Weight Watchers was thought up by Jean Nidetch who founded Weight Watchers in the mid 1960s. Her goal was to offer services and assistance to people who were looking to lose weight. She offered different products that helped in dieting and losing weight, and has turned her early success into a world wide company that operates in 30+ countries and goes by the trademark name of Weight Watchers, but normally translated into the local language of a given country.

Weight Watchers is split up into two different programs that a dieter could follow the POINTS program and the Core program. Each program is followed alongside a support group that helps with a backbone to help when needed most in group discussions and accountability to make sure the target weight loss goal is reached.

The Point System is a simple way to put a numerical value on a person?s burning of energy and caloric intake. Each serving of food is given a number of points, and conversely different types of exercise are given negative points. So, overall a person has a certain number of points per week to try and hit according to their overall goal of weight loss and current weight.

This is where Weight Watchers is drastically different than the South Beach Diet and the Atkins Diet, because a person is not limited to what foods they eat, but how much of that given food they are allowed to eat. If a person wants to splurge on a food that has a high point value, they must then do the appropriate amount of exercise and also watch what other foods they eat throughout the rest of the week to counterbalance their overindulgence. Overall, the amount of exercise in the Weight Watchers plan is directly correlated to how much exercise a person wants to do. If they don?t want to exercise then they can?t eat as many points compared to someone who exercises a lot, can eat more foods with higher point values.

This diet is not for everyone because it makes a person accountable and doesn?t give any room for cheating. If a person wishes to cheat, they are only hurting themselves and their overall goal of losing weight. The record-keeping part of Weight Watchers is annoying and cumbersome to some people because they have to make sure that they record every single food item they eat throughout the whole day and make sure that they give a point value to that food, if not then they won?t necessarily succeed in their overall goal of shaking off the extra pounds.

The POINTS formula The formula for calculating the POINTS content of a specific food serving uses a formula described in US Patent 6,040,531:

p = c/ 50 + f/ 12 - min(r, 4)/ 5

Where p is the number of points, c is the number of calories, f is the grams of fat, and r is the grams of dietary fiber (if the dietary fiber is greater than four, use four). The POINTS value is always an integer, with fractional values rounded to the nearest point. (An alternative format, mentioned in the patent and used on some websites, rounds values to the nearest half-point.)

This formula can be confusing and so can the POINTS system in general, so I will certainly try to make this explanation of the POINTS system a little more understandable in the next article that I submit so bear with me while I try to make sense of the point system and can better explain it to my readers. You can also log on to http://www.eweightlossblog.com for other helpful ideas and weight loss articles and blog entries.

Weight Watchers has helped many people lose weight and keep the weight off by following simple guidelines, and they even can do it without doing much excercise if they chose. If you are looking for other great diet plans and interesting Blog entries and Diet articles, then you can visit either http://www.eweightlossblog.com or you can visit http://www.edietblog.com. Both blogs are updated on a daily basis with new content and interesting practical articles that will help anyone who is looking for that ultimate goal of losing weight.

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When the winter season is over and you are fully stuffed on the turkey and other junk food, you will feel a sudden urge to exercise and get yourself fit again. You may have a long term goal such as getting yourself into an outfit for the summer holidays. Or you just want to look good. But whatever reason you choose to look good you will need to exercise properly. One sure fire way of getting yourself to look good is with a home gym.

There are many advantages to owning a home gym. But with advantages there are always going to be disadvantages. Through this article I?m going to explain both the advantages and disadvantages of owning your very own home gym.

The advantages of owning a home gym are numerous. There is of course the fact that if you are new to the exercising world then you might not feel comfortable going down to your local gym. Where there are bound to be people flexing their muscles and genuinely looking really good. You might find that the privacy of your own home will be better suited to you. Also in your own home you may find that you are more comfortable starting off on the lower weights. If you are using weights then you have to remember to start off low and not over reach. You will get to the heaver weights but you must start off slowly first of all.

Another advantage of owning a home gym is that you can choose the right equipment for it. If you feel that your legs are in more need of a work out, then you can buy equipment that is better suited to working out your legs and lower body. Or if your upper body needs more attention then your lower body, then you can buy the equipment that will exercise your upper body. Of course there is the option of mixing and matching. That means that you can purchase equipment that will exercise your entire body but use it within reason.

But of course as stated there will be disadvantages when owning your home gym. One disadvantage is the price of a home gym. The price is never cheap for a home gym, especially if you want to get started right away. You could be spending easily in the region of $1000. That is not petty cash. There are people that have paid double that for their home gym, so learn to shop around for the best price before making any decision on a purchase.

Another disadvantage when owning a home gym is the space required. A home gym can take up a lot of space in the home and you have to make sure that you have the right amount of space for your desired gym. Some gyms require space of about 3 meters on each side. So you have to make sure that the gym you choose will be able to fit nicely into the room that you desire.

Overall owning a gym is a good purchase to make, especially if you do want to work out and tone up your body. If you can afford a gym then the purchase could be necessary. If however you do not have the space and/or the money then sign up for a gym. Where you can then maybe get some advice from the staff about where to start on your exercise regime.

Andy Eaton is the owner of http://www.gym.andyeats.com a site dedicated to helping people get into shape and at the same time helping them find their perfect Gym Equipment. visit http://www.gym.andyeats.com for quality gym equipment and information on choosing the right fitness plan.

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To state the obvious, there are great benefits from losing weight. Though losing weight is not easy, the long-term effects would probably be of help to anyone considering to shed those unwanted and unhealthy pounds.

Here are a few of the remarkable advantages from losing weight.

1. Weight loss prevents high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke

That is a three-in-one benefit from losing weight. It is a fact that heart disease and stroke are one of the primary reasons for disability and death in both men and women in the US. People who are overweight have a higher risk to have high levels of cholesterol in their blood stream as well as triglycerides (also known as blood fat).

By decreasing your weight by a mere five to ten percent, it could positively decrease the chances of having or developing heart disease or a stroke. Plus, how your heart functions would also improve as well as your blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride count will decrease.

2. Weight loss prevents type 2 diabetes

Both types of diabetes, type one and type two are linked with being overweight. To those who already have diabetes, regular exercise and weight loss could help in controlling your blood sugar levels as well as the medication you may be currently taking. Increase your physical activity. You could simply walk, jog or dance. It helps get those blood streams moving as well as lose those unnecessary pounds.

3. Weight loss helps reduce your risk for cancer

Being overweight is linked to various types of cancer. Specially for women, the common types of cancer that is associated with being overweight include cancer of the uterus, gallbladder, ovary, breast, and colon. Men are at risk too from developing cancer if they are overweight. These include cancer of the colon, prostate and rectum. Extra weight, a diet high in fat and cholesterol should as much as possible be avoided.

4. Weight loss reduces/eliminates sleep apnea

Sleep apnea is a condition where one could temporarily stop breathing for a brief period and then would continue to snore heavily. Sleep apnea could cause drowsiness or sleepiness during the day and ? because of being overweight ? could result in heart failure. Weight loss could help eliminate this problem.

5. Weight loss reduces the pain of osteoarthritis

When one is overweight, the joints of knees, hips and lower back would have to exert double ? if not triple ? effort to carry the body through out his / her waking, walking and moving life. Weight loss decreases the load these joints carry and thus decreasing the pain of one who has osteoarthritis.

Lots more FREE weight loss information available!
Just visit http://www.weightlossartist.com. Proven weight loss secrets and diet tips will all be revealed!

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Description

The South Beach Diet is yet another way for people to lose weight. It seems that everyone wants to lose weight at some point in their lives. One day they look at themselves in the mirror and they just decide that they need to go on a diet. But then there is the tough choice of which diet to choose from. After all there are so many diets out there that anyone can find it hard to choose one diet and then stick to it. If you do choose to use The South Beach Diet, then you will be on a diet that seems to let you eat anything that you choose to eat. The option of fast-food takeaways is in the diet snacks are also not a problem and The South Beach Diet even includes desserts.

How Does It Work?

There is no magical way that The South Beach Diet works. It seems that you are free to eat what you want when you want. The South Beach Diet actually urges you to have snacks during the day and you will still have 3 course meals. It seems that the first two weeks are when everything starts to happen. During the first two weeks of The South Beach Diet you will not be allowed to eat any bread, pasta, rice, potatoes or any fruit. Also things like chocolates and cakes as well as sugar are not allowed to be touched during the first two weeks of The South Beach Diet. After two weeks though you can actually start to eat these foods again because you will be eating the right amount of carbohydrates and so you will lose weight instead of gaining it.

Disadvantages

There are a lot of people that disagree with The South Beach Diet and it seems that they have a good reason to. Just like the Atkins diet there seems to be a big problem with some of the foods that are suggested that you eat. This can result in problems for lots of people. You need to make sure that you have a healthy balanced diet and not a diet that is as erratic as The South Beach Diet. You will be encouraged to eat a lot of food that is highly unhealthy and this will result in future problems. The way our bodies work is very fascinating, but the way that people try to change this through diets can and will cause problems for many of us. For example some of the foods such as fish do have a high level of Mercury in them. The reason for these high levels of Mercury is because of generations of pollution that has been taking place. But high levels of Mercury can cause someone to experience serious neurological disorders. While this will only be as a result of high levels of Mercury intake it seems that The South Beach Diet wants you to have a lot of fish intake, especially during the first two weeks and as you start to include it into your diet after these first two weeks you will still have a high intake of fish plus all the other minerals that come with fish such as Mercury.

Summary

There are many diets that do work and they work very well. However it seems that The South Beach Diet has helped many people to lose weight, but it seems that people are trying to forget about the old way of losing weight through general exercise of about 30 minutes a day and also eating a healthy well balanced diet. If you have been eating a lot of bread and are then told to quit for two weeks for you new diet, then you will experiences some withdrawal symptoms and you will find it hard to resist these cravings.

