Reach your long-term weight loss goals
Losing weight and taking control of your health don’t have to be complicated or time-consuming; it just takes a little bit of extra thought and some dedication to improve your lifestyle habits. Besides, when you look good you feel good too. Losing weight can make a huge difference in your life by not only improving your confidence level, but by also providing a ton of additional health benefits.
Losing weight will help you:
- Increase your energy level
- Lower your LDL cholesterol level (bad cholesterol) and increase your HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol)
- Reduce your blood pressure
- Reduce aches and pains associated with extra weight
- Improve your breathing
- Improve your sleeping patterns
- Lower your risk of developing Type Two Diabetes
- Improve your confidence level
- Improve your sex life
- Elevate your mood
- Improve your blood sugar levels
- Prevent angina and chest pain caused by a decrease in oxygen to your heart
- Improve your mobility
- Alleviate strain on your bones and joints
- Alleviate stress on your heart
- Improve your blood circulation levels
- Increase your ability to be active
- Feel more confident in your appearance
Just losing 10% of your bodyweight can create a tremendous impact on your health, so we’ll provide you with a slew of quick weight loss tips and hints to get your weight loss plan on track. Helpful tools such as the BMI and Lose a Pound Calculator can help you to determine what you need to do to reach your goals.
Some people will try just about any diet, scam, or magic pill, as long as it helps them drop pounds quick; but even though they may lose weight in the short term, it’s nearly impossible to maintain the loss. Check back often as we’ll continue to update our weight loss tips and helpful hints to help you lose weight and keep it off!
~http://www.diet-weight-management.com/tips_on_weight_loss.aspx~6 reasons your not losing weight
Are you dieting and not losing weight? More than likely, some common diet mistakes are tripping you up.
The truth, experts say, is that even when you're "on a diet," you may be eating a lot more calories than you think. There's often a disconnect between what we know we should do to lose weight, and what we actually do while trying to diet.
For starters, stop thinking about dieting. Instead, take a look at those everyday habits that could be causing weight gain. Going on a diet can create an obsession with food, heighten cravings, and lead to a "throw-in-the-towel-because-diets-don’t-work" mentality.
You might not realize just how quickly calories can add up. An extra tablespoon of salad dressing can add 75-100 calories, an extra tablespoon of butter adds 102 calories, and that 1-ounce bag of chips with your sandwich at lunch adds 162 calories. Eating while cooking, starting each day with a high-calorie coffee drink, finishing off the kids' plates at dinner, or having one too many glasses of wine -- these are just a few of the sneaky habits that sabotage weight loss efforts.
Yet as quickly as calories can add up, they can be subtracted. Becoming mindful of your diet mistakes -- the subtle ways that calories sneak into your diet throughout the day – can add up to real weight loss.
Check out our list of common diet mistakes people make, and see if any sound familiar to you.
Diet Mistake No. 1: Racing to the Finish
There's no reward for finishing your meal in record time -- unless you're a contestant in a hot dog eating contest! Our hectic schedules have led many of us to adopt the unhealthy habit of rapid eating.
"We need to adopt more of the leisurely, European-style eating so that we can savor our food, taste every bite, and get the signal of fullness before overeating," says Tara Gidus, MS, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.
Diet Mistake No. 2: Skipping Meals
Research shows that breakfast skippers weigh more than breakfast eaters. There is a misconception that skipping breakfast -- or any meal -- saves calories. The truth is that most people who eat fewer than three meals usually end up eating more calories during the course of the day.
Strive for three meals a day. Always start your day with a healthy breakfast, but be careful to choose wisely.
"Even a low-fat muffin can have as many as 400 calories and 5 grams fat," says Joanne Lichten, PhD, RD, a nutrition consultant and the author of Dining Lean.
A healthy breakfast should contain both protein and fiber. An egg, a piece of whole-wheat toast, and half a grapefruit has only 250 calories and will keep you feeling full until lunch.
Diet Mistake No. 3: Too Many Liquid Calories
Liquid calories from alcohol, smoothies, coffee with cream and sugar, sweetened juices, teas, and sodas can really contribute to weight gain. One recent study found that Americans get approximately 21% of their calories from beverages.
