The Secret to Reaching Your Ideal Weight

By: Sonia Devine

There are many books and internet articles written about weight control. However, if you already know the stuff you should be doing, you might want to skip past the next section of this article. For those of you who are starting at the beginning, here's some useful information:

Energy is measured in units called calories or kilojoules. If you want to lose weight, then the total calories that your body absorbs through eating and drinking must be less than the calories that your body expends throughout the day. And of course, if you wish to gain weight, the opposite is true.

You can also help your weight control along by participating in regular daily exercise, because this helps your body burn more calories. It does this not only during the exercise session, but also for hours later, by raising your body's metabolic rate. When you exercise, you produce feel good chemicals in the brain which are called endorphins, and these often help to stop you from reaching for those high calorie snacks such as cakes, donuts and chocolate. Also, exercise changes the fat and muscle ratio in your body. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so make sure you enlist all the help you can get by exercising!

So if we have all this information at our fingertips, then why do so many people have such difficulty reaching their ideal weight? Well, I must tell you that a lot of it has to do with your subconscious belief systems. Do you know all the basics, but still find yourself unable to stick to a healthy eating and exercise regimen? You're definitely not alone.

At this point, I would like to say that if you want to lose weight, then I strongly suggest that you reframe the notion of "losing weight". So instead of saying you want to lose weight, I would like you to think of your goal in terms of "gaining control of your weight", or, as the title of my article suggests, "reaching your ideal weight".

The reason for this, is because your subconscious mind can be a fickle beast, and when you "lose" something, what do you automatically (and subconsciously) want to do?

You want to find it again!

So it's really important to focus your mind towards what you want, instead of what you want to lose, and this is because your subconscious mind works best with positive language. And speaking of which, how is YOUR body image? Do you continuously criticize yourself , or berate yourself for indulging in that triple choc milkshake? If so, STOP right now. If you want to reach and maintain your desired weight goals then you need to make permanent but manageable lifestyle changes, while at the same time allowing yourself the odd indulgence...without feeling guilty!

So, be realistic and work at a steady pace towards reaching and maintaining a body shape that is achievable for you. If you've always had a pear shaped body, then you will not be able to slim down to a straight-up-and down shape, even if you starve yourself! Don't fall into the trap of unhealthy eating habits; depriving your body of essential nutrients is every bit as damaging as overeating.

Begin by working WITH your natural body shape, not against it. Send your subconscious mind the message that you love and respect your body. One of the ways you can help yourself along is by using daily affirmations. Start today; write down any negative beliefs you have about your body, and then replace these negative statements with positive ones. Remember:

You can achieve anything if you enlist the help of your subconscious.

Author Bio
Sonia Devine is a qualified professional hypnotherapist and success coach with a caring and committed approach to healing, who lives in Melbourne, Australia. You can find more of her information on attracting wealth, self image, love, relationships, phobias and much more on her website Manifest Your Success

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How to Lose Weight Healthily and Keep Fats Off Permanently

By: Chris Chew

Burn The Fats And Keep Them Off Permanently!

How many times have you heard a friend say, "I am on a diet"? Then what happens is your friend would lose some weight for a while before putting them all back on again.

I'll bet you have also heard someone said that "Cardio exercise is the best way for losing weight". This person would then religiously pound the treadmill but results are agonizingly slow. Soon, he gives up and gains back all the weight he had lost, and sometimes even gaining some extra kilos!

Ah, so you thought you've finally found the answer to permanent weight loss. You went on a strict diet and ran your heart out. Yes, you dropped kilos real quickly. But somehow, something is wrong when you look into the mirror in your birthday suit.

Yes you have lost some weight, but somehow your body shape isn't as flattering as you would like it to be. And then suddenly, you hit a plateau. No matter how strict your diet and cardio workouts are, your weight just simply refuses to drop any further. Then horrors of horrors, your kilograms actually started piling on! You get disillusioned with the unrewarding program and soon you succumbed, gave up and blame it on your bad genes. Sounds familiar? Why???

Here's why. Firstly, the heading of the article said "Burn The Fats" and not "Lose Weight". My point is, by merely losing weight, you will also lose some muscle mass in the process. By losing muscles, you will lose body tone and thus your metabolism for burning calories will slow down correspondingly. Therefore, you have got to maintain or even build muscles while losing fats. You may even gain some weight because muscles are heavier than fats. See the paradox?

To lose fats and keep them off permanently, you have to combine healthy eating habits, incorporate cardio exercises and lift weights to build muscles. For every kg of muscles you pack, you will burn an extra 70-100 calories per day even without doing anything. Can you imagine the benefits of building up 5kg of extra muscles? You will be burning 350 to 500 extra calories a day even if you just laze around. You'll be burning a Big Mac everyday! To further illustrate my point, 1 kg = about 7,700 calories, thus if you burn 500 calories a day because of the extra muscles you have, you will be burning off about 1 kg every 2 weeks simply because of your higher metabolism rate! You'll also look good, healthy and well-toned too! Is it any wonder why body builders eat so much but do not put on fats as easily?

Everyone knows that intensive cardio and strict diets cause you to lose muscle mass along with fats. So while you will lose some weight at the beginning, you will look like, well, just a smaller version of you without any muscle tone. That's not what we want isn't it?

As you lose more and more muscles, your metabolism plummets. On top of that, your body will start conserving fats and 'eat' your muscles for energy because it is reacting to your strict diet and is now in the "famine" mode. What happens then is that you will hit a plateau and no matter what you do, you will not reduce anymore weight and your fats will start creeping up again. This, in a nutshell, is the 'yo-yo' dieting effect that we hear so much about.

Losing fats is simple. And notice that I said 'simple' but did not say that it is 'easy'. My pointers will be simple to understand, but the execution will take determination and discipline on your part. It is a lifestyle change to keep the fats off permanently and you will be glad you did because you will get used to the changes in only a few weeks. By then, it will become a cultivated habit for you, especially when you are rewarded with a fitter, healthier, hunkier and sexier you, together with a glowing complexion to boot!

Here is how you do it. Simply, losing fat just means you must burn more calories than you consume. Period.

Lift weights with compound exercises. Forget those puny biceps and triceps curls. Go for big muscle groups like legs, back and chest routines. Why? Because you are working with bigger parts with more mass, and that means more body muscles are working, translating into more calories being expended. If you are fit, do giant sets (4 or more exercises or sets with no rest in between sets or exercise).

Here's an example. Lift only one set of each exercise with no rest in between the exercises. Choose a weight of about 60%-70% of what you normally lift and go for at least 25 reps. Lift more if you can or until your muscles are fatigued, then stop. Leave the gym. The whole routine should not take you more than 40 minutes. But remember to warm up thoroughly and cool down with some light movements and stretching.

After thoroughly warming up, start with squats, then dip, bench press, barbell row and military press. Sounds simple? Not so. You will be huffing, puffing and sweating profusely. What is achieved? You will have combined a cardio workout with a weightlifting workout and your metabolism will burn for the next several hours. Do this 3 times a week with at least a day's rest in between lifting days.

After 4-8 weeks, change the sequence of the exercises. So if you usually squat first, then squat last. Then after another 4-8 weeks, change some of the exercises, like substituting squats with dead lift, or bar bell rows with lat pull down. This is to shock your muscles so that they continue to adapt and grow.

For cardio, go for a run first thing in the morning before breakfast. If you are jogging at normal speed, sustain the jog for at least 45 minutes. If you are running at 65% to 80% of your maximum heart rate (you will be panting and unable to sing or complete a sentence while running), then 20-30 minutes will be enough. Anything more than that may cause muscle break down. You may intersperse the speed with slower jogs in between to catch your breath. Do these 5-6 times a week.

Eating habits? Just eat less of what you normally eat. For example if you have 2 slices of bread with 2 eggs in the morning, now take just one slice and an egg. Just eat half of what you eat but eat more regularly. Have 5 to 6 meals a day if you can. This is to feed your body frequently so that it will not go into starvation mode and start to conserve fats. At the same time, it will boost metabolism because your body burns calories while digesting the food. Chuck away all soft drinks, sugared drinks and stop adding sugar into your coffee and tea. Just by abstaining from sugary drinks, you may already have gotten rid yourself of 200 calories per day. Drink plenty of water instead and double the amount if you can.

Oh, by the way, all work and no play make Jack a dull tired boy and an exhausted Jill. Do choose a day to relax a week. No exercise on that day. Indulge in your favorite food if you must. Hey, pat yourself on the back and reward yourself for passing another grueling week. After all, your body needs to recover too.

As you reach your fat loss goals and you are happy with your muscular development, you can then take things a little easier. Hit the gym less frequently, have shorter runs and even relax a little in your diet. Because of your greater musculature, your body is now a fat-burning machine. You have earned that luxury.