With all these new diets coming out a lot of people get confused as to which diet is right for them. They do seem to get lost somewhere and find it hard to find the right diet that will help them lose a lot of weight. If you do choose to go for a normal well balanced diet then you can be sure that there is nothing wrong with what you are eating. While these diets all over the world claim to help you lose weight a lot of them are rubbish and are just invented to help some people make some money for themselves.

Scott Nichols is the editor of - http://www.e-healthcenter.info/ Get many articles on health and diets

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Now that you?ve read part 1 of this article, let?s continue!

To help with family food budget concerns, clip coupons from newspapers, weekend inserts, and any place you can find them. Download coupons from the Internet to save money. You?ll find great discounts at CoolSavings.com and CouponCart.com.

RefundingMakesCents offers an affordable subscription to a neat print magazine for coupon deals, trades and lots more, with a secret code to their website for Internet coupon-codes for lots of online companies like Amazon.com (cookware) and Barnes and Noble (cookbooks).

Use seasonal food selections for extra savings. Create menus and meals based upon what?s on special for that week or month. Hint: stock up and store or freeze special-priced items and family favorites when possible. But don?t over do it. With convenience stores and supermarkets for food shopping in practically every neighborhood anymore, there is no need to hoard. An old saying, ?Haste makes waste? might apply if you see a great buy, purchase multiple items, then let them become outdated and have to toss them out.

One fun way to save is by trading coupons and working out food deals with friends, family, neighbors, your church group and anyone else who?d like to join in. Food cooperatives and farm markets available in your area may offer special pricing to groups or large purchases. So team up for better purchasing power and split everything up between group members. If you?re not into that much organization, go one-on-one with a neighbor, other friend or relative. Buy a huge bag of potatoes, onions, oats, and / or other foods, then share.

Here is one special item to note with regards to dietary planning. It?s unfortunate, but fast foods, especially those that are high in fat content (fried, greasy foods), are often cheaper than good, healthy food choices. For example, lean beef costs more than high-fat beef; cereals high in nutritional value are often priced much higher than the low-cost, sugary brand names. And low income and homeless people are particularly victims of this situation, many times needing to turn to the less healthier food choices for survival. So whenever possible, your plans might want to include donating a portion to homeless shelters and churches who would probably be more than willing to take extras off your hands.

Gisele Brosnan is an Editor for http://www.diet-plan.youthful-body.com Our site is dedicated to providing information on diet plans and weight loss. Visit our site often! Every day we compile useful tips to make weight loss and weight management as simple as possible.

? Copyright BrainCandy Factory. All rights reserved.

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If you have diabetes, it is essential that you take special care with your diet. For an adult with Type 2 diabetes, diet and exercise may not be sufficient; they may require medication like diabetic pills or insulin injections as well.

A diabetic diet is essentially a healthy, low-fat, balanced eating plan that helps the patient feel better and more energetic, and achieve some control over the symptoms like fatigue, thirst, blurred vision.

Type 2 diabetes sets in when you skip meals and eat large meals of refined, processed or simple carbohydrates and fats. Starving results in huge variations in blood sugar, and overeating affects your metabolism.

You should eat little but more frequently, and consume foods that will burn slowly. This will maintain your blood sugar level to controllable limits throughout the day, without adding large amounts of glucose to your bloodstream.

Complex carbohydrates are processed more slowly than simple carbohydrates, and help to maintain stable blood sugar levels. So, complex carbohydrates including high-fiber and starchy foods like whole grain breads, brown rice, oats, fruits and vegetables are recommended instead of simple carbohydrates found in cakes, muffins and pastries.

As a general rule, a diabetic diet provides 50% starch, 30% protein & 20% fat in calories. Follow these simple rules: eat only those foods which are on the diet list, do not skip or miss meals, and eat only the amount of food specified.

Measure your food using a standard 8-ounce measuring cup, a standard teaspoon and standard table spoon. Bake or boil your meat. Avoid frying foods unless fat is allowed. Buying special foods is unnecessary. Foods can be chosen from the same foods purchased for other family members.

Avoid sugar, sweets, candy, honey, pie and all foods prepared with sugar. Stay away from high-fat and -cholesterol diets, beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages, and red meat. For weight control, avoid fats, fried foods, sweets, and all foods prepared with sugar and oil.

Diet Plans provides detailed information on Diet Plans, Free Diet Plans, Weight Loss Diet Plans, Diabetic Diet Plans and more. Diet Plans is affiliated with Online Diet Programs.

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For sometime now, you've been hearing about the Milk Diet and it's benefit in helping you lose weight. I recently searched on Google for the Milk Diet and could only find vague references to milk as a supplement to help you lose weight.

To date, there is no actual Milk Diet. Instead, supporters of milk as a supplement to losing weight suggest adding milk to any diet. They claim the amount of weight loss will increase simply by adding more whole milk to your diet.

So, does milk help to increase the amount of weight loss? If so, how does it work? First, here are some surprising facts about milk...

It's normal to be lactose intolerant. That's right, about 85% of the world's population is lactose intolerant. As an adult, the enzyme that breaks down lactose, the main sugar in milk, no longer functions.

Milk fat, the main benefit of drinking milk, is only necessary for newborns. Once you're old enough to eat solid food, there's no need for milk fat and the lactose enzyme becomes non-functional.

This is why a majority of the world's population is lactose intolerant. You don't need to drink milk as an adult. But why are some people lactose tolerant? Cultures that live at the most Northern regions of each hemisphere don't receive enough sunlight to convert chemicals near the skin surface to vitamin D. To provide themselves with vitamin D, they have retained the function of the lactose enzyme. This accounts for only about 15% of the world's population.

There are many other sources of vitamin D and Calcium. As a matter of fact, milk ranks some where in the middle as a good source of calcium. Here is a quick list of good sources of calcium...

-Bean sprouts

-Spinach, cooked

-Collard greens, cooked

-Mustard greens, cooked

-Almonds

-Chestnuts

-Walnuts

-Raw oysters

-Shrimp

-Salmon with bones

-Garbanzo beans, cooked

-Soybeans, cooked

-Tofu, firm

The Milk Diet

The evidence that milk can help you lose weight is inconsistent at best. A few poorly designed studies show a benefit and a few poorly designed studies show no benefit and may even reverse your weight loss efforts.

These studies are poorly designed because they are not rigorously controlled and compared to a group not taking milk. There are a few studies about to finish and report their findings within the next couple of months.

I have decided to wait and not make any conclusions until the proper studies release their results. Until then, follow a more traditional method of losing weight. Restrict calories gradually and moderately. Reducing your caloric intake about 250-550 calories from your baseline per day and exercising will result in about 2-3 pounds of weight loss per week.

For more on the Milk Diet, visit...The Milk Diet

To Healthy Living!

Michael A. Smith, MD
Chief Medical Consultant
Diet Basics Website

Dr. Smith is the Chief Medical Consultant for the Diet Basics web site. It's a content rich weight loss site dedicated to all dieters. Please visit his site at...

Diet Basics

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Facts not Fiction about Weight loss:

Weight Loss Facts If you take anything away from reading this article it is my hope that you will fully understand and be able to differentiate weight loss facts from fiction. To put it plainly, no diet in the world is going to help you lose weight and keep it off permanently. This is especially true if you buy into the latest fad diets touting high protein/high fat intake while strictly limiting your ingestion of carbohydrates. What these diets fail to tell you is that many of the foods that are richest in essential vitamins and minerals are considered carbohydrates?more specifically, complex carbohydrates.

Fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, and whole grain products are all beneficial to our health because they are high in antioxidants, fiber, protein, and minerals that our bodies need to thrive. If you cut out these complex carbohydrates because you are afraid eating them will make you fat, you are doing your body a huge disservice. Likewise, if you take in too much protein from high fat sources, such as beef and lamb, you are further complicating matters. Meats high in saturated fats lead to clogged arteries, obesity, vascular problems, and a feeling of sluggishness.

Unfortunately, the media does not want Americans to understand the true weight loss facts, because if we did they would lose millions of dollars a year in revenue.

Think about all of the products on the market today that are geared towards weight loss, such as high protein bars, zero carb cereals and breads, and a host of supplements. My new personal favorite is the cream made from a cactus that you rub on your body externally to accomplish weight loss. If we become educated enough to realize that we do not necessarily need to buy such products to lose weight and feel great, these companies would go bankrupt. Therefore, they are willing to spend millions of dollars a year in advertising to cover up the real weight loss facts and keep us hooked on their products. People are so desperate for a weight loss super pill they seem willing to try anything except common sense.

It Is Time You Understood the Real Weight Loss Facts If you want to lose weight and keep it off you must do two things?exercise regularly and eat a diet that limits saturated fats, preservatives, sugars, and sodium. Aim for foods that are in their natural state, and avoid those pesky middle aisles of the supermarket that are stocked with prepackaged foods. Take time to prepare a healthy meal for yourself every evening, and strive for better food selections when eating out. The end result is that you will begin to see those pounds melt away, your energy will increase, your sleep will improve, and your outlook on life in general will be much brighter. Sure, it takes time, but aren't all things worth having worth working for? I think so.

Real nutrition, fitness and weight loss information for real people. Learn how our everyday living environment impacts our health and wellness. Click on the link to learn more: http:www.livingtobeyounger.com

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Is one of your New Year's resolutions to lose weight? To finally start to feel good about yourself and look good? You aren't alone, as millions of Americans are looking for that 'perfect weight loss program'. Here are a 7 steps you can start today and see results very quickly. No fads, just facts maam :o)

Current statistics reveal that 75% of Americans are overweight and 40% are obese. For those who desire to lose weight and obtain optimal health, sometimes it can be overwhelming trying to figure out where to start. From the Atkins Diet to the South Beach Diet; from the low fat to low carb diets, there are numerous weight-loss plans to choose from. In addition, given conflicting information as to what works best, it can be difficult deciding what to do.

