Great Weight Loss Myths of Fat Burning

Judging by all the infomercials, diet pills, and other weight loss products offering to zap the fat from your body, fat burning is a coveted thing. When your body churns to draw upon the energy needed to move around, whether it uses more fat or more carbs depends on the intensity of what you do. But when it comes to losing weight, calories are calories and the distinction between which kind of calories are used isn't that important.

You're fat burning when you're in couch-potato mode, for goodness sakes. Yet, a lot of misunderstanding prevails.

Get ready to break down some of the myths people have about burning fat:

Myth: The body completely shuts off one fuel source when it turns on the other.

The Truth: What has often been misunderstood by both exercisers and exercise instructors alike is that the body relies on both fat and carbs for energy all the time, albeit in different ratios. In fact, as you sit here reading, you may be burning about 50-60 percent fat and 50-40 percent carbohydrates.

You're not using much of either, however, because the amount of calories you need probably amounts to about one or two calories a minute. If you were to get up and start jogging in place, your body would need to supply you with some quick energy to do so, so the metabolism ratio might shift to drawing upon more carbohydrates, say 70 percent, and less fat, say 30 percent.

If you were to continue jogging, then, in order to preserve the carbs (which can run out since you have limited stores in the body), your body would gradually shift its metabolism ratio again to say, 60 percent fat and 40 percent carbohydrates. From an energy efficiency point of view, it pays to be fit. The endurance athlete would be able to make the shift sooner, and his fat-burning percentage might be 65-75 percent.

However, in practical terms this is purely technotalk, and these ratios don't make a big difference when it comes to losing weight and decreasing your body fat. For the most part, athletes are often leaner not because they might rely on slightly more fat for fuel, but because they practice their sport two to three, or more, hours a day — this burns a lot of calories. If you had the time, energy, and fitness level to work out three hours a day, being overweight would probably not be an issue.

To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than your body consumes and uses everyday. Exercise is one main way to burn a lot of calories. But when it comes to weight loss, what matters is how many calories you burn, not so much whether they are fat or carbohydrate calories.

Myth: Exercise done at a low intensity, such as walking, is better at fat burning than other high-intensity activities, like running or cardio activities where you push yourself very hard.

The Truth: In a strict scientific sense, these claims are true because working at a lower intensity requires less quick energy and a higher percentage of fat is burned. But you'll also burn fewer calories than you would if, for the same amount of time, you work out at a harder intensity (running versus walking). If you're trying to lose weight, even though a higher percentage of fat is being used, a lower total amount of fat is lost.

Whether increased fat burning will result in actual weight loss is dependent upon several variables, including the total calories burned (which include both fat and carbohydrate calories) and the total fat calories burned. If you do work at a low intensity, you need to increase the time spent exercising to burn more calories. What matters most is the total number of calories burned.

If you burned 250 calories every day from a short, fast jog, you'd see a bigger difference in weight and fat loss than if you walked everyday for the same amount of time. The number of fat calories you burn isn't that important, because even if you burn a lot of carb calories, these need to be replaced both by the carbs you eat in your diet and also within your body.

Your fat stores will be broken down and transformed into carbohydrates when you need fuel. Even if you're burning lots of carb calories and less fat calories through exercise, your fat still inevitably gets used.

It boils — not burns — down to this: During the same amount of time you don't use more calories at lower exercise intensities. If you're trying to lose weight and you have only 30 minutes to work out, you would burn fewer calories walking at a moderate pace compared to walking at a fast pace. Working out at higher intensities may cause you to burn a lower percentage of fat, but since you burn more total calories, you still use more fat calories.

Low- to moderate-intensity exercise can burn a significant number of calories over a period of time. If you aren't fit enough to push yourself to work at a high intensity, or you have a physical weakness that prevents you from doing so, you can still burn a lot of calories by doing low-intensity workouts for a longer period of time.

Myth: Running, cycling, or other cardio activities are more fat burning once you've been doing them for more than 15 or 20 minutes.

The Truth: Technically, once you've been exercising for 15 or 20 minutes, your body has made the shift to using a higher percentage of fat for fuel. But again, if you're trying to lose weight, it's about the total number of calories burned, not necessarily the fuel source.

For example, say that at rest you burn up to 60 percent fat. When you enter the initial phases of intense exercise, the ratio changes. You may now burn only 30 percent fat because your body is using quick-energy carbohydrates. Once the exercise is sustained, the body switches back to using a higher percentage of fat to fuel the movement (up to 75 percent fat). In this aerobic phase of exercise, a higher percentage of fat is being used for energy.

But if you aren't working out for a very long period, you may still burn more total calories and, therefore, more fat calories working out harder. Put another way, if burning as many calories as you can is the best way to lose weight, even a dummy can figure out which activity of the following is going to give the best results (answer: jogging and sprinting), even though their fat-burning quota is on the low end of the ratio for weight loss.

Activity
Calories Burned
Fat Percentage
Calories from Fat

Watching TV for 20 minutes
40 calories
60 percent
24 calories

Walking for 20 minutes
100 calories
65 percent
65 calories

Jogging & sprinting for 20 minutes
250 calories
40 percent
100 calories

The Diet Channel's Top 10 Strategies For Permenent Weight Loss

10 Weight Loss Strategies

Exercise - It's nothing new, but exercise is probably the most important predictor of whether you will succeed at long term weight loss and weight loss maintenance. In order for exercise to be helpful in weight loss, you should strive for a minimum of five - 30 minute sessions per week. The good news is that recent research has shown that three - 10 minute sessions in a day are as good as one - 30 minute session. This helps many in combating the old "no time for exercise" excuse. Be certain to find something you enjoy. You'll be more apt to stick with it. Try walking with a friend, joining an intramural sports league, participating in outings with a group like The Sierra Club, or trying some classes at your local gym. Once you give exercise a chance, you will begin to enjoy its positive benefits on your psyche as well - you will literally become "hooked".

Pump Iron - We chose to list this separately from the "Exercise" category because of the significant weight loss benefits attached to weight lifting in and of itself. The basic equation is this: the more muscle tissue you have, the more calories you will burn. This is why world class weight lifters must eat thousands of calories a day to maintain their weight. Muscle is active tissue, fat is not. Thus, muscle "burns" a significant number of calories each day for its own maintenance. In her book "Strong Women Stay Slim", Miriam Nelson, a Tufts University researcher, showed that a group of women who followed a weight loss diet and did weight training exercises lost 44 percent more fat than those who only followed the diet. While aerobic activity can help burn calories, muscle's where it's at when it comes to giving your metabolism a significant daily boost even at rest.

Keep a Diary - Keeping a food diary can be a huge asset in successful weight loss. Devote some time each day to record what you have eaten and how much, your hunger level prior to eating, and any feelings or emotions present at the time. A food diary can provide a large amount of self- awareness. It can identify emotions and behaviors that trigger overeating, foster greater awareness of portion sizes, and help you discover your personal food triggers. Study any patterns that emerge from your food diary and identify where you may be able to make more healthful changes. A food diary provides an added benefit of keeping you focused on and committed to your goals. Start keeping a food diary today by printing our food diary form.


Stay Focused on Healthy, Not Thin - Many people become more successful at long term weight loss when their motive changes from wanting to be thinner to wanting to be healthier. Change your mindset to think about selecting foods that will help your body's health rather than worrying about foods that will affect your body's weight. The Food Pyramid offers a basic outline of the types and amounts of food you should eat each day to give your body the nutrients it needs for optimal health.

Find Out What's Eating You - All too often overeating is triggered by stress, boredom, loneliness, anger, depression and other emotions. Learning to deal with emotions without food is a significant skill that will greatly serve long term weight control. The Solution, a book and national program developed by Laurel Mellin, R.D., helps participants to identify their eating triggers and respond to them without food. A research study showed that the participants in this program demonstrated a better rate of long term weight loss maintenance than those who simply diet and/or exercise and don't address behavioral and emotional issues. Chronic overeaters and "emotional eaters" can be significantly helped by learning new behavioral skills such as those Mellin presents. You can also seek help with behavioral and emotional eating issues from a licensed counselor or psychologist in your area.

Get Support - A big key in long term weight control comes from receiving encouragement and support from others. You can check to see if groups such as Weight Watchers, or The Solution offer programs and resources in your area by clicking the links. You may also wish to check with your local hospital to see if their registered dietitian conducts group weight loss programs.


Watch Your Portions - With the advent of "supersize" meals and increasingly huge portions at restaurants, our concept of normal serving sizes is a distant memory. Be mindful of the amounts of food you consume at a sitting. When necessary, divide your food in half and ask for a take home bag. It is all too easy to be a "plate cleaner" even when served enormous portions. Learn to pay attention to your hunger level and stop eating when you feel comfortably full, not stuffed.

Lose Weight Slowly With Small Changes - Try to remember that "losing 15 pounds in two weeks" is nothing to celebrate. It is important to realize that the more quickly weight is lost, the more likely the loss is coming from water and muscle, not fat. Since muscle tissue is critical in keeping our metabolism elevated, losing it actually leads to a decrease in the amount of calories we can each day without gaining weight. Fat loss is best achieved when weight is lost slowly. Strive for a weight loss of no more than 1-2 pounds per week. One pound of weight is equivalent to 3500 calories. By making small changes like eliminating 250 calories a day from food and expending 250 calories a day from exercise, you can lose one pound (of mostly fat) per week.