Simple? Sure. But do you have the determination enough to lose those fats and keep them off permanently? It's your call folks!

Author Bio
Chris Chew is a Singapore based American Muscle and Fitness Institute's Master Trainer. His clients consist of TV personalities, models, winners of national and international pageants. He has appeared on national TV and papers on numerous occasions. For more articles like this and free newsletters like this, check out www.sgfitnessonline.com

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7 Tricks How To Stick To Your Decision To Lose Weight

By: Arina Nikitina

So, you've decided to lose weight. You're changing your eating habits, you began to exercise... But do you know what the most difficult part is?

It's ability to stay on track. Here are few tips that will help you to stay on track:

1. Remind yourself about your reasons.
Write down all the benefits of loosing weight and review it on a daily basis. It doesn't take long, and it will keep you motivated through the day.

2. Use affirmations
Repeat the positive phrase to yourself whenever you have chance to or if you need inspiration.

3. Use visualization
Visualize yourself being slim. Imagine how you feel. Imagine what your friends will say. Use the power of your imagination to stay on track.

4. Form a success habit.
First, ask yourself what habits it will take to lose weight. Exercising on a daily basis? Cooking healthy food?

It is the fact that in 30 days you can turn almost anything into a habit. ALL of our habits are formed the same way. By doing something over and over again until it becomes second nature. So all you have to do to form a new habit is to repeat the same action over and over again every day during 30 days. After 30 days it will become a habit.

But here is a catch: you can't afford to skip a single day. If you do you'll have to start over again. During first thirty days, if you miss even a single day of practice reset your 30-day clock to Day One and start from the beginning.

5. Find more time for cooking and exercising
If you think you don't have time for loosing weight, think again. Do you have time for watching TV? Reading newspapers or magazines? Chatting with friends? Well, if "yes" than you definitely have time for weight los s.

You don't have to eliminate all your activities; you can just cut back on them. Just trim by 10% the amount of time you spend on each of your daily activities. And invest the extra time in loosing weight.

6. Fight the temptation.
It is really very easy. All you have to do is prioritize. For example, if you see a pack of delicious cookies in the store and suddenly start craving one, ask yourself: "What do I want more: to eat this cookie or to have a beautiful slim body?" Listen to yourself. Is this cookie really so important to you?

If you're still craving it use the 10 minute rule. Take your mind off food for the next 10 minutes. If you're in a grocery store go to the book section and pick a very interesting book instead. Most of the time your craving will stop.

If not, you can take one serving and give the rest of the cookies to your neighbor. Or put them somewhere where it would be a problem for you to get them.

Author Bio
Arina Nikitina is the owner of a Free-Weight-Loss-Zone.com website where you can find free weight loss guide, weight loss myths, and a collection of diet and fitnes articles. Visit: www.free-weight-loss-zone.com

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Seven Keys to Permanent Weight Loss Success (Part 3 of 4)

By: Jeremy Likness

This is part 3 of the 4-part "Seven Keys to Permanent Weight Loss Success" series.

Key #4: Make it a lifestyle
You've heard this one so much you probably don't even pay attention to it anymore. The idea of a lifestyle change has become a cliche. Sure, we all want to avoid the yo-yo diet plan and make something permanent, but few people really take the effort to learn how.

Are you one of those people dead-set in making a difference, so you strap on your shoes, load your refrigerator with nothing but chicken and broccoli, then put on your blinders and focus 110% for twelve weeks until you reach your goal?

What happens after that?

Most people celebrate. They eat a lot. They take a break from training.

A few weeks later, they are back to square one. Instead of feeling great, they talk about how great it felt. Instead of looking terrific, they tell old stories like grandfathers in rocking chairs, "I remember when I could see my shoes and not my belly when I'd look down at my feet."

It's great to have focus and to take on the challenge and really pursue it. But have you stopped to think about what happens after?

Are you training and dieting for a few weeks, or for life?

Let me ask you this, if it's for life, can you imagine yourself eating the way you are eating from now until you are six feet under with a bouquet of flowers above your head? If not, it's time to change.

You see, living healthy doesn't have to be about diets and horrendous workouts. It can be about fun. I still recall the first time I set down the barbell and put on a pair of running shoes. Several people wrote me, horrified at the thought of how my muscles would wilt and wither from the rigors of training for a half marathon. How could I give up the admirable iron game for some lousy 13-mile run through the woods? What was I thinking?

The truth is, I'm beyond the need to compare my self-worth to the depth of my abdominal cuts or the girth of my biceps. I'm in this for life, and that means having fun. While I enjoy grabbing rusty dumbbells and slinging them around as I grunt, groan, and sweat like I'm taking an indoor shower, there's more to life than weight-lifting. That's why I like to ski, jog, and do other activities as well. I make it fun. And you know what? I can do fun. I don't have to always have a workout sheet and a pen to stay in shape. Sometimes all I need is a good pair of shoes, two hours of free time, and the good green earth to make my rounds.

The same is true for nutrition. Live a little. Experiment with healthy recipes. Understand what "better bad choices" and "portion control" means. If I want some cheesecake, I might order a slice and split it with my wife and daughter. You'll catch me eating a slice of pizza on occasion, and even sipping on a glass of red wine. The key is moderation. I don't have to count the days until my diet is over because I'm focused on the process, not the end result. Learn to get out of the finish line and into the race. You'll enjoy it more.

Key #5: Listen to your body
"Jeremy, I can't finish my cardio workouts because I get dizzy and nauseous when I do them first thing in the morning, but I can't eat food because they said I have to have an empty stomach to burn fat."

"Jeremy, I know I need a ton of protein, but I just can't seem to get it down. I get ill eating so much protein. How will I ever build muscle?"

These questions are common, because instead of listening to their body, many people are giving up their power by following the current trend or diet program. Your body has built-in mechanisms that can teach you a lot about what you are doing and if it is working. A healthy person knows when it is time to eat, because they get hungry. A healthy person also knows whether or not they require protein. These instincts are built in, but the S.A.D. diet (Standard American Diet) is so loaded with processed food that has no counterpart in nature, it's no wonder the signal is getting lost.

What happens when you are next to a busy intersection with a constant buzz of cars going by? Eventually, you will tune out the noise. It becomes part of the background. If you are standing next to a deserted road, however, the occasional car whizzing by will attract your attention. You'll be "in tune."

The typical diet is so loaded with salt that it completely nullifies your sense of taste. When you try to eat something that is low salt or salt-free, it tastes bland and disgusting. You reach immediately for the salt shaker or at least grab a bottle of Mrs. Dash and cover it with herbs and spices.

Try going without added salt for just four weeks. This is an experiment I experienced first hand, as did my wife, and so do many of my clients. The first few weeks are not fun, because everything is so dull. Then, just like a smoker who has stopped sucking on smoke for a few weeks, something amazing happens. Slowly but surely, your taste will return. Suddenly, you become aware of the subtle flavors in vegetables, fruits, grains, meats, and other foods that just tasted like salt and seasoning before. It's an amazing experience, if you let it happen.

By removing the additives, preservatives, refined sugars, processed grains, and other artificial components of your diet, you can start to sense your needs for protein and carbohydrates as well. I don't follow the traditional "slab of meat at every meal" bodybuilder diet. I know it's popular, but I choose to listen to my body.

I've force fed pounds of protein and the end result might be a little more muscle mass, but it also leaves me staring at a block of steak wishing I was somewhere else and hoping I never have to taste a bite of meat ever again. That's not living, it's dieting, and I'd rather live healthy than diet miserably. So, I stay in tune. If I crave protein, I eat it. If not, I might just have a vegetarian dish. I listen to my body.

If you have the most energy on an empty stomach first thing in the morning, go for it. If you're one of those who feels dizzy and weak, then listen to your body. Stop worrying about what "they" say about an empty stomach. Instead, get some food, let it digest, and then get to work. Whatever fat-burning benefit you might have from training on empty will be negated by your lack of energy. Add some fuel and then push down on the accelerator and go full throttle. In the end, it's calories that are king, not whether or not you time the meal before or after your workout.

If you thrive on high protein and lower carbohydrates, that's great. Personally, I get extremely irritable when I reduce my carbohydrates and get sick of eating protein when I raise my protein intake. So instead of giving up my power to the almighty diet, I listen to my body. I figure it knows what it wants. Of course, the trend is that you have to cut carbohydrates to lean down, so I made certain I lost 35 pounds and cut down to 7% body fat while eating 300 grams of carbohydrates and 90 grams of protein per day to prove that, first, you can lose fat even with carbohydrates in your system, and second, it doesn't take pounds of meat and tubs of protein powder to maintain a muscular physique. The proof is in the pudding - you can see my menus and my progress here.

