Fat-Loss-4-Idiots

Dieting Tips to Loose Fat

2012-01-04T06:37:00.000-08:00

I want to share with you my fast and easy tips you can use to have no fear when it comes to eating your favorite foods.

I wanted to make sure you didn't start to fall into the holiday weight gain slump this year... did you know the average holiday weight gain is between 6-10 lbs?

That's a lot of extra weight that you don't want to tack on top of the additional body fat you're already trying to burn off.

So here are a few tips you can use to prepare for the big feast that awaits you:

Try to front load your meal with a salad or fresh veggies to reduce your appetite when it comes to eating the heavy foods. If you can't do this, then at least eat slowly and wait a few minutes before courses so that your body has enough time to signal your brain that you're full... it typically takes 20 minutes, so take your time and put your fork down between bites!

If you can get in one of my 20-30 minute interval workout routines that morning before you start your day you will be able to better utilize all those calories and you will be far less likely to pack on body fat from the holiday feasts.

Don't go all day without eating in anticipation of filling your belly with pounds of ham, turkey, gravy, potatoes, pies, stuffing... it will only cause you to overeat and bloat your belly.

Desserts... what to do? It is the holidays and a time to enjoy yourself, but that doesn't mean you should set yourself back by eating a thousand calories worth of sweets. Instead, share a slice of your favorite pie with someone or opt for a bowl of fresh fruit. You'll feel more energetic and less "sluggish" if you don't set your body up to crash with all that sugar.

Make sure to enjoy all your favorite dishes, but only go for the ones you want the most first. You may find you get full after the first round.

Be Mindful of Portions

It is all about portion control. Train your stomach to not feel full. Full equals fat. Don't like the feeling of full. Instead go for slightly satisfied. This will allow you to enjoy the holidays without feeling deprived.

You can eat what you want, just don't eat to much of it. You want to taste food, not devour it. Small servings throughout the day. Break it down to mini meals. Your body will burn those calories and you will coast through this holiday. You will slip into that outfit and it will feel great!

We are beginning a weight management series for the holiday. I will be posting twice per week to help you stay on track. The theme for the holiday is Thinking Thin. My goal for you is to twofold. First to coast through the holidays without weight gain. Second is far more important. To adapt the principles of Mind Over Platter and think like a naturally thin person. It takes changing your mind set. Each topic that I am sharing with you is intended to break your old pattern and replace it with something better! Look for my posts twice per week starting this week.

Our first assignment is vital to your success. You must plan your meals. If you leave your food plan to chance you will be eating sugar all month long. There too many temptations surrounding you this month. If you need help planning your meals, visit Fatloss4Idiots website. Until then, take out a piece of paper and quickly outline what your typical food plan will look like. I eat the same thing daily because it's easy and it works!

Exercise and Appetite: A Weight Loss Tip

2011-01-27T05:13:00.000-08:00

If you exercise more, you're going to eat more, right? Not so fast.

According to a new study, adding more exercise to your life will indeed rev up your pre-meal appetite. But here's the cool news: You may find yourself getting full faster, so you end up eating less.

Flex Your Appetite

When overweight men and women burned an extra 500 calories a day through exercise as part of a small study, some interesting things happened to their appetites.

After 12 weeks of working out, participants said their before-breakfast hunger was greater than it had been prior to the study.

But they agreed that the same breakfast felt more filling than it did before they had started exercising. And the group continued to feel quite satiated for several hours after eating.

Sounds like a little extra exercise may be a great way to avoid snack attacks! (Follow these four simple breakfast rules for better weight loss.)

Exercise Effects

Researchers aren't sure why working out seemed to have opposing effects on appetite, but it's encouraging to think it might help us do a better job of telling ourselves when we're full.

Of course, whether you run marathons or walk around the block, you still need to listen to your body and judge your hunger realistically.

No matter how many calories you've burned, force yourself to eat slowly and stop shoveling when you feel about 80 percent full.

That will give the last bit of food time to really hit your stomach. (Did you know? Certain types of exercise may be especially good at curbing overeating.)

A Surprising New Way to Burn Fat Quickly

2011-01-17T05:13:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading an eye opening weight loss report on CNN. The reporter personally tested two of the best selling weight loss products in America and wrote an honest review. I was so shocked by the result of test after I finished reading the report because she revealed some of the hidden secrets in weight loss industry that the pubic will never know.

I strongly recommend you read the report because it will tell you how to really lose weight instead of losing your money on those products that won't work! Here is what the report says:

Health and Diet writer Karen Simpson recently put an emerging diet trend to the test. We had to see for ourselves what this diet was all about. Karen spent four weeks testing the effects of America's newest super-food combined with a Colon Lipo. The results were surprising.

The benefits of the Acai berry diet removed all of our initial skepticism. We found the diet not only helps with weight loss, but it seemed to boost energy levels according to Karen.

Washington, D.C (West Coast News) - Losing weight often feels like an impossible challenge. We have evaluated numerous fad diets over the years. All too frequently their results are just shy of painfully disappointing.

The reason for why most diets fail, in our opinion, is that they impose unrealistic restrictions on how you live your life. Some advocate eating tons of protein others emphasize carbohydrates. In either case, you're left with having to make rather drastic changes to the types of food you eat and when you eat it. In this special report, we take an in-depth look at an emerging and promising weight loss trend that we believe is a game changer, and it won't break the bank.

You may have heard of the enormously popular Acai berry in the news. It's a completely organic berry found deep in the Amazon rainforest of South America. Alone the Acai berry offers many benefits primarily due to its high anti-oxidant content. Combine it with a powerful Colon Lipor, and you've created a fat burning machine. If you're skeptical, you're not alone. When we first learned about this weight loss combo, our diet fad radar went off right away.

Nevertheless, as we began to investigate the countless success stories reported by people from all around the globe, we decided that this weight loss trend was worthy of a closer examination. Moreover, we found it of particular interest that these people had not significantly changed their current lifestyles.

Ella Regan from San Francisco, California was reported to have lost 46 pounds in 3 months while being on the Lean Spa and Colon Lipo combo diet.

In the story on her blog she states,
"I couldn't believe how easy it was. I didn't change my diet or my daily routine, but the fat melted off like it butter. I love this stuff! Finally a diet that just works."

For the West Coast News test, it was inevitable that I was to be the guinea pig for this diet since I was about to get married. I wanted to lose 10 pounds for my wedding. In order to try the Acai Berry and Colon Lipo diet, I ordered two products. First, I got a FREE TRIAL of Lean Spa. Although there are many Acai berry offers available, I chose Lean Spa, since they are one of the most credible and trustworthy suppliers on the market.

The Free Trial bottle of Lean Spa was delivered in a few days from ordering and with surprisingly inexpensive shipping. Lean Spa is one of the most concentrated and purest acai products on the market. It was our shared opinion that this would give me the most accurate results for my test.

Here is what Lean Spa claimed on their website:

•    4 Times More Weight Loss Than Diet and Exercise
•    Boosts Energy
•    Rich in Antioxidants
•    Promotes Cardiovascular and Digestive Health

Although we were pretty skeptical, we wanted to find out for ourselves if this product could actually do everything that it claimed. Most of the success stories talk about combining Acai berry with a colon cleansing products to achieve maximum weight loss. The idea behind combining the products is that while the Acai Berry encourages weight loss and increases energy; the Colon Lipo helps rid your body of toxins and allows your body to work and burn calories more efficiently. I chose Colon Lipo to test.

Here is what Colon Lipo claimed on their website:

•    Helps Eliminate Bad Toxins That Have Built Up Over the Years
•    Removes "Sludge"From the Walls of the Colon
•    Helps Get Rid of Gas and Bloating
•    Helps Regulate the Metabolism

The Colon Lipo product like Lean Spa offers a free trial backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Putting the Lean Spa and Colon Lipo to the Test

Both the Lean Spa and Colon Lipo arrived within 4 days of having placed my order online for the free trials.
The bottles I received contained a month worth of highly concentrated pills, which worked out perfectly as I was to follow the supplement routine for 4 weeks time and document my progress.

The Test: A Four-Week Combo Diet Using Lean Spa and Colon Lipo

1. Take one Lean Spa pill per day (in the morning)
2. Take one Colon Lipo pill per day (in the evening)

My Results:

Week One:

After one week on the diet using both products I was surprised at the dramatic results. My energy level was up, and I wasn't even hungry. A welcomed side effect of the Acai Berry diet is its power to curb the appetite.
I honestly felt fantastic.

Best of all, I didn't even change anything about my daily routine. On Day 7, I got on the scale and couldn't believe my eyes. I had lost 3.5 lbs. But I still wasn't convinced, since they say you lose a lot of water weight at the beginning of any diet. I wanted to wait and see the results in the upcoming weeks. But it sure was looking up! I now weighed less than 120 pounds for the first time in years!

Week Two:

After two weeks of using both supplements, I started the week off with even more energy, and actually sleeping more soundly than before. I was no longer waking up during the night and tossing and turning because my body was actually able to relax (this is a result of getting rid of the toxins, I think). Plus I still managed to lose another 7 pounds, putting me at an unbelievable 10.5 lbs of weight loss, in just 2 weeks.

I must admit that I am starting to believe that this diet is more than just a gimmick.

Week Three:

After 3 weeks, all my doubts and skepticism had absolutely vanished! I am down, 2 full dress sizes after losing another 3.5 pounds. And I still have a ton of energy. Quite often, around the third week of other diets, you tend to run out of steam. But with the Lean Spa and Colon Lipo diet my energy levels don't dip, instead they remain steady throughout the day. I no longer need that cat nap around 3pm in the afternoon! I am even noticing that my stomach is digesting food so much better. No bloating or embarrassing gas after I eat.

Week Four:

After the fourth week, my final results were shocking. I lost an unbelievable 18 lbs since starting the Lean Spa and Colon Lipo diet! Actually everyone at WestCoastNews is kicking themselves for not having volunteered to be the guinea pig. Using the Lean Spa and Colon Lipo in week 4 I lost 4 more pounds. The results are consistent! But to be honest, I really didn't have much more than that left to lose. I am definitely going to continue taking the Lean Spa afterwards because it has so many antioxidants and vitamins that makes my skin look unbelievable.

I couldn't be any happier with the results.

I Lost 18 lbs in 4 Weeks, No Special Diet, No Intense Exercise.

In conclusion, if you are a little doubtful about the effects of this diet, you need to try it for yourself; from our own test, the results are real. We at West Coast News had our doubts initially, but we were quickly turned into believers. After conducting our own study, we are pleased to see that people really are finding success with the diet.

You can reach your weight loss goals with the Lean Spa and Colon Lipo combo diet.

Foods That Help You Lose Weight

2011-01-07T08:11:00.000-08:00

11 Foods That Help You Lose Weight

You don't need a starvation diet to help you shed those unwanted pounds. In fact, you have to eat to lose weight. And these slimming, satisfying foods are just the ticket.

You won't lose weight on a diet of celery sticks and dry toast. Your body will just think it's starving and hang onto those extra pounds! Rather, to lose weight effectively and permanently, you need to eat. And eat smart. Happily, there are a host of delicious edibles designed by nature to turn up your fat-burning furnace, flatten your belly, and take a big bite out of your appetite. Here are 11 of the get-slim food gems we're talking about:

Mushrooms

If you want to try an easy & tasty calorie-cutting trick, then substitute the meat in your favorite recipes for mushrooms. You'll automatically cut about 420 calories out of a meal, because you'll skip all the belly-padding saturated fat contained in meat. Recent study found mushrooms just as tasty & filling as meat.

Pistachios
Nuts may be high in fat, but it's the healthful unsaturated kind of fat found in pistachios. And like all nuts, pistachios offer lots of hunger-curbing protein and fiber. All of these qualities together explain why adding pistachios to the diet helped dieters in a study curb their appetites and lose more weight. Here's more on how pistachios and other nuts pull off this feeling-full feat.

Grapefruit
Of all the foods rumored to boost weight loss, grapefruit is likely the most famous. And research confirms that this fruit's get-slim celebrity status is for real. One study in particular revealed that eating half a grapefruit before each meal helped dieters shed more pounds than people who skipped the tart appetizer. Get hip to why most fad diets don't work and can actually be dangerous.

Rice with Veggies
Adding some high-fiber vegetables like broccoli, carrots, and kale to your rice will obviously help lower the calorie count. But not only that. Adding veggies to rice at lunchtime appears to slow stomach emptying, according to research. The end result? You feel full longer. In fact, people in a study ate much less at dinner when they added veggies to their rice at lunch. Here's more on how rice and vegetables work together to keep you full.

Yogurt
Mmmm. This creamy, tangy snack is loaded with calcium -- and studies show that calcium may curtail weight gain by hindering the absorption of fat in the small intestine. Check out these other good eats that are bursting with calcium.

Avocado
This green goddess of heavenly, creamy taste can help you whittle your waist. It's true! Researchers suspect that the unsaturated fat in avocados may ratchet up body levels of the hunger-halting hormone called leptin -- a hormone that lets your brain know that you're full, so you stop eating. Find out what fats make you hungrier and what ones can help curb the munchies.

Eggs
Turn breakfast into a fat-burning morning boost by skipping the stack of pancakes and feasting on a couple of eggs instead. According to a study, huevos beat out carbs when it came to helping folks feel full longer and helping them beat back snack attacks later in the day. Here's how eggs helped folks lose 65% more body weight in a recent study.

Red Pepper
Add some heat to your meals and you'll boost not only the taste but also the effectiveness of your weight loss diet. A dash of cayenne pepper or some diced jalapeno or red peppers will do the trick. They all contain capsaicin -- the heat-inducing compound in red peppers that, according to research, tamps down appetite and curbs food intake later in the day. A similar compound in sweet peppers may hinder fat storage, too.

Fava Beans
Creamy and hearty, fava beans are a lean protein source bursting with flavonoids. And in a 14-year study, these special antioxidants were shown to help hinder the accumulation of extra belly fat. Slim your belly and your body with this fat-blasting plan from the YOU Docs.

Whole Grains
Ready to trade your belly bulge for a flat tummy? Then toss your refined grains into the garbage, and eat more whole grains instead. Research shows this one move can help whittle your middle.We're talking brown rice, quinoa, steel-cut oats, whole-grain cereal, and 100% whole-wheat bread and pasta. Discover how whole grains helped flatten the bellies of 3,000 men and women in a recent study.

Olive Oil
This rich-tasting oil found in salad dressings and marinades contains a hunger-busting monounsaturated fat called oleic acid -- which triggers a complicated process in the gut that ultimately tells your brain you're full and makes you want to stop eating. Olive oil also plays a starring role in heart-healthy Mediterranean-style diets.

The FASTEST fat loss system EVER developed

2010-12-04T07:47:00.000-08:00

2 things for you today:

One... apparently we had a lot of questions come in yesterday about the 1,000-Calorie Challenge and whether or not it's only for advanced trainees or is suited for beginners - the answer is YES, it can be perfectly suited to beginners as well!

In fact, the entire 1st phase of the program was specifically created to take you from 300 calorie beginner workouts all the way to full blown 1,000+ calorie advanced workouts in 4 weeks or LESS.

That's actually the reason the program was created - to provide a solution that will progress exercisers as fast as possible to the goal of being able to DO workouts that burn massive calories and fat.

And as a reminder, you can still save $50 on the 1,000-Calorie Challenge program right now during the pre-sale at the below page:

==> http://tinyurl.com/1000-calorie-challenge4u

One other thing we have for you is a short article from Joel explaining one of the methods they use in the 1,000 Calorie Challenge to help you rapidly progress and lose fat fast:

1 Unique Strategy to Go from "Beginner" to Advanced - FAST
By Joel Marion -- co-creator of the 1000-Calorie Challenge

You see, while your level of fitness may not currently be in a place where you can jump right in to doing 1,000 calorie workouts, we can get you there in as little as four weeks--and that's for ENTRY LEVEL trainees.

Been training for a while? We'll get you there in 2 weeks.

It all comes down to utilizing a system that will progress you from burning 300 calories to 450 calories to 600 calories to 800 calories to 1,000 calories in NO time, and that's what we've developed with Strategic Set Progression and R-Quattro techology.

What is Strategic Set Progression?

Well, it's just ONE of the methods we use to push you toward the 1,000 calorie goal FAST, and it goes a little something like this:

In week 1, we start with workouts that implement standard sets in which you rest between each exercise.

Then, on week 2, we move to supersets in which you are alternating back and forth between two exercises with minimal rest.

During week 3 we up the ante even further by switching to tri-sets in which 3 exercises are paired together back-to-back-to-back.

How bout week four? Well, that's where we move from tri-sets to 4-exercise Giant Sets.

And finally, for the 1,000 Calorie workouts, we move on to strategically designed 10-exercise Insane Circuits.

Frankly, by combining brand new R-Quattro technology with Strategic Set Progression, your body fat doesn't stand a chance.

To learn more about R-Quattro technology and 2 MORE methods for burning fat and calories fast, see below:

==> http://tinyurl.com/1000-calorie-challenge4u

So, if you're thinking "I might not be ready for this", that's the EXACT reason we created this program - to GET you ready faster than anything else ever could.

Beyond that, blasting away up to 3 pounds or more of PURE fat EVERY week is pretty cool, too :)

Thanks for your time today... Enjoy the program!

Tricks to increase fat-burning hormones

2010-11-04T07:15:00.000-07:00

Strategic overeating during this holiday season can allow you to enjoy your holiday parties without sacrificing all of the calorie-rich foods, and when done right, can even help you get leaner instead of fatter this holiday season.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Most Important Hormone You've Never Heard Of
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s name is Leptin (derived from the Greek word leptos, meaning “thin”), and it’s without a doubt the most important hormone you probably never heard of.

You see, leptin was only first discovered just over 10 years ago, and as far as weight loss is concerned, that’s extremely recent.

Leptin’s function? To communicate your nutritional status to your body and brain.

Leptin levels are mediated by two things. One is your level of body fat. All else being equal, people with higher levels of body fat will have higher leptin levels than those with lower levels of body fat and vice versa.

Because leptin is secreted by fat cells, it makes sense that under normal conditions there is a direct correlation between leptin levels and the amount of fat you are carrying.

Unfortunately, when you’re attempting to lose fat and begin to restrict calories, conditions are anything but “normal” and the body responds accordingly by lowering leptin levels.

This is because the second mediator of blood leptin levels is your calorie intake. Lower your calorie intake and leptin will fall, independent of body fat.

So, yes, you can be overweight and still suffer from low leptin levels – just go on a diet.

So what happens when leptin levels fall and why the heck does it matter?

Again, under normal conditions leptin levels are normal and the brain gets the signal loud and clear that nutrition intake is adequate. Metabolism is high and the internal environment of the body is one very conducive to fat burning.

Until you start dieting.

Go on a diet and leptin levels quickly plummet (by 50% or more after only one week), sending a signal to the body that you’re semi-starved and not consuming enough calories.

This puts the breaks on metabolism and creates a hormonal environment extremely conducive to fat storage. Thyroid hormones (hormones extremely important to metabolism) respond by taking a dive and the abdominal fat-storing stress hormone cortisol skyrockets measurably.

HELLO belly fat.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, the appetite stimulating hormones ghrelin, neuropeptide-Y, and anandamide all hop on board to make your life even more miserable.

You don’t have to remember any of those names, just remember that when leptin drops, you get seriously hungry.

