Fat And Weight Loss: Why Do I Hate My Body?

Today, more and more men and women are finding themselves dissatisfied with what they see in the mirror. Women are especially prone to falling victim to their body image. According to a Harvard study, half of all 13 year old girls are significantly unhappy about their body and by the time they turn 18, more than 80% of them are unhappy with their appearance. According to the magazine, Bliss, 92% out of a sample of 2000 girls were said to be unhappy with their appearance and as much as 40% of those girls considered cosmetic surgery to correct their problem areas. Numbers like these are not surprising to most, but they should not be accepted as part of life. These numbers could be dramatically reversed since these problems most often arise out of environment as opposed to genetics.

How Does It Start?

Most concepts about ideal body proportions arrive at quite a young age. Possibly the most disturbing statistic is that according to the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford, a recent Swedish study found that 25% of 7 year old girls had already attempted a diet to lose weight. Absolutely disgusting. The largest reason as to why this trend exists is because of the current climate of show business and the waifish appearance advocated by those therein. The mothers look in the mirror and complain about how fat they are and the children, being as impressionable as they are, mimic their mother and her complaints. This may sound like oversimplification, but you as the parent play a large role in terms of defining your childs self-image. If the children hear nothing but complaints about how fat mommys thighs are then, most likely, they will begin saying the same about their own thighs. The same goes for fathers as well. If a father has some body dysmorphia issues and complains about needing a more impressive physique, then the sons will be detrimentally influenced by those words as well and will struggle with low self esteem just like their sisters. So, parents keep your unhealthy expectations of appearance out of earshot of your child.

How Can I Feel Better About My Body?

Recently, it has come of light as to why people, and women especially, hate their bodies. There are several factors that need to be considered. The University of Calgarys Eating Awareness Team has pinpointed six different elements that influence ones body image: visual, mental, emotional, kinesthetic, historical, and social. Obviously, visual pertains to what one sees in the mirror when they look at themselves. Mental applies to what one says about herself when in front of the mirror. The emotional aspect relates to how one feels about their body. The kinesthetic pertains to how one senses and feels their body move. Historical relates to any past experiences one remembers about their appearance. Lastly, the social aspect is how you view your body in relation to the societal norms. These six elements speak volumes in understanding and, ultimately, overcoming an unrealistic and unhealthy perspective of the human body.

Women are supposed to be thin while men are supposed to be lean and muscular, but this is unreasonable often times and attained at the expense of health. Most women look to models as the ultimate in beauty, however, most supermodels weigh 25% less than the average woman and these models typically sustain weights that are 15-20% below the recommended norm for women their age and height. In other words, they are seemingly suffering from the side effects of eating disorders. Thus, a healthy self-image begins at home. Realize that what one sees in the magazines is airbrushed, and when not airbrushed is too dangerous and taxing on the body to try and achieve. If you can realize that a thin frame doesnt necessarily equal a healthy body, then you will be heading down the right path. This path spares you from dangerous crash diets and your children of unattainable and downright foolish definitions of beauty and health. Women also need to remember that cosmetic surgery only needs to be done for yourself and not for the approval of a loved one or in hopes of obtaining a loved one. Its true that a healthy life demands regular exercise and a proper diet, but one could very well argue that none of this would even be possible without a healthy frame of mind. So, dont neglect the mental aspect.

Ian Robertson has interests that range anywhere between playing drums to kayaking and kickboxing. Ian is a Certified Personal Trainer and a Certified Advanced Weight Training Specialist, as well as a Certified Nutritionist. He emphasizes functional and innovative training techniques to add variety and interest to his shockingly effective workouts.

Find out how to lose your extra weight forever when you visit the weight loss support group and phentermine discussion forum at PhenForum.com. Heck, if nothing else, subscribe to their free newsletter for some weight loss tips to help you lose weight without hurting your body like most people do!

Trying To Lose Weight, Forget About It, Unless You Stop Eating This!

I do a lot of research on health and nutrition and nothing makes me madder than the food industry intentionally, without my permission and yours, producing food that causes you and I not only to be addicted to it, but makes us fat! They do this by adding MSG to just about everything we eat!

I admire people like John Erb, who was a research assistant at the University of Ontario and wrote the book, "The Slow Poisoning of America", as one of the many people blowing the whistle on MSG. The subject of MSG is not new, but not enough attention is being paid to it and the food industry is certainly not going to tell you about it because they are making too much money from it.

MSG is so pervasive in our society that you may not be aware that you are consuming it daily. It is in processed foods, canned, frozen or boxed, restaurants and fast food chains. My husband and I were shocked to find MSG in almost all the vitamin supplements we had. Most consumers are not aware of it because we are being tricked with labeling.

MSG has many aliases. Here is a list of some of the other names for MSG:

- Monosodium glutamate, monopotassium glutamate, glutamic acid
- Anything that says hydrolyzed (such as hydrolyzed vegetable protein)
- Anything that says Autolized
- Anything that says natural flavor, or flavors, natural flavoring, flavorings
- Calcium caseinate
- Sodium caseinate
- Yeast extract
- Seasonings
- Soy protein, wheat protein, whey protein, anything fortified protein
- Textured protein
- Carrageenan
- Gelatin
- Soy sauce
- Bouillon, pork, chicken, beef
- Barley malt, malt extract, maltodextrin
- Enzymes
- Corn syrup, corn starch, dextrose
- Citric acid

You may be asking how it is possible that MSG can come under so many different names. The FDA has stated that if you use MSG in a product it must be labeled that way. If you use for example; hydrolyzed vegetable protein (which has MSG in it) it must be labeled by its common name and not MSG. This is the loophole the food industry uses to hide the word MSG.

Studies done over the last 30 years on rats have consistently shown that MSG makes them fat. Rats are not naturally fat so it has to be created. The studies done showed up to a 40% increase in appetite in the rats fed with MSG.

It works like this. Your tongue has receptors to detect sugars, carbohydrates, fats and protein, and it is used to determine if actual food is in your mouth. The food industry has figured out that MSG fools the taste receptors into thinking it is going to be receiving protein or sugars etc, so now your pancreas now goes into action releasing insulin to do its job. Within half an hour to an hour you have a blood sugar drop and you want to eat again. So you eat more food with MSG and you continue this circuit over and over again. And don't forget to check your diet foods, which are usually loaded with MSG.

True weight loss is achieved by the few who have true stamina and will power because for the rest of us, well, the odds are stacked against us. The food industry wants you to buy their food and keep you addicted and keep you gaining weight because now companies can jump on the band wagon and get you buying weight loss pills and prescription drugs. Is there MSG in the diet and prescription pills? The odds are very high that this is the case.

If you have struggled with weight and health issues without success, don't just give up hope yet. Education is the key. It is up to you to decide what you want to do with this information. For my husband and I, we have given up MSG and we eat organic. I have lost 20 lbs to date and feel great. There are some reputable companies that produce superior products without MSG and pesticides and it is worth seeking them out and supporting their efforts while getting you and your family healthy.

