, experts must
continually emphasize the small (and often relatively
unimportant) differences between their diet/eating plans
and the diet/eating plans of all the other experts out
there.

In the world of advertising and marketing, this is
called "differentiation." By highlighting the small
distinctions and dimming out the large similarities
between their program and all the others, they're
jostling for your next nutritional dollar.

Now, and let me be clear on this, I'm not accusing
nutrition experts of quackery.

Yes, some programs are utter crap. Those are generally
quite easy to pick out and don't merit discussion here.
But most experts do know what they are talking about,
can get results, and wholeheartedly believe in what
they're doing. Many of the differences between them
are theoretical and not practical, and on the
fundamentals they generally agree completely.

It's all good - sorta

In fact, many of the mainstream programs out there, if
not most of them, will work. To what extent they work,
and for how long, varies. As long as a program is
internally consistent, follows a few basic nutritional
tenets, and as long as you adhere to it consistently,
without hesitation, and without mixing principles
haphazardly taken from other programs, you'll get
some results. It's that simple, and that hard (as
you can see, results depend as much on psychology
as on biochemistry).

But if you're like most people, you'll first survey all
the most often discussed programs before deciding which
to follow. And in this appraisal, you'll get confused,
lost, and then do the inevitable. That's right, you'll
revert back to your old, ineffectual nutrition habits.

Instead of parsing out the similarities between all the
successful plans out there, the common principles that
affect positive, long-term change, you get thrown off
the trail by the stench of the steaming piles of detail.

The Atkins program works for all patients under the direct
care of the Atkins team-as long as patients follow it.
The Zone program works for all patients under the direct
care of the Sears team -as long as they follow it.
The Pritkin Diet works for all patients under the
care of the Pritkin team- as long as they follow it.

Yet, not all three plans are identical. How, then, can
they all get impressive improvements in health and body
composition? Well, either each team somehow magically
draws the specific patient subpopulations most in need
of their plan (doubtful) or each system possesses some
basic fundamental principles that are more important
than the ratios of protein to carbs to fats.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Nutritional Programs

Here's my take on it. I call these principles,
"The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Nutritional Programs,"
a shameless and possibly illegal play on Steven Covey's book,
"The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People."


These aren't the newest techniques from the latest
cutting-edge plan. Rather, they are simple, time-tested,
no nonsense habits that you need to get into when
designing a good eating program.

1. Eat every 2-3 hours, no matter what. You should eat
between 5-8 meals per day.

2. Eat complete (containing all the essential amino acids),
lean protein with each meal.

3. Eat fruits and/or vegetables with each food meal.

4. Ensure that your carbohydrate intake comes from
fruits and vegetables. Exception: workout and post-workout
drinks and meals.

5. Ensure that 25-35% of your energy intake comes from fat,
with your fat intake split equally between saturates
(e.g. animal fat), monounsaturates (e.g., olive oil),
and polyunsaturates (e.g. flax oil, salmon oil).

6. Drink only non-calorie containing beverages, the best
choices being water and green tea.

7. Eat mostly whole foods
(except workout and post-workout drinks).

So what about calories, or macronutrient ratios, or any
number of other things that I've covered in other articles?
The short answer is that if you aren't already practicing
the above mentioned habits, and by practicing them I mean
putting them to use over 90% of the time (i.e., no more
than 4 meals out of an average 42 meals per week violate
any of those rules), everything else is pretty pointless.

Moreover, many people can achieve the health and the body
composition they desire using the 7 habits alone. No kidding!
In fact, with some of my clients I spend the first few months
just supervising their adherence to these 7 rules - an
effective but costly way to learn them.

Of course, if you have specific needs, or if you've
reached the 90% threshold, you may need a bit more
individualization beyond the 7 habits.

But before assuming you're ready
for individualization; make sure you've truly mastered
the 7 habits. Then, while keeping the 7 habits as
the consistent foundation, tweak away.