Despite having a pretty good reason for its reaction, it’s pretty ironic that our bodies are primed for fat loss at every other time except when we are trying to burn fat.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could maintain high leptin levels and a body primed for fat burning while dieting? It would seemingly solve all of our problems.

But in order to do this, we’d have to somehow keep leptin levels high as we attempt to lose those extra pounds.

“HOW ABOUT “SUPPLEMENTING” WITH LEPTIN?”

A couple of problems here: First, leptin is a protein based hormone, which means that it can not be taken orally (otherwise, it would simply be digested). So that rules out a leptin pill.

This leaves the method of “supplemental” leptin administration to injection. And leptin injections DO indeed work, reversing the metabolic adaptations to dieting and “starvation” even while continuing to restrict calories.

In 1996, Ahima et al. used leptin injections to reverse starvation-induced neuroendrocrine adaptations in mice.

“Well, that’s nice and all, but I’m human.” Point taken; research with rodents doesn’t always correlate to similar findings in humans, however…

In 1999, Heymsfield et al. performed a double-blind placebo controlled study analyzing weight loss over a 24-week period in 73 obese humans. Subjects either injected daily with leptin or a placebo (i.e. bogus alternative). At the end of the 24-week period, the leptin group lost significantly more weight than the placebo and a higher percentage of fat vs. muscle.

In 2002, Rosenbaum et al. administered low-dose leptin to subjects (male and female) who had dieted to a 10% decrease in body weight. During the diet period, thyroid hormone levels, 24-hr energy expenditure, and other metabolic markers substantially decreased. The result of the leptin replacement therapy?

“All of these endocrine changes were reversed…”Thyroid output and daily calorie burn increased back to pre-diet levels.

In 2003, Fogteloo et al. showed that leptin injections “tended to reduce the decline of energy expenditure associated with energy restriction, whereas the tendency of energy intake to increase back to baseline levels in placebo-treated subjects was largely prevented in subjects treated with leptin.”

Yeah, that’s a mouthful. Let me put in simple terms: not only did the leptin group experience less of a decline in metabolism, but they were also less hungry, allowing them to more easily stick to the prescribed diet.

In 2004, Welt et al. reported that leptin given to a group of women with thyroid disorder immediately raised circulating concentrations of the thyroid hormones T3 and T4.

In 2005, Rosenbaum and company were at it again, again showing that energy expenditure and circulating concentrations of T3 and T4 all returned to pre-weight-loss levels with regular leptin injections.

So, as theorized, keeping leptin levels high during a diet does indeed solve our dilemma by avoiding the negative metabolic (and perhaps behavioral) adaptations that calorie restriction perpetuates.

The problem?

Daily leptin injections are far too expensive, costing thousands and thousands of dollars per week. So, we can pretty much forget about supplemental leptin as a solution (which is probably moot anyway considering that not too many people are going to voluntarily plunge a needle into their skin daily).

A REAL Solution

Now that we know that leptin injections aren’t going to save us, let’s talk about the possibility of manipulating your body’s natural leptin production.

And I’ve got good news – this can indeed be done, and without involving needles or thousands of dollars. In fact, we’ll swap the injections and mounds of cash out for two things I can guarantee you’re absolutely going to love: more calories and more carbs.

We know that leptin levels decrease by about 50% after only one week of dieting, but fortunately, it doesn’t take nearly that long for leptin to bump back up with a substantial increase in caloric intake.

In fact, research has shown that it only takes about 12-24 hours.

So, the answer to the fat loss catch-22? Strategic high-calorie, high-carb CHEATING.

By strategically cheating with high calorie foods (and yes, even stuff like pizza, ice cream, wings, cookies, burgers, fries, etc), you can give leptin and metabolism a major boost mid-diet which sets you up for plenty of subsequent fat loss when you resume your reduced calorie eating regimen.

This means greater net fat loss week after week, and ultimately, a much more realistic, maintainable way to bring you to the body you truly want and deserve.

So what’s so special about carbs?

Well, leptin, carbohydrate and insulin have been shown to have very strong ties.

Calories alone don’t get the job done, as research shows that overfeeding on protein and fat has little effect on leptin.

In order to get a strong leptin response from overfeeding, there needs to be plenty of carbs in the mix. In fact, the relationship is SO strong that research conducted by Boden et al. at the Temple University School of Medicine shows that leptin levels will not fall even in response to all-out fasting so long as insulin and blood sugar are maintained via IV drip. That’s CRAZY.

Because of this carbohydrate/insulin-leptin relationship, it makes sense that foods combining both carbs and fat (like pizza, burgers, cookies, ice cream, etc) work best for reversing the negative adaptations caused by dieting because of the BIG-TIME insulin response they produce.

THIS is why strategic cheating with your favorite foods is so powerful. THIS is why you truly can use your favorite foods to lose fat faster than you ever could with restrictive dieting. THIS is freedom.

Essentially, it’s everything “typical” dieting isn’t.

With regular dieting, come week two, you’re screwed.

With strategic cheating, you can literally use ANY food you want to *ensure* that you never go a single day without a body primed for fat loss.

The cheat or not to cheat? I think the choice is clear.

Enjoy, and have a great day!

Mary
Certified Nutrition Specialist

Healthy Chocolate Dessert Recipe

2010-10-05T14:42:00.000-07:00

My NEW Healthy Chocolate Dessert Recipe -- High Protein, Low Sugar, and Full of Chocolately Goodness!

If you've been a subscriber of my Lean-Body Secrets Ezine for some time, you know I'm a nut about chocolate, but I ALWAYS find ways to make healthy versions of chocolate recipes that are low in sugar, higher in fiber, and higher in protein... so you can still enjoy chocolate, but stay lean at the same time!

My chocolate recipes give you ways to actually NOURISH your body with high nutrient density instead of fattening your body with typical chocolate treats.

In fact, I've become well-known for some of my uniquely healthy chocolate recipes, including my famous healthy chocolate fudge recipe, and my more recent, healthy chocolate pudding recipe.

This new recipe of mine I don't really know what to call, but I guess you could say that it's similar to pudding also, but also similar to a chocolate cheesecake taste! But instead of typical puddings and cheesecakes loaded with sugar and calories, this recipe is high in protein, has a decent dose of fiber, antioxidants, loads of vitamins, minerals, and more...

PLUS this recipe is lower in carbs and sugar than pretty much any other chocolate desserts out there!

Geary's High-Protein, Low-Sugar Healthy Chocolate Dessert

The quantities here will make about 4-6 servings, so adjust appropriately if you don't want leftovers. To make this healthy chocolate dessert, first mix together in a bowl:

1 cup of plain Greek yogurt (choose either the 2% or the full fat -- remember, don't be afraid of fats, as they help balance hormones and provide satiety which lowers appetite overall... Greek yogurt is MUCH higher in protein than normal style yogurt, and also tastes creamier!)
1 cup of ricotta cheese (I passed on the fat-free and chose the part skim... I also was able to find ricotta from grass-fed cows at Whole Foods)
1 scoop of chocolate protein -- I like to use this grass-fed raw whey protein, and sometimes I mix and match with chocolate hemp protein or this amazing new protein I found recently, Boku Super-Protein (this protein is from sprouted brown rice and has an incredible amount of naturally-occurring calcium, vitamin C, and vitamin A)
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
3 Tbsp raw cocao nibs -- these pieces of 100% pure cocao add tremendous nutrition to the recipe and also a great crunchy chocolate taste (nibs are harder to find than cocoa powder, but can be found at most health food stores or specialty food stores)
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup almond slivers
2 Tbsp each of chia seeds and hemp seeds (optional, but adds TONS of nutrition and a nice nutty taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Top 10 Foods That You MUST Have

2010-08-09T09:37:00.001-07:00

There are foods that are foods that are healthy and then there are foods that are powerhouses. I've got 10 here that are supersonic super foods that you absolutely should include in your diet if you want to lose weight, get as healthy as you can and look your best!

Here they are:

1Tomatoes. The all-powerful tomato can do all kinds of things, besides make your favorite spaghetti sauce. It's rich in lycopene, an important nutrient that may lower the risk of all kinds of cancer, prostate included. Plus the vitamin C factor is an added bonus!

2Greens. I love braised greens (steam them till bright green, then sauté in olive oil and garlic, put a lid on them and let them finish cooking after I turn off the heat). Any kind of green will do, from Swiss chard, to kale, to collard greens. They're all delicious. I can eat 1/2 a pound in one sitting!

3Almonds. I'm a huge fan of nuts, especially raw almonds (and walnuts, too). I place 10 of them in a ramekin and munch them at my desk, lingeringly (it's too easy to eat too many, so I measure them out). I take my time and they seem to last. I also make up little ziplock bags of almonds to have on hand. One bag of these nuts is always in purse for an emergency snack!

4Salmon. I absolutely adore grilled salmon. It's gotta be WILD though, if you want the benefit of the omega 3 fatty acids (farm-raised salmon doesn't cut it). My absolute fave is wild Alaskan Sockeye. I just had it for dinner tonight (with some braised greens) and I'm in love. I heat up the barby (I have a gas one), throw the frozen salmon on, skin side down, sprinkle some salmon seasoning from Paul Prudhomme (generously, I might add) and that's it! EASY BUTTON and absolutely delicious; no planning necessary!

5Frozen berries. I make my smoothies from frozen berries every morning. I buy the wild blueberries and blackberry/raspberry mix. Blueberries are especially healthy and have more antioxidants in 2/3 of a cup than FIVE servings of broccoli!

6Kefir and Yogurt. Kefir is like liquid yogurt. Chocked full of probiotics, kefir helps your body balance in the gut. Remember those stories of people living to be 120 years old in Russia? Yogurt and kefir were what they credit their longevity to -- and that's nothing to sneeze at! I use kefir in my smoothies and eat yogurt with a splash of vanilla and a squeeze of honey, yum!

7Onions. The lowly onion seems to find its way into most everything you make, especially come dinnertime! Eating onions is a cheap way to get your flavonoids in. Flavonoids are important nutrients that help protect your lungs from cancer and your gut from ulcers. Not only that, but they help prevent heart disease and raise the "good" cholesterol in your blood.

8Oats. Fiber rich, oats help your body to stabilize blood sugar levels and reduce cholesterol. A perfect breakfast is a bowl of oatmeal with about 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries stirred in, yum! Fiber is critical for important bodily functions, if you know what I mean -- and oatmeal is a great way to get it.

9Dark Chocolate. HALLELUJAH!!! At last, my dream came true! When some girls were singing, "someday my prince will come," I was humming, "someday they'll discover chocolate is healthy". Well, I may not have gotten my Prince Charming (yet), but I can have my chocolate and eat it too! Dark chocolate is rich in catechins and favonoids, giving you a big dose of antioxidants and helping to boost the good cholesterol, too. An ounce a day is more than adequate and it needs to be dark, the darker the better.

10Oranges. While we may no longer suffer from scurvy, a lot of us have marginal levels of vitamin C in our blood and some of us have a deficit. When you consider the fact that oranges in their flavonoid richness have the ability to fend off cancer and cardiovascular disease and protect one's DNA, it's amazing that most of us aren't chugging a glass each morning of OJ! Get the pulp-rich variety and you've got extra C to boot.

5 Minutes a Day for Sexy Abs

2010-07-29T10:55:00.000-07:00

Slim 'n Sexy At Any Age

5 Minutes a Day for Sexy Abs

It's not too late to get sexy, defined abs this summer. All you need is 5 minutes a day to be on your way to that toned midsection you crave. She even shows you what to do with those 5 minutes!

"I just want sexy abs..." Well you can have them, but it takes a very special workout.

The fastest way to get the stomach of your dreams is by working your ABS six days a week, but -- and this is very key -- you need to be doing something different for your abs every time you work them!

My super-ab workout only takes about 5 minutes a day; in 3 short weeks you'll start seeing definition and hardness you never dreamed of. In 3 months, "Call security!" The guys will be drooling over your tight and toned tummy!

They used to call me the stomach pooch queen. No matter how thin I got, it seemed as if my stomach bulged out... especially that lower "pooch" part But look at me now at 64. The photo at right is me! No touch-up work here, folks. That's me and that's my belly!

What is the secret?

The stomach muscles get used to a workout rather quickly, since they are at the center of your body and are working all day anyway to balance the weight you carry around. They need extreme variety to tone up.

The answer? No matter what you are doing for the rest of your body, do ABS exercises six days a week BUT WITH A DIFFERENT ROUTINE EACH DAY.

Monday you could do giant sets with crunches, leg-raises and knee-ins, with no rests, doing 15 reps of each exercise. Go back and forth until you've done them three times.

Tuesday you could do the bicycle, the knee-raised crunch and the leg raised crunch, repeating it three times, doing 15 repetitions each.

Wednesday you could do two stomach exercises, only this time do them very slowly. In this case it would not matter if ... you repeated some of the exercises above as long as they were in a different order. For example, you could do the knee-in and the crunch -- 15 reps each, going back and forth three times, without resting, but very slowly –- on the count of 1, 2, 3, 4 on the up, and 1, 2, 3, 4 on the down.

Thursday do another group of two exercises. Only this time go faster and do different exercises... and so on. Until you've done six days a week with a different routine each day.

Here is a sample abs workout day.

Do one very slow set for both of them, 10 repetitions each, then without stopping do a much faster set for both of them this time doing 15 repetitions each. This will take you less than 5 minutes!

Side oblique reach.

Start: Lie on the floor with your knees bent and your arms straight at your sides.

Movement: Leaning toward your right extend your fingers toward your ankles -– or until you cannot go any further. Flex your side abdominals and return to start. Repeat for the other side. Do 10-15 reps and repeat for the other side.

Ceiling reach crunch.

Start: Lie flat on your back. Raise your legs to so that they are perpendicular to the floor.

Movement: Raise yourself off the floor using your stomach muscles as you extend your arms forward reaching towards your toes. Flex your entire abdominal area. Return to start. Repeat until you have done 10-15 reps.

If you really want great ABS for the new year, make sure you do abs six days a week and do a different routine each day!

Do you need to lose weight?

2010-07-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

It's healthy to be fat... kind of.

The fat and health issue is a complex one, with many factors to consider. Medical research has raised more questions than it has answered. It seems that, while there are health risks associated with being fat, there are also some health benefits. It may be healthier to remain at a stable high weight than to yo-yo diet.

World's Fattest Man

Do you want to look like this?

Put that twinkie down then.

The politics of size.

Discrimination is as much a fact of life for fat people as it is for other people outside the "norm." Fat people earn less money, are turned down for medical insurance, jobs, and housing. They are subjected to insensitive remarks and are often judged by their body shape and size as being stupid, lazy, slovenly, unhealthy, and either over- or under-sexed. The stereotypes exist despite volumes of evidence to the contrary and impact our lives in every facet of our existence.

Men were not as heavily penalized for being overweight as women were. Both genders were awarded for being slim and athletic, while both were penalized for being overwight or obese.

Barbie and Ken are hot... or not.

If Barbie were a real woman she would have to grow to be seven feet tall. She would have a bust that was between 38-40 inches, her waist 18-24 inches, her hips around 33-35 inches. Barbie's weight would be 110 pounds. If she were a real woman, Barbie would have to walk on all fours due to her proportions. If Ken were a real man, he would be seven-feet, eight-inches tall. An average man would have to add seven inches to his chest and about eight inches to his neck to equal Ken's measurements. The average man, at least seems to be beating him in one area that is suspicously missing from Ken's anatomy...

Fact: According to the American Airlines manual for flight attendants, 'A firm, trim silhouette, free of bulges, rolls, or paunches, is necessary for an alert, efficient image.

Fact: According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the average weight for an adult female in the United States is 162.9 pounds. 189.8 pounds for the average male.

Fact: It's estimated that at least 5-10% of the population has a preference for a large-size partner. Because our society does not view this as a legitimate preference, many people who prefer fat partners face harassment from their families and peers. As the preference for the large-size partner is legitimized, the 5-10% figure may rise.

Burn Fat More Easily

2010-07-12T03:39:00.000-07:00

Adding lean muscle to your body -- through strength training and cardiovascular activity -- and limbering up your body with stretching can help burn fat, reduce stress, improve health, and decrease waist size, all without bulking you up to the size of a Miami condo.

And trust us, it doesn't take that long to accomplish. Here's what you need to do:

Every day

•    Walk. For 30 minutes. No matter what. No excuses. It doesn't matter if you do this all at once or break it up into as many as three shorter sessions. The weather stinks? Just do this walking workout at home.
Tally up your successes with this walking tracker.

•    Stretch. Once your body is warm (after walking, for instance), stretch for 5 minutes to help elongate your muscles.

Three times a week (once you've mastered walking every day)
•    Do the 20-minute workout. The only equipment you need is your body. And
o    Choose your level:
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced

Make a YOU-Turn

2010-07-12T03:24:00.000-07:00

You're going to make wrong turns. You’re going to turn left at the chili dogs, make a right at the blueberry pie, and occasionally merge onto the interstate of banana-nut pancakes with a side of sausage. Does that mean you should steer into the fatty crevasse of destructive eating? Of course not.

What you're going to do right then -- instead of drop-kicking healthy eating the moment you make one bad choice -- is to confront it.

If you've been in a car with a GPS unit, you know how it works. If you make a mistake, it doesn't tell you that you might as well drive off a cliff because you missed the turn. Instead, all it says, very politely, is this: "At the next available moment, make an authorized U-turn." The GPS recognizes the error matter-of-factly and simply guides you back onto the right road.

When you make a bad choice, repeat the YOU Diet mantra: "At the next available moment, make an authorized YOU-Turn." Get back on the right road.

What kills any regimen of healthy eating isn’t the occasional slice of fudge cake or pizza; it’s what happens after the initial indulgence. This mantra reminds you that the harm isn’t in the mistake; it’s in not figuring out how to deal with it.

Not enough? Do a yoga pose. We suggest the downward dog -- balancing your weight on your hands and feet, with your butt hiked toward the ceiling in an inverted V. Not only will it give you a few moments to take deep breaths and remind you of your goals, but it’s sort of difficult to eat when you’re upside down.

Discover the New Rules of Fat Loss

2010-07-12T03:18:00.000-07:00

The path to your new life and your new shape really is simple. Adopt these strategies and watch your body change effortlessly.

Make Your Eating Plan Automatic

Over a 14-day period, train yourself to make good-for-YOU food choices. You’ll reprogram your appetite, so YOU will be in charge of what you’re eating.

· Eat three main meals, plus snacks, so you’re never hungry.

· Eat the same things for breakfast and lunch almost every day. Yes, every day. People who minimize food choices lose more fat.

Eat Deliciously

· Fill up on whole-grain carbohydrates (that includes vegetables); fiber; nuts; and lean, healthy protein such as fish, poultry, and (sparingly) lean meats.

· In a hunger emergency, chew on your favorites from this list: apples, almonds, walnuts, edamame (soybeans), sugar-free gum, chopped veggies, nonfat yogurt or cottage cheese. And water, of course.

Remember That Waist Is More Important Than Fat

Because of its proximity to vital organs, belly fat is the most dangerous fat you can carry. It is one of the strongest predictors of health risks (heart disease, diabetes, and more bad stuff) associated with obesity.

· Ditch the scale in favor of the tape measure.

· Measure your waist and aim small: Ideal is 32 1/2 inches or less for women and 35 inches or less for men.

Stay Satisfied

To lose fat, you need to eat.