I hope this helps!

Sources: Blaylock, Russell L., M.D. Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills, Health Press, Santa Fe, NM 87504, 1994. Schwartz, George R., M.D. and Schwartz, Kathleen A. In Bad Taste: The MSG Symptom Complex, Health Press, Santa Fe, NM 87504.

Willie is a researcher and freelance writer whose own health problems prompted her to gain information on health and wellness and share that knowledge with others. She is co-owner of http://www.cleanbodydetox.com a site that focuses on detox through foot baths and foot massager.

Are You Over Weight? Want To Get Rid of That Extra Fat? Take a Look at This

I know how it feels to be an obese. I know that it really hurts you when you can wear nice designer clothes and go out with your friends; I know that it really hurts when you walk on streets and people look at you and make fun. Don't worry. I will take you on a journey of exercises and diet which will surely help you lose that extra pound.

I had read some where: "Love It or Hate It Lets Motivate Each Other to Do IT". It means to get motivated to workout more on the process to lose weight. Stick to a decision that you will lose weight in whatever way you thought of and will end up looking slim, fit and healthy.

Here are few tips and suggestions on exercises and nutrition:

The first thing that comes to my mind when I talk about losing weight is nutrition. You have to prepare your self on diet and nutrition for the rest of your life or there is a high chance of gaining that weight you had lost.

Cut off that high calorie and fast food. If you don't, you will not only put on extra weight but will also end up in many heart related problems. Completely reduce the intake of fat food from your daily meals. If you feel hungry and want to eat something all the time then grab an apple or an orange instead of a chocolate bar or a bag of chips. Avoid fat, sugar and alcohol in every way you can. Remember that many foods include hidden fat and sugar (eg: chocolate, full cream ice-cream). And the most important of all is to drink 8-10 glasses of water a day to stay fit and hydrated.

The second most important thing is exercises. Using exercises to lose weight can be a little tricky but with proper guidance and help you will surely see yourself very fit and healthy in future.

BE ACTIVE: I mean to say go on a brisk walk after your day's activities. It is a great way to burn off that rich dinner you ate! Take the stairs instead of elevator in your office and any other buildings you visit. Go on a short jog in the mornings or evenings. Swimming, skipping, running and some simple push-ups can also be a great exercise.

NO RIGOROUS ACTIVITY: Though aerobics and heavy exercises help you to lose that extra pound quickly, but they are not always recommended as you get too tired and at times become very restless.

Regular physical exercises are a part of effective weight control. It helps to control your weight by using excess calories that otherwise would be stored as fat.

Simple workouts like pushups, cardio, weight lifting, brisk walking, jogging and dancing (till you sweat) can help you a lot in reducing weight. And the most important of all is warm-ups. Do not forget to warm-up before and after your workouts as it helps in a good blood circulation process.

Get more specific with your Weight Loss and a whole bunch of fitness workout programs in the 24hr Fitness Workout Guide.

Easy And Fast Weight Loss Diets

Losing weight benefits you in many ways so you might just be interested in one of the many easy and fast weight loss diets. Why? From a stronger self image to a better health status, the benefits are too many to be listed here. Heart diseases, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure are only some of the medical conditions which are favored or aggravated by being overweight. Also medical treatments are riskier if applied on an overweight person.

Everybody knows the general method to lose weight: add fewer calories than the amount burnt. However, caution is necessary, as medics and nutritionists warn against losing a lot of weight very quickly. A slower, bur steadier rate is preferred for the body to get used with the changes. There are many tricks you can use to lose weight without seeing the process as a burden of any sort. If you have the right attitude from the start and look at the final results, you will find it easier to continue.

You will find it easier to cope with the diet if at least once a week you eat a treat poor in calories, but having a high calorie tasting. This way, you should not feel deprived of delicious, though calorie rich foods. There are many examples of tasty foods, but which will not add many calories to your diet, such as lobster (3 ounces contain only 83 calories), shrimp (60 calories in 12 ounces), whipped cream (a tablespoon has 8 calories) or smoked salmon (two ounces have only 66 calories).

If you have to eat calories rich aliments, such as ice cream or cake at party or other social events, eat as little as you can so you do not ruin all your previous efforts in one evening. You will be sorry afterwards if you derail from the line you have stepped on.

Be careful at the drinks. Have a big glass of orange juice for breakfast and after that, make water your primary drink. Cut down on soda and other juices as much as you can, preferably not drinking such drinks at all. The usual American gets over 90,000 calories every year from soft drinks alone. These juices have very high sugar levels and they damage the body in more ways than one.

Do not neglect physical exercises. Buy a pedometer and clip it to your belt and aim for an extra 1000 steps per day. Regular exercise is the key to burning calories and maintaining the new obtained weight. A sedentary person takes only 2,000 to 3,000 steps per day and adding another 2,000 to these will prevent you from gaining any more weight. Anything in excess of 5,000 steps each day will help you lose any excess weight.

All easy and fast weight loss diets will eventually make you change your eating habits altogether. Be prepared to give up all the fast food, pizzas or snacks from between the meals. And instead of only one large meal per day, split it into five, six or seven smaller ones. Studies show that if you eat the same number of calories distributed over multiple meals, your body releases less insulin, which keeps blood sugar steady and helps control hunger. In other words all easy and fast weight loss diets should not only balance your weight but they should also adjust your overall health condition. Another thing you should remember is that easy and fast weight loss diets should be picked with caution because some of them just involve starving yourself and nobody really wants that.

This Easy Weight Loss Program helps to explain why Low Carb, Low Calorie, and Low Fat diets don't work.

If you want more information on ordering at restaurants, shopping at grocery stores, and if the thought of your own personal menu sounds good to you, then check out http://www.losingweight-facts.com

How To Lose Weight - Tips To Help You Get Rid Of Fat Quickly

Obesity is a huge problem in our society and losing weight is one of the most difficult challenges for those that are overweight. It requires a commitment on the part of those that want to lose weight to make changes both in their diet and exercise habits. However the majority of us do know that we need to exercise and eat properly yet we do not follow our own advice.

For most people that are overweight the stress from their jobs or other aspects of their lives causes them to reach for food in an attempt to relieve the stress and feel better. Of course this does help you feel good in the short term but the long term effects of being overweight and unhealthy only create further stress so it becomes a vicious cycle that must be escaped from in order to get back to a healthy weight. Here are some tips to help you to return and stay at a healthy weight.

Tip 1: Develop Clear Goals

This is a very necessary step to keep you on track yet it is overlooked by most weight loss programs. Creating goals is important as they will help you to stay on track and more importantly get back on track even if you falter a little along the way.

The initial step in goal setting is to decide what the real reasons are you want to lose weight. This is the most important step so really think deeply about it and get emotional if you have to. This is the fuel that will drive you to make these goals a reality. You must write down these reasons on a piece of paper. Do not skip this step because it can make all the difference. Something magical occurs when you write your goals down that almost makes their accomplishment inevitable.

