Wednesday 29 February 2012

Lose Weight The Easy Way!



Do you want to lose weight without having to eat boring meals and ironing it out for hours at the gym? OK silly question, you probably wouldn't be here if you weren't at least interested right? Anyway, there are ways that can help you do just that. Here's just a few.

Get rid of hunger: Getting rid of hunger is one of the most important things you need to do in order to lose weight successfully. If you are always hungry, you will always eat, and weight loss will never happen. You should eat foods that can keep you full for a long time. Fiber-rich foods such as lentils, legumes, nuts, apples, peas, etc. are good foods that not only suppress your hunger but also keep your digestive system healthy!

Drink more water: You're probably fed up with hearing it, however believe it or not, you can lose at least 7-10 extra pounds just by drinking enough water. How? When you don't drink enough water, your body stores water inside, so as to meet any future water scarcity. Your body won't hoard water like this if it feels that there is an abundance of water. To assure your body of this abundance, you should drink at least eight 8ounce glasses of water daily!

I have found that people managed to lose a minimum of seven pounds once they started drinking more water! Once your body gets water regularly, it will stop hoarding water and flush out any excess water that it has stored! I'm willing to bet that although you have heard this dozens of times you still don't drink enough water.

But this is not where the many benefits of water end. Water also boosts your metabolic rate, which helps you burn fat and lose weight. Water also detoxifies your body. When your body has gotten rid of all the toxins, you will not only lose some more pounds, but also feel better into the bargain!

Hula Hooping: If you want to lose weight without exercises, hula hooping is a fun way to do it. All you need is an inexpensive weighted hula hoop (try e-bay). Just twirl it around yourself for at least one minute at a time. You need to do this exercise for ten minutes everyday, but if you cannot do it all at once, don't worry. Just do it whenever you find a little time.

If you do it only ten times per day, each time spending just one minute on it, you will be able to lose weight. Plus it is fun to do!

As you can see, weight loss doesn't have to be hard and scary. Follow the three tips above and see how easily you shed those extra pounds!

Friday 24 February 2012

Simple and Powerful Techniques to Help You Achieve Your Weight Loss Goals

Many factors that determine the success or failure of your weight loss goals. Here are a few things you can do in order to lose weight successfully.

Set small goals: Most people are unable to achieve their weight loss goals because they always think big. There is nothing wring with thinking big, but don't make your goals so big they become overwhelming and intimidating to you! Don't stretch your weight loss goals so far that you feel tempted to quit altogether! Start slow and you'll see how easy it is to shed those obstinate pounds!

You know that you need to make huge lifestyle changes in order to lose weight successfully. Now, keep in mind that you cannot make these changes overnight! For example, if today I ask you to avoid eating junk foods altogether, will you be able to follow my advice? You will probably try hard to avoid junk foods for a day or two, and by doing that, you will be all the more tempted to take a bite of your favorite fatty foods. As a result, you'll end up gaining more pounds than what you started with! What a waste!

Here's an easier way to do it: Instead of trying to cut down on your junk food intake entirely, try to replace one junk food with one good food. Do you eat butter? Well, replace that with peanut butter. Next day, replace burgers with raw carrots! If you eat white breads, replace that with wholegrain wheat breads.

You won't be able to accomplish all of these changes overnight, but you will be able to achieve your goals if you do it slowly, bit by bit. Eventually you will realize that you have completely replaced your bad foods with the healthy foods, but without going through any stress or temptation!

Replace bad habits with good ones: Remember that you gained weight because of certain bad habits. Ideally you should break those old habits in order to lose weight, but I know that breaking an old habit is easier said than done. What you can do instead is modify your bad habit enough so that it becomes a good and healthy habit.

If you are like many people, you have a habit of snacking in the afternoon. Instead of trying to break your afternoon snacking habit, try to replace the snack itself!. If you eat chocolate soups and cookies as snacks, replace them with low-fat yogurt and raw fruits!