For those who have tried many diet plans with no success, it becomes more difficult and frustrating. Many people forget that a diet might work wonders for

their friend but won't work well for them...not because the diet is bad, but because each body reacts differently. However, there is a way to lose weight that is easy, fast, and doesn't involve deprivation or calorie counting.

Before the weight loss tips are discussed, it's important to address some background information about body genetics and why weight loss can be difficult.

Before anyone starts a diet, it is important to note that each person has a different body build. Some people are short and stout while others are tall and thin. Some have big hips and shoulders, and others are short and very muscular.

Genetics can determine body shape and a person's natural build just as it does eye color, hair color, skin color, and so on. The good news is that genetics do not determine whether or not one will be fat, but will determine one's body shape. This means that not every woman can expect to be tall and thin like a Hollywood actress or supermodel such as Tyra Banks. Not every man can expect to be defined and muscular like The Rock. The goal, really, is to be at a comfortable weight for one's body shape and to feel good about it.

So, why are people overweight? Here are 11 of the most common reasons:

1. Slow metabolism: People who are overweight have a hard time burning off food.

As a result, the fat is stored.

2. Emotional eating: Those who struggle with weight often eat when stressed or when other emotional upheavals are happening in their life.

3. Hormonal imbalances.

4. Eating portions that are too large.

5. Eating lots of diet food (that is low fat,low carb, and sugar free foods).

6. Build up of toxins in the body.

7. Eating late: Late-night eating can cause food to convert to fat more easily.

8. High susceptibility to growth hormones: These hormones are given to animals to help them grow faster and larger, so meat and dairy have residual growth hormones. In humans, these hormones can result in increased fat storage.

9. Not eating breakfast.

10. Numerous diets: Going from diet to diet has a negative impact on the metabolism and causes weight loss to be much more difficult.

11. Food ingredients: The reasons why are amazing and beyond the scope of this article.

Simple Tips for Easy Weight Loss:

Now that there is a better understanding of body genetics and why people have a tendency to be overweight, here are the tips for fast, easy weight loss.

Tip #1: Drink water upon arising: First thing in the morning, drink eight ounces of distilled water, bottled water, or filtered water (not tap water).

Tip #2: Eat a big breakfast: This should be done 45 minutes after getting up in the morning. Suggested organic foods to choose from (they must be organic) are apples, bananas, rye bread with no sugar, plain yogurt, tuna, lamb, tomatoes, carrots, peppers, raw honey, wild smoked salmon, and so on.

Tip #3: Drink distilled water throughout the day: Eight glasses is recommended

Tip #4: Walk non-stop one hour each day: This doesn't have to be power walking; just walk at your own pace. Walking outdoors is best.

Tip #5: Stop eating after 6:00 PM: This is hard for some people, but do the best you can.

Tip #6: Do a candida cleanse: Candida is yeast overgrowth in the colon that can cause all kinds of health problems. Check online for Candida Cleanse or go to your local health food store.

Tip #7: Do a colon cleanse: This cleanse cleans out the digestive system, which is clogged and sluggish in many overweight people. Once again, check online or go to your local health food store.

More and more Americans are becoming overweight. Extra weight can result in many health issues and negatively impact one's emotional state and self-esteem.

However, for those struggling with this problem, there is hope. You can lose it and keep it off. Now that you have a understanding of body genetics and why you might be overweight, take action today! Commit to trying at least a few of the steps.

------------------------

Dan Farrell is the owner of http://www.healthyweightlossplus.com with more weight loss articles and tips.

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Some thing tasty and yummy and yet you lose weight...

All the best diet plans are based on restrictions on carbohydrates, fats and high calorie products. During diet plans you can take fruits, green leafy vegetables, roughages and foodstuffs having less calories.

Top Diet Plans:

The Cabbage Soup diet has been used by dieters for years. This diet includes many versions but the simple one is that if you eat cabbage soup when you are hungry it will fill you up and will help you stay on low calorie diet. While you are on cabbage soup diet you must not take oily, fatty foodstuffs. This diet has very low calories. Therefore cabbage diet is among the best diets to lose weight.

The Sonoma diet was first prepared by Dr. Connie Gutterson. This diet includes antioxidant vegetables, juicy fruits like blueberries, spinach, whole grains and little almond oil. You can even add a glass of red wine. Sonoma diet is also approved as one of the best diets to lose weight.

Slim Fast diet is very helpful in controlling hunger for more than four hours. Slim fast diet is balanced, nutritional and rich in calcium and proteins. The Slim-Fast Diet plan is planned for dieter to take six times in day. You can add fruits, yogurt and cottage cheese. Fresh vegetables, meats and nuts are also a part of slim fast diet. It is not only diet cautious but also gives you a good flavor and taste. It can be considered as the best diet plan to lose weight especially for teenagers.

Negative calorie diet is less of a diet and more like diet helper. It consists of a list of foodstuffs whose net calorie account is less than total calories taken to digest them. These include high roughages, low fats, fruits and vegetables. Roughage is key content of negative calorie diet. The calorie output here is negative thus it will help losing weight.

Our experts have executed a research to find the best weight loss products. Find the results only on the Best diets to lose weight. More valuable diet info on Diet plans on Tigilet.

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We as educated people need to start getting angry at all the junk aimed at us everyday. The average American sees thousands of ads each and every day for everything from diet pills to prescription drugs.

Most promise a quick cure for whatever ails us. The weight loss industry alone is estimated to be over $35 Billion dollars annually, so marketing and ads play a vital role in keeping us interested and buying.

Now we have come up with RLS, (restless leg syndrome). This will probably be a new chronic condition treated by an existing prescription drug, allowing it to continue generating profits longer

We need to start using our heads and understand what weight loss is and what it means. Losing weight alone is not the most important thing. We citizens of western countries are too fat. Losing fat and losing weight are two distinctly different things.

Also distinctly different is how we lose the weight / fat.

A pound of fat equals about 3500 calories. To burn 3500 calories you would need to reduce your daily caloric intake by 500 calories per day for one week, while remaining constant at your current activity level, or you could consume the same number of calories daily and exercise more to burn 500 calories per day. To burn 500 calories through exercise you would need to ride a stationary bike, as an example, for about 1 & ? hours per day at a rate of about 25 MPH average. Or you could do a combination of decreasing by 250 and burning 250.

The claims that you can lose 30 pounds in 30 days are weight not fat. To lose 30 pounds of fat in 30 days you would need to burn 105,000 calories in excess of what you eat, which I'm sure we all agree isn't likely.

Claims aimed at fast weight loss are telling you, you'll lose weight not fat. Fat is harmful to the body not weight per se.

Rapid weight loss through severely restricted caloric intake causes the body to react as if it were sick. It is conditioned to say Oh Oh; I'm in trouble I'd better conserve energy. I may not get more food for awhile.

Fat is stored energy. What the body then conserves is fat. It does exactly what you don't need or want it to do, it slows your metabolism, burns lean muscle mass for energy and conserves the fat.

The rapid weight loss that happens the first 30 days is water. Muscle contains about 3 times as much water as fat. So if you lose a pound of muscle you're losing 3 pounds of water with it.

That's why diets alone slow down, there's only so much water to get rid of.

You can't blame the ad agencies, or the diet program companies, people are being sold what they want to buy. They want a quick fix to a problem without sacrifice or change.

The truth is once you learn what the body needs and how it works there is no great need for sacrifice. You can eat nearly anything you want, just less of it, and exercise more.

We are just so conditioned to instant gratification, that we're always awaiting the next miracle drug to make us all look like Hollywood celebrities. The $35 billion is just giving us what we demand.

Obesity has grown by over 20% in the last decade, in spite of the fact we are spending $35 Billion a year on weight management products. Does that suggest to anyone maybe they aren't working?

Well it did to me so I did two years of research on the subject and was shocked at what I learned. It might do all of us some good to do the same research.

Natural weight lossand fitness information for real people. Learn how our everyday living environment impacts our health and wellness. Learn what to do about it.

http://www.livingtobeyounger.com

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Diet Fads?Forget about ?Em

Another fad best diet bites the dust. Adkins Company filed for bankruptcy recently after making a huge impact on the American diet scene. Why did it fail? People used it and found it didn't work long term.

This should be no surprise to anyone familiar with what our bodies need to function, and be well. Diet fads are just that?fads. They do not tend to stick around long because sooner or later people realize that they simply do not work in the long run.

Sure, you could try to eat only grapefruit for month, but the chances are high that after a few days you will bag the entire idea and revert to your old ways of eating. High protein diet fads were the rage for a while, and it was virtually impossible to turn on the television without hearing about how one celebrity or another follows the Atkins or Zone Diet to look so svelte.

In reality, trying to omit certain foods from your diet permanently rarely works for the long haul. If you try to ban whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes from your diet because they contain carbohydrates, your body will step up the craving factor and you will find it harder to resist these foods. The body is set up to crave what it needs to survive. There is absolutely nothing wrong with eating carbohydrates, especially complex carbohydrates, because these foods do not make you fat. What makes people fat is taking in more calories than are being expended on a daily basis.

In other words, you may be eating healthy foods, but if you do not get moving on a regular basis through exercise, your body will begin to pack on the pounds. As we age, our metabolisms naturally begin to slow down. That being said, it does not mean that you should severely restrict the number of calories you take in to lose weight. On the contrary?what it means is that you need to get active to boost your metabolism and keep those calories from turning into extra fat. The best way to do this is through a combined exercise program of weight training and aerobics, three to five days per week as a minimum.

The important point to keep in mind is that food should not be considered the enemy in the quest to lose weight. Wholesome foods sustain us, give us the energy we need to survive the day, and aid our cells in regeneration. If you need to lose some weight, I encourage you to learn the facts, and apply them to your own life. Diet Fads are worthless. Once you understand what it takes to lose weight safely, you will realize just how much your body needs all types of food to help you accomplish your goals. If you need any questions answered, or if you just want a bit of encouragement, feel free to send me an email at supportltby@bellsouth.net. I look forward to hearing about your success towards healthier living.

