22899

We're big proponents of exercise for a myriad of health reasons. But when it comes strictly to losing weight, what you eat is far more important than how many miles you log on the road. Just think: It takes about 6 miles or 90 minutes of brisk walking for a 150-pound person to burn 500 calories. Compare that to a seemingly harmless few handfuls (about a cup) of granola--also 500 calories. Yikes! You can see how easy it is to eat back all that hard work (and then some).

Don't throw in the exercise towel just yet!

Although subscribing to a healthy eating plan that emphasizes fruit and veggies, whole grains, and lean meat and dairy will help you needle down the scale faster than even our toughest outdoor fitness workout, studies show exercise is absolutely critical for another important reason: maintaining that weight loss and preventing weight regain. So at some point, you're gonna have to do both, and the sooner you do the better. After all, you don't just melt away the fat when you drop pounds with diet-only programs; you lose quite a bit of muscle weight, too. If you eat less and exercise, particularly if you strength train, you'll be more likely to retain muscle and lose mostly fat weight so you'll look leaner.

Bottom line: Healthy eating and regular exercise are lifelong habits necessary for weight management. Get on board and start reaping the rewards now. It's as easy as 1-2-3:

1. Primarily focus on eating well.
2. Exercise to keep off the weight.
3. Subscribe to a lifetime of doing both.

Sarah Robertson, founder of Outside In Fitness, is an ACE certified personal trainer, ACSM certified wellness coach, and a former fitness and weight loss editor with Prevention magazine. Outside In Fitness offers innovative group and personal outdoor fitness training and wellness coaching for weight management in the D.C./ northern Virginia areas. For more information, please visit http://www.OutsideInFitness.com.

Plus, read more fitness and wellness tips for everything from recognizing health scams and blasting past weight loss plateaus to circumventing weather woes and championing exercise excuses.

For many of us the weight loss journey is a hard and lonely one.

While some of us can achieve successful weight loss alone, many more need a support network to help us lose weight and keep it off.

This article describes what a weight loss support network is, how it can help, which people make valuable members of one and how to develop one of our own to help us stay motivated and achieve a healthier body weight.

What is a weight loss support network?

Basically, a weight loss support network is a group of people we can share our weight loss goals, challenges, triumphs, thoughts, feelings and journey with, and who will provide support to us when we need it and help us in some way to achieve our goal.

Support networks can be formal, informal, expert, non-expert, online, offline, large or small, or any mix of these depending upon our individual circumstances and needs.

Online networks can be a great help to those of us with weight loss or fitness goals because for many of us losing weight is a daily battle and online support networks are available to us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The most effective weight loss support systems combine formal and informal elements, expert and non-expert members, are both online and offline, and provide support across as many areas as needed from the largest number of sources available.

How does a weight loss support network help people lose weight?

Weight loss support groups can help those of us with weight loss goals in many ways including:

• Providing motivation
• Providing encouragement
• Helping us to stay accountable and on course
• Providing us with guidance, advice and information
• Listening to us when we're feeling down and doubtful
• Providing friendship when we most need it
• Helping us feel that we are part of a team and that we are not alone
• Helping us to overcome our fears
• Sharing and enjoying our experiences and successes

Generally speaking, when we are putting together our own weight loss support network, we should be looking to recruit the help of people who:

• Are trustworthy
• Are reliable and dependable
• Have expertise gained from experience
• Are non-judgmental
• Are, or have been, in a similar situation to us
• Are positive, fun and enjoyable to be around
• Don't give up easily
• Will be honest with us
• Will get tough with us if we need it
• Will forgive our failures and encourage us to stick to it despite them
• We feel comfortable sharing our feelings and thoughts with
• We are confident can help us
• Are as committed to a healthy lifestyle as we are
• Genuinely care about our health and happiness and are happy to help

If we think we need or would like a network larger than just a few people, it may be a good idea to sit down and make a list of the areas in which we would like support. Then we can simply list under each area who we would like to recruit to our support team.

The areas of help we might consider listing may include things like:

• Diet
• Exercise
• Motivation
• Goal Setting
• Progress Tracking
• Cooking
• Weight loss information
• Healthy Recipes
• Role Models
• Emotional Support
• Sharing the journey

Among the professional help available to us are doctors, dietitians, personal trainers, life coaches, weight loss specialists, gym instructors, psychologists, etc, and gaining help from these professionals is as simple as calling their office and making an appointment to see them.