Now you need to set one month and three month weight targets that you are aiming for. Be realistic so aim to lose around ten pounds a month. Write down these weight targets on a piece of paper too. Once everything is on paper you must review this sheet at least once a day, carry it with you if you want. This will program your mind as to what you want it to create. Make sure to do all these steps and do not underestimate the power of them.

Tip 2: Consume Smaller Meals More Regularly

Most people eat very large meals one to three times a day. The problem with this approach is that you end up going sometimes for 5 or 6 hours without any food. This causes your metabolism to slow down dramatically because your body thinks you are trying to starve it so when you do eat again you end up storing most of that food as fat instead of burning it off.

A better approach is to eat smaller meals every 3 to 4 hours. Try to get some extra fruits and vegetables in your diet too. Since these foods are water rich they will also fill you up quickly so you will be able to eat less calories and still feel full. Also you will experience less hunger using this strategy since you are eating frequently. In addition your metabolism will speed up since your body is aware that it is getting nutrition regularly so there is no need to store anything as fat.

Tip 3: Exercise The Proper Way

Unfortunately you cannot ignore physical activity when it comes to weight loss as it is important. However you do not need to spend significant time exercising nor do you need to strain yourself either. If you can walk for thirty minutes a day either outside or indoors on a treadmill then that should be sufficient. You can even take one or two days off each week.

Also once or twice a week do some light weight training as this will help to build muscle. Muscle is very important for weight loss because it burns calories continuously so you want to add some muscle to your body. Buy some free weights or join a gym, do not weight train too often otherwise you may get over trained and this could make you sick since your immune system will get weakened. Follow each of these tips to help you lose weight faster and to keep that weight off permanently.

Shakil is an online researcher and author. Visit his site and learn about the best herbal supplements and also learn how to lose weight fast and keep it off.

What You Need To Do To Set Up A Fitness Program

By starting a fitness program this is one of the best things you can do for your health. As long as you have approval from your doctor to exercise. Not only can physical exercise reduce the risk of chronic disease (heart etc.,) it can also improve your balance and co-ordination as well. Plus the added benefits also included are that it will help you to lose weight, you may find that you are sleeping better and your self-esteem improves. But what is even better is that you can commence a fitness program just by following the information below.

1. Assessing your Fitness Level

Although you may have some idea of just how fit you are it is important that you both assess and record some baseline fitness scores. These can then be used as a benchmark against which you can measure your progress over the coming months. In order to assess your aerobic and muscular fitness along with flexibility and body composition you should consider recording the following.

a. Your pulse rate before you go for a 1 mile walk and your pulse rate at the end of the walk.
b. Time how long it takes you to walk that 1 mile.
c. Count how many push ups that you are able to do at any one time.
d. Just how far forward can you reach whilst sat on the floor with your legs out in front of you.
e. Measure the circumference of your waist (at navel level).
f. What is your body mass index

2. Design your Fitness Program

It is very easy for many people to say that they will exercise every day. But in order to do this they will need a plan. However, it is important to remember that where one plan may good for one person it is not good for another (we are all different). Therefore when designing and fitness program for yourself you should remember the following points.

a. What are your goals? Do you want to use your fitness program to lose weight or do you have some other reason for starting one. Say for example you are taking part in a 5km race. By setting yourself clear goals you will be able to chart your progress more easily. b. Consider what exercises you like or dislike. Choose those activities which you will enjoy because if you have fun doing the exercises then you are more likely to keep doing them. c. Plan your progression logically. When first starting to exercise then begin cautiously and progress slowly. Also should you suffer from any injury or medical condition consult your doctor first. The reason for this is that they may be able to design a fitness program that will gradually improve not only your range of motion, but your strength and endurance as well.

Hopefully some of the hints and tips provided above will help you to design a fitness program that will help you to achieve your goals in the future.

Besides being a naturopathic physican, Dr. Kang-pang Chan is a personal trainer certified by the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA).

To learn more about Exercise And Fitness Program, please visit:

http://www.2knowabout.com/health_and_fitness/fitness_training.php

Weight Loss Routines You Can Use Today

Are you looking at getting into weight lifting? Are you looking for some good weight lifting routines to follow? If you have answered yes to either of the previous questions then you will find this article very helpful. There are a few keys to weight lifting that everyone should know before going about it by themselves. It can be dangerous if you are not careful how you get started.

First of all you want to make sure you are at the ideal weight to start a weight lifting routine. If you are overweight then you may want to lose some weight before lifting weights. If you are underweight then you may need to take some supplements to get the most out of your experience.

Don't be alarmed, many people are a good weight to start lifting weights right away. The best way to ensure your success is to follow some weight lifting routines that have been proven to work for other people. The best way to find this is to search online for some type of weight lifting program that you can follow. Unless you know a personal trainer, weight lifting can be a difficult hobby to set your mind to.

Here are a few tips to great weight lifting routines:

1. You may need to lose some weight before you start a weight lifting routine.

2. Make a plan and stick to it.

3. Get a partner that is interested in lifting weights as well.

For the best weight lifting routines check out the websites available and take some action.

For more information visit this Weight Lifting Routines visit:
http://internet-business-world.com/lose-weight-fast/Lose_Weight_Fast_Systems.html

What Are Your Barriers to Losing Weight?

We all put up barriers to losing weight to protect us from outside influences. Sometimes they help us and sometimes they don't. And sometimes they become self-defeating when they prevent us from making positive changes. A good example for many of us would be facing our need to diet.

Let us review some of these barriers to losing weight that we put up to prevent us from dealing with our problem.

*Denial. You simply ignore the fact that you have a weight problem at all. Although the way you eat may make you feel uncomfortable, you simply ignore it. And you avoid looking at yourself in the mirror so you can avoid looking at the extra weight that you are carrying on your body.

*Rationalize. You need to keep the extra weight on because you need your strength, you tell yourself Or you deserve extra helpings at the food table because of the extra work that you do, you say, or you simply don't have the time to plan out a diet, and keep track of the foods you eat.

*Downplay. You say it's really not much of problem. People have much worse problems, don't they? Overeating is nothing like drinking or taking drugs or gambling or cheating on one's spouse. It's just a question of losing a few pounds, isn't it? You can lose a few pounds any time you put your mind to it. Right?

*Blame others. You have a problem with facing up to your extra weight that you carry. So you blame it on other people.It's either your spouse's fault, because she nags you all the time to eat, or life itself puts too much of a burden on you, and won't let you cope. Or it's the kids who are forever eating their candy and drinking their soda when you're all watching tv.

*Blame yourself. You feel it's useless to try to lose weight because you have tried diets before, and failed. You admit that you have a weight problem, but you never seem to get the strength to lose it.

