weightlossfordummies.net

There is no secret formula for weight loss. Nor is there a magic pill. By eating less and exercising more, you will be doing your body a favor. But making healthy choices is not easy especially with temptations all around you. No weight loss or fitness program should be undertaken without the supervision of your doctor. How much weight you should lose or whether you should lose it at all, is a decision that only your doctor should make. Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce the risks of heart problems, diabetes and other conditions.
A few tips on weight loss
You will need to get adequate sleep, as lack of sleep can decrease the number of calories your body burns when at rest. You can boost your metabolism by putting on 5 – 10 pound of lean muscle mass. Drink plenty of water and avoid calorie-laden sodas and alcoholic beverages. It is better to eat 4 or 5 meals a day than a couple of large meals. Lose weight slowly and replace unwise food choices with healthy ones. Indulge in physical activity every day and you will have a wonderful weight loss plan without going in for fad diets and expensive work-outs.
A calorie is a unit of energy in food. Your body burns the calories that it consumes in food to walk, breathe and keep your heart beating. The energy that is not used is stored as fat. In order to lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume. Write down the foods you consume and the exercise you get every day. Calculate the amount of calories you consumed as well as the calories you expended in a day. Once you keep track of this information, you can decide on the foods that you need to cut out and the amount of physical activity you will need to add to your daily routine.
Choosing a weight loss program
Some people lose weight on their own – others need a structured program. Overweight people become successful in losing weight and maintaining it, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease. Before you join a program, you need to beware of what they offer. The program should provide counseling to teach you how to change your eating habits permanently as well as your lifestyle which could be sedentary, thereby causing your weight gain. Most of the commercial weight loss programs can work only if they motivate you to decrease the amount of calories you eat and increase the amount of calories you burn each day.
Physical activity improves the quality of life. It protects against hypertension, obesity, osteoporosis and depression. If you have led a sedentary lifestyle, you should start with short sessions (5 – 10 minutes) and gradually build up. Always have a medical check up before beginning a program. Choose activities like cycling, jogging or swimming. Keep a regular routine and follow up on it. Home activities can be included in your physical fitness regime and contribute to weight loss. Using the stairs, gardening, raking the leaves or walking in the mall will be beneficial. Do anything that gets you moving, but most importantly, enjoy what you do.

Bookmark Here:

People generally perceive that no one succeeds in long-term maintenance of weight loss. However, research has shown that about 20% of overweight people are successful at long-term weight loss in losing at least 10% of initial body weight and maintaining it for at least 1 year. To maintain their weight loss, members have engaged in high physical activity and have eaten a low-calorie, low-fat diet and have eaten breakfast regularly. Once they have maintained their weight for 2 – 5 years, the chance of longer term success increases.
Low fat weight loss diets
Although a low fat weight loss diet is usually considered a sensible diet, you should always consult your doctor with regard to a new pattern of eating. An easy way to start a low fat diet is to cut down on the amount of fried foods that you eat. Even French fries can be made in the oven using small amounts of fat rather than deep frying. Steaming is a quick and efficient way of cooking foods. It is not essential to change what you eat – merely limit the quantities and cut out large amounts of butter. When cooking meat, remove the fat before cooking and grill instead of frying.
It is possible to lose weight naturally. You do not need pills, programs or expensive membership packages to counter weight loss. There are simple home remedies that you can use. The high fibre diet is a safe option and is good for your health. High fibre weight loss diets usually rely on a combination of increased fibre through grains and cereals and thereby restrict the amount of calories in the diet. A calorie shifting diet is practical because there is no calorie counting or carbohydtrate restriction. You can eat 4 meals each day. The only restriction is that you stop eating before you are completely full.
Cutting calories in your diet
Cutting out 100 calories a day from your daily diet or adding 100 calories a day to your daily routine can make a difference to your weight. If you drink your coffee with whole milk, you can save 100 calories a day by drinking 2 cups with skim milk. One 16 oz. Pepsi has 250 calories – by cutting this out, you will be reducing your calories reduction by 2 ½ times. If you substitute a plain donut for a jelly one, you cut out 120 calories. You could cut out a croissant which has 289 calories. Cutting out a French salad dressing could save you 160 calories.
Swimming energetically for only 15 minutes will burn 100 calories. One hour of housework will help you to burn 100 calories. Go for a 10 minute walk at a brisk pace and you can burn 100 calories. Half an hour of golfing without the golf cart will burn 120 calories. The truth is, adding or subtracting calories is basic – the choice is up to you. You can create a daily routine and a healthy habit that will keep off the extra pounds and help you with your weight loss goal.

