Like many people today there are many who have tried every food fad, weight loss program and diet that is out there. Yet although they lose the weight initially after some time they find that they have regained it.

Unfortunately many people are beginning to realize that using healthy eating weight loss programs do not work on their own and you need to actually do some form of exercise as well.

However if you do decide to look for a healthy eating weight loss program the best thing you can do before making a final decision on which one to use is to talk to your doctor first.

Even if you do find it difficult to discuss your weight problem with your doctor it is important to remember that they are there to help you and to ensure that you live the happiest, longest and healthiest life possible.

Also what is important to remember is that these types of programs are not a quick fix solution to your weight problem and will need to stick with it in order that you can lose the weight and then keep it off. However the most successful types of weight loss programs should combine the following: -

1. Healthy Eating – They should ensure that you are get sufficient amounts of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and other essential products in order that your body remains in top condition even while you are trying to lose the weight.

2. Nutrition should be balanced – These programs should ensure that the nutritional value of any weight loss program will not cause any problems to your body and yet still allows you to lose the excess weight.

3. Regular Exercise – This is an extremely vital part of any weight loss program as without exercise you will find that you lose some weight but after a while you may find that you regain it.

In many cases combining a good eating habits with exercise will help you not only to lose the weight but also help to keep it off, plus you will find that you are much better to cope with the stresses and strains of everyday life.

A great way of ensuring that you are sticking to any healthy eating weight loss programs that you decide to use is by changing your favorite dishes to low calorie versions. This is pretty simple to do and if you were to carry out a search of the Internet there are plenty of sites that are offering low calorie version recipes of some if not all of your favorite dishes.

Healthy eating guidelines are not always easy to come by on your own. When you can find products that help you to improve your own nutrition and health habits that can also provide you with information on how to best utilize that nutrition, this can be incredibly beneficial to your weight-loss and health regimen.

Too many programs or supplements and other health and weight-loss related products do not carry with them any advice or assistance on how to most effectively utilize the products for maximum efficiency and health. If you are using meal replacement bars, nutritional supplements and specially designed healthy snacks in an attempt to lose weight and become healthier, are you not better served by a program that ties all these items together and includes healthy eating guidelines?

A program that can be used to your best results may cost more than one that comes without such assistance, but having something that will help you to make the best use of your program gives far more value for the dollar than one that leaves you to fend for yourself. Let’s face it, if we were capable of designing and sticking to healthy eating habits, we wouldn’t need to be hunting down meal replacements, vitamins, fish oil supplements and healthy snacks.

Having handy, healthy eating guidelines will not automatically insure weight loss and increased health, nor will having access to nutritionally balanced supplements and snacks. Losing weight and getting healthy takes time, effort and commitment, that’s the really difficult part.

However, having the right products and the right information can make an enormous difference in the process. With good information and healthy eating guidelines at hand, your own confidence about your ability to reach your goal will increase. Improved confidence helps to sustain willpower and reduce slipping back into old habits.

7 Simple Tips to Boost Your Weight Loss Program

If you are starting a weight loss program, it may be helpful for you to know that there are some simple steps you can take to make any weight loss program more effective. We will share 7 tips that have been proven successful by millions of weight loss participants in any weight loss program of their choice.

Weight Loss Tip #1: Realistic Goals

The fastest way to lose motivation is to set unrealistic weight loss goals for yourself before you even start your weight loss program, ask yourself some simple questions-?What do you want to achieve from this weight loss program?? and ?How much weight do you want to lose in a day, a week or a month?. Remember that each small goal you achieve will propel you closer to your final destination. But if you set unrealistic goals, you will only end up in frustration and disappointment when they are not achieved, even when you are making significant progress in your weight loss goals.

Weight Loss Tip # 2: Preparation is the Key

Now is the time to start a new lifestyle and start getting rid of your junk food, your colas in the refrigerator, those puddings and those chocolates you stash in your drawer! Make a new list of the food you need and start stocking on them in large quantities. Include vegetables, fruits, healthy snacks, mineral waters and vitamins and minerals supplements you may need.

Weight Loss # 3: Reward system

Give yourself a pat on the back and create a reward system for your weight loss program. For instance, you may want to get yourself a new shoe, a new CD or even a new handbag if you reach a certain point in your weight loss efforts.

Weight Loss # 4: Healthy Breakfast

This is the most important meal that you should never miss. Skipping breakfast means that you are programming your brain to think that you hungry starved and deprived, this will only cause you to feel lethargic and when the pressure is too much, you may decide to embark on an eating binge. This is sheer suicide to your weight loss program!

Weight Loss # 5: Exercise

For long lasting effects and to boost the rate of your weight loss, this is one important activity you must inculcate into your routine. No weight loss program can be successful without a good exercise program. Choose a good exercise program that lets you burn fat and gives a good cardiovascular exercise at the same time.

