Saturday 7 July 2012

Easy Weight Loss

Is weightloss ever really that easy? Well in fact it's neither too hard or too easy, but it can be simple. You don't need fancy crank diets and dubious weight loss pills to lose weight quickly and easily.

You can get rid of unwanted fat pretty painlessly by following these two straightforward weightloss steps:

1. Stay away from fructose corn syrup:

Fructose corn syrup should be avoided for two reasons:

a) It will make you gain weight. Fructose corn syrup blocks the receptors that tell your brain whether you are full or not. When you eat foods that are rich in fructose corn syrup, you are very likely to overeat and gain some extra unwanted pounds!

b) It will spike up your blood sugar level! Even if you don't suffer from diabetes now, you will soon, if you continue to eat foods rich in fructose corn syrup, that is!

Foods such as chips, candies, soda, etc, contain fructose corn syrup. For this reason, these foods should be avoided as much as possible!

2. Small meals are the way to go:

People these days tend to  devote the least amount of time possible to eating. Most people only have three meals per day, while some even wrap up the day with only two!

This is a great way to gain inches and pounds. In order to lose weight, you need to eat six small meals per day, instead of three large ones. You can simply split each of your meal into two, and eat each small meal at the regular interval of 3-4 hours.

Eating smaller meals has three major advantages:

a) Since you are eating frequently, you won't feel hungry at odd times. When you don't feel hungry, there is no reason to snack on junk foods!

b) Since you are eating frequently, your body will keep your metabolic rate high at all times!

c) Since you are eating small meals, your blood sugar levels won't spike up to abnormal levels. So eating small meals is also good for diabetics!

Eating small and frequent meals has many advantages, and won't cost you an arm and a leg to implement.

Follow the above two instructions and you will soon be on your way to permanent weight loss!


Thursday 24 May 2012

What's The Right Time to Lose Weight?

OK, you're overweight. Weight loss is important, if you don't lose weight your life span will be drastically reduced, you'll be more prone to diabetes, high cholesterol and blood pressure, heart disease, stroke etc.

You will have heard this stuff many times from well meaning friends or your doctor, but just when is the right time to lose weight?

There is no magic formula "right time". This is an individual process that only you can know. You have to decide when the right is for you. However although you may well at some stage think "that's it, I'm fed up with carting all this lard around, I'm losing weight" you also need to bear in mind that timing is important. It can make or break your weightloss plan.

The best time to start your plan is when you feel that you're overweight. However if you have become morbidly obese then it's very likely that only surgical intervention will help. So you can see that timing is very important as you really don't want to let it get to that stage.

A well known fitness coach was friends with a man who was excessively overweight, suffering from sleep apnea and feeling dizzy and sleepy most of the time. Although it was obviously the weight causing these problems, the man never asked his friend the fitness coach for any help in the way of weightloss advice.

That is until he started to realise that people were no longer inviting him to social events, and pretty much ignoring him. Finally realising that his weight was the problem he asked the fitness coach to help him. A year later he has lost the excessive weight, sleeps properly, is more active, with an enviable social life.

The point here is that it was the right time for him to do something about it. The trigger will be different for everyone. Why do you want to lose weight? Can you not stand the sight of your belly any more? Do you think you've become lazy? Are you being passed over for promotion at work? Is your doctor nagging at you to lose weight?

Whatever the reason, when YOU decide that it's time to get rid of that extra luggage then take action, and you WILL succeed!

Thursday 17 May 2012

How to lose weight and still eat restaurant food!

It's a fact of life that if you're trying to lose weight (even if you're not) you will now and then get bored with the everyday meals you are preparing for yourself, and hanker after a nice meal out.

But then, your doctor has probably advised you not to eat restaurant foods as they will lead to excessive weight gain. Well, like all things connected with dieting and losing weight there is an answer, you just have to go about it the right way.

As a very rough, general guide to start with. If a food tastes really good, chances are it has been prepared richly and probably fried (we love fried foods don't we?). Unsurprisingly, raw fruits and vegetables, which usually don't have the same apeal for most of us, are some of the best foods for fast weight loss.

Here are a few tips to help you out:

1) Try to visit vegetarian restaurants for a change. This will help you avoid the foods that are really going to pile the pounds on. Doesn't mean that non-vegetarian places are necessarily bad for you, it's just more difficult to avoid high fat/calorie foods in those places.

2) The chicken served in most restaurants contains large amounts of fat, which makes it tasty to be sure, but is not good for losing weight. Lean chicken is an excellent diet food, and you are more likely to get this in salad bars.

3) Talking of salad bars, yes great choice for those of us wishing to lose those extra pounds. BUT, beware of the salad dressing. Better leave it altogether. Most of them are high fat, high calorie, completely negating the effect of eating salad in the first place. Tell your server no dressing.

4) Buffets, oh yes, marvellous, but the enemy of all dieters. Many of the foods available at buffets are high in fats and calories, often fried in oil. Avoid buffets at all costs, especially the all-you-can-eat kind. Do I really have to explain that one? If you really must go to a buffet place choose the healthier alternatives and salads.