· Eat often -- five or six times throughout the day -- so you’re always satisfied. Slipping into starvation mode makes your body want to store fat.

· Eat plenty of fiber and some protein in the morning: Fiber in the morning helps control afternoon cravings; protein decreases appetite.

Add Support

Enlist a friend, family member, or new online buddy as your partner. Everyone needs encouragement -- and an occasional prod.

· After finishing your 30-minute walk every day, call a buddy or post something on the YOU Diet boards for a pat on the back.

· When you start the 20-minute workout, do the same thing.

It’s Okay to Make Mistakes

As long as you quickly get back on the right road, you won’t travel too far down the wrong one. Just make a YOU-turn to change course.

A Few Final Tips

· Check food labels. Don’t buy anything with more than 4 grams of saturated fat or 4 grams of any sugar (especially high-fructose corn syrup) per serving. Sat fat is an ager that’s bad for your whole body, and simple sugars make you crave high-calorie foods.

· Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. Fatigue also makes you crave sugary foods. Why? They release the brain chemicals that a lack of sleep leaves you short on.

· Eat a little healthy fat -- like a handful of walnuts -- about 20 minutes before a meal. It will take the edge off, so you won’t be tempted to overeat.

· Choose elegance over force. Fat-loss battles are won when you diet smart, not hard.

Loose Weight with This Multitasking Side Dish

2010-06-07T06:01:00.000-07:00

For slimmer hips, skip the baked potato and make yourself a bowl of this for your next side dish: barley salad. Barley is rich in beta glucan, a soluble fiber shown to reduce cholesterol. And now, new research shows that this special fiber may help with waist management, too!

Beyond Cholesterol Control
Barley actually has up to twice as much beta glucan as oats have. And a study found that getting 3 to 5 grams of beta glucan every day from barley can lower harmful LDL cholesterol between 9 and 15 percent in people with high cholesterol. Not too shabby. But the unexpected bonus in this study? The beta glucan helped decrease hunger, so people ate fewer calories overall.

Get a Grip on Hunger
How does barley banish blubber? Researchers suspect that beta glucan and other barley fibers expand in your stomach, so you feel full faster and end up eating less. And working this grain into your day is a snap. Start your day with barley cereal. For lunch, toss barley into soup, stew, or even salad. And use barley in place of rice at dinner.

Those who do not believe that barley would be healthier than brown rice as most barley available in grocery stores is not a whole grain. They can stick with oatmeal for breakfast, and brown rice in daily soup. Or they can try this amazing soup diet.

The diet is simple: A day before starting out, cook up a big batch of our basic soup. Then, each night of the week, mix two cups with extra ingredients to create a totally new soup, from Southwest Chili to Greek Fish Stew, in 20 minutes or less. These diet dinners are all family-friendly, so you don’t have to prepare two separate meals each night. For breakfast and lunch, you’ll stick to your food plan . When you need a snack, dip into your vat of veggie soup. Or if you’re craving crunch, fill up on as many cucumber slices, celery sticks, zucchini wedges, and bell pepper strips as you please. And twice a week, have a 100-calorie treat.

Childhood Obesity Statistics Shows Why it is a very danger epidemic

2010-05-30T08:11:00.000-07:00

Childhood Obesity Statistics

Obesity levels among children have tripled over the last 20 years. Seven percent of 15 years old children are now in clinical obese.
Only 2% of school-age children meet the recommended minimum number of servings for all five major food groups on the Food Guide Pyramid.
Young people today are eating more fast foods with ever increasing portion sizes.
Over 40% of an average family’s food budget is spent on fast foods.
Children’s diets are also high in added sugars. The risk of children being overweight has been shown to increase by 60% for each additional serving of a sweetened beverage that is consumed daily for a period of 1.5 years.
Potential health problems associated with high intake of sweetened drinks.
Forty-three percent of elementary, 74% of middle and 98% of high schools have either vending machines, a school store or snack bar where students can purchase food or beverages that compete with the federally supported Child Nutrition Programs.
More students are choosing to purchase foods from “competitive” sources such as a la carte and vending, which, unlike the USDA Child Nutrition Programs, have no federal nutrition guidelines.
The Surgeon General recommends that children should accumulate 60 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week.
Thirty five percent of high school students don’t participate in any regular physical activity.
Participation in all types of physical activity declines strikingly as age or grade in school increases.
The National Association for Sport and Physical Education recommends physical education instructional periods totaling a minimum of 150 minutes per week for elementary children and 225 minutes per week for middle and high school students.
Only 25% of students are enrolled in daily physical activity.

Expenditure statistics on children who come from the National Statistics Office survey results were published in June 2005. Survey used information from the Diaries kept by more than 4,000 children. They recorded all their expenses during the period of two weeks, and paid $5 for their efforts. Data collected during the period 2002 to 2004. Survey found that women tend to have more spending money than boys.

New official childhood obesity statistics show that spending 7-15 years old spend a greater proportion of their weekly money on food than on the other items. Sweets, snacks and take-aways account for more than a third of young people from spending money each week. This applies to both boys and girls.

On average, children between the ages of 7-15 years old spend $ 2.30 per week sweets, drinks and snacks. They spend the same amount again on other food products, including school meals. Typical of a budget of $ 13 per week, children spend almost $ 5 on food.

Faced with the growth rate of childhood obesity statistics, health experts emphasize the importance of a balanced, healthy diet. Aware of this, there are plans at the end of the year 2005 for the sale of poor-quality meals and snacks in schools. From September 2006, if included in the proposal to get action, the school will not be allowed to provide ‘fast food’ to the students.

Simple Cravings Cures - Control Your Appetite

2010-05-28T18:14:00.000-07:00

If you're like most Americans you probably have tried a few ways to lose weight - and without much lasting success.According to experts, the problem is the combination of our strong tendency to overeat and our sedentary lifestyles.

Most of us spend 8-9 hours a day, five days a week sitting in our offices, and more time sitting on our daily commute. And exercise is apparently of little use when it comes to dropping pounds. Although Americans spend 19 billion dollars a year on gym membership, and most of us say we exercise regularly, two thirds of the population is still overweight or obese by government standards. Something just does not make sense.

Hyperphagia seems to be the main problem. In order to lose weight we must burn more calories than you consume and if we follow a strict diet plan, it is really very difficult to "work off" the excess calories that most of us to take in. For example, for a 140 lbs. woman who takes a bagel with cream cheese in her breakfast, it would have to jog for one hour to burn calories.

Did You Know?

About 85 per cent of women report at least one food craving during pregnancy.

Those looking a solution to this dilemma can follow these simple cravings cures--

Get to the root of it
Anxiety, loneliness and stress are all emotional triggers that can set off cravings. If you identify your triggers - such as work-related stress - you can deal with the emotions that make you want to binge

Schedule cravings into your day
If you know that most of your cravings strike in the afternoon, eat one portion of what you crave during this time. Because you're indulging yourself, you're likely to feel satisfied. And if necessary, change your routine during the time you tend to get cravings. For example, if late afternoon is your 'danger zone', make a date with a friend or go for a workout

Buy a low-fat version of the food you crave
Plan ahead so you have a low-fat stand-in for your craving. For example, keep chocolate-covered raisins in your desk drawer instead of a chocolate bar

Eat every 4 to 5 hours
Here's the good news: Eating several small meals a day will help to regulate your blood sugar levels so you stay more energetic and alert. Plus, you won't get too hungry and, as a result, will be less likely to have cravings

Make food an ally
'There are no bad foods if you eat in moderation,' says Costain. If you can think of food as a friend that provides essential nourishment, you can enjoy guilt-free eating. Plus, you're less likely to have cravings because you're not denying yourself anything

Distract yourself
Next time you feel a craving coming on, immerse yourself in an activity. Anything that keeps you busy - a quick workout, running to the supermarket or tending the garden - can help curb the urge to splurge

Count on carbs
Eating two to three carbohydrate snacks like bread, cereal, pasta, rice, crackers, scones, wholemeal biscuits, low fat yogurt, rice pudding, bananas or dried fruit may help curb cravings for sweets because they are high in sugar and starch.

Stay hydrated
'Sometimes people mistake thirst for hunger,' says Costain. Drink eight glasses of water a day to prevent dehydration and the empty stomach feeling that makes you reach for foods you don't really need.

Children And Obesity Statistics

2010-05-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

Health problems such as obesity has become a major problem in America and worldwide. Childhood Obesity Statistics reveal astounding facts about the situation in America. The number is increasing every year and the authorities are trying to take steps to prevent it. But has it really solved the problem?

As we look more closely at the statistics obesity in children, we can see that many parents who have suffered from obesity in their childhood years were more likely to give birth to children who find themselves in a similar situation. The probability that it is actually about 80%; ISN scary Aot it?

Childhood Obesity Statistics also show that nearly 20% of children are obese. The age group most likely that obesity is considered to be between 6 and 19 years. There was also fortunate to about 15% of children who had a probability of being in overweight.

If you check the statistics of childhood obesity each year, you notice how the results Aód double or triple over time. Many parents do not take into account these results and continue to ignore the facts underlying the issue.

Precautions must be taken that obesity does not just affect the child or young person but everyone around them. Being overweight or obese means that at a later age than you won, Aot be fit enough to work, your health insurance is certainly on the rise, and of course it would be a pressure on the economy.

She AOS true that each year the statistics obesity in children that we see seems to continue to increase, giving negative results all the time. As parents and the public, what can we do to reduce this situation? One thing anyone can do is try to understand health and mental condition of the child is in.

Were you scold your child for their terrible eating habits? It is true that their eating habits may be the reason for them to be obese, but the blame is not going nowhere. There are so many health programs are known to be effective for obese children. enroll in one could help them regain their fitness and their self-esteem.

The above can be done in a jiffy. Improvements can be seen by the changes made on a progressive basis. Keep an eye on your child, health conditions AA, progress in weight loss, etc. can be done. All these will help to eliminate your child, place a picture of AA on childhood obesity statistics.

Children And Obesity Statistics

2010-04-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

The effect of media on children's food choices is one of the topics covered in this post.

In February, First Lady Michelle Obama launched the Let's Move! campaign to solve the childhood obesity epidemic within a generation. As part of this effort, President Barack Obama established the Task Force on Childhood Obesity to develop and implement an interagency plan that details a coordinated strategy, identifies key benchmarks, and outlines an action plan to end the problem of childhood obesity within a generation. The action plan defines the goal of ending childhood obesity in a generation as returning to a childhood obesity rate of just 5 percent by 2030, which was the rate before childhood obesity first began to rise in the late 1970s. In total, the report presents a series of 70 specific recommendations, many of which can be implemented right away.

White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity Report to the President

Download the Full Report PDF [3.3MB]

3 Principles For Overcoming Fitness Obstacles

2009-12-31T07:12:00.000-08:00

If you’re like me, the quest to be in shape and manage weight feels overwhelming. And, as if the quest to be fit isn’t hard enough, there’s often other obstacles to overcome: health issues, time management, mustering up courage or energy. Even if you’ve been exercising for a long time, there’s always new barriers to be broken. So, how to put all of this into perspective?

According to Tom Turner, executive liaison for the Spina Bifida Association that’s exactly it: Perspective. And also, according to him, there’s no mountain too high to climb. Tom would know. Paralyzed from the waist down since birth he’s now 35 and trains about three times a week. In fact, he tells me, he just couldn’t get along without exercise.

So in my quest for the last word on overcoming barriers in fitness, Tom sat down with me and together we came up with 3 basic principles that will help break-down fears and intimidations when striving to reach fitness goals. (After all, if he can exercise on a regular basis, shouldn’t that be encouragement enough for anyone to give it a shot?)

Principle #1 Move Into The Fear.

“Train you mind to believe no mountain is too high or any goal is too difficult to attain,” Tom tells me. Basically, it’s all about meeting your fears and facing them head-on. In this principle, aim to recognize your fears, acknowledge them and then move through them. Ask yourself what is it that makes you uncomfortable? Have you let yourself get out of shape and are afraid you’ll never get back? Do you have an injury that’s caused you to be afraid of your body? If you can visualize creatively, then you can put your fears in check. See your self as you’d like to be. Remember: your body loves you and has the potential to heal itself to perfection. Your only job is to trust it and listen.

Q: What is your body saying to you?

Principle #2 Trust Your Intuition.

It is important when overcoming obstacles and learning to break through barriers that you begin to listen to the still small voice of your body. In most cases, we all want the comfort of having someone telling us what we can and cannot do. However, our highest truth lies within us. This is not to say that the good opinion of others is not important, but ultimately the decision making comes from within.

When facing a challenge or an obstacle look to how you feel. What are your instincts telling you? Often it is simply your instinct that will move you into a new mindset and raise your consciousness. “I wasn’t about to let the wheelchair stand in my way,” Tom tells me. In fact, he says he had to merely change his perspective about it. He says he first had to learn about what his restrictions were then, create a boundary for himself. “We all have boundaries,” he tells me. "Regardless if a person can walk or not, obstacles are as unique as people themselves. Therefore, it’s first best to know your boundaries."

Next, Tom tells me he aims to meet those boundaries. “I first reach as high as I can within the confines of what I am able to do. Whether it be more sets, reps or greater endurance, I allow myself as much time as necessary to accomplish my small goals. It always surprises me, with small steps, how quickly I can reach a Big goal.”

Principle #3 Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.

What then, about fear? I wanted to know. If we move into the fear and meet it eye to eye what if fear meets us there? “So,” I asked Tom: “are you ever afraid? “After 19 operations in my life, I’ve really come to terms with fear,” he says. “It really comes down to our most primal fear; fear of death. Once you realize that death is all part of the divine plan, it’s liberating, you can let it go and, instead, choose how to live. So instead of being afraid of death I decided to choose how to live."

So what’s the take away message? Talking to Tom, I’m reminded of the poem by Dylan Thomas who said: “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night.” It seems appropriate here. The bottom line: Staying afraid often keeps us from truly living. Tom reminds me that a positive attitude is key, "Life is all about attitude." He also says he could let fear beat him down, yet he doesn’t. “I wouldn’t want to miss being part of tomorrow,” he concludes. That said, what fears are getting in your way? Make today the right time to face them.

In conclusion: Life Beyond The Boundaries.

When you’ve faced your fears and pushed your boundaries to the edges, what then? I wanted to know. Tom smiles. “Find a new mountain to climb,” he says matter-of-factly. “It’s what makes life fun. I know I have considerations. I know that there will be days that I’ll need to stay in bed and rest while my braces are getting tuned up. It’s those times when I am with my thoughts that I decide what I am going to set my sights on.”

Author’s Note: In my personal quest to live beyond the boundaries I’ve chosen Tom as my role model (lucky for me, he's my brother). We so often look to the media for these sources and so often they are illusory. There are “real” people everywhere doing great things...look around you; angels are everywhere! Learn from them. Choose someone you look up to, admire or of whom you appreciate their values. Set goals, climb mountains! Set intention in motion and enjoy the healthy process.

FatLoss4Idiots Home

Ways To Lose Weight

2009-12-21T07:15:00.000-08:00

Try to add as many of these tips to your daily routine, and you will surely be well on the way to a slimmer, healthier you. We don’t get fat “overnight” – so you should expect it to take a certain amount of time to lose that weight again, but don’t give up! Persistence, Determination and Grit - They should be your watchwords. These tips work – if you stick to your plan!

1.    Eliminate one tablespoon of fat a day and you will lose 10 pounds in a year.
2.    Avoid strange fad diets—if you can’t eat that way for the rest of your life, don’t waste your time or your health.
3.    Limit alcohol consumption - each serving contains 100 to 150 calories.
4.    Eat fruit at least twice a day.
5.   Keep a food diary about your food choices, indicating how hungry you are each time you eat. Pay particular attention to your level of hunger when you snack.
6.    Perform aerobic exercise a minimum of 30 minutes three times a week. Log this on your food diary. Aerobic means any exercise that increases your breathing and heart rate. Walking is fine! Do only what you can to begin with. If you have other health problems, consult your doctor before embarking on any strong physical exercise.
7.    Gradually increase the length and frequency of your workouts.
8.    Weigh yourself no more than twice a week. And do it in the morning after going to the bathroom – it’s the most accurate reading.
9.    Give yourself a non-food reward for every 5 pounds lost.
10.    Slow down your eating speed—make meals last at least 20 minutes. Try eating with the other hand or taking a sip of water between bites.
11.    Use smaller plates.
12.    Bring your lunch to work at least three times a week.
13.    Start to strength train twice a week as your fitness improves. Building muscle increases your metabolism and forces your body to use fat, not muscle, when you’re cutting back on calories. Cut down on carbohydrates and stick to lean white meat and fish, and you will notice vast improvements here.
14.    Stop eating while watching television.
15.    Have someone else put away leftovers.
16.    Buy a good low-fat, low-calorie cookbook or magazine subscription.
17.    Try two new reduced-calorie recipes a month.
18.    IMPORTANT - Eat breakfast daily. This suppresses the appetite for most of the day and provides fuel for the brain while at work or looking after the kids! You will feel better and have more energy all day if you eat a low fat cereal in the morning.
19.    Don’t read while eating.
20.    Have a sweet treat once a week.
21.    Keep healthful snacks at home and at work.
22.    Limit your cheese consumption to reduce fat and saturated fat—use cheese and lunchmeat with less than 5 grams of fat per ounce.
23.    Add calorie counting or fat-gram counting to your food diary for a few weeks if your weight loss is slowing down. Maybe you’re missing something.
24.    Substitute herbs and spices for salt.
25.    Shop for food when you are not hungry, and use a shopping list.
26.    Replace ground beef with ground turkey or soy crumbles in dishes such as spaghetti. Don’t skip the protein in your meals; find a leaner substitute.
27.    Eat three vegetables a day.
28.    Always eat sitting down.
29.    Request that your family and friends respect your efforts to lose weight and get fit—beware of loving “sabotage.”
30.    Take a walk when you’re stressed or angry.
31.    Eat two dairy products a day—be aware of your calcium intake. Select low-fat or nonfat dairy products to reduce fat calories.
32.    Order dressings and sauces on the side and apply them with a fork.
33.    Increase your fiber intake—chose whole-grain breads, cereals and pasta products, legumes, and raw fruits and vegetables.
34.    Add slow-down food to your meals—crunchy vegetables, a large glass of water, hot soup or beverages, or fresh fruit to fill you up.
35.    Cook with chicken broth, nonstick cooking spray, wine or water.
36.    Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day.
37.    Shrink portion sizes of meats and starches, and pile on the vegetables.
38.    Ask how the food is prepared when ordering in a restaurant.
39.    Choose low-fat frozen yogurt or frozen juice bars instead of ice cream. Be careful of the portion size - these foods still have calories!
40.    Select clear broth- or tomato-based soups over white soups.
41.    Keep the junk foods out of sight in your home and workplace.
42.    Take walking shoes or a jump rope with you when you travel to keep up with your exercise.
43.    If you’re getting off track, try to pre-plan your food intake for the next three days by writing it down.
44.    Buy frozen diet dinners with 10 grams of fat or less and 800 milligrams of sodium or less.
45.    Avoid batter coating or breading.
46.    Use two egg whites in baking instead of one whole egg.
47.    Stretch during television commercials—arm circles, leg lifts, head tilts, etc.
48.    Eliminate the butter on your rolls or popcorn.
49.    Learn to say “no” gracefully when a friend or relative offers you a second helping.
50.    Choose pizza with vegetable toppings rather than high-fat meats, such as sausage and pepperoni.
51.    Ask for less cheese. Have you ever tried tomato pie?
52.    Choose cooking techniques that keep fat to a minimum, such as baking, grilling, broiling, roasting or steaming.
53.    Add more low-fat soy products to your diet for the soy protein and health benefits.
54.    Forgive yourself when you slip—and make the next food choice a healthy one.