Non-professional help can come from friends, family, neighbours, colleagues and acquaintances, internet support groups and forums (such as the weightloss forum on weightloss.com.au), etc, and help can be gained from them usually just by talking to them about your goal, gauging their reaction (whether they seem supportive or not) and if necessary asking them if they would like to help or get involved in some way on our journey.

Generally, the most useful non-professional network members will be other people who share our weight loss or fitness related goals or have already successfully achieved similar goals.

It is these people who are more likely to form walking or exercise groups with us, share recipe ideas and cooking tips with us and listen to and encourage us when we are finding the going a little tough. They are also the most likely people to really enjoy sharing our experiences and successes.

Scott Haywood is the editor of Australia's leading weight loss and healthy lifestyle website weightloss.com.au. Weightloss.com.au is a free weight loss resource that has healthy recipes, weight loss product reviews, a weight loss business directory and a very popular weight loss forum.

Supplements containing green tea extracts are a completely natural way of reducing weight with very little risk of any side effects. There are many benefits associated with green tea. The Chinese have known about its medicinal properties since ancient times, however the western world is only just opening up to the benefits of taking green tea.

Weight loss pills or diet pills are all the rage at the moment. Everybody wants to look the best they possibly can and in order to do this everybody wants to be thin! Many weight loss pills contain green tea extracts. Green tea is a natural source of antioxidants. Green tea is useful in reducing cholesterol, and it also helps to reduce the blood sugar level after a meal. It does also help to reduce weight.

Although green tea does help in weight loss, you do however need to be very patient in order to observe the results. Keep in mind that weight loss does not occur overnight, even when you are using nutritional supplements. Since green tea does not have any harmful side effects associated with it, you might want to try out some green tea weight loss supplements. You can search for fat burning pills that contain up to 70-80% green tea extracts.

Fat burning pills including green tea weight loss supplements increase the metabolic activity of your body cells. This consequently increases the amount of fuel that your body consumes. The body's fuel is calories, the higher the metabolism, the faster these are burned. Green tea extracts are also used to treat poor digestion and constipation, and also helps to fight against the free radicals in the body, the negative by-products created by normal bodily processes. Green tea supplements are rich in EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) which is not only a mouthful, it's an antioxidant and protects the body against any possible digestive problems. It is also helpful in cancer prevention and lowering cholesterol levels.

Green tea supplements are available in the form of tablets or pills. The advantage of green tea supplement over other fat burning pills is that it does not increase the heart rate of consumers. Many weight loss pills have the side effect of causing the patients heart rate to rise, causing a problem for certain groups of people with heart conditions. People belonging to any age group can use green tea to treat any medical complaints without any concern about its side effects.

Christopher DiCicco owner of Flexhealthnutrition.com has been involved with health and nutrition for over 20 years.

http://www.flexhealthnutrition.com/details/shop/AM-042

http://www.flexhealthnutrition.com/details/shop/AM-014

http://www.flexhealthnutrition.com/details/shop/AM-077

The only time to eat diet food is while youre waiting for the steak to cook

Julia Child

I hate dieting. It doesnt matter what diet I follow, I gain weight. Its so frustrating! If I do find one that works, I usually find that right about the time Im getting used to the diet, my life ends up creating situations where I need to be eating out a lot, or spending time with friends and food. ARGH!

Ive stopped dieting now. Im just working on healthy lifestyle habits that I can work with anywhere, at any time and that allow for life to happen, so I dont need to panic.

Now, believe me, Im no expert, so check with your doctor before you follow ANY of my advice Im just a fellow mom, trying to get back into pre-baby clothes! I have found some things to be consistent in the myriad of ever-changing diet/health rules, and Id like to share them with you here. So ladies, if you want to lose those extra 10 pounds (or more) that just refuse to disappear, here are some tips that are finally working for me:

Pick Your Time

Weight loss involves very personal issues for most people, and is closely related to their self esteem. It is crucial that you attempt to lose 10 pounds at the appropriate time - at a time where you otherwise feel good and satisfied with your life. If you try and lose 10 pounds during a period of time in your life where you have a lot of stress or other distracting things going on, you drastically increase your chances of failure, which will only make things worse.

Do It With Friends

A great and fun way to help you stick with your plan is to undertake your project of losing 10 pounds with a friend. Not only will you be able to provide support for each other and track each other's progress, but you'll be able to engage in fun exercise activities together.

Make Your Plan Realistic

It's important that you set achievable goals for yourself. For example, with just some basic changes in your lifestyle and eating habits, you can lose 1 pound a week. There's no need to be in a huge rush to lose weight, and trying to lose weight quickly often requires a regimen that is difficult to keep up. For most people, it is healthier to lose weight slowly than with drastic dietary changes.

