The Real Secret to Long Term Weight Loss

In one of the world's largest diet studies, it appears that diets actually damage your health. The results and the problems diets can cause should give you reason to keep reading.

According to Miller Jones, a professor of nutrition and food science at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota...

4th graders are aware of the word diet, especially the girls.

Recently a massive worldwide study concluded that diets don't work long term for the majority of people on them and it might even put your life at risk.

This type of yo-yo behavior is linked to many health problems. Because of the strain on the body of repeated weight loss and weight gain, the researchers found that the dieters would have been better off not dieting at all.

Research has shown the repeated rapid weight gain and loss associated with dieting can double the risk of death from heart disease, including heart attacks, and the risk of premature death in general.

For starters...

When you think 'diet' you are actively engaging in short term thinking. When you start to think of it as something you go on and then off again, that's the wrong direction.

Some of the BEST resources on nutrition are not diets. They are eating plans. They are the basics of eating correctly for the rest of your life. Eating for everyday living is something you can be taught. There's nothing short term about them.

"The benefits of dieting are simply too small and the potential harms of dieting are too large for it to be recommended as a safe and effective treatment for obesity." -Dr Traci Mann

A quick test is to simply look at any given plan and immediately ask yourself...

Can I eat this way for the rest of my life and not fall prey to hunger cravings or temptations?

Frankly...

If you are overweight, then thinking in the short term is exactly why you could be doomed to fail! As you bounce from one plan to the next, you become more and more frustrated.

FACT: Many diets that use a severe calorie restriction just makes it harder to lose the weight the next time.

FACT: Some studies show that repeated weight loss and regain actually increase the changes you'll gain even more weight the next time.

FACT: It shouldn't come as a shock that people who exercise report the most long term weight loss.

Now with all this in mind...

No matter what eating plan you choose or what your goals, just drop the word 'diet' from your vocabulary and pick a plan you can stick with for life. That encourages slow weight loss or weight gain. That doesn't "demonize" foods but helps you pick and choose from healthy alternatives and explains the reasons why.

If you are always changing your eating habits for special events or every 8 weeks, you might be dieting. Before you start your next diet, that's the time to step back and ask yourself if you know all you can about proper, healthy nutrition. Learning how to eat correctly is something you can stick with for life and avoid the common frustrations.

Carbohydrates Are Not The Key To Weight Loss

Carbohydrates are the body?s major source of energy which enables the many body organs to function properly. Carbohydrates taken in by the body is broken down into glucose which provides the much needed energy of the human body. With the glucose that was produced as the human body consumes carbohydrate-rich foods, the pancreas secretes an important hormone called insulin which transfers the glucose from the blood to the different cells of the human body. That in a nutshell explains how important carbohydrates are and why everyone should not totally eliminate the intake of carbohydrates through their diet plans.

To explain why carbohydrates is not the key to weight loss, it is important to know the two different types of carbohydrates contained in the food that people eat. One is the carbohydrates in its simplest raw form of sugars found in fruits and vegetables and the other one is complex carbohydrates which are found in cereals and potatoes. Both of these forms of carbohydrates have good and beneficial effect on the body because they produce energy which is badly needed by the body to function properly. However, not all foods are good supplier of carbohydrates whether simple sugar or complex carbohydrates. Sugar sources of carbohydrates found in fruits and vegetables are good carbohydrates because they these sugars are unrefined and come in their simplest natural form. And aside from this fruits and vegetables also contains phyto-chemicals which make it a good source of nutritional needs.

Complex carbohydrates are also good for the body if they are taken in by eating fiber-rich carbohydrate heavy foods such as cereals, whole wheat bread and whole grains. Aside from giving the body good supply of sugar to produce energy, these foods are easily digested and are not stored in the body as fat. The bad carbohydrates rich food that should be avoided are those that come from foods made of refined sugar such as cookies, cakes, carbonated drinks and others because of the high sugar concentration in these foods which are hard to digest and most often than not remain in the body as stored fat.

Going to the question of whether carbohydrates are the key to weight loss, the answer is either a yes or no. Like any other food, anything that is taken in excess of how much the body needs is always a bad thing. The same thing is true for carbohydrates, whether it is simple or complex, good or bad carbohydrates; the important thing to remember is that, both affects weight gain, if not taken moderately. It should always be remembered that any amount of carbohydrates taken in by the body which is not consumed and converted into energy will remain in the body as stored fat, which would contribute to weight gain.

So, is a low-carb high-protein diet the best way to lose weight? The answer is still either yes or no. It would still depend on what type of protein is taken in as part of the diet. Protein like carbohydrates also contributes to weight gain if not taken at the right proportion and not consumed by the body properly. But this is not saying that low-carb high protein diet has no effect on weight loss, actually it has an effect on weight loss. However, Too much of protein and less of energy producing carbohydrates may not be good to one?s over all health. The body needs energy from carbohydrates and the nutrients from protein rich food to build up muscles and for other sustenance.

Carbohydrates intake may lead to weight loss, it is a proven fact. But to say that it is the key to weight loss is not true. Depriving the body of the much needed energy from carbohydrates may lead to weight loss, but the effect on the over all health of the body must also be considered. The best way to achieve weight loss is by attaining weigh loss objective without sacrificing total body health. To do this, the key is still moderation in the intake of the essential nutrients whether they are carbohydrates, protein among other things. And of course, ensure that these nutrients are properly utilized by the body through maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle.