You probably use several of these barriers to losing weight so you won't need to face your need to lose those extra pounds. But as you take the time to think about it, you can come to the realization that they are all a smokescreen.

This realization is in itself a powerful tool for change. You are not just a victim. You can consider if throwing up these barriers are really helpful in facing your weight problem. As you begin to realize that these are simply excuses, you can take positive steps to eliminate them and face the issue of finally losing some of that extra weight.

Gary Machado writes on a variety of topics of interest. Did you find these tips on dieting success useful? You can learn a lot more by visiting http://www.dietsuccessnews.com

Weight Loss Tips - How to Set Effective Weight Loss Goals

A word of caution: your weight loss plan is probably doomed.

As you probably remember, you just got over the holiday season. You spent a week stuffing your face with everything, from chocolates to cookies, like there's no tomorrow. And the result? You're afraid to step on the scale or look at yourself in the mirror because your weight has soared.

It's probably about then that you decided that you need to start losing weight. But even if you were to put yourself on a starvation diet and spent 6 hours a day on the treadmill, you would probably still not lose weight as effectively as you could with this simple mental exercise - goal-setting!

How do you set goals? Before we go any further, I want to set something straight - goals that you set should be SMART! SMART is a business acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-Bound. In essence, when you set a weight loss goal, it should be:

• Specific - for example, "I will lose weight by exercising 5 times a week and eating no more than 2,000 calories a day"
• Measurable - for example, "I will lose 20 pounds"
• Attainable - your goal needs to push you slightly beyond the limit of your capabilities, but not so far as to make it impossible to achieve. For example, losing 20 pounds when you weight 300 is achievable; losing 200 pounds is not (or not yet, at least)
• Realistic - in this case, it means that you have the resources and the knowledge to accomplish the goal. For example, exercising 3 times a day if you will be travelling every day for the next two weeks is not realistic
• Time-Bound - for example, "I will meet my weight loss goal by the end of March 2008"

Here's what this is all about - effective, SMART goals will keep you motivated and stop you from giving up on your weight loss process. You will be able to keep track of your progress and stop yourself from deviating from your plan of action. But here's the real kicker - SMART goal setting takes very little time but increases your likelihood of meeting your diet objectives by a whooping 84%.

As you can see, goal-setting is an extremely powerful - and often overlooked - component of any weight loss effort. But here's something else to keep in mind - goal-setting will also allow you to improve your weight loss effort by being able to tell exactly what works and what doesn't. For example, if you set a goal and it is clear that you are not meeting it in time, you will notice it much earlier and hopefully identify a way to improve the weight loss process.

For more weight loss tips, please check the site in my signature. You'll be amazed how easy it is to take control of your weight in record time.

To YOUR Weight Loss Success,

George Chernikov

Click Here to sign up for 121 free, proven and effective weight loss tips that will burn your fat faster than a greased lightning! Co-authored by George Chernikov, 121 Weight Loss Tips provides $500,000 of weight loss information free of charge. If you look like a Sumo wrestler after a calorie-intensive diet, then you really can't afford to miss out these free tips!

Family Fitness

Family fitness is fun! So, how do you get your family off the sofa and encourage them to get moving with you? It can be a simple task if you find an exercise program that the entire family can enjoy!

We all know that too many Americans are overweight and even more that dont follow a regular exercise program. It is up to mom and dad to initiate some movement within their own household. Theres an old saying that the family that plays together, stays together. This is the approach you should take to get your family moving! Its not exercise, its time to play!

First, you should pay close attention to what everyone in the family likes to do. For example, if both you and your spouse are tennis fanatics, tennis should definitely be on the exercise agenda. If your son is an avid golfer, you need to learn to swing! If your daughter is a devoted jogger, guess who needs to jog too? Find out what everyone in the family likes to do (and you probably already know) and then do it as a family!

Your familys fitness is important and the fitness schedule should be something that you will stick with throughout the year with a plan B if the weather prohibits the ability to follow through with one of your preferred activities. Make sure that everyone in the family gets to choose an activity to insure overall enthusiasm and participation from everyone! While planning your Family Fitness plan, you need to start planning some major changes within the kitchen and refrigerator as well. Its a good time to throw out all of the stale chips and make a commitment to replace the unhealthy choices with healthy alternatives!

Vegetables like carrot sticks, celery sticks, and fruits like apples, bananas, seedless grapes, fig newtons as well as air-popped popcorn, graham crackers and pretzels are excellent choices that children and teens will grab without a second thought if you make them available. Fill your fruit bowl, refrigerator, and cabinet with the healthier snacks and watch how your entire family doesnt even notice a significant difference. While youre at it, fill the refrigerator with bottled water and a variety of fruit juices. Diet sodas are loaded with sodium so toss them out the door too!

You can make some subtle changes that your family will appreciate you for later in life. Now is the time to make a healthy change for you and your family. Dont even mention the changes in the kitchen. Your children and teenagers will likely just grab something when they are in search of a snack. If you announce that the family is going to start eating more nutritious meals and snacks what kind of appeal does that have to the child who was raised on chicken tenders from Burger King?

Healthy living is maybe the greatest way to care for your family. It starts with you and most likely, your children will continue to do what they learned to do at home once they spread their wings and fly solo. Make sure you provide the healthy start they need to carry with them a lifetime!

Terje Brooks Ellingsen is an internet publisher. His website nv-Fitness4Life.com offers valuable free information for all who are interested in fitness issues, for example family life fitness and exercise. Check out Fitness4Life now.

Fastest and Healthiest Weight Loss Program - What You've Never Been Told

What is a factor in how to lose weight fast that isn't directly related to a diet or exercise program? Did you know that a combination of non-diet, and non-exercise related factors can actually increase your fast weight loss goal successes up to four times? If you're looking to lose 10 pounds in a week or just lose 15 pounds fast, these factors can make all the difference!

According to studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), there are definitely slower and faster ways to lose weight.

Following are some little-known tips that can help you evaluate whether a program will promote fast weight loss while still being healthy. These factors were found in a variety of studies showing significant differences than their counterparts in promoting faster and/or better long-term results.

The fastest and healthiest weight loss program should:

• Be a commercial directed program rather than self-study

  • A detailed food plan
  • An activity plan
  • A behaviormodification plan focused primarily on cognitive restructuring

• Reduce calories as well as fat in the diet plan

• Offer a prepared meal plan (31% more weight loss on average with this factor alone)

  • Pre-cooked meals designed to meet strict diet plan guidelines
  • Prepared snacks are available to meet energy requirements

• Encourage regular physical exercise more than 200 minutes per week

• Be web-based or a well-supported group therapy program

  • Participant logs onto the website frequently or attends regular meetings
  • Participation in support modalities is encouraged regularly and followed up on by interventionists.