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60% Or Adults Are Obese! Permanent Solution?

2009-12-10T09:19:00.000-08:00

More than 60 percent of adults in the United States are overweight or obese, and obese persons are more likely to be ill than those who are not.

Obesity presents challenges to physicians and patients and also has a negative impact on health status. Some patients who are obese may delay medical care because of concerns about disparagement by physicians and health care staff, or fear of being weighed.

Simple accommodations, such as providing large-sized examination gowns and armless chairs, as well as weighing patients in a private area, may make the medical setting more accessible and more comfortable for obese patients.

Children Can be Obese too!

Children can also be obese! And it is not just baby fat we are talking about here. Children who have migraines are more likely to be overweight than the general population, while overweight kids suffer more disabling migraines than their normal-weight peers, a new study shows.

Americans have become considerably more obese over the past 25 years. This increase is primarily the result of consuming more calories.

The increase in food consumption is itself the result of technological innovations which made it possible for food to be mass prepared far from the point of consumption, and consumed with lower time costs of preparation and cleaning.

Price changes are normally beneficial, but may not be if people have self-control problems.

Another government study published in October, 2002 indicates that thirty-one percent of the American public is obese. It further suggested that fifteen percent of young people between 6 and 19 are seriously overweight.

Even ten percent of toddlers between 2 and 5 are seriously overweight. The study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Is there a Permanent Solution for Obesity?

But lucky for us all, advances in the medical world has made it possible for obese people to lose that weight and live a normal life! What is this method? It is called the gastric bypass surgery.

Gastric bypass surgery has worked for thousands of people all over the world and has given lasting effect on weight loss! We urge you to find out more about the gastric bypass surgery method as a permanent way in losing tens of kilos and keeping them off forever!

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All Calories Are Not Created Equal

2009-12-01T08:14:00.000-08:00

Eat less fat. Eat more fat. Carbs are bad. Carbs are good.

Nutrition advice changes so often, no wonder so many people are confused.

But when it comes it calories, the advice to consume fewer of them seems set in stone. After all, "a calorie is a calorie"-Right?

Wrong.

For years, we've been told that if we "eat less and exercise more," we'll lose weight. That recommendation is based on the belief that we need burn more calories than we take in. But this doesn't tell the whole story.

As it turns out, it isn't the amount of calories you consume that really affects your weight and your health. It's the type of calorie.

It's true-the calories you eat are actually absorbed at different rates. And the different amounts of fiber, carbohydrates, protein, fat, and nutrients in these calories can have very different effects on your metabolism. There's no difference between a thousand calories of kidney beans and a thousand calories of a low-fat muffin-until they're metabolized.

As you can see, food isn't just a source of energy-it's a source of operating instructions for your body.

Calories 101

So what is a calorie anyway? Simply put, a calorie is just a unit of energy. When we eat food, chemical processes that make up our metabolism break this food down and turn it into energy. Burning this energy lets us do what we need and want to do-from breathing to running a marathon.

It's like your car: You have to put fuel in it to make it run. For people, food is our fuel. Calories are what help us "run."

The Dieting Myth

Just like high quality fuel is better for your car than the cheap stuff, some calories are better for our metabolism than others. That idea flies in the face of conventional diet wisdom, but it's true-and science backs it up.

For example, recent studies show that high-carb diets can boost insulin and blood sugar levels. The result? Weight gain (not to mention high cholesterol and triglycerides). On the other hand, people who eat a healthy low-carb diet that's rich in vegetables, whole grains, beans, and lean animal protein-but consume more calories than low-fat dieters-actually lose more weight!

As you can see, the kinds of calories you consume can have a big impact on weight gain, because different foods are metabolized in different ways. Food "talks" to your genes, giving your metabolism specific instructions-whether to lose weight or gain weight, speed up or slow down the aging process, increase or decrease your cholesterol level, and produce molecules that increase or decrease your appetite.

No wonder you can feel like you're doing everything right and still not lose weight!

The Whole Truth

If you want to lose weight and be healthy, you have to send your body the right messages. That means living in harmony with your genes.

This means different things for different people. Depending on our genes, some of us may need more carbs, protein, or fat than others.

But there's one basic principle that works of everyone: Base your diet on whole, unprocessed foods. Foods that are in their natural state talk to your genes the most effectively-and were designed by nature to keep you at a healthy weight.

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Weight Loss

2009-11-30T05:57:00.000-08:00

If you find the information in this article helpful, please make sure that you check out Weight Loss to find out how to lose at least 9 pounds in 11 days flat !!!

Most people have known friends or family members who have tried using diet pills and have seen tremendous improvement. This is obviously a very tempting prospect, lose weight whilst eating the same diet. As a result of this, consumers everywhere have spent untold millions on these supposed wonderful weight loss drugs.

Despite the advances in weight control pills there are still health problems, some of which people are sickness and diarrhea. It is always a good idea to see your doctor first before you take any course of drugs; this can lower the possibility of some side effects occurring, although this may depend on the genetic makeup of the person using them.

Other problems may also occur when the pills are discontinued. Many clinical tests will show that the weight loss drugs taken to reduce weight really work but this can only be done in conjunction with a low calorie diet and an exercise plan. A diet that is full of foods such as oats, rice, cereals, potatoes, vegetables and fruits contain a good supply of vitamins, minerals and essential fiber.

A person can jog every morning or sign up and workout in a gym but just as a person should consult a doctor before taking medicines, a doctor should also be consulted prior to undertaking any form of exercise. By choosing a cardiovascular routine, the heart will be exercised and will benefit from the use of weights which in turn should help to speed up the person's metabolism so that calories are used up more quickly.

Weight loss supplements should be used only in conjunction with a natural diet and an exercise program.Weight loss supplements should be effective too Newest drugs like Rimonabant (Buy Slimona, Buy Acomplia) works wonder some others like Orlistat ( Buy Alli). It is important to remember that losing weight is not just an isolated event.

It should be part of a healthy lifestyle change.The truth is that weight loss is not just about looking better. It is also true that losing weight is not rocket science. It comes down to this. Eating natural foods.Natural foods include whole grains, vegetables, beans and fruit. It is best to avoid processed and prepared foods.

When you change your lifestyle to one of whole natural foods, the weight will come off by itself.Equally important is to have some defined exercise program that you do daily. It does not have to be complicated. It should be something that you enjoy. You can walk, jog, run, swim, ride a bicycle or play tennis. It does not have to be the same thing everyday.

However, your daily exercise should be about an hour each day.In addition to burning calories, exercise supports your mental well being. Regular physical activity performed for about an hour each day changes your brain chemistry. You will discover that you experience improved moods and a better frame of mind.Being overweight or obese is directly related to health and heart problems.

If you are overweight or under a physician's care, please consult with your doctor first.You should keep in mind that dieting does not work. It is, at best, a temporary solution for an ongoing problem. Diets that make the promise of rapid weight loss do not provide the skills to maintain your weight loss. Lifestyle changes provide the opportunity to lose weight in a healthy manner and to keep if off forever.

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The Benefits Of Keeping A Healthy Body

2009-11-21T05:09:00.000-08:00

When a body is fit, it can handle the everyday stresses of life and helps maintain both physical and mental health. A fit body requires proper diet, regular exercise, and habits of moderation. Nutrition involves providing the body with the nutrients it needs to be healthy.

To do this, we need to consume the appropriate foods, vitamins, and minerals. Being fit also means having good spiritual health. When all the body’s processes function at their peak levels, we say a body is fit. It takes more than simply going to the gym and taking occasional walks in the park.

Physical exercise has an important role in keeping the body fit. It is not possible to have a fit body without performing regular physical exercise. While the idea of body fitness generally is thought to involve mostly weight and heart health requirements.

However, we need to think about other organs as well as the heart. They are just as important as that organ. Performing physical exercise every day provides benefits to the entire body. It helps to restore what has been depleted during the course of daily living and ensures that the body is adequately supplied with what it needs to function in a healthy fashion

We need to educate ourselves about the appropriate things to do to keep our bodies fit over the entirety of our lifetimes. It is not possible to abuse a body for years and then hope that a last-minute effort toward bodily health will correct everything that may be wrong with it. It is not possible to create bodily fitness overnight. Becoming fit takes time and patience, and commitment.

It is important that we pay attention to each part of the body and the body as a whole to maintain proper fitness. Since every part of the body works in conjunction with every other part, it is critical that all parts are healthy and maintained by receiving what they need.

The human body is better designed than any machine ever invented, and it is more complex and powerful than any manufactured equipment available. It is capable of taking large amounts of abuse while continuing to operate fairly well. Even if its daily requirements with regard to nutrition are not met for several days, it can continue to function.

When we decided to care for our bodies as they should be taken care of, we then are treating them as the temples of the spirit that they are. They contain our minds and souls, and when bodies are fit, all three of these elements do their jobs well.

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The Benefits of a Weight Loss Dietary Supplement

2009-11-10T11:05:00.000-08:00

The benefits of a weight loss dietary supplement in the world of bodybuilding are huge. Bodybuilding, after all, isn't about gaining weight - it's about losing body fat and building lean muscle mass. Therefore, the benefits of a weight loss dietary supplement for bodybuilding should be obvious.

Unfortunately, not all weight loss dietary supplements are created equally. Some are absolute junk. Others are absolutely dangerous over the long term, and only one comes out an absolute winner. That one is called creatine.

There are 'experts' who suggest that creatine does not help one to lose weight. Science has proven them wrong - time and time again - and in most cases, they are touting the benefits of a different weight loss supplement. One must question whether they are experts on bodybuilding or weight loss, or experts on selling products related to weight loss or bodybuilding.

Again, science has proven over and over again that an increase in creatine helps to burn fat, while increasing your ability to gain lean muscle mass - which is exactly what you want when you are trying to sculpt the perfect body.

When you saturate your body with creatine, a proven weight loss dietary supplement among many other beneficial things, something miraculous happens. First, your muscles start to attract water. This makes the muscles bigger - bigger muscles need more energy, but because you haven't increased the size of your organs, such as your stomach, you aren't eating any more than you normally would. When this happens, the muscles start using your stores of body fat for the extra energy that they require.

With this bit of information, any woman who does not want to bulk up may run screaming from creatine. However, you really shouldn't. While the muscles get bigger - they only get slightly bigger, and if you paid attention, you noticed that they got bigger due to the fact that the cells are filling up with water. You can think of this like water weight, which eventually falls off. The muscles will eventually decrease back to their normal size without continued usage (after you've lost the fat that you wish to lose).

For bodybuilders, however, this could be considered a problem. It isn't though. Unlike a woman who is trying to lose weight - and not trying to bulk up - you are trying to bulk up. When you drench your muscles with creatine, not only are you getting the weight loss dietary supplement benefits of creatine, but you are also enabling your muscles to work harder and longer during your workouts - which means that despite the muscle 'water weight,' you are still actually building muscle.

When it comes to creatine as a weight loss dietary supplement, whether you are trying to build muscle or not makes no difference - everybody wins.

The Causes Of Obesity

2009-11-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

With daily focus in America on weight, health and obesity, there is one question that gets ignored: what causes obesity?

There is no simple answer.

Basically, a person becomes obese when more calories are consumed than he or she can burn. This is called “calorie imbalance.” Beyond this simple definition, the factors that cause obesity are varied and many.

Calorie imbalance has many things that affect it. What causes this imbalance varies from one person to another. We also know obesity is more than just over-eating. Genetic, environmental, psychological, and other factors seem to play big roles in causing obesity.

Here are some factors that have been attributed to obesity:

1. Weight Gain During Certain Periods
A person commonly gains more weight during the following periods of life: between 12 and 18 months of age, between 12 and 16 years of age, adulthood when a person gains in excess of 60% of their ideal body weight and women, during pregnancy.

2. Genetic Factors
Heredity is linked to obesity. Studies of adopted children show that adopted children tend to have weights closer to their biological parents than to their adoptive parents.

3. Environmental Factors
Environment also strongly influences obesity. This includes lifestyle behaviors such as what a person eats and level of physical activity. The tendency to eat high-fat foods, to use labor saving devices coupled with a sedentary lifestyle are causes behind obesity.

4. Psychological Factors
Many people eat when they are stressed, bored or angry. Over time, the association between an emotion and food can become firmly fixed.

Depression and stress can also lead to obesity and are leading causes of eating disorders. Studies show most overweight people have no more psychological problems than people of average weight.

Most eating disorders can also be traced to behavioral or psychological difficulties. Up to 10 percent of people who are mildly obese and who try to lose weight on their own or through commercial weight loss programs have binge eating disorder. This disorder is even more common in people who are severely obese.

5. Age
Metabolism slows down with advancing age. As you get older you do not require as many calories to maintain your weight as you did when you were younger.

If you know about these factors you are in a better position to cope with the life cycles and manage your weight without getting into the problems of obesity.

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Fitness and Exercise Prevent Disease

2009-10-31T06:04:00.000-07:00

Fitness and exercise prevent disease. That is a proven fact, and yet more Americans than ever are suffering from obesity and type two diabetes are considered an epidemic in the United States. If you are overweight, and especially if you are obese, or if you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, then listen to your doctor and begin a regular fitness and exercise program. You’ll be glad you did.

One of the benefits of fitness and exercise, as any physician will tell you, it that fitness and exercise help control blood sugar. A diabetic who takes medication daily may find that less medication is needed with a regular fitness and exercise program. Many diabetics who stay with fitness and exercise programs find that they are able to quit the medication and get their diabetes under control in a totally natural way.

Triglycerides are also too high for most Americans. High triglycerides are linked to heart disease, including heart attacks and strokes. A great natural way to reduce your level of triglycerides is to simply begin and stick with a fitness and exercise program, while eating a sensible diet. Triglycerides at too high a level are also linked to high blood sugar, and it is common for diabetics to have high triglyceride levels. Therefore, in this case fitness and exercise can take care of two potential health risks at the same time.

Many people have marveled at the way being over weight has become an American way of life, and wondered what caused it. Many point to sedentary lifestyles, working in front of computers, and watching too much television. In addition, many Americans eat diets high in fat and carbohydrates. Whatever the root causes fitness and exercise can be a major part of the cure for this problem.

Engaging in physical activity, increasing the heart rate, and just getting active can help a person loose weight, control triglyceride levels and improve diabetes and should not be ignored. Parents should restrict time spent by children with video games or watching television and encourage them to engage in fitness and exercise the way children in past generations have, playing games like baseball, basketball and jump rope. Children who learn the benefits of fitness and exercise at an early age will go into adults, who enjoy fitness and exercise, lead healthier lifestyles and tend to live longer, healthier and obviously happier lives.

Weight Loss - Armchair

2009-09-28T07:34:00.000-07:00

Cellulite is the new cancer and fighting fat has been the subject of intense international research for decades. But even as the world studies the biochemistry of complex fat cells, made-in-India solutions to fight fat have made svelte silhouettes a reality for the horizontally-challenged.

In the best of Gandhian tradition, this fight against fat is fought passively: "passive" exercise, no dieting and no food supplements. It seems that all you have to do is sign a cheque to make the unsightly fat vanishes within a month. People actually believe it, but a close look reveals that the level of acquired gullibility is directly proportionate to how desperate they are to look like their favourite pin-up.

Twenty-seven-year-old Stuti Srivastava joined the Hauz Khas-based The Perfect 10 two years ago because she was depressed and desperate. "My boyfriend dumped me just because I was so overweight and I realised I had to do something before I sank into depression," she says.

In two years, she's lost 30 kilos and now sports short skirts, tubetops and a shoulder tattoo of a blue phoenix rising from the ashes. The symbolism is lost on her even as she chimes: "You know, losing weight has changed the way people treat me. Unlike earlier, they now make the effort to get to know me and I no longer feel like a loser everyone ignores," she says.

Ritu Priya, the manager of The Perfect 10, is quick to claim credit. "A combination of passive exercises, massages and nutritional advice helps clients lose weight very quickly," she says. What she fails to mention is that Srivastava also works out in a gym for an incredible four hours a day, six times a week. "Coming to the centre has helped me lose just 10 per cent of the weight, but I still visit the centre because I feel that I still need guidance to lose weight," says Srivastava candidly. "I feel that a single thing doesn't work. Exercise alone would have been futile, I need this support to help me look great."

Medical miracles
That just about sums up the role slimming centres play in the whole weight-loss business. It's a fact universally accepted that exercise, starvation and sobriety are the basics of weight loss. These factors are also the reasons that drive people to look for easier alternatives. Anything that promises to help you lose weight without resorting to semi-starvation or radical surgery makes people want to believe in medical miracles and stock up on all kinds of pills, powders and gadgets and sign up for bizarre-sounding slimming packages. They are ready try everything their neighbour and the guy in the advertisement has tried, simply because trying to sort out all of the competing claims - mostly misleading, unproven or false - is confusing and costly.

The weight-loss business is a booming industry, with people in the US spending an estimated $30 billion a year on diet programmes and products. India, too, is getting there, with more slimming centres sprouting up in the Capital than fast-food outlets.

It makes business sense too. Setting up a weight-loss clinic brings quick returns, more so if you throw in the promise of a "complete" image makeover for the client. It also transforms owners from smalltime entrepreneurs to semi-celebs. Take VLCC chairperson Vandana Luthra, who transformed from a women's polytechnic teacher to an entrepreneur in a remarkably short time. Barely 15 years after setting up her first centre in Safdarjung Enclave in 1989, Luthra's company now runs 19 centres in Delhi and 82 centres in India and abroad.

And in the best of Indian weight-loss tradition, all VLCC centres promise weight loss without dieting. "Diet" is a dirty word and employees look offended if you ask them if clients have to diet. "There's no dieting. We have a diet-based programme where clients are offered diet modifications to help them lose weight faster," says Shivani Popli, technical manager, VLCC, Greater Kailash-II. The so-called "diet modification" involves asking people to avoid eating fat, starches and sugar and limit their carbohydrate intake to three chapattis a day. The final calorific intake is less than 1,000 calories. Most people need a minimum of 800 calories to survive and on this diet, you just about survive.

Angelina Mishra, 42, a former schoolteacher from Lucknow, has modified her two-egg a day diet to three chapattis, fruits and salads. "I take no red meat, no fruit juice, no oil and one teaspoon of sugar with each of my two cups of tea," she says. From the sound of it, it's an 800 calorie diet, but she's not complaining. "I've lost just three kilos so far but I want to continue till I reach the five kg target," she says.

Passive activity

What Mishra says has really accelerated her weight loss is the passive exercise "machine sessions" she comes for three times a week. After 45 minutes trapped to a heat-generating machine, she loses 200-300 gms. "The German machines are really good. My counsellor says that if you lose weight in a session, you should try to maintain that before the next session in a couple of days, and I try hard to do that," says Mishra. Like Srivastava from the Perfect 10, Mishra has also been advised to go for daily 45-minute brisk walks, but she doesn't count that as exercise.