Bottom line, get comfortable with you. Stop ignoring your body. Listen to it. If you find that your "splurge meals" are making you sick, think about the message your body is giving you and decide if you are going to continue it week after week, or if it's time to take off the training wheels and grow up. You don't have to ha ve pizza every week to enjoy life.

Author Bio
Jeremy Likness is an author, motivational speaker, international health coach, Certified Fitness Trainer and Specialist in Performance Nutrition. He wrote the internationally selling book, Lose Fat, Not Faith www.LoseFatNotFaith.com (ISBN 0976907925) after losing 65 pounds of fat. He was a Top Finisher in a 2000 Physique Transformation competition. Read more articles by Jeremy at www.NaturalPhysiques.com

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Three Ways Music Can Help You To Lose Weight

By: Danielle Rivers

Music is the key to the soul. It can lift you up and put a smile on your face or alternatively it can bring you down and reduce you to tears. Music is powerful and fortunately you can use it to help with your weight loss.

The interesting thing about music is that the same track or song can induce different emotions in different people. If you met the love of your life during a particular song, then you probably enjoy it and feel happy when you hear it played on the radio. Another person may have been cruelly dumped by their boyfriend during that same song, played at the same time somewhere else in the world, chances are this song brings back all that pain and hurt the breakup caused.

Have you ever played upbeat music loudly when working out or been to a nightclub and found yourself dancing all night because the music was so good? Music not only generates positive emotions but it can also help to motivate you. Music can bring out the best in all of us, it makes you feel good and encourages us to move or dance. So how can music help you to lose weight?

Here are my top three tips to use music with your diet
1. Choose your favourite music album and as soon as you wake up in the morning put it on. Listen to it as you have breakfast and get ready for your day. It will put a spring in your step and help you to be positive, you will feel capable of anything and that feel-good feeling will carry you through the day. Being positive and happy makes you much more motivated and you will find sticking to your diet easy.

2. Put music in your car. Listening to the radio can help to relax you after a hard days work. If you get home stressed out and grumpy, you are much more likely to go to the cupboard and overeat. Play music in the car, as loud as you like and have a good sing. Putting all your frustrated energy into singing will help you feel relaxed and give your mood a much needed boost. You will get home refreshed and energetic rather than exhausted and feeling down.

3. If in the evening you are bored watching television you will find yourself going to the cupboard to snack on foods. This is a really bad time for all dieters. Turn off the television and put some music on, do your household chores, have a dance with your children, play games or invite friends over for coffee. Not only are you not overeating but you are also spending quality time with your family or friends.

I cannot tell you which is the best song to listen to or even which album motivates people the most. The choice is yours. It will be different for everyone and will probably depend on many factors, age, taste in music, life events, lifestyle, etc. What I can say is have a good look through your music collection and choose several albums, this way you won't get bored too easily and will enjoy the music. Try listening to songs you used to love when you were younger, it brings back happy memories and encourages you to lose those extra pounds

Think about buying a personal walkman or an MP3 player, both are small are portable ways to listen to music when you out and about. It might even motivate you into going for a long walk.Get some fresh air into your lungs and enjoy it. Don't look at it as exercise, it is simply getting out of the house to stretch your legs.

Good luck with your slimming and I hope the music tips help you with your weight loss.

Author Bio
Danielle Rivers is the author of Weight Wellbeing Diet Book
For more information and advice on weight loss visit www.weightwellbeing.com

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Five Ways to Start Losing Weight

By: John Smitherty

Some people find it hard to stick to diets and consistently fail to lose weight. They try nearly every kind of new dieting idea that comes along hoping that one of them would finally work, but the miracle never happens. Naturally, these people tend to overlook their own mistakes and fail to understand what prevents them from losing weight. The human brain displays a remarkable ability of ignoring the things it does not want to face, so it's not hard to understand why some people eat all manner of things and still claim they haven't touched anything but salad for a whole week.

But there are ways of working around these problems and if you don't want to become one of these people, then you should stick to these pointers. Their purpose is to make eating a conscious act in order to avoid giving in to compulsions and temptations. The easiest thing to do is to carry around a notebook and a pen and to write down everything you eat. And I mean every little thing. Have you finished that half a slice of pizza that your partner couldn't eat anymore? Write it down. At the end of the day look over the list and you'll be surprised at how many things you actually eat on a regular basis.

Since eating and drinking are, for the most part, acts that bypass rational thinking you should try to bring them out of the twilight zone. So every time you reach out for a drink or some food, stop and ask yourself "Why am I doing this?". You may be thirsty, hungry, bored, lonely, depressed, tired or stressed, but out of this list of reasons only thirst and hunger are legitimate. Put the bottle down if you're not thirsty. Put the food back on the shelf or on the table if you're not hungry. Do you crave sweets because you're tired? Get some sleep instead. Do you feel the need to eat because you're lonely and depressed? Go to the cinema or visit a friend. Read a book, watch a movie or listen to some music. There are options.

Never starve yourself. This is one of the big mistakes in dieting. Unless you have enough willpower to qualify for Nietzsche's Overman status you will break down sooner or later and eat the first thing that you can get your hands on. Such as snacks or fast food. Starvation also makes the body go into power save mode by limiting your energy levels and hanging on to the existing fat. The body makes no difference between dieting and actual starvation and will behave as if in danger. Therefore you must eat three meals a day, plus snacks consisting of fruit and vegetables. This is the best way to lose weight.

Don't try to banish your favorite foods completely because you will only sap your own willingness to stick to a diet. The key to dieting is moderation, not denial. Do you like ice cream? Well, have a couple of spoonfuls of ice cream every Sunday. Take a break from whatever it is you're doing and enjoy this special treat. Don't feel like you're cheating on the diet and keep any guilt pangs away. You're just dieting, not preparing for admission to a convent or monastery. So have a bit of forbidden food every five days or so and enjoy the moment.

And, of course, you must exercise. If you're not used to exercising and are a bit scared of all the effort and sweating, then start small. There's no need to rush into hour-long training sessions. Five minutes per day will do for starters. Get a treadmill and a pair of dumbbells and make your own schedule. Two minutes and a half of running and two minutes and half of curls. Every week increase the time spent exercising by another five minutes and add new exercises. Your goal should be to spend at least 30 minutes every day working out your body. Sixty minutes is even better, but it will come in time. It's OK to start small.

Author Bio
http://weightloss-information.50webs.com

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By: James Day When you begin the task of acquiring quality and relevant backlinks to your website there are many factors that can increase or decreas

By: Ron A. Edwards

The Weight Watchers diet program has helped many people to shed extra pounds, as well as helped many dieters find the road to healthier living. Dieters all over the country have found that Weight Watchers diet programs have worked for them. However, to help increase their chances of meeting their weight loss goals, many dieters currently using the Weight Watchers weight loss program have added Hoodia weight loss supplements to their current diet. The following paragraphs will discuss Hoodia Gordonii supplements in general, as well as how they can help you with your Weight Watchers diet program.

Hoodia Gordonii is a plant that resembles a cactus that grows in the Kalahari Desert. For centuries, the San people have been using the plant to naturally ward off their excessive hunger and thirst. Not only was Hoodia Gordonii a great asset to the South African San people during times of great famine, but the Bushman used it as a natural appetite suppressant on long hunts across the hot desert. We now have the same natural advantages as the people of South Africa have in the Hoodia Gordonii plant, and it comes in the form of Hoodia weight loss supplements.

Most Weight Watchers diet programs revolve around food points, and consuming only a set amount of food points in a given day. The specific program you choose will depend on several factors, including how much weight you want to lose, as well as how quickly you hope to lose it. Hoodia diet supplements like HungerAway by HoodiaPharm can help you stay within your point limits without being hungry!

HungerAway is one of the many Hoodia diet pills you can consider. HungerAway packs 100% pure Hoodia Gordonii into 100% vegetarian capsules for best results. HungerAway contains:

• no fillers
• no additives
• no preservatives

These Hoodia diet supplements made by HoodiaPharm, are made from 100% pure Hoodia Gordonii plant grown in the Kalahari Desert. There are no bothersome side effects associated with this natural appetite suppressant. Adding HungerAway Hoodia diet pills to your Weight Watchers diet program will help to naturally ward off hunger in between your meals.

In you are a dedicated dieter with strong motivation to meet your weight loss goals, but hunger and food cravings are setting you back, consider adding a Hoodia diet product, like HungerAway, to your Weight Watchers diet program. Not only does Hoodia Gordonii act as a natural appetite suppressant, it can also boost your metabolism, thus, helping you maintain your dedication, and strong motivation, to succeed in reaching your dieting goals.

Before you add any product to your current diet, you should consider first discussing it with your physician.