Get rid of temptations: Unless you learn to control your temptations, you won't be able to lose weight successfully. Whenever you are tempted to eat, do something that distracts you from the thought of food. You can do anything such as dancing, driving, walking around your house, doing some sit-ups, or drinking a glass of water. All of these things will help keep yourself away from the food cravings!

Saturday 18 February 2012

Positive Steps To Successful Weight Loss

You have probably heard a lot about the importance of positive thinking in weight loss. If you keep harboring negative thoughts, you will never be able to lose weight. On the other hand, if you become a positive thinker, weight loss will become easy for you.  Trust me, this isn't bunk, as Henry Ford might say.


Believe it or not, you are unable to lose weight because you believe that you are fat; chances are that, you even hate yourself for the same reason. Now, if you believe yourself to be thin instead. can you imagine the positive impact it can have on your weight loss goals? Your mindset and attitude can make or break your weight loss goals. Here's how to develop a positive mindset.

Remember though that just as you cannot lose weight overnight, you also cannot transform your negative thoughts into positive ones within a very short time. So be patient with yourself and try to incorporate these changes slowly into your life!

1. The reason behind your weight loss: What is the big reason behind your weight loss efforts? Why do you want to lose weight? Is it simply because you are unable to bear the taunts you receive from your office colleagues, or is it because you keep getting turned down for dates, or is it simply because you want a figure like your favorite celebrity whose photo you recently saw in a magazine? Whatever it is, write them all down on a piece of paper. Note down all the reasons behind your weight loss endeavors, no matter how small or big they are!

For best results, buy some Post-It-Note stickers and write down everything on a sticker, and make copies of it on other stickers. Then stick them in strategic places in your home so that you are reminded of your weight loss goals everyday. Don't forget to stick them in your kitchen and refrigerator as well: those are the places where you are most likely to be tempted to eat the 'forbidden foods' or 'cheat' on your diet program!

2. Motivation and realistic goals: Now is the time to set some realistic goals for yourself. To do that, you need to know your ideal body weight, and then subtract that from your current body weight. The resulting figure you now get is the amount of body weight you need to lose to acquire the kind of figure you want.

Now, realistically, you cannot lose more than 2 pounds per week. Do the math and find out how many pounds you can lose a year from now. Again, be realistic in your goals, as unrealistic goals serve no purpose. If you weigh 100 pounds or more, don't expect to gain a svelte figure like Jessica Alba within a month!

Once you have set your goals, you now need some motivation that will help you achieve your weight loss goals. What you use to motivate yourself will depend on the reason behind your weight loss. If you want to be like your favorite celebrity, hang the pictures of that celebrity all around your house. Side by side, also hang your picture with your current body weight! That would be more than enough to keep you motivated!

Stick with it, and believe in it. I promise you, this stuff works!

Tuesday 14 February 2012

Why Low Calorie Diets Don't Work

If you are planning to follow a low calorie diet plan in order to lose weight/fat, here is some information you may find interesting, as to why they generally don't work.

So many people follow certain popular low calorie diet plans for a few weeks only to find out that they haven't lost much weight. They then feel that weight loss is impossible and they quit the diet program altogether!

The number one reason why low-calorie diet plans don't work is that when you eat low-calorie foods, your body basically remains malnourished. You feel sick and tired at all times. Forget about exercises, you don't have enough energy to complete even your regular activities. All these things happen because your metabolic rate is low!

If you want to lose weight successfully, you need to bear the following in mind:

Calories are not your enemies: Calories are not what you should avoid, calories are required to supply your body with the necessary nutrition and energy. When your body gets enough food, it'll increase your metabolic rate, which will automatically result in weight loss!

The bad calories are those that are contained in junk foods. So while you won't accumulate fat by eating 10 apples per day (even though a single apple contains almost 100 calories), you will surely get fat by eating 10 burgers!