----------------------------------------------

About the Author:
Dr. Berardi is no stranger to the demands of elite athletics,
having been successful in a number of sports including:

- Power lifting (squat 650, deadlift 600, bench 430)
- Track and field (AAU nationals in 100m and 200m)
- Rugby (medaled @ national under 21 championships)
- Bodybuilding (1st place at the 1995 Mr. Jr. USA)

Posted by Georgette Pann of NutriFitness at http://thenutrifitness.com for personal training and nutrition.

Successful Weight Loss In Five Easy Steps

If you happen to be among the millions of people who are weight
impaired, you may have already considered, or even tried many
alternatives for losing weight, and you may still be seeking
that one magic "remedy". 

Sadly, there are no magic remedies, diet pills, or supplements
for losing weight. It takes desire, persistence, and lots of
accurate information seasoned with ample amounts of supportive
and caring guidance, to succeed. 

Through the trials and tribulations of many failed weight loss
plans, we now know that if you try to manage your weight by
making too many radical changes to your diet and your
lifestyle,
you will eventually fail. 

For a diet plan to be successful it must fit within the
boundaries of normal day-to-day habits and activities. It must
allow for the consumption of familiar foods in familiar and
traditional social settings. 

The exclusion of "taboo" foods or your favorite fast food
restaurant is generally a set-up for eventual dieting failure.
When you stop to think about it, isn't it usually the things
you are told that you can't do or can't have that you desire
the most! It's a part of human nature. We want what we can't
have! 

So take it away from us, and surely this is exactly what we
will want and crave most! The most highly regarded sources of
information agree that we tend to focus on what we can't have,
including the foods we eat.(see what the Bible has to say about
it; Romans 7:14-15). 

A good plan for losing weight should not try to radically
change your eating behavior. The plan should adapt to your
daily activities and eating habits, and of course any good plan

should incorporate the benefits of good nutrition,
convenience,and above all, practicality. 

The bottom line is that we are all very busy people without a
lot of time to spare. We're not very likely to turn our busy
lifestyles upside down to follow some restrictive plan for
losing weight.

Maybe a few will work for a short period of time, but the facts
don't lie. Although the "crash" weight loss diets may work for a
short while, most of us will find that before long the pounds
will start to begin to creep back on. 

After all, we are not going give-up eating at fast food and
sit-down restaurants when we need a quick meal or snack, and we
are unlikely to stop eating with business associates, good
friends and family. 
It is very difficult therefore,(if not impossible)to follow
dieting guidelines on special meal occasions such as these!
 
We are not going to completely eliminate the foods we love and
crave, and we're most definitely not going to waste precious
time preparing special dietary meals from "scratch" every day!

Therefore it is very important to know that you don't have to
stop doing any of the above to lose weight. 

You can look and feel like a million bucks, take years off your
appearance and have the energy and vitality to accomplish your
dreams, by following a few simple guidelines. 

Here they are... 

Take It One Step At A Time. 

Some of the greatest accomplishments in life begin by taking
one small step at a time. When we are challenged to think
deeply, encouraged by others to succeed, and ultimately
inspired to take
action, great things start to happen! 
If you have important weight loss goals you are not
achieving,try to spend less time worrying about all the
possible "causes" and start concentrating on how you can make
progress. 

This is one of the keys to moving forward and a simple, but
powerful tool for success. 

Assess Your Dietary Needs And Lifestyle. 

Awareness is the key, so take some time to learn about your
specific dietary needs (caloric intake) and daily energy
requirements for example. We're talking a basic understanding
here, and not having to go into any great detail. 

Seek Advice From Friends And Trusted Authorities. 

Don't believe everything you hear! There are thousands of diet
"scams" on the market. When you find a trusted source, ask as
many questions as you can about diet and exercise. Find out
what
has worked for others. But always be on-guard for the "quick
fix" approach...it won't work in the majority of cases. 

Start Creating A System Of Support. 