Author Bio
Ron A Edwards has written numerous articles related to weight loss. Ron maintains a weight loss blog at www.hungeraway.com/blogger/blog.html. To purchase HungerAway, or to learn more about Hoodia diet products, please feel free to visit www.hungeraway.com.

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How To Lose 20 Pounds REALLY, REALLY Fast

By: Tom Venuto

Back "in the day" when I used to be a full time personal trainer and I met with clients in person at my New Jersey Health Club, the first thing I would always ask my clients during the initial consultation was:

"Tell me exactly what you want... and I'll show you how to get it."

Typical reply from client:

"I want to lose 20 pounds fast."

My reply:

"Are you SURE that's what you want? If I can show you how to lose 20 pounds REALLY, REALLY fast, will that make you happy?"

They nodded their head affirmatively as their eyes lit up in anticipation of the quick weight loss secrets I was about to reveal.

Their face went white when - with a totally straight face - I pulled out a hacksaw and started walking towards them.... menacingly.

Not sure whether to laugh or to run away in sheer terror, they said,

"What the heck are you doing?"

"You said you wanted to lose 20 pounds fast. This is the easiest, surest, most effective way I know to take 20 pounds off you FAST! In fact, I figure that right leg of yours might even weigh 25 pounds!"

I kept walking closer and started to get into sawing position, wielding my fast, effective and guaranteed weight loss tool.

"Bear with me because this IS quick, but sometimes it takes a few minutes for me to cut through the bone."

By this time, my client and I are either completely cracking up, or I have seriously scared the living you know what out of them, or they just think I'm a complete lunatic. (it depends on whether I was able to keep a straight face or not).

Finally, the light bulb goes on, and my client would see where I was going with this:

"Okay, smart alec," I get it. I don't want to lose WEIGHT, I want to lose FAT."

Sometimes I would be having so much fun, I would just keep on playin'.

"But why not? This is easy, fast and guaranteed - just what everyone wants these days, it's even better than taking a pill! Come on, let me hack it off! You'll be my next testimonial: 'I lost 20 pounds in 5 minutes!' Imagine what that will do for my business!"

"Very funny. I told you, I get it, I get it! I want to lose FAT, not muscles and bones. I need my leg!

Naturally, of course, I didn't always have to pull out my trusty blade. Every once in a while, about as often as a total solar eclipse, a client answers my question like this:

"What do I want? Tom, I want to lose 20 pounds of body fat in the next 12 weeks. I want to do it slowly, safely and healthfully and then keep it off permanently. I want all the fat around my hips and thighs completely gone and I want a firm flat stomach. I want muscle all over my body while still looking feminine. I'd like to see myself at about 16% body fat and maintain all my muscle or gain a few pounds of lean mass if I can, especially in my arms. This is important to me because I want to set a good example for my kids, I want to be healthy and live to at least 90 and I want my husband to look at me and say, "I love your body, honey," and I want to be able to *honestly* say back to him, "me too!"

It is on these rare occasions that I know there is still intelligent life on this planet.

If you could answer the question, "What do you want" with the degree of clarity that this woman did, I don't think you would ever have any difficulty reaching your health and fitness goals... or any other goal in your life, for that matter.

This answer is what you call a very "well-formed" goal, backed up with lots of emotional motivation-inducing "reasons why."

"I want to lose weight" is a poorly-formed goal.

"Weight" is not the same as "fat." Weight includes muscle, bone, internal organs as well as lots and lots of water.

If you only get ONE thing from this article, get this:

WHAT YOU REALLY WANT IS TO BURN THE FAT, WHILE KEEPING THE MUSCLE!!!!

FAT LOSS is what you want, not weight loss.

If your body was 100% rock-solid muscle, with absolutely nothing that jiggled (unless it was supposed to), would you care how much you weighed?

I bet you wouldn't!

SO STOP WORSHIPPING THE SCALE AND START MEASURING YOUR BODY COMPOSITION!

By measuring your body fat, you take the guesswork out of your health and fitness plan and you get an accurate picture of what's really happening in your body as a result of your diet and exercise program.

Instead of worrying about whether you are losing muscle, or wondering if you are losing fat, you can measure it and KNOW for sure. (I always get a good chuckle when someone tells me they're worried about losing muscle when they don't even measure how much muscle they have!)

Instead of being confused by all the "opinions" from weight loss and exercise "experts" who are all telling you something different, you can MEASURE your body composition and based on the results, you can KNOW for sure whether your program is working.

A very wise man once said,

"A single measurement is worth a thousand opinions."

So, how do you measure body fat?

There are many methods. Thanks to technology, there are some methods today that are so accurate, they can tell you whether your left pinky has more fat than your right pinky! Unfortunately, many of them are either too expensive or they are inaccessible, being found only in hospitals or research facilities.

Instead of boring you with a lecture about all the various body fat testing methods, let me give you three quick and easy, practical suggestions:

Suggestion 1: Have a trainer or fitness professional measure your body fat if this service is available at your local health club. Sometimes, there's a charge - usually $15 - $25, although some clubs offer the service for free to all their members.

Suggestion 2: Purchase an Accu-measure skinfold caliper. The Accumeasure was designed to allow you to measure your own body fat in the privacy of your own home (you don't need someone else to measure you). Do a google or yahoo search to find a reseller.

Some people wonder if this is really accurate. Truth is, it's not quite as accurate as a multi site skinfold test from an experienced tester, but it's better than nothing. Besides, what's most important is not the "accuracy" per se, but the reliability and ! consistency of your measurements so you can track your progress. Skinfold calipers in general are not accurate or inaccurate, it's the person doing the test that is accurate or inaccurate.

Suggestion 3: If you have a spouse, roommate, or friend who can measure your body fat, you can purchase a "Slim Guide" body fat caliper. The Slimguide is the best inexpensive (about $20), caliper available for multi-site testing, but it wasn't designed for you to measure your own body fat like the Accu Measure. Other models of body fat calipers (if you want to splurge), range from $150 to $450. (At our health clubs, I use the electronic "SKYNDEX" caliper with the 4-site "Durnin formula.")

The calipers come with instructions, or you can use these formulas, which I have used and found to be very accurate:

4 Site formula for men (abdomen, suprailiac, thigh, tricep)

% fat = .29288(sum of 4 skinfolds) - 0.0005(sum of four skinfolds squared) + 0.15845(age) - 5.76377

4-Site Formula for women (abdomen, suprailiac, thigh, tricep)

% Fat = (.29669)(sum of 4 skinfolds) - (.00043)(Sum of four skinfolds squared) + .02963(age) + 1.4072

Source: Jackson A S, Pollock, M (1985) Practical assessment of body composition. Physician Sport Med. 13: 76-90.

Body fat percentages vary based on age and gender, but 20-25% body fat is average for women (15-19% is ideal), while 15-20% is average for men (10-14% is ideal).

Once you know your body fat percentage, then weigh yourself and record your weight and body fat on a progress chart. You can also calculate your lean body mass (muscle and other fat free tissue) very easily just by crunching some numbers:

For example, if you weigh 200 pounds and you have 10% body fat then you have 20 pounds of fat (10% of 200 = 20). That means you have a lean body mass (LBM) of 180 pounds. Now we're talking! With this data, you can get a really clear picture of how your exercise and nutrition program are affecting your physique.

Losing weight is very easy. Losing fat - and keeping it off without losing muscle - is a much bigger challenge. If you simply wanted to lose weight, we could just chop off your leg. Or, (slightly less painful), I could show you how to drop 10 - 15 pounds over the weekend just by dehydrating yourself and using natural herbal diuretics. Bodybuilders and wrestlers do it all the time to make a weight class. But what good would that do if it's almost all water and you're just going to gain it all back within days?

You don't have to "throw away your scale" like many "experts" tell you to. By all means, keep using the scale, the tape measure and even photographs and the mirror - the more feedback the better, but body fat is where it's at.

By the way, I recently bought a chain saw and a shiny new axe from Home Depot, and I've been practicing my "A merican Psycho" and Jack Nicholson, "The Shining" impersonations... so if you want to come to my office any time soon for personal consultation, you'd better have the right answer to my question, "What do you want?"

Author Bio
Tom Venuto is a certified personal trainer, natural bodybuilder and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle. You can get info on Tom's e-book at www.burnthefat.com. To get Tom's free monthly e-zine, visit http://www.fitren.com.

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Omega 3 Fish Oil and Weight Loss

By: David McEvoy

A lot of people still don't know there are fat burning foods that can actually increase the number of fat calories your body burns each day? These are known as free foods and are generally low in calories; in fact some of these foods are so low in calories that your body actually burns more calories metabolising them, than the total amount of calories in the food it's self.