Bookmark Here:

Weight loss is something most people want to achieve. Unwanted pounds, double chins, heavy arms and thighs do not help to boost your ego. Apart from how you feel about yourself and how others perceive you, there are also serious health implications. Although your goal may be to get into a pair of jeans a couple of sizes smaller, you will need to have the confidence that only a person with a fit and toned body can have. Losing weight and keeping those unwanted pounds off are extremely hard to do. There are several diets and slimming programs available, but it requires discipline. The key is choosing the right method for your personality and lifestyle and you can definitely achieve your goal.
Lose weight to look better
There are many reasons for people who are overweight to lose weight. They would like to be healthier, look better, feel better and have more energy. Whatever the reason, successful weight loss depends on sensible goals that you set yourself. Most people who are overweight should lose weight gradually - a safe way is to lose around 2 pounds a week. There are several factors involved – the kinds of food you eat or whether your lifestyle includes physical activity or even a stressful lifestyle. Weight management should address all of these problems.
A realistic approach is required when dealing with weight loss. Fad diets may result in short term weight loss and your health could be at risk. You need to set long-term goals. Unless you have serious health problems from being overweight, gradual weight loss should be your goal. Always consult your doctor. Be sure to include at least five servings of fruits and vegetables along with whole grains, lean meat and low fat dairy products. Include physical activity in your day that should include walking. A lifestyle based on healthy eating and regular physical activity can be a real life- saver.
Green tea and weight loss
Green tea becomes an active ingredient in many weight loss products. Green tea can soothe, refresh, stimulate, calm and promote good health. It can also help with your weight loss goals. A study in Switzerland has shown that drinking 2 – 3 cups of green tea daily caused the participants to lose 80 extra calories per day without increasing their heart rates. There are other benefits of green tea that include cancer protection, cholesterol and blood pressure reduction, reduction of body fat and blood sugar.
Weight management requires a long-term approach to healthy living and healthy eating. The body’s composition of fat, bone, muscle and other tissues affects weight. Obesity is an excess of total body fat mass. Apart from genetics, a combination of high fat and a high calorie diet in addition to a sedentary lifestyle contribute to obesity. People who are obese can gain health benefits by losing weight. Prevention of obesity requires maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Healthy meals and an active lifestyle are the contributing factors to successful weight loss.

Bookmark Here:

Weight Loss and fitness complement each other. Exercise is the key to a healthy body. Aerobic exercises like jogging, walking, swimming, stationery cycling, aerobic dancing – any of these should be done on a daily basis – preferably when you wake up in the morning. At least 30 – 60 minutes a day would be ideal, but if you can only do 15 minutes, it is better than not doing it at all. When you exercise in the morning, you start the day feeling vibrant and fit and you will also make better food choices.
Muscle Toning
Toned muscles give your metabolism a boost. At least three times a week, tone your muscles with weight training. You will find that you are burning your calories, and even when you are sleeping, you will be burning more calories. Once you have exercised, eat your breakfast. Skipping breakfast is not a good idea, as your metabolism will slow down and your body begins to burn your muscle as fuel. Do not go in for fad diets that will not last. For permanent and healthy weight loss, indulge in an active lifestyle and make sure that you eat carbohydrates like fruits and vegetables and whole grains, and cut down on fat.
Drink plenty of water – your body needs water to function well, particularly during weight loss. Water can also fill you. Carry water with you and sip it throughout the day. Avoid alcohol – it depresses your metabolism, stimulates your appetite and is loaded with calories. Also avoid weight loss pills and powders. There is no magic formula for weight loss. Look for situations where you can be active. Use the stairs instead of the elevator. Park away from the store, so that you can walk to your car. Do not eat less than 1200 calories per day, as it is not enough to support your basal metabolism and will slow it down.
Nutrition and Exercise
Proper nutrition is as important to health as exercise. When exercising, it is even more important to have a good diet to ensure that the body has the correct balance of nutrients so as to help the body with the recovery process after strenuous exercise. In the long term, exercise is beneficial to the brain by increasing blood and oxygen flow to the brain. Active exhalation during physical exercise helps the body to increase its maximum lung capacity. Breathing deeply during aerobic exercise helps the development of the heart and lungs. Weight loss will follow with correct exercise and nutrition.
General fitness training may be used to promote weight loss. Personal trainers work with a client’s physician to construct a program that would reconstruct one’s lifestyle and provide the necessary motivation for success. General fitness can also promote toning and building of muscles. Nutrition studies, foods and dietary supplements improve performance, promote health and bring about healthy weight loss. Physical fitness is good body health and is the result of regular exercise, proper nutrition and diet that will lead to the desired weight loss that you are aiming for.

