GOOD ADVICE

Every new diet book explains why it's better than all the previous ones. This new plan, claims the author, holds the key to losing weight and keeping it off.  It will succeed where the others have failed.  So we decrease our fat intake. Or increase it. We eat more protein. Or less. We eat more carbs or cut them out. 

And the question remains: Which is the best diet to lose weight? 

Well, we now have the answer.  A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine put 811 overweight adults through four different diets, each one a different proportion of fat, carbs, and protein.

The result?  On average, participants lost twelve pounds after six months and kept nine pounds off after two years.  No matter which diet they followed.   In terms of losing weight, no diet was better than any other.  Because all diets work through a single mechanism--they restrict your calorie intake. 

People lose weight when they eat less.

If that's true, then the best diet is the simplest one.  So ask yourself: 
What's the one thing you can change that will make the biggest difference in your calorie consumption?  Everyone has one thing.

And each person's one thing could be different. For some, it might be sugar.  For others, fried foods.  For others, sodas.  What's important is to keep it simple. Pick your one thing that can have the biggest impact and then focus 100% of your effort on that one thing.   

It's Time To End That Yo-Yo Dieting!

Moat people believe a diet is something to go on and then get off as quickly as possible.  

But lasting weight loss requires making changes that will work long term.  These 2 tips can help you to break that yo-yo cycle.
#1  Focusing solely on just calories can make it hard to stick to your diet.  Instead of obsessing about every calorie you eat, think about how eating right and exercising makes you feel better.  If you focus on the positive effects of a healthy behavior, it's much easier to motivate yourself to stay on track.
#2  Sticking to a diet is much easier if you have a friend who is also shedding pounds.  In fact, try to find someone who has already lost the weight to provide support.  It's easy to find an online weight loss buddy to help you.

How Do You Get Rid Of Those Last Stubborn Pounds?

What is the secret to getting rid of those last stubborn pounds? 

Keep in mind that for every pound you lose, your body needs 10 fewer calories to support your weight.  So, if you've lost 15 lbs., you need to cut an additional 150 calories a day to keep losing.  And if you've managed to drop those pounds without exercising, your metabolic rate has probably slowed down, making it even harder to lose.  Add a little bit of cardio to your program to boost your metabolism.  If you have been exercising, increase your cardio time by 10 minutes.  That should help you to break that plateau.

You Can Lose More Weight By Eating This

A recent study found that an apple a day reduces the amount of calories people eat.

The researchers had 60 men and women eat breakfast and lunch.  Before lunch, they were given either nothing, 1 medium apple, applesauce, or apple juice.  15 minutes later they were served lunch.  The people who ate the apple ate almost 200 calories less than those who were given apple juice, applesauce, or nothing at all.  The theory is that the effort of eating the apple before the meal gives you the feeling of having an extra course so you end up eating less.

How To Sneak In 60 Minutes Of Exercise Without Going To The Gym

To keep the weight off, studies are showing you need as much as 60 minutes of exercise a day.  If that sounds impossible, remember this, you don't have to spend an hour at the gym to get the exercise you need.  You can sneak in physical activity a few minutes at a time.  Here's how:

If you work at an office, or are going to the store, park farther away from the entrance.  

The extra walking can give you 5 minutes of exercise.

Take the stairs instead of the elevator.  

This can add 10 minutes more.

During your lunch break, take a 15 min. walk.  Ask a coworker to join you.

At home, squeeze in 15 min. of heavy cleaning,

Or gardening,

Or playing with the kids.

After dinner, take your dog for a 15 min. walk.

While watching TV, do 5 min. of situps during commercials.

All of this gets you to the 60 minute goal-without going to the gym.

You Can Double Your Weight Loss By Doing This

A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that keeping a food diary can double your weight loss.

Researchers tracked 1600 overweight men and women for 20 weeks.  The participants were asked to keep a daily record of their food intake and exercise minutes.  They found that that the more the participants recorded what they ate, the more weight they lost.  Those who did not keep the food diary lost about 9lbs. over the 20 week study.  Those who kept the food diary lost 18lbs., twice as much as those who didn't track their food.  The researchers found that by tracking your food, you become more accountable.  If you know you have to record what you eat, you think twice about eating it.