5) Check and control your portion sizes. If you think the amount provided is in excess of your portion requirement then just eat your portion and take your leftovers home for the following day. Most places are happy to pack your leftovers for you. Another good tip is to order the childs meal.

It's really all about common sense and discretion. So go ahead, have that meal out. Just apply these tips and you won't put on weight or feel guilty.

Thursday 19 April 2012

Do Weight Loss Clinics Really Help?

Most overweight people want to lose weight, not only to become healthy but also to look good. After all, no one wants to be seen with a fat belly and a pair of flabby arms.

People also want to shed all those extra pounds of fat in the shortest time possible. Most people go the traditional diet route but some will resort to extremes such as gastric banding and liposuction.

Then again, some people need a bit of extra support to help them achieve quick weight loss! And here is where weight loss clinics come in.

There have been many weight loss clinics popping up in recent years but not all of them are worth your money.

Some are endorsed by celebrities, but just because a clinic is endorsed by celebrities doesn't mean that it is good. Most weight loss clinics will promise you the impossible, so it is important to do your due diligence before you join any of them.

Before you join a weight loss clinic, enquire about the following:

1. Presence of qualified physicians: Enquire if there are any qualified physicians present at the clinic. For one, weight loss cannot always be achieved by diet and exercise; in some cases, people gain weight because of medical complications and in such cases, the person will need medical attention.

For another, it is important that you don't suffer from some kind of side-effects after weight loss. In short, if there are no physicians available at the clinic, then don't join it!

2. Time taken: Enquire how much time it takes on an average to lose weight, and how much weight could be lost within that time period. The salespersons might try to offer misleading answers on this question so make sure to do local enquiries too!

Remember that if the clinic claims to help people lose huge amounts of fat within a very short time, say fifty pounds within two months, then that means they are using some unhealthy weight loss methods. Avoid such clinics!

3. Food: What food do they suggest you to eat? This is a crucial question you should ask yourself before joining a weight loss clinic! Most of them offer pre-packaged meals to their clients. Pre-packaged meals are okay if you can spend hundreds of dollars on them, but what if you don't have that much money?

Besides, what will happen after you lose weight successfully? Will you keep spending ridiculous amounts of money on food? Any weight loss clinic which limits you to their pre-made meals is not a viable solution for you! You should be allowed to cook foods on your own!

4. Exercises: Regardless of whatever people tell you, it is almost impossible to lose weight fast without the aid of exercises. Changing your eating habits alone won't yield any permanent results! Weight loss can be achieved only when you combine healthy eating with physical activity.

Exercises boost your metabolic rate, which in turn helps you burn fat fast. If the clinic in question doesn't include exercise in their weight loss program, this is not a suitable clinic for you!

There are excellent weightloss clinics out there, but it really is a case of caveat emptor. Do your homework before committing and you will find the one for you if you really think you need one!

Tuesday 27 March 2012

Carbohydrates - Are They All Bad? The Truth Exposed.

Lack of education and information is one of the leading causes behind many weight loss failures. As a matter of fact, lack of education gives rise to several misconceptions and superstitions! One such misconception is regarding carbohydrates. People think that carbohydrates are all bad and that if one can reduce carbohydrate intake, or even better, totally avoid carbohydrates, then weight loss will be easy! However, that is completely wrong!

There are actually two types of carbohydrates, to simplify we'll call them the good and the bad. You should of course avoid the 'bad' carbohydrates but the 'good' ones will provide your body with much needed nutrition and energy. Here's a brief rundown on what types of carbs you should consume and which ones you should avoid to ensure fast weight loss!

1. The Bad Carbohydrates: In case you don't know, processed foods contain a lot of carbs. However they are bad carbs. These foods do contain some nutrition in their natural state but as soon as they are processed through their various stages, much of their nutrition and value is lost! What is left are empty calories which only make you fat and nothing else.

Examples of such foods are chips, white bread, pasta, soft drinks, cakes, biscuits, candies, etc. These foods should be avoided at all costs, if you are serious about weight loss, that is!

These processed foods contain a lot of sugar and as you might be aware, sugar is rich in calorie content. The more sugar you consume, the fatter you become! These foods offer very little nutrition to your body and since they have very little fiber content, they are easily converted by your body into fat deposits.

Apart from weight gain, eating processed foods regularly can also result in diabetes, since your blood sugar levels increase so much that it becomes extremely difficult for the insulin produced by your body to control it!

2.  The Good Carbohydrates: So what are good carbohydrates? Good carbohydrates can usually be found in natural foods, such as raw fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds, wholemeal pasta, wholegrain wheat, etc.

These foods contain carbs for sure but not the ones that would make you fat! Unlike the fast carbs contained in the processed foods, these are slow carbs which take a long time to digest; therefore, you don't get fat!