We make it easy to lose weight and attain fitness by following 8 simple steps. Learn what you need to know to live younger, and remain active longer. To learn more visit: http://www.livingtobeyounger.com

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It?s one thing to stick with your diet regimen when you?re at home, in control of the contents of your refrigerator and your portion sizes. But what about going out to dinner with friends? Worse, how do you stay on track when your dream vacation has you seated by the dessert cart at every meal?

Eating right when you?re out of your comfort zone can actually be easier than when you are at home, so long as you think smart and plan ahead. Focus on these simple tips to help you enjoy your dinners out on the town without compromising your weight loss goals. Simple Plans

Incorporate meals out like any others. Don?t skip meals beforehand. Plan. Don?t be afraid to call ahead and find out what the specials are going to be and figure out a couple of choices. If that?s not an option, ask someone with whom you?re comfortable sharing your dietary concerns to help you. Tell him or her what foods you can eat (or what you cannot eat) and ask the person to fill a plate for you. Or second, walk up to the buffet table(s) beforehand with no plate. Just take a casual stroll around and see which foods are being served. Then decide if you would like to ask someone else to place your selections on a plate for you or if you would prefer to get them yourself.

Eat slowly. Not only will this help with your digestion, it slows your eating down so that you notice sooner when you are full. Set your eating utensils down while you chew. Have a sip of water between bites.

Have fun along the way

Eating out is a way of building relationships, to enjoy the company of others. Unfortunately, for those of us looking to cut back on what and how much we eat, this can make previously enjoyable dinner dates a dreaded and avoided task. It doesn?t have to be this way. Opt for a restaurant with salads and low-fat menu choices instead of a place with all deep-fried batter-dipped menu items and heavy desserts.

Another option is to choose an old favourite and split it with a partner. This way, you won?t feel deprived and your portion size will automatically be limited. Not only will your waistlines be smaller, but so will your bills!

Avoid temptation

There is no law that says you must have a basket of bread, butter and oil before a meal out. If it is on your table when you are seated, request that it be brought back to the kitchen.

Set yourself up for success when you order by requesting they leave off the oils and sauces. Request that your meat and vegetables be steamed, not fried. Order a salad (with light or no dressing, on the side) or side of veggies instead of fries or mashed potatoes.

It?s all in the portions

Restaurant portions are significantly larger than actual portion sizes; a half-size will more than adequately replace your normal meal size. Most restaurants offer half-sizes (at smaller prices). If these are not listed on the menu, just ask, and your request will more than likely be accommodated. Alternately, you can request your doggie bag in advance. If they don?t offer to package half your meal for you, decide for yourself (before you begin eating) what an appropriate portion size is and wrap up the remainder.

There?s no rule that you must order your meal from the entr?e list. Peruse the appetizer menu for attractive (and smaller) options. You can also create a delicious and unique meal by combining various side dishes.

Drink plenty of water before you leave for the restaurant, and while you wait for the food to arrive. This will help fill you up and prevent hunger-inspired indulgences.

Request your salad (and/or soup, if it?s not creamy) be brought out first, and dig in. By the time your food arrives, you should be able to more rationally determine what portion sizes are appropriate, and if anything needs to be avoided.

Do not order dessert until you are completely finished with your meal. You might be too full to eat dessert and remember, even if everyone is splurging on the dessert menu, you don?t have to join in just to be part of the ?gang.? Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea to end your meal. Or ask someone to split a dessert with you if there is something you really want.

Distract yourself

Vacations should be a time to indulge oneself and have fun. Though it does lead to eating out more often, it also removes many of the day?s temptations. For example, you won?t be wandering over to the kitchen when you?re bored, or overindulging at the grocery store and then feeling ?obligated? to eat what you?ve bought.

Spend time in the pool, on the sand, and at the shops, not at the restaurants. Most vacation hot spots are ideal for eating on the go; you can pick up a small meal from a roadside vendor and eat it while walking the boardwalk and enjoying the sights and sounds.

Don?t make food about suffering. If the smell of saltwater taffy engulfs you, treat yourself?to one. Having a small amount will indulge your craving without compromising your diet.

Try making a rule like, ?If I eat, I need to enjoy a fun activity, too: a walk, bike ride, swim, tennis, putt-putt, etc.? Then coordinate daily ?pairings? or events with meal planning. Life, including vacations, does not have to be all about food. Nor does it have to focus on food.

Don?t stress out

With the right approach, eating out can be a pleasurable experience. Remember, a successful diet is a lifelong lifestyle modification. You need to be able to incorporate healthful eating out activities into your routine.

Vacations and meals out are intended to be pleasurable. If you do go a little overboard, it?s important not to beat yourself up over it. Forgive yourself and get on with life. Simply use that experience to learn where you can improve the next time you are in that situation and then add some extra activities to your schedule. Swim some laps. Walk or jog. Leave your wallet in the trunk and go to a mall for a shop-walk. Take a tour. Visit a museum. Enjoy a park and feed the ducks. Just get out, focus on something else and enjoy life.

I hope you enjoy this article. More can be found in my FREE ezine health-hotline@getresponse.com

Fran Watson Expert Author http://www.franwatson.ca http://www.diet-basics.org http://www.mormunny4u.org http://www.diet-basics.info

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Causes of Obesity

Just like there is no weight loss pill or single magic potion diet plan to cure obesity there is no single cause of obesity.

We are living in an age of two income families, job loss, stress, and time constraints. It makes it difficult to prepare and eat healthy foods. The ad agencies, the big food companies, and the 35 Billion dollar diet plan and diet supplement industries are taking full advantage of the American people's need for instant gratification.

What weight loss research has uncovered is that there is no quick fix for permanent weight loss. A person who is considered obese must realize that no weight loss pill, no shake, no diet plan or reduced calorie bar, is going to make him or her slim overnight. Weight loss pills are unhealthy because they tend to induce jitters in people, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oftentimes does not verify their safety. Just a few years ago, weight loss pills containing ephedra were removed from the market because they were believed to cause heart problems in people.

What we struggle with as a nation is the idea that everything has to happen now; no, make that yesterday. If we cannot have immediate results, we don't want to know about it. Unfortunately, weight loss research clearly shows that we cannot expect to lose fat weight quickly; nor can we do so in a healthy manner. The only path to permanent weight loss is through a commitment to a healthier lifestyle that incorporates regular exercise and a nutritious diet.

Depending on how much weight you have to lose, you may need the guidance of your doctor to begin a new workout program for weight loss. If you merely have five or 10 pounds to drop, you can begin to take some steps to lose that weight safely. First, take a good look at what you are putting in your mouth. Replace processed foods with natural foods, and make sure to drink at least 64 ounces of water each day, more if you exercise heavily.

Limit alcohol and caffeine, as both can dehydrate you quickly.

Permanent weight loss can only result from burning more calories on a daily basis than you consume. One pound of fat equals about 3500 calories. You need to burn off those excess calories or they are stored as fat, it's that simple.

Rapid weight loss from fad diets usually is made up of water loss. Muscle contains four times as much water as fat. So rapid weight loss reduces lean muscle, causing the metabolism to slow, making the diet program eventually level out and stop.

Educate Yourself about Weight Loss, nutrition and the causes of obesity.

The point of my book, Living to Be Younger, is to educate people on weight loss research. I wanted people to know the facts so that they could make informed decisions regarding their own health.

Only you can make the decision to live a healthy life by eating well, exercising regularly, managing stress, and getting enough sleep. If you want to look and feel fabulous, you can. Just remember that you must put in the necessary work to reach your health goals. I believe you can do it, and more than that, I believe you deserve to live your best life. Why not go for it?

Martin Harshberger is a sucessful business consultant, and fitness advocate. He has done extensive research and testing of nutrition, diet and exercise programs. His interest was initiated by a personal health issue, and he was sucessful in losing over 50 pounds, lowering his stress and blood pressure, as well as increasing muscle mass all at age 57. This was after he failed at the so called expert programs.

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A detox diet plan is not aimed at weight loss. It aims to cleanse and revitalize the body by combining natural organic foods, herbs and simple exercises to purge the body of accumulated toxins. Over time, consumption of processed foods, non-vegetarian foods, and sugars leads to clogging of the inner walls of the colon with waste matter. This results in overloading of internal cleansing organs like liver and kidneys. They become sluggish, allowing the toxins and bacteria to re-enter the circulatory system instead of total elimination through feces, urine or sweat. These toxins result in fatigue, infections of skin and other organs, migraines, flatulence, heartburns, constipation and many other serious diseases. A regular detox diet plan can rid the body of the accumulated toxins and lead to an active disease-free life.

General Detox Diet
This diet is not for diabetics, low blood pressure patients, anorexic people or teenagers, as it does not provide sufficient fuel for their physical activities. It can be a weeklong diet of liquids, organic raw fruits and vegetables to cleanse the system. Gradually re-introduce other foods but refrain from consuming non-vegetarian and processed foods. Certain natural herbs too can be used.

24-Hour Detox Diet Plan
This is a simple and quick way to revitalize your system, after a binge or over indulgence.

Morning
One glass of pomegranate juice (most powerful natural anti-oxidant) with a few almonds (source of oil and proteins)

Mid Morning Snack
One bowl of brown rice (source of vitamins and minerals in carbohydrate and some tofu (protein).

Lunch
One glass pomegranate juice and big helping of mixed green salad (provides bulk and essential nutrients) drizzled with a tsp of olive oil or vinegar.

Mid-day Snack
One-glass of pomegranate juice and a handful of almonds.

Dinner
One glass of pomegranate juice and a large bowl of brown rice.

Drink at least 8 ? 10 glasses of water daily. This detox diet will provide 1200 calories and wholesome nutrition to rid your body of toxins within 24 hours. It may help in losing about 600 grams of body weight and, if followed regularly once a week, will keep your body healthy and active.