• Engage the participant in behavior therapy

  • Regular online submission of self-monitoring diaries with individualized therapist feedback
  • Online forum
  • Regularly emailed behavioral lessons

• Have counseling done by a human via email rather than computer-automated counseling

Whether you want to lose 15 pounds fast, or just lose 10 pounds in a week, these factors are important. Finding a fast and healthy weight loss program that offers several of these factors could be a significant enhancement towards reaching your weight goals. Probably the best point would be to look for a program that offers prepared meals. Just prepared meals alone can up your weight loss an average of 31 percent-and it also greatly enhances quality of life, ease of participation, and longevity in the program.

Sofia Taylor specializes in weight-loss oriented research. Stop trying diets destined for failure. Sign up for a diet food delivery service today. Let them take the stress and hassle out of managing your diet. Check it out at http://www.squidoo.com/dietfooddelivery

How to Lose Weight Fast

There are all sorts of short term things you can do to quickly drop some pounds but they are not feasible for the long term, of course. But the best way to lose weight quickly and for good is to eat small meals several times per day.

Do not have a set time to eat a meal. In other words if you have a regimental routine of eating, say every nine o'clock you eat breakfast, two o'clock lunch etc. Your body becomes used to this routine and always expect the fat for storage.

When you eat regularly, and at different times in small portions, your body does not store fat. It knows there is food right around the corner and does not store fat by thinking there is a famine. If you where to eat a food that contained 60 calories but our body uses 90 calories to digest that food then you will actually be 30 calories better off than before you ate the food. This is therefore a negative calorie.

Most food of course contain more calories than you would use to digest it and this is where the program comes in as they provide you with the full guide of the foods which will help the weight loss diet to work. The big question of course though is whether it actually works.

Using moderate weights does not result in huge muscle mass, but it increases the body metabolism, firms the body and gives a slim look. Aerobic exercises can enhance your heart beat rate and breathing. Most people employ just the cardio side of losing weight. Which it is not bad but it more works the heart and lungs. You must incorporate a muscle workout of some kind. This is missing factor with so many.

Skip fake foods and supplements, and eat real.

To make your healthy transformation easier, the first step is to change your thinking. Look at the whole picture. Sure, you may want to drop a few pounds of extra fat, but is that all? Do you want healthy, supple skin? How about more energy for doing fun activities? Would you like to enjoy gorgeous shiny hair? How about fewer bouts of influenza, constipation, or indigestion? What you put into your body directly effects how well or poorly it functions. Nutrients from supplements are generally not as complete as the nutrients found in foods, and supplements contain only the ones that have already been discovered by scientists.

Focus on adding more nutritious foods to your diet, and don't dwell on depriving yourself of less nutritious, calorie rich foods.

For more information on a healthy way to loosing weight fast visit http://waterhousegold.blogspot.com

Weight Loss And Aerobics

There are great benefits to aerobic workouts in your weight loss program. For instance, one of the best things you can accomplish to improve your health and to lose weight is to increase your heart rate. You can achieve this with an aerobic workout which requires constant movement without rest. In order for this to be truly effective, you need sustained movement to get your heart rate up for a length of time. One of the benefits to this is that it oxygenates your blood. This in turn enables you to feel better, stronger and more focused.

Of course this type of workout increases the strength of your heart and your lungs. Aerobic exercise also makes your muscles stronger from working them for increased periods of time. Regardless of which part of the body you are working on, you will continue to get stronger as time goes by. Aerobics alone is not enough. Healthy eating is equally important and compliments your exercise regimen. You should realize that your enthusiasm for weight loss and improved health is complemented by a holistic program that includes both diet and exercise.

The diet most suited for improving your health and losing weight is composed of whole grains, vegetables and fruit. These foods are the ones designed for human consumption. The body has its own incredible ability to cure and regulate itself, but only when provided with the appropriate building materials-natural foods.

One of the most significant aspects of an aerobic program is the way it enables your body to burn fat. Other benefits include increased energy levels, reduced stress, improved mental outlook, increased heart and lung efficiency. A regular aerobics routine will also help reduce blood pressure, improve the heart's resting rate and reduce the risk of stroke or heart attack. Weight loss is, to some degree, created by a calorie deficit. That is, by burning more calories than you consume. By undertaking activities that burn calories, you help your body lose those unwanted pounds.

As an example, half an hour of low paced jogging will burn approximately 300 calories. This makes an important contribution towards your weight loss program.

It is not necessary to join to get an aerobic workout. There are numerous exercises that you can perform in and around your home. There are an ever increasing types of affordable home fitness products. You can use steps, skipping rope and rebounders. NASA considers rebounding to be the most efficient and effective form of exercise. You also might consider the dance mats that can be used with game consoles.

However, the best exercise (when the weather permits) is outdoor exercise. Walking is perhaps the best exercise because it is low impact and available to almost everyone. The secret here is to walk hard and long enough to increase your breathing and your heart rate. Also, running, jogging or riding a bicycle are all great forms of aerobic activity. It is recommended that your exercise regimen consists of 3 to 5 times per week and for between 30 and 60 minutes. The essential point is that your heart and lungs are worked hard enough to enjoy the benefits of aerobic activity (but no so long that you hurt yourself).

Keep in mind that is important to start your program slowly. If you have been inactive for a while, don't try a long run. If a half hour of exercise feels like too much, try starting out with 10 minute sessions. The following week you can try to increase your time to 15 minutes. A lot of us consider exercise to be either difficult or inconvenient. The truth is that working out can be a great deal of fun with wonderful benefits. It is an important habit to develop and one that will provide positive benefits for years to come.

Kathryn Soloff is the mother of 8 children and a natural foods cook for over 30 years. She is co-publisher of http://www.natural-remedy-dot-com.com/fatburnerreviews/herbal_fat_burners.html where she provides additional advice, tips and hard to find information on Weight Loss

Sign up for our free ecourse: 10 Steps To Lose Weight Without Dieting

Calorie Shifting Diets

Calorie shifting is quite a new way of dieting that has come from out of nowhere to be one of the fastest growing methods around. Countless users have made so many wonderful remarks about it on various forums that it seems almost too good to be true. Is that the case though or is it really a great way of dieting.

The majority of diets available today are based on the idea of eliminating food groups and seriously lowering the amount of calories that you consume each day. The calorie shifting diet however instead focuses on the idea of rotating the groups of food you eat each day.

The reason it works is because by shifting the foods you eat your body fails to recognize that you are on a diet. This keeps your metabolism working at a good rate. Other diets fail for the good reason that they fail to stop your body from sensing you are on a diet, which in turn slows down your metabolism and starts to store your fat instead of burning it.

Benefits include the fact that for every 11 days that you are on the diet program you then receive 3 full days to eat whatever you fancy eating. This provides fantastic motivation as you know the foods you love are never far away in the cycle. Being given 4 full meals a day also helps to stop cravings for food as you are never left feeling like you are being starved as is the case with many low calorie diets.

Using a calorie shifting diet helped me to achieve what I had failed to with other diets but it has also proved successful for so many others. If you are looking for a weight loss program that works continuously and brings good results then you will find it hard pressed to find one better.

