Weight Loss Tips |

Calories don’t make you fat. Fat doesn’t make you fat either. You only get fatter if you consume more calories than you burn off. You can eat as much as you like as long as you burn it all off with exercise. Reducing your weigh is about getting to know your body and balancing your calories. Read on to learn how to lose weight by counting calorie and fat.

Don’t rely on diets to tell you how to lose weight

Many diets that you can pay good money for will put you on a fixed daily calorie intake and they try to make an estimate of how many calories you should consume based on things like your sex and height hoping that the suggested calorie intake will be right for you. The problem with this approach is that everyone is different which means that you might lose weight eating 1500 calories per day and someone else might cheerfully shed pounds by eating 3000 calories a day.

How can these diets hope to get this right for you? In my opinion they can’t and they rely on the laws of averages to make their diet work for enough people to call it a success. This is why you should never rely on popular diets to lose weight. There is more on this subject here Lose Weight, Plan To Stay Lean and Healthy

So how do you work out how many calories you should be eating? You know that you will gain weight if you consume more calories than you burn so just take a look at what’s happening to your body right now. Are you getting fatter or is your weight stable? If your weight isn’t changing much week to week then you know that you’re balancing your calorie intake with your natural metabolism and exercise level. If you’re weight is increasing then you know that you are consuming too many calories and you aren’t in balance yet.

Counting calorie and fat to determine how much you need to eat

Calculate your daily calorie intake now before you attempt any dieting. Make a careful note of everything that you eat and drink every day for a week or two and use one of the widely available calorie charts to work out your average daily calorie intake. You should keep separate totals for the different food groups; carbohydrates, proteins and fats because just changing the proportions of these can help to make a big difference.

Knowing how many calories you’re consuming every day should give you some idea of what you need to do to lose weight. If your weight is increasing then you know that you must reduce your calorie intake or increase your exercise level until your body reaches balance and your weight is stable.

If your weight is stable then you know exactly how many calories you normally burn because it’s now equal to the calories that you calculated that you consume. You should now realise that what you need to do to lose weight is either consume fewer calories than you usually do or take more exercise or both. You will make these adjustments to your personal nutrition, which is going to be far more accurate and effective than any estimate you got from a diet plan.

How to adjust your calorie balance to reduce your weight

Now the rule of thumb is that 1 pound of fat is 3500 calories which means that you need to burn 3500 more calories than you consume to lose 1 pound of fat. For healthy safe weight loss you should plan to lose no more than 2 pounds each week which will encourage your body to shed fat rather than muscle and it will give you a good chance of keeping the fat off permanently.

I suggest that you aim to lose 1 pound per week, which is 3500 calories, or 500 calories per day. Burning off as much as you can with exercise and reducing the calories in your meals to take off the remainder is the best way to do it. You should also try to reduce the amount of fat and carbohydrate in your meals and replace it with lean protein, which will help your body to burn fat without increasing your appetite.

Simplify calorie counting with menus

So that’s given you an idea of how to lose weight by counting calories and fat but counting calories accurately every day is a chore and you probably don’t have the time to do it. An alternative that has worked very well for me is to create daily menus. Take a sheet of paper and plan a day of meals. For each meal calculate the calorie value broken down into fat, carbohydrate and protein and make sure that the total for the day meets your daily calorie goal. Do this for several days meals and pick the one you fancy every day to follow. Making menus like this and only counting the calories for each one once makes losing weight by counting calories a lot easier than doing it every day.

It is common knowledge that obesity surgery is on the rise but the latest statistics make chilling reading. Perhaps most surprising though is the fact that the same report, issued by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, shows that the cost of gastric bypass surgery is actually falling.

In 1998 there were a total of 13,386 bariatric surgeries performed and this figure rose to a staggering 121,055 procedures by 2004 – the most recent year for which figures are available. By contrast however the average cost of surgery fell from $10,970 to $10,395 in the same period. These figures are quoted at 2004 levels adjusted for inflation and represent the cost of inpatient care but do not include physician fees.

The vast majority of surgeries were seen between the ages of 55 and 64 (which accounted for about 85% of all surgeries) and was far more common amongst women than men, with women accounting for some 82% of surgeries.