Exercise in the Morning on an Empty Stomach

There are two main reasons why you can more easily lose 10 pounds by exercising in the morning. The first has to do with the fact that it is much easier to build into your daily routine. One of the keys to losing weight by exercise is to do it regularly, which many people find difficult: it's always hard to find time. So a great reason for exercising in the morning is that you'll have very little distraction. In many ways, you are literally "making time" for the exercise by starting your day earlier. The second reason is that if you exercise in the morning on an empty stomach, you're burning energy at a time when your body's carbohydrate levels are the lowest, and therefore more fat will be burned with the same amount of exercise. There have been studies that suggest over 250% more fat is burned when you exercise in this state.

Balance Your Diet

Try as much as possible to balance your diet. This doesn't mean that you have to starve yourself -- rather make a point of getting no more the 30% of your calories from fat. Eat more fruits and vegetables and try to add as much variety to your diet as possible. Try new things, and new meal ideas. A great rule of thumb is to take a 9 plate and divide it into quarters. One quarter is starch/carbohydrate (potatoes, pasta, rice), one quarter is protein (meat, beans, tofu) and half is vegetables.

Keep Track Of Your Progress

The problem with dieting for many people, especially in the early stages, is that even if the diet is working they can't see any results. It's hard to really notice if you lose 1 pound. For this reason it's important that your track your progress, so you can have a good sense of the accomplishments you've made. Dont just track pounds, make sure you are also tracking inches by keeping track of the measurements of the main body areas: bust, waist, hips, thighs, calves, and even your upper arm.

Incorporate Exercise into your Daily Routine

Another good idea is to try and get some exercise while you're at work. Think how often you end up staying in your office on your lunch break. Instead, why not take a walk? It may not seem like much, but if you did that every day, you'd be walking 5 hours a week, which is a pretty great start towards getting some more exercise. On the weekends and in the evenings, take up a sport or an active hobby like hiking. The key is to find ways that you can get exercise while also doing things you enjoy.

You can lose 10 pounds fairly quickly by starting a serious exercise regimen, of course, but that's not necessarily the best way to do it. If you make your exercise like work, it'll start to feel like work, and it will become tempting to put it off and avoid it. If you incorporate exercise into your daily routine, however, it won't seem like work at all - it will be fun. And the best part of all is that the more you exercise the more energy you'll have: instead of being tired when you come home from work, you'll feel like doing something active. Before you know it that 10 pounds you lost might become 20.

So, there you have it! Try implementing one tip a week and making a habit out of it. Youll drop those pounds in no time!

Tipping the scales in your favour!

P.S. Want more weight loss ideas and a community to share frustrations and triumphs? Check out Darlenes March 2006 blog entries at her "Mom-Defrazzler Blog" http://mom-defrazzler.com/Mom-DefrazzlerBlog/nfblog/ (Theres a contest, too!)

After the Christmas and New Years holidays, it seems that most people return from their resting places with a few more pounds on, and who am I to judge them? If I myself ate to the verge of exploding, and drank as if every single beverage was running out. It is perfectly understandable why people gain some weight during these days, however it is also perfectly understandable that people want to lose those very pounds by the time the New Year has begun, I mean, that is why the New Years resolutions are for right?

You will notice that most of the people that actually wrote their New Year Resolution wrote this line: To lose some weight before summer. Why? Because they are probably planning to attend the beach, and every single person alive wants to look great in a bathing suit. This is where those popular and famous diets for weight loss come into action; there are many eating routines which claim to make you lose dozens of pounds just by eating whatever you want, but if that was the case, everyone would be perfectly fit, dont you agree?

The truth behind diets for weight loss is that they consist of a perfectly balanced intake of nutrients, which is why they claim that you can eat whatever it is that you want, given that you do not consume more than you should (which sometimes may be just a small bite). Diets for weight loss are not poorly developed, at least not all of them, however if you are truly aiming to reach your weight loss goal, then you should compliment that weight loss diet with an exercise routine that may allow you to burn the excessive amount of fat that you have been holding in your body for the last few months or years.

People who watch and manage what they eat, are not only benefited by the weight loss bonuses, they are also benefited from a healthier kind of life, and a lower risk of heart problems. Here is what you should do when following a weight loss procedure:

First of all you will need to keep those calories under control, no more than 1000 per day, and you will also need to practice an exercise routine; run until you get tired, then walk, once you recover start running again and repeat the process for 1 hour or 2, this is called a cardiovascular exercise routine, and it is the fastest method for burning fat.