Plus they also contain a high amount of fiber. Fiber will keep you fuller for longer! If there was ever a natural way to suppress your appetite, then this is it!

Remember that not all carbs are bad. Making the right decision regarding carb consumption can result in quick weight loss!

Wednesday 21 March 2012

Four Foods That Can Help You With Weight Loss

Ever wondered why most people gain weight during their middle age? During middle age, a person's metabolic rate slows down; hence they are not able to burn as much fat as they used to during their youth. Eating certain  foods however, can boost your metabolic rate and help you to lose weight.

1. Green Tea: If you are in the habit of drinking morning tea, replace it with green tea! Ordinary tea is not so bad, but green tea is better! It contains fat burning chemicals which will help you with weight loss. It is no wonder that many of the weight loss supplements available in the market have green tea as a common ingredient!

2. Peanut butter: Peanut butter is a great replacement for the ordinary butter. Unlike the ordinary butter, which is rich in fat, peanut butter is rich in protein and fiber, both of which will help you with weight loss. While protein will help you burn fat by building lean muscle mass, fiber will help in suppressing your appetite for a long time.

Peanut butter is widely available but I would recommend that you buy the natural ones and avoid the popular commercial brands. Or if you want, prepare it at home! Peanut butter makes for a great breakfast when combined with wholegrain wheat!

3. Almond: As you know,there are two types of fat, good and not so goods. Bad fats need to be avoided because simply, they make you fat! The good fats, on the other hand, supply your body with essential nutrients such as fatty acids. Almond is one such food. It is rich in fatty acids and protein. Almond helps you burn fat by boosting your metabolic rate!

4. Beans: How successfully you are able to suppress your hunger will determine how fast you are able to lose weight. Beans make for a great appetite supplement. Since they are rich in fiber, they help to keep your stomach full for a long time.

OK, they do have that sometimes unfortunate side-effect, but eaten regularly your system gets used to processing them in the most efficient manner, and it isn't such a problem.

So, if you incorporate these foods into your diet on a regular basis it will help you to lose weight without being too stressful.

Friday 16 March 2012

The how to lose weight fast guide to telling good fats from bad fats.

Dietary guidelines…do they confuse you? How much protein should we eat? What about carbohydrates? Should we eat them at all? If your blood type is O, do you eat differently to your partner whose blood type is AB?

If there’s a more confusing and contradictory issue than human nutrition, I have yet to find it. Well maybe the psychology behind male and female relations comes close – anyone who’s single & online dating will know all about that!

But scientific literature on the subject of diet and nutrition is so conflicting that you start to question the value of anything you read. You take time to study, say, four articles on diet and you get four totally different opinions written by authors with lots of impressive initials after their names.

Let’s look at fats. What a maligned character is that of poor fat. The no-fat diet was huge in the 1970s (There are those who think that this could be a direct contributor to the huge surge in brain disorders like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s that we see today).

This diet is making a pretty reasonable comeback in Generation Now. People avoid fat like a Scandinavian backpacker in a shopping mall collecting money for Greenpeace.

But this avoidance of a substance we need in fairly reasonable amounts (20-30 per cent of our daily caloric intake) in our diet is not only unhealthy but also pointless, as the liver converts carbohydrate to fat very simply and quickly.

A close relative of fat, cholesterol, is even more despised. But did you know that human breast milk has a higher proportion of cholesterol than any other food? It’s also 50 per cent fat, most of which is saturated. Hmmm.

Ok, so what is saturated fat good for? It:

- makes up 50 per cent of all cell membranes, so is essential for the health of all cells.

- protects the liver from alcohol and other toxins.

- has an immune function.

- is antimicrobial in the digestive tract.

- enhances essential fatty acid utilisation.

And what about cholesterol? It is:

- essential for sex hormone production and corticosteroids that help the body deal with stress and protect against heart disease and cancer.

- essential for Vitamin D production which in turn supports bone and nervous system health, growth, metabolism, muscle tone, insulin production,reproduction, immunity, digestion, and serotonin production.

To add to this, fat (good fat that is) in general is an anti-inflammatory and makes up the myelin sheath that covers your brain, spinal cord and nervous system.

So what’s the dietary take home message? We must increase our intake of good fats, ie coconut oil, olive oil, flaxseed oil, fish oils, etc. As long as the oil is pure, extra virgin and cold pressed it will be nutritionally beneficial.

Remember the only oil you can cook with is coconut oil or butter. All other oils are destroyed by heat. Eggs (organic) are a wonder food and should be eaten with confidence. The same goes for organic butter. Trans-fats should be banned for human consumption (animal consumption too for that matter).

But what if your doctor says you should cut out saturated fats and cholesterol from your diet? Is that right? Are they sure? Before you believe them, just take a closer look at your doctor…

So, the next time you’re dating someone & the conversion turns to diets, start talking about good fat if you need to cover a few of your own pounds hanging over your belt!

If only online dating guidelines could be broken down so easily…that’s impossibly more complex than dieting.