The report also reveals that during this period gastric bypass surgery (in which the stomach is reduced in size and a section of the intestine is bypassed to reduce food absorption) remained the most popular form of surgery and accounted for some 94% of all procedures.

The report covers all forms of bariatric surgery including gastric bypass operations, vertical banded gastroplasty and gastric banding or ‘lap band’ surgery and also takes into account many newly introduced techniques such as laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding and robotic surgery. As however some of the latest weight loss surgical techniques have only recently gained approval from the FDA it is likely that the next set of statistics to be released will show a drop in gastric bypass surgery in favor of such procedures as lap banding.

In 1998 the overall hospital costs for bariatric surgery amounted to $147 million and, by 2004, this figure had risen to $1.3 billion. In 2004 approximately 78% of surgeries were paid for by private insurance, 7% were funded by Medicare and 5% were funded Medicaid. Most surprisingly only 5% of surgeries were uninsured which would seem to finally lay the myth to rest that it is virtually impossible to get your insurance company to meet the cost of gastric bypass surgery.

As obesity continues to grow at an alarming rate and overall costs soar it will be interesting to see just how the cost of gastric bypass surgery will met over the next few years.

Knowing and doing it in the proper way do help people in losing weight. But the ones who are morbidly obese cannot benefit from these techniques. Almost 20% of the total obese population suffers from such morbid obesity. A viable option for these people is a weight loss surgery. Mini gastric bypass surgery is a very popular weight loss surgery of the recent times. It is only for the people who fail to loose weight even after trying the age old conventional methods. Whoever has undergone surgery, would swear by it for losing weight. In 30 minutes, all your extra flab will be gone and you will get a new lease of life.

US is plagued by problems of diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol level, heart attack, stroke, cancer and many more. The major cause behind all these problems is obesity. If proper and timely action is not taken then the problem of obesity can lead to the development of various other life threatening diseases and health disorders. If this goes on increasing at this rate it can also claim the life of thousands of Americans. As such the people who are morbidly obese are taking to weight loss surgeries as a treatment for severe obesity.

The mini gastric bypass surgery is much simpler, short and successful than most of the weight loss surgeries. It would generally take a maximum of half an hour to carry out the operation. This is done by laparoscopy. The cost of having it is also much less compared to other surgeries. It would not also require the patient to stay in hospital for more than 24 hours. This entails less risk and has excellent long term weight loss. This would mean minimal pain and if required it can also be reversed.

If you are considering mini gastric bypass surgery, then you will generally need to be diagnosed with health difficulties that are caused and aggravated by being obese. Diabetes and blood pressure levels tend to shoot up particularly when you have the problem of obesity. By under going surgery, you can surely reverse or slow down the growth of such health difficulties. Such surgeries like this is more about preserving your well being than improving your looks.

If you depend on classic aerobic cardio for weight loss, you probably spend 30 minutes on a machine trying to burn a set number of calories. But does that work? Does burning 500 calories per day cause you to lose 1 pound of fat per week?

Well, according to science, it should. But if it did, you probably wouldn’t still be reading this article.

I used to write a column on fat loss myths for Men’s Fitness magazine. Here’s a classic weight loss topic I covered.

Myth: I need to burn 500 calories each workout to lose fat.

Truth:
Possibly one of the worst inventions for fat loss was the calorie-counting monitor on treadmills, elliptical machines, and stairmasters.

Because of these, millions of men and women now obsess about the number of calories burned per session. You’ve probably even been one of those people, watching it creep up ever so slowly during a slow-cardio session. All the while knowing that you can wipe out a 30-minute, 300-calorie treadmill session with one fell swoop of the Krispy Kreme hand.

Too many people are brainwashed into thinking that if they don’t burn 300-500 calories per session, then they won’t lose fat. After all, that is what you’ve been told time and time again in those fluffy fitness/fashion magazines.

The problems with this approach to fat loss are numerous. First off, it’s difficult to say if the calorie counters are even accurate. A story on CBS news showed that cardio machines overestimate calorie burning by up to 20%.