Although fat burning foods are important for anyone who wants to lose weight and keep it off for good, they're vital if you're one of these people who find it hard to lose weight. No matter how much exercise you do or how hard you diet, your genetics and metabolic make up play a vital role in determining how fast and how much weight you lose.

Genetic differences also affect how much weight you gain when you eat too much. One study of 12 groups of identical twins was overfed for 100 days. One set of twins gained 29 pounds. A second set, however, gained only 13 pounds even though both sets of twins were overfed with the same number of calories. Of course, fat burning foods won't compensate entirely for genetic differences this ultimately comes down to a balanced calorie controlled eating regime and excersie. They will however make fighting fat a lot easier in the long run.

Types of fat
There are two types of fat "good fat" and "bad fat"

Actually there are 4 types of fat: Monounsaturated, Polyunsaturated, Saturated and Tran's fat, but they can still be catorigised as good and bad.

Monounsaturated (good fats)
Monounsaturated fats are considered good fats and are said to help reduce cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure and to help control diabetes.

These good fats are found in food like; olive oil, peanut oil, cashews, canola oil, hazelnuts, peanuts, macadamia nuts, pistachios, pine nuts and chicken fat.

Polyunsaturated (good fats) omega 3 and omega 6
Polyunsaturated fats are also considered good fats and are said to reduce triglycerides, inflammations and tumour growth. They also help to improve immune function and help protect against sudden death from heart disease.

Polyunsaturated fats can be broken down into two categories: Omega 3 and Omega 6

Omega 3 is found in foods like Canola oil, walnuts, flaxseeds, hempseeds, salmon, mackerel, trout, tuna, sardines, and herring.

Omega 6 is found in foods like safflower oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, nuts, beans and soft margarine.

Saturated (bad fats)
Saturated fats are bad fats; they raise cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. In fact they are twice as potent at raising your bad cholesterol levels as polyunsaturated fats are at lowering them. It is difficult to eliminate these fats from your diet but one way to reduce them is to choose fat free milk and other dairy products.

Saturated fats can be found in foods such as meats, whole milk, cheese, palm and coconut oil.

Trans (bad fats)
Tran's fats are the ugly fats; they raise bad cholesterol (LDL) and lower good cholesterol (HDL). They increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Tran's fats can be found in foods like crackers, cookies, cakes, shortening, margarine, hydrogenated oils and vegetable oils that have been subjected to heat-damage during cooking.

Omega 3 fish oil and weight loss
A recent study that was published in the international journal of obesity, researchers want to find out if by supplementing the diet with omega 3 fish oil (good fat) would increase the number of fat calories burned in a single day.

The two groups were fed exactly the same diet apart from one group were fed 6 grams of fat in the form of butter, olive oil, sunflower oil and peanut oil, the other group were given 6 grams of omega 3 fish oil.
The fish oil group were given 8 capsules per day, 2 in the morning, 3 at lunch and 3 in the evening.

The Total daily intake of omega 3 long chain fatty acids was 1.8 grams. The outcome of the test results were fairly conclusive.

The table below shows you the changes in fat oxidation, body fat, and metabolic rate after three weeks for the groups with or without fish oil

	With fish oil	Without fish oil
Measurement of body fat	-2 pounds	-0.7 pounds
Measurement of daily metabolic rate	1775 calories	1710 calories

These results show that the group who were supplementing with fish oil burned about 1.1 milligram of fat per kilo per minute. This is roughly 26% higher than the other group who weren't supplementing with the fish oil.

One of the key reasons as to why omega 3 fish oil has such a powerful effect on fat metabolism is that the insulin levels were 50% lower when subjects used the fish oil. Insulin is a hormone that reduces the use of fat for fuel, while also promoting fat storage in the presence of excess calories.

Insulin increases the activity of an enzyme known to promote the storage of fat.

Insulin inhibits the action of hormone sensitive lipase, which is responsible for breaking down stored fat and preparing it for use as energy.

Insulin also activates an enzyme, which, along with fatty acid synthesis, is responsible for converting carbohydrate into fat.

Simply put, high levels of insulin make it less likely that your body will use stored fat as a fuel source. The drop in insulin levels when subjects used the fish oil would have allowed more fat to be used for energy.

Conclusion
Any good doctor or nutritionist will tell you that the best way to get any nutrient is to eat a very balanced diet. In the case of Omega 3 oil this would be in the form of fish, sadly due to the pollution levels found in our oceans today eating large portions of fish every day is not advisable.
The frustrating truth is that there will never be an easy quick-fix method of losing weight that is safe and simple. However, with a little research into the workings of the body, it becomes clear that there are many small things you can do which add up over time to aid weight loss and make you feel better about yourself. Taking a fish oil supplement is a good idea for anyone wanting to make positive steps towards weight loss.

Author Bio
Dave Mcevoy is an award winning personal trainer with over 20 years experience, he also runs a high quality health supplement website. www.mind1st.co.uk

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10 Super Tricks to Lose all the Weight you Want for Life!

By: Randy Stafford

I hate the word "obese". With as much as 60% of the Americans being fat, you'd wonder why there isn't some sort of law suit against certain institutes, public facilities, theatres, and most of all the airlines. Why? The seats are to small.

Think about this for a second, now there is more fat people than there are skinny. Being embarrassed because of your fat isn't the only problem though. If you don't start losing weight, chances are a lot greater, you'll pay for it in the long run. If you don't have any physical problems that are apparent to you, they may be sneaking up on you.

Hey, I'm on your side. I hate the ideal of going on a plane and hoping that somebody sitting next to me will be skinny. With that said, there may only be a 40% chance of that happening. It's been rumored that fat people may have to start paying for 2 seats when going on board the air craft. Now these are only minor costs. Especially since you may not fly that much.

The serious problems that I'd like to drown you with is the medical problems. If you are anything like the majority in your class, it's already affecting you emotionally. I can sympathize with you at the clothes store. It is highly embarrassing.

Sometimes, you try every way possible to make yourself happy with the body you have. It only works temporarily. I even find my self justifying my size. I find clothes that are sloppy. They hide the most when you are wearing oversized clothes. However, when you pass by a mirror at the mall, you discover how ridiculously fat you really are. What is worse, the clothes make you look bigger.

Well, if you are not affected emotionally with all this then maybe it's time to look at some other problems. Heart problems may slip up on you. Diabetes can be another. However, you've obviously heard all this stuff before. It's not secret. Every time you've ever went to a doctor, they tell you to lose weight. Easier said than done.

I do have a way. It's not the only way. I am sure you've tried slim fast, dexatrim, the atkins diet, and some of those crazy diets like the grape fruit diet.

Before you or anyone can lose weight, it's best to get a little knowledge. Now rest assured that if you try to starve your body, it's natural for it to attempt to protect itself. This is why its important for you to understand that no one can lose weight for you.

If you truly want to lose weight, you must understand that a true pound is worth 3500 calories. If you try to lose a pound in one day, the body will try to save itself. If you trick the body and retrain your body into a routine, then you will more than likely have success and still be happy.

Okay, if your ready to lose all that emotional stress, that embarrassment and most of all that weight, then I have 10 super simple steps to help you and get you back to a healthy body.

• Frame of Mind. The first thing is to remind yourself that you are doing this for you. You do not owe anyone anything. You can't lose weight for your spouse and they can't lose weight for you.

• Set a realistic Goal - Don't say your going to lose 100 lbs. Tell yourself that you want to lose 4 lbs this week. Big goals are always accomplished with little goals.

• Trick your body. Do not skip meals, just eat less at those meals. Don't stuff yourself. Just quit early. Eat slowly. Do not eat in front of the television. This has a tendency to make you eat more without realizing it. Try eating in front of a mirror.

• Plan your meals. If you don't plan them and you go out to that favorite fast food place you've been supporting, then you will not lose weight. We are trying to change your habits.

• Track what you eat. Write down everything you eat each day and evaluate it. The more education you have, the more weight you'll lose. Plus it gives you something to do. It also make you consciously aware of your goals.

• Shop on a full stomach. Most people buy more junk food and everything looks so good when you are hungry. If you go grocery shopping, it is extremely important that you eat something before you go.

• Eliminate 2 Fats - You should actually get rid of two different fats. Animal fats which are better known at saturated fats and trans fats. Unfortunately, trans fats are harder to find. You can do some research on this while your sitting there not doing anything.

• Exercise. I know this is the hardest thing for you to grasp. Did you know you can actually exercise in your office, on your couch or anywhere you please. Just do something more than you did before. Instead of asking someone to do something for you, do it yourself. Make exercise you friend. Do you like to window shop? Go look at some skinny clothes and look forward to it. Climb stairs at the mall.