"When you drink beverages, you don’t tend to compensate by eating less because most beverages satisfy thirst and don’t impact hunger," says Gidus.
Switch from calorie-laden beverages to water, club soda, skim milk, vegetable juices, and small portions of 100% fruit juice. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation, and choose lighter drink options.
Here are some calorie counts for common beverages:
- 12-ounce light beer: 110 calories
- 12-ounce regular beer: 160 calories
- 8-ounce coffee with cream and sugar: 30 calories
- 5 ounces of wine: 120-130 calories
- 6-ounce wine spritzer: 80 calories
- 16-ounce sweetened tea: 160 calories
- 12-ounce diet soda: 0 calories
- 12-ounce soda: 150 calories
- 20-ounce smoothie: 410 calories
Diet Mistake No. 4: Oversized Portions
"We have gotten used to huge portions at restaurants so when we are at home, we serve up the same size and think it is normal," says Lichten.
Experts suggest a few tricks to help you trim your portions:
- Leave a few bites on your plate.
- Use smaller plates and bowls.
- Periodically check your portions with measuring cups.
Diet Mistake No. 5: Choosing Unhealthy Add-Ons
Not only have portions crept up in size, we also have a tendency to top off our "diet" salads and other favorite foods with high-fat toppings, like bacon, cheese, croutons, and creamy dressings.
And, at fast-food restaurants, "grilled chicken and salads are not always better than a burger," notes Lichten. "It all depends on the size and the toppings."
For example, the Burger King Tendergrill sandwich with honey mustard dressing has 450 calories while their Whopper Jr., with mustard instead of mayo, has only 290 calories. At McDonald’s, the Caesar salad with crispy chicken and creamy dressing totals 490 calories, while a Quarter Pounder weighs in at 410 calories.
Diet Mistake No. 6: Mindless Eating
"Eating amnesia" is the act of unknowingly putting hand to mouth, usually from a bag or box in front of the television, while reading a book. It can also happen at happy hour, or when you finish the last few bites on your child's plate.
"Resist the temptation to clean yours or anyone else’s plate," says Gidus. "Think about your waistline instead of the food waste."
Consider the calories in small portions of some of our favorite snacks, and see how quickly they can add up when portions are multiplied:
- 1 Twinkie: 150 calories
- 12 peanut M&Ms: 125 calories
- 1 ounce of French fries: 88 calories
- 1.5 donut holes: 100 calories
- 3 Hershey kisses: 75 calories
- 3 Oreo cookies:160 calories
- 15 tortilla chips: 142 calories
- 20 potato chips: 162 calories
And how can you kick the mindless eating habit?
"First, try to get out of the habit of always eating something while you
are sitting and relaxing," says Gidus. "Try a cup of tea, glass of
water, or chew a piece of sugarless gum. If you want a snack, portion it out of
the bag or container."
How to Lose love handles
Even with the best aerobic intentions most people tend to have stubborn spots that exercise works more slowly on. The most complained about section of the body is the torso, with ‘love handles’ being the stubborn area that leaves last.
No one actually loves their ‘love handles’; that extra weight around the midsection, but they are there for a reason. Besides age factors, stress plays a huge role in where you’ll deposit your excess fat. Besides wanting to lose fat around this area for aesthetic purposes, it’s vital to drop this weight for health purposes. Studies indicated that excess weight stored around the abdominal area increases the risk for some chronic health issues such as coronary heart disease and diabetes.
Here are some tips to help you get rid of those love handles:
- Increase cardiovascular activity - There’s no easy way out here - exercise is a must! Begin by including a small amount of exercise each day, and start with 10-20 minutes. You can walk, bike ride, or play a sport you enjoy, such as tennis with your friends. You can slowly increase your exercise allotment until you’ve reach at least 30 minutes of exercise. Once you start seeing the results from this small amount, you’ll want to continue and exercise even more
- Clean up your diet - Just toss all the processed foods and enjoy the taste of fresh whole foods. Once you’ve prepared meals with fresh foods you’ll realize they are much tastier than junk foods that you’ve been eating! Try reducing your carb consumption, and snacking after 8pm at night. Eating large meals right before bedtime can go right to your stomach – and you’ll be carrying it in no time. Rethinking your diet into a healthful one can make a big difference in toning your midsection.