About 85% of our "happiness" and well-being is determined by
the quality of our relationships with other people. Loving,
caring relationships and a network of friends, family, and
colleagues
lowers stress, increases longevity, and helps us to accomplish
our goals in life (including losing weight). 

We are social creatures and we do our best when we have friends
to cheer us on, offer support, give advice, and hold us
accountable when necessary. This makes it easy for us to
succeed.

So, surround yourself with people, tools and activities that
make it more likely for you to succeed than to fail! Arrange
your living environment and social situations so that every
thing around you pulls your forward, instead of possibly
leaving you totally de-motivated. 

Use Your Resources. 

Read motivational tips, general health information and any
other literature you can get your hands-on. Information is
power! 

NOW TAKE THE FIRST STEP 

There you have it. So you can get started today, and make sure
your whole approach is controlled, rational and methodical. If
you can take the "long term view," and set yourself realistic
"achievable" goals you will most surely succeed.


About The Author: Marie Gordon is Author and Publisher of "Your
Fastest Way To Permanent Weight Loss" the complete solution to
all your weight loss problems. You can find out more by
visiting http://www.howtoloseitfast.com

Happy Holidays from Nutrifitness

	Greetings! NutriFitness wishes you... every happiness this Holiday Season and prosperity in the New Year. Thank you for being our customer. We look forward to continuing our relationship in the coming year. I've received many emails from subscribers asking me if there is any catch on the f'ree gifts that we provide you at: 117christmasgifts (Take a look at this site. Wild Stuff!) The answer is "NO". The 117 Christmas Gifts are the generosity of all marketers by giving away their valuable products to celebrate the holiday, as we all want you to celebrate the new year with love and success. This way, you're able enjoy the great financial f'reedom and success in the years to come. Go ahead and download your product at: 117christmasgifts.com Sincerely, georgette pann Nutrifitness
	email: unitasj@aol.com voice: 570-457-0799 web: http://www.thenutrifitness.com

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5 Holiday Weight Loss Tips & Their Reality Checks

5 Holiday Weight Loss Tips & Their Reality Checks

Do you find it almost impossible to stay conscious and contentious
about weight and nutrition during the holidays? Of course you do. More
than half of all Americans are overweight: You're not alone.

A new government study might give you a ray of hope though: The study
shows that Americans gain only about one pound over the holidays. The
study found that people participating were influenced by two main
factors over the holidays: The level of their hunger, and the level of
their activity. In other words: Those who reported being less active
or more hungry during the holidays had the greatest weight gain.

So common sense says: If you can stay focused on dealing with just
those two things, you'll probably win your personal holiday weight
loss battle. At the very least, you'll win by not adding more weight
to what's already waiting to be shed.

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of weight gain," says Dr.
Samuel Klein, the Director of the Center for Human Nutrition at
Washington University in St. Louis, MO. "Preventing the increase in
weight is a lot easier and better than actually gaining weight and
then trying to get it off again."

So the answer seems simple: Eat less and exercise more. The reality of
implementation of course, is far more difficult.

The good news is that most of the people overestimate how much weight
they'd gained over the holidays. Fewer than 10% gain 5 pounds or more.

The bad news is: The small amount of weight gained is never lost. One
pound of weight gain is quite a small amount, but since it's not
usually lost again: The weight adds up over time - to obesity.

Now we all know there are tons of tips out and about this time of
year, designed to help us keep from putting on that extra pound or two
during the holidays. Unfortunately what's usually not talked about is:
The reality of day-to-day holiday stress and situations. Let's explore
the tips... along with their reality checks... in depth:

Weight Loss Tip 1: Stay active. The best thing you can do is try to
stick to your normal schedule and routine.

Holiday Reality Check: It's pretty hard to have any kind of decent
routine in the busy months of November and December. Busy people tend
to sacrafice yoga classes, long walks, and visits to the gym because
they need time for extra things like decorating the house, cooking,
cleaning up before the visitors get there, and of course: Shopping.