This article can be freely published on a website as long as it's not modified in any way including the author bylines, plus all the hyperlinks must be made active just like below.

Jean Lam is a writer, author, publisher and owns several sites. Visit his weight loss obesity website for lots of articles about losing weight. Also check out the weight loss eBook that will give you tips for your weight loss problems.

How to lose weight easily and quickly has become one of the most discussed topics in the world. In the United States alone, 58 million people are overweight, 40 million obese and 3 million morbidly obese. Weight lose is not something hard to accomplish - yet people think differently.

Our passive style of life and the lack of time are the two main causes. We do not walk to work - we take our car. Most of us work at the office - sitting down 8 hours of the day - then we are so tired mentally that a physical exercise is out of question - besides we need to spend some quality time with our family and/or friends. The food. The 15-30 minutes lunch break at work is certainly not enough time to eat properly. We don't only eat fast, which causes overeating; we also eat low quality food, mostly fast food and snacks, such as chips and chocolate bars.

So How To Lose Weight Easily?

You cannot lose weight using Low Fat Diets. Low fat foods have been popular for more than 15 years, but yet our society is getting more overweight as each year passes. This fact alone should tell you that eating a purely low fat menu is not the answer to losing weight.

You won't lose weight using a Low Calorie Dieting Plan either. In fact, eating low calories is the worst thing that you can do to your body, since that will only slow down your body's fat burning engine and ruin all chances of losing weight (low calorie diets may allow a few pounds of weight loss for the first few days, but then after that all weight loss comes to a halt --- known as a dieting plateau). You can never get slim by starving yourself.

You'll probably find it extremely difficult to get slim using a Low Carb Dieting Plan. Low carb diets have recently become popular over the last couple years, but the problem with low carb menus is that they are too strict and TOO HARD TO FOLLOW for average people. Low carb menus tend to rob your body of too much energy (carbohydrates) and make it nearly impossible to remain on the program for very long. This is why so many dieters find it difficult to follow a strict low carbohydrate menu.

Losing weight and staying in shape is very important for our health. Did you know that:

-80% of type II diabetes related to obesity
-70% of cardiovascular disease related to obesity
-42% breast and colon cancer diagnosed among obese individuals
-30% of gall bladder surgery related to obesity
-26% of obese people having high blood pressure

Lose 9 lbs. every 11 days - You could lose 35 lbs. by Christmas!

These days, proper diet and exercise do not seem to be doing the trick anymore when it comes to losing weight that is why people are turning to a Canada weight loss prescription. Opting for a Canada weight loss prescription ensures safety and more guarantee that you can lose weight since doctors and experts are recommending the prescribed weight loss drug.

For obesity
Originally, the Canada weight loss prescription is only given to obese people or for those who are nearing obesity, which can be dangerous to their health. However, these prescription drugs do not just work like magic. These people still need to take those weight loss drugs while maintaining proper diet and exercise.

Are you obese?
If your BMI (Body Mass Index) is 27 or higher and you are also at risk for heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol, your doctor may need to give you a Canada weight loss prescription. However, some of these medications are for short-term usage only.

Types of prescription medications
Check with your physician first before taking on any of these weight loss prescription drugs that can be classified in two ways:

1. Appetite suppressants These are prescribed to people who have other medical conditions along with being obese and they need to lose weight to maintain perfect health. These are never prescribed to pregnant women, people with heart disease, those suffering from liver or kidney failure, and those with glaucoma. Examples of popular appetite suppressants are phentermine and fenfluramine, however, they have been taken out of the market because of their side effects linked to heart diseases. Other examples that are still available include sibutramine and diethylproprion.

2. Fat blockers These types of medication are for preventing the body from absorbing fats and expelling them through bowel movement. Popular examples of these are Orlistat and Xenical. Known side effects include frequent and oily bowel movements, gas, and discharge. However, these side effects are reduced along with the reduction of fat intake.

Phillip England is a weight loss expert and Author of the popular report "The Ultimate Weight Loss Secret". To receive your free information on the secret that doctors, and health companies either don't know, or don't want you to know, please see http://www.theultimateweightlosssecret.com/secret

Dieters dread the plateau. You're on a roll, losing weight steadily and happily for weeks. Your confidence is high and your goal is in sight. Then suddenly your scale freezes. No matter how hard you try, those extra pounds just refuse to budge. You've hit a wall and you know the frustration of seeing no progress could easily lead you to gain back what you've lost. So how do you break through the plateau?