Bookmark Here:

There are many herbs which help the metabolic rate of the body to increase and which make the stomach feel full with just a little food. These are thermogenic herbs which stimulate the functions of the body and increase the speed of the respiratory system, the digestive system and the cardio vascular system by putting up the heart rate too. This energizes your whole system and gets you and going. These herbs are easily found and available and you can trust using them more than the medications which are sold over the counter for weight loss. Among herbs which help in weight loss are dandelions, nettles and green tea. Some herbs like uva ursi and buchu are diuretics and remove the excess fluids from the body, which also cause weight loss. However, getting rid of fluids is not a permanent way of keeping weight off.
Herbs which are stimulants
A herb which speeds up the metabolism and digestion is cayenne. If spicy food is not something that you shy away from , this is an excellent digestive spice of which one needs just a light sprinkling and it gives the desired affect of stimulating the digestion by increasing the salivation in the mouth also.
Another easily available stimulant is green tea, which is the most natural and healthy herb. This is rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, which help in raising the metabolic rate and bringing about weight loss. Green tea is available in tea bags, loose and also in the capsule form. However, it is best to use the leaves rather than the capsules, as the leaves are assimilated better in the body.
Another stimulant which helps to boost the thyroid function is the sea weed. This weed is rich in iodine and chromium which are natural stimulants for the thyroid. Sea weeds are available in tablet and capsule forms. However, this is something which one should check with a doctor before using, especially if there is an existing thyroid problem and you are under medication already.
Alfalfa has a component saponin in it which has diuretic properties and also makes the fat more easily dissolvable. This not only reduces weight it also keeps the blood vessels healthy. The leaves of the alfalfa contain sterols, isoflavones and flavones.
How herbs help in weight loss
Herbs which assist weight loss are cathartics which hasten up the digestion and reduce the absorption of calories; diuretics which get rid of the excess body fluid; stimulants which speed up the metabolism and burn make the body burn more calories and appetite suppressants which decrease the hunger.
Some herbs to use in limitations
Like most substances there are limitations for their use, and overdoing anything could have adverse effects too. Some of these herbs if used indiscriminately could have fatal results and should only be used under a qualified person’s supervision. There are herbs which have a laxative effect and are helpful in weight loss, but because of the side effects it is safer to avoid them. There are some other herbs which raise the metabolic rate but can cause serious disorders of the nervous system so it is safer to avoid them.

Bookmark Here:

Liposuction is a form of plastic surgery which not only helps a person to remove excess body fat it also helps the person to get a good body shape in the quickest way. Both men and women can have this form of surgery performed on them if they want to improve on their body shape and keep themselves looking young and fit at any age.
Women post delivery
Many women gain a lot of weight post delivery and later find it a problem to get rid of this excess fat, especially in the abdominal areas, the thighs and hips and around the breasts. Dieting and exercise help a bit, but not in the right places where it really should be happening and the body shape is altered in an awkward way. Weight loss does happen but in areas where it is not required and the person may end up being too thin in the places where they do not want to loose weight.
After having a baby most women find it the most difficult thing to loose the extra flab around the tummy. Liposuction is a sure way to remove this excess fat quickly. The fat around the thighs and hips can also be removed surgically and the shape contoured to perfection.
Who needs liposuction for weigh reduction?
A person who has fatty deposits in areas which are stubborn and no amount of other weight loss techniques help is the right candidate for this procedure. Liposuction removes this excess fat and brings down the weight also with this technique. Usually only a small amount of weight needs to be reduced for those who have fatty deposits only in certain body areas.
Liposuction is not a surgical technique to lose weight, rather it is designed to improve body contour. In almost all cases the procedure is done in a conservative manner, taking what would be judged as a small volume or a modest amount of weight. The best candidate for liposuction is someone with fatty deposits or trouble areas that have not been eliminated with diet and exercise. It is best to be within five to 10 pounds of your ideal/stable body weight and not fluctuate up or down more than this range.
When liposuction requires hospitalization
Though cellulite cannot be improved, even excessive amount of fat up to 5000 cc can be removed from the body. Usually this amount of fat is removed from the upper thighs, buttocks, hips and abdomen. The surgery is performed under local or general anesthesia depending on the amount of surgery required. Liposuction is most uncommon in the back, chin, arms and knees. When large amounts of fat are removed then the person may need hospitalization for a short period.
This surgery is performed by a method called micro cannulas which is breaking the fat up mechanically and using a suction method to remove it. This method allows the most amount of fat to be removed and gives the best contours which are smooth and well shaped.