- Make it a weighty issue - Tone your body all over by strength training regularly. If the thought of going to the gym makes you cringe, purchase some dumbbells and work out at home. Try popular workout and strength videos.
- Just Relax - Stress produces more cortisol, as we discussed earlier. Cortisol has a tendency to cause the body to store more fat in the abdominal area, which contributes to ‘love handles’. Take a few minutes to meditate or find a place of calmness where you can take some deep breaths and relax your body. Getting enough sleep enables your body to deal with stress better. Or, if you’re so inclined, try a little aromatherapy; lavender and rosemary are stress-reducing herbs that are pleasant to your senses.
Losing Water Weight
Sea salt is 98% sodium chloride and 2% trace minerals so it is slightly better than regular salt. The group on Natural Healing page suggests using small amounts of Celtic light grey sea salt. It is only 83% sodium chloride so use that instead of regular salt. Check for it at your health food store or buy online (Celtic Sea Salt, Light Grey, Coarse Ground, 1#). Try using less salt and more granulated kelp (seaweed). It is high in organic sodium and organic trace minerals (see health food store below). Organic is something that is or was alive. Salt (including sea salt) is not a plant or animal and was never alive so it is not a food. It is a chemical or rock (as in rocks and minerals). The iron in spinach is organic while the iron in a nail is inorganic like the sodium (Na) in salt.
Biology teaches that plants create food out of water, air, sunshine and minerals (like salt) and animals consume foods so you should get your minerals from foods. Granulated kelp is supposed to help with weight loss. The organic iodine in it helps the thyroid which helps people lose fat. Kelp changes the salt in sea into food just like plants change minerals in dirt. Arnold Schwarzenegger says that water retention is caused by salt, coffee, saccharine and some prescription and over the counter medications.
During the first 5 days of a fast the body dumps huge amounts (up to 80,000 mg per day) of salt so it gets rid of all the excess salt. So this is why someone can lose up to 15 pounds of weight during the first 5 days of a fast. They lose 15 pounds of water. When they start eating a lot of salt they gain it back. If the body continued to lose Na (chemical abbreviation for sodium) after this excess is removed then the person would die after a few more days of fasting due to lack of Na instead of being able to fast a month. But the body no longer needs to get rid of it so the sweat and urine are no longer salty. But due to ignorance, some people think they need to replace this salt since the body is getting rid of it. Sweating helps you lose retained water since you are sweating out excess salt.
The body is working hard to get rid of this salt but has to store the excess under the skin and it has to absorb a lot of water (water retention) so it is not toxic. By the way, the body decides if it needs to keep water or get rid of water based on the sodium concentration according to modern medicine. So when you start eating food with salt again you need to retain all that water again. If you break the fast and don't consume salt you will not gain back that 15 pounds of water.
The biggest problem with the medical community is that even though humans have survived millions of years without their help and the human body has the evolutionary experiential knowledge of billions of years, they think that the human body is stupid. They think that it (the body) urinates and sweats out minerals that it needs. If this were the case people would not be able to fast 5 weeks on only pure water. They think that people need to replace the Na it urinates out. If it does not have excessive amounts of sodium (like people who do not consume salt) then it does not have salty urine and sweat.
Note-- the body needs some Na but almost every food contains Na. Like an avocado has 1,400 mg of potassium (K) and 21 mg of Na. The body needs to have a lot more K than Na. The FDA has on their webpage, Healthier Eating (May-June 2005 Issue [most recent]) a chapter called "Lower Sodium and Increase Potassium" (www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2005/305_eat.html). The book, The Rice Diet Solution (©2006) by Kitty Gurkin Rosati R.D. and Robert Rosati M.D. says that in addition to salt causing water retention, it also stimulates the appetite causing people to eat more.