Slow Down - Did you ever notice that thin people take an awfully long time to eat their food? Eating slowly is one method that can help take off pounds. That's because from the time you begin eating it takes the brain 20 minutes to start signaling feelings of fullness. Fast eaters often eat beyond their true level of fullness before the 20 minute signal has had a chance to set in. The amount of calories consumed before you begin to feel full can vary significantly depending on how quickly you eat. So slow down, take smaller bites and enjoy and savor every tasty morsel.

Eat Less Fat, But Do It Wisely - We've known for some time that limiting high fat foods in the diet can be helpful with weight loss. That's because fats pack in 9 calories per gram compared to only 4 calories per gram from proteins or carbohydrates. To many, the message to limit fats implied an endorsement to eat unlimited amounts of fat-free products. Just to clarify, fat-free foods have calories too. In some cases fat-free foods have as many calories as their fat laden counterparts. If you eat more calories than your body uses, you will gain weight. Eating less fat will help you to lose weight. Eating less fat and replacing it with excessive amounts of fat-free products will not.

Before beginning any diet or fitness weight loss program you should consult your physician.

10 Tips for Easy Weight Loss

You know you are experiencing yo-yo dieting, but do not know how to stop it! It is time to get your balance back. The following easy weight loss tips will help you lose weight in a healthy way.

Tip 1: Find out how many calories you need (BMR Basal Metabolic Rate)


(Body Weight (lb) x 15) + (moderate activity (mins/day) x 3.5) = BMR in kcal
Since you wish to lose weight, deduct you BMR by 500 kcal


For instance, you weigh 140 lb and you perform 20 mins of moderate activity every day. BMR of this example = (140 x 15) + (20 x 3.5) = 2100 + 70 = 2170 kcal. BMR minus 500kcal; it would be 2170 - 500 = 1670 kcal. Therefore 1670 kcal is the target in this example to losing 1 lb per week.

Tip 2: Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day

Fruits and vegetables are packed with beneficial fibers, vitamins and antioxidants. They fill up your stomach fast so you feel full earlier. They are also low in calories and helps to keep your calorie count low.

Tip 3: Watch for Portion Size

One serving of pasta means 1/2 cup of cooked pasta. However, most restaurants serve a pasta dish with 4 servings of pasta!!! You do not need to finish and clean off the plate every time. You can simply ask to take home the leftover.

Tip 4: Do not Skip Meals

Eating small frequent meals help to balance your calorie intake throughout the day and also keeps your blood sugar level balanced. Instead of eating 3 big meals, try to eat 5 - 6 smaller meals throughout the day.

Tip 5: Go for wholesome fresh foods

If possible, purchase fresh foods and avoid package (processed) and convenient foods such as fast food. Packaged and convenient foods are often higher in sodium and fat content. Many people we spoke to are amazed that they can easily lose weight by packing a home-cooked lunch to work instead of eating out.

Tip 6: Don't be overly-restrictive

Everyone has his or her favorite treats. Simply allow yourself a little indulgence, but watch out for the frequency and the quantity. Having a small treat once in a while can be rewarding to your weight loss experience. Cutting too much of your favorite treats usually lead to an early relapse.

Tip 7: Understand Food Claims and Labels

A product labelled with a fat-free claim does not mean that it is low in calories. Similarly a product labelled as low-sugar or low-carb does not mean it is low in fat or calories. Always read the nutrition label on the packaging.

Tip 8: Watch for the sugary drinks

Juices, pop, cream & sugar in your coffee or tea all add up. Opt for drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day. In addition to providing hydration to your body, it will also help you feel full.

Tip 9: Keep a food journal

Keeping a food journal helps you pin point your eating pattern and will enable you to easily modify it. If possible, have your Registered Dietitian review your journal.

Tip 10: Exercise, period.

Most authorities recommend 30 - 60 minutes of physical activity a day to stay healthy. Also try adding weight-bearing exercises at least 2 times a week. This will help burn some of the unwanted calories for better weight loss.

Diet Truths Everyone Needs to Know

Don't believe these weight loss hypes...

Diet Truth: Zero calorie butter spray actually has calories.

Sure, if you use the recommended "serving size" (a couple of sprays), I Can't Believe it's Not Butter spray is fat and calorie free. But when you use a more realistic portion, the calories and fat rack up. The average real serving is about 15-25 sprays, which contains about 20 calories and 2 grams of fat. And obviously, the more you spray, the more calories and fat you add. The numbers are still fairly low, but this butter substitute certainly does have calories. And fat. So be careful!

Diet Truth: And speaking of fat...

A word to the wise (or should we say, a word to your thighs?). Something can be labeled "fat free" even if it is 100% fat. The FDA says that a food can be called "fat free" if it contains less than a half of a gram of fat per serving. So, as long as the serving size is small enough, the package will read "fat free" even if it contains lots of fat. That means if you eat more than one serving of a supposedly "fat free" item, there's a good chance you'll be taking in a gram of fat or more. Fat free whipped cream (like Reddi-Wip) is a great example. The can says fat free, but if you eat more than one serving (which you most likely will, since there are supposedly 40 in that can!), chances are you will be taking in a few grams of fat.

Diet Truth: Calling something light (or even lite) doesn't mean it's healthy...

In order for something to be labeled "lite" or "light," the FDA requires that it contain 1/3 fewer calories or half the fat of the regular version. It doesn't, however, take size into account. So often "light" versions of foods are merely smaller, and not actually better for you in any way. Hmmmm...

Diet Truth: Serving sizes are often unrealistic.

Are there really 16 servings in that box of cereal? Two servings in that small can of soup? Five servings in that teeny tiny chocolate bar? Um, not a chance. However, companies hope you won't figure out that you have to multiply the calories, carbs, etc. listed on nutrition labels by the number of serving sizes, to get accurate nutritional information. To get more realistic numbers, multiply all nutritionals by the number of servings something supposedly has. That will tell you how many calories, etc. are in the entire package. Then divide by the actual number of servings you believe are really in the package. Warning: The results may be upsetting!

Diet Truth: Frozen yogurt isn't always better for your diet than ice cream.

Take Ben & Jerry's Phish Food, for example. It has 220 calories, 4.5 grams of fat and 41 carbs per 1/2 cup. You're better off with an ice cream cone from McDonald's. It has 150 calories, 3.5 grams of fat and 24 carbs. Read labels carefully.

More weight loss information...

Apples for Weight Loss

Benefits of Eating Apples for Weight Loss

Besides the main health benefits of eating apples and other fruits, apples can benefit for weight loss. Apples are low in calories and fat, low in sodium and contain vitamins, minerals as well as fiber. These can all help to lose weight in different ways. The low calories means we can eat lots of apples without consuming too much energy. The fiber helps by filling the stomach quicker, again limiting the amount of food eaten.

Lower sodium intakes helps flush excess water weight from the body. And, the vitamins benefit us by increasing health and vitality to keep us active throughout the day. Increased vitality helps burn extra calories to speed up weight loss.

Another positive benefit of eating apples is the high water content of the fruit. The consumption of apples and other fruits with a high water content helps us take in more water. Many people today simply don't eat enough clean water and research has shown that food cravings or an increased appetite may be driven to gain extra water in food. Water consumption can also give us more energy and help increase the metabolism. Many people are discovering the benefits of eating high water foods such as apples and other fruits to help lose weight.

-Positives benefits of eating apples:
-Low in calories
-Low in fat
-Contain fiber
-Good source of some vitamins, minerals and other important chemicals
-High water content
-Great for detoxifying the body

Eating apples before training session or workout can be great for boosting energy and faster weight loss!

Coffee for Weight Loss

Study showed heavy coffee drinking did not increase the risk of heart disease with weight loss!

Researchers from the Harvard Medical School headed by a Spanish scientist investigated data of over 120,000 participants from two large-scale studies: the Health Professionals Study and the Nurses' Health Study.

Coffee consumption, cholesterol levels and heart disease incidences were analyzed. After making a long list of adjustments, researchers found that coffee drinkers did not have a higher risk of heart disease, even among the heavy consumers who drank more than 6 cups daily. The results of this study were published in the Circulation journal in May 2006.

This study should not be interpreted as an incentive for increasing coffee consumption. Results on coffee and heart disease are still conflicting. Published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in June 2005, researchers from the University of Athens found that coffee drinkers had more stiffness of the major blood vessel in the body than non-coffee drinkers. They suggested for people with high blood pressure or other risk factors for heart disease who drink more than 3 cups of coffee a day to cut down.

According to the American Heart Association, whether high caffeine intake increases the risk of heart disease is still under study. Moderate coffee drinking - one to two cups per day - does not seem to be harmful. Therefore, moderation is the key for weight loss!

Super Foods for Weight Loss

Super foods for Weight Loss: Fruits and Vegetables

We're not suggesting you turn vegetarian, but simply up your intake of fruits & vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds for weight loss. And, by doing this combined with other important diet strategies, you may lose weight naturally. Most plant foods are low-calorie, low-fat and very filling. And since they're fresh and whole, you won't be filling your body with processed ingredients.