Bookmark Here:

When the amount of weight that a person has to loose is beyond a certain limit then the person is advised to resort to other methods to assist in loosing weight. The best way obviously is to eat less, however, this is just not possible sometimes because of habitual over eating and the person cannot cut down on food. Overweight is a health hazard and extreme overweight is the most dangerous health problem together with the embarrassment it can cause for the person. Such people become the butt of jokes and are poked fun at.

Get surgical help to eat less

A good way to manage overeating is to undergo surgery which is a gastric bypass. This is a method where the stomach is made smaller and the food bypasses a part of the small intestine which results in lesser calories being absorbed. As the stomach has been made smaller, the food intake is also reduced as the person feels “full” much sooner. So with a smaller stomach and lesser calories being absorbed in the lower intestine, the overall caloric absorption is drastically reduced.

A popular method of bypass surgery

The most popular and common surgery for effective weight reduction is the gastric bypass Roux-en-Y surgery. The method used for this surgery is by reducing the size of the stomach. A part of the stomach is stapled together with surgical staples or the use of a band made of plastic. This part of the stomach makes a pouch at the upper end of the stomach. The remaining portion of the stomach, which is much smaller, is then connected to the jejunum. This leaves the duodenum and the remaining area of the stomach bypassed for food absorption. Normally the food would have gone through the stomach to the small intestines and then to the large intestines.

What does this surgery involve?

The whole procedure is simplified with laparoscopic surgery, where a camera guides the small instruments into a hole in the stomach to complete the surgery with a minor amount of incision in the abdomen. Sometimes a large incision is made and the procedure is called an open surgery one.

Post surgery the patient would have to remain in the hospital for at least 4 to 6 days for the open surgery and for a laparoscopic surgery for just 2 to 3 days. In 3 to 5 weeks most people can go back to their normal routine.

Some symptoms to look out for

As the food moves faster than normal from the stomach to the intestines, this could cause diarrhea, fainting sensation, nausea, sweating and weakness immediately after a meal. These symptoms are called a duping syndrome. Eating foods which are rich and have a high caloric content will make these symptoms worse. Lying down for a while until the symptoms pass off will help.

When is this surgery recommended?

This kind of surgery is recommended only if the BMI is over 40. Other factors which allow a gastric bypass with this high body mass index is if the person has tried for at least 5 years and not been successful in loosing weight; if the person does not have an alcohol problem, depression which is not being treated or any other psychiatric disorder or the person should be between the ages of 18 and 65.

Bookmark Here:

There are several myths related to weight loss and nutrition. Some of them are discusses below:

Fad diets work for easy weight loss – Fad diets are not the best way to lose weight as they advocate fast weight loss methods which is not advisable. You can also regain the lost weight by following this method. Also losing weight fast may make you prone to other health problems. Eating moderate portions and exercising frequently is the best way to lose weight.

High protein/low carb diet is the best way to lose weight – This is another myth as eating more of one food category at the expense of others will lead to unbalanced diet. This diet pattern may also lead to nausea, tiredness etc. Following a balanced eating plan which includes a little of carbohydrates, proteins and fats is the best way to lose weight.

Starches are fattening and should be limited- Some people advocate lowering the consumption of starch based foods like cereals, pasta, bread and rice. But the Dietary Guidelines for Americans advocate eating some portions from the starch group also like whole wheat bread, oatmeal, bran cereal etc to lose and maintain weight for a longer time.

Certain food like grapefruit, cabbage soup etc will help lose weight faster- This is also a myth as no food can help in burning fat. The best way to lose weight is to cut back on the amount of calories you consume and by exercising regularly.

Natural and herbal weight loss products are safe- Most of these products are not scientifically tested and they may cause severe health problems in due course. You must consult your health care professional before consuming any product related to weight loss.

Fast foods must be completely restricted – You can eat fast foods must be careful with the toppings and choose salads and grilled foods and abstain from high calorie toppings with cheese or mayonnaise.

Skipping meals is a good way to lose weight- Research has showed that those who consume a healthy breakfast and do not skip meals have higher concentration and memory levels than those who skip meals and over eat later.

Nuts are fattening and you must avoid them to lose weight- In small portions nuts can be a healthy food for a weight loss program. Nuts are also a good source of protein and dietary fibre and minerals including magnesium and copper.

Dairy products are fattening and unhealthy – Low fat milk and yoghurt have great properties contributing to good health and they offer protein to build muscles and calcium to strengthen bones. You should include low fat dairy products in your diet even if you plan to lose weight.

Eating vegetarian food is healthy and will lead to weight loss – While this is true to a certain extent you should know what you miss by eating a purely vegetarian diet and substitute those in some other types of foods. B12, calcium and iron may not be available in a fully vegetarian diet and you must include those by way of supplements.

Bookmark Here: