Why is it that merely saying the word "diet" immediately fills your head with thoughts of failure? Maybe it's because we've all learned through trial and error that diets simply don't work for most people? You're probably thinking "isn't this an article about dieting?" Yes and no. For many people dieting seems like the kiss of death, but for others a lifestyle adjustment like changing your diet could be just the thing that will mean success for you and your fitness and health goals.
Let's admit it, the majority of us love to eat. For some people, eating is an addiction. We don't like to feel deprived and a diet that never allows us to have a cookie of piece of cake can be pure totrue. Eating stuff that tastes like cardboard can make you not want to eat at all. Unfortunately, you can't exactly give up eating all together. You have to eat to survive. This means that if food is a problem in your life, you should probably find a healthier way of viewing food.
Isn't this where diets generally come in handy? The short answer is no. This is where diets often fail. Diets do very little to change how we view food. In fact, most diets only serve to tell us which foods are good, which foods are bad, and which foods (typically most of the foods we enjoy most) are strictly taboo. Diets begin by forcing people to feel deprived or punished. And no one likes to feel either of these things.
Even worse however, is that we punish ourselves further when we slip up and stray off the straight and very narrow pathways upon which our diets place us. Then we wallow in guilt over every little misstep we take until we give up and decide to over indulge once again, completely ignoring the guilt.
In order to have real success you must make a lifestyle change. This is the only way that you will be able to shed those unwanted pounds without experiencing the horrible guilt that so many dieters go through each and every step of the way. Set goals for yourself. Keep them aggressive but realistic for fitness, dropping pounds, and eating new healthy foods. Even if your goal is as simple as eating 5 vegetable servings a day it is a great place to start. Taking baby steps is easier than running a marathon from day one.
Change your way of eating. Then change your way of seeing food and you will experience amazing changes in your attitudes toward your health, your body, and even your fitness level. As the first pounds begin to drop, you'll start to feel more energetic. You'll probably even feel pain when you're exercising. This should help keep you motivated to do even more as time goes by.
Long term weight is not easy. Meeting your weight loss goals will take commitment and discipline. The first five or ten pounds might come off quickly and easily. After that, the weight comes off more slowly and this is where most people get discouraged. Consistency is vitally important when making lifestyle changes. Take each day as it comes and begin again the very next day. This means that even if you fall completely "off the wagon" today, you can start over tomorrow. The trick is in staying the course and learning moderation and balance when it comes to trying not to stray from the straight and narrow.
There are numerous ways to mess up when it comes to dieting. Most of us will slip up from time to time and we have to remember that it's ok and we can get back on course pretty easily. Keep in mind that there no such thing as failure when you're making positive changes in your life that are getting positive results. It may take weeks, months, or even years to reach your goal. As long as you are making steady and continuous efforts and progress, you are doing many great things for your health and well being. Stick with it!
Find more articles and information on dieting and weight loss by visiting
WeightLossStuff.info.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
The Risks of Super Sizing Your Waist
Researchers and health care professionals often use a calculation called the Body Mass Index (BMI) to determine whether or not someone is at a healthy weight. Recent studies suggest that waist circumference is actually a better determination of health risk than BMI, and that more emphasis should be paid to waist in classifying obesity. Waistline fat poses far more health dangers than does fat stored elsewhere. Men who have waists larger than 40 inches and women who have waists larger than 35 inches have excess waistline fat and are considered obese.
Excess fat in the abdomen is considered a major risk factor for ailments associated with obesity such as diabetes and metabolic syndrome. A person with metabolic syndrome has out of range values for any three of the following: waist measurement, HDL or good cholesterol, blood triglycerides, fasting blood sugar, and blood pressure.
Excess waistline fat is often an indicator of greater fat in deep abdominal storage, or even in organs like the liver. These deep deposits are associated with higher levels of insulin. When fat cells enlarge, they produce more of some immune system proteins. These proteins are transported directly to the liver, where they release inflammatory substances that raise the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and possibly cancer. In addition, fat cells release blood-clotting factors that can affect blood vessels and put the body in a state that favors clots. This is why the risk of heart attack and stroke rises.