Next, depending on slow cardio for advanced fat loss is relatively useless and at the very least, inefficient. It takes a long time for you to burn a lot of calories and one study showed that men who only used cardio training for weight loss ended up with a reduced resting metabolism. You are basically undoing the calorie burning by depending only on cardio. On the other hand, guys in the same study that used strength training didn’t suffer a reduced metabolic rate.

So what is the solution to burning fat in a faster, more efficient method? The answer is to use strength and interval training to burn fewer calories in less exercise time, but with a more intense form of exercise.

Your body will burn more calories after exercise (when you use intervals) than it does after you do slow cardio and your metabolism will stay high. Some experts refer to this as the afterburn effect. How do you do intervals? Well, you could sprint for 30 seconds and rest for 90 seconds and repeat that for 6 sets – using the bike preferably or treadmill if you are experienced with it.

Within that short time frame the intervals will cause your muscles to go crazy with activity (I call it a metabolic turbulence). This crazy metabolism boost causes lots of calorie burning after exercise to get your body back to normal. The result is you would end up burning more fat and more calories in the post-exercise period as your body tries to get things under control.

Now there is one time where you’d want to count calories, but that is when you are counting up and determining how many calories you eat per day. Again, you can wipe out an entire workout’s work in less than a minute simply by eating garbage. Without some structure and discipline to your nutrition, there is nothing that even my programs can do to help you lose fat.

So exercise nutrition control and interval training. These are the two anti-calorie counting methods that will help you lose fat and get lean.

There are many reasons why someone who suffers from obesity need to regain their health. Fortunately there are just as many methods to remedy the situation. One method is to develop a personal bariatric weight loss program with your physician.

Part of this special program uses appetite control medication to help you curb the urge to eat. For some people, will power is simply not enough to combat obesity. That is why there are medications specifically designed to help you resist the temptation of consuming food. Since medications are involved, a proper program will have a qualified physician monitoring the patient’s progress.

One of the other key ingredients to this program is the modification to your behavior. This is when your mental approach to food is changed. Learning how to change the way you view food is essential to changing your eating habits.

Some programs out there use pre-packaged foods. This is an effective method, but in most cases they require a continual payment, which may prove cost-prohibitive for some customers. Additionally, once the program comes to an end, some customers fall back into their old routine when there is an absence of the support they used to have. The best programs show you how to select the proper types of food to buy and how to prepare a delicious and nutritious meal that will help you lose weight and maintain it. This is where nutrient counseling is used as part of the bariatric weight loss program. This will help those participants keep the weight off after the program has ended.

While undergoing a bariatric weight loss program, participants will need to also subject themselves to routine medical examinations. These will often include lab tests on their blood and other body fluids to ensure their blood sugar levels and lipids are within the normal healthy range.

Another way to increase your chances of success with this type of program is to increase your activity level. You will never be asked to run a marathon, of course, but walking will be a great way to start.

Deciding on participating in a bariatric weight loss program is the first step to losing those unwanted pounds.

For the majority of people, losing weight is the most difficult thing to do. When you are overweight, whether it is by 15 to 20 pounds or 50 pounds and up, you know that you are unhealthy and can suffer more serious health conditions like diabetes and heart attacks. Still, it’s not just the physical health aspect that makes being overweight dangerous. Actually, the mental aspect of having a low-self esteem from being overweight is also great.

If you are a person who is struggling to lose weight and have been struggling for years, you’ve probably used any number of weight loss aids to assist you in your goal. It can be frustrating to try all the products on the market, only to feel like you are getting nowhere close to your goal weight.

However, there are many different kinds of aids to loss weight that you can try. No doubt, one of them is going to work for you. If you’ve tried, without success, diet aids to help you look the way you want, then you have some help in the form of the hoodia weight loss patch.

What Is The Hoodia Patch/How Does It Work

So what is the hoodia weight loss patch? It’s actually an innovative weight loss diet aid that someone can use if they want to lose weight. If you are interested in it, you probably want to know how does this diet aid work? The hoodia weight loss patch will curb your appetite, better than other hoodia products that come in capsules, liquid or tablet forms. The patch is placed right onto your body, as seen in other products such as the nicotine patch.