The Good News: Walking around the shopping mall and stores is great
exercise, and so is cleaning the house. In addition to those
activities, decorating can be quite intensive too: You're climbing up
and down to hang things; lifting, lugging, and dragging boxes out of
storage; bending, twisting and turning to get it all looking just
right. So don't beat yourself up about not making it to the gym...
you're getting plenty of activity and every little bit helps!


Weight Loss Tip 2: Don't let yourself get too hungry. If you go to a
party and you're starving, everything will look even more scrumptious
than normal. And of course, you'll eat much more because of it. Try
starting each day with a good, solid breakfast - particularly
something with protein. And when you're at the party, try muching on
the veggies to help keep you feeling full. These two things will help
your hunger stay under control, and will in turn help you refrain from
"gorging" on anything you see just because you're famished.

Holiday Reality Check: We're all very busy during the holidays, and
it's not always possible to remember to eat - let alone eat well -
particularly in the morning when we may have already overslept and are
now running late for everything. And eating healthy at a party isn't
always possible either: Not everyone in this country serves vegetable
plates, salads, or fruit bowls. Sometimes the only things in site are
junk: Chips, candy, and cookies.

Here's a suggestion: Try taking your own veggie plate to a party where
you know there won't be one available. A quick and easy way to do this
is simply buy a bag or two of pre-cut veggies and some ranch salad
dressing. Alternatively, eat a decent meal before you go to the party.
Don't overdo things, but don't make it a light snack either. Eating
first will help you to just "nibble" a bit on the worst of the holiday
treats offered.


Weight Loss Tip 3: Stay away from the food. Literally. Just don't go
anywhere near the buffet table, appetizers, or treats... and you'll be
fine.

Holiday Reality Check: In most cases, the food is everywhere. And even
if it's not right in front of your face, you sure can smell it! Trying
to just "stay away from it" is pretty unrealistic - and it can feel
like torture for some of us. And for most people: When you can't have
something, you want it even more. So trying to stay away from the food
will most likely just make you overindulge worse than you would have
otherwise.

Try this instead: Allow yourself whatever you'd like. But with a
catch. First: Take only half the amount you normally would. And take
just one food item. Eat that and enjoy it without guilt. Then, wait a
full 20-30 minutes before you get something else. Then repeat the
process: One item, half the portion size as you normally would, enjoy
it without guilt, then wait before getting something else.

Allowing yourself to eat gets rid of the mentality of "I can't have it
(and thus I'm more determined to have it)" It lets you enjoy the good
food and the holidays, without beating yourself up. This is healthy
and can help tremendously with the way you view food and eating in
general. Only taking half of it though, will help you not take in as
much calories, fat, sugar or other bad stuff you usually avoid. And
then waiting 20-30 minutes before you get something else will help
your body realize when it's had enough... or too much. So you're much
less likely to overdo things, and feel horrible physically later.

Weight Loss Tip 4: Wear cloths that are slightly tight on you. This
should help you feel full faster, and keep you from eating too much food.

Holiday Reality Check: We want to wear looser cloths because we're
looking forward to eating all that great food! Yes, wearing something
tight might help us not go back for a second helping of potatoes... or
it might ruin a favorite outfit.

In the end, how you approach this tip is up to you, and you alone.
Make your decision and be happy with it.


Weight Loss Tip 5: Keep your portions small. Try to load up on salad
and vegetables, and take just tiny amounts of anything else.

Holiday Reality Check: Taking just a "bite sized" amount of anything
is going to put you into the have-not mental state mentioned earlier.
You'll feel as if you can't have something, and you'll want it all the
more.

Try the tip noted above instead: Take half the size you normally
would. Trying to have just a little bite of pie will whet your
appetite for more, but having a whole piece is going a bit overboard -
particularly if there's 5 different pies for you to sample. So try
actual sampling instead: Cut a piece half the normal size. This allows
you to have a "whole slice", and more than several little bites. Then
wait about 20 minutes before you go and try the next pie. Even if you
end up eating a bit of all 5 pies, by having a half-sized slice of
each, you've drastically cut the amount of calories, carbs and sugars
compared to what you would have had with whole slices. And you'll
still feel stuffed and satiated, instead of deprived and resentful.