It's perfectly normal for a dieter to reach a plateau. The trick is to use it as an opportunity to double up your efforts and get really clear on your strategy to carry you through to the finish line. Below you'll find suggestions that can help you recommit to your program and re-ignite the weight-loss process when you feel challenged.

1. Get clear on your ultimate weight-loss goal.

Be sure that your weight-loss goal is realistic and that your expected rate of weight loss is reasonable. If you are on a heath enhancing, nutritionally rich weight loss program you can expect to loss one to two pounds a week. Each body has its own ideal weight and size. Don't compare yourself to anyone else, but listen to your body and notice what feels best for you. A simple way to approximate your ideal weight is by referring to a Body Mass Index chart.

2. Go high-protein, low carbs.

Unless you are eating enough protein to maintain your lean muscle mass, you are likely to have lost weight already from both your fat stores and muscle. Women need to eat approximately 100grams of protein a day and men 150 grams in order to preserve their muscle tissue during a weight loss program. If you have lost some muscle during your weight loss program so far you will need to focus on protein so your body can build muscle, which requires more calories to sustain, which will in turn, kick start your weight loss again. Needless to say, any weight loss program you choose should be one that preserves your body's muscle and this does not happen!

3. Add resistance training to your program.

A wonderful way to boost your metabolism and break through to the next level of weight loss is by incorporating aerobic exercise into your program, such as 30 minutes of walking three to four times a week. (If you are 35 years or older, or haven't exercised regularly, begin with 10 to 15 minutes two to three times a week.) In addition, weight training with free weights or machines several times a week can help increase muscle mass, which in turn allows you to burn more calories faster. Studies show that weight training can increase your metabolism overnight by five to 10 percent. Working out can increase your metabolism for up to 21 hours after an intense workout.

4. Look out for hidden carbohydrates.

If your weight loss progress seems slow, look out for carbohydrates that might be sneaking their way unnoticed into your diet. Sugar can lurk in the most unexpected places such as ketchup, salad dressings, teriyaki and barbecue sauces. Watch out too for cornstarch, sugar or milk solids in many processed foods such as gravies, or sauces on frozen vegetables. Be especially careful about "low-fat" foods where flavor is enhanced by sugar and other carbohydrates. Try keeping a diet journal for a couple of days of EVERYTHING you eat and drink. You may quickly discover the hidden carbs that are keeping your weight-loss progress stuck and be able to eliminate them and move past your plateau.

5. Take the "refinement" out of your diet.

Try eliminating all refined sugar and refined grains from your diet. This includes white bread, pastries, pasta, white rice, white flour crackers, sugar-coated breakfast cereals, cookies and cake. This simple step can encourage a huge weight-loss breakthrough and leave you feeling more healthy and energized in the process.

6. Don't go hungry.

Cutting back on how often you eat can have a negative impact on your diet plateau. Many studies show that small, frequent meals are more satisfying and produce better weight-loss results than the same number of calories consumed in three large meals. Take advantage of healthy snacking and crunch on fresh slices of raw vegetables like celery, peppers, cucumber and jicama when you're hungry.

7. Drink to burn up.

It's vitally important to replenish your fluids by drinking plenty of water on your weight loss program. An inadequate supply of water in itself can slow down your weight-loss. Carry water with you wherever you go throughout the day. For additional weight-management benefits, add a high quality aloe concentrate to your water to help keep your digestion in top shape. Also, a probiotic supplement can help us maintain a healthy intestinal flora. Keeping well hydrated not only helps you burn fat efficiently, it also helps control hunger.

8. Keep your incentive strong.

Remember the determination you felt when you first began your weight-loss program? Remember the excitement of watching the pounds drop one by one? Go back to whatever your initial motivation was and see whether it still works for you. It may have been the desire to lose weight for a particular event or to regain your figure after pregnancy. You may have been motivated by poor health or by the shock of just how much weight you had gained. See whether the same motivation still has juice for you. If not, choose a new one. Keep a picture of yourself looking great (or bad!) on your refrigerator as a daily reminder of where you are heading.

(c) Kim Beardsmore

Kim Beardsmore is a weight loss consultant whose business operates across 60 countries. Tons of recipes, articles, resources, free newsletter and more to help you lose weight and keep it off forever. Estimate your healthy body weight or receive a free weight loss consultation at http://www.weight-loss-health.com.au