It's important to consume a wide variety of colorful plant foods to reap the health benefits. That's because each contains different phytochemicals that work synergistically to combat disease. So the phytochemicals in the pink grapefruit you ate for breakfast, for instance, may fight disease more effectively when combined with the avocado in your salad at lunch.

Super Foods for Super Health

Plant foods are all-stars, because each contains unique phytochemicals that work together to fight disease. What's more, there are thousands of foods that have yet to be analyzed, so there's more good news to come.

Based on the latest research, the following foods contain phytochemicals that are proving to be terrific choices, says David Heber, M.D., Ph.D., director of the University of California, Los Angeles, Center for Human Nutrition and author of What Color Is Your Diet? (HarperCollins, 2001). So eat more of these:

Broccoli, cabbage and kale

The isothiocynanates in these cruciferous vegetables stimulate the liver to break down pesticides and other carcinogens. In people susceptible to colon cancer, these phytochemicals seem to reduce risk.

Carrots, mangos and winter squash

The alpha and beta carotenes in these orange vegetables and fruits play a role in cancer prevention, particularly of the lung, esophagus and stomach.
Citrus fruits, red apples and yamsThe large family of compounds known as flavonoids found in these fruits and vegetables (as well as red wine) show promise as cancer fighters.

Garlic and onions

The onion family (including leeks, chives and scallions) is rich in allyl sulfides, which can help lower high blood pressure and show promise in protecting against cancers of the stomach and the digestive tract. Also read Benefits of Garlic in Heart Disease.

Pink grapefruit, red bell peppers and tomatoes

The phytochemical lycopene is actually more available after cooking, which makes tomato paste and ketchup the best sources of it. Lycopene shows promise in fighting lung and prostate cancers.

Red grapes, blueberries and strawberries

The anthocyanins that give these fruits their distinctive colors may help ward off heart disease by preventing clot formation. Anthocyanins also appear to inhibit tumor growth.

Spinach, collard greens and avocado

Lutein, which appears to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke as well as guard against age-related macular degeneration (which leads to blindness), is also abundant in pumpkins.

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Weight Loss Tips

11 Clever Ways to Fit Weight Loss Into Your Day

When you think of exercise, you probably think of structured workouts such as Pilates or running. In fact, aerobics classes and jogging schedules are relatively new and, for many, unnecessary ways to stay fit. You can reap the same rewards with a basic "bottoms-up" approach to fitness -- that is, don't sit when you can stand, and don't stand when you can walk. Now, that's a motto to live by! Here you'll find several similar suggestions to help fitness find its way into your day.

Meaningful movement.

Small bouts of "lifestyle activity," such as walking around the block after dinner instead of watching a game show or pacing while you talk on the telephone rather than sitting, are by no means intense. Nevertheless, they can be just as good for you as more vigorous exercise, according to research.

In a two-year study of more than 230 overweight and inactive men and women, researchers at the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research in Dallas found that those who sneaked more movement minutes into their days by taking the stairs at the office, parking farther from the door at shopping malls, and pulling weeds around the yard achieved the same improvements in fitness, blood pressure, and body fat as those who went to the gym and exercised vigorously for 20 to 60 minutes five days a week.

In a similar study, Johns Hopkins University researchers found that people who added just 30 minutes of lifestyle activity to their days lost almost 10 pounds during the 16-week study period -- more than a comparable group who did step aerobics three days a week.

Small time investments yield big payoffs. The key is finding active opportunities throughout the day, every day. Once you start looking, you'll be surprised by how many minutes in motion you can rack up. Most doctors and the government don't consider "sitting" a disease, let alone a problem. To them, the notion of "sitting disease" is probably ridiculous! We beg you to think otherwise.

In many ways, sedentary living is a much bigger health problem than the more talked-about concerns such as cholesterol and high blood pressure, because if you conquer sitting disease, chances are you'll prevent these other health concerns from ever emerging.

Before we get into more rigorous activity suggestions, though, it's time to get you into an active mindset. By that, we mean pursuing a daily style in which your every choice is the more active alternative. As you go about your day, stand more, walk more, and get outside more! Below are some helpful tips that can increase your daily exercise time by 30 to 45 minutes while barely changing your routine:

1. Take at least two flights a day. Research shows that taking just two flights of stairs a day can add up to a 6-pound weight loss over a year. Regular stair stepping also improves bone density, aerobic fitness, and levels of good cholesterol. Always take the stairs at work and while shopping. If you have stairs at home, make one trip up and down before and after work to be sure you get in at least two flights a day.

2. Make the pizza. Cooking dinner burns more than twice as many calories as dialing the phone and flipping through a magazine for 20 or 30 minutes as you wait for the chow mein to come. And the food's often better, too. Prep and cook dinner at least one night a week, and preferably five or six nights!

3. Plan walk 'n' talks. Instead of sitting in a stuffy conference room gnawing stale doughnuts, lead your coworkers outside for roving meetings. Take a small pad and pen to keep notes. Everyone's brain will work better in the fresh air, and you'll have more energy when you return to your office.

4. Be an active spectator. Your kids' (or grandkids') sports practices and games are terrific opportunities for movement. Pace the sidelines. Walk around the field. Step up and down off the bleachers. The added activity will really give you something to cheer about.

5. Take the late spots. Five days a week, park in the first spot you see in the lot (usually "reserved" for latecomers). Where it's safe, do the same at malls, restaurants, and other destinations.

6. Do computer calisthenics. At the top of every hour, straighten and bend each leg 10 times, stand up and rise up and down on your toes 10 times, and stretch your arms to the ceiling before sitting down and resuming work.

7. Start a walking bus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 13 percent of kids walk to school -- a 66 percent drop from 30 years ago. Start your day off right and help your kids, grandkids, or neighbors' kids fend off future heart disease by starting a "walking school bus": Pick up the children at their homes in the morning and walk with them to school, following a set route. Then do the same in reverse in the afternoon. If the school is too far away, pick a central location, such as a park, where parents can take their kids, and use that as the pickup and drop-off point for your trips. Or caravan by foot to and from a central bus stop.
8. Pack a ready-to-go bag. Active moments can appear at a moment's notice. Meetings get canceled. Kids run late. Clients are stuck in traffic. Instead of sitting and stewing, strap on your sneaks and take a stroll. Keep a bag packed with sneakers, socks, baby wipes, and a small towel stashed in your car.

9. Think on your feet. Stand up whenever you need to write a list or jot down notes. It guarantees that you'll get off your seat and stretch your legs a few times a day.

10. Dial M for "move it." When the phone rings, stand up, and don't sit down until you're done with the conversation. Walk around the house -- or even the yard -- to squeeze in extra steps.

11. Turn ad time into active time. Do chores during the commercial breaks in your favorite TV show or shows. Popping up to do laundry, empty wastebaskets, gather dirty dishes, or wipe countertops can add up to 14 to 24 minutes of activity during an hour-long show, and you'll save hundreds of calories by not snacking instead.

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Diet Rules

Remember, any successful diet means consuming fewer calories, eating less food, but eating healthy food, (see Fab Foods for more). You are fooling yourself if you think a diet that permits you to eat anything you what will help you to lose weight. To lose weight follow these simple rules:

• Don't eat a large meal in the evening when you'll have little opportunity for exercise afterwards. It's best to eat more at the times when you are going to be the most active.
• Eat a hearty breakfast, a substantial lunch, and a light dinner.
• Never skip breakfast!
• Eat slowly and thoroughly chew your food.
• Don't eat while you're doing anything else like watching TV, using the computer or doing your homework.
• Stop frying food.
• If you must snack, stock the fridge with low calorie snacks like raw vegetables and low fat yogurt.

More diet tips...

Diet Tips

Be aware of what you drink!
It's amazing how many extra calories are in the sodas, juices, and other drinks. Cutting out soda completely can save you 360 calories or more each day. AVOID diet soda too, the artificial sweeteners are probably not good very good for you & they tend to make some people hungry. Drink a lot of water. Switching from whole to nonfat or low fat milk is also a good idea, or switching to soy milk is even a better idea for weight loss.

Move your body!
You may find that you don't need to give up calories as much as you need to get off your behind. And don't get stuck in the rut of thinking you have to play a team sport or take an aerobics class - try a variety of activities from hiking to cycling to rowing until you find ones you like. Not a jock, you say? Find other ways to fit activity into your day: walk to school, jog up and down the stairs a couple of times before your morning shower or take a stroll past your crush's house - anything that gets you moving. Your goal should be to work up to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at least 3 to 5 times a week - but it's fine to start out by simply taking a few turns around the block before bed. This may also help you to avoid becoming a TV, video game, or Internet junkie!

Start small!
Drastic changes are much harder to stick with than small changes. Try reducing the size of the portions you eat and giving up regular soda for a week. Once you have that down, start gradually introducing healthier foods and exercise into your life.

Stop eating when you're full!
Lots of teens (and adults) eat when they're bored, lonely, or stressed or keep eating long after they're full out of habit. Slowing down can help because it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to recognize how much is in your stomach. Sometimes taking a break before going for seconds can keep you from eating them. Avoid eating when you feel upset or bored - try to find something else to do instead (a walk around the block or a trip to the gym are good alternatives).

Many teens find it's helpful to keep a diary of what they eat and when. Reviewing their diary later can help them identify the emotions they have when they overeat or whether they have unhealthy habits. A registered dietitian can give you pointers on how to do this.

Eat less more often!
Many people find that eating a couple of small snacks throughout the day helps them to make healthy choices at meals. Stick a couple of healthy snacks (carrot sticks, a low fat granola bar, pretzels, or a piece of fruit) in your backpack so that you can have one or two snacks during the day. Adding healthy snacks to your three squares and eating smaller portions when you sit down to dinner can help you to cut calories without feeling deprived.

Five a day keeps the pounds away.
Trash the junk food and buy lots of fruits and vegetables! Five or more servings of fruits and veggies aren't just a good idea to help you lose weight - they'll help keep your heart and the rest of your body healthy. Other suggestions for eating well: exchange white bread for whole-wheat; drink lots of water and make sure you eat a healthy breakfast. Don't skip breakfast. (Having low fat cereal and milk and a piece of fruit is a much better idea than inhaling a donut as you run to the bus stop or eating no breakfast at all!) A registered dietitian can give you lots of other snack and menu ideas.

Avoid fad or prepackaged diets.
If we were meant to eat from cans, they'd grow on trees. It's never a good idea to trade meals for shakes or to give up a food group in the hope that you'll lose weight - we all need a variety of foods to stay healthy. Teens, in particular, should stay away from fad diets because they're still growing and need to make sure they get proper nutrients. Avoid diet pills (even the over-the-counter or herbal variety) unless your doctor prescribes them! These can be very addictive!

Don't banish certain foods.
Don't tell yourself you'll "never" again eat your absolutely favorite peanut butter chocolate ice cream or a bag of chips from the vending machine at school. Making these foods forbidden is sure to make you want them even more. Besides, you need to have some fat in your diet to stay healthy, so giving up all fatty foods all the time isn't a good idea anyway. The key to long-term success is making healthy choices most of the time. If you want a piece of cake at a party, go for it! But munch on the carrots rather than the chips to balance it out later in the evening.

Forgive yourself.
So you were going to have one cracker with spray cheese on it and the next thing you know the can's pumping air and the box is empty? Drink some water, brush your teeth, and move on. Everyone who's ever tried to lose weight has found it challenging. When you slip up, the best idea is to get right back on track and don't look back. Avoid telling yourself that you'll get back on track tomorrow or next week or after New Year's.

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Weight Loss for Adults

How Can I Lose Weight As a Young Adult?

Weight loss is a tough topic, especially for teenagers. You may want to weigh less or even look like someone else, but these goals may not be healthy or realistic for you. You may look at magazines, advertisements, and TV and wish you looked more like the models and actors do, but that's a sure way to set yourself up for disappointment. No magical diet or pill will make you look like someone you weren't meant to be. So, what should you do about losing weight?

Being healthy is really about being at a weight that is right for you. The best way to find out if you are at a healthy weight or if you need to lose or gain weight is to talk to a health care provider or registered dietitian, an RD. He or she can help you set realistic goals. If it turns out that you would benefit from weight loss then you can follow a few of the simple suggestions listed below to get started.

Weight management is about long-term success & will hopefully last a lifetime. People who lose weight quickly by "crash" dieting or other extreme measures usually gain it all back or gain even more of the pounds that they lost because they haven't permanently changed their eating habits.

The best weight loss strategies are those that you can maintain for a lifetime. That's a long time, so we'll try to keep these suggestions as easy as possible.

Weight Loss For Overweight and Being Obese

What's the Difference Between Being Overweight and Being Obese?

The terms "overweight" and "obese" are often used interchangeably in weight loss. Although they both refer to excess body weight, they refer to different degrees of this condition. To determine the degree of a person's excess body weight accurately, many doctors use something called a Body Mass Index, or BMI, a measurement of weight that takes height into account.

A person with a BMI of 25 to 29.99 is considered "overweight." A person with a BMI of 30 or greater, or who is at least 30 lbs overweight (depending on height), would be diagnosed as “obese”, the condition of being considerably overweight. A registered dietitian or health care provider can help you determine your BMI and put you on a healthy diet.

YOUR BODY MASS INDEX AND WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT YOUR HEALTH

Most medical personnel will tell you that being overweight is unhealthy. A long list of ailments await those who are overweight or obese. These include increased risks of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes just to name a few. Have you ever stopped to think however, that the definition of overweight means different things to different people?
For instance, a 5 foot 4 inch tall woman can be considered overweight at 160 pounds while a 6 foot 2 inch man is on the thin side at 160 pounds. How do you know what's the ideal weight for you? One way is to put everything on the same scale by adjusting for height. This can be done using the Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation.

The BMI is used by doctors to assess patients that are overweight or obese. It does a very good job of describing relative weight for any given height and measures your overall total body fat content. It does not however, differentiate between people with too much fat and athletic, muscular body type people. Thus, you should really use BMI in conjunction with other body composition assessments.

To calculate your BMI:Take your Weight in pounds multiply that by 704 Divide that number by height in inchesDivide that number by height in inches again19 - 24.9 = You Are Fit 25 - 29.9 = Overweight. You should address the problem now! This is when health issues may begin (high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol) 30+ = Obese = High risk for health problems.See the link below to the new BMI calculator...

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Wrong Ways to Lose Weight!

Creator of Top-WeightLoss-Site.com

If you have tried continuously to lose weight and have failed, you must know that there are several simple but powerful factors that you could have holding you back.

Each pound of fat on our body has 3500 calories in it, so for each pound of fat you want to lose you must burn 3500 calories. That is burning an extra 500 calories a day for a week just to lose one pound of fat.

I recommend that losing 1-2 pounds of fat a week for weight loss, but that mean you would have to burn an extra 1000 calories a day. This may sound like a lot but it can easily be achieved if you educated yourself, learn some weight loss tips, and stay away from these dead ends.

People that seek no guideness and usually decreasing their calorie intake dramatically in their diet as it makes sense to them the more calories they limit the more fat they will lose. Wrong! If you decrease your calories too much it will cause your body in a starvation mode and force your body to store fat and burn muscle for energy. But not only that, your metabolism will plummet and one of your biggest sources in burning fat will be gone.

Another mistake I see is people eliminating a food source like low-carb, low-protein or low-fat diets. Each one of these food sources are needed by the body and continuous weight loss with any of these diets is impossible. Diets are not the problem as a diet is any thing a person eat, but a conventional diet like the Atkins diet made to trick the body into losing weight may be successful at first but most likely people end up heavier and doing harm to their body.

Weight loss without exercise. If you really want to lose 1-2 pounds a week without exercise good luck and prepare you for failure. Exercise not only burns fat, it also can act like a food depressant eliminating any disturbing food urges. Exercise speeds up your metabolism, increases your energy levels, add muscle tone, decreases stress and strengthens your heart. Even though nutrition is 70 percent of weight loss, exercise is the factor that will make you or break you in losing weight.

Straddling the fence. Not being fully committed to your plan and cheating, bending the rules or only giving 50 percent dedication on your goals. If you’re not willing to give up a couple things or losing weight is just not that important to you and not a priority. First, I would ask yourself why you want to lose weight and if you’re not serious about it be happy with yourself as you are because losing weight at half speed always ends up disappointing.

Now I’d like to begin my talk about the first factor, exercise, with a little hand raising exercise.
Most of you already know that a reasonable amount of exercise, on a regular basis, is a healthy thing for us to do.

This information should come as no surprise because the fact that exercise is good for us is commonly understood by most adults living in the United States today.

However, not all of us are able to perform regular exercise. Our time and energies are constrained by the responsibilities in our lives. For example, have the responsibilities in your life ever STOPPED YOU from practicing exercise on a regular basis?

This failure to exercise is completely understandable because many of us have perfectly good reasons why can’t exercise. Two of the most common reasons that I have heard and experienced are:

- I simply don’t have enough time in the day to exercise, or

- I have health challenges that prevent me from exercising.

If you, or any of your friends, are using these reasons not to exercise, I am going to share with you, a piece of information that has allowed me and an exceptional few other people to exercise EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Now I’ve been running, biking, and lifting weights 2-6 times almost every week consistently for about 17 years, and I only discovered this strange technique just a few months ago, while listening to a lecture by the world class gymnast and author of ‘Way of the Peaceful Warrior”, Dan Millman.

Dan said, the way all of us can exercise every single day is to wake up every morning, get out of bed, and do ONE jumping jack!

Now, of course, it doesn’t have to be a jumping jack. It can be anything! For example, I was just looking at Bank of America’s new health website, and they had an exercise on there that I believe about 95% of the people on this planet can do…

It was close your eyes really hard, and flex your lip and jaw muscles by pursing them together, like this… (close eyes, purse lips and jaw)

At first I thought, what good can such a small amount of exercise do anyone? But then I realized, that the most important GOOD it does, is that is creates a certain mind set, a certain habit, a time dedicated every single day to bettering ourselves with exercise.

And as our time, and energy, and ability allow, we can increase that one jumping jack, to 2 jumping jacks, or 10, or 20. Again, it doesn’t matter WHAT exercise you choose, just be sure to do it every single day, then INCREASE it when you can. Now because of this information, the next time someone asks you if you perform regular exercise, you can say, “As a matter of fact! I exercise every single day!”

Now I would like to talk about the 2nd fitness factor… Eating healthy foods and supplementing if necessary in diets.

Now materialistically speaking… You and I have been given the greatest gift in the world! We have been given a body with which our souls can use to consciously experience life! And if we are lucky enough to have a fully functioning brain. And if we lucky enough to be able to decide HOW we want to treat our brain and our body… Why would we want to tarnish this incredible gift by feeding it full of foods that accelerate our body’s degradation? Foods that accelerate our mental decline.

Well that’s exactly what we do, when we eat foods with little or no nutritional value, and foods composed primarily of refined sugars.

Our body is a very complex biological mechanism, and if we want to give it the nutrition it needs to function with absolute optimal performance, we need to seek the advise of experts. We need to talk to or read books written by appropriately trained physicians or nutritionists. Then we need to get a second option, and talk to another expert or read another book. Then get a 3rd opinion and continue to learn how feed our body, and how to care for it properly.

Now, you don’t have to wait until you talk to a physician or read a book to start eating healthy. You can simply use your COMMON SENSE to start eating healthy today!!

Eat more vegetables, eat more nuts and whole grains, eat more fresh fruit, and if mixed with exercise, eat more meat, fish, and real cheese.

Not processed cheese foods, like cheese-wiz, or American cheese in those little plastic wrappers, those are actually quite bad for you.

Now if you decide to eat healthy, and exercise regularly, keep in mind that fitness can only be achieved if you add the final ingredient, the 3rd factor, persistence over time.

And, if you persist, I promise you that, in time:

You will be able to look in mirror and feel proud.

You will be able look back at your accomplishment and dedication and feel proud.

And with the additional clarity and focus you have gained from the additional oxygen and circulation that you have given to your brain, you will be able to strategically share this information to help your children, and to help your family, and to help your friends to feel just as proud as you will.

This in one of the things that annoys me the most is hearing people say they have tried everything and they want to lose weight so bad but they do nothing or fail because they did it wrong. If you are serious about losing weight, make the commitment and do something. Quick weight loss is not difficult, if you educate yourself and stay away from all the fad diets that are advertised, you will too be able to experience a whole new world to nutrition, exercise and healthy living.

Grapefruit for Weight Loss

Grapefruit for Weight Loss!

The grapefruit. a wonderful citrus fruit that contains vitamins (C, some B vitamins and mineral). It is also highly acidic and can cause stomach upset if eaten in large quantities. Grapefruit is an excellent source of simple carbohydrates that can supply quick bursts of energy as well as other fruits.

However, Grapefruit has no fat-BURNING properties. It is true that if you eat a grapefruit instead of a balanced meal you will be reducing calories which can lead to weight loss, which can lead to weight loss with a catch.

The latest research, carried out by scientists at the Nutrition and Medical Research Centre at Scripps Clinic in San Diego, America, has found that the simple act of adding grapefruit and grapefruit juice to your diet, really can aid weight loss. But unlike the seriously restricted diet of the 80s, you get these results without changing what else you eat!

The basic premise of the various forms of the Grapefruit Diet is that grapefruit contains enzymes that make our bodies burn fat for energy, and this results in quick and easy weight loss.

All of the Grapefruit Diets require that you eat half a grapefruit before every meal to reap the benefits of the fat-burning enzymes. Calories typically are limited to less than 800 per day, although some diets require that you eat until satisfied. The plan produces quick weight loss, primarily due to loss of body water.

There is no counting of calories, but since it is so low in protein, fiber, and several important vitamins and minerals, and is reliant on a single food, the diet is thought to be too restrictive.

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Super-Charging Weight Loss

12 Keys To Super-Charging Your Metabolism For Weight Loss!

You hear it all the time - "metabolism", but what is it? It's the process of converting food to energy (movement and heat). Metabolism happens in your muscles and organs and the result of it is what we commonly refer to as "burning calories". Metabolism is essentially the speed at which your body's motor is running.

"Basal metabolism" is the metabolic rate or caloric expenditure needed to maintain basal body functions such as your heart beating, breathing, muscle tone, etc. It's how fast your "motor" is running when you're still in a reclined position or sleeping. Basal metabolism accounts for about 75% of the calories you expend on a daily basis!

The good news is that there are 12 ways you can "boost" your metabolism! The more of these you're able to incorporate into your life, the more you'll boost your metabolism. That means you'll be expending ("burning") more calories 24 hours a day!

1. Always eat breakfast! Skipping breakfast sends the message to your body that you're starving because you haven't had food in 18+ hours. As a protective mechanism, your metabolism slows down. Food, especially complex carbohydrates, fuels your metabolism.

2. Eat earlier in the day! Research has demonstrated that you can lose weight simply by eating a substantial breakfast and lunch, and a light dinner. Dinner should be eaten as early as possible, preferably at least four hours before bedtime.

3. Never eat less than 1200 calories per day! Less than 1200 is usually not enough to support your basal metabolism and thus will slow your metabolism.

4. Snack frequently! Complex carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, and grains) fuel your metabolism. Also, snacking prevents you from becoming too hungry. The hungrier you are, the less control you have over what and how much you eat.

5. Eat more carbohydrates (food from plants), and less fat (food from many animals and other food with added fat)! Carbohydrates boost your metabolism and have fewer calories per weight than fat.

6. Do some type of aerobic exercise (walking, jogging, swimming, stationary cycling, aerobic dancing, etc.) on a daily basis (preferably in the morning)! Forget this twice-a-week stuff. Our bodies were designed to be active on a daily basis! When we are, our metabolism soars!

7. In addition to your regular aerobic exercise, take a brisk 10 to 15 minute walk at lunch or in the evening. This serves to boost your metabolism even more!

8. Tone your muscles with weight training three days per week. Toned muscles send your metabolism through the roof. Do it!

9. Look for situations to be active. Park as far from the store as you can rather than looking for the closest parking spot. Use the stairs rather than the elevator, a broom rather than a blower, etc. Look for the "hard" way to do things!

10. Avoid alcohol! Alcohol depresses your metabolism and stimulates your appetite.

11. Drink 60+ ounces of water a day. Your metabolism needs plenty water to function properly. Carry a bottle of water with you and drink frequently throughout the day.

12. Avoid the"3 P's".....pills, powders, and potions! There are NO quick fixes! Get started today! You'll feel better and your metabolism will be in "great shape"!

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Where Diets Go Wrong

Where Diets Go Wrong

When we discover that we are heavier than we want to be, we have a natural inclination to eat less food. We may skip lunch or eat only a tiny amount of our dinner in the hope that if we eat less our body will burn off some of its fat. But that is not necessarily true. Eating less actually makes it more difficult to lose weight.

Keep in mind that the human body took shape millions of years ago, and at that time there were diets. The only low-calorie event in people's lives was starvation. Those who could cope with a temporary lack of food were the ones who survived. Our bodies, therefore, have developed this built-in mechanism to help us survive in the face of low food intake.

When researchers compare overweight and thin people, they find that they are roughly the same number of calories. What makes overweight people different is the amount of fat that they eat. Thin people tend to eat less fat and more complex carbohydrates.

Losing weight is not something one can do overnight. A carefully planned weight loss program requires common sense and certain guidelines. Unfortunately, there's a lot of misinformantion floating around and lots of desperate people are easily duped and ripped off.

Every day one can open a magazine or newspaper and see advertisements touting some new product, pill or patch that will take excess weight off quickly. Everyone seems to be looking for that "magic" weight loss pill. Millions of Americans are trying to lose weight, spending billions of dollars every year on diet programs and products. Often they do lose some weight. But, if you check with the same people five years later, you will find that nearly all have regained whatever weight they lost.

A survey was done recently to try and determine if any commercial diet program could prove long-term success. Not a single program could do so. So rampant has the so-called diet industry become with new products and false claims that the FDA has now stepped in and started clamping down.

Being seriously overweight and particularly obesity can develop into a number of diseases and serious health problems, and it is now a known fact that when caloric intake is excessive, some of the excess frequently is saturated fat. The myth is that people get heavy by eating too many calories. Calories are a consideration it's true, but overall they are not the cause of obesity in America today. Americans actually take in fewer calories each day than they did at the beginning of the century. If calories alone were the reason we become overweight, we should all be thin. But we are not. Collectively, we are heavier than ever. Partly, it is because we are more sedentary now. But equally, as important is the fact that the fat content of the American diet has changed dramatically.

People who diet without exercising often get fatter with time. Although your weight may initially drop while dieting, such weight loss consists mostly of water and muscle. When the weight returns, it comes back as fat. To avoid getting fatter over time, increase your metabolism by exercising regularly.

Select an exercise routine that you are comfortable with and remember that walking is one of the best and easiest exercises for strengthening your bones, controlling your weight and toning your muscles.

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By Joe R.

Weight Loss Myths Exposed

Five weight loss food myths exposed

There are many myths about foods - which you should eat and when you should eat them. Below five myths are exposed as false!

1. Potatoes make you fat - falseIt was once thought that the key to weight loss was eliminating all high carbohydrate foods, including pasta, rice and potatoes. We now know that carbohydrates are the body's preferred energy source. Eating a potato, or any type of carbohydrate rich food, won't automatically make you fatter.

However, if you are watching your weight, enjoy potatoes in moderate quantities and be careful of how you eat your potato (for example, butter and sour cream are high in fats).You have to regularly eat more energy than your body needs to put on weight. This is harder to do with high carbohydrate foods than high fat foods. Eating a diet high in carbohydrate (and also fibre) is likely to push fat out of the diet.

2. Food combining diets really work - falseThere are plenty of diets based on the belief that the digestive system can't tackle a combination of foods or nutrients. Commonly, carbohydrates and proteins are said to 'clash', leading to digestive problems and weight gain. The opposite is often true. Foods eaten together can help the digestive system. For example, vitamin C in orange juice can increase iron absorption from a meal like chicken or beef.Very few foods are purely carbohydrate or purely protein; most are a mixture of both. The digestive system contains enzymes that are perfectly capable of breaking down all the foods we eat. Food combining diets should be avoided.

3. Breakfast should consist of fruit only - falseThere is no evidence that eating only fruit at breakfast has any health or weight loss benefits. Most fruits are not very high in complex carbohydrates, which the body needs after an all-night fast. They are, however, a good source of fibre and vitamins. Cereal foods (especially wholegrain varieties) like bread, crumpets, muffins and breakfast cereals are a much better source of carbohydrates to get you going in the morning.

4. There are some magical foods that cause weight loss - false Some foods, such as grapefruit or kelp, are said to burn off body fat. This is not true. Dietary fibre comes closest to fulfilling this wish because it provides a feeling of 'fullness' with minimal kilojoules. High fibre foods such as fruit, vegetables, wholegrain breads and cereals, and legumes also tend to be low in fat.

5. Drinking while you are eating is fattening - false The theory behind this misconception is that digestive juices and enzymes will be diluted by the fluid, and this will slow down the digestion and lead to excess body fat. There is no scientific evidence to back this up. In fact, evidence suggests that drinking water with your meal improves digestion. Kilojoule-heavy drinks such as alcoholic beverages can be fattening if consumed in excess, but drinking them with meals doesn't make them more so.

Real weight loss...

Key for Weight Loss

The key to weight loss!

Suggestions for safe and effective weight loss include:

-Don't crash diet. You'll most likely regain the lost weight within five years.
-Aim for slow weight loss. You should lose no more than 0.5kg a week or 10kg in six months.
-Aim to lose 10cm from around your waist in six months. This is more important for your general health than the number of kilos you lose.
-Cut down on dietary fats, especially saturated fat.
-Cut back on refined sugars.
-Increase your intake of fresh fruit, vegetables and wholegrain breads and cereals.
-Consume less alcohol.
-Eat less takeaway and snack foods.
-Exercise for approximately 30 minutes at least a few times every week. Introduce more movement into your day - try to accumulate 30 minutes of walking daily.
-Don't eliminate any food group - choose from a wide range of foods every day instead and choose 'whole', less processed foods. Have a regular pattern of eating and stick to it.
-Drink at least 1,500ml of water per day.

Key to weight loss...

Food Preparations for Weight Loss

You Lack Basic Food-Preparations Skills For Weight Loss

So you took wood shop instead of home ec. I understand--a man needs to master power tools to feel complete. But unless you find a way to make your bird feeder edible, you need to master weight-loss tools, too. A man whose only kitchen skill involves the speed dial to Domino's is condemned to a diet of grease, salt, white bread, and sugar.

Solution: Step into the kitchen. (That's the room with the oven, sink, and refrigerator.) Open your freezer. You should see frozen berries and vegetables, which are as good as fresh but last many times longer. Look in your cupboards. You should see some canned vegetables, hearty low-fat soups, dried fruit, and slow-cooking oats. These foods help you lose weight because they're filling but low in calories.

Best of all, you don't need much more than a can opener and a microwave to make them edible. (Dishes are optional.) This leaves you more time for your power tools.

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Peanuts Great For Weight Loss

Weight Loss Nutrition and Peanuts

Hot off the Peanut Press, here's the scoop on how to make peanuts and peanut butter a part of good nutrition. Besides being fun to eat and delicious, USA peanuts and peanut butter are nutritious! One ounce of peanuts is a good source of protein. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)* one ounce of dry-roasted peanuts provides more than 13% of the daily reference value (DRV) per serving.

Peanuts and peanut butter contain several vitamins and minerals. Peanuts are good sources of vitamin E and B vitamins. A USDA report shows peanuts supply minerals such as calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sodium and zinc.

A diet containing peanuts and peanut butter is a good source of protein and helps to include more of the "good fat" (unsaturated fat) into one's eating habits. In addition, both peanuts and peanut butter are naturally cholesterol-free and contain many other important nutrients. For example, a peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread is just one of many examples of peanuts and peanut butter being used to create flavorful and nutritious combinations!

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) dietary guidelines, along with the American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines (May 2000) place an increased emphasis on decreasing saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (December 1999) showed that diets higher in monounsaturated fats from peanuts and peanut butter reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 21 percent compared to the average American Diet, whereas a low-fat diet reduced the risk by only 12 percent. The National Peanut Board recommends including peanuts and peanut butter in place of other foods high in unsaturated fats.

Peanuts nutrition for weight loss...

Weight Loss with Peanut Butter

No Trans Fat in Peanut Butter After All

I’ve been enjoying natural peanut butter for over a year now for weight loss. I first turned to it so I could avoid the trans fat in regular peanut butter.

Trans fat is created when liquid oils are turned into solids by adding hydrogen. And, food manufaturers like hydrogenated oils since they don’t separate like liquid oils. However, trans fat is also the worst kind of fat — it raises the “bad ” cholesterol while lowering the “good” cholesterol (even saturated fat leaves doesn’t affect good cholesterol).

You would think trans fat would be included on food labels, but that only goes into effect in 2006. So, in the meantime, you just have to look for “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” oils among the ingredients.

So, to avoid the trans fat, I went with natural peanut butter (which isn’t hydrogenized). However, I’ve learned that a study by the Agricultural Research Service — a part of the USDA — says that there’s no trans fat in peanut butter (natural or otherwise).
To see if the rumors had any validity, Sanders prepared 11 brands of peanut butter, including major store brands and “natural” brands, for analysis by a commercial laboratory. He also sent paste freshly prepared from roasted peanuts for comparison. The laboratory found no detectable trans fats in any of the samples, with a detection limit of 0.01 percent of the sample weight.

When I switched over, it took some time to get used to natural peanut butter; in particular, since its oil is in liquid form, the peanut butter can more easily slide off foods (such as apple slices). And, this study may be reason enough to switch back. In fact, just this weekend, I made an Elvis sandwich with regular peanut butter. And, that made for a tasty sandwich.
But, after tasting some regular peanut butter with a spoon, I realized that it didn’t quite have as much peanut taste as the natural peanut butter. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but I soon realized that the sugar in the regular peanut butter may have masked some of the peanut flavor.

So, I may look for some regular peanut butter next time I’m in Target, but I’m not sure if sugar-free regular peanut butter even exists.

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Weight Loss Problem #2

You're Cocky with Weight Loss!

I've seen it many times: Guy drops 10 or 20 pounds and starts thinking he's Joe Weight Loss. Next thing you know, he's back to beer and pizza--and his original weight.


Solution: Remember that scene in Patton when George C. Scott refuses to pull his troops back, saying he doesn't like to pay twice for the same real estate? Okay, you're Patton, and every 10 pounds of fat you shed is real estate you own outright. Don't give it back.

With each 10 pounds you drop, sit down and reassess your diet and exercise program. If you calculated your food intake and exercise volume when you started, run a new set of numbers, based on your new weight and activity level.

Now either go back on the offensive, aiming to conquer the next 10 pounds, or dig in and defend the 10 you've lost. But if you have to take back the pounds you've lost, you've wasted a lot of brave effort.

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Weight Loss with Fitness

You Think Fitness Trumps Weight Loss

Exercise alone won't make you thin. A recent study of military personnel who increased their exercise during a 3-year period found that they gained weight despite their extra efforts.

Why? Food, most likely. They simply ate more than they burned off.


Solution: The last thing you want to hear, especially from a female, is that size matters. But trust me on this: Controlling portion size is absolutely essential to weight loss. And the best way to control portion size is to limit how often you eat out. According to the Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, a single restaurant meal often could feed an entire family. A pasta dish at an Italian restaurant might include eight 1-cup servings. A rib dish might have a pound of meat--more than five servings.

A side of fries might include 70 of the little devils, which is seven servings. And a nut-filled cinnamon bun in a mall food court could total 1,100 calories--more than half the calorie intake on a typical weight-loss diet. Which brings us to our next point...

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Weight Loss Sleep

Catching enough sleep for weight loss!

Sleep deprivation decreases the odds of shedding blubber and keeping it off. Researchers found that healthy men who snoozed only 4 or 7 hours a night for 6 nights in a row had higher glucose and insulin levels in their blood. This is a terrible state of metabolism for a man who's trying to lose weight, because surplus insulin boosts body-fat storage.


Solution: Hit the sack for 8 hours each and every night. And try to hit it for the same 8 hours. That is, establish a regular bedtime and waking hour. Pick the time you have to wake up on most days, and make sure you're in bed at least 8 hours before. Company is optional.

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Weight Loss Problem

You Inhale Your Food

If you were a rat, you'd chow down for about 15 minutes, feel full, and stop eating. But you aren't. You probably eat so fast that your stomach hardly has time to alert your brain to tell your mouth to quit chewing before your stomach explodes. And eating till your stomach will explode makes weight loss very difficult.

Solution: Try this drill during your next meal. On every bite, chew, swallow, put down your fork, and take a sip of water. See how long it takes you to eat. Now, during subsequent meals, take just as long to eat, only without the drill. Another meal-prolonging trick for men with regular dinner partners: Turn off the TV, put down the Daily Racing Form, and actually have a conversation.

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Weight Loss with FITT Principle

It’s easy for weight loss when you Use the FITT principle…

Frequency – Two days a week of strength training exercises can be just as effective as a five-day routine. The most important consideration is how often you train muscles. Full body strength training exercises can be done 3 times a week but should include fewer exercises per workout. Strength training programs that include 2-3 body parts can include more exercises but should be done less often. This allows your body enough time to recover leading to improved performance.

Intensity - Challenging your body by utilizing proper form, adequate weight, and the right number of reps, is crucial in transforming your body. This doesn't mean you have to use heavy weights or perform 100 reps to make a difference, but you should experience some degree of difficulty each time you perform strength training workouts to force your muscles to grow.

Time - There is a common misconception that in order to get results you need to do weight lifting workouts for hours at a time. In reality a 45-60 minute strength training program is enough for most individuals. In fact, routines of strength training exercises that last longer than 60 minutes can actually break down muscle and cause injuries.Think quality vs. quantity.

Type - Whether you're looking to reduce the size of your thighs, or lose the love handles, it's important to include all types of exercises for all body parts in your weight training workouts. Building muscle all over prevents imbalances, which lead to injuries. It also creates a more proportioned look, and burns fat faster. You should also use different types of resistance such as weights, or manual resistance.

This leads to faster strength gains and quicker results for quick weight loss...

Weight Loss Tips

Tips to Increase Weight Loss

1) To increase metabolism, always eat breakfast in the morning. Break-fast...break the fast. Don't skip breakfast. If you wait until mid morning or afternoon to eat, your metabolism will run slower. Think of breakfast as adding logs to the fireplace. Your metabolism is the fireplace and logs are the breakfast.

2) Increase metabolism by eating smaller meals through the day. Eat 4 to 6 six small meals, 2 to 3 hours apart.

3) Don't depend on herbal products to increase metabolism or energy level. Any metabolic increase will be minimum and herbs are not cheap. Instead, include more energy foods such as whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruits.

4) Park further away and walk. Use the stairs instead of the elevator when possible. Walk to the post office instead of getting into the car. Take your dog on a daily walk. Do more activities around the house to burn energy instead of wasting money on pills and potions that don't work.

5) Incorporate a walking routine to increase metabolism at least three to four times a week. Walk 30 to 40 minutes each time. This is the best way to increase your metabolism.

6) Don't starve yourself when trying to lose weight. This will slow down your metabolism in a hurry. Avoid 5 to 6 hour gaps between meals without eating. Be committed to eating smaller meals at regular intervals. Prepare food in advance and bring it with you. Never eat sporadically and plan each meal. The common mistake is to skip meals and eat too little during the day. This makes you vulnerable for eating junk food later in the day. Eating for weight loss takes planning.

Cardiovascular Exercise For Quick Weight Loss

Cardiovascular exercise for quick weight loss!

Cardiovascular exercise is one of the best health insurance policies in the world. But despite its calorie-burning and heart-protecting benefits, its effect on weight loss is limited for many people, especially if it's not coupled with dietary change.

Cardio exercise will help you:

Sleep better
Lose weight, or maintain weight, depending on your needs.
Improve your resistance to fight infections.
Lower your risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
Help your brain work better, making you smarter.
Accelerate your metabolsim.

More about quick weight loss...

Glycemic Index for Weight Loss

What is the Glycemic Index in weight loss?

The glycemic index is a ranking of carbohydrates based on their immediate effect on blood glucose (blood sugar) levels. It compares foods gram for gram of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates that breakdown quickly during digestion have the highest glycemic indexes. The blood glucose response is fast and high. Carbohydrates that break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the blood stream, have low glycemic indexes.

What is the Significance of Glycemic Index?

• Low GI means a smaller rise in blood glucose levels after meal
• Low GI diets can help people lose weight
• Low GI diets can improve the body's sensitivity to insulin
• High GI foods help re-fuel carbohydrate stores after exercise
• Low GI can improve diabetes control
• Low GI foods keep you fuller for longer
• Low GI can prolong physical endurance

Use the glycemic index for weight loss...

Weight Loss

The ENDOMORPH for weight loss!

Endomorph Body Types are often characterised with big bones, round face, large trunk and thighs and a naturally high degree of body fat, especially around the midsection. Endomorphs usually struggle to control their weight although it may simply mean more determination is needed for an endomorph to lose as much weight as a mesomorph.

Soft Body
Underdeveloped Muscles
Round Physique
Weight Loss is Difficult
Gains Muscle Easily Like the Mesomorph.

Training: This body type can be the most difficult position for weight loss and crunching down on nutrition and exercise is vital. Endomorph body types store fat easier and need to eat less, and exercise more. But don't get discourage because you can learn the best and easiest way to burn fat for weight loss.

Weight Loss

The MESOMORPH for weight loss!

Mesomorph Body Types are characterised with broad shoulders, narrow waist, naturally large muscles and fast metabolism due to the amount of lean muscle. For men a mesomorph looks like a natural muscle man with a heavy, hard and athletic physique.

Athletic
Hard Body
Hourglass Shaped (Female)
Rectangular Shaped (Male)
Mature Muscle Mass
Muscular Body
Excellent Posture
Gains Muscle Easily
Gains Fat More Easily Than Ectomorphs
Thick Skin

Training: Having a mesomorph body type makes weight loss alittle easier but training to your body type will maximize your weight loss. When cleaning up eating habbits, eating frequently throughout the day, and exercise an appropriate amount losing weight should not be a problem. Exercising should consist of strength training and cardiovascular exercise that takes weight loss to a whole new level so learn more about nutrition.

Mesomorph for weight loss...

Weight Loss

You're Starving

Slashing too many calories, particularly protein calories, pushes the body to conserve calories rather than burn them. It also forces your body to break down muscle tissue to fuel its vital operations. But that muscle is the key to your metabolism, or the speed at which you burn calories. More muscle means a faster metabolism and less body fat.


Solution: You do need to cut calories for weight loss. (Cut 500 today by eliminating one can of beer, 30 chips, and one Oreo from your diet.) But you need to make sure you're eating at least 1,600 to 1,800 calories each day to keep your metabolism from shutting down. And never cut protein during a diet.

If you're a sedentary 200-pounder, you need about 75 grams of protein (about two chicken breasts) a day for muscle preservation. If you're lifting weights, aim for twice that much. Doing aerobics? Pick a number in between.

Tips for weight loss...

The ECTOMORPH weight loss!

Ectomorph Body Types are characterised with a thin, linear appearance. They often possess narrow waist, hips and shoulders. The ectomorph also has a low body fat percentage. An Ectomorph body type may be considered lucky to some people because their linear appearance and ultra fast metabolism enables the ectomorph to stay slim even if they eat well, however the downfall is ectomorphs lack shape due to their low muscle weight. Lean muscle weight is what gives us that shapely figure.

Definitive "Hard Gainer"
Delicate Built Body
Flat Chest
Fragile
Lean
Lightly Muscled
Small Shouldered
Takes Longer to Gain Muscle
Thin

Training: Staying slim, and at a healthy body weight should not be that hard to maintain but gaining weight, and building lean muscle is always a struggle. If your goal is to build lean muscle, and tone all around your body then resistance training should be your main focus, and cardio kept to a minimum. Don't fret if your worried about getting bulky because with your body type, good luck.

Ectomorph weight loss...

Diet

Diet guidelines

You know what you need to do - here’s how to do it.

• Always include some vegetables on the lunch or dinner menu, particularly green leafy varieties such as broccoli, cabbage, spinach, kale, sprouts and salad greens, all of which are low in calories.
• Fruit is great, but there are limits – five bananas a day are not a sensible option for slimmers, for example, because of their relatively high calorie content. Bear in mind that a lot of fruit is high-calorie (although lower than chocolates, of course), but if you indulge yourself in a pound of grapes at a time you'll have swallowed 350 calories.
• Eat more starchy foods at expense of fatty foods but don't add butter or fatty sauces to them
  Go for lean meat and fish and poultry without the skin.
• Low-fat dairy produce – such as semi- or skimmed milk can save a lot of calories and you'll soon get used to the different taste. Don't eat a lot of cheese, but opt for beans or oily fish instead.
• A multivitamin, multi-mineral supplement can be useful when you're cutting calories.

Diet truth for better weight loss...

Weight Loss

Eat foods with a high nutrient density for weight loss!

A key concept in weight management is that appetite and weight regulation is largely determined by the adequacy of the incoming nutrient set. A low nutrient to calorie ratio means you will eat more and gain weight.

Remember your appetite control system does not like starvation. Low nutrient density means starvation.