Do Men Lose Weight More Easily Than Women?

Men are born with more muscle mass and less fat than women.  A healthy man should carry between 12 to 20% body fat whereas a healthy woman should carry between 16 to 30% body fat.  Since muscle is more metabolically active than fat, men have a head start in the calorie burning department, even when they are just sitting on the couch!  Men also have more testosterone while women have more estrogen, a hormone that is programmed to store fat.  Men generally have a metabolism that is 5 to 10% higher than that of a woman of the same height and weight. So yes, men do seem to lose weight more easily than women.  Not only do men lose weight faster, they are less stressed about the weight they need to lose and they worry less about their body image.  

 

10 Simple Rules For Weight Loss

When it comes to losing weight, people are always searching for quick results. These tried and true strategies really work.

• Eat your meals on a regular schedule.

• Choose low fat foods.

• Wear a pedometer and walk 10,000 steps a day.

• Pack healthy snacks.

• Check the fat and calorie content on food labels.

• Portion wisely and skip seconds.

• Don't sit for long periods.
  

• Avoid surgary drinks.

• Turn off the TV while you eat.

• Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day.

Follow these simple rules and you will lose weight.

How To Choose The Best Pedometer

Studies show that just wearing a pedometer can encourage you to walk an extra 2,000 steps a day.  Just this simple change can result in losing 8 pounds in a year.  Strive to get 10,000 steps in a day.  Here's what to look for if you are going to buy a pedometer.

Look for a display monitor you can easily read.

Choose a light weight model that has a safety clip. (so you won't lose it!)

Choose a pedometer that has a high accuracy rating.

Make sure it has a 7 day memory feature to track your weekly progress.

Choose one that resets automatically every day.

Make sure it is silent.  Some of them make a clicking noise.

A good pedometer will cost about $20.00.  The brand I like the best is the Omron 

HJ-112.  It has all the above features and is easy to operate.

A Politician Pledges To Lose Weight Or Give $25,000 To Charity!

San Francisco Council Member, Pat Fallon, has pledged to lose 40 lbs. in 4 months or he'll give $25,000 to the local charity, San Francisco Family Services Center.  42 year old Fallon is 5'11" and weighs 242 lbs. and is considered obese.  He's vowed to give up grilled cheese, french fries, alcohol and TV.  He's asking for pledges for every pound he loses to benefit charity.  The San Francisco Family Services Center has launched their own campaign in response to Fallon.  They desperately need that donation and have launched the "Fatten Up Fallon" campaign.  They're asking people to buy Fallon a dessert or drink whenever they see him out having lunch.

How Often Should You Weigh Yourself?

If you're trying to lose weight, the bathroom scale is one of the most effective tools you can use.  For years, many experts recommended tossing the scale.  They said the emotional ups-and-downs caused from weighing yourself, wreaked too much havoc on your emotional state.  But that has changed.  A review of over a dozen studies tracking 16,000 dieters, provides indisputable evidence that the scale is one of the most effective tools for losing weight AND preventing weight gain.  75% of successful dieters, who have lost 30 lbs. or more, weighed themselves several times a week.  Studies show that weighing yourself daily, or several times a week, results in more weight loss.  
You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars on a high tech scale.  A digital scale will give you a more accurate weight.  If it bugs you to see how much you weigh, try the numberless scale created by Olympic gymnast, Mary Lou Retton.  Mary Lou's Weight Platform secretly records your starting weight and then tells you how much you're up or down each time you weigh.  She also provides a motivational pep talk if you gain, as well as congratulations when you lose.

It costs about $70.00.  You can find it at her web site, marylou'sweigh.com.  Enter the promotion code-prevent-and get $30 off the price.  
To lose weight and to prevent weight gain, weigh yourself several times a week, even daily.  Weigh yourself first thing in the morning (after going to the bathroom).  Place your scale on a hard surface when you weigh, not on a rug or carpet.

Are Frozen Meals A Good Weight Loss Plan?