People can possibly inherit a susceptibility for storing fat on the waist, but larger waists are most often related to lifestyle choices such as high-fat diets and sedentary behavior. Regular exercise and a balanced diet are the best methods to control waistline fat and help prevent metabolic syndrome. In some cases, doctor prescribed medications can be taken to improve insulin abnormalities.
An important thing to remember is that the heavier you are, the higher your risk of heart disease. Excess weight often means higher-than-normal levels of both cholesterol and triglycerides, indications of how much fat may be also floating around in your blood. The higher the level of fat in your blood, the greater your risk of developing a clot significant enough to block blood flow to your heart.
Studies also link large waists with greater risk of some cancers. Scientists believe that the higher levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factors commonly seen with excess abdominal fat stimulate cancer cell growth. Excess waistline fat seems to approximately double the risk of breast cancer in women after menopause, regardless of overall weight status. Since prostate cancer is hormonally related, it may also be affected by sex hormone proteins, which abnormal insulin levels disrupt. Other research tentatively links metabolic syndrome and high insulin levels with a greater risk of colon cancer.
The good news is that losing even a few pounds can make a huge difference. Weight loss can dramatically reduce the risk factors associated with heart disease. When you lose weight, your blood pressure will drop, your cholesterol will get to better levels. Dropping 10 or 15 pounds can help your blood pressure drop 10 or 15 points. Additionally, it's possible for people to drop their LDL or bad cholesterol from 160 down to 90 just by losing 10 pounds.
So what exactly is the ideal waist size? Study results vary. Some show that for best health men should strive for a waistline of 34 inches or less; other research indicates that a waistline below 39 inches is OK. For women, studies show the safest waistline for heart health is less than 29 inches, but other research has found that waistlines under 33 inches are acceptable.
Ok. Now what do I do about it? Believe it or not, it's not going to require six days of aerobics every week to get your waist where it needs to be. Something as simple as one of the most passive forms of exercise is very effective for getting rid of that spare tire. Studies have shown that 30 minutes of yoga once a week could prevent middle-aged spread in people who are of average weight. It also helped those who are overweight to lose those extra pounds. Even something as simple as a 20 minute walk can be beneficial.
It's also advised to make some simple changes to your eating habits. Cut back on sweets, white bread, pasta and rice, butter, cream and other animal fat. Then add more fruit, vegetables, whole grains such as whole-wheat bread, brown rice, and whole cereals.
Find more articles and information on dieting and weight loss by visiting
WeightLossStuff.info.
Excess fat in the abdomen is considered a major risk factor for ailments associated with obesity such as diabetes and metabolic syndrome. A person with metabolic syndrome has out of range values for any three of the following: waist measurement, HDL or good cholesterol, blood triglycerides, fasting blood sugar, and blood pressure.
Excess waistline fat is often an indicator of greater fat in deep abdominal storage, or even in organs like the liver. These deep deposits are associated with higher levels of insulin. When fat cells enlarge, they produce more of some immune system proteins. These proteins are transported directly to the liver, where they release inflammatory substances that raise the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and possibly cancer. In addition, fat cells release blood-clotting factors that can affect blood vessels and put the body in a state that favors clots. This is why the risk of heart attack and stroke rises.
People can possibly inherit a susceptibility for storing fat on the waist, but larger waists are most often related to lifestyle choices such as high-fat diets and sedentary behavior. Regular exercise and a balanced diet are the best methods to control waistline fat and help prevent metabolic syndrome. In some cases, doctor prescribed medications can be taken to improve insulin abnormalities.
An important thing to remember is that the heavier you are, the higher your risk of heart disease. Excess weight often means higher-than-normal levels of both cholesterol and triglycerides, indications of how much fat may be also floating around in your blood. The higher the level of fat in your blood, the greater your risk of developing a clot significant enough to block blood flow to your heart.