For mor information on Calorie Shifting Diets visit this webpage: shifting calories.

Katie Turner lost 34 lbs after having her twins and you could too. To find out more click here.

Cardio Training vs. Resistance Training for Fat Loss

At this time of year, everyone is in a panic to lose some extra kilos before their summer holiday but before you rush out to the local gym in an attempt to shed those extra kilos, it might just pay to find out the best way to lose your excess body fat. Gyms have bulging fitness classes and every treadmill and exercise bike taken, it is easy to think that this is the right way to go. However you might be surprised to find that this is not necessarily the most effective way to rid yourself of your unwanted flabby parts.

The Science
Losing body fat is simply about creating a negative energy balance, i.e. expending more energy than we take in. We expend energy through
our metabolic rate
the energy required to take in, digest, absorb and utilise food
physical activity

Your metabolism is the key to effective, long term body fat reduction. Metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories to sustain itself. The higher your metabolism the more effective your body is at burning calories even whilst you are sleeping, sounds good to me. There are ways to increase your metabolism, however before I get onto that, a quick tip. Cutting calories can actually cause your metabolism to get slower, so dieting in the traditional sense will actually cause your body to go into a survival mode, enabling the body to store more fat rather than actually ridding yourself of it. So long as you have a reasonable calorie intake there is no reason to diet, however there is no substitute for eating good fresh, natural produce (but that is another discussion)

So what is the most effective way to increase your metabolism? Muscle is the most metabolically active tissue in your body, so increasing the amount of muscle mass in your body substantially increases your bodys abilities to burn body fat.

Cardio Training
Physical activity of any kind burns calories, we all understand that, and actually jumping onto a treadmill and pounding out a few kilometres each day has the overall effect of burning calories whilst you are training. This is good, but you do need to stick at it, and youll need to change your training regularly to continue burning the same amount of calories. This is because you body is clever, it quickly becomes more efficient at doing this type of training i.e. not expending as much energy for the same quantity of work. Cardio training is also not the most effective way to build lean muscle mass, in fact doing to much cardio training is catabolic in nature, meaning that it actually breaks down muscle mass, you just have to look at marathon runners for evidence of this.

Resistance training
Resistance training is training your body to overcome resistance in the form of a weight, be it your body weight, using weights held in your hands, or operating the machines in your local gym. Many people shy away from this form of training for a variety of reasons. However many studies have shown this type of training is by far the most effective fat burning strategy, and guys (and especially girls), you will not end up looking like Arnie, not unless you want to live in the gym for the next 5 years.

By following a resistance training program that focuses on working multiple muscle groups in every exercise is by far the most time efficient training. In double quick time you will shed the excess body fat and develop a lean and flexible, fat burning machine. Women benefit especially from this mode of training, as it is physiologically improbable for you to make substantial gains in size. A study by Staron et al. (1990) showed that after a 20 week programme of heavy resistance training, female participants showed decreased body fat with an increase in muscle tissue, however, with no change in physical size. So the muscle you build, gives tone and shape to your figure, gives you stronger bones, improving also your body image and posture.

Resistance training has a triple effect for effect fat loss:
you burn calories whilst you are training
you are burning calories whilst your body is recovering
And you are burning more calories because your metabolism has increased with the increased muscle tissue.

Resistance Training Equipment
Save your money, dont go out and buy an expensive multi-station home gym, it is not necessary. It is not even necessary to step into a gym. I normally train at home with equipment not costing any more than 150 and you could probably get the required equipment for less than 100. Training with your own body weight is often enough, you can add resistance with some simple weights, and the use of a stability ball creates an enormous variety of workouts that gives your body a complete workout.

So you see there is an alternative to pounding out the kilometres on the treadmill, or wearing out the pedals on your exercise bike to fight the flab. Do not misunderstand what I say here, I do strongly believe that a certain amount of cardio training will help trim the body fat, but including resistance training into your workouts will definitely help you achieve your health goals in less time.

Tim Goodwin
GetFit.lu Personal Training for the busiest people

Tim is a fitness professional specialising in help the busiest people achieve more with there amateur sporting interests, and at the same time ridding them of excess body fat.

Based in Luxembourg, Tim writes about general fitness for keeping in shape, sports training for non professional sports people, goal achievement strategies and many other topics.

Visit http://www.getfit.lu/success.html to get a free 18 page report "How to lose weight even when you are really busy" containing a full 4 week program which you can start today!

The Suzanne Somers Diet Plan - Serious Weight Loss Or Hollywood Hype?

Suzanne Somers has parlayed her Hollywood acting career into the fitness and weight loss industry over the past several years now. Her latest entry is the Suzanne Somers diet plan or also called Somersizing. So, how does this weight loss plan stack up?

The Suzanne Somers diet plan is yet another in a long line of low carb high protein diets. Although not as severe as some diet plans of this nature, it still bans many healthy foods as well.

The major theme with this diet plan is food combining and eliminating sugar and white flour as much as possible.

The plan is broken into two levels; level one is the initial starting point and level two is the maintenance plan.

The Suzanne Somers diet plan encourages you to eat 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day instead of only three. The size of the portions are not as important as to the combing of the foods are.

As with other diets, water consumption is encouraged and any drink containing more than 10 calories is a no-no.

The diet plan includes a wide variety of unique recipes that are interesting at times.

Total calorie intake id limited to no more than 1200 calories a day. This is a starvation diet according to USDA guidelines, but I'll leave that for you to decide.

Since the diet is low in fiber, constipation may become an issue and needs to be watched. Junk food is eliminated in this diet, which is a good thing.

Something I found very interesting in the Suzanne Somers diet plan is that exercise is not discussed. This is the same woman who gave us great abs, thighs and even the ButtMaster machine, but her own diet plan fails to address the importance of exercise in maintaining a healthy weight? Rather odd I think.

While you can obtain weight loss with the Suzanne Somers diet plan, as a long term strategy it would be difficult to follow and stick to it. The foods are restrictive and the calorie limits are so low they border on starvation levels. Now where did that Thigh Master go?

By the way, you can learn more about How To Lose Weight as well as see the results from the plan I've been on and much more information on weight loss on my blog at http://www.FatLoss4IdiotsReview.net

Looking for Ways to Lose Weight Fast? Keep Some Things in Mind

If you want to lose weight, starving is not the answer. Excessive dieting or starving does not seem to produce long term weight loss. Many people seem to gain back the pounds they have lost when they leave dieting.

Our body needs food to function properly. Food acts as a fuel for our body. Instead of looking for ways to lose weight fast, you may need to change your whole lifestyle and eating habits.

Try to learn what are healthy eating habits, exercise programs you can regularly follow and what kind of things to avoid etc. Then try to implement as much as possible whatever you have learnt.

Try to lessen the intake of sugar, oil, salt and try avoiding junk food as much as possible.