After you place the patch somewhere on your body, usually on the arm, it will release the appetite-suppressing chemical so that it goes through your skin to your bloodstream. This “chemical” will then tell your brain that your body is full even if you haven’t eaten yet.

Read Reviews About The Hoodia Patch

Before you begin taking the hoodia patch, you should review both positive and negative reviews about it. When you read reviews, you learn what the hoodia weight loss patch is and what it can offer you. Many people make the mistake that the patch is just a big weight loss hoax but as you do your search, you’ll notice that for many people who have used it, the patch has worked.

If it seems like nothing else has worked for you, you probably think that the hoodia weight loss patch will be just another one of those weight loss product letdowns. However, give yourself a chance and try the patch. Try to remember that many people worldwide have used the hoodia patch with great results.

Where Can You Find The Patch

If you are interested in using the hoodia weight loss patch, you probably wonder where you can get it. The majority of health stores carry the product or you can purchase it online. Keep in mind that it may be expensive to purchase so make sure this is really what you want to take. However, if you try it, you are bound not to be disappointed with the results you get.

Nutrisystem, a diet program that features “good carbs,” which are low on the Glycemic Index. The prepackaged foods are delivered to your home and aim to stabilize blood sugar, provide perfect portions, and aid in weight loss.

When a dieter signs up, they have two choices: They can order sets of meals whenever they want to, or they can sign up for auto-delivery, so every month the meals are automatically delivered. If you sign up for auto-delivery, you save 10 percent on the food and receive free delivery.

If you choose the regular Women’s Program, the Women’s Silver Program (for older women), the Women’s Diabetic Program or the Vegetarian Program and want to use the program longer than one month (which according to Nutrisystem, means you want to lose more than 10 pounds), 28 days’ worth of food costs $319.95 and shipping is free. If you want to lose less than 10 pounds and want 28 days’ worth of food without recurring auto-delivery, the food is $355.50 and the shipping is $16.

The regular Men’s Programs cost slightly more because it includes snacks; if you order with auto-delivery, each month’s supply of food is $349.95 and shipping is free. If you choose to just order 28 days’ worth of food, you will pay $388.83 in addition to $16 in shipping. The Men’s Silver Program and Men’s Diabetic Program cost slightly less; with auto-delivery, each month is $319.95 with free shipping. Just a 28 days’ supply of food is $355.50 plus $16 in shipping. Men can also order the Vegetarian Program for the same price.

There are a few hidden costs in these prices. While some of the Nutrisystem foods are ready-to-eat straight from the container, others require the dieters to add fresh fruits and vegetables, salads and dairy items.

The food fees come with some additional perks, however; those on the Nutrisystem program receive free unlimited counseling both online and on the phone. There is no membership fee, and those in the program also benefit from free online newsletters, online classes, online bulletin boards and chat rooms, daily motivational messages and online weight loss and fitness diaries. The company occasionally has specials, such as a free 30-day supplement of vitamins with each order and a free exercise DVD when you join the program.

If you want to try a few Nutrisystem meals before spending more than $300 on a month’s worth of food, search for Nutrisystem on eBay. Dozens of auctions have several entrees up for bid, most likely from people who ended the program but had remaining meals.

To determine if Nutrisystem’s costs are suitable for you, calculate how much you usually spend on food each month and compare that number to the cost of your monthly Nutrisystem delivery. Add some extra padding for fresh produce. If the numbers are very close, you don’t have anything to lose by trying Nutrisystem except for pounds.

The pure Hoodia liquid extract has put the Sth African Kalahari desert on the map. Many people have heard about the Hoodia liquid extract and are claiming miraculous weight loss results with it. This article is a simple guide to understanding how the pure Hoodia Gordonii liquid extract works.

The natural Hoodia Extract and its source has been widely publicized all over the world including The Today Show, CBS, Sixty Minutes and the BBC. As a result of this publicity a number of Hoodia Gordonii products have come on the market claiming to give its users substantial weight loss results.