Most people peg their hopes on machines that promise to help them burn, block or flush fat from the body. Fraudulent weight-loss devices and machines range from those that are simply ineffective to those that are dangerous. At a minimum, they are a waste of your hard-earned money. "Electrical muscle stimulators have legitimate use in physical therapy treatment, but are not meant for weight loss and body toning. When used incorrectly, muscle stimulators can be dangerous, causing electrical shocks and burns," says Ishi Khosla, director, Whole Foods.

But proprietors of slimming centres disagree. "Passive exercises are effective and safe and are like lying down while jogging or running. They raise the basal metabolic rate and help a person lose 200-300 gm in less than an hour," says Neerja Roychowdhury, manager of The Body Care at Safdarjung Enclave. "The machine works on your body and mobilises the fat from problem areas like the arms and abdomen and reduces water retention." Most centres offer a choice of machines to assist fat loss and sculpt the body: you can choose from a body-firmer machine, the neuro muscular stimulator, muscle toner and heat therapy to push up the metabolic rate.

Most centres even have machines to boost a person's metabolism, which counsellors tell you slows down with age, leading to weight gain. The fact is that most men and women do suffer from creeping obesity with age, with an average person gaining two kilos of fat every five years after the age of 30 years till they turn 60. The reason, however, is not an ageing metabolism.

"Metabolism doesn't slow down with age or after childbearing. People gain weight with age simply because they are less active," says Khosla. In the book, Exercise Physiology (by William D McArdle, Frank I Katch and Victor L Katch), the authors confirm this. Increases in body fat, they explain, are more a function of activity than age. Inactivity results in loss of muscle. And loss of muscle, not an aging metabolism, is the primary cause of creeping obesity. The muscle that remains is as metabolically active as ever, so if you are as active at 50 as you were at 18, your body weight should not be much different. "Much of the loss of muscle as we age is preventable - and even reversible. Developing an old muscle is just like developing a young muscle. You may need to be more careful and progress slower, but it can be done."

The message: Your metabolism doesn't slow down if you don't. "It's all a waste of time as all you end up losing is water and money," says Sudeep Sharma, who lost weight and then gained it back after sessions both with VLCC and Personal Point.

Lie back and lose inches

The capital's new obsession with "spa therapy" -

an euphemism for being pampered silly for a steep price - has led to some centres offering massage packages. VLCC, for one, offers a "Get your curves in 10 hours package." Says Popli: "We have therapy-based massages such as anti-cellulite oil massages, detox therapies, relaxation massages and aroma oil massages for weight loss, figure correction, spot reduction and inch loss." Another form of passive exercises, these oil massages are claimed to bring many benefits. "Massages improve circulation and encourage lymphatic drainage (removal of non-essential water from the lymph nodes) while the G-5 massage machines vibrate and loosen fat from the problem area. Finally, a detox pack is used to tone and tighten the skin," says Popli. Whether these miracle massages are included in your package depends on "what you have signed up for," says Popli. In other words, such luxuries are available for an added cost.

But promise of effortless weight loss continues to drive people to these clinics in droves. Simrin Talukdar, 31, happily handed over a cheque - the whole amount has to be paid before joining any slimming programme - to Personal Point on being told that it was possible for her to lose weight without giving up on her pizzas. "I was looking for an easy way to lose weight and was told that the centre could help me do that without exercising or dieting. The fact that it is run by a doctor made me feel they would be doing it right," she says.

Talukdar went through the usual trappings of the passive exercises and massages and soon discovered that nothing was helping. "When they found I was continuing with my normal food along with the cereals, cookies and porridge they gave me, they asked me to subsist on the measly portions they handed out. I said no, so they asked me to stop eating rice, potatoes and pizzas, and also start walking daily," she says. Talukdar didn't, and she ended up paying Rs 15,000 to lose half a kilo over six months.

Sudeep Sharma has the distinction of losing money at two centres. "I lost five kilos at VLCC but gained it back within three months of going back to my usual diet. Personal Point helped me lose three kilos only for an advance payment of Rs 10,000 for 10 kilos," she says. In both cases, there was no refund. S M Sapru, general manager, Personal Point, turned out to be a serial appointment-avoider. After cancelling appointments twice, he said, "Don't call me, I'll call you."

The Personal Point centre in Hauz Khas, however, is more than welcoming if you are a prospective client. "Personal Point is run by a doctor and is very scientific, unlike other centres that are run by nobodies. You pay Rs 1,000 for every kilo lost but if you don't have money now, leave a small deposit and come back. Even Rs 500 will do," they persuade.

All centres, irrespective of price or popularity, offer the same combination: dieting, with placebos such as anti-cellulite massages and passive exercising thrown in if you're looking for a bargain. Neerja Roychowdhury of The Body Care is candid: "Weight loss can happen only when the input is less than the output. We have reasonably priced packages that offer passive exercises and lifestyle management like dieting and walking, things most people are too lazy to do on their own. When they join a slimming centre, they become motivated because they have paid money and want results."

Back to basics
The search for a simple cure for obesity is still on. Ask any expert, no matter how esoteric his specialty, for the best way to lose weight and he will reply, "Eat less and exercise more."

Most people have scrimped on food to shed flab at some time or the other. Most manage to lose a few kilos initially, but very few actually manage to keep them off. "Unrealistic diet plans are rarely sustainable as radical changes in your eating patterns are difficult to stick to over time. Most people on such diets gain weight as soon as they go back to their normal eating patterns," says Khosla. The only proven way to lose weight is either to reduce the number of calories you eat or to increase the number of calories you burn through exercise. "A combination of both is recommended but very low-calorie diets should be pursued only under medical supervision. Unsupervised very low-calorie diets can deprive you of important nutrients and are potentially dangerous," she adds.

Losing weight may not be effortless, but it doesn't have to be complicated. To achieve long-term results, it's best to avoid quick-fix schemes. Small changes in your diet and daily routine are a good way to start. Don't forget that no matter how disciplined you are, you'll occasionally eat foods that you should avoid. Rather than let a setback derail your efforts, accept that it happened and get back on track.

Although current wisdom on healthy eating is constantly evolving, here is a rough guide to losing weight:

Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is the most accurate indicator of healthy weight. It is calculated by dividing your weight in kilos by your height squared in metres. The World Health Organisation has set up international classifications for overweight (BMI between 25 and 29.9) and obesity (BMI over 30), but the average cut-offs are lower for Asians, including Indians. A realistic way to lose weight is to eat smaller portions and choose from a variety of foods. A modest reduction of 500 calories per day will achieve this goal, since a total reduction of 7,500 calories is needed to lose a kilogram of fat. Load up on foods naturally high in fibre: fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains, and limit cheese, butter and whole milk; red meat; cakes, biscuits and namkeens.

Exercise for an hour at least three times a week. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association compared the effects of lifestyle activity (taking stairs instead of the lift) to a structured exercise programme - such as aerobics - and found that people in the lifestyle activity group had similar improvements in cardiovascular fitness, reduced blood pressure and reduced body fat percentage.

The message: you don't need to visit the gym five times a week for results. Take the stairs instead of the lift; walk to the store, don't drive; find the farthest parking spot instead of the closest. Thirty minutes of moderate exercise a day will cut the risk of heart disease in half, and slash the likelihood of other conditions such as obesity, diabetes and osteoporosis.

Unfortunately, fitness continues to be low on most people's agenda. "Most people want to look good and not to be fit, but I hope things will change soon," says Khosla. Going by the queues outside slimming centres, it doesn't appear to be happening in the near future. n

How to Hire a Qualified Personal Trainer

2009-09-02T06:09:00.000-07:00

Health and fitness are among the trendier topics of the day — and people are spending more money than ever to achieve them. One question, though, is whether the investment in a personal trainer is worth the money. If you have specific fitness goals that you are not meeting on your own, a personal trainer may be well worth the investment. We generally don’t try to provide our own medical care, repair our own cars, or handle our own legal matters. Unless we are uniquely qualified, we hire professionals to do those things for us. Hiring a trainer is no different. And consider this fact: on average, people who hire personal trainers increase their income by $7,000 within a year of hiring the trainer.

So what is the first step to finding a qualified personal fitness trainer? Start by asking around. Ask the people you know who work with trainers. Check the phone book. Inquire at your gym. Check the listings in fitness magazines.

But getting referrals is only the first step. Next, you must do some research and interview prospective trainers. Trainers’ fees run anywhere from $40 to $300 per hour, so you want to be sure you’re hiring a qualified expert who will actually provide good advice and training in exchange for your financial investment. As with most things, you get what you pay for — so you don’t want to go with the least expensive person just because they are affordable. But likewise, a high fee does not automatically make someone qualified. Make sure you ask as many questions as necessary to determine that the person you hire is knowledgeable and will be able to help you achieve your specific weight and fitness goals.

What to Look For in a Qualified Trainer

Weight Loss Supplements - Totally Worthless!

2009-09-02T05:54:00.000-07:00

I'll teach you exactly how to lose fat without supplements, drugs, or equipment!
"Weight loss plainly wants right eating habits, and please do not hear to anybody who tells otherwise!"

Does permanent weight loss require supplements or equipment?

I wish there was a way for me to shout "no!!!" loud enough for all to listen my weep. Discontinue investing in a flock of supplements that will ne'er work, regardless how long or often you utilise them (read on to discover why). Never buy gimmicked exercising machines that assure miracle results (whether it be for the tummy, buns, hips, thighs, or any body part), but in the long run, simply serve as an cheap giveaway at your next garage sale.

Abdominal machines assuring to firm your stomach and assist you reduce stomach fat completely in a mere thirty days, don't raise the appearance or flatten your waistline, and will not burn down single ounce of extra fat. However, they do add nicely to your weight loss related junk collection.

This is just a small sample of the numerous misconceptions concerning permanent weight loss, and in the coming paragraphs I'll try to end whole of the needless confusion.

Realize that body fat not just attaches itself to our stomach, hips, thighs, and arms, but also to our face...losing fat improves the way we look from head to toe! Believe me, I know...as I at one time had an chubby everything...

Why is weight loss so confusing?

In my efforts to become a naturally large muscle-builder, I did numerous dietary mistakes that left me with over fifty pounds of extra fat and a grotesque forty-three inch waist. All individual who's in need of weight loss has got a goal of finding out the perfect formula to permanently lose fat without committing themselves to difficult, unsafe, impractical dieting and exercising routines.

Throughout my first months, I read several books and articles on nutrition, putting the diverse ideas, theories, and plans to the test -- on myself. Few worked better than others, but none worked very well. However, I had a lot weight to lose, and so I continued trying out on different dietetic schemes.

Along with attempting several popular fad diets, I too spent tons of money and time trying out on legal dietary supplements that assured quick, supernatural weight loss. I figured that with so many "fat burners" on the market claiming to quickly and effortlessly get rid of excess weight; at least one had to work as advertised.

After spending countless dollars on best-selling supplements with the words "thermogenic" and "metabolic" printed on the label, I found nothing that came in a tablet, powder, or spray that assisted in getting rid of any excess weight (fat).

What actually upset me was that these companies legally and continually promoted astonishing results, yet delivered nothing but the status quo. I even attempted "stacking" many products at the same time hoping for a hint of progress, but I was left with utter disappointment.

The weight loss supplement lie

How can these supplement companies continue to deceive the public with their outlandish, unproven claims, when pharmaceutical companies must undergo rigid testing prior to releasing publicly consumable drugs? The sad fact is, although the government regulates these supplement providers, claims are rarely examined.

Therefore, well known companies can release a new supplement monthly, advertise results that aren't even possible with illegal drugs, and suffer no adverse impact. They benefit, but we continue to suffer.

Unfortunately, weight loss supplement providers could not continually profit if they offered a product that actually produced permanent results! If you lose weight, you won't buy their next "new, amazing fat absorber", but will keep sending them $200 per month to try the next bottled fad. Amazingly, their goal is to keep you fat! The less weight you lose, the more supplements you will buy! Never forget this!

If supplements can claim to offer an "easy, fast, legal aid to weight loss", we're all going to try the product in hopes of finally achieving rapid and permanent weight loss. Guess who benefits? Not us. This is scary, but very true. Don't fall for it! I did, and am disappointed that it took me years to determine that I was not buying a legal, safe weight loss agent, but rather an overpriced, hard to swallow capsule that added to my confusion.

The key to a flat stomach

Can you obtain a rock hard stomach from a plastic pillow? What about a wheelbarrow? It would be nice if you could, which is why so many people bought those frightening abdominal "rockers" and "wheels". On one box, I saw something like "over 250,000 sold", which means that over 250,000 individuals wasted their time and money on an overblown bird feeder.

First off, fat is the only reason why the abs (stomach muscles) are invisible. Case closed! Even if you perform thousands of crunches each day, or even all day, you will never have a firm mid-section when fat hides the underlying muscle! The key to losing this stored fat is proper diet -- you can even neglect exercise completely, and if you follow an effective diet routine, you will burn body fat (exercise simply enhances the rate of fat loss when you follow a proper diet)!

The makers of these machines are well aware of this fact, which is why they include a diet program with each of these contraptions. They hope the user follows the diet plan, and attributes any improvement in their appearance to the dummy machine. Wow! It's nice to see ethical behavior has taken the world by storm! But let's now examine why the machine doesn't work.

Each of these contraptions, by nature, is designed to make a stomach crunch easier, which does nothing to increase firmness and improve tone in your mid-section! In fact, to make crunches effective, you need to increase, not decrease, resistance, which is the exact opposite of what these gadgets offer. Unfortunately, there is no machine in existence today that can offer you such stimulation, so stop searching.

Remember, you need to lose fat from the mid-section to display a firm, athletic stomach, and toy store items like these abdominal chairs and wheels will only eat up your hard earned money. Lose the fat through proper diet (which is the primary factor), and correctly perform crunches (that require no special equipment), to tone your abs. But remember -- you can't define your mid-section without losing fat, thus crunches without proper diet are worthless!

Many perform crunches while following an ineffective diet routine, and achieve nothing, so never forget that proper diet is crucial! No special machines -- no awkward, uncomfortable exercises -- it's not as difficult as people think!

The bottom line on supplements and equipment

I could not even consider naming every available weight loss product that falsely promises rapid, dramatic physical improvements, as the list is endless. This is not taking into consideration the thousands of products not yet introduced -- a new batch of weight loss fantasy gadgets and supplements are released every 1-3 months, and they all fall into the same category (waste of time and money!). If you learn only one lesson from this web site, let it be the following:

Proper diet and exercise is the only road to permanent and consistent weight loss -- there are no short-cuts! No "miracle" exercise device or supplement can burn fat, as the key to transforming an overweight, flabby body is proper diet/exercise techniques.

The above may be difficult to digest, but it is nevertheless the absolute truth. Physical fitness enterprises make their billions by appealing to your inner most senses, creating the appearance of a "do-nothing" approach to achieving dramatic physical improvement. Despite their deception, never forget -- there is no product available now or in the future that substitutes for proper diet/exercise techniques. If you remember this, you've learned more than 95% of the people who are currently pursuing weight loss. Knowledge is key!

Must I exercise to lose fat?

The only required element for consistent fat loss is proper diet, thus exercise is not an essential factor. Yet, if one chooses to engage in regular exercise, fat loss accelerates. For example, if you lose 15 pounds in one month through proper diet techniques (no exercise), you will enhance results by 5-15 pounds (losing 20-30 pounds) through introducing proper exercise variables in conjunction with diet.

Thus, if you wish to enhance the rate of progress, adding exercise to proper diet is a worthwhile technique. Yet, if you are satisfied with the speed of weight loss using proper diet only, exercise is not necessary.

Weight loss clinics?

I don't have any specific gripes with weight loss clinics, but I firmly believe that anybody can lose weight without their symbolic hand-holding. They charge a mint for being a coach while you are putting forth maximum effort, not them. They should be paying you for working your tail, not taking a dollar a pound, or whatever their current promotion absorbs. Once you learn the proper diet and exercise methods, it's unnecessary to spend $200/month for somebody to watch.

How I discovered the proper method for permanent weight loss

From low carb high protein, to high carb low fat, to the strangely popular high fat diet, I experimented with all available options. I found that certain meal plans have some very effective ideas, but none offered all of the necessary ingredients to quickly, permanently, conveniently, and safely eliminate fat.

Low carbohydrate diet?

For example, the low carbohydrate diet plan will cause a reduction in body weight within the first 1-2 weeks, but the majority of weight lost is water / muscle, and not fat. Fat loss will follow, but unfortunately it is accompanied by a metabolic slowdown.

The initial reduction of water/muscle actually decreases the rate at which you burn calories and, as a result, you will gain back every lost pound once you integrate carbohydrates back into your diet! It is not possible to follow a no-carbohydrate diet long term (it is unhealthy to do so), and inevitably you will find yourself introducing them into your regular eating plan after several weeks.

Never forget -- losing body fat is your only goal, as reducing muscle tissue and water weight does not improve your appearance, and in fact greatly slows or even prohibits the fat loss process (which is why so many are "stuck" with no further results).

In addition, weight loss on a low carbohydrate plan produces a smaller version of your former self rather than enhancing your physical appearance (due to muscle loss, which eliminates tone, and creates a sagging, unappealing body structure).

Lastly, once you begin to follow a normal, carb based diet (a low carb plan such as the atkins diet is impossible and dangerous to follow long term), within several months, you will likely find yourself fatter than before you started the diet, and you'll quickly search for a new routine. Low carb diets are not a permanent fat loss solution!

Not just weight loss.... Fat loss is key!

Always remember that weight is composed of water, muscle, and fat -- your only goal is to shed excess fat, as muscle is essentially a calorie burning furnace (and will help you to quickly and permanently eliminate all excess body weight, even while resting). Any diet that restricts carbs in favor of high protein or excessive fat intake is counterproductive, and does not permanently eliminate body fat. In fact, most find themselves fatter due to carbohydrate depriving diet plans.

Controling insulin with carbohydrates!

One of the many keys to permanent weight loss is controlling the hormone "insulin". Through proper caloric division, food selection, and protein/carb percentages (where carbs are a part of diet, but properly balanced with protein), coupled with a potent exercise routine (if you wish to accelerate results), not only will you reduce overall insulin secretion, but also cause an immediate release of stored calories (fat) into the blood stream.

Insulin is essentially a fat storage hormone and, if not properly manipulated through dietary variables, will prevent fat loss, even on a low caloric intake (which is the main reason why high carbohydrate diet plans will never promote fat reduction, regardless of what many "dietary experts" have claimed). In addition, suppressing insulin reduces both blood pressure and cholesterol readings, while preventing/curing diabetic symptoms.

High carbohydrate diet?

High carbohydrate diet plans produce a different, yet equally ineffective, response. In cases of high carbohydrate ingestion, the body actually suppresses fat burning hormones, preventing the release of stored calories (fat). In fact, the only enzymes produced through a high carbohydrate focus are fat storing in nature (insulin), meaning unless calories are very low, you will actually gain fat on a high carbohydrate plan!

Even if you were to sharply reduce calories, the excess carbohydrate concentration will continue to prevent the release of stored fat, but will gladly burn up muscle tissue (as protein content in such diet routines is extremely low).

Thus, common diet philosophies that concentrate on a high carbohydrate, low protein/fat basis provide results similar to that of low carbohydrate / high protein structures -- muscle is lost, and fat percentage increases!