• Buddy System. It's always been a known fact that if you are doing something with a buddy, chances are great that you'll do better. It's the natural competition in each of us that keep us going. If it's not competition, it's someone to talk to about your anger, your thoughts, and your goals.

• Get motivated. Read as much motivational books you can. To achieve anything, you must want to. When you lose your motivation, it draws you down. Keep your spirits up and your weight will come off.

See you at the scales.

Author Bio
Randall Stafford www.randallsquare.com

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The Number 1 Way For Obese People To Lose The Fat

By: Lynn VanDyke

The number one way for obese people to lose fat is the exact same for those that are only 20 pounds overweight. Strength training is the best way to cut through fat and burn through calories. There's no difference between strength training for the obese and strength training for everyone else.

When we strength train, we add lean muscle mass to our body. This lean muscle mass burns through 35-50 calories per pound of muscle every single day. Let's take a look at that number from a different point of view. If we have 5 pounds of lean muscle, that muscle will burn about 250 calories a day. Here comes the fun part. If we have 10 pounds of lean muscle mass, then our muscles burn about 500 calories a day. Hopefully you can see why adding lean muscle is the best way to lose fat.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that we are obese if we have a BMI (body mass index) of 30.0 or greater. Being obese is not healthy. It leads to a host of diseases and illnesses. I'm almost positive you already knew that.

Obese and over weight people can use functional exercises to begin changing their health. Exercises like squats and bicep curls will help strengthen the muscles we use in everyday movements. Often these movements are difficult for obese people. Keep up your workout routine and you'll notice that getting in and out of the car, walking to the mailbox, going upstairs and simply lifting heavy boxes will all become less of a hassle.

Strength training for the obese is the same as strength training for slender people. The difference comes in the starting point. It's so important to talk with your doctor, get the go ahead to workout, and then create a routine that you feel suits you best. Take one step at a time and before you know it, you will have taken 5,000 steps.

Author Bio
Lynn VanDyke is the proud owner of www.strength-training-woman.com. She is a certified personal trainer, yoga instructor and nutritionist. Her site is quickly becoming an essential strength training destination.

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The 4 Tools We Need To Lose Weight

By: Lynn VanDyke

Ask most people what their New Year's Resolutions were and you'll likely find the answer - lose weight. With so many of us wanting to shed the pounds, why is the obesity pandemic reaching new heights?

Weight loss tends to conjure up images of near starvation and tons of cardio. Most of us do not even start on our New Year's Resolution simply because the thought of it stops us dead in our tracks.

What if we had some tools for weight loss? 4 simple ideas that are practically guaranteed to shed fat, drop the weight, and slim us down? That would be a major first step towards a weight loss program.

Tool 1 - Strength Training
We have to recognize this as a viable fat-loss method. Every pound of muscle burns 35-50 calories per day. Adding lean muscle mass is the best way to jump start and sustain fat reduction.

Tool 2 - Cardio
Cardio is good, but it's not the only tool we should use. Cardio should be done as a partner to the other ideas. Anything that gets your heart pumping will do: walking, jogging, running, dancing, swimming, biking, or house cleaning.

Tool 3 - Nutrition
Nutrition is often the hardest part of the weight loss process. We simply forgot how to eat well in our culture. We need to eat protein, carbs, and fat to sustain our way of life. Cut one of the three out and imbalances will occur.

Tool 4 - Rest
Rest is not a luxury. It is a necessity. We should eat well every day and we should workout 5-6 times per week. The leftover 1-2 days are meant for rest. Our muscles need time to rebuild and repair themselves.

Using strength training, cardio, nutrition and rest to our advantage will result in fat loss. There is no magic bullet. Just simple and effective tools to create the body we want. Make a promise to yourself right now. Try using the above tools consistently and to the best of your ability for 4 weeks. You'll look great and feel amazing.

Author Bio
Lynn VanDyke is the proud owner of www.strength-training-woman.com. She is a personal fitness professional, yoga instructor and nutritionist. Her site is quickly becoming the authority for all things strength training.

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The 3 Hidden Keys to Rapidly Burning Stubborn Fat

By: Faisal Khetani

You're about to learn three "power tips" for burning fat that fitness models, athletes, & high profile personal trainers use to bring out those sexy abs, arms, & thighs in no time...

Honestly, I'm a little sick and tired of hearing the same old "top ten fat loss tips" circulating in magazines and on websites...

You're smart enough to realize that regular exercise and dieting will help you lose fat, but you're looking for better advice, something powerful yet easy to follow. The following tips offer the solution you've been looking for:

Tip 1:
Replace breads, pastas, & rice with fruits and vegetables. No, this is not the atkins diet, because you are not avoiding carbs, you're just replacing the "types" of carbs you eat.

Fruits and vegetables provide a very fast burning source of carbohydrates, which means that they are used up by your body for energy rather than being stored and converted to fat.

Basically, by eating fruits and vegetables, you'll have a lot of energy throughout the day...

Conventional sources of carbs, such as breads, rice, & pasta, are notoriously slow burning sources of carbs, and eventually convert to fat if not fully utilized for energy.

Additionally, most breads and pasta are highly processed and un-nutritious, so its not a good idea to consume them for proper nutrition reasons anyways.

Lastly, fruits and vegetables are 70-80% water, which means that by eating them you'll stay properly hydrated throughout the day. Also, they are high in fiber and enzymes, so consuming them throughout the day literally causes the fat to "melt away".

As a general rule, eat at least 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day! Whenever you have a craving for something sweet, grab a fruit! Don't underestimate the power of this tip, it is one of the well-kept secrets of fitness models, bodybuilders, and celebrities worldwide.

Tip 2:
Drink at least 16 glasses of PURIFIED water a day.

The truth is, 8 glasses is okay for the average person, but if you want to burn fat as quickly as possible, 16 glasses will get the job done.

Water helps to supercharge your cells, flush out harmful toxins, and boost your metabolism.

Consuming a lot of water makes it hard for the fat to "stick" to your body. However, this doesn't mean that you can pig out and expect the water to flush away all the fat.

Additionally, by drinking 16 glasses of water a day, you most likely won't have a need for coffee, since your energy and concentration levels will rise.

Be careful, because tap water is not a good choice. Ideally, you want to drink purified water, either through a commercial filter or boiled. Your very best bet, by far, is natural spring water, since it has the balance of minerals that mother-nature has perfected.

Boxers and athletes drink tons of water a few weeks before "game time", to get as lean as possible...

Tip 3:
Do 20 Minutes of Light Resistance Training Before Your Cardio...

If you want to burn up to 200% more fat during you aerobic or cardio workout routine, then you must do a light session of weight lifting or resistance training for about 20 minutes.

Your body does not burn fat for the first 20 minutes of any exercise! Thats right, if you run for 20 minutes without doing any exercise before-hand, you will only be burning glycogen, not fat. Glycogen is the source of energy used by your muscles.

Basically, you have to elevate your heart rate for at least 20 minutes before your body starts burning fat...

The best way to elevate your heart rate and kick-start your metabolism is to do light resistance training for about 20 minutes before your cardio routine. What this does is two things:

1) You break that 20 minute "plateau" your body needs to start burning fat.
2) You raise your metabolism 100-200%, which means that while you do your cardio/aerobic routine, you'll literally burn up to twice more fat.

Resistance, or weight training boosts your metabolism like no other form of exercise, often for a period of 24 hours or more. So, your body will burn fat even while you sleep, as your muscles recover overnight.

Now you know why all those successful "aerobic videos" usually make you use resistance bands or small dumbbells as part of the workout routines.

You can use resistance bands, free weights, or machines. Keep in mind that you must do "light" resistance training so you still have plenty of energy to run or do cardio.

To see fast results from your workout routines, definitely follow this strategy for maximum fat loss.

RECAP:
Okay, so lets summarize the three "power tips" for rapid fat loss:

1) Replace breads, pasta, & vegetables with fruits and vegetables
2) Drink 16 glasses of purified water or spring water a day
3) Do 20 minutes of light weight lifting (resistance training) before your cardio routine

The only thing left now is for you to go out and "get em' tiger". These specific strategies will drop the pant sizes and bring out the curves faster than you can buy a new wardrobe.

Author Bio
Faisal Khetani is a health and fitness consultant, and editor of the Dream Body Fitness Newsletter. Check out his website for scientific workout routines that deliver fast, maximum results: www.weight-lifting-workout-routines.com/Fat-Loss

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Seven Keys to Permanent Weight Loss Success (Part 4 of 4)

By: Jeremy Likness

This is part 4 of the 4-part "Seven Keys to Permanent Weight Loss Success" series.

Key #6: Control your rewards
You've heard it before.

"Have a free day. Eat cheat meals."