If you keep looking for quick fixes then you might be setting yourself up for lots of dissapointments. The first few steps might be difficult but things can get easier if you stick to your resolution to lose weight in a healthy natural manner.

You can take the help of fat burning foods - foods which help in melting down the body fat like apple, grapefruit etc. To know more about fat burning foods click here - list of fat burning foods

Eating fresh raw fruits and vegetables and drinking lots of water can also help with weight loss. Also try to develop regular sleep habits. When we sleep our body seems to release 'human growth hormone' which can help in burning body fat, improve skin and even improve the general health. Read this article for tips on getting a good nights sleep - how to have a good night sleep

Find out from the expert, genuine facts about weight loss. Download this free report - Weight Loss Success Secrets

How to Lose Weight Fast

There are all sorts of short term things you can do to quickly drop some pounds but they are not feasible for the long term, of course. But the best way to lose weight quickly and for good is to eat small meals several times per day.

Do not have a set time to eat a meal. In other words if you have a regimental routine of eating, say every nine o'clock you eat breakfast, two o'clock lunch etc. Your body becomes used to this routine and always expect the fat for storage.

When you eat regularly, and at different times in small portions, your body does not store fat. It knows there is food right around the corner and does not store fat by thinking there is a famine. If you where to eat a food that contained 60 calories but our body uses 90 calories to digest that food then you will actually be 30 calories better off than before you ate the food. This is therefore a negative calorie.

Most food of course contain more calories than you would use to digest it and this is where the program comes in as they provide you with the full guide of the foods which will help the weight loss diet to work. The big question of course though is whether it actually works.

Using moderate weights does not result in huge muscle mass, but it increases the body metabolism, firms the body and gives a slim look. Aerobic exercises can enhance your heart beat rate and breathing. Most people employ just the cardio side of losing weight. Which it is not bad but it more works the heart and lungs. You must incorporate a muscle workout of some kind. This is missing factor with so many.

Skip fake foods and supplements, and eat real.

To make your healthy transformation easier, the first step is to change your thinking. Look at the whole picture. Sure, you may want to drop a few pounds of extra fat, but is that all? Do you want healthy, supple skin? How about more energy for doing fun activities? Would you like to enjoy gorgeous shiny hair? How about fewer bouts of influenza, constipation, or indigestion? What you put into your body directly effects how well or poorly it functions. Nutrients from supplements are generally not as complete as the nutrients found in foods, and supplements contain only the ones that have already been discovered by scientists.

Focus on adding more nutritious foods to your diet, and don't dwell on depriving yourself of less nutritious, calorie rich foods.

For more information on a healthy way to loosing weight fast visit http://waterhousegold.blogspot.com

Weight Loss: The Key to Discipline

Recently, two co-workers of mine were discussing their weight loss efforts and part of that conversation stuck with me. One of them said, "It sure is a lot harder to lose weight than it is to gain it." The other one answered, "Yeah, thats because gaining weight is fun." I laughed with them, because there is some truth to that statement.

Yes, it can be fun to eat with abandonment and not think about whether what you are eating is healthy or not; it is only the consequences that are painful. Examples of shorter term consequences are pain in your stomach, indigestion, and sluggishness. The longer term consequences are high blood pressure, heart disease, and shortness of breath. Seeing your appearance change for the worse is painful too. Focusing on these consequences is key to developing self-discipline.

Discipline is necessary to achieve your weight loss goals and any goal that you want to achieve in life. After all, you dont have to employ discipline to do those things that you enjoy. For example, I wouldnt have to discipline myself to eat chocolate bars because I enjoy them, however I do have to discipline myself to limit them in my life. How do I do it? Discipline requires two skills: Desire and diversion.

Desire means that you have to want the goal that your discipline will help you achieve more than anything. For example, I wanted to lose weight and get healthy more than I wanted the chocolate bars. Each time I desired the chocolate bar, I had to remind myself of the alternate goal and make it real and vivid. I had to see myself with that goal already achieved and experience the pleasure of it. I had to make that pleasure more intense than the pleasure I imagined I would receive from eating the chocolate bar.

The second skill is diversion, which is simply engaging in an activity that diverted my attention away from the undesirable activity. In the chocolate bar example, I had to either give myself something that I would enjoy eating that was healthier for me or perform an alternate activity that would help me better meet my needs. For example, if I was angry, eating a chocolate bar would not help me, but taking a long walk to cool off likely would.

My co-worker was right: For many of us, losing weight is harder than gaining it. But we need to remind ourselves that, although it is harder to lose weight, it is not impossible. It is also worth the effort. Then we use our key of discipline to help us achieve what we want. It is the only way to get the body that we deserve.

A Registered Nurse for many years, Kimberly Floyd battled obesity for much of her adult life. She achieved her ideal weight and has written a new book entitled 'Moneywise Weight Loss' which teaches others how to lose weight and save money--at the same time.

Kim has written articles for the Georgia Nurses Association publication and Nursing Spectrum Online. Now a technical writer, she has written training programs for corporate clients, including IBM, U.S. Bank, and Cingular.

Kim also teaches an online course called 'Goodbye to Shy'. This course is distributed to over 1100 colleges and universities in the United States, Canada, and Australia through Thomson Learning. An accomplished speaker and trainer, she delivers presentations on health-related topics to enthusiastic audiences.

Atkins Pre Maintenance Phase

After experiencing the Induction and OWL phases of the Atkins diet, your next step is to enter the pre-maintenance phase. This phase will set you up for a lifetime of healthy and balanced eating and living. You should begin this phase as you come within 5 to 10 pounds of your target weight goal. Your weight loss will be slowed down even further but it is for a purpose. You want to learn the practices and habits that will determine your long-term success.

In the OWL phase, you will be adding carbohydrate grams to your daily count in the increment of 5 grams per week. During pre-maintenance you will increase that to 10 grams per week. As long as you are continuing to shed weight (no matter how slowly it is coming off) you will continue to add grams. Ideally, toward the end of the pre-maintenance phase you will be losing less than one pound per week.

According to the Atkins book, you should continue this phase until you get to your goal weight and can maintain it for a month. This process may take anywhere from 1 to 3 months. Your goal is to reach a state called "carbohydrate equilibrium." This is your ideal carbohydrate intake and it will cause you to maintain your weight perfectly.

During pre-maintenance you'll get to try a wider variety of foods. Make sure to introduce new foods slowly and increase your carbohydrate intake at a measured pace. Don't add 20 or 30 carb grams a week. Measuring out the increases in increments of 10 will give you a better idea of your personal carbohydrate count. Knowing this number will help set you up for long term weight management.

Make sure to check with a carbohydrate counter resource book or a trusted website before you add a new food to your diet. Some examples of 10 carbohydrate gram foods include 1/3 of a cup of legumes, an apple, cup of potatoes and cup of plain oatmeal. These foods can be included on a daily basis, and then increased the next week.