BURN THE FAT Q & A WITH TOM VENUTO

2009-09-02T05:40:00.000-07:00

BURN THE FAT Q & A WITH TOM VENUTO
http://www.BurnTheFat.com
http://www.BurnTheFat.Com/innercircle
-----------------------------------------

QUESTION:

Hi Tom, I'm 4 foot 11 and now weigh 46 kg with 22% Body fat. I am doing 4 weight training sessions and 6 cardio sessions/wk.

The cardio usually fasted, on a treadmill doing 4-5 degree incline walking at 6.8km/h for 40 min and 5-10 min cool down. It says for my weight I burn 362 cals. I'm not sure what i burn with weight training, it takes about 40 min to complete.

I have created my food plan for the week and I'm thinking of doing a 30% deficit which brings me to approx 1280 calories daily.

I wanted to change something (reduce calories) because I haven't had any results for 2 weeks now and I don't think I can fit in anymore cardio sessions. I'm also planning to use your carb cycling approach, using
the 3 low/ 1 high day rotation.

My question: Do I need to eat at or above my maintenance calories to make the refeed/high day effective or is ok if I'm about 150 cals short? I find it hard to eat all the food.

The fat is coming off really slow. Reading about other people's body fat loss in your Inner Circle success stories (I'm a member), is inspiring, but also a little discouraging as mine is so slow.

Also, with the bodyfat scales, why is the BF% reading always higher, in my case anyway, compared to the Accumeasure calipers, which i still havent mastered yet?

ANSWER:

One thing to keep in mind is that at 4' 11" and 46 kg, you have fairly low calorie needs.

You may have heard (or, heh, realized), that it's more difficult for women to lose fat than men. Immediately most people think it must be estrogen or hormonal issues. But perhaps the biggest factor is NOT hormones, but the simple fact that women are usually smaller and lighter than men.

When you have a smaller body, you have lower calorie needs. When you have lower calorie needs, your relative deficit (20%, 30% etc) gives you a smaller absolute deficit and therefore you lose fat more slowly than someone who is larger and can create a large deficit more easily.

For example, if my TDEE is 3300 calories a day (Im 5' 8" and moderately to very active), then a 20% deficit is 660 calories, which brings me to 2640 calories a day. On paper, that will give me about 1.3 lbs of wt loss per week, rather painlessly, I might add.

If I bumped my calorie burn up or decreased my intake by another 340 a day, that's enough to give me a 2 lbs per week wt loss.

That's hardly a starvation diet (Ahhh the joys of being a man). For smaller women, the math equation is very different.

If your total daily energy expenditure is only 1970 calories, even at a VERY high exercise level, then a 20% deficit for you is only 394 calories which would put you at 1576 calories a day for (on paper) only 8/10th of a lb of fat loss/wk.

If you pursued your plan to take a more aggressive calorie deficit of 30%, that puts you at a 591 calorie deficit which would now drop you down to only 1382 calories/day.

That's starting to get fairly low in calories. However, you would still have a fairly small calorie deficit. In fact, I
I would get to eat almost twice as many calories as you and I'd still get almost twice the weekly rate of fat loss!

What this all means is that women who are petite or have a small body size are going to lose fat more slowly than larger women and much more slowly than men, so you cannot compare yourself to them.

It's great to be inspired by our success stories, but if you're looking for someone to model yourself after, choose one of our success stories of someone your body size and wt, rather than the folks who started 100 lbs overweight and were therefore easily dropping 3 lbs a week.

ONE POUND a week of fat loss is much more in line with a realistic goal for someone your body size. Overweight people can lose it faster. You are already 22% body fat at only 46 kg. (so look on the bright side - you are NOT overweight - you are simply working on getting even leaner than you already are).

The numbers of your plan look to be in the ballpark and your strategy makes sense. You simply need to be extremely consistent with your nutrition over time.

Suggestion #1: Weigh and measure all your food any time you feel you are stuck at a plateau, just to be sure. When your calorie expenditure is on the low side, you don't have much margin for error.

Suggestion #2: Take your body comp measurements with a grain of salt, esp if you are using Bioelectric Impedance Analysis (BIA) scales (they are a bit wonky) and remember that body comp testing is seldom perfect. Pay attention to your circumference measurements, how your clothes fit and how you look in the mirror and in photos as well.

Suggestion #3: You might actually want to take fewer refeeds -once a week instead of every 4th day, or even just once every 10-14 days, so you can get a larger weekly deficit. To answer your question, yes it is ok if your 150 cals short on high carb days if you are full (be happy that you are full - many people have to deal with constant hunger when the calories get low)

Suggestion #4: You may want to take 2 or 3 of your long cardios on the treadmill and switch them to intense intervals or ANY other type of activity that has potential to burn more than 362 calories for an hour's investment of time, or perhaps that equivalent calorie burn in less time. No need to add more days of cardio or more time - get the most out of the time you are already spending.

Suggestion #5: If you do intervals, don't make the workout too brief (ignore the advertisements for those "4 minute miracle" workouts, etc etc), or you may burn fewer calories than you were before! In fact, you might even try the method where you do HIIT for 15-20 min, then continue for another 30-40 at slow to medium
intensity. Increasing total calories burned should be your focus

Dropping only ONE pound per week (or less) may seem excruciatingly slow, but it's actually the same type of thing I do. As a bodybuilder, I go from lean to extremely lean when I diet and I don't expect more than a pound a week during contest cuts.

You are in a similar situation, even if not competing. Even if you get a half a pound a week fat loss, if you get that progress every week, that's what you're looking for - steady progress - even if slow.

It's entirely possible that you HAVE been making progress, only very slowly. With the way water weight and glycogen levels can fluctuate (and lean mass may increase), a half a pound or pound fat loss in a week could have been easily masked...and therefore, missed. That's one of the drawbacks of going by the scale alone.

Understand the calorie math I explained above and be patient, watching for slow and steady progress, paying special attention to the trend over time on your progress chart.

Keep after it - the persistence will pay, I promise!

Train hard and expect success,

Tom Venuto author of
Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle
http://www.BurnTheFat.com

Founder & CEO,
Burn The Fat Inner Circle
http://www.BurnTheFat.Com/innercircle

PS. You can learn about more fat loss strategies (including the details about the carb cycling method) inside my ebook, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle. Learn more and see some of the inspiring before and after success stories at: http://www.BurnTheFat.com

Foods That Burn Fat, Foods That Turn To Fat

2009-07-10T11:57:00.000-07:00

Foods That Burn Fat, Foods That Turn to Fat This recommended list of “fat-burning foods,” also known in the Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle (BFFM) program as “the terrific twelve,” might be the most valuable resource you’ve ever laid your hands on. Although the possible variety is your food choices is nearly infinite, these twelve are the staple foods that should make up the foundation of your program. Variety is important, but these are the foods you can’t go wrong with and the ones you’ll keep coming back to time after time.

1. Oatmeal

If I could only choose one source of complex, starchy carbohydrates for a fat loss program, this would be it! Oatmeal is the one carbohydrate food that virtually 100% of all bodybuilders and fitness models eat on a daily basis. What makes it so great? Well, although it’s a starchy carbohydrate, oatmeal has a nice balance between carbs, protein and good fat.

A half a cup contains 3 grams of fat, 27 grams of carbs and 5 grams of protein. The low glycemic index, combined with the presence of protein and fat makes oatmeal a very slowly released carb – exactly what you’re looking for when you want to get lean. Make sure you choose the all-natural oats; either old-fashioned oats (such as Quaker) or the quick oats. Stay away from the sweetened and or flavored oatmeal packets. Oatmeal is delicious with natural (sugar free) applesauce and cinnamon. Or, try some crushed walnuts or flaxseeds in your morning oats, which will give your “porridge” a nice crunchy texture while adding those desirable “good fats” we all need. For a complete meal, try a couple scoops of Vanilla Praline flavored protein powder in your oatmeal. If you get tired of oatmeal, there are plenty of other cooked whole grain cereals in the “oatmeal family.” Look in your local health food store (or a gourmet supermarket) for barley, wheat, titricale, rye, oat bran and flax cereals (or a multi grain combination of the above).

2. Yams (and sweet potatoes)

Right behind oatmeal, yams (and sweet potatoes) are probably my second favorite starchy carbohydrate. Flavorful, all-natural, low in calories, and packed with nutrients and antioxidants like beta-carotene, it’s no wonder yams are a favorite carbohydrate among bodybuilders, fitness competitors and health-seekers alike. According to Brian Rowley, science editor for FLEX magazine, “Bodybuilders use yams when cutting bodyfat because they are low on the glycemic index. Waxy white potatoes (boilers) are high on the glycemic index, so they make an excellent postworkout meal, but nothing compares with a yam the rest of the time.”

Although the glycemic index is a secondary factor when making carb choices on the BFFM program, if you’re carb sensitive or if you’re on a very strict diet (like a contest diet), then the glycemic index should be given more weight in your choices. Yams are one of the best. Sweet potatoes are not exactly the same thing as yams (they’re slightly higher on the glycemic index), but they’re otherwise similar, which also makes them good choices for fat burning diets. You can identify a yam by its darker orange color, pointier ends and unusual sizes/shapes. Combine a yam with a green veggie, a chicken breast, lean red meat or fish, and you’ve got yourself a perfect fat-loss-for-idiots-diet fat-burning, muscle building, metabolism boosting meal.

3. Potatoes (white or red)

Potatoes have earned an undeserved reputation as a food to avoid on a fat loss program. But think about it; Potatoes meet every criteria of a great carbohydrate: potatoes are a complex carb. They are all-natural. They contain fiber, vitamins and minerals. They are filling. They are low in calories. So why do people avoid them? One reason is because they confuse a dry potato with a loaded potato. Smother a potato with butter, sour cream and bacon bits and then you’ve got yourself a fattening, calorie-dense ensemble. Eat it dry or top it with Butter sprinkles, salsa or your favorite low fat, low calorie topping and you can’t go wrong. Another reason people might avoid the potato is because they are using the glycemic index as their primary gauge for choosing carbohydrates. Potatoes are high on the glycemic index, which means they are absorbed as blood sugar very rapidly.

What most people don’t realize however, is that when you eat your potato as a whole meal with your favorite lean protein, the glycemic index of the entire meal is much lower. Most people also don’t realize that some white potatoes are higher in the GI than others. Baking potatoes are higher in amylose, a slow releasing starch, so the glycemic index is lower. Russet potatoes are also moderate on the GI. Waxy potatoes or boilers are high GI foods. If you’re extremely carb sensitive or hypoglycemic, then you might want to eat more yams than white potatoes, but generally speaking, white potatoes make a superb addition to almost any fat burning diet. I personally eat white potatoes right up until the day of a bodybuilding contest and I have no difficulty reaching 3-4% body fat.

4. Brown Rice

Brown rice is another staple food of bodybuilders and you often see the “muscled ones” chowing down platefuls of rice, both in season and out of season (in smaller quantities during the “cutting-up” season). Prior to contests, bodybuilders sometimes reduce the amount of rice (starchy carbs) and add in more green veggies (fibrous carbs), but rice is a solid year round staple, as long as you keep your calories in check. Obviously, this means avoiding fried rice or other rice dishes that have added fat and calories. Steamed or boiled rice is the way to go. Of the many types of rice, slow-cooked brown rice or basmati rice are your number one choices. Instant (pre-cooked) rice is fine when you’re in a crunch for time, but the instant rice digests much more quickly and is processed in the body more like a simple carbohydrate. The same goes for white rice, especially the sweet variety that’s usually served in Chinese and Asian restaurants (including sushi rolls). White rice is the processed version of brown rice. Although it’s still technically a starchy complex carbohydrate, the white rice burns faster and has been stripped of much of its nutritional value. When you’re on a very strict fat loss diet, stick with the slow-cooking brown rice for best results.

5. 100% whole wheat and whole grain products

The “baseline diet” can and should contain a wide variety of bread products with one condition: They must be made from 100% whole grains (and the label must say, “100% whole wheat” or “100% whole grain” as the first ingredient). White bread and anything made out of white flour is not allowed in any quantity on this program (except the occasional planned “cheat meal”). If you’re particularly carb-sensitive, then bread – even the whole wheat variety – is one of the first things to go.

A small handful of people – usually one in 200, depending on what source you listen to – have sensitivity to the gluten in the wheat. Gluten is a protein found in wheat products and, much like lactose intolerance from dairy products, gluten intolerance can cause digestive difficulties and bloating in certain individuals. Most competitive bodybuilders drop out all the pasta and bread products for the 12-16 week dieting period before a contest, then usually put them back in for off-season maintenance. On very strict fat loss diets, wheat and bread products are usually eliminated completely. Generally speaking, however, 100% whole wheat and other whole grains are perfectly acceptable additions to a healthy diet for long term body composition control, it just depends on how “strict” you want or need to be with your nutrition.

6. Green fibrous vegetables (broccoli, green beans, asparagus, lettuce, etc)

Fibrous carbs are your number one choice for fat burning carbohydrates. Green vegetables, also known as fibrous carbs, hardly contain any calories (they have a low calorie density). It’s virtually impossible to overeat green vegetables. Eat them liberally and eat more of them late in the day. A diet of green vegetables combined with lean proteins is one of the best methods of getting lean as quickly as possible.

7. Fresh Fruit

Whole fruits are a fantastic, healthy food suitable for nearly any fat loss program. Although there are some “guru’s” in the bodybuilding industry who claim, “fruit is fattening,” this statement is somewhat misleading. It’s true that a diet of mostly complex carbohydrate will give you better results than a diet of mostly simple carbohydrates, but that’s not the same thing as saying “fruit is fattening.” Although fruits are simple carbohydrates, they are natural simple carbohydrates. Most fruits are low in calories, low in carbohydrate grams (compared to starches) and high in fiber.

Some fruits such as raisins are extremely calorie dense and best avoided when you’re on a strict fat loss program and your calorie allotment is small. Fruits like apples, peaches, grapefruits, and oranges, at only 60-80 calories apiece (or less), are a great addition to almost any nutritional plan. Just make sure the majority of your carbohydrates are of the complex type. An all-fruit or mostly fruit diet won’t be as effective for fat loss as one that is mostly green fibrous carbohydrates with lean protein.

8. Skim milk & nonfat dairy products

“Dairy products” cover an entire category of foods including milk, cheese, yogurt, sugar free frozen yogurt, and cottage cheese. To make it on the BFFM “approved” list, a dairy product must be labeled “fat-free,” “skim,” or 1% lowfat. Whole milk dairy products are not allowed, as they are high in fat. Even 2% low fat milk is still 37.5% fat by calories.

Dairy products are a “combination food” – they contain carbohydrates and proteins. Because the protein found in dairy products is high quality, complete protein, a high protein dairy product can count as an exchange for a protein food. For example, you could have non-fat cottage cheese as a protein instead of a serving of lean meat. Non-fat cheese can also boost the protein content of a meal. Yogurt tends to have less protein than cottage cheese, so a single container of yogurt wouldn’t count as a full protein serving. In fact, yogurt would count more as a simple carbohydrate exchange than a protein (although, you could mix in a scoop of protein powder into your yogurt to make it “high-protein yogurt).

9. Chicken Breast (and Turkey Breast)

Chicken and turkey are probably the number one most popular protein sources among bodybuilders and fat loss seekers. Remove the skin and get the light meat found in the breasts. The thighs are higher in fat and calories. Naturally, your poultry should be broiled, grilled, or roasted and not fried.

Also, we’re talking about the real bird here, not the sliced lunch meat you find at deli’s or pre-packed in supermarkets. Lunch meats are processed proteins. Some nutritionists call them “fabricated foods” because they are made from a mix and poured into a mold before being cooked and wrapped. While these are acceptable occasionally, don’t make them a staple in your regular daily diet. Lunch meats are loaded with sodium, preservatives, binders, fillers and other nasty chemicals that you don’t want floating around in your body!

10. Egg whites

The name of the game in fat-burning, muscle-building nutrition is to eat a lean protein with every meal. With zero fat, egg whites are as lean as lean proteins get. Egg whites are right up there with chicken breasts as one of the top three lean proteins of choice for losing fat and gaining muscle. Eggs are a super-high quality protein. The problem with whole eggs is the high fat and calorie content. Fortunately, 100% of the fat is in the yolk, while the protein is split evenly between the yolk and the white. This doesn’t mean you have to throw out all your yolks, but it does mean you should limit your yolks. I’d recommend one yolk for every six whites you eat. Just crack them open, and separate the yolk from the white using the edge of the shell. Or, even easier, simply use “Egg Beaters” or another packaged egg white product. There must be hundreds of ways to make eggs, so use your imagination: Omelets, frittatas, scrambled, fried (in nonstick spray), over easy, sunnyside up, hard-boiled or any other way you like them, use egg whites liberally!

11. Fish and shellfish

Many people complain about the lack of variety in a bodybuilding-style fat-burning diet, which typically has you eating egg whites, tuna and chicken day in, day out. What most people don’t eat enough of is fish and seafood. By using different types of fish and shellfish as protein sources, you can add an incredible amount of variety a well as getting those valuable good fats. Here is just a partial list of fish to consider: salmon, tuna, haddock, flounder, mackerel, trout, snapper, sea bass, swordfish, mahi mahi, perch, orange roughy, sole, Halibut, herring cod and catfish.

As with other meats, eat your fish baked, grilled or broiled and avoid fatty, high calorie sauces and butter. Most fish are very low in fat and high in protein. Some fish, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring and trout, are high in fat. However, because fish is so high in Omega 3 fatty acids, these fish can and should be used liberally. Shellfish have many of the benefits that fish have and it can add some variety to your diet if you’re getting bored of egg whites and chicken. This category includes shrimp, crab, lobster, mussels, etc. By the way, when you’re eating in restaurants, fish is a great choice, as long as you make sure there are no hidden bad fats or extra calories.

12. Lean red meat

Bodybuilders are quite famous for loving their red meat. Many bodybuilders believe that red meat helps muscle growth, and there may be much truth in that statement. Red meat is high in protein, B-12, iron and creatine. The problem with most cuts of red meat is the high fat content. However, not all cuts of red meat are the same. It’s a mistake to label the entire red meat category as a no-no because of high fat content. If you carefully choose the leanest cuts possible and keep your portion sizes small, red meat can be a great addition to a fat burning program. For example, a 6 oz serving of lean, trimmed top round steak has only 9 grams of fat, while a 6 oz of untrimmed porterhouse has 37 grams of fat (and the 18 oz porterhouse you’re often served in a steak house has over 100 grams of fat!)

About the Author: Tom Venuto is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, personal trainer, gym owner, success coach, freelance writer and author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle" (BFFM): Fat Burning Secrets of the World's Best Bodybuilders and Fitness Models. Tom has written over 160 articles and has been featured in IRONMAN magazine, Natural Bodybuilding, Muscular Development, Muscle-Zine, Olympian’s News, Exercise for Men and Men’s Exercise. Tom’s informative and inspiring articles have been featured in literally dozens of websites and e-zines worldwide. You can visit Tom on the web at Fitness Renaissance (www.fitren.com) or www.burnthefat.com. You can subscribe to his monthly E-mail newsletter at www.fitren.com/listserv.cfm

14 STEPS TO FAT LOSS - A Special Report

2009-07-06T08:28:00.000-07:00

16 STEPS TO FAT LOSS

So many professionals say it, even I do, fat loss is about one thing, energy. Burn more of it than you have and BAM… fat loss. If only it were really that simple. If only those few simple words took into account everything it takes to actually lose fat. The mental aspect of fat loss is beyond complicated, and this is not a psychology 101 class. What I am presenting to you is the 14 steps everyone, no matter what level of knowledge or training they have, should take before they attempt fat loss. Meaning, this isn’t going to tell you how to physically lose fat, it doesn’t even tell you how to mentally lose fat. No, I can’t help you with desire and motivation. This is the foolproof method of the steps you need to start the journey into fat loss. You follow these 14 steps, and I promise you by the end you will achieve fat loss on a level like never before, no matter how advanced you think you are.