The History of the Pure Hoodia Gordonii Liquid Extract

The appetite suppressing properties of the Hoodia plant have been understand an utilized by the bushmen of the Kalahari desert for centuries. In the 90s the Council For Scientific & Industrial Research (The CSIR) undertook a comprehensive study of many native plants which were regularly eaten by the “Sans Bushmen”. One of these native plants in the study was the Hoodia Gordonii plant and its potent extract. What the CSIR concluded in its study was not only was the Hoodia Gordonii plant and its extract completely non-toxic but it also aided substantially in weight loss by suppressing appetite and increasing fat burning capabilities.

The Patent Of The Hoodia Cactus Extract

As a result of its comprehensive study the CSIR was able to isolate the active ingredient found in the Hoodia Gordonii plant known as “P57″ and then sold the rights to “P57″ to an English pharmaceutical firm – Phytopharm. Phytopharm is the only legal entity able to extract the active molecule found in the Hoodia plant known as “P57″ and use it in any Hoodia product that it releases. However, the Hoodia Gordonii plant itself can never be patented and as a result of this other manufacturers are able to also product Hoodia weight loss products and supplements from the Hoodia Gordonii cactus plant and legally sell thing.

With such a range of Hoodia weight loss products on the market including potent pure Hoodia liquid extracts, it is absolutely critical that consumers don’t fall for cheap, ineffective Hoodia imitations and that they ensure that they only purchase PURE South African cactus Hoodia Gordonii products for maximum weight loss results.

Step 1– Read as much as you can about healthy eating. You will need to educate yourself on healthy food choices and the importance of consuming fresh food.

Step 2 – Write down everything you eat in a week – no cheating – this is for your eyes only. Once this is done, start crossing out the ‘bad’ foods (fried food, margarine, cakes, biscuits, ice cream, sugar, fast foods, coffee) and leave the ‘good’ foods (meat, fish, chicken, eggs, fruit, vegetables, grain, and complex carbohydrates).

Step 3 – Now empty your cupboards and fridge of all of these ‘bad’ foods – soft drinks, margarine, refined flour and sugary foods like biscuits and cakes and replace with healthy alternatives – fruit and vegetables, plenty of meat, eggs, soy milk, canned fish, dried fruit, nuts (not coked), high fiber foods such as oats. Whey protein powders are also a great idea and can be mixed with fruit, ice and either water or milk. The emphasis is on HEALTHY, not low fat. Concentrate on foods with natural ingredients. Throw out and don’t buy anything with the words ‘hydrogenated oil/fat’ on the label. Try not to include too much wheat and dairy – these are the foods most likely to cause allergies.

Step 4 – Invest in a good quality water filter (ideally one that filters out fluoride) so you always have plenty of fresh, clean water available. Every time you go to open the fridge – have a glass of water. Because most of our water comes from food, our trips to the fridge are often a search for water rather than food – so make an effort to drink lots of water.

Step 5 – Take a sheet of paper and divide it into five – in the first fifth write ‘breakfast’, in the next write ‘morning meal’, then ‘lunch’, followed by ‘afternoon meal’ and finally ‘dinner’. Now you have a weight loss program outline.

Step 6 – Start your weight loss program by writing out an eating plan for each of the five sections using the rules of eating “breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper”. You can write in anything into each of the sections as long as you write in good, high protein, low carbohydrate foods.

• Useful tips for the main meals of breakfast and lunch: two eggs a day won’t change your cholesterol level, chicken with the skin is OK; eat your meat medium rare (turkey breast is an excellent low fat high protein meat); eat fish as much as possible – about 3 times per week; as many vegetables and salads as you like (avoid potatoes and starchy vegetables, and avoid salad dressings) – preferably steamed; only three to four serves of fruit per day because of the sugar)

• Useful tips for the ‘in-between meals’: soups, salads, eggs, smoked salmon and fish, cottage cheese, olives, pickled vegetables, fruit, protein shakes (especially those with extra fibre, a good source of protein such as whey, vitamins and minerals), meat, fish and chicken, butter is fine. If you can’t avoid a slice of bread, make sure you have brown bread, full of grain and fibre and keep the quantity down to one slice per day.

• Remember to take your supplements as part of your weight loss program – preferably all 90 essential nutrients and have an extra dose of liquid minerals ready if you get hunger pangs. For maximum effectiveness take your supplements with each meal and spread the dose over the whole day.