It sounds exciting, doesn't it? For several days, you focus on ultimate discipline. You eat perfectly "clean" and don't deviate from your diet ... not even a little bit. But that's because you have a great motivator ... the promise of a day or meal where you can literally go "no-holds barred" and eat anything and everything in sight!

If you start to feel a twinge of guilt about your plans to assault the nearest buffet, you can simply flip to the pages of your favorite book and reassure yourself with the claim that this meal is necessary because it will boost your metabolism. It's okay. Have it all. Chow away. Stuff yourself. You earned it, and it won't make a difference, right?

Well ... maybe, and then again, maybe not.

Cheat meals, free meals, reward meals, or whatever names you choose serve their purpose. I know that I would not have jumped headfirst into my first physique transformation if I did not know I could dive back into my binge habits once a week. And it worked ... for awhile. I stuck to the program and was losing weight.

As time progressed, however, I noticed a few disturbing trends.

Monday to me was simply a countdown to the day I could eat anything I wanted. I was obsessed with it. Sure, I was eating clean throughout the week, but I could barely focus on anything else other than the idea that one day I would be going crazy. When that day came, I would actually plot out a course through the city so I could hit as many fast-food and donut joints as possible. We went to buffets and then hit the store and bought pounds of junk food to bring home and consume before midnight.

I realized that this wasn't control. It wasn't even reward. It was addiction. I thought back to when I quit cigarettes. How did I do it? Did I stop smoking six days out of the week, and then have a day where I smoked as much as I possibly could?

My body was giving me a few clues as well. I would feel bloated, disgusting, nauseous, and would often get sick after a free day with a cold or sinus infection. I felt like I spent the first half of the week recovering from the last day and the next half barely holding on to make it to the next splurge festival.

That's when I decided it was time for things to change. I did not want to remain a slave to food. I could not imagine going on like that for the rest of my life, but this was supposed to be a permanent change, right? So I put my foot down.

I started with only allowing myself one or two reward meals per week. I called them reward meals because cheating is not what I was doing ... I planned them, and deserved them. After several weeks of this, I noticed a significant change: I was no longer desperate for those meals, I was enjoying my healthy meals more, and when it was time to have a reward meal, I didn't "waste" it on junk food or fast food ... I'd go to a nice restaurant, sit down, and truly savor it.

Then I began to focus on my portion control. I was still over-eating that one meal, and I would feel like I had a hangover for the rest of the evening. So I made a pact with myself that I would never eat so much that I couldn't have my other meals that day ... in other words, even with a reward meal, I'd control my portion sizes so that I was still ready to eat again after a few hours.

This is when I suddenly found myself in the driver's seat. The food was no longer in control, I was. I still enjoy pizza, ice cream, and many other treats. But now I control my rewards. I don't have to go overboard. I don't have to use one meal as an excuse to jump into a pattern of binge eating for the rest of the weekend. I can decide, ahead of time, what and when I will enjoy my reward, and then eat just enough to satisfy my psychological craving without going overboard. I switched from a free day festival (like smoking a carton of cigarettes) to controlled indulgence (like enjoying a nice cigar).

Here's some final points to consider ...

People are 250% more likely to suffer a heart attack after overeating
Most of the people I know who successfully lose weight and keep it off control their rewards and do not have a splurge meal
Your metabolism takes more than a day of splurging to kick into high gear ... you are better off having a planned week of eating more calories, but from healthy foods

Key #7: Consistently refocus goals
This last key is perhaps the most important.

When I was digging through some old documents, I came across my original goals list. This was in 1999 when I began my fitness journey.

My main goal was to reach 40" and I made a little side note, "if possible?"

Imagine that. A 44" waist and I wasn't even confident that I could lose four little inches!

After my first 12 weeks, I did not have a 40" waist. I had a 38" waist. I blew past my goal. So my new goal became a 36" waist, which I new was my limit because I was "big-boned." 36" gave way to 32" and at 6% body fat I was able to slip on a pair of 30" jeans ... over a foot (30 centimeters) had been trimmed from my waistline.

Goals can change, and that's okay. Constantly refocus your goals. You may be capable of more than you imagine or currently allow yourself to be. Some of my goals that I created after learning the power to transform include running a half marathon and starting my own business, both of which I have accomplished and neither of which I would have thought possible in 1999.

To refocus your goals is to learn who you are. Maybe you thought you could lose 40 pounds of fat in three months, only to discover you lost 20. That's fine. Set a new goal to lose 20 more over the next three months. Maybe you thought you would never bench press more than 100 pounds, but just did 110 last week. Great! Set a new goal to bench press 150 pounds. As you learn your limits (or rather, how to move past them) don't be afraid to set your goals higher.

Don't make the mistake, however, of falling into the trap of not having goals. This is what many people do ... "When I reach 150 pounds, I'm going into maintenance." That is an excuse to settle, and settling means going backwards and ultimately falling back into your old patterns. By consistently raising the bar, you are able to remain fit. Fitness is about action and movement, not about complacency and "settling." !

If you want to live a fit and healthy lifestyle, you must realize you are not on a journey to trim fat or increase your running speed. Ultimately, you are in pursuit of greatness.

Conclusion
These points that were created by people just like you have illustrated that permanent weight loss success is a process, not an event. It relates to the people you interact with, the mindset you adopt, and your core beliefs - even how willing you are to transform them. Studying these points is not enough. You must internalize them and take action. Only then can you become the journey to become your best.

Author Bio
Jeremy Likness is an author, motivational speaker, international health coach, Certified Fitness Trainer and Specialist in Performance Nutrition. He wrote the internationally selling book, Lose Fat, Not Faith (ISBN 0976907925) after losing 65 pounds of fat. He was a Top Finisher in a 2000 Physique Transformation competition. Read more articles by Jeremy at www.NaturalPhysiques.com.

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10 Ingredients in Weight Loss Pills

By: John Connory

Looking for help with losing weight? Help that goes beyond the usual lifestyle changes, portion control advice and exercise routines? Weight-loss supplements touting names like "fat burner" and "thermo max" can be enticing. But do they work? And even more important, in the wake of the Food and Drug Administration's recent ban on ephedra, are they safe?

In this article, Environmental Nutrition provides a snapshot of 10 of the most popular ingredients currently in supplements for weight loss.

Chitosan
Made from the shells of lobsters, shrimp and other shellfish, chitosan is an indigestible fiber. It is supposed to help weight loss by binding with the fat you eat, blocking its absorption. However, studies do not support this claim. Side effects include constipation and gas. People with shellfish allergies should beware.

Chromium
Most often present as chromium picolinate, it has been promoted to boost lean mass and decrease body fat. Though study findings have been inconclusive, an analysis of several studies recently concluded that supplementing with 200 to 400 micrograms of chromium picolinate could result in about a 2.5-pound weight loss per week in some people. Other studies have found a loss of body fat and an increase in muscle tissue, with no change in weight. Still others have found no effect at all. Though some laboratory studies have raised safety issues, a large number of human studies suggest it is safe.

Citrus Aurantium (Bitter Orange)
This herbal extract is a natural source of synephrine (a compound similar to ephedrine) and the supplement industry's current answer to the ephedra ban. But there are no published studies to show it is an effective supplement for weight loss. And like ephedra, its side effects include an increase in blood pressure; Environmental Nutrition recommends avoiding it.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)
Both animal and human research hints at a possible role for CLA in reducing body fat and increasing lean body mass, but it's not quite ready for prime time. None of the human studies have been long-term. CLA is currently being studied in combination with chromium picolinate. CLA is found naturally in dairy foods and beef and is generally considered safe.

Garcinia Cambogia
The extract from Garcinia cambogia fruit rind contains hydroxycitric acid (HCA), which supposedly curbs food intake, weight gain and storage of excess calories as fat. However, studies have failed to prove G. cambogia is an effective weight-loss aid. The most common side effects are upper respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms.

Guarana
Caffeine is the effective ingredient in guarana plant seeds. Guarana may have a mild appetite suppressant effect over the short term. It was often used in combination with ephedra until ephedra was banned. The potential side effects are those of caffeine overdose-insomnia, restlessness, anxiety or panic.

Hydroxymethylbutyrate (HMB)
HMB is a natural byproduct of the breakdown of the amino acid leucine. HMB supplements are used by body builders in hopes of increasing muscle mass. A few small studies have suggested that HMB increases lean mass and decreases body fat when combined with weight training. However, studies with overweight and obese people are needed.

Plantago Psyllium
Psyllium is a water-soluble fiber from Plantago ovato seeds. Taken before a meal, it may make you feel full, causing you to eat less. While it is proved to aid constipation (that's how Metamucil works), it has not been proved as an effective weight-loss aid.