Step 1: Acceptance

This is without a doubt the most important step. I know what you are thinking “um yeah I know okay, I am fat, what more do you want from me?!” No, don’t just accept that you are overweight, accept that it’s your doing that you are overweight. See we like to blame our excess weight on things like depression, work, being busy, getting comfortable in life, etc. The truth is at all times you are aware of what, how much, and when you are eating. So unless you have been living under a rock, (sorry family in phone commercial) then you know that food is part of what contributes to weight gain. In fact, unless you have a medical condition, it is the only contribution to weight gain. Accepting that the fate of your body lies in what you eat is the first and most important step you can take in your fat loss journey.

Step 2: Voice Change

Now that you have accepted that you are responsible for what you have done and are still doing, its time to admit the need for change. This isn’t about actual change, this is about voicing that the change is going to occur. The instant you accept that you are ready for change you have to voice it in some shape or form. Write it down, youtube it, whatever, but open up the world to it, swallow your pride and make your need of change known.

Step 3: Plan Action

This is just like before, this isn’t time for action, this is time to plan it. If you jump in right now where is that going to get you? You need to get a plan together on how to put this change into effect. Skipping this step alone is where most people go wrong. They accept and voice they have a problem and then they just jump into trying to fix it without really planning the next step. If you really want to change, you need to plan how it is going to come about. How are you going to go from one step to the next with out coordinating the steps to make?

The next few steps revolve around education, how are you going to get that education? Computer, teacher, or what about a trainer? If you decide you want to join a gym, plan on how to find the best gym, what questions to ask, and feel out if you are comfortable with the workers there. Don’t ever go into any step blindly, always have a plan.

Step 4: Learn nutrition

Remember how we discussed that food is what ultimately makes you lose or gain weight? How much do you know about what you eat? Do you know if the last meal you had was made up of more fat, protein, or carbs? What about how much you need to eat for your body, and your activity level? Nutrition is 80% of the battle in fat loss, learn it and you will conquer a big chunk of the battle. A great way to do that is to pick the right materials to learn from. I wrote an “easy to follow” guide that teaches you the basics called “The Fat Loss Troubleshoot”. It not only gives you the nutrition information that you need to know but also gives links to even more sources.

Step 5: Learn Training

The average person’s idea of a workout is a sad thing. This isn’t entirely their fault. The media in all sources perpetuate myths about training left and right. While losing fat is about energy, (and diet is key) understand that training makes things go smoother and faster. This isn’t about being a cardio bunny or about grabbing magazine/book to read while working out on a machine, and I can 100% say that the “Glute Master” should NOT be in your program. I can say what should be in your program are full body movements, aggressive aerobic training, and most importantly progression with every workout. The more you learn about training, the fewer mistakes you are likely to make, meaning better results and less chance of injury.

Step 6: Learn Everything Else

There is more to nutrition than just understanding what you should and shouldn’t be eating. You need to know HOW to cook the food you are eating too. Learn everything you can and make your new goal engulf you life. Learn about cooking, the shoes you need to buy, and the different equipment you can use. Research the people you are getting your “facts” from. Investigate everything! Take nothing as gospel in fitness after reading just one study, or person’s point of view. When you have a question, take the time to find the answer. LEARN and when you are done with that, learn some more.

Step 7: Plan Your Days

Before you start to plan food and working out, you need to plan your actual days out. You know the drill, start on MONDAY! If you didn’t know Monday’s hold secret keys to the universe in form of psychological and physical change…not really but you can think that if you want. It doesn’t matter when you start, just commit to actually doing it. First you need to plan out the things in your life that you can’t change. Then you can open up other slots for negotiations. For example, you can’t help or change when you have to work, but you can set up your TIVO to record the new episode of “Lost”. If you know you need at least an hour to relax before bed, take that time to watch the show, instead of trying to fit in a workout. Planning has become a lost art, you should become a master of it.

Step 8: Plan Your Workouts

After you have figured out where you have breathing room, it is time to throw your workout in. There is not one magical time of the day that is best to work out. You figure out what works best for you. If you like to get it done and don’t want to think about it for the rest of the day then maybe a morning workout is for you. If you want to take the stresses of your job out on the treadmill then the 5:30 rush maybe your style. If you hate a crowd and hate mornings then perhaps you are a pre-bed lifter. All have pros and cons, don’t let that guide you, just go with what pops out at you and plan it. My schedule can be kind of crazy, I have to take what I can get. My days can be morning one day, evening another, or a quick lunch workout break. If I plan well, I can always fit in my workout. I MAKE TIME for it so it gets done.

Step 9: Plan Your Meals

If a client tells me they didn’t have a choice in what they had to eat, I say “No, you didn’t have a plan.” Always have a meal plan, always have a back up, never give yourself the excuse of having to grab something. If you end up in that position it is because you are not committed and don’t care to make a real change, simple as that. Now don’t get mad, you can plan the fun cheats to eat along with the good foods! When you plan the naughty foods you don’t end up eating a stale peanut butter cracker and thinking “great, I just blew my diet for that!” With the right planning you can set up your program with treats thrown in between all that solid nutrition you are going to be having. It doesn’t just stop there either. Plan your cooking and your meals step by step. Leave no stone unturned in your nutrition program so you can know exactly what you are taking into your body. Never guess and never settle, because your body deserves better than that. Once you do this, all of a sudden you realize you are on autopilot and it won't seem so hard anymore.

Step 10: Pick a Weekly Weakness

This one is really important because everything in fat loss is about progress. Progress in your workouts, nutrition, and in actual fat loss is all important. Inside every fat loss trainee is a mound of skills balanced out with a mound of weakness. Every week you take it upon yourself to pick out one of those weaknesses and attack it head on. For example, maybe your workout program is great and your nutrients are all set up and you are getting what you need but your food tastes like crap because you can’t cook. ATTACK that weakness. Have the week devoted to learning how to cook. If a week isn't enough do it for two or three weeks, just attack that weakness until it becomes strength. When that is done you move on to the next one until you are a pillar of strength, and the only thing weak in you is your selection of needed improvement.

Step 11: Purge

Get rid of your old life in every way. Don’t hang on to food because it would be a waste and it needs to be eaten. That kind of thinking just makes you put off really starting the program. The world is going to surround you with constant temptation, so you need to have your home be your safe ground. If it isn't in your home, you can't eat it! While you are at it, don’t keep big baggy clothes that you feel comfortable in. You aren’t going to be using them anymore so chuck it. Remember you can’t return to something that isn’t there.

Step 12: Go Shopping

So you have got the plan for what you need to workout, and you have the foods you are going to eat written down. But then you realize you need a brand new notebook to keep track of your progress. Yes it is time to go shopping! Truly the most fun part of getting into shape is buying all the goods that go along with it. Workout gear, cooking supplies, food to replace what you have purged, notepads, software, whatever… just go buy it and have the best time doing it because you are starting your new journey. Some people run into a problem spending money on themselves, to that I say remember this is your body, you only have one.

Step 13: Set Up Support

You have got everything together now, but one of the most important aspects to keeping it up, accountability. Be it your husband, kids, friends, strangers, or a message board just make sure you have not only a shoulder to lean on, but also someone to keep you accountable. Sometimes we give up on ourselves; even the strongest of people just aren’t enough for themselves. So prepare yourself for that, have a core of people that you don’t want to disappoint. Let’s face it, as much as it may be hard to believe sometimes the average person really cares about what others think. We really care if we let someone down. If you have that kind of guilt and burden then great, use it! Turn it into something positive for yourself and set up a system of support that gives you a hug when you want one and a kick in the rear when you need one.

Step 14: Start Your Engines

It’s time! You are all ready to go. You have nothing holding you back now. Your workout plans are set up, your meals are all laid out, and you even sprung for that special Tupperware and cooler so that you are never left without a choice. Now it is time to apply it. It is going to be weird at first, change always does. Hey but you have been prepping for this change so long. You have been doing this for days now and look at all you have gotten done! Seems a little silly to turn back now doesn’t it? You have no clothes; you have all this healthy food, new cook books, a gym membership, workout gear, even on of those ipods. You practically took a study course on nutrition and can design your own training program. Now all you have to do is take eh about 40 mins at most a day and apply the workout. Maybe another 20-30 minutes. to heat up your meals because you set aside a bulk cooking day on Sunday that covered half of your meals for the week. You are all set to go, all you have to do is put it in action. Somehow, someway you woke up and you weren’t just trying to lose fat anymore, you woke up and found you.

Fitness and Exercise-- Can Extend Life

2009-07-06T00:05:00.000-07:00

Physical fitness and exercise can extend life, and perhaps fitness that is even more beneficial and exercise can ensure that a person’s years of life are more productive, more pleasant, and more enjoyable, and who would not want their years of life to be enjoyable? Fitness and exercise seem like a small price to pay for such great rewards.

The first step in a fitness and exercise program is in deciding what type of exercise you enjoy. Fitness and exercise needs to become a lifestyle and that are more likely to happen if you engage in activities you consider fun. Do you enjoy swimming, hiking, walking, running, racquetball, tennis, golf, or any other sports? Are you the type of person who enjoys lifting weights, or using the Stairmaster machine at the local gym? Everyone has different tastes when it comes to fitness and exercise. Deciding on the activity that is right for you is the first step.

Next, make sure that you don’t overdue it. Many people rush into a fitness and exercise program and over due it the first day, leading to sore muscles and aching backs. When that happens, they are much less likely to continue their fitness and exercise program. Moderation is important in a fitness and exercise program. Also, if you are extremely out of shape when you begin your activity, you need to start out at a slower place than you would if you were moderately in shape.

If possible, get advice from your doctor or another healthcare professional or physical fitness instructor before beginning your fitness and exercise program, and find out what is right for you. For many people ten minutes of brisk walking every other day is enough to get started.

This can gradually be advanced to fifteen minutes, and then twenty. The important thing with fitness and exercise is to stay with it. The more you do, over time, the more "in shape” you will become and the more you’ll be able to do. Right now six months seems like a long time, but if you begin a fitness and exercise program now, six months will come and go quickly and you’ll see a noticeable difference in your fitness level, your stamina and the way you feel.

Fitness and Exercise and the Older Adult

2009-07-05T23:54:00.000-07:00

Fitness and exercise are not just for children and young people. Older adults can reap mountains of benefits from becoming engaged in a regular program promoting fitness and exercise, and many older adults are doing so. In fact more older adults are taking fitness and exercise seriously now than in recent decades.

Mall walking is a popular fitness and exercise activity for older adults. Brisk walking is one of the best forms of exercise people can do for themselves. Shopping malls offer consistent temperature and protection from the elements. If it is snowing or sleeting outside, you can still walk in the mall, getting all the benefits of a fitness and exercise program without having to brave inclement weather.

Swimming is another popular fitness and exercise method many older adults enjoy. Swimming exercises every muscle in the body, but is easy on the knees and joints. While many older adults enjoy swimming laps, others have incorporated water-based calisthenics into their fitness and exercise programs, with great results.

The baby boom generation of Americans is getting older, with many baby boomers now reaching retirement age. This generation though is different from preceding generations. Baby boomers tend to live longer, and are more concerned about health. More baby boomers watch their diets, try to control their weight and make fitness and exercise a regular part of their lives than older Americans have in past generations. Add to that the advancements made in medical treatments and these baby boomers can expect to live for many years to come. Fitness and exercise will continue to play a major role in their lives.

Of course, fitness and exercise are not the only factor to be concerned with. Diet also plays a part. A high fiber diet, with most carbohydrates coming from whole grains and protein coming from more lean portions of meat to limit fat also contribute to health. When proper diet and fitness and exercise are linked the result more often than not is a healthy person, no matter what the age. Combining fitness and exercise with proper nutrition is a win win situation for everyone involved.

2009-07-05T07:41:00.001-07:00

Just testing

Fitness and Exercise Gain Popularity

2009-07-04T23:54:00.000-07:00

Fitness and exercise are gaining popularity in our culture for many reasons. Reactions against the sedentary lifestyles Americans have lived for decades, a rash of type two diabetes with people engaging in fitness and exercise to improve their conditions, parents encouraging youngsters to get up and away from the television and work out, and the baby boomers, pursuing fitness and exercise as they age, to allow them to enjoy their advanced years. Regardless of the reasons, many Americans take fitness and exercise very seriously.

Ways, in which Americans engage in fitness and exercise activities are varied and show the diversity of both the population and their interests. Many people go to gyms or athletic clubs. Others participate in sports events that they enjoy. Fitness and exercise activities can include bowling, racquet sports like squash, golf, summer softball leagues, horseshoes, hiking, horseback riding, and many other fun things to do. Fitness and exercise activities in American have many faces.

One of the most popular fitness and exercise activities is simply walking. Many people of all ages enjoy taking a brisk walk every day. This simple fitness and exercise activity can be done by almost anyone. So many Americans are walking these days that magazines are published devoted to the activity. Generally Americans are not as organized as their European cousins when in comes to walking. In Germany, one of the most popular weekend fitness and exercise activities is the volksmarch, or people’s march. When a volksmarch occurs, people of all ages gather together to take a day long, or half day long walk through a town or a country location, stopping to share a meal along the way. They combine fitness and exercise with social activity, and everyone has a great time.

Americans may not be ready for the volksmarch yet, but they find many other fitness and exercise options to their liking. Golf is more popular now than any time in history. Tennis is making a popularity comeback. Even martial arts are fitness and exercise choices for many. For Americans the important thing about fitness and exercise is to do something and make sure that the something you do is something you enjoy. Fitness and exercise will lead to a longer and healthier life, and give a great deal of fun to the participants along the way.

Fitness and Exercise Prevent Disease

2009-07-04T23:41:00.001-07:00

Fat Loss 4 Idiots, The Best Way To Lose Weight

2009-07-01T17:39:00.001-07:00

"Young Slim Fit" is the HUGE WINNER hands down!

Created by none other than world-famous Dr Suzanne Gudakunst of syndicated cable television and equally famed expert in the fields of:

1. Alternative Medicine & Treatment,
2. Advanced Health Technologies Development,
3. Corrective Dietary Implementation,
4. Corrective Lifestyle Management and,
5. Proper Fitness and Restorative Training & Therapy,

... this powerful ebook is truly nothing short of revolutionary!

Dr. Suzanne has gone and done it again! She gave you the revolutionary secrets to fat loss in her ebook “top secret fat loss secret” which shook the very foundations of the food manufacturers and opened the eyes of millions just like you to help take your life back and your waistline.

Even though, she helped people lose over 56,562 lbs total and counting with her amazing secret, she noticed an unsettling trend. She found that there was no problem for them losing the weight but, to her disheartenment they seemed to be struggling to keep it off!

We have all gone through this. It seems too familiar. Lose the weight….gain the weight...lose the weight…gain the weight… this viscous cycle of yo- yo

Dieting has to end and end now! As you know, Dr. Suzanne leaves no stone unturned when searching for the truth! After countless interviews with diet experts and people just like you who have struggled with the battle of bulge and have won she discovered that all of them did a very similar simple easy to do system that kept the weight off !!!! Instead of keeping this amazing discovery to her Dr. Suzanne has created the youngslimfit program to give you all of the tools that they used to finally end their battle with the bulge!!

So if you are someone who is just flat out sick and tired of the endless Yo-Yo Dieting then do not hesitate any longer. Go here to secure you life changing program! => http://tinyurl.com/nqoxx5

Benefits Of Fitness And Exercise

2009-07-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

Regular fitness and exercise

Fitness and exercise are very popular and important phrases of today’s world. However, how much attention we pay to our fitness and how much hours we do exercise in a week. NOT MUCH. For us our life is job, money and home, but if forgets only fitness allow us to live happily without any disease. Still we don’t care about it and do what we like.

Those who are suffering from obesity and type two diabetes, Fitness and exercise is the best option for them. If you are overweight, and especially if you are obese, or if you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, then listen to your doctor and begin a regular fitness and exercise program. You’ll be glad you did. Many people have marveled at the way being over weight has become an American way of life, and wondered what caused it. Many point to sedentary lifestyles, working in front of computers, and watching too much television. In addition, many Americans eat diets high in fat and carbohydrates. Whatever the root causes fitness and exercise can be a major part of the cure for this problem.

Fitness word is use for everyone whether it is a man, a woman, or a child. Everyone has to be fit and for good fitness, you may have to do exercise regularly. If your child is lacking in fitness and exercise think about enrolling your child in an after school sports program of some sort. Soccer is a popular fitness and exercise method, and in the proper season so is hockey, softball, baseball, lacrosse, football, tennis, and even golf. Many parents find that their children enjoy swimming and as one of the best methods of fitness and exercise in the world, swimming should be encouraged. This can be simple playing or exercising in the water, or formal swimming laps in an Olympic sized pool. Both methods of fitness and exercise are great.

One of the benefits of fitness and exercise, as any physician will tell you, it that fitness and exercise help control blood sugar. A diabetic who takes medication daily may find that less medication is needed with a regular fitness and exercise program. Many diabetics who stay with fitness and exercise programs find that they are able to quit the medication and get their diabetes under control in a totally natural way.

4 tips to lose fat effectively and fast

2009-07-01T06:14:00.000-07:00

Looking for a fast, effective and healthy way to lose your fat?

Have you decided that it's time to lose some of your ugly body fat? Maybe you have a wedding or other event coming up and want to look leaner and sexier before the big day arrives. Maybe you've heard about the dangers of excess abdominal fat and would like to get rid of it as fast as possible. Maybe you're just tired of having a big "beer belly" and are looking for ways to burn off the extra weight, get fit, feel good, and look better quickly.

No matter what your reasons for wanting to lose fat, you're in luck because that's what this page is all about! Through years of research and my own personal experience I've found several techniques that work incredibly well for burning body fat -- especially stomach fat -- in a short amount of time. Best of all, these techniques are relatively safe. They won't slow down your metabolism or hurt your overall health. They're definitely A LOT safer than going on extended "crash" diets, exercising for hours every day, fasting for weeks, taking handfuls of "fat burners," diet pills, etc., or any of the other extreme fat loss techniques many people use to try and lose lots of belly fat fast.

Important Note: Keep in mind that these techniques can help to jumpstart a fat loss program, allowing you to get some visible results quickly and build some momentum, motivation, confidence, etc. But for long-term weight loss success you'll need a practical plan which includes both diet and exercise... and that you can stick with.

Also, while the techniques described below are, for the most part, safer than many common "fast weight loss" methods, there is always a certain amount of risk when starting a new fitness program. You should definitely talk with your doctor before beginning any new diet or exercise routine, especially if you have existing health problems.

All You Need To Know About Online Weight Loss Programs

2009-07-01T06:11:00.002-07:00

The concept of fitness is very much ‘in’ with the general public today. Everyone wants to shed off their extra kilos and get back in shape. Unfortunately, life today is very busy, so not all are fortunate enough to get the kind of time necessary to travel to the local fitness center, workout and then go to work, while also take care of the family simultaneously. These centers also require you to meet with the members once in a week or fortnight, so that makes it even more hectic for you.