Studies also link large waists with greater risk of some cancers. Scientists believe that the higher levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factors commonly seen with excess abdominal fat stimulate cancer cell growth. Excess waistline fat seems to approximately double the risk of breast cancer in women after menopause, regardless of overall weight status. Since prostate cancer is hormonally related, it may also be affected by sex hormone proteins, which abnormal insulin levels disrupt. Other research tentatively links metabolic syndrome and high insulin levels with a greater risk of colon cancer.
The good news is that losing even a few pounds can make a huge difference. Weight loss can dramatically reduce the risk factors associated with heart disease. When you lose weight, your blood pressure will drop, your cholesterol will get to better levels. Dropping 10 or 15 pounds can help your blood pressure drop 10 or 15 points. Additionally, it's possible for people to drop their LDL or bad cholesterol from 160 down to 90 just by losing 10 pounds.
So what exactly is the ideal waist size? Study results vary. Some show that for best health men should strive for a waistline of 34 inches or less; other research indicates that a waistline below 39 inches is OK. For women, studies show the safest waistline for heart health is less than 29 inches, but other research has found that waistlines under 33 inches are acceptable.
Ok. Now what do I do about it? Believe it or not, it's not going to require six days of aerobics every week to get your waist where it needs to be. Something as simple as one of the most passive forms of exercise is very effective for getting rid of that spare tire. Studies have shown that 30 minutes of yoga once a week could prevent middle-aged spread in people who are of average weight. It also helped those who are overweight to lose those extra pounds. Even something as simple as a 20 minute walk can be beneficial.
It's also advised to make some simple changes to your eating habits. Cut back on sweets, white bread, pasta and rice, butter, cream and other animal fat. Then add more fruit, vegetables, whole grains such as whole-wheat bread, brown rice, and whole cereals.
Find more articles and information on dieting and weight loss by visiting
WeightLossStuff.info.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Nutrition Notes on Weight Loss Supplements
More and more spend hundred and even thousands of dollars yearly on weight loss supplements in the hope of speeding up their metabolism. The main desire is to be attractive and accepted but it is becoming a more difficult goal to achieve. The fitness industry is booming but still a lot of people are unable to cut those fat in spite of all the exercise and diet efforts. In America, more than sixty per cent of adults are overweight and thirty per cent are considered obese. This is because: one, a lot of weight loss products promises unrealistic goals; two, dietary supplement manufacturers rely on the overweight person’s failure to survive; and three, the information about the supplements in the market are just written by themselves just to make a sell.
Although the Food and Drug Administration has successfully banned illegal marketers, some products are still available. Consumers can be deceived of the labels which claims caffeine or ephedra fee not knowing that these supplements composes of other ingredients that may pose the same health risks. These include heart and digestive problems, headaches, insomnia, and even psychological side effects.
Other supplement manufacturers say that their products contains EGCG which is a phytochemical ingredient found in green tea. This so-called component claims to speed up metabolism but in reality poses to reduce the risk of cancer. Some studies denote that it could slightly increase the potential to burn calories and now can be found in many weight loss supplements. It has good points on the other hand since the body might conform to EGCG after a period of time. Eve the weight loss benefit could sum up to 60 to 70 calories a day. This helps prevent excessive weight gain.
A few other significant effects of weight loss supplements is that it may contain ingredients that makers claim will prevent the absorption of carbohydrates. One good example is Chitosan, which appears most promising, which in fact shows no positive result in fat absorption. It could even take up to seven months for men to lose just a pound of body fat and for women, there is no fat loss at all. Thyroid supplements act as thyroid replacements help regulate and optimize the thyroid at a higher level. This they say makes the body feel like a couch potato and won’t perform the job it has to.
Since the number one reason why people eat is because they feel hungry, there is another type of ingredient that manufacturers made which increases the feeling of being full and decreases appetite, Guar Gum. However, recent studies show that it has no meaningful benefit at all to weight loss. It is ironic that manufacturers mix Psyllium that has the reputation of reducing eating and aiding weight loss for initial studies so far do not support this claim although it helps control blood cholesterol and sugar.