That is the basic difference! You need to avoid empty calories (that is, junk foods) and embrace negative calorie foods, such as fruits and vegetables. Now negative calorie doesn't mean that there are no calories in these foods, it only means that in order to digest them, these foods will force your body to burn more calories than they provide! This results in calorie deficit which will ultimately result in weight loss!

Muscle building is important: Do you know that in order to maintain themselves, muscles burn a lot of your calories? This in effect means that the more lean muscles you have, the faster you will be able to lose weight!

Eating protein-rich foods is a good way of building lean muscles; working out regularly in the gym is another. There is another advantage of eating protein-rich foods: you won't feel hungry as often, which reduces the likelehood of overeating.

When you eat low-calorie foods, you are not able to build muscle, instead you lose muscle. When your body doesn't have enough lean muscle it is not able to burn fat, since your metabolic rate remains at an abnormally low level. One more reason why low calorie diets don't work!

Most of these low calorie diets will only help you lose water and muscle. While you maybe misled into believing that you have actually lost several pounds, you have not lost the single most important thing that is keeping you from becoming slim: and that is FAT! Unless you lose fat, there is no way you can become fit!

Saturday 11 February 2012

Motivate Yourself To Get Rid of Belly Fat

Everyone knows that weight loss, to a large degree is all about modifying your lifestyle habits. What many don't realize that this cannot be done overnight! If you try to make significant changes in your lifestyle within a very short time, the chances are that you will only be frustrated and disappointed with your weight loss efforts. Also, there is more to weight loss than just diet and exercise. For today let's get beyond the world of strict diets and rigorous exercise routines!

Avoid self-destructive thoughts: Self-destructive thoughts will do you more harm than fake diet pills. Just imagine, if you always think that you cannot do the things you need to do in order to lose weight, how can you ever achieve your weight loss goals? If you think that you cannot do sit-ups and push-ups, you are probably jumping to conclusions and being too self-analytical even before you have tried these workouts!

If you think that doing thirty push-ups is overwhelming for you, start small. Start with 10 push-ups, and thank yourself once you have done it successfully! Then try to add one or two extra push-ups every day to your routine until you reach your target of thirty. You see, when you start small, it becomes much easier to reach your goals!

Instead of thinking too much, just take action and DO it! The amount of time you spend on thinking and criticizing yourself, you may as well as spend it on some exercise. While the former will do you no good, the latter will help you burn fat and lose weight!

Get support: Proper support is essential in order to keep you determined and motivated. Without support, you won't be able to lose weight successfully. That is why it is essential that you enlist the support of your friends and family who understand you and support your goals.

It is also essential that you choose a weight loss program which offers support to its members in the form of a support group or forum. In a forum, you will get support and tips from your peers and experts alike! Surround yourself with supportive people and stay away from the negative people who can only find faults with you!

If you follow these tips there is no reason why you won't be able to lose weight! Remember that you can achieve whatever you believe in your mind. If you believe you can lose weight, you WILL! Remember the famous words of  Henry Ford, "If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right".

Thursday 9 February 2012

Overcoming Weight Loss Plateau

You were probably losing weight successfully for the first few weeks after you joined a new diet program, only to be stuck at a certain point later. When people start a diet program they usually rapidly lose a few pounds, because most diet programs are created to offer you 'instant weight loss'. Sadly enough, this 'instant weight loss' is more often than not 'temporary' weight loss.

You will lose weight very quickly for the first few weeks but after that, you will suddenly discover that the scale is not going down anymore! You are not losing any more weight. You have hit a situation commonly known as weight loss plateau! In such situations, the only remedy is a complete overhaul of your lifestyle habits.

You have probably done the same sets of exercises as well as eaten the same types of foods over and over again during those first few weeks when you were losing weight. As a result your body got accustomed to your diet and exercise routine. When that happened, your weight loss methods failed to bring any sustainable results!

If you want to go beyond this point, you need to change your diet and exercise regimen.