  When you're trying to lose weight and you don't have much time to prepare meals, frozen entrees can be a convenient way to help control calories.  Keep in mind though, not all frozen meals are healthy.  What should you look for when buying a frozen entree?  First, look at the ingredient list.  The first ingredient should be real food, like chicken, pasta or vegetables.  It shouldn't start with fillers, stabilizers or chemicals, words you don't recognize as food.  Buy organic frozen meals when you can as they tend to have healthier ingredients, less chemicals and fillers.  Next make sure it's not over 500 calories per serving and it doesn't exceed 700mg of sodium.  It should also have at least 3 grams of fiber and 10 grams of protein to  help you feel full and to keep you satisfied.  A brand I like is Amy's Kitchen. Here's a link to their website.

The Top 4 Habits Of Successful Dieters

The National Weight Control Registry has collected data on thousands of people who have lost a lot of weight and have kept it off.  These are the top four habits the dieters had:

78% of them ate breakfast every day--A healthy breakfast such as an egg white omelet with whole wheat toast.

62% of them watched less than 10 hours of TV per week.

90% of them exercised an hour a day.

75% of them weighed themselves once a week.

How Much Exercise Do You Really Need To Lose Weight?

The new guidelines issued by the American College of Sports Medicine say that 30 minutes of exercise, 5 days a week, is not enough. New research shows that 2 1/2 hours of exercise a week is effective in preventing weight gain but is not effective in weight loss. The American College of Sports Medicine now says that overweight people are more likely to lose weight and keep it off if they exercise for at least 4 hours a week. If you're trying to lose weight, you need to increase your exercise to 50 minutes a day, 5 days a week to see the results you want.

A Food Diary Can Double Your Weight Loss!

A recent study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine said keeping a daily food diary doubled the weight lost among men and women. They found that simply writing down what you eat encourages you to eat less. A food diary can be written in a notebook, on a post it, on your computer, or even in a text message to yourself! Write down the time you eat and what you eat. Initially, don't worry so much about the calorie count. Be more concerned with how much you are eating. Most people do not realize just how much they eat. That's why a food diary is so effective. Commit to keeping a food diary for one week. It will help you to lose weight!

Can Household Clutter Make You Fat?

Keeping your home free of clutter can help you to lose weight according to organizational guru Peter Walsh. In his new book, Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?, Walsh says that when people declutter their home, they start losing weight. His theory is that if you have a messy disorganized kitchen, you will always opt for the easy, which is take out instead of cooking. If your dining room table is piled high with bills and junk, you won't want to sit and have a healthy family meal there. Walsh says an overstuffed life leads to an overstuffed body. He says that if you want to seriously deal with your weight, you must clean up that clutter.

Are You Still Following This Old Diet Rule?

Have you been following this diet rule: Don't eat after 7:00p.m.? So what makes 7 PM the magical cut off time anyway? The original idea was that people should stop eating 3 hours before bed time and 10 PM was the average time most people went to bed. Although it's a good idea to stop eating a couple of hours before bed, the reason why has nothing to do with weight gain. It's basically because of digestion. Going to sleep on a full stomach may make sleeping uncomfortable. Your body doesn't know what time it is when you eat. It will metabolize calories eaten after 7PM the same way it does the calories you eat earlier in the day. What's important is the total number of calories you eat in a day.

Are You Exercising But Still Not Losing Weight?

After you start exercising, it may take 4-6 weeks before the scale starts showing it. You may notice that your clothes are fitting better, but your scale is just not budging. So, what's up? During the first few weeks of exercising, you're building muscle while you are losing body fat. Remember, muscle is much denser than fat, so your scale may not be showing your true results. Usually after 6-8 weeks, muscle gains start slowing down and the scale should start showing your weight loss. To keep from getting discouraged, measure yourself to monitor your progress. Measure your arms, chest, waist, hips and thighs every 4 weeks. As long as you are losing inches and your clothes are fitting better, don't worry so much about what the scale says.

What's The Best Workout For Weight Loss?

Many people think that the more cardio you do, the more weight you lose. Cardio does make a difference, but you need a combination of aerobic exercise AND strength training to burn fat and keep it off. Strength training helps by maintaining your muscle mass. You need muscle mass for a strong metabolism and for keeping your metabolism fast. That doesn't mean you have to look like a bodybuilder, but you at least have to maintain or better yet, increase your lean muscle mass. So a combination of aerobic exercise and strength training is the best program for losing weight.
Ideally, you should do strength
training 2 days a week and
cardio 3-4 days a week.