Jason writes about various topics, health and fitness being one of his main focuses. Detox diets are all the rage these days, so Jason spends much of his time writing about various detox diet plans.

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Anyone who has ever even thought about dieting has undoubtedly heard of the Weight Watchers plan and it is amazing to see that what began as a get together between a few friends in the house of Jean Nidetch in Queens to discuss dieting ideas and tips has grown into a large publicly quoted company employing nearly 50,000 people and operating in more than 30 countries worldwide.

But just why has Weight Watchers become so successful and why does the company continue to expand after more than 40 years in operation?

The answer lies in the fact that Weight Watchers does not simply offer a diet plan but is based upon the philosophy of dieting as part of an overall plan to set and maintain a healthy lifestyle in term of physical, mental and emotional health.

Consequently Weight Watchers does not just provide you with a diet sheet and tell you what you can and can't eat, but provides you with the information and advice necessary to make the best decisions about your diet.

Further, and very importantly, the Weight Watchers plan gives you a level of support and motivation that is essential to your success and that is lacking in so many other weight loss plans.

Locally held group meetings, which many people who have not benefited from the Weight Watchers experience often dismiss as simply a waste of time, are, in many ways, the key to the Weight Watchers plan. Not only do these meetings provide a wealth of advice, information and tips, but they also allow members to offer each other encouragement and support which is critical to the long-term success of any diet.

Additionally, the fact that you will need to meet with your fellow members on a regular basis and show them your progress, or lack of it, is a very good way of helping you to stay on track as, occasionally, you are tempted to stray from the path of your dieting plan.

Underpinning Weight Watcher?s philosophy of dieting there is of course a basic diet plan, or to be more precise, two plans - the points plan and the core plan.

The idea behind the points plan will be familiar to anybody who has tried dieting. Members are given a weekly points allocation depending upon their present weight and the weight they are aiming for and are allowed to eat anything they like up to this points allocation.

The strength of the points system is that a points score is given to any food imaginable and there's no limit on the types of food that you are permitted but only on the quantity which you can eat dependent upon that food's points score. This is in sharp contrast to many other diets that ban some foods completely or require that particular foods are included in your diet.

The points plan also provides you with a great deal of flexibility by allocating negative points for exercise. So, if you decide to go over your points allocation you can do so as long as you take enough exercise to compensate for the additional points consumed.

The core plan was created in response to the popularity the South Beach and Atkins plans. Under this plan a wide variety of foods including whole grain foods, lean meats, fat free airy products, lean meats, and whole grain foods are classed as core foods and there is no limit on the quantity of these foods that you can eat, other than the provision that you should only eat these foods to satisfy your hunger rather than eat them until you are full.

Any food item that is not included on the core list is then allocated a score in the regular manner and members are given a weekly allowance of 35 points for these foods.

There is nothing new of course in either the points plan or the core plan and many of the hundreds of diets available follow the same sort of pattern. The strength however of the Weight Watchers plan is not to be found in the underpinning diet itself, but in the need that all dieters have for information, advice, help and, above all, support in what is typically a long, and at times difficult, struggle to remove those stubborn pounds.

Operating largely as a club, Weight Watchers has gone from strength to strength over the years and, as long as it continues to provide so much more than just a diet plan, it will doubtless continue to flourish in the future.

For more advice, news and information about Weight Watchers and the Weight Watchers Plan please visit http://InternationalWeightWatchers.info today.

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Treadmills are a great piece of exercise equipment, not only do you get to exercise your legs, your arms also get to work out as well. Treadmills also have speed settings, so you can choose the speed that is right for you. Beginners can start with a small jog. While more experienced runners can move up the speed settings quicker. There are of course disadvantages when owning a treadmill the most notable being price. However all will be uncovered in this article.

The advantages of owning a treadmill or vast in number. For example if you do like to go jogging but find that the weather is not ideal, then all you have to do is simply get on the treadmill and you can jog while the weather gets better or worse. Having this kind of freedom means that no matter what kind of weather you have there is now no reason that you can?t do some exercise.

Also if you are a beginner when you purchase your treadmill then you can control the pace. You choose the speed that best suits you and then you can gradually pick up the pace as you start to feel your legs getting stronger. Also when you feel your endurance levels get higher you can keep running for longer, therefore getting more and more healthy as you are running and being able to run for longer periods of time.

Another advantage to owning a treadmill is the fact that you can do mini-workouts during the day. You can take just 20 minutes in the morning, then do the same in the afternoon and then in the evening. This all adds up at the end of the day and can result in a lot of burnt calories as the weeks go by.

However owning a treadmill isn?t all that great. There are disadvantages that come with treadmills and here they are.

One disadvantage that does stick out all the time is the cost of a treadmill. Treadmills are not cheap to buy and you could be saving up for quite some time before you purchase one. Then there is the possibility of your new treadmill breaking down. If that does happen and you are out of your warranty then you are looking at a heavy price to get your treadmill fixed.

Another disadvantage is the fact that there is no variety. If you like to keep changing what you are doing in your work out then you will not want a treadmill. There is the option of being able to change the inclines, which can add a bit of variety. But apart from that there isn?t really much to keep die-hard trainers going.

Overall a treadmill is an expensive piece of equipment that doesn?t give the people using it much variety. If you really want to invest in a treadmill then take the time to get some thorough research on what one is best for you. But if you like variety in your work out then I would not recommend you making a purchase.

Andy Eaton is the owner of http://www.gym.andyeats.com a site dedicated to helping people get into shape and at the same time helping them find their perfect Gym Equipment. visit http://www.gym.andyeats.com for quality gym equipment and information on choosing the right fitness plan.

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Arizona State University?s Carol S. Johnston Ph.D. and a team of scientist accidentally stumbled across the weight loss power of vinegar while conducting a study to determine whether vinegar would help lower cholesterol levels-it did not- but they did discover that study participants lost on average half a pound a week, even without dieting. The participants were simply downing two tablespoons of vinegar before lunch and dinner. Johnston believes vinegar aids weight loss for two primary reasons. It blocks calories and carbohydrates, while controlling hunger.

There is evidence that acetic acid in vinegar may reduce the activity of intestinal enzymes used for carbohydrate digestion, so fewer calories from the starches enter the system. Vinegar also suppresses feelings of hunger. The less the blood-sugar levels fluctuates, the less hungry we feel. Arizona State University tests have shown that a dose of vinegar before meals can reduce post-meal, blood-sugar spikes by a whopping 36%-81%. This accounts for the appetite-suppressant effects of vinegar.

The best vinegar to use to aid weight loss is apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar tends to contain more acetic acid. This ingredient makes vinegar so potent. However, any vinegar with 5% acetic acid should work just as well.

Scientists at a major university have discovered that vinegar promotes weight loss even in non-dieters. Even when eating patterns aren?t altered, taking two tablespoons of vinegar before lunch and dinner has proven to help some individuals lose on average ? pound a week.

Roxanne Manning updates daily the very popular and free weight loss and diet related websites, http://PopularDietPlans.com and http://MeltThePounds.com

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When studying which cardio machine is best for you, you have to do a lot of research. You don?t want to walk into a gym and use a treadmill, because it was the only exercise machine free and then buy it because you liked it. You have to study which cardio machine will benefit you better than the others.

For example if you have weak legs or weak knees, then you won?t want to excessively exercise them by using an exercise bike. Instead a treadmill might be the perfect option. Because you can start off on a lower walking speed, and then when the knee or leg starts to get stronger, then you can pick up the pace and start to gradually strengthen the area that was weak.

In this article I am going to look at cardio machines and see which one is best for home users. Also you will discover which one is perfect for you.

Cardio machines are the perfect exercise equipment to use when working out. Cardio workouts are a great way to keep your lungs and more importantly your heart in good shape. When using cardio machines you will also burn calories and fat, plus boost your energy simply by using cardio machines as part of your daily exercise. One cardio machine to use is a treadmill. We all know how expensive treadmills can be but it is a cardio machine and you know that you are going to have a healthy heart in no time.

One prime thing to remember for when you are thinking about buying cardio exercise equipment is the room required for your cardio equipment. Treadmills and exercise bikes are all well and good. But if you do not have the space for these pieces of equipment then you would have wasted a lot of money. There are other pieces of cardio equipment that are a lot smaller and still do the same work on your body.

One piece of cardio exercise equipment that doesn?t take up a lot of space is the Both Sides Up ball (BOSU.) This is a very small piece of exercise equipment and allows you to perform exercises with ease. The BOSU is also a very cheap piece of equipment usually costing around $10-$20.

A rowing machine will also not take up too much space but once again the cost can be a factor when it comes to deciding on a purchase. A rowing machine will exercise your upper body and keep you toned. If you can ignore the fact that you aren?t actually moving but staying within the same scenery then maybe a rowing machine is a good choice for you.

Overall Cardio exercises are essential to keeping a healthy heart. But it is up to you which cardio exercise equipment you choose to have in your home. You will need to weight up the advantages and disadvantages of each piece of equipment. If you see a personal trainer or even a doctor they will be able to give you the right advice on which piece of cardio exercise equipment will be best for you.

------------------------- Andy Eaton is the owner of http://www.gym.andyeats.com a site dedicated to helping people get into shape and at the same time helping them to find their perfect Gym Equipment. visit http://www.gym.andyeats.com for quality gym equipment and information on choosing the right fitness plan. -------------------------

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The Dr. Atkins diet plan is one of the most popular weight loss methods in use today. Its approach to weight loss is different from so many other weight loss programs because it involves a change in lifestyle, not just a change in eating. Unlike other lifestyle changes, though, the Dr. Atkins diet plan is full of the foods you love so that making the changes necessary is easier than you might think.

What is the Dr. Atkins Diet Plan?

