A Surprising New Way to Burn Fat Quickly

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.

The Benefits of a Weight Loss Dietary Supplement

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.

Weight Loss - Armchair

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

14 STEPS TO FAT LOSS - A Special Report

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. 

All You Need To Know About Online Weight Loss Programs

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!

My Personal Opinion – Avoiding Childhood Obesity

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

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