One of the latest innovations in the fat loss industry is by way of skin absorption. There’s a Cutting Gel, which is an epidril product by far the best selling in fat loss creams technology. Rub it where you want the fats cut. For now, it will seem safer to advise the age old remedies to excessive weight gain and that is to invest on walking shoes instead of diet supplements, go to the park and do brisk walking, go to the gym, and have a well balanced diet instead.
For more articles, information and videos on weight loss, stop by WeightLossStuff.info. If you're looking for info on how to conquer that nasty cellulite, check out Cellulite.
Although the Food and Drug Administration has successfully banned illegal marketers, some products are still available. Consumers can be deceived of the labels which claims caffeine or ephedra fee not knowing that these supplements composes of other ingredients that may pose the same health risks. These include heart and digestive problems, headaches, insomnia, and even psychological side effects.
Other supplement manufacturers say that their products contains EGCG which is a phytochemical ingredient found in green tea. This so-called component claims to speed up metabolism but in reality poses to reduce the risk of cancer. Some studies denote that it could slightly increase the potential to burn calories and now can be found in many weight loss supplements. It has good points on the other hand since the body might conform to EGCG after a period of time. Eve the weight loss benefit could sum up to 60 to 70 calories a day. This helps prevent excessive weight gain.
A few other significant effects of weight loss supplements is that it may contain ingredients that makers claim will prevent the absorption of carbohydrates. One good example is Chitosan, which appears most promising, which in fact shows no positive result in fat absorption. It could even take up to seven months for men to lose just a pound of body fat and for women, there is no fat loss at all. Thyroid supplements act as thyroid replacements help regulate and optimize the thyroid at a higher level. This they say makes the body feel like a couch potato and won’t perform the job it has to.
Since the number one reason why people eat is because they feel hungry, there is another type of ingredient that manufacturers made which increases the feeling of being full and decreases appetite, Guar Gum. However, recent studies show that it has no meaningful benefit at all to weight loss. It is ironic that manufacturers mix Psyllium that has the reputation of reducing eating and aiding weight loss for initial studies so far do not support this claim although it helps control blood cholesterol and sugar.
One of the latest innovations in the fat loss industry is by way of skin absorption. There’s a Cutting Gel, which is an epidril product by far the best selling in fat loss creams technology. Rub it where you want the fats cut. For now, it will seem safer to advise the age old remedies to excessive weight gain and that is to invest on walking shoes instead of diet supplements, go to the park and do brisk walking, go to the gym, and have a well balanced diet instead.
For more articles, information and videos on weight loss, stop by WeightLossStuff.info. If you're looking for info on how to conquer that nasty cellulite, check out Cellulite.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Make Positive Changes - Avoid Dieting
Why is it that merely saying the word "diet" immediately fills your head with thoughts of failure? Maybe it's because we've all learned through trial and error that diets simply don't work for most people? You're probably thinking "isn't this an article about dieting?" Yes and no. For many people dieting seems like the kiss of death, but for others a lifestyle adjustment like changing your diet could be just the thing that will mean success for you and your fitness and health goals.
Let's admit it, the majority of us love to eat. For some people, eating is an addiction. We don't like to feel deprived and a diet that never allows us to have a cookie of piece of cake can be pure totrue. Eating stuff that tastes like cardboard can make you not want to eat at all. Unfortunately, you can't exactly give up eating all together. You have to eat to survive. This means that if food is a problem in your life, you should probably find a healthier way of viewing food.
Isn't this where diets generally come in handy? The short answer is no. This is where diets often fail. Diets do very little to change how we view food. In fact, most diets only serve to tell us which foods are good, which foods are bad, and which foods (typically most of the foods we enjoy most) are strictly taboo. Diets begin by forcing people to feel deprived or punished. And no one likes to feel either of these things.
Even worse however, is that we punish ourselves further when we slip up and stray off the straight and very narrow pathways upon which our diets place us. Then we wallow in guilt over every little misstep we take until we give up and decide to over indulge once again, completely ignoring the guilt.