Pyruvate
Pyruvate formulas boast that they stimulate metabolism and reduce body fat. Pyruvate is found naturally in food and in the body as a result of the breakdown of carbohydrates and protein. Some studies have shown a weight-loss benefit with pyruvate supplements. But the people in the studies also exercised and cut back on calories. Moreover, the dosage used in the studies was high, requiring a handful of tablets each day. Experts say the case for pyruvate to aid weight loss is weak.

Yerba mate
Brewed into a tea, bitter Yerba mate is high in caffeine. Used in combination with other caffeine-containing herbs, like guarana and damiana, it was found in one study to delay stomach emptying time and aid weight loss. The study was short (45 days), so conclusions on keeping the weight off cannot be made.

The Bottom Line
Though all are relatively expensive and none are proved, of these top popular weight-loss contenders, chromium picolinate and CLA are probably the most studied. If you've already made up your mind to go the supplement route, you might want to give them a try. Just don't expect miracles and check with your doctor first.

Author Bio
More at www.phentermine-xenical-4you.com

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Bariatric Surgery Things You Should Be Aware Of

By: Jamie Snodgrass

When all other measures fail to control morbid obesity, weight loss surgery is a source of hope to the overweight. American doctors perform weight loss surgery over 140,000 times a year.
The oldest form of weight loss surgery is the most familiar, stomach stapling. In this 30-year-old procedure, most of the stomach is sliced and then stapled shut.

After the procedure, only a small pouch remains. Shrinking the stomach so it can only hold half a cup of food makes it easier to feel full.

In fact, most people who have weight loss surgery feel full after eating the amount of food that you could put on a coffee saucer. It becomes impossible to eat more than two quarter-cup servings (about 50 grams altogether) of anything at a single meal. Weight loss follows calorie restriction.

The newer and now more common form of weight loss surgery, the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, also makes the stomach surgically smaller. In this procedure, however, the stomach is not dissected and stapled shut.

In this newer form of weight loss surgery, the stomach is cut and sutured, or sewn, and the intestines are moved so that the end of the stomach is connected farther down the intestine.

This procedure leaves a smaller stomach that fills more quickly. It also leaves a shorter length of intestine to absorb fats (and other nutrients) from the smaller amounts of food that are eaten.

With this form of weight loss surgery, you don't just eat less. Your intestines absorb less of the food you do eat. Roux-en-Y bariatric surgery produces quicker and more significant weight loss than just stapling or banding the stomach.

There's also a third approach to weight loss surgery, the lap band.

The benefit of the lap band is that the weight loss surgery to install it can be laparoscopic, that is, done through an incision as little as one inch (25 mm) wide. Lap band surgery can even be an outpatient procedure, with the patient going home the same day. After lap band surgery, many patients go back to work in three to four days and resume all normal activities (except eating) within a week. The other gastric bypass procedures require a minimum of four days in the hospital and six to eight weeks before resuming an active lifestyle.

Another advantage of lap band surgery is a much lower risk of infection. Lap band surgery goes around the stomach, not into the stomach. The bacteria in the stomach do not leak into other parts of the body, and the risk of infection is greatly reduced. Lap band surgery is much less painful than the other procedures. And since pain in the muscles is so much less, patients are very unlikely to develop pneumonia or other breathing problems.

The disadvantage of lap band bariatric surgery is that not everyone can have it. The FDA at one time required that recipients of lap band bariatric procedures be at least 18 and no more than 50 years of age. It's also utterly essential not to be allergic to the material used to make the band. And if you overeat after you have a lap band in place, the effect is a little like pulling a napkin through a napkin ring. Too much food can stretch the band so that it damages the stomach. Lap band surgery is easier, but requires more discipline.

There is no form of weight loss surgery that is a complete cure for obesity all by itself. Lifetime attention to diet and exercise are still necessary. But successful weight loss surgery can give you the boost you need to regain control of your life and become truly, lastingly, healthily thin.

The Promise and Potential of "Fat Surgery" When Diets Fail
When all other measures fail to control morbid obesity, weight loss surgery or "fat surgery" is a source of hope to the overweight. American doctors perform surgical procedures to make weight loss easier well over 100,000 times a year.

The oldest form of fat surgery is the most familiar, stomach stapling. In this well-established procedure, most of the stomach is sliced and then stapled shut. After this form of fat surgery, only a small pouch of the stomach remains connected to the esophagus. The newly resized stomach can only hold half a cup of food. Having a smaller stomach makes it easier to feel full. In fact, most people who have fat surgery feel full after eating the amount of food that you could put on a coffee saucer. It becomes impossible to eat more than two quarter-cup servings (about 50 grams altogether) of anything at a single meal. Weight loss naturally follows.

Stomach stapling is the oldest form of fat surgery, and you can probably find a physician in your area who has a lot of experience doing it. In fact, you should only consider physicians and hospitals who have performed at least 100 operations. You don't want your doctor's training to be performed on you.

Other procedures are little harder to arrange.
The newer form of stomach reduction, the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, also makes the stomach surgically smaller. In this procedure, however, the stomach is not dissected and stapled shut. Instead, after the stomach's size is reduced, it is reattached to the small intestine at a lower point.

Roux-en-Y fat surgery leaves a smaller stomach that fills more quickly. It also leaves a shorter length of intestine to absorb fats (and other nutrients) from the smaller amounts of food that are eaten. With this form of fat surgery, you don't just eat less. Your intestines absorb less of the food you do eat. Roux-en-Y bariatric surgery produces quicker and more significant weight loss than just stapling or banding the stomach.

There's also a third approach to fat surgery, the lap band.
The benefit of the lap band is that the weight loss surgery to install it can be laparoscopic. The entire fat surgery can be done through an incision as little as one inch (25 mm) wide. Lap band surgery can even be an outpatient procedure, so you can go home the same day. After lap band surgery, many patients go back to work in three to four days and resume all normal activities (except eating) within a week. The other forms of fat surgery require a minimum of four days in the hospital and six to eight weeks before resuming an active lifestyle. You may be asking, "Why just shrink the stomach? Wouldn't it be simpler just to surgically remove all the fat?"

This procedure, called lipectomy, actually exists. Liposuction has the same effect. The problem with both lipectomy and liposuction is that high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugars don't go down just because fat is removed from the body. Only the process of dieting seems to have this effect.

There is no form of fat surgery that is a complete cure for obesity all by itself. Lifetime attention to diet and exercise are still necessary. But successful weight loss surgery can give you the boost you need to regain control of your life and become truly, lastingly, healthily thin.

Author Bio
Author is marketer for sites such as :
Bariatric Surgery
www.healtharticledirectory.info/Category/Bariatric/53

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Can A Raw Food Diet Help You Lose Weight?

By: Lee Dobbins

While raw foods are not new, the focus on eating plans that focus on them are and this trend in healthy eating appears to be gaining strength across the country. The focus of the diet is on eating uncooked, highly nutritious foods - fruits and vegetables. Of course, these foods are low in calories and extremely good for you, but eating them raw or uncooked is favored as it is believed that they lose nutritional value when cooked.

Those who subscribe to the raw food diet eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes. They drink unpasteurized milk, water, juice, and tea. It is a revolutionary way to eat, but also a natural way and many of those who follow this way of eating say it keeps them thin and healthy.

However, while the raw food diet is rich in some nutrients, it lacks others. Although fruits and vegetables do have some protein and calcium, this diet may be lacking in these things. Experts are torn on whether it is healthy as a long term way of eating.

Another thing to consider when taking up a raw food diet is that most of the fruits and vegetables that you see in your supermarket are loaded with pesticides. Therefore, it might be best to consume only organic raw food.

If you decide a raw food diet is for you, you might consider supplements to compensate for the nutrients this diet is lacking. Some supplements to consider include vitamin B12, copper, zinc, and chromium. Also, proteins from plants do not the same amino acids as animal protein so you'll have to consume a variety of different type sof raw foods in order to remain healthy.

Some medical experts see great benefits in the raw food diet. In addition to enabling weight loss, the diet can ostensibly increase one's metabolism, making calorie burning easier. Some medical experts have also suggested that a raw food diet is a good antidote to eating disorders. In addition, it can help make your immune system stronger, and help the body rid itself of harmful toxins. Some supporters even claim that eating raw foods improves the look of their skin.

A raw food diet is not recommended for children, women who are pregnant, people suffering from osteoporosis, and those who are anemic. If you try a raw food diet, you should to plan your meals in advance to insure that you are receiving the maximum amount of nutrients. Also, it can be time consuming to prepare all the foods you need so make sure that you set aside the time to chop, blend and puree for each meal every day.

Author Bio
Lee Dobbins writes about Low Carb and Low GI eating as well as other weight loss issues. Visit www.lowcarb-resource.com for more articles on healthy dieting.

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