Here are two methods you need to follow to get out of the weight loss plateau.

1. Calorie-counting is not the way to go: When you count your calories, you basically limit the intake of calories to an abnormally low level. When you eat low calorie foods, there is no incentive for your body to increase your metabolic rate since it has to burn only a few calories.

The result is that your metabolic rate always remains at a very low level. When your metabolic rate is low, you aren't able to burn fat!

In order to burn fat and lose weight successfully, you need to forget about calorie counting and eat enough so that your body is forced to keep your metabolic rate at a high level. Your body needs fuel to burn fat, and it can get that fuel only from foods!

2. Exercise more:  If you have been avoiding exercises altogether, or have been doing only light exercises, then you cannot lose weight. Weight loss is only possible if you perform high intensity workouts daily. Instead of being afraid of exercises, try to love them. Exercises are yet another powerful way of increasing your metabolic rate.

If you were expecting a magic answer, I'm sorry. Whatever you may read there is no such thing. However if you follow these two methods they will help you to get the body you desire!

Wednesday 8 February 2012

Handy Weight Loss Tips That Work

Here's your first weight loss nugget: Just because somebody has muscles doesn't mean you should automatically take their weight loss advice.

I'm going to give you a few tips, some weight loss tips that really work. Use this advice and you will lose weight.

One: Never begin a diet with a half-hearted attempt. The mere thought of giving a new a diet a "try" is good enough reason why you will fail. Like Yoda once said to Luke Skywalker, "There is no try. Only do or not do." Live by those words.

Two: Prepare yourself in advance to focusing 100% for 3 weeks on your weight loss efforts. That means planning your meals, planning your workouts, making sure you write down your goals. Keep your head down and focused for 3 weeks. By the end of that time you will see your first results.

Three: Do not live on the scales. They are one of the biggest culprits for derailing weight loss success. If the scale doesn't read how you'd like it to read, your whole day has a chance of being destroyed. And so does your weight loss.

Bonus tip: You can expect to lose 5-10 pounds in the first 2 weeks if you only increase your water intake and begin walking.

Four: As the song goes, eliminate the negative and accentuate the positive. There will be weight loss doubters. There will be people who secretly wish you to fail behind you back. Don't fret. Just recognize it and remove it as quickly as you can.

When you do lose the weight, don't hold a grudge. Just smile and hope for better things for those that doubted your weight loss power.

Five: When disaster strikes in the form of depression or a diet breakdown. Pick yourself back up immediately and begin again. Seize the moment and renew your weight loss commitment. Rededicate yourself by writing a letter of forgiveness to yourself. Remember the words of Winstone Churchill, "never, never, never, never give up."

That's some weight loss advice that really works. Use it and go out and grab your new tighter, slimmer body. Hey, you deserve it, right?

Monday 6 February 2012

Low Carb Cooking For Weight Loss

Around the world people are paying more attention to their bodies and their health than perhaps at any other time in history. One method that has shown great success in helping people quickly drop those unwanted pounds is through low carb cooking and dieting. This method of weight loss (The Atkins Diet springs to mind) seems to have taken the world by storm promising quick results for the simple (or not so simple) lifestyle change of eliminating as many carbohydrates as possible from our diets.

The notion of low carb eating is appealing, not only to women hoping to drop those vanity pounds but also men who welcome the idea of eating all the steaks they can handle throughout the year. Low carb cooking is becoming a way of life for many families as a result. Although the idea of this particular lifestyle change and the reality of it do on occasion seriously collide with one another.

If you are interested in dropping those unwanted pounds and keeping them off, this is a method that without doubt gets results. The problem is that you must stick to the diet in order for the results to remain consistent even after you've met your weight loss goals. This means that you are not really embarking on a diet so much as a complete re-think in the way you eat.

One great thing about low carb cooking is that it is so widely popular. This means that you will have no trouble finding resources, tips, tricks, advice, and even amazing substitutes for those things you often miss most when engaging in the low carb lifestyle.