In order to have real success you must make a lifestyle change. This is the only way that you will be able to shed those unwanted pounds without experiencing the horrible guilt that so many dieters go through each and every step of the way. Set goals for yourself. Keep them aggressive but realistic for fitness, dropping pounds, and eating new healthy foods. Even if your goal is as simple as eating 5 vegetable servings a day it is a great place to start. Taking baby steps is easier than running a marathon from day one.
Change your way of eating. Then change your way of seeing food and you will experience amazing changes in your attitudes toward your health, your body, and even your fitness level. As the first pounds begin to drop, you'll start to feel more energetic. You'll probably even feel pain when you're exercising. This should help keep you motivated to do even more as time goes by.
Long term weight is not easy. Meeting your weight loss goals will take commitment and discipline. The first five or ten pounds might come off quickly and easily. After that, the weight comes off more slowly and this is where most people get discouraged. Consistency is vitally important when making lifestyle changes. Take each day as it comes and begin again the very next day. This means that even if you fall completely "off the wagon" today, you can start over tomorrow. The trick is in staying the course and learning moderation and balance when it comes to trying not to stray from the straight and narrow.
There are numerous ways to mess up when it comes to dieting. Most of us will slip up from time to time and we have to remember that it's ok and we can get back on course pretty easily. Keep in mind that there no such thing as failure when you're making positive changes in your life that are getting positive results. It may take weeks, months, or even years to reach your goal. As long as you are making steady and continuous efforts and progress, you are doing many great things for your health and well being. Stick with it!
For some great tips check out: WeightLossStuff.info.
Let's admit it, the majority of us love to eat. For some people, eating is an addiction. We don't like to feel deprived and a diet that never allows us to have a cookie of piece of cake can be pure totrue. Eating stuff that tastes like cardboard can make you not want to eat at all. Unfortunately, you can't exactly give up eating all together. You have to eat to survive. This means that if food is a problem in your life, you should probably find a healthier way of viewing food.
Isn't this where diets generally come in handy? The short answer is no. This is where diets often fail. Diets do very little to change how we view food. In fact, most diets only serve to tell us which foods are good, which foods are bad, and which foods (typically most of the foods we enjoy most) are strictly taboo. Diets begin by forcing people to feel deprived or punished. And no one likes to feel either of these things.
Even worse however, is that we punish ourselves further when we slip up and stray off the straight and very narrow pathways upon which our diets place us. Then we wallow in guilt over every little misstep we take until we give up and decide to over indulge once again, completely ignoring the guilt.
In order to have real success you must make a lifestyle change. This is the only way that you will be able to shed those unwanted pounds without experiencing the horrible guilt that so many dieters go through each and every step of the way. Set goals for yourself. Keep them aggressive but realistic for fitness, dropping pounds, and eating new healthy foods. Even if your goal is as simple as eating 5 vegetable servings a day it is a great place to start. Taking baby steps is easier than running a marathon from day one.
Change your way of eating. Then change your way of seeing food and you will experience amazing changes in your attitudes toward your health, your body, and even your fitness level. As the first pounds begin to drop, you'll start to feel more energetic. You'll probably even feel pain when you're exercising. This should help keep you motivated to do even more as time goes by.
Long term weight is not easy. Meeting your weight loss goals will take commitment and discipline. The first five or ten pounds might come off quickly and easily. After that, the weight comes off more slowly and this is where most people get discouraged. Consistency is vitally important when making lifestyle changes. Take each day as it comes and begin again the very next day. This means that even if you fall completely "off the wagon" today, you can start over tomorrow. The trick is in staying the course and learning moderation and balance when it comes to trying not to stray from the straight and narrow.
There are numerous ways to mess up when it comes to dieting. Most of us will slip up from time to time and we have to remember that it's ok and we can get back on course pretty easily. Keep in mind that there no such thing as failure when you're making positive changes in your life that are getting positive results. It may take weeks, months, or even years to reach your goal. As long as you are making steady and continuous efforts and progress, you are doing many great things for your health and well being. Stick with it!
For some great tips check out: WeightLossStuff.info.
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