Lose Weight Successfully

Billions of dollars are spent each year on diet products and unfortunately the obesity problem in the United States is only getting worse. Why do so many people invest in weight loss programs and pills that simply do not work? Why are many people only putting on more weight instead of losing it?

There are even prescription diet pills that are supposed to help but oftentimes don't. The diet industry is prospering but the only thing people are losing is their money. Every month there are more "experts" out there who claim to know the secrets to losing weight and unfortunately it is often just the same rehashed rhetoric.

Many people simply aren't informed enough to know how to lose weight successfully. Those who are informed are often not motivated enough to stick with a good plan and then there are those who simply starve themselves and before they know it, they're underweight and have an eating disorder. What can be done to help? Are there any easy solutions?

Successful weight loss obviously isn't easy or more people would be doing it. What people need to understand is that there are no "quick weight loss solutions". If you want to lose weight, you'll have to start out slowly and learn to cut out food that is bad for you a little bit at a time; make sure that you replace the bad food with healthy food though. Don't starve yourself; it'll only make things worse. If you decide to start out your diet by cutting out candy bars, then replace them with a granola bar, if next you decide to cut down on ice cream, replace it with fruits.

By eating five, small healthy meals a day, you will increase your metabolism and feel much better. You will find that you will have more energy than ever before and may even feel inspired to work out!
Be mindful of what you drink as well though. If you must have caffeine, try to cut it down to only one cup a day. Make sure you drink at least eight to ten glasses of water each and every day as drinking copious amounts of water is conducive to weight loss. Many people underestimate the importance of water because not only is it ideal for weight loss, it helps clear skin impurities as well.

Protein shakes and green tea are also good to drink and green tea is said to be of great benefit to weight loss and overall health. It is also considered an appetite suppressant, although you should still eat 5 small meals throughout the day.

If you're wondering what type of foods you can eat, consider things like tuna, wheat bread, fruits, vegetables, boiled eggs, turkey, salmon, yogurt, granola bars, nuts, seeds and baked chicken. You will obviously want to avoid foods that have a lot of grease and sugar in them.

To summarize then, if you can manage to cut down a little bit of bad food at a time and exchange it for healthier food, eat five small, healthy meals a day, and drink a lot of water, you will find yourself on the right path to losing weight! It takes a lot of motivation, but it can be done if you take things slowly.

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Talking About Recovery

Weight Loss Tips, Tricks, and Tactics - Part 1

I personal lost 60 pounds in 2003. Here are some tactics I used to lose the weight.

Eat every three hours. This will keep your blood sugar stable. Try to eat real food at least three times a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner. In between your food meals take a good meal replacement shake or bar.

Never eat a carbohydrate by itself. This is basically all sugar. When you eat a carbohydrate by itself there is a sudden increase in sugar in the body. This causes the body to release insulin. However, the body releases too much insulin because it thinks more sugar is coming. The insulin basically grabs the sugar/carbohydrate and stores it to fat for use at some other time. Since your body released too much insulin there is not enough sugar to support the brain function. That is why you feel tired or sluggish. So you're fatter and dumber.

Watch the gums and mints. Many of these little gums and mints contain calories, sugars, and everything else that is not good for you. Read the labels, if it has sugar in it do not eat it.

Eat foods that have 30% or less, calories from fat. Everyone is on this big no carbohydrate craze. However, did you know that 1 gram of carbohydrate contains 4 calories, 1 gram of protein contains 4 calories, and 1 gram of fat contains 9 calories? There are over twice as many calories in a single gram of fat, than in a protein or carbohydrate.

To find out how many calories are from fat check the label. The label will list the total calories and then list how many calories are from fat. If there are 100 total calories, and there are 70 calories from fat, that's 70%, too high.

Give yourself one reward day to eat and drink whatever you want. You worked hard all week, reward yourself.

Alcohol is a converted to a sugar. Save it for your free day. If you do drink, it might also be helpful to take hydroxycitric acid capsules about 30 minutes before drinking. Hydroycitric acid is from the herb Garcinia Cambogia. This interferes with the enzyme that converts excess sugars into triglycerides, lessening the likelihood the alcohol will be stored as fat.

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Dr. Jeffrey Banas is a Chiropractic Sports Physician practicing in Mesa, AZ. If you would like to contact Dr. Banas, he can be reached at his office at 480-633-6837, or by visiting his web site at www.personal-weight-loss-help.com

drjeffbanas@yahoo.com

Meal Replacement Products In Your Weight Loss Program

Meal substitutes or meal replacements, are usually powder mixes, premixed liquids, or meal bars which can, as the name implies, be used as a substitute, or replacement, for a regular meal. Meal substitutes or meal replacements should not completely replace the normal diet. However, meal substitutes can be a very convenient and efficient way to help reduce calories and control dietary intake in any weight loss program.