Popular stores such as Whole Foods and Trader Joes are great places to go for specific foods that are low carb in nature and designed to meet the chocolate or breading needs of those who feel more than slightly deprived by the rigorous restrictions of a low carb lifestyle. Many mainstream grocery stores are also beginning to see the value of catering to this 'high end' market of consumers and offering a wider variety of low carb friendly foods to consumers.

You can find recipes that are low in carbs by the sackfull at your local libraries and bookstores around the world. You can also find many resources on the Internet to help assist and encourage you in your low carb lifestyle incorporation.

In addition to the cookbooks, recipes, and encouragement you also need to weed out the fact from the fiction when it comes to low carb cooking. The best way to do this is to go straight to the source. If you are going to incorporate this lifestyle altering diet into your way of life, you want to make sure that you are following it to the letter and not some knock off version that may not be as effective.

When it comes to low carb cooking you have the perfect excuse to use your grill well and often. In fact, I highly recommend a George Foreman grill (or similar low cost version) for your home for those days when grilling outside simply isn't an option.

In some homes I know, those are the days when the snow reaches the bottom of the grill, but they are the exception rather than the rule. Most importantly about low carb cooking you should keep your goal in mind. If you aren't making progress, check what you are doing and adjust your cooking and eating accordingly.

Friday 3 February 2012

Lose Weight Fast Diet Plan

Get ready to lose 10 pounds! By paying attention to the amount of food you eat, eliminating unnecessary sugar and fat from your foods and making sure you include absolutely delicious meals and snacks to keep your taste buds happy. Use this easy-to-follow and super healthy diet plan to lose the first 10, the last 10, or any 10 in between! Because it’s a balanced and flexible program, you can stay on this diet as long as it takes.

Top Fast Weightloss Lucky 13 Secrets.

1. 
 Keep track of everything you eat and drink. No need to estimate calories – just write down the type of food or beverage and the amount. Don't cheat. Write down everything.

2 .
Cut your fat intake in half, that means half as much margarine or butter on toast, vegetables and your muffin, half the mayonnaise on your sandwich, and half the oil in the pan when you saute foods. You get the idea!

3.
Limit the sugar treats to three times per week maximum.

4.
Include good sources of protein at meal, chicken, fish, legumes, peanut, cottage cheese, eggs or yogurt.

5.
Eat at least one meatless lunch and dinner each week to reduce fat, increase fiber, and get yourself into the habit of building meals around whole grains, beans and vegetables.

6.
If you’re not currently using skimmed milk, halve the level of fat content in the milk you use. For example, if you currently use two percent, use only one percent. If you insist on whole milk, try two percent.

7.
Eat at least two servings of fresh fruit every day. Choose whatever type of fruit is in season.

8.
Instead of fruit juice for breakfast or snack, drink water. Add a slice of lemon or lime for zest.

9.
Include two servings of vegetables with lunch and dinner, for a total of at least four servings per day.

10.
Choose one to two servings of foods made from whole grains with every meal.

11.
Shut off the TV whenever you eat – that includes meals and snacks. Studies show that we eat larger portions when we snack in front of the tube, and typically those foods are high in fat and sugar, which means excess calories!

12.
Choose calories you can chew – that means only calorie-free beverages (except for milk) Sodas are loaded with empty calories, and fruit juices provide less fiber and vitamins per calorie than the fruit they’re made from.

13.
Plan ahead for meals and snacks so you know exactly what you plan to eat. Last-minute choice tends to be higher in calories and lower in satisfaction.

Exercising Properly To Lose Weight


There are two main types of exercise that you can do - aerobic and anaerobic.  The first one, aerobic, means with oxygen.  Aerobic type exercise has an important distinction, it burns fat as the main fuel. 

Anaerobic on the other hand, burns sugar as the main source of fuel.  Despite common myths, exercise doesn't have to be drastic in any way to provide massive benefits.  Even if you choose light exercise, you will still burn fat.