If you are on such a hectic schedule and would still like to workout regularly, you have a great way out. You can join for one of the numerous online weight loss programs available today. These save you a lot of time and can also help keep up your initial motivation levels.

Benefits of online weight reduction programs

Online weight reduction programs come in a variety of formats. You can pay for these programs. The membership fees are quite affordable, so you should not have much trouble finding the best one for yourself. You may even choose to go for the free ones. Then there are themed programs for men and women of all age groups. Some online programs give you added benefits and may charge you a nominal additional amount for those services.

As such, you stand to be highly benefited from these online programs. Many of these sites offer you interesting anecdotes, stories and articles, health recipes and a host of other entertaining stuff. Further, you will get detailed instructions on performing certain types of exercises and sometimes, even sample videos!

Some sites even give you discount coupons for health food centers, which saves a neat packet on healthy eating for you!

You can meet online with the other members quite often, through online discussion boards. This you can do at your own sweet convenience, without having to even stir out of your home! You merely log in online at the stipulated time and get exposed to a wealth of weight loss information!

It is important to note that each and every one of us respond differently to diet and exercise schedules. So it might take a while for you to discuss with your online fitness professionals and arrive at the right kind of balance for you. But by and large, online fitness programs work for people of all age groups and have shown more than satisfactory results in most people.

Investing in a paid online weight loss program is worth every cent you spend on it. So what are you waiting for? Log in and take your first step towards fitness!

Review of the Atkins Diet

2009-07-01T06:09:00.000-07:00

The theory behind Atkins diet is controlling carbohydrates, or “proactive nutrition”. There are five core principles for dieting with Atkins. The first is high protein that builds and repairs muscles and bones as well as boosts metabolism. The second is high fiber that controls appetite, regulates blood sugar, and helps with digestion. The third is a high intake of vitamins and minerals. These provide energy, and protect the body against free radicals. The fourth is a low intake of sugar, this helps to avoid a “sugar spike and crash” which are also low glycemic impact foods. The fifth is elimination of Trans fats; this gives a low risk factor for heart disease. These five principles are designed to keep energy levels steady and strong all day.

Atkins diet promises people to lose weight, not be hungry, better heart health, and better memory. This diet is based on the idea that people who are overweight eat too many carbohydrates. Our bodies use fat and carbohydrates for energy, with carbohydrates being used first. With fewer carbohydrates our bodies will burn off stored fat allowing us to lose weight.

The Atkins diet plan sets few limits on amount of food eaten, however it restricts the kind of food allowed; example no refined sugar, milk, white rice, or white flour. The plan allows people to eat rich foods; example meat, eggs cheese etc. Individuals are eating almost pure protein and fat. Individuals can eat red meat, fish, poultry, regular cheese, cook with butter, eat mayonnaise, and olive oil. Carbohydrates are restricted (20 grams per day minus fiber) for the first two weeks. This equals three cups of salad or two cups of salad with two thirds cup of certain cooked vegetables each day.

There are no exceptions to these rules, and there is not counting of calories involved. Later carbohydrate allowance increases in the form of fiber, but still no refined sugar, milk, white rice, white bread, white potatoes, or pasta from white flour. These are permanently gone. Individuals can add fruits, vegetables, and whole grain foods after first two weeks. Then individuals transitions from weight loss to weight maintenance as carbohydrates are increased. Exercise is emphasized in all parts.

Atkins theories have not been proved, and experts are worried that a diet high in protein and fat can precipitate quite a few issues for people. Especially for those who are at risk for heart disease. Even more worrisome, the plan does not allow for a high intake of fruits and vegetables which experts say provide many health benefits.

5 Outdoor Tips on Walking to Slimness

2009-06-30T13:15:00.000-07:00

Exercise and Fitness –

Feeling like that you need to loose a few pounds, and you never want to find them again? But you don’t like an exercise regime of push ups and abdominal crunches. Well take into consideration a fitness exercise routine of walking. In the past it was man kinds only form of transportation. So take a peek at 5 tips on how to walk, and what physical benefits you’ll get with an exercise fitness plan.

You’ll need to prepare to train your mind to stick with a new fitness and exercise program. If you’re looking to loose weight then you’ll need a good surface to travel on. You’ll also need to have some reliable shoes, and a reasonable distance of walking area. By taking on an exercise program for fitness, the pounds will melt away. Remember though people loose weight in different amounts, and at different places on their body. Check out these tips on how to walk for your exercise fitness routine.

1. Burn calories by slow walking. Walking slow for an exercise fitness plan causes your body to drag because of gravity. The dragging affect helps you loose weight.

2. After you loose, the desired weight that you want you can maintain it, or graduate to a fast high intensity walk. Muscle mass will take the place of the saggy skin through toning. You’ll begin to see the affects of what fitness through exercise can do.

3. By making yourself participate in an exercise fitness course daily, and drinking lots of water your kidneys will flush out any bacteria. Also the heart will pump at a more efficient rate.

4. Circulation to the lower leg extremities and feet with an exercise plan for fitness will improve. Whether you do a slow calorie burn walk, or one that has a quick upbeat walk. This benefit is really crucial especially for those with any disease that affects the feet.

5. Skin tone will benefit with weight loss through your fitness exercise course of attack for a healthy lifestyle.

Learning to stick with a routine is probably the hardest part. It takes a lot of commitment to learn a new lifestyle of fitness. Exercise has a lot of benefits and with patience and a go get them attitude – you’ll loose those pounds and never find them again. And won't that be nice.

Dietary fats: Know which types to choose

2009-06-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

When choosing fats, pick unsaturated fat over saturated or trans fat. Here's how to know the difference.

Most foods contain several different kinds of fats — including saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and trans fats — and some kinds are better for your health than others are.

You don't need to completely eliminate all fats from your meals. Instead, choose the healthier types of fats and enjoy them in moderation.

Healthy fats

When choosing fats, your best options are unsaturated fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These fats, if used in place of others, can lower your risk of heart disease by reducing the total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in your blood.

One type of polyunsaturated fat, omega-3 fatty acids, may be especially beneficial to your heart. Omega-3s appear to decrease the risk of coronary artery disease. They may also protect against irregular heartbeats and help lower blood pressure levels.

Below are the best food sources of these healthy fats:

Type of healthy fat

Monounsaturated fat

Olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, avocados, nuts and seeds.

Polyunsaturated fat

Vegetable oils (such as safflower, corn, sunflower, soy and cottonseed oils), nuts and seeds

Omega-3 fatty acids Fatty

cold-water fish (such as salmon, mackerel and herring), flaxseeds, flax oil and walnut.

Harmful fats

Saturated and trans fats (trans-fatty acids) are less healthy kinds of fats. They can increase your risk of heart disease by increasing your total and LDL ("bad") cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol isn't technically a fat, but it's found in food derived from animal sources. Intake of dietary cholesterol increases blood cholesterol levels, but not as much as saturated and trans fats do, and not to the same degree in all people.

Below are common food sources of harmful fats:

Type of harmful fat Food source

Saturated fat Animal products (such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, lard and butter), and coconut, palm and other tropical oils

Trans fat Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, commercial baked goods (such as crackers, cookies and cakes), fried foods (such as doughnuts and french fries), shortening and margarine

Dietary cholesterol Animal products (such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, lard and butter)

Daily limits for fat intake

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommend that fat make up no more than 35 percent of your daily calories. This means that if you consume 1,800 calories a day, eat no more than 70 grams of fat daily. (To figure: Multiply 1,800 by 0.35 to get 630 calories, and divide that number by 9, the number of calories per gram of fat, to get 70 grams of total fat.) Keep in mind, however, that this is an upper limit and that most of these fat calories should come from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated sources.

In addition, the USDA and HHS recommend these upper limits for saturated fat and dietary cholesterol for healthy adults:

Type of fat & Recommendation

Saturated fat Less than 10 percent of your total daily calories

Dietary cholesterol Less than 300 milligrams a day

Though the USDA and HHS haven't yet established an upper limit for trans fat, they do suggest that you keep your trans fat intake as low as possible. The American Heart Association, on the other hand, has set an upper limit for trans fat — no more than 1 percent of your total daily calories. For most people, this is less than 2 grams a day.

Be aware that many foods contain different kinds of fat and varying levels of each type. For example, butter contains unsaturated fats, but a large percentage of the total fat is saturated fat. And canola oil has a high percentage of monounsaturated fat, but also contains smaller amounts of polyunsaturated fat and saturated fat.

Tips for choosing the best types of fat

Limit fat in your diet, but don't try to cut it out completely. Focus on reducing foods high in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol, and select more foods made with unsaturated fats. Consider these tips when making your choices:

• Saute with olive oil instead of butter.

• Use olive oil in salad dressings and marinades. Use canola oil when baking.

• Sprinkle slivered nuts or sunflower seeds on salads instead of bacon bits.

• Snack on a small handful of nuts rather than potato chips or processed crackers. Or try peanut butter or other nut-butter spreads — nonhydrogenated — on celery, bananas, or rice or popcorn cakes.

• Add slices of avocado, rather than cheese, to your sandwich.

• Prepare fish such as salmon and mackerel, which contain monounsaturated and omega-3 fats, instead of meat one or two times a week.

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats have few adverse effects on blood cholesterol levels, but you still need to consume all fats in moderation. Eating large amounts of any fat adds excess calories. Also make sure that fatty foods don't replace more nutritious options, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes or whole grains.

Examples of Weight Loss Exercise Programmes

2009-06-30T05:46:00.000-07:00

Examples of Weight Loss Exercise Programmes

It is important for people, new to exercising, is to start gently. Many of overweight people feel that because they have to lose a lot of weight, they feel they need to start at a frantic rate. This is totally the wrong approach and only leads to strain and pain. If you have not been exercising for some time, you should concentrate on building up a base level of fitness before starting on the more intensive exercise regimes.

Fat Burning Programmes

This is basically a programme involving cardio exercise, upper/lower body exercises, further cardio exercise using the upper/lower body and further lower body exercises. You should aim to achieve a steady heart rate for the whole exercise period so that it is stimulating the fat burning. This has the extra benefit of toning as well as fat burning.

If you have not been exercising for some time, you should concentrate on building up a base level of fitness before starting on the more intensive exercise regimes.

Fat Burning Programmes

This is basically a programme involving cardio exercise, upper/lower body exercises, further cardio exercise using the upper/lower body and further lower body exercises. You should aim to achieve a steady heart rate for the whole exercise period so that it is stimulating the fat burning.
This has the extra benefit of toning as well as fat burning.

A typical programme for a woman 45 – 55 years of age
with poor fitness would be:

My Personal Opinion – Avoiding Childhood Obesity

2009-06-26T13:14:00.000-07:00

Childhood obesity is growing at an epidemic rate. In fact, it has become such a problem that in any given classroom within the United States, there are an average of four to five obese students. Pediatricians are constantly dealing with parents and children who are concerned with health problems related to the child's obesity. Avoiding Childhood Obesity takes on the globally complex issue of obesity among children and helps parents and children work together to develop a lifestyle of healthy weight management, while preventing the recurrence of obesity in later life.

You can go grab your copy right now at: our website Author, Ginger Braeman, explains "More than being an issue of appearance and one's looks, excessive body weight is a serious health concern and it can, in extreme cases, also be deadly." Therefore, with understanding, caring, and a realistic view of the condition, this detailed guidebook provides education and practical information that allows the reader to understand the dangers of obesity, the importance of a healthy body weight, and offers a practical, achievable strategy for eliminating childhood obesity in a sensitive and down-to-earth way. Inside these 66 information-packed pages, you will discover everything you need to know from health issues directly related to obesity, to understanding the cause of obesity, how to eat healthy, and how to get active in a kid- and family-friendly way that really works.

Among the topics included in this compassionate guide are: what is so bad about being fat?, today's obesity problem, why we get fat?, healthy eating, encouraging a higher activity level in children, and everything else you need to know to raise a fit and healthy child even if he or she is already suffering from obesity. It is designed and laid-out in a way that encourages pleasant reading, but is also organized in a special way that allows for quick reference as well. If you want to understand the issue of childhood obesity and "obesity-proof" your child, then this is the book that you have been looking for. Whether your child is already dealing with the issue, or you are aiming to prevent it in the future, Avoiding Childhood Obesity has what you need to realize that goal.

Book Information:

Title: Avoiding Childhood Obesity
Author: Ginger Braeman
List Price: $29.95 US
e-book Purchasing Information: Avoiding Childhood Obesity can be purchased from our website, where you will also receive a free bonus gift, Exercise Without Effort. The set of both ebooks - Avoiding Childhood Obesity as well as the free gift are available together for a total price of $29.95. As these are both downloadable guides, there are no shipping or handling charges.

Childhood Obesity in the United States:Facts and Figures

2009-06-26T13:13:00.000-07:00

Childhood Obesity U.S. Prevalence

In the last three decades, the rate of childhood obesity has doubled for preschool kids aged 2-5 years and adolescents aged 12-19 years, and it has more than tripled for children aged 6-11 years. At present, approximately nine million children over 6 years of age are considered obese.

Causes of Childhood Obesity

The rise in childhood obesity is due to complex interactions across a number of relevant social, environmental, and policy contexts that influence eating and physical activity. Over decades, these have collectively created an adverse environment for maintaining a healthy weight. This environment is characterized by:

• Reduced access and affordability in some communities to fruits, vegetables, and other nutritious foods;

• Pressures on families to minimize food costs, acquisition and preparation time, resulting in frequent consumption of convenience foods that are high in calories and fat;

• decreased opportunities for physical activity at school

• decreased opportunities for physical activity after school, and reduced walking or biking to and from school; and

• Competition for leisure time that was once spent playing outdoors with sedentary screen time including watching television or playing computer and video games.

• Urban and suburban designs that discourage walking and other physical activities;

DEFINING CHILDHOOD OBESITY

In this report, the term obesity is used to refer to children and youth between the ages of 2 and 18 years who have body mass indexes (BMIs) equal to or greater than the 95th percentile of the age- and gender-specific BMI charts developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Obesity Trends

Trends in childhood and youth obesity mirror a similar profound increase over the same approximate period in U.S. adults as well as a concurrent rise internationally, in both developed and developing countries. The obesity epidemic affects both boys and girls and has occurred in all age, race, and ethnic groups throughout the United States. In addition to the increase in obesity prevalence, the heaviest group of children is getting heavier whereas the leanest group of children is staying lean. What this means is that among younger age groups of children 6 to 11 years of age, and to a lesser extent adolescents, the lower part of the BMI distribution appears to have changed little over time. For example, if 100 children were lined up from the lightest to the heaviest based on their BMI levels from the 1970s, and another line of children were lined up based on their BMIs from the 1990s, approximately the first 25 children in each line would have the same BMI. However, the last 10 (the heaviest) children in the 1990s would be much heavier than his or her counterpart in the 1970s. In adults, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased, meaning that more adults have become overweight or obese and they have become heavier which has shifted the adult BMI curve to the right.

Figure 1. Age-Specific Trends in Child and Adolescent Obesity

NOTE: Obesity is defined as a BMI at or above the age- and gender-specific 95th percentile cutoff points from the 2000 CDC BMI Charts. Weight-for length is used to track children aged 6 to 23 months (under 2 years of age). Estimates for certain data points are considered unreliable and data upon which this figure is based may have a standard point of error of 20 to 30 percent.
SOURCES: Ogden, et al., 2002a; CDC, 2003F

Figure 2. Overweight and Obesity by Age in the United States, 1960-2000
NOTES: Percents for adults are age-adjusted. Obesity for children is defined as a BMI at or above the age- and gender-specific 95th percentile cut points from the 2000 CDC BMI Charts. Overweight for adults is defined as a BMI greater than or equal to 30. Obesity is a subset of the percent of overweight.

SOURCE: CDC, 2003.F

Immediate Risks of Obesity to a Child's Health

Young people are at risk of developing serious psychosocial burdens related to being obese in a society that stigmatizes this condition, often fostering shame, self-blame, and low self-esteem that may impair academic and social functioning and carry into adulthood. In a population based sample, approximately 60 percent of obese children aged 5 to 10 years had at least one cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor—such as elevated total cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, or blood pressure—and 25 percent had two or more risk CVD risk factors.

Physical, Social, and Emotional Health Consequences of Obesity in Children and Youth

Physical Health

• Glucose intolerance and insulin resistance
• Type 2 diabetes
• Hypertension
• Dyslipidemia
• Hepatic steatosis
• Cholelithiasis
• Sleep apnea
• Menstrual abnormalities
• Impaired balance
• Orthopedic problems

Emotional Health

• Low self-esteem
• Negative body image
• Depression

Social Health

• Stigma
• Negative stereotyping
• Discrimination
• Teasing and bullying
• Social marginalization

Long-Term Risks of Obesity to a Child's Health

For children born in the United States in 2000, the lifetime risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at some point in their lives is estimated to be 30 percent for boys and 40 percent for girls, and the lifetime risk for developing type 2 diabetes is even higher among ethnic minority groups at birth and at all ages. Type 2 diabetes is rapidly becoming a disease of children and adolescents. In case reports limited to the 1990s, type 2 diabetes accounted for 8 to 45 percent of all new pediatric cases of diabetes—in contrast with fewer than 4 percent before the 1990s. The obesity epidemic may reduce overall adult life expectancy because it increases lifetime risk for type 2 diabetes and other serious chronic disease conditions, thereby potentially reversing the improved life expectancy trend achieved with the reduction of infectious diseases over the past century. Obesity can also lead to metabolic syndrome, arthritis, cancer, and CVD.

Impact of Family History

Genetics is a factor in excess weight but it is not the explanation for the recent epidemic of obesity. While having obese parents more than doubles a child's risk of being obese, genetic characteristics of human populations have not changed in the last two decades, while the prevalence of obesity has approximately doubled.

High-Risk Populations

There is evidence that certain ethnic minority populations, children in low socioeconomic status families, and children in the country's southern region tend to have higher rates of obesity than the rest of the population. Although it should be noted that is difficult to separate out racial and ethnic influences from socioeconomic factors that increase obesity risk. The current increase is especially evident among African-American, Hispanic and American Indian adolescents. With both sexes combined, up to 24 percent of African-American and Hispanic children are above the 95th percentile. Among boys, the highest prevalence of obesity is observed in Hispanics and among girls, the highest prevalence is observed in African-Americans.

Eating Less vs. Moving More

Based on intake and physical activity data, the increase in the number of obese children is likely the result of a combination of children and youth eating more calories than they are using through daily physical activity. Weight gain results when energy expenditure is consistently exceeded by energy intake over time. Achieving energy balance is important for children so that energy intake is equal to energy expenditure while supporting normal growth and development without promoting excessive weight gain. Therefore both are important components in reversing the obesity trend. More research is needed regarding their relative contributions to weight gain and obesity prevention.

Preventing Childhood Obesity: A National Priority

Few studies testing potential solutions within diverse and complex social and environmental contexts. However, the health concerns are immediate and warrant urgent preventive actions. What this report illustrates is that preventing childhood obesity is a collective responsibility requiring individual, family, community, corporate, and governmental commitments. The key will be to implement changes for this issue from many directions and at multiple levels, and through collaboration with and between many sectors.

You can read more about avoiding childhood obesity here-- My Personal Opinion – Avoiding Childhood Obesity