The plan works by reducing the amount of carbohydrates in your diet, which in turn prompts your body to start burning fat as its primary fuel. It is an approach to eating that emphasizes foods which are tasty, flavorful, and wide in variety. No starving yourself required, just eating the right foods as allowed within the low carb plan.

Phase 1 - Induction

The Induction phase is designed to ?jump start? your weight loss by curtailing carbohydrates substantially for 14 days. The idea is to get your body?s metabolism switched over to burning fat. During the induction phase of Dr. Atkins? diet plan you are allowed up to 20 grams of net carbs per day (defined as total carb grams minus fiber grams), mainly from leafy green salad and other vegetables that are low in starch.

The rules of induction are very specific and must be followed closely for the process to work. They may seem strict and for the first few days it can be hard to stick with them, but once your body starts to adapt it becomes much easier. It also helps to remember that Induction only lasts for 14 days, after which you are allowed to gradually increase your carbs.

Induction Rules Include:

? Eat three regular meals or four to five smaller meals each day
? Do not go more than six hours (waking) without eating
? No fruit, bread, grain, pasta, or starchy vegetables
? No dairy products EXCEPT for cheese, cream or butter
? No nuts, seeds
? No chickpeas, kidney beans, or other legumes
? Do not eat anything that is not on the allowed foods list ? not even a single bite!
? Cut down on or avoid caffeine as much as possible
? Drink at least eight 8 oz. glasses of water each day

The results of induction are usually quite dramatic, as long as you follow the rules exactly. It?s a great way to get yourself going on a low carb lifestyle and enjoy immediate, visible success.

Remember ? DO NOT eat any foods during the Induction phase that are not on the allowed foods list. Doing so will only slow down or stop your progress through the Induction process, and may even sabotage your efforts to the point where weight loss stops altogether. If you need help sticking with Induction, look for sources of support by connecting with other followers of the Dr. Atkins diet plan via web sites, online forums, or local community support groups.

Phase 2 ? Ongoing Weight Loss

The second phase of the Dr. Atkins diet plan is known as Ongoing Weight Loss. In this phase your food choices increase somewhat and you are allowed to increase your net carbs intake each week in increments of five grams per day.

This means that after Induction is over you can add more variety to your diet, as long as you do so gradually and pay careful attention to how your body reacts. Your weight loss will gradually slow as you increase your net carbohydrate increase; how much it slows will depend on your body?s natural metabolism and resistance to carbohydrates.

Each person has a different level of carbohydrates that they can eat and maintain their weight. Above that level weight starts to rise, while below that level weight starts to drop again. During Ongoing Weight Loss as you gradually raise your carbohydrate intake you need to track the number of net carbs you are consuming and note at what level your weight loss levels off. You then know to stay below that level for the remainder of ongoing weight loss.

Phase 3 ? Pre-Maintenance

Once you are within five to ten pounds of your goal weight you can move into the Pre-Maintenance phase of Dr. Atkins? diet plan, where you increase your net carb intake in larger increments each week until you reach the level at which weight loss stops.

Pre-Maintenance is sort of like practice for the rest of your low carb life. By continuing to add carbs in increments and noting at what point your weight loss stops you can establish your Lifetime Maintenance intake of carbs. As tempting as it may be to skip right to the next phase, it is important to follow through on the Pre-Maintenance activities so that you are fully prepared for moving forward with a low carb lifestyle.

Phase 4 ? Lifetime Maintenance

This phase of the Dr. Atkins diet plan is just what the name implies ? a program of eating that maintains your desired weight for a lifetime. If you have been successful in establishing your maintenance level of carb intake and eating low carb has become and automatic habit, you are in great shape, both literally and figuratively.

Living low carb by now has become just a natural part of your everyday life, but that doesn?t mean you won?t occasionally indulge in an extra cookie, a slice of birthday cake, or some other high carb food. It does mean that when you take in a higher level of carbs than normal, you simply cut back for the next few days so that your body remains in balance.

Choosing Foods During Each Phase

Choosing the right foods is critical to the success of each phase of Dr. Atkins? diet plan, especially during induction. It helps to keep a small notebook with a list of allowed foods during each phase, and also to write down the number of net carbs you consume each day. A good carb counter is a great help, too, so you can know at a glance the levels of net carbs in various foods.

There is a wide variety of Atkins foods available in pre-packaged form to help you with ongoing choice of foods. Atkins breakfast bars, snack bars, candy, ice cream and liquid shakes are good options to help add variety to your low carb lifestyle while making it easy to control your carb intake with the Dr. Atkins diet plan.

About the Author:

Kevin Urban is the editor at Atkins-Diet-Advisor.com, an easy-to-use guide on the Atkins Diet Plan. The site features all the information on Dr. Atkins' Diet Plan, including where to find recipes and Atkins diet snacks.

Copyright 2006 Atkins-Diet-Advisor.com

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Last year I had a number of clients who started stubbornly on the Atkins diet despite my warnings. Immediately I saw almost profound results in their weight loss. I reminded them it was the loss of water weight, and warned of the strain on the kidneys and the high cholesterol risk.

During this time I was mastering my yoga practice as a complete vegan but found that my immune system had been profoundly compromised and I was currently on my third cold for the fall season.

Atkins was in the media again because of new study results indicating lowered cholesterol. I went to the Atkins book yet again with a more open mind, and decided to try the diet. I liked the contrarian view point to the current AMA position of the low fat diet, which seemed to be producing a society of increasing obesity. Atkins view of sugar as the culprit making you fat, not fat, made sense and the extra work from all the protein for the kidneys? it?s benign. I wanted to use his diet as a tool to get myself entirely off of any sugar.

I started out on the high protein, low carb aspect of the diet. As I reintroduced the animal proteins into my diet I could feel myself get stronger and the colds, finally stopped. I also saw my muscle bellies start to open and swell again. The cold of winter was not as painful as it had been while on my vegan diet.

I then summoned up the courage to start bringing fats into my diet, including bacon, egg yolks, cream cheese, heavy cream, whipped cream, even bacon rinds. On a daily basis I would marvel at having eaten these ?forbidden foods? only to awaken the next day thin, svelte. I couldn?t believe this, result! I was loving eating all these foods so familiar yet banished since ?childhood

I was in full swing eating the high fat, high protein, low carb diet at the time when the pictures on my website were taken. www.vitalsignsfitness.com I felt strong, but I had no energy!!! My walks on the beach were lethargic, I had to force myself to go that extra mile. I was thin but I felt like a beached whale. My love affair with Atkins continued a few more months. I followed his prescriptions religiously.

Eventually I had to add more carbs, I needed more energy. By carbs I mean vegetables, salads and whole grains. At this point I gained back the total of two pounds I had lost on Atkins. Body fat went from 16% to 18%, my energy was better. After 7 months I decided it was time to get the blood checked out and to my horror discovered that my cholesterol which had always been around 150 had rocketed up to 300!! Luckily my HDL to LDL ratio was still at a healthy level. Thanks to my forcing myself to exercise, I kept my HDLs high.

I immediately started drinking hot lemon juice with cayenne pepper every morning to clean my blood. I have now thrown away all the high fat foods and have once again, come back full circle to moderation and balance. A balanced diet. It takes a little more discipline but my energy is back and I can now eat the same meals as my husband so dinner preparation is simpler. My weight has not changed since I gradually introduced the carbs. I avoid at all costs the ?white foods? flour, sugar, milk. I drink unsweetened soy milk I avoid foods in packages, boxes and bags. I feel a fine layer of fat but that?s okay its winter, I need it, and in the summer, heat always melts it off. I am completely off sugar and alcohol to keep blood sugar low.

Log into www.vitalsignsfitness in the Chat page where a discussion has already begun re: Atkins and other diet plans, add your comments or just read and muse. Or go to the Nutrition Program page and find out how many calories (protein, carbs, fats) you should eat to sustain your current or ideal weight.

Deborah Caruana RN, AAHRFP, NASM, ACE, www.vitalsignsfitness.com email deb@vitalsignsfitness.com

DEBORAH is a highly respected authority in personal training for overall health and fitness, with more than 22 years of experience and success. Her credentials include...

Currently licensed Registered Nurse specializing in Rehabilitative Nursing Medical Exercise Therapist: certified by AAHFRP, an internationally recognized physical rehabilitation certification Maternity Specialist Pre & Post Natal certified by Maternal Fitness Personal Fitness Specialist: certified by NASM, an internationally recognized certification Yoga Teacher Professional Health Member, National Organization of Fitness Instructors (IDEA), a leading membership organization of health and fitness professionals Deborah Caruana RN, AAHRFP, NASM, ACE, http://www.vitalsignsfitness.com email deb@vitalsignsfitness.com ...for all your fitness needs including personal training, books, vitamins and supplements, and information resource.

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The purpose of this article is not to scrutinize, vilify, or verify the so-called Milk Diet. There are a number of resources available both online and offline which can help you and your physician decide which of the several diet plans or personalized weight loss programs is right for you.

No matter what plan you choose, that plan should lead you to healthy weight loss and to the attainment of your weight loss goals. And if the resources that help you in your decision are sponsored by weight loss professionals, they won?t just point you to one of fad diets.

Professionals know that fad diets just don't work. You may see initial results, but the risk to your health is high, and the chances of keeping the weight off are low.

I went to one of the major search engines and in the search box I typed the words, milk diet and skim milk diet. Try it, and you'll laugh at how some sharp entrepreneurs are trying capitalize on one of the latest crazes.

One of my favorites is an ad along the side of the page which redirects you to an Ebay area where you could purchase, no lie, milk paraphernalia to help you keep up the Milk Diet team spirit. All the vintage milk bottle tops and signs were marked down to special prices.

Oh, and remember the classic Grapefruit Diet? What a shot in the arm that craze gave to the citrus industry! Of course, I have a distant cousin named Grady who at family gatherings still reminds everyone of how his wife spent more on a 10-speed juicer (now kept as a relic in the attic) than on him that year for their anniversary and Christmas combined! Now that's serious juicing!