One of the great benefits of a meal replacement or substitute is the fact that you will generally have a very accurate description of the calories, protein, fiber, vitamins, fats, carbohydrates and other nutrients contained in the product. When you eat a meal, on the other hand, you may have to guess at, or approximate the amounts and qualities of the nutrients in the food you have eaten.

Another great benefit is usually ease of preparation and storage. This is a good thing for those of us with busy lifestyles. Many meal replacements are canned, and preparation usually consists of opening the can (hint: Most taste better when chilled, so you might have to force yourself to put the can in the fridge for a while). Powders, on the other hand, DO have to be mixed. Some may be mixed with water, some may be mixed with milk or a milk substitute, and some may be mixed with some kind of juice. Many powdered meal substitutes have various flavors, thus providing some variety.

If you are trying to get in some exercise, there is a chance you may be squeezing it in during your lunch break. It is a good idea to provide your body with some quality protein within 30 minutes after exercise, and it might be difficult to get a decent lunch in the time left after exercising. A meal replacement can be finished, or even consumed completely at your desk, leaving your lunch time free for whatever you might need to do.

Many times, the options for lunch or other meals when you are away from your home are limited or at least confusing in the context of health and weight loss. A good meal replacement or meal substitute can give you a viable alternative.

Any meal replacement should include high protein content while being low in fat and calories.

Another thing to concerned with would be the fiber content. Many people who are restricting calories in weight loss programs often omit foods which might have a high fiber content. Fiber helps provide a full feeling, and high fiber diets may contribute to reduction of occurrence of certain medical conditions.

Not all meal replacement products are created equal. Most over-the-counter (OTC) products are intended for general consumption, usually with weight loss as a target, and some are actually intended for weight gain. These last products would usually be from companies such as EAS and Weider.

Remember, however, that meal replacements or meal substitutes are helpers in a sensible weight loss program that includes proper and regular nutrition intake coupled with a regular exercise program, and should never BE the weight loss program.

Donovan Baldwin is a Dallas area writer. He is retired from the Army after 21 years of service, has worked as an accountant, optical lab manager, restaurant manager, and instructor. He was a member of Mensa for several years, and has written and published poetry, essays, and articles on various subjects for the last 40 years. He has had a keen interest in health, fitness, and weight loss since reading "Aerobics" by Kenneth Cooper in 1971. He has a blog on senior health and fitness at http://fitness-after-40.blogspot.com.

The Basics of the Medifast Diet Explained - What You Need to Know to Lose Weight on Medifast

In this article we are going to discuss the basics of the medifast diet. If you are thinking about starting a new diet program this Summer or Fall, my feeling is that the Medifast diet is a phenomenal one to look into! Why? It's quite simple. People are having life changing experiences on Medifast, and finding themselves able to shed pounds often for the very FIRST time, and sometimes...in really large quantities! So continue reading as I outline some of the foundational elements of this particular program, so you can see (and taste.) whether it's a good choice for you. Read on..:-)

Filed Under: The Straight Scoop

Medifast allows you 6 meals per day - 5 of these are going to be in the form of meal replacements (shakes, bars, soups and more) and one is going to be a "lean and green" meal you prepare for yourself. The lean and green meal is comprised of 7 ounces of protein and your choice of up to three servings of green (or otherwise colored) vegetables alongside it. For the sheer quantity of meals you are going to be consuming ( 6 is unusually high for a diet) make NO mistake about the caloric content: Medifast IS indeed a low calorie diet, with 800-1000 units of caloric energy a day.

What about expectations? Well, according to Medifast literature, most will lose 2-5 pounds per week for the DURATION of the time they are using the diet. According to a prestigious John's Hopkins university study, the AVERAGE weight loss for men on Medifast was 67 pounds...and the average for women 57! (These people followed the Medifast program in a clinical setting)

What about costs? The monthly average is going to cost you 5.00 - this is for the 5 meal replacements per day, but you WILL need to furnish your own lean and green meal, so do keep that in mind when you calculate your budget! Overall, it's still FAR cheaper for many that what they ordinarily consume in sheer FOOD, so many of us have found it has a value proposition to boot...which in today's strained economy is a GOOD thing across the board!

Filed Under: Who is Medifast For?

Anyone who has NOT had success on OTHER diet programs! If you've failed with other weight loss regimens, the Medifast weight loss community may be EXACTLY what you are looking for.

And as I'm SURE you probably already know, the Medifast movement has SWEPT the internet by storm and created a sea of slim, fit & BEAUTIFUL people in it's wake! ( and these are people just like you and I who have NEVER had luck on any diet program before!)

Remember, regardless of WHICH weight loss regimen you ultimately choose, the key is to choose SOMETHING! Life is short and the rewards for losing weight, feeling great and ENJOYING your life are a FAR greater gift (and taste A LOT better..:-) than any magical morsel of FOOD ever will. And if I can say that....so TOO can YOU!