So there you have it: 5 different, common holiday weight loss and
eating tips, followed by the reality check of each, and a suggested
compromise that should help you enjoy the holidays to their fullest,
without depriving yourself of the great food we all look forward to.

Whatever you decide to do, remember to actually have Happy Holidays!

Need more help with your holiday weight loss efforts? HREF="http://www.electronicperceptions.com/adv/dcb/">Click here for an
excellent, safe, and all natural solution.

© 2005, Kathy Burns-Millyard. Kathy is a professional published
writer who covers a variety of popular topics such as health, fitness,
decorating, and gardening. Find more articles by Kathy at HREF="http://www.electronicperceptions.com/new/category/free-content/">http://www.electronicperceptions.com/new/category/free-content/

(no subject)

Killer Diets

At any given moment, approximately half of the women in the
American population are dieting.  With the push toward
lean, well-toned bodies in this country, some people have
approached weight loss with a mania.  Unfortunately, a
number of those who have published what ultimately became
famous diet programs ended up with a big bankroll while the
unsuspecting women who adopted their plan sometimes ended
up severely debilitated...or dead.

The onset of osteoporosis is one debiliting health
results of these poorly designed diet plans.  The reduction
or elimination of calcium from the diet is a serious danger
to anyone's health. Some of the most popular diets deprive
women of this essential mineral, yet your body needs
calcium in order to maintain healthy bones. Losing bone
density in this manner can cause irreversible damage.
Many diets (and dieters) eliminate all dairy from the diet
because they view dairy products as too fattening.

But this is not true. We all need dairy products in our
diets. It is necessary for good bones and health. Studies
have even shown that you lose weight instead of gaining it.
when you include dairy products in your diet.  You get the
calcium that you need  and you burn existing fat cells that
you are no longer replacing with new fat cells. Just eat
low-fat dairy products because it's not the dairy product
that is the culprit, but the fat.  You will start building
more bone and muscle cells as you burn fat cells. Even at
rest, bone and muscle cells  burn more calories than fat
cells, so you will end up trimmer.

If you're toying with the idea of going on a diet, then arm
yourself with the type of information that could preserve
your health, and save your life, before making such a
commitment.  In order to recognize a healthy diet, you
first have to acquaint yourself with the signs of a
dangerous one.  These signs include programs that list
"good" and "bad" foods, eliminate a food group; promise
quick results; place the burden of blame for obesity on
specific hormones or nutrients; and impose certain food
combinations, as well as inflexible rules for eating.

The famous Atkins Diet affords your body the least amount
of calcium and  therefore should be considered dangerous to
your overall health. Some other diets that pose potential
problems because they eliminate healthy calcium are Sugar
Busters, Suzanne Somers' Fast & Easy, The Perricone
Prescription and Body for Life. Any diet such as these that
eliminate calcium from your diet will eventually cause many
health problems related to osteoporosis.

These diet programs, which stress the elimination of dairy
foods, can actually cause the body to discontinue weight
loss, since calcitriol, the hormone which triggers the
production of fat cells, will increase in level, in an
attempt to conserve whatever calcium the body contains.
When this level increases, the body creates and stores more
fat cells and you gain weight.  The calcium that you
derive from dairy products, however, will reduce the level
of calcitriol in your body, which helps to break down the
fats and aids in weight reduction and control.

The moral of the story is that you shouldn't be fooled into
believing that anything with the word "diet" attached to
it is going to be healthy, or help you to lose weight.
Sensible eating and a reasonable exercise regimen is the
only sure way to maintain good health and assist the body's
natural process of weight reduction.


Tania Makevey runs the website R You
Diet
which a site dedicated to researching diet related topics
and contains all the very latest diet news and views. For
more details please visit http://www.ryoudiet.com