The point I won't to make is simple. You want to lose weight and keep it off, right? You will NEVER achieve that by pulling out your credit card to pay homage to the next diet guru or program with a celebrity's name attached to it. These fad diets promise to give you what you want through the latest secret revealed or truth now discovered.

And it shouldn't suprise you to learn that only the guru or the people sponsoring the plan can bring to you the latest secret revealed in this special offer for only three installments of just $29.95 (plus $14.95 shipping and handling).

By the way, since when does it cost $14.95 to ship a welcome letter, some funny looking plastic things, and a book? Maybe the extra cost is the handling?

In any event, you don't need any new secret revealed nor an undiscovered truth now discovered. What you need is to go back to Diet Basics. There's nothing wrong with a diet plan that proclaims the values of either milk or grapefruit. Both grapefruit and milk provide wonderful essential nutrients which help you have good nutrition and balanced meals.

And that is my point! Losing the weight you need to lose and keeping it off is about modifying your eating habits to have overall good nutrition. It's not about focusing on one nutrient or food group. In fact, true weight loss professionals would consider as suspect any diet program which radically reduces or increases just one component of a balanced diet. That's not a good way to lose weight.

To illustrate what I'm trying to say, take a look at the relationship between weight loss and milk. Milk contains nine essential nutrients, making it one of the most nutrient-rich drinks you can enjoy. Just one eight-ounce glass of milk puts you well on your way to meeting the Daily Value for calcium and other key nutrients. Calcium, as most know, helps maintain strong bones and teeth. It also plays a role in nerve function.

You probably also know by now, thanks to the recent Milk Diet fad, that milk can play a significant role in helping you reach your weight loss goals. In fact, here's part of what the American Dietetic Association has to say about milk and weight loss:

a calcium-rich eating plan, especially one that includes at least three servings of milk a day, seems to provide the nutritional support you need for healthy effective weight loss. In fact, research suggests that milk may help promote the loss of body fat while maintaining more muscle, which is important when dieting. Dropping dairy foods as a calorie-cutting tactic is not only bad for bones, it could make it even harder to lose weight.

Now the money-focused marketers and entrepreneurs have brought milk to the forefront to promote weight loss leading to sales. And I would bet that there are those who probably went to the grocer and bought milk after reading an article or hearing on television about the miracles of milk and its effect on weight loss.

But instead of drinking the suggested 24oz each day (only three 8-ounce glasses), several of the more zealous increased their intake of milk by another glass or two to speed up the process. After all, everyone knows that if a little of something is good, then a lot must be great, right? WRONG! As good for you as milk can be, it can also be detrimental to your health if you drink too much according to recent studies.

Milk has always been milk. It can benefit our overall health. More specific, milk, along with other essential elements, can help promote weight loss. Too much milk can be harmful.

But at the end of the day, healthy weight loss is, and will always be first and foremost, about Diet Basics--eating right, exercising, and having a lifestyle which promotes good health and nutrition. That's what will lead you to weight loss success.

We Amercians will continue to extol the virtues and hidden mysteries of the grapefruit (at least until we come up with a pill that's just as good). But have you been to the attic lately? Any juicers up there lying around unused and relegated to a place beside the lava lamp?

And tomorrow, or perhaps the day after, the milk diet will fade away. We'll be left with our vintage bottle tops, maybe a sign or two, and a lingering disatisfaction over our inability to unlock the mystery of how the handling is calculated in shipping and handling costs.

Well, take heart! Through all the fad diets and gurus and secrets revealed which should have been kept hidden, one principle remains to guide you. If you really want to live healthy,lose weightand keep it off, there's no substitution for exercise, good nutrition and balanced diet.

It's about the basics. . . I guarantee it!

Mark Fuqua
http://www.weight-loss-professional.com
With 3 earned degrees and more than 16 years of experience as spiritual leader, pastor, director of marketing and investment banker, Mark Fuqua brings to the discussion table a breadth and depth of of unique experience coupled with academic acumin. Yet he subscribes to the philosophy that you can approach life from either a positive or negative pathway. How you choose that determines your experiences in life whether you are trying to lose weight, build a career, raise a family, or prepare for retirement. He is Consultant and Chief Editor of Diet Basics, a website dedicated to healthy weight loss success.

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These are not the reasons we do Lactate Threshold Training.

What is it?
When muscles contract vigorously for long periods, the circulatory system begins to lose ground in delivery of oxygen (necessary for energy production). In these conditions the breakdown of glucose is converted to lactic acid. As the lactate is produced in the muscles, it leaks out into the blood and is carried around the body. If this condition continues, the functioning of the body will become impaired and the muscles fatigue very quickly. This point is often measured as the lactate threshold.

Why Do We Do It?
The aim of the training system is to saturate the muscles in lactic acid, which will educate the body's buffering mechanism to deal with lactic acid more effectively. Thus raising the anaerobic (lactate) threshold. It's not the lactic acid that causes the burn in the muscles as you exercise, but the hydrogen ions released as the lactic acid leaks out. An elevation in blood lactic acid levels is a major trigger of growth hormone (HGH) release. Increasing HGH, is beneficial for gaining muscle / lean tissue and reducing fat.

Aging: Many of the physical and personal changes that are associated with the aging process are directly related to the age related decline in Human Growth Hormone, HGH. Many of the 'acknowledged symptoms' associated with 'maturing' are directly related to hormonal demise. In 1996 the US FDA approved HGH for treating symptoms associated with adult hormonal demise. The FDA approved that medical signs and symptoms of HGH demise are parallel with the conditions associated with the progression of aging: Fat gain, muscle loss, loss of energy, poor sleep, skin changes, bone density loss, libido issues .. all HGH related. Increasing HGH has a on our skin, body composition, muscle tone, mood, energy, sleep quality, and bone density.

Metabolism: Fat utilization requires HGH! Low blood sugar triggers the secretion of HGH to utilize fat for energy. The best time for HGH stimulating exercise is in the morning after the all night fast. If you cannot exercise first thing in the morning, time meals so that you have several hours ( 2 - 3 ) to burn off the blood glucose from the meal, before you workout. A relatively hard, planned and synergistic workout will result in up to a 250% increase in HGH secretion.

Posture and Alignment: The constant total body movement (infinite & constant movement variations ) results in a constantly changing center of gravity. You instinctively assume a personally optimum posture and naturally fine tune the muscles of grace, balance, alignment and posture.

Taking a week off from training every 8 to 10 weeks is very important for overall recuperation. Many people have a psychological barrier to taking time off from training. They feel like they are going to shrink. Not so. In fact after your week off for complete recovery you will usually come back stronger and energized.

This program is based on the research published by the recognized leaders of HGH and AntiAging Research: Dr. Donald Rudman, Dr. Ronald Klatz, Dr. Mario DiPasquali, Sandy Shaw and Dirk Pearson. Renowned doctors, authors and scientists with findings published worldwide. New England Journal of Medicine, several best selling scientific / technical medical books and a multitude of magazine articles. Dietary Recommendations

Eat a high protein / lowish carb and fat meal 15 - 45 minutes after exercise. Five to Six small meals per day spaced 3 1/2 hrs apart.

Protein
No potential problem with consuming 1 gm of protein per pound of body weight per day. Whey protein is inexpensive, low fat, low carb and convenient for a high protein shake.

Animal Protein, Lean Beef, Skinless Chicken , Turkey Eggs. A wonderful, nutritious food!

Fish
Good Oils. More good OIL not just more fat. 20% - 30% of total calories. Specific Essential Fatty Acids are needed for most of the bodies hormonal functions. Olive, Sunflower or Canola oil for salads & cooking.

Trim the fat out of the beef & pull the skin off the chicken and turkey.

Lower Carbohydrates.

Raw fruits & Vegetables are nutrient dense & fiber rich.

Processed grains are mostly useless, non nutritious calories with minimal fiber.

More Raw Fruit & Vegetables.

Way Less Sugar.

Less bread & pasta. Use whole grains when you do enjoy the grain products.

Eating five or more servings a day of fruit and vegetables lowers your chances of getting cancer. Persons with extreme weight loss requirements ( more than 50 pounds ) obviously have different needs than the average weight conscious person. Persons striving for a 5% body fat and rippled abs probably also have different goals than simply enjoying a healthy life. Recognizing that food is a sensual thing and to enjoy eating is certainly a simple pleasure. However being intelligent in sensual pleasures is certainly not an unheard of concept today. Fast food is a luxury. I eat fast food. I enjoy ice cream. Thank God I don't particularly like doughnuts.

Dr. DiPasquali's diet allows you to low carb for 5 or 6 days per week and binge on what ever you want for one or two days. This will make sticking to a diet easier and will eliminate the over whelming cravings that can dominate your sub conscious hunger center.

This 'breaking' of the 'low carb' diet will also serve to 'reset or raise' your basal metabolism. Cooking for Good Nutrition and Weight Control

Choose methods of cooking that will retain flavor, color and nutrients. Steam instead of boiling vegetables. Avoid cooking at high temperatures (except for quick stir-frying) and long cooking times. Both extended heat and liquid can destroy or leach out valuable nutrients.

Add vegetables whenever possible to ensure your five-a-day intake. Experiment with more veggie variety in salads, try new vegetable mixes, include some shredded vegetables in casseroles, and add different vegetables to soups and stews. Use chopped red or yellow peppers to pep up the flavor. Try vegetable salsas and fruit chutneys as accompaniments to meat or poultry in place of heavy gravies or sauces. When you use oil, select olive, sunflower or canola oil. Drain off visible fat while cooking, blot pan-fried foods on paper towels to absorb extra grease.

Deborah Caruana RN, AAHRFP, NASM, ACE
email: deb@vitalsignsfitness.com
web: www.vitalsignsfitness.com

DEBORAH is a highly respected authority in personal training for overall health and fitness, with more than 22 years of experience and success. Her credentials include...