Pre-maintenance is not a perfect process. It takes a delicate balance of carbohydrate counting and exercise to slow weight loss yet still move it forward. You'll need to pay even closer attention than you have before to make sure that your carb gram increase is not resulting in an increase in weight. There is a fine line between gaining, maintaining and losing, and during pre-maintenance you are trying to find out just exactly where that line is.

If you aren't able to add carbohydrates without stalling your weight loss, you may have a high metabolic resistance. You will benefit from increasing your exercise regimen to get your metabolism burning at a higher level. For you, the pre-maintenance phase will resemble OWL more closely.

Some people do a variation on pre-maintenance that allows them to have a treat once a week. Instead of adding 10 grams per day, they allow themselves a 20 to 30-carbohydrate gram treat a few times a week. Examples of the treat could be a piece of a fruit or a serving of sweet potatoes. A glass of white wine or beer also qualifies for this treat. This is a fun way to reward yourself and still be on the plan.

Yet another way to do pre-maintenance is to average out your carbohydrate intake for the week. Since life is sometimes unpredictable, it can be helpful to have a bit of flexibility in your eating plan. For example, if your current carbohydrate level is at 70 grams, you can limit yourself to 50 grams one day. Then the next day, you can splurge a bit on a meal and have 90 grams for that day. However, only follow this method if it doesn't create carbohydrate cravings. Sometimes excess carb grams on one day can make you crave them even more the next day.

The pre-maintenance phase will give you the tools for long-term success. By learning to slowly increase your carbohydrate grams, you'll have a better hold on the amount of carbohydrates that is right for you.

Roger Mitchell has spent lots of years writing informative articles on atkins diet like atkins diet basics Other related subjects can also be found at http://www.HealthyCafe.org/sitemap/index.html

This content may be used only in its entirety with all links included.

Medifast Diet Plan Review - Real Weight Loss

The Medifast Diet has gotten lots of press lately; and for good reason. Its been shown to be very successful at its stated goal of assisting with relatively quick and comfortable weight loss.

The diet program involves almost complete meal replacements. These replacements are custom designed for maximum nutrient content as well as low calories (naturally). Their usual diet plan involves using these meal replacements 5 times day, as well as having one "lean and green" meal each day that you prepare yourself; which typically is comprised of some veggies and a lean piece of meat. The meal replacements come in many varieties of shakes, bars, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, soups, puddings, etc. You don't go hungry since you are eating every 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

The Medifast weight loss solution has been shown to be effective by many studies. It's more appropriate for someone who wants to lose more than twenty pounds; since such an extensive use of replacement meals is a significant lifestyle change. But if you want to lose more than 20 lbs, then this may be the answer. Because your food intake is so controlled; you basically cannot help but lose weight. 5 lbs a week is typical.

After reaching your goal, the next phase of the program kicks in - 'Transition'. Here you are re-introduced to regular foods, but in a planned way so that you can keep your new weight. After transitioning back to your own foods; the 'Maintenance' program activates, which is designed to help you make healthy food choices and get appropriate exercise.

The best thing to do is to have a look at their site (linked below) and go from there.

For details see The Medifast Diet

How to get Bigger Arms

Big arms and bodybuilding go together like Coffee and Coffee-mate, don't you think? In fact, I think alot of us (especially men) would have first grabbed a weight or walked into a gym dreaming of massive python-like arms!

However, the problem is that many think that they will be able to build great arms by performing endless bicep curls till the cows come home. Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but doing so will not create large arms. In fact, you'll be on your way to the point of diminishing returns in no time.

Here's why - Your upper arm is made up of two major muscle groups the biceps and the triceps, and many lifters make the mistake of only training the biceps, failing to realise that the triceps only make up two-thirds of the upper arm mass. The triceps are a beautifully-shaped muscle when well developed. Surprised?

I've had friends who want bigger arms but only ask me what the best biceps exercises are. I normally end up giving them my favourite triceps exercises instead.

For good arm development, allocate a few more sets for your triceps rather than biceps. If you always start your arm training with your biceps first (almost everyone I see in the gym does this), try switching the order. Train your triceps first before you train your biceps.

Though you should always strive for a balance of all muscle groups, trust me when I say that if your biceps development are weaker but if you possess well developed triceps - your arms would still look spectacular! The same can't be said for the reverse.

The bottomline? If you want big arms, get big triceps!

Josh Stone, also known as DM, is the author behind the site http://www.dailymuscle.com which offers the author's personal views on real-life fitness, bodybuilding, sports nutrition, cardio, fat loss, training information, and on all things that surrounds fitness.

Weight Loss Is Simple Math, Right?

There is much debate in the world of calories these days. The simplistic approach of just reducing caloric intake in order to lose weight has become scrutinized. Not necessarily because it's wrong, but because there's more to the story. Or is there? Let's take a look and see.

It has long been held that creating a caloric deficit, either by consuming fewer calories or by burning off more calories, is all that is needed in order to reduce weight. Simple math.

Calories In - Calories Out = Caloric Deficit/Surplus = Weight Loss/Gain

Take in more calories than you burn off...gain weight. Burn more calories that you consume...lose weight. In other words, regardless of what you eat, so long as you consume less calories than you burn off you will lose weight. Simple, right?

Yes, and that's the problem. Let me explain. Given that a gram of protein and a gram of carbohydrate both contain 4 calories, you would assume that consuming 50 grams of each would have the same effect on the body. After all, both would constitute a 200 calorie intake (btw, calories per gram of any given nutrient are averages and will vary from food source to food source...therefore, 2 grams of fat taken from two different food sources may actually have caloric discrepancies, even though fat in general is given a caloric content of 9 calories per gram). However, this is not the case. Data suggests that the thermic effect of nutrients will vary, with protein having the highest metabolic cost of the three macronutrients (protein the highest, then carbohydrate, then fat).

Therefore, simple math will tell you that if it takes more energy to metabolize 200 calories of protein than it does to metabolize 200 calories of carbohydrates, consuming 200 calories of each can't possibly be equal in terms of the effects it will have on weight loss efforts. In other words, simple math will tell you it's not simple math. Even within nutrients, there are differences in metabolic cost. For instance, fiber will have a higher metabolic cost than simple sugars.

So what is the message behind all of this? Counting calories is not good enough when it comes to achieving optimal weight loss. The composition of your meals will have an impact, and metabolic cost is one mechanism by which this will occur. Other factors that determine how you respond to the composition of your meals include hormonal responses, health status, and exercise habits...among others.

So while calories consumed is important, if you're not losing weight by simply cutting calories you need to consider other options. Taking a close look at the composition of your meals would be the ideal place to start.

Chad Anderson, CSCS is the owner/operator of Anderson Fitness Solutions, a personal training, fitness programming, and weight management business. He holds a bachelor's degree in exercise science with a minor in nutrition and is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA. You can visit his fitness information website at http://www.chadandersoncscs.com