The addition of a supplement containing Chromium helps control blood sugar and reduces hunger, sweet cravings, and the carbohydrate ‘highs and lows’.

• Special treats: Life is too short to go without all the ‘naughty’ things and everyone has their weakness…so allow yourself to have some ‘favourite food’ every now and then and look for more suitable alternatives . . . for example:

1. Sorbet or frozen fruit instead of ice cream

2. Wine instead of spirits (merlot and pinot noir are highest in antioxidants!) – maximum one glass per day;

3. Herbal teas, green tea or white tea instead of coffee – limit yourself to one cup of coffee a day or every other day if you really can’t do without it!

4. A delicious piece of fruit on its own or in a low fat protein shake instead of a bar of chocolate. You can also search around for health bars high in protein, low in sugar and with a selection of vitamins and minerals.

Be creative! After a while you won’t be craving the ‘bad’ things anyway.
Step 7 – “EARN YOUR FOOD”! – Remember this statement and you WILL lose weight. If you plan some type of activity BEFORE your meal you will reap the benefits and become more in tune with your body– even walking to the supermarket or up some stairs counts.

The more you ‘burn’ in activity, the more you can eat. Put exercise sessions before meals into your weight loss program as much as you can to fit in with your lifestyle.

Step 8 – Set some time aside each day – 5 to 10 minutes is fine – sit quietly, empty your mind and then when all is calm, visualize your ideal weight and shape and feel gratitude that you have already achieved your goal by using your weight loss program. Write out a positive statement about your ideal weight and shape and say it when you first wakeup in the morning and before retiring in the evening. This is a little trick for the subconscious and it will help your weight loss program as well as helping you have a great positive outlook!

Step 9 – Make this program part of your long-term lifestyle – your body will adapt and will find its own perfect weight and shape.

Health becomes an issue as people get older. Experts have said the healthy diet for children helps prevent diseases and can keep your kids from being obese. Obesity is constantly increasing because of the increasing popularity of fast foods.

Before even starting the diet, never force your children to eat healthy. This might affect your relationship and children don’t like it when they’re told what to do. The first step is food shopping. Involve your children in grocery shopping and let him choose the foods he wants. From there, devise your own recipe and think of ways on how to make a healthy diet for children.

If your child loves to eat fried chicken, consider boiling the chicken and removing the skin so that the oil and fats are eliminated. Serve the chicken with gravy and mashed potatoes so that the chicken isn’t bland. In fact, the tastier it is, the more your kid will enjoy it.

Reduce intake of salty foods. If you can come up with dishes that contain no salt at all, the better. Salty foods are not healthy, and this is why junk foods are bad for the health. The fries and burger that your child loves in the local fast food joint contains an amount of salt more than you can imagine.

Instead of that chocolate ice cream or vanilla smoothie, why not let your child try yogurt and a fruit shake? Yogurt tastes good and is a healthier alternative because it has the same texture as ice cream, minus the calories. The vanilla smoothie can be replaced by a mango shake and can work wonders for the body. You can even combine different fruit shakes like strawberries and bananas, mangoes and melon, and a lot more. Be creative and serve them nicely in cool glasses so that they are more attractive to your kids.

Explain the good effects of the healthy diet. Discuss the effects of it on the immune system stressing the decreased chances of getting sick, the positive effect on the skin and muscles, and the like. This might motivate your kids and they might even help you come up with great recipes.

For sandwiches, use less butter and more of the healthy stuff. Adding lettuce and replacing the beef burger with chicken is healthier and tastier even without ketchup and mayo. Your kids don’t really have to sacrifice the taste to get the best health benefits. When bringing snacks to school, opt for cereal bars and eliminate junk food.

If your child has a huge appetite, eating frequently might work. A healthy diet for children means eating small snacks rather than three big, heavy meals. While doing their favorite activity, you might also want to encourage them to munch on carrot sticks or fruits like pears and grapes rather than the junk foods and crackers. When it comes to the diet, it is up to the parents to come up with creative ideas and make sure to have fun preparing it. Your kids will surely love being healthy too.