Solid optimism comes from using the right techniques, and getting the right results.
Realistic motivation begins with knowing that it is not easy to change even when the change is beneficial. You do need help.

You need the right information. You need to understand how you got to be overweight.
You need a map to guide you to the next state you wish to occupy. You need the right tools.
When difficulties arise, you need problem-solving methods and you need to persevere.
All worthwhile endeavours require commitment, dedication, and perseverance.

Weight loss nutrition...

Weight Loss

Beware of too many carbohydrates for weight loss!

Ideally each meal should also contain carbohydrates. Some of the best sources of carbs to eat daily are: vegetables, fruit, beans, seeds and nuts., and whole grains. Did I mention vegetables and fruits?

And last but not least fruits and veggies. You get the point! White Breads, pasta, crackers, muffins etc... should be used sparingly maybe 1-2 small servings per day. And obviously soda, fast food, chips and candy are on the "I don't think so" list.

Watch your carbohydrates for weight loss...

Weight Loss Supplement Hoodithin Facts:

1) Pure Hoodithin is 100% All Natural. Hoodithin is not a drug. If you buy the right kind it will work. You will eat less, feel full, not be hungry as often, and lose weight.

2) Pure Hoodithin is Caffeine, Ephedra and Stimulant free.

3) EVERY clinical case has shown people have been able to reduce their calorie intake by 900 to 1,100 calories daily. This is enough for most people to lose a pound every three-four days.

4) Hoodithin has no known side effects, no heart racing like you get from ephedra

5) Helps you lose weight naturally by suppressing appetite and allowing for comfortable normal feeling calorie reduction.

6) There are 13 species of Hoodithin which are native to Southern Africa but ONLY ONE variety - the "Gordonii" has the needed natural ingredients for weight loss.

7) If you purchase the cheap imitation products sold by people out of their garage that you see on EBAY, and in the Google and Yahoo ads you will NOT have the results shown on the Personal Diet Results pages. Folks I have been through this over and over - read about the nineteen companies that have sent me Hoodithin Gordonii Cactus products to test and how only a couple of them really work.

8) Rats, a species that will eat anything from meat and plants to indigestible fiber, lowered their dietary calorie intake to a degree that made them get thin when fed comparative amounts of hoodoo.

9) Hoodithin is the most effective plant ever found for reducing your appetite

10) Laboratory experiments show animals automatically restrict their food intake when taking hoodithin orally.

11) Hoodithin effects the central nervous system by exhibiting powerful feelings for weight control, where changing your behavior reduces caloric intake.

12) Multiple scientific studies prove effectiveness.

13) The active ingredient called P57 is patented.

Weight Loss Supplement Hoodithin...

Weight Loss Supplement

HoodiThin weight loss supplement:

HoodiThin contains only the appetite suppressant Hoodia. It does not contain any fat burning components.

HoodiThin should be taken in conjunction with a balanced diet and reasonable exercise.
Hoodia is the latest breakthrough in appetite suppressants, and was mentioned on the program 60 Minutes. Hoodia contains a compound called ‘P57’, which is a molecule that makes you feel full.

In clinical trials, two test groups were given equal diets and placed in a setting where they were to remain sedentary. One group was given Hoodia and the other, a placebo. The hoodia group consumed on average 1000 calories a day less than the placebo group.

The best weight loss supplment is hoodithin...

Diet

Never eat in a hurry is the #1 diet tip!

It seems that the people who eat standing up are the people who claim that there is no time to eat. They eat while they are cooking, while they are walking. The problem here is that not enough importance is placed on eating. But it is very important. When we rush, we end up feeling un-nourished, even though our stomach might be full. This will cause us to ultimately eat more than we want.

How many times do you see a naturally-thin person eating standing up, in a hurry? They instinctively place a high value on the pleasure of dining. They don’t want to rush it. Think about it.

More diet tips...

Diet

Tips for when your on a diet!

The illusion about Small Portions
We think that if we eat small portions, we'll lose weight.But this is an illusion. We may lose a few pounds but usually it all goes back on!

Why?
Because eating small amounts of food makes us hungry.And hunger makes us miserable.So to feel better, we eat cookies and cakes.Result? Goodbye diet.
The truth

Dieting has nothing to do with eating less.Dieting simply means eating differently - it means choosing less fattening foods.And because these foods are less fattening, we can eat lots of them.
So we lose weight AND we stay full.Result? We're much less tempted to ruin our diet by bingeing on biscuits.

The moral
Get into the habit of eating lots of lovely food.It makes dieting a lot easier.

More diet tips and tricks...

Weight Loss

Recipes for Weight Loss!

Vegetable Chinese Stir Fry

1 cup mung bean sprouts
2 cups broccoli flowerets
1/2 cup carrots, sliced thin
1 small zucchini
1 sweet red pepper
1/2 cup celery, sliced thin
1/2 cup water chestnuts
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium scallion, white part minced and greens cut into 1/2-inch lengths
2 tsp. ginger, freshly grated
2 tbsp. peanut oil
1 tbsp. Kikkoman Stir-Fry sauce (or your favorite mix)
1 tbsp. Lee Kum Kee Stir-Fry Sauce (or your favorite mix)
1 cup water
2 tsp. cornstarch

Cut all the vegetables into bite-sized chunks (carrots and celery should be sliced thin). Set aside the broccoli. Plunge broccoli flowerets in hot water for 3 minutes and drain.

Heat oil in stir-fry pan and add all vegetables except the bean sprouts. Stir several minutes, until the vegetables are crisp tender. Add the sprouts and cook 2 more minutes. Make a space in the center and add the minced garlic and ginger -- let them cook in the center for 1 minute.

Mix the cornstarch and sauces into the water. Add to the center space and allow to bubble until it begins to thicken and then quickly stir to coat the vegetables. Serve.

Recipes for weight loss...

Quick Weight Loss

Cardio for quick weight loss!

Cardio is an important part of weight loss. If you're serious about losing weight, but don't want to do the cardio workouts, then you are requiring your diet to do all of the work. Jog, walk, swim, jump rope, ride a bike, take an aerobics class, whatever... cardio + proper diet = better than just doing one of the two. All it takes is 30 minutes a day, 3 - 5 days a week. I say 3-5 days a week because I don't know if you have 5 pounds to lose, or if you have 50 pounds to lose.

So, depending on how much your looking to lose, figure it out. 3 times a week is good starting point for quick weight loss...

Weight Loss

Can artificial sweeteners assist weight loss?

Yes, but...

Yes, consuming products sweetened by chemicals instead of sugar will save calories. So, strictly speaking artificial sweeteners are helpful for weight loss and dieting.
But... whether sweeteners assist LONG TERM weight loss is a different matter.

Problems of Artificial Sweeteners

1. Sweeteners Increase Our Sweet Tooth
Saccharin is 300 times sweeter than sugar. Acesulfame-K is 200 times sweeter than sugar.Such sweeteners can only increase our sweet tooth and increase our taste for sweet things.

2. Effects of Sweeteners on Digestion & Appetite
Research by the American Cancer Society indicates that regular users of artificial sweeteners tend to gain weight not lose it. It is believed this is because artificial sweeteners may slow down digestion and increase appetite.

3. Health Effects of Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners are chemicals and should be consumed with care. The US Center for Science in the Public Interest has called for a ban on at least one major artificial sweetener due to fears it may be linked with cancer.

Weight loss with artificial Sweeteners...

Weight Loss Tip

An excellent weight loss tip is to reduce, don't eliminate certain foods.

Most people eat for pleasure as well as nutrition. If your favorite foods are high in fat, salt or sugar, the key is moderating how much of these foods you eat and how often you eat them. Identify major sources of these ingredients in your diet and make changes, if necessary. Adults who eat high-fat meats or whole-milk dairy products at every meal are probably eating too much fat.

Use the Nutrition Facts panel on the food label to help balance your choices. Choosing skim or low-fat dairy products and lean cuts of meat such as flank steak and beef round can reduce fat intake significantly.

If you love fried chicken, however, you don't have to give it up. Just eat it less often. When dining out, share it with a friend, ask for a take-home bag or a smaller portion.

Learn more weight loss tip...

Weight Loss Supplement

Metabo-Speed XXX: #1 Lab88 weight loss supplement has been given the name "Diet of the Stars" as many celebraties have recieve unbelievable results, and have re-shaped their bodies.

Metabo-Speed XXX increases metabolism, burns fat, increases energy, eliminates appitite, and without any side effects giving you faster and easier results than ever. With it's thermogenic weight loss formula speeds up your metabolism, and burns fat more effectively than any other fat burner/diet pill ever developed.

Metabo-Speed XXX has a 30-day guarantee that if your not 100% satisfied you can send it back no questions asked and get a full refund. It's risk FREE!

My review/experience: After using every top fat burner/diet pill on the market I heard about Metabo-Speed XXX, and have finally found a fat burner/diet pill that actually works. Not only does it work but I have spent ten times the amount on other diet pills that did absolutely nothing, then I tried Metabo-Speed XXX, and was breath taken by the results.

I went from 12% body fat to 8% body fat, and shooting for 6%, and I have more energy than ever. I have never had any results till now with fat burners and diet pills like Lipo, Hydroxicut, Lean System, etc. but Metabo-Speed XXX is the only fat burner I will ever use

Learn more about this weight loss supplement...