Weight Loss # 6: Sleep

Always get enough sleep during your weight loss program. A normal adult would need an approximately 7-8 hours of sleep a day. This help to keep your bodily system working in perfect order, which is crucial to the success of your weight loss program.

Weight Loss Tip 7:Relaxation

This is important in any weight loss program and you should make relaxation a crucial apart of your schedule. Meditation, relaxation and affirmations can help boost your confidence and make the process more enjoyable.

By following these seven simple tips, you can start seeing results in your efforts to lose weight. Be consistent and make them part of your lifestyle and success in your weight loss program is assured.

My girlfriend is obsessed with the television show, The Biggest Loser.  For those of you who don’t know, this popular reality show is basically a weight loss contest.  She loves to see the dramatic weight loss results that the contestants get each week.  She loves this show so much, she has convinced me to watch it with her each and every Tuesday night.  I have to say, the show is quite entertaining and I do enjoy watching it with her.

But, from a weight loss standpoint, Im not impressed.  The goal of the show is to lose weight as fast as possible.  In order to do this, the contestants engage in a very extreme weight loss program that is designed to cause rapid reductions in bodyweight.  Rapid weight loss is great, right?  Not so fast!  This is not necessarily the case.  Heres why:

First of all, weight loss is not the same as fat loss.  More often then not, the weight these people lose is composed of lean muscle tissue, water weight, and some body fat.  Unfortunately, it turns out that losing muscle actually causes your metabolism to slow significantly, which makes losing body fat even more difficult than it was before.  So losing any muscle at all is really not desirable if you intend to maintain your fat loss results on a permanent basis.

I’ve found that when people lose weight quickly they have a significantly greater chance of the dreaded weight regain. Since weight loss and fat loss are two different things it’s important to realize that rapid weight loss is not always ideal. Of course we all want to lose fat quickly but remember that it must be done correctly, scientifically and carefully or be prepared to gain the weight back.

When you have a weight loss program which is performed properly you will be able to lose fat quickly, not just weight, by keeping your lean muscle mass. Lean muscle mass is crucial to long term fat loss because it keeps your metabolic rate high. I want to see you change your body forever and not just for a short term period so don’t think so much “quantity” or weight but quality of weight by losing fat.

In order to be a long term maintainer I suggest taking a look at what people are doing who have truly achieved “real” fat loss. Here is the big difference between long term maintainers and big losers:

First off every long term maintainer has a solid workout program which always includes both cardio and resistance training. The goal for most of these people is at least 30 minutes of exercise almost every day.

As far as diet is concerned a “big loser” and a maintainer’s habits will vary greatly. Big losers usually follow the fad diets and perform limited exercise or simply perform aerobic work with no resistance training. Also, the self-monitoring methods used by big losers and maintainers differ as well such as measuring bodyweight and body fat percentages and also measuring calories.

Self-monitoring is probably the most criticized and avoided weight loss technique especially when it comes to calorie counting and measuring food. Some fitness experts even claim this to be an inconvenient method of weight loss because it seems too restrictive. I believe this to be one of the most beneficial weight loss methods and can make a huge difference between getting fat and losing fat.

4 Strategies To Ensure Fat Loss Success!

1. Become more active everyday! Daily exercise is crucial for weight maintenance and weight loss.

2. Include resistance training as part of your regular exercise program, during your fat loss phase, and even more importantly, during maintenance.

3. Closely monitor your portion sizes and calories. To start off do exact measurements even though that may be a little time consuming then afterwards just eyeball the quantities.

4. Focus on losing fat and not just weight!  Measuring your body fat percentage is the best way to ensure that your weight loss is actually coming from fat and not lean muscle.

Follow my 4 fat loss strategies and you too will stop being a big loser and become a long term fat loss maintainer!

 
10 Strategies for permanent weight loss
1.   Exercise is essential for weight loss

It’s nothing new, but exercise is probably the most important predictor of whether you will succeed at long term weight loss and weight loss maintenance. In order for exercise to be helpful in weight loss, you should strive for a minimum of five 30 minute sessions per week. The good news is that recent research has shown that three 10 minute sessions in a day are as good as one 30 minute session. This helps many in combating the old “no time for exercise” excuse. Be certain to find something you enjoy. You’ll be more apt to stick with it. Try walking with a friend, joining an intramural sports league, participating in outings with a group like The Sierra Club, or trying some classes at your local gym. Once you give exercise a chance, you will begin to enjoy its positive benefits on your psyche as well; you will literally become “hooked.”