Throughout man's history before refrigeration, salt has been important to preserve food by killing the microorganisms that would cause it to rot especially meat and fish. Also with some foods that are fermented, they use the salt to keep the food from going bad until the fermentation kicks in and keeps the food from going bad. People need sodium and chloride but not salt. People who existed over 8.000 years ago have no salt in their skeletons so they never consumed it. LATEST NEWS: In an effort to reduce high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, the American Medical Association (www.ama-assn.org) is urging "the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to revoke the 'generally recognized as safe' (GRAS) status of salt and to develop regulatory measures to limit sodium in processed and restaurant foods."
Health expert and author Andrew Weil, MD says on his website "Stabilizing blood sugar by eating [low] glycemic load meals, eating lean protein with healthy fats, drinking plenty of water and having high quantities of fiber from fresh fruits and vegetables all contribute to increased metabolism, which helps the body to burn fat rather than store it." He also says "As far as protein is concerned, eat less meat and poultry, both which contain pro inflammatory fats, and more vegetable protein (soy foods, beans, lentils and other legumes), whole grains, seeds and nuts."
In a book, The Maker's Diet, the author (Jordan Rubin, ND) explains that God would not tell about what meats a person should eat or not eat if we were not supposed to eat meat. But the book, Jane Brody's Nutrition Book (1981), says "God tells Adam in the Garden of Eden about the fruits, nuts, and grains 'to you it shall be for meat.' But it wasn't until the Great Flood had destroyed all vegetation that the Hebrew God gave people permission to eat 'every moving thing that liveth.'" After that God tells about what meats to eat and not to eat. Jane E. Brody was the personal health columnist of the New York Times.
~http://www.phifoundation.org/~
Sacred heart diet (works)
Basic Fat Burning Soup:
6 large green onions
1 or 2 cans tomatoes
1 large head of cabbage
2 green peppers
1 bunch of celery
1 pkg lipton soup mix
season with salt, pepper, curry, parsley, if desired, or bouillon, or hot sauce.
Cut vegetables in small to medium pieces and cover with water. Boil fast for ten minutes. Cut to simmer and continue cooking until veggies are tender. This soup can be eaten anytime you are hungry. Eat as much as you want, whenever you want. This soup will not add calories. The more you eat, the more weight you will lose. Fill a thermos in the morning if you will be away duringn the day. If eaten alone for indefinite periods, you will suffer malnutrition.
DAY ONE: All fruits except bananas. Cantaloupe and watermelon are lower in calories than most fruits. Eat only, the soup and fruits. For drinks-unsweetened tea, cranberry juice, or water.
DAY TWO: All vegetables. Eat until you are stuffed with all the fresh, raw, or canned veggies. Try to eat green leafy veggies and stay away from dry beans, peas, and corn. Eat along with the soup. At dinner time on this day, reward yourself with a big baked potato and butter. Do not eat any fruits.
DAY THREE: Eat all the soup, fruits, and veggies you want. Do not have a baked potato.
*******If you have eaten for the three days as above, and have not cheated, you will find you have lost 5 to 7 pounds.*******
DAY FOUR: Bananas and skim milk. Eat as many as 3 bananas and drunk as many glasses of water as you can on t his day along with the soup. Bananas are high in calories and carbs and so is the milk, but on this particular day your body will need the potassium and the carbs, proteins and calcium to lessen your craving for sweets.
DAY FIVE: Beef/Chicken and tomatoes. You have have 10-20 ounces of beef and a can of tomatoes or as many as 6 fresh tomatoes on this day. Try to drink at least 6-8 glasses of water this day to wash away the uric acid in your body. Eat the soup at least once this day.
DAY SIX: Beef and veggies. Eat to your heart's content of the beef and veggies this day. You can even have two or three steaks if you like with green leafy veggies, but no baked potato. Be sure and eat t he soup at least once today.
DAY SEVEN: Brown rice, unsweetened fruit juice and veggies. Again stuff yourself. Be sure to have the soup at least once today.
The end of the seventh day, if you have not cheated on the above diet, you will have lost 10-17 pounds. If you have lost more than 15 lbs, stay off the diet for two full days before resuming the diet again for day one.
This seven day eating plan can be used as often as you like. As a matter of fact, if correctly followed, it will clean your system of impurities and give you a feeling of well-being as never before.