Currently licensed Registered Nurse specializing in Rehabilitative Nursing

Medical Exercise Therapist: certified by AAHFRP, an internationally recognized physical rehabilitation certification

Maternity Specialist Pre & Post Natal certified by Maternal Fitness

Personal Fitness Specialist: certified by NASM, an internationally recognized certification

Yoga Teacher

Professional Health Member, National Organization of Fitness Instructors (IDEA), a leading membership organization of health and fitness professionals

Deborah Caruana RN, AAHRFP, NASM, ACE
email: deb@vitalsignsfitness.com
http://www.vitalsignsfitness.com for fitness needs including personal training, books, vitamins and supplements, and information resources.

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Pros

It is often misunderstood that skipping a meal here or there will help you lose weight, but alas just the opposite is the truth. Skipping a meal makes your body go into a starvation mode, thus making the body?s metabolism slow down. A slow metabolism means that the body?s ability to burn fat is impaired so when a person does eat the fat contained in that food is stored instead of burned. The idea of Weight Watchers is to eat more food that is nutritious for you, rather than less food that is bad for you. Taking into consideration the other two areas of Weight Watchers that are just as important as the actual food area, you will begin to see how Weight Watchers is above and beyond the other diet plans out there. Not many other diet plans will take counseling and exercise and make them necessary to succeed in weight loss.

For some people, counseling is not always something that they need or even want. Some people would rather work at weight loss themselves for various reasons, maybe embarrassment, or maybe they are easily self motivated.

Weight Watchers is one of the good guys in this industry of pill pushers and unscrupulous experts. The Winning Points Plan does an effective job of teaching portion control and educates the dieter on what nutritional value certain foods have. It is the program to choose if you feel you need face-to-face support. Another great aspect of the diet is that some restaurants have actually adapted the Weight Watchers diet into their menu and provide foods that have actual Weight Watcher Points assigned to them. Applebee?s has gone to great lengths to make sure that the food they make is precisely how Weight Watchers intends it to be made down to the last ounce.

There really isn?t any other weight loss program out there that gives the freedom to eat what you like, and even operate the diet on a busy and tight schedule.

Cons

Weight Watchers really seems to go a little overboard when trying to convince people to start using their materials to help lose weight. The gimmicks involved in trying to persuade potential dieters that they need this plan to help them lose weight are near laughable. Using celebrities who probably haven?t ever even tried Weight Watchers to get people excited about the diet is most certainly back handed. The plan says that you can lose weight without giving up the foods that you love, but only limiting those fatty and unhealthy foods to a small portion. This allows the dieter to feel a false sense of security, and they don?t actually change their eating habits at all, but only altering them to fit into a plan that will allow those people, who don?t have much self control to ?slip up? once in a while, thus allowing the dieter to never really lose any weight.

If one seriously wants to lose weight and keep it off, they need to think more comprehensively about the foods they eat without the confusing point scheme. The program also does not put a priority on exercise - which is essential for long term health and weight control. Another staggering statistic about people on Weight Watchers is that on average only 5% of dieters succeed beyond 5 years in keeping off the weight. This is achieved through long term therapy which can become very expensive and can potentially prevent the development of self-reliance and self-discipline. There are mixed reviews of the ?support meetings? that Weight Watchers claims is the basis of their diet plan. Some have said that the meetings are expensive and outright annoying, thus having an opposite affect as designed. Some also say that the meetings create a competitive atmosphere making some people uncomfortable and standoffish.

Dr. Catherine DeAngelis, editor in chief of JAMA best describes the Weight Watchers program, ?while Weight Watchers and similar programs may work for some people, they clearly don't work for everyone. Programs have the best chances of working if they feel natural to the people following them, otherwise the weight loss is too difficult to maintain. It works as long as you stay with it.

The Weight Watchers information contained in this article is only a segment of what is contained at http://www.eweightlossblog.com. If you want comprehensive information about anything to do with health, fitness, or dieting, then visit my other great blogs: http://www.ihealthblog.com, http://www.efitnessblog.com Thanks for your time

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To continue the educational series on your health and fitness lifestyle, this article is based on accredited college nutrition programs and literature based on proven science. My hope is to empower you to take responsibility for your nutrition plan. One does not have to become a fanatic and eat perfectly to be healthy!

How we think and feel about food is profoundly influenced by how food is used in our families as children. If food is used as entertainment a reward a bribe a punishment or stress relief, from sadness, anger, or other negative emotions, problems may ensue.

Often, people will eat when they are not hungry, only bored, sad, angry, upset, or lonely. When eating for these reasons, they usually eat foods high in fat, sugar, or both. There is nothing wrong with enjoying a meal, just be sure to get sufficient healthy food and limit your quantities of junk food.

People who eat for reasons other than hunger will sometimes feel guilty after they indulge. This will often lead to more overeating and more guilt. These people often become obsessed with food cookie monster syndrome. There are support groups and counseling for people who over-eat for emotional reasons.

The flip side of food obsession is anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Anorexia nervosa is a serious condition in which the person stops or severely curtails their food intake to induce weight loss. Approximately ten percent of people who are anorexic die of their disease. People with this condition see themselves as being fat, even when extremely emaciated.

Bulimia is a condition where the patient eats food (sometimes gorging) and then vomits or takes laxatives or diuretics to avoid weight gain or induce weight loss. This can result in the loss of electrolytes and minerals essential for proper heart function and pH balance in the blood. Both these conditions are serious and require medical assistance.

Success in weight control comes by understanding the cause of your individual problem and then developing a program accordingly. Some people, who were unaware of what good nutrition consists of, only need to learn the facts about nutrition and exercise to apply what they have learned without difficulty.

Others have unconscious eating patterns such as eating while doing other activities and not paying attention to what or how much they are eating. By being aware of the problem and using techniques such as behavior modification techniques, can help the person with problems such as these.

People who have trouble changing eating habits or extreme obesity may have deep-seated emotional or psychiatric problems and may be using food to help alleviate the symptoms. Consuming large quantities of high-sugar or high-starch foods releases serotonin in the brain, which imparts a feeling of wellbeing. This can be an attempt to relieve undiagnosed clinical depression or anxiety.

Once you apply the principles of weight control for a while, it becomes part of your life style, like taking a shower or making the bed. You lose your taste for high-fat, high-sugar food and eat healthier food out of choice even when weight control isn't an issue. A blended approach including education, healthy eating habits, and exercise, along with counseling if needed, will produce permanent fat loss and weight control. A step forward in your Fitness Lifestyle.

DEBORAH is a highly respected authority in personal training for overall health and fitness, with more than 22 years of experience and success. Her credentials include...

Currently licensed Registered Nurse specializing in Rehabilitative Nursing Medical Exercise Therapist: certified by AAHFRP, an internationally recognized physical rehabilitation certification Maternity Specialist Pre & Post Natal certified by Maternal Fitness Personal Fitness Specialist: certified by NASM, an internationally recognized certification Yoga Teacher Professional Health Member, National Organization of Fitness Instructors (IDEA), a leading membership organization of health and fitness professionals Deborah Caruana RN, AAHRFP, NASM, ACE. http://www.vitalsignsfitness.com email deb@vitalsignsfitness.com call 212-677-3185 Get Free Fitness Tips, Strategies and Secrets from a recognized expert at my web site: http://www.Vitalsignsfitness.com

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The Mediterranean Diet is based on the foods people of the Mediterranean region have been eating for centuries. Studies have shown that in addition to a lower incidence of obesity, countries like Greece and Italy actually have a lower incidence of chronic disease and a longer life expectancy than our ?modern? society. The real kicker is that these countries consume, on average, a whopping 40% of their calories from fat ? about double the amount recommended by most health experts today!

What?s their Secret?

No one knows for sure! But many nutritionists and health practitioners have decided that it?s more important to learn from the success of the eating habits of these regions than it is to answer the question of why it works the way it does.

Recent research suggests that olive oil does even more than lower the levels of LDL, the bad boy of cholesterol. In fact, more and more studies are backing up the belief that olive oil also contains antioxidants that discourage clogging of the arteries and other chronic diseases ? even cancer!

The diet is centered around healthy fats like olive oil, as well as food items such as nuts and avocados that have high levels of healthy fats. The Mediterranean Diet also recommends eating healthy grains, including pasta, bread, and legumes. Participants are encouraged to eat fish several times a week, augmented by lean protein, while red meat is limited.

What the Site Has

What it doesn?t have is testimonials, sales pitches, and product pitches. In fact, the site is unusually devoid of anything resembling a sales pitch. Instead, The Mediterranean Diet site is truly informational, dispensing the basic guidelines of the eating plan and leaving the rest to you! Since the recommendations fall exclusively under the ?real? food category, you can hit the ground running with the basic details of this easy-to-follow- plan!

The Mediterranean Diet site does have a few subtle references to Mediterranean food companies, but these seem geared more toward restaurants that might want to increase their usage of these types of products than to the average consumer.

The website is packed full of interesting reading. There?s an entire page detailing the health benefits of olive oil. Did you know that the therapeutic benefits of olive oil were first mentioned by Hippocrates, the Father of Modern Medicine? Or that olive oil was used to maintain skin and muscle suppleness, heal abrasions, and soothe the burning and drying effects of sun and water? It?s true! Olive oil is mentioned in thousands of historical texts as an irrefutable health and beauty supplement

The site also thoroughly explains the way cholesterol works in the body ? both good and bad. And while it might not seem important, it?s compelling to realize that this is an eating plan that dates back centuries, and that before we messed everything up with our out-of-control portions and trans-fatty fast foods, civilizations the world over lived long and healthy lives by following this type of diet.

Copyright 2006 Market Signal Systems LLC

Robert Z. Martinder has been enthusiastic about diet and weight loss for the past 30 years. He is a regular contributor to Diet-Handbook.Com, a site that provides expert information about diet and weight loss. You can get more information at the following URL: www.diet-handbook.com

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