Light exercise will clear out lactic acid, which is a waste of the body, and stimulate your cells to regenerate.  To be sure that you are burning fat rather than sugar, it's very important to make sure that you are doing several things as you exercise.

The most important thing you can do as you exercise is breathe deep.  You should always breathe in deep into your stomach through your nose, hold it for a few seconds and then exhale hard through your mouth.

Second, you should make sure that you exercise at a comfortable level.  You should exercise at a level of 7 out of 10, and still be able to carry on a normal conversation while you exercise.  You should do this for 45 minutes or so each day, then you'll begin to notice just how much your energy will increase.

Even if you don't think you have the time to exercise, rest assured that there is always time. If you have to, use the time that you would normally spend sleeping.  With exercising, you'll find that you actually need less sleep than before.

You can also use the time of your lunch break to exercise as well.  The increase in productivity will have you more on the ball, and you can save your time through the dramatic increase in your overall productivity. 

Cellularise, or rebounding, is one of the best forms of aerobic exercise there is.  If you have access to a rebounder, you shouldn't hesitate to use it.  Use any break you have at work to engage in some type of movement and deep breathing.

Any type of exercise you do will strongly benefit your heart.  It will make it a stronger and larger organ.  Deep breathing will help your lungs become stronger and larger as well.  There is research now that links exercise to helping benefit and almost prevent each and every type of disease or ailment.

Movement of the joints will promote proper blood flow and create energy, as sitting down all day will rob your body of much needed energy.  If you sit down all day, it's very important that youpromote blood flow, circulation, energy, brainflow, and the strength of your heart.  With just a little bit of your time devoted to exercise, you'll find yourself healthier, and leaner, than you have ever been in the past.

Wednesday 1 February 2012

Weight Loss and Cooking Oils/Fats

Everyone knows the foods to eat that improve health,although how we cook the food can be just as important. With there being so many oils and butter products claiming to be the best, it can be quite difficult to know which ones to use and which ones to avoid. So here's a brief guide on just a few to help you.

1. Canola Oil.

Canola oil is a popular oil, with many physicians claiming that it has the ability to lower the risk of heart disease. The oil is low in saturated fat, high in monounsaturated fat, and offers the best fatty acid composition when compared to other oils.

You can use canola oil in sauteing, as a marinade and even in low temperature stir frying.  It has a bland flavor, which makes it a great oil for foods that contain many spices.  Unlike other oils, this one won't interfere with the taste of your meal.

2.  Olive oil.

Olive oil offers a very distinct flavor with plenty of heart healthy ingedients, and just happens to be one of my personal favourites. The oil is rich in monounsaturated fat, helps to lower cholesterol levels and reduce risk of cancer. It's also rich in antioxidants and has a very long storage life.

Even though it can be used in cooking, it's the healthiest when uncooked, such as with a salad or dipping sauce. When you use it with cooking, you should heat it on low to medium temperatures, making sure to avoid high heat.

3.  Butter.

Butter is one food that has been around for many years. Butter tastes good, and offers sources of Vitamin A and other fat soluble vitamins such as E, K, and even D. Butter is also made from natural ingredients and not chemically or artificially processed.

You can use butter with cooking, baking, or as a spread. You can also pair it with creamy sauces, marinades, baked dishes, and of course, bread. Again one of my favourites. As long as you don't overdo it!

4.  Margarine.

Margarine was first introduced as an alternative to high fat butter. When it was first created however, it was loaded with trans fat, a substance that we now know raises bad cholesterol. As a cooking medium, margarine tastes good, it's lower in fat than most oils and butter, and it's quite easy to spread. It's available in a variety of different products and is a good source of vitamin E.

When it comes to cooking with oils, there are several to choose from. Certainly many more than those mentioned here, although the ones above are the most popular. Eating healthily involves cooking healthy food - which is where your cooking oil really takes center stage.