After only seven days of this process, you will begin to feel lighter by at least 10-15 pounds, and have an abundance of energy. Continue this plan as long as you like and feel the difference.
This diet is fast, fat-burning, and the secret is that you will burn more calories than you take in. It will flush your system of impurities and give you a feeling of well being. This diet does not lend itself to drinking any alcoholic beverages at any time because of the removal of the fat building up in your system. Go off the diet at least 24 hours before any intake of alcohol.
Because everyone's digestive system is different, this diet will affect everyone differently. After day three, you will have more energy than when you began if you did not cheat. After being on the diet for several days, you will find your bowel movements have changed. Eat a cup of bran or fiber. Although you can have black coffee with this diet, you may find nthat you don't need the caffeine after day three.
DEFINITE NO NO'S: Bread, alcohol, no carbonated drinks (including diet drinks). Stick with water, unsweetened tea, black coffee, unsweetened fruit juices, cranberry juice, and skimmed milk.
The basic fat burning soup can be eaten anytime you feel hungry. Eat as much as you like. Remember that the more you eat, the more you will lose. No fried foods or bread. You can eat broiled or baked chicken instead of meat. (absolutely no skin on the chicken).
Any perscribed medication will not hurt you on this diet. Continue this plan as long as you wish and feel the difference both mentally and physically. If you prefer, you can substitute broiled fish for the beef on only one of the beef days. You need the high-protein in teh beef the other days.
From Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital. Used for overweight heart patients to lose rapidly, usually before surgery.
These fruits and veggies burn more enregy to digest than they impart.
Cantaloupe, pumpkin, honeydew melon, watermelon, rhubarb.
Tomatoes, turnips, lettuce, green peppers, radishes, cucumbers, watercress, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, celery, asparagus, stringbeans, spinach, mushrooms, leeks, sauerkraut, cauliflower, garlic, okra, and kohlrabi.
Protein Diet
The Protein Diet
The idea
The
protein shakes, you can buy the individual protein shakes in health
food stores. In the US you buy a big jar of Whey protein. In the jar is
a scoop. Use one or two scoops, sometimes 1 /12 scoops to 8 oz liquid.
The liquid needs to be sugarless. Artificially sweetened things are ok.
Use crystal light or no sugar Kool Aid to give it some flavor. The
protein you use has to be pure. No carbohydrates in it. What you end up
using will depend on what is available in stores. The stuff I use is
sold for athletes who want to gain weight. But it is the same protein.
We just use a lot less and for a different reason. But maybe you can
buy them already made up and just add liquid. Whichever works for you
make them so that they are adequate to carry you through to the next
meal. I started with two scoops and now use one most of the time. But
you need to put protein into your body so it will convert to the faster
metabolism.
On
this diet you do not need to count calories. It is designed that way on
purpose. It is a diet that engages your metabolism and speeds it up. It
also causes your body to make an appetite suppressant. It takes three
days for the speeded up metabolism to happen. If you have too much
carbohydrate, cheating, your metabolism will slow down again. I find I
cheat sometime once a week but it does not seem to matter if I go right
back to the diet and do not compound the problem. The closer you stick
to the diet the quicker you loose.
No
beans corn rice, potatoes pasta bread carrots. Eat only what is on the
diet. You can have two tablespoons olive oil. Only olive oil. I use
vinegar on the salad greens and I have a lot of salad greens. I use
balsamic vinegar on it; the dryer kind is what I like best. Soy sauce
is ok Teriyaki is not. But generally no sauces. Pickles are unlimited.
No sweet pickles. No sugar or other carbohydrates not on the diet. No
vegetables not on the diet.
The Diet
Breakfast
non-fat yogurt
protein shake
Lunch
Protein shake
4 oz meat/fish
unlimited list A
100 grams list B
Mid afternoon
Protein shake
Diner
4 oz meat/fish
unlimited list A
100 grams list B
Evening
Protein shake
List A (unlimited)
broccoli
celery
cucumbers
gherkin
courgettes
chicory
spinach
soy green pepper
radish
all kinds of salad greens
List B (100 grams)
Asparagus
aubergine (eggplant)
mushrooms
cauliflower
french beans
turni