Weight Loss Success Made Easy!

Weight loss is a game, similar to solitaire. It's a game that you play by yourself. The sooner you realize that it's you and only you that's going to make the weight loss happen, the closer you've just gotten to your own weight loss success.

This doesn't exclude personal trainers and perhaps your very own diet guru. You can, and should, acquire all the positive support you need, but in the end one truth will hold: only you can lose the weight. No diet pills. No magic weight loss spells. No Hollywood 48-hour pineapple juice voodoo.

Now once you've come to terms with this, you can get onto the activities you will need to begin—and stick with—to accomplish your weight loss goals.

Below I've included 3 absolute beginner must-dos, if you "really" want to lose weight.

WL Must #1: Exercise. It doesn't matter how much at first, just do it. Do it, and do it often. Begin and be consistent. Do something today. The faster you begin something, the better your chance of keeping with it. Don't delay.

WL Must #2: Adjust your eating "slightly." Do not… I repeat, do not attempt to completely alter your dieting habits. Too much of a change almost guarantees you will not stick with it.

You see this all the time with New Year's resolutions. People start out hardcore motivated for weight loss success, and then two weeks later (maybe sooner than that) they succumb to the gravity of their old weight "gaining" lifestyle.

They fall flat because they tried to do too much too soon.

WL Must #3: Treat weight loss as a priority. This is the opposite of "Must" number too. Don't pity-pat or half step your beginnings. There is a fine line you must walk at the very beginning of every weight loss program.

You've been out of the game for a while (maybe forever). You must step out of the weight loss gate with purpose, but also control. You must be able to measure your limitations and gradually increase your diet and exercise abilities over time.

Patience and balance will guarantee your weight loss success. Begin where you are, feel good about that, and then progress slowly over time. Do this and your weight loss success is only a few miles down the road.

Facts on Lemons and Weight Loss

Many people ask questions like, "How do lemons and weight loss go together?" and "Can lemons make me lose weight?" Let's examine what that sour little citrus friend of ours can and cannot do in our battle of the bulge.

Lemons are well-known for containing a lot of Vitamin C. In addition to that, lemons also contain citric acid, which is what gives them the sour taste.

Apart from the lemon juice, there are also the pulp and rind that make up the rest of the lemon.

Not much there that could help one lose weight, one would think? Well, think again.

To lose weight effectively you have to keep your body well hydrated, meaning it is important to drink a few liters of water per day. The water itself does not make you lose weight, but it helps the body perform well and clean itself of waste and toxin.

Drinking lot of water can be rather monotonous. Some people also just do not like the taste of water.

Instead of substituting water with some other liquid, add some lemon juice to the water. That will change the taste and help you drink a little more water.

Lemons are also used in food preparations.

Lemon juice is typically squeezed onto fish dishes to neutralize the taste of amines in the fish.

Fish makes an excellent meal in anyone's weight loss diet. It's generally low in fat and very nutritious.

Hence, lemons help us make a very healthy food even better and more tasty, helping us to eat it more regularly.

Now, for weight loss we're not talking battered fish! We're talking about "the fish" cooked and served with minimal dressing.

Lemon juice also adds that little extra taste and zest to the best of salads. Once again, it helps us wanting to eat more healthy and low-fat food.

Even though our lemon friend does not contain magical powers to help us lose weight, it plays a very important role in enhancing the taste of many of the foods that help us shed those pounds.

So You Want To Lose Weight Before Prom Fast?

Most of us girls have been there and done that. It's a few weeks before prom, we've seen that sexy dress we want to wear but don't quite fit in, and we panic. We want to lose weight before the prom fast! So, what do we do?

For days we literally go hungry, drink just water and munch on lettuce like a deer in the backyard.

We suddenly remember that gym membership and jump on the treadmill for hours every day.

After a few days we're completely pooped, look like a slightly overweight ghost, and snap at everyone because we're cranky, hungry, and that darn dress is still a size or two too small.

Okay, we figure, this isn't working.

Next we jump on the Internet and find all those quick weight loss solutions. You know, the ones that have you run on that darn treadmill for hours wearing a plastic bag, drink herbal tea till you want to gag, or pop pills that wind up your metabolism like a coiled spring.

It's tempting at this point in time, isn't it? Prom is getting closer every day!

Listen girl, just don't do it. The risks to your health and wellbeing just simply are too great to try to lose weight fast before the prom.

One pound of fat equals roughly 4,000 calories. It is impossible to do enough exercise, eat little enough without dying from starvation, or increase your metabolism enough to burn that number of calories in a short period of time.

Remember, you need to burn those calories in addition to the calories you need to stay alive.

The best you can aim for in terms of realistic fat burning is around one pound per week.

To do that, you need to eat sensibly to stay healthy, do moderate exercise, and closely watch your calorie intake.

Buy that dress in a number that fits you. Then be creative and add a few extras or accessories to hide what you don't like. You know, use those little secret tricks that just us girls know.

Then go out, have a blast and forget about how to lose weight fast before the prom.