2.   Weight loss and weight training

We chose to list this separately from the “exercise” category because of the significant weight loss benefits attached to weight training in and of itself. The basic equation is this: the more muscle tissue you have, the more calories you will burn. This is why world class weight lifters must eat thousands of calories a day to maintain their weight. Muscle is active tissue, fat is not. Thus, muscle “burns” a significant number of calories each day for its own maintenance. In her book Strong Women Stay Slim, Miriam Nelson, a Tufts University researcher, showed that a group of women who followed a weight loss diet and did weight training exercises lost 44% more fat than those who only followed the diet. While aerobic activity can help burn calories, muscle’s where it’s at when it comes to giving your metabolism a significant daily boost even at rest.

3.   Keep a diary for triggers that hinder weight loss

Keeping a food diary can be a huge asset in successful weight loss. Devote some time each day to record what you have eaten and how much, your hunger level prior to eating, and any feelings or emotions present at the time. A food diary can provide a large amount of self-awareness. It can identify emotions and behaviors that trigger overeating, foster greater awareness of portion sizes, and help you discover your personal food triggers. Study any patterns that emerge from your food diary and identify where you may be able to make more healthful changes. A food diary provides an added benefit of keeping you focused on and committed to your goals. Start keeping a food diary today by printing our food diary.

4.   Stay focused on being healthy, not on becoming thin

Many people become more successful at long term weight loss when their motivation changes from wanting to be thinner to wanting to be healthier. Change your mind set to think about selecting foods that will help your body’s health rather than worrying about foods that will affect your body’s weight. The Food Pyramid offers a basic outline of the types and amounts of food you should eat each day to give your body the nutrients it needs for optimal health.

5.   Find out why you overeat

All too often overeating is triggered by stress, boredom, loneliness, anger, depression and other emotions. Learning to deal with emotions without food is a significant skill that will greatly serve long term weight control. The Solution, a book and national program developed by Laurel Mellin, RD, helps participants to identify their eating triggers and respond to them without food. A research study showed that the participants in this program demonstrated a better rate of long term weight loss maintenance than those who simply diet and/or exercise and don’t address behavioral and emotional issues. Chronic over-eaters and “emotional eaters” can be significantly helped by learning new behavioral skills such as those Mellin presents. You can also seek help with behavioral and emotional eating issues from a licensed counselor or psychologist in your area.

6.   Weight loss support: join a weight management group

A big key in long term weight control comes from receiving encouragement and support from others. You can check to see if groups such as Jenny Craig offer programs and resources in your areas. You may also wish to check with your local hospital to see if their registered dietitian conducts group weight loss programs.

7.   Weight loss and portion control

With the advent of “super-size” meals and increasingly huge portions at restaurants, our concept of normal serving sizes is a distant memory. Be mindful of the amounts of food you consume at a sitting. When necessary, divide your food in half and ask for a take home bag. It is all too easy to be a “plate cleaner” even when served enormous portions. Learn to pay attention to your hunger level and stop eating when you feel comfortably full, not stuffed.

8: Lose weight slowly with small changes

Try to remember that “losing 15 pounds in two weeks” is nothing to celebrate. It is important to realize that the more quickly weight is lost, the more likely the loss is coming from water and muscle, not fat. Since muscle tissue is critical in keeping our metabolism elevated, losing it actually leads to a decrease in the amount of calories we can each day without gaining weight. Fat loss is best achieved when weight is lost slowly. Strive for a weight loss of no more than 1-2 pounds per week. One pound of weight is equivalent to 3500 calories. By making small changes like eliminating 250 calories a day from food and expending 250 calories a day from exercise, you can lose one pound (of mostly fat) per week. You can calculate how much time you need to exercise to burn 250 calories by clicking here. You can calculate your caloric needs by clicking here, and then subtract 250 from that number.

9.   Eating slowly can lead to weight loss

Did you ever notice that thin people take an awfully long time to eat their food? Eating slowly is one method that can help take off pounds. That’s because from the time you begin eating it takes the brain 20 minutes to start signaling feelings of fullness. Fast eaters often eat beyond their true level of fullness before the 20 minute signal has had a chance to set in. The amount of calories consumed before you begin to feel full can vary significantly depending on how quickly you eat. So slow down, take smaller bites and enjoy and savor every tasty morsel.

10.   Weight loss through eating less fat - but do it wisely

We’ve known for some time that limiting high fat foods in the diet can be helpful with weight loss. That’s because fats pack in 9 calories per gram compared to only 4 calories per gram from proteins or carbohydrates. To many, the message to limit fats implied an endorsement to eat unlimited amounts of fat-free products. Just to clarify, fat-free foods have calories too. In some cases fat-free foods have as many calories as their fat laden counterparts. If you eat more calories than your body uses, you will gain weight. Eating less fat will help you to lose weight. Eating less fat and replacing it with excessive amounts of fat-free products will not.