The best way to loose weight is to focus on effective and natural weight loss through a reduction in calories and increase in physical activity; few ever listen to this suggestion. If it were that simple, which it should be, most slimming companies would be out of business; with over a third of Americans, and millions in other countries who are gradually catching up, it obviously isn’t that easy! However, once you are overweight you can’t wait to lose it again whether it is for a wedding, vacation or just for health reasons.

The strange thing is though that it is so much easier to stay trim than it is to lose weight because as soon as you start putting on weight, many things become more difficult. This is something that all of us know deep down, that if we do not watch what we eat and how much we exercise, then we are doomed to an overweight future.

For some reason even when dieters who have become used to, and enjoy, a low calorie diet, they eventually drift back to old habits and start piling the pounds back on again. The simple fact is this; the longer you ignore natural weight loss programs and stay overweight, the more likely you are to have health problems.

Most health experts contend that the significance of excess weight is more than cosmetic as it takes a huge toll on a person’s physical health. If you think about it, losing excess weight by natural methods is the most acceptable way to get rid of those extra pounds but too many people want a ‘quick fix’ system.

If you are planning to use a natural weight loss approach then its success will depend on the meals you eat which should be low in fat, high in fiber, some protein and carbohydrates. If you were looking at a meal then this would be a baked (Read more ...)

So, you’ve made it. You’re finally on holiday!

(Yeah, I know, you’re still at the office slaving away at your desk but bear with me, I’m painting a picture here!)

After all those weeks of cutting calories, depriving yourself of treats and regularly thrashing yourself about in the gym (You know, the usual pre-holiday fitness panic) you’re finally able to get your kit off, soak up some rays and chill out on the beach.

After all, idleness and holidays go hand in hand don’t they?

Or do they? Or, more to the point, should they?

It may or may not surprise to you to find out that, on average, holiday makers put on around 5-7lbs in weight during their two weeks away from home, a figure (excuse the pun) only normally beaten by Christmas!

Now, 7lbs may not sound like a lot but in reality it represents some 24,500 extra calories stored either through reduced activity or excess food consumption.

Just to clarify, that’s the equivalent of about 10 days worth of calories above and beyond those needed to maintain your weight during your holiday. And guess what?

Nearly all of this is fat!!

So maybe a week of sun, sea and sloth isn’t such a great idea after all. Not unless you actually enjoy laying down lard!

The funny thing is, it’s so easy to avoid piling on the holiday pounds.

In fact, many people find that they actually come back from their holidays leaner, more toned and far healthier than when they went away just by taking advantage of the opportunity to be more active and try new, healthier foods.

I know what you’re thinking “I’m on holiday to enjoy myself and relax NOT to put myself through some harsh diet and thrash myself (Read more ...)

Any time someone starts a new weight loss routine, the initial excitement is very high. You get to go to the grocery store for healthier food, and get to the gym. But after that initial enthusiasm dies down, how do you stay motivated? Here are our tips:

1. Realize Weight Loss is a Marathon. Often, people will do way too much way to quickly when it comes to dieting and exercise. The result of this is typically that the person feels tired, burnt out, and sore, and the last thing they want to do is continue working out. Take your dieting and exercise one day at a time. Leave something in the tank for tomorrow, and realize that you need to be consistent to hit your goals.

2. Schedule Self-Timed Workouts. Treat yourself like your own trainer. Make appointments with yourself so that nothing can get in the way of it. If you have your workouts at a preset time, you are more likely to keep going, especially if you are free of interruptions.

3. Find a Workout Partner. Find someone to workout with, who is equally as serious about it as you are. This is important to help motivate you at times when you are struggling. A good partner will help you stay consistent on your diet and exercise plan. It is much easier to find a reason to tell yourself why you are not at the gym than it is to tell someone else.

4. Keep a training journal. Keeping a journal of not only what you consume each day, but what you accomplish in the gym will allow you to track your progress closely. Keep track of your bodyweight and body fat along with your workout routine and what you are eating. This allows you to evaluate yourself and your progress frequently.

5. Strive to be the best that you can be. Don’t compare your body to a model, actress, or bodybuilder. Realize (Read more ...)

Diet and exercise just aren’t enough…you need to get your brain involved in the weight loss game, as well. Through clear visualization of your goals, losing those extra pounds can be easy.

Just by meditating and day dreaming, one can really improve there chances of meeting there weight loss goals. You simply need to visualize what you want yourself to look like upon completion of your weight loss goals. This image of yourself is brought into your subconscious, and your body will begin reacting accordingly.

If you force yourself to imagine your body as thinner, or more muscular and toned, through time your brain will learn to accept this as your new body image, and your body will conform to this new idea. One of the most important things regarding visualization is to really believe in it. You have to let go of any weight loss failures you have battled, and keep your mind free of negative images and thoughts of your body.

If you can retrain your mind to imagine yourself at your ideal shape and weight, your brain will work hard to make that visualization become reality. Your mind will aid your body in achieving those goals. It is critical to re-program your brain to make yourself believe you can stay fit and lose weight. If you think of yourself as an overweight, fat, or out of shape individual, your mind will work hard to make it so…and vice-versa.

Your mind can be a very good weight loss partner, and you can use your new body image as inspiration any time you are having trouble staying on track. Visualize yourself as lean and healthy and your mind will work in conjunction with your body to make it so!

Getting Rid of Bad Nutritional Habits

One thing you must do in conjunction with with your visualization is to (Read more ...)

Low fat diets have been popular for more than 15 years. Many people believe this is the solution for long-term weight loss. This couldn’t be further from the truth. One example of this is sugar. There are no fat calories in sugar so if you were to eat sugar all day you would technically be eating a diet that had zero fat calories of this would not lead to losing weight. Many people subscribe to this low fat diet myth and it is no wonder obesity rates continue to rise.

Using a low calorie diet will help either. One of the worst things you can do in fact is utilize a low calorie diet. Low calorie diets may work for a few days but after the initial weight loss you’ll hit a plateau. The reason for this is your body’s natural fat burning engines slows down and this is when you hit the plateau. The deciding factor is not the amount of daily calories you consume. It is the “Type” of calorie you consume. Calories come from three sources; fat, carbs and protein. It is this that is important.

Low Carb diets have been all the rage the last few years especially as an easy weight loss for teens program. The problem with these diets is they are very strict and very hard to follow for the average person. When on a low carb diet your body is robbed of energy and this makes it extremely difficult to remain on the program for an extended period of time. Just to give you an idea of how restrictive these diets are, the Atkins diet a very popular program allows just 20 “net carbs” per day for the first 2 weeks. An apple has more than 20 carbs!

Many turn to programs such as Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig. Although These can and do work for many people they usually are very costly and weight